"Now then, who should I start with~?"
A male student strolled along the path leading to the special building, love letter in hand.
He was Masayoshi Hashimoto of Class A, and he was in exceptionally high spirits.
The letter had been wrapped with meticulous care and featured elaborate decorations.
Its contents were an invitation addressed directly to him, written with unmistakable affection.
In short, a love letter.
The timing was Christmas, which made it feel like a last-minute rush of romance.
That was exactly why his mood soared, a smug smile playing on his lips as he lost himself in pleasant thoughts.
"Sakayanagi-san said it was fine for me to join the fun midway, so today really is my lucky day."
Hashimoto had found the love letter in his shoe locker that morning on his way to school.
It had specified a time.
Since the appointed hour was well after classes ended, he had no choice but to tell Sakayanagi the truth and get her approval for arriving late to their gathering.
He had wanted to attend the gathering himself, so he was relieved it hadn't been canceled.
At the same time, though, joining midway meant the conversation would inevitably turn to him, and that honestly didn't sound fun at all.
"Well, I suppose this is just the fate of a popular guy~"
It might have sounded narcissistic, but it was simply the truth.
Hashimoto enjoyed high popularity among the girls, and several of his female classmates harbored clear affection for him.
Because of that, he had already decided on his own that today's love letter was unlikely to be a prank.
"Arrived. Calling someone out to the special building feels pretty serious, huh~"
Still riding high, Hashimoto stepped inside the special building.
Yet that good mood vanished almost instantly under the winter wind.
The special building's air conditioning was off, so it grew stiflingly hot in summer and bitterly cold in winter.
It was kept meticulously clean, but because only a limited number of classrooms were in use, the place was treated like an old annex.
"Damn, calling me to a spot like this makes me question their taste."
Hashimoto's attitude flipped on a dime.
He had gone back to his room once, but he remained in uniform.
After finishing his business he planned to head out, yet school rules required uniform inside the campus, so casual clothes were out of the question.
Even with his scarf and gloves on, cold air still slipped through every gap in his clothing, racing across his skin and sending violent shivers through his body.
Thick clouds hid the sun today, making it one of the coldest days of winter.
Hashimoto quickened his pace.
Both to warm himself up and to finish the errand as fast as possible.
As a result he reached the designated spot about five minutes early.
(Showed up way too soon. Shit, I look like I'm dying for a confession.)
Keeping one's composure was the mark of a true man.
Yet arriving far too early would make it obvious from the outside that he was eagerly anticipating today's confession.
Personally, Hashimoto found the move rather uncool.
Still, he was already here; nothing to be done about it.
He switched gears and stepped into the designated room.
And then—
"…!?"
Hashimoto froze in shock.
The designated spot was an empty classroom.
The teacher's desk and all the student desks had been pushed to the back, leaving the front half wide open.
The blackboard had been wiped clean with care, giving the impression it hadn't been used in quite some time.
But the real eye-catcher wasn't any of that.
At the rear of the classroom, one girl leaned against the neatly arranged desks.
Black underwear peeked through the gap of her white shirt, and beneath her skirt her healthy thighs lay fully exposed.
"Wh-why is she here… wait, huh?"
Hashimoto's mind reeled.
His gaze was drawn to Ibuki's alluring figure, yet his brain couldn't process the situation fast enough for his eyes to settle.
He placed a hand on his chin and studied her carefully before trying to make sense of the scene.
No understanding came. His thoughts refused to cohere.
He gained nothing.
"…An incident? She wasn't… attacked by someone, was she?"
Hashimoto approached Ibuki with cautious steps.
Wicked thoughts flickered through his mind, but concern for her safety took priority.
He sat down once and examined her condition.
Her clothes were disheveled, yet there were no signs of violence.
Her neck was slightly red, but whether from the cold or from rough handling, Hashimoto couldn't tell.
"First things first—got to do something about this cold."
Hashimoto practically flung off his gloves and scarf, then quickly removed his blazer.
The blazer offered excellent insulation; simply draping it over her should block the freezing drafts.
With that in mind he moved to lay the blazer across her chest.
