The danger in the forest

Kai vanished in an instant, teleporting behind Hiroki in a flash of speed.
But before he could strike—
Hiroki's body ducked unnaturally low, reacting as if he'd sensed Kai's movement before it even happened. He spun around in a blur, his grip locking around Kai's ankle with terrifying precision.
"Gotcha."
Hiroki twisted his body, swinging Kai around like a ragdoll, his motion so fluid it was like a dance. Then—
CRASH!
Kai's body slammed against a thick tree, the bark shattering on impact. He hit the ground on one knee, gritting his teeth as pain shot up his spine.
(He reacted to my teleport. He's fast… I'm sure of it.)
Hiroki brushed his hands off. "If you're not gonna attack, then I will."
With a flick of his wrist, a storm of glowing cards erupted from his fingers, cutting through the air with unnatural sharpness.
Kai weaved through them, his movements fluid yet frantic. Left, right, duck, twist— but something was off. The cards weren't all aimed at him.
Hiroki smirked.
Then he stopped throwing.
Kai, panting, straightened. "Why'd you stop?"
Hiroki lifted one finger. "One—your breathing's heavy, which means you're already getting tired." He lifted a second. "Two—I missed on purpose." And a third.
"Three—boom."
BOOOOOOM!
The cards all flashed at once, triggering a chain of fiery explosions that engulfed the entire area in an instant.
The shockwave ripped through the forest, trees bending from the force. Smoke and dust consumed everything.
As it cleared—
Kai stood in the center of the destruction, arms crossed in a block. His clothes were tattered, his body bruised.
Hiroki clapped, his smile widening. "I knew you'd live."
Kai exhaled sharply. "You're toying with me, aren't you?"
Hiroki chuckled. "No, no, of course not." His smirk widened. "...Okay, I am."
Kai's fingers tightened into fists.
Then—
He spat on the ground, kicking off his shoes.
Hiroki blinked. "What are you doing?"
Kai tossed his shoes high into the air.
As they crashed down, the impact kicked up a thick cloud of dust.
Hiroki's eyes narrowed.
Then—
Kai moved.
A blur of motion.
A shockwave of speed.
Before Hiroki could react—
CRACK!
Kai reappeared behind him, leg charged with Ti-Bu, delivering a monstrous kick straight into Hiroki's jaw.
Hiroki's body launched backward, crashing through trees like a cannonball.
Kai didn't let up.
He dashed forward, appearing in front of Hiroki mid-air.
"TIGER KICK!"
A barrage of rapid-fire kicks—each one faster, sharper, and more devastating than the last.
Then, as Hiroki's body reeled from the impact—
Kai somersaulted above him, bringing both feet down.
SLAM!
His feet crashed onto Hiroki's skull, slamming his face into the earth with bone-rattling force.
The ground cracked.
Kai backflipped away, landing with a skid. His hands flew into a series of rapid hand signs, his Ti-Bu surging.
"LION'S ROAR!"
A massive spirit lion materialized behind him, glowing with ethereal energy.
With a deafening roar, the lion lunged, crashing into Hiroki's downed body, detonating into a catastrophic explosion.
The shockwave tore through the battlefield, trees uprooting, the ground splitting.
Kai, breathing heavily, watched the smoke rise.
"Tch... That better have put him down."
Then—
CLAP. CLAP. CLAP.
Kai's eyes widened.
Through the fading dust, Hiroki stood tall, brushing debris off his tattered clothes. His lip was bleeding, but his smile was wider than ever.
"Wow… I really underestimated you." He rolled his shoulders, his body stretching unnaturally. "That was my bad, Kai."
Kai's heartbeat pounded. "What… how are you still standing?"
Hiroki winked. "Simple. My Ti-Bu lets me create cards." He gestured toward the glowing remnants of cards around him. "They're not just for show. They can absorb damage, store energy, or detonate on command."
He cracked his knuckles.
"Now, tell me—what's yours?"
Kai wiped blood from his lip.
"Spirit animals."
Hiroki's eyes twinkled with intrigue.
"Oh, that's fun."
Then—
His smile turned sharp.
"Alright. Let's get serious."
Kai barely had time to blink—
BOOM!
