The air still sizzled with leftover magic as the ashes of the giant rabbit floated off into the trees.
Kagetsu wiped the sweat off his forehead, still catching his breath. Beside him, Kaguro casually inspected Asteron, his glowing spear that had just one-shot the beast like it owed him money.
"Nice spear," Kagetsu muttered, trying not to sound too impressed.
"Thanks," Kaguro said, flipping it in the air and catching it like it was no big deal. "It's picky though. Doesn't like amateurs."
Kagetsu raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to start something?"
Kaguro smirked. "Nah. Just stating the obvious."
Before Kagetsu could reply with something very obvious of his own, a familiar voice shouted from the trees:
"KAGETSU! You dead or just pretending again?!"
Ezren came jogging through the bushes, holding a stick with some mostly-burnt meat on it. Behind him was Enjin, arms crossed like usual and looking like he wanted to be anywhere else.
Ezren stopped and stared at the crater. "We followed the explosion. Figured it was either you, or someone declared war on the rabbits."
Kagetsu rubbed his temples. "Apparently, forest rabbits now come in gym-bro editions."
Ezren squinted at Kaguro.
"Wait. Is that the pretty boy who turned the forest into barbecue?"
Kaguro blinked. "Pretty boy?"
Kagetsu waved lazily toward him. "This is Kaguro. He saved my life."
Enjin's eyes narrowed. "Kaguro?"
Kaguro gave him a half-hearted salute. "Sup, partner."
Kagetsu turned. "Partner?!"
Kaguro pointed to Enjin. "We got teamed up for the exam. Me and Mr. Silent Death over there."
Ezren's jaw dropped. "Hold up, you're telling me your knight in glowing armor is his partner?!"
Kagetsu stared between the two. "You mean this guy is the 'scout' you were talking about?"
"Scout, frontliner, occasional dragon-scorcher," Kaguro added helpfully.
Enjin gave a tired sigh. "He's fast and useful. When he's not talking."
Kagetsu crossed his arms. "Figures. The two smuggest people I've ever met, teamed up together. What a nightmare."
"You're just jealous," Kaguro said.
"Of what? That your weapon has more personality than you?"
Ezren whistled and stepped between them. "Alright! Let's cool it before someone ends up with a glowing spear where the sun don't shine."
He threw an arm around Kagetsu's shoulders. "Look, this is good. More people means more firepower. Like those old adventure stories, where the grumpy loner teams up with the handsome prodigy."
Kaguro tilted his head. "So which one of us is which?"
Ezren paused. "Honestly? You both give off 'unresolved issues' energy."
Kagetsu groaned. "Enjin, you okay with this?"
Enjin nodded. "If it helps us pass and not die, I'm fine."
Kagetsu sighed. "Alright. But if anyone says 'team bonding,' I'm out."
Ezren grinned. "You say that now."
Later that night, the fire crackled gently.
Kaguro sat sharpening Asteron like he was polishing a trophy.
Enjin studied a crude map he'd drawn on a piece of bark.
Ezren roasted something that looked like a rat but might have been a squirrel.
Kagetsu leaned against a tree, arms crossed, watching the other three like he wasn't sure if he'd joined a team… or a prank show.
None of them said anything deep or dramatic.
But in that quiet moment, they all knew:
They weren't just surviving anymore.
They were starting to work like a team.
And the real chaos hadn't even started yet.