TN: Warning serious violence.

Shuto now approaches Ushirohara. Sensing his approach, Ushirohara tries to flee but is quickly caught and dragged to the center of the classroom. Ushirohara trembles with fear, tears streaming from his eyes. He realizes he'll suffer the same fate as Nakazato and the others, his whole body shaking uncontrollably.

Ushirohara Ken was also once targeted and bullied by Nakazato's delinquent group. His weak appearance and timid demeanor made him an easy target for them.

Shuto once saved Ushirohara from their bullying. At that time, Ushirohara was grateful to Shuto. At the same time, he felt sorry that Shuto was now being bullied by Nakazato and had become a target because he had protected Ushirohara.

One day, Tanimoto approached Ushirohara with a proposition:

(Join Mitsuki's bullying. Then we won't bully you anymore. In fact, we'll make you one of us and protect you from anyone who tries to bully you.)

Thinking that refusing would mean a return to those terrible days, Ushirohara reluctantly began to participate in the violence against Shuto.

Ushirohara had simultaneously become a member of the same delinquent group as Nakazato and Tanimoto.

"Hi…egh…"

Seeing Ushirohara trembling and crying in fear of the impending violence, Shuto kneels down, bringing his head to the same level as Ushirohara's. Suspicious of the lack of immediate violence, Ushirohara looks up and lets out a surprised gasp.

This is because, unlike before, Shuto has a gentle expression.

"Eh…? Mitsuki-kun…?"

Shuto's face, which had been filled with the cruelty he displayed during his revenge on Nakazato and Tanimoto, transforms into a gentle expression as he places a hand on Ushirohara's shoulder. Ushirohara, who usually tenses up at the expectation of violence, relaxes upon realizing this. Akemi and Itakura are bewildered by this sudden change in Shuto's demeanor.

"Ushirohara…it must have been tough, right? Being forced by Nakazato and those guys…ordered to join in their bullying of me…"

Ushirohara silently nods in affirmation.

"When you were forced to attack me, you looked really reluctant, right? I even heard you whispering 'sorry'? It was unavoidable, if you didn't follow Nakazato's orders, you'd be severely bullied again."

"So that's how it was…" murmurs ripple through the classroom. No one had known until today why Ushirohara had started bullying Shuto.

"But…as the number of attacks increased, you seemed to enjoy hitting and kicking me, right? You started insulting me too. And last week, you punched me in the face really hard."

As Shuto says this, Ushirohara's face contorts, and he desperately starts making excuses.

"Ah, I was really out of my mind then! Becoming friends with Nakazato…I thought I'd become stronger…I was possessed by a devil…I did those horrible things to Mitsuki-kun…

I…I didn't mean to! I'm…so sorry!!"

Ushirohara apologizes, tears welling up in his eyes. Classmates shout insults at him, calling him despicable. But Shuto remains calm.

"But…that act of enjoyment was a lie, wasn’t it? You were ordered to act that way by Nakazato and the others? You wanted to stop, right?"

Shuto's drastic change in attitude leaves Akemi and the others stunned. Ushirohara, tears in his eyes, responds to Shuto’s interpretation:

"Th-that’s right! Nakazato and Tanimoto told me to beat Mitsuki-kun up as if I was enjoying it! I…I didn't want to do such horrible things to Mitsuki-kun, who saved me from bullying…Last week, I didn't feel happy when I hit Mitsuki-kun!"

"…"

Ushirohara sheds his false bravado as a delinquent and confesses his true feelings, expressing remorse for his actions. Seeing Ushirohara’s confession, Shuto smiles as if he'd been waiting for these words.

"…I forgive you. And I'd like you to call me Shuto again. You used to call me that last year and at the beginning of this semester, right?"

"Y-yes…Thank you! That's why you didn't do anything to me during lunch break!? You knew from the beginning!?

Thank you…and I'm really sorry, Shuto-kun…I was wrong! I truly regret it!"

Akemi and the others are taken aback by the sudden turn of events, but they begin to relax, thinking that everything will end peacefully. Aono, at the blackboard, also feels relieved that things might be resolved.

(…As a precaution, maybe I should also cry and apologize like Ushirohara. He seems likely to forgive me now.)

And there's one more student who intends to use this situation to her advantage…Itakura Nene. Seeing Shuto, Itakura thinks: he'll forgive me too, now. If she shows contrition and flatters him, he'll surely fall for it. And then, a confession of love would be perfect.

"M-Mitsuki-kun…"

As Itakura approaches Shuto, tears (from eyedrops) in her eyes, just like Ushirohara—

Creak…

Shuto's hand on Ushirohara's shoulder tightens. Ushirohara winces in pain as his muscles strain under the force.

"Eh…? It…it hurts, Shuto-ku…"

When Ushirohara looks up, complaining of pain—

"There's no such thing."

Shuto is there, with the same devilish grin he had when he was taking revenge on Nakazato and Tanimoto.

