The countdown stopped, and the alarm beeped sharply. A moment of silence followed — then chaos. Everyone burst out of their bases, water guns locked and loaded, their eyes gleaming with excitement.
Jim and MyungJin moved swiftly, keeping close to each other, back-to-back like trained operatives.
"Which vision should we use?" MyungJin whispered, glancing around the terrain.
"They won't take this round seriously," Jim replied, squinting through his scope. "We should save them for the next rounds."
"So, we should play this one fair?" MyungJin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I was thinking something else," Jim smirked, "but yeah, fair fight... only for this round."
Meanwhile, Ren and Zhi advanced cautiously, watching each other's backs like seasoned teammates.
Shin and Haru also pushed forward.
"I think we should separate so that we have more chances to find others and win the game," Shin suggested, scanning the area.
"I agree," Haru replied with a confident smirk.
"I go left. You choose your way."
"I go straight," Haru answered with a playful grin before moving ahead confidently.
As Haru advanced, he caught sight of Ren and Zhi approaching Shin's direction.
"Should I go help him? Nah, he doesn't need it," Haru muttered, spinning his water gun stylishly in his hand.
From behind a stone wall, Jim and MyungJin heard Haru's voice.
"You heard it. That has to be Haru," MyungJin said in a hushed voice.
"Looks like he's alone," Jim observed, eyes narrowing.
"I go left, you go right. This way, he won't be able to run away," MyungJin planned.
"Got it," Jim nodded.
They rushed to both sides of the wall and sprung their ambush, unleashing a barrage of water blasts. But Haru twisted and flipped out of their aim with dancer-like agility. He slid low, leapt back, and spun mid-air to dodge without returning fire.
"How is he doing this?" Jim gasped, baffled.
"He didn't even get a drop on him," MyungJin said in disbelief.
Their water tanks ran dry — click, click — empty.
With a wicked grin, Haru finally made his move. He darted forward, rolled between them, and soaked both of them point-blank with effortless precision. They yelped and tried to dodge, but the surprise was too much. They were drenched.
"Soaked and out," Haru announced casually, walking away with a whistle.
Elsewhere, Ren and Zhi were navigating a tight passage.
"Wait, you heard that? It's like someone is around here somewhere," Zhi said cautiously.
"We should separate," Ren whispered.
"You go and hide."
Without another word, Ren vanished behind a wall.
Shin watched them silently from a distance. He checked his water gun — full.
He bolted toward them. Zhi was alone. Without hesitation, Shin accelerated, zigzagging to throw off any aim. Zhi raised his gun to shoot, but Shin vaulted over him in a clean arc and soaked him from above mid-air.
Zhi spun around, stunned. Before he could react, Shin pelted him with two water balloons, each one splashing hard. Zhi instinctively closed his eyes. When he reopened them, Shin was already behind him and delivered the final soaking strike to his back.
Zhi knew he was done. Nodding to himself, he walked off the field, dripping wet.
"Ren, I know you're hiding. Come out," Shin called, scanning the area.
Suddenly, a stream of water struck Shin from behind. He spun quickly— but no one was there.
Ren, still cloaked in stealth, expertly maneuvered between walls, launching a precise spray from different angles. Shin twirled and tried to retaliate, but the elusive hits built up. Soon, he was soaked too.
Shin raised his hands in mock surrender and left the field. Now, it was just Ren and Haru.
Haru stepped forward with determination, eyes focused. He turned a corner—
SPLASH!
A water balloon hit him from behind.
He spun rapidly, but saw no one—only walls.
"So, you're hiding behind the walls," Haru muttered, gritting his teeth.
He hurled all his remaining balloons up over the surrounding walls and blasted them mid-air, one after another, turning the sky into a shower of water shrapnel.
Ren rolled aside just in time. He had narrowly survived.
Haru's balloons were gone. Ren seized the moment and lobbed two water balloons with sniper accuracy. Haru dodged the first — the second grazed past — but the follow-up water gun barrage caught him from behind.
