Disclaimer: (Read Chapter 4's)

The air around me felt warm and was filled with loud chatter and noisy banging as weights were heavily heaved and obnoxiously dropped, some clanging louder than others. With exhausted effort, I curled the 22 kilogram dumbbell in one last struggling rep. My biceps squeezed uncomfortably tight as I fully contracted my arm, the weight itself feeling heavier than it was.

"Twelve!" I gritted out. Just like the others, I released the handheld weight carelessly onto the padded floor. "Wooo! Damn I'm pumpin'!"

The rush was amazing and the light soreness felt satisfying. Everyone has their therapy, it just so happens that working out was mine. It was simple and enjoyable. I just forget about things and just concentrate on moving the weights from point A to point B and back. It was a hell of a lot easier to do than practice those complex math equations or recall a specific historical date. But noooo, being a student athlete doesn't exclude me from those harshities.

"Holy smokes! You're looking big man." My classmate and one of my closest friends, Ooka, said. "I swear all you rugby guys got lucky in the gene pool or something."

"Ahaha! Nah dude. It just comes with the sport, y'know?" I nudge him with my elbow. If anyone's got luck with genetics towards rugby, New Zealanders got that lotto ticket.

Around us, our classmates and some from other classes were doing different exercises. Some of the guys were picking up weights while others decided to hit the machines. The girls weren't in the gym since they were doing their physical activities outside. Uwuu! I wish I can see them workout! Most of them were fit looking so it would have been a sweet treat to see them in their glistening glory. This is supposed to be a co-ed school!

"I dunno man." Ooka continued disbelievingly. "You're bigger than most guys in our class, if not the most buff one."

Him and I scouted around us as we checked out the physiques of the others. Most of them didn't have the mass to show except for a few. Now that I take a closer look, he was wearing pretty baggy PE clothing but those forearms are anything but fat.

"Whaaaat? Come on man, you've got some size too!" I told my buddy. Ooka was part of the baseball club of Sobu. Where I was a bit taller and buff all around, he had a more athletic and sleek physique.

Ooka scoffed and mockingly flexed an arm at me. I laughed at his antics. We both did another set of curls before heading to re-rack our weights. From the corner of my eye, I was still observing him. He was doing pull-ups on the bars from the other side of the gym. His form was great that he'd put crossfitters to shame as he moved his body up and down in controlled ascent and descent. It looked like he wasn't even struggling at all.

"Yamato?" I jerked my head swiftly to the call of my name.

"Huh, what?"

"Who were you looking at?"

"Uh, no one really." Though the look on Ooka's face was anything but convinced by my tone.

"I see you've been sneaking glances at Hikitani."

"Oh, that's his name?"

"Erm, well I heard Hayato mention him once so I guess. But why have you been looking at him?" That's right, I forgot what I knew wasn't common knowledge yet. But even I still find it hard to believe that he is the guy of the rumors. Everytime I look at him, I think 'Nah, there's no way.' I mean, I barely see him do anything anyways. Well, he usually keeps to himself so I barely know anything about him. Ooka spoke again. "Don't tell me… are you crushing on him? Dude…"

"What?!" How the hell did he come to that deduction? It's totally normal for guys to look at other guys! Hell, girls check out other girls too and no one says it's weird. Damn double standards! "Dude, I'm not gay." I gave it to him as straight as possible.

"It's okay, man. I'm not against it." He raised his hands in surrender. Uhg. "Hahaha, just messing with you. What's up with Hikitani though?"

I glance around us. The closest guys to us were a couple benches away. Hayato and Tobe were talking around a leg machine near the center of the gym. The rest of the guys were scattered throughout the gym.

Grabbing Ooka's shoulder, I pulled him in much to his surprise.

"Dude, have you heard the rumors? Y'know, how six of our senpais got whooped?" I hushedly reminded him.

My friend's facial expression furrowed as he slowly nodded seriously.

"I know who did it."

"What?!" He whispered-yelled.

"Chill man!" My eyes hurriedly made sure we didn't get any attention. "I found out who did it."

"How do you know who did it?"

"Totsuka told me, dude."

"Wha- how does he know?" Ooka exasperated.

"Because the guy beat Totsuka."

"You're shitting me."

I shook my head.

"Damn…" My gym mate muttered.

I slowly nodded my head.

"Who is it then?"

I looked up to find where the man in question is.

"There." I jerked with my chin in the direction. To say that Ooka's reaction was unreadable was an understatement.

"No way…" He breathed out faintly. "Hikitani?!"

Thankfully, his tone was still quiet as he exclaimed next to me. I gave him another set of slow nods.

"Yeah, dude."

We both kept looking at Hikitani however we were being subtle about it. Though it was a small surprise for me to see Totsuka himself cheerily walk up to Hikitani and start a casual conversation with him. They looked like they were great friends with Totsuka giving his usual dazzling smiles and even Hikitani is faintly, if barely, grinning back. It wasn't just more than two days ago I saw the 'Relentless Prince' all bashed up on a bed and now he was just merrily talking with the guy who dominated him. That's an odd development of a relationship if I ever witnessed one.

