Jin's POV
"So, where do you want me to start?" Ryu asked me seriously as we settled into our classroom. Our first professor was absent, so we had some free time to kill.
"Up to you," I replied, leaning back in my chair.
Kevin, as usual, was quiet, but there was something different about him today. He wasn't just being his usual reserved self—he seemed deep in thought, staring blankly at his desk beside Ryu's.
"Let's start with the Highest Ten before we talk about the factions," Ryu said, his tone shifting into something more serious. I sat up straight, interested in what he had to say. "Rank ten—Hero So. He's part of Phantom Six and one of the strongest fighters. A lot of people fear him because of the way he carries himself. Rank nine—Faith Ishida. You wouldn't expect him to be in the Highest Ten since he doesn't seem like the type, but if you push him too far, you'll find yourself in the hospital. Rank eight—the Maki Brothers. Their teamwork is terrifying. Jerome's speed combined with Jake's strength makes them a force to be reckoned with. Rank seven—Kailey Yuzu—"
I cut him off, raising an eyebrow. "Kailey? A girl?"
Ryu smirked. "Yeah, and she could probably kick your ass without breaking a sweat. Impressive, right?"
I chuckled. "Yeah, definitely."
"Glad you think so! Anyway, Rank six—Ken Nobunaga. He's the second-strongest member of Phantom Six, but I don't know much else about him. There's a rumor going around that he's always unlucky in love, though."
I burst out laughing. "Damn, people actually have time to think about romance in this place?"
"Hey, keep it down! Someone might hear you!" Ryu whispered, though he was laughing too. Then, his face turned serious again. "Now, let's move on to the top five—or as people call them, the Deadly Five. Rank five—Briana Naomi. Another girl, and honestly, I don't know much about her. She rarely interacts with others and is usually holed up in a classroom. Sometimes, she takes long walks alone. She's a complete mystery."
"Intriguing," I muttered to myself.
"Exactly! Now, moving on. Rank four—Damian Jung, leader of the Dark Knights. One of the most dangerous people in Sensō High. His strength is on par with Akami Holmes of the Akami faction. Next, Rank three—Jermaine Lee, or as people call him, King. He used to be Rank one, but Akira took that title from him."
"Akira?" I repeated. "Kevin mentioned him before. Who exactly is he?"
"Calm down, Jin! We'll get to that!" Ryu chuckled before turning serious again. "King wasn't always Rank three. He was actually Rank two, but Akami and Shiro teamed up against him and knocked him down to Rank four. When Akira vanished, he climbed back up to three. Now, let's talk about the two strongest fighters. Rank two—Akami Holmes, the leader of Akami. He was one of the two who took down King. His fighting style is unpredictable, making it almost impossible to read his movements."
Ryu suddenly turned his gaze toward me, his expression darkening. "Jin, whatever you do, don't challenge him. And most importantly, never, ever go up against Rank one—Shiro Ryota. He's not just strong; he's a monster in human form. The aura surrounding him is suffocating. His mere presence can make people freeze in fear. Trust me, Jin, if you value your life, stay away from him. You can take on anyone from Rank ten to five, but the top four? Don't even think about it."
His words made me pause.
'Are they really that strong for Ryu to give me such a serious warning? Tch. Not that I planned on messing with them in the first place.'
"What about Akira?" I asked. "You said you know something about him."
"Oh, right! Hahaha, my bad! Not everyone can be as handsome—er, I mean, as sharp as you expect!" Ryu joked, earning an eye-roll from me. But he quickly turned serious again.
"Akira Yuiji, also known as 'Ace.' He ruled this school before disappearing. Unlike most people here, he didn't join any faction. Actually, he and King are similar in that way. But Akira was different—his presence alone was overwhelming, even heavier than Shiro's. No one ever dared to challenge him except for King, and King never won against him. Then, one day, Akira just vanished. It's been months, and no one knows where he went."
I couldn't help but be amazed. "That's insane."
"Right?! And get this! You're gonna love this next part!" Ryu grinned.
"Oh? What is it?" I asked curiously.
"Did you know that Kevin used to be in the Highest Ten?"
