Chapter 4- The Strongest Regular

The arena at night was a tranquil sea of shadows, broken only by the warm glow of a campfire in a small clearing. Around the fire, glowing faintly in the flickering light, were a few sleeping bags.

The peaceful atmosphere didn't last long. Gyoda and Karna, with their usual competitive energy, began a fierce tug-of-war over a single sleeping bag.

“Oi, Karna! Give me that bed. I want to use it!” Gyoda yelled, yanking hard on his end.

Karna pulled back with equal force. “No way! It’s mine! This is the softest and most comfortable one of them all. It’s warm and fuzzy!”

Visibly annoyed, Reiko walked over and smacked them both on the head. “Karna, it’s your turn to keep guard tonight,” she said simply.

Karna winced, rubbing his head. “Ok…” he grumbled dejectedly, letting go of the sleeping bag. Gyoda took it with a triumphant smirk.

Karna walked over and sat on the trunk of a fallen tree next to Fumiko, who was illuminated by the soft glow of the campfire. Together, they looked up at the starry sky.

Fumiko turned to him, her expression curious. “So, how did all of you end up as a team?”

Karna leaned back slightly, a small smile forming on his face. “I’ve known Kenta since I was five. We grew up together—he’s like a brother to me.”

“What about Gyoda and Reiko?” Fumiko asked.

“They joined us when we were seven. An old man adopted and trained us all. He made us who we are today. We were lucky to have him. Reiko, especially, was a natural—she picked up things faster than all of us. She's better at almost everything... and, well, she can be pretty scary sometimes.”

From her sleeping bag, Reiko, who had been listening, picked up a small rock and threw it at Karna, hitting him squarely on the head.

Karna winced, rubbing his head. “Ow! See what I mean?”

“Gyoda used to be hopeless—he couldn’t even use magic,” Karna continued. “But he worked hard to catch up. He’s from a clan that’s been discriminated against, just like mine.”

Karna’s voice turned firm, resolute. “One day, I’ll restore my clan and put an end to all of it. No matter what it takes, I’ll fight the whole world if I have to.”

As Karna spoke, a shooting star streaked across the sky, unnoticed by both of them. Fumiko’s gaze remained fixed on Karna, captivated by his unwavering resolve. The only sounds were the crackling fire and the gentle hum of the night, as their conversation drew to an end.

Day 3 began with a thick mist settling over the forest, lending the morning air a heavy, tense quality. From a distance, the shadowy figures of a team could be seen gathered in a clearing.

Goro stood in the center, facing his team. His expression was calm—almost unnervingly so—but the aura around him told a different story. There was an eerie stillness in his eyes, a quiet menace that sent a chill down their spines.

“The second bunny shows up today,” Goro said, his voice calm yet with an unmistakable, sharp edge. “It’ll be faster… trickier… and worth more points. You were a bunch of losers when catching the first one.”

He paused, letting his gaze linger on his team, a subtle warning hidden in his tone. “At least try this time. The third bunny would put us in the top three. I won’t have our location exposed. Understood?”

A heavy silence followed as the weight of his words sank in.

Goro’s tone shifted to a chillingly intimidating whisper. “For your sake..... Don’t mess this up.” He then turned and walked away, his eyes fixed on the radar.

Apart from the guys who got beaten up by Goro at the counter, the other two newcomers in his team whispered nervously among themselves.

“Why did you even suggest joining his team? This is nuts! His looks were so intimidating,” the first guy muttered, a thin sheen of sweat on his brow. “We saw how he beat up that other guy at the counter!”

“What else could I do?” the second guy replied. “We’ve been waiting for years to take this test, and then they suddenly make a rule about needing a five-person team! Every other team was full—we had no choice!”

“This was a mistake…” the first guy sighed.

Meanwhile, Kenta stood in a secluded area, his eyes fixed on the radar. His expression remained calm, but a hint of urgency flickered in his eyes.

“We’re short on points,” he said to Karna and the others. “If we don’t catch the second bunny, we’re not gonna make it.”

In a clearing within the dense forest, the five Lycian candidates had set up a campsite. A sophisticated canvas tent served as their base, with three ornate chairs and a small table arranged neatly in front. The air, typically thick with the scent of damp earth and pine, now carried the faint aroma of freshly brewed tea.

On the chairs, George, in his forest-green suit, daintily sipped from a porcelain teacup. Next to him, Charles was engrossed in a book, peering over the top through his monocle, while Edward meticulously cleaned a pair of pistols at the table.

Henry walked out of the tent and joined them just as Albert approached from the front, having finished scouting.

“I have returned with a most practical course of action,” Albert announced, his voice smooth and precise. “The second bunny is set to make its appearance today. My calculations suggest that acquiring this particular specimen would furnish us with precisely the required 100,000 points. A rather fortunate circumstance, as I believe it would be insufficient to place us in the top three and, thus, reveal our location in the final six hours.”

George placed his teacup and saucer down on the table with a soft clink. “Ah, a rather fortuitous deduction, old boy. Your wisdom, as always, is most reassuring.”

“Indeed,” Henry agreed, his voice clipped and cold. “It appears a most logical course of action.”

Suddenly, a signal appears on the radar—marking the second bunny’s location. It’s farther than expected. Without hesitation, Karna and the team spring into action, rushing toward it.

The scene shifts to Goro and his team. Without a word, they, too, begin moving. Goro’s eyes narrow as he leads them forward.

Adheera stood in a shadowy part of the forest, with Khara and Uma by his side. He raised a hand to his comms, his voice sharp and commanding as he spoke.

“Han, capture the bunny. Given your little purchase, we need more points to qualify. And if you encounter Twilight… don’t go overboard. We need him alive.”

Perched high on a tall tree, Han lazily twirled a rock in his hand. “I’m having some fun here. I’ll get the bunny once I’m done.”

Before Adheera could respond, Han cut the call.

Enclosed by towering cylindrical rock walls of his own making, a group of people stood trapped, fear evident on their faces.

Adheera sighed. “This idiot…”

Khara, watching Adheera closely, asked, “What happened?”

“Han loves playing with his prey,” Adheera replied, a hint of annoyance in his voice. “He won’t go after the bunny until he’s done having his fun.”

With a subtle shift of his weight, Adheera started walking. “Looks like I need to knock some sense into him before he forgets why we’re here.”

Khara followed him without a word.

Inside the rock walls, terrified voices rose in a chorus of desperation.

“P-Please… let us out!” one trapped contestant cried.

Han, still perched high above, surveyed the chaos. His eyes gleamed with a menacing smile. “If you want to go free… kill the others.”

One of the contestants stammered, “B-But—”

Without warning, a rock flew from Han’s hand, slamming into the contestant’s stomach and sending him staggering back.

Han’s voice rang out, cold and merciless. “Did I stutter?”

The prisoners exchanged fearful glances, trapped between terror and desperation. A defiant voice rose from one of them. "We won't hurt our teammates!" The guy, desperate to escape, sent an explosion of magic at the wall. The attack left nothing but scratches, and Han’s expression darkened in amusement. Without warning, another rock flew through the air, striking the defiant contestant and crushing his leg. The room fell silent as fear gripped the others.

Han's voice rang out, cold and clear. “Slaughter your own teammates. The last one standing will be free.”