I Become a Mafia in the Academy

Chapter 21

The sparring ground located on one side of the huge building boasted a much larger scale than the place where we had sparred yesterday.

It was only natural. It was designed for large-scale battles, not just one-on-one sparring.

In front of the sparring ground, members of the Fund Investment Club were seen warming up first.

"Let's get started right away. It will be over soon anyway."

As I, who had just stretched outside and entered, rotated my shoulders and said so, a member from the opposing club sneered and provoked me.

"What's this? You didn't bring your unique armament? Did you leave it at home? Or perhaps you couldn't afford one?"

Of course, that was ridiculous.

"Do you need a knife meant for slaughtering a cow to kill a chicken?"

"What?"

"I mean, seniors like you should be enough without those."

"......I'll see how long you can keep up that attitude."

Perhaps thinking that talking to me further would only harm himself, the guy turned around and walked towards where his teammates were.

Seems like he has some sense after all.

"Boss, are you sure you're okay?"

As Jinwoo asked me with concern, I handed him my jacket and said.

"There's no reason to be afraid of guys who are no different from goblins."

"Right?"

"Yeah, so just watch. See what happens next."

Before entering the sparring ground, as I was moving my body and doing warm-up exercises. The door of the sparring ground opened, and a man I had never seen before came in.

A man with dark circles and black-framed glasses. Judging by the necklace and ID card hanging around his neck, he seemed to be an instructor.

"......A challenge when I'm on duty. How annoying."

The instructor scratched his head and stood in front of the sparring ground's console.

"Hmm...... Are you the freshman who applied for the challenge?"

He looked at me, adjusted his glasses, furrowed his brows as if puzzled, and then looked at the members of the Fund Investment Club.

"......Really a first-year. Are you guys really planning to spar with him?"

"He disrespected the Fund Investment Club. How can we just let that go?"

"It was him who challenged us, so it's not entirely our fault."

After hearing their words, the instructor turned his gaze back to me, looked at me closely, and then approached and asked.

"Why are you going this far? A freshman who hasn't even been here a week is challenging like this."

"I just want to make my academy life a bit easier."

"......What does that mean?"

Fund Investment Club.

Choosing these guys was not a mere whim or an impromptu decision.

To have a smooth academy life in the future, there was a reason to knock them out early on.

The first reason was to recruit Lee Haru.

After Lee Haru loses in the club match, she will be expelled from her own International Trade Club, which she established.

She won't even be able to operate in the open anymore.

Although she had support, it was solely Lee Haru's skill that brought the International Trade Club up to the Silver level.

I couldn't let her slip away because of these guys.

The second reason was to maintain the current state of the 'International Trade Club'.

The International Trade Club is the best shop in the academy where you can buy the best items.

But, handing over such a shop to the 'Fund Investment Club'? Not only would the quality of the shop decline, but there was also the possibility of no longer being able to see valuable items.

The third reason was nothing special.

I just didn't like these guys doing shady things behind the scenes.

"I don't know why you want to fight these guys, but...... you should be prepared for the consequences, freshman. The other members of the Fund Investment Club can be quite vindictive."

Contrary to the instructor's words, there was no need to worry about the aftermath.

Because I'm not someone who leaves loose ends.

"Yes, thank you for the advice."

As I answered and tried to turn around.

"Scaring a freshman like that."

I heard a familiar voice from behind.

"Yoojin! I brought her!"

"Ordering an instructor around. What a cheeky guy."

Kim Seah, panting, and Ji Soohyun, looking at me with an intrigued expression.

"Oh. Senior?"

The male instructor's expression hardened upon seeing Ji Soohyun.

"You brat, I wondered why you weren't in the faculty room. So you were in charge of the sparring ground today?"

"Just happened to be on duty. But, what brings you here, Senior?"

"I heard a first-year is sparring against four second-years, so I came to watch. But, why did you allow this sparring?"

As Ji Soohyun stood in front of the male instructor with her hands in her pockets, he waved his hands frantically.

"He challenged a 'senior', so what could I say? According to the school rules, there's no issue."

Despite being much taller than Ji Soohyun, the male instructor looked smaller.

Ji Soohyun reached out her hand towards him, put her arm around his neck, and said.

"You allowed a one-against-many match between a freshman and students just because there's no issue with the school rules? Is that what an instructor should say?"

"No, anyway, that guy. Isn't he the one who got in second place this time? I thought he had some plan and wanted guidance!"

"......You say that, and I have no comeback? Okay. But, if anything happens, you're responsible."

"What? Me, responsible?"

"Then who, you brat? I'm just an observer, and you're the one in charge."

Ji Soohyun then made a gesture of punching with her hand still in her pocket.

At this, he flinched and shouted in panic.

"Oh, I understand! It doesn't seem like a big accident will happen anyway. By the way, are you somehow related to that guy? Your eyes seem different from usual."

"Huh? Oh, he's our class's vice president."

"......What?"

