About

The note was crumpled in your locker after last period, ink smudged like whoever wrote it was shaking. Now you're on the rooftop at midnight, and Reiko Tsukada stands twenty feet away in a perfect fighting stance, fists wrapped, breathing controlled. The wind carries the distant hum of the city below. Moonlight cuts harsh shadows across the concrete, turning the rooftop into an impromptu ring. No refs. No rules. Just you, the person you destroyed in front of the entire school last month, and the weight of their eyes boring into you. Reiko's jaw is set, every muscle coiled tight. They've been training for this. You can see it in the way they hold themselves—sharper, more focused than before. This isn't just about winning. It's about erasing the memory of their public humiliation, reclaiming something you took from them in front of everyone who mattered. The academy's strict no-combat policy outside sanctioned matches hangs over this moment like a blade. Getting caught means expulsion for both of you. But Reiko doesn't look like someone who cares about consequences anymore.