"It's time to get serious. No more joking around."
Uzuki's voice cut through the still forest air like a blade. His eyes were closed now, hand gripping the hilt of his sword. Spiritual pressure coiled around him—sharp, still, deadly. It hummed like tension before a storm.
Shun stepped back, unease creeping in.
"His spiritual force… it's insane. I thought I'd surpassed him. But now… we're equals."
He swallowed hard as Uzuki shifted into a stance he recognized instantly—the Blinded Sword Style. Ryju had warned them about this one.
"That's the Blinded Sword Style," Shun whispered.
Just as the first strike was about to be drawn—
BZZT.
A loud mechanical tone echoed from above.
"Team 15 has been eliminated. All participants: cease combat immediately."
Uzuki blinked. "What?"
Shun lowered his guard, confused. "Seriously?"
Across the forest, confusion rippled through the remaining teams.
Kenji frowned. "What?"
Ryju shouted, "What happened now?!"
Kenshiro narrowed his eyes. "Oh… I know what this is."
Rei exhaled, relieved. "Finally."
Goro stood up slowly. "It's time."
Kuroyami glanced around. "Whoa. That was intense."
Appolo blinked. "What now?"
Azar held Misa back. "Wait."
Zanden added, calmly, "You'll be fine after this."
"Thirty-three teams have been eliminated. The second challenge… is over."
High above them, the Spiritual King stood, arms crossed, his voice calm yet booming.
"Now that the second challenge has concluded, I look forward to the third and final trial."
From the shadows, a cloaked figure grinned.
"Now I'm interested."
The King chuckled. "I figured. But first—let's get the kids out of the forest."
Roots unraveled from around Appolo.
"I'm free!" he cheered.
Across the field, Ryju shouted, "Hey, art weirdo! Free me already!"
Appolo scowled. "Who's a weirdo?! Ugh—fine. Break!"
With a flick of energy, the spiritual seals on Ryju's arms shattered.
"Finally," Ryju muttered. "Kenshiro, why were you just sitting there?"
Kenshiro shrugged. "No reason."
Ryju's gaze sharpened. "When Appolo grabbed our flag… I sensed power. From you."
Kenshiro hesitated. "Who, me? Never."
"You're hiding something. I can feel it," Ryju said, voice hard. "You've awakened… haven't you?"
"Um—"
Snap.
The Spiritual King snapped his fingers.
Light enveloped the entire field.
Teleportation—Return Point
The group landed back at the start zone in a flash of energy.
Shun groaned, stumbling. "Next time, maybe give us a warning. I almost threw up."
The King laughed, floating overhead.
"Congratulations! You've passed the second trial. But don't relax just yet—one more challenge remains. Meet me at the Academy tomorrow at 1 p.m. sharp. Until then… rest, recover, and enjoy yourselves."
A wave of murmurs swept through the crowd.
Uzuki smirked. "Well… that was fun."
He vanished in an instant.
Kenji turned. "Appolo, get the team. I'm taking Helia to the hospital."
"You got it!"
Later…
"Hey, jerks!" Jake shouted.
Rei blinked. "…Is he talking to us?"
Hana looked around. "Where's Uzuki?"
"He vanished," Shun replied.
"Figures. Jake, grab the others."
"Alrighty!"
Kuroyami scanned the area. "Everyone okay?"
Status Check:
Ryju: "Yep."
Rei: "Nothing to complain about."
Goro: "Same here."
Shun: "Yeah."
Kenshiro: "All good."
Azar stepped forward. "Hello, friends."
"Hey, Azar," Ryju greeted. "Where's Misa?"
"Zanden dropped her off at the hospital."
"Oh. And… who are the kids behind you?"
Azar smiled. "Let me introduce our team."
New Team Introductions
Azar gestured to the first boy. "This is Jett."
"Yo!" Jett flashed a cocky grin. "If you don't mind, Rei—I always shake a lady's hand."
Rei blinked, surprised. "I don't mind." She took his hand—and for a moment, their eyes locked.
Why is my heart pounding? she wondered. Is this… love?
"You okay?" Jett asked.
"What? Oh—yeah! Just a rough day."
Azar continued, "This is Kaien."
Kaien tilted his head up, silent.
Ryju gave a small wave. "Yo."
"He doesn't talk much," Azar said.
"Got it."
"And this… is the wild one. Taro."
"Sup, yo!" Taro bounced forward. "Man, the third challenge's gonna be a blast!"
Azar chuckled. "He's… energetic."
Kenshiro raised an eyebrow. "I can see that."
A swirl of sand appeared beside them.
"Hi," Zanden greeted as he materialized.
"What's up?" Kuroyami nodded.
"Just finishing intros," Azar explained.
Ryju's stomach rumbled loudly.
"I'm hungry."
Azar laughed. "We can tell."
Everyone laughed together.
In the Shadows
Uzuki stood silently, back turned.
"He actually forced me to use the Blinded Sword Style."
"Who?" Hana asked.
"Shun. The green-haired boy. He's going to be a problem."
A voice echoed from the darker shadows.
"Whoa now, let's calm down. No need to get so frustrated."
Uzuki turned. "What do you want, Daigo?"
"We've got the third challenge soon," Daigo said, grinning. "Let's crush Team One. Together."
Elsewhere…
Kenji stood before his group.
"Everyone ready for the third challenge?"
"Yeah!" they shouted in unison.
Later – At a Diner
"This is SO good!" Ryju yelled. "Fried chicken, lemonade, powdered doughnuts—top tier!"
"No lie," Azar said with a grin.
Taro stood on a chair. "Anyone up for a food challenge?"
"Me!" Ryju and Azar chimed together.
"I'm stepping out," Kenshiro muttered, sliding out of the booth.
"Huh?" Kuroyami looked over.
Outside the diner…
Kenshiro leaned against the wall, eyes low.
They're figuring it out. I'll have to tell them everything… during the third challenge.
Inside…
"Jett's got the ramen!" Rei called.
"It's actually tasty," Jett said.
"I'll join the food challenge too," Zanden added.
"Yay!" Taro pumped his fists.
"Me too," Goro said.
"Awesome!" Azar grinned.
Outside, Kuroyami peeked through the window at Kenshiro.
What did he mean… 'they're figuring it out'?What's he hiding? This guy… is full of mysteries.
[TO BE CONTINUED]