In an elite school like Meisei, it wasn't rare to see an amphitheater worthy of the magnificent status of its students.
"Meisei will not tolerate this kind of conduct at all" the firm voice of the Director resonated in the amphitheater, the entire teaching staff behind him.
In front of them, displaying a symbolic superiority, were…
Umino Kumohime. The Student Council President.
Her strict gaze, expressionless face, and perfect posture.
Aminogaki Kana. The 'Goddess' of Meisei.
Her gaze was full of absolute confidence, her face held an amused smile, and her posture showed a security beyond reason.
Their audience consisted of almost all the students of Meisei. Some had gone home after classes and club activities.
"..." Junpei had stayed; he didn't want to miss the spectacle.
"They're perfect…"
Someone said, among the crowd; the amphitheater was so packed that it wasn't unusual to see the Director demanding silence.
Looking at the crowd, he saw Saito and Miyako together; they seemed very comfortable. Junpei also noticed the look of hatred that Bikura Shuko was giving Nimura Miyako.
Problems for later.
"I don't see…" Junpei murmured, the dark lord of Meisei was someone interesting. It wasn't normal. His sixth sense told him they had something in common. Maybe he, too…
"Esteemed students of Meisei" The Director had yielded the floor to Kumohime, who looked especially severe that day.
Everyone paid their respects. Junpei noticed the glimmer of complacency in the President's eyes.
"Use me as a doormat, President…"
'Moderation, man,' Junpei felt the eagerness in the boy's voice.
"Everyone knows that both the student council and the faculty can no longer turn a blind eye to… certain behaviors" The President's glasses reflected the light for a moment.
Junpei almost felt it was a practiced gesture.
"... Pff" From the gesture of the Goddess Kana, it seemed to be the case. The side-glance the President sent her promised pain, the blonde stopped, and brazenly stuck out her tongue.
"Aah, I want to lick Kana's shoes…"
'Damn it!' This time, Junpei decided to search the crowd for who had said that. There were no traces.
"... I'll find you, weirdo," Junpei swore seriously.
"Acts of disrespect towards Meisei, its student body, and its faculty have reached an unsustainable point" Kumohime seemed to throw a warning gesture at everyone.
Junpei swallowed hard; she was quite scary when she wanted to be.
"Junpei"Someone touched his back. Turning around, he found Miyako and Saito, both smiling happily.
"Ooh, Saito" He smiled at his friend and obvious crush. "What's new?"
Saito smiled happily, much more than Junpei had ever seen him before.
"Hey Junpei, I think I never introduced you properly," Saito pointed with his hand at his friend "This is Nimura Miyako, a very precious person to me"
Miyako's face turned atomic red. Junpei internally raised a fist in a sign of victory.
'The childhood friend is winning!' victory for all fans of childhood friends.
"Nice to meet you. Saito doesn't stop talking about you," Junpei said. He didn't know how it was possible, but Nimura's face got even redder.
"Really?" Miyako had a tone of hope and amusement.
Junpei knew he shouldn't ignore the President's words, but honestly… This was much more interesting.
"Yes, a lot and for hours" He saw Saito sending him a look of plea and decided to stop "Tsoryu Junpei, a pleasure".
Nimura smiled kindly; it was good to see her make more expressions.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" A very sweet voice spoke.
'Shit'. With a bright smile, green eyes, and blonde hair, the person Junpei had to keep away from coming close to Saito.
A friendly and sweet face at first glance.
"Shuko…" Miyako's voice was icy.
"Miyako! Long time no see!" With a blatant movement, Shuko, the girl who had contributed to the separation between two childhood friends, hugged Miyako.
'How disgusting' Junpei found himself surprised by the sweet tone in Shuko's voice.
"You look good, Shuko. I'm glad to know you're still the same person" There was sincerity in Miyako's voice, which was accompanied by the return of the hug.
"..." Even with how hypocritical Shuko could be, she was silent for a few seconds in the face of such honesty.
Junpei noticed that Saito was happily far from understanding what was happening.
"It's better to pay attention to the President" Before Shuko could speak again, Junpei pointed them toward the podium.
Thank goodness the President was still passionate about her speech.
"The indecent acts of these students have already been formally reported to Meisei," Kumohime, always correct, said in a serious tone "the faculty and the members of the Student Council present our apologies to all those affected"
"Aah!"
"It can't be…"
"The Queen of Meisei…"
The proud Kumohime, along with the teachers and staff, bowed their heads. Several in the crowd held their breath at that gesture.
"..." The only one who remained standing was the Goddess of Meisei, Kana. She had her arms crossed and a serious gaze. It was clear she wasn't pleased with her friend bowing her head.
She seemed very focused on something. Junpei had the bad idea of trying to analyze her. Those blue eyes returned his gaze.
Junpei suddenly broke into a cold sweat. The sensation that ran through his body was like a lightning bolt.
