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 88, 89 & 90

Chapter 88

Side: Ayaka

“………………!”

I was stunned.

Even without the gag, I would’ve been left speechless just the same.

“Gah…! Gah…! Gah…!”

He was alive.

That man—Ishiyama—was twitching, letting out strained groans… but he wasn’t dead.

The fact that he was still breathing was shocking.

But—

There was no way he could stand again.

If anything, he needed to be taken to a hospital immediately.

Blood was pouring endlessly from his forehead.

(What… is this man…?)

There was no hesitation.

Yes, the yakuza here were criminals.

They had lived freely while trampling over countless victims.

It was only a matter of time before punishment caught up to them.

But—

The one delivering that punishment with his own hands…

…was Takahashi.

That fact left me shaken.

After giving Ishiyama a brief glance, Takahashi immediately lost interest—

No…

He had simply shifted his target.

To the Tosa Family members near me—

And to their boss, Urabe.

It was like a clear message—

That he would do the same to them.

To me, it looked like Takahashi was about to overwrite the violence that ruled this place—

With his own power.

With blood.

With something even more overwhelming than theirs—

Violence beyond violence.

“I-Ishiyama-san…!”

I felt one of the men holding me loosen his grip slightly.

They had been about to violate me—but now they clearly had bigger problems.

All their attention shifted at once—toward Takahashi.

“D-Don’t fuck with us, you little shit!!”

One of the underlings suddenly charged forward.

Then the man who had been restraining me followed right after him.

Maybe they couldn’t stand seeing their senior taken down—

Or maybe it was that underling instinct, thinking they had to act before Urabe even gave an order.

Either way—

For the sake of their pride… and their comrade—

The two of them rushed Takahashi together.

(Takahashi…!)

They had the size advantage.

And it was two against one.

Even for him, this was—

…what I thought.

“Gyaaaaaahhh!?”

The scream that followed—came from the yakuza again.

Takahashi slipped past the incoming punch—

And drove his elbow straight into the man’s face.

Not just anywhere—

Right into his eye.

A sickening pop—like something bursting—mixed with the impact and the scream.

The sight alone made my skin crawl.

But Takahashi didn’t stop.

CRACK!!

This time, he raised his left elbow high—

And brought it down—

Straight onto the top of the man’s head.

“Gah—!?”

In that instant, the yakuza’s eyes rolled back.

Blood poured from his head—

It looked like he had been smashed with an iron pipe.

He dropped to the ground with a thud, completely unconscious, not moving at all.

This had all happened in—what, ten seconds?

Before the yakuza could even take advantage of their numbers and surround Takahashi—

He had already taken one of them down.

“Y-You bastard!!”

The other yakuza finally rushed in to attack.

Takahashi had just finished beating one of them, so—

He looked wide open.

—Or so it seemed.

Once again, Takahashi dodged the punch like it was nothing.

Then—

As the yakuza overextended and left himself open—

Takahashi drove his fingers straight into his throat.

Thrust!!

“Gkh—!?”

The man let out a strangled sound, his airway crushed as the fingers dug into his Adam’s apple.

Then, grabbing the front of his shirt with his left hand—

Takahashi swung his right fist like a hook—

“Guh—!?”

The yakuza’s head snapped violently to Takahashi’s left.

And then—

Without missing a beat—

Takahashi reversed the motion, turning it into a backfist—

And swung it in the opposite direction.

“Gogyah!?”

The impact was brutal—

So strong that the yakuza’s face visibly caved in.

In the end, his eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness.

Even then, Takahashi showed no mercy—

He kicked the man straight in the stomach.

The yakuza’s body lifted into the air for a moment—

Flying toward Urabe.

“Tch!”

Even though it was his own subordinate, Urabe kicked him away like he was brushing off sparks.

“This brat…!”

Veins bulged across Urabe’s face, standing out more and more clearly.

He was being completely humiliated.

Urabe, Wakou, Kojima—

All of them must have felt the same.

(Now…!)

I saw my chance.

The man restraining me was gone—my body was finally free.

I quickly pulled the towel out of my mouth and threw it aside, then tore off the pants Kojima had ripped.

