~Roy
James raised his Dao sword high, a smile spreading across his face. "Let's get this party started!"
His soldiers shouted and rushed forward.
And so, we did.
Crimzo rushed forward in the middle with two axes in his hands, Kylie and Ria on the wings, and Andrew beside me, axe twirling and face scowling. Loyd and even Jack, who was forced to fight with us, were behind us.
Andrew and Crimzo fought two cadets and three outsiders together. Jack faced his fellow cadet, and they both looked annoyed fighting each other. Kylie faced a cadet and an outsider and fought fiercely. Finally, Loyd and Ria faced the rest of the outsiders and stood firm, fighting hard. It looks like I won't have to worry about anyone.
James took off straight for me.
I stepped forward and met him face-to-face. He raised his sword and hit me directly, but I blocked it, and our swords clashed. His strength was unbelievable, pushing me back with each blow. I bent, rolled, and resisted, but it was obvious that I was struggling.
We went deep into the trees. I led him to an enclosed space where I could use my speed against him and be away from his subordinates.
He swung his sword sideways, and I blocked it and kicked him in the open side. Then, he blocked it with ease with his arm. His smile never left his face.
"Good kick, but I'll show you how it's done," he said, swinging his sword from the bottom to the top. He followed up with a kick that sent me flying into a tree. He swung his sword at my head. I ducked, counter-struck, and he jumped away to avoid it.
I lunged. Our swords met again and again, and I wondered how he swung his Dao sword like that, it's just amazing. I pushed him, trapped him in the trees, and finally hit him with a kick to the face. He barely flinched. He lunged, and we exchanged blows. He managed to hit me with a straight punch to my chest, and he finished it off with a punch to my face.
My ribs burned. Blood leaked from my lips and noise. Still, I didn't back down, not yet.
Breathe steadily, Roy. Focus. Keep your face still. Never show fear. I've fought many powerful enemies before and survived. Maintain eye contact and face him with determination. Just a little bit more. If you allow fear to control you for even a moment, you will be defeated.
We clashed again—hard, fierce, and brutal. Minutes passed as he chased me, I just need to buy time. He hit me in the face again. I was wounded above my eye and blood was pouring out of it. My vision blurred. But I didn't let him fell it. I just had to endure a little longer. I could feel his blows getting weaker and weaker.
Suddenly, I was able to match his strength and face him head on.
Then, slowly, his breathing changed. He blinked, and his posture shifted. He started to feel it and jumped away.
He opened and closed his hand. He looked at the scratch in his shoulder, then his leg.
James narrowed his eyes. "What did you..."
His grip loosened slightly. "So that time you scratched me..."
"That blow would never have killed you. I knew you would dodge it. I'm not so stupid as to rely only on a surprise attack." My voice came out low and sarcastic. "Don't worry, it's nothing fatal. It just weakens the nerves and blurs the vision, in other words, it makes you weaker."
* * *
The night before the attack.
"I can't win a fair fight with James," I said flatly.
The others stared. Crimzo was the first to speak. "Really?"
I didn't blink. I was being honest; I'd already been watching him in the camp in the past days. "Maybe I can. But I'm not going to test it. I need a clean, clear plan."
I put my hand on my sword and said, "I'll fight him alone. But not without preparation." Then, I looked at Crimzo. "Can you get me a poisonous snake?"
Crimzo raised an eyebrow. "Tonight?" There's no light. It'll be very difficult. But... I'll try. If I can't find it now, I'll go at sunrise."
At sunrise, Crimzo went out again and came back hours later. As we were getting ready to go, he gave me two bags, each containing a snake. "I found two," he said.
He cracked his neck and continued, "One will kill you in a matter of days. However, it can easily be healed with medical intervention. The other doesn't kill, but it weakens the body. This one—" He held up the thin snake with dark scales. "—paralyzes for a while, blurs vision, and slows the body."
I told him to get rid of the deadly snake. Then, I took the other one and extracted enough venom to dip our blades in before we entered his spot. That's what we need.
* * *
Currently.
James roared and pounced on me after realization, trying to finish me off quickly. But it was already too late. He was slower now.
I ducked under his swing and kicked him directly in the chin, sending him flying backwards. His strikes had lost their accuracy, and mine were affecting him.
