Chapter 9: From Strategy to Survival! Part 2
Team Five hurried down their designated path, the distant echoes of shouts and clashing echoing through the narrow corridor. Every sound bounced off the stone walls, making the girls tense, their eyes darting to every shadow and corner.
"Hold on!" Ayane suddenly called out, halting abruptly. She stretched out her arm instinctively, blocking Aoi and Setsuna from moving forward.
"What is it?" Aoi asked, blinking. "Why are we stopping?"
Ayane's gaze swept the hallway ahead, her voice low. "We need to tread carefully now. Something feels off—this place might be rigged."
Aoi huffed, stepping forward with a dismissive scoff. "Oh, please. There's no way they—"
She didn't get to finish. The moment her foot pressed into a slightly lowered tile; a sharp click echoed beneath her. Her eyes widened. Arrows. Smoke pellets. A dozen projectiles shot toward her with blistering speed.
Aoi barely flinched when a blur of motion passed her. Setsuna. Calm, focused, and silent, Setsuna's posture shifted into something far more honed and formidable. With liquid precision, she deflected the incoming arrows with her bare forearms, weaving through the smoke. Her movements were seamless—graceful yet unyielding—as she caught the final arrow mid-air and snapped it cleanly in two.
She stood still for a moment, head slightly lowered, a quiet intensity burning in her darkened eyes. Behind her, Ayane and Aoi remained frozen. It didn't feel real.
"What the…?" Aoi muttered, raising a brow in disbelief at what just happened. Setsuna stiffened, turning fully toward her, trembling a little.
"I-I'm sorry! My body just reacted on its own, and I... I didn't really think—" she stammered, eyes falling to the ground.
"Are you serious?!" Ayane burst out laughing. Setsuna blinked in confusion.
"That was incredible, Setsuna! You looked so cool out there! Those reflexes were insane!" she praised, flashing a big grin. Setsuna's eyes widened before a small, bashful smile crept onto her face.
Aoi blinked, then awkwardly cleared her throat. "Ahem. Yeah… thanks… for that," she mumbled, glancing to the side as a faint blush dusted her cheeks.
Setsuna looked up, her smile growing warmer. "Y-You're welcome," she replied softly as Aoi shot a sidelong glance at the brunette walking beside her.
"You knew about the traps?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.
Ayane responded with a lopsided smirk. "You really think they'd let us waltz through without a few booby traps?"
Aoi let out a dry scoff. "Right. Should've known."
She marched on ahead, prompting Ayane to jog after her with a teasing grin. They moved cautiously, scanning for tripwires, pressure plates, anything suspicious—but the path remained quiet for now.
Eventually, the room opened up into a wide space, and the girls slowed their steps. On the far end, fluttering gently from a sleek metal pole, was a single blue flag—bold and striking against the otherwise empty backdrop.
"There it is!" Ayane exclaimed, her voice echoing slightly as she made to sprint forward—only to be yanked back by her collar.
"Oi—!" she squeaked, stumbling backward into Aoi's grip.
"You moron," Aoi muttered, raising an eyebrow. "Didn't you say the place was booby-trapped? Where'd that caution go?"
Ayane pouted dramatically. "Yeah, yeah... I got excited, okay?" Setsuna chuckled softly behind them. But the moment shattered when a figure dropped soundlessly into the room from above.
All three girls instinctively snapped their eyes forward. Standing calmly between them and the flag was a lone female student. She wore a fitted grey undershirt beneath her navy-blue Sayonaki High jacket, its hem swaying as she stepped forward. A crisp black pleated skirt brushed mid-thigh, and her jet-black hair framed her face, just long enough to sway past her shoulders.
Her expression was unreadable—cool, composed, and utterly unshaken.
Aoi's eyes narrowed as recognition clicked. That girl from last night... Her mind replayed the memory—Yura's calm, almost untouchable aura during the fight.
"N-N-No w-w-way," Ayane stammered, eyes sparkling like she'd just spotted a celebrity.
