Chapter 2 - Authority

---Notice---

There is no set upload schedule for this fanfic yet I will just release chapters whenever I feel like it, I'm enjoying the story so far.

Give me opinions if possible specifically on characters you want to see light interact with!!!

Any support means a lot, and can hopefully get this story out there if you like it.

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"If you can't force or are unwilling to force your people to follow you, with or without threats, you are not a leader." ~Lee Kuan Yew

I usually stand out as a symbol of excellence, but I don't think that's why I stood out here. Most in this class were the opposite of excellence; most seemed like complete thugs. This proves that students aren't arbitrarily placed in classes; that would be too much of a coincidence at this point. I didn't see anyone as thuggish as the members of class C in class D, and Ryuk didn't mention such a thing either.

"Looks like we've got a pretty boy here," a boy with magenta hair and legs on his table said. His nameplate read Kakeru Ryuen.

As I step into the classroom, my gaze instinctively shifts to the right, catching sight of a camera pointed toward the classroom. I had noticed an abundance of cameras in the hallways and outside the school, but seeing one inside a classroom, where a teacher would be present most of the time, seemed peculiar, especially when I think about the sheer number of cameras I've seen already.

I turned my attention back to the class, most of whom were engaged in casual conversations at their seats. I notice an empty seat behind Ryuen and move towards it. Upon seeing my name on the nameplate, I walk past Ryuen to claim my seat.

"Interesting," Ryuen remarks, swiveling his chair to face me. "The first thing you did when you walked in was take note of the camera in the classroom. Why? Were you just intimidated by the vibe our class gives off, or was there another reason?" he probes.

I flash a smile before responding, slipping into my persona of the model student. "It's quite simple; I think you might be disappointed," I say, a hint of laughter in my voice. "When I walked into the classroom, I noticed a lot of eyes on me, but shortly after, I noticed their gaze shift slightly upwards, so I just assumed something was somewhere above me."

"You sure spent a while looking at it if you were just checking if anything was there," he retorts.

"Well, of course, there are a lot of cameras in this school, but one inside a classroom just stands out," I reply. No sooner had I finished speaking than the school bell rang, and our homeroom door opened.

A man soon entered the class, his demeanor serious. He was dressed in a suit, wore glasses, and had slicked-back hair. Something about him seemed to resonate with the students of class C, though I couldn't quite pinpoint what.

"Good morning, Class 1-C. I'm Kazuma Sakagami, your math teacher and homeroom instructor for the next three years. Yes, three years. Your class structure will remain unchanged. Take that information as you will. The entrance ceremony starts in an hour, so I'll now provide you all with a list of school rules," he announced.

Sakagami quickly passed papers to the students in the front to distribute to those in the back.

Most of the rules were straightforward, things anyone who applied would know. For instance, at this school, you must live in the dorms and are forbidden from contacting anyone outside.

But this school made that possible. Inside, it's essentially a small city.

"Now, if you take out your phones, they should be activated now that the new school year has begun," Sakagami instructed, waiting for students to comply.

"If you open the school application, you'll see your ID card and your points balance. One point is equivalent to one yen. Anything you can legally obtain outside this school, you can obtain inside. You've already been given 100,000 points, and you'll receive more points next month," Sakagami continued to explain. I checked my phone.

"Wow, look at that. It's really true, 100,000 yen. Isn't that a lot for a high school student, Light?" Ryuk asked, peering over my shoulder.

I simply nodded slowly. It seemed too good to be true. This was a lot of money to provide to 480 high school students with.

Most of the other students seemed pleased, but that wasn't surprising. I was placed in a class with a bunch of idiots. I wouldn't put it past them to blow all their money before the month ends.

"Are you all satisfied? I'm pleased to inform you that this school evaluates the capabilities of all its students. Each of you here has demonstrated some level of worth to this school, and this money reflects that value. Your school app functions as a banking app, allowing for the transfer and receipt of points. Obviously, if one is caught using violence to obtain points, the school will penalize you," Sakagami continued, his tone serious.

His words seemed vague, yet they dropped subtle hints of information. I found myself wondering if there were things he wasn't supposed to discuss.

With that thought, I glanced at the camera. Perhaps one of its purposes was to ensure teachers didn't leak information. But that couldn't be all; there must be places where even teachers could speak freely.

"Now, are there any questions?" Sakagami asked, scanning the room. I raised my hand.

"Yes, what is it?" Sakagami inquired.

"Sakagami sensei, I was just curious. You mentioned earlier that we've all been given 100k points. Is this true for all other students and classes?" I asked.

Sakagami seemed intrigued by my question as he turned to face me directly. "Yes, that is true for classes A, B, and D as well," he confirmed.

So, all classes were given 100k points. Was my theory about a hierarchy incorrect? No, the personalities in each class are too diverse for me to be wrong. "I see, Sakagami sensei. Is the same true for the classes of our upperclassmen?" I probed further.

Sakagami smiled at my question and responded, "I'm not at liberty to discuss anything that pertains to the upper classes."

"Haha," Ryuen chuckled, "I get it now; that makes sense," he said, turning to face me. "Then Sakagami, is there any reason behind the naming of classes as A, B, C, and D?"

Sakagami's smile remained as he glanced towards the camera, then back at the class before answering, "There's always a reason behind a name, isn't there? You never name anything without a reason, do you? Whether that's because you simply like how a name sounds or if there's a deeper meaning behind a name."

