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KEIGO WAS STANDING ALONE in the stadium, holding onto his chest as he watched the battle on the large screen. He was there because all the underlings were asked to stay in their brotherhood's base during the battle. Unfortunately for Keigo, he was the only official underling of PHD, while the other official underling of Busters was busy holding hands with his boyfriend at the auditorium.

     "The new ranking will be posted in ten...night...eight...seven...six...five...four...three...two..."

      Keigo held onto his breath as the screen changed to white. After a quick second, the new rank was finally shown.

     "Busters, 20 points. As expected, they did this battle perfectly," Keigo said as Busters's name was shown on the screen first with a perfect score of 20 points.

     Keigo then sighed in relief when he saw PHD ranking second with a score of 18 points. And then the rest of the brotherhoods followed. He couldn't help but put a smile on his face as he watched BND and the others rank high on the list. But as soon as he saw a particular brotherhood name, Keigo's heart instantly dropped.

     RANK 18: DYNASTIES ↓3

     Keigo checked it again, and again, and again, before finally letting everything sink in.     

     "S-Shit...shit!" Keigo shouted, immediately turning away from the screen and running out of the stadium. "Where the fuck is Gavriil?! Joon's gonna kill us!"

     [A few months ago]

     "Kawanishi Keigo, you are standing in front of the leaders of the kings and princes. Show some respect," someone from PHD suddenly stated, making Keigo flinch before bending down to give the royals a proper greeting.

      "Yes! I-It is my...amazing...I mean...honor! T-to...be here," Keigo nervously said before looking back at Viktor Stepanov and Kim Hee-Joon, who were sitting on their thrones on stage.

     The two of them didn't say anything back, so Keigo swallowed the lump in his throat before looking around the stadium. The members of PHD and Busters were surrounding him, so he couldn't really move a muscle.

     Keigo just got back to school recently. He got tangled up with his father's criminal case and almost got sent to jail on his behalf. But for some reason, someone bailed him out, and so he was able to go back to school. He wasn't entirely excited though since he has held back a year thanks to this unfortunate event, but he's still very much thrilled to finally start school normally again.

     Well, that was until a bunch of royals kidnapped him at the lockers during PE class and dragged him here at the stadium.

     "I'm sorry, but...w-why am I here?" Keigo finally asked.

     Viktor adjusted from his seat, making Keigo flinch again. The king saw his reaction, so he ended up laughing at him. "You must have been surprised, Kawanishi Keigo," Viktor said with a smirk on his face. "How was the case with your father? I'm glad things worked out in the end."

     "How did you know about that?" Keigo asked confusingly.

     "Probably the same way I know that you're an indirect member of the Takemitsu Clan," Viktor revealed next, instantly making Keigo's jaw drop because his connection to that family was almost erased. "Your cousins with Hiro, right? Crème de la Crème's rank 12. Oh, he's ranked 11 now, if I recall. I met him once when we were kids. He was a very interesting fellow."

     "What do you want with me?" Keigo asked once again, but with a much more serious tone this time, making the king grin.

     "Oh, so you have some balls in you after all," Viktor says before throwing something at him. Keigo was startled, but he caught the item before it fell to the ground. He then looked at the palm of his hand and realized that what Viktor gave him was actually a silver brooch, similar to the gold brooch that Joon and the other members of PHD were wearing.

     "What's this? What's going on?"

     "I bailed you out," Viktor finally revealed, making Keigo look back at the king with his eyes wide in shock.

     "W-What?"

     "I know a lot about you, Kawanishi Keigo, but I don't really care about your family background. What I care about more is your...skills," Viktor said before standing from his seat. "I heard that you're some sort of genius."

     "I'm thankful that you bailed me out, but if you're going to use me for something that—"

     "I'm not going to use you. Well, not me, that is," Viktor interrupted. "You see that brooch that you're holding? That's an underling brooch. And if you look even closer, that symbol belongs to PHD. That's why starting today, Kawanishi Keigo, you will be an underling of the princes."

     As soon as Keigo heard about this, he immediately looked at Joon, who was sitting on his throne, staring at him with cold eyes that almost looked like he was plotting to kill him. Keigo could only gulp in terror and look away.

