The Trap (Part Two)

"I'm in a hurry," Ayanokoji said. "Come at me together."

Ryuen's expression darkened. "You're asking for it. Get him!"

Five boys charged at Ayanokoji at once. What happened next made everyone stare in disbelief—Ayanokoji moved so fast he seemed to leave afterimages.

A chop, an elbow strike, a sweep—nearly all five opponents hit the floor at once, without even having time to scream.

The Gymnasium fell silent. Tang Yu struggled to push himself up as the system analyzed Ayanokoji's movements with all its might:

[Fighting Style: Combination of multiple military combat techniques]

[Speed: 32% beyond the limits of an ordinary person]

[Strength: 28% beyond the limits of an ordinary person]

[Assessment: Professional-level combatant]

Ryuen's expression turned ugly. "Shit, all of you, get him! Take him down!"

The remaining twenty or so students rushed forward as one. Ayanokoji weaved through them like a phantom, every strike precisely hitting a vital point while remaining nonlethal.

Their fists and feet couldn't even graze his clothes, while every blow he dealt put someone on the ground.

Tang Yu took the opportunity to crawl over to Karuizawa and tear the ropes around her wrists with his teeth. Karuizawa ripped the tape from her mouth and threw her arms around Tang Yu. "I'm sorry... This is all because of me..."

"It's not your fault." Tang Yu patted her back gently as he watched the fight.

Ayanokoji's fighting was a work of art—without a single wasted movement, and terrifyingly efficient. In just two minutes, only five or six of the thirty attackers were still standing.

The rest were all groaning on the floor. Ishizaki Daichi tried to attack Ayanokoji from behind, but Ayanokoji sent him flying five meters with a backward kick. He hit the wall and passed out.

At last, fear showed on Ryuen's face as he kept backing away. "You... What the hell are you?"

Ayanokoji didn't answer. He continued walking forward. The few students left standing abandoned Ryuen and scattered in every direction. On the second-floor stands, the watching students were utterly silent; some had even forgotten to breathe.

"That's enough." A voice suddenly rang out.

Everyone turned. Horikita Manabu had appeared on the second-floor stands at some point, with several Student Council members beside him.

"This farce ends here." Horikita Manabu's voice was cold. "Every student involved in the assault is to report to the Student Council tomorrow morning to face disciplinary action. Ryuen Kakeru, you're suspected of kidnapping and coercion. The School Administration will consider whether to report this to the police."

Ryuen's face turned ashen, but he soon regained his usual carefree smile. "Whatever. But the biggest gain today..." He looked at Ayanokoji. "Was discovering the real monster at this school."

Horikita Manabu followed his gaze to Ayanokoji, his eyes narrowing slightly behind his glasses. Ayanokoji, meanwhile, picked up his uniform and put it on without expression, as if none of what had just happened had anything to do with him.

The wail of an ambulance siren grew louder in the distance. With Karuizawa supporting him, Tang Yu got to his feet and walked over to Ayanokoji. "Thanks. I owe you one."

Ayanokoji shook his head. "We're even." He paused. "Tsukishiro's watching."

Tang Yu followed his gaze and saw Tsukishiro Shuhei quietly observing everything from the shadows in a corner of the Gymnasium, an unusual glint in his eyes.

Their gazes met. Tsukishiro smiled faintly, made a gesture indicating they would meet again soon, then slipped away.

Medical staff flooded into the Gymnasium and began treating the injured. Karuizawa insisted on accompanying Tang Yu to the hospital for a checkup, holding tightly to his arm and refusing to let go.

The students from Class D gathered around, voicing their concern all at once. Hirata Yosuke blamed himself, while Horikita Suzune looked at Ayanokoji with a complicated expression, as if she were seeing her classmate for the first time.

In the ambulance on the way to the hospital, Tang Yu reclined on the stretcher as the System Interface kept refreshing:

[Deep emotional response from Karuizawa Kei +1200]

[Amazement from Class D students +800]

[Fear from onlookers +1500]

[Emotion Points have exceeded the critical threshold]

[Ability unlocked: "Combat Emotion Resonance"]

[Can absorb the fear of nearby opponents and convert it into combat power]

[Current Emotion Points: 125600/∞]

Karuizawa held Tang Yu's hand as tears kept falling. "I'm sorry... If I hadn't let my guard down and gotten captured..."

Tang Yu squeezed her hand. "What matters is that you're okay." He hesitated. "The photos Ryuen mentioned..."

"They were fake." Karuizawa shook her head. "He showed me a few blurry, doctored pictures and threatened to release the real ones if I didn't cooperate. But I knew they weren't real."

Tang Yu breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Ryuen really had nothing on Karuizawa; he had kidnapped her solely to lure Tang Yu into his trap.

The hospital examination showed that Tang Yu had mostly superficial injuries. The worst were two cracked ribs, which would require a week of rest. After the doctor finished treating his wounds, Karuizawa insisted on escorting Tang Yu back to his apartment.

Night had fallen. The two walked along the quiet street. Karuizawa suddenly stopped. "Tang Yu, I..."

Tang Yu turned to look at her. Under the moonlight, Karuizawa's eyes glimmered, and her lips trembled slightly. A moment later, she rose onto her toes and gently kissed Tang Yu on the cheek.

"Thank you... for everything you did for me." Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible.

Tang Yu froze. Through the "Emotion Weaving Network," he could clearly sense Karuizawa's complex yet pure feelings at that moment—gratitude, dependence, admiration, and something deeper and more fervent.

"I..." Tang Yu had just started to speak when the system suddenly sounded an alarm:

[Remote surveillance detected]

[Direction: Rooftop to the right]

[Identity: Tsukishiro Shuhei]

Tang Yu instinctively moved in front of Karuizawa to protect her and looked toward the rooftop on the right. Under the moonlight, a blurry figure watched them, his glasses reflecting a cold glint.

When Tang Yu met his gaze, the man raised a hand and made a strange gesture, then vanished into the night.

"What's wrong?" Karuizawa asked in confusion.

"Nothing." Tang Yu looked away. "Let's go."

After they returned to the apartment, Tang Yu made sure Karuizawa's emotions had settled before letting her return to the girls' dormitory. Once the door closed, he immediately opened his computer and began recording everything he had discovered that day:

1. Ayanokoji Kiyotaka has combat abilities far beyond those of an ordinary person and may have received professional training;

2. Tsukishiro Shuhei watched the entire time without intervening, as if he were observing something;

3. Ryuen's behavior has changed, becoming more extreme and dangerous;

4. The system's new ability, "Combat Emotion Resonance," may be key to fighting Tsukishiro.

Halfway through writing, the doorbell rang. Tang Yu warily checked through the peephole—it was Ayanokoji.

"Sorry to bother you." Ayanokoji stepped inside and spoke at once. "Tsukishiro has accelerated the plan."

Tang Yu frowned. "What plan?"

"The White Room Project." Ayanokoji's voice remained calm, but a rare flicker of emotion crossed his eyes. "I was the first successful product. You're... an unexpected variable."

Tang Yu's heart raced. "Explain."