LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 2: chapter 2
Chapter 2
"Ryuuu! It's time to eat! Where are you?" I shouted, holding a bowl full of dog food.
Silence.
I sighed, scanning the yard. "You better not be ruining Mom's flowers back there again."
No response.
Setting the bowl down, I walked toward the garden. The air was still, except for the faint rustling of leaves. "Ryu seriously?"
As I stepped closer, I spotted movement behind the bushes. "Gotch—" I froze mid-sentence, my breath catching in my throat.
Ryu's severed head was impaled on a stick,
His lifeless eyes staring back at me. Crows perched atop it, pecking and tearing at the flesh.
The bowl of dog food slipped from my hands, crashing to the ground.
My chest tightened as my mind struggled to process the scene before me. The world seemed to tilt, a dull ringing filling my ears.
"Eeeek," I gasped, stumbling backward, my legs barely holding me up. My breathing quickened, each gulp of air shallow and desperate.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" A scream finally tore from my throat
"What happened?" a calm voice came from behind me.
"Dad... R-Ryu..." I pointed at the gruesome sight, my voice trembling as I struggled to form words.
"Oh, that."
His cold response made me twist my head toward him, disbelief written across my face...only for it to change instantly. He was standing behind me, covered in blood, holding a bloodied knife.
"Im sorry about your dog kasumi ... he just ... went mad so i had to put him in his place" he said, nonchalantly wiping the blood in his glasses with a handkerchief. "Don't worry, I'll buy you a new dog... a dog that can kill. Hahahahahahaha!"
.............................
I jolted awake, instantly looking around, only to find myself lying on the shore with half of the plane crashed behind me.
"Ryu, I'm sorry," I muttered, clutching my chest. The nightmare had brought back one of my most hated memories, the pain and guilt flooding through me once again.
"There's no time for that," I thought, standing up. "Ryu is dead now, and grieving again won't bring him back."
The last thing I remembered was nearly losing my head to that rocket.
If only I hadn't reduced the impact by headbutting it in that split second ,
hearing the sound of footsteps I turned to see a white haired walking towards
He stopped a few feet away, flipping through the pages on the pad. Without looking up, he spoke in a calm voice.
"Name?"
"Joe " I answered
Hearing Kasumi's answer, he sighed. "I'm the test head administrator."
"so ? " I said with a sarcastic smile.
He gave me a serious look. "What I meant is, you can at least trust me with your name."
"Ha," I chuckled slightly, sweeping my hair back, revealing the head injury. "The last time I did, I almost died in that plane behind you... so with all due respect go fuck yourself."
Hearing my response, veins began bulging on his forehead. "What happened during the duration of the test was unintended, Mr. Joe. The test administrators assigned to your plane were found dead in a small container near the airport"
"People I've known for years died just like that," he continued, his voice almost softening. "So please, Mister, know that it hurts me just like it hurts you."
Hearing the reason, I scratched the back of my head. "Kasumi... no second name."
The administrator nodded, his expression softening slightly. "I see well Mr kasumi , since the first test was interrupted all the survivors will pass the first test"He glanced down at his clipboard, adjusting his glasses. "And for the inconvenience that happened," he continued, "you're free to withdraw, and the JCC will compensate you with a free tour to the Assassin's Museum. If that doesn't interest you, they'll give you a free coupon for Sugar Park."
" you said there are survivors... how ? " I asked ignoring the last part
"Yes, 20 applicants managed to survive by jumping into the ocean when the plane was just a few feets away from the water" he explained, pointing at the smoke rising from the center of the island. "Everyone gathered around the fire to stay warm. You can join them if you want."
"I'm good... By the way, what's with that boat?" I said, pointing at a boat approaching the shore.
Squinting his eyes at the boat, the administrator frowned. "Took them long enough," he muttered under his breath, his tone sharp. "It carries the two special recommendations."
"What kind of bull—"
Raising his hands to stop Kasumi from speaking, the administrator cut him off. "Whatever you want to say, I don't want to hear it, Mr. Kasumi. If you have anything to say, tell it to the one who recommended them. I have no say in any of this."
