Thug King

If the day after the courtyard war was chaotic, the day after the street war was surreal.

When Kenji Tanaka walked to school, the world was different. His shadow, Maruyama, was more vigilant than ever, his eyes scanning every rooftop and alleyway for threats that he was now painfully aware he was ill-equipped to handle. The usual packs of delinquents and students didn't just avoid them; they practically vanished from the streets as they approached, treating Kenji not just with fear, but with a kind of holy reverence. They were no longer looking at a school fighter; they were looking at a legend who had defended their city from an outside force.

The most significant change was waiting at the school gates.

Rina Sato was there. This time, she wasn't blocking the entrance. She was standing to the side, wearing her proper Suzaku uniform (a minor miracle in itself), and holding not cookies, but a meticulously organized binder. As Kenji approached, she stepped forward and bowed, a stiff, formal ninety-degree bow that was completely out of character.

"Good morning, Tanaka-sensei," she said, her voice clear and respectful.

Kenji stopped. Maruyama stiffened, ready for a confrontation.

"...Sensei?" Kenji repeated, the title feeling foreign. "I am not a teacher."

"You taught me more in one second than my kendo master taught me in ten years," Rina stated, her amber eyes burning with a new, focused intensity. "Therefore, you are my Sensei."

She held out the binder. "I have compiled a comprehensive report on all major delinquent and gang factions within this prefecture. Their leaders, numbers, territories, and primary fighting styles. As your... self-appointed vanguard, I believe it is my duty to keep you informed of potential disruptions to your peace."

Maruyama stared at her, flabbergasted. The fiery Crimson Oni was acting like a secretary. An incredibly dangerous, katana-wielding secretary. He felt a surge of rivalry. She was trying to out-shadow him!

Before Kenji could respond to this development, another figure glided towards them. Akari Ishikawa. Her expression was, as always, a perfect mask of cool composure, but her eyes held a new, complex depth as she looked at Kenji.

"Tanaka-kun," she said, her voice smooth as silk. "I trust your walk to school was... uneventful." Her gaze flickered to Rina, a silent acknowledgment of the new power dynamic.

"Good morning, Student Council President," Kenji replied politely.

"I have taken the liberty of adjusting your class schedule," Akari continued, presenting him with a new timetable on a tablet. "I have consolidated your classes to allow for a longer, uninterrupted lunch period and an earlier dismissal. I believe this will help you maintain your... personal routines... with greater efficiency."

Kenji looked at the new schedule. It was indeed more efficient.

The three of them now stood before him. Rina, the fiery sword, offering him intelligence and external security. Akari, the icy regent, offering him internal structure and administrative support. And Maruyama, the loyal shield, offering him his unyielding physical presence.

They had, without consulting him, begun to build the framework of a kingdom around him. They were the nascent pillars of his court.

The student body watched this from a distance, their minds collectively blown. The Crimson Oni of Suzaku, the Ice Queen of Seiryu, and the Bear of Seiryu were all orbiting this one quiet boy like planets around a sun. The Thug King's court was assembling.

The most flustered person in the entire school was Yui Amano. She saw the scene from a distance, her heart sinking. A day ago, she had felt a spark of hope, a small connection. Now, she saw these three powerful, brilliant, and beautiful people vying for his attention. What could her simple offer of peace possibly mean in the face of all this? She felt like a tiny rowboat in the presence of three magnificent battleships. She clutched the bento box in her bag, her courage failing her.

The new "normal" was a quiet, suffocating reverence. No one spoke to Kenji unless spoken to. Teachers would unconsciously straighten up and speak more clearly when he looked in their direction. In the cafeteria, a table was always left empty for him, and now, it was a much larger table, because his court sat with him.

Lunch was a scene of silent, comical tension.

Kenji sat at the head of the table, eating his lunch. To his right sat Maruyama, bolt upright, tasting his food before Kenji ate it, despite being told repeatedly that it wasn't necessary. "A shadow must be vigilant against poison, Senpai!" he had insisted.

To Kenji's left sat Rina, who had somehow managed to get a day pass to "observe Seiryu's educational environment for inter-school cultural exchange purposes" (a document Akari had furiously approved just to keep Rina's presence official and contained). Rina would provide Kenji with updates from her binder. "Sensei, the 'Death Skulls' gang from the west district might be making a move. I will handle it after school."

Across from him sat Akari, who would discuss administrative matters. "Tanaka-kun, I have preemptively denied three official challenges from other club captains for your time. Your schedule is clear for the week. Also, I have had the rooftop garden designated as a 'quiet study area' for your exclusive use."

Kenji just listened, ate, and nodded, processing the information. His life was being managed, organized, and streamlined for him. It was, in a word, efficient. He found he didn't mind.

The tension came from the glares being exchanged between his three "attendants."

Rina would glare at Akari. "You think you can win him over with paperwork, Ice Queen?"

Akari would glare back. "Better than acting like a feral dog, Sato-san."

They would both glare at Maruyama. "Useless lump of muscle."

Maruyama would glare at them both. "You are distracting Senpai from his meal!"

Through it all, Kenji remained oblivious, focused on his food.

This strange new peace was shattered when a first-year student, trembling with fear, approached the table. He was clutching a fancy envelope.

"T-T-Tanaka-senpai!" he squeaked, his eyes wide with terror.

Maruyama, Rina, and Akari all turned their death-glares on the boy, who looked like he was about to faint.

"What do you want?" Rina snapped.

"Th-this is for Tanaka-senpai!" the boy stammered, holding out the envelope. "From... from the Otokawa family!"

Akari's eyes widened. The Otokawa family was one of the wealthiest and most influential old-money families in the entire city, with deep, rumored connections to the political and corporate elite.

Kenji took the envelope. He opened it. It was a thick, cream-colored card with elegant calligraphy. It was a formal invitation.

[You are cordially invited to the 18th birthday celebration of Otokawa Hina.]

[Location: The Otokawa Grand Estate]

[Date: This Saturday evening]

At the bottom, a small, handwritten note was added in delicate script.

"Tanaka Kenji-sama, my father heard of your... exploits... from his security chief. He is very impressed. He said a man like you is a 'dragon among men' and that he would be honored if you would attend my humble party. I would be honored as well. - Hina"

A new player had just entered the game. Not a delinquent, not a gang leader, not a Yakuza. This was a move from the city's true upper crust. The elite.

Rina snatched the invitation and read it, her face turning stormy. "Hina Otokawa?! The 'Princess of the City'?! That pampered little brat thinks she can just summon Sensei to her party like he's some court entertainer?!"

Akari's expression was grim. "This is not a social invitation, Sato-san. This is a summons. The Otokawa family doesn't 'invite' people. They vet them. This is a test from an entirely different world."

Kenji looked at the invitation. A party. He had read about them. Social gatherings with music, food, and complex, unspoken rules of etiquette. It sounded… highly inefficient.

But his grandfather's letter had said to learn the ways of men. And these were, apparently, the most powerful men.

"Okay," Kenji said simply, putting the invitation down. "I will go."

The three pillars of his court stared at him, then at each other, a new, shared sense of panic in their eyes. Kenji Tanaka—the Thug King, the Master, the walking Apocalypse—was about to be unleashed on a high-society party.

The potential for chaos was immeasurable.