Part 1: Battle Continues
"RADIANCE BURST!"
BOOM!
A golden shockwave erupted from Hikaru, burning through the vines with radiant heat.
Hikaru stood tall, his body pulsing with light. Golden energy flickered across his skin like living flame.
The battle between Hikaru and Moriya was far from over.
From the sidelines, Teshii crossed his arms and sighed.
"Finally… Sunshine's using his brain."
Moriya smirked from across the clearing. "So… the real battle begins."
Hikaru smiled back. "Yeah. Let's go."
Without hesitation, Hikaru charged forward.
"SUNRISE PUNCH!"
His fist glowed, the energy surging with power as he lunged straight for Moriya.
But Moriya didn't flinch.
Just as Hikaru was about to land the punch–
THWRAAM!
A towering wall of wood erupted from the ground between them, completely absorbing the attack.
"W-What?!" Hikaru gasped, his glowing fist lodged in the thick bark.
From the sidelines, Haruto and Mei watched in shock.
"No way…" Haruto muttered. "He blocked Sunrise Punch? That's supposed to be one of his strongest attacks!"
Teshii rolled his eyes behind his crimson glasses. "Oh, please. That move? It's just a starter."
Haruto turned to him. "Huh? What do you mean?"
Teshii glanced at Haruto with a smirk. "Sunrise Punch is only the beginning. The Element of Light has way stronger moves… he just doesn't know how to use them."
Haruto stared at him – not in disbelief…
But with curiosity.
What other moves the Element of Light have?
Is it the same for the Element of Water and Wood?
Light vs Wood
Hikaru's hand was still trapped in the wall of wood.
"Damn it!" he growled.
Suddenly–
Blades of leaves, sharpened branches, and twisting vines shot toward him like bullets.
Moriya was already on the move.
Hikaru's eyes widened.
He raised his free hand. "RADIANCE BLAST!"
A golden beam exploded from his palm, incinerating the incoming wave–
But more kept coming.
Dozens of wooden projectiles. Each one faster than the last.
Hikaru fired Radiance Blasts again and again, keeping them at bay.
Finally–
He turned back to the wall imprisoning his arm.
"RADIANCE BURST!"
BOOM!
The wall exploded in golden light, freeing him.
He looked up, expecting Moriya to be in front of him.
But he wasn't.
He was gone.
"Where is he?" Hikaru spun around, eyes scanning the treetops.
Then–
A voice echoed overhead.
"I'M UP HERE, HIKARU!"
Everyone looked up.
Moriya stood on a floating branch – levitating, riding it through the sky like a glider.
The branch moved with grace, perfectly balanced by the Element of Wood.
"Woah." Teshii blinked. "Now that is impressive."
Moriya soared forward, leapt of the branch–
BAM!
He tackled Hikaru, slamming him to the ground, scraping his back.
Before Hikaru could recover, Moriya flipped back onto the gliding branch, circling above.
"That's a clever use of the Element of Wood," Haruto said, amazed.
"Yep," Teshii nodded. "Creative types are the scariest fighters."
"C'MON, HIKARU! YOU GOT THIS!" Mei shouted from the sidelines.
Teshii nudged Haruto. "Awwww… she really does love Sunshine."
Mei ignored him, her eyes locked on Hikaru.
Hikaru stood still, watching Moriya circle above.
He raised his hand, preparing another Radiance Blast–
But stopped.
No. Too slow. Moriya would dodge again.
He needed something faster.
Then–
A flast of golden energy shot from his hand.
Fast. Focused. Lethal.
A laser.
Moriya's eyes widened. "WOAH–!"
He narrowly dodged the blast, but it clipped the branch, throwing him off balance.
CRASH!
He fell, hitting the ground hard.
Hikaru stared at his hand. "W-What… was that?"
Haruto turned to Teshii. "Teshii, what was–"
"C'MON, SUNSHINE! ANNIHILATE HIM!" Teshii shouted, cutting him off.
Haruto blinked. "Okay then, I won't say anything."
Moriya stood, brushing himself off. "That was impressive!"
Then he smirked, leapt, and rejoined the floating branch.
Hikaru raised his hand.
"Let's try that again…"
"ILLUMINATE BLITZ!"
A golden laser exploded forward.
It struck the branch dead-on – splintering it and sending Moriya tumbling through the air again.
