A sharp tap echoed down the hallway.
It was a perfectly steady rhythm, slowly marking each step.
The sound came from the cane held by the white girl.
The girl was Arisu Sakayanagi.
A genius with a mind capable of seeing through any board and discovering its solution.
"…Boring."
Having finished the Paper Shuffle, she had finally put the position of Class A's leader in check.
She had shifted the blame for the failure onto Katsuragi, weakening his position, and completed the creation of a place where she could reign supreme.
It was a slower conclusion than she had anticipated, but for her—who had been enjoying the process—the fact that the moment she got serious, everything unfolded into the exact future she had envisioned left her feeling bored.
"…Isn't it similar?"
Her attendant, Masumi Kamuro, gave an ambiguous affirmation in a somewhat exasperated voice.
With an expression that looked like she was about to sigh any moment, she readjusted the two school bags she was carrying.
"I didn't copy Izuru-kun or anything.
It's simply that, just like him, I got bored with the current situation and ended up muttering to myself.
If anything, maybe it would have been better to fail on purpose and manipulate the positions myself."
Failing the Paper Shuffle would have been perfectly fine.
This kind of thinking was unusual for Sakayanagi.
Sakayanagi was someone who had always made the future she envisioned a reality.
In other words, she was an existence that constantly stood at the top of any group.
That was exactly why the very idea of weakening her position to move to anything other than the top was normally unthinkable for her.
"…So you wanted to weaken your own standing and try ruling from the shadows as number two?"
Having known her for a long time, Kamuro understood what she meant.
At the same time, she was puzzled by the uncharacteristic statement.
"Yes. Though I only mean it a little bit. I just wondered for a moment if I couldn't find some common ground with them."
"Them?"
"Izuru-kun and… hehe, the other one is still a secret."
Kamuro was a bit curious, but assuming she wouldn't tell her anyway, she dropped the subject.
"You don't seem like the type who'd submit to anyone."
"That's also a valid strategy. Sometimes the second-in-command position allows for greater freedom of movement.
Well, it definitely wouldn't suit me, though."
As they chatted lightly, the two arrived at Class A's classroom.
The moment they stepped through the door, students appeared to greet Sakayanagi.
Kamuro quickly distanced herself from the crowd to avoid getting involved and headed to her seat.
She placed the bag she had been carrying on Sakayanagi's desk and watched as her classmate politely dealt with everyone around her.
"As always, your way of handling things looks so pleasant."
She didn't brush anyone off, instead making each individual conversation flourish.
Beyond her communication skills, the way her expression genuinely seemed to be smiling captivated those around her.
To Kamuro, who knew the true nature hidden behind it all, it was an incredibly eerie scene—one she had grown quite used to.
Finding her own reaction distasteful, Kamuro shook off her idle thoughts by staring down at her phone.
"Good morning, Kamuro. What's up? That scowl is ruining your pretty face."
Immediately, a casual voice called out to her.
"…What do you want, Hashimoto?"
Kamuro replied without even glancing up, calling her classmate by name.
Masayoshi Hashimoto.
Like her, he belonged to Sakayanagi's faction.
"I saw you looking grumpy and figured something must've happened, so I came to poke my nose in."
"You're such a busybody. Nothing happened."
She closed her phone and finally looked at Hashimoto's face.
His smirking, teasing grin got on her nerves, and she glared at him with sharp, fox-like eyes.
Even after relaxing the wrinkles on her brow, her displeased gaze didn't change.
Hashimoto continued speaking, clearly enjoying her reaction.
"It's unusual for you to be helping Sakayanagi-san out since morning. Did some trouble come up?"
It sounded like a concerned question, but Kamuro knew full well that Hashimoto was a frivolous guy who loved gossip more than anything.
That's why she let out a sigh.
"Nothing at all. It's just that for those who know Sakayanagi's true nature, that scene feels incredibly creepy."
Wanting to end the conversation with Hashimoto as quickly as possible, Kamuro answered honestly.
Hashimoto also turned his gaze toward Sakayanagi, who was still handling the students.
"Creepy, huh? But everyone has multiple 'faces,' don't they? I actually respect her for being able to use them so skillfully."
Kamuro didn't deny Hashimoto's view.
Because she knew it was true—and something she herself couldn't do.
"Well, it's just a difference in how we see things. You're pretty straightforward, so that's how it comes across to you, right?"
"I have my two-faced side too, you know."
"Oh? Like what, for example?"
"I have no intention of telling you."
She struggled with her unchangeable personality.
Naturally, she had zero plans to share the details with someone as frivolous as him.
