The arena at night was a tranquil sea of shadows, broken only by the warm glow of a campfire in a small clearing. Around the fire, glowing faintly in the flickering light, were a few sleeping bags.
The peaceful atmosphere didn't last long. Gyoda and Karna, with their usual competitive energy, began a fierce tug-of-war over a single sleeping bag.
"Oi, Karna! Give me that bed. I want to use it!" Gyoda yelled, yanking hard on his end.
Karna pulled back with equal force. "No way! It's mine! This is the softest and most comfortable one of them all. It's warm and fuzzy!"
Visibly annoyed, Reiko walked over and smacked them both on the head. "Karna, it's your turn to keep guard tonight," she said simply.
Karna winced, rubbing his head. "Ok…" he grumbled dejectedly, letting go of the sleeping bag. Gyoda took it with a triumphant smirk.
Karna walked over and sat on the trunk of a fallen tree next to Fumiko, who was illuminated by the soft glow of the campfire. Together, they looked up at the starry sky.
Fumiko turned to him, her expression curious. "So, how did all of you end up as a team?"
Karna leaned back slightly, a small smile forming on his face. "I've known Kenta since I was five. We grew up together—he's like a brother to me."
"What about Gyoda and Reiko?" Fumiko asked.
"They joined us when we were seven. An old man adopted and trained us all. He made us who we are today. We were lucky to have him. Reiko, especially, was a natural—she picked up things faster than all of us. She's better at almost everything... and, well, she can be pretty scary sometimes."
From her sleeping bag, Reiko, who had been listening, picked up a small rock and threw it at Karna, hitting him squarely on the head.
Karna winced, rubbing his head. "Ow! See what I mean?"
"Gyoda used to be hopeless—he couldn't even use magic," Karna continued. "But he worked hard to catch up. He's from a clan that's been discriminated against, just like mine."
Karna's voice turned firm, resolute. "One day, I'll restore my clan and put an end to all of it. No matter what it takes, I'll fight the whole world if I have to."
As Karna spoke, a shooting star streaked across the sky, unnoticed by both of them. Fumiko's gaze remained fixed on Karna, captivated by his unwavering resolve. The only sounds were the crackling fire and the gentle hum of the night, as their conversation drew to an end.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Day 3 began with a thick mist settling over the forest, lending the morning air a heavy, tense quality. From a distance, the shadowy figures of a team could be seen gathered in a clearing.
Goro stood in the center, facing his team. His expression was calm—almost unnervingly so—but the aura around him told a different story. There was an eerie stillness in his eyes, a quiet menace that sent a chill down their spines.
"The second bunny shows up today," Goro said, his voice calm yet with an unmistakable, sharp edge. "It'll be faster… trickier… and worth more points. You were a bunch of losers when catching the first one."
He paused, letting his gaze linger on his team, a subtle warning hidden in his tone. "At least try this time. The third bunny would put us in the top three. I won't have our location exposed. Understood?"
A heavy silence followed as the weight of his words sank in.
Goro's tone shifted to a chillingly intimidating whisper. "For your sake..... Don't mess this up." He then turned and walked away, his eyes fixed on the radar.
Apart from the guys who got beaten up by Goro at the counter, the other two newcomers in his team whispered nervously among themselves.
"Why did you even suggest joining his team? This is nuts! His looks were so intimidating," the first guy muttered, a thin sheen of sweat on his brow. "We saw how he beat up that other guy at the counter!"
"What else could I do?" the second guy replied. "We've been waiting for years to take this test, and then they suddenly make a rule about needing a five-person team! Every other team was full—we had no choice!"
"This was a mistake…" the first guy sighed.
Meanwhile, Kenta stood in a secluded area, his eyes fixed on the radar. His expression remained calm, but a hint of urgency flickered in his eyes.
"We're short on points," he said to Karna and the others. "If we don't catch the second bunny, we're not gonna make it."
In a clearing within the dense forest, the five Lycian candidates had set up a campsite. A sophisticated canvas tent served as their base, with three ornate chairs and a small table arranged neatly in front. The air, typically thick with the scent of damp earth and pine, now carried the faint aroma of freshly brewed tea.
On the chairs, George, in his forest-green suit, daintily sipped from a porcelain teacup. Next to him, Charles was engrossed in a book, peering over the top through his monocle, while Edward meticulously cleaned a pair of pistols at the table.
Henry walked out of the tent and joined them just as Albert approached from the front, having finished scouting.
