"Has it already gotten this late?"
Saeko Busujima looked up at the full moon hanging high in the sky and sighed with emotion.
Normally, school hours in Japan end around three in the afternoon. Even accounting for club activities, students generally do not stay past five.
For Saeko Busujima to be leaving the school at eight or nine in the evening like this was undoubtedly unusual.
This was entirely because the new semester had just begun. As a member of the school's kendo club, she had to keep herself busy with recruiting new members.
Setting aside her position as the captain of Fujimi Academy's kendo club, the name Busujima alone—given the prestige of the Busujima style among the kendo elite—was enough to attract the vast majority of students interested in the art.
Furthermore, she had proven the value of her skills by winning the national high school kendo championship for two consecutive years during her first and second years.
This was added to the status and reputation that kendo commanded in the country.
One could even say a large portion of the incoming students had chosen Fujimi Academy specifically for its kendo club and the Busujima name.
Although she had gone through this once when she entered her second year, doing it again this year was by no means easy.
'It will be fine once some time passes.'
That was what Saeko Busujima thought.
She stepped out of the Fujimi Academy grounds and walked briskly toward home.
Before she had gone far, Saeko quickly sensed that something was off.
An ordinary person might have found it difficult to detect, but for Saeko, who had practiced kendo since childhood, it was a different story.
She easily sensed a flickering gaze peeking at her from not far behind.
Saeko casually brushed a lock of her purple hair, tilted her head as if nothing were wrong, and shot a quick glance behind her.
Even though the other party's movements were well-concealed, she still spotted them.
A figure was hiding in a corner, surreptitiously following her.
Their face was covered by a mask, making their features indistinguishable, and a long black coat completely obscured their physique.
Dressed in such a suspicious and unsightly manner, there was no way this could be a normal person.
'A robber? Or a perverted stalker?'
The questioning thought flashed through Saeko's mind.
She was no stranger to such experiences.
Back in middle school, she once had the experience of being followed while on her way home from school.
It was a night just like tonight.
It was also a day she would never be able to forget.
It wasn't because of what the person had done to her then; rather, it was because she could have chosen to simply reveal the white oak bokken she carried to drive him away, yet she chose not to.
Instead, she deliberately feigned weakness. Then, when the man attempted to commit a crime against her, she used her wooden sword to inflict heavy injuries on him, directly shattering his shoulder and leg bones.
In reality, that was considered excessive force, but the police at the time took Saeko's age into account.
A middle school girl defending herself against a perverted criminal.
So, they did not hold her responsible and sent her straight home.
However, that incident became a permanent thorn in the girl's heart.
It also made Saeko realize that she actually harbored strong violent tendencies deep within.
And the fact that she might be a latent murderer.
Because when she struck that criminal with her wooden sword, the joy and excitement that surged from the bottom of her heart could not be faked.
Yet her reason told her that this was wrong.
The clash between her logic and her instincts constantly tormented the girl known as Saeko Busujima.
And now, facing an event about to unfold just like the one in middle school, what should she do?
Should she reveal the white oak bokken hidden on her person to scare him away?
Or should she follow her instincts, wait for him to make a move, and then vent her inner violent desires upon him just like before?
Snap.
The sound of something like a pebble or a stick being crushed under Saeko's foot interrupted her train of thought.
Coming back to her senses, Saeko was momentarily dazed as she looked at the dead end ahead and blinked.
She had unknowingly walked into a blind alley.
Just as Saeko was about to turn and leave, she found that the stalker who had been following her had stepped out to block her path.
It was clear that the other party's target was indeed her.
Saeko slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. She gripped her white oak bokken with both hands, her gaze sharpening as she said coldly, "Leave now, and no one gets hurt!"
Even at this point, Saeko was still unwilling to take the initiative to attack.
Perhaps it was out of rational consideration, or perhaps she was afraid that once she acted recklessly, she would truly become a murderer.
If the other person chose to turn and leave, she would act as if nothing had happened.
But if he still refused to give up even after seeing the wooden sword and tried to lay a hand on her...
A barely perceptible arc formed at the corners of Saeko's mouth.
Perhaps even she herself hadn't realized that the desire to fight and vent was currently stirring within her heart.
As Saeko's words fell, the stalker across from her showed no sign of leaving. Instead, a hand reached out from beneath the cloak.
It was an excessively beautiful hand. The skin was pale and clean, the fingers were long and slender, and even the fingernails were neatly trimmed. It didn't look like the hand of a criminal at all.
There wasn't a single callus on the hand, nor were there any signs of training.
Saeko vaguely felt that this hand looked familiar, as if she had seen the owner of this hand somewhere before.
Unfortunately, the other person's eyes were hidden by the hood; otherwise, she might have been able to recognize their identity.
However, before she could think further, that hand quickly lunged toward her.
Its target was the pair of heavy peaks on her chest—assets far larger than those of her peers, which she usually considered a burden to her kendo practice.
"You're asking for death!"
Saeko's brows shot up, and her gaze instantly became cold.
She swung the white oak bokken in her hand, striking ruthlessly at the hand that intended to touch her.
After all, she had no intention of letting anyone take advantage of her.
Whoosh!
The white oak bokken sliced through the air with a sharp sound, swinging toward the outstretched arm.
The result, however, was unexpected...
Saeko looked down and discovered that the wicked hand had not only dodged her attack but had also accurately pressed against her weak point with lightning speed.
It even gave a couple of gentle squeezes while she was dazed.
"Bastard! How dare you?!!"
Realizing what had happened, Saeko's eyes turned crimson. She gritted her teeth, veins bulging on the back of the hand gripping the sword, as the killing intent in her heart overflowed.