FIGHT OR DIE

The students burst through the academy gates, their feet pounding against the dirt as they rushed toward the looming forest ahead. Towering trees stood like silent sentinels, their thick canopies swallowing the moonlight, leaving the forest floor bathed in an eerie gloom. The scent of damp earth and decaying leaves filled the air, mingling with the students' adrenaline-fueled anticipation.

"Stop for a moment!" Pathro's sharp voice cut through the tension.

The group skidded to a halt, catching their breaths as they turned toward him. Pathro's eyes swept across the treeline, scanning for any signs of movement. The wind rustled the branches above, but the area ahead appeared still-too still.

"Alright," he said, turning back to the students. "Everything is as we discussed. No Zunans in sight, and there's no sign of an ambush at the forest's edge. That means we proceed with Plan A-splitting up into teams."

He walked toward two girls, Martha and Samantha, his mind racing. "The strongest fighters are paired with those who still need experience. If we do this right, we can cover more ground while minimizing risk. But still... He clenched his jaw. No plan can guarantee survival in this case"

Pathro's group consisted of Martha and Samantha, while Iguro, Kaile, Kiligaku, and Sumire each led their own teams, ensuring a balance of strength and skill. The groups formed quickly, moving with the efficiency drilled into them through months of training.

Pathro drew a deep breath, steadying himself. "Alright then. Move out."

The teams dispersed, slipping into the shadows from different angles, their figures blending into the foliage. Pathro's group climbed swiftly, using the thick lower branches as footholds before ascending higher. Leaves rustled softly beneath their movements, but otherwise, they were ghosts in the night.

Pathro moved ahead, his senses sharpened. "Martha, keep watch on the right. Samantha, cover the left. I'll take the front."

Both girls nodded. "Got it."

The deeper they went, the thicker the forest became. The ancient trees loomed over them, their intertwining branches weaving a near-impenetrable ceiling above. Pathro's thoughts raced. The lagoon is half a kilometer from here. If we can make it without encountering too many Zunans, we'll have the advantage. But something feels off. Where are they?

The answer came faster than expected.

"Pathro!" Martha's urgent whisper cut through the night. "Two Bakugo Zunans, approaching from the right!"

Samantha stiffened. "Another one on the left!"

Pathro's pulse quickened. He followed Martha's gaze and spotted the approaching figures.

The Bakugo Zunans emerged from the shadows-three-meter-tall humanoid creatures with snake-like eyes that gleamed menacingly in the dim light. Their wide nostrils flared as they sniffed the air, and their mouths parted slightly, revealing two massive canines that jutted out even when closed. Their deep red skin looked almost black under the moonlight, their muscular limbs ending in three razor-sharp claws. Their feet, structured similarly, dug into the earth as they advanced. The only hair on their bodies was a patch of dark blue atop their heads.

Pathro's fingers tightened around his katanas. So these are the Bakugo Zunans.

He spotted additional movement in the distance-four more. Seven total...

His voice was calm but firm. "Martha, Samantha, take the ones on the sides. I'll handle the front."

The girls hesitated for a fraction of a second, then nodded. "Right!"

Without another word, they leapt from the branches. Pathro followed, unsheathing his katanas mid-air.

The Bakugo Zunans roared, charging toward them. One lunged at Pathro, claws slicing through the air. He sidestepped, his blade flashing as he drove it through the creature's throat. With a powerful twist, he severed the head clean from its shoulders. Blue blood sprayed into the night, the metallic scent hitting his nose.

Another Zunan swung wildly, aiming for his face. Pathro ducked, then backflipped, his foot connecting with the creature's chin, sending it stumbling backward. Before it could recover, he hurled one of his katanas, the blade piercing its skull with a sickening crunch.

The remaining Zunans advanced in unison, their clawed hands outstretched. Pathro braced himself. One swiped at him, but he pivoted smoothly, dodging the attack while slashing across its midsection. The Zunan staggered, clutching its torn flesh, but Pathro didn't let up. He drove his second katana through its chest, the tip bursting out through its back.

The final Zunan charged, its roar shaking the leaves above. Pathro dropped low, sweeping his leg out in a spinning motion. The creature lost its balance, crashing onto its back. Pathro wasted no time-he plunged his katana into its throat and carved a clean, vertical slice.

Silence followed.

Pathro exhaled, his chest rising and falling. "That was my first real fight against Zunans"... He looked down at his blood-streaked blades. "It's different when they're actually trying to kill you. But I'm still standing. My training wasn't for nothing."

He yanked his katana free and turned toward Martha and Samantha.

Martha was just finishing off her opponent, blue blood dripping from her blade. Samantha stood a short distance away, her weapon lowered, her expression tight with adrenaline.

"Are you both alright?" Pathro asked, sheathing his katanas.

"Yeah," Samantha replied, her hands trembling slightly.

