The wind brushed gently across a sunlit meadow, blades of grass swaying in a soft rhythm. Two young girls — barely ten — ran barefoot through the field, laughter echoing under the wide blue sky. One of them, having short and fluffy light chestnut brown hair, cut around her chin with loose bangs framing her round face and clear sky-blue eyes, ran ahead, glancing over her shoulder with a beaming smile.

“Come on, Aoi~!” she called, her voice light and full of warmth. Behind her, a younger Aoi — dark blue hair tied loosely, cheeks flushed — chased after her, laughing breathlessly.

“Wait up, Naomi!”

The brown-haired girl slowed, spinning around and holding out her hand. “You can catch me if you try!”

Aoi reached for her hand, sunlight glimmering between their fingertips.

Aoi…

Aoi…

Aoi…

…………

“Aoi! Aoi!” Her name echoed again, but this time from a different world.

“Huh?” Aoi blinked, the dream dissolving into the dull hum of a classroom. Desks, chatter, daylight spilling through the window. Sayaka leaned over her desk, eyes wide with concern.

“You okay? You spaced out for a while.”

Aoi blinked again, realizing the entire class had turned toward her. Shizuka stood beside Sayaka, her sketchbook in hand, brows slightly furrowed.

“I-I’m fine,” she muttered, brushing a strand of hair from her face as she looked away.

Hikaru leaned back in his chair, frowning a bit. “Class ended like ten minutes ago, y’know. You’ve been staring at your notes like they’re gonna answer back.”

Rikuya adjusted his glasses nervously. “After what went down yesterday, I’d be shocked if she wasn’t thinking about it.”

“Relax, man,” Mitsuru sighed, patting Rikuya’s shoulder. “You’re not the one fighting two people tomorrow.”

“That’s not the point! It’s Kurohyou — they don’t fight fair!”

“To be fair,” Mei said softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, “two-on-one sounds like a setup. There’s more to it.”

Kazuki, sitting in the middle row, spoke up. “You’re all talking about her like she’s not even here.”

Everyone looked toward Aoi again. She hadn’t said a word since waking from her trance. Her eyes were lowered — unreadable, but heavy.

Then she stood. No words. No explanation. Just the sound of her chair sliding back.

She slipped her hands into her shorts’ pockets, walking toward the door. The sunlight from the window traced her silhouette as she slid it open. The faint sound of the door closing behind her left the classroom in silence.

“Man… I really feel bad for her,” someone muttered.

Sayaka exhaled softly. “She’s really gonna fight them, huh?”

Rikuya frowned, anxiety flickering in his eyes. “Yeah… and something tells me it’s more than just a fight.”

Raito stayed quiet, arms folded tight across his chest. “If she’d just stayed in the shop last night…” he muttered under his breath.

Mitsuru let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. “C’mon, man. Even if she did, things probably would’ve gone down the same way.”

Raito’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe.”

Mei glanced up from her seat, tone calm but sharp. “The way she looked at those girls… especially the brown-haired one—it wasn’t random. There was something there.”

Kazuki leaned back on his chair. “She’s from Urban Tokyo, right? Wouldn’t surprise me if she ran into them before.”

Ayane, who had been quiet till then, spoke up suddenly, her tone steady. “Doesn’t matter. Even if we ask, she won’t say a word.”

Rikuya adjusted his glasses, nodding slightly. “Yeah… that’s just how she is.”

The group fell silent, the unspoken tension hanging between them—each of them knowing Aoi was fighting more than just a battle tomorrow.

Ayane glanced back to her desk, her mind flashing back to the previous night and her father’s words, after visiting him in his store with Mei and the rest of the group.

………….

Aoi slid the classroom door shut behind her, the muffled voices fading into silence. The hallway was empty—just the low hum of the ceiling lights and the distant chatter from other classes. She exhaled softly, tucking her hands deeper into her pockets.

She didn’t say a word. Didn’t need to. Her clenched fists said enough.

Naomi… The name replayed in her mind like a broken record.

Her expression hardened, her thoughts unraveling like cracks in glass. Why… why is she with them? Why Kurohyou?

A memory flickered — a faint image of the girl laughing beside her under the summer sun, back before everything went wrong. Back before Naomi abandoned her and moved away.

