Somewhere in Komorebi. 11:48 PM.

Eiffel gazed up into the sky and there it was, the full moon. The young man stared in astonishment as he looked up into the sky, seeing for the first time in his life a full moon. He was amazed and enchanted by its luminous face, which gave off an alluring shine. He found himself in the middle of a field with Grate and the Ques by his side.

"Tsk. My head hurts.", said Eiffel as he was feeling heavy. "Where are we?"

"Komorebi forest. We are at the top of Scarlet Slopes Mountain.", said Richard.

"How did I come here?", Eiffel asked, puzzled.

"We brought you here.", said Jack.

"...what for?", Eiffel asked as he was itching his head and rubbing his eyes.

"I know you are still high up in the sky but let's refresh your memories. Blood Games task: Bring a Leaf from the Tree of the Undead on the Full Moon Night.", Jack rasped.

"Alright, so where is it?", Grate asked.

"There is a tribe living here in this mountain and when they die, they cremate bodies in an open field they call a 'Sacred Ground'. It's located deep in this forest... There is a large tree in that crematorium ground. People call that the 'Tree of the Undead'. Your task is to bring us a leaf from that tree.", Richard instructed them.

"There are three conditions though. One, it should be a full moon night, which is met. Two, you'll have to enter the Sacred Ground only after 2 am, not before that. And number 3, you should not waste too much time in that ground and return to us before 4 am after completing the task.", Jack added.

"What's so special about this so-called tree of the undead? And why is it undead anyway?", Eiffel inquired with a curious mind.

"Every full moon night, many ghostly events take place there.", Jack said with a laugh as he tried to scare the noobs. "It's said that all the sinister creatures gather at that Sacred Ground.", he added.

While Eiffel was unafraid of his comments, Grate was intimidated. Eiffel remarked, giving little weight to Jack's words as he disregarded them, "I don't believe in ghosts and I'm not scared of them."

"Y-yeah.", Grate quavered, "Besides, all of you have done this task in the past, right? So, it won't be a problem, right? ...You didn't experience anything paranormal there, right?"

Masquerade members looked at each other. "Ah! Jack. Why are you scaring them?", Richard told him before turning to Grate and encouraging him, "There literally nothing happens. We just got there, plucked a leaf off that tree, and brought it to us. It's only a rumor."

"Yeah! We all have done it.", Marlin assured.

"Stop giving them hope!", Jack told the Ques. Then he turned to the noobs and stated, "It's not about any paranormal existence. It's about your courage. *turned to Eiffel* Rooster, if you can bring a leaf off that tree then we will truly accept that you are not afraid of ghosts.", Jack laughed. Other Ques also supported the matter and Eiffel immediately agreed.

Then the Ques showed them a dirt road. The road goes through an empty field and Richard stated that they had to walk along this road for about 5 km to reach that destination. There was no locality anywhere near except for trees. The noobs took a good look at that road. The Ques gave them a small polythene bag to keep the leaves of the tree and as a precaution, they gave them a knife. Eiffel checked the clock. It was 12 am. After that, Eiffel and Grate left. Their destination was the Sacred Ground.

They kept walking along that road without any fear. There was dead silence, no movement of people anywhere. It goes without saying that 12 am midnight means a very deep night in the urban area.

As they traveled far from the locality, the moonlit night revealed a dense forest in the distance, teeming with plants and trees. It seemed as dark as a bit of pitch black. They realized that the Sacred Ground might be there and they had to reach it. The noobs headed in that direction, walking deep into the heart of the forest. Walking through the forest under the warm embrace of a full moon seemed like entering a magical realm. The silver light filtered through the canopy, creating beautiful shadow patterns on the forest floor. Each step was like a whisper in the night, as the leaves underfoot created a gentle smell that blended with the earthy aroma of the woods. Moonbeams slanted through the branches, producing a celestial dance that cast an ethereal shine on the surroundings. The trees, clad in their best silver cloaks, stood like ancient sentinels, their branches straining toward the sky as if attempting to touch the stars themselves.

"Don't be scared, Grate. We've kind of done this task last night in the morgue.", Eiffel encouraged him.

"Except for what the corpse did back there.", said Grate.

