Chapter 151: The Reappearance of Tsukimi Rito

After the conclusion of the new-blade battle, to repair the damaged grounds and allow the injured students sufficient time to recuperate, the academy graciously granted the students a lengthy holiday. During this period, Tachibana Tomoe and Hotaka Miyabi had mostly recovered thanks to the prior medical treatment provided by Tachibana Kanade.

Accompanied by Kokonoe Toru and Torao Aoi, the two specially sought out Yechen and his companions to express their gratitude. Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and Yechen and the others returned once again to the classroom. The arrangement remained unchanged; the majority of students were completely unaware of the events of the new-blade battle, chattering away with their respective bound partners.

Upon entering the classroom, Tachibana Tomoe and Hotaka Miyabi were discussing the Tsukimi Rito incident with Kokonoe Toru and the others. The event had left an indelible impression on them, as they had come perilously close to perishing at Tsukimi Rito's hands. After stubbornly holding on for a short while, they had lost consciousness, only to find themselves hospitalized upon waking up.

Kiriya Kazuko, who had previously been a background figure whom no one paid attention to, instantly became the center of their focus. After all, she had been present at the scene from start to finish. Consequently, the crowd swarmed around her, bombarding her with questions about what had transpired after they had blacked out. Kiriya Kazuko looked at them with a troubled expression; she did not know much herself, having only been told the details by Yechen and the others, so she could only offer dry, awkward laughs, unable to provide any substantial answers.

When Yechen and his group stepped into the classroom, they instantly became the focal point of all the students' gazes. Although these students had not experienced the Tsukimi Rito incident firsthand, a significant portion of them had been eliminated precisely because of Yechen's team. It was certain that everyone in Yechen's group would secure the opportunity for sublimation.

At this thought, they could not help but feel a wave of envy toward the group's sole late addition. The others aside, in their eyes Kiriya Kazuko had acquired her placement purely through the sheer good fortune of joining Yechen's team, and they secretly regretted not having volunteered to join him from the start.

"Good morning." Seeing Yechen and his group approach their seats, Tachibana Tomoe and Hotaka Miyabi stepped forward to greet them.

"Good morning." Yechen, Tachibana Kanade, and Hakuhime politely returned the greeting.

Kokonoe Toru, having been knocked unconscious toward the end and thus unaware of subsequent developments, asked Yechen, "Yechen, what happened to Rito-sensei afterward?"

"Rito-sensei? I don't know. She was probably taken away by the academy's chairman," Yechen replied with an uncertain tone.

"What do you mean by 'probably'! You were the one who defeated her in the end! How could you not know!" Torao Aoi retorted with immediate agitation. Yechen merely shrugged in response and said nothing; defeating someone did not necessarily mean keeping track of their whereabouts, and he could not be bothered to explain such trivialities.

Instead, Tachibana Kanade offered an explanation for Yechen, speaking with a calm, expressionless demeanor, "Because we left immediately afterward. We had notified the chairman to handle it before we departed, and we didn't witness what happened later."

"That's far too casual! What if she woke up and escaped before the chairman arrived?" Torao Aoi declared that she simply could not accept such an irresponsible attitude from Yechen and the others. Shouldn't they have personally locked her away to ensure she couldn't escape?

"Such matters are far too troublesome for Yechen," Hakuhime said, gazing at Yechen's gentle profile.

"Well, well, to say we aren't bothered by Rito-sensei would certainly be a lie, but we probably won't see her again," Kokonoe Toru concluded, cutting off his close friend's impulse to continue.

Yet reality invariably ran counter to his expectations. The classroom door was pushed open once more, and Tsukimi Rito walked in holding a pointer. In her familiar, honeyed voice, she addressed the students below as if nothing at all had happened, "Good morning, everyone! Have you shaken off the fatigue from the new-blade battle? The wonderful holiday has come to an end, and starting today, we must return to serious training~"

"Oh! Isn't that the most outstanding team from the new-blade battle over there? Sublimation is as good as guaranteed for you all. Good morning!" Tsukimi Rito's complexion was rosy, and her movements showed no sign of hindrance. As expected of a Stage V Awakened being, her recovery capabilities far surpassed those of ordinary Transcendents and Awakened beings. One had only to look at Kokonoe Toru, whose arm was still bound in a supporting sling fixed with cloth.

Not only Kokonoe Toru, but even Tachibana Tomoe and Hotaka Miyabi were astonished. They had entertained numerous possibilities regarding their next encounter with Tsukimi Rito, but absolutely none of them resembled this natural normalcy. After committing such acts, she was returning to the classroom to lecture just as before, and greeting those of them who knew the truth with such unruffled calm.

"Good morning," Yechen and the other two replied in kind. Kokonoe Toru, Tachibana Tomoe, and the rest could not fathom what sort of mindset Yechen and his companions possessed to be able to respond so naturally.

How could they possibly know that Yechen and Hakuhime's reactions were merely conditioned reflexes cultivated from their past training in C.C. etiquette? As for Tachibana Kanade, she was simply pure and innocent, entirely incapable of bearing grudges. Yuri and the others in the afterlife had ambushed her countless times, yet she still steadfastly hoped they would find redemption and properly experience school life; how could someone as kind-hearted as her possibly harbor anger over a "minor mistake" made by Tsukimi Rito?

"You—! ...Urgh!" Torao Aoi, who had been momentarily stunned by Tsukimi Rito's brazen appearance, instantly lost control of her anger. Every single injury on her body right now had been inflicted by this woman. Just as she was about to lash out, she was restrained by Kokonoe Toru.

This was occurring inside the classroom. Leaving aside the sheer chaos and inconvenience a fight here would cause—along with the high probability of collateral damage—Yechen and the others, who were capable of dealing with Tsukimi Rito, showed zero reaction. For those of them whose injuries had yet to heal to charge forward now would undoubtedly result in getting instantly annihilated.

Having experienced the utter humiliation inflicted first by Tosaka Ayako and Shiina, followed by the overwhelming suppression from Yechen and his group, Kokonoe Toru had fully accepted one reality: possessing a numerical advantage did not increase one's chances of winning when facing overwhelmingly powerful individuals—at least, not for those at their current level of strength.

Tsukimi Rito was momentarily taken aback by Yechen and the others' natural responses, having anticipated that they would attack without a word. Afterward, the class proceeded. While the lesson appeared no different from any other in the eyes of the rest of the students, to Kokonoe Toru and his companions, it felt exceptionally protracted and oppressive.

Especially whenever Tsukimi Rito called out their names, they almost instinctively released their Blaze Wings. Throughout the entire class, they dared not relax for even a fraction of a second, terrified that she might launch a sudden attack. Yet until the parting bell rang and offered them sweet release, Tsukimi Rito exhibited no unusual behavior whatsoever. It left them feeling as though all their vigilance had been entirely wasted, prompting them to quietly question whether that night of the new-blade battle had merely been a dream after all.

"Mm-hmhm~" Humming a tune after finishing her lecture, Tsukimi Rito strode out of the classroom, and Kokonoe Toru and the others immediately gave chase.

"Stop right there!"