Academy SP 〜An Ex-Mercenary Reincarnated as a Mob in a Gal Game. I Ditched My Bodyguard Job to Enjoy High School Life, but When the Ultra-Rich Heroines Were About to Get Killed, I Stepped In… and Somehow Built a Harem Powerful Enough to Control Japan〜 - Chapter 35, 36 & 37

Chapter 35

Side: Yuuji

A call at a time like this…

Did something happen?

I answered immediately.

“What’s wrong, Sara!?”

“Ah, Yuuji? The police just showed up at the academy!”

“The police?”

“An arrest warrant’s been issued. They’re looking for Hirota. He wasn’t at home, so they came to the school. And when Isoyama-kun found out Hirota was officially under police investigation, he completely lost it and ran off to find him!”

“Is that so!? Where did he go!?”

“I-I don’t know the exact place either, but apparently there’s an abandoned factory where the Aketo Conglomerate faction always does their self-training. Isoyama-kun thinks Hirota might be there… it’s more of a hunch, though.”

“Where is that factory!?”

After she gave me the details, I realized it wasn’t in the industrial zone.

It was tucked away in a corner of the old downtown area.

Damn it…

I’d already passed near there earlier.

…Running around aimlessly now would just waste time.

At this point, it was all or nothing—I had to go there.

“Thanks!”

I ended the call and sprinted off again—

〇

Side: Ririko

“Hirota… kun…?”

Isoyama-kun stood there frozen, his eyes wide open.

“Hey there, Isoyama.”

That familiar, sickly-sweet voice—paired with that slack, unserious face—left Isoyama-kun visibly shaken.

“H-Hey… our teammates were attacked outside the factory…! They’re covered in blood—we need to get them to the hospital right away… Hirota-kun…”

He forced a smile as he spoke.

He still wanted to believe.

Even now.

“H-Hirota… kun…”

But Hirota only returned an eerie smile.

Just from that expression alone, it felt like he was saying—You already know the truth, don’t you?

“Hirota…”

This time, Isoyama-kun’s gaze shifted toward me.

Toward me—bound and helpless—

And toward Hirota, who was about to touch me.

“Hirota…!”

Isoyama-kun’s face slowly flushed red with anger.

“You bastard!! Don’t screw with me!! I… I looked up to you this whole time…! I busted my ass, believing that one day I’d surpass you…! So what the hell is this!? Why are you doing something like this!?”

“Fuhihihihihi…”

“…That disgusting grin… so this is who you really are…!”

And then—

Isoyama-kun lunged forward.

“You sick bastard!! I’ll avenge everyone myself!!”

It was the same movement I’d seen back at the SP tournament.

A sharp step in—and a blindingly fast punch.

Even someone like me, who knew nothing about fighting, could tell how polished his karate was.

“There’s no one who can beat me in karate! Hirotaaaa!!”

But—

“Fuhihihihihihihi!!”

Hirota slammed straight into him with a brutal body check.

“W-What!?”

“Well? What do you think, Isoyamaaa? Body tackles aren’t part of karate rules, riiight?”

Isoyama-kun’s punch was stopped cold.

Worse—Hirota stepped in, killed the momentum, and sent him flying.

Before Isoyama-kun could recover, Hirota grabbed his right arm, slammed him onto his back, and smoothly wrapped his legs around him—

Locking both the shoulder and elbow.

No—

Isoyama-kun’s arm was—

“Well then? Isoyamaaa… how does an armbar feel?”

“Ar… ggh… p-please… stop… Hirota—”

“Fuhihihihihihihihihihi!! I won’t stoooop!! BOOM!!”

Crack!!!

I saw it.

Isoyama-kun’s right arm bent in a direction it was never meant to—along with Hirota’s warped shout.

“Ugaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! My arm—!! My aaaarm—!!”

Isoyama-kun screamed like something dying, while Hirota looked down with pure delight.

