A/N: Sorry, everyone! Some things came up, so I couldn't post anything recently. But don't worry—I won't drop the book. Even if I have just one reader, I'll keep posting at my usual pace starting today.
Start of the chapter.
"Yeah, looks decent," Chopper agreed, glancing at the walls. "But how exactly are we supposed to know when we're running low on oxygen? I'd really rather not die from carbon dioxide buildup."
"The teachers gave us more than we needed," Raiden said mentally, pointing at the watch on his wrist.
The small screen displayed oxygen levels, heart rate, and other vital signs. "Pretty sure this thing will warn us if the oxygen gets too low."
"Let's hope it does," Chopper replied. "For now, we wait... I guess"
Following Chopper's suggestion, they sat quietly in the damp dome, letting the silence settle around them. Hours passed slowly, the only sounds being the occasional creak of bone or gentle splash of water outside.
After about eight hours, Raiden caught a few fish using his telekinesis, their silver bodies still flopping as he brought them in.
Eventually, the watches began to vibrate and beep loudly—warning that the oxygen level was starting to drop.
The alerts weren't urgent yet, but they confirmed something important: the system worked.
They were safe for now, but they had another concern. The watches made noise. That could be a serious problem if they were ever ambushed. A stray beep in the dark could be enough to give them away.
Once that issue was noted, and with the basics in place, Raiden and Chopper decided it was time to eat. Trapped in a hidden cave with limited oxygen, they didn't have the luxury of cooking inside. Both hesitated as they looked at the raw fish laid out in front of them.
Raiden stopped, frowning. "We can't risk getting sick," he said, eyeing the sliced fish. He was right. Eating raw fish without proper care could lead to illness—and in their situation, even something minor could be dangerous.
"We'll cook outside," Raiden added, adjusting the plan. "We'll make a fire far enough from the lake to avoid suspicion. Once it's cooked, we'll store it in the suitcases—should last at least a day or two. The temperature down here's cold enough. We'll grab some fruit while we're out, too."
They both recognized the risk. Going outside and lighting a fire might expose them, but it was necessary. They needed food, and getting sick wasn't an option. The whole situation was more complicated than it seemed.
"I've got an idea," Chopper said suddenly.
"Yeah? Let's hear it."
"We go out, light the fire, cook the fish—but you use your telekinesis to push the smoke away or trap it. Only release it when we're done. I'll keep watch while you cook. If anything weird shows up, we'll bail."
It was a solid plan, and with the day drawing to a close, they had to act fast. Both nodded, not wasting time.
It felt like a lot of work just for a meal, but survival demanded more than convenience. Raiden gathered the fish with his telekinesis, and they moved out from the lake's edge, deliberately putting distance between their shelter and the fire site to avoid drawing attention.
As they walked through the forest, they spotted small flickers of light in the distance—at least thirty scattered fires.
Far more than the number of participants.
It was clear that the others were using decoys—false camps or bait setups to mask their real positions. Smart. Everyone had their own strategy, and for now, it looked like no one was looking for a fight on the first night.
That night, everything went smoothly. Raiden and Chopper managed to cook and gather food without any issues. As they had already noticed, no one seemed interested in fighting—at least not yet.
Most of their classmates were probably doing the same as them: securing supplies, scouting the terrain, and avoiding unnecessary conflict.
Raiden, hungry and practical, grabbed a few pieces of the cooked fish and began eating immediately, chewing alongside a handful of foraged fruit.
The original plan was to bring the food back to their underwater base for storage. But when Raiden simply started walking with the food levitating beside him, Chopper decided not to question it.
He just followed along, munching on some fruit himself. There was no point arguing over minor details—especially when food was involved.
Once back at their submerged shelter, they stored the remaining fish and fruit inside the sealed suitcases, making sure everything was packed tight and secure. Not before eating their fill, of course. Both of them ate until they were full, knowing they'd need the energy.
Neither of them ended their transformations. It wasn't worth the risk.
Remaining in their combat forms gave them an edge in case anything unexpected happened. Fortunately, their powers didn't drain unless actively used, so they could maintain their monstrous appearances indefinitely—as long as they didn't overexert themselves.
They sat and talked for a while, analyzing what they knew so far.
Eventually, they reached a decision. Tonight was the right time to make their first move—just to test the waters, so to speak. If it went wrong, they'd still have time to recover, regroup, and try again before the real competition escalated.
The monstrous duo waited patiently as the night deepened.
They picked 2:00 a.m. as the time to move out, planning to strike at 3:00 a.m. It was half joke, half tactic.
"That's the hour nightmares come alive," Raiden said with a grin.
It added flair to their plan—and if it worked, they might even make it a tradition: attack every night at that same eerie hour, just because it sounded cool.
As the clock ticked closer to their chosen time, they left the cave silently. Raiden used his telekinesis to lift them from the lake, rising quietly into the sky. From above, the world below looked calm—still lit by faint campfires scattered in the distance.
This was the perfect vantage point for an ambush. No footsteps. No rustling. Just shadows in the air.
Hovering high above, Mewtwo and Wendigo scanned the land below, eyes sharp, searching for a pair of classmates positioned far from the rest.