"No good, Kasumi. You should respect your elders, man," a voice came from my right side.
It was Nagumo, wearing only a tall coat and a leaf to cover his privates.
"Mr. Yoichi, I thought I told you not to move until your clothes dried," the administrator said, glaring at Nagumo.
"Sorry, sorry. I came here to check on my friend... though I'm surprised you're still alive, even though you took a rocket straight to the head " Nagumo said with a grin
Kasumi raised an eyebrow. " how long have you been standing here ?? "
"There they are," the administrator, whose name was Yuz, said, nodding toward the boat as it finally approached the shore.
Then a girl with blue hair sprinted out of the boat, screaming, "Fucking finally, some freedom!" She ran towards the shore, excitement in his voice
' why she acting like she's been in a war ?? She didn't do anything for fuck sake ' I thought blankly staring at her
Seeing the stares from everyone around, the girl froze for a moment, then smirked. "Whacha looking at?"
"..."
No one paid her any attention. Everyone simply turned their heads toward the boat, awaiting the arrival of the second one.
"Oi, don't ignore me!" she shouted
Then, another person stepped out of the boat. It was a guy with white hair, wearing glasses. He was quite unlike the girl
"Ahem," Yuz broke the silence, his voice cutting through the air. "Those are the recommendation group... Sakamoto Taro and Rion Akao."
The girl with blue hair shot a glare at him, clearly unimpressed. "are we supposed to bow now?" .
Sakamoto Taro, the white haired guy, glanced briefly at her, but his expression remained neutral
'Agh, I hate these guys already ' I thought, glancing back at Nagumo, only to find him missing. "The fuck...'
This dude just keeps appearing and disappearing whenever he likes. It's like he knows how to vanish into thin air whenever it suits him.
............
Everyone gathered in the middle of the island, standing around the fire. The survivors sat and stood in silence, the tension heavy in the air. Some glanced at each other, others looked away, unsure of what to do next.
I stood there, resting my back against one of the trees, watching the others. The fire flickered in front of me, casting long shadows across the ground
Yuz clapped his hands to grab everyone's attention. "Alright, everyone, this is the second and final stage of the exam: a team battle. Since 20 one of you survived the teams will only consist of two members. Each team member will have the same badge number"
He pulled a box from behind one of the trees. "Only eleven of you will be able to pull the name of the other ten names"
********
Nagumo walked closer to Kasumi, holding two badges with the number 4 on it in his hand and grinning. "Oho! Kasumi, what a coincidence ,we're teammates."
Kasumi sighed, eyeing the number badge Nagumo handed him. "Lucky me," he muttered.
Yuz clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention. "Since everyone has their badge, I'll explain the rules. Each badge has a hidden number under a sticker. That number corresponds to your target."
He continued, his tone firm. "To pass the test, you need five points. You earn one point for taking a badge from a random team, and your own badge counts as one point as well. Three points come from the badge of your assigned target."
Yuz glanced around, his eyes sharp. "Keep in mind the test ends immediately after the sunset I expect everyone to be near the shore when the test ends"
"Oi, Sakamoto, try not to break all their bones," the blue-haired girl said with a cocky grin, her tone dripping with overconfidence.
"Ahem..." Yuz cleared his throat, his voice cutting through the blue-haired girl's nonsense. "Since everyone looks ready, the test starts... NOW!"
As soon as he said that, everyone sprinted off into the island. The sound of footsteps and rustling leaves filled the air as they scattered, each searching for their target or another team to challenge
**********
Kasumi, on the other hand, was walking casually, peeling the sticker off his badge as he moved
As he peeled the sticker off, he glanced around, assessing the other participants. His eyes landed on the blue haired girl, who was already making her way toward a group and he couldn't help but smirk 'oh its that bitch, i saw nagumo fighting her friend earlier.
His eyes then flicked to the others. Some seemed to be teaming up, and that raised a question. "And those guys are teaming with another group? Is that allowed?" he muttered, eyeing the scene.
