The dense forest loomed around them, the heavy canopy filtering out the sun and casting the battlefield in shifting shadows. Shunjiro felt his heart hammering, less from fear and more from the heady rush of anticipation. This was their moment to prove themselves as a true team. They were going up against Sora’s team. “Alright,” Yoshinori had said back at their own flag, his calm gaze flicking between Shunjiro and Itsuki. “I’ll stay behind and cover our retreat. You two head out, locate the enemy’s flag, and do your best to secure it.” Shunjiro nodded, clenching his fists with renewed resolve. “Got it. And if we run into Sora…” He exhaled sharply. “I owe him a rematch.” Itsuki gave a quiet chuckle, her face lit with a mix of excitement and nerves. “One step at a time, Shunjiro. Right now, let’s focus on the flag.” With that, the pair had slipped into the forest, leaving Yoshinori to guard their territory. After what felt like an eternity of weaving between towering trunks and snaking vines, Shunjiro and Itsuki emerged into a small clearing. At its center stood a lone flagpole, the fabric of the rival team’s banner fluttering faintly in the breeze. A jolt of adrenaline coursed through Shunjiro at the sight. “Wait,” Itsuki murmured, laying a cautious hand on his arm. “It can’t be this easy.” Shunjiro’s gut twisted in agreement, but he forced a light shrug. “Maybe we finally caught a break.” Yet the instant he took a step closer, the ground erupted. A deafening boom rattled the clearing, and clumps of dirt and debris rained down around them. Shunjiro staggered, ears ringing, vision blurring from the shockwave. As the dust began to clear, a familiar voice sliced through the chaos. “Well, well, well,” came the mocking tone of Ryota. He stood in the epicenter of the blast, blast magic crackling around his hands like static electricity. His trademark grin was as cocky as ever. “If it isn’t the dream team. You really thought you’d walk out of here with our flag uncontested?” Shunjiro’s blood boiled at the sight of him. Ryota was notorious for his arrogance, and right now it was on full display. I’m not letting another loudmouth push me around, Shunjiro thought, recalling his defeat at Sora’s hands. He hardened his glare. “You’re all talk, Ryota,” Shunjiro retorted, taking a step forward. “Let’s see if you can actually back it up.” Ryota’s grin only widened. “I intend to.” Without warning, Ryota unleashed a volley of explosive blasts, forcing Shunjiro and Itsuki to dive for cover behind a thick tree trunk. Each detonation rippled the air, sending debris skittering across the mossy ground. Shunjiro’s chest heaved as he pressed his back against the bark, trying to steady his breathing. Nearby, Itsuki darted gracefully to a new vantage point, her every movement smooth despite the chaos. “We’ve trained for this!” she called out, voice rising over the din. “Don’t let him pin us down!” Shunjiro nodded, fire licking at his veins. No more losing. “Got it!” He sprang from cover, heart thudding, weaving between Ryota’s blasts with determined footwork. The smell of scorched earth and burning leaves clung to his nostrils, a reminder of just how close each explosion was. Keep moving. Don’t panic. Ryota’s eyes never left him. A flick of the wrist sent another shockwave of energy roaring in Shunjiro’s path. He barely dodged, the ground erupting at his feet. Pain lanced his side as he tumbled across the forest floor, but he grit his teeth and forced himself up. “You’re persistent, I’ll give you that,” Ryota snarled, frustration seeping into his tone. “But persistence doesn’t win battles.” Shunjiro wiped grime from his cheek, forcing down the ache in his ribs. “No,” he agreed, a faint smirk tugging at his lips, “but teamwork does.” Right on cue, Itsuki flitted out from the shadows behind Ryota, her hand glowing with a faint sheen of magic. She struck him with a focused blast of inverted healing energy, a trick she’d perfected for offense. Ryota staggered a step, his grin momentarily faltering. “You’re going to regret that,” he spat, whipping around to hurl a wide-arcing explosion. Both Shunjiro and Itsuki had to scramble behind rocks and fallen branches to avoid the shrapnel of scorching debris. “We can’t keep this up forever!” Itsuki’s voice rang out from behind a battered boulder, breath coming in ragged gasps. Shunjiro pressed his back against a tree, mind racing. She’s right. We’re pinned. We need a plan. He glanced back toward where they’d come from, remembering Yoshinori’s calm assertion that he had their backs. If only we can hold out long enough… “Yoshinori’s got our back!” Shunjiro called to Itsuki, voice echoing through the clearing. “We just need to stall Ryota, find an opening, or find a way around him!” He risked a peek. Itsuki nodded, sweat beading on her forehead but her gaze steady. “Alright, but don’t do anything reckless!” A wry grin tugged at Shunjiro’s lips. “Me? Reckless? Never.” Ducking low, he sprinted out from behind the tree, zigzagging to draw Ryota’s blasts away from Itsuki. Another explosion rattled his teeth, but he kept his feet moving. “Hey, Ryota! Is that all you’ve got?” Snarling, Ryota trained his focus on Shunjiro, sparks dancing around his fists. “You’re dead, Shunjiro!” Shunjiro kept up the cat-and-mouse game, guiding Ryota away from the center of the clearing. But Ryota’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. He abruptly broke off his assault, spinning to catch sight of Itsuki trying to circle behind him. “Nice try,” he sneered, releasing a hasty blast in her direction. Shunjiro’s heart lurched. “Itsuki!” She managed to twist aside, the burst of energy grazing her shoulder instead of landing square. She stumbled, pain flickering across her face. She’s okay, Shunjiro noted with relief, seeing her healing magic already at work. Fury surged through him. No more watching my allies get hurt. He charged Ryota head-on, but Ryota, waiting for this exact opening, unleashed a more powerful blast. The impact slammed into Shunjiro, sending him tumbling to the ground once again. Coughing, Shunjiro forced himself upright, every muscle throbbing. We’re stuck. We can’t overpower him like this… He glanced over, spotting Itsuki approaching him, her hand already glowing to patch him up. “We’ll get through this,” she said, voice steady with conviction. “Just hang on.” Shunjiro’s expression hardened. “Right,” he echoed, swallowing his frustration and the sting of his injuries. If they could just outlast Ryota, maybe Yoshinori could do something from his end, or they might find an opening to grab the flag. One thing was certain: they weren’t giving up. The forest echoed with the roar of blasts and the crash of splintering wood. Smoke and the tang of scorched ozone hung in the air. Ryota stood tall, unrelenting in his onslaught, while Shunjiro and Itsuki, battered yet unbowed, kept fighting with a fierce determination neither was ready to abandon. Meanwhile, somewhere in the distance, Yoshinori remained on guard at their own flag, unaware that Shunjiro and Itsuki were locked in a drawn-out struggle. His own battle would come soon enough.