The dense undergrowth rustled, a whisper against the silence of the forest. Seraphina and Mia had just finished their latest scuffle, walking away victorious with two more badges when Mia suddenly grabbed Seraphina's arm, her voice low but urgent.
"Stop."
Seraphina froze, her muscles tensing instinctively. "What is it?"
Mia's eyes were locked onto the ground just a few feet ahead of them. "A monocled cobra. Naja kaouthia," she muttered, voice laced with both fascination and unease.
Seraphina followed her gaze and sure enough, a sleek dark-grey cobra had slithered out of the underbrush. Its hood expanded, displaying the characteristic eye-shaped markings that gave the species its name. The hiss it emitted was low, a clear warning. It had noticed them.
Mia whispered urgently, her technical knowledge spilling out as if it was second nature. "Highly venomous. Neurotoxic venom. If it bites you, it shuts down your nervous system, paralyzes you, then—"
Seraphina cut her off with a smirk. "Then I die. Got it."
Mia shot her an incredulous look. "This isn't a joke, Sera! Even professionals use tools to catch these things! And we have nothing."
Seraphina, however, was already moving, eyes gleaming with something dangerously close to amusement. "Who needs tools?"
The snake coiled, its head bobbing slightly, reading her movements. The second it reared back to strike, Seraphina lunged.
Her hands moved faster than Mia's eyes could track. In one seamless motion, she caught the cobra mid-strike, her fingers clamping just below its head, cutting off its ability to snap forward. The snake wriggled violently, its long body whipping in protest.
Mia's breath hitched. "Sera—"
Seraphina barely looked phased. "Oh, relax. As long as I don't let go, it can't bite me." Her grip tightened slightly, fingers finding the pressure point seven inches down its body—the weakest spot. With a sharp movement, she cut off its struggle entirely.
The snake went limp.
Mia was stunned into silence for a full three seconds before she burst out, "W-what the hell?! Who just casually catches a cobra with bare hands?!"
Seraphina chuckled, tossing the now-limp serpent into the bushes. "Apparently, I do."
A slow clap interrupted them. From the shadows, a cadet emerged, his uniform pristine despite the rugged terrain. A smug smile played on his lips as he leaned lazily against a tree.
"Well, well," he mused. "That was quite the show."
Seraphina arched a brow. "Enjoying the view?"
The cadet smirked, his eyes flickering to the badges clipped to their jackets. "I was going to let you two walk away, but now I'm curious. You're clearly skilled—so why don't you prove it?"
Two more cadets emerged behind him, their grins matching his.
Mia sighed dramatically. "Ugh. Can we not? We just dealt with a literal cobra."
Seraphina cracked her knuckles, grinning. "Why not? I'm feeling warmed up."
The air grew heavy as both sides prepared to strike. The game was far from over.