Clash on a Rainy Night, Fragments of Truth, and an Unexpected Probe

The raindrops grew denser, quickly forming a steady downpour. The water was bone-chilling as it soaked through, but it gradually suppressed the fire at the Class D campsite. Kiyotaka Ayanokoji watched the flames die down, and after Hirata arranged for the remaining watch duties, he noticed that both Suzune Horikita and Mio Ibuki were nowhere to be seen, so he set off toward the forest in pursuit.

Suzune Horikita, relying on sheer tenacity, chased deep into the dense woods. The rain soaked her uniform, plastering it against her skin, and the cold was biting. The dizziness from her fever grew increasingly intense, and her vision began to blur, yet she never stopped. She followed the footprints left by Mio Ibuki, pressing forward step by step.

Deep in the forest, the trees were lush and thick. Rain dripped from the leaves with a rustling sound, which, mixed with the distant thunder, felt exceptionally eerie. After running for a distance, Mio Ibuki stopped and leaned against a sturdy, ancient tree, waiting for Suzune Horikita to catch up. She had no intention of simply fleeing; she had deliberately waited here—this fire was far too suspicious, and she had to figure out if it had been orchestrated by Suzune Horikita.

"Keep running, why did you stop?" Suzune Horikita's voice was hoarse and weak. She leaned against a tree, gasping for air, her face pale as paper and her forehead covered in cold sweat, yet her eyes remained sharp as she stared fixedly at Mio Ibuki. "Give the Leader Card case back to me. The things inside are not for you to touch!"

Mio Ibuki smiled, toying with the card case in her hand, her tone laced with mockery: "Horikita-san, I didn't expect you to be able to chase me this far while running a fever. It's truly admirable. However, getting the card case back won't be that easy."

"What exactly are you trying to do?" Suzune Horikita forced herself to stand straight, her eyes filled with vigilance. "Was this fire your doing? What is Ryuen's goal in having you infiltrate Class D?"

Mio Ibuki raised an eyebrow. Instead of answering directly, she stepped closer to Suzune Horikita, her tone probing: "The fire? I'd actually like to know if you were the one who started it. Horikita-san, did you discover my identity long ago and set the fire on purpose to force me to act, so you could catch me in a mistake?"

Suzune Horikita was stunned for a moment, then let out a cold laugh: "I thought you were smarter than this, but it turns out you're capable of wild fantasies too. If I wanted to catch you, I wouldn't need a clumsy method like arson; I would just expose your identity directly. I didn't start this fire, and I, too, want to know who is pulling the strings behind the scenes."

Seeing Suzune Horikita's weak expression, Mio Ibuki's suspicions gradually faded—she could sense that Suzune Horikita wasn't lying; her weakness was real, and the confusion in her eyes was genuine. If that was the case, was there really someone else behind this fire? Who could it be? Was it someone else from Class D? Or perhaps someone from another class?

"Stealing items from other students is strictly prohibited by the school," Suzune Horikita warned.

Mio Ibuki sneered, "No one can prove anything. Our conversation ends here."

"Don't you dare!" Suzune Horikita shouted. Ignoring her physical discomfort, she lunged at Mio Ibuki, reaching out to snatch the card case. Even though she was feverish and weak, her will was iron; her movements remained sharp, her eyes as keen as blades, and she didn't retreat in the slightest.

Mio Ibuki had been prepared. She sidestepped the attack and kicked toward Suzune Horikita's knee. Weakened, Suzune Horikita was a beat too slow to react. She was struck in the knee and stumbled back, nearly falling to the ground. A sharp pain flared in her chest, and she began to cough uncontrollably, her face turning even paler.

"Horikita-san, you should just give up." Mio Ibuki looked at her frail state with disdain. "You're no match for me right now."

Suzune Horikita gritted her teeth, slowly straightened her body, and wiped the rainwater from her lips, her gaze remaining firm: "I won't give up. The Leader Card is the lifeline of Class D, and I will never let you hand it over to Ryuen!" With that, she charged at Mio Ibuki again. This time, she poured every ounce of her remaining strength into the assault, her strikes becoming more fierce, refusing to back down even though her body was already at its limit.

Seeing this, Mio Ibuki's expression darkened, and she stopped holding back. The two engaged in a fierce struggle in the rain-drenched forest, trading blows as the rain splashed against them. Relying on her indomitable will, Suzune Horikita launched attack after attack, only to be knocked to the ground by Mio Ibuki time and again due to her physical weakness; yet, each time, she struggled to climb back up and continue the fight, the determination in her eyes never wavering.

After several rounds, Suzune Horikita was covered in injuries, her strength nearly exhausted. The dizziness from her fever grew more intense, and her vision blurred further. Mio Ibuki was also panting, her face smeared with mud and rain, yet she remained composed. She looked at the swaying Suzune Horikita and sighed softly: "Horikita-san, you are truly stubborn. Since you refuse to admit defeat, I have no choice but to be ruthless."

As soon as she finished speaking, Mio Ibuki exerted force and delivered a heavy punch to Suzune Horikita's chest. Suzune Horikita could no longer hold on; she fell backward, crashing into the muddy ground and splashing water everywhere. The rain beat down mercilessly on her face, bone-chillingly cold. She tried to struggle to her feet, but found herself completely powerless, unable to even lift her arms. She could only watch helplessly as Mio Ibuki walked toward her step by step.

Mio Ibuki crouched down and looked down at Suzune Horikita, her tone flat: "Horikita-san, don't blame me. Blame yourself for being too stubborn and standing in my way." With that, she stopped looking at her, turned, picked up the card case, and walked deep into the forest, her figure quickly disappearing into the vast curtain of rain.

Suzune Horikita lay in the mud, her hair and clothes soaked, her body freezing and her consciousness fading. She looked in the direction where Mio Ibuki had disappeared, her heart filled with frustration and self-reproach—she had failed to protect the Leader Card, failed to stop Mio Ibuki, and Class D would likely fall into an even greater crisis. Just as her consciousness was about to slip away, a familiar figure appeared before her: Kiyotaka Ayanokoji.

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji crouched down, looking at the battered and weak Suzune Horikita. His tone remained flat, yet carried a hint of imperceptible concern: "Horikita-san, are you alright?"

Suzune Horikita struggled to open her eyes. Seeing Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, her eyes instantly turned red, and her voice choked with emotion: "Ayanokoji... Mio Ibuki... she took the Leader Card, she's going to deliver it to Ryuen... we... we lost..."

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji shook his head gently, reached out to help Suzune Horikita up, and carefully draped his jacket over her: "We haven't lost. Everything is far from over. What Mio Ibuki took might not be the real Leader Card."

Suzune Horikita was stunned, a flicker of confusion appearing in her eyes: "What... what do you mean?"

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji didn't explain, only helping Suzune Horikita slowly stand up: "Let's head back first. Hirata and the others must be looking for us. Your injuries and fever need to be treated immediately, or they will only get worse. As for the Leader Card and Ryuen, we still have a chance to turn this around."

Looking at Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's calm and certain gaze, the frustration and self-reproach in Suzune Horikita's heart gradually dissipated, replaced by a glimmer of hope. She nodded and leaned on him for support, but they did not head toward the Class D campsite; instead, they moved toward the area where the school staff was stationed. The rain remained cold, and only two defective products judged by the school continued to move forward.