"D-Damn it, you introverted loser... Why...!? Did you come back to get your phone!?"

"That's a lie. I knew someone was lying in wait, so I thought they might come out if I distanced myself."

"Me and Hakari-chan noticed it!"

Kirika waves her hand gently.

Arai was standing there, mouth agape in astonishment.

"D-Damn it... If it comes to this, I don't care anymore...!! Hey, this guy messed with senpai. Don't let him come back alive!!"

"Hey, I'll kill you!!"

At Arai's command, the men glare at Yuito.

However, Yuito just furrowed his brows in confusion.

"...I don't like solving things with violence, though."

"Shut up!! You will die… guh!?"

One man raised a bat and attacked Yuito.

However, in the next moment, he clutches his stomach and collapses.

Yuito sighed and reached for the sword at his waist.

"This time, there's no helping it. I'm not keen on picking on the weak, but..."

"Y-you're underestimating me...!!"

The men brandish their weapons and rush at Yuito. The murderous intent, hot enough to burn the skin, ignites the air.

"I'll kill you!!"

A flash of light sparkled in the darkness of the night.

Yuito's sword was drawn silently. Just that alone dispelled the killing intent, and the tranquility of the spring night returned.

The men collapse.

The dozen or so men surrounding Yuito all simultaneously rolled their eyes up to the night sky.

Standing there, aside from Yuito, was just one person. It was Arai.

"Huh... huh?! W-what is this... what the heck is this?!"

"I didn't kill him. I just severed his magic and sent his consciousness away."

"What the hell is that... How can you do something like that...?!"

"Well... while Arai-kun was enjoying school life, I was training."

"There's no way you can get this strong just from that..."

Yuito takes a step closer to Arai while reaching for his sword.

Arai stepped back as if to escape.

"Tsu!?!"

When Arai realized he had stepped back, he opened his eyes wide in surprise.

He was gritting his teeth.

"Damn it... I'm Arai Shinya. I'm a powerful warrior, different from those pathetic weaklings... There's no way I'd be scared of this damn introvert... I shouldn't be scared...!!"

Arai raised his fist. A brass knuckle was attached to that fist.

Crack crack crack!!

However, when the fist hit Yuito's nose, the brass knuckles shattered with a crack, and a dull sound echoed from Arai's fist.

"Ughhhhhhhh!?"

"My body is protected by a magical barrier. It's dangerous to hit me suddenly."

"What the hell... is that..."

Arai looked up at Yuito while holding back his fist.

Those eyes were trembling. The foolish bravado had run out.

"Hi... hiiiiiiiiii!!"

Arai dashed off as if crawling, in the exact opposite direction from Yuito.

As if escaping from Yuito's gaze, Arai dives into the alley.

Running at full speed while holding back a painful heart from the sudden sprint.

The destination for the escape was already decided.

After running for a while, it was a familiar sight for Arai.

A dark, deserted building. In front of it, there was a sign that read "Scheduled Demolition Date of the Building."

That was the building where Arai's "senpais" used to hang out.

He understands the internal structure.

When Arai fled into the building, he ran up the dark stairs.

He crawled into the gap left by the demolition crew's debris and hugged his knees tightly.

"Damn... damn...!! It was a mistake to get directly involved with that loner. If it comes to this, I'll just expose his identity online…!?"

Arai gasped, "Huh!?"

He can hear footsteps. Someone has entered the building.

"Arai-kun. Where are you?"

He heard a voice. It was Yuito's voice.

The footsteps are coming up the stairs.

Arai's heart beats wildly. His breathing becomes ragged as if air is escaping from his body.

"I have a small favor to ask."

Yuito's voice is getting closer. It's right there.

Arai tightly shut his eyes and prayed.

God or Buddha, it doesn't matter. Anyway, He just wants to make sure that Yuito doesn't find out where he is.

"...Hmm, what should I do?"

Did that wish come true? Yuito's footsteps gradually faded away.

It was when Arai let out a sigh of relief.

"Maybe I should just slice the whole building. They're going to demolish it anyway."

"...Huh?"

It was when Arai inadvertently let out a voice.

Arai's bangs were scattered. The golden hair drifting in the air was illuminated by the moonlight pouring from directly above.

When he looked up at the ceiling, he saw the moon through the severed ceiling.

When he looked at the floor, he could see the ground on the first floor.

He cut it. The entire building was cleaned in half.

"U, uwaaaaaaaah!?"

The building was slashed. The moment he realized it, Arai started running at full speed.

If he stays in the building like this, he'll get cut too.

He has to escape! He has to get out of this building as soon as possible!!

However, Yuito's strange behavior doesn't end there.

A thin line runs across the building. No, it's not a line. It's a severed mark.

The square-cut concrete rolls over with a thud.

The disconnection of Yuito continues.

Like tofu cut into dice, the concrete blocks roll around.

The walls, the floor, the ceiling, all collapse as thin lines run through them.

"Don't mess with me...!! What the hell is this, are you crazy?!!"

Arai runs with all his might towards the collapsing building. Tears stream from his eyes, and mucus runs down his cheeks.

Arai was re-evaluating his perception of the man named Akizuki Yuito.

He's not just a loner. He's not just a strong loner. The person known as Akizuki Yuito is―.

"―A lunatic."

Arai's footing crumbled. The concrete cut out like tofu, obeyed gravity.

His footing has disappeared.

All Arai could do was move his gaze around in a daze.

Before he knew it, the building had disappeared.

The concrete, torn apart like a block, falls along with Arai.

Die.

It was at that moment. Grabbing the collar of his clothes, Arai's body was lifted up.

Receiving the wind and free-falling, Arai collapsed upon returning to the ground.

Around it, concrete blocks were neatly stacked.

"Am I... alive...?"

"No, I wouldn't kill anyone..."

"Eek!?"

When Arai turned around, the person responsible for this disaster, Yuito was standing there.

A scream unintentionally escapes from Arai's mouth.

Arai recoiled like a bug crawling backward. At the same time, his groin felt warm.

However, Arai is not calm enough to care about that discomfort.

Arai rubs the face, which is a mess with all sorts of bodily fluids, against the ground.

"Y-Yeah, please stop... I was wrong. I won't get involved with Yuito-san anymore. So please, just spare me from being killed..."

"No, that's why I said I wouldn't kill anyone..."

Yuito furrows his brows in confusion.

"I came here to ask you for just one thing."

Yuito crouched down and brought his gaze closer to Arai's.

Arai trembles and holds his breath. If he misses even a single word, he will die.

He had that intuition.

"Please don't hurt the people I care about. Please don't try to hurt them."

The "request" that Yuito presented was very simple.

However, Yuito is quite serious. His eyes fixate intently on Arai.

"It's fine if you hate me. It's fine if you come to me. But please, don't hurt the people I care about. I don't want to see the people I love get hurt anymore."

For Yuito, that is a request he absolutely cannot compromise on.

He didn't want to lose someone important to him like his father and mother anymore.

"Okay, okay... I promise I won't get involved with anyone related to Yuito-san or with Yuito-san anymore!!"

"Thank you."

Yuito smiled gently.

At the same time, a concrete block fell from the sky right on top of Arai's head.

However, when Yuito swung his sword, the concrete was sliced apart. It broke into small pieces and fell to the ground with a clatter.

"W-Wait, if I had refused, would they have made it look like an accident to me…?!"

Arai foamed at the mouth and lost consciousness.

"Eh, no, I just forgot... Arai-kun!?"

Yuito's scream echoed through the ruins of the building.

Chapter 14: Last Request