Three older guys stood far too close to a girl with striking dark hair, their body language reeking of the kind of confidence that only came from running in packs and picking on the weak.
Ryouma walked up and grabbed the girl's hand gently.
"There you are. Sorry I'm late—I shouldn't have asked you to wait here alone. That was my bad."
He turned his gaze to the three guys lingering nearby.
"Oh? Am I interrupting something? Sorry about that. Mind if we go? We've got somewhere to be. Catch you later."
One of the thugs scoffed, stepping forward.
"Hey, seriously? We were talking to her first. We don't care who you are—walk away or you'll regret it."
Another sneered. "He's just playing hero. We all know you don't know her. And you know what happens to heroes around here?"
"This is District 7, Block E," the third thug said, voice low and threatening. "Everyone knows the rules here. A girl walks alone, she's looking for fun. We're just giving it to her. Back off, or you're next."
Ryouma didn't flinch. "Yeah, I'll pass. But maybe you should look at her face. Kinda looks uncomfortable, don't you think?"
He glanced at the girl, who was clearly pissed.
"I never asked for your help, you know," she snapped, crossing her arms defiantly. "Who said I couldn't handle a bunch of wannabes who can't even sit still in their mommy's basements without creeping on random girls at night?"
Ryouma sighed. "Hey, I'm trying to help here. So how about you shut up and let me, or we'll both be in trouble."
"You're the only one getting in trouble. Now let go of my hand."
Before he could react, she yanked her hand free and spun around, sparks crackling from her body.
The closest thug whispered, eyes wide. "Wait… that spark… is she—?"
The girl grinned fiercely. "Oh, you recognize it? Yeah, you should. Current #3, Level Alpha Gaia. Mei Tokisaki. Or, as you boys like to call me… Pulsar."
The thugs exchanged panicked looks.
"Crap… we just screwed up big time."
Ryouma stared, stunned. Wait… that's her? The current #3 Level Alpha Gaia? What's she doing in a place like this? I thought Mayu said she went to an all-girls school…
Mei turned back to the thugs, voice cold.
"About some weeks ago, I came through here and some idiots tried to harass me. Let's just say… the whole block short-circuited. I came to fix things—guess I got distracted again."
Ryouma blinked. "Wait… you fried all the appliances in this area?"
Mei shrugged. "Oops. My bad. But hey, I don't take harassment lightly."
More voices shouted from the shadows as backup arrived.
Ryouma nudged Mei. "Okay, truce for now. We've got company."
The gang surged forward.
One thug charged straight at Ryouma. He shifted into a defensive stance, blocking the punch with both hands. He retaliated with a swift kick—but the thug blocked. Without missing a beat, Ryouma switched legs mid-motion and knocked the guy down hard.
Two more lunged at Mei. She sent a jolt of electricity into one, staggering him, then kicked the other flat.
Ryouma watched in surprise. "Wait, she can fight like that? I thought she only relied on her ability…"
Mei didn't break her focus. "You thought I couldn't fight hand-to-hand, didn't you? I train more than just my powers, you know."
"Well then… guess we're a team now."
Another thug barreled toward Ryouma. He tripped him, sending the man tumbling toward Mei. She shocked his fingers, then kicked him into a nearby wall. Another came at her—she flipped him mid-air and kicked him toward Ryouma, who landed a solid punch that sent the thug sprawling.
The leader growled, "Screw this—if we go one by one, they'll crush us! Everyone, together!"
Mei glanced over at Ryouma. "Do you mind?"
"Not at all. Be my guest."
They charged as one.
Mei unleashed a massive burst of electricity. The whole group went down, unconscious in an instant.
She dusted off her hands casually. "Now that's a warm-up."
Turning back to Ryouma, she touched a nearby pole, channeling her electric energy. The streetlights flickered on, appliances rebooting across the block.
"Sorry about frying the area before. Didn't mean to."
Ryouma smirked dryly. "Thanks… I guess."
The thugs lay scattered unconscious on the cracked pavement, their groans fading into the night air.
Ryouma glanced towards Mei, who was already brushing off her hands, eyes sharp and unyielding.
"Um… so, Mei—" he began.
She cut him off with a sharp stare. "Seriously? You're already calling me by my first name?"
Ryouma smirked. "Of course. Why not? We did just survive an alley brawl together. That makes us... acquaintances at least, right? Anyway, name's Ryouma Winslow. But feel free to call me Ryo."
"Winslow is fine. And if you're so into shortening things, I'll just call you 'Win.'"
"Okay, whatever suits you," he shrugged.
"Yeah, whatever suits me. But don't ever call me by my first name. It's Tokisaki to you. Or Toki. If you're desperate to be casual or whatever."
"That was impressive, by the way. So that's the power of a Level Alpha Gaia, huh?"
"Please. That wasn't even worth calling a warm-up. They were all Level Eta. I barely had to try."
"Can you maybe tone that down a bit? You're kind of trash-talking all Level Etas… which includes me, by the way."
Mei glanced sideways. "Tch, For a Level Eta, you're actually a decent fighter. That's not bad."
They walked on, the streetlights flickering softly above. As they approached the convenience store, Ryouma spoke up, "I'm heading in to grab something real quick. Maybe I'll see you around?"
Mei passed by without looking back. "I doubt we'll meet again. And if we do—just pretend you don't know me, got it? Then we're good."
Ryouma sighed. "Seriously? She really looks down on everyone… doesn't she?"
He entered the store, grabbed a few things, paid, and stepped back into the night. "What a night. Never thought I'd run into a Level Alpha Gaia… Guess that's life."
---
Later, back at his apartment, Ryouma called out, "Shiro? Hey—where did you… Seriously? She left? I told her to wait. That's kinda rude… I thought we were getting along."
Dropping the convenience store food on the table, he sank onto the couch, ate a little, and stretched. "Man… that fight drained me."
He lay down, exhaustion taking over, and drifted into sleep.
---
The next morning, the alarm buzzed sharply.
Ryouma groaned, hitting it off. "Mmm… just five more minutes…"
Suddenly, he snapped upright. "Wait—am I late!? Crap!"
A quick shower, then he threw on his uniform and rushed out the door, sprinting to school.
---
[Later that afternoon, after school…]
Ryouma walked the familiar path home, bag slung over one shoulder, half-lost in thought.
Ryouma looking exhausted. "What a day… Classes felt like they dragged forever."
On the way, something caught his eye—a figure lying in the street.
"Wait… Shiro? What the hell?"
He ran up, heart pounding. She was bleeding.
"This isn't good…"
He hesitated. "Last time I touched her, her robe, was destroyed… maybe the divine protection or whatever broke or something. But right now—whatever. I've gotta help her."
Carefully, he lifted her up and hurried home, placing her gently on the couch.
"What happened to you, Shiro? Who did this?"
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
Ryouma opened it to reveal a man standing there—red hair, black coat, cigarette dangling from his lips, a tattoo under his left eye.
"Hand over the girl."
CHAPTER END.