If she revealed any secrets to a guy who could laugh off her barbed words, it could spread across the entire school in no time.
"Good morning, Hashimoto-kun."
Having finished her conversations, Sakayanagi joined the pair.
Thinking she had come for her bag, Kamuro glanced toward Sakayanagi's desk.
"Thank you, Masumi-san.
But unfortunately, that's not what I'm here for."
Sakayanagi gave a slight, elegant curve of her lips.
It was a refined smile, yet it also carried a hint of mischief.
"Hashimoto-kun, could you keep your schedule free after school tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow?"
Hashimoto seemed slightly taken aback by the abrupt invitation.
With Sakayanagi's striking appearance, most people would have nodded immediately.
But Hashimoto responded smoothly, drawing on his natural social skills.
"Got it. Just curious—what's the plan?"
Without missing a beat, he accepted and inquired about the details.
"Fufu, nothing special. With the second semester coming to an end, I thought I'd show some appreciation by hanging out with those who've supported me."
"Ah~, gotcha."
It was one of Sakayanagi's periodic gestures of reciprocity.
Hashimoto understood right away.
"Did you think it would be just the two of us?"
Her blue eyes pierced right through his inner thoughts.
Hashimoto flashed a strained smile and raised both hands in surrender.
For someone as opportunistic as Hashimoto, that analytical ability was frightening—and one of the reasons he accepted her as leader.
"Well, yeah, the thought did cross my mind a little."
"You're honest. Shall we try that sometime?"
"It'd be an honor. When that happens, I'll pull out all the stops to make sure you aren't bored."
He agreed without fully committing, playing it safe.
Since he didn't believe Sakayanagi would spend time with him without expecting something in return, he wasn't about to bite at the bait so easily.
"Fufu, I'll look forward to it when the time comes."
After flashing a satisfied smile, Sakayanagi gripped her cane and moved slowly toward her seat.
This congenital condition was Arisu Sakayanagi's weakness.
It was the flaw of a girl whose analytical skills and intellect rivaled those of Izuru Kamukura.
Hashimoto understood this as he constantly calculated which side would win.
But for now, this position suited him just fine.
Because there was no more advantageous situation than one where he held countless cards he could play to switch allegiance at any time.
"Now then, I wonder who the winning horse will be~"
Hashimoto chuckled cheerfully at how smoothly his own position was progressing.
In high spirits, he began preparing for homeroom.
...
The day before the closing ceremony, in Class C.
Kakeru Ryuuen had his pawns carry out the final round of surveillance as the last day of preparations.
All classes had ended for the day, and today students were allowed to head home after the morning session in preparation for tomorrow's closing ceremony.
That was why he was issuing orders to his pieces, using up a small part of their free time.
"Ibuki, today's surveillance target is Hirata."
Ibuki glared fixedly at Ryuuen. In contrast, Ryuuen smiled as if welcoming the hostility.
Ibuki immediately let out a sigh and turned her back on him.
She had judged that complaining would simply be a waste of energy.
"Ibuki-san."
Kamukura called out to Ibuki, who was hurrying to leave the classroom.
She turned only her narrow eyes toward him, showing the bare minimum that she was listening.
Even though she had grown more involved with the class lately, her unsociable, lone-wolf nature hadn't changed completely.
"What? I want to finish this surveillance as quickly as possible."
Her usual thorny tone, amplified by Ryuuen's orders, made her sound even more irritated than usual.
Her words and atmosphere were designed to keep people at bay, but Kamukura paid it no mind and stated his business.
"Today or tomorrow. Something may happen that calls you out.
If it does, think it over yourself… No, tell me about it."
Ibuki was already used to Kamukura's oracle-like statements.
She wasn't confused by it and understood he was speaking from near-future predictions.
Still, the fact that he was asking her to rely on him was unusual enough to make her question it.
"It's a countermeasure against X. If X contacts you, you won't be able to handle it on your own. So I'll help you."
"You're not underestimating me… I see."
He wasn't protecting her because he saw her as a weak woman.
Kamukura wasn't directing any condescending gaze her way.
That was why Ibuki understood this was a genuine, serious countermeasure.
"You're not just saying random things, right?"
"No. I'll explain the details later. There's a possibility you'll be given a harsh role, so remember it well."
To avoid an outcome like the Uninhabited Island Exam, Kamukura promised to share the information.
Ibuki gave a faint smile.
"Got it. I'll remember."
In a good mood, Ibuki readjusted her school bag and headed out on her mission.
As if trading places, Ryuuen spoke to Kamukura.
"Kuku, you really are soft on Ibuki to the end, aren't you?"
