The forest fell silent.
Only the thick, wet sounds of the sinkhole echoed as Hikari struggled.
"...Damn it!"
He clawed desperately at the crumbling walls.
Each attempt only dragged him deeper.
"You bitch!"
His furious glare locked onto Tera.
"When I get out of here... I'll kill you!"
"You hear me?! .... I'll kill you!"
The mire swallowed him another inch.
Then...
A rustle came from above.
Hikari looked up.
A figure slowly descended from the thick vine hanging between the towering branches.
Morri.
His bandaged leg trembled as he landed before limping over to Tera.
He stopped beside her; his breathing still unsteady.
"...Looks like the plan worked."
Tera gave a quiet nod, her gaze never leaving Hikari.
"...Yeah."
Below them, Hikari frowned.
"...Plan?"
His gaze shifted from Morri...
...to the vine...
...then back again.
His expression slowly changed.
"...Wait..."
Tera finally spoke.
"... I'd advise you to stop struggling... unless..."
"...you want to sink faster."
Hikari barely heard her.
His mind raced.
"... But how... It was same path"
"I held the vine," Tera answered.
"What the hell... That doesn't make any sense."
"I grabbed it too..."
His voice stopped.
His eyes widened as they snapped toward Morri.
Morri gave a small nod.
"...That's right."
"I was up there the whole time."
"I held the vine steady while Tera crossed."
"...She knew exactly which one to grab."
Silence.
The realization crashed into Hikari.
The swinging log...
The obvious pit...
Everything had been bait.
His own confidence had led him straight into the sinkhole.
The mire reached his waist
"...No..."
His voice trembled.
"...I can't die here."
"...Not like this."
He looked desperately at Morri.
"...Please."
"I won't come after you anymore."
"I swear."
"I'll never bully you again."
Morri simply looked at him.
His expression remained unreadable.
Receiving no answer, panic twisted into anger.
".... DAMN YOU!"
"GET ME OUT!"
Morri let out a slow breath.
"...You still don't get it."
"...You're not the one in control anymore."
Those words broke him.
The mud climbed higher.
Fear replaced pride.
"...Please..."
"I'll tell you everything I know."
"...Just don't leave me here."
Tera glanced at Morri.
"...Let's go."
Morri nodded quietly.
Without another word, the two turned and disappeared into the forest.
"...WAIT!"
Hikari's desperate screams echoed through the Dead Forest...
.........................
Behind them...
"...Please..."
Hikari's voice cracked.
The black mire had risen to his chest.
His trembling hands reached helplessly toward the edge of the sinkhole, grasping at empty air.
"...Please..."
His body shook.
Tears streamed freely down his face, mixing with the thick black sludge clinging to his skin.
"I don't..."
A sob caught in his throat.
"...I don't want to die..."
"...Please..."
His desperate cries echoed through the silent forest.
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Ahead...
Tera and Morri continued walking.
Neither spoke.
Only the crunch of leaves beneath their feet broke the silence.
Then...
Morri slowed.
The sobbing behind him refused to fade.
He gradually came to a stop.
Tera noticed almost immediately.
She turned toward him.
"...Morri?"
He didn't answer.
His eyes remained fixed somewhere behind them, his expression clouded with concern.
Tera studied his face for a moment.
Then she sighed softly.
"...You're having second thoughts?"
Morri lowered his eyes.
"...We..."
He hesitated.
"...We can't just leave him."
Tera closed her eyes and drew a long, weary breath.
One hand settled against her waist.
Her voice was low, carrying a quiet intensity.
"...Morri..."
She held his gaze.
"...Have you already forgotten?"
A brief silence followed.
"...Just moments ago..."
"...he chased us through this forest..."
"...with every intention of killing us."
"I know."
His reply came quietly.
"But..."
He looked back toward the direction they'd come from.
"...If we leave him there..."
He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.
"Morri... If things had gone the other way..."
"...do you honestly think he would've shown us the same mercy?"
Morri pushed.
Tera followed his gaze before shaking her head.
"Honestly! ...There's no point asking."
Morri remained silent.
The forest fell quiet once more.
Only Hikari's distant sobs drifted faintly through the trees.
.......................
The black mire had risen to Hikari's chest.
His breathing came in broken sobs.
"...No..."
His fingers clawed weakly at the surface before slipping back beneath the thick sludge.
"...I don't want to die..."
His strength was fading.
The cold weight of the sinkhole continued to pull him lower.
His head slowly drooped.
Then—
WHISH!