"Don't worry. We're not going to see corpses this time. This time the bodies turn to ashes and disappear in the wind. So, you are lucky you won't be in any contact with one of them. Just relax.", Eiffel comforted him.

"I'm not scared, Eiffel!", Grate kind of yelled at him, "...I'm just angry." Eiffel wasn't expecting to get yelled so he remained silent. Grate felt a sense of guilt then he apologized to him. "I'm sorry, man. I shouldn't have shouted at you. That's my bad."

"We are cool, bro.", said Eiffel before doing their signature combination; up high, down low, fist bump followed by sign of the horns, and contact. "Let's talk about it. Why were you upset back at the party?"

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"What happened? Tell me."

Then Grate started telling him about the conversation between Arumi and himself back at the party. After Arumi left the game, Grate followed and approached her. "Hey, are you okay?", Grate asked sincerely.

"Go away. Just leave me alone.", Arumi barked at him.

"What's wrong?"

"...It's just Maki. I didn't expect her to pass away all so suddenly. It's so tragic."

"*sigh* I understand... But what does that have to do with ignoring me?"

"*serious tone* I'm not ignoring you! ...I'm just trying to have my own space."

"..."

"You know what. I'll be honest. I'm just tired of lying... I'm not good at it anyway... Listen. You and me... This isn't gonna work out anyway."

"*gasped* W-what? Baby, what are you saying?"

"Baby!? *roared* Don't call me Baby! We were never committed to begin with! I don't remember it! *calmed herself down a little bit* You know what? Just go. Don't come to me ever again... Go hang out with Suzanne or whoever. But, never approach me again! You understand me!?" Then she left angrily, leaving Grate's heart in shattered pieces.

"And this is what happened. She left me.", said Grate to Eiffel after completing the story. Upon hearing it, Eiffel chuckled a little and tried to hold back laughter to Grate's surprise.

"...what the hell? It's making you laugh? You are laughing at this serious moment!?", Grate asked, enraged.

"GTG! Grate The Great is finally defeated! Never thought I'd see the day!", Eiffel laughed and wasn't stopping at all. Grate went forward in anger while Eiffel followed and caught up to him.

"Come on, Bro. We are best buddies, aren't we? We promised to pick each other up when one of us falls... wasn't it? ...but after finish laughing!", Eiffel joked. Then he got on his way and confronted him.

"Get lost! I'm not in a joking mood!", an irate Grate said to him.

"Okay, let's be serious for one second now. You know what true friends are? ...A true friend! He looks at you dead in the eye, face to face, man to man, and tells you down at your face rather than talking behind your back! ...It's no insult. There's no disrespect... Arumi and you. How long has it been since you know each other? 3 or 4 days? There was nothing serious about it. If Arumi left you because you spent time with Suzanne, she has the right to do so. You would have the same right if she did the same. You and Suzanne. You knew your story wasn't going to stay covered up for long when Queendom was there or did you not? ...I'm not gonna go any further. You have the right to do what you want. It's your life. But the moral of what I am saying is this... All this nonsense that you are feeling right now, this isn't you. I'll be honest now there's no one around. It would've suited me if I did what you are doing right now. But it is not you... You know who you are? You are the guy who likes to jump from ex to next. No feelings attached... And that suits you!", said Eiffel.

There was an intense stare-down for some time until both of them laughed and did their signature combination again before continuing to walk.

"Ex to next? I'm so gonna use this term. Where did you get it anyway?", Grate laughed and asked.

"I don't know. It just came out of nowhere in the heat of the moment.", Eiffel replied.

"Oh! That made me feel good... Thanks, man.", Grate thanked him.

"'Sorry' and 'Thank You' should be banned in friendship. It's annoying.", said Eiffel.

"I agree with you, man.", Grate agreed.

"That sobered me up though.", said Eiffel.

"You are still high.", said Grate.

Suddenly both of them heard some strange sound of footsteps behind them. As if they were not the only ones walking, there was someone else walking with them. They looked around and saw that no, there was nothing. They were tensed up a bit.

"You heard that, right?", Grate asked, a bit intimidated.

Eiffel tried to hold it together and stated, "You know what. Maybe we are just a little too worried and too serious about doing this task. That's why we're having hallucinations. What do you say?"

