Chapter 24 = Mastermind's Trap
**Previously on Chapter 23:**
In the previous chapter, we saw that Manu and Nyra's plan worked, resulting in Frost Vein Academy getting eliminated. Now, moving forward...
NARRATOR VOICE: The scene opens outside Round 2. The entire audience was watching the big screen in the stadium. Ruka stands in the center of the stadium, providing live commentary. A portal opens up, and someone steps out.
Ruka: Wow, incredible! Nobody expected the team that reaches the finals every single time to be eliminated first in today's round! It seems Sun Academy's luck is holding up, but the question remains: Can Sun Academy actually win the final round this time? Let's find out!
NARRATOR VOICE: After Frost Vein Academy's elimination, their members couldn't even lift their heads out of sheer embarrassment. All they felt was deep regret and guilt. Eira, on the other hand, grew even more intrigued by this. A subtle smile crossed her face. The scene shifts to Manu, who suddenly sneezes.
Manu: Looks like someone is thinking about me.
NARRATOR VOICE: Manu and Nyra Vale make their way back to their base. Everyone was celebrating because they had just dismantled a top-tier academy. Manu was thrilled too, even doing a brief victory dance for a few seconds.
Manu: Alright, that's enough celebration for now. We haven't fully won this yet.
NARRATOR VOICE: Just then, Guttu approaches their new hideout. His head was bent low toward the ground—looking like a boy who tried learning to cook from his mother for the first time, only to ruin the dish completely, making it inedible. His eyelids appeared heavy, as if he were desperately holding back tears. The inner corners of his eyebrows were pulled slightly upward—that classic look of someone breaking down inside while trying hard not to show it. The corners of his lips drooped downward, with a subtle quiver in his lower lip, as though a single word would make him burst into tears. His gaze lacked sharpness—a completely blank, hollow stare fixed on the floor. He was looking at his surroundings, but processing nothing. Guttu walks slowly toward Manu.
Darius: What happened, brother? Why do you look so defeated?
Guttu (sad): I made a mistake...
Manu: What's wrong?
Guttu (sad): I shouldn't have joined this team...
Manu (irritated): Tell me calmly. What actually happened?
Guttu (avoiding eye contact): Well... I know the rival's general location, but not the exact spot. The area is way too vast. If we search for it normally, the round will end before we ever find their hideout.
Manu (smile): Brother, what do you even eat that allows you to locate enemy hideouts so quickly? Tell me! Just give us the general area, and leave the rest to us.
Guttu: Really? The place is located near the mountains. According to some rumors, it's sandwiched right between two mountains—one tall mountain and one short mountain, right in the center.
NARRATOR VOICE: Upon hearing this detail, Nyra instantly pinpoints the exact location.
Nyra: Found it.
Manu: Is that the one?
Nyra: Yes.
Lyra: Can you two speak in a way that the rest of us can actually understand?
NARRATOR VOICE: The scene shifts to a past memory, when they opened the refrigerator.
Manu: What is this?
Nyra: Looking at it, it seems to be a map.
Manu: A map of what?
Nyra: I don't know.
Manu: It only shows two cones—one big cone and one small cone. And right beside the small cone, there's a red cross mark. Strange... what does this mean? Are we about to find some hidden treasure?
NARRATOR VOICE: Manu gets excited. The scene shifts back to the present.
Nyra: What if these two cones represent mountains?
Manu: That means these triangles could represent a hidden structure.
Elira Windmark: And that red mark might be the rival's hideout.
Lyra: If this is true, Leader, give us our orders.
Guttu: Wait... we found this in Eira's base. Couldn't this be a trap?
Lyra: No. If it were a trap, we wouldn't even be standing here alive. It was hidden using a subtle method—right in front of everyone's eyes where normal people would naturally overlook it.
Manu: Alright, if that's true, then listen carefully. We need to split up now. If we stay together in one place, the risk of exposing our location increases drastically. Therefore, to keep our important information safe, we need to break this cube into pieces.
NARRATOR VOICE: Sun Academy's core information was stored inside a Rubik's Cube. They break it apart, dividing it into smaller individual cubes, and each member takes one piece. Nyra takes Manu along with her. As Manu leaves, he drops a piece of paper for the rest of the team. The team reads Manu's message on the paper and turns to look at him. As Manu walks away, he glares back with a subtle smile. His smile wasn't warm; his eyes narrowed dangerously, like a mastermind executing a sinister plot. But something unusual was happening to Manu. An abnormal pattern was taking over. His eyes turn a glowing green color. He isn't looking at the Falcon team, nor at the tournament round. He gazes straight upward—with intense focus, as if staring directly through his world at the reader.
