Sybil nervously scratched her head, avoiding Becky's piercing gaze. "Well, Lina was supposed to give it back to me, but then they left, and now I have no idea where they could be."

  Becky sighed in frustration. "Great, just firkin great. How are we supposed to find Lina and Bob in this city? It's like a maze!"

  Sybi suggested, "Maybe we can ask around. Someone might have seen them or know where they usually hang out."

  Becky clenched her fists. "No time for that. I need to get to the Doc and let her know about Dark Whirlwind and the tournament. If we're gonna face that psycho, we need all the help we can get."

  Sybil nodded. “The Doctor can analyze the situation and come up with a plan. But how do we find Lina and Bob?"

  Becky, lost in thought about how to find Lina and Bob, absentmindedly muttered, "Dj might know where they are." Hearts seemingly came from Becky’s forehead.

  Sybil raised an eyebrow with asmile playing on her lips. "Oh, do tell. Is there something you're not sharing about Dj?"

  Becky shook her head vigorously, "N-no, it's not like that. I just remembered that there's a bounty on Dj's head, and they're after the reward. If we find Dj tomorrow, we might find them too."

  Sybil eyed Becky Skeptically. “What’s the plan here?”

  Becky explained. "Simple. We find Dj, get the information about Lina and Bob, and then we can let them know about the bounty situation. They might decide to cash in on that bounty, and we can use that to our advantage."

  Sybil hesitated before responding. "But Dj is the one teaching us Sword Magic now, isn't he? We can't betray him like this ..."

  Becky nodded "True, and I don't even wanna betray my future boyf-- um... I mean…Sensei! That's why we'll ask him."

  Sybil sighed in relief, "Oh, good. I was worried you were actually considering betraying Dj."

  Becky playfully nudged Sybil, "Come on, Sybil. You know me better than that. Dj's a badass, and we're not gonna let anyone mess with him. But we need information, and Dj's the key to finding Lina and Bob right now."

  Sybil chuckled, "Alright, let's go find Dj and sort this out. And, by the way, what were you about to say earlier? Were you about to call him your boyf--?"

  Becky blushed and interjected"N-nothing! Let's just go find Dj tomorrow, okay?"

  The following day, Becky and Sybil set out to find Dj. The two friends navigated through the crowded streets of the tournament district.

  After a bit of searching, they spotted Dj near the training grounds, overseeing some practice bouts.

  "Yo, Dj!" Becky called out.

  Dj turned to them, a smile playing on his lips. "Yo, yo, if it isn't my favorite troublemaking chicks. What brings you two here?"

  Becky scratched her head, trying to sound casual. "Oh, you know, just wanted to see how our awesome Sensei is doing. Anything interesting happening today?"

  Sybil gave Becky a sideways glance. Dj chuckled, "Nice try, Becky, but I can smell a hidden agenda a mile away. What's really going on?"

  Becky sighed, relenting. "Alright, we need your help, Dj. The people we came here with, Bob and Lina, they kinda...dissapeared on us. They have a communicator we need to talk to a friend of ours. They are the doc.”

  Dj furrowed his brow. "Bob and Lina, huh? Sorry, I don't know anyone by those names."

  Becky’s shoulders slumped in frustration, but she quickly shook off the feeling. “Alright, Dj, let’s say you don’t know Bob and Lina. What about tracking them down?"

  Dj raised an eyebrow. "And how am I supposed to do that?"

  Becky, nervously wringing her hands, said, "Well, using your bounty."

  Dj laughed, shaking his head. "That silly old bounty on my head? Come on now, Becky. I’m immune to bounties as long as I’m in Eastern Jancito."

  Becky nodded, "Yeah, we know you're all 'Mr. Immune to Bounties' here, but we thought if they think they can cash in on the reward here, they might show up."

  Dj rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Interesting plan. So, how do you intend to use me to lure them out?"

  Becky grinned, "Simple! We spread the word around town about your location, spill the whole bounty story and make it sound like they can cash in around here, and wait for them to make their move. Once they do, we follow them to wherever they’re crashing out!"

  Sybil added, "And then we can find Lina and Bob and sort out this whole mess."

