"Oh man, did you see his face?" she laughed, wiping a tear from her eye. "He actually fell for it!"
"Alright, that's enough laughing. Did you get what we did all this for in the first place?" one of the boys said, chuckling as he caught his breath.
"I checked all his pockets, but he didn't have a flag," the girl said, brushing her hair back with a sigh.
"What do you mean? You said he had a flag!" one of the boys yelled at the girl, clearly annoyed.
"Hey, don't put all the blame on me. You two agreed to this too," the girl shot back.
The boy scoffed, folding his arms. "Only because you swore you saw it! Don't act like this was all my idea."
Their voices grew louder, overlapping in a chaotic mess of accusations. The second boy groaned and stepped back, watching the two bicker like children, each trying to shove the responsibility onto the other.
"Hey, you two, cut it out," the second boy snapped, stepping between them. "There was another guy with him, remember? I'm pretty sure he'll come looking for his friend."
He smirked, eyes glinting with a hint of strategy. "We can use that—set a trap and take his flag instead."
"What trap are you talking about? We already used the only one we had," the girl said, folding her arms with an annoyed scowl.
"Not a trap exactly," the second boy said with a sly grin. "We make a deal for his friend—we demand all the flags he has."
A soft chuckle echoed upward from the bottom of the pit—slow at first, then gradually growing louder. Kajin's laughter bounced off the dirt walls, steady and amused, like he had just heard the punchline to a joke only he understood.
The second boy leaned over the edge of the pit, squinting into the shadows below. Kajin's laughter echoed upward, unsettling and out of place. Frowning, the boy called out, "What the hell's so funny? Did you hit your head or something?"
"Sorry to burst your bubble," Kajin called up from the pit, his voice laced with amusement. "But he's not my friend. And unlike me, he's not the type to rush in and help strangers."
"And why should we believe you're not lying?" the second boy asked.
"Whether you believe me or not is up to you. I just told you the truth," Kajin said calmly.
The three of them exchanged bewildered glances, their faces etched with shock and confusion.
"What do we do now? We can't waste any more time here," the girl said.
"I think we have no choice but to find new prey," the first boy said.
"What a waste of time. Let's get out of here," the second boy said, his voice laced with frustration.
"Hey! If you're leaving, mind giving me a hand out of here too?" Kajin called from the bottom of the pit, his voice echoing with irritation and dry humor.
Hearing that, the three of them burst into laughter, their amusement echoing through the pit.
"Do you really think we'd help you?" the second boy sneered. "A musclehead like you is right at home down there."
As their laughter faded into the trees, the forest grew quiet again.
Suddenly, from the other side, steady footsteps crunched through the underbrush—Zayden was coming.
"Didn't you say you don't help strangers? Then why are you here?" Kajin asked.
"Don't get the wrong idea," Zayden said, hands in his pockets. "If you hadn't shown up, Ito and the others would've started searching for you instead of the flag. That would've wasted even more of our time."
Zayden sighed, then extended his arm into the pit. His hand hung there, open and steady.
Kajin blinked, momentarily surprised, before reaching up. Their hands clasped, and with a firm pull, Zayden hoisted him out of the pit.
"Am I supposed to thank you now?" Kajin asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"No need for that. Let's just go," Zayden said, already turning away.
The forest's hush was replaced by the distant murmur of excitement. As Kajin and Zayden stepped out from the trees, the roar of the crowd grew louder, enveloping them in anticipation.
Inside the stadium, spectators leaned forward, eyes fixed on the unfolding events. Amid the buzz, a commanding voice cut through the noise:
"Everyone, listen!"
The announcer's voice resonated across the arena.
"Twenty minutes remain in this round. Let's see how many can seize the moment and advance."
The crowd erupted once more, their excitement renewed as the competition intensified on the field.
In the forest clearing, Ito and his friends sat on a fallen log, their gazes flicking between the dense trees and the sky. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting shifting shadows across the ground.