Hiroki vanished in a shockwave of force, the ground beneath him shattering.
He reappeared in front of Kai faster than his eyes could track.
Before Kai could react—
Hiroki's hand clamped over his face.
Then—
BOOOOOM!
A sonic boom exploded from the impact as Hiroki slammed Kai into the ground with monstrous force.
The earth cratered beneath them, cracks spreading for miles.
Dust and debris shot into the sky like a volcanic eruption.

Hiroki stood over Kai's cratered body, hands on his hips. The dude was completely out cold, arms sprawled like he'd just lost a bar fight with a moving train.
Hiroki whistled. "Damn." He cracked his neck. "Gotta say, kid, you impressed me. You actually made me feel something. That's rare."
Kai, unconscious, twitched slightly.
Hiroki grinned. "Oh, so you're still alive? Good, good. Would've been a real bummer if I accidentally turned you into a pancake."
He crouched down, grabbing Kai by the collar, then flipped him onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"Welp! Since you fought well, I guess I can help you out." Hiroki smirked. "You and me, buddy—Kai and Hiroki, the ultimate duo!"
He paused for dramatic effect.
Then nodded to himself.
"Yeah… I like the sound of that. Don't you, Kai?"
Kai, still unconscious, drooled a little.
Hiroki gasped. "What's that? You think I'm the coolest guy ever? And you wanna be my sidekick? Ohhh, Kai, stop it, you're making me blush!"
Kai's limp body slid a little on Hiroki's shoulder.
Hiroki sighed. "Man, you're real bad at conversation. But that's okay, buddy. I'll do the talking for both of us!"
With that, he strutted off, confidently carrying his new "best friend" like a victorious warrior returning from battle.
Meanwhile, Kai's unconscious brain was probably screaming.
Somewhere in the frost Ro sprinted through the dense forest, his eyes darting around as he searched for My and Renji. His fists were clenched, his frustration boiling over like a teapot about to explode.
"That bastard keeps trying to take my sister…" Ro growled under his breath, picking up speed. "I swear, if he so much as breathes near her wrong, I'm gonna—"
SNAP!
A low, guttural growl stopped him in his tracks.
Ro's eyes flicked up. A pack of wolves emerged from the shadows, teeth bared, eyes locked onto him like he was fresh meat.
He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Oh, give me a break."
The wolves crept closer. One snarled. Another lunged.
Ro grinned. "Perfect." He slammed his fists together, his Ti-Bu surging into them.
"Time to test my new move!"
Three wolves pounced at once.
BAM!
Ro roared, swinging his fist in a wide arc, catching all three wolves at the same time and sending them soaring through the air like ragdolls.
He cackled, kissing his knuckles. "YES, BABY! I KNEW YOU'D WORK!"
More wolves emerged, dozens of them. Their growls filled the air, their eyes glowing in the darkness.
Ro cracked his neck, stepping forward. "Oh, y'all really want one person this bad? You must be starving."
The pack charged.
Ro dove into the chaos, fists swinging. Every punch sent wolves flying, crashing into trees, slamming into the dirt. He was like a one-man demolition crew, fists of pure destruction.
The ground beneath him cracked as he punched the earth, launching wolves into the air. He laughed wildly, reveling in the fight.
Then—
His arm went numb.
His laughter stopped.
His right arm… completely dead.
His breath hitched. His body felt like a weight had been dropped onto it. His vision blurred.
(No… no, no, no. Why is my arm numb? Why do I feel… so damn tired?!)
His eyes widened. (Shit. My Ti-Bu's out. I overused it.)
The realization hit him like a punch to the gut.
He tried to move his legs. Nothing.
"Oh, shit. I can't put it in my legs to run."
The remaining wolves stalked forward, sensing his weakness. Their growls became deeper.
Ro gritted his teeth, his heart pounding.
For the first time in a long time…
He might actually be in trouble.
Ro grunted in pain as the wolves dragged him to the ground. Their teeth sank into his arms, his legs, his side. Blood spilled, staining the dirt beneath him.
His vision blurred. His body felt… heavy.
"Damn… guess this is it."
His mind raced, flashing through memories.
