"Hey, Ayanokoji, how did that punch feel?" Ryuuen taunted, flexing his hand.
"Too weak. Didn't feel a thing," Ayanokoji replied nonchalantly. And truthfully, that was the case—it had barely grazed him.
Yet, this punch held great significance.
Through this brief exchange, Ryuuen confirmed one thing—Ayanokoji was just as much of a monster as that freak, Kouenji.
Of course, there were differences between monsters.
In terms of height, reach, and weight, Kouenji held a clear advantage, allowing him to effortlessly handle or even outright ignore attacks from Ryuuen and Ishizaki. He only needed to focus on Albert.
But Ayanokoji was different. His physique wasn't nearly as overwhelming.
More importantly, he had lost his chance for a "first-strike kill."
Sending Ibuki in first to probe was a deliberate choice—to put Ishizaki and Albert on high alert, making them fully aware that a single misstep could mean instant defeat.
Even Ryuuen himself had been somewhat skeptical until he saw it with his own eyes.
"Ayanokoji, you're even more capable than I imagined. Scoring full marks on that test was your real ability, wasn't it? With your skills, you could easily fight head-on. Why hide behind Suzune?"
"I have my reasons. And besides, I'm not the only one keeping secrets." Ayanokoji spoke calmly. "Take you, for example. It may seem like you're always in the spotlight, with your classmates as mere chess pieces, but in reality, someone's been helping you from behind the scenes."
"Hah, you're underestimating me." Ryuuen smirked.
Ayanokoji shook his head. "Not at all. It's just that some of your schemes have glaring weaknesses. To this day, I don't understand why you planned to frame Horikita in front of your entire class. No matter how much control you think you have over them, that was an incredibly stupid move."
"...Ugh." Ryuuen's face darkened instantly.
"Tch, you're just as irritating as that other bastard."
"Who?"
"You can figure that out yourself!"
Like a signal for the battle to resume, Ryuuen lunged forward, aiming a fierce kick at Ayanokoji's stomach.
Ayanokoji raised his arms to block. The impact didn't budge him in the slightest, and Ryuuen himself was sent stumbling back.
Not missing the opportunity, Ayanokoji retaliated instantly.
Planting his left foot firmly on the ground, he spun and delivered a roundhouse kick to Ryuuen's head.
BANG!
However, Albert intercepted the kick just in time.
At the same moment, Ishizaki charged from behind.
Their coordination wasn't bad at all.
Acknowledging their teamwork inwardly, Ayanokoji deflected Ishizaki's attack and sidestepped swiftly.
Then, he raised his hand in a precise knife-hand strike aimed at Ishizaki's throat.
"Uwaah!"
Though panicked, Ishizaki had anticipated this move. His body reacted instinctively, raising his elbow to absorb the impact.
Even so, the force didn't diminish one bit—his pained expression said it all.
Seizing the moment, Ayanokoji followed up with a punch straight to Ishizaki's solar plexus.
"Ugh!"
The weakest of the three, Ishizaki collapsed immediately. With his body blocking the way, Ryuuen and Albert couldn't intervene in time.
Things just got a lot easier.
Yet, Ryuuen showed no reaction to his fallen ally. He simply crouched and launched a right hook.
Ayanokoji recognized that the punch was aimed at his abdomen and swiftly dodged it before countering with a kick.
To cover for Ryuuen, Albert charged forward, his powerful arm swinging down.
But this time, Ayanokoji didn't dodge. Instead, he ruthlessly kicked Ryuuen's knee while letting Albert's strike land directly on his shoulder.
SMACK!
A dull impact rang out, and a sharp pain spread from his shoulder across his entire body. Half of him felt completely numb.
Yet, the cost was worth it.
As Ryuuen lost balance and fell, Ayanokoji turned and launched an attack on Albert.
A punch to the chest—dodged.
A quick knife-hand thrust at the throat—expected.
Albert had learned from Ishizaki's mistake. He grabbed Ayanokoji's wrist, locking him in place.
It was a good strategy. Even if he got beaten up, restricting Ayanokoji's movements would give Ryuuen a chance to counterattack.
Not a bad move.
Unfortunately, the one who was restrained—was Albert.
Using the leverage, Ayanokoji jumped and grabbed Albert's ear with his free hand. Then, he yanked it down hard.
BANG!
His knee smashed directly into Albert's nose.
"Oh—!"
Albert let out an inhuman scream as blood sprayed through the air.
The enormous figure collapsed onto the ground, motionless.
