The arena fell silent. No one moved. Then, the announcer blinked, realization dawning before he burst out.

“Winner—Ayane Shirakawa of Sayonaki High!”

The stands erupted. Cheers, disbelief, murmurs.

“I can’t believe it…” one of the Kurohyou members muttered.

“She flattened Nakano—like it was nothing.”

“The way she moved… that was freaky.”

“And she’s only a first-year…”

“Nakano’s also a first-year too, though…”

Masaki’s hands trembled as he shot up from his seat, sprinting toward the stage. Miyako crossed her arms, quietly observing as Mitsuru leapt from his seat with a triumphant yell.

“Alright! Way to go!!”

Misora let out a long breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She didn’t even go all out, she thought with relief.

“I…” Rikuya stammered, dazed. “I think I’m a little in love.”

“Huh?” Raito blinked, brow raised.

Mei chuckled softly. “He’s still in shock, don’t mind him.”

Ayane bent down, effortlessly lifting Nakano’s limp body. She stared at her for a moment, then clicked her tongue and turned away.

“N-Nakano!” Masaki cried, reaching the edge of the stage as Ayane raised a brow, stealing a glance at Nakano before tossing the unconscious girl toward him. His eyes widened, arms shooting out just in time to catch her bridal-style.

“What the hell?! Are you insane?!” he shouted, glaring up at Ayane. “Be careful with her!”

Ayane stopped mid-step, turning slightly. Her turquoise eyes flared.

“You wanna go next?”

Masaki froze, throat tight. “N-No… I—I’m good.”

He staggered back, clutching Nakano tightly as Ayane leapt off the stage, calm and unbothered, the crowd parting in stunned silence as she passed.

“That… was awesome, Ayane! I had no idea you could move like that—you’re seriously incredible!” Mitsuru grinned, punching the air as Ayane approached.

She laughed. “Thanks, Mitsuru.”

“Up top,” Mei said, raising her palm. Ayane grinned and slapped her hand in a satisfying high-five.

“Nice,” Mei said with a light chuckle, and the two shared a brief laugh.

“Ayane?” Rikuya’s soft voice drew her attention.

She turned to him, tilting her head slightly. “Rikuya.”

He stopped in front of her, clutching his notebook and pen to his chest. “You were… really amazing out there,” he said shyly.

“Thanks so much,” she replied, smiling. Rikuya’s gaze dropped to the floor as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Um… here.” He offered her the notebook. “I managed to take some notes about your fighting style, like you asked. It’s not perfect—I can’t really draw or anything—but…”

Ayane flipped through it, her eyes gliding over his notes. Then she hugged the notebook gently against her chest. “It’s perfect,” she said, beaming. “Thanks, Rikuya.”

He turned bright red, stammering something under his breath. Mei let out a small laugh, while Mitsuru nudged him playfully.

“Didn’t know you were the shy type, Rikuya,” Ryo teased with a smirk.

“I-I’m not!” Rikuya blurted, which only made Ryo laugh harder.

“Sure, you’re not,” he said, turning to Ayane. “Anyway, Ayane—”

“Y-Yes!” she said quickly, standing a little too straight. Mei sighed with a smile, shaking her head.

Ryo chuckled. “Relax, I’m just saying—you did great out there. Keep it up.”

“Yeah,” Reina agreed, her tone calm but genuine. She turned to Misora. “What do you think, Misora?”

Misora crossed her arms, exhaling. “Honestly? You really know how to scare me sometimes, Ayane.”

Ayane raised a brow. “I told you I’d be fine, didn’t I?”

“You did.” Misora’s lips softened into a smile. “And you let Nakano off easy, too. I’m proud of you, Ayane. Good job.”

Ayane’s expression brightened; she tried to suppress her giddy grin but failed. “Hehe… thanks!”

Raito, seating by the side, muttered, “Also—were you born that flexible, or is that just you showing off?”

“Yup!” Ayane said proudly, then turned toward Aoi.

“Won’t you compliment Ayane too, Aoi?” Mei teased. “She was pretty amazing.”

Aoi scoffed, crossing her arms. “Don’t try to put words in my mouth.” She looked at Ayane, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.

“But honestly… you made me grin watching that fight. Even though I’ve seen you fight before—it was still impressive. Nice work.”

Ayane giggled, dropping down beside her. “Didn’t know I could make your heart race, Aoi.”

“Don’t make me take that back,” Aoi said flatly, closing her eyes in mock irritation.

Ryo and Reina chuckled at the exchange, the light mood filling the air—until the ground vibrated slightly beneath their feet. The announcer’s voice suddenly boomed through the speakers, breaking the moment’s calm.

“Hope we all enjoyed that last competition! Well, I did! Next up—special match! A one-versus-two showdown between Aoi Sakuraba of Sayonaki High… and Makino Obara with Naomi Okano of Kurohyou’s Night Claws!”

The crowd erupted in roars and whistles, the noise bouncing off the walls like thunder. Makino and Naomi both rose from their seats, sharing a glance with Aoi before heading towards the stage. Aoi’s eyes trailed after them as they walked away, her fists squeezing tighter.

Misora studied her, then exhaled. “Don’t forget—no one here’s gonna pull punches. You’ve got two opponents waiting to tear into you, and a crowd that wants a show.”

Aoi sighed, “Right.”

From behind, Ayane spoke up, her tone serious. “We’re staying close to the edge. If anything goes wrong—”

“It won’t.” Aoi turned to face them all—Ayane, Mei, Mitsuru, Rikuya, and Raito. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

Raito, leaning back to his seat, met her gaze briefly but said nothing. The faint tension in his jaw said enough.

“Aoi,” Ayane called softly, her voice gentle yet firm enough to catch her attention. “Please… be careful out there.”

Aoi met her eyes for a brief moment and gave a small nod.

“You’ve got this,” Rikuya said, his fists clenched near his chest in quiet encouragement.

“Yeah,” Mitsuru added with a reassuring grin, while Mei simply nodded, her calm smile saying more than words could.

Aoi’s gaze shifted toward Raito, who met her eyes across the row. The others subtly glanced his way, waiting to see if he’d say something after what happened between them the night before.

Raito straightened in his seat, his lips parting as he tried to speak. “I—”

Before he could finish, Aoi turned away, stepping toward the arena without a word. Raito froze, his expression faltering as guilt washed over his face, the weight of that night’s words settling heavily in his chest.

Reina stood up and gave her a light pat on the shoulder. “You ready?”

Aoi tilted her head back, staring at the harsh lights above the ring. For a split second, her mind flashed to that dream again—two children laughing under the sun. A voice calling her name.

She shut her eyes and took a slow breath, her hand reaching for the locket in her shirt, clutching it close. “Yeah,” she said finally, stepping forward. “Let’s end this.”

As she neared the stage, the crowd’s cheers swelled, echoing through the arena as she leapt effortlessly onto the podium.

Inside the circle, Naomi stood still, her teal eyes emotionless. Beside her, Makino cracked her knuckles, a grin creeping across her face.

“Another Sayonaki versus Kurohyou match, huh?” someone murmured from the crowd.

“Yeah… this should be good,” another snickered, leaning over the railing.

“Though… that blue-haired chick, she looks kinda familiar.”

Aoi’s gaze flicked toward the pair, her hands resting calmly at her sides.

The crowd’s noise faded into a distant hum. For that single moment, all she could hear was her own heartbeat. Her hand drifted to her locket once more, thumb brushing over its surface before closing around it.

She drew in a steady breath… then exhaled, her lavender eyes sharpening with determination.