The sky was grey, matching the cold, tense air that hung over the prison courtyard. One hour of daily freedom. Group 1 gathered under the wary eyes of the guards. Prisoners stood in loose clusters, whispering, stealing glances toward the center.
There, as always, sat Ryu.
Slouched like a king on a concrete bench, his eyes half-lidded but sharp. No one dared step near him.
At his side, an officer stood silently. He'd seen it before—this little routine.
"No one ever steps up. But that's Ryu."
Ryu yawned, cracking his neck as he rose.
"So..." he drawled, loud enough for all to hear. "Who wants to fight today?"
The crowd went silent.
Not even a breath.
Ryu smirked. "No one? As usual..."
He turned in mock boredom. "Tsk. Weaklings."
Then—
A hand rose.
All heads snapped toward it.
Higashi stepped forward, calm, unreadable.
Ryu raised an eyebrow. "Oh? The great Higashi wants something?"
He smiled, amused. "Then tell me. Who's your opponent?"
The tension sharpened like a blade.
Higashi slowly raised his arm, pointing straight ahead.
"…You," he said. "I want to fight you, Ryu."
A shockwave of murmurs ripped through the crowd.
"Did he say Ryu?"
"He's crazy—!"
Ryu blinked once, then laughed. "You sure?"
Higashi nodded. "If I win, I'll rule this prison."
Ryu's grin widened. "Fine. But if I win... you lose your position. You're no longer Number Two."
The guards said nothing. The officer behind Ryu crossed his arms.
A space opened in the courtyard.
The circle formed.
Ryu vs. Higashi.
The air was electric.
Higashi stepped forward first, speaking calmly. "You're strong, Ryu. But your brain's your weakness."
Ryu narrowed his eyes. "Brain? What are you saying?"
"You couldn't save your family. Or your friends. Or your lover," Higashi said, voice steady but cold. "I know. Your life... was full of loss."
CRACK!
Ryu's fist landed cleanly across Higashi's face, spinning him.
"Stop your chatter," Ryu muttered.
THWACK!
A brutal knee to the face followed.
Blood dripped from Higashi's mouth. He staggered back, eyes dazed.
"Can't... believe it's not working," he whispered in pain.
Ryu didn't give him time.
BAM! BAM! BAM!—a flurry of punches, relentless, brutal.
Then—a crushing kick to the chest.
Higashi collapsed to the ground, unmoving.
Ryu stood over him, chest rising slowly.
"You lose," he said. "You're not Number Two anymore."
The crowd was dead silent.
Fear had returned.
But in one corner, Ryker watched. Calm. Focused.
Not afraid.
Only calculating.
The dim bulb flickered in the corner of the prison room.
Ryker lay on the hard, creaky bed, one arm over his eyes. His breathing was steady—calm, like the surface of a still lake. In contrast, the rest of the room echoed with soft snores and the hum of mosquitoes.
Suddenly—
BANG!
The door burst open with a slam.
Footsteps raced in.
"Haaa… Haaah…!"
Kujo stood at the door, panting, drenched in sweat, his eyes wide.
Ryker opened one eye lazily.
"…Koji?"
Kujo stumbled forward, hands on knees. "You… you said it... You said Higashi would fight… and lose…"
Ryker sat up slowly, rubbing his neck. "Yeah. I did."
Kujo's voice was rushed, almost frantic. "But how did you know? He stood like a lion—and then Ryu crushed him!"
Ryker didn't smile. He simply stared at the ceiling.
"I told you, didn't I?" he said quietly. "He spoke out. That means he had emotions. Fear. Hope. Pride. All weakness in front of Ryu."
Kujo sat down beside him, still catching his breath.
"You knew he'd get emotional… and Ryu would use that."
Ryker nodded once. "Higashi tried to use words. But words don't work on a monster who's already lost everything."
He turned to Kujo, eyes cold and certain.
"But this... was necessary."
Kujo tilted his head. "Necessary?"
Ryker laid back down and whispered, "Now... everyone knows no one else can challenge Ryu."
His hand rested on his chest.
"And that's when I make my move."
Kujo sat quietly on the edge of the cold, metal bed, staring at the boy beside him.
Ryker was already fast asleep, one arm tossed over his face, the blanket half-dangling off the side. His breathing was peaceful—like the chaos of the prison never touched him.
Kujo glanced at him, then muttered in his mind:
"This kid… he's expensive."
A grin tugged at the corner of Kujo's lips.
Not in money… but in value.
The moment he steps in, the balance starts to shift.
He looked around the room. The other prisoners snored like wild animals, uncaring of the storm that was quietly brewing under their noses.
Suddenly, Ryker turned in his sleep and mumbled:
"Yawn… I want sleep…"
Kujo let out a soft chuckle. "You're scary when awake… and annoying when asleep."
He pulled his blanket over his legs and laid back.
"What are you really planning, Ryker…?"
The prison returned to silence. But deep beneath that stillness, a revolution had already begun.
The prison cell was dim.
Higashi sat on the corner of his bed, a hand on his bruised face, the swelling still fresh from Ryu's blows. Blood had dried near his lips, but the sting in his chest wasn't from the wounds.
It was shame.
"Ahh… I made a mistake."
His voice echoed softly in the silence.
"Why… Why did I think I could defeat Ryu?"
He clenched his fists, teeth grinding as flashes of the fight ran through his head.
Ryu's knee.
The weight of his punches.
The cold in his voice.
Unshakable. Unforgiving. Undeniably stronger.
Higashi leaned back, eyes flickering to the ceiling. But then—his expression shifted. Not fear. Not sorrow. But realization.
He remembered it.
Kujo's voice whispering.
Ryker laughing.
The talk of a weakness.
"That kid…" he muttered.
"That damn kid… manipulated me."
He sat up straight, eyes narrowing as the pieces came together.
"He knew I'd take the bait… He used me to test Ryu. He's calculating, dangerous…"
A twisted grin crept onto his face.
"You think you're smart, huh, kid?"
"You think you can play me like a pawn?"
His breath grew heavier, rage boiling in his gut.
"I'll devour you."
"Remember this, Ryker… I don't lose twice."
The room fell silent again—but now, a different storm was forming.
The clang of iron tools.
The distant shouts of officers.
Another day of prison labor.
Ryker moved steadily, sweat on his brow, hands covered in dust as he hauled bricks across the yard.
Beside him, Kujo worked too—but his eyes weren't on the job.
"Hey, Ryker," Kujo said, glancing sideways.
"What's next? What's our move?"
Ryker didn't look at him.
"The next move... is unpredictable."
"Tch. Don't give me that vague nonsense," Kujo grumbled.
"Just admit you're not telling me."
"Yeah," Ryker replied simply, a faint smirk on his lips.
Kujo narrowed his eyes, then suddenly froze mid-lift.
"Hey... why is Higashi watching you like that?"
Ryker didn't even need to look. He could feel Higashi's eyes burning into the back of his skull from across the yard.
"Because," Ryker said calmly,
"I entered his mind."
"What...?" Kujo asked, confused.
"What does that mean?"
Ryker dropped the next brick with a dull thud.
"He's thinking about me. Obsessing. Hating."
"He wants to devour me."
Kujo blinked.
"Devour you?!"
Ryker finally turned, locking eyes with Higashi across the field for a brief second.
The air between them sparked with silent intent.
"But that's good," Ryker whispered.
"Because when someone wants to destroy you…"
"They show their true self."