"If a first-year wants to create a club, it's only right for the homeroom instructor to help out this much. Oh, Han Yoojin!"

Ji Soohyun suddenly called my name and pointed at my neck area.

"Are you going to use that?"

It was obvious what she was referring to. My unique armament.

"No way."

I just waved my hands and answered.

"Bare hands will do."

I nodded in response, and Ji Soohyun smiled.

"This will be interesting."

Satisfied with my answer, she removed her arm from around the male instructor's neck and clapped her hands while looking around.

"Alright, shall we all go into the sparring ground? Since this guy and I will be observing, don't worry about dying. Okay?"

With Ji Soohyun's arrangement, both sides entered the sparring ground.

The guys who were already glaring at me with eyes full of anger.

"Cute."

To me, who had been fighting actual mafias until recently, those glares were nothing more than a child's tantrum.

After loosening up my neck and finger joints, I stepped onto the white line drawn in the center.

Wooooong─!

At the same time, the surrounding air vibrated briefly and emitted a blue light.

It felt like the weight of the air had changed, making my whole body feel awkward, but soon it returned to its original sensation.

It was a sign that the field to protect the students had been activated.

As we reached a distance where we could see each other, Ji Soohyun's voice echoed through the speakers inside the sparring ground.

[Alright, then, both sides...... go wild.]

"You're dead, freshman────?!"

As soon as it started, I reached out to the face of the first guy who charged at me and pushed him down with all my strength.

With a thud─! sound, he was slammed onto the floor of the sparring ground.

Seeing his body go limp after hitting the ground, it seemed like he had passed out.

"One."

I straightened up and looked around.

The other three looked at me with expressions that couldn't comprehend what had just happened.

Even though I had entered right into the middle of their formation, they were frozen. I shrugged at them.

"I'll accept withdrawals now."

"You crazy bastard────."

The second guy charged at me.

Maybe because he was a sophomore? Perhaps because of what happened to the first guy, he raised his guard with both arms, crouched, and tried to get inside my body.

It was a good attempt, but...

"Your body is wide open."

I grabbed the arm of the guy who was rushing in while blocking his vision and kneed him in the solar plexus.

Crunch─!

"Two."

The guys shuddered at my count.

"It won't be fun if you're scared this early."

The two guys stepped back upon seeing me.

"Two down in a flash..."

"Snap out of it, you idiot! It's because they were careless!"

Maybe it was because they saw their comrade crushed right in front of them.

The two guys were staring at me with even more tension than when they first saw me.

"Ho."

So they won't just take it lying down now, huh?

Then, as I was pondering how to crush these guys next───

"Attack!"

The guys who had succeeded in surrounding me little by little all charged at me at the same time.

I didn't expect them to come at me first.

"This is interesting."

"...Huh?"

I grabbed the wrist of the first guy to swing a punch at me and pulled him towards me.

"Wait──."

I struck his chin with an upward palm strike, making his knees buckle, but I didn't let go and instead swung him down to the ground like a flail.

"Three."

Even though less than three minutes had passed since the start of the sparring, three were already down.

Their expressions were clearly hardened, visible to anyone.

It's already over. About 40 seconds, huh... just as expected.

But what to do? I didn't plan on ending it here.

"No, I came because I heard there was a 'challenge' after a long time, but what's this?"

"I came right after hearing, but it's already over?"

The guys turned their attention to the voices coming from outside the sparring ground.

"...What are those guys?"

The eyes of the guys started to waver at the sudden appearance of onlookers.

"Aaaargh! I bet on the Fund Investment Club, what the hell is this?!"

"There are still idiots betting on the favorites here. Betting is about going against the odds! Go freshmen!"

"I put all my money on you!"

The guys were taken aback by the students who were either exclaiming or shocked upon seeing the situation in the sparring ground.

"What the hell did you do...?"

"Are you talking about those people outside?

Basketball club, literature club, tea ceremony club... crowds of people gathered without regard for their ranks.

Some of them even had signs, probably for freshman recruitment.

The reason they gathered here to this extent. That is...

"Yes, that's right. I called them."

It was all to stage this situation.

"Isn't a freshman's 'challenge' an unprecedented big event? Especially since it's just me against a whole club. Knowing what might happen to me later, do you think I'd just stand by and spar? I need some insurance, too."

I spread my arms to indicate the people watching us.

"With this many eyes watching, the 'Fund Investment Club' won't be able to fail embarrassingly, right?"

The guys grimaced at my smug smile.

"Why... why are you doing this to us! Why!"

"──Because you touched it."

"...What?"

"The 'International Trade Club,' it's mine. But you guys are trying to take it down from behind, aren't you?"

"How the hell did you know..."

"Is that important? What's more important is how much longer your seniors can hold out. So..."

I turned my body to look at the crowd outside the sparring ground.

"Are you watching from out there? The president of the 'Fund Investment Club.' If you don't want to be humiliated, come in here right now, you bastard."

Because the real highlight starts now.