"How did he do that? I didn't even see him move!"
"I was wrong from the start. It's not Yamauchi—Saiki is the hidden manipulator behind all this."
"He can remotely delete videos, which shows his incredible programming skills. And now, he's demonstrated combat abilities far beyond my imagination! Saiki, you truly bring me joy."
Ryūen Kakeru, lying on the ground, immediately stood up and charged at Saiki Kusuo again—only to be swatted away like a fly once more.
An attack of that magnitude would've knocked out Ishizaki Daichi, but Ryūen still forced himself to stay conscious, getting up again like a cockroach.
*'Is this guy a punching bag? How can he take so much?'*
Saiki thought to himself.
"You deliberately created this situation, thinking you could crush us with your strength!"
Ryūen, with a bruised face, shouted at Saiki, as if he were the victor.
"Strength isn't the only thing that decides a fight—mental fortitude matters too!"
"Maybe you'll win this time, but what about the next? The third, or even the tenth? You'll let your guard down eventually, and when you do, I'll strike without mercy!"
"If you think you've scared me, you're dead wrong! I'll never feel fear! I'll keep an eye on you until the day comes..."
"Ah, you've been wrong about one thing from the start."
At that moment, Saiki sighed and said slowly,
"I didn't create any situation on purpose. I'm just here to teach you a lesson because you're too much trouble, and to avoid bigger problems later."
"You're acting so casual, like you're above us!"
Ryūen forced his swollen left eye open and laughed.
*'What a hassle.'*
Saiki sighed and walked right up to Ryūen.
'No matter what, I'll destroy Saiki. I won't lose like this. I'll get everyone in Class D into Class A!'
"I'll defeat you, Saiki—"
As Ryūen lunged again, Saiki merely raised his hand and tapped Ryūen's forehead. Ryūen flipped backward and landed unconscious—this time, completely out cold.
Ryūen was out like a light.
*'What a hassle. I didn't control my strength well enough. If he'd gone flying somewhere, that would've been a problem.'*
Saiki sighed. This was the first time he'd actively shown even a fraction of his power to someone else—maybe one percent, but still far beyond a normal person.
Originally, Saiki had planned to deal with Ryūen later, but today he overheard Ryūen and Kushida Kikyō's conversation and learned of their plans.
If Karuizawa Kei came here, she'd face terrible bullying.
For Saiki, that crossed a line.
And if Ryūen kept believing 'Yamauchi Haruki is the mastermind X,' even if he stopped him today, Ryūen would likely cause more trouble later. So, Saiki decided to step in and resolve it now.
*'I was prepared to erase their memories, but they seem to think it's some advanced martial arts technique. That saves me some trouble.'*
Saiki looked around at the four unconscious people. Ryūen wasn't lying—if he didn't deal with him completely now, more trouble would come later.
He bent down, looked at Ryūen, and used his telepathy—
Just then, a familiar voice suddenly spoke up.
".....Kusuo?"
*'Damn, I didn't notice someone was behind me.'*
Saiki turned and saw Karuizawa Kei staring at him in disbelief.
Though Saiki told her to stay out of it, she couldn't shake her worry and came to the rooftop alone. She suspected others might use this to threaten her, and if Saiki was in danger, it would be terrible. So, she gathered her courage, came to check on him, and even prepared for the worst—being bullied herself.
But she never expected to see Saiki standing there, with Ryūen and the other three from Class D knocked out.
'Saiki... did he take down all four of them alone?'
*'What a hassle. Karuizawa came after all. I was going to deal with these guys and tell her I'd handled Manabe, but now she's seen everything...'*
As Saiki thought about what to do, Ryūen suddenly opened his eyes.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Ryūen let out a blood-curdling scream, his consciousness returning. He frantically checked his hands and neck.
In his dream, Ryūen experienced terrifying things—like turning into stone or having his head kicked around like a soccer ball by a bespectacled adult.
The dream felt so real it left Ryūen with an unprecedented fear.
And in the dream, Saiki was there, seemingly behind it all.
'What just happened? Was it a dream?'
*'It wasn't a dream.'*
Saiki replied in his mind. He'd used telepathy to implant those terrifying experiences into Ryūen's mind. Dreams can influence the subconscious, and after those nightmares, Ryūen would definitely fear Saiki.
