章 226: 226. A dead end?
[The Dueling Exam: Arc 11]
[Planet Earth - Fortune Island - Examinee's Keeping - Fortune Tunnel (Middle Row) - Friday 5:16 p.m.]
The last result made overwhelming amount of people confused. In total there were left 351 at 50 kilometers, however, they were split into two groups, the group that ran after the examiner and the grup who are now running alone, no lead.
On the left, 289 people, while on the right, only 62.
"So, you've told us about them going right, can we be sure they went the correct path?" Confusingly wondered Codey. "They did, I believe that 62 examinees on the right might be proper Spiritual Duelists, many of them are not, but they have the knowledge that the ones on the left do not." Explained Shin, as it was him, who had warned the rest about what direction Tim and the others have went. "Yes, I believe the left side of the tunnel is pretty much a dead zone, nobody from there will manage to continue moving forward. After we reach 100 kilometer, just one and another obstacle and solution for us, that we must figure out." Explained Sakami, calm and believing into the rest of her allies.
"Yeah. But 62 people. That's only 6,2% of people passing, out of 1000..... this is so much worse than what we've expected.... below 10%! This is a problem we might never see again..." Claimed Codey, gulping. "To be honest, it is not a problem, it's just disappointing....." Shin sighed, quietly and calmly. "Either way, continuing is our job, so let's progress...." But to when Octavius spoke, one man moved a bit to the right. "Wait! Guys! Look!" With a massive smile, Codey pointed forward. They saw Tim and others talking.
[Planet Earth - Fortune Island - Examinee's Keeping - Fortune Tunnel (Front Row) - Friday 5:18 p.m.]
"Do you think the rest managed to understand which way to go?" Yasu wondered, worried and still quite worried. "You're underestimating them, they made it for sure!" But instantaneously when Tim spoke so, the calls were set. "Hey!" People faced back to when Tim and others became embarrassed. "Over here!" Called Codey, estaticed. With unamusement Tim spoke. "No need to make such a loud entrance...." Tim thought quietly but made a smile. The rest have joined up with them. "Good to see somebody familliar after a few hours!" Laughed Codey, ready to talk. "Huh? Seems you've met up with Midori, Octavius, Eguchi and.... you two?" Tim confusingly wondered. "What the hell! What are you two doing with them?!" Wondered Yutaku, facing at Shin and Shoji. "Nothing! We've just been running with them... you did too, after all, Yutaku." Said Shoji annoyingly. "Oh. Right, you were the bunch we've seen at the beginning, when Kazuko and Yutaku kept complaining at each other." Ayuka spoke, calmly. "Yes, I am Shin and this is Shoji, we're Spiritual Duelist, just like you." Claimed Shin. "Midori too, huh?" Yasu said, looking at them. "Why, yes. Of course, why not spend some quality time with the rest, instead of dying of boredom." Laughed Midori, scratching the top of her head. "So, I believe you few also got to a second solution at 100 meter mark, is that correct?" Tim wondered, quite interested. "Yes, we've managed to understand a few sentences that were thrown at us, but, what awaits us, I really cannot tell, nobody here can... this first obstacle, to where we needed to decide was just 50/50... so we basically went after you." Claimed Kyling, calmly while talking. "Huh? How did you manage to see us where we went anyway?" Ayuka wondered, sturdy of her cuirousness. "Why, thanks to Shin, he's been managing his best to tell us where you were, we don't want to just leave you behind, so we used his help to come in contact with you, by using his Earth Senses.... and now that the crowd is not that full anymore, we managed to see you from the Middle Row... everybody in the back row has dropped out, only 62 of us have ran right, other 289 all went left." Explained Midori to when running with them.
"Oh, right. Thank you for that. We were a bit worried we won't go to the same direction." Smiled Tim, facing at Shin. "Of course. As much as I can help." Shin spoke. "You know, you seem rather calm for this psychopath." Tim pointed his palm at Yutaku. "Hey! I'm not a psychopath!!!" "Maybe not, but you're loud as hell when it comes to competition...." At that moment Eguchi yelled into Tim's face. "Shut the hell up, my god!" "Yeah, sure, whatever.... but anyway, I'm guessing you were quite suspect of how the exam is built too? Right?" Tim wondered, aware of his knowledge about the exam. "What do you mean?" Wondered Kanji.
