The roar of the Kawasaki engine gradually faded away as they arrived at the side of the road near Takahashi's yukata shop. After parking the bike and setting down their helmets, Yukio and Kiryuin walked towards the workshop.
The journey had been devoid of any thrilling moments. Given Kiryuin's steady approach to seeking excitement, there were no heart-pounding sharp turns or breakneck speeds. It was safe to say the ride was as stable as could be.
"We're just going straight in?" Kiryuin asked, walking along the narrow path, her tone suggesting she knew something more. "Tonight, you're planning to settle things with Horikita Manabu, right?"
Her implication was clear: was she allowed to witness the showdown up close? She enjoyed observing interesting people and watching exciting events unfold, but there was a difference between watching from the sidelines and being right there. If Yukio found it inconvenient for her to be present, she would be just as happy to watch the action from a distance.
Yukio shook his head. "It won't be easy to get into the yukata shop tonight. We'll just observe from outside."
"Oh? Then I'll look forward to it." Kiryuin's interest was piqued even more, and she caught on to a few hints in Yukio's words.
The yukata shop wouldn't be easy to enter? Initially, Kiryuin had only deduced from Horikita's anxious demeanor earlier in the morning and Yukio's unusual behavior that the two were preparing for a final confrontation.
She hadn't been clear on the specifics of their strategies and had assumed it would be a direct showdown. But from what Yukio had said, everything seemed to be set up already. It appeared that if Horikita couldn't even see Yukio, he would lose this special exam.
This realization made Kiryuin even more curious, itching to see what kind of plan Yukio had devised.
"This should be the best spot for viewing," Yukio said as he led Kiryuin up a small hill. They stopped near a light industrial workshop, said to manufacture uniforms for various private schools.
Yukio wasn't entirely sure about this spot, but he had chosen it because the elevated terrain offered a clear view of the entire Takahashi yukata shop.
At this point, the sky had darkened, though it wasn't quite closing time for the yukata shop yet. Autumn nights fell quickly, and by winter, it would come even sooner.
From their vantage point, they could see people still going in and out of Takahashi's yukata shop. Many students in AN School uniforms were helping out as well.
Kiryuin, puzzled and unsure of what Yukio had brought her to see, watched as Yukio pointed at the workshop's warehouse with a light laugh. "It's starting."
Focusing her gaze, Kiryuin didn't understand at first. But when she noticed a thin wisp of black smoke rising from the wooden building Yukio indicated, the realization struck her instantly: "Fire?!"
"Panic! The warehouse is on fire!" an employee came running out, shouting, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
"What? A fire?" A third-year student froze in disbelief, instinctively taking a step forward, wanting to flee. The area was full of wooden buildings—once a fire started, a chain reaction could easily spread, consuming an entire row of houses!
Stay here and wait to burn?
"Quick, put out the fire! What are you all standing around for?" In the midst of the chaos, it was Horikita Manabu who stepped up, directing the third-year students as they hurried toward the warehouse.
However, by the time they emerged from the shop, the warehouse had already started spewing thick black smoke.
A strong, acrid smell of burning filled the air, like invisible needles piercing into the lungs and throats of everyone present.
At the same time, the entire warehouse was radiating intense heat, spreading waves of scorching air. Even though it was autumn, getting close to the building made everyone sweat profusely.
The heat and the smoke were so overwhelming that no one dared approach the warehouse doors directly. The visibility was poor, and they couldn't tell how bad the fire was inside, but it was clear that within a few minutes, the flames might fully engulf the building.
"Damn it! How did this happen?" Even Horikita Manabu couldn't stay calm in the face of such a sudden crisis. He pointed urgently in different directions. "Over there, get the fire extinguishers!"
"The first day I came, I specifically told Mr. Takahashi that the fire safety measures needed improvement. The fire extinguishers are placed near the warehouse! And the nearest fire hose is right there!"
Even though they didn't know how severe the fire inside was, it was always a good idea to grab some firefighting equipment first.
"Yes!" In the chaos, while everyone was panicking and unsure what to do, Horikita Manabu was the only one who could give clear instructions. The students, regardless of their class, and the employees, even though he was just a student, all followed his commands without question and ran to grab the equipment.
Sure enough, following Horikita Manabu's guidance, they quickly found the fire extinguishers. The workers also came back with the hose heads and coils of water hoses as fast as they could.
The fire had spread too quickly. In just that short time, the flames had already engulfed the wooden warehouse, turning from a hidden blaze to a raging inferno. The entire large warehouse now looked like a giant fireball standing on the ground, with the flames wreaking havoc, distorting the surrounding air from the heat.
"Hurry! Put out the fire!" Horikita Manabu, while dialing the emergency number for the fire department, instructed everyone to use the equipment to fight the fire.
Unfortunately, when the students pulled the pins and pressed the switches, nothing came out. They were stunned; they had followed the proper procedures and done everything correctly.
"Horikita, Horikita!" They looked to Horikita Manabu for help, not understanding where the problem was.
Horikita didn't have time to comfort or explain. In such a critical situation, there was no room for unnecessary words. He quickly grabbed one of the fire extinguishers, performed the correct operations himself, but found it was completely unusable!
His eyes widened in shock, and his glasses nearly slipped off his face. "Broken? All of them are broken? How is that possible? I made sure they were checked every three days—there were no issues!"
"The hose, yes, the fire hose! How is that?"
Hearing Horikita's urgent question, the workers were equally frustrated. They reported that after running back with the hose heads, they found the water hoses had been deliberately slashed, rendering them completely unusable.
This news hit Horikita Manabu like an iron hammer, pounding his head with a dizzying, overwhelming sensation, leaving him disoriented and close to collapse.
Fortunately, he raised one hand to his forehead just in time, barely managing to steady his emotions and prevent himself from collapsing. "Who did this? Who was it?"
The situation clearly indicated that someone had sabotaged Takahashi's Yukata Shop. This wasn't just a fire; someone had intentionally set it ablaze, even going as far as to destroy all the available firefighting equipment nearby!
They wanted to completely ruin Takahashi's Yukata Shop!
"Not good! The weaving area over there is on fire too!" At that moment, another even more devastating message arrived, leaving Horikita Manabu completely powerless.
The hidden enemy really was pulling out all the stops!
One attack after another—were they planning to burn down the entire Takahashi Yukata Shop to the ground?
The crimson flames illuminated the sky, creating a small area of burning clouds, like the setting sun being forcibly pulled out to work overtime.
On the other side, Kiryuin's eyes widened, unsure whether it was fear or excitement, trembling with either terror or thrill. "Junior, have you gone too far?"
"Don't worry, senpai. I've already had people evacuate in advance. There won't be any casualties. The warehouse is filled with old cotton materials, and the fire will be extinguished in time. It won't affect the surrounding area."
"This spectacle… it's quite intense, isn't it?"