Forest of Trials

 "Why don't we make it into a little pre-game..." Akari suggested with a grin on her face

Kuro's attention sparked in curiosity flickered in his eyes.

"The way to the base is through a forest," she said with a mischievous smile,

"And a river to a straight shot to it!"

As she spoke, Kaito's eyes glimmered with energy.

"But here's the catch," Akari continued, her tone tinged with mischief

"There are specs on the way to the forest—different specs."

Each member exchanged speculative glances at each other

"Now," Akari announced, her voice rang 

"you guys will be given a map to the base... but....you have to get there in 24 hours or you'll sleep outside!"

Silence echoed in the room 

"And I'll group you all in two groups." she declared

"Kaito, Yukiko, and Misuki are Group A," Akari continued, her voice steady. "And Ryujin and Kuro are Group B!"

'And I'm stuck with the girls huh... figures' Kaito thought

You"Now Go!!" Akari yelled, 

Their bodies began to emit a soft golden glow.

The shimmering aura enveloped them, and then, in a flash, they vanished from sight,

A faint smile played at the corners of her lips. "Let's see what they've got," she murmured to herself

The forest had towering trees that stretched towards the sky. Shafts of sunlight filtered through the dense canopy above, casting patterns of light and shadow on the forest floor below.

The ground was soft and springy, and birds chirped and flitted among the branches, Group A walked down a path

"We got separated from Group B," Kaito said, stepping into a puddle of water. 'Ugh, the ground here is annoying! There are puddles everywhere!!' he thought, frustrated.

"How's it down there?" Misuki called out from a tree branch above, her voice cheerful. teasing.

Kaito's face scrunched up in agitation. 'How did she even get up there?!' he thought, then kicked the tree trunk, causing the branch to shake and Misuki to lose her balance.

She fell into the puddle with a splash.

Kaito burst out laughing at the sight of Misuki sitting in the water, her hair disheveled. She screamed, "Shut up, idiot!!" her cheeks puffed out in anger.

His gaze slowly shifted to Yukiko who was walking quietly a short distance away, seemingly oblivious to the commotion.

"Hey Misuki..." Kaito called out, his tone gentle.

"What?!" Misuki replied, her voice still angry.

"Is it okay for people to look sadder than they already are?" Kaito asked softly, his eyes filled with concern.

Misuki's expression softened slightly, and she opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, something darted past them.

"Did you see that?!" Misuki exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.

Kaito immediately stood up straight, his body tense and ready for action. "Definitely!!" he confirmed, his eyes scanning their surroundings.

Something darted around them. Kaito and Misuki scanned their surroundings, their eyes darting back and forth as they tried to keep up with it.

Suddenly, a hail of seeds rained down upon them from above, their sharp edges glinting in the light like tiny blades. Kaito and Misuki reacted instinctively, dashing in opposite directions to avoid the deadly shower.

Kaito landed gracefully behind a nearby tree, using it as cover as he peeked around the trunk to assess the situation. Meanwhile, Misuki grasped the tree bark to regain her balance and steady herself.

The seeds continued to fall, their sharp edges embedding themselves in the ground with a menacing hiss.

Kaito and Misuki exchanged a tense glance, then swiftly scanned their surroundings.

Kaito's gaze landed on a figure perched on a nearby tree branch, not far from them. He turned to Misuki and nodded curtly, then took off in a flash of lightning-fast speed.

As Kaito ran, leaving behind a trail of crackling lightning, Meanwhile Yukiko, who had been watching from a distance, looked up in awe, her eyes widening in shock, 

She tried to call out, but her voice caught in her throat

Kaito launched himself up the trunk, leaping from branch to branch, until he landed with a soft thud on the limb above the mysterious figure.

As he gazed down, his eyes narrowed, and his voice came in a low, urgent whisper, "Seed-type... Spec..." 

It hurtled seeds toward Kaito, he leaped from the branch and twirled, dodging each seed.

As he fell through the air, his body began to spin with incredible velocity, generating a whirlwind of lightning that crackled around him. he propelled himself upward with a burst of speed 

"Cyclone!!" Kaito bellowed, then punched the Spec stunning it, lightning sparkling around its body then he descended back to the ground. and then he yelled, "Misuki Now!" 

Misuki stood poised on the tree branch that Kaito dashed away from, her arm outstretched and her hand open." Razor Surge" she said then water began drawing from the surroundings to form glittering, crystalline razors that spiraled around her in a dazzling display. The razors shimmered and pulsed with a soft, blue light

She launched the razors towards the Spec, the trajectory was a blur.

The razors sliced through the air, and struck the Spec, cleaving it in two and dividing its core. The Spec's form dissipated, its essence fading away.

Kaito landed gracefully on the ground, a grin spreading across his face as he strode towards Misuki.

Kaito and Misuki exchanged a high-five, the smack of their palms echoing through the air

."So, Water, huh..." Kaito said, a hint of surprise in his voice.

Misuki raised an eyebrow, a sassy glint in her eye."Shocked? Lightning boy?"

Kaito's grin turned fierce. "Oh, it's on! Let's see who can take down more Specs!"

As they shared a determined stare, a fish spec hovered above them, its jaws open wide.

A voice rang out, "Arrow barrage!"

Razor-sharp ice shards materialized, hurtling towards the spec.

 The shards pierced the spec's skin, pinning it to a nearby tree.

Kaito and Misuki turned to face the spec, their eyes widening in unison. "It's not dead..." Kaito said, his voice low and even.

The shards shattered, freezing the spec's core and smashing it into pieces.

Yukiko stood before them, her hand still outstretched.

She immediately dropped to her knees, her face etched with remorse. "I'm sorry!!"

Kaito's face lit up with an uncontainable grin as he rushed towards Yukiko, his eyes shining with tears of joy. "That was... awesome!!" he exclaimed.

Yukiko's eyes widened in shock, her heart skipping a beat as she took in Kaito's radiant face. "You're an Ice user?" he asked

"Join in" He said and smiled gracefully.

Yukiko's lips parted, but words failed her. She nodded silently, her eyes locked onto Kaito's fervent face. 

Just as Kaito was about to continue, his expression froze, his eyes glazing over as he became lost in thought.