Tsukasa's thoughts were interrupted by Subaru's question.
He was slightly startled and subconsciously pulled at the black ribbon covering his eyes before replying, "In that case, let's find a place to stay first."
Subaru said, helplessly flicking the serrated edge of an otherworldly coin with her fingertip, "But we're penniless right now. At this rate, we'll end up sleeping on the streets."
At this moment, Subaru was feeling a bit frustrated. Although she had encountered this being who could be called a 'cheat code,' he... seemed a bit unreliable?
She shook her head to dispel the negative thoughts. Sitting around waiting for death was never a good plan, she had to take action.
Sensing Subaru's rekindled determination, the corners of Tsukasa's lips curled up imperceptibly as he floated in mid-air and followed her.
Just as Subaru was walking toward the mouth of the alley, racking her brains for a way to make money—
"Oh! I'm sorry!"
Inevitably, just as she stepped out of the alley, she collided head-on with a figure.
Just as Subaru tried to look up to see who it was, a powerful force grabbed her shoulder from behind, dragging her back into the depths of the alley.
Thud!
"Ugh... that hurts."
Not only Subaru, but even Tsukasa, whom only she could see, instantly sensed the spreading malice.
"Spawning mobs right after stepping out... that's some really bad luck." Tsukasa calmly assessed the situation in an instant.
At this moment, the scene before her made Subaru's heart tighten: a burly man was blocking the alley entrance, followed by two accomplices—one short and one thin—completely cutting off her escape.
Seeing how practiced their movements were, Subaru already had a guess in her heart, but she still asked with a glimmer of hope, "I'm very sorry for bumping into you all. May I leave now?"
"Hahaha!"
A thin, tall man about twenty years old with a face full of arrogance laughed contemptuously. "Girl, it seems you haven't figured out the situation yet? Hand over everything valuable quietly, and save that pretty face of yours some suffering, hahahaha!"
Their intentions couldn't be clearer.
"It seems you're truly down on your luck today." Tsukasa's voice carried a hint of playfulness.
"Tsukasa, don't mock me at a time like this."
Subaru clenched her fists and continued in a low voice, "Quick, think of something."
Just then, seeing her muttering to herself, the short man on the opposite side roared in annoyance, "Hey! What are you mumbling over there? Do you take us for idiots?!"
Hearing this, Subaru's face showed no fear. Instead, she became more determined. She said, "It seems the 'run away' option no longer exists. Tsukasa, we have no retreat."
However, Tsukasa did not intend to take action himself at this moment—using Satoru Gojo's abilities against these thugs was like using an anti-aircraft gun to swat a mosquito.
He responded composedly, "Don't worry. When it comes to fighting, I know a thing or two as well."
Hearing this, a curve appeared at the corner of Subaru's lips. "Then, I'll leave it to you, Tsukasa."
The trio of the burly, short, and thin men were clearly not fools. They sensed Subaru's intention in an instant, and the short one was the first to launch an attack.
"Since you're unwilling to hand over the goods, we'll just beat you until you do!"
Almost simultaneously, Tsukasa's calm voice rang out in Subaru's mind. "Watch your right, the short one is going for a low kick."
Subaru immediately dodged to the right upon hearing the warning, and as expected, she avoided the short man's sweep.
Tsukasa's next command followed immediately. "Now, straight punch, hit his chest."
Subaru steadied her stance and landed a clean straight punch precisely on the opponent's solar plexus.
The short man let out a muffled groan, clutched his chest, and collapsed to the ground.
Seeing this, the burly man roared and charged.
"Duck."
Hearing this, Subaru quickly crouched, narrowly avoiding the whistling fist.
"Use your elbow to strike his ribs, then hit his chin."
Subaru executed Tsukasa's commands without hesitation. Her elbow slammed into the burly man's ribs, and taking advantage of the moment he doubled over in pain, she delivered an uppercut to his jaw. The burly man staggered back two steps and crashed to the ground.
Having taken down two people in a row, even Subaru, who exercised regularly, couldn't help but pant slightly, with fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead.
Her performance secretly surprised Tsukasa. To be able to stay calm in such a sudden situation and precisely execute commands—even if her movements were still a bit unrefined—this girl's talent in combat was impressive.
Just as Subaru was secretly relieved that only the seemingly weakest opponent remained—
Swish!
A cold glint suddenly appeared.
To everyone's surprise, the thin man actually pulled out a short sword from his coat, stabbing straight at her.
"Dodge to the right." Tsukasa's command was as fast as lightning.
However, the cold light of the blade caused Subaru to instinctively freeze for half a second. In that split second of hesitation, the sharp blade had already sliced her arm. Warm blood gushed from the wound, dripping onto the ground.
"This... this is a real blade..."
Clutching the stinging wound, real fear appeared in Subaru's eyes for the first time.
Tsukasa, in the air, clearly felt her emotional fluctuation. In battle, fear is the most dangerous debuff, making every movement sluggish and hesitant.
Still, for a high school student experiencing a life-or-death situation for the first time, being able to hold out until now was already commendable.
Looking at the girl who was covered in cold sweat and trembling slightly, Tsukasa sighed softly.
He was ready to take over the fight at any moment. After all, no matter what, he couldn't let her lose her life here to such low-level thugs.
Seeing that his first strike failed to finish her, the thin man spat fiercely and gripped the short sword again, charging at Subaru.
Facing the blade, Subaru's body was stiff, and even her breathing had almost stopped.
Just as Tsukasa was about to take over her body—
"That's enough, you villains!"