A fear that went to the bone.
*'Guess I'll just keep going.'*
"You're finally awake."
Saiki said. Ryūen turned to him, and his pre-unconscious memories flooded back.
"You... I was knocked out by you?"
Ryūen's voice trembled. His earlier arrogance and excitement were gone.
'What kind of monster is this guy...?'
Ryūen's thoughts were clear to Saiki. He now feared Saiki.
"You were out for a few seconds."
Saiki said. He could also hear Karuizawa's shocked thoughts.
'Saiki took down Ryūen and the others all by himself?! Saiki's... this strong?!'
Saiki felt Karuizawa's gaze on him, seemingly with more admiration, but his psychic abilities remained a secret.
"Karuizawa... you came after all?"
Ryūen struggled to stand, gritting his teeth and spitting out blood.
'He easily defeated us to play the hero in front of Karuizawa, to control her better... Saiki, was this all part of your plan?'
*'Not at all!'*
Saiki replied in his mind.
By now, Ibuki Mio and the others were waking up. After a moment of confusion, they remembered what happened and warily kept their distance from Saiki.
"You're terrifying... Saiki..."
Ryūen looked at Saiki, his earlier hostility gone. His mind raced.
'If we complain to the school that Saiki attacked us, it might cause him trouble... No, even with Sudō Ken, the school wouldn't believe Saiki could take down four of us. And if what he said is true, he could've recorded everything remotely. I might have more secrets he knows...'
Despite his reluctance, Ryūen admitted one thing.
"I lost this time."
"Will you bother us again?"
Saiki asked.
"No..."
Ryūen replied, his voice trembling. Even Ibuki was surprised—Ryūen wasn't one to give up easily.
What had Saiki done to him while they were unconscious?
Saiki used telepathy to confirm Ryūen wasn't lying. His fight was completely gone.
"It's settled. Let's go."
Saiki sighed and led Karuizawa away.
'Saiki's so strong?'
'How did he do it?'
'Did Saiki fight for me?'
As they left the school building, Karuizawa's mind raced, but she didn't speak—though Saiki heard all her thoughts.
*'Partly to avoid future trouble, and partly as thanks for all the sweets you've given me.'*
Saiki replied in his mind.
"Um... Kusuo, thank you."
Just before reaching the dorm, Karuizawa finally spoke.
"Go rest. Everything related to your past is settled. Don't worry."
Saiki said, then returned to his room without further conversation.
Karuizawa seeing everything would make her value him more, but since his abilities weren't exposed, there was no need to erase her memory.
*'What a hassle. This school and its people are so troublesome.'*
Saiki sighed.
*'Ryūen's dealt with. Now it's just Kushida left. Once I handle her, things should calm down.'*
.....
Ryūen struggled to control his body, leaning on the railing with a bitter smile. He placed his phone on the rooftop floor, sliding it to Ibuki's feet.
"I'll take full responsibility. Transfer all my points to you first."
"What? Ryūen, what are you saying? Are you stupid?"
Ibuki was confused.
"I lost. Even if neither side talks, Class B has the upper hand. If they use this, Class D could be cornered. As a price, I'll drop out. That's probably what Saiki wants."
Ryūen replied,
"A tyrant is only tolerated as long as their power matters. After a loss like this, no one will follow me."
Just then, footsteps echoed on the rooftop. Everyone thought it was Saiki returning and tensed, looking toward the entrance.
But it wasn't Saiki who appeared.
It was Ayanokōji Kiyotaka.
"I remember you... Horikita's follower, Ayanokōji. Why are you here? Did Saiki send you?"
Ryūen asked, his tone tense.
Ayanokōji's gaze swept over everyone, and he didn't answer immediately.
'Earlier, I saw Karuizawa leave the dorm in a hurry and followed her. I didn't expect Saiki to handle things to this extent. He created a situation where violence was the solution, lured Ryūen in, and resolved him completely. This is faster than I anticipated. Did it start with framing Yamauchi?'
'As expected, Saiki's not only brilliant but also skilled in combat.'
'Ryūen just showed a hint of fear—fear of Saiki. I don't feel that way, but for Saiki to make someone like Ryūen feel that, he must've done something. Even I might not manage that. Since Saiki's handled most of it, I'll take care of the rest. This should be within his expectations.'