The next day, the atmosphere in school shifted.
Word had spread.
Someone had seen it—Ryuji beating down five seniors in the alley behind the school. Some believed the story. Others called it just another rumor
"Did you hear? That new guy... he's not normal."
"He took out the five seniors by himself. They're a known crew and bullies man."
Ryuji walked the halls in silence. The sea of students parted without a word. No one made eye contact. No one dared. He wasn't just another transfer student anymore.
But in Classroom, Aika sat calmly at her desk, pen in hand, eyes sharp. She knew the rumors were more than talk. She had seen him. The way he moved. The look in his eyes.
He's been in blood before. A lot of it.
But that wasn't what scared her.
What scared her was how calm he was. As if nothing could touch him. As if he'd already died once and came back colder.
---
After Class
Ryuji left the classroom, Aika found herself walking down the back corridor following him. She didn't know why. Or maybe she did.
She found him standing alone on the rooftop, staring out over the city, cigarette between his lips—not lit. Just something to hold, maybe.
"You shouldn't be up here," Ryuji said without looking at her.
"I could say the same," she replied.
A pause.
He finally turned, eyes locking with hers. Cold. Sharp. But there was something else—curiosity.
"You're not scared of me?"
She smiled, gentle but firm. "I don't fear what I understand."
"Then you don't understand me at all."
That shut her up. But she didn't leave.
Neither did he.
---
Later That Night
In a dim room lit only by a single bulb, a man in a suit knelt before a photo.
Ryuji's school ID.
"He's with the Tatsugami-gumi," the man whispered. "The Devil" himself… Why the hell is he in a school?"
Another man—older, sharper, his eyes like steel—leaned back in his chair. A scar ran from his jaw to his ear.
"Keep eyes on him," he said. "But don't move until we know why he's here."
Because if Ryuji Tatsugami had come to Tokyo...
It meant blood would follow.