[Few hours ago]

  Outside the arena, in the preparation zone, Ying stood and watched. Other teams were warming up—some stretched, some studied blueprints like generals prepping for war. Ying stared, fascinated—then glanced at her own team.

  Jug was just sitting there, reading a motivational book he probably pulled from some public library.

  Hennah was scribbling spells across his back for no reason anyone could guess—and he didn’t even notice.

  Ming, meanwhile, kept disassembling and reassembling her rifle over and over, sipping tea from... who knows where.

  And Myke? Myke was lying on the floor, arms behind his head, like he was about to nap.

  Ying frowned.

  "Aren’t we planning something?"

  "Nah," Myke whispered.

  "Hey, Jug," Hennah whispered. "Whatcha reading?"

  "What do you think it is?" Jug replied.

  "What a boring book. You should’ve just left it in the trash you picked it up from."

  "It’s got some great quotes, though."

  From afar, Ying turned to Myke. "But it’s a huge arena... and I’ve never been in Hosh before."

  "Relax, Red Hair," Hennah said with a smirk. "We’re winning. Right, Juggy boy?!"

  "What are you doing?" Jug asked, not even looking up.

  "Oh, just drawing something."

  "You better not be turning me into a rocket launcher, bitch."

  "I promise. Cross fingers~"

  "Bet." He continued reading.

  "'If the air is suffocating, take some fresh air before you proceed'... well, that’s nice."

  "Boring~"

  [Few hours passed]

  In Shyak Hyshen, it was peaceful. No sign of chaos... yet.

  Hennah and Jug were still arguing, while Myke had just woken up and sat up groggily.

  "You should’ve stayed with Myke!" Jug snapped.

  "Oh, come on. You had no one to support you, unlike me," Hennah retorted.

  "I had Ming. I just needed to call her out."

  "She’s busy looking for her damn screw, smartass."

  "Hey Myke, you alive?" Jug asked, finally noticing him.

  "Not long ago."

  "AAAAAAA!!!" Ying screamed as she respawned.

  "Oh, Red Hair just joined our club~," Hennah laughed.

  "AM I DEAD?!"

  "I don't remember how we died. Hennah?"

  "Let’s see... I got shot in the head with an arrow—and it hurt like hell. Jug turned into ground meat, Myke got pancaked—bones and all—and you..."

  "No need to say..."

  "You..."

  "Don't... please..."

  "...just got gangbang'd by minotaurs."

  Ying froze, curled up, trembling. Her body suddenly frozen.

  "I didn’t wanna know that... Hennah..."

  "Oh perfect, now we know how we died!"

  "I got pancaked?" Myke asked, confused.

  "Mmhmm. By Gholsha."

  "Interesting," Myke said calmly.

  "Hey, do you see Ming?"

  "Which Ming?" Hennah asked.

  "OUR Ming. PINK hair."

  "You mean... Mingwara Jifu?"

  Everyone—except Ying—shouted: "YES!"

  "How should I know?"

  Suddenly, Ming respawned, casually walking while looking around. "Where the fuck did I put that screw...?"

  Myke, Jug, and Hennah all went silent as she wandered off into the forest again.

  "You think she died?" Jug asked.

  "I think... maybe?"

  Soon the rumbling sound nearby, and the crowd shouts even stronger. "FIVE TOWERS DOWN!!!"

  "Fuck me, they're getting close. Ying with me," Myke called her. She shakes her head, signing she don't want to go there. Then Myke goes to her, putting his hand on her shoulder and Ying look at his eyes. Silence, then, "Minotaur behind you." Ying's eyes spreads and she immediately stands up and runs towards the low-lane while screaming out her lungs in fear. Myke soon goes with her. "Hennah, Jug, assist Ming," and he soon disappeared.

  "'Hennah, Jug, assist Ming-fucking-wara', fuck it. Let's end this game," Hennah muttered, standing up and cracked her bones.

  Soon, a flying stone aims on the high-ground turrets, and it's about to fall. Jug immediately runs to it and become a human wall. "You're not gonna pass it before me!" Jug said.

  Hennah after that noticed the catapult. "Hmm...it flies." Not long after that she thought, she suddenly smiles deviously. She rush into Jug's back.

  "Hey! What are you doing?! WHY ARE YOU CHANTING!??" Jug yelled.

  "SHUT IT, I'M PLANNING HERE!!"

  "THERE'S A LOT OF ENEMIES IN FRONT OF ME, I NEED TO BE ON THE FRONTLINE TO HOLD ON!!"

  "EXACTLY!! IT'S SUFFOCATING, INNIT?!" Hennah then take Jug above by her magic explosion, making him fly above. "THAT'S WHY YOU NEED SOME FRESH AIR~!"

  "Is that, Jug?" Bant confused as he clearing of the minotaurs.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "Uh...yeah. But what the fuck his on the air?" Gerald said.

  "Huh?" Jana also confused.

  Caster 1: "JUG IS FLYING!!!"

  Caster 2: " Oh shit! He's about to land on Sheilsh!!"

  "EVERYONE, GO BACK TO THE HYSHEN!!" Gholsha shouted. Soon, Crimson Crown pull out the scrolls, opens it and throws to the ground and they teleported to the Sheilsh Hyshen.

  "I'LL KILL YOU, HENNAH!!!" Jug on the other hand as he's about to land. Soon, he hits the Hyshen core and it shattered like a shattering glasses. And the power force explodes and Hosh goes quiet for a moment. The caster went speechless, Myke confusion, and Ying fell into the mud.

