Classroom of the Elite:SS Collection

True Monster (Kiryuuin)

I had my hands raised and curled into a fist as I took a stance to get ready for the fight.

About four boys of my own grade were on their fighting stances as well, ready to face me. But they should know that they don't have a chance to beat me.

"It's getting interesting."

I glanced from over my shoulder and said to the person who had his back to me.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, a second-year student, who had caught my interest. 

He had his hand raised as well, with one hand balled into the fist while the other hand patted the fist.

He was facing off against just one enemy. But the enemy wasn't an easy one. It was none other than, the student council president, Nagumo.

He was also in his fighting stance. 

Ayanokoji had caught my interest and I wanted to know his strength. But I didn't think that I would get to witness it soon.

Now, show me what you've got, second year.

But I was slightly troubled by something.

It was his posture. He was standing upright and not taking a sort of stance like the rest of us. But, I knew that it wasn't him being careless or naive. It just showed the confidence he had in himself.

It's really going to be interesting.

"Hiyaah!"

One of the boys cried out and launched a kick at me.

I slightly bent backward and caught his leg midair, and squeezed it.

"Aah!"

His face contorted in pain.

I let go of his leg and punched him in the gut. Immediately, clutching his stomach, he collapsed.

"That's one down."

The other three attacked me in unison.

I slightly ducked and evaded the incoming punch which was aimed at my face and while still being ducked I spun around fast as I could and kicked him. He stumbled and fell with a huge bang.

"Two down."

Using the momentum of the spin, I quickly got up and distanced myself from the two who were approaching me.

One of them launched a kick, aiming at my face again. I evaded the kick bending backward slightly.

His kick hit empty air. The other one came at me, throwing a punch. I slightly moved my body to the left and caught his wrist.

Yanking him down with the fist, I kicked him hard on the gut with my knees and he collapsed as well.

"Close call!"

I tilted my head swiftly to the right and managed to evade the punch. It would have been bad for me if he had hit me. Then I quickly spun and landed a kick, square on his neck.

"Gwaah!"

Spitting a bit of saliva, he went down as well.

I looked at the four who were sprawled on the ground. It didn't look like they would be waking up any soon.

I turned around to see how my partner was doing.

Ayanokoji was facing off against Nagumo.

It looked like Ayanokoji was going for his solar plexus and Nagumo twisted away to evade hit.

"Ghh!"

But he got jabbed in the throat by his palm. Ayanokoji knew what Nagumo would do and was feinting in anticipation of just that.

Nagumo was now on his knees. Ayanokoji delivered a kick to his face and he collapsed.

Everything was silent.

Nagumo, although he wasn't on par with me, he also wasn't a weak enemy. But Ayanokoji managed to dispose of him without as much as breaking a sweat. He really was strong.

Should I test how strong he is?

I felt my heart beat faster. I felt my blood pump twice as fast. This boy had made me get so excited. I hadn't felt this excited ever before.

Just as I was about to launch myself, dust flew and covered my vision.

Cough, cough

I used my hand to fan the dust and when the dust finally cleared I was shocked.

Someone was behind Ayanokoji and that person's leg was in his head region. Ayanokoji had managed to block that attack without even turning around.

The sound of someone clicking tongue reached my ear and immediately the person behind him distanced a bit from him.

I think I know that person; I think probably it was a first-year student.

That first-year student, letting out a cry, again closed the distance between them and launched a kick again. However, Ayanokoji blocked that attack with his left hand. 

The contact between the first-year student's leg and Ayanokoji's arm sent dust flying.

The first-year student, however, didn't stop at that and continued to kick him, alternating between his right and left legs, and even threw punches at him.

That first-year was strong. He was on par with me no he might be even stronger than me.

His every movement was refined and honed to perfection. It made me wonder how much that student had trained to attain a power of this level. The attacks were fierce and precise at the same time.

But, there was something else in those movements. There was a lingering emotion behind those movements.

Was it anger? No. It was hate, pure hate. That first-year was attacking him with the pure intent to kill him.

Stemming from hate, his movements became more and more powerful. It was truly shocking.

But what shocked me the most was how Ayanokoji was handling him.

Of course, he didn't seem exactly as at ease when he was fighting Nagumo, but he clearly had the upper hand on the first-year student.

He was able to defend against each of the attacks from the other party, with calculated and foreseen movements.

The first-year student's movement was amazing and it was magnified by his intense emotion of hate. It made me believe what I had heard from other people that emotions like hate and anger would propel your movements.

But then what about Ayanokoji?

I felt no emotion from him. I couldn't sense a trace of emotion from him. He was fighting that fearsome first-year with nothing but pure skills. His strength was beyond human and his movements were beyond perfection.

Ayanokoji and I had made a truce for this fight and it was natural that I should go aid him. But I decided not to. I felt that I would only be interrupting them.

As I stood there, watching the fierce battle unfold before me, I started re-evaluating my impression of Ayanokoji.

I had first thought of him as an interesting underclassman. But after witnessing him fighting now, I think he was someone unfathomable.

He wasn't your ordinary high school student.

Only one word came to mind, if I had to describe him.

Yes. He was a true monster.