"Huh?! Ito, what are you even saying? Did you hit your head or something?" Shion stared at him, eyebrows furrowed in shock.
Ito placed a hand firmly on Sara's shoulder, his gaze serious as he looked into her eyes."Please... tell Sara. This is really important."
Sara's hands trembled. Her cheeks turned crimson as she lowered her head and muttered,"Sorry... but I can't say it. I'm not wearing your favorite color today."
"S-Sara, Ito... both of you, calm down for a second." Shion pressed his fingers to his forehead, sighing deeply. "This whole conversation is way above my emotional pay grade."
Behind them, Eriska stood frozen, rubbing her eyes like she was trying to wake herself up from a bad dream."I... I must be dreaming. That thing I just fought like a wild beast is now blushing like a damn schoolgirl?! What is this, a rom-com!?"
Shion turned back to Ito, glaring."Start talking—why are you asking something this ridiculously embarrassing?"
Ito crossed his arms with solemn pride. "Sorry, Shion. It's a sacred promise... between two men. I can't say more than that."
"Huh?! If you don't explain anything, how are we supposed to understand what's going on?!" Shion growled.
Meanwhile, Sara stood there, cheeks flushed deep red, lost in a daze.
Shion, losing his patience, grabbed her shoulders and shook her."Pull yourself together, Sara!"
"Mmmhh—!"
Sara let out a muffled squeak as her whole body wobbled like jelly.
—
From the bushes a short distance away, Gakurei watched the scene unfold.
"Who the hell is he talking to...? Wait... I've seen those girls before—weren't they with him during the tournament?" he mumbled.
But mid-thought, Gakurei's voice caught in his throat. His face went pale like he'd seen a ghost.
"No way... that's Eriska?! What the hell is she doing here?! Calm down, Gakurei. She hasn't noticed you yet. If I move quietly, I can still get out of here alive..."
Carefully, Gakurei stepped backward
Snap!
His foot landed squarely on a dry stick, the sharp crack echoing through the trees.
"Crap…" he whispered, freezing in place.
A sudden chill swept through the forest. From behind him, a voice slithered through the silence—soft, slow, and terrifyingly familiar.
"Ga...ku...rei... what are you doing here?"
He turned, stiffly, like his body no longer belonged to him.
Eriska stood there, eyes narrowed, arms crossed, her presence casting a heavy shadow over the clearing.
Beads of sweat gathered at his forehead. "I-I was just, uh... patrolling," he stammered.
Eriska stepped closer, her gaze sharp enough to cut steel. "Well?" she asked. "What's your real excuse?"
Gakurei slumped, sighing in defeat. "Fine. You want the truth?" He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I was spying... kinda... maybe... okay, definitely spying."
From nearby, Shion appeared, arms crossed. "So let me get this straight—you're saying Ito and Kajin are competing to see who can spot the most panty colors?"
"Yes," Gakurei muttered. "That's the whole genius plan."
Shion rubbed his temples like he had a headache coming on. "I swear, I leave for five minutes and you all turn into degenerates."
"Ito!" he snapped. "Seriously?! What kind of dumb competition is this?!"
"I-I'm really sorry, Shion… and Sara too," Ito said, looking like he wanted to crawl into the ground.
Sara tilted her head with a dangerously sweet smile. "It's fine, Ito. I don't mind..." she said softly, her tone turning icy. "But just to be sure—you haven't seen any other girl yet, right?"
Ito paused, glancing to the side nervously. "I have… or maybe I haven't... because before I met you three, I sort of bumped into an elf girl and, uh… by accident, I saw her panties."
Silence.
Then, Sara's voice dropped low. "Then I have no choice but to kill her," she whispered, her eyes glinting darkly.
Shion flinched. "Sara, don't say scary things like that so casually," he said, his voice trembling just a little.
"And I also want to ask, Ito—what exactly is an elf?" Shion blinked at him, genuinely confused.
Ito looked stunned. "What are you talking about, Shion?" His gaze shifted away as he tried to compose himself. "I'm talking about elves—long, sharp ears, beautiful faces, they live longer than humans."