"Damn. I know some guys have been wanting a go at 'im." Ooka commented. He gave a once over to the others around us. "Some are pretty pissed that some newbie is getting better clout than them, hahaha."

"Pfft. What're they getting worked up for? Most of them are like low tier fighters though. Like they should be talking." I snickered uncharacteristically.

Those familiar with the SFC know it's a ruthless club to be in. Weakness was the first step to being kicked to the curb. Everyone was brutal, constantly trying to one up each other, wherever and whenever. Like crabs in a bucket, if one was close to making it to the top, a claw would snatch them back down. But those who showed strength, had a title to back them up. Their moniker held more weight of reverence than any low level fighter's fists. Every fighter wanted that. They wanted acknowledgement.

"Oh? You think Hikitani's got a chance against us?"

"Well he did beat a prince." I shrugged to Ooka.

Saika Totsuka, the strongest of the three princes in the Sobu Fight Club. He was called the 'Relentless Prince' since his style was so persistent in constantly attacking his opponent, nearly making it impossible to counter back. He was fast and his small size only made it more difficult. Even I had a hard time taking him down since he was pretty evasive.

I didn't know much about the other princes. Though I was aware that there was another one in our year and the third one was a first year.

"Huh. You think that highly of him?" Ooka prodded me. I simply shrugged again.

"I'm no math whiz but I won't say he's got zero chance." I told him.

"Well, maybe I should go for him then."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." I was first in line so I wasn't gonna let Ooka simply step up. "I had eyes on him first, so I'll take the first shot."

My friend gave me a smug and knowing look.

"Oh you're that confident that you can shut Hikitani down?"

"Yeah, you think I can't?" I narrowed my eyes at Ooka in challenge.

"No, no." He smirked. "I'm just thinking I'd probably be more of a challenge than you."

"You wanna try me?" I returned with a false smile.

Though it was meant as an empty challenge, I wouldn't mind backing it up. I won't admit it out loud, but Ooka remains to be one of the few obstacles in my way from being the best in the SFC. Being the Ninth Pillar is already an achievement in and of itself, but hey, the sky's the limit.

"Alright guys! P.E.'s over, get changed if you all want to have lunch early!" We heard our P.E. teacher bellowed like a drill sergeant over the whole weightroom.

Every guy hurriedly started cleaning and re-racking all their equipment. Ooka was returning the cable accessories he was using whilst I used a couple of wipes to down the machine we were working out on. Don't want some nasty germs lingering around or else a whole pandemic could sprout from that. I mean it's just as likely as a bat being sick, right?

"So how're you gonna fight Hikitani?" Ooka simply asked me.

Huh, honestly, no clue. Totsuka didn't tell me much about him either. He just told me that Hikitani was strong, apparently enough to send him to the infirmary. And Totsuka never has been to the infirmary before.

"Dunno, actually." I answered honestly.

"What, seriously? You really challenging him with no plan? Dude, I know you barely have a brain but that's pretty dumb."

"Psssh." I disregarded Ooka's words. Hikitani never seemed like the stupid type. His air of mystery keeps me doubtful of what he is capable of, but I'm not one to assume he's incompetent ever. "Look, I'm confident in my skills alright?"

Ooka shook his head carelessly at me.

"Hey, fighting isn't all about being physically superior. It can be psychological too. Like doesn't the saying go, know yourself and know your enemy? I dunno, but I'm gonna go along with that."

We were exiting the weight room along with the other guys filing out. The clear blue sky didn't stop the bright shine of light hail down on us as we lugged ourselves to the locker room.

"Alright. So when are you two going down?" Ooka curiously said.

Unconsciously, I scrunch my face in an effort to think of a reasonable time to challenge Hikitani. Most of the matches I've gone through never lasted for too long. Once I've got a joint-lock on someone, it's game over. And if Hikitani can expose himself early on, then I won't need any more than ten minutes.

Ooka and I along with the rest of our classmates and others from different classes began funneling into the locker room. It'd be hard to find a convenient place to confront Hikitani, let alone catch him after school. He's got a knack for disappearing right away. How he does it, I don't know. It must be some special skill he's got. The heavy breathing sweaty dudes around us rowdily shuffled around as we squeezed through the cramp entrance way. It was funny seeing some guys getting squished by the beefier ones as we pushed through. Geez, you'd think you'd need lube to slide past some of these dudes just to get out.

Wait, that's it! I quickly grabbed my buddy and leaned closer to him.

"Ooka, do me a solid." I told him my idea hushedly. If I'm going to do this, then there'll be no better time than now. It didn't take long to get across what I was thinking.

After briefly explaining my plan, Ooka took a second to gloss over it. His eyes neutrally met mine and soon gave me a slow acknowledgement through a nod.