Teshii blinked. "Illuminate Blitz? Seriously? We're only 13 chapters in and the writer already ran out of cool names?"
Haruto turned. "What?"
"Nothing."
Back on the field, Moriya landed on his feet. Breathing hard. Grinning.
"So this is… the power of the Element of Light," he said.
He charged forward again, ready to blast–
Then–
SCREAMS.
Screams
Both Hikaru and Moriya snapped their heads toward the sound.
"What was that?" Hikaru asked.
"I do not know," Moriya answered, eyes narrowing.
But more screams followed.
Then–
Moriya broke into a sprint toward the sound, Yugo, Baki, and the other tribe members quickly following behind.
"MORIYA! WAIT!" Hikaru shouted.
Teshii rushed past him. "NOT THE TIME RIGHT NOW, SUNSHINE! LET'S GO!"
Hikaru groaned and followed, with Haruto and Mei close behind.
They all reached the source of the screams–
And froze.
Tribe members were vanishing.
One moment they were there–
The next, gone.
As if someone or something was snatching them from existence.
Mei gasped, covering her mouth. "W-What's happening?!"
Moriya scanned the forest floor.
And then–
Moriya saw him.
A figure darting between the trees.
Running.
But so fast, it looked like he was disappearing.
And every time he touched a tribe member–
They vanished.
One reappeared up in the trees behind Hikaru–
CRASH!
They fell and hit the ground hard.
"HEY! ARE YOU OKAY?" Hikaru ran toward the fallen tribe member.
Moriya clenched his fists as he kept his eyes locked on the figure – who was smiling.
Then–
"HYDRO SNATCH!" Haruto shouted.
Water surged from his pouch, shaping into tendrils, lashing out toward the figure.
But–
Just before contact–
The figure suddenly vanished.
Haruto's eyes widened. "What the–?"
Teshii blinked. "Hydro Snatch, huh? Decent name."
"Teshii!" Mei snapped. "Can you focus on what's happening?!"
Then–
"YO!"
The voice echoed above them.
Everyone looked up.
The figure was perched high on a branch, legs swinging lazily.
Grinning.
Like none of this was a big deal.
Part 2: Shifter the Teleporter
The figure stood tall on the tree branch, smirking down at them.
"WHO ARE YOU?!" Moriya demanded.
With a blink of an eye–
He was gone.
"Where did he go?" Haruto muttered.
"Behind you."
The whisper grazed Haruto's ear.
"HYDRO SLASH!"
A blade of water tore through the air–
But the figure had already vanished.
Haruto's eyes dropped to the ground.
Blood?
Then–
The figure reappeared on the opposite end of the clearing.
He chuckled and casually pointed at Moriya.
"You want to know who I am? Fine. Just call me…"
CHARACTER INTRODUCTION
Name: Shifter
Age: Unknown
Hair Colour: Grey
Eye Colour: Red
Height: 5'11
Weight: 170lbs
Occupation: Unknown
"Shifter, huh…" Moriya narrowed his eyes.
Teshii folded his arms. "A cool name and a cool hoodie. The writer's pulling out all the stops."
Everyone glared at him.
Shifter vanished again.
Hikaru turned to Teshii. "Could he be a mutant?"
Teshii nodded. "Yep. A real sneaky one."
Moriya frowned. "Mutant?"
"We'll explain later, Right now–" Teshii scanned the trees– "Shifter's ability seems to be–"
"Teleportation." Shifter appeared behind Yugo and Baki.
They barely had time to flinch before he touched their backs–
And all three vanished.
"YUGO! BAKI!" Moriya shouted.
Teshii's expression hardened. "Well shit. He doesn't just teleport himself… he teleports others. That explains why people disappearing earlier."
WHUMP!
Yugo and Baki appeared high up in the trees – then fell.
"HARUTO!" Teshii barked.
"I got it." Haruto raised his hand. Water rushed from his pouch, cushioning their fall.
Moriya rushed to them. "Yugo! Baki! Are you okay?!"
"Yeah!" Baki winced. "Barely."
Shifter grinned. "Well that was lucky."
Then he vanished again – snatching another tribe member before reappearing on a far branch.
"He's taking them," Hikaru whispered, horrified.
Moriya clenched his fists. "We have to stop him."
Suddenly–
Shifter reappeared.
Right behind Mei.
His red eyes glinted. "You're next."
"MEI!!" Hikaru shouted.