"You see.... Ayuka came to a conclusion... it's a progressive chain that was made in a certain path to follow.... it's basically well thought out, how examinees would proceed...." Tim claimed, and a few minutes made them aware. "Either way, we absolutely need to continue, no stopping now! Let's speed up just a little!" Called Codey. But everybody denied it. Codey slipped when he began rolling forward. "Oh come on!!!" Codey in anger shouted, when others laughed.... "Guess, moving on, is everything we can do...." Tim sighed, and they continued...
[Planet Earth - Fortune Island - Examinee's Keeping - Fortune Tunnel (Front Row) - Friday 9:46 p.m.]
The 5 hours almost passed by and all together, every examinee has now been running for 12 hours, exactly for half a day.
"....I can't believe we managed to get thus far..." Claimed Codey, he was a bit tired from the daily run. "Don't get relieved just yet.... we might of have reached 75 kilometers, but we can't know for sure what awaits at 100 kilometer mark.... just look, he is still in it as well...." Tim said, facing at Kyou. "He seems kind of strange to me, he is smiling this entire time, as if he knew what he was doing." Codey gulped, sensing the weird aura, coming from Kyou. "Well.... he must know, and even if he does, that grin, it tells me that he could escape any danger.... he is dangerous for sure...." Ayuka explained. "Do we seriously need to worry about him so much? He seems just another human? Besides, do they not only let-" But, before Yasu asked, Kanji interfered. "No. They do not just let in the friendly ones, but the villainous people are in this challenge as well.... and I can tell, at least 6 of them are still in this exam..." Kanji answered, looking at a few of the people. "You're right. However, as you remember, killing is not allowed, not in any case....." Added Kylin. "So I believe the ones who have difficult vibrations of evil.... they still have one goal on their mind.... to get their licenses... so, no matter - they are always going to keep a low profile...." Answered Kylin. "She's right. He gave me strange vibrations at the moment, we've met up for the first time..... however, thankfuly to Kylin, we managed to pass by, and he seemed not to conclude any harm to us.... so he is either trying to make us confused, or he has something that he wants to do.... and if neither of those two solutions are correct.... his knowledge, perception and durability is high..... we should not let our guard down at this case....." Sighed Tim. "I am afraid I must agree with your friend. That examinee is something that we might need to be afraid of." Answered Shin, and each of them were suspect of Kyou, who never faced back, however, the lust and calmness made him lick his own lips, one last time.
("Aren't you fellas a bit sturdy in suspicion....") Wondered Kyou.
[Planet Earth - Fortune Island - Examinee's Keeping - Fortune Tunnel (Front Row) - Friday 11:55 p.m.]
Our examinees, the ones who went on the right have all managed to come in contact with a bright light, coming from before them. "Guys! Look! That must be it!!" Codey called with a loud smile. "That's the stairway to the exit!" Smiled Kanji, ready and prepared. "I don't understand! Are we sure that there is another solution?!" Wondered Codey, ready to run up the stairs. "Stop...." Said Shin, and as soon as he said, they slid on the floor when, several others stopped as well. "Out of my way you idiots! Stop wasting our time, we're out of here!" Yelled duelists, beginning to run up the stairs, many of them were too excited and were falling down the stairs. As for Shin and the rest, each of them faced at the wall. "Why did we stop? Come on we should continue!" Called Codey, unpatient. "There is something odd about this wall..." Shin walked closer and reached with his left hand forward, trying to find something. "Help us out, if you would, pretty please." Said Shin. "What are we trying to look for?" Wondered Kanji, but in that moment, Kyou steped toward the door and pressed his palm, the wall spun and an exit was seen. "Ah, look at that!" Kyou smiled and entered, but as soon as he went in, the tile of the wall shut. "Hey! What the hell! Let us in!" Shouted another examinee when smashing at the tile on the wall. "It's closed, I can't open it anymore!" Yelled a man. Women and men seemed to be quite surprised. "Well, that's because, there are multiple tiles to go through! I hope you have fun, hyaha!" Called the girl with black and red hair, she leaned onto the tile and entered. "But as she did so, the rest began rubbing their palms on the walls, people who were running up the stairway, however, they were constantly losing focus and all they saw was bright light. "We're almost there! We'll make it! We're so amazing!" The ones running yelled. But as soon as the group began running, people were surprised, the door before them at the bright light, shut and slammed, stopping the people in it, some were even squashed beneath the wall to blood. People continued to be terrified and dropped down the stairs, as for the walls, they began enclosing. "Quick! Find you exit and go through it, this tunnel will soon slam shut! If we get caught in it, we're surely but to die!" Explained Shin.
