We found ourselves shivering the moment we arrived. BunBun steps up to us only to lose her footing and falls flat on her face.

StarBorne helps her to her feet, looks at me, and smiles. “We’re all together.”

WarWolf hugs me from behind. “Five of us can pass. If we all cooperate, we can all ascend.” She then nibbles my ear and whispers “I asked Guru what the plan was. He only asked that we stall and keep as many students alive as we can.”

StarBorne looks at her. “There’s no need to whisper.”

WarWolf lets go of me and addresses the Assailants. “I suggest we try to keep as many students alive as we can. The more allies we have, the longer we’ll last.”

She’s being careful not to mention Guru or the Red Guild. She’s as clever as she is beautiful.

Goopy rolls his head back and groans. “You want us to run into danger? The best plan is to hide until barely anyone is left.”

BunBun raises her hand. “We should go to the peak. That way nobody can ambush us.”

StarBorne turns his attention to the group. “BunBun is right. The peak is our destination.”

“Looks like the students won’t be our only problem.” WarWolf points at a protruding rock ahead of us.

There’s a bird with silver feathers as sharp as a blade. The bird squawks at WarWolf before flying toward her.

She slams her palm into the bird, getting her hand sliced in the process.

The bird crawls along the ground, winded from the attack.

Goopy steps up to the bird. “Don’t attack her. We’re supposed to make allies, right?” He takes out some bread and offers it to the bird.

The bird cautiously eats the bread.

StarBorne pulls Goopy out of the way of a wooden arrow. She scans the tall white trees. “We’ve already been spotted. I’ll distract them. Keep moving.” She swerves to dodge another arrow.

I run as fast as I can to the tree, redirecting all fire on me.

No way am I losing anyone else.

An arrow hits my shoulder but my Black Seed eats my pain.

Do you see where the enemy is?

Too high up. Must improvise.

My mind is suddenly flooded with the death cries of those I slaughtered. I clench my head. My shadow expands and slices around me in a frenzy.

The tree collapses, taking the target down with it.

I see him limp away from me.

I exhale sharply and bring my mind back into focus.

“I won’t die like all the others!” He pulls out his knife.

I try to focus on his face but its so hazy. “I’m not going to kill you.”

“Lies!” He rushes at me and I swipe his feet. My attacker falls face first into the snow. “I’m just the distraction. Your team is surrounded.”

I look ahead, squinting through the snowy winds to see my allies engaged in combat with at least eight other students.

I smash his wooden bow to pieces and then rush after them.

When I arrive, the attackers flee.

WarWolf coughs up blood. “Shit. I think I opened up the wound.”

StarBorne looks at me. “I told you I would take care of the archer. Don’t you trust me?”

“Everyone saw me kill those students. They’re going to be after me. I need you to promise me you’ll keep WarWolf safe. I can’t stay with the group.”

“I understand.” He nods.

WarWolf grabs my hand. “I don’t understand. You go out there on your own and they’ll ambush you.”

“I’ll be okay.”

Goopy looks at the three students who they knocked out. “We should kill them. They’ll only come after us again. Weech, you already have blood on your hands. What’s a few more bodies?”

WarWolf glares at him. “It’s not his responsibility to.” She looks at the knocked-out students in the snow. “They’ll likely die from the cold anyway.”

Goopy drags one of the students onto a rock. “We should figure out just how many of them are targeting us.” He cuts off the student’s finger. “Good morning.”

The student reaches for a knife, but it’s already been removed.

“How many are after us? Cooperate and I won’t kill you.”

“That’s a lie. Only five can live. That’s the rules.”

Is this the way the guild plans to get rid of the traitors? Is this massacre my fault for recruiting all those kids to my side?

Goopy puts the knife to his throat. “You make a good point.”

“Fine. I’ll tell you. You can’t stop it anyway. We’re all coming after you! Your death is certain. No way are we letting a monster like that win.” He points at me with a shaky finger.

The Black Guild chose me to kill those students to paint me as the target, but they mistakenly put StarBorne in danger. How can they be so sloppy?

BunBun looks at StarBorne. “What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know.” StarBorne bit his lip.

Goopy looks around. “There’s less snow up there. If we find a cave, we can reduce their options to approach us.”

I approach the hostage. “Go back to your team. Round them all up. We’ll be waiting.”

Goopy groans. “Now that you told him that, we have to kill him.”

StarBorne grabs Goopy’s arm. “No, Weech is right. This is the best way. If we get everyone gathered in one place, we can end this.”

