Episode 1
New Team
The beginning of the first stage of the tournament was very close, and all the participants arrived at the island at approximately the same time. This was done so that none of the participants had an advantage, and therefore teams from distant countries set off earlier to arrive at the same time as the others. Our heroes, living in countries that were closer to others, set off almost last. Because of this, the trip was quite fast, and they didn't even have time to talk to the new team. Uramaru, Norotsuchi, and Ukacho, that's what the new comrades of Kazu and Mitsuri were called. They turned out to be cool guys and were quite down-to-earth, although the aristocratic blood of the Singing Whale flowed in their veins. The ship was heading to the island of Unnoshima, and it was being steered by experienced sailors with the element of water. While Myanma was dozing in his cabin, the teenagers started a dialogue:
"Guys, since the first challenge is going to be a team challenge, we need to know each other's abilities. So, let's start with you, Uramaru, do you have anything special that we need to know about?"
"Uh... Let me think... I think I do! I have a unique family technique that requires good control, more precisely, slightly above average. It summons something like tentacles from the ground, and they help in battles. The weakness of the technique is that the owner is heavily restricted in movements while using it."
"Now it's your turn, Norotsuchi."
"I can create water arrows and launch them at the enemy, but generating them requires time and concentration, but the arrows' strength is quite destructive. The weakness of the technique is that I will need protection when creating the arrows."
"Your turn, Kazu."
"My stock of Tairyokugan allows me to create a water prison to hold the opponent in it. I also know a couple of regular techniques..."
"I heard that the water prison requires an unreal amount of Tairyokugan, only some experienced Gakushin's and higher-ups can do this technique."
"What element can disperse the water prison?"
"It doesn't matter what element it is, the essence is in Tairyokugan. The water prison traps you in a cage of tightly closed particles, and it's quite difficult to destroy it from the inside. After all, the user of the water prison can block your conductors, and in that case, you become helpless,"
"I observed Norocuchi," said Kazu, confirming his words with an awkward smile. "In my execution, this technique is a bit weaker than described, but still."
"Well then, now I'll tell you about my abilities. My clan specializes in defense, so I can be a good support for someone. In the capital, Uramaru and I worked together. So there shouldn't be any problems in battle," said Kazu.
"Only Mitsuri is left, tell us about your abilities," said Ukacho.
"My arsenal of techniques is not as diverse as yours. I only have basic techniques available to Shikundou level," said Mitsuri.
Everyone fell silent, digesting the information. After a few minutes, Ukacho asked for attention and announced:
"I've come up with our formation in case of attacks from other teams. Kazu will lead the vanguard because he has the largest reserve of taykiri. Uramaru and Mitsuri will cover and support him while Norocuchi and I prepare for the strongest attack."
"Great plan, Ukacho!" everyone agreed."Get ready, we're docking soon!" a voice was heard from outside.
The noise in the cabin stopped. The only sound was the waves hitting the stern of the ship. The teenagers were excited, their eyes shining with anticipation.
Episode 2
Briefing
Evening was approaching. The sky was covered with clouds, everything became gray and gloomy. Wild winds carried waves to the shore, breaking them against the rocks. Besides themselves and the instructor, there was no one on the island's shore where our heroes docked. They were lined up and equipped with small bags. The kids were dressed in special clothes with the Singing Whale emblem.
Opposite them stood their instructor, explaining the rules.
"You are at the first stage of the Gakushin test, and your task is to reach the other side of the island in three days. There are several rules to follow in this test, as violating them will result in disqualification. The first rule is that you cannot escape the island or take a shortcut across the ocean. The second rule is that you cannot team up with other groups. Killing opponents, setting traps, and other tricks are allowed. If you are afraid or for any other reason do not want to participate in this test, please step out of the line and approach your boat. In this case, the team will be reduced to four or fewer people, and your place will be lost. Each team will be given a map of the island's terrain for a successful completion of the test. Each participant has already been given a dry ration and drinking water for one and a half days. For the remainder of the test, you will have to fend for yourself. Again, the test lasts for three days, and any violation of the rules will result in loss and disqualification. You will receive information about the next test after completing this stage. Good luck, the time has started!" - The instructor smiled.
They quickly took their previously discussed position and entered the dense forest.
Episode 3
Travel Plan
After the briefing, our heroes immediately set off on their short journey. After fifteen minutes from the start, a heavy rain began. The entire ground quickly turned into mud.
The new team had to find only a place to stay for the night. After some time, they found an abandoned earth hut, left by someone during a natural disaster. The guys quickly climbed inside, even though it was a bit cramped. The rain was no longer a problem, and they decided to carefully study the map of the area.
The distance was not that great, and it was possible to cover it in one and a half days of fast walking, including a break for sleep. However, the presence of other participants complicated this process, and procuring food took time. They had to travel through forests, a wide river, rocky terrain, and plains. Some teams had an advantage, as the wind element could speed up their movement, thereby overtaking others. Each participant understood that a clash with other teams wasted their time and gave an advantage to others, but at the same time, it could significantly reduce the number of participants.
The Singing Whale team tried to find advantages they could use, most of which involved using the river. They also evaluated their weaknesses, such as the difficulty of using their full potential in rocky terrain. This was also a danger for people with an earth element.
They were together...
Episode 4
Negotiations
For convenience, signs and labels were marked on the map to help navigate towards the goal. When the Singing Whale team reached the edge that led to the river, they stopped for a rest. The rain did not stop, the person holding the water dome was at the limit, so they could not move further. To give each other a break, it was decided to take turns keeping watch.
Sleep helped the guys regain some strength, and they spent about three hours on it. During this time, the rain subsided and only drizzled unpleasantly. Such weather was not scary, so they no longer used the water umbrella. As a result, their progress noticeably accelerated. Other teams also began their active movement.
Surprisingly, the guys from the Singing Whale team were the first to reach the river. The river was quite wide and fast. Looking at it, you could not understand the depth because the weather was unsettled with turbulent currents and waves. When they emerged from the forest, they finally saw the sky, completely covered with gray clouds, with lightning flashing somewhere in the distance, but thunder was not heard. The wind also made itself known. Strong, like a storm, it shook the trees, and their leaves were flying everywhere.
Without meeting other teams, they faced a choice: the first option was to cross the river and be ahead of the others (although later they could simply be overtaken). The second was to stay in place and try to interfere with the opponents by setting up an ambush. They unanimously decided to move forward. Because of the noise of the river, it was impossible to determine the location of the opponents by sound. The roar of the water beating against the coastal stones drowned out the surroundings.
Just as they were about to cross the river, Kazu turned around. Although he went first, his instincts never let him down. From the very beginning, he had a strong feeling that he was being watched. At that time, he did not attach much importance to it and put it all down to nerves and stress.
Unfortunately, his intuition did not fail him. Just behind his comrades, the enemy team emerged. Five people dressed in strange cloaks with coat-of-arms in the form of a hawk, each of them had different cold weapons. They were mostly daggers of various shapes. Each of the blades had a peculiar winding shape, as if a creeping snake became an instrument. The owners themselves made a very frightening impression. Among them were two girls, and the strangest thing was that they looked almost the same, except for slightly different hair shades. Their height, physique, and hairstyles were identical. Such a coincidence could not be accidental.
