The rest of the team advanced to the next phase of the test, while the soldiers stayed behind to assist the wounded.
"There are no weapons left for us!" Viviane said, worried.
"Plastic weapons filled with red paint! That's what they gave us!" San growled in frustration.
"It's non-lethal, so it's good for a test," Sarah replied, trying to stay calm.
"A tiny knife, iron rods, and a baseball bat... only junk left!" Dan muttered, annoyed.
"I'll take the bat," Kay said casually, grabbing it without concern.
"This knife is tiny. I bet the others didn't even notice it was here," Fran said, surprised at its size.
Mari, noticing Kay's calm demeanor, questioned him:
"Hey, Kay, earlier you said there was no need to rush. You've got some kind of plan, don't you?"
Kay gave a small smile and asked:
"Do you remember the win conditions?"
"Grab the flag and hand it to the vice-captain... Oh! I get it!" Mira said, quickly catching on.
"I'm going to take the least tiring route. But that's only because I really don't care about this test. Now... I'm not sure about the rest of you." Kay leaned back, relaxed.
Elsewhere in the forest…
"Answer me this — are you going to move at all?" Kay asked, staring at Aurion.
"I'll stay put," Aurion answered, expressionless.
"I can't believe we're just going to sit here and wait!" Thais complained, frustrated.
"It's a valid tactic. The rule says one team member must deliver the flag — nothing says the others can't stop opponents," Mari explained logically.
"Do you think the audience will view this favorably?" Aurion asked, glancing at Kay with curiosity.
"This is the only passage into this section of the forest. If the ghouls were attacking, this is where they'd come through. Guarding the passage would be a top priority for the army. You still think this isn't valid?" Kay asked, self-assured.
"I never said it wasn't valid. I said it might not be well-received," Aurion replied, arms crossed.
"We should hide in the trees," San suggested, already climbing.
"I'll be the bait. You all go ahead," Kay said, lying down on the grass without a care.
"Why? Wouldn't it be better if they didn't know we're here?" Thais asked, confused.
"They'll be cautious. We're talking about 150 competitors, many of whom are strangers. No one's going to trust each other. Even allies can be threats. But it doesn't matter who hands in the flag — the whole team wins."
"So... there's no point in fighting among themselves?" Thais asked, trying to process it.
"Who gets more attention: a whole team that wins, or the individual who delivers the flag? If they want points, they'll go for the second option," Kay said, as if it were obvious.
"We'll hide in the trees. If you see any movement, give us a signal," Mari ordered.
"Sure," Kay replied, still lying down.
Moments later…
"You found me by scent, didn't you?" Aurion asked, smiling faintly.
"I did," Kay replied flatly.
"That's an impressive ability," Aurion noted.
"I just have a sensitive nose," Kay replied, uninterested.
"That would be useful in the army," Aurion hinted.
"I'll pass," Kay said without hesitation.
"What a waste of talent," Aurion thought, watching him with a mix of admiration and confusion.
Somewhere else in the forest…
"This never ends!" Kratos roared, knocking down yet another opponent.
"We've taken down thirty and still haven't found the flag!" Slayer grumbled.
"Patience. We need more field coverage. Let's split up!" Ravena said, heading right.
"You're right," Slayer agreed, running straight ahead.
Kratos muttered, "What about teamwork?" but eventually veered off left, realizing the others had already dispersed.
Slayer vs Jack
Slayer moved silently through the forest, alert to every sound. Ahead, a glint of light reflected off a familiar weapon — not a real sword, but one of the red-paint-filled plastic ones given for the test. The opponent's gaze, however, was deadly serious.
"Finally, someone worth fighting," Jack said.
"Jack, huh?" Slayer replied, raising his weapon. "I've heard of you. Let's see if the rumors are true."
They stared at each other — two predators poised to strike. Then, they clashed.
First move: Slayer charged forward, aiming straight for Jack's torso. The swords collided with a hollow thud, the red paint inside Jack's sword sloshing. Jack steadied himself and parried with skill.
"You'll need to do better than that!" Jack grinned, swinging for a side hit.
Slayer blocked it, the two weapons pressed against each other for a moment, testing each other's strength.
Second move: Jack stepped back and launched a flurry of fast strikes. Slayer barely kept up, each hit making the plastic blades clack. The red paint inside swirled with every blow.
"Let's see how long you last!" Jack taunted.
Third move: Slayer smirked. He waited, then used Jack's own force to spin away and duck low, slashing at his legs. Jack barely jumped back in time.
"Fast... but I'm faster!" Jack said, preparing a counter.
