The bastards at the Academy all share one thing in common: despite rarely washing up, they spend all day doing nothing but having sex.

That’s why the putrid stench of semen wafts off them when you get close. The very scent Haru was picking up right now.

There was no mistaking it for anything else; the smell of semen doesn’t just occur naturally. There were definitely guys out there. Saya probably didn’t say anything because she had never smelled it before.

Had I been too complacent? I should have anticipated something like this happening much earlier.

“What’s wrong…?”

Saya, still unaware of the situation, spoke cautiously. Hoping her elven eyes could pierce through the darkness, I simply pressed a finger to my lips. She naturally closed her mouth and focused her attention on the sounds.

“…”

“There are six of them. Lope.”

“Yeah.”

Her situational awareness was as astonishing as her physical abilities. But I had no time to marvel at the fact; I held my breath and crept toward the door.

Only then did I hear it too. The murmuring voices were definitely unfamiliar. They were too low to make out the exact words, but they were slowly drawing closer.

“Let’s…get…ready.”

“…try it. Just one guy…what’s with all the…”

“…since it’s tough…you go first…”

“…yeah…got it…”

“…”

Six footsteps. Four of them were talking. The other two were either too scared or too cautious to speak.

And at least one of them was a woman. That fact bothered me deeply.

Any rational judgment would dictate fleeing immediately. Judging by their somewhat organized movements and the snippets of conversation, their goal was more likely me than food. It would be more sensible to avoid a headache and slip away.

But bringing a woman along deliberately nagged at me. It could be a tactical move, or they might have come to talk. If it was the former, there was a high chance they brought someone I knew to lower my guard.

And the number six was incredibly ambiguous. Flee or fight. Either choice seemed to hold equal parts reason and recklessness.

I couldn’t afford to deliberate for long. Soon, Haru’s voice urged me on.

“What should we do?”

“…”

“Senior.”

“Saya.”

Instead of answering Haru, I called out to Saya. Then, carefully opening the window, I spoke.

“Let’s go out. As quietly as possible.”

A tree with terrible sleeping habits tossed in the darkness. Perhaps it suddenly found its own nest unfamiliar. Or maybe it was having a wet dream, imagining the ginkgo seeds that had blown in last night.

Either way, one thing was certain: it was harassing the surrounding trees. Every time it shifted, fluttering leaves poked and prodded the bark of the neighboring tree. But that nuisance of a tree seemed blissfully oblivious to the fact.

And it was completely unaware of the unidentified fluid dripping at its base.

“Uuh…fuck…”

“Eup…heup…!”

“Eu…ua…”

“A…eup…”

“Hey. I told you we need to get ready.”

“Haa…wait a minute. You guys all had your turn, so why are you bitching when it’s mine?”

“It’s already dark out. Why are you getting so absorbed in killing time until nightfall?”

“What’s the big deal…ah…ugh…fuck!”

“Heeuk!”

The man forgot he was supposed to be quiet, letting out a groan as he thrust his hips upward. The woman being violated by his rough movements also released her suppressed pleasure. Without even hiking up her skirt, love fluids dripped heavily onto her hastily pulled-down underwear.

Just how long had they been at this? Could one gauge it by the pool of bodily fluids shining starkly white even in the dark? Or perhaps by the glazed eyes of the utterly exhausted woman?

If nothing else, it must have been a long period of agony. She must have been forced to service five men relentlessly in the bushes, her damp underwear still tangled around her ankles. Her flushed, crimson skin bore stark imprints of various hands.

Yet her waist arched fluidly as she continued to absorb the man’s thrusts. Moreover, her voluptuous movements synced with his rhythm made it seem as if she were enjoying it. Each time flesh smacked against flesh with a wet slap, lewd moans spilled from her lips.

“Ah, fuck…still…we need to finish quick…ugh…!”

“A! Haang…ahaa…”

The man slapped the woman’s buttocks once before beginning to thrust his hips even more violently. Her ass flesh jiggled with every impact, and she clung tightly to a tree to keep from collapsing. Even so, when his hands desperately crawled up her waist, she pulled his wrists up, guiding him to grip her breasts.

“Ah…yes…that’s it…!”

