Seeing Yuuki Asuna's completely stunned expression, Hōjō Yoru spoke casually.
"Look, I don't really need money, but there's a bounty for killing Devils. As for ghouls… I was free anyway. Killing them seemed fun, so I did."
Hearing him say that with such calm, matter-of-fact confidence, Asuna genuinely didn't know what to say anymore.
She'd assumed that while his personality looked lazy and wild on the surface, deep down he must have some unshakable conviction—wanting to be a hero, save the world, protect the innocent.
But it turned out…
He was just a pure-bred battle junkie who lived for the thrill?
"You probably can't understand it right now," Yoru said, getting up and heading out with her, explaining with an oddly serious face. "But you will."
"The charm of mind games. The joy of execution."
Asuna rolled her eyes, roasting him silently in her head.
What mind games? What execution?
She'd admit his fighting style had a brutal, clean, no-mercy "watchability," and he clearly had technique—like that shoulder throw.
But the biggest factor was still the ridiculous stats, wasn't it?
A punch that cracked like a gunshot and blew half a ghoul's face off… that wasn't "execution," that was just terrifying numbers.
As she walked with Yoru toward the train station, Asuna kept thinking: if it wasn't about "conviction," then what was it?
Was it…
just that she wasn't as outstanding as he was?
......
When they arrived at the classroom, Yoru had barely sat down for a moment before Nishimiya Shōko entered through the back door.
She spotted him already seated there, and a bright, delighted look bloomed across her gentle face. Holding her notebook, she walked over. This time she didn't write as she walked—she simply lifted the open page in front of him.
[Good morning, Hōjō-kun~]
At the end, she'd drawn a cute smiling face.
Yoru noticed the ink in the letters was heavier than usual, which meant Shōko must have written slowly and carefully, making sure the handwriting looked as neat as possible.
"Good morning, Nishimiya-san."
After getting his response, Shōko smiled happily and nodded, then quietly returned to her seat.
Yoru had already noticed yesterday: Shōko sat in front of him, Yukinoshita Yukino sat to his right, and further right—"Sleeping Buddha" Tōma Kazusa.
Was that really a coincidence?
If he hadn't claimed the corner window seat—his "main-character throne"—before school started, he would've suspected that if Hiratsuka Shizuka had arranged it, he'd be completely surrounded by three problem-beauties with three different flavors of issues.
Just imagining it…
…kind of sounded fun.
Right then, a sudden commotion exploded in the hallway.
Yoru stepped out through the back door and saw several older boys blocking Tōma Kazusa as she tried to enter the classroom. They wore smug grins, saying something with that "friendly" tone that was never actually friendly.
"I'm not interested in you."
Tōma Kazusa's voice was ice-cold. Her delicate face showed obvious impatience and disgust.
"I'll say it one last time."
"Get lost."
"Come on, underclassman," the leader said, grinning.
He had glaring blond hair—whether natural or dyed was anyone's guess. In this world, weird hair and eye colors weren't rare anyway. His expression was cocky and light as he reached a hand toward Kazusa's shoulder, laughing.
"Just exchange contact info, let's be friends—AH!!"
Before his hand could touch her, Kazusa snapped a kick into his knee.
Then those slender, pale fingers—hands that looked like they belonged on black-and-white piano keys—caught his fingers and bent them backward with brutal force. Her narrow eyes sharpened with savage intensity.
"I told you to get lost."
"Didn't you hear me?"
"Y-you—!"
Seeing their friend drop to one knee, screaming as Kazusa twisted his fingers, the other two boys rushed forward to help. One of them even swung a fist toward Kazusa's face.
And then—
A thunderous shout crashed down like a hero descending from the heavens.
"I'LL HELP YOU!"
The two boys froze.
The students watching froze.
Even Kazusa froze.
And in the same instant that shout rang out, a figure charged in like an arrow off the string and slammed a punch into one older boy's stomach.
"Ghk—cough!"
The boy doubled over.
Yoru clearly wasn't done. He followed with a kick, controlling the power—but still sending the guy crashing to the floor and sliding back several meters.
At that moment, Hiratsuka Shizuka arrived—she'd been on her way to break things up, fists clenched, ready to "teach" those older boys a lesson for harassing her student.
But she saw Yoru move first.
Facing the last boy still standing, Yoru turned sideways, took a single step to load the strike—
and drove a brutal side kick into the boy's abdomen.
The older student collapsed, clutching his stomach, unable to even speak. He dropped to his knees, then folded forward, tears and snot streaming down his face in pure misery.
"HOLY—A STEP-IN SIDE KICK?!"
As a die-hard fan of hot-blooded fighting manga, Hiratsuka blurted out in excitement—then remembered her job and rushed forward, barking orders.
"Tōma! Hōjō! Both of you, stop! Come with me to the office!"
Yoru nodded cheerfully.
"Roger that, Shizuka."
Kazusa's response was far colder. She brushed her long black hair back, shot a disgusted look at the three older boys crying on the floor, then—almost against her will—glanced at Hōjō Yoru.
Her expression became complicated.
"Now," Hiratsuka snapped, "come with me!"
Her face was stern, but as she left—whether it was "accidental" or absolutely on purpose—her foot just happened to step right onto the hands the three older boys were using to prop themselves up.
And she even "oops"-twisted her shoe a couple times.
Their screams spiked into a new octave.
Then she turned to the crowd with fake concern and reminded the students watching:
"Hurry up and take them to the infirmary."
"Poor things."
Meanwhile, Asuna—who had witnessed everything—looked at the three older boys wheezing and wailing on the floor. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead.
She wasn't worried about those idiots. They'd brought it on themselves.
What she was afraid of was—
that Yoru, in a moment of excitement, might not control his strength…
and literally break those three guys into pieces.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 90)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 95)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 80)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter70)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter70)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter50)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter60)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 30
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 30
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