While Kazu was inspecting them, preparing for defense, he released his tachi-kiri to the sides to block attacks from the flanks. Seeing this, the twins pulled out their daggers, clearly preparing for an attack. The guys from their team just stood in a wide stance.
The first opponent to notice Kazu was Mitsuri. She was a little stunned for a moment, but then took on a threatening look, pushing Norotsuchi forward, who was walking forward unsuspectingly.
Before all of Kazu's comrades could even think, the two twins moved in for an attack.
"Back off. I didn't give the order to attack," the guy with five daggers calmly stopped their advance. And all his comrades hid their weapons. While the guys stood in confusion, he continued:
"Judging by the emblems, you're from the Singing Whale team, right?" he asked, looking at Kazu, mistaking him for the captain.
"Yes, that's right!" he promptly replied.
"Well then, there's no need for us to fight. We both have one task from our own countries," the guy explained.
"Oh, what are you talking about?!" Norotsuchi suddenly asked.
"Ah... it seems they don't know," their captain murmured to himself.
His face changed slightly, and he spoke again.
"In short, the countries have divided into two camps, and each camp has one goal. We are countries from the same camp, so there's no point in fighting among ourselves," the guy explained to them.
"And by the way, regarding the prohibition of ceasefire, there are no observers here yet, so no one will hear or see us," he added.
"I assume you're from the Rising Hawk country," Mitsuri said, pointing to their attire.
"Correctly observed. Now you know your allies. Also, I humbly ask you to give us the way," he finished his speech quite politely.
Kazu just silently nodded, letting them pass. The Singing Whale team watched them go.
These skilled individuals were able to traverse the entire path along the stones lying at the bottom and protruding to the surface.
After a while, once they had crossed the river, a dialogue began:
"Why did we let them go? Shouldn't we have fought them?" Uramaru protested.
"Fool, if those girls hadn't stopped them, you would be dead by now!" Ukacho scolded him.
"I don't think they lied to us, that's why we didn't touch them," Norotsuchi answered the question, ignoring Ukacho.
"We need to cross the river quickly so as not to lose the advantage over the others!" Kazu reminded them.
"Stand behind me, I will lead us across," he continued, "I think I can do it."
"What are you talking about?" Ukacho wondered.
"You'll see," Mitsuri confidently said, standing behind Kazu.
Kazu raised his left hand, turning his palm towards the river's current. His tachikiri blocked the flow as if it hit an invisible obstacle. The guys descended to the bottom and gradually moved forward. Surprised exclamations followed somewhere halfway:
"Wow, Kazu, you can do that!"
"Wow, that's amazing!"
"Cool, I couldn't do that!"
Reaching the other shore, Kazu stopped to catch his breath. A lot of tachikiri must have been used to repel such a quantity of water, but he was probably more tired from excitement. At this time, his allies filled their water bottles to the brim. If they used it correctly, they could stretch it out for five days.
After resting for a while, they entered the thick of the forest again.
Episode 5
Betrayal
Of all the teams, only two managed to break through: Singing Whale and Rising Hawk, while the rest were at a short distance from each other. The Black Dragon team was second to last and had to move in the rain in order not to fall too far behind.
Because only users with the element of fire were in their team, the rain became a problem. The high humidity, to put it mildly, did not contribute to the transformation of taykiri into flames, which made their situation very difficult.
As soon as they set off, Ari noticed strange shadows following them closely. At first, he assumed they were inexperienced observers, but the shadows were too clumsy, ruling out that possibility. It must be one of the opposing teams! It was quite possible that they had not noticed them, but there was a chance that they were intentionally being followed.
As soon as this thought occurred to Ari, he wanted to share it with his comrades, but hesitated. The relationships within their team were quite strained. Everyone in this team, for some reason, did not tolerate him, although he did not give them any reason to hate him.
Gathering his courage, Ari decided to warn them:
"Hey, we have a tail, what are we going to do?"
"So soon..." whispered the guy with ash-gray hair.
"What? Say it again, I didn't hear," Ari asked.
"I don't think they have good intentions towards our team. We should either speed up or deal with them," Ari suggested, and an immediate response followed.
"Deal with them, you say... cough..." Another guy with green hair sneered, starting to gather taykiri in his hand.
THUMP... His heart was pounding wildly.
"A strange feeling in his stomach... as if someone was trying to warn him of danger... What is this strange feeling?"
THUMP...
Ari was running last, not looking at his comrades and always looking back, naively thinking that the worst evil was behind him...
THUMP...
His comrades smirked.
"If you want to deal with them, do it yourself!" they shouted, throwing fireballs at his feet.
BOOM...
The deafening sound of raging flames echoed through the air.
Ari fell to the ground and rolled in the dirt. His consciousness was still clouded after such a brutal betrayal. The sound of a breaking tree, falling directly towards him, pulled him out of this state. Purely reflexively, he dodged it.
With a thunderous crash, the tree fell to the ground, splashing water and mud around.
Breathing heavily, he managed to get to his feet.
"You bastards," Ari muttered to himself.
He looked around.
"Four... no, five... five bastards," he thought suddenly as he felt heat on his forehead. He pressed his hand to it and looked at his hand.
"Blood... I must have hit a rock in the mud."
"What are you muttering over there?!" one of the shadows asked with a mocking voice. "Hit your head, poor thing," another sneered from the other side.
"Ha-ha-ha, stumbled and your comrades left you, what a tragedy!" another shadow shouted mockingly. "You... (whispering) laughing at me?!"
"I have no allies left in this forest, no one I can trust. Everything is against me," Ari clenched his fists. Blood was running down his forehead and over his face. He was a little dizzy from the fall, and although he couldn't focus his gaze, he could still see everything blurred.
At some point, Ari smiled devilishly.
"What are you waiting for, idiots, attack already," he said, raising his head. His face now reflected madness and courage. His left eye was wide open, and his grin resembled that of a demon. His right eye was covered by his hair, and the image of horror was completed by the blood running down his face.
The pursuers were a little stunned, and some even took a step back, but they still launched a joint attack.
Everyone suddenly moved. A red lightning bolt flickered in the sky, stretching almost across the entire sky. After a few seconds, thunder rumbled, its roar reaching every part of the island, drowning out the desperate cries coming from its depths.
Episode 6
Shadows
Two average height figures, dressed in dark, night-like cloaks and masks that concealed their faces, observed what was happening.
"It's a pity the poor guy was betrayed by his own and they even took his ring..." One of them speculated before being interrupted.
"It's not against the rules," the second unknown person cut in coldly.
"Try to enjoy the fights!" The first one tried to encourage his companion.
"All these betrayals and conspiracies... There's no camaraderie... What's the point of watching?" The annoyed partner asked.
"Well..." The guy started scratching his head, trying to come up with something, until they were interrupted.
"How are they going to brutally kill that young man in a crowd?!" A voice was heard behind them.
Two more people joined them. They were all called shadows. They were the overseers and if the rules were violated, they disqualified the team. Additionally, one of the overseers was always a healer who provided medical assistance to those who were not killed by their opponents or were abandoned by their comrades. Two people were assigned to each team, and there were 13 teams in total.
