A Tyrant's Will

SS4: Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki - Inside the Dragon's Lair

It was late at night. Ike and Yamauchi found themselves sitting on two rickety chairs, shivering before the man standing in front of them. This, combined with Albert's towering figure looming over the two Class D students, did little to dissuade their discomfort.

Ryuuen didn't speak right away. He just stood there, studying them in silence, as though weighing exactly how much pressure it would take to make them break.

After what felt like an eternity, Yamauchi finally cracked.

"H-Hey," he stammered, forcing out a laugh. "I get you're trying to play some kind of mafia boss or whatever, but at least tell us what you want, man. I'm here for the 250,000 private points, y'know?"

Ike nodded his head in frantic agreement. When they followed Albert back to his dorm, they hadn't expected an interrogation. They thought it would be quick and easy.

But instead, they found themselves trapped. If they tried to run, Albert would shut them down with force. The two of them were already beginning to have second thoughts about the whole arrangement.

"Yeah. Besides, you originally asked for help against Class A. But you already won, right? What's the point of calling us here now?" Ike asked.

When they first contacted Ryuuen after school, he hadn't explained anything. He simply told them to save his number, wait for further instructions, and keep quiet. They agreed without hesitation.

But only now—weeks later, after the contest had already ended—were they finally summoned.

"Did you really think I needed help from Class D defects to take down Class A? You two would only drag me down. What I want from you right now is information."

Ike and Yamauchi exchanged confused looks. What information could Ryuuen possibly want? Wasn't he already in Class A?

"First, I want to know who distributed the test papers to Class D during the first midterm exam."

"What are you talking about?" Yamauchi asked.

"The midterms we took a while ago," Ryuuen said. "Someone in Class D had the bright idea to get the exam questions from an upperclassman and distribute them to the entire class. Who was it?"

Ike's jaw dropped. "How the hell did you know about that? Did you tell him, Haruki?"

"What? No! I didn't say anything!" Yamauchi protested.

"The two of you aren't leaving until you give me answers I'm satisfied with. And don't even think about lying. I'll know the second you try. Understand?"

Ryuuen stepped closer, lowering himself until he was eye level with both of them. Ike and Yamauchi shrank back, panic overtaking any thought of resistance. Their words tumbled out as they confessed everything they knew.

"It was Hirata! He was the one who distributed the test questions!" Ike cried.

"Hirata, huh? So he's the one who came up with the idea?"

Ike nodded quickly. "I think so. He asked Kushida-chan to help, and they distributed the questions the day before the midterm. They told the class to study those to prepare."

"Yeah, although Ken still failed somehow. He might've gotten lucky this time, but there's no way he's gonna pass the next exams," Yamauchi said with a shaky chuckle. Even in the midst of danger, he couldn't resist taking a jab at Sudou.

"What did you just say?" Ryuuen shifted his attention toward Yamauchi, who jolted upright in his chair.

"N-Nothing! I just meant...Ken isn't really a good student, and he failed last time, so—"