Rimholm University: Clandestine

Chapter 36

"Attention, Juinstye is eliminated. We repeat, Juinstye is eliminated. Herishlee is now in the first place, taking the lead."

"Guys, don't take this but why we don't have a girl on our group to keep an eye on? We can keep an eye on Mira, you know?" Julius paused, "At least she's not hostile to me or any of us. She's not grumpy." Zachary stopped walking then hold the vampire on his shoulder. Kellion closed his eyes then turned at Julius with a stone-cold gaze.

"And what do mean by that, huh?"

"I mean, Mira is nice. Why you're looking at me like that?"

"What do you want, vampire? What do you intend to say?"

"I'm not going to fight you, I want to have a sense of peace so please, no fighting. We need to focus on this game because Herishlee has six flags so, please?" Kellion looked at him from head to toe then grimaced, "Hah. Who's the laughing stock said that I want to fight you? I know that Salem is hostile but you don't look like a vampire to me, you look like a blood-sucking insect." He scoffed before continuing walking. Mattheo whistled and followed the man.

"What the...I don't say anything, Kellion. Even Zachary hears it, right Zachary?" Julius turned at the shifter with a smug look while his eyes darted at Kellion who was walking in silence beside Mattheo.

"I know that he looks so ethereal but he's mad at me till now. I apologized twice as my age but he slammed the door on my face." Zachary's brows get knitted the laughed by his friend's remarks, "Who doesn't? You called Salem hostile, you fool. I'm not talking about that but maybe my idea can make a way for you." Julius shook his head however, his sheepish grin cannot be concealed.

"I don't say anything! I'm not talking about his sister you know?" He explained but learned how to get along with the alpha beside him, "You silly shifter, what is it?"

"You helped me on Mira, allow me to return it." He tapped Julius' shoulder.

"Mattheo and Kellion, can I have a word?" Both of them got stopped from taking another step. Mattheo turned his attention at Zachary, "What is it?"

Zachary walked towards them despite how he inhaled foreign scents emitting to the air around them. He gave both of them a meaningful look then put his hands on his waist then simply motioned to his three comrades to wait. Julius crackled his fingers, knowing that they were surrounded.

"I forgot to ask you about this. You got the flag, right?"

"Of course. I have it," Kellion takes the flag out of his pocket then showed to their captain, "See? I still have it."

"Keep it secure as you can."

"Not anymore." A voice snickered from behind. The flag from Kellion's hand vanished like a bubble that popped into a thin air. Mattheo turned around to find where the voice came from but he spots nothing but the plain sight of the woods covered with a bed of snow and frost building upon the trees. Zachary and Julius watched how a man appear out of nowhere; holding the flag from Kellion.

"Herishlee team."

"Rimholm team, where's the two ladies with you? Can we know their names?" He smiled, "Ah! The girl that we have a conversation with the other day and to the brunette, tell them that they got those looks like a goddess. Anyway, thank you for these two flags! I have a clue where's the other one." Julius checked his pocket, the flag that he's looking for is not there anymore. He silently cursed. Herishlee is not a piece of good news. Jerimiah grins while tapping his bloody sword on the ground.

"Leo's ability is invincibility. Using it or not, he can steal everything in a blink of an eye. We thank you for those two and see you at the ceremony! We're going to have the last one to the two girls." Jeremiah waved them goodbye. Zachary balled his hand into a fist and clicked his tongue on his cheek, "No one will leave."

"You're not holding our feet." Kevin mocked.

"Really?" Leo's smile fades when the flag turns into dust and piles into his pale hands. In just a simple swing of Zachary's hand upwards, the ice feeds on their whole surrounding. Crawling faster and faster every millisecond. Glaciers emerged higher than the trees. Seven men were stunned for a second as the ice touched their feet but in a blink of an eye, the ice from the ground slithered on their lower bodies. The ice spikes pointed around the seven men's necks and hearts that almost pierce on their flesh.

"Kellion and Julius, take the flags to the elf named Everett." He commanded. Kellion and Julius went to Everett and searched for the flags that he's securing. Instead of getting it from the satchel, Julius takes the whole satchel and opened it. He grins after the six maroon and yellow-colored flags inside greet his sight.

"This is thing happened in a haste, Herishlee's team got eliminated. Rimholm team is now on the lead. There's a glacier appears on the area where the Rimholm team was!"

Julius handed to Zachary the satchel. He fidgeted the bag as he walks forward to invade the sm nm all space between him and the mischievous vampire. The ice spikes extend and get closer slowly to their necks as he took steps closer, "You know why the whole Rimholm University looked at the wolf as a nightmare and never talk about it?" His blue orbs got replaced by threatening gold and bared his fangs.

"I know how to discipline them by showing what the real wrath is."

"Who are you?"

"Me?" Zachary laughs.

"A simple alpha shifter. Nothing weird."

