The Hunt

Ro kept climbing, his muscles screaming in protest, but My-My's constant cheers fueled his determination.
"You got this, Ro! Keep going! You're almost—okay, maybe not almost, but you're getting there!"
Just then, a massive rock dislodged from above and plummeted, smashing into a group of climbers below. Their screams echoed as they lost their grip and tumbled into the abyss.
Ro's eyes widened. "Shit! I almost got hit!"
Before he could react, another rock—even bigger—came crashing down, heading straight for him and Kai.
"Oh, hell no!" Kai pulled back his fist and punched the rock midair, shattering it into rubble. He grinned, shaking out his knuckles. "See, kids? This is what happens when you punch metal half your life."
Renji snorted. "Or, hear me out—why train your body when you can just use Ti-Bu?"
Kai smirked. "True. But I didn't have to waste any Ti-Bu just now."
Ro wasn't even listening. His eyes had locked onto Lyra, who was climbing with absurd ease. She barely even looked like she was exerting herself, smoothly scaling the wall while using her bow as a grappling hook. When another barrage of rocks came raining down, she weaved through them effortlessly, dodging without missing a beat.
Ro gritted his teeth. "Show off."
Meanwhile, Hiroki and Tokuma were caught in the storm of falling debris as well.
Hiroki smirked, hanging on with one hand, completely unfazed. "This is getting fun." With a flick of his wrist, he tossed a card toward the biggest rock. The second it touched the surface—BOOM!—it exploded into dust.
Tokuma, on the other hand, didn't even bother using his hands. He simply flicked his tail, shattering an incoming boulder like it was made of paper.
Further down, Veger and Bojack weren't having much trouble either.
Veger clung to the wall with one arm while drawing his gun with the other. Bang! He fired, obliterating an oncoming rock in an instant.
Bojack whistled. "Nice one."
Veger smirked. "Thanks."
And then there was Zoi.
A massive rock barreled toward him at full speed. Without even looking up, he spit. The moment his saliva touched the rock, it cracked into pieces.
Silence.
Everyone climbing near him just stared.
Bojack blinked. "The hell kinda spit is that?!"
Zoi didn't respond. He just kept climbing.
—
After two brutal hours of climbing, Ro's arms felt like noodles. His fingers were numb, his grip shaky.
"Are we almost there?!" he groaned.
My-My tilted her head. "Hmmm… that's weird."
Renji glanced over. "What do you mean weird?"
She pointed up. "Look at the clouds. We're about to touch them."
Ro's jaw dropped. "No way… we've been climbing that long?!"
Kai let out a tired laugh. "Seems like it…"
The four of them stared at the misty clouds just ahead, realization sinking in.
They were almost at the top.
After few minutes go by Everyone finally reached the top, gasping for air as their aching limbs screamed for mercy. The second they made it, Zoe—completely unfazed, of course—clapped her hands together.
"Nice job, everyone. Now, follow this dirt path to Part 3."
Before Zoe even finished, Ro threw Kai off his back with a heavy THUD.
"Kai, I swear to God, if you're still hurt, I'm throwing you off this cliff myself!"
Kai groaned, rubbing his sore backside. "No, no, I'm fine now! Thank you very much!"
My-My hopped off Renji's back, stretching. "You did a great job, Ro-Ro!"
Ro was still hunched over, hands on his knees. "Yeah, yeah, whatever—I just need to breathe!"
Renji grinned. "Well, hurry up. Everyone's already moving on."
Ro shot him a glare. "Can I not get a break?! I carried Kai all the way up here without stopping even once!"
Renji put a hand on his chin, pretending to think. "Hmm. Fair point. Okay, I got it—I'll carry you now."
"Don't you dare—!"
Too late.
Before Ro could react, Renji scooped him up like a sack of potatoes and threw him over his shoulder.
Ro's face burned red. "P-PUT ME DOWN, DAMMIT!"
Renji smirked. "Nope. I'll put you down when we get where we need to go."
Ro grumbled. "Fine." He folded his arms, looking like a very angry, very humiliated child.
