Morning sunlight filtered gently through the towering canopy of the Dead Forest.
The storm that had raged the day before had vanished without a trace, leaving the forest washed clean. Beads of water clung to emerald leaves, catching the sunlight like scattered crystals before dripping quietly onto the narrow trail below.
A cool breeze wandered between the ancient trees.
Birdsong returned to the forest.
One after another, five figures made their way along the winding path that cut through the dense wilderness.
Several paces behind... Kairo walked in silence, Toka strolled casually beside him
For a while... Neither of them spoke.
Only the crunch of damp leaves beneath their sandals filled the quiet morning.
Then...
"So..."
Toka finally broke the silence.
"Now that you've regrouped..."
His gaze remained fixed ahead.
"...are you planning to march straight into the West Territory?"
Kairo's footsteps slowed ever so slightly.
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he watched a droplet fall from a branch overhead, disappearing into the moss below.
"...I'm not sure yet."
His voice was calm.
"We still don't know how many people Harumachi will send after us."
"The longer we're out here..."
"...the more likely we'll run into them."
Toka frowned slightly.
"...Harumachi?"
Kairo gave a faint smirk.
"...Yeah."
"Just recently learned his name."
Toka gave a small nod.
"...I see."
"So, he's the one in charge of the West Territory."
"...Yeah."
Kairo's smile faded.
"We crossed paths back at the academy..."
"...under the worst possible circumstances."
Toka glanced sideways at him.
"...Sounds to me like you've got a bounty on your head."
Kairo let out a quiet chuckle.
"...Nah."
"Harumachi's just a bully with grudges."
Toka stared at Kairo.
His expression remained unreadable.
Only the silent look of someone watching another person completely underestimate the danger standing before them.
Kairo, oblivious to the meaning behind that gaze, continued speaking.
"...Besides..."
"...I've got something more important."
He looked toward the forest stretching endlessly ahead.
"Before we entered this Survival Test..."
"...my friends and I made a promise."
A quiet determination settled in his voice.
"We'd promise we all meet again..."
"...in the North Territory."
His eyes never wavered.
"So, I don't have time..."
"...to waste fighting some stupid grudge match."
Silence lingered between them.
Toka stared at him for another long moment.
Then...
He slowly tilted his head back.
A long, weary sigh escaped his lips.
"...Oh, brother..."
He rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"...You've got absolutely no idea what you've walked into."
The morning breeze drifted quietly between the towering trees.
Ahead, Morri laughed at something Yomi had said.
Tera shook her head with a helpless smile.
Completely unaware....
........................
The forest fell quiet once more.
Only the gentle rustling of leaves accompanied the group's steady footsteps as they continued along the narrow trail winding through the towering trees.
Then....
Clack.
A faint sound echoed from somewhere below.
Kairo's foot stopped mid-step.
The others halted almost immediately.
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Another sound followed.
Muffled voices.
Then laughter.
Not far away.
The six exchanged brief glances.
Without a word, Toka raised a hand, signaling everyone to stay low.
Slowly, they left the narrow trail and crept through the undergrowth, careful not to disturb the damp leaves beneath their feet.
The voices grew clearer.
They eventually reached the edge of a rocky slope overlooking a lower section of the forest.
Dense bushes concealed their position.
Carefully parting a few branches, Kairo looked down.
His eyes narrowed.
"...Participants."
.......................
Below them, in a small clearing at the foot of the slope, five young recruits stood facing one another.
Three of them appeared relaxed.
Too relaxed.
The confidence in their posture alone made it obvious they held the advantage.
Opposite them stood two others...
A bespectacled boy and a girl around the same age as Kairo and the others.
The pair stood shoulder to shoulder.
Nervous.
Cornered.
One of the three stepped forward with an easy smile.
His hands rested casually inside his pockets.
"...Come on."
"There doesn't have to be any trouble."
He shrugged as though offering a generous deal.
"Our leader's already secured the West Territory."
"It won't be long before the others fall too."
Another boy beside him folded his arms with a smug grin.
"So why make things difficult for yourselves?"
The first boy nodded.
"Exactly."
"Just tell us where your teammates are."
"We'll bring them to the West Territory."
"Our leader's gathering everyone worth recruiting."
He smiled wider.
"Together..."
"...we'll crush the remaining territories and win this Survival Test."
The words drifted upward through the trees.
..............................
Hidden among the bushes, Morri frowned.
"...What are they doing?"
Beside him, Toka continued watching without changing expression.
"...Looks like they're some of the Harumachi's boys."
Kairo remained silent.
His sharp eyes never left the clearing below.
For a moment...
Neither of the cornered recruits answered.
The girl instinctively stepped a little closer to the boy wearing glasses.
The silence lingered.
Then...
"...No."
The reply came quietly.
Firmly.
The bespectacled boy adjusted his glasses with trembling fingers.
"We're not telling you anything."
The smile vanished from the faces of the three boys.
"Oh ...Really?"
One of them sighed dramatically.
"...How disappointing."
Another clicked his tongue.
"...Guess we'll have to persuade you."
The third boy stepped toward the girl.
She immediately took a step back.
His grin widened.
"...Aw..."
"Don't be like that."
His hand reached toward her shoulder.
"...You're a cute girl."
He glanced at the boy standing protectively in front of her and let out a mocking chuckle.
"...What, is this your boyfriend?"
The other two burst into laughter.
"He doesn't exactly look like much."
The boy leaned closer to the frightened girl.
"...Come on."
"Don't you want some real protection?"
The girl's breathing quickened.
She recoiled immediately.
"...D-Don't touch me!"
The boy only laughed.
"Oh?"
"You've got some spirit."
He reached toward her again.
Before he could....
"...Let her go."