Manu (green eyes): I'm thoroughly enjoying this... because you can never predict my plans or me. Here's one piece of advice: Leave now! Leave now! Leave NOW! LeAvE NoW!
NARRATOR VOICE: Manu was crying while staring upward, but Nyra drags him along. Manu's eyes return to their normal color. Ah... alright, Manu is back to normal. I was actually getting terrified there for a second! Quickly, I need to get back into my narration style before that green-eyed Manu notices me.
Nyra: Manu, are you alright?
Manu: Yeah? What could possibly happen to me? I'm completely fine and fit! Why do you ask?
Nyra: You suddenly started staring up into the sky.
Manu: Why are you staring at me like that? I have no idea—maybe it was just a visual illusion. Wait... have you fallen in love with me? You care about me and worry so much that you're overthinking everything now!
Nyra (blushing red): You're an idiot! It's nothing like that!
Manu: Come on, come on, don't be shy now! Just admit it! Are you jealous because I won the bet and now I'll belong to someone else? Don't worry, I have a special seat reserved for you—a VVIP seat!
Nyra (blushing red): You are so frustrating! That's not it at all!
NARRATOR VOICE: Teasing Nyra the entire way, Manu eventually arrives at their destination alongside her. There stood two mountains—one small mountain right beside a tall one. Following the map, both of them reach the specified location.
Manu: We should make a direct charge inside.
Nyra: No, we need to formulate a proper strategy first.
Manu: Let's just burst in... bang, bang... and secure a direct victory!
Nyra: Nope.
NARRATOR VOICE: Manu completely ignores Nyra's warning and strides directly toward the enemy base. He was just one step away from stepping into enemy territory when Nyra stops him. Nyra looked confused and skeptical.
Nyra (confused): Do you actually have a plan?
NARRATOR VOICE: Manu simply smiles at Nyra and walks ahead. Manu enters the perimeter while Nyra observes him closely from behind. Manu notices that the hideout was built in a traditional Japanese style. Inside the hideout, there was a small pond with a bamboo water fountain above it. As water fills the bamboo pipe, it tilts downward, creating a distinct *clack... tan... dhah...* sound before the water pours into the pond.
Manu (thought): Man, this isn't a hideout... this is absolute paradise!
NARRATOR VOICE: Lost in these thoughts, Manu completely lowered his guard. Enemy combatants were hiding right around that pond area. Seeing Manu with his guard completely down, they launch a surprise attack on him. Spotting them, Manu quickly shifts into a combat stance. He engages them and manages to overpower every attacker within a few minutes. However, another person was hiding in the shadows. As Manu continues walking forward, that person fires a slingshot directly at him. The moment it hits, Manu loses consciousness and collapses. The attacker approaches and places his foot on Manu's chest.
Slingshot Person: Ha... ha... Someone told me that Sun Academy might become a threat, but here their leader lies unconscious like a fool! You're just a trash can who couldn't even dodge a simple sleep dart. Now I'll get my reward!
NARRATOR VOICE: The Slingshot Person grabs Manu by his hair and drags him across the floor. He enters a main hall where Ragnar Bloodfang sat upon a throne in front of them. The Slingshot Person tosses Manu right at Ragnar's feet.
Slingshot Person: Asura Academy is born of winners! Boss, I've captured the leader of Sun Academy. We can use him as bait to extract information.
Ragnar Bloodfang: Well done.
NARRATOR VOICE: Manu opens his eyes and finds himself standing before Ragnar. Manu looks slightly confused.
Manu: Is this Asura Academy's base?
Slingshot Person: Are you blind?! Do you think you came here for a picnic?!
Manu: But who is this guy on the throne? Why hasn't he gotten up from his throne this whole time? Does he have hemorrhoids or something? Don't worry, I know a great doctor who treats that!
Slingshot Person: How dare you speak to Sir Ragnar Bloodfang like that!
NARRATOR VOICE: Ragnar Bloodfang crushes the decorative sphere on his throne's armrest with his bare hand out of pure rage.
Author Voice: Or rather, you can say the armrest where he rests his hand... wait, it's rectangular! You get what I mean, right? Just look at your own chair's armrest to understand. And if you still don't get it, take a stick and insert it right up your... anyway, moving on!
NARRATOR VOICE: Ragnar stares at Manu with extreme rage. Unbeknownst to them, someone else was secretly listening in on their conversation.
Ragnar Bloodfang: Who do you think you are? Nowadays, every newborn brat talks back to me. Torture him until he gives up his base's location!
Manu: Wait! I'll tell you everything! Just don't torture me!
Ragnar Bloodfang: Giving up so easily before the torture even begins?
Slingshot Person: That's just your overwhelming aura, Boss! Even top academies fear you!