Kai laughed. "Man, Renji, I like your style."
Renji chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, let's just get moving before we're last place."


The dirt path led them into a clearing where a tall man in sunglasses stood, arms crossed. He had a sleek, professional look—like some kind of shady businessman who might secretly run an underground fight club.
"Ladies and gentlemen… and, uh… monsters," he gestured vaguely toward a few contestants who were clearly not human. "Welcome to Part 3 of the tournament!"
The crowd murmured in anticipation.
"Your next task? Bring back an animal!"
Some people nodded, others raised an eyebrow.
"Sounds easy, right?" The man grinned. "Well, let's hope you don't get a powerful one—hahahahaha!"
Silence.
Someone coughed.
The man ignored the awkward reaction and pulled out a deck of cards.
"Each of you will get a random card. That card determines what animal you have to catch. No switching, no complaining. Whatever you get, you get. So… here goes!"
He flicked his wrist, passing out cards at an impossible speed. Within seconds, everyone was holding one.
Ro immediately jumped off Renji's shoulder and looked at his card.
"Three-Headed Black Panther"
Ro's eye twitched. "The hell kinda cat has three heads?!"
My-My looked at hers. "Raging Earth Bear." She tilted her head. "Ooooh! Sounds tough!"
Kai peeked at his. "Kangaroo."
Kai blinked.
Then he grinned.
"Heh. This might actually be fun."
Renji flipped his card over and whistled. "Venomous Razorback Boar."
Ro raised a brow. "What, does it spit poison?"
Renji shrugged. "Guess I'll find out."
The sunglasses man clapped his hands.
"Alright, folks! You have twenty minutes to capture your assigned animal! If you fail… well, let's just say you really don't want to fail! And the challenge begins… uhhhhhh…"
He looked at his watch.
"Righttttttt… NOW!"
The second the words left his mouth—
Everyone took off running.
As the group ran, each of them examining their assigned targets. Ro held up his card, eyes narrowing. "Three-headed black panther, huh?" he muttered.
Renji glanced over and shrugged. "No clue where you'd find that."
Kai sighed, flipping his own card. "How about a kangaroo?"
Renji raised an eyebrow. "Still no clue."
Kai groaned. "Wow, you're so helpful."
Ro cracked his knuckles. "Welp, time to split up. See you guys on the other side—if you survive."
Kai smirked. "You too, buddy." With that, he took off in one direction, Ro in another, leaving My-My and Renji alone.
My-My held her card close to her chest and hesitated. "Renji… could you help me with mine? I can't fight."
Renji tapped his chin, pretending to think deeply. "Hmmm. I dunno. What's in it for me?"
My-My pouted. "Renji!"
He laughed, waving a hand dismissively. "Relax, relax. Yeah, I'll help. But this 'Raging Earth Bear' sounds like a pain in the ass. No idea where to even start looking."
My-My let out a relieved breath. "Thanks, Renji! I'd be totally doomed without you!"
Renji smirked. "I know."
They continued through the dense jungle, the sounds of rustling leaves and distant animal calls filling the air. Sunlight filtered through the trees in golden shafts, casting an eerie glow on the forest floor.
After a moment of silence, Renji suddenly said, "So, uh did Kai already taught you about Ti-Bu."
My-My perked up. "Yup! He explained all the basics. But…" she twiddled her fingers, "I still don't really know how to activate my ability. It just kind of… doesn't happen when I try."
Renji nodded knowingly. "Figured. Kai's great at explaining, but I'm pretty sure he's not exactly the best at hands-on training. That's where I come in." He stopped walking and turned to her. "Alright, let's make this simple. You have a Ti-Bu ability—you're just not triggering it properly. That means we need to force it out."
My-My blinked. "Force it? How do we do that?"
Renji grinned. "By putting you in danger, of course."
Before she could react, Renji suddenly lunged at her, fist swinging.
"AHHH!" My-My yelped, instinctively jumping back—only to blur through space, appearing several feet away in a flash of motion.