"My, my. Isn't this getting a little too naughty, Hashimoto-kun?"
The voice was refined yet still carried a trace of girlish youth, the tone light and teasing.
Hashimoto knew that high, faintly smiling voice all too well.
"... P-Princess!? Wh-why are you here!?"
Hashimoto spun around sharply.
There stood Arisu Sakayanagi, eyes filled with contempt, flanked by their bodyguards Masumi Kamuro and Hayato Kitō, both regarding him with pitying gazes.
Kamuro already held her phone up, ready to record, while Kitō stood in a combat stance, prepared for any rough business.
"Y-you guys too? Weren't you supposed to start the fun without me?!"
"Yes, that was the plan. But when I heard this morning that Hashimoto-kun had received a love letter, we decided to wait secretly in the special building to see how things played out.
To think you were attempting to rape her…"
Sakayanagi's cold words turned Hashimoto into an enemy on the spot.
Unable to watch any longer, Kitō and Kamuro closed their eyes and looked away.
"N-no! It's a misunderstanding! I didn't do anything!!
When I got here, Ibuki was already—!!"
His desperate defense echoed through the empty classroom.
With no one else around, the frantic voice only spread farther, yet it reached no one's heart.
"In novels the culprit always insists it wasn't them, and it seems reality is no different.
How truly despicable."
"Believe me, Princess! I didn't do anything! I'm innocent!!
Kamuro, stop recording!!"
Kamuro pressed her lips into a flat line and turned her face aside.
She looked exactly as if she were being forced against her will, and a sudden possibility flashed through Hashimoto's mind.
"…No way, it was you!!"
"Oh my, you caught on quickly."
Sakayanagi dropped the contempt from her eyes and offered a smile that was clearly staged.
Though her condescending gaze remained unchanged, the sight of that thin, twisted smile left Hashimoto certain.
It was all an act.
The panic that had gripped him transformed into pure rage the moment the truth was revealed.
"What the hell is this!! Why would you do something like this!!"
"Fufu, please refrain from one-sided accusations. This was originally a scheme to erase your betrayal."
"Wha!?"
Hashimoto's mouth fell open.
He had shown no sign of betrayal whatsoever.
He had absolutely no idea how she had caught on.
"There are many things I would like to explain… but for now, would you kindly hear my proposal?"
"…What proposal?"
Suppressing his anger and forcing himself to stay calm.
Hashimoto continued the conversation while glaring.
Sakayanagi gave a satisfied smile at his demeanor.
"Either I submit this video to the school and you face expulsion, or you cease all betrayal in exchange for me not submitting it. Choose whichever you prefer."
Though she spoke of two options, Sakayanagi had prepared only one answer from the start.
Having already realized he was trapped and that further resistance was pointless, Hashimoto had no choice but to accept.
"…The second one. I swear I will never show any sign of betrayal again.
So please, whatever you do, don't release that video."
Hashimoto hung his head.
He still could not grasp how things had come to this.
He had made contact with the leaders of every class, skillfully positioning himself to back the eventual winner.
At present he had judged Sakayanagi the strongest and had therefore followed her, intending to bring her benefits as well.
A certain amount of independent action should have been acceptable since it ultimately served both his and the class's interests.
Yet that tiny margin of possibility had been read perfectly by Sakayanagi's overwhelming analytical power. Hashimoto could only convince himself that was what had happened.
"In truth I had no intention of commenting on your maneuvers.
You have brought far more benefit than loss, after all."
"…Then why?"
"It was a request from him."
Him—meaning a male student.
Hashimoto ran through every boy Sakayanagi had ever interacted with, trying to identify the person.
Katsuragi, Hirata, Ryuuen—every class leader came to mind, yet none fit the description of someone she would speak of so familiarly.
"The correct answer is the person you made a connection with during the uninhabited island exam."
"…What… did you say…"
A single face rose in his mind.
Unable to believe the possibility, Hashimoto could not hide his shock.
"That guy… why?"
"It seems he simply could not trust you.
And since he cannot allow his true identity to be known, he applied pressure on you.
