Team Five hurried down their designated path, the distant echoes of shouts and clashing echoing through the narrow corridor. Every sound bounced off the stone walls, making the girls tense, their eyes darting to every shadow and corner.

“Hold on!” Ayane suddenly called out, halting abruptly. She stretched out her arm instinctively, blocking Aoi and Setsuna from moving forward.

“What is it?” Aoi asked, blinking. “Why are we stopping?”

Ayane’s gaze swept the hallway ahead, her voice low. “We need to tread carefully now. Something feels off—this place might be rigged.”

Aoi huffed, stepping forward with a dismissive scoff. “Oh, please. There’s no way they—”

She didn’t get to finish. The moment her foot pressed into a slightly lowered tile; a sharp click echoed beneath her. Her eyes widened. Arrows. Smoke pellets. A dozen projectiles shot toward her with blistering speed.

Aoi barely flinched when a blur of motion passed her. Setsuna. Calm, focused, and silent, Setsuna’s posture shifted into something far more honed and formidable. With liquid precision, she deflected the incoming arrows with her bare forearms, weaving through the smoke. Her movements were seamless—graceful yet unyielding—as she caught the final arrow mid-air and snapped it cleanly in two. She stood still for a moment, head slightly lowered, a quiet intensity burning in her darkened eyes. Behind her, Ayane and Aoi remained frozen. It didn’t feel real.

“What the…?” Aoi muttered, raising a brow in disbelief at what just happened. Setsuna stiffened, turning fully toward her, trembling a little.

“I-I’m sorry! My body just reacted on its own, and I... I didn’t really think—” she stammered, eyes falling to the ground.

“Are you serious?!” Ayane burst out laughing. Setsuna blinked in confusion.

“That was incredible, Setsuna! You looked so cool out there! Those reflexes were insane!” she praised, flashing a big grin. Setsuna’s eyes widened before a small, bashful smile crept onto her face.

Aoi blinked, then awkwardly cleared her throat. “Ahem. Yeah… thanks… for that,” she mumbled, glancing to the side as a faint blush dusted her cheeks.

Setsuna looked up, her smile growing warmer. “Y-You’re welcome,” she replied softly as Aoi shot a sidelong glance at the brunette walking beside her.

“You knew about the traps?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.

Ayane responded with a lopsided smirk. “You really think they’d let us waltz through without a few booby traps?”

Aoi let out a dry scoff. “Right. Should’ve known.”

She marched on ahead, prompting Ayane to jog after her with a teasing grin. They moved cautiously, scanning for tripwires, pressure plates, anything suspicious—but the path remained quiet for now. Eventually, the room opened up into a wide space, and the girls slowed their steps. On the far end, fluttering gently from a sleek metal pole, was a single blue flag—bold and striking against the otherwise empty backdrop.

“There it is!” Ayane exclaimed, her voice echoing slightly as she made to sprint forward—only to be yanked back by her collar.

“Oi—!” she squeaked, stumbling backward into Aoi’s grip.

“You moron,” Aoi muttered, raising an eyebrow. “Didn’t you say the place was booby-trapped? Where’d that caution go?”

Ayane pouted dramatically. “Yeah, yeah... I got excited, okay?” Setsuna chuckled softly behind them. But the moment shattered when a figure dropped soundlessly into the room from above. All three girls instinctively snapped their eyes forward. Standing calmly between them and the flag was a lone female student. She wore a fitted grey undershirt beneath her navy-blue Sayonaki High jacket, its hem swaying as she stepped forward. A crisp black pleated skirt brushed mid-thigh, and her jet-black hair framed her face, just long enough to sway past her shoulders. Her expression was unreadable—cool, composed, and utterly unshaken.

Aoi’s eyes narrowed as recognition clicked. That girl from last night... Her mind replayed the memory—Yura’s calm, almost untouchable aura during the fight.

“N-N-No w-w-way,” Ayane stammered, eyes sparkling like she’d just spotted a celebrity.

Aoi cast a sidelong glance at her, a sweat drop forming at her temple. I already know where this is going...

“Yura Kisaragi!” Ayane squealed, bouncing on her toes. “She’s a second-year—and one of the Five Tails! She’s so freaking cool!”

Does she have a student directory implanted in her brain or something? Aoi thought, her face deadpan.

“Yura Kisaragi…” Setsuna echoed; voice quiet but awestruck. “I’ve heard of her too. Her style—graceful and fluid, almost like Chinese martial arts. But her calmness? That’s what really throws people off. You think you’re in control, and then—bam—you’re done.”

“We’re up against her?” Aoi muttered under her breath. Before anyone could answer, a blur of motion cut through the air. In a blink, Yura stood before them—poised, effortless, and quiet. The force of her sudden arrival sent a gust of wind toward the trio, making them instinctively take a step back.

“Wow! I can’t believe we’re up against her!” Ayane giggled, barely ducking beneath a flash-quick kick from Yura.

“Can you not get starstruck right now?!” Aoi barked, veering to the side as Yura advanced.

“Right, sorry!” Ayane gasped, snapping back to focus as she sprinted after Aoi, narrowly dodging a sweeping leg strike. Yura moved like flowing water—silent, poised, and lethal.

“Wahh!” The girls yelped in unison as they dove behind a low wooden barrier, gasping for breath.

“I’ve never—” pant “—been this wiped out before,” Ayane groaned, wiping sweat off her brow.

“So that’s… Yura Kisaragi…” Setsuna murmured, eyes still locked on their opponent. Next to her, Aoi’s jaw tensed.

“We need a plan,” Ayane said between breaths.

“Fast,” Setsuna added with a nod.

“Alright, game plan—” Aoi began, crouched behind the wall. But before she could finish, Yura dashed forward—a blur of fluid motion—and swung her leg in a wide, spinning arc. A gust of wind followed her foot.

“Scatter!” Aoi shouted, grabbing Ayane by the wrist and yanking her back as the attack crashed into the wall where they’d been hiding. The structure exploded into splinters. Setsuna flipped backward, barely avoiding a palm strike to her chest. Her eyes widened. “What the—! She’s fast!”

“No. She’s precise,” Ayane corrected, narrowing her eyes as she somersaulted away, her body graceful and practiced. “She’s not wasting a single step.”

Aoi clenched her fists as Yura’s silhouette seemed to disappear and reappear like a current slithering through a stream. “She’s trying to control our movement,” she muttered. “Divide and isolate.”

Yura’s foot slid against the floor as she halted, then shifted into a low stance— Bajiquan fused with fluid transitions, each movement flowing into the next. “If you’re coming, come as one,” she said softly. “Otherwise, you’ll fall like the rest.”

Ayane gritted her teeth. “She’s toying with us.”

“We don’t have time to charge blindly,” Aoi said, ducking behind a column with the others. “We’ve got to think.”

The timer flashed above the flag— 07:43.

Setsuna exhaled. “Then say the word, Aoi. You’re fast, and you’ve got the clearest view on how she moves.”

Aoi blinked. “Me?”

“You’ve been reacting to her attacks faster than either of us,” Ayane chimed in. “Come on, lead this.”

Aoi let out a breath. “I guess… but I’ll need something to throw her off.”

There was a brief pause before Setsuna awkwardly raised her hand. “U-Um… would this help?” she offered, pulling out a small smoke pellet from her pocket.

Ayane’s eyes lit up. “No way! Setsuna, you’re amazing!”

“You seriously had one of these?” Aoi asked, taking it from her with surprise.

Setsuna gave a sheepish nod. “Y-Yeah… I grabbed it just in time before the rest crumbled.”

Then, Aoi nodded with a smirk. “Alright. Listen up. Here’s the plan…”