The forest had fallen into a quiet lull.
Ryju stood near the red flag, eyes sharp as ever. "Everything's been calm."
Kenshiro lay flat in the mossy grass, arms behind his head. "Yeah. No one's come near us—except for those three idiots."
Ryju smirked. "Well, yeah."
Suddenly, the booming voice of the Spiritual King rang through the woods.
"Team Six has been eliminated."
Ryju lifted his head. "That's the second team."
Far across the forest, Uzuki of Team Eight watched calmly from a high branch.
"A team down," he muttered. "More to go."
West Forest Sector
Rei's voice echoed through the trees, direct and unbothered.
"Hey, Team Twenty! If you don't mind—we're gonna need your flag."
Kenshiro stepped out beside her with a lazy grin. "Yeah. We need it, actually."
Both rushed forward, energy flaring around them.
Elsewhere – Deep in the West Forest
Shun skidded to a stop, eyes narrowing.
"It's them."
Goro nodded behind him. "Three of them. Just like we thought."
Across the clearing, a girl with long dark braids smirked at them.
"Oh, it's the weakling we dropped," Clara sneered.
Shun's expression darkened. "Dead."
Beside her, Shino stepped forward. "Looks like we'll have to defend our flag now."
Shun cracked his knuckles. "Who do you want?"
Goro shrugged. "It doesn't matter."
"I'm taking Shino," Shun said. His eyes flared with emotion. "He's the one that dropped me. I'm handling this."
"I'll take the two girls, then," Goro said with a grin.
The third opponent, La, snarled. "I hate boys. Let's just kill them."
Shino raised an eyebrow, eyes fixed on Shun. "So you really came for revenge—"
"Spiritual Punch: Green Hawk!" Shun shouted mid-sentence, closing the gap with explosive speed.
The clash began.
Snakes burst from Shino's spiritual energy, swirling around him in a violent dance.
"You only have spiritual force and you're naming attacks already?" Shino scoffed. "Pathetic. Let me show you true power."
He snapped his fingers. "Snake Rush!"
Dozens of serpents lashed forward.
Shun gritted his teeth. "Snakes, huh? Great."
"Rattle Trap!"
The snakes launched upward, dragging Shun into the air.
"They're following me?" Shun clenched his fists. "Fine then—Spiritual Force: Great Shield!"
A luminous green barrier appeared just in time.
Shino scoffed again. "You don't even have an ability, and you're throwing out names like a real warrior."
Meanwhile, Goro ducked under a barrage of glowing arrows.
"Man, these two are annoying..."
La let another shot fly. "Spiked Arrows!"
Chains snapped around Goro's legs—Clara's Chain Snakes caught him mid-step.
"Got him. La, finish it!"
La smirked. "Didn't even need to tell me—"
Goro's voice rumbled low. "I'm done playing."
"Death Spikes!" La screamed, launching deadly projectiles at him.
With a roar, Goro snapped the chains and twisted midair, dodging with a powerful spin.
"How about this?" he growled. "I'll borrow those spikes—and throw them right back at you."
Back in the sky, Shun couldn't gain ground.
"I can't even get close. His snakes are everywhere."
"You came for battle," Shino grinned. "So this is what you get."
Shun's voice trembled with frustration. "If only I had an ability..."
"That's enough. 100 Poison Snakes!"
From below, serpents burst forth, fangs bared. They sank into Shun's skin.
"AAAH! It hurts—it hurts!!"
From the ground, Goro's voice broke through. "Shun!!"
Shino turned his eyes to Goro. "You're next."
He lifted his hand—"Bye-bye."
Goro hit the earth hard.
"No... Brother... I failed you..."
"You'll be unconscious until I release you," Shino said, brushing his hands off.
Shun lay on the ground, convulsing. Blood trickled down his arm from snake bites.
"I've lost again... and again... more than I can count," he whispered. "I rushed in like always. I couldn't handle it. I'm a failure."
His thoughts swirled.
That's why my parents abandoned me.
He saw flashes—the poor village of Mudshore, where his parents made him steal. Where he always got caught.
They disappeared... just like that.
I met a kid like me. We were alone in the world. We stole together... got into trouble... he protected me when I was bullied...
Why... why am I always the one who's weak?
No more.
His fists clenched into the earth.
I must survive... on my own. I can't depend on anyone anymore. I KNOW I CAN.
A pulse exploded from his body.
Spiritual King's voice rang through the forest.
"It's time."
Shino turned, stunned. "What?"
Shun stood.
"You're supposed to be unconscious!"
Shun looked down at his hands. "I feel... different. Like something inside me's about to explode."
"Fine! Take more poison!" Shino bellowed. "Snake Strike!"
Snakes lunged, but—
WOOD burst from the ground, shielding Shun.
Shino's eyes widened. "No way! He got his ability?!"
Shun's voice was calm. "Yeah... it's over now."
"200 snakes! Attack!!"
"Wall."
A thick wooden barrier rose, blocking everything.
Shino backed up. "His ability... in a forest... no way."
"Snake Sneak Attack!"
More snakes erupted from the ground.
"You think that'll work again?"
They sank into his arm.
"Go back to sleep!!"
Shun grimaced. His arm... turned to wood. The snakes writhed and fell. He broke the arm off—and a new one regrew.
"What—what are you!?" Shino gasped.
Shun raised his hand. "Grass Claw."
Vines erupted and wrapped around Shino's body.
"His power... is it wood? Grass? The earth?!" Shino's mind raced. "No way he has all of that… Right?!"
Shun stepped toward the flag.
"Stop him!!" Shino screamed. "La! Clara! Do something!!"
La stepped back, trembling. "His aura... it's too strong."
Clara's knees buckled. "His Spiritual Force... it's so intense I feel like I'll die if I move."
Shun planted his flag over theirs.
"Team Twelve has been eliminated."
He turned to Shino.
"Wake Goro. Now."
Shino swallowed. "...Release."
Goro blinked, regaining consciousness.
"Did we win?" he asked, dazed.
Shun smiled. "Of course we did."
"How?"
"I'll tell you later."
Back with Rei and Kuroyami
Rei stretched. "Man, that took forever."
Kuroyami nodded. "I wonder how Shun and Goro are doing."
Rei smirked. "They're strong. They're fine."
"Team Four has been eliminated."
The Spiritual King speaks again, this time more intrigued.
"So his ability... is wood and grass. No. There's more. I can feel it. Shun unlocking his ability first? I never expected that. Things just got a whole lot more interesting..."
To Be Continued...