"…!?"

Itakura freezes, witnessing Shuto's sudden transformation. Akemi and the others are equally horrified by Shuto's relapse.

"Wh…what? Wh-what?"

"No, not ‘what.’ The earlier pleasantries were a lie.

I'm not going to forgive you."

Thwack "U…guh!?"

The moment Shuto finishes speaking, he punches Ushirohara hard in the stomach. The relaxed atmosphere instantly turns tense again.

"Oh my~ you all got beautifully tricked. Hilarious. I didn't hurt you during lunch break simply because I didn't have enough time. From the start, I intended to break you just as much as Nakazato and the others, you piece of crap."

Saying that, Shuto grabs Ushirohara by the front of his shirt and easily lifts him up. Understanding Shuto's furious rage, Ushirohara cries out in anguish.

"Uwaaaaah!? You said you'd forgive me…that's a lie!?"

"No ill intentions? Possessed by a devil? You're already repentant? After you enjoyed tormenting me so much, you have the nerve to tell such blatant lies!?"

"Hiee eee aaaaah!? I'm…I'm sorry, sorry, sorry…"

"I don't need your apologies anymore. It's just an empty apology for escaping the situation.

You don't mean it, do you?"

Shuto's grip tightens, cutting off Ushirohara's air supply. Shuto had seen through Ushirohara's insincerity with the skill "Insight." The claim of not enjoying torturing Shuto was a lie.

"O…eh!? It’s…the truth! I’m truly sorry…I beg you, believe me— (Snap) —Igyaaaaaah!?"

To silence the annoying words, Shuto grabs Ushirohara's front teeth and violently breaks them off. Seeing the blood spurt from the broken teeth and Ushirohara scream in agony, Shuto laughs gleefully. But his laughter quickly turns into a furious rage.

"Let me tell you something— you betrayed me! I saved you from Nakazato's bullying out of kindness, yet you repaid me by joining them and bullying me!? You even seemed to enjoy it, mercilessly hurting me! Was it fun!? Repaying my kindness with the worst possible betrayal! How was it!? It must have been fun, right!? You despicable traitor! I want to kill you!

I'll never forgive such a terrible betrayal!!"

Shuto unleashes his pent-up hatred, punching Ushirohara relentlessly from the neck down. His merciless punches crush Ushirohara. While driven by rage, he avoids using skills to avoid killing him.

Despite this, the relentless beating causes multiple rib fractures and damage, multiple complex and open fractures in his shoulders, arms, and legs, damage or separation, and internal organ rupture and damage.

The sounds of shattering bones and rupturing organs echo; Akemi and the others close their eyes, avert their gaze, or cover their ears at the sight of the blood repeatedly spurting from Ushirohara's mouth.

"Hi…ii…"

Itakura, witnessing Shuto's true nature, abandons her attempt at a hasty apology and confession, retreating back to the corner, now terrified that she might be next.

The barrage of punches ceases, and Shuto takes out the pliers again, starting to peel off Ushirohara's nails and teeth.

"I deeply regret saving someone like you from bullying. I thought we were friends, talking and having lunch together. I never thought you'd be such a despicable ingrate who repays kindness with evil."

Shuto expertly peels off Ushirohara's toenails and fingernails while chattering casually. Ushirohara screams incessantly.

"But…thanks to you, I learned something.

That the justice of helping others out of kindness is bullcrap. Waving the banner of justice out of consideration for others is useless. It only brings losses. I’m a prime example. You taught me that helping others is crap!"

"Aaaaaaaaahhhh——(grind, glug…)—geeaaaaaah!"

Saying this, Shuto laughs and pulls out several of Ushirohara's molars. Akemi is heartbroken hearing Shuto's words.

(Shuto-kun…saying something like that…The Shuto-kun who readily helped others and acted justly…is gone…

Nakazato and the other leaders of the bullying group changed him.

No, that’s not right…I, and the classmates who turned a blind eye, and Teacher Aono, who didn’t address the bullying—everyone made a mistake, and that’s why Shuto-kun became like this.)

Only Akemi deeply regrets her inaction, believing she could have done more.

"Hahahahahaha! Breaking those who bullied me is really fun!"

"I-I don't want…stop the eyes— (grind, glug, crunch…)—uuubce…!"

Ignoring Ushirohara's desperate pleas, Shuto gouges out his right eye, leaving him in excruciating agony. Ushirohara deeply regrets giving in to Nakazato and joining in the bullying of Shuto. He now understands that he is partly responsible for Shuto's transformation, finally realizing the gravity of his actions.

"Hah, even if you regret or repent, it's too late, you garbage."

Having finished, Shuto lifts the completely broken Ushirohara Ken and throws him toward the blackboard, slamming him against it. Aono nearby lets out a pathetic cry, hiding in the nearby cleaning closet, trembling.

"Next…"