“How pathetic, Isoyama. You’re strong only inside that tiny world of karate. A world with rules, gear, and safety nets.”

Then—

Hirota straddled him.

And started punching him again and again.

“So weak!! You idiots are fighting on such a low level it’s laughable!! You ‘Academy SP’ morons!! Martial arts and real street fights are completely different things!! Just because you did well in some sports competition doesn’t mean you can beat me!! Right!? Right!? Riiight!?”

“Gah—! …Ghk—! …Gyaaaah!”

“And yet… every one of you treated Ririko like knights guarding some princess. Even though you’re weak. Even though you’re pathetic!! Ahh, it pissed me off so badly! Sasaki, quoting Ugetsu Monogatari! Akimoto! Marui!”

The realization hit me all at once.

So that was it…

That was why he attacked those three.

Just for that…?

For something so petty—

Such ugly jealousy…?

“And even Ririko… laughing around, never once noticing my feelings.”

For a brief moment, Hirota’s cold gaze locked onto me.

Disgusting…

So that twisted emotion had been aimed at me all along…

“Hey! Say something already, will you!? Isoyamaaa!!”

…Isoyama didn’t respond.

Not even a groan.

…This was horrible.

Isoyama-kun’s face was completely wrecked.

He wasn’t moving at all—not even a twitch.

And yet Hirota showed no mercy.

He was enjoying it.

Enjoying hurting someone.

I had never seen anyone this terrifying.

“Hmmm… did he die? Well, whatever. Now then…”

That man—

Turned his attention back to me.

Chapter 36

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Ririko.”

No—

This was bad.

Hirota was finally coming toward me…!

I had to… I had to run… somehow…!

“Mrm! Mmm!”

I twisted my bound body in desperation, trying to crawl away even an inch.

But there was no way it would work.

Hirota climbed on top of me.

“Ahh, you’re so cute… really cute, Ririko. Look at you squirming like that—I want to see more.”

That blissed-out expression as he looked down at me—

It made tears spill from my eyes out of pure terror.

But that only made him happier.

“Aaaah!! Beautiful! Such beautiful tears!! Thank you for showing me!! Come on, show me lots of other faces too!!”

“Mrrm… mmh…”

“I’m going to choke you now, okay? That thin, pretty neck of yours… I learned judo from my father, you know. Chokes are my favorite. When the other person passes out, their body goes completely limp, and they make the dumbest face. I wonder what kind of face you’ll make, Ririko?”

And then—

Hirota reached out, his thick hands closing around my neck.

“After we’re done playing, I’ll pour lots of love into you… straight from my hardened thing…”

—This was the worst.

My precious first time…

To think it would be taken by a disgusting freak like this.

And then—

For some reason, at that moment, my mother’s words suddenly surfaced in my mind.

“Ririko, listen carefully. You’re a blessed girl. You have a pretty face, a kind heart, and a family background anyone would envy. Make sure you live a good life with a good man.”

Why did those words feel like a curse now?

I’d been given so much…

And yet I was this miserable.

I didn’t want any of it.

If someone wanted the title of conglomerate daughter, they could have it.

I just wanted… a good man, and a good life.

A life where I could live happily—

I gave up on everything and squeezed my eyes shut.

“—Hirotaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

The rusted factory groaned.

Dust piled on the floor exploded into the air.

For a split second, the madness vanished from Hirota’s face—replaced by pure shock.

It was so loud it almost sounded like gunfire.

“…What?”

The slanted evening light pouring through the entrance stretched out a single man’s shadow.

He was crouched down, checking Isoyama-kun’s condition.

Then—

A quiet breath of relief.

“Alright… he’s still breathing. You were tougher than I expected. …Seriously, if you’d just talked sooner, it wouldn’t have come to this.”

Isoyama-kun, unconscious, didn’t respond.

But the man smiled faintly anyway.

“Yeah… you did good. Because of that, I made it in time.”

