INTRODUCTION
𝙼𝚢𝚘𝚓𝚘 𝚁𝚢𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚒 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚟𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜, 𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚠𝚎-𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚓𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚕 𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜. 𝙵𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚎, 𝚒𝚝 𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚖, 𝚐𝚘𝚕𝚍𝚎𝚗 𝚘𝚛𝚋, 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚟𝚒𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚕𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚒𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚚𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚍 𝚊 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚘𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌. 𝙳𝚎𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚎𝚝'𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚗𝚒𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎, 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚔𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚗𝚎'𝚜 𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚔𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚛𝚜, 𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚖𝚒𝚡𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚜, 𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚙𝚞𝚛𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚎𝚗𝚍. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚖 𝚘𝚏 𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚛𝚜, 𝚝𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑-𝚋𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚜𝚔𝚢.  
 

𝚃𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚔𝚢 𝚘𝚗 𝙼𝚢𝚘𝚓𝚘 𝚁𝚢𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚒 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎, 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚏𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚗𝚒𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎'𝚜 𝚒𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚢. 𝙷𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛, 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚔𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝙼𝚢𝚘𝚓𝚘 𝚁𝚢𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚒; 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚎𝚝 𝚋𝚘𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚊 𝚍𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚎𝚜, 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚜, 𝚛𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚟𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚢𝚜, 𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚎-𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚕𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜. 𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚛𝚎𝚐𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚊 𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚚𝚞𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚏𝚕𝚘𝚛𝚊 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚊𝚞𝚗𝚊, 𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚋𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚍𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚎𝚝'𝚜 𝚒𝚗𝚑𝚊𝚋𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊 𝚍𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚙, 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎. 𝙷𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛, 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚎𝚝'𝚜 𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚓𝚘𝚢. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝙼𝚢𝚘𝚓𝚘 𝚁𝚢𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚒 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚊𝚕𝚊𝚡𝚢. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚓𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚌, 𝚏𝚒𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚚𝚞𝚎 𝚜𝚔𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚎𝚝'𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚜𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚖. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚑 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚑𝚊𝚋𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚠𝚑𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚎𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚍𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚕𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚛𝚜.  

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙽𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚂𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝙼𝚘𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚍, 𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚏 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙶𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝙷𝚞𝚗𝚝. 𝙾𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚔𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚞𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚌𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝚘𝚛𝚋𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝. 𝙸𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚘𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚞𝚗𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚒𝚍𝚍𝚎𝚗 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚘𝚗 𝚎𝚐𝚐 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚎𝚝'𝚜 𝚛𝚞𝚕𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚔𝚎𝚙𝚝 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜. 𝚃𝚘 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚎, 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚊 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚘𝚗 𝚑𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝙼𝚢𝚘𝚓𝚘 𝚁𝚢𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚒, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛, 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚓𝚘𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚞𝚗𝚝.  

𝙰𝚜 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚙𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚜𝚙𝚘𝚝, 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚐𝚞𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚜. 𝚈𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛, 𝚊 𝚋𝚞𝚍𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚘𝚗 𝚑𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛, 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚊 𝚐𝚞𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚒𝚖/𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚌𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚗𝚒𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚞𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚜, 𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚗𝚒𝚏𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚡𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚓𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚢 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚍𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚙𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝.

Yu had been awaiting this moment for years. All this training had finally begun to amount to something. This was his chance. His mentor, Kaito, decided to let Yu go. Yu was skilled in and to hand combat and quite proficient in his sword skills but had never fought against a dragon as of yet. 

He was scared, yet happy. Scared of the uncertainty of fighting a dragon, but happy to have the chance. Being a dragon hunter comes with much fame. They're also granted privileges normal citizens are not granted. 

Yu was personally in it for the thrill and the money. As the event started, Yu was one the first to start to run. Katana sheath in hand, he felt ready for anything. He made a sharp right, leading himself down a thin path under a bridge. He kept the same pace, water splashing as his feet hit the ground. Slaying the hostile small fry through the underpass, he swung his sword which cleaned off the blood. After he sheathed the sword, during all of this he was headed south. Most of the groups went north or east. Yu had a clear goal in mind. His mentor, not the one assigned to him but the one who taught him, told Yu of a placement of a sword which seemed perfect for him. After all, slaying a dragon requires the right tools.

