chap 6

Introduction

Another 10-minute countdown began, separating the

discussions from each other. The digital timer ticked down

second by second.

Horikita, having defeated Hamaguchi without losing any

life points, now awaited the "main forces" player - Kanzaki.

Even if he arrived earlier than in 10 minutes, the

discussions would only start when the timer hit zero.

In the meantime, Horikita pondered over the rules of the

special exam. The "main forces" had 7 life points, meaning

that unless the opponent made a mistake, they could only

lose up to 3 life points per nomination. There was a

temptation to attack the opponent before they attacked

you, but this strategy also carried risks of making an

incorrect nomination and losing life points. However,

excessive defense could also be dangerous, as it might

cause her to miss an important moment during the

discussion, losing the chance to turn the game in her

favor.

Hirata tried to play defensively, which led to his defeat.

Horikita tried to analyze the person named Kanzaki Ryuji...

There was a strong possibility that, like Hamaguchi and

Hirata, he would take a defensive stance, but...

— There's also a significant chance he might opt for an

aggressive approach to turn the tide...

Horikita, without much thought, started to reason aloud. If

her current opponent began deliberately disrupting the

game without caring about his own defeat, it could only

complicate Horikita's battle against the enemy general.

Horikita continued to run different scenarios and strategies

through her mind for defeating Kanzaki but could not settle

on anything specific.

In the end, all she could do was closely watch the

discussion and act according to the situation.

Suddenly, the door to the room swung open, and Kanzaki

entered. The timer showed about four minutes remaining.

Kanzaki silently surveyed the room, took a free seat, and

sighed.

— Glad to meet you.

Horikita, deciding to greet him first, was met not with a

similar greeting but with a wary look in her direction:

— Whose idea was it to make Ayanokoji the general?

— That's... an unexpected question.

— Was it your idea or his? Why did you allow this to

happen? And how long ago did you decide on this?

Kanzaki, not taking his eyes off Horikita, continued to

bombard her with questions.

— And why not? Isn't it the prerogative of every class

leader to appoint classmates to positions as they see fit?

— The Ayanokoji I know doesn't possess the qualities that

would prompt you to appoint him as general instead of

yourself. So, what happened?

— I can't tell you. Perhaps he began to change little by

little.

Horikita decided not to mention their agreement, according

to which Ayanokoji might not take any part in the class's

affairs in the future, so Kanzaki's confusion was

understandable.

— Is that all you wanted to know? I'd like to focus on the

exam.

— Yes...

The announcement of the start of the discussion came,

and Horikita immediately glanced at her tablet. Of course,

the roles of each participant in the discussion would be

gradually revealed, but the more actively Horikita's

classmates participated in the dialogue, the easier it would

be for her to analyze their behavior.

Additionally, she could have chosen a group whose

participants would take minimal part in the discussion,

allowing her to focus on the students from the opposing

class.

To attack or to defend—it all depended on the strategy the

representative would choose.

Once Kanzaki and Horikita had designated their groups,

the discussion finally began.

"First Round of Discussion"

Participants:

Class 2B:

Ijyuin Wataru, Sudou Ken, Miyake Akito, Ichihashi Ruri,

Onodera Kayano, Nishimura Ryuko, Matsushita Chiaki

Class 2D:

Watanabe Norihito, Yonezu Haruto, Sumida Makoto,

Aragaki Itsuki, Iguchi Mashiru, Himeno Yuki, Ninomiya Yui

Horikita chose to focus on calm students who could hide

their emotions behind a mask. Watching the image on the

monitor, Horikita observed how all 14 students took their

seats in the circle. The tablet on her desk now displayed

their names.

Both representatives closely watched the discussion

participants, observing where their gazes fell during the

conversation, assessing whether they looked at someone

in particular or not.

However, none of the students displayed any exceptional

behavior. Even Sudou, whom Horikita watched with

particular care, acted as usual.

This greatly surprised Horikita. Two years ago, she

couldn't even imagine that she would someday consider

him among the calm and attentive students.

For a moment, she even felt a sense of pride, as if she

had personally nurtured these positive qualities in him.

Then she stopped focusing solely on him and began to

observe all the discussion participants equally.

However, the first round didn't provide Kanzaki or Horikita

with any useful information, so they both chose to "pass."

The second round of discussion proceeded similarly,

resulting in the departure of two more students.

Miyake confessed that he was the "graduate" and noted

that according to his check, Watanabe was the "honor

student." A discussion immediately ensued between them,

with Watanabe trying to prove his innocence.

Skipping this round could have been too dangerous, so

the primary question for each representative was whether

to trust Miyake's words.

Kanzaki, believing Miyake, nominated Watanabe as the

"honor student."

Horikita, on the other hand, nominated Miyake as the

"honor student," believing that Watanabe did not hold that

role. The situation was diametrically opposed, and the

outcome was about to be announced.

— Announcing the results. Horikita-san correctly

nominated Miyake-kun as the "honor student," so Kanzakikun loses 3 life points. Additionally, Kanzaki-kun

incorrectly nominated Watanabe-kun, so he loses another

1 life point.

The difference in judgment by the representatives led to a

4 life point gap in just one round.

In the end, Miyake turned out to be the "honor student,"

and Watanabe was not. Thus, only one "honor student"

remained.

