At Ryuen's order to attack, Ishizaki surprisingly hesitated to attack me.

Ishizaki: I-Is it really okay?

Ryuen: Don't hold back. Get them.

Ishizaki: But...

Ryuen: There'll be no problem if we give Y/N a thorough beating.

Ishizaki slowly approached me, so I stood there and got ready. Before he did anything, Kei started to yell.

Kei: Wait! Why are you doing this? You won't gain anything from beating up Y/N, right?

Ryuen: Don't just cut in like that, Karuizawa. Your role is over. Just be grateful your past won't be revealed thanks to Y/N's sacrifice.

He grabbed Kei by the hair again and tossed her to the side. Kei tried to get up again, but I couldn't bare seeing her so weak and desperate.

Y/N: Kei, stop... save your energy.

Ryuen: Exactly. Care about yourself.

Kei: But-

Y/N: Gimme a couple of minutes.

Ishizaki approached me again.

Ishizaki: Don't think badly of this, Y/N. Just orders, you know? It's nothing personal.

Y/N: Likewise... Let's get it over with.

Ishizaki swung his fist at my face in such a dull way that I simply needed to look up in order to dodge him.

Ishizaki: Ahh..?

Y/N: If you're gonna do this, then get serious, Ishizaki.

He heeded my warning as he swung at me again but with more speed and power this time. Still not nearly enough to phase me. I caught his fist in my own hand.

Y/N: That's more like it.

Before he could pull away, I squeezed his hand tightly. His face started to contort in pain, but I needed to make an example out of him right now.

Ishizaki: Oou! Ahh!

Ishizaki tried to use his other hand to make me let go, but I didn't. His legs gave out on him and he fell to his knees.

Ibuki: Huh?

Neither Ryuen nor Ibuki moved to help him. Instead, it was Albert. Considering his stature, though, it wasn't hard to see his sneak attack coming. I could've let go of Ishizaki to dodge Albert, but I wanted to gauge Albert while I had the chance. As he swung his giant arm at me, I blocked him with my free hand. As expected, it hurt.

**Yup... He's a strong guy alright.**

Despite the double team, I was still in control.

Ibuki: You've got to be kidding me... A-Are you fooling around, Ishizaki, Albert?

I let go of Ishizaki's hand and he crouched down clutching his arm. I jumped out of the way as Albert threw his entire body at me.

**He's big and strong, but he's very slow. Hmm...**

The thing about me is that I wasn't a fighting prodigy. In fact, my battle training only went as far as a karate program which was something anybody could get into. The thing that makes me so dangerous, and the thing that made the SalRo have so much confidence in me.

**Is that I don't go down easily.**

Sure, I was faster and stronger than the average person, and I had the reflexes to boot, but I wasn't some sort of fighting genius. I was just unexpectedly durable. 

**That's probably why the SalRo was so tough on me when it came to pushing my physical abilities to their limit,**

Albert punched at me again and I blocked it. It still hurt, but I wasn't worried about taking too many hits from him because of how slow he was.

**It's been a while since I've been hit by something so heavy. Letting him get so many free hits isn't smart, though.**

My durability is what made me such a problem. I could get hit by a bus, a truck, and then a tank, but still, get right back up.

**Obvious exaggeration, but I'm making a point here... This group of Class C students wouldn't be able to take me down even if I stood still for them.**

Albert sent a punch my way, and I decided to match his. I knew he was strong, but was he as tanky as he looked? Our fists collided and we both started to shake the pain off our hands. I was starting to get excited.

**Damn, this is a rush! I haven't fought in years!**

I wasn't thinking straight and I was starting to lose control as I let my excitement take over. I gave Albert a gut punch. His face changed for a moment, but then returned to normal. He was definitely built like a truck.

**I'm time-crunched here... Time to stop playing around.**

I baited Albert into thinking I was going for another body shot. As he tried to evade, I redirected and aimed for his throat instead. Human bodies have many weak spots that can't be trained, and the throat is one of them. As I struck his neck, he fell to the ground.

Ishizaki: Y/N!

Ishizaki shouted as he ran at me from behind.

**What is this, an anime? Why would he yell before attacking?**

I stuck my arms in the air and lifted one leg. I took on the crane pose from the Karate Kid movies.

Y/N: Ever seen the Karate Kid?

Ishizaki: Ahh!

Y/N: Yeah, me neither.

