Two days earlier.
~Roy
On the night of the fourth day, the fire burned quietly. The smell of grilled fish filled the air. Henry had started joining us on our hunting and exploring missions.
Lora sat with us now, her legs folded at her side. Her wounds were still there, but she was recovering. She was so kind, quiet, and soft-spoken, giving off the same energy as Sophia. I felt she was distancing herself so she wouldn't be a burden. But so far, I knew nothing about her strength. But that doesn't matter; she is a good person.
I looked around the fire, then spoke.
"Tomorrow, we'll go deeper into the forest. Finding the flags is difficult now because everyone is hiding or setting up ambushes. We'll focus on the tokens. If we're lucky, we'll find a flag."
Everyone nodded.
Sophia tilted her head. "Shall we all go? Henry can stay with Lora to keep her safe."
I paused, then looked at her. "If the four of us move, we'll be easy to spot. A large group draws attention, so let's split up."
I turned to Andrew. "You, me, and Crimzo will go to the depths tomorrow to search."
Then, I looked at Sophia. "The rest of you stay here. Take over the hunt tomorrow. Sophia, if you want to go searching, you and I can switch."
Sophia smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's okay. I've never hunted before, so I'm excited to try it."
"I think I can walk tomorrow. I'll give it my best shot." Lora said.
Henry smiled beside her and nodded slightly.
The plan was simple. After we finished eating and exchanged a few quiet laughs, we went to sleep.
On the morning of the fifth day, we set off. The air was thick with fog, the sky was cloudy, and birdsong filled the air.
Crimzo walked with his bow slung over his shoulder, humming a quiet melody to himself. He wasn't trying to find any tokens, but he scanned the area to secure our path and climbed trees as if it were nothing. Every now and then, he looked around.
Andrew was very focused as he scanned the ground with his axe, his eyes sharp as he looked for hidden tokens.
I found two that morning. I swear their placement is so random. One was alone on the edge of a narrow road, and it was so obvious that I thought it was a trap. The other was wedged under a hollow tree trunk and half-buried. Andrew found one, too. They were hard to find, but we were making progress.
Hours passed.
Then, Crimzo stopped. He had just climbed a tall pine tree and disappeared into its branches. Then he came down toward us, his voice low but clear.
"I see movement this way. I think they're fighting in open ground. Three against five."
"Let's go," I said, and we moved quickly.
We arrived at a large area covered in boulders. The ground was dry, so we hid behind a boulder and watched closely.
The fighting had already begun with the clashing of swords, but there was a surprise.
I recognized her immediately.
It was Kylie, standing in her usual stubborn stance, fighting. She swung her sword with precision—quick and sharp.
Next to her stood Loyd with a thick sword and armor strapped to his arm. He blocked a blow with his armored forearm and then struck hard, knocking one of the enemies off balance.
Ria stood calmly in the back. She fired arrows to support them and used a sword for close combat when the enemies got too close.
But something was wrong.
Their attacks were powerful, yet they fought separately. They fought as individuals, not as a unit.
Andrew stepped forward. "Roy, this is your friend. Let's help her."
Crimzo had drawn his bow and his eyes were sharp. "Just tell me what to do."
I raised my hand. "Wait."
They both looked at me, confused.
"I want to see how they fight. I want to see how good they really are."
Kylie was holding on, but the pressure was building. One of the enemies in red armor moved in aggressively, forcing her to retreat.
They weren't losing because they were weak. They were losing because they weren't fighting together.
Andrew stood beside me again, tense. "She's struggling."
I nodded. "Yeah. Let's go in." Next, I'll tell them what they need to work on in their combat together.
Then, I turned to Crimzo.
"Get ready. I want you to hit the one in red."
Crimzo's face broke into a smile. "I knew you'd say that! He's so strong."
I nodded again to Andrew.
Then, we moved on.
Crimzo's arrow was fired first. It slammed into the red-armored man's shoulder the moment he raised his sword to strike Kylie, forcing him back.