“Eh…ehe…uhaa…”

Perhaps pleased with her movements, the man accelerated his pace. The woman, in turn, spewed slick fluids while clenching tighter around his member. The rhythmic slapping sound signaled the approaching climax.

“Ugh!”

“Ah…!”

The man finally twisted her captured nipple as he ejaculated everything. With every twitch of his hips spewing his lust, the woman curled her toes, letting out silent moans. Leaves fell rustling down, piling up over the roots.

“Huu…done…it’s over.”

“Haa…ah…”

After a long, drawn-out climax, he pulled out his lengthy member, and with a squelch, viscous fluids splattered. The remaining semen trickled down the woman’s nape. She slumped over the pool of lust that had been hours in the making, savoring the pleasure that belatedly washed over her.

But time didn’t wait for her. Soon, another man who appeared to be the leader approached and spat thick saliva onto the ground.

“You take forever, you tedious bastard. How many times do I have to say we don’t have time for this?”

“Bullshit. You’re the one who said we should fuck while waiting for night to fall. And why the hell did we all have to gang up to catch one guy, let alone do a night raid?”

“You don’t get it. Haven’t you heard the rumors about that Lope bastard? Remember when some guys went to shake him down and came back with three missing hands?”

“That’s just because those guys were idiots.”

“There’s no harm in being careful. And you, get up already, bitch. We got work to do.”

“…Yeah.”

The man roughly kicked the backside of the woman, who was still lost in the afterglow. Her back must have felt like it was breaking, yet she struggled to her feet. Only then did the man lower his voice and gesture the others closer.

“Alright. I’ll say it again: this is a very simple job. This bitch goes in first and calls Lope out. We wait by the door, and the moment he steps out, we jump him. Everyone got their clubs?”

“Obviously. Why do you keep asking?”

“Just checking. And don’t forget, you can cripple his limbs all you want, but don’t kill him. Even if you hit him in the head, don’t hit too hard. He’ll be half-asleep since he just woke up, so subduing him should be easy.”

“Why the fuck do we have to do this? This is bullshit.”

“Why don’t you say that right to Duke’s face. And you, don’t you dare screw this up. You’re the one who guaranteed you could lure Lope out. If this goes to shit, you’re the first one I’ll kill. Got it?”

“Got it…don’t worry. Just leave it to me.”

It was a voice filled with a strangely unwavering certainty. Whether the man was satisfied with her answer or not, he raised his club and gestured to the rest of the group. Then, they began slowly moving toward the dormitory.

And I, too, began to move, following them.

A single shadow trailed quietly behind the six. No matter how much they muffled their footsteps, they were too tense to listen for sounds. As they reached the door, the leader shoved the woman’s back.

“Go on.”

“Yeah…”

She hesitantly approached and knocked on the door with trembling hands. Then, she called out in her characteristically clear, ringing voice.

“Lope. Are you in there? It’s me. I came because I have something to say.”

“…”

“Lope. Open up. I really need to talk to you. It’s…it’s about Lena. So please, open the door.”

“…”

“Lope?”

No matter how much she knocked or called his name, the door didn’t open. The woman glanced back with anxious eyes. The other men wore similar expressions.

“What do I do? He won’t open the door.”

“You fucking bitch. You said he’d definitely open up.”

“I…I didn’t lie. He must still be sleeping. Right?”

“Fuck…”

It took less than a minute for the plan’s flaws to show. As they racked their brains, one of them suddenly raised his voice.

“Did this bastard run away? After hearing that noise just now?”

“What? No way…!”

Only then did they startle and approach the door, shouting urgently.

“Fuck…! Hey. Break down the door.”

“What? What about the surprise attack?”

“He might have bolted, so what does it matter? Even if he’s inside, the fact that there’s no sound means he’s asleep. Just break it down!”

“Man, seriously…!”

Eventually, the largest man stepped forward. He made the others step back before kicking the door with all his might.

Bang!

But the unprepared kick backfired. It only made a loud noise; the door didn’t budge an inch, and instead inflicted severe pain on the kicking foot.

“Ugh!”

“Keep it down, you idiot!”

“But you said he ran away anyway…”

“He could still be inside. Damn it, step aside!”

Frustrated, the leader stepped up and began kicking the door himself. With each kick, his face contorted. Still, it seemed to have some effect as the door began to warp slightly.

