I Become a Mafia in the Academy [Novel] Chapter 21

The training arena situated inside one wing of the massive building dwarfed the one we’d used yesterday.

Naturally. It wasn’t designed for simple 1 on 1 duels, it was built to accommodate large-scale battles.

Standing in front of the arena, the members of the Fund Investment Club were already loosening up.

“Let’s get started. It’ll be over soon anyway.”

As I rolled my shoulders after finishing a quick stretch outside, one of the club members smirked and threw a taunt my way.

“What’s this? You didn’t even bring your Unique Armament. Left it at home? Or were you too broke to get one?”

Of course, that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

“Why use an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken?”

“…What?”

“I’m saying opponents at your level don’t warrant it.”

“…We’ll see how long you can keep that attitude.”

Apparently deciding that trading words with me would only leave him on the losing end, he turned around and headed back to his teammates.

At least he had enough sense to quit while he was behind.

“Boss… You’re sure this is okay?”

Jinwoo asked anxiously. I handed him my jacket and replied,

“There’s no reason to be afraid of a bunch of guys who aren’t any different from goblins.”

“Right?”

“Yeah. So just watch carefully… and see what happens next.”

As I was warming up before entering the arena, the doors swung open and a man I had never seen before walked in.

He had heavy dark circles under his eyes and wore black-rimmed glasses. Judging by the lanyard and ID card hanging around his neck, he was an instructor.

“…Of all days, someone had to issue a challenge while I’m on duty. What a pain.”

Scratching the back of his head, the instructor stopped in front of the arena’s control panel.

“Hmm… So you’re the freshman who issued the challenge?”

He adjusted his glasses as he looked me over, then frowned in puzzlement before turning his gaze toward the members of the Fund Investment Club.

“…He really is a first-year. Are you seriously planning to spar against him?”

“He disrespected the Fund Investment Club. How could we just let that slide?”

“And he’s the one who challenged us, so you can’t exactly blame us.”

After hearing them out, the instructor turned back to me, studied me for a moment, then walked over.

“Why are you going this far? You’re a freshman who hasn’t even been here for a week, and you’re already issuing challenges.”

“I just want to make my life at the academy a little easier.”

“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

The Fund Investment Club.

Choosing them wasn’t some spur-of-the-moment decision or a passing whim.

If I wanted a smooth and uneventful life at the academy, I had every reason to eliminate them early.

The first reason was to recruit Lee Haru.

After losing the club match, Lee Haru would end up taking the blame and be expelled from the International Trade Club—the very club she had founded.

On top of that, she’d no longer be able to operate openly within the academy.

Although she’d received some support, the only reason the International Trade Club had risen to Silver Club status was because of Lee Haru’s own ability.

There was no way I was going to lose someone like her because of a bunch of small fry like these guys.

The second reason was to preserve the International Trade Club as it was.

The International Trade Club functioned as the academy’s premier marketplace, the one place where you could obtain the finest items available.

But if a shop like that fell into the hands of the Fund Investment Club? Not only would the quality of its inventory plummet, but truly valuable items would likely become impossible to come by.

The third reason was much simpler.

I just didn’t like these bastards who did all their dirty work behind the scenes.

“I don’t know why you’re so determined to fight them… but you’d better be prepared to deal with the aftermath, freshman. The other members of the Fund Investment Club tend to hold grudges.”

Contrary to the instructor’s warning, there was no need for me to worry about what came afterward.

I wasn’t the type to leave loose ends behind.

“Yes, thank you for the advice.”

Just as I answered and turned to leave—

“Look at you, trying to scare a freshman.”

A familiar voice called out from behind.

“Yujin! I brought her!”

“Ordering an instructor around like that? You’ve got some nerve.”

Kim Se-ah stood there, slightly out of breath, while Ji Su-hyeon looked at me with narrowed eyes, a hint of amusement on her face.

“Huh? Senior?”

The male instructor’s expression immediately stiffened the moment he saw Ji Su-hyeon.

“You little punk. I was wondering why you weren’t in the faculty office. So you’re on arena duty today?”

“I just drew the short straw. But what brings you here, Senior?”

“I heard a first-year was about to spar against four second-years, so I came to watch. But what were you thinking, approving a match like this?”

With both hands tucked into her pockets, Ji Su-hyeon stopped in front of the instructor. He hurriedly waved both hands in protest.

“They challenged their seniors. What was I supposed to do? According to the academy rules, there’s nothing wrong with it.”

Despite being much taller than Ji Su-hyeon, the male instructor somehow looked far smaller in her presence.

Ji Su-hyeon reached out, casually draped an arm around his neck, and said,

“So because it doesn’t violate the rules, you approved a one-versus-many match between a freshman and upperclassmen? Is that really something an instructor should be saying?”

“I-I mean, that’s the guy who entered as this year’s runner-up, isn’t he? I figured he must have had a plan if he was asking for a lesson!”

“…Well, when you put it that way, I can’t exactly argue with you. Fine. But if something goes wrong, you’re taking responsibility.”

“Huh? I’m taking responsibility?”

“Who else, dumbass? You’re the supervising instructor. Why would I be the one held responsible?”

Without taking the hand out of her pocket, Ji Su-hyeon clenched it into a fist and made a mock punching motion.

The instructor visibly flinched and hurriedly cried out,

“A-Alright, I get it! It’s not like I think anything serious is going to happen anyway. But… do you happen to know that kid or something? The way you’re looking at him is different from usual, Senior.”

“Hm? Oh, he’s the vice class representative of my homeroom.”

“…What?”

“A first-year wants to start a club. As his homeroom instructor, helping him out this much isn’t a big deal. Oh, right—Han Yujin!”

