Magnocroma Forest — The Living Labyrinth
The forest roared with unnatural life. Chemical mist drifted through knotted branches. Roots pulsed with faint bioluminescence. Everywhere you stepped, a trap might bloom — literally.
At the starting zone, contenders shot off like arrows, all in different directions.
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Scene: Kibito's Inferno
A wall of boulders blocked Path 3 — huge rock slabs, each rigged with vines laced with acid pods.
Kibito Akammi, assistant captain of the Sixth Division, skidded to a stop, grin half-wild.
> Kibito (thinking):
Boulders? Good! Gives me something to burn!
He punched his blade, Makashi, into the ground. Flame cracked through the soil like veins of magma.
Kibito:
"Blaze Up — Infernal Core!"
With a roar, the ground exploded, molten flame devouring the boulders in spirals of fire. Acid pods burst like fireworks — but Kibito danced through the rain of poison, laughing as he ignited each drop.
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Scene: Kentaro's Thunder Drift
Above the forest canopy, a blue-white bolt tore the mist.
Kentaro Rikotsu, only 13 but a lightning demon, surfed on a current of raw Myou.
> Kentaro (thinking):
No one's faster than me. No one.
Below him, explosions rippled — Kibito's chaos visible even from the treetops.
Kentaro flicked a smirk and shot ahead, limbs trailing sparks.
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Scene: Suntaro vs Juogen
Somewhere deeper, vines tangled Path 1.
Suntaro Akammi, thunder blade Raitaro humming with sparks, found himself face to face with Juogen, the calm-eyed assistant captain of the Eighth Division.
Juogen spread his arms like a monk.
"Come. Let's test your thunder."
Suntaro cracked his neck.
"Heh. I'll fry you, old man!"
Steel met wind. Sparks erupted. Suntaro's slashes cut arcs through the vines — Juogen's palms deflected them with gentle, flowing Myou, like a river redirecting lightning.
> Juogen (thinking):
Raw power. No discipline. Typical Akammi bloodline.
Suntaro jumped back, panting. "Quit smiling at me!"
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Scene: Qui Toriko's Path
Division 3's Qui Toriko danced through Magnocroma's pollen clouds like a fox. He plucked herbs with one hand, laced poison onto his kunai with the other.
Suddenly —
A giant flytrap snapped at him. Qui spun mid-air, slicing its jaw hinge.
"Jeitsu's lab? Pfft. Amateur work," he mocked, voice smooth as silk.
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Scene: Jinshi of the 11th Division
Jinshi, assistant captain of the Eleventh Division, was not dodging traps — he was punching through them.
Massive thorns whipped at him. He grabbed the stalks barehanded, snapped them like twigs, and hurled the shards as spears.
> Jinshi (grinning):
Only the strong deserve to walk the final path. Let's see who makes it.
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Scene: Kyoishi of the 10th Division
Kyoishi, the Mirage Squad's trickster, moved like a ghost. His illusions scattered — doubles teasing enemies, pulling them into dead ends.
When a poison fog crept in, Kyoishi pressed a finger to his lips.
"Shhh. Can you smell the lies, Magnocroma?"
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Scene: Kenshin's Silent Push
Deep in Path 2, Kenshin Mouri stood still as the mist curled around him.
His stone blade Marekuno rested on his shoulder, its weight immense but familiar.
> Kenshin (thinking):
Headaches. Flashbacks. Why now?
He shook it off — then slammed Marekuno down. The ground cracked in a line before him, carving a safe passage through acid roots.
A shadow dropped behind him — Akashi Peigon, assistant captain of the Seventh Division.
Akashi clapped sarcastically. "The brooding mask man! Don't pass out now."
Kenshin didn't look back. "Keep moving."
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Scene: Blade's Resolve
Elsewhere, Blade Taizuka ducked low in the mist, Kamikaze blade glowing faintly.
He'd already triggered three gas traps — his left arm tingled, skin red from chemical burns.
> Blade (thinking):
Tensho… Akashi… even Kentaro. They're all stronger, sharper. Am I really just the 9th?
The doubt gnawed at him.
He pressed his palm to Kamikaze's hilt — felt the sleeping dragons within.
"Wake up," he murmured. "Just a little. Enough to cut through this mess."
Suddenly, vines lashed out — Blade spun, slashing in a flowing, water-like form.
"Water Dragon: Swirling Tornado!"
A whirlpool of water Myou tore the vines apart, steam hissing where poison hit the slash. Blade stumbled, breath ragged — but the path ahead cleared.
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Scene: Ryen Kairo — The Observer
High above, perched on an ancient tree, Ryen Kairo watched them all — eyes half-lidded, mind a thousand miles away.
A leaf brushed his shoulder. He flicked it off lazily.
> Kairo (thinking):
Racing like ants. If they knew what's really coming, they'd be training differently.
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Scene: Captains & Jeitsu's Game
Back at the operations tent, Captain Sukasa of the Tenth Division leaned beside Jeitsu, arms folded.
Sukasa glanced at the moving scrying orbs.
"So, how many do you think make it past your living forest, scientist?"
Jeitsu's eyes gleamed behind his specs.
"Oh, the forest is the easy part. Wait until the Maze of Paragon. And the final bridge…"
Sekiro flipped a page in his giant logbook.
"Five major paths. Seven hidden ones. Let's see who's smart enough to find the hidden roads — and who's dumb enough to fight when they should sneak."
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Scene: Random Clashes
A clash erupted near a giant tree trunk — Yano Mikazushi, wind blade Furinto slicing poison clouds apart.
Yano's eyes narrowed — two shadows stepped out: Qui Toriko and Kyoishi.
Yano smirked, "A medic and a ghost. This'll be fun."
Blades sang. Illusions blurred the roots. Poison-tipped kunai skittered off wind blades. A tangle of mind-games and raw speed.
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Scene: Suntaro vs Juogen — Round 2
Suntaro leapt back from Juogen, sparks flickering across Raitaro.
"Try dodging this — Thunder Break!"
A spear of lightning shot forward — but Juogen simply spun, deflecting the blast with a ripple of calming aura.
Juogen gave a faint smile. "Learn to read your opponent, boy."
Suntaro roared, frustrated.
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Scene: Blade's Grit
Blade stumbled out of a clearing — only to see Akashi waiting on a boulder, polishing his time-bending blade Chronox.
Akashi raised a brow. "Finally caught up, Ninth?"
Blade's eyes narrowed. "This time — I'll cut you."
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Closing: Overlapping Paths
Across Magnocroma, the forest buzzed with overlapping clashes, illusions, poison clouds, and hidden trails yet undiscovered.
Overhead, Kairo's eyes glowed faintly.
Some will break. Some will bloom.
Let's see who survives.
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To Be Continued…