March 8th.
The Class Poll, an irrational ritual of sacrifice, had co to an end. Two days had passed since the first expulsions of the school year took place in Class C and Class D.
While a heavy atmosphere hung over the entire school, the full details of the Event Selection Exam—the final showdown of the school year—were announced by the horoom teachers of each class.
Standing at the podium, Hoshinomiya-sensei completely dropped her usual frivolous attitude. With a serious expression, she began writing down the detailed rules.
[Event Selection Exam: Rules]
> Each class will deliberate and choose one opponent class to challenge. If multiple classes nominate the sa opponent, a lottery will decide.
> Each class must devise 10 events—5 "genuine" events and 5 "bluff" events—which will be submitted to the school and made public.
> The 10 events cannot feature overlapping participants, and "events that can end in a draw" are strictly prohibited.
> On the day of the exam, 7 events will be randomly selected from the combined pool of both classes' genuine events ($5 \\tis 2 = 10$ events total) to determine the winners and losers.
> The participants for each event will be selected on the spot by the class's predetermined "Commander," based on the situation. The Commander also holds the right to intervene in each match.
> The class that wins a majority out of the 7 events will secure 100 Class Points.
> The Commander of the losing class will be expelled.
> For every individual event won or lost, 30 Class Points will be transferred from the losing class to the winning class.
"...And that's the basic rundown of the rules, but... ah, right, right! There's one more important thing!"
Hoshinomiya-sensei clapped her hands together, the corners of her mouth curling up with a hint of glee.
"Everyone is required to participate in at least one event, but because so classes suffered expulsions and others didn't—plus, our class has a different count since Aizen-kun scouted Shiina-san—there's a gap in student numbers between the classes, right?"
"Regarding that point, the required number of participants for multi-person events is set based on the 'class with more students.' aning, for example, if we end up facing Class C with their 38 students, they won't be able to fill three slots worth of vacancies!
Simply having more heads ans we can cover things much more securely; it's a rule where a nurical advantage directly translates into an upper hand!
So, for our large household of 41 students, this is quite a massive advantage!"
At those words, the faces of the classmates instantly brightened.
I quietly closed my eyes, organizing the evolution of the exam rules in my head.
(During the Paper Shuffle in the second sester, the rules utilized average scores to eliminate any inequality caused by differing student counts. That was a foundational rule to prevent numbers from becoming noise when asuring pure academic ability... but perhaps it also contained a fair share of special adjustnts from the school's side to account for the anomaly of suddenly scouting Hiyori.)
(However, there are absolutely no corrections for nurical differences in this exam. The decision to stand united in the previous Class Poll and ensure 'zero expulsions'—even at the cost of vast points—is being recognized as the class's pure strength, returning to us as a distinct advantage.)
"Well, that's all for the explanation from . Everyone, work hard so you don't have any regrets!"
The mont Hoshinomiya-sensei left the classroom, Ichinose stood up smoothly.
"Everyone! I'd like to hold a strategy eting right now after school regarding the Event Selection Exam! If you have urgent business, it can't be helped, but I'd like those who can stay to please stick around."
In response to Ichinose's call, the entire class gave firm nods, chiming in with "Of course" and "We're obviously staying."
During lunch break, I pulled out my terminal and opened a ssaging app. I contacted Nagumo to let him know I would be late for Student Council duties because of the class strategy eting after school.
Within minutes, a reply arrived from Nagumo.
[It's a strategy eting for the final exam, right? Don't worry about it. We'll handle your and Ichinose's share of the work, so you don't need to show your face at the Student Council today. Just discuss things with your class and head straight ho.]
The mont I saw that text, I almost dropped my terminal.
(—NAGUMOOO!! I an, I'm incredibly grateful, but!! Are you seriously the exact sa human being as the Nagumo Miyabi who used to snap at ?!)
While aggressively offering a ntal retort to Nagumo's god-tier hospitality—his capacity as Student Council President having expanded way too rapidly—I sent back a text saying, 'You have my gratitude.'
After school.
Not a single student was missing from the Class A classroom; everyone remained in their seats.