The situation flipped in an instant.
The king's guards had fallen. Now, only one remained.
Watching the scene unfold, Karuizawa was left speechless.
Ayanokoji turned toward Ryuuen, who had stood up once more, completely unfazed.
Instead, he burst into laughter.
"Ayanokoji, you're not just smart—even your fighting ability is top-tier. Took you barely any time to beat us all down."
"You guys weren't bad either."
"Heh, is this what it means to be truly strong?"
"No, I meant it sincerely."
Saying that Ayanokoji rubbed his still-numb shoulder.
He had originally planned to take them down in a few minutes. He hadn't expected to get injured.
Not that it mattered. This would be over soon.
Ryuuen stepped forward and asked, "Tell me one thing. Are you so aggressive simply because you're confident in your strength?"
"You figured it out, huh? This battlefield suits me perfectly—it's no coincidence."
Hearing Ayanokoji's answer, Ryuuen grinned from the bottom of his heart.
"I did underestimate you. Someone as skilled as you wouldn't bother manipulating Manabe and the others. Your real goal was to lure me in."
"That's right. Took you long enough." Ayanokoji nodded. "Everyone knows you rely on violence. So I knew you'd create a situation where reporting to the school wouldn't be an option. You used Karuizawa to bait me out, then planned to settle this with brute force. And everything went exactly as I expected."
"Heh, you're bold... But tell me, was this your only option?" Ryuuen asked.
"Of course not."
Ayanokoji didn't elaborate, but Ryuuen immediately understood.
There were other options.
But none were necessary.
He didn't need to take the safe route.
"Hahaha… hahahahaha!"
Realizing this, Ryuuen burst into laughter.
"No wonder people can see right through us—we are the same kind of person!"
"Oh? Then tell me, who exactly has seen through me?"
Feigning indifference, Ayanokoji asked, but Ryuuen didn't take the bait.
"Hah! Like I said—you'll have to figure that out yourself!"
Reassuming his stance, Ryuuen smirked fearlessly.
"Don't think you've won just yet. Strength alone doesn't decide victory—willpower does."
This wasn't bravado. It was Ryuuen's greatest trait.
His intelligence was average. His strength wasn't overwhelming. But his unbreakable spirit—that was the real problem.
Even if he lost today, he'd just come slithering back, like a snake.
"Kiyotaka!"
Just as Ayanokoji seemed momentarily distracted, Karuizawa called out to him in concern—
Ryuuen's fist came crashing down.
This was undoubtedly the strongest punch he could muster with all his strength.
However, this wasn't a sneak attack—Ayanokoji had deliberately taken the hit.
"How's that? You felt the pain, didn't you?" Ryuuen said excitedly. "Ordinary people become afraid after experiencing pain. I'm curious to see how long you can keep that deadpan expression."
"Unfortunately, I don't feel anything at all. It's just pain spreading through my body, nothing more." Ayanokoji shook his head slowly.
In the White Room, he had endured far worse agony and had witnessed countless people break under it.
But as long as one mastered the means to protect oneself,
No matter how much pain and despair others suffered, he would remain unaffected.
As long as he was safe, that was a victory.
"In that case, I'll beat you as many times as it takes! Until you feel fear!"
Ryuuen seemed intent on continuing, but no matter how long this went on, nothing would change.
Ayanokoji decided he had entertained this farce long enough.
Tilting his head slightly, he dodged Ryuuen's next punch, then seized his opponent's arm and yanked him forward. Without hesitation, he delivered a ruthless right hook straight to Ryuuen's face.
"Ugh!"
Despite taking the heavy blow, Ryuuen refused to fall. Instead, he grabbed onto Ayanokoji's shirt.
"Albert, now!"
He shouted, his voice cracking slightly.
…Do these guys ever learn?
I already told them—if you're going to ambush someone, don't announce it.
Ayanokoji was dumbfounded by their lack of learning ability and instinctively glanced toward where Albert had fallen earlier.
But to his surprise, the big guy remained on the ground, unmoving.
So that was a feint.
Not a bad tactic.
Unfortunately, This Changes Nothing.
Ayanokoji effortlessly caught the punch Ryuen threw at him, intending to say something, but before he could react, a sudden force struck him from the side, causing him to stumble.
"Ryuen-san!"
So that's how it is. The one who actually woke up was Ishizaki.
It seems he's learned his lesson—at the very least, he now knows not to yell while launching a sneak attack.