Fufu, he originally intended to have you expelled, but I stopped him. After all, you are a capable person."
Hashimoto understood.
Him—was Kiyotaka Ayanokouji.
The man who loathed having his identity exposed and who would employ merciless means for his own sake.
That was how Hashimoto had always seen him.
Why had Ayanokouji suddenly viewed him as an enemy and set this trap?
Obviously, to protect his secret.
Lately word had spread that Ryuuen was searching for X, so Ayanokouji wanted to eliminate even the slightest chance of being traced.
That was why he had applied pressure like this.
"Well… I'm really grateful, huh."
A dry laugh escaped Hashimoto.
Today's events had truly caught him completely off guard.
If someone executed ruthless tactics like Ryuuen's without anyone noticing, stopping them would be nearly impossible.
From Sakayanagi's perspective, this had been the perfect opportunity to bring a potentially disloyal Hashimoto firmly back under her control.
That was precisely why a lifeline had been extended.
Had Sakayanagi not shown any flexibility, Hashimoto would probably have been expelled for real.
"I must have stepped on a tiger's tail without realizing it."
"Indeed. Still, your maneuvering was truly excellent.
You simply stroked the dragon's whiskers a little too much. He had no room to spare either, so this outcome was inevitable."
"…Hey, Princess. What exactly is your relationship with that… guy? You two seem awfully close."
He almost let the name slip, but revealing it risked Sakayanagi spreading the video. Understanding that exposing Ayanokouji's true identity would be disastrous, he carefully chose his words.
"Childhood friends, perhaps? Fufu, please keep this information a secret as well, okay?"
"…I have zero intention of spreading it. That's terrifying."
The gentle smile carried a clear warning.
Even without the warning, Hashimoto had no intention of revealing anything about Ayanokouji. Although their relationship had been one of mutual use, he never imagined the other boy could discard people so ruthlessly.
The sheer brutality of it, and the terror of having been targeted without him even noticing, had nearly broken Hashimoto to his core.
"I feel bad for you, Ryuuen."
Ryuuen, who was hunting X—that is, Ayanokouji—had no idea just how terrifying he truly was. Even if he managed to find him, he'd only get crushed in return. Hashimoto came to that conclusion on his own.
"…He's here."
Sakayanagi slowly turned toward the hallway. As if by reflex, Hashimoto followed her gaze.
"…Footsteps?"
The sound of someone kicking hard against the ground reached them. The rhythm was incredibly fast. The moment they looked toward the door, the owner of those footsteps appeared.
"…Why are you here?"
The person was Izuru Kamukura of Class C. He wiped the sweat running down his cheek before it could drip into his long black hair—a surprisingly human gesture.
"Fufu, you don't understand?"
Sakayanagi adjusted her grip on her cane and engaged in conversation. However, Kamukura did not meet her eyes. Instead, he looked at Hashimoto and then toward Ibuki, who lay collapsed behind him.
"I see. So that shouting earlier was yours. Thanks to that, I was able to locate the place easily and saved a great deal of time. Thank you, Masayoshi Hashimoto."
"Uh, yeah… sure."
Hashimoto was bewildered by the sudden gratitude. Without understanding at all why Kamukura had come here, he had reflexively thanked him anyway.
"…How lucky you are, Hashimoto-kun. To think you could raise his favorability so easily."
"W-wait, why are you making such a scary face, Princess?"
This time Hashimoto got caught up in her sudden displeasure. He didn't even have time to sigh at how relentlessly reality was kicking him while he was down.
"You're an accomplice too, but… well, let's discuss that later. I don't have time right now."
"You seem impatient. It looks like he got one up on you."
"I let him have it."
Kamukura said it as if making an excuse for his failure. Sakayanagi found that childish side of him amusing and laughed in high spirits.
"Then you're heading there now. I wanted to see the outcome with my own eyes, but unfortunately…"
"I'll tell you the results as much as you want. So for now, I'm counting on you to take care of Ibuki-san."
"Can you really trust an accomplice that much?"
"It creates a debt in my favor. You understand what that means, don't you?"
