"Ngh...!"
Yugo, clad in his Blaster armor, delivered a strike that caught Kurotobari square in the face.
The Magic Armor Beast was hurled backward, its sharp talons gouging into the roof tiles as it skidded across the building. Sakura didn't miss her chance to follow up.
"Flying Blade: Water Dragon Wave!"
She compressed the water swirling around her blade, thinning it into a razor-sharp edge. With a flourish of her naginata, she unleashed the attack.
Sakura delivered a swift two-hit combo—a horizontal sweep followed by a vertical strike. She watched as the blades of water rained down on Kurotobari just as he slammed into a wall. After confirming that the impact had kicked up a thick cloud of dust, she leapt down to the street.
"Yugo, did it land?" Ryuga asked, looking for confirmation of the assault's effectiveness.
"No, no good," Yugo replied, tightening his fists. "The bastard jumped back on his own the moment my punch connected. He rolled with the impact."
His strike had definitely hit Kurotobari’s face, but the opponent had neutralized the force by retreating at the exact moment of contact. Yugo realized that Kurotobari's combat instincts were exceptional. Just as he was about to warn the others, the pitch-black Magic Armor Beast soared into the air.
"Justice does not rot. Justice does not falter. Justice cannot be broken. That is what makes it justice."
"Tsk, I knew we hadn't finished him off...!" Yugo muttered.
It seemed those massive, outstretched black wings doubled as shields. Sakura figured he must have used them to block her Water Dragon Wave. High above them, Kurotobari’s voice rang out once more.
"Evil shall be purged. No matter how deep the rot of this world runs, I will fight until every last sinner has been judged. It is beginning—the transformation of the world through True Justice. The time has come to reveal my justice to all."
"What the hell are you talking about? A world transformation? What are you actually planning?"
"You will understand soon enough. When that time comes, even you will learn the true meaning of True Justice and the righteousness of my cause."
Leaving them with those cryptic words, Kurotobari flapped his wings powerfully. A moment later, his silhouette vanished into the darkness of the night, and silence returned to the city streets.
"His presence is gone. It looks like he retreated," Ryuga noted, sensing the shift in the air.
"Lord Ryuga, Raiha! Are you hurt?" Sakura asked urgently.
"I-I'm okay... Ryuga-san protected me..." Raiha stammered, still a bit shaken.
The group breathed a collective sigh of relief as they confirmed no one was injured. As Sakura stared up at the empty sky where Kurotobari had disappeared, her expression remained grim.
"I never expected the Luminous Academy Student Hunting to begin this early... This caught me completely off guard."
"It's not just that Kurotobari himself showed up," Yugo added. "Things are spiraling faster than we thought. We need to get back, report this, and tell the academy to strengthen their guard."
"You're right. Yugo-dono, Lord Ryuga, let's head back to the academy immediately... wait, what's wrong?"
The Society of Friends of the Night and Kurotobari were moving with terrifying speed and aggression. Sakura was ready to move, but when she turned to the two boys, both were wearing troubled, pensive expressions.
"Yugo-dono? Lord Ryuga? Is something the matter?"
"Something... feels off," Yugo murmured. "I can't quite put my finger on it, but there's this dissonance. Why would Kurotobari hit us right now, at this exact moment?"
"Could it not simply be a warning or a Declaration of War?" Sakura suggested. "He made it clear he won't tolerate anyone from Luminous Academy interfering with his group."
"I get that, but... I don't know. It’s like a fog in my head. I’m missing the right search terms, you know? My brain cells haven't shifted into top gear yet."
Sakura tilted her head, clearly baffled by Yugo’s modern phrasing. Beside them, Raiha noticed Ryuga was also lost in thought. Mustering her courage, she spoke up.
"Um... Ryuga-san? Do you feel something is wrong with Kurotobari's actions too?"
"Ah, no... it’s not that..." Ryuga shifted his gaze awkwardly.
Raiha was surprised by the rare display of discomfort. Ryuga looked at her apologetically.
"...Before the attack, you were saying something to me, weren't you? I’m sorry, but I was so focused on pinpointing the source of that killing intent that I didn’t hear a word of it. Was it important?"
"Oh! N-no! It’s fine! Really! It wasn't anything important at all...!" Raiha waved her hands frantically, her face flushing.
Seeing Ryuga look slightly relieved, Raiha realized she might be the one more relieved that he hadn't heard her earlier words.
"You two," Sakura interrupted. "Save the deep thinking for when we're back at the academy. Our priority is delivering this report."
"Right. We have two girls with us; we need to get to a safe zone fast."
The immediate danger had passed, but they couldn't afford to relax. There was no telling if Kurotobari would circle back. They set off at a brisk pace toward the academy as the night deepened.
In the shadows of the flickering streetlamps, no one noticed the cold, sharp glint that had entered Ryuga's eyes as he watched Raiha walk ahead of them.