"I'm not being soft."
"Hah, what are you talking about? You were worried, so you stopped her from thinking and acting for herself, right?"
Kamukura glanced for a split second at the classroom door that had just closed.
Ryuuen laughed in amusement at the sight.
"Unaware of it yourself? Normally you'd say something like 'Think and act for yourself. Show me the unknown through your choices,' wouldn't you?"
"…It's not worry. If she gets used by X tomorrow, there's no guarantee I'll enjoy tomorrow."
"Kuku, I'll take your word for it.
So, what happens if Ibuki gets used?"
Ryuuen tossed out the question.
He had grown interested in a view he couldn't see himself.
"You and I will be separated. Given X's personality, he tends to avoid high-risk actions."
"I see. For X, facing both of us at once is too risky. So he'll simply split us apart, huh?"
"Yes. To X, I am probably the most uncertain element, so he'll definitely prepare countermeasures against me."
"Kuku, so he calls out Ibuki and uses her as a hostage?
To save Ibuki, you'll have no choice but to move. That way, you won't be able to witness the unknown with your own eyes tomorrow."
Kamukura nodded, confirming Ryuuen's deduction.
"Then what will you do tomorrow? Will you play bodyguard and stick to Ibuki the whole day?
Or solve it by bringing Ibuki to the rooftop too?"
Ryuuen had not planned to summon Ibuki to the rooftop.
What he intended to do tomorrow was best carried out with a small elite group.
Ibuki would be suitable, but if Kamukura was participating, she wasn't absolutely necessary.
He had intended to keep her on standby inside the school as a potential lookout.
However, if X was targeting her, countermeasures were essential.
If he made Kamukura her full-day bodyguard, the rooftop team would consist of Ryuuen, Albert, and Ishizaki—three people.
That would play right into X's hands, with Ryuuen and Kamukura acting separately.
"Yes, that would resolve it. However, it would create other problems."
"What?"
"If X appears tomorrow, he'll likely intend to settle everything.
That's why he'll move meticulously. Separating you and me will be a necessary step for victory, so he won't give up easily.
In that case, X will definitely use other Class C students."
"Kuku, so Manabe gets used again?"
"No, it will be Shiina-san."
Ryuuen's eyes widened.
"…I overlooked that. That guy apparently shares similar interests with Hiyori. They do interact.
It'd be easy for him to catch her off guard and take her hostage."
"Yes. And if we bring Shiina-san to the rooftop as well, he will cut off Karuizawa-san and go completely into hiding."
For Ryuuen, being unable to meet X—Ayanokouji—face to face was the most undesirable outcome.
Even if he crushed Karuizawa, if Ayanokouji never showed his face again after tomorrow, Ryuuen would have to resort to off-stage violence—extremely high-risk methods to force a meeting.
Ryuuen had the guts to do it. He was a man who loved violence like a lover.
But for Ryuuen, who was considering the 800 million point plan, this choice had already become an unfavorable one.
"…To reliably draw him out to the rooftop, I'll have to let him execute his plan to a certain extent and then reverse it from there.
And one of those conditions involves using someone as bait.—That's why it's a harsh role."
Ryuuen fully understood what Kamukura meant.
He then weighed everything, including whether he could truly crush Ayanokouji.
"I've told you everything I needed to. The rest is for you to think about and decide.
I'm looking forward to the result of your choice."
Having finished sharing the information, Kamukura quickly headed home.
There were no surveillance orders for Kamukura, so he was going straight back.
"…Kuku, interesting."
The words that came from Ryuuen after deep thought were filled with delight.
A savage, ripping smile spread across his face as the voice escaped him.
"Fine. I'll swim right in the palm of his hand.
When he appears before me, I'll watch how he handles the situation before dealing with him.
And then, I'll crush him with 'violence.'"
The risk was high.
After thinking it through and considering the 800 million point plan, Ryuuen had concluded that the smartest move was to call everything even and back off from Ayanokouji.
However, that wouldn't be Kakeru Ryuuen.
The strategist's intellect capable of seeing the big picture and devising plans. The courage to execute those plans and lead from the front. The charisma that drew others in through his actions.
These were qualities Ryuuen had refined since entering this school.
Because he found pleasure in them, this was the current Kakeru Ryuuen.
There was no arrogance.
Only confidence and composure.
That was why he would give his all to what he wanted to do.
That was why he would challenge the unknown.
And that was why he sometimes failed.
But the true essence of Kakeru Ryuuen was his ability to crawl back up from those failures.
The stage was set.
The preparation period had now come to an end.
***
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