Haruto could barely swallow, the dust filling the air as the scent of earth gave rise to a sense of dread, the sky a dark mixed with golden hues. The wind was powerful this morning.
Haruto looked around, most of the students looked unsure, they watched the teachers jump the cliff first, Bignose sharing a concerned glance with his students before free-falling off the cliff.
"Hey let's go, I don't want to fall behind"
"And if what the teachers say is true, this is our chance to be full members of the Jigoku clan without unlocking the Jigoku eyes,"
"Hey, wait!!" Kaito wailed.
Before Kaito could process what he was saying, Haruto grabbed his hand and free-dived off the cliff, the wind hit their hair so much it threatened to fly off their heads.
Haruto Arata had managed to see something the others hadn't, the teachers didn't say the word go. The test had already begun and some were hesitating, the first filter was the cliff, those who didn't manage to land safely would smash into the ground and die.
Haruto had jumped hurrying to catch something before it vanished and right now, as they entered the conjured fog, he could see the sillohoute of a large chubby man.
"Grab on to big nose"
Haruto commanded, the wind carrying most of his voice, the dark clouds filled the sky and closed any hole allowing the gold rays to pass through. A darker blue filled the mountain tops as the wind picked up, and the clouds got darker.
The duo had caught up to Bignose, the force of the fall slamming them against his belly and threatening to bounce them away.
'To survive the fall, one must have good control and command of their chi, or the elements, Kaito and I lack both, what's more, we are still sore from yesterday's training.' Thoughts ran through his head as he ignored the harsh look received by Bignose.
The instructor wasn't too welcoming to the idea of being used as a human cushion, but he had a soft spot for children and wanted many to survive this, he wrapped his hand around the duo, as Kaito could barely keep his eyes open.
The wind hit their eyes like salt to a wound, until it didn't. They had been free-falling for the past five minutes and yet, now they were on the ground, without so much as a sound, the absence of Instructor Bignose added mystery to their situation.
'I guess that's a teacher for you not even a sound' Haruto thought as he surveyed the area.
"Son of Bitch," Kaito cursed as he strained his body to get up, he didn't know what happened nor how they survived, he had chosen to close his eyes and brace for an impact that never came.
As Haruto and Kaito gathered their bearings after the miraculous fall, they found themselves surrounded by a dense forest of towering bamboo. Some of these stalks were so thick they could easily be mistaken for great trees, their verdant bodies gleaming like glass in the subdued light filtering through the fog. However, two bamboos stood out from the rest, their hues a striking jade that seemed to glimmer with an otherworldly light. It was as if these particular stalks held secrets untold, tempting anyone who dared to approach with their captivating allure.
Amidst this mysterious bamboo forest, Instructor Bignose perched upon one of the thicker branches, his imposing figure blending seamlessly into the surroundings. Despite his considerable weight, the branch held him comfortably, allowing him to observe the two students with a critical eye. Sucking his teeth in contemplation, he utilized the cover of the fog to disappear from view momentarily, his presence shrouded in mystery.
Meanwhile, Haruto and Kaito huddled together, their minds racing as they contemplated their next move.
"Haruto, you idiot!" Kaito scolded, his voice tinged with frustration. "You could have at least warned me before you jumped off that cliff!"
Haruto grimaced, realizing his mistake. "I'm sorry, Kaito. I just saw an opportunity and went for it. But now we need to focus on getting through this test."
Kaito sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "Yeah, I know. But we need to be smart about this. Remember what Big Nose said? No one's coming to save us, and death is a real possibility."
Haruto nodded solemnly, his mind already whirring with possibilities. "Right. So we need to find a loophole, a way to outsmart the test and make it to the end."
They glanced around at the bamboo forest, their eyes scanning the thickets for any sign of danger or opportunity. The dense fog limited their visibility, adding an extra layer of challenge to their predicament.
"We could try to use the fog to our advantage," Kaito suggested his voice barely above a whisper. "Create diversions, confuse our opponents."
"No, the fog is too thick to use it as an advantage, although the others will have a hard time seeing us, we won't be able to see them as well, other students have an advantage over us, they can sense Chi" Haruto explained.
"Yeah, I guess you're right, so how do we avoid death?"
"We already have" Asif on cue to Haruto's words a resounding thud resonated a few paces from them followed by another only a bit lower. The duo stood to investigate and found a body, someone with heavy armor and a battle axe had hit the ground a 15-year-old boy, dead.
"The first test is the cliff," Haruto said, his face displaying indifference as Kaito barely managed to contain his vomit, the image of bones and eyes that dangled from their sockets echoed in his mind.
As Kaito's stomach churned and twisted in knots, he knew he was in trouble. The queasy sensation intensified until he could no longer hold it back. With a violent retch, he turned around, the need to puke winning over, he doubled over, clutching his stomach as he emptied its contents onto the forest floor.
The sound of his heaving echoed through the bamboo grove, a gut-wrenching symphony of misery. Each convulsive heave was accompanied by a sickening splash as the vomit splattered against the ground, mingling with the damp earth and fallen leaves.
"Ugh...!" Haruto groaned, his voice strained and ragged between heaves.
Haruto had witnessed a fair share of death in his time as Arthur. He was used to much more than a fresh corpse. Although he was in the body of a boy, he had memories and experiences of his previous life, a well of knowledge at his beck and call.
While Kaito caught his breath, Haruto stripped the corpse of essential armor, the boots, gloves, and the axe, which he gave to Kaito, unlike everyone else Haruto was the only one who didn't take a weapon when they were told to do so now he had zero defenses.
The battle axe was too much for him to swing, but he hoped to exchange it with the katana Kaito was weirding at his side.
"More will fall soon, we should leave before a threat arrives," Haruto said, as he gently placed his hand on Kaito's back
Kaito nodded weakly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. The image of the fallen boy's lifeless eyes lingered in his mind, a grim reminder of the dangers that lurked within the test. He clutched the battle axe tightly, the weight of it grounding him in the reality of their situation.
With Haruto leading the way, the two boys navigated through the dense bamboo forest, their footsteps muffled by the thick undergrowth beneath their feet. The fog obscured their surroundings, casting an eerie veil over the landscape and heightening their sense of unease.
As they walked, Haruto and Kaito continued to discuss their strategy, analyzing the rules of the test and searching for any loopholes they could exploit.
"What if we try to use the bamboo to our advantage?" Kaito suggested, gesturing towards the towering stalks surrounding them. "We could climb up one of these and get a better vantage point, scout out the area for any threats."
Haruto considered the idea, his brow furrowed in thought. "It could work, but we need to be careful. We don't know what's waiting for us out there, and we can't afford to let our guard down."
They continued to discuss their options as they made their way through the bamboo forest, their voices hushed in the oppressive silence of the fog. With each step, the sense of urgency grew, driving them forward in their quest to survive the test and emerge victorious.
As they ventured deeper into the forest, they encountered more fallen students, their lifeless bodies serving as grim reminders of the stakes at hand. Haruto's expression remained stoic, his determination unwavering despite the growing sense of dread gnawing at his insides.
The blinding veil of white smoke had caused a delay in the pace of the duo, the sound of ruffling leaves and bamboo didn't help, the fog seemed to dull every other sense, and the only way to navigate... was through the use of Chi sense a kill the duo hadn'tacquiree
Not sensing the danger until the last moment Kaito raised his battle axe in reflex parrying the claws of a fur-covered beast.
*CLANG*