Above the vast forest, floating screens shimmered in the sky, displaying the ongoing chaos of the tournament.
The Rock's voice echoed across the arena, sharp and full of energy.
"Ladies and gentlemen, what a sight this is! From a total of seventy students, only fifty-eight remain!"
The crowd roared beneath the screens, eyes locked on the action unfolding in real time.
"No one's holding back, but the real heat hasn't even started yet," The Rock continued. "There's still time before sunset—and plenty of room for surprises."
The footage showed scattered groups of students—some resting, some sneaking, others watching from behind trees, exhausted and alert.
The Rock chuckled, his tone low and amused.
"This ain't a game of heroes. This is patience, instinct, and grit. Let's see who really has what it takes."
Outside the medical tent positioned near the forest's edge, Second Squad Captain Walter stood with a clipboard in one hand, eyes narrowed as he scanned the distant treeline. His uniform was crisp, posture sharp—the kind of man who missed nothing.
The hum of the distant crowd filtered through the trees, but his focus remained on the tent behind him.
Inside, three students who had been knocked out in the very first round were finally regaining consciousness. One of them—a boy with a noticeably wide forehead—groaned as he pushed himself upright on the cot. The other two stirred nearby, their faces still pale.
Walter stepped in, accompanied by two other knights, and stopped in front of the wide-forehead boy.
"You remember anything? The person who attacked you?"
The boy blinked a few times, then rubbed his temple slowly. "It happened so fast… We were walking through the trees, and out of nowhere, a tree just fell near us. We didn't even get a chance to react."
"And the attacker?" Walter asked, tone firm.
This time, the boy nodded slowly. "Yeah. It was a single person. Face was hidden by a hood."
Walter exchanged a glance with the knights, then looked back at the boy. "Did this person say anything? Anything you could remember?"
The student shook his head. "Not a word. Just hit fast, then vanished. I didn't even hear footsteps."
Walter stood silent for a moment, eyes narrowing slightly as he processed the report.
"A lone attacker with no identification. Face hidden, movements clean. No weapons spotted, and not even a sound left behind."
"Someone like that… doesn't belong in a student-level tournament."
He closed his clipboard without a word.
Just as Captain Walter turned from the medical tent, three knights rushed toward him, faces pale and steps uneven.
"Captain! You need to come. Right now!" one of them called out, voice tight with urgency.
Walter narrowed his eyes and raised a hand. "Calm down. What is it?"
The knights stopped, breathing heavily. Sweat dripped from their chins, their expressions shaken.
The tallest among them stepped forward. "Sir… It's bad. Really bad. A student came running to us from the east side—near the outer restrooms. Said he saw something awful."
Walter's tone hardened. "What did he see?"
The knight swallowed. "A box… hanging inside one of the stalls. When we checked, it was full of body parts. Human. Students. Sliced up and stuffed into it. The smell alone was—"
Another knight cut in, voice shaky. "It's real, Captain. Blood everywhere. Whoever did it packed them inside like they were… trash."
The last one added, "The student who found it could barely speak. He's still panicking. We left someone with him."
Walter's thoughts raced.
"First, those three students, and now these dead bodies... what's going on?
No. I don't have time to waste."
He stepped forward, his voice firm.
"Others, keep your eyes on those three. I'm going to report this to Chief Kaito."
"Yes, sir!" all of the knights responded in unison.
As Walter walked away with urgency in his steps, tension filled the air inside the camp.
The injured students remained seated under supervision, some still glancing nervously toward the entrance.
Among the knights posted inside, one leaned slightly back in his chair. His face remained still—until the corner of his lips slowly lifted.
He smirked.
Branches snapped and leaves flew as Ito sprinted behind Gakurei, who still had him by the collar.
"S-Sorry! I didn't mean to mess things up!" Ito cried, nearly tripping over a root.
Gakurei didn't even glance back. "Yeah? Next time, lie with some skill, idiot!"
Behind them, the furious students were charging in hot pursuit.
"You damn liars! Get back here and hand over the flag!"
Zayden clicked his tongue. "We were this close to walking away clean…"
Sara, running smoothly beside them, tilted her head. "All I did was ask."