A few members of the class, including me and Ryuen, seemed to capture the deeper meaning behind Sakagami's words.

"Well, those are all the questions I'll be taking. I'll be going now. Don't be late for the opening ceremony," Sakagami said before exiting the classroom.

"Since we're destined to share the same space for the next three years, why don't we get to know each other?" suggested the girl seated behind me, her nameplate read Nanami Yabu.

"What a waste of time," Ryuen retorted, rising from his seat and marching towards the front of the classroom, "The only name you'll need to remember for the next three years is mine, Kakeru Ryuen."

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Daichi Ishizaki, a student seated at the front, barked out.

"I believe I just introduced myself. I don't enjoy repeating myself," Ryuen retorted, facing Ishizaki, "And it's only logical that I assume the role of leader for Class C."

"Leader? This is a school, not a battleground. Why would we need a class leader?" Kondo, a student seated next to me, questioned.

"It's clear that most of you are clueless. It seems like only Yagami, and I understand the situation. This school categorizes its students into classes A, B, C, and D upon entrance based on their perceived value. There's a reason behind the class names and likely a reason we were placed in them. Just look around; it doesn't take long to realize that, except for two people in this class, most of you don't seem like scholars."

"So, what's your point?" another Class C student asked, clearly confused.

Ryuen clicked his tongue, already growing impatient with the class, "Yagami, would you care to explain? You seem to have more patience for this than I do."

I nodded and rose from my seat, "What Ryuen is trying to say is that if we're placed in different classes for different reasons and there's a significance to the class names, so we can assume that there's a hierarchy among the classes. It's likely that Class C is near the bottom of that hierarchy."

I continued, "Have you all noticed how the composition of students in this classroom differs from what would be considered normal in other schools? That, along with the abundance of cameras throughout this school, leads me to believe that the school currently values our worth at 100k yen per month. However, they will be monitoring us to see if we truly merit that amount as a class, and depending on our worth, our class valuation can change."

"Absolutely, I couldn't have said it better. So, to put it simply, this school is a battlefield with four factions at war. If you want to win, I suggest you all listen to me," Ryuen declared, his voice echoing through the room.

Ryuk, ever the observer, turned to me and asked, "What's your move, Light? Are you going to let him take control of the class?"

I nodded in response. Ryuen, despite his reckless behaviors, wasn't as idiotic as the rest of the class. If I were to challenge him for leadership at this point, I'd likely have a hard time because we play two different games. Besides, who's to say a nation can only have one leader? If I were to also assume a leadership role, it would be like a game of good cop, bad cop. Ryuen could instill fear in the class, while I could earn their respect. It seemed like a viable strategy.

Upon seeing my nod, Ryuk turned his attention back to Ryuen.

"Wait a minute, why should you be our leader? I don't like your attitude or the way you talk. Isn't that other guy, Yagami, just as qualified to be the leader of Class C if we really need one?" Hiroya Tokito, another rough-looking guy from Class D, challenged Ryuen.

His words resonated with many in the class, who began to voice their opposition to Ryuen's leadership.

"Oh? I suppose you're right. He is indeed qualified to be a leader. But who said I was asking for your permission to lead you all? If you're all against me leading, I suggest you do something about it," Ryuen retorted.

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" Tokito shot back at Ryuen.

"Interpret it as you wish. All I'm saying is, I recommend you all watch your backs," Ryuen responded, his voice laced with a chilling warning.

"I've had enough of your nonsense!" Ishizaki exclaimed, rising from his seat and storming towards the front of the class to confront Ryuen.

"Great, a hot-headed idiot, too," I muttered under my breath.

The camera was positioned at the front of the class so it wouldn't capture the entirety of the coming fight. Still, I was certain it caught Ishizaki initiating the conflict.

As Ishizaki's fist flew towards Ryuen, Ryuen quickly took ahold of Ishizaki's arm with precise timing.

Utilizing Ishizaki's own forward momentum, Ryuen masterfully redirected him, crashing him against the classroom's whiteboard.

The sheer violence of the act sent shivers through the class, unsettling many. Ryuk, however, watched with interest, thoroughly amused by the fight.

When Ishizaki, driven by desperation, tried a headbutt, Ryuen skillfully dodged and countered, using his shoulder to ram Ishizaki back into the whiteboard.

Stepping back to gauge the situation, Ryuen watched as Ishizaki clutched at his chest in agony.

As Ishizaki lunged forward again, panting heavily, Ryuen remained unfazed. In one swift motion, he grabbed a heavy textbook from the teacher's podium and swung it hard across Ishizaki's face. As Ishizaki staggered, seemingly on the verge of collapsing, Ryuen tossed the textbook away and firmly gripped Ishizaki's collar, forcefully keeping him upright.

"Bang, bang, bang," Ryuen delivered a series of brutal kicks to Ishizaki's abdomen; each strike seemed worse than the last. He then flung Ishizaki away, following up with a swift punch to the face that left him groaning on the floor with a bloodied nose.

Taking a deep breath, Ryuen surveyed the room with a calm look.

"Don't misunderstand; this was simply an act of self-defense," Ryuen declared, a mischievous grin on his lips. "But I'm curious: Does anyone else have objections to me leading the class? If so, I'll make sure we have a little chat." His words hung heavy in the air, and most of the students, now understanding the danger he posed, averted their gazes.