Ryuen's Fangs

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka quickly surveyed his surroundings. The courtyard was relatively secluded, but not completely enclosed—several second-floor classroom windows faced this way, and people occasionally passed through the distant corridor.

More importantly, using [Insight (Beginner)], he spotted a glint behind the bushes by the courtyard entrance. It might have been a phone camera lens, or the reflection off a pair of glasses.

Someone was watching. They might even be recording.

"Kushida," Ayanokoji said suddenly, his voice still calm. "You said I threatened you. Could you be specific about when, where, and how I threatened you?"

Kushida clearly hadn't expected him to question her so suddenly. She froze for a moment, but quickly recovered. "I-it was after school yesterday, on the rooftop... You said a lot of scary things..."

"After school yesterday?" Ayanokoji continued. "What time, exactly? Who else was there?"

"A-around five thirty... Just the two of us..."

"Are you sure?" Ayanokoji stared into her eyes. "Do you need me to remind you that at five thirty yesterday, I was in the library? Would the checkout records and security footage prove it?"

Kushida's expression changed slightly.

Seeing this, the buzz-cut boy impatiently cut in. "Cut the crap! The evidence is clear. You still trying to deny it?"

"Evidence?" Ayanokoji turned to him. "You mean her word alone? Then if I say Kushida invited me here, and the three of you showed up and tried to threaten me, would that count as evidence too?"

"You!" The lanky boy flew into a rage. "Looks like you won't behave unless we teach you a lesson!"

All three rushed at him at once.

An ordinary person facing three attackers who had come prepared would likely have been in serious trouble.

But Ayanokoji Kiyotaka wasn't ordinary.

[Combat Mastery (Master)] activated at full force.

His body seemed to move on its own—he dodged the first punch, raised an arm to deflect the second attacker's kick, and shifted his feet, slipping out of their encirclement in the same instant.

His movements were fluid and effortless.

The three of them froze, clearly not expecting him to be so agile.

"What are you standing around for? Get him together!" the buzz-cut boy shouted.

Their second attack was more ferocious, but also far more disorganized. Anger had destroyed their coordination; they charged forward on sheer brute force.

And that was exactly what Ayanokoji had wanted.

He stopped dodging and moved toward them.

At the first encounter, the buzz-cut boy felt his wrist go numb, and his entire arm instantly lost its strength. At the second, the lanky boy took a kick to the side of his knee and stumbled to the ground. At the third, the last attacker was pinned down with a simple arm lock, unable to move.

The entire thing took less than ten seconds.

The three lay on the ground, clutching their arms or knees, their faces filled with pain and disbelief.

They hadn't even seen how he'd struck.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka straightened his slightly disheveled collar and looked at Kushida Kikyo, whose face had gone pale.

"Kushida," he said, his voice still flat, but now carrying an invisible pressure. "Is this the 'justice' you wanted?"

"I... I..." Kushida took a step back. For the first time, real fear showed in her eyes.

"I don't know who put you up to this, and I don't care," Ayanokoji continued. "But tell that person this: if they want to play a game, I'm happy to oblige. But if they try another cheap trick like this..."

He paused, glancing at the three boys groaning on the ground. "Next time, it won't be this simple."

With that, he turned to leave.

But just then, applause rang out.

"Impressive. Very impressive."

A figure emerged from the shadow of the school building. Black uniform, red tie—a student from Class C.

More importantly, Ayanokoji knew him.

No, Yang Ye knew him—from the original Classroom of the Elite.

Ryuen Kakeru.

The tyrant of Class C, a man who ruled his class through violence and fear. Now he was clapping, a fierce, excited grin on his face.

"Who would've thought? Who would've thought Class D was hiding a guy like you?" Ryuen walked into the middle of the courtyard, staring at Ayanokoji like a snake. "Those useless idiots said you were just lucky, but now... you're more interesting than I expected."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stopped and turned to face the unexpected visitor.

"Ryuen Kakeru."

"Oh? You know me?" Ryuen raised an eyebrow. "That makes things easier. Saves me the trouble of introducing myself."

He nudged the buzz-cut boy, who was still groaning at his feet. "These losers were my test. I just wanted to see what the 'perfect-score genius' from Class D was made of, but... you gave me a big surprise."

His gaze moved over Ayanokoji, as if inspecting a newly acquired toy.

"You've got skills no ordinary high school student could have. Trained? Or is there some kind of special 'background'?"

That was a dangerous question. Every student at this school had a file, but some people's files were "special"—Ayanokoji Kiyotaka included.

"That's none of your business," Ayanokoji replied.

"Hahaha!" Ryuen laughed. "Interesting! Very interesting! I'm starting to like you, Ayanokoji... or should I call you something else?"

His eyes suddenly sharpened. "Would a product of the 'White Room' really be interested in this kind of school game?"

The words struck like thunder.

The White Room—that past Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had desperately tried to escape and hide, the "facility" that had trained his instincts.

How could Ryuen know about it?

No, he couldn't possibly know the whole story. But clearly, he had some clues—clues that were enough to pose a threat.

Though this was different from the original story.

For the first time, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's expression wavered, if only for an instant.

And Ryuen caught that fleeting change.

"Looks like I guessed right." He smiled with satisfaction. "I don't know the details, but someone with a special training background hiding their abilities in Class D... That alone is interesting enough."

He stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Listen, Ayanokoji. I'm not interested in your secret. At least, not right now. I'm interested in you."

"So?"

"So, I want to invite you to play a game." Ryuen's smile turned cruel. "Class C versus Class D. And you'll be my... special opponent."

"What if I refuse?"

"Refuse?" Ryuen glanced at the three boys on the ground, then at Kushida Kikyo's pale face.

"What do you think will happen if this gets reported to the school? An act of violence, or an act of violence involving multiple classes... That'd be enough to get a few people expelled, wouldn't it?"

He was threatening him, and the threat was effective.

Ayanokoji fell silent for a moment, then finally spoke. "What kind of game?"

"Simple." Ryuen grinned. "We'll make a wager at the next Special Exam. If you win, I'll keep your secret and make sure Class C leaves Class D alone—at least while I'm in charge."

"And if I lose?"

"Then you'll do three things for me. Don't worry, I won't make you get expelled or hurt your classmates... probably." Ryuen's laughter was full of malice. "So, do you dare?"

Silence settled over the courtyard. Only the rustling leaves and the three boys' muffled groans broke it.

Kushida Kikyo stared fixedly at Ayanokoji, waiting for his answer.

Her plan had failed completely, but now things were unfolding in a direction she had no control over.

Meanwhile, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was rapidly analyzing the situation.

Ryuen's offer sounded fair, but it was full of traps.

But the cost of refusing could be even higher—Ryuen really might make a scene over what had happened. Then not only he, but also Kushida and Class D, could get dragged into it.

More importantly, Ryuen had already taken notice of him. In this situation, facing him was better than running away.

"I accept," Ayanokoji finally said.

"Wise choice!" Ryuen laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "Then I look forward to seeing how you do at the next Special Exam, my 'special opponent.'"

He turned to leave, but when he reached the courtyard entrance, he looked back and added, "By the way, a friendly warning—watch out for the people around you. Not everyone likes playing games out in the open like I do."

His gaze brushed over Kushida Kikyo before he laughed and walked away.

Only Ayanokoji, Kushida, and the three groaning "actors" remained in the courtyard.

"I-I'm sorry..." Kushida finally said, her voice trembling. "I didn't know it would turn out like this... I just... They threatened me..."

"Kushida," Ayanokoji interrupted. "You're a good actress, but you don't need to keep acting."

He looked at her, his expression frighteningly calm. "I won't pursue what happened today. But remember—this is the last time."

With that, he turned and left without another glance.

Kushida Kikyo remained where she stood, her expression shifting.

Fear, humiliation, anger, resentment... All kinds of emotions churned inside her. But in the end, they all coalesced into a single thought:

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka... I have to uncover all his secrets.

Then take control of him.

Or... destroy him.

That evening, in the Class C classroom,

Ryuen Kakeru stood by the window, looking out over the campus.

"Ryu, do you really believe that Ayanokoji is some kind of 'product of the White Room'?" a girl beside him asked. She was one of Ryuen's trusted allies, Mio Ibuki.

"Whether I believe it doesn't matter," Ryuen replied without turning around. "What matters is that he's valuable. Class D has always been the easiest soft target for us to handle, but now... there's an unexpected variable."

"Variables can be eliminated."

"No." Ryuen turned around, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Variables make the game more interesting. Besides..."

He walked to the middle of the classroom and looked at the Class C core members gathered there. "Don't you think so? Picking on the weak gets boring sooner or later. It's more fun when someone actually fights back for a change."

The members exchanged glances, but no one dared contradict him.

"Listen," Ryuen said, his voice turning serious. "From now on, keep a closer eye on Class D, especially Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. But don't act rashly—don't tip them off before the Special Exam."

"Understood!"

Ryuen turned back to the window. The setting sun dyed the sky blood red.

"Ayanokoji Kiyotaka... Let's see how long you can keep playing with me."

Meanwhile, in the Class D dormitory, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka sat at his desk, looking at the System Interface.

[Ding! Emergency mission "Counterattack" complete!]

[Assessment: Successfully repelled the threat and psychologically intimidated the mastermind (Kushida Kikyo), while avoiding serious injuries that could have prompted school intervention.]

[Overall Rating: A]

[Rewards issued: Intimidation +10, Tactical Thinking (Beginner) unlocked.]

[Current Intimidation: 25/100 (small-scale influence within the class)]

[Ding! Detected that the host has reached a special agreement with key figure "Ryuen Kakeru." Long-term confrontation mission triggered: Tyrant's Challenge.]

[Mission description: Defeat Ryuen Kakeru and the Class C he leads in a future Special Exam.]

[Mission rewards: Depending on the method and impact of victory, receive a large number of points and special abilities.]

[Failure penalty: Fulfill your promise to Ryuen Kakeru, and the class's reputation will fall significantly.]

Two missions, two challenges.

Kushida Kikyo's covert scrutiny, Ryuen Kakeru's open provocation, and the various problems within the class...

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka closed the System Interface and looked out at the deepening night.

"The Tyrant's Challenge, huh..." he murmured. "Fine. Let's see how much 'strength' can really change in this school where strength is everything."

He picked up a pen and wrote several names in his notebook:

Suzune Horikita, Yosuke Hirata, Kei Karuizawa, Ken Sudō...

And Kushida Kikyo.

"The core group... I need to get it established faster."

Night fell, and the lights of Advanced Nurturing High School came on one by one.

The game had officially begun.