Miwa was visibly nervous now. She hated these tense standoffs—fighting wasn't her thing.
But no dice—they were on opposite sides.
Battle was inevitable.
"Everyone's bunched up, Todo's not jumping in, and Yuji Itadori's off the hit list for now," Noritoshi Kamo said, glancing at the crow surveillance overhead.
In the control room, all eyes were on the main screen: Kyoto and Tokyo Schools face-to-face, combat seconds away.
Then—
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~
The cursed talismans on the wall flared up in droves.
These talismans, stuck to the cursed spirits in the field, vanished when their paired spirit was exorcised. Tokyo's kills burned red; Kyoto's, blue.
Right now, the wall blazed red.
"No way," Gakuganji Yoshinobu's eyes widened, staring at the crimson flames. So many—all taken out by one person.
And these weren't weaklings—decently strong cursed spirits, not pushovers.
Yet one guy had nearly wiped them out.
Hayashi sheathed Black Steel on his back, dusting his hands lightly. "That's enough for now. I'll leave some, or the match'll end too quick."
With that, he blinked out of sight.
Meanwhile, Kyoto and Tokyo were gearing up to clash—tension ready to snap, everyone in fighting stances.
"Move!" Noritoshi barked, hands flashing through signs to unleash his technique.
Swish!
Next second, Hayashi dropped right into the middle of the fray. His hair fluttered as he landed, settling over his forehead.
In a daze, Nishimiya and Miwa caught a glimpse of his striking face. The mask hid the lower half, but it couldn't dim his sharp charisma.
"He's here?" Todo Aoi's eyes flickered, a knowing grin tugging at his lips.
That grin twisted into a wince—his mouth stung, reminding him of yesterday's crayfish. Anger flared.
"Hayashi?" Noritoshi frowned, halting his attack. He hadn't even sensed the guy's arrival—zero warning.
If Hayashi had ambushed him just now, could he have blocked it?
Worth pondering.
Tokyo School relaxed seeing Hayashi back. Some hadn't seen his teleporting trick, but now wasn't the time to gawk.
Kyoto felt it too. Aside from Mai, Miwa, and Todo—who'd witnessed Hayashi's strength firsthand—the rest only half-knew him.
Now, Noritoshi got a taste of what Mai meant. Hayashi was dangerous.
"Yep, we meet again," Hayashi said with a slight smile, scanning Kyoto's crew, his gaze lingering on each.
It paused a few seconds on Miwa and Nishimiya.
Gotta admit, Kyoto had some high-tier looks. Miwa and Nishimiya? Top-shelf beauties out in the world.
Both cut from the same cloth—cute types.
Tokyo's Maki and Nobara, though? Different breeds entirely. Not the easy-to-tame kind.
Miwa flinched under Hayashi's look, stepping back. Nishimiya blushed faintly at her nose.
"Since everyone's here, mind if I say a few words?" Hayashi spread his arms, spinning in place, gauging reactions.
Todo stayed silent—tacit approval.
Tokyo's squad—classmates and seniors—owed Hayashi big. Daily breakfasts and dinners? Not just anyone could pull that off.
And the food? Delicious. They'd been won over. Hayashi speaking? Double thumbs-up.
Not giving him that face would be their end.
Kyoto's side: Mai and Miwa held their tongues. They knew Hayashi's terror. Normally, Mai's attitude wouldn't let him run the show.
But reality? She didn't dare meddle. Would Hayashi go easy on women? She wasn't sure.
She wasn't that stunning, but she was decent—fix the hair, not bad.
Getting scarred by Hayashi, though? No tears would fix that.
So, subtly, Hayashi became the untouchable centerpiece.
Noritoshi, Nishimiya, and Mechamaru didn't get it. They were the only ones in the dark—blank slates on Hayashi.
The vibe turned weird. No one spoke, all quietly letting this spinning Hayashi take charge—like he owned the place.
Noritoshi felt an odd itch—unnameable.
He wasn't about to let Hayashi steer this, though. No clue what he was up to—could screw Kyoto.
So, he opened his mouth. "I—"
"No objections? Cool, I'll talk," Hayashi cut him off, not even letting him breathe.
Noritoshi: "…"
"Free-for-alls are pointless—chaotic, sloppy. Easy to overdo it and mess up. How about this: one-on-one duels. Or, you can all take me on solo. Gives my seniors a breather."
The first half sounded fine. The second? Noritoshi's face darkened. "You serious?"
"Dead serious. When have I ever lied?" Hayashi grinned, warm like a big brother next door.
Nobara plopped under a tree, smirking. "Hayashi, it's all yours. I'm chilling—call me when it's over."
Maki chuckled—Hayashi was a riot. She joined Nobara, ready to watch the show.
The rest followed suit, drawn by Nobara and Maki. Suddenly, the field cleared out—like Hayashi was facing Kyoto alone.
"Hayashi's insane. I don't even need to step in?" Yuji gaped. He'd been the first to see Hayashi's cursed energy armor—left a mark.
Months later, Yuji had grown. Hayashi? How far had he climbed?