5.2

After dinner, most students were relaxing in their rooms or baths.

Tokitō quietly left the shared room upon receiving a phone call from Ishizaki.

Hōsen Kazuomi, the most problematic first-year student, was in Tokitō's group. However, Tokitō didn't see Hōsen's existence as a problem and even criticized his arrogant attitude.

He wasn't particularly exceptional in fighting, intelligence, or talking.

The only reason Tokitō could stand without fear was because of his rebellious spirit that he maintained under Ryūen's control. It was undoubtedly thanks to that two-year experience.

The area where the experiential classes gathered, their destination, was already deserted and quiet.

The place where Ishizaki called him was in front of the pottery class.

When he peered in through the window in the hallway, he saw a line of student-made works.

The pottery and other items made here, like the glasswork experience, could be shipped to your home after they were fired[11] if you wished, this includes his work in the 'painting' activity that Tokitō participated in during this morning's game.

[TL/N: In order for clay to dry and harden, it has to be exposed to high temperatures, typically within a kiln. This process is called "firing."]

"...You call someone out, yet you're not here."

He was about to take out his phone from his jersey pocket in irritation. That was when it happened.

"Hey, sorry to keep you waiting."

"What do you want, Ishizaki?"

Tokitō, irritated by the leisurely approaching Ishizaki, called out to him, but Ishizaki walked up without answering his question.

"Don't you know what I want?"

"How would I know... You didn't write anything specific."

The message he received only suggested urgency, saying 'Come quickly.'

"Well, I guess you wouldn't know. To be honest, I don't even know what I want."

It was strange that Ishizaki, who had called him, didn't know about it.

"You don't know? I don't understand at all—"

Just as he was about to voice his dissatisfaction, Tokitō felt a strong pressure on his back.

And immediately after, he realized that he had been forcefully pushed against the wall.

"Hey. What the hell do you think you're doing?"

A devil whispered in his ear with a laugh.

"Ryūen...!? What do you mean? What... what are you doing!"

Surprised, but managing to keep his shock to a minimum, he turned his gaze behind him.

"I thought you needed more discipline, so I made a surprise appearance."

Held down forcefully, Tokitō couldn't escape.

Even if he could momentarily break free from his restraint, he knew that Ishizaki, who was watching nearby, would come to help.

"I don't... understand..."

His arm was tightened to the limit and the pain crept up to his back.

"Do you really not understand?"

There was one thing he actually remembered, but he couldn't say it and played dumb.

"I didn't do anything..."

"Really? I've got a report from my underlings about you."

"W-what? W-what is that!? What are you talking about!?"

He insisted that he didn't understand, but his heart was palpitating in his chest from his anxiety.

He hoped that what he had sensed had nothing to do with him, but that hope was shattered immediately after.

"Since coming to the training camp, I've received four reports that you've been trying to get along with Sakayanagi."

When the name Sakayanagi came up, Tokitō gave up on playing dumb.

"I just happened to meet her, and we just chatted. I don't understand what's wrong with that...!" 

"That's possible, but unfortunately, I don't believe it."

Considering how frequently they spoke—people who weren't even in the same group—it was hard to pretend it was just a coincidence.

"And you don't know what's wrong? That's a funny story."

"Ugh..."

Tokitō averted his gaze, having his pretense seen through.

Ryūen pursued him, forcing eye contact as he brought his face closer.

"She's on the decline now. She'll fall and be done by the next end-of-year exam. That's why I told you not to carelessly intervene, didn't I?"

Ryūen had particularly warned Kondō and Jima, who were in the same group as Sakayanagi when they were announced on the bus. There was no way Tokitō hadn't heard the warning in the silent bus.

<Illustration >

"So does a casual conversation... require an intervention or something?"

"It doesn't. And I told you this before too, right? Either ignore Sakayanagi or, if possible, inflict psychological damage and corner her thoroughly. Did you interpret that as some sort of light-hearted chat, Ishizaki?"

"Absolutely not!"

"That's right, isn't it? You, someone smarter than Ishizaki, should have understood."

In reality, Tokitō did the exact opposite.

Reports had come in that he was often seen caring for and supporting Sakayanagi, not just having casual conversations.

"You even told Isoyama, who saw you talking, to keep quiet, didn't you? You should've known whose order he'd follow, mine or yours."

