Chapter 267: I Want Everyone to Quit Gambling

The boy who'd just been stabbed in the eye fell to the ground, crying out in pain and rolling around. The intense pain made him scream uncontrollably.

Rinji stood there coldly watching, ignoring the terrified stares from the other students.

This school only filled him with disgust.

With no Sagara Kaname, no student council, and no Ai Hayasaka here, the cruelty buried in Rinji's heart was no longer restrained.

"You… You actually hurt someone…"

"Shut up."

As the other two boys tried to question him, Rinji's crimson eyes filled with killing intent.

"If you don't want to lose both your eyes."

His words made them step back instinctively.

The bloodstains on his black uniform, the red eyes, and their friend on the ground clutching his face, screaming in agony—it all left a deep psychological scar. They were terrified.

Rinji stepped forward and stomped on the face of the still-screaming boy, silencing him with sheer pressure.

"Listen up. Ever since I set foot in this gambling-addicted school, I never intended to make friends with any of you. I don't need your approval. I just want your fear."

With that, he kicked the boy in the head, knocking him out.

"Take him to the infirmary."

Leaving those words behind, Rinji picked up his desk and walked back toward the classroom.

The students who had stood by and watched as Nanami Tsubomi was bullied were frozen in place. None dared to help the injured boy.

Even Nanami was terrified of Rinji's actions, but for some reason, after only a moment of hesitation, she followed him.

---

"Thanks, Nanami. But carrying a desk must've been tough for you, right?"

Rinji placed the desk back in the classroom and turned to the girl who'd followed him.

"No… I should be the one thanking you."

Nanami bit her lip and said softly, "Thank you for saving me."

"…So, do those students always bully you like that?"

At Rinji's question, she seemed to recall something painful. She clenched her teeth and nodded.

"Because… in this school, I'm 'livestock.' So I deserve to be bullied."

"'Deserve'... huh."

Rinji realized this school's problems were worse than he thought.

He glanced at the students still gambling and turned back to Nanami.

"Do you have time? Can you show me around the school? I have a few things I want to ask."

"I'd be glad to."

…

Nanami guided Rinji around campus. No one seemed interested in sports. Everyone was addicted to gambling.

According to what he'd learned earlier, only those good at gambling were accepted in Hyakkaou Private Academy.

They passed by students wearing placards around their necks—both boys and girls. All looked miserable and submissive.

Eventually, they reached the school rooftop.

Looking out over the campus, Rinji pulled a cigarette from his pocket and placed it in his mouth.

"…Actually, I've been meaning to ask."

He took a puff and pointed to the placard around Nanami's neck.

"What does that sign mean?"

"This is the symbol of 'livestock,'" she explained. "Students who fail to regularly pay tribute money to the student council are designated as such."

The lowest-ranking 100 students are labeled "uncooperative" by the student council. They are forced to wear placards showing their rank and title. Boys are called "stupid dogs," and girls are called "stray cats."

Livestock are treated harshly in school. Any resistance is met with retaliation from the student council. To shed the title, one must pay a special fee of one million yen.

"The student council has that much power?"

Rinji was stunned. "Don't the teachers intervene?"

"You hardly ever see teachers here. There aren't even many classes." Nanami shook her head. "And even the staff can't oppose the student council. It's the rules."

"…That's insane."

Her hands trembled as she clutched her skirt.

"My family isn't wealthy. I can't afford the tribute. That's why the student council labeled me as livestock. I'm not allowed to resist regular students. No one helps me. And if I fight back, they come for me."

Livestock have no human rights here.

She once had beautiful long hair, but after being labeled as livestock, students bullied her, cut her hair short, and routinely beat her. Even the little money she had would be stolen.

No one helped her, simply because she was livestock.

"You've had it rough. It must be unbearable in this gambling-obsessed school."

Rinji felt a strange sense of gratitude toward Sagara Kaname.

Thankfully, she didn't send him to this school. If he had ended up at Hyakkaou instead of Shuchiin…

There might not be any survivors left.

Even though his gambling skills and tricks would make him unbeatable and worshipped here, he didn't want worship.

He only wanted fear.

If the student council divided students into "humans" and "livestock," then Rinji saw everyone here as livestock.

"Thanks for answering my questions, Nanami. Now for the last one."

He flicked away the cigarette and turned to her.

"Do you like gambling?"

"No…"

For the first time, Nanami dropped her submissive tone. Her face showed nothing but disgust.

"I hate gambling the most!"

"That's the answer I was hoping for."

Rinji snapped his fingers and patted her shoulder, giving her a thumbs-up.

"I'm planning to start a 'Quit Gambling Club' at this school. I want to help students stay away from gambling. Nanami, I hope you'll join me. Let's drive all the gamblers out of this school within a month."