As if she had been waiting for those very words, Sakayanagi's expression bloomed once more.
"How about one talent?"
"Do as you like."
Kamukura immediately turned his back and took a powerful step forward, accelerating rapidly. In the blink of an eye his footsteps faded away as Izuru Kamukura headed for the rooftop.
"…What does 'one talent' mean?"
"It's exactly as it sounds. It means I get to witness one of his wonderful talents."
Hashimoto didn't quite understand, but he took it to mean they had made plans to hang out. At any rate, he finally let out a sigh of relief at the fact that he hadn't been expelled.
...
Special building, main school building, entrance.
Izuru Kamukura sprinted through them all, aiming for the door that led to the rooftop.
The Ultimate Hope utilized every talent necessary for running as he dashed up the stairs.
(…My chest… stings.)
It was because he was doing full-body exercise while out of breath.
The oppressive, constricting pain came from that.
However, that wasn't the only reason. Ever since he had left the rooftop, there had been a different pain—as if something sharp had pierced the inside of his chest.
"…Stop."
Just before reaching the rooftop, a woman in a suit and one male student stood in Kamukura's path.
"…Please move."
Before even catching his breath, Kamukura spoke to the woman in the suit—Chabashira-sensei.
"I'll move if you tell me what business you have up ahead."
Chabashira spoke with a serious expression. The male student, Manabu Horikita, observed the situation from above, taking it all in.
"Chabashira-sensei, I heard a female student has collapsed in the special building. Is it really okay for the school not to respond?"
"…What?"
Chabashira spoke with extreme calm, but acting was pointless in front of Izuru Kamukura. The shock she felt inside was completely seen through.
"Please hurry and go check on her. Or do you want to be labeled as a heartless teacher who doesn't verify the safety of her students?"
"Threatening a teacher, huh? But do you really think I haven't considered the possibility that your report is false?"
"You can think about that later. If I lied, then I'll accept the punishment. That's all. Besides, we have a witness right here."
Kamukura looked at Horikita as he spoke.
Even if Chabashira went to the special building and found nothing, since Horikita had heard the statement, the lie would be exposed immediately.
Therefore, all she had to do was go confirm it. If she ignored a student's report here and prioritized her personal feelings, it would be the teacher, Chabashira, whose position would worsen.
"…Fine. Then I have no choice."
Chabashira reluctantly left the area. Horikita continued the conversation as if taking over the baton.
"What are you planning to do?"
"I'm going to see the unknown. If you move aside, I'm willing to cooperate with you properly."
"…Oh?"
Having finally caught his breath, Kamukura wiped his sweat with his sleeve.
"I'll give you the details another day. I'm busy right now. If you get in my way, I won't hold back—even against you."
"Fuh, relax. For this incident, I'm only acting as a witness. I'm not here to stop you."
"…Hmm, so he prepared you as well to make sure I'd arrive in time?"
The reason Ayanokouji had removed Kamukura from the rooftop was to buy time. To secure enough time to reliably finish off Ryuuen, who was now fighting alone.
Nevertheless, Ayanokouji was not using Horikita as a tool to stall. He wasn't soft enough to think such measures were unnecessary.
Thorough preparation was Kiyotaka Ayanokouji's way. He did not make mistakes that would leave gaps in his plans. If he had deliberately created one, there was only one answer.
Come at me. He was provoking him.
"You've got guts."
He placed his hand on the rooftop door and pushed with force.
The intense cold wave and the view of the rooftop gradually spread out. With a loud creak, the door swung fully open. And involuntarily—
"...How interesting."
Kamukura openly showed emotion at the scene before him.
The fact that Ryuuen's right-hand man, crawling on the ground, was grabbing Ayanokouji's leg. And the sight of Ayanokouji standing over him, eyes open, looking down at Ryuuen.
"…Kamukura-san!!"
Ishizaki cried out while clutching his body. Albert's knocked-out consciousness was returning as well.
"…Kiyotaka!! That guy's back… Kiyotaka?"
The one who panicked most at this sudden development was Karuizawa.
Terror surged back at the reappearance of the man who embodied despair itself.
