Shino and Shizuku stepped into the circle.
Shinji told them to wait for a few minutes. He called Jeisuke, Akaimo, and Momoshimo over, and together they brought a bunch of objects — some soft, some hard, some big, some medium, some small. They scattered them randomly across the circle.
Shinji said,
"You can fight normally like Shino and Akaimo did earlier… but this time, I want you to use the terrain. Use these objects to your advantage. Both of you are the smartest in our team, so I know you'll figure out how to turn the battlefield itself into a weapon. The rest of us will be learning from you."
He raised his hand.
"Three… two… one… start!"
Shino thought,
(How do I use this medium-sized object…? Should I throw it at her? Or use it as a shield against her attacks?)
Shizuku thought calmly,
(Let me move into the range of these objects first… If Shino tries to rush me, I can use them immediately. Small soft ones can work as long-range weapons.)
Shino charged straight at Shizuku, aiming for the balloon on her head.
Staying completely calm, Shizuku accurately calculated how long she needed to reach cover. She waited for Shino to come into range, then grabbed a few small objects, dashed behind a large one, and started throwing to keep him away.
To avoid getting hit, Shino backed out of range again.
He smirked slightly.
Time for a trick.
He grabbed a bunch of small objects and started throwing them rapidly at her. Shizuku hid behind a large, hard object. Using that moment, Shino sprinted toward her with another small object in his hand, ready to pop her balloon as soon as he got behind the object.
But when he rushed around it—
She wasn't there.
Before he could react, something small hit his leg. Shizuku had already repositioned and, using quick calculation of distance and timing, threw a precise shot that knocked him off balance. Shino fell, and in that instant, she stepped in and cleanly popped his balloon.
Shinji watched silently.
(This girl… she's incredible at fast calculations. She stayed calm the entire time because she already knew exactly how she was going to win.)
Shino stood up, shocked.
"How did you know that was my plan…?"
Shizuku replied gently,
"I know you're smart. So I knew you wouldn't just keep throwing objects for no reason. You were obviously planning something else. I was just ready for it."
Shinji nodded.
"Both of you did great. You used the objects around you well. But you still need to be more observant. Kaito and Kelius-class monsters are even smarter than this… they'll do something that looks stupid, and before you even finish thinking, 'Why would a monster do that?'… you'll already be dead. Never underestimate your surroundings."
He turned.
"Now then…"
He raised his voice.
"Akaimo vs Jeisuke. Step into the circle."
Akaimo and Jeisuke walked in. They locked eyes.
For a moment, it didn't look like a match.
It looked like losing meant dying.