(My-My… I hope you become the fastest woman and best swimmer alive, even though I don't know why. I'll miss you.)
(Kai… I'll miss you too, even though you were a little weird.)
(And Renji… I hate you.)
A weak chuckle left his lips.
(Goodbye, world. Guess I'll see what's in the next one.)
FWIP!
An arrow whizzed through the air.
THUNK!
A wolf yelped as it was struck. The others snapped their heads up.
More arrows rained down.
The wolves snarled, backing away as a figure leaped down from the trees.
She landed gracefully, like a leaf floating to the ground.
A young woman stood before him. Slender, strong, her presence radiating quiet confidence. She had large pointed elf ears, short blonde hair, and piercing green eyes. Three freckles dotted each cheek.
She wore a black leotard, a belt full of arrows strapped to her waist, brown gloves, and long boots.
"Stay away from him!" she commanded.
The wolves growled—but another volley of arrows forced them to retreat into the night.
Ro, still lying on the ground, stared blankly at the sky.
The girl knelt beside him.
"Are you okay?" she asked, offering him a hand.
Ro stared at her.
A long, silent pause.
Then—
"WHY THE HELL DID YOU SAVE ME?! I WAS SUPPOSED TO DIE BADASS!"
The girl blinked. "W-What?"
Ro groaned, smacking his forehead. "Man, you ruined it! I had my final words and everything! It was gonna be legendary!"
Her expression twitched. Then—
WHAM!
She slammed her fist straight into his afro, making him bounce off the ground.
"I JUST SAVED YOUR LIFE, JACKASS!"
Ro rubbed his head, wincing. "Ow! Damn, you got an arm on you…"
She huffed, arms crossed. "Unbelievable."
"What kind of idiot complains about surviving?"
Ro grumbled, looking away. "I had a whole dramatic moment planned, y'know… People were gonna cry. There was probably gonna be sad music."
She pinched the bridge of her nose. "You really are an idiot."
Ro finally sat up, looking at her properly.
"…Tch. Who even are you, anyway?"
The girl raised an eyebrow, smirking.
"Name's Lyra. And you owe me one, dumbass."
Ro grumbled, rubbing the sore spot on his head where Lyra had punched him earlier. He was still aching from the wolves, but at least he wasn't dead.
"Well, I'm Ro, and uhh..." He glanced away, his face slightly pink. "...Thanks for saving me."
Lyra smirked. "There we go. Was that so hard?"
Ro scoffed, crossing his arms. "Man, whatever." He stretched his limbs and cracked his neck. "Anyway, I need to find my sister."
Lyra raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you trying to make it out of this forest?"
"Yeah, but My-My comes first."
Lyra blinked in surprise. "Huh. And here I thought you were heartless."
Ro shot her an annoyed look. "Man, shut it." He turned away, waving lazily over his shoulder. "Anyway, peace."
Before he could take more than two steps, Lyra grabbed his hand.
Ro froze, blinking.
She closed her eyes, focusing, and a warm sensation pulsed through his body.
Ro stiffened. "Oi—what the hell—"
The fatigue that had been weighing him down suddenly lifted as Ti-Bu surged back into his system. His limbs no longer felt heavy. His body felt... alive again.
Lyra opened her eyes, a knowing smile on her face. "You wouldn't want to go wandering into the forest without some Ti-Bu, would you?"
Ro flexed his fingers, rolling his shoulders. "Damn... That actually helped." He glanced at her. "Thanks."
Lyra grinned. "Now you owe me two more favors."
She winked, then suddenly leaped high into the trees, disappearing into the night like a shadow.
Ro watched her go, exhaling.
"Man... I just keep meeting more and more people." He shook his head, stuffing his hands into his pockets and walking forward. "What's next, a talking raccoon?"
Meanwhile Renji and My-My rushed through the dark forest, their footsteps crunching against the underbrush.
My-My suddenly grabbed Renji’s arm, her wide, worried eyes locking onto his. "Wait, Renji! We forgot about Ro-Ro!"
Renji froze, his brows furrowing as he glanced over his shoulder. Shit.
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Damn it... I thought he was with us."
Before he could say anything else, a distant, bloodcurdling scream echoed through the trees.
