Time ticked down. An hour passed in a breeze. Everyone sat around the campfire, waiting to see how the voting would work.
Seconds slipped away, and when six hours finally passed since they'd entered the crack, a message echoed in everyone's mind.
[ The First Round of Voting Starts. ]
[ You have 'three minutes' to vote. Abstaining will be considered as voting for yourself. ]
A list of 34 names and faces appeared in their minds, each one clear as day.
Kass gulped. There were no roles shown next to the names. If there were, this would've been way too easy.
Soon, everyone cast their votes or abstained. Three minutes flew by.
"Who did you vote for, Kass?!" Sera's voice came from beside him. The short blonde had somehow sneaked up next to him while he'd been lying on the grass.
They'd already fought earlier — she'd thrown a fit about him letting Damian touch her after the crash.
He didn't bother explaining that Damian didn't have the balls to do anything anyway.
Kass turned his head lazily. "You know it's a crime to ask someone who they voted for, right?"
Sera's lips twitched. "Cut the crap, asshole. Just tell me."
Kass smirked. "Didn't vote. I was too busy checking everyone's faces. Especially you, You looked like a squid having an orgasm."
Her eyes widened, and her fist shot up, ready to smack him.
But before she could—
[ Round 1 Vote has ended. ]
[ All votes have been tallied. The one with the highest votes has been determined. ]
[ Highest Voted: Jason Adler ( 3 Votes ) ]
[ The Shogun's personal bodyguard, 'Hatamoto' Jason Adler, shall thus be punished. ]
[ Punishment: Seppuku ( Death by abdominal suicide. ) ]
Everyone stared at the message in their minds like they'd just seen a ghost.
Sheila tightened her grip on her staff. Jason got the highest votes? How?
One of those votes was probably his own, but the other two… she didn't need to think hard. Either it was the Shinobi… or someone cruel enough to hate Jason that much.
"What?! You bitches!" Jason barked, rage twisting his face.
He shot to his feet, grabbing the shield and sword he'd gained from the Warden Archetype. But before he could take a single step, a deep gash suddenly tore open across his abdomen, blood gushing out like a burst dam.
"AHHHHHHH—!"
Jason's scream pierced the night as he collapsed, writhing in the dirt and clutching at his spilling guts.
"HEALERS!!" Professor Marcus shouted.
Sheila and the other Clerics were already at his side, desperately channeling aether to seal the wound. But no matter how much power they poured in, it refused to close.
Kass watched with a grim expression. Was Jason really just unlucky enough to get voted by both Shinobi?
No… there was a reason. Jason had been the male class representative, a natural leader. He was smart, respected, and had already proposed a voting plan.
If he stayed alive, the Shinobi would be exposed sooner or later. So of course, he'd be their first target.
"K-Kass…" Sera clutched his kimono sleeve, her hands trembling.
Kass turned to her, surprised to see her eyes brimming with tears. "Why are you crying?"
"I… I… are we all going to die here? I want… I want to see my family again, Kass." Her voice broke, and the girl who'd been fearless moments ago was now crying like a lost child.
Kass sighed softly and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tight. He patted her head gently, trying to calm her down.
"Don't worry. Nothing's gonna happen," he said with a crooked grin. "We'll be out of here soon. And when we are… you're giving me your sister's number. You know I've got a crush on her."
Sera hit his chest lightly, her face buried against him as a shaky chuckle slipped out. "You… pervert. You've got a crush on every girl."
As Kass calmed her down, something caught his eye — the fog.
It was moving.
He frowned and focused on it, his pupils trembling. Inside the fog were countless yellow eyes, glowing with greed, lust, and hunger.
Then came the sound. A shrill, metallic screech tore through the night.
Keeehhh—graaahh!!
Countless goblins burst from the fog, their dark green bodies glinting under the moonlight.
They were small, barely reaching his abdomen, but their twisted grins and twitching noses made them look feral.
The stench of blood drew them straight toward the healers clustered around Jason.
"Shit! Everyone, look out!" Kass shouted.
Sera jolted upright, her tears vanishing as she gripped her dagger tightly.
Screams erupted across the village as steel clashed, while arrows and Aether missiles rained down on the goblins.
Kass drew his longsword, his movements fluid, instinct guiding him. He stepped in front of Sheila, who was kneeling beside Jason.
"Miss Sheila, just do your work. I'll handle this."
"Y-Yes… be careful, Kass," she stammered, her eyes trembling as she saw the creatures closing in.
Two goblins rushed at him. He slashed horizontally, his sword slicing one clean through the neck. The creature's head flew, and greenish-black blood splattered across his clothes.
The other lunged, claws aiming for his chest. Kass dodged sideways.
Before it could turn, Sera appeared behind it, silent as a shadow, driving her dagger into its neck. Her hands trembled, but her eyes burned with resolve.
All around, chaos reigned. Most students tried to fight. Some ran, hiding inside huts.
"Kyaaa—!! Someone help!"
Kass turned just in time to see one of his classmates being dragged across the ground by three goblins, her nails clawing at the dirt.
They pulled her into the fog, her cries fading into guttural laughter and the sound of tearing fabric.
He clenched his jaw and tried to push into the fog where she'd been dragged, but more goblins swarmed him, forcing him back.
"Damn it!" He gritted his teeth, cutting one down, his sword slick with blood.
He would've loved to unleash his Aether Arc gift, but with everyone running and clustered together, it would've caused more friendly fire than goblin kills.
There was no time to think, mourn, or save.
He and Sera fought side by side, shielding Sheila as best they could. It was common sense: protect the healers, or everyone dies.
But as the fight dragged on, he noticed a pattern — the males were being slaughtered and dragged off, while the females were taken alive into the fog.
His stomach twisted.
"Fuck… everyone, help the girls! Don't let those shit-skins take them into the fog!" Kass roared, cutting another goblin clean through the chest.
Rai panted on the ground, exhausted after dispatching countless goblins with his Aether Missiles. He was completely out of Aether.
Among the group, rangers and mages burned through Aether the fastest, one to conjure arrows through their Gift, the other to launch Aether-powered orbs like homing Magic Missiles.
Finally, a proper formation took shape — Wardens in front, fighters between them, rogues weaving through the gaps while rangers, mages, and clerics held the center.
Sera suddenly broke from Kass's side, sprinting toward the fog where another girl was being dragged away.
"Sera, don't go into the fog!" he shouted.
She didn't stop. Her figure vanished into the gray.
"Shit." Kass hissed, rushing after her.
Sheila was already safe behind the tank line, so he left her and dove in.
Inside the fog, muffled screams echoed. Goblin laughter mingled with the sound of tearing cloth, flesh striking flesh, and choked cries.
Kass forced his way forward until he nearly collided with Sera. She stood frozen, her dagger dripping with red blood, her eyes hollow and distant.
When she looked at him, her voice trembled. "Kass… they… those filthy bastards, they were—"
Kass pulled her close, pressing her head to his chest. "Shhh… just forget it."
"I—I saw Chloe scream. Her body… they were violating her. I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything…" Her words broke into sobs, muffled against him.
He said nothing, just held her tighter as he led her back through the fog.
By the time they reached the clearing, dawn had begun to bleed over the horizon. The fog was pulling away, slithering back into the forest, leaving behind only silence and the stench of blood.