I gave him a bored look. "You just said I didn't know that. Because I'm a transferee."
Ryu scoffed at himself. "Tch. Right. My bad. Anyway!"
I could only shake my head. Ryu was definitely something else.
I sat across from him, listening as he recounted the stories of the strongest fighters in this school. His excitement was evident, but I kept my gaze serious, absorbing every bit of information he shared.
"He used to be one of the Highest Ten," he began, his voice filled with admiration. "In fact, he was ranked sixth—one of the strongest back then!"
"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow. "Why isn't he ranked now?"
He scoffed, shaking his head. "Tch. Lost interest, apparently."
I frowned. "Lost interest?"
"Yeah," he confirmed, chuckling at the thought. "Ever since Ace disappeared, he just stopped caring. He always said that one day, he'd surpass Ace, but when Ace vanished, so did his motivation."
I nodded, taking in the information. "I see. Who's next?"
He leaned forward, his voice lowering as if he were about to reveal a great secret. "Now, let's talk about the factions... There are plenty in this school, but I'll only tell you about the ones that truly matter."
I listened intently as he continued. "One of the deadliest factions here is the Dark Knights. They're numerous, but only five of them are truly feared."
I smirked. "That's the faction led by Damian Jung, right?"
"That's right, brother," he confirmed. "Damian is their leader, but his second-in-command, Faith Ishida, is ranked ninth overall. He's not just a co-leader—he's Damian's right hand, his most trusted enforcer. Then, there's Dwayne West. He's quiet, but deadly. Just one look from him is enough to make weaker fighters freeze in place. Next, there's Chord Ruiz. Unlike Dwayne, he never shuts up, but don't let that fool you—he's an absolute monster in combat. And then there's Jacob Sy. He's neither loud nor quiet—he just doesn't care about anything. But when it comes to fighting, he's ruthless. You should've seen their battle against the Akami Army! It was a war."
He leaned back, shaking his head in awe. "Imagine this—both factions had more than fifteen fighters each. By the time the battle was over, only the five strongest from each side were left standing. More than twenty fighters taken down in a single fight, and those ten still remained on their feet! That's what it means to be at the top in this school."
I couldn't help but be impressed. Ten warriors left standing after an all-out battle? That's insane.
"Now, let's talk about the Akami Army," he continued. "You already know about Akami Holmes, right?"
I nodded. "No need to tell me about him. Let's move on to the others."
"Alright. Then, let's start with Satoshi Cruz, the co-leader of Akami Army. He's one of the most durable fighters in this school, and his fighting style is unpredictable. Remember the battle between them and the Dark Knights? When the dust settled, only four fighters remained standing—him, Akami, Faith, and Damian. That's how strong they are. And in the end, all four collapsed from exhaustion."
I clenched my fist. If I want to stand at the top, I'll have to surpass warriors like them.
"Drake Perez is another key fighter," he continued. "He's all about technique. His punches aren't the hardest, but he knows how to wear down his opponents. Then, there's Renz Hozon. He's all about brute force—if you're not tough enough, you won't last against him. And lastly, Kiro Yuri. Sounds cool, right? His last name is better than his first," he chuckled. "But don't let that fool you. He's strong. He nearly took down the Dark Knights' co-leader in their battle."
I listened to all of it carefully, every name, every fight. My mind was already working, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses. If I'm going to dominate this school, I need to know exactly who I'll be up against.
I glanced at Kevin, who was sitting beside me, still silent. He didn't seem to care about anything we were talking about. Tch. Are all the people here this weird?
I leaned forward, intrigued by what I was hearing. Ryu had a way of making these stories sound like legends, and I was eager to learn more. The factions in this school weren't just groups of fighters; they were powerhouses, each with its own hierarchy, alliances, and rivalries.
"And last but the deadliest faction," Ryu continued, his voice dropping slightly, "is the Phantom Six. They're different from the rest. Unlike the other factions, which rely on sheer numbers, the Phantom Six is made up of only six elite fighters. And despite their small size, they're feared more than most."
I narrowed my eyes. "How strong are they?"
