The morning alarm cut through the quiet of the bedroom, its persistent, upbeat rhythm a sharp contrast to the heavy silence of the night. Rin Kuga didn't jump or groan; he simply opened his eyes. He hadn't slept a wink.
Ever since the dust settled on his clash with Decade, Tsukasa Kadoya's parting words had played on a loop in his mind. "You've got a fresh set of headaches headed your way." The cryptic warning had anchored itself in his thoughts, refusing to let go even as the moon dipped below the horizon. Yet, despite the long hours of stillness, the power of Ohma Zi-O thrumming through his veins had kept any trace of exhaustion from touching his face. His body felt as sharp and primed as it would after a full night's rest.
"Whatever it is you've set in motion, Tsukasa..." Rin murmured, his voice a low rasp in the empty room. He reached out, silencing the alarm with a definitive click before throwing back the covers.
There was no point in dwelling on shadows. He stepped into the bathroom, the cool air of the morning refreshing against his skin. No matter the scale of the threat or the complexity of the "trouble" mentioned, he held the keys to time and space in his hands. There was no obstacle the Demon King couldn't shatter.
An hour later, Rin was making his way to school under a pale blue sky. He walked with a leisurely stride, hands tucked into his pockets and a black-and-white drawstring bag slung casually over his right shoulder. He was a magnet for attention; clusters of girls whispered as he passed, their "Good mornings" fluttering toward him like blossoms caught in a breeze. Rin merely offered a shallow, distracted nod, his mind still half-locked on the events of the previous night.
"Gooooood moooooorning, Rin-kun!"
The greeting was less of a word and more of a kinetic shock. Out of nowhere, Sakura Yamauchi lunged toward him, her palm connecting with his shoulder blades in a resounding thwack.
Rin didn't stumble—his balance was far too ingrained for that—but he turned his head with a deliberate, weary grace to face the girl. "Has no one ever taught you that a surprise assault is hardly a polite way to say hello?"
Sakura immediately clamped her hands over her mouth, though her eyes were crinkled with suppressed laughter. "Eek! Sorry! Truly, truly sorry! Please don't be grumpy, Rin-kun!" She tilted her head, sticking her tongue out just a fraction to show a tiny, playful snaggletooth. It was a practiced, weaponized display of charm, the kind intended to disarm any frustration with a single look.
Rin's expression didn't waver. He had long ago grown accustomed to the company of the world's most beautiful women; the "moe" tactics that might have sent another teenager into a stuttering mess simply slid off his composure like rain on glass.
"Playing the victim doesn't change the fact that you nearly knocked the wind out of me," he said, his tone dry but lacking any real bite. "Wrong is wrong, Sakura."
Sakura puffed out her cheeks in a visible pout. She had just deployed her best innocent gir" routine and he hadn't even blinked. So stubborn! she thought, but she wasn't about to give up. Instead, she stepped closer, looping her arms firmly around his right bicep and leaning in with a bright, triumphant grin.
"Hehe, then you'll just have to forgive me anyway! I only did it because I was so excited to see you, Rin-kun!"
Rin looked down at the girl clinging to his arm, feeling the warmth of her presence. He was about to tell her to maintain a modicum of decorum in public when a new voice sliced through the morning air.
"The two of you seem awfully cozy for a sidewalk encounter. Don't you think you're causing a scene?"
Rin and Sakura both turned. Standing a few paces away was Mai Sakurajima. The Bunny-girl Senpai was staring intently at the point where Sakura's arms met Rin's sleeve. Her brow was knit in a subtle, sharp furrow, her eyes flashing with a heat that suggested she was far from pleased.
Seeing another girl claim a spot she hadn't even taken for herself yet seemed to have struck a very specific nerve.
Sakura, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, didn't retreat. If anything, she tightened her grip on Rin's arm, tilting her head toward the famous actress with an innocent, defiant spark in her eyes. "Good morning, Senpai. Does my greeting Rin-kun have something to do with you?"
"You—!" Mai started, her composure fraying at the edges.
Rin looked between the two of them, the realization finally hitting him. Tsukasa was right. The battle with the Destroyer of Worlds had been a simple matter of strength and will. This, however—this tangle of human hearts and high school rivalries—was going to be a much more complicated headache.
"Onore Dikeido..." Rin muttered under his breath.