Meanwhile, near one of the distant beaches, Hana and Aio had set up a clever little trap. The two had been paired together and had decided to play it safe.
They'd lit a few decoy fires away from their actual position, placing some fish to grill to sell the illusion. But they weren't there. They were hiding, and they weren't taking any chances.
Using large leaves, they fashioned makeshift camouflage, covering their bodies and tucking themselves into thick bushes. It wasn't a perfect hiding spot, but it was the best they could manage for now. Building a shelter wasn't an option—it would be too obvious, too exposed.
Without the kind of stealth resources Raiden and Chopper had, Hana and Aio had to rely on deception and patience. They watched the trees, alert and quiet, hoping their ruse would hold up through the night.
In a game like this, survival wasn't just about strength—it was about staying unseen until the right moment.
That's why both girls chose a rougher but more cautious approach. Without the means to build a proper shelter, they decided to hide.
It wasn't the most comfortable plan, but they made it work.
They gathered large leaves to create a makeshift bedding near the beach, where the ground was a little softer, and then covered themselves with bushes for camouflage. From the outside, it was a surprisingly convincing hiding spot—low to the ground, well-blended with the surrounding vegetation.
They kept a close eye on the direction of the decoy fires they had lit earlier. Both had already eaten, so hunger wasn't an issue. What concerned them now was whether anyone would take the bait. The fires were meant to draw attention—hopefully away from their real position—but at this late hour, nothing had happened yet.
Eventually, they decided to get some rest. But sleeping at the same time was too risky.
They agreed to take turns keeping watch. Right now, it was Aoi's shift. She was sharp and alert, scanning the trees and distant shoreline. Aoi had proven herself in battle—she had gone head-to-head with Tamaki during last semester's tournament—and wasn't someone who took guard duty lightly.
Then, without warning, both of the decoy fires went out at the exact same time.
The sudden darkness was jarring.
Aoi's instincts kicked in immediately. She leaned over and gently shook Hana awake.
"Hey, wake up," she whispered urgently.
"Mmm… what's going on?" Hana mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"The fires—both of them—someone put them out. I didn't see who. It just happened, like... instantly."
Aoi's eyes remained locked on the now pitch-black area where the fires had been. Nothing moved. No flicker, no sound. Just silence.
Now fully awake, Hana sat up and followed Aoi's gaze. Her eyes darted through the shadows, scanning for any movement. Then she froze. A chill ran through her body. Slowly, she tilted her head upward.
There, hovering just above where one of the fires had been, was a figure—no, a creature. Its long tail swayed from side to side as it surveyed the area, clearly searching for something… or someone.
Hana's breath caught in her throat.
She knew that silhouette.
Grabbing Aoi's arm, she whispered quickly but firmly, "Don't move. Don't make a sound."
Aoi narrowed her eyes. "We're not going to fight him? He's alone. It could be a trap, sure, but he clearly doesn't know where we are," she whispered back, glancing at Raiden, who seemed to be calmly drifting, as if out for a casual midnight stroll.
But Hana shook her head sharply. "No. We can't," she whispered. "We don't know who his partner is. But even if he is alone, it doesn't matter. I know him. He's in my class."
She hesitated, then added, "He's actually really nice—like, really nice. But when he fights... he changes. I wish I was more confident, I wish I believed we had a shot, but… if we go up against him now, we'll lose."
Aoi clenched her jaw, her pride flaring.
She remembered Raiden from the last school festival—he had taken first place. Sure, he was strong, but she had held her own against one of the few students who'd given him trouble. She wasn't just anyone. And with Hana on her side, maybe they could win.
But when she looked down at Hana's hand, still gripping her arm tightly, she could see there was no doubt in her classmate's eyes. Her fear wasn't panic—it was clarity.
Hana had already made her decision. And she wasn't letting go.
Not tonight.
In an instant, someone appeared directly above Raiden and snapped their fingers. A shockwave burst downward with brutal force, slamming into Raiden and sending him crashing into the ground. He barely had time to react. Spinning mid-air, he tried to counterattack—but his opponent was already gone.
A second later, the same figure reappeared at Raiden's side and snapped his fingers again.
Another shockwave detonated point-blank, launching Raiden across the sand and straight into the sea with a violent splash.
Aoi, still hidden beneath the cover of leaves and branches, watched the scene unfold. A small, almost smug smile tugged at her lips. "Looks like your classmate's in serious trouble," she murmured.
"That's David. He's one of the strongest in our class, there are only a handful of students that can win against him. Transferred from Uta last semester. Only two people can even keep up with him right now. The rest of us—including you and me—don't stand a chance against his Quirk."
Her tone wasn't mocking, but it carried the quiet confidence of someone who'd seen David in action before and knew exactly what he was capable of.
Hana's expression shifted. She didn't look at Aoi—her eyes were still on the shoreline—but her frown deepened. There was something about those words that hit her pride in just the wrong way.
"Don't be so sure," she said sharply, her voice low but intense. "You have no idea what Raiden's been through. He's fought alongside pros. Real pros. He wasn't even around last semester—he's been training, learning from people way beyond anything we've seen here."
She paused, her fists clenched slightly.
"Just wait. He's not done yet."
End of the chapter.