"It doesn't matter," they replied coldly.
"Yes, you're in your element, Sekuro," the second shadow said cheerfully.
"Don't you dare say the names of shadows out loud, use other forms of address!" Sekuro grumbled irritably.
"It's your first time on a shadow mission, learn from the elders," Sekuro's companion gave her a warning.
"Understood!" She bowed.
"Maybe we should still watch the fight, it seems like it's about to start," Sekuro suggested.
"The fight promises to be boring, after all, it's one guy against five. I bet he'll lose in a matter of seconds!" The first shadow said.
Suddenly, a loud thunder echoed through the air. The overseers immediately looked up, paying attention to the sound.
"Damn, I don't remember such a strong storm recently."
"Yeah, his comrades agreed with him."
Behind them, there was a sound of something falling into the mud, followed by desperate cries.
The shadows turned around for a duel. Looking at the battlefield, one could see that everything was on fire, which even a heavy rain had difficulty extinguishing. All five members of the Book Country team were lying on the ground, and only one person was standing. Their clothes were burning, and almost all of them were unconscious.
"That young man..." "He defeated five of them alone, so that we didn't even notice." "...
Only the silent Securo was tense. "Will this guy kill his opponents?"
Suddenly, one of the defeated coughed. Ari approached him and leaned over. He took out a surviving map of the area from his pocket without paying attention to him. The boy was shocked and suddenly spoke up.
"What are you?! A monster?!" The commander of his group, one of those who mocked him, asked, frightened for his life.
The young prince looked at him with such a cold gaze that even the guards felt uneasy. After collecting all the fallen opponents' supplies into a bag, which he took from them, he approached the boy.
Sitting at his level, he looked at him, peering into his soul.
"My name is Ari Nobaru..."
With a muffled cry of fear, the captain of the pursuers turned away, refusing to accept reality.
An orb of fire appeared in Ari's hand.
Hearing the sound of fire, the boy lying in the mud wet himself and cried, begging him:
"Please...huff... don't kill...huff... me!" Constantly sobbing, he begged for mercy.
The fireball disappeared, and Ari clicked his tongue dissatisfied, stood up, and turned around, heading towards where his former comrades had gone.
"What?! Ari Nobaru himself?! But he's from the royal family, how could his own betray him?!" - one of the shadows began to ask his experienced comrades in confusion.
"Anything could happen, but I've never seen anything like this before," said someone.
Ari was about to leave, when suddenly he turned around.
"Oh yes, if you get in my way..." he threatened the crying boy.
"Ah!" The boy cried out again, scared, looking at Ari.
"I'll send you to hell..." he finished his sentence and disappeared from sight.
The shadows responsible for the Book country team immediately took the bodies of the wounded teenagers. The other two shadows split up.
"Well, my gloomy friend, I'll go ahead, and you watch the boy, maybe he'll throw out something else interesting," said one of them.
"I'll do my best," Sekuro smiled for the first time that day.
His partner quickly disappeared into the forest thicket.
Meanwhile, Ari was breathing heavily. He had no strength left and, losing his balance, almost fell into the mud. Putting his hand on a tree, he noticed that his hand was bleeding, and the warmth in his head didn't stop. Ari carelessly sat under this tree. As soon as his body relaxed, he felt excruciating pain in his right hand. Trying to ignore it, he tore a piece of fabric from his clothing with his teeth. The brooch with the emblem of his country fell out, landing in a puddle. Using the fabric as a tourniquet and bandage, he bandaged the wounds. He immediately felt sleepy, as his body was at its limit. Ari hid his bag with the map and food, and as soon as his eyes closed, he fell asleep.
Episode 7
Strange Note
So, I arrived on this amazing island, which bore the proud name of Unnoshima. The forests were not as dense as those of Kusa-no-Kami, but they were quite sufficient for an island. Lush vegetation grew literally everywhere. The island had an abundance of wild fruit trees. The fauna also caught the attention. On this island, one could encounter animals that are not found on the mainland or on other islands, which was already amazing for a traveler like me. Here, there were also the very common small blue monkeys with three pairs of eyes, and the previously notorious Rando snake, which was six meters long and had the ability to change color to match its surroundings. It was delightful that the venom of this snake had no effect. A particular species of river crocodile, which, by the way, only lived on this island, could be considered truly dangerous. Most of the time, these guys slept, but at noon, they were quite active. Their size was not particularly impressive, but their aggression made up for it.
"What if I tell you that in each of the two rows of sharp, blade-like teeth there is a concentrated paralyzing poison? As the name suggests, this species lives in a river, deftly slicing through its expanses with the element of water. Its tairikiri also helps it hide in the thickness of the river current. One of these can easily leave a person crippled or even kill them.
Previously, the island of Unnoshima carried the proud name of "Bird Island." More than a hundred different species used to live here on what seemed like a small patch of land. Now there are only about forty species left. One of the more interesting ones is the Unnoshima twin. It's like two birds fused into one. One individual has a pair of every organ, two hearts, stomachs, and so on. At the same time, there is another interesting difference. One of the "twins" is male, and the other is female. Therefore, even one individual is capable of reproducing the species. They have only one natural enemy - the Rando snake. The meat of these birds is very tasty and nutritious, and is considered the national cuisine of this island.
Excerpt from the story "The Great Deed of Toradin"
***
"We're almost there!" Mitsuri exclaimed joyfully to her companions.
"I can already see the marker!"
"Great, maybe we can set up a small camp here?" suggested Ukacho.
"I think a rest wouldn't hurt us, we've already walked quite a bit," noted Norotsuchi.
It was the ninth hour of the trial. The kids were tired from the journey and were trying to find a place where they could rest. Meanwhile, the rain had stopped. It was around four in the morning. With the first rays of the sun, some of the Singing Whale team began to doze off. Although there were no troubles or clashes with the local fauna on their way.
Norotsuchi and Uramaru were no longer hiding their fatigue. These guys, despite their appearance, turned out not to be particularly enduring. Mitsuri, on the other hand, tried to appear lively, but she had no strength left either.
It was decided to spend a few hours sleeping. During this time, Kazu and Ukacho were to gather food while keeping an eye on their teammates. It seemed that these guys did not spend their energy at all.
Ukacho was surprised when he found about three bushes of edible Kurugikano berries. These berries were difficult to call such; they were more like vegetables that grew on bushes. They were protein-based and incredibly nutritious. Such an amazing find could provide the team with food until the end of the trial. Kurugikano berries were used in all wars as a dry ration. Despite all this... "
Berry bushes were located quite close to the sleeping area, so Kazu went a little further, entrusting the security of his friends Ukacho. As he went a little further, he scouted the surrounding areas for more delicious food.
Along the way, he managed to find the nest of a bird, the Unnoshimsk twin. It was not high up, on the lower branches of a huge, ten-meter tree.
Kazu was about to climb up to the nest when he accidentally noticed a piece of paper fluttering in the wind, attached to the trunk of the tree with a small work knife.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Deciding to first go after the paper, he put aside the plan to steal the bird's nest.
