章 4: Your head is the prize!

"I've always been a great soldier... I never allowed feelings or doubts to interfere with my missions. A killing machine, without roots, without a purpose other than execution. Until that day." Ryan whistled a soft, almost ironic melody as memories flooded his mind.

"A deity offered me something I had never known: choice. For the first time, I wondered what I would do outside that life. What would I be if I could control the strings, dictate the script, shape the course of everything around me? My answer came as it always had: through the trigger of a gun."

His eyes darkened as he continued. "I killed. But this time, I enjoyed it. I took lives like never before, savoring every moment of supremacy over those who dared stand in my way. They were ordinary people, so protected by their comfortable lives, so unaware... I would be a god over their bodies."

He stopped, his gaze fixed on Yuno, who was still staring at him from the door with those empty eyes, devoid of a soul. "Until I played too much with victory."

The tension in the room became almost unbearable. It was palpable, as if an electric current passed between Ryan and the new student. It wasn't just Yuno's gaze—there was something about her that said she knew too much, something dangerous. The other students began to whisper, uneasy, sensing the heavy atmosphere that had taken over the room.

The deadly silence was finally broken by the hesitant voice of the teacher. "Ah... Yuno, do you know Masachika?" Her attempt to ease the tension sounded forced, almost uncomfortable.

Yuno gave a faint smile, but it wasn't a warm one. It was cold, sharp. "Masachika? Oh, yes... I know him." Her voice was unsettling, cutting like a blade. Then she added, "But not in the same way you do." The hatred in Yuno's voice was as intense as her gaze.

Ryan's heart raced. His eyes widened, feeling every fiber of his being go on high alert. "Lowering my guard was never an option," he thought, almost like a mantra. "Not anymore."

Before he could process, Yuno quickly pulled a pair of scissors from her bag and threw them toward him. The force was absurd, as if the scissors were a projectile fired from a weapon, and she screamed with insane fury.

Ryan reacted instantly, his body moving before his mind could keep up. With a precise strike, he slammed his hand on the table in front of him, tilting it upwards and blocking the trajectory of the attack. The scissors embedded deeply into the wood, almost penetrating it, as the entire room erupted in screams of shock.

He stood slowly, his face calm but his eyes filled with a deadly intensity. The silence returned, heavy as lead, as Ryan and Yuno stood motionless, staring at each other like two predators in an imminent duel. "She didn't come here by accident," Ryan thought. "It's time to end this game."

Yuno opened a sadistic smile as she placed a hand on her face, her fingers spreading as if trying to contain her own madness. "I'm so happy... SO HAPPY!" Her voice overflowed with insanity, a boundless psychopathy, reverberating through the room like a war cry.

The students began to rise, filled with panic. Desperate whispers and anxious questions filled the room, but no one could understand what they were witnessing. The fear was almost palpable.

"Masachika... what's happening?" Alya finally broke the chaos with her trembling voice, full of fear and desperation. She was paralyzed, her eyes wide open, staring at Ryan as if he were her only anchor in the middle of this nightmare.

Ryan didn't take his eyes off Yuno, his expression grim and focused like a soldier in combat. His response was short, direct, and as cold as steel. "Run, Alya."

Before anyone could react, Ryan moved. He leapt with superhuman precision, like a predator pouncing on its prey. In his hand, a simple pen transformed into a deadly weapon, aimed directly at Yuno's skull. Every movement was calculated, his intent clear: to end this before it got worse.

But Yuno wasn't an easy prey. Her reaction was as fast as Ryan's, almost impossible to follow. With an even wider, crazier smile, she grabbed the teacher, using her as a human shield.

The impact was brutal. Ryan tore through the "shield" with devastating force, the pen slicing through flesh and bone as if they were glass. A deafening scream echoed through the room, followed by a chorus of absolute panic as the students ran in every direction. The teacher fell to the ground, lifeless, as chaos consumed the environment.

Yuno continued to smile, her eyes locked on Ryan, gleaming with a sick pleasure in the middle of the carnage. "You're just like I remembered, Ryan..." she whispered, her voice sharp and full of ecstasy. "I'm so glad you have the same face, so I can use your head as a prize when I have Yuuki ALL TO MYSELF!" Yuno screamed like a madwoman, filled with hatred.

Ryan took a deep breath, trying to ignore the metallic smell of blood now filling the air. He positioned himself again, his eyes fixed on her, his mind calculating the next move. "I'm also insanely happy, you fucking rose..." As the chaos swirled around him, he continued speaking coldly. "I was almost crying with my first defeat."

Ryan didn't hesitate. His kick was direct, aimed at Yuno's leg to knock her off balance. But she was fast, faster than any opponent he had ever faced. Even as she fell, Yuno pulled out a knife hidden under her skirt, slashing deeply into Ryan's leg. Her macabre laughter echoed through the room, full of insanity.

Feeling the blood run down his leg, Ryan took a step back, ignoring the pain. He knew he had to act fast; the blood loss was a risk he couldn't ignore. While Yuno tried to plunge the knife in again, he jumped back, grabbing a chair nearby and transforming it into an improvised weapon.

With unnatural strength, Ryan swung the chair like a hammer and struck Yuno, sending her crashing into the chalkboard with a loud bang. The impact sent chalk dust flying through the air, creating a white fog that only added to the chaos. Without giving her time to react, Ryan advanced, grabbing Yuno by the neck. His nails dug into her skin, drawing blood as he squeezed with brutal force.

Yuno, however, didn't seem intimidated. Her eyes, full of hatred, stared at Ryan as if he were an insignificant obstacle. "I'm going to kill you... and Yuuki will be mine!" she screamed, her manic smile amplifying the terror in the room.

Ryan felt a pang of doubt as he observed Yuno's insane gaze. 'What the hell is this girl? Human? Or something much worse?' Despite the uncertainty, he decided he wouldn't make the same mistake. With murderous intent, he prepared his hands to rip Yuno's throat out.

But then, everything changed.

Suddenly, the pressure in his hands disappeared. He was holding nothing. His eyes widened in shock as he turned abruptly, only to find Yuno already standing. In her hands, the metal piece from the chair he had used against her. With brutal speed, she drove the metal into his head, piercing it like a spear.

Ryan staggered. Blood poured down his face as his vision began to fail. Yuno laughed uncontrollably, her hysterical voice filling the room. 'I won! Yuuki will be mine, FINALLY!' She screamed, vibrating with excitement as Ryan slowly collapsed, staining the wall with his blood.

But then... time stopped.

Everything around him froze. Yuno's laughter abruptly ceased, replaced by a look of confusion. 'What is this?' she thought, as the world began to rewind before her eyes. The actions she had just performed dissolved, like a video playing in reverse. The scene slowly reconstructed itself: the students returned to their original positions, the teacher resumed her place, and Yuno reappeared intact in the doorway.

Ryan blinked, back to the start of the scene. He was sitting, with the same expression he had before everything happened. His breathing was heavy, but his exterior remained calm. His eyes studied Yuno with intensity.

The teacher continued, ignoring the heavy atmosphere in the air. 'Class, please welcome the new transfer student...' The words played again. '...Yuno Gasai.'"

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