The grueling mixed training camp, which had stretched across a long seven nights and eight days, had finally reached the morning of its final day.
Today was the day of the final examination, where everything learned over the previous six days would be put to the test. The average scores of both the large groups and small groups would be calculated across all subjects, and enormous amounts of Private Points and Class Points would be awarded or deducted based on the rankings. It was, quite literally, the decisive battle.
In the chilly gymnasium before breakfast, while the morning silence still lingered, the mbers of our combined first, second, and third year large group gathered in a circle for a final confirmation.
"...It's finally the last day."
Third-year leader Gonda-senpai swallowed nervously and muttered those words.
"Yeah. We've made it this far without losing a single person, and at the best pace possible. ...Aizen, could you give us a final word to fire everyone up?"
Second-year leader Soma-senpai looked at with a serious expression.
Behind him stood Kanzaki, Shibata, Ike, Tokito, Yoshida, the other first-years, and all the second- and third-year students, all directing expectant gazes toward .
(Uwooooh... this is a lot of pressure! Even the second- and third-years are completely relying on as their leader. As the representative of the first years, I should give a humble and passionate speech like, "Let's all work together and do our best!")
I straightened my posture and tried to put on a refreshing smile.
However, what erged from the mouth of soone blessed with an overwhelmingly powerful ego was, naturally, the speech of an arrogant conqueror.
"—There is no need to thirst for victory."
At my quiet yet deeply resonant voice, everyone held their breath.
"We are already seated upon the throne called victory. The strength you have cultivated over these six days has already reached heights that surpass others. Therefore, do not panic. Do not burden yourselves. Simply unleash the light within yourselves and show those foolish enough to chase after us the absolute gap of despair that separates us."
(Translation: You've all beco strong enough over these six days, so there's no need to panic! Just stay calm, perform as usual, and we'll definitely win! Let's do our best!)
"—Shall we proceed? The summit of heaven awaits us."
"OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
The entire large group erupted into thunderous cheers.
"Amazing...! As long as Aizen is here, I don't feel like we can lose at all!"
"Yeah! We're the strongest! Let's show them the gap of despair!"
(AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!! It turned into another ridiculously arrogant speech, but everyone's morale just shot through the roof, so it's fine!! I've been spouting arrogant poetry this entire camp, but sohow this Demon Lord aura keeps boosting my charisma and perfectly uniting the group! So the result is all that matters!!)
While screaming internally, I rely displayed a fearless smile on the outside.
And thus, the final examinations began.
---
During zazen ditation, nobody moved even slightly, maintaining perfect posture throughout. After being conditioned by the pressure I constantly emitted, the gaze of teachers felt no more threatening than a gentle breeze.
In the relay race, everyone displayed the fruits of their training without reservation.
During the written tests, the nightti study sessions led by Kanzaki paid off brilliantly. Even Ike and Tokito, who normally struggled academically, filled in their answers smoothly without ever stopping their pencils.
Then ca the greatest hurdle for :
The Speech Examination.
(Please...! This ti, just let give a normal, humble speech like a proper high school student...! Let speak normally for once, mouth!)
Praying desperately in my heart, I stepped onto the podium and looked at the teachers serving as judges.
(Alright. Start with a polite greeting. "Teachers, thank you for evaluating us today.")
I quietly opened my mouth.
"—I see. The likes of you intend to evaluate . It strikes as a bit comical."
(WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!? I was just trying to greet them normally! Why are you insulting the judges one second into the speech!? Wait, no! That's not what I ant! It was just a figure of speech—!)
But my mouth would not stop.
Once the stylish poetry began flowing, nobody could stop it.
(Forget it! Switch gears! Next is the reflection on camp! "During these six days, each of us grew stronger while pursuing our goals—")
"...Living creatures are fascinating things. Anything their insignificant hearts sincerely wish for can, in fact, be realized. The path we have walked these six days, stained by mud yet driven by aspiration, serves as proof. Those powerless larvae who could do nothing but crawl ca to recognize their own insignificance, struggled against it, and ultimately ascended into dragons soaring across the heavens."
(AAAAAAHHHHHH! Teachers, group mbers, I'm so sorry for calling everyone insignificant and powerless larvae! I just wanted to say we all worked hard and grew together!)
Despite my inner panic, I stood proudly atop the podium and projected overwhelming dominance.
(At least finish properly! "From here onward, let's carry these experiences into our school lives—")
"Losers lant the nature of the world and settle for the status quo. But I am different. Winners must speak not of what the world is, but of what it ought to be! And those who create that ideal world are the ones who govern all things from the highest reaches."
"Yet look around. There exists no absolute being to guide us. Not even a god."
"—However, the unbearable vacancy upon the throne of heaven ends today."
"From this day forth, I will stand in heaven."
(GYAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!! WHY ARE YOU TALKING DOWN TO EVERYONE AGAIN!? This was supposed to be a camp reflection speech! Why are we discussing the nature of the world and taking over heaven!? And there you go trying to stand atop heaven again! How obsessed are you with heaven!? This is definitely getting expelled!!)
