The girls scampered through the dense forest, their eyes darting from one tree to the next, scanning their surroundings for any sign of danger. They were acutely aware that they needed help to continue their quest to complete the entrance exam. Every second counted, and they had to reach the end before time ran out. As they emerged from the thick forest into a more open clearing, the girls slowed and took a moment to catch their breath. They knew they had to conserve their energy, as they might need it later if they encountered any obstacles. Pixel stretched her arms, her clothes covered in dirt and filth from their journey. She dusted herself off, cleaning up as best as possible.
On the other hand, Jean was lost in thought, completely enamored with the picturesque scenery surrounding them. The lush greenery and brilliant blue sky had captured her heart, and she daydreamed about what lay beyond the distant mountain range. Despite the urgency of their mission, the beauty of the environment still occupied her mind.
"That woman got you guys bad," said Dominique, noticing their dirty uniforms and dusting off Jean's. Dominique grabbed Jean's attention as she looked at her uniform and removed the dirt.
"Not the first time we dealt with this type of pain," confessed Pixel as Dominique looked at her in confusion.
"Not the first time? Who did you deal with before?" asked Dominique.
"Well, it certainly wasn't the white- haired demon who thought she could take us. The people who gave us a hard time were our trainer and her son, and her daughter," answered Pixel as she rested her chin on the side of her index finger.
"They were more challenging than the woman we fought? Wow, that's something. What was their training?" asked Dominique, amazed and curious.
"Pretty difficult. Our trainer's regimen was consistent with pain and more pain. But Jean and I were able to make it through," expressed Pixel as Jean appeared from behind and wrapped her right arm around Pixel's shoulders.
"And she's right. You could say it was hell, but we dealt with the pain and suffering," Jean agreed, to which Dominique nodded encouragingly.
"Gosh, seeing how completely different you guys are made me feel bad for running away. I was such a coward," Dominique frowned as she hugged herself.
"And that's completely fine. You made the right choice because you saved your life after Jean and I caught up to Eduardo," explained Pixel. Dominique looked at Pixel, confused.
"What do you mean?"
"When we caught up with Eduardo, it revealed that Eduardo was the fake Eduardo and a demon who was after Pixel' s father. Why? No clue. I wasn' t able to hear him. But two demons tackled us and aimed their pistols behind our heads, almost killing us. Until our trainer saved us," elucidated Jean.
"What?!? Well, what matters is that you guys are safe and here with me again. You had no idea how worried I was. I wasn't even able to sleep and think of my cowardly decisions," confessed Dominique as she gave her friends a warm smile.
"We were also worried about you, Dominique. But we are glad that we're back together," soothed Pixel. Dominique nodded and looked forward.
As the girls approached, they couldn't help but admire the overgrown vines and colorful flowers that adorned the old ruin gate. When they pushed open the rusty doors, Pixel, Jean, and Dominique were greeted with a slightly unstable wooden bridge that led to their destination. Although the girls hesitated to cross the rickety path, they knew there was no other way to proceed. Pixel took a deep breath and bravely stepped onto the worn-out wooden plank, causing Jean and Dominique to feel a sense of unease. Despite their fears, the girls pressed on, determined to reach their destination.
"Careful, Pixel. Here, grab my hand," said Jean as she lent Pixel her hand, which Pixel grabbed and took a step on the wooden plank. Pixel holds the rope and takes another step, but soon, the bridge moves and Pixel grips hard, making Jean and Dominique gasp. Pixel nervously lets Jean's hand go and continues walking.
"Let's take it slow, yeah?" Asked Pixel, making Jean and Dominique nod. The girls then started strolling through the old bridge. While the girls were taking their time, Jean asked Dominique a question.
"Hey, Dominique. What made you choose to become a Demon Slayer?" Dominique was about to tell them her true intentions when she was rudely interrupted by a dagger stabbing Pixel's right thigh.
"ACK!!" Gasped Pixel, her eyes widened, and her mouth was wide open. The bridge moves, and her friends grip the rope with all their might. Standing at the end of the bridge was the exact mysterious figure that provoked the massive creature. Pixel glares at him with pure hatred.
