“Shit! It’s the Nightingales!” one of the Dagger Crows yelped, stumbling back in fear.

“They’re not supposed to be in this part of town!” another shouted, her face pale as the group tore through their ranks with effortless precision.

“Man, this is so awesome~!” Ayane squealed, pulling out her notebook and pen mid-fight, scribbling furiously.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Mitsuru barked, driving his heel into an attacker’s gut.

“Taking notes on everyone’s fighting style!” she replied cheerfully, ducking under a punch and countering with a quick spin—her elbow accidentally connecting with another thug behind her.

“You’re writing during a fight?!” Rikuya gawked, sweeping an enemy’s legs from beneath him.

“Mmh-hmm!” she hummed, still scribbling without looking up.  The guy behind her groaned and dropped.  “Totally meant to do that!”

“No, you didn’t,” Misora muttered, sighing as she dispatched another with a clean strike.

Ayane glanced up just in time to spot a female thug charging Mei with a wild swing—only for Mei to calmly parry it with her palm and trip the girl in one graceful motion.

Ayane’s eyes sparkled.  “THAT’S SO GOING IN THE NOTEBOOK!” she shouted, jotting furiously as Mei chuckled softly.

“That line you all said earlier,” Aoi grunted, blocking a punch before countering with a sharp kick, “is it like... your motto or something?”

“Guess you didn’t know,” Raito scoffed, kicking another thug backward. “Oh, right—forgot. You’re not from around here.”

Aoi rolled her eyes. “Wow, thanks for the reminder.”

“Yup!” Ayane chimed in brightly. “That’s the Nightingales’ motto!”

Across the street, the Dagger Crows’ leader took one look at the scene—his crew scattered and defeated—and blanched. Clutching his sack, he spun on his heel and bolted. “Nope! I’m outta here!”

Rikuya deflected a hit with precision, driving his elbow into the attacker’s ribs before snapping his gaze upward. “He’s getting away!” he shouted, pointing ahead.

Aoi and Raito snapped their heads toward the gang leader, breaking into a sprint, determination blazing in their eyes.

“I’ll take him down!” Aoi barked.

“No way—he’s mine!” Raito shot back, their shoulders colliding mid-run.

“Are you kidding me right now?!” Ayane exclaimed, throwing her hands up.

“What do we do, Misora?!” Mitsuru asked, glancing over.

“Let them handle it,” Misora said calmly, kicking another enemy aside.

“EH?!” they all yelled in unison.

“Why would you say that?! They’re the worst duo ever!” Rikuya shrieked, clutching his head.

Ahead, Aoi and Raito kept ramming shoulders, neither giving an inch. Aoi spotted a Dagger Crow rushing her way and spun left, landing a clean punch to the woman’s jaw. I’ve got the strength—I’ll end this myself! she thought, pushing forward.

No chance. I’ll be the one to stop him! Raito countered inwardly, kicking another thug aside as he caught up to her.

They ran side by side, their glares clashing like sparks. “Stay back, shadow boy! I’ve got this!” Aoi snapped.

“As if! You back off!” he shot back, shoving her shoulder.

“Get lost!” she snarled.

“Don’t underestimate me, you stubborn—!” he hissed.

They closed in, side by side, both shouting as they launched their attacks—Aoi with a flying kick, Raito with a crushing punch. The gang leader barely turned before their strikes landed at once, sending him crashing into the ground, rolling several times before going still.

Cheers erupted from the crowd as Aoi landed lightly; Raito skidded to a stop beside her. Their backs met—tension still sparking, refusing to look at each other.

“They did it!” Ayane cried, running toward them.

“That was incredible!” Mei chimed in, close behind.

“I don’t know what just happened, but that was awesome!” Mitsuru added.

“That combo looked unplanned, but…” Rikuya adjusted his glasses, eyeing Misora. “…did you expect this outcome?”

Misora folded her arms, closing her eyes. “Even rivalry can become strength. Trust me, I’ve seen it happen before.” She walked past the ash brown-haired, leaving him awestruck.

“That was amazing, you two!” Ayane cheered, stopping as Aoi and Raito approached. “You did it! You actually took him down—together!”

Aoi and Raito exchanged a sharp glare before turning away from each other.

“Hmph!!” they both scoffed at the same time, making Ayane sweat drop.

“It really was a fluke,” Mei chuckled nervously, while Mitsuru nodded beside her.

“At least they got rid of this guy,” Misora said coolly, tossing the unconscious gang leader onto a wooden plank. She gestured to the other fallen thugs scattered around. “And the rest of them too. We’ll leave it to the police from here.”

Rikuya and the others joined them just as residents began pouring out of their homes, clapping and cheering for the Nightingales. Kids ran up with treats and handwritten letters, their faces glowing with admiration. The group smiled, waving as they accepted the small gifts.