Martha winced, lifting her arm. A deep gash, at least ten centimeters long, ran across her forearm. "One got me," she admitted, her voice steady despite the pain.

Pathro tore off his right sleeve and quickly wrapped it around her wound. As he secured the makeshift bandage, he muttered, "Small wounds lead to big mistakes. Be careful."

Martha gave a short nod. "Thanks."

In the distance, Iguro's group had finished off their own enemies. The forest floor was littered with Zunan corpses, their blue blood pooling in the moonlight. One of Iguro's teammates wiped her blade clean, though her grip was shaky.

"Shouldn't we keep moving?" she asked, her voice firm despite the slight tremor.

Iguro scanned the darkness. "Yes. Let's go."

Without another word, the teams leapt back into the trees, their movements swift and calculated.

As they moved, Iguro's thoughts churned. " So we've faced Bakugo Zunans. If that's all this forest holds, this mission will be easier than expected. But if there's more... it will be a problem. We planned for everything, but planning doesn't guarantee survival. The real question is, will any of us fall before we reach the lagoon?"

Kaile's group is moving swiftly through the treetops, their footsteps light and deliberate. The tension in the air was thick as they advanced toward the lagoon. Suddenly, a rustling below caught their attention-two Bakugo Zunans burst from the shadows, their razor-sharp claws glinting in the dim moonlight.

Kaile gritted her teeth, gripping her dual katanas tightly. Without hesitation, she launched herself into the air, spinning with precision as her blades sliced clean through the throat of one Zunan. The creature gurgled, collapsing to the ground as blue blood sprayed into the air.

The second Zunan lunged at her, claws swiping viciously. Kaile ducked, sidestepping the attack before slashing upward, severing its arm with a clean strike. The Zunan let out a guttural screech, staggering backward, but Kaile didn't give it a chance to recover. In a fluid motion, she drove both katanas into its throat and twisted, decapitating it instantly. Its lifeless body slumped to the forest floor, blue blood pooling beneath it.

Kaile exhaled sharply, wiping the blood from her cheek. Wow, I can actually kill Zunans now, she thought. Before, I would've been the one getting torn apart. I wonder, though... do Zunans feel fear the same way we do when they're completely overwhelmed? If they do... I want to become strong enough to be that fear.

Just as she steadied herself, another Bakugo Zunan emerged from the darkness, charging at her from the left. Without hesitation, Kaile spun, using her momentum to hurl one of her katanas. The blade struck its mark, piercing the creature's skull with a sickening crunch. The Zunan staggered for a moment before collapsing in a lifeless heap.

Mikari, the boy in her group, wiped his blade clean, scanning the surroundings. "That should be all of them," he said, his voice calm but alert. "No other Zunans in sight."

Kaile nodded, retrieving her katana. "Good. Let's keep moving."

They leapt back into the trees, their movements swift and precise. As they advanced, Kaile's gaze flicked upward. The moon cast an eerie glow over the forest, but something was different-it wasn't its usual pale white.

A blue moon? she thought, furrowing her brow. They say blue moons are rare. Maybe that means something rare is about to happen. Something once in a million...

Meanwhile, in Pathro's group, Martha hesitated before speaking. "I don't mean to question the plan, but... why do we have to fight the Zunans at all? Moving through the trees keeps us safe-they're not exactly good climbers."

Pathro glanced at her, his expression calm yet firm. "It's not just the Bakugo Zunans to worry about," he explained. "The possibility of encountering Hakugo Zunans is the real issue. They're strong enough to uproot trees with their bare hands, and they love throwing things. If we don't take out the Bakugo now, they'll keep tailing us, making things even worse if a Hakugo shows up. We'd be fighting on two fronts, which almost guarantees casualties."

Martha's eyes widened slightly as she absorbed his words. "Oh... I see. But how do you expect to fight a Hakugo with just swords? Those things are way more dangerous than the Bakugo."

Pathro smirked slightly. "Simple. We're not fighting it. The plan is to distract it while one or two of you reach the lagoon and drink the water. Once you get the power from the lagoon, you come back and take care of it."

Samantha shot him a sidelong glance. How is he so calm about this? He's always got that positive energy, even when talking about something that could get him killed...

As they pressed forward, Pathro's ears picked up a familiar sound-croaking frogs. His heart quickened. We're close. If the Zunans are guarding the lagoon, this is where they'll be.

Then, a sudden cracking noise rang through the air.

Pathro's instincts flared. "Dodge!" he barked.

The group barely had time to react before three massive, football-sized rocks came hurtling toward them, smashing into the trees they had just been in. The impact sent splinters flying, and the ground trembled under the force.

Pathro landed in a crouch, his eyes scanning the darkness. The weight of the situation settled in.

He exhaled, gripping his katana.

"On guard," he said, his voice steady despite the tension. "It's a Hakugo."

End of Chapter 3