"Hmm... Strange, they didn't talk about this in the briefing, and it's not on the map." Kazu pondered aloud.
Approaching it, he was able to examine it more closely.
It looked like an ordinary piece of paper. It had writing and a drawing on it.
Taking the paper in his hands, Kazu began to read the text. In fact, they were crooked scribbles, but they could be read, albeit with difficulty.
"At our first meeting, I didn't introduce myself, my name is Kan. I am the captain of the Rising Hawk team. If you are reading this text, it means that our main group has already reached the last marker. Since our advantage is a head above the other teams, we have begun to set traps along the main path. Below is a map with all the traps we have set up. The path you are traveling on is completely safe. Be sure to keep the information from this map and use it wisely. Try to avoid clashes with other teams, as this can negatively affect the exam results. Of all the allied countries, you are the most reliable and strongest! And that is precisely why we are helping you. After reading, destroy the paper, while separating it from the map in advance. Do not let it fall into the hands of the shadows. Good luck passing the test!"
Kazu was really scared. His heart was beating as if it was his last day.
"Oh no! This is a possible disqualification. Just because I read this paper, all the guys will be deprived of the opportunity to take the exam! I cannot and do not want to allow this!"
Quickly separating the part with the text and the map, the boy thought about how to destroy the evidence.
The first thing that came to mind was to destroy it with fire.
"Denied! I simply do not have dry branches and no way to get a fire without them."
The second way that came to mind was to destroy the paper by eating it.
"It's quite possible."
And finally, he could simply tear it apart.
In the case of the latter method, Kazu was afraid that these shadows could gather all the shreds of the paper, glue them together, and disqualify two entire teams. And in this case, it would be very difficult to become a Gakushin in the future. Even after many years of work, your reputation as a user of the element will be greatly tarnished. Disqualification as a black mark for a person not only deprives him of the opportunity to become a Gakushin, but also closes many doors to him.
Kazu didn't even realize he had swallowed the paper with the text. Regarding the map. After carefully studying it, he immediately destroyed it, using the same method as the inscription.
Kazu calmed down a bit and took a deep breath. He remembered all the markings on the map that the opposing team had passed on.
Numerous questions began to visit his head, demanding instant answers. He spent another couple of minutes putting all his thoughts in order.
He put the knife in the inner pocket of his clothes.
"Now we need to take care of our team's food," he said to himself to calm down and headed towards the same nest where it all began.
Episode 8
Late Morning
Ari woke up from a sharp pain in his hand.
"Ugh..."
The guy squinted and tossed around. The sun was in the zenith, and its rays shone through the leafy protection of the tall trees on the island of Unnoshima.
As soon as he came to his senses a little, Ari immediately checked the supplies taken from the other team. The bag was still there.
Getting up on his feet somehow, Ari looked back.
The recent battlefield was a burned-out section of the forest. Within a radius of three meters from the charred fallen tree, there was burnt earth, black as soot, grass, and charred trees that were unlucky enough to stand nearby.
"And how long did I sleep?" Ari asked aloud.
"Well... It doesn't matter," he continued.
Looking himself over, the guy noticed that he no longer looked like a wealthy aristocrat. Almost all of his clothes were either half burned or torn, and he looked pitiful from the outside.
"I need to get to the river and wash my wounds," with this single thought, Ari took the map in his hands.
Looking around, he saw the third of the signs in the distance; there were five of them leading to the river.
His legs were intact, unlike his left hand and head. They were injured in the night battle, and now dried blood adorned the wounds.
Nearby the awakened Ari was Sekuro.
"Kid, you're already up and it's time for me to go."
Normally there are two shadows and they sleep one at a time, substituting for each other. But Sekuro was alone in this situation. Therefore, only an hour after Ari had passed out, Sekuro was able to fall asleep.
He was awakened by the snake Rando, who silently crept up behind him. Instincts did not fail the seasoned warrior, and he easily dealt with the snake. After realizing that morning had come and he may have missed the kid, he was briefly frightened, but upon seeing him under the tree, Sekuro calmed down. Approaching closer, he chose a more suitable position and took it.
Five hours later, the kid still lay motionless, showing no activity. Sekuro simply watched.
He saw two other teams pass by Ari and none of them showed interest in him. He also met other familiar shadows, explaining the situation to them in a few words before returning to observation.
"Interesting kid," someone from the shadows remarked, leaving for their own observation point.
Sekuro, saying nothing, smiled rarely.
Episode 9
Trouble
Passing the farthest mark and approaching the next destination, the Singing Whale team stopped for another break.
This time they decided to rest before crossing such a difficult section of the path. This area can be called mountainous, although there are no high mountains in sight. A huge number of hills, limited paths, and a carte blanche for local predators and people with the element of earth. Numerous slopes and ascents make this territory the most difficult to cross.
People from other teams who have control over the element of earth pose a huge danger. Although our guys have only met people from the Rising Hawk, it doesn't mean they won't meet anyone else.
Their challenge was at least not as eventful as others. They only hunted for food and constantly moved, occasionally taking breaks.
It was getting dark, and the guys went up to the mountain area. At first, they were accompanied by the sounds of the forest, but here for some reason, there was silence. Only a weak breeze made any sound. The guys could hear each other's strained breathing and their footsteps. Such an eerie atmosphere weighed heavily on their minds because they did not know what had made all the animals go quiet.
Suddenly, an obstacle appeared in front of the guys - a wall of impassable rocks about fifteen meters high. The only exception in this "wall" was a narrow fissure.
Looking at it, one could speculate on how it appeared, only a few versions. Perhaps, once a stream ran here, and the water "carved" its way, or maybe the fissure was the result of some battle, or it was an intentionally made path by the examiners. It didn't matter now since there was no other way.
The passage itself did not inspire confidence. Therefore, the guys were worried. A landslide, an attack by some predator, and the most dangerous thing - traps could await them in that gorge.
Another factor was the onset of darkness, that is, in the already dangerous passage, new dark, unsanctified areas appeared, on the bottom of which there could be a precipice.
It was decided to go one by one, while the others covered the rear.
Mitsuri volunteered to go first.
By transforming her katana into a small amount of water, she gradually passed through the gorge, following her, and marking the hole with her small knife on the wall when she found one.
After her somewhat long passage, the other guys took turns walking the entire way. Only Kazu remained, he was the last one. It had already grown quite dark, so the guy walked by memory through the dark passage. He tried to remember all the places that Mitsuri marked as holes.
The fissure was narrow, and he had to walk sideways. Kazu's head was facing the entrance. Step by step, he moved deeper into the darkness. By this time, the sun had already almost set below the horizon, but from here, there was no view of the usual raspberry sunset that the guy observed in the village of Okimoto.
Somewhere halfway, Kazu heard frequent footsteps from the entrance side. At some point, they abruptly stopped, just as they started.
The guy stopped, staring at the entrance to the gorge, but there was still no one there. Kazu froze, trying not to make any sounds. Ukacho wanted to call out to his friend, but Mitsuri covered his mouth with her hand, placing her finger on her ear, then pointing to herself with that finger. Like saying, "You have to listen now."
And indeed, Ukacho heard footsteps and tensed up. The other guys also prepared for a possible confrontation.