***********
The tall, muscular man with a scar on his cheek tensed up, his eyes narrowing as he turned to his team leader, a bulky figure with a stern expression.
"Boss, there's a woman coming after us," he said, his voice low and serious.
The boss, a massive figure with a cold gaze, glanced ahead and scanned the surroundings. "Is she alone?" he asked
"Yeah, looks like it," the tall man replied, eyes still fixed on the approaching girl
The boss cracked his knuckles, a slight smirk creeping onto his face. "Good. Try not to aim for her face, I like them when they're looking pretty."
"Yes bo—"
Before he could finish, his words were cut off as a knife sliced through the air, decapitating him instantly. His headless body fell to the ground with a thud. Before the remaining two goons could even react, she lunged at them with lightning speed. Two more heads rolled from their shoulders, blood spraying into the air as she landed gracefully, her knife still dripping.
She stood tall, not even sweating or a hint of being tired
She then approached the boss, who was frozen in fear
Seeing her walking slowly towards him the boss stated running but fell from fear " WAIT! WAIT A SEC PLEAS-" he raised his hands trying to stop her as a last resort
In an instant, she closed the distance and swung her machete With a swift motion, his head fell to the ground, his body slumping to the earth
"Huff... that was easy. 4 points in 10 minutes. That should be a world record," she said proudly looking at the badges in her hands.
"Not unless you watch your back sugar pie" a voice called out from behind her.
She instinctively dodged, but it wasn't enough. The impact from Kasumi's kick sent her flying toward one of the trees. She slammed into the trunk, the force rattling her bones, but she quickly recovered, barely giving Kasumi a glance.
"Nice one gorilla....but you're gonna need more than that ... way way more in fact" she grinned, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth
Pulling his leg from the crater, Kasumi smirked, brushing off the dirt. "Well, you see, Friend, my friend is currently fighting your Friend and I don't think your friend is capable of beating my friend So, it's better for you to give up and hand over those badges so we can be ....Friends" he smiled saying the last word
"Drop dead" she spat, her eyes narrowing as she gripped her machete tighter As she lunged forward aiming for his neck
however her machete slashed through the air as Kasumi casually stepped back, just out of reach. "You're way too aggressive," he said with a smirk. "Do you think I'm like those clow—"
He was cut off mid-sentence as she swung her knife toward his neck again. Kasumi sidestepped the attack with ease, the blade slicing through the air inches from him. He smiled at her attempt " feisty aren't you ? "
She didn't respond, her eyes locked onto him with determination. Tightening her grip, she pivoted and launched another series of rapid slashes, each one faster and more precise than the last. Kasumi danced around her strikes, his movements effortless, like he wasn't taking her seriously
Seeing him toying with her, veins began bulging in her eyes. With a burst of speed and precision, she delivered a swift strike, her knife grazing his nose. A thin line of blood appeared, and Kasumi paused, touching his wound
"Is that the best you can do?! I thought you were supposed to be special " Kasumi taunted, his smirk widening as he dodged another strike.
"Jeez, can you stop yapping?!" she hissed, lunging at him once more, aiming for his neck.
'Has she been doing the same thing over and over again? Is she stupid?' I thought, grabbing the blunt side of the knife
She then jumped on top of me, pulling another knife from her jean and throwing it at my head.
I barely dodged it, but it still struck me in the collar, sending a sharp pain through my body.
Not wasting any time, I grabbed her leg mid-air, yanking it towards me with force. In one swift motion, I slammed her to the ground, the impact shaking the earth beneath us. She gasped, stunned by the sudden movement, but I didn't give her a moment to recover. I grabbed her legs again and, with all my strength, slammed her into a nearby tree. The force of the impact left her gasping for breath, her body crumpled against the trunk.
I walked closer to her, my steps heavy and deliberate. Stopping near her, I stomped down on her stomach
"GAH!" The air was forced from her body in a sharp exhale. She gasped, her body jerking in response to the pain, but I didn't give her a chance to recover. I quickly tried to punch her face only for her eyes to become veiny once more.
