Chapter 146: The Attack of the Moon-Viewing Glass Rabbit

The scream had barely faded when Ye Chen arrived at the place where Tachibana had cried out. In front of the gates of the enormous Western-style school building, Tachibana lay alone on the ground, her clothes soaked in blood and wounds of every size scattered across her body.

After examining her condition, Ye Chen found that, just like Hotaka’s injuries, the wounds looked far more serious than they actually were. There was no danger to her life, and a few days in the hospital would be enough for her to recover. Stroking his chin, he mused, “If Hotaka’s injuries were merely a coincidence, then Tachibana being the same makes it certain. Whoever attacked them never intended to kill them.”

“Ye Chen, you came too~ Little Usagi just heard that someone attacked one of the students taking part in the New Blade Battle, so I came to have a look. I didn’t expect you to arrive right after me.”

Moonview Rito approached from nearby, as Ye Chen sensed her presence. She greeted him as though she was not worried about Tachibana in the slightest.

Turning his head, Ye Chen saw that Moonview Rito was carrying a giant sword. Its blade was lined with vicious serrations, as though it had been designed solely to maximize destructive power. In a voice devoid of emotion, he said, “Are you really only just getting here, Little Usagi? Your Blaze is remarkably different from your appearance, considering it is supposed to be the manifestation of your soul.”

“Oh my, are you saying that my soul is actually very violent, Ye Chen? How mean. If you say things like that, Little Usagi will get angry. It isn’t my fault that my Blaze looks like this~”

Her voice was filled with an innocent, adorable sweetness as she complained, as though Ye Chen had truly said something wrong.

By then, Julie and Kiriko, who had been left behind by Ye Chen’s speed, had caught up as well. They had been somewhat prepared to see Tachibana, but the sight still startled them.

“Little Usagi, Ye Chen, did either of you see who the culprit was?”

“I know, I know! Little Usagi saw them~!”

Raising her hand high like a child eager to show off what she knew, she pointed toward the enormous school building opposite them. “Little Usagi saw someone run inside just now!”

“So, after discovering that someone had arrived, they fled into the building because it would be easier to escape from there? It’s almost dark already. Going into the school building now is dangerous. We could easily be ambushed,” Kiriko said worriedly, completely trusting Moonview Rito’s words.

“No problem, no problem! Little Usagi will go in with Ye Chen, and we’ll definitely catch that person! I’m a teacher, after all~”

Moonview Rito planted her hands on her hips and emphasized her status. Anyone who could become a teacher at Hojo Academy had to have graduated successfully. In other words, after three years, Moonview Rito had to be at least a Level Four.

“If you’re a teacher, then I suppose it should be fine. But are you really sure?” Kiriko felt that something was wrong, though she could not say exactly what.

“No problem, no problem! You two stay here and look after Tachibana. Ye Chen and I will go inside and take a look. Nothing will happen!”

Moonview Rito hurriedly grabbed Ye Chen and pulled him toward the building, giving Kiriko and Julie no chance to react.

“Honestly, Little Usagi is being far too impatient.”

Seeing that Moonview Rito and Ye Chen had already entered the building, Kiriko grumbled before joining Julie in tending to Tachibana.

Inside the school building, the sun had completely disappeared beyond the mountains, leaving the corridors in total darkness. Yet the darkness meant nothing to Ye Chen. Light or no light made no difference to him.

Moonview Rito, walking ahead, promptly ran into a wall. She rubbed her slightly reddened nose, tears of pain glimmering in her eyes. Clearly, the collision had hurt rather badly. With an expression that seemed almost pleading, she said to Ye Chen, “Say, Ye Chen, you won’t bump into things even in the dark, will you? Why don’t you walk in front?”

It was a perfectly reasonable suggestion, so Ye Chen did not object. He entered a classroom first.

The moment he stepped inside, Moonview Rito’s expression behind him twisted into something savage.

The classroom was so deep within the building that even the moonlight from the corridor windows could not reach it. As Moonview Rito slowly closed the door, the room became pitch-black, so dark that one could not see one’s own hand.

Ye Chen searched the classroom with his senses. Apart from himself and Moonview Rito, there were no other living presences.

“There’s no one in this classroom.”

“So it seems~ What a bother. It will be difficult to find that person now. Isn’t that right, Ye Chen~?”

Her voice retained its usual sweet, cloying tone, but her bearing and expression were utterly at odds with it. A ferocious smile carried a murderous intent as she approached Ye Chen. Without the slightest hesitation, she swung the enormous Fang Sword down.

The Fang Sword tore through the air with tremendous speed. A faint whistling sound rang through the classroom, lasting less than half a second before silence returned.

“Have you finally decided to attack, Little Usagi?”

Ye Chen seemed to have anticipated it from the beginning. Under the influence of his energy, the scabbard decorated with a pattern of stars emitted a faint, flickering radiance, as though real stars had been set into it. It became the only source of light in the dark classroom.

Without turning around, Ye Chen used the scabbard to brace against the Fang Sword’s blade and asked calmly, “One strike had failed, so Moonview Rito leapt backward to open some distance. At that point, there was no reason to keep pretending. No explanation would have worked anyway, and Ye Chen seemed to have noticed from the beginning.”

“Oh my, oh my. I never thought you’d discover me, Ye Chen. Little Usagi thought she had hidden everything quite well. How did you realize it?”

“If you pay close attention, anyone whose eyes are still functioning could notice. The wounds on Tachibana and Hotaka are identical to the shape of your Fang Sword. Your attitude was suspicious as well. And in the end, you released your killing intent so openly that you might as well have announced that you were about to attack.”

There were simply too many suspicious points about Moonview Rito. Ye Chen could not help marveling at how poor her acting was.

“Ugh, Little Usagi never imagined she had so many flaws. And you can even sense killing intent so keenly, Ye Chen. You deserve praise. Clap, clap.”

She applauded him, expressing exaggerated admiration, then added, “But aren’t you blind to begin with, Ye Chen?”

“...”

Ye Chen found himself utterly speechless at that remark.

Moonview Rito seized the opportunity to close in. The serrated edge of the Fang Sword tore toward his chest with savage force. Ye Chen, who had never relaxed his vigilance, raised his own blade and met it head-on.

At the instant their weapons collided, Moonview Rito suddenly felt as though the sword in her hands were about to fly free. The simple clash sent a tremendous force through her arms. She barely managed to keep hold of the Fang Sword, and she stared at Ye Chen as though he were a monster.

She had undergone several breakthroughs herself, and each advancement had raised her physical abilities by an entire level. Yet in terms of strength, she was actually at a disadvantage.

Among the students, the only person from whom she had ever sensed such overwhelming power was Saeko Busujima. Perhaps Ye Chen had not yet used his full strength, but that alone was enough to make her take him seriously.