Aika walked at a steady pace, her light backpack on her shoulders, her eyes tracing the last rays of sunlight painting the ground in orange and gold streaks. She was distracted, scrolling on her phone with one hand and fixing her hair with the other. The dirt path behind the school seemed as peaceful as ever.
But she wasn't alone.
A few meters back, the steps of three boys broke the dry silence among the trees. They moved unhurriedly, keeping their distance as if following a planned script.
Ryo Mizuhara led, his eyes locked on Aika's back. His expression was hard, jaw clenched. His hands were stuffed in his pants pockets, but his body betrayed tension. The two following him, classmates from his room, exchanged knowing glances and smiles that clashed with the serene landscape.
"She's heading exactly where we wanted."
"She doesn't even suspect."
Ryo didn't reply. He just nodded slightly.
"A few more minutes. Once she passes the old fence, we close in."
Aika rounded a curve, briefly vanishing from their sight.
Ryo quickened his pace. The two behind matched him.
No one looked back.
No one noticed the steps over twenty meters away, tracking every move with silent precision.
Yuta walked among the trees, where the light was dimmer. His hands hung loosely at his sides. His eyes, sharp. The wind pushed dry leaves toward him, but he didn't flinch. He didn't need to.
'They think they're in control.'
The distance was perfect. Close enough to stay unseen. Far enough to see everything.
'They think no one's going to stop them.'
He passed a thick tree and watched the trio enter the denser forest stretch, where the school's sounds no longer reached.
'They're wrong.'
Yuta took another step. The last before the punishment began.
___
Aika crossed the old fence without noticing the sounds behind her. The path narrowed, covered in exposed roots and damp leaves. When she heard the quick steps, it was too late.
She turned, brow furrowed. Her heart raced instantly.
Ryo Mizuhara appeared just ahead, walking with his chin raised and fists clenched. Behind him, the two other boys emerged from the bushes, blocking the path.
"What is this?"
Aika stepped back, her eyes darting between the three.
Ryo spat his words, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Look at that… the pervert princess decided to take a walk alone."
Aika kept her chin firm, but her fingers tightened on her backpack straps.
"Go back to school, Ryo. I'm not in the mood."
He laughed, humorless. The other two closed in, one on each side.
"Oh, you're gonna listen. You're gonna hear what I've been holding since that stunt behind the gym."
Aika locked eyes with him, refusing to look down.
"You rejected me. Acted like I was nothing. Then I see you… with that idiot, rubbing up on him like it's your first time in love."
"Jealous, huh?"
Ryo's face darkened. He didn't swing, but the threat hung in the air.
"You think you're better than everyone? You're not. Just another slut chasing attention."
Aika's eyes narrowed. She didn't respond.
"But now… you're far from school. And from any idiot trying to play hero."
He stepped forward. She stepped back, her feet slipping on damp leaves.
"Think someone's gonna show up to save you now? Huh?"
Aika's breathing quickened. Her hands trembled, but she held his gaze.
"If you touch me, Ryo… I swear—"
"You don't swear anything. You just shut up."
Another step.
A branch snapped behind them. Sharp. Cold. Like the forest itself had paused to listen.
Yuta Okkotsu emerged from the trees.
The three turned their heads at once.
He stood still, arms at his sides, eyes fixed on Ryo.
Aika held her breath.
No one moved.
Yuta took a step. Just one.
The sound of his shoes on the damp ground broke the tension.
His voice came low. Unhurried. Emotionless.
"You made the mistake of thinking the world revolves around your frustration, Ryo."
No other sound from the forest.
Ryo clicked his tongue, irritated.
"You think you scare me?"
He nodded to the two behind him.
"Think you're an anime hero now?"
The boy to Ryo's right let out a short laugh.
"And he shows up all serious… like we're gonna run."
The other picked up a thick branch from the ground, twirling it like a makeshift weapon.
Ryo stepped forward, fearless.
"You're alone, Okkotsu. And there's three of us."
Yuta didn't reply. His eyes stayed on him. No anger. No rush. Just an unsettling patience.
Aika swallowed hard. The tension in the air was almost physical now. She wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come. She just watched.
Ryo snorted.
"Gonna just stand there? It's one guy. Take him out!"
Yuta moved.
The damp ground crunched under his feet.
Cursed energy surged through his body in an instant, coursing down his arms like a cold, pulsing current. His presence shifted—denser, heavier. The air around him seemed to thicken.
Ryo took another step forward, confident.
The boy to his side lunged first, charging with the branch in hand.
Yuta leaned forward, eyes narrowing.
ZWF—
A sharp sound came as he caught the attacker's arm mid-swing. Then a quick strike to the chin.
THAK!
The boy went limp mid-air, collapsing onto the leaves with a muffled thud.
The other hesitated but shouted as he charged, fists clenched. He was bigger, heavier.
Yuta pivoted, his right hand cloaked in a dense layer of dark energy. He sidestepped and delivered a spinning kick to the boy's stomach.
BOOM!
The body flew two meters back, slamming into a tree trunk. It slumped silently.
Two seconds.
Two bodies down.
Aika held her breath, eyes wide, locked on the scene.
Ryo stepped back.
Yuta was a few meters away now. His aura grew by the second. An invisible field of menace, as if the space itself warned it was too late to run.
He stopped two steps away.
Ryo kept his fists clenched but didn't move. The arrogance was gone. Now it was just fear, thinly veiled as anger.
Ryo Mizuhara POV
'What was that…?'
The sound still rang in my ears. The impact. Jun's body slamming into the tree. Daiki blacking out before he could scream.
'They… they went down with one hit. Just one.'
My legs felt heavy. Sweat ran cold down my back.
'This isn't normal. This guy isn't normal.'
I tried to hold my ground. Took a deep breath. Clenched my fists.
'If I run now… it's over. If I back down, he wins.'
But my body wouldn't respond right.
Yuta's eyes didn't waver. No taunting, no anger. Just that monstrous calm, like he was just… clearing trash from his path.
I swallowed hard.
'Shit… what the hell is this guy?'
End Ryo POV
Yuta tilted his head slightly, his gaze still locked on Ryo.
"Aika. Close your eyes."
She hesitated. Her hands shook. Her wide eyes stayed on them, as if hoping for another way out.
Yuta didn't change his tone. Or his stance.
"Close your eyes. Now."
Aika obeyed. Slowly. Reluctantly.
Her lashes lowered, hiding the frightened glint. Her lips parted, but no sound came.
The forest fell silent again.
Two unconscious bodies on the ground.
A girl with closed eyes, waiting.
And only two standing.
Yuta.
And the last name on the mission.
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