Haru stumbled, soaked and out.
Ren and Zhi had won the first round.
After the match, everyone put on dry clothes and returned to their bases. They picked fresh water guns. Ten minutes passed quickly.
Round two began.
"So now, can we use our powers?" Jim asked eagerly.
"Yes," MyungJin confirmed, cracking his knuckles.
"Great," Jim grinned.
Ren and Zhi also exited their base.
"Which way this time?" Ren asked.
"We'll head to C base," Zhi answered.
"You mean Jim and MyungJin?" Ren said.
"Exactly."
They moved stealthily toward the C base. Soon, they spotted their targets.
"Look, there they are," Zhi pointed.
"What's the plan?" Ren asked.
"Same as round one. You'll go into stealth mode."
Ren vanished behind a wall again, quiet as a whisper.
"Let's head straight," MyungJin said.
"Wait. Let me use thermal vision," Jim interrupted.
"Good idea. I'll save mine."
Jim activated his power. His pupils faintly glowed for a moment, revealing two heat signatures—one near MyungJin and one by his own side.
"MyungJin, he's in front of you," Jim whispered.
MyungJin nodded. He stepped back, then exploded forward in a sprint, leaping high toward the wall. With perfect aim, he chucked a balloon right over the wall. SPLASH! Zhi cried out. MyungJin landed with a combat roll and sprayed Zhi with his water gun. Zhi returned fire, but he got drenched faster.
Zhi was out.
Jim rushed to the other signature. He crept behind Ren's hiding wall and hurled three rapid balloons. Ren turned just in time to see all of them hit — he too was out.
Jim rejoined MyungJin, who was toweling himself off.
"You can only use it once in a round," Jim reminded him.
"There's still B team remaining," MyungJin replied, eyes sharp.
"I know. Let's go," Jim said.
They moved quickly.
"A team is out. Now, it's just the C team remaining," Shin said to Haru.
"Let me handle them alone," Haru said with a fierce grin.
"Alright, I'll be ready for backup."
Haru dashed forward like a blur. He spotted Jim and MyungJin.
Before they could react, Haru launched all his balloons in rapid succession. One hit Jim in the chest, another MyungJin's leg, and another right on MyungJin's head. SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH! Both were drenched before they even raised their guns.
"Soaked and out," Haru said with a smirk.
Shin and Haru won the second round.
After 10 minutes, round three started. Everyone suited up again with dry clothes and freshly filled guns.
"We've lost both rounds. We have to think of a strategy this time," Jim said.
"I have one," MyungJin responded.
"What is it?"
"Listen, we can easily take down A team, but B team is tough—even with powers. But A team could soak B team if we let them."
"So we wait until B team is out," Jim nodded.
"And for that, we have to hide."
They found a good hiding spot, ducking behind a set of thick bushes near the edge of the field.
Meanwhile, Ren and Zhi marched forward. They spotted Shin and Haru.
Zhi charged in while Ren sneaked behind the walls, stealthily targeting Haru.
Zhi and Shin clashed with fierce water gun shots. Each tried to outmaneuver the other, spinning and sidestepping, but both eventually got soaked in the crossfire.
Ren, still hidden, picked Haru off with sniper-like water shots. Haru dodged two blasts but got soaked by the third.
"Now's the time," MyungJin said, activating thermal vision.
"Jim, to your right."
They sprung from hiding. Jim launched a trio of balloons while MyungJin opened up with his water gun.
Ren barely had time to react before he was overwhelmed.
They had won the third round.
"Yeah, we won, WOOOO!" MyungJin and Jim cheered.
"Relax, relax boys. You've only won one round out of five," Shin reminded them, approaching.
"There's still two rounds left."
"We'll win them too," Jim said, fired up.
"Like we'll let you win," Haru smirked.
"Everyone, to your bases and get ready for the fourth round," Shin ordered.
Everyone headed back, their competitive spirits rising.