She slammed her fist against the nearest wall, the dull thud breaking the silence.

“Tch… damn it.” Her voice trembled slightly, but her gaze didn’t waver.

“Spacing out again, huh?”

A familiar voice echoed from down the hall. Aoi turned, her eyes narrowing slightly as Reina stepped out from the corner, her cropped jacket slung lazily over her shoulder. The faint smirk on her face didn’t quite hide the concern in her eyes.

“What’re you doing here?” Aoi asked.

“Hey, just wanted to check on the star of the show for tomorrow.” Reina chuckled lightly as Aoi scoffed, turning her gaze sideways.

“Yeah,” another voice added—deeper, casual but firm. Ryo approached from the other side of the corridor; hands stuffed in his pockets. “And it’s exactly why we should worry about you.”

She met his gaze but didn’t respond. The weight in her chest felt heavier than before.

Reina stepped closer, tilting her head. “You’re not walking alone to the Abyss Arena tomorrow. Ryo and I already made the call—we’re escorting you there, along with Misora.”

Aoi’s eyes widened slightly. “What? That’s not necessary—”

“It is,” Ryo cut in, his tone steady. “You’ve got enough to deal with. We’ll handle the rest.”

For a second, Aoi looked between them—Reina’s half-grin softening into something gentler, Ryo’s calm expression betraying quiet resolve. She let out a small breath, turning her face away.

“Whatever,” she muttered.

Reina smirked, “So, it’s settled then?”

Aoi rolled her eyes, “Do whatever you want.”

Ryo nodded once. “Tomorrow, we walk together. No exceptions.”

The trio stood in the empty hallway, the faint afternoon light spilling through the windows and casting long shadows across the floor. For the first time that day, Aoi felt something stir in her chest—something that wasn’t dread. Her face held series of thoughts, lifting her gaze now filled with resolve once again.

If that’s how it’s gonna be… then I’ll face her head-on.

…………………

The late afternoon sun cast a warm, golden haze across the streets of Sokyoshi. The air buzzed faintly with life—vendors calling out, the faint hum of motorcycles, the city breathing around them.

Aoi walked ahead beside Misora, Reina, and Ryo, her gaze set forward, the faint breeze tugging strands of her dark-blue hair. She could feel the weight of the moment pressing against her chest—every step bringing her closer to the Abyss Arena.

She exhaled slowly. It’ll be fine… she assured herself.

The wind picked up again, sweeping through her bangs as she muttered under her breath — almost like a promise to herself.

“Naomi Okano… I don’t care what brought you back. But today… I’m not holding back.”

They stopped at a crossroads; their gazes fixed on the horizon where the faint glow of the city shimmered through the area.

“Don’t forget, Aoi. We’re right here with you,” Reina said softly, her calm voice cutting through the quiet.

Misora nodded beside her. “That’s right. You’re not going in there alone.”

Aoi glanced at them, then looked away with a sigh. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever.”

Ryo’s lips tugged into a faint smile at her tone.

“I get why you three want to escort me,” Aoi said after a pause, narrowing her eyes as she glanced over her shoulder. “Then again… why’re the rest of you following us?”

A few meters back, Ayane, Mei, Mitsuru, Rikuya, and Raito all froze like they’d been caught sneaking behind a teacher.
Ayane immediately folded her arms with a sharp huff, Rikuya fumbled with his glasses, Mitsuru scratched his head, Mei smiled as though nothing was wrong, and Raito—arms crossed—kept his gaze averted.

“W-Well, that’s because—” Rikuya started, voice trembling.

“We were there when everything went down, genius,” Ayane cut in. “And also, because someone needs to make sure you don’t do anything reckless. Again.”

Aoi arched a brow. “Reckless, huh?”

“And besides,” Mei added lightly, her serene smile not fading. “… if things get tense, we’ll cheer you on. Even lone wolves deserve a pack sometimes.”

“R-Right,” Mitsuru nodded quickly.

Aoi studied their faces for a moment—her expression unreadable—before exhaling through her nose. “... Fine.”

She turned back toward the street, hands in her pockets. “But stay out of the fight. All of you.”

Her voice was quiet, but the weight behind it made them fall silent. Only Raito looked up at her back—expression unreadable, a hint of worry flickering in his eyes before he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and followed with the others.