     "I don't understand. Why have I been given this title out of nowhere? And aren't you guys the Royals? Royals don't have underlings," Keigo stated, but when he saw the stares that the members of Busters and PHD were giving him, he flinched again and softly added, "R-Right?"

     "Well, you're correct, but times are changing now. In fact, I have an underling of my own, too," Viktor said before snapping his fingers. Right after, the door to the stadium opened, revealing Vice President Gavriil Alexeev. Keigo was confused at first, but when he saw the silver Busters' brooch on his collar, Keigo couldn't help but cover his mouth in shock.

     "V-Vice president Alexeev?! You're an underling of the kings?!" Keigo asked in shock, and Gavriil just stood beside him before bowing to the royals.

     "You see, Keigo, this wasn't...'out of nowhere.' Everything is according to our plan. Every little detail, every incident...they are all calculated. This isn't Russian Roulette. It's either you know where the bullet is, or you can only shoot and wish for the best. You have a role in this game, a role that you do not need to know about. But when the time comes, your purpose will be useful to us, and the favor I have given you will be paid back in full," Viktor explained with a much more serious expression.

     "Well, now, I think your new leader has something to say," Viktor then stated before sitting back down beside Joon, who looked extremely bored.

     Joon yawned, and then he scratched the back of his head before looking at Keigo. "Kawanishi Keigo, that brooch is both an honor and a curse. It is your decision to wear it with pride or hide it with fear. Regardless, I will not condemn you for it," Joon explained in a calm manner, surprising Keigo because he wasn't expecting the prince to have such a personality.

     "Now, you are here because you are a key part of the system that we are helping reshape. But in order for you to do that, I want you to do something first," Joon then said, making Keigo gulp in anticipation.

     Keigo was thinking of sorts of things that the prince might ask him to do. But when he finally heard what it was, he couldn't help but be surprised.

     "Before the Elite's School Convention, you must be able to enter Class II-A," Joon revealed. "You must be—"

     "Class II-A?" Keigo immediately interrupted, turning his head to glance at Gavriil since Gavriil was a student in that class. "Why do you want me to be in an A Class? Well, I guess that makes sense since I'm your underling now, and as your underling, I think it's only natural that I'm—"

     "Speak over me one more time, and I will sew your lips together," Joon suddenly threatened, immediately making Keigo shut his mouth.

     Viktor chuckled while Joon just massaged his temple before looking back at his new underling. "As I was saying, you must be a student of Class II-A in order to get close to a certain student. This is crucial, as you will be assisting him in the future."

     "You want me to get close to someone? I'm actually not the type to get close to someone because of an ulterior motive. But if it's just making friends, then I think I can do that. People say I'm good at making friends," Keigo then says, making Joon sigh again while Viktor continues to chuckle. Keigo's personality was definitely not very 'PHD' material. He was the opposite of their leader, and Viktor couldn't help but find this humorous.

     "My prince, do you want me to tape his mouth shut?" Killshot suddenly suggested while looking at their obviously distressed leader.

     "Hey, don't do that. I kinda like him," Blade then added before looking at Keigo and giving him a friendly wave. "Hi, Keigo-chan! Welcome to PHD!"

     Killshot wanted to pull Blade away, but then everyone looked back on stage as Viktor's laughter started to echo inside the stadium.

     "Oh my, I think I must have picked out a very interesting gift for you, my prince," Viktor stated before looking at Hee-joon.

     "I told you I would personally pick my underling, but you pulled this stupid stunt," Joon then complained.

     "Don't worry. Kawanishi Keigo will prove his worth to you soon. But for now..." Viktor then paused before looking at the quiet Gavriil. "The examinations are coming up, correct? Do me a favor and drop a couple of ranks. Maybe purposely write down the wrong answers on your test. Of course, I trust Keigo's knowledge, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Don't worry, I'm going to make sure that you're still the Vice President."

     "You've already asked me to do a lot of things for you. This doesn't even surprise me anymore," Gavriil replied with an expressionless face, making Viktor grin.

    "Good. We understand each other then."

     "Oh, by the way," Keigo interrupted again, lifting his hand like he was reciting. Joon sighed again, but Viktor—who seemed to like Keigo's outgoing personality —laughed again before gesturing the boy to speak.