I ntally collapsed into despair.
But instead of angry shouting...
The gymnasium was enveloped in silence.
And then—
Thunderous applause.
"A-amazing... What a dignified speech. What overwhelming charisma."
"Indeed. The determination to pursue greater heights, transform the world itself, and stand atop heaven... To possess such ideals at this age..."
The teachers themselves looked deeply moved.
They nodded repeatedly while furiously writing on their evaluation sheets.
Though I couldn't see the exact scores, their expressions made it obvious that they were awarding the highest evaluations possible.
(...WHY ARE THE TEACHERS IMPRESSED TOO!? I basically insulted them at the beginning! How is this getting a high score!? Where is your professional pride as educators!? At least get angry!)
anwhile, my group mbers were completely captivated.
"As expected of Aizen... Even the world he sees is on a completely different level from ours!"
"Yeah! I'm glad I followed him!"
Not only my fellow first-years, but even the second- and third-years stared at with shining eyes as though worshipping a savior.
(What is happening in this space!? I literally just recited cringe poetry with confidence! Why am I turning into the leader of so cult!?)
Amid this feverish atmosphere, nobody could possibly criticize my performance.
As a result, I achieved perfect scores in every category, including the speech examination.
By three in the afternoon, all examinations had concluded.
Every mber of our large group wore expressions filled with confidence and—sohow—an alarming amount of loyalty toward .
---
That evening, all students gathered in the gymnasium for the announcent of results.
A teacher stood on stage.
"—Now then, the rankings for the boys' large groups."
"First place... Gonda Group (Aizen)."
"YEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!!!"
The entire group exploded in celebration.
The group largely composed of second- and third-year Class D students, who had been dismissed as bottom-tier candidates, had defeated all rivals and claid first place.
"Second place: Ninomiya Group (Horikita). Third place: Ishikura Group (Nagumo)..."
The rankings continued.
Then ca the first-year boys' small-group rankings.
"First place: Kanzaki Group. Second place: Katsuragi Group. Third place: Yukimura Group. Fourth place: Kaneda Group. Fifth place: Hirata Group. Sixth place: Miyake Group."
The Class A boys celebrated enthusiastically.
anwhile, Nagumo Miyabi, having finished only third among large groups, clicked his tongue in frustration.
Then soone approached him.
Forr Student Council President Horikita Manabu.
"—Looks like I won this match, Nagumo."
Nagumo glared at him.
"Tch. It's not like you beat personally—"
"I knew about all the pathetic sches you were carrying out behind the scenes."
"!"
"Aizen warned beforehand. He predicted you wouldn't challenge directly and would instead target my classmates—especially Tachibana."
Nagumo's expression stiffened.
"I trusted that Tachibana would never sabotage her own group no matter how unfairly she was treated. I knew she would produce results and leave no opening to be selected as collateral damage."
"!"
"I thought you were a man who at least didn't lie when it ca to competition. Apparently I was mistaken. If all you can do is drag others into your sches and throw mud from outside the board, then you are no longer worth facing. I will never accept your challenge again."
The icy declaration struck harder than any defeat.
Nagumo gritted his teeth.
Then his eyes t mine.
Instantly, his shoulders twitched.
The overwhelming pressure and terror he had experienced when I fully chanted Kurohitsugi flashed back through his mind.
His face paled.
He imdiately looked away.
(...Looks like that trauma runs pretty deep. Honestly, maybe I should've just overwheld him with sheer force from the beginning instead of dealing with all his annoying sches. Though... normal people don't suddenly perform the full incantation for Kurohitsugi in public! That would've beco a lifelong black-history mory!)
The girls' results were then announced.
No group fell below the expulsion threshold.
Although the large group containing Hiyori and Tachibana finished last among the large groups due to deliberate sabotage from upperclassn, the evidence Hiyori and the others had continuously provided prevented any penalties from being enforced.
As a result, all small groups safely cleared the required line.
Finally, the class point changes appeared on the screen.
First-Year Class Point Changes
Class Change
A Class 241
B Class 51
C Class -22
D Class 46
Current Class Points
Class Points
A Class (Ichinose) 1248 CP
B Class (Sakayanagi) 1025 CP
C Class (Ryuen) 536 CP
D Class (Horikita) 146 CP
(I see. So that's how the points were distributed. Exactly as planned—an overwhelming victory for Class A.)
The Class A students erupted with joy.
"We did it!"
"The gap with Class B got even bigger!"
(Perfect. Class points up. Private points up. No expulsions. And most importantly, Tachibana-senpai was protected.)
I clenched my fist internally.
"Sousuke-kun!"
Imdiately after dismissal, Hiyori ran toward .
A radiant smile covered her face.
"I knew you'd take first place on the boys' side!"
(UWOOOOOOH! Hiyori praised eeeeee!! The smile of the Great Angel is too dazzling! All that effort was worth it!!)
Outwardly, I rely smiled elegantly.
"—It was the inevitable result. The path we walked was simply the shortest road to victory."
"Hehe, yes!"
