Ryuuen

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Ryuuen Kakeru (Ryuen Kakeru)
Alias(es)	Dragon Boy 89
Gender	Male 28
Affiliation	First-year Class C 4
Occupation/Role	Class C leader; strategist and disciplinarian 95 168
First Appearance	Chapter 4

Background

Ryuuen entered Advanced Nurturing High School as a Class C student with a delinquent background. Within his first month, he consolidated control of his class through violence and collected 10,000 private points from each student as protection money; he held 340,000 points after deductions from students who had already spent their allowances. 4

His early dealings with Nakano Yuu established a recurring adversarial relationship. Ryuuen purchased information on the school’s rules and the Behavioral Norms Exam, only to realize that Nakano intended to use his payment records to extort Class A and deter him from retaliation. 4 5 He later paid Nakano 780,000 points for intelligence concerning old midterm questions, accepting the loss because avoiding expulsion and securing class evaluation points was more valuable. 28 29

Appearance

Ryuuen is a red-haired student who wears his hair parted down the middle. His delinquent-leader demeanor is reinforced by his habit of appearing with Class C enforcers, particularly Albert and Ishizaki. 28 37

• Red, center-parted hair. 28 168
• Frequently carries himself with an aggressive, confrontational posture. 37
• Often appears alongside Albert, his tall bodyguard and chief enforcer. 28 37

Personality

Ryuuen is competitive, domineering, and intensely utilitarian. He regards the school as a contest of ability rather than fairness, prioritizing Class C’s advancement and his own future security over alliances, rules, or goodwill. 97 119 180

He is willing to use coercion, violence, staged conflicts, blackmail, and sabotage when they offer a strategic advantage. However, he is not reckless in every situation: he verifies intelligence, reassesses failed plans, and can recognize dangerous opponents such as Nakano, Ichinose, and Kouenji. 38 85 143 175

Ryuuen reacts poorly to being deceived or outmaneuvered. His confidence collapses into visible frustration after receiving false VIP intelligence during the cruise-ship exam, leading him to assault Hashimoto. 145 146

Abilities & Skills

Class Control and Coercion

Ryuuen maintains Class C through fear, discipline, and a willingness to punish dissent.

• Brought Class C under his control through violence and monthly protection-money collections. 4
• Can mobilize his classmates immediately, including leading the entire class out of the Red Team strategy meeting. 168
• Forced Class C to collectively master old exam questions, resulting in perfect scores across the class. 68 69
• Uses Albert as an enforcer and commands Ishizaki and other followers in confrontations. 37 197

Strategic Analysis

Ryuuen quickly identifies exploitable rules, information gaps, and weaknesses in competing classes.

• Recognized the value of Nakano’s information on school rules and special exams. 4
• Deduced that Class B had occupied island bases at an impossible pace and reported suspected cheating. 100 101
• Chose himself as Class C’s island-exam leader because he trusted no one else with the role. 95
• Deduced likely leadership arrangements in Class A from Katsuragi’s cautious nature and factional loyalties. 99
• Investigated the VIP pattern by purchasing information, assigning Shiina to analyze it, and seeking independent verification through Kaneda and Kouenji. 143 144

Information Warfare and Financial Tactics

Ryuuen treats private points and intelligence as strategic weapons.

• Paid 1.2 million points for cameras, binoculars, and early intelligence about the island exam. 89 91
• Formed a temporary arrangement with Katsuragi to monopolize intelligence and Class D’s available supplies. 91 96
• Spent 2 million points to prevent Class D from profiting through the island exam’s leader-guessing segment. 98
• Bought VIP information from a Class B traitor for 2 million points, though the intelligence later proved false. 143 145
• Attempted to leverage Class C’s potential Sports Festival withdrawal into a demand for 20 million points from upperclassmen. 180 181

Psychological Warfare and Deception

Ryuuen provokes opponents into making costly emotional mistakes and frequently relies on staged scenarios.

• Tried to bait Class B into fights during the Behavioral Norms Exam, but Ichinose’s vigilance prevented the plan from succeeding. 38
• Targeted Sudou with false accusations, bullying, and repeated provocations intended to make him lose control. 70 71 198
• Planned to use Ibuki, Kaneda, and Tokito as apparent Class C dissidents who could infiltrate rival classes as spies. 99
• Ordered Class C to deliberately lose a tug-of-war round to provoke Sudou into disciplinary action. 198
• Framed Horikita for injuring Kinoshita, personally injuring Kinoshita to create evidence and then demanding Horikita’s private points as settlement. 200 204

Ruthlessness and Improvisation

Ryuuen accepts physical risk and rule-breaking when they serve a larger plan.

