𝐀 𝐊𝐎𝐀𝐋𝐀'𝐒 𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖 ── ( ray )

Chapter 28: Elimination

I see.

Bayon circled around an unnatural bump in the trunk of a huge tree, his thoughts running, an underground vault, huh?

It was small, almost unnoticeable if you don't look hard enough, but Bayon was able to notice the unnaturally round entrance in the tree, which he assumed, led underground.

This tree trunk, Bayon prodded at it with his spear, they went inside the tree from this area near the root. That's it.

Their base is here. The leader... is hiding under this forest.

One last prod at the entrance resulted in it opening up with a creak, revealing a small tunnel. Small was an understatement, it was obnoxiously tiny, a human could barely get through it.

Knowing that he couldn't possibly fit into that hole, Bayon raised his spear and sliced down the entire tree with ease, and it collasped onto the side, crashing down to the ground. Now, a big enough hole laid in front of Bayon, allowing him to enter. He swiftly jumped into the hole, reaching ground not long later.

There wasn't much light in the dark tunnel, the only light source was the artificial skylight from above him. He looked at the dark passageway in front of him, squinting his eyes to see better. The dark tunnel led further yet inside, so he invited himself in.

What is this place? He pondered.

Like the tree above, this underground vault isn't merely a hole the children dug in secret. Bayon felt the walls around him... bricks. Damn, that brat, he cursed, his thoughts bringing him back to the person who offered him this playground.

Bayon's shoes clacked as he wandered further still into the tunnel, and yet, still no sign at all of any living being.

But he could smell them.

I'm getting closer to them... It's not just the leader and four children from before. The other children who have disappeared from the village must be all hiding here as well.

A sudden whiff of blood reached his nostrils -

Hold on a second, Bayon whirled around to his left to find a side passage, where Oliver and Nigel were waiting for him, with guns at ready. He staggered, clenching for his spear, eyes wide -

An ambush!!

He ducked to the side, but the tunnel was only so narrow, and his spear caught itself on the walls, automatically restricting him of wide movements. An infuriated Bayon cursed, only to find something shoot past on his right, he quickly realized it was another one of the cattle children, helping with the ambush -

It was Lucas.

It was at that moment where Bayon found himself completely cornered, "Damn it!" And the one who shot past him - he realized, was an adult - shouted to the two children -

"Now! Go, Oliver, Nigel!!"

A serious expression crossed Oliver's face as she cocked up her gun, aiming carefully. Nigel followed suit, gritting his teeth -

Die, Bayon!!

- was the thought that came with a series of gunshots.

Moments before, Zack and Pepe were tied up in a furious battle against Bayon, though it was clear who was winning. Zack and Pepe were wounded heavily, and Bayon was hardly scratched.

Zack pulled the trigger at Bayon again, before clambering to hide behind a tree trunk to catch his breath, panting heavily as he clutched a stitch on his side. Pepe sat behind another tree not far away from him, wheezily saying -