Andrew lunged and his axe struck another opponent's sword. Sparks flew. Andrew spun and swung low, pinning the axe behind his opponent's knee and pulling him down. Then he flipped the weapon, twisting it through the air in a perfect arc. It struck his opponent's ribs with the flat side, then punched him in the head, knocking him unconscious.
I stepped forward and blocked a blade aimed at Ria. The sound echoed. I counterattacked with a step to the side, deflecting his sword; a punch to the abdomen; and a kick to the head that knocked him down.
Things turned quickly.
Loyd roared and lunged, using his armored arm to push a stunned fighter into a tree.
After receiving some support from Crimzo, Kylie hit the last enemy's thigh with her foot and knocked him down by hitting him in the head with the head of her sword.
It's over.
We searched their bodies but found no flags. Then I looked at Kylie.
"Roy, this is the second time you've helped me." She said, coming closer to me. "I owe you."
Loyd looked relieved. Ria sheathed her sword and wiped the sweat from her brow. Then... She turned to Crimzo.
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him. "You are amazing! You hit every weakness point as if it were nothing."
Crimzo raised an eyebrow. "Wait... Do you know the weak points?"
She nodded and stepped closer. "Yes, I studied them all. But hitting them in real combat is very difficult. Yet you hit every arrow."
He smiled and placed a hand on his chin. "Maybe I'll teach you a lesson sometime." Andrew narrowed his eyes and looked at him.
Her face reddened slightly, and she nodded in agreement.
Kylie walked in and looked at me seriously. "These five... They're James's men."
That got our attention.
"They've been chasing us for two days. We've been on the run since yesterday morning."
I knit my eyebrows together. "Do you have flags?"
She looked at the ground.
"Actually, we don't have any flags." Then she looked at me. "James is targeting you, Roy. I heard his men mention your name yesterday. They were talking."
Andrew's face darkened. "Where did you hear that?"
Suddenly, one of the defeated enemies regained consciousness and sat up.
His voice was faint but clear. "Roy Celgius... You're finished."
Everyone turned around.
"You lost the game. We found your hiding spot days ago. We just waited for the right moment. I can say that Jack now has..."
Andrew lunged forward. "What the hell are you talking about?"
I intervened and stopped him. "Andrew, control yourself. Remember, emotions are the weakness of humans."
I turned around, walked up to the man, and punched him in the face. "I don't want to hear anything. We need to hurry."
I exhaled and looked at Kylie.
"I know I'm asking a lot, But come with us. Let's finish this together."
Kylie looked at her two friends. Then she smiled. "Sure, we already owe you, and we don't like this James."
Loyd and Ria nodded.
Crimzo said, "Get ready to run. We'll need about an hour or so. I'll get you there as fast as I can. Stay behind me."
We nodded, tightened our gear, set a big fire, and started running as fast as we could.
Meanwhile, back at the spot.
The sun was setting behind the trees. Sophia gently wrapped the cloth around Lora's ankle. Lora groaned a little but forced herself to smile.
"I'm really sorry. I feel like I'm slowing you down," she mumbled.
Sophia didn't lift her head. "You did really well today. We even brought food, didn't we?"
Beside them, Henry sat cross-legged by the fire. "A rabbit and two fish," he said, setting them down carefully. "Not even half of what Crimzo caught in one hour." He chuckled.
Sophia finally smiled. "Well, to be fair, we're not like Crimzo. He hunts like it's a game."
She paused, her expression changing.
She stood up slowly, gripping her spear tightly.
Henry noticed it immediately. Without asking, he ran to his sword, his face serious.
A slow clap echoed from the trees. "Nice catch, white-haired girl." A tall man entered the glade, followed by eight others. His dark hair was slicked back, and his mocking smile stirred something in the soul. "You look like a tough fighter."
Sophia didn't blink. "Who are you?"
He smiled and folded his hands behind his back. "My name is Jack. Fifth rank. Maybe you've heard of me."
He took a few steps forward, scanning their small space.