The participants seemed to notice the difference between

nominations made by the "honor students" and the

representatives. "Honor students," when nominating, did

not reveal the role of the player who left the room, so

Miyake seemed to have decided to play aggressively. He

understood that the representatives were more likely to

nominate an "honor student" rather than a "graduate," so

he considered this strategy useful for achieving the "honor

students'" victory.

However, the personal points earned by the discussion

participants during negotiations were not the most

important part of the exam. What mattered more was

determining the exact roles of each discussion participant

and stripping the opponent of their life points.

Miyake's nomination had a strong impact on the group,

especially on Ninomiya. After Miyake's departure, she

clearly behaved differently than in the first three rounds, so

neither Kanzaki nor Horikita doubted that she was the

second "honor student."

By making a similar nomination, Kanzaki and Horikita

ended in a draw, which did not change their life points, but

with both "honor students" excluded, the discussion ended

in an overall victory for the "students."

— Can we talk for a moment?

Kanzaki, who had lost four life points in the first

discussion, addressed Horikita.

— Of course.

Horikita glanced at the newly reset 10-minute timer and

mentally prepared for the worst.

Kanzaki silently stood up from the table and faced

Horikita.

— I have a request for you. I know this may sound very

strange, but you must understand me. I have nothing left. I

beg you, allow our Class D to win this special exam.

Horikita was full of determination to respond to any

provocation from Kanzaki, but she could never have

expected such a development.

— Are you serious? Sorry, but that even sounds strange.

During a serious confrontation in the most important

special exam, Kanzaki so easily asked Horikita to hand

over the victory. Although the meaning of his words was

crystal clear, Horikita needed some time to process them.

Could he have made this request, even knowing it would

most likely be rejected?

Thinking about this, Horikita frowned.

— Yes, I fully understand how crazy it sounds, but... What

other option do we have? If we lose this special exam, the

gap between our class and Class A will become

insurmountable. This is our last chance for rehabilitation.

If Class Sakayanagi wins and Class Ichinose loses, the

gap in class points between the two classes will become

excessively large. Even an absolute victory in two or three

special exams in the third year is unlikely to close this gap.

— In this special exam, the losing classes don't lose

personal points. In other words, your class will still

continue the struggle for a spot in Class A, and we can

reduce this gap.

Kanzaki, recognizing the absurdity of his request, deeply

bowed.

— Your bow won't help me fulfill this request. Right now,

we're only in one of several confrontations, so even if I

agreed to your terms, it wouldn't guarantee your victory, as

there's still the battle between the generals ahead.

— Of course, I understand...

— If you understand, you shouldn't ask for the impossible.

— But I have no other choice. Besides... I don't ask to give

up the victory for free. We... We will definitely compensate

you for everything. We will support your class in the third

year if necessary. You may not believe me, but Ichinose...

You can trust her.

Kanzaki mentioned the name of his class

leader and assured it as a guarantee of his words.

— Ichinose-san, indeed, is not someone who would ignore

her promises, but for that, she must say so herself. You're

using her name as a guarantee without her approval,

aren't you?

— That's...

— If you lose, Kanzaki-kun, then we can discuss this with

Ichinose-san directly, which will increase the chances of

your request succeeding. But now, I can't just take your

word for it.

Hearing Horikita's quite logical and obvious argument,

Kanzaki slightly coughed.

— After all, you're not even the leader of the class. You

can't guarantee our class any compensation next year,

so... I can't fulfill your request.

— Ichinose isn't the type to agree to such conditions. She

wants to win honestly, but she... just doesn't understand

the situation she's in. Even if she manages to defeat you,

her next opponent will be Ayanokoji. It's an inevitable end

without a single chance of victory.

If Kanzaki wanted to win, he needed to defeat Horikita and

then inflict as much damage on Ayanokoji as possible.

However, right now, he was far from being in a winning

position.

— You hold Ayanokoji-kun in high regard.

— Ayanokoji is a formidable opponent... The outcome of a

battle with him is obvious.

— "Don't like"? What are you talking about? I'm only

judging by the cold facts.

— I didn't say you were wrong. I just don't like it.

Hearing Kanzaki's point of view, Horikita felt

disappointment and anger. The ally behind her was

extremely strong, no doubt about that. And they had made

a mutually beneficial agreement, that's a fact.

But Horikita tried to look at the situation from the

perspective of Ichinose's classmate.

Ichinose had trusted him and appointed him to the role of

"main forces."

That's why Horikita didn't like Kanzaki's attitude toward the

situation.

— Nothing has been decided yet. We're on equal footing.

— Equal footing, you say? Equal? Is that what you think?

Even after Horikita's words, Kanzaki didn't change his

point of view.

— Let's end this already. What's the point of this

unpleasant conversation?

Horikita suggested Kanzaki return to his seat, but he had

no intention of moving.

— It's not that simple! If we lose... It's the end! Absolute

and inevitable!

— So you'll keep whining about it?

Kanzaki grabbed his head. He began to tremble slightly.

— I don't care what others think of me… But I can't let my

dream of getting into Class A die like this!

Anyone else would have given up long ago, but Kanzaki

remained stubborn. He fully understood that he was

asking for the impossible. Yet, the situation in his class

was dire, leaving no room for compromise. He was willing

to endure humiliation just to achieve results.

— I can sense your determination; you wouldn't bow your

head to me without reason. But I'm not going to negotiate.

Horikita recognized the courage it took for Kanzaki to act

this way. But all she could offer him was sympathy. She

couldn't afford to give up now.

