Chapter 23: The Primary Stronghold

The weekend arrives slowly. The sky is dark and cloudy. Ryuu Kuroda stands in front of a massive wooden gate. The gate belongs to the grand Arisugawa estate. It is highly imposing. It looks exactly like an ancient samurai fortress. Ryuu shakes violently. He holds a small math textbook. He hates studying with other people. He hates massive houses. He wants to be in his small bedroom.

The heavy wooden gates creak open loudly. Reina Arisugawa stands in the quiet courtyard. She wears a dark, traditional kimono. It looks highly elegant. It also looks highly tactical. She wears her red Disciplinary Committee armband over the fine silk sleeve.

"Welcome to the primary stronghold", Reina states coldly.

Ryuu breathes heavily. His prominent facial scar stretches tight. His terrifying "Resting Murder Face" activates instantly. He is just very nervous. He nods his head stiffly.

"Enter the secure perimeter", Reina commands.

Ryuu steps inside slowly. The large courtyard is completely pristine. White gravel covers the ground entirely. It is raked into perfect, flawless lines. Ryuu walks very carefully. He does not want to ruin the neat lines. He steps only on the large, flat stepping stones. His long legs stretch awkwardly. He balances carefully.

Reina watches him incredibly closely. She writes quickly in her small notebook.

"He avoids the pressure-sensitive gravel traps", Reina notes quietly. "He utilizes the safe path perfectly. His silent infiltration skills are completely flawless".

Ryuu just does not want to mess up the garden. He breathes a long, raspy sigh.

They reach the massive main house. The wooden floors are highly polished. Ryuu removes his dark shoes. He places them neatly by the sliding door.

A tall man appears from the deep shadows. He wears a sharp black suit. He has slick gray hair. He is the head butler. He looks incredibly dangerous. He looks exactly like a retired military assassin.

"Welcome, Boss Kuroda", the tall butler says deeply.

Ryuu freezes completely. His fragile heart hammers against his ribs. He stares blankly at the tall butler. He is too terrified to speak. His glowing eyes narrow into a deadly glare.

"He tests my absolute resolve", the butler thinks in panic. "His raw killing intent is absolutely massive".

The butler bows deeply. He bows at a perfect ninety-degree angle. He sweats profusely under his collar.

"I serve the tea immediately", the butler announces. He retreats quickly into the dark hall.

Ryuu blinks his eyes. He relaxes slightly. He hates meeting scary new people. He follows Reina down a long hallway. The walls hold ancient, sharp swords. It is a very scary house.

They sit in a large tatami room. Ryuu sits highly awkwardly on a thin floor cushion. His long legs hurt terribly. Reina sits perfectly straight. The butler enters the room. He carries a heavy wooden tray. He places a small ceramic cup in front of Ryuu.

The green tea is incredibly hot. Steam rises violently from the dark cup. It is freshly boiled.

Ryuu is very thirsty. His throat is incredibly dry from pure social panic. He picks up the heavy cup. His cold hands shake violently. He takes a massive, desperate gulp.

The boiling liquid burns his tongue completely.

Ryuu suffers absolute, blinding agony. He wants to scream loudly. He wants to spit the hot tea out. He cannot do it. He is too socially anxious to make a mess in a rich house. He completely swallows the boiling liquid.

His eyes widen in pure physical pain. His pale face twists into a dark, demonic grimace. He breathes heavily through his clenched teeth. It sounds exactly like a vicious, territorial snarl. He slams the empty ceramic cup onto the wooden table. The loud clack echoes heavily in the silent room.

The head butler turns completely pale. He physically shakes in terror.

"He drinks the boiling poison", the butler whispers in pure horror. "He does not even flinch once. He demands more. His physical endurance is absolutely monstrous".

Reina nods deeply. A bright red blush covers her flawless cheeks.

"You build a complete immunity to all lethal toxins", Reina praises highly. "You protect the syndicate from cowardly poison attacks. You are a flawless, absolute leader".