Ragnar Bloodfang: True, but we can't lower our guard so easily. This is Sun Academy after all—who knows what trump card they might be hiding? Search his entire body!
NARRATOR VOICE: They thoroughly search Manu's body, pulling out all his items: a spear, a few stones, water bottles, and candies. Manu confesses everything without hesitation. Ragnar Bloodfang appoints the Slingshot Person as captain and dispatches a squad to inspect the location Manu revealed. Half an hour later, they return with pale, defeated faces. Ragnar Bloodfang looks at his team with confusion and shock.
Ragnar Bloodfang: Report! What happened?
Slingshot Person: Sun Academy's hideout location was already exposed! Before we even arrived, other academies had raided the area! We barely escaped with our lives! There was no trace of the remaining Sun Academy members either. Everyone out there is saying only one member of Sun Academy remains, and all the teams are hunting him down!
Ragnar Bloodfang: Then there's no reason to keep him alive anymore. I will execute him with my own hands!
NARRATOR VOICE: Ragnar Bloodfang picks up his weapon—a massive battleaxe. With a visible scar on his hand, he walks directly over to Manu and rests the heavy blade against Manu's neck.
Ragnar Bloodfang: Any last words?
Manu: Can you at least tell me what your team's key information is?
Ragnar Bloodfang: Dead men don't need information.
Manu: What's wrong? Lost your nerve? Are you scared of me, even though I can't even move my arms or legs? Yet you're still hesitating!
Slingshot Person: Sir Ragnar, he's just trying to provoke you!
Manu: What's the matter? Aren't you a real man? Did you forget to drink your mother's milk today? You're no man at all—
Ragnar Bloodfang: ENOUGH!
Slingshot Person: Boss!
NARRATOR VOICE: Ragnar Bloodfang hurls his weapon in fury, and it embeds itself right beside the Slingshot Person. Ragnar Bloodfang was consumed by rage, the veins on his forehead bulging intensely.
Ragnar Bloodfang (angry): You want to know so badly?! My team's secret file is hidden right behind this throne!
Manu: Want to see a magic trick? Listen to my spell: *Whisper Throne Cleaner!*
NARRATOR VOICE: The person who was secretly listening to everything finally reveals herself—it was none other than Nyra! Nyra swiftly hurls her daggers directly at Ragnar Bloodfang's hand and snatches the secret files from behind the throne in a flash. Everything happened so fast that Ragnar Bloodfang didn't even get a chance to react.
Ragnar Bloodfang (confused): All members of Sun Academy were supposed to be eliminated except for you... How is this possible?!
NARRATOR VOICE: Manu breaks into a confident smile. The scene shifts to the past, right after they split up their information, where Manu gives Guttu a secret instruction.
Manu: Guttu, listen carefully. I want you to leak our base's location. Spread the rumor that all members of Sun Academy were eliminated after an internal clash, leaving only one survivor, and that our secret info is stored at that hideout. Spread this everywhere—make sure even the wild animals in the forest hear about it!
Guttu: But that's way too dangerous! Sun Academy will lose if we do that!
Manu: Don't worry about that. I have another master plan.
NARRATOR VOICE: After listening to Manu, Guttu left and approached Astra Academy and Frost Vein Academy while they were fighting. Pretending to have fallen into their trap, Guttu leaked all the fabricated information just as Manu had instructed.
Eira: If this information turns out to be false, I will personally kill you.
NARRATOR VOICE: True to plan, the rumor spread through the forest like wildfire, which ultimately led to Eira's elimination as well. Every team blindly rushed into a wild race to claim that critical information for points.
The scene shifts back to the present time.
Ragnar Bloodfang: So... this was all your plan from the very beginning?!
Slingshot Person: It doesn't matter anymore! Both of you are going to be eliminated right here!
NARRATOR VOICE: The Slingshot Person pulls a box out of his pocket and opens it, revealing a bright red button. Seeing that device, everyone's face fills with shock, panic, and fear.
Ragnar Bloodfang: Throw that away! That device is banned!
Slingshot Person: It's too late now!
NARRATOR VOICE: Nyra dashes forward to stop him, but he presses the button. A blinding green light erupts from the box, engulfing everyone in the room. Ragnar Bloodfang's gold coin shatters, forming a protective golden barrier right in front of him. Inside the eerie green glow, only one thing was visible—the counter on Manu's system screen was rapidly dropping down to zero...
COMING SOON...
Comment below which part you found most interesting! Keep commenting because it gives me motivation and goals. If you enjoyed the story, throw a Red Power Stone at it!
Wait, ladies and gentlemen, don't be sad that this chapter was short. There's a reason for it. Time was tight due to a deadline because I was watching a web series, so I didn't have time to make it longer. You guys enjoy too, and I will as well. Okay, bye!