242. The convenient targets!

[The Dueling Exam: Arc 11]

[Planet Earth - Fortune Island - Fortune Woods - Sunday 12:10 p.m.]

From once the rules were explained about the new test, the examinees needed to draw for their target, based on what number they get. The rest had quite many targets, spread across, but what was the most unideal was Tim. His luck just dropped down, as he is known and faced with probably his hardest challenge, gain Kyou's badge or capture him.

"Very well. Now that most of you have been split, you are next to go, number 677." Claimed examiner. Ayuka just passed by, once Tim became a bit certain. ("She has Hideki as her target, I hope she'll do well." Claimed Tim, thinking. ("This challenge is way more difficult than we believed, there are guranteed two that will drop, and that can be any of us 20. Nor just that, fighting against an ally, gaining their badge, the best thing I could come to mind is exchanging badges, but that too, will not be as planned.") Tim thought, standing before Codey. "Man, standing still and waiting around here is annoying, why does Tim get to go before hand?" Codey unamusingly asked. "Just calm down, he's going ahead, because that's how they've put us in a line." Kylin answered, being quite ready to partake in this action.

"Speaking about this? Who's your target?" Codey wondered, looking at Kylin. "Something I did not expect for sure. My target is Shin...." Quietly spoke Kylin. "Him?! Man, that might actually be a struggle for you. He is insanely skilled and you've probably seen it before?" Added Codey, quite certain. "Yes - I am quite aware, but at the same time. I've seen what he is capable of, so it may not be as difficult." Claimed Kylin, serious. "All right, you may go, number 673." Smiled the elder. Without returns, Tim stepped forward and prepared to drop down the mountain. ("Kyou it is..... don't worry, you can handle it...") At that moment, Tim immediately jumped forward.

By fully prepared, ready to take in action, Tim began to slide down the rocky mountain while using to speed up. "Whoa! Look at him. He doesn't even care about running down, using sliding to his advanatge to get further is way bett-" But in that moment, Tim put the badge in his pocket when pointing his arms backward, keeping others confused. ("The start should be something I need.") Tim claimed when unleashing bursts of flame, from that moment he used the fire as a boost and used it as a flight to make a longer jump, being over the forest. "Holy hell! If he drops at that height, he's just going to die!" Shouted Codey, surprised. Tim looked around and tried to see if he could find Kyou, but there was no luck, so instead, he raised his right hand and unleashed burning fire, he sweeped with his arm ahead and used it to stop in the air, when he began to drop down at high speed, surrounded by fire, and in that moment, while he was falling down at burning speed, he came to a slam on the ground, falling between the leaves of trees and smashing his fist into the ground, provoking a rising inferno that was seen from the top of the mountain, when the flames dissipated within the air right after.

"Well, he certainly is ready to find his target, I wonder who it is?" Wondered Midori, a bit confused. "I'm not sure, but I believe it might of have been number 25.... and we know that, that is Kyou." Claimed Kylin, serious.

[Planet Earth - Fortune Island - Fortune Woods - Sunday 12:15 p.m.]

"All right, time to hunt you down Kyou. However, how am I supposed to get your badge, or how am I even able to capture you?" Tim wondered, running through the forest. "That's everything I'l have to figure out, I'll have to find him soon, so that I can plan things ahead as well." Spoke Tim, seriously when sweeping his thumb below his nose, from there he moved his arms behind his back, stretching them and in instant, his body vanished when the leaves blew behind him.

[Planet Earth - Fortune Island - Fortune Woods - Sunday 1:00 p.m.]

Finally everybody came into the forest.

Ayuka looked at her badge. "Hideki it is.... but where would of have he wandered off? I wish I'd knew...." Sighed Ayuka, thinking while looking around, but her search began. She was moving between the forest but she soon noticed somebody on the side. To figure who that was, she tensed her ees and noticed.

Sakami looked onto her badge and had no comment.

But in instant, Ayuka came jumping from behind Sakami when sliding on the floor, that immediately made Sakami to react. "Wait! Sakami, I thought you were Hideki!" Ayuka called, when both of them exchanged looks. "So. Your target is Hideki?" Questioned Sakami, calmly and stoicly. "Y-yes. I know this is strange, but I've been looking for him for an hour. Any sign of him?" Ayuka questioned, closing the gap between Sakami, as the two ran. "No. Sorry, I haven't seen anybody else around, apart from you." Claimed Sakami. "Darn. I thought this challenge wouldn't involve fighting and hunting. But I understand why its called - The Scout of Nature Test - either way. Thank you for some intel, who's your target?" Ayuka wondered in confusion. But Sakami showed the badge without saying anything. "Ko? I see. That's someone you must look for. I kind of dislike this test - because anybody here of us could simply just fail." Ayuka claimed, when being serious. With a nod, Sakami confirmed.

"Anyway, if you don't mind, if we cross paths again, please let me know if you ever see Hideki, all right?" And so again, Sakami nodded. "Thank you. I'll see you at the finish line!" Called Ayuka when making a step and vanishing in instant, Sakami on the other hand switched directions and skimmed between the gap of trees and changed directions.

[Planet Earth - Fortune Island - Fortune Woods - Sunday 1:10 p.m.]

