“Hello, Nightingales,” Nakano sneered, “Long time no see.”

Raito scoffed. “Didn’t take you long to hop from one team to another, huh?”

Nakano shrugged carelessly. “What can I say? I move fast.” She looped an arm around the guy beside her. “At least I got a boyfriend out of it.”

Aoi arched a brow. “It’s been, what—less than a week? That’s not impressive, that’s desperate.”

Rikuya adjusted his glasses. “So that’s why she applied for Sayonaki’s entrance exams…”

“I thought she was flirting with Raito for his looks,” Mitsuru added with a smirk, earning a glare from Raito, whose ears turned red.

“You just couldn’t handle being called out, could you?” Misora cut in, her tone flat as her gaze locked on Nakano.

Nakano’s fists tightened.

“Babe, was she the one who kicked you out of Sayonaki?” the boy beside her—Masaki Tengen—asked, scowling.

“Yeah,” Nakano spat, eyes narrowing. “I aced every stage of their stupid exam, and they still tossed me aside. Said I ‘lacked teamwork.’ What a joke. Self-righteous idiots.”

Misora crossed her arms. “And your response was to crawl to Kurohyou? Real classy.”

“Shut up! Nakano snapped, stepping forward. “Who are you to talk to me that way, huh? You think you’re better than me just because you boss a few people around? Please.” Her voice turned venomous. “You humiliated me. But now, I’m part of the Night Claws—Kaneko-sama’s division. You? You’re just another loser clinging to a title.”

The air tensed instantly. Ayane stepped forward, standing beside Misora, her head bowed slightly. When she lifted her eyes, they blazed with turquoise fury.

“Hey. That’s my big sister you’re talking to.” Her voice was calm, deadly. “Say one more thing, and I’ll—”

“You’ll what?” Nakano interrupted, mockingly. “Cry? Cute. Didn’t think you had that much bite, Ayane. Then again… ‘like sister, like sister,’ right? Two freaks from the same nest.”

Laughter rippled through the Kurohyou ranks. Ayane trembled, her fists tightening until her knuckles whitened—but stopped when Misora’s hand landed gently on her shoulder.

“It’s okay,” she said softly.

“But, big sister—!”

“Ayane.” One word—steady, final. Ayane clicked her tongue and backed off, glaring daggers at Nakano. Rikuya’s eyes widened slightly. Just moments ago, Ayane had been terrified. Now, she looked ready to kill.

Kaneko broke the silence, sighing. “Alright, that’s enough out of you, Nakano.” she shot her soft glare, “Don’t lose focus.”

Nakano clicked her tongue but stepped back, smirking. Kaneko’s attention shifted back to Aoi.

“Now then,” she said smoothly. “We’re here for one thing—the person who laid a hand on our group first. And we don’t let things like that slide.”

Aoi gave a lazy shrug, “Fine. What do you want?”

Kaneko’s smirk deepened. “A duel. Between you and one of my Night Claws.” She gestured toward Yuri, whose arm was still bandaged. “Since the injured party’s out, we’ll find her a stand-in.”

Aoi raised an eyebrow, “And the catch?”

“If you win,” Kaneko said, her grin turning razor-sharp, “Kurohyou and the Night Claws disband—permanently. But if we win…” Her gaze gleamed. “Sayonaki disbands instead.”

The Nightingales froze.

“Sayonaki… disband?” Mitsuru echoed.

“That’s insane,” Mei muttered.

“Yeah, no way we’re agreeing to tha—” Raito began.

“I accept.” Aoi cut in, voice steady.

“What?! Aoi—” Mitsuru gawked.

“Wow, you accepted so easily!” Kaneko’s smile widened, “I like you. Now then, your opponent will be—”

“Yo, Miss Kaneko!” a voice called from the crowd. Two hooded figures stepped forward, one raising her hand lazily. “You’re not forgetting about us, are you?” She let out a playful pout, her hood casting a shadow on her face.

Kaneko glanced sideways, amused. “Ah, right, sorry. Can’t leave you two out, can I?”

Aoi rolled her eyes. That voice sounded way too familiar.

“I mean, it wouldn’t be nice if that friend of ours remained in the dark for too long,” The first figure smirked and lowered her hood— revealing long, sleek, mid-back jet-black hair with subtle violet black sheen, straight-cut bangs framing her violet gray eyes.

“Makino…” Aoi’s tone dropped, fury flashing in her eyes. Reina and the others exchanged confused, curious glances.

“Been a while, huh?” Makino Obara smiled coolly. “Didn’t think we’d meet again so soon.”

“I hoped we wouldn’t,” Aoi snapped. “What are you doing here?”

“Relax,” Makino chuckled darkly. “No need to be so cold to an old friend.”

Friend, Aoi thought bitterly. Yeah right.

“I mean,” Makino’s leer deepened, “It’s only been two and a half years since we last saw each other.” She turned her head slightly.  “… wouldn’t you agree, Nao-chan?”

Aoi’s breath caught.  N-Nao-chan? It can’t be…

The second figure pulled her hood down—revealing medium-long straight ash brown hair with soft silver undertones, with side bangs partly covering her left eye.

“Naomi…” Aoi whispered, a storm of emotions flashing in her face—shock, pain, longing. Naomi Okano just stared at her; her muted teal eyes void of emotions.

