Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e

Volume 7, Prologue: Ryuuen Kakeru's Monologue

It was during elementary school that I realized I was abnormal. During an excursion, I found a huge snake near our camp. I recall my class being in an uproar from it. People watching from faraway, people panicking nearby and people who weren't all that interested in it. There were various reactions and even adults who were supposed to be mature lost their calm and desperately called for help. I grabbed a huge rock I found nearby and swung it at the head of the snake. I didn't even feel fear of being bitten. There was a scream, and the panic of the teachers followed. I did not even register it. It's not like I wanted to be a hero or anything. I was just confused why there was such a need to be afraid.

That was my first contact with a hidden side of myself. And at the same time I knew, the moment the enemy falls at my feet, I could feel a large amount of adrenaline rushing through my brain. This was my first victory. "Fear" and "joy" are two sides of the same coin. That truth was paper thin in this world. The world is ruled by 'violence'. Your 'status' in this world is determined by your capacity for 'violence'. I saw the corpse of the snake beneath me and my heart was filled with joy. Ever since then, I have had many enemies both internal and external.

Sometimes, when I was surrounded by enemies, I kept on exercising 'violence' to win. And before my overwhelming might, all of them fell at my feet. I was never afraid. I always only thought about revenge and turning the situation around on my enemies. They all eventually fell prostrate before me. The real 'elite' is a person whose capacity for 'violence' is unparalleled. And a human being who never feels 'fear'. But here a problem lies, with every fallen enemy every day started to grow boring for me. Because in the end, there was not a single person capable of beating me. If there is something that could finally beat me, that thing can only be described as "death".