Eriska stood nearby, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her foot tapped an impatient rhythm against the forest floor, and her narrowed eyes scanned the path Kajin and Zayden had taken. A quiet sigh escaped her lips, nearly drowned out by the rustling leaves.
"Eriska, you should calm down," Shion said, offering a gentle smile. "I think they'll be here soon."
"How can I calm down when that idiot is probably off doing something ridiculous again?" Eriska muttered, brows furrowed, her lips pressed into a tight line.
"Don't worry too much," Shion replied, his tone even. "Zayden's with him. If anything happens, they'll handle it."
Shhh.
Gakurei's ears perked up. His gaze sharpened as he tilted his head slightly. "I hear footsteps," he said quietly. "They're heading this way."
Ito blinked and tilted his head, confused. "Huh? What? I don't hear anything."
Shion chuckled, nudging Gakurei lightly. "Hmm, your name's Gakurei, right? Your ears are really sharp—is that some kind of superpower or something?"
Eriska's expression didn't change. Her gaze remained steady. "No, he was just born like that. He can hear any sound from far away."
Ito's eyes widened with admiration. "Wow, that's so cool..."
Shion shaded his eyes with one hand, squinting through the trees. "I think Zayden and Kajin are coming."
A rustle stirred the nearby bushes, pulling everyone's attention. All eyes locked onto the trembling leaves, breaths held in anticipation. The usual hum of the forest seemed to fade, replaced by the soft crunch of approaching footsteps. The group leaned forward slightly, watching the foliage, waiting for someone to emerge.
The bush rustled once more—and from its depths stepped a tall figure clad in the black-and-white uniform of the Supreme Knights. His dark eyes sparkled with mischief, and a playful grin stretched across his face.
Raising one hand in an enthusiastic wave, he called out brightly,"Hiii!"
The group's tense anticipation melted into puzzled amusement, the knight's unexpected greeting catching them off guard.
Eriska glanced at Shion, her arms still crossed. "Hey, Shion, he's saying 'hi.' Do you know that knight?"
Shion scratched his head, glancing back at her. "Nope. First time I'm seeing someone like him. Right, Sara? Ito?"
Sara and Ito exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement.
The knight stepped fully out from the bush, his black-and-white uniform crisp and unmistakable. With a cheerful grin, he waved again and called out,"Heyyy, kids! Can you tell me where north is? This forest is kind of confusing."
As he approached, his boots made soft thuds against the forest floor. His eyes wandered over the group, curious and bright.
Shion pointed to their left. "I think it's that way, sir."
The knight kept walking toward them, his amused smile never wavering. "Oh, thank you so much for your help," he said lightly. Then, stopping in front of Ito, he looked down and asked,"What's your name, boy?"
Ito blinked, his brow furrowing. "Huh? Who, me?" He pointed to himself. "It's Ito."
The knight's eyes crinkled at the corners as his grin widened. "So, Ito," he said playfully, "have you gotten any flags yet?"
Ito scratched his head, confused. "Hmm, no... but why are you asking?"
The knight chuckled, eyes still closed in amusement. "Then take my advice—" his tone still light, "and find one quick before time runs out."
Ito met the knight's gaze, straightening his back with a spark of confidence. "Thanks for the advice," he replied firmly. "But I didn't plan on failing, with or without it."
"Huh, I like your confidence." The knight's lips curved into a smirk. He nodded slightly. "Okay, here's one more piece of advice for you."
He leaned in close, his breath brushing against Ito's ear as his voice dropped to a whisper.
"Watch your back."
Before Ito could utter a word, the knight vanished. One moment he was there, smirking—and the next, nothing remained but the rustling of disturbed leaves.
The group stared at the empty space, stunned.
"Did he just... disappear?" Ito finally managed, disbelief lacing his voice.
Eriska's eyes narrowed, her gaze darting through the trees. "I don't like this," she muttered.
Shion slowly looked around, the air growing colder. "Let's stay alert. That was no ordinary knight."
The forest, once filled with casual chatter, now felt heavier—its silence wrapped in something unseen and dangerous.