  Dj leaned back, crossing his arms. "Well, it's a risky plan, and I'm not entirely thrilled about being bait, but if it helps you find your friends and sort things out, I'm in."

  Becky's face lit up with excitement, "Awesome! You're the best, Dj!"

  Dj smirked, "Yeah, yeah. Just remember to buy me a drink after this, alright?"

  Sybil chimed in, "We'll treat you to the fanciest drinks in the East, Sensei!"

  Dj chuckled, "Alright, then. Let's get the word out and see what happens. But first, you have something to do for me."

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  Sybil raised an eyebrow. "What do you need us to do, Sensei?"

  Dj Smirked.

  Location: The Eastern Olympics

  "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the 100-meter dash competition! We have some unexpected entrants today, so let's give a warm welcome to Becky and Sybil!"

  The crowd erupted in cheers as Becky and Sybil took their positions on the track. Dj stood on the sidelines with a smirk.

  Becky scowled with her arms crossed over her chest. She glared daggers at Dj. "You can't be serious about this! I didn't sign up for a public race!"

  Sybil gently placed a hand on Becky's shoulder. "Relax, Becky. It’s just a race. Besides, it’ll be fun… I think...."

  Becky huffed, "Yeah, right. I’d rather show them my sword skills than my running skills." She shot Dj a sharp look. “Blindfolding us and taking us here…Dj, you’re so gonna pay for this!"

  The announcer boomed over the loudspeakers, "Racers, take your marks!"

  Becky and Sybil got into position.

  "Get set...!"

  The starting gun fired with a loud crack, and they were off. Becky and Sybil sprinted down the track.

  When the pair dashed forward, Becky suddenly noticed a strange weight on her arms and legs. "What the—?" She glanced down, realizing that Dj had strapped red weights to their limbs. Sybil, pushing forward, also felt the strain but managed to keep her balance.

  Becky, however, struggled to maintain her speed. "That sneaky little—" she muttered, just before tripping over her own feet and tumbling to the ground.

  The crowd erupted in laughter as Becky rolled over. She picked herself up and dusted off the dirt with a growl. "Ugh, this is embarrassing."

  Dj watched from the sidelines with his arms crossed. "Come on, girls. Show 'em what you’re made of!"

  The announcer boomed over the speakers with enthusiasm. "It’s no surprise that Aaliyah is leading the pack again this year! She's been unstoppable for over 10 years now. She’s a true champion, and it looks like she's about to claim another victory this year!"

  The crowd cheered wildly as Aaliyah, with her sleek black ponytail and blue sports clothes, surged ahead.

  "But hold on a minute!" the announcer exclaimed. "Something's moving like a comet out there! It's Becky!"

  The spectators turned their attention back to Becky, who had fallen behind. She was now using her earth powers to propel herself forward, tumbling and rolling with astonishing speed. She let out a fierce scream of focus and effort while hurtling herself toward the finish line.

  "Becky is coming in fast, folks!" the announcer continued "It's going to be a photo finish!"

  The crowd gasped and leaned forward in their seats. Aaliyah glanced over her shoulder. Her confident look shifted to one of shock when she noticed how Becky rapidly closed the gap. She surged forward, crossing the finish line just as Aaliyah did.

  The stadium erupted into cheers and applause. The announcer shouted, "What an incredible finish! We'll need the photo to confirm, but that was one for the history books!"

  Aaliyah, panting and catching her breath, looked on in disbelief, her hands on her hips. "Did I just lose to that?"

  Becky lay on the track, laughing breathlessly. She grinned up at Sybil, who had just finished the race. "Did you see that?" Becky panted. "I think I just invented a new way to run!"

  Sybil chuckled, helping Becky to her feet. "That was amazing! Dj's weights didn't slow you down one bit!"

  The announcer declared, "Well, folks, that was certainly an unexpected twist! Let's give a round of applause for our daring participants!"

  The announcer returned to the microphone. “After a thrilling and heart-stopping race, the results are in! By the narrowest of margins, the winner of this year's 100-meter dash is... Aaliyah!"

  The crowd erupted into cheers and applause as Aaliyah, though exhausted and slightly shocked, beamed with pride. The announcer continued, "Aaliyah will be taking home this year's trophy and a cash prize of 500,000 dollars!"

