The wind swept gently across the open field, carrying with it the scent of grass, dew, and the distant hum of cicadas. Birds had long since scattered, sensing the shift in energy that lingered in the air.
At the heart of the clearing lay a wide circle of freshly cut grass – precise and intentional.
It wasn't just a random patch of earth.
It was a natural arena carved into the land.
There were no bleachers, no shining tiles or synthetic flooring. Just earth – green and honest.
The grass outside the circle was wild and untamed, swaying with every passing breeze. But inside the arena, the field was flat, smooth, and ready.
Within that ring stood seven people.
The Elements: Hikaru, Haruto, Moriya, Ikazuchi, Reito, Daichi, and the newest recruit – Sora.
Hikaru stretched his arms, his face tilted to the sky as the sun warmed his skin.
"What a great way to start our weekend in the sunshine," he said with a smile.
Haruto closed his eyes, breathing in the crisp air as he raised one hand. Water flowed gently from his pouch, curling through the air like a ribbon.
Reito stepped silently to the edge of the arena, adjusting his stance with quiet discipline of a monk.
Moriya lay flat in the grass, hands behind his head, utterly at ease. "This…" he murmured, "…is my kind of arena."
Daichi stood at the very centre of the ring, arms behind his back like a sentinel surveying the land.
Sora stretched lazily, wind brushing his hoodie as he turned into the breeze, soaking it all in.
And finally–
Ikazuchi, lunging off to one side, stretched out his legs while eyeing the empty space around them.
His brows furrowed.
Why are we in an open field anyway?
Why not train at the safehouse like usual?
He turned to Hikaru.
"Oi, Hikaru?"
Hikaru opened one eye, glancing over.
"Hmm? What is it, Ikazuchi?"
Ikazuchi gestured broadly at the landscape around them.
"Why are we in an open field?"
Hikaru opened his other eye, exhaling as he crossed his arms.
"It was Teshii's idea," he explained. "He said it would be better for us to train in the middle of nature for once."
Ikazuchi raised an eyebrow.
"What?! How does that make sense? We fight mutants outside. We're already used to nature!"
"You know…" Hikaru said, shrugging, "I told him the exact same thing."
A Few Days Ago – At The Safehouse
Hikaru and Teshii sat in the living room.
"You know, Sunshine…" Teshii said casually, adjusting his crimson shades, "I think I should take you guys out to train in an open field."
Hikaru blinked, narrowing his eyes. "Why though?"
Teshii smiled, closing his eyes behind his shades.
"So you can get used to nature."
"…We fight mutants outside all the time. We're basically already used to nature."
Silence.
Then–
BANG!
"GAAAAHHH–!" Hikaru choked as he was suddenly yanked down, locked into a textbook-perfect chokehold.
Teshii's arm was around his neck in an instant – tight, secure, expertly placed. Not painful, but firm. The kind of grip that said, you're not going anywhere.
Hikaru's hands flailed up, trying to pry himself free.
Teshii dropped his weigh, grounding the hold with ease. His voice was calm. Playful. Right beside Hikaru's ear.
"Rule number one, Sunshine… never question my ideas."
"W-W-What?!" Hikaru wheezed, struggling.
"Accept it. Accept my idea of training in the field."
Tiny sparks of light crackled at Hikaru's fingertips… then sputtered out uselessly under the unyielding grip.
"F-Fine!" he gasped.
Back in the Present…
"…So yeah," Hikaru smiled, arms folded. "That's how we ended up here."
Ikazuchi just stared at him mid-lunge.
"Well… f*ck me."
Then, Reito spoke up from the edge of the arena, arms crossed and composed as ever.
"Speaking of which… where is Teshii?"
Hikaru turned toward him. "He said he had something to do, and he will be late."
Haruto, still manipulating a long thread of water through the air, glanced over.
"Teshii is probably sleeping with your sister, Hikaru."
The ripple of awkward silence hit like a wave.
Moriya sat up from the grass, tilting his head innocently.
"Why would they be sleeping? It's the morning. They should be awake by now."
Everyone stared at him.
Moriya blinked, confused.
"…What?"
Hikaru shook his head, trying to bring focus back.
"Never mind that! Are you guys ready to train?"
Ikazuchi, still lunging, exchanged a glance with Daichi, who stood with arms behind his back. They both looked back at Hikaru.
"Y-Yeah… I guess?" Daichi said.
"Good!" Hikaru nodded firmly. "Okay, so… we can start with…"
Silence.
Only the wind answered, whistling gently through the open field.
"Um… we can start with…" Hikaru muttered again, scratching the back of his head.
Ikazuchi narrowed his eyes.
"You don't know what to do, do you, Hikaru?"
Hikaru lowered his gaze in shame.