Though Ayanokoji wanted to commend him for that, now wasn't the time. Without hesitation, he spun around and landed a punch squarely on Ishizaki's cheek, followed by another strike to the right. Finally, he grabbed Ishizaki's head, preparing to deliver a knee strike.
This time, he had to make sure Ishizaki was completely knocked out.
However, just as Ayanokoji lifted his leg, Albert suddenly lunged forward with his massive frame, crashing into him.
He had to admit, the timing was perfect—there was no way to dodge.
...Was it because of his sunglasses that Ayanokoji couldn't confirm if Albert was truly unconscious?
As he was tackled to the ground, that was the only thought running through his mind.
"Hold him down and don't let go!"
Ryuen straddled Ayanokoji, throwing punches left and right at his face.
"You said you're not afraid of pain, right? Let's put that to the test!"
He roared like a madman, raining down a relentless flurry of punches.
Ayanokoji tried to resist, but Albert's massive weight bore down on his previously injured shoulder, pinning him completely.
Even without his injuries, escaping from Albert's hold—given the sheer physical advantage—would have been nearly impossible.
"How does it feel, Ayanokoji? Are you finally experiencing fear?"
Ryuen's fists hammered down mercilessly, left and right, pummeling his helpless opponent.
"I already told you, I don't have such emotions."
As Ayanokoji did his best to block Ryuen's attacks, his mind focused on his next move.
Being beaten wasn't a problem. His heart wouldn't waver over something so trivial.
The key was to ensure he didn't lose consciousness. As long as he remained awake, he would find an opportunity to turn the tables.
"Hah! Keep pretending! Violence exposes the true nature of both the attacker and the victim!"
No matter how many times Ryuen's fists struck, Ayanokoji's expression remained unchanged.
Gradually, Ryuen's face stiffened.
It seemed, just as he claimed, the one throwing the punches was the first to catch a glimpse of his own heart.
What was he seeing now?
"Stop it! Don't hit Kiyotaka anymore! That's enough!"
Suddenly, Karuizawa lunged at Ryuen, attempting to shove him away.
"Tch, stay out of this! Get lost!"
"Ugh!"
Ryuen, as if irritated by her interference, grabbed Karuizawa by the hair and flung her aside.
Although it was only a brief distraction, it was enough.
Taking advantage of the opening, Ayanokoji concentrated all his strength into his right fist and aimed directly at Albert's eyes.
"Oh—!"
Albert's sunglasses shattered instantly, sending shards flying, cutting both Ayanokoji's fist and Albert's face.
Albert let out a pained cry, but Ayanokoji, seemingly indifferent to his own injuries, unleashed a rapid, relentless barrage of punches.
"Damn it!"
Ryuen finally realized the situation had turned against him—but it was already too late.
The moment Albert collapsed, Ayanokoji gathered strength in his legs and flipped Ryuen over, pinning him beneath him.
Without hesitation, he threw a punch.
One solid strike, and Ryuen's eye swelled shut.
"It's over, Ryuen."
"Hah... Hah... Heh... Don't think you're the only one who feels no fear. I'm just like you."
"Is that so?"
Ignoring Ryuen's smirk, Ayanokoji delivered another punch.
"Kh... Yeah, that's it! Hit me! Come on!"
Even as his words became strained and one eye swelled shut, Ryuen refused to yield. He continued swinging from below, but his punches were getting weaker, barely landing.
Ayanokoji responded with a brutal counterattack from above.
"Ptuh...! Looks like you won this time. But this isn't over. I'll settle this next time."
Ignoring Ryuen's words, Ayanokoji silently kept throwing punches.
"I've suffered twice as many defeats as anyone else. That's why I understand..."
He delivered another rapid series of strikes, small but precise.
Yet, no matter how hard he hit, Ryuen refused to show weakness—it felt more like a contest of wills now.
As much as Ayanokoji wanted to beat Ryuen into submission, it was clear that wouldn't happen.
One way or another, this needed to end.
Just as Ayanokoji was about to deliver the finishing blow, the rooftop door suddenly burst open.
A familiar voice echoed through the air.
"Karuizawa-chan! The great hero Haruki Yamauchi is here to sa—huh?! Ayanokoji's here too?!"
Not only Yamauchi—behind him, an entire crowd flooded in.
Hirata, Sudou, and the entire Class D had arrived.
"Ugh..."
For the first time, Ayanokoji frowned—not from pain, but frustration.
Their arrival meant one thing.
The situation was no longer in his control.