The lounge aboard the cruise ship was wrapped in complete silence.
Monts earlier, a secret non-aggression pact had been forged between Class B and Class C—one backed by the terrifying condition that the leaders of both classes would voluntarily withdraw from school if either side betrayed the agreent.
Ichinose calmly laid out the nas of the three VIPs from Class B.
Ryūen, in turn, placed the nas of Class C's three VIPs onto the table as well.
A complete list of every student in every Zodiac group.
I glanced at it once.
That single glance was enough for the "Aizen Spec" inside my mind to begin its absurdly fast calculations.
Every fragnt of information slotted neatly into the frawork of the twelve Zodiac groups.
(...I see it now.)
(With only the three VIPs from our class, I had already ford several possible hypotheses. But with only three samples, there were still too many variables—coincidences, fake patterns, misleading possibilities.)
(But now we have six confird VIPs. Half of all twelve groups.)
(That changes everything.)
(All the false patterns disappear. Only one answer remains.)
I slowly exhaled and leaned back into the sofa, elegantly brushing my bangs aside.
"—The script written by the gods is painfully simplistic. Devoid of even the slightest trace of beauty."
My words caused Ichinose and Kanzaki to raise their heads sharply.
Ryūen narrowed his snake-like eyes.
"—The order of beasts. The sequence of sounds. That alone governs this stage. The board is already in my hands."
(Translation: I figured out the rule. The Zodiac order directly corresponds to the alphabetical order of surnas within each group.)
The first person to understand my aning was, naturally, my one and only soulmate.
Hiyori's silver eyes lit up brilliantly.
"I see it now! The VIPs are determined by Zodiac order matching surna order! Amazing, Sōsuke-kun! All six nas fit perfectly!"
At her excited explanation, Ichinose and Kanzaki hurriedly compared the lists.
Rat Group—first surna in order.
Ox Group—second surna.
Tiger Group—third surna.
Every single VIP aligned flawlessly.
"It's true…!" Ichinose gasped.
"When arranged in surna order, all of them match their Zodiac positions perfectly…!"
"Amazing," Kanzaki muttered, clenching his fist.
"With this, we can identify every VIP in every class."
"Perfect."
"Ku-ku-ku…"
Ryūen let out a low laugh.
"Your way of talking pisses off, but your brain's the real deal."
He grinned viciously.
"Now that we know the pattern, the rest is easy. We just move according to schedule."
And just like that—
Before the special exam had even truly begun, the alliance between Classes B and C had already obtained the complete solution.
---
The next day marked the beginning of the Sumr Group Special Exam.
Together with Kanzaki and Tsube, I headed toward the discussion room assigned to the Dragon Group.
Inside sat fourteen students gathered around a circular table, including Class A's Katsuragi Kōhei and Class D's Horikita Suzune.
"It's ti. Let's begin."
Breaking the silence was Katsuragi.
Arms crossed, expression stern, he scanned the room.
"This exam punishes reckless probing. Therefore, Class A proposes that no one submit answers at all. Every group should remain silent and aim for Result Two."
An excessively cautious proposal.
A strategy focused entirely on eliminating risk.
"…You must be joking."
Horikita Suzune imdiately shot him down.
"In other words, Class A intends to surrender from the start and hide behind defensive tactics."
"It isn't surrender. It's rationality," Katsuragi replied coldly.
"If even one person betrays the group, everyone suffers."
"That only ans you lack confidence in competing fairly against others."
Sparks flew between them.
Yet while the room grew increasingly heated—
I rely observed quietly, as though it were all happening in so distant world.
(Fufu…)
(Katsuragi's caution is admirable. Horikita's aggression has rit too.)
(But the answer is already in our hands.)
Externally, I maintained my composed expression, calmly sitting with my arms folded and eyes closed.
Kanzaki also remained silent, wearing the faint smile of soone who already knew victory was guaranteed.
The Class C students who knew the pattern carried similar expressions.
And then—
The first discussion session ended.
Free ti began.
(...Now then.)
(Checkmate.)
At the exact designated ti that Ryūen and I had agreed upon beforehand—
Students from Classes B and C simultaneously pulled out their phones and submitted their answers to the school.
Minutes later—
The notification sound echoed throughout the ship.
Every student received the sa ssage simultaneously.
"—As answers have now been submitted in all groups, the Sumr Group Special Exam is hereby concluded."
"…What!?"
Shouts of confusion exploded across the ship.
"W-What the hell is going on!? We only had one eting!"
"Who submitted answers already!?"
Katsuragi, Horikita, and countless others descended into total chaos.
---
Far from the commotion, near the window of another lounge—
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka stared emotionlessly at his phone.
(..pletely outplayed.)
His mind rapidly reconstructed the situation.
(All groups ended after a single discussion session. That isn't luck.)
(Sōsuke moved.)
He pictured the man who had dominated the deserted island exam.
(He discovered the VIP pattern. But with only his own class's information, there wouldn't have been enough samples.)
(Which ans he allied with Ryūen.)
(Both Class B and Class C could completely identify their own VIPs.)
(Using six samples, they uncovered the rule. Then both classes cooperated to identify every VIP.)
(A brutally rational strategy.)
(And impossible to stop.)
Ayanokōji quietly acknowledged it.
Yet—
Not everything had been a loss.
(...At least I gained sothing.)
He shifted his gaze toward the dark ocean outside.
(That one discussion session allowed to secure a useful pawn.)
(That unnatural fear hidden in her eyes… if manipulated correctly, I can gain complete control over her.)
As long as an unpredictable anomaly like Aizen Sōsuke existed in this school, living peacefully without protection was impossible.
(To protect myself, I need loyal tools.)