Ishizaki, who was listening nearby, aggressively nodded several times.

"Learn your lesson, Tokitō. It'll make things easier for you. Even Ryūen-san will forgive you."

If he pledged obedience here, he would at least be released from constraint.

But Tokitō bit his lip hard and glared at Ryūen while trying to shake him off.

"I... I just..."

"Just what?"

With no point in hiding anything anymore, and feeling foolish for trying, Tokitō spat out his agitated words.

"I just wanted to comfort Sakayanagi, who was sad about her friend being expelled…!"

"Huh. You want to fuck Sakayanagi that bad?"

[TL/N: (楽) While not inherently sexual in any way, Ryūen purposely interpreted 'comfort' as a double entendre. The word 'Fuck' is not a mistranslation. See (犯る.)]

"No, that's not it! It's not like that!"

"Is that so? It sounds like that to me."

Ryūen, laughing, continued his words.

"Should I set up a stage for you to assault her then? Even that composed woman will be torn apart physically and mentally if you fuck her."

At such a devilish whisper, Tokitō's anger shot through the roof in an instant. With a sudden increase in strength, he broke free from Ryūen's restraint.

"Don't mess with me!"

Driven by his enraged emotions, he tried to grab Ryūen with both hands, but his laughing figure disappeared from his sight. He received a kick flying up from below, gritted his teeth, and was restrained again.

"Hehehe, don't take it seriously. But if you're up for it, I could let you take on the role to corner Sakayanagi."

"...I won't obey you... I'll never accept this...!"

He refused to yield to the threat and seemed to have expressed his intention to continue his treatment of Sakayanagi.

Recognizing that his spirit and determination were genuine, Ryūen didn't stop his harsh treatment.

"Then shall I make you understand with your body?"

"Don't mess with me, you can't—"

Before Tokitō could finish speaking, Ryūen clenched his left fist and rammed it into Tokitō's abdomen without hesitation.

"Ugh...!"

With an agonizing yelp from the unfamiliar intense pain, Tokitō's knees buckled.

However, Ryūen's grip on him didn't allow him to rest on the ground.

"There are no school surveillance cameras here. Right, Ishizaki?"

"Yes! I've confirmed that there are none in this area!"

"To think you'd obey such a guy...!"

Tokitō condemned, irritated by Ishizaki's attitude.

"I understand what you want to say, Tokitō. I've been rampaging with full control of the class, but I once gave up that position. You must have felt good then, right?"

"Yeah... I felt like I'd driven out the naked king...!"[13]

[TL/N: (裸の王) From The Emperor's New Clothes, refers to someone in a position of power being in denial or unaware of their own flaws or mistakes, while others are too afraid to point them out]

At Tokitō's merciless comment, Ishizaki put his hand to his forehead, as if saying 'Oh dear.'

If you said something disrespectful, you'd be purged. That was the norm, and it was ingrained in his body.

However, Ryūen opened his eyes in amusement rather than inflicting any more physical pain.

"That's too bad. After all, I'm back in my former position and doing whatever I want. It must be frustrating."

He looked at himself objectively, without a need to think about how he was perceived by the people below him.

That being said, Ryūen didn't change his attitude.

"Do you hate me?"

"I hate you... to death..."

"Then don't hold back. Show me you can take me down by force. I won't run or hide. But if you raise your fist, I'll corner you no matter what. The only way out is expulsion. Be prepared for that."

Everyone, not just Tokitō, understood well that Ryūen wasn't afraid of defeat.

That was why they would only rise in revolt if they were absolutely determined to overthrow him.

"Got it? This is my advice. If you understand, don't ever help Sakayanagi again."

Despite the pain in his restrained arm, he gently told him that he could still turn back.

"What if... I disobey... your order...?"

Ryūen pleasantly smiled at Tokitō's question, which didn't need to be asked.

"I'll crush you. Simple as that."

The same would happen even if he didn't raise his fist.

He'd relentlessly attack those who didn't obey.

"...!"

Despite being threatened, Tokitō continued to glare at Ryūen without losing his rebellious spirit.

"That's good, Tokitō. I find that part of you interesting. So let's see how long you can keep that look in your eyes."

While looking down at his aching arm, in this inescapable situation, he made up his mind immediately.

"You can rest assured knowing that I won't let Ishizaki lay a hand on you."