If I kept them on, they’d only get in my way.

That left me in just my underwear—but in a situation like this, I had no choice.

I stood up, watching for an opening—

And ran straight toward Takahashi.

“…! Ayaka!”

Takahashi noticed and reached out his hand—

Reaching it toward me.

I stretched out my own hand desperately—

And grabbed his.

The next moment, Takahashi pulled me in—

Guiding me behind him, as if shielding me.

(T-Takahashi…)

Before I realized it, I had grabbed onto his shoulder.

His back—

It felt so broad… so dependable.

Even in a situation like this, something strange stirred inside me.

I had always lived stubbornly on my own.

I had always seen men as something like enemies.

And yet—

This feeling…

It was the first time I had ever felt something like this.

I didn’t understand what it was.

Even if I wanted to think about it… to figure it out—

Now wasn’t the time.

Because—

Wakou had finally stepped forward.

“Damn, you’re putting up quite a fight for a student…”

He was taller than anyone else here.

I couldn’t help but hold my breath.

But—

From behind, looking at Takahashi’s face—

There wasn’t even a trace of fear toward Wakou.

Chapter 89

Side: Ayaka

“T-Takahashi… be careful…!”

Even though I knew it might be unnecessary, I couldn’t stop myself from saying it.

“That man—Wakou… he’s not normal. He’s extremely sadistic… it wasn’t enough for him to just beat the guard who was protecting me—he broke almost all of his teeth. And he looked like he was enjoying it…”

Just remembering that scene made my skin crawl.

Not just me—Wakita and Imamura, who were there too, had their faces twisted in disgust.

Anyone who could do something like that without hesitation—wasn’t sane.

“All his teeth… huh.”

But even after hearing that, Takahashi only let out a small snort.

There was a slight frown on his face—

But it wasn’t fear or disgust.

If anything, it looked like mild annoyance…

Like he was fed up with something so trivial.

“—Seriously… Ishiyama too, but my men are pathetic. Losing four men to some brat like this in no time.”

The one who said that was Urabe.

He was leaning back on the sofa, completely relaxed.

As if none of this mattered.

Even after seeing Takahashi’s strength—and the situation turning into this—

He still looked completely at ease.

“Oi, Wakou. We can’t just keep letting this brat walk all over us, can we?”

—More than anything, it seemed like Urabe truly believed in Wakou’s strength.

“Of course, boss. —No need for anyone else to step in. I’ll take care of this brat myself.”

Wakou smirked, as if he fully intended to live up to that expectation.

“Hehehe…! Damn right. If a bunch of yakuza keep getting taken down by a student, our reputation’s finished. Wakou, don’t screw this up. If you do, I’ll kill you myself. Hehehe…!”

Kojima laughed with an even more twisted expression.

For just a moment, Wakou showed a slightly bitter look.

“Kojima-aniki’s pretty harsh, huh… well, just watch.”

…This was just my instinct, but—

Kojima might actually be above Wakou.

That man…

He was the one who cut off Imamura’s fingers.

A completely unhinged man.

And beyond him—

Urabe was still there.

(We’re still at a disadvantage… aren’t we…)

Then… what can I even do right now?

I—

Still wanted Takahashi to get away.

He came all the way here, alone, into the Tosa Family’s den… just for me.

That alone was already more than I could ever repay.

If—because of me—Takahashi ended up dying…

…I would never be able to forgive myself.

In the first place, he had nothing to do with this.

This was a conflict between the Satsuroukai—no, the Tosa Family—and the Kirishima conglomerate.

He was completely unrelated.

And yet, he got dragged into it—

I couldn’t accept that.

I don’t want Takahashi to die—

(At the very least… I can act as a decoy—)

Thinking that, I stepped forward half a step.

But—

Maybe he noticed that tiny movement—

Without even turning around, Takahashi stopped me with his left hand.

“Ayaka. Stay back.”

“Eh…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you properly.”

Those words—

They were… unbelievably gentle.

And before I knew it, the words stuck in my throat finally came out.