"Don't worry," he said in a calm voice. "I promise I won't hurt any of you. Just hand over your flags and tokens and come with me. I'll use you as bait to catch the big meal. That's it. It's simple, isn't it?"
Sophia's grip on the spear tightened. "And what if we refuse?"
Jack's smile widened as if he'd been waiting for this question. "I'll break every bone in your body until you beg me to stop. But don't worry, I'm gentle with girls; I won't ruin their faces. Especially beautiful faces like yours."
Henry looked at Lora, who was trying to get up. He gently shook his head. "Don't worry. We'll take care of it."
At first, Sophia said nothing. She stared at the ground, her hair hanging forward and covering her eyes. Then, taking a step forward, she spoke in a low, cold voice. "I'd like to see you trying to touch me,"
~Roy
We ran quickly through the forest. Although my breathing was steady, my thoughts were scattered. I couldn't stop worrying about Sophia. I knew she was strong and that Henry was with her, yet something still felt off. James... He wasn't just an ordinary cadet. If Lucas could let outsiders in, then surely James could too. Unlike Lucas, James was patient and dangerous.
Crimzo, quick on his feet, climbed a tree to check the best path. Kylie and her group were tired from the last fight. They tried to keep up with us, but they clearly needed a moment. Crimzo returned and pointed. "This way is clearer. The ground is softer. We'll move faster."
We hurried in that direction.
More than an hour passed. The sun was setting, but there was still enough light filtering through the trees for me to see what awaited us.
I wished I hadn't seen it. There was one man standing and three bodies on the ground.
Andrew froze first. I followed his gaze, and my chest tightened.
Henry was tied to a large rock. His face was unrecognizable. Blood ran down his cheeks, and his swollen eyes were black and purple. He was breathing heavily.
Lora was also bound and unconscious. At least she didn't appear to have sustained any new injuries. But that wasn't what made my chest tighten.
Sophia.
She was still breathing, but every finger on her right hand was twisted in the wrong direction. Her left leg was twisted unnaturally, with a torn wound at the knee. Her face was intact. She had obviously cried, and she was unconscious.
Andrew... His expression was eerily calm. I wasn't sure if I could stop him now.
The man slowly stood up from where he had been kneeling beside Sophia. He tied his long hair back with a bow and smiled as if nothing had happened.
"Oh, you've finally arrived," he said. "And with guests, too. I didn't expect that. Hello, hello. I'm Jack."
He stretched his arms lazily as if it were just an ordinary day. "Perfect timing, really. You'll see how loyal your friends are. That guy," he said, pointing at Henry. "Fierce bastard. He didn't say a word, not even after fainting four times. I've given up on him. For now." Henry had remained silent after all of this. That's the kind of loyalty you don't find easily.
He looked at Sophia. "As for her... I don't know what you're feeding this girl, She killed three of my men, and I had to intervene to stop her. Even with a broken leg, she was dangerous. She's a monstrous little creature. Look at her hair..."
Andrew leaned toward me and whispered, ignoring his words. "Roy, I'll take care of him. I promise I won't kill him."
I nodded and trusted him. Barely holding my breath, I stepped forward, my eyes on Jack.
"You'll wish to die. I promise," I said in a low voice. "You'll be begging me to kill you."
Jack raised an eyebrow, amused. "Well, did you think I was an idiot to stand in your base by myself?" He finished, and then five men appeared: two behind him and three behind us.
I smiled and whistled. Suddenly, Crimzo and Ria shot arrows from the trees. One of the enemies fell instantly. Kylie and Loyd quickly pounced on the others, while Andrew went straight for Jack.
The fight began. Arrows flew fast, preventing the others from moving freely. Crimzo was accurate; even with shields, the enemies were cautious. We didn't kill anyone except for one mistake. Loyd's blade deeply pierced a man's side after Ria hit him in the back. He looked stunned as the body fell.
The real battle, however, was between Andrew and Jack.