My-My’s eyes went wide with fear. "Renji, did you he—"
"Yeah, I heard it." Renji's tone hardened, his instincts sharpening. "And I can already feel his Ti-Bu."
He turned to My-My, his expression unusually serious. "Listen, My. If something happens to me—"
"What? No! Nothing's gonna happen to you!" My-My interrupted, shaking her head so fast her ponytail whipped around.
Renji ignored her and continued. "If I die, I need you to run as far as you can." His voice was low, steady, commanding. "Find Ro. Stay with him. Don’t stop."
My-My’s face twisted with distress. "But—!"
"No buts!" Renji snapped, his usual coldness replaced by an intensity she’d never heard before.
She fell silent.
Renji took a deep breath before smirking slightly. "But if I do live, I promise... I’ll teach you how to fight."
My-My blinked. Then, her face lit up like the sun. "Really?! Like, for real, for real?!"
Renji chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah. ‘For real, for real.’"
My-My bounced on her heels, her momentary excitement overpowering her fear. "Oh man, this is gonna be awesome! I always wanted to learn how to punch stuff! And kick! And—wait—" Her expression turned sheepish. "I should probably be more worried about you right now, huh?"
Renji sighed. "Took you long enough to figure that out."
My-My rubbed the back of her head. "Hehe... sorry."
Renji turned his gaze forward, eyes narrowing. "Stay close. We’re going back for Ro."
My-My nodded firmly. "Right! Operation Save Ro-Ro is a go!"
Renji exhaled. This girl’s way too excited about everything…
But still, as they sprinted toward the unknown, he couldn't help but smile.
Renji grabbed My-My’s wrist. "Before we move, crouch down."
My-My nodded quickly, and they both ducked into the thick underbrush, creeping forward until they reached a bush. Renji parted the leaves slightly, allowing them to see into the small clearing ahead.
And what they saw was horrifying.
Bodies—at least ten of them—lay scattered across the blood-soaked grass. Some had gaping holes in their torsos, others were missing limbs, their faces twisted in frozen terror.
At the center of the massacre stood a towering humanoid lizard, its emerald-green scales glistening with fresh blood. It held a helpless contestant by the throat, his legs kicking weakly in the air.
The lizard grinned, exposing rows of sharp, yellowed teeth.
"Tsk, tsk. Foolish human." His voice was silky smooth, almost amused. "Did you really think I’d let you live? That you'd somehow manage to crawl out of this place victorious?"
The man in his grasp clawed weakly at the lizard’s arm, gasping for air.
"P-please—!"
"No, no, no. Some people just need to die." The lizard tilted his head slightly, a twisted smirk forming on his snout. "And you? You were never meant to win. You were meant to be a lesson."
With a horrifying squelch, the lizard drove his fist straight through the man’s stomach, his claws bursting out the other side. The victim let out a single choked gasp—then fell limp.
My-My's entire body trembled. Her hands shot to her mouth to stifle a scream, but before she could make a sound—
Renji clamped his hand over her lips, pressing her against him tightly.
“Shh.” His whisper was barely audible, but his grip was firm. They couldn’t afford to be noticed.
The lizard casually dropped the corpse to the ground and turned to face the last two remaining survivors—two young men, their bodies shaking violently as they sat frozen in fear.
"No... please! Please! I don’t want to die!" One of them sobbed, his hands raised in desperation.
The other merely whimpered, his lips trembling too much to form words.
The lizard’s grin widened. He took a slow, deliberate step forward, savoring their terror.
"Oh, I do love it when humans beg." His clawed fingers flexed. "It makes what comes next so much more... satisfying."
And in one swift motion, he grabbed them both by the throat.
The two contestants screamed—but only for a brief moment.
SNAP.
Their bodies went limp instantly.
The lizard let them drop, rolling his shoulders with a content sigh.
"Ahhh... much better."
From the bushes, Renji’s grip on My-My tightened. His eyes were locked onto the scene, his entire body rigid.
My-My's heart pounded violently in her chest. Her mind screamed at her to run, run, run—
But she couldn’t move.
She couldn’t even breathe.
And the lizard?
He was still hungry.