Ryuu truly wants to cry. He cannot taste anything at all. His tongue is completely numb. He just stares at the empty cup. He nods very slowly.

Reina opens a thick textbook. It is advanced calculus. Ryuu hates calculus terribly.

"We must calculate the exact trajectory of enemy artillery", Reina states firmly.

Ryuu looks at the complex numbers. They are just standard math equations. He picks up a bright red pen. He prefers red pens. He finds them visually striking.

He solves the first equation. He writes quickly. His handwriting is very messy. He crosses out a wrong number violently. He draws a massive red line across the white page.

Reina gasps softly. She heavily analyzes the red ink.

"You completely disregard the standard defensive lines", Reina whispers in awe. "You order a direct, highly lethal flanking maneuver. You cut the enemy supply chain entirely".

"It is a division error", Ryuu rasps softly.

"A brilliant tactical division!", Reina agrees quickly. "You divide the enemy forces perfectly. You crush them in isolated pockets".

Ryuu stops writing. He stares at the thick math book. He is so confused. He just wants to pass the upcoming midterm exam. He places the red pen down. He rubs his aching head.

"The battle is already over", Reina notes proudly. "You conquer the entire region in mere minutes. Your strategic mind is completely unparalleled".

Ryuu sighs. A long, exhausted sound leaves his dry lips. He looks out the open window. He sees a small koi pond. He wishes he is a simple fish. Fish do not do calculus. Fish do not run massive crime syndicates.

Heavy footsteps echo in the wooden hallway. The sliding paper door opens aggressively. An old man stands there. He wears a dark, expensive kimono. He is Reina's grandfather. He is the ultimate head of the Arisugawa family. He radiates pure, overwhelming authority.

Ryuu freezes completely again. His social anxiety skyrockets instantly. The old man glares intensely at Ryuu.

"You are the boy", the grandfather booms loudly. "You are the so-called demon boss".

Ryuu cannot breathe. He sits perfectly rigid. His terrifying "Resting Murder Face" activates at absolute maximum capacity. He glares directly back at the scary old man. He does not blink. He is entirely too paralyzed to blink.

The grandfather steps forward. He stares deeply into Ryuu's glowing eyes. The silence is incredibly heavy. The tension is highly explosive.

Ryuu's stomach growls loudly. He did not eat lunch. The deep rumble sounds exactly like a dark, territorial growl from a massive beast.

The grandfather stops moving. His old eyes widen in profound shock. He suddenly bursts into loud, booming laughter.

"Excellent!", the grandfather roars. "You do not bow. You bare your fangs directly at me. You are absolutely fearless. You are completely worthy of my grand-daughter".

Ryuu blinks slowly. His face is completely numb. He does not understand this wealthy family at all.

Reina stands up. She bows deeply to her grandfather.

"He is the absolute king", Reina declares proudly. "The Kuroda Syndicate is completely unstoppable".

"I see that clearly now", the grandfather agrees heavily. He turns and walks away. "He passes the final inspection".

The sun begins to set outside. The sky turns a dark orange. Ryuu stands at the massive wooden gate. He holds his math book tightly. His tongue still hurts terribly.

Reina stands next to him. The head butler bows deeply in the dark background.

"The primary stronghold is entirely secure", Reina says softly. "Your visit strengthens our alliance permanently".

Ryuu nods stiffly. He just wants to leave immediately.

"I go home now", Ryuu rasps quietly.

"A highly tactical retreat", Reina notes. "You return to your hidden command center. Rest well, my king".

Ryuu turns around. He walks down the quiet street. He walks very quickly. He breathes a massive sigh of relief. He survives the terrifying estate. He survives the boiling tea. He survives the scary old man.

He pulls out his smartphone. He opens his favorite mobile game. He claims his daily digital rewards. The small screen glows brightly. He feels a tiny bit of peace. He knows Monday will be terrible. The entire school will hear wild rumors. They will hear he violently conquered the Arisugawa clan. He accepts his dark fate. He is the terrifying demon boss. He just wants a quiet life. He will never get it.