“Hey. Thanks for holding them off.” She spoke like she'd just walked into a classroom, not a battlefield. Aoi could barely respond, frozen in disbelief. Kota stood in surprise, his eyes wide in shock.

“H-Hey, M-Misora…” Reina stammered, beads of sweat dotting her forehead.

“Rei. Na. Ho. Shi. Zu. Ki!!” Misora growled, storming toward her with a dark aura looming. Reina instinctively raised her palms in surrender, freezing in place—

WHACK!

—only for Misora’s fist to land squarely on her head.

“Ow—!!” Reina yelped, clutching her skull in pain.

“That’s for making everyone worry!” Misora snapped, hands planted firmly on her hips. “Do you have any idea how freaked out he was?! And on top of that, you’re out here, brawling in this part of town like it’s some kind of weekend hobby?! What were you thinking?! Are you trying to get killed?!” A throbbing vein pulsed on Misora’s temple, her voice ringing through the street as the others looked on, half amused, half stunned.

Reina slumped her shoulders with a guilty sigh. “I know, I know… I’m sorry. But… I’m glad you showed up when you did.”

Misora exhaled loudly, clearly exasperated. She pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering, “Unbelievable…” before dropping her hand and casting a relieved glance toward her friend.

“Fine… Just don’t let you-know-who catch wind of this. You know how that’ll end,” she muttered, side-eying Reina before turning to the crowd of thugs still lingering nearby. The moment her gaze locked onto them; a wave of fear rippled through the gang. Their breath hitched. Some even staggered back instinctively.

Then— Footsteps. A low, slow rhythm echoed behind her. The thugs turned their heads and froze. Two silhouettes emerged from the shadows; each step deliberate. One had fiery crimson hair, clad in the same outfit as Reina, casually massaging her shoulder like she was prepping for a warm-up. The other girl had raven-black hair brushing just past her shoulders, her dark navy-blue jacket swaying over a crisp black mid-thigh pleated skirt, her violet eyes cold and unreadable.

“You morons…” Misora said sharply, taking a slow step forward. The thugs instinctively retreated, step for step.

She stopped. The two newcomers flanked her—one to each side—shoulders squared, silent. Her fists trembled at her sides, her bangs slipped forward, shadowing her eyes.

“Do you even realize what you were about to do?” Her voice was quiet. Controlled. But there was something dangerous underneath—something coiled and waiting.

Then it hit.

An aura of searing fury exploded around her, like a pressure wave. The ground didn’t shake, but the air felt like it did.

“If even one of you lays a finger on Reina...” Misora raised her head slowly, a crooked smile tugging at her lips, though her twitching brow betrayed the fury beneath. Her voice dropped an octave, cold and venom-laced.

“You do realize what that means, right?” The thugs stiffened.

“You almost hurt the one person our top leader actually gives a damn about...” she continued, her tone darkening. “Which means...” her eyes flashed white-hot with rage, “You’ve officially signed up for a world of pain!” Her snarl ripped through the air like a blade, and some of the thugs visibly flinched. From her side, the crimson-haired girl let out a dry chuckle, still casually rolling her shoulder.

“Seriously, Reina... we leave you alone for two minutes, and you're already causing a scene.” She cracked her neck.

“We never should’ve taken our eyes off her,” the black-haired girl said coolly, her tone as calm as a winter breeze.

“Hey, this whole thing isn’t my fault, you know,” Reina grumbled with a pout, arms crossed. Beside her, Kota released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, a relieved smile forming as the two girls took their places.

Aoi blinked in disbelief, her voice low. “Why... Why are the Nightingales here?”

Gasps rippled through the thugs. “Those uniforms…” one of the boys murmured.

“They’re... Nightingales...” another whispered.

“So what?!” one of the thug girls barked. “You cowards actin’ like we ain’t got numbers on our side!” She charged recklessly. “Let’s crush ‘em!”

The rest of the crew roared and surged forward—but before the first girl’s fist even neared its mark—

CRACK!

Misora didn’t flinch. With an unreadable expression, she stepped forward and thrust her leg upward like lightning, her combat boot smashing into the girl’s face with brutal precision. The impact sent her sprawling across the pavement, scraping across the ground as dust kicked up around her.

Silence fell. The rest of the gang froze mid-step, staring in shock as Misora calmly lowered her leg, her dark navy jacket rippling with the wind, eyes sharp and unreadable.

“Still feel like testing your odds?” she asked coolly, cracking her knuckles. “Man, can't believe it's these guys again,” She spoke low, adjusting her stance as her sharp eyes finally met theirs, clear and unflinching.

