Kibim sighed. His fear had faded, as Oscar's presence was no longer present since he was no longer conscious. Although he was heavily injured, he was confident.
"So many pests. I've already killed Romeo, Aithlin, and this snowman's next!" Kibim laughed, stretching. He stood up, his sword in hand. He held it like it was a rapier, mocking Isalda.
[Cast: Flowing Water Dart]
From the trees, an arrow cut through the sky, charging toward Kibim. Kibim caught it.
"What kind of bullshit are you trying to kill me with?" he asked, a little disappointed.
Before he knew it, Isalda thrusted her rapier into his shoulder. It pierced through, leaving him bleeding.
Kibim dashed back, not expecting the sudden attack. He looked down at his shoulder.
Isalda looked over at the king's head, along with Aithlin's head, lying on the ground. A light expression of disgust and anger was seen clearly on her face.
"This act of regicide... you must be executed!"
A rain of arrows came flying down from the sky, zipping down. They were all coming for Kibim.
He continued to deflect the arrows with his sword.
"Is this your plan? To keep on sending these-"
An arrow landed. Due to his thick skin, it didn't pierce. But, it hurt.
"A sudden whim has gone through my head."
He leaped into the air.
[Cast: Blood Web]
Kibim shot webs down, covering Isalda's vision. Then, he was gone.
"Damn it!" Isalda yelled, angry.
Ailmer came out of the forest, his bow in hand. The knights finally arrived.
"You're getting rusty, Isalda. To let him escape?" Ailmer teased, placing his arrows back into his quiver. Isalda didn't pay much attention, expression-wise.
"Shut up. I'm still in my prime. I managed to pierce the Iron Vanguard Captain's skin."
"That's true. How did you manage to damage the-"
"Isalda! The king has been killed... but a body remains!"
. . .
. .
.
An instructor paced back and forth. Her green braided hair fell all the way down to her hands, which were at ease, behind her back.
Her hazel eyes scanned the area, moving around and about. There was a light smirk on her face.
"What's with the chick?"
"I think she's the instructor."
The two boys sat on a crate in the crowded field, full of thousands of people. There were some tents and all of that.
One boy had blue hair, while the other was blonde. The blonde one wore a dragon mask, and the blue-haired one wore a dog mask. They had their hair tied up.
Chatter filled the entire area.
"How does this thing even work?" Cerat asked, swinging his feet. Julian adjusted his mask.
"You have to survive a week in those forests," Julian said, pointing ahead.
"Isn't that simple?" Cerat asked.
"Not at all. There are other people, actively trying to kill you."
"Eh? Why?"
"The more heads you bring, the higher your rank becomes. When you complete the exam, you automatically start as an F class."
"Ahh! It makes sense n-"
"Who let these kids in here?" a deep voice spoke. Both Cerat and Julian looked up.
A large, burly man. His beard was thick and his sense of armor choice was strange, wearing only shoulder armor, allowing his muscles to be seen. He held a large axe, leaning it over his back.
Julian scratched his head. "Eh?-"
"I'll have to say, I knew they let anybody in, but kids are way too dangerous, right?" the man looked around, chuckling.
Cerat and Julian looked at each other. They burst into laughter. The man's cocky smirk dropped.
"Is anything funny?-"
Cerat interrupted, boldly. "Your vitals are open. Don't disrespect me, human."
He moved his hair to the side, even though there was no hair covering his face. Julian sat there, still observing.
"You oughta learn a lesson..."
"It would be foolish to try and hurt us before the thing starts, don't you think?" Julian interrupted as well, in a very condescending tone. There was a light smirk on his face.
The large man sighed, rubbing his eyebrows in frustration. "These damn kids..."
"Attention all! Listen closely!"
All the chatter came to a halt. The thousands of people there faced their front.
"This test will begin soon. I will again explain it to you all, just in case you people have forgotten."
"..."
"All of you will stay in that forest for 7 days. On the seventh day, you will have to travel to the exit of the forest, which will be marked by the large... well... exit sign."
"..."
"By collecting the heads of others, it will give you an opportunity to start out with a higher rank. That is all."
"..."
"3..."
"2..."
"1..."
"Go!"
Thousands of people rushed into the forest. Cerat and Julian ran along with them, though both of them tripped.
"It's hard to get used to such a small body!" Cerat whined.
"Right!" Julian agreed.
The two of them got up and dusted themselves.
The forest was a large one, indeed. Sunlight could barely pass through the large trees, and the forest floor was a dim one.
To add to that, there was an entire ecosystem growing there. Prey, and predator. This was all to make sure there was a supply of food for the participants.
Julian observed the slaughter, noting. "It won't be long till people begin to monopolize the food, Cerat. We have to collect some as well."
Cerat nodded. The two of them began their journey, out to a less packed area of the forest.
It was a darker part of the forest. But, the vegetation was bioluminescent.
"Hey, do you think these things are safe to eat?" Cerat pulled out a mushroom from the ground. It was green, and glowing in color.
"You must be a dumbass. Obviously not!"
"There's no other animals here, alright?! I'm trying to forage!" Cerat yelled.
A rustling noise could be heard from the bush.