While several of the examinees continued to search for their targets, Codey came in contact with Ellie and both of them exchanged looks. "There you are!" With a serious call, Codey looked at Ellie. "So, I guess I am your target! How convenient! And we were just about to begin to become better friends!" Ellie smirked. "I am not planning on being your friend, but a fraudful enemy neither!" Codey claimed, in that moment the two of thme, both, turned their papers and they've seen that they were targeting each other. "Oh, that's fantastic! We've already found our targets, huh?" Codey laughed, preparing. "We sure have! But, only one of us will be victorious! Get your hands ready to taste the dirt!" Ellie added. Both of them reached for their weapons, exchanging rivarly in their looks.

Codey reached for his boomerangs when the duel between began. "I'll make this quick." Ellie smirked one last time and in that moment, yellow electricity awoke from around him. Codey manipulated his boomerang in front of him as it spun at great speed. "Yes, but let that be athe turn of the table, I'll be the one to make this quick." Codey said, and in instant his eyes glowed red, waking his Half-Demon mode. One final time, the two fo them exchanged looks - but it began in a flash.

With instantaneous disappearence Ellie appeared in front of Codey, sweeping with his katana, but luckly, Codey had high senses so by reflexes he skimmed backward when the ground cracked from the spot where Ellie stood, with that Ellie immediately awoke his electricity again, causing him to disappear from the spot and appearing behind Codey, after sliding aside and pressing his feet at the ground, using that to his advantage to strike Codey and swinging with his katana obliquely, but in that moment, Codey immediately stretched his left foot aside and ducked when sweeping with his right arm, turning his body, when tensing his palm and swinging his palm at Ellie's stomach, bursting out a powerful wind blast that simply knocked Ellie backward, however, in that instant, Ellie landed on the floor and slid, creating a yellow line of electricity. Ellie used that to his advantage and immediately zoomed through the current of electricity, swinging with his katana at Codey, however, luckily Codey swung with his boomerang, blocking the cut when quickly using his knee to strike Ellie in the stomach. But in quick recovery, Ellie disappeared and awoke yellow current behind Codey's back, spinning behind him and kicking with full pressure of his foot into Codey's top back, kicking him forward and then, disappearing when appearing on the right side of Codey, he swung a bolt of blade and caused Codey to force himself into block, knocking him backward when Codey recovered by making a backflip.

After the knockback, Codey swung with his arm and pressed his right foot at the ground, unleashing his boomerang, surrounded by the heavy wind. But in return of that Ellie made a sturdy step forward and swung right at the left side of the boomerang's body, countering it and redirecting it to the side, once he finished his counter, Ellie made another heavy step and dashed at Codey who's right and left eye released a red spark, he moved his arms in front of his neck, when swinging with his arms downward, unleashing a pulse of wind in a shape of a crescent that forced Elliie to react by using his katana and use it to take the damage. After Ellie managed to settle down the wind, he reacted immediately, he appeared above Codey's head in a hand-stand, preparing his sharp katana to cut at Codey. However, when Ellie tried to cut through Codey,s neck, Codey ducked and let Ellie to climb behind him, Ellie used that to his advantage to recover the floor and then swung with his katana, luckily enough Codey blocked with his left boomerang, being in a 'stretchy' position. "I didn't expect to actually have a small struggle in fighting you." Claimed Codey, serious. "Nor have I! You're not half bad when it comes to close combat, even though you're pretty much based on distance. But, that won't deny me to stop! So prepare, this is a loss that you will remember!" Shouted Ellie when making a step back. Both of them disappeared in the spot and attacked after appearing in front of each other. Codey immediately supported his left arm in which he held the boomerang when swinging with his right fist, smashing Ellie into the face and stunning him. From that point, Codey immediately disappeared in the wind and appeared behind Ellie, swinging with his left leg and slamming the leg's pressure into Ellie's hip, luckily enough, Ellie moved his katana to the side of his left shoulder and used the flat side of the katana, pointed down, to block the kick, yet, he still felt the pressure.

[Planet Earth - Fortune Island - Fortune Woods - Sunday 1:15 p.m.]

Hideki was moving throigh the forest while searching for his target, that being Kanji, but in luck, that didn't take long when Kanji came sliding in front of him. "Hey! Hideki! Have you seen Kylin! I need to get to her!" Called Kanji, acting casual, but Hideki slid. "No. I didn't, sorry. However, there is this one problem." Claimed Hideki, smiling. "H-huh? W-what do you mean?" Kanji asked, but in instant, Hideki appeared in front of Kanji and kneeled him into the stomach, making him cough out saliva when bursting him backward and smashing Kanji directly into the trunk of a tree, pushing him onto the floor. "You see.... this is the problem." Hideki said, showing his badge. But in that moment, Kanji noticed that Hideki was targeting him. "..... This is what I was afraid of that would happen if I came in contact with somebody, and guess what. It just came down to my luck, that I had to come in cross with the duelist that I am his target..." Kanji said, gathering back his breath. "Sorry - but so that we pass the exam, the dueling and stealing your badge is something absolutely needed." Claimed Hideki, calmly.

To be continued...