Jack drew his katana. Andrew lunged at him with his axe, and they clashed. The sound echoed through the area.
Jack was fast. Very fast. He used speed over strength to manipulate Andrew's strength. However, Andrew wasn't just physically strong; he was also fast and agile. His movements were precise and deliberate. When Jack sidestepped, Andrew ducked and punched him in the ribs, then followed up with a crushing uppercut that knocked Jack down.
Jack fell to the ground, rolled over, and stood up again, looking serious.
"Looks like I have to fight seriously." His words were arrogant.
They clashed again. Sparks flew. Jack hit Andrew's arms, but Andrew blocked with the axe handle, turned hard, and swung from his left into Jack's ribs. Jack dodged, and with his speed, he managed to cut Andrew's foot after some intense clashing. However, it was only a scratch, not a deep one. Jack landed a blow to Andrew's neck. Andrew closed the distance and swung the sword at his stomach, opening Jack's upper side.
Jack's katana sliced through Andrew's armor, cutting him in the stomach.
Andrew didn't stop. At the same moment, He struck Jack with the blunt end of his axe right on the head.
Then, in mid-movement, he spun his axe from right to left and slammed again with the blunt end, this time into Jack's jaw. Before Jack could recover, Andrew stepped in, grabbed his face with his right hand, and smashed his head into the ground.
Jack didn't move.
Andrew stood over him, taking his breath away. The wound in his stomach wasn't dangerous thanks to the armor. He dropped the axe and knelt beside Sophia. The fight was already over; the last two remaining had surrendered after Jack fell.
Andrew gently touched Sophia's cheek.
"Sophia, wake up. We're here."
Her eyes opened. Her voice was a soft whisper. "Andrew..."
He nodded. "Yeah, hang in there. I'll close your wound."
"I need... I need to put my fingers back in their place first. She closed her eyes in pain. "You do it."
Andrew replied. "Okay, got it." She bit down on a piece of cloth. She gripped Andrew's arm tightly, and he started quickly.
I turned away. I couldn't see it.
Kylie, Crimzo, and their friends tied up the enemy survivors using the same ropes that had been used on our friends. I noticed that some of them were not cadets. Outsiders. I knew it.
Loyd built a small fire and used Sophia's medical bag. He carefully treated Lora and Henry. Henry groaned, barely responsive. But he was alive.
I slowly walked towards Jack. His face was damaged; his nose and cheekbone were broken. I grabbed his hair, lifted his head, and splashed water on his face. He didn't respond, but he's too strong; he won't die from this. I repeated this until he woke up a little.
"Let's see if you're as loyal as my friends."
He coughed. Blood dripped from his lips. "You can't kill me... I'm a cadet. Do whatever you want..."
I grinned darkly. "Whatever I want? That's what you said?"
I opened my medical bag.
"You know, I was planning on using this on James if I had to. I might not beat him in a straight fight..."
I pulled out a thin, clear needle. His eyes widened.
"This..." I turned it around. "It carries something special. It's not poison. Trust me, it's worse than that."
He began to tremble.
"This is an improved Nemoris strain. Do you know what it is?"
I got close to him and continued. "It's a disease that causes complete neurological paralysis. Pain. Every second. Your body is paralyzed, but your mind is still functioning. Every breath is agony. No one can touch you to help you. You scream and laugh in pain, but no one comes.
He shook his head. "You're crazy. This is crossing the line."
I stepped forward. "You're the one who crossed the line first."
I stabbed the needle into his neck and pushed.
He screamed. His body trembled and his limbs twitched as his muscles spasmed in an attempt to attack me. I withdrew the needle and slapped him across the face.
He screamed again. "Are you crazy?! What the hell is this?!"
The place was silent. Everyone stared, but no one stopped me or said anything; they just went on with their work.
I stood quietly. "Relax. I'm not evil. I have the cure. But it won't work in 24 hours. The side effects will start eating you up from the inside."
He held up his trembling hand. "I'll talk... Please. Give it to me."
"Go ahead. Start talking."
