We were quickly kicked out of the grounds of "Tsuugaku Academy" by teachers at the spot. They had assumed that I and Amatsuyu were there to pick a fight with some student at the school, which wasn't a completely wrong assessment. The school as a whole seemed to be without much violence, barely any delinquents being present there.

Although I had wanted to fight back somewhat, there was no reason to do so. The three-boned geezer had informed me that if the person was on the school grounds, I would've definitely felt it once I entered them. Considering the amount of power that was added to this person's name, I wanted to preserve energy in case it would be a challenge to fulfill the mission. I didn't know if I was to beat up the guy or something else, I thought

- Beating him up is probably easier -

Amatsuyu gritted his teeth as he commented

"To kick us out, rude bastards!"

I just turned my head and started walking towards the next destination, named 'Choukou High' in my notes. The name didn't mean anything to me, although I was supposed to be a delinquent, I didn't know much about the other schools around the city. My thoughts turned more confusing as a strange pain in my head buzzed on. It was like a seed had been planted inside of my head before and it was now starting to grow into a sapling to later pop out of my head. My mind was filled with those thoughts as I walked through the empty residential area.

Amatsuyu got a worried look as he looked over at my face, and asked

"Are you okay, Kaharu? You look pained"

I scratched my head as I had a hard time pushing out a denial, it was true after all. The headache I was experiencing didn't feel good at all. Although it was the disorienting effect it had rather than the pain itself that annoyed me.

A question formed in my head as I quickly reflected on the previous school we were at, I said

"Why do you think people become delinquents?"

Amatsuyu was taken aback slightly by the question, he'd never seen that side of Kaharu before, only the self-righteous and brash face of Kaharu. The one that had fought against him with strong beliefs. Kaharu had a much softer face on him. Perhaps out of pain, but he seemed so much closer to Amatsuyu as he looked down at the ground.

Amatsuyu responded

"Because of selfishness, right?"

"Eh?"

Amatsuyu continued

"Well, because it's about our own selfishness to do whatever we want to, we all have different reasons for becoming it in the end. Even if the core is the same.

If that means we're in the right or not…

I just don't know.

Sometimes I feel confused about that"

"Maybe that's also it?

Confusion, like we're all unaware of what paths to take, and don't like the prebuilt road.

Like we're lost in the world."

Amatsuyu lit up and cast himself towards me as he screamed

"As expected of Brother Kaharu--!"

"Why do you always---!? You're like Ranna!"

"Who's that?"

Amatsuyu, lying on the ground after I had dodged his attack, displayed a completely serious and stone-like face.

"Why'd you get so serious suddenly?"

Our conversation was supposed to continue, but I noticed as I took a couple of steps forth that nicely-taken care of gate, with a sign sitting very straight by the opening of the gate.

"Choukou High… We've made it."

It was only then I realized, as I took another step, that the gravity suddenly felt heavier for some reason. Every step I took seemed to be heavier than the previous one. There was definitely an aura there that placed some weight on the atmosphere, like the clouds suddenly decided to lower themselves onto us, it felt like there was more pressure put on us for every shifting of the shoe.

Amatsuyu nodded as I looked over at him to see if I was alone in my assessment, we walked in towards the silent schoolyard. It seemed like there weren't many delinquents at this school either, the yard being mostly empty with exempt from a couple of students passing by.

We walked in with cautious but quick steps, we didn't want to get caught the same way as before. We were unsure of how the security would be in the school, whether we were lab rats unknowingly running around in a made-up labyrinth, or explorers sent to foreign lands to roam the soil without consequences.

"Doesn't it kinda feel like we're spies, or something?"

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Kaharu sighed as he responded

"Not really, our mission doesn't have to be secret. So we can let our fists do the talking if it comes down to it."

We continued walking, strafing along the wall until we reached the corner.

My heart skipped a beat as we turned the corner, catching brief sight of an oddly-colored school uniform before it disappeared to the other side. We hadn't seen the actual school uniform yet, but it was unlikely to be wine-red with odd stripes on it.

I felt a strange anxiety run into my heart as I witnessed the school uniform disappear.

Without thinking much, I ran across the length of the building to catch up to the suspect I had formed in my head. Amatsuyu hadn't expected it, so he quickly started running.

As I ran, I considered my potential opponent.

To be an all-powerful person, they must've been menacing. I wondered if they were even aware of their powers, without being a part of a shrine or anything. I wondered what type of ability one would have in that case.

Without realizing it, the anxiety that had taken center-stage in my heart had been replaced with curiosity and excitement. My heart beat harder for different reasons as I turned that second corner.

*Puronn*

My face had been hit by a green-colored eraser that landed right on my forehead. Immediately getting upset, I looked forth for some sort of revenge and witnessed a very large man walk towards two female students, one of which was in a throwing position.

She stood frozen as she saw me quietly walk past the corner and towards them as she thought I was a friend of Zukiwa who'd come to aide him in his conquest.

Zukiwa started talking with his very dark, bassy voice

"Ohya? You seem very complacent all of a sudden. How about it, wanna go on a date?"

