The workshop echoed with the soft clang of metal, the hum of electric tools, and the sharp focus of one boy—Ryker Tensai.
He stood quietly, tightening bolts and assembling parts, his calm presence impossible to ignore. Other prisoners worked in silence, but their eyes... were all on him.
Then came a voice—cold, shaking with anger.
"I'll destroy you, Ryker Tensai," Ryu said, stepping into the room. All eyes turned to him. The tension was immediate.
Ryker didn't flinch. He didn't even look up.
"I already have."
One Hour Later – The Yard
A crowd gathered, word spreading like fire.
Ryker vs Ryu.
The fight that no one expected—but now, no one could ignore.
In the women's prison, Hana rushed into Mayumi's cell.
"They're fighting. Ryker and Ryu!"
Mayumi's eyes widened. Without a word, she followed, heart pounding.
The Fight
Ryu charged, rage boiling in every vein. His punch flew toward Ryker—but missed. Ryker twisted, grabbed his arm, spun behind, and drove his elbow into Ryu's jaw. Ryu stumbled back.
Ryker leapt—his foot striking Ryu's head. The blow knocked him to his knees.
"Tch," Ryker scoffed. "You're weaker than Higashi. At least he landed a punch."
Ryu growled, fists trembling.
"This is all your plan. You took him—my friend—from me!"
Ryker's eyes narrowed, tone sharp.
"Higashi was a nice guy. Too nice. He believed you were his friend. That… was his mistake."
"SHUT UP!" Ryu screamed, charging forward with fury. Blow after blow rained down, but Ryker blocked each one. Then Ryu's kick connected—Ryker slid back, his balance shaken.
Ryker lunged.
A fake punch. Ryu flinched.
The real strike—a low, crushing kick to the leg. Ryu fell.
Then Ryker's fist—straight to the gut. Ryu hit the dirt, breath stolen.
Ryker stood over him. Arm pulled back for one final blow.
"STOP!" Kujo's voice cut through the chaos.
He stepped forward, voice loud, clear, and angry.
"Listen, everyone! Ryker won't bring us peace or freedom—he'll make us slaves!"
Ryker turned, a dark smile creeping across his face.
"That's right."
Ryu coughed, blood on his lip.
"Why… why are you doing this?"
Ryker knelt down, face emotionless.
"Because you're all criminals. You killed people. Destroyed families. And now you want peace? Forgiveness?"
He shook his head.
"You don't deserve it."
Kujo stepped beside Ryu.
"Then we'll fight. We'll help him. Everyone—stand with Ryu!"
Slowly, the prisoners moved.
Toward Ryker.
No... against Ryker.
Ryu stood, trembling.
"You're a criminal too…" he said, voice broken.
Ryker looked him dead in the eyes.
"Yes. But the world will call me a hero. When I kill—people say it's justice. And one day... I'll walk out of this place. Free."
The wind howled through the yard, dust swirling around the battlefield. The tension was thick—heavier than the bruised silence.
Blood dripped from Ryker's hand as he stood, surrounded by fallen prisoners. Bodies lay unconscious or groaning in pain around him. He hadn't held back.
He looked up slowly, eyes dark with resolve.
"I am a hero," Ryker declared. "And in this cursed world, I will do anything to survive."
Ryu staggered, blood on his lip, rage in his eyes.
"Tch… You call this heroism?"
Ryker pointed at him with his bloodied hand.
"You all chose Ryu… You called him your hope, your 'god'? Then fight with him. Let's see how far belief gets you."
Meanwhile – Women's Prison
Mayumi paced in her cell, restless, heart pounding.
She turned to the guard.
"I need to see what's happening. I want access to the wire fence."
The officer shook his head.
"I can't allow that."
But Mayumi was already running.
Behind her, Hana and several other inmates followed.
"Hey! Stop!" the officer shouted.
But they didn't stop.
They reached the edge of the fence—the only thing separating them from the fight. The wire mesh rattled as they grabbed it, eyes wide at the scene before them.