“Fine. Whatever.” Goopy lowers his weapon.

The hostage runs off.

I turn to BunBun. “Wake up the others and tell them the same thing.”

“Ummm. Okay. Really hope this doesn’t backfire.”

WarWolf holds onto my arm. “Does this mean you aren’t leaving us?”

“Yeah. I’m not going anywhere. If we split up, we die.”

On our way up the mountain, we had no encounters. We found the cave, just as Goopy suggested and prepared for the enemy.

“This is suicide,” says Goopy, setting some tripwire near the entrance.

“It’s our best chance at making it out of this alive.”

“There’s someone else here. I hear them,” says BunBun.

I spin around. An Ursa with beady eyes, stubby legs and fearsome claws is standing on hind legs above her.

“TedUrsa!” I toss a knife at him or her to distract from BunBun. It works and the massive mammal comes rushing after me.

WarWolf slides to the sides and then activates her legs once the Ursa is within range. Her razor kick slices off one of the creature’s arms. “Leave us and I won’t kill you.”

The Ursa growls at her and then backhands her.

“Incoming enemies!” yells Goopy from outside the cave.

Damn it. We’re being flanked from both sides.

StarBorne approaches the bear with long swords in each hand.

Each strike the bear makes is parried perfectly by his swords.

“I can keep this one at bay. Stay focused on the students coming for us.” StarBorne says, reading the emotional aura of the Ursa and making thin cuts whenever she saw an opening.

I help WarWolf to her feet. “You should rest. We can handle the attackers.”

“We have to hold them off till they all arrive. No way can you do that without me.” She grins.

Goopy throws knives at the approaching enemies and then flees when a hail of arrows launch. He hides inside the cave, which blocks the assault.

“How many students did you count?” I ask.

“I don’t know like fourteen.”

Damn. That’s not even half of them.

“They aren’t falling for the traps we set,” says BunBun, peeking out for a moment.

I look back to see StarBorne still fighting the bear. “I’m going to buy us some time. I’m their main target. BunBun, follow me and hide behind the trees. Then strike when they pass by.”

“Good plan!” BunBun follows me before WarWolf can protest.

The group of students, now around twenty strong, split their forces.

Damn. I was hoping to get them all after me.

BunBun and I slide down the mountainside and take cover from the arrow fire in the trees.

“Stay here. I’m going to get their attention and then bring them back.”

BunBun hugs me. “Thanks for being my friend! I know I’m difficult, but you were always so sweet to me anyway.”

“You’re welcome, but there’s no way I’m dying here.”

BunBun gives me a head pat and then I rush off.

I’m going to need you to cut down some more trees.

Fine! But you owe us later!

Once I’m within range, I throw some daggers and then immediately retreat back into the trees.

Twelve students follow me.

Now!

I try to stay focused on running as bloody images assault my mind. My cloak moves around at incredible speed, creating a barrier around me that slices everything I touch. As I run around the main forces, my Dark Seed slices the trees.

The trees collapse, dispersing both my attackers and those attacking my team.

My vision comes back into focus. I turn to see that there are only seven students chasing me.

BunBun is as reliable as ever. Just need to loop around a few more times.

As I run, I see the last group of students join up with the others.

That should be everyone. The Red Guild will have to act fast to save them. We’ve given them the perfect opportunity.

I turn around to see that my seven pursuers are no longer chasing me. They are searching the trees for BunBun.

One of them finds her and tosses her to the snow.

Black tentacles come out from the ground and lift up the students before they can attack her.

BunBun’s empty eyes are flooded with tears. “Teacher, is that you?”

He lifts her up in an embrace and cradles her. “You’re safe now.”

Teacher then sinks into the ground and pops up in front of the students chasing us. “There’s no need to die here. The Red Guild is here to bring you to safety.”

OniGiri and several other assassins of the Red Guild round up the students, promising them the same thing.

Did we really do it? Did we win without anyone dying?

Teacher carves open a portal to safety.

Something pulls on me and lifts me into the air.

I look around to see that all the students have been lifted off their feet by some unseen force.

A figure holding a spinning parasol slowly descends. He lands gracefully on the snow. “Every year the school’s best students are sacrificed in a grand game of bloodshed! All that misery and suffering, just so you have a chance to kill me.”

The man we’ve only seen pictures of in books is standing before us. He is sporting a pink tuxedo and has a multicolored scarf around his neck. His slender build and colored fingernails gave him a feminine charm.

He licks his lips. “I won’t let you weak-willed rebels spoil this joyful tradition.”