“Oh, sweet! Lemon candy!” Mitsuru grinned, unwrapping it immediately.

“These letters are so adorable~!” Ayane gushed, flipping through them.

“Mm. And surprisingly good chocolate,” Mei murmured, taking another bite.

“Oh, hey— Aoi! Raito! Check this one out!” Rikuya called, holding up a note with a grin. “Listen to this: ‘The two strongest fighters in Sokyoshi—the blue-haired girl and the brown-haired guy—are the best power combo ever! I hope they keep fighting together!’”

Aoi and Raito froze, their eyes twitching as they turned to glare at him.

“Don’t lump us together!!” they shouted in unison.

“Eeeek!” Rikuya squeaked, jumping back.

“You two are so in sync,” Mei said with a serene smile.

“No, we’re not!!” they snapped again. Mei kept her calm smile, though a bead of sweat trickled down her cheek. Beside her, Ayane arched a brow.

Aoi and Raito’s cheeks flushed red as they realized what they’d just done.

Raito jabbed a finger at her. “There’s no way in hell I’d ever team up with someone like you! That blue hair of yours annoys the crap outta me!”

“Ha! The feeling’s mutual!” Aoi fired back, hands on her hips. “I wouldn’t waste my precious time on a loser like you anyway!”

“What was that, bluehead?!”

“You heard me, shadow boy!!”

The two locked glares again, their faces inches apart, before Aoi turned away, cheeks still pink. “Ugh, whatever!” she growled, jogging off.

Raito scoffed and turned away, mirroring Aoi’s exit. The others glanced back and forth between them like spectators at a ping-pong match.

“They’re impossible,” Rikuya groaned, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Getting them to get along—that’s what’s really impossible,” Mitsuru added with a sheepish laugh, a bead of sweat trickling down his cheek.

Misora crossed her arms and shrugged. “They’ll get over it.” With that, she turned and started walking ahead, calm as ever.

Ayane, Mei, Rikuya, and Mitsuru exchanged uneasy glances.

“We… should probably check on them,” Rikuya suggested, pushing up his glasses.

“Agreed,” Mei said with a nod.

Mitsuru sighed but smiled faintly. “Alright. You girls look for Aoi, and we’ll try to track down our other troublemaker.”

“Got it,” Ayane replied, nodding as the group split into two teams—each heading off after their stubborn friends.

……….

“Argh!!” Aoi growled, swinging her arms as she stormed down the street. “That jerk! He’s the absolute worst! Shadow boy, huh? Who does he think he is?!”

She kicked a pebble hard, sending it skittering across the pavement—right into a stray cat lounging atop a trash can. The startled cat yowled and bolted, disappearing into an alley.

Aoi froze, guilt flashing across her face. “Tch… seriously?” she muttered, exhaling sharply. What’s wrong with me? Why am I letting this get to me so much?

Her pace slowed, shoulders sinking as her anger ebbed into quiet frustration. I’ve been through worse. Stuff like this shouldn’t even faze me. But as she stopped mid-step, her mind drifted back to earlier that day—Sayaka’s voice echoing in her head.

……..

“This teen model’s been blowing up online overnight— but the name’s what caught me off guard.”

Shizuka, seated beside her, glanced up from her sketchpad. “The name?”

Sayaka nodded. “Yeah. It says, ‘Here’s the new rising star of Urban Tokyo… Shion Sakuraba.’”

………..

Aoi’s fists clenched tightly, nails digging into her palms. “Damn it…” she whispered under her breath, her jaw trembling slightly. Then, something flickered at the edge of her vision—a shadow, a movement, someone.

Her gaze hardened. Without hesitation, she broke into a sprint.

………….

“Come on, Raito, it’s not that deep,” Mitsuru tried to ease him, walking alongside Rikuya as they followed the fuming brunette.

“Not that deep?!” Raito barked without turning around. “I told that moron I’d handle it! But no—she just had to jump in! She’s so damn annoying!”

Mitsuru stifled a laugh. “Wow… first time I’ve seen a girl really get under his skin.”

“Agreed,” Rikuya mused, adjusting his glasses. “Usually, nothing fazes him. Especially girls. Maybe he’s… attracted to Aoi?”

Raito froze mid-step, shoulders stiffening. “A-Attracted?! To that skinny little brat?! Don’t be ridiculous! No way—absolutely no way I’d ever be into someone like her!” he snapped, his face flushed scarlet.

Mitsuru smirked, waggling his brows. “Then why’s your face all red, huh~?”

TWHACK! TWHACK!

“Ow—owww!! My head!” Mitsuru whimpered, clutching the fresh lump forming on his skull as Raito lowered a smoking fist with a glare.

“A-Anyway,” Rikuya interjected carefully, “what we’re trying to say is—don’t let whatever Aoi does get to you. You heard Reina yesterday. She’s new here, remember? Doesn’t really know how things work yet.”