"Okay," He said slowly. His expression held no humor, just caution "I'll tell the others quickly."

He broke off from me and I continued to make my way to the locker. It was difficult to discern anyone from this sea of bodies but thankfully I still managed to spot Hikitani. At least he hasn't ghosted yet. Good.

The locker room was fairly spacious. The layout was a basic square, with four locker islands taking up a corner. But in the center was like an open meadow, completely free space. Enough room for everyone to almost freely move about. It also meant no one would get in the way.

The noises that were filling the environment were dying down although it wasn't too noticeable yet. I scanned around and saw a few guys looking pretty wounded up, a sight that comically contrasted their earlier vibes. Some were sporting dark faces, others anxiously swiveled their heads.

Heh, Ooka sure works fast.

Wildly enough, Hikitani didn't even look faze. There's no way in hell he can't feel the change in the air. This guy has got to have balls of steel to keep doing what he's doing so lackadaisical. Hell, even Totsuka can clearly tell something's up if the weird looks he is giving are anything to go by. But it doesn't matter anyways.

Eventually, Hikitani finished tidying himself up, and swung his locker shut. He gestured for Totsuka who blunderingly hurried up. They began walking towards the exits but they weren't spared the ominous looks from the other guys on the way. Whether or not Hikitani was bothered by them, he didn't react. Though Totsuka just looked tense.

By now, the whole locker room was silent. No shuffling was heard, no murmuring was said, no one did anything but kept a heavy gaze on the two walking out. Ooka had just returned back to my side yet he stayed mute. Hayato and Tobe kept a relaxed posture as they calmly observed the situation.

It was oddly quiet in the locker room now. Even a stranger didn't have to be a genius to know why.

Hikitani and Totsuka were just about to reach the exit until a row of big dudes deliberately got in their way. The sound of their footsteps immediately ceased as the two parties intensely stared each other down. Most people would shake in their pants from a group of hostile looks but Hikitani leveled them with a cool gaze of his own. Damn, he's a tough S.O.B.! Though it looked like the guys didn't like the attitude from him.

"You're in my way. Move." Hikitani listlessly said.

"No." The guy in the center responded. He was fairly built and his tone sounded like he was putting up a brave front.

Tensions were so high right now, that a pin could prick the bubble and anarchy will break out. Oh well, Ooka got the ball rolling, it's time I start running with it.

"I wasn't asking." Was Hikitani's terse reply.

"And I'm not going to listen to a nobody like you." His counterpart spat back.

The guy looked like he wanted to jump and strangle Hikitani. Whoa man, I got dibs on him first so get in line.

"Hey Hikitani!" I called out. Just like that, I got all the attention in the room. Er, I forgot how unnerving it can be with all these eyes on me.

"Hikitani? Who the hell is that?" Hikitani quietly questioned with confusion.

"Eh? Duh, you dude."

"That's not my name." He said tiredly. "Besides, who are you?"

What? Seriously? This guy doesn't know who I am? I'm in his class for God's sake! I don't know much about the guy himself but c'mon, we've been sitting a few desks apart for months. At least I know who he is. What am I, a side character? That's so harsh…

"Wha- I'm Yamato Aoki! You know, your classmate!" I was a bit irked.

"Oh…" He tilted his head though he looked like he couldn't care less about knowing me. "What do you want? Lunch is soon and I want to eat."

If there's one thing I immediately noticed about him, it's his brash honesty. It's kinda off-putting but it doesn't bother me much. Besides, with all these guys surrounding us, there's really no need to keep up this song and dance.

"Simple. Fight me. I want you to fight me!" I boldly exclaimed to him.

The dam of silence fractured as whispering and quiet talking broke out among the guys around us.

"I don't want to."

"Why not?!" I persisted. "Are you afraid you'll lose against me? Either way, you're not getting out until you fight me."

I must've hit a switch or something because the temperature in the room felt void as an aura of intensiveness radiated off from him. He kept a blank expression since his bangs prevented me from seeing his full face. Everyone in the room looked either slightly shaken or highly wary of the sudden deadliness standing before us all.

Before I knew it, I was tingling. In fear? Maybe. Hikitani felt like the equivalent of a boss in a game and the sense of thrill I was getting from that gave me an addictive rush. Let's see if I'm high level enough to take this boss down.

"I can just force my way out." Hikitani suddenly said.

"You can try, but it won't be easy." I shrugged my shoulders back at him.

He's got to be either really confident or he's plain monkey brained. Even in between a rock and hard place, Hikitani still plays the tough man.

A volatile silence rested between us. Hikitani wasn't looking pleased but I just wanted to start fighting him. He doesn't bark much but I can tell he's got bite. The question is, was he a puny chihuahua or a vicious bulldog?

"Fine, have it your way." Hikitani sighed as he slid his blazer off. Totsuka quickly swept his blazer away while he shot Hikitani with a confident smile. "What's the rules?"