• Had a snake bite his own leg to withdraw from the island exam and protect Class C’s base points after his leadership status was compromised. 118
• Led Class C in an unauthorized attack on the White Group’s flagpole, focusing on overwhelming Sudou. 197
• Used hair wax on his cavalry-battle headband to make it difficult to remove; Nakano exposed the tactic, forcing Ryuuen to surrender and be reported. 201

Relationships

• Nakano Yuu — Recurring rival, information broker, and source of repeated financial losses. Ryuuen considers Nakano “toxic,” warns Class C to avoid him, yet continues to rely on the value of his intelligence. 4 85 98 145
• Katsuragi Kouhei — Temporary ally during the island exam and rival in class competition. Ryuuen cooperates with him to control resources, then betrays Class A by targeting its leader information. 96 119
• Shiina Hiyori — Class C strategist whom Ryuuen trusts with analytical tasks, including deducing VIP patterns and planning for the athletic exam. 143 175
• Ibuki Mio — Class C operative and capable fighter. Ryuuen uses her for espionage and assigns her to become Class C’s principal female athletic force. 112 175
• Albert Yamada — Chief enforcer and bodyguard. Albert submitted to Ryuuen after prolonged harassment following a challenge, then became his most dependable physical subordinate. 37
• Ishizaki Daichi — Loyal follower who accompanies Ryuuen in confrontations and assists him during the island exam. 37 100
• Sudou Ken — A favored target of Ryuuen’s provocations. Ryuuen repeatedly tries to exploit Sudou’s anger to remove him from competitions and weaken Class D. 71 198 202
• Horikita Suzune — Strategic opponent whom Ryuuen targets during the Sports Festival for her accumulated private points. His scheme against her ultimately costs him 14 million points in restitution. 194 204 206
• Ichinose Honami — Rival class representative whose caution frustrates Ryuuen’s attempts to bait and pressure Class B. 38 97 140
• Nagumo Miyabi — Second-year Student Council Vice President whom Ryuuen attempts to extort for 20 million points through the threat of Class C forfeiting the Sports Festival. 175 180 181

Story Role / Major Arcs

Behavioral Norms Exam and Early Class Conflict

Ryuuen buys Nakano’s information on the school and the upcoming Behavioral Norms Exam, then recognizes that Nakano has positioned him as both a customer and a potential scapegoat. 4 5 He accepts 500,000 points from Class A’s Yahiko to attack other classes, but Class B refuses to take the bait and Class D’s response exposes his role in the Sudou incident. 38 41

Midterm Exam and Challenge to Class A

Ryuuen purchases intelligence on old test papers from Nakano, allowing Class C to achieve perfect scores and gain 100 class evaluation points. 28 68 He then openly declares war on Class A, using Class C’s exam result as proof that his class can challenge the higher-ranked classes. 68 69

Uninhabited Island Exam

Ryuuen forms a temporary alliance with Katsuragi to monopolize reconnaissance equipment, Class D’s supplies, and available base points. 89 96 He selects himself as Class C’s leader, analyzes rival leadership choices, and spends points to neutralize Class D’s leader-guessing gains. 95 98 99 When his own position is endangered, he withdraws through self-inflicted injury; despite the alliance, he successfully targets Class A’s leader information and betrays Katsuragi’s class in the final scoring. 118 119

VIP Exam

Ryuuen seeks to exploit a perceived pattern in the VIP identities, purchasing Class B intelligence and assigning Shiina to analyze the data. 143 His deductions are undermined by false information supplied through Hashimoto, and he pays Nakano 2 million points to avoid sending further incorrect VIP information. 145 Furious at being deceived, he assaults Hashimoto after the exam collapses around him. 145 146

Sports Festival

Ryuuen refuses to cooperate with Class A at the Red Team meeting, then uses Class C’s early departure to conduct physical testing before other classes can observe the results. 168 174 He attempts to monetize Class C’s participation by demanding 20 million points from upperclassmen, but Nagumo rejects the proposal. 180 181

During the festival, Ryuuen directs Class C’s assault on the White Group’s flagpole, targets Sudou through violence and psychological pressure, and deliberately gives up a tug-of-war round to intensify Sudou’s anger. 197 198 He is later exposed for cheating in the cavalry battle and for orchestrating Kinoshita’s false injury to extort Horikita. 201 205 The exposure forces him to surrender 10.05 million points immediately and owe Horikita another 4 million points. 206

Notable Quotes

“This is a school where ability is everything.” 97

“Weaklings should just stay home and guard their treasures!” 197