After battering it for a while, the lock finally gave way and the door swung open. Steeped in a momentary sense of triumph, he forgot his original purpose and let out a shout of joy.

“Got it! Fuck! Everyone, get in!”

“Waaaaah!”

“Wait…one at a time, you idiots!”

They all surged toward the narrow doorway at once. As a result, they bumped shoulders, got stuck in the gap, and caused a commotion. Amidst their own chaos, the man at the front was knocked flying into the room with a thud.

“Ugh…”

Pitch-black darkness enveloped him. With the curtains drawn, not even moonlight entered; the room was far darker than the outside. Frowning as he peered inside, he jumped to a hasty conclusion.

“Fuck, he bolt…”

“…”

And those became his last words.

The next moment, a flash of light burst before the man’s eyes. Moonlight reflecting off a blade in the pitch-black room was enough to make one mistake it for a spark. In that split second, Haru’s sword, drawn with elegant grace, traced a satisfying arc and severed the man’s neck.

“Kyaaaaah!”

The severed head, spewing blood, smacked against the wall. Seeing this, the woman screamed until her throat tore, and the men recoiled in horror. They then glanced around frantically, searching for the intruder in the room.

Because of that, they completely failed to notice another blade approaching from behind. A newly drawn sword scattered moonlight, gleaming brilliantly beneath the night sky.

The men were so fixated on the enemy inside that they didn’t watch their backs at all. The fate of those who didn’t even know basic tactics was always the same. Easily slipping behind them, I slashed deeply through the ankle of the man on the left.

“Aaaaaaaaagh!”

The sickening sound of slicing flesh mixed with a gruesome scream. The man tried to grab his half-severed ankle but collapsed miserably; unable to bear the weight, the ankle tore off completely, and the cross-section smacked wetly against the floor. Before I even confirmed his fall, I gripped the handle and blade firmly and swiftly thrust the sword into the shoulder of the man on the opposite side.

“Urk!”

“You fuck…”

As the guy choked back a scream, another who had noticed my presence charged at me. In the split second before he could grab my clothes, I nimbly dodged behind the man with the pierced shoulder and kicked his back with all my might. The man charging at me naturally ended up embracing his comrade instead.

“Fuck!”

The man who lost his balance immediately tried to throw his comrade off, but I recovered my stance faster. When he finally tracked my movement and lifted his head, the trajectory of my sword painted his field of vision. Just like that, his world was split horizontally.

“Fuck! Fucking hell! My eyes! My eyes!!!”

The guy fell, spewing blood from his eyes, and the shoved comrade slumped, smacking his chin on the floor without me needing to lift a finger. Even so, I stomped on his defenseless back and charged at the last man.

An unseen assailant in front. A madman with a sword behind. The man caught between them had only one choice. He looked at me and shouted desperately.

“W-wait! I surrender! I surrender!”

“Hands up!”

“O-okay! Hands are up!”

Following my command, he threw down his club and raised his hands frantically. And without hesitation, I approached him and ruthlessly sliced off one of his wrists.

“Aaaaaagh! Fuck! My hand! You said to put my hands up, you son of a bitch!”

“Because it’s easier to cut them off.”

After confirming that Saya had her sword pressed against the man’s throat, I kicked the head of the guy with the severed ankle. Then, I approached the woman.

“S-spare me! Spare me, Lope!”

“Don’t move.”

“I got it…I got it, okay!”

Fearing her wrists would be cut, the woman tucked both hands into her armpits and buried her face in her own chest. Instead of aiming my sword at her, I cast my gaze behind her.

There, Saya’s figure perched on a tree was illuminated by the moonlight. Seeing her awkwardly holding up a rock with her eyes tightly shut brought me a small measure of relief.

Only then did I relax my tension and let out a long breath. Shaking the blood off my sword, I opened my mouth.

“Huu…Haru?”

“I’m fine here. What about you?”

“I’m fine too.”

I checked the condition of the fallen men before turning my eyes toward Haru. A severed head was still rolling around at her feet.

“…Haru.”

“What? Don’t tell me he’s dead? Please don’t tell me. I can’t see anyway, so I wouldn’t know.”

“Yeah. Got it.”

She must have felt it in her hands, but Haru denied her own actions. Digging into it would only make her feel worse. And it wouldn’t help clean up the trash in front of the house.

