twin demons

by vamer

ok

Twin Demons (Classroom of the Elite and Assassination Classroom Crossover)
jirubywrites

Published: 2023
Source: https/

AUTHOR'S NOTE

The events that will transpire take place in year 2, after Kiyotaka gets a perfect score, because Tsukishiro was doing everything he can to prevent Karma's enrollment, but ultimately failed due to the government's influence. Kiyotaka has also yet to meet Kiryuin, and he's still very much dating Kei.

Both Amasawa and Yagami know of Karma, but don't see him as strong as Kiyoyaka, due to Karma being MIA from the White Room for years. Karma's strength should still let him overpower many students, thanks to extra intense training received from Karasuma to prepare him for their reunion. Karma's strategic ingenuity should be on par with Sakayanagi at the very least, and his overall ability would still be higher than Koenji.

While Kiyotaka may have attempted to rid himself of his emotions, he can't completely erase his attachment with Karma, and deep down he still feels a desire to meet him again someday, since he was the only one to make him feel not as lonely during his time in the White Room. Karma also serves as his reality check. As emotionless as Kiyotaka is, Karma is the only one who can change Kiyotaka's expression, at least to some extent.

Unlike Kiyotaka, Karma doesn't mind standing out, because of his love for competition. Kiyotaka is also now more motivated to compete, and display more of his abilities, due to Manabu's parting gift, as well as having Karma by his side.

I'm not sure if ANHS does allow transfer students in canon, but for the sake of the story, just believe that it does. I will also be altering some of the events to some extent, especially the island exam. I'm especially excited for the island exam, because I've taken some inspiration from other works I've found on this site.

Arisu is also very much aware of Karma, due to her visit at the White Room. As for class arrangements, I have decided to have Horikita and Kiyotaka be seatmates, while having an empty seat on the other side of Kiyotaka so that he and Karma can also be seatmates.

Basically this:

Vol. 1, Chapter 1 - The Transfer Student

Part 1

(Ayanokoji POV)

Thanks to the combined efforts of Horikita, Kei and Yosuke, the class's doubts on me have decreased. Of course, there were still some who harbored them.

Kushida took advantage of this opportunity to paint me as another Koenji, and instilled the idea into their heads. Many would continue to second guess me as their classmate, seeing as they were skeptical of whether or not I was following Horikita's instructions in holding back my math abilities. For Kushida, this would be a good opportunity to make me the target in another voting exam, especially with her influence.

However, thanks to Horikita, Kei, Yosuke, and the Ayanokoji group, my classmates are willing to let me continue as I please, so as long as I contribute to the class more. I can't argue with that. In the eyes of my classmates, minus Horikita, Kei, Yosuke, Sudo, and most definitely Koenji, I have been nothing but a total recluse. I don't bring harm to the class, but I don't contribute much either.

I'm going to have to continue to live my days where some of my classmates would doubt me, other classes would most definitely become wary of me, as well as being targeted by Tsukishiro and the White Room students.

As I contemplate all the things that have happened these past couple of days, such as my confrontation with Housen, the revelation of the bounty on my head, my perfect math score, my talk with Tsukishiro, and being baptized under the eyes of my classmates, I suddenly recall Horikita Manabu's parting gift to me.

'Carve your existence in the minds of the students. Let them know that the student known as Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was truly great.'

A cruel parting gift, that made me go against my original wish of living a peaceful life, but at the same time, for some reason, it's gotten me riled up. I wonder, how else would I proceed with leaving behind such a legacy?

The events these past few days have certainly started to put me on that path, but I kind of wanted to spice it up a bit. Maybe throw in a little chaos. Certainly the opposite of my original wish, but at the same time...

If he was here, perhaps we could have fun mixing it up with the school. Between me and him, he is the one on the more wild side. I wonder what would happen if he were by my side as both my partner, and my rival. Actually I wonder...

'Where you are right now, and what, and how are you doing?'

As I was lost in my thoughts, mumbling to myself, I started to feel hungry. I got up from my bed and started boiling some water. I took out the instant ramen that I got from shopping with the Ayanokoji Group.

Seriously, I think Haruka wants to kill us with all these extra spicy ramen. While I waited for my water to finish boiling, my phone rang. It was Chairman Sakayanagi.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Good evening Kiyotaka-kun. I'm sorry for calling you late this evening. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"No, not at all. I was just boiling some water. Is there something you need from me?"

"Don't worry, it isn't a problem. Rather I have some news for you, and I'm sure you would be delighted to hear it."

News? Could it be something to do with Tsukishiro or my father? Maybe Chairman Sakayanagi's allegations have finally cleared up, and he could return back to his post. That would sure put me at ease if that were the case.

"Okay, what it is?" I asked.

"I'll get straight to the point. There will be a new transfer student transferring to your class."

"Transfer student? Is that even possible?"

"Normally not, but there are a few special circumstances where it could happen. I can't tell you the details, since you're still a student. Just know that this transfer student will be joining your class tomorrow."

In our class tomorrow? Were they sent by that man? Judging by the Chairman's words, they don't appear to be. Maybe the Chairman arranged for someone to help aid me during these times. If that's the case, I can't imagine who they would send out.

The Chairman continued, "The identity of the transfer student will remain a secret for now. You will know who they are by tomorrow. That's all the news I have for you."

"Is it okay for you to tell me this?"

"Don't worry. I just want to... give you a heads up, that's all."

"I see. Well I appreciate you letting me know. May I also ask one thing?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"This transfer student, did you send them to help me out?"

"About that, it was their desire to transfer here. I checked their records, and they are, in fact suitable to be placed in your class, so I say it works out. Furthermore, they came to me for help. That's all I have to say. I'll leave the rest for you to figure out tomorrow. "

"Oh. I see. Thank you very much. I'll look forward to it tomorrow then."

"Very well, I'll hang up now. Have a good evening."

With that, the Chairman ends the call. After thinking it over for a few minutes, one thing sprung to mind. Could it be that the transfer student is...

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sounds of the kettle. Guess I'll see if my hunch is right tomorrow. If it is, I'm looking forward to it.

Part 2

(Ayanokoji POV)

The next day finally came. I entered my classroom, only to be greeted by numerous noises from chatter around me. If I had to guess, they all probably heard of it as well. I make my way to my seat, when my neighbor Horikita greeted me.

"You sure took your time getting here. Homeroom's starting soon." said Horikita.

"Yeah, guess I had trouble sleeping, but here I am. It sure is lively this morning."

"Haven't you heard? Apparently there's a new transfer student coming today."

"Did Chabashira-sensei say who it is?"

"No. She just came by and said we have a new student transfer form a different school. It's honestly surprising, considering how this school operates."

"Maybe they come from an influential family or something."

Clout probably plays an important factor in this.

"Maybe. Something like this probably isn't easy to pull off. Hopefully they will cooperate with us though."

"Yeah, hopefully." I say apprehensively.

Sorry, but if my hunch is right, you may need to start preparing for some negotiations.

"By the way, how's your hand?"

"It's healing, though I'm having a hard time gripping with. It shouldn't be too much of an issue since it's my non-dominant hand."

Her concern was understandable, but unnecessary. I can't put her at fault for it though. Both her and Sudo were witnesses, and they probably feel bad for not being able to do much against Hosen.

"Being stabbed with a knife is no joke. Honestly, I wish there was a better way for you to deal with that situation."

"Trust me there wasn't."

Horikita paused for a moment, then continued.

"I'm sorry. "

"For what?"

"For being useless back then. I couldn't even completely clear up the doubts surrounding you."

Knowing Kushida's influence, it was understandable.

"Don't worry about it. I made that choice to get my hand stabbed. I made that choice to agree to your bet. It's no big deal."

"Still though..."

"Like I said, it's fine."

"... About the bet-"

As she was talking, Chabashira-sensei entered the classroom, and everyone settled down. They were all undoubtedly excited at the prospect of a new classmate.

"As you all may have heard, we have a new transfer student. Normally this kind of thing is difficult to pull off, but under certain circumstances, transferring to this school is possible."

Chabashira spoke up, letting everyone know what's going on.

Ike, without hesitation, spoke up.

"Sensei, are they a boy or a girl?"

"If they're a girl, are they pretty? " said Miyamoto.

Various questions of the sort were being thrown out there by a lot of the boys. Even some of the girls were wondering the same thing.

"Sorry to crush your fantasies, but I'm not a girl."

A voice, familiar to me, but unfamiliar to everyone else, spoke up from the other side in response to Ike's and Miyamoto's questions.

"You weren't suppose to say anything yet. Well anyway, please enter." said Chabashira-sensei.

My eyes widened at the site in front of me. From my peripheral view, I can see that Horikita has taken notice of my reaction with a puzzling look on her face. This was probably the first time she'd seen my poker face change a bit.

The boy in front of the class had red hair, golden eyes, and sported a grin on his face. He stood at 175 cm, and has, what many would consider to be, handsome features.

"I was right." I mumbled under my breath. Horikita heard me though, and turned to me.

"Ayanokoji-kun?" she asked in response to my reaction. I ignored her.

Chabashira then asked the boy to introduce himself. With that, the boy spoke:

"My name is Akabane Karma, but feel free to call me Karma. Seeing as how I'm part of this class now, I do hope we get along. Or not. Depends on you really. As for my hobbies, I like reading, collecting spices, among other things."

It's like I've seen a ghost, or the devil himself appeared in front of me.

I can hear the voices of some of the girls whispering to each other about the new guy in front of us. They all probably saw him as a new ikemen.

Meanwhile I could faintly hear some of the guys are saying 'damn not another one', 'we already have Hirata here'. Honestly I don't what on earth they're blaming Yosuke and Karma for. Maybe those other guys wouldn't be so hated if they weren't perverts.

"You will be seated at the back." Chabashira-sensei said to Karma, pointing out the vacant seat next to me.

Honestly, other than my girlfriend Kei, I couldn't ask for a better seat. Still, I can't help but feel akward. I haven't spoken to that guy in 4 years now. I heard that he was taken away as his transfer to a different White Room facility at a different site was intercepted by an assassin.

I thought he was dead. Still, I'm glad he appears to be alright.

He walks over to his desk, not losing his grin for a second. He stopped at my desk and looked at me for a good couple of seconds, and I gave him a look back.

Everyone, except Koenji, who was busy looking at himself in the mirror, was looking at us right now, wondering what was going on. He then broke the tension, and said something that caught everybody, even Chabashira-sensei by surprise.

"To think we'd be in the same class. What? I came a long way and you're not even gonna say hi to me, Kiyotaka. It's been a while you know?"

"Karma. I haven't heard from you in a while. How'd you even get in here?" I replied.

"Oh, I just wanted a change of scenery, so I asked around for some help."

While he said that, he widened his grin, and through eye contact, he's basically telling me:

'I'm aware of your circumstance. I'm not letting that man have you expelled on my watch. Not when you and this school can entertain my boredom . Besides, I'm never gonns get another opportunity like this one.'

I nodded in response. Seeing as how he he understood that I got his message, he sat down on his chair with his back leaned against the back rest, and his chin tilted slightly upwards.

The rest were surprised, not only that we knew each other, but that we were on a first name basis. Everyone probably thought that I, a recluse, was never capable of talking to people.

They weren't completely wrong. To be honest, he was the one who always initiates the conversation. Actually, it's probably more accurate to say he pesters me all the time.

"You know each other?" whispered Horikita to me, though I'm pretty sure Karma heard it.

Perfectly understandable of her to ask this of me, seeing as there's finally someone, who isn't Sakayanagi, who knew me from back then. This time on personal level too. I didn't respond, seeing as how us calling each other by our first names and having a rather brief, but casual conversation with each other should answer that.

Chabashira-sensei snaps everyone out of their confused state, and proceeds with class. Karma and I eyed each other for a bit, basically me telling him I want answers, to which he obliges to tell me later. He then pulled out his phone and discretely showed me his number.

Seems he has noticed the presence of security cameras. As expected of him. I saved his number in my head and proceeded to also discreetly show him mine. He too saves it in his head.

Horikita was noticed us though. Pretty sure she was gonna ask this of me later. I'm not looking forward to it.

Part 3

Lunch time finally came and some of the class was preparing to head out to the cafeteria. I was waiting for Karma to say something. He finally turned to me and broke the silence.

"Seeing as how we can finally talk, I'm guessing you have questions for me." says Karma.

"Funny you should point that out. Did you bring your own lunch?" I replied.

"Of course I did. Though I would like for you to show me around the cafeteria."

"Next time. For now, join me somewhere."

"Hmm. Well I don't mind. I would like to enjoy our little reunion together."

I texted the Ayanokoji group saying I would be eating lunch with Karma. They gave me the okay and I begin to get up, when Horikita chimed in.

"Mind if I take a bit of your time later Ayanokoji-kun? It's about our agreement."

"After afternoon classes, but please make it quick."

"Sure. You probably want to spend time with your friend here. I also have some questions."

"Save them for later."

I was about to leave when the devil reared his head.

"Mmm? And who's this girl Kiyo? Your girlfriend?" said Karma in a not so inconspicuous volume. I imagine him as the devil saying this.

A few people heard it. Two them being Kei and Sudo, who were glaring at us upon hearing that question.

"Absolutely not." said Horikita.

"She's just a friend and neighbor. Nothing more, nothing less." I responded to him, not hiding my displeasure to his comment. "If you say so" he said with a smug expression.

As we were walking out for our lunch, I suddenly feel the urge to duck. Following my instincts, I dodged the roundhouse kick he aimed at my head.

He followed this up by spinning around and launching another kick with his other leg, not even considering to at least hold back. I dodged that as well.

Using the momentum of the spin, he launched another kick with his other foot. This time I grabbed it.

Great. Now people are gonna be even more suspicious of me.

"What do you think you're doing, you delinquent?"

"Hmm? Just seeing if you've dulled after all this time. Glad to know you haven't." says the devil with a smug look.

The room was quiet. It was, just us two talking. I can feel the confusion emanating from a lot of people, among them being the Ayanokoji group.

"If you noticed the cameras, you should've known not to do that."

"Come on, I just want to have a little fun. Besides, it's just light kick."

"Yeah, a kick with enough force, that could have given me a concussion."

"You're exaggerating yourself. Now, please let go. You're gripping my foot a bit too hard there." he says with an innocent look on his face.

This whole time I had been holding on to his foot tightly, my way of blocking his kick. I thought about what he'd do the moment I let go, but I could tell he won't do anything more, seeing as how there were many people present, as well as the presence of cameras.

Reluctantly, I let go, and he, quite literally, puts his foot down.

"Thank you. Now let's go."

He then grabs my shoulders, turns me to face the door and pushes me out. I could feel our other classmates staring at us. Seems I've attracted even more attention for myself. On second thought, I take everything I said back last night. Maybe it's best if I think this through.

Part 4

3RD PERSON POV

Everyone watched as the pair of boys leave the classroom via the back door. Seeing the bizzare scene that had just unfolded in front of them, people started asking questions.

Ike: "Hey hey hey. What the hell was that just now?!"

Hondo: "I know right. That Akabane guy just launched kicks right at Ayanokoji's head, and Ayanokoji dodged, and blocked them like they were nothing!"

Sudo: "Those kicks weren't nothing at all either. It looked like he launched them with a lot of force."

Matsushita: "Ayanokoji-kun didn't even looked fazed by them a bit. He didn't even seemed panicked by it."

Sato: "Yeah. It's amazing that he could keep himself calm like that."

Matsushita whispering to Sato: "Sato-san, are you still not over him? Your face is turning red."

Sato: "H-Huh?! Wha-what?! No! I'm definitely over him." 'besides, he's with Kei-chan now.'

Matsushita: "Whatever you say."

While everyone else was discussing the scene played out before them, the Ayanokoji group had their own discussion.

Yukimura: "Akito, can I just ask something?"

Miyake: "What is it?"

Yukimura: "You're the expert here. What do you make of their scuffle?"

Miyake: "Well, to add on to what Sudo said, Akabane launched those kicks with good form too. From what I could tell, he's probably well trained in martial arts. The same could probably be said for Kiyotaka."

Hasabe: "How so? That he dodged and blocked them, despite having his back turned at first? "

Miyake: "Not only that, he didn't look panicked. I get the feeling he's used to this type of thing. He dodged, and blocked them without hesitation, and knew that they were coming. From my understanding, they've sparred before, and probably received similar training. They're no amateurs no doubt about it."

Sakura: "W-wow. Kiyotaka-kun is amazing."

Yukimura: "Hold on a second! So you're telling me not only is Kiyotaka smarter than he let on, but also good at fighting? How much is he hiding from us?!"

Hasabe: "Yukimuu, please calm down. Kiyopon may not have told us, but it's not like he's just come up to us and suddenly demands a fight."

Yukimura: *sigh* "You're right. I lost my cool. I guess it would be weird if he suddenly just came up to us and told us he's good at fighting and wants to show it off."

Sakura: "Yeah, but it also makes me curious to what else he can do."

Akito: "He'll come forward when he's comfortable. Besides, I'm pretty sure he doesn't like fighting since he doesn't like getting involved in conflicts. Akabane probably just did that to him as a form of reunion gift seeing as how close they are."

Karuizawa: 'Mou... Kiyotaka! You better tell me about this later! I already knew he was strong and good at fighting, but having everyone see it for themselves isn't good for him. What was that Akabane guy thinking?'

Sudo: 'I'm not even surprised. The way he dealt with Housen... Even if those kicks were launched at him at full force, they wouldn't really faze him. Akabane even said that he wanted to make sure he hadn't dulled. Those two probably received similar training. I can't let these guys start doubting them, especially Ayanokoji. Suzune and Hirata are probably gonna speak up for him. I'll have to support them on that.'

Kushida: "Hey, Horikita-san, did you know about that?"

Everyone turned to look at Horikita.

Horikita: ' She's not even waiting around the bush to instill more doubt.' "I've only seen him spar twice, both times out of self defense."

Kushida: "Does this mean he's good at fighting? Why didn't he say anything to us?"

Everyone becamw quiet for a moment, wondering if Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was hiding more than just his academic abilities.

Hirata: "I think it's best not to touch upon this topic. He's probably not comfortable with this."

Kushida: "But, Hirata-kun!"

Kushida and her supporters protested, demanding for answers.

Karuizawa: "Oh just leave it be. It's not like he has to tell us everything. Besides, wouldn't it be weird if suddenly came forward and said he's good at fighting? At the very least, he's not picking any fights and causing trouble."

Sudo: "Karuizawa's right. Once, I was also there with Suzune when Ayanokoji fought. Well he didn't fight back, but he at least defended to stop the attacks at Suzune, when I hadn't arrived yet. Don't you think it's best not to judge him too much? He at least acted in order to protect someone."

'Not a complete lie, but if people were to suddenly find out that he' s stronger than me, let alone Hosen, they'd get even more suspicious. I wish I could tell them how strong he is, but it's best if I keep what happened to myself.'

Onodera: "Wait, what do you mean in order to protect Horikita-san?"

Horikita: "We ran in to some trouble. It was a personal matter. Don't worry about it. The second time it happened, Sudo-kun just happened to spot us. He arrived when it was over."

Kushida: "Still though-"

Hirata: "Look, I understand your confused, but it's not like he has to tell us everything. From what we've heard from both Sudo-kun and Horikita-san, Kiyotaka-kun would still go on to protect someone if need be. Besides, I get the feeling that they just like to mess with each other. Kiyotaka-kun probably just expected something like that from Akabane-kun, since he knows him well."

Kushida: "But if he were honest with us, then perhaps he could've done more for-"

Karuizawa: "Oh just leave it Kushida-san! What? Do you want him to just go up to you and demand a fight? Why are you even probing him so much? It's like you're intentionally painting him to be the bad guy when he hasn't even done anything to you."

Kushida: "He should've at least told us. I mean were friends right?"

Miyamoto: "We ended up losing Yamauchi in exchange for saving someone who doesn't even show what he can do. It's like having another Koenji."

Various students proclaimed theue displeasure towards Ayanokoji, most of them being supporters of Kushida. Their leaders were trying to calm them down, when Yukimura snapped.

Yukimura: "Enough! I hate to admit it, but I agree with Karuizawa. Yeah he keeps secrets, but so does everyone else. I admit, I was furious, when he hid his smarts and fighting skills, but I also agree with what Hirata said that Kiyotaka would still protect his friends, seeing as how he protected Horikita. Also, if we're talking about Yamauchi, need I remind you that he was willing to betray the class just to date Sakayanagi? Do you really want a traitor in place of someone who would protect their classmates and friends?"

Karuizawa: "Exactly what Yukimura-kun said! Also Kushida-san, if I remember, you and Ayanokoji-kun were pretty friendly with each other at the beginning of last year. You spent a bit of time together, but you still agreed to help Yamauchi-kun in having him be expelled. You said you wanted to help a friend, but wasn't Ayanokoji-kun also your friend? I can tell you've grown distant, but has he ever done anything to you?"

Kushida: "Well... no he hasn't..."

Karuizawa: "If that's the case you shouldn't be talking about friends if you were willing to throw one under the bus like that."

With that, Kushida back down. She didn't want to argue with Karuizawa either, since it would just make her seem like a hypocrite in the eyes of her other classmates. She scowled internally not being able to rebute.

Hirata: "Come on guys, let's not get heated here. Yes, Kushida-san made a mistake, but let's give her a chance. Kushida-san, I understand if you're conflicted with Kiyotaka-kun's abilities right now, but please don't doubt him."

Horikita: "Hirata-kun's right. Ayanokoji-kun always has the class's best interest in mind, and has helped me and Hirata-kun a nunber of times. Please don't doubt him."

Matsushita: "Now that I think about it, Hirata-kun, when did you start calling Ayanokoji-kun by his first name?"

Sato: "Yeah, and I think I remember hearing Ayanokoji-kun call you by your given name."

Onodera: "Yeah, when did you became so close?"

Hirata: "It's... a long story. After speaking with him for some time, I have come to rely on him a lot."

Shinohara: "Wait seriously? That guy?"

Mii-chan: "It's true though. Even. though I've only spoken to him quite a few times, he's actually helped me out quite a bit. I now know why Hirata-kun calls him the most reliable one here in class."

Matsushita: "I did remember him saying that. Just how reliable is he Hirata-kun?"

Hirata: "Like I said, I've come to rely on him a number of times. I've asked him for advice a lot, and he always delivers. He's not the best at casual conversations, but he's good at giving out advice."

Okitani: "Wait seriously? The guy barely even speaks."

Sato: "Hey! Just because he doesn't speak to you, doesn't mean he doesn't speak at all!"

The room was heated with everyone arguing with one another. Just then, an unexpected person voiced his displeasure of the situation.

Koenji: "My, my. You ugly creatures are polluting their air with your stupidity."

Miyamoto: "What did you say Koenji?!"

Koenji: "It seems that you still don't understand Ayanokoji-boy at all, and his value in this class."

Hondo: "What do you mean Koenji?"

Miyamoto: "This guy's just messing with us. He doesn't even help out the class. Why would he take interest in Ayanokoji, who hasn't even done much at all?"

Koenji: "You misunderstand. Being interested, and participating are two different things altogether. When people catch my interest, I keep a close eye on them."

Kushida: "And Ayanokoji-kun caught your interest? How so?"

Koenji: "Hmmm. Alright I'll give one example. Riddle me this. Who do you think healed Hirata-boy's heart when he became an annoying fly back when Yamauchi-kun got expelled? Who do you think was responsible for his return for the commanding towers exam? Also, who do you think is responsible for Horikita-girl's change in attitude? Back then she was someone with a superiority complex, and you couldn't deny that. Someone changed her, and it's because of that that she's become the person she is now."

Ike: "That's-"

Koenji: "I'll leave that up for you to think about. At the very least, he's much more valuable than you."

With that, Koenji got up and left the room. Everyone was left pondering with what he said. Seeing how close their leaders are with Ayanokoji left everyone wondering just how much has he really done for the class.

Shinohara: "Is what Koenji-kun said true Hirata-kun?"

Hirata: "*sigh* Yeah. It's true. After I pushed everyone away, he came to me and we talked. I tried to push him away too, but he was persistent. He was able to get through to me, and I realized that no matter what, I have to keep pushing forward. I can't protect everyone, but that doesn't mean I can turn my back on the class either. He gave me the determination to keep going, and I was able to release all my pent out emotions thanks to him."

Horikita: "The same goes for me as well."

Inogashira: "You too Horikita-san?"

Horikita: "Yes. Both some of my personal problems, and problems for the class. I once had discord with my brother for a long time. Ayanokoji-kun helped me patch things up with him, and I've finally made peace with my brother.

During the sports festival last year, I was ready to give up on Sudo-kun, but he helped me get back on my feet, and gave me the determination to bring Sudo-kun back. Even as far back as our first exam last year, he was the one who gave me the reason to start the study group, and made me change my distasteful attitude.

I may have made decisions for this class's direction, and Hirata-kun may be the class's mediator, but we wouldn't be where we are now if it weren't for him. We owe him a lot."

Mastushita: 'I knew it. I've always had a feeling that Ayanokoji-kun has been involved with the class from the start. He has a relationship with not just our class's leaders, but also from other classes. If my hunch is right, Ayanokoji-kun might be "X", the person pulling the strings behind the scenes, who Ryuenn-kun was looking for.'

Horikita: "So please everyone, don't push him away. He's already done a lot for us. Whether he chooses to come forward or not is completely up to him, but please don't doubt him."

Everyone stayed silent as they ponder the words of their leaders. Thanks to both Horikita and Hirata, the tension died down, and everyone started to leave for their lunches.

AUTHOR'S NOTE
Hello, so this is my first time ever writing something. I have to admit, it's a bit messy, and there's some cringy stuff from here and there. Still, I wanted to make the first chapter to leave a good first impression as much as possible, and I ended up with 4556 words I think. Also, do note that I plan on making Karma make full use of what he learned under Korosensei, as well as Karasuma's personal training. I'm not quite sure if other Assassination Classroom characters will appear at some point, but I plan on making references. Next chapter will reveal Karma's story on how he escaped the White Room, and how he ended up going to Kunugigaoka, and eventually, how he ended up in ANHS.

Vol. 1, Chapter 2 - Where He Has Been

Part 1

(Ayanokoji POV)

We left the classroom and made our way to the rooftop. I would have opted for the special building, but I didn't want to deal with heat. Besides, seeing as how there were now cameras there, it's only right of me to be wary of Tsukushiro eavesdropping in on our conversation.

Between the rooftop and special building, the rooftop is at least not an enclosed area. Sound would be more difficult to pick up due to the open space, as long as we keep our distance from the camera, and not speak too loud.

Tsukishiro would most definitely become very vigilant at the site of the two of us together, but at the very least, he won't hear our conversation.

Arriving at the rooftop, we picked a spot far enough for the camera. We sat down and brought out our lunches, and started eating. The fresh, open air honestly made it better. As we were eating, Karma broke the silence.

"So, you must be wondering about some things right?"

"Took the words right out of my mouth." I replied.

"Hahaha well it was obvious. Anyway I don't mind talking, but it's a very long story."

"I don't mind as long as you go over what happened."

"Right then. Let's see. Where do I begin?"

Karma paused for a moment, before resuming.

"I suppose I'll begin with how I got out of the White Room in the first place."

"I heard that the transport vehicle and the escorts were intercepted by an assassin."

"Two assassins actually. Despite having the advantage in numbers, the escorts were overwhelmed. They didn't even see them coming. From my understanding, those guys were highly trained professionals, and are used to doing dangerous assassination jobs like that one.

From what I could tell, the one who sent them must have some sort of agenda against the White Room, most especially your father. Other than that, I have no other information on our assailants, and I honestly didn't care all too much. They left me alone, because I was a child, and because I'm not on the hit list.

By the time they left, the Japanese Military arrived. An anonymous source tipped them off, and I was taken in. I refused to tell them any further about the White Room, since I don't necessarily hold any grudges against it, though I at least told them what just happened.

I was then put under a protection program, and was taken in to a family with close ties to the government. Some time after, I got to enroll in Kunugigaoka Junior High.

From what I'm gonna tell you here onwards probably sound like something out of a manga or anime, but trust me, everything I'll tell you is the truth.

Although, I do have one condition if I'm gonna keep talking, since a lot of what I'm gonna say is highly classified, and not many people know about it. The government even had to cover up the whole truth."

This was unexpected. From what he's saying, it seems he got involved in something big.

"Alright. What are your conditions?" I asked him.

"First, please keep quiet about this. What's been seen on the media is just a cover up. The only ones who know the full story are myself, the people from our class, our teachers, and the government. If word gets out, it could place a target on your back."

"I already have target on my back, but I understand. What are your other conditions?"

I already knew what his other condition is, but I asked anyway. Looked at me, widening his grin. Then, he spoke.

"Please play with me. Although I haven't been in the White Room for a good while, I have received *ehem* special training during my last year in Junior High. It all ties in to what I'm gonna tell you, but please do accept my second condition."

"If this were me from a year ago, I might have refused. However, a lot of things have been getting my attention lately. Besides, it's you. As long as it's not too bothersome, I won't mind."

"Hmm? You're not even gonna protest to that? From what I've from Chairman Sakayanagi, you don't like standing out."

"People change. Like I said, if it were me a year ago, I might have refused. However, I do have a reason for doing things."

"Might I inquire what that reason may be?"

"Let's just say, the words of a senpai left quite a big impression on me."

Karma widened his eyes and gave a surprised, but warm smile.

"It seems you have indeed made some connections here. It puts me at ease at the very least." Karma said.

"You don't seems like yourself either."

"Like you said, people change. After spending 3 years in that school, and spending my last year in that class along with a certain teacher, you could say I've learned to be more human. Though, I still want to have some fun."

"Does this also tie in to what you're about to tell me?"

"Yes indeed. Since you've, more or less, accepted my conditions, I'll be happy to tell you everything. However, this is for your ears only."

"Alright. Please go on."

"Hahaha. Alright. Now then-"

He went on to tell me about his first two years at that school. Him dominating the competition, and being suspended multiple times due to bad behavior is honestly not surprising.

It's just like. However, he then proceeds to tell me about his last year at that school. It seems his school is not too different from this one. E class is the lowest class, and is where all the poor performing students, and troubled kids like Karma were placed.

What really surprised me were their teachers. One was a woman, who taught them english. However, in truth, she was also an assassin. One who specializes in bewitching her targets before finishing them off.

Next was a government agent. One well trained and even took on, and bested multiple assassins, and other strong opponents. He trained them in combat, both close quarters combat, as well as long ranged combat. Their training whipped them up in to shape that they were all able to take on multiple strong foes. Assasins, soldiers, you name it.

Apparently, after graduating, Karma requested that person to teach him combat, so that he may be able to spar with me again at some point.

Then there was the last teacher. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have believed him, if it weren't for the fact that I've heard of such experiments during my time in the White Room.

To create the ultimate being, it appears that they have both succeded, and failed. It seems that their teacher is the result of those experiments. A human transformed into a giant octopus, who possessed many incomprehensible abilities, one of which allowed him to travel at mach 20. Color me surprised.

He told me how they were given the task of killing their teacher by March, or else the Earth will explode. Seeing as how we're all very much still alive, they succeeded.

He told me everything that they have done. Assassination attempts, their competitions, the teachings taught to them by their assassination target, their trip to the space station in space in order to find a cure for him, taking on assassins, and even the military, and other strong opponents, and finally their final moments with them.

Karma was already strong, no doubt about it, but if there was one thing that his teacher taught him that the White Room couldn't, it would be how to be more human. It was because of that that he was able to make meaningful connections.

My respect for his teacher grew immensely. You could say I respected him just as much as Horikita Manabu. I wonder, if he had been my teacher, would I too have learned to be more human?

Horikita Manabu already made me change my goal, despite having only been with him for less than a year. I wonder, how much of me would change if I spent time with both him, and Karma's teacher? I pushed that thought aside for now as I continue to listen to Karma's story.

When graduation came around, in order to graduate from their class, they had to kill their teacher. That too was his final wish. All of them had him pinned down in such a weak state, yet he never lost his will to keep teaching them. He even imparted them with some last bits of teaching, while congratulating them for all they have accomplished.

As his friend thrusted the knife into their teacher's heart, he dissipated into thin air, and everyone cried. Everyone, including the teachers, and even Karma himself, which surprised me the most.

After that, their class continued to grow their resolve, and went on to graduate, and went on with their lives, however their teacher still left them with something important as a parting gift.

For Karma, his teacher did something unexpected. He temporarily caused the White Room to shut down, which allowed me to spend some time in the outside worlds. It seems his teacher was aware of his circumstance, and found out about me as well.

Now that I think about it, his teacher was once human, and an assassin. He too had a subordinate. Could it be that they have been the ones who... ?

Karma continued with his story, and told me that his teacher gave him instructions on how to find me. It took a year for him to track me down, even with the help of his former teacher, who was a government agent.

During his search, he requested to continue his training with said government agent teacher, so that he may be able to spar with me at some point. He may not be able to reach my level in under a short period of time, but it would at least allow him to keep up with me, as well as allowing him to employ some new techniques he had learned.

After finding my ware bouts here in Advanced Nurturing High School, he again requested the help of his instructor to aid him in enrolling as a transfer student for 2nd year. They got in touch with Chairman Sakayanagi. The chairman became aware of who Karma was, and decided to lend him a hand, believing I would need an ally in further battles. I was thankful for both of them for allowing Karma to be here.

Apparently Tsukishiro became aware of Karma's transfer, and tried what he could to prevent his transfer, seeing as how it would throw a wrench into his plan. He ultimately failed since the one who requested the transfer was backed up by the government, and any form of resistance would have warranted suspicion.

While Karma didn't say anything about the White Room to his instructor, he instead used it as leverage against Tsukishiro, and he ultimately accepted him. Due to Tsukishiro's intervention, Karma's transfer was delayed, but it was better than failing to enroll completely. With that, he ended his story, and proceeded to sip his strawberry milk.

"And that's about the end of it. I told you it was long." says Karma.

"Any sane person would probably not believe you, but given both our circumstances as students of the White Room, I believe you."

"Hahaha well now you know where I've been. Now, do something for me in return."

"I don't think that was part of your conditions."

"Relax. It's not a big deal. Just catch me up things so that I would know who to look out for. I only know your circumstances to a certain extent, but I'm not completely aware of the specifics."

"Have you at least figured out this school?"

"Of course. I actually arrived yesterday, and had the chance to do some digging. Class competitions, points, expulsions, pretty much the nitty-gritty."

"In that case that saves me the trouble. As long as you don't get in trouble, I have no problems with telling you."

"Ahahahaha. I can't make promises, but I'll do my best to be on my best behavior." Karma says with an innocent tone.

It really just makes me not want to believe you more.

"Fine. Whatever. I'll catch you up on things as well."

I tried my best to not leave out a single detail, but given the short time we have for lunch, we'll have to continue this after classes today. Since it was Karma, I have no problems telling him these things, including my relationship with Kei.

The only thing I could hope for is that he doesn't humiliate me, though that's probably just wishful thinking on my part. I can already imagining him walking in on my dates with Kei.

"AHAHAHA! To think you would have a girlfriend before me." says Karma while holding is stomach laughing.

"Is there a problem?"

"No not at all. Honestly I'm glad I don't have to play cupid again."

"Wait, again?"

"Ah nothing. Just introduce me to her next time."

"I really don't want to, seeing as how you would probably try to humiliate me. Just keep this a secret, since we haven't told anyone yet. I'm pretty sure she would have said asked about you, seeing as how you attacked me in front of everyone earlier."

"Hmmm. Well. I do have my reasons for doing what I did."

"And what would that be?"

"I'm pretty sure you already know."

"Know what?"

"Don't play dumb. There's a traitor in your class, riling people up to get you out. I wanted to see who would be worth keeping around and not."

It seems he's become aware of Kushida. They haven't even spoken to each other before. I probed him for an answer.

"How'd you know about Kushida?"

"Oh so that's her name. To tell you the truth, when I passed her and look at her, I can tell she was faking her smile; she was keeping it up just for show. The way she looks at you, I can feel her bloodlust. After being trained for assassination for a year, I've come to develop the skill to feel out one's bloodlust, as well as weaponizing my own."

"What do you mean weaponizing your own blood lust?"

"It's better to show you. I'm sure that time will come. Another reason how I knew about her is because she reminded me of a former classmate of mine. She was a talented actress, and fooled us all for nearly a year, only to launch a surprise attack on our teacher, which revealed her true colors.

We eventually got through to her, and she finally dropped her act. You could say it's because of her that I was able to tell that Kushida-san was pretty two-faced. I wanted to get her to act so that I could use it against her later."

"I made a deal with both her and Horikita to not have Kushida expelled. However, it was a mutual agreement."

"That deal doesn't apply to me though, right?"

"I already resolved myself that if Kushida every tries anything, and Horikita can no longer handle it, I'll step in. However, like you said, that deal doesn't apply to you. Though, I do ask you hold off on that."

"Why?"

"I want to see how Horikita handles it."

"Was she the girl seated next to you?"

"Yes."

"What are you? Her babysitter?"

"You know, I've been getting that a lot lately."

"Ahahahaha. Must be tough. Well alright I'll hold off on it, but the next time Kushida-san tried something to get you expelled, don't try and stop me."

"It'll work to my benefit anyway, but go ahead."

"Regarding the White Room students, have you identified them yet?"

"No, not yet, but I've been able to rule out a few students."

"Hoy annoying. How does it feel to be popular enough to have a bounty on your head?"

"It's troublesome. I'm just hoping Chairman Sakayanagi returns soon so that he could revoke it for me."

"I see. Well if you need help, I'm all up for it. Just don't forget about our agreement."

"You want some chaos right?"

"Hahahaha. Yes. Whether we compete or dominate the top spots, I'm all up for it as long as I get to have some fun. This school will be much more interesting compared to the last one, not counting the teachers here of course."

"Seeing as how you received training from government agents, as well as that octopus teacher of yours, I'm guessing your not gonna stop throwing attacks at me left and right are you?"

Karma widens hid grin and says, "Of course not. What fun would that be if I just stopped. Don't worry. I'll probably attack you where there's no cameras."

"I am never inviting you into my room."

"Too bad. I'm going there later to hang out. Oh by the way, mind accompanying me?"

"Where?"

"The mall. I still have to do some shopping."

"I have business with Horikita after class. Can it wait after my business with her?"

"I have no problems. There's also somethings I'd like to check out."

"Like?"

"I'll let you know later. Lunch is almost over."

"Okay fine. Let's head back."

We got up and packed up our stuff. As we made our way downstairs from the roof top, I instinctively ducked and jumped down to the bottom of the stairs as Karma spun another kick aimed at my head.

As much as I appreciate him helping me out, this habit of his is gonna get really annoying. Luckily there were no cameras around. He just laughed as he made our way down, and both returned to our classroom. As annoying as his antics can be, I can't help but feel excited. The partnership returns from today.

Part 2

(Karma POV)

As we made our way back to our classroom, I can feel myself getting excited. Future exams, the chance to challenge Kiyotaka, the bounty hunters, this was all getting interesting.

First things first though, I'm gonna have to clear his classmates doubt towards him so that they don't get in the way. To do that, I'll have to deal with Kushida-san. She was the girl with short, blonde hair.

She really did remind me Kayano-san. The only difference is that she blonde hair instead of green. Oh, and that Kushida-san's reasons are beyond childish.

I'm gonna have to find a way to break her, and expose her true face. Shouldn't be a problem. Still though, I'm willing to go along with Kiyo's plan, but if she tries something, I may need to step in. Can't have an outsider ruin my fun.

Kiyo said that she has finger prints as proof, huh? Honestly, that means nothing. Fingerprints won't last long, especially on clothes.

From the way Kiyo described his encounter with her, he made her believe she was the one in control, but that's not really the case. If I know him, I know for a fact he was indifferent to her having another face. One thing was for sure. She has nothing on him, and he could get rid of her at any time. He's probably just waiting for the one he's babysitting to deal with her herself. Alright, I'll follow along for now.

There's also the White Room enforcers. Altough I received intense training from Karasuma sensei and some of his top subordinates, I still can't underestimate the training received by the White Room bounty hunters. No doubt their hatred for Kiyo is their driving force in having him be expelled. If I let my guard down for even just a bit, it may put us in a compromising position.

To ascertain the level of threat, I need to confirm something later when we go to the mall. Although I do indeed plan on going shopping for essentials, and enjoy our little reunion, I can't shake off the feeling that someone's keeping an eye on us from a distance, and it's not Tsukishiro.

If my hunch is right, Tsukishiro shouldn't be the only White Room personnel to have infiltrated this school. I'm sure Kiyo's considered this too, but I have to confirm my suspicions later. I also surmise that they wouldn't just send out one White Room student.

They say there's strength in numbers, but it would also be foolish to send out too many. If I had to guess, there should be between 2 to 3 of them. I'm willing to bet there's 2.

As for the class competitions, I can check on them using the OAA app that I was told of. I took out my phone, and save Kiyo number first, then checked the app. I checked mine first.

Akabane Karma

Academic Ability: A (95)
Physical Ability: A (98)
Adaptability: B (78)
Social Contribution: C- (42)
Overall ability: A- (83)

Well that's understandable. I wasn't that much of a team player until I had that octopus as my teacher. I heard this school also evaluates their students based on their background. My violent tendencies, as well as numerous suspensions were what landed me in Class D after all.

Looking through the app, I took note of students I have to look out for, especially the ones Kiyo told me: Sakayanagi Arisu, and Ryuenn Kakeru. He also told me to watch out for President Nagumo Miyabi. Interesting. The Student Council Presdient huh. I checked his OAA evaluation, and he has A's everywhere.

Of course this app isn't at all that accurate. If it were, Kiyo's OAA should be As on everything, though I'm a bit skeptical on his social contribution if it would also be an A. Oh well. Let's put that aside for now.

How very interesting. I can put my assassination training, and White Room training to work once again. A battle between classes once again, only this time, expulsions are on the line. A battle between White Room students. Two of the 4th generation's best, and I would assume the same for the ones sent after him. The game is on Ayanokoji sensei. The partnership returns starting today.

So I just finished writing part 2 at 3645 words. A lot of stuff about Karma probably conflicts with his AC canon counterpart, but oh well. Plot convenience, am I right? I at least tried to capture his personality in the anime and manga though. Hopefuly it did. Also, I probably shouldn't be saying it yet, but how do you guys feel about a Karma x Fuka ship? Lemme know, because that's actually something I want to work on, seeing as how Kiyo has Kei, I want Karma to also have someone. I said in my first A/N that Karma is Kiyo's reality check. With this, I also plan for him to be more human, albeit it will be a slow process over time. Anyway, gotta do homework. Following the flow of the canon story, n ext chapter should be Horikita joining the student council. Also, I know that, if we follow the story canon, the island exam should be next, however, I plan on adding something else before that. Basically a desperate attempt of Tsukishiro in separating Karma and Kiyo, seeing as how the duo poses a grave threat . Anyways I hope you look forward to the next chapter :)

Vol. 1, Chapter 3 - Newbie's Introduction

(Part 1

(Ayanokoji POV)

Class just ended for the day, and everyone begins to wind down. Karma invited me to Keyaki Mall because he wanted to shop for essentials. I actually needed to buy some groceries as well, so it works out.

Kei and I plan to have another indoor date, and I want to cook her dinner. Before we head out though, I still have my appointment with Horikita.

She then got up and spoke to me. "Ayanokoji-kun, if you don't mind?"

I turned to Karma and asked him to wait for me by the entrance. He says he'll stay and wait in the classroom instead, going back to reading his book. I was curious as to what he was reading, so I took a peek at the cover.

'Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsky'

Interesting. Perhaps he and Horikita weren't so different afterall. Well, tastes in books I mean. Gotta say, the title suited him well.

"You thought of something rude didn't you?" Karma spoke up, noticing me eyeing his book.

"Well it's rather ironic I must say." I replied.

He chuckled at my response. True enough though. Our generation was known as the demonic 4th generation. I can't help but feel like he's directing the title of the book at me.

"Anyway I have to go." I told him.

He nodded in response, while sipping on his strawberry milk. How many of those does he have? I left the room with Horikita. She asked me to accompany her. I obliged, because I want to know how she'll handle it, and made our way to the student council room.

"About our agreement, I can't guarantee that Nagumo senpai would accept me."

"Don't worry. Like I said, Nagumo's not the type to turn someone down. Besides, your his senpai's younger sister. He won't let this opportunity slip by."

"You did say that."

At the time when Manabu-senpai had graduated, Horikita was pretty
emotional, but she still seemed to remember what was said. Although
Nagumo had said that all newcomers were welcome, of course it wouldn't be
only that. The sister of Horikita Manabu that would follow him wherever he
went. He wouldn't ignore such a precious existence.

"The reason why you wanted me to join the student council... It was so I could spy on President Nagumo, but actually, that's not the only reason, right?"

Horikita was asking me what she should do after joining.

"I think you already slightly noticed. What your brother thinks is completely different from what Nagumo thinks. It's because he values tradition that he thinks Nagumo's reforms are wrong. He said it to me right before he left. The class is a community that should share the same fate. He didn't want the framework to be changed."

"What the student council is doing now, that's certainly the complete
opposite."

"But I'm not going to judge who's right and who's wrong. Now, I just want
to see Nagumo's reforms."

That's right; there was nothing wrong with Horikita-senpai's or Nagumo's
way of thinking.

"So that's why you won't give me specific instructions?"

"Mhm."

"Then why do you need me to join, if the only thing you want is to see
Nagumo's reforms? There's no need for me to monitor the student council at all, then!"

"If Nagumo is going in the wrong direction, there's a need to stop him."

And then, it shouldn't be me who would do that, but rather, Horikita
Manabu's sister, Horikita Suzune.

Of course, in order to get her to do it unilaterally since it was an unreasonable
task I pushed on her, I proposed an exam to see who won.

"There's still some things I'm not satisfied with, but I'll put it as convenient."

This should be related to the part about the bounty that Horikita had mentioned. By entering the student council, the possibility of gaining information about that should go up.

"I get you wanted to discuss this with me, but why do you need me to go with you?" I asked Horikita.

"Well, I'd like to show you using the meeting with Nagumo as evidence."

To prevent the situation if the student council rejected her to show that she
didn't lie.

"If President Nagumo has something to do with that bounty, we might also
see some kind of reaction."

Indeed, we might get a lead on the 20 million point bounty.

"You have a point. In that case, I have no objections."

"By the way, I want to ask you something. Feel free not to answer. It's about your friend."

I knew she was gonna ask this sooner or later. She's probably checked his OAA evaluation.

"What do you want to ask me?"

"I've checked his OAA evaluation. He's very skilled in both his physical ability and academics. By anything, only Nagumo-senpai probably has him beat in the over all evaluation. It also seems he's also well-versed in martial arts like Nii-san, and yourself. I wanted to know why he was placed in class D."

That's understandable. Given Karma's high ratings in both academics and physical abilities, it's normal to question his placement. His adaptability is also decent. They most likely based his evaluation during his time in junior high.

"I don't want to say too much since I don't want to bad mouth him."

"It's fine, but if you could at least give me a hint."

I chose my words carefully.

"Let's just say, he was a bit of a troubled child."

"Troubled child?"

"Remember how Sudo kept picking fights? That's basically Karma, but instead of picking fights out of provocation, and hot-headedness like Sudo, Karma does it out of pure pleasure. He also doesn't make an effort to cover his tracks, which solidified his reputation as a violent delinquent."

I said I wouldn't bad mouth him. Well there goes that

"I see. So behavioral issues." Horikita says, understanding the reason for his placement.

"If you're gonna get him to cooperate, make sure he faces some competition. He loves competing, especially against strong opponents. Whether that be academics or physical activites, as long as he gets to face strong opponents, he'll participate."

In all my years knowing Karma, that was always what he looked forward to; the thrill of a challenge. However, this isn't the White Room, and we don't have assassins as part of our class, nor an octopus teacher who can move at Mach 20.

Still, if he decides to cooperate, he'll be a great asset, though it's not wise to rely on him too much.

"I see. In that case I'll think of something. Seeing as how capable he is in academics and athletics may give us the edge in exams."

"Just don't expect me to talk to him about that though. I'll leave that to you so you can get to know him."

"I understand. By the way, there's something else I have to tell you about. When you had your little scuffle earlier, Kushida-san tried to pit the class against you again."

Of course she would. She would stop at nothing to get rid of me.

"And then what happened?"

"Hirata-kun, Karuizawa-san, Sudo-kun, Yukimura-kun, myself, a few others, and even Koenji-kun managed to turn the situation."

"Wait, Koenji?"

That was odd. I never took him as someone who would aid the class, let alone someone like me. Although, I'm pretty sure he's aware of my capabilities, considering he deduced me as "X", and that I made Ryuenn step down temporarily. Still though...

"I know, it's odd, but it's true. He even revealed that you were the one who brought back Hirata-kun for the commanding towers exam."

Seems I was right. Koenji's figured out more of what I've done.

"Did Yosuke say anything about it?"

"Hirata-kun? Yes. He said that thanks to you, he has new-found determination. He even told everyone how asks advice from you often. I too came forward and said how much you've helped me grow, even as far back as the first exam. Of course we never revealed your true role in the class, so don't worry about it."

While I appreciate them standing up for me, I have to admit, it's probably gonna become more troublesome down the line, given my close relationship with Class D's leaders. Right now, the only ones in my class who knew about my involvement, even if it's only to some extent, are Horikita, Yosuke, Kei, and Koenji.

Recently Matsushita has become suspicious of me, and Sudo's seen me in action; both at overpowering Housen, and securing a cooperative relationship with Housen's class. I've also told Karma, since I knew he would keep his mouth shut if he wishes to keep me in this school, and compete with me.

"Thanks for that, but you didn't have to go that far."

"No. I'm sorry that we had to tell people about our relationship with you. We don't want them driving you away. We've troubled you enough."

"Thanks I guess. Oh, speaking of Kushida, there's something I have to tell you."

"What is it?"

I told Horikita about Karma's thoughts on Kushida, as well as his plans.

"Seriously?"

"That guy's sharp. Back where we came from, he dominates a lot of the competition. The same could be said in his middle school."

"This is just a conjecture, but when you said he dominated the competition, you omitted yourself in that regard. When you say he dominated the competition, you actually meant both you and him right? From what I see, you're the one he wants to challenge the most, since he sees you as his equal."

I don't know how accurate this is now. If it were before he disappeared the White Room, that statement would have been true, but since disappearing from the White Room, I can't accurately tell how much he's grown. From what he's told me though, he was taught and trained by monsters in their own rights. I do wish to see how much stronger he's gotten.

"You don't need to say it. Even though your OAA evaluation shows your evaluation as it is, that's just on the surface. Comparing you and Akabane-kun's OAA evaluation, I think I can get a grasp of your true capabilities to some extent now using a more quantifiable method."

Even if you compared both mine and Karma's, there's a actually still a gap. Not to mention, the difference in our training for the past four years.

"I'll leave that up to your imagination. Just know that I may not be able to stop Karma should Kushida steps out of line. Our agreement does not apply to him, so do keep that in mind."

"Yes, I understand. I intend to deal with Kushida-san myself, and gain her cooperation."

What an absurdly idealistic approach. The chances of Kushida cooperating with Horikita's plans fully is unrealistic. On top of that, there's her attempts at sabotaging the class, just to get us both out. I may have made a deal with Kushida, but should she break our deal, I'll deal with her myself.

With that, we ended our conversation, and arrived outside the student council room. Together, we entered, and we were greeted by both President Nagumo, and Vice President Kiriyama.

THE MEETING BETWEEN HORIKITA AND NAGUMO BASICALLY PLAYS OUT AS HOW IT DID IN THE CANON STORY, SO I WON'T BOTHER INCLUDING IT HERE, SINCE EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT IT ALREADY

Part 2

(Karma POV)

I was reading my book while waiting for Kiyo to finish his appointment. As I was reading, I sipped the last of my strawberry milk. Guess I'll buy another one later. I got up to throw away the carton.

As I headed back to my seat, a few of my new classmates walked towards me, one of them being Kushida-san. It seems they want to get to know me or something. Though, Kushida-san probably had some ulterior motive. She was the first one to speak up.

"Akabane-kun right? Do you have a moment? "

"Mm? Well I'm just waiting for Kiyo to finish his appointment with Horikita-san. We were supposed to head out together. Did you need something of me?"

"Well, we were just wondering about your relationship with Ayanokoji-kun. You guys seem close, but you attacked him and aimed for his head."

Of course they would ask that, and I predicted, Kushida-san would be the one to ask about it first, probably probing me for information that would prove useful to her. I decided to play along.

"Ah well, that's just how we are. I just wanted to give him a little greeting, as well as pay him back for that kick he gave me last time."

"Wait, he tried to hurt you?"

"That's not the intention. We just like to mess with each other. We used to spar a lot together when we were younger, so we like to test our own strengths against each other."

"Wow. So you guys trained in martial arts?"

The girl who asked this was someone named Sato-san. According to Kiyo, she confessed to him, but he turned her down. Hmm.. maybe I could mess with him a bit here.

"Yeah. We both received similar training, but he's more passive than I am. He doesn't like challenging people into fights a lot, and only participates if needed, or when I'm the one challenging."

"Why is that?"

"Ah. Sometimes I want to see his expression change. By doing what I do, I hope to get a reaction out of him."

I wasn't lying. That was always my intention. Even as far back as when I was still in the White Room.

"Has he ever changed his expression?"

"Nope, and I imagine it's the same after we parted ways for Junior High."

Well I didn't technically lie. Due to my circumstance, I was actually able to attend Junior High, unlike Kiyo who remained in the White Room. I'd still like to see his expression change though. Even though he doesn't look bad at all, the reason for his lack of popularity would be because he doesn't smile. If that happened, all the guys would be in danger of losing any potential partners. Ironic considering he already has a girlfriend. Kushida-san then spoke up again.

"What was Ayanokoji-kun like in when you went to school together?"

Do I answer them honestly, or give a vague response? Remembering my past conversations with Kiyo, I gave an answer that suited his character.

"Who knows?"

I said that with a monotonous voice to match Kiyo's usual dull expression and tone. This earned some laughs from the girls listening. Thanks. I've been perfecting that for years.

"But seriously though, what was he like?"

Kushida-san was persistent on getting some information.

"Pretty much the same, although it seems he's changed quite a bit."

"Wait, he's changed? How?" says a girl named Shinohara-san I believe.

"I guess he's actually learned to connect with people more. We were catching up during lunch, and he told me some stuff."

"I didn't expect that he would be any different. I just thought he was just some dull guy." says the girl named Onodera-san.

Watch it. Predators hide their fangs until it's time to strike. Once they do, they go in for the kill. You have no idea what Kiyotaka is capable of, and just what kind of demon he is

"Hey, come on. Don't say that about my friend. We've been through the frontlines together."

What I said may have sounded like an exaggeration, but we have fought a lot of professional martial artists, all of whom were adults. These guys have little to nothing in comparison to a White Room student.

They can't even hold a candle to my old Class E classmates. Even if Kiyo didn't come forward, there are hints everywhere to him being the true mastermind.

Just how defective are these guys, that they haven't put the pieces together. At this point, more nonclassmates knoe more about his role in Class D than Class D itself.

"Ah sorry about that." says Onodera-san with a bow.

Kushida-san turns to me and speaks up.

"Uh, sorry if we made you feel uncomfortable, but, I at least hope we can be friends!"

She said this a friendly smile, with the other girls nodding in agreement. From my peripheral view, I can, see some of the guys giving me death glares. I was told that some of them were big perverts. Great. Just what I need. More Okajimas.

Well, at least I have some new playthings, though I have to make sure I don't get caught. I wonder if I can use them as bait for some senior delinquents and extort some points off of them. Maybe I'll save it for summer if I ever decide to go fishing.

"Mm. Of course. I don't mind. You know Kushida-san, you actually remind me of a friend and classmate of mine." I said, trying to see if I could get a reaction out of her.

"Eh, really?" she said in a surprised manner.

Normally there would be nothing strange about it, but I can sense her bloodlust rising quite a bit. It seems she must have thought, that I know of her past, or that we've been associated before, but she can't remember. I decided to clear up the confusion.

"Well appearance-wise, that is. You two have similar hair, face and figure. Well, minus the hair color. She has green hair, while you don't. There's also the difference in the um... *ehem*" I patted my chest to tell them what I mean.

'Sorry Kayano, but Korosensei wasn't exaggerating when he said you were" "forever flat" '.

"Oh, I see. So I resemble your friend."

"Mhm. She was also pretty friendly around people. Kind of like you."

"Aw thanks! I would actually like to meet her."

She held my hands and help them up together to her chest level.

"I hope we can get along for the next 2 years, and become good friends. Right guys?"

Her friends with her all simultaneously say yes with happy expressions. I can feel the bloodlust seething from some of the guys. Seriously, don't blame me. I'm just the new guy here.

I looked at Kushida-san's eyes without changing my expression. Though the expression on her face looks like that of a happy-go-lucky girl, I can feel hints of bloodlust coming from her. She may have two sides just like Kayano, but unlike her, she can't hide her bloodlust.

Sorry Kushida-san, but you have a long way to go before you can fool me.

"Of course. I too would like to participate in future exams and competitions."

"Great! We've actually looked at your OAA evaluation. You rock at both academics and physical activities."

"Well I don't do it for the sake of wanting good results. I just do it for the thrill of competing."

Especially against that emotionless demon.

"Do you think you could tutor us at some point?" says one of the girls.

"Well I'm not really good at tutoring. The last time I tutored my clsssmates, I may have ended up frying their brains."

Ah yes. I remember tutoring Terasaka and his gang for the finals. I could practically see steam coming from their heads. Or maybe that was because I kept throwing water balloons filled with really hot water at them to get them to pay attention. The look on Terasaka's face was most especially amusing.

"It'll be fine. We can handle it. Right you guys?" says one of the girls, with the others following with a 'yeah'. Hirata-kun was listening nearby, and walked over to us.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Hirata Yosuke. We're glad to have you in our class." He said this with a warm smile, that could have smitten any girl.

He reminds me of Isogai. Another prince charming as the class rep I see. He held out his hand, offering a handshake to which I accept.

"Akabane Karma desu. Please to be part of this class, Hirata-kun."

"Ah by the way Akabane-kun, could I just ask one thing?"

"Sure, what is it Hirata-kun?"

"Can you not attack Kiyotaka-kun again like that? We'd just like to avoid any penalties, and I'd like for him to not get hurt."

"Hm? Kiyotaka-kun? Ah that's right. He said you've gotten close lately. I'm glad he's made some friends here. Don't worry, I'll watch out for cameras and witnesses next time."

"Ahahaha thanks I appre- Wait, what do you mean by-"

As if on cue, my other demon half returned with Horikita-san in tow. I turned to him and asked. "You guys done?" He nodded in response.

"Great. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Okay. See you Akabane-kun!"

I bid my new classmates farewell. Kiyo and I grabbed our bags. He walked in front of me. As we were heading out, I swung my bag at his head with full force. He dodges it, and continued to saunter towards the back door as if nothing happened. We then left the classroom together and headed for Keyaki Mall.

On the way, I could feel a presence behind us from afar. I turned to Kiyo, and he too noticed it. I took out my phone and went on to the camera app. I switched to the front camera and aimed it just at the right angle and discretely took a picture.

The person's figure and face could be seen, albeit just a bit. I didn't recognize the person, so I turned to Kiyo and asked him.

"Shiba sensei?"

"A new teacher I presume?"

"Yes. He's the new homeroom teacher for Class 1-D."

"I see. It seems my suspicions were right then. Tsukishiro isn't the only personnel to have infiltrated this school. The question remains, how many are there?"

"It seems Tsukishiro must have gotten in contact with him, and gave him the task of monitoring us, especially you, Karma."

"Hmm. If Tsukishiro wanted to come greet me, he should have done it himself."

"Well Shiba sensei can't follow us forever. Teachers are supposed to keep a distance between themselves and students afterall."

"True, but perhaps he doesn't need to. It's possible that some of the other staff members of this school are also White Room personnel in disguise."

"We can't rule that out. We'll have eyes on us constantly. It's only such a pain."

"So, do you have something in mind?"

"Yes. I'm buying ingredients to cook for dinner later."

As expected, he just brushed it off.

"Ooh. I've never seen you cook before. You cooking for your girlfriend?"

"I would like to lie and say no, but I know I can't fool you."

"Ahahaha. Maybe I should stop by and intro-"

"Fat chance."

"Meanie."

Well, I'll drop by anyway. He'll probably take precautions, but we assassins have our ways. Besides, I haven't been able to mess with Nagisa and Kayano for some time now. I'd say this the perfect opportunity to have some fun.

"Don't even think about."

He saw through me. Not that it matters.

We continued our walk to Keyaki Mall. It seems that Shiba sensei has stopped following us, however, I could feel the presence of another person. Kiyo sighs to this. It seems he's used to this person following him. Looks like mister gloomy guy, not only got himself s girlfriend, but also a regular stalker.

As we were walking, I felt the presence of another person nearby. This time, it seems Kiyo doesn't recognized the person. We elected to ignore them and stopped at a nearby vending machine. We each bought a drink, with me buying another strawberry milk.

"You sure love those things." says Kiyo.

"Of course. My host family kept buying it, and I've become fond of it ever since."

"I see."

"Oh by the way, isn't it about time we confront our stalker?"

"Matsushita?"

"Oh so that's her name. Well, no. I don't mean her. I'm talking about the other one."

"I really don't want to bother talking to a stranger, but fine."

We both turned our heads and set our sites on a single certain tree. It seems this got the second stalker's attention as she finally revealed herself, and sat down on the bench next to us.

" *sigh* Looks like you got me."

The person who said this had platinum hair, and crimson eyes. She was also taller than most girls. I looked to Kiyo, and he spoke up.

"If I remember, you're Kiryuin Fuka-senpai, right?"

"Yep that's me."

I checked the OAA app and searched her name. Both her Academics and Physical abilities are As. She's good. She notices us checking her OAA evaluation, and she gives us a smile.

"So how do you know about me Kohai-kun?"

"You're famous. Well, infamous is more like it. I've heard about you from some 3rd years when I was passing by. Despite how capable you are, you refuse to cooperate."

"AHAHAHAHA! Well, I'm not really all up for helping out. I just tend to go at my pace and watch from the sidelines."

This girl was interesting. She's very capable, but she's not a team player. I wonder why she was following us though. I decided to ask her.

"Senpai, did you want something from us?"

"You two seem interesting."

"Interesting? What about us got you interested?"

"Let's begin with you red haired Kohai-kun. Your name's Akabane Karma right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Firstly, you're a transfer student. That is not common around here. I asked around, and some of the long time teachers here said that the last time a student transferred here was 7 years ago. The process was tough and arduous as well. Your folks must have a lot of influence to pull that off."

Yeah, the process is tough and arduous. Even with Karasuma-sensei aiding my folks in my enrollment transfer, it still took quite a while. On top of that, Tsukishiro kept trying too many times to prevent my enrollement.

Probably the only reason why I got in despite his intervention, is because I had the backing of some government agents. No matter what Tsukishiro says, even he knows that rejecting my application would draw suspicions.

"Well, what can I say? I just wanted a change of scenery. I heard they offer great facilities here." I said to her in response.

"Well that's true, but looking at your OAA evaluation, I'm pretty sure you're also looking for some competition. Am I wrong?"

"Ahahahaha! So you saw through me. I can't deny that. Back in my previous Senior High School, the competition was slim, or rather, I only had one person worthy of being called my rival. Although he was pretty capable, it soon became repetitive, and over time it got boring. It was nothing like what I experienced back in my last year of middle school."

"Oh? And why's that?"

"Let's just say, the competition at the time was worth killing for."

"I see. In any case, if you're looking for some competition, you've come to the right place. Sadly, there's not much competition going on within the 3rd years. It's so boring. I wish I were a year younger."

"Why do you say that senpai?"

"I'll answer that next time. Let's move on to my next point in why I find you interesting Akabane."

"Hm?"

"Despite you being a new transfer student, you're with Ayanokoji."

"You know me senpai?" says Kiyo.

Of course she would. You told me yourself that you gained the acknowledgment of one of the best students of this school. On top of that, you were the only one to get a perfect score in that math test throughout the entire school.

"Of course. You became famous after getting a perfect score on that ridiculously hard, university level math test. On top of that, it's common knowledge to some folks that you've gained the acknowledgment of Horikita senpai. That's pretty rare.

The only other person to have gained his acknowledgment is Nagumo. I'm pretty sure I don't need to explain why in his case. Just check his OAA.

Ah speaking of Horikita senpai, there was also that intense race you had with him last year. You gained the attention of the entire school because of that."

I would loved have to seen that.

"It's a shame that the runner in front you fell down though. No doubt you would have won."

"Aren't you overestimating me senpai?"

"Ahahaha! I knew you would say that, but there's not point in being modest. I have keen instinct. I can tell a person's abilities to a certain extent based on my intuition alone.

On paper, Akabane's OAA suggests that he's more capable than you, but there are instances when the OAA, or any form of formal evaluation wouldn't be able to truly evaluate one's full abilities.

I can tell you're more than what you let on, Ayanokoji. Maybe even more amazing than Akabane here."

She doesn't appear to be lying. It's amazing how much she can tell just by instinct alone.

"Ah back to my previous point for you Akabane. Despite being a transfer student, you're also hanging out with Ayanokoji here. Did guys happen to know each other before coming to this school perhaps?"

"Yes we do, although we lost contact with each other for 4 years." Kiyo said in response to Kiryuin senpai's question.

"Ah I see. And by coincidence, you guys happen to meet each other again in this school in the same class? Actually, I'm wondering, was it a coincidence, or did Akabane happened to know of Ayanokoji being here?"