Mei turned, fear in her eyes.
Shifter reached for her–
But–
BAM!
He was kicked through the air, flipping into the dirt.
Mei gasped–
Teshii stood in front of her.
"T-Thank you, Teshii." She whispered.
Teshii didn't look back. "Don't worry, Rich Girl."
His eyes were locked on Shifter.
The mutant rose slowly, rubbing his jaw. "That hurt."
Then vanished, reappearing high in a tree.
Teshii's tone dropped, calm and cool. "It's unfair to go after someone who can't fight back."
Shifter just grinned again.
Teshii cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders.
Then said, without looking away. "Guys – help the injured. I'll handle Shifter."
"Teshii…" Hikaru started. "Are you sure?"
Teshii raised a hand, thumb up. "Positive."
Moriya nodded. "Yugo and Baki will fight with you, Teshii."
"No." Teshii stepped forward. "I'm fighting this guy alone."
"But–" Moriya started.
"I'll be fine," Teshii said with a grin.
Moriya pauses then sighs. "Fine."
Moriya turned to help the other tribe members.
Hikaru, Haruto, Mei, and the tribe members followed, leaving Teshii in the clearing.
The moment they were gone–
Shifter appeared.
Right in front of him.
Teshii vs Shifter
Teshii stood firm, facing down Shifter.
The teleporting mutant grinned like a predator about to pounce.
Then–
From his pocket, Shifter slowly pulled out…
A knife.
Teshii blinked. "A knife? Really?"
He didn't get long to think.
SWOOSH–
Shifter vanished.
THWIP!
He reappeared inches from Teshii's face, blade arcing toward his neck.
Teshii twisted his body and narrowly dodged, the knife grazing his jacket.
WHAM!
Teshii retaliated with a clean roundhouse kick–
But Shifter vanished mid-air, sliping away again.
"Tch…" Teshii landed, scanning. "This is gonna be harder than I thought."
"IS THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO?!"
Shifter's voice echoed from the trees.
But something else caught Teshii's attention–
Blood.
Drops of it.
On a leaf.
On the ground.
Smeared across bark.
Odd… scattered… but none of the tribe members near them looked hurt.
"Why is there blood in such random places…?" he muttered.
FOOSH–
Shifter appeared again, charging from behind.
But this time–
Teshii's reflexes snapped into action.
BAM!
A spinning roundhouse caught Shifter clean across the ribs, launching him backward into a tree.
CRACK!
He hit hard, but disappeared again before touching the ground.
Teshii panted, watching…
The blood trail was everywhere now. The more he noticed, the more it unsettled him.
Blood on branches, blood on rocks…
But no visible wounds.
"Something's not right…" Teshii whispered.
His eyes narrowed.
"None of this blood belongs to the tribe."
That meant only one thing–
It had something to do with Shifter.
Meanwhile…
Hikaru had an injured tribe member over his shoulder. "You'll be okay. Just hang on!" he said, trying to stay calm.
But then–
He paused.
His head turned slowly, eyes locking onto the distant fight.
He was watching Teshii.
Something in his chest twisted.
Worry.
Moriya, carrying another wounded tribe member, noticed the look.
"Hikaru? What's wrong?"
Hikaru didn't answer right away.
His gaze was fixed.
"…I'm worried about Teshii," he said quietly.
Haruto looked up from where he had just laid someone down gently. "I don't think you need to be," he said. "If there's one thing Teshii knows how to do, it's fight."
"I know," Hikaru muttered, "but…"
He kept watching.
Something about Shifter's stance. His grin.
It wasn't just confidence.
It was too calm. Too precise.
Like he was waiting for something.
Like he already knew the outcome.
Hikaru clenched his fists.
Teshii… don't let your guard down.
Then–
He exhaled, turned back, and continued helping the injured.
But his eyes kept drifting toward the battle.
Outcome
Teshii moved fast, dodging bursts of teleportation as Shifter appeared and disappeared in rapid succession, striking from every angle.
CLANG!
Teshii blocked a slash, countering with a swift roundhouse kick–
But Shifter was already gone.
Then–
A whisper behind him.
"Too slow."
Teshii ducked just in time, barely avoiding a knife swipe aimed at his neck.
Shifter reappeared a few feet away, smirking.
"Not bad."
Teshii was panting.
Suddenly–
Shifter threw his knife.
"What?" Teshii blinked, narrowly dodging it.