At the same time,

"They got the six flags, what's the plan b?" Mira asked Salem who's hopping from one branch to another. Zachary and his group already headed up before them. Salem, Freddy, and here are making their way on the top of these giant and high trees. Salem told Mira not to look down and stay focused which is the thing that Mira maintains to do. One wrong step and she might get fall then break her bones. If it happens, Mira will be her team's burden and she doesn't want that.

"Don't mess up the main plan and there is no such a plan b that you're talking about," Salem replied. She stopped then looked at Freddy, "Hey elf, we need your ability. I want you to do something." Freddy tilted his head in mere confusion. Mira watched them in silence, she can't blame him, he's not used to Salem's trick. Salem explained to Freddy what she wants to happen and to do.

"I don't want to get beaten up with someone else, you trickster," Mira smirked as she watched other participants walking below them. Seven girls wandering around. Mira can sense what they're up to.

"You also have it. If you don't believe me, you can see it yourself." She replied before taking steps backward before traveling from one tree to another. Mira shook her head then watched how Salem vanished into thin air. She is about to stand up when a cold and sharp metal touched her neck. Freddy got restrained too by the green-haired girl from Phillestonean.

"Give me the flag." Mira slowly raised her hands to surrender. She stands up while her eyes are glued on the tree in front of her, "Freddy, give them the flag."

"But Mira?! If I give them our points will--"

"Percival. Give them. I can risk you getting hurt." Mira looked directly at Freddy's eyes emotionlessly, causing the boy to take out the flag then give it to him with a big hint of regret in his eyes, "You never call me Percival." He murmured and handed the gray flag to another girl in front of him.

"What a heart-warming sight. Right, Wendy?" A girl spoke up while looking down at her. The aura around her burned green and her hair flows with the breeze. The girl behind Mira hummed, "Power of friendship matters, Phoebe."

"What are you waiting for? Shoot her. I know that your hands are itching."

"You heard what Salem says about you? See if yourself. I can tell you who you are because I am you."

It's the same voice that she keeps hearing before the games started. Shivers sent down to her spine every time the voice rings in her ear. It does sound like it was on her side but it sounds like from the deep well.

"Say, you have it. Do you?" Mira asked the girl. Phoebe narrowed her eyes at Mira, "I don't have it." The knife on Mira's neck digs deep, creating a small wound on her neck. She remained blanked face and doesn't care if her blood tainted the knife. A mischievous smirk slipped on her lips that leaves Phoebe's stirs up in confusion.

"I know. But do you wanna hear something interesting? The flag you have right now," Mira swings her fingers downwards. A golden gun appeared on her hand, "Is not real." She stepped the foot of the girl behind her then elbowed her face hard, causing her to scream in pain. The knife on her neck hits the branch first before it falls on the ground. Wendy almost fall to the ground if her comrade didn't hold her back. Mira shoots them both before jumping into another branch while holding Freddy on the back of his collar.

"That was close," Freddy said. His bow and arrow appeared on his hand to shoot the ground. Wendy and her comrade fall into the thick vines while both unconscious. The five girls turned at them in shock. Phoebe pointed her finger at Mira in rage, "How dare for the two of you to challenge us? You're boasting your ability but---"

"Three," Mira blew off the smoke from her gun.

"Two. Wait! Why are we shooting them?" Freddy asked as he reloaded his bow again.

"One," Salem added. Mira and Freddy looked at her and her hand that she formed as a gun. Freddy silently gasped while Mira averted her attention back at the front. Her eyes set upon Phoebe who got left flabbergasted. Salem puts down and slips her hand in her pockets.

"Doesn't this game teach every player to never let the guard down?" She asks them to have eye contact with Mira and Freddy. Still, no sign of mischief written on her face that puzzles Phoebe more.

"W-What are you trying to say right now?" Salem pulls out the three purple flags from her side. Phoebe immediately searched in her pocket but she found big leaves stuffing it. She gave Mira a glare but the girl innocently look at her in return.

"Phillestonean is eliminated. Rimholm team remained in the first place followed by Kramishna and Marinelle who ties!"

"Finders keepers." Mira smiled before shooting Phoebe on her head, causing her to get knocked off. The vines immediately wrapped around her body before she falls. Freddy steal a glance at her for the last time and followed his teammates.

"We still have Marinelle and Kramishna, they might ambush us. Better to watch out." Salem said then heard the blades tearing up the air. She and Mira exchanged looks. Mira immediately pulled the trigger of her gun. Her bullet hits the incoming blade bursting its way on them, creating a big explosion. Salem motioned Freddy to go away. He hesitantly looked at her before gathering himself up and running in another direction.

"There's an explosion on the area where the three members of Rimholm and Marinelle team. Marinelle team started to attack the two members of Rimholm team! After defeating Phillestonean, seems like this team is making this game finish earlier than we expected. They don't hunt, they just let other teams come."