FOREST TOUR II 20

TAKUMI TSURUGI

Shinji continued walking forward, unfazed by the near-miss. I glared at him, feeling a mix of gratitude and annoyance. “I haven’t forgiven you for provoking me yesterday,” I said sharply.

Shinji’s gaze remained forward, his tone calm. “I didn’t provoke you. I said what I did to bring out your anger. Anger can build up the vengeful spirit within us. It’s what drives us to fight harder and push beyond our limits.”

His words sank in as we continued through the dense forest, the sun filtering through the canopy above. Shinji’s actions and his philosophy were starting to make a strange kind of sense, or were they?

“Do you really think that anger is the key to becoming stronger?” I asked, trying to understand his perspective better.

Shinji’s answer was simple, yet profound. “Anger, when controlled, can fuel your determination and focus. It can sharpen your instincts and help you push through the most challenging situations. But you have to channel it correctly.”

"Hmm, that's the longest you've spoken to me, and the most meaningful."

He didn't answer, neither did his expression change. We pressed on through the forest, the task of finding the red gems becoming more harder and annoying as Shinji wasn't picking up any.

"Why aren't you looking for gems?" I asked.

"I prefer to hunt for demons, not play this children's game."

I raised a brow. Was he serious. I couldn't blame him, he had gotten lots of awards so what could this one do for him. However, on my case, I needed to work hard.

"I don't know about you, Shinji but this is kinda like my grades, you've got a cursed sword and others, I don't have a sword, talk more of a cursed one. Look, the stakes are high, and we need to find more to ensure our success in the exercise."

Shinji’s gaze was steely and determined. “We’ll need to hunt for them,” he said, his voice cutting through the forest’s ambient sounds.

Before I could process his words, Shinji took decisive action. Without warning, he attacked a nearby team, using his fake sword with brutal efficiency. The clash was swift and deadly; Shinji’s movements were precise, and within moments, the opposing team was out of the game. He seized their gems, his actions cold and calculated.

I watched in shock as Shinji repeated this tactic with several other teams, each encounter ending with him taking their gems and leaving them behind. The forest became a grim battlefield as he systematically eliminated competitors, his efficiency turning the odds in our favor.

Eventually, with a substantial number of gems in our possession, the announcement came over the speakers, declaring us the winners. Relief and exhaustion washed over me as we made our way back to the starting point.

When we arrived, I turned to Shinji, feeling a mixture of gratitude and confusion. “Thank you for handling that. We wouldn’t have won without your help.”

Shinji’s expression remained impassive. “I don’t need your thanks,” he said curtly. “What you need to focus on is training harder. You need to become strong enough to face me, to beat me. That’s the only way you’ll truly grow.”

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me with a lot to think about. I smiled as I watched him leave, maybe Shinji wasn't so cold hearted as I thought. His actions maybe ruthless but sometimes very effective, and his words carried a challenge I couldn’t ignore.

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