But then–
His eyes locked onto the knife.
There was blood on it.
And then–
It clicked.
Teshii's heart dropped.
"The blood… it's–"
"You're too late."
Shifter was already teleporting–
Directly to the knife.
Behind Teshii.
Blade raised.
Teshii spun, trying to block.
But–
SHLICK!
The knife sliced clean through his wrist.
His hand flew off.
For one horrifying second–
Everything went silent.
Then–
"AAAGHHHHH!"
Pain ripped through him.
Teshii staggered backward, vision blurring, blood pouring from the wound.
From the distance, Hikaru, Haruto, and Mei watched in frozen horror.
"TESHII!" they screamed.
Shifter didn't stop.
Before Teshii could even react–
He grabbed his shoulder–
And vanished.
Gone.
Teleported away.
Hikaru bolted forward.
"TESHII!"
His voice echoed across the forest.
No response.
Only Shifter remained–
Standing where Teshii once was, grinning.
He slowly turned to face them.
Flipping his bloodstained knife once in his hand.
"Now," he said.
"Who's next?"
Part 3: Elements vs Shifter
Teshii was gone.
Shifter now stood in his place, twirling his knife lazily between his fingers, that smug grin never leaving his face.
Hikaru's fists clenched. He turned to Mei, his voice sharp but steady.
"Mei, go. Help Moriya with the injured. We've got this."
She hesitated – eyes full of worry – but nodded. "Be careful," she whispered, then ran toward the wounded tribe members.
That left two.
Hikaru and Haruto.
Standing side-by-side against the mutant who had just taken down Teshii.
Shifter chuckled, slowly shaking his head.
"Two against one? That doesn't seem fair."
Hikaru's glare didn't waver. "You started this."
"You're right." Shifter's grin widened. "And I'm going to finish it."
Suddenly–
SHFFF!
He vanished.
Shifter appears near Haruto, preparing to slash him with his knife.
"Haruto–!" Hikaru shouted, turning just in time–
THWRAAM!
A wall of wood, exploded from the ground between Haruto and Shifter.
Shifter reappeared on the other side, blinking. "What the–" Then vanished again.
Hikaru and Haruto turned toward the direction of the wall.
There – standing strong and calm – was Moriya.
"Moriya!" Hikaru called out.
Haruto gave him a grateful nod. "Nice timing."
Moriya said nothing, his eyes locked on the trees above – where Shifter now perched like a vulture.
A long silence fell.
Then Hikaru muttered, "So… how are we supposed to beat a mutant that took out Teshii?"
Before anyone could answer–
SHIFF!
Shifter appeared on the ground in front of them, twirling his knife again.
"So it's three against one now?" he mused, looking at each of them. "Good. Let's make it interesting."
Then – he raised the blade.
Pressed it against his own palm.
And–
SHLIK!
He sliced across his hand.
Blood dripped onto the earth.
"What the hell?" Haruto said, eyes widening. "Did… did he just cut himself?"
Hikaru took a step forward, uncertain. "What is he doing…?"
But Moriya–
Moriya said nothing.
He simply stared.
Watching.
Analyzing.
Handprint
SHIFF!
Shifter suddenly appeared behind Hikaru, his hand gripping his shoulder.
"HIKARU!" Moriya shouted, thrusting his hand forward.
THWRAAM!
A wall of wood erupted between then, narrowly blocking Shifter and severing his grip. The mutant vanished in an instant, reappearing some distance away, chuckling to himself.
Moriya narrowed his eyes.
He saw it.
Blood.
Just a smear – barely noticeable – beneath where Shifter now stood.
"Why is there blood… there?" Moriya murmured.
Then – Shifter charged.
No teleportation.
Just a direct rush.
Haruto raised his hand. "HYDRO VORTEX!"
A swirling spiral of water burst from his pouch, forming a twisting barrier of force.
SHIFF!
Too fast. Shifter appeared behind Hikaru again.
But Moriya had expected this.
THWRAAM!
Another wall of wood launched upward between them.
Shifter changed tactics instantly – changes his direction quickly and now was targeting Haruto.
Haruto barely had time to react–
"Gotcha."
Shifter's palm slammed against Haruto's stomach.
"Let's take a little trip togeth–"
"ILLUMINATE BLITZ!"
Hikaru's voice rang out.
BOOM!
