Once a mobster, now Masachika Kuze

During the walk, which would have been peaceful if not for Rena's constant efforts to take Arona-chan home, the group finally arrived at the school. Ryan stopped immediately, his eyes wide as he stared at the small, simple building.

"Holy shit, this shack is the school?" he blurted out, still trying to process what he was seeing.

Rena smiled, shaking her head with an optimistic tone.

"Even though it's small, the important thing is that it serves its purpose, right? Right?"

Yuno approached, crossing her arms and scrutinizing the place with skepticism.

"And how exactly does the teacher manage to teach anything with multiple grades mixed together?"

Rena placed her hands on her hips, maintaining her cheerful smile.

"Well, you can attend a class as special guests! After all, you're high schoolers too, right?" She paused for a moment, placing a finger on her chin thoughtfully before continuing.

"Now that I think about it… shouldn't you two be studying? You're not skipping class, are you?"

Ryan shrugged, his expression full of sarcasm.

"I'm on my way out anyway. Yuno… I don't know about her."

Yuno averted her gaze, lifting her head with a disinterested expression.

"I've given my reasons as well."

Meanwhile, Arona-chan seemed enthralled, her eyes sparkling as she stared at the school. Ryan noticed her expression and raised an eyebrow.

"What's up, Arona-chan? You're that excited about studying?"

Arona touched her chin, blushing slightly as she responded with a shy smile.

"Well… not exactly, Sensei. After all, you're already my Sensei, hehe." She finished with a sweet, almost innocent giggle.

Ryan sighed softly, lost in thought.

"Right… I forgot she's based on my Blue Archive memories…"

Without further delay, the group wandered through the hallways of the small school. The environment was far quieter than Ryan and Yuno were used to, with silence prevailing except for the sound of their footsteps on the wooden floor.

When they reached the only available classroom, Rena stepped forward with her usual energy. She enthusiastically opened the door, exclaiming,

"Good morning, everyone!"

Ryan, much taller than Rena, took advantage of his height to peek over her. His gaze quickly landed on two students already seated: Keiichi and Mion. With his usual playful tone, he raised a hand in a casual greeting.

"Hey."

His irreverent grin made it clear that, even in this odd scenario, he had no intention of changing his approach to things.

As soon as she saw Ryan, Mion let out a carefree laugh.

"Hahaha! You didn't have to bring the house key here to the school, Masachika!"

Ryan shook his head with a sly smirk and replied,

"Actually, that's not why I'm here."

Keiichi, visibly excited, quickly chimed in.

"Wait a sec! Don't tell me you're gonna study here! Finally, I'll have a bro to chat with!"

Ryan let out a forced laugh, raising his hands as if to dismiss the idea.

"Not that either, buddy. Relax."

Before he could continue, Yuno appeared by his side, immediately catching Keiichi's attention. His eyes lit up with curiosity and excitement as he exclaimed,

"AHH! Who's that standing next to you?!"

Yuno, with a graceful motion, ran her hand through her hair and spoke in an angelic voice.

"Pleased to meet you, my name is Yuno Gasai. I'm a friend of Ry—" She paused briefly, correcting herself naturally. "Masachika."

Keiichi froze for a moment as if he'd been struck by lightning, and Mion had to clear her throat beside him to pull his attention back to the conversation. With a casual smile, she took the lead.

"Ahem! Hello! I'm Sonozaki Mion. Nice to meet you, Yuno-san!"

Keiichi quickly regained his composure, though he still seemed a bit flustered.

"A-Aah, I'm Maebara Keiichi. Nice to meet you!" He said, gesturing dramatically in an attempt to maintain his poise.

As this little spectacle unfolded, Ryan crossed his arms, watching the scene with a mischievous smile. His thoughts turned teasingly toward Yuno.

"So, my friend, huh? How convenient."

Before Yuno could notice Ryan's expression, Arona appeared beside her, raising her hand enthusiastically and introducing herself in a lively manner.

"Hi! I'm Arona! I'm the system for Senseis Ryan and Yuno!"

Immediately, Rena, Keiichi, and Mion turned their attention to the little girl, their faces showing a mix of confusion and curiosity. Almost in unison, they said,

"Senseis? System? Ryan?"