Ryker stood at the center of it all.
Alone.
Unmoving.
Surrounded by the bodies of everyone who challenged him.
He deafect everyone.
He wasn't even breathing heavily. He looked… calm. Almost peaceful.
Mayumi's hands trembled against the fence. Her face flushed.
"He… He really is a monster," she whispered.
But her heart—
thump
thump-thump
Her eyes widened in confusion.
"M-My heart… why is it beating so fast?"
"Hey, Mayumi—are you okay?" Hana asked, grabbing her shoulder.
Mayumi didn't answer.
She just kept staring at him.
At Ryker Tensai.
The cursed hero… who had become her heartbeat.
The silence after the storm was worse than the chaos.
Dust slowly settled on the broken bodies. Ryu was on his knees, blood dripping from his chin, unable to lift his head. Around him, dozens of inmates lay groaning or unconscious.
And at the center of it all… Ryker.
He stood like a ghost of justice and wrath combined—shoulders square, eyes cold, breath steady.
Not a scratch on him.
From the wire fence, Mayumi watched with trembling hands. The other girls were stunned into silence, unable to speak. But Mayumi—she couldn't look away.
Her lips parted.
"He... he really is a monster..." she whispered, voice breathless.
And yet—
thump... thump-thump...
Her chest ached. Her heart was racing, uncontrollable. She pressed a hand against it, eyes wide in disbelief.
"M-My heart... it won't stop... it's beating so fast..."
"Mayumi, are you okay?" Hana asked again, gently shaking her arm.
Mayumi turned slowly, a strange warmth spreading across her cheeks. Her eyes shimmered, but she didn't understand why.
"Why... why am I reacting like this?" she whispered. "He's terrifying... he's cruel... he broke Ryu like it meant nothing..."
She clenched the fence tighter.
"But why does my heart beat like he's... calling to me?"
In the Yard – Moments Later
Kujo groaned, his arm twisted behind his back, pinned by Ryker with no effort.
Ryu, crawling toward Ryker, coughed blood.
"Wh... why did you do all this... Ryker?" Ryu asked, voice raw with pain.
Ryker crouched beside him, eye-level, his tone calm but chilling.
"You all talk about peace. About redemption. But you forget the truth," he said.
"You're criminals. Murderers. Thieves. You stole peace from others—and now you want it for yourselves?"
"I never claimed to be good," Ryker continued. "But I'll be the one who survives. I'll be the one remembered. You all? Just chapters in my story."
He stood.
"I'm your villain.
Back at the Fence – Mayumi's Thoughts
Mayumi clenched her chest. Her face was hot—part anger, part confusion... part something else.
"A monster...?" she thought. "Maybe. But he's my monster."
The courtyard was dead silent, stained with blood and broken pride.
Ryu lay coughing on the ground, barely able to move. Kujo knelt beside him, his lips split, heart heavy. Around them, dozens of inmates were groaning, defeated by one person.
Ryker stood alone in the center. His eyes were not filled with rage, nor victory.
Just clarity.
He looked up at the prisoners, at the men who once called him a devil in whispers—now silenced by reality. Then he turned toward Kujo, toward Ryu, and toward the invisible world watching him.
And he said, voice low and steady:
"I am not your hero."
He stepped forward, and his shadow stretched across the bloodstained ground.
"I am the villain."
Gasps echoed across the fence. Even Mayumi, watching from behind the wire net, felt her breath freeze.
"You all want someone to blame," Ryker continued. "So let it be me."
He looked to the sky, almost laughing.
"I'll be your nightmare. Your excuse. Your reason for being weak.
Because I… I no longer care about salvation."
Ryu tried to speak, but nothing came.
"The world turned its back on me. And now, I turn my back on the world."
Ryker's eyes narrowed.
"I am the villain. And I'll be the last one standing."
And just like that, he turned and walked away—leaving behind the silence of broken men and the sound of one woman's heart, beating louder than ever.