A beam of golden energy slammed into Shifter's side, hurling him across the field and into a tree with a crack.
"Don't underestimate us." Hikaru smirked, stepping beside Haruto.
Shifter grunted, rising with a grimace. "Damn it."
SHIFF!
Gone again.
Hikaru turned to Haruto. "You alright?"
Haruto nodded, catching his breath. "Yeah. Thanks."
Then Haruto frowned, pointing. "Um… Hikaru?"
"Hmm?"
"There's blood... on your shoulder."
Hikaru looked.
Sure enough – a crimson smear marked the fabric.
"OH COME ON!" he groaned. "I just washed this yesterday."
Then his eyes dropped – to Haruto's stomach.
More blood.
"Wait… you've got some too."
Haruto blinked. "Huh?" He looked down. "What the hell?"
Moriya stepped forward, brows furrowed.
"Those markings… they must've come from Shifter. When he touched you both."
Then–
"YO!"
The voice echoed from above.
All three looked up.
Shifter stood atop a branch, smiling like a madman.
"You three are good. "He twirled the knife in his hand. "But not good enough."
"Don't underestimate us, Shifter." Hikaru called up confidently. "Right now, we've got this battle under control."
Shifter's grin widened. "You're wrong."
Hikaru frowned. "…What?"
Shifter pointed directly at him.
"Because you–"
Then at Haruto.
"–and you… are already under my control."
Next-Level Teleportation
"Under your control?" Hikaru scoffed. "Unlike Smokewraith and Blood Mage, you sure do talk a lot."
He raised his hand. "This'll shut you up. RADIANCE BLAST!"
A surge of golden energy launched from Hikaru's palm, barrelling toward Shifter.
But Shifter didn't move.
He stood there, calm – raising his hand toward the incoming attack.
He smirked.
SHIFF!
The Radiance Blast vanished.
"WHAT?" Hikaru's eyes widened.
BOOM!
From behind – Haruto was suddenly blasted backward, slammed against a tree.
"HARUTO!" Hikaru and Moriya shouted in unison, sprinting toward him.
Haruto gritted his teeth in pain. "What… just happened?"
Moriya's eyes locked on Shifter, who stood grinning smugly.
Without hesitation, Moriya leapt onto a branch, gliding forward as vines, branches, and leaves spiraled around him.
"LET'S SEE YOU DODGE THIS!"
Moriya launched a flurry of attacks at Shifter.
SHIFF!
Shifter vanished again.
This time, he appeared right in front of Hikaru.
BAM!
A brutal knee to Hikaru's stomach.
Hikaru gasped, wind knocked from his lungs.
Before he could react–
Shifter grabbed him by the hair.
SHIFF!
They vanished.
Hikaru reappeared high on a tree branch – right where a small smear of blood had been left earlier.
He lost balance–
And fell.
THUD!
Moriya's eyes snapped to the blood-stained bark where Hikaru had landed.
And then it clicked.
SHIFF!
Shifter appeared on the same tree near Moriya, lunging with an open palm streaked in red.
"Now… it's your turn!"
"LEAF STORM!"
A cyclone of razor-sharp leaves exploded outward.
"WH-AGH!" Shifter was blown backward, crashing into a tree.
Moriya shouted as he glided overhead.
"HIKARU! HARUTO! TAKE OFF YOUR SHIRTS!"
"HUH?!" Both shouted in unison.
"THE BLOOD ON YOUR SHIRT – IT'S HIS MARKERS!"
"Markers?!" Hikaru blinked.
"THAT'S HOW HE TELEPORTS! THAT'S HOW HE HIT YOU WITH YOUR OWN BLAST!"
Hikaru and Haruto's eyes went wide – and immediately yanked off their shirts.
Moriya glided over to them, fast.
Hikaru glanced as the red stain on his shoulder. "So that's why he slit his palm earlier…"
"To mark us." Haruto finished grimly.
Moriya nodded. "Exactly."
They looked up as Shifter got to his feet, brushing off leaves.
He smirked, a little blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"So… you figured it out."
Moriya smiled back. "Yeah. And now…"
He scanned the area – eyes sharp, focused.
"Now I know where all your other markers are too."
Counter-Attack
"So, Shifter," Moriya said, eyes narrowing. "What are you going to do now? I know where your markers are. You can't teleport to Hikaru or Haruto anymore – not with their shirts off."
Shifter gritted his teeth – and vanished.