In theory, these people could have left, deciding to overcome this obstacle differently. So each of them waited for that very moment.
Standing in an uncomfortable position (sideways), Kazu straightened his right arm and directed it towards the beginning of the passage, concentrating his chakra in it, and then began to transform it into his jutsu. The water bullet was ready.
With each passing second, it became slightly stronger, and there was a large amount of Kazu's chakra around it.
At one moment, a part of a hand appeared from behind the wall, its fingers lazily gripping the edge of the ravine. The darkness didn't allow the Singing Whale team members to see this action.
An unpleasant chill ran down Kazu's spine.
After the hand, a head appeared from behind the wall. As soon as this person opened his mouth to say something, the water bullet was already flying towards him at incredible speed.
Releasing the projectile, Kazu quickly moved from his position and began to hurry through the ravine. His comrades understood what was happening and prepared to help and save their friend.
The person at the other end miraculously managed to move his head out of the line of attack, but at that moment he carelessly exposed his hand. The water bullet only managed to graze it.
"Arrgh!" At first a rather loud, but later muted cry came from that person.
Despite the indirect hit, part of the water bullet continued to fly along the same trajectory. A huge stone standing opposite the passage took the residual damage from the water bullet. In the moment the projectile hit the boulder, the point of impact was covered with deep cracks.
Immediately there was a commotion, apparently there was a whole team there.
A person appeared in the passage again, but this time everything was different. He stood, holding onto both walls of the ravine, staring angrily at Kazu, who was almost at the end.
The reaction did not take long to wait. A new water bullet was already flying towards the enemy. Suddenly, the walls of the ravine at the entrance closed, and the projectile simply shattered against the obstacle. At the same time, the crack continued to close with a characteristic sound.
BANG
"Kazu was quite scared, and with even greater intensity began to move towards the end of the passage. Fear bred recklessness, and the boy stumbled, slowing down. A couple of steps and death would catch up with him. It seemed that Death was already tapping the boy on the shoulder, but he did not give up. However Kazu struggled, no matter how hard he tried, the enemy's attack still caught up with him. Lack of speed in such a situation was fatal.
Mitsuri transformed her tachikiri into water, let it run along the side walls of the passage and with a precise strike against the narrowing walls slowed down the opponent's attack. She was able to break the structure of the opponent's technique, stopping its movement for a few seconds.
The battles of element users are based on three pillars: tactics, the amount of tachikiri, and its control. Tachikiri are particles of the user's inner energy, which he can change as he wishes. They can change the structure, divide, sharpen, twist, and perform many other actions. All of this depends on the user's control. You can also learn to use less tachikiri for certain techniques, which allows you to fight longer. In general, inexperienced element users do not care too much about structure or excessive control, and therefore their attacks can be easily broken. A good control can only be defeated by a greater flow of tachikiri, but in this case, Mitsuri, with her structured attack in the form of spikes, slowed down the sloppy opponent's technique.
While the enemy was restoring the structure of his technique, the team of Singing Whale quickly pulled Kazu out of the gorge and a few seconds later the passage closed with a characteristic sound...
Episode 10
The battle between Bull and Whale
In the next moment, the walls of that gorge parted to reveal a wide passage, and three people walked down it, followed by two more. One of those behind was wrapping his arm with something.
A self-satisfied voice from that team said, "What country are you from? Your answer depends on your life."
Kazu and Mitsuri glanced at each other and briefly looked at the others. Norotsuchi looked a little scared, but Ukacho and Uramaru were determined. Each of them thought about running away for at least a second, but that was the difficulty. Due to the local landscape, there was nowhere to run.
"What makes you so confident? Do you think we're weak?" Ukacho looked at him with undisguised anger.
He did not like the attitude towards people from the Singing Whale country, especially those who have the water element. Because in the last twenty years, they have been considered weak, and accordingly, they are not treated very well...
Kazu was very inexperienced and had never fought seriously. Although it was evident from his appearance that he was nervous, he was determined. On the other hand, Mitsuri was calm, with a sharp gaze fixed on the enemy. Her mind was already prepared for the fight and quick analysis, skills she had acquired in her distant childhood that had helped her survive.
"Since they behave so arrogantly and proudly in this area and have at least one person who controls the element of earth, they might be from Mighty Bull," she thought. This idea made Mitsuri wary, but her face remained calm and emotionless. Her fighting style could be compared to that of the twin sisters from the Rising Hawk team.
"That's just a guess, it might be untrue," she said, interrupting the conversation. The boy who started the dialogue spoke again, even more arrogantly. "Well, if there is a person in your team who uses the water element, then it must be true," he said with a smirk, then turned to Ukacho.
"If you don't answer right now, you will not escape death," said another stranger, who gave the impression of a squad captain, in a more serious tone.
Because of the darkness, they could only see the silhouettes, which made them judge the opponent's impression by their voice.
They had already left the gorge and stood facing the Singing Whale team. Both teams were preparing for a clash.
"They're definitely enemies!" Ukacho said, then created a water dome to protect his comrades.
The response from the strangers was immediate. Various attacks were launched at the group.
"Earth spear!"
"Stone projectiles!"
"Stone spike!"
"Ugh..." Ukacho withstood the barrage of different attacks.
The dome successfully blocked the attacks, and damaged areas quickly recovered. Although the defense was not breached, the attacks weakened it, and Ukacho began to rapidly lose his Tairiki since he had not completed the dome's setup and had to use a large amount of Tairiki to protect his friends.
Kazu, Uramaru, and Mitsuri stepped out from under the water dome, while Norotuchi remained underneath, starting to generate arrows.
"We need to hold out until the arrows are generated, that's our advantage," Norotuchi whispered.
The two who didn't use long-range attacks headed towards the water dome. A boy who summoned earth spikes joined them.
"Each of us will take on one opponent," commanded Mitsuri.
"Alright!"
"We can do this!"
They scattered in different directions and the battle began. Uramaru didn't get the chance to use his ancestral technique. From the beginning of the fight, the opponent pushed him back, leaving him with nothing to do but defend himself.
Mitsuri encountered what she thought was the captain of the enemy squad, while Kazu faced the same arrogant boy.
"Water bullet barrage!" Mitsuri shouted, jumping back and releasing small water bullets one after another.
"Earth wall!" Her opponent blocked her attacks.
The water bullets helplessly hit the earth wall, damaging it significantly.
After the defensive technique came an attacking one.
"Earth spike!"
An earth spike attacked Mitsuri from right under the ground. It looked fragile, but in reality, it was strong and incredibly sharp. The attack was aimed at her face, but she managed to dodge it. Blood spurted from her cheek. Instinctively, Mitsuri pressed her hand against the wound, not taking her eyes off her opponent.
"Such speed! The spike is thin, and it's difficult to notice it in the darkness. And besides, I dodged it! How did she manage to get me?!"
"The leader" pushed her, making quick attacks, and Mitsuri barely kept up with them. Of course, she also managed to attack in response, but the opponent always hid behind a stone wall.
"Earth spike!"
Kazu jumped to the side, and the enemy attack missed him.
"Tch!" His opponent frowned in dissatisfaction.
