[The Dueling Exam: Arc 11]
[Planet Earth - Fortune Island - Fortune Forest of Mistiness (Middle Row) - Saturday 12:35a.m.]
The 53 participants of the exam were following the next examiner. "They said something about this being coordination test, right? So why are we getting guided, that doesn't got much to do with our coordination senses...." Codey asked, wondering quite believeful. "Don't be so relieved, remember. We're in dark and the mist is becoming thicker every so often. I believe most of us will get split and we'll end up losing ourselves once again... so do keep a close contact with your path, do not just give in." Explained Kylin, calmly and very sure for the rest to understand. "Well - you've got a point, the fog and mist, both together, makes a massive cover for our eyes, I can barely see the examinees ahead of us, and same must go for the ones behind us..." Spoke Kanji quite sure of the back. "Yes, but if by any chance we get split into two groups or other sides, please, don't lose the track of time, you must arrive to the area in the morning at 9 am." Explained Shin, running besides Sakami and Shoji. "I've been trained for this, so I shouldn't have any problems..." Answered Eguchi, acting quite important at this case.
"Settle down you quacker. We don't even know what will happen, if we get caught by an enemy, we're probably going to get stopped." Answered Octavius calm. "Yeah. I don't want to admit it, but I have to, Octavius is surely quite correct... and despite the cause of enemies, we still have to deal with other examinees, getting split will make our timer drop down, as for when it comes to the examiner's guidence, those who stick up with him might come there before 6 am and will have to wait additional 3 hours for the rest to come." Tim explained. "Correct." Confirmed Shin. "Hah! Who the hell would care about getting lost in these woods when you've got the skills of a-" But before Yutaku answered his 'important' speech, Kazuko already bursted into a yell. "Oh right? You think you've got skills of an examiner? Well not a chance, only one who does have it, it's me, you asshole." Shouted Kazuko, and the two once again began to argue. "And there they go again...." While Tim continued to run, his face became quite tired of everyday's yelling.
But in that moment, Codey's ears twitched a bit. A loud, crying scream was heard and a gust of wind by passed. "Whoa, what was that?" Codey wondered, as well as Shin, he seemed to react to this as well, the rest however didn't react once bit. "Codey...." It was Ayuka's calm voice, she gave him a look very steadily. "You managed to sense something, what was it?" She asked, looking at him. "I-I.... uh.... it was just a scream, it seemed to be man-like. But, didn't you hear it either?" Codey asked, wondering. "....I wish we could, but I really could not hear anything?" Claimed Ayuka, while running besides him. "Well, if so, I did. But, it was a scream of someone's fear, I sensed their body heatness, even their quick, terrified heart beating." Answered Codey. "Someone's body sensation? That's maybe duo to your 'Perceptionist' abilities, which means that, Shin managed to sense it as well." Answered Ayuka, giving him a sight. When Shin faced back with his right eye, he gave a nod. "Does.... this mean that somebody was caught, seperated?" Wondered Codey, terrified of what was happening.
- A few minutes earlier before senses -
[Planet Earth - Fortune Island - Fortune Forest of Mistiness (Front row) - Saturday 12:32 a.m.]
Kaori was all the way at the front with Ume, as well as Kyou, he was at the front as well. "So. Kaori right, was it? Tell me, what were your reasons of taking on this beautiful exam?" Ume seemed to be rather energetic, interested into her. "Why would you need to know that? Besides, pretty much everybody wants 'Dueling Licenses'." Claimed Kaori, facing down at Ume. "Ah! Of course! But why do you wish to duel, what is making you going?" Wondered Ume, having a smile. "....That.... there were just some sibling problems." Kaori spoke, calmly. "Ah, so you wish to impress your siblings?" Giggled Ume. "You can be so cute, Kaori."
"We've just met, don't go wasting your time by asking these questions, but it's not to impress them, it's actually to repay my brother for what he did several years ago, of course, that won't be doable without these licenses." Explained Kaori, rather serious. "Ah! Is it so? How cute and gentle! You're kind of fair, aren't ya!" Giggled Ume. "Would you stop doing that, seriously. It's masking my thoughts for good." But when Kaori claimed so, something roared. "What the hell was that?" Another examinee from the front row wondered. The examiner, Kichira began speeding up quite decently and Kyou was given thoughts. ("Ah! We're speeding up, guess one of our enemies has finally showed itself!") Smiled Kyou, licking his lips, continuing to follow Kichira.
Ume and Kaori were both in the middle circle of the forest, there were voices and whispers coming from every side, and for that reason, the two of them necessarily stopped. "What the hell are these noises! Who's making them? It creeps the hell out of me!" Wondered a man. "Oh, come on, hurry up before they get to us!" But as soon as the examinee yelled. A some kind of 'Demonic' Figure stepped its way from behind the fog, rushing at the examinee calling out and reaching with his quite massive arms at the examinee. By the massive palm, grabbing the tiny body of that human, the Demon began squeezing. "Hey! Wh-what the hell! Let me go! Hey! Grhhh! Hey! It hurts!" Loud yells and loud cries were constantly flying through the air. "It's a Demon! It seems to be a 'Gigantic' one as well!" Answered Kaori, she tried to keep and protect the guy, but a bunch of Tier 3 Demons began gathering around her, Ume caught up and leaned onto her back. "Well, guess we won't manage to keep follow the man, seems like we're ready to enjoy some fighting!" Giggled Ume.