"Hikaru! Haruto! Back-to-back!" Moriya barked.
The three formed a triangle, standing back-to-back, eyes scanning the forest.
"So, he can teleport himself, others, and even redirect attacks," Hikaru muttered. "And it's all to those blood markers."
"Yeah. So be ready," Moriya said. "The second he appears – attack."
They nodded.
Their eyes flicked to the scattered bloodstains across tree trunks and rocks – each one a potential strike point.
Then–
Shifter appears on a tree.
SHRAKK!
Vines lashed out from the trees, wrapping around Shifter's leg.
"What the–?!" Shifter vanished instantly, escaping the trap – but reappeared just a few meters away.
"HYDRO VORTEX!"
A cyclone of water burst forward.
"Huh?!"
Shifter turned, wide-eyed – and vanished again.
But as he landed on the open field–
BOOM!
A blast of golden light slammed into his chest, sending him flying into a tree.
CRASH!
He slumped forward, coughing.
Hikaru smirked. "Got you."
Shifter slowly stood, blood dripping down his lip.
His usual grin was gone.
Frustration settled into his features.
"Damn it," he muttered, staring at the trio – now fully in sync, fully aware of how to counter him.
"So…" Moriya said, his voice calm and certain. "What's next, Shifter?"
Shifter growled, but then glanced down at his wrist–
A sleek, futuristic watch blinked: 5:00 P.M.
And just like that–
He smiled.
"Looks like my time here is done."
"Huh?" all three said at once.
SHIFF!
He vanished.
The trio whirled around, on edge.
"Careful. Could be a feint," Moriya warned.
They scanned the woods.
Waited.
Then Haruto pointed.
"…The markers. They're disappearing."
One by one, the bloodstains evaporated – dissolving into dust.
Moriya exhaled. "He's gone."
Silence.
Then Hikaru stepped forward.
"Okay, then. Let's go find Teshii."
Part 4: Search for Teshii
"HIKARU!"
Hikaru turned to the voice – Mei, running toward him with Yugo and Baki behind her.
"Are you okay?" Mei asked, eyes filled with concern.
Hikaru nodded, offering her a reassuring smile. "Yeah… I'm fine."
Then she blinked – her gaze trailing downward – and immediately looked away, blushing.
"Um… Hikaru… can you maybe put your shirt back on?"
Hikaru's eyes widened in realization. "O-oh! Sorry, Mei!" He scrambled to throw his shirt back on.
Behind them, Haruto sighed.
"I can't believe these two are older than me. They act like high schoolers."
Then – Moriya stepped forward, arms crossed.
"So… are you two just going to flirt, or are we going to look for Teshii?"
"WE'RE NOT FLIRTING!" Hikaru and Mei shouted in perfect unison.
But then–
Hikaru froze.
Teshii.
He was still gone.
But if Shifter could only teleport others to his blood markers…
"That means…" Hikaru muttered.
His voice grew serious.
"Teshii's still here. Somewhere in the forest."
The others all went quiet, realizing the same thing.
"He must be hurt," Mei whispered.
Moriya nodded. "Then let's not waste any time. We'll spread out – search the eastern ridge. It's the only part of the forest we haven't secured."
Hikaru looked ahead, eyes sharp.
"Let's go."
Search Begins
The search for Teshii had begun.
Everyone made their way toward the eastern ridge of the forest.
But instead of sticking together, the group split up.
Hikaru and Mei.
Haruto and Moriya.
Baki and Yugo.
And several other tribe members, scattering into the brush.
From a distance, Haruto watched Hikaru and Mei disappear between the trees, walking closely together.
He exhaled. "Was it… really a good idea to pair those two?"
Moriya raised an eyebrow. "Yes. Why?"
Haruto narrowed his eyes. "They're just going to distract each other."
Moriya chuckled softly. "Possibly. But sometimes, people need a little distraction… to stay calm in moments like this."
Then his expression shifted – his tone grew more serious.
"…That Teshii guy," Moriya muttered. "He's… something else."
Haruto glanced over. "What do you mean?"
"I've fought alongside many warriors," Moriya said, eyes fixed on the treetops. "But never have I seen someone fight like that. His style… it was wild. Like instinct mixed with rhythm."
"And I've never seen a Yakuza do capoeira," Moriya added with a faitn smirk.
Haruto stopped walking.
