Me? I'm the brother

"W-What!?" Nick stammered in panic as he felt a cold sword pressing against his neck.

The person held a sword against Nick's throat had curly blond hair and a slender build. Though, his expression was filled with nervousness and fear.

"Ben! What's the meaning of this!?" Noah shouted, a mix of shock in his voice, while the others looked at Ben in disbelief.

Ben was the third person belonging in Noah's group.

"Stop!!" Job shouted as he tried to stop Ben.

"D-Don't think of doing anything!! Or else I'll cut his neck!!" Despite his nervousness, Ben stood his ground, threatening Job and others to prevent them from advancing closer.

Turning to Peter, Ben said, "Please, take me into your group. I'll give you anything you want, and I've never had anything to do with them, let alone that guy named Kalsie!"

"Pft! Hahahaha!" Peter erupted into laughter, his voice tinged with a sadistic tone, as he commented, "This is what I find most entertaining about folks like you - ready to betray at the drop of a hat!"

"S-So, do you agree?" Ben asked, his voice trembling.

"If you can provide me that hostage. Then, why not?" Peter smiled.

"You ****** !!" Jack and the others angrily shouted at Ben for his betrayal, but he paid no heed to their words.

"P-Please d-don't d-do this!!" Nick also pleaded, feeling frightened as Ben pushed him toward Peter's group.

"Nick!!!" Seeing Nick being pulled away, Job panicked as he was unable to act since Ben was holding him hostage.

"Don't blame me, blame your bad luck. I'm doing this to survive," Ben heartlessly declared as he dragged Nick toward Peter's group.

"Is that so? Then don't blame me either."

Suddenly, a voice not belonging to anyone present reached everyone's ear.

"Who is it!?" Peter's group scanned the area, on high alert at the sound of a third party's voice.

Swoosh! 

In the next moment, under their watchful and stunned eyes, an arrow was unleashed and it flew toward its target—Ben.

"Ahhhhhhhh!!" The arrow nearly pierced Ben's hand, causing the sword to fall from his grasp. 

Soon afterward, blood streamed from the deep wound, and his screams conveyed the agony he felt.

"AHHHH!!! Helppppp mmeeeeee!!" Ben cried out in pain as he crouched on the ground.

However, despite his desperate pleas for assistance, no one dared to move forward, their hearts pounding with fear and vigilance, uncertain if they would become the next target.

"huh?" Nick was stunned, finding it hard to believe what had just occurred. 

Fortunately, Job reacted swiftly, pulling Nick back toward himself.

This shocking scene unfolded before them, deeply affecting the onlookers.

Despite their earlier bravado, they were all just eighteen, and the harsh reality they now faced was far from what they had ever expected.

However, unlike the others, Peter still continued to wear that carefree expression, seemingly unfazed by the turmoil around him.

"Excuse me, but who are you? Would you mind stepping out into view?" Peter called out toward the direction from which the arrow had come. 

"You're quite skilled with that bow," he remarked, recognizing the archer's exceptional accuracy that had disarmed Ben from a considerable distance.

Hearing Peter's words, his group snapped out of their tense stances and aimed their weapons in the archer's direction, their expressions filled with concern.

Meanwhile, Job and others took advantage of the distraction to slowly distance themselves from Peter's group, their eyes still fixed on the mysterious newcomer, hoping that the person who had saved them wasn't their enemy.

"Me? I'm the brother of the person you want to harm!" the voice echoed as a young man and woman emerged from their hiding spots.

One of them wielded a longbow, the same person who had shot the arrow earlier, while the other carried a massive double-headed axe resting casually on her shoulder.

"Fred... Frostine..." Peter muttered with a small smile as he immediately recognized him.

The person who had just saved Nick was none other than the fatty individual Kalsie had befriended on the first day of his college and was also involved in the fight against the seniors.

Seeing arrows pointed in his direction, Fred grinned without fear and aimed his bow at Peter, saying, "Indeed, the one and only Fred! If you'd rather avoid an arrow in your gut or your lackey's, I'd suggest you all stay still."

"I've never been one to shy away from injury. How about you give it a try?" Peter, still unflinching, retorted, "But let's see who's quicker, your arrow or me."

