Ryuma, Mika, and Rudy were walking in the school corridor. Their destination was unknown because Rudy hadn't said anything about it. As they were walking together, the first one to break the silence was Mika.
"So, where are we going right now?"
Ryuma questioned Rudy out of impatience.
"You'll know later. But first of all, if I may ask, who invited you all to this school?"
Said Rudy as he took a side glance at Ryuma. Ryuma noticed that Rudy had been glancing at him multiple times through the goggle, but decided not to say anything about it.
("This guy is an oddball…")
"It was Nurse Line and Valena. I tried to reject them the first time, but it ended with me fighting them both."
"Hoo… Who won?"
"I won, but then The Sage Merium himself came to the scene and subdued me on the spot. Why'd you ask?"
"... Nothing, just want to know…"
"..."
…
On the second floor, at the very edge of the school, lies a room. Rudy stopped as he opened the door
"Is this the place?" Ryuma questions Rudy. But Rudy didn't answer it. Instead, he pushed the door hard, and the sound echoed around the hallway. He walked into the room. Then the two follow through.
As they got into the room, Ryuma and Mika were surprised by Rudy's sudden action as he closed the distance on Ryuma's face, so close that they could've kissed.
Ryuma crept out and showered with an uncomfortable feeling…
"W-What is it?..."
Rudy didn't respond to Ryuma. And instead, he makes a full round around Ryuma, observing the shape of his muscles and body.
"Hmm… I see." As Rudy's observing Ryuma, Mika suddenly broke the silence by talking about whatever was on his mind.
"I don't know what you're doing, Rudy-san, but perhaps you're observing Ryuma just so you could find a way to defeat him tomorrow?"
Ryuma has grasped Mika's words in an instant, but not by Rudy's observing him, it's because Mika hits a bullseye out of nowhere.
Rudy muttered and smiled widely.
"It's a given, that my group will be the winner tomorrow."
With a height almost twice that of Ryuma, Rudy looked down on Ryuma. Rudy smirked at him and continued to talk.
"Every Deathmatch, you've all come unprepared. Each of you has a weapon except you. A handful of projectile and healing stuff? That doesn't add up to anything. Hell, I even barely felt any mana surging inside you. It's only luck that led your group to win last time. But what of it? If it's in the outside world, do you think… All four of you would even be given a chance to breathe?"
Rudy frowned as he closed his face on Ryuma once again.
"I refer to those who are ordinary as nobody, weak as an ant I can crush anytime, and strong as an insignificant annoyance that could get in my way sometimes. But you, of all people, would I refer to an abnormality. It's strange… You're strong, but at the same time you're weak. I don't understand it, how you of all people were exist to begin with…"
Rudy spoke in an unmannerly tone, completely the opposite personality of Ryuma's first interaction with him.
"Was it… Is this your real self from the start?"
"Heeeh… Was my first impression act go too well? Oh fine oh fine, you got me. But I don't care either way, it's nuisance to put on the fake mask, so I'll just come out myself…"
"Get the fuck out of this school, brat…"
With the piercing tone and discomfort sentences, Rudy bluntly said it to Ryuma's face. Ryuma on the other hand, seems to be unmoved by what Rudy just told him.
But Ryuma counterattacks with his red gaze, and questions Rudy back.
"May I ask why I should leave this school?"
"Hmm, Why? Because you're brat, that's about it. And brat shouldn't play high ground, especially anywhere near 'The Sage'."
"W-Wait, you shouldn't just tell Ryuma to leave the school out of nowhere-"
Mika tries to chime in as Rudy was speaking, but Rudy raises his voice at Mika back.
"That goes the same for you, chatty brat. Do you think that with passive regeneration alone, you can go through the thorn and think you can pass every obstacle?! Too bad I can bypass that healing regeneration and blast through that thick skull of yours. Wanna bet on it? If you were to live if I were to drill through your brain, that's it…"
"Y-You think I'm scared of that empty threat?!"