She blinked. "Wha—"
Renji grinned. "Bingo. That's what I was hoping for."
My-My gasped. "Did I just—did I teleport?!"
Renji shook his head. "Not quite. That was an instinctual movement burst. You're so athletic that your Ti-Bu is amplifying your natural reflexes and reaction speed. It's like you skipped through space without thinking."
She bounced on her heels excitedly. "That's so cool!"
Renji crossed his arms. "Yeah, yeah, but that was just a reflex. You didn't control it—you panicked."
She pouted. "Well, yeah! You attacked me out of nowhere!"
Renji smirked. "Exactly. Real fights aren't scripted, My-My. If you only rely on instincts, you'll get crushed the moment you face someone who can predict you. You need to learn how to activate your ability whenever you want, not just when you're scared."
She thought about that, nodding slowly. "Okay… so how do I do that?"
Renji tapped his temple. "Think of it like a muscle. If you never use it, it stays weak. Right now, your Ti-Bu wants to activate, but your brain keeps getting in the way. So let's train it."
He suddenly dropped into a fighting stance. "And the best way to train it? Fighting, of course."
My-My's eyes widened. "Wait, you want me to fight you?!"
Renji shrugged. "Unless you wanna get mauled by that Earth Bear when we find it, yeah. You need to learn how to use your ability in real combat. And don't worry, I'll go easy on you."
She clenched her fists, hesitating. "But… I've never fought anyone before."
Renji grinned. "Perfect. First time for everything."
My-My took a deep breath, then raised her fists in what she thought looked like a fighting stance. Renji immediately burst into laughter.
"What?!" she huffed.
"That's not a stance, that's just you standing there with your hands up!" He stepped closer, adjusting her arms. "Keep your feet shoulder-width apart, lower your center of gravity, and don't be so stiff. Fighting isn't just throwing punches—it's about balance, movement, and control."
She swallowed hard. "Okay… got it."
Renji took a step back. "Alright, let's see if you can make that ability come out again. Try to dodge this!"
He shot forward, aiming a quick jab at her shoulder. My-My yelped, trying to move—but she was too slow. His knuckles tapped her lightly, and she stumbled back.
"Too slow."
She gritted her teeth. "Hey! I wasn't ready!"
"Your opponent won't wait for you to be ready, My-My. Again."
He attacked again, this time a little faster. My-My reacted on instinct, her body tensing—then suddenly, she blurred again, appearing a foot to the side.
Renji whistled. "There it is."
My-My gasped. "I did it again!"
"Yup. But now the real challenge begins." Renji cracked his knuckles. "You need to do that on purpose now. Let's keep going until you can activate it at will."
She gulped. "This is gonna be a long day, isn't it?"
Renji smirked. "Yup. Now stop talking and move!"
As they continued sparring, My-My slowly began to control her ability. It was rough, messy, and sometimes she couldn't get it to activate at all—but for the first time, she felt it. The rush of energy inside her. The way her body wanted to move.
And every time she looked at Renji—his confident smirk, the way he pushed her without being cruel—her heart beat a little faster.
Maybe learning how to fight wasn't so bad after all.
As My-My panted from their training session, a rustling sound cut through the air.
Renji's sharp eyes snapped toward the bushes, his body immediately tensing. His playful smirk disappeared, replaced by a cold, calculating expression. Something's here.
"My, we're being watched." His voice was low, controlled.
My-My's breath hitched. "By who?"
Renji didn't answer right away. Instead, he lifted a hand and pointed toward the thick brush ahead. The air felt wrong—heavy, charged with danger. And then—
BOOM!
The ground trembled as something massive tore through the underbrush. A Raging Earth Bear—easily ten feet tall, its muscular body covered in jagged, rock-like fur—burst into the clearing with a guttural roar. Its bloodshot eyes locked onto My-My.
It lunged.
"MY!"
Before she could even process what was happening, Renji had already grabbed her, his arms wrapping tightly around her waist. With a powerful leap, he launched them both into the trees just as the Earth Bear's claws shredded the spot where she had stood. Bark and dirt exploded into the air.
