A Tyrant's Will

Volume 2: Prologue - Reign of the Tyrant

The Advanced Nurturing High School was every student's dream. Backed entirely by the Japanese government, it boasted a 100% employment and college acceptance rate. Essentially, graduates were guaranteed entry to any higher education or career of their choosing, no strings attached. Sounds almost too good to be true, isn't it? Nobody else seemed to think so. I admit I too was sucked into the excitement and speculation over this prestigious institution.

To top it off, the school's campus boasted an area of at least six hundred thousand square meters, packed with numerous facilities. There were no fees required upon admission, and we had access to our very own personal dorm and cell phone. Most people didn't bother applying, thinking they had no chance. But somehow, I managed to get in.

There was only one downside. Well, others might consider it a benefit. There was a rule where outside contact with friends and family was forbidden.

My family needed me. Would they be alright if I attended this school? Three years without any form of contact was a long time. But everyone was supportive and encouraging. They told me it was going to be alright, and that I should do my best and enjoy myself. I decided to honor their wishes.

That day, I vowed to graduate no matter what. Most students probably planned on using their guaranteed acceptance rate to land a spot in some prestigious university, but I didn't have time to pursue academics. I was going to use mine to land a well-paying job right away in order to provide money and care for my family.

With my newfound determination, I hopped off the bus and made my way towards my designated classroom. With how distinguished and reputable the school was, I was surprised to find that a lot of my classmates appeared to be regular students like myself. Upon seeing this, I relaxed and my confidence rose. However, my hopes for a peaceful three years evaporated quickly.

As soon as our homeroom teacher left the room, a man with slightly long magenta hair got up to the podium and took control over the entire class.

His name was Ryuuen Kakeru.

There were quite a number of people who opposed him initially. Ishizaki, Komiya, and Kondou were the most vocal at first. I had high hopes that we could eventually form a rebellion against him, but everyone lost their spirit to fight back. Ishizaki and his friends were beaten into submission. That girl Ibuki stood against him for a while, but eventually yielded as well. Albert was the only person in our class who could go against Ryuuen head to head in a fight, but even he gave up in the end.

Everyone who went against him in the beginning ended up becoming his personal foot soldiers. Just like that, all opposition against Ryuuen simply vanished without a trace.

I didn't even know what happened. Why did everyone just give up? Frustrated and annoyed, I made a bet with Ryuuen to try and get the upper hand over him, but that failed too. Looking back, it was a dumb decision. In the end, I lost all my points, and I would've been in trouble if Sonoda wasn't kind enough to lend me some of his.

Ryuuen was nothing more than a bully and a tyrant who wanted attention and power. People like him don't deserve a shred of respect. But still...even though I didn't want to admit it, I had to acknowledge the truth. Ryuuen was the only reason we made it to Class B. Without him, we would've had way fewer class points than we did now.

As long as Ryuuen kept producing results, it seemed like everyone else was content with letting him do as he pleased. Without any support or private points, there was nothing I could do. I decided to grudgingly admit defeat and live with Ryuuen's tyranny.

Mornings in Class C were usually pretty tame, but the class had become more lively as of late. Everyone was in a cheery mood, excited that we had managed to overcome the first major hurdle without anyone getting expelled. It wouldn't be another two months until our final exams, which meant we could take time for some much needed relaxation.