("What the hell's wrong with this guy? Not long ago, he was a friendly person…")
Ryuma thought to himself. And then, suddenly, a shadow appeared behind Ryuma. Ryuma senses her, but never lifts his foot. Looking back, there was a giant figure with one horn gazing on Ryuma with piercing eyes and sharp teeth. The skin color was light red, and judging by her size, which is three times bigger than Ryuma, she could devour him at any moment.
"Meet Tenko Tamiko, a vanguard of our group. An Oni girl who can crush anyone just by her presence. Look at those muscles, wouldn't you be afraid of getting crushed by that?"
"Haha, don't scare the kid too much, Rudy. Take it easy on them."
And suddenly a figure appeared from the shadow, he appeared to be a bit taller than Rudy. He stepped out of the shadow, with an Eagle sitting on his arm, and a snake hiding in the back of his clothes came out with a hissing noise.
"Sorry, but I don't know what holding back means… Eden."
Just as Ryuma realized it, they were suddenly outnumbered.
"What's this? Did you bring us here just to let them gang up on us? Many sorry, but we both are allergic to bully."
"That's right, that's right! What bet you're saying earlier? Drill on my brain? I'd like to see you try it-"
As Mika was about to start a fight, a sudden hand gripped his shoulder from the blind spot. A mysterious, tall figure in a cloak, managed to stop Mika's marching just by his raw strength alone.
"K-Kuh… Let me go…" Mika tried to get away from the figure's grasp, but even with his high physical prowess, he seemed to be struggling against him.
"I'm sorry, what were you saying? Drill on your brain? Ah coincidentally, I just brought one with me today…"
Rudy brought out the small drill from his lab coat, approaching Mika, who didn't seem to be able to escape from the mysterious figure's grasp, and he tightened his grasp on Mika, leaving him vulnerable to Rudy.
The sound of drill echoed the room, and the drill itself were coming closer and closer to Mika's skull.
"Mika!-"
Ryuma tried to prevent an event from happening, but Tenko grabbed him by the back of his collar and threw him out of the room.
"L-Let me go…"
Mika hopelessly struggled as he witnessed the drill about to pierce his eye.
But the savior managed to stop Rudy in time.
A chain comes from the window, lynching itself towards Rudy, but Eden got in its way as he saw that coming.
"Ah, sorry to get in your way man, but could you not get in our way-"
Eden spoke as he was about to catch the chain with his bare hands, but the chain suddenly tangled around Eden's arm like it had a mind of its own.
"Oh, what-"
The chain slammed Eden into the wall, and by the sound of the crash, he wasn't gonna wake up anytime soon.
"Tch, I'm just gonna scare him, why do you make this harder for me…"
Rudy clicked his tongue as he faced the direction from which the chain was coming.
But not to be told that there's a flying dagger in front of his goggles, which were caught bare-handed by the mysterious figure.
"Huh, not leaving any space for me to speak, would you?"
The savior who just interrupted Rudy finally stepped inside from the window. Kyora Akumutsu made his entrance with the chain wrapped around his body.
"Fuck you, I don't need to hear any single words coming off your mouth."
Kiyo seems to be in a bad mood by the way he talks. Swinging his chain with an iron ball swiftly, he didn't hesitate a second to swing as he scratched the wall, towards Rudy's head.
But once again, the mysterious figure caught a chained iron ball moving at high speed bare-handed. Just right beside Rudy's head.
"*Whistle!* Nice one Huto~"
When Rudy thought what he called the brat stopped, there was another person came rushing into the room at lightning speed.
He slipped past Tenko, who was guarding the door, holding a blade that was about to make contact with Rudy's neck. But another blade got in its way, which came from the mysterious figure whom Rudy called 'Huto'.
Rioga Tenjiro, failed his surprise attack on Rudy as his blade was blocked by Huto's.
Tenko was about to grab Rio, who just slipped past her, but was interrupted by someone as he grabbed her arm.
"Don't get in my way."
Ryuma, despite his height, is about 1/3 of Tenko; his backfist somehow managed to reach her face, without his foot leaving the ground. And that blow to the face left her stumbling on her back.
"At first, I'm just like you, observing what you're gonna do. But right now you're leaving a bad aftertaste in my mouth, Rudy."
Ryuma Ochirou, furious as he gazes at Rudy with his red gaze.