"Grade 3's are still very easy to deal with, so don't worry!" Ume laughed. "Oh, don't be so cocky." Claimed Kaori, when she prepared herself to fight. "Are you planning to fight bare-handedly?" Wondered Ume. "Just shut up." By saying that, Kaori unleashed bright flames that cycled around her arms, and quite a heavy flame greatsword appeared. "I haven't seen such a weapon in a long time, especially not a greatsword!" Laughed Ume, she immediately reached for her back and prepared her hands. "Then let's have some fun!" She raised her right arm and then squirked it downward across the guitar strings, a loud music waves bursted at Demons, forcing their ears to explode because of loud noise. "Hey! You could have warned me about how loud your guitar is!!" Called Kaori, by jumping forward, she provided herself with flame trail on the blade, cutting through the Demon and then landing, after turning to the side, she spun in a half strike, cutting the second Demon's body. "At least now I understand what are enemies are... one of them is even a Titanic Demon! We can't fight if when we don't have clear vision, move forward!" Called Kaori, moving her sword behind her and making her sword disappear running forward. "You don't need to see them, when all you have to do is make noise, prepare your ears before they explode!" Giggled Ume. "Let's turn up the sound!" Called Ume, when her finger nails provided a short glow. "Sprinkle, sprinkle, death awaits!" She struck a massive swing with her fingers, when a pulse of loud sound waves bursted, blowing the fog around, cracking the trees when the Demons around them felt vibrations of intensity. "I can hear it even through my ears, and is loud, how loud can you be???" Asked Kaori, shouting loudly. "How loud! Don't worry! As loud as I want!" Ume yelled, and the vibrations on the ground cracked, people around them felt shocked and the Demons were exploded into splashing blood, duo to massive vibrations. The blood squirked over the air, splashing across the floor. "And that's how you defeat a group of Tier 3 and Tier 5 Demons." Smiled Ume, spinning her guitar and leaning her back onto her back. Kaori even felt somewhat shocked. ("She can make some noise.... really....") Wondered Kaori, finally let go of her ears. "Well, time we should get going, we might still be able to catch up to the examiner, after all... these loud notes I've made, allowed me to sense exactly where they are..." The two of them ran forward, when the left body parts of the Demons lied on the floor.
An examinee, sitting on a tree's branch moved his finger upward, an invisible string made one of the body parts wiggle up and down.... Hoioioi... a failure..." The examinee claimed. ".....That was so.... boring...." The examinee sighed, dropping down from a branch and grabbing the Demon's wrist.
[Planet Earth - Fortune Island - Fortune Forest of Mistiness (Middle row) - Saturday 12:45 a.m.]
It was exactly for Tim and the rest, they've reached the same destination as the front row has. "I can barely see any more people.... I only see shadows of two people ahead of us, soon, even those two will disappear, no way we can keep going the same way, this is for sure where the main 'test' of the coordinating comes into play... right, Ayuka...?" However, when Codey faced around, he only froze and stopped. "Uh.... anyone.... he-hello?" Codey wondered, looking around. He tried to force his senses to appear, however, duo to the thick fog and mist, that was blocked. "Hey! Everyone! Tim! Ayuka! Kanji! Hello! Anyone?!" Codey shouted, yelling around him, but no comment until then. "Hey! Codey!" Codey faced behind him, when Tim came running besides him. "Tim! Oh thank god! At least one heard me!" Codey gulped. "So, you got seperated as well, huh?" Tim asked, looking, when stepping besides Codey. "Y-yeah! And there is nothing I can do! I can't even sense others duo to this thick fog and strong mist." He explained. "And I just had high hopes that you would manage to force your sensations around here..." Tim spoke. "Did you see anybody else?" But Tim simply just have a shake. "Well, either way. We can't do much, all we can focus on right now is to get to the finish line, others are probably doing the same." Tim explained. "And how do you plan to find your way to the finish? Everything feels as if it was invisible." Codey answered. "It's coordination test, remember, that is, what was supposed to happen. Darkness, mist and fog... something that will prevent us from seeing far, sensing far, or making this an easy test." Called Tim, sighing.
"So, great... now we are split...." Codey grabbed his forehead. "You know, getting split doesn't stop us from all finishing the exam... we just gotta keep pushing." Claimed Tim, calm and sturdy of his surroundings. "Either way, let's get going!" The two of them ran forward. "This is so not going to be safe! We're all going to somehow end up failing this, or at least us!" Codey seemed to be worrying to much. "Just focus on moving, we don't got much time."
[Planet Earth - Fortune Island - Fortune Forest of Mistiness - Saturday 12:47 a.m.]
"This is getting so stupid, we're both here, lost and we have no idea where to go." Claimed Kanji. "...That doesn't mean this is end for our exam..." Answered an examinee. "Okay! Who the hell even are you already? I got caught up with you for some reason, out of everybody else!" Called Kanji, pointing at the examinee. "Oh.... well, well, well... I see someone is interested into knowing my beloved and precious name! Good to your day! I am Masahiro Ellie, and, can you tell me who the hell is this?" Ellie pointed his thumb backward at Sora. "Oh! Hi! Another immersive examinne! Hi! I am a friendly examinee! Maita Sora! And, how do you like them apples?" Wondered Sora, Ellie was confused and unamused. "The hell do you mean with apples?!" Questioned Ellie, annoyed of the person like Sora.
"These apples!!" Sora changed into a female body. "Are you god damn kidding me?!" He yelled, getting overwhelmed.
"Just great... two weirdos next to me...." Kanji, grabbed his forehead, focusing on the path.
To be continued...