"Enough. Why don't you stand down, Peter?" Wendy, the young woman beside Fred, suddenly interjected.

Her name was Wendy Wilson, an eye-catching young woman with a rosy complexion, boasted stunning platinum-blond hair cascading down to her shoulders, and her eyes sparkled with a hint of green. 

Even in her tracksuit uniform like the others, her beauty remained undiminished. Despite being only slightly shorter than everyone else, she exuded an aura of strength that set her apart. She effortlessly balanced a double-headed axe on her shoulder, a testament to her physical prowess.

Peter turned his gaze toward her and asked with a sardonic smile, "Wendy, are you getting involved in my affairs too? Don't we share a special connection from the past?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't recall the connection you're talking about," Wendy replied, her voice playful and energetic.

"You sure have an odd choice of friends," Fred mused, directing a quizzical glance at Wendy.

However, Wendy retorted as her tone was filled with exasperation, "Oh please, you are one to talk. And just so you know, that guy over there is definitely not my friend."

Fred couldn't help but twitch his eye again at Wendy's response, a mix of frustration and amusement playing on his face.

"Your words wound me, Wendy. In any case..." Peter raised his hand and ordered, "Archers, target them!"

His archers promptly shifted their aim toward Job's group.

"Damn it!"

"Do you have a death wish, Peter?" Fred asked icily, his previous demeanor giving way to an unmistakable coldness.

"As much as the idea of dying thrills me, I'd rather not experience it just yet. Feel free to try, but my people won't hesitate to respond in kind," Peter laughed, observing their faces change in the face of imminent danger. Nick, in particular, looked terrified.

"Fine! You make one move, and I guarantee this arrow will find its way into your skull," Fred threatened in a low, menacing tone, his gaze locked on Peter.

Though unfamiliar with these people, Fred was not one to stand by while something like this happened, especially not to Kalsie's friends.

Job and others felt relief seeing someone come to their rescue, but same couldn't be said for Peter's group.

"What...?" The lethal glint in Fred's eyes made Peter's group nervously gulp, uncertain if Fred was bluffing or truly capable of killing Peter or them.

"I like the glint in your eyes!" But Peter on the other hand was still calm.

A tense standoff ensued as no one wanted to make the first move.

Growing exasperated, Wendy pointed her axe toward Peter and chided him, "You truly don't know when to stop, do you? We've been kidnapped far from home, and yet here you are creating more chaos instead of figuring out how to get out of this mess."

"Hmmm, I wouldn't describe myself as 'kidnapped' since it was my father who banished me here," Peter said, gazing at Wendy and Fred thoughtfully. He continued, "But your presence here suggests that your families might be involved too."

"What!?"

"What is he talking about?"

A murmur of confusion spread through the group as Peter's revelation sunk in. It was the first they had heard that their families, who stood at the top, were responsible for sending them to this place.

"Yes, so lower your weapons. You never know if they're watching," Wendy advised.

"Ummm... how about no?"

"Do you understand the potential consequences of your actions?" she pressed.

Peter emitted a sadistic chuckle, saying, "I don't care. I do whatever amuses me."

"You!" Wendy was fed up with him.

As the standoff continued, they all found themselves in a trance, each waiting for the other to make a move.

"This isn't going to work—" Job began to suggest, but then something unexpected happened, startling him.

"!!" It wasn't just him; everyone in the vicinity felt it, regardless of who they were.

While they were engrossed in their confrontation, they hadn't noticed that the sun was on the verge of setting, causing the surrounding light to rapidly diminish. 

However, by the time they were stuck in a deadlock, the sun disappeared entirely, leaving only the dim illumination from the sky.

But it was then, a sudden change overtook them.

An eerie wind began to gust through the area, and the temperature plummeted rapidly, accompanied by the emergence of a white fog.

In the next instant, all the surrounding insects stopped buzzing simultaneously, intensifying the eeriness.

"What the heck... is happening?" Wendy asked cautiously as she stopped, scanning the area.

"Isn't it obvious... It's just like last night," Fred, who had joined her side, replied with a tense expression.