My facial muscles contracted as I felt my own mouth stretching wide.

"You decide. It's your right as the challengee."

"Alright. First one to submit loses."

Oh? So he wants to play it like that?

"Good enough for me."

I crouched slightly with my back bent forward and hands open and out in front of me with my left foot forward. My opponent rolled his neck as he also got into a basic orthodoxed stance.

The other guys in the room naturally stayed glued in their spots as they intensely observed us size each other up.

"Kick his ass, Aoki!" I heard one of them yell.

"Put that prick in his place!"

"Choke 'im out! Choke 'im!"

"You're a goner! The Ninth Pillar will crush you!"

A few more shouts were thrown out but I had my whole focus on Hikitani. He was already steadily closing the distance between us. Facing his types were all too familiar with me. He was an aggressor. He wasn't going to wait for me to come to him. He was the type that believed the best defense was a good offense. Instinctively, I tightened up my stance.

"Oh, you're approaching me?" I cheekily taunted him.

"Well I can't punch you if I'm not close enough." He replied through his raised guard.

By now, he was less than two meters in front of me. I shuffled carefully forward but Hikitani preemptively struck first. He swiftly threw a double left jab that forced me to step back. That was fast, hella fast!

But he didn't concede yet, Hikitani lurched towards me off of his back leg and jabbed with his left fist again. I parried it away and attempted to lunge into him for a hold but his back leg came in rapidly. It was impossible for me to dodge his strike so I willingly took the brunt of the impact on my forearms.

"Urhg!" I gritted. Damn, that's one helluva kick he's packing.

Hikitani moved in to land another hit on me but I had an advantage now. Leaning into his momentum again, I firmly grabbed his dress shirt, stepped into his inside space and twisted my torso the opposite direction. Using as much force as I can muster, I heaved him rushedly over my shoulder. His mass went flying from my shoulder throw but to my great surprise, he rolled on impact and leapt away from me.

He recovered almost flawlessly from my judo throw! Even the most experienced SFC fighters can't do what he just did. Hikitani got some serious skills.

This time, he wasn't even pushing to attack me. Instead, he hurriedly took off his dress shirt. He opted to keep space as I felt his sharp eyes watch me. Damn, he adapts fast. That makes this fight a bit harder for me to take him down. I need to create an opening. I gazed wonderingly at him as he kept his arms up in a wary guard. Hmm… what if I did that…

Like opposite ends of a magnet, him and I crept towards each other cautiously. Just one good blow from him and I'll lose control of the fight. But I need to find a way to take that option away from him. And I might just have the idea.

Prowling like a lion, I picked up my pace until I was full on charging against Hikitani. He retaliated as expected, a heavy right hook swung at me but I blocked him with a raised left arm. The impact was so solid that I can feel the bruise coming in but I maintained my inertia. I roughly tackled him and we went rolling on the hard cement floor. This is my chance!

In relieving success, I mounted him. But my respite was very short lived. Hikitani's fists were raining down onto my back, each one pounding with the force of a goddamn hammer. Thankfully my head was nested under his right arm. Clumsily snaking one of my hands, I snatched one of his wrists as I kept a deathgrip on his torso. If I'm going to do this, I can't fuck up now. It wasn't easy with him squirming wildly but with extreme precision, I swiftly moved my entire body over him.

I used all of my weight to pin him down as I slid my right leg below his caught arm and over chest. My other leg locked in with my right as I clasped both of my hands over his extended forearm. Instinctively, I leaned back into the solid ground as I immediately started applying pressure.

Hikitani was in an armbar.

"You can't get out of this one Hikitani!" I spitted out.

"Errrr!" He grunted.

I was increasing the amount of force on his arm but incredulously, Hikitani was still refusing to tap out! What the hell's he thinking? At this rate, I'm gonna end up breaking his arm. Don't be stubborn and just admit defeat! Almost regretfully, I intensified the pressure on his strained arm.

His tenacity was so palpable through his arm that it was unbelievable. The resistance he was giving was unyielding until it suddenly felt slack. What the? Did I actually break his arm? It was so sudden that I momentarily paused what I was doing. And I regretted it.

With flexibility that I thought no guy should be capable of, he twisted his frame unnaturally as he arced a leg around and it swung down like a trebuchet. Holy crap, it's headed straight towards my head!

As quickly as I could, I hastily swatted his arm away from me as I rolled backwards. I narrowly dodged crippling death as his foot breezed by my back. The impact of his foot sent a small rumble through the cement floor.

Shit… He could have broken me like a shattered light bulb. Hikitani wasn't somebody to scoff at. No, anyone who did would be total idiots. Absolute, certified, delusional idiots. Because the guy in front of me was nothing but a dogged monster.

The guy himself was now standing but he looked a lot… bigger. Like, buffed up bigger. How?! Most of his veins were popping out crazily as his palish skin took on a light pink hue.

