Ch.38- Hid off

The clouds had begun to drift across the amber-tinted sky as dusk crept closer. The tall grass in the open field swayed gently with the wind, the light breeze a rare mercy after hours of relentless trekking. Blade Taizuka lay on his back, arms spread, breath steady but labored.

Qui Toriko leaned against the trunk of an old cedar tree nearby, polishing his blade in silence, the soft shh-shh of cloth against steel a constant rhythm. Jinshi, crouched by a moss-covered boulder, idly traced patterns in the dirt with a stick, his half-lidded eyes betraying a watchfulness hidden beneath his casual demeanor.

"I could sleep right here," Blade groaned, eyes closed. "Like… just forget the whole exam. Tell the forest spirits I passed."

Jinshi chuckled dryly. "You? Pass? You nearly passed out from walking."

"Tch. You're really asking for a punch," Blade grumbled, lifting his hand just enough to flick a pebble toward him.

Qui didn't look up. "Save your energy. Something's watching us."

Blade sat up instantly, the tension in his body snapping back like a bowstring. "You sure?"

"I've felt it for the last two minutes," Qui said, eyes narrowing as he looked toward the tree line. "Someone's masking their presence well… but not enough."

Suddenly, the wind shifted — a cold gust pushing against them like a warning.

The rustling in the nearby trees grew louder. Shadows danced under the swaying canopy, and then — a figure emerged.

Tall. Cloaked in pitch black from shoulders to boot. His movements were unhurried, almost graceful. The hood concealed his face in shade, but a faint smirk could be seen through the darkened fold.

"Hahaha… These hero-minded brats," the voice echoed through the clearing, low and mocking, as if amused by a private joke. "Still pretending courage is strength."

Blade stood up immediately, hand on the hilt of his weapon. "Who the hell are you?"

Qui moved forward without a word, shielding the others instinctively.

Jinshi, however, remained still.

The figure stopped a few steps away from the edge of the clearing. Then, in a deliberate motion, he reached for his hood and pulled it back.

Long, flowing dark hair tumbled over his shoulders. One eye — sharp and golden — stared straight at them, while the other was hidden behind a thick, tattered cloth tied diagonally across his face. His presence seemed to darken the very air around him.

"…It's been a long time, Jinshi," he said, his voice now quieter, carrying a faint sting of old memory.

Blade blinked and turned toward his teammate. "Wait, you know this guy?"

Jinshi stood slowly, his expression unreadable. His usually relaxed posture turned rigid. His fingers tightened around the stick he had been drawing with, then dropped it soundlessly to the ground.

"…I do," Jinshi replied. "Too well."

The tension thickened instantly. Even the breeze seemed to pause.

The cloaked man smirked. "Still playing the loyal soldier, are you? I wonder if they know what you did in the Black Division before you buried your name."

"Shut your mouth," Jinshi muttered, stepping forward, his voice low and dangerous.

"Relax," the man said, raising his hands mockingly. "I didn't come to kill you… yet. Just wanted to see what kind of weaklings the Eleven Divisions are relying on these days."

Blade gritted his teeth. "Say that again and I'll knock your jaw off."

"Oh?" the man tilted his head, amused. "The hot-blooded one. There's always one of you in every squad. Let's hope you're more useful than the last one."

Qui stepped forward now, his blade halfway drawn. "State your business. This isn't your territory."

The man chuckled again and turned away.

"Consider this… a message," he said. "The gates ahead aren't just tests of strength. They're thresholds of truth. If you carry secrets, they'll bleed out. Some of you… may not survive what lies beyond."

With that, he vanished in a burst of swirling black wind — disappearing into the forest like a fading dream.

Silence fell.

Blade looked at Jinshi. "What the hell was that about?"

Jinshi didn't answer immediately. His eyes stared at the place the man had stood.

"…He was supposed to be dead," Jinshi whispered. "But if he's here, this journey just got a lot more dangerous."

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Scene Transition: At the Edge of Chirei Forest

Meanwhile, scattered across the forest trail, the other squads continued advancing, unaware of the warning Blade's team had just received.

Kenshin's group walked through a patch of fog, their steps slow and deliberate.

Suntaro's laughter still echoed down a rocky slope as Kibito and Kentaro continued arguing over directions.

Yano, leaping through treetops, paused on a branch, looking down at a strange black mark etched into the ground — a sigil, glowing faintly before fading.

And far ahead, Ryen Kairo looked up at the sky, his eyes narrowing.

Something had changed.

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To be continued....