Kanzaki stood frozen, showing no reaction. He had

gathered around him a few worthy students who agreed

with his ideas about reforming the class, but for those

"flowers" to bloom, more time was needed. If these "buds"

were trampled while they were still just stems, there would

be no chance for them to blossom.

He had thought that if the final special exam took place

without Ayanokoji's involvement, things might still work

out. But for some unknown reason, Ayanokoji had been

appointed as the general!

— Please…

Kanzaki couldn't finish his sentence. He knew that no

matter how much he pleaded with Horikita, she wouldn't

agree. He had known this from the start. He knew, but he

still asked.

— I'm not doing this out of personal dislike or anything like

that. I highly value your abilities and those of Ichinose-san.

But right now, I'm fighting my opponents, whoever they

may be.

Horikita understood that she couldn't accept Kanzaki's

proposal, but she didn't try to dismiss him outright. She

knew that right now, he was humiliating himself for the

sake of his class.

— I see…

There wasn't much time left before the break ended.

Kanzaki returned to his seat without lifting his head. The

monitor soon lit up. A new discussion was about to begin.

Horikita turned away from Kanzaki and focused her

attention on the screen again.

Now she could no longer think about external distractions.

All she needed to do was figure out each participant's role.

Kanzaki also turned to the monitor, but his gaze was

completely empty. At the end of the round, Horikita

pressed "pass." Kanzaki followed suit. It seemed he was

no longer taking the discussion seriously. It was as if he

was just waiting for his inevitable defeat.

— Have you given up?

Horikita addressed Kanzaki again, interrupting the voices

from the discussion playing through the speakers.

— What's the point…?

Kanzaki had abandoned the idea of a serious fight. He

understood that no matter what he did, he couldn't defeat

Ayanokoji. Horikita, unable to ignore his sudden apathy,

jumped up from her seat and stood in front of Kanzaki.

— You're the representative of your class, chosen by your

leader, right?! If so, have the courage to defeat me and

then face Ayanokoji-kun on your own! You need to pass

this special exam, at least for the sake of your friends!

— Why are you doing this? Don't rub salt in my wounds...

— Fine, have it your way!

The outcome of the battle was already determined. The

two representatives didn't say another word. Kanzaki

continued to pass, without making a single choice. Horikita

told herself she wouldn't pity him, so she made another

nomination.

— Horikita-san correctly nominated Mine-kun as the

"honor student," so Kanzaki-kun loses 3 life points.

Therefore, the total number of his life points becomes

zero. Kanzaki-kun, please leave the room.

Even after the results were announced, Kanzaki didn't

move. He seemed not to have heard anything at all.

— Kanzaki-kun.

Horikita called out to him. For a moment, Kanzaki glanced

at her.

— Ah… I see… I've already lost…

Muttering this, Kanzaki stood up from the table and

reached for the door handle. Horikita thought about calling

out to him, but changed her mind. Whatever she said to

him now wouldn't help him in any way. Left alone in the

room, Horikita stared at the darkened monitor.

— I will get into Class A. That's my goal, but…

For Horikita, securing a spot in Class A was of utmost

importance. But she wasn't striving for it for the sake of her

future; she was doing it for her brother's approval. She

wanted him to praise her for the effort she put into moving

from Class D to Class A. That was her main motivation to

keep going.

But why did Kanzaki want to be in Class A? Was it for

education? Employment? Or was he doing it for the sake

of his classmates' well-being? Horikita, who knew little

about Kanzaki, couldn't understand what drove his desire

to win.

But she was absolutely certain—he had something worth

fighting for. She spent the remaining time reflecting until

her next opponent appeared in the doorway. It was

Ichinose.

Part 1

At the same time, in the room with Katsuragi and

Sakayanagi.

The discussion was progressing very slowly, with no

significant events taking place. Katsuragi carefully

observed both groups, but he couldn't gather any valuable

information.

— Seems like everyone's talking about their own thing. In

such an environment, it's hard to determine anyone's role,

isn't it?

— Maybe so...

Sakayanagi folded her hands, and her statement caused

Katsuragi to exhale in relief. Sakayanagi's apparent

ignorance worked in his favor. However, he knew that

Sakayanagi was a dangerous opponent, and trusting her

words was risky.

Thinking this, Katsuragi shook off the feeling of relief and

became alert once more.

— If you're trying to act condescending towards me, you'd

better not.

— Is that so? In that case, I must say, deep down, I've

already figured everything out.

— We might be on different levels, but if you let your guard

down, even you can be defeated.

— If that's what you think, I won't argue.

Katsuragi tried to expose Sakayanagi, to get some clue

from her, but he got nothing. Realizing that a head-on

confrontation with such an opponent was dangerous,

Katsuragi decided to step back slightly. After all, he still

had enough life points to observe Sakayanagi's behavior

for a while.

— Unfortunately, I didn't get many clues in this round. I

think you can take the initiative.

Katsuragi knew that any careless action could lead to

inevitable defeat.

— That's so typical of you. The moment you face danger,

you immediately switch to defense. Even though you

supposedly wanted to defeat me in a fair fight, in the end,

you resort to a waiting strategy.

— For me, it's standard. Excessive worry leads to

mistakes.

— That's admirable. Are you trying to say that I haven't

made you nervous at all?

Katsuragi was slightly thrown off by the phrase "not at all,"

because he had been a bit nervous. But his instincts told

him that under no circumstances should he admit this to

Sakayanagi.

