February 4, 2023, 10 PM
"Attention! Attention! Attention!"
A loud voice, amplified by magic, made every ear in the field turn toward its source.
At the far end of the field stood a rectangular podium, behind which rose the grand, majestic academy building. The podium was made of the same white stone floor, with stairs on each side, forming a small pyramid. It was built specifically for welcoming ceremonies conducted by the academy's magic instructors. There were no chairs.
A man in a black-and-white suit shouted loudly. He was Jianying. Beside him stood a beautiful woman, her skin as pale as the moon on a full night.
She was Luxia, head of the Hunters Division across all of China, dressed in a white hanfu with a sheer, purple outer robe. Her long, straight hair flowed freely, white as snow.
Standing to her right was An Haocun, an eccentric man with a sly look. His narrow eyes smiled like a snake. His black hair was neatly trimmed, styled into thick, spiky layers—heavier on the right and sparser on the left. An unique streak of blood-red hair fell from his right bangs. He wore the same attire as Jianying.
In front of the three stood an old yet imposing man, his posture radiating strength despite being nearly a century and a half old. His dark pink hair flowed in the night wind, and his aged blue eyes gleamed as they surveyed the 594 contestants preparing for the first round of tonight's tournament.
He stood in a knight's rest pose, both hands resting on the hilt of a sheathed broadsword planted in the ground. His black robe was layered with a deep navy mantle billowing in the night air.
Red lanterns glowing gold illuminated the entire field.
"Who are they?"
"They're the leaders of this country's Hunters."
"That old man looks incredibly strong, and the woman behind him is very beautiful. I don't know about the two men beside her—are they also Hunter leaders?"
"Yes, they're the heads of the Shanghai and Beijing branches."
"They're pretty handsome. They look strong, too."
"Branch leaders? Master Jianying?"
Mei Mei was surprised when she overheard whispers identifying Jianying as one of the Hunter branch leaders—especially of the largest city, which meant he held the Shengxiao Dragon title, the strongest of all.
Remembering her past behavior, Mei Mei regretted not making a stronger impression in front of Jianying. She was aiming for a position beside him; anyone under the Shengxiao Dragon wing was guaranteed to be among the best—and to enjoy a comfortable life for the rest of their days. At least, that's what she thought.
On the podium, Jianying stepped forward.
"As you already know, the first round of tonight's tournament will be a team elimination match.
"In these mountains, thirty flags have been hidden. Your task is to retrieve a flag and bring it back safely. Your time limit is until sunrise. The rules are simple: no restrictions in combat, and you must return with an intact flag before time is up. You may form teams with anyone you wish. Each team can have a maximum of five members, and a minimum of…
"One person."
A buzz of murmurs, like a swarm of bees, immediately filled the air. Contestants from last year's tournament found this strange—the rules had changed.
"One person? Then what's the point of forming a team?" said a burly man with a double-headed axe on his shoulder.
"No restrictions in combat? Doesn't that mean killing is allowed?" said a tanned woman with short shaggy pixie-cut black hair.
"This is nothing like last year! Back then, killing was forbidden and teamwork was the priority! With rules like this, no one can be trusted," a Chinese swordsman in traditional robes said anxiously.
"That is all for the first round of the Zhan Dou tournament this year. We will give you five minutes to discuss and form your teams. That's all."
Jianying stepped back.
The contestants immediately began moving like ants searching for helpers to carry food. Some were fortunate to have already formed teams, while others decided to go solo.
Like the autumn-red-haired woman dressed as a Japanese miko. And a bald man radiating an unsettling, mysterious aura.
Meanwhile, Amon and Reza decided to team up with locals wearing martial robes—alongside the burly axe-wielder and the tanned woman dressed like a man.
Another person was chewing gum while playing a handheld game console, his dark pink hair paired with deep blue eyes. A sheathed broadsword hung across his back.
"There are some interesting people this year," An Haocun remarked, noticing several contestants choosing to work alone. Searching for a flag in the vast, dark mountain forest wasn't easy—especially with rules this open-ended, where anyone could be an enemy.
"Do you see anyone suspicious, An?" Luxia asked from beside him.
An nodded. "A few. I'm not certain, but I noticed some people in disguise—like those in black jackets and orange monk robes."
"So you noticed, too. I thought you were only good at lying," Jianying commented from across Luxia.
An, on Luxia other side, smirked, offended. "I noticed before you did, four-eyes."
"Who are you calling four-eyes, snake-mouth?"
The two glared sharply at each other.
"My, my… you two are acting like children."