"Miss Kana…" There was veneration in the voice that whispered the blonde's name. Junpei was afraid of the influence Kana had on people.
He couldn't blame his companion either; Kana was a beauty he couldn't compare to anything. Even he felt an electric shock run through his body every time he saw her. It was the same as with…
'Wait…' Junpei had an epiphany. Both the Dark Lord of Meisei and the goddess had that unnatural atmosphere about them.
Similar to him.
Junpei didn't want to be arrogant, but he knew that among everyone, he was truly different. Thank goodness he hadn't said that out loud; that sounded incredibly cringe.
Going back to Kana, just for fun, he focused on her. The Goddess returned his gaze almost immediately.
"..." The blonde stopped paying attention after a few seconds. There was boredom in her gaze. She had lost all interest in Junpei.
Maybe it was arrogant of him, but Junpei had always trusted his analysis of character and intentions.
'For all the good it's done me' he scolded himself.
Sighing, he concentrated on the event again.
"Nevertheless," Kumohime rose with a serious and cold look, "I consider it rude to the victims not to make the culprits evident".
The President's gaze was directed toward the entrance of the amphitheater. Everyone, without exception, imitated her.
The door was forcefully opened. A Meisei security duo entered, flanking a young man with brown hair who looked unusually confident.
Modou.
"Wow…" A middle-aged couple with tired expressions followed a few steps behind him.
"Ugh"
"Disgusting"
"The pervert"
"..."
Modou had never been a liked member by the rest of the students, or the teachers for that matter. It couldn't be any other way. Even with the looks of contempt they threw at Modou, he maintained a stupid smile.
"... Even Kana," Nimura said in disbelief.
'Yes'. Junpei noticed the Goddess's cold gaze. One word, and all her followers would turn Modou into a red and black mass. Not that Kana was going to do that anyway.
"Modou Shisuke" Kumohime's voice was so icy that Junpei felt genuine pity for the idiot Modou.
"Hello miss president"
No, Junpei retracted that feeling.
Modou's tone of voice was that of someone sure of himself. Junpei felt the frustration of everyone in the amphitheater.
Modou seemed oblivious to the hatred they felt for him.
"Do you know why you are here?" The Director was a man of stern appearance, gray-haired and full of wrinkles. Despite his age, he looked quite healthy. As far as he knew, he was one of those who valued Japanese discipline and nobility.
Modou smiled brazenly.
"I am a hot-blooded man".
Junpei closed his eyes, put his hands to his face, and internally screamed.
'What kind of idiot are you?' He already imagined how Modou would act, but he was afraid his expectations would be surpassed. Opening his eyes, he saw the thick vein on the Director's forehead.
"... Do you feel no shame with your parents present here?" The man seemed on the verge of an anger attack.
"We…"
"He…"
"Of course not," Modou said with confidence. "I am the only one who understands how this school works… no, how the world works".
Junpei heard a tired sigh from someone behind him. He could empathize with the stranger.
"What an idiot," Miyako said.
"What an imbecile," Shuko almost shouted.
Modou was disgusting enough to unite Shuko and Miyako in one opinion.
"I am better than everyone here!" Modou extended his arms to the sides while shouting confidently.
"..."
"..."
"..."
The silence in the amphitheater was similar to a cemetery.
Junpei exchanged glances with Saito, unsure if he had heard correctly. No. His friend was also surprised by that stupidity.
"Ahahahaha!" Kana burst into laughter. She was the only one who could react to what Modou had said.
"He…"
"Ehehe…"
"Pfff…"
Little by little, everyone began to laugh along with Kana, who got to the point of holding her stomach with laughter.
Saito, always respectful, had a small smile on his face.
Miyako and Shuko tried their best to conceal their smiles.
Junpei didn't laugh. He concentrated on Modou's parents. Both had their heads lowered, filled with shame, holding onto each other.
He looked back at Modou and saw him with a confident expression. He even allowed himself a sly smile.
The blood inside Junpei began to boil with anger. He clenched his fist, and when he went to take a step toward Modou, a hand grabbed his shoulder.
"No," Saito said harshly.
Junpei had a bitter expression because of that. Modou wasn't worth it.
"Well, then…" Kana stopped her laughter, and everyone imitated her "... What nonsense are you going to say now?"
Modou, not understanding Kana's cold tone, smiled confidently, totally disconnected from reality.
"Everyone around me is useless," Modou began confidently. "Compared to the rest, I am a god".
"..."
It seemed that everyone had discovered a new sensation upon hearing that come out of Modou's mouth.
They remained silent, waiting for the madness the boy was going to say to continue.
"No one here has done what I have achieved," Modou continued, sure of himself. "I became the king of this Academy"
"Son of a bitch…" Saito whispered. Junpei remembered the times his friend had jumped in to stop Modou, usually when he was cruel to first-years.
"All this time, I took what I wanted," Modou concentrated on someone in the crowd "and who I wanted".