"Yeah. Maybe we were listening to our own footsteps and thought something else. It's normal. This happens in the mountains. Echoes and all, you know?", Grate agreed while trying to keep calm and they continued to walk forward without any fear.

"Hey, you heard a lot about me today. What about you? How's it going?", Grate asked him.

"Well... *slightly embarrassed* I'll be going on a date with Sarah tomorrow.", Eiffel answered.

"What!?", Grate had startled, "You actually asked her out!?"

"Yes! And guess what? Who was present while I asked her out?"

"Who!?"

"...Trojan!"

"Shut up! No way you did that!"

"Yes, I did!"

"Damn, B-boi! I'm proud of you!"

"I wish you could see the look on his face."

Suddenly, there was this unusual sound of footsteps behind them again and they could hear it very clearly. But this time there were sounds of several people's footsteps. They looked back and again there was nobody behind. This time they took the matter very seriously, but they were only staring at each other in silence for a while until Eiffel whispered to him, "We should just keep quiet, ignore the matter, and move forward... No matter what happens from now on, we will remain silent, won't look back, and just keep walking until we reach our destination. Got it?"

"Yes... Something's definitely wrong in here.", Grate replied.

Then they kept moving forward. There was this sound of footsteps again, but this time it felt like a group of people walking behind them. Alongside, they began to hear the sounds of ghostly howls, people's laughs and conversations, children playing, and old women crying as well. The noobs were ignoring all of this and kept moving forward. Grate was shaking a little bit.

"Remember. Don't look back...", Eiffel reminded him.

"Yes, I remember.", said Grate.

It seemed that the closer they got to the Sacred Ground, the more distinct the sounds became. There were sounds of large animals, but, they wondered, where would those animals come from?

All of a sudden, Eiffel heard some familiar voice calling him from behind, "Yo, Eiffel!" So, he decided to look back but Grate grabbed his hand tightly, preventing him from looking back.

"Come to your senses, Eiffel. Master Shady is dead!", Grate reminded him. Eiffel turned flabbergasted upon realizing it, but he had just heard his master calling him from behind. "It's a trap... Remember to keep walking until we reach our destination.", Grate added.

"Yes, that's right... It's been a while since Master has died. Obviously, he won't come here... But I just heard him calling my name... What's going on out here?", while thinking all these things, Eiffel kept moving forward.

The trees were moving wildly in the wind like it caught a storm. They were fully understanding that the trees behind were all breaking down. They were very terrifying and unusual sounds. They ignored them and kept moving forward. They never looked back for once. Finally, they have come very close to the Sacred Ground. It was clearly visible to them. And they've reached their destination. Suddenly, the terrifying sounds have all disappeared, but only a few ghostly howls could be heard.

"Let's go inside.", said Grate.

"Wait.", Eiffel stopped him and looked at the clock and saw that there were 40 minutes left before 2 am. According to the Ques, they would have to enter the Sacred Ground after 2 am.

"We can't go inside until 2 am, remember?", Eiffel reminded him.

"That's 40 more minutes... Why 2 am though?", Grate asked.

"According to Richard, the full moon will be on top of that tree exactly after 2 am and that's when the Tree of the Undead would come to life.", Eiffel stated.

"I see... So, that's the tree, huh?", said Grate as both of them gazed up on it. There were trees all around the Sacred Ground but there was that one tree among them that was the largest. The tree had mostly new leaves, which were black in color.

"It looks very scary from here. I wonder how it would look like in front of us.", Eiffel wondered.

"I wonder... More than half an hour remaining. What are you gonna do?", Grate asked.

"Maybe go and look around the Sacred Ground. Wanna join?", Eiffel replied.

"Well, nature called so I need to take a piss. You go on. I'll catch up with you when I'm done.", said Grate. Then they got separated from one another. Grate went to the woods and Eiffel went to look around.

