If Mohican had heard this, he would have definitely felt wronged.
Even though he had thrown a punch, it was as if he had struck a solid wall of steel— only to end up hurting himself instead. And just like that, he was left at Ryoji's mercy, forced to endure a relentless beating.
"Thank you, Nangou-kun, truly... thank you so much... I don't even know how to repay you..."
Ayatsuji Ayase couldn't hold back her emotions. She dropped to her knees before Ryoji, tears streaming down her face, her expression one of overwhelming relief— like a traveler finally glimpsing the moon after a long, stormy night.
After two long years, the dojo was finally back in her hands.
"I told you, it was just a small favor," Ryoji spoke with casual indifference, yet he still accepted Ayase's gratitude without protest.
To him, this was nothing more than a minor task. But to Ayase, it was the culmination of years of struggle, resentment, and unwavering determination.
"By the way, about your father— I know a highly skilled doctor who might be able to help him."
"R-Really?! Is that true?!"
"Yeah. Heart conditions are tricky, but she might be able to bring him out of his coma."
Ryoji's tone carried some hesitation.
Medical technology in this world could be baffling at times— doctors capable of performing near-miraculous procedures that defied common logic weren't exactly unheard of.
"By the way, do you have a first aid kit? I need to wrap my hand..."
Ryoji lifted his hands slightly, blood still dripping from the space between his thumb and index finger. The way he held them up made him look like a wounded animal, but before he could say anything else—
His vision suddenly blurred.
A searing heat surged through his brain, like his very consciousness was being burned alive. Rational thought dissolved in the flames, leaving behind only a sensation of his mind being consumed from the inside out.
"Damn… that was fast..."
Ryoji's lips twitched as a bitter realization set in.
This sensation— it had happened twice before.
A side effect of heightened neural activity, to be precise—
But before he could finish that thought, his consciousness faded into darkness.
The last thing he saw before collapsing was a golden blur streaking toward him at high speed.
"Ryoji!"
"Nangou-kun!"
"Junior Brother!"
—...—
His mind drifted like a ship tossed by raging waves, adrift in a storm of hazy awareness.
After what felt like an eternity, clarity finally began to return.
Ryoji forced open his heavy eyelids.
The first thing he saw… was an astonishing sight.
A soft, curvaceous figure framed by the familiar silhouette of a school uniform. A mesmerizing arc, subtly outlined by the fabric, dominated his view.
And beneath his head—
A gentle warmth.
Not the firm, synthetic feel of a pillow, but something softer, more natural, with a warmth that soothed his aching body.
"Junior Brother, you're awake?"
Before he could process what was happening, a familiar voice reached his ears.
Toudou Touka.
She gazed down at him with a warm, gentle smile, her presence radiating a quiet reassurance.
It was a lap pillow.
His head was resting on his Senior Sister's thigh.
The last thing he remembered was Touka arriving at Ayatsuji Dojo just as everything went dark.
"This is the school dormitory," she said softly. "The academy's medical staff treated your injuries."
Touka's hand moved with careful grace, brushing against his forehead in a soothing motion. Her expression was filled with warmth— like an older sister watching over a beloved younger sibling.
"Although I have a lot of questions— like why you went out alone with Kanata, and how you ended up in this situation— now doesn't seem like the right time."
Two hours earlier, when she arrived at Ayatsuji Dojo, she witnessed her Junior Brother collapsing. It was only after Kanata explained the situation that she fully understood what had happened.
Kanata had initially suggested taking Ryoji to the nearest hospital, but she immediately refused.
At that moment, sending Junior Brother to a hospital wasn't an option—it would have caused a major uproar.
Kanata didn't fully understand her reasoning, but he still followed her judgment, helping bring Ryoji back to Seidoukan Academy. There, the academy's health instructor treated his injuries. Fortunately, aside from a deep cut on his hand and a few minor scrapes, he wasn't in serious condition. His wounds healed within minutes.
"Junior Brother, can you understand what I'm saying?"
Toudou Touka leaned forward slightly, her voice carrying a hint of nervousness.
"Senior Sister, are you being silly? Of course, I can understand."
Ryoji gave her a look as if she had just asked the most ridiculous question in the world.
"...Smells nice."
"Yeah... I just took a shower."
The warmth of his breath against her thigh made Toudou Touka shift slightly, feeling a bit uneasy.
But at the same time, she confirmed something.
There was no doubt about it.
Because he had activated Divine Speed's reflex enhancement, Junior Brother had entered that strange state again.
The technique—sharpening his neural response time—was something Ryoji had developed two years ago.
Including his battle against Kurashiki Kuraudo, he had only used it three times in total: once two years ago, once last year, and now. And every time, she had been there to witness the aftermath.
Unfortunately, the technique always came with bizarre side effects, which inevitably led to misunderstandings.
—...—
"Ouch! My back!"
Sunday morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting soft streaks of light into the dormitory.
As Ryoji got out of bed, he instinctively reached for his lower back, wincing in pain.
Unbelievable.
Maybe this was what they called accumulated experience.
Don't ask why. Just accept that it's part of the charm of being unstoppable.
"Ah... looks like I ended up in 'Rationality Evaporation' mode again."
Ryoji sighed, rubbing the back of his head, before letting out a small chuckle.
Unlike ordinary acceleration techniques, activating Divine Speed at a high reflex threshold didn't strain his body. Instead, it altered something deeper—his mind, his very sense of self.
Simply put, all rationality vanished.
Thoughts, logic, restraint—everything was consumed by pure instinct and emotion, leading to an uninhibited expression of his true self, the one he usually kept buried.
This was what Ryoji referred to as 'Rationality Evaporation.'
The first time it happened was two years ago—when he first experienced something with Senior Sister.
The second time was last year— when he… well, attacked Senior Sister.
And last night was the third time— when he spent half the night singing with Senior Sister.
Why did these side effects occur? What was the underlying mechanism?
Ryoji had no idea.
But regardless of the reason, he had no choice but to accept it.
Still…
Thinking back to last night, those songs had been rather beautiful.
Wasn't that kind of nice?
(End of Chapter)
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