The team was preparing to head down the mountain when Tang Yu suddenly sensed a powerful wave of emotion coming from below. He signaled for everyone to hide, then quietly crept to the edge of the cliff and looked down.
Katsuragi's Class A team had finally shaken off the false targets and was heading for the summit. Meanwhile, Ryuen hadn't really left. He was lying in ambush behind a rock halfway up the mountain, clearly preparing to attack Class A.
"The fun is just beginning." Tang Yu spoke softly and signaled for the team to descend from the other side.
On the way back to camp, they heard distant arguments and sounds of fighting from halfway up the mountain. Tang Yu's lips curled slightly. Class A and Class C wearing each other down was exactly the outcome he wanted.
[Mission Complete Reward: Intelligence +0.5 (Current: 10.5/12)]
At three in the afternoon, the team returned safely to the Class D camp. Tang Yu handed the Task Card to Ayanokoji for examination and reported what had happened at the summit.
"Great work." Hirata praised him sincerely. "We not only secured strategic supplies, but also got Class A and Class C to wear each other down."
"Don't celebrate too soon." Ayanokoji reminded them calmly. "Ryuen won't let this go."
Horikita suddenly challenged him. "I heard you reached some kind of agreement with Ichinose from Class B?"
Tang Yu nodded. "A temporary alliance to share information. Why?"
"Class B is a competitor too." Horikita frowned. "Getting too close to them could backfire."
"It was only a temporary tactical necessity." Tang Yu explained. "With Class C threatening us, we need allies."
"Horikita is right." To Tang Yu's surprise, Ayanokoji sided with Horikita. "Relying too much on outside alliances will weaken the class's internal unity."
Tang Yu keenly sensed something deliberate in Ayanokoji's Emotion Cloud. He wasn't truly opposed to working with Class B; he was using this opportunity to drive a wedge between Tang Yu and Horikita, who had only just begun to trust each other.
[Calculation from Ayanokoji Kiyotaka +150]
"I'll reserve judgment." Tang Yu didn't directly argue, but said, "We can reassess the situation tomorrow."
The meeting ended on a sour note. Tang Yu noticed that cliques were already forming within Class D: those who supported him, those who supported Horikita, and those who were waiting to see what happened. This division was bad for the class as a whole, but it was a great boon to his personal collection of Emotion Points.
By evening, the clouds overhead had grown thicker, and the sea breeze had turned fierce. Tang Yu stood on a reef by the sea, watching the waves churn in the distance, and felt an ominous foreboding rise within him.
"A storm is coming."
Ichinose's voice came from behind him. Tang Yu turned and saw the leader of Class B standing alone on the beach, her flaxen hair tousled by the sea wind.
"How are your preparations at camp?" Tang Yu asked as he jumped down from the reef.
Ichinose shook her head. "Not sturdy enough. I'm worried..." Her words were swept away by a sudden gust of wind.
Tang Yu activated Emotion Perception and saw that Ichinose's Emotion Cloud was full of anxiety and worry. He hesitated, then activated his Deep Emotion Resonance ability, hoping to get a more accurate sense of Class B's situation.
In an instant, he felt the pressure deep inside Ichinose: the weight of her responsibility as a leader, her fear of the approaching storm, and... a deeper shadow connected to a past failure...
"Are you all right?" Ichinose's concerned voice brought Tang Yu back to reality.
"Sorry, I got distracted." Tang Yu deactivated his ability. "If things get dangerous, Class B can take shelter at our camp."
Ichinose's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"
"Of course." Tang Yu nodded. "But in exchange..."
"Sharing information, I understand." Ichinose smiled. "Thank you, Tang Yu."
After agreeing on how to contact each other in an emergency, they went their separate ways. Tang Yu had just returned to the Class D camp when raindrops as large as beans began to fall. Soon, the rain was pouring down, and the wind howled through the trees, making the tents flap loudly.
"Everyone, secure the tents!" Hirata shouted over the storm. "Move the important supplies into the Central Tent!"
The Class D students worked to secure the camp in the pouring rain. Tang Yu and Ayanokoji were responsible for securing the storage tent, struggling to work against the gale.
"Will Class B come?" Ayanokoji suddenly asked, his voice nearly drowned out by the wind and rain.
Tang Yu pulled the rope taut. "It depends on how strong the storm gets."
"You trust them too much." Ayanokoji remarked, his tone calm but edged.
Tang Yu didn't respond. He knew Ayanokoji was testing his limits, but now wasn't the time to argue.
Suddenly, a shrill tearing sound rang out-the wind had ripped open a large hole in the girls' tent, and several girls cried out as they grabbed the flapping canvas.
"I'll help!" Tang Yu dashed toward the girls' area, with Ayanokoji right behind him.
With everyone's combined efforts, they finally secured the tent again. Soaked through, Tang Yu took a headcount and suddenly realized someone was missing. "Where's Horikita?"
"She... she said she was going to check the Perimeter Alarm Device..." one girl stammered. "She left almost half an hour ago..."
Tang Yu and Ayanokoji exchanged a look, realizing at the same time how serious the situation was. Being alone outside in a storm this fierce was extremely dangerous.
"I'll go find her." Tang Yu grabbed a raincoat and flashlight.
"It's too dangerous." Ayanokoji objected. "Wait until the storm lets up a little..."
"We can't wait." Tang Yu was already rushing toward the edge of camp. "She's an important member of Class D!"
[Emergency Mission: Rescue Horikita Suzune]
[Success Reward: Horikita Suzune's Trust Greatly Increased]
[Failure Risk: Casualties, Class Morale Collapse]
The rain poured down, and the wind howled. Tang Yu charged into the pitch-black woods, the flashlight's beam weak and powerless against the wall of rain. He activated all his perception abilities and searched for Horikita's trail.
"Horikita! Horikita Suzune!" His shouts were swallowed by the storm.
Just then, Emotion Perception caught a faint wave of emotion: fear, determination, and... a trace of despair? Tang Yu changed direction and struggled toward its source.
In a low-lying area, he found Horikita. Her foot was pinned beneath a fallen tree trunk, and she was submerged in the rising floodwater, already half unconscious.
"Horikita! Hang on!" Tang Yu strained to move the tree trunk, then lifted Horikita onto his back.
The way back to camp was even harder than the way there. Floodwaters began surging down the slope, and with every step, Tang Yu had to fight against the rushing current and debris in the water. Horikita breathed faintly on his back as the freezing rain beat down on them both.
"Why... did you come to save me...?" Horikita asked weakly in his ear.
"Because we're teammates." Tang Yu gritted his teeth and struggled onward through the gale.
[Emotion Points have reached the critical threshold]
[Adrenaline Burst: Temporary Strength +2, Temporary Agility +2]
A warm current surged through his body, and Tang Yu felt his strength multiply. He held Horikita tight and carved a path through the raging storm, struggling toward the lights of the camp...