Makino’s grin widened. “So, it’s settled. The two of us will take you on, Sakuraba.” she glanced at Yuri, “Considering it a favor for helping out one of our own, don’t ya think?”

Gasps erupted from Reina and the others.

“Two against one?! That’s absurd!” Rikuya yelped.

“That’s not even close to fair,” Mei said sharply.

“Fair?” Makino taunted. “Who said anything about fair?” she glanced to Aoi with a smirk, “That is, unless… our opponent’s willing to back down.”

Aoi stared straight at Naomi, her jaw tightening. “I’ll do it,” she said suddenly.

“What?!” Reina exclaimed.

“I’ll fight them both.”

Kaneko’s grin spread, closing her eyes. “Perfect. Then it’s decided.”

Aoi’s gaze hardened. “So, where’re we facing off?”

Kaneko smiled, “The three of you will be facing off where fights are always taken care of… The Abyss Arena.”

Mitsuru gulped, “T-The…”

“… Abyss Arena?!!” Rikuya bellowed in shock. “That’s totally messed up!”

Aoi glanced to them, “Why? What’s the place about?”

Ayane looked over to her, her voice tense. “T-The Abyss Arena is a brutal underground fighting ring where gangs settle disputes through combat.”

“That’s right.” Kaneko nodded approvingly. “Friday. 6 p.m. We would have fixed it for tomorrow, but we’ve got another gang to settle scores with. How does that sound?”

Everyone looked at Aoi, awaiting her response. Aoi glanced to Naomi, still staring emotionless in her direction. She bit her lip, before looking down, her fists still tightly clenched.

“Couldn’t be more perfect.” She answered, shifting her gaze back to Kaneko, who let out a chilling smirk, before turning away.

“Great! See you soon~” Nakano said with a lazy wave, the rest of Kurohyou following behind her. As they disappeared into the distance, the Nightingales turned to Aoi.

“Aoi… are you sure about this?” Ryo asked quietly.

Aoi didn’t answer. She just looked down the empty street, fists clenched. She turned away, taking few steps before pausing in her tracks.

“Yeah. I’m pretty sure,” she muttered before walking off, her figure swallowed by the darkening light.

Raito watched her go, his expression conflicted—anger, worry, something deeper.

Up above, on a nearby rooftop, a shadowed figure watched Aoi with a grin.

“Everything’s going according to plan,” they murmured. A low, sinister chuckle followed.

 ..........................

The night air was heavy with the hum of streetlights as Kurohyou made their way down the dim alley, boots tapping against wet pavement. At the tail end of the group, two figures trailed behind — Makino and Naomi.

Makino swung her hands behind her head, her usual smirk tugging at her lips. “You’ve been quiet ever since we ran into her. What’s wrong, Nao? Cat got your tongue?”

Naomi said nothing, her muted teal eyes fixed on the ground. Her steps were calm, but there was a weight to them — like every movement carried a memory.

Makino tilted her head, voice teasing. “C’mon, don’t go all ghost mode on me now. It wouldn’t kill you to talk a little.”

Still, Naomi stayed silent.

Kaneko, walking up front, threw a glance over her shoulder, her tone smooth but laced with curiosity. “You two sure made a scene back there. Volunteering to fight in Yuri’s place outta nowhere? That’s bold.”

She smirked. “What’s the story? Old rivals, maybe? Or something a little deeper?”

Makino’s grin darkened. “Like I said before, we’ve got unfinished business with her. You’ll find out soon enough, boss. Friday’ll be worth the wait.”

Kaneko chuckled under her breath and turned away. “I’ll hold you to that.”

For a moment, only the sound of footsteps echoed between the walls — until Naomi finally spoke, her voice soft, almost distant.

“It’s nothing,” she murmured. “Just… memories.” The sudden sound of her voice made everyone glance back. Even Makino’s smirk faltered slightly.

“Well, look who finally talks,” Kaneko teased, amusement flickering in her eyes.

Naomi’s fists tightened at her sides, her gaze lowering again. “I’m going to fight her,” she said quietly.

Kaneko nodded, raising a brow. “Yeah. That’s the plan.”

Naomi’s eyes glimmered faintly beneath her bangs. “No. I mean, really fight her.” The tone in her voice — calm, but cold — sent a brief chill through the group.

Makino shot her cousin a sidelong look, a small, dangerous smile creeping across her lips. “Heh. Guess you’ve been waiting for this longer than I thought.” 

Naomi cast her a sidelong look, a faint light flickering in her muted teal eyes.

“Don’t forget me, though,” she added with mock offense. “It’s a two-on-one, remember?”

A few of the Kurohyou members chuckled under their breath.

“Makino’s definitely hyped,” one muttered.

“Yeah,” another smirked, “but Naomi’s the one I’d keep an eye on.”

Kaneko gave a short laugh, hands in her pockets as she looked between them. “Let them be. Those two are built differently.”

Her smirk returned, sharper than before. “Makino’s got that sharp, confident fire — the kind that draws blood when she smiles.” Her eyes flicked to Naomi. “But her cousin? The quiet ones always hit the hardest.”

She turned back toward the dark road ahead. “Even the calmest heart can hide the deadliest intent.”

The group fell silent as their footsteps faded deeper into the night.