The mist hung heavy, swallowing the moonlight. Every rustle, every whisper of wind through the leaves sounded like movement. For Austin's team, however, the only sound was frustration.
Austin: "Two hours," he muttered, brushing dirt off his uniform. "And not a single coin. You'd think gold would at least shine a little."
Remi: "Maybe if you stopped kicking random tree trunks like a caveman. Coins aren't going to drop like loot boxes."
Austin looked over his shoulder with a smirk: "You're just jealous I have faith in my luck."
Remi: "Faith and stupidity are not the same thing."
Their two teammates Rika and Kane exchanged amused looks.
Kane: "At least we have you two to lighten the mood."
Rika whispers in a not-so-whispery voice: "Austin is slowing us down. We should split up, us 3 go this way and Austin goes the other."
Austin turned back: "I heard that."
Remi chuckled: "Let's just keep moving."
They pressed on through the forest, shoes brushing through damp moss. Austin's gaze was sharp even through the fatigue. Truth was, he was worried. Two hours in and not even a hint of a coin. That wasn't just unlucky, it was dangerous.
Kane: "Hey," he whispered suddenly, pointing through the mist. "Movement. Twelve o'clock."
Four silhouettes emerged from the trees, each carrying wooden swords with confidence that screamed experienced.
Austin's hand instinctively dropped to his hilt.
The lead student, a tall boy with cropped black hair and a smug grin, raised a hand casually.
?: "Yo. How many coins you guys got?"
Remi's eyes narrowed: "Why do you want to know?"
The boy smiled wider: "Just curious. We've already got four. Thought we'd see how we're doing compared to the competition."
Austin raised an eyebrow: "Four, huh? What a coincidence."
Rika blinked.
Austin: "We've got four too."
Remi went on with it, though she paused for a second: "That's right."
The air tensed immediately. The other team's leader chuckled: "Oh? Four each, then. Guess that makes us equals." Then his grin turned sharp. "Why don't you hand over one, just to keep things civil."
Remi crossed her arms: "We refuse."
?: "C'mon, don't be like that. No hard feelings."
He motioned to his teammates. "We'll make it quick."
Austin sighed, cracking his neck: "So that's how it is."
Remi: "Looks like it," she said, sliding into stance beside him.
Austin shot her a sidelong look: "Ready to make up for that zero-coin count?"
Remi smirked: "Try to keep up."
When the enemy stepped forward, Austin moved. His foot tore through damp soil as he flew forward. His wooden sword struck the first opponent's guard hard enough to send a shudder up both arms. The other student staggered, barely blocking the follow-up strike that came in from Remi's side. Their two teammates followed behind them.
Remi's attack was quick. Each movement flowed from the last, her strikes built on rhythm and efficiency. Austin's were the opposite, reckless, spontaneous, driven by instinct and timing. But this was his style which worked. Together, their chemistry was hard to beat. Austin feinted high. Remi struck low. He parried a counter. She slipped through the opening. Two bodies moved like clockwork gears, different shapes, perfect timing.
Their swords struck in sync, disarming two opponents in one motion before giving them a knockout blow. The wooden blades flew into the air and landed in the dirt.
Austin blew air from his bangs, flashing a grin: "Two down."
The third enemy lunged at him from behind.
Austin didn't even turn—he raised his sword backward, catching the strike blind, then twisted his wrist and elbowed the guy square in the ribs. Remi stepped forward, sweeping her sword lightly across his chest.
Austin and Remi backed off, breathing steady.
Austin: "Three down. You taking notes, Kane?"
Kane laughed: "Showoff, we got the last one."
Rika's speed overwhelmed the last guy while Kane used brute force to pin his to a tree trunk. Remi decided to jump in with them.
The only one left standing from the team glared, breathing hard: "Three on one? That's not fair!"
Austin tilted his head: "You picked this fight."
?: "Not with this ratio."
Austin flashed a half-grin: "Life's all about bad math, buddy."
The boy groaned: "I hate you."
Austin: "Get in line."
Remi moved in, landing a clean hit across his chest. She exhaled softly, lowering her sword: "That's all four."
Austin crouched and picked up the fallen coins, flipping them in his hand under the moonlight: "Now we have four."
Rika crossed her arms: "You mean eight."
Austin: "Yep, now let's find coin number nine."
Remi: "You're impossible."
***
While Austin's team basked in victory, another tension was brewing deeper in the forest.
Erika, Shinatsu, Sylvie, and Esmarie had made steady progress, three coins found through sharp coordination. But peace never lasted long in the Dark Arena.
Shinatsu: "Stop," she said suddenly. Her voice was sharp and commanding. Her eyes turned toward a flicker of movement behind them.
4 girls had been following them. The one in front was hard to miss, bright blue eyes, slender, with pristine posture and hair that shined brighter than the moonlight. You'd think she was an angel, but looks can be deceiving sometimes. Her expression carried effortless confidence, the kind born from power and pedigree.
?: "Good evening, Shinatsu."
Shinatsu's jaw tightened: "Sophia."
Even the way she said the name carried venom.
Esmarie's jaw dropped: "Sophia Ayase?! She's like a princess! You two know each other?"