"James wanted to kill you from the beginning. He sent Lucas, but when he failed, James vowed to kill you all. He's stationed in the north. He now has four strong cadets and at least ten outsiders. An instructor helped him sneak them in. His goal is to be in first place. He has earned ten flags so far. You can't even get close to him. He has spotters everywhere. Trying to get into his spot is suicide.
The others listened, stunned. Except for Andrew, who remained with Sophia, slowly bandaging her wound. His expression didn't change.
Instructor... Helping him? This is serious and dangerous.
Jack raised his head again, desperate. "Please... I told you everything. Give me the cure."
I looked at him and thought carefully. I could tell the instructors, and they would take care of it. But I looked at Sophia and Henry. I'm not going to let this slide. I'll turn James over to them after I get our revenge on him.
I grabbed his hair again. "Not yet. You still have work to do for me. I'll give you twice as much as James. What do you say?"
Crimzo walked over to me. "I'm all for giving him the cure. But are you really going to give him flags?"
I looked at him. "Don't worry. Trust me."
I looked at them all.
"Listen, guys," I said, stepping forward. Andrew turned around, his eyes fixed on mine with a serious expression.
"I have a plan."
Current Time.
James handed Jack the two flags. "Take them. You deserve them."
But Jack didn't move.
James frowned. "Why don't you take them? I'm giving them to you willingly."
Then, his eyes narrowed. "Uh... I see. Two isn't enough for you, is it?" He smiled sarcastically. "Well, after the satisfaction you gave me, not to mention what happened to your face... I'm not going to let it go. I'm going to make you second in rank under my name. What do you say?"
Jack smirked and nodded.
James laughed and leaned over to take the two remaining flags from Roy's back. "Then we have a deal. Don't worry—"
Suddenly,
Two blades moved simultaneously.
Jack lunged at James's shoulder with a quick strike, and I lunged from underneath with a strike to his feet.
James's reaction was insane. He jumped back just in time to avoid being hit by our swords, one of which cut the edge of his shoulder, and the other scratched his thigh. Barely scratched.
He stood for a moment, stunned.
Then, his eyes widened as he realized the truth. "Oh, I felt something strange. But the last thing I expected... Jack betraying me." He exhaled sharply through his nose. "We've been friends for a long time."
Jack replied. "I'm so sorry, James. I have to."
All of his men drew their weapons.
I stood next to Andrew and handed him one of my swords. He had a cold, steady expression.
"You know," I said quietly. "It's more pleasant to get in the house without knocking on the door."
James scoffed. "You've got some nerve standing there confidently with all of us around you."
I gave a slow smile. "Exactly... Because everyone who follows you is here, right?"
James's smile faded slightly. He looked around.
Then—
Arrows rained down on the area in front of them.
His heavily armed and armored men reacted quickly. They raised their shields. A few of them fell, but not as many as Lucas's reckless group. These were trained soldiers, and the cadets under his command were no joke either. They surrounded James from all sides, forming a solid ring of defense.
Even so, a few were injured — some in the hand and some in the leg — but they didn't fall easily.
James's smile returned amid the chaos. "Well played," he said through the rising tension. "But you're going to need more than that."
Suddenly, from the trees behind us.
Crimzo jumped up and tossed Andrew's axe to him. He pulled out two twin axes of his own. "Now this is some real fun," he said, smiling.
Kylie, Loyd, and Ria came out with him, their blades drawn and their expressions deadly serious. They all took their positions.
Andrew walked past me and handed me the second sword. I gripped it tightly. Five were down, but they were outsiders. It's ten against six now. That's not going to be easy.
I turned to James. My voice was sharp and cold. "You know, James... I was praying that you would dodge that attack."
He tilted his head in confusion.
I stepped forward. "Because winning that easily was never my thing."
James laughed quietly and maniacally and raised his long, thick sword.
"Good." His smile grew even more intense. "So, let's get this party started."
He raised his sword high. With this all his soldiers attacked.