  "DOOM!!!!" The announcer shouts as Sheilsh Hyshen has destroyed, and the crowds scream again in sync, the drums of the tribal game begins to beat once more and the fireworks emerge to the air, showing Valirion's crest as the winner of Hosh arena.

  Meanwhile, Hennah goes to Jug while skipping her steps. "Lalalalalala...lala~" she sung, and the crowds followed her rhymes on beat as if they know her songs. "Hey, Juggy boy~ It's morning!"

  Then, Jug under the earth, slowly raise his hands and give her a middle finger. "I take that as 'I'm fine',"

  Ying drop her knees down, cries out as the game finally done. "I SURVIVED!!!" she cried.

  Then Myke, again, putting his hand on her shoulder, pats twice and move on to Jug. "You're one of us now," he said. Ying continues to cry louder, while the crowds sings for her for encouragement for her success.

  Soon after that, Ming realized something inside her pocket. She pull it out and her screw is inside of her pocket all along. "Idiot," she muttered and went to Jug.

  Around the battered field of Hosh, Team Valirion walked out—victorious.

  Ying held her spear tightly, like a child clutching a blanket. Her face showed only the faintest smile.

  Ming walked beside her, calm as ever—even now that she’d found her missing screw.

  Myke lit a long wooden pipe, exhaling smoke into the wind.

  Hennah and Jug were chasing each other like children on a playground.

  They had won.

  And more importantly—they survived.

  Soon, the Crimson Crown exited the arena as well. Gholsha led them, towering and calm.

  Jana Holfen kept pace beside him, composed. Bant and Gerald walked behind, heads lowered—not in shame, but in humble respect.

  The moment Hennah spotted Gholsha, she shouted—

  “!!!”

  “You still don’t call me by my name,” Gholsha chuckled, returning the embrace.

  “Hey, Hennah,” Jana said.

  “Shut up, cousin,” Hennah replied without turning, but with a teasing smirk.

  Jana smiled softly. Warmly.

  Ying watched the scene unfold with visible confusion. “Are they… related?” she asked Myke.

  “Yeah. Long story,” Myke replied. “They’re step-family.”

  “Who?”

  “Gholsha and Jana Holfen.”

  “…Oh,” Ying murmured.

  She fell quiet. Her eyes lingered on Hennah. “…Hennah… Holfen,” she whispered to herself.

  “I knew you could win,” Gholsha said, releasing her from the hug.

  “And I proved I’m better!” Hennah grinned.

  “Not just better,” Jana added, stepping closer. “Much stronger than us.”

  “Yo, Hennah! Want some Ghar?!” Jug called from the side.

  “”

  She gave Gholsha one last squeeze, flashed a middle finger at Jana, and ran back to Valirion—grinning wide and waving over her shoulder.

  Jana watched her go.

  “She’s… grown, hasn’t she?”

  Gholsha didn’t answer. He only nodded—once, slow and proud.

  At the tavern as the sun begins to fall and the moon rises slowly, Valirion having their usual time in. Ying having her nice Dakhi cake, cheese on topping and a nice spongy cake texture with whipped cream inside. Ming as usual drinks her Hysha tea while writing in her book. "Whatcha writing there?" Ying asked.

  "Trying to remember something," Ming said.

  As she enjoys her food, Ying looked at Myke eating a steak calmly. After that she saw Jug and Hennah eating some Ghar bread while fighting each other for the Khelkin fries.

  Then suddenly, Ming closed her book, went to her rifle and performed her usual ritual. This time it went smoothly. Inserting the last screw she thought she lost it, and she feel whole. "I'm ready," Myke, Jug and Hennah looked at Ming.

  "Ready for what?" Hennah asked.

  Then she shoots Hennah's Ghar. "HEY, I WAS GONNA EAT THE CHEESE, BITCH!!"

  She didn't said anything and continue to take a sip of her tea again.

  Not long after that, a mysterious man walk towards Myke and sits opposite, face-to-face to him. Myke still eats calmly. "I have an offer for you," he said.

  "Make it fast," Myke said.

  "I wanna know about your new member."

  "So?"

  "I was thinking if I buy your new member to our team, Jashash, with 1,000,000 coins. Guaranteed,"

  Myke stays silent and keep eating. "Keep eating and think about it," the man said and soon walks away. Myke looks at Ying, and she heard their conversation. Ying stays quietly, and this time, her cake doesn't satisfied her anymore.

  One morning, as Ying going outside to the empty lawn, she trained there by herself, improving her spear precision, rolling dodge and swing it. And she keeps training hard, and she didn't stop. Her eyes starts to flow with tears, yet she keeps fighting.

  Soon, Myke walks towards her, and he immediately hold her spear with his dagger. She paused. She walks back and didn't look at him. "You gonna sell me right? For all this time I prove myself that I'm in?!" Ying said.

  "You are,"

  "YOU PAT MY SHOULDER AND YOU SAID YOU WANNA SELL ME OFF?!"

  "I wasn't..."

  "Just say you want that coin than me. I know I'm useless. I don't even make a 'huge' killing spree you thought,"

  "That's not-"

  "I'M NOT A VANGUARD YOU THOUGHT I WILL BE!!!" then the long silent.

  Myke stays silent for a while. "I said no."

  "What?"

  "I denied his offering," he said. Then he left.

  Ying thought longer in silent. "But...the coins?"

  "Doesn't matter. You're important for Valirion. Not even a single coin I will received and sell you out."

  Then, Ying's mind mix with confusion in the same time she's about to cry. For the first time, she felt she's belong to Valirion...at last.