Saying that, he slowly stood up.

—That person was…

Just as the thought crossed my mind, Hirota spoke his name.

“Haaah? I was wondering who it was—turns out it’s Yuuji Takahashi, huh?”

Hirota put on that creepy smile again.

He probably thought someone insignificant had shown up.

That expression was full of confidence.

“Yo, Hirota. So you were the mastermind after all. Guess I really got played this time. …Man, I’ve gone soft living in peace.”

While everyone else had been frozen in shock at how completely different Hirota was—

Takahashi-kun was smiling calmly.

“Ririko, it’s okay now. I’ll save you.”

He turned that smile toward me.

If my mouth hadn’t been taped shut, I would’ve called his name right then.

It was strange.

Even now… somehow, my heart finally felt calm.

Just who was he—?

“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!”

At that moment, Hirota let out a shrill scream, like a broken trumpet.

“Why are you talking to my Ririko!? Why are you flirting with her!? Aaaahhhhh!! Aaaahhhhh!! You were alone with her on the rooftop too!! You were!! I decided it right then and there!!”

His eyes burned bright red as he completely lost it—

“I’ll kill you, kill you, kill you, kill you, kill you!! I’ll absolutely kill you!! This won’t end with some out-of-bounds KO like the SP tournament!! I’ll kill you for real!! Takahashiiii!!”

The sheer intensity of his rage made me squeeze my eyes shut without thinking.

—Scary.

He was terrifying…

I couldn’t understand him anymore.

There was only one thing I knew for sure.

If this continued, I would definitely be killed by Hirota.

When I slowly opened my eyes again, Hirota had taken off his blazer.

Even through his shirt, his muscular frame was obvious.

He was serious—more serious than ever before.

Takahashi-kun—!

I was glad he came to save me, but… fighting Hirota was dangerous—

“—Come to think of it, you said something before.”

Standing in front of that violent, crazed man—

Takahashi-kun smiled.

“You told me back then, didn’t you? ‘Next time, don’t hold back when we fight.’”

The very next moment, Takahashi-kun removed his blazer.

“Relax, Hirota—”

Even while staring straight at the raging, deranged Hirota, he never lost that calm smile.

“This time, I’ll fight you a little more seriously.”

It was nothing like Hirota’s madness.

A gaze that was colder—sharper—like a finely honed blade.

And paired with it, that faint smile cutting across Takahashi-kun’s lips.

—Shiver.

A quiet chill ran up my spine.

Seeing him stand there with that merciless smile…

It felt like I was seeing another face hidden deep inside Takahashi-kun.

Chapter 37

Side: Ririko

“Seriously, huh…? Fuhihihihi…”

Hirota’s expressions kept shifting nonstop.

One moment he was laughing, the next he was furious—then laughing again like nothing had happened.

“Takahashi, are you feeling proud just because you managed to deflect one kick of mine? Fine, I’ll praise you for blocking it on your first try. No one around me has ever done that before. But you know… I wasn’t even serious back then. That tournament was nothing more than playtime.”

When it came to fighting, Hirota suddenly became incredibly talkative.

“I’ve trained in pretty much every Japanese martial art there is. Because of that, my strikes, grappling—even bamboo sword fights—were all rated exceptional by my masters. Most people stick to just one discipline. But I greedily absorbed everything I could. …That’s the source of my strength.”

“I see. Yeah, I can respect that mindset.”

Takahashi-kun shrugged lightly.

Even with Hirota standing right in front of him, his heart still seemed calm—almost disturbingly so.

“…Alright, enough. If I keep messing around, the police will show up. Let’s finish this.”

The instant Hirota said that, his pupils widened—and he stepped in fast.

Then he threw a punch.

I didn’t understand martial arts, but it looked like a textbook karate strike—sharp, clean, and precise.

Hirota’s thick fist shot straight toward Takahashi-kun’s face.

But—

At the last instant, Takahashi-kun dodged it.

