Shinji nodded, a newfound sense of determination settling in his chest. Whatever challenges lay ahead, he knew he couldn’t afford to give up now.
As the two of them ventured deeper into the jungle, Shinji noticed Aya’s pace slowing, her movements more deliberate. The sounds of wildlife grew faint, and the oppressive stillness of the jungle began to gnaw at him. It was just that a omething felt off.
“Aya,” Shinji muttered, keeping his voice low as he glanced around warily, “we need to stay on the move. That guy could catch up any second.”
Aya didn’t respond immediately. She just kept walking, her gaze fixed straight ahead. There was a subtle shift in her posture that Shinji hadn’t noticed before—calm, too calm for the situation. His instincts screamed at him to stay alert.
“Do you trust me, Shinji?” Aya asked suddenly, her voice cool and distant.
Shinji hesitated, thrown off by the question. “No, I don’t trust you”.
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“Good, even one less participant is good enough for me”.
She stabbed Shinji’s leg, and sliced his body up with a stick.
A swift and quick death, like the movements of an assassin, he couldn’t even react.
He was teleported away, his body battered and bruised. His injuries healed up quickly by the hands of a tan woman, probably in her early twenties. She was unlike anyone he had ever seen—stunningly beautiful, with a kind presence that felt out of place in the harsh world he knew. But despite her beauty and her gentle touch, Shinji was too embarrassed to even say anything to her. Instead, he simply stood up and walked away, unable to process the moment.
“Hey! Shinji, I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Satoshi appeared before him, his blonde hair catching the light, and his hazel eyes gleaming with familiarity. He stood there casually, one hand in his pocket, the other waving lazily at Shinji.
“I tried taking the exam,” Shinji continued, laughing at himself. “But I couldn’t even last five minutes. It felt like I was just fodder.”
Satoshi put an arm around Shinji’s shoulder, ruffling his hair in a comforting gesture. “Come on, man. You just got matched with the wrong people this time.” He tapped Shinji’s chest lightly. “You’ve got heart, and that’s all you need. Some people just can’t see your potential yet.”
Satoshi’s voice faded into the background as Shinji stood there, still emotionally paralyzed. Somewhere deep in his chest, a small sense of comfort grew, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything in return. All he could do was nod, still too overwhelmed to express how much Satoshi’s words meant to him.
“I shouldn’t have woken up this early,” Shinji complained, letting out an exaggerated yawn. “I haven’t even had breakfast yet, and I barely got three hours of sleep. I was up all night playing games. I’m going back to bed.”
“See you later, then,” Shinji mumbled as Satoshi turned to leave. “I’ve got a meeting with the head of the association later,” Satoshi added, walking off without looking back.