The sharp scent of antiseptic stung Menma's senses as he slowly opened his eyes. The white ceiling of the infirmary greeted him.
His body felt wrecked, but the system in his brain kept working, running post-battle recovery after the brutal stamina-draining fight.
[DING! RECOVERY PROCESS ACTIVE: 60%. STATUS: LIGHT INJURIES]
On the bed next to him, a giant figure was sitting calmly while staring at Menma. It was Chisato Chuta, the Steel Tank, whose face was now covered in bruises, but his eyes radiated sincere respect.
"You're awake, Menma-san," said Chuta heavily, sitting on the bed next to where Menma was resting.
"What are you doing here?" Menma asked, startled to see Chuta beside him.
Chuta smiled slightly and said, "I acknowledge your strength, Menma-san, so I acknowledge my defeat. No matter how I tried to beat you down, I couldn't make you fall at all."
Second by second passed, the entire infirmary went silent after Chuta said that.
"Hah? What do you actually mean? I really don't understand what you're saying," said Menma, still unaware of what was happening.
Menma realized that Chuta had just declared his desire to follow him as boss.
But Menma felt confused.
'Why would someone this strong… submit?' Menma thought curiously.
With a resigned face, Chuta said in a weak but clear tone, "It means starting today… we follow you. Me, and the kids."
"That's not what I meant, but why would you choose to follow me instead of staying a king? You have incredible strength," Menma said, curious.
'Someone like him doesn't submit for no reason… this isn't just about losing.'
"Because I see a future. This school will change because of you, Menma-san," Chuta said seriously.
Even though it still hurt, Menma's face broke into a wide grin.
"Ohh... so that's what you mean, I get it. From now on, I won't let you down!"
[DING! FIRST MISSION UPDATED: 15/100 MEMBERS GATHERED]
After feeling strong enough to walk, Menma left the infirmary followed by Chuta, who towered behind him like a loyal bodyguard.
Their presence in the hallway made other 1st-year students step aside in fear.
News of the "Steel Tank" falling to Menma the loser had spread to every corner of the school in just hours.
However, at the end of the Class 1-A hallway, Fushiguro Furuya was already waiting. He leaned against the wall with his hands in his pockets.
Furuya didn't speak right away. He just stared at Menma… a few seconds longer than he should have.
As if he was weighing something.
"…so you're the one who took down Chuta."
His tone was flat—not impressed, not dismissive.
Just… confirming. His eyes narrowed slightly.
Menma stopped right in front of Furuya, and stared at him with a terrifying, empty gaze.
[SCANNING TARGET…]
[DATA SUCCESSFULLY OBTAINED]
The system chimed, providing Fushiguro Furuya's strength status.
_________________
Status Information: Fushiguro Furuya
Strength: 18
Speed: 18
Endurance: 13
Spirit: 11
Intelligence: 16
________________
Furuya straightened up from the wall.
"I thought you'd die in the first round."
"But instead… you shattered the balance."
Chuta frowned slightly.
Furuya didn't even glance at him. His gaze stayed on Menma.
"Right now you're probably thinking… the first years are already in your hands."
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
"That's wrong."
Only now did he say the names.
"You know what's going to happen after this?"
"Danzo will try to take you down from behind."
"Ryo…"
A faint smile.
"…will crush you from the front."
He stared straight into Menma's eyes.
"And I want to see… which hand you die by."
He stepped closer by one step.
"Danzo? Ryo?" Menma chuckled. "They're just stepping stones I'll defeat. Same goes for you, Furuya."
"Get your crew ready, because I'm coming to take everything," Menma said while walking off.
Furuya stared at Menma's retreating back.
The corner of his lips lifted slightly.
-----------------------------
Meanwhile, on the second floor.
Shin Torao, who had just absorbed Takeshi's faction, observed the tension below from the corridor balcony, with Takeshi standing right beside him.
On the other side, Kiyomasa Hikari and Lemura Hideo also began to watch Menma's unexpected presence warily.
"Interesting. A loser who rises and defeats his enemies is a cheap novel plot, but I didn't expect it to actually happen here, hehehe... Menma, huh? This school's gonna get more interesting," Kiyomasa Hikari said with a grin.