Ryu smirked. "Strong enough that three of their members are listed in the Highest Ten."
That caught my attention. "Go on."
He nodded. "First, there's Shiro Ryota. He's the leader. I've already told you everything I know about him earlier, so I won't repeat myself. Just remember this—if you ever have to fight him, be prepared for a battle unlike anything else. He's not just strong. He's smart."
"And the co-leader?"
Ryu grinned. "Ken Nobunaga."
"As I heard," Ryu muttered, clearly amused. "Aside from being absolutely miserable when it comes to romance, he's also the second-in-command of the deadliest faction in school. Pretty ironic, huh?"
I chuckled. "I'd never have guessed."
"Then there's Hero So. You already know about him, so I won't repeat myself." Ryu waved a hand dismissively before moving on. "Next, we have Ivan Yuroiji. He's the youngest in the faction. A first-year, but don't let that fool you—he can hold his own against seniors like us."
I nodded, absorbing the information. "And the last two?"
"Jiro Matsuda and Bryle Taiga," Ryu said, but his expression shifted when he mentioned Bryle's name. His usual enthusiasm faded, replaced by something else. Annoyance? Anger?
I caught the change immediately. "What's up with you? You seemed fine a second ago."
Ryu scoffed, crossing his arms. "Tch. That guy just pisses me off."
I raised an eyebrow. "Why? What's your problem with him?"
Before Ryu could answer, Kevin finally spoke up, his voice carrying the usual indifference. "Don't believe him, Jin. He's just salty because Bryle stole his crush"
There was a brief silence before I burst out laughing. "No way."
Ryu's face darkened, and he shot Kevin a murderous glare. "You just had to bring that up, didn't you?"
Kevin shrugged. "Just setting the record straight."
I was still laughing. "So this isn't even about fighting? You're just bitter?"
"Shut up," Ryu muttered, sulking. "Do you even have a girlfriend?"
"Nope," I said easily. "But I have admirers. Plenty of them."
Ryu groaned, dramatically leaning back in his chair. "I give up. I'm not telling you anything else."
I smirked. "Come on, I was just messing with you."
"Tch."
Despite his reaction, I knew he wasn't actually mad. He was just being dramatic. Before I could press him for more, a thought crossed my mind.
"I have a question. If Kevin was once part of the Highest Ten, then why did he struggle to take down Jiro? Jiro isn't even in the rankings, right?"
Ryu's mood shifted instantly, his expression becoming serious. "That's because Kevin let him off easy."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Kevin doesn't like unnecessary fights. He could've ended that battle in seconds, but he held back because he didn't want to make things worse." Then, Ryu shot me a knowing look. "Unlike someone I know. You, on the other hand, went all in. Now we're probably gonna have problems because of it."
I rolled my eyes. "You make it sound like I went looking for trouble. He started it. I just finished it."
Ryu let out a loud laugh. "Oh, we're definitely getting into trouble."
I sighed, leaning back in my chair. Great. Just what I needed.
Still, I had one last question nagging at me. "One more thing. Why didn't Damian step in when Akami and Shiro took down King?"
Ryu tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
"Think about it. If he had helped, he would've secured a higher rank for himself. Maybe even third place. So why didn't he interfere?"
Ryu's expression shifted, and this time, there was a hint of respect in his voice. "Damian isn't like them. He doesn't fight dirty. He doesn't gang up on people or attack from the shadows. He fights head-on, relying only on his own strength. That's why I respect him. He's a warrior, not just a fighter."
I nodded slowly, impressed. "I see."
Out of all the names I'd heard today, Damian was the only one who seemed to have a code. Someone who stood apart from the chaos of this school.
Interesting.
The conversation continued for a bit, with Ryu rambling on and Kevin still glued to his phone, not bothering to engage much. Just as I was about to ask another question, our professor walked in, instantly silencing the entire room.
I glanced around, suddenly aware of something strange.
This school is insane.
No introductions. No getting-to-know-you activities. Just straight into lectures as if fights and factions weren't happening all around us.
I sighed, resting my chin on my hand.
Welcome to my new life.