☣️𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙷𝚄𝙽𝚃☣️

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕱𝖔𝖚𝖗

The sky finally gave in. Raindrops started to fall one by one, and fog slowly covered the entire school grounds.

The rain gave the students a hard time focusing on their objectives. It not only made them lose focus, but they also could not hear properly because of the loud noise. It's too slippery for them to be running around or climbing up on trees. They had to seek shelter first.

'Im soaking..'

Belle stepped on a puddle of water and got her boots wetter. She has been walking around ever since she left Althea alone with Jake.

'Why did the Manhunt have to start so quick..? All I have is a gun with at least 4 bullets in this bag...'  As she continued to venture out on the rain, she decided to find shelter for now.

Belle Ackerman, known as Belle by many, is not special in any way. She is average in combat, she mostly focuses on defense.

One thing that's intresting about her though, is that she is related to Jake Peralta. Not a lot of people know that, only her close friends do.

Well, friends are of no help in this situation they are in right now.

She does not care about what would happen to Jake. In fact, she despises him. She does not like him at all, and who knows why.

But the thing that people in their school do know is that she is close friends with Althea Hazumi. Some would take advantage of that knowledge. Someone like Gift Alister.

"Hello"

Belle snapped out of her thoughts and looked up. Up there she saw Gift sitting on one of the branches of the big tree she is seeking shelter on.

"Hello Alister." She responds, voice not showing any signs of shock. "Where's your bestie? You killed her or something?"

She did not say anything. Belle didn't want to say anything in case Gift's target was her friend. She just stood there and looked back down, drying her wet hair.

"...Anyways, so who's your target Belle?" He said, attempting to change the topic for now. "Why don't you focus on yours?" she snapped back, clearly not in the mood for such talks.
"Well I can't do that without knowing where I can find her first can I?"

Belle's eyes widened a little at her realization. 'I knew it.'

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A little twig broke as Jake took his step.

As he goes deeper into the foggy forest, he smelled something coming from the tree beside him. It smelled like the mixture of rain and blood. He held his knife in his hands as he slowly looked behind the tree, 'oh' he thought.

Behind the tree was a student's body, but head nowhere to be found.
'The others are probably just nearby.' He said, walking back on his path.

'Why haven't I heard about this Gift Alister guy before..?'

As the rain continues to fall harder, in the distance Jake suddenly saw his brother, Arvin Peralta, being cornered by two students with a higher level than them.
'A-Arvin?'

"Come on, I know you got some good weapons in there but you just dont know how to use 'em" "Yeah, what's the use in carrying them around if you don't have a single idea on how they even work??"

The two boys ganged up on him, forcing him to give them the weapons he has been storing in his bag.

"No..I have other uses for them..they aren't for you." He retorts back. Grip on his bag getting tighter.

"Have we been too kind to ya? Or are you really just an idiot??"

"You do know that we can just kill you right here right?? The person targeting you would be thankful for us if we do!"

"Go ahead then, pussy"

The two older boys were taken aback by his attitude. "The fuck did you just say??!" Before they could even slice his head off, they were interrupted by a voice calling out to them from behind.

"What the hell? Two versus One? That isn't a very manly thing to do mate." Jake said as he slowly made his way towards the three of them, sharp knife twirling on his fingers.

The two boys' eyes widened.
"Hey, aint that the kid they said was apparently skilled?" The other whispered. "Oh come on, those are just rumors. I haven't seen this kid in the Manhunts I've been in this school."

The older boy walked towards Jake, hands on his hips, smiling confidently.
"Really now? You? skilled? You're just in your third year here ain't ya? You've got a lot more to learn kid. You're below me, you got that? So scram!"

Jake didn't move a single inch, knife no longer twirling on his hands. His bored eyes staring straight into the other boy's own. "What? You wanna go?"

"Kyle stop it. I have a bad feeling about this." The other boy said, trying to stop his friend from provoking Jake Peralta.

"What?? What's he gonna do? Look at him! He only has a knife! What a rookie--"

Kyle got cut off when Jake swiftly plunges his knife in his stomach.

"ARGH!" He exclaims. " Kyle!!" The other exclaimed as he rushed in, but failed when Jake glared at him. He smirked as he looked back at Kyle. "What now big guy? Why did you stop talking??" He said as he pushes his knife even further.

"S-STOP-AGH!" Kyle screams as he starts coughing out blood. 

"Do you know the things I hate the most?" Jake said, pulling his knife out, only to stab him on another part of his body again. "ACGKH!"

"I hate unfair plays." He continued. "And..." Jake said as he trailed off. "I don't like being called a rookie." He continued, finishing him off, stabbing him on his neck.

"HNGH!"

The other boy just stood there, legs shaking. He wasn't used to seeing someone get killed in such a gruesome way, even after he himself has killed many already. It was still a very insightful sight.

He just watched his friend get killed.

"what...what the fuck..." He whispered.

He was about to run when he suddenly got pushed to the ground. "AH!" he shouts, but the rain is much more louder than his screams.

He was now laying on the ground, Arvin's foot on his chest. "What...what are you d-doing.." He said, slowly losing his breath as the foot in his chest got heavier and heavier.

"Doing the person targeting you a favor, killing you." Arvin said, with the same psychotic smirk as his brother. "Th-The bo-both of you are..crazy.." The boy exclaims as he inhaled his last breath.

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A day has not yet passed since the beginning of The Annual Manhunt, and blood has already been shed by many. Will the students survive a whole month of war?