Standing at the podium, Ichinose began the eting in a dignified voice while writing the main points of the rules on the blackboard.
"Alright, let's begin the strategy eting. First... regarding the 'Commander' position, which is the linchpin of this exam. Since there's a heavy penalty of expulsion if we lose the majority, I can't leave this burden to anyone else. ...I intend to serve as Class A's Commander."
A straight declaration without a shred of hesitation. Not a single person opposed it.
"I approve. I have no objections to you being the Commander."
Kanzaki nodded quietly.
"The one who accurately grasps the abilities, personalities, strengths, and weaknesses of every single person in this class is undoubtedly Ichinose. I, and everyone else here, can gladly entrust our souls to you."
"Yeah, it has to be Ichinose!"
"We'll support you with everything we've got, too!"
Consenting voices rose one after another from the classmates. The Commander position was unanimously decided to be Ichinose Honami.
"Everyone... thank you! Let's definitely win!"
Ichinose smiled happily, then wrote the nas of the other classes on the blackboard.
"Next is the discussion on 'which class to nominate as our opponent.' I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on this."
Regarding this topic, opinions within the class split down the middle.
"Thinking realistically, we should nominate Class C or Class D. If we prepare multiple academic-focused events, their win rate will plumt. Even though it's a random selection, if we can seize even one of the events the opponent submits, our win rate becos incredibly high from that point onward."
This was the opinion of a male student seeking a solid victory.
"But if we nominate Class B here and crush them directly, we can widen the Class Point gap even further. Besides, the lower classes have nothing to lose, so there's a scary unpredictability regarding what kind of bizarre strategies they might use..."
This was the opinion of a female student aiming to expand the point gap, driven by the pride of the top rank.
(Hmm... both perspectives have rit.)
I crossed my arms, silently letting my thoughts spin.
(They say 7 events will be randomly selected from a pool of 10 including the opponent's events... but is it truly 'completely random'?)
(For instance, it's entirely possible that an invisible correction is at play to ensure 3 events from the upper class and 4 from the lower class are chosen. If the school wants to make the inter-class struggles thrilling, there's a high probability they've built a system behind the scenes that easily facilitates upsets.)
Furthermore, in this exam where everyone solidifies their specialties, it is dangerous to underestimate a class just because they are in the lower ranks.
(Class C and Class D are highly troubleso in specific fields. Class D, in particular, has students with absurd physical abilities like Koenji and Sudou, as well as academic specialists like Yukimura and Wang. ...And above all, Kiyotaka is there.)
As I pondered, Ichinose clapped her hands lightly to bring the discussion to a close.
"Thank you for all the varied opinions, everyone! Both sides make a lot of sense. ...So, why don't we take a final vote by a show of hands?!"
By Ichinose's proposal, a strict majority vote was conducted.
The result—Class A decided to nominate Class B.
"It's settled then! If nominations overlap, it'll go to a lottery, so we don't know which class we'll actually hit yet... but our class will submit a nomination for Class B tomorrow!"
Ichinose declared firmly.
"And a howork assignnt for everyone! By tomorrow, I want you to think of event ideas where you're confident that 'I can absolutely win this!' It can be academics, sports, or anything at all!"
"Ohhh!"
The entire class regained its vitality, and the strategy eting concluded on a positive note.
The next day, March 9th.
During the after-school horoom, Hoshinomiya-sensei announced the lottery results for the match-ups.
"The results are in~! The match-ups for this exam are... Class A versus Class C! And Class B versus Class D has been decided~!"
As it turned out, our nominations had overlapped, and our matchup with Class C was locked in through the lottery.
(I see... I fully expected Class B to nominate Class A. Did the pragmatic Katsuragi advise nominating a lower class to secure a definite victory here...? Well, either way is fine. No matter who the opponent is, we need only combine our strength and win.)
After school that day, we remained in the classroom once more to hold a concrete event-selection strategy eting based on our matchup with Class C.
Looking through the event ideas collected from everyone, Ichinose smiled.