That was why she clung desperately to hope, pressing her body against Kiyotaka Ayanokouji's legs.
But Ayanokouji showed no reaction to her at all. He simply kept staring down at Ryuuen.
Not at Kamukura—at Ryuuen.
To Ayanokouji, Ryuuen's actions were that much of an unknown factor.
"…"
Ryuuen didn't move an inch.
The damage had already exceeded his limits and stolen his consciousness.
Ayanokouji understood this.
Yet even knowing it in his head, the current Ryuuen still carried an intimidating aura, as if he might rise again at any second.
"…An unconscious action, huh."
Having finally concluded that, Ayanokouji roughly shifted his leg and shook off Ryuuen's right arm.
Then, at last, he turned his gaze toward Kamukura.
The distinctive long black hair was tousled by the wind like bedhead, sweat dripping down his cheek.
His fatigue was obvious.
Yet the monster wore a cool, refreshed expression, as though the dead of winter felt pleasant.
Ayanokouji analyzed that he could not let his guard down for even a moment.
"You're late. It's already over."
Ayanokouji spoke while maintaining maximum vigilance, adjusting his stance so he could shift into full combat mode at any time.
"Despite that, their eyes don't look dead at all, do they?"
Kamukura checked the hopeful eyes of Albert and Ishizaki in turn.
Then he lowered his gaze to the collapsed Ryuuen.
"It seems he gave you more trouble than I anticipated."
Kamukura's expression shifted slightly—his eyelashes and pupils widening a fraction, his closed lips curving by the smallest margin.
But it lasted only an instant before he let out a sigh.
"What a shame. I wanted to see him challenge you as well."
"I wasn't struggling. I took measures precisely so that wouldn't happen.
More importantly, Kamukura—Chabashira and Manabu Horikita should have been outside. Did you get past those two properly?"
Ayanokouji had prepared several plans to keep Kamukura from reaching this place.
He had even used three actors—Mio Ibuki, Manabu Horikita, and Sae Chabashira—to buy time, so he was curious how the other had broken through.
"Yes. I sent Chabashira-sensei to the special building.
Telling her a female student had collapsed left her no choice but to leave as a teacher."
This was exactly as Ayanokouji had predicted.
Given her position as an educator, reporting a problem would easily lure her away.
"The former student council president is honoring his promise to you.
Since you used him as a witness, he's still guarding the stairs."
"I see."
If Kamukura had panicked and forced his way through, it would have been favorable for Ayanokouji, but that had been asking for too much.
"So what are you planning to do now that you're here?
If it's just you, you might be able to defeat me, but if you do, your side will receive punishment too.
And it'll be even heavier than mine, including the bullying of Karuizawa."
In this rooftop incident, Ryuuen's group was entirely at fault.
The bullying of Karuizawa, tampering with the surveillance cameras, and the fight itself.
With Manabu Horikita as a witness, they could prepare solid evidence.
The emails Ryuuen sent inviting Karuizawa and those sent to Ayanokouji would also serve as valid proof.
However, there was no evidence left that could be used against Ayanokouji's side.
It was true Ayanokouji had used Mio Ibuki, but the only evidence was the fake love letter.
Since it bore Masayoshi Hashimoto's name, suspicion would be difficult to direct at Ayanokouji.
With Arisu Sakayanagi's cooperation as well, manipulating the situation would be easy.
"However, that only applies if this rooftop matter spreads to the school.
Since neither of us wants that outcome, I've judged that continuing would be unreasonable."
In the end, there was the fact that Ayanokouji had joined the rooftop midway after being summoned by Karuizawa.
He couldn't force the narrative manipulation too far.
If punishment fell on Ayanokouji, it would be for excessive self-defense.
Conversely, the four Class C students present would face suspension or worse.
Considering the benefits, Class C should back down immediately.
"But it doesn't have to be reasonable. As long as today ends in your victory, neither side will speak of what happened.
In that case, I think it's acceptable to be a little reckless and fulfill their hopes."
If it ultimately ended in Ayanokouji's victory, today's events wouldn't spread throughout the school.
