Toying with Them

"Looks like she came prepared."

Seeing her speed up and slip inside in an instant, Rinya's eyes flickered, but he didn't hurry after her.

He could tell from the start that she wasn't hypnotized. On the contrary, she was perfectly aware of herself.

So why would a girl who knew she would never do something like this act this way?

And who had made her do it?

Rinya already seemed to have the answer.

"Looks like during the time someone disappeared around the sports festival, he didn't just pick his targets carefully. He also knew exactly how to manipulate people."

"Too bad he probably didn't expect me to be here this time." Rinya's expression turned amused.

Before long, Sakura Airi came running back out. Rinya couldn't help chuckling to himself. Just a scout, after all. That guy's as cautious as ever.

It made sense, though. For a girl like Sakura, whose physical skills were practically nonexistent, her only use to him was probably as a pair of hidden eyes.

"Then it's time for the real players to show up."

Just then, Rinya suddenly felt a subtle chill sweep past. The entire area seemed to fall silent.

Looking in the direction Sakura had run from, he saw two masked figures emerge from the passageway in the distance.

Rinya's expression shifted. He knew one of them very well: the man with a brown ponytail he'd fought not long ago.

The other seemed to be one of the five from last time. Rinya didn't recognize him, but through the long hair obscuring his face, he could make out a pair of blue-green eyes. He had a feeling this one specialized in underhanded tricks.

Rinya wanted to play with them, but Chairman Sakayanagi was still inside. To prevent anything unexpected from happening, he decided to go in and get him out first.

After all, Sakura had been a free tool. She'd indirectly helped him deal with the cameras and served as a scout to test their strength.

For such a generous gift, he'd have to thank her on behalf of the two men waiting outside.

"Heh. Don't rush. I'll be right back out."

Rinya glanced at the two men strolling toward him in the distance and chuckled. Then he leaped into the Security Department.

The guards on duty were already sprawled on the ground, fast asleep. Rinya couldn't help admiring the girl.

For a girl with no physical skills to get in there alone and take care of all this without making a sound—just that alone made her a promising prospect worth bringing under his wing.

Of course, now wasn't the time to think about that. Following the route, Rinya quickly found the cell where Chairman Sakayanagi was being held.

Still, when he saw the luxurious private cell in front of him, even Rinya couldn't help clicking his tongue.

Aside from the extra lock, it was practically indistinguishable from a vacation suite.

"Heh. So this is how the chairman gets treated?" Rinya shook his head, unable to hide his amazement.

"Click!"

The lock snapped apart. Hearing the sound, Chairman Sakayanagi hurried over.

"You're here, Rinya," the man said with a warm smile.

He'd been locked up for a while, but he seemed to be in even better spirits than usual.

"Mm. It's been nice to have some time to relax."

"Since our last deal, this is the second time we've met properly, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Let's get going first. I still want to leave myself some time to play with them."

Seeing that Rinya had no intention of chatting, Chairman Sakayanagi wasn't offended. He was simply surprised that Rinya had reached him so easily.

After all, this was the heart of the Security Department. There were guards on duty around the clock, not to mention cameras everywhere, infrared sensors, and all kinds of high-tech equipment.

Rinya had taken care of the school's security systems and staff without any help from him. Chairman Sakayanagi truly couldn't imagine how.

Seeming to sense the man's intense curiosity, Rinya smiled. After getting him somewhere safe, he left him with one cryptic remark before taking off.

"The people who want you dead were the ones who helped me."

At that, Chairman Sakayanagi pondered for a moment. Watching the direction Rinya had disappeared in, he couldn't help laughing aloud. "Rinya, you're becoming more and more likable by the day. Hahaha!"

Meanwhile, Rinya hurried back at full speed. Seeing that the two men were about to enter, he wore an amused smile and quietly slipped back into the Security Department.

Then, using his inner force, he struck every sleeping guard awake and left a trace of inner force on each of them—one that would last only a short while.

Once everything was ready, he dusted off his hands and quietly vanished into the darkness.

"Mm... What just happened?" A newly awakened guard clutched his head, dazed.

"Ring, ring, ring!"

"Not good! There must be intruders!"

Only after another, more experienced guard sounded the alarm and shouted did the dozen or so others come to their senses.

They immediately grabbed their electric batons and began searching the area.

And just then, in a rather awkward turn of events, the two would-be assassins walked in.

The two groups stared at each other. For a moment, the scene fell completely silent.

"Who are you?"

"How dare you break into the Security Department in the middle of the night?"

None of the guards recognized the two faces. They immediately suspected the pair of being responsible for what had just happened and angrily shouted at them.

"Were you the ones who knocked us out just now?"

The two men were baffled by how quickly the guards had woken up.

But when they heard a bunch of nobodies shouting at them, the man with the brown ponytail—who'd already been simmering with anger—could no longer hold back.

He darted forward in a few quick steps, giving the guards no chance to react. Grabbing one man by the throat, he sneered, "Hmph! I'm already in a foul mood. You bunch of nobodies can help me blow off some steam."

The other man didn't want to waste time on them, but when the guards charged at them with their electric batons, he had no choice but to bring out his poisoned weapon and fight back.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

But with a series of deafening booms, the two men were sent flying out the door at the very same moment, as though perfectly in sync.

"Puh!" Bright red blood sprayed from their mouths.

The two stared wide-eyed, still unable to believe what had just happened.

They'd actually been beaten like this by those nobodies, who'd barely seemed able to stand, using a punch or a slap...