In a split second, she ripped the knife from my collar with surprising strength and slashed it across my body, the sharp metal cutting through flesh. I gritted my teeth, feeling the sting in my face, . The pain surged through me, but I fought to stay focused, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing me falter.
" Huff... huff..." Rion leaned against a tree, panting heavily, her energy drained from the brutal beating she had taken. Her clothes were torn, and cuts and bruises marred her body, but her expression remained steely, fixated on the man before her.
Kasumi, on the other hand, stood tall and shirtless, his posture unwavering despite the injuries scattered across his muscular frame. He didn't even seem to be breathing heavily. A thin scar ran across his face, yet his smirk remained unshaken as he looked down at Rion, as though the fight hadn't fazed him in the slightest. "Damn, I knew women have a lot of stamina... but this is just bullshit. How are you still standing? No, scratch that... how are you still breathing ?"
"Sh... huff... shut up!" Rion snapped, her voice shaky from exhaustion, but her grip tightened on her knife, defiance still burning in her eyes.
"Those eyes of yours won't work on me anymore," Kasumi said, his smirk unbroken. "Give me the badges, and I'll let you go—"
Before he could finish, a rock flew toward him. Kasumi quickly dodged to the side, but before he could regain his stance, Rion was already charging at him, her knife aimed directly at his chest.
Without missing a beat, Kasumi raised his arm, allowing the blade to lodge into his flesh. He didn't flinch. Instead, he swiftly kicked her in the stomach, sending her crashing to the ground with a thud.
Ripping the knife from his forearm with a grimace, Kasumi sat next to her, his smirk still in place. He pointed the blade at her neck, pressing it lightly against her neck as she gasped for breath, struggling to gather herself.
Rion, still struggling to breathe, glared up at him defiantly. "Cough, cough... huff... W-what are you... huff huff... waiting for, dipshit? Kill me."
Kasumi's eyes narrowed slightly. "Just give me the badges, and I'll let you live," he said, his voice calm and steady.
Rion coughed, her smirk unwavering despite her battered state. "Why not kill me instead and take them ? Do you think I'll just leave and forget about this?"
Meeting his gaze, she added, "Or maybe... you're afraid of killing?" Her smirk widened.
Kasumi's smile remained unbroken, his voice still calm and almost casual. "Afraid? Ha." He chuckled, the knife still pointed at her neck. "Let me tell you... I might falter and hesitate, but I won't run away from necessary killing."
Rion didn't respond and simply closed her eyes awaiting for whatever was to come
"I see... goodbye, Rion," Kasumi said, raising the knife, ready to strike. But before he could deliver the blow, he felt something poking the back of his head.
"Don't move," a voice came from behind him.
Kasumi got up with his hands raised and glanced at him from the corner of his eyes. It was Sakamoto, his mouth and nose bloodied
'No way... did Nagumo lose?!' Kasumi thought, feeling Sakamoto's left hand search his pocket and take the badge. "What happened to him?" he asked, looking at Sakamoto.
"Dead," Sakamoto replied, his voice blunt.
Kasumi paused, his expression unreadable. After a long moment, he sighed. "I see. That means we've lost," he muttered, turning away and beginning to walk off.
Rion, still on the ground, struggled to catch her breath but pushed herself upright, her eyes glaring at him. "What happened? I thought you were gonna kill me."
Kasumi didn't stop walking. Answered "Well, I've already failed . Killing you would be unnecessary."
Rion, still furious, grabbed the knife from the ground, preparing to lunge at him once more.
Kasumi, without breaking stride, glanced over his shoulder with a smirk. "You're free to attack me from behind. But you'd just be turning an unnecessary kill back to a necessary one."
Rion's grip tightened on the knife, but before she could move, Sakamoto placed his left hand on her shoulder, stopping her. His grip was firm but not aggressive, the weight of his calm presence grounding her.
"Don't," he said softly, his voice steady despite his bloodied face.
Rion scowled, jerking her shoulder away. "Tsk... don't touch me," she snapped, slapping his hand aside. Her eyes burned with frustration, but she didn't move to pursue Kasumi any further