The obstacles in the way proved little challenge for Yu. If only the entire hunt was such. He knew the ease would soon cease once daylight hit. Most dragons are not super active at night. The strongest ones were active most of the time, but much too far to even be seen. Breaking his pace, he slowed down to catch his breath. In front of the cave where he was told the sword resided, he laid down and stared into the sky. The stars were glossing across the sky. It was beautiful. Once he was able to take a moment he realized, he left his mentor in the dust. Gathering stuff to make a fire, he made a smoke signal to the man. He knew it may attract unwanted attention, but he was prepared for such. He proceeded to sit down, rest his hand on his sword, and wait. After all, there's no telling how far his mentor was. If it wasn't for the damn rules Yu would have just left the mentor.

As the smoke signal rose into the night sky, swirling tendrils of gray against the backdrop of stars, Arram's keen eyes caught sight of it from a distance. He had been following the young dragon hunter since departure, observing his skills and determination. Arram was Yu’s mentor… well, assigned mentor, and a seasoned warrior who had faced countless dragons and emerged victorious as evidenced by the fact that he was still breathing. He had chosen to keep an eye on Yu and continue his training during the hunt, recognizing the young hunter's potential from stories he’d heard about him.

Arram hastened his pace, sword in-hand. It was a long, broad blade made of pure steel that was held by a grip materialized with metal that was wrapped in a light brown shark skin. Though the blade itself was quite dull, it could surely be decorated in battle, but in this case it was adorned with the sticky remains of bioluminescent foliage that populated his path. He didn’t know what was worse: The tiny creatures that kept trying to scurry up his legs or the fact that the planet’s plants basically bled glowing cyan glue that stuck to his weapon and made it look like a 3-year-old drew on it. 

Arram chuckled to himself despite the faint look of disgust that crossed his face. “Oh, yes, nothing says ‘fearsome warrior’ like a weapon covered in sticky, neon plant slime.” He pressed a finger to the sticky substance on his blade but quickly wiped it away. It smelled and felt repulsive. “I’m starting to regret taking a detour… I’d forgotten how messy this part of the forest was.”

Despite all of this, the forest itself was quite the scene. Arram’s path became illuminated by the ethereal glow of the bioluminescent foliage. The plants, adorned with vibrant shades of cyan and neon green, emitted a soft, pulsating light  that seemed to breathe life into the darkness. Tiny creatures scampered along the forest floor, leaving trails of luminescent footprints that glowed like stars in the moonlight. It was unfortunate that these creatures and the foliage had to be so annoying. 

The next time he looked upward, he found himself just beside the entrance to the cave Yu had stopped at. Just a bit farther was Yu himself who he slowly approached. It was kind of easy to make out Arram in the darkness as his shoes and sword were decorated with little splotches of the forest’s neon slime, and Arram didn’t look all too amused by it.

Yu was startled by the rustling of leaves and branches and immediately tensed up, slightly unsheathing his sword. His eyes closed in on the figure. It was dark, so he didn't realize who it was. All he knew at the moment was it was life or death. Waiting for the figure to get into vision so he wouldn't make a rash decision, he eased up. It was the mentor assigned to him. Yu's real teacher said the man had quite the reputation going for him. Of course, actions speak louder than words. Especially for Yu. The man was staring at Yu's shoes, sparking curiosity in Yu himself. Looking down, he realized why…His boots were splotched with the bioluminescent fluid the flowers gave off. He got on one knee and began to wipe off the stuff all over his boots. Trying to lighten the mood, he said the following: “Would probably been useful to see in the cave.”. Once he finished cleaning his boots, he made sure everything was on him. Knife, check. Obviously, he had his sword. His bag was still with him, and nothing seemed to be missing.

“Your names Arram, right? Sorry, I'm terrible with names…" Yu said as he was cleaning up the ashes from the fire he recently put out. “Well, I'm going to look for something in this cave. Keep watch.” he replied shortly after, wasting no time. Shortly after Yu disappeared into the darkness of the cave. After a few minutes of walking in a tunnel with nothing for light but his own lighter, the same neon plants began to show around the corner. Which erased the need for the lighter. Putting it back into his bag, he pulled out a map the old man gave him. He was close…Dangerously close. He made a right and took a deep breath. After Yu had put his bag down and taken off his shirt, he held his sword tight and dove into the floating pocket of water which led to a deeper area of the cave that not many knew about. Yu only knew due to his master's expertise. After all, his master was famed for killing the Prince of Dragos. No man had ever killed a royal dragon before such event. Yet for some reason no one but Yu knew the man had an apprentice. It was thanks to all of his master's teachings Yu had been able to get where he was. 

