【 ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ꜰᴇᴀᴛʜᴇʀ 】

- 04 -

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CONFLICT

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Every student gathered in the main hall, all with the same intent of drawing a card from the box and finding out who their partner would be for the upcoming mission. Maki, the teacher overseeing the first years, gave them the instructions for the drawing process. "Each first year takes two cards from the box in front of us," she began. "In this box, there are every second and third year student's names. Since the numbers are uneven, Shino and Shin may only pick one person each. You may take your pick now," she finished off.

The students gathered around the box, taking turns to draw two cards and present them to Maki, who announced the teams after the process was complete for every student. "Now, I will announce the teams," she began, causing a wave of anticipation and curiosity to sweep through the room. "Team A is comprised of Amy Briar, Seraphine Snape, and Sousuke. Team B consists of Inei Noirceur, Kurono Kagami, and Aki Isa. Team C's roster includes Ryousuke Kyojuro, Ryuu Kyojuro, and Katsuya Ichikawa. Lastly, Team D consist of Shino Alexender, Shin Alexender and Nina Light."

As the students learned about their assigned teams, Sousuke and Seraphine noticed one another, a slight smile breaking out upon both of their faces. "Let's make her life miserable," Seraphine said with a subtle, mischievous smile, seemingly planning something diabolical for their soon-to-be team mate. Sousuke seemed a bit concerned, responding "Not too extreme, Seraphine. Though, I think Aki will be overwhelmed." Akie's face was filled with embarrassment, causing her to turn a deep red as she processed the news and the ominous words spoken by Sousuke and Seraphine.

Aki could feel the blood rushing to his face, his cheeks turning a deep red, as the realization and anticipation of his team assignment came sinking in. He looked at the girls who had walked up to him, feeling his embarrassment and shyness growing exponentially. Kurono seemed eager for their upcoming mission, addressing Aki with confidence and a friendly tone. "Hey, Isa. I can't wait for our mission." His words caused Aki to blush, his body language showing his confusion and fear of the situation. Inei just stood beside her, not joining the conversation.

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The teams were all placed in different sections of the forest, which served as the setting for the task ahead of them. Their primary objective was to acquire a gem and place it at the top of the tower. The winners would be announced only after a single team managed to successfully complete the mission. There would be no room for failure or mistakes, as the prize for success was a valuable one, which would require everyone to take the task extremely seriously.

Ryuu's team concealed themselves behind a thicket of bushes, carefully watching the gems, looking for an opportunity to strike and secure the prize. However, they were also aware of the risk associated with attempting to take the gems at that time, as they were concerned about the potential threat of Kuro attacking from behind. Katsuya chuckled nervously at the thought of the situation, saying, "We have a chance. But who knows, maybe Kuro will attack us from behind. That girl is crazy," he said in a lighthearted and humorous tone, trying to ease the tension and keep everyone focused and alert.

"Why would you say that?" Ryousuke remarked, raising a brow in bewilderment. "She's dangerous. She may look nice, but don't trust her appearance. Once she's on a mission, she won't be the same Kurono that you know," Katsuya replied, warning his teammates against letting their guard down when dealing with Kurono during the mission. "She is cunning and always knows her opponent's weak points," Ryuu chimed in, further reinforcing the notion that Kurono was a force to be reckoned with during the competition.

"I can distract her," Ryousuke offered, hoping to find a solution to their dilemma. "She won't fall for that," Ryu said, immediately dismissing the suggestion. "But we can try," replied Ryousuke once again, wanting to give it a shot. "I don't think that-" Katsuya began to say, however, he was quickly interrupted by Ryuu, who cut him off and looked at him with a fierce expression. A sudden loud sound broke the quiet atmosphere in the area, prompting everyone to turn their attention towards the source.