I countered. Strike after strike. Blood dripped from his mouth, and he stumbled backward.
Meanwhile...
Andrew and Crimzo stood with their backs to each other.
"Two on the left!" Crimzo called out.
Andrew spun around and knocked one of them down while Crimzo threw his axe at the other.
They had already defeated the outsiders, but the cadets were strong and well-armored. One of them almost broke through Andrew's defense before Crimzo tackled her from behind.
"Focus, and don't die yet," Crimzo said, smiling as he pushed her away and blood dripped from his head.
The girl was blonde, agile, and fast. She wore body armor and wielded a sword. Crimzo traded blows with her with his small axe and bow, trying to get some distance to shoot her.
Kylie, on the other hand, fought for her life. Two against one. One of the cadets grabbed the wrist holding her sword and twisted it. He was bald with a beard and an average build. She staggered, but then pulled a knife from under her armor, plunging it into his shoulder. The cadet moved away, and she attacked, wounding both of his legs.
The last of the outsiders attacked her from behind. She was injured but managed to deliver a fatal blow to his stomach before falling unconscious.
Loyd and Ria were covered in wounds, fighting the other three. They were doing well, with Ria taking cover behind Loyd and shooting straight from her bow as Roy had instructed. Loyd pinned one of them down while Ria delivered the final blow. That's how the last one went down. They both survived.
Meanwhile, Jack faced off against a cadet he considered a friend.
The cadet growled. "You betrayed James, and you betrayed me. We were brothers."
Jack's face didn't move. "It's over and done with. Don't waste time talking."
They fought fiercely in hand-to-hand combat, having thrown their weapons to the ground when they faced each other. Jack was much stronger, finally overpowering his fellow with a brutal blow to the throat, he was just fighting for his life.
Andrew and Crimzo's battles were the toughest. The one facing Crimzo was closing the distance, not allowing him to take a step back. As for Andrew, he was exhausted and facing a fully armored cadet. He maintained a defensive posture while Andrew attacked him brutally.
After exchanging several blows, Andrew and Crimzo stepped back together. Andrew said to the armored guy and the girl, "Why are you helping James? You're already strong; you don't need his support."
The girl replied, adjusting her stance. "Allying with the strongest is the best move during this program if we want to rank up."
Then the armored man said, "We don't follow his orders either; we just fight alongside him. It's only a matter of time before the Red Scarf is defeated..."
Suddenly, James appeared in the distance behind them, covered in wounds and blood.
Roy followed behind him, also covered in wounds, blood dripping from his face and nose, and one eye slightly closed.
Everyone stared at them wordlessly, their swords swinging wildly. Finally, James fell over. The armored man and the girl stared at each other and sheathed their weapons.
Then the girl said, "Looks like we've lost. There's no need to continue fighting." She looked at Crimzo and Andrew and said, "My name is Alice. Let's meet again after the stage."
The armored man nodded. "I'm William. I look forward to seeing you again."
Then, they rushed off into the forest.
Crimzo shouted, "Hey, you..." Andrew put a hand on his shoulder. "Leave them. We took what we wanted. I think they already have a flag, which is why they left."
Meanwhile, Loyd and Ria were helping Kylie by closing her wounds.
James muttered to Roy, "I lost. You can have the flags and the tokens."
Roy leaned his head slightly as he walked toward James, looking down with an expressionless face and dead eyes. His voice was hushed.
"Who said I came for the flags?"
James's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
Without any words or warning, Roy drew his sword and, with one clean stroke, severed James's right hand.
James screamed. "What the..."
Then, with another blow, Roy cut off his left leg.
"That's how you get revenge."
Blood splattered on the dirt. James writhed and cursed, then began to faint.
Andrew walked toward them slowly and said nothing about what Roy did. "I'll close his wounds."
Roy nodded. "Try to hurry before he loses too much blood."
Crimzo muttered, looking at Roy's face. "Oh my... Roy, that battle must have been brutal."
Roy wiped the blood off his sword. "It was."
Jack limped over to him.
"I'm so glad you won. Now, please, give me the cure you promised."