“Why…? Why would you protect someone like me…? In the first place, you were supposed to be Hagoromo-san and Aketo-san’s SP. Then you have no obligation to protect me. You could’ve just left me. So why… why…?”

At that, Takahashi scratched his head.

“Yeah… at first, I was planning to just ignore it. Not just you—Sara and Ririko too… I was going to spend these three years in the ‘Academy SP’ minding my own business. —Just enjoying my youth.”

That was unexpected.

So it wasn’t for the conglomerate’s interests…

And it wasn’t for justice either.

Then—why…?

“But… whenever I find out your lives are in danger, my body just moves on its own. No matter how much you reject me… or push me away.”

“Then… why…?”

“Well… there are a lot of reasons. Part of it is atonement for my past. And also…”

Saying that, Takahashi turned back toward me.

“I owe you guys. I just wanted to repay that. So don’t worry about it.”

Even in a situation like this—

He showed me a gentle smile.

He didn’t say anything more.

Before he could—

Wakou came charging in.

“—What the hell are you two chatting about like it’s strategy time? You think I’m letting either of you get away!?”

Using his long reach, Wakou swung at Takahashi’s side.

“Tch.”

Takahashi lowered his body, crossing his arms—

And blocked the strike with his elbows.

But—

The impact made his body shake.

(Takahashi…!)

I wanted to do something—but I stopped myself.

If I acted now, I’d only get in his way.

Then there was only one thing I could do—

Believe in him.

I quickly moved away from where Takahashi and Urabe were.

And watched from a distance.

“Hey, Kojima. Keep an eye on that young lady. Don’t let her run.”

Urabe gave the order, and Kojima accepted it with a grin.

They were probably worried I’d escape and call the police.

With my physical ability, even if I tried to run, I’d be caught immediately.

Escape wasn’t possible.

But—

My resolve was already set.

(I won’t run—If Takahashi loses… I’ll be ready.)

I had decided to trust him completely.

“Ora ora!!”

Wakou kept firing off kicks.

Mid-level, high—switching between right and left in a relentless barrage.

Since I trained in martial arts, I could tell clearly—

Kicks had power and reach, but they weren’t something you could spam endlessly.

Which meant—

The fact that he could do this showed just how strong and fast his kicks were.

“I’ll kick you to death right here, brat!”

And as if sensing his chance—

Wakou twisted his body, preparing to unleash an even more powerful kick.

(That’s bad…!)

That’s what I thought.

But—

Takahashi moved first—faster than Wakou—closing the distance in an instant.

“—You think a big, slow swing like that’s gonna land, idiot.”

“Wha—!?”

Wakou’s kick shot toward him—

But Takahashi had already stepped in too close.

From that position, the kick lost all its power—

It couldn’t reach its full force.

And instead—

Wakou paid the price for leaving himself open.

“Oraa!”

Takahashi drove his fist straight into Wakou’s stomach.

“Gurghhhhhh!?”

The next moment—

Wakou vomited on the spot.

Chapter 90

Side: Ayaka

“G… guhhaa…!”

T-That was a brutal hit.

I had never seen a fist sink that deeply into someone’s stomach before.

“G…! Guhhh…! Damn it!”

But Wakou quickly jumped back, creating distance between himself and Takahashi.

I thought he’d be completely out of it—but he was tough.

“Oi oi~? Let your guard down, Wakou?”

At Urabe’s words, Wakou forced a grin, like he was hyping himself back up.

“T-This much… is nothing…!”

He steadied his breathing—and in the next moment, he was already back in stance.

“…Not bad, kid. You actually landed a punch on my gut—the assault captain of the Tosa Family.”

“Assault captain?”

“Yeah. The Tosa Family’s business is exactly what you’d expect from yakuza—pure violence. Every single day, we make money through threats, fights… and sometimes killing. Well, ‘daily earnings’ might sound small, but the pay is massive.”

—“Kukuku…” Wakou let out a low chuckle.

“And among them, I’ve always been the one leading from the front! I’ve been in more fights than I can count! —Ever since my delinquent days. You know about it? I used to be the boss of a group called ‘Toon.’”

