"Okay, let's head back!"
"Head back where?" Mai asked, visibly confused.
"Obviously—to your place!" Ryuga grinned shamelessly.
After all, this wasn't his first time "borrowing" a stay at a girl's house. He was used to this sort of thing by now.
"H-Huh?!" Mai's face turned red in an instant. She looked down shyly, fidgeting with the corner of her shirt. "I-I'm still too young for that kind of thing…"
"Where do you think I'm trying to go?" Ryuga flicked her forehead lightly. "I had to return my rented apartment just to afford this damn Sengoku Driver. Now I've got nowhere to stay."
Hearing this sincere—though exaggerated—explanation, Mai's embarrassment melted into admiration. In her innocent eyes, Ryuga's sacrifice was a testament to his commitment to the team. As the vice-captain of Team Gaim, she couldn't possibly let a devoted teammate go homeless.
So, just like that, Ryuga followed Mai back to her house. Of course, what she had said wasn't wrong—she was still quite young. There was no need to rush things. When she obtained the Golden Fruit and ascended to "Goddess" status, maybe then they could speak freely about matters beyond age and duty.
The next day, Ryuga followed Mai to Team Gaim's training base to familiarize himself with the layout. The two-story facility left him wide-eyed.
Kazuraba Kouta really was loaded, Ryuga thought to himself. Practically everything Team Gaim used—from their Sengoku Drivers to this very base—had been provided by Kouta. At such a young age, how could someone have so much money? Was he the heir to a massive inheritance?
Unfortunately, while Ryuga had taken over Yuya's identity, he hadn't absorbed his memories. He had no access to Yuya's past, properties, or even the address of his old residence. That was exactly why he had needed to bunk with Mai yesterday.
Because of this, it was also impossible for Ryuga—who had no dancing talent—to participate in street battles directly. For now, his role was simply to step in when things got out of control.
Like now.
Baron, the rival team led by the aggressive Kaito Kumon and backed by the mysterious "big boss", had taken a stage from Team Gaim the day before through trickery. And today, they were back with even more audacity.
"What?! You want us to bet our player pass?" Mai stared at Kaito in disbelief.
The player pass was essential. Without it, a team had no right to compete for stages, and would essentially be disbanded.
"That's right." Kaito smirked and held up a shiny A-class Lockseed. "If you win, I'll return the stage we took yesterday and throw in this A-class Lockseed. But if you lose, your pass is mine."
Lockseeds came in different ranks. Most used in Inves Games were D-class—barely capable of summoning weak, foot soldier-type Inves. But A-class Lockseeds were in another league, capable of calling forth powerful, high-tier Inves. These superior Locks had only recently started circulating in the black market due to compatibility with the Sengoku Drivers.
"But… without a pass, we won't be allowed to dance!" a female Gaim member protested.
"Exactly." Kaito's expression turned cold. "The weak have no right to survive."
"So?" he challenged. "Do you have what it takes to protect your place in this world?"
"Ryuga…" Mai looked toward him subconsciously.
"Xiao Wu," Ryuga replied calmly, "I told you yesterday—team decisions are in your hands. I'll support you no matter what. And if it's about Lockseeds, don't worry."
With that, he pulled out four or five A-class Lockseeds and dropped them on the table.
Everyone gasped. Even Kaito's confident expression faltered slightly. He knew just how rare and expensive these were, and here was Ryuga tossing them around like candy.
"We accept your challenge," Mai declared confidently. While the Lockseeds boosted her odds, what truly gave her the courage was Ryuga's unwavering trust.
Later that day, the city's largest stage was packed with a crowd, buzzing with anticipation.
"This is your last chance to back out," Mai said, staring down Kaito. "If you lose, we get back our stage and your A-class Lockseed."
Kaito didn't flinch. "Let's get on with it."
He then did something bold—pulling out three Lockseeds at once and summoning three Inves creatures. Normally, this level of control required immense mental stamina. Most players could barely handle two. But Kaito specialized in multi-line control.
Fortunately, Mai had her own advantages. Born into a lineage of shrine maidens, she had formidable spiritual strength. If the Yggdrasill Corporation hadn't industrialized and suppressed traditional beliefs, she would've inherited her family shrine.
Impressed but unfazed by Kaito's maneuver, Mai activated her A-class Lockseed.
With a loud crack, a tall, intimidating Inves stepped out of the rift—towering over the three low-tier Inves like a lion among mice.
"What the hell?!" the audience gasped. No one had seen an A-class Inves in action before. Even the Gaim team hadn't expected such a gap in power.
Kaito was already regretting not using his own A-class pineapple Lockseed. He had underestimated the difference in tier strength and assumed quantity would trump quality.
Now it was too late.
His three weak Inves lunged forward, flailing at the superior Inves like toddlers throwing tantrums at a bear.
The audience burst into laughter.
Mai let the scene play out a moment longer, then ordered her Inves to retaliate. In seconds, the three attackers were crushed like insects.
The match was over before it even began.
Team Gaim erupted in celebration—but just then, a small stone flew from the crowd, striking the Lockseed in Mai's hand and knocking it away.
Ryuga's expression darkened. He kicked the Lockseed midair, sending it flying back in the same direction with terrifying speed.
A scream followed.
One of Baron's members collapsed, cradling a bleeding palm.
That was the same person who had sabotaged Mai the day before, costing her the stage.
Ryuga had been waiting for him to make another move.
Now he had paid the price.