"As expected, if our opponent is Class C, competing in 'academic test types' yields the highest win rate. Everyone submitted a ton of academic ideas, and we can leverage our nurical advantage, so I think we should specialize our 5 genuine events entirely in academics."
"Agreed. Class C's academic standards are by no ans high. If our events are selected, we can almost certainly seize a victory at that point."
Kanzaki strongly agreed with Ichinose's plan, and the direction of the class strategy was locked into "Academic Specialization."
However, Kanzaki crossed his arms, his expression tightening slightly.
"But we can't let our guard down. Ryuuen, who has remained silent until now, might very well breathe life back into his faction using this opportunity."
"True... Ishizaki-kun and Ibuki-san saving Ryuuen-kun from expulsion must have been to prop him up as leader once more. They might cook up so powerful strategy."
Ichinose's expression grew firm as well. Kanzaki shifted his gaze toward .
"Aizen. From your perspective, if Ryuuen makes a move, is there anything we should be wary of?"
Prompted for input, I stood up quietly and looked across the faces of my classmates.
"—When peering into the abyss, one must discern where the opponent's fangs are hidden. If beasts who have abandoned wisdom attempt to crumble our fortified ramparts... they will undoubtedly swing a barbaric blade."
The classroom instantly fell silent.
"If the beasts gather in a pack, plotting to collapse the throne through numbers and violence, that too is a welco diversion. ...Those of you who possess knowledge of martial arts, I shall personally forge your souls and grant you the 'fangs' required to slaughter beasts. Overrunning them with overwhelming force... allow to teach you that supre art."
"'There's a high probability Class C will force a team martial arts match or sothing similar, so Sousuke-kun will personally teach the athletic students how to fight,' is what he ans!"
Sitting next to , Hiyori offered a flawless translation with an amused giggle.
"I see... Indeed, if Ryuuen-kun is taking command, there's a high chance he'll push through with brute force using a large group, relying on Yamada-kun, Ishizaki-kun, and the others!"
Ichinose clapped her hands in realization.
"Yeah. But if Aizen is going to forge them personally, nothing could be more reassuring. Even if a martial arts or power-based team match cos our way, we can reliably intercept them."
Kanzaki nodded deeply as well.
"—Furthermore, one more thing. Do not neglect your vigilance against behind-the-scenes underhanded tactics."
I continued my speech.
"Beasts do not necessarily bare their fangs only in a formal arena. It is their nature to lurk in the dark, hunting careless pieces. ...Until the curtains rise, never step into the shadow realm alone."
"'Please make sure to always move around with soone else before the special exam. Also, be careful not to enter areas without security caras,' is what he ans!"
Hearing Hiyori's translation, the classmates' expressions tightened as if hit by a sudden realization.
"True... if Ryuuen-kun is back, there's plenty of possibilities that he'll use dirty tricks to injure opponents and force them to sit out."
"Yeah. Let's make sure to move in groups of multiple people during after-school commutes and holidays as much as possible."
Thanks to my warning, Class A further tightened its vigilance and solidarity.
A few days later.
Regarding the academic events, since we possessed high baseline intellect and a nurical advantage, leaving the after-school study sessions to Ichinose and the others practically guaranteed victory.
anwhile, I gathered the highly athletic students in the martial arts dojo after school, personally conducting karate and judo lectures.
The group consisted of Kanzaki, Shibata, and Takigawa (who was reasonably good at sports) among the boys. From the girls, I gathered Tsube and Ando, both of whom possessed excellent physical capabilities.
"—Your step-in is shallow. Do not let your gaze broadcast your next move. If you cannot read the subtle contractions of muscles—the very 'logic' of the body—you are nothing but a target in front of ."
"Whoa...! Are you serious, Aizen?! I didn't see that throw coming at all!"
As I lightly swept Shibata's foot and sent him tumbling onto the tatami mat, his eyes widened in sheer awe.
"...Yeah. I can't read his center of gravity shift at all. On top of that, no matter how much he moves, his breathing hasn't faltered once..."
"No, Aizen's movents are just out of spec...! This is straight-up spartan training...!"
