AOS 13

Meanwhile, Micheal and Tohira moved cautiously through the forest, the distant, agonizing screams of people echoing around them. Micheal's thoughts lingered on the growing mystery of the world he now found himself in.

"Bad idea to even try saving people right now," Micheal thought, his heart heavy with hint of guilt and unease at the unfolding chaos.

"Don't tell me you're feeling sad, Mister Red Pupils," Tohira teased, sticking his tongue out slightly, his usual playfulness cutting through the tension.

"They're human too," Micheal began, his tone firm, despite the pang of helplessness he felt. "Even though we're competing with each other, we're still victims in this situation."

As Micheal spoke, he suddenly froze, his expression shifting to one of shock. Out of nowhere, Tohira's hand moved swiftly toward his face.

"What!" Micheal thought, fear overtaking him as he tried to process the blur of movement.

Before he could react, Micheal found himself sprawled on the ground, staring up in confusion and disbelief. A sharp gunshot rang out, the sound still reverberating in his ears.

"Don't tell me you didn't see that coming, Micheal!" Tohira quipped, his voice tight but teasing as he crouched over Micheal, shielding him.

Micheal's eyes widened as he noticed Tohira's shoulder, a dark stain of blood seeping through his shirt. It took a moment for him to grasp what had happened—Tohira had just taken a bullet meant for him.

"Stay down," Tohira muttered, his expression unusually serious. "Looks like the real game has just begun."

Micheal's gaze darted around, searching the dense forest for the source of the gunshot. His mind raced, trying to make sense of the ambush.

"We have someone targeting us right now," Micheal murmured, the weight of the situation sinking in.

"Indeed," Tohira replied, his voice low and controlled. "And standing up right now? That's a death wish."

Micheal clenched his fists as he stayed close to the ground. "Who would even be doing this?" he whispered.

Tohira smirked despite the pain radiating from his wounded shoulder.

"My wild guess? One of the guards. This trial just got a whole lot more interesting," he said, tearing a strip from his shirt to press against his wound.

Micheal's mind drifted back to their first trial with Joann, and how Jake had met his terrible fate.

"If we continue to lay this low, we're going to run out of time," Micheal said, his voice tense as his eyes darted to Tohira, who was wrapping his bloodied shoulder.

Before Tohira could respond, another bullet whizzed past, then another, each one dangerously close to their heads.

"This is insane!" Micheal thought, his pulse quickening with fear.

"Follow my lead, Micheal," Tohira said, keeping his voice low as he began to crawl on the ground, using his left arm for support.

Micheal hesitated for a moment, watching Tohira's calculated movements.

"Finding the individual right now would be a waste of time. We need to navigate this wisely," Tohira whispered, his tone sharp but calm.

As Micheal crawled along, he couldn't help but wonder why Tohira hadn't used the mysterious ability he displayed earlier. He turned to him, his face reflecting a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"You're right," Micheal finally said, focusing his attention on the direction from which the bullets were being fired.

"This individual is aiming directly at us… but why?" Micheal thought, his skepticism growing as he analyzed the situation.

"Why all these inhumane trials?" he muttered to himself, frustration seeping into his voice.

Suddenly, Micheal froze mid-crawl. A bullet landed just inches in front of him, the dirt kicking up against his face.

"I'm starting to think this individual is targeting us on purpose," Micheal said, turning his head toward Tohira. "It's almost as if we're the main focus in this trial."

Tohira, however, didn't seem surprised. His face lit up with a sly smile as he looked at Micheal.

"But why shoot from afar and not confront us directly, like in the selfish-decision trial?" Micheal added, his tone turning cold, his distrust growing by the second.

Tohira's smile widened slightly, though there was something unsettling about it. "I guess that's part of the trial," he said lightly.

Then his expression darkened, his tone dipping into something more sinister. "Or perhaps… it's just the best decision for that individual."

Micheal stiffened at Tohira's words. He didn't need an explanation; he knew exactly what Tohira meant.

"We wouldn't even be in this situation if that individual had confronted us directly," Micheal thought. His gaze lingered on Tohira, and suddenly, realization struck him.

"So I'm guessing his ability requires close proximity to be effective," Micheal thought, an amused smile creeping across his face as he studied Tohira.

Just then, Micheal felt the searing sting of a bullet grazing his cheek, leaving a sharp line of pain in its wake. His eyes widened in shock.