My lights were almost knocked out as I barely registered one of his incoming fists. I scantily tilted away but I could not escape his sudden grasp. Does he know how to grapple too?! Hikitani violently pulled me in and his knee brutally dug itself into my stomach. It took all of my willpower to hold in my breakfast from exiting my throat and butt.

He sent me tumbling off to the side as he threw me away. Goddamn, where the hell did he get all that strength from?! This is crazy! If this turns into a flat out slugfest, I'm totally done for. His arms and legs were like a battleship's weapon systems. Each capable of dealing heavy damage. But that doesn't mean they're immune to being damaged themselves.

It was barely noticeable, but I can tell that the arm I restrained was impaired. I saw Hikitani hardly wince as he tried to freely move his arm yet he soldiered on. Okay, it looks like I managed to put a dent in his defense stats. He may hit as hard as a train but he's no tank. No, he's not a tank like that other guy.

Gahh!

I keeled over a bit from Hikitani's knee strike. My guts feel horrible from that cannon ball of a strike. If Nakamura-senpai saw me right now, he'd be screaming my ear off for acting like a little bitch right now. Heh, he was always unforgiving whenever we practiced.

[Flashback]

"Oi, oi, oi, at this rate you're gonna end up like a squashed cockroach!" My sparring partner mocked.

My jaw clenched horribly tight as I desperately grappled with Nakamura-senpai. We were battling for dominance, one that I knew I was losing, over the padded wrestling mat as my muscles fiercely resisted his advance. I was merely a woodpecker trying to topple an overly mighty oak tree. It didn't help that he was heftier than I am and I couldn't do much against his assertiveness.

Unfortunately for me, he snuck a foot blurring between my legs and swept it to the side. Consequently, I ended up doing a split but before my bum could hit the soft floor, Nakamura-senpai decided to harshly punish my slip up. He quickly caught me only to swing me around until he roughly slammed me to the floor. Even though it was padded, the material was thin and it did little to soften my landing.

Before I realized my bearings, an extremely uncomfortable strain was felt on my left arm. Goddamnit! Nakamura-senpai had me in a kansetsu waza.

"Alright! Alright!" I hissed.

"Ho? That's not how you submit!" Nakamura-senpai annoyingly added more torque to my arm.

"Dammit senpai!" I rapidly tapped the mat, desperate to relieve myself from the discomfort.

"Aha!"

Just like that, all that pressure was instantly gone. But the strain still lingered. Him and I propped ourselves back up as we each took a breather.

"Good job, Yamato-kun. You did better than last time. What's the score now?"

"Twenty-three… to nine."

"In whose favour?"

"Yours."

"Ahahaha!"

I gave Nakamura-senpai a deadpan look as he shamelessly reveled in his clear superiority over our matches so far. I shook my head. My bigger senpai boisterously shook his body in amusement. He clearly outclasses me physically and skillfully. He was also the taichou of Sobu's Rugby team and his figure of leadership only served to make me look up to him more. To me, he was the standard of strength, a highrise that cannot crumble no matter how much abuse was thrown at him.

"Nakamura-senpai, you're crazy strong." I commented to him.

"Well yeah! Third Pillar ain't just a fancy title, right?" He jovially grinned back.

"Yeah. But how do you get so strong?! I mean, I'm trying to do what you are doing but it's not enough everytime."

"What? You're tryin' to steal my style?"

"Wha- No, no, no! It's because your style is so good that I'm trying to figure out how you make it work so well."

"Ohh…" Nakamura-senpai's mouth formed an 'o' shape at my words. "Hmm, I know! I'll put it this way. C'mon, get up!"

"Uh, alright Nakamura-senpai."

My senpai shot straight to his feet and immediately took on a neutral grappling stance. Senpai's sudden action sent my mind into confusion and curiosity but I decided to comply.

"Okay, good. Now, I want you to try to take me down."

"What? But we just sparred like a minute ago!"

"Ahp, ahp! Quit yappin' and just do as I told ya!"

I heavily puffed out air from my nose as I began to charge Oyasu-senpai. He and I made contact as we both strangled over each other for dominance once again. My whole entire system of muscles exerted as much force as I humanly can muster up. But it was like trying to push back against a semi-truck. One that's driving to push me back! Nakamura-senpai's vise-like hold on me was starting to weaken my ability to stay stable. Even as I sporadically sent a surge of strength to push him back, he didn't budge. Instead, I felt my heels slipping back on the mats.

Then, I saw his eyes. His dark blue orbs were blazing with unwavering resolve that filled me with vacillation. Nakamura-senpai bore down on me heavier than before, my stance shrinking as he towered higher and higher than me. It was no use. Just by raw strength alone, he had me beat.

"Grr!" Futilely, I buckled like hollow metal beams.

Nakamura-senpai easily crumpled me down to the floor.

He had me immobilized. His full weight pinned me down and even as I struggled to wriggle free, he had me on lockdown. All my efforts were just as effective as a mental patient securely strapped down on an easo bed. I let my body go limp in a way to signal defeat against my obviously superior senpai.