"Honestly, you girls are something else. Defeating that old hag impressed me, as nobody could defeat her. Tch, I applaud you, ladies," applauded the mysterious figure. Pixel grabs the dagger and holds her breath as she yanks it out. Pixel breathes as it wounds her. The mysterious figure grinned as he pulled out another blade.
"Let's see how long you can survive," said the mysterious figure, grinning widely. The mysterious figure was about to cut the rope when Pixel tossed the dagger and stabbed his hand. The mysterious figure grumbles as he harshly glares at Pixel. The mysterious figure laughs as he wastes no time cutting the rope.
"AHHH!! HOLY SHIT!" Screamed Dominique, falling.
"AHHHH!!" Screamed Jean, holding onto the rope with all her might. Dominique grabbed Jean's right leg with both hands and held her dearly. Pixel also grabbed the rope and looked down to see her friends.
"Uh-oh, it seems like you and your friend will die. What are you going to do?" Mocked the mysterious figure, facing Pixel down. Pixel clenched her jaw as she started swinging. The sudden movement scared Jean and Dominique, and Dominique shut her eyes and firmly gripped Jean's ankle. Jean looks up and sees that Pixel is moving, and she immediately knows what Pixel is trying to do. Jean also started to swing, and Dominique kept holding on.
"Jean! Stop moving! Please!" Begged Dominique. Jean ignored her pleas and kept swinging, making Dominique more anxious and apprehensive. Pixel reached the close and grabbed the edge of the cliff. Pixel let the rope go, climbed up, and now faced the mysterious figure filled with anger. Jean stopped swinging and began climbing up the rope with all her might.
"Dominique, would you be so kind as to open your eyes and grab the rope?" Asked Jean, forcing a smile. Dominique opened her eyes and grabbed the rope, making Jean sigh. Now Jean and Dominique started to climb the rope.
Pixel pulled out her combat knife and dashed at the mysterious figure. She swung the blade, and the mysterious figure was quick to avoid. The mysterious figure smirked and roughly knee-kicked Pixel's stomach, making Pixel gasp loudly and blood spout out. Pixel grumbles in pain as she holds her stomach. Blood drips from her mouth and makes Pixel stumble backward. As she looks up, the mysterious figure gives her a powerful punch in the face. Pixel flew and hit her back against a boulder, and she could hear her nose crack. Jean and Dominique made it to the top, and as they got up, their eyes widened as they saw Pixel lying against a boulder, bruised nose and dripping with blood. Jean and Dominique pulled out their combat knives and dashed at the mysterious figure. The mysterious figure sees them and chuckles. Jean ran slightly faster than Dominique and swung at him, but the mysterious figure took out his dagger and blocked Jean's attack. The mysterious figure grabbed Jean's right wrist and twisted it. Jean gasped as she dropped her combat knife. The mysterious figure roughly grasped Jean's curly hair and tossed her aside. Jean hits the ground and turns her body around. Jean drew Dominique away, and the mysterious figure grabbed her throat when she turned her head around. The mysterious figure raised her, and his nail grew. The mysterious figure dug them, and Dominique battled to escape his grasp. Dominique screams as blood drips and trickles down her neck. Tears drip down her cheeks. An icicle stabbed his upper right thigh before the mysterious figure could crack Dominique's neck. The mysterious figure yelps and drops Dominique. Dominique hit the ground and held her bleeding neck. She could feel five holes, and she began to panic. The mysterious figure glanced up but quickly avoided another icicle. Pixel instantly appeared in front of the mysterious figure and punched him. The mysterious figure was stunned and blocked all her attacks, but Jean came behind him and tried to hit him. However, the unknown figure sensed her and immediately turned around. He grabbed her fist and tossed her toward the edge of the cliff. Dominique ran up to catch Jean, but the mysterious figure appeared behind her and was about to kick her off. However, Pixel came in the clutch as she stabbed the mysterious figure's neck and slit his throat. The mysterious figure backed away and held his throat. Pixel rapidly grabbed Dominique's wrist, and with all her strength, she pulled her friend back. The girls heard a chuckle, and Pixel instantly faced the mysterious figure. The figure had his hands clenched against his throat, and he stopped the bleeding, and when he removed them, he healed it.
"It was a pleasure playing with you. But you've got more obstacles to go through. Can't wait to meet you once more," said the figure. The mysterious figure bowed down and disappeared. He left the girls stunned and wondered if the mysterious figure was human.