Aoi cast a sidelong glance at her, a sweat drop forming at her temple. I already know where this is going...
"Yura Kisaragi!" Ayane squealed, bouncing on her toes. "She's a second-year—and one of the Five Tails! She's so freaking cool!"
Does she have a student directory implanted in her brain or something? Aoi thought, her face deadpan.
"Yura Kisaragi…" Setsuna echoed; voice quiet but awestruck. "I've heard of her too. Her style—graceful and fluid, almost like Chinese martial arts. But her calmness? That's what really throws people off. You think you're in control, and then—bam—you're done."
"We're up against her?" Aoi muttered under her breath. Before anyone could answer, a blur of motion cut through the air. In a blink, Yura stood before them—poised, effortless, and quiet. The force of her sudden arrival sent a gust of wind toward the trio, making them instinctively take a step back.
"Wow! I can't believe we're up against her!" Ayane giggled, barely ducking beneath a flash-quick kick from Yura.
"Can you not get starstruck right now?!" Aoi barked, veering to the side as Yura advanced.
"Right, sorry!" Ayane gasped, snapping back to focus as she sprinted after Aoi, narrowly dodging a sweeping leg strike.
Yura moved like flowing water—silent, poised, and lethal.
"Wahh!" The girls yelped in unison as they dove behind a low wooden barrier, gasping for breath.
"I've never—" pant "—been this wiped out before," Ayane groaned, wiping sweat off her brow.
"So that's… Yura Kisaragi…" Setsuna murmured, eyes still locked on their opponent. Next to her, Aoi's jaw tensed.
"We need a plan," Ayane said between breaths.
"Fast," Setsuna added with a nod.
"Alright, game plan—" Aoi began, crouched behind the wall. But before she could finish, Yura dashed forward—a blur of fluid motion—and swung her leg in a wide, spinning arc. A gust of wind followed her foot.
"Scatter!" Aoi shouted, grabbing Ayane by the wrist and yanking her back as the attack crashed into the wall where they'd been hiding. The structure exploded into splinters. Setsuna flipped backward, barely avoiding a palm strike to her chest. Her eyes widened. "What the—! She's fast!"
"No. She's precise," Ayane corrected, narrowing her eyes as she somersaulted away, her body graceful and practiced. "She's not wasting a single step."
Aoi clenched her fists as Yura's silhouette seemed to disappear and reappear like a current slithering through a stream. "She's trying to control our movement," she muttered. "Divide and isolate."
Yura's foot slid against the floor as she halted, then shifted into a low stance— Bajiquan fused with fluid transitions, each movement flowing into the next. "If you're coming, come as one," she said softly. "Otherwise, you'll fall like the rest."
Ayane gritted her teeth. "She's toying with us."
"We don't have time to charge blindly," Aoi said, ducking behind a column with the others. "We've got to think."
The timer flashed above the flag— 07:43.
Setsuna exhaled. "Then say the word, Aoi. You're fast, and you've got the clearest view on how she moves."
Aoi blinked. "Me?"
"You've been reacting to her attacks faster than either of us," Ayane chimed in. "Come on, lead this."
Aoi let out a breath. "I guess… but I'll need something to throw her off."
There was a brief pause before Setsuna awkwardly raised her hand. "U-Um… would this help?" she offered, pulling out a small smoke pellet from her pocket.
Ayane's eyes lit up. "No way! Setsuna, you're amazing!"
"You seriously had one of these?" Aoi asked, taking it from her with surprise.
Setsuna gave a sheepish nod. "Y-Yeah… I grabbed it just in time before the rest crumbled."
Then, Aoi nodded with a smirk. "Alright. Listen up. Here's the plan…"
...…
At Aoi's signal, Ayane shot forward—her movements swift, rhythmic. A faint smirk curled on Yura's lips as she deflected Ayane's jab, grabbing her forearm and spinning her off balance with a fluid hip toss. Ayane landed hard, but rolled to absorb the impact.