"I have returned with a most practical course of action," Albert announced, his voice smooth and precise. "The second bunny is set to make its appearance today. My calculations suggest that acquiring this particular specimen would furnish us with precisely the required 100,000 points. A rather fortunate circumstance, as I believe it would be insufficient to place us in the top three and, thus, reveal our location in the final six hours."
George placed his teacup and saucer down on the table with a soft clink. "Ah, a rather fortuitous deduction, old boy. Your wisdom, as always, is most reassuring."
"Indeed," Henry agreed, his voice clipped and cold. "It appears a most logical course of action."
Suddenly, a signal appears on the radar—marking the second bunny's location. It's farther than expected. Without hesitation, Karna and the team spring into action, rushing toward it.
The scene shifts to Goro and his team. Without a word, they, too, begin moving. Goro's eyes narrow as he leads them forward.
Adheera stood in a shadowy part of the forest, with Khara and Uma by his side. He raised a hand to his comms, his voice sharp and commanding as he spoke.
"Han, capture the bunny. Given your little purchase, we need more points to qualify. And if you encounter Twilight… don't go overboard. We need him alive."
Perched high on a tall tree, Han lazily twirled a rock in his hand. "I'm having some fun here. I'll get the bunny once I'm done."
Before Adheera could respond, Han cut the call.
Enclosed by towering cylindrical rock walls of his own making, a group of people stood trapped, fear evident on their faces.
Adheera sighed. "This idiot…"
Khara, watching Adheera closely, asked, "What happened?"
"Han loves playing with his prey," Adheera replied, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "He won't go after the bunny until he's done having his fun."
With a subtle shift of his weight, Adheera started walking. "Looks like I need to knock some sense into him before he forgets why we're here."
Khara followed him without a word.
Inside the rock walls, terrified voices rose in a chorus of desperation.
"P-Please… let us out!" one trapped contestant cried.
Han, still perched high above, surveyed the chaos. His eyes gleamed with a menacing smile. "If you want to go free… kill the others."
One of the contestants stammered, "B-But—"
Without warning, a rock flew from Han's hand, slamming into the contestant's stomach and sending him staggering back.
Han's voice rang out, cold and merciless. "Did I stutter?"
The prisoners exchanged fearful glances, trapped between terror and desperation. A defiant voice rose from one of them. "We won't hurt our teammates!" The guy, desperate to escape, sent an explosion of magic at the wall. The attack left nothing but scratches, and Han's expression darkened in amusement. Without warning, another rock flew through the air, striking the defiant contestant and crushing his leg. The room fell silent as fear gripped the others.
Han's voice rang out, cold and clear. "Slaughter your own teammates. The last one standing will be free."
On his way to catch the second bunny, Goro suddenly heard the commotion in the distance. His eyes narrowed, and his gaze sharpened as he shifted his attention towards the source of the noise.
"What's all the ruckus about?" he muttered to himself.
With swift movements, he made his way toward the disturbance. As he approached, he found a team trapped in a large cylindrical room made of rock walls. The trapped members were visibly panicking. Goro's eyes fell upon Han, who was atop a nearby tree, surveying the chaos with a sinister grin.
One of Goro's teammates turned to another in shock. "What is that guy doing?"
Another teammate watched, wide-eyed. "He trapped those people and now he's making them fight to the death."
A smirk spread across Goro's face. "Interesting… Looks like we got a new bully! And I love bullying bullies. You guys go on ahead and capture the bunny. I'll have some fun here."
One of his teammates started to protest. "But…"
Goro's gaze turned cold as he interrupted. "Huh?? You got a problem?"
They immediately backed down, not uttering another word as they took off in search of the bunny. One of the new recruits muttered under his breath.
"This is insane! He's looking for trouble at every corner. He beat you up for no reason, then he threatened us for not catching the bunny. Now he wants to get involved in this fight, which isn't even his concern?"
The other new recruit furrows his brow, his voice laced with confusion. "And it's still a mystery how Goro knows about the Twilight."
The recruit who had been beaten up earlier shifted uncomfortably, his expression turning serious. He looked over at the others, quickly changing the topic. "Don't overthink it! Let's just capture the bunny first!"
Back within the stone walls, a moment of desperation took hold. One of the trapped contestants turned on his teammate, raising his sword with a muttered, "Sorry." Just as the blade was about to descend, Goro appeared out of nowhere, his hand effortlessly halting the strike.
The attacker's eyes widened in shock, and even Han, from his perch above, stiffened in surprise.
