The Voletiles stood between Reol and Geno, their bodies twitching and hissing in the dim cave light. Selene remained just behind them, frozen but alert.
"Stay back, Selene. We'll handle the grunts," Reol said, tightening his grip on his bat.
Geno rolled his shoulders, eyes sharpening. "Newborns and Infantiles… this won't take long."
They attacked as one.
Geno moved first—sidestepping a lunge and driving his dagger clean through a core. A sharp crack rang out as it fractured, then shattered, the Voletile collapsing into smoke.
Reol met the others head-on. Claws sliced through the air, but he deflected the strike and drove a brutal blow into one's chest, sending it hurtling into the cavern wall as rubble rained down. The impact echoed—the creature's core splintered, shards scattering into smoke.
—and shattered.
Another rushed him. Reol pivoted and struck again. The core burst apart on contact, dissolving into ash.
Silence followed.
Within moments, the Newborns were nothing but smoke drifting through the cave.
Selene stared in awe.
'They dispatched multiple Voletiles that easily… Honeybadgers are supposed to be incompetent… so why do they look like veterans?'
"Well, that takes care of the grunts. Now… the Fledge." Reol's grin sharpened, eager.
They moved deeper into the cave. Fortextile bodies littered the ground, the air thick with the scent of ash and blood. Selene clasped a hand over her mouth, eyes widening at the carnage.
Ahead, a Fledge loomed in the darkness. Its Revna writhed like living tendrils, crescent-shaped eyes glowing faintly. Behind it, a purple crystal shimmered against the cavern wall.
Reol's grin widened. "Finally… my revenge. Last time I fought a Fledge, I was shitting my pants. Time for my get back."
Geno's voice cut in, calm but wary. "Proceed carefully. It's a C-rank, strong enough to challenge second-class sergeants."
The Fledge struck first, its Revna lashing out in a frenzy. Reol parried the assault while Geno slipped inside its guard, blades flashing. In one clean motion, he sliced it in half.
The core split and dissolved into nothingness. Silence settled over the cave.
They advanced further, soon finding an orb resting atop a carved stone pedestal. Reol picked it up.
"We were lucky the Fortextiles weren't strong enough to face that Fledge," he said.
Selene shook her head. "You shouldn't say that. Lives were lost."
"The instructor warned that death was a possibility," Reol replied evenly. "They chose to participate. They only have themselves to blame for their incompetence."
"But… still…" she murmured softly.
Reol cut in sharply. "I don't like how Geno puts it either, but this is a survival exam. We don't have the luxury of compassion right now. Our priority is survival and passing this exam."
Selene nodded, and they continued moving, searching for a place to camp.
*****
Elsewhere in the forest, three cadets rested beneath a towering tree. One was bald, another a brown-haired girl with a tight ponytail, and the third a green-haired boy leaning against the trunk. Their coats bore the Snake Crest.
"We'll let those fools find the orbs… then we take them," the bald man said, a sly grin tugging at his lips.
The girl gave a small nod. "Efficient. No reason to waste energy fighting Voletiles ourselves."
The green-haired boy's expression darkened. "Still… we shouldn't underestimate them. Especially that trio from the Lional branch."
A brief silence followed, thick with intent.
The bald man pushed off the tree, rolling his shoulders. "Then let's move." His grin sharpened. "Time to hunt some Fortextiles."
*****
Selene studied the map. Fortextiles were nearby. Voletiles lurked in the surrounding area. Their paths were converging on their location.
Reol grinned. "They're probably after our Crystal… they'd rather steal it than face the Voletiles."
Geno clicked his tongue. "Dammit. The locators show our positions. Hiding's nearly impossible…"
An idea sparked in Reol's eyes. Geno and Selene both looked at him.
"Let them come," Reol said. "Selene, you'll play dead with the corpses. We'll dig a hole and hide the Crystal. You lie over it. Geno and I will hide in the trees with boulders shaped like Crystals under our coats. They'll chase us and split up."
Geno raised a brow, a crooked smirk forming. "That's actually a decent plan. I can't believe you came up with it."
"But what about the third guy?" Selene asked.
