Itsuki burst through the thick foliage like a bullet, eyes fixed on the designated spawn point. Rain lashed against his face, the storm above roaring like a beast, but he was unfazed. His job was simple: hunt, tag, eliminate. Ryuu had already split off, covering the northern flank. If they were lucky, they could corner the entire opposing team in one sweep.
But luck had nothing to do with what he saw next.
Three figures stood calmly in the clearing — Team Kuragiri's prey — just… waiting. Two looked relaxed, almost bored. The third, however, was different. Wrapped in tattered combat cloth, one sleeve hanging limp where an arm should've been, he stood with a quiet, cold intensity. His missing arm wasn't a handicap. It was a warning.
Itsuki didn't hesitate.
In a blur, he moved. One second, he was standing still — the next, all three opponents had been tagged. Quick, surgical, perfect form.
But none of them reacted.
No flinch. No curse. Just calm, unreadable expressions.
And then, the bloodline user spoke, voice slow and dry."Did you know… we can kill you and call it an accident?"
Itsuki's smile was razor sharp. "I can do the same," he said. "And make it look like poetry."
The one-armed bloodline user didn't blink. His eyes were hollow — not dead, but eerily detached. He didn't move. Just stared.
That was when Itsuki knew something was off.
He turned on instinct and dashed into the jungle. Behind him, he heard them move — fast. Too fast.
All three.
Impossible.
He pivoted mid-run, lashing out with a brutal spinning kick aimed at the nearest — not the bloodline user, but one of the seemingly powerless teammates. The man should've gone flying.
Instead, he stopped Itsuki's leg mid-air.
The second one came from the flank, fists striking with the weight of a battering ram. Itsuki barely blocked, thrown off balance. What the hell is this? he thought, skidding back.
The bloodline user stepped forward at last, raising his only arm and tilting his head.
"My name is Akuro Enzai," he said. "My ability? The strength of my lost arm… is now shared with my brothers."
His two teammates cracked their knuckles in unison, muscles bulging unnaturally, eyes gleaming with the same eerie calm.
"So, you're not facing one bloodline user," Akuro said flatly. "You're facing three."
Itsuki clenched his fists, smirk fading."This just got fun."
A violent gust of wind burst through the canopy, shaking the forest like a living beast awakening. The roar that followed wasn't thunder—it was something primal, ancient, guttural.
A shadow streaked across the sky, piercing through the fog and rain like a spear of flame.
Ryuu had arrived.
His descent was silent, but the impact of his landing was not. His boots cracked the earth, wings of pure blazing aura spreading out behind him like a dragon unfurling in the night. Embers rose around him, each one dancing in reverence to the fire-born aura radiating from his back.
The three enemies froze.
Akuro's stoic face twitched—just barely.
Itsuki stumbled backward, half-collapsing against a tree, blood on his chin but relief in his voice."Took you long enough."
Ryuu didn't even look back. His eyes locked on Akuro, voice low, unwavering."The best always shows up last."
He stepped forward once. Flames coiled around his arms. Another step—his wings ignited."Take a time-out, sword-boy. I'll handle the freaks."
The response was a blur of movement—one of the powered twins lunged forward with unnatural speed.
Ryuu spun, ducked under the punch, and with a single upward kick, launched the man into the air. His foot left a burning imprint on the man's chest, smoke hissing from his shirt.
The second twin charged. Ryuu extended his palm.
"Burn."
A stream of concentrated flame blasted from his hand, engulfing the second attacker. The flames didn't char flesh—they knocked the breath from his lungs, sending him flying into a tree with enough force to leave a crater.
Akuro was the only one left standing. His gaze met Ryuu's.
The dragon-wielder smirked."Let's see if that calm look survives fire."
They clashed.
Fist met claw. Aura tore through aura. Akuro's phantom arm blocked Ryuu's flame-infused strikes, but for every hit he blocked, Ryuu gave him another two to deal with.
The forest lit up—orange and gold illuminating the rain-soaked battlefield like a second sun had risen.
Then—
....
Elsewhere in the jungle, the rain fell softer.
Sena and Daigo stood side-by-side, staring at the towering figure in front of them. Cold. Built like a monument. Pale eyes, expressionless face.
The man hadn't moved an inch.
Daigo clenched his fists. "You sure he's not a statue?"
Sena muttered, "No statue would make me feel this cold... he's real."
The man finally spoke. Calm. Icy."You two are loud."
Sena raised an eyebrow. "What's your name, frosty?"
He blinked once. "Kuren."
And then he moved.
Not fast.
Efficient.
One hand slammed into Daigo's stomach, doubling him over instantly. Before Sena could react, Kuren turned, caught her wrist mid-swing, and swept her legs from under her.
Sena hit the ground. Daigo followed right after, sent flying into a tree.
Kuren crouched beside them."Too slow. Too loud. Too weak."
He knocked them both.
As he stood, not a speck of mud stained his clothes."Next."
Kaito darted through the thick green of the jungle, eyes sharp, every sense on alert. After navigating a tight bend between two massive trees, he froze. A small clearing opened up, and standing there was a timid-looking guy, practically blending into the background like a nervous NPC in a video game.
"Hi! Sorry, wrong team!" Kaito called out, hands raised in mock surrender.
The boy blinked, a little startled but polite. "Oh, no worries. You're good."
Kaito paused, then asked, "Hey, did you see anyone from Kuragami's team pass through here?"
The guy nodded quickly, pointing. "Yeah, actually. One of them just walked through that direction—towards Zone B, I think. Walked like he owned the place."
Kaito smirked. "Thanks, man."
He turned to leave but hesitated. "Hey, just curious—what's your name?"
The guy gave a small smile. "Akari. Bloodline: Veyne. I'm from Gensokyo team."
Kaito stopped. His smile faded slowly, confusion creeping in like static.
"…Wait. You're Veyne?"
Akari tilted his head. "Yeah. Why?"
Kaito stared, his mind scrambling. "I thought I was the only Veyne…"
Akari chuckled softly. "Ah. Sorry to disappoint. But we are quite common?."
Kaito sank to his knees in the most over-dramatic, anime-protagonist way possible. "I thought I was a special bloodline user... an Uhciha-tier last survivor…"
Akari gave him a gentle pat on the back. "We may not be extinct, but hey—we're still cool. Don't worry. Once the round ends, I'll take you to meet some of the others. You'll see."
Kaito stood up, brushing fake tears off his face. "Alright... thanks, I guess."
He started running off, waving behind him. "See you later, cousin Akari!"
As he sprinted into the trees, he muttered under his breath, "Damn it, Ren... when you said my bloodline was popular, I thought you meant legendary, not listed in a census."
ChatGPT said:
As Kaito disappeared into the foliage, laughing to himself like a rejected anime protagonist, Akari's soft expression slowly melted away.
His smile faded. His eyes—once shy and nervous—sharpened into something colder. Something calculated. A glint of predatory instinct flickered across his face.
The atmosphere shifted.
His fingers twitched slightly, feeling the presence nearby. He whispered under his breath, barely audible,"Sylus Veyne."
In an instant, the timid aura was gone. The boy named Akari stepped into the shadows, his figure vanishing like mist.