Wasting no time, Ryan stepped forward, placing a hand on Arona's head and playfully ruffling her hair.

"Relax, everyone," he said with a carefree smile. "Little Arona here has a thing called Chuunibyou Syndrome. It's cute but a handful."

He finished with a sheepish laugh as Arona puffed out her cheeks, crossing her arms in childlike indignation.

The group entered the classroom amidst laughter, commenting on how adorable Arona-chan was while she basked in the attention, smiling shyly. However, the chatter was interrupted by a familiar voice at the door.

"Miii~!"

All eyes turned to see Rika entering with Satoko by her side. Ryan, immediately recognizing Rika, let a sly smile creep across his face. Without missing a beat, he responded in a teasing tone,

"Miii~!"

Rika, unfazed, matched his playfulness with even more cuteness, tilting her head slightly and intensifying her tone.

"Miii~ >⩊<"

Meanwhile, Yuno rolled her eyes, clearly irritated by the exchange, while Keiichi, bewildered, flailed his arms dramatically and asked,

"What's this? Some secret handshake I wasn't told about?"

Before anyone could answer, Satoko stepped forward with a mischievous grin, laughing theatrically and partially covering her mouth like a classic soap opera villain.

"Ohohoho! It seems our dear Rika has gotten awfully friendly with the outsider, just like that!"

Rika, unfazed by the teasing, tilted her head again and replied calmly while placing her belongings on the desk.

"We've gotten to know each other better and are now good friends. Nipaah! >⩊<"

Her genuine smile was so sweet that Ryan could only shake his head with a small chuckle, while Yuno sighed deeply, crossing her arms impatiently.

Ryan kept his focus on the scene, observing closely while analyzing the peculiar presence next to Rika. Concentrating, he tried once more to establish that mental connection with Yuno as he had done before.

"Hey, pink panties, can you see the shadowy figure next to Rika?" he asked sarcastically, referring to Hanyuu. To him, the figure appeared as a purple blur with vaguely feminine outlines.

To his surprise, Yuno's response came clearly and directly into his thoughts.

"You mean the semi-transparent girl with horns? Yeah, I see her. But it looks like the others don't."

Ryan raised an eyebrow, surprised by the clarity of the communication, and responded mentally while looking at Yuno.

"Damn, it's like a private call in public! And… wait, girl with horns? I only see an indistinct blur."

Yuno smirked faintly, her tone dripping with malice.

"Maybe she doesn't want to show herself to perverts…"

Ryan felt his lip twitch at the provocation, but before he could retort, Rika called his attention.

"Masachika! Could we talk outside for a moment?" she asked sweetly, her hands hidden behind her back. Her gaze also briefly fell on Yuno, indicating the invitation extended to her as well.

Ryan and Yuno exchanged a brief glance and nodded simultaneously.

Mion noticed the two were about to leave and asked curiously,

"Are you leaving now? The teacher should be here soon, Rika…"

Rika, ever gentle, turned to Mion with a sweet smile.

"We're just going to discuss a few questions Masachika and his friend have about the festival, Mion. We'll be back shortly."

Though clearly suspicious, Mion simply shrugged and gestured as if to say everything was fine.

The three left the classroom and walked toward the back of the school. Rika led the way with calm steps, but upon arriving, she stopped abruptly. The shift in her demeanor was almost tangible. Her aura, once innocent and warm, became heavy and serious. When she finally spoke, her voice sounded more mature, almost somber.

"Masachika… I'm afraid that…" — She hesitated for a moment, as if the words were too burdensome to say. — "I'm afraid this world… is already condemned to failure.."

Ryan furrowed his brow, puzzled by Rika's words. He took a step forward, questioning her.

"Why do you think that? Aren't those in the classroom your friends? You said you wanted to save them, and they seem fine, honestly."

Rika slowly turned to face him. Her eyes, now glowing with a strange red hue, locked onto Ryan's.

"Rena… murdered her father's girlfriend last night."

The weight of her statement made Ryan catch his breath for a moment. He looked to Yuno, searching for any hint of how to handle this, but she remained still, her neutral expression clearly indifferent to the situation.

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