A week has passed since Ryuuen-kun's declaration. The chaotic after-school hours of late have gradually begun to settle.
In other words, a king is being decided.
If this situation drags on for another week, it will become unbearable.
The increasing number of students with bandages on their faces or masks hiding injuries suggests that after school has turned into an anything-goes brawl.
And that chaos spares no exceptions—even during classes.
Over the past few days, lessons have become opportunities to probe for weaknesses, the atmosphere thick with hostility.
Yet, with the point system in play, everyone attends seriously.
That only heightens the eerie tension.
If this ends soon, those who genuinely want to study will feel relief and calm.
With roughly two weeks and a little left until midterms, the fighters will count themselves lucky if it wraps up this quickly.
As I think about this, morning homeroom arrives, and Sakagami-sensei enters the classroom.
"I'd like to begin today's homeroom… but truthfully, there are no announcements by chance. Instead—though it feels odd to say—someone has something he wants to tell everyone."
At Sakagami-sensei's words, one male student stands and walks to the podium.
The "he" is Ryuuen-kun.
As expected, he has become king. Boring.
From what I heard personally, Ibuki-san has also joined his faction.
She apparently resisted for a while but, accepting defeat as defeat, pledged allegiance. Though she didn't seem fully convinced…
We had been in contact until recently, but lately—likely because she's so busy—it has stopped. She must be worked to the bone.
"Me standing here talking to you means you've probably guessed, right? …As of yesterday, I've brought every last one of the bastards who opposed me under my control."
"In short, I'm officially king now. I'm using homeroom time today to announce that."
Ryuuen-kun's words continue. The absence of dissenters confirms their truth.
"That's one thing I wanted to tell you—confirmation, really. And there's another."
"Actually, that's the main point. My policy for the class conflicts ahead. I will win—no matter what."
"I'll use any means necessary to come out on top in the end. That's my policy. If you don't like it, rebel against me anytime."
"But I'll promise you this, follow me and I'll definitely get us to Class A. Anyone who actively lends me strength is welcome."
Overflowing with confidence.
That is the core of his charisma. In fact, hearing these words, the gazes of students who had likely opposed him shift—from fear and envy mixed with reluctant admiration.
Still, it reaches only some. More than half may agree, but the rest do not yet acknowledge Ryuuen-kun.
He has yet to produce results in class conflict.
Many will wait for the outcome of the inevitable inter-class battles before deciding whether to follow him.
For me, class conflict is irrelevant. I have no intention of joining a boring, predictable future.
...
"Kamukura, Ryuuen wants to see you."
All classes ended; it was after school.
I had nothing in particular to do today, so I planned to return to the dorms as usual and spend time alone—but an inconvenient summons awaits.
"You're probably free anyway, right? Come on."
If I ignore her, Ibuki-san presses harder. I continue ignoring a little longer.
"You're listening, aren't you? Stop making excuses and follow me."
She glares at me.
Her forceful words, utterly devoid of refinement, are predictable—boring.
Yet,
"…Hey, why are you ignoring me?"
Her next protest comes out sulky.
She grabs the arm I'm using to pack textbooks into my school bag, insisting I look at her.
Surprisingly childish side to her.
"Very well. Lead the way."
A tiny unknown. I'll indulge her for that.
When I accept, she starts walking—still visibly annoyed. I silently follow behind.
We leave the classroom, pass the school gate, and head to Keyaki Mall, the shopping center. She leads me to a private room in a karaoke establishment.
"I brought him, Ryuuen."
"Good work."
It's a party room—easily fits fifteen people.
So this is karaoke. The distinctive scent, the soundproofing designed to keep noise from neighboring rooms.
I see—in this situation, a place without surveillance cameras… is ideal.
Yet Ryuuen-kun's objective interests me less than the novelty of the environment itself.
People sing all sorts of songs at full volume in a place like this…? Doesn't seem particularly enjoyable.
I know none of the current popular songs.
Was that strange song Junko Enoshima once sang actually popular…?
…This is a good opportunity. Starting today, I'll listen to popular music and other genres beyond classical.
Perhaps some emotion might surface.
"Kuku, no greeting?"
I feel a gaze sizing me up while I'm lost in thought. A familiar gaze.
Looking toward it, I find the "king," as expected.
He sits leisurely on a cushion, sipping a drink with a fearless grin.
His usual two guards—Yamada-kun and Ishizaki-kun—stand nearby.
"The number one in both gloomy guy ranking and dangerous-looking guy ranking. Kuku, you're the talk of the whole school."
Apparently I top some unflattering rankings. His unabashed insults are refreshing, though I'm curious about the data behind them.
A trivial matter, regardless. Irrelevant.
Ending the conversation quickly and returning home takes priority. I can predict what he wants to say…
Far more important to me than such boring matters is music.