— Not at all. I'm here to defeat you, but that doesn't mean

I'm going to rush in recklessly, prioritizing my emotions as

Kito did. This is a team game, and I have to keep that in

mind.

Katsuragi tried to assure Sakayanagi that he wasn't

worried in the slightest.

— Fu-fu-fu...

Sakayanagi let out a soft laugh and raised her delicate

hand, pointing at Katsuragi's neck.

— When you said you weren't worried, you obviously lied.

The truth is, right now, you're overflowing with emotions,

and you're thinking only about how to defeat me.

Regardless of the circumstances, you're ready to do

anything to win. That's what you're really thinking right

now.

— I'm not going to fall for your tricks, Sakayanagi. You've

misread me.

— Is that so? Then why don't you fix that loosely tied tie of

yours?

— My tie…?

Katsuragi looked down at his tie. He immediately noticed

that the tie, which he usually tied tightly, was now too

loose. Katsuragi let out a quiet sigh and hurried to adjust

it.

— The ever-calm and composed Katsuragi-kun that I

know would have immediately noticed the sloppiness of

his tie. But for the last 10 minutes, you haven't been able

to take your eyes off the entrance, waiting for your

archenemy to appear, haven't you?

Sakayanagi spoke as if she had been watching through

surveillance cameras, then laughed again.

— So, how dare you say you're not worried? You brazenly

lied.

— That's just your assumption… You can't possibly know

when exactly my tie came loose.

Katsuragi responded as calmly as possible, trying not to

fall into a trap. But Sakayanagi knew from the start that

this would be his response.

— If you're making such bold statements, it can only mean

that you're far from composed right now. Try to calm down

and analyze the situation. Why did your tie come loose?

Could it be because Kito-kun, frustrated by his defeat,

grabbed you by it, hmm?

— He wanted to personally defeat Ryuuen. That was his

goal.

— Correct. But do you really think he acted this way just

because of a frustrating loss? What if that's not the case?

What if I instructed him to mess up your tie in case of his

defeat?

The general can't know what happens in this room until

the very end of the discussion, so the representatives who

go before him are forced to start from a disadvantaged

position. Anticipating this, Sakayanagi had set a small trap

in advance. She instructed Kito to mess up Katsuragi's tie

if he lost. There was no real point in ruining the tie itself,

but this fact served as proof, revealing Katsuragi's true

feelings and intentions.

That's why Sakayanagi chose Kito as one of the "main

forces"—because he could handle this task better than

any other classmate.

Katsuragi, who had so far skillfully and calmly fought

against Sanada and Kito, had sincerely tried to save his

energy for the battle against Sakayanagi, but by the end of

the first round, the situation had completely flipped. Now

he had to admit that the girl in front of him could see right

through him.

Still smiling, Sakayanagi shifted her gaze to the monitor.

— In that case, I suggest we move on to the second round

of discussions.

On the other side of the screen, the discussion resumed

with 13 participants.

Part 2

Horikita easily defeated Kanzaki and Hamaguchi in all

three discussions, without losing a single life point. About

five minutes after Kanzaki left, Ichinose entered the room.

— Amazing, Horikita-san! You managed to defeat

Kanzaki-kun without taking any damage!

— It is what it is.

Ichinose smiled broadly at Horikita and took her seat.

Horikita, who had been watching her closely, saw no signs

of impatience or nervousness. It seemed that being the

"general" of her class didn't bother her at all.

— Let's do our best!

— Uh...

Horikita, who had initiated the conversation the last two

times, now didn't know what to say. Firstly, she wasn't sure

whether she should inform Ichinose about Kanzaki.

Ichinose had taken about five minutes to reach the room,

so it was likely that she had met Kanzaki in the corridor

and talked to him. Judging by her behavior, he hadn't told

her the true nature of what had happened, so this

information could potentially be used to break her spirit.

— By the way, Horikita-san, it seems like you've changed

a little, hasn't it?

Horikita didn't expect Ichinose to talk to her as if they were

close friends.

— I don't know… If anything has changed, it's probably my

hair. Or rather, its length.

— No, no, it's not about your appearance. The

atmosphere around you has become softer and kinder. It

feels easier to start a conversation with you, you know?

— Hmm… I wouldn't call that a significant change...

— Even so. Don't you think you've been spending more

time with your classmates than before?

— More than before? Well, compared to the past, some

changes have definitely happened.

Horikita hadn't thought about it before, but now this

thought slightly lifted her spirits.

— I've been hearing a lot about you lately, Horikita-san.

Both of them chose their groups for the discussion, which

meant the discussion was about to start.

— "Hearing a lot"? From whom?

— Hmm… I wonder who…

Smiling, Ichinose glanced at the monitor.

— I think it's wonderful to be able to communicate with all

the students. It's never too late to deepen friendly

relationships, so I've been talking to many people to

become friends with them. Strong bonds can only be

achieved through long and persistent efforts.

Even though this story sounded simple, for some reason,

Horikita couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling that

lingered in the air.

When the discussion truly began, they stopped talking and

simply observed the debate for five minutes straight.

Horikita watched the group closely, which seemed to be

progressing at the same pace as the others.

Of course, at this stage, she couldn't determine the roles

of the participants. Her primary goal now was to preserve

her life points, but she also wanted to understand how

Ichinose intended to play. Would she consider her options

or immediately press "pass"?