He had a rough landing on the other side of the pocket of water, slowly getting up. Hearing a growl, Yu unsheathed his sword and slashed through the neck of a prowler. Feral beasts they were. They resembled a canine, yet their size was much larger than such.

One thing was already terribly wrong…He should be alone down here. It was only one, but the point still stands. Yu carefully scanned his surroundings. Above him, the pool of water was glowing neon green while around him was a light blue. Breaking into a sprint, he resumed his journey. There was a tunnel to his left he ran into which should hold ancient cataracts. In the center of said tomb should be a coffin which held the weapon he needed…only if someone hadn't gotten to it first…He blocked that thought out of his mind, after all no other creature had come near him. It was just a coincidence…right? 

Once he entered the tombs, he took his lighter back out. All the natural lighting was now gone. It was insanely cramped in the tombs. At one point he had to duck down just to fit in the path. After about five minutes of navigating the maze, the path opened up and revealed the coffin he needed. 

After all this training, he finally made it…

“Indeed, those glowing boots could have come in handy. But hey, at least you’ll make a fashionable entrance,” he replied, his voice filled with playful sarcasm.

As Yu prepared to enter the cave, Arram nodded in acknowledgment. “No worries. I’ll keep watch out here. Just be careful in there.” he advised, his voice filled with genuine concern.

Arram stood outside the mouth of the cave, his eyes fixed on Yu's disappearing figure. He couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, a prickling sensation that crawled up his spine. A shiver ran through him, but he brushed it off as a mere figment of his imagination. He had faced far greater dangers than a lurking presence in the shadows.

As Yu vanished into the darkness, Arram took a deep breath, contemplating his next move. His instincts screamed at him to follow, to ensure the young hunter's safety. But something held him back, a voice of caution whispering in his ear. He knew better than to underestimate the unknown, especially in a place like this.

“Trust in his training,” Arram muttered to himself, his gaze lingering on the cave's entrance. 
“He’s come this far. He can handle himself.”

With a firm nod to himself, Arram turned away from the cave and began to pace around the perimeter, keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings. His senses heightened, he scanned the forest. Moonlight filtered through the trees, casting an ethereal glow on the forest floor. Shadows danced in every corner, and the air felt heavy with anticipation, but Arram refused to let it distract him.

With each what seemed like hours passing by, the night growing colder and darker as time ticked on. Arram's mind wandered, thoughts drifting to the stories he had heard about this treacherous forest. Yes, he had been here numerous times, yet whispers of ancient creatures and forbidden magic danced through his mind, fueling his imagination. He wondered if there was any truth to these tales, if the shadows that seemed to lurk just beyond his sight held secrets that were better left undisturbed. 

And then, as if in response to his unease, a series of tiny trill-like giggles reverberated through the air, breaking the silence with their mischievous melody. The sound was both enchanting and unsettling, like the tinkling of bells in a haunted forest.

Arram's senses heightened, and his gaze darted around, searching for the origin of the captivating sound. The giggles seemed to dance and swirl around him, like ethereal whispers on the wind, teasing and taunting his curiosity.

In the soft, ethereal light emitted by the glowing plants, Arram could distinguish a tiny creature perched gracefully on a branch. Its eyes shimmered with an inquisitive gleam, captivated by the world around it. The creature possessed a pair of elegant antlers, reminiscent of obsidian, curving gracefully forward from its head. Delicately, two small yet striking fangs jutted out from its upper jaw. Its body, elongated and slender, was adorned with scales that shimmered in a captivating blend of emerald green and turquoise. Against this vibrant backdrop, its underscales stood out ominously, cloaked in a dark, menacing shade of black.

Arram seemed rather disturbed with the creature’s presence. ”Pipsqueak must’ve been attracted by the smoke,” he muttered.

Yu sighed as he approached the coffin. This all seemed too easy. As the thought raced through his mind, in perfect timing, another three prowlers emerged from the darkness. 