"I see. So you want me under you?"
"…I don't hate guys who get to the point fast. I see—Ibuki was right; your deductive ability is impressive. Then I'll say it straight: won't you join me?"
"I refuse."
"You! Refusing Ryuuen-san's offer!!"
"Shut it, Ishizaki. This was expected—nothing to yell about."
He silences the agitated Ishizaki-kun with his voice alone. His posture remains unchanged with his legs crossed while he appraising me.
"Ibuki told me you saw through the points system. That alone is impressive. So here's what I want to hear from you, when exactly did you notice?"
"I suspected the points were suspicious on the first day, same as you."
"…No lies there. Nice. I wouldn't mind making you my right-hand man."
"I refuse."
"Kuku, one more thing I want to ask… Hey, how far do you think points can be used?"
From the slight drop in his tone, I sense this is the question he most wants answered.
I quietly admire him. His insight and reasoning are remarkable.
He has noticed. Not perfectly, but he grasps the utility of points one level above the other students.
"My understanding of points differs little from yours."
"Don't dodge… though that's answer enough. Kukuku—so our thought processes aren't similar, but we reach the same conclusion."
"In short, you're pretty cunning yourself. Add your academic prowess—sorry, Kaneda, but you're a clear upgrade."
"Judging ability solely from quiz scores isn't wise."
"Don't play dumb. You were the only perfect score in the class on the recent quiz—and I hear only you and Sakayanagi got perfect across all classes."
"If it were an ordinary quiz, your point would stand—but with third-year-level problems included, that changes everything. This alone proves you're first-rate—no, super first-rate—in intellect."
Sakayanagi. That pale girl I passed before was called that, if I recall.
Information worth remembering.
"Spare me the empty flattery. You talk of joining you, becoming your right hand—but really, you just want to neutralize internal conflict quickly. And I'm the first troublesome target."
"Exactly. Ideally, since you don't want to participate in class conflict, I'd have left you alone."
"But even if you promise not to harm me, your ability is too great to ignore. I can't comprehend why someone of your caliber refuses to fight, but that's not the issue."
"What if you turned against me? Just imagining it predicts significant damage."
"In short, you're too much of an unknown variable. So before anything happens, I need to keep you close and under watch."
"Your reasoning is sound. Rest assured—I won't interfere with you."
"If that satisfied me, I wouldn't be struggling… But for your sake, the merciful me has brought a special condition."
'You needn't appear on the front stage. You're free in daily life. And you only need to lend strength during class conflicts."
"On top of that, I'll give you highly favorable rewards. How's that—not a bad deal?"
Indeed, not bad. Almost no downsides, far too many upsides.
If offered to any student even slightly interested in class conflict, they might accept without hesitation.
"Third time's the charm. Kamukura—won't you become my right hand?"
His eyes. Eyes truly enjoying the moment.
Still unyielding, gazing at me like a ferocious predator.
What's fun about this childish game?
I've grown tired of the exchange. Ryuuen Kakeru's ability slightly exceeded expectations, sparing me boredom, but any further is parallel lines.
Time to answer and return to the dorms.
"I have no interest in participating in something so boring."
"…What?"
I possess no rational, self-interested emotions that weigh advantages and disadvantages.
Such things do not exist in me.
"I seek the 'unknown.' The moment Ryuuen Kakeru became class leader, the destination became easily predictable. Thus, boring. It's mere known fact—a waste of time."
"…Too bad. I actually rated you pretty highly. Well, that ends our talk. You can go. But—"
"You didn't think you'd leave for free, did you?"
"You didn't think you'd leave for free, did you?"
Our voices overlapped perfectly. The identical tone and pitch reflected shock on his face.
Then, in the blink of an eye, his face was filled with anger.
He glares with raw hostility, as if ready to leap from his throne and attack.
Predictable reaction. Truly boring.
"Do it, Albert."
Yamada-kun's body which armored in trained muscle and over 180 cm tall advances toward me.
With this look, he hardly looks like a high schooler.
"W-wait! Albert!"
Ibuki-san's protest goes unheard.
His terrifying right fist is already launched.
Meaningless. Boring.
I shift my body left to evade the incoming fist.
A trace of surprise flickers across Yamada-kun's face.
He is careless.
Confidence that assumes no defeat, ignorance of my true ability—these cause his carelessness.
He anticipates no counterattack, let alone an unforeseen strike.
As I dodge, I step in with my left foot as pivot and drive a palm heel strike into his solar plexus.
Saliva spurts from his mouth; clutching his stomach, he staggers back several steps and drops to one knee.
"N-no way!? Albert!?"
"Kamukura, you…"
Ishizaki-kun and Ibuki-san cannot hide their shock.
