Torrential rain lashed the deserted island. In the heart of the storm, Yagami and Ichika were currently struggling to outrun a relentless pursuit.
As they tore through the dense undergrowth, Ichika stole a glance over her shoulder, only to witness a silhouette she would likely never forget for the rest of her life.
It was Asuna. Every time lightning split the sky, her silent, rain-drenched figure drawing closer looked utterly terrifying—like a predator that had already tasted the scent of its prey.
Ichika was on the verge of tears from sheer terror; she pushed her legs to their limit, terrified of being caught. Yagami fared no better; his face was deathly pale as he screamed curses at the heavens.
"Damn it! You're still coming?! Are you mentally ill?!!!" Yagami shrieked in frustration.
Asuna offered no reply. She maintained her pursuit in a chilling, heavy silence. In her eyes, these two were no longer human beings—they were stacks of cash. Right now, her vision was filled only with the shimmering image of a mountain of personal points.
Thanks to her gaming habits, Asuna was perpetually short on funds. She felt "forced" to sacrifice these two cute underclassmen to trade them in for a few expensive new character skins. Internally, she offered a silent prayer to soothe her own conscience.
(Forgive me. This is the choice of Steins;Gate. I cannot change it. Accept your fate and become my hostages. I'll pray for your souls through the new skins I'm about to buy...) she murmured inwardly.
It was clear that Asuna had zero intention of letting them go until her financial goals were met.
In truth, if they had already lost everything, why was Asuna still chasing them?
The reason was tactical: to prevent them from causing further chaos. After all, both were elite fighters. Her other classmates wouldn't stand a chance against them if she wasn't there to intervene.
Furthermore, Asuna had split her class into three small teams to occupy three separate castles simultaneously. Her team's current distribution was incredibly fragile. With the strength Yagami or Ichika possessed, if even one of them made it back to a base, Asuna's teams could be wiped out in an instant. That was why she clung to them without mercy—to keep them too busy running to think about counter-attacking.
However, the two fugitives didn't know the tactical reasoning!
Seeing Asuna tailing them like a Goddess of Death, Yagami and Ichika felt like breaking down.
(Beautiful Senpai, please stop chasing us. We were wrong, okay? Just stop, I'm begging you!)
In their panicked flight, Yagami and Ichika finally stumbled into the territory of Ryunosuke—the Class 2-C area. They immediately dove into a thicket of trees to hide.
Having lost their trail, Asuna didn't give up so easily. She decided to patrol the perimeter, showing no sign of leaving anytime soon.
Ichika let out a long, ragged breath, leaning against a tree trunk. "What now? That Senpai is a monster. Should we just forfeit? I don't even want to be in this exam anymore..."
Before Ichika could finish, Yagami cut her off with a stern expression. "Have you forgotten why we're at this school, Amasawa? We're here to take down Ayanokouji and Akasaka and get them expelled. This is their turf—a rare opportunity. We can stick to the original plan: kidnap a classmate to force them into submission."
Ichika sneered at him ruthlessly. "Oh, look who's talking. Weren't you the one who let your emotions get the better of you and ran off to pick a fight with Yuuki-senpai's class? Now that you've been trashed, you want to talk strategy with me?"
Yagami slumped, his head hanging low. His pride as the top graduate of the White Room was in tatters. "How was I supposed to know she was that good? So, what do you suggest we do?"
Ichika tapped her chin, thinking hard. "Stick to the original plan. Let's see if we can snatch a stray Class C member. We'll use them as a bargaining chip to sneak into their castle and hide from Asuna-senpai's pursuit. Whatever we do, we have to get that 'Flash' sister off our backs first."
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At that same moment, Kushida was leading two of her friends on a patrol of the surrounding area. As luck—or lack thereof—would have it, they crossed paths with Yagami and Ichika. The practiced, friendly smile that usually graced Kushida's face froze instantly when she saw the predatory glares of the two underclassmen.
A short while later, Asuna appeared and approached Ryunosuke, asking if he had seen two specific underclassmen. Ryunosuke shook his head calmly, claiming he hadn't seen a soul. Asuna looked disappointed but requested he contact her immediately if they showed up.
Once Asuna was out of earshot, Ryunosuke's gaze turned sharp, directed at the shadows nearby. "Come out. She's gone."
Ichika and Yagami emerged from the darkness, dragging a hostage with them: Kushida.
Currently, Kushida looked pitiful; Ichika had her by the hair, and her clothes were stained with mud and rainwater. The only reason Ryunosuke had sent Asuna away was to ensure his classmate's safety.
Seeing that Asuna was truly gone, Yagami let out a sigh of relief. His arrogant nature resurfaced immediately; he wanted to pit his wits against Ryunosuke. "Akasaka-senpai, hand over all your crystals, or I won't be holding back against Kushida-senpai here."
Ichika chimed in with a sweet, menacing lilt. "Akasaka-senpai~ Even though I'm just a frail girl, I think I can still manage to snap a girl's arm, you know."
Ryunosuke's brow furrowed deeply as the situation turned dangerously tense.