“Hmph!”

And he didn’t just evade.

With smooth, flawless movement, he grabbed Hirota’s arm and tried to take control—like a veteran fighter going straight for a submission.

But—

“Oh?”

The one who sounded impressed… was Takahashi-kun.

Hirota twisted his large body skillfully and slipped out of the joint lock.

He rolled away, creating distance, then sprang back up immediately.

Once again, the two faced each other, keeping a careful gap.

“Guess you’re not as easy as Isoyama.”

Takahashi-kun spoke first, still smiling.

He almost looked like he was enjoying this.

“…That movement—MCMAP, huh?”

Hirota smiled back,

But this time there was unmistakable surprise mixed into his expression.

“Heh. So you recognize it?”

“MCMAP—the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. A combat system developed by the U.S. Marines. It’s built for real fights—bare hands, knives, even firearms. I saw it once when I went to America with my old man.”

Hirota let out a low, rumbling laugh.

“I see. That’s a pretty niche system. But that power—focused purely on subduing an opponent—seems legit. No wonder you blocked my kick on the first try. …But.”

He shrugged, his smile twisting into a sneer.

“In the end, it’s just training, right? In a peaceful country like Japan, with no guns around, you’ve never actually used it for real… isn’t that riiight?”

“…Yeah. Not in Japan.”

“Heh… hehehehe…! You seriously lack real combat experience. I’ll teach you the difference right now!!”

With that—

Hirota kicked a rusty iron pipe lying on the ground like a soccer ball.

It spun through the air with a sharp whine, flying straight at Takahashi-kun.

“Whoa!”

Takahashi-kun dodged—

But immediately after, Hirota charged in with a heavy tackle.

“Got you!!”

Everything after that happened in a blur.

Hirota hooked both legs around Takahashi-kun’s right arm and flipped onto his back—

That was it…

The same move Isoyama-kun had been caught in—

An armbar—juuji-gatame.

It was locked in perfectly.

“Fuhihihihihihihihi!! This is what I call ‘real combat,’ Takahashi!!”

Already convinced of his victory, Hirota spoke smoothly.

“You see, I picked up martial arts too easily. Dojo training got boring fast. So I wanted to test myself for real—out there, on the streets.”

“………………”

“At first, I picked fights with delinquents my age. They were nothing. Then semi-gangs… even yakuza. Hacking police systems made it easy to track troublemakers. I beat every single one of them! I wore a mask—no evidence left behind. And because of that experience, taking out those three from the Aketo Conglomerate faction was easy too. Fuha! Fuhahahaha!!”

“………………”

Maybe the pain was that intense—

Takahashi-kun kept his eyes closed, silently listening.

“I’ve been in over fifty street fights in just three years since middle school!! No mats, no protection—cheap shots allowed, weapons allowed. That’s the kind of real combat that made me strong!!”

“………………”

“Because of that, I became the strongest in Academy SP!! And you—just because you learned some military combat system—you think you can beat me!? You’re a hundred years too early!! Martial arts and street fights are completely different things!! Gyahahahahaha!!”

Hirota was saying the same thing he’d said to Isoyama-kun—now directed at Takahashi-kun.

Like I said before, I didn’t understand the difference between martial arts and street fighting.

But even I could tell one thing clearly.

Hirota was showing an overwhelming gap in power.

At this rate… Takahashi-kun would end up just like Isoyama-kun—

“KUKUKU…”

But even while trapped in the hold… Takahashi-kun laughed.

In this situation, he still sounded like he was looking down on Hirota—

As if he were the one standing above him, calmly mocking from on high.

“So this is what you call ‘real combat,’ huh… kukuku. You talked so big that I actually listened with interest… but it turns out it was a complete waste of time.”

“W-What…!? Do you seriously not understand the position you’re in right now!?”

And then—he said it.

“I understand perfectly. —Go on. Break it. Break my arm like this. Try it.”