"Water bullet!"
Kazu's opponent dodged and started a new attack.
"This attack wasn't meant for him, so he became wary. The guy turned his gaze to Mitsuri, but it didn't seem like his opponent had attacked her specifically. Then his gaze fell on Uzui, who was holding up a dome against the barrage of attacks from two enemies.
"Uzui, be careful!" Kazu shouted to him.
He turned around and a spike pierced his stomach through.
"Ugh..." Uzui coughed up blood.
His eyes rolled back, but he continued to hold up the water dome to protect Norotchuchi, who was preparing an attack. His blood slowly dripped down the spike and onto the ground.
Kazu was at a loss. Even though he continued to fight, the horror of what he had seen was reflected on his face.
"Well, how does despair taste to you?" His opponent sneered, laughing self-satisfied. "Your friends will die one by one, and then you'll die too!"
The boy from Okimoto village didn't hear his opponent's words. He only heard his laughter...laughter at a comrade who was surpassing himself to protect another.
***
From Mitsuri's perspective:
"Kazu and I are being pressed hard, Uzui is barely holding on while Norotchuchi tries to use his technique. We're losing."
"Earth Needle!"
Blood spurted from her right hand.
"Every attack hits me somehow, while I can't inflict any damage. Even so, I'm starting to understand how he attacks."
This time, Mitsuri didn't even respond to the mocking reaction of the "leader":
"Is your tachikiri already used up? Or are you scared, you pathetic scum?"
"Earth Needle!"
Mitsuri winced and gritted her teeth, blood slowly dripping down her cheek. Pretending to move right, she suddenly jumped left. And for the first time, the attack didn't reach her. Then came the "shot."
"Water Bullet!"
The projectile hit the "leader's" shoulder, knocking him back. For a couple of seconds, the fight stopped. Or rather, it was stopped by Kazu's desperate scream:
"Uzui, be careful!"
Afterwards, the attack hit Ukacho, leaving a through-and-through wound in his stomach. Mitsuri froze in horror at the sight. Her comrade's eyes rolled back, but he continued to fight. Then came the mocking voice from behind:
"Well, how does desperation taste? Your friends will die one by one, and then you'll die too!"
Mitsuri turned around and saw her seemingly broken friend. Even in the darkness, it was clear that his hands were trembling and his head was lowered. This situation lasted only a few moments, but each second felt like an eternity for her friend. Mitsuri realized that this was a huge, no, immense shock for him.
In an instant, the atmosphere of the battle changed. Kazu's blue eyes gleamed in the darkness. His gaze had changed from what it was at the beginning of the fight. His aura seemed to have changed to a more sinister, dark, and cold as ice...
Throughout the fight, he was crowded, not allowing him to use serious techniques. His hands were thrown up at great speed. There was a strong flow of taykiri, which all the people on the battlefield could feel.
"Earth spike!" The smug guy tried to break Kazu's attack against the last spike, but just before the collision, the flow split in two.
"S-structure division?!..." his opponent muttered fearfully. He didn't even notice how he was surrounded by the enemy's taykiri, and later, water.
Mitsuri's opponent made himself known. He began a double attack, dodging one, and the girl fell under the other.
At that moment, Mitsuri was next to Kazu. Making a strong decision, she exposed herself to this attack so that the wounds wouldn't be fatal. Preparing for sharp pain, she covered her eyes, but suddenly felt a strong push from her comrade.
"What?" was all that Mitsuri could think at that moment. Her head couldn't remain calm, shaken by her comrade's injury.
An earth needle pierced through her left hand, which Kazu had pushed away.
"Water prison, first form," the manner of speech, timbre, and the voice itself were different from that familiar Kazu.
Huge streams of water enveloped his enemy.
His once smirking opponent was trapped in a water sphere at full height, and all of Singing Kita's adversaries changed their target and tried to free their comrade, but the new streams of water surrounding the prison smashed their techniques.
"I won't allow it," Kazu growled, his demeanor resembling that of a wolf sinking its jaws into its prey and refusing to let go. He mercilessly clenched his right fist.
The face of the prisoner in the water prison contorted in excruciating pain, his eyes immediately rolled back, and his limbs were bent at strange angles. Afterward, the prison disintegrated, freeing the prisoner, who fell lifelessly. His face still bore a frightening grimace of infernal pain.
Mitsuri surveyed the battlefield. No one was fighting anymore, everyone was staring at the deadly technique with a grimace of horror on their faces. No one dared to move. This state lasted for a brief moment, about five seconds.
When the attacks ceased, the water dome descended, and Ukacho lost consciousness, bleeding out. Those who had previously attacked the dome were immediately bombarded with attacks.
"Water arrows, Whirlpool!" Norotsuchi exclaimed.
Three arrows flew in their direction, but they were knocked off course, hitting their targets and knocking them off their feet.
"Retreat!" their captain shouted, horrified by the situation, fighting Mitsuri.
They ran away in the direction they had come from, leaving their comrades behind on the battlefield, writhing in pain.
Episode 11
The battlefield
A dark night shrouded the island of Unnoshima. A gentle breeze lazily pushed the clouds forward. Complete silence. The battle was over, Singing Kita's team had won, but no one was celebrating or anything like that. A dumb scene engulfed the battlefield. The wounded convulsed from their injuries and moaned in pain. Some lay motionless, like dead.
Kazu remained in place, unmoving, the light in his eyes fading. The blind rage that had overtaken his mind was also slowly dissipating. The veil was slowly lifting from his eyes.
The rest of Singing Kita's team gathered around their wounded comrade.
"Do we have anyone who knows healing techniques?" Uramaru asked anxiously, hoping for a positive response. But in the end, everyone shook their heads negatively.
"Hey! Is there anyone among you who knows healing techniques?" Norotsuchi asked the injured members of the Mighty Bull team.
He was ignored. Some didn't want to answer because they were afraid of the "monster" on their team, while others simply couldn't.
Tears appeared in Uramaru's eyes. The guy never thought he would lose his best friend like this.
Kazu stood doomed, staring into space, trying to regain his composure. His right side still hurt a little, and his left arm was pierced through. He grabbed his head with his good hand.
Mitsuri constantly looked at Ukacho and Kazu, unable to help either of them. Although she had just begun studying healing techniques, those wounds were beyond her capabilities. She felt helpless, which drove her to despair.
***
Kazu found himself in a white room, completely white. There were no doors, no windows, no furniture, only one chair. The guy looked around in surprise and pinched himself after a moment.
"It's not a dream, then. What's happening? Where am I? Or is this a dream? Maybe I'm already dead?" There was no answer to these questions.
Silence. Kazu noticed that there was no sound in this room. No matter how he stomped his foot on the floor or the chair, there was no sound. Only breathing and, more frighteningly, heartbeat. Each beat echoed in his ears. It was driving him insane.
Fifteen more seconds passed. His left arm was suddenly covered in blood, for no apparent reason.
Kazu was scared. "Why? What happened?"
His arm went numb.
His breathing and heartbeat intensified. His ears started ringing.
The sound grew louder and louder until Kazu screamed.
Darkness. His eyes grew dark. There were no more sounds. Absolute silence and impenetrable darkness. A voice suddenly sounded in his head.