It was a relief that I had left at least one alive. I approached the man still clutching his wrist and grabbed his severed arm.

“Aaagh…!”

“Stay still. I’ll do some basic first aid. Keep your wits about you.”

“Ugh…uuu…!”

I gathered the necessary supplies and tied his wrist tightly. Then, I grabbed the hair of the guy who looked like he was about to pass out from crying.

“Why did you come here.”

“I…I…I was…!”

“Snap out of it. You might die from shock if you pass out. Answer me. Why did you come.”

“Ah…oo…urk…”

“Haa…”

I tried, but the guy eventually rolled his eyes back and passed out. It looked like it would take at least a few hours for him to wake up again.

I eventually tossed the man aside and approached the last remaining person, the woman. Hearing my footsteps, she flinched and pressed her body against the wall.

At this point, no matter how deeply she buried her face, her identity was bound to be exposed. I stood before her and called her name.

“Erika.”

“…”

“Erika. Lift your head.”

“…”

Was she too terrified? She couldn’t easily open her mouth. Seeing this, Haru expressed a small hint of admiration.

“Wow. Senior, you knew the Student Council President?”

“Well…something like that.”

“As expected of the Student Council President, bringing this many guys along. Impressive.”

She seemed to be misunderstanding something. At best, she was brought along as bait and a way to kill time. Meanwhile, Haru accidentally stepped on the bodies of the guys on the floor and let out a scream.

“Ugh. But there really are a lot of them. What do we do now? When are we going to clean all this up?”

“Obviously, I didn’t prepare just one hideout. It’s better to move our supplies there than to clean this up. The chances of them coming back are high anyway. More importantly, Erika, aren’t you going to answer?”

“…”

“Erika?”

“…Euheu heu.”

Then, Erika suddenly let out a short laugh. I wondered if I misheard, but the laughter continued.

“Euheu…heuheuheu…”

“…”

“Heuheu…hehe…”

Erika, who had been leaking an unsettling laugh, suddenly lifted her head. And then, she abruptly raised it.

“That’s my Lope. I knew it. I knew you’d kill those sons of bitches.”

“…”

“You know. I actually lured them here on purpose. You know that, right? That’s why…I deliberately knocked on the door loudly. You noticed, so you could react so quickly. Right?”

“…That’s not what happened.”

“No…no. We pulled it off. Definitely.”

Was she crazy? Or was she terrified of me? Even then, blood was dripping from the sword. Fear and madness. Hovering on the edge of both, Erika was smiling desperately.

“Anyway, you made a friend, Lope. She’s really pretty. Maybe that’s why you smell so nice. Hm? Like some kind of flower.”

“I don’t have time for flattery, Erika. Just answer the question. Why did you come here? Someone sent you, right?”

“You figured that out too? That’s my Lope. A guy…named Duke sent me. Do you know him?”

“Duke?”

“Yeah. He’s the new guy acting as the boss…He said he’d teach you a lesson. Spouting that kind of nonsense. Funny, right? How could a guy like that hurt you?”

There was so much unnecessary rhetoric that I had to filter out half of what she said. But the new name that popped up made my head spin even more. Duke. Duke, huh. What kind of guy was this?

“But why him all of a sudden. Is that the only reason? Just a simple show of force?”

“No, not exactly…He said he wanted to show Lena your messed-up state. Something like that.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“I don’t know either. Just…Lena told Duke about you. That’s all I heard.”

“What the…”

A sense of bewilderment surged through me for the first time in a while. What kind of guy had such childish thoughts? The image of a large idiot already tainted by infantile thinking came to mind.

That type was the most troublesome. Because you couldn’t reason with them. In some ways, a guy who relied on petty tricks like Heiter was actually easier to deal with.

And why did Lena’s name keep popping up in this.

What the hell was she going through that she had to bring up my name?

I didn’t know. But one thing was certain: there was no more time to hesitate.

“Haru.”

“Yes. Senior.”

“Pack only what we need and head to the other hideout. Saya will know the location.”

“What about you, Senior?”

“I have some business with the Student Council President.”

“Uh…huh?”

“Erika.”

I shook off my fatigue and stood up. Then, grabbing Erika by the scruff of her neck, I spoke.

“Come with me. There’s a lot you need to hear.”