Raven then leaped into the air, unleashing the signature Rider Kick. The Golden Drill soared toward the Crocodile Orphnoch.
BANG!
The attack tore through the Orphnoch's body, and Raven landed behind it. The Crocodile Orphnoch's entire body was now engulfed in blue flames, a mark appearing on its form. At the same moment, all the energy that made up its body was absorbed by Raven, leaving only a pile of sand that was quickly scattered by the wind.
With that, Raven finally acquired the Crocodile Orphnoch's abilities, gaining three lives and the power to receive a comprehensive boost in strength with each death.
"Incredible..." Mari was stunned, watching Raven effortlessly and flawlessly use the Driver to defeat the Crocodile Orphnoch.
"Who are you? And how do you know how to use that Driver...?" Mari rushed forward, wanting to question Raven.
"Mari, that's the guy who stole my belt last time," Takumi warned, pulling her back.
"It was him?" Mari's eyes widened as the memory of that day flashed in her mind. That terrifying, bloody scene felt as if it were happening right now.
But after a moment's hesitation, Mari bravely approached Raven. She held out her hand. "Thank you for saving me last time. My name is Mari, Mari Sonoda..."
With Takumi unable to transform, and herself being constantly harassed by those troublesome Orphnochs—and two of her Ryusei School classmates having already died—she was seeking Raven's help.
Raven smiled gently and shook her hand. He had to admit, he preferred the older, more developed Mari of the future, but for now, she was just a cute young girl.
"Just call me Raven," Raven said, his tone gentle—almost unrecognizable from their last meeting. Combined with his handsome face, which instantly made young girls weak in the knees, Mari quickly lowered her head, shyly avoiding eye contact. She was afraid to look too long, lest he completely steal her heart.
"By the way, I remember giving that belt back to Takumi. Why isn't he wearing it today?" Raven asked intentionally.
Takumi's eyes instantly darkened.
Mari quickly explained, "I gave it back to the Smart Brain company. I thought they would be able to use the Driver more responsibly..."
"Ugh. I can't believe there are people this naive," Raven sighed, slapping his forehead.
"Huh? Is something wrong?" Mari looked at Raven with innocent, wide eyes.
"Those things are a long story. If you don't mind, why don't we go to my café for a drink and talk it out?" Raven offered.
And so, Raven rode the Junglaider, bringing Takumi and Mari along to his Amazon Café.
They soon arrived at the shop.
"This is your café, Mr. Raven... it's so stylish," Mari complimented without reservation upon entering. She was surprised that Raven, who seemed only slightly older than them, already owned his own coffee shop.
"Welcome..." Yuka immediately came forward to greet them as Raven brought in his guests.
"Where's Saya?" Raven asked, seeing only Yuka in the main hall.
"She's in the backyard," Yuka replied.
"Saya?" Mari paused slightly when she heard the name.
"What's wrong?" Takumi noticed Mari's reaction.
"Nothing, I just have a classmate named Saya too," Mari replied with a smile.
Just then, Saya walked from the backyard into the hall. Her eyes met Mari's.
"Mari!"
"Saya!"
The two girls exchanged surprised and joyous expressions and immediately rushed into a hug. This surprised everyone present, except for Raven.
Ten minutes later, the group sat down together. Mari and Saya briefly recounted their experiences since leaving the Ryusei School.
"So that's what happened. Saya, you're really lucky to have met such a good person like Mr. Raven as soon as you arrived in Tokyo, unlike me, who was unlucky enough to meet a certain..." Mari trailed off dramatically.
Takumi gave her a sidelong glance, knowing she was referring to him. He picked up his cup of steaming coffee and continuously blew on the surface. Raven couldn't help but be amused; the guy truly was a cat-tongue, having to cool down even his coffee.
"So, Saya, you didn't run into any Orphnoch attacks on your way here?" Mari continued to ask, knowing that everyone from the Ryusei School seemed to be getting dragged into matters concerning the Orphnochs and the Drivers.
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