The quiet voice cut through the clearing.
The boy in glasses stood in front of her.
His legs trembled.
But he didn't move aside.
The smiling recruit slowly turned his head.
"...Hm?"
He stared at the bespectacled boy for several seconds.
Then burst into laughter.
"Hahaha..."
"...What?"
He reached into his pocket.
A short knife slid into his hand.
The blade caught the morning sunlight with a cold gleam.
He lazily pointed it toward the boy's chest.
"...You say something..."
His grin slowly twisted into something uglier.
"...nerdy brat?"
The clearing fell silent.
The knife hovered only inches away.
The boy with glasses swallowed hard.
His face had gone pale.
Yet... He refused to step back.
.......................
Hidden beneath the cover of thick bushes, the group remained perfectly still.
No one dared make a sound.
Then—
"...Oh no..."
Yomi's voice came as little more than a frightened whisper.
"...This is bad..."
Kairo's eyes never left the clearing.
Without another thought, he shifted forward and began to rise from his hiding place.
A hand immediately caught his wrist.
"...What are you trying to do?"
Toka's calm voice stopped him.
Kairo looked down at the hand before glancing back at him.
"...What does it look like, genius?"
Toka didn't let go.
"...are you stupid?"
"Take a look at yourself... You still recovering from your last battle"
"Think before charging in.... genius"
Kairo clicked his tongue.
"....do you have a plan then..."
"...Mr. Genius... Genius?"
For a moment...
The two simply stared at each other.
Behind them...
Morri blinked.
Yomi looked at Tera.
Tera sighed.
"...Seriously?"
Even with the tension below, they were arguing over who the real genius was.
Toka let out a slow sigh.
"...We devise a plan..."
His gaze returned to the clearing below, calm and focused.
"...and then we execute it."
"Alright then, fair enough" Kairo nodded
..............................
The tense silence beneath the cliff stretched for another heartbeat.
The bespectacled boy stood protectively in front of the frightened girl, refusing to move despite the three recruits surrounding them.
"...Just tell us where your teammates are," one of them sneered, lazily twirling a short knife between his fingers.
"It'll make things easier for everyone."
The boy swallowed but remained firm.
The three exchanged amused looks.
Then...
Crunch.
A soft footstep came from behind them.
All three turned.
Standing a few paces away was a girl with round glasses, nervously clutching the straps of her backpack.
Yomi.
She offered an awkward smile.
"Hi, uhm... uh...S-Sorry..."
Her voice trembled just enough to sound convincing.
"I think...I'm lost."
The boys blinked.
"...Lost?"
Yomi gave a timid nod.
"My name's Yomi."
"I got separated from my teammates while wandering through the forest."
She lowered her head slightly.
"...I was hoping someone could help me."
The smug expression on the boys' faces immediately returned.
"Well, well..."
One of them chuckled.
"Looks like the plan worked after all."
Another grinned as he stepped toward her.
"...You're pretty cute."
"Don't worry."
"We'll protect you."
The third let out a sleazy laugh.
"...Yeah."
"You've got nothing to be afraid of anymore."
Completely captivated by their newest target...
None of them noticed the silent figure slipping behind them.
Hidden near the bushes, the bespectacled boy and the girl did.
Their eyes widened.
Toka.
Without a sound, he raised a single finger to his lips.
*Stay quiet.*
They froze.
Understanding immediately.
The three recruits continued advancing toward Yomi.
Their backs completely exposed.
Then...
The boy standing on the far right caught something in the corner of his eye.
His smile faltered.
"...Hey..."
He began turning.
"...Who the—"
CHAK!
Toka's hand shot forward like the edge of a blade.
The ridge of his fist struck cleanly into the side of the boy's neck.
His eyes rolled back instantly.
Without even making a sound...
He collapsed.
THUD.
"...What the hell?!"
The remaining two spun around in shock.
Both lunged at once, knives flashing toward Toka from opposite sides.
Toka pivoted smoothly.
The first blade sliced through empty air.
Before its owner could recover—
THUD!
Toka drove the knuckles of his lead hand straight into the center of the boy's chest.
"...GAAH!"
The recruit stumbled backward, clutching his chest as the air vanished from his lungs before collapsing onto his knees.
The last boy's eyes widened.
Then rage twisted across his face.
"...YOU—!"
He thrust his knife forward.
Toka calmly caught his wrist with one hand.
The blade stopped inches from his chest.
Before the boy could react—
WHAM!
Toka's right fist buried itself deep into his stomach.
"...GHHK!"
The boy doubled over, every ounce of strength leaving his body before he crumpled unconscious onto the forest floor.
Silence.
The three recruits lay scattered across the path.
The bespectacled boy and the girl stared in stunned disbelief.
Yomi slowly let out the breath she'd been holding.
"Phew! ...That..."
She placed a hand against her chest.
"...was a lot closer than I expected."
She smiled nervously as the plan worked.
Toka's eyes rested upon the unconscious recruits at his feet.
Silence settled over the clearing.
Then...
Footsteps.
The bespectacled boy and the girl turned in surprise as three more figures emerged from behind the trees.
Kairo.
Tera.
Morri.
Kairo glanced at the unconscious recruits before looking at Toka.
A faint smile crossed his face.
"...Well."
"Looks like... That worked out in the end"
The two strangers exchanged stunned looks.
Before anyone could say anything, Morri hurried over to Yomi.
"...Yomi."
He looked her over anxiously.
"...Are you okay?"
She smiled and nodded.
"...I'm fine."
Morri let out a relieved sigh.
Meanwhile...
Kairo's eyes rested on the three unconscious recruits lying motionless across the forest floor.
His expression settled into quiet thought as the morning breeze whispered through the towering trees.
To be continued....