The voice was distinct, yet my mind could not tell who had the same tone of voice, someone I had met. I feel like the male voice ringing inside my head is someone close to me, very dear to me, a person I am fond of.
"Show them what you can do! Don't let anyone trample you! Trample on them instead! You know yourself that you can do better!"
My ears are ringing. I did not hear a word the two nursing students said as they angrily approached me with their clenched-tight fists.
"Look at them! Do they look like they will hold back on you? Just see the expression on their faces, so ferocious and intimidating, right?"
Strength surged inside me. I felt it. The encouraging voice in my head erases all the cowardly thoughts, exchanging them with scenarios, victorious ideas in which I take the two nursing students down flawlessly.
The loud ringing inside my head that erases the noise from the forest, the calm thumping of my heart, and the footsteps of the two nursing students, I could hear them all simultaneously. My eyes fell on the two after looking at the round moon through the tiny gaps in the leaves and branches.
Surprisingly, everything was moving in a slow motion, the leaves falling from the trees, the swinging of their arms, and the gradual change in their facial expression. Their lips movements, to be precise, for they were shouting something I could not understand.
As the three of us were about to clash fists, out of nowhere, beams from the flashlight obscured our vision, flashing our eyes with the blinding redirected rays of the flashlight. We had to cover our eyes, squinting to see where and who dared try to interfere in my fight.
"Guys, look at that! If that was not our classmate, Esecle-whatever!"
Judging the tone of his voice, it was Allen. But I am confused because there are supposed to be for of them. Based on how bright the place is, their numbers must exceed 8. Guessing the exact number base on the light coming from all directions was impossible. I made assumptions, and I highly doubt they are here to help me.
Before we part ways with Prof Denise, I asked him some questions that were not included in the rules and regulations.
I asked if there were areas where the wireless cameras could see. He answered me with a smile on his face.
Then another question popped up in my mind.
"Students can't forcibly take their classmates' flags, right?"
Prof Denise nodded.
"And voluntary submission of their flags is accepted, right?"
"Yes."
"Then who do you think will come out on top in this class?"
"Geh? What the... Your question is completely unrelated. I favor none among you, for I am a neutral person. If you don't have anything to ask,
I'll go now."
He started walking away, "wait! I have one more question."
"Be quick with it," he said shortly.
"Then I can force my classmates to give their captured flags to me if I am not being watched, right? Breaking a bone or two will be overlooked, right?"
Professor Denise was surprised by the sudden change in my tone, and I might not have seen my face, but I knew I grinned cynically. Even I was confused by the abrupt change of character.
"Before doing it, make sure you are out of their eyes. The punishment is severe after all."
With that being said, Prof Denise wished me a stroke of good luck and left the whole class in the middle of the forest.
We don't need to be careful about wild animals attacking us because the school did not let any animals on the man-made island. The only threat looming in the forest is the greedy nature of the students and the desperate needs of hopeless strays.
Before I knew it, I was back in the present time, and Allen's group had approached us.
No opportunity was wasted by the two desperate students. Jabbing toward Allen and the rest of the group was what ignited the unlit candle of fury.
Allen's reflex was far superior to that of the two students. He caught the other one's hand while he dodged the other one.
Arduously, Allen powerfully lifted the man up in the air, thus slamming him to the ground.
"Guh!" uttered the pitiful student, arching his back in pain.
"Bastard!"
Allen's lackeys dealt with the other one, holding both of his arms, rendering him unable to fight back.
"Don't injure him. A punch or two will do."
A punch or two, well, his lackeys chose to hit the man twice on his abdomen and cheek. I saw him puke the food he ate earlier after being hit in the stomach. Also, I think one of his teeth was broken.
"Ahh!!! F-Fucking hell! My tooth is broken!"
A tiny red beam flashed in my left eye. Upon noticing the laser-like red beam, I looked above the trees, and there, I saw a wireless camera pointing directly at our location. I could say that the camera caught everything that had happened just a moment ago.
"Search them and see if they have flags."
Ivan approached me, leaning his face on me as close as he can, "how about our classmate? Do we search him too?"
Shit! They will see that I have two captured flags with me. Even if we are being watched right now, I don't think they will leave my captures be!
I need to think of a solution! What do I need to do? How am I supposed to get out of these safe and sound?
Something about Ivan pisses me off. It might be his mustache and grin on his face that annoys me. He annoys me to no end, to the point that I want to give his face a punch and break all of his teeth, so he would be embarrassed to grin.
I slapped Ivan's hand, "hey, Allen."
"Did this fucker just—?!"
Allen grabbed Ivan's arm, interrupting him from hitting me.
"What is it, wimp?"
Intimidatingly, his gaze towards me was telling me he would swallow me whole if I said something that would piss him off.
I swallowed the original words I was gonna say and spouted the words even though I myself was startled after I heard them.
"Let's fight and stake the flags we own! One on one, barehanded!"
Confidently, I knew that I said that with a straight face. I was not
supposed to say that. I was gonna ask him to say sorry to Ira for hitting him in exchange for the two flags I have, but I guess I fucked up.
"Pfft! Puwahahahahaha!"
They burst into mocking laughter, ridiculously pointing me out as the entire group said that I had lost my mind.
"Can you believe this guy?!"
Everyone was laughing so hard that they clutched their stomach.
"D-don't laugh at the dude," blurted out the man who is trying to recover from the pain. "A-Aaron said he singlehandedly defeated two guys. He told us that the dude managed to capture two flags."
~