Roy looked at him. "Oh, right. I promised you that. You really deserve it." He then looked at Crimzo and nodded. Crimzo handed him a small vial.
Jack reached out his hand in desperation.
Roy's face darkened. His smile turned cruel.
"You want it bad?"
He opened the vial and poured its contents into the dirt. "Lick it."
Jack shouted. "You promised, you bastard!"
Roy grabbed his hair. "Yeah, about that— I lied."
He cut off Jack's right hand and left leg. Screams filled the air. It was Roy's revenge for what they did to Sophia.
Crimzo froze in place. "Roy... I understand the desire for revenge, but the cure? You really promised it."
Roy smirked. "Oh, this? It was just water, Mixed with herbs."
His face twisted in surprise. "What? What about the needle you gave him?"
Roy sheathed his sword. "Just a muscle pain reliever."
Crimzo blinked. Then he laughed. "You're insane! I totally believed you."
Andrew finally smiled as he cauterized James's wound. "It was obvious. How could he have gotten a real needle like this?"
Jack fainted and whispered. "I'll never forget this..."
Roy stood silent for a moment. Then, after Andrew lit a small fire, Crimzo stepped forward to cauterize Jack's wounds with his small knife.
He turned around. He looked at everyone who was fighting, bleeding, and injured but still alive. He prepared to make a big fire to alert the instructors of the situation.
Then, he lit a fire high in the sky using tree leaves.
Kylie had regained consciousness and was leaning on Ria.
He opened the bag under where James had been sitting and found eleven flags inside. There were also more than thirty tokens! He put his four additional flags there, too.
Crimzo laughed through his bloody teeth. "That's a lot. With these, we might be able to take first place."
Roy grabbed six flags and gave them to Kylie, who wasn't fighting for them but wanted to return the favor. "These are for you. Thank you for your help. We would have lost without you guys." Then, he looked at the bag. "We'll split the tokens evenly when we get back."
Her friends took the flags and thanked Roy. Kylie looked at him and said, "Our ranking will go up, and we'll win, so you're the one we should really thank." She lowered her head. "Thank you."
Andrew put his hand on his stomach wound and exhaled. "Let's go back to the spot. I need to rest."
I looked at them and said, "The instructors should be here any minute. I need to stay and tell them what happened here. Go to the spot before me."
Everyone nodded and left. They moved slowly and cautiously. Crimzo stayed with Roy and held the bag of flags and tokens. "I'm not leaving you alone here."
Roy crossed his arms and smiled. "That's okay with me."
Minutes passed in silence. The air smelled of blood and smoke. Then, finally, the sound of hooves broke through the trees. Three horses appeared, each carrying an instructor dressed in an Empire uniform.
The lead rider was a man with a lean physique, medium-length dark hair, and a short beard. His expression was serious, and his eyes scanned the surroundings. He dismounted and walked straight toward Roy.
"What happened here? You set the fire, didn't you?"
Roy and Crimzo nodded respectfully.
The man turned slightly as the other two instructors rushed to treat the wounded. "Tell me everything," he said.
Roy did so. He explained how James had brought in outsiders and how one of the instructors had gotten involved and helped him. Crimzo added the rest of the details. Of course, they didn't tell the whole story about him coming for revenge.
The instructor clenched his fists. "We've received various reports of unfamiliar people moving around in the forest. So James is the one responsible..."
He sighed and looked Roy in the eye. "We'll take it from here. We'll get James to talk about what he knows when he wakes up. For now, finish your stage."
Roy nodded. "Understood."
Roy and Crimzo went back to their place. Roy's injuries slowed him down with each step. After a while, he started to limp noticeably halfway through the road.
Crimzo looked up. "Are you okay?"
Roy didn't answer.
Crimzo sighed, took Roy's hand, and wrapped it around his neck to help him walk.
Roy gave a slight smile. "You're not acting like a Crimzo right now."
Crimzo looked at him shouting. "Shut up and let me help you."
They walked the rest of the way together.
When they arrived, the others were resting by the fire. Everyone looked exhausted and injured but okay.
Kylie and Ria were sitting on a large rock. Kylie's arm was in a sling and Ria's leg was wrapped in a bandage. Loyd sat between them, carefully cleaning their wounds.