She suddenly called my name and pointed toward my neck.

“You gonna use that?”

It was obvious what she meant. My Unique Armament.

“Of course not.”

I simply waved both hands dismissively.

“My fists are more than enough.”

Ji Su-hyeon gave a small nod before breaking into a grin.

“This should be interesting.”

Apparently pleased with my answer, she withdrew the arm draped around the instructor’s neck, swept her gaze across the arena, and clapped her hands.

“Alright, everyone, into the arena. The two of us will be supervising the match, so don’t worry about getting yourselves killed. Okay?”

With Ji Su-hyeon wrapping things up, both my opponents and I stepped into the arena.

The members of the Fund Investment Club were already glaring daggers at me, their eyes burning with barely restrained anger.

“Cute.”

Compared to the real mafia I’d been fighting until not long ago, those glares were nothing more than a child’s temper tantrum.

I cracked my neck and knuckles to loosen up before stepping onto the white line running through the center of the arena.

Whoooong—!

The air around us shuddered for a brief moment as a blue glow spread across the arena.

For an instant, it felt as though the very weight of the air had changed, throwing off all my senses, before everything returned to normal.

It was the protective field activating to ensure the students’ safety.

Once both sides had taken their positions, Ji Su-hyeon’s voice echoed through the arena speakers.

[Alright then… both sides, have at it.]

“You’re dead, you littleㅡ?!”

The instant the match began, the first guy charged straight at me. I reached out, grabbed him by the face, and slammed him into the ground with all my strength.

CRACKㅡ! His body crashed headfirst into the arena floor.

The moment he hit the ground, he went completely limp. Looks like he was already unconscious.

“One.”

Straightening up, I glanced around.

The remaining three could only stare at me, their faces frozen in disbelief, unable to process what had just happened.

Even though I’d marched right into the middle of their formation, none of them moved. I simply shrugged.

“If you surrender now, I’ll still accept it.”

“You crazy son of aㅡ”

The second one charged at me.

Maybe he really was worthy of being called a second-year. Having seen his teammate go down in an instant, he raised both arms into a tight guard and lowered his stance, trying to close the distance from the inside.

The approach wasn’t bad…

“The middle is wide open.”

With his vision limited by the guard protecting his face, he rushed in recklessly. I caught his arm and drove my knee straight into his solar plexus.

BUUGHㅡ!

“Two.”

At my count, the remaining two visibly flinched.

“If you’re already scared, this won’t be any fun.”

The two instinctively took a step back.

“H-Hey… he took out two of them in the blink of an eye…”

“Get a grip, you idiot! They only lost because they let their guard down!”

Was it because they’d just watched their teammates get crushed right before their eyes?

The two of them stared at me with far more caution than before.

“Ohoo~?”

So they’d finally decided to stop handing me free wins.

Just as I was wondering how I should flatten them this time—

“Get him!”

Having slowly maneuvered into position to surround me, the two rushed me at the same time.

I didn’t expect them to make the first move.

“Now this is interesting.”

“…Huh?”

The first one threw a punch. I caught him by the wrist and yanked him toward me.

“W-Waitㅡ”

Without letting go, I drove the heel of my palm upward into his chin. His knees buckled immediately, and he started to collapse. But instead of releasing him, I swung him like a flail and slammed him into the ground.

“Three.”

Less than three minutes had passed since the match began. Yet three of them were already down.

The last student’s face had gone completely stiff.

It’s already over. About forty seconds… just as I expected.

But what should I do? I never intended to end things here.

“Huh? I heard someone actually issued a ‘challenge’ for the first time in ages, so I came to watch. But what’s this?”

“I rushed over as soon as I heard! Don’t tell me it’s already over?”

The remaining student instinctively turned toward the voices coming from outside the arena.

“…Who are they?”

At the sight of the spectators who had suddenly appeared, panic flickered across his face.

“Wh-What the hell?! He challenged the Fund Investment Club, and this is what’s happening?!”

“There’s actually someone who still bet on the favorite? What a sucker. The smart money’s on the underdog! Let’s go, freshman”

“I bet my entire fortune on you!”

The students outside either cheered or gasped in shock the moment they saw what was happening inside the arena. The remaining club member looked completely bewildered.

“…What the hell did you do?”

“You mean those people outside?”

Students from the Basketball Club, the Literature Club, the Tea Ceremony Club… A huge crowd had gathered, regardless of club rank.

Some of them had even come carrying recruitment signs, as if they’d shown up straight from recruiting new freshmen.

And the reason they’d all gathered here was simple…

“That’s right. I invited them.”

Every last one of them was here because I’d planned this.

“A freshman issuing a Challenge is a ‘once in a blue moon’ event. And this isn’t just any challenge, it’s one freshman taking on an entire club. Did you really think I’d walk into a match like this without considering what you might try afterward? Even I need an insurance policy.”

I spread my arms wide, gesturing toward the crowd watching us.

“With this many witnesses, the Fund Investment Club won’t be able to sweep this under the rug. They’ll be too embarrassed not to go down in flames.”

My grin widened. The remaining club members’ faces twisted in anger.

“Why…?! Why are you going this far against us?! Why?!”

“…Because you crossed me.”

“…What?”

“‘The International Trade Club’, It belongs to me now. And you’re working behind the scenes to bring it down, aren’t you?”

“H-How could you possibly know that…?”

“Does that really matter? What’s more important is how much longer you seniors can keep this up. So…”

I turned away from them and looked toward the crowd gathered outside the arena.

“You’re watching, aren’t you? ‘President of the Fund Investment Club’. If you don’t want your club disbanded, get your ass in here. Now.”

Because the real highlight… was only just beginning.