Chapter : 370
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Chapter : 370
"The rule does not say the winner is the team who finds the most rings," Sayma read directly from her notes. Her eyes stared blankly at the page. "The official rule states the winner is the team that physically holds the most rings at the exact expiration of the two-hour time limit."
Ken stopped reaching for his bag of chips. He blinked his dark eyes. He slowly sat up on the grass. He slouched his shoulders.
"Wait a second," Ken said lazily. He pointed a finger at Sayma. "Are you telling me the game does not end just because the scavenger hunt is over?"
"No," Sayma answered. She looked absolutely terrified. "The game ends when the clock hits zero. We still have forty-five minutes left on the clock."
Suddenly, the loud magical microphone cracked to life. The head referee spoke through the massive stadium speakers. The booming voice filled the entire artificial botanical garden.
"Attention, Royal Units and citizens!" the referee announced loudly. "All thirteen magical rings have been discovered! The 13th Unit currently holds seven rings! The 7th Unit holds six rings!"
The cheering crowd in the grandstands went totally silent. They listened closely to the announcement.
"However!" the referee continued. His voice was cold and strict. "The match is not over! The two-hour time limit has not expired! Forty-five minutes remain on the clock! Remember the official rule! The glorious ten points will be awarded to the team that physically holds the majority of the rings when the final buzzer sounds! You may fight. You may steal. The match continues!"
The stadium erupted into absolute madness. The crowd screamed louder than before. They realized exactly what this meant. The quiet, strategic scavenger hunt was officially dead. It was now a brutal fight for survival.
In the broadcast booth, Bob the anchor yelled into his microphone. He waved his arms wildly.
"Did you hear that, Sarah?!" Bob screamed. "The rules are absolute! Finding the rings was merely the opening act! The 13th Unit found the most rings, but now they have to keep them! They just painted a massive target on their own backs!"
Sarah nodded enthusiastically. She grabbed her headset. "This is an incredible twist, Bob! The 13th Unit is holding seven rings! The 7th Unit is absolutely not going to spend the next forty-five minutes peacefully staring at them from across the hedges! They are going to attack!"
Down in the botanical garden, the 13th Unit stared up at the giant clock. The red numbers mocked them relentlessly. 44:30. 44:29.
Naomi clenched her fists. Her green eyes flashed with intense frustration. "This is completely unfair! We did all the hard work! We searched this entire massive garden! Now we have to defend our prize for almost an hour?!"
"It is a brutal technicality," Sayma stated. She quickly picked her pen up from the grass. "The 7th Prince knew this from the very start. That is exactly why he stopped searching for rings twenty minutes ago."
Laxmi groaned loudly. She threw her hands in the air. "I knew it! I knew this was way too easy! We cannot just relax! We actually have to punch people now!"
Luna let out a sad, sleepy sigh. She leaned her head on Zinia's shoulder. "I do not want to punch people. I want to sleep. Why does the Emperor like long games? This is exhausting."
Risa hugged her teddy bear very tightly against her chest. She looked around the dense trees. She looked very scared. "Are they going to try to hurt us?"
Princess Iris placed a gentle, comforting hand on Risa's shoulder. She offered a brave, confident smile. She refused to let her team panic. "Do not worry, Risa. We will protect you. We will protect the rings. We will not let them win."
Ken dropped his bag of chips onto the grass. He put his hands on his hips. He looked up at the sky. He put on a highly exaggerated, totally annoyed expression.
"This is a massive scam," Ken complained loudly. He shook his head in disgust. "I demand a full refund. We did all the cardio. We found the shiny objects. Now you are telling me we have to play a giant game of tag for forty-five minutes? I refuse. I am officially going on strike."
Naomi walked over to him. She patted his arm playfully. "You cannot go on strike, Ken. We need you to stay awake."
"I am just a guy in a suit," Ken whined. He slouched his shoulders again. "I am very fragile. If someone tries to take my ring, I will just hand it to them. It is not worth running. Running makes me sweat, and sweating ruins my hair."
"You do not have a ring," Zinia chuckled deeply. She crossed her strong arms. "Laxmi has them all safe in her bag."
"Good," Ken said happily. He pointed a lazy finger at Laxmi. "Then they will chase Laxmi. I will go sit behind that large tree over there and watch. Good luck, Laxmi. You run very fast."
Laxmi glared at him with a fiery smirk. "You are staying right here, slacker. We fight as a team."
Sayma looked around the botanical plaza. The tall green hedges and thick trees blocked their view of the rest of the arena. They could not see very far.
"We need a defensive formation immediately," Sayma instructed politely but firmly. "The 7th Unit is going to come for us. We need to secure the perimeter before they arrive."
Princess Iris drew her silver rapier. The sharp blade gleamed in the bright sunlight. She stepped into the center of the plaza.
"Form a circle," Princess Iris commanded smoothly. "Keep Laxmi in the absolute center. We will not let them take a single ring from us."
The girls moved quickly. They formed a tight, protective circle around Laxmi. Naomi held her twin silver daggers ready. Zinia planted her boots firmly on the dirt. Ira readied her pale hands for water magic. Elma drew her elegant swords. Luna sparked yellow lightning between her fingers.
Ken stood near the center with Risa and Laxmi. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets. He looked completely bored. He let out another loud, dramatic yawn.
They waited. The garden was very quiet. The birds did not sing. The only sound was the distant roar of the stadium crowd. The intense mood grew rapidly. They knew the enemy was coming. They just did not know from where.
---
The tense silence in the artificial garden did not last very long.
A thick wooden branch snapped loudly. The sharp sound echoed through the trees. Leaves rustled violently on the left side of the clearing.
"They are here," Naomi whispered fiercely. She gripped her daggers tightly. Her green eyes locked onto the thick green bushes.
A large group of people walked out of the dark shadows. The 7th Unit stepped into the bright sunlight of the plaza.
They did not run. They did not sneak. They walked very slowly. They looked completely confident. They moved exactly like dangerous predators cornering their trapped prey.