Shion tilted his head. "Sorry, Ito, but I have no idea who you're talking about."
"I've never seen or heard of anything like that either," Eriska added, arms folded with a doubtful look.
The four of them stood silently for a moment, all eyes turning toward Ito, their expressions filled with confusion.
Then who was she... the one I just met earlier? Ito thought, his brows tightening.
Eriska waved it off. "You're probably just daydreaming. Anyway, we should go after that idiot Kajin."
"Don't worry," Gakurei chimed in. "We're supposed to regroup in a few minutes at the place we started from."
"Alright," Shion nodded. "Let's move before something else ridiculous happens."
As the group started walking, deeper in another part of the forest, a few female students stood chatting among the trees. Then, without warning, a playful gust of wind whooshed past, flipping their skirts into the air all at once.
Screams rang out as the girls yelped, faces flushed, scrambling to push their skirts down and glare at the wind like it personally offended them.
Just then, Kajin stepped out from the foliage, brushing leaves off his shoulder as if nothing had happened. He didn't say a word—just gave a smug, self-satisfied look directly at Zayden.
Zayden pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "Stop making that stupid face like you just won a lifetime achievement award."
"I think I'm good now. I've seen ten different panty colors—mission accomplished. Besides, there's not much time left," Kajin said.
Zayden and Kajin walked side by side, heading toward the meeting point where they were supposed to regroup with Ito and Gakurei. The forest path rustled beneath their steps, quiet save for the occasional chirp of birds and distant shouting.
As they moved along, Zayden suddenly stopped in his tracks. His eyes narrowed.
Up ahead, a girl was sprinting through the trees, her breathing ragged, eyes wide with panic. Two boys were close behind her, laughing as they chased her down, their footsteps pounding the earth like a warning drum.
"Don't tell me you actually plan to help that girl," Kajin said, his voice steady, watching Zayden with a serious expression.
Zayden's eyes stayed cold and unwavering. "Don't be ridiculous. Why would I help someone who can't even protect themselves?"
"I've been curious for a while now," Kajin said, eyeing Zayden closely. "Your footsteps are nearly silent—it's not something just anyone can do. So tell me… what exactly are you hiding?"
"Nothing. You're just overthinking it," Zayden replied, turning his head to the side. "Let's keep moving."
"Go on without me," Kajin said, then broke into a sprint toward the boys chasing the girl.
Zayden watched in silence, his eyes cold. "...He knows it could be a trap, yet he still runs in without hesitation," he muttered.
Turning away, he added quietly, "He's not my friend. If Ito and the others ask, I'll just tell them the truth."
The two boys had the girl cornered against a tree, smirking as they closed in.
Then, a voice rang out from behind them—calm, but laced with confidence.
"Hey. Leave that girl alone."Kajin stood there, hands in his pockets, like he owned the forest.
"Huh? Who the hell are you supposed to be?" one of the boys scoffed, turning with a sneer.
"And don't act like some kind of hero," the other chimed in, arms crossed. "We're just asking her to hand over her flag. That's fair game, right?"
Kajin tilted his head, a cocky grin tugging at the corner of his lips. "Oh, I see... two guys ganging up on one girl—real brave of you."
The girl suddenly dashed forward, slipping between the two boys and clutching Kajin's sleeve. She ducked behind him, her voice trembling but clear.
"P-Please… help me," she said, gripping his arm tightly like it was her last hope.
Kajin blinked, slightly caught off guard. "Well, this escalated fast," he muttered with a smirk, then glanced over his shoulder at her. "Don't worry. You picked the right hero."
The moment Kajin took a bold step forward, the ground beneath him gave way with a loud crack.
Snap—!
In an instant, he vanished into a shallow pit, flailing slightly as he hit the bottom with a thud.
"…A trap?" he muttered, dusting himself off with a sheepish look.
From the bottom of the pit, Kajin could hear it—laughter.At first, just a snicker. Then, full-blown cackling.Peering up, he saw the two boys doubled over, clutching their stomachs, barely able to breathe.And the girl—the one who had begged for help—was laughing too, her innocent act completely gone...