“We have to either get out of here or take them down now,” Apollo whispers,

“Don’t you dare play hero right now!” Pinoki hisses back.

“We have to think this through first”

“Hmm, and what plan is that you’re thinking of?”

Thunk!

The unnamed, increasingly annoying hunter slams Pinoki’s face onto a table, shattering his earring

“Don’t make me, us laugh, right boss?

This one thinks there is a way to take us out, even though their magic is suppressed within the flames of the gluttonous crimson boar’s requiem,

As long as that heats radiates through these walls, any magic you do output will be devoured”

(He’s right )

Even I can feel it, not just the heat but something suppressing me, it’s feels like jaws chomping down firmly into my skull with the teeth in my brain.

(It’s irritating me to my very core)

………

“*****, I trust you will take care of these fine people, now that I have what want,” Ginobelucci says to the annoying hunter,

For some reasons I didn’t hear what his name was again,

“Of course, I will see to it that everyone here is kept at bay for as long as you need them to,”

“Ginobelucci…

What do hope to gain from this?

What is your goal?” Leader Dexter speaks up,

“I don’t want, nor do I demand anything from you, or Mr. mayor,” Ginobelucci turns to a frantic Ozymandias,

“Why can’t I warp out of here!” Ozymandias frets desperately trying to get his magic to work,

“Mr., mayor, I want to sincerely thank you,

If not for your brilliant invention of these challenge rings,

I might have been trapped in here as well….”

…………

“He has an artifact on him, all the hunters do,” Pinoki grumbles to us,

“It has to be what’s allowing them to use magic, normally,”

“The lockets,” I suggest

“They are all wearing them, and Ginobelucci keeps twirling his suggestively,”

(Almost like he wants to know what it is)

“Ok, but that still help us, how are we going to go about this,” Karina counters,

“There’s eight of them, including their boss, if we do try snatching one, the others will have us killed in an instant,”

(Karina’s right we are in check)

……

“All I need to do is challenge one of my members here, and I am gone,” Ginobelucci still gloating,

….

(Maybe I can fire…)

….

“Hey, you with the bow and arrow, in the back there I see you!”

……

My heart skips a beat I thought he was talking to me,

“Go ahead give it a try!” Ginobelucci’s attention diverted to someone crouched in the back of hall, his hand trembles as he grips onto a bow and arrow.

“Rockblast!”

The other hunters immediately ‘take him out’

……

“That goes for everyone in here!” the Hunter coalition leader asserts

“Do not think I am not noticing you all whispering and plotting ways to defeat us now!

Try to stop me right now!

I dare any of you!

Just know if you do try,

You will die, you will die, and you will die.

And also it wouldn’t matter if you did manage to scar me because I won’t be of human flesh much longer...”

…….

(We have to do something now,

I can’t take it anymore,

This feeling…)

“Karina, you’re pretty fast without using magic, how confident are you that you can swipe that hunters locket?”

“Are you trying to send me up as a sacrifice Kage?

I can but the chances of me getting killed right after are high,

And even so, what would stealing one even do?”

“……

I will be the decoy then, I don’t need magic to use my arrows,

When I fire an arrow, you have to move at that exact second,

And about the locket, throw it to Giichi, if there is anyone that can take care of them its him, they fear him for a reason.”

“Ok….”

……..

Flash!

“Tonight, everything changes!”

A brilliant light flashes as Ginobelucci warps away after giving one last declaration,

………

“Alright, here’s how this is going to go,” the tall, loud hunter, whose name I never learnt, gleefully takes charge upon his bosses exit,

“If you all sit still and remain quiet, everything will go smoothly,

The dawn of tomorrow will mark a new era in the history of the ring!”

……

“Do you have a problem with that sweetie?” He notices Lyra scowl,

“Should I pummel you again so that you get message?

I told you not to mess with us back then,

Now, that statement holds even more weight right now,

Hahahahaha!”

“That one Karina,” I say transforming the bow,

“Take his locket,”

“Are you sure?

Kage?”

I can barely hear what Karina is saying, all sound begins to drown out replaced by an eerie buzzing in my ear,

Droplets of sweat rapidly trickle down my face as I reach for an arrow,

“Hey!

Put that bow down!”

(It’s been so long...)

Da dum da dum da dum

My heart thumps anxiously,

“Huh huh huh!”

I breathe heavily

(It’s been so long since…...)

“Take him out!

Rockblast!

Fireb——”

The buzz gets louder,

I don’t know what it is, but my emotions, , it’s like they’ve all decided to pour out right this very moment,

(I can’t keep them supressed any longer,

I have to get this out—

This hunter who beat us when we first got here

What was his name again?

I don’t think I ever learnt it,

It’s been so long since I’ve….)

I pull back the arrow aiming directly for his throat, Karina already dashing forward...

(Ever since he first beat us, I don’t know why,

But maybe I was mad about it?

I’m still mad about it?

The maids beat us that day as well, but I knew they were doing their jobs, when we lost to them it felt like a learning experience,

But this man…

He wanted to show off, ridicule us, because we were new at the time,

Why I am even remembering this now?)

The arrow pierces his neck and blood begins to gush out, Karina swipes the locket immediately and tosses to Giichi

Apollo yanks me behind his sword blocking the oncoming magic attacks from the hunters

They are angrily yelling something now,

The buzzing begins to slowly fade out.

As I stand there watching the insect I’ve shot, collapse to floor clutching his neck for dear life,

(It’s been so long since I’ve witnessed the grotesque sight of death)

It feels somewhat….

Somewhat refreshing.