Even if someone refused to accept it, it would only be Ryuuen, but he couldn't retaliate while ignoring the risks.
The 800 million point plan. Though it was regrettable, he had no choice but to withdraw.
"Ayanokouji-kun, the match… is your win. Class C promises not to speak about this incident.
We also promise not to cause any more fights outside the arena. However, to prove their resistance wasn't meaningless, allow us to settle this in a draw."
... Shall we play a little?
Kamukura spoke quietly and began closing the distance with leisurely steps.
"K-Kiyotaka! Let's stop this already!"
Ayanokouji also took a bold step forward.
But Karuizawa grabbed the hem of his uniform.
Understanding that further fighting was pointless, she didn't want the hero who had saved her to get hurt anymore.
"It's okay."
He gently stroked Karuizawa's head.
Then he immediately moved his leg forward as if shaking off her grip.
Karuizawa kept reaching out, but she couldn't stop him.
His opponent was Izuru Kamukura—the very embodiment of despair.
That was why, even after witnessing Ayanokouji's overwhelming combat ability, Karuizawa couldn't feel certain of victory.
Still, now that he had stepped forward, she had no choice but to believe.
She clasped both hands in front of her chest, bowed her head, and prayed.
"…Kamukura-san."
While resting their exhausted bodies, Ishizaki and Albert watched Kamukura's back as he advanced.
The two had no doubt about Kamukura's victory.
Before a true monster, even Ayanokouji was powerless.
They knew Izuru Kamukura was the incarnation of talent capable of resolving everything alone.
They were convinced defeat was impossible.
"You're being emotional, Kamukura. Did the way I treated Mio Ibuki affect you?"
Both remained expressionless.
Even so, Ayanokouji spoke as if he had seen directly into Kamukura's heart.
"I had instructed her beforehand to act as a hostage.
The treatment exceeded my expectations, but it's not something that affects me."
"Despite saying that, you look awfully emotional."
Ayanokouji spoke provocatively as Kamukura slowly approached.
Despite his unchanging expression, Ayanokouji was analyzing emotional subtleties that normal people could never detect.
As the distance closed, the two stopped once they were within arm's reach.
"If you act according to your emotions, openings will appear. You understand that, don't you?"
"Then prove to me that I have such an opening."
Neither took a stance.
Yet their relaxed arms were ready to move at any moment.
"I'll repay the debt from the sports festival."
Slightly higher due to their height difference, red eyes looked down while colorless eyes looked up.
... Ayanokouji moved first.
A right straight punch, several stages faster than the one he had thrown at Ryuuen, was unleashed as a probe.
Its speed rivaled a professional boxer's—difficult for an ordinary person to even track.
But it didn't reach Kamukura.
He had inserted his left hand into the punch's path and seized Ayanokouji's wrist.
"Too slow."
He neither dodged nor deflected.
That meant he possessed eyes capable of completely reading the attack and reflexes fast enough to react afterward.
Furthermore—it meant he had the composure to choose grabbing among all possible responses.
Kamukura squeezed the captured wrist with crushing force.
"…!"
Feeling the pain, Ayanokouji immediately counterattacked.
He tried to forcefully yank his right wrist back, attempting to pull Kamukura toward him.
If the alerted Kamukura released his arm and retreated, he would pursue. If not, he would slam a powerful punch into the solar plexus.
Either outcome was advantageous.
Kamukura chose the former.
"Shh!"
A right straight to close the distance he had retreated.
Kamukura parried it with his right palm.
He bent his arm like a whip, preventing damage from accumulating in his own body.
Ayanokouji followed with a left hook and another right straight.
Strikes powerful enough to easily shatter bones gave no breathing room.
And of course, he retracted them immediately to avoid leaving openings.
However, Kamukura simply parried them all without counterattacking.
"…Are you just going to keep running away?"
If no counter came, he switched to powerful kicks as his primary weapon.
He unleashed a high kick capable of snapping the neck, followed by roundhouse kicks.
Even so, no urgency appeared on Kamukura's face. He handled everything with composure.