As one of the smartest people in Okato, he could understand more than most people. It should be noted, Hikari shouldn't even be at this school.
Because he had high grades in every subject, but strangely he chose to attend Okato, the place where delinquents gathered.
Meanwhile, Hideo was sitting casually, smoking the cigarette in his hand. He didn't care who Menma was. If he dared block his way, he wouldn't hesitate to beat him until he couldn't move.
Menma's emergence as a new power was starting to disrupt the balance of power between factions.
-------------------------
On the school roof, Sakamoto Daizen closed his notebook after scribbling something.
"Juugo, seems like an interesting kid has shown up," Daizen said to Juugo, who was still thinking hard about his chess loss.
Juugo turned with an indifferent attitude. "Menma, huh? I don't care what happens with those delinquents, as long as they don't cause trouble with the troublesome people out there."
-----------------------
Meanwhile, in the 1st-year corridor, Chuta matched Menma's pace.
"Menma-san, you just rang the war drum. They definitely won't stay quiet. Danzo's cunning, he likes using traps and launching attacks in secret. As for Ryo, he's a cruel demon. You better be more careful from now on."
Menma stopped walking for a moment, turned to Chuta with his nostrils still plugged with bloody tissue.
"Hah? Danzo? Ryo? Ahh... whatever. I don't care. Hey Chuta, I'm hungry. You got money? Lend me some, I wanna buy a meat bun."
Chuta froze, then burst out laughing. "Hahaha! You really are an interesting guy, Menma-san!"
In the distance, from behind the window of the quiet library, a man in a neat uniform noted something on his phone. He was an informant working for Mugen Rider in the Western District.
News of the Mad Dog of Okato was starting to leak outside the school gates, sparking the curiosity of the street rulers in Okayami City.
The system in Menma's head chimed softly, as if responding to the approaching threats.
[DING! REPUTATION INCREASED: "SHOCKING ROOKIE"]
[EFFECT: ATTENTION FROM OUTSIDE FACTIONS INCREASED 5%]
Menma didn't care. While chewing the bread he'd just bought, his eyes unintentionally glanced toward the Class 1-C room.
That was the classroom where the original Menma spent his school days, before Masashi took over this body.
According to rumors, Class 1-C was the only class that had never been conquered by anyone, not because no one was interested in trying, but because there was a monster there named Hayashida Makoto.
"Hayashida Makoto, huh?" Menma furrowed his brow. The original Menma's memories were a mess. That kid didn't even know his own classmates.
Menma devoured his meat bun ravenously, bits of sauce sticking to the corner of his bruised lips. "Chuta, why'd your face go pale when I said Hayashida's name?"
Chuta swallowed hard, his steps slowing slightly. "Menma-san... Hayashida isn't a normal delinquent. He doesn't have a faction, doesn't have followers, and doesn't care about power. But if you disturb his peace in Class 1-C, you're the same as jumping into a blazing inferno."
"The legend's spread across the whole city. He's the unbeatable Lone Wol'. Lots of people tried to challenge him, but always ended in crushing defeat. One punch from him is enough to drop anyone."
"Juugo fought him once, and ended up hospitalized for a week. They say it was a draw, but everyone knows it was a crushing loss for Juugo."
Menma stopped chewing. He stared at the Class 1-C room, which looked quieter than the other classes.
Instead of being afraid, the Spirit 21 inside him trembled violently. His eyes widened with a gleam, adrenaline burning with excitement.
"Lone Wolf, huh?" Menma whispered. His smile stretched wide, showing his teeth still stained with blood. "Hehehe... Amazing! That's exactly the kind of guy I wanna fight!"
The system chimed once more, giving a warning that had never appeared before.
[WARNING: ENTITY WITH STATUS 'UNKNOWN' DETECTED IN VICINITY]
[SUGGESTION: INCREASE LEVEL BEFORE INITIATING PHYSICAL CONTACT]
Menma ignored the warning. He tossed the bread wrapper in the trash and walked with an arrogant stride toward Class 1-C.
"Come on, Chuta. Let's see what a monster feared by the whole school looks like."