"Night of Gakuen-sai" pt.3

Tokyo, Japan.

At Tokyo University, Gakuen-sai's night.

June 18th, 2026

8:43 PM 23° Celsius/73.4 Fahrenheit

Arashi returned to the gakuensai from a different direction, making sure to wipe her face and breathe normally. The voices, the warmth, the music—it all felt too loud now. Too fake. But she smiled.

She had to.

Reina noticed her first. Her expression tightened.

"Where did you go?" she asked, approaching.

"I was worried." Reina added.

"I went to the bathroom," Arashi replied, brushing back a strand of hair.

"Sorry." Arashi added, while her eyes darted between Reina and Ray.

Ray glanced at her, quiet. Observing.

Kitsune glanced at her too.

All of them were silent. Staring at each other, ignoring all the noises in their surroundings.

Then, Arashi broke the silence.

Arashi led with unshakable confidence, her eyes fixed ahead, her voice calm but oddly chipper.

"You know… I ran into two of our old professors today," she said, glancing at Reina and Kitsune.

"They remembered us. They even asked about you." Arashi followed with a fake smile.

"Really?! Who?" Reina beamed.

"Professor Ishikawa and Professor Morimoto. They said they'd be thrilled to see us again. Especially you two." Arashi answered, her voice smooth.

"Let's go, let's go!" Kitsune added, grabbing Reina's arm eagerly.

Ray slowed his steps just a bit.

He wasn't one for sentimentality.

"You three go," he said.

"I'll stay back. I've got no business with your old professors." He added, his voice cold as ever.

Reina turned, smiling as she walked backward.

"Oh come on, Ray. They'd love to meet you! Besides…" She smirked. "It'll make me happy."

Ray hesitated.

There was a flicker of something deep inside him. His instincts didn't like this. Something was off.

But Reina's voice softened—more vulnerable this time.

"Please? Just for a few minutes?" Reina insisted.

Ray studied her expression. Her eyes were genuine. She had no idea.

He sighed internally. What the hell… nothing's gonna happen if I meet a couple of professors. In, out, done.

"Fine."

Arashi formed a slight smile. Just as Ryuji Takahashi's instructed.

"You can do it, Arashi-chan. I know you. You were the best actress I've met her." Arashi thought, his words for her.

And now, the man who humiliated her will come to realise that he shouldn't humiliate her in front of her family.

From the rooftop of the Student Affairs building, Maria lowered her binoculars. Ryuji stood beside her, arms crossed, watching the movement across the plaza.

"There," Maria said.

"Your girl is back, and it looks like she convinced him, especially that Dawning Devil guy." Maria added.

Ryuji leaned forward, eyes narrowing and fueling with rage and excitement as he spotted the group moving toward a less crowded path near the botanical greenhouse, hidden by festival lights and vendor stalls.

"They're following. Not just that guy, the other two as well." Maria noted.

Ryuji cursed under his breath. "Tch. Of course they are."

Maria turned to him, raising an eyebrow.

"Still want to do this? I can't do collateral damage. Especially, if they're the daughters of the most influential woman in Japan." She said.

Ryuji exhaled sharply.

"We have to and I want to. Call Kojima-sama. Tell him to bring everything. Guns, swords, the full damn legion." He instructed.

"Why? Aren't we enough? We can both take him down with ease." Maria argued.

"I can't have chances with this fucking bastard. I want this mission as soon as possible!" Ryuji argued back, his voice rising.

Maria didn't respond. She gave Ryuji one last long look, almost questioning his judgment.

Then she pulled out her phone.

They followed Arashi deeper into the campus, past buildings closed for the night, into an older wing where the air turned still and the lights dimmer. The path curved into a long breezeway that opened into a wide, empty courtyard once used for campus festivals. It was massive—spacious, echoing, and silent.

Ray's steps slowed. His instincts were no longer whispering—they were screaming.

"Where are they?" Reina asked, looking around.

Arashi kept walking, her pace slowing only slightly as they reached the center of the courtyard. No professors. No lights. No signs of anyone.

Ray's eyes narrowed. His entire body tensed.

"Arashi-chan, where are they?" Reina asked, stepping closer.

Silence.

Ray's eyes locked onto Arashi's back. His hands balled into fists.

Arashi finally stopped. She stood there, shoulders relaxed, her stance deliberate. Then, with elegant calm, she turned to face them.

Her expression was no longer neutral.

Her eyes gleamed with cold pride. Her lips curved into a slow, confident smirk.

Ray froze. That look…

Victory.

Reina looked between them, confused. "Arashi…?"

Arashi didn't answer.

Thip.

The sound was sharp. A dart embedded itself in Arashi's side. Her smirk never faded as her body gave out, and she dropped like a lifeless doll to the ground.

Thip. Thip.

Two more darts flew—one into Reina's neck, the other into Kitsune's shoulder. Their voices faltered, their knees buckled.

Ray caught Reina before she hit the ground. Her eyes fluttered. "Ray…?"

"I've got you," he murmured.

But his gaze was already fixed forward.

Beyond the shadows, two figures emerged slowly—one graceful and composed, the other fueled by pure, volcanic hatred.

Maria Tachibana—stoic, unblinking, her black boots clicking faintly on the stone tiles.

And beside her…

Ryuji Takahashi.

His red coat fluttered lightly in the wind, his eyes blazing with raw rage, his expression twisted into a grin that was all teeth and poison.

"Well, well…" he spat, voice sharp with venom. "Now I've got you… you fucking bastard."

Ray rose slowly to his feet, standing alone among the unconscious sisters.

He said nothing. His face unreadable. But his fingers twitched—ready.

Maria's eyes scanned the space, noting the distance, the terrain, the bodies on the floor. Her fingers slid toward her katana.

"Your girl is solid. Didn't even flinch when we took her down." Maria murmured.

"She'll get her reward. But you…"

He pointed at Ray with one gloved finger.

"You're fucking mine, asshole!" He spat.

"Who the hell are you?" Ray finally spoke, his voice cold and low.

Ryuji's smirk twitched.

"Say that again when your ribs are broken." He said.

Ray tilted his head slightly, eyes flicking across the vast space. Calculating. Reading their stance. Measuring the variables.