The sun filtered weakly through the narrow, barred windows of the prison workshop.
Metal clanged. Sweat dripped. The sharp buzz of saws and the rhythmic pound of hammers filled the air.
Prisoners worked silently—each one under the watchful eyes of armed guards above.
Ryker wore a dull blue uniform, number 1770 printed across his back. His hands were rough with dust and grime as he hammered metal beside a silent man.
The man beside him had the number 5378.
Ryker glanced over, then spoke quietly.
"Hello."
The man didn't respond.
Ryker wiped sweat from his brow and leaned a little closer.
"5378… Can I ask something?"
This time, the man's voice came—rough and low, like it hadn't been used in years.
"Yes."
"Why does everyone fear Ryu?"
The man didn't look at him, just kept hammering.
"Because we have no choice."
"What do you mean?" Ryker asked, frowning.
The man stopped for a second, eyes distant.
"Yesterday… those two were forced to fight. Ryu said 'fight'—so they did. No one dares argue. Not even the guards."
A pause.
"He rules this place. We survive by obeying."
Ryker looked down at the metal in his hand.
"I see..."
His voice was quiet, but his eyes burned with thought.
He didn't fear Ryu.
But he understood now—this wasn't just a prison. It was a kingdom.
And Ryu was the king.
The metallic clink of hammers echoed through the prison workshop, but around Ryker, time seemed to still.
The man beside him—5378—paused mid-swing, then turned his head just enough to glance at the boy beside him.
"You, kid… you never thought of fighting Ryu?"
Ryker didn't answer right away. His eyes were fixed ahead, not on the chains or the tools—but something further, deeper.
Then, softly—but with an edge sharp as steel—he replied:
"I've decided."
5378 blinked.
"Decided… what?"
Ryker looked him in the eye now. No fear. Just clarity.
"I won't fight Ryu."
A beat of silence.
"What?" the man asked, his voice a mix of confusion and disbelief.
Ryker's voice remained calm—calmer than it should've been in a place like this.
"I'm not here to fight kings of cages. I'm here to survive… and find a way out."
He turned back to his work, tightening a bolt with precision.
"Fighting Ryu? That's his game. I'm playing mine."
5378 stared at him for a long moment… then gave a quiet, bitter chuckle.
"You're strange, kid. But I hope your 'game' doesn't get you killed."
Ryker didn't respond.
But inside, he whispered:
"This place… it won't break me. I'll use it."
Night
The prison lights flickered, buzzing softly before darkness swallowed the corridors.
Ryker gave a small nod. "You promised to tell me tonight."
Kujo looked hesitant for a moment, then quietly crawled over to sit beside him. His voice dropped even lower, barely audible above the faint hum of night insects outside.
"I found something," Kujo said. "A weakness... not in Ryu's body, but his mind."
Ryker turned toward him, eyes sharp.
"His mind?"
"Ryu is obsessed with control," Kujo continued. "Everything—fights, food, rows, prisoners—must follow his order. But when he loses control, even for a second... he unravels."
"Unravels?" Ryker whispered.
"He panics. Becomes reckless. That's the moment someone could beat him."
Ryker narrowed his eyes, the pieces beginning to form in his mind.
"So, to beat a monster... you shatter his throne first."
But then, a voice from the shadows interrupted.
"Heh... I don't know about weak points," Higashi said, rising slowly from his bed. His voice was calm, yet sharp like broken glass. "But I do know how to make a tyrant scream."
Ryker and Kujo stiffened.
"Higashi... you were listening?" Kujo asked, nervous.
"I was," Higashi replied, stepping into the moonlight spilling through the barred window. His expression was unreadable. "You boys talk too loud."
He crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall.
"I've watched Ryu longer than anyone," Higashi said. "And if you want to break him... don't aim for his fists. Aim for his pride."
He looked straight at Ryker.
"Use your words. Twist the fear he controls. Turn it against him."
Ryker remained silent, but a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"So that's the key."
"Not strength... but domination of the mind."
He stood up slowly, looking toward the barred window.
"I'm going to make the king of this prison kneel," he said.
The moonlight touched his face, and in that moment, he no longer looked like a prisoner.
He looked like a storm.
The corridor was cold. Dim lights flickered above, casting long shadows across the narrow path between cells. Silence reigned… until it didn't.
A sharp, echoing laugh cut through the still air.
"HAAAHAAAHAAAAAHAAAA!"
Higashi froze mid-step.
Behind him, down the corridor, the laugh continued—wild, raw, and laced with something far more dangerous than madness.
Confidence.
Higashi turned slightly, his eyes narrowing.
Inside the room, Ryker stood near the doorframe, his body relaxed, but his presence suddenly overwhelming.
"Higashi," Ryker called out, his voice like steel dragging across stone, "you're done."
Kujo, still inside the room, blinked in disbelief. "I think… it worked?"
Ryker didn't even glance back at him. His eyes were locked on Higashi.
"Definitely," he replied with calm assurance.
Higashi didn't answer. But his clenched jaw, the faint twitch in his fingers, the stiffness in his stride—they said everything.
He turned and walked away in silence.
But Ryker's words echoed behind him like a blade grazing his spine.
"You showed fear," Ryker murmured under his breath. "Now I know where to cut."
The iron door creaked shut behind him. Higashi stood just outside the room, his back pressed against the wall. A deep breath escaped his lips, laced with tension.
"I'll tell Ryu... but he's sleeping now," he muttered to himself, eyes glancing down the dim corridor. "I'll tell him tomorrow."
He looked up at the flickering prison light above, thoughts swirling like smoke.
But then… something twisted inside him.
A thought. A temptation.
His fingers slowly curled into a fist.
"I have a weakness…" Higashi whispered, staring at the floor. "But why… why am I even thinking of telling him?"
He looked toward the shadows, the place Ryker had laughed moments ago. That sound still echoed in his ears.
"If I use that weakness right… I could rule this prison."
His lips curled into a crooked smile. Confidence returned to his eyes.
"Yeah… that's right. I'll turn the tables. Tomorrow, I'll win."
He stepped away from the wall, footsteps silent but full of purpose.
The night continued, unaware that tomorrow, the balance of power inside the prison might just begin to shift.
The cafeteria buzzed with low chatter. Trays clattered, footsteps echoed, but something in the air was different. Tense. Expectant.
Ryker entered silently, standing at the end of the lunch line again. He didn't look around. He didn't need to. Eyes were already on him.
Kujo followed behind, whispering, "You sure about this?"
Ryker gave a half-smile. "We're not here to eat. We're here to disrupt."
Just then, Ryu entered with his usual entourage—loud, arrogant, the self-declared king of the prison. The room shifted. Prisoners stepped back from the line, giving Ryu his space.
Everyone... except Ryker.
He stood his ground, refusing to move.
"Kid," one of Ryu's men growled, "you deaf?"
Ryu's eyes narrowed. "You again..."
But before anything could escalate—
CLANG!
Ryker slammed his tray on the table.
"I'm not here to play king and servant," he said loud enough for all to hear. "This isn't your castle, Ryu. It's a cage."
Gasps echoed. Even the guards froze.
Ryu's smirk faded. "You've got guts."
"No," Ryker replied. "I've got a plan."
He sat down and began eating as if nothing happened. The room remained still.
Kujo sat beside him, shaking. "That was suicide…"
"Maybe," Ryker said between bites, "but look around. Fear just cracked. That's the first rattle.
Ryu vs Higashi "