Rin stood at the center of the brewing storm, his gaze shifting between the girl clinging to his arm and the silent fury radiating from the actress before him. A sharp, dry click echoed from the back of his throat as he swallowed a sudden sense of impending doom.
"You! Let go of him this instant!"
Something inside Mai Sakurajima finally snapped. The composure she spent years perfecting as a star crumbled under a wave of unadulterated possessiveness. She took a swift, commanding step forward, her hand reaching out to physically pry Sakura Yamauchi's grip away from Rin's sleeve.
"Hey! What are you doing, Mai-senpai?" Sakura protested, her voice laced with genuine annoyance as she was forced to stumble back.
Sakura's mind raced as she smoothed her ruffled clothes. She had always known Mai was close to Rin, but this level of raw indignation felt personal. Does she... actually like Rin-kun that much? The thought sent a jolt of anxiety through her. Compared to a nationally beloved star like Mai Sakurajima, Sakura felt like a small, flickering candle next to a dazzling sun.
Across from her, Mai finally realized the gravity of what she'd just done. A soft, rosy hue began to crawl up her neck, staining her cheeks as the heat of her own impulsiveness hit her. She had just signaled her feelings to the entire street.
Years of professional training took over. She drew in a steadying breath, suppressing the blush with a rigid, practiced mask of indifference, though her eyes still shimmered with a lingering fire.
The damage, however, was already done. Sakura had seen it. And more importantly, so had the crowd.
"Oh wow!" "Big news! Huge news!" "Is this it? The legendary love triangle of the century?" "My heart is breaking... I have too many rivals! My beloved Rin-kun is slipping away!"
The surrounding students, having watched the drama unfold like a high-stakes premiere, erupted into a chorus of whispers and cheers. Phones were whipped out of pockets as students scrambled to capture the moment, while a few heartbroken boys and girls let out dramatic wails of despair, seeing their idols entangled in such a blatant display of affection.
In the middle of the chaos, the sea of students parted. A girl with flowing raven hair and a white headband—her silhouette striking and elegant—walked straight through the center of the commotion. She didn't slow down, casting a gaze toward the trio that was as sharp and biting as a winter wind.
"Out of the way," she murmured, her voice like velvet-wrapped steel. "You're blocking the path."
As she passed Rin, Utaha Kasumigaoka let her deep, wine-red eyes linger on him for a split second. A soft, disdainful Hmph escaped her lips before she continued on her way, the scent of her perfume lingering like a silent reproach.
Sakura watched her go. Inside, a new alarm bell rang. She had alredy added Utaha to the mental list of dangerous contenders she had to account for.
Rin's jaw tightened as his eyes followed Utaha's retreating figure. He stood flanked by Mai and Sakura, the weight of their combined expectations pressing in on him. He had faced the Great Destroyer of Worlds yesterday, yet he found himself drowning in a social drama he didn't know how to diffuse. He was living the dream of every man in the city, but to him, it felt like an exquisite, never-ending torture.
Deep beneath the city, in a place where the sun's light never reached, a different kind of darkness was festering.
"Heh heh... everything is falling into place. With the combat data from Decade's Complete Form and the King's Grand transformation, my design is nearly perfected."
The Great Leader of Shocker stood in the center of the gloom, his voice echoing off the metallic walls of the command center. He turned toward a figure draped in black and crimson robes—a man with hair as white as bone.
"Dr. Shinigami! Give me a status report. How goes the construction of the Rider Killer?"
The old man bowed low, a twisted, triumphant light dancing in his eyes. "The energy saturation of this world is magnificent, my Lord. The chaos of these converging timelines has accelerated our work beyond all expectations. The Rider Killer is nearly ready to be awakened..."
Dr. Shinigami let out a low, rasping chuckle that sounded like dry leaves being crushed under a boot.