     "Sorry, but what do you call us?" Keigo asked.

     "Well, the Vice President here is my underling, so he's under the Clan. But now that I think about it, what do you call this one, my prince?" Viktor asked back, turning his head to look at Joon. 

     Hee-Joon didn't say anything for a while and just stared at Keigo with his famously cold gaze. But after a while, he adjusted himself in his seat and answered, "Dynasties."

     "Dynasties? Oh, that sounds great! Is that what we're going to call the others too?" Blade excitedly asked, immediately making Keigo furrow his brows in confusion.

    "W-Wait...others? There's more of us? Do you have more underlings here in J.S High?"

     "If you're asking if there's more of you, then yes, there is more. But if you're asking if they're in J.S High, then no. All of them are in the House of Pawns," Viktor revealed, surprising Keigo even more because he wasn't expecting that answer at all.

     "House of Pawns? But there aren't any white uniforms in the House of Pawns. They're only—" Keigo immediately stopped himself upon realizing what that meant. At first, he was dumbfounded, and then he was confused. But soon after, he looked at Viktor like he understood what that meant.

     "You're making a brotherhood...that will be directly under you. You're planning that they replace you when you graduate." Keigo explained, and finally, the distressed expression on Hee-joon's face turned into an impressed smirk.

     "Looks like he might actually be useful after all," Joon whispered to himself before turning to Viktor.

     "The brotherhoods in the House of Pawns are a different faction. We've been training them for a while now, but since they're new, they're not much use to us yet. But once we graduate, we expect a lot of things from them," Viktor explained, almost like he was talking about his own kids. "For now, that doesn't concern both of you. The brotherhoods, the Clan, and...Dynasties...are doing their role as brotherhoods. You two, on the other hand, our two sole underlings, are tasked with something else, something that is far more important than what they're doing. So we expect you to do your role as well," Viktor explained, making both Gavriil and Keigo nod their heads in understanding.

     "Alright, that will be all for the both of you. You may leave."

     Gavriil bowed to the royals again before walking out of the stadium, while Keigo stayed behind and decided to ask more questions.

     "I know that I'm still new here, but am I really the only underling of PHD in J.S High or—" Before Keigo could even finish his sentence, Joon sighed for one last time, finally snatching Viktor's gun from his pocket before shooting a blank, almost making Keigo piss his pants.

     "You may leave," Joon sternly repeated, immediately making Keigo bow and run towards Gavriil to exit the stadium as well. But before the two underlings of the royals could leave the premise, Viktor called out for them again to tell them one final message.

     "By the way, if the brotherhoods Dynasties and the Clan get promoted during the Annual Reranking and end up in J.S High, you're going to be assigned as their new leaders," Viktor casually stated before snatching his gun back from Joon's hand.

     Keigo didn't quite get it at first, but when the information finally sunk in, he immediately turned back around to protest. Thankfully, Gavriil grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out of the stadium before he could even say anything.

     "You should know not to question them so casually."

     "G-Gavriil, did you just hear what the king said? We're gonna be the leaders of that monster rookie group if they end up getting promoted!" Keigo shouted before Gavriil could let go of him.

     "Alright, listen carefully, Kawanishi Keigo. Firstly, don't just casually call my name like that as if we're close. Secondly, I don't really care about what Viktor is planning. I'm here in J.S High for one reason, so don't pester me with these things. And lastly, just because we're underlings of the royals, it doesn't automatically make us friends. I'll help you get to Class II-A, but beyond that—" Gavriil paused and clenched his fist. He almost threatened Keigo never to dare get close to Max, but he knew better than to tell a stranger about his relationship with him.

     "Whatever...I'm done here." Gavriil looked at Keigo for one last time before finally walking away from him.

     "Wait! Vice president! I wanted to know if those brotherhoods end up getting demoted! What are we supposed to do?!"

     [Present time]

     "Gavriil!" Keigo shouted, swinging the doors at the auditorium open, making the white uniforms stop to look at him. Keigo noticed their stares, so he cleared his throat and apologized to everyone for disrupting their celebration before running to where the vice president was seated.

     "Gavriil! There you are!"

     Keigo approaches the Elite and realizes that he's actually sitting beside Max. So when Keigo got closer, Max immediately pulled his arm away, making Keigo realize that the two of them were actually holding hands.