I dropped the pose I was in and just simply gave Ishizaki an uppercut to the jaw. I felt Albert trying to get back up, so I quickly turned around and gave him a kick to the face. Ishizaki and Albert were both down and out.

**That wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be for somebody who hasn't fought in years...**

I turned back to Ryuen who was still smiling. It seemed as if the example of made of these two wasn't enough for him.

Ryuen: I see. This situation where things would be resolved with violence was engineered by you yourself.

Y/N: Think whatever you want. How much time am I at, Kei?

She didn't respond and stared at me in amazement. She was one of the closest people to seeing my true abilities, but unlike Suzune, she never got to see the physical side of things.

Ryuen: The advantage I thought I held until now was just a ruse. I was dancing in your palm this entire time, huh? Ever since the island test, everything was orchestrated perfectly to reach this moment.

Y/N: Maybe. Maybe not.

With Albert and Ishizaki out, all Ryuen had was Ibuki.

Ryuen: What now, Ibuki?

Ibuki hesitated and looked at Ryuen, then at me, then back to Ryuen.

Ibuki: What in the world... is wrong with you?

She clenched her fists. She was feeling frustrated about how things turned out despite her best efforts, and now she was on the verge of boiling over.

Ibuki: And Y/N?!

Y/N: Huh?-

She ran at me and sent a kick toward me.

**Why, Ibuki..?**

I blocked her kick and pushed her away.

Y/N: Chill out-

She wasn't even listening to me as she kept going. I'd never seen Ibuki fight before, but from blocking her kick, I could clearly tell she was being sloppy right now.

**She doesn't really want to fight me. She's just expressing her frustration with me for not taking a hint and leaving while I had the chance.**

I opted for dodging instead of blocking, but Ibuki's pursuit was relentless. I looked past her to Ryuen as I evaded. The smug look on his face made me feel bad for Ibuki having to be working alongside him.

**I wonder if Ibuki would be a more gentle girl if she got into a different class.**

Ibuki: You're annoying! I don't know what's going on, but you're so annoying!

**I understand what you were trying to do, but don't worry about me. I'm not letting what Ryuen did slide.**

I caught her leg as she tried to kick me again and pulled her close. I leaned over and whispered to her.

Y/N: Thanks for trying to look out for me. We're enemies right now, though, remember?

Ibuki: What?-

I didn't give her a chance to pull her leg away before I gave her a swift, but sturdy chop to the neck and knocked her out. I held her up as her body went limp.

I didn't want Ibuki to go through any more pain than needed, so I made it quicker with her than I did with Ishizaki and Albert. I carried her away and gently laid her on the floor by some bags. I did have some form of one-sided affection towards her now. There's no way I could've been as brutal with her as I was with everybody else.

Y/N: Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!

Ryuen: Yet again, I've underestimated you. Foolish me. Not only are you cunning, but your ability in violence is also top-notch.

Y/N: I'll take the compliment. So are we done here now?

Ryuen: I'm still standing, right?

He charged at me. Most people would swing for the face when first attacking, but Ryuen got low and went for my torso. I took a punch to the stomach before he wrapped me up and charged with his full body toward a wall.

**What's this fighting style? Or lack of...**

Ryuen wasn't as strong as Albert, and I'd argue he wasn't as fast as Ibuki either. But he was a tougher opponent than any of the other 3 so far. What made him so tough was how unpredictable he was. We exchanged blows back and forth, but Ryuen was so hard to read. He fought like a wild animal.

**I can see how he'd win fights. Unlike Ibuki who uses some sort of Capoeira or Albert who has very predetermined attacks, Ryuen is a street-fighter. Nothing he does is orthodox.**

I delivered my knee into his stomach and then redirected it into his chin as he bent over. After that, I extended my leg and kicked him away from me sending him onto the floor.

**A 3-Piece Combo with only 1 leg! I better write that one down for some other time. That was nice...**

Ryuen: Isn't this fun, Y/N? Let's have more of it.

He got back up.

Ryuen: This is all a game to me. Ichinose and Class B. You and Class D. I'm saving Sakayanagi and Class A for last. Crushing you all is fun.

He grabbed a step ladder and threw it at me.

**What the hell? Using weapons-**

As I evaded it, he entered the space I planned to dodge into. He put me in a headlock, but I broke free. When I turned around he grabbed my uniform with one hand and forced his other against my neck before shoving me back into a wall. I held his arm back enough for him to not fully pin me.