"Well, don't!" Zayden snapped. "Don't ask anything—ever!"
They burst through a thicket and into a stretch of open woods, feet pounding against the dirt. No one suggested splitting up this time—they'd learned that lesson already.
Gakurei exhaled sharply. "We need to lose them. Fast."
Zayden's eyes darted left and right. "I'll handle the route. Just keep running."
Suddenly, he pointed toward a narrow path covered in thick hanging vines and heavy underbrush. "There! Shortcut through the old training pit!"
"The what now?!" Ito yelped.
"No time!" Zayden yelled back.
They ducked through the brush, the terrain growing uneven and sloped. Behind them, the shouting students followed—but their pace began to slow as the terrain worsened. Hidden roots snagged their feet. Low-hanging branches slapped their faces. Someone tripped and cursed loudly.
Then, silence.
Gakurei glanced back. "Looks like they gave up."
Ito doubled over, panting. "We did it…"
Zayden brushed leaves off his shoulder. "The old pit's a pain to move through unless you know where to step. Lucky for us, I remembered."
Sara gave a small smile. "Nice one."
They regrouped and moved up the ridge just past the clearing. As they rounded the bend—
"There you are!" came a familiar voice.
Standing under the tall tree ahead was Shion, arms on her hips. Eriska stood beside her with arms crossed, while Kajin lay asleep in his usual fashion—arms behind his head, a bump still fresh on his forehead.
Shion gave a firm nod. "Took you all long enough."
Zayden let out a small laugh. "We were just… taking the scenic route."
Ito grinned, raising a hand weakly. "Glad to see everyone's okay."
But just for a moment, the tension lifted, and the group finally stood together again—briefly united in the middle of the forest's calm.
The forest blurred around them as Reginald sprinted through the shadows, Lillith cradled effortlessly in his arms.
He hesitated, glancing down at her with furrowed brows. "Hmm… w-why—"
But Lillith cut him off with a light tap on his chest. "It's your punishment. For getting yourself hurt."
Reginald looked ahead again, nodding obediently. "Yes, Ma'am Lillith."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Reginald. Not Ma'am. Call me the way you do when we're alone."
He stiffened mid-stride. "No. I can't."
Her stare was sharp—wordless, patient, and utterly commanding.
"Reginald…" she said again, softly but firmly.
He faltered, clearly defeated by that gaze. "…Yes, Lilly."
The instant the word left his mouth, Lillith's expression shifted. A faint red crept across her cheeks, and her lips curved into a bright smile.
She didn't say anything after that—but the joy on her face said more than enough.
Suddenly, behind them, a blinding light burst into the sky.
It wasn't close—but the sound tore through the forest like thunder, rattling branches and sending birds scattering in panic. The ground seemed to hum beneath their feet.
Reginald glanced back sharply. High above, a translucent layer began forming in the air, spreading outward like a shimmering dome. His expression hardened.
"Lilly—cover your head!" he barked.
"Huh?" Lillith barely had time to respond.
In the next heartbeat, Reginald hurled her forward with all his strength, just before the layer closed in behind them.
Time seemed to freeze.
Lillith's eyes widened as her body soared through the air, her hand instinctively reaching back. Her voice caught in her throat. The wind roared past her ears, but it couldn't drown the sound of her heart pounding.
Her gaze locked with his—just for a second.
In that moment, Reginald mouthed something.
"....?"
But no sound reached her.
She couldn't hear the words.
She couldn't bear it.
As she landed hard on the ground, a powerful blast of frequency rippled through the air. Dust and leaves whipped past her. The earth seemed to groan beneath the force.
Her body trembled, but slowly, Lillith raised her head.
And then—she saw him.
Reginald.
His body stood just beyond the barrier, but his head…
His head was covered in blood.
Her eyes went wide. Her breath caught. For a moment, her mind simply... stopped. Blank.
She took a shaky step forward.
"R-Reginald…?"
Her hand lifted slowly—fingers trembling, reaching out—desperate to touch him.
To make sure he was still there.
But her fingertips met only the cold, unyielding surface of the barrier.
They couldn't reach him.
They were just inches apart… and yet, worlds away.