I understood the situation and bent down to pick up the eraser quickly. As Zukiwa's body got closer to the girls, I loaded a little bit of electricity into my hand and threw it against his head.

*PURONN*

The sound came through a lot clearer that time, the point of impact quickly being covered by a large hand. Zukiwa grunted as he turned around.

His face's details were very rough and a darkly-colored stubble made him look older than he probably was. His eyes were very stern-looking as they stared at the comparatively smaller person I was. His silent stare proved to have an aura of itself as it gave leeway for a very tense and menacing atmosphere. It felt somewhat similar to the one I'd experienced right by the entrance of the school. I thought to myself

- Since when did I protect students from other schools?

Whatever, it's aligned with my objective after all. -

I didn't particularly care too much about the girls, as they weren't from my school either way. But I didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble later on, so I took from the ground again as it'd bounced quite some distance, and threw it at them.

"Don't forget your eraser…!"

"Yes---!"

The girl who'd thrown it caught it in the air and with a mild blush ran of towards the school with her friend. I shrugged as I turned towards the larger man again, with quite a dirty school uniform on him.

His stare was broken as he looked back on the fleeing girls, returning it and saying

"Who the hell are you?"

He raised his shoulder to stretch it quickly, revealing a tattoo of a red fish on his arm as he did it. He then took a look at my school uniform and cracked a smile. Amatsuyu arrived at that moment as well, immediately stopping himself in the tension he felt as he joined the scene. Zukiwa laughed to himself as he said

"Those uniforms… you guys think you're delinquents?"

I and Amatsuyu displayed confused faces as we heard that. I didn't understand the question, I very clearly knew that I was a delinquent. I responded

"Whaddya mean? Obviously we are"

"I see, you guys are some of those pretend-to-be delinquents, huh.

Didn't know some of you were so delusional"

I felt myself getting more frustrated for each word that came out of his mouth. I responded

"Pretend-to-be!? What's that supposed to mean!?"

Zukiwa corrected his jacket as he said

"What it's supposed to mean? Obviously it means what I said, idiot!

You guys aren't real delinquents. Tell me…

Have you ever smoked? Have you ever gotten a tattoo? Have you ever broken actual laws outside of school? Have you ever wanted to truly sever the establishment apart, no matter the cost? Have you ever visited a rival school to show them who's superior? Have you ever felt the pain of one of your comrades falling and avenged their defeat? Have you ever felt the true bonding between brothers?

Most likely the answer to those is 'no' on your part.

Wanna know how I can tell?

It's your eyes.

They may have a temporary flame to them, but they're weak. They have no true conviction, they have no real struggle to them. You live in a pretty lie where you can be violent enough to satisfy your angsty desires, but complacent enough to perfectly blend into society later.

I usually don't give a shit about incompetent imbeciles like you, but you have shown to be overconfident by stepping in my way. By disrupting my conquest.

I'll teach you true delinquency"

*CRACK*

He cracked his knuckles as he twisted his neck in several directions.

I got upset on several levels as I'd heard the entire monologue of Zukiwa, like lightning had struck every single bone in my body. I felt an identity crisis sneak up on me, if I was neither a normal student, nor a delinquent, what was I? It felt hollow inside of my heart as he'd rejected my new state, and my change as a person. But that hole was soon filled up by another feeling:

Fury.

The notion that I'd never gone through any pain or struggle activated my entire body to be engulfed in a strange flame, it was unexpected but once I burnt, it made sense to me.

Like delinquents usually were, I was very dissatisfied with the authority Zukiwa exerted with his claim, like he was supposed to know anything. Who said he was right?

The thought that he had the guts to claim that annoyed me further, I started charging my fist with electricity as I prepared to fly towards him.

He was busy preparing his own punch to see my state, as he cracked his neck a few more times.

"Let the dreaded lesson begin…!"

"You don't know shit about true delinquency!"

As I jumped up towards Zukiwa, he took a look at my arm and noticed something strange. Amatsuyu also noticed something strange with Zukiwa

"Electrici----?"

"Wait, Kaha---"

*SLAM*

A blow straight to Zukiwa's face landed him on the ground in a very quick manner, I landed on the ground a couple of meters ahead. I looked back.

The body of Zukiwa laid there, completely still, not moving at all. I said

"One… punch…?

As Amatsuyu went forth to look at him, he said

"He's unconscious..."

I immediately brought my arms into the air as I felt a true joy spring up inside of me, I exclaimed loudly

"I won! Over the 'all-powerful' guy! That must mean that I've gotten stronger! That easily too!"

As Amatsuyu looked at the face of Zukiwa once again, he said

"I don't think so..."

I looked down at Amatsuyu and said

"Wait, what"

"I don't think this guy was the all-powerful person we were looking for."

"No wait, you don't mea----"

…

- I wish they'd all disappear…

Giving me this much homework again… -

A student with a sloppily taken care of uniform wandered the halls until he sat down in a corner quietly, avoiding all possible contact with people around him. A black crisp sat on top of his heart as he put his pen and notebook down beside him.

…