"Where did this guy come from?" Han muttered, his voice laced with disbelief.
Goro met his gaze with a smirk. "Take your cat fight somewhere else."
The attacker trembled, his grip on the sword loosening. The weapon clattered to the ground, and he collapsed to his knees.
Suddenly, a massive boulder hurtled toward Goro. With a single step back, he effortlessly dodged it, his expression unwavering.
Han narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell are you supposed to be?"
Ignoring the question, Goro released the trembling man and strode toward the wall. Without hesitation, he threw a devastating punch, shattering a massive hole through the stone. The force sent tremors through the entire structure.
Goro turned back, a wide grin on his face. "I am the new bully in the town."
Han's face twisted in anger. "I hate people who ruin my fun. I'm gonna crush you!"
As the two faced off, the trapped people seized their chance and rushed toward the hole, spilling out into the forest and making their escape.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Battle between Goro and Han Begins
A glowing magic circle flares beneath Goro's feet.
From it, a towering wall erupts, debris exploding outward as it threatens to cage him in.
Goro falls back, kicks a stone from the flying rubble, and sends it drilling through the wall straight toward Han. Han barely slips aside, his hand flicking out.
A section of the massive wall crashes down toward Goro. With a single punch, he splits it clean in two.
Han grins smugly. "Looks like I've found an interesting prey. Let's see how long you last."
With another flick of his wrist, two boulders launch from either side. Goro leaps high, executing a split kick that hurls them back, shattering them mid-air. He lands without missing a beat and charges at Han with blistering speed.
Han raises a thorned stone wall to block, but Goro smashes straight through it and leaps toward him atop the tree.
Frustrated, Han unleashes a barrage of needle-like rocks and magic beams. Goro twists mid-air, slipping past every strike with impeccable precision.
Han's eyes widened. "He's not even using magic... yet he's this strong? Guess I'll have to bring out the Enhancer."
Drawing the Enhancer, Han conjures earth-born projections that surge forward. Goro tears through them with a storm of kicks, obliterating each construct.
Han stares in disbelief. He had never seen anyone move like this.
Meanwhile, Goro begins shaping a small sphere of condensed magic. The sphere pulses with dangerous energy, the air thickening around him as he compresses raw power into its tiny form. He hurls it at Han.
Panic flashes across Han's face. He summons wall after wall of stone, but the sphere rips through them like paper and slams into him, grazing his arm and drawing blood.
Han staggers back, gritting his teeth. "To compress that much magic into something so small... This guy's no ordinary regular. He's a problem."
High above, aboard the hovering airship, Hatake watches wide-eyed. "That kid... Goro. He's far too strong for a regular. His magic control is insane—compressing magic like that, and taking on an element user without even breaking a sweat."
Beside him, Mawang smirks. "Interesting. That boy's stronger than me... back when I was a regular."
Hatake stiffens. "What?! Stronger than the second generation? That's insane!"
Mawang. "Though, I was only a regular until I was six"
Hatake exhales sharply. "Even at eighteen... being compared to a second generation is insane. Just who is this guy?".
Mawang- ""If I'm honest… he might be the strongest regular I have ever seen."
On the ground, Adheera arrives at the scene, eyes narrowing at the sight of Han's bleeding arm. He spots Goro standing before him.
Without hesitation, he hurls a magic spear. Goro sidesteps effortlessly.
Now, standing before Goro are Adheera, Han, and Khara.
Adheera reached Han, eyes narrowing. "Who is this guy? He actually drew blood?"
Han bared his teeth. "Why are you here? I said I'd catch the bunny myself."
Adheera's arms crossed, calm but sharp. "Look at you. You can't handle him alone. Time to team up."
Khara's smirk appeared beside them. "Need backup, Han?"
Han's glare cut through the air. "Shut up! Focus on him!"
Suddenly, a sharp chime rang across everyone's devices. A notification blinked insistently: The bunny has been caught.
Goro's lips curved into a faint smirk. "Looks like my people got it. Sorry… but we got what we came for. Later."
Han's eyes shot open. "What?? You're leaving the fight?!"
Before anyone could react, a thick plume of smoke burst from Han's hands, enveloping the area. When it cleared, he was gone.
"Fight us, you coward!" Han's voice echoed through the haze, laced with frustration and disbelief.
Adheera clenched his fists, jaw tight. This guy's trouble… we need to finish him off.
High above, Bagi sat perched on a sturdy branch, eyes calm and unblinking. "Forget it. You won't find him. He's covered his tracks and concealed his magic. We'll get him next time."