Understandable. I have never displayed my talents before them—or anyone since arriving at this school.
Physical education classes revealed decent athleticism, but they likely thought fighting and sports were different.
What foolish expressions.
"Hahahahahaha!! This is great! To think you're not only super first-rate in brains but in violence too—impressive!"
The king, who moments ago glared murderously, now laughs in high spirits.
When the laughter subsides, he rises from his throne, one hand in his pocket, and approaches.
He stops the struggling Yamada-kun and motions him back—a gesture of his own brand of kindness.
"Good. I'll face you myself and I have a simple deal, if I win here and now, you join me. Fair?"
"Beating me—who possesses talent in every martial art—is impossible."
"Disgusting narcissist… Absolutely hopeless!!"
Ryuuen takes the initiative.
Cursing, he thrusts his left hand mercilessly toward my eyes.
I seize his advancing left wrist to block, and he follows with another attack.
He shifts weight to his pivot leg, preparing a right kick—likely aiming for the groin, judging by the trajectory.
His claim of using any means to win was no lie.
But in the end—that's all it amounts to.
Compared to the merciless assaults from the former Ultimate Soldier, this fight is child's play.
"…!?"
His attack halts before launch.
I yank his seized body closer and simultaneously pin his right foot to the floor with my left.
Same as before.
Using the stepped-in left foot as pivot, I drive a stronger palm heel into his solar plexus.
Unable to defend, he takes the full blow yet retreats only a few steps, clutching his stomach without dropping to a knee.
Strong mental fortitude—I honestly admire it.
"…Kukuku! Tell me—what were you feeling when you attacked me? What are you thinking right now, after landing the blow?"
"Are you elated and basking in your own strength? Or do you seek gratification in tormenting someone you consider weaker for your own pleasure?"
"Or the long shot—are you deceiving yourself with 'self-defense,' averting your eyes from your true feelings?"
Ryuuen-kun advances while trying to unsettle me with words.
I can't let him land a hit, so I shift into a counter stance.
He's full of openings.
I dodge his kick and drive another palm heel into his jaw.
"…Guh… This is how people reveal their true emotions when faced with someone weaker. You get to see a person's essence! Hey, Kamukura! What are you thinking right now!? …!! Guh!!"
Ryuuen-kun presses forward, deftly working both mouth and hands. I counter, of course, to avoid being hit.
He's switched to psychological attacks through words.
I see. Pure violence alone wouldn't let Ryuuen-kun beat Yamada-kun.
But he doesn't choose his methods.
That difference is why Yamada-kun lost and now serves under him.
Yet such provocation holds no meaning for me.
Because I constantly search for the very answer he's probing.
If something like a mere fight could reveal it, I wouldn't have struggled this long.
"Too slow."
He throws a flurry of punches in a boxing style, but I evade them all.
Realizing none connect, he closes in further, reaching for my hair.
Hair-pulling would hurt, after all. I was on highest alert for that.
Naturally—I predicted that someone who uses any means would target an obvious weakness.
So I deliberately used it as bait.
As he closes the distance, a roundhouse kick lands clean on his face.
Taking the full impact, Ryuuen-kun is sent flying, tumbling across the floor.
He manages a breakfall, but can't fully absorb the shock and crashes into the cushion he'd been sitting on earlier.
"R-Ryuuen-san!!"
Ishizaki-kun rushes to the fallen Ryuuen-kun.
Ryuuen-kun grabs Ishizaki-kun's body for support as he tries to rise.
"Persistent."
"Haa… haa… You monster. You deliberately used your hair as bait…!!"
He can no longer stand on his own. Yet he clutches another's body and forces himself upright in a battered state.
His eyes show no sign of surrender.
"Even seeing the vast difference in ability, you still won't give up."
"…I told you. It doesn't matter if I lose now—as long as I win in the end. The process means nothing to me."
"Boring."
"Hah! Let me teach you something, monster—every person has an opening you can exploit. When morning focus wanes, when they go to the bathroom, when they eat."
"I'm done recruiting you for now. But I'll keep coming. The moment I find an opening, I'll strike.
"I'll grant you this momentary victory. The fight to repay this humiliation has already begun. If you hate that, then finish me—stop my breath right here."
"Boring."
"Kuku, is that so. But that's just bravado. Humans have emotions—eventually something other than 'boring' will show on that stone face. Just imagining it makes me laugh. I can't wait to see your fear."
Truly boring.
He's not wrong in what he says. Everyone harbors fear—whether they have a "heart" or not.
It's etched into instinct.
Yet he knows nothing of true terror, true despair.
True terror is so horrific that merely recalling it is unbearable—a collapse of the mind that leaves recovery uncertain.
Not knowing it allows him to spout such things.
And he—
"You believe you can discard fear along the way because you'll win in the end."
