Day 5 Part 4

Just as I'm about to carve another rune into the barrier, a sudden motion catches my eye. "What the-?" I exclaim as Isadora's blade slices my arrow in half. Her face is flushed and sweaty, but the look in her eyes is anything but tired. It's downright murderous.

"What the hell, Isadora!" I shriek, leaping back to avoid the sudden attack. "You nearly took my finger off!"

She doesn't respond, just gives me a look that could freeze the sun. I can tell she's pissed, probably because I've been having so much fun watching her struggle. But I mean, come on. It's hilarious.

"Hey, come on~ it was just a joke~ it was only 9 rounds~" I laugh, but it comes out sounding more like a nervous chuckle. She continues to glare at me, but thankfully, she seems to have changed her target from me back to the skeletons. That's a relief.

"Why so serious, Isadora?" I murmur, stepping back to watch her return to the fight. She's strong, I'll give her that. But everything else about her is a no no. You need to chill out from time to time, and from what I've seen, all she does is move around swinging her sword and eating. Tsk, Fuck! Just thinking about it pisses me off, Why does she have to eat nearly as much as V?

Every time she slices through another skeleton, I click my tongue and roll my eyes. "Tsk, seriously, Isadora. How the hell do you have so much stamina?" I mutter under my breath. Her attacks are relentless, her sword a blur of motion as she cuts through bone like butter. I can do that if I wanted to.

Not that I'm envious or anything. If I had to choose between sleeping and fighting a bunch of skeletons, I'd choose sleep any day. And right now, my eyes are starting to feel heavy. A yawn escapes my lips and I rub my eyes, wishing I was curled up in bed instead of out here.

"Ugh, I'm so tired~" I groan, stretching my arms over my head. "I haven't slept in a couple of hours..." And for someone like me who considers sleep her soulmate, that's practically a lifetime.

"Just a few more minutes, Biana," I tell myself, slapping my cheeks lightly. "You can do this."

But the next yawn that comes is so strong that I nearly topple over. "Sleep, oh how I miss you..." I mumble, my eyes fluttering closed for a moment. "You're my one true love, you know that, right?"

Suddenly, Isadora's sharp voice cuts through my sleep-deprived ramblings. "...Get up or I'll slice you in half"

My eyes snap open and I sit up straighter, looking around. Oh right, the skeletons. I snort, shaking my head. Even now, in the middle of a fight, Isadora still finds the time to boss me around.

"Okay, okay, I'm up," I say, waving my hand dismissively. But the truth is, I'm still tired. Hell, I'm always tired. It's like a constant state of being for me. I need my beauty sleep. And by beauty sleep, I mean at least sixteen hours of uninterrupted snoozing.

Another yawn takes me by surprise, and this time, I can't hide it. "Damn it, why is sleep so elusive?" I mutter, my eyelids feeling heavy. Maybe if I just rest my eyes for a bit...

But no. I can't. Not when Isadora is still fighting. Not when there are still skeletons left. Not when there's still fun to be had.

Watching Isadora's breathless approach, I can't help but chuckle. Finally, the invincible swordswoman showing some weakness. It's like witnessing a triad lunar eclipse - rare, exhilarating, and a little bit terrifying.

"Hey, looks like someone had fun," I say, my grin widening as Isadora pointedly ignores me, walking past with heavy steps. I would feel sorry for her if it wasn't so funny. And if she didn't nearly slice my finger off earlier.

Isadora, with the stamina of a demon king, seems to believe her sword can break through anything. That includes the hut's barrier, which, from my perspective, is like trying to chop down a tree with a plastic knife. I watch with mirthful amusement as her sword bounces off the barrier once again, producing an almost musical twang.

As Isadora struggles, I stifle a laugh. "Your sword fighting technique won't help here, Hero," I tease, rising to my feet. "Watch and learn~"

Suddenly, an idea comes to my mind, and a devilish grin spreads across my face. This is going to be so much fun. I walk towards Isadora, who's still staring at the barrier, frustration painted on her face. Without warning, I reach out and tear a piece of her shirt off.

"...Die" she exclaims, turning to glare at me. She raises her sword, but I quickly raise my hands, brandishing the torn piece of cloth in defense.

"Woah, woah, woah! Easy, easy. We don't want V to get eaten now, do we?" I remind her, grinning wickedly. My reminder seems to have the desired effect. She lowers her sword, looking somewhat conflicted.

Turning my back to her, I sit down cross-legged, unfolding the torn piece of cloth on my lap. As I retrieve my broken arrow, I can't help but mutter a quick curse under my breath, "I hate you, Isadora, for this."

I carefully carve two runes on the piece of cloth – one to spread through wood and the other for fire. It's almost poetic, fighting fire with fire. Or in this case, breaking a magical barrier with better magic.

"This should work, After all, I am a genius," I say to myself, tossing the piece of cloth towards the hut. Pouring a bit of my mana into the runes, I feel a tingle of anticipation. I can't help but smirk as I watch the cloth make contact with the barrier, spreading and growing, engulfing the hut in a fiery aura.

With a victorious smile, I lean back on my hands, casting a sideways glance at Isadora. "Impressed yet, Hero?" I say, letting out a satisfied sigh. "It's a bit more sophisticated than swinging a sword around."

Oh, sleep, how I long for you. Once this shitty test is over, I swear I'll dedicate at least a full week to you.

Just as the magical fire starts eating away at the barrier of the hut, I feel an overwhelming desire to sleep. I slump down onto the ground, stretching out my limbs and letting out a long, satisfying yawn.