He made quick work of them, but there was still something growling. Opening the coffin, he took the sword and ran out of the cave. Without the map he would have no idea how. One of the many favors his master had done for him. Once he was out, he saw Arram staring at something from the forest. A peculiar creature that Yu had never seen before. He put his normal katana around his back and put the new katana by his side. It was sheathed with white marble laced with glowing gold. It was cold to the touch. “氷の死” was written on it, which translates to ice death. That was what the famed sword was called. Despite its age, it was in quite good shape. Yu unsheathed the sword, which let cold air release from the sheathe. The blade was a bright white covered with clouds of carbon dioxide, just as if it was dry ice. After marveling for a second, he sheathed the sword which caused all the CO2 to disappear.

Looking at Arram, he seemed displeased with Yu. The sword scared off the creature. Yu personally did not care, but his assigned mentor seemed to. In his opinion, the mentor wasn't needed unless the hunt would go horribly wrong. Which only happened once. . .Yu only knew of the aftermath. He was a kid at the time. Looking around, Yu stated the following: “Day is beginning to break. We must move.” Requiring no green light from Arram, Yu went south. He felt prepared for anything in this moment. Of course, he had to watch out for other hunters as well. It was kill or be killed. At least in most cases. This time Yu was careful to not get his boots covered with the neon substance the plants would secrete.

After about 5 minutes, Yu reached a clearing in the forest. Which led to a deep canyon. Falling into such would certainly kill. Scanning his surroundings, Yu said, “You can come out now. You've been following since the Hunt started.” to which a young girl came out and lunged at Yu. He quickly blocked her club with his sword, still sheathed. The training this kid must have gone through had to be hell. Staying hidden from hunters is no easy task, even trainees. The girl kept attacking, with no apparent luck. Yu began to toy with her. Beginning to enjoy her lack of strength, he tripped her and grabbed her collar. Lifting her up, he walked to the canyon and held her over it. 

“Why were you following me? Refuse to answer and I drop you.”

As the first rays of dawn began to break through the dense forest, Yu’s words snapped Arram back to reality. Without hesitation, Yu set off towards the south, and Arram trailed closely behind. The two moved swiftly, their senses heightened as they navigated the terrain. Yu’s confidence was apparent, and Arram couldn’t help but feel a sense of faint optimism because of that.

After traversing the dense forest for a few minutes, they arrived at a clearing that unveiled a profound canyon. The drop was treacherous, posing a significant threat to anyone who ventured too close. In the midst of Yu scanning their surroundings, his acute instincts detected a concealed presence. With a commanding presence, he called out to the enigmatic observer, urging them to reveal themselves.

To Arram's surprise, a young girl emerged from the shadows, launching herself at Yu with such swiftness that Arram could only observe intently. He had unwavering trust in Yu's ability to defend himself, and intervening would suggest otherwise, so he refrained. It came as no surprise to him when Yu effortlessly thwarted the girl's attacks, skillfully maneuvering as if engaged in an elegant dance.

Yu had gained a clear advantage in the encounter, a sight that Arram silently calculated. He observed as Yu dangled the young girl precariously close to the canyon's edge, having tripped her and grasped her by the collar. Arram refrained from expressing any verbal or physical objection to this behavior.

He trusted Yu to make the right choice. 

Yu sighed when the girl tried to push off of him, which would lead to certain death. He grabbed her leg, letting her dangle upside down. The girl seemed to immediately regret her decision and began to beg. “Please, I can't tell you that. But I'm sure I can help in some other way. Please don't drop me!” To this, Yu smirked slightly. He had seemed to forget he was being watched. “Do what? You couldn't even take me down. How would you be useful?!” at this point Yu seemed slightly angry. Before the girl could protest, he had dropped her to her inevitable death.

Standing up, he looked to Arram and said: “What? It's kill or be killed here. Don't act like she wouldn't have killed me the moment I dropped my guard.”. Chuckling as he walked past the worried mentor, he spoke once more, “Aren't you supposed to be leading? You should know this place better than I…yet all you do is follow.”. Yu had his frost sword firm by his side, and his normal sword on his back. The boy was clearly worried about the attempt on his life and even became worrisome of the man who was assigned to help him. Gathering his things, he asked: “Well, Mr. Leader, where to?”. 

Yu was no longer going to let Arram trail him. Instead, Yu would trail Arram.