Ryūen, who gave Tokitō the time to catch his breath and the right to strike first, took a step back and widened his arms.

"I'll do it... I won't lose... to someone like you..."

He reassured himself and rubbed his fists together.

There was a significant gap in their combat abilities.

But he was prepared to go all out and punch Ryūen in the face at least once.

If he was prepared for the backlash, he should be able to do it.

Just as he was about to make up his mind, an unexpected person appeared.

"I came looking for Paisen[14]. I sent him on an errand, but he didn't come back, and what do I find here?"

[TL/N: (パイセン) Paisen, a disrespectful/slang way of saying senpai, derived from switching sen and pai]

The one who appeared on the scene, hand on his neck, was Hōsen from Class 1-D.

He had a long-standing relationship with Ryūen since middle school.

"What's going on, Tokitō-paisen?"

"...It's nothing..."

Although they were in the same group, Tokitō couldn't cry to his first-year kōhai.

But there was no way nothing was going on when he was confronting Ryūen with his fist clenched. He had pride as a senpai who couldn't cry to his kōhai in the first-year, but this was also a problem within the class. He didn't want to cause any trouble to his group because of this.

"Get lost. You're in the way."

Ryūen tried to shoo him away with a light wave of his hand, saying it would spoil the mood.

"If there's nothing going on, go buy us first-years some drinks right away."

Hōsen, for his part, ignored Ryūen and spoke to Tokitō in a strong tone.

"Huh? Drinks? What on earth...!"

Tokitō, who had been given the right to strike first, was dumbfounded and missed his opportunity. Ryūen's arm reached out again. He pressed his left forearm against his throat and slammed him against the wall.

"Ugh...!?"

Tokitō let out a scream of agony, unable to fully voice his pain.

"Back off, Hōsen. I'm not dealing with you right now."

"I don't care about that. I'm talking to Tokitō-paisen here. You're the outsider, so back off. Or do you want to die?"

"...Ha! You came all this way to look for him? Don't make me fall asleep."

Ryūen suspected that someone was behind Hōsen.

"No, Hōsen has nothing to do with it... I just told Ishizaki that I was called to this place."

"Huh? Hey Ishizaki, what kind of message did you send?"

"Huh!? It-it was just a normal one! I just told him to hurry to the experiential classroom area, that's all!"

Ishizaki's careless mistake of not taking into account the potential risks in telling people where to go when they're vacating the dormitory.

Seeing Ryūen smirk slightly through his nose, Ishizaki realized he had made a mistake.

"Sorry, Ryūen-san! Hey, Hōsen, you go over there!"

Ishizaki tried to make amends by grabbing Hōsen's thick right arm, but he was easily shaken off.

"Don't touch me. I'll kill you."

"Uh...!"

Ishizaki flinched at Hōsen's intense intimidation, which was completely different from the feared Ryūen's.

Instead of leaving, Hōsen started walking towards Ryūen and Tokitō.

"It seems he wants to play. Albert, you handle this guy."

Without making a sound, Albert appeared in front of Hōsen, blocking his way.

"As always, you can't do anything without relying on your underlings."

"Fighting isn't just about charging in alone like an idiot."

Hōsen yawned, then immediately spat phlegm on the floor.

"I've always wanted to fight you, Albert. It might be more fun than playing table tennis."

In the chaotic situation that was unbefitting of a training camp, Ryūen shifted his gaze from Hōsen and looked directly at Tokitō.

"Now that the nuisance is gone, let's continue the fight—"

"Excuse me, but could you let go of your hand, Ryūen-senpai?"

"Huh?"

The person who spoke up to stop Ryūen, who was about to impose further punishment, was Utomiya Riku from Class 1-C.

"What? Utomiya, you came too?"

"W-What's going on?"

The only one who was disturbed was Ishizaki.

"Huh? Oh right, you were listening to Tokitō-senpai too."

"I came to see if you were going to raise your hand against Senpai."

"Where are your eyes? There's no way I'm going to raise my hand."

Despite looking at Hōsen with contempt, Utomiya walked towards Tokitō and Ryūen.

Ishizaki tried to stop him, but he was pulled in by Hōsen's long arm, which was holding the sleeve of his jersey.

With no one to stop him, Utomiya fearlessly closed the distance and grabbed the upper arm of Ryūen, who was still holding down Tokitō.