In moments, I was relieved of the pressing weight. Nakamura-senpai had swiftly stood back up whilst offering a sportsman-like gesture with an outstretched hand. A big smile painted his face childishly.

"C'mon!" He urged with his hand.

His enthusiastic attitude was so contagious, that I couldn't even stop myself from smiling so goofily. Nakamura-senpai effortlessly took me down yet he was still being kind. Oh man, I would almost tear up!

Gratuitously, I firmly clasped his offered hand and with baffling strength that no ordinary 18 year old should have, I nearly went flying back to my feet. Whoa, the sudden liftoff almost gave me whiplash, hahaha! Nakamura-senpai's strength is insane!

"You know, you weren't half bad just now, Yamato-kun." My upperclassman beamed at me.

"What are you talking about? You just crushed me! Like totally crushed me!"

"Hahaha! Oh hell yeah I did. But don't sell yourself short! You took me by surprise a bit actually."

"Huh? Senpai, I don't think I did anything special just now."

Nakamura-senpai blew me an undignified raspberry that awkwardly made me cringe away. He's always an expressive guy, but he shows it in quirky ways. Sometimes he mimics the weirdness of Westerners since he tends to reference them so much, especially action and comedy cartoons.

"Well duh, you didn't do anything 'special'." Nakamura-senpai air-quoted me. "Nah, that's expecting too much from you, hahahaha!"

Hahaha… senpai's so funny! NOT! As much as I admire senpai, his mocks are super annoying to deal with. And I thought upperclassmen were supposed to be the leading examples of maturity.

Un-amusedly, I deadpanned at him.

"Oh ha ha, senpai. Laughing at your own joke somehow makes it even funnier." Sarcasm dripped from me as my eyeballs rolled.

"Eh? C'mon, Yamato. Don't be a doll. But yeah, I'm serious though." My bigger senpai adopted a more solemn expression, if a bit fondly. "I saw something in you. In your eyes. You've got that spirit, it's just not wholly prominent yet. You said I was strong. You wanna know how I 'crushed' you?" He air quoted the last part.

Nakamura-senpai has had this charismatic magnetism that just makes people listen to him with raptness and I'm no exception. So I found myself unconsciously nodding to him.

"Easy. Pure determination!"

"What…?"

My mind could not process his point like how math probabilities never make any sense. Pure determination? Okay, Nakamura-senpai's probably pulling my leg here. Like, do I gotta power up like those anime MCs while going through a motivational arc and just become super strong? Pfft, yeah even I can't say how ridiculously bullcrap that sounds. Nakamura-senpai still isn't taking me seriously.

"Senpai, what the hell does that mean? Pure determination? That sounds like some battle shonen protagonist trait."

Nakamura-senpai visibly flinched and deflated simultaneously.

"Er, I guess that doesn't sound much actually…" He rubbed the back of his head. "Hmm, I'll put it this way. You know how in rugby, the forwards of each team are always trying to push the others back? Well, it's kinda like that. When we grappled with each other, you wanted to take me down. And I wanted to take you down. Now, obviously our specs differ where the match is in my favor. But you're no little pup. Nope. Believe me when I say this, but you don't make it easy for me to simply 'crush' you. If it was, I would've grounded you from the get-go."

He gave an arrogant yet friendly smirk. My competitive side felt slightly triggered but I let him continue.

"Anyways, the point I'm tryin' to make is that you really tried to resist me even when losin'. You didn't give in when I put so much pressure on you. You didn't cave even when you were tired. To me, that made it so much more difficult to utterly 'crush' you, as you said. It was hard to break that determination. But that only made me more motivated to give it my all. And that made me more determined than you. It was only right that I put you down completely!"

"Senpai…"

"Ahp! I'm not done yet! I ain't gonna honey it up for you, you still got some room for progress. But keep going at this rate, and maybe, one day you'll surpass me, hehehe!"

Gee, I never knew Nakamura-senpai could say such semantics. Heck, I'd probably become a fountain and start sprinkling the waterworks. But the heck does he mean about maybe?

"What do you mean 'maybe'?"

"Of course, I won't make it easy for you!"

Ah, yeah. That sounds very much like Nakamura-senpai. One day, I'll get past the Third Pillar.

[Present time]

Hikitani and I gauged each other warily. The beast in front of me barely looked sapped but I wasn't going to back down just because of that. Nakamura-senpai's words are firing me up!

Almost inhumanly, Hikitani darted forward and sent a one-two combo so fast that I hardly dodged the first jab but his second fist gutted itself into my stomach. Gah! I think some spittle flew out of me but I couldn't think for long.

I stumbled back dizzily and Hikitani followed up with a right roundhouse kick to my side. It was exposed. But not unintentionally. The impact was almost bone breaking but I finally caught a tight hold on him.