(The exam may be over… but now I need to move carefully and secure her completely.)
Expressionless as ever, Ayanokōji quietly shifted his thoughts toward his next move.
---
Four days later—
At 11 PM, when the exam should originally have still been ongoing—
Every student received the final results.
Sumr Group Special Exam – Final Results
Class A: -150 CP / 0 Private Points
Class B: 100 CP / 2.5 Million Private Points
Class C: 200 CP / 3.5 Million Private Points
Class D: -150 CP / 0 Private Points
Updated Class Points
Class A: 1074 → 924
Class B: 1057 → 1157
Class C: 458 → 658
Class D: 262 → 112
"————!!"
The mont the results were revealed—
Screams of despair and jubilation erupted throughout the ship.
Inside his room, Ayanokōji quietly closed his eyes after reading the details.
(...Eleven groups ended with Result Three. One group ended with Result Four.)
(I see.)
(After uncovering the pattern, they negotiated with Class C—who had too large a point deficit—and intentionally sacrificed one answer.)
(Class B deliberately gave concessions.)
(The board was completely controlled from start to finish.)
He stared silently into the darkness.
(Everything unfolded according to Sōsuke's design.)
(Even Ryūen was reduced to another piece on the board.)
(Aizen Sōsuke… you truly are this school's greatest irregularity.)
---
"YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
Inside the largest party room aboard the ship—
Class B exploded into deafening celebration.
"We did it!! We finally surpassed Class A!!"
"I can't believe it…! We actually beca Class A…!!"
Shibata hugged his classmates while crying openly.
Shiranami and Amikura jumped around with tears in their eyes.
The once hopeless gap between us and Class A—
We had overturned all of it within re months.
Midterms.
The deserted island exam.
And now this group exam.
At last—
We had reached the long-desired throne.
"Everyone…! Thank you…! Really… thank you so much…!"
Surrounded by classmates, Ichinose Honami covered her face and broke down into tears.
Even Kanzaki's eyes had reddened.
"Yes," he said firmly.
"We have finally stepped onto the path leading to the highest seat."
I quietly watched over the smiling faces of my classmates.
But then—
A calm warning sounded within my mind.
(...We may be at the top now.)
(But it's only the first sester of our first year.)
(If we beco careless here, we'll fall.)
(To protect this peaceful, rose-colored school life… I need to tighten everyone's focus now.)
I slowly stood.
The noisy room fell silent under the sheer pressure of my presence.
"—To drown oneself in victory is the privilege of kings. But to celebrate while drinking from a cup with no bottom… that is rely a pitiful cody."
(Translation: Congratulations, everyone! But we can't afford to get careless just because we reached Class A!)
Silence froze the room instantly.
"—We have rely broken through the first floor of an endless dark tower. To slumber upon a throne built atop thin ice is the behavior of fools. Bare your fangs. This cruel ga has only just begun."
(Translation: Graduation is still far away. We worked hard to reach Class A, so let's stay focused and continue fighting together!)
My overwhelming aura and absurdly dangerous poetry caused the class to pale instantly.
"Uh… is Aizen-kun angry…?"
"Did we get too carried away…?"
(...Crap!!)
(Now I just sound like so terrifying buzzkill ruining the victory party!!)
(Hiyori, save !!)
As cold sweat poured down internally—
My angelic best friend smiled gently and spoke.
"'Congratulations on reaching Class A, everyone. But we've only just finished the first sester of our first year. Graduation is still a long journey away. Let's not beco careless now that we've reached the top. Let's continue moving forward together as a class.' That's what Sōsuke-kun ans."
The frozen atmosphere instantly thawed.
"Ah…!"
Ichinose wiped her tears and nodded firmly.
"You're right…! What we're aiming for isn't just becoming Class A once. We want all of us to graduate together from Class A!"
"Yes," Kanzaki added.
"Aizen… your calm judgnt always saves us."
Voices of trust and admiration rose throughout the room.
"Thanks, Aizen!"
"We'll work even harder from now on!"
(...Phew…)
(Thank god.)
(Thanks to Hiyori's translation, I transford from 'terrifying angry guy' into 'cool mastermind thinking about the future.')
The atmosphere shifted from drunken celebration into genuine unity.
Watching over it all, Hiyori stepped closer beside , her cute party dress swaying softly.
"Sōsuke-kun… you really are amazing. I never imagined we could reach Class A this quickly…"
Her silver eyes sparkled with pure admiration.
(UOOOOOOOOH!!)
(HIYORI PRAISED !!)
(I'M SO GLAD I LIVED!!)
(Spending twenty million points to bring this angel into Class B was the best investnt of my life!!)
Suppressing the explosive joy in my chest, I slowly lowered my glass.
Then I gave my greatest friend the finest Demon King smile I could muster.
"—Fufu… Even the tallest tower begins with a single stone. This throne is the crystallization of the miracle all of you created with your own hands. I rely had the privilege of watching from the best seat in the house."
(Translation: I only helped a little! Everyone worked hard to beco Class A. Seeing you happy makes happy too, Hiyori.)
"Fufu… yes!"
Hiyori smiled at with a radiance more beautiful than anything else in this world.
Around us, classmates laughed and spoke excitedly of the future.
Ichinose waved enthusiastically from across the room.
"Aizen-kun! Hiyori-chan! Co join the toast!"
No matter how cruel or unreasonable this school's system might be—
I had these warm classmates.
And I had my one irreplaceable best friend who perfectly understood every word I spoke.
Beneath the starry skies above the midsumr cruise ship—
Together with the people I cherished most—
I fully enjoyed the glorious night of celebration upon the throne known as Class A.
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