They both closed their eyes and turned their attention back to the contestants forming teams.
"This is unbelievable," Wuxing Gui muttered beside Sizhu. "This is basically saying everyone's an enemy. Someone could find a flag, then have it stolen by their own teammate and end up winning alone. Not a bad strategy." He grinned.
Sizhu glanced at him, unbothered.
"Hmph! Don't worry, Sizhu! Sis Mei Mei here will protect you from anyone trying to split up our team," Mei Mei declared confidently, her nose in the air.
Sizhu nodded with a small smile.
"I'm counting on you, Mei Mei."
Hearing Sizhu's unexpected words made Mei Mei's cheeks flush.
"H-ha, just leave it to me. And you two—don't even think about betraying us, hmph." She pointed at Elizabeth and Gui.
"No need to suspect me. I'm the type who values honesty," Elizabeth replied with an elegant smile.
"Buddha will not forgive traitors of trust," Gui said, raising his hands in prayer.
TUK! TUK! TUK!
The sound of a broadsword striking the ground silenced the buzzing whispers. All eyes turned back to the podium.
Lang Zen, who had just struck his sheathed sword against the ground, spoke loudly.
"With this, I declare—the Lunar New Year Lantern Festival's 432nd Holy Zhan Dou Tournament… begins now!"
The massive doors behind the podium swung open.
Several people in white uniforms stood guard beside the gates.
Eight large gates opened behind the academy, all leading into the mountain forest. The darkness beyond stood in stark contrast to the academy's bright lights.
"Zhù nǐ hǎo yùn." Finally, Lang Zen wished the contestants good luck.
Several teams began walking toward the gate of their choice.
Heading toward the horrors awaiting them.
***
Sizhu's Group — after several minutes into the mountain
"How are we supposed to find a flag in this huge, pitch-black mountain?" Mei Mei complained once she realized how dark it truly was, even with a flashlight in hand. The trees are tall and big. Making the forest looks scarier. "And they didn't even give us a single clue where to look!" Her cheeks puffed in annoyance.
The four of them followed Mei Mei, who led the way with her flashlight, walking along a narrow path.
"That's true—it feels impossible to find a flag in such a vast place. There might be hidden clues somewhere. What do you think, Sir Sizhu?"
Elizabeth, walking beside Sizhu, turned her head toward him. Her hands were clenched and trembling. For some reason, she seemed frightened of dark despite being surrounded by three others.
Sizhu had been keeping his eyes forward, occasionally glancing back to check on Gui, who carried a monk's iron staff as tall as himself. The metal rings at the top jingled with each step—it named a khakkara, or xizhang.
For some reason, that sound felt familiar to Sizhu's ears.
"Sir Sizhu?" Elizabeth's voice broke his thoughts.
"Yes?" Sizhu turned toward her.
"Did you hear what we were saying?"
"About finding the flag?"
Elizabeth nodded.
"I don't know. But maybe if we keep following the path, we'll find something."
They had all been thinking the same thing since leaving the academy, though they knew wandering aimlessly would make finding a flag unlikely—and waste precious time.
"Yes, I agree with Sizhu. Buddha will show us the way," Gui said with a smile. The others nodded, their feet moving again.
***
Reza's Group — on the other side of the mountain
There were five of them: Amon, Reza, and three contestants from the host country. They wore the same martial robes and claimed to be from the same school.
None of them spoke much, letting Amon take the lead with a torch in hand, Reza following right behind.
Nearly an hour had passed along the narrow path. Occasionally, they spotted light from other groups in the distance, but chose to avoid conflict and let them pass.
"These mountains… feel strange," Reza commented. Since stepping foot here, his skin had been crawling with an ominous presence he couldn't locate.
"These are sacred mountains. With the Hunter Agency headquarters and the academy at its base, there shouldn't be any magical creatures or witches living here," one of the martial-robed men replied. His hair was short and black. His companion had long hair tied back, and the third was a short-haired woman.
"Yes, and besides, the Hunters and the academy's seniors have ensured there are no threats. All we need to do is find a flag and protect it until sunrise—or run straight back to the academy," the long-haired man added.
"Ahhh!"
"Hey, Reza." Amon suddenly stopped. The torchlight revealed something ahead.
"A-aah!"
The short-haired woman gasped and covered her mouth, her other hand pointing at a group of people who had just slit a man's throat… and were doing unspeakable things to the woman with him.
Reza's pupils widened—he recognized their faces.
They were the same group who had beaten him earlier.
"Disgusting."
***