Kaito, Mizuki, and Yukiko trudged through the forest, their footsteps quiet on the damp earth. Kaito suddenly let out a frustrated sigh as he stepped into a hidden mud puddle, his boot sinking into the muck.
"Ugh! Hmm... What are we even going to the headquarters to do?" he asked, looking down at his dirty boot.
Yukiko, walking behind him, replied, "We need to report about the intruders that attacked that day..."
"We have to give a detailed account of everything."
Kaito looked back at her, his eyes narrowing. "Everything?"
Mizuki, walking beside him, clapped her hands together. "Yeah, everything!"
"Even your battle with Kenshiro..."
Kaito's gaze fell to the ground, his mind racing with memories of the fight. Mizuki's eyes locked onto his, her expression knowing.
"Are you bothered about your level up?" she asked, her voice soft.
Kaito sighed, his shoulders sagging. "I don't know... It was all so sudden."
"The attacks I landed were different... and Kenshiro..." He looked at his hand, his eyes clouding over.
'My Climax pressure got deeper after that fight.' he thought
He closed his hand. "Speaking of which, "
He turned to Yukiko "Yukiko! Gimme your hand!
Yukiko's cheeks flushed as Kaito dragged her hands into view. She was wearing gloves, but Kaito's gaze lingered on her fingers.
" You got hurt bad, are you okay?"
Her eyes widened, "I'm fine," she smiled, her voice barely above a whisper.
Mizuki watched the exchange, a knowing glint in her eye. "Hmm, so that's what's going on," she thought, a small smile playing on her lips.
Kaito's eyes narrowed, his gaze still on Yukiko's hands. "You're trembling..."
"You sure you're okay?"
Yukiko's face turned away, her voice barely audible. "Yes... I am..."
Kaito nodded, his expression softening. "Hmm... okay, let's go!"
He turned around immediately, walking away without another glance.
Yukiko fell to her knees, panting, her eyes fixed on Kaito's retreating back.
Mizuki walked up to her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You'll get there, you will..." she whispered, her eyes closed.
Kaito stopped walking, his voice echoing through the forest. "Guys..."
Mizuki and Yukiko exchanged a concerned glance. "Yeah, Kaito?" Mizuki replied, her voice steady as she helped Yukiko stand up.
Kaito's voice was serious, his words laced with caution. "We're being followed..."
Mizuki and Yukiko's eyes widened, their gazes darting around the forest.
"What... where are they?" Mizuki asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Yukiko's eyes narrowed. "I sense their Climax energy, but it's too thin because of the forest density...'
"I can't pinpoint their exact location."
"But there are four of them. Two coming from the front, two from the back."
"Don't panic, just act natural and keep moving..." Kaito continued, his voice calm and reassuring.
"Don't make any suspicious movements, just let's keep moving... "
"Until the time is right to counter."
The girls looked at each other and took a deep breath.
They nodded, their eyes locked on Kaito's back as they continued walking.
They walked a distance into the forest, the trees growing denser and the underbrush thicker.
The sunlight filtering through the canopy above cast dappled shadows on the ground.
None of them looked any direction other than where they were going.
Then Kaito came to a stop, his voice low and urgent. "They're coming..."
A blur dashed through the air, hitting Kaito with force and sending dust and debris flying everywhere.
Mizuki and Yukiko stood beside him, their hands instinctively rising to cover their faces. They gasped in unison, "Kaito!"
Yukiko's eyes snapped back, her gaze locking onto a figure materializing before her.
She raised her hand, and an ice sword flashed into existence, its blade glinting in the dim light. The sword clashed with a krises blade, the sound of ice on metal echoing through the forest.
The opponent's appearance was shrouded in shadow, their identity hidden. "A shadow?" Yukiko breathed, her eyes narrowing.
Mizuki shouted, "Yukiko!" as a voice sneered, "Where do you think you're looking?"
A Yari blade flashed toward her, its tip glinting with deadly intent.
Mizuki swung her hand, and a wall of mud erupted from the ground, blocking the attack.
"Idiot... "the blade pierced through the mud and stabbed Mizuki's shoulder. She gasped, her eyes wide with pain.
Yukiko's gaze snapped back to Mizuki. "Mizuki!" she shouted, "Don't you dare look away from me! " her opponent yelled, and dragged the krises blade down, pulling Yukiko down,
Yukiko's eyes widened, and then the opponent swung the right krises upwards to her,
Yukiko did a backflip jump and landed a distance away,
"You dodged that, well done," the opponent said,
"Barely..." Yukiko said, then looked at her suit, it was torn on the shoulder
'Any slight mistakes and I would have been...' she thought
"Mizuki!" Yukiko called and turned to her,
She was frozen with the blade in her shoulder, and blood slowly coming out
The dust cloud behind them began to clear, revealing Kaito standing still, with his hand in front of his face, holding his Tonfa blades. Butterfly swords were pressed down on the tonfa, and the opponent pushed down the swords on the tonfa while still in midair, but Kaito didn't move, his eyes fixed on the opponent.
"Why didn't he move?!" the opponent snarled, their identity still hidden.
Kaito's gaze didn't waver, his voice steady. "Probably because it was weak..." He smirked,