Fourth move: This time, Slayer went on the offensive, aiming for Jack's shoulder. Jack blocked — but that was what Slayer wanted. He twisted, pushing Jack's blade aside.
Final move: With a clean sweep, Slayer struck Jack's flank. The plastic sword landed, red paint bursting on contact.
Jack staggered back, red-stained, and dropped to a knee.
"Looks like you won this time," Jack admitted, panting, but smiling.
"Good fight," Slayer said, offering him a hand.
Jack accepted it, standing up.
"If your team doesn't have the flag, I'm moving on," Slayer said, turning to leave.
Jack remained silent for a moment, watching him vanish into the trees.
"They say he's from a family of assassins... Maybe those weren't just rumors. His technique is deadly. Doesn't match someone that polite," Jack thought.
Back at the clearing…
"I just wanted a nap. How long do you all plan to keep hiding?" Kay asked lazily, still on the ground beside Aurion.
"If you've got the flag, come hand it over. Otherwise, go find it already."
The forest was alive with fierce battles elsewhere, but Kay remained relaxed, as if lying in a sunny park. He barely looked up.
"I know you're there. Come out of the bushes," he said casually.
Fiona and her team stepped from the shadows, eyeing him curiously.
"Surprise attacks wouldn't work on you... But I've got to ask: why are you lying down in the middle of the test?" Fiona asked, raising a brow.
Kay sighed, eyes still on the sky.
"Why chase the flag... if the flag comes to me?"
Fiona laughed, but shot him a daring look.
"How long did it take you to come up with that?"
"Since they explained the test," he replied flatly.
Before she could respond, something shot from above. A plastic rod slammed down — Fiona barely blocked it in time with her bat.
CRACK! The impact rang out, and Fiona stumbled back, stunned.
"What...?" she murmured.
Mira landed beside her, gripping the rod tightly.
"You need to stop provoking people!" Mira growled, striking again.
"I wasn't provoking. I just wanted to avoid a fight," Kay muttered, still on the ground.
"That is provoking!" Mira shouted, trading blows with Fiona.
Meanwhile, Thais struck one of Fiona's teammates with the tiny plastic knife, red paint blooming on contact.
"One down!" she grinned.
Kay frowned slightly, finally blinking.
"Wait... so you just have to get hit with paint to be out?" he asked, more curious than alarmed.
The rest of Kay's team dropped from the trees, surrounding the field.
"I don't know if I agree with this method," Sarah muttered.
"They saved us the trouble of looking for the flag. What's the issue?" San said.
"It's too much like cowardice!" Sarah snapped.
"I'm with her!" Viviane said, raising her stance.
Dan sighed, eyeing Kay's still form.
"He's not even pretending to care."
"Wait... is he asleep?!" Viviane asked, horrified.
"Retrieve the flag!" one of Fiona's teammates shouted, charging.
"Not happening!" Thais yelled, intercepting them.
Fiona vs Mira
Mira held her rod tightly, facing Fiona, who spun her plastic bat with bold confidence. Around them, the world buzzed with tension — but for the two, everything narrowed to that moment.
Mira steadied her breath. She wasn't as strong as Fiona, but she had speed and precision.
Fiona stepped in, swinging with force toward Mira's shoulder. Mira sidestepped just in time — the bat sliced through the air.
Mira countered swiftly, swinging her rod at Fiona's side. The bat blocked it, vibrating on impact.
They fell into a rhythm of attack and defense. Fiona's strength met Mira's finesse. Mira kept dodging, finding narrow escapes, landing quick hits when she could.
Finally, Fiona aimed for Mira's ribs — Mira ducked, spun, and struck with a clean hit to Fiona's side.
Fiona staggered.
Mira followed up, spinning low and knocking Fiona's arm. The bat fell to the ground.
Fiona dropped to one knee, gasping.
"I... lost," she admitted, head bowed.
Mira lowered her rod, respectful.
She turned to look at Kay, thinking:
"My first fight against someone like that... How did I do, Kay?"
But Kay was still asleep.
"He's sleeping?!" she thought, exasperated.
Fiona slowly rose.
"You're used to fighting. But you think too much — that could cost you in a real battle," she warned, stepping away.
"I know... I've felt it many times," Mira thought, walking back toward Kay.
Sarah approached, looking downcast.
"I'm sorry... I lost."
"What?!" Mira blinked.
"I'm not good at close combat. I'm trained in short-range firearms... I can't handle melee weapons," Sarah confessed.
Mira raised her eyebrows.
"Wait — the church trains you with firearms?"
Sarah chuckled and shook her head.