"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it. And behind the oriole... lurks the hunter."
That was the best way to describe what was happening right now.
Just as Ryuuen and his group were locked in a standoff with Katsuragi, another voice—unfamiliar yet eerily recognizable—interrupted them.
All eyes turned instinctively toward the source.
Katsuragi Kohei, who had been gripping his bow just moments ago, now lay face-down on the forest floor, unconscious. Standing in his place was Kure Ragna.
Unlike Katsuragi, who had been tense and wary, Ragna seemed completely at ease.
There was no hint of anger over the stolen key card, no concern about facing three Class D students.
If anything, he looked amused.
With an easygoing wave, he greeted them.
"Yo, Class D. Fancy meeting you here."
A heavy silence followed.
Even Ryuuen, usually unfazed, found himself momentarily speechless.
Of all the people he didn't want to see right now, Kure Ragna was at the top of the list.
But reality didn't care about personal preferences.
"If it's fate, it's fate. If it's a disaster… well, you can't outrun it anyway."
Ryuuen clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Tch. What a damn coincidence."
His mind was already racing through possible options. Split up and run? Go all in? What's the best move?
Before he could decide, Ibuki spoke up in a hushed voice.
"Listen, I have a plan."
Ryuuen raised an eyebrow but stayed quiet. Kaneda also turned to look at her, confused.
Ibuki ignored them both and continued, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I'll charge in from the front and grab his attention. While he's focused on me, Ryuuen, you attack from the right. Kaneda, you go left."
Kaneda blinked. "Wait, me? Why do I have to—"
"Got it."
Ibuki cut him off and crouched, muscles tensed.
Before Kaneda could protest further, she exploded forward like an arrow from a bow.
Kicking up dust, she closed the gap in seconds. The moment she got close, she leaped into the air, her right leg snapping forward in a fierce flying kick.
It was a solid, well-executed attack.
But Ragna sighed.
"Didn't I tell you before? Don't use kicks unless you're sure they'll hit."
His voice carried a mix of amusement and exasperation as he casually raised his arm.
Just before Ibuki's kick could land, Ragna's forearm blocked it cleanly.
Without hesitation, he grabbed her by the leg and swung her sideways—slamming her against a nearby tree.
CRACK!
The impact split the bark open.
Ibuki barely had time to register what happened before her vision blurred. She slumped to the ground, completely unconscious.
At the same moment—
A rock the size of a fist came flying from the left.
From the right, Ryuuen charged in, fist cocked back.
This was their real attack—a coordinated strike from both sides.
Logically, Ragna should have dealt with Ryuuen first and ignored the rock.
But instead—
He did neither.
Without even moving his feet, he reached out mid-air and caught the rock effortlessly.
Then, in the same instant—
BAM!
His right fist shot out before Ryuuen could react, slamming into his face.
A sharp crack rang out.
Ryuuen's body jerked violently as the impact sent him airborne.
His momentum was completely killed as he was flung backward, his feet barely touching the ground before he crashed down hard.
And Kaneda?
Before he could even process what happened, Ragna casually flicked the rock he had just caught.
The stone whizzed through the air with a sharp whoosh—
—and nailed Kaneda directly on the forehead.
His eyes rolled back instantly.
One hit KO.
In less than three seconds, all three Class D members were down.
A light cough broke the silence.
Surprisingly, Ryuuen was the only one still conscious.
Although his mouth was bloodied and one side of his face was already swelling, he grinned.
He forced himself up, slowly cracking his neck.
"Heh… surprised? Listen, sunglasses bastard. Fighting isn't just about strength."
His bloodshot eyes locked onto Ragna.
"If you wanna win a fight, first you gotta learn how to take a hit."
He wiped the blood from his lips and clenched his fists again.
No matter how many times he was knocked down, he'd get back up.
That was his strength—his sheer stubbornness.
Ragna watched him with mild amusement.
Then he… chuckled.
Not a mocking laugh, but something almost like genuine entertainment.
"Alright, alright." Ragna shrugged. "You've got more guts than most."
Then, before Ryuuen could react—
BOOM.
A single, well-aimed punch crashed into Ryuuen's jaw.
This time, Ragna put real force into it.
The moment the fist connected, the impact rattled his brain, sending a wave of dizziness through his entire body.
His vision blurred.
His thoughts faded to black before he even hit the ground.
Ragna let out a sigh and shook his head.
"Strength and effort? Those are bare minimums in a fight, kid."
---
As the dust settled, Ragna bent down and picked up one of the arrows Katsuragi had dropped earlier.
He examined the tip closely, then brought it near his nose and sniffed.
His brows furrowed slightly.
"...Aconitum root extract, huh?"
A smirk played on his lips as he twirled the arrow between his fingers.
"You know, this stuff is famous because some war general scraped the poison off his own bones to save himself. Pretty badass story, really."
He glanced over at the unconscious Class D members.
"But the way this is soaked? The dosage is weak. Won't kill anyone—just paralyzes the nerves for a few hours."
Shrugging, he pulled out the remaining arrows from Katsuragi's quiver.
"Damn, Katsuragi. You're way too nice."
With a nonchalant flick, he tossed one arrow onto each of the fallen students.
"One for each. Clean and fair, yeah?"
Just then—
A sudden rustle in the trees caught his attention.
A tall, thin figure stepped out from the shadows.
Dressed in a black suit, Sakagami, the homeroom teacher of Class D, emerged with a camera in one hand and a walkie-talkie in the other.
"Please. Don't move."
His voice was steady, but his expression betrayed his nerves.
Ragna's eyes narrowed.
"...Oh?"
Sakagami smirked.
"This camera is connected to my phone. Everything you just did? Already uploaded to my device back on the cruise ship."
His sneer deepened.
"You understand what that means, don't you?"
For a moment, Ragna was silent.
Then—
He grinned.
Snap.
With a snap of his fingers, more figures emerged from the trees.
Sakagami's smirk vanished instantly when he saw Ichinose Honami and her group standing behind him—cameras already rolling.
Ichinose smiled.
"Sorry, Sensei. But we recorded everything—including the part where you tried to blackmail Kure Ragna."
Sakagami's face went pale.
And just like that, the tables turned.
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