A storm swept through the prison—but there was no thunder, no wind.
Only a name.
"Ryker…"
The whispers began in the cafeteria, flowed through the work stations, and echoed in the cell blocks.
"That kid beat Higashi?"
"No way. Higashi was No. 2."
"He didn't just beat him... he destroyed him."
In Cell Block C, a tall bald man scratched his jaw.
"That little punk did what no one else dared. He challenged the system."
In the corner, a quiet killer smiled to himself.
"Interesting. The balance is shifting."
Back in the courtyard, Kujo leaned on a wall, arms crossed, watching Ryker walk with calm confidence.
He wasn't just some punk anymore.
He was No. 2.
In the control tower, one officer watching the cameras turned to his partner.
"Hey, keep your eye on that one," he said, pointing at the screen.
"The Tensai kid just flipped the chessboard."
Meanwhile, in the solitary block…
Higashi sat in the dark, hand still bandaged, head low.
He didn't speak.
Not a word.
Just silence.
He had been dethroned.
And Ryu?
He remained still, arms resting on his knees, gaze fixed on the now-empty ring.
He didn't smile.
Didn't frown.
Just stared.
"…So you're not just a kid, huh?" he said softly.
"Let's see how far you can go."
The iron gates clanged shut behind the new shift of guards. Inside the women's wing of the prison, the atmosphere was the same as always—harsh fluorescent lights, scraping of metal trays, murmurs in hushed tones.
But today, something was different.
The air carried a rumor.
"Did you hear? Higashi lost."
A woman with sharp eyes and tattoos along her neck leaned forward on the cafeteria table.
"To who?" she asked.
A younger inmate, barely in her twenties, whispered with wide eyes,
"A boy. New one. Name's… Ryker."
Another woman chuckled darkly.
"Higashi? The No. 2? That arrogant dog? Lost to a kid?" She leaned back, her voice amused. "He must've lost more than just the fight. Probably his pride."
The room grew quiet.
A tall, mature woman in the far corner—the one they all called Queen Mayumi, leader of the women's block—looked up from her book.
"Ryker…" she murmured.
One of her underlings stepped forward. "Should we investigate?"
Mayumi smiled faintly.
"No. Not yet. Let's watch. Men's prison just got a storm... and sometimes, storms cross walls."
She stood up slowly.
"If this boy is as dangerous as they say… he'll come crashing into our world soon enough."
Inside the women's prison, strength didn't come from fists alone. It came from influence—food control, information smuggling, and most importantly, fear.
Queen Mayumi sat atop it all.
Her table in the cafeteria was untouched. Even guards avoided her gaze. Around her, sat her "circle"—five powerful women, each with their own domain.
Kaoru the Knife — ran the underground weapon trades.
Reina the Spider — controlled all gossip and information flow.
Maki the Flame — had a temper and ran the laundry racket.
Nana the Ghost — soft-spoken, but controlled guard blackmail.
Yui the Smile — beautiful, seductive, dangerous. She manipulated officers and inmates alike.
Today, they sat together, the air buzzing.
"Ryker defeated Higashi," Reina said, twirling a spoon. "And not just defeated. Dominated. Three precise hits, then a lock. Ryu watched it all."
Kaoru scoffed. "Men always act tough until someone younger shows up. What do we do?"
Mayumi didn't answer right away. She sipped her tea.
"Nothing."
The others blinked.
"Nothing?" Maki asked.
Mayumi's voice was calm but commanding.
"The men's wing is boiling. A new player has emerged. Ryu may see it as a threat—or an opportunity. Let them destroy each other or reshape the rules."
Yui smirked. "And if Ryker wins?"
Mayumi's eyes glinted.
"Then we invite the boy king to tea."
Silence followed.
In the world of prison, power was a crown stolen, not given. And across the walls of steel and concrete, another game of thrones had just begun.