"Now, Setsuna!" Aoi called. From behind, Setsuna dashed at full speed, using a burst of agility to vault over one of the obstacles. She aimed a high spinning kick at Yura's back, but Yura dropped low—ducking like a ripple sinking underwater—and swept Setsuna off her feet in one swift motion.
Aoi sprinted in. This was the real move. With Yura still crouched from her last sweep, Aoi drove forward with a low sliding kick. Yura blocked with her knee, pushing Aoi back slightly—but not before Aoi managed to toss the smoke pellet at the ground. A burst of mist clouded the area.
"Go wide!" Aoi shouted through the smoke. She darted left while Ayane and Setsuna veered right, splitting Yura's attention for the first time.
Through the thinning smoke, Yura emerged, landing a sharp elbow against Ayane's shoulder, spinning to avoid Setsuna's return punch—but she paused for just a fraction of a second… Because Aoi had closed the distance. A spring from the wall. A mid-air somersault. Her heel came down toward the ground— Crack! Yura caught it with both hands, sliding back several feet, her stance slightly broken. They'd managed to push her back for the first time.
03:19.
The girls regrouped behind a wide stone pillar. All three of them were panting—faces marked with sweat, limbs bruised from near hits and collisions.
"She's too calm," Setsuna said. "Like no matter what we do, she's already seen it."
"That's because we're moving like three individuals," Aoi said, lowering her voice. "Not a unit. We're still trying to win our fights instead of the fight."
She looked between them, eyes firm. "We're not going to beat her by overpowering her. We need to outsmart her—move like one. Think like one."
Ayane frowned. "And how do we do that?"
"By being unpredictable," Aoi replied, her voice now steady. "Ayane—you feint high, then drop low. Setsuna, follow three seconds behind and fake a strike to her left. When she counters…"
"…you'll already be there," Setsuna finished, eyes lighting up.
Aoi nodded once. "We go together. If one of us falls behind, the rest don't stop."
Ayane's lips tugged into a grin. "Now that sounds like a plan."
02:58.
They charged. Ayane struck high—a palm spinning toward Yura's jaw. Yura raised her elbow to block, but Ayane ducked low and swept her leg around. Yura jumped.
Setsuna came in next, right-on cue—her fist aiming for Yura's exposed flank. Yura twisted, deflecting the blow with her shoulder. Then Aoi appeared—from above—having launched herself from one of the nearby wooden walls. Yura raised her arms. But it was a feint. Aoi twisted in mid-air, her body curving like a blade and spun past Yura, grabbing the blue flag behind her before tucking into a roll and sliding across the ground to safety.
The room went silent. A loud buzz echoed again. Time: 02:00 remaining.
Yura turned, blinking slowly. Her lips curled ever so slightly. "…Well played."
Aoi stood, breathing heavily, flag in hand. Misora from the viewing deck, across the arena, leaned forward with interest as she watched the screen from where she stood. "Now that's a proper display of leadership."
Jin smirked. "Looks like the rookie made some waves."
Back in the arena, Yura suddenly jumped away, leaving the place as Aoi turned to her teammates—Ayane and Setsuna meeting her halfway, grinning.
"You did it," Setsuna said.
"No," Aoi corrected, offering a faint smirk as she held the flag. "We did it."
"Not bad, right? We make a killer team!" Ayane beamed, throwing her arms around Aoi and Setsuna in an impromptu hug.
Aoi stiffened, her face turning pink. "H-Hey! I could use some personal space here!" she sputtered, wriggling in the embrace.
The other two giggled, holding on for a moment longer before letting go. Aoi huffed, brushing down her uniform and shooting them a mock glare. Then, her expression shifted. Firm. Focused.
"Let's move."
"Right!" Ayane and Setsuna echoed in unison as the trio stepped out of the passage together.
.....
