After a long silence, Kenta spoke, his voice low. "This point system... it's ruthless."

Gyoda shrugged, hands behind his head. "How so?"

"Think about it," Kenta replied. "You have to buy everything, even food, with points. Teams that fall behind early won't just fail... they might not even survive the four days. It's a brutal but efficient way to thin the herd."

Karna, walking beside him, gave a single, grim nod. "It's designed to create desperation."

As they walked, Fumiko leaned closer to Reiko, her voice a hushed, hesitant whisper.

"Reiko... I don't mean to be rude, but could you explain what it means to be a 'Twilight'?"

Reiko glanced at the boys ahead to ensure they were out of earshot. "It's not a simple subject," she said, her tone turning serious. "It's tied to a specific clan. Have you ever heard of the Ashijiki?"

Fumiko shook her head. "No, I haven't."

"Then I'll start from the beginning," Reiko said with a sigh. "For centuries, the Ashijiki were treated as untouchables—oppressed, hated by almost everyone, considered lower than dirt. For a brief time, they gained liberation and became incredibly powerful. That strength, however, is what caused their downfall."

Fumiko's expression was one of focused curiosity. "What kind of power?"

"You know how mages are blessed by spirits, granting them their magic?" Reiko asked.

"Of course. Like a mage being blessed by a water spirit and he can wield water with ease"

"Right. Well, the Ashijiki clan was blessed by the most powerful spirit of all: the Sun Spirit. Their power was immense, legendary. Being blessed by the Sun Spirit is no joke; they became unimaginably strong, capable of shifting the balance of entire wars. The nations and great clans that had once oppressed them could not accept their rise. They saw their power as an abomination and were terrified of it. So, they united and slaughtered most of the Ashijiki in a great massacre, wiping out their newfound strength and pushing them back into misery. Now, the world doesn't fear the ones who are left... they just hate them."

"Why would they spare any of them?" Fumiko asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Because of the nature of their bloodline, and because of one man's intervention," Reiko explained. "When an Ashijiki child is born, they are born as one of two things: a Luminar or a Twilight. A Luminar inherits the full, devastating power of the Sun Spirit. Their birth is announced by the sky lighting up in a blinding, golden radiance."

She paused, gathering the history. "The alliance of nations wanted to wipe the Ashijiki out completely, to erase them from the world. But the then Head of the Magic Council stood against the slaughter. The other council members were against him, so he was forced to make a terrible deal to stop the genocide. The clan would be spared, but only under one condition: they would only be allowed to exist if they ensured no more Luminars were ever born. Now, watchers are sent to every Ashijiki birth. If the child is a Luminar..." Reiko's voice tightened with grim finality. "...it is killed. The Twilights are allowed to live. Karna was born a Twilight."

Fumiko was silent for a long moment, the weight of history settling on her. "But this 'condition' the Twilights have... is it a sickness? A curse?"

Reiko could only offer a helpless shrug. "That's the greatest mystery. No one knows where it came from or why it happens. It just does."

Fumiko’s gaze drifted forward, settling on Karna with a new, profound sadness. As if sensing her stare, Karna glanced back. Their eyes met for a split second before Fumiko quickly looked away, flustered.

Seizing the opportunity for a dramatic gesture, Karna immediately shoved Gyoda off the path into a bush.

"I have cleared the way for you, my princess!" he announced to Fumiko with an exaggerated bow. "Please, walk without obstruction!"

Gyoda erupted from the foliage, tackling Karna. "Why you—! What was that for?!" The two of them tumbled into a brief, comical scuffle on the ground. “You were blocking her way”, said Karna.

Their fight was abruptly cut short as five figures in dark capes emerged from a side path, crossing directly in front of them. The air grew heavy and still. Kenta immediately stiffened, and even Karna and Gyoda stopped their fighting, getting to their feet warily.

The caped figures passed without a word or glance—except one. The one at the rear slowed his pace, his head turning just enough for them to see the faintest smirk on his lips beneath his hood.

His voice, low and clear, carried back to them, meant to be heard.

"So, that's the Twilight."

And then they were gone, disappearing into the trees as quickly as they had appeared, leaving a cold silence in their wake.