Latching out my other arm onto his, I hooked my other leg over his remaining standing one and just fell back. The Ashi Garami was a forbidden leg lock in competitive judo but we're playing by SFC rules. So anything goes. I needed to beat Hikitani and I'll use every weapon in my arsenal to take him down.

To my shock, Hikitani stomped out his foot from my grasp, breaking his fall with me. He tried knocking me with a heavy hammer fist but I bailed out quickly.

Dammit! He's such a slippery fish and I can't get him into a full kansetsu-waza. But I'll just use another move.

As if thinking similarly to me, Hikitani rushed me again. He threw an accurate right hook with a reverse roundhouse kick in tow that forced me to back up. When I saw an opening I went in to grab him. He'd only hammer down on my back and sides repeatedly and I would be made to release him.

He'd lash a kick out. I'd receive and attempt to leg lock him. He'd escape.

He'd whip an arm forward. I'd grasp him and try to maneuver him into an unnatural position. But his absurd strength would just break away from me.

I'd tackle him, but he wouldn't fall as his stance was as solid as a concrete building. Seriously, what's this guy made of?

I know I've strained his limbs and body a lot but he's still kicking strong. Is that buffed up state he's in has got something to do with it? Hikitani… he's an absolute monster. Now I really understand what Nakamura-senpai was saying back then. Hikitani is just like Nakamura-senpai, he really doesn't want to lose. Heh, I wonder if Nakamura-senpai would have fun with him… Just the thought of it is making me roused!

"Hahaha!"

"Why are you laughing?" Hikitani gave me a weird look.

"Eh, nothing really. I think you're just ridiculous. I mean, you remind me of someone and he's one of the strongest people I know."

"Yeah? Well after I beat you, I'll beat him too."

Just then, I saw the same smirk on his face like the one I saw on Nakamura-senpai's.

Ohoh, this is a first for me. Hikitani has a cocky side too, eh? That's not a bad thing, it just makes this whole fight a lot funner.

"Bring it on, Hikitani!"

We charged each other again. I'm a bit more familiar with his amazing speed so the initial strikes flew over me. I swatted his legs away before I fully barreled into him.

He couldn't withstand the force and we toppled over with me in the dominant position. I relentlessly rained down plenty of strikes on him as all Hikitani could do was protect his head. Finally I had the advantage! As long as I continuously landed heavy blows to his arms, he'd break his guard and I'd deal the finishing strike.

Then Hikitani's arms parted and I saw my chance. Just like a hawk, my raised arm swooped down like an executioner's axe. And it was at that moment, I realized I fucked up.

I never noticed Hikitani's legs position themselves up my back. And when I struck my arm down, they pushed me forward while he swiftly rotated about my waist. I missed my strike as his knee latched over my elbow and his foot snaked across my face until my widened eyes saw the flat and cold cement floor in front of me.

Ow, ow, ow, ow! Shit, he pulled off an omoplata!

He knew an advanced jiu-jitsu technique?! My thoughts were nothing but focused on the extreme hyperextension being put on my arm. I wasn't tapping out but Hikitani was as steadfast as me.

Holy crap, he's gonna really dislocate my shoulder!

Resistance was useless. I had no leverage. All I could do was grit my teeth. Nakamura-senpai, I get what you were trying to say that time. Even now, I still wasn't determined enough. Hikitani, you're strong. Your will to win is strong.

I fervently tapped the concrete. And not a moment too late, relief filled throughout my limpy arm.

Damn. I lost. I wonder what Nakamura-senpai would have said if he saw this. Heh, I know he'd be telling me to get my sorry ass back up for sure. But this loss, it didn't feel bad. Nah, not like that. Seeing Hikitani, who looked more normal now, organized himself with Totsuka helping him, this loss is more like another reason to get better. To increase my determination. Hikitani is just another person I have to beat.

As they headed for the exit, I almost forgot there were other guys watching us. Some of those guys looked indignant and were about to directly confront Hikitani and Totsuka.

"Hey!" I called out to those guys.

They looked at me. Hikitani and Totsuka as well. Everyone in the locker room was.

"Let them have lunch. I bet they're starving. I know I am!" I smiled at them. Though it wasn't intended to be nice.

The supposed aggressors shrunk back as Hikitani and Totsuka walked further away. Before they left, I wanted to tell Hikitani one more thing.

"Hey, Hikitani!"

He lazily glanced at me, barely looking at me with his face. But I had his full attention.

"Let's do this again sometime."

In reply, I saw him smirk. But I have a feeling it wasn't the egotistical kind.

"Sure. Also my name is Hikigaya."

Him and Totsuka left our sights. Breaths were released and others began mulling about. Murmurs were going around but I didn't care. Ooka was helping me with my stuff but all I could think about was Hikitani's strength. The whole of SFC is going to know about Hikitani but he's proven to be very good. He's someone who's tough, someone who's to be respected. I wonder what those guys will do about it though…

But first… I'm hungry!