     "D-Did I disrupt something?" Keigo awkwardly asks.

     Gavriil takes a deep breath before standing from his seat and looking back at the white uniform with an annoyed expression. "What is it this time Kawanishi Keigo?"

     "Hi, Keigo. Congratulations on PHD," Max interrupts.

     "Oh, thanks, Max," Keigo replies with a bright smile before turning back to Gavriil with a much more serious expression. "Can I talk to you...privately?"

     Gavriil was hesitant and didn't really want to do it, but when he looked back at Max and saw him glaring at him, Gavriil cleared his throat and answered, "Come with me."

     Max smiles and waves at Keigo again as he and Gavriil walk out of the auditorium. Gavriil led them to an empty room and locked the door. As soon as it was close, Gavriil turned to Keigo and told him, "Let me guess, you're here to ask about Dynasties."

     "Yes! They lost the battle and ended up in the House of Rooks! Doesn't that mean I'm going to be transferred too? I don't want to transfer Gavriil. I love J.S High," Keigo exclaims, making the vice president sigh and massage his temple.

     "Keigo, you're not gonna get transferred. You're an underling and not a part of the brotherhood faction. The only way you're gonna transfer is if PHD ends up losing, so relax," Gavriil explains.

     Keigo pauses for a second, but then he ends up sighing in relief. "Is that so? Thank god. I was a bit nervous because none of you explained this to me properly. All I remembered is that we're going to be their leaders someday, but I guess I misinterpreted that too."

     "Oh, that? No, you didn't misinterpret that part. We are going to be their leaders if they end up getting promoted here," Gavriil then tells him, instantly making Keigo's jaw drop. "But you'll have to worry about that on next year's Annual Battle. For now, the Clan and the Dynasties are considered trainees. Their rank in the battles won't really matter yet," Gavriil then adds.

     "Is that so? That's good then. Everything's good," Keigo says, touching his rapidly beating chest while trying to calm it down.

     "Anyway, since we're already here...have you found anything about Magnus McKay? Have you found who might have asked him to spy on J.S High?" Gavriil then asks, and Keigo finally goes back to being serious.

     Magnus McKay, a student who seemed to have no involvement in everything that was happening to the Houses, was discovered to be the spy all along. Keigo couldn't believe it when the Royals mentioned it to him, but after finding out that Felix was the one to discover it, he automatically believed the claim as Keigo trusts Felix's words more than anyone.

     After finding out about the spy, Joon—his leader—immediately asked him to check his background or find any hints of who might have asked him to do such a thing. Because even though Viktor 'spoke' to him, Magnus couldn't rat anyone out.

     And his fear of naming the mastermind was very alarming.

     "I couldn't find anything. No messages, no digital footprints...nothing. It's as if they knew that we'd try finding them. They probably met in person or sent handwritten letters to each other. That's why I'm looking through his recent activities. He might have gone somewhere, and I could easily check the CCTV footage," Keigo explains, and Gavriil couldn't help but be impressed by how Keigo efficiently works on these types of things.

     No wonder he was able to help Max with the Banquet.

     "I hope you find something before the Annual Brotherhood Reranking ends."

     "You think someone's going to savage the other brotherhoods, don't you? That's what PHD thinks too. They believe someone's going to end up cheating, which will make one of ours lose that battle," Keigo explains, but Gavriil decides not to comment about it.

     "If you have nothing else to say, then I'll have to go. We still have a meeting with the other student council officers," Gavriil says as he walks toward the exit.

     But as the elite grabs the doorknob, Keigo suddenly asks him, "By the way, have you been looking after Max? He's been very out of it recently, almost like he's thinking about something heavy."

     "I'm not here to talk about my personal life with you," Gavriil coldly answers. But before he opens the door, he takes a deep breath and looks over his shoulder. "I'm always looking after him, but there's only so much I can do. That's why I'm glad he has you all as his friends."

     Keigo was surprised to hear Gavriil's sweet sentiments, but before he could even say a word, Gavriil finally walked out of the room. As soon as the door shuts, Keigo smiles and chuckles at himself.

     "I'm glad he has you too," Keigo says before walking out of the room as well. 

     "Day 03...two more days to go."

- END -