Either way, lacking sufficient information after just one

round, Horikita chose to "pass." However...

— Since Ichinose-san correctly identified Chiba-kun as the

role holder, Horikita-san loses 1 life point.

In a way Horikita couldn't comprehend, Ichinose had

identified someone with a role in the very first round.

— Chiba-kun... That's what I thought.

Ichinose spoke with her usual ease, as if she had never

doubted her decisions. Horikita had already encountered

Kanzaki and Hamaguchi, but neither had risked

nominating a student in the first round. She couldn't be

certain, but for some reason, she was sure that Hirata,

after the first round, had also decided to "pass."

The students on the other side of the monitor seemed to

panic slightly. Nevertheless, Chiba-kun from Class D was

forced to leave the room.

— But how did you figure that out?

Still under the impression, Horikita couldn't help but ask

the question.

— I know these people better than anyone. I don't even

need to hear Chiba-kun's words to determine if he's lying

or telling the truth based solely on his gestures.

It seemed like Ichinose was his best friend.

— Are you particularly close with him?

— Particularly? No, nothing like that. Honestly, I've also

identified a few more role holders, but I still don't know

exactly what roles they have. I'll have to observe a bit

more.

At these words, a chill ran down Horikita's spine.

Ichinose claimed she could identify whether someone had

a role or not based solely on the first round of discussion,

which lasted only five minutes. If Ryuuen or Sakayanagi

were in her place, Horikita might have dismissed this claim

as a bluff. But before her sat Ichinose.

And for some reason, Horikita felt that she wasn't lying at

all.

— Well, if that's the case, then it shouldn't be difficult for

you to corner me.

Ichinose wasn't one to lie. That's why Horikita decided that

Ichinose's statement was a successful bluff, working only

because she had a good reputation before.

Nominating a student with a role in the first round was a

significant success. The only question left was to

understand how much of that success was due to Ichinose

herself. Excluding the "outstanding students," there were

still four participants with roles in the discussion, so her

chances of hitting the mark weren't that low. It was quite

possible that it was a coincidence, or maybe a deliberate

risk.

Horikita began to rationalize the situation, trying to

maintain self-control. After all, panic wouldn't help her.

Instead of letting the situation affect her, Horikita decided

to think about how to respond to it and ultimately secure a

victory.

She had already lost one life point. It was a small but

significant loss.

Horikita decided to carefully plan her strategy for the

second round of voting.

The second round began. Horikita immediately started

looking for clues in the behavior of the other students,

hoping to find something before Ichinose did. She hoped

to catch at least some lead, but during the next five

minutes of discussion, she couldn't grasp anything.

It was time for nominations. Horikita lacked the information

to make a decision, but she couldn't keep choosing "pass"

every round. She wondered if there had been anything in

the second round of discussion that would have prompted

Ichinose to proceed with another nomination. Were her

words at the end of the first round truthful?

Horikita still didn't have enough information to make an

offensive move, even considering that two participants had

already left the room. But the situation demanded action,

so Horikita decided to take a chance with a "blind"

nomination.

— Announcing the results. Ichinose-san correctly

nominated Minakata-san, resulting in Horikita-san losing 1

life point. Additionally, Horikita-san made an incorrect

nomination and loses another life point.

Horikita made a mistake in her nomination and lost two life

points in the round. Moreover, Ichinose had correctly

identified students with roles in both rounds.

— Did you really know that Minakata-san had a role?

— Well, yes. She's one of those I noticed in the first round.

Ichinose had been able to point out another role holder

without hesitation, reducing their number by two.

Additionally, she clearly indicated that she had at least one

more role holder in mind.

Horikita instinctively felt that Ichinose wasn't lying, which

caused her to feel slightly dizzy.

— So... you've only expanded your range of nominations

over the two rounds?

— Basically, yes. I'm currently watching three people but

can't yet say who is who.

Ichinose looked directly into Horikita's eyes. She definitely

wasn't lying. From this point on, Ichinose would continue

to nominate one role holder each round. In the worst case,

she might discover the "outstanding student" in the next

turn. In that case, Horikita would only have one chance for

recovery.

It would be unwise to say that this fact didn't worry

Horikita. She felt that because of Ichinose's incredible

perceptiveness, she wouldn't be able to win.

She had already spent two rounds trying to identify

anyone without success, while Ichinose left her no

opportunity. Horikita, in a panic, tried to recall any

suspicious actions of the two people Ichinose had already

nominated but couldn't remember anything significant.

— You got lucky. Those two were probably your friends.

With these words, Horikita regained some of her

composure.

Despite this, Horikita still didn't know the students in

Ichinose's class well. On the other hand, Ichinose knew all

her classmates as well as she knew herself.

So, Horikita decided to play aggressively.

She believed that if she couldn't handle her opponent in

direct confrontation, she should retreat and use another

strategy.

— You've done a good job. But my experience in past

discussions suggests that students with roles are evenly

distributed between the two classes.

Horikita tried to draw Ichinose's attention to her

classmates and narrow her field of view.

— Horikita-san, if you're telling me the truth, it should help

me win. So why are you telling me this?

Ichinose didn't ask if Horikita was telling the truth or lying.

She was only interested in the sudden kindness.

— The reason you correctly guessed the role holders

twice in a row is because they were your classmates. I just

wanted to warn you that it'll be harder next time.

