"Take that, Yugo! You’ve got some nerve!"
"Gyaaaaaaaaaaaah! Ann! I yield! Tap out! Stop it!"
Having left Neries in the care of Peewee and Presia, Yugo had stepped away from the meeting only to find himself subjected to Anhel’s chastisement. She had arrived to repair the door, and she was not in a good mood.
Any trace of the poignant atmosphere from his recent talk had vanished. As Yugo let out shrill screams while locked in a series of pro-wrestling moves, Anhel—her face a mask of pure rage—hurled her grievances at him.
"I’ve been sacrificing my sleep to tune your Blaster armor, you know! And then you have the audacity to tell me to come fix a door because you smashed it? Don’t go adding more work to my plate, you moron!"
"Guehh! No, Ann! It wasn't me! It was Ryuga! Take it out on Ryuga!"
"Anhel-san, stop! My brother’s going to die! He’s really going to die!"
Though Yugo was receiving a merciless punishment, Anhel’s lush curves were being pressed firmly against him as she applied the holds. In a sense, it could be considered a reward. (Though, the man in question didn't have a single ounce of composure to appreciate her softness or weight).
While Yugo was being punished and a panicked Fee looked on, Ryuga—the true culprit—was gracefully sipping tea, taking a moment to catch his breath.
His companions, who had gathered after hearing the commotion, spoke to him as he exuded an air of complete detachment.
"Um, Ryuga? Yugo’s ended up in a pretty bad spot... Shouldn't you help him?"
"Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do. It's regrettable, but Yugo will simply have to endure it."
"...You’re the one who broke the door to Neries’s room, aren't you?"
"Indeed. I have already received my chastisement from Anhel regarding that matter."
"Wait, Ryuga-san, were you... also held close like that while she used a wrestling move on you?"
"No. In my case, she sent me flying with a hammer. Unlike Yugo's, my punishment was over in an instant."
"To be perfectly fine after a blow like that is actually quite impressive in its own way..."
Should they be impressed or exasperated? His companions wore complex expressions, unsure how to react to Ryuga's words.
Setsuna, the only one whose expression remained unchanged, let out a small sigh before addressing him.
"It feels... uncharacteristic of you. Or is that a strange way to put it? I didn't think you were such a short-tempered man."
"Oh, Big Brother is actually very short-tempered, you know? The fact that his catchphrase is 'Don't ask questions' shows his lack of patience is at full throttle, doesn't it?"
"Aaaah...!"
The group had seen Ryuga’s relatively calm and mild-mannered sides, but Yui’s comment reminded them of his true nature.
While everyone nodded in collective realization, Ryuga cleared his throat and spoke.
"It wasn't as if I did that because I lost my temper. I simply felt that drastic treatment was necessary to open her heart."
After saying this, Ryuga took another sip of his tea.
For the record, even as this conversation took place, Yugo continued to endure Anhel’s physical discipline.
As his partner's screams echoed in the background, Ryuga spoke quietly about the true intent behind his actions.
"Negative emotions thrive in isolation. The more you bottle them up, the more they swell into something massive and hideous. That is why I had to force her to face someone, even if it took a bit of a push."
"...That's an opinion that carries a lot of weight coming from you."
"Yes. Have you forgotten? The man standing before you now is someone who let his own negative emotions fester into murderous intent."
Ryuga answered in a voice that felt somewhat cold.
His companions realized that because he had grappled with negative emotions more than anyone else, he knew their danger—and he understood the cure. Ryuga continued.
"The method didn't matter. I knew that if I could just create an opening for Yugo to talk to her, he would find a way. I believed that he would stay by her side, reaching into the darkness within Neries's heart and supporting her. My actions were merely to facilitate that."
It had been aggressive—perhaps overly so—but they likely wouldn't have had the chance to talk to Neries otherwise.
While it didn't strictly justify the destruction of school property, Ryuga's actions had certainly served a purpose.
By taking all of Neries's fear and suspicion onto himself before passing the baton to Yugo, he had provided an excellent assist.
Since Yugo had indeed succeeded in drawing out Neries's true feelings, his reckless behavior was, to some extent, vindicated.
"Anhel’s behavior is likely her way of venting her work stress while enjoying a bit of play with Yugo. It would be wrong of me to interfere with her."
"Big Brother, did you act knowing that everything would turn out exactly like this?"
"I didn't predict it perfectly... but I knew that the moment Neries and Yugo came face-to-face, she would be okay."
"You really trust Yugo-san, don't you?"
"Of course. Yugo was the man who made me break free from my past when I was ready to throw everything away for revenge. I trusted that he would be able to save Neries’s heart as well."
Ryuga gave a light affirmation to his younger sister's question.
With a faint smile on his lips, he spoke with a voice far more grounded than before, and then continued his story.