Next to Kanzaki, who was analyzing my movents with a serious expression, Takigawa breathed heavily, his training uniform drenched in sweat.
"Hah, hah... Aizen-kun, you're way too strong..."
"We actually had quite a bit of confidence in our athletic abilities, too...!"
Tsube and Ando, their faces bright red as they panted for breath, were unable to hide their shock at my overwhelming prowess.
(Hmm. Everyone has decent instincts.)
While maintaining the intimidating aura of a martial arts master who showed zero openings on the surface, I calmly conducted a tactical analysis in my head.
(Ryuuen will likely set up a won's martial arts match with Ibuki as the core. Tsube and Ando have high athletic capabilities... but beating a martial arts veteran like Ibuki with overnight training is a tall order. I should at least thoroughly beat defensive and break-fall techniques into them to ensure they don't get injured.)
I shifted my gaze to the boys.
(On the boys' side, Kanzaki and Shibata pick things up quickly, and Takigawa has guts. If they face Ryuuen or Albert directly in a team match, it'll naturally be tough, but they have a solid chance at victory if the opponent is around Ishizaki's level. ...Furthermore, knowing Ryuuen, since he witnessed my movents during the sports festival, he won't be foolish enough to set up a 'winner-stays-on' elimination match for the boys. I don't know the participant count for a team match—whether it's three or five people—but I want Kanzaki and Shibata to sohow scrape a win. ...As for who to pit against whom, that boils down to the Commander's deploynt.)
"There is no ti to rest. What I wish to grant you is not the tranquility of succumbing to defeat, but definitive 'fangs' to slaughter beasts. ...Co, steady your breath and face once more."
"「「U-Uss...!!」」"
Answering with cries that sounded like screams in response to my overwhelming and stylized coaching, the students nevertheless stood up, their eyes harboring definitive fighting spirit.
And then
March 14th.
Today was White Day.
A crucial day to convey gratitude and affection to the beloved partner who flawlessly translated my stylized poems on a daily basis and continued to support by my side.
"Excuse the intrusion, Sousuke-kun."
When I opened the door to my room, Hiyori stepped inside with a happy smile.
"Ah, welco. Co, let take your coat."
I took Hiyori's coat with a stylized movent and escorted her to the sofa.
Laid out on the table were handmade dishes I had been prepping since morning—part of a stylized full-course French dinner.
"Wow...! It looks absolutely delicious! But making all of this, wasn't it a ton of trouble?"
"Not at all. If it can draw out that smile of yours, a trifling amount of labor is cheap. I have no intention of sparing any effort if it ans captivating your heart."
I took my seat, and the two of us shared a toast.
Carpaccio, potage, and the main course: beef cheeks braised in red wine.
"Mmh...! It's incredibly delicious! The at lts in my mouth...!"
Just watching Hiyori's cheeks soften with happiness filled my heart completely.
After enjoying gâteau au chocolat and tea for dessert, I quietly stood up. I pulled out a long, slender box adorned with beautiful decorations and presented it before Hiyori.
"This is...?"
"A return gift for Valentine's Day. I prepared sothing fitting for the words you weave and the stories you love."
As Hiyori gently opened the box, it revealed a beautiful, streamlined glass pen made of clear glass, accompanied by a custom ink set of deep blue that looked as though it had trapped the stars of the night sky inside.
"Wow...! It's so beautiful...! A glass pen... I've always admired them."
"You read books often and imrse yourself in beautiful language. ...That is precisely why I wanted to gift you a 'magic wand' to pen beautiful stories of your own."
As I offered a stylized smile, Hiyori held the glass pen gently with both hands as if cradling it, her eyes glistening with emotion.
"Sousuke-kun... thank you so much! I will cherish it for the rest of my life...! I'll write you a ton of letters with this."
"Yeah. I look forward to it."
Hiyori smiled happily, leaning her body closer to mine.
Outside the window, a slightly chilly spring night wind was blowing.
But inside this room alone, a sweet, serene ti flowed slowly and indefinitely, making us completely forget the pressure of the irrational exam and the fierce struggles with the other classes.
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