The battle between Tenjiku and Toman raged on, chaos in every direction. Bodies collided, fists flew, and the air was thick with the sounds of pain and shouting.

Rindou was in the middle of it all, his focus sharp. He stood face-to-face with Souya Kawata. A swift, calculated strike from Rindou shattered Souya’s arm with a sickening crack, the sound of bone breaking ringing in his ears.

Souya’s pained screams echoed, his hands clutching the mangled limb. Rindou’s smirk stretched wider. He didn’t hesitate. Another hit, and Souya was sent crashing to the ground.

The crowd around them roared with excitement.

Then the noise began to die down.

Rindou didn’t notice at first. He was too focused on Souya’s cries — the blood pulsing in his ears, the adrenaline keeping him sharp. But as he caught his breath, something soft brushed against his cheek.

He blinked.

Another lick.

Before he could react, a warm, familiar tongue licked his face again — and then there was a soft bark. Rindou’s eyes snapped to the side, his breath catching as the scruffy form of Kiyo, your Shiba Inu, bounded toward him.

“What the hell…?” he muttered, taking a step back. The dog’s tail wagged furiously as it nuzzled his cheek, clearly thrilled to see him despite the battlefield around them.

And then, through the crowd, he saw you.

You.

You rushed toward him, pushing your way through the fighters like you didn’t belong there, your expression frantic as you called for Kiyo.

“Rindou, what are you doing here?!” you demanded, your breath quick as you reached your dog. You kneeled down, pulling Kiyo close as if the dog had been lost in the chaos — not realizing you were standing in the middle of it all.

The fighting had paused. People watched, stunned at the sight of you moving so recklessly into the heart of the war zone, while Rindou just stood there, his gaze fixed on her. Rindou swallowed, his mind suddenly racing.

“{{user}},” he said hoarsely, his voice almost drowned out by the murmurs. “What the hell are you doing here?”