After getting up from the underground lake, Arun and Ikka aimed to find the exit of the labyrinth.
However, it was not so simple, as there were multiple paths and avoiding traps was far from easy.
"Trap here !" The voice of the squid sounded in the corridors of the pipe labyrinth, and Arun quickly stepped aside to avoid a shower of spear that would have slaughtered him.
"Thank you... Without you, crossing these pipes would be suicide..." It was Ikka who warned Arun of the location of the traps every time she thought there would be one. She said she calculated based on the probabilities and the structure of the labyrinth. It was too complicated for the vet, but she was never wrong.
"We should arrive soon !" She announced with enthusiasm, probably having also calculated that the arrival was not so far.
Indeed, for some minutes, the pipe in which Ikka and Arun progressed became wider and wider, as if it would lead to an exit.
And again, the incredible predictions of the colossal squid proved true. A few dozen meters away, they arrived in a large lighted room, and they could not miss the huge banner that signaled the finish line at the bottom.
"It's here ! The end of the race !" Arun approached a little before stopping on the way. Something was wrong. Approaching, he saw multiple dark masses lying on the ground. He thought he recognized one.
"Shuu ?" The young meerkat was visibly fainting and wounded on the ground. Other participants were in the same state as him, all just before the finish line.
"Who is Shuu?" Ikka approached a little, intrigued seeing that her friend seemed to have become worried.
"It's... A friend of mine. I came to take part in the race with him, and we split up to have a better chance of reaching the finish line." Arun quickly explained the situation to the squid who approached a little more.
Ikka's tentacles wrapped around the boy's unconscious body, squeezing him the same way she'd squeezed Arun a little earlier.
"Broken arm... Several traces of blow..." The squid was feeling the meerkat's body with her tentacles and listing the wounds she was feeling. Decidedly, the abilities of this girl did not finish being impressive...
"With all this he may have trouble participating in the competition..." Arun murmured to himself, looking around him. There were five or six people in the same state as Shuu... If he counted those who had been had at the beginning of the track, there was not many people remaining.
The rule that everything was allowed was definitely way too dangerous for a simple sporting event.
"Here, newcomers..." A deep and imposing voice sounded in the room they were in. Ikka raised her head and reacted much faster than the vet. She released Shuu's body in an instant and pushed Arun aside, just before a man of an impressive size came crashing down to the ground where he would have been.
"Not nice ! Enemy !" Ikka, who had understood the intentions of the stranger, threw herself at him, and tried to immobilize him by using her tentacles.
No harm, however, their opponent dodged easily, and even allowed himself to catch one of the tentacles. He pulled it hard and the squid lost her balance and fell forward.
"I have nothing against you, nor against any of those I shot. Let's say you're just collateral damage... The more I eliminate here, the less opponents I'll have for the next event !"
Arun quickly inspected their opponent, who was once again a meerkat much larger than him, like Toma, the man who would have stunned him at the beginning of the race if Kast and Miraj had not intervened.
But this one had a different aura, much more frightening than that of the first meerkat. Unfortunately, he did not intend to let them go to the finish line.
"Come on, let's finish that !" Without waiting a moment longer, the stranger rushed to Ikka who was just getting up to give her a violent punch on the head. The poor squid fell to the ground groaning, a little sounded.
"What are you doing, she doesn't participate !" Without thinking, Arun in turn attacked the meerkat by trying to hit him in the face. But the veterinarian's blow, far too weak, was easily avoided. The man swept Arun's legs to the ground in less than five seconds.
"Pretty easy this time, there were some who have given me more trouble." The meerkat chuckled, and approached the young man on the ground. The work was not totally finished as long as he was still moving.
"Kick of the flaming squirrel !"
For the second time of the day, Kast's voice reached the veterinarian's ears while he was in trouble. This squirrel had a gift to always arrive at the right time...
Unfortunately, this time his kick did not work as well as on Toma, and the meerkat managed to parry it before moving away a little.
"Arun, are you good ?" Miraj approached the young man who was getting up quickly.
"Yes it's okay, I just fell..." he replied with a smile, happy to see his two companions in good health.
"Didn't you fall in the hole ? I didn't think I'd see you alive again..."
"No, I managed to get away on time and Kast got hooked and managed not to fall in. We didn't expect to see you again ! I don't know how you did to survive such a fall, but you were lucky." Miraj smiled at the vet before turning to their common opponent, who was facing Kast.
"It was pretty powerful, for a kick... But I still don't intend to let you qualify." Even in two against one, the meerkat seemed confident enough to face the two squirrels who were far from weak...
But a voice rang out in the big hall, forcing them to stop their confrontation sooner than expected.
"The Meerkat Race is over ! There are not enough participants for the next event, so stop fighting !" The presenter's voice seemed a little upset. He himself did not foresee that this rule would reduce the number of candidates so much...
"All those who are still standing are qualified ! And their teammates too, of course."
The race was finally over. They had succeeded! They were all qualified for the next event.