  Aaliyah held her trophy high with a triumphant smile.

  Dj clapped enthusiastically. "Ah, so close. If you two had pulled it off, we could’ve drunk the night away. But oh well, it’s all in good fun."

  Becky turned to Dj. Her eyes narrowed with a playful yet menacing glint. "This had better have been worth it, Dj, or there’s going to be hell to pay."

  Dj’s confidence wavered slightly. He felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead. "Uh, y-yeah, it was totally worth it.”

  The announcer crackled back to life, cutting through the clamor of the crowd. "Well folks, it seems we have an unexpected development! We’ve just received word of a new twist in our evening's festivities!"

  The crowd's murmur grew loud with curiosity. he announcer continued,"There’s a one-day bounty on Dj’s head, and it’s not just any bounty. To claim this reward, you need to defeat Dj in a race! And get this—the bounty amount is... zeroes... wow, oh my, that's a substantial sum!"

  The large sum displayed on the screen behind him. His eyes widened in disbelief. He repeated, "Oh my! That’s... a lot of zeroes!"

  Becky’s eyes widened in shock. She spun around to face Dj "Did you do this, Dj? Is this your idea of a joke?"

  Dj's face turned serious. "No way, Becky. This one ain’t my doing.”

  The announcer, catching the crowd’s heightened interest, stepped back up to the microphone. "Ah, I see the confusion! This surprise bounty is courtesy of none other than Queen Aliana herself! It seems she’s quite interested in seeing how our esteemed racer fares against the best."

  Dj’s shoulders slumped in resignation. "Of course... who else could it be?"

  Dj took a deep breath, stepping confidently onto the track. "Alright, since this is happening, I’ll go along with it. Who here thinks they can beat me in a race?"

  The crowd buzzed with excitement, and several confident athletes began to step forward, eager to take on Dj and claim the hefty bounty. Among them were sprinters, long-distance runners, and a few who looked like they had been training for moments like these.

  One athlete, a tall and muscular figure approached Dj. "I’ll take you on!" he declared, flexing his muscles.”I’ve been running since I could walk, and I’m not about to let a bounty slip through my fingers."

  Another athlete, a sleek, fast-looking woman joined in. "I’ve got this! You’re about to meet your match, Dj."

  Dj looked over the challengers with a wry smile. "Bring it on. Let’s see if anyone here has what it takes to take me down."

  Dj addressed the crowd, "Well, it seems we've got some brave souls ready to take on the challenge. Let's make this race one to remember!"

  While impromptu racers readied themselves on the track, a familiar figure emerged from the sidelines. It was Bob, appearing with a nonchalant grin.

  "I guess it's my turn to join the fun," Bob declared, casually strolling onto the track as if participating in a one-day bounty chase was just another ordinary day for them.

  Becky's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected appearance of her missing friend. "Bob?

  What the hell Bob?! Where have you been? We've been looking all over for you and Lina! You guys ditched us yesterday!"

  Bob , scratched the back of their head nervously. "Well, you know, Dark Whirlwind showed up, and things got a bit chaotic. Lina and I had to make a quick exit, and, uh... we might've lost track of time."

  Becky growled. “Lost track of time? You left us stranded without a word!"

  Bob's stammered “Come on, Becky, it's not like we planned for Dark Whirlwind to crash the party. Blame the psycho sorceress, not us."

  Becky crossed her arms. "Nice try, Bob, but that's not gonna cut it. You owe us an explanation."

  Bob, with an air of nonchalance, retorted, "Owe you an explanation? Please, we were doing you a favor letting you tag along. You were just freeloading, and now you're giving me attitude?"

  Becky's eyes narrowed in disbelief and frustration. "Freeloading? We were part of the team, Bob! We were working together to find Dj, and then you just ditched us without a word. What the hell is your problem?"

  Lina arrived on the scene. She sensed the tension escalating and timidly attempted to intervene, "Guys, maybe we should—"

  Becky, however raised her voice. "No, Lina. Bob needs to explain their crappy behavior. We helped you out with your search, and ‘this’ is how you repay us?!"