“‘Toon’—…!”

The moment I heard that name, my eyes widened.

I usually kept up with the news, and a few years ago, there had been constant reports—

A group targeting the elderly, committing robbery and murder again and again.

If I remembered correctly, the lower members and those carrying out the crimes were caught…

But the mastermind was never found—

And the truth vanished into the dark.

(That… was Wakou, standing right in front of me!?)

“Well, at first it was just a bunch of young guys having fun. But one day, Urabe-san from the Tosa Family found us… took over our business, and as a nice little lesson, broke all my teeth. Heh… good memories.”

Wakou shrugged as he said that.

Urabe, meanwhile, looked like he was enjoying the memory.

…Now that I thought about it, his teeth had looked unnaturally white—

So they were ceramic.

“But after getting a taste of pain—I awakened to the yakuza life. I followed the boss and decided to make a name for myself in this world. Every day felt damn good. Fighting rival gangs, cracking down on street punks… While I was getting hooked on all that action, I ended up being called the assault captain before I knew it. Back in my delinquent days, it was boring—just killing some frail old men and women over and over! Gahahaha!”

(T-This guy…!)

I clenched my fists without realizing it.

(To think the Satsuroukai keeps monsters like this close… and that they had ties with the Kirishima conglomerate…!!)

I felt sick.

I could no longer just say, “I didn’t know.”

The connection between the conglomerate and this dark underworld—

And at the same time, guilt toward those who had died kept growing inside me.

“Hey, student boy? You might know a bit of martial arts… but the one standing in front of you is a yakuza. —A man who’s mastered evil.”

“……………………”

Saying that, Wakou took his stance again.

“There’s no way you can beat a real villain with presence like mine!!”

And he lunged at Takahashi.

He didn’t even seem to care about the damage he had just taken.

Was this what it meant to be used to fighting?

It was like his body was recovering in a way that didn’t even make sense.

(This is bad, Takahashi…! You need to create distance—)

“—A villain, huh.”

Ignoring my worry, Takahashi muttered quietly.

“You target the weak, kill them, and treat it like entertainment—then convince yourself that makes you strong. Yeah, that’s evil alright. Just a pathetic little thug.”

Then, calmly reading Wakou’s movement—

Takahashi shifted into a kicking stance as well.

“That weak mindset of yours—I’ll break it.”

“What!?”

From Wakou’s perspective, it must have been completely unexpected.

Takahashi blocked the incoming right high kick with his left arm.

A heavy impact echoed.

But—

Takahashi didn’t stop at just blocking.

“Oraa!”

With that shout, Takahashi swung his leg—

Striking straight at Wakou’s one leg, still raised from the high kick.

Snap…!

CRACK CRACK CRACK…!!

(Uh…!!)

I instinctively covered my mouth.

Wakou’s knee—

Was completely destroyed.

The ligaments snapped.

The muscle fibers tore.

The joint itself—

…came apart.

“GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”

Wakou screamed.

Takahashi had kicked his knee from the outside, driving it sideways.

It was a direct strike to the joint—

A “joint kick,” something even banned in some combat sports.

But what was truly terrifying—

Was the precision… and the power.

With a single blow—

Takahashi had shattered Wakou’s knee.

It bent unnaturally, like a chicken wing forced the wrong way—barely still attached.

“GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

As Wakou screamed in agony—

Takahashi climbed on top of him.

Pinning both of Wakou’s arms down firmly with his knees.

“Shut up already… you’re too damn loud.”

He muttered in a low voice.

With his leg gone—

Wakou had nowhere left to run.

“By the way—you’re the one who broke almost all the teeth of Ayaka’s guard, right? What, did getting all your own teeth smashed by Urabe awaken some weird hobby in you?”

“Gaaahhh!! Y-You… what are you…!?”

“Then let me teach you a better one.”

Saying that—

Takahashi raised his elbow toward the completely defenseless Wakou.

“Breaking the whole jaw.”

And then—

He brought that sharp, steel-like elbow crashing down onto Wakou’s upper jaw.

In the next instant—

A bursting sound rang out, along with Wakou’s scream.