Thug King

Yamata's proclamation was not a rumor. It was a royal decree, and it spread through Seiryu High with the speed and ferocity of a plague. It was posted on the Underground Forum, whispered in every classroom, and scrawled on bathroom walls.

[OFFICIAL PROCLAMATION FROM THE KING]

Subject: The Tanaka Question

Location: Main Courtyard

Time: Tomorrow, After Final Bell

The Game: Land one clean hit on Tanaka Kenji. The Prize: One favor from me, no questions asked.

The Grand Prize: Take him down. The Throne is yours.

Signed, Yamata Kazuya, The Executioner

The effect was instantaneous and profound. The school, which had been paralyzed with awe and fear of Kenji, was suddenly galvanized by the one thing more powerful than fear: greed.

A favor from Yamata was a golden ticket. It could mean erasing a debt, getting protection from a rival gang, securing a powerful position, or even getting incriminating information on a teacher. It was a pass to do whatever you wanted in the school's underworld.

And the throne? The chance to be King? That was a dream that burned in the heart of every ambitious delinquent.

The atmosphere of Seiryu transformed. The fear of Kenji Tanaka didn't vanish, but it was now overshadowed by a feverish, predatory hunger. Every student with an ounce of fighting ability or foolish courage began to look at Kenji differently. He was no longer a walking god to be avoided. He was a lottery ticket. A walking treasure chest.

In the Boxing Club, Captain "Iron Fist" Honda, who had been stewing in humiliation over Isao Ryuji's defeat, slammed his fist into a heavy bag, splitting the leather.

"A favor from Yamata?" he roared to his assembled club. "Forget that! I want his head! That bastard humiliated my club! Tomorrow, we don't just hit him. We swarm him! We show him what real numbers and real power look like!"

The Karate and Kendo clubs, whose captains had been watching from the sidelines, now saw their chance. They held emergency meetings. Yamata's bounty was an official sanction. Attacking Kenji was no longer an act of rebellion; it was an act of opportunity.

The lesser thugs, the jackals and hyenas, began to form packs. They knew they couldn't take Kenji one-on-one. But ten of them? Twenty? Maybe they could get lucky. One lucky punch was all it would take.

The school had become a kingdom of wolves, and all of them were now united in their hunger for a single target.

The chaotic standoff at the gate had been broken up by Akari Ishikawa's icy authority. She had managed to disperse the crowd, send a fuming Rina on her way with threats of trespassing charges, and chastise Maruyama, who simply bowed and accepted her words before resuming his "shadow" duties.

Throughout the day, Kenji noticed the change. The atmosphere was even more tense than before. The stares were no longer just fearful; they were calculating. He saw students sizing him up, whispering as he passed, their eyes glinting with a strange light.

"Maruyama-senpai," Kenji said quietly as they walked between classes, his giant shadow dutifully following. "The behavioral patterns of the students have shifted again. The fear is now mixed with… avarice. Do you know why?"

Maruyama's face, which was usually stoic, was now a mask of grim fury. "I do, Senpai," he rumbled, his voice low and dangerous. "The coward, Yamata, has placed a bounty on your head. He has incited the entire school against you. He offers them rewards for harming you."

Kenji processed this. "A bounty? So I have become a resource to be harvested. This is a common tactic among primates to consolidate power by eliminating a perceived rival without direct confrontation. Inefficient, but effective at mobilizing a large group." His analysis was detached, as if he were discussing a chapter from a biology textbook.

Maruyama was floored by his Senpai's calm. "You are not… concerned?"

"Concern is an inefficient emotion," Kenji replied. "It does not alter the outcome. It only clouds judgment. The event will happen. The only variable is the response." He looked at Maruyama. "You, however, seem concerned. It is not your fight. You are not obligated to participate."

Maruyama stopped and slammed a giant fist into his own chest, the sound like a hammer hitting concrete. "To be your shadow is to share your path, Senpai! Their enemy is my enemy! I will stand by your side. I will be your shield!"

Kenji looked at the burning loyalty in the big man's eyes. It was another new, complex piece of data. He simply nodded. "As you wish."

News of the bounty reached Akari Ishikawa's office almost immediately. She dismissed her council members, needing to think.

"He's gone too far," she whispered, pacing her office. "This isn't a challenge anymore. This is an execution by mob. He's turning the entire school into an army to crush one boy."

Her pragmatic mind saw the outcome: Kenji, no matter how strong, would be overwhelmed. He would be drowned in a sea of bodies. He would be beaten, broken, and his legend would be extinguished. Yamata's rule would be solidified, more absolute than ever. Seiryu would descend into an even darker age of fear.

And for some reason, she found that outcome… unacceptable.

This wasn't about her carefully balanced order anymore. This was about the sheer injustice of it. The sheer cowardice of Yamata's move. She thought of Kenji's strange innocence, his quiet strength, his oblivious nature. The idea of him being torn apart by a pack of greedy hyenas, led by a tyrant hiding in the shadows, stirred a protective instinct she didn't know she possessed.

She made a decision. It was a gamble, a move that went against her every cautious instinct.

She pulled out her phone and sent a single, encrypted text message to a number she rarely used.

[From: Ice Queen]

[To: Crimson Oni]

[Message: Yamata has declared war. Courtyard. Tomorrow after school. Your 'future husband' is the target. I assume you have an interest in this.]

Seconds later, she received a reply.

[From: Crimson Oni]

[To: Ice Queen]

[Message: That rat bastard… He dares?! Anyone who tries to touch what's mine will be cut down. I'm bringing my entire army. See you there, rival.]

Akari allowed herself a small, grim smile. She had just invited a rival school's gang to a battle on her own territory. It was madness. It was chaos. But it was the only way to level the playing field. She was no longer trying to control the storm. She was now directing it.

The final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. It sounded like a death knell.

Kenji packed his bag. Maruyama stood waiting for him by the door, his massive frame blocking the entire doorway, his face set like stone.

"It is time, Senpai," Maruyama said, his voice low.

"Time for what?" Kenji asked, pulling his bag over his shoulder.

"The courtyard," Maruyama replied grimly. "They will all be waiting."

Kenji looked out the classroom window. He could see the main courtyard below. It was packed. Hundreds of students were milling about, their faces tense, their bodies thrumming with nervous energy. It looked like the entire male student body, and even some of the tougher female students, were gathered there. They weren't a crowd. They were a mob. An army.

They were all looking up, waiting for him.

Kenji observed the scene with his usual detached curiosity. "Ah," he said, a flicker of understanding in his eyes. "It seems another school-wide greeting has been arranged."

Maruyama stared at him, dumbfounded. "Senpai… this is not a greeting. This is an ambush. A war."

Kenji looked from the army below to Maruyama's worried face. He gave his giant shadow a rare, small, and reassuring smile.

"Do not worry, Maruyama-senpai," he said, his voice calm and steady. "It is simply another problem. And for every problem," he started walking towards the door, towards the waiting chaos, "there is a solution."