Kiyo and I looked at each other for a moment, then turned our heads to her and respond in unison.

"Coincidences can be freaky."
"Coincidences can be freaky."

She widens her eyes at both of our responses, and starts laughing.

"AHAHAHAHA! Ah... Like I said, you guys are quite the interesting pair. I look forward to what you do from here on out. Ah, here!"

She brought out her phone and showed us her number.

"No need to show me yours. I'm sure you'll contact me again at some point."

"You're not even gonna ask us to jot it down?" asks Kiyo.

"No need. I'm pretty sure you've already memorized it. Ah by the way Ayanokoji, I have to warn you. I heard Mr. Notice Me talking about you. He might have something planned for you to get you to play with him or something."

"I'll keep that in mind Senpai."

"Very well, I'll be off then. I just wanted to say hi. Oh, and aren't you gonna say hi to your friend?"

"She's always like this. Pay no attention to her."

"So just the average Monday for you huh? Well alright. I'll be off then. Do give me a call, alright?"

With that, she got up and headed back to the dormitories. Getting a good look at her though, she was really pretty. Although it's been a while since I hung out with Nagisa and Kayano, I always ended up being the third wheel between them. Hmm.. I wonder.

I turn to Kiyo, and told him "I call dibs."

He just shrugged and we both headed off to Keyaki Mall together, with Matsushita-san keeping her distance. Kiryuin senpai huh? What an interesting encounter.

Hello. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Honestly, IMO it was a mess, especially Karma's conversations with some of his Class D classmates. Still, I hope that I at least got my point across with Kushida, and what I plan to do with her character in the future. Also, I said this in my last post, but there'll be another special exam before the island one. The purpose of this is to show Tsukishiro's desperation in separating the duo, as well as showing Karma's capabilities. To give you an idea of what their next exam will be, let's just say it'll make full use of Karma's assassination training. The exam duration is for one day, but there'll be multiple parts to it. I also plan on adding short stories as well. Next part will be some should be some funny moments, with Kiyotaka, Kei, Amasawa, and Karma, among other things. I look forward to writing it. Also, does anyone else read Amasawa's lines with Iroha's voice from Oregairu? Especially when Amasawa say "Senpai~~~".

Well anyway. See you next update.

Vol. 1, Chapter 4 - Date & Revelations

Part 1

(Ayanokoji POV)

After Amasawa rudely interrupted my date with Kei yesterday, we decided to have another one. This time, I was more prepared.

I set up dinner, while also taking more precautionary measures. I did some snooping and found that Amasawa was busy today. Apparently her class was holding a study group, and she made to participate. With her out of the way, I had to make sure that my schedule was free.

I didn't want Horikita to just suddenly come up to me asking for a favor, and I informed the Ayanokoji group ahead of time that I have some stuff going on. I checked in on Karma to make sure he also doesn't barge in. He says he'll be out watching the new movie that was recently released in Keyaki Mall, and that he'll be hitting up the library as soon as the movie was done.

I want to believe him, but part of me says he's planning something. I can assume he's indeed gonna be doing those things, but after that, I'm not quite sure. As I was setting up the table with food for my date with Kei, I received a message from her.

--

Sender: Kei

I just got out of the
shower. I'll be over
soon

Okay. I'll be waiting.
Make sure to watch
out for people.

--

With my preparations in place, all I have to now is wait. I checked my reflection in the mirror to see if there was anything off with my appearance.

*ding dong*

The doorbell rang. I went over to open the door to let Kei in, but I felt something was off. As I motioned to open the door, I felt the instinctive need to duck. As I did, a punch, aimed at my face, was thrown at me, and this red haired devil entered my room with a shopping bag in hand.

"Yow! Evening."

"Karma, what are you doing here? I thought you were out."

I asked this as he made his was on over to my bed and laid down on it.

"Well I did have a plan to go see a movie, but-"

* ding dong*

The doorbell rang again. I opened the door and see Kei wearing a lovely dress. It was the same one she wore when I confessed to her. She really looked cute in it. She entered my room and started taking off her shoes.

"Sorry it took a while Kiyotaka, but I saw Maezano-san on the way. She didn't see me though, and I had to make sure she went away."

"Uh..Kei. About today's date-"

"It's alright Kiyotaka. I said I'd help with the dishes no matter wha-"

As she was talking, she looked on over to my bed and sees Karma grinning at us from ear to ear, laying down on my bed with his legs crossed, and one arm rested beneath the pillow.

"Yow. What a nice surprise."

"Uh... Kiyotaka? Why is he here?"

"That's what I'd like to know. Why are you here Karma?"

"Ah, that. Well you see, I wanted to go see a movie. As soon as it was about to start, they experienced some equipment malfunction, and the movie had to be cancelled. They compensated us by refunding our points though, so I ended doing some shopping instead."

"Okay, but you also said you'd go to the library."

"Ah yes. I was gonna read a book there, but when I got there, I saw a bunch of underclassmen holding a study group. One of them actually called out to me."

Oh no.

"A girl named Amasawa-san."

I knew it.

"What did she say?" I asked.

"She told me some stuff. She said you were doing something lewd in here."

"WHAT?!"

Kei became flustered and yelled at what Karma said.

"AHAHAHAHA! Of course I didn't believe. Knowing you Kiyo, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't do something like that."

"I'm glad you know. So why are you here?"

"Hm? Is there something wrong with visiting a friend? Or were you guys really planning on doing something lewd?"

"NO!"

Kei yells, apparently not minding my neighbors.

"It's nothing like that Karma. We were just planning on having dinner together. We just didn't want anyone interrupting us. That's all."

"Hm? Is that so? Well sorry for bothering. Oh this is a good opportunity. I did ask you to introduce me to your girlfriend earlier."

Karma says that while eyeing Kei. I can tell he was planning something to humiliate me.

"H-hi... I'm Karuizawa Kei. I'm Kiyotaka's girlfriend. Nice to meet you."

"I just introduced myself yesterday. Akabane Karma. I'm Kiyotaka's first friend and partner in crime. Nice to meet you."

"First friend huh?"

Kei says this while glancing at me for a little while, then turning her attention back to Karma.

"Hey Kiyo. Are you into blondes?"

"Well I don't have a type, but Kei did catch me eye. Why do you ask?"

Kei starts blush to what I said.

"Hm? Well it's just... I remember your first girlfriend also being blonde back in Elementary school."

"WAIT, WHAT?! IS THIS TRUE?!"

Kei became even more flustered. Her face was so red, it looked like she was a tomato, meanwhile Karma was smiling from ear to ear with a devilish-like aura to him.

"Kei, calm down. Karma, we were nothing like that."

"Really? I remember you guys enjoyed playing music together. You the pianist and her the violinist. You two looked like those two characters from that one anime I kept hearing about."

I remember the Professor talking about that anime.

"Are you trying to cause a misunderstanding? Anyway we just liked playing music together, or more she used to drag me just to do that. Anyway, that was elementary school. We hadn't done that when we were approaching our final year at the time."

This was mostly true. Given her circumstance, it was impossible for us to play anymore music together, let alone see her. Karma knows this very well since she left us just like everyone else around us at the time.

"Well you have a point. I was just wondering if you saw her inside Karuizawa-san here, but that doesn't appear to be the case."

"Did you seriously come here just to cause some trouble?"

"Trouble? No no. It's just... Watashi- watashi KININARIMASU!"

Karma says this trying to sound and look innocent.

"Hey, you're bothering Kiyotaka here. Can you not?"

Seems Kei is starting to get agitated.

"Ah sorry I didn't mean to make you guys feel uncomfortable."

"Then you should probably stop."

"You have quite the protective girlfriend Kiyo. I'm glad you found someone."

"Thanks. She's been nothing but good to me. I couldn't have asked for someone better."

"Mou...HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT WITH SUCH A STRAIGHT FACE?! AND IN FRONT OF YOUR FRIEND TOO?!"

"Did I say something wrong?"

"WAAAAAH!!"

"AHAHAHA! You either really like teasing your girlfriend. That, or you're just super clueless."

"You have no idea." says the super red faced Kei.

Hey now.

"Eheheheh. Alright, I should probably go now, but before I do there's something I want to ask you Kiyo."

"What is it?"

"Did ever get in touch with that senpai yesterday? She gave you her number didn't she?"

This devil!

"What did he mean by that Kiyotaka?"

Not good. Kei looks like she want to kill me.

"It's nothing like that Kei. We just encountered her by chance. She heard of Karma's transfer, and my association with Horikita's brother. She just came to talk with us. That's all."

As I explained this to try and clear up the misunderstanding, the devil decided to fan the flames.

"If I remember, she also called you interesting. Right?"

"Oh really?! What else did she say Kiyotaka?! "

Karma, you bastard!

"She says we were both interesting, since her intuition tells her there's more to us than what we show. Don't mix up her words."

"Oh, well you have a point. Still you didn't particularly mind a beauty like her following you around all the way to Keyaki Mall though."

"Ah, so you don't mind her following you around, K-I-Y-O-T-A-K-A?"

Karma's looking at us, while doing his best to hold in his laughter. This guy's gonna be the end of me. I swear I'll get him back for this later.

"I think I've said enough. Seems your girlfriend doesn't appreciate you hiding things from her."

"Why you little-"

"I'll leave you two alone now."

With that, Karma got up from my bed, with his shopping bag in hand. As he was headed for the door though, he turned around to look at us, and reached for something in his shopping bag.

"Ah by the way. Here-"

He tossed me something in a paper bag. I looked inside and saw-

You're kidding me, right?

Kei saw it became even more red than before.

"It's just your size. You can never be too careful. Right? Anyway I'm going. Stay safe you two, and Amasawa-san says hi."

With that, Karma left, leaving me and a flustered Kei.

"Ki-KIYOTAKA! WHAT THE HELL WAS WRONG WITH THAT GUY?!"

I sighed "A number of things."

"Hold on a sec! Tell me about that senpai you were speaking about!"

She wanted to probe me about Kiryuin. I mentioned her name to her, and her eyes met mine with hostility.

"You're not gonna believe me to matter what I say, are you?"

"K-i-y-o-t-a-k-a..."

I spent the next 30 minutes explaining this to Kei until she was satisfied with my response. I can imagine Karma laughing his butt off from this. I bet he wants to be here to witness this exchange.

Part 2

(Karma POV)

I left Kiyo's room. I can imagine him explaining things to Karuizawa-san. This sure does bring back memories. As I was headed back to my dorm room, I received a call on my phone. I recognized the caller, and decided to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hai Senpai~ How did it go?"

"Ahahahaha! It's just like you said. She easily gets flustered. Seriously her face was so red, and it looked like she wanted to either kill him, or faint."

"Teehee! Well I think Karuizawa senpai is cute like that, buuut, if she can't handle Ayanokoji senpai's thing, I'll swoop in."

"You are one very bold girl. You know that?"

"Teehee! Well Ayanokoji senpai is my one true one afterall."

There was something I want to confirm with her.

"Amasawa-san?"

"What is it senpai?"

"There's something I want to confirm with you."

"What is it senpai?"

I paused for a bit before answering. I wanted to ask her while I was inside my room, in order to avoid anyone eavesdropping on us. As soon as I entered my room, I asked her the question that's been on my mind since meeting her.

"You're one of the White Room students sent here to bring Kiyo back, aren't you?"

"Huh? What do you mean senpai?"

"You can't fool me Amasawa-san. Your strange, no, obsessive fixation on Kiyo, as well as you recognizing me before anyone else could when we were in the library tells me much.

Sure, they recognized me as the new transfer student, but you seem to know me more than just me being the newbie. It's like you wanted to meet me for some reason. On top of that-"

She interrupted me and I got cut off.

"Ehehehe. As expected of one of the Twin Demons. You figured me out senpai! Congratulations!"

"I see. And let me guess, you're not the only one they sent."

"Yes indeed. There's one more person, the 5th generation's best. Even I can't stand up to them, but I can't tell you who they are."

"Is it alright for you to tell me this? They might punish you, you know?"

"It's okay. I didn't tell Ayanokoji-senpai that I'm from that place but I did tell him, that I'm not an enemy. I'm not lying. I can assure you that."

She doesn't appear to be lying, but I can't let down my guard. I'll remain vigilant. While I may have been one of the best in the 4th generation, due to me being MIA for a long time, my physical capabilities are no longer a match for some of the White Room's best, especially Kiyo.

Even with my training with Karasuma sensei, his subordinates, and my training with Korosensei for some time, it may still not be enough.

I can probably take on the average, and a few above average White Room students, but the ones on Kiyo's level or close to it I can't. From my intuition, I'll probably also have a tough time against Amasawa-san in a pure, physical fight, and I may especially not be a match for the other one.

I could employ some of the new techniques I've learned, but I'll have to be careful, as I still can't use them as effectively in comparison to Nagisa.

"What makes you think I believe you?"

"Like I said. Ayanokoji senpai is my one and only. I don't want him getting expelled. As for you senpai, since you're his friend, I don't want us to be enemies either, although the other one doesn't share the same sentiment. They'll do what it takes to expell Ayanokoji senpai at all costs."

"I see. Well thank you for clearing that up."

"Teehee~. No problem Akabane senpai. If you need help with anything, I'll be glad to help."

"That's unnecessary, but I'll keep that in mind. Goodbye."

"Goodbye senpai~~"

With that, I ended the call. Two White Room Students huh? She says she isn't an enemy, but the other one doesn't share her sentiment.

I racked my brain, processing what I just learned.

From what I surmise, there appears to be a split in beliefs. Two factions that divide the succeeding generations if you will. Those who praise Kiyotaka, and those who despise them.

It seems that they made a small miscalculation in choosing the White Room students in order to bring him back. While the other White Room student has a deep-seated hatred for Kiyo, it seems Amasawa-san may be part of the faction that praises him. Well, in her case, praise is an understatement.

Right now, I should probably focus on uncovering the other one's identity.

I'll should Kiyo know about what I just learned, but I'll tell him tomorrow. He already have enough on his plate with his girlfriend.

Maybe I should've given them some aphrodisiac too.

Oh well. That's enough of that. Guess I'll wait 'till tomorrow.

Hello again. This part is shorter than the last one, since I just wanted to mess around with it. My original plan was actually incorporating Karma into Amasawa crashing Kiyo's date in the canon story, but I decided against it. I also decided to reveal Amasawa's White Room status earlier on, since I do intend to have her play a big part later on, and to do that, I needed her to be revealed as a White Room student earlier, unlike the canon story. I also tried my best to capture Karma's chaotic personality. Some of my favorite moments with him in AC is him teasing Nagisa and Kayano, so I tried to capture the essence of his chaotic side.
Last chapter I also mellowed down Karma. I did for two reasons: 1. It's to show his growth in AC, and 2. I wanted the full reveal of his chaotic and assassin side to be big and worth it. The next part should be chapter 2. I've said this before, but there will be another exam before the island exam, and it will happen in chapter 2. It is here that Karma will show his true colors as an assassin, as well as why he and Kiyo will be known as the Twin Demons. I look forward to writing it, and thank you for the positive feedback. It means a lot, especially since it's my first time writing something like this. Anyway, see you next update.

Vol. 2, Chapter 1 - Line Of Fire

(Ayanokoji POV)

April passed by without anything noteworthy happening following the week Karma joined the class. Neither Tsukishiro nor the other White Room student made any moves as of yet.

The Golden week passed by, without too many noteworthy instances either. I spent that week speaking to the Ayanokoji group, Kei, and sometimes Karma would show up in my room unannounced, even interrupting a few of my dates with Kei, all the while looking out for any opportunity that Tsukishiro might strike.

As soon as the Golden Week ended, we were all headed back to class. I ran in to Sudo on the way, and we chatted as we made our way to the classroom. He apparently defended me from a lot of backlash coming from the "Kushida faction", and I thanked him for it.

We continued chatting for a while, then as soon as we entered the classroom, we each headed on over to our respective seats. Nothing too noteworthy happened this day either. It was all too peaceful. That meant something was coming. Karma seemed to pick up on it as well, but kept his nonchalant front.

For the whole week, nothing unusual happened. The only difference out of the usual was, one, me keeping my math scores at around 95 to 100, and even raising my scores in other subjects in the line of 80 to 85 for appearance's sake; and second, the presence of Karma.

Since joining the class, he has been acing every tests, placing him above Keisei, Horikita, Koenji, Kushida, Yousuke, and Mii-chan. He's also performing pretty well in our PE classes. All of these have cemented him as one of our top, and most well-rounded students.

Due to his performance, his popularity also rose, despite having been part of our class for a short amount of time. A few of our classmates would sometimes approach him, and invite him to hang out with them; mainly Kushida and a couple of other girls.

He would usually decline, since he prefers spending his time reading his book and/or manga alone. I sometimes forget how docile he can be, considering how he usually is whenever he's with me.

Him declining the girls earned him quite a bit of glares from some of the guys. I can tell they're all saying things like:

'Look at that guy. He thinks he's all cool turning down those pretty girls like that',

'Raijuu, go explode!'

'Laser Death Beam!'

Or at least, that's how I imagine it. We usually eat our lunch together over me eating them with the Ayanokoji group, but they were understanding. Sometimes some of our classmates find it perplexing that we spend a lot of time together, but considering how apparent it is that we have history, they decided not to push any further.

The week went by, and Monday of the third week of May came. Chabashira-sensei, with a more serious look, entered the classroom and made her way to the podium. Everyone in class could already tell what was up. She steps on to the podium and immediately gives the announcement.

"I've been with you all for a while now, so I think you already know what this means."

"Is it another special exam, Sensei?"

"Correct Ike. Let me explain the contents of this exam to you all right now."

She switch to the monitor, and shows the contents of the exam.

"This exam is called "Line of Fire". To give you a perspective of what this exam is, it's basically paintball."

"Paintball?" says Ike.

I can hear the class murmuring among themselves upon hearing about the exam. Some looked excited, while some weren't.

"I say it's paintball, but there's more to it than that, so please pay attention. This exam will be testing your physical capabilities, coordination, communication, as well as your strategic ingenuity. In this exam, all of you are required to participate."

I can hear a lot of displeasure coming from some of my classmates. The ones most at risk would be the low preforming students in athletics like Keisei.

"The exam will take place next week Tuesday. We will be traveling to an off-school site, and it will be held for the whole afternoon. We will be traveling there on Monday morning, so that you may be more accustomed to the site.

Due to the nature of this exam, special instructors are called in to supervise you. These special instructors are highly trained individuals, and have been supervising exams like these for years. Now then, the rules of the exam will be displayed on the monitor, as well as your tablets."

The rules and contents for the exam pop up on the screen as well as our tablets, and she starts going over the rules. I looked down on my tablet, and tried to make sense of all of them.

=
LINE OF FIRE
=

R ULES:

- Two classes will clash head on.

- The goal is to eliminate all the enemies in the opposing class.

- Eliminating a person would earn the individual 5 class points.

- If a person has eliminated 5 people, the point value of the person increases to 10 class points.

- If a person has eliminated 10 people, the point value of that person increases to 15 class points.

- If a person has eliminated 15 people, the point value of that person increases to 20 class points.

- If a person is eliminated, the points they earned from eliminations will be nullified.

- The winning class will be awarded with 100 class points, as well as the points earned by the remaining players from eliminating their enemies.

=

This was interesting. Increasing an individual's point value would actually puts a target on their back. This also tell the opposing class that this person is dangerous, and needs to be dealt with quickly.

Let's say Karma ends up eliminating 15 people. Not only would he have a 20 class point bounty on his head, but it would just make eliminating him the opposing class's top priority. Additionally, if he gets eliminated and we ended up winning, the points he earned won't be tallied up with the 100 class points earned as the prize for the class.

Hypothetically speaking, let's say our whole class ended up winning, and not losing anyone in the process. If one elimination is worth 5 class points, then the most a whole class could get, assuming that class itself suffered no eliminations, would be 200 class points. Additionally, there's also the extra 100 class points awarded as a prize for winning the whole event.

Racking my brain, thinking of multiple scenarios on how things may go, it's actually possible for a person to just not participate. Those with low physical capabilities can very much take a step back and let the more physically oriented individuals do all, if not most of the work. If a class wins, and suffers no eliminations, taking a step back won't really do anything. The only difference it makes is a loss of manpower.

On paper, it does seem bad, but the worse one is at athletics, they may prove to be too much of a hindrance instead. If anyone of them manage to get any elimination, it's probably best for them not to exceed 5 eliminations so that a target won't be placed on their back. Once they reach, four eliminations at most, they should just go hide to not have the points they earned be nullified from getting eliminated.

We could also just use those people as meat shields. They won't eliminate any enemies, but they'll serve as fodder for the ones doing the eliminating.

Chabashira-sensei continued to explain, and I continued to go over the next set of rules.

=

- Two students from each class will be given a bounty of 500k private points each. That bounty will increase by 500k points every hour, until either all the enemies are eliminated, or they themselves are eliminated. These two will be selected randomly, and will be revealed to all, including the opposing class.

- Those with bounties marked on them will receive a 1.5x multiplier in the amount of points in eliminations.

- If their class comes out as the victor, their total points earned will be rounded up.

- If those marked with bounties are eliminated within the first 20 minutes, they will be expelled.

=

I see. Looking at these set of rules, this is probably Tsukishiro's way of having either me or Karma expelled, if not either, then both. This attempt seems more like an act of desperation.

I alone was already difficult for him to handle. With Karma being my ally, expelling me might just be a pipe dream for him unless he's willing to compromise his position. I'm pretty sure Tsukishiro could care less if he kept his job or not. Afterall, his primary objective is getting me expelled, and returning me to the White Room. That, and not disappointing that man. Everything else is secondary.

Even though it says the bounties will be selected by a randomizer, I speculate that it'll only be true for the other classes. There's no doubt in my mind that both myself and Karma will be selected as the wielder of the bounties. Tsukishiro's basically forcing me to either go all out, or exert some amount of effort.

I looked to Karma, and he too seems to share the same thought. We could probably hide it out for the first 20 minutes, but that's not his style. Karma likes getting in on the action, so hiding it out is out of the question for him. We communicate through eye contact, and our conversation pretty much goes like:

'This will be interesting. No way I'm gonna hide, and you better not either.'

'This is too troublesome for either of us. I don't want to have to deal with potentially 40 students coming after me.'

'What are you worried about? You're the masterpiece of the White Room, and I'm a former White Room student now trained assassin.'

'I don't want to stand out.'

'Too late, but suit yourself. I'm getting my fun.'

Or at least, that's how I imagine it would be. Looking over these rules, leaving out the bounties can either be a good, or a bad thing for the opposing side. This will all depend on who the bounty is set on.

Let's say the exam goes on for 5 hours. If that happens, then the value of our bounties will be 3,000,000 private points in total. If they choose to be selfish, they may as well leave us alone for a while in order to increase the value of the bounty, and strike us once it's large enough to their liking.

However, depending on the individual holding it, leaving them alone for too long may become a detriment. If highly trained, and highly athletic individuals like Sudo, Albert, or Koenji hold the bounty, it would probably be best to start eliminating them ASAP; ideally when the value of the bounty grows to 1M or 1.5M in total. That's still a large amount of points, and I'm sure anyone would be glad to have it.

If left alone for too long, the highest possible amount of points a person with a bounty can earn through eliminations would be 300. Add that with the 100 class points as the prize for the whole class and you get 400 class points. This was of course assuming that the ones with the bounties are doing all the eliminating.

On the other hand, if the one holding it is a class leader, like Ryuen or Ichinose, or a key figure in their class, like Kanzaki, Yousuke, or Kitou, eliminating them in the first 20 minutes, would be a huge blow to the class. If either of them get eliminated in that time frame, they will not only get expelled, but their respective classes also a vital member.

Yousuke is our class's mediator. Losing him means we lose someone, who can resolve conflicts. Kanzaki is Class C's sub-leader. His value in his class is second only to Ichinose. Losing him would be a huge deal. Kitou is Class A's top martial artist. Losing him would mean losing a lot of Class A's fighting power. As for Ichinose, Ryuen, Horikita, and Sakayanagi, losing them would mean their class loses it's leader.

The atmosphere in the class shifted into a gloomy one. People were praying that they won't receive the bounty. I looked over at Yousuke, and he looks shaken up. However, despite that, he's also showing some determination.

Indeed, after Yamauchi's expulsion, Yousuke became depressed, and pushed everyone around him away. Something like even just a conflict within the class is enough to break him. However, I no longer got that from him. Even though he's shaken up from the possibility of expulsion, he's also showing strong signs of determination.

He's accepted the fact that his role is vital in the class. He knows that if he crumbles, so will the class. He's determined to not let this get in his head. On top of that, he's also now slowly opening up to our other classmates in order to share his problems, so that they won't keep building up inside him, and breaking him in the process.

In this class, his and Horikita's presence is vital in keeping the class going, and maintaining its morale, so he knows he can't repeat his past mistake. He really took my advice to heart, and I'm glad for him.

=

- To eliminate an opponent, strike them once with your weapon coated with your team's respective paint. If you land a hit on them and have your paint on them, they are eliminated.

- Each student is equipped with gear (plastic knives, air guns, plastic katanas, transceivers, etc.). The close close combat weapons will be laced with the individual's respective paint color.

- Each team will be given a team color.

- If a person is eliminated, the points they earned through eliminating opponents will be negated, and won't be received if their class is the victor.

- The exam duration will be from 1pm to 5 pm. In the event that there are still remaining students in the opposing side remaining, a sudden deathmatch will be called. All students will gather in one area, and they will battle until one class remains victorious.

- Trained professionals will be supervising throughout the exam to avoid cheating.

=

(Karma POV)

How interesting. This exam is similar to our Class E Civil War, that we had during our last year of Junior High. The memories of that day started flooding in. How nostalgic.

That year was truly unforgettable. Would I be able to make similar memories here as well? Guess we'll have to see.

It seems I can finally put my training to use. I already know what weapon, or weapons I'll be going for. I look over at my seatmate. I wonder if he's gonna be picking that?. That, was one of the things I can never best him at. If he chooses that, then all hell would break lose, though, given his reaction a while ago, he's probably gonna try and find a place to hide.

*sigh* What a shame. If he went all out, people would definitely be surprised. I wonder if I can make him?

=

- The one with the most eliminations from the class victor will be given one protection point, and 2M private points. 2nd most eliminations in the winning class will be given 1M private points, and 3rd most eliminations will be given 500k private points. In the case of a tie, they will duel to secure one point above the other, but the loser will not have their points negated.

=

(Ayanokoji POV)

I see. So even if the class wins, in the end, there can only be one true victor. This was probably Nagumo's idea.

As for the prizes, they really put in an incentive so that students would rise to the top. If this was truly Nagumo's idea for turning this school into a true meritocracy, then he's got the right idea.

The 2M private points are already very good, but the real treasure is the protection point. I wonder who in this class would be the victor? I would actually like to see Koenji get serious. On the other hand, it may not be a good idea to let him have the protection point. If he has it, then it gives him more reason not to cooperate.

=

- If a class does not have 40 students, a student will be given more point value to make up for less participants.

- If by some reason a student cannot participate due to ill health, or is absent, the class will lose 10 class points as a penalty, while also having another classmate have their point value doubled.

- If it turns out that a student's reason for their absence is invalid, they will be expelled, and their class loses 50 class points.

=

They're basically telling us to take care of ourselves, so that we won't become a liability. It seems Koenji's not getting out of this one. I'm wondering about Sakayanagi's case. She can't really do anything about her condition. As if she were an Esper, Chabashira-sensei cleared it up for us.

"Of course there are exceptions for students with disabilities like Sakayanagi from class A. They won't have to participate. To compensate for that however, one of their classmates will start off with a point value of 10, but at the same time their class won't lose any class points."

I believe that's fair. Although, with Sakayanagi out of the picture, I wonder how Class A will function in this exam. Without a leader to guide them, this could be the perfect opportunity to strike them.

"That'll be it for the rules. Are there any questions?" Chabashira-sensei asked, looking towards the class. My neighbor to my right, Horikita, was the first to raise her hand.

"Yes? What it is Horikita?"

"Sensei, about the bounties. When will they be revealed?"

"They'll be revealed tomorrow, to both you and other classes."

"Sensei, what happens if a classmate gets injured and unable to continue in the middle of the exam?"

"They'll be forced to withdraw, and their points will be negated. In addition, if the injury was caused by the opposing class with the intent other than what the exam permits, the opposing class will be severely penalized by losing class points. The weight of the penalty will be up to the ones who will supervise the exam.

Don't worry about the supervisors. They are the same ones who handled previous exams like these. The main difference now is that they will have a new commander, but all of them will still be effective nonetheless. "

If there's a new commander, there's also the possibility that 'that man' could have sent them in order to bring me back by force.

"Sensei, I have a question." This time the person who spoke up was Karma. This caught everyone by surprise.

"Yes Akabane. What is it?"

"Who are these 'trained professionals' exactly?"

"In addition to my answer to Horikita's question, these trained professionals are highly trained soldiers. They've served under military and special forces for years. This year though, there will also be a new commander. Their new commander works for The Ministry of Defense, as well the Japan Air Self-Defense Force."

As she said that, Karma's eyes widened. It seems he has an idea about who this new person is. I wonder if...

"Sensei, is there a way to revoke the expulsion?"

"Yes Horikita. 20M private points, and the expulsion will be revoked by the school."

"I see. That's all I have to ask."

"Are there any more questions?"

Chabashira-sensei asked, but it seems no one is giving a response. It seems they got all the information they need.

"If no one's gonna ask, then I will end the lecture right here. You may use the remaining time to strategize. Remember the exam will take place next week. So you only have until the end of this week in order to prepare. That'll be all."

With that, Chabashira-sensei leaves the room, and both Horikita and Yousuke went up to the podium. Surprisingly, Koenji actually stayed. Horikita gathered everyone's attention, and started the class meeting.

(Change of Writing Style (still Ayanokoji POV))

Horikita: "We don't have much time to prepare for this exam. This exam will be a big test on our physical capabilities, and right we lack people who excel in athletics. I would like everyone to take part in a training session starting later today at 5pm after class."

Hirata: "Sudo-kun, Miyake-kun, I'd like to ask you guys to help facilitate in the class's training."

Sudo: "Wait, you're asking us? Well, I can help, but..."

Sudo said this with frown. He was hesitant in training the class. Not because he didn't want to, but because he felt like he let the class down after our loss in last year's Sports Festival.

Hirata: "I get your reason for being hesitant. You felt like you let the class down after our loss in the sports festival."

Sudo: "Well... yeah..."

Hirata: "However, it's also because of you that our class was able to train for the sports festival. If you hadn't helped out, the damage could have been worse."

Horikita: "On top of that, the reason for our loss was because of Ryuen-kun's cheap tricks. So please, the fault doesn't have to be your burden. It's also my fault for not seeing through his trickery."

Sudo: "Suzune... Alright, I'll do it!"

Horikita: "Thank you Sudo-kun."

After that defeat, Sudo's now more determined than ever to make up for his past mistake. He truly has grown. Out of everyone in this class, Sudo's the one with the most growth. I'd say maybe even more than Horikita.

Hirata: "Miyake-kun, do you have any objections?"

Miyake: "Well if Sudo's gonna help out, I have no reason to refuse. Besides, I also want to help my friends."

Hirata: "Thank you. I was also hoping that both of you can aid in training for combat. Since this exam will be heavily combat oriented, I was hoping you could pass on your knowledge in combat and marksmanship to the rest of the class."

Miyake: "I'm only really good at archery though. I don't know how good I'll be with a gun."

Horikita: "Can you at least try it out and see where you go from there?"

Miyake: "I guess I could. If it's marksmanship, then it might translate over."

Horikita: "Thank you. It's very much appreciated. On that note, Onodera-san, can I ask you to also help me facilitate the training for the girls?"

Onodera: "I'm not trained in martial arts though. I don't know how much help I'll be."

Horikita: "That's fine. I just need you to help out with the basics, like endurance training, and agility. I'll take care of martial arts on the girls side."

Hirata: "Great. So we'll have Horikita-san handling the martial arts training for the girls, with Onodera-san handling the regular training for the girls. As for the boy, I'll take care of the basic training, and leave the martial arts training to Sudo-kun and Miyake-kun. "

Sudo: "Uh, wait Hirata!"

Hirata: "What is it?"

Sudo: "It's true I can fight, but I'm no expert. I'm not trained in martial arts at all."

Hirata: "That'll be fine. It's not like the other classes are gonna be experts in martial arts themselves either. Besides, you just need to land one hit with your weapon, and they'll be out."

Horikita: "He's right. The ones we really do have to look out for are Ryuen-kun, Albert-kun, Ishizaki-kun and Ibuki-san from Class B, and Kito-kun from Class A. Ideally, we would want to go up against Class C, since they don't have a lot of good fighters, but there's no guarantee. The worst case scenario would be going up against B, considering not only do they have a lot of good fighters, but they may also employ underhanded tactics."

Sudo: "GAH! *sigh* No need to remind me."

It's true though. From what I know, the only ones to really look out for in Class C are Shibata, and Kanzaki. I'm not quite sure with Ichinose. I don't see her as a fighter.

Hirata: "I can understand your frustrations, but like Horikita-san said, it's no guarantee we get them as our opponents."

Horikita: "It would also be ideal for us to go against Class A, since they won't have Sakayanagi-san taking command. They're coordination would most definitely be shaken up."

Ike: "Hey, aren't we gonna do something about the bounties? You know, how to protect them for 20 minutes?"

Horikita: "We'll have to wait for tomorrow and see who the bounties are. Our strategy for protecting them will depend on what their capabilities are."

Ike: "Oh, I see."

Horikita: "We'll finalize our strategy tomorrow after the bounties are announced. For now, please everyone show up for later's training."

Koenji: "HA HA HA! It seems that I won't be needed for this afternoon's training then."

Sudo: "Hey Koenji, didn't you hear what Suzune said?!"

Koenji: "I heard her loud and clear Red Haired-kun, and like I said, I won't be needed to take part."

Sudo: "WHA-?!"

Horikita: "Sudo-kun! That's enough. Just leave him be."

Sudo hesitantly gives in to Horikita's order, and sits back down. As soon as he does that, Koenji stands up and is about to leave, but Horikita calls out to him.

Horikita: "Koenji-kun, just a minute. I have a proposal."

Koenji: "Oh? And what would that be Horikita-girl?"

Horikita: "A bet. If our class wins, and you come in first place in the most eliminations, you won't need to participate in any exams from here on until graduation, but if you don't get the most eliminations, you'll have no choice but to seriously participate in any exams moving forward."

Koenji: "My, my. What an interesting proposal Horikita-girl. What makes you think that I'll accept?"

Horikita: "You call yourself 'perfect' don't you? If that's the case, then why don't you back up those claims in this exam? If you win, we won't bother you anymore, and the class points earned you through eliminations will be more than enough for us."

She's trying to provoke him in order to get him to agree. If this works, Koenji may just take the top spot in this exam. Whether that's a good or a bad thing though is up for debate.

Koenji: "Hmm... Those 2,000,0000 private points, and 1 protection point prizes do seem tempting."

Horikita: "One more thing before you make your decision. If you choose to take part in this bet, you'll have to show up for training later. Also, if you win, I'll protect you in case of another exam like the Class Poll Exam, just in case you also lose your protection point. How does that sound?"

Koenji closes his eyes and pauses for a second. His smile widens, then he beings laughing. I'm not gonna lie, his laugh a bit creepy. Maybe not as much as Sakayanagi's or Ryuen's, but still creepy nonetheless.

Koenji: "Very well Horikita-girl. I accept your proposal. Just know that I won't participate in later today's training, but I will show up, and know that my victory is set in stone."

Horikita: "You won't win, but I look forward to your performance."

Koenji: "HA HA HA HA! It doesn't matter how much you doubt me Horikita-girl. I will show you why I am the perfect existence."

With that, Koenji left. Horikita ended the meeting, and everyone got up to leave for their lunches. I was gonna ask Karma if he'd like to have lunch with me and the Ayanokoji Group, but he brought up something interesting.

"I want to discuss something with you in private."

"Private?"

"You know my character. I think you have an idea of what I have in mind." He says this with a devious smile. I already know where this was going.

"Alright then. Same place as to where we had lunch first then."

I messaged the Ayanokoji group, that Karma wants to discuss something in private with me, and that we'll have lunch elsewhere, while also reassuring them I'll have him join us next time, to which he agrees. They've actually wanted to get to know him for some time now, since he and I were close. We got up and left for the rooftop. If I'm right, things might just get interesting...

Hello. It's currently 2:50 am as I'm writing this. I just managed to finish writing this chapter. It ended up being longer than expected, and my left hand wants to give out. As soon as I finished two of my projects for uni today, I ended up going ham writing this chapter. Before people say, get some rest, this is my rest. Anyway, I ended up going through so many drafts about the rules for the exam. A lot of my previous drafts were just so unnecessarily complicated, so I kept changing up the exam until I got to this one. This was probably like my fifth iteration, and I'm glad it ended up the way it is.

Once I post this, I'll unpublish the "THOUGHTS" page, where I asked for some opinions about the rules. Shout-out to ShayakMitra for suggesting the idea to have the bounty increase per hour. My previous idea in getting more people to target Karma and Kiyotaka was honestly too complicated to an unnecessary degree, this idea of theirs (idk their gender, nor preference) really helped out.

Next chapter, we'll see a bit of Karma in action, so look forward to that. Anyways I'mma sleep now. Bye!

Vol. 2, Chapter 2 - An Assassin's Blade

Part 1

(Ayanokoji POV)

After Karma discussed his plan with me during lunch, we headed back to the classroom, and class resumed as usual. The last period of the afternoon ended, and everyone got up, headed for the locker rooms to change in to their PE uniforms, and headed for the open field. Horikita and Yousuke began taking charge, and instructed everyone on what to do.

On the girls' side, Onodera began instructing the girls for their warm-ups. For the boys, Yousuke and Sudo too began instructing everyone in their warm-ups. Everyone participated, except Koenji, who is seated on a nearby bench looking at his own reflection in the mirror.

Once warm-ups were done, we all moved on to our cardiovascular endurance training. We jogged a couple of laps around the field. For myself, Karma, and a few others, it wasn't much of a problem. On the other hand, Keisei, the Professor, Miyamoto, and a few others were lagging behind. We moved on to work on our upper extremities, then our core extremities, and lastly our lower extremities.

Next up was combat. For this one, Horikita was handling the girls, with Onodera assisting her every now and then. For the boys, Sudo and Akito were the ones in charge. Earlier I asked Karma why he didn't say anything about combat training, and he gave me two reasons. One, he wanted to be able to see first what the others are capable of, and second, I might've been dragged along.

Akito and Sudo first worked on everyone's foot work. In combat, proper foot work is important because of three reasons. One, makes us hit harder. Second, it puts us in a position to hit. Third, it gets us out of danger.

Footwork makes us hit harder by allowing us to throw our body weight behind our punches and kicks. It puts us in a position to hit by allowing to move and zone to the areas where the opening may be available. Lastly it gets us out of danger by allowing us to move and evade any incoming attacks.

Of course in this exam, the goal is to land a hit on enemies using our weapons. Once they've been tagged by our paint-laced weapons, they're out. This was for close quarters combat. It will be very different if we were fighting from a distance.

(Karma POV)

I've come to realize how few competent people there are in this class. There are so few students who could even be considered to be well-rounded, and those who can prove themselves to be competent specialize in one area, but lack in others; or their area of expertise is too specific, or situational. This was evident when Horikita-san had to resort to drastic measures in order to get Koenji-kun to actually make use of his abilities. She herself recognizes, that not only would Koenji-kun's cooperation be vital in reaching Class A, but that there are so few competent individuals in this class.

If we're gonna go off the list of those who are well-rounded, we have Hirata-kun, Horikita-san, Kushida-san, Koenji-kun, Kiyo, and myself. However, there's an issue with this. For one, both of these well-rounded individuals are the class leaders. Another is Kushida-san, who is a two-faced, delusional child. Koenji-kun, and Kiyo don't use their abilities. Lastly, there's me. If I'm being honest, I'd rather the class not rely on me too much if they're gonna reach class A. Kiyo also shares this same sentiment, and is one of the reasons why he doesn't make full use of his abilities, other than not wanting to stand out of course.

Those who specialize in one area though severely lag behind in other areas. For one, there's Yukimura-kun, whose strong point is hi academic ability, but lags behind in athletics, and Sudo-kun, who lacks in academics. However, according to Kiyo, Sudo-kun's getting better in academics, going from an E to a C in just a year. If he keeps going like this, he could become on par with the likes of Hirata-kun, and Horikita-san.

There's also more unique cases like Ike-kun, and Sotomura-kun. The former is good in survival settings, while the latter is good with computers. Their area of expertise is too specific and situational, that they won't be of much use until there's an exam that calls for it. I don't even get me started on their OAA evaluation.

I remember two things, that Korosensei taught us last year.

'Those who cannot wield a second blade aren't worthy of being called assassins.'

and

'The greater the assassin, the broader their skill set.'

If these people are gonna want to get to Class A, they need to start developing their other areas. Sudo-kun is already on that path, so that's good. Yukimura-kun needs to work on his physical assessment. Sure, studying hard is good, but so is keeping shape. When I say start developing other areas, I need developing them, even when exams aren't gonna happen. I see a lot of my classmates who aren't doing too well in this training. This proves that they won't train, or even study better unless an exam is announced.

My previous Class E too once suffered from this, but we all developed our blades, made it all to the top 50, and even took on full-fledged soldiers.

Perhaps the biggest problem for this class is their overreliance our class leaders, and Horikita-san's overreliance on Kiyo. Only few people recognize Kiyo as this class's true mastermind. Seriously, it doesn't take a genius to figure that out; just look at his relationship with this class's leaders, as well as other class's leaders. Going back to the class leaders, if either one of them goes down, the class would be helpless, unless Kiyo decides to step in. If Hirata-kun crumbles, or if Horikita-san is defeated, they all crumble.

As for strategies, no one other than Kiyo here possesses the strategic ingenuity that can match the cunningness of either Ryuen-kun, and Sakayanagi-san. Kiyo told me that Horikita-san is much too confident with her strategies, despite all of them having so many holes. Proof of that is the presence of Kushida-san, whom she believes it is in her best interest to keep her around instead of cutting her off.

There's also a lack of cohesion. If I were to summarize the reason for this class's lack of cohesion in one word, it would be 'Kushida'. She already divides the class by trying to turn them against Kiyo, despite the other leaders backing him up. They're mad at them for holding back. Have they not realized the consequence if he were to go all out in his grades? Him getting perfect marks all the time is a double edge sword. On one hand, we'd get more class points. On the other, that would raise the average, and a lot of people, including some of his friends, would get expelled. I too have too hold back to an extent in order to avoid that, although, getting rid of some of our worse students wouldn't be so bad, and that would motivate the survivors. However, I too would rather avoid expulsions.

If I were to measure this class's overall strength, at least 90% of it would be Kiyo, myself, and surprisingly Koenji-kun, if he ever decides to get serious. Take us out, and the others can just stick to dreaming about Class A.

Part 2

(Ayanokoji POV)

The first day of training ended, and the next day came. Today, our opponents will be announced, as well as the bounties on each side. Horikita said that the strategy in protecting the targets will depend on the capabilities of the individual. However, I have a single premonition on who the bounties in this class are.

I sat on my seat thinking about later today. Karma told me his plan. Although it was reckless, it might actually just improve our odds at winning. Speak of the devil. Just as I was just thinking about him, he arrived. He made his way over to his seat, and turned to me.

"You ready?" he asked first with some excitement in his voice.

"You sure about this?"

"I realized that this class lacks what it needs to win if we're taken out of the picture."

"So you intend to take matters in to your own hands."

"Just for now at least. I want to give them a feel of what it's like when they can't rely on us, and their leaders."

Listening in to our conversation beside me, Horikita spoke up.

"What are you two talking about?"

"Oh. Just a plan I came up with to increase our odds at winning."

"A plan?"

"Karma went through something similar to this exam. He's rather experienced. He even took command of his unit."

"I've actually wanted to ask you to assist in our training, Akabane-kun, however I didn't want to just suddenly burden you with that kind of responsibility since you're new."

"Yesterday you seem to made it a big deal that we lack people who specialize in combat. If you didn't want to ask me, why not just ask Kiyo?"

"Because I know he won't agree to my request."

"Really? You didn't even ask him."

It's true. Despite seeing me fight twice, no, thrice now, she left me out in helping the class improve their combat prowess, because she knows I won't agree. However, I do have a reason for wanting to help this time around. All she had to do was ask.

"There's no need for that." she responded to Karma's comment.

"Like Karma said, Horikita. You didn't even ask me. You never know, I might actually agree."

"Alright then, how about I ask now? Will you help train the class for this exam?"

She probably thought we were messing with her, and was expecting me to turn her down. However, my response caught her by surprise.

"I don't mind at all. As long as I have Karma as my partner for instructing the class, and that he does all the talking of course."

"..."

Horikita stared at me for a good few seconds with her jaw dropped, and Karma stared at her with a devious look.

"...hey, why do you suddenly want to take charge, and help out?"

"What do you mean? I'm part of this class, aren't I?"

"Don't play dumb. This isn't like you. I can't help, but think that there's an ulterior motive."

Of course she would say that. Well, it's not like she's wrong.

"Suit yourself. Just know I'm open to helping out. So is he, however, we're a package deal."

Horikita paused for a moment, trying to make sense of my sudden change.

"Before I have you help instruct the class, I have to ask. What's your reason for wanting to help out?"

I pause before giving her a response.

"People change. So have you."

"But, you've always been stubborn in insisting that you don't want to stand out. If you do this, people are gonna start questioning it. In their eyes, you've always been recluse."

"I'm pretty sure my math score, my involvement with Yousuke, as well as Karma's recurring stunts on me may have given others an eye opener. There's almost no use in hiding it, at least not completely."

"Not completely? No forget that. What's your reason for doing this? What changed?"

Do I tell her my reason? It's a long term plan, and she may not agree to a part of it.

"I can tell you that my reasons are a bit selfish. I'm not doing this with the goal of reaching Class A in mind, but I also don't want the class to view me in a bad light. You, Yousuke, and Karuizawa have defended me enough."

Although it wasn't a complete lie, it wasn't my ultimate goal. Just an excuse for something else down the line.

"...well, I guess you have a point, but I can't help but feel that there's something else going on. "

As expected, Horikita wasn't so easily fooled. I racked my brain for a response that would be appropriate for this situation. One so iron clad, that, no matter how many times she pesters me for an answer, she'll be forced to accept it.

"Who knows?"

Unhappy with my response, she was about to inquire further, but gave up as soon as she realizes it was hopeless.

I looked back at Karma, and he went back to reading his book. I was curious to what he was reading, so I checked the cover.

'The Lesser Key of Solomon'

If I were a normal person, no, actually, normal or not, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near him right now. I get we're called demons, but I still think this might be a bit much.

"Just so you know, this isn't mine. I ran into Amasawa-san on the way. We chatted for a bit, and she lent it to me, even though I never asked her for it."

"What was the reason why she lent it to you?"

"For your next indoor date."

"..."

I sat there in silence after listening to his response. Amasawa's reasoning was incredibly outlandish.

"This book is actually quite fascinating. Want to have a read?"

"No thank you. While I don't believe in the supernatural, I'm still not reading it. I have my hands full with a bunch of books from Hiyori."

I showed him my bag, which contained three different books from Dorothy Slayers, that Hiyori lent me.

Strong Poison
Clouds Witness
Hangman's Holiday

"Good picks. Well alright. Suit yourself."

As he went back to reading, I picture Kei's reaction once Karma starts chanting weird invocations.

Chabashira sensei enters the room, and steps onto the podium. Before she says anything, she sees the book Karma is reading. She stares at it for a bit, concerned.

'Yeah, you aren't the only one.'

No one else noticed this, but myself and him. He puts the book away, and prepares to listen attentively to her.

Chabashira sensei clears her throat and begins.

"As you all know, today we will be announcing who your opponents will be, as well as who the bounties are set on."

Chabashira sensei switches to the monitor and displays which class we will be going up against, as well as who the bounties are set on.

=

LINE OF FIRE MATCHES

CLASS A vs CLASS C

CLASS B vs CLASS D

=

BOUNTIES

CLASS A:

Kito Hayato
Machida Koji

CLASS B:

Ibuki Mio
Albert Yamada

CLASS C:

Shibata So
Ninomiya Yui

CLASS D:

Akabane Karma
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka

=

It seems we were right. Not only did they rig it so that Karma and I would be the bounties, but they also rigged it by having us face a class known for a lot of combative people. On top of that, they set Class B's bounties as Ibuki and Albert.

Ibuki may be physically weaker than Ryuen, but given her build, she's more agile. This exam favors agility and mobility over strength, so she would definitely have an easier time getting around as opposed to someone like Albert.

Speaking of Albert, there's really nothing more to say. The only problem with him really is his mobility. He's a tank, but that also mean he's not gonna have an easy time getting around unlike Ibuki.

For our class, it should be apparent to people that Karma is no slouch. His physical ability in the OAA is A, the same as Sudo's. Only few people have As in their OAAs, let alone in physical ability. Not only that, I heard from Horikita that both Akito and Sudo recognized Karma's martial arts, just from seeing his brief antics at me.

I looked to Karma, he didn't look worried one bit. In fact, he was brimming with excitement. If I'm being honest, I was actually looking forward to his performance.

Kushida meanwhile, would take this opportunity to take us out. If she does try and take Karma out, then she's barking at the wrong tree. My deal with her and Horikita doesn't apply to him. If she tries to strike a deal with Ryuen, I doubt he would ever accept. He would want to take me on himself.

As for Classes A and C, it's safe to say that they were randomized. I don't know much about how good Machida and Ninomoya are, but Shibata is extremely quick on his feet, not to mention agile, and Kito is Class A's best martial artist. If they ever go after those with bounties, it's probably in their best interest not to leave Kito and Shibata out for too long. As for the other two, if their athletics is below average, they may as well leave them alone until they're satisfied with the amount of private points stacked on them.

Hondo: "Well that's gotta suck. Having the new guy be at the risk of expulsion already and all."

Chabashira: "Indeed, but it can't be helped. This was done via a randomizer. How you proceed with your plans is up to you. Now, let me explain some additional things that weren't clarified before.

If the person who eliminates the bounty gets eliminated themselves, and/or if their class loses, they will still receive the private points regardless of the outcome.

Those marked with bounties can eliminate the enemy bounties as well. Additionally, they will receive a 7 minute head start before anyone else, but that won't be counted in their 20 minute time period. Lastly, not only will the person holding the bounty be expelled, if they're eliminated in the first 20 minutes, but the class they're from will also lose 100 class points."

I see. This was probably added by Tsukishiro after realizing how important it would be to just let the value of the bounty grow. This also gives the opponent to chose whether they value the private points, or making the opposing class lose class points. One bounty is equivalent to -100 class points. If both are eliminated, they may as well be stuck in Class D for a long time. Quite an effective play.

"The bounties will also wear a different attire from the rest of their group, in order to distinguish them from the rest. Now that's that for the additional rules."

There are probably some loopholes one may exploit, but we'll handle that later along the line.

"Now then. I believe your next period after this is PE right? The school has actually allowed students to make use of their homeroom, and PE period for training for this special exam. The teachers assigned to you in that period, those being myself and your PE teacher, will still supervise you, however, we aren't allowed to interfere.

Your perform in your practices will determine your grade for that subject for that day. If you wish, you may begin planning out for this special exam. You can make use of the classroom, or you can head outside so that you can proceed with your training. Either way, I will accompany you to your chosen venue."

With that, Horikita spoke up.

"Sensei, if I may?"

"Go ahead Horikita."

"Thank you. Everyone, since homeroom is the first period for every class, I propose we head over to the open field so that we may occupy it first. We will hold our meeting there. Do any of you say otherwise?"

The class unanimously agreed to Horikita's proposal. Everyone got up, head for the locker rooms, changed in to their PE attire, and heads for the open field. On the way, Karma and Horikita made a request for Chabashira sensei.

Part 2

After Horikita does a headcount to make sure everyone is present, she begins the strategy meeting.

"Everyone, I said yesterday that our strategy in protecting the bounties will depend on their capabilities. Right now, the bounties in our class are Ayanokoji-kun, and Akabane-kun. Akabane-kun's physical ability is an A. The only other person who has that in our year is Sudo-kun. On top of that, he too is well-versed in martial arts. On the other hand, Ayanokoji-kun's physical ability is a B-. However, as I've said on Akabane-kun's first day in Class D, I have seen Ayanokoji-kun spar twice. The OAA can't often account for everything, which is why his prowess in martial arts aren't reflected in his OAA."

Karuizawa: "Horikita-san, your saying that there might not be a need to protect them at all."

Horikita: "That's not what I'm saying remember, not only will they be expelled if they get eliminated in the first 20 minutes, but we also lose a lot of class points. I said that our strategy would depend on their capabilities, right? Seeing as how knowledgeable these two are at martial arts, we may no longer need to exert so much force on our defense past the 20 minute mark. For the first 20 minutes, I propose we have both of them hide it out at a high ground, and have 5 of our classmates guard them each. They will serve as a look out for them, then they'll distract the opposing side until Akabane-kun and Ayanokoji-kun can get to a safe distance."

Understandable. Having five guard is each can increase our chances at staying in the game.

Kushida: "Horikita-san, are they just gonna hide and run for 20 minutes?"

Horikita: "I understand why you may think that, but like I said, because of their capabilities, we don't need to exert too much effort in defense. Both of them will also be on the offensive, however, they must maintain stealth at all costs. I would prefer if both you stick to shooting your opponents from a distance."

Matsushita: "Wouldn't it be too obvious if they're always being followed around by the same group?"

Horikita: "That's why I would want there to be a shift in people who will guard them, should they get away. For example, at first, Ayanokoji-kun will be guarded by myself, Miyake-kun, Onodera-san, Hirata-kun, and Kushida-san. Once he's spotted by the enemy, he will flee from the area with the 5 of us will make sure to either eliminate them, or keep them at a safe distance. Once Ayanokoji-kun gets away, he will rendezvous with the next group that will serve as his guards, and reports his status to the previous group."

Kushida: "I see, if that's the case, then I don't have a problem with it.

Matsushita: "This question doesn't really matter, but if I may ask, what would happen if the ones with the bounties aren't physically gifted?"

Horikita: "We increase the number of people guarding them to 10, and have them be guarded in a far off location; away from the enemy's starting point."

There were holes with both plans, but I kept quiet.

Horikita then assigned who the first 5 will guard me, and the next first 5 to guard Karma. She went on to further explain how the closest people to my direction will respond to become my next set of body guards.

Horikita: "Now that I went over everything, does anyone have anything to ask before we begin with our training?"

No one responded. Seems everyone agrees to the plan. However, Kushida might still act, seeing as how this is the perfect opportunity to kill two bird with one stone.

Horikita: "Before we start, I have something else to say."

Sudo: "What is it Suzune?"

Horikita motions for me and Karma to move closer. Karma walks forward, but I refuse to move from my spot. I don't want to stand in front of a lot of people.

Horikita: "Akabane-kun, and Ayanokoji-kun will also help facilitate in combat training."

Murmurs could be heard from everyone. While they have no problems with Karma doing it, they probably didn't expect me to play a part.

Miyamoto: "This is suspicious. I get Akabane, but would Ayanokoji really do it?"

Horikita: "He agreed to it."

Random D: "Yeah but, what's his reason? It's weird for him to just suddenly take charge like that."

Horikita: "So was I, but he explained to me his reasons."

Hirata: "It's understandable for you to be confused by it, but like we said before, he does have the class's best interest at heart. His approach is just different from the rest of us."

Horikita: "Hirata-kun's right. I already agreed to it, but it won't do us any good if we're going to have misgivings of it."

The others are talking amongst themselves, discussing whether or not this was a good idea.

"I believe him." The first to speak up was not Yousuke nor Horikita, but it was Sudo.

"I believe in Ayanokoji."

Ike: "Really Ken?"

Sudo: "Yeah. If he's gonna instruct alongside Akabane, I'm sure we'll get results."

Hasabe: "We believe him too! Right guys?"

Akito, Airi, and Keisei all agreed with a "yes" from each of them. Soon after, Kei, Matsushita, Sato, and the Professor joined in.

Karma: "If any of you are still against him taking charge, then I'll just tell you right now. For me to train you effectively, I need someone who could keep up with me. I know his capabilities here the best, and we have great synergy. We're also doing this as a form of training for ourselves, considering we're the bounties here. If you don't accept him taking charge, then I'll back down. "

Miyamoto: "HEY! LISTEN HERE YOU! DON'T THINK YOU CAN GO AROUND CALLING THE SHOTS LIKE THAT!"

Random D: "Yeah exactly! You haven't even been with us for that long, and you're acting like you own the place! Who do you think you are?!"

Karma: "Sorry, but I have the backing of this Class's leaders on this. They too understand the situation."

Many of our other classmates joined in on criticizing Karma for his behavior. However, Karma never once lost his cool. He kept his smile as if expecting this to happen. Yousuke tries to calm everyone down, however, before he could, some unexpected visitors show up.

"Kukukukuku. Sounds like a party over here. Mind if we join in?"

"Ryuen-kun, what are you doing here?"

The visitors were none other than Ryuen, Ishizaki, Ibuki, Albert, Hiyori, Komiya, Sakagami sensei, and a few others.

Ryuen: "Don't be like that Suzune. It's not like you own this place."

Sudo: "Well we were here first!"

Ryuen: "Yeah, yeah. So what? No one said it was first come, first serve."

Random D: "Chabashira sensei, you can vouch for us, right?

Chabashira: "Sorry, but I'm just a spectator. This matter should be resolved by your own hands. I will only step in when I deem it necessary."

Sakagami: "The same goes for me."

Ryuen: "And there you have it. Now move it you defects! Unless you want Albert to deal with you?"

Albert steps forward infront of everyone. The atmosphere grew more tense seeing this behemoth of a man cast a shadow on the class.

Karma: "Aha ha ha ha! Well this is quite the turn of events."

Ryuen: "Hm?"

Ryuen turns his direction towards Karma.

Ryuen: "You're the newbie right?"

Karma: "Yup. Akabane Karma desu. So you're Ryuen-kun. I've heard quite a bit about you from my friend here."

Karma says that while pointing to me. Ryuen eyes me for a second, then went back to talking to Karma.

Ryuen: "You talk big for a newbie don't you? When we saw that you were one of the bounties, I went and checked your OAA. An A in physical ability, and A in academics huh? There's not much of that around here, especially in a class full of defects."

Random D: "WHO ARE YOU CALLING DEFECTS?!"

Karma: "Ahahaha. Sure. I do some training here and there."

Ryuen: "Kukukukuku. Alright then newbie. I don't care what you say. If none of you leave, I'll have Albert deal with you himself."

Albert slams both of his fists together and steps forward.

Miyake: "Hey! Stop this!"

Ryuen: "Or what Miyake? Do you seriously think you can take us on? Don't make me laugh."

Hiyori: "Ryuen-kun, I don't think we need to resort to something like this."

Ryuen: "Don't worry about it Hiyori. It won't come to that. Now how about all you run along now huh?."

Ike: "Uh... Horikita?"

Horikita: "...Ryuen-kun, can I at least trust that you won't follow and harass us when we relocate?

Ryuen: "Kukukukuku. What Suzune? You don't trust me? You're gonna break my heart."

"Ugh. Disgusting." says a disgusted Ibuki.

Horikita: "Fine. We will do as you please."

Class D begins to pack up and leave, however,

Karma: "Just a second everyone. There's no need to leave."

Horikita: "What are you doing Akabane-kun?"

Karma: "Relax. Like I said, there's no need to leave."

Horikita: "No, stop this at once-!"

As Horikita was about to stop Karma from causing a scene. I grabbed her arm, and held her back.

Horikita: "Wha-? Ayanokoji-kun?!"

Sudo: "Hey, Ayanokoji. Why are you stopping her?"

I can hear a few more voices of my classmates voicing their displeasure at allowing Karma to do as he pleases. I don't want anyone else to get involved, so I spoke up with looking at any of them.

"This is for your own good. Don't interfere."

Horikita: "What are you-?"

"Horikita, do you trust me?"

Horikita was hesitant. She didn't know what to make of this situation. No one acted since she isn't giving out instructions.

"Do you recall what you said to me when you joined the student council? When you asked me about Karma."

Horikita responded meekly.

"Yeah, but-"

"Then there's nothing to worry about. Trust me."

"...fine. But if things go bad, you will be responsible."

"That's fine."

Karma walks forward towards Ryuen, and stops a few feet away from him.

Ryuen: "Kukukukuku. You've got guts kid. And what do you suppose think will make us not take over this place?"

Karma: "Simple. We won't. You can't make us. Especially me."

Karma said this with an evil grin. The look on his eyes seems more deadly than ever.

Ryuen: "KUKUKUKUKUKU! Oh man! You know, your attitude reminds me of my old self, but aren't you a little overconfident with yourself? Sure you have an A in physical ability, but the OAA doesn't account for everything you know. Tell you what, I'll do you a favor and let you leave with your group. Unless of course you want Albert to knock your lights out Mr. Narcissist."

Karma: "Hmmm? You too sure are confiden. Before anything else, that nickname suits Koenji-kun more. Now, since you called me with such a nickname, I think it's only right to reciprocate. No?"

Ryuen stared at him in confusion. However, I can already tell what he was gonna do.

Karma: "I heard from my friend there that Koenji-kun actually gave you a nice nickname. What was it again? Oh, I think it was 'Dragon-boy', right?"

Koenji: "HAHAHAHAHAHA! Indeed Akabane-boy."

Ryuen's face shifts to an irritated look. He really didn't appreciate being called that nickname.

Ryuen: "Albert."

Albert walks beside Ryuen, yet Karma didn't look fazed one bit.

Horikita: "That's it! I've had enough! Stop this at once!"

Horikita tried to step in, but I held her back. Sudo tried to step in as well, but I looked him in the eye. He seemed to understood what I meant. As a fellow fighter himself, he understood my confidence in Karma. Seeing me overpower Housen must have backed up my belief in the credibility of his strength.

Hasabe: "Hey we should go put a stop to this!"

Sudo: "...no."

Ike: "Ken? You too?"

Sudo: "I believe in Akabane."

Everyone was surprised by this. Everyone looked to the teachers, but they were just observing the situation as we were.

Hirata: "If Sudo-kun, and Kiyotaka-kun believe in Akabane-kun, then I will as well."

It seems Yousuke gets the message, and asks everyone else to back down.

Ryuen: "Don't think we're gonna go easy one you just because you're new."

Ryuen says this with a low, and threatening tone. Karma turns towards the teachers.

Karma: "Chabashira sensei, Sakagami sensei, what happens here is just negotiation. No need to make this into a huge deal."

Chabashira: "If that's what you say..."

Chabashira sensei says this with a concerned tone. Sakagami sensei also shares her take.

Karma: "Dragon boy, why don't we just settle this peacefully, huh? I assure you, I really don't want things to get out of hand."

Ryuen: "Say that again you runt."

Ryuen's voice grew with even more irritation. I spoke up, concerned about Karma.

"Karma, be careful, and don't overdo it."

Shinohara: "Oh so now you show concern for your friend?"

I ignored Shinohara's comment, and continued observing.

Karma: "What's wrong? You really don't like your nickname, Dragon-boy?"

(3rd Person POV)

Ryuen's finally had enough, and both he and Albert rushed at him. As they were each about to throw a punch, an intense aura started oozing out of Karma. Before Albert and Ryuen could realize the change in Karma's aura, he blocked both of their fists with each of his hands.

Karma: "You know, that actually hurt quite a bit."

Everyone, including the teachers and Koenji were watching the scene in disbelief. Not only did this one boy managed to stop the fists of two of class B's strongest people, but the killing intent in the aura he is emanating was being felt by everyone. While Ryuen was trying to make sense of what was going on, especially by Karma's bloodlust, Albert was paralyzed by fear, fear of the possibility of being killed.

Horikita: "H-hey...what's... going on?"

Horikita says this with a terrified tone. Her voice and body were shaking from the fear of Karma. Everyone felt the same way, except Koenji, Ayanokoji, and Ryuen. While they did feel Karma's bloodlust, they weren't afraid. Rather, they were intrigued.

Ike: "H-hey.. did he just?"

Hirata: "Y-yeah..."

Hasabe: "This... this is real right? This isn't like a prank or anything is it?"

Yukimura: "I don't think you could fake their reactions."

Miyake: "Yeah...look at Albert's face."

Ibuki: "H-hey... Ryuen, Albert, you're not shitting around are you?"

Not wasting anymore time holding on to their fists, Karma pulls Ryuen and knees him in the stomach.

"GAAAH!"

Ryuen jolts up from the pain, hold on to his abdomen, and drops to his knees. Albert didn't even react to Ryuen's situation. He was too overcome by fear. Karma then grabs Albert by the collar with both hands and lifts him in the air, before slamming Albert's back hard to the ground. Karma left hand held on to Albert's collar. He raises his right hand and forms a fist with it. He then launches a punch at Albert's face, but stops his fist just inches away from making contact. Albert's face twitched, and his mouth was wide open, quaking. He actually thought he was gonna have his lights knocked out.

Karma: "Hm? Was that all? I'm a little disappointed."

Everyone was stunned by the spectacle before them. Everyone, including the teachers and Koenji, were both amazed, and terrified at the red haired boy. Horikita turns to Ayanokoji and asks him a question.

Horikita: "A...Ayanokoji-kun... Did you know about this?"

Everyone in class D turned to Ayanokoji, but he didn't respond. He remained silent, and continues watching the scene with his unchanging poker face. Deep down though, he started thinking to what Karma said to him when they were catching up.