The Sacred Ground was slightly higher than the ground level. And there were many old walls around, some were cracked or broken down. There was a pile of smoldering woods in some areas within the Sacred Ground. It seemed like cremation took place within the last few days. Then he began to glance at the tree carefully. He felt there was something unearthly about it. The ghostly howls were still echoing, but at that time the sounds were mainly coming from inside the Sacred Ground. Eiffel felt like his body seemed a little heavier, but he didn't care about it. He looked for a while and returned to the gate of the Sacred Ground where he saw four people standing. Their skin color was quite dark, they were wearing white clothes, and their faces were covered with white sheets. And in the middle of them was a shrouded corpse. It was understandable that they came to cremate that body. Eiffel took the matter normally. Rather he was getting happy that he would be able to spend some time with them. But after some time Eiffel started to wonder why they came to cremate the body at such late at night, why there were only four people, and where other people were. Was it a ritual to cremate dead bodies that late at night and there cannot be more than four people to do it? Then again, he started to have doubts that they were really humans. Besides, Eiffel was still hearing those ghostly howls around the Sacred Ground but strangely there was no reaction in those people, it was as if they were not hearing anything. Eiffel was thinking about all these but could not find any answer. He decided that he would not think any longer and try to communicate with them. So he tried, but no, they were not answering. Also, they were not talking to one another. Eiffel thought that he was a stranger, perhaps that's why they were not talking to him. He tried to notice their faces, they looked gloomy. Maybe one of their close relatives had died, and that's why they were upset. Eiffel stayed near them.

After some time, two of those four people were beckoning to one another. Their gestures indicated that they had forgotten to bring a lighter or matches. So, they sent one of them to fetch one. Eiffel took the matter normally. It is natural for people to make mistakes. After a while, the second man was sent to find out why the first man was taking so long to return. At one point the second man wasn't returning as well so the third man was also sent for the same reason. Then all that was left was Eiffel, a stranger, and a corpse. The night was getting even deeper. It was quite some time that the third man did not return either. Eiffel became more anxious just as much as he was relieved before. He began to think what if the fourth man also left? It didn't take long for his thoughts to turn into a reality and it happened exactly what he thought. The fourth man also left in search of fire. All that was left at the Sacred Ground was Eiffel and that corpse. They were left alone. Eiffel started sweating profusely and he clearly understood that they had deliberately left the corpse like that to scare him or harm him. He was a fearless man and he was never scared of anyone in his life. But, to experience something this chilly every once in a while was a treat. Dead at night in a deserted cremation ground with a corpse on top of it all. In the heat of the moment, he suddenly remembered Grate and couldn't believe that he forgot about him all this time. He hasn't returned as well. Eiffel wondered where he went. Did he forget his way back and got lost? He looked at the clock. Just 3 minutes left before 2 am. Would he rather go look for Grate or walk into the Sacred Ground? He didn't know what to do. The time was almost up. There was no time left to wait for Grate. Would he go inside the Sacred Ground all alone? Eiffel could no longer think. Therefore he decided to wait no longer and started walking toward the gate of the Sacred Ground without thinking. He took out his sacred water bottle from his pocket, drank some of it, and put it back. He walked past the corpse, entered the gate, and started to walk toward that tree. The noises started to sound again and inside it seemed more terrifying than before. Eiffel continued to walk straight toward the tree without looking anywhere. Thick clouds shrouded the moon, casting an eerie hue over the Sacred Ground. At that moment what he was thinking in his mind was that if he slightly looked around, he would surely get scared and would not be able to complete the task.

"I'm going to get the ultimate scare right now even if I slightly look away from my destination.", Eiffel thought.

Thinking all this, Eiffel moved forward and approached the tree. The tree that Eiffel was told to pluck leaves from, he was certain that that was the tree which was in front of him because it was the largest one there and looked even more terrifying up that close. It was indeed the Tree of the Undead. But he was not at all prepared to see what he saw. As it was a full moon night, he could clearly see that there were no leaves on the tree. Instead of the leaves, there were tiny hands; up to the wrist with the fingers. Those hands were beckoning Eiffel to get closer to them. Eiffel's body was literally shaking and he didn't know what to do. Go back or give his hand to those hands. Although he didn't take long thinking about this as he decided that since he had come this far, he would not return without taking the leaves. Thinking no more, he put his hand in those hands. Eiffel was very surprised that the hands not only looked but also felt exactly like human hands but like old people's hands. Suddenly those hands began to pull him. As if the tree wanted to absorb him. What should he do? Eiffel could no longer think, his power of thinking was lost. He took out the small knife from his pocket and stabbed the wrists of those hands. Blood spilled off those hands and splattered all over Eiffel. Those hands were cut and fell on the ground. Eiffel picked up one of those from which a lot of blood was coming out. His hand and shirt were getting wet with that blood. He put the hand in the polythene bag and it was moving a lot.