"Hate that guy. Such an annoying asshole," huffed Dominique, lying on the ground and holding both sides of her injured neck.
"Could tell that he gave you five gashes on each of your necks," said Jean, taking out her hearty peach.
"It stings so bad," Dominique said softly, holding her neck.
"Shit, that's the feeling that you're going to feel," noticed Jean, moving closer to Pixel. Dominique grumbles. Jean takes a bite of her hearty peach and hands it to Pixel. Pixel and Dominique also chew on the peach, and their wounds start to heal.
"Hmm! Delicious!" Dominique said happily. The hearty peach healed their injuries, and they commenced their exam.
While they were halfway through the exam, the girls were chatting when they encountered the group who had insulted them back on the train. The group was laughing and offending someone who was on the ground. On the floor was the cat boy. He was bleeding too much and couldn't move. The cat boy was on his knees, glaring at the two people.
"You're so fucking pathetic! This exam is not meant for pathetic and weak people like you!" Jeered the lady, roughly kicking his sides. The cat boy grunted and held his balance. The girls may not know him, but it fills them with anger.
"Alright! That's enough!" Jean stepped. The group turned away from the cat boy and faced the girls.
"Aw, come to defend your pathetic friend?" Insulted the lady, roughly grabbing the cat boy's blond hair and holding him up. Something sparks inside their body. Pixel tried to calm her anger down. But seeing how much the cat boy is undergoing made things difficult for her. However, for Jean, everyone was hit by a scorching wave. Pixel fastened to reality and glanced at Jean.
"Let him go, now."
"Or what? Beat us up? Ha! Come and try you wretched bitches," grinned the male participant, pulling out his dagger. Now that angers the girls even more. Before the male participant could run directly at the girls, Jean suddenly appeared before him and firmly punched him, sending him flying. The male participant hits his back against the ground and grumbles.
"You—YOU STUPID MOTHER FUCKER!!" Yelled the female participant, pulling out her pistol. She aims at Jean, and before pulling the trigger, Pixel instantly tosses a small icicle at the gun and makes the female participant drop her weapon. The female participant turned her head and got tackled by Pixel. The lady opened her eyes wide as she felt the blade touching her neck.
"You guys talk shit, but in reality, you guys are the weak ones," mocked Pixel, glaring harshly at the female participant.
"Shut the fuck up! We'll prove that we're stronger than—you..." The female participant went quiet as she felt freezing.
"Such a harsh mouth you got. Do you think insulting people trying their best makes you feel better? Damn, you are pathetic," insulted Pixel, gripping the female participant's wrists.
"Look! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!!! We don't know what came—"
"No! You knew what you assholes were doing! You and your fucking friends gang up on someone new to this damn thing. Hurt your allies? Such a disgrace to the Demon Slayers," asserted Pixel, bruising the female participant's wrist. The female participant screamed as Pixel froze her wrists. Pixel gets herself off the female participant and walks away. The lady got up and checked her wrists to see that they were colored in light blue and purple. Tears formed in her eyes as she could only feel the immense pain flowing through her arms. Pixel spun her combat knife and stood beside the injured cat boy, checking if he was still breathing, and he was. Pixel looks around and sees Dominique beating up a male participant and showing no mercy. Dominique stood and gave him one last kick before walking to the cat boy. Pixel carefully turns him around and notices how the participants beat him well.
"Oooh...yikes," said Dominique, cringing.
"Hand me the peach." Dominique nodded and handed Pixel the hearty peach. The cat boy smelled the peach, and Pixel lowered down to his mouth. He takes a small bite and chews on it. The cat boy was in bliss when he tried the hearty peach. Once he swallowed it, the peach healed his whole injury. His clothes were rashed and dirty. He checked his entire body and stood up.
"Better?" Asked Pixel. The cat boy nodded and bowed down. He turns around and walks away. He glanced at the girls before disappearing from their view.
"What the hell? That's it? No, thank you. Fucking bullshit," grumbled Dominique, glaring harshly at the cat boy. Pixel pushed herself up and stretched her body.
"Perhaps that bow was a way for him to say thank you," said Pixel.
"Ah, whatever. Let's leave and continue our exam," said Dominique, folding her arms and departing.