Ayanokoji: 'So this is what he meant by weaponizing his bloodlust. It so suffocating. Truly a skill befitting an assassin. Karma, while the difference in our strength gives me the edge over you in a physical confrontation, you seem to have omitted quite a few details. This control over your bloodlust is one thing, but what else do you have in store?'

Sudo: 'That guy... I've seen Ayanokoji overpower Housen before, without even changing his expression. I know he's strong, but Akabane took both of them out. Also, what's this feeling of fear I'm getting from watching them? It's like he flipped a switch or something. So this is why Ayanokoji was so confident in him.

Wait a minute...

"If any of you are still against Kiyo taking charge, then I'll just tell you right now. For me to train you effectively, I need someone who could keep up with me. I know his capabilities here the best, and we have great synergy."

Those were Akabane's words. He's not just confident in Ayanokoji, but he sees him as his equal. No, that may not be completely right. Ayanokoji has a habit of hiding things. My gut is telling me that Ayanokoji might actually be stronger than him. What was I thinking back then, saying all those things to him back in our first year? I could've had my skull bashed. I am so glad I didn't end up fighting him back then, and that we became friends.'

Horikita: 'Ayanokoji-kun showed unwavering confidence in Akabane-kun. Given that they have history, to Ayanokoji-kun, this was probably a normal occurrence. What I'm most curious about is this feeling I'm getting from witnessing him. Sure, it's freighting seeing Akabane-kun take down both Albert-kun, and Ryuen-kun, but there's something else about him that I'm afraid of. I can't quite put my finger on it. Thinking back to Ayanokoji-kun's brief scuffle with Nii-san, as well as him dealing with Housen-kun, could it be Ayanokoji-kun could also take down both Ryuen-kun, and Albert-kun, just as Akabane-kun just did? Just what sort of training did these two went through? I really want to know exactly just how strong they are, but we made a deal not to pry in to his life.'

Karuizawa: 'This is strength of his, it's similar to Kiyotaka's. No, Kiyotaka is still probably stronger than him. Still, what is this aura he's giving out? It's like he could kill someone, if he hasn't already. What did these two went through that made them so strong? There's still so much about Kiyotaka, that I don't know about. I want to get to know him more. I could probably ask Akabane-kun, but he probably won't say anything. I just hope that one day, Kiyotaka would open up to me more.'

Ibuki, Hiyori, Ishizaki: "Albert..."

They said this with frightened expression, both from seeing Albert and Ryuen be defeated so easily, and by Karma's display of bloodlust. Ibuki, and Ishizaki both thought back to the rooftop incident. One thing came to mind comparing both incidents then and now: Akabane and Ayanokoji are similar in strength, and getting them both out in this exam won't be easy.

Ryuen looks at Albert lying on the ground, with Akabane's fist just inches from his face. He gets up from his knees, no longer clutching the spot where Akabane kneed him. Karma looked up at Ryuen, never once losing his grin. He lets go of Albert's collar, and removes his fist from his face. He gets up, and stares at Ryuen. Both of them stare at each other, with Karma smiling at him, and once again suppressing his bloodlust. Ryuen looks at Karma intently, analyzing the person in front of him. He then looks behind Karma, and sees Ayanokoji, who is also looking back at him, while holding on to Horikita's arm. He then turns his eye back to Karma, and finally puts everything together.

Ryuen: 'I see. So that's how it is. Well played you monster.'

Ryuen: "Kukukukuku. It seems that, not only can you talk big, but you have the strength to back them up. So you're not just arrogant after all. KUKUKUKU! YOU'RE GONNA BE FUN TO CRUSH!"

Karma: "Oh? Are you gonna do it here right now?"

Ryuen: "Kukukuku. Crushing you would be fun, but I'm not stupid enough to go on with this any further. I once fought a monster similar in strength to you. I ended up losing bad."

Everyone was surprised by this. Ibuki, and Ishizaki twitched at those words, thinking back to Ayanokoji. Horikita glances at Ayanokoji beside her, not moving her head one bit. Ayanokoji notices Horikita glancing at him, but elected to ignore it, meanwhile Karuiazawa thought back to the incident on the rooftop, and remembers Ayanokoji defeating Ryuen and his goons that day.

Karma: "Ahahahaha. This 'monster' you spoke of. It seems you may have overplayed your hand."

Ryuen: "Kukuku. You have no idea."

Ryuen turns his attention to Chabashira and Sakagami. Karma also directs his attention to them.

Ryuen: "Sakagami-sensei, Chabashira-sensei, nothing dramatic happened. I just lost a negotiation to Akabane, and Class D here."

Karma: "Yes. that's right."

Both teachers nodded in response, still bewildered at what just happened.

Ryuen: "Suzune. The open field is yours. This negotiation is my loss."

Class D was surprised to hear Ryuen admit defeat like that.

Horikita: "Very well..."

Karma: "Oh, and just in case you try anything, just know that I have our entire conversation recorded. My friend has his phone set to recording as well."

Karma and Ayanokoji pulls out both of their phones, and revealed their recording of the conversation.

Ryuen: "KUKUKUKU! Well played Akabane! I look forward to crushing you next week's exam!"

Karma: "I'm looking forward for what you have planned. Oh, and Ryuen-kun."

Ryuen: "Hm?"

Karma: "Do come at me like you mean to kill."

Ryuen's eyes widened at the last word Karma said.

Ryuen: "KUKUKUKUKU! NOW THAT'S MORE LIKE IT! Everyone, we're leaving! Ishizaki, help Albert up."

Ishizaki proceeds to help Albert up, and all of Class B and Sakagami walk away from the scene. Karma turns around facing his classmates, and spoke up.

Karma: "Now then, the field is ours. Are we going through with this training or not?"

Everyone was hesitant to say anything. They were all still scared of Karma, apart from Koenji, who became interested in Karma's combat strength. Just then Kushida asked the million dollar question that was on everyone's mind.

Kushida: "Akabane-kun, who are you?"

Karma: "That it is a very good question, Kushida-san. To that I say, I am merely someone looking out for my class, and also to amuse myself, however I have no intention at fighting any of you, unless of course you do something that would warrant it. Nothing more, nothing less."

Hirata: "Akabane-kun..."

Karma: "That's enough for now. It seems that my request is here."

Karma turns his direction to 3 school staff members carrying 3 large boxes coming towards them. Everyone else looks at this, wondering what were in the boxes.

Staff Member 1: "Sensei, we brought everything you asked."

Chabashira: "Thank you. Please set them down here."

Hirata: "Sensei, what's in those boxes?"

Chabashira: "Equipment. Horikita, Akabane, and Ayanokoji requested for them."

Karuizawa: "Equipment?"

Horikita: "I did say that Akabane-kun and Ayanokoji-kun would assist in training. This was just a request they made to help with that."

Karma walks over to one of the boxes, and pulls out a plastic knife.

Karma: "If we're gonna do this, you need to understand that many of you lack the knowledge in not only combat, but also the usage of weapons. I have participated in events similar to the exam next week. You could say that, despite having a bounty on my head, I have a better chance at actually lasting longer than the majority of you guys."

Koenji: "HA HA HA HA HA! So in other words, you wish to pass on your knowledge to these insects."

Karma: "What Koenji-kun said. I'm the one most qualified to train this class for this exam right now. Well, me and Kiyo of course."

Miyake: "Does this mean Kiyotaka went through something similar like this, when you guys were younger?"

Karma: "Well I wouldn't know about that. The event I participated in was held in my last year of Junior High. Kiyo and I attended different schools in different cities starting in our first year in Junior High, and we haven't been in touch since then."

Horikita: "Well that's a surprise."

Karma: "Not really."

Ayanokoji: 'Hey now. It's not like I could contact you while I was in the White Room'

Horikita: "Well... yeah, you may have a point."

Karma: "Firstly, we're going to have to work on your close combat. Sudo-kun and Miyake-kun already taught you how to work on your foot work, as well as your forms. Keep those in mind, because you will need them for the first part of this training. For this this training to be effective, we're first going to be playing tag."

Karuizawa: "Tag?"

Karma: "Yes. There are 40 students in this class. Your targets will be myself and Kiyotaka. We will divide the class in to two groups; Group A and B. Each group will have 19 members each. Group A will have me as their target, and group B will have Kiyotaka as their target. The rule is simple, if at least one of you can tag us, then the round ends. If we tag you, you're out. We keep playing until one of you successfully tags us, or until we eliminate all of you. We will also be making use of this small forestry behind the the field, just to get a feel of our exam site. The knives are also laced with some easy to wash paint, that way no one would cheat. I'm sure you wouldn't mind having your PE uniform get a bit of paint right? I've already tested it out myself. It's easy to wash off."

Everyone still had their misgivings. They know that Karma was well suited in teaching them. On the other hand, they were still terrified of him due to his fight with Ryuen and Albert. Karma notices many of his classmates having conflicting thoughts.

Karma: "If you're having second thoughts, then you may as well give up on Class A."

Everyone except Ayanokoji, and Koenji: "Huh?"

Karma: "It's just as I said. I've been observing this class for a while, and I've come to this conclusion. The number of students I could consider competent can only be counted by the number of fingers on my hands."

Ike: "Wait, what?"

Miyamoto: "What are you talking about?"

Karma: "Well actually it's only a little over the number of fingers I have, but comparing that to the total amount of students here over all, it's actually quite pathetic."

Sudo: "What did you-?"

Karma: "Calm down Sudo-kun. You're part of that list as well."

Sudo was caught off guard by this. He didn't expect Karma to recognize his skills.

Karma: "When it comes to sports, your this class's MVP. Yesterday, both Hirata-kun and Horikita-san did ask for your help in facilitating everyone's training. That alone says that they too recognize you as an integral part of this class, and I know they aren't the only one who think so. If you continue to improve your studies, in due time you might even be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Hirata-kun in terms of overall ability"

Sudo's eyes widened upon hearing this. He didn't expect Karma to have such a high opinion of him.

Karma: "However, not all of you are just like Sudo-kun. Some of you still think of him as a hot-headed bonehead. Even if you don't admit it, it is the truth. Guess what? That guy has become an integral part of this class. I was actually told how heavily you relied on him in last year's sports festival. You have no right to say that unless you have the same value of skills and contribution than he has."

Sudo: "A-Akabane..."

Karma: "I want you all to ask yourselves this question: 'what have you done for this class?'"

Everyone looks down at their feet, thinking hard on Karma's question.

Karma: "My former teacher once told us this. "The greater the student, the broader the skillset." If this class is to have any hope of rising to the top, you have a long way to go before you can get there."

'Well, actually it was "The greater the assassin, the broader the skillset", but student works fine as well.'

Random D: "But, we managed to reach Class C before. That proves that we do have what it takes. Right?"

Karma: "Did you? Or did rising to Class C prove that only your leaders, and key players have what it takes? I too came from a Junior High that was deeply rooted in competition. We went from being at the bottom, all the way to winning multiple competitions, and finally our entire class making it to the Top 50 in the overalls. Our class graduated, and ended up surpassing our own year's class A, all in the span of a single year - our third year. This was possible, due to all of us broadening, and then later developing our skillsets... along with the guidance of our teachers."

He said that last sentence with a warm smile, and tone, very different from his usual one. This caught everyone by surprise. The words of Karma started to sink in. They realized just how much his words hold weight. Even Chabashira was amazed at the boy's words, and soon, she too began to ponder.

Karma: "If you want to reach Class A, I only have one advice. Stop relying so much on your leaders, and take the initiative. They may lead you, but they can't do everything. Same goes for me, and your key players."

Chabashira: 'Just moments ago, he was completely different. He looked so full of himself, then ended up displaying his monstrous strength. Now he's lecturing the class, and telling them their biggest flaw, relying too much on a few individuals, and the lack of initiative. It seems I may have, yet again lucked out on another ticket to Class A, however, it would be wise of me not to repeat my actions with Ayanokoji. Unlike him, Akabane won't hesitate to end me. Besides, it doesn't appear like I need to.'

Horikita: 'I get what Ayanokoji-kun meant by him being placed in this class due to behavioral issues, but he seems so much different from the person he was just moments ago. Hearing him talk, it's just that time, when Ayanokoji-kun saved me from Nii-san, and made me change my views.'

Ayanokoji: 'You've changed Akabane Karma. Truly. I wish I could've met that former teacher of yours. He was like the Horikita Manabu in your school life. However, will these people truly be able to reach that?'

Karma: 'Of course, they're no Class E. Still, it would be no fun if it were always left up to us few.'

Listening to Karma's words, everyone looked at each other, than began to face forward. While there was still a hint to misgivings, especially since his words also stung a bit, everyone was willing to try and win.

Hirata: "I've said this before, but I have no problems with Akabane-kun, and Kiyotaka-kun taking charge for our training."

Horikita: "Neither do I."

Sudo: "Me too."

Karuizawa: "Well, I have no problem with it either, but will it be enough for next week?"

Karma: "Don't worry. We'll whip you in to shape in no time."

After thinking things through, everyone except Koenji gave Karma their consent in training, but Karma already expected him not to join in. According to his deal with Horikita, Koenji won't need to participate, just show up. Karma was fine with that.

Karma: "Now then. Kiyo, can you come forward for a bit."

As Ayanokoji was walking towards him, Karma pulls something long out of one of the large boxes, and tosses it towards Ayanokoji. Ayanokoji catches this, and attaches it to his left side hip.

(Ayanokoji POV)

I initially didn't want to pick this, because I would probably stand out. However, after listening to his plan, I ended up changing my mind. Still, I don't know how well I'd do with it. It's been quite a while since I've wielded one. This is also much lighter than what I was used to. Everyone was now looking at me. Great. I probably looked like something out of an anime, or tv show.

Karma: "This is his specialty. I too specialize in close quarters combat, so I'm obviously gonna be a knife guy. Although, I'm not that bad with the gun either. I can teach you all later when we move on to the next part."

Hasabe: "Hey Akabane-kun, just out of curiousity, how good is Kiyopon with it?"

'No Haruka. Why did you have to ask that?'

Karma stayed quite for a bit, staring at all of them. Then, I felt his movement shift. Instinctively, I swiftly drew out my blade from its sheath, and blocked the knife he aimed towards my head. I did this without moving from my spot, nor even moving my head, nor eyes at him one bit. I acted purely on instinct. After applying a bit more force in pushing his knife towards me, he stopped and withdrew.

Karma: "And now you know Hasabe-san."

Everyone stared at me in awe at how fast I drew out my katana. Even Koenji was looking at us with an amused look. Honestly, I've probably dulled a bit, since I haven't maintained my training since entering this school. Good to know I can still keep up with Karma's movements. Upon Karma's instructions, the rest of the class, minus Koenji, who sat on a nearby bench admiring his reflection, split in to two teams. I ended up having one more person over him, since my blade was longer. Everyone picked up a knife, and grouped up.

Karma: "First, let me explain some things. You will have a 3 minute grace period. You're free to come at us however you want, however, Kiyo and I won't tag you just yet. Once the 3 minutes are up, we will start tagging you ourselves."

Should I just let myself be tagged?

Karma: "Oh, one last thing. Kiyo, how about we make a bet? The first one to get tagged between us pays the other person 15,000 points. How's that sound?"

He's seen through me.

"What makes you think I would agree to your bet?"

"If you won't accept my bet, I won't stop barging in to your room whenever you have another appointment, and I'll start chanting lines from the book 'The Lesser Key of Solomon' while I'm at it."

"..."

Everyone looked confused hearing our exchange.

This guy. I want to flood his house with water, by breaking in to his room, leaving all the faucets on, plug all the drains, and put all his valuables on the floor, while he's out.

"Fine. I accept."

Horikita: "Good job, Akabane-kun. Knowing him, he'd probably let himself get tagged."

Karma: "Exactly."

"I'm right here you know."

Karma: "Well whatever. Is everyone ready? "

Everyone, but Koenji, gives a yes in response.

Karma: "Just so you know, we won't make this easy for you, so come at us like you mean to kill."

HOLY FUCK. This was the longest chapter I wrote. I'm looking at the word count, and it says 8861 words. I wanted this chapter to really show Karma' involvement with the class, as well as how he was impacted by Class E and Korosensei especially, as well as Kiyotaka's change after going over Manabu's parting gift. In the story canon, Kiyo was still trying his best to not stand out, but with this story, Karma's involvement pushes him out of his comfort zone even more.

What did you guys think about Kiyotaka wielding a katana? It's an idea I've had for a while. I thought it would be a good idea, since Karma has his assassination training, so I thought I'd make Kiyo be good at swordsmanship. I don't think it's at all outlandish, since the White Room teaches them many things.

I'm probably gonna take a short break from writing this, because our king Oreki Houtarou is repeatedly telling me to save up my energy. I actually was able to work on this more, because the term just ended, and I managed to finish up all my remaining course work. I would have worked on this sooner, but I had to catch up on the Spy x Family anime, as well as the new season of Kaguya-sama: Love is War (rip Hayasaka's ears).

On another note, I just want to express my gratitude for the support this work of mine has been shown. When I woke up this morning, this was what I saw.

Bruh, I did this on a whim to pass the time. I didn't expect for this to blow up in such a short period of time. Seriously, I can't thank you enough for supporting this story, I even rushed to tell my friends on discord about it. It means a lot, and it gives me more motivation to keep on writing and advance the plot. Thank you so much

I'll probably take a break and read some books I've been meaning to read, as well as catch up on some series, but just know I don't plan on stopping. I already have the whole arc laid out on my notepad after simulating it all in my head, so do look forward to it. Next chapter will actually include some short stories from the perspectives of other characters, but they'll all tie in to the plot. Anyway, I'll see ya next update. Bye!

Vol. 2, Chapter 3 - Training and Downtime

Part 1

(Ayanokoji POV)

Everyone got ready as I positioned myself at the center of the field, with all of them in front of me from afar. Amongst my group were Horikita, Sudo, Ike, Shinohara, Haruka, Keisei, Mii-chan, Kushida, Mori, some of Kei's friends, and a few others.

"Chabashira-sensei, I know you're just a spectator, but if you could please give us the start signal." I said to Chabashira-sensei, who is watching from the sidelines.

She nods in response. She looks to both sides, and determines that everyone is ready.

"HAJIME!"

She gives the signal, and the training finally begins, with Horikita and Sudo leading the charge. I held on to the sheath of my katana with my left hand as I continue to effortlessly dodge each one of their attacks. Due to the grace period, all I could do is dodge and block their knives with my sword. While they didn't lack ferocity in their attacks, there was sloppiness to the foot work of everyone, excluding Horikita, Sudo, and Kushida.

At some point, 7 of them surround me, and came charging in. I ran at them, and jumped over their heads. As soon as I landed, the others came charging at me, but that was when my phone dinged.

"Your 3 minute grace period is up."

I announced to my group, telling them I will no longer be restricted of my movements. I stopped and positioned myself in front of my incoming attackers. With my right hand, I grabbed the handle of my katana, with my left thumb pushing its hilt upwards. As soon as my attackers were within range, I swiftly draw out my katana and slashed it at their weapons, disarming them in the process. They staggered backwards from the force of my attack. While I never hit them, they still felt the impact when I disarmed them of their weapons. Once they regained their balance, they tried to retrieve their knives.

Before they could, I took advantage of their opening, and rushed at them. One by one I tagged each of them with my katana. Miyamoto was the first, then Ike. Soon, all of them were now marked with paint. They were out.

Random D: "S-so fast..."

Horikita: "So this is what Akabane-kun meant, when he said this is your specialty."

"Who knows?"

Sudo took advantage at my conversation with Horikita, and charged at me from behind. He made two mistakes.

One, I'm not so foolish as to leave myself an opening. I'm always on guard. My senses have been heightened, due to me having trained various martial arts while being blindfolded numerous times. I've beaten many tough opponents even without my sense of sight. Most of them were highly trained adults.

His second mistake was coming at me while screaming. It seems I have to lecture him like I did with Ishizaki.

I spun around and met Sudo's attack with my own. Our weapons clashed. He tried to exert more force in order to push his knife towards me, but I wasn't budging, even just by a little. I easily overpowered him. I swung my katana upwards, causing him to lose his knife and send it flying. Then, with out wasting a second, as soon as his knife was gone, I thrust my katana forward, poking his chest with the tip of my blade. He was out.

Horikita: "Sudo-kun!"

Kushida: "Sudo-kun as well?!"

They were all surprised at how I easily handled one of the strongest people in this class. I turned my attention to my onlookers, and rushed at them with my blade.

Seeing this, Horikita commanded the group.

Horikita: "Everyone, disperse towards the small thicket!"

Everyone split in to different directions in the thicket. They must have forgotten about my race with Horikita's brother. In order to get them to lose their coordination, cutting off commands was necessary. With that, I turned my feet towards Horikita. As soon as I reached her, she tried to swing her knife at me, only to be disarmed by my blade. She tried to lose me using the trees, but that didn't work. I slashed her back with my sword. She too was out.

No longer able to rely on their leader, everyone resorted to desperate attempts. Kushida tried to take over command, but I rushed at her first, and tagged her with my katana. One by one, I chased each of them down, as if they were easy prey. They thought they could lose me, but I'm used to moving around in this kind of densely packed environment thanks to my training in the White Room. Seven, six, five. Their numbers were dwindling, until I managed to eliminate the last person.

Having eliminated all 19 of them, I spun my katana in my hand, and then embedded it into my sheath once again. The round was over. I returned to the open field, where my group was. They were exhausted. I looked to Karma's group, and he had just returned after eliminating his last two members.

The round was over, and everyone was catching their breaths.

Karma called for everyone, except Koenji, to gather in one spot. I stood next to him, overlooking the exhausted state of the class. Once everyone gathered, he started giving his assessment.

"It's only day 1 of this, so I don't blame you for your lackluster performance. Still, I do have to give my comments.

Firstly, you tend to strike without thinking about me leaving an opening. Remember, not many of you are combatants. If you're going to take out your opponent in the exam proper, stealth is an absolute must. Wait 'till your opponent isn't expecting it, then strike them when they least expect it.

Next, your form and footwork. Use this training to practice the proper foot work and form that Miyake-kun, and Sudo-kun taught you all. If either of them are bad or out of place, it just leaves you vulnerable and makes you an easier target. That's why you guys are so easy to disarm.

Next, your reaction time. You take way too long to act, whenever you're in a bind. For instance, once you're disarmed, your first instinct would be to either flee, or retrieve your weapon. Instead however, you chose to just stand there. In this exam, decision making is very important. If you take too long to decide and react, you're pretty much just fodder."

No one could retort. They knew better than to talk back to Karma, since they knew he was right. Karma turns to me, asking me for my input.

Karma: "Do you have anything else to add Kiyo?"

Kiyo: "I share the same opinion as you. Although, I would like to add on to your claim on stealth as an absolute must. If possible, please maintain silence. Don't scream, and try to control your breathing. If your breathing is too heavy, it makes it easier for the enemy to pick it up, and it alerts them that someone is nearby. Once you've made it to a safe distance, calm yourself as asap as to not get caught."

During our round, many were breathing too heavily at the fear of being tagged. Because of that, it made it too easy for me to pinpoint the location their hiding in.

While everyone let the information sink in, our PE teacher arrived. Chabashira briefly relayed to him what we were doing, then swapped positions with him. Maintaining his job as a mere observer, he continued to let us do as we please.

Karma: "Don't worry. I don't expect you to get it in a single day. For now, take short 10 minute break, and we'll move on to the next part. The two of us will set up the second round in the meantime."

"Wait, me too?"

Karma: "Yes, partner."

What a shrewd one.

Next round was target practice. I've trained with a gun back in the White Room, and so has he. However, between the two of us, I didn't know who was better.

Karma and I lined up the targets, and set a line of about 10 meters away as the shooting range. The targets were balloons with a target printed on a paper taped on to them.

As soon as the 10 minute break was up, Karma instructed everyone to pick up a gun, and had 5 people line up at a time. He demonstrated his marksmanship, and and gunned down the balloons smoothly. Although the ammunition were just bb bullets, the force from the gun was still strong enough to pop the balloons, though, they still wouldn't hurt anyone.

Hirata: "That's amazing that you're able to shoot so flawlessly from that range, Akabane-kun."

Miyake: "Yeah. You must have been top of your class in marksmanship or something. Have you considered joining the archery club?"

Everyone seemed to agree with both Yousuke's, and Akito's comments.

Karma: "Ahahaha. While I appreciate your compliment, I'm not actually the one who takes up the top spot."

Shinohara: "Wait, really?"

Karma: "Yeah. I usually come in third. A certain power couple keeps haggling the top two spots from everyone."

Horikita: "Still though, coming in third is still pretty impressive."

Karma: "Although I say I'm good at it, I still prefer close combat."

That's understandable. Even if you're good at something, you're always gonna have a preference. I bet that if Karma preferred marksmanship over close combat, he'll be able to take the top spots rather easily.

He gave each group of five about five minutes to gun down the balloons. Once the time was up, he had everyone cycle to the next group of five, until all were done.

We recorded the results. Karma came on top, with Akito following in second. This wasn't surprising since Karma trained in assassination, as well as with Akito being in the Archery club. I actually held back and was somewhere between the top 5 and 10 spots.

What really surprised everyone though, was that The Professor and Ike were in the top 3 and 4 respectively. Hondo also came in 5th. I guess if you've played a bunch of online first person shooter games, some of the skills you got from from there carried over.

Hondo: "Woah professor! You managed to come in third! You too Ike in fourth Ike!"

The Professor pushes up his glasses, and looks at everyone in confidence.

Satomura: "Hm hm hm. Of course Hondo-dono. Even in this 3d world, my skills with a gun are paramount to most, only coming in behind our truly exceptional Akabane-dono, and Miyake-dono."

Karma looks at me, confused about the Professors speech pattern.

Karma: "... is he always like this?"

"You'll get used to it." I replied.

I say that, but it's not like I like it. Even after the mixed training camp, he sometimes switches up his speech pattern.

Sudo: "Hey Kanji, it looks like playing those shooting games really did you good, huh?"

Ike: "Heheh. Well at least I got that going for me. Ryotaro, you came 5th too. "

Hondo: "Yeah."

Karma: "Miyake-kun, Satomura-kun, Ike-kun, Hondo-kun, pls come forward."

The people mentioned by Karma walked over to him, who was standing next to a large box.

Karma: "Since we're the top 5 marksmen here, it's safe to assume that a lot of our fighting will be done from a distance. However, myself and Miyake-kun are also combat oriented people. Not only that, with me being one of the bounties, it'll be unwise if I carried something large that could restrict my movements."

As Karma says this, he pulls out three airsoft sniper rifles, and gives one of each to Ike, Hondo, and the Professor.

Karma: "You three are best suited for stationary long range shooting. Miyake-kun and I will do better with an ordinary gun, since it's more compact, and we will be able to move around more freely. As for you three, you best find cover, preferably up in the trees where you can get a good vantage point, as well as staying out of sight. It'll probably easier for Ike-kun to pull that off, but as for you two, just try your best to get to high ground without being spotted. I too would like to add Horikita-san with that task, seeing as how she comes after Hondo-kun, but she too is more well suited for close quarters combat. Just an ordinary gun for her would be fine."

All four of them nodded, accepting their roles. Before long, PE was ending, and our training for that morning came to an end. Our PE teacher instructed us to clear out the area, as well as picking up our equipment, and the bb bullets scattered on the floor.

We resumed with our regular classes, and when what was over, we headed out for lunch. The Ayanokoji group asked that I invite Karma, seeing as how we were always together after his arrival.

We had our lunch in the cafeteria, and chatted for a bit. Karma and I mostly listened to them as we ate our lunch. Haruka brought us out of our trance, and chimed in.

Hasabe: "Hey, so Akabane-kun. You did really great leading everyone like that."

Yukimura: "Yeah. I can see why Horikita put you up to this task."

Karma: "Well it's nothing much really. I just wanted to help out. Besides, I don't know how much I'll be able to help out moving forward."

Yukimura: "You say that, but you've already contributed more than half of our classmates."

That was true. If it weren't for him doing this, we'd probably be stuck between a rock and a hard place next week.

Karma: "Well I can't take all the credit. "

He's referring to me. This demon is shifting the group's attention towards me.

Sakura: "Ye-yeah. I-I think Kiyotaka-kun did really great too."

Miyake: "Yeah, that's right."

Hasabe: "Kiyopon, you were so fast when you were our target! It's like you really came at us like we were prey."

"I had to admit. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a bit of fun with it. It's been a while since I've wielded a katana."

Karma: "So you're saying that you got a little caught up in the moment?"

"I guess you could say that."

Miyake: "Hey Kiyotaka, when you say it's been a while since you've wielded a katana, do you mean an actual one?"

There's no point lying here.

"Yeah, I have, but only a few times. Most of the time, they were just fake once."

Hasabe: "Still, you moved around really well with it. I can totally imagine you being an actual swordsmen, like the ones in movies."

Yukimura: "You even blocked Akabane's attack pretty easily, when Haruka asked him how good you were."

Miyake: "Yeah. He took out Albert and Ryuen at the same time, but you were able to block his knife with your katana pretty easily. He didn't even looked like he held back."

Yukimura: "You know, looking back on it now, I remember Akabane always launching kicks and punches at you from time to time, but you always manage to dodge them, even with your back turned to him."

The group was silent after listening to Keisei's comment. If it hadn't been for what he did to Ryuen and Albert, they would probably just think it's all games between us. However, they've seen Karma's strength. On top of that, Akito's assessment of us is that we were equally knowledgeable in martial arts, and that Karma's behavior towards me was normal. Airi then brought up the question that was on everyone's mind.

Sakura: "H-hey. K-Kiyotaka-kun. Feel free not to answer, but... j-just how s-strong are you?"

Everyone was looking at me intently, waiting for a response. I had expect something like this. I didn't want to answer that question, but it seems it can't be helped. Just as I want to give a response, Karma chimed in.

Karma: "I did say before that he's the only here who can keep up with me. Yeah, he's strong, but he's also a pacifist. He dislikes trouble, and would rather avoid a fight than get in to one. Even if he had the power to take on Ryuen and Albert, he'd rather avoid a fight as much as possible."

Sakura: "O-oh. I-I see."

Hasabe: "Still though, Horikita-san and Sudo-kun said that you fought in order to protect her. That's pretty amazing."

"Fighting and defending are different. I didn't throw punches and kicks or anything."

Miyake: "Still, you were willing to go against your pacifistic stance, just to protect someone. That's still pretty great."

Yukimura: "Yeah. I'm just hoping the others from our class won't give you a hard time."

It seems they completely believed what Karma said, and decided not to pry any further. Well, it wasn't a complete lie. Still though, it's better than having to answer them myself. I looked at him, and he gave me the look that says 'you owe me for this'. We continued chatting about different topics than the exams until we finished our lunch.

When we finished our class for the afternoon, we resumed our training for the exam. We began with Horikita, Onodera, and Hirata managing the warm ups as well as working on everyone's endurance. After that, both Akito and Sudo facilitated in working on everyone's combat ability. Not to make them good fighters, but enough to get them to hold their own, and not get eliminated so easily.

After that's done, Karma and I resumed the round of tag, with our bet still on the line. Just like before, no one was able to tag us, and we were able to tag everyone effortlessly. We have observed though that a lot of them were getting better at their movements.

During target practice, Karma tested Ike, Hondo, and the Professor at their sniping practice. Thanks to Ike's experience in camping, climbing trees was no problem for him, even while carrying a sniper rifle. He also has surprisingly good balance, so he was able to shoot while adjusting his position without much problem. As for the other two, worked on concealing themselves from being noticed.

As soon as training was over, we packed up and left. I texted Kei and asked if she wanted to come over for dinner, but she said that she was invited to go out to dinner with Sato and the others. She said that she hasn't been able to go out with them for a while. If this keeps up, the others might get suspicious, so she decided to go. I understood, and proceeded to return to the dorms with Karma.

As we were about to leave the open field, Yousuke called out to from behind. He asked if we had some time to spare, and that if we could accompany him. Apparently he was worried about us, because of the exam. Although he had faith in our abilities, he couldn't shake off the feeling of being worried for us. To ease his anxiety, he decided to just want to talk to us.

It felt nice for Yousuke of all people to be worried about me. I can understand his worries though. He sees us as reliable, and wants do everything he can to keep us around. Seeing no reason to decline, we agreed. We first agreed to change into something more casual, so we first went back in to our dorm rooms. Yousuke said that, he still had something to take care of as he was called by one of the members of his club. Karma, and I decided to head to the Cafe first, once we were done changing in our dorm rooms, to secure a spot.

Part 2

(Karuizawa POV)

It's been a 5 minutes since we arrived at the cafe. We didn't even change in to something more casual. We just changed out of our PE uniform, and back to our school uniform. I was here with Sato-san, Matsushita-san, Onodera-san, Mori-san, and Shinohara-san. We ordered some food and drinks, and we began our usual chatter.

Sato: "I'm exhausted today."

Shinohara: "I know right? It feels like I've been moving around forever."

"Well we do have that exam next week. It's understandable."

Onodera: "Still, I didn't think Akabane-kun and Ayanokoji-kun would step in and take charge like that."

Shinohara: "I know what you mean. I mean, I guess Akabane-kun wanted to do something for the class since he's new. I mean his OAA is really top notch too, but I didn't expect Ayanokoji-kun to also take charge."

Mori: "I know right?! I was actually part of his group today. The way we trained with us, it was like he was a completely different person."

These girls have never seen Kiyotaka aside from the usual gloomy persona that he puts on. Even though I knew of the various stuff he'd done for the class, I was still taken aback by his sudden proposal to take charge. It's unusual for him to want to attract attention. I can't help but think that he has something else planned, or maybe he just wants to clear his classmates doubts completely by displaying some of his abilities. Perhaps I'll ask him about it later.

Onodera: "I get what you mean. Normally he doesn't really have any presence at all."

Shinohara: "Maybe he's doing this so that he doesn't get expelled next week. Well, I'm not against it. Him getting expelled in the first 20 minutes would also have us lose 100 class points."

Matsushita: "Still though, it doesn't look like he and Akabane will have a hard time getting around next week."

Sato: "You mean because of how good they are?"

Matsushita: "Yeah. It makes me wonder what sort of stuff they've been through. Ever since Akabane-kun arrived, they've been together a lot."

Mori: "You're right. Wouldn't Ayanokoji-kun usually eat lunch with his group? He's been eating lunch with Akabane-kun since his arrival."

"Well, maybe it's because they're just really close. I mean, didn't Akabane-kun said that they haven't been in touch for a while?"

Shinohara: "Maybe. I'm still wondering why they haven't been in touch though."

Onodera: "Could it be because Ayanokoji-kun is bad at communicating?"

Shinohara: "Well maybe."

Matsushita: "I thought that something must have happened between them that made them stop talking to each other. You know, like a fight, but that doesn't appear to be the case."

"Yeah, I get what you mean. I mean, he does like throwing kicks and punches at Ayanokoji-kun."

Sato: "Yeah, but he always dodges them. From what Sudo-kun and Miyake-kun said, those attacks weren't weak at all. It's pretty cool that he could just keep dodging like that."

Matsushita: "It's even more amazing when you realize Akabane-kun is much stronger than Albert-kun and Ryuen-kun. I was honestly pretty scared."

Onodera: "I think we were all scared. Well, all of us except Ayanokoji-kun. He looked like he was expected something like this to happen."

Mori: "I guess he's used to it. Honestly, it's amazing how he could just avoid Akabane-kun's attacks."

Sato: "Exactly! And didn't Akabane-kun said that Ayanokoji-kun can keep up with him?"

"He did say that."

Shinohara: "He also blocked Akabane-kun's knife with his sword."

Matsushita: "He didn't even looked at him. He just blocked as if he were on autopilot. Does this mean Ayanokoji-kun is just as strong as Akabane-kun?"

Sato: "Woah, that's amazing."

These girls were really starting to admire Kiyotaka thanks to Akabane-kun. I guess it's safe to say that his reputation is starting to improve.

Shinohara: "Still though, I'm quite surprised at how casually they are able to talk to each other, even after they haven't been in touch for a long time."

Sato: "Yeah. The way they talk, it's like they completely understand each other, and that no time has passed."

Shinohara: "I guess Akabane-kun expected it of him?"

Matsushita: "You know, for someone so bad at talking, he sure does have quite the connections."

Onodera: "You mean Ayanokoji-kun's connections with Horikita-san and Hirata-kun right?"

Shinohara: "I thought it was just because he and Horikita-san are seatmates, but I guess he's more involved with her than I thought."

Mori: "Yeah. And to think that he was able to bring back Hirata-kun just in time for the commanding towers exam."

Onodera: "Our leaders do value him highly. Huh?"

It's true, and the same goes for me. I don't know what we went through as a child, but I can tell it was more than what anyone else has been through. Still, despite how he can act cruel at times, he ended up helping out so many people in the end.

Sato: "Speaking of leaders, isn't it about time you tell the others Kei-chan?"

"Huh?!"

I knew where Sato-san was headed with this. I have been trying to keep a leveled head while talking about Kiyotaka, but now...

"Wh-what do you mean?"

Sato: "Come on. If it's them, it'll alright. Right?"

"Uh...w-well I-"

(Matsushita POV)

We've been talking about Ayanokoji-kun, and Akabane-kun for a while now. I've been trying to probe for some information about him for a while now. I keep seeing him and Akabane-kun together. Kiryuin-senpai even approached them at one point. I've heard that Kiryuin-senpai is quite the capable person, but she's also like Koenji-kun. For her to turn her attention to them would mean they were great. Akabane-kun is more apparent, since his abilities have been reflected in the OAA since coming here. Ayanokoji-kun though, that guy's still a mystery. Apparently he's been involved with our leaders since day 1.

As soon as we were talking about Ayanokoji-kun having connections to our leaders though, Sato-san asked Karuizawa-san a question, that caught her off guard. Karuizawa-san was flustered in her reaction. Does this mean that they do indeed have a deeper connection than we thought? I'll take this opportunity to get my answer.

Shinohara: "What does she mean by that, Karuizawa-san?"

"You seem pretty flustered. You're the leader of the girls. Leader is still leader. Does this mean you have a connection with Ayanokoji-kun that we weren't aware off?"

Karuizawa: "W-wait, hold on a second."

Onodera: "You're not even denying it?"

Karuizawa: "W-well, I... no. I'm not denying it."

Mori: "Well this is surprising."

"So what's your relationship with him?"

I've been suspicious for a good while now. Not only do they sometimes steal quick glances at each other, but there was even that rumor going around about Ayanokoji-kun having a crush on Karuizawa-san. If my hunch is right, Ayanokoji-kun was probably lying to me when he said Karuizawa-san rejected him.

She remained quite for a while. She was looking down, but her face was completely red. Sato-san broke the silence.

Sato: "It's okay Kei-chan. We'll keep this between all of us here."

Karuizawa: "W-well. To put it simply. W-were dating."

Everyone except Karuizawa: "HUUH?!"

I knew it! So she didn't reject his confession, but something feels off.

Mori: "Well this is a surprising."

Shinohara: "Wait! Hold on a sec! When did this happen?!"

Karuizawa: "Spring break. Just two days before the start of our second year."

Onodera: "That's over a month ago! Wait, who confessed?! And how does Sato-san know about this?!"

Sato: "Hey! Keep it down."

We looked around, and realized how akward our situation was. There's only a few people in the cafe, but the few that were here were looking at us strangely.

Onodera: "I'm... sorry. But seriously, how, wha...?!"

Karuizawa: "Well, he did. As you can see, I accepted it."

So this means their romantic relationship is recent. I'm curious as to when they became acquainted. I've first noticed them stealing glances at each other as far back as the sports festival. Just how far then did these guys know each other?

Karuizawa: "As for why Sato-san knew, she was suspicious. She confronted me about it, and I, confirmed her suspicions."

Mori: "Wait, really?"

Sato: "Yeah."

"I wanna know. How did you guys first became acquainted, and when?"

Karuizawa: "Well... if I had to say, since, last, year's zodiac exam on the cruise ship."

"HUH! THAT'S SO FAR BACK!"

Mori: "Hey Matsushita-san. I can understand your shock, but atleast keep it down."

I realized that as I was standing up when I screamed that. The few people in the cafe are now looking at me.

"I'm so sorry."

I feel ashamed of my myself for doing that, but I still wanted answers.

Shinohara: "I think you're reaction is the same as ours, Matsushita-san. You beat us to it."

"I'm really sorry. No, but seriously. How did you two first became acquainted?"

Karuizawa: "Well, we were in the same group in the Zodiac exam. Horikita-san had s strategy, and he and I worked together to make sure I stayed hidden, since I was the VIP."

Onodera: "So that's how you won that many points."

"So what else do you do together before you started dating?"

I wanted to probe as much information as I can. Maybe she'll reveal that Ayanokoji-kun is 'X', but judging by how he's remained recluse until Akabane-kun came, it seems unlikely that Karuizawa-san would reveal anything like that.

Karuizawa: "Well we sometimes work together with Hirata-kun, and Horikita-san. I'm more like the informant. I help deliver information, and Horikita-san comes up with a strategy, and Kiyotaka helps them out."

She says "Horikita-san" strategy, but I don't think that's true. She either doesn't know if Ayanokoji-kun is 'X' or she's lying to cover for him.

Shinohara: "In what way does he help out?"

Karuizawa: "Well, you can guess from how Horikita-san and Hirata-kun described him back when Akabane-kun first arrived. He's kind of like a consultant, or advisor of sorts."

Mori: "I see."

"So what made you choose him over Hirata-kun."

Onodera: "Yeah. I mean, I can't deny he's good looking, but what specifically made you choose him?"

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka-kun always had a weak presence in class. Many agreed he was good looking, but looks alone weren't gonna get people to notice you. He always gave off this gloomy persona, and doesn't talk much. For Karuizawa-san to choose him over Hirata-kun must mean that he possesses qualities that could rival Hirata-kun's.

Karuizawa: "W-well it's hard to explain why I chose him. Also, I don't want to compare the two. They're both great, and I don't want to think bad of one over the other. Besides, the two are good friends with each other. Things just didn't work out between me and Hirata-kun so I called it off."

Shinohara: "It's still surprising though. So what's he really like?"

Karuizawa-san pauses for a moment, trying to think of something to say. Or maybe she was carefully choosing what to say in order to not give out any sensitive information about him.

Karuizawa: "He's actually surprisingly assertive. I-I don't mean that in a weird way. I mean that, when he means business, he gets down to it. He's not the best conversationalist, but when giving out advise, he always delivers. I mean, I imagine that's how he got Hirata-kun back for the exam."

Mori: "Woah. I never knew that. My evaluation of him has already started to change thanks to our training. I get what you mean when you said 'when he means business'."

Onodera: "Really?"

Mori: "Yeah. While we're training, he points out our mistakes, and helps us to work on correcting them."

Karuizawa: "He can also be pretty clueless about a lot of things."

Shinohara: "Clueless?"

Karuizawa: "For starters, during Valentine's, I asked to meet with him, and he said he'll meet me behind the dorms. When we met up, I expected him to at least bring up Valentine's first, but he ended up asking me about an unknown number that called him."

Shinohara: "Well I guess I guess I'd be pretty mad if someone led me on like that."

Onodera: "So what did you do?"

Karuizawa: "I hit him with a box of chocolates on the head."

Onodera, Shinohara, Mori: "PPPFFFFTTTT"

"Since you got him chocolates for Valentine's day, does this mean he got you something for White Day?"

Karuizawa: "Y-yeah..."

Mori: "Really? What is it?"

Karuizawa: "A-a heart shaped necklace."

All of us looked at her in shock. Our mouths were gaping open, and our eyes were wide from what she said.

Shinohara: "Wait," seriously?! I thought you said you guys started going out by the end of spring break?!"

Karuizawa:" We did! But on Valentine's I actually told him to repay me a thousand times over, and he ended up spending 20,000 points because of it!"

Shinohara: "20,000?!"

Onodera: "Oh wow. I don't know whether to be impressed, or disappointed."

Mori: "Y-yeah."

Well this was something. I didn't expect him to be so dense.

Sato: "Hey, Kei-chan. Does this mean I never had a chance?"

Sato-san was being quiet until now. She's been listening in on her thoughts on Ayanokoji-kun. She asked that question with a bitter smile. I guess she's not completely over him.

Karuizawa: "W-wait! No! That's not it all. Back then, yeah we were secretly close, but he didn't see me that way. And believe me, I really did try to set you up with him. I even asked him why he turned you down and everything."

Sato: "I see..."

Sato-san said this while looking down. Onodera-san and Mori-san were confused, and turned to me and Shinohara-san and whispered.

Mori: "Wait, did I miss something?"

Shinohara: "Don't you remember? She had feelings for Ayanokoji-kun since the sports festival. She even said she wanted to confess to him."

Mori: "Oh I did remember that."

Onodera: "Well, did she confessed to him?"

"Yeah, on Christmas, but he turned her down. I guess she's mad since she thought Karuizawa-san took that opportunity to get close to him behind her back."

Onodera & Mori: "Oh."

The atmosphere grew tense, and everyone remained quiet, but Sato-san broke the silence.

Sato: *sigh* "Well, it's not like you tried to steal him. Besides, he rejected me. I guess there's no helping it. He's free to like whoever he wants."

Karuizawa: "... I'm sorry."

This wasn't the usually headstrong Karuizawa that we knew. She sounded meak. Even when she talked about Ayanokoji-kun, she seemed so flustered than usual. She wasn't like this, even back with Hirata-kun. I wonder why?

Sato: "Look, don't worry about it. You were already close to begin with, so it's fine."

Karuizawa: "Sato-san..."

Shinohara: "Can I ask something? Why did you guys hide your friendship-turned romantic relationship until now?"

The million dollar question.

Karuizawa: "Well firstly he doesn't like attention."

Sato: "Is that why he doesn't say anything about his connection with our leaders?"

Karuizawa: "Yeah. As for the second reason, I actually started thinking about it when to reveal it, but after he got that perfect score in math, as well as him showcasing his fighting ability, I thought people would just think that I'm dating him for his status."

Sato: "Aw, how considerate of you."

Since she mentioned his math score and fighting ability, she must have already known that there was more to Ayanokoji-kun than what he let on. That's probably why she got interested in him to begin with. I decided to take a risk here.

"Hey Karuizawa-San, what else is he good at?"

Everyone looked at Karuizawa-San for an answer. It was clear that Ayanokoji-kun's evaluation was slowly changing thanks to these recent events.

"I-I'm sorry, but I can't really say that. He's not at all comfortable about sharing things with others. It's not my place to say these things."

I guess I wasn't getting an answer that easily after all.

Shinohara: "Well I guess you have a point. He hides so much from the class, it gets frustrating, but if our leaders believe him, then I guess I can't complain. Ah, but if he ever does anything wrong to you, please let us know."

Karuizawa: "Don't worry. It won't come to that."

Mori: "After this and our training sessions, I'll need to reevaluate my opinion on him."

Onodera: "Same."

As they were talking, I spot two familiar figures seated on the other side of the cafe from where we are.

"Hey, isn't that them?!"

I couldn't hide my shock. It's like I saw a ghost. Those guys didn't give away any indication that, they were even here. Actually, how long have they been there? The girls turned their attention to where I was looking, and saw for themselves. It was Ayanokoji-kun, and Akabane-kun.

They were wearing casual clothes. Ayanokoji-kun was wearing a short sleeve demin polo shirt, and light brown jeans. As for Akabane-kun he was wearing black pants, a maroon colored polo shirt, and a black 3/4s sleve shirt underneath. They were both already good looking, but seeing them outside their uniform, and in something more casual was actually quite refreshing, and added to their appeal.

I looked at the girls, and they were all just as surprised as I am; Sato-san and Karuizawa-san in particular were very surprised. I was about to break them out their trance, when an familiar, yet unexpected figure entered.

It was our secondary leader, Hirata Yousuke. He was wearing black pants, a navy green polo that had its sleeves rolled up to 3/4s, and a white undershirt. He walked over to the direction of Ayanokoji-kun an Akabane-kun, and sat down.

Everyone was mesmerized at the site of the three men. Noticing that they weren't budging, I decided to break them out of their trance. Them staring was honestly getting uncomfortable.

"Ahem! Hey, guys. I get the three of them looked great, but you really need to stop staring. It's getting creepy."

Everyone: "Ah!"

Sato: "S-Sorry."

Onodera: "I get that Akabane-kun and Ayanokoji-kun are close, but I still didn't expect Hirata-kun to show up."

Mori: "True enough, but I guess it makes sense after hearing what Ayanokoji-kun did for Hirata-kun."

"Out of everyone in our class, he's also the most worried about expulsions. I mean, you saw what happened when Yamauchi-kun got expelled. He's probably just worried about them too."

Sato: "Yeah. But still, that guy deserved it after colluding with Sakayanagi-san."

Shinohara: "Hey, I have a question Karuizawa-san."

Karuizawa: "What is it?"

Shinohara: "Does Hirata-kun know that you and Ayanokoji-kun are dating?"

All of our attention shifted to Karuizawa-san.

Karuizawa: "I think he might have his suspicions for a while now. Kiyotaka said that Hirata-kun's noticed me paying more attention to him after we split up."

After you split up, or before you split up? If it was the latter, then how come he doesn't seem to mad at Ayanokoji-kun? Was my speculation correct?

"You know looking at them now, if Hirata-kun did have suspicions between you two, wouldn't it be normal to assume that there's a strain in their relationship? From the way they're acting now, that doesn't appear to be the case."

Mori: "Yeah, you're right. They look like good friends."

The scene played out before us were the three of them conversing together without any hint of malice. They seem to be having a nice relaxing time together, like good friends.

Sato: "You know, looking at all three of them right now, I kind of wish Karuizawa-san would just get hit by a truck or something."

Mori: "I get what you mean."

They both said this with a smile that says

'This girl is so lucky, it's so unfair.'

'May lightning strike upon thee.'

Even Shinohara-san, and Onodera-san were looking at Karuizawa-san with eyes that conveyed hostile intent.

"U-uh, guys?"

Before I knew it, I was actually starting to panic. It looked like they wanted to kill her or something. Even I started stuttering.

Sato: "So you dated one ikemen, befriended another in secret, then went on to date that one after breaking up with the last one, huh?"

Karuizawa: "W-wait. Hold o-"

Onodera: "Don't tell me you also befriended Akabane-kun as well, Karuizawa-san."

I wouldn't be surprised if she did. She didn't respond. It's like she was thinking very hard about how to answer that question.

Onodera: "So, am I right to assume that you did?"

Karuizawa: "W-well. I wouldn't say befriend. Truth be told, sometimes when Kiyotaka and I have our indoor dates in his room, Akabane-kun would crash on our dates and start causing a scene?"

Shinohara: "A scene? Like he'd embarrass you or something?"

Karuizawa: "Something like that. He wouldn't even stay for long. He'll just walk in, start spouting words for a few minutes, then leave."

Onodera: "I would actually be pretty mad at that, but I guess they're close."

"I wonder what they're doing here? It looked like they even took their time getting here since they've had a change of clothes."

Karuizawa: "It's probably something important. That guy won't go out unless it was. I could be wrong though since he does hang out with that group of his from time to time."

If I remember, that group of his consisted of himself, Yukimura-kun, Miyake-kun, Hasabe-san, and Sakura-san. I've seen them hanging out together quite a few time during my *ahem* reconnaissance works. From what I've observed, it seems like there's some sort of distance between himself and them, which is why his demeanor around Akabane-kun surprised me, since he's a lot more different in how he interacts between his group and him.

Part 3

(Ayanokoji POV)

As soon as Karma and I arrived at the cafe, from my peripheral view, I spot a group of girls, that consisted of Kei, Matsushita, Sato, Onodera, Shinohara, and Mori from my class. Upon noticing this, we decided to sit at a table farther away from them. They don't seem to have noticed us entering the cafe, however.

While passing by some tables, I also caught a glimpse of some first years as well. On the table next to Kei's I spot someone I recognized. It was that guy from Kushida's middle school, Yagami Takuya. I don't know if he's part of the bounty hunter or not, but if he is, I need to remain vigilant. not only that, I can't quite rule out any of them as the other White Room enforcer. As much as I'd appreciate it if Amasawa just told us who, she has her hands tied. Whoever this other person is must be stronger than her, to the point that she's pretty much in a bind.

Karma: "Although there's not a lot of people here, I didn't quite expect there to be a number of first years present. You think they're up to something?"

"I can't rule that out. They must have heard about Housen failing in his attempt."

Karma: "That's bound to have attracted some attention."

"It's bothersome."

If word got around that Housen failed, the 1st years would know that I'm not someone easy to take out. They would most likely band together. If that were the case, I need to consider the possibility that all of them are my enemies. I don't know how much I can take Amasawa's word for it. Even with her identity as a White Room student revealed, and her claim to not be my enemy, I still can't completely trust her.

Karma: "You think one of them could be it?"

"Maybe. You said you could feel the bloodlust of others right? Think you can identify the other one using that skill?"

Karma: "It doesn't work like that. Even if a person is showing some signs of bloodlust, it's not like I could tell who they're directing it to. There's quite a few people here you know. Besides, if everyone want's the bounty, then more people would just give off that same vibe. It's a perfect disguise."

"I guess you're right."

Karma: "If they are planning something though, it would be in their best interest to act before the special exam next week. They've probably heard of it already."

True. If I get expelled next week, it means they lose their opportunity to win the bounty. Still, with the recent failure of Housen, they'll probably feel rest assured that I at least won't let myself be an easy target for elimination in the exam.

While we were in the middle of our conversation, Yousuke arrived. It doesn't seem like he noticed the girls on the other side however.

Hirata: "Sorry for calling you out here all of a sudden, and for arriving later than you guys."

"It's no problem."

Karma: "Yeah. Truth be told, I also needed to buy some appliances, so this was just me killing two birds with one stone."

Yousuke sat down and we ordered our food. It looked like the girls' conversation was getting more heated, but we paid no mind to it. Yousuke began talking about the exam, and asked if there was anything more he could do. He really didn't want either of us getting expelled, and was willing to go out of his way to prevent that. We told him it's fine, and that he should just focus on keeping the class together, since that was neither mine, nor Karma's job.

Seeing as how having our expulsions on the line wouldn't shake us, Yousuke felt more relieved. It seems we were able to quell some of his anxiety. Expulsions really get to him, but this wasn't the Yousuke from last year. He was different. it's good that he's finally able to be more open with others.

As soon as we were done talking about class matters, our conversation moved to being more casual. He then brought up something I wasn't expecting.

Hirata: "Oh, by the way Kiyotaka-kun. I've been wondering this for a while. Feel free not to answer. What's your current relationship with Karuizawa-san?"

I was surprised to hear this. I remember him saying something to me during Ryuen's search for 'X'. He said he noticed Kei was paying more attention to me back then. Considering he's the only one who knew that I helped Kei get out of her predicament with Manabe, he was probably checking in on what our status was. He may not know how I got her out of it, but as the first person who tried to help her, he probably expected that we had some sort of development since then.

Karma looked at us, me in particular, with a look that said 'busted'. Seeing as how the nearest people to us were a good distance away, I didn't need to concern myself with someone eavesdropping in on our conversation.

"Well since it's you, I have no problems sharing. Simply put, we're dating."

He looked at me with a warm smile. He was probably overjoyed that Kei finally managed to get herself a real boyfriend. I wanted to sip on my coffee, but he was looking at me with a look that could smite any girl. Stop that, you.

If I weren't dating Kei, were a woman, and were a normal person, I would've leapt in your arms, and asked you to marry me or something.

Hirata: "I'm glad to hear that. Congratulations."

Karma: "Ahahahaha. It really surprised me that you were able to get in a relationship, let alone someone like her."

"How low do you think of me?"

Karma: "Only your social skills. Not your abilities."

"..."

Yousuke chuckled at our banter. He started asking me questions about my relationship with Kei, such as 'who confessed', or 'when did we start dating'. We ended up talking for about an hour. Around that time, the first years have already left, but Kei's group stayed. As soon as we were done, Yousuke finally noticed the presence of the other girls. He waved at them, and they waved back. He asked us if we wanted to go over there. Seeing as how rude it would be to not acknowledge their presence, we obliged.

We walked on over to the girls, and Yousuke was the first to speak up.

Hirata: "Good evening."

Yousuke greeted the girls and they all greeted back.

Matsushita: "It's unusual to see you with them."

Onodera: "So what were you talking about?"

Hirata: "Oh just about the exam for next week little bit. Other than that, we were just hanging out."

This took them by surprise. Me and Yousuke never really got a lot of opportunities to hang out with each other unless exams were on the table.

Shinohara: "Well that was unexpected."

Hirata: "Well I was also worried about the bounties, but since it's them, I feel like I could be put at ease."

Sato: "You really have a lot of confidence in them."

Hirata: "Of course. Didn't I say it before, Kiyotaka-kun's the most reliable one in the class. Not only that, if both of them are confident in each other's abilities, I feel like I can be rest assured."

Mori: "Well if you say so."

Kei was being very quiet. We made eye contact for a bit. It seems Matsushita noticed this, and pounced on the opportunity.

Matsushita: "So, Ayanokoji-kun, what do you think of Karuizawa-san?"

This caught me off guard. Everyone was looking at me for an answer. Kei's face turned beat red.

Shinohara: "Just so you know, there's no use hiding it. All of us here know."

It seemed highly unlikely that Kei would just outright reveal our relationship, which means someone else did it. Most likely Sato, since she confronted Kei about it on the first month of our second year.

Karma: "Ahahahaha! So much for keeping secrets Kiyo."

"Well I guess there's not much hiding it. To answer your question, I could probably list off a variety of reasons as to what I like about her, but I don't think that it's necessary to elaborate on that. If you like someone, you don't need a specific reason as to why you like them. If I were to give a specific reason, I enjoy our time together, even before she started dating. Plus she's cute, especially when she gets flustered."

Everyone was looking at me in awe. The girls specifically had their jaws dropped. They didn't expect me to say those things. I can see Kei's face turning even more red.

Karuizawa: "Mou... HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT WITH SUCH A STRAIGHT FACE?!"

Shinohara: "I think I can see now what you mean, when you said he could be pretty clueless."

The girls nodded in agreement. Yousuke was confused, while Karma was laughing at me hysterically.

Seeing as how we were all already here, the girls asked us if we wanted to join them. Right as I was about to respond, I got a message on my phone. I showed it to Karma, and we know what this was about.

Karma: "Sorry, but something just came up. Kiyo and I have to go check on something."

Hirata: "Is there a problem?"

"Not really. Horikita just wanted to talk to us about the exam. Probably the same reason as you."

A lie.

Mori: "Too bad. Karuizawa-san probably wanted to spend some time with you Ayanokoji-kun."

Kei flinched to Mori's response.

Karuizawa: "STOP!"

Onodera: "I've never seen you like this before Karuizawa-san. It's honestly really cute."

Sato: "Are you joining us, Hirata-kun?"

Hirata: "Sure, I don't mind. Though, I probably won't stick around for very long. I'm still a little tired from earlier."

Matsushita: "Don't worry. We were just gonna check out some stores."

As she said this, Karma pulled out his phone. He typed something in this notepad and showed it to me.

It read:

'I guess it's a good thing we got this appointment.'

I don't know what he meant, but I'm assuming he didn't want to stick around much longer. As soon as we left the cafe, we parted ways, with Yousuke and the girls headed for the department stores, and myself and Karma leaving Keyaki Mall.

We arrived behind the dormitories where we found the person who called us out here.

"To think you would call us out here."

"Tch. You already know why."

Hey, so I just finished writing this chapter. Although this chapter lacks some oomf to it, it's more like just a set up for what is to come. I decided to take a different route from the canon story, and have Kiyo's and Kei's relationship revealed rather early. Last chapter I said I wanted to include short stories, and this was basically it. I actually got inspired to write it upon reading two different one shots with a similar premise, where their relationship was revealed to Kei's friends. I used that opportunity to create a similar premise, in order to set something up in the future.

Also, if you haven't figured it out already, Karma's outfit is a reference. Take a guess.

Anyway, with that being said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know it's a bit all over the place, but there were some stuff I wanted to set up for future plot. I think you can kind of guess what they would be. Anyways, see ya!

Vol. 2, Chapter 4 - The Danger They Pose

Ryuen Kakeru's Soliloquy - A Dangerous Combination

For as long as I've known, I've lived on the principle of inflicting fear unto others, in order to get them to submit. That's how my gang became so notorious all throughout, and we were untouchable. The only one who could've rivaled my gang was that gorilla, Hosen, yet even he has weaknesses. It doesn't matter what methods I used. If I see a way to win, I'll sacrifice just about anyone. No one, absolutely no one could make me submit. They couldn't even make me feel fear if they tried.

That was how it was, until I suffered defeat by the hands of Ayanokoji. That monster not only saw through my plans, not only utterly destroyed us in a physical, and psychological confrontation, but he actually made me feel fear for the first time. I didn't even think that was possible. However, while he was beating me up, I saw his eyes. Eyes that reflect no light. Eyes void of all emotions. Eyes that were a deep, empty abyss. Eyes that possesses no life. In all my years of fighting, I've never seen someone so emotionally apathetic, and so strong, that his strength alone may as well be considered inhuman. A monster if you will. I even wondered to myself time and time again what kind of life he lived through that made him such a monster.

That guy made me step down as leader, yet strangely, he's the reason for me staying. Everytime I get a moment to see, and/or speak with that guy, I get a rush of excitement. Every cell in my body is telling me to eat him alive. I saw him as the final boss. Before I could challenge him though, he told me to make my way up the ladder buy crushing Ichinose and Sakayanagi. Normally I would never take someone else's advice, but somehow, I did. I crushed Ichinose, shattering her spirit, and made her see just how pathetic she is. Sakayanagi is next. Once she's done with, I'll move on to that monster - is what I would like to say, but it seems a new challenger has entered the fray.

Akabane Karma. He guy was the new transfer student in Suzune's class. I checked his OAA.

Academic Ability: A (95)
Physical Ability: A (98)
Adaptability: B (78)
Social Contribution: C- (42)
Overall ability: A- (83)

That guy's interesting. Even with all he's got going for him, he was placed in class D. On the surface, he looked like another ikemen type. Someone smart, and strong, that even some of the girls in our class were talking about him. However, something felt off. For starters, I kept seeing him with Ayanokoji. They're even on a first name basis. The way Ayanokoji speaks to him is also much different to everyone else. It's like they've been through hell together. I didn't think that monster was capable of making friends. If I were to give Ayanokoji an honest to God evaluation, I'm pretty sure he doesn't see anyone as an ally, not even Suzune. So what happened between him and Akabane that he sees him as different to everyone else?

Then, that happened. During our little confrontation, he beat me and Albert easily without even budging from his spot, and never losing that grin. What's more, in the middle of our fight, he gave off a weird aura. I don't know why, but I actually broke in to a cold sweat, and I was actually starting to feel fear once again. The only other time that happened was during our fight on the rooftop with Ayanokoji, yet Akabane was able to make me feel it again, although I tried my best to hide it.

This time though the fear I felt from fighting him was much different. Ayanokoji made me feel fear from seeing his eyes, but Akabane made me feel fear from his aura. Yes, his aura. The bloodlust he gave of was so suffocating, it's like he could kill you with it. When I got up after being beaten by him, I noticed Ayanokoji was watching. All of his classmates were afraid, but not him. Well, it's hard to tell from his poker face, but it's like he expected something like this to happen. Before I tried to take the open field from his class, that monster sent me a message. As soon as everything went down, I started to put the pieces together, and everything started to make sense. Not only did I fell for his - no - their trap, those two also have a long history. It looked like they've been through hell together, or rather because they've been through hell together.

A dangerous opponent has just slipped in to class D. This someone has strength similar to Ayanokoji's. While he doesn't have the same eyes as him, his aura has the same effect as that monster's eyes. That Akabane has the guts to tell me to come at him like I mean to kill. Now that's what I'm talking about. Another monster I need to crush with my hands.

However, it all dawned on me. That Akabane has no problems showing off his abilities unlike Ayanokoji. If he and Ayanokoji were similar, then he too possessed, not only the same strength and academic abilities, but also the same strategic ingenuity. If Ayanokoji were to get serious, getting to class A would be impossible no matter how many tricks I pull off.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and Akabane Karma. No matter how I look at it, those two truly are a dangerous combination.

Part 1

(Ayanokoji POV)

We arrived behind the dormitories where we found the person who called us out here.

"To think you would call us out here."

"Tch. You already know why."

The person who called us was none other than Class B's leader, Ryuen Kakeru.

"So what did you call us here for?"

Ryuen: " THAT"

The thing Ryuen was referring to was my message to him earlier that day. I told him that if he were to try and disrupt Class D's training, then now was the time. Of course he was skeptical, but I told him that it'll be worth his while, and all I wanted was to see a good show. I already knew he wanted to disrupt our training. This was the perfect opportunity to get me expelled afterall.

Ryuen: "You really had the guts to pull something like that off in front of everyone, huh? You make my blood boil!"

"Sorry, but I just thought it would be nice for you two to get you two acquainted. I did say that it'll be worth your while, no? You look like you're much more fired up than ever."

Ryuen: "KUKUKUKUKUKU! YOU BASTARD! Well, you were right, it was worth my while. Looks like you aren't the only monster that I've got to look out for."

"My apologies if my friend here hurt you. I did ask him to be careful, and not overdo it."

Ryuen: "Kukuku. Save me the sarcasm."

Karma: "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. Now, why'd you call us here Dragon-boy?"

Ryuen: "Stop calling me that!"

Karma: "Sorry Dragon-boy! If you want, we could go at it right here."