"Tokitō-senpai is a member of my group. If he gets injured here, it could have an effect tomorrow. No matter how much it's an in-class issue, I can't overlook it."

Without needing an explanation, Utomiya intervened to mediate the situation, sensing trouble from the tense atmosphere.

"I don't care. Don't join in the barking at this shitty exchange meeting."

"...The problem is the guy who's using his position to threaten others at this shitty exchange meeting..."

Far from backing down, Utomiya increased his anger and spoke out against Ryūen.

"What? Then why don't you try stopping me?"

"Are you okay with that? You'll be embarrassed in front of your friends as a senpai."

Having given up on using polite language, Utomiya quickly prepared for a fight.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Don't start with Ryūen on your own!"

Hōsen, opposing the development, yelled loudly throughout the corridor.

"Shut up, Hōsen. I don't need you. Don't cause unnecessary trouble."

"Huh? What's with you? Do you know who you're talking to?"

"Even if I talk to a big gorilla, words won't get through."

It seemed that Utomiya had come to support Tokitō, but he treated Hōsen the same way as Ryūen.

"Fine, then. I'll start with you before Albert-paisen."

"How many times do I have to tell you? I'll take you on anytime."

Seeing the first-years start to quarrel, Ryūen couldn't help but burst out laughing at the unfamiliar sight.

"Hehehe. This school's getting quite noisy. I thought it was full of boring, serious people when I entered, but now, quite a few hot-blooded ones are showing their faces. I'm more than welcoming of it."

With the addition of Hōsen and Utomiya, Ryūen released his hold on Tokitō.

He took his gaze off Tokitō, who was sitting down and coughing roughly.

"I'll take your revenge match right here, Hōsen. I'll take on you first-years all at once while I'm at it."

Ryūen, who no longer cared about Tokitō in this situation, said.

"Sounds good. This camp is getting fun. First, disappear!"

Hōsen's powerful fist was caught by Albert's hand, and Albert's lips were tightly closed.

"Oh, you can endure it! That's how it should be!"

The situation was beginning to look like it wouldn't settle down unless it turned violent, but Hōsen's loud voice brought the situation to an abrupt end.

"What's going on? What are you guys doing?"

Several boys and girls, led by the third-years, began to appear in the experiential classroom area after hearing the commotion.

"Tsk. It was getting interesting."

"Damn it."

Hōsen, ignorant of being the one who raised their voice, clicked his tongue just like Ryūen.

"This isn't a fight, is it?"

"No, it's not. We were just having a light-hearted conversation."

Utomiya immediately went in front of the third-years and covered everything up with that claim.

Seeing how bad the situation had gotten, Ryūen and Hōsen, while glaring at each other, naturally turned their backs and kept their distance.

"Let's go, Albert, and you too, Ishizaki. I'll teach you lots later."

"Y-Yes! Thank you!!"

The three of them ignored the two first-year students and Tokitō who were glaring at them, and left the scene.

As he was leaving, Albert looked at Hōsen's large back and muttered.

"His fighting ability may be equal to or greater than Ayanokoji. He's a tremendous freshman."

The weight of the punch he received was as intense as Ayanokōji's, as the numbness in his hand had told him.

It was a telling statement, implying that it wasn't a good idea to fight him.

However, Ryūen couldn't help but laugh at Albert's remark.

"Don't make me laugh. If it's just simple power, he might be able to compete with him, but if you compare their overall strength, there's no comparison. The source of Ayanokōji's strength is not so simple."

After opening his fist and looking at his palm, Albert recalled the incident on the rooftop and agreed.

His heart remembered. He was an opponent who transcended the ordinary standards of weight.

"But Tokitō, he seemed to be quite into Sakayanagi... Don't we need to do something? Like Hashimoto's betrayal..."

Ryūen had already anticipated Ishizaki's anxiety without him having to put it into words.

"Tokitō is not that stupid. We should leave it at that. We've already nailed him enough."

"...Yes. If you say so, Ryūen-san."

"We'll focus on Class A. The most troublesome one right now is Kitō, not Sakayanagi. He could go berserk at any moment."

"It feels like a war."

"War, huh? Indeed, anything could happen from here on out."

The end-of-year exams that will start soon.

Ryūen, who understood that turmoil would occur, began to prepare for what was to come.