Back in the training area, three teams stood, bruised and battered, panting heavily from exhaustion. They'd barely scraped through their rounds. In stark contrast, Raito and his teammates—Mitsuru and Rikuya—looked untouched, as if they'd just returned from a light jog rather than a full-on combat trial.
The timer on the screen ticked down: 00:40. Aoi, Ayane, and Setsuna stepped in.
"Ahh~ We made it!" Ayane exhaled, lifting her arms in a big stretch, satisfaction clear in her voice.
Setsuna scanned the room. "Looks like three teams passed… With us, that makes four."
Aoi nodded with a soft hum, glancing upward. Perched on the platform above, Asuka watched the countdown, her baby-blue eyes unmoving from the screen.
"…She's probably waiting for it to hit zero before saying anything," Aoi murmured, her voice calm but curious.
"Seems like it," Ayane replied with a shrug, clearly just as clueless.
The timer ticked on. 00:18… 00:17…
Asuka leaned slightly forward, humming quietly. 00:10… 00:09…
Aoi sighed again, glancing to Ayane, who just threw up her hands in a beats me gesture.
00:05… 00:04…
"AHHHH!" A trio of voices screamed from one of the passageways as every head turned toward the entrance. Two girls and a boy burst into the room—then promptly tripped over each other, tumbling to the ground in a heap.
00:00.
The soft blare of the horn echoed through the space as the countdown ended.
"We… made it…" the boy wheezed, flat on his back with his brown hair sticking to his sweaty forehead, one hand barely holding up the yellow flag like a trophy.
Asuka raised an eyebrow, then broke into a grin. "Well, look who just slid in at the buzzer."
The girl in the middle popped to her feet, hands on her hips, glaring at her teammates still sprawled on the floor.
"What was THAT?!" she barked. "You two were absolutely useless! A second later and we'd have failed because of your incompetence!"
The two on the ground blinked in disbelief. "Hold on—our incompetence?" the boy snapped, pushing himself up. "You're the one who ignored everything we suggested and charged in like you were in some action movie!"
Nakano huffed and turned slightly, arms folded, refusing to meet his gaze.
"You never even gave us a chance!" he continued, clearly fuming. "We followed your plan, and look where it got us!"
"Ken, maybe just—" the girl beside him began, gently resting a hand on his arm.
He pulled back with a shake of his head. "Forget it. Arguing with someone like her? Total waste of breath."
Nakano's eye twitched. "Yeah?! Well good! You two couldn't keep up with me even if you tried! I wouldn't team up with you again even if you were the last people left on earth!"
From a distance, Rikuya gave a low whistle. "Drama queen alert."
"Bet Raito's thanking the stars he didn't team with her," Mitsuru added, arms crossed.
Raito's voice came cool and detached, his hands tucked in his pockets. "Like I'd ever bother. I'd team up with a feral boar before choosing her." Though far apart, the words landed squarely in Nakano's ears. Her face flushed crimson with a mix of rage and embarrassment.
Ayane snorted behind a hand. "Classic Nakano. All bark, no teamwork." Setsuna giggled softly. Aoi said nothing, her expression unreadable.
Suddenly—CLAP! CLAP!
The sound echoed, slicing through the chatter. All eyes turned to the platform above.
"That's enough," Asuka called, her voice sharp and clear. "Five teams have made it through Stage Two." Murmurs of anticipation spread among the exhausted students.
"Now," she continued, her voice turning sly, "we begin the final stage."
The ground beneath their feet began to rumble.
"W-Wait… what now?" Ayane stammered, glancing around. A loud mechanical whir echoed as massive doors slid open—revealing towering mechanized puppets stomping into the arena, their metal limbs glinting under the lights.
Asuka's grin widened. "Welcome to the Combat Survival Trial! And from the looks of it—your opponents are thrilled to meet you!"
The students collectively froze in horror.
"She didn't even give us a break!" Ayane wailed, taking a step back.
Aoi's jaw clenched. Her fists balled at her sides as she stared up at the looming machines.
"Bring it on," she muttered under her breath.