Ryuen: "As much as I would want that, I know full well what'll happen if I do. Besides, if you're anything like this monster, I'd rather not overplay my hand."

Ryuen said that as he's pointing to me.

Karma: "Ahahahaha! Well, at least you saw your error."

"Going back to Karma's previous question, why did you call us here Ryuen?"

Ryuen: "Ah that. Before that, I want to confirm something, Akabane. What you did this morning, was that to show your classmates how helpless they are without you and Ayanokoji, and for you to assert your position in your class?"

Karma didn't answer. He just looked at Ryuen, but he widened his grin. Ryuen took his silence as his answer.

Ryuen: "Alright, as for the second thing I wanted to confirm. Considering how close you are, I'm assuming you two went to the same school, and received the same training together before coming to this school. Am I wrong?"

Karma and I looked at each other for a sec. He was close to the answer. Although we can't speak about the White Room, it also wouldn't hurt if we at least confirm to him that we have history together. With that, both of us answered at the same time.

"Who knows?"

Karma: "Who knows?"

Ryuen: "Kukukuku. Alright, that's all the answer I need. Now, on to what I needed to tell you."

Ryuen tells us some recent "developments". After he told us what he needed to tell us, I wanted to know his reason for giving us this information.

"And what do you hope to gain from all of this?"

Ryuen: "Only that you and Akabane don't make yourselves easy targets, and for that hindrance to no get in the way. After all, it wouldn't be much fun if things came to that now. Would it? Also, consider this as me returning the favor for helping me out in the class poll exam."

From Ryuen's point of view, he already knows something like this won't get us out. Instead, it'll just be a nuisance for him, and he wants to get it out of the way. I turned to Karma, since this was something he wanted to deal with himself.

"Well it's not like we didn't expect something like this. Your call."

Karma racked his brain for a sec, and came up with a plan. He told Ryuen his plan, and that Ryuen will have his way as long as he doesn't interfere.

Ryuen: "KUKUKUKU! You two are quite the frightening pair. What a dangerous combination. Alright, I have no problems with this. Just know that I'll be one that gets you both expelled. Count on it."

"Do as you please."

Karma: "Just remember my advice to you Dragon-boy."

Ryuen: "Come at you like I mean to kill huh? Kukukuku. I'm looking forward to it."

After our meeting with Ryuen, we headed back to our dormitories. Ryuen went ahead first in order to not attract any unwanted, negative attention.

Part 2

For the following days leading up to the exam, everyone has been training relentlessly. Karma and I pretty much took over for the training sessions, with the assistance of Sudo and Akito for the combat training, and Yosuke, Horikita, and Onodera for the basic exercises.

Slowly, but surely, many were improving. Of course, there were still others who lagged behind. We didn't really expect much development, given that we only have a few days to prepare for the exam. What's more, it seems that Ryuen will also be making his move on that day. I told him before on the rooftop to go after Sakayanagi first before going after me, but since Karma made his debut, he can't ignore the threat our combined forces pose.

As we were going over everyone's training, none have been able to successfully tag us. We both have to hold back, just to give them a chance. While they were having a hard time trying to develop their physical capabilities, they have been improving in their stealth. Some were able to maintain their breathing, just enough to make sure that they don't get caught that easily. Afterall, the heavier one's breathing is, the easier it is to pick up.

What I'm really looking forward for are our sniper. Ike, Hondo, and the Professor have really stepped up their game. While Hondo and the Professor have a harder time getting around due to their low physicality, Ike had a much easier time. Although he's not on the same level in physicality as someone like Yosuke, Ike's experience in the outdoors allowed for him to traverse rougher terrains much easier. He's also a great climber, which helps give him a good vantage point, and shoot down enemies from afar.

On Saturday of that week, Karma made the two different groups go head to head against each other without us. This was to test if whether or not they have what it takes to be able to handle multiple enemies at once. To make things more fair, Karma divided our sniper, Ike, Hondo and the Professor in to different teams. Ike, and also Akito will be on my team, while Hondo and the Professor will be on Karma's team. Because of Akito's physical abilities, Sudo also has to be transferred to Karma's team.

Both teams will be making full use of the thicket located at the back of the open field. Each team will start at opposite ends of the thicket, and their goal is to dwindle the enemy's number down as fast as they can 15 minutes before the end of the period. Karma also assigned a person on each side to play the role of the bounty. On my team, Akito will play that role, while on Karma's side, it will be Onodera. If any of the bounties were eliminated in the first 10 minutes, the round is over.

Karma and I will move around to monitor the battle, in order to make sure that each side is playing fairly. Of course, we are also keeping a far away enough distance as to not get in the way of the players.

My team is being led by Horikita, while the other team is being led by Yosuke. Between the two, I'd say Horikita has better battle sense. Earlier, Karma also requested for transceivers, and Chabashira-sensei was able to procure them for us. Since this is a team battle, communication would be important. Before, it was easier to communicate, since they are only targeting one person per group, me for my group, and Karma for his group. However, because there will be multiple enemies this time, coordination will be very important.

Once both groups are ready at their starting points, Karma gave the signal to begin the round. The two of us moved around the tree tops in order to watch the battle without getting in the way. On my end, I have observed that Horikita has commanded her group to have 3 people accompany Akito at all times. Ike has also taken vantage point on a tall tree. It was high enough, and the leaves were thick enough to provide him some cover.

From the opposite side of the thicket, I spotted some moving figures. Using my binoculars, I see a group of 3 moving towards to center point. One of them was Airi. A soon as they reached a more open area, a shot was fired by Ike.

"Sakura Airi has been eliminated. A team is down to 17 players." Karma announced to everyone as soon as it happened.

Airi left the area, feeling completely down since she had been eliminated so quickly. If we were judging people's assessments based on the OAA, then Airi is at the bottom of our class. Right now, if there ever was another exam like the class vote exam, Airi would be the one in most danger for expulsion. Her vitality within the class would only be predicated by her willingness to change. Although she is growing, she still has a long way compared to most people. On top of that, due to her poor communication skills, most people would probably not give her expulsion a second thought. One can't simply remain helpless forever, and right now, she has to adapt fast.

Once she was shot, the two people accompanying her split up and took cover. Seeing as this as an opportunity, Horikita ordered a group of 3 to move forward stealthily, and Ike to keep an eye on them from his position. However, as they were advancing, Sudo appeared from behind a big tree, and tagged 2 of the 3 people.

"Miyamoto Soshi and Mori Nene have both been eliminated. B team is down to 17 players." Karma announced to everyone.

As soon as they were eliminated, their third team member ran off and fled the scene. Sudo tried to go after them, but soon took cover as soon as Ike fired another shot. Sudo managed to avoid elimination, and the Professor fired his shot in the direction of Ike's.

It seems that this was what they were aiming for. In an event like this, snipers are the ones you really got to look out for. As avid first person shooter players, Ike, Hondo, and the Professor understood this well. By warning Sudo to take cover in advance, it allowed him to avoid elimination, as well as them identifying the location of their enemy sniper.

The Professor's shot did not reach Ike though. The leaves and branches that Ike took cover at were too thick, and it allows him to just barely get away. One advantage he has over Hondo and the Professor however is his mobility. Just as how he was able to climb up the tree to get a good vantage point, he was able to climb back down and flee the scene without too much difficulty.

Because of the professor's shot missing, it gave away his location, so he too had to relocate. Just as he got out of his cover, Okitani was about to shoot him, but was shot by Hondo just in time, and the Professor escaped.

"Okitani Kyosuke has been eliminated. B team is down to 16 players." announced Karma.

Right now, there's no sign of Onodera. If she were to avoid detection, I would assume she would take the tree tops. Because she is the most physically gifted from the girls, she should have an easier time moving around like that compared to most people. Right now, both teams' priority should be eliminating the other team's bounty. There's only five minutes left. If they can't eliminate each other's bounty, then it's an all out battle from there.

From the distance, I can see Shinohara and Inogashira running through the woods. They spot Ijuin, who's on my team, and made a B-line for him. They probably thought he would would be an easy target due to his low physicality, but Kushida was able to get the jump on them and eliminated by gunning them down. They were both spotted by

"Shinohara Satsuki and Inogashira Kokoro have both been eliminated. A team is down to 15 players." I announced to both sides via the transceivers.

As soon as this happened, Matsushita appeared from behind Kushida, and aimed a shot at her. Ijuin warned Kushida just in time for her to dodge, however, that was a fluke as Matsushita turned her gun on Ijuin and shot instead.

"Ijuin Wataru has been eliminated. B team is down to 15 players."

As soon as I made that announcement, Kushida aims her gun at Matsushita and begins to shoot her. Matsushita quickly took cover, and tried to flee the scene. Kushida informs her team that Matsushita is currently fleeing from her position, and warns people closest to that direction.

As soon as Matsushita left, she was ambushed by Akito's group. She tried to aim her gun at him, but was shot by Haruka.

"Matsushita Chiaki has been eliminated. A team is down to 14 players." I gave the announcement.

As soon as they eliminated Matsushita, Sudo appeared and eliminated Haruka, while Hondo fired a shot at Ishikura, and the Professor fired a shot at Makida.

"Hasabe Haruka, Ishikura Kayoko, and Makida Susumu have all been eliminated. B team is down to 13 players."

Right as I said that, both Akito and Sudo engaged in a knife fight. As they did that though, Karma made an announcement.

"10 minutes is up. Eliminating the bounties will no longer end the match."

Sudo probably felt disappointed since he wasn't able to get Akito out on time, however right now he couldn't complain. Although Akito is not on the same level as Sudo, he is by no means weak. Akito did his best to counter Sudo's attacks, but he was slowly faltering. Sudo's immense strength is getting the better of him, and he's slowly getting overpowered. Just then, Sudo moved away just in time to avoid a shot from Ike.

The professor saw through their plan, and got Sudo out of it just in time. Hondo was just about to shoot at Ike, but a shot was fired at him. It missed, and he fled his area. The goal of this battle has just shifted. Instead of targeting the bounties, all attention are on the snipers, since they pretty much control the battlefield. Eliminating them has become everyone's top priority. The snipers on both sides must be careful not to fire recklessly, as that would give away their position.

As Hondo was fleeing the scene, he was being chased by Kushida and Mii-Chan, however, at that moment, Onodera came down from the trees and eliminated both girls by slashing them with her knives.

"Kushida Kikyo, and Wang Mei-Yu have both been eliminated. B team is down to 11 players."

Elsewhere, Onizuka and Kikuchi were scouting for Ike. They were able to hide for so long, because they traveled at the far side of the thicket. They managed to find Ike, camping on a treetop, but as soon as they were about to draw out their gun, Horikita got the jump on them, and eliminated both of them using her katana after dropping down from a nearby tree behind them.

"Kikuchi and Onizuka have both been eliminated. A team is down to 12 players."

Horikita most likely anticipated something like this to happen. She had people posted on different far off sides of the area in order to stop any potential ambush.

On the other side, Sato and Azuma are keeping out for any enemies. At that moment, Kei and Sonoda shot at them both as they had their backs turned.

"Sato Maya, and Azuma Sana have both been eliminated. B Team is down to 9 players."

The numbers were dwindling fast. As Kei and Sonoda hid themselves behind a rock, I spot someone closing in from behind them. Akito took cover behind a tree, and fired at both Kei and Sonoda.

"Karuizawa Kei, and Sonoda Chiyo have both been eliminated. A Team is down to 10 players."

Despite having only one elimination, Kei did well to be able to last this long. She did exceptionally well keeping her presence hidden. Right as I thought about having someone avenge Kei, like a hero from a story, Yosuke appeared and fired a shot at Akito.

Akito dodged the shot, and tried to take cover, but was intercepted by Onodera, and both of them engaged in a knife fight. Although Akito was stronger, Onodera was much more agile, and it became a problem for Akito. On top of that, she had Yosuke backing her up. Akito was cornered, and Onodera was able to eliminate him after some struggle. However, just as soon as Onodera managed to eliminate him, she was shot by Ike from a distance.

"Miyake Akito and Onodera Kayano have both been eliminated. B Team is now down to 8 players, while A Team is now down to 9."

Yosuke quickly took cover, not wanting to be shot by Ike. Rino and Kondo were on their way to back up Yosuke, but were both shot down by Ike.

"Rino and Kondo have both been eliminated. A Team is now down to 7 players."

This was interesting. 2 of the 7 in A team are snipers, and they pretty much have everyone in B Team on the look out constantly, meanwhile only Ike is the sniper among the 8 remaining in B team. It's safe to say that these three pretty much put pressure on their respective opposing teams.

On B team's side, Horikita ordered Hakuo and Setsuya to look for the snipers while they remain hidden, while she go and deal with Yosuke. Hakuo and Setsuya were stealthily moving about, avoiding being spotted by the opposing teams. In the middle of their covert operation, they were able to find the Professor. They were about to eliminate him, but Setsuya stepped on a twig. This alerted the Professor, and he made a break for it.

Both Hakuo and Setsuya chased him down. They tried to shoot him with a gun, but they can't aim and run at the same time. The Professor knew this as part of fps gaming 101, and used it to keep himself safe. As they chased him, he lured them out in an opening, which allowed for Hondo to take the shot and eliminate them both.

"Minami Setsuya and Minami Hakuo have both been eliminated. B Team is down to 6 players.

As the Professor was working on relocating, he was intercepted by Horikita, who shot him from a few 7 meters away.

"Satomura Hideo has been eliminated. A Team is down to 6 players."

Satomura: "Hm hm hm, of course. A fool I was! Well played Horikita-dono. Perhaps you were born for this."

As he said that, he walked away to the open field, joining his eliminated comrades.

Horikita: "Finally got one of them out."

I assume that, while both Hakuo and Setsuya were chasin down the Professor, they notified Horikita of their situation. She most likely deduced that the Professor would take advantage of this to lure them out in the opening and have Hondo take them out. She could've warned them, but it was too late for that, so she had to cut off the Professor's escape route while Hondo takes them out as bait.

As Horikita was about to regroup with her teammates, Onodera appeared before her, and they engaged in a fight. They clashed blades, Horikita with her katana, and Onodera with her knife, and not wanting the other to pull out a gun. Despite Onodera's athletics, Horikita was still the best martial artist amongst the girls in Class D. She eventually got the better of her, and delivered a finishing blow to her chest with her knife.

"Onodera Kayano has been eliminated. A Team is now down to 5 players."

This was a close match. They only have 1 sniper, and 1 very athletic person remaining on each side; Horikita and Ike for B Team, and Yosuke and Hondo for B Team.

As soon as Horikita eliminated Onodera, a shot was fired at her, but Maezono was able to push her away just in time. She must have acted as Horikita's extra pair of eyes and acted as a look out in case Hondo sniped her. Thanks to Hondo's shot missing, Horikita was able to identify which direction the stray bb came from. She ordered two of her teammates to cut off Hondo's escape route, while having Ike keep an eye out for him.

As Ike repositioned himself, he spots Hondo from his scope. Taking aim, he was about to pull the trigger, when suddenly-

"Ike Kanji and Ichihashi have both been eliminated. B Team is now down to 4 players."

Right as Ike was about to pull the trigger, Yosuke got him out just in time. He found Ike on a tree, and snuck up on him from behind, however, Ichihashi tried to get him out. Ichihashi was covering Ike to make sure he won't get eliminated, and spotted Yosuke. As Yosuke was dodging Ichihashi's bbs, Keisei managed to get her out by firing at her from behind. As soon as she was out, with out a moment's delay, Yosuke took that opportunity to shoot Ike, since he didn't notice the commotion, probably too focused on locating Hondo.

Losing Ike was a huge blow. They lost their main trump card, thus making it even more crucial to get Hondo out as soon as possible. Horikita signals her group if they have found Hondo, to which they said yes.

As Hondo was trying to get away, he was intercepted by two of Horikita's teammates. He changed his direction, and ran towards Yosuke's location. He dodge every bb that was fired at him, some nearly hitting him. He spots Yosuke hiding behind a tree, and told him to take cover. Yosuke and Keisei aimed and fired their shot, taking both of Horikita's teammates out.

"B Team is now down to 2 players."

Hirata: "Good work you two."

Yukimura: *panting* "Thanks *panting* I didn't think I would get this far."

Hondo: *panting* "Neither did I."

Hirata: "We were able to make it this far thanks to yours and Satomura-kun's battle sense, as well as scouting ability."

Yukimura: "I still can't believe we got this far because you guys play so much video games."

Hondo: "Hahahaha. Looks like that proved useful after all."

While Keisei had a point, I too get where Hondo was coming from. I guess those video games they played served as some sort of simulation, to help them gain a good sense of what to look out for in a battlefield.

Hirata: "We can't stop yet, Horikita-san and Maezono-san are still out their, and Horikita-san is extremely formidable in close combat."

As soon as he said this.

"2 of A team have been eliminated. A Team is now down to 3 players."

Yukimura: "What happened? It seems they got cut off. Horikita-san probably figured out we would comes save Hondo-kun, and that we were near where Ike-kun was last situated.

Hondo: "In that case, I'll just get in to position again and-"

A bb was fired at his back. They all looked back and saw the silhouette of a girl running in the woods.

"Hono Ryotaro has been eliminated. A Team is now down to 2 players."

Hondo: "Sorry"

Hirata: "It's fine. Leave it to us."

Hondo exits the scene, and now it was Yosuke and Keisei versus Horikita and Maezono.

Yosuke and Keisei quickly ran off to a different direction, while hearing footsteps coming from each side of them. Maezono cuts Keisei off and aims her gun at him, but misses after Keisei turned to a different direction. As she is chasing after him, Yosuke manages to get the jump on her, and slashes her with a knife.

"Maezono has been eliminated. A Team is now down to 1 player."

At that moment, Horikita appeared, and pulls out a katana that she had hidden away nearby. After witnessing my skills in swordsmanship, it seems she has taken an interest in learning it. While she was doing well at it, she should've just shot Yosuke instead of facing him in close combat. This was her downfall. Although she was doing well against Yosuke, he was able to maintain his athleticism thanks to his club activities. Yosuke was able to keep up with Horikita's movements, and lured her our in to an opening. Realizing what he was doing, she backed away, and tried to flee behind her, but was cut off by Keisei, who aimed his gun at her. She tried to dodge, but Keisei was just a distraction, and it was Yosuke who managed to shoot her from behind and got her out.

I sighed. If she had just stuck to using her gun, she might've won. Alas, she tried to imitate my style in under a short period of time. You still have a long way to go Horikita. In times like these, sometimes trying out something new isn't such a good idea. You even did well commanding your group like that.

"Horikita Suzune has been eliminated. All of B Team has been eliminated, which means the winner of this match is A Team."

Hirata: "YES! Good job Yukimura-kun."

Yukimura: "Thanks Hirata, but I was just a diversion."

Horikita: "Even so, you managed to defeat us. Good job."

Hirata: "Your team also did really well Horikita-san."

Horikita: "Thank you Hirata-kun."

They did well indeed. On paper, Yosuke was the one leading his team, but in truth, the Professor was actually serving as his second-in-command.

Everyone made their way back to the open field, and A Team was celebrating their victory. As they were celebrating, Karma addressed the class.

Karma: "Good job everyone. You did really well. Some better than others, but you did well nonetheless. Seems like your training is paying off."

Hirata: "Well we have you two to thank for that."

Sudo: "Yeah man. We're gonna win this exam, no doubt!"

Ike: "Yeah! No one's getting expelled!"

They seem to be brimming with joy, well apart for a few who still felt dissatisfied with their performance. Airi in particular looked pretty down. This was understandable, since she was eliminated first, and didn't even get to assist in an elimination. Horikita also looked somewhat frustrated. She probably felt bad for letting her group down, since she wanted to test out her swordsmanship training. Although she did well, you can't expect to master something in a matter of a few days. Even back in the White Room, it took me years to get to where I'm at.

Karma: "That's enough for now. Everyone get some rest."

The day ended, and so did everyone's training. We all agreed to take the day off on Sunday in order to not fatigue ourselves, or give ourselves any injuries for the up coming exam. If anyone does want to train though, they were advised to not overdo it. Although our exam was on Tuesday, we will actually be traveling to the exam site on Monday to get ourselves situated in advance.

Part 3

(Ryuen POV)

Tuesday at 5pm, we were at the Karaoke discussing our plans for the exam. After my little confrontation with Class D this morning, I discovered some rather interesting developments. A new monster has just slipped in amongst the defects. Although they were a class full of defects, there were two in particular, who stood out from the rest, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, and Akabane Karma. Both of them possessed immense, inhuman strength, and can make me dance at the palm of their hands at any time.

Earlier I received a message from Ayanokoji, telling me to disrupt Class D's training by taking over the open field. He said it would be worth my while. Well, I certainly did not expect that newbie in their class to completely annihilate me in a fight. However, Ayanokoji did still deliver on his promise. I indeed got something worthwhile out of it. A heads up of another monster, that possessed the same kind of capabilities, that he does. Ordinary means already don't work on Ayanokoji, but having two of them is a nightmare. They may be the bounties, but they won't let us eliminate them that easily.

Ishizaki: ''So what's the plan Ryuen-san?"

By plan, he means how we'll get out Ayanokoji and Akabane, as well as protecting our bounties. I was here with Ishizaki, Ibuki, Albert, and Hiyori to go over those plans.

"Right. Well you're probably well aware on who exactly we're dealing with here."

Normally I would have no problems discussing this in front of my class, but not this time. I can't carelessly give out any sensitive information regarding Ayanokoji, lest I lose the chance to finally crush him myself. I called them here specifically, because they know of Ayanokoji.

While myself, Ibuki, Ishizaki, and Albert all had our asses beaten on that rooftop, Hiyori was able to discover Ayanokoji as 'X' purely from her deduction. She even confronted that monster to confirm it, and he didn't deny it. Hiyori may not be someone who likes violence, but she'd do anything to help the class. While she's not physically gifted, her brains make her a valuable asset.

Ibuki: "Tch. Yeah, yeah we know. So how are we gonna do this?"

Shiina: "We could have Ibuki-san and Yamada-kun hide it out in a more remote area."

It wasn't a bad idea. Although both Ibuki and Albert were by no means weak, this exam heavily favors stealth and speed over strength. Albert's gonna be an easy target, due to his size. Ibuki on the other hand would probably have an easier time getting around thanks to her build.

Ishizaki: "If it's Albert and Ibuki, don't you think they won't have much of a problem? I mean they're both good fighters."

Shiina: "Fighting ability doesn't really determine the winner in this exam though."

"Hiyori's right. Use your head idiot. Stealth, speed, stamina and the ability to wield a gun are gonna be what's gonna determine the winner for this exam. If we're gonna let our bounties go out and do some eliminations during the first 20 minutes, I'm more confident with Ibuki than Albert."

Shiina: "Ryuen-kun is correct. Yamada-kun's size makes him an easy target."

Ibuki: "I can handle myself then."

"Don't be an idiot Ibuki, have you forgotten what that monster - no - monsters are capable of?"

Ibuki: "Tch. Yeah, okay I get it."

I probably won't have any problems being more risky, but those two are gonna be a pain to deal with.

"Before we talk about which hole Ibuki and Albert should penetrate themselves in-

Ibuki: "WHAT DID YOU SAY JUST NOW?!"

"BE QUIET AND LET ME TALK YOU IDIOT!"

Shiina: "Let's calm down. Let's hear what Ryuen-kun has to say first."

Ibuki: "...fine..."

This was also another reason why I had Hiyori accompany us here. She could de-escalate the situation thanks to her personality. Her good nature lets others calm down, however, unlike Ichinose, she knows when it's a good opportunity to apply force, and will leave it to me to do so.

"Kukukuku. Thank you Hiyori. Now, as I was saying, before we get to protecting you two, I want to discuss about some information I received from an anonymous source."

Ishizaki: "Anonymous source?"

Of course those two should know something like this would happen. I quickly explained what the information is that I received during lunch.

Ibuki: "Hold on, what are they suppose to gain from something like this? Won't this just backfire on them? I mean it's their loss"

"Kukukuku. Who knows?"

My anonymous messenger has just given us some rather useful information, however, I know for a fact that those two monsters would be expecting it. While I'm rather thankful for the sender's generosity, it's just going to become rather troublesome down the line for me. Everytime they get involved, I get the short end of the stick. On top of that, they have the gal to do that.

Ishizaki: "Are we gonna be using this against them?"

"Just hold your horses Ishizaki. Even if we consider using this to our advantage, it's likely those two monsters already saw through it, and had it all planned out."

Shiina: "By that, you mean Ayanokoji-kun, and Akabane-kun?"

As expected of Hiyori. He deductive abilities are invaluable to our class.

"Yes, exactly."

Ishizaki: "I still can't believe there was someone out there that was on par with Ayanokoji-san."

"Kukukuku. Believe me, I'm just as surprised as you are. He lacked Ayanokoji's eyes, but the aura he gives off was still something else. It was like something was coiling itself around me, ready to kill me at any time."

Shiina: "Are we going to get Ayanokoji-kun eliminated in the first 20 minutes?"

There was a brief moment of silence. We all know what kind of relationship those two have, and the feelings that she harbors for him. However,

"Kukuku, don't worry about your boyfriend Hiyori. Even if I were to send in our whole class to gang up on him, it's not like that monster's gonna make things easy for us."

Shiina: "Well I guess you- Wait, b-boyfriend?! W-wait no!"

Ibuki: "Calm down Shiina. He's just messing with you."

Shiina: "O-oh. I see..."

Ishizaki: "Hey, how about we invite Ayanokoji-san in to our class? That way he doesn't face expulsion, and our class could rise to Class A no problem!"

Hiyori looked happy upon hearing this, however it was only for a brief moment. Even she knew that weren't possible. It's still an interesting proposal though. If Ayanokoji and I were in the same class, not even Sakayanagi would be a threat to us. Although, I'm still unsure with Akabane though. If he was just like Ayanokoji, the biggest difference between them is that he has no problems showing his abilities.

Ibuki: "Are you serious?! Didn't we already go over this?!"

Ishizaki: "Come on. It's a great idea! Even Shiina and Albert are in on this. Right you guys?"

Albert: [YES]

Shiina: "Well, I too would like to have Ayanokoji-kun in our class, but..."

"It's impossible. Isn't that right Hiyori?"

She nods in response. Unlike that idiot Ishizaki, Hiyori knows how to use her brain.

"And there you have it. Besides, it'll be a lot more fun to crush that guy than teaming up with him anyway. Same thing goes for Akabane. This exam is the perfect opportunity."

Ibuki: "You're weird. You still want to go up against both of them?"

"Kukuku, of course I do! Who do you take me for? Now then, the matter of getting Ayanokoji in our class aside, let's make full use of this information on our hands."

Shiina: "So we'll be having these guys as our top priority along with Ayanokoji-kun and Akabane-kun?"

"I'd like take a different approach for those two monsters. As for the other matters, I have something in mind."

I explain my strategy to these four. Ibuki looks like she's disgusted by my decision. I honestly didn't care. I already made up my mind.

Ibuki: "ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?! DO YOU WANT ME TO KICK YOUR BALLS OR SOMETHING?!"

Shiina: "Calm down Ibuki-san."

Ibuki: "Hold on Shiina, don't tell me you agree with this?!"

Shiina: "I do have qualms with it, but right now it might just be our best option. Like Ryuen-kun said, it's only for a little while."

Ibuki: "Oh my gosh..."

Ibuki looks up to the ceiling as she said this, overcome with the sense of defeat, and losing her will to protest. If Hiyori of all people agreed with me, then even she knew there was no other way.

"Kukukuku. What's wrong Ibuki? You have a problem with my plan?"

Ibuki: "OF COURSE I DO!"

"Kukukuku. Don't worry. We'll check on you any time."

Ishizaki: "Come on Ibuki, at the very least, you and Albert won't get expelled. Right?"

Ibuki: "Tch! Whatever. As long as I get to fight Horikita in the end then."

"You'll get your chance. Now then, let's finalize our strategy and begin with our preparations."

After about 2 hours of discussing our strategy, we all left the karaoke and went back to our dorms. Ibuki still didn't like the idea, and I'm pretty sure neither did Albert, but it was all for the best. On my way back, I spot both devils having a nice relaxing time in the cafe with a bunch of chicks. Just the people I needed to see. I sent Ayanokoji a message and headed off to our meeting spot first as to not draw any attention.

As soon as I arrived, I received another message, but it wasn't from Ayanokoji. I screenshotted the message, and saved in in my phone for future use. If I know Ayanokoji, this kind of thing won't even be as much as a threat to him.

"Kukuku. Now, I wonder how you'll get out of this one?"

I said that to myself, wondering just how this will all play out. Ayanokoji may not mind, but that Akabane may not let this go. I spot the two of them headed for my direction. While I'd like to get down to business, I'd like to confirm a few things first. It doesn't hurt to probe a little.

Part 4

(AYANOKOJI POV)

Monday finally came, which is the day we all depart to our exam site. There were a few who decided to train yesterday, however nothing too strenuous. We wouldn't want anyone suffering from any illness nor injury prior to the exam afterall. We were all boarding the bus on the way to the location. Before that, Karma and I made some extra preparations for some stuff down the line. I remember the deal Horikita made with Koenji. I was actually looking forward to how he'll perform in this exam.

We soon arrived at our exam site. It was all forest, with a path in the middle leading up to a large building, and a quadrangle at the front. The building was divided in to 3 parts. This was similar to the mixed training camp. I'm assuming they divided it to separate both the boys, and girls. The left and right most parts will be to segregate the boys and girls, while the middle building was for all to use.

Once we reached the quadrangle, we all lined up by class. In front of us are multiple soldiers, who will be proctoring the exam, lined up facing us. Behind them is a podium. One person, who I assume is the main person in charge for this exam, steps up to the podium. The man in charge was tall, has spiky hair, a stern look much like Manabu, and wore a suit and tie.

"Before we begin, I'd like to ask you to please head to your quarters. Each of you will be assigned with your respective quarters, where you'll be spending the next two days with 5 other of your classmates as your roommates. Teachers, please accompany them. We will give you 20 minutes to settle in, then we'll call for the first class to begin the tour of the campsite. Due to the sheer number of you, we'll be doing this by class, with Class A being the first, with Class D being the last."

We left the quadrangle and made our way to our respective quarters. Each quarter has the capacity to accommodate up to 6 people. I was grouped with Karma, Yosuke, Akito, Sudo and Keisei. Honestly, I couldn't ask for a better line up to be roommates with for the boys. At the very least, I was glad I wasn't in the same group as Koenji again.

Miyake: "Looks like we struck gold with our grouping, huh?"

Yukimura: "Yeah. I'm just glad that I'm not grouped up with Koenji again."

"I get what you mean. I was there too."

Sudo: "Hey, speking of Koenji, is that guy really gonna take this exam seriously? I really can't imagine it."

Yukimura: "If it were for his freedom, then yeah I guess I could see it happening. If he does well, and we win then good for I guess."

Miyake: "Yeah, but that would mean he would never help again down the line."

Sudo: "Well it's not like that guy was any help to begin with anyway! I mean, you guys remembered what happened even way back on the island exam, right?"

Yukimura: "Yeah, we know. He retired and cost us 30 points. At least this time around he can't just retire whenever he wants."

Hirata: "Well if Koenji-kun does actually take this seriously, then I'm actually looking forward to seeing how well he'll do."

Sudo: "You really believe that Hirata?"

Hirata: "Well, it's just like what Yukimura-kun said. If it's for his freedom, then I'm sure he'll do it. I mean it'll be a shame if he doesn't help again, but we win here, then I guess that's fine."

Karma: "Wasn't the condition if he gets the most eliminations?"

Karma, who has been quiet the whole time, finally spoke up. It seems this topic got his attention.

Yukimura: "Well, that's not gonna happen right? I mean there's a lot of people around. Surely he's gonna get eliminated at some point?"

Miyake: "I'd hate to be the bringer of bad news, but haven't you seen that guy in swimming class, and on the cruise ship? He has a very well built body."

Sudo: "I hate to admit it, but even I can't deny his body's more well built than mine."

Miyake: "Exactly. For all we know, he might actually be able to get the top spot."

Yukimura: "Well, I guess when you put it like that, I guess it makes sense."

Hirata: "What about you two, Akabane-kun, Kiyotaka-kun? Are you two gonna take the top spot?"

Yosuke's question turned all their attention on to us.

"I can't make promises. I'll just try my best to not get eliminated. I'm not really sure about being able to get a lot of eliminations."

Karma: "I on the other do want those private points, and protection point. I am financially struggling quite a bit here."

Because Karma joined in the middle of our 2nd year 1st term, he doesn't currently have that many points on him.

Sudo: "I bet if it's you two, you could easily give Koenji a run for his money."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Remember, this was Ryuen we're talking about. He'd probably pull some trick on us.

Sudo: "Tch. I just remembered last year's sports festival."

Hirata: "Don't worry about that Sudo-kun. Their class has grown, but so has ours, and I'm confident in both Akabane-kun and Kiyotaka-kun."

"You flatter us."

Yukimura: "You aren't worried at all Hirata? You know, about them maybe getting expelled?"

Hirata: "I'd be lying if I said I'm not worried, but it's not like I can just stay worried forever. To be honest, I wish I was one of the bounty, that way one of them could be spared."

Yukimura: "I bet if there was a choice, you'd willingly let yourself be the bounty, huh?"

Karma: "I'm getting a strange sense, of deja vu."

"What?"

Karma: "Oh nothing. Please, continue."

Hirata: "I get what you mean, but I saw what I did, or didn't do back in the class poll exam. I don't want to make that mistake again."

After the class poll exam, Yosuke's mental state took a toll on, not just him, but the whole class as well. He was usually the one who keeps the peace. For him to crumble again would mean our class's morale would crumble again as well.

Sudo: "I get what you mean. I'm the same."

We talked for about a few more hours, until finally our class was called.

We all made our way to the quadrangle, and grouped up. When we got their, we were accompanied by Chabashira-sensei, a few soldiers, as well as their commander (the man in charge). The commander approached us, and everyone, including Chabashira-sensei stiffened up a bit. He looked at everyone, and looked like he was about to say something, but once his eyes were on a certain person, he stopped for a bit, and we could tell he was surprised to see them.

Everyone noticed this, and were confused. They were wondering what was going on. I on the other hand already knew where this was going. The person he fixed his eyes on came forward a little, and both of them looked at each other in the eyes. I could here a few whispers, pretty much them asking if he'd done anything. Horikita looked at me for a sec. She was about to say something, but stopped when the man in charge broke the silence.

???: "I see. So this is your new class now. It's good to see you again, and that your transfer was successful."

Karma: "I couldn't have done it without you. When I heard about a different commander in charge for this exam, I got curious. I asked our teacher about their background. As soon as she said that they were from the Ministry of Defense, and the Japan Air Self Defense Force, you were the first person that came to mind, Karasuma-sensei."

Hey, it's been a while. This chapter came out later than usual. My reasoning is because I'm not good with writing fight scenes, and also because I wanted the plans of the characters to make sense to the readers. Honestly I've gone over a few iterations, and this was the best I could do. I also feel like the class civil war thingy was done sloppily so I apologize for that.

How do you guys like that little reveal at the end? I'm not sure how many other characters from AC are gonna make an appearance, but this was someone I had wanted to make an appearance for a while ever since I came up with this exam.

Anyway, thank you again for taking up this story. All of your feedback means a lot, and I hope I can keep making this story entertaining for you guys. I really appreciate all the support this was given. Thank you again, and I'll see you next chapter.

Vol. 2, Chapter 5 - A Rising Problem. Running Through Fire

Part 1

(Ayanokoji POV)

Karma: "When I heard about a different commander in charge for this exam, I got curious. I asked our teacher about their background. As soon as she said that they were from the Ministry of Defense, and the Japan Air Self Defense Force, you were the first person that came to mind, Karasuma-sensei."

Everyone, including Koenji and the teachers were left genuinely surprised by the revelation, that Karma had some sort of connection with the exam commander. So I was right after all.

Horikita: "Ayanokoji-kun, did you know about this?"

Because of the silence on our side, Horikita's voice reached the ears of our other classmates. They all turned to me, hoping for an answer. Since there was no use hiding it, I decided to answer her question.

"He's Karma's training instructor during his last year in middle school up to just before enrolling in Advanced Nurturing High School."

Sudo: "Wait! His instructor?!"

Altough he was surprised, he was able to control himself not to yell too loud, although this was still heard by our other classmates, and a few soldiers.

Miyake: "Have you ever met him before, Kiyotaka?"

"No. I've only heard about him from Karma. This is my first time ever seeing him. Apparently he's a highly skilled agent from the Ministry of Defense, and the Japan Air Self Defense Force."

Sudo: "Woah..."

Yukimura: "Woah is an understatement. I did not expect this."

Hasabe: "No one could've Yukimuu."

Everyone was left dumbfounded. Nobody expected Karma's instructor to be a government agent of all things. If Karma had him be his teacher evem after graduating from their assassination classroom, then he must be highly capable. I remember Karma saying that his instructor took down one of the most dangerous assassins in the world. I would actually like to see his strength for myself.

Karasuma: "Mm. Not a bad deduction. You aren't top of your class for nothing after all. Does this mean you'll also be taking command of your class for this exam?"

Everyone became interested in what Karasuma said. Not only was Karma the top of his class, but he also took command of his class in an event like this one.

Karma:" Well I already sort of did. I only took reigns for their training, in preparation for this exam. Other than that, I'm not suited to issue command from here on."

Karasuma: "That's surprising. This kind of thing is right up your alley."

Everyone seemed a little taken aback that Karma won't take the lead this time, especially after what his instructor said.

Karma: "I was only able to assume command of my previous, since I spent a whole year with them. Because of that, I knew everyone's capabilities, and even personalities. This class is different, thus taking command is a task more suited for our class leaders, unlike last time where I took over for Isogai-kun."

Karasuma: "I see. Well whatever the case, I'm looking forward to how you all will do. I especially look forward to the results of your training. Just know that you won't be getting any special treatment from me. I'll treat you like how I treat everyone else."

Karma: "Of course. I didn't expect you to otherwise. And know that I have no intention of sullying my instructor's name."

Karasuma: "That's good to hear."

With that, their conversation ended, and Karma returned to his place in the group. Our classmates were staring at him, but he paid no mind to any of it. They're probably gonna ask him questions later.

Karasuma: "Now then Class 2-D. Firstly let's begin with introductions. My name is Karasuma Tadaomi. I'm 30 years old. I work for the Ministry of Defense and the Japan Air Self Defense Force as an Air Force Elite Soldier, a Japan Air Self Defense Force Officer, and an Air Force Trainee Instructor. In addition, as you may have heard from our conversation, I was also Akabane Karma's instructor for some time. While this is my first time supervising such an exam, this isn't the first time I've handled high school students. For a brief time, I was also a PE teacher for Akabane Karma's Junior High-"

Everyone was caught off guard by that last part. Not only is he Karma's trainer, but that he may also be Karma's PE teacher. He continued by introducing his co-workers one by one. Each one of them are highly trained soldiers, and have worked on exams like this one in the past. With the introductions out of the way, we all began the tour around the exam sit.

They first showed us the forest, where we'll be holding the exam. Something we've all noticed is that the size of the forest is nearly the same size as the island from our first island exam. They explained that they will be monitoring the battle from multiple angles, and from afar so that they won't get in the way, and for them to be able to see all that's been going on. The forest is barricaded by giant walls to prevent intrusion, and there are no wild animals present, other than the few occasional birds, and insects.

As we were touring, they encouraged us to take in the surroundings. This was so that we would be able to at least familiarize ourselves with the new environment, and make full use of it for when we would finally partake in the exam. The area was much larger than the thicket we trained in. Already, I could see some good vantage points for our snipers, and good hiding places for our other less physically gifted classmates.

After we finished our tour, we made our way back to the main building. They gave us a tour of the cafeteria, infirmary, restrooms, and other facilities for our accommodation. Once we were finished with our tours, we resigned ourselves to our quarters, and waited for dinner. We were welcome to hold class meetings, so as long as we didn't break any rules, nor enter the exam forest site.

We could already the other classes holding their own strategy meeting, so Horikita proposed we have it outside at the quadrangle. We found a spot farther away from the main building in order not to attract any attention, and they began the meeting.

Horikita: "I don't expect all of you to memorize the layout of the forest in one tour, so I hope that you all will take your time in familiarizing yourselves with it using the map they provided to each and everyone one of us."

Before the tour started, we were each given a map of the forest's layout. There were several spots that were good for taking cover, as well as reconvening with groups. There were also several crevices, which I assume were man made, scattered all throughout.

Something that did particularly stood out though was a large open area right at the middle. I guess that's where the sudden death will happen, as well as the duel for the two who tie for first place.

Horikita began going over how we'll first launch our attacks. Because of the head start given to the bounties, she had Karma and I pick out an area we thought was suitable to be our little hidey-hole. She assigned the best areas for Ike, Hondo and the Professor to perform their roles as snipers, and then started going over locations as to which areas were best suited for surprise attacks on both sides.

During our training, she had already assigned people to guard me and Karma, and had them be ready at all times. The less physically gifted students were advised during our training to stick to their guns, and only resort to their melee weapons, when the situation calls for it.

Koenji on the other hand had a unique role. He didn't want to go along with Horikita's strategies, and wanted to go off on his own. None of us were particularly alright with this, but convincing him otherwise was futile, so we all gave up.

As for me and Karma, while I couldn't care less about getting the most eliminations, I am looking forward to my single premonition of the exam's outcome. I know Karma was starting to get pumped up from all this, and I'm looking forward to how he and Koenji would fair in this exam.

Our discussion came to an end, and we all resigned to the cafeteria. Because of our activities, we all ended up having lunch at around 2pm. Since our class went last on touring, the other classes ended up getting a head start with their lunches. I sat with the Ayanokoji Group and Karma at a window seat.

Although he isn't an official member, we ended up inviting him to our group's lunches a lot, due to mine and his close relationship. I was actually thankful for this, since that would mean he would have more people to talk to. Despite being more sociable than us here, he's usually quiet in class, and hasn't spoken to a lot of people outside of important matters such as exams.

"I'm getting really anxious thinking about tomorrow."

Haruka first brought up about the exam tomorrow. Not only were points on the line, so were mine and Karma's expulsion.

"Kiyotaka, Akabane, you guys will be fine right? If you guys ever get in a bind, come find us. We'll help you guys out."

"We'll be fine Akito. I'm sure Horikita's plan will work out just fine." I assured Akito that we won't let ourselves be taken out just like that.

"Still though Kiyopon, Akabane-kun, if you guys do need saving, just let us know. Alright?"

"Haruka's right. You guys worked us to the bone for a whole week. We're not gonna let your efforts go to waste, and lose either of you after all that."

We simply nodded. Though their concern was unnecessary, we were grateful nonetheless.

"Do you guys t-think that R-Ryuen-kun is p-planning to do something to Kiyotaka-kun and Akabane-kun?"

"If he is, he better be ready. I'm not letting him get away with whatever dirty trick he has up his sleeve."

This was Ryuen were talking about. Something like this was the perfect opportunity to do something ruthless. Airi's concern was met with Akito's determination to win. While Ryuen did met up with us prior to the exam, he simply just gave us a heads-up since he too was sick of dealing with that person. I honestly don't blame him. Everytime that person got involved with him, he kept getting the short end of the stick.

"Well, I think that Kiyopon and Akabane-kun would do great."

"Thanks Haruka."

"Thanks Hasabe-san, but you really should focus on your performance as well. If you all continue to worry about us so much, it may hamper with your performance."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

The reason why Keisei and Haruka did well in our training, despite their low physical abilities, is that they've done well in concealing their presence. Airi has also been improving, but out of everyone, her progress is slower. During our training, she would usually be taken our rather early.

The concern about our safety seemed to be dying down. They know that they can't allow their worries to linger any further if they wish to to do well in this exam.

Keisei then brought up a topic that's been on everyone's mind.

"Hey, Akabane. About that commander in charge, was he really your instructor?"

"Mhm. Only for a little less than 2 years though."

"What's he like? Is he really strong?" asked Akito.

"He's pretty strict in his teachings, and his strength pretty much makes him a monster in his own right."

"W-wow. He s-seems pretty s-scary." Airi was apparently worried that Karasuma-sensei was gonna give us a hard time.

"Ahahaha. Don't worry about it. He's pretty strict, but he's also pretty compassionate. It's just part of being a professional that he has to maintain a strict student-instructor relationship by not being too attached to his students, but he'll still console you if you're ever in need of it."

"Wow. So he's basically a big softy on the inside, huh? Kinda like Yukimuu."

"Huh?!"

Keisei was embarrassed by Haruka's statement. Well, it's not like she's wrong though.

"Still, it's amazing that you were able to get him as your training instructor. How'd that happen?"

Like Akito, everyone else wanted to know how this came to be.

"It's a long story. Sorry, but I can't tell you that."

They seemed a little disappointed at his response. They really wanted to know how he ended up under his tutelage. Karma refuses to tell them, not just because it's a private matter, but because of the circumstances that led up to that.

He couldn't exactly tell them that they were trained to become assassins in order to kill a super creature, who can travel at Mach 20. Not only is the story ridiculous, but it's also highly classified, and all the world's governments have been doing their best to keep it wrapped up.

The only reason he told me this is because of our connection to the White Room, to which I would have undoubtedly come across some information regarding their target and teacher from my time in that place, and that I would keep my mouth shut about it. If information got out because of his carelessness, it would be big trouble for the people involved, especially those who possess knowledge about it.

"Well I guess it's not any of our business then." said Keisei, giving up on probing for any information.

"Does Kiyopon know? I mean he said that he only heard of your instructor from you, but never met him before."

Haruka probably thought I knew the full story, but I can't tell any of them that.

"Not really. He only mentioned his teacher, but never said the specifics."

I had to lie to throw off the scent.

"Oh. I see."

"Well if your training instructor is as amazing as he is, then I'm sure that you'll do well Akabane. I mean, he did train you himself after all."

"While I can't make any promises, I'll do my best to not get eliminated in the first 20 minutes. Same goes for Kiyo here."

"I-I believe in you Kiyotaka-kun, Akabane-kun."

With all that out of the way, we finished our lunches and the other headed back to their quarters. We had thought about going back as well, but Karma was approached by Kamuro, who asked to go with him somewhere. I already knew where this was going. He told me to go back to our room ahead of him, and that he'll be back as soon as his appointment was over.

Part 2

(Karma POV)

I was supposed to go back to our room and relax for a while, but this girl suddenly called out to me. Kiyo said she was one of Sakayanagi-san's lackeys.

"So, where are we headed?"

"The back."

We made our way around the whole building, all the way to the back. I can see, Sakayanagi-san sitting on a bench, but no one else was here. I'm guessing she had her classmates clear out the area.

"I brought him like you asked."

"Thank you Masumi-san. You may go now."

"Seriously? You want to be left alone with him?"

"Jealous?"

"You're joking, right? Haven't you heard what he did to Ryuen and Albert?"

"Fufufu. Yes I did. There's no need to worry. I just want to have a chat with Class D's latest addition."

"Ugh. Well suit yourself. I'm leaving."

She left us alone, and headed back inside.

"Sakayanagi Arisu-san right? You wanted to see me?"

"I'm glad you know about me. Pleased to meet you. I've been wanting to meet you for a while now, Akabane-kun."

"Seeing as how you're so fixated on Kiyo, as well as your knowledge about the White Room, I already assumed you would make contact with me sooner or later."

"So you do indeed know about that as well. Yes that's right. When I saw that you were the transfer student, I remembered something from a while back when I visited that place."

"Seeing as how you've been there, and that you know about Kiyo, may I just ask, how much do you know about me?"

"Only that you and Ayanokoji-kun became notorious all throughout the White Room, eventually earning you the names the 'Twin Demons'. Some time 4 years ago, you were being transferred to a different facility at a different site. During your transfer, you disappeared, and no one's heard from you again."

"Ah, so you knew that much, huh?"

With everything that Kiyo told me, as well as Chairman Sakayanagi's acquaintanceship with Ayanokoji-sensei, it was only natural for her to know about all those.

"Beyond that, I don't know anything else. I was quite surprised to actually see you at school Akabane-kun. It's like I saw a ghost."

"Oh? So did I give you a fright?"

"Fright? Fufufu. More like, you got me excited! To think the other half of the Twin Demons would show up here. Why is that?"

"Oh? Just personal reasons."

Given how sharp she is, it won't take her long to figure it out. Unless, she already did.

"Well there's actually something I'd like to talk to you about, Akabane-kun."

I knew where this was going.

"Go ahead."

"Won't you please play with me? Unlike Ayanokoji-kun, you don't seem to have any qualms with displaying your abilities. You did beat Dragon-boy-san after all. Of course, I'd still like to challenge Ayanokoji-kun again, but I would also like to challenge you as well."

"Well I do want a good challenge, and I've heard how formidable you are. In fact, even though you can't participate tomorrow, you still took charge in strategizing. Even with your handicap, I'm sure your class would be in good hands, still."

"To be complimented by you, it's an honor, Akabane Karma-kun, formerly one of the demons of the fourth."

"Unfortunately I can't really do that right now. I have my own circumstances to deal with."

"What of course. I'm willing to be patient. I actually also want to check in on how things are going with the other White Room enforcers, as well as that nasty Acting Director Tsukishiro."

Kiyo said she was furious at Tsukishiro for interfering with their match. So much so that she's willing to lend a hand just to get back at him.

"We've only managed to confirm that there's actually two White Room students, and that other White Room personnel have also managed to infiltrate the school."

I can't tell her that one of them is Amasawa just yet, though, she'll likely figure it out at some point.

"I see. Seeing as how you confirmed the former, I'm assuming you actually managed to uncover one of their identities."

I didn't respond. Just gave her a smile as confirmation. Just as I though, she could actually hold her own in a battle of wits with some of the White Room's average students. Impressive.

"Well in any case, I can't wait to give the Acting Director a taste of his own medicine. This exam was probably his attempt at separating the two of you. No?"

"I agree completely. The bounties were rigged to have them be me and Kiyo. Not that I'm complaining. This'll just give me more reason to not pull any punches. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't the least bit excited."

"Fufufufu. As expected of you. You may have been MIA from the White Room for some time, but you were still part of the fourth generation's best. I look forward to how you perform. The exam, will actually be broadcasted to the other classes on the big screen in the lobby."

There will be several drones, and cameramen broadcasting our match tomorrow on the big screen in the main lobby. Not only will the other classes have a view on them, but so will the eliminated students, since they are required to return to the lobby as soon as they're out.

"Which would then in turn give you a good show."

"Yes. I probably don't need to say this, but goodluck tomorrow."

"You as well. I look forward to how your class does in this exam."

"Thank you. In that case, I'll head back first so that we don't draw attention. Oh, and if you need any help regarding the Acting Director, and the White Room students, I'll be willing to lend a hand."

"That won't be necessary, but I'll consider it. Actually, speaking of help, can I ask you for a favor before you go?"

"Yes, what it is?"

"A certain minion of yours has been following me for a few days now. He hasn't been following me today, but I'd like it if he just stops. It's getting really creepy."

"Fufufufu. Are you referring to Hashimoto-kun? Firstly, let me just tell you that I have nothing to do with him following you around. He probably started doing that after he heard what you did to Albert-kun and Dragon-boy."

I suppose my actions were pretty conspicuous. He's been following me for a good while now, even if I'm with other people. Kiyo noticed him as well, but we elected to ignore him.

"Can you get him to stop though?"

"I probably can temporarily, but nothing's gonna stop him from doing that in his off days."

"I suppose you're right. Well that'll be all from me then."

"Very well. I'll be off. Thank you for the chat, Akabane-kun."

With that, she waved me good bye with her free hand as she walked away. I thought about her offer. Normally I'd be warry of her, however I can sense her bloodlust from when she mentioned wanting to give Tsukishiro a piece of her mind. She's really pissed at him, huh?

Interesting. I wonder how she'll be of use when we're dealing with him? I guess time will only tell. Although it isn't much of an alliance, our goals do somewhat align.

Part 3

(Ayanokoji POV)

The next day came, exam day. When I woke up, I noticed that Karma was already gone, and Yosuke was just getting out of bed as well.

"Oh, good morning Kiyotaka-kun." said Yosuke.

"Morning Yosuke. Are you ready for today's exam?"

"I'm nervous. I really don't want us to lose either of you and Akabane-kun."

His worries were warranted. Although Karma and I did reassure him that we won't go down, he couldn't completely shook them off.

"But, I feel like if it's you and Akabane-kun, I can rest easier."

"Thanks for having faith in us, but please don't overestimate us either."

"*sigh* I knew you'd say that."

Yosuke said this with an exasperated expression, that seemed to say: 'your modesty is both admirable, and irritating.'

We both got up and made our way to the cafeteria, making small talk on the way. We found Karma, who was eating breakfast alone, while also reading a book. After we ordered our food from the counter, we made our way over to him. He noticed us, and gave us a wave as if saying good morning.

"Good morning Akabane-kun. You're up early."

"Well I did sleep earlier than everyone else."

Last night, before going to bed, we were all discussing about the exam, and other various mundane topics to help put everyone's anxieties at ease. I didn't have a reason to decline, so I joined in, while Karma turned in early, not interested in joining in.

"I guess you're right."

"What were you guys discussing about last night?"

An unreasonable question.

"If you wanted to know, Karma, then you should've just stayed up later."

"Ahahahaha. I wanted to get an early head start than everyone else. The cafeteria would be filled to the brim with other students later. I wanted to secure a good, uninterrupted breakfast before it gets crowded."

"I guess you had the right idea."

"What time did you get up, Akabane-kun?"

"Around 6:30 or so. I've just been here for the past hour. What about you guys?"

"We woke up not too long ago. I woke up first, then Yosuke woke up just a little bit after me."

The cafeteria was rather empty. The only ones here were some of the staff, as well as a few students from other classes occupying 3 separate tables.

"I actually came across Koenji-kun not too long ago."

"Koenji?"

If it were anything like the mixed training camp, I'm guessing Koenji was up doing his early morning routine.

"What was he doing?" Yosuke asked.

"He was heading outside. He was carrying a bottle of water, and a towel in hand. I'm guessing he was gonna go work out or something."

So I was right after all.

"By the way Hirata-kun, have you resolved yourself?"

Karma asked Yosuke a question, knowing he would be the most worried for this exam.

"Well, just like I said to Kiyotaka-kun, I really don't want us to lose either of you, but I feel like I can rest easier. You two have remained calm all throughout the past week. I think I can feel rest assured about you two not being expelled in this exam."

"You say that, but I can also tell there's something else on your mind." I said. There was definitely something that seemed to be bugging him.

"W-well, if I'm going to be completely honest, I at least wished that I was one of the bounties, or that it were just me alone."

Hirata Yosuke was a man of principle. He was selfless, and wanted what was best for everyone. After what happened to his friend, he became determined to never let make the same mistake of looking over people's struggles, and vowed to save everyone. However, reality isn't so kind. That was just not possible.

Back when Yamauchi got expelled, he was at his lowest, and he was even planning to put his own expulsion on the line in order to save Yamauchi, however everyone knew his value in the class, and just how indispensable he is. No one would ever allow him to sacrifice himself, and he knows this.

Karma closed his eyes and paused for a moment. He then smiled, looked at Yosuke, and spoke up.

"You know, you really do remind me of one of our old class rep from my last year of middle school."

"I do?"

"Not only was he the ikemen of everyone's dreams, so much so that girls didn't care that he was from both the lowest class and his rather low financial status, but he was always willing to put everyone first before himself. Between him dropping out, or have our whole class take responsibility for him breaking the rules in order to aid his family's financial trouble, he was willing to drop out so that no one else had to take responsibility. Of course we never allowed him, and we were all able to resolve the situation with him guiding us, and us having his back."

Karma's words were sinking in for Yosuke. He probably didn't think something like this would come out of his mouth.

"Your class rep must've been an amazing person."

"You shouldn't sell yourself short either Hirata-kun. You too have done a lot for everyone here. Why do you think people are willing to stand by your side?"

Yosuke was taken aback by this. He didn't expect Karma to have such an impression on him.

"Ahahaha. Thanks, Akabane-kun. You and Kiyotaka-kun really do have a way with words."

Karma laughed to this. He was probably ridiculing me in his head for my poor social skills. We continued our conversation while we ate our food. Before we knew it, another hour has passed by, and it was now around 8. While we were at this, more students entered the cafeteria. We can see a group of girls, with them were Kei, and Kushida. I'm guessing Kei was sharing the same room as Kushida from the looks of it. They all probably woke up at around the same time. I'm just hoping they won't mention my relationship with Kei in front of Kushida. If they did, Kei would be put in a complicated situation.

I can see some students from Class C enter as well. Among them was Ichinose, later joined by a group led by Kanzaki. They all sat down at a table, but before they could start eating, Ichinose spotted us and gave a quick wave. We waved back at her, and we all resumed with what we were doing.

After we all had breakfast, we each took a bath. In each quarters, there was a shower, and a restroom. We each took turns showering, and as soon as we were done, we made our way to the lobby to go over our class's strategy. Horikita went it over with everyone, and we followed it up with some light work out to make sure we kept ourselves in shape.

After that, we had lunch in the cafeteria at around 11. I sat with the Ayanokoji Group and Karma, and we started to dig in. While we were eating, we were discussing about the exam, and how it will all play out. While we were doing that, I noticed the same group of girls from our class, that consisted of Kei, Kushida, Sato, Matsushita, Onodera, Mori, Inogashira, and Shinohara enter the cafeteria. After about 30 minutes of having our lunch, we all got up and left to prepare for the exam.

At around 12, everyone was required to head to the lobby to prepare for the exam, and the first two classes, were called in to the quadrangle to be given our gear. I was walking with Karma to the entrance as soon as we finished our lunch, when we came across a group of Class C students; among them were Ichinose, and Kanzaki. They both spotted us, and they made their way over.

"Hello Ayanokoji-kun, it's been a while since we last saw you."

"Hello Ichinose, likewise."

Kanzaki gave us a bow as a form of greeting. Kanzaki's evaluation of me rose as of late, so he was definitely much more warry of me. On top of that, I was with Karma. His OAA rating is for all to see, and since he was a new student, it was only natural would want to know of his capabilities in order to know just how much of a threat he would be.

Since I was usually with Karma since his arrival, this was bound to drag some attention. My perfect math score, running speed, taking charge in training, and being with Karma, whose OAA rating, and altercation with Class B pretty much puts him on the same level as Sakayanagi, must have caused Kanzaki to raise his guard.

"You must be Akabane-kun. We've seen you around. You're pretty amazing. You have the highest OAA rating our of everyone in year."

"Yeah. Yet you were put in Class D. I wonder just why you were put in Class D in the first place, despite your OAA rating." says Kanzaki with a bit of hostility.

He did not take kindly to the fact that someone with a higher OAA rating than Sakayanagi was placed in Class D. He was probably looking for the reason as to why Karma was placed in to our class in the first place.

"Kanzaki-kun..." Ichinose tries to get Kanzaki to calm down, since she didn't want him to cause a scene.

"I apologize. I lost my cool. Your reasons for being placed in Class D should be none of my business to pry in to." Kanzaki said this while bowing, realizing his behavior.

"No it's fine. I understand your concern. I was wondering about that myself at first, but looking back on my time in middle school, I suppose I wasn't the best student." Karma said in response to Kanzaki's apology.

"Not the best? But your rating are pretty great Akabane-kun."

"Ahahaha. Thanks Ichinose-san, but I assure you, circumstances may have led to some trouble."

As he said this, I turned my head to my side away from them, and muttered under my breath.

"More like utterly insane you demonic freak of nature."

Karma must have caught on to what I said. He turned his head to me and asked,

"Hmm? What was that Kiyo? I didn't quite catch you."

I turned my head back to them and responded.

"No nothing. You're a great friend who lived a troubled life, and I'm grateful for you not forsaking our friendship, despite our long period of not being in touch with each other."

"I can feel your sarcasm."

"What? You don't appreciate my compliment? If you continue to question other people's praises towards you out of their own goodwill, it'll only paint you as a bad person in their eyes."

"They can get in line. If I didn't know any better, I might have thought you were actually being nice to me for a change."

"For a change? As far as I can remember, you were always the problematic one between us."

"Is that what you say to someone you haven't seen in a long time? You never even as much as messaged me with a 'hey how's it going?'."

How unreasonable.

"You know very well why."

"Excuses, excuses. I remember forming the kanji for 'goodbye' in your room as soon as we went on our separate ways for middle school. I made great efforts just for that."

My face actually twitched to what he said, though my poker face remained.

'I actually felt really annoyed right now'

"Yeah, you ripped pages from some of my books and plastered them to the wall in order to form that message. You didn't even bother to clean up."

Those were some really good books too.

"At least I left you a message."

"Oh? I gave you a welcome message as well. You know, to celebrate our little reunion. I remember leaving a recorder hidden in your dorm room to play a clip of Ike's horrible singing over and over for 5 hours. "

Karma's eyes widened, and he grits his teeth. Seems he didn't appreciate my little gift. What a shame. After all my efforts.

"So that was you!"

He yelled this, and I could tell some people were looking at us.

"What? You don't appreciate my effort for leaving your a message Mr. You Never Even As Much As Messaged Me?"

"Gah! Sometimes I can't stand you."

"It was your fault for choosing this school."

We both stared at each other in annoyance. While we did this, a chuckle came from Ichinose. Surprisingly, Kanzaki also looked amused, before trying to regain his composure.

"You know, you two are great friends." said Ichinose.

"Huh?" We both turned to her at the same time, and responded at her statement in unison, confused, and dejected.

She chuckled for a bit, before backtracking.

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just, I never expected to see Ayanokoji-kun act like this."

"Neither did I." says Kanzaki, agreeing with Ichinose.

"How do I say this, it feels refreshing. It feels nice."

Ichinose was looking down the floor with a red face as she said this. She was clearly embarrassed.

"If seeing me in misery is what it takes to bring others amusement, I think I'd rather return to my life in isolation before this thing came to the school."

"Thing?" Karma said in annoyance, clearly not liking how I referred to him.

"Ahahaha. Anyway, please don't fight. Pranking is one thing, but let's not get carried away here."

"You heard that Karma? Stop vandalizing my property."

"How ironic. How about you stop leaving behind some your ridiculous antics."

"You of all people should not be telling me this. I only did that to get back at you for always interrupting my appointments."

"Ahahaha. Hey come on you guys. You don't want to cause a scene here."

We paused for a moment, then calmed ourselves down.

"There we go."

I sighed. "Sorry about that."

"No, it's fine. It's unusual to see you act like that."

"You saw a weird side of me."

"Don't worry about it. It's not unusual for one to act differently depending on who the person they are with."

"I supposed that's true."

"Alright let's move on from this. Ichinose-san, do you have any idea with what's going on with Class A?"

Karma quickly changed the topic, but I could tell he wasn't done with me. I'm getting new locks when we get back. I feel very concerned for my safety.

"We have an idea, but there are still many uncertainties. Sakayanagi-san may not be participating in the event proper, but she's still devising strategies for her class prior to it starting. I assume she's gonna have someone take the reigns for when the exam starts."

As expected of Sakayanagi. She wouldn't let something like this get the better of her, even if she can't participate. Kanzaki then followed up with Ichinose's statement with his own.

"Certainly, she won't make this easy, especially since Kito's one of the bounties. Given that he's one of Class A's key players, losing him would be a huge blow to their class."

Truly. When Sakayanagi and I were competing in the commanding towers exam, even she admitted that there's not that many athletic people in Class A. As their best martial artist, Kito is one of the few with good athleticism, and could be considered on the best. Him being expelled would be a huge loss for Class A, especially if an exam ever calls for one's physical abilities.

"Kanzaki-kun's right. It is still possible that Katsuragi-kun may take the reign, but given how strained their relationship is, and how much both of them are vying for control over Class A, that may also not happen."

"I see."

Although Sakayanagi considers Katsuragi as a valuable asset to her class, she would also not squander any opportunity to put him in his place under her thumb.

"What about you guys? You guys are up against Ryuen-kun's Class. On top of that, you two are also the bounties. Are you guys gonna be alright?"

"You two seem awfully calm despite having your own expulsions on the line."

It seems our rather calm demeanor has raised some awareness in Kanzaki. Word of Karma's altercation with Albert and Ryuen eventually got around. It's only natural that they've all heard of it. Kanzaki must see Karma as the biggest threat in Class D, with me somewhere being up there as well.

"Well Horikita has a plan. We're just going along with it. It seems to be a pretty effective strategy."

"You say that, but-" Kanzaki was about to say something else, but was cut-off by Ichinose.

"I think it's best we don't question their strategies any further. We should focus on our own battle with Class A for now."

"...yes. You're right."

Kazanki gave up trying to proceed with this any further, seeing as how we're not gonna be giving him an answer. They both bowed to us, and were about to leave when-

"Hurry! This way!"

"Be careful! Maezono-san, Hasabe-san, Sakura-san, please make sure they don't fall over."

The four of us were looking at the site played out before us. Several girls from Kei's group were being brought to the infirmary. Horikita is taking charge with them. I decided to call out to her, wanting answers.

"Horikita, what happened."

"Ayanokoji-kun, Akabane-kun, Ichinose-san, Kanzaki-kun?"

Horikita heard me, and turned to us.

"Horikita-san, is something wrong with the girls from your class?" asked Ichinose with a concerned tone.

Horikita paused for a sec, contemplating on whether or not to respond. She probably didn't want to give out any sensitive information from an opposing class. After thinking it through, she must have realized that it'll be alright since it wasn't Ichinose's class we were up against.

"Several girls from our class have started to get sick. Some even started vomiting. We're rushing them to the infirmary right now."