Of course, this was a blatant lie. No matter how you

looked at it, Horikita's reasoning seemed far-fetched.

But there was still some logic in her words. The school

probably wouldn't balance roles unfairly. From this, the

assumption arises that the participants with roles were

distributed between the classes in roughly a 1:1 ratio.

— Well, I'll do my best then.

Ichinose nodded and then turned back to the monitor, her

smile unchanged.

The third round of discussion finally ended. It was time for

nominations.

— Horikita-san correctly "blindly" nominated Hattori-kun,

thereby increasing her life points by 1.

Ichinose, who had damaged Horikita twice in a row, used

"pass" this time.

Horikita's joy was overshadowed by the fact that her

success in hitting the "first-year" didn't allow her to inflict

any damage on Ichinose.

As a result, there were still two "outstanding students" in

the game. Three role holders were nominated by the

representatives, and the fourth was likely already chosen

by the "outstanding students." The denominator was

steadily decreasing, meaning there were fewer rounds of

discussion left.

Horikita had one last trump card. She simply had to use it.

— During my previous match with Kanzaki-kun, I won not

because I fought, but because Kanzaki-kun decided to

give up. Did you know that?

— Yes? Then you must understand what I'm getting at.

Horikita tried to extract some useful information from

Ichinose.

— Yes. Kanzaki-kun felt despair when he learned that

Ayanokoji-kun was appointed as the general. He was sure

that continuing the fight was pointless, so when Horikitasan took the initiative at the beginning of the discussion,

he finally gave up.

Horikita was surprised by such an accurate description of

what had happened.

— You lied... He told you everything, didn't he?

Otherwise, it couldn't be explained.

— He didn't tell me anything. I was also worried about

Ayanokoji-kun's presence on the exam, so I understood

what was troubling Kanzaki-kun.

Ichinose explained how she had come to such a

conclusion. Horikita wanted to catch Ichinose in a lie, but

unable to do so, she decided to change the topic.

— So, you also don't expect to defeat him?

— Not exactly.

Before the exam started, I thought it would be quite

difficult, but now that I have some experience, I think it's

going to be fine.

— You won't lose to Ayanokoji-kun...?

In less than 20 minutes, Ichinose had demonstrated

absolute dominance to Horikita. It was clear that on this

exam, Ichinose had certain advantages.

— I can beat Ayanokoji-kun.

Ichinose displayed complete confidence in her victory.

Horikita's attempts to break her spirit had failed.

Seeing Ichinose in action, Horikita lost much of her

confidence that Ayanokoji could turn things around. Now

she was not only afraid for herself but also for him.

If in the next round, Ichinose discovers the "outstanding

student," Horikita will be left with only 2 life points, so right

now she had to beat Ichinose to it.

In the worst case, she needed to draw the game and

select a different group.

Horikita focused intently on the monitor, but...

— Huh?

Horikita was puzzled by Ichinose's posture and quickly

turned to check.

It seemed as if Ichinose had been waiting for this moment.

She was softly smiling and looking straight into Horikita's

eyes.

Right now, the discussion was ongoing, so Ichinose

should have been watching the monitor, but... For some

reason, she was behaving strangely.

— What are you doing...?

Horikita asked, as if mesmerized, unable to take her eyes

off Ichinose.

— What do you mean?

— The monitor... Don't you need to watch the monitor to

find the "outstanding students"?

— Oh, don't worry about that.

— What do you mean... "Don't worry..."?

Horikita wanted to ask again, but the words wouldn't leave

her mouth. Because she feared the answer she might

receive to her question.

But Ichinose didn't seem concerned at all.

— Because I already know who the "outstanding student"

is.

These words sent a real chill and fear through Horikita.

Ichinose wasn't lying. She was telling the truth.

Horikita no longer cared about the monitor or the

remaining discussion time. She accepted that her defeat

was as certain and inevitable as fate itself.

Nevertheless...

Horikita turned away from Ichinose and lightly slapped her

own cheek.

There was still a chance to draw the game.

To make it easier for Ayanokoji to defeat Ichinose, Horikita

had to ensure that Ichinose lost the maximum number of

life points.

Overcoming her fear, Horikita focused back on the

monitor.

Ichinose wasn't a computer. She could still make a

mistake. That's what Horikita thought.

Part 3

The Competition Between Katsuragi and Sakayanagi

The first discussion was coming to an end, and the second

was about to begin. During the first discussion, Katsuragi

managed to reduce Sakayanagi's life points by one,

bringing her down to nine. However, he subsequently lost

six life points after multiple attacks from Sakayanagi.

— Phew…

Katsuragi found himself facing a difficult decision and took

a deep breath. Now he needed to decide whether to press

"pass" and hope for a better opportunity in the next

discussion or take a risk and attempt a counterattack. He

had gathered little useful information during the

discussion, leaving him at a crossroads.

But right in front of him sat Sakayanagi, his arch-nemesis

and greatest threat. If she were to nominate any

participant with a role or the "outstanding student" now,

Katsuragi would face defeat. That's why he needed at

least a tie to advance to the next round.

He knew that at least one "outstanding student" remained,

but he still had no guarantees. Now that the chances of

success were at their highest, Katsuragi was obligated to

do something reckless to seek his revenge.

— It seems like something is troubling you?

— Just… trying to figure something out.

Katsuragi carefully watched Sakayanagi's fingers, making

sure she didn't touch the tablet screen lying on her lap

unnecessarily.