He's merely good at suppressing fear.
"No. I feel no fear. Never once. That's why defeat doesn't scare me."
Contradictory. You're human—you must feel fear.
Far too naive.
"Boring."
"Keep saying it… But remember this well. No matter how many times I lose, if I keep moving forward, I'll eventually win. No matter what anyone says. If you just do it, things work out."
"…If you just do it, things work out."
The first words today that pique my interest.
Words I've heard before—from her, to Hajime Hinata—me.
Oddly, they resurface before this utterly dissimilar person.
"When faced with truly insurmountable despair, what will you do?"
What am I asking?
I'm interested in the answer of someone I'd deemed boring moments ago.
I don't know why, but I must hear it.
Something urges me to.
"Hah! Obvious. I'll carve my own path forward with my own strength. I won't cling to luck or miracles. I trust only my own power."
Not the answer I sought. Not the one Hajime Hinata reached—believing in a miracle that saves everyone, forging a new path beyond choices with comrades.
Everything resolved by his own power alone. Winning in the end no matter how many losses.
To me, he's a human riddled with weaknesses. No talent. Only slightly above-average charisma.
The weak dog barks loudest.
Thus, he will stumble somewhere and break easily.
Yet he strains to defy my predictions.
Even against an enemy he cannot possibly beat—one of the obstacles surely awaiting him—he refuses to yield.
I find myself interested in how he'll rise unbroken, no matter how many times.
"Why is that?"
In short—I'm expecting something of him. That his brilliance will grow.
Good grief. This thinking mirrors that pervert who loved hope…
"…I see."
Hope has no fixed form. Perhaps his stance is one shape of hope.
That would explain why I hold expectations for him.
After all, "hope" is what surpasses my predictions.
I walk toward Ryuuen-kun. Near death, yet his gaze toward me remains undimmed.
"Let's test it."
Words are easy; action is another matter.
He doesn't know yet. So let's try—whether when he faced with true terror of Ultimate Despair which can bring despair to anyone, he can bark the same words again.
Zzzztt!
"!?"
"Hii!!?"
For the first time, I direct clear hostility and killing intent at him.
Ishizaki-kun, supporting Ryuuen-kun, trembles uncontrollably from that alone.
"Hah… hahaha… So that's… your emotion."
"Despair holds no emotion. Only pure, irrational cruelty."
"…Not funny."
"That is despair. Thus, I will crush you thoroughly, without reason—until you never want anything to do with me again, until you wish to end your own life, until you can no longer claim you'll win in the end."
Emotions absent until now appear on Ryuuen-kun's face.
Anxiety, timidity—and fear.
Eyes that see something they don't wish to.
"A-aaaaaah!"
Perhaps driven mad by terror, Ishizaki-kun—supporting Ryuuen-kun—collapses onto his rear.
At the same instant, Ryuuen-kun, already unable to stand alone, falls too. He tries to avert his eyes in that moment.
I won't allow it.
I seize his collar, lifting him to eye level. Bringing our gazes close, forcing him to behold despair.
"…See? You have fear after all."
Now he knows—the belief he felt no fear was mistaken.
"One last time. Faced with insurmountable despair—me—what will you do?"
He now touches despair. He knows true terror—one no effort can overcome.
Come, give me your answer quickly.
Will you become despair, or hope? Which will you choose?
"…Don't make me repeat myself, idiot. No matter what, I'll seize victory. Even losing to despair countless times—in the end, I'll win."
He sticks out his tongue, taunting me to the fullest.
Bluff. His voice shakes, hoarse. Yet he barked it through.
"Interesting."
I release his collar.
Unresisting, he too collapses onto his rear.
Yet immediately he looks at me again—taking in the despair he should dread.
Pathetic figure—yet I can no longer call him boring.
"You told me to submit, yes?"
"…Huh? What're you saying now?"
"I surrender."
"…Ha?"
Ryuuen-kun lets out a comically startled voice.
Ibuki-san and Yamada-kun, watching from a distance, gape.
Ishizaki-kun stares silently, tears in his eyes.
"Call it my loss. You exceeded my predictions."
Ryuuen-kun, stunned for seconds, grasps the situation—and a grin rises from his depths.
"…Hahahahahaha! So—you'll serve under me?"
"Yes. I acknowledge you as king."
"Wasn't it boring?"
"I'll continue lending strength—provided you keep me from boredom."
"Hah! You're… really… something…"
After saying that, Ryuuen-kun's consciousness fully fades.
It seems he's reached his limit.
"Please tend to him."
Ah—is this what enjoyment feels like?
I'll watch his future from the front-row seat.
Leaving the karaoke room, the sky greets me with a sunset more beautiful than ever.
I head straight back to the dorms.
For some reason, my walking pace feels quicker than usual today.
***
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