Sometimes parrying, sometimes lightly stepping left and right, continuously retreating and moving away from the spectators.
Noticing this, Ayanokouji refused to let up his assault.
"…"
To vary his attacks, he threw a jab followed by a right straight in a one-two, but they were parried the same way.
Reading that, he connected with a right backfist aimed at the chin.
For the first time, Kamukura chose clear evasion, leaning his upper body back to dodge.
His posture broke for a split second—Ayanokouji wasn't one to miss it.
A flowing calf kick followed.
But this too was avoided with a backstep.
He prepared for a counter, but none came.
Kamukura stood casually rotating his wrist, staring at him with a bored look.
"…How convenient."
The lack of counterattack didn't irritate him.
Had it been Ryuuen, he would have gone for direct attacks, but Kiyotaka Ayanokouji wouldn't make such a basic mistake.
He had the experience and accomplishments to easily defeat combat professionals even with orthodox methods.
He would not let his guard down against White Room opponents.
And all the more so when recognizing Izuru Kamukura as an enemy equal to or greater than those combat professionals.
There was no arrogance, and assuming the opponent was weaker and lowering his guard would be the weakness to exploit.
Applying everything he had learned, Ayanokouji closed the distance with irregular rhythm and timing.
From there, he unleashed his fastest, most powerful strike at the face.
However—
"... Boring."
The full-power blow never reached its mark.
A sharp, high-pitched sound rang out as Ayanokouji's right fist was stopped, as if sucked into Kamukura's left hand.
Sensing the growing intensity of Kamukura's presence, Ayanokouji predicted the counter this time and hurried to free his captured hand.
But it was unnecessary.
His right hand was released almost immediately.
Ayanokouji froze for a moment, processing that fact.
"Against you, a prickling, restless sensation is rising from deep inside me.
It's unpleasant. If this is what they call anger, then it truly is a negative emotion. It dulls rational thought."
"What are you talking about?"
"It's a continuation of what I said earlier. You said I was being emotional, and indeed… it seems I was becoming a little emotional.
Inside my desire to know your true ability, there existed a small part of me that wanted to crush you without giving you a chance to speak."
The extent of the treatment toward Mio Ibuki had been slightly beyond even Kamukura's expectations.
Beyond expectation—that is, unknown.
Yet despite it being a situation the old Kamukura would have welcomed, a different emotion had surfaced.
It was anger.
His heart, which should have vanished, was slowly beginning to take form again in response to the treatment of someone he had grown close enough to call a friend.
"If you want to crush me, why did you stop your attack?"
"Disappointment surpassed it. I had been looking forward to it, expecting to thoroughly crush an opponent I thought would be worthy, but I never imagined his level would be this low."
Kamukura spoke as if spitting the words.
This irritated tone was a change that would shock anyone who knew the Ultimate Hope, Izuru Kamukura.
No, those who noticed might even call it degradation.
But... even that talent had not degraded.
The monster who possessed every conceivable talent remained a monster.
"…!?"
Kamukura kicked off the ground.
In the next instant, a palm strike slammed into Ayanokouji's solar plexus.
The powerful step made no sound at the moment of impact and had no preparatory movement whatsoever.
It wasn't that Ayanokouji had blinked and missed it.
He had been vigilant, yet he was still too slow to respond.
Ayanokouji was blown back as if struck by a truck.
However, this only looked dramatic because he had deliberately flown backward to dissipate the force.
That was why he landed cleanly without rolling.
His body unconsciously moved to prepare for the follow-up, the result of experience and achievement.
To analyze every movement, Ayanokouji kept Kamukura firmly within his field of vision.
But then his vision suddenly dropped.
"…"
His knees buckled toward the ground.
The realization made Ayanokouji want to click his tongue.
He had mitigated the damage.
But the point of impact had been poor, so his body was demanding a brief rest.
"Get into position."
The monster radiated an even stronger presence.
An indescribable, overwhelming aura—the sublimation of hope and despair mixed together—pressed down on Ayanokouji.
There was no fear.
At the arrival of this unknown, Ayanokouji even felt... pleasure.
***
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