Something whipped through the air.
A thick vine landed across his outstretched arm.
"...GRAB ON!"
A voice rang out from somewhere beyond the edge of the sinkhole.
Hikari's eyes widened.
Morri.
The vine brushed against his trembling fingers.
Without thinking...
He seized it.
"Don't let go!" Morri shouted.
The vine immediately tightened.
On solid ground, Morri wrapped the other end around the trunk of the towering tree overlooking the sinkhole.
Tera rushed beside him, gripping the vine with both hands.
"Stop struggling!" she called to Hikari.
"If you keep fighting the mud, it'll keep pulling you down!"
Hikari froze.
"...Twist your body!" Morri yelled.
"One leg at a time!"
Taking a shaking breath, Hikari did exactly that.
He forced one leg to rotate beneath the mire.
The thick suction loosened slightly.
"Now!"
Morri and Tera leaned back together, using the tree as an anchor.
The vine stretched tight.
Hikari lurched upward only a few inches.
Again.
He twisted.
They pulled.
The mire fought to keep him.
With a sickening slurp, one leg finally broke free.
"...It's working!" Tera shouted.
"Again!"
Hikari twisted the other leg.
Morri gritted his teeth despite the pain shooting through his injured knee.
Together, he and Tera hauled on the vine with everything they had.
The black sludge released him little by little...
Until—
SLURP!
Hikari's body tore free from the sinkhole.
He crashed heavily onto solid ground, coughing violently as thick black mud poured from his clothes.
For several moments...
None of them spoke.
Only the sound of Hikari's desperate breathing filled the silent forest.
Hikari lay flat on the ground, his entire body trembling. Thick black sludge coated him from head to toe as his chest rose and fell in desperate breaths.
"...Hah..."
"...Hah..."
A violent cough seized him.
"COUGH! COUGH!"
He rolled onto his side, spitting muddy water onto the forest floor before collapsing again, too exhausted to move.
Nearby, Morri remained bent over with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. His injured leg trembled from the strain.
Tera rested one hand against the tree, quietly catching her breath.
...........................
Several long moments later....
The frantic rhythm of their breathing had finally begun to settle.
The forest was quiet once more.
Hikari slowly pushed himself upright.
Mud still clung to every inch of his body, dripping from his clothes onto the earth below. For a long moment, he simply knelt there with his head lowered.
Neither Tera nor Morri spoke.
Then...
Hikari bowed.
Deeply.
"...Thank you."
His voice was quiet.
Hoarse.
There was no trace of arrogance.
No resentment.
Only sincerity.
"...You..."
He swallowed hard.
"...You saved my life."
Silence answered him.
The weight of those words lingered between them.
Tera looked toward Morri before quietly breaking the silence.
"...Morri."
He turned to her.
"...We should get going."
Her gaze drifted toward the deeper reaches of the Dead Forest.
"...We still don't know how Kairo and Yomi are holding up."
Morri followed her eyes.
For a moment...
He smiled and gave a quiet nod.
"...Yeah."
Despite everything that had happened...
The heaviness pressing against his heart had begun to lift.
At least here...
Things had worked out in the end.
Together...
He and Tera turned toward the forest.
Their footsteps gradually disappeared beneath the towering trees, leaving Hikari kneeling alone in the quiet clearing, his head still lowered in silent gratitude.
............................
Somewhere around the west location....
The steady rhythm of rain echoed beyond the mouth of the cave.
Water dripped from the jagged stone ceiling, each drop splashing softly into shallow puddles that had formed along the entrance. Outside, the Dead Forest lay hidden behind a curtain of gray rain, its towering trees little more than dark silhouettes swaying beneath the storm.
A small bonfire crackled near the center of the cave.
Its warm glow pushed back the darkness, sending wavering shadows dancing across the rough stone walls as thin streams of smoke drifted toward the entrance before disappearing into the rain.
Lying upon a bed of broad leaves...
Kairo stirred.
A quiet breath escaped him.
"...Mm..."
His eyelids twitched.
Heavy.
Everything felt distant.
As though he had wandered somewhere far beyond the reach of the world itself.
His thoughts drifted through a thick haze.
The warmth of the fire.
The scent of damp earth.
The sound of falling rain.
None of it felt real.
He slowly drew a long, weary breath.
"...Haa..."
His eyes finally opened.
The ceiling above him blurred into view.
The rough stone swayed gently before gradually settling into focus.
His vision remained cloudy.
His body felt impossibly heavy.