Without looking in any direction, Eiffel proceeded straight to leave the Sacred Ground. When he came in front of the gate, he was completely shocked as if the whole sky had collapsed above his head. Those four people that came to cremate that corpse were dead in front of the gate and there was no sign of that corpse anywhere. All four had their eyes closed but their mouths and teeth were visible. Seeing this, Eiffel was sure that he would not be able to go back today. He started to feel dizzy and everything looked blurry to him. It seemed that that was where he would lose consciousness. He got himself together and tried to stay strong, but could not control himself at all. At that very moment, he felt a cold hand over his shoulder that shivered down his spine. Eiffel was anxious to look back, but eventually he did. He was not at all prepared to see what he saw behind him. There standing was that corpse in shrouds that they brought to cremate. Eiffel was nonplussed. Suddenly, the corpse thrust Eiffel back inside the Sacred Ground. Eiffel got up and gazed at it. A howling gale began and it blew away the shroud of that corpse. Turned out, it was a Mummy, one of the rare supernatural species. Its body was covered with bandages all over. The Mummy sprinted at Eiffel who was ready to fight.

The Mummy threw a couple of swift punches. Eiffel was dodging them all and countered with his iron fist. The Mummy flinched a little but charged back at him. Both exchanged blows while Eiffel had the upper hand with a couple of iron fists. The Mummy could no longer touch Eiffel at all. It was down to one knee when Eiffel gave it a smooth finishing blow; jumping spinning kick to the jaw. The Mummy hit the ground hard. Eiffel went further to leave the Sacred Ground. But suddenly the weakened Mummy who was still laid down, used a 'Bandage rope' maneuver to grab one of his ankles tight to pull his leg. Eiffel tripped over and hit the ground. The Mummy didn't let go of his leg and slowly got up to its feet, and used its 'Bandage rope' to pull his leg to slam him down hard a couple of times. Then it proceeded to use 'Mummification' on him. Its bandages were twisting around Eiffel to make him a Mummy as well. He couldn't move. Both his upper and lower body was covered with bandages, only his face was left. He was thinking anxiously, "Is this it...? Is this how it will end...? Is this how I'm going to die...?", as bandages slowly covered up his face. Mummification was complete. The Mummy gave a sinister laugh. But after a while, it seemed Eiffel's body had blown up and all the bandages that covered him burned down. The Mummy caught fire as well and got injured.

"Never thought I'd use my firepower ever again... Then again, I think I've lost my touch.", said Eiffel. The Mummy tried to stand up to his feet. And as soon as it did, Eiffel burned it up using the special fire maneuver that he called "Burning Gun".

"Cremation complete!", Eiffel declared.

Then he checked the clock. It was 2:55 am. "Time flies so fast. I'll have to get back to them before 4 am.", Eiffel thought, "Now I have to find Grate and get the hell outta here."

Then, as Eiffel prepared to leave, he overheard a familiar voice calling out his name and pleading for help. "Hmph! I ain't falling for that again.", he laughed. Then he heard the voice calling him 'B-boi'. Eiffel immediately recognized that voice that it was Grate. So he turned back and looked around for him. He eventually found Grate who was captured by the hands of the Tree of the Undead. Eiffel quickly approached the tree. Grate was taken higher up in the tree's section by the hands after they grabbed him firmly all over his body. "How did you get up there!?", Eiffel asked, startled.

"I didn't. These hands got me up here.", Grate cried. "Help me! Rescue me fast! Please!"

"I'll see what I can do!", Eiffel screamed and thought of doing something to save Grate. Nothing came to his mind so he decided to burn it. He used the 'Fire Gun' attack again. The fire spread all over the tree. The hands couldn't bare it so they let go of Grate who fell on the ground. Eiffel quickly rushed to him.

Afterward, they exited the Sacred Ground. Eiffel was helping Grate to walk. Suddenly, the trees began speaking and they sounded so angry at Eiffel for burning the Tree of the Undead. The trees had eyes, arms, and legs, and started to approach and surround them.

"Great! A talking tree! What the hell!? What is this creature now!?, Grate yelled in anger.

"There's not much time left. Can you run?", Eiffel asked Grate who nodded.