Soon Gonda-senpai and Soma-senpai approached as well.
"Aizen! It's all thanks to you!"
"Yeah! Without your words, our spirits would've broken halfway through!"
"—No. This is the result of you standing on your own feet. Be proud."
I nodded calmly at their gratitude.
Then, once things settled down slightly, Horikita Manabu and Tachibana approached.
"Aizen-kun... Shiina-san..."
Tears filled Tachibana's eyes.
She thanked Hiyori for supporting her throughout the camp and helping her endure the harassnt.
Hiyori gently held her hands.
"Please raise your head, Tachibana-senpai. You kept working hard until the very end, so we simply did everything we could to support you."
The warmth of their interaction touched deeply.
Tachibana then thanked as well.
"—Don't worry about it. The reason the sheath retained its form is because you never lost your brilliance, even while standing in the mud. I rely prevented that brilliance from being unjustly tarnished."
(Translation: You succeeded because you never gave up and kept trying your best. I only helped a little.)
Tachibana laughed through her tears.
"You really are as arrogant as ever. But thank you."
Then Manabu stepped forward.
"Aizen. Thanks to you, we avoided the worst outco. You completely shut down Nagumo's sche by sealing off all of his options. It was impressive. And... this exam was your victory. Even in the large-group rankings, your group beat mine."
(No, no, no! I didn't beat Manabu-senpai! My group was just unusually motivated! He's still amazing!)
I tried to answer humbly.
Naturally, my mouth refused.
"—As long as a king remains a king, his throne does not waver. However, the scenery I seek has always existed beyond that point. This ti, I rely happened to fly a little higher."
Manabu widened his eyes slightly.
Imdiately, Hiyori translated.
"'Even though I won this ti, Manabu-senpai is still a wonderful senior whom I deeply respect, and I will continue to respect him in the future,' is what our Sousuke-kun is saying."
(HIYORI! Did you just say "our Sousuke-kun"!? You totally did! That's adorable! Too adorable!!)
Manabu smiled.
"...I see. Having soone like Shiina who understands your words better than anyone else must be one of your strengths."
Then he continued.
"Aizen, I'm glad I entrusted the Vice President position to you. Lead the Student Council—and this school—with the power that allows you to reach such heights."
Tachibana nodded.
"I believe the Student Council will be fine as long as Aizen-kun is the Vice President."
(Senpais...! You understand the respect hidden beneath my ridiculous poetry perfectly...! I'll follow you forever! Please don't graduate! Stay at school forever!!)
Though tears flowed inside my heart, outwardly I simply maintained the elegant smile of a Demon Lord and bowed deeply.
After the announcents and dismissal procedures ended, we boarded the large buses that would take us back to school.
The bus was filled with excitent.
"Man, that was exhausting, but the result was amazing!"
"Yeah! Everyone worked so hard!"
Ichinose stood and addressed the class.
"We turned the frustration from the Paper Shuffle Exam into success here! We expanded our lead over Class B again, but let's keep improving and never let our guard down!"
"OOOH!"
Afterward, Ichinose walked to the back of the bus where I sat.
Hiyori was asleep, resting her head against my shoulder.
"...Hehe. Hiyori-chan worked really hard."
Ichinose smiled gently.
"Thank you, Aizen-kun. Class A's huge victory was possible because the boys got first place. But... I'm sorry. If we girls had finished second or higher, we could've earned even more Class Points. I wasn't good enough."
(No, no! Your group was dealing with Nagumo's interference too! Just protecting your points and avoiding expulsions under those circumstances was a huge achievent! I need to encourage her properly!)
I prepared comforting words.
Naturally, my mouth produced Demon Lord philosophy instead.
"—There is no need to harvest every fruit within sight. Only when a victor leaves an appropriate margin does the board continue to turn beautifully. The results you protected amidst adversity are precisely the foundation I desired."
Ichinose blinked.
Normally Hiyori would've translated.
But she was asleep.
After a few seconds, Ichinose smiled brightly.
"Hehe... Your words are as grand as ever, Aizen-kun. But you're encouraging , right? Thank you. I'll work even harder in the next exam."
(Oh! She understood even without Hiyori's translation! Thank goodness!)
I nodded quietly.
As Ichinose returned to her seat, I looked out the bus window.
(I told Ichinose that, but honestly, the current point gap is ideal. If we'd widened the lead too much, the lower classes might have ford an alliance to drag us down.)
I thought about the major figures in the other classes.
(Ryuen, Sakayanagi, and Kiyotaka. Ryuen may be hiding in the background now, but he'll return stronger than ever. If those three ever joined forces, they'd be a serious threat. They're all the type who'll use any ans necessary to win. That's why keeping Class B within reach is useful—it spreads out their attention and preserves hope that they can still catch us. This moderate lead is the optimal position.)
Satisfied with the state of the board, I gently leaned my shoulder against Hiyori's.
The grueling seven-night, eight-day mixed training camp had finally ended.
The many malicious sches that threatened to shake the board had been overco, and we had taken another powerful step toward even greater heights.
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