'Fuck' he thought, his hand resting on the hilt of his spear. 'It's still here. We will have to fight it again tomorrow. First thing in the morning.'
Ivan went back to his spot and sat down, thinking. The cold stone of the tunnel floor did nothing to cool the frantic energy in his mind. 'We ran without food, and there's no clean water to clear their wounds. I think using the fireworks as a sign of elimination would still be a choice, but then... I would be as much of a failure as I was in my future life.'
He sighed, the sound quiet in the tense darkness. 'Alright, Ivan. You saw what's much worse. This shouldn't scare you at all. A bear beast attack is nothing compared to the war the Sins launched at the kingdom. Man up.'
He then opened his eyes and walked back to the entrance.
It was night, and he was hearing the bear's growling close by. The sound was a low, constant threat that promised a violent morning. He walked back inside and sat down, half-asleep, his body demanding rest but his mind refusing to grant it. He stayed like that until dawn, then he woke Marcus up first.
"Hey, Marcus... Marcus... The fuck, are you a hibernating bear? Wake up."
Marcus opened his eyes and immediately pushed Ivan away. "You know how disturbing it is starting the day with seeing your face?"
"Haha, funny."
Ivan pulled back, leaving space for Marcus to stand up. He moved stiffly, his muscles protesting.
"Injured?" Ivan asked.
"I'm fine."
Ivan knew Marcus was playing tough. He could see the wince Marcus tried to hide as he stretched. But he did not push further. He actually wanted him to act tough right now. The group needed a strong leader, not a wounded one.
"Good," Ivan said. "We have to deal with that piece of shit today. We have no food. We can't afford to stay here another night."
"Oh, don't worry," Marcus said, his voice a low growl. "We will kill it today." Then he looked at him. "Alright, wake them up. I don't like the idea of you being the only one I speak to."
Ivan, without arguing, woke them one by one.
As they woke, it was clear on their faces that they were in pain from the previous fight. They moved like old men, their bodies covered in bruises and shallow cuts.
"So, guys," Ivan said, his voice loud enough to cut through the grim silence. "We have to beat this bear today. We have no food, no water. We need to accomplish the mission as soon as possible."
Kalvin then cut him off. "Actually..."
He looked at the ground, avoiding eye contact from everyone.
"I think it's better if we... use the firework to eliminate ourselves."
"Huh?" Ivan said, not understanding.
"Look," Kalvin said, his voice quiet but firm. "We are injured and... the bear is there. And we have no food... and my brother..." He glanced at Kevin, who was still unconscious.
"Don't bring this again, Kalvin," Marcus said. "It's okay if you don't want to fight. You can stay hiding in this tunnel until the bear goes away."
"But Marcus, we have eight fireworks," Kalvin pleaded. "Just give me one for me and Kevin."
"No," Marcus said flatly. "We are going to use it all."
"I think... Kalvin is right," Leonardo said, stepping forward. "We probably are the only ones remaining... we'll still pass."
"Alright, fine," Marcus said, his voice full of annoyance. "Let's vote." He scanned the tired, beaten faces of the group. "Who wants to use the fireworks to eliminate themselves?"
Ten of the twelve raised their hands.
Marcus looked at his own friends—David, Thomas, and Romana. "And you guys? Why do you think it's better to eliminate yourselves?"
"Marcus," Romana said, her voice tired but logical. "Sometimes we should know when to back up. We already fought this beast. And we lost badly. Now that we are weaker and the beast is hating us, it will be a much more difficult fight."
"Well, you guys are stuck with me," Marcus said, his jaw tight. "As long as I'm fighting it, you guys are fighting it too."
"Fuck you, Marcus."
He then looked at the other side. "Orion, Leo, Jomana, Lyraena. And you guys, is it the same reason?"
"We know that something happened three years ago," Lyraena said, her voice serious. "And almost everyone died in their last exam. If we miscalculate, something serious may happen to us. We shouldn't be foolish."
"Alright," Marcus said, cutting her off. "I suppose that's all you guys are gonna have to say? I don't need to listen to all of you repeating the same sentences."
They started giving him small, reluctant nods.
"Then, I refuse," Marcus declared, his voice leaving no room for argument. "We are going to fight it. Is that clear?"
They got mad.
Lyraena stood up. "What the fuck, Marcus! What's that supposed to mean! We explained our reasons and—"
Ivan stepped between Marcus and her.
"I'm sorry, Lyraena," he said quietly. "I'm with Marcus on this."
She looked at him, betrayed. "Then I have to beat your ass too!"
"Lyraena, failing will always be failing, no matter how you try to find an excuse for yourself."
"Huh? What the fuck are you talking about, Ivan?"
"If this were a real mission in a war, would we just back down?" he asked, his voice intense. "If our opponent was a super strong human? He'd know where we are if we use the fireworks."
"But our opponent isn't a powerful human, it's a bear!" she shot back. "Talk about the current circumstances!"
"I'm sorry, but I'm not allowing anyone to use the firework," Ivan said. "I'm not asking anyone to fight the beast with me... but I need those fireworks to burn the bear's eye."
She got really annoyed. She tried to kick him, but Marcus pulled him back. He then looked back at his friends.
"Lyraena," Ivan said, his voice softer now. "I understand everyone's fear. But if knights can't finish their mission, then they aren't knights anymore."
"And here you are, talking about knights again after manipulating me and Kevin," Kalvin said, his voice bitter.
"That's another reason to trust me," Ivan replied, meeting his gaze. "I told you, as long as you are on my side, I will do everything to protect you."
Kalvin remained silent, then he gave a short, sharp nod. "Fine. We will fight. Let's get this shit done already in the morning, because every minute I spend here is annoying me more."
Ivan nodded. "Alright, gear up. The plan is simple. We will fight it head-on again, but this time, we create openings for others to release a firework to its face."
---
After they agreed on the plan, they geared up. As Ivan went to grab a firework, Kalvin approached him.
"Give it to me," he said, his voice low and intense. "This beast put my brother in a panic attack. I'll burn its face myself."
"That's the spirit," Ivan said with a smile. But Kalvin did not smile back.
They all got ready. They walked out of the tunnel, a small, battered army blinking in the morning light.
And as soon as they saw the bear beast, a firework was released to the sky. It was Kalvin.
Ivan looked at him, his face a mask of pure fury, his eyes saying, "I'm going to kill you."
The bear immediately launched toward their direction, its roar shaking the clearing.
They scattered and started running in a big circle to confuse it, because the bear was not agile.
In under one minute, which was the longest minute in their lives, they heard a piercing scream.
Then, they saw it.
The beast eagle just landed on the ground between them and the charging bear. It let out its piercing scream again, a challenge and a warning.