“Good grief,” the black-haired girl, Yura Kisaragi, said with a weary sigh, calm but unimpressed.

“Still, it wouldn't hurt that our second-in-command leader gave the order.” The crimson-haired girl, Asuka Renge, tilted her head slightly, her baby-blue eyes locking onto the green-eyed girl, “Right, Reina?”

Aoi’s widened eyes flicked to Reina, who dipped her head ever so slightly, a smirk tugging at her lips as her hands slid into her pockets. When she lifted her gaze again, the teasing glint was gone, replaced by steely determination.

“Five minutes! That’s all you’ve got to wipe these punks out!” Her voice thundered. “Don’t leave a single one standing. Are we clear?!!”

“Yes, ma'am!!” They responded in unison.

Misora cracked her knuckles with a sharp pop, a glint of cold confidence in her slate-blue eyes. “Five minutes? Generous.”

Asuka’s smirk twisted into something dangerous. “Finally. I’ve been itching to stretch. And I’ll be done in three.”

Yura reached into her jacket, slipping on her gloves. “Understood. Swift and efficient.”

Misora stepped forward, her boots grinding into the gravel. “Let’s teach these idiots what happens when you mess with Sayonaki.” The thugs gritted their teeth in anger, charging at them.

WHOOSH!

The first attacker lunged toward Misora with a wild swing. Without hesitation, she ducked under the punch, her expression unreadable. With one fluid motion, she drove her elbow into the thug’s gut, then spun behind him and delivered a brutal spinning back kick that sent him flying into two others. Another tried to grab her from behind, but Misora caught the arm mid-air and twisted it sharply, flipping the attacker onto the ground with a loud slam.

Meanwhile, Asuka let out a laugh as two thugs rushed towards her. “Finally! A little fun!”

She charged in, ducking low, her crimson ponytail trailing behind as she swept one thug off his feet, then twisted her body into a rising uppercut that cracked against the other’s jaw. One tried to flank her from the left— she spun mid-air, heel outstretched, and struck his temple with a jumping roundhouse kick, sending him crashing into a metal signpost.

Across the field, Yura moved like water, calm and measured. She didn’t throw fists. No—she deflected. Redirected. Controlled. A thug tried to stab her with a baton. Yura slid past it gracefully, her palms moving like silk. She struck him in the wrist with pinpoint force, disarming him, then slid in close and palm-struck his sternum, knocking the wind clean out of him.

Another rushed her. She stepped aside fluidly, her foot hooking his ankle while her palm hit his chest, flipping him backward.

Aoi stood frozen, eyes wide with disbelief as the scene before her unfolded like something out of a dream. No way… these girls… they’re— her thoughts trailed off, drowned beneath the sudden roar of cheers echoing through the streets.

“You’ve got this, girls!”

“Yeah! Show ’em what you’re made of!”

“Send those punks flying!”

The voices came from all around—storefronts, balconies, alleys—residents shouting with fists in the air. Aoi’s heart pounded harder as she turned, spotting the little girl and her sister now standing, eyes lit with admiration.

“Kick their butts!!” Kaede shouted, both fists raised high beside her sister’s, their smiles filled with hope and fire.

Aoi blinked in disbelief. “What… is happening right now?” she whispered under her breath, just loud enough for herself to hear. Slowly, she stepped forward, placing herself between Misora and Kota—Misora to her left, Kota to her right.

Kota glanced down at her, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “You really don’t remember?” he asked gently.

“We told you before—this town was drowning in violence. Ever since the original Nightingales disbanded nineteen years ago, gangs took over everything. Streets became battlegrounds. People lived in fear.”

He paused, his gaze shifting to Reina. Aoi followed it. “But that all started to change... about two and a half years ago.” Kota’s voice carried quiet pride now.

“Because that’s when they showed up. The ones who decided that enough was enough—students from Sayonaki High. The new Nightingales. She was the spark that lit the flame of change… and with their top leader by her side, they united the boys and girls of this town—anyone willing to stand up and fight for it, gathering anyone ready to protect this town, no matter their background.”

“That’s the power the Nightingales hold here,” Reina added, her arms crisscrossed as she continued, “Just us being around… It’s enough to bring a sense of safety. A reminder that this town isn’t alone. We don’t fight for glory.” Her voice was clear, resolute. “We fight to protect this town, the people in it, and each other.”

Her words sparked something deep in Aoi, a flicker of warmth blooming in her chest as her lavender eyes shimmered with quiet pride.