What's it like to suddenly become some kind of campus celebrity for no damn reason?
Ivan Greevs was just sitting there, minding his business in class, when a bunch of underclassmen showed up at the door. Boys and girls alike, all craning their necks, trying to get a look at the guy everyone was talking about.
The one whose swordsmanship supposedly outclassed even the kendo club captain.
"Is it the one with glasses? He looks kinda average… maybe he'd be handsome without them?"
"No, Miho, you're looking at the wrong guy. It's the one behind him. When he smiles, he looks so bright. Totally my type."
The chatter got loud enough that the teacher noticed.
"Everyone, hold on a moment. I'll go see what's going on."
As soon as the teacher stepped out, the girl next to Ivan, Yuko Tachikawa, let out a quiet laugh.
"Ivan-kun, you're basically the number one celebrity on the school forum now. I heard the kendo club even gave you a nickname. Something like 'The Fastest Legend' and 'The Sprinting Grim Reaper Swordmaster.' The way they describe you, your skills are even better than those masters on TV. Too bad I didn't get to see it myself."
Shinichi, sitting in front of Ivan, hadn't checked the forum at all last night, so he had no idea what was going on.
"…That nickname is seriously embarrassing." Ivan wasn't exactly thin-skinned, but even he felt his face heat up hearing that crap.
He could only mutter a quiet "putain" under his breath. These people really had a thing for over-the-top nonsense.
Under the desk, Migi was secretly messing around with Shinichi's phone again. It logged into the school forum without any trouble. Most of the posts were about Ivan, along with plenty of threads discussing the recent string of brutal murders.
It didn't take long before Migi found a video from yesterday afternoon, showing Ivan taking on five people at once.
The camera shook like hell, making the footage blurry.
"Shinichi, he's strong. If a parasite were to take him as a host, it would be extremely dangerous," Migi said quietly as it slipped up from inside Shinichi's sleeve to his ear.
"No way… is he really that insane?"
"Yes. His reaction speed is far beyond normal humans. If possible, I suggest you learn swordsmanship from him."
"Yeah, no thanks. I'm not interested in that stuff at all." Shinichi shook his head.
Yuko noticed something off and frowned slightly.
"…Are you talking to yourself?"
"No, I was just… just reciting the lesson."
Seeing him stammer like that, Yuko didn't push further.
By then, the teacher had already chased away the students crowding outside.
Time passed quickly, almost in the blink of an eye.
Soon enough, it was the last class of the day. PE.
"Sorry, I'm not looking to date anyone right now. Please understand."
Ivan turned down another girl. Ever since that video spread, the number of love letters had shot through the roof. On top of that, people kept asking for photos and autographs like he was some damn idol.
Ivan's eyes flicked down for half a second to those smooth legs as she walked away before he forced them back up. Sexy as hell, but I'm not doing this. I refuse to be another isekai creep banging high-schoolers. Unlike them, I haven't forgotten that I'm an adult goddammit!
Dimensional FBI can stay the fuck away from me. I'll wait till I reach the Boys world.
"Guess having too many admirers isn't such a good thing after all, huh, Ivan-kun?"
Yuko Tachikawa hooked her arm around Satomi Murano and glanced over at Shinichi playing basketball, teasing Ivan as she spoke.
"Yeah, it's a bit of a headache." Ivan took a deep breath while shaking his head.
His eyes shifted to Shinichi on the court. With Migi's help, Shinichi was showing off hard. Every shot he made was clean, almost perfect accuracy.
"But looks like someone's stealing my spotlight now," Ivan said with a smirk.
The moment Yuko heard that, she cupped her hands and shouted toward the court.
"Satomi says if you score one more, she'll forgive what happened last time!"
"Haha, if you put it like that, that kid's gonna go all out."
Ivan chuckled, glancing at the blushing Satomi beside her.
"Anyway, I won't stick around to watch. I've got something to handle at the kendo club."
With that, Ivan turned and left the gym.
On his way out, a familiar figure blocked his path.
Yoshihiro Aso stood there, gripping a baseball bat, a group of lackeys behind him.
"I was planning to deal with you at the school gate, but you went and hid. So tell me… where'd that cocky attitude from yesterday go?"
Aso tapped the steel bat against the ground, the sharp clank echoing.
"Quit messing around. Come with us, nice and easy."
Ivan looked at the group in front of him and said nothing. He simply followed them out of the school.
In a narrow, enclosed alley, more than a dozen punks were already waiting, smoking. The moment they saw Aso bring Ivan in, they moved fast, surrounding him from all sides.
"Heard you've been getting pretty famous at West High lately?"
The one in front had bleached blond hair, a cigarette hanging from his mouth, looking at Ivan with pure contempt.
"…Hah."
Ivan shook his head.
"You guys really don't have any imagination. Same old revenge routine, same useless trash talk."
"Bastard! You're still running your mouth even now?"
Aso finally snapped. He swung the bat straight at the back of Ivan's head.
The others weren't any better. They spat out their cigarettes, grabbed their iron pipes, and rushed in all at once.
Bang.
Ivan snapped his head back. His five fingers, already turned into steel blades, clamped onto the baseball bat aimed at the back of his skull. The hollow metal crumpled on impact, his fingers punching into it, leaving deep, visible dents.
Yoshihiro Aso didn't even register what happened before the bat was ripped straight out of his hands.
"Bunch of useless trash. All you know how to do is waste my time."
Ivan kicked one guy flat on his back, then brought the steel bat down hard. A sick crack rang out as bone shattered, the guy's arm bending at an angle it had no business bending.
The punks froze. So did Aso's crew.
Ivan didn't.
The bat whistled through the air again and again, each swing followed by another scream hitting the ground. If these fuckers had any real training, it might've taken a bit more effort. But they were just street trash. Good at ganging up on the weak, useless against someone who hit back harder.
Wrong target. Bad luck.
Five or six minutes later, it was over.
Ivan had dislocated or shattered an arm on every single one of them. He rolled his shoulder a bit.
"Fuck, that actually takes some effort."
"Alright, stop playing dead. I didn't even touch you."
He nudged Aso's stomach with his foot.
No response.
"…Seriously?"
Ivan crouched down and lifted one of Aso's eyelids. Out cold. Not faking it this time.
"Huh. Pussy actually passed out."
Ivan stood up, wiping a bit of blood off his face with the back of his hand. He looked down at the blond punk who seemed to be in charge.
"You know the drill. Get yourselves to a hospital now, maybe you'll still keep those arms. But if I find out any of you went to the cops…"
His eyes narrowed, voice dropping cold.
"…then losing an arm won't be the worst thing that happens to you."
He gave a faint smile.
"I'm sure none of you want to find out what it feels like to be wrapped in concrete and dumped into Yokohama Bay, yeah?"
The punks on the ground shook their heads like crazy, too scared to even make a sound.
As for the high school seniors who came with Aso, Ivan didn't touch them. The fear in their eyes was already deep enough. This lesson would stick.
"As for this one…"
Ivan glanced at the unconscious Aso, rubbing his chin.
"I'll leave him to you. I don't want to see his face at school again."
He shoved the bent, bloodstained bat into the blond punk's hands.
"And if he runs his mouth to the police, you know what to say."
The blond swallowed hard, nodding through the pain.
"It was personal… between me and him. Nothing to do with you."
"Good. You're not completely stupid."
A moment later, Aso's scream echoed through the alley.
Ivan walked out at his own pace, not even looking back.