— I recently played as a representative for the first time,

and I've already understood something.

— And what is that…?

In his stressful situation, Katsuragi was ready to grasp

onto any word from Sakayanagi.

— You see, when a representative nominates a student,

they need to first select the name, then determine the role,

and then press "Yes" or "No" three times to confirm the

final decision. If you choose "pass," you also have to press

the confirmation button three times.

— This system prevents cheating...

If nominating a student required three presses, while

"pass" only required two, there was a chance the opposing

class representative could build their strategy based on

the number of tablet presses.

— Everyone probably wonders whether you nominated

someone or just pressed "pass," right? But as you said,

the school ensured that representatives couldn't cheat.

— Well, yes. It's a logical precaution.

— But the thing is… Even with all these conditions, there's

still a way to know your opponent's move in advance.

Have you figured it out?

— And… How?

It was hard to believe, but if Sakayanagi was saying it,

then there was probably a method. This method could be

Katsuragi's lifeline.

— It's easier to show you. It's quite simple.

Sakayanagi tapped her tablet screen twice, then lifted it

with both hands and showed the screen to Katsuragi.

— Huh…?!

On the tablet screen, which Sakayanagi displayed, it was

clear that she was nominating Sawada-san as the

"outstanding student."

— It seems that if I press once more, my answer will be

confirmed.

Saying this, Sakayanagi pressed the "yes" button one

more time, still holding the screen in Katsuragi's view. As

soon as her choice was confirmed, she set the tablet aside

again.

— Why… did you do that?

— I thought you were struggling to figure out who the

"outstanding student" was. You've come this far. It would

be a shame to be eliminated like this, wouldn't it?

If Sakayanagi's choice was correct, Katsuragi would need

to nominate the same student to force a tie. But if she was

wrong, Katsuragi would lose, as both representatives

would lose 1 life point for an incorrect nomination.

— I'm giving you the answer. Isn't that great?

Sakayanagi was aware of the doubts she had just planted

in Katsuragi's mind.

— Are you lying to make me lose?

Katsuragi reasoned that Sakayanagi wouldn't want to

settle for a tie when she was so close to victory. Surely,

she was trying to confuse him to knock him out of the

game.

— Me? Lying? That's outrageous. You should have

humbly accepted my kindness.

— Sorry, but I won't be taking advantage of it.

With these words, Katsuragi pressed the confirmation

button for "pass" three times, just to be safe. He thought

he had outsmarted Sakayanagi, but…

— Sakayanagi-san correctly nominated Sawada-san as

the "outstanding student," resulting in Katsuragi-kun losing

3 life points. This brings Katsuragi-kun's total life points to

0. Katsuragi-kun, please leave the room.

The examiner announced the results of their competition.

— Why… Why did you give me the correct answer?! What

was your goal?

— I thought it was obvious. You assumed I wanted to

defeat you as quickly as possible, but you were wrong. I

didn't want to drain all your life points so soon. I gave you

the correct answer so we could move on to the next

discussion, that's all.

— But why?

— Sooner or later, you would have gone on the offensive.

The fewer people in the room, the higher your chances of

inflicting damage on me. I didn't need that.

Sakayanagi was confident in her victory, but she wasn't

invincible. If Katsuragi had decided to counterattack, he

might have been able to damage Sakayanagi at any given

moment. On the other hand, if Katsuragi had repeated

Sakayanagi's nomination, a second discussion would

have started, during which Sakayanagi could have

defeated Katsuragi without any risk.

In other words, Katsuragi had misunderstood

Sakayanagi's intentions from the beginning.

He sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair.

— I must say, you fought well. Despite being part of the

"main forces," you even managed to take one life point

from me.

Katsuragi had taken one life point from Sakayanagi but

immediately suffered a crushing defeat. His chances for

revenge evaporated as if they had never existed.

He sank into deep thought. Was it just bad luck, or was

there a significant difference in their abilities?

The examiner's words pulled Katsuragi out of his

reflections:

— Katsuragi-kun, please leave the room immediately.

After these words, Katsuragi slowly rose from his chair.

— I wanted to reduce your life points as much as possible,

but I made a mistake. I was too focused on the situation

around me.

— I'm glad to see that you can analyze the reasons for

your defeat rationally.

Biting his lip, Katsuragi was about to leave the room when

Sakayanagi called out to him.

— Compared to the times when we were in the same

class, you've become much more lively. You and Ryuuenkun seem to complement each other.

— "Complement" each other? I wouldn't call it that…

— But that's how it looks from the outside.

Katsuragi couldn't accept this, so as the defeated, he

silently left the room.

The generals of Classes A and C would finally face off in

battle.

Part 4

The monitor in the waiting room changed images. It

seemed that the battle between Horikita and Ichinose had

finally concluded.

"Results:"

"Class 2B: "Main Forces" Horikita Suzune: 0 life points

remaining,

Class 2D: "General" Honami Ichinose: 10 life points

remaining."

"Class 2B: "General" Ayanokoji Kiyotaka is invited to the

examination room."

"Remaining interval time: 10:00."

Horikita had apparently lost to Ichinose. There was a

possibility that their battle could drag on for a long time,

but as the time showed, Horikita had been swiftly

defeated.

Yosuke, who was sitting next to me, sighed heavily:

— If only I had performed better…

— No, your performance had almost no impact on this.