"Wait, they've started to get sick?" asked Kanzaki, clearly not liking where this was going. He probably came to the same conclusion we had. Just before we could say anything else, we could hear several male voices coming from behind us.

"Sudo-kun, please hang in there."

"Come on Akito, just a little bit further."

"Ryotaro, Professor, work with us here."

Yosuke, Keisei, Ike, and Okitani were all bringing Sudo, Akito, Hondo, and the Professor to the infirmary as well. It seems that they too got sick. Horikita sees this, and has Mii-chan help carry Sato to the infirmary. Horikita rushes over to the direction at which Yosuke and the others came from.

"Hirata-kun, what happened?"

"Horikita-san? Sudo-kun and the others here suddenly got sick."

"Yeah, Ryotaro even started throwing up." says Ike.

"Tch. So it's the same on your end as well." Horikita was clearly frustrated with this whole thing.

"What do you mean Horikita-san?" asked Yosuke, who was concerned for his classmates' well being.

"Six of the girls have also gotten sick."

Yosuke and the others looked on with serious expressions. They clearly did not like this one bit. What's more, the exam was in an hour.

"H-hold on! Six of the girls?! That means we're down ten people then!"

Ike yelled out. Not only were we short on 10 people, 2 of them are our snipers, and another 2 are some of our most athletic people, Sudo and Akito. I also saw Onodera being brought to the infirmary, which means we also lost another physically capable person, making that number be 3.

"I don't like this one bit, but for now, please get them to the infirmary. The others should be there as well." Horikita instructed.

They complied and made it to the infirmary asap.

"If they're feeling sick, then this must be Ryuen's doing. He pulled the same dirty trick, that he did to us, on to you this time." Kanzaki was the first to brought it up, fuming.

Even though we were of opposing classes, seeing this happen reminded him of what happened during the commanding towers exam. He was clearly disgusted at what was happening. I can see Ichinose was shaken up by it. It was because of something like this that caused her spirit to be broken. I looked to Karma. His smile was gone, and he too had a serious look on his face.

After waiting a while, our other classmates have arrived. Seems like they already knew of what was happening. The others who shared the same room with the sick must have told the ones who had no idea. A while later, the ones who helped the sick get to the infirmary came back. Seeing as how we were about to hold a class meeting, Ichinose and Kanzaki returned to their other classmates, who too were worried.

"Horikita-san, what are we gonna do?!"

"We're short ten people!"

Horikita was getting bombarded with questions left and right. She was having a hard time thinking of a response. As everyone was asking her questions, the man of the hour strolled in.

"Kukukuku. Looks like your class is in a bit of a bind, Suzune."

Everyone became stopped asking questions, when they saw Ryuen walking towards us with some of his other classmates.

"Ryuen-kun." Horikita looked at him with feelings of anger.

"So what happened Suzune?"

"You should know. This was your doing."

"My doing? On the contrary Suzune, I had nothing to do with this."

"Is that so? Then how do you explain what happened to my classmates?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. We just got here. We heard you in the middle of a commotion, so we thought we'd check it out."

"Is that so? Then tell me. During last year's commanding towers exam, several of Ichinose-san's classmates also got sick when they faced you. This time, it's us against your class, and now several of our classmates have also gotten sick. This seems to be more than just a coincidence."

Ichinose's class was listening, clearly uncomfortable with the situation, since they too fell for such trickery. I can see Kanzaki clenshing his fist, clearly disgusted by Ryuen's underhanded tactics.

"Your have some guts accusing us of something like that. First of all, you have no proof of my involvement in both incidents."

"Yes, I'm confident of that. The only way you could have pulled this off was during lunch. It would have been the perfect opportunity for you to lace everyone's food with whatever substance that caused them to feel like this."

Everyone in class D, including some of class C were backing up Horikita's stance. She wasn't wrong, however there was a hole in her arguement.

"Kukuku. I guess you have a point."

"Then you admit to it-"

"However, all of class B had their lunches at the same time, which was after most of the other classes left the cafeteria. The only other people around were a few from class A and C, as well as some staff. If you think you could prove our involvement in all this, then by all means, let's as around. If what those people say prove that we were the ones who did this, then I'll be more than happy to accept whatever punishment there may be in store for us. How 'bout?"

Hearing Ryuen's argument, Horikita realized that their alibi is iron clad. If she asked around, no evidence would point to Class B's involvement, since they all took their lunches at the same time. There was another possible reason as to how this could have happened. It dawned on her how this may have happened. This could have been proven by checking the security cameras in the cafeteria, however, doing that would expose who was truly the who laced the food with whatever substance was causing this. She didn't want to resort to that, especially not right now. She had no choice, but to back down.

"What? Not even gonna bother Suzune? You know, if you don't want to go ask around, then why not just check the security cameras? Afterall, they're the most reliable way to get evidence afterall."

Ryuen knows Horikita can't do this. Indeed, if we were to check the security footage, you wouldn't find Ryuen, or anyone from his class as the perpetrator. Instead, it's someone else, and that is someone Horikita would want to protect no matter what. She can't expose them.

"Come one Horikita-san. Let's just go ask around, or check the cameras."

"Yeah, we could expose Ryuen and his dirty tricks."

Ryuen was riling up our classmates. Horikita, Karma, and myself knew what he was doing. He was getting our classmates to put pressure on Horikita by having them try and convince her to check for evidence.

"Let's go Horikita-sa-"

"No."

Horikita shut down everyone's request to check for evidence.

"Wh-what do you mean Horikita-san?"

"There are literally cameras in the cafeteria."

"Yeah, we could expose Ryuen right here and there."

She seemed to be in deep thought as to how to respond to everyone's questions. After thinking it through, she finally gave her response.

"Don't you guys get it? If Ryuen-kun is this confident, then that means that he's either covered his and everyone from his class's tracks, or they're just not he ones who did it. Checking the cameras, or asking around won't prove his class's involvement."

It seems she was able to get it through to everyone.

"But, if he's not involved, then who is?"

"I don't know, but right now, we can't afford to let him get in our heads."

She was trying to calm everyone down, however...

"What do you mean Horikita?!" Ike was the first to refute Horikita's in staying calm.

"We're short 10 people! On top of that, you're saying we can't find any evidence?!" says Okitani.

An enraged Keisei then joined. "At this rate, both Kiyotaka, and Akabane are going to get expelled! Yet, it's as if you're saying there's nothing we can do?!"

One by one, more complaints started piling in. Horikita looked to Yosuke, hoping to defuse the situation. Yosuke, however was looking down in deep thought. He probably felt helpless. Now that we were outnumbered, and that five of the people that were sick were our snipers and some were our most athletic people, the chances for mine and Karma's expulsions just went up.

However, he finally snapped out of it after hearing everyone's complaints. He knows that this wasn't the time to break down.

"Everyone, please calm down."

"Calm down Hirata?!"

"We're gonna lose at this point!"

"I know what you're feeling, but right now, panicking and raising a fuss isn't gonna help."

Horikita then joined in Yosuke.

"Hirata-kun's right. I know you're all upset, but we can't afford to let him get in to our heads. We'll have to work on making for our loss in numbers, especially the absence of Sudo-kun, Miyake-kun, Onodera-san, Satomura-kun, and Hondo-kun."

"And how are we supposed to do that?"

"Rest assured, we'll find a way."

Everyone was not looking optimistic. The ones remaining were unsure on how everything will play out. We just lost some of our key players. Ryuen was just listening in on everyone's conversation, taking great pleasure in seeing our class's mishap.

"Seems you took my advice, Ryuen-kun."

Everyone stopped talking as soon as Karma said those words.

"Kukuku. Come at you like I mean to kill, huh?"

"Indeed. While not an admirable strategy, it's an effective one nonetheless. You even managed to cover your tracks, and took in to account the time and setting."

"What do you mean Akabane-kun?" asked Horikita, a bit confused to the last part of what Karma said.

"What do I mean? Well why don't we ask him over there?"

Karma pointed to the man walking towards our direction. It was Agent Karasuma. He came here to assess the situation. Seeing his presence, everyone straightened up, though Karma kept his usual expression.

"I've already been informed of the situation by our physicians. It seems several of Class D has suffered from food poisoning, and bowel movements. The cause is unknown, however we are working on investigating the matter right away." Karasuma told everyone of the matter at hand.

"Sir, is it possible for the sick to be able to join at a later time?" asked Horikita.

"No, I'm afraid not. We also cannot postpone the exam as it would throw everything off schedule. I'm sorry, but the exam must continue as scheduled."

"Which is in about 20 minutes. Kukuku." said Ryuen, clearly liking how his plan is going smoothly.

"And there you have it Horikita-san. Whether Ryuen-kun truly was the perpetrator, or anyone from his class for that matter, there simply isn't enough time to conduct an investigation. Much of the personnel here are getting ready for the exam. Although they won't neglect the sickly, they did made it clear to us, when the rules were announced, to not neglect our health. Considering our enemy this time around was Ryuen-kun, we should've known he'd pull something like this in order to thin out our number. Not only did he cover his tracks, assuming he is the one behind this, but he also took in to account your character, and how you'd respond. He knew you wouldn't want to press on an investigation, knowing how pointless it is, and without any proof, he can get off scot-free."

Karma made it clear how well-planned this was. Ryuen timed this perfectly, and specifically targeted key individuals, like our sniper and top fighters. As to how Ike and a few others got out of it, it can be inferred that he never intended to target everyone necessarily, for the reason as to not make it too obvious. He probably left out Ike on purpose, but plans to get him out asap.

Everyone from class D was looking down. The exam was about to take place soon, and there isn't much we can do. However,

"Karasuma-sensei, I ask that you withhold your investigation until after we finished with the exam."

Everyone was surprised by this, even Ryuen.

"What are you saying Akabane? Are you saying that we shouldn't investigate anyway?" said one of our classmates.

"It'll be fine. Besides, worrying too much on this will only be a waste of time. Karasuma-sensei here is already juggling multiple things at hands. If we wish to get through this, we're going to have to focus on the exam first. We can worry about this incident after."

"Is this true sir?" asked Yosuke.

Karasuma nodded. "Personally, I would like to pursue this matter, since your health and safety fall under our responsibility, however, at the end of the day, your school is the one that calls the shots, and they're pretty strict when it comes to keeping a tight schedule. I'm sorry, but my hands are tied. We can conduct an investigation while you take the test, however, since your school breeds on student conflict, if Ryuen were responsible for this, it'll be up to you to decide whether or not to hold him responsible, with or without evidence."

Everyone paused for a moment, unsure of what to make of it. Even if we do conduct an investigation, Ryuen wouldn't be the culprit, and the true culprit will be protected by Horikita no matter what. She knows what will happen if they are exposed, hence why she wouldn't want to pursue this matter. As the class leader, she has to make a stand.

"Sir, I too will have to agree with Akabane-kun. However, instead of postponing it, I'd like to say there's no need to to through with this."

Our classmates looked shocked.

"Are you sure Horikita-san?"

"Haven't you been listening, if Ryuen-kun is this confident, then it means there will be nothing that will be traced back to him. Pursuing this issue would be pointless. They may still investigate if the problem lies in how the staff handled our food, but even then, it won't change our current situation. We'll just have to push through."

Conflicted, the rest of Class D were still at a loss, unsure of whether or not it was a good idea.

"Come on, what are we still doing standing around here for?" Karma chimed in, snapping everyone out of their daze.

"We all know how cunning our enemy is. It shouldn't be a surprise that something like this happened. It's our class's fault as well for not being able to prepare and adapt."

"Like you saw it coming as well." says Miyamoto.

"Whether I did or not doesn't matter. The exam is in 17 minutes, and they're not gonna adjust the schedule for us. If you won't stand up and go out there, then fine, but I will. You need to realize how harsh reality can be. One moment you're having the time of your life, and the next minute you're hit with a big financial burden. You have two choices, accept it and face it head on, or keep whining about it and fall even lower."

"You make it sound like everyone here has the same resilience as you."

"No, I never said that, but you complaining while not having it as hard as those who went through rougher times in their life may as well be an insult to them. One of us here could have grown up in an abusive household, yet that person still chose to keep moving forward, pushing through the pain, and carrying all that burden, yet here you are crying over spilled milk.

As you go through life, the mighty current of society is bound to get in your way, and there will certainly be times things don't go as you'd hoped. When this happens, do not look to society for a cause. Do not renounce society. Frankly, you'd be wasting your time. Instead, just say, "That's life!" and muddle your way through with frustration."

Everyone was stunned at his words, other classes included. It made them wonder, what has this guy been through to gain such wisdom? Then, Karasuma was the first to break the silence.

"Karma, those words."

"Eheheh. Of course, you of all people should recognize them, sensei."

Karasuma paused for a moment, then smiled warmly. This caught everyone off guard, because this man never smiled before for the whole time we've been here.

"Indeed. I'm sure he would be glad to hear you pass it on."

Karasuma said this with a more gentle tone, different from his usually stern one. He then returned to his usual serious expression, and looked towards everyone present.

"The exam is in 15 minutes. If you cannot make it on time, this will be considered as a surrender on your part. Now then, Class D, what will you do?"

Realizing they didn't have much of a choice, everyone looked at one another, hoping someone would give them an answer. then, Horikita, and Yosuke stepped forward, and faced everyone.

"I know this isn't an ideal situation, but we have to work with what we've got. We'll adapt along the way, and make up for our absent member. I refuse to let them down, and go down without a fight" Horikita told everyone.

"If we stop right here, then those who got sick would only feel worse, thinking that we surrendered, because they couldn't make it. I also don't want Kiyotaka-kun and Akabane-kun to be expelled, that's why I'm choosing to fight." Yosuke said this with new-found determination. He knew that if he doesn't do anything, his inaction may as well contribute to our class's loss.

It seems they too realized how much their inactions would mean surrendering to the enemy's plans. One by one everyone gave their okay to go through with the exam.

"Kukukuku! Can you all please knock it off. You're power of friendship bs is making me sick."

"Oh? If that's the case Dragon-boy, then you may as well as drop out here right now."

"What was that Akabane? Are you begging that I drop out of the event, because you're afraid your class would lose?"

"Is our class gonna lose? You know, myself, Kiyo, and even Koenji-kun have quite a lot to lose if ever we fail this exam. What makes you think we're gonna make this easy for you?"

"Kukukuku. You sure talk big, however-"

Ryuen cut himself off, and attacked Karma suddenly, going for his face without hesitation, his sharp fingertips poised at his eyeballs, to which Karma dodged effortlessly.

"Aha!!"

Using the momentum, Ryuen spun around and attempted to kick Karma with his right foot, but Karma ducked and it merely passed over him. The real attack was from his left leg, using the force of the spin to make it even more powerful. Again, Karma dodged it, and distanced himself from Ryuen.

"Ha! You dodged all that, especially my last one?! Seriously, you and that monster are something else."

"Yet you still attacked me."

This whole time Ryuen attacked him, everyone, including Karasuma were watching. Karma, never once losing his smile and composure, turned to Karasuma and asked.

"Karasuma-sensei, there's no problem so as long as I don't raise it as a problem right?"

"No. If you don't deem it a problem, then I'm willing to overlook it."

"Very well. Ryuen, save it for the battlefield."

"Kukuku, I'm looking forward to tearing that face of yours apart."

As he said this, he eyed me for a second. No one noticed this. He then turned back to his class, telling them to get moving. As Class B was moving out, Karma turned to everyone in the class.

"Well? Shall we get going as well?"

Still stunned from what just happened, everyone snapped out of it, and headed out to the quadrangle, where we were met with Chabashira-sensei. She then began her announcement.

"I've heard what happened, but seeing as how you're all here, I'm guessing you still wish to go through with this. If that's the case, then I will hand give the podium to him." 'Him' referring to the soldier standing by her side.

"Your teacher has informed me of your training last week. I'm sure you're all familiar with your weapons selection then. If that's the case, then please pick whichever you want. As for guns, each of you will be given two different packs of bbs. You won't be getting any refills, so use them sparingly. For your transceivers, just know that if you break yours, you're not getting a replacement. Now, while the rest of your will be wearing your PE uniforms, the bounties will have these."

He presents two distinct uniforms, different from our normal PE uniforms.

(Karma POV)

This is...

The soldier gave us our uniform, and he told us to go change. I left for a while, changing in to my new uniform- or as everyone else might say "new". It's been a while since I've worn one of these. As soon as I came back, everyone was looking at us. I looked at Kiyo, and he too wore the same uniform as mine. We really did stood out. Our weapons especially made us look like actual assassins.

"Now these uniforms were made by the government. They also act as a camouflage when in a specific environment. These will not only help the opposing class identify you as the bounty, but it will also serve to give the bounties additional protection as well. These are only prototypes, so the camouflage effect won't last for very long. This is just to keep things fairly balanced. You're free to keep them on you, or take them off during the exam."

It makes sense. Seeing as how there are supposedly 40 people maximum in each class, if they're serious about making the opposing class lose class points, as well as expelling the student, it's only right that they give the bounties some form of extra protection, since they themselves never chose to be marked.

AS everyone readied with their gear, I made one final confirmation. Once I got the 'okay', everything was set in to motion. The soldier led us to our starting area. The forest was large. Even with about 80 people moving around it, it'll take probably hours to explore the whole thing. The area it covers is probably just as large as the Class E mountain, maybe even larger.

"Bounties, please step forward."

Kiyo and I did as was told. For this exam, the bounties are given a 10 minute head start to secure a hiding spot, though nothing's stopping us from eliminating the other bounties once we spot them in those 10 minutes.

"As soon as Karasuma-sama gives us the signal, the bounties will go on ahead with their head start. How you proceed with this exam is up to you. Just remember all of you will be heavily monitored. Several soldier will be moving around as discreetly as possible, though they will be wearing camo just so that they won't disturb you. There will also be a drone broadcasting your match to the big screen in the lobby. You have eyes watching your every movements."

I was already used to that. Still, it may prove to be a challenge when I deal with that certain person later.

After a few more minutes of waiting, Karasuma-sensei made the announcement on the transceivers.

"I hope everyone is ready, because the exam will begin as soon as I give the bounties the go signal."

I looked towards my fellow bounty. He seems rather composed. This hasn't shaken him up one bit. I looked at my classmates, and I can see that they're still pretty nervous after everything that happened. I mean who wouldn't be? Right now though, they're doing their best to shake of the feeling of unease in order to win this whole thing, and keep us from being expelled. Just then, Karasuma-sensei spoke up from the transceivers.

"Students of Class D and Class C. The special exam "Line of Fire" will now begin. Bounties get in, positions!"

Kiyo and I put our right foot forward, and prepared for our run. We could here our classmates telling us 'good luck'.

"On your mark-"

Although it's only been a month since I've been here...

"Get set-"

It's actually not that bad...

"GO!"

As soon as he said that, Kiyo and I ran in to the forest at full speed. We were practically racing each other, trying to get ahead over the other. Naturally, even at my full speed, I still lagged behind him. Given how long I've been MIA from the White Room for, it's no surprising that there would be a gap in our abilities.

Despite all that, he never thought of me less as an equal. Even back in the White Room, he thought of people as tools, yet he never thought of me, and that one other person as such. He viewed us as equals, and we grew a strong mutual respect for each others' abilities. Sure he can be annoying. His apathetic, aloof attitude can get under my skin. It's probably one of the reasons why I came to this school. Not only to reconnect, and keep him from expulsion, but give him something that even the White Room couldn't. A choice. A choice that only he could make, and no other.

While I do not outright reject the White Room, I do think there's more to learning than what's taught there. So many opportunities. That's what these past four years have taught me. That's what that annoying teacher of mine taught me. Whether he returns to the White Room or not should be his choice to make. Whether he chooses to make meaningful connections with outsiders of the White Room should be his choice to make, not Ayanokoji-sensei.

In this school that breeds competition, there will undoubtably come a time when we'll face each other. When that happens, he will definitely be the toughest opponent I'll ever face. I'm just hoping that when that happens, I'll be able to give him a good challenge, and get my point across as well. I too wanted to know how strong he's gotten over the years. For now though, in order to achieve my goals, I'll need to focus on both of us staying in this school.

As I ran through the forest, I thought back to Korosensei leaving this to me as a parting gift. If he intends to get me to reconnect with Kiyo, and show him what I've seen in the outside world, then who am I to complain?

Running further and further, we can no longer see each other. We went off to different directions. For this exam, I have three goals: both of us staying in this school, dealing with that person, and finally, a final frontier - a sort of prelude to when I finally do get to challenge Kiyo again.

Right now, I am truly walking in to the line of fire.

I finally finished this chapter as 10888 words, not counting this little note. I've actually made a lot of changes to my original idea for this chapter. There was a part that I originally written for this chapter, but I decided to move it to a different one. While I wrote the last part of this chapter, I've had the op for Erased, Horimiya, Kaguya-sama's 3rd season, Spy x Family and the BSD Dead Apple Movie, replaying over and over again in my head.

I've taken a bunch of inspirations for my ideas from different stories. I'm just hoping that this chapter would live up to the previous ones. Next chapter would be the exam proper, and how they'll go through with all this. I get that the way Ryuen handled things in this one is the same as what he did to Ichinose's class, but I only did that because I have plans for something else later.

As for why I've slowed down writing this story, I haven't lost interest writing it, in case you're wondering. I've been reading 'Crime and Punishment' for a while now, and I'm still like 45% through the story. 600 pages is long, and each dialogue is like writing an essay. I've also been exercising more, so that's a plus.

I've also been prefarming for Kazuha's future rerun in Genshin. Didn't get him the first time, because I didn't have enough primos, and I've been waiting so long for Ayaka. We also finally getting 2.7 by the end of this month. While I would like to have Kuki Shinobu, I'm also very scared of getting an early Itto. I'm currently guaranteed next event 5 star, because I got an early Qiqi at 30 pulls on the Venti rerun banner. Look, I just wanted Yunjin cons, leave me alone.

If you're a Genshin player, who do you main? Currently, I alternate between Yae, Raiden, and Ayaka. Used to be a Hu Tao main, but her playstyle got boring for me.

Also, I'm mad that I got the donut instead of Engulfing Lightning. First they give me a Mona the first Raiden banner. Now they give me a donut. Well I'm planning to pull Kokomi in the future anyway, so I guess it works out.

Thank you again to everyone for supporting this story. It means a lot seeing your feedbacks. It makes me want to keep continuing with this story. I really appreciate each and everyone of you. When I first came up with this story, I really didn't expect much, but seeing how the a lot of people started picking it up really made me happy. Thank you again. I'll end it off here. I'll see you next chapter. See ya :)

Vol. 3, Chapter 1 - 20 Minutes Of Agony

Part 1

(Ayanokoji POV)

I ran full speed through the forest, all the while Karma's footsteps were becoming fainter, indicating he has split off from me. Remembering the map that layed out the entire forest, I had already chosen a spot prior to this exam.

I made my way over to a terrain formation, and climbed the tallest pine tree there. For me, that wasn't a problem. I've been used to climbing tall structures in the White Room, so this wasn't a problem.

This was a really good spot. Not only was it tall, the thick leaves also did a good job at hiding my presence.

"Karma to Kiyo. Are you there?" Karma came through the transceiver.

"I'm here. I'm currently on top of a tall tree. What about you?"

"Seems great minds think alike."

"It's a good vantage point, and I can get the drop in on our enemies easier."

"Yes. Now then, with our spots secured, there should be about 3 more minutes until the others enter the forest."

We managed to secure a good spot in just under 7 minutes. I'm wondering how Albert and Ibuki are doing.

"Think you can handle that person by yourself?" I asked Karma.

"Do you doubt me?"

"I doubt you'll restrain yourself."

"How rude. I know how to exercise self-control you know."

"I see. Well I'm not stopping you. Just don't go too far, and stay out of trouble."

"Don't worry about that. I'll be on my best behavior."

"That's what I'm worried about."

"Ahahaha. Well whatever. I'll contact you when the time is right. I'm still on the lookout for something."

"Got it."

Just as our conversation ended, I spot one of the drones monitoring the battle. I wonder how the other classes are reacting to this.

Just as I thought that, Karasuma announced over the transceivers.

"10 minutes is up. Class D and Class B, enter the forest, and proceed with your special exam."

Seems that the exam has finally started. While I do not care about taking the top spot, I'm pretty much forced to actually putting in effort.

How bothersome. I thought back to a certain line from an anime, that both Karma and the Professor recommended me to watch recently.

'If I don't have to do it, I won't. If I have to do it, then make it quick.'

The perfect life motto. If the MC were a real person, I feel like we'd get along.

As I was on the look out for the enemy team, Horikita came through the transceiver.

"Ayanokoji-kun, Akabane-kun, what's your position."

I told Horikita my position, and Karma does the same. I described my location to her, and she sent the first group of guards over to my position.

As she does that, she gets Ike to find a good vantage point that'll keep him hidden while he does his work.

I waited for a couple of minutes for my first batch of guards to arrive. As I sat on top of this tree, I can hear faint footsteps coming from behind me. I looked back and saw Yosuke, Matsushita, and Kikuchi making there way over my direction, however, they seem to be struggling to find my exact position.

I then called out to Yosuke via the transceiver.

"Yosuke, I can see you guys."

"Kiyotaka-kun? Where are you exactly?"

"Look a little to your left Yosuke."

Yosuke turns left a bit.

"Like this?"

"Yes. I'm on top of a really tall pine tree. I'm dropping a tree branch right now."

I dropped a tree branch in front of Yosuke, and that caught their attention. They made their way over to the tree I climbed, and looked up. They saw me, and gave me a quick wave. I waved right back. Yosuke then instructed the others to go hide.

We sat there, not making any subtle movements, nor even small talks. After about 5 minutes, I caught movement in front of us. I signaled to Yosuke and the others about someone coming our direction, and they readied themselves for battle.

"Kiyotaka-kun, how many do you see?"

"Only one so far, though they're a good distance away. I don't know if they saw any of us though. They may be trying to circle around us."

"Alright. We'll keep an eye out down here then."

After about a few moments of silence, I can hear faint footsteps coming from the direction behind Matsushita.

"Matsushita, get down now."

As I said that, Matsushita did as she was told, and the bb shot at her missed. She she took cover on the other side of the tree, and I took aim at the direction where the bb aimed at her was fired.

Yosuke and Kikuchi fired their shots over to the direction of Matsushita's attacker. They each fired three times before I told them to stop.

"But we they're out there." says Kikuchi.

"No Kikuchi-kun. Kiyotaka-kun's right. Our ammo is limited, and getting in to close combat is not ideal."

Kikuchi gave up trying to retort. Indeed, our ammo was limited. We were each given two packs, not to mention no refills. If we get in to a situation where we have to resort to close combat, many of our classmates would be eliminated.

In our class, there are currently only 4 people who can hold a fight up close; those people being Horikita, Yosuke, Karma, and myself. Against a class of 39 people, and the loss of Sudo, Akito, and Onodera, we were severely outnumbered.

Even if we were able to hold our ground, we not only have to fight against a class that specializes in combat, but we also have to worry about shots being fired at us from any direction.

Resigning to withdraw, the others kept their guard up, while I remained on the look out up top. Yosuke then contacted Ike, and asked him to look over at our direction.

As I was scanning our surroundings, I caught movement again, this time coming from behind Kikuchi.

"Kikuchi, behind you." I signaled to Kikuchi over the transceiver.

He tried to get away, however he was met with a bb to his chest. His chest was now cover with blue paint splattered on him. He was out.

As our battle was heavily monitored, Kikuchi's elimination was announced by Karasuma.

"One from Class D has just been eliminated. Class D now has 29 people remaining."

Kikuchi was out, and he headed back to the main building.

After a few more seconds of silence, I heard more footsteps coming from the direction in front of me. I signaled for Yosuke and Matsushita to take cover. As I was listening to my surroundings, a shot was fired at me, but I dodge it. I saw where the bb came from, and I can vaguely see the figure of a girl. I fired a shot back, and landed a hit.

"One from Class B had just been eliminated. Class B now has 38 people remaining." announced Karasuma to everyone.

After revealing themselves from getting eliminated, I saw that the person in question was one of Manabe's friends, Yabu Nanami. She walked away back to the main building, just like Kikuchi before her.

I feel the presence of two more people, this time they appear to be moving behind me. I warned the others of our impending attackers, and they quickly took aim. A shot was fired at me, but I dodge it in time. Yosuke saw where the bb was coming from, and fired back. He managed to land a hit on the person, and the other person fled.

"One from Class B had been eliminated. Class B now has 37 people remaining."

Our position being compromised, Yosuke signaled for me and Matsushita to relocate, and for me to move on to my next set of body guards.

As I was about to do just that, I can hear rustling from beneath, and I warned Matsushita of someone to her left. A shot was fired at her, but she managed to evade just in time thanks to my warning. Matsushita quickly took cover, and fired a shot back, but missed. I can see where the person was located, and they appeared to be switching over to Yosuke.

I contemplated on pulling out my gun to shoot him, when a sensed an incoming bb straight at my head. I quickly jumped down from the tree, swiftly pulled out my katana, and slashed Yosuke's attacker by their arm as soon as I landed.

"Class B now has 36 people remaining."

These attacks are getting too convenient. That means only one thing. Someone is giving away my position. The person who shot at me fired their gun in a straight horizontal direction. It was coming from below, meaning they were also on top of the tree tops. Judging by how quiet it was when they fired it, I can assume they were well trained as well. Although on the surface this didn't seem odd, to me, something still felt off. I rack my brain for a second, thinking of what this could mean. As I was thinking, Yosuke interrupted my thoughts.

"Woah Kiyotaka-kun. That was amazing."

"Yeah. You just dropped down from the tree and got the guy out. Weren't you at least scared of dropping down, or at least getting shot mid air?" Matsushita inquired, clearly trying to learn more of my capabilities.

I pondered whether having a conversation right now was alright, but I sense no other presence, not even from the person who tried to shoot me. Seeing a how that's the case, I decided to indulge their queries.

"I guess it was reckless of me. I just jumped down without a second thought, huh? Sorry about that."

"Well you did got him out." replied Matsushita.

"Still, you could've been gotten out, or even got hurt." Yosuke said, concerned for my well-being.

"I'll be fine. More importantly, there doesn't appear to be any more people around."

"How could you be so sure about that, Ayanokoji-kun?"

"Well I was on top of that tree. I was able to find enemies thanks to my vantage point."

They didn't seem to noticed that someone fired a shot at me. Whoever this person is, they must be well trained for being able to conceal their presence, and even almost catching me off guard. Whether I was on top of the tree, or on the ground didn't matter. I would've still been able to sense if an enemy was nearby or not, but I didn't noticed that person at all until after their bb was near my head.

"Well let's save the chatter. We need to get Kiyotaka-kun out of here fast."

"Yeah, you're right Hirata-kun."

With that, we fled from our current position, and moved on to a different area. Relaying our current status to Horikita, she told us that she has Ike locked on to our position, in case someone tries to shoot us from afar. As we were relocating, I sensed a person running alongside us 8 meters to our left. I told the others, and Yosuke contacted Ike.

"Ike-kun, can you see us?"

"Yeah, I have a fix on your current position. I can also vaguely see someone running near you guys."

"Can you take them?"

"Yeah, I can, but get the to an opening first. There's one nearby. Turn right, and head straight through that rocky landscape."

"Got it."

Following Ike's directions, Yosuke, Matsushita and I made our way to the clearing. As the area started to slowly clear up, I can see from the corner of my eye another person running to our direction. It was Kondo. He stops ahead of us, pulls out his gun, and fires his shot. I drew my katana, and deflected the bb mid air, which earned me a look from my teammates.

Kondo looked shock for a sec. He probably didn't expect me to deflect his shot with my katana. As he was about to fire again, a shot hit the back of his head.

"Class B now has 35 people remaining."

After the announcement was made, Ike came through our transceiver.

"Got one of them out for you. The other is circling behind you! Get down!"

Following Ike's warning, we ducked, and their shot missed. Ike then took that opportunity to take the shot, but he too also missed by just a margin. Matsushita then drew out her gun, hoping to get them out, but she was hit as soon as she was about to pull the trigger. Disappointed, she turns and leaves.

"Class D now has 28 people remaining."

Yosuke fired his gun as well, but he missed, and the guy fled in to the thick forest, making it hard for Ike to land a shot. Yosuke then contacted Horikita, and requested back up, to which she directs us to join up with my next set of body guards west of our current location.

Part 2

(Karma POV)

I've been waiting on top of this tree for a good while now, with Horikita-san, Miyamoto-kun, and Ijuin-kun as my body guards. We've been hearing some interesting announcements for the past 6 minutes. 4 of Class B have been eliminated. No doubt, these eliminations are happening in Kiyo's location. I know this, because Kikuchi-kun and Matsushita-san were both eliminated. Both of them are Kiyo's bodyguards.

Right now it seems to be quiet in my area. All three of my body guards are doing a good job keeping themselves hidden, although Ijuin-kun may need to find a better cover. His large body makes him standout, and makes him an easy target. No offense, Ijuin-kun.

I've been listening in to Horikita-san's conversations with Kiyo's current group, and it seems they keep running in to enemies. While it was certainly not out of the realm of possibility that they probably located him, and launched an organized attack, I can't help but feel there's something else going on.

There are currently 15 minutes remaining. While I'm not complaining that I'm not being targeted, I am also getting bored sitting on top of this tree. As I was thinking about this exam, I sensed a shot fired at my direction. I dodged it by jumping on to another tree branch. The others saw what I was doing.

"Horikita-san, in front of you, there's someone who just took a shot at me."

"Copy that."

Horikita-san and the others raised their guns, and then another shot was fired at me, this time from behind me. I dodged it without trouble, and quickly pulled out my gun. While I can't see the person, I know they are out there. Just then-

"Ah!"

Ijuin-kun was shot on the chest.

"Class D now has 27 people remaining." announced Karasuma-sensei to everyone.

As he left, Miyamoto-kun shot multiple times over the direction the blue bb came from, but got no one out. Horikita-san told him to stop, because he was wasting ammo. As he did, another shot was fired at him, and he got eliminated.

"Class D now has 26 people remaining."

"Akabane-kun, we need to go!" Horikita-san warned me.

As she said that, I can see the people, who just took out Ijuin-kun, and Miyamoto-kun.

"Horikita-san, get behind that rock."

She did as I told. I jumped down from my tree, drew my knives, and slashed them both by the throat. That was probably a bit excessive, but hey, they had it coming.

"Class B now has 33 people remaining."

Before Horikita-san could question my choice of action, I signaled for her to make a break for it. I can sense the presence of more people. I'm not complaining. I've been bored from being deprived of any action for a while now.

13 minutes remaining. Everything happened so fast. My adrenaline was kicking in. Now this is what I'm talking about.

As we were running, Horikita-san sent out a signal to my next body guards, all the while being chased by several of Ryuen's underlings. At the corner of my eye, I spot one of them running beside us. They pull out a gun, and try to shoot us, but they kept missing because they couldn't aim while running, one of the basics in gaming 101. Unlike Kiyo, I actually got to experience it a lot.

Seeing as how this person wasn't going to stop following us, I separate myself from Horikita-san temporarily, and dashed at the guy.

"Akabane-kun! What are you doing?!"

I can hear her protesting behind me at my decision. It doesn't matter what she says. She can't stop me. The guy aimed his gun at me, and kept shooting. Seeing as how I kept dodging each one, he decided to back away, but there was no use. I looked at him in the eye with all my killing intent, and all I see in his face was fear. As I closed the distance, with one swing of my knife, I slash him by his throat.

The guy held on to his throat for a bit, checking to see if he was bleeding out or something. He probably thought I came at him with an actual knife. It also doesn't help that my knife was laced with red paint, making it look like his throat was bleeding. Just being able to scare them like this is so much fun

"Class B now has 32 people remaining."

The guy was still quivering in fear. He truly felt like he was about to die. I decided to just leave him there, and headed back to Horikita-san's direction. I see her fending off another class B student, and she was able to take them out as soon as I arrived.

"Class B now has 31 people remaining."

Upon seeing me, she wanted to reprimand me for my reckless behavior. Jeez, I was just having some fun. How does Kiyo put up with her?

I told her to reprimand me once we get out of there. She agreed, and we ran to the rendezvous point. As we were running, Horikita-san turned to me. Instead of reprimanding me, she instead asked me something after witnessing my actions for the past few minutes.

"Akabane-kun...just... who are you?"

Although she tried to keep her stern look, her question came off as a sign of concern. Concern that I might actually do the real thing. I could mess with her, and say 'who knows?', but she was probably expecting that answer. Instead, I answered her with the same answer I gave to Kushida-san.

"I already answered that didn't I?"

"Yes, you did, but how you eliminated them is room for concern."

Dissatisfied with me answer, she brought up my M.O.

"What? They're just plastic knives. It's not like they're gonna do any actual damage."

She wanted to retort, probably to point out that there's more to it than that. Before she could though, we were met by our back up. However, the moment we saw them from a good distance, they were ambushed. All three of them fought back earnestly, but were overwhelmed.

"Class D now has 23 people remaining."

Seeing the massacre in front of us, Horikita-san resolved to avenge our fallen brethren, but I pulled her by the arm aside, and took cover behind a large rock. They hadn't noticed us, so we were able to avoid detection. Had I not stopped her, we would be met with a barrage of bbs. She was annoyed at first, for me stopping her, but she regained her composure after realizing how reckless her about-to-be actions were.

We watched them stealthily, and 2 more people joined them. My hunch was right afterall. Someone is giving the enemy sensitive information. The most effective way to deal with all of them now, would be to be take them out from afar. Horikita-san understood this as well, and notified Ike-kun. He was able to get a fix on their location, and shot one of them.

Before he could take out the others though-

"AH-" Ike-kun screamed through the transceiver.

"Ike-kun?" Horikita-san asked, concerned. Just then, Karasuma-sensei announced to everyone.

"Class B is now down to 30 people, and Class D is now down to 22 people."

Understanding Ike-kun's current situation, Horikita-san started shaking a little. We just lost our remaining sniper. Ike-kun apologized to us over the transceiver, and wished us the best of luck. Horikita-san tried to get through our next group of body guards. As she was contacting them, we could hear screams from their side. Karasuma-sensei then again came through the transceivers.

"Class D now has 19 people remaining."

"We're sorry Horikita-san, but they got the drop on us!"

I could hear Hasabe-san, talking, as well as Yukimura-kun, and Okitani-kun in the background. It seems to be too good of a coincidence that our bodyguards specifically were eliminated, one group after another.

Horikita-san sat there, and racked her brain, while I kept on the look out. Just then-

"Class D now has 16 people remaining."

Her eyes widened after hearing the announcement. There's currently 9 minutes remaining, and our classmates were dropping like flies. She was losing her composure. I took a peak at the group of Class B nearby. By the looks of it, they were stationed there, probably to keep a look out for me. How kind of Ryuen to look out for me.

I looked over at Horikita-san, who was in a troubled state, I was about to speak up to snap her out of it, when Isogai 2.0 came through her transceiver.

"Horikita-san, I'm with Kiyotaka-kun right now. Our back ups were just eliminated. We're currently being chased down by a small group. We're holding our own, but we can't outrun them forever. What do we do?"

Horikita-san was struggling to come up with a response. She was definitely scared of Kiyo being expelled, especially since she looks up to him. I don't need anyone to tell me that. I can tell she's also doing this to be acknowledged by those she looks up to. Kiyo told me how much she idolizes her brother, and worked herself to the bone to gain his acknowledge meant.

Self-improvement is commendable, however she tried to imitate him, which made him push her away. She may have resolved things with him already, but she hasn't stopped her habit of imitating people. Heck, she's even copying Kiyo's use of a katana, because she was amazed by his skills during our training sessions.

If she wishes for acknowledgement, she has to accept some setbacks. That dam octopus taught us as much. Seeing as how Horikita-san couldn't come up with a solution, and that Hirata-kun and Kiyo are running for their lives, I snatched the transceiver from her, and took over. She looked shocked, but I didn't give her any time to react.

"Hirata-kun, where are you and Kiyo right now?"

"Akabane-kun? We're currently at the west side. There's a cave and waterfall just ahead of us."

"Good. Do you remember that small clearing with the river and giant pine tree next to it?"

"Uh, yeah I do. I still remember where it was thanks to the map"

"Good. Let's meet up there."

Upon hearing my plan, Horikita-san winced. Thankfully, the nearby class B students didn't hear her.

"Are you insane? If you and Ayanokoji-kun were in one location, that would make it easier to eliminate you guys."

"You need to have more faith in people. Besides, I have a plan."

She pondered for a sec, trying to think of a way to retort, but I didn't give her a second to reply. I got up, and started walking.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Where does it look like I'm going? Sitting around here clearly isn't gonna get us anyway, so I'm meeting up with Kiyo and Hirata-kun."

"That's just gonna make you two easier targets. I'm aware of your fighting capabilities, but if they surround us, we'll be in big trouble."

"I'd like to let my actions do the talking. Besides, I'm pretty sure you're in no position to argue with me."

She twitched at my words, clearly not liking what I was getting at.

"You realized it yourself haven't you?"

"What do you mean?"

She tried to play dumb, but I wasn't wasting any more time on this.

"The reason for the decline of our numbers. How Ryuen was able to see through you. I know Kiyo told you about my wariness on that person. I know you're just trying to cover for them by not exposing them. It's useless hiding stuff like this from me."

She couldn't retort. She knew I was right, but she still didn't like it.

"You can worry about me all you want. It doesn't matter what you say though. I'm going. Besides, he's got the situation handled here."

"Wait, he?"

Just then, we could here the screams of the class B students. Horikita-san tried to take a peak at them stealthily, but I just walked out of our hiding spot. She tried to get me to take cover, but I assured her it was fine. In front of us, we could see a blond man standing in place of the class B students as they walk away from him.

"Class B now has 27 people remaining."

Just as I expected. He's been hiding for a while, observing the situation.

"Akabane-boy, how long did you know I was nearby."

Horikita-san looked at me for a sec. She hadn't expected Koenji-kun to be nearby at all, but I was able to detect his presence from up above the trees.

"Oh, call it a 6th sense. Truth be told, I knew you were nearby for a while now when Hasabe-san's group got eliminated, Koenji-kun."

"Ho? So you sensed my presence? An admirable trait you have there."

"Hahahaha. You sensed ours as well. You were probably just waiting for something to happen, but then got bored and took them out."

"HA HA HA! It seems I was right about you. However, don't you have somewhere to be right now?"

"Yes, I do. Would you like to join us?"

"No thank you. It'll be a waste of my time. Besides, I have somethings to deal with myself."

"Well, suit yourself Koenji-kun."

"Well said Akabane-boy. Don't you and T-Rex-kun make this easier for the enemy alright?"

"No, of course not."

"T-Rex-kun?" Horikita-san turned to me, confused. I ignored her.

I walked away and waved Koenji-kun a goodbye. Horikita-san followed me. We then picked up our speed, and made our way to clearing. 6 minutes left.

"Class D now has 12 people remaining."

Looks like Ryuen's been busy. We still haven't heard anything from the offensive teams. Seems Ryuen managed to get the jump on them. In fact, we haven't received word about Albert-kun's, and Ibuki-san's location. Safe to say that Ryuen's thought of a better strategy than Horikita-san has.

"Seems their class won't be losing any points in this exam." I asked Horikita-san as we made our way over.

"No. I had Ike-kun keep an eye out from afar, and had the offensive teams scope out the whole area, yet both Albert-kun's and Ibuki-san's locations haven't been revealed."

"Of course. They are valuable minions under Ryuen's thumb, not to mention losing them would mean losing a lot of private points."

"I admit, he's thought of a better strategy than I have."

While I don't consider her strategy to be bad by any means, the reason for it going so bad right now is because of one glaring hole.

"You still pride yourself in your strategic ingenuity?"

"What?"

"You're strategy isn't bad, but you failed to deal with one glaring problem."

She knew exactly what I was talking about.

"I thought...I thought I could just-"

"Save your wallowing for later. You had the choice to prevent any of this from happening, yet you still chose not to. Honestly, how long are you going to keep being delusional?"

She looked at me with an exasperated look. I wasn't speaking this with the intention to insult her, but I was just stating the facts. She's still clinging on to that hopeful vision of hers that was absurdly unrealistic.

"Since you were willing to let this all play out as is, then I'm guessing you're not as committed to rising through the ranks as you claim."

"N-no. I just thought that-"

I cut her off before she could resume. I gave her every reasoning I had, not giving her any room to catch her breath.

Part 3

(Horikita POV)

Akabane-kun and I ran through the forest trying to get to Ayanokoji-kun and Hirata-kun's location. Many of our classmates have already been eliminated, and we've not made any bit of progress in locating Class B's bounties. I started thinking how all this could have happened, when Akabane-kun brought it all up. He didn't speak to me with his usual smile. Instead, he wore a serious expression. His words were ruthless, but all of it was true. Whatever argument I make, he has a counter for it.

"You thought protecting them would prove beneficial? Why? Because of their skillset? No that's not just it, is it? You're just doing this in order to prove a point."

It's like he could see through me. I admit, that was one reason. I couldn't retort to any of his words. They cut me deep, and I can't help but raise the white flag.

"Go ahead and keep thinking like that if you try. Just know, that as the class leader, you shoulder the responsibility for your shortcomings, and naivety."

He's right. I let so many people down in this exam. Both he and Ayanokoji-kun trained our class to a considerable degree, yet we were cut down by Ryuen-kun. He spoke no further as we kept running. It was difficult trying to keep up with his pace. I was starting to feel tired, yet he didn't look tired in the slightest. His stamina is phenomenal, on top of that his performance nothing short of remarkable. Yet, I also feel scared. Each time he took someone out, he aimed for their throats.

I remembered what he did to Ryuen-kun and Albert-kun during our training, then compared it to how acted now. His fighting capabilities, and the aura he gives off while doing so, it's like he could kill someone without hesitation. While I feel confident in his capabilities, I also feel scared just being near him. As I though more of this, I could see the clearing ahead of us.

From the other side, we could see the figures of both Ayanokoji-kun and Hirata-kun making their way over to us. Akabane-kun jumped upwards, parkouring on the branches of every tree ahead of us as he continues to make his way on over to him without breaking a sweat. I was amazed by his athleticism. Can Ayanokoji-kun do the same as well? I remember Akabane-kun saying that Ayanokoji-kun can keep up with him. I snapped myself out of those thoughts as we prepared to eliminate Ayanokoji-kun's and Hirata-kun's pursuers.

I hid myself behind a giant rock at the edge of the clearing, while Akabane-kun situated himself on the treetops. There were 4 minutes left, and I'm sure Ryuen-kun ordered more people to have them both eliminated.

As both of them have reached the clearing, their pursuers came in to view. I waited for a moment for them to get even closer. As they did, and their pursuers were in range, I took out my air gun and took aim. I shot one, while Hirata-kun also aimed at them. Seeing as how it was a trap, everyone else dispersed.

"Class B now has 26 people remaining." Agent Karasuma announced over the transceiver.

Hirata-kun and Ayanokoji-kun took cover with me behind the rock, while Akabane-kun continued to remain on the look out.

"Are you two okay?" I asked them, assessing their current condition.

"Uh, yeah. *huff* We've been running for a good while now, trying to shake them off. Good thing I'm used to running a lot from my soccer club." says Hirata-kun.

Although he had good stamina, he was clearly exhausted from all the running. They were on the run for a good while now. I looked to Ayanokoji-kun, and he just nodded. Unlike Hirata-kun, he didn't seem to be exhausted at all, much like Akabane-kun.

"It's good that we were able to scare them off, but I think we should find a better cover. There's only 2 minutes left, and they're probably going to get desperate."

Hirata-kun insisted that we get out of here asap. Before I could say anything, Akabane-kun threw a knife to the ground right in front of Ayanokoji-kun. We looked up at him, and he gave us the signal to leave asap. He picked up his knife, and ran through the forest.

"Why did you throw your knife on the ground in front of us?" I asked.

He gave me his knife, and I inspected it. I noticed that there was blue paint splattered on the side of the blade. I instantly knew what this meant.

"How did you know someone shot at us?" I asked him, curious as to how he knew someone was about to take us out."

"Mmm.. Instincts. Unlike you, I was paying attention to my surrounding."

Unbelievable. I get I was checking in on Hirata-kun and Ayanokoji-kun, but it's not like I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings either.

"What? How could you possibly tell when a bb was fired mid air? It would take more than just instincts to know that."

"Look, are you going to complain, or are you going to focus?"

Looks like I'm not getting an answer. Before I could respond, Ayankoji-kun spoke up.

"He's right. We've got company."

"How many?" Hirata-kun asked.

"Five of them I believe, and they have us surrounded."

As he said this, I could see two class B students coming out from behind the trees in front of us from a good distance. They aimed their guns at us and fired their shots. The four of us dispersed, taking cover.

To my right, I could here the sounds of what sounds to be a clash. I looked over, and see Hirata-kun was clashing blades with a Class B student, and was holding his own. Ayankoji-kun got the jump on the guy from behind, and slashed his back. As they were about to move, another guy jumped down from above the tree, getting the jump on Hirata-kun.

His movements were getting sluggish. He was exhausted from all the running. Ayanokoji-kun tried to protect him, but a shot was fired at him. He jumped back, separating him and Hirata-kun. More shots were fired at him, and he kept dodging all of them, but the distance between him and Hirata-kun was growing. I took out my gun and aimed it at the guy, but a shot was fired at my gun, and it fell off my hand. Akabane-kun took out his gun, and fired at the guy, but just a second before the bb landed on him, the guy also took out Hirata-kun. As I tried to retrieve my gun, another person shot at me, and I got hit.

"Class B is now down to 24 people, and Class D is now down to 11 people."

Both Hirata-kun and I were out, leaving Ayanokoji-kun and Akabane-kun to fend for themselves.

"I-I'm sorry you guys. I was just too tired to keep up." Hirata-kun apologized for his sluggish performance. It wasn't his fault. He did managed to cover for Ayanokoji-kun for this long.

As for me, I was disappointed that I got taken out just like that. Akabane-kun reassured us that they'll be fin, and that there were only a few seconds left until the twenty minutes were up. True to his word, Agent Karasuma came through the transceivers again.

"20 minutes are up. The bounties will no longer be in any effect!"

Our attackers backed off, and dispersed in to the forest. I feel assured, knowing that they're at least guaranteed to not get expelled. Whether we win this exam or not, I'm just glad no one from our class would get expelled.

Hirata-kun and I walked away, wishing them the best of luck. As we walked through the forest, I started thinking about this exam's outcome.

"Class D now has 9 people remaining."

Seems Ryuen-kun is not wasting any time. He just took our three more of our class. I looked back for a sec, and see Ayanokoji-kun and Akabane-kun running further in to the forest. It seems they were not one of the people taken out. Hirata-kun noticed me, and broke the silence.

"How do you think this exam will turn out?"

"I'm not sure, but I'm at least glad no one from our class would get expelled."

"Yeah, I feel relieved."

"Hirata-kun, you should get some rest right away. You look like you're about to fall over."

"I could say the same thing about you."

It's true. Both of us have been running all this time, and our legs were getting really tired. We found our way back to the main building, where many of our classmates, as well as students of classes C, A and the eliminated member of Class B await us. Our classmates greeted us for a bit, and we greeted them back. We sat down with our class, glad to finally be able to rest. We looked at the screen in front of us that shows the exam being broadcasted.

The drone broadcasting the event hovers over a certain spot with a lot of crevices, and from those crevices, Ibuki-san and Albert-kun stood up from the pile of leaves covering them. My eyes widened, and everyone started talking.

"Fufufu, so that's what Dragon-boy-san was planning. Not bad."

Out of everyone, Sakayanagi-san was the one who spoke out loud.

"It is a clever strategy. They were able to avoid detection, not only due to their hiding spot, but also because of the camouflage from their suits."

"Ichinose-san's right. Although Yamada-kun's size would normally make him an easy target, they were able to keep him and Ibuki-san hidden thanks to what she just said. The only real drawback to that strategy would be if someone accidentally stepped on them as they're walking, or making a lot of unnecessary movements, but luckily for Yamada-kun and Ibuki-san, they were in a spot that provided a lot of cover, and thanks to the formation of the terrain, not many people would go there either. Not to mention how far off the location was."

Sakayanagi-san and Ichinose-san were pointed out how brilliantly planned this strategy was.

"Although Ryuen-kun had a good plan for them, he still lacked in defense. If Ibuki-san and Albert-kun were to be found out, they'd be left to fend for themselves."

"That it is true Ichinose-san. Dragon-boy-san poured more effort in to offense rather than defense. He probably thought the camouflage, as well as the terrain was enough to protect the two bounties in their class, but it would be a different story if they were found out, and Horikita-san's offensive team came at them."

"Still though Hime, even though Ryuen focused more on offense, Class D was able to protect both Akabane and Ayanokoji for long enough."

"Fufufu. I would like to point something out first. It's true that Class D was able to protect their bounties for long enough, but it seems both Ayanokoji-kun and Akabane-kun didn't even need the protection."

Everyone, even those who weren't even listening to Sakayanagi-san's feedbacks were now paying attention to her. It's true though. Those two held there own pretty well, despite the overwhelming numbers.

"Sakayangi-san, are you saying that both Ayanokoji-kun and Akabane-kun would've been fine, even without their class protecting them."

"Indeed, Ichinose-san. Akabane-kun has the most eliminations right now. Although Ayanokoji-kun only has two eliminations, he was still able to effortlessly avoid elimination for this long, just like Akabane-kun. The only probable reason he hasn't eliminated more people that I can think of, is probably because his partner, Hirata-kun, was too exhausted, and that they were being chased by multiple people. His attention was probably more focused on staying in the game, rather than getting more eliminations. It's the perfect use of his speed. Akabane-kun's style is more in the moment, taking calculated risks, while also remaining alert. Ayanokoji-kun meanwhile is more on survival, and outmaneuvering his enemies."

What she said was true. I had thought Akabane-kun's style was reckless, but I also found them to be more calculated than I thought. He even managed to detect the bb flying towards us, and blocked it by throwing his knife mid air. As for Ayanokoji-kun, he isn't the type to do things unnecessarily. All he had to do was stay in the game, and he accomplished that through his evasions.

"Hey Haruka-san, d-does that mean that Kiyotaka-kun could have gotten more eliminations i-if he and Hirata-kun weren't being chased?"

"Looks like it Airi."

"Is this what Akabane meant that Kiyotaka could keep up with him?"

"Seems so Yukimuu."

"Still though, why doesn't Ayanokoji-kun show it more often?"

The person who asked that was Kushida-san. I decided to speak up before she could sway anyone else's opinions.

"It's not like he actively hides it. He just doesn't use them unless the situation calls for it. If were talking about him getting more eliminations, like what Sakayanagi-san and Sakura-san said, he's playing it safe. He can keep evading, but if he goes on the offensive he might put himself in a vulnerable situation. He can't afford to take risks."

"Oh, well he was being chased. I guess I can get that."

She backed down, seeing as to how futile any arguments from her would be moving forward.

"Still, at least we're clear of any expulsions. Right now it's only a matter of winning the match."

Hirata-kun was relieved that the most troubling part was over. Out of everyone, he was the one most worried about expulsions afterall.

"Yes, you're certainly right about that Hirata, but right now things aren't looking well for your class." Katsuragi-kun spoke up.

"Unfortunately, I have to agree with Katsuragi-kun. Ryuen-kun has the advantage in numbers, and they just lost both Horikita-san and Hirata-kun." Ichinose-san said this, then her eyes narrowed at the screen for just a second.

"Unless..." She was about to say something, but kept her mouth shut.

"Ichinose, are you saying that Class D can come back from this?"

"Well, it's certainly not entirely impossible, Kanzaki-kun."

Just as she said that, another announcement came through.

"Class D now has 3 people remaining."

On the screen, Ryuen-kun, and his group have just ambushed a group of our classmates. Now it was down to Koenji-kun, Akabane-kun, and Ayanokoji-kun. Our classmates were quivering at the face of our defeat.

"I find it hard to believe we would be able to come back from this." Yukimura-kun spoke a harsh reality on us. As he said that, some of our classmates that were admitted returned from the infirmary.

"What happened?" Sudo-kun was the first to speak up.

"Class B is in the lead, and right now, the only ones remaining in our class are Ayanokoji-kun, Akabane-kun, and Koenji-kun" I told them, and they seem to be exasperated. It's three against twenty-four. No matter how you look at it, winning seemed impossible.

"Shit! If only we hadn't been done in by Ryuen like that, then-"

"I know how you feel Sudo-kun, but we were just as responsible as well for not seeing through his tricks. For that, I apologize for my oversight."

We can't afford to keep dwelling on that. I made the decisions to let the cause of this whole dilemma go without any consequence. Even though their aim was to expel Ayanokoji-kun, I still chose to stand by my stance. I do believe that keeping her around would prove beneficial. That was, until Akabane-kun's words started ringing in my head.

Am I being naive?

I asked myself.

Would keeping them around, because of their skillset be worth it?

If our class loses because of my naivety, then I'm to blame.

"It doesn't matter how good Akabane, Ayanokoji, and Koenji are. They can't possibly beat Ryuen's class."

Katsuragi-kun's words cut deep. It does seem that our situation seems hopeless, but Sakayanagi-san of all people chimed in.

"Are you sure about that Kasturagi-kun?" She said this with a smug look on her face.

"Huh?"

"It's true that their situation seems helpless, but are you forgetting that Akabane-kun beat both Ryuen-kun, and Yamada-kun?"

"That- that's different though."

"Hime, sure Akabane's good, and Ayanokoji's fast, but do you really think they can turn this whole thing around?"

"Fufufufu. Who knows Hashimoto-kun? Haven't you realized that the ones remaining from class D are their wild cards?"

"Wild cards?" asked Kamuro-san.

"Akabane-kun's not been around for long, but in his short time in our school, he's already proven himself to be stronger than both Ryuen-kun, and Yamada-kun altogether. There's also his OAA. Despite being new, and in class D, he has highest overall rating.

Then for Koenji-kun, he is, right now, an unknown. Yet, he got three eliminations all at once. During last year's commanding towers exam, he even solved that very difficult math problem the moment he opened his eyes. On top of that, you said he ran as fast as Ayanokoji-kun during last year's mixed training camp.

Ah, speaking of Ayanokoji-kun, I also consider him a wild card. He isn't just swift on his feet, and brilliant at math, proof of that is him answering the very same math question as Koenji-kun, as well as his perfect math score, but he was also capable of keeping up with me in chess during last year's commanding towers exam. I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't want to challenge him again to experience the same thrill again. Of all the opponents I have faced over the years, he was the one to give me a challenge the most, and I would want to have another match if possible."

"Well yeah, but in the end, you still won that match, right?"

"Yes, I did, however it wasn't a landslide victory, as you may know. That match really could have gone either way. Perhaps the deciding factor as to why we even won in the first place, was because Horikita-san isn't as experienced in chess as you are. Had it been us playing from the beginning, things might have been very different. His level of skill is worthy of respect."

Everyone was surprised at Sakayanagi-san's praise towards Ayanokoji-kun. They weren't coming from mockery either, they were genuine. She genuinely respected Ayanokoji-kun's mastery at chess. I then recalled his words to me during that match.

'No one's better than me, even when I'm holding back.'

When we lost that match, I thought he was just being full of himself, but after getting that 100 in math without even trying, I somehow I found myself believing in it again. Sakayanagi-san's words then reinforced my belief in it further. Perhaps things weren't so hopeless for us after all.

"Hold on, are you saying Ayanokoji could've just beaten you if he chose to? We lost because he chose not to play from the beginning?" Miyamoto-kun spoke up.

"What are you saying Miyamoto?" asked Ike.

"I'm saying that if Ayanokoji had played from the very beginning, our class might have actually moved up the ranks, but he didn't."

As he said this, Kushida-san also joined in on his claim.

"What? Like sabotage or something?"

"Exactly!"

"Hey! Don't just go around accusing Kiyopon of something like that!" Hasabe-san was the first to defend him, followed by the others from his group, then by myself, Hirata-kun, Sudo-kun, and Karuizawa-san, who also just returned from the infirmary along side Sudo-kun, Miyake-kun, and Sato-san.

"If you're gonna blame Kiyotaka-kun for us losing, then need I remind you that Sakayanagi-san also said that that match could have gone either way."

"What Hirata-kun said. There's no guarantee that we would've won. You also can't blame him for my lack of experience. Prior to that match, I asked him to train me in chess, and he did so relentlessly for a week. I made the decision of wanting to play chess, so can't blame him from not playing from the beginning."

"But Horikita-san, given everything we saw of Ayanokoji-kun, I find it extremely hard to believe that Sakayanagi-san giving him all of Class A's praise votes to more than just a pure coincidence."

"What Kushida-san said."

"Oh, that." Sakayanagi-san was listening in to class D's argument, and then finally decided to intervene.

"Lemme explain why that happened."

"What do you mean Hime?" asked Hashimoto-kun.

"Firstly, allow me to explain why I decided to use Yamauchi-kun. Remember during the mixed training camp? He bumped in to me and knocked me over. Ike-kun, I believe you saw that as well."

"W-well yeah I did. Hold on, that was an accident though!"

"Yeah! He even apologized!" Sudo-kun followed Ike-kun's comment with his own.

"Yes, that's true, but he also said some pretty nasty, and disgusting things about me as he was walking away. I may be out of eyesight, but that doesn't mean I'm out of earshot. He was pretty rude about it too."

"Well, given your personality, and tendency to hold grudges, I'd say that that's very much like you."

"Thank you Masumi-san. Now, as for why I chose Ayanokoji-kun, I actually remembered both of them being pretty close at the beginning of the year. Isn't that right, Ike-kun and Sudo-kun?"

Ike-kun tensed up for a bit. He probably knew where this was going, but remained quiet. Sudo-kun was the one to speak up though.

"Well yeah. He did hung out with us a lot."

"If I remember Sudo-kun, you Ike-kun, and Yamauchi-kun have been hanging out with him less after last year's sports festival."

"W-well it's not like I didn't want to hang out with him Suzune. I don't know why, but Ayanokoji actually declined Kanji's and Haruki's invites after the sports festival. I still try to hang out, and talk to him."

"Oh? Is that so?" Sakayanagi-san jumped in. She was pretty much in control of the situation.

"Tell me Ike-kun, was it really Ayanokoji-kun who declined your invites?"

All eyes were now on Ike-kun, and he was sweating.

"W-well... yeah."

His words were filled with uncertainty. Shinohara-san, who had returned from the infirmary a while ago, was actually listening to all of this. She too became intrigued at this conversation. I knew he was lying. Sakayanagi-san continued.

"Oh really Ike-kun? I had actually noticed that after he displayed his running speed, he gained more attention from the school, and that's when you two started to avoid him."

"W-wait, why would Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun avoid Kiyotaka-kun just from that, Sakayanagi-san?" Hirata-kun asked, confused, but I know he has an idea of what she was getting at.

Everyone was listening intently, I could see Shinohara-san's, and some of the other girls' faces starting to grimace, as if knowing where this was going.

"It's quite simple, Hirata-kun. They were jealous at Ayanokoji-kun's sudden display of speed. It's no secret that both of them are incompetent. They probably thought that Ayanokoji-kun was also incompetent as they are, hence why they were mad when he suddenly revealed he was actually athletic, with speed that rivaled Shibata-kun's."

I could see others grimace to this. Even Hirata-kun looked disappointed at Ike-kun's reasoning for avoiding Ayanokoji-kun.

"A pathetic reason from such pathetic people. I simply used that to my advantage in order to get back at Yamauchi-kun. I really wish I could've seen his face when he was expelled."

Ike-kun looked down. He was probably thinking, that he could've been the one in Yamauchi-kun's position. Both of them were very similar, it's just that Ike-kun has a few more traits that made him useful, such as his camping experience, and his sniping expertise. Everyone else looked at him with an exasperated look.

"Hold on Kanji, you guys were jealous? That's why you avoided him?" Sudo-kun asked him with a disappointing tone. Unlike the other two, Sudo-kun never drifted from Ayanokoji-kun, and he wasn't jealous of his sudden feats.

Things were not looking good for Ike-kun. Now that his reasoning for leaving Ayanokoji-kun was out, a lot of people looked at him with disgust. Karuizawa-san, Shinohara-san, Matsushita-san, and Sato-san, in particular glared at him. I can also see Hirata-kun with a conflicted look. He wants to maintain the peace, on the other hand he's also mad at Ike-kun for his absurd reason.

To prevent this from escalating any further, I had to step in.

"Everyone, that's enough. No matter what happened between them, this is their personal matter. We shouldn't be interfering. Sakayanagi-san, I ask that you please stop triggering my classmates."

"Oops, I guess I did do that. Well I had to explain myself somehow. The truth was gonna come out sooner or later."

"But if all you needed was to get Yamauchi-kun to be the receiver of all of Class D's criticism votes, why have all of Class A give him their praise votes?" Ichinose-san asked Sakayanagi-san the question that was on our minds.

It's true though. Sakayanagi-san had no reason to give Ayanokoji-kun all those praise votes, if she just intended to sway the class's perception of Yamauchi-kun towards the negative.

"Mm.. It was more of an in your face kind of thing. I imagine he had quite the shock when all of the praise votes that I said that I'd give him were instead given to Ayanokoji-kun. Also, those praise votes were just for insurance that my plan would work. I would hate to see a plan fall out of place. Had Ayanokoji-kun been expelled instead of Yamauchi-kun, then I'd pretty much look like a clown if my plan failed."

"Well I guess that makes sense. You're not the type to leave any holes in your plans. " says Hashimoto-kun.

Indeed, had Ayanokoji-kun been expelled instead of Yamauchi-kun, that would have been a failure on her part.

