Ryuen's Methods

In the dark alley late at night, Ayanokoji followed the sound.

Before long, he poked his eyes—devoid of any spirit—out from the corner of the wall, showing none of the excitement one would expect from a voyeur.

Where his gaze landed, a purple-haired man was pinning a plain-looking boy against the wall. Or rather, he wasn't pressing him against the wall, but rather pinning the boy's shoulders. The boy had several bruises on his face, though they were barely noticeable as they were hidden beneath or along the edges of his hair.

Compared to the boy being held, the purple-haired man was quite sturdy, yet next to the dark-skinned giant standing silently behind him, he looked like a newborn calf.

Ayanokoji leaned forward a bit more, trying to hear the content of their conversation.

"Hey, Kaneda."

"I remember reminding you to be frugal with your points, right?"

"..." The black-haired boy couldn't find the words to respond.

"Silence means you remember. I'll give you a chance: tell me why you chose to defy me."

"If your reason is worth my approval, then I might consider... going a little easier on you."

?

Bullying, this was textbook bullying!

"I..." The black-haired boy spoke with a tremble, but whether out of fear or some other reason, his voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum.

Ayanokoji couldn't hear him clearly, and curiosity drove him to lean forward another step.

If one were to ask why he didn't just walk over and watch openly?

Because that would likely influence how the parties involved acted next, and he wanted to observe before making a decision.

It was definitely not because he found this exciting!

"Enough! Ryuen!"

"Don't take this too far!"

Ayanokoji raised an eyebrow, only then noticing a young girl standing beside the dark-skinned giant. Because of her petite frame and the fact that she was blocked by the mountain-like man, Ayanokoji hadn't noticed her until now.

"Oh? Ibuki, are you looking to take his punishment for him?"

"Don't you dare forget the pain just because the wound has healed!"

The purple-haired man's gaze was sharp; his authority brooked no offense.

The dark-skinned man behind him stood like a general, defending the majesty he had built.

Glared at by Ryuen, the girl dared not say more, only gritting her teeth in anger and clenching her small fists.

Ayanokoji noticed that the girl also had some bruises on her face. It seemed she had suffered as well, and her standing there meant she had already submitted to Ryuen.

Boring, even more boring than he had imagined.

He had expected something like a clash of titans, but all he saw was simple bullying—the strong picking on the weak, the many ganging up on the few.

Ayanokoji sighed slightly, regretting his decision to come watch the spectacle. The drink in his hand was starting to lose its chill.

Just as he was about to turn his head and head back, a hand landed on his shoulder without warning.

In an instant, Ayanokoji's eyes sharpened. With a reflex-like reaction, he grabbed the hand, dropped his shoulder, exerted force, and executed a fluid shoulder throw, tossing the owner of the meddling hand right in front of him.

Thud!

"Ouch, you—!"

Before Ishizaki on the ground could even register what happened, he had been taken down in one swift motion, letting out a shrill cry as he hit the floor hard.

The loud noise drew the attention of the people in the shadows.

"Hey, Ishizaki, what the hell are you doing?"

Ryuen said with a look of dissatisfaction.

"Boss Ryuen, there's... someone spying!"

Ishizaki clutched his backside while pointing at the boy standing ahead, the pain making his speech slurred.

Ryuen scoffed and looked up with disdain. He saw a boy standing at the boundary between light and shadow, his expression flat, his gaze unfocused—the very picture of dullness.

He glanced at Ishizaki on the ground, his eyes filled with utter disgust.

Seeing this, Ibuki nearby finally couldn't hold back and charged forward.

She had been looking for a punching bag to vent her frustration; Ryuen had left her fuming, and she was desperate for a place to let it out!

Ayanokoji was still reflecting on his own exaggerated physical reaction to the sudden situation when he looked up and saw the short-haired girl lunging at him.

Only now did he realize the girl wasn't actually that frail; she had only looked petite next to the giant.

She had a balanced physique, with visible muscle on her calves and arms. It was clear she exercised regularly, and from her attack, it was obvious she wasn't an amateur.

Perhaps she was a trained fighter!

Ayanokoji was still marveling at this when the short-haired girl reached him. She coiled her strength for a whip kick from behind, spinning 180 degrees. Just as it was about to strike his waist, a certain force pulled her back a distance at the very moment of contact.

A large hand reached out from behind her, wrapping around her waist and pulling her back a step.

Ayanokoji furrowed his brows; it seemed Ryuen was not just reckless and impulsive.

Not far ahead, Ibuki struggled, shouting for the man behind her to let her go.

"You idiot, look at where he's standing!"

Ryuen finally lost his composure, veins bulging on his forehead as he barked, "Do you want to be the first person to get kicked out of this school?"

Ibuki froze, casting her gaze toward the boy's position, only then realizing that he had positioned himself within the range of a security camera at some point.

Damn it, I almost fell for a huge trap!

Having calmed down, Ibuki Mio felt a lingering fear; she had nearly sent herself packing.

In the distance, Ayanokoji pursed his lips, wearing an expression of slight regret.

Looking at the drink in his hand that had grown warm from his grip, he didn't want to stay a second longer. He shook his head slightly to signal that he didn't want to get involved in this mess, then turned to leave.

But to his surprise, Ryuen's voice rang out from behind him:

"Hey, what class are you in? You look like a freshman, too."

Ayanokoji sighed; he had no intention of paying Ryuen any mind.

He held up one finger and waved it behind him, then walked away without looking back.

"Boss Ryuen, shouldn't we keep him here to silence him?"

"Do you think that's necessary?"

"An accusation without evidence is just slander."

Ryuen said indifferently.

On the very first day of school, he had scoured the campus, searching for corners where no cameras were placed or areas that had been overlooked, all to facilitate his reign of violence—to make everyone submit, obey, and follow his lead.

He didn't know if the school's promise of a one-hundred-percent employment rate was true or false, nor did he know why someone like him had been selected for admission, but since he was here, he held only one conviction in his heart:

That was to defeat everyone who stood in his way and graduate from this place as an elite.

And, by the way...

If conditions allowed, he would ensure his foolish followers could also enjoy that one-hundred-percent employment rate.

To achieve this goal, Ryuen would climb to the top by any means necessary.

However, come to think of it, what exactly did that gesture from the stone-faced boy mean just now?

1 corresponds to the letter A; could it be that he is from Class A?

Before his grand ambitions had even begun, Ryuen Kakeru was already faced with his first puzzle.