Watching Masaru Ooshika clutching his groin, his face contorted in pain, and now completely unconscious, Rai Hikaru observed the scene calmly.
The other delinquents, who had been preparing to surround him, froze in shock.
The speed of Rai Hikaru's kick had been absurd—too fast for them to even see clearly.
It had looked like he just lifted his leg slightly.
And yet, Masaru had flown backward several meters, groaning in agony.
Is… this even human?
The delinquents stared at Rai Hikaru in horror. Seeing Masaru sprawled out, his groin ruined, they felt a pang of sympathy—and a creeping sense of dread.
Quickly, they scrambled to help Masaru away from Rai Hikaru's side.
…
Rai Hikaru shook his head slightly as he watched them carry the dazed delinquent off.
He had gone a little easy on that kick—he hadn't completely destroyed the yellow-haired idiot.
Not that he had intentionally held back out of mercy.
The "Explosive Kill: Minotaur" passive skill came with its risks.
It allowed him to utterly annihilate even the strongest Minotaur-class enemies, but for weaker ones like Masaru, Rai Hikaru had to be careful. One misstep and… a single kick could easily have killed him.
And there were still a lot of witnesses around.
So, the force he used earlier barely reached ten percent of his capacity.
It wasn't simple math. Five attribute points might be a normal human's standard, but someone with ten points? Not just capable of defeating two ordinary people—but at least five or six.
Rai Hikaru's own stats: average attributes over fifteen, constitution at twenty-five. Essentially, he had long surpassed human limits. Add the Explosive Kill skill into the mix, and if he had pushed just a little harder, with a higher multiplier, Masaru could've been kicked to death—right here in front of everyone. Not a problem you could quietly resolve.
"Cut the weed at the root… maybe I'll find a chance to finish him off later…"
Shinonome Natsuka, still clinging tightly to Rai Hikaru's arm after pretending to be his girlfriend, had overheard his quiet muttering.
Her legs went weak instantly.
The tone in his voice left no doubt he wasn't joking.
And his earlier display had proven he could do it if he wanted.
He could actually… kill someone just like that…
Her heart raced. It was terrifying—and yet… undeniably cool.
If it had been her middle school self, she would've been terrified.
But for some reason… today, seeing Rai Hikaru utterly destroy Masaru felt exhilarating.
Being protected by him made her feel safe, too.
Especially that one kick—Rai Hikaru sending Masaru flying like a ragdoll. The image seared itself into her mind.
How can someone's legs… have this much power?
Is he even human?
Even compared to the men she'd seen in anime or read about in novels, he was leagues beyond them.
Those impossible feats she'd only ever seen on screens… Rai Hikaru could do them for real.
If she were starring in a movie as the heroine, and Rai Hikaru was the lead… just imagining it made her cheeks burn, her heart racing.
…
Wait.
No!
What was she thinking?!
She wasn't Rai Hikaru's real girlfriend!
The person she truly liked was her childhood friend, Yamano Yuta—her "Koyuu." They had made a promise: once Yuta entered high school, they would be together.
How could she be fantasizing about… this?
Was it just because she hadn't seen Yuta for so long? Lonely?
No, no. This was wrong. She couldn't betray her promise to Yuta!
That disgusting Masaru's words were lies.
She was pure. Even this was the first time she had hugged a man like this. She hadn't even had her first kiss yet—she'd only ever watched innocent "educational" films… nothing lewd.
She was definitely not a promiscuous woman!
Damned Masaru, twisting her pure heart with his disgusting words…
She would remain chaste for Yuta!
Although Yuta couldn't give her the same sense of security Rai Hikaru's presence did, he was her true love.
Yet somehow… Rai Hikaru's scent lingered in her mind…
Just holding him… smelling him… made her heart race uncontrollably.
Forgive me, Koyuu… I'm just thinking… just thinking…
…
Watching Natsuka, who had started by merely pretending to cling to his arm, now sinking more and more into his embrace, Rai Hikaru finally spoke, exasperated:
"Hey, Shinonome. That guy's been carried away. You don't need to pretend anymore. Let go."
Her face turned crimson, and she immediately released his arm—but the moment she did, she collapsed to the ground.
"Don't be afraid… Masaru's gone," Rai Hikaru said calmly.
But she muttered, blushing furiously, "I… I'm not afraid…"
"Not afraid? Then why are you so weak you just collapsed?" Rai Hikaru said, suspicious.
Only Natsuka knew the truth. She wasn't afraid—she had trained in Aikido before and had decent combat skills. Normally, Masaru would've posed no threat.
Her collapse had nothing to do with fear.
It was because she had never been this close to a male before.
Never been so acutely aware of a man's raw, masculine scent.
Yuta had always been shy, and she had maintained her purity, full of righteousness as a student council officer. So even though she and Yuta were childhood friends, they had never been this close physically.
And just now, her imagination had wandered to the idea of her and Rai Hikaru acting together in… certain adult situations. That thought alone had made her body go completely slack.
Seeing Rai Hikaru's skeptical expression, Natsuka had no way to explain.
She couldn't possibly say what she was actually thinking.
It would be humiliating—he would think she was some kind of nymphomaniac.
Shinonome Natsuka had always seen herself as a pure, innocent high school beauty.
Her image—pure, beautiful, kind, noble—had always been flawless.
And Rai Hikaru? Surely, he must see her that way too: innocent, beautiful, virtuous… a completely pure high school girl.