Before prison, Mayumi Tsukiko was a name whispered in Tokyo's underworld—not in fear, but in awe.
A woman with elegance sharper than any blade, she was born into a wealthy political family but ran away at 17 after a scandal involving her father and a corrupt military deal. Her father tried to frame her to save face—but she didn't cry.
She disappeared from the public eye.
Three years later, Mayumi reappeared—not in high society, but as the leader of the most elite all-women crime syndicate: The Iron Silk.
They didn't sell drugs.
They didn't run guns.
They controlled secrets.
From corrupt police captains to government ministers, Mayumi held information that could ruin anyone—and she used it to manipulate Tokyo's underworld from the shadows.
One whisper from her could change elections.
One letter, and a senator would vanish.
They called her the Queen with a Poison Pen.
But power comes with enemies.
One night, the betrayal came from inside. Her second-in-command leaked fake evidence to authorities, and Mayumi was arrested on trumped-up charges—human trafficking, blackmail, murder.
The world saw a monster.
But prison saw a queen.
Within a month of entering the women's prison, Mayumi took control. Not with violence—but with strategy. She found the five strongest inmates, offered them a place in her circle, and dismantled the existing prison gangs through divide and conquer.
No blood.
Just silence.
Now, years later, she sits at the top—calm, collected, calculating.
Mayumi doesn't want freedom. She wants control.
And she knows something even Ryker doesn't.
There's a hidden war coming to this prison.
And she plans to win it—before anyone knows it's begun.
Once a month, the steel doors between the men's and women's prisons opened.
Not for peace.
Not for mercy.
But for the illusion of both.
The sound of grinding metal echoed through the yard like thunder, sharp and primal. Inmates froze mid-motion. Conversations died. Even the birds circling above seemed to hesitate.
Clang.
The gate split open, revealing the long-forbidden corridor. Two sides of a fractured world—now facing each other.
From the men's side, Ryker stepped into the yard. Calm, quiet, unreadable. Behind him, Kujo followed, hands in his pockets, eyes scanning every corner like a tactician.
"One hour of freedom," Kujo muttered under his breath. "More like one hour of power plays."
They walked slowly, purposefully, as the other inmates made space—silent recognition paid to the boy who had beaten Higashi and climbed into Ryu's spotlight.
And then, she came.
From the women's side, Mayumi walked out like a queen descending her throne. Dressed in her signature white coat, fingers clad in soft gloves, she moved with elegance that whispered danger.
A triangle of women flanked her like bodyguards. They didn't smile. They didn't speak. They didn't need to.
All eyes turned to her.
Even Ryu, watching from his usual seat near the edge of the yard, glanced up with narrowed eyes.
"That's her..." Kujo muttered, his voice barely audible. "Queen of the women's block."
Mayumi's gaze was unhurried as it roamed the crowd—until it landed on Ryker. Sharp. Focused. Curious.
She walked straight to him.
Ryker didn't rise. He remained seated on the worn bench, casually eating a piece of fruit from the tray in his hand.
She stopped in front of him.
"So. You're the boy who made Higashi fall. The one Ryu notices now."
Ryker bit into the fruit. Chewed. Swallowed.
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
Her lips curved into the softest smile, the kind you see before a blade slips into your gut.
"No, no..." she said, voice low. "I like shaking kings off their thrones. Makes space for monsters like us."
A breeze passed between them. A dozen prisoners stared, not daring to breathe too loud.
Ryker's eyes narrowed. "Why are you talking to me?"
"Because I don't waste time with pawns," she said. "Only those who move the board."
She leaned down, her perfume soft but her words razor-sharp.
"Be careful, Ryker Tensai. This prison breathes secrets. And some of us... are listening."
She turned.
Walked away like she had never stopped.
But just before the gate behind her began to close, she whispered over her shoulder.
"Next month, let's see who still stands."
Clang.
The steel doors slammed shut.
The clock had started ticking.
And the monsters were wide awake.