Junpei followed Modou's gaze and found a first-year girl. She had green hair, blue eyes, and her face was pale with fear.
To one side was a boy with glasses and a bowl-cut who was looking at her with horror.
"Nozomi" The boy with glasses grabbed the girl by the shoulders, his voice trembling "What did he do to you?"
"I'm sorry Nohito" The girl hugged herself.
"Was it him?"
On her other side was a boy with an overly adorned uniform and an open jacket, who also had a strangely calm face.
Everyone in the amphitheater remained silent. The implication was there.
'No'. Suddenly, he felt nauseous because of the direction his imagination was taking. Junpei slowly looked back at Modou.
The smile on the idiot's face froze his blood.
"... Son of…" Junpei connected the dots.
"That's right, I was the one who took this pretty girl's first time!" Modou pointed at the girl while laughing amusedly "Her screams were very sweet!"
"Ah!"The girl in question fell to her knees.
"Bastard!" The boy with glasses ran toward Modou with a face full of fury.
No one stopped him. The punch he gave Modou knocked him to the ground.
"Ahahahaha!" Modou, even with his cheek swollen, laughed while pointing at his attacker "What's wrong? Aren't you happy that your girlfriend already has experience!?"
"Aah!" Saito's face made it clear that he was willing to kill Modou.
"No," Junpei stopped him. "He's not worth it".
Saito closed his eyes, breathed, and released Modou.
"You're right".
"That's enough," Kumohime walked up to them accompanied by the Director and the security duo. "I regret that you had to witness this".
Kumohime addressed Modou's parents, who kept their eyes closed and remained silent.
"Please," the mother separated from her husband and bowed to everyone present. "Excuse our son, don't blame him for our failures as parents".
Silence fell again. Junpei felt bad now for his fury. Even Nohito looked calmer.
"Please don't blame yourself," the Director took the floor. "We are all responsible for this; we were too permissive with certain behaviors". The elderly man looked tired.
"Modou still has time to reform," Kumohime spoke in an indifferent tone. "There are possibilities of…"
"Shut up!" Modou shouted angrily. His common sense had gone on sabbatical. "Who do you think you are to judge me!? You're the failures!"
And just like that, any comfort for Modou's parents died.
"You," Junpei spoke with a resigned face. "You simply don't understand, do you?"
"What?" Modou's idiot face confirmed Junpei's fears.
"Your parents love you," Junpei only had to see how sad they looked for Modou to realize "Don't you care at all how they feel?"
Modou's smile said it all.
"A correctional facility is inefficient," Kana broke the silence with her voice. "Modou has already made it clear that he is incapable of behaving like a decent human being"
The blonde looked into Modou's parents' eyes. Her voice was cold as an iceberg and showed notable indifference to the adults' feelings.
"We understand…" the mother said in a sad voice. Then she bowed her head again. "We're sorry… our son, he was lost a long time ago…"
"Shut up Hag…" Modou said in disbelief, his voice a mixture of outrage and rage. "You are…!"
"Enough," Kumohime gave the order. Security grabbed Modou by the arms with notable disgust. "We have your tacit confession".
Kumohime didn't bother to look at Modou. Her cruel eyes shone intensely.
"Prepare to spend your days in prison," Kana said with a cold voice. There was a tone of anger in her voice. "You won't be able to ruin another person's life".
Security began to move Modou. Everyone watched his walk of shame in silence. Junpei saw Modou's parents following a few steps behind. This was possibly the last time they would see him. Junpei didn't know what he was feeling; it was…
"Is that all?" Nohito's friend stood in between Modou and the exit. His face looked like someone ready to kill. "Are you going to let him go just like that?"
"... Let them continue Hachisune. I can understand your outrage, but…" Kumohime said in a kind voice "... Leave the punishment to…"
"NO!" Hachisune shouted forcefully. "Modou has hurt my friends! Do you want me to stand by and do nothing!?"
Junpei noticed Hachisune's true fury. Kumohime let out a tired sigh.
"And exactly what do you plan to do?" Kumohime looked exhausted.
Hachisune smiled as if he were a demon. He reached into his coat and pulled out a small stone with words engraved on it.
Junpei felt every hair on his body stand up. A chill ran down his body, and his legs moved on their own.
"Stop!"
Whatever that stone was, it was sinister.
"Heed my command and take the lives of my enemies" Hachisune raised the hand holding the stone.
Surely no one expected anything, so…
When an intense light burst from the stone, everyone covered their faces.
Then, a deep darkness covered the amphitheater.
The earth began to tremble.
Junpei felt as if the world around him was collapsing.
"What!?"
"No!"
"What is happening!?"
Panic spread among everyone present. Animals and monsters seemed to emerge from the darkness.
"HAHAHAHAHA"
Even as his consciousness faded, Junpei heard the booming laughter of something infernal.
Before losing consciousness, he heard something breaking in the distance.