The laughter from Miwa's trash-can fate still echoed through the courtyard when Aoi finally lowered her bokuto. Her chest heaved, sweat sliding down her cheek, but her eyes never left Oga.
He didn't attack Chiaki and Nene... then why do I still feel like he's sneering at me? Why does he keep holding that baby like a shield?
Her pride itched, torn between relief and frustration. She wanted to scream, to demand answers—but before she could, movement stirred near the can.
"Grrr... D-damn you!" Miwa's muffled voice groaned. The trash can rolled, wobbled, then popped open as he staggered out, covered in banana peels and mystery sludge. His hair, once slicked, now hung in greasy strands. His pride, however, refused to die.
"Y-you think this is over?!" he spat, glaring between Oga and Aoi. "No way! If I can't crush you with strength, I'll do it with words. Listen up, Ishiyama—Kunieda Aoi has fallen! She's siding with the monster who humiliated her!"
The courtyard erupted in a new wave of gossip.
"No way! Queen Kunieda... siding with Oga?"
"Does that mean she really likes him?"
"So he's juggling three wives now?!"
"THREE?!" Aoi shrieked, face scarlet. "Stop making things up! There's nothing between me and this idiot!"
"Oi," Oga muttered, scratching his head. "What's with this wife nonsense again? I don't even—"
But Beel, as if to betray him, leaned forward on his back and gurgled happily, patting Oga's head like a loyal child. "DA-BOOO~!"
The crowd swooned. "Aww, the baby approves of the Queen!"
"Shut up!" Aoi roared, swinging her bokuto so hard the nearby wall cracked.
Furuichi crouched behind Oga, tears streaming down his face. "Why, why, WHY do all the girls fall for you?! Kunieda-san too? And you don't even notice!"
Kogen tilted his head where he sat, teasingly said "Darling's appeal is like poison. The more you resist, the deeper it seeps into your veins. Isn't that delicious?"
"QUIT CALLING ME THAT!" Oga bellowed.
And amid the chaos, Miwa saw his chance. His grin returned, wicked and sharp. He thrust his finger at Aoi. "If you still call yourself Queen, then prove it! Fight me here and now! Winner takes the crown of Ishiyama!"
The courtyard hushed. Even Aoi's gang members gasped. A challenge to the Queen's title was no small matter—it meant everything.
Aoi's grip tightened. Chiaki... Nene... if I back down now, everything we built will fall apart.
But before she could answer, Oga yawned. "Tch. Annoying. I'll deal with him."
Miwa blinked. "What? No, this is between me and—"
"Shut up," Oga said, striding forward, Beel perched like a warlord's banner. "You're boring."
The fight ended before it began. Oga grabbed Miwa by the collar, spun him twice, and flung him straight through the second-story window of the old gym. Glass shattered, dust billowed, and Miwa's scream faded into the distance.
The crowd exploded into cheers and laughter.
"Did you see that throw?!"
"He's not even human!"
"Goodbye, Miwa!"
Aoi, however, felt no victory. Her chest tightened, her pride cracking as she stared at Oga's indifferent back. Why... why does he fight like it means nothing? Why do I feel so small compared to him?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp, elegant voice.
"Well then. That was amusing."
Hildegarde stepped forward, parasol clicking against the ground with each step. Her eyes swept over Aoi, cold and calculating. "But strength must be tested properly, not wasted on trash. If you claim to be fit to stand beside Oga and raise Baby Beel, then prove it to me."
Aoi blinked. "W-what?!"
The courtyard gasped again.
"Kunieda vs. the maid?!"
"Another wife fight!"
"This school is turning into a soap opera."
"Enough with the wife crap!" Aoi shouted, her face red as steam. "I-I never said anything about...!"
But Hildegarde had already drawn her parasol blade, its polished edge gleaming. "Defend yourself, Queen of Ishiyama."
The clash was instant and fierce. Aoi lunged with her bokuto, lightning fast, but Hildegarde parried with flawless precision. Wood cracked against steel, sparks flying as the two danced in a storm of blows.
The physics were absurd, the impacts so loud it felt like a battlefield. Aoi swung with desperate pride, trying to prove herself. Hildegarde, elegant as always, countered without even sweating.
"You're strong," Hilda admitted coolly, her blade pressing Aoi's bokuto down. "But not strong enough."
Aoi gritted her teeth. "I-I don't care about being with that idiot Oga!"
"I never mentioned Oga," Hildegarde replied flatly, shoving her back. "I was speaking of Beel. You are unworthy to raise him."
But Aoi didn't hear—her mind twisted the words. Unworthy... to be with Oga? Her heart stung worse than her bruises.
With one final strike, Hildegarde disarmed her, parasol tip at Aoi's throat. "Stand down."
The courtyard roared in shock. Aoi stumbled back, humiliated, face red from both exertion and misunderstanding.
And then the news hit her like a blade. Chiaki and Nene, bruised and bandaged, stumbled in with Shintarou's support. "Aoi-san!" Nene cried. "It wasn't Oga—it was Miwa! He ambushed us!"
Gasps spread. Aoi froze, her bokuto slipping from her hand. Oga never hurt them. Even after learning that why did I still kept fighting him. Do I like him. But this si not allowed in Red tails.I fought him for nothing. I... I really am a fool.
Her pride crumbled. She turned to Oga, who simply stood there, scratching his head, Beel burbling nonsense happily. That oblivious face only deepened the ache.
"Enough," Aoi whispered, barely audible. Then louder: "Enough! I... I can't do this anymore."
The courtyard silenced.
"I failed to protect my friends... I let myself get humiliated by outsiders... I'm not fit to lead the Red Tails anymore." She turned to Nene, voice trembling but determined. "From now on, you'll be leader."
Gasps exploded.
"The Queen is stepping down?!"
"No way... Kunieda's really resigning?!"
Nene's eyes widened. "Aoi-san, you can't—!"
But Aoi only shook her head, forcing a smile. "It's decided."
Oga blinked, tilting his head. "...Wait, what just happened?"
Furuichi sobbed dramatically. "Another one joins your harem and then quits life for you! DAMN YOU, OGA!"
Meanwhile, Kogen finally rose, his smile as eerie as ever. "How delightful. Thrones falling, queens resigning... All for your sake, darling. How tragic. How... beautiful."
Oga clenched his fists, roaring: "STOP CALLING ME DARLING!"
The narrator chimed in dryly:
And thus, Ishiyama High lost a Queen, gained more misunderstandings, and watched as Oga Tatsumi—still the most clueless delinquent alive—continued dragging everyone into chaos with nothing but fists, a baby, and sheer idiocy.