"He'll chase one of us. They're not here to fight Voletiles—they're here to relieve us of the Crystal."
[Three Fortextiles Approaching | One Bald] Lorraine said robotically.
"You know you didn't have to point that out, right?" Reol muttered.
[I considered it relevant. Observation complete.]
They dug a hole and buried the Crystal. Dirt packed tight. Reol and Geno vaulted into opposite trees, boulders shaped roughly like Crystals tucked under their coats.
Selene hesitated at the cave entrance, disgusted at having to lie among corpses. She steeled herself and lay over the buried Crystal, blood smearing her clothes.
The trio arrived. They stepped into the cave, saw the bodies and the Crystal was gone.
Reol deliberately shifted a leaf, catching their attention. As they turned and exited the cave, they spotted Reol and Geno perched in opposite trees.
Reol and Geno leaped in opposite directions.
"After them! They must have the Crystal!" the bald man bellowed.
They split up. The bald man chased Reol. The green-haired boy and the girl pursued Geno.
Once they were far enough from Selene, Reol and Geno stopped and faced their enemies.
[Name: Rugal Tyson]
[Manifestos: Dual Hammers]
[Branch: The Bears]
[Threat Level: 70%]
"I don't want to have to kill a fellow Fortextile. Hand over the Crystal. Nice and slow," Rugal said.
Reol smirked. "Sure. Here you go."
He tossed the boulder. Rugal caught it, confusion flickering across his face, then rage.
"I'll make you regret ever making a fool out of me!"
His eyes glowed brown, faint energy flickering within them. Two hammers materialized in his hands, humming with brown energy. Reol's eyes shifted to a piercing blue as blue lines snaked up his arms, coursing into his bat. The weapon thickened and pulsed with vibrant blue energy, humming in sync with him.
Reol smirked, eyes gleaming blue. "By all means… make me regret it."
He adjusted his stance, bat humming with power, ready for whatever came next.
*****
"This should be far enough from the cave as he stopped and faced the two enemies," he muttered.
[Name: Luckas and Miranda]
[Manifestos: Dual Disks | Whiplash]
[Branch: The Bears]
[Threat Level: 70%]
"Why don't we just make things easy and hand over the Crystal… if you're smart enough to realize you're outmatched," Miranda sneered.
Geno sighed, shaking his head. "You're right. I'm clearly outmatched."
He yanked the boulder from under his coat and flung it at Lucas. It slammed into his face, sending him crashing into a tree, blood streaming from his nose.
"Hey! I did as you asked. I handed over what was under my coat!" Geno called out.
"Bastard!" the girl screamed, rage flaring. Two blade-disks materialized in her hands, energy humming around them. Her eyes glowed pale blue. The green-haired boy wiped blood from his nose, his face contorting with fury, eyes shifting to a vibrant green as green claws sprouted from his fingers.
Geno's eyes glowed black, the same energy coursing through his twin daggers as they materialized, humming with power. He stepped forward deliberately, every movement measured and threatening.
*****
"This exam is boring… a little too easy. And the Voletiles barely put up a fight," Xeno said, his tone flat, slanted with boredom.
"Maybe that's because you're just too strong, Xeno," the girl with glasses replied, eyes glued to her book.
The muscular man groaned. "I never even get to fight! Pretty boy took them out in seconds."
"Relax," Xeno said with a smirk. "Your turn will come, John. Won't be long before other Fortextiles show up to steal our crystals. I promise I won't intervene."
"You better!" John barked.
"You guys are so noisy… I'm trying to read here," the girl muttered, unbothered.
A sudden, icy jolt shot through them. Every muscle tensed; every instinct screamed that danger was near. Nothing moved, but the feeling of threat was undeniable.
"Then it emerged—a B-rank Voletile, black as night, veins streaked red, a single horn jutting seamlessly from its head. Its gaze locked onto them."
"You… must be the strongest among the Fortextiles in this forest," the creature said, red lines pulsing along its veined body.
"What… what is a Strider doing here? Only Newborns and Fledges are supposed to be here…" she whispered, wide-eyed.
Xeno's smirk widened. "Well… we might as well face it. Not like it's gonna get a chance to run."
Xeno finally stood up and stepped forward.