The morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in Menma's window.
Menma opened his eyes, feeling a sense of rejuvenation he had never experienced in his previous life.
Thanks to the system, his previous wounds had healed perfectly.
He rose, donned a white shirt, and covered it with a stiff black gakuran, the uniform felt heavy, not because of the fabric, but because of the reputation it carried.
As he stepped into the dining room, his family's laughter abruptly died.
The sight was almost comical to Menma; they stared at him as if he were a stain on a pristine white tablecloth.
Without a word, Menma grabbed a pack of bread from the kitchen cabinet and strolled out.
He didn't need validation from people who wouldn't have cared if he had died yesterday.
On his way to school, the streets began to fill with a sea of black uniforms.
This was the territory of delinquents.
Okato High, his school, was one of the Big Three powerhouses in Okayami, alongside Ryudai High and Matokai High.
Unlike his brother Masaki, who attended Tatsuko High, an elite school in the West District.
Menma was stuck here at Okato, a gathering place for bottom tier thugs.
His past depression and the relentless bullying had trashed his grades, casting him into the depths of the educational abyss.
This was a school where graffiti on the walls was valued more than study notes.
The morning sun stung Menma's skin as he stepped through the gates of Okato High.
He was finishing his bread just as the system in his mind provided an update.
[TING! PHYSICAL RECOVERY 100%. STATUS: BATTLE READY!]
Menma's pace slowed as he reached the main courtyard.
A massive crowd had formed, creating a circular arena in the center. Inside, two rulers were facing off.
Nishiyama Takeshi, the ruler of Class 2-B with 20 followers, stood there with heavy, ragged breath.
Opposite him, Shin Torao, the ruler of Class 2-E and leader of the Shintora Faction with 30 followers, watched him with a look of boredom.
Watching from a distance, Menma narrowed his eyes.
[SCANNING TARGETS…]
[DATA ACQUIRED]
The system screen flickered, displaying the status of Nishiyama Takeshi and Shin Torao.
_______________________
Status Info: Nishiyama Takeshi
Strength: 18
Speed: 12
Endurance: 22
Spirit: 10
Intelligence: 10
_____________________
Status Info: Shin Torao
Strength: 25
Speed: 28
Endurance: 20
Spirit: 14
Intelligence: 12
______________________
"Torao! I'll take you down here and reach the peak of Okato!" Takeshi roared.
His ambition was clear, conquer the entire second-year level to challenge Oozora Juugo at the top of the school.
The power map of the second year was complex.
Besides Torao and Takeshi, there was Kiyomasa Hikari ruler of Class 2-A, 27 members and Lemura Hideo ruler of Class 2-C, 23 members.
Only Class 2-D lacked a ruler, as its students were split among these four major factions.
"The requirement to reach the top is to control the entire grade," Torao said, arrogantly brushing back his blood-red hair.
"But you'll never even touch me, Takeshi!"
The fight exploded instantly.
BOOM!
Takeshi lunged with his brutal Strength of 18, throwing a right hook capable of shattering an ordinary man's jaw.
However, Torao with a Speed of 28 performed a razor-thin slip, letting Takeshi's fist split empty air.
Speed 28. Fast enough to vanish from the sight of an average person in a single step.
"You're too slow, Takeshi," Torao said coldly.
He unleashed a lightning-fast counter.
Three consecutive strikes hammered Takeshi's face.
Jab! Straight! High Kick!
SLAP! THUD! CRACK!
Despite Takeshi's high Endurance, the sheer gap in Torao's Speed and Strength began to dismantle his defenses.
'So fast,' Menma noted, observing from the sidelines.
Takeshi, with an Endurance of 22, was as tough as a rock, but he couldn't land a single counter-attack.
Torao rained down a relentless combination of strikes, exploiting the massive speed gap Takeshi's 12 versus Torao's 28.
The fight ended when Torao landed a precision knee strike directly to Takeshi's lower jaw, sending the King of 2-B crashing to the ground unconscious.
"Who's next?! Who else dares challenge me?! Come on, step up and face me!" Torao screamed at the crowd, spreading his arms wide the mark of a true king.
With this victory, Torao had effectively solidified his position, moving one step closer to becoming the sole ruler of the second year and the third greatest power in Okato, threatening the positions of Oozora and Sakamoto at the summit.
Menma grinned wide at the sight, the adrenaline in his veins beginning to burn.
'If that's the second-year level... then I haven't even entered the real arena yet' Menma thought.
He didn't feel discouraged by the monstrous strength of the upperclassmen instead, he felt a hunger for the challenge.
"This world... is truly interesting," Menma muttered with a low chuckle.
He turned and walked through the crowd who were still cheering for Torao's victory and headed toward the first-year corridors.
There, another monster was waiting to be taken down Chisato Chuta, the Ruler of Class 1-E.
Menma kicked the door of Class 1-E with a deafening boom.
SLAM!!
The sound silenced the laughter and the clouds of cigarette smoke inside the room. Every student in Class 1-E turned at once.
"Huh? Isn't that Menma from the next class? The trash who drank poison yesterday?" one student whispered with a mocking laugh.
"Why is he here? Looking for more poison?"
Menma ignored them. He stood in the doorway, his head tilted slightly to the side with a faint, somewhat unhinged grin.
His aura was no longer that of a coward; he looked like someone who had just crawled out of hell.
"Who here goes by the name Chisato Chuta?" Menma shouted. His voice didn't tremble with nerves; instead, it was laced with pure provocation. "I'm here to take your throne!"
A heavy, suffocating silence gripped the room for a moment before laughter erupted.
"Did I hear that right? This loser wants to challenge Chuta-san? Hahaha... hilarious!"
"God... this is the best joke I've ever heard. A bottom-feeder challenging the ruler of 1-E!"
The laughter echoed, then slowly, one by one, the voices died down.
In the dark back corner, a massive shadow rose from its seat.
The sheer weight caused the wooden chair to groan.
Chisato Chuta. A figure 180 cm tall with shoulders as broad as a wall stepped forward. The vertical scar over his eye pulsed as he glared at Menma like a predator annoyed at being woken from a nap.
"Hah?! You talking to me, you little shit?"
Chuta's voice was deep, rumbling like an old engine. He stood directly in front of Menma, forcing Menma to look up.
For the first time since waking up in this world, Menma's body sent a signal he couldn't ignore Danger!
The physical pressure radiating from Chuta was palpable, like a heavy weight pressing down on anyone nearby.
Yet, instead of shaking, Menma let out a small laugh.
[SCANNING TARGET…]
[DATA ACQUIRED]
The system screen displayed Chuta's stats.
__________________
Status Info: Chisato Chuta
Strength: 18
Speed: 10
Endurance: 21
Spirit: 14
Intelligence: 10
__________________
[ANALYSIS: TARGET HAS HIGH ENDURANCE]
[RECOMMENDATION: TARGET WEAK POINTS OR USE STAMINA STRATEGY]
Menma's eyes widened, reflecting Chuta's shadow.
His heart, filled with an intense passion for the fight, pounded in his chest.
"My name is Amamiya Menma! The man who will become the strongest delinquent in this city!"
Menma leaned in until his face was inches from Chuta's nose. "Come on, Chuta. Let's dance!"
The entire class froze.
They finally realized that the person standing before them was no longer Menma the Loser, but a bloodthirsty Mad Dog.
The war for the first-year succession had officially begun.