"In any case, I'm glad he got that protection point. It was because of that that he got to be the commander for the commanding towers exam. I was quite surprised at how good he was at chess. The whole time I was actually both nervous, and excited playing against someone with so much skill. Although I won, it was only by a margin, and he earned my respect. I even asked him to have another match, a proper 1v1, with me in the library as soon as the exam was over, but he turned me down. As great as he was at chess, he didn't seem to fond of it, so I just stopped bothering. Besides, there's probably gonna be more opportunities for another match in the future anyway."

"You seem to put him in high regard Hime." Hashimoto-kun said what was probably on everyone's minds.

"Fufufu, I do know when to pay respects to someone's capabilities you know. It's been years since I've had a challenge. To think a worthy opponent would show up in this school, in the Class of defects to boot."

She said that last part while giving everyone in my class the stink eye. Altough her words hold some credibility, I get the feeling she's not speaking the enitre truth. I still have the thought in the back of my mind that both she and Ayanokoji-kun planned this, but I pushed that thought aside for now as an announcement by Agent Karasuma was made on the broadcast.

"Class B is now down to 21 people."

Everyone seemed surprised, while Sakayanagi-san looked on in amusement.

"Ara~ ara~ It seems that those three are picking up the pace. What interesting individuals."

It's been nearly half an hour since the 20 minute bounty came to an end. Everyone remaining was probably playing more carefully, compared to how reckless they were during the first 20 minutes.

I looked to my classmates, and they were now watching attentively on the screen. On it, we can see 2 people walking away from Koenji-kun. It then hovers over Ayanokoji-kun and Akabane-kun's location, and they can be seen jumping on branches.

Will they really be able to make a comeback from all this, I guess we'll have to see.

EY! It's been a while. I haven't gotten around to work on this a lot, not because I lost interest, but because some stuff has been going on in my life, and it's taken my attention away from it for a bit and it might be the same for the next couple of weeks. Don't worry, I'll still work on this, because I love doing it.

Speaking of working on this fanfic, I actually have a couple of other ideas for other fanfics that I'm interested in working on. Here's a few.

A COTE reaction fic.

- Idk if I'm gonna do the whole volumes, or just selected scenes. There's definitely some scenes that not many people have covered, like Kiyo's and Manabu's final moments together, and many others.

- I was also thinking of having them react to certain scenes from the perspective of other characters. What do you think?

- The characters' personalities would be based on their personalities from the LNs. I want to shy away from the exaggeration of Horikita's brother complex, and Sudo's simp overmax. Although they're funny, they get annoying when overdone.

An Assassination Classroom reaction fic.

- I fucking love this series. I first watched it when I was in my last year of Junior High, so it really hit home for me. I cried a lot, at the ending, and now I make my friends suffer by watching it, and luring them in to a false sense of security until they eventually broke down from the ending. Here's a conversation I had with one of them from 2 years ago.

(P. S yes we're asians)

- My plan for a react fic would be sometime after the graduate, so it would include their parents, and students fron the main campus. Of course, because they have already graduated, there will be no Korosensei.

- Another idea for a fanfic would be to have Nagisa's new students react to his time in Kunugigaoka. Would be pretty fun.

An A.C fic where Nagisa is a teacher.

- I've read a bunch of stories like this, but I want to give my own rendition. I always felt disappointed when there was ONE thing that they never included, so I want to make my own.

- Also, I want to have Nagisa and Kayano be together, so sorry Karmagisa shippers. I actually don't ship Karmagisa. I always saw them as best friends where one messes with the other, kinda like a lot of irl friendships.

- Not looking forward to making up some OCs though.

A Horimiya what if, where Shindo did go to Katagiri High like he originally planned.

- This was something I always had on my mind, and surprisingly, only one person from reddit has brought it up recently.
- I have some ideas with this, but I'm still racking my brain, trying to think of a cohesive flow of story.

A Horimiya what if where students from Miyamura's school discovers his secret self super early.

- He and Hori are already close. Their feelings are mutual, but they haven't confessed yet, so they are dating here.

- This will probably be short, but oh well.

Oreki Houtarou goes to ANHS

- Uh yeah. Basically a Hyouks and COTE cross over.

- Idk whether to include Chitanda, Satoshi, and Ibara here, because I don't know where to put them. It'll be especially hard to think of a good defect for Chitanda.

- I'll probably buff Oreki's deductive reasoning to somewhere between L and Edogawa Ranpo, but he'll only deduce information if he chooses to, which would be a problem for others if Chitanda just isn't in the story always going 'watashi kininarimasu' in Oreki's face.

A collection of COTE SS from the perspectice of other characters.

- As it suggests, I want to pick out scenes from the LN's and write them in the perspective of other characters. I saw a really good one from Volume 11 of the LN. The scene was A Man's Tears, and it was written from the perspective of Hirata. It was written by [AriSimp_exe]. This was my main inspiration for making this, and I hope you guys go check the fic out. It has a lot more good ones. They're so well written, it's like you're reading the actual LN.

Horimiya Incorrect Quotes.

- Well why not? I'll probably get to work on this right away. I have a couple of funny ones, a lot of them involve Miyamura tormenting Shindo.

Well that's all I could think of right now.

As for this story, thank you again to everyone for supporting it. It means a lot. I see a lot of people adding it to their reading list, and it makes me so happy knowing a lot of people are picking it up.

Honestly, the pacing for this chapter was pretty off, but I hope that you were still able to enjoy it.

Btw, Genshin 2.7 coming soon. Not pulling for anyone, but goodluck to everyone planning on getting Yelan/Itto/Xiao/Shinobu.

I also want to share my new favorite moment in Love is War. Poor Maki.

Anyway I already have something in mind for the next chapter, so I hope you look forward to it.

'Till next time. See ya!

Vol. 3, Chapter 2 - Three Monsters Unleashed

Part 1

(Ayanokoji POV)

This whole match has been going on for a while now. As of right now, there's 21 Class B students remaining, and only 3 left from our class; those three being myself, Karma, and Koenji. Nearly an hour and 15 minutes have elapsed since the match started, and we were already nearing the climax.

After my brief reunion with Karma, we decided to split up and do our own thing. I was able to take out one person just a little bit before with split off, and now I'm jumping from one tree branch on to another. By this point, many of Class B should be low on ammunition. The reason for that is because Ryuen sent a large number of them to chase me and Yosuke earlier during the first 20 minute. A lot of them used up a lot of bbs from trying to shoot us, but we were able to evade all of them.

I was hoping to also find either Ibuki or Albert while we were trying to outmaneuver everyone, but that didn't happen. From the way I see, Ryuen probably poured a lot of Class B's efforts on the offensive side. My reason for coming to that conclusion is that a lot of students from our class got eliminated, and he sent a lot of people to come at me during the first 20 minutes. My assumption is that he had Ibuki and Albert hide somewhere remote, and made full use of their camouflage in order to blend in the surroundings. The only place I can think of is that one area with a very rouged terrain, which is covered by thick trees. It's also very far off, and I doubt many people would go there.

Had Yosuke not been accompanying me, I might have gone there myself and looked for both of them, but I didn't want him to be put in a compromising position, that would get him eliminated much earlier. While I could have left him to fend for himself, I just didn't want to deal with the hassle of communicating with teammates. Now that it's just us three remaining, my movements aren't as restricted, and I'm more free to do whatever I want.

Right now it's getting a lot tougher to find any Class B students. Because it's now past the first 20 minutes, Ryuen probably had everyone keep their distance from us. This was now a battle of gaining points, instead of having the other class lose points. Had it been anyone else, but us three, Ryuen would probably have his whole class actively hunt us down, but that's not the case right now.

As I traversed the area, I started to feel somewhat thirsty. I remembered a spring not too far from here. As I made my way to the spring, another announcement came through.

"Class B now has 20 people remaining."

Seems the other two have better luck finding people. I have yet to encounter any of Class B's key players; key players being Ryuen, Ishizaki, Ibuki, Albert, and even Hiyori. Chances were low that Hiyori was still in the game, so she's probably got eliminated earlier on, however if she is still around, she might be hiding somewhere, or sticking together with a lot of peoples.

As I arrived at the spring, I one the drones broadcasting the exam was hovering over me, and I sensed the presence of another person. I pulled out my gun and aimed it at the tree as soon as the person came out. He too was holding a gun, and pointed it at me.

"I believe this is the first time we've run in to each other throughout this whole exam. Seems we have the same idea Ayanokoji-boy."

"Seeing as you're here for a drink, I'm assuming there's no one else behind you, right?"

"Yes, and I could probably say the same about you."

I nodded in response. Seeing as there wasn't any threat nearby, we both put down or gun, and started drinking from water from the spring. I had originally planned on leaving as soon as I quenched my thirst, but Koenji decided to make small talk.

"Ayanokoji-boy. Were you the one who got that last elimination?"

Well I don't really have a reason to not talk to him, so I decided to indulge him.

"Uh, no. Since you're asking me, I guess it's safe to say that that was Karma's doing."

"Hmm.. Yes, it does appear so."

Since we were already talking, I decided to ask him something else, not minding the drone hovering over us.

"Say, Koenji. Does this mean you're aiming for first place?"

He smirked, and responded. "Of course. My bet with Horikita-girl is too good to pass up you know."

"I see. Well goodluck then."

As I started to walk away, he called out to me.

"Ayanokoji-boy."

I stopped, and turned to him.

"What is it?"

"It seems that things were going too well for Dragon-boy at the start. Don't you agree?"

"I do. He managed to get the rest of our classmates rather early, and protected his bounties as well."

"Yes, almost too good actually. Almost like he saw through Horikita-girl's plan right from the start."

He said that while giving me a look that said:

'I know we have an traitor among us, and I know who they are, yet Horikita-girl elected to protect them, rather than vote them out.'

Or at least that's how I imagine it. Considering how sharp he is, I'm pretty he's already guessed Kushida's true nature, though maybe not to the fullest extent. Afterall, he did deduce that I was X. Seeing as how the drone above us is also equipped with a mic, we both understood that we can't risk revealing sensitive information.

"I guess you're right. I mean Ryuen did defeat Ichinose's class afterall."

"Hm hm hm. I guess so, but I, the perfect existence, shall out him in his place."

I have always been curious about his whole 'perfect existence' spiel. This was probably one of the few opportunities where I'll be able to have a proper conversation with him, so I decided to ask.

"Can I ask you something? Just this once?"

He put his hand on his chin before responding.

"Very well. I'm in a good mood. What would you like to ask?"

"It's about your whole 'perfect existence' thing. Why are you so fixated on that?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Just curious."

(3rd Person POV)

The whole exchange was being broadcasted on the main lobby's big screen. At first, many were wondering why two of Class D's last students were stopping for a conversation, but now they were intrigued by Ayanokoji's question. All eyes and ears were now glued to the screen, waiting in anticipation for Koenji's answer.

Horikita: 'I too share Ayanokoji-kun's sentiment, and I'm sure many people do as well.'

Sakayanagi: 'Fufufu. What an interesting question. I too have also been curious to Koenji-kun's stance on perfection, however no one starts off as perfect. One could say perfection is a lie, but the very definition of the word is standing right in front of him. Even if Ayanokoji-kun isn't considered to be perfect, he is still the masterpiece nonetheless.'

Ayanokoji: "For you to be "perfect", you must at least worked for it. If that's the case, what drives you?"

Sakayanagi: 'A reasonable assumption. Even though Ayanokoji-kun is considered to be the White Room's masterpiece, he still worked for it. It was the same for Akabane-kun as well, hence the name he made for himself in that place.'

The whole lobby was silent. Everyone shared the same thought in mind. Even those who don't like Koenji very much too wondered why he is like that.

Koenji: "I suppose I don't mind answering your question Ayanokoji-boy, however I cannot give you the full details. Maybe I'll tell you at a later time, or you figure the rest of it out on your own. I will give you some information. Consider it a reward from me for making it this far."

Before he can continue, a voice spoke out to them from behind.

"Oh? This exchange seems interesting. Mind if I join in? I too am curious."

Sudo: "Wait, where did he came from?"

Hirata: "Seeing as how they're at a spring, he must've been thirsty like them."

Ayanokoji: "Karma. You thirsty too?"

Karma: "Ahahaha. Yeah, and just as luck would have it, I happened to come at the perfect time, at the perfect moment. Do you mind, Koenji-kun?"

Koenji tilts his head up, and laughs, clearly amused.

Koenji: "HA HA HA HA! Not at all Akabane-boy. Consider it a reward as well for keeping up with me."

Karma: "Thank you. I'll just drink my water. Please, continue."

Koenji: "Very well. It is true I have worked towards perfection. Ever since at a young age, I was given the highest quality education, and the highest quality training. I was taught various things, that were advanced for my age. Various subjects, martial arts, and other skills. Even at a young age, I have defeated many opponents, many of whom were older, and double my size, yet I stood above them through and through."

Many scoffed to this.

Miyamoto: "I can't believe this."

Hirata: "As unbelievable as it is, there is some credibility to his words."

Ike: "What do you mean, Hirata?"

Hirata: "I mean that, even though he doesn't often show it, he does boast amazing feats. I mean, in terms of academics alone, he's top of the class, alongside Yukimura-kun, and Akabane-kun. As for his physical abilities, one example of his excellence in that regard would be his swimming time during PE. He keeps getting 1st place, has a very short swim time, and he even has a great physique. Even in this exam, he doesn't look like he's even the least bit tired, just like the other two with him."

Hashimoto: "Well I guess you have a point, Hirata. Heck, back in the mixed training camp, he even ran so fast, our group ended up getting 2nd place during the relay race."

Yukimura: "Yeah, I remember that too."

Sakayanagi: 'Interesting. When you think about it, it would makes sense for him to receive all that training if he was to ever succeed the Koenji conglomerate. However, I'm certain there's more to it than that.'

Ayanokoji: "Is that so? Well I guess that makes sense, but how would you define being perfect exactly?"

Horikita: 'My, and everyone's thoughts exactly.'

Koenji smirks, and sits on top of a rock. Karma has just finished quenching his thirst, and decides to sit on close by.

Matsushita: "Hold on. Is this really the right moment for them to be talking so out in the open?"

Karuizawa: "Yeah. Like, what if they get spotted?"

Horikita: "I don't think that's a problem they need to be worried about."

Sato: "Really Horikita-san?"

Horikita: "If they're so comfortable talking out in the open, they've probably got their guard up, and are prepared for a counterattack."

Horikita's words were able to keep everyone from asking any more questions.

Koenji: "I define perfect as someone who stands above others. The supreme being no one could oppose."

Karma: "Mind if I ask a question?"

Koenji: "Go ahead."

Karma: "I can get you wanting to stand above others, but what drives you to do so? Surely you must have some sort of motivation. Maybe an end goal, thrill, an idol that inspires you? What is it Koenji-kun?"

Everyone listens intently, waiting for Koenji's response, yet he was taking a while to answer. his arms, and legs crossed as he sat on the rock, in deep thought.

Ayanokoji: "You're taking a while, Koenji."

Koenji: "Hmm? I'm just thinking of the right words to say."

Ayanokoji: 'Right words to say? What is he getting at? Does this mean that there's some things he wouldn't want others to hear? He did say he can't give me the full details. I see. It would be a different story if he said he won't give me the full details, but since he said that he can't I'm guessing this was meant for my ears only. He'll probably just say enough to have me piece everything together. Later.'

Karma: 'Interesting. I wonder where this will go. Considering his family's influence, I can probably make a guess as to what his point is, though I'll wait for him to finish in order to confirm my theory. We should be good. There's no one nearby. Even if there are, they won't be a problem.'

Koenji: "Very well. I'll say this. I do indeed have some sort of motivation. As for an idol, I wouldn't necessarily call them that per se. Hmm. There's this place. A world void of color."

Ayanokoji: 'I see. Given the influence of Sakayanagi's family, and her knowledge of that place, I shouldn't be surprised if someone, whose family has the level of influence as Koenji's does, knows of that place as well.'

Karma: 'It seems I was correct. I've always had my suspicions with influential families, like his and Sakayanagi-san's.'

Sakayanagi: 'Fufufu. I get the feeling he's only telling them this, because he'd been looking forward to gauge their capabilities.'

Horikita: 'World void of color? What does that mean? I can hear various murmurs going on behind me. Everyone was probably thinking the same thing.'

Koenji: "The place's location is obscure, and only a select few have heard of it. It's a place where monsters were cultivated. Children with unparalleled abilities, unrivaled by anyone anywhere else."

Hoshinomiya-sensei: "What? Like... some sort of special school?"

The teachers were normally quiet, doing their best to remain as observers, yet their interests too have been piqued by Koenji's words.

Mashima: "A school that produces monsters is what he's probably getting at. Still, I can't quite imagine something like that."

Ichinose: "I'm more so curious as to what he meant by 'monsters'. Does he mean in nature, or abilities."

Kanzaki: "Guess we'll have to see."

Listening in to their conversation, Sakayanagi silently chuckles at their ignorance. Little did they know, that the person, or persons that Koenji has been talking about, are the very people he's speaking to right now.

Ayanokoji: "You're meaning to say that this place produces monsters?"

Koenji: "Correct."

Karma: "From the way you described it, it's probably safe to assume that the place you're talking about is no conventional school."

Koenji's smile grew to Karma's statement.

Koenji: "Correct again."

With a smile that gives an all knowing look, Karma then asks a risky, and dangerous question.

Karma: "Whether this is real or not, it's almost like the place in question is some sort secret facility. Am I wrong?"

Ayanokoji stared at Koenji, waiting for an answer, but he didn't respond. He simply closed his eyes, then looked at them again with a smile as an answer to Karma's question. This was all they needed. Although the drone was close enough to the them that it was able to pick up their conversation, Koenji's head was tilted low enough that it couldn't pick up the facial expression he made, but it was up just enough for Ayanokoji, and Karma to get the memo.

Ayanokoji: 'Guess I shouldn't be surprised. His parents must have be acquaintances with that man , and at a young age, he visited the White Room, and saw me. From the look he gave Karma, he probably saw him back then as well. No wonder he payed attention to us all this time, though I don't know whether to feel honored or not about him basically idolizing us.'

Karma: 'Teehee. That look pretty much confirms it. If he's visited that place before, it's safe to say that he saw us. His motivation is probably to best us in every way, proving that he is "perfect" in his own way. Perfection is a lie though. That was probably one of the biggest lessons taught to me. One could achieve greatness, but to be perfect, one must be void of any and all flaws.

Kiyotaka may be the White Room's Masterpiece, but even he has his own flaws. Only few, myself included, are probably aware of his flaws. Whether he realizes this or not is up for debate. '

Sakayanagi: 'Fufufu. So I was right afterall. Ahh.. Akabane-kun's words bring back memories. I still remember touring the facility with my father that day. It was what gotten me in to chess, hoping I would be able to defeat them one day, and it seems Koenji-kun came to a similar resolve.'

Horikita: 'Akabane-kun's words seemed absurd. A facility that cultivates monsters? It seemed like it was something out of a work of fiction, yet Koenji-kun isn't denying it. Whether that place is real or not seemed to not matter to Koenji-kun. It was still his drive to "perfection".'

Koenji: "That's enough for now. I'll let you decide whether you believe it or not."

With that, he got up from the rock and stood up, but he didn't walk away.

Karma: "You're right. Maybe we can discuss this some other time. It seems we've got company."

Karma eyes the woods around them, and both Ayanokoji, and Koenji do the same. Their cover busted, the hidden Class B students all come out of their hiding places.

Ichinose: "Uh oh."

Katsuragi: "Seems like they're in trouble."

Sakayanagi: "Seems that Dragon-boy-san took this opportunity to do a meet up. Fufufu."

Part 2

(Ayanokoji POV)

5, 10, 12, 15, 20.

It's every class B student remaining, and they've all got us surrounded. They probably saw us talking, and decided to have everyone gather for an all-out last attack, instead of just charging in, most likely under Ryuen's orders. Speaking of which, the man of the hour finally decided to step forward.

"Kukukuku. You three have made quite the show. I really gotta hand it to ya. To think you alone were able to dwindle our numbers this much."

"Eheheheh. Well what can I say, Dragon-boy? I did tell you before we started that we won't make things easy."

Ryuen irked at Karma's insult, but quickly cooled himself off, meanwhile Koenji was laughing at Karma's words. Ryuen knew better than to let anger get the better of him here, so he pulled himself together.

"You sure got a knack for irritating people."

"Believe me, he does." I added.

"Aw, thank you. I've been practicing."

I sighed at Karma's acceptance. He knows what he's doing, and he enjoys doing it.

"Listen, you three may have proven to be tough nuts to crack, but you're up against all twenty of us. You're outnumbered. All we have to do is land a hit on you once, and you're out."

It's true. not only are we outnumbered, but we're also surrounded. Though a lot of them were low on ammo, there are still a couple that have a lot of ammunition to spare. On top of that, many of the people remaining are all of Class B's top fighters, and athletes. The situation looked dire for us. I can see Ishizaki, Albert, and Ibuki looking like they're ready to come charging at us.

I'm pretty sure Ishizaki wouldn't necessarily want a rematch, but I was as hell sure Ibuki and Albert would. Ibuki probably also wanted to get back at me for what happened the day after the rooftop incident, and Albert probably wanted to have a rematch with me and Karma; me for the rooftop incident, and Karma for what happened during training.

Their top fighters and athletes readied their knives and katanas, meanwhile the less athletic ones took aim with their guns.

"So what will it be, you three? You want to just surrender right now to avoid dragging this out any longer, or do you want to do this? I've been meaning to get back at you for what you did that day, Akabane."

As Ryuen said that, he also eyes me for a few seconds, as if saying 'Oh and not to mention you. I'll crush you both right here and now', before shifting his gaze to the others.

Before anyone could do or say anything, Koenji started laughing maniacally.

"HA HA HA HA HA HA! You seemed to have misunderstood something Dragon-boy."

"Oh? And what's that Koenji?"

Koenji readies his stance, knife in right hand, and air gun on his left.

"I have no intention of losing here. I, the perfect existence, shall squash all of you vermin."

Ryuen laughs, but not in a mocking manner. He knew who he was up against, and that we have no intention of making this easy for him. He too readies his stance, a knife on each hand.

"Kukukuku. I've been itching for this all day. I have to admit, although I have never once underestimated you, you still exceeded my expectations."

"Oh? I never thought you had such a low opinion on me Dragon-boy. Perhaps I'll show you the clear difference between an insect and a perfect being."

While I started to cringe at his words, I also started to feel a rush of excitement. I instinctively grabbed the hilt of my katana with my right hand, and readied my stance. Karma proceeded to do the same, and readied his stance.

(A/N: Kinda like this )

(A/N: Pretty much like this, but he's still wearing the full camo uniform, and is holding two knives. )

"

I take it that three want to do this then?"

Ryuen's other classmates begin to ready themselves, their guns aimed at us, and their other weapons ready on hand.

"You may have us outnumbered, but" Karma's grin widened "we have you outmatched!" With that, Karma begins charging forth with his knives at inhuman speed.

Koenji and I broke away from where we stood, and dashed forth at the other students as well. Ryuen's classmates started shooting at us with their air guns, but we dodged each airborne bb with ease. Unlike in the White Room, where we had to train with real guns, this was nothing. No matter how many were shot at us, none could land a hit.

I prolonged this scenario until they all ran out of bbs, and they had to refill, but before they could I started to dash at them. Seeing how fast I came running, they stopped trying to refill, and ended up dropping their guns trying to get away. To protect the none combatants, three of them came charging at me with their blades, but I overwhelmed them with ease.

"Class B now has 17 people remaining."

As I tried advancing forward, I was met by Ishizaki and Ibuki, who teamed up on me with their knives. I was able to block them, and backed away for a bit, not wanting to get inked. Unlike the others, these two are good at hand-to-hand combat, so I can't afford to be risky.

Ishizaki signaled for his other classmates to go help deal with Koenji and Karma, and now the three of us stood in place as their other classmates went. I looked over to Karma's location, and he was taking his sweet time dodging each shot fired at him, as well as avoided being hit by Ryuen and Albert.

I then looked over the others headed for Koenji's location. He's handling things on his end with ease. Many of the opposing class fired their air guns at the same time, but each shot of theirs was dodged or deflected. They were slowly running out of ammunition, until they started to back away. Others came charging at Koenji with their blades, but were met by his.

Pretty much everyone ran out of ammunition, and it was now a battle of blades.

"Ayanokoji-san." Ishizaki called out to me.

"I didn't know you were so awesome with a sword!" Ishizaki perked up saying that, almost like he were praising me or something.

"It's not particularly a skill I'm too fond of." I replied.

"Really? I totally think you should show it off more."

"Well it's not like the opportunity often presents itself."

We were making small talk while Karma and Koenji had their dealing from behind me. I didn't particularly mind, but I have to watch out for one thing to make sure things go exactly how we want them to.

"Hey, Ayanokoji-san. You actually managed to avoid elimination until the very end. I expected nothing less from you!" He was beaming while complimenting my performance. I can see Ibuki scowling, obviously detested by his words.

"It's really nothing special."

"Seriously? You and that Akabane-san guy held out for so long until now, even with so many of us coming at you. That's not something you know."

I suppose managing to avoid elimination while being hunted down by an entire class was no easy feat to accomplish afterall. Not to mention the massive disadvantage we had from the very beginning.

"I mean, you guys managed to protect both Ibuki and Albert as well. That's actually something worth praising too. If I had to guess, you took advantage of the camouflage function of the suit, and had them hide somewhere in a far off area."

Ibuki clicked her tongue, not liking I figured out Ryuen's strategy.

"Yeah, we did. Ryuen-san made sure to-"

I cut him off, not wanting to waste any more second as the others were already in the middle of their matches.

"Ishizaki, if you're gonna tell me, do it later. Let's settle things here first."

I readied my stance, and so did they.

"Ahahaha. I guess you're right." He turned to Ibuki, and asked her a question.

"You ready Ibuki?"

"Tch. Whatever. At least I can finally get back at you from what happened at the mall."

She's probably referring to when I beat her up in a closed store, and we both ended up getting stuck. She also probably did not like that I called her by her first name that time, and wants to kill me for that. Ishizaki looked confused, but didn't probe further as Ibuki came charging at me full speed.

She swung both knives, each one I kept blocking with my katana. Ishizaki then came to assist to Ibuki, and he to repeatedly struck me with his blades. While I may have beaten them both in the past, this kind of fight was different. One wrong move and I might just get inked.

Ishizaki may have Ibuki beat when it comes to raw physical strength, but Ibuki was far more agile. Both of those combined, as well as their experience in fighting was already giving me a tougher time to deal with than the others.

Their attacks did not lack ferocity. They knew how strong I was, at least to certain extent, and they were seriously not pulling any punches in this one. Attack after attacks was met by my own; blocked, and/or dodged everytime. I didn't want to leave any openings for them to exploit, and neither were they.

As we clashed blades, Ibuki did something I certainly did not expect. As she flipped over, a blade extended from the tip of one of her shoes, and directed it on top of my head. I dodged it just barely, and stepped back as she came after me. Of course the blade was non lethal, but in this match, it might as well be.

"Seems you've got more tricks up your sleeve Ibuki."

She smiled at me smugly, amused that she was able to surprise me. She then did the same with her other shoe, this time directing her kick towards my chest. I blocked that one as well, and she continued her barrages of kicks at me.

She was moving more swiftly, with more precision. This was the fighting style she was more comfortable with, and it just made her even more dangerous. Ishizaki too kept swinging his knives at me, while I continued to block and dodge each attack.

I looked over to Karma's and later Koenji's fight, and they were just about done. Seeing as how they were just about wrapped up, I too finished my fight with my next attacks. As they came charging at me, I swung my katana at them with full force, knocking both of Ishizaki's knives right off his hands, and making Ibuki losing her balance.

Then I swung at them both, slashing Ishizaki by the chest, and Ibuki by the neck, inking them both. They were now out.

"Class B now has 15 people remaining."

Both of them fell to the ground with their butts in order to catch their breath, exhausted from our confrontation.

"Damn. I knew we couldn't win against you, but damn." Says Ishizaki.

"No. You two gave me quite the harder time than anyone else here. I was especially surprised by Ibuki's modification to her footwear. I did not see that coming."

"Tch!" She scowled.

"Well whatever. At least I was able to surprise you with that little trick I pulled off."

"Yeah, you almost got me, but not quite."

As I said that, Ishizaki chuckled, while Ibuki looked at me with fury in her eyes.

"TCH! I'll get you some day, but since I'm not allowed to just challenge, I suppose I'll wait for another exam like this one."

"You're welcome to try."

I turned around and walked away from them.

"Class B now has 8 people remaining."

I observed Koenji's fight, and he was just about to wrap things up. There was only one person remaining, and they tried to run away from them. Koenji tried shooting them with his gun, but he ran out of ammo, and instead chased after them.

"Class B now has 2 people remaining."

Seems Karma was just about done as well. Looks like he saved Ryuen for last. Seeing as how I won't let this opportunity slide, I adjusted my breathing and dashed full speed at the other Class B student, outpacing Koenji. As I closed the distance, they tried to strike me first, but were too slow, and I slashed them by the neck.

"Class B now has 1 person remaining."

Koenji turned to me, looking at me like I had just stolen something precious from him.

"Ayanokoji-boy, is this the kind of player you're like?"

"I don't know what you're talking about Koenji. I'm just lending a hand."

Part 3

(Karma POV)

Ryuen faced me with 6 other of his classmates, one of them being Albert Yamada, and the other being Komiya Kyogo. Both were highly athletic, and very strong, while the others, minus Ryuen, weren't that much of a problem. He probably set this up, as he wants to take me on himself, while Ibuki-san, and Ishizaki-kun handled Kiyo.

It was seven to one. While they had the advantage in numbers, I wasn't at all worried.

"Kukuku, you have us outmatched huh? While I'd hate to agree with you, it's not like you can't back up your words!"

Ryuen charged at me, followed by Komiya-kun, and Albert. I dodged each attack of theirs, while also continuing to evade the bbs fired at me by his other classmates. It wasn't going to be that simple landing a hit on Ryuen and the others, so I'll have to bide my time.

Ryuen, Komiya-kun, and Albert continued to swing their knives at me, each time I blocked them using my own knife Dealing with my three assailants was one thing, but having to be careful to not get shot at was something else entirely.

I could probably eliminate these three right here and now, but where's the fun in that? In a fight, one has to savor the moment. As the three of them readied themselves to launch even more attacks, I switched targets and made B line for their marksmen.

The shooters fired their bbs at me, each one I dodged, blocked, and/or deflected. Two of them were near each other, and probably did not felt the need to move from their spots, confident that one of their shots would take me out.

How wrong they were.

As I closed the distance, they now realized the depravity of their situation, but before they could react, I unleashed all my bloodlust at them and they were overcome by fear. This got them running, and they ran towards the direction of another shooter.

Just what I wanted.

As they closed in on the shooter, he started firing in a frenzy. Each one of his shots, I dodged without a problem, and I too gave him a feel of my bloodlust. His shooting hastened, but they were to no avail. I called out to them with a low "hey", and they turned around and looked at me. I looked at them straight in the eyes with all my killing intent, and all I saw from them was fear; fear of being killed.

With one swift motion, I slashed them by the throats with both my knives, effectively eliminating them from the match.

I turned back to face them, and they were staggering as they felt around their necks hoping to stop any sort of bleeding from me "cutting" them by the throat. Of course as these blades were plastic, there was no cut made, but just seeing their necks cover in red paint from my blade was enough to get them thinking that they were going to die. Watching them panic in fear of their own deaths due to my actions was pretty funny. This was such a nifty skill to have.

I need to thank Nagisa for helping me master this, as well as Tanaka and Tadaka for being my guinea pigs.

I started laughing hysterically, but the three of them were too pre-occupied to notice. I noticed the last shooter. He was mortified at what I did, and tried to shoot me as well. Before he could though, I looked at him with all my killing intent, and threw my knife right at him. The tip of the blade landed on his forehead, and for a second, he probably thought it pierced right through his skull. It didn't help that there was red paint dripping from his forehead.

I started laughing to this as well, and pointed my finger at his foot. He looked down, and saw that the knife was right by his feet. He picked it up, trembling while doing so. After inspecting if it were an actual knife or not, he sighed in relief, knowing he wasn't gonna die.

All four shooter walked away, still trembling from what just happened, and I bid them a farewell. They shivered from hearing my voice, but kept on going. I kept laughing, but decided to pull myself together, as I was now facing their combatants.

My eyes met theirs, and both Komiya-kun, and Albert look afraid. I can tell Ryuen was contemplating a bit, but pulled himself together, remembering that the blades were just rubber and plastic. No actual cuts were made.

"You're really enjoying this, huh?" Says Ryuen.

"Teehee. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't."

"Kukuku. You're quite the comedian. Scaring my classmates before taking them out."

"I'd like to think of it as savoring the moment before going in for the kill."

"Going in for the kill, huh? you know, if I didn't know any better, I would've thought that you were an actual killer."

I laughed. Well he wasn't particularly off the mark.

"I guess I can't blame you for thinking that. So, what will you do now?"

The three of them stared at me as I said what I said. They then looked on over to the battle going on with Koenji-kun, and Kiyo. Seeing as how they can't let us do as we please, they strengthened their resolve and readied their stance. I grinned at this.

"Now that's more like it!"

With that, I dashed forward to them, and they too came at me full speed. They simultaneously swing their knives at me, but I dodged them each time. Ryuen tried launching a kick at my abdomen, by blocked, and deflected it. Albert and Komiya-kun came at me from both my left, and right side, their knives aimed at my head.

I ducked in time. Ryuen thrusts his knife forward, but I grabbed Komiya-kun's arm, and pulled him front of me, taking the blow from Ryuen's attack. Although the knives were rubber, Ryuen still thrusted it forward, not lacking ferocity. The impact was great enough that Komiya-kun winced in pain as it made contact at him stomach. Once that was over, I slashed Komiya-kun's back with my knife, eliminating him from the match.

It was now between myself, Ryuen, and Albert. Both of them get in to fighting position, as did I. Ryuen was the first to charge in; Albert followed him. Ryuen swung his knife to my face, I dodged them each time. Albert grabbed my arms with both of his hands, restraining me from making any movements. Of course, I wouldn't actually let him do this if it were an actual threat.

Taking advantage of my predicament, Ryuen dashed toward me, thrusting his knife to my chest. Not wanting to get inked, let alone stabbed. I spun myself and Albert around, letting him take the blow instead. I swiftly wriggled myself out of Albert's grasp, and kicked both his knees. As he writhed on the ground in agony, I jumped at him with my knife. Ryuen was able to pull him away just in time, and my attack missed.

However, I wasn't about to give them any breathing room. I immediately charged at them, and tackled them both to the ground. This caused them both to drop their knives. Not wanting to give them any opportunities, I kicked away both their knives.

As Albert was getting up, I tackled him again, grabbed his shoulder, and kneed him on the stomach. I released him from my grip, and he staggered backwards in pain. I approached him slowly, as Ryuen charged at me from my left, and punched me in the face.

He expected me to dodge that, but I didn't. The punch did hurt, but it wasn't enough to make me flinch. I looked at him with a smile, and he looked surprised. he then started throwing punches at me, each one I dodged with ease.

"Where the hell did you get this much strength? This isn't normal!"

True. Although I've been MIA from the White Room for a good while, all the fights I keep getting in to, my assassination training from my time in Class E, as well as all my training with Karasuma-sensei after graduating actually helped me maintain my physique. It wasn't enough to compete with someone like Kiyo, but it at least was enough to make sure my strength didn't deteriorate too much. Compared to a normal high schooler though, my strength definitely isn't normal.

"Hehe. If you want to find out, you'll have to beat me first!"

I then grabbed his arm, pulled him, swung him around, and released him towards Albert. They were both knocked over, and I took my sweet time getting to them. As I closed the distance, they both got up, and charged at me, I hurried my pace, and charged at them as well. They both launched a punch at me full force, but I didn't want to take that kind of force, so dodged it.

Albert, still in pain from my earlier onslaught of attacks, tried to distract me while Ryuen gathered their knives. While I wasn't bothered by this, I needed to wrap this up asap. I can see that Kiyo is just about done, and so is Koenji-kun. I'd rather not have either of them steal my kills.

Albert came at me with a punch, but I ducked, and launched a kick right at his stomach. This knocked him back. He was definitely still feeling my attack from earlier, so the pain he felt was even more than that. He fell on his knees, and I calmly walked over to him with a smile, and knife in hand. The closer I got, the more of my bloodlust I let him feel. He looked at me, and he was shivering and sweating in fear.

I extended my knife and slashed his neck, as I continued to pass him. I could hear him quivering, probably thinking I actually sliced his neck or something. Seriously, people need to remember these are made of rubber. I really do need to thank Nagisa for this skill. It's so much fun scaring people like this. I'll have Ritsu send him a message later.

It was now down to me and Ryuen. The whole time, he saw what I did to Albert, but did nothing to prevent it. I guess he knows there's no use helping him, given his predicament.

"So, you still want to do this?" I asked him, checking to see if he was gonna chicken out or not.

"Kuku. And what? Just give you the victory like that? Don't make me laugh."

"Didn't you just did?"

"Tch! Even if I don't win here, I'm still gonna wipe that smug look off your face. You make my blood boil in a different way than that monster."

His eyes wander over to Kiyo, letting me know what he meant.

"Before we do this, I'll just one thing."

"Go ahead."

He took a peak at the drone for a bit. It was far enough that it won't pick up any of our voices, but still allowed for the spectators to have a clear view of the fight. Seeing as how there was no risk of revealing Kiyo as the class's true mastermind, asked away.

"Who's stronger between you two?"

I closed my eyes, and thought for a moment. Thinking of what to say next. I opened my eyes and widened my grin.

"Who do you think it is?"

He recoiled to this, but decided not to complain.

"I've experienced first hand having my ass handed to me by you two. Both of you are strong. No. Strong is probably an understatement. Still, your strength levels are ridiculous. It's difficult to say which among you two is stronger."

I guess that was understandable.

"Hm... Let's just say, my confidence in beating others is undying, except when it comes to him."

This could be interpreted in many ways, but I phrased it in a way that would hint him enough to his answer. If this were four years ago, we'd be at equal footing. However, even with all the training I received recently, as well as all the fights I get in to, none of it was enough to match him.

That's not to say he's invincible though. Everyone has a weakness. It's just that some people have weaknesses that are a lot harder to exploit than others. I could probably still hold my own against him, but I would have to be VERY careful, and not waste all that I have at my disposal.

Ryuen's eyes, and grin widened at my response.

"Kukuku. Is that so? How very interesting. Even with all your big talk, you really do know when to know your place."

I believe people call this humility? I blame that Octopus. I can hear him laughing in my head.

'Nurufufufufufufufu'

Damn him. Kayano's sister better be giving him a good lecture on the other side.

"Well I know his strength, and I know mine. Anyway, that's enough talk. Shall we?"

He didn't say anything more. He just readied his stance, and in seconds we charged at each other.

We exchanged blows, clashed blades, but his stamina and strength were wavering. He sustained strenuous injuries, and his stamina is spent. Still, his fighting spirit never wavered, and he continued to attack me relentlessly. Seeing as how Kiyo had just finished off Ishizaki-kun, and Ibuki-san, I no longer wanted to prolong this fight any further.

With his final swing from his knife, he aimed it at my head, but I grabbed his arm, twisted it, and flipped him over on his back to the ground. I held my knife in my hand, spun it around, and held it above him. Once again, I released all of my killing intent, and his eyes widened.

"Sorry Ryuen, but if you are to defeat me, train for a million years."

I plunged it down on to his chest. He actually gasped from that.

So that's your face when you experience fear, huh?

Part 4

(Ayanokoji POV)

I didn't know what Koenji meant when he said that. I remember Ike calling the Professor a kill stealer, because he keeps stealing his kills in their games. Is that what he mean? Before we could say anything else though, Agent Karasuma made an announcement.

"All of Class B have been eliminated! Class D has three people remaining, therefore the winning of this match is Class D!"

Karma walked over to us, looking satisfied with himself. Class D won, and we three were the only ones remaining. I was right, he did leave Ryuen for last.

We made our way back to the main building, where we were met by our classmates, and students from other classmates. Each one of our classmates congratulated us for our victory. Horikita came forward, and looked at all three of us.

"You three really outdid yourselves." She smiled for a bit, then returned to having a straight face.

"Is this your way of praising us?" I asked.

"Take it as you will."

"You know there's nothing wrong with showing genuine appreciation right?" Says Karma.

"Well... whatever." She gave up, not having any form of counters to my arguments. She then turned to Koenji.

"You really have done it, Koenji-kun."

"Ha Ha Ha! How lowly of you to doubt me, Horikita-girl. Now, I believe our deal is in order."

"About that-"

Before she could continue, Agent Karasuma called out to everyone.

"May I have everyone's attention please?"

All the chattering came to a halt, and all of our attention was now on him. I guess this is the part where the victor's are celebrated. Everyone assembled, according to their class, in the main lobby.

"Firstly, I would like to commend both Classes B and D for a job well done in their performance. The exam ended much quicker than we anticipated, but it just goes to show how well they did in this exam. I especially would like to congratulate Class D on a job well done today. You managed to comeback from this, despite starting off with a 10 student disadvantage. That is not an easy feat to accomplish. Your performance not just impressed me, but everyone watching."

Before he continued, he bowed his head.

"I would also like to apologize to Class D for the problem before the exam. At their request, they asked to not investigate, but we will at least take extra precautions, to make sure that this won't happen again, especially to the next classes who will be partaking in this exam tomorrow."

While not all of my classmates were on board with this, they didn't say anything more, as Horikita was able to control their outrage. It also helped that we ended up winning, so they were more willing to let the whole incident go, rather than keep holding on to it.

"Now then. With all that said, I will now announce the winners of this exam."

All of my classmates perked up, while Class B looked on in somber, not liking that they lost, even with all their preparations. A lot of them are also probably traumatized from Karma. Albert especially looked pretty shaken up still. I looked at Karma, and he wasn't paying any mind to it, even though he's very well aware of what he'd done.

"The victor between Classes B and D, is Class D. As such, they will be awarded with 100 class points."

Class D cheered on, while Class B had a dark atmosphere swirling above them.

"With that, I shall announce the individuals who took up the top three spots."

Here it comes. I sighed.

"In third place..." There was a brief pause before he continued. "Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, with a total number of 8 eliminations, one of them being Ibuki, who had a private point value of 1 Million. You will be receiving you prize as soon as this program is over."

My classmates cheered me on. It seems my reputation is improving thanks to these recent events. Seems I can no longer keep my whole recluse persona going forever.

"As for 2nd place, as well as first place, those are yet to be determined."

Murmurs could be heard all throughout. Everyone knew where this was going.

"Akabane Karma, and Koenji Rokusuke both tied for a total number of eliminations, being 12."

I could hear my classmates whispering, 'a tie?', 'what now?'

Horikita turned to them, and asked them to save their questions after program. With that, they all stopped. I looked over to Koenji and Karma, and neither have lost their composure. On the contrary, Koenji had a hint of excitement in his eyes. Karma was grinning, obviously liking how this is going.

"It is stated in the rules that if there were ever a tie in eliminations, both individuals will have a duel for he top spot. Of course, the points they earned will not be negated, but they won't gain anymore points either. This is just to settle who's gonna be in the top spot."

Everyone, students from other classes included, started murmuring amongst themselves. They've seen how Karma and Koenji performed in this exam. To sum up what everyone's saying, they were all looking forward to a duel between the two. I can see that even Ryuen was grinning, probably thinking that Karma and I orchestrated this whole ordeal, and was looking forward to their match.

I looked over to Koenji, and he looked very pleased. By anything, it looked like he was excited to get this duel underway. He was obviously excited by the prospect of dueling Karma. If it had been anyone else, he may have just brushed them off, and get the match done for the sake of just getting it over with. This time though, he was dueling Karma. I looked at Karma, and he was chuckling, obviously liking how everything went the way we planned it.

Agent Karasuma asked both contestants to step outside at the quadrangle. They were both given knives laced with their team color; red. They were asked to stay several feet away from each other. To ensure that no one interferes, we were all asked to stay inside the lobby. While we couldn't watch them in person, the drone was still broadcasting them on the big screen.

Everyone was making their bets on who would win. As for me, I only have one premonition. Still, this should be an interesting match.

A demon of the fourth versus 'the perfect existence'.

Who will win? Guess we'll see if my prediction's correct. Regardless of what the outcome would be, I can't help but feel excited.

Phew. I actually managed to release two chapters in one week this time. Dunno if I could keep that consistent though. Anyway, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. I tried to structure it well as best as I could, and hopefully it came out alright. I even threw in a couple of references to make things more interesting. Hope you understood some of them.

I also started a new fic called: "Horimiya Collections", which would be a collection of stories from Horimiya; ranging from 'what ifs', 'to incorrect quotes', and even short storied I'd like to see happen.

Some time this week, I'll be releasing the first story chapter, which is a what if scenario where Miyamura's secret side was discovered by his other classmates. I've already started working on it, and am about halfway done.

I'm also thinking about postponing a lot of my previous ideas that I shared last chapter, and instead want to work on a Bungo Stray Dogs reaction fic, where the Armed Detective Agency will be reacting to the light novels. Well... at least the ones I could access anyway.

Now, speaking of Bungo Stray Dogs, since Bones is working on a season 4, where tf is Noragami season 3? Please let it happen. Also, pog Konosuba seaon 3 is happening.

Anyway, enough with that. Back to this story. This was actually my end game for this arc, and now I'm excited that it's finally gonna happen. While I'm excited that this arc is reaching it's climax, it also means that the first, I guess "volume?" of this fic is almost complete.

I do still plan to work on this moving forward, but I'll need some time to think about the 2nd Island Exam arc. I also need to reread both year 2 volumes 3 and 4 just to get a better understanding of the rules. I'm actually not a big fan of reading the rules for special exams, which is probably gonna land me a failing score and grade in real life, because I'm more there for the action, and dialog.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Thank you again for picking this up I did not expect this story to get a lot of traction when I first made it, so all of your feedbacks mean a lot to me. Anyway, see you next chapter, and please give my Horimiya work a read. A new chapter of that will be coming out later this week, so look forward to that.

See ya!

Vol. 3, Chapter 3 - What Lies in Perfection

Koenji Rokusuke's Soliloquy - Perfection Through Demons

I remembered that day clearly. It all happened when I was 7 years old.

I was on a private chopper with my father, the current head of the Koenji Conglomerate. We were headed for a site shrouded in secrecy. My father brought me along to learn the ropes of his line of work early on in to my childhood, hoping I would succeed him in the future.

We were on our way to meet someone he calls "Sensei". While I could not care about meeting people, I am interested in this place he mentioned.

Apparently it was an elite training facility that educates children with the highest quality education, as well as having them hone their physical capabilities to an exceedingly superhuman degree.

Ever since I was old enough to go to school, my family has always guaranteed to enroll me with high quality education. At first I never took them seriously. If I was going to succeed the Koenji Conglomerate in the future, then I have no need for such superfluous trivialities.

I did maintain my grades to about a satisfactory degree, but nothing going above and beyond what I deem necessary. Expending any more effort would just be a waste of my time.

We were approaching the facility, which was located deep within the mountains. A landing pad with several guards were waiting for us. Once the chopper landed, we step outside, and were greeted by one of the facilitators of the place.

"Good day, Mr. Koenji."

"Good day as well. I reckon Sensei is inside?"

"Yes. Ayanokoji-sensei has asked me to escort you to him, but before that, I ask that you understood the terms of your agreement with him."

"Yes. Disclosure of this place is strictly prohibited. I shall keep my word, and so will my son."

I really had no intention of talking about this place to anyone, though I am intrigued by its inner workings. After giving a quick nod as a yes, to not disclose any information about this place, the facilitator guided us inside.

Once we were in, the first thing I noticed was that the walls were all white. What a strange place. My father then asked me a question.

"Are you uncomfortable Rokusuke?"

"No, not at all father. Just intrigued by this place."

"I see. Well I brought you here with me so that you could learn some of my dealings. This place is actually supported by our company. It aims to produce exceptional students, using only the highest quality education, as well as top of the notch curriculum."

"You did say that to me before father, but I haven't seen much as of yet. Perhaps I'll reserve my judgement once I see results."

"Certainly. I too wish to see just what Sensei has in store for us."

"Oh? Would you now?"

A man's voice called out to my father from a distance. The facilitator bowed his head to us, and makes his exit. The man approaches us, and stops just a few feet away.

"It's good to see you again, Ayanokoji-sensei."

"Likewise, Mr. Koenji."

The man known as Ayanokoji-sensei eyes mine for a bit. His eyes wield an intimidating aura, but I let it not shake me. He returns his gaze to my father.

"So, I take it that this is your son?"

"Yes. His name is Rokusuke. I brought him along to learn the ropes. In time, I would need a successor to pass on my current assets. I thought I'd get him acquainted with you early on so that he too will be able to support you. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, of course not. As the White Room's number one investor, I have you to thank for its continued existence."

Ayanokoji-sensei's words seem to be out of gratitude at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they seem empty. He's probably just doing this to keep a front in front of my father, his number one supporter.

"Now then, I'll show you around."

We walked down the halls, accompanied by sensei and a couple of his body guards. From what I could tell, they're very well trained.

The halls were all white, with some large glass that allowed us the look in to the rooms. The children and facilitators inside didn't pay us any mind. They either don't want to direct their attention to us, or the glass was like a one way mirror.

The children on the other side seem to be struggling to complete their tasks, though a few happen to be doing better than others.

We arrived outside a sparring room. From where I stood peeking through, I could see two boys about my age. One had red hair, and sporting a grin, while the other had brown hair, with a glum look. The smile the other one had was probably forced though.

It was the two of them against opponents much larger in size and build than them, yet they are holding their own. Actually 'holding their own' may just be an understatement. From what O could see, those two are actually giving them a hard time.

"Sensei, those two boys seem to be displaying quite the feat of strength." My father was impressed to say the least.

"Ah, yes. Those two are the fourth generation's best. Currently, they stand atop everyone else. Academics, athletics, martial arts, strategic ingenuity, no one comes close. Only the other can match each other's strengths."

Interesting. So they are unmatched.

"I see. By the way sensei, that boy over there seems familiar."

"Yes. He is my son."

His son? So he willingly let his son become part of this place? From what I've heard, the conditions here are much harsher than anywhere else.

"Your own son, huh? How poetic that one of the best would happen to be the child of this place's very own creator."

"Is there something wrong with that?" Sensei spoke, sternly.

"On the contrary, I'd say it's fitting. Consider it something like a legacy of sorts."

"Legacy, huh? I suppose you have a point. Having my own son lead a nation would definitely be fitting."

Leading a nation? Is he cultivating his abilities to rule over others then? Father said that Sensei holds a lot of power and influence. If he were to let his son lead the nation, then that would only expand said clout.

"For a ruler to possess such abilities would mean that no one would dare oppose them. Is that correct, sensei?"

"Yes. Yes indeed."

"Then you must be proud of his achievements?"

"Proud? He wastes his time making small talk with that other boy. If he were dedicate more of his time studying and training, and stop making small talk, then perhaps his progress would be faster. Same goes for the other one."

It seems Ayanokoji-sensei doesn't see his son as his own son. There was no hint of love he has for him. He only saw him as a test subject, it seems.

I could see that my father was shaken up a bit. Seems that he's realized that he ought to be more careful in what he says. He cleared his throat, and attempted to break the tension by asking a question.

"About your kid and that other boy, I never got their names. Do you mind if I ask you what their names are, sensei?"

"No, I don't mind. My son's name is Kiyotaka. The other one is Hiruko Karma."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, and Hiruko Karma, huh? Interesting.

We continued to watch the match in front of us, with them defeating their opponents. Their foes don't seem weak either. For them to be able to take them out would mean they have gone through strenuous training.

In the middle of our show, one of the facilitators called out to Ayanokoji-sensei. He told us that he had to take care of something for a bit, and left. Watching those two gave me an idea. I turned to father.

"Father?"

"Yes, Rokusuke?"

"I have a favor."

Part 1

(Ayanokoji POV)

After a grueling battle between classes, it all finally came down to this. Karma vs Koenji. Although I can't deny how strong Koenji is, Karma is still a former White Room student. Even after he left the White Room, he gets into a lot of fights, and even received assassination training. Needless to say, Karma won't be easy to beat.

I can hear my classmates chatting in anticipation. They were excited to see who would come out on top. On the screen, Karma and Koenji were getting themselves ready. The instructors give them a gun, and a knife each.

"Hey, Ayanokoji." Sudo calls out to me.

"What is it, Sudo?"

"Who do you think is gonna win?"

My other classmates were looking at me in anticipation, waiting for a response, since I fought alongside those guys. I knew the answer, but I didn't want to give it to them. Instead, I just gave them my " honest" evaluation of the two.

"It's hard to say for certain. Both are pretty good. If I had to say, Koenji values efficiency. He doesn't waste time, and gets the job done as soon as possible. On the other hand, Karma values the process of a fight. The blows, exchange, he wants to experience them all. If they stick to their principles, Koenji may try to find a way to effectively defeat Karma without wasting a single moment. Meanwhile Karma may try to draw out the fight to experience the thrill of it. It all really comes down to whose will to fight is stronger."

Once I was done explaining things, I turned to my classmates, and they all looked at me in disbelief. Did I say something wrong?

"What?" I asked them.

"Nothing, it's just..." Sudo paused, not knowing what to say.

Akito then chimed in. "It's just... we weren't expecting you to give such a detailed analysis. Only few people here know you're good at fighting. However, even the ones who knew you were good at fighting before this exam still find it out of character of you to be so knowledgeable."

I can see everyone else nodding, even Horikita and Sudo, who witnessed first hand me dealing with Hosen. I guess that was understandable. To everyone, I never came off as the type of person who enjoys fights.

"Is there really anything wrong with that? You all already know that Karma and I used to train and spar when we were younger anyway."

"Well yeah, but it's still surprising. Heck, we were even surprised on how well you did in the exam. You really gave Class B a run for their money." said Matsushita.

Fair point.

"I just used my speed to evade, and since I practiced swordsmanship when I was younger, I guess it just came in handy."

"Yes, you did indeed, but your level of proficiency was still above what most people our age could probably accomplish." Seems Matsushita wants to take this opportunity to probe more of my capabilities.

"My adrenaline just kicked in. I guess Karma really just brings out my competitive nature."

"I would hardly pin that on competitive nature alone though. Even when I play sports, I don't just suddenly jump up a hundred levels in skill." Sudo's experienced in sports, so he too knows full well what being a competitive person is like. He does have a point though.

"Huh. I suppose so."

There was a brief moment of silence, before they continued.

"Hey man, whatever it is, you're cool in my book. Afterall, you showed those Class B jerks who's boss!" Sudo was giving me words of praise with a beaming look. As someone who takes pride in their physical strength, I guess he also a great amount of respect to those he deems strong (unless of course you were Hosen).

My other classmates also seem to agree. It seems our victory here may have erased their hostility towards me. I looked over to Kushida, and she wore a smile on her face like everyone else. However, anyone who knows Kushida's true nature knows this was just for show. In truth, she must be internally frustrated that she could no longer stir the class against me.

This won't stop her from getting me expelled though. She'll likely wait for another opportunity, and orchestrate another set of events that would put me on the line for expulsion. Not just me, but Horikita, and maybe even Karma also.

A couple more compliments were thrown at me, mainly how well I did in the exam, and that they were left impressed. It was actually nice being complimented, but it would be troublesome for me since other classes would become even more wary of me.

As they were talking, Agent Karasuma's voice came through the broadcast.

"Both contestants have finally finished recuperating, and are now ready to duel."

This got everyone's attention, and our attentions were now drawn to the screen. On it, we can see Karma take off the camouflage layer of his uniform, and roll up the sleeves of his undershirt up to his forearms. Koenji also does the same, except that he doesn't roll up his sleeves.

Everyone was excited to see this exchange, and who would come out on top. I can also hear a couple of people whispering how they wish I was also participating in the fight. I guess I can't quite blame them. After displaying my combat abilities in the exam, they probably want to know how well I'd fair against those two.

If I'm being honest, while I might be able to hit harder than both of them, Koenji has a lager build than me, thus it may just allow him to tank more hits. On the other hand, Karma's an assassin. No doubt he may have various techniques up his sleeve to make up for his lack of strength. In a fight like this, he has the advantage.

The White Room may have taught us many things, but no matter how broad their teachings were, they can't account for everything. An example would be sports. Last year during the summer was my first time ever playing Volleyball. Although we were taught Volleyball, and various sports, we never got to experience playing them first hand in the White Room.

Right now, I'm wondering if Karma would be putting those assassination techniques he learned to use in this fight. The whole time while we were doing the exam, an even before that, he had been weaponizing his bloodlust the whole time. If he were to use more techniques, then it would be a site to behold.

Part 2

(Karma POV)

A couple of planning allowed things to lead up to this moment. When Koenji-kun was exuding a lot of confidence in his abilities during the first exam meeting last week, I knew then and there I wanted to test him; see how strong he really is. I thought back to what happened after he left the room. It was during lunch, and I told Kiyo that I wanted to discuss something with him in private, that would work to both of our benefit.

(Flashback to the First Exam Meeting)

I watched Koenji-kun leave the room after asserting himself as this so called 'perfect existence'. What a bizarre creature, I thought to myself.

I thought for a moment, and suddenly a thought came to mind. I remembered from the rules that if two people tied for the most amount of eliminations, they would have to duel with each other to break that tie. As much as I want to duel Kiyo, I know for a fact that he wouldn't want first place. Dueling Koenji-kun would make for a good warm up though, and I would finally see this great strength that he oh-so boasts about.

I turned to Kiyo, and asked him to join me for lunch, because I wanted to discuss something with him. He agreed, and told me we'll have it at the same place, the rooftop. As soon as we arrived, I laid it all out on him.

"So that's what you're up to, huh?"

"You have a problem with it?"

"It would be interesting to see a showdown between you two."

"I was also thinking of using this opportunity to take the reins."

"What do you mean?"

"Tell me something, which weapon, or weapons are you picking?"

Among those available, there is one that is his forte, unmatched by any other.

"I was just gonna go for guns. I'd rather not have my self be put in to a situation where I'd have to fight up close."

"But what if there was a need? I'm pretty sure you don't like fighting with a knife."

He pauses for a second, clearly having misgivings.

"I already know where you're going with this. I can't say I agree." So he says, as expected.

Due to him wanting to keep a low profile, he'd want to keep his distance from any possible fights. However, even he knows that he can't just keep evading forever. Not only would that be boring, but if he were the only one left, and he ran out of ammo, he'll be left with no choice but to fight.

"This could be the perfect opportunity to clear your ledger in class though."

He pauses for a moment, and places his thumb on his chin.

"You're saying you want me to show a bit more of my capabilities for this exam so that the class's negative perception towards me would take a turn for the better?"

"Exactly my point. I'm pretty sure you've thought of it as well, but you're way too apprehensive to make a choice."

"I suppose you have a point. If I do this, it may increase our chances of winning, and you realizing your goal"

"Mhmm. And as a bonus, that person would have a hard time stirring the pot for you."

If Kiyo's reputation in the class improves, just enough without revealing too much, then that person would have no choice but to back down.

"I see. I suppose I would've done something about them at some point, but it feels a bit excessive."

"Well, people already have the idea that you've trained in fighting. I think they'll be more accepting of this."

"Is that why you kept attacking me?"

A reasonable assumption.

"No I just do that out on a whim, but I guess it ended up working out." I stuck my tongue out.

He looks displeased by this, but I didn't care.

"Normally I wouldn't even consider doing this, however, like I said, things are different. I intend to fulfill a certain Senpai's parting gift, so fine. I'll take up the katana. Knowing Ryuen, he'd probably corner me in to a situation that would require me to fight head on anyway."

"Great! It's settled. I obviously would be taking up knives, since they're what I've trained with back in my assassin days, as well as they're what I excelled at most back in the White Room. Well, I'm also good with a gun back in my assassin days, but I'm more of a knife guy."

"I see. It does suit you. Is there anything else you'd like to add on as well?"

He must've guessed that I had something else in mind, which is pretty much true. Just performing well during the exam won't be enough. Everyone may have witnessed some bit of his martial arts capabilities, but those tidbits they've seen were only self-defense. His actual combative capabilities have yet to be seen.

"Yes, about that. For this plan to work, I have to take charge in the class's training."

"I see. Given your experience, I'd say you're the one best suited for this task."

"I'm not done yet."

"What do you-" He stopped for a moment to ponder. He then realized where I'm going, much to his dismay. He let out a heavy sigh before continuing.

"You're a cheeky bastard, aren't you?"

I chuckled. "Well, self-defense and combat prowess are different. If you were to suddenly display your true combative capabilities on the day of the exam, it could spell trouble for you, even if we win. They'll just start spouting the same crap, like 'why are you holding back?' etcetera, etcetera. I'd say we give them a few teasers in the following consecutive days. Don't worry. Once this is all over, you'll finally be free from the hostile gazes of the Kushida faction, and people from our class will stop bothering you like this."

If Kiyo suddenly does better than everyone else in the exam without any warning, people would just think that he would only get serious if his own expulsion is on the line. Kushida-san and her *ehem* simps would be less accepting of it than others, and they'd slowly poison the minds of others into being more hostile towards Kiyo. I'd like to avoid that.

By revealing some of his combat abilities slowly over these following consecutive days, our classmates would be more receptive. Even if Kushida-san were to try something, majority of the class would see his capabilities to be vital in reaching class A. With this, she would have no choice but to accept defeat.

"Of course you don't have to do exceptionally well if you don't have to. I'm pretty sure first place has never crossed your mind, right?"

"No, you're right. I have no intention of taking the top spot in eliminations."

"Hehehe. Too bad. It would be very interesting to have a three-way battle."

"I guess you have a point. I would also like to see what you learned as an assassin, but I'd rather not have the spotlight on me. This plan is already a drag as it is."

"Hehehe. An assassin must keep their blades hidden until it's time to strike. I'll probably employ a bit of what I learned, but I can't just show it all."

"Guess you have a point. I do have a gripe with your plan though. How are you gonna convince everyone to let you train them? Even if you're good at martial arts, and are decently popular, you're still a newbie. They may have misgivings."

I never really cared for that whole popularity thing. Even if I'm more willing to show my capabilities, it's not like I hold a lot of clout in class. Popularity is one thing, but influence is another thing entirely. That's probably why Horikita-san, and Hirata-kun didn't turn to me for assistance. Well they probably would have, but my newbie status made them rescind that decision.

"I was gonna ask you about that, actually."

Kiyo put his hand to his chin, and closed his eyes. We were both thinking on how to convince everyone to let us take the reins. Since he's more knowledgeable about this class, and and students of other classes, I thought I'd leave it to him.

Then, he opened his eyes, and gave a suggestion.

"I have something in mind, but it may compromise you a little."

"If it gets the job done, then go ahead."

"I've been thinking about this for a while, but it's a bout the bounties."

"You mean that even though they said they'll randomize them, Tsukishiro may just rig our class's bounties to be set to us, right? We already know that much."

Randomized my ass. There's probably more at play here than just rigging the bounties, but I'll have to confirm that later.

"Exactly. However, I get the feeling it isn't just the bounties. I also feel like he'll rig it so that our class would face off against a class with a lot of combat oriented people, that being Class B."

That was reasonable. If that happened, it throws a wrench into our odds of avoiding expulsion.

"Class B, huh? That's the class led by this Ryuen fellow I kept hearing about. Right?"

"Yes. It makes perfect sense. Ryuen wants to get back at me for defeating him, and his class has a lot of combat oriented people. This exam is the perfect opportunity for that."

"I suppose you're right, but why not other classes?"

"Tsukishiro has probably taken in to account how other classes, specifically their leaders, operate. Ichinose may not want me getting expelled, since she doesn't want to lose any of her friends, and I'm one of them. Since she's the one leading her class, they'll follow her and not get me, nor even you, out."

As much as I appreciate that, her kindness could also be her weakness. While I have never personally met her, from all that I've heard about her, it seems that she is a good, and kind-hearted person. Kiyo has also told me that she's too kind for her own good.

Meh. I'm used to Nagisa's and Isogai's sainthood. How bad could hers be?

"As for Class A, I guess you can say that Sakayanagi and I have this temporary ceasefire/alliance? While we're not technically working together, I know she hold a grudge against Tsukishiro for ruining our match. If you're still skeptical about her not wanting me expelled during this exam, Tsukishiro already gave her an opportunity to expel me during last year's class poll exam, but she didn't go through with it. By anything, she took measure to make sure I wouldn't get expelled.

From what I understand about her character, she wants to be the one to face of a person under her own terms. Her pride wouldn't allow her to accept a third party's proposal, unless she saw some benefit to it. Winning is also secondary to her. I guess she's just like you where she wants to experience the thrill of a challenge, more than actually winning, hence why she also doesn't want me gone just yet. If that happened, she'll lose her opportunity to get to challenge me again."

"Which just leaves Ryuen-kun then, huh?

"Yes. Although I advised him to go after Sakayanagi first, he may not let this opportunity to slip by."

"I see."

He really knows his opponents well. His analysis on all of them is pretty extensive. As expected of the White Room's masterpiece.

"I get what you're saying about Tsukishiro rigging Class B to be our opponents, but I still don't see how this will give me the reins."

"It's simple. We let Class B have a taste of your own strength."

I hummed for a moment, thinking what this could imply. Then I finally started to realize what he meant.

"Oh, I see now."

"We could orchestrate a situation where Ryuen ends up fighting you in front of our class. Since you're very good at provoking people, this won't be a problem."

"Thanks, I've been practicing for years."

