Turning around, Koike Takuma saw no one behind him.
“Are you looking for me?” The voice came from behind him again.
The voice was sweet and soft; just hearing it was enough to make one imagine how cute its owner must be.
Yet, upon hearing this voice, cold sweat trickled down Koike Takuma’s forehead.
Had his conversation earlier been overheard?
Who was this person?
His mind full of questions, Koike Takuma reached his hand into his pocket, fumbling for his smartphone.
“Bang!”
Before Koike Takuma could touch his phone, he felt a violent impact strike his abdomen. The pain doubled him over. Immediately after, he felt a smack to his head, and his whole body sprawled onto the ground.
Then, Koike Takuma felt his body become weightless. Someone grabbed him by the leg and swiftly dragged him away. So fast was the movement that, before he could react, he was already pulled into a dark, narrow alley.
“You’re from the Star Group?” the voice questioned again.
Koike Takuma had already realized this opponent was beyond his ability to handle. He could only answer honestly: “Yes.”
“Tell me everything about your team, from the Commander down to each member. Their strength, what Ability Cards and Equipment Cards they use,” Tsukiyomi Ruri’s voice commanded, utterly flat.
Koike Takuma hesitated, and immediately received a kick to the side of his torso.
This made Koike Takuma unable to suppress a cry of pain. His whole body curled up there, occasionally twitching uncontrollably.
“If you don’t want to die, you’ll answer whatever I ask, without pause. If you hesitate, I will make you understand what pain truly means. My patience is limited,” Tsukiyomi Ruri threatened.
“I’ll talk, I’ll talk!” Having tasted the agony, Koike Takuma hurriedly said.
For the next while, Tsukiyomi Ruri questioned him about the Star Group. Naturally, while asking, she remained at an angle where Koike Takuma couldn’t see her.
The information about the Star Group didn’t sound particularly special to Tsukiyomi Ruri; it was similar to most ordinary reincarnator teams.
The grudge the Star Group held against Kiryoki also stemmed from a conflict that had arisen in a past Reincarnation World.
A single Reincarnation World often hosted dozens of reincarnator batches undertaking dozens of different missions. Some of these missions could naturally conflict. The Star Group had suffered losses at the hands of Kiryoki because of this and had harbored resentment ever since.
Having gathered a general understanding of the various details, Tsukiyomi Ruri asked about the location of the abandoned factory. Then, she directly knocked Koike Takuma unconscious and confiscated his smartphone. After a moment’s thought, she stuffed him into a nearby trash can.
After leaving the alley, Tsukiyomi Ruri first returned to the school. She met Leona outside the designated music classroom.
Seeing Tsukiyomi Ruri, Leona immediately drifted over. “Guess what I discovered?”
Right now, surprise was practically written all over her face.
Tsukiyomi Ruri asked, “The Celestial Wolf Demon General is Mizuhashi Yuzuki?”
Leona: “???”
Seeing Leona’s even more astonished expression, Tsukiyomi Ruri knew she had guessed correctly.
She truly hadn’t expected that Mizuhashi Yuzuki was also a reincarnator. This was an unexpected piece of information. And it seemed Mizuhashi Yuzuki actually held a grudge against Kiryoki.
“How did you even know? I hadn’t told you yet,” Leona said, sounding a little wronged.
“It was a predictable outcome. So, where did Mizuhashi go?” Tsukiyomi Ruri asked, her expression blank.
Leona sighed. “She left the school grounds. There’s sunlight everywhere outside; I couldn’t follow her anymore. If I had, you might never have seen your cute and beautiful me again.”
Tsukiyomi Ruri automatically filtered out Leona’s last sentence. Nodding, she said, “Understood. I also need to leave school for a bit to take care of something. If it’s inconvenient for you to go out, stay here.”
“If you just leave, won’t the school cause trouble if they can’t find you?” Leona tilted her head and asked.
“Then write a leave slip for me and give it to the homeroom teacher. I’m counting on you.” Tsukiyomi Ruri waved her hand and immediately departed.
Leona: “…”
Was it really appropriate to make a ghost do something like this?
Mizuhashi Yuzuki had already shed her Celestial Wolf Demon General equipment. Wearing a coffee-colored short-sleeved top and white shorts, her light green hair tied into twin tails, she walked along the street.
“Go over now? Understood, I’m heading there now.” Mizuhashi Yuzuki hung up the phone.
She wasn’t sure why the Star Group’s Commander, Takahashi Osamu, wanted her to come over now, but it was probably to discuss the plan against Kiryoki. She’d find out when she got there.
Going from here to the abandoned factory where the Star Group members were located meant passing by a public cemetery. Mizuhashi Yuzuki paused there, then turned inside and stopped before a tombstone.
“Don’t worry, Yui-chan. I’ll avenge you,” Mizuhashi Yuzuki said, shaking her fist as if encouraging herself.
She gazed silently at the tombstone for a moment before leaving.
Soon, the abandoned factory came into view ahead.
Approaching it, Mizuhashi Yuzuki couldn’t help but cover her nose and mouth, displeased with the air thick with the smell of rust. She fanned her palm slightly near her nose.
Entering the depths of the abandoned factory, she found a group of people inside a crude room.
Among them, the most conspicuous was a man standing one hundred ninety centimeters tall. He wore an ordinary white hoodie and black trousers, looking like just a typical athletic young man. Yet, this person was none other than the Star Group’s Commander, Takahashi Osamu!
Mizuhashi Yuzuki walked over and began to speak: “Takahashi, what did you call me for…”
Before she could finish her sentence, the ground in front of Mizuhashi Yuzuki violently shattered. Immediately following, a dark shadow flitted past, a chillingly sharp gleam rapidly closing in on her.
At the critical moment, Mizuhashi Yuzuki hastily activated her ability [Jade Barrier], forming a jade-green barrier in front of her to block. But the ability had been deployed hastily; before it fully solidified, it was brutally shattered.
Regardless, [Jade Barrier] bought Mizuhashi Yuzuki a split second. She rapidly retreated, dodging the danger of being disemboweled.
“Your reaction isn’t bad.” A voice came from behind Mizuhashi Yuzuki.
Immediately, Mizuhashi Yuzuki felt a tremendous force transmitted from her back. Her whole body was sent flying, spitting out a mouthful of blood and rolling twice across the ground.
Before she could prop herself up, a heavy blow struck the back of her head. She instantly lost consciousness.
His tall figure exuding cold intent, Takahashi Osamu stood beside the fallen Mizuhashi Yuzuki, a sneer on his face.