"No. No, I don't, Ikazuchi," he admitted flatly, not even trying to deny it.
Then–
"I've got an idea!"
Everyone turned toward the voice.
It was Sora, standing tall with a smile, one finger raised.
"Instead of boring old training," he declared, "how about we do a Battle Royale today?"
Haruto raised an eyebrow. "A Battle Royale?"
"Yeah!" Sora nodded. "It's a contest to see which one of us is the better fighter."
"The better fighter, huh?" Ikazucho echoed, clearly intrigued. He stepped forward slightly, eyes gleaming. "So, Sora… how do we determine the winner?"
"Simple!" Sora grinned. "Last man standing."
Ikazuchi turned toward the others with growing interest.
"I think we should do it."
Hikaru narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Oh, really? Sounds like you just want an excuse to beat us up."
Ikazuchi smirked, stretching his arms.
"Of course I do."
A few minutes had passed, and the Elements were now standing in a circle at the heart of the open field's arena. Not a word was spoken. Just the stillness of anticipation.
Whoooosh…
A gentle breeze whispered across the open grass, brushing through their hair, teasing the leaves at the edges of the field.
Then–
CRACK!
Ikazuchi slammed his palm into the earth, lightning crackling violently up his arm.
"ELECTRIC TERRAIN!"
A radiant surge of electricity burst out from Ikazuchi's body, racing across the field like a spiderweb of raw power. Sparks lit the grass with every inch it touched, forming a pulsing electric grid that danced wildly beneath their feet.
The current charged straight toward the newcomer – Sora.
Ikazuchi smirked confidently.
Tahke this, newbie!
CRACK! CRACK!
But just before the current reached him, Sora shifted his stance. One step forward, one step back – yet not on the ground. He floated.
The air responded to him like an old friend. A swirl of wind spiralled around his legs, lifting dust, petals, and loose leaves into a gentle spiral. His feet were now a few inches above the ground – not flying, but hovering, using currents to carry him.
The electricity fizzed out beneath him, harmlessly.
Ikazuchi's eyes widened.
"What?!"
"You're gonna have to do better that that, Lightning Head," the high schooler grinned from mid-air, wind whirling beneath his sneakers.
Ikazuchi gritted his teeth – but before he could respond–
"Hey, Ikazuchi! Pay attention!"
His eyes darted to the right.
"Huh–?"
ZRAKK!
A focused beam of pure ice energy rocketed toward him. Ikazuchi leaps backward just in time as the ice hit the ground, erupting in a sharp blast.
CRRRSSHH!
Shards of frozen grass scattered as a portion of the field turned into glittering permafrost.
Ikazuchi looked up to see Reito, cool and composed, standing with a small smile on his lips.
Then–
THOOM!
A heavy quake shook the arena. Cracks split the earth as Daichi stomped the ground. A massive boulder erupted from beneath him, rising like a titan's fist.
With a quick pivo, Daichi launched a powerful kick – the boulder hurled through the air toward Haruto.
Haruto stood firm, arms lifted. Water spiralled from his pouch and formed a towering column, shaped like a broad blade, swirling like a liquid guillotine.
"TSUNAMI GUILLOTINE!"
Haruto swung his arm downward. The massive water blade dropped with precision, slicing the boulder in two with a crashing roar.
BANG!
Chunks of stone split to either side, crashing harmlessly away.
Amidst the chaos, Hikaru stood calmly in the centre of the arena. He hadn't moved yet – just watching, smiling with quiet approval.
Everyone looks good and full of energy today.
Lightning danced. Ice shimmered. Earth cracked. Wind howled. Water surged.
And all the while…
…from a distance, behind the thick shade of a tree, a figure stood watching. Silent.
Hidden.
A soft smile curled on his lips, shadowed by leaves.
Meanwhile…
Teshii was lounging in Hikari's bedroom, sitting cross-legged on her bed while she was in the shower. Her laptop rested on his lap, and plugged into it was the USB stick that Chameleon had dropped during their confrontation.
"Let's see what we have here," Teshii muttered with a smirk, eyes scanning the decrypted data.
"Project X, huh?" he whispered, intrigued as lines of classified text flashed across the screen.
Interesting.
Then–
Click – swsh.
The bedroom door creaked open, and Teshii's golden eyes widened. He swiftly closed the files, ejected the USB stick, and slipped it into the inner pocket of his fleece.
"That was refreshing!" Hikari said cheerfully as she entered, wrapped in a towel, her half-blonde and half-black hair damp and glistening from the steam.
Teshii turned his head with a calm grin, completely composed.
"Finished showering, babe?" he asked innocently.
"Yeah," Hikari nodded as she walked over to her vanity desk, settling into the chair in front of her mirror.
Teshii tilted his head, his smile softening.