Ryuen: I want to get a little more fun out of you... Y/N! If you're that good, why won't you fight where people can see you?

Y/N: I have my own reasons.

Ryuen: Then I'll drag you into the light!

He let up for a moment in an attempt to change his hold. It was enough time for me to punch him in his side and throw him against the wall instead. He knocked some pipes over in my direction and I got out of the way.

**His fighting style has no patterns and he'll use any weapons or stage hazards that come into his path. I can see why he was able to even subdue somebody like Albert.**

We started to exchange blows again. I wanted to wipe that smile off his face. He saw all of this as fun and exciting, but the adrenaline I felt before was mostly gone now. At this point, I just found this to be a hassle.

**I came here to get Kei. I didn't come here for a royal rumble with these guys...**

As we continued, I think Ryuen was starting to see that he was outmatched. Despite that realization, he showed no sign of surrendering.

Ryuen: You think you can defeat me?

Y/N: All things considered, I don't see a reason why not.

Ryuen: You may win today. But what about tomorrow, or the day after that? Or next week, or next month?

Y/N: You plan to win the long game?

Ryuen: If that's what it takes. I'll be there 24/7 waiting to strike at any moment!

He lunged at me, but I sidestepped him and used his own momentum against him, delivering my elbow into his face. I was becoming impatient and on the verge of no longer pulling my punches.

Y/N: You aren't afraid to lose?

Ryuen: Are you kidding me?

He recovered from my elbow and bent my arm back before running me into a wall once again.

**He really loves trying to abuse the walls, huh?**

Ryuen: I've never felt fear a day in my life! When most people experience pain, it turns into fear.

Y/N: Why don't you let me experience pain, then?

Ryuen: Don't mind if I do!

With his free hand, he repeatedly drove punches into my stomach.

Kei: Y/N!

He hit hard, but not nearly hard enough. After a bit of letting him punch me, he stopped.

Ryuen: You get it now?

Y/N: I don't.

His smile dropped.

Ryuen: Yeah right!

I lifted his leg and practically flipped him over. As quickly as he got up, I delivered a backhanded fist into his cheek. He fell back down in front of Kei. My last few hits were a bit harder than my previous ones.

Y/N: Why are you groveling at Karuizawa's feet? This is between you and me.

Ryuen: Shut the hell up-

I grabbed him before he could get up and tossed him away from Kei. He took a moment to catch his breath before he started getting up again.

Ryuen: You... You're something special. Despite having all that power, do you enjoy living it up with the peons?

Y/N: Never thought about that.

Ryuen: Of course, you haven't!

He came at me again, but my patience had already been tested. My head was starting to hurt as well. I gave him a few good licks to the face to daze him before flipping him onto the ground. This time, I didn't give him time to get back up. I got on top of him and pinned him down before I started to pummel him. He protected his face, so I just punched harder and harder until I could break his guard. He tried to wrestle with me, but I wasn't going for that.

Y/N: You've never felt fear, Ryuen?

Ryuen: You're damned right!

I went back to beating him. I delivered punch after punch to his face, but he refused to just lose. He had a smile on his face like this was still fun for him, but I intended to crush him right here and now.

Ryuen: It hurts, yeah. But that's all. Even if you beat me here... I'll never give up. Anytime, anywhere. The moment you let your guard down, I'll bite.

I didn't respond and just kept punching. Hard enough to hurt, but soft enough to keep him conscious.

**For the paranoia he caused Suzune. For whatever pain he put Kei through. For putting his hands on Ibuki. For messing with my class...**

I wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine.

Ryuen: Savor the pleasure unique to this moment. Victory is almost in sight, Y/N! Now show me what you're feeling! Is it joy? Anger? Annoyance? Show me your emotion!

I stopped punching for a moment.

Y/N: What I'm feeling..? What do you mean?

Maybe it was sleep deprivation, but I felt nothing. Maybe it was because I was just done having to fight Class C, but I felt nothing. There was no anger behind my punches. There was also no pleasure in what I was doing. This revenge made me feel bored. There was nothing... I was simply moving my body like it was taking orders from a script.

Y/N: You've never felt fear? Me neither...