His voice:
"Shadows. Shadows will help..."
Kazu's consciousness shut down again. He finally fell asleep.
***
Kazu collected himself a little. He wasn't quite the same kind and sensitive guy from the village of Okimoto yet, but he was slowly coming back.
"Shadows! Shadows will help!"
It was the only thought that came to his mind. He took a deep breath and yelled:
"Shadows, please come out and help them!"
No response...
"Please!"
But Kazu didn't give up. He kept asking for their help, but his plea for help was ignored.
"Stop it, Kazu! This is not..."
"They surrendered and no longer have the right to become Gakushin students this year!"
As soon as he finished his sentence, something black flashed next to him. Something flashed right next to him. With his peripheral vision, he saw it and turned his head in that direction.
It happened so quickly that everyone except Kazu didn't notice the "shadows".
The other guys were extremely surprised that a man in dark clothing sat down next to Ukacho, applying his hands to the wound.
After stopping the bleeding with the taykiri, the wound even healed a little, but they still bandaged it. It took about 20 seconds. After making some strange and very fast gesture, the shadow flashed to the other wounded. And another man in black robes jumped up to Ukacho. He took the wounded. Meanwhile, Mitsuri managed to count three "shadows." Their entire operation took about three minutes. They spent the most time on the guy who Kazu dismissed. His twisted limbs didn't heal immediately, so he was just strapped to the "transporter's shadow." The team of Singing Kita silently watched everything. Finally, as they left, one of the "shadows" turned to Kazu.
Her girlish voice was quite pleasant, with notes of surprise and admiration. At the same time, it sounded quite mature.
"Hmm, you're a funny guy..." she threw at him and she, along with the wounded and other "shadows," disappeared into the darkness.
Episode 12
Arrival. Difficult conversation
A few hours after the clash, the Singing Kita team finally reached their destination. They covered the whole way in a day and a half.
On the way, Kazu regained his sanity completely, and upon arrival in the town, which was the goal of the exam, he, like everyone else, received medical assistance. His comrades were worried about him, but they also didn't forget to ask about Ukacho. Fortunately, he was fine too.
There were almost no conversations in their team along the way, Kazu only occasionally pointed out where the trap was located. He was their guide. His entire squad was shocked that Kazu, the "rural boy," had turned into a seasoned soldier and hunter. Although the guys didn't care too much about it, Mitsuri was alert. She knew Kazu since childhood. And the girl was deeply concerned, but she didn't touch her friend yet.
Much of it was incomprehensible to her. When that guy from Okimoto's countryside learned to recognize traps and choose the best path on an unfamiliar island. Therefore, the girl...
After spending some time in the town, Kazu started to worry about his condition. He had a very vague memory of what happened on the way, how he remembered the map left by the Hawk team, how he talked about the trap locations and led his team, how his head was hurting badly and he was grabbing it. Although he didn't remember how he got the wound on his side and injured his hand. His memory was cut off at the moment of his scream to Ukacho. No matter how hard he tried to remember what happened next, he couldn't. The only thing he remembered was a pleasant female voice and the words she said.
Concerning this situation, he decided to ask his girlfriend, who also seemed like she wanted to talk.
"Hey, Mitsuri," Kazu called out to the girl with his side and hand bandaged.
"Yeah, do you want to talk?" Mitsuri said.
"Yeah, you remember the fight with the Bull team," Kazu didn't finish his sentence.
The girl lowered her head, and her face became thoughtful, as if he had asked an uncomfortable question.
"From what point should I tell you? I didn't see the whole fight because I was fighting too," Mitsuri said.
"From the moment I called out to Ukacho," Kazu said.
Mitsuri trembled, but she immediately suppressed the feeling.
"You didn't just call out to him, you screamed so loudly that it made everyone turn around," Mitsuri said.
Kazu's lips parted, and then closed tightly.
"What happened next?" Kazu asked his next question with caution.
"Ukacho got a serious wound, but he continued to hold the dome. Your opponent laughed at you and our team, and then..."
Mitsuri trailed off, seeing Kazu lowering his head. Because it was his fault that Ukacho was injured. After waiting a couple of seconds, Mitsuri took a deep breath and continued, "And then something changed. The overwhelming superiority of the opponents and our depressed spirit dissipated. You took the initiative and continued the fight, starting to prepare the water prison. Also, you saved me from their commander's attack."
"So, I saved you..." Kazu said.
"Exactly," Mitsuri replied.
"I don't remember anything at all. The guys still look at me strangely, they thanked me, but I don't even remember what for..." Kazu said.
"You still saved our entire team in some sense," Mitsuri said.
Then there was silence in the room. The friends had a thoughtful look and tried to remember more details.
"Ah, are there any girls in the Bull's team?" Kazu suddenly asked.
"Actually, there aren't. Why do you ask?" Mitsuri looked at her friend with surprise.
"That's all I remember, a pleasant female voice," Kazu replied.
"I didn't hear anything. Maybe it was the voice of a shadow? Do you remember how you called them?"
"No, I don't remember anything. Although, wait. I think I had a strange dream..." Kazu trailed off, stopped mid-sentence, and continued: "No, never mind. It's nothing."
"You called the shadows that helped and then took the wounded away."
"I see..."
"By the way, when did you become a trap master?"
"Oh, right. I didn't get a chance to tell you!"
Kazu suddenly perked up and whispered: "Well, it's not my accomplishment, it was that guy from the Hawk's team. He left us a note with a map and traps. I memorized the exact locations of the traps and led you safely through."
"And what did you do with the message and map?"
"I ate them."
After hearing this, Mitsuri stared at him with a grim face.
"Why did you remember some nonsense instead of an important battle?"
"It's not my fault!"
"Okay, I hope your memory will return soon. Do you have any more questions?"
"No, Mitsuri, thank you. I think I heard enough..."
Episode 13
Showdown with the Lost Dragon
Night forest. It always lured people with its mystery and unknownness. Beautiful night landscapes, the singing of nocturnal birds, moonlight shining through the foliage of giant trees. That night, the weather was quiet, there was no strong wind or rain, in other words - peace. Soon, the third day of the trial would begin, and those remaining participants who did not arrive on time would be considered losers and sent back to their homeland. Ari had already overcome the mountainous terrain, and victory was only a couple of hours of walking through the night forest away.
The final sprint.
On his way, he encountered a couple of traps that he successfully destroyed. They were simple constructions that could only slow down the journey for an hour or two. But for Ari, this was of no consequence; he easily overcame these obstacles, and so such traps seemed absurd to him.
His appearance left much to be desired. His once handsome form, suitable for an aristocrat, had turned into rags that could only be turned into scraps. He himself was quite dirty, with congealed blood on his clothes, stains of dirt, all of which he acquired on his arduous journey. The last time he bathed was by the river, and even then, not for very long. His previously bandaged wounds were not deep and quickly healed. The young prince was not so easy to recognize, but there was one factor that made him stand out among others: his yellow eyes. Those who bear the Nobaru surname have black, coal-like hair and bright yellow eyes. Unlike Ohima, whose eyes had a golden color, Ari had a darker hue.