Tim and his allies nodded and each of them began searching for wall tiles to enter through. "But, we+ll get seperate again!" Called Kylin. "Don't worry, even if we do, we'll all end up at the same spot! Search for it, and do not waste time!" Shin was quite worried but each of them began searching for walls. Even the rest of the examinees that were around them.
A group of them came to a door and began complaining over who found it first and who'll go through. But another examinee, with Spiritual Symbolism entered the tile and walked through it. People smashed their way at the shut tile, but were unlucky, they continued to search. "I found one!" Called Yasu. "Hurry up and go through it!" But as soon as Tim shouted, an examinee bursted at Yasu and pushed her aside. "Hey!" As soon as the man did so, he laughed. "Loser, get your ass away from this tile!" Shouted the man. But as soon as he tried to enter it, he was squashed and exploded into blood. The examinees were shocked. "Whoa.... w-what happened! Why did the tile kill him?!" Asked Yasu. "That's because only the one who found it may go through. If they aren't the one who has found it, they'll be killed!" Claimed Shin. He just came to a tile. "I found it!" Called Shin. "I'll see you there, don't die on me." Shin called and entered the tile. Tim and others nodded. "No worries, no way I'm dying because of this!" Called Tim. Eguchi jumped toward a tile and found it. "Okay, I got it, good luck, I guess..." He also managed to exit.
"This is actually hard." Called Codey, he was n the middle between so many people, that he was being rubbed at shoulders and fighting for his tile. "These people are so annoyingly dumb! This way, all of us will die!" Called Kanji, getting pressed at the wall. However, as he was pressed at the door, he found a tile. "I got one!!!" Kanji stepped through it. People were going crazy and nuts. Codey ran on the floor, and slid his palm on the wall, opening a tile. "Gotta go, please, make sure you're all going to be fine!" Called Codey and entered. The walls were getting closer to enclosing and squashing people. "No offense, but I don't think we'll get out of here in time!" Yasu shouted, worried. But as she did, she came to a tile, opening it. She froze from surprise. "Yasu! Hurry and get through it!" But with regrets. "But. What about you, if you-" "No time to bother! Even if you try to share your tile, we'll get squashed!" Tim called. Yasu seemed to be worried but her expression became serious. "All right! Then don't let me down!" She called. A few seconds later, Yutaku came to a tile. "I got it! Great! Be careful!" He ran through it and so have a few others examinees. "Oh no you don't, you're not beating me!" Kazuko ran for a tile and found it, rushing through it. "Are those two still competing?!" Asked Tim. Kylin also found a tile. "Sorry, but I must leave you now, good luck!" Kylin said, walking through the tile. A few more seconds were there before the wall enclosed. "Damn it... these tiles are harder to find than what I've thought!" Called Tim. But as soon as he did, he noticed that Sakami found a tile. ".... I've found it...." Claimed Sakami, looking at it. "Don't worry about us, get moving." By orders from Tim, Sakami felt a bit uncomfortable leaving them behind, but by accepting it, she entered the tile. Shoji ran and found another tile, letting him go through. Sora additionally found a tile and seemed to be worried as well.
"This is a bunch of crap....." Claimed an examinee. But in those few seconds, Ayuka and Octavius both found a tile. "We found one each.... hurry up and find yours!" Octavius shouted. The two of them wandered in, while Hideki and Tim both left alone. "This is not looking good.... there is so many less tiles here..." Claimed Hideki, looking around. Midori, Tim and Hideki were pressing their backs at each other. "Well we gotta get through somehow!" Midori spoke, looking around. They were in the middle when they noticed another man exploding because of trying to steal someone's tile. "We have about 15 seconds left.... we can manage!" Tim called. "You sure got high hopes, but all right!" The three of them split and each of them began searching for tiles.
8 more seconds left.
"Still nothing! This is bad, this is bad!" Called Midori, but soon her palm squeezed in.
3 seconds left.
The three of them all noticed a how close they were, after that wall soon smashed, blood exploded from the middle of the walls.
To be continued...
クリエイターの想い 
Obb_Verse
Obb_Verse Arc: The Dueling Exam: 11
- Character Biology -
Name: Kishi Yasu
Age: 15
Height: 160 centimeters
Race: Spiritual Duelist (1)
Ginken stages: 1 (currently known)
Hair color: Black
Eye color: Orange
Kinetic Type: Pyro (Fire)
Spiritual Control: Manipulation
[NEXT: Chapter 226: ???]