Then they ran straight without looking anywhere. Neither did they look anywhere or stop for a bit. On top of the burning Tree of the Undead, a woman wearing a black cloak, green eyes, and a broomstick in hand was watching them running away. She seemed quite angry. She was not the same woman that was in the morgue who had blue eyes.

The noobs ran 5 km without stopping and returned to the Ques. It seemed they were waiting for them. Eiffel and Grate were catching deep breaths for running that far. Jack looked at the clock and it was 3:47 am. Eiffel gave Jack the polythene bag. Jack put his hand on the polythene bag to take out the hand while looking at other Ques. The hand was moving.

"They've actually brought it.", Jack exclaimed. The Ques looked perplexed upon seeing their accomplishment.

Successfully accomplished Blood Games task: Bring a Leaf from the Tree of the Undead. ✓

Jack grabbed the hand and pointed toward the full moon. The hand turned into some sort of fruit.

"Now, noobs. Eat it.", Jack ordered them.

"What...?", said Eiffel, confused. Jack split the fruit in half and gave each to the noobs.

"Do as I say and eat it, son. Don't waste time.", Jack yelled at Eiffel. The noobs looked at each other and ate the fruit.

Suddenly they felt a strong sense of energy inside of them. They felt very hyped and powerful.

"What is this fruit!? I feel so pumped up!", Grate exclaimed.

Jack explained that 'Taash', also known as the Drug of the Supernaturals, is a fruit that they crave and go insane. Some live for it, and some die for it. The giver does not know about it, and the taker does not talk about it. Taash makes the world upside down, and some hunger for it like one gets thirsty for blood. The fruit is only available during the full moon night.

"Damn... You should have told us sooner. We could have brought some more. But goddamn, Eiffel burned the tree.", said Grate.

"Haha! That's alright. The tree is undead for a reason. No matter what happens to it, It regenerates to its original size within hours and has lived for millions of years.", Jack stated.

"Guys! Something's going on in there.", said Adam from the top of a tree.

"What is he doing up there?", Eiffel asked.

"What is it, Adam?", Richard asked.

"Just come up here and keep quiet.", said Adam.

Then the Ques and noobs climbed up the tree and they were shocked to see something. Some people were cooking something far away down the mountains.

"...are those? Are they what I think they are?", Marlin asked in disbelief.

"Let's get closer and see.", said Jack.

"No.", Richard stopped him and said in a serious tone, "This doesn't feel right. I'm feeling something sinister about it."

"Why not? It's not every day you get to see the witches cook for a sacrifice.", said Jack.

"Witches?", Busquets asked, confused.

"Are those really witches?", Duncan asked in surprise.

"Then I'm definitely going to see.", said Grate in excitement.

"Yes, I want to see them do witchcraft.", said Adam confidently.

One by one, the Ques and noobs climbed down the tree. Richard tried to stop them, but they ignored him. They then descended the mountain quietly to investigate the situation. Some women in black cloaks were cooking something in a large cooking pot. The Ques were carefully observing their actions without making any sound. When they had finished cooking, they appeared to be waiting for something. That was until a certain witch drifted in and appeared; she looked classy and fashionable, but quite terrifying. As she approached, the other witches bowed. The sight of her staggered Eiffel.

"Anything wrong, son?", Jack asked him.

"That witch... S-she is...", Eiffel trembled.

"Oh, Dyni. The preparation is complete.", said one of the witches to her.

"Very well.", said that certain witch.

"Whoever she is, she must be a high-profile witch.", Adam commented.

The Ques were staring at her intently. Some seemed to recognize her when she removed her witch hat, leaving them stunned. It was Catherina Willington; Eiffel's class teacher.

"M-miss Catherina...? She was a witch all this time!?", Richard trembled.

"What a sight to see...", Jack smirked.

After a while, all the witches left with the exception of Catherina. She was standing still. The Ques began to wonder. With a menacing grin, Catherina gave them a little glance back.

Ques and noobs: ...!?

"She knows we are here...", Eiffel warned the Ques, but they didn't make any move.

Then Catherina turned back and gave them a scary look as she calmly warned them, "Whatever you saw here stays here on this mountain...or else...beware of the consequences.", before turning back and floating away.

Day 3 has come to an end!

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