The prince walked silently along the forest path, surveying everything with his nimble eyes. His vision had become accustomed to the darkness. He noticed every little animal, every nocturnal bird flying about its business. The island of Unnoshima seemed alive to him, like a single organism.
In one moment, Ari noticed the silhouette of a person nimbly descending from a huge tree. Thin arms and legs, the body itself looked fragile, and the hair was relatively short. The person's height itself seemed insignificant from here and was probably not enough to reach that of an adult.
The young prince had already thought that this was again one of the clumsy shadows, but immediately dismissed this idea. On his journey, he had met many people in dark robes and white masks, but this silhouette was not similar, even though it was also wearing a mask. The conclusion suggested itself - this was the same enemy who set those absurd traps. This thought made Ari involuntarily smile.
"I wonder how many of them are there? Maybe it's a whole team," the boy made different assumptions, continuing to move calmly to the west.
"Suppose there is a boy among them in a strange mask with feminine features. What kind of team could that be?" Ari reasoned to himself, placing his hand on his chin.
"So, let's assume that if he were alone, he wouldn't be able to set up so many traps, so there are at least two or three of them, one sets up the traps, the other covers. It looks like a good strategy, I guess."
"What if there's a whole team of them?!"
"Gray mask, two curved blades on the belt, decent participant clothes and no coat of arms. This guy is strange. Now he has lost all the element of surprise, but what if I hadn't noticed him? Then he would have caught me off guard if he had attacked. Or maybe he realized that he was discovered and decided to come out himself, so that the enemy could not make a surprise counterattack, as I had planned. That doesn't seem likely either. His posture, although a little arrogant, is certainly not combat. It feels like he is more inclined towards constructive dialogue rather than fighting."
While Ari silently examined the silhouette and pondered his guesses, the masked man spoke:
"You took a good beating, where are you from?" - The stranger in the mask kindly asked.
His voice was high-pitched, typical of a twelve-year-old boy. Although maybe he just wasn't lucky and his voice hadn't broken yet.
And then the young prince realized that he was standing in rags and he was ashamed. He even blushed a little, although in the night darkness, his dirty face couldn't be seen.
"Apparently, looking at me and not finding the coat of arms, they changed their plans."
Ari answered the stranger a few seconds after his question.
"It is impolite to ask someone's country without naming your own and removing your coat of arms." - Ari replied, also reproaching her for removing her own coat of arms.
"But you don't have it on your uniform either." - The stranger replied, not averting her gaze.
"I lost it somewhere in the battle, not intentionally removed it before the ambush."
"Enough! Answer my question, you're starting to irritate me." - The stranger spoke sharply, considering the voice, it sounded like a child trying to pretend to be an adult.
Ari just laughed out loud, or rather, burst into laughter. He found it quite ridiculous and amusing.
This action further angered the stranger.
"You're laughing at a serious situation, trying to hide your fear, commendable." - The person in the white mask tried to calm down.
"No, I'm laughing at you. How can someone who sets such ridiculous traps say such things?" - Ari responded sharply, trying to provoke him, clearly risking a fight.
Despite the rather cruel attacks of the young prince, the stranger no longer looked angry or annoyed. In a cold tone, he ignored Ari's laughter and continued:
"If you don't answer immediately, I will personally beat you half to death." - he said...
A young prince sharply changed direction, pivoting his left foot and then his whole body. He swiftly moved towards the place where a hidden attack had been launched. But this time, he didn't just run there; Ari released several fireballs in the direction of possible escape routes, blocking any retreat paths.
Intentionally creating a gap on one side, the young man noticed that someone with the same build and a gray mask had jumped out from there.
"What nonsense? Nevermind!"
The second stranger wrapped his body in wind, avoiding the flames from the fireballs. Planning to run to his ally's aid, he didn't realize that the enemy had already grabbed his neck with his right hand. Unable to do anything, the masked man tried to unsheathe one of his blades, but felt a strong grip around his neck and immediately lost his grip.
"How is this possible!? His speed was just equal to the captain's!"
"Hurrying to help his ally," muttered the first stranger in the white mask to himself.
Meanwhile, Ari quickly slammed one of his opponents into the ground, while the other was unable to help his comrade.
Seeing his ally being taken down, the man in the gray mask threw one of his daggers.
Ari tried to stop him with fire but missed, changing its direction and sending it elsewhere. Seeing the opponent try to rise after missing the devastating blow, Ari used his leg. The prince's strike was so strong that one of his opponents flew and flipped in the air, not making any more movements. The prince's attack landed on the ribs of the opponent, and a corresponding crunch was heard.
Almost catching up to his enemy, the masked stranger swung his blade at Ari, but the prince dodged him skillfully. Instead, he moved towards the defenseless enemy, grabbing him by the hair and creating a fireball in his hand, which he held up to his captive's face.
Ari rewarded his pale-faced opponent with a triumphant yet sharp glance, who was now in a rage. Ari had opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted.
"How low! You'll pay for this!" The enemy rushed towards him again, now with even greater speed than before.
Without even asking a couple of questions, Ari mechanically dodged to the side.
"What a mess! What an idiot! And he won't stop and listen, a madman!"
The blade missed again, and the enemy turned around, preparing for a second attack. At the moment when...
"Flash."
Whoosh.
His enemies were engulfed, flying at great speed, tongues of flame throwing them far away.
Episode 14.
Battle results.
The same night forest. The battlefield, which was previously engulfed in flames, did not even show signs of the raging fire that was here before. Only charred leaves and some trees turned into coal reminded of it.
In this battle, Ari did not receive any injuries and inflicted a crushing defeat on the opponent who outnumbered him. He decided to inspect and search their bodies for coats of arms or other belonging to any country. The prince already suspected that these people were from the country of the Rising Hawk, but he needed evidence.
Approaching closer, the guy took the hand of one of the strangers and checked the pulse. The skin was quite tender, not rough at all, like that of guys. The man was still alive. This was the "first" stranger who attacked him in close combat. His mask cracked, his clothes burned. Burns and small wounds were present, but not fatal. Even though they were Ari's enemies, he spared them. Searching the defenseless body of the first stranger, the prince did not find any coat of arms. Glancing over the body again, he caught himself thinking that the physique of his enemy was suspicious. The shoulders were not too broad, and the legs and arms were thin.
Sitting next to the stranger's face, Ari carefully ran his hands through the silky hair. Removing the mask, he found that his opponent was a girl.
"What the hell did I think she was a boy?! Although probably because of her tiny chest and the darkness. I can't believe I mistook a boy for a girl!"
The prince looked at the girl again, this time evaluating her.
"With such a cute face, she could have come from a noble family," Ari thought, blushing slightly.
"Ahem..." The prince cleared his throat.
"Stop, did I hit the 'second' girl hard? Is she alive?"
Approaching the unconscious enemy and checking for a pulse, he calmed down. Removing the second girl's mask, Ari was even more surprised.
"They're twins! Although, it seems to me, or the second girl looks a little prettier."
"What am I even thinking about?! Well, shadows should take care of them, and I need to hurry, or I'll be late."
In the end, Ari continued on his journey, confident in his victory..."