"So, you got your butt handed to you?" Hiratsuka-sensei calmly blew a puff of white smoke.

Thank god I wasn't near enough. I don't want to be hacking out my lungs. Uhg, my arm still feels super sore too.

"Er, I wouldn't put it that way, sensei… Also shouldn't you not be smoking in school?"

"Uh, I'm on break." School's over though but okay.

Hiratsuka-sensei, Ooka, Tobe, Hayato, and I were all seated into our Modern Japanese teacher's cubicle. It was a bit cramped. For such a prestigious high school, Sobu sure is a stickler when it comes to luxury and comfort.

"Dude," Ooka cut in. "Hikitani beat you with one of your own moves."

"Wha- I didn't know he knew any jiu-jitsu moves! And what the heck was that pink state he was in? He was like Majin Buu for a minute!" I protested.

All the guys shrugged, nodded, and contemplated simultaneously.

"But bro, Hikitani was like a total badass!" Tobe exclaimed.

"Kakeru-kun, language! Remember we're still in school." Hiratsuka-sensei chided him. The orange haired ecstatic gave a sheepish apology.

"At least he didn't send you to the infirmary." Hayato lightly laughed. "I caught a glimpse of Totsuka's body earlier and I can still make out the faint bruises he got. It makes me wonder how strong he is."

Everyone in the cubicle made their own silent conclusion. I already witnessed his potential first hand.

"Sensei," Hayato grabbed our attention again. "You've told us that Hikitani-kun has to defeat ten fighters. We know it's us and Totsuka so far but who are the others?"

Our sensei stubbed out her cigarette. The trail of smoke was reduced to nothing as I watched the remaining embers die out.

"Can't say." Hiratsuka-sensei simply said.

"Can't say. Or won't say?" Ooka gave her a raised eyebrow.

She gave us a small knowing smile.

"Ah, I see." Hayato smiled back.

"What? Uh, guys, what's going on? Yo, you guys are leaving me out of the loop." Tobe whined.

"Don't worry, man." I reassured Tobe. He's like a lost puppy when we have these types of unspoken wavelengths going on. "We'll know who they are."

"Alright…" He squinted his eyes around to each of us. "So who is going to challenge him next? Can I?!"

"No! I already called next!" Ooka scoffed.

"Huh? Since when?"

"I told him he could after me." I told Tobe.

"What! That's not fair!"

"Now, now, it only makes sense that we go in rank order, right sensei?" Hayato tried to appease Tobe.

"He's got a point Kakeru-kun." Hiratsuka-sensei said. Then she turned to SFC's eighth pillar. "And speaking of which, Kazumi-kun, you think you can handle him?"

Her tone was challenging but not provocative. Ooka 'Lucky Knuckles' Kazumi snorted confidently as he replied with a haughty grin.

"Sensei, do you think he could handle me?"

Yamato 'The Vise' Aoki, Sobu Second Year Student

Height: 190 cm

Weight: 87 kg

Fighting Style: Judo/Jiu-Jitsu

The martial arts Judo and Jiu-Jitsu are very similar to each other. In fact, Jiu-Jitsu derives most of its techniques from Judo. The fighting styles incorporates the uses of strikes, grappling, throws, and submissions/joint-locking. Judo and Jiu-Jitsu are extremely effective CQC martial arts that excels in less than an arms length confrontations. In combination with Yamato's rugby background, it'd be a natural fit for him considering his full-contact experience in the sport. Most Judo/Jiu-Jitsu moves are simple and effective yet can be a challenge to pull off. Depending on the position, certain techniques can be used and fundamentally categorized in the following three: Nage waza (throwing), katame waza (grappling), and kansetsu waza (joint-lock). Yamato has shown to be capable of pulling off these techniques.

AN:

Yope. Gotta say, learning about different fighting styles as I write this story is kinda interesting. It's also why I take so long too. For any fight experts out there, don't flame me too much. Also, if I didn't describe the moves used very well, I suggest you look them up online. It certainly beats just reading it out.

Like Yamato from last chapter, Ooka's surname isn't randomly made up. The wikia didn't have one stated for him. So I gave him a relevant one. So yes, Ooka is still the canon Ooka. OOC? Maybe. You be the judge.

Also, I have finally finished Season 3 and boy I have bitter sweet feelings about it. The amount of times the YuixHachi ship sunk only to be re-sailed then to be sunk again was a real pain on my heartstrings. Why they gotta play it like that?! It was obvious who was gonna win but it's satisfying to have an official closure to the wonderful series. It makes me think, will the oregairu fanfiction fandom continue now the story's really over? We just hit over 1k stories so horay! But I just hope this fandom can stay somewhat alive...

And we were just starting what I assume to be a Shizuka Hiratsuka revolution! *GASP* (is the YumixHachi era over? Please say sike.)

Date uploaded Nov. 17, 2020

Stay safe,

Scribere, out-