"Ryuga-san...!"
Raiha called out the name of the man who had appeared before them. Naturally, her eyes were fixed on him alone; from the very beginning, the likes of Cyan and his group hadn't even registered in her sight.
After warning Cyan, Ryuga turned his gaze away, prompting Yugo to speak up in surprise. "Ryuga, what are you doing here?! You're still supposed to be in the hospital!"
"There was a woman causing a scene in the ward, shouting about the Warrior Shrine Maiden's father and how they needed to talk. It caught my attention, so I slipped out."
"Ugh...!"
At those words, Ryuga glanced at Lamy, whose breath hitched as she choked on her words.
Professor Castle let out a heavy sigh upon hearing of her outrageous behavior, realizing she had been acting just as senselessly at the hospital as she had been here. Meanwhile, Ryuga turned his gaze toward the Warrior Shrine Maiden and the fathers.
"...So, you are the current heads of the Three Great Houses. And you must be..."
"Renjo, that is no way to speak—!"
"It is fine, Professor Castle. Please do not rebuke him."
Professor Castle had tried to admonish Ryuga for his insolent tone as he looked over the faces of the heads of the Three Great Houses one by one, but Ujiyasu stopped him.
Ujiyasu, who was on the receiving end of Ryuga's sharpest glare, met that gaze with an expression far too complex to be described with a single word.
While an atmosphere that could only be described as ominous hung in the air, Cyan—who was caught between Ryuga and Ujiyasu—began to wonder if this situation was actually a golden opportunity, despite his fear.
(Ryuga is injured right now. Besides, look at that insolent attitude toward the heads of the Great Houses... I have every justification to suppress him!)
If they fought head-on, Ryuga was an opponent he could never hope to defeat, but the man was currently undergoing treatment and was nowhere near full strength.
Cyan also had the perfect excuse: Ryuga was radiating a dangerous aura, and there was no telling what he might do to the heads of the Three Great Houses, who were VIP guests.
If it were now... he might actually be able to apprehend him.
If he restrained the man who was about to harm the fathers, he could finally put Raiha in his debt. If he did that, his chances with her might even be revived. He might receive the Utsusemi family's gratitude and be gifted Thunder Dragon Materials—it might even go so well that they would ask him to marry into the family in the future.
He could do it. Right now, he could seize the chance for a total reversal.
Thinking this, Cyan swallowed hard and prepared to lunge at Ryuga.
"Ryuga! Stop this nonse—gbugh!?"
Cyan reinforced his physical abilities with magic power and tried to restrain Ryuga at close range, but the moment he moved, a dull impact tore through his solar plexus, leaving him with only a muffled groan.
Without drawing his katana, or even needing to swing it, Ryuga drove his clenched fist into the boy. He simply moved past the collapsing Cyan as if he were merely an obstacle in his path.
"...It seems there is no need to listen to anything those people have to say."
"Indeed, so it seems."
Tadakatsu and Motonari muttered as they witnessed the exchange, which could only be described as a complete dismissal. Looking at Cyan, who was no match for Ryuga even while the latter was wounded and recovering, they could easily guess the caliber of the other students.
"A-a-a-all of you, what do you think you're doing?! Humiliating me again... k-k-kiiiiiiii, i, i...?"
"...Professor Neila, truly, stop this at once. You need to rest."
Lamy, having witnessed the pathetic display of the Hero Candidate she had recommended, was about to let out a hysterical scream when her eyes suddenly grew unfocused and dreamy.
As she collapsed onto the floor, Professor Castle, who had used sleep induction magic on her, whispered to himself. "I have shown you a most unsightly display. I do not know how to apologize for this failure..."
"Please, don't let it trouble you. You have a lot on your plate as well, Professor Castle. More importantly, shouldn't you take Professor Neila and that boy to the infirmary?"
"Ah...! Fail, can you stand? We're going to the infirmary."
"U-uugh..."
Carrying the sleeping Lamy on his back, Professor Castle called out to the crouching Cyan and led the two of them away.
While the other Reincarnators beat a hasty retreat, overwhelmed by the feeling that they didn't belong there, Ryuga spoke to Ujiyasu.
"...I want to talk to you. Somewhere we won't be interrupted."
"...Yes, I understand."
"Hey, wait! There is no way we can allow that!"
Tadakatsu cut into the conversation. Implicitly stating that it was dangerous to leave Ujiyasu alone with Ryuga, who likely harbored a grudge despite having saved his daughter, Motonari spoke up next.
"I am sorry, Ryuga-kun, but we cannot send our friend into such a precarious situation. Ujiyasu, you should reconsider as well."
"But, I have a duty—"
"Be quiet for a moment, Ujiyasu. I understand your feelings, but I cannot ignore our concerns."
"...I see. If that is how it's going to be, then it can't be helped."
Ryuga muttered quietly as he saw the reactions of Tadakatsu and Motonari. The two men strengthened their guard and took up combat stances, preparing to draw their weapons as they saw him slowly reach for Ryuo-ga.
"Yugo, I'm entrusting this to you."
"...Yeah, I've got it."
Ryuga did not draw the blade; instead, he held the sheathed katana out to his partner.
Yugo, who had moved close as if he had anticipated the gesture, nodded firmly as he accepted the cherished blade that his partner valued more than his own life.
"...I have no intention of harming your friend. I only wish to speak."
""...?!""
Tadakatsu and Motonari's eyes widened in surprise. While the two were frozen, Ujiyasu stepped forward between them, nodded quietly, and spoke.
"I, too, felt that I had to speak with you. I ask you to forgive me for making you come all this way, and for the rudeness of my friends."
"I don't mind. I would likely do the same for the sake of a friend."
Ryuga addressed Ujiyasu with an attitude that bridged his usual soft-spoken self and the cold persona of his past. While everyone observed him, wondering how he truly felt about the man, Raiha stepped forward.
"Um! ...May I be allowed to join you?"
"...I told you before. Don't ask me—"
Ryuga had started to rebuff Raiha, but seeing her earnest expression, he swallowed the familiar words halfway through. Quietly averting his gaze, he let out a soft breath.
"...Do as you wish."
"...Thank you very much, Ryuga-san."
Raiha bowed her head in gratitude. After looking at his daughter and then at the young man whose life his family had ruined, Ujiyasu headed back toward the reception room with the two of them.