Once they stepped inside the castle, Ryunosuke immediately organized his people to keep a close watch on the intruders. Though Ichika and Yagami appeared calm on the surface, they were already weaving a new scheme. As long as they held a hostage, they could force an unfair hand.
Once they were certain Asuna had truly given up the chase, Ichika and Yagami exchanged a knowing look. They began to lay out their demands to Ryunosuke.
"Hand over your crystals, and we'll let her go." Yagami threatened.
Kei, who was standing nearby, couldn't take it anymore and stepped forward to snap at them, "Don't you dare push your luck!" However, Ryunosuke held her back, signaling his silent agreement to the terms.
Still held captive, Kushida watched Ryunosuke intently. Since when had she become so indispensable in this man's eyes?
Ryunosuke pulled out a single crystal—his own. He wasn't a fool; since the opposition only asked for "their" crystal without specifying any others, he offered just one as bait. He chose to keep the two crystals he had seized earlier hidden away.
The exchange began. The plan followed the classic "one hand gives the goods, the other releases the person" procedure. Ryunosuke tossed his crystal toward them. Ichika lazily loosened her grip on Kushida and shoved her forward.
"Off you go! Who knew Akasaka-senpai cared about you so much~?" Ichika teased.
Kushida remained silent, walking with unsteady steps toward Ryunosuke. She was just about to find the words to thank him when a violent jerk from behind snapped her back.
As it turned out, the rope binding Kushida's hands behind her back was still firmly in Ichika's grasp. From the very beginning, the pair never intended to let her go. To them, recycling the same hostage was standard procedure. As long as they held Kushida, they were confident they could pressure Ryunosuke—and perhaps even Ayanokouji.
Seeing Kushida yanked back, Ryunosuke lunged to grab her, but Yagami swiftly flicked a small stone that struck Ryunosuke's hand with pinpoint accuracy, forcing him to pull away.
Witnessing this betrayal, Ryunosuke dropped the act. It turned out he had attached a nearly invisible thin steel wire to the crystal. With one powerful tug, the crystal flew back into his hand. Now, the stalemate had reset: the goods and the person remained with their respective owners.
Yagami cursed, accusing Ryunosuke of not fighting like a man. Ryunosuke shot back fiercely, noting that his opponents were just as underhanded. With neither side willing to budge, the situation hit a dead end.
Kushida, pulled back and forth like a ragdoll, could only wait in resigned silence. This man was as devious as ever, but internally she whispered, Well played...
An involuntary, faint curve touched her lips. Compared to being a hostage with an uncertain fate, she preferred this locked-down state. She didn't hate Ryunosuke's methods; she knew they were the right move. Even so, a small prickle of annoyance lingered in her heart.
Sensing the impasse, Ryunosuke put forward a proposal. "How about a wager?"
"If you win, I'm at your mercy—even if it means being expelled from this school. But if you lose, you give her back to me!"
Ryunosuke spread his arms, projecting absolute sincerity. In truth, he had an ulterior motive; he was itching for a rematch with Yagami. After his last defeat, he wanted to settle the score right here.
Yagami and Ichika misread the situation completely. They assumed Kushida meant so much to Ryunosuke that he was willing to gamble his very status as a student.
Ichika even teased Kushida again, "Wow, he really likes you, doesn't he~?" However, she didn't realize there was a faint trace of displeasure hidden in her own tone.
Kushida simply lowered her head in silence.
(Does this man... truly care for me?)
She had once loathed him with every fiber of her being, but now, seeing Ryunosuke willing to risk expulsion for her sake, her heart began to waver. Her cheeks flushed slightly; was it possible she was actually falling for him?
The rules of the duel were set, and combat erupted. The two fought with savage intensity, their strength so evenly matched that a victor seemed impossible. Eventually, they both leaped back to create distance.
Yagami decided to stop playing around. He slipped iron brass knuckles onto both fists to maximize his destructive power. To match him, Ryunosuke pulled out Vongola Sky rings from beneath his shirt and slipped them onto his fingers. Don't ask where he got them; let's just say he was suffering from a terminal case of chuunibyou.
Ryunosuke used the rings as a medium to parry the brass knuckles. The impact of their fists sent sparks flying. After a dozen exchanges, neither had managed to land a decisive blow.
Ryunosuke then kicked a three-meter-long wooden table, sending it airborne, and lunged at Yagami while using the table as a battering ram.
Yagami was pinned until his back hit the wall. With a sudden burst of power, the table shattered into splinters. Amidst the swirling wood dust, Ryunosuke found his opening.
*SLAP!*
Ryunosuke landed a stinging slap across Yagami's face. While his opponent stood dazed and reeling, he followed up with a powerful kick that sent Yagami tumbling.
Ryunosuke flicked his jacket back like a cape and raised a single finger with a cool flourish. "You're still a long way off, kid."
Yagami tried to scramble up in a blind rage, but Ryunosuke immediately swept his legs, dropping him back to the ground.
Ryunosuke then stepped firmly onto Yagami's chest. A muffled groan escaped Yagami's mouth as he was pinned to the floor like crushed mud.
Ryunosuke increased the pressure and said arrogantly, "Is this all you've got, Yagami Takuya? You're no longer a match for me." Then, with a final, precise kick to the head, he knocked Yagami unconscious instantly.
Ryunosuke then shifted his sharp gaze toward Ichika. The girl immediately released Kushida and threw her hands up over her head, cheekily sticking out her tongue in a sign of surrender. She knew when she was beat; if the stronger Yagami had lost, there was no point in looking for trouble. Besides, Yagami was the one who started it, not her.
Ichika's instinct was spot on. Ryunosuke had actually positioned Megumi—who was currently "invisible"—behind them with a stun gun. If Ichika had dared to make another threat, Megumi wouldn't have hesitated to act.
Ichika began smoothing out her pink hair, putting on a cute act for Ryunosuke to fish for forgiveness. But before Ryunosuke could say a word, Kushida—newly freed—suddenly wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug from behind.
Ryunosuke froze. Even Ichika, in the middle of her "cute" performance, stared in open-mouthed shock.