Taking Action

Onizuka narrowed his eyes, a hint of coldness seeping through his gaze, though a mocking curve remained at the corners of his mouth.

"Ayanokoji, what are you doing? Don't tell me you intend to use violence to force me into submission?"

"If it's necessary." Ayanokoji Kiyotaka did not deny it in the slightest, then added:

"I am well aware of your strength, Onizuka. If left unchecked, there is a very high probability that you will drag Class D into the abyss during this exam."

"Actually, I originally had no interest in what you might do, tsk... but this time I have my own reasons, and I cannot let you act recklessly."

A look of surprise appeared on Onizuka's face, but he immediately burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the empty cabin with a mocking tone.

"I'm asking, what do Ayanokoji's reasons have to do with me?"

Once the laughter ceased, his expression turned abruptly cold, and there was not a trace of mirth left in his eyes.

"At the very least, I have no obligation to cooperate with you!"

Ayanokoji sighed helplessly.

"Sigh, I guessed as much. Then there's no other way."

As soon as the words left his lips, he suddenly threw a punch, fast as lightning, swinging toward Onizuka without a moment's hesitation.

"Bang—"

Onizuka reacted quickly, steadily catching Ayanokoji's jab. Feeling the force behind the fist, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, revealing a look of slight surprise.

"Oh ho? Are we being this serious, Ayanokoji?"

The other party did not answer, or rather, used his other fist to strike directly toward his ribs.

Onizuka quickly sidestepped to dodge his next hook.

Ayanokoji's movements were swift and decisive, his form agile and fluid, his strikes clean and crisp, wasting not a single ounce of unnecessary energy.

He had no more words to waste; he had clearly made up his mind to make Onizuka stop in the most direct manner possible.

"So straightforward, Ayanokoji." Onizuka chuckled softly, a glimmer of excitement gradually appearing in his eyes.

If it weren't for the person standing before him, he likely wouldn't have fought with such seriousness.

Ayanokoji launched a series of punches, each one parried by Onizuka. While nimbly dodging, Onizuka carefully observed Ayanokoji's movements, seemingly waiting for the other to reveal a flaw.

He quickly took a step back, then suddenly bent down and spun, attempting to trip Ayanokoji with a low sweep.

Ayanokoji leaped backward with agility, his reaction speed catching Onizuka off guard.

"Quite agile, aren't you." Onizuka couldn't help but remark, looking up with a glimmer of admiration in his eyes.

Yet, despite his relaxed tone, his offensive strikes became even fiercer.

He suddenly lunged forward, raising a fist to strike directly at Ayanokoji's chest. Ayanokoji's eyes narrowed, his arms crossing quickly to block the blow, though he was forced back half a step by the immense impact.

The two pulled apart, locking eyes, each filled with their own stubbornness and resolve.

In the next moment, Ayanokoji lunged forward in a flying tackle. Onizuka quickly raised his arm to block, but Ayanokoji nimbly used the momentum to slide to the side, following up with a clean backhand chop aimed directly at Onizuka's shoulder.

Realizing the danger, Onizuka immediately took a step back, avoiding the sharp strike.

Ayanokoji did not lower his guard. Seeing Onizuka regain his footing, he calmly adjusted his breathing, then closed the distance again, launching a flurry of strikes at a speed even faster than before.

Onizuka's eyes sharpened, sensing that this assault was even more intense. He quickly avoided vital areas, crossing his arms to desperately parry Ayanokoji's fists.

"Ugh!"

Ayanokoji frowned slightly, his arms tingling from the recoil, yet he did not retreat in the slightest.

Instead, he sank his center of gravity, taking advantage of the opening to press down on Onizuka's arm, attempting to use leverage to force him down.

Onizuka sensed his intent and planted his feet firmly on the deck, standing as steady as a rock.

Suddenly, he shoved hard, throwing Ayanokoji's arm aside, and with a spin of his body, swept a palm horizontally toward Ayanokoji's side.

Ayanokoji had nowhere to dodge and was forced to raise his arm to take the heavy blow head-on, stumbling back half a step.

The two fell into a standoff once more, their breathing slightly ragged, yet their eyes remained as sharp as ever.

Both men loosened their fists almost simultaneously, their breathing gradually steadying.

Onizuka raised a hand to lightly brush the dust off his clothes, a smile playing on his lips.

"Ayanokoji, you don't actually think you can stop me this way, do you? This doesn't sound like you at all." He raised an eyebrow.

Ayanokoji looked down, smoothing out the wrinkles in his sleeve. His expression was as usual, but a deep sense of determination emerged in his eyes.

He looked up at Onizuka, his voice calm and devoid of any ripples.

"I never expected this method to change anything. I just wanted you to understand that I am serious about this matter, to the point that I am willing to take action myself to express my stance."

Having said that, Ayanokoji's gaze locked onto Onizuka, his eyes sharp as blades, revealing a coldness that could not be ignored.

"Onizuka," he paused slightly, his tone filled with unquestionable resolve.

"I hope you will reconsider what I just said."

Onizuka paused for a moment under his sharp gaze, then revealed a playful smile, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Reconsider? Perhaps."

Ayanokoji gave a slight nod and withdrew his gaze, seemingly having anticipated Onizuka's answer.

In the silent air, the two of them, each lost in their own thoughts, slowly left the cabin.

As Onizuka returned to the deck, Sakura immediately noticed his slightly disheveled sleeves and messy hair, asking with a hint of worry:

"Onizuka-kun, just now... did something happen?"

Her eyes scanned him cautiously, clearly having sensed some unusual details.

Onizuka smiled at her, reached out to casually straighten his cuffs, and said indifferently:

"Ah, it's nothing major. I just ran into Ayanokoji-kun and chatted for a bit." He patted her shoulder, signaling that she didn't need to worry.

Sakura frowned slightly, noticing that there were still a few messy details on Onizuka's person.

She raised her hand to gently smooth out the crease on his collar, her fingers carefully brushing over his shoulder, not forgetting to meticulously tidy his ruffled hair.

Just then, Ayanokoji passed by not far away and happened to glance in their direction.

Onizuka raised an eyebrow, a faint, ambiguous smile playing on his lips.

His gaze met Onizuka's; although there was no obvious expression on his face, his pace quickened significantly, as if he did not wish to linger.

Sakura looked at Ayanokoji with slight confusion but did not ask any further questions, focusing on ensuring all the small details on Onizuka were neat before nodding to signal that he was ready.

By this time, the line had shortened significantly, and it was their turn to step forward.

Onizuka and Sakura passed the teacher's inspection smoothly and followed the crowd off the ship, their feet finally touching the sand of this unfamiliar beach.