Sophia smiled faintly: "Of course. Our families are… intertwined. We're BFFs, right?"
Shinatsu's gaze hardened: "Entertaining that idea is a bad idea for a joke."
Sophia: "Oh, right. You were never one to make friends."
Erika frowned: "What do you mean? She has 3 friends right here."
Sophia: "Is that so? I guess I wasn't good enough."
Shinatsu's eye twitched.
Sophia: "You know, we've already eliminated a few teams tonight. Didn't even bother checking for coins. It's just so refreshing to remind everyone where they stand."
Shinatsu's hand gripped her sword: "You're here for a right, aren't you? Let's get on with it."
Sophia chuckles: "I've been waiting a long time for this."
For a moment, Shinatsu's thoughts drifted back to when they were eight. To long halls filled with cold laughter, when she was taken to the Boreas estate and met the Big 3 families.
Even then, she'd hated it.
The arrogance. The corruption. The emptiness.
The Ayase family had been no different from the Boreas, poison wrapped in gold. Only the Scarlet family, she remembered faintly, had ever seemed genuine. People like her cousins, one of the few who had treated her like a person.
Shinatsu blinked the memories away as Sophia raised her sword.
Sophia and her clique spread out quickly. Shinatsu's team mirrored them, each locking eyes with their challenger.
Esmarie's opponent moved in first. She was fast, swinging low and tight. Esmarie blocked clumsily, the impact sending her stumbling backward. She gritted her teeth, shaking the numbness out of her arms.
Her foe smirked: "You're sloppy."
Esmarie: "Maybe, but I'm persistent."
The next attack came sharper. Esmarie barely dodged, ducking under a diagonal slash, her hair brushing the air from the swing. She retreated, breathing heavy. Her opponent pressed harder, clearly enjoying her advantage.
?: "Is this all the Boreas's friends can do?" she taunted.
Esmarie: "Hold your horses."
As the opponent raised her sword for an overhead swing, Esmarie dropped low, almost to the ground and swung upward, using momentum and surprise. Her wooden blade hit right up the girl's chin. She gasped, stumbling back, eyes wide.
Esmarie grinned: "Gotcha."
Her opponent collapsed with a groan.
Esmarie: "Score one for the underdog."
Sylvie paused before attacking her opponent: "You can still surrender," she said softly, even as she raised her sword. "There's no need to fight."
The girl scoffed: "Scared to get your pretty face hurt?"
Sylvie sighed: "I suppose you won't listen."
Sylvie jumped forward, their blades met fast, the difference was immediate. Sylvie's movements were refined, fluid, every step balanced like a dance. Her opponent's, by comparison, were rigid and fueled by ego. Three exchanges later, Sylvie disarmed her with a flick of the wrist. The girl stumbled backward, eyes wide.
Sylvie lowered her sword respectfully: "You fought well."
The girl's jaw clenched: "Don't patronize me!"
Sylvie only bowed slightly and turned away.
Erika smiled lightly: "You sure you want to do this?"
Her opponent scoffed: "You think you're better than me?"
Erika's eyes sparkled mischievously: "I know I'm faster."
Then she moved, so quickly the air hissed. Her first strike came like lightning, her opponent blocked by instinct alone. Erika pivoted mid-swing, stepping into her second strike before the girl could recover. A hit to the shoulder. The opponent staggered.
Erika: "Don't worry, I'm going easy on you."
Another strike. Another clean hit. Within seconds, it was over.
Her opponent dropped to her knees, panting.
Erika exhaled softly, lowering her sword. "See?"
The others had already finished when Shinatsu and Sophia's duel reached its peak.
Their swords moved like mirrors, clashing, rebounding, circling. Each strike was personal, each parry a conversation written in fury.
Sophia's technique was sharper than Shinatsu expected. It was fast and calculating, but her aggression was wild. The Ayase girl fought to prove something, while Shinatsu fought to end something.
Sophia sneered, sliding forward with a downward slash: "You're not holding back on me, are you?!"
Shinatsu blocked, their faces inches apart. "Would it hurt your feelings if I was?"
Sophia's eyes blazed: "Who do you think you are?!"
Then she kicked dirt into Shinatsu's face and lunged. The blade skimmed past Shinatsu's cheek, drawing a shallow cut. Her vision was blurred, but Shinatsu didn't flinch. She sidestepped, blind but calm, swinging low where Sophia's balance broke. The counter struck true.
Sophia hit the dirt hard, breath knocked from her lungs. When her vision cleared, Shinatsu's wooden blade hovered just above her throat.
Shinatsu spoke flatly: "Enough, give us your coins."
Sophia spat, a mix of saliva and blood landing on Shinatsu's shoe. "Take them. If you're that desperate."
She threw 5 gold coins on the ground. Shinatsu's expression didn't change. She slowly put her sword back around her waist. "You know what, we don't need them."
Sophia blinked in shock as Shinatsu turned away: "Let's go."
Erika, Sylvie, and Esmarie followed silently, leaving the defeated team behind with their coins.
As they disappeared into the mist, Sophia clenched her fists, biting her lip until blood ran down. Her voice trembled, not with pain, but with hatred.
Sophia: I'll make you regret this…"