They landed safely on a thick branch, My-My still trembling in his grasp.
"You okay?" Renji asked, his voice steady.
She clutched his jacket, heart hammering. "Y-Yeah… Thank you, Renji."
Renji's eyes flickered downward, locking onto the beast below. Slowly, he let go of My-My and hopped down from the tree, landing soundlessly.
He rolled his shoulders, exhaling. And then—his entire presence shifted.
The warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced by something empty. Hollow. Like all emotion had been sucked from his body, leaving only a void.
The Earth Bear let out a deafening roar, slamming its claws into the dirt.
Renji didn't flinch.
"You should've stayed in the bushes."
The bear charged.
And Renji moved.
The fight began.
The Earth Bear swiped its massive claws downward, aiming to crush him. But Renji was already gone. He slipped between its strikes with inhuman precision, his footwork smooth, calculated—like he was dancing around death.
With a sudden burst of movement, he ducked low and delivered a vicious spinning kick to its ribs. A shockwave rang out from the impact, sending dust flying. The beast staggered—but before it could recover, Renji was already behind it.
He slammed his elbow into the back of its skull.
The bear roared in rage, twisting to swipe at him. Renji leaned back just enough to let the claws slice through the air an inch from his throat. His face remained blank, unbothered.
"Too slow."
The bear reared up, slamming both front paws into the ground. BOOM! The earth split apart beneath Renji's feet, sending massive chunks of rock flying.
Renji barely reacted. In one fluid motion, he stepped onto a rising rock, kicked off it, and launched himself high into the air.
From above, his hand flicked forward.
"Ice Lance."
A jagged spike of ice materialized in his palm, shimmering in the dim light. Without hesitation, he hurled it downward.
SHUNK!
The ice spear buried itself deep into the Earth Bear's shoulder.
The beast bellowed in pain, but Renji wasn't finished. He landed gracefully a few feet away, already forming another spike in his hand. His empty, hollow eyes gleamed with something inhuman.
"You're pathetic."
The Earth Bear, despite its wound, refused to go down. It let out a furious roar, its rocky hide cracking as raw energy surged through it.
Renji's gaze remained blank. He tilted his head slightly.
"Tch. Still breathing?"
The bear lunged with terrifying speed, jaws wide open to rip him apart.
Renji didn't move. He simply raised a hand.
"Ice Pillar."
A massive spike of ice erupted from the ground, slamming into the bear's underbelly and launching it skyward.
It crashed back down with a sickening thud, the earth shaking from the impact.
Renji exhaled. The fight was already over. But just to be sure—
He approached the downed beast, cold and methodical. He conjured another three ice spikes, twirling one between his fingers.
Then—without hesitation—
"One." He drove the first spike into its other shoulder.
"Two." The second pierced straight into its leg.
"Three." The third found its mark in the bear's gut.
And finally—Renji raised his last spike, his face void of emotion.
"Four."
With one brutal thrust, he stabbed it directly through the heart.
The beast shuddered.
Then it went still.
Silence fell over the battlefield.
Renji stepped back, letting out a quiet breath. His icy weapons melted into nothingness, their job complete. Slowly, his cold-blooded, ruthless aura faded.
He turned.
Up in the tree, My-My was staring at him with wide eyes. She had seen Renji fight before—but never like this. This wasn't the cheeky, mischievous guy who teased her constantly. This was someone else.
Someone terrifying.
Renji met her gaze for a long moment.
Then, in a single heartbeat, his usual smirk returned.
"Whew! That was fun, huh?" he said, stretching like he hadn't just butchered a massive beast with ice spears.
My-My blinked. "Renji…"
"What?" He shot her a wink. "Told you I'd take care of it."
She swallowed. "You… you didn't even hesitate."
Renji tilted his head, still grinning. "Hesitate? Why would I? It was either me or the bear. And trust me, I don't lose."
My-My shivered.
She wasn't sure whether to feel safe with him—or afraid of him.