But obviously, that wasn't true. The honest truth was that I have been afraid this entire time. Not of Ryuen or any of his gang, but of finding out what they did to Kei while I wasn't here. I was afraid of confronting her after this was settled. I was afraid of how far I would go right now. I was afraid of my past. I was afraid of-

**Myself. The only person I've ever been afraid of on this planet is me... Stop... Stop, Y/N!**

Ryuen gasped for air and had a look on his face I'd never seen from him.

**Fear... Looks like he's capable of feeling it after all.**

I punched him one more time but didn't have enough control to hold back. That last punch was enough to put him to sleep. I got up and stared down at him. I looked around the room at the carnage that unfolded here.

**I hope Ryuen's smart enough to call it quits here. I've instilled a feeling in him that he didn't know he had. Fear. That feeling of fear will always be attached to my name and my face. Now-**

I left Ryuen there as I took off my jacket and ran over to Kei. She sat, shivering in a puddle of water.

Kei: Y... N...

**What did you go through, Kei... I'm sorry I didn't come sooner.**

I felt my blood boiling as I imagined what Kei might've gone through while I was dragging my feet. I crouched down next to her and threw my jacket over her back to even slightly warm her.

Y/N: I'm sorry... You had to suffer for so long... I should've come immediately.

Kei: That's fine... I'm just a little numb from the cold.

I pulled the jacket around her. She was still shivering and wet. This wasn't the best place to talk, but my judgment was clouded, and she was too shaken up to move.

Y/N: Did I disappoint you?

Kei: You bet you did. You were using me from the start.

Y/N: Yeah...

It wasn't until Chabashira's interference that I began to see those around me as weapons. Before then, I just simply wanted to get to know her.

**Damn SalRo bastards... What kind of teachings did you beat into me?**

Y/N: But, Kei... Why didn't you sell me out to Ryuen, then?

She hesitated.

Kei: For myself. Just for myself.

She stared at me and tried to stay strong, but she cracked. Her lip quivered and her eyes started to tear up. She began to wobble as she became weak, so I pulled her close as she began to cry.

Kei: That was scary! I was so scared!

Y/N: Kei...

I felt horrible. Just the other day, she gave me her shoulder to cry on. Today, I couldn't be there to save her in time, so the least I could do is let her cry.

Y/N: Don't worry anymore. From this moment forward, you're free.

**Kei, I'm sorry. I'm the one that hurt you. Not Ryuen or anybody in Class C. It was my fault.**

Y/N: I won't ask for you to forgive me, but I'll ask you to remember one thing. Just like today... If anything ever happens to you again, I will be there.

Kei: Y... N...

She clenched onto my shirt as I held her, but she was still so weak. She had been strong for a while, but now that she was safe, her adrenaline high was going away.

Y/N: Let's get out of here... Can you walk?

She didn't say anything and kept crying. She was letting it all out. This went beyond what happened today. For months, no, for years Kei had been dealing with bullying. A part of me wanted to believe that half of the tears she was shedding were tears of joy after finally being freed from it all.

**That's fine.**

I let go of her before bending down in front of her.

Y/N: Hop on. Hop up on my back.

She climbed onto my back and laid her head on my shoulder. I carried her downstairs towards the exit.

Kei: Y/N-

Y/N: Kei, can I say something? Again, I truly apologize for using you. I saw you as a piece in my wild game of chess... But Kei... that changed this morning.

Kei: This... morning...

Y/N: I couldn't say it before, but I wanted to tell you so badly. I used you, but I never wanted to see you hurting. Maybe that's why... why I lost control today.

Kei: Y/N...

Y/N: Maybe I'm selfish for saying this, and maybe this isn't a good time, but...

I looked over at her. A big smile formed on my face. As long as she was with me now, she was safe.

Y/N: I care about you, Kei.

Kei: I l-love you, too, Y/N.

My face went red. I didn't say it, but Kei was good at reading people. She knew what I wanted to say.

Y/N: Y-You what?!

**That isn't even what I said! Such a quick and confident reply! Is she serious?**

Y/N: Really?

She quickly hid her face and wiped her tears into my shirt.

Y/N: Dude!

She stopped wiping and looked at me with a smile.

Kei: You owe me this...

Y/N: Carry on, then...

As I carried her, I noticed she wasn't shivering anymore and the color was returning to her. It brought a smile to my face to see her happy and safe. We reached the exit of the building and I tried to put Kei down, but she wrapped her arms around me and refused to be placed