After that, Rinta left her alone.
She knew no one would find her even if they tried, only people she allowed in could enter, and only the inhabitants inside could leave.
She was headed to the rest of the Ayanaki personnel for a report.
This was gonna be fun, seeing the confusion on their faces, the disbelief.
She giggled a little, her form emerging outside a back entrance within the vicinity.
The court broke apart as the ground became two doors that parted like the red sea.
And out of it, came our bundle of chaos and humor.
Three students— Choimatsu, the lowest rank— were slacking off smoking cigarettes.
Prohibited items, yes, but they didn't give a damn.
Until they saw, what should've been a basketball court, split apart like a secret back entrance.
They immediately straightened up when they saw who came out of there.
"Oh god, isn't that—"
"SHIT, It's sensei Rinta! Quick, we gotta act like we're training!"
One of the taller students grabbed their wooden staff and began swinging the stick like they were possessed by the spirit of a grandmaster.
...till they hit their jaw with it.
Rinta saw the...odd group of boys.
They were no older than 18, yet they behaved like unsupervised 7 year olds that were on crack.
Funny how she knew that they were.
She could practically smell it from inside those hidden halls.
Upon passing them by, they bowed awkwardly.
The taller one was still bleeding from his mouth and one of them had their laces untied.
She chuckled, stopping just behind them, "Is that blood?"
The boy straightened as he rubbed the streak of red off, "Uh, I was...Eating some fruits and then I bit my tounge, sensei-Rinta!" He blurted.
He received an elbow from the friend next to him, "You idiot, you're supposed to say 'Rinta-sensei' not 'sensei-Rinta'!"
"Would you two just...shut. The hell. Up? She's staring right at us." The other hissed, eyes peeking at the woman who just...smiled at them like they were a lost cause.
"I don't bite."
The one in the middle adjusted his glasses, "We know, sensei. You don't bite, you destroy."
Her eyes narrowed in delight, "Glad you know! Now then, if I were you— which I'm glad I'm not— I'd start moving away from here quickly because well," her voice lowered to a whisper as she pointed behind her, "look who's coming."
The students went pale.
"It's Shutoku-sensei! Quick! We gotta go!"
Without further notice.
Before the blue haired man even turned his head in their direction, they were gone.
Rinta laughed, "Love it when students are so afraid, it's sooo...FUN!"
She turned around and—
"Master Rinta."
Oh.
So he really was coming this direction afterall.
"Oh, Shutoku, what's up?" She said with a casual wave.
His eyes twitched.
There was nothing he hated more than casual banter with someone superior to him.
It reminded him of just how inferior he was:
"I see you're...enjoying the—" his nostrils caught the scent of smoke, "Hold on, are you...smoking? But Master Rinta, you know smoking here is a punishable offence! What if a Shinobu passed by?"
She sighed, "Always so uptight. You're not a fun person to hang around, you know?"
He groaned, a strand of hair falling down his forehead, "That is besides the point, Master Rin—"
She rolled her eyes, walking past him, "Yeah, sure, sure, briefing in 10 minutes. I have information I want to share about Hybrid girl. And stop calling me 'master' you weirdo..." her form faded into the hallways, "makes Rinta sound like an oldie."
His jaws tensed.
That woman—
Hold on.
Did she mention something about Akira?
...
She opened the door and immediately was washed over by a heatwave of power and sweat.
She stayed by the door, Shutoku just behind her.
...
The air was thick with tension as two opposing forces squared off in the center of that ring.
Yoshida.
Hinasuke.
Two sides of the same coi—
"Begin!"
The blonde's movements were bold, fast, sharp.
Golden metal swang past his head's after image, sound delayed moments after.
His body twisted, steel following behind like a viper— only to be met with hard fists.
Gauntlets.
Larger.
Compact.
Deadly.
The heat burst through the ground. The blonde missed his target by a hair.
Hina's foot slipped past hard metal, contact.
Foot met femure.
Yoshida stuttered.
Hinasuke saw an opening.
Gauntlets swung hard and wide, no remorse, no mercy.
Yoshida faded to the side, thigh still crying over spilled blood.
It was dense. Right fist to the jaw, metal stopping it before it got to connect.
He held his breath, Hina's grabbed his throat, Yoshi's heel met a hard surface.
He thought it was steel.
It was actually Hina's rib.
The air rippled outward as the stalemate fussed on, bystanders in awe as they witnessed an even fight.
Yoshi swung to the calf.
Clean hit.
Hina followed up with an uppercut, his calf denied.
Miss.
Metal to the jaw, tooth and salive mingling together.
His body swung to the side.
Roundhouse.
Yoshida wasn't gonna miss this one.
Hina's eyes blazed.
Foot scrambled into the hard steel cage, turning steel back into liquid.
Hina saw the chance.
One opening.
One blow.
This moment—
His feet shifted into his defense.
It's—
He leaned in too much. Doesn't matter.
Sink the shot!
It's yours—!
Hard left to the exposed leg, it's all his to claim
Knuckles tore into his over committed jaw again.
[ "How the hell—?" ]
Dazed.
The world spun
"I'm not that easy!"
His leg found the back of Hina's skull.
Devastating blow.
The crowd hissed along with his opponent.
"Shit."
"That one had to be it."
"He's not getting up—"
Yoshida laughed, blood on his heel, "Taking me seriously now—?"
"Shut up and fight."
[ "What the—!?" ]
...
For the first time, Rinta actually seemed impressed.
...
[ "Shit, Hina recovered too quickly—!!" ]
"Sloppy."
Over-committed my ass.
His body snapped like a gunshot.
Perfect.
Clean.
Hit.
Large green blocks smashed into his sternum, blood painted Hina's eye.
His staff whistled into the air again, struck the ground, shredding the surrounding metal into hot golden nectar.
...
A breath.
Hina smirked.
Yoshida laughed, blood spilling out his yapper.
Okay.
Let's go—
[ " Round Two!! " ]
...
The air paused. Rinta's eyes snapped upwards.
Someone's here—
...
"Alright, boys..."
All eyes turned up to the platform.
Holy Shit—
"... that's enough."
No way.
"Oh my god, it's him..."
"Woah..."
"I've never seen one up close and personal..."
Hina's swollen eye widened a bit.
Yoshi's breath stuttered.
"Holy...I...I didn't think the letter was real," Yoshida murmured through a cut lip.
It was him.
The walking catastrophe.
Nicknamed: Subject Dominator.
Saiichi Otaku.
The 4th Ranked Shinobu
And the only one in that room who rattled Rinta's cocky smile.