"Quiet delinquent. Once he fights you, you will undoubtably beat him, which will cause him to become warry of you. Your victory against him will serve as your backing. Of course with this, Ryuen will turn his attention to you as well, which is the compromise I was talking about."

I narrowed my gaze at him for a bit, thinking about how this will all play out. It wasn't a bad trade off all things considered. Besides, my OAA rating is public. A lot of people, other class leaders included, must have definitely seen them. I'm pretty sure I'll be garnering a lot of attention at some point anyway. It's only a matter of time until key figures from other classes direct their focus on me.

"Alright then, it's not a bad proposal, but how do you suppose you'll convince Ryuen-kun to play his part?"

"I have his contact info." He pulled out his phone.

"Ryuen's the type to deploy underhanded tactics. In the past, he went as far as having his classmates tail people from other classes, harass others, and threaten violence. If he wants to hamper our performance as much as possible, a good way of doing it would be to make sure that our class couldn't train. The only reason why he may not do it with our class, is because I'm here. However, if I allowed him to go on with this idea without interrupting him, this will set up the stage for your guys to fight. To get him to agree, and as a sign of good faith, I'll also promise him that he'll get something worthwhile out of all this."

"That something worthwhile being..."

"A heads up about you of course."

"I see. Not bad. I have no problems with it."

"We'll have it done tomorrow, so that we'll confirm if all the necessary conditions are met."

"Alrighty then."

After we finished discussing our plan, our topics turned more mundane. He then brought up something funny.

"By the way, can I just ask you something?"

"What?"

"Can you stop interrupting my dates with Kei?"

"No."

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Figures."

With that, we finished our lunch, and headed back to the classroom. The plan went off without a hitch, and we managed to take over for training.

As expected, that person also made their move. Ryuen-kun is not too fond of their ego, and wants to have them knocked down a peg or two. While he accepted the information they provided, past experiences with that person always turns out to be a bad omen for him. I bet he also just wants to deflate that person's ego, seeing as how they're so full of themselves.

(END OF FLASHBACK)

Part 3

With everything playing out as we'd hope so far, the only thing left to do is duel Koenji-kun, and tie up lose ends. I'll worry about the latter later. Right now, I have to focus my attention to the man in front of me.

"Are both contestants ready?" Karasuma-sensei exclaims.

Both Koenji-kun and I let out a: "HAI"

"Then, BEGIN!"

The duel officially starts. For it to end so soon after everything that's happened for far would be an utter embarrassment on my part. This is my chance to see Koenji-kun's strength first hand.

Immediately after Karasuma-sensei gave the go signal, Koenji-kun and I drew both our guns from our holsters. I pulled the trigger, but Koenji-kun moved his head to the side, avoiding the incoming bb. He then fired his shot, but I immediately swerved right and it missed. Both of us rapidly firing our respective pistols, we charged towards each other, and just like that, all hell broke loose.

The sounds of our guns reverberate around the area, we continued to fire as we rushed for each other. Each shot of ours barely missed. Using the back of my hands, I pushed his gun to the side. Koenji-kun then brought his his arms back to the middle, as if he were forming a circle. We were so close that I could grab his nose.

When he shot his gun near my face, there was only a split second for me to dodge, but I managed. In that split second, I turned my face left, avoiding the airborne bb coming at me while using my own gun to block the other. Since the paint has to be on our person, any paint splattered on any of our weapons was perfectly fine.

For me to take this win, I have to find a way to get him to lose his gun. I could try to knock it off while we were still at close proximity to each other, but if I'm careless, I might just get inked.

Then an idea came to mind. I aimed my pistol to his head. He thought I would pull the trigger, so he ducked, and aimed his gun to my chest. Before he could pull the trigger, I bend my arm and elbow his arm, the one holding the gun. This made him wince in pain, and I used that opportunity to grab his hand, and knock away his gun.

Once he dropped it, he immediately backed away instead of retrieving it. I immediately took out the magazine holding all the bbs, and tossed it far away. I then dropped the gun, and stomped on it with my foot, crushing it.

Koenji-kun smirked. "My my Akabane-boy. Seems you really don't like being in a gun fight."

"Well, it's not like I have a problem with it. It's just that I've always preferred being up close and personal."

He chuckled. "What a coincidence, so am I. Seems I'll have to make do with just these then." He pulled out his knives and got in to a fighting stance.

Before we could resume our battle, I placed my gun in my holster, and resumed our conversation.

"I'm going to say some things first before we commence, Akabane-boy, so do pay attention, because I'll be pretty hard to hear."

"Oh, is this for my ears only?"

"You can tell Rexy-boy about this later."

Rexy-boy? now that's a good nickname. Koenji-kun then adjusted the tone of his voice to be lower, so that it would be tough for the drone to pick it up. Even if that's the case, I can still hear his words.

"How much of all this did you two foresaw?"

As expected, Koenji-kun's sharp intuition allowed him to pick up on our plan. I gave him a smirk, which was all the answer he needed.

"I see. You two truly are quite the terrifying pair of demons, no?"

I then placed my pistol in to my holster, before continuing.

"It's been years since I've been called that by a third party. Sure does bring back memories."

"There's something else I want to ask you Akabane-boy. It's been on my mind since seeing you work in this exam. It's about a certain incident two years ago. Events following the moon's destruction."

My eyes widened a bit in surprise. He smirked at me, clearly enjoying that he caught me by surprise. I guess that must mean that his father's company was involved in a lot of investments for the government's final assassination project against Koro-sensei. He asked me a few questions. They were vague, but he said them in a way that would be easy for me to understand. I didn't answer any of them. I just gave him a smile, pulled out my knives, and got into a fighting stance.

"If you want answers, you'll either have to win this fight, or entertain me enough at the very least."

"HA HA HA! Very well. I, the Perfect Existence, shall put you in your place,-"

Instead of finishing the last part, he instead mouthed his words, not risking anyone overhearing. I can make out what they were though.

"Assassin-boy."

(Ayanokoji POV)

Once the duel between those two started, not a single noise from the audience was made. The exchange between their guns, was nothing short of astounding. I can tell that Koenji's well trained, and that Karma's assassination training is really showing here.

I glanced over at my other classmates, and all their eyes were glued to the screen. Some of them have their mouths gaped open, obviously amazed by their duel. It's like watching an action movie, the only difference being that their weapons are just toys.

Once Karma knocked Koenji's gun off his hand, Koenji backed off. Karma then proceeded to get rid off the magazine, and crushed the gun by stomping on it with his foot. The two then exchanged a few words.

"Nice! He knocked away his gun!" Sudo was obviously supporting Karma to be the victor, and I could hear a lot of my classmates sharing the same sentiment.

"Nice one Akabane!"

"Good going, Akabane-kun!"

While more people praised his actions, that didn't last when they realized the two were now just talking.

"Hey, is this really the right time for them to be talking?" asked Ike.

"It doesn't matter. I don't think either of them will be striking the other out of the blue." Yosuke reassured some of our classmates.

Horikita then voiced her observation. "It seems that, even though they are both skilled with a gun, they prefer hand to hand combat. Koenji-kun also appears to be enjoying this."

It was true though. From what's shown from the fight, Koenji does look like he's really motivated, and is having a lot of fun, the complete opposite from the usual Koenji we were accustomed to. My other classmates just now realized it, and were quite surprised to see Koenji actually enjoying himself.

All of a sudden, Karma withdrew his gun, and placed it in his holster. Koenji tells wants to tell him something, but his words caught our attention.

"Oh, is this for my ears only?"

Everyone listened, perplexed as to what they could possibly be discussing at a time like this, that was so secretive.

"You can tell Rexy-boy about this later."

Several murmurs could be heard throughout the lobby. Everyone was confused. Then, as if realizing what Koenji meant, 90% of the male population started laughing. All the girls were confused, and Ichinose was the first person to ask what that meant.

"Uh, why are you all laughing? Kanzaki-kun, do you know what Koenji-kun meant?"

"Regrettably so." Kanzaki answered in an exasperated tone. He was one of the few people who understood what that meant, but didn't join in the laughter.

Then, Ryuen started cackling and cleared it up for everyone.

"Kukuku. For the people who don't understand, he meant Ayanokoji."

Horikita turned to me, hoping for an answer. "Ayanokoji-kun, what did he mean by that? And hoe does Ryuen-kun know about it?"

Ryuen started laughing harder when Horikita asked this, and decided to answer her before I could. "Don't worry about it Suzune. Just the result of some male bonding when we were all at the hot springs. RIGHT BOYS?!" He shouted that last part, which caused the boys to laugh, clearly finding amusement in something the girls weren't aware of.

First King, then T-Rex-kun, now Rexy-boy. Can't I catch a break?

"King, you're probably gonna become popular after this. We humbly ask that you leave some for us." This time it was Hashimoto who said that, while cackling. This just made the boys laugh louder. A lot of them were clutching their stomachs, while some of them were punching and kicking the floor.

"Again, stop calling me by that nickname."

"Which one? King, T-Rex-kun, or Rexy-boy?" asked Ryuen, clearly finding my whole predicament amusing."

"All of it." I said.

The girls were still confused, then Ichinose decided to inquire what all this meant.

"Why are they calling you that, Ayanokoji-kun?"

Before I could say anything, Kanzaki answered her for me. "No don't ask that, Ichinose."

Katsuragi also backs him up. "I agree. It's utterly embarrassing."

Ichinose decides not to pry any further, thinking that this may be a sensitive topic, meanwhile I can feel Kei's gaze at me. She's probably gonna ask me about this later. While I'd prefer she didn't, she was probably gonna find out about this sooner or later.

I sighed heavily. "I'm starting to really resent the mixed training camp."

"I can't say I blame you." says Kanzaki. Although he was warry of me, he knew my predicament, thus he looked at me in sympathy.

The mood then shifted, when everyone realized that things have been quiet in the combatants' side. They were talking, but this time, the volume of their voices were so low, that the drone couldn't pick them up.

"Hey, hey, what are they talking about?" Ike asked.

"I wanna know what they're saying." Says Matsushita.

Various complaints were aired, not just by Class D, but also students from other classes. The drone however, did not go any closer, probably a decision made by the exam organizers, and facilitators. They probably set it so that the drone can't go any closer than a certain distance set by the school.

Before the complaints can get out of hand for class D, the savior, Yosuke stepped in to relegate the situation. "Everyone, please calm down. If the drone can't get any closer, that's probably a decision made by the school. Also, if both Koenji-kun, and Akabane-kun lowered their voices intentionally, then their conversation must be something private."

Horikita also decided to help out Yosuke. "He's right. They probably could just talk about this at another time, but perhaps the atmosphere created from their fight got them talking. Whatever it is they're talking about, they probably won't get another opportunity to talk about it under the same circumstances, hence why they're talking about it now. We have no right to listen in."

The complaints started to die down, from both our class, and other classes as well. The other class leaders made pretty much the same argument as Horikita and Yosuke, and they were able to calm down their classmates.

"Hey, I get why they want to talk and all, but what's stopping Akabane-kun from attacking Koenji-kun right now?" asked Shinohara.

Akito was the one who answered her question. "Remember what Kiyotaka said? Akabane enjoys the process of a fight. He probably won't be satisfied in fighting Koenji unless both of them were on equal footing."

"Miyake-kun's right." Horikita also decides to share her thought. "If Akabane-kun wins using his gun, while Koenji doesn't have his, he wouldn't count it as a victory. He wants to settle it with a knife fight, and martial arts, his specialties."

That pretty much answered everyone's questions. After a few more exchanges between the two, Karma finally pulled out both of his knives, and gets in to position.

"This is it!"

"The final showdown!"

Various words of anticipation could be heard across the lobby. Not long after, the two combatants charged towards each other, and they both clashed knives.

(Karma POV)

The moment we closed the distance, out blades collided. We pushed each other with a lot of force, which caused both of us to jump back in order to not get inked. Koenji-kun went on the offensive, charging at me. He started swinging at me with his knives with a lot of ferocity. Each one of his swings, I either dodged, blocked, and/or deflected.

This exchange was much different from my one with Nagisa. This time, I was actually fighting someone with a lot of strength and experience in combat. By anything, it reminded me of my fight with Grip. I'm not gonna go ahead and compare the two, as their styles are very different.

Koenji-kun's knife work is much more refined than Okano's, Isogai's, and Maehara's. Even with the assassination training those three received for a whole year, Koenji-kun's experience trumps theirs. I've always known that Koenji-kun was strong and well-rounded, but to experience it now, it should be clear to everyone that his words do indeed hold weight.

When comparing him to a White Room student however, now that is a different story.

We continued exchanging blows, not one of us relenting to the other. He didn't give away any opening, and neither did I. Then, in an instant, he aimed his knife for my head. I could dodge, but the knife he held in his left hand served as a countermeasure. In order for me to avoid getting inked, I grabbed his arm by elbow locking it. His right arm was now locked, and it was hard for him to use the knife he held with it. He tried to counter by swinging the knife he held with his left hand at me, but I flipped him over, causing him to faulter and drop the knife he held with his left hand. He tried to grab it, but I kicked it far away.

Apparently he's a lot more flexible than I thought, because he raised both legs, and locked me in a triangle choke. He was pressing hard, trying to make me run out of air. We both had knives aimed at each other, but his knife was locked in place thanks to my elbow lock, but at the same time, I can't make use of mine. I see. his goal wasn't to make me unconscious, it was to get me to let him go.

Not wanting to lose my breath, I slowly stood up, both of us still locking on to each other. I spun around and loosened my grip on him, and he responded by loosening his grip, and kicking his feet off my chest. He managed to put a distance between us, and I used that opportunity to catch my breath.

(Horikita POV)

This fight had been going on for a while now. While I am familiar with martial arts, I still lack real life fighting experience. Still, I knew enough that both Akabane-kun, and Koenji-kun were in a rather tight spot when they locked each other, restricting each other's movements. Both of them let go, since they didn't want to be put in to a compromising position. This let them get some distance between them.

"Dude, how strong are those two?!" Ike-kun shouted at utter disbelief.

"Akabane-kun lifted Koenji-kun off the ground too, even though Koenji-kun has a larger build than he does." says Hirata-kun.

The atmosphere in the room is so intense. Everyone's attention was on the two boy's duel. Many of them have their mouths gaped open. The display of strength being shown to us right now was unlike what they had displayed during the exam proper. Their strengths were similar, and they're both very good at fighting.

For all of Koenji-kun's talk about perfection, it became clear to me that he can back up his words. So he's not just arrogant afterall. As for Akabane-kun, he held it no secret that he's a trained fighter, who can beat even the likes of both Ryuen-kun, and Albert-kun. His exceptional performance during the exam also shocked everyone, but that was nothing compared to what's shown right now.

Not only are they both good at fighting, but their knife work is beyond what many people our age could probably achieve. Koenji-kun seemed well trained, that much is true. If he were to go up against anyone else, he would most likely win. Akabane-kun however... I can't quite put my finger on it, but something felt odd...

Remembering our brief time together during the exam, the way he dealt with his opponents was unnerving. His M.O, and knife work were terrifying enough, but he always gave of this frightening vibe. I don't know why, but if I didn't know any better, he looked like he could actually kill people if given the opportunity.

I glanced at Ayanokoji-kun, who had kept his attention fixed on the screen. He was so focused on the battle, it looked like he tuned out everything else going on around him. He knows Akabane-kun here best. Numerous questions flooded my mind. Does he know about his unnerving behavior? If so, does it not faze him? Who is he?

As I was pondering, about their dynamic, my attention shifted back to the fight. Something just happened. As Akabane-kun was catching his breath, Koenji-kun charged at him at an insane speed with his knife. He aimed to thrust it towards Akabane-kun's chest. Akabane-kun crossed both his knives, blocking Koenji-kun's attack.

Koenji-kun was exerting more force with his knife, but it looked like Akabane-kun had no problem responding by exerting equal force. As they were in a power struggle, Koenji-kun broke their stalemate by spinning one leg, and kicking both Akabane-kun's hands while he still had his knives crossed. This caused the knives that Akabane-kun held to be flung out of his arms, and it also made him recoil backwards a bit.

"He knocked away both of his knives!" Sudo-kun reacted, almost screaming his response.

My other classmates also reacted to this. It's not just my classmates either. Other classes were also giving their input.

"Those two are insane! Ryuen-san, you think Akabane-san will be alright? I mean he lost his knives." Ishizaki-kun said that, in a way that made it seem like he admired Akabane-kun.

"Kukuku. He doesn't look troubled to me."

Indeed. Even when he lost his weapons, he didn't lose his composure. Koenji-kun came charging at him with his knife again, only, Akabane-kun didn't move from his spot. As soon as Koenji-kun closed the distance, he thrusted his knife forward at Akabane-kun's chest. Instead of making contact however, Akabane-kun leaned a bit to his side, grabbed Koenji-kun's arm, twisted it, spun around, and slammed Koenji-kun's body front first to the ground. The impact caused Koenji-kun to drop his knife, to which Akabane-kun tossed away.

Akabane-kun then pulled Koenji-kun's arm harder, which actually caused him to yell out in pain. Everyone was so taken aback by this. Koenji-kun was someone who never lost his composure. He always kept a smug look, never once even looking concerned. Now Koenji-kun can be seen in pain, his usual expression absent, and now writhing in agony. I could head several words of concern from many students.

"Woah. That Akabane guy is really strong."

"Y-yeah."

"I've never seen Koenji look in so much in pain before."

"I'm pretty sure even he would have felt that. I mean... I would."

"Man. I don't like him, but I kinda feel bad for Koenji."

"Y-yeah. I know what you mean."

Whether you like him or hate him, no one wants to be in his position right now. Akabane-kun pushed down on Koenji-kun harder while still pulling his arm. This caused Koenji-kun to scream louder. While Akabane-kun was doing this, Koenji-kun mustered enough strength to roll to his side, causing Akabane-kun to be flipped over. Akabane-kun let go and jumped away right before Koenji-kun could turn the tide, crushing him from up top.

He got up and clutched his arm in pain. Clearly Akabane-kun really did a number on him. He noticed one of his knives laying on the ground to the left. He ran towards it, hoping to retrieve it and use it against his opponent. However, before he could reach it, Akabane-kun tackled him with a lot of force, causing Koenji-kun to stagger back.

Seeing no way around it, Koenji-kun, ignoring the pain in his right arm, started throwing punches at Akabane-kun. Each punches he threw, Akabane-kun was able to dodge effortlessly. Koenji-kun stopped for a moment, and slowly backed away, and the two stared at each other. Even though Akabane-kun just gave him a beating, a smile crept on his face, clearly amused from their fight.

(Ayanokoji POV)

This seems way too familiar. I thought for a moment, and then it hit me. I remember all the fights we had in the White Room. Watching this duel between Karma and Koenji right now, one thing was certain. Karma's just toying with him. I'm pretty sure he's not even using any of the techniques he learned from his time training as an assassin.

Koenji seems to be enjoying himself though, even with what Karma did to him. This was probably the first time in his life that he's been pushed so far. Those two are insane. I started thinking what might happen if I ended up being pitted against them in a three-way fight. While a part of me liked the idea of facing them, the majority of me just didn't want to deal with Karma's sadism.

I sighed in annoyance. Thankfully, no one noticed.

I wonder, how far will this battle go? Karma has always been a sadist. Right now, more of his sadism is slowly starting to reveal itself. I wonder how everyone will react once all that came to light? Will they still be accepting of him as a member of the class? I wonder to myself.

(Horikita POV)

Koenji-kun started unleashing a barrage of punches and kicks, all of which Akabane-kun was able to counter. Then, Koenji-kun dug his right foot deep on the dirt ground, and kicked a bunch of dust onto Akabane-kun's face. He was able to guard his nose and mouth on time, but some of the dirt and dust got on to his eyes. Luckily his eyes were closed, but now he was rubbing it with his sleeves to wipe them away.

"Smart move."

"A dirty move, but smart."

"Was that a pun?"

"Uh, no."

A bunch of people praised Koenji-kun for his quick thinking. He took Akabane-kun's temporary loss of sight as an opportunity to kick him in the stomach, which caused him to wince in pain and falter back. He then charged at him with a punch.

"Big mistake." This time it was Ayanokoji-kun who said it. He'd been quietly observing the fight this whole time. His voice was low, but a few people, myself included, heard him. I turned my attention back to the fight, waiting to see what he meant.

Akabane-kun, with his eyes still closed from all the dirt and dust thrown at him, countered him by taking his arm, and flipping him over him in one fell swoop.

"Woah." I could hear many of my classmates exclaim.

"His eyes are shut, but he knew where he was coming from." says Sudo-kun.

Hasabe-san turns to Ayanokoji-kun and asks. "Kiyopon, you seem like you knew about what he was gonna do."

The people who hear that waited for Ayanokoji-kun to respond. He stayed quiet for a bit, then gave his answer.

"Of course. It was one of this first things we were taught. His senses are also sharp. Something like this won't fool him."

"Your trainer must've been amazing, Kiyotaka." Miyake-kun commented.

Ayanokoji-kun looks to be in deep thought, then responded.

"I guess..."

Returning my attention to the fight, Akabane-kun backs away from Koenji-kun and wipes the dust and dirt off his face. Koenji-kun got up and they both stared at each other.

"Did you really think that would work, Koenji-kun?" Akabane-kun said this with a smile. Koenji-kun didn't let himself be shaken up by this.

Both of them charged right at each other, throwing punches and kicks. Both of them countered each other's attack, but Koenji-kun was starting to feel the fatigue. The blows dealt by Akabane-kun was starting take their toll on him, but he didn't relent.

For a brief moment, Akabane-kun let his face be left open, and Koenji-kun took that opportunity to punch him hard in the face. This caused Akabane-kun to stagger back in pain.

"Oooh! "

"Ouch!"

"What the hell?!"

Multiple people probably felt that, and they screamed as if they were the ones who took the blow. However, something was wrong. As if some sort of switch was flipped, Akabane-kun just looked back at Koenji-kun with a smile. Even though that punch must've definitely hurt, he remained unfazed. His smile widened, his head tilts a bit to the right, and his eyes wide open. This was more than just not losing his composure in the face of his enemy. It was something else. He was clearly enjoying this; but something felt off.

"Oh?" Akabane-kun said in a quieter, colder tone than usual, which caused many of us, Koenji-kun included, to flinch.

"You know? That actually kinda hurt." His words and voice ran chills down our spines. How could he be unfazed after feeling that?

Koenji-kun was shock. That punch he gave him was nowhere near weak, yet Akabane-kun just shrugged it off. Koenji-kun's face turned to a more serious expression, and he launched another punch aimed right at Akabane-kun's face. Before it could make contact however, Akabane-kun grabbed his arm, pulled it towards him, and twists it, which causes Koenji-kun to scream. He then used his left hand to grab on to Koenji-kun's shoulder to lock him in place, then knees him hard in the stomach.

He then continues kneeing him in the stomach, all the while taunting Koenji-kun. "So far, you never failed to impress! Compared to the small fries I went up against in Class B, you're actually not half bad! I'm gonna have some fun breaking you down before finishing you off! So come on Koenji-kun! Show me this "perfection" that you're so proud of!" He says all this loudly while laughing, as he mercilessly beats Koenji-kun.

Many of my classmates, and students of other classes watched in horror at Akabane-kun's display of violence towards Koenji-kun. Koenji-kun has proven himself to be a formidable fighter. For him to be on the receiving end of Akabane-kun's beating is nothing short of terrifying. This type of behavior is not normal.

"I can't watch this!" Sato-san screamed and then proceeds to bury her face in her hands.

"It's too much!"

"Please, make it stop!"

Sato-san's other friends, Matsushita-san, Shinohara-san, Karuizawa-san, Onodera-san, Mori-san, and Inogashira-san alike all screamed in horror, and turn their heads away from the screen, unable to handle the torture Koenji-kun is being subjected to.

"Dude! What the hell?! I get Koenji can be pretty annoying, but this is too much!" Even Sudo-kun, who openly shows his hostility towards Koenji-kun, admits that even he doesn't deserve this kind of treatment.

While everyone, teachers included, were airing their concerns and complaints, a familiar cackle echoed through the room, catching everyone's attention. The sound of laughter came from none other than Ryuen Kakeru, Class B's tyranical leader, who looked at the battle in amusement. He too is a man who believes in the power of violence. As such, he was bound to find interest in Akabane-kun's violent behavior, especially after his performance in the exam proper.

"KUKUKUKU! THAT GUY'S INSANE! TO THINK CLASS D WOULD HAVE SOMEONE LIKE THAT IN THEIR RANKS!"

He himself experienced being beaten down by the hands of the very same person he preached of, but he had never seen that kind of violent outburst from him. None of us have. Well, all except for maybe one, who Ryuen-kun had turned his attention to.

"Kukuku! What about you, Ayanokoji? You guys seem pretty close. Does this mean you also wield that kind of violence?!" He asked Ayanokoji-kun, or more like announced it to the general public.

All eyes were now on Ayanokoji-kun, who this whole time was rubbing his temples. He then let out a loud, exasperated sigh, clearly irritated and annoyed, which was a surprise since he never broke his poker face before.

I don't know if he was irritated and annoyed at Ryuen-kun for asking him that question, thereby causing everyone to turn their attention towards him, or because of the behavior displayed by his long-time friend. Instead of answering Ryuen-kun's question, his right hand scratches the back of his head vigorously, and he mumbles a few words.

"Haaah~~ I told him not to take things too far, and to stay out of trouble. This is why I lock my front door and windows at night."

The horrified mood turned into a baffled one as he said this. Although he said this with the same monotonous voice, and apathetic expression, it was clear to everyone that he was clearly annoyed rather than scared. Everyone was staring at him, more perplexed than anything. From his words alone, some of us could tell he was used to this.

"Uh... Ayanokoji-kun?" Kushida-san took this as an opportunity to inquire. "Is he always like this?"

Everyone was waiting for a response. He rubbed his forehead with his index finger and thumb before answering her.

"Some days... are better than others. Most of the time he'll keep to himself, but once he finds something worth fighting for, he can sometimes be a little too indulgent."

"Kukuku! You say that, yet he seems to be enjoying himself a bit too much!" Ryuen-kun interjected, before Kushida-san could say anything more.

"Perhaps. He probably thought that Koenji can entertain him."

"Kukuku. So in short, he's a sadist." Ayanokoji-kun didn't say anything more. He just stayed quiet and kept watching Akabane-kun giving Koenji-kun a beating.

From Class A's side, we could hear Sakayanagi-san chuckling. "Fufufu. So this is why he's in Class D. Even with his high abilities, his sadistic personality and violent behavior were the reason for his placement."

I can hear a couple of my classmates gulping by the revelation for Akabane-kun's placement in Class D. While his capabilities were vital for us to rise to Class A, his sadism and violent behavior would make it very difficult to work with him,let alone make people feel uncomfortable being around him. I think I'm now beginning to understood his M.O back when I was with him in the exam.

I always found it odd how he always made it seem like he was slitting his opponents throats. Now I know why. The red paint laced on his knives gave it an uncanny resemblance to blood. He was definitely enjoying himself watching those people panic, alarmed that their throats may have been slit open with an actual knife. Still, I seem to be missing something. Something that made his - I guess victims is the right word - cling to their lives. I'll probably figure it out on a later date.

I checked the screen, and Akabane-kun had just finished giving Koenji-kun a beating, and now Koenji-kun was kneeling on the ground, clutching his stomach; obviously feeling the immense pain delivered to him by Akabane-kun. Akabane-kun then walked about 2 meters away from his adversary, and sat in front of him, cross-legged, as he watches Koenji-kun writhing in pain.

I looked to my classmates, and a lot of them were breaking in to a cold sweat. They were now realizing just how dangerous our new classmate, Akabane Karma-kun, truly was. I can feel Ayanokoji-kun looking at me, as if waiting for me to take action. Not only does Akabane-kun possess the capabilities needed for us to reach Class A, but he's also Ayanokoji-kun's friend, probably his first since he was never good at socializing. If I fail here, I might end up disappointing him if we lose his friend.

I looked over to Hirata-kun, and Karuizawa-san, who were obviously terrified. They felt my gaze, and returned it. I sent them a look that conveyed me needing them to back me up. Although Akabane-kun's sadism has been revealed, they understood that it was in our class's best interest to not have everyone turn on him. It seems they understood my intention, as they snapped themselves out of their daze, and readied themselves.

"Everyone, I know all of you are unnerved, but please don't forget that he contributed so much for this exam. If we just push Akabane-kun away, we lose one of our biggest assets."

Hirata-kun then backed me up. "Horikita-san's right. I don't expect you be accepting of this side to him, but it would still be better if we do not push him away."

Many of our classmates were unconvinced however, clearly dejected by Akabane-kun's violent behavior. Even if he contributed much for this exam, they're all probably thinking that they risk their own safety as a result of keeping him. Tensions started to rise, and Kushida-san was the first to rile everyone up, under the pretense of being concerned for her, and other classmates' safety.

"B-but Horikita-san, Hirata-kun, you saw what he's doing to Koenji-kun! Who's to say that he won't do it to anyone else?!"

Her reasoning seemed justifiable, and a lot of people agreed. Many of our classmates backed her up.

"She's right! I don't really feel safe being around him! I mean, what's stopping him from beating us all up just for the heck of it?!"

"Yeah! Even Ryuen, Albert, and Koenji are no match for him. Do you seriously think you can control him?!"

"Horikita, a lot of us don't feel safe having him around!"

Many of our other classmates started saying similar arguments. Their concerns were understandable however. If Akabane-kun ever felt like hurting anyone just for the heck of it, then it would most definitely put everyone's safety at risk.

IF that were truly the case, that is.

"I get what you mean. But at the same time, let me ask you this. If Akabane-kun did felt like wanting to hurt any of us just for the thrill of hurting us, don't you think he would have done so a long time ago already?" I retorted to all of their complaints.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Before I can say anything more, Karuizawa-san spoke up.

"She means that if Akabane-kun did want to hurt us, he would have already done so. He's probably only really like this, when he's in a fight. Unless you give him a reason, chances are, he won't lay a finger on you."

"How can you be so certain, Karuizawa?" asked Ike-kun.

"Because-" Before Karuizawa-san could say anything more, Sudo-kun answered Ike-kun's question for her.

"Because Akabane won't act unless he has a reason to. I don't really think he's a full on sadist though. Remember what Ayanokoji said?" Everyone was listening to him intently, even people from the other classes.

"He said that Akabane enjoys the process of a fight. If you don't put up a good fight, or don't give him a reason to fight you, like tick him off, then, like what Karuizawa said, he'll just leave you alone. Him fighting Koenji must have just given him a thrill that he hasn't experienced in a while, and wants to enjoy every second of it, but got carried away because he was fighting someone pretty strong. While I don't like Koenji, I still can't support what Akabane is doing to him either, but it's not like he's gonna be like that all the time."

Everyone, including other class leaders, and the teachers, were stunned by what Sudo-kun said. Looking back on everything now, a lot of what Sudo-kun said did make sense. Akabane-kun even got rid of his still in tact gun, just so he and Koenji-kun could have a proper hand to hand duel.

Hirata-kun then chimed in to help Sudo-kun' and Karuizawa-san's claims. "Sudo-kun does have a point. It's true that Akabane-kun needs to work on his behavior, but that's probably why he was placed in Class D for, so that we could help fix that. I've actually spoken to him a few times. Even though he's a lot more docile whenever I do speak to him, I can tell he's not faking it. He can be pretty harsh with his words, but he also knows what to say to someone when they're troubled, so he's not like a full on sadist, like what Sudo-kun just said. Horikita-san, Kiyotaka-kun and I will go talk to him once their duel is over. For now, it's best if we don't start something unnecessary."

Everyone paused for a moment, pondering if this was gonna be a good idea. Kushida-san then spoke up for a lot of our classmates.

"W-well, I guess I don't mind giving him a chance, but can you three at least guarantee it? I just don't want to see anyone getting hurt."

"Don't worry." I replied. "That's why we're also having Ayanokoji-kun talk to him, since he's the one here who understands him the most." As I said that, I could hear Ayanokoji-kun sigh. It wasn't loud for a lot of people to hear, but myself, Hirata-kun, Karuizawa-san, and Ayanokoji-kun's group heard it. Knowing him, he probably didn't like having more responsibility thrown at him, but we need him to do this, even if it were just for appearance's sake.

"I-I guess we'll just have to leave it to you then. J-just be careful, okay? You guys are fine with that, right?" Kushida-san turned to her supporters, and they nodded hesitantly. Although Kushida-san probably could have done more, suspicions would befall on her, and that would compromise her status even more.

"Thank you, everyone. Rest assured, we'll have this be dealt with accordingly."

I'm just hoping that our combined efforts were able to ease everyone's worries, even for just a bit. If we lose Akabane-kun in another voting exam, we'd lose a lot of manpower. I also just don't want to disappoint him, since he tasked me with handling this situation.

(Ayanokoji POV)

Their idea of talking to Karma to get him to work on his behavioral issues wasn't so bad, until it included me. Then it became a problem. Even if I'll just be there for appearance's sake, I just have other things to take care of.

Although the room was quiet, especially since the two combatants were not moving from their position, the atmosphere was still tense. However, both Ryuen, and Sakayanagi were grinning, obviously liking this revelation. It was probably reasonable to assume that they might end up having Karma transfer to their class, should our own class drive him away. Although, they'd probably want to try and defeat him first before doing so.

Having Karma transfer to another class would actually give me a reason to be able to compete against him more directly. I just don't want to have to do so with the current state of things. This class has a lot of incompetent people. Proof of that is how a lot of them were easily taken out during this exam. Even though Horikita is growing as a leader, she still has a long way to go. Her naive thinking was what landed her in plenty of situations where it compromised the class's position.

They can try and force Karma out of the class all they want, but they'll just end up regretting it not too long after, since, unlike me, he has no problems displaying his feats. If Karma transfers to a different class, and even assumes command of said class, then reaching Class A would just be a pipe dream for my classmates. Whether they like it or not, they are nothing in comparison to him. That is the reality here.

Once the situation started to die down, we returned our attentions to the battle going on before us. Koenji slowly looked at Karma, who was looking at him with a smirk on his face. Koenji had a scowl on his face, frustrated at Karma. He could probably tell that he was just messing with him.

I pity you Koenji. No, really. I had to deal with this sadist on nearly a daily basis for a good portion of my life.

Koenji slowly got, and formed a fist with his hand. Not wasting a single moment, he charged at Karma with it. As soon as he approached him, the air around Karma slowly began to change.

Even though we were just watching through the screen, some of us felt it as well. The same kind of sensation when he dealt with Ryuen and Albert. While he kept his smile, his eyes and the aura around him was much colder. The more Koenji got close, the more of Karma's bloodlust he let out. Without faltering, Koenji continued to advance, but he, without a doubt, also felt Karma's bloodlust. Whether he understood the fear he felt probably didn't matter to him. All that mattered was defeating the opponent in front of him.

Then, as soon as Koenji closed the gap between them, he motioned for a punch. However, the punch was just a fluke. In truth, when Koenji motioned his arm for a punch, in that moment, he pulled out a knife he had kept hidden in his sleeve. He was probably expected Karma to take the punch, or at least block it. He was tricking him into thinking that he was gonna go in for a punch, but in reality he was going to hit him with his knife, thereby inking him. The knife was a few inches away from his Karma's face. That was when Karma raised his right hand between them, and-

SNAP*

The moment he snapped his fingers in front of Koenji's face, Koenji froze, eyes and mouth wide open. He then fell on his knees, paralyzed, and unable to move. Everyone was stunned by what just happened. By just snapping his fingers, Karma was able to paralyze Koenji's movements. Upon closer inspection, Koenji's mouth was actually shaking. He didn't understand what just happened. None of us do, although I may have some idea.

Is this one of the techniques he learned as an assassin?

Karma slowly motioned his hand to Koenji's knife, taking it from his hand.

"It's stuff like this that gives me trust issues. At first glance, you not rolling up your sleeves was probably just a stylistic choice on your part, but I also noticed that you kept pulling down the sleeve of your right arm from time to time. I knew then and there you were hiding something literally up your sleeve; a knife if I could say." He raised the knife in front of Koenji's face, while Koenji just continued to look at him with a petrified expression, still unable to move.

Karma then continued. "You were probably waiting for an opportunity when I would let down my guard. Well here's your mistake, I've been on guard this whole time. The instant I deduced your plan, all I really needed to do now was fool you into thinking I let my guard down. I do have to thank you though. You just saved me the trouble of retrieving my other knives."

He turned to Agent Karasuma, who had been monitoring the whole duel. "Since the paint laced on our knives are the same color, I assume there's no problem if I finish him off using his own, right?"

Agent Karasuma shook his head. "No. It makes no difference. As long as you're the one doing it at least."

"Very well." Karma nodded his head, then turned back to Koenji. Koenji eyed the knife in Karma's hand, hoping he wasn't gonna do what he thinks he's gonna do. Throughout the whole exam, Karma's M.O had been slashing people by their throats using his knife, scaring them in the process. I can actually see a couple of Class B students quivering, probably remembering what Karma did to them. They were probably traumatized because of him.

"Koenji, you're pretty strong." He actually dropped the honorific. Probably because he got to fight Koenji, and recognized his strength. "While I recognize that you boast remarkable abilities, especially because you can back up your words with your actions and achievements, it's undeniable that your ego blinds you from carefully assessing your opponents." As he said that, he motions his hand, the one holding the knife, to the right of Koenji's neck, without touching it.

"While I'd like to continue our match for a while longer, I wouldn't really want either of us sustaining any serious injuries. Either way, I'm satisfied that I got to fight you, so let's call it a day."

He motions the knife in his hand to slash Koenji's throat. Koenji closes his eyes, bracing himself for what was to come. From his point of view, the rubber knife was probably a real knife. As soon as the knife was swung, it stopped, just a few centimeters away from his throat. Koenji opened his eyes, confused.

"Gotcha." Karma smiled slyly. It seems the frightening vibe he was giving off was disappearing, which tells me that he has suppressed his bloodlust. He then moved his hand, and pokes Koenji's left arm with the knife. "Now then, I believe that's game. Right, sensei?"

Agent Karasuma closed his eyes and sighed. He was probably relieved that Karma didn't actually go through with slashing Koenji's throat. I don't blame him.

"The winner of this match, is Akabane Karma!"

Although Karma won, there were mixed reactions. Even if one had hoped that he would win, his behavior was very questionable. Koenji then posed a question, that was on the minds of Karma's victims.

"You're not gonna-?"

"What? Slash your throat after that beating, while I let out all my killing intent? I can be sadistic, but I do have my limits. I'm pretty sure I've given you enough of a beating." He shrugged, while softening his smile.

You know how hypocritical you sound, right? I thought about saying it, but I held my tongue.

"Huh?" Koenji, and everyone else listening had the same reaction. It was indeed strange for Karma to say that, considering how badly he had treated Koenji in their earlier match, as well as many of his "victims" during the exam proper.

"Besides, it would be no fun if you just completely broke down just like that. I'd like to fight you again, so I'd rather you not spend the remaining days of your school life sulking. If that happened, I'm pretty sure my old teacher would be giving me an earful if he were here. While I don't particularly care about what he thinks of me, I'd rather not listen to his rambling. I also just wanted to show you what a huge lie perfection is."

He was probably referring to Korosensei, who had made a massive impact in his growth as a person, and got him to deviate from his path of violence. Although he hasn't completely gotten over his violent tendencies, Karma's at least learned to not take things too far. I can respect that. Karma also says he doesn't care what his former teacher thinks of him, but he's most likely lying. Deep down, he probably doesn't want to dishonor him by using what he learned for nefarious purposes.

"Speaking of fight, you said you have a couple of questions to ask me. As I said before, I'd be willing to answer you if you defeat me, or if I'm satisfied with our match. As I said, I'm satisfied, so if you have questions, go ahead and ask once were out of here."

Koenji just looked at him, stunned. He stared at him for a bit, then a smile slowly crept on his face. He started chuckling a little, then laughed loudly. Everyone was baffled by this. One would normally assume that Koenji would be angry at Karma for what he did, but instead he looked amused. Both of them started laughing at the same time, much to everyone's surprise.

"U-uh. Why are they laughing? I thought that Koenji-kun would be, I don't know, warry of him?" Ichinose posed an interesting question that was on the majority of everyone's minds.

Ishizaki answered her question, with a similar line he said to me. "Men can feel things through touch. Right, Albert?"

Albert nods in agreement to Ishizaki, clearly referring to me. Ibuki then scowls. "Guys are weird." A lot of girls agreed to her sentiment. Then, Horikita gives her input.

"It seems that, despite what Akabane-kun did to Koenji-kun, they both share some sort of mutual respect for each other. Seems Akabane-kun was just looking for a challenge, but he let himself get carried away with Koenji-kun. Koenji-kun is probably the same. He's probably not have had a good challenge in a while, hence why he isn't dejected by Akabane-kun's treatment, because he also got a thrill out of it. This is probably a first time he's faced someone like him."

While they still have their misgivings about Karma, they now at least understood that Karma won't do anything unnecessarily cruel. Seems that he's really softened up.

"Well then, the next time we have a match, Demon-boy, things won't be going your way. Although you claim perfection is a lie, I will see to it that I prove you wrong, for that has always been my life's goal."

Karma nods. "Mm. You won't win, but I look forward to it."

Although everyone thought it was odd, that both of them were on good terms, they were at least relieved that Koenji was alright. Whether you like him or hate him, the treatment he got from Karma was excessive, and had everyone on edge.

"Guess he really has changed." I muttered to myself. Horikita, and the Ayanokoji Group heard this though.

Horikita was the first to comment on that. "Changed? You mean that when you were younger he always went too far with people?"

"Who knows?" I decided to answer vaguely. I didn't want to say anything more that may cause others to become even more warry of him. Even if the person asking is Horikita, I'm still not saying anything more. Surrendering in defeat, she gave up prying for any more information that I have on him.

"Well then Akabane-boy, let's head back now. I'm pretty sure those peasants have some questions for yo- Hm?" As Koenji was about to give up, Karma put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from getting up.

"Oh I never said we were done here." As he said that, he brought out two tubes that he had kept in his pocket, and held them between them with his other hand. From the distance, I could see Agent Karasuma furrowed his eyebrows, and clenched his teeth, which tells me he knows what was about to happen.

"Uh, what are those suppose to be?"

"Mustard and wasabi. I'm gonna shove these up your nostrils now."

"HAH?!" Koenji, and everyone else watching screamed in astonishment by what he just said. I sighed heavily.

I take back what I said about him softening up. He apparently just found a different way to satiate his sadism.

"Wait just a minu-" Koenji tries to get up, however he sustained way too many injuries, and much of his stamina was depleted. Karma on the other still had plenty of strength and stamina to spare, so he held him in place, not allowing him to move away from his spot.

"Sorry, but you're in no position to resist. I have to keep up the tradition. The last person I did this with ended bei- huh?" Before Karma could finish his sentence, Agent Karasuma had gone over to confiscate the two items in his hand. Everyone sighed in relief.

"That's enough. Like I said, this match is over. Karma, you really need to stop this. You can't keep doing that to every person you beat."

Karma looked like he wanted to retort, but he just bit his tongue, crossed his arms, and turned his head to look away from him. He was definitely disappointed that he couldn't keep up with the tradition. As soon as Agent Karasuma finished lecturing Karma, Ryuen just burst out laughing.

"KUKUKUKUKU! THAT GUY'S REALLY SOMETHING! Mustard and wasabi, huh? Alright, I'll make note." Class B just looked at him in horror, clearly not liking the implication of where this was going.

Haruka then whispered and asked me a question. "Uh, Kiyopon. Did you know about this?"

The rest of our group, plus Horikita, who was sitting next to us, listened in with eagerness. I turned to them, and whispered back. "No, but this was probably something he picked up in Junior High. I'm honestly just as surprised as you guys are."

They were understanding, and decided not to inquire any further.

Soon later, Karma, Koenji and Agent Karasuma returned from the quadrangle. Koenji and Karma walked over to our class, with Karma heading over my direction. The people around us were trying to shift away, clearly uncomfortable of being anywhere near him, but he paid no mind to it.

Horikita, Yosuke, Sudo and the Ayanokoji Group didn't move though, as they didn't want Karma to feel isolated. Horikita, didn't want others to drive Karma out, because she recognized that his abilities would be vital for us to reach Class A, meanwhile Yosuke, Sudo and the Ayanokoji Group were able to speak to Karma a couple times before this exam, so they know he isn't an awful person, lest you do something to warrant being on the receiving end of his sadism.

"I thought I told you not to take things too far, or get yourself in trouble." I whispered.

He also whispered back. "Hahaha. Well I've been trying to be on my best behavior the whole duration of the exam, but I guess I did get a little carried away with my duel with Koenji."

"Right. Horikita and Yosuke want to talk to you about that, actually. So expect an earful."

"No worries Rexy-boy. I've received far more excruciatingly annoying grievances from my old teacher, and Junior High friend. I'm used to it by now."

As much as I want to pity them for having to constantly reprimand Karma, I can't help but feel annoyed by that ridiculous nickname.

"Please, never call me that."

"Hehehe. No. I don't think I will."

I sighed in annoyance.

Part 4

The program concludes, and we were all instructed to return to our rooms to freshen up. We were free to do what we want for the rest of the day, since we ended up finishing the exam early. The final results of the exam between our class, and Class B were that our class ended up winning 100 class points from winning the whole exam, and a combined total of 210 points earned through elimination by me, Karma, and Koenji.

Although I have lesser eliminations, and Karma and Koenji tied for most eliminations, because of the 1.5x multiplier myself and Karma have for being the bounties, I ended up tying with Koenji at 60 points, and Karma coming in first, with 90 points. All in all, our class earned 310 Class Points. However, because of the none participation of 10 of our classmates, we ended up being hit with a 100 class point penalty; a 10 class point penalty per absentees.

Additionally, the three of us also earn bonus prizes. I, in third most eliminations, ended up winning 500k private points. Coupled that with the fact that I also eliminated Ibuki, who was a bounty, I ended up receiving an additional 1,000,000 private points, giving me 1.5 M private points in total. Koenji, in second place, received 1M private points, and Karma in 1st place received 1 protection point, and an overwhelming 3M private points; 2M from getting the most number of eliminations, and for eliminating a bounty, Albert, whose private point value was at 1 million private points.

Before this all began, our class has 283 class points, Ichinose's Class C has 539 class points, Ryuen's Class B has 565 class points, and Sakayanagi's Class A has 1169 class points. Because of the 100 class point penalty, our class was brought down to 183 class points, however, our win brought it back up again.

Thanks to our win here, our class should now have 393 Class points. Although we were still the lowest, we did gain a lot of momentum.

https//r/ClassroomOfTheElite/comments/hegvdk/spoiler_of_2nd_year_volume_1_class_points_chart/

Thanks to this exam, I was now clear of my classmates' hostility, and my reputation improved, though at the cost of Karma's, whose reputation was now shaky thanks to the display of his sadistic, and violent behavior. Neither of us are all too worried though, since he has a protection point, and it has been pretty much instilled into everyone's minds that he is probably the most indispensable member of the class, thanks to his remarkably high abilities. He also has our class leaders backing him, so no one will be bothering to get him out any time soon.

Speaking of which, Karma should be dealing with that person some time soon. While I'd tell him to stay out of trouble, this was gonna be one of the few moments when I'll let his sadism slide. Karma did tell me that he'll deal with that person, should they try anything to have me expelled. Before our exam began, they did in fact make a move, so now Karma will let them face retribution for their actions.

Tomorrow will be the match between Class A and Class C, which means that once they're done with their match, the overall standings of each class should be finalized. For now, it's better to get some rest. While I don't need it, it's not like there's more for me to do. I'll just leave the rest to Karma.

So I've finally managed to finish this chapter. I've gone over rereading it, revising, and trying to improve certain areas, hoping they'd come out well, and this was the result. Although I can't say it's the best, I'm at least satisfied that I finally got to write their duel.

I've actually taken a few inspirations from their duels. I've obviously made a ton couple of references to some fight scenes from the anime. For the gun fight, I actually got it from reading the 2nd Volume of the Bungo Stray Dogs Light Novels: The Dark Era. If you've seen the anime, go give it a read. Although they did a decent job in adopting it, it felt too short, and they left out some really good parts. I really liked the fight between Oda and Gide, so I took some inspirations from that.

If any of you are wondering if whether or not I'll write the match between Class A and Class C, I won't. That's because there's not really that many characters to go off of from both Classes, except for their prominent, and key players. Although, given that Sakayanagi is out of the picture, I think you can guess who I'm going to give the win to.

As for Karma, there's a couple more things that he'll be doing for this arc. I did mention in earlier chapter that this exam will be all about Karma. The arc is coming to an end, and I want to end it with him as the main focus. Because he is the main focus for this arc, the next arc, the island exam arc will be more focused on Kiyo. I want it to be different from the canon story, but keep some of the core elements.

I really appreciate everyone for supporting this story. Currently, we're at 9.6k reads, and 439 votes. When I first started this fic, I really didn't expect much. I was just writing to kill time, and have a change of pace from my usual hobbies. This has honestly been a good opportunity for me to take my mind off the stress from Uni, and I really appreciate everyone who picked up this story and enjoys reading it.

Although I have more time to write, because I'm on break, I do need some time to improve my writing. I've actually been going back to previous chapters and revising quite a few sections. Those who have read this story before it got 9k reads would probably notice some differences from then and now. Now that more people are reading this, I need to work on fixing a couple of areas. I've proofread this story multiple times, fixing some spelling mistakes, and even changing some phrasing to make it more readable, because I want others to be able to enjoy it.

Again, thank you everyone for supporting this story. The arc is coming to an end, and we're almost at 10k reads. I'm not really one for numbers, but holy shit that's a lot.

Next chapter would be more about behind the scenes works. There are a few hints to someone else being involved during the exam. Trust me, it's not who you think it is. I hope you look forward to what's to come next chapter. Once I've finished the last main chapter for this arc, I'm gonna be doing a couple of short stories from the perspective of other characters. If you've paid attention to past chapters, you could probably make a guess for two characters, who will be getting their own short stories.

Anyway, with enough being said, I'll see you guys in the next chapter. SEE YA!

Vol. 3, Chapter 4 - Loose Ends

Part 1

Once the duel between Karma and Koenji concluded, all students went back to their respective quarters. As they were given the day to freely do whatever they want, both Classes D and B decided to recuperate, and recover from whatever they sustained from participating in the exam. Classes A and C meanwhile, took this opportunity to train some more, and prepare themselves for their exam the next day.

As the students were doing their respective activities, a man was running through the forest, away from the exam site. Once he made it to the site's main entrance, he had to turn to a different direction once he noticed that there were more guards stationed there. He stealthily, but quickly made a beeline for a nearby cliffside, hoping to get away from that place.

He ran with all his might, huffing and puffing, nearly stumbling down along the way. Once he reached the cliffside, he stopped for a moment, his back hunched over, hands clutching his knees, as he tries to catch his breath. Before he could climb down to get to safety, a gun shot was fired right next to where his feet stood. He turned around, arms raised, and his eyes met with his pursuer - a man dressed in a camo uniform, with his spiky hair waving from the blowing wind. His stern expression was more serious than normal.

His pursuer approached him while pointing his gun. "You've done a good job hiding from us so far. Because of my position, I couldn't exactly make any sort of drastic movement without causing a panic. Instead I had some of my subordinates monitor you the moment I started to suspect something was up."

He slowly closed his distance, and the soldier looked at Agent Karasuma with pleading eyes. He was sweating bullets, not wanting to get caught, nor killed.

"Who are you? Who do you work for, and why were you trying to eliminate Ayanokoji Kiyotaka? His elimination during the first 20 minutes would have resulted in his expulsion. It wouldn't have been an issue if it were a student who got him out, but you were also tryin to ink him using Class B's team paint color. This tells me that whoever sent you must want him out of this school at all costs, and somehow had access to confidential information kept by the school."

The man immediately shook his head vigorously, denying the accusation thrown at him, but Agent Karasuma knew better. He had received a message prior to the day Classes B and D were to compete, that someone from his staff might try to interfere. Had Karasuma not been informed and made the wrong judgement, Ayanokoji's expulsion would have been assured.

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Lying won't do you any favors here. We checked the inventory, and found one of the air gun rifles missing from stock, along with a canister of blue bbs. Last night, at around 1 am, when everyone was asleep, one of your companions woke up to you leaving your quarters."

"I-I was just getting up to use the bathroom."

"Yes, that's what he told me as well. However, at around 9 pm, I personally checked the inventory of equipment to be used by the students, and not a single one was out of place. When we checked it again 6 am in the morning, a rifle, and a canister of blue bbs were missing. We checked the security footage, and found that someone had tampered with it. The one on charge for monitor that night also went missing."

The man sweat-dropped, trembling on his knees. "Are you saying I'm the one responsible for all this?!"

"Although we have no concrete proof, your little bathroom break at 1 am pinned you as the primary suspect. If you weren't guilty, you wouldn't have been trying to run away from the exam site as soon as the duel was over."

"Y-you were chasing me with a gun!"

"You were already running before I even started chasing you. Now talk, who are you?!"

The man couldn't speak. If he did, much more awful things are going to happen. He remembered back in the exam that he hid himself up in the trees, where he hid the rifle he stole from the inventory. He remembered repeatedly shooting Ayanokoji, but kept missing. The first time he shot him, he only barely missed. He was gonna follow it up with another shot, but Ayanokoji quickly jumped down, eliminated an opponent while at it, then ran away with his companion.

The main kept waiting for an opportunity to strike again, and used the barrage of bbs fired at Ayanokoji and Hirata as they were being chased by Class B students as the perfect cover. He kept firing, but missed each time. The person who sent him to eliminate Ayanokoji and have him expelled warned him that Ayanokoji was incredibly sharp, and skilled.

The first shot was fired at Ayanokoji while he was in his hiding spot, the very tall pine tree he was on when the exam started. He already had suspicions that an outsider would be sent to eliminate him. The rogue soldier's first shot warned Ayanokoji that someone from the staff must be out to get him. The way it was fired indicated some level of professionalism. He was only able to detect it at the very last minute, and only barely managed to dodge.

Since then, he heightened his guard. The last shot fired was blocked when Karma threw his knife. Karma was able to detect the incoming bb fired at Ayanokoji, and protected him.

The man did not say a word. Despite Agent Karasuma's intimidating gaze, he'd rather deal with him than the one who tasked him with getting Ayanokoji Kiyotaka expelled. The person who sent him said these words.

"I will not accept failure of any form. If you fail, do not let them capture you by any means necessary! Unless you want your family to suffer a similar fate to my former butler and his son."

Those words rang through the rogue soldier's ears. The man was a powerful figure in the political, and business arenas. His influence and power made it near impossible for anyone to oppose him. Many politicians, and businessmen were intimidated by him, and do not dare oppose him.

Afraid for the well-being of his loved ones, his own life was now the least of his priorities. He knew of one way he could protect them. As soon as Agent Karasuma got close, the soldier tugged on his own vest. He knew that even if he got out of there alive, he wouldn't be able to live with himself from whatever retribution his family might face from his failure.

Just before Agent Karasuma could reach the point of no return, a familiar voice called out to him from behind.

"KARASUMA-SENSEI!"

Agent Karasuma turned his head around to see Akabane Karma, who had ran after him from a distance. There was a sense of urgency in his voice, a complete turn around from his usual persona.

"GET BACK, NOW!"

Karasuma's eyes widened at his former student's warning. He quickly turned back to check on the rogue solider. As soon as his eyes laid upon him, the soldier opened his vest, revealing grenades strapped around his neck.

Not wasting a single second, Karasuma quickly turned around, and both he and Karma ran away from the soldier at monstruous speed. They weren't even out of the vicinity yet, when they heard the sound of a loud explosion. The soldier had pulled the pin, sacrificing his own life in order to take both of them out, all to make sure that whoever sent him doesn't get to his family.

The impact of the explosion was massive, that it blew both the assassin, and government agent away. Luckily they were far enough that they didn't get caught up in it, and they both got out unscathed.

While Karma was relieved to see that his teacher was alright, Karasuma had a different thought. Although he was thankful of Karma for warning him, and that they were both okay, he was disappointed that he couldn't save the soldier. He could tell that he was forced to do so. Whoever was behind this must have put a tight leash around him, to make him obediently follow their orders without hesitation.

"Are you alright, sensei?"

Karasuma got up, brushing off the dirt and dust that was on him. "I'm fine. You?"

Karma nodded. "Same here. Good thing I made it on time."

"At first I had a hard time believing what you told me early this morning, but it seems that you and your friend are caught up in something big."

The night prior to the Class D vs Class B exam, Karma had asked Ritsu to deliver a message to Agent Karasuma's phone, telling him that he had something urgent he needed to discuss. The matter was private, and Karma didn't want anyone else finding out, so he asked his former teacher to meet him at 5 am behind the main building.

Karma knew that just rigging the exam wasn't gonna cut it for that man, so he had to prepare in the event someone was sent to directly interfere with the exam in order to get either of them out. Karma told Ayanokoji that he'll take care of it ahead of time, and that he should just keep his guard up.

"I guess we are, huh?"

Karasuma eyed at him suspiciously, but also concerned. "I know your matters private, but aside from wanting some competition, as well as reuniting with a long lost friend, what other reason do you have for entering Advanced Nurturing High School?"

Karma knew he couldn't keep things a secret from his former teacher forever. He probably suspected that there was something bigger going on when he asked him to aid him in his transfer, as well as the peculiarity behind the arduous process. He decided to tell Karasuma a portion of the truth, without revealing too much.

"Let's just say, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's father is quite the man."

"Ayanokoji, huh? I thought the name sounded familiar. While I had never personally met him, I heard that he has quite the influence."

"Yes. Kiyotaka is his son. No. It's probably more accurate to say that he sees him as his property." Karma said this with a more serious tone. His smile, and nonchalant attitude were gone. This was now a Karma that Karasuma did not recognize. This concerned Karasuma, as he had never seen Karma like this, not even when he faced strong assassins, nor when he had discord with Nagisa.

"Hi property? I had heard that the man called Ayanokoji was quite ruthless, but this is still hard to believe."

"I know what you mean, however it is the truth. Kiyo and I have a long history, so I'm very familiar by how his father, Ayanokoji-sensei, operates."

Karasuma was stunned. Not only from Karma saying he was familiar with Kiyotaka's father, but also by him calling him "sensei".

Karasuma's eyes narrowed at Karma. "You called him sensei."

"Yes, I did." Karma paused briefly, uncomfortable with talking about his past, but he knew that if he were get his former teacher to aid him, he would need to be a little more transparent than usual.

"I suppose you could say he played a big part in me growing up, right until moments before I entered middle school. To tell you the truth, my original last name isn't even Akabane, and neither my parents now are my biological parents."

Karasuma was shocked by this revelation, but he could see how sensitive this matter was to Karma, so he chose his words carefully, hoping to not pry in to dangerous territory and make the boy even more uncomfortable.

"Did he raise you of some sort?"

"I suppose you could say that, though it's more accurate to say he was weaponizing me. I was a very different person prior to meeting both Nagisa and Korosensei."

Karasuma was baffled. "Weaponizing? I always thought that your strength and devilish mind weren't normal. I could also tell there was some part about yourself that you've kept hidden. It always felt off. No offense."

Karma shook his head, reassuring his teacher. "None taken. To tell you the truth, I've been hiding a lot during junior high. I haven't told anyone. Not my adopted parents, and not even Nagisa, yet Korosensei somehow figured it all out, and gave me an opportunity to sort myself out."

"Is that why you entered Advance Nurturing High School? I won't ask you about your past if you're not comfortable with it."

Karma nodded his head. "As annoying as he is for his habit of stalking, I can't deny that I'm thankful for what he's taught me, and the others. It was thanks to this opportunity he gave me that I could... get some closure, and... hopefully..."

Karma thought about telling Karasuma what else he had planned, but held his tongue from finishing the last part. Karasuma knows it's a sensitive subject, so he opted to not ask him to finish his sentence. From what Karasuma understood, the figure named Ayanokoji-sensei was not an affectionate man. Karasuma thought that this factored in to the reason why many fear him, and dare not oppose him. Then, he realized something about his former student.

"Seeing as how you're telling me all this, I'm guessing you need some help."

Karma gave a small nod, unsure if his former teacher was actually willing to lend a hand.

"Karma, although you are no longer my student, and I am no longer your teacher, I do still hold some sense of responsibility to you, and the rest of the former Class E. Both Irina and I will step in should any of you are in need our help, as long as it is within our power to do so. He would have done the same thing."

Karma smiled for the first time since meeting him at the cliffside area, happy at his former instructor's words. "Thank you, Karasuma-sensei. I told you all that so that you would better understand my situation. I can't say too much though, since that would involve compromising Kiyo's school life even more. It's highly likely that these next 2 years will be the last time we'll ever see each other, so I'd like to make the most of it and use everything I've learned under that perverted octopus to make these two years aren't wasted."

Karasuma nodded. Karma was thankful that it was Karasuma he was talking to. It was no secret that he holds him in high regard. He felt that he was easy to talk to. Normally if he had a problem, Karma would keep it to himself, however this was different. Because of the time he spent with his former PE teacher, he felt like he could trust him enough to ask for help.

"Everything I've told you about Ayanokoji-sensei is barely a scratch on the surface. There's more layers to that man. Anyone who has ever opposed him has either broken down, or never made it out alive. I don't think I need to prove to you what happens when someone fails him." He says that last part while looking at the direction of the explosion.

Agent Karasuma understood that this was much more dangerous than he thought. If they were truly up against someone with that much power and malice, then that's a threat that could even give the octopus a hard time. Karasuma's eyes furrowed, then suggested that they report this incident to the school. Karma, however, shook his head, immediately rejecting this idea.

"Bad idea. The current Acting Director is a subordinate of Ayanokoji-sensei's. If you report this, it'll just be covered up by the school. It might even put a target on your back."

Karasuma's gaze narrowed. "His subordinate? Is that why your transfer was so tedious?"

"Yes. Back where we came from, Kiyo and I were pretty notorious, and we made quite the name for ourselves. We've garnered a reputation for being on top of the pecking order, and none could knock us down." This piqued Karasuma's interest, but he decided it was best not to interrupt the boy's explanation.

"Ayanokoji-sensei pretty much groomed us to be his ultimate pawns at a very young age. The path we faced was tough, but we endured it all. He is a man who would stop at nothing until he gets what he wants. Proof of that is what happened with our deceased friend over there, whose exit would make Deidara proud." He points to the direction of the explosion in order to emphasize his point.

"About four years ago, I was able to escape his grasp, due to certain circumstances. I later learned from Korosensei, in that ridiculously thick book he left us, that he and his former lackey were actually involved in that incident, back in his days as the Reaper. The people that were with me were all killed by them, but I was left alive because I was a child. They were targeted, because the one who sent Korosensei, then known as The Reaper, held a grudge against Ayanokoji-sensei."

Karasuma did his best to hide his surprise, but it was clear that he was dumbfounded. Whatever Karma went through was beyond what he could imagine. He was beginning to understand why Korosensei left him such a parting gift. He was directly involved in freeing Karma from Ayanokoji-sensei's oppressive grip.

He recognized Karma as the boy he spared back then. By digging in to the case that was assigned to him at that time, he was able to find out the truth behind Karma's background, and he personally took it upon himself to also give Karma the opportunity to reunite with his long lost friend, hoping to free him as well.

Karma's and Ayanokoji's background as White Room students were kept secret from the government. Karma was careful that he did not slip up, since if Karasuma were to ever learn about the White Room, his and possibly Irina's life would be in serious danger, regardless if they're protected by the government or not. The government could only protect them for so long, but retaliation can be done in many forms.

"The reason why Kiyo is even out here is because Korosensei orchestrated certain events that led to him escaping his father's grip. He disobeyed Ayanokoji-sensei's orders in returning to where he came from, and now he's doing everything in his power to get Kiyo back, including replacing Chairman Sakayanagi with the current Acting Director, as well as blackmailing someone in getting Kiyo expelled. Part of the reason as to why I came here is to back him up."

Karma finishes his explanation. It was a lot for Karasuma to take in. They were dealing with someone whose influence pollutes the political and business arenas. Case in point, this man is trouble.

"I see. If that's the case, then we'd have to even consider the school as an enemy."

"Only until Chairman's Sakayanagi's allegations have been cleared. From what I've been told, the Chairman has every intent in respecting Kiyo's wish to stay. However, from the look of things, he probably won't be returning to office any time soon. What makes things especially difficult is that Ayanokoji-sensei is very good at covering his tracks. He'll resort to anything to protect himself. Bribery, blackmail, even threatening and taking lives."

Karasuma pinches his nose bridge and racked his brain for a moment. This was something that not even the Ministry of Defense would have an easy time handling. A corrupt figure in the political arena would be tough to take down without any concrete evidence. On top of that, Ayanokoji-sensei has a massive reputation amongst many powerful figures. Even if evidence were to present itself, he'd have them back him up.

Karasuma looks his student in the eye, and asks: "Do you intend to take down that man? While I do no doubt your skillset, you're still a teenager. You also have that no outside contact policy at your school. You could probably by-pass that through Ritsu, but you still lack the necessary fighting force to complete such a complex task. Even if I file an appeal to the Ministry of Defense, that man holds a lot of influence. Without any indisputable evidence, the chances of success are very slim."

Karasuma makes a very valid point. Even if Karma were one of the best of the White Room's Demonic 4th Generation at some point, as well as a highly trained assassin, there are some things that are beyond one's grasp. However, this did not faze him. He just looked at his former mentor with a wide grin, and eyes filled with determination.

"Do you recall what you said about Bitch-sensei back on the island, and how Korosensei described what made him, the Reaper, the world's deadliest assassin?"