Khara's lips curled into a thin line. "I can't believe he held his own against Han… or maybe Han's just overrated."
Han's anger flared further. "Hey!! You think you're funny?!"
Adheera stepped between them, his voice low but firm. "Enough. We don't need a scene. And we lost the bunny… Mawang-sama won't be happy."
Bagi shrugged, eyes still on the smoke-draped forest. "Relax. We just need to qualify this round. He won't be mad."
The tension lingered in the clearing, thick as the smoke that still clung to the trees. Even in defeat, Goro's presence seemed to echo across the battlefield, a ghost they couldn't touch.
Goro regrouped with his team, his black scarf fluttering faintly as he stopped in front of them. His sharp eyes widened, not with surprise but with fury, and the air around him seemed to grow heavier.
"You mean to tell me…" His tone was calm, almost eerily so. "You didn't capture the bunny?"
No one answered. They couldn't.
Without warning, Goro's fist slammed into the gut of the same man he had humiliated at the registration desk. The soldier doubled over, choking on the pain, collapsing to the ground in a trembling heap.
Goro leaned down slightly, his black eyes glinting with cruel amusement. His voice was low, deliberate.
"Pathetic. If you're going to drag me down, I'll crush you myself."
Straightening, he adjusted the massive weapon strapped across his back, the bandanas around it swaying with the movement. Turning his back on the group, he started walking away, each step deliberate, arrogant.
"I'll go after the last bunny myself."
The silence that followed was suffocating. One of his shaken teammates finally muttered, "I wonder who captured the 2nd bunny"
The five Lycians stood together, their presence as refined as ever.
George held the rabbit aloft by its ears with one hand, the other resting beneath its plump body as though presenting a treasured specimen. He arched a brow and spoke with theatrical composure.
"My word... this creature is quite the bundle of fluff. Remarkably rotund as well—rather heavier than one might reasonably anticipate."
The bunny gave a faint squeal before dissolving into a puff of light. Numbers shimmered in the air as their score climbed.
Henry adjusted his spectacles, his tone dry yet precise.
"If my calculations have not betrayed me, we ought to be situated at approximately ninety-three thousand points."
Albert gave a faint, knowing smile, correcting with irritating precision.
"Ninety-three thousand, five hundred and fifty—if one is to be exact."
Henry clicked his tongue, clearly vexed.
"Must you forever parade your pedantry, Albert? Do cease being so insufferably exacting."
Edward sighed, his voice languid.
"A most trivial endeavor, wouldn't you agree? Positively unchallenging."
Karna and his team were still locked in combat, their surroundings littered with the unconscious bodies of fallen challengers. Dust clung to the air, settling over the cracked earth where the clash had taken place.
Kenta lowered his fist after knocking aside another opponent. Glancing at the device in his hand, he muttered, his tone heavy,
"Looks like the bunny's been captured. We've only racked up twenty-five thousand points… This is bad. We need to gather more from the spawns."
Reiko, catching her breath as she steadied her stance, nodded grimly.
"Yeah… and the third bunny's the fastest, trickiest one out there. It's worth a hundred thousand points—every team, even the ones sitting at zero, will be after it. This is going to get messy."
As the third day drew to a close, Han seethed with frustration. He hadn't managed to defeat Goro, nor had he captured the bunny.
Meanwhile, Goro's team sat at fifty thousand points. That night, while the others rested, Gyoda and the rest pushed on, battling smaller groups and chasing spawns until they managed to scrape together another ten thousand. Afterward, as they sat catching their breath, Gyoda finally raised a question.
Elsewhere, Bagi cut down several teams without breaking a sweat. His team's total climbed to 80 thousand. Standing tall, confidence radiating off him, he smirked.
"The rabbit spawning tomorrow is going to attract a lot of teams. I'll be going after it myself. I can have some fun."
Han, still irritated, snapped back.
"And what about the Twilight? We didn't gather much intel at all! That was supposed to be our main mission. And how the hell did you learn about the Twilight using lightning?"
Adheera leaned against a tree, lips curling into a sly smile.
"Relax. We've got a mole on their team. I'm waiting for their message."
From his cloak, he pulled out a magic rune, its surface faintly glowing in the dark.
Later that night, under the pale glow of the campfire, Fumiko sat with Gyoda and the others. After finishing her meal, she rose to her feet. As she did, her bag shifted open, and the firelight glinted off a magic rune inside—identical to the one Adheera had revealed.
The night ended there.