"Want me to dry your hair for you?"
Hikari turned in surprise, her cheeks tinting pink.
"Really? You'd do that?"
"Of course," replied, already moving toward her.
"Please!" she beamed, flattered and flustered.
Teshii crouched down, rummaging through her drawer until he found the hairdryer. He plugged it in, then gently took a comb from the desk. As the hairdryer hummed to life, he began drying and coming her hair with practiced care.
Hikari watched him through the mirror, her expression softening as warmth settled over her.
"Um, Teshii?"
"Yeah, babe?" he replied, focused but listening.
"I heard from Mei… that she went to the safehouse yesterday."
"Yeah," he nodded casually. "What about it?"
"Well…" Hikari hesitated, fingers fiddling with the edge of her towel. "Is there any chance… that I could come to the safehouse too?" she asked, blushing.
Teshii paused, staring at her reflection in the mirror, the dryer still in hand. Then–
"Sure, babe," he said with a gentle smile.
Hikari's eyes widened slightly.
"Really?"
"Yeah," Teshii nodded. "Besides, I've been meaning to introduce you to Bossman and Bosslady anyway."
Hikari's face lit up. She looked away shyly, her cheeks blooming with colour.
"O-Okay," she whispered, smiling.
Back to the Battle Royale…
Only two remained standing in the arena.
Moriya, calm and composed as ever.
And…
Ikazuchi, breathing heavily, electricity crackling across his body.
The others – Hikaru, Haruto, Reito, Daichi, and Sora – were already defeated, now sitting along the edge of the arena, watching the final round.
Ikazuchi glared at Moriya and raised one hand, two fingers pointed like a gun.
"LIGHTNING GUNSHOT!"
With a sharp flick of his wrist, a searing bolt of lightning exploded from his fingertips.
The bolt surged toward Moriya with electric fury.
CRACK! CRACK!
But Moriya exhaled a calm breath. As the bolt approached, he raised his hand gently.
Whsss…
The grass beneath his feet sprang upward in a barrier, shielding him. The lightning struck the grass – but fizzled out with nothing more than a hiss. The vegetation remained unscathed.
Ikazuchi's eyes widened in disbelief.
"What?!"
"You know, Ikazuchi…" Moriya said as the grass lowered again. "…from the very start of this Battle Royale, I already knew I was going to win."
He stepped forward, foot pressing firmly into the earth.
"You wanna know why?" His voice sharpened. "Because this open field is my home turf."
THUMP!
Moriya's foot slammed down with precision.
"TURF ASSAULT!"
Grass erupted again, swirling with violent force. The arena trembled as vegetation burst from beneath, whipping and spiralling like wild serpents. It wasn't just grass anymore – it was hardened, sharpened, reinforced. Nature weaponized.
Ikazuchi stood frozen, electricity still dancing around his arms.
"Wait, wait, wait–!"
BOOM!
A burst of smoke clouded the field.
When the dust settled, Ikazuchi lay sprawled flat on the ground – defeated.
"Looks like Moriya wins the Battle Royale," Hikaru said with a small grin.
"Yeah," Daichi nodded.
The others walked toward Moriya, smiling.
"Moriya, you were awesome!" Haruto said with enthusiasm.
Moriya chuckled modestly. "Thanks."
Ikazuchi groaned and sat up, brushing grass off his clothes.
"Damn it," he muttered.
Then – he looked up.
A hand reached out to him.
"Huh?" he blinked.
It was Moriya.
"You okay?" Moriya asked, calm and sincere.
Ikazuchi sighed and cracked a smile, accepting the hand.
"Yeah… Congrats."
Then–
"YO!"
A loud voice echoed across the field.
Everyone turned to look.
Teshii was jogging toward them, waving with one hand, the other shoved into the pocket of his fleece jacket. His crimson shades on his face.
"Moriya! That was amazing! You were totally awesome out there!" he cheered.
"T-Thanks," Moriya replied, tilting his head slightly.
Did he just call me by my name?
Teshii turned to Ikazuchi. "And you too, Ikazuchi! You were awesome as well!"
Ikazuchi narrowed his eyes at Teshii, something tingling in the back of his mind.
Why do I feel like something's not right…?
Teshii then turned back to Moriya, flashing a smug smile.
"How about this, Moriya? You and I fight."
Moriya blinked. "Huh?"
Teshii pointed at him with purpose. "I challenge you. One-on-one. You're the winner of the Battle Royale, right?"
Moriya stared at him, confused. "S-Sure…"
"Alright!" Teshii shouted, eyes glinting behind his crimson shades. "Let's do this!"
But even as he nodded, Moriya continued to study Teshii closely, his expression turning serious.
Something… is definitely not right.
TO BE CONTINUED!!!