Sophia slept on a nearby tree trunk, her arm and leg wrapped tightly. Andrew sat beside her, wrapping a cloth around his stomach wound. The cloth was taken from the clothes of the people we had defeated.
Henry lay unconscious under a tree, his face covered in bruises. Lora knelt beside him, concern evident in her eyes.
Loyd stood up as Roy approached. "Henry is in good condition, but he just needs time to recover. His face looks bad, but he'll heal, and the wounds aren't deep."
Roy nodded. "Thank you."
They all sat together around the fire, breathing quietly at the end of the day.
Then, they started talking about the fight, and soon, a loud argument broke out between Andrew and Crimzo. They were arguing loudly and energetically.
Andrew shouted. "I would have beaten him much faster than you. Your arrows couldn't even pierce him."
Crimzo scoffed. "Who says arrows are all I have?"
Sophia and Henry woke up to their voices. Sophia blinked first, furrowing her eyebrows sleepily. "What are you two yelling about?"
Ria said with a mocking smile. "They're fighting over who will defeat the enemy fastest."
They explained everything that had happened to them and Lora, including what had happened to James and Jack. Then, there was silence.
Sophia looked at Roy, then at Andrew, then back at Roy. "You... You did this for me?"
Neither of them answered immediately.
Andrew broke the silence first. "They broke your hand. And your leg."
Roy kept his arms crossed. "They deserved worse."
Sophia's gaze softened. She wasn't sure how she felt. In her heart, she was relieved and happy that they cared about her so much. On the other hand, she thought maybe they had gone a little too far. Her voice was calm with a smile. "We'll talk about it later." She was kind of satisfied.
She didn't say anything else. She just nodded in appreciation, not knowing how to express herself.
Then, Crimzo clapped his hands. "Well, tomorrow is the last day. I'll get food in the morning. Let's eat and sleep."
~Roy
After seven exhausting days, the stage was finally over.
We woke up early and walked out of the forest. Everyone received an equal number of tokens. However, everyone insisted that Andrew, Crimzo, and I each take an extra flag and a few extra tokens.
I didn't argue, just accepted. At the end of the day, my goal was to come in first places.
We walked slowly because of our injuries, but there was relief on everyone's faces; it was finally over, and we had made it through. The entrance was wide, and the instructors were everywhere. There were also large tents and a large wooden tower towering above all the trees. The guards took their time going through everything, taking away our flags and tokens, and writing down our scores after verifying our names and ranks. Then, they brought horses for us to ride back to camp.
Sophia couldn't ride, so she rode with Ria, who helped her.
After we arrived it was already midday, Sophia thanked Ria, who helped her dismount. We all headed to the medical tents that had been set up for those coming from the stage to be examined and have their wounds treated.
The team gradually split up. I stayed with Andrew and Sophia, who were seriously injured. I checked my sprained foot and head wounds. After we finished, Andrew and I came out and saw Sophia sitting on the edge of the wooden bench just outside the medics' tent. Her left leg was properly splinted, her hand was neatly wrapped, and there was a stick next to her to lean on. She was obviously in less pain, but her movements were still stiff.
Andrew approached her and offered her a hand. "So, shall we go now?"
She whispered shyly as she took his hand. "Yes, thank you."
I stood a few steps away with my arms crossed, watching them in silence.
After a moment, Sophia looked at us. She said, "Thank you again for everything." She was glad.
Andrew looked down, looking confused. "Why are you thanking us? You would have done the same thing."
I raised my eyebrows and looked at Andrew, taking the opportunity. "You almost exploded with rage when you saw her back there. Good thing I stopped you before you killed Jack."
Andrew looked at me with wide eyes. His face reddened at my lie. "Hey." Then he looked at Sophia. "He's lying. It's not true."
Sophia chuckled, closing her eyes. "Yes, yes, I believe you."
Andrew tried to say something, but the words failed him. He quickly looked away, scratching the back of his neck.
Then, an instructor came up to me and told me to go to General Daniel's office because he wanted to meet with me. I turned to them. "Okay, take Sophia to the girls' section, and then finish your things. Don't wait for me."
They nodded, and we split up. I guess General Daniel wanted to know all the details.