On the eve of the cultural festival, while the students were busy with preparations, Tsukishiro once again summoned Amasawa and Yagami to his office.
Perhaps because he knew he could not drag things out any longer, Tsukishiro looked especially stern this time. He got straight to the point, and the pressure hit immediately.
"Ayanokoji-sama is extremely dissatisfied with our efficiency."
That was really just stating the obvious.
If you counted it up, Tsukishiro had already been at Advanced Nurturing High School for over half a year. Yagami and Amasawa had been there for more than a full term as well.
The original plan had been simple: expel Kiyotaka Ayanokoji as quickly as possible once school started in April.
Instead, they'd dragged things all the way into the second semester and all the way to the cultural festival, and still hadn't managed it.
If Atsuomi Ayanokoji could actually be satisfied with that kind of efficiency, he probably never would've built a power base as large as his in the first place.
Still, obvious or not, the effect of the words was immediate.
The normally arrogant Yagami broke into a cold sweat on the spot, his face full of panic. There was no trace left of the pride and superiority he showed in front of others.
"A-Ayanokoji-sama is displeased? Th-Then I... I'll do it quickly. I'll definitely complete the mission as soon as possible!"
Amasawa rolled her eyes, inwardly complaining nonstop.
She'd been looking forward to the cultural festival so much, wanting to enjoy herself properly for once, and now this nonsense had to happen?
At that point, her little-devil mindset kicked in.
Who cared about all that?
Amasawa had already made up her mind. Tomorrow, she was going to enjoy herself to the fullest. Even if there was a mission, she'd shove it to the back of her mind for the time being.
You could say her determination to slack off had never been stronger.
Somewhat satisfied, Tsukishiro glanced at her, then dropped a piece of information that was genuinely terrifying:
"Tomorrow, Ayanokoji-sama has also accepted an invitation as a guest to the cultural festival."
"!"
This time, even Amasawa, who had already been fully committed to slacking off, was startled.
Was this a joke?
Atsuomi Ayanokoji was coming in person?
Then there really wouldn't be any room left to slack off.
Yagami's face changed even more dramatically.
If Atsuomi was merely dissatisfied, then as the White Room's top student of the fifth generation, Yagami could still convince himself he wouldn't be punished too harshly.
But if Atsuomi was actually coming in person, then things had clearly reached a critical point.
If they still failed to complete the mission after that, the fate awaiting failed mission-takers like them was easy to imagine.
Just thinking about it made Yagami's bones tremble.
"T-Tsukishiro-san, there's no need to trouble Ayanokoji-sama like that, is there?"
"I-I'll handle Kiyotaka tomorrow. I guarantee it!"
"Heh."
The mocking look on Tsukishiro's face said it all.
Where was all this urgency earlier?
The sight filled Yagami with frustration. He wanted nothing more than to smash his fist into Tsukishiro's old face.
But that was all it would ever be: something he only dared imagine.
"All right."
Tsukishiro shook his head and finally laid it out for him.
"Tomorrow is your last chance. Ayanokoji-sama will personally arrive at Advanced Nurturing High School at four in the afternoon."
"If you still haven't done your job by then, you know very well what kind of fate awaits you."
At that point, Yagami no longer dared be careless.
He immediately straightened up and answered loudly and properly:
"Yes, sir!"
He understood perfectly.
If Kiyotaka still had not been expelled by the time the sales totals were finalized at four during the cultural festival, then he would have failed completely.
And once that happened, he would never get another opportunity to continue his training in the White Room.
As for the fate of White Room failures, Yagami knew that all too well.
He had seen far too many of his peers break under the training over the years. Some went mad and lost themselves completely. Some had blood vessels rupture throughout their bodies. He had seen far too much of that.
The luckier ones ended up in psychiatric institutions, tied down in restraints for the rest of their lives.
The unlucky ones became who-knew-what kind of feed for beasts.
So yes, Yagami was panicking.
Really panicking.
He wanted to go back and prepare his plan immediately. He didn't want to stay there even a second longer.
"Then, Tsukishiro-san, I'll return at once and start preparing!"
He threw that out and left without caring about anything else, shoving the door open and hurrying out.
That left only Amasawa and Tsukishiro behind.
Even Amasawa felt a bit tense now.
"Tsukishiro-san, then what am I supposed to do tomorrow?"
"You? Nothing."
That answer was completely outside Amasawa's expectations.
Tsukishiro had no intention of assigning her anything. He said outright that she would not be involved in the cultural festival at all.
"Back during the second deserted island exam, you failed to stop Yukio. That made you a failure already."
"You're no use now. If anything, you'd only interfere with the mission."
"Yagami, for all his flaws, is capable enough. He's just too arrogant. But with this kind of pressure on him, I still believe he can complete the mission."
"As for you, Amasawa, spend tomorrow enjoying yourself. Just don't interfere with Yagami's plan. Afterward, whether you want to stay at Advanced Nurturing High School or return to the White Room tomorrow, that's up to you."
"The White Room has never cared about its failures."
With that cold, brutal, faintly blood-soaked line, Tsukishiro picked up the teacup at his side.
The meaning was obvious.
The audience was over.
For a moment, Amasawa just stood there, unable to process it.
A failure?
She had failed?
Well, strictly speaking, yes. She had failed to stop Yukio on the island.
But hadn't Tsukishiro said back then that, for Yukio's sake, he wouldn't hold it against her?
So why was he going back on that now?
Old man, you really do enjoy crushing the trust of young people.
Still, Amasawa's eyes darted around thoughtfully.
Going by what Tsukishiro had just said... didn't that mean she now had official permission to slack off tomorrow?
Even if Atsuomi Ayanokoji showed up at school after four in the afternoon, at the very least she could still enjoy herself before that.
Heh. That worked for her.
As for whether she counted as a failure or not, she could just ask Senpai later what Tsukishiro really meant.
Thinking that, Amasawa left as well and immediately called Yukio.
"Senpai, Senpai! Listen! This is bad—huge news!"
Yukio's voice quickly came through the phone.
"You mean the White Room's founder, is personally coming tomorrow afternoon?"
Yukio had already expected the White Room to make an appearance at this cultural festival.
That was why he'd told Ryuuen that the students themselves weren't the problem this time—the guests were.
Still, he hadn't expected Atsuomi to come in person.
That made Yukio's eyes light up at once.
So he was delivering himself right to the door.
Yukio had originally been thinking that after getting Tsukishiro replaced, he'd have to find a way to lure Atsuomi here personally.
But now it seemed none of that would even be necessary.
"Leave it to me. I'll handle it."
"Mhm~ Then I'm counting on you, Senpai! Oh, and Senpai? Tomorrow, at the festival... come play with me, okay?"
...
For every 50 Power Stones → +1 extra chapter.