Fifty-Two Sparks — The Starting Line
When the ancient chime echoed from the highest spire of the Phoenix Order, the sky held its breath. Fifty-two warriors — assistant captains and elite rookies alike — stood scattered across mountains, forests, ravines, and crumbling ruins.
A heartbeat of silence.
Then — the Jyu-Ichi Banteo began.
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The Strongest Shadows — Division Stars Assemble
Akashi Peigon, assistant captain of Division 7, stood atop a boulder on the eastern ridge, the dawn glow catching the red and white waves of his hair. Gleem Chronox pulsed on his hip.
"Let's see who still calls themselves strong after I'm done." He cracked his knuckles, eyes like a wolf's.
In the dense bamboo grove, Sukasa Minamoto, Division 10's sly phantom, flipped a throwing knife between nimble fingers.
"Fifty-one fools charging in circles — I'll find the hidden path and slip past them all."
Near the river's choke point, Iea Daibotsu, Division 11's iron hammer, stomped a foot on a rock, shattering it. His voice was deep thunder.
"Let's see these brats outrun old-school discipline. You don't train with me and come out weak."
Leaning against an old well in the mist, Jinshi, assistant captain of Division 11, tied his headband tight. He looked up at the rising sun.
"I'll flatten anyone in my way — except maybe Iea. He'd flatten me first."
By a trickling stream under cherry blossoms, Neiki Sumiko, Division 3's prankster healer, checked the tightness of his bandages.
"Funny. They're about to break themselves in here — I'll patch them up later. Or not."
Perched on a low tree branch, Qui Toriko, Division 3's strategist and Sumiko's closest, flicked through a thin leather notebook.
"Notes done. Weak spots identified. They'll never see me coming."
Beside a sacred pond lined with lotus flowers, Juogen, assistant captain of Division 8, spun his staff slowly, his aura calm as deep water.
"This race is just a mirror. Panic — and you drown."
Kagami Hanera, Suntaro Akammi, Kibito Akammi, Kentaro Rikotsu — each waited in their own corner, eyes fixed on the horizon.
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Above Them All — The Lone Watcher
And higher still, Ryen Kairo, robed in shades of dusk, lay sprawled on a branch the width of a house beam. One leg dangled free, his eyes half-lidded.
"Idiots. Run in circles, clash your blades — when the real storm comes, none of you will be ready."
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The Race Erupts — Lightning and Flame Collide
A scream of thunder cracked the sky — Kentaro Rikotsu, just thirteen but already a demon of speed, skated across tree limbs wrapped in jagged bolts of blue.
"Keep up, world — I'm not slowing down for anyone!"
A ridge exploded below him — a roar of flames burst through stone. Kibito Akammi blasted aside boulders, Makashi's hilt glowing like a sun.
"Thunder boy!" Kibito cackled. "Don't trip on your lightning — I'll roast you first!"
Kentaro's grin widened, sparks licking at the tips of his hair. They shot down different trails — one a storm, the other a wildfire.
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Blades and Shadows — The Others Stir
Through Magnocroma's poisonous underbrush, Kenshin Mouriu carried Marekuno like a judge's gavel. Pain stabbed at his skull — memories he refused to name.
"Not now… stay buried."
Beside him, Yano Mikazushi flicked a fallen petal off her wind blade, Furinto.
"Hey, Mask Man — don't get lost in your own head. The forest's bad enough."
On the slippery marble bridges deeper in the labyrinth, Kagami Hanera danced past spore traps. Ice bloomed on vines reaching for her ankles.
"Blade… Suntaro… we'll cross that finish line together."
Suntaro Akammi stomped through a bramble snare. Sparks erupted from Raitaro.
"Outta my way, forest! The thunder never stops."
And overhead, from the cliff's edge, Akashi Peigon watched the tangled forest breathe.
"You'll all burn out. Gleem Chronox will remind you what real speed is."
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Jeitsu, Sukasa & Sekiro — The Puppeteers
Back in the Order's stone spire, Jeitsu Meguruma traced glowing markers on a moving map. Beside him, Sukasa Minamoto watched with a sly grin, idly spinning his blade's handle.
"So — Sekiro's mazes, Jeitsu's plants, Keilon's bridge… think anyone reaches the lake garden alive?"
Sekiro Tachibana, Division 9's cold tactician, adjusted his monocle. "They'll adapt or die. There are only five main trails — easy, expected — and seven hidden veins for the clever rats. Who's prey, who's predator… depends on whether they can read the map I built in their heads."
Jeitsu laughed softly. "And the final bridge?"
Sekiro's mouth twitched. "A normal bridge. But only if they pay the right price."
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Crashes in the Canopy — The First Blades Clash
Deep in the forest, Suntaro met Juogen, his thunder smashing against the older man's water-fused staff.
"Old man! You're blocking my storm!"
Juogen's staff spun, waves lashing at Suntaro's shoulders. "Your storm's still a drizzle, boy."
Steel clashed, water and thunder spraying across twisted roots.
In a different clearing, Qui Toriko ran his blade through Jeitsu's hallucinogenic flowers, creating gaps that only he could see. He smirked to himself. "They're all stuck at the first snare."
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The Lone Crown — Watching from Afar
High in his tree, Kairo lay back, hands folded behind his head.
"Sparks, thunder, roots and mirrors. The Phoenix Order's greatest gamble. Run, little blades — I'll see which of you stays sharp enough for the coming dusk."
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Walls Apart — Blade and Akashi Eye the Same Sky
On the eastern wall, Blade Taizuka drew Kamikaze, breathing slow. The dragons within pulsed — five elements coiled in his mind.
"I will not be the last again."
On the western wall, Akashi Peigon rested Gleem Chronox across his shoulder, crimson and white hair wild in the breeze.
"Victory… will be mine."
The sky stretched above them — endless, merciless, alive.
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To Be Continued