Reiji decided to use shadow step for the first time while inside the house and appeared near the street.
The neighborhood was peaceful.
Streetlights illuminated the empty roads while a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the trees lining the sidewalks.
His crimson eyes instinctively swept across the surroundings.
No suspicious movements.
No unfamiliar auras.
Only a few late-night pedestrians walking home.
He kept walking.
Unlike before, he no longer headed directly toward the outskirts of the city.
Instead, he entered the narrow alley separating his neighborhood from the next street.
The same alley where everything had changed two nights ago.
His footsteps echoed softly against the concrete.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Then he saw her.
Aoi Tachibana leaned casually against the wall with her arms folded across her chest.
She wasn't wearing her usual casual clothes.
Instead, she had changed into fitted black combat gear reinforced with light armor around the shoulders and knees.