Horikita's absolute defeat wasn't just a coincidence. This

exam depends more on the representatives' skills than on

luck. In other words, this result was due to Horikita's falling

behind Ichinose.

Even if Yosuke had defeated Hamaguchi and Kanzaki, the

outcome would have been the same in the end.

— So, Ichinose-san is a very strong opponent.

— Of course, she is. She's the toughest enemy in this

special exam.

— I see… Do you think you have a chance of winning?

— I can't say yet. I don't want to waste time. I'd better go

meet Horikita.

— Okay… Good luck.

As I left the waiting room, Ryuuen immediately followed

me.

— The restroom is in the other direction.

— She deflated quickly. It was right not to entrust her with

the role of general.

Ignoring my sarcastic comment, Ryuuen decided to

discuss the results of the recent match.

— Did you follow me just to say that?

— I suddenly realized that if you lose, it won't be such a

big deal. Ichinose, you know, is on fire today.

I still couldn't figure out what Ryuuen was getting at.

— How should I put it… She's just devouring her enemies.

I wouldn't be surprised if she devours you too.

— And did you follow me because you were worried about

me?

— Heh…

Ryuuen let out a short laugh.

— I'm sorry, but I can't say how my confrontation with

Ichinose will end just yet.

— You should worry about yourself.

Giving this advice, Ryuuen laughed again and returned to

the waiting room.

In any case

, this wasn't the best time for idle talk.

Besides, even though Katsuragi had defeated the

opponent's "vanguard" and "main forces," I had a feeling

he wouldn't perform as well against Sakayanagi, which

meant Ryuuen's turn was coming soon.

As I continued walking forward, I saw Horikita slowly

trudging down the corridor.

She walked with her head down, seemingly not noticing

me.

— You're quick. For a moment, I thought you'd bring me

the head of the enemy general.

Horikita stopped beside me, but she still didn't raise her

head.

— Sorry.

Horikita answered briefly, not reacting to my sarcasm.

After another moment, she added:

— I couldn't do anything. You can laugh, but I failed

miserably.

— Nevertheless, you defeated the vanguard and the main

forces.

— I won because they allowed me to win. I'm not proud of

it.

It seemed that Horikita had lost all her confidence. If she

appeared before her classmates in this state, it would

severely damage her image.

— It seems Ichinose was impressive.

— Yes. Even more than I expected… She seemed to be

on another level…

Horikita continued:

— According to the rules of this special exam, she's

unmatched. She possesses impeccable analysis and

insight, unlike anyone else.

Horikita bit her lip, seemingly doubting whether it was

even possible to defeat Ichinose.

Horikita had been the leader of her class for a long time,

fighting against external pressure, but now she was

drained.

Undoubtedly, Horikita had experienced significant

emotional pain.

The further outcome of the exam depended only on my

actions, but if I failed, it would be a long time before

Horikita could recover from this blow.

— I'm truly sorry… Honestly… I couldn't even take any of

her life points…

— You may not have defeated Ichinose, but you dealt with

the "vanguard" and "main forces," which means we'll be

fighting on equal footing. You fought well.

— But it wasn't enough…

Horikita wanted to win on her own, so she was clearly

dissatisfied with herself.

As a leader capable of leading the class, she wanted to

set much higher goals for herself.

— I should have won… Won for the sake of our class…

Horikita was filled with bitterness and regret.

— And not just for the class! I wanted to win so you would

recognize me. I wanted to defeat Ichinose-san. To

succeed so you would praise me…

Horikita began to share her true feelings about the special

exam.

So, was praise for her imperfect work what had hurt her

feelings even more?

— I think I understand the pressure you were under. You

did indeed lose. But there was a difference in life points,

and you were also forbidden to use the "traitor."

— No need… to console me…

— This is the bitter truth. This loss will be an important

experience for you. If such an exam happens again, you'll

achieve much better results next time.

This wasn't mere flattery.

Facing an obstacle is painful but necessary to understand

how to overcome it.

— But…

— Fortunately, there's no one around right now. You don't

need to pretend. Even if I wasn't there and didn't see your

actions, I can tell just by looking at your face. You fought

honorably.

In an honest impulse, I gently embraced Horikita.

— Huh?

There's no need to keep fighting alone. Weak people

always need someone to lean on.

— Ayanokoji-kun, what…?

Horikita weakly tries to pull away, but I don't let go of her

embrace.

— Over the past two years, I've come to know you better

than anyone else. I know all your strengths and

weaknesses.

Horikita seemed like she wanted to say something, but the

words didn't leave her mouth. A sense of accomplishment

mixed with warmth as our bodies pressed together.

— You have friends. Don't forget that.

— Friends?

— Exactly. In the future, you'll probably face challenges

again. When that happens, don't take it all on yourself. Ask

your classmates for help. Trust me, it'll be a great source

of strength.

I said this and released Horikita from the embrace.

— Ayanokoji-kun… Ichinose-san…

There's only one way I can ease Horikita's worries about

the exam right now.

— Leave the rest to me. I won't let your class lose.

From the moment I agreed to participate, the outcome was

already determined. Horikita's class will win, and

Ichinose's class will lose.

With that thought, I walked forward.

I arrived at the exam location. Ichinose was already

waiting for me behind the door. I wondered what kind of

mood she was in—maybe a bit nervous, or maybe…

I opened the door.

As expected, the first thing that caught my eye was

Ichinose's smiling face.