“Yeah…” Mitsuru muttered, rubbing his head. “Exactly what I was about to say…”

Raito grunted, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Whatever.” His ears were still pink.

Rikuya and Mitsuru exchanged knowing grins.

“Good,” Rikuya said, stepping beside him and grabbing one arm. “Now, let’s head back to the others.”

“H-Huh?!” Raito’s eyes widened.

“Yup!” Mitsuru chimed, grabbing his other arm with a grin. “Can’t keep the girls waiting, man.”

“Let go of me, you idiots! I’m not going back!” Raito barked, thrashing against their grip as they dragged him down the street.

“Dude, we haven’t even finished patrol yet,” Mitsuru sighed.

“And stop squirming,” Rikuya added flatly.

………..

“Aoi!” Ayane called out, scanning the thinning crowd in every direction. “Where’d she go?”

“Wow, that girl’s quick on her feet,” Mei said with a light chuckle, her silver hair swaying as she looked around, too.

“Something wrong?”

The two turned to see Misora strolling toward them—still munching on a stick of gyoza.

“Big sis,” Ayane sighed, planting her hands on her hips, “you’re still eating those?”

Misora shrugged mid-bite. “What? I haven’t eaten all day.”

“I told you to have breakfast before school,” Ayane groaned, sweat-dropping, while Mei covered a small giggle as Misora took another satisfied bite.

“Hey, guys!” The trio turned at the sound of Rikuya’s voice. He waved as he approached, Mitsuru right behind him—dragging a clearly uncooperative Raito by the arm.

“Rikuya,” Ayane greeted, smiling faintly, then blinked at the sight of Raito struggling.

“Seems he’s cooled off,” Mei observed.

“Yeah… a little,” Rikuya replied with a nervous laugh.

Raito finally pried free and huffed, brushing off his jacket. “Where’s Bluehead?”

“Aoi?” Mei replied calmly. “We haven’t seen her since you two split up.”

“That’s weird,” Mitsuru muttered, raising a brow. “Tried calling her?”

“Let’s see.” Ayane quickly pulled out her phone and dialed. The group watched, waiting for her expression to change.

A moment later, Ayane lowered the phone, worry creeping into her eyes. “She’s not answering.”

The others tensed. Even Misora paused, swallowing the last of her snack.

“Then we’d better find her,” she said firmly, her casual tone replaced by quiet resolve.

………..

In a narrow alley wedged between two aging apartments, a faint sob cut through the hum of the nearby street.

“Hand it over!!” a voice barked.

The speaker—a girl cloaked in black—grinned wickedly as she drove her boot into the stomach of a younger girl. The child’s hands trembled, one shielding herself, the other clutching a delicate silver necklace to her chest.

“N-No way! It—it belonged to my mom!” she cried, her voice cracking. “It’s the last thing I have of her!”

“Aww,” the hooded girl sneered, her tone dripping with mock pity. “Such a touching story. Shame you don’t understand its real value.” She kicked again, laughing cruelly as the child gasped in pain.

“Please… stop!” she whimpered. Her tears mixed with the grime on her cheeks as she curled tighter around the necklace.

“You really don’t know when to quit, do you?!” the attacker spat, lifting her leg once more—before a blur of motion struck her side.

A sharp thud echoed as a foot connected cleanly with her ribs, sending her crashing into a metal fence with a painful clang. The small girl blinked through her tears. Standing before her was a blue-haired teenager, shoulders squared, stance firm—a silent wall between her and the danger.

“Can you stand?” Aoi asked quietly, not looking back. Her tone was calm, but her aura radiated steel.

“Y-Yeah,” the girl managed, clutching the necklace tighter as she struggled to her feet.

“Then go.”

“But—”

“Go.” The word came again, low and final. No room for argument. The girl hesitated for a heartbeat, then nodded and ran.

“You got a death wish or something?!” the hooded teen snarled, staggering upright. Her lip bled as her eyes narrowed into a venomous glare.

Aoi said nothing. Her lavender eyes locked onto the girl, her fists tightening at her sides.

“You’ll regret that!!” The attacker lunged, swinging wildly—but Aoi had already moved. She slipped past the punch like wind, twisting as her leg snapped out and slammed into the girl’s ribs.

The hooded teen choked, spitting blood as she stumbled back. Aoi didn’t let her recover; her fist flashed out again, striking clean across the jaw. The girl hit the wall and slid down, unconscious before she even touched the ground.

Aoi straightened slowly, exhaling. Her eyes softened for a second as she turned to leave—

“Aoi!”

She froze, glancing back. Misora, Ayane, Mei, and the others were running toward her. They stopped a few paces away, breathless, eyes darting from Aoi to the motionless figure at her feet.

The air thickened.

“What… have you done?” Raito growled, fists clenching as his eyes hardened.