"Moriya…" he groaned. "Don't tell me you still think Teshii's in the Yakuza."
Moriya laughed. "No. Not anymore."
He looked ahead, the wind rustling through his green-tinted hair.
"After seeing him take down Baki… and stand his ground against Shifter? Nah. Teshii's not Yakuza."
Moriya smiled faintly.
"He's something much weirder."
Teshii the Older Brother Figure
Hikaru and Mei walked quietly through the forest.
The canopy above swayed with the wind, filtering sunlight in gentle patterns across the mossy path.
Hikaru's eyes scanned the trees, alert for any signs of Teshii.
But Mei?
She kept sneaking glances at Hikaru, a light blush rising on her cheeks.
Silence stretched between them… until she finally spoke.
"Um… Hikaru?"
He turned slightly. "Hmm?"
"I… I want to know more about Teshii. So… can I ask how you two met?"
Hikaru exhaled with a half-smile. "We met in an alleyway."
Mei blinked. "An… alleyway?"
"Yeah. I was just walking home one day, and out of nowhere… I got attacked."
Mei's eyes widened. "You were attacked?!"
Hikaru nodded. "Yup. By a masked guy."
"Let me guess, it was Teshii who saved you." Mei said.
"Nope. It turns out he was the masked man who attacked me." Hikaru chuckled.
"…He attacked you?" Mei froze.
"Yep!" Hikaru grinned.
"And now… you work together?" Mei asked slowly.
"Yep! He repeated.
"That's… kind of weird."
"I know," Hikaru smirked.
There was a pause, before Mei asked a little more softly, "So… what do you really think of Teshii?"
Hikaru looked up at the trees, watching the sunlight filter through.
"…At first? I thought he was just annoying."
He smiled faintly. "Well – he still is. But after the smoke incident… something changed. I guess…"
A small pause.
"I started seeing him like an older brother."
Mei's eyes softened. "Aww… that's so cute!"
"Please don't say it like that," Hikaru groaned, cheeks warming a little.
Then–
They stepped out of the brush…
And arrived at the eastern ridge of the forest.
Moriya' Decision
The group finally arrived at the eastern ridge of the forest.
Haruto, Moriya, Mei, Hikaru, and the other tribespeople gathered–
But one person was still missing.
"…Teshii isn't here," Hikaru muttered.
"Damn." Moriya frowned. "I would've thought Shifter teleported him here."
"Then… where is he?" Mei asked, worry creeping into her voice.
"Yeah…" a voice echoed suddenly. "Wherever he may be…"
Everyone froze.
Slowly, they turned toward the voice.
And standing there – smiling, relaxed, and very much alive–
Was Teshii.
"Teshii!" Hikaru ran toward him.
"What's up, Sunshine?" Teshii grinned.
"You're okay!" Haruto said.
"Yep." Teshii nodded like it was no big deal.
A wave of relief washed over the group. Smiles returned.
Teshii cracked his neck casually. "Well, since I'm not dead and all... back to business."
He turned to Moriya.
"So, Woody… are you gonna join the Order or what?"
All eyes shifted to Moriya.
"I…" Moriya hesitated, looking up at the forest canopy. "I'm not sure. I can't just leave this forest… it's my home."
Then–
"You don't have to worry about the forest, Moriya."
The voice was soft, but carried weight.
Everyone turned.
Elder Sana had stepped forward.
"If the forest is your worry," she said gently, "then let it go. Yugo and Baki are here. They'll protect this land in your absence."
Moriya turned to the two warriors. They nodded silently.
"And my family will help too," Mei said, stepping beside him. Her voice was firm. "You're not leaving the forest behind. You're just expanding its protection."
Moriya looked at them all – his people, his allies.
He closed his eyes.
Breathed in the scent of moss, wind, bark, and rain.
When he opened them–
His resolve was clear.
"…Very well."
He turned to Teshii.
"I'll join the Order."
Teshii grinned wide. "That's what I like to hear."
He extended a hand.
"Welcome to the team."
Moriya took it, firmly.
And just like that, the Element of Wood had joined the Order.
But then–
Hikaru, watching their handshake, froze.
His eyes slowly widened.
Because what he saw…
Was that Teshii's hand…
Was still intact.
"…What?" Hikaru blinked.
He could've sworn–
No – he knows–
Shifter had cut off Teshii's hand.
So then…
Why was it still there?
TO BE CONTINUE!!!