"I'm so tired~," I groan, lying flat on my back, staring up at the darkened sky. Why is she looking around? Just what the hell is wrong with her head? Forget it, I need my beauty sleep. I mean, maintaining a flawless look requires a certain amount of sleep, doesn't it?

"Stop looking around. V said he'll catch up. How about we sleep and wait for him here," I suggest, giving Isadora a sleepy grin. Of course, V never said anything of the sort, he said something about us moving forward... Nope, not doing it.

I close my eyes, snuggling into the ground and ready to slip into a deep, rejuvenating slumber when suddenly, my peace is shattered. Isadora is tugging on my leg, dragging me across the ground. My head bounces with each jerk, and I have to bite my lip to keep from cursing.

"Fucking hell," I manage to mumble out, too tired to properly scold Isadora for her rude behavior. "What happened to not cutting me in half?" I add, half-heartedly, as my eyelids grow heavy again. I'm just about to drift back to sleep, my mind blurring the lines between reality and dreams, when I feel a sudden drop in temperature and a splatter of wetness against my skin.

"Eeek!" I shriek, sitting up with a jolt. My eyes snap open, taking in the sight of swampy water surrounding me. I shiver, cursing under my breath as I glance at my drenched clothes.

"Isadora, you fucking bastard!" I yell, looking around for her. I find her standing a few feet away, her face void of any remorse. I scowl at her, opening my mouth to hurl another insult when I realize that we're not alone.

My eyes widen in surprise as I take in the eerie sight of the swamp-like room we're in. The waterlogged ground, the creepy tree-looking poles stretching their gnarled branches towards the ceiling, and the soft croaking of frogs in the distance give me the chills. Fuck, I hate this already, why? Just why can't this sword-obsessed bitch just let me sleep!?

"What the...where are we?" I stutter out, looking at Isadora for answers. But she just shrugs, turning her attention back to our surroundings. Tsk, of course she doesn't know, why would she? Ugh, there goes my beauty sleep.

The soft squelching sound of my boots on the marshy floor is the only thing interrupting the monotonous silence of this swamp, and I hate it. I mean, it's not like I was expecting a red carpet with flowers, but anything would be better than this squishy muck.

Gritting my teeth, I grumble, "This is all your fault, mom. You're the reason I'm stuck here in the middle of this... this... bog." I take a moment to glance around, my eyes falling on the weirdly tall and gnarled trees.

I can't help but picture my mother, back at the academy, with her nose turned up and her eyes full of disappointment. "Biana, you have to go! You have to learn to protect yourself! And you need to stop laying around and drinking wine!" I mimic her in a high-pitched voice.

"Sheesh, mom, if I wanted to protect myself, I wouldn't be attending a school where they throw you into survival situations without a proper bed... Not even a pillow," I mutter, shoving my hands into my pockets and slumping my shoulders.

A low growl catches my attention, and I turn my head, my eyes falling on Isadora. She's standing there, blade in hand, a serious look on her face. "Tsk, always so serious," I say, clicking my tongue. "It's no wonder you have frown lines."

Isadora glares at me, but doesn't say anything. Ha, serves her right. She can't deny the truth. I'm about to comment on her non-existent love life when something splashes in front of me, causing me to jump back.

I blink, staring at the giant frog sitting there, its beady eyes glaring at me. "What the fuck? Is that a frog?" I shriek, backpedaling until I'm standing behind Isadora.

"Hey, amphibian, shoo! Go away!" I yell, throwing my hand out in a dismissive gesture. Of course, the stupid thing doesn't understand me. Instead, it just opens its mouth, its long, sticky tongue shooting out towards me.

"Eeek!" I scream, ducking down and hiding behind Isadora. I peek out from behind her, glaring at the frog. "I'm not your lunch, you slimy, overgrown toad!"

Isadora, of course, is no help. She just stands there, watching the frog, probably thinking about how to kill it. Just like her. Always with the fighting. I roll my eyes, taking a moment to picture her and the frog together.

"Hmm, Isadora and the frog... You know what, that could actually work. I can totally see you two together, sitting in a lily pad, exchanging kisses under the moonlight," I say, snorting at the mental image.

Suddenly, the image is shattered by the sound of Isadora's blade slicing through the air, and I watch as she pierces the frog's eye, causing it to let out a horrible croak of pain. "Or not," I add, grimacing at the sight of the now one-eyed frog.

"Yuck, you're both gross. You know that, right?" I tell them, hopping over the puddle of slime left behind by the frog. Why do these creatures even exist? Why can't we have nice, soft, fluffy bunnies instead?

I wipe my hand on my pants, scrunching up my nose in disgust. "I swear, once I get out of here, I'm taking a month-long bath."

As I trudge on, trying to ignore the awful smell and the lingering presence of the one-eyed frog, I can't help but grumble. Why does everything in this place seem designed to annoy me? From Isadora's grating seriousness to the giant, slimy, horse-sized frogs, it's like I'm trapped in some sort of cruel joke.

"Next time, they better send me to a damn paradise island, not a swamp with freaky animals and this annoying woman," I mutter under my breath. If they think this is going to 'toughen me up', they've got another thing coming.

My inner rant is interrupted by a soft croak, and I shudder, shooting a glare towards the direction of the sound. "Don't you dare," I warn the darkness. "I've had enough of frogs for a lifetime."

In the distance, the dark shape of another frog appears, and I let out a dramatic sigh. "Not again," I groan, hiding behind Isadora. "You're up, hero. Time to show that frog who's boss."

Watching Isadora ready her blade, I can't help but smirk. This is going to be good. This is what you get for ruining my sleep.