"...You're awake."
The voice reached him almost immediately.
Soft.
Relieved.
Kairo slowly turned his head.
A familiar face leaned into view.
Yomi.
The worry that had weighed upon her face for so long melted into a trembling smile.
"...Kairo..."
She hurried closer, kneeling beside him.
"You finally woke up."
Relief flooded her voice.
"You had me so worried."
Kairo stared at her for a moment, still struggling to gather his thoughts.
"...Where..."
His throat felt dry.
"...Where am I...?"
Yomi gently helped him sit up just enough to ease his breathing before answering.
"...You're in a cave."
She smiled softly.
"You've been unconscious for almost a day."
Her eyes lowered briefly.
"I honestly thought..."
She stopped herself before shaking her head.
"...Never mind."
A quiet laugh escaped her instead.
"You're awake now."
Kairo looked around.
The cave was modest in size.
Rainwater trickled near the entrance.
The fire crackled quietly nearby.
Everything felt strangely peaceful.
"...What happened?"
Yomi folded her hands together.
"I found you unconscious in the forest."
Her expression became serious again.
"...It was really bad."
"But i managed to get you here..."
"...and did everything I could."
Kairo remained silent.
Fragments of memory slowly resurfaced.
The ruined clearing.
Danzeki.
The overwhelming pressure.
Then...
His eyes widened slightly.
"...The fight..."
He abruptly tried to sit upright.
"...What happened?"
"...Where is he?"
Yomi immediately reached out and gently pressed him back onto the bed of leaves.
"Don't."
Her voice carried quiet firmness.
"You shouldn't be moving yet."
"You need to rest."
"But—"
"Lay down."
She carefully adjusted the leaves beneath his head.
"You've barely opened your eyes."
Then...
A voice drifted through the cave.
"...Well."
"...You're finally awake."
Kairo's eyes narrowed.
He looked toward the opposite side of the fire.
A boy about his age stood quietly near the cave entrance, watching the rain beyond.
Hands tucked inside his pockets.
Perfectly relaxed.
Kairo recognized him instantly.
"...It's you."
Yomi jumps in.
"He was a great help and kept us safe."
The boy glanced over his shoulder.
"...Tokisora."
Kairo blinked.
"...What?"
The boy let out a small sigh before turning fully toward him.
"The name is... Tokisora.."
He repeated patiently.
"...But you can call me Toka."
Kairo nodded slowly.
"...Right..."
After a brief silence, he looked back at him.
"...What happened back there?"
Toka's eyes wandered toward the rain outside.
"...He was a formidable opponent."
His voice remained calm with a smirk on his face.
"...One worth fighting."
Kairo frowned.
"...I don't understand."
"He was... strong."
For a long moment... Toka looked at him.
He simply studied Kairo's face.
Then he drew a slow breath.
"...The person you fought..."
"...was a Stage Two Seikon user."
"...Stage... Two?"
Confusion spread across Kairo's face.
Toka nodded.
"...Yes."
"There are many stages beyond."
He folded his arms.
"And the fact that you challenged a Stage Two user head-on..."
He paused.
His gaze sharpened.
"...is honestly insane."
Silence settled over the cave.
The rain continued to fall outside.
Toka's voice softened slightly.
"You should count yourself fortunate..."
"...You're still breathing."
Kairo lowered his eyes, his fingers curled quietly against the leafy bedding beneath him, "...Yeah..."
A bitter smile crossed his face.
"...I know."
The cave fell silent once again.
After a moment...
Kairo spoke.
"...I couldn't just stand there."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"...My friends..."
He swallowed.
"...They were counting on me."
"I couldn't watch..."
"...and do nothing."
Toka listened without interrupting.
His head tilted thoughtfully.
Then...
A faint smile appeared.
"...Fair enough."
He shrugged lightly.
"...It doesn't matter anyway."
"What happened..."
"...is already in the past."
He turned toward the mouth of the cave once more.
The rain poured endlessly beyond the stone ledge.
The bonfire crackled softly behind him, its smoke drifting out into the gray afternoon before disappearing into the forest.
"...Besides..."
His calm eyes remained fixed upon the storm.
"...Whoever that person was..."
"...he simply was unfortunate."
Kairo looked at him.
Toka's smile lingered.
"...His abilities..."
"...were a complete contradiction..."
"...to what i uphold."
Outside...
The heavy rain continued to fall.
The smoke from the fire disappeared into the endless curtain of water, carried away by the whispering wind as the Dead Forest listened in silence.