Karasuma perked up. "Yes. 'The greater the assassin, the broader the skillset'."

"Korosensei taught us much, but he isn't the first monster I've had as a teacher."

Karasuma felt the air around Karma change as he continued.

"You said I have quite devilish brain, right? Well, truth is I've always had a knack for scheming; Kiyo as well. During Class E's civil war, as well as our final battle against those army soldiers, I've only barely begun to make use of my mind."

Karasuma felt Karma's overwhelming bloodlust, and it was suffocating.

"Ayanokoji-sensei pretty much used me as a pawn for nearly over 10 years of my life. While I've gained a lot of strength and knowledge because of him, it was at the cost of my psyche, and my humanity. I don't take kindly to people who use me against my will."

Karasuma's eyes widened, and face twitched slightly as he imagined Karma's bloodlust taking form in his mind.

"Had I spent any more time with him, I would have permanently become a pawn for his desire to gain more power. To that end, I will live up to my title as a demon, and use everything at my disposal to put him in his place. This isn't simple logic. It's the manipulation of a demon who erodes people's souls. I may not be able to travel at mach 20 like Korosensei, but the ability to destroy the crux of that man's existence is the only ability I need."

Karasuma felt uneasy by the boy's shift in nature, but he tried his best to hide it. He didn't let this affect his judgement. He understood that Ayanokoji-sensei dealt a severe blow to Karma's mind, and groomed him from a young age to become his pawn. No doubt that that man has caused a lot of suffering, and it was only a matter of time until he was put down. For that to succeed, the government echelons would need Karma's knowledge.

"If you're really determined on doing this, then all I ask is that you be careful." He understood that Karma was no normal student. The way he took command of both his previous class, and his current class proved his talents. Karasuma thought to himself that Karma most likely foresaw everything that was gonna happen in this exam, and wasted no time taking action to prevent that man from getting his way.

"I know who I'm up against. I'm fully prepared to tackle whatever he may throw at me."

"Ordinarily I wouldn't want you to get involved in something so dangerous, however you've proven yourself to be very capable." A smirk slowly crept on to Karasuma's face. "You graduated from Class E, while also completing your assassination assignment. You've proven your worth again in this exam, and even prevented me from sustaining any major injuries from what happened earlier. Even with all that, it seems there's a lot more to you than you originally let on, so please continue to show me, Irina, and that octopus what you're truly made of, Akabane Karma."

Karma cheeks began to heat up, and he gave him a faint, but warm smile. "Of course. I'm an assassin from Class 3-E afterall."

Karasuma nodded. "Now then, where do you suggest we begin? If even the school cannot be of any help, then you guys will be targeted from multiple angles. The Ministry of Defense can't act unless there is concrete proof."

"You're right about that, and the only lead we have, or would have had, is blown to smithereens. However, if things continue going at this pace, an opportunity for you guys to open an investigation will present itself. I guarantee it."

"If that's the case, then it would be best for you to lay low for a while. For now, we'll have to wait until we can get our hands on some information. You've already put yourself in harm's way It's best you get some rest."

Karma nodded. "Yes. Of course. I was actually able to get video evidence of that man blowing himself up. If we could only prove that Ayanokoji-sensei got him to do what he did, then that's grounds for investigation, and that poor person won't be dishonored."

"Yes, you're right. I'll do some investigation on my part as well. One of my colleagues blowing himself up is still something I have to report to my superiors. I'd report it to the school, but like you said, your acting director is most likely gonna cover it up."

"You're right. Whatever you do, just please be careful, sensei. It's probably best not to tell anyone what we've discussed. If you do, not only will that put a target on your back, but on others' as well. I only discussed this with you because I trust your judgement."

"Wait until it's the right time to strike, huh? I'm fine with that. If I do find anything, I'll notify you through Ritsu. Please do the same as well."

"Got it."

Karasuma nodded. "Let's end this discussion here. It's best if you head back to your class now. People might get suspicious if we're seen together."

"Alright, but what about you, sensei?"

"I'll have to take care of things here first. I'll do a double check with my colleagues, just in case any of them have other agendas."

"Very well. I really appreciate you doing this for me, sensei."

"It's not an easy task, but it's only inevitable that someone took care of him. What about you? What will you do now?"

"Oh, there's still a few matter I have to attend to in my class. There's no need to get involved since it's a class matter."

"Very well. Take care then."

"Alright, I'll be off, and say hi to Bitch-sensei for me!"

Both of them waved each other goodbye, and their discussion ended. Karasuma felt uneasy with the whole situation. Karma just came knocking on his door step, introducing him to a potentially dangerous adversary. Still, he trusted the boy as one of his students and soldiers. He also feels more at ease knowing that he'll have the guidance of Korosensei to protect him.

He looks back at the rubble caused by the explosion. He feels guilty for not being able to save the soldier, but he knows he can't let this shake him up. He looks to the sky and mumbles to himself.

"I wonder what you would do at a time like this, you trouble maker?"

Part 2

(Ayanokoji POV)

It was now evening. The special exam between our class and Ryuen's class concluded with us being the victors. It ended with a duel between Koenji and Karma, to see who would take the top spot for most eliminations. The duel was fierce, but ultimately, Karma came out victorious, though at a cost.

The duel between him and Koenji had exposed Karma's sadistic nature to everyone. Despite his immense contribution to the class in this exam, it did not negate the fact that people were now gonna be fearful of him; both from our class, and other classes. Luckily he had both Horikita, and Yosuke to defend him in case of any backlash. While they don't necessarily have to like the guy, they also knew that they can't do anything to him, since his contributions, as well as our class leaders are there to back him up.

Karma didn't seemed too bothered by this though. Right now I was in our quarters, along with my other roommates Yosuke, Keisei, Akito, and Sudo. This actually works in our favor, since all four of them were some of the few people who didn't distance themselves from Karma. He isn't here right now though, since he had something to take care of elsewhere, but they were still willing to talk to him as normally as they could. Although they find his sadistic nature to be problematic, they also know that he isn't unreasonable. Unlike many of our other classmates, these four actually got the chance to spend time with him.

Right now everyone was resting after an intense day. Although Sudo and Akito weren't able to participate in this exam, they were still dejected that they fell for Ryuen's underhanded tricks. Keisei was also eliminated fairly early on. He was probably internally fuming that he couldn't do much, since he's bad when it comes to athletics. Yosuke on the other hand looked like he wanted to die. He was exhausted after running for so long, and his feet were probably very sore.

"Are you feeling alright, Hirata? If your feet hurt, you should probably go have it checked." says Akito, concerned at Yosuke's well-being.

"I'm fine Miyake-kun. It's no big deal."

Sudo then voiced his own concerns. "Are you sure Hirata? I've noticed that you've been walking funny. No offense"

"None taken. Although I'm used to running for the soccer club, I'm just not used to running that much. Don't worry, I'll been fine after some rest. What about you two? Are you guys alright?"

"Ah. Well my stomach stopped hurting some time after the exam started. I still feel a little weird, but it's nothing serious. They said we'll be completely fine by tomorrow. What about you, Sudo?"

"Same here. Gah! I still can't believe Ryuen got us again! I'm so mad right now!"

Sudo's frustration was understandable. He made a promise that he'd make up for his shortcoming from last year's sports festival. He definitely feels awful for not being able to help this time around, all because he, again, got done in by Ryuen.

"I know what you mean." Says Keisei. "But still. We were able to come back from this thanks to Kiyotaka, Akabane, and Koenji."

All three of them were now looking at me.

"It's really nothing special." I said.

"Dude, seriously?" Says Akito in annoyance.

I could also see Yosuke sighing with a somewhat annoyed face. I guess I can no longer use this excuse. The display of my feats during the exam have shifted people's perception of me. Although they know view me in a better light, I'm still not used to all the praises.

"Kiyotaka, your skills and modesty are both admirable and irritating."

Sudo, Keisei, and Yosuke all nodded in agreement. I'm guessing this is the part where my 'it was Horikita's plan' excuse wouldn't do me any favors anymore.

"Seriously you guys. I just ran as fast as I could to avoid elimination. I haven't even gotten that many eliminations in comparison to Karma and Koenji." I tried to use this excuse, at least hoping it would shift their attention to those two freaks of nature.

Yosuke sighs again, and shook his head. "Kiyotaka-kun, I'm sorry, but your modesty isn't gonna work on us here." The others nodded.

"He's right Ayanokoji. Seriously, stop down playing yourself. I mean, yeah you got less eliminations than those guys, but you still did really great! I mean, we saw you fight both Ishizaki and Ibuki at the same time!" Sudo's praise at my performance only furthered his evaluation of me.

Keisei nodded at Sudo's sentiment, and gave his own input. "He's right, Kiyotaka. What you did out there isn't something a lot of us could do."

"Yeah, man. You guys really saved our butts this exam. Thanks for that." Akito motions for a punch, signaling he wanted to bump fists or something.

"Thanks, but I really can't take all the credit. Koenji and Karma did way more than I did. I guess part of why I did so well is because Karma just brings out my competitive nature." It wasn't a complete lie. It's always been like this, even as far back as when we were in the White Room. Even back then, I would sometimes hold back, but if Karma demands a challenge, we both go at it without restrictions.

"Well whatever it is, it's undeniable that we need you guys if we're ever going to reach class A. You guys are amazing! Ugh... I guess the same goes for Koenji." says Sudo crossing his arms at that last part.

I was about to say something, when Yosuke butted in. "I agree that we do in fact need them to get to Class A, but we also have to work on our individual strengths as well. We can't keep relying on them, or even Horikita-san forever. We're gonna have to work hard so that we can't keep burdening them"

Yosuke my hero. You saved me the trouble of having to come up with an excuse to take a step back.

"You're right." Says Keisei. "As much as I want to commend Kiyotaka and the others for our win, the rest of us really haven't done anything to contribute. All thanks to Ryuen and his underhanded tricks."

The mood in the room shifted. "Yeah. I know what you mean." Sudo says begrudgingly. "Damn it! I'm so not letting that jerk get away with this!" He clenches his fists as he said that.

Keisei's eyes furrowed, sharing Sudo's frustration. "Not only did Ryuen sabotage us by lacing your guys's food with something, but he also saw through all of our strategies, and plans. It's like he had inside information somehow." He has no idea how accurate his guess is.

"But, that's impossible right? I mean who would willingly sell out their own class?" asks Akito.

"Yeah, I know. It seems ridiculous, but maybe Ryuen threatened one of us in to giving out information or something, or had them spy on us from a distance." Keisei argued.

"It does sound like something he would do, Yukimura-kun. If Ryuen-kun did threaten someone, he'd probably have them keep their lips sealed tight. If that were the case, we really shouldn't berate that person. It's not their fault." Yosuke agrees with Keisei's claim. Although he too doesn't like the idea of one of our own selling us out, he was understanding enough to not lay blame to that person if Ryuen threatened them. IF Ryuen threatened them, that is. Little do these guys know that the information leak was done willingly, and out of spite.

As we were talking, Yosuke asked another question. "By the way, Kiyotaka-kun, where's Akabane-kun? I haven't seen him since returning to our quarters."

All eyes and ears were now on me. I can't tell them what he's really up to. "He said he had something to take care of, though I'm pretty sure he's just lazing around somewhere alone." Even if he wasn't moving behind the scenes, something like lazing around somewhere would still explain his absence, since he's done this a lot these days.

"Oh, I see. Did you at least tell him about myself and Horikita-san wanting to talk to him?"

I nodded. "Yeah. He'll lend you an ear, but you're probably gonna have to wait a while longer for that."

"Why?"

"I just don't think it's best to have that talk right now, considering everything that's happened."

"Ah. I guess you have a point."

Yosuke and Horikita have been needing to talk with Karma to discuss his unsettling behavior. They wanted me to come along to act as some sort of middleman in case they don't meet eye to eye. I really didn't want to do this, but I also want to see how they would handle it.

"Man, I still can't believe what he did to Koenji." Says Akito with a grim expression. Although Karma isn't an official member of the Ayanokoji Group, he still had lunch with us from time to time. Sometimes when the Ayanokoji Group get together in my room, Karma would be there, since he sometimes drops by unannounced to hang out and show me some stuff, like comics, and video games. The revelation of his sadism, and violent behavior must have shook them, since they've pretty much grown fond of him of some sort.

"I get what you mean, Akito. He was unlike how he normally is when he hung out with us." Says Keisei with an unsettled tone. He was probably having second thoughts about Karma now.

Yosuke then tries to ease the tension by reassuring everyone. "Still though, what Sudo-kun, and Karuizawa-san said earlier made sense. If he were a full on sadist, he would have done more damage to our classmates earlier on. He's probably just like that when he's in a fight."

"Yeah, you have a point, Hirata. It's just that, it's really just surprising to see that from Akabane. Was he always like that, Kiyotaka?"

There was a brief pause before I answered. "Sorry if you guys find it unsettling, but I can assure you he's had a lot of growing. He's changed a lot since the last time I saw him. Rest assured, if his friends are ever in any danger, he'll jump in to save them."

If it were the Karma from years ago in the White Room, then I think it's suffice to say that Koenji's life might have been in mortal danger. Despite his violent tendencies, he has better restraints now than before. Although he's much less violent, his teasing habits more than make up for it. I sighed internally.

"So he'll fight for his friends, huh?" Akito says, seemingly less unnerved.

"He's told me of some stories from his time in Junior High. About how he can't stand how some teachers think very lowly of students who don't excel. Despite his violent tendencies, he does have a moral compass. That's why a lot of people from his old class respect him, though that really doesn't stop him from beating up a lot of people, which made him pretty infamous back in his home."

To think that demon would grow a heart. Unlike him though, I was already past the point of no return. While I'd like to be able to feel emotions like him, the most I could feel now is annoyance. The years that followed his disappearance was grueling. Karma was the only one keeping my humanity in check. Once he left, those four years pretty much killed off any semblance of it I had left. I'm still hoping that I'd be able to learn what they feel like though, like love and happiness. That's why I I'll do anything to protect my freedom here, and I'll use everything at my disposal to do so.

Just then, Sudo spoke up. "Well, I guess if he wants to fight to protect his friends, I think I'm cool with that." My words seem to have appealed, not just to him, but the others as well.

"Yeah. I guess I'm willing to give Akabane ano-" Before Akito could finish, the door to our quarters swung open, and the devil himself arrived with a strawberry milk in hand.

"Hm? Akabane what now?" The red haired devil strolled through the room, and stopped infront of everyone.

"Oh, hello Akabane-kun. Where have you been?" asks Yosuke, trying to his best to not seem nervous.

"Oh, I was just taking a stroll around the site. Karasuma-sensei spotted me, and we just did some catching up. Nothing important." He said that last part while eyeing me, as if telling me 'The problem's taken care of.' Thankfully, no one else seemed to pick up on it.

"I see. What were you two talking about?" While Yosuke asked this, Karma made his way over to his bed, and then sat on it cross-legged.

"He was just checking in on me. We also talked about the past and what not. Really nothing special." As he finished talking, he takes out a manga from his bag. I looked at the cover, 'Doctor Stone'.

"I didn't think you read manga, Akabane-kun."

"Even when you hang out with us, you rarely talk about it." says Keisei.

Karma looked at them for a bit, then turned to a certain page.

"Well, it's not that I hide it. I just don't have anyone else to talk to about it, who's on the same wavelength as me."

"Really? Not even Kiyotaka-kun?"

I interjected. "I'm not really a big manga reader though. I'll watch some anime, but manga is different. I prefer reading classical books."

"I'm an avid reader of classical books too, but my interests shifted over to manga and light novels some time around Junior High. I sometimes try to get Kiyo here to read some, but..." His eyes shifted across the room.

"I couldn't get in to them. They're just not my thing. I do try some light novels though." Manga as a format was strange to me. I am trying to get in to the Koten-bu light novels, since the anime adaptation doesn't have a 2nd season. Although the school setting was never something I'd be able to relate to, I do like the mystery aspect of it, as well as the main character. I may as well take up his motto.

"Oh. Well I guess people just have different tastes then." says Yosuke.

"Now that I think about it, Akabane" Keisei spoke up. "Is reading your manga and novels the reason why you sometimes hang out in the library?"

"Well that's one of it. A lot of the times I just sleep in an obscure area, because of how quiet the place is." He didn't even hesitate to admit that he just sleeps at school.

"I see, but won't you get in trouble if you're sleeping?"

Karma chuckles. "That's only if you get caught. I analyzed, and memorized the lay out of the layout of the library and its security cameras. I just sleep in spots where people don't normally go, or where the cameras won't be able to see from the angle they're positioned in. I learned a lot about cameras thanks to a former classmate, who specialized in videography."

Everyone was surprised by what he said. Then, it was Sudo's turn to ask a question. "But, how'd you even know where the cameras are placed?"

Karma shrugged. "Just pure observation. You'd be surprised by how much you can accomplish once you put your mind in to it. It's just like what a famous actress always said. 'When my mind's fixed on something, I just keep rolling.'"

The others perked up. Then, Yosuke asked "That's Haruna Mase's most famous line, right?"

"Yep."

"Are you a fan of hers, Akabane? You should be pretty familiar with her works if you recognize that line, since she only ever says those in interviews." says Keisei.

Karma covered his mouth, trying his best to not laugh out loudly. "Oh, I'm very familiar with her." One would probably not think of something too much, but the way he phrased that was rather odd. If I recall, Karma had a celebrity for a classmate, who just went in with an alias. Could this be the person he was referring to?

Before they could ask more about this Haruna Mase, I decided to steer clear of that direction. I cleared my throat and brought up the earlier topic. "Anyway, Karma, what happens if anyone does happen to see you sleeping in the library? If it's a violation of the rules, they'll probably use that against you to get you in trouble."

"Oh that's right." Yosuke joined me, seeing as how this was an important matter. "You should probably not be sleeping in the library, Akabane-kun. We wouldn't want other classes having any leverage against you."

Karma just waved his hand. "Oh, don't worry about it. The easiest solution to that is just to make sure they don't be a tattletale."

"What do you mean?" asks Sudo.

"I mean that I'll just make sure they'll keep their mouth shut?"

The others tensed up, clearly not liking where this was going.

"Uh, and how would you do that?" Akito sweat-dropped.

Karma flashes a photo to the others while sporting a big grin. The photo shows him standing between two students, with his arms placed across their shoulder. The one to his left was a guy who looked like he was beaten up by him. The one to his right was a girl, who I assume to be his witness. Both of them were holding their respective student IDs, while looking at the camera.

"Like I said, there's nothing to worry about. Whenever I fight off-site, I sometimes make sure to silence any witnesses. The whole thing stays hush hush."

The others were gob-smacked. Yosuke's and Keisei's mouths were gaped open and they had a look of horror in their faces. Meanwhile Sudo and Akito looked conflicted. They know what Karma was doing was wrong, but they were also fighting the urge to laugh. I guess, as delinquents, or former delinquents, they can't help but find his antics, and nonchalance funny.

I, on the other hand, just sighed heavily.

"Um... Akabane-kun? I don't think you should be getting in to fights." says Yosuke worriedly.

Karma shrugged. "It's fine. You can't get in trouble if you don't get caught."

Akito chuckled lightly. "I mean, it is a good way of staying out of trouble." He mumbled, playing along.

Keisei looked at Akito in disbelief. "Akito, not you too."

Akito just rubs the back of his head and slyly smiled. "I mean, I've seen a lot of fights. I guess I'm just used to seeing this kind of thing.

Keisei just looked at him with an exasperated look, unimpressed by his immediate acceptance of Karma's outlandish behavior. "I get you were a delinquent, but that doesn't mean we could just let fighting resolve everything."

"Oh, don't worry about it." Karma interjected. "That guy deserved it. I was just waiting for the train while playing with my DS, when he bumped in to me and made me drop it. The screen of my DS got cracked, but the cartridge was fine. Instead of apologizing though, he just demanded I watch where I was going, even though he was the one who bumped in to me. You should've seen the look on his face when I took money out of his wallet for repairs. The girl in the photo was just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

The others looked stunned. They now understood what it takes for Karma to get physical. In their minds, they're probably thinking "Don't wrong him".

"Huh. Well I guess that guy was being a jerk." Said Sudo, finding Karma's excuse acceptable, but also funny.

"Exactly! Do you know how annoyingly slow Pokemon Diamond is? I just beat Fantina after a lot of arduous grinding for nearly an hour, and now I had to redo all that, because some guy couldn't even let me save after winning." Karma exclaimed. The rest of us just looked at him confused. None of us played Pokemon.

"I never took you for the Pokemon fan, Akabane. Yet again, you do read manga, so I guess it shouldn't be a surprise." says Akito.

Karma scratched his cheek. "Well like I said before, I just don't have anyone I can talk to about it here."

"Maybe you could try talking to Sotomura-kun and the others? They talk about games and manga all the time." says Yosuke, trying to get Karma to interact with more of our classmates.

"Meh. Those guys probably won't even come near me. Besides, I've heard some of their conversation. Their topics and preferences are... much too exotic for my tastes. They're also way too eccentric. I don't think I'd be able to hold a proper conversation with them without pulling my hair out."

"Really? What kind of of topics do they talk about?" Yosuke asks.

Both Sudo and I pretty much gave out the same reply. "You don't want to know."

Akito, Keisei, and Yosuke just shared a look of confusion. With Ike normally leading the guys's conversations, a lot of their topics can be pretty repulsive. Karma may be a sadist, but he's far from a pervert. At least, that's what I can tell.

The conversation continued on for a couple of hours, with the others just wanting to get to know Karma. Although he sometimes spends time with the Ayanokoji Group, he's usually quiet, and doesn't stay for long. His revelation as an 'otaku' piqued both Sudo's and Yosuke's interests. Although both Akito and Keisei have seen him reading manga before, they couldn't get a lot out of him since he doesn't usually talk about it much.

By the time we realized it, it was now time for dinner. Instead of spending dinner with the Ayanokoji Group, Yosuke made a different proposal.

"Say, I have an idea. If you guys are fine with it, we can continue this conversation over dinner."

Akito, Sudo, and Keisei agreed. They were now waiting for me and Karma. I really have nothing else better to do, so I went along with it. Karma, on the other hand still has an appointment with someone.

"Well I guess I don't mind." Seems his appointment can be done at a later time.

We slowly got up and made our way over to the cafeteria. We sat at a table and chatted as we have our dinner. There was a lack of Class A and C students, however, It seems that both classes were still prepping for their match tomorrow. As we were talking, Karma started getting bored of the conversation, so he took out his manga and started reading it. I also started zoning out, since I couldn't really relate to any of their topics.

Some time passed, and we were now heading back to our rooms, but Karma said he had something to take care of first. He made his way to the main lobby, while we headed back to our quarters. If my hunch is right, he'll be taking care of that person now.

Part 3

I left the group of girls, that I was with to go take care of something. None of them seem to suspect something was up. Earlier, I received a message from Ryuen-kun, telling me to meet him somewhere in the forest behind the main building. Although there were regularly monitors patrolling to make sure we don't hurt ourselves, this wasn't too far in to the forest that would require them to intervene.

As soon as I arrived, I met the man of the hour. I too have some things I want to discuss with him; mainly the turnout of the exam.

"I'm here." I called out to him as soon as I know we were hidden from everyone. By this time, everyone should be retiring to their quarters, or freshening up in the baths, so I don't have to worry about anyone from our year finding us out, meaning I can finally drop the mask.

"You're late." he replied.

"Before you say anything Ryuen-kun, I'd just like to ask, how does it feel to lose so bad after coming up with all those dirty tricks?"

Getting 10 of students of Class D to sit out the match, and having vital insider information didn't even get him anywhere. Although I would have loved to have seen those two get expelled, seeing this guy's class get defeated, even with his advantageous position is quite amusing.

"Kukukuku! You're quite arrogant for someone who's willing to betray her class just to keep her secret. Right, Kikyo?"

"Arrogant, huh? Couldn't the same be said about you though?"

"At least I can back myself up. You on the other hand have nothing going for you."

"Watch it Ryuen-kun. I can easily destroy your class if I want to."

"Kukuku! Go ahead. Even if you try something, I'll be sure to keep them all in line with as much force as necessary."

Unlike with our class and Ichinose-san's class, Classes B and A don't work on the sole premise of cooperation and teamwork. Getting those two classes to implode won't be easy. Even if I reveal everyone's secrets, both Ryuen-kun and Sakayanagi-san would be able to keep everyone in line.

"I thought I warned you before, Kikyo, to stop trying to expel Suzune if you value your life here."

"You know full well the lengths I would go through to protect myself."

"Yes, yes. That includes expelling me and those two monsters, right?"

"Yes, Ryuen-kun. That includes you too."

I don't care who I sacrifice, or who I work for just to make it happen. I'll get rid of everyone who knows my secret. Everyone has a weakness, including this scum in front of me.

"Kukuku. Speaking of those two monsters, you've got quite the guts trying to go after them, even with all your previous failures with Ayanokoji."

I could feel my face twitch. "I must admit, there's a lot to him than he originally led on. I don't understand him at all. At first I thought he was just some idiot with terrible social skills. I thought he was just a normal person, but after everything that happened last year, and this exam, I realized just how naive I was for thinking that."

The existence known as Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had proven to be much sharper, more athletic, and more gifted than I had originally thought. It's like there's two sides to him. One minute he'll act like a complete idiot, and in the next he can be a truly frightening person. If I'm not mistaken, he hasn't even shown what he's truly capable of.

Even if I rally the whole class against him, he always finds a way to avert repercussions. If it weren't for him, I'm confident I could've gotten Horikita-san expelled a long time ago. I'm sure that he was also the one behind her successes. Just him alone was bad enough, but now I have another problem.

Ryuen-kun's gaze was pretty much telling me that I forgetting something. I already knew what he was getting at. I'm not an idiot. "You've been looking at me funny, Ryuen-kun. You have something to say?" Even though I already knew, but I still asked him.

"Kukuku. Funny you should ask. First let me ask you, why are you insistent on expelling Akabane? Does he know your secret too?"

Normally I wouldn't have suspected him of knowing, but something felt off. When I first spoke to him, he told me that I resembled his friend. Ordinarily, I wouldn't think too much of it. So what if I resembled his friend? Still, it was as if he was implying something. As our days went on, I keep noticing him being with Ayanokoji-kun a lot. Although I have no proof, it's still quite possible that Ayanokoji-kun told him. Even if I'm not 100% certain, a mere 1% is still something I cannot allow to live by. As such, I need to expel him if I'm to continue living my student life here.

However, this guy was different. In a sense, he's also terrifying, much like Ayanokoji-kun. What really makes him difficult to expel though, are his skills. Upon enrolling, he's already cemented himself as one of our class's top students. Academic-wise, he's top of the class, along with Yukimura-kun, and even Koenji-kun. In terms of athletics, although he's clubless, his performance in this exam shows that he could take on even the likes of Ryuen-kun, Albert-kun, and even Koenji-kun. He even showed that he possesses the capabilities of leading everyone, but chooses not to.

His abilities aren't even the worst part. When he was fighting Koenji-kun, we all saw a horrifying side to him - one that takes pleasure in delivering pain to other people. I don't even want to imagine what he'd do to anyone that crosses him. If I'm not careful, I could be on the receiving end of his might.

The worst part however is that I can't even do anything to him. His skills make him invaluable, that even other class leaders praise him for it. If he were ever on the line for expulsion, Horikita-san, and even Hirata-kun would walk through fire to keep him around. I wouldn't even want to imagine a situation where he's in an enemy class.

While I'd like to protect my peaceful life here, I also want those Class A benefits. If I were to graduate from Class A, I could go somewhere where no one would know my secret. Then I wouldn't have to constantly worry about any enemies. Right now, having Akabane-kun, or even Ayanokoji-kun, and Horikita-san transferring to a different class would not be ideal. I have to expel them no matter what.

"I'm not 100% sure if he knows my secret, but I can at least tell that he has his suspicions."

Ryuen-kun cackles, then asks. "Oh really now? Why is that? Because of how close he and Ayanokoji seem to be?"

"No, it's not just that. In just my first interaction with him, it's like he's dropping hints to me or something."

"KUKUKU! Now that's interesting. Tell me something, Kikyo, do you really think you can expel of them?"

"I admit, it won't be easy, but I'll anything, and I mean ANYTHING to get them expelled."

I'll do it, even if I have to seek help from Student Council President Nagumo.

"Kukuku! Then let me warn you right now Kikyo, for your sake, you might as well just stop with whatever you're planning on doing. You might even suffer a fate worse than expulsion."

"A worse fate, huh? From the way you're speaking, it's like you speak from experience. We're all well-aware of your altercation with Akabane-kun, but where does Ayanokoji-kun fit in to all this?" I probably won't get anything, but I decided to press on. I have my suspicions, but I can't confirm anything.

He cackles, the replies in a mocking tone. "Who knows?"

Although his answer was evasive, he at least didn't deny any involvement he may have had with Ayanokoji-kun. I remember something back when he and Albert-kun were beaten by Akabane-kun during our training. He said something about losing to a certain monster once. If my hunch is right, that monster he spoke of must be Ayanokoji-kun. It makes sense.

It's no secret that Ayanokoji-kun also trained in fighting. Akabane-kun even hinted that Ayanokoji-kun could keep up with him. If that's the case, then he must also be capable of beating the likes Ryuen-kun, and Albert-kun. This situation seemed to be more dire than I thought. I need to be extra careful.

While I'd like to put the matter regarding both Ayanokoji-kun and Akabane-kun as top priority, there was something odd about the person in front of me.

"Ryuen-kun, what do you want from me? Did you just come here to gloat even after failing?"

"Kukuku. Failing? Who said my goal was to win this exam?"

"Wait, what?" I was confused. Did he not want to win?

"You really can't see the bigger picture, can you? I never intended to win. I already knew that we couldn't win against those two monsters, though I was quite surprised by Koenji's performance as well."

"Then what are you-?" He cut me off.

"Kikyo, did you really think your betrayal would have gone unnoticed by people from your class? How naive of you."

My eyeborws furrowed. "If you knew that your class could never beat them, then why did you go through all that trouble? Don't you think you're the one being naive here?"

"Kukuku. My goal was never to win. It was just to protect our bounties, as well as make sure that your class wouldn't gain too many points. That's why I had you drug their lunches. It would've been nice to have gotten more than just 10 out, but oh well. At least my class is still ahead in points. You may have gained points, but you also lost 100 class points, which negated the class prize."

So that was his goal, but something still felt off.

"Wait, even if that was your goal, you didn't put too much thought in your defense."

During the exam, Ryuen-kun got both his class's bounties to take advantage of the camouflage by covering themselves in leaves, thereby blending in with their surroundings. He also had them stationed at an obscure area, where no one would even think about going. Despite that, he focused much of his class's man power in to offense. There were probably only 4 people stationed as sentries for Ibuki-san and Albert-kun. That was a glaring hole in his plan. If anyone ever found both of them, those two would pretty much be left to fend for themselves.

"Kukuku. Oh that. Did you really think I wouldn't have considered the possibility of someone finding them?"

"Huh? If you did consider it, then why the lack of body guards?"

Ryuen-kun's smile widened, and he was softly chuckling to himself. "Kikyo, when you try to betray a class, at least try to consider who you're dealing with."

"What are you-" he cut me off again.

"Didn't I tell you, tell you before? Your betrayal isn't so inconspicuous."

"You're saying both of them found me out?"

"Just like that time at the Sport's Festival, as well as the Paper Shuffle. Both Ayanokoji and Akabane read you like a book."

"If that's the case, then they saw through your plan as well didn't they?"

"Kukuku, maybe."

Something still doesn't add up. He just looked at me. His eyes staring into mine, as if trying to drag something out of me. He probably knows what I was gonna say next.

"But if they saw through your plan, why didn't they do anything?"

His grin widened. His head tilts upward and his hands clutched his stomach as he began laughing maniacally. I started shaking, hoping that my fears weren't true. He then looked at me and answered my question. "Kikyo, when you make negotiations, it's important that both parties benefit from it, and that they don't betray each other."

I started seating profusely. I thought I was the only one making deals, but it seems he never had any intention of wanting my help to begin with. He then approached me closer. I tried to back away, but I bumped in to a tree. I tried to escape, but he pretty much had my back pinned.

"Wh-what are you-" He moves his hand, and holds my chin with his thumb and index finger.

"Let me tell you something, Kikyo. I like feisty women, but your overwhelming arrogance makes me sick. Everytime I get involved with you, I keep getting the short end of the stick. Yet, you use my failure and your class's success to gloat. You don't even play a part in any of that success. You're just jumping in on the boat, and mooching off others, while I don't completely have a problem with that, it's your pretentiousness that I can't stand.

In my eyes, you're useless. Probably even more useless than the 'ueue' in 'queue'. You're not even lifting a finger, yet you continue to gloat about your class's rise. This is something I honestly can't stand about you defects. You don't even know how you're winning, but you keep celebrating like it were a group effort. However you in particular are probably the one I can't stand the most. The defective among all defectives!"

My body and feet were trembling. I couldn't move, nor even speak.

"So what if people find out your secret? What? Are you gonna use your large social networking and influence to gain the upper hand? That's the only reason why Suzune even keeps you around. She thinks it's a useful weapon against other classes, both from our year, and and other years. However, her way of thinking is naive. Social networking is useful, but it can only get you so far. That might work on Ichinose and her class, but not me, not Ayanokoji, and not Akabane. You claim that you could expel me, Ayanokoji and Akabane? Give me a break. You're nothing but a joke!" He said all this with a menacing smile.

Although I was scared, I was also furious. He dares say all that to my face? I'll kill him for all I care!

"It was only a matter of time until you were dealt with. I was just waiting for the right opportunity." He lets me go, and started to distance himself from me.

"YOU!" I was so furious, that I wasn't even being careful of being heard by anyone else. Luckily, everyone should be indoors by now. I wanted to scream at him from the top of my lungs. I can feel my head bulging, my fists clenching, and my whole body heating up from my fury. However, he just kept looking at me with a smile.

"Kukuku. What's the matter Kikyo? You're making quite the hideous face right now."

"SHUT UP!" I snapped. "I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS RYUEN-KUN!"

He just laughs and shrugs. "KUKUKU! With what? I know you're not recording. It would be stupid of you to record our conversation, since it only hurts you! Unless you're more stupid than I thought, in which case just keep recording then. You have nothing on me!"

As much as I want to retort, I knew he was right. That's why I decided not to record. Still, I have to get him somehow, by any means necessary!

"I'LL KILL YOU IF I HAVE TO!"

He just laughs at me mockingly. I HATE HIM!

"Kill me huh? You're barking at the wrong tree defective trash."

THIS GUY!

"Kukuku. As much as I would like to deal with you, I made a promise to a certain someone that he'll deal with you himself."

My eyes widened.

"Wait, what are you talking about? WHO DID YOU MAKE A DEAL WITH?!"

"KUKUKUKU! Didn't I tell you? 'When you make negotiations, it's important that both parties benefit from it, and that they don't betray each other.' How do you think I was able to successfully protect Ibuki and Albert without any issues? Also, you could have been easily found out, and your involvement could have been easily traced back to me. That would have put our plan and your position in jeopardy."

My stomach started to churned, unsettled by this revelation. So there was an even bigger scheme going on under my nose?!

"B-but if..." I couldn't finish talking. I couldn't find the right words.

"What's wrong Kikyo? Cat got your tongue?"

My teeth gritted from rage. I'VE BEEN PLAYED AGAIN!

"You were gonna ask who I've made a deal with right? Let me answer your question with another question. Aside from Suzune, who do you think was against the idea of investigating the matter of your classmates' suddenly being ill, and who is that guy's partner?"

My fists clenched tighter, and my face twitched even more.

'SO THOSE TWO HAVE BEEN SCHEMING SINCE THE BEGINNING?! UNBELIEVABLE!'

"What did you even gain to hope from all this, Ryuen-kun?"

"Kukuku! Are you that stupid? Have you even been listening? I told you didn't I? I just wanted to protect Class B's bounties, and make sure your class doesn't gain too many points. You were pretty useful in that regard, but your usefulness ends here. I'd also rather not have some delusional, bitchy woman spouting nonsense about her trivial matters right at my face, and trying to expel me. You won't be a problem, but you will be annoying to handle down the line."

"WHAT DID YOU-" That last part made me snapped and I started yelling, but he cut me off with his laughter.

"KUKUKUKU! As much as I want to deal with you myself, I'm not going to. To that end, I made a deal with the devil."

As soon as he said that, an arm swiftly wrapped itself around my neck from above, and pulled me up the tree. Ryuen-kun also stepped back when it happened. When I opened my eyes, I saw a familiar face. His hair was red, hanging from the position he was in. His eyes were golden, looking at me, peering in to my very soul. I tried to break free, but his grip on me was tight.

"Hm? I know summer's a good time for fishing, but I seem to have hauled in a nasty catch."

His grip on me got tighter. I thought I could escape by pushing around, but the grip on his legs were tight. I couldn't get him to fall from the tree branch he was hanging from. I looked at Ryuen-kun, and he just found this amusing.

"Kukuku, I didn't even know you were up there! I thought you would've come later. How long have you been there, you red-haired devil?"

"Oh, a while. I may or may not have been listening in on your conversation the entire time."

"And yet you were able to hide your presence the whole time for that long? What are you, a ninja?"

Akabane-kun merely chuckled at Ryuen-kun's reaction. So he's been here the whole time and neither of us knew?

This guy is not normal! Who is he?! What is he?!

The display of his strength was not normal for a high schooler. Not even Koenji-kun, Ryuen-kun, and Albert-kun could beat him. On top of that, he seems to have a sadistic side to him; more so than even Ryuen-kun.

"As fun as being a ninja would be, Ryuen, I'm afraid not."

"Kuku. Say what you will. I'll leave her to you."

"Mhm. I'll be sure to give Bitch Face-san here a good time."

"KUKUKU! Bitch Face huh? I like it. It suits you, Kikyo."

"SHUT UP!" I snapped at both of them, but they just shrugged me off. They're making my blood boil even more. I HATE THEM SO MUCH!

"Such attitude. Do correct that, Akabane. I'll take my leave now. I've kept my classmates waiting long enough." With that, he left, and now it was just me and this monstrosity of a human.

"So where do we begin, Kushida-san?"

"HA! What? So you plan on telling everyone? Go ahead. You have no-" He cut me off by covering my mouth with his hand. He was gripping my mouth tightly, it almost felt like he was crushing it. I could probably escape if I bit it, but he was wearing those thick gloves that he wore during the exam.

"Have no proof? Humans are quite interesting, aren't they? They're rational beings, who work under the premise of logic and emotion, but the moment they're in a perilous situation, either their survival instincts kick in and they become more adaptable, or they become stupid. In your case, it's the latter. Did you really think I would just be listening in on your conversation without even considering the thought of recording it?"

My eyes widened. I realized how incredibly stupid that would have been. If he has incriminating evidence against me, I can't do anything to him. He releases his hold on my mouth, and points to a nearby tree branch. I see his phone strapped to it, with it's microphone pointed to our direction. I tried to swing my body towards it, hoping to kick the phone off with my feet, but each time I try, Akabane-kun's grip on me tightened. It's like he's trying to squeeze the life out of me.

"You really need to know your place in the pecking order. You may have the widest social networking in this school, but your backstabbing tendencies leave much to be desired. Having you as a minion would be pretty undesirable."

"Minion?! Do you really think I would do what you say?!"

I WILL NOT BE HIS PAWN!

"Hahahaha! Yes, I could, but I weighed my options. The usefulness of your social networking and influence weigh less than you being a liability. I'd also rather not want to have to deal with you on a regular basis either, so instead I will cut you a deal."

"A deal?! What are you-!" He places his hand on my mouth again.

"Shh~ Here's how this is gonna go. You're going to stop sabotaging the class. You're going to leave Horikita-san, Kiyotaka, and I alone. I could make you a minion, but your chances of staying in this school are rather slim. Your time here is pretty limited, so your usefulness wouldn't even last long, not like I have much use for you anyway."

He's saying it like I'm some disposable garbage. I swear, I'll get him for this!

"If you dare go against me, I won't hesitate to release that recording on to the school forums."

'NO! NO, NOT THAT!'

"If I do that, everyone will know what a two-faced bitched you are. No one will talk to you, let alone go anywhere near you. Everywhere you go, you will be ostracized. You can't even feel safe even in the comfort of your own room, since a lot of people know your room number.

When they see you, they'll continue to spout insults at you until you get home. You'll have no choice, but to endure all the torment, and I'm going to enjoy watching it all happen."

He let's go of my hand. I wanted to retort, but he has me stuck between a rock and a hard place. Then, I thought of a last attempt to get him to back down.

"HA! Go ahead and release it then. Do you even know the other reason as to why Horikita-san doesn't dare go against me?"

"Oh I can make a guess. Based on your wide social networking, you must hold a lot of information. Part of that information would be secrets right? Secrets that you can use to turn people against each other, even effectively destroying an entire class."

"Did Ayanokoji-kun tell you?"

"Whether he did or not doesn't matter."

"What do you mean? I could destroy all of Class D if I want to."

He chuckles. "I suppose you could, but have you not considered that I would've accounted for that eventuality?"

"Wha-"

"If I wasn't prepared to handle that, I wouldn't have gone through with this plan. Honestly Kushida-san, you're really not the sharpest tool in the shed are you?"

I grit my teeth. "And what do you mean by that?"

"I'm saying you're stupid. You pride in yourself for being an excellent student? Don't make me laugh. Let me give you an example. When you drugged the others' lunches, amongst the group of girls you were with, only you and Matsushita-san weren't affected. Matsushita-san wasn't affected, because she arrived later than all of you, so you didn't have time to lace it with whatever substance you put in their foods.

It really begs the question, how come you're not affected, Kushida-san? Afterall, you were the one who was carrying everyone's trays. As for the boys, I saw that you offered to buy for Ike-kun's group, which included Sudo, Hondo-kun, and Sotomura-kun. As to how you convinced them to let you offer them lunch, you did it under the guise that you wanted everyone to try out your favorite soup. Because they're simps, they didn't think too much of it. Yes, it was delicious indeed, but it also hid the scent and taste of the drug.

You only specifically drugged the ones from Sudo, and the snipers of the boys to not make it obvious that you were the one drugging them. It would be suspicious if all of them in that group suddenly fell ill after you offered them soup, afterall. As for how Ike-kun managed to escape that fate, and how Miyake got ended up falling ill despite being at our table, it was because Miyake also wanted to try it out.

When he saw you ordered them, he got up and ordered one for himself. As soon as he turned around, Ike-kun bumped in to him and spilled all of Miyake's soup. To compensate, he gave him his soup free of charge, and ordered another one for himself. I may not have any evidence, but it all fits the bill."

I listened to him in awe. I was to shocked to speak. He figured out all that from just that time frame? I knew he was smart, but his levels of deduction is terrifying.

"Y-you don't ha-"

"Have any evidence? You really are stupid. Your admission of guilt was recorded when you and Ryuen were having your little chat."

Damn it! He set me up! Then, and idea sprung to mind.

"You said that you were recording the whole time, weren't you?"

"Yes, that's right." he replied.

"Then that means that you also recorded the part where Ryuen-kun admitted to striking a deal with you and Ayanokoji-kun. If you release that recording, then-"

"Let me stop you right there." He cuts me off again. "You do realize editing is a thing right? It's not that hard to cut out audioclips. Honestly, my expectations for your brain capacity were low, but HOLY FUCK are you dumb!" He says that while laughing.

"GAH!" I screamed and tightened my grip on his arms. I don't appreciate his insults, but what else can I do? He has me in a headlock, and I can't do a thing about it.

"I swear, YOU'LL REGRET THIS! I'LL KILL YOU IF I HAVE TO!" I meant it. However, it's like some sort of flip switched in him. His eyes, and smirk widened, but his expression was much darker.

"Kill?"

"Huh?"

He chuckles. "Kill, huh?"

The air around him started to change. I don't know what it is, but it felt like something was coiling itself around me. His aura darkened, and the air around him was suffocating. I've felt it when he fought against Ryuen-kun, Albert-kun, and Koenji-kun, but this time it was more intense.

"Interesting word of choice, Kushida-san. Do you even know what that word means?"

"H-huh?" Before I knew it, I started stuttering meekly. The tone of his voice was much more different. It was a lot more menacing, and his eyes looked like they could kill me just from staring.

"You know, Kushida-san," as he said that, he pulls out something from his pocket.

'IS THAT A KNIFE?'

"You really ought to choose your words more carefully. Tell me something, are you prepared to put your life on the line?" He brought the knife closer to my neck.

It was green, was coated in red, and had S.A.A.U.S.O engraved on it. It looked like one of those rubber knives you can buy at a shop, but I can't shake off the feeling that it was the real deal.

I couldn't talk back. I was too afraid.

"Not gonna answer? Let me give you some advice then. Don't go around saying you're gonna kill someone if you yourself aren't even prepared to put your own life on the line."

It sounds like he speaks from experience. Does this mean he's killed someone before?! Who is he?! And what's his connection with Ayanokoji-kun?!

Several questions spiraled my mind. I was shaking the entire time. I lost my ability to properly form words.

"This'll be the last time I will ask you. Do you accept my terms?"

I tried to speak in protest, but I know that if I go against him now, I'll lose my chance at my peaceful life here. I will find a way to expel him, but for now I have to comply.

"F-fine. I-I'll do a-as yo-u s-say." I couldn't even talk properly. I was too overcome with so many emotions. He just kept looking at me with the same terrifying expression.

"Good, because if you dare oppose me, that recording, and your own expulsion would be the least of your worries."

"Wh-what?" Immediately after I asked that, he swiped the knife around my neck, and dropped me.

I fell on my knees, and I was clutching on to my neck while gasping for air. When I checked my hands, they were covered in red. I thought it was blood. I actually started tearing up. I thought I was going to die. When I checked my neck again, I noticed there was no cut. This calmed me down a bit, and I sighed heavily in relief.

I looked back to his location, but he was gone, and he took his phone with him. I didn't even noticed him move. It's like he just vanished into thin air. Ryuen-kun thought that he was some sort of ninja. I thought he was joking, but the ability to hide your presence that well isn't something any normal person should have. If not a ninja, then what?

Once I've stopped crying and regained my composure, I immediately headed for a nearby restroom. Luckily the one I was in had no one else present, so I immediately started washing off the red paint that was around my neck, and washing my face.

I probably could've showed this to people and used this as proof of him threatening me, but I wasn't thinking straight. By the time I've thought of that idea, all the red paint had already been washed off. Even if I kept it, he has a bigger leverage against me.

My life here was already compromised the moment Horikita-san entered the scene. Ayanokoji-kun ended up finding out my true nature after a certain happenstance, which just increased my problems.

It then hit me. If he truly was some kind of killer, he's not someone I can take on easily. Even if I try to expose him, I have no proof. I've just made a dangerous enemy.

Part 4

(Ayanokoji POV)

The day of the match between Classes A and C came to an end. Class A ended up winning with just about 170 points, and only 9 of their own left remaining. Neither side was able to eliminate each other's bounty during the first 20 minutes of the match.

Ichinose was much too focused on defense, rather than offense. While she did a fine job being able to protect Shibata and Ninomiya, her reluctance to go on the offensive was what led to her class's defeat. Class A may have been handicapped due to the absence of Sakayanagi, but she was able to lay out the groundwork by giving certain members key roles during the exam. While Ichinose's defense worked in protecting her class's bounties from being expelled, her lack of offense was the only weakness Sakayanagi needed to exploit to win the match.

In the end, the current class standings are as follows: Sakayanagi's Class A at 1339 class points , Ryuen's Class B at 565 class points, Ichinose's Class C at 539 class points, and our Class D at 393 class points. Although there have been no changes in the class rankings, our win here allowed our class to catch up to both Classes B and C in terms of class points.

Some time after the exam, Karma told me he had everything taken care of. I discretely watched from a distance as Kushida walked with the other girls from our class. Although she had done her best to keep her smile, even the ones she's with could tell that something was bothering her. Whatever Karma did, it was probably a horrifying experience for her if her mask had begun to crack.

As we had both suspected, that man had indeed sent someone to forcefully have me expelled. Karma had told me about the person's fate, as well as being able to establish a cooperative relationship with Agent Karasuma. Although I'm not really against the White Room, I must admit, I'm looking forward to how Karma deals with my father.

The exam came to an end, and we were now riding the bus back to school. As much as I want to relax and rest easy, this was most definitely just a prelude for an even bigger ploy being set up by my father and Tsukishiro. If they think they can interfere with my freedom here, then as Karma would say, they better come at me like they mean to kill.

EY! So this arc finally comes to an end. While the main arc is over, there will be some short stories from the other character's point of view to fill in some gaps, as well as shwo their perception of things.

I just want to say, yet again, thank you everyone for supporting this story. Not only did we get this story ended up getting 10.9k reads, and 497 votes, but the rankings are amazing!

I seriously cannot express how thankful I am for your guy's support on this story. It really means a lot.

I'm not the best at writing. I've made a lot of errors that I keep noticing upon re-reading this work, but I try to correct them to the best of my ability. Still, I'm glad that you guys find this enjoyable to read.

Also, how are you guys feeling about COTE S2 this coming July 4? That's actually my birthday. As the saying goes "coincidences can be freaky".

I have other plans for other characters in A.C that I would like to make an appearance. Ritsu has already been mentioned multiple time to have been involved with Karma and Karasuma from behind the scenes. You'll get to see her in one of the short stories I'll be working on. I have 3 other characters I plan to make an appearance as well. I'll give you a bit of a hint. All three of them may make an appearance in the Sport's Festival Arc. It's still far off, but I have a funny idea to how one of them will react once they run in to Karma.

Anyway, once all the shorts stories are done, I'll probably slow down on working this. Not because I'm not longer interested in this book, but because I have other matter to take care of. Firstly, in order for me to work on the 2nd Island Exam, I need to re-red both Y2 Vol.s 3 and 4 to understand the rules and plot more. I've actually skimmed over a lot of them, because they seem unnecessary.

Other reasons being I bought 2 more books that I'd like to read; And Then There Were None, and Death On The Nile. I also plan on picking up No Longer Human at some point, but the price is way too expensive here. It's like 20$ for an original copy.

My other reason for slowing down is because I have friends from my home town settling in the city I currently moved to for college. I haven't seen any of them in 2 years since moving, so I plan on spending some time with them. I've also been having a lot of fun playing Unturned with friends. Lastly, I still have some work to do.

Still, I'll continue working on this, as well as my other work, which is about what if stories from Horimiya. I'll probably get to that as soon as this is posted.

Anyway thank you again. It's been a ride working on this, and seeing the number of people adding this to their reading list made me very happy. I'll see you in the next update. BYE!

SS - Matsushita Chiaki's Status Report I.

Part 1

May 2nd

Chabashira-sensei came by our classroom early in the morning before Homeroom. She announced that there would be a new transfer student joining our class. The people present were surprised.

'A new transfer student?'

'Is that even possible in this school?'

Questions of the sort were being thrown out there left and right. Due to how this school operates, it was reasonable for people to find it peculiar. What especially made it weird, at least for me, was their timing. The first special exam just ended, yet whoever this person is ended up transferring after.

Students who arrived after Chabashira-sensei's announcement were briefed by our other classmates. The time for first period, homeroom, came. Chabashira-sensei entered the classroom and stood on the podium.

"As you all may have heard, we have a new transfer student. Normally this kind of thing is difficult to pull off, but under certain circumstances, transferring to this school is possible." she announced.

So it takes a lot to transfer here? What circumstances though? Money, clout, background? None of my classmates seem to have reacted to this though. They were probably just too excited at the prospect of a new classmate. To be honest, so am I.

Ike-kun and the other boys voiced similar questions.

"Sensei, are they a boy or a girl?"

"If they're a girl, are they pretty?"

If this new transfer student were a girl, I honestly hope to God the boys don't go anywhere near her. Knowing that a lot of the boys from our class were perverts, it's honestly concerning. Some of my friends rolled their eyes and gave those guys the stink-eye. However, our worries faded upon hearing the person's voice.

"Sorry to crush your fantasies, but I'm not a girl."

The voice was that belonging to a male.

"You weren't suppose to say anything yet. Well anyway, please enter." said Chabashira-sensei.

The person who walked in had red hair, golden eyes and stood at 175 cm tall. He was actually quite handsome, and I can hear a couple of girls having the same sentiment.

"Ayanokoji-kun?" I heard Horikita-san from directly behind me. I turned around, and was surprised to see that Ayanokoji-kun had a slight change in his poker face. Did he know this person?

The boy was then asked to introduce himself.

"My name is Akabane Karma, but feel free to call me Karma. Seeing as how I'm part of this class now, I do hope we get along. Or not. Depends on you really. As for my hobbies, I like reading, collecting spices, among other things."

A couple of my female classmates were excited to have him in our class. They probably saw him as another Hirata-kun. Although I can't deny that he's good looking, something feels off about his introduction.

What did he mean by "Or not. Depends on you really."? Was he implying that he has no intention of getting along with everyone?

Chabashira-sensei showed him his seat, which is the window seat to the left of Ayanokoji-kun. I can hear some of the girls wish they could swap seats with Ayanokoji-kun.

As he sauntered over, he stopped by Ayanokoji-kun's seat, and stared at him. The recipient of his stare also stared back. Some of us noticed this and were confused. Just then-

"To think we'd be in the same class. What? I came a long way and you're not even gonna say hi to me, Kiyotaka? It's been a while you know?"

Wait, what?

"Karma. I haven't heard from you in a while. How'd you even get in here?" I replied.

They knew each other! Not only that, they were on a first name basis. From the way they spoke, it seems like they've known each other for quite a long time, but probably lost contact after some time.

"Oh, I just wanted a change of scenery, so I asked around for some help."

Was I right about clout being an important factor in one's transfer to this school? Most definitely. He probably comes from a rich, influential family like myself and Koenji-kun.

What I want to know is what the relationship between these two are. My initial impression of Ayanokoji-kun was that he wasn't able to make friends in his childhood. This was a reasonable assumption since he always had a hard time socializing with others - is what I would say, but there are some things that felt out of place.

For one, in the few interactions I've had with him, he didn't seem to be bad at socializing at all. He only seemed bad at it early on in to our first year, but the more I've interacted with him, there seems to be a contradiction in his nature. It's like he was just putting up a front of being a socially inept person.

Whatever it may be, I'm genuinely surprised that the new transfer student was someone he was apparently very close with.

After a long morning, lunchtime finally came. As per usual, I was gonna spend it with Sato-san and the other girls. As we were getting ready to leave for the cafeteria, I noticed both Ayanokoji-kun and Akabane-kun talking, and getting up to leave.

"They sure seem close, huh?" said Mori-san.

"Yeah. I didn't think Ayanokoji-kun actually had friends before coming here." Inogashira-san replied.

I snuck a glance at Karuizawa-san. Although she kept her normal expression, the stare she directed at both of them seemed to hint a sign of annoyance.

Sato-san then defended him. "Hey come on now, that's kind of rude, don't you think?"

The others were rolling their eyes. Although they were aware of her feelings for him, they probably still harbored resentment towards him. They didn't completely buy Horikita-san's explanation of him holding back his abilities under her orders. To be honest, I didn't either.

However my reasons were different. I've always had a feeling that Ayanokoji-kun was doing more for our class behind our backs. I've been keeping tabs on him from time to time, but he wasn't giving anything away. Before anyone could speak up, a commotion ensued.

Akabane-kun launched a kick right at Ayanokoji-kun's head while he had his back turned to him. Ayanokoji-kun calmly dodged the kick, but Akabane-kun didn't stop. He launched another one, to which Ayanokoji-kun dodged again. Akabane-kun launched a kick a third time. This time, Ayanokoji-kun caught it with his hands.

In the midst of their scuffle, none of them lost their expressions. The room was quiet as everyone watched. Not only did no one expect the transferee to attack someone, but none of us also expected Ayanokoji-kun to be well-versed in fighting. Given how calm they are, I suspect that they were used to this.

"What do you think you're doing, you delinquent?"

Delinquent? Is that why Akabane-kun attacked him, or was that last part just a joke?

"Hmm? Just seeing if you've dulled after all this time. Glad to know you haven't."

So both of them fought each other before? Those kicks didn't look weak in the slightest. Not only did they look strong, but they were pretty fast as well. If they regularly fought before, just how strong are they?

"If you noticed the cameras, you should've known not to do that."

Wait, Akabane-kun noticed the cameras in the room? Did someone tell him beforehand? It should only be his first day here. If he has noticed them on his first day, then that's some next level observation.

"Come on, I just want to have a little fun. Besides, it's just light kick."

"Yeah, a kick with enough force, that could have given me a concussion."

Maybe it's just my imagination, but it sounded like he said this with a mild hint of annoyance. I never took Ayanokoji-kun as someone who was expressive.

"You're exaggerating yourself. Now, please let go. You're gripping my foot a bit too hard there."

It seemed like some light banter, however that last part intrigued me. Although he said it with an almost too-innocent face, it's like he was sort of begging Ayanokoji-kun to let go. Maybe it's just my imagination, but from I could tell, it's like he's implying that Ayanokoji-kun is stronger than him.

Ayanokoji-kun lets go of Akabane-kun's foot, and they both left to have their lunch.

As soon as they left, the room broke in to an uproar. Various comments were bring thrown left and right. Sudo-kun and Miyake-kun first gave their impressions of the fight. They concluded that both boys must have trained in fighting together in the past.

A lot of our classmates, especially Kushida-san were in an uproar, about how much Ayanokoji-kun had been holding back. Something seemed off about all this though.

Not about people being upset that Ayanokoji-kun is holding back, but it's how Kushida-san is reacting. She seemed too insistent about Ayanokoji-kun being the offender. Did she have some sort of grudge against him? Karuizawa-san also seemed to pick up on this, and defended him, even almost berating her.

Horikita-san, Hirata-kun, Sudo-kun, and Ayanokoji-kun's group jumped in to defend him as well, but an unexpected person also decided to join in. It was Koenji-kun. He hinted of Ayanokoji-kun's involvements behind the scenes, his relationships with our class leaders in particular. Both Horikita-san and Hirata-kun have also confirmed this. This seemed to have calmed everyone down, and the tension slowly faded.

I knew it. I've always had a feeling that Ayanokoji-kun has been involved with the class from the start. He has a relationship with not just our class's leaders, but also from other classes. If my hunch is right, Ayanokoji-kun might be "X", the person pulling the strings behind the scenes, who Ryuenn-kun was looking for.

To further confirm my suspicions, I decided to have a change of plans today.

Once afternoon classes have ended, I decided to separate myself from the other girls. We all made plans to go to the park, but I made the excuse of having something important I needed to do at home.

As soon as I detached myself from the group, I stealthily followed both Ayanokoji-kun and Akabane-kun. They were headed for the mall. As much as I try to pride myself for my stealthy tailing, I have a feeling that Ayanokoji-kun knows I'm following him. He did noticed me back in spring break after all. I'm not sure if whether or not Akabane-kun noticed me as well, but chances are, he probably does.

While I was following them, they stopped by a vending machine and bought some drinks. They were chatting for a bit, and looked at a certain tree on the opposite side to me. Just then, an unexpected person showed up. It was none other than Kiryuin-senpai.

From what I've heard of her, she's quite a capable person, but refuses to cooperate with her class, much like Koenji-kun. I checked her OAA stats, and both her academic ability and physical ability are A. Despite her excellence, she has no interest in helping her class. So why would she suddenly take interest in both Ayanokoji-kun and Akabane-kun?

I then checked the OAA app for Akabane-kun's rating, and I was shocked upon seeing it.

Akabane Karma

Academic Ability: A (95)
Physical Ability: A (98)
Adaptability: B (78)
Social Contribution: C- (42)
Overall ability: A- (83)

His OAA was the highest amongst everyone from our year. This begs the question, why is he in Class D? Whatever the reason, it seems that we've lucked out. Perhaps if he and Ayanokoji-kun are familiar with each other, then Ayanokoji-kun's true ratings should be similar to that of Akabane-kun's.

I tried to listen in, but I was too far away to hear anything. The only thing I could hear is Kiryuin-senpai laughing out loud. She then showed them contents on her phone, and walked off soon after. Both boys then continued their way to Keyaki Mall.

I could try and follow them some more, but I probably won't get anything more out of this. I'll continue my reconnaissance some other time.

Part 2

May 3rd

The Golden week arrived. I was with Sato-san, Mori-san and Shinohara-san at the mall today. We were chatting about various topics when a certain individual caught my eye.

While we were browsing the women's section, I spot Akabane-kun exiting the cinema. I made an excuse to leave them for a bit. I tailed Akabane-kun from a distance. I pretended to be on my phone so that he won't suspect anything. He turns to a the stairwell, and sat on one of the steps. No one else was around, since it was more efficient to use the escalators and elevators.

I decided to hide next to a wall where he couldn't spot me. He takes out his phone and puts on his earphones. He then started talking to someone.

"The movie was a bust. The cinema experienced some equipment malfunction. I was really looking forward to Sonic Ninja too."

Sonic Ninja? So he likes superhero movie franchises?

"Mind telling him I'll discuss the movie with him some other time?... Alright, thanks for this."

Was he talking to Ayanokōji-kun? But it sounded like he was talking to someone else though. He then got up and started walking downstairs. Not wanting to be spotted, I took the elevator and made my way down. I looked for him, and found him entering a bookstore.

He was browsing the manga section, and took his time searching for something. I don't read manga, so I have no idea what he's doing. Seeing as how he's probably gonna be there for a while, I decided to put my reconnaissance on hold. I didn't want to keep the others waiting for too long.

For now, I've just discovered his apparent fondness for manga and the Sonic Ninja franchise.

Part 3

After Homeroom ended, our next class was PE. Right now we were in having swimming lessons.

After us girls finished changing, we made our way over to the pool. There was still some time before our PE teacher would arrive, so we decided to indulge ourselves by going in for a little swim. With us were Sato-san, Karuizawa-san, Onodera-san, Shinohara-san, Mori-san, Inogashira-san, Kushida-san, Mii-chan, and Hirata-kun. A couple of others also formed groups and played on different ends of the pool.

While we were playing in the water, our eyes shifted over to the entrance. In comes Ayanokoji-kun, who was wearing a school-issued swimsuit, and Akabane-kun, who, like all the other boys, was only wearing his swim trunks. The girls were mesmerized. They didn't expect Akabane-kun's body to have such an amazing build. In my opinion, it was more well-built than Sudo-kun's.

Neither of them seem to want to join in the fun though, and stayed at the sides talking to each other. I can see that some of the girls wanted to call him over to join in the fun, but they looked hesitant. They probably didn't want to pressure the new guy in to joining him if he feels uncomfortable.

"Akabane-kun!" It was Kushida who called out to him. He paused his conversation with Ayanokoji-kun, and looked over to our direction. "Do you want to join us?!"

"No thank you!" Akabane-kun replied. The others looked a little disappointed, even Hirata-kun. I guess he just wanted Akabane-kun to socialize with others from our class.

"Hey, he actually has a pretty good build, huh?" says Onodera-san.

Mori-san nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I wonder what kind of club he joined before coming here?"

"Maybe we could go ask him." Kushida-san replied.

The girls seemed to agree, but Hirata-kun had a different idea. "I don't think we should ask him now though. He seems to be having a deep conversation with Kiyotaka-kun right now."

From the distance, we could see that both of them weren't paying attention to what was going on around them. While we couldn't hear them, they were conversing as if almost debating. They were making hand gestures, and even looked like they were riled up.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." pouted Inogashira-san and the others.

I decided to speak up what was on their mind. "You know, they kinda look like they're debating something."

Hirata-kun nodded. "Yeah, I also noticed that, Matsushita-san."

Some of the others looked confused.

"How can you guys tell?" asked Mori-san.

Hirata-kun clarified. "Well look at their hand gestures. It's almost like they're trying to get a point across to the other person."

"Yeah, they also look like they aren't paying attention to what's going on around them." I added.

The others seemed to finally get what we were getting at.

"I wonder what they're talking about?" asked Sato-san.

As she asked that, our PE teacher arrived. We did the normal routine, and he instructed everyone to line up for a race. The girls went first, and as expected, Onodera-san got first place at 26.35 seconds. It was now the boys' turn. A bunch of them went. So far, only Sudo-kun had beaten Onodera-san's record. None of the others were athletic, so it makes sense. I am curious as to how fast Ayanokoji-kun would be able to swim if he took it seriously though.

I was now time for the last group of boys, which included Hirata-kun, Koenji-kun, and Akabane-kun. Before Akabane-kun came, Koenji-kun's record was unbeatable, around the 23 seconds range. Many of us wondered how well he'll do. As the boys were lining up, Hirata-kun, and Akabane-kun stretched his limbs. This caused a lot girls to squeal at the sight of two handsome, well-built boys. Cheers reverberated throughout the room. Ike-kun and the other perverts seemed displeased by this though, but the two of them didn't pay them any mind.

As soon as sensei gave the go signal, they dove in to the water. Hirata-kun, Koenji-kun, and Akabane-kun shot ahead of the others.

"Wow, he's fast!" screamed Karuizawa-san. My else and the others were also taken aback. In the end, it was Akabane-kun who got first place, though only slightly ahead of Koenji-kun, with Hirata-kun coming in third.

"Akabane's time... 22.03 seconds!"

"WOAH!" screamed many of our classmates. Although it was obvious that he had a good physique, they probably weren't expecting him to beat Koenji-kun.

Koenji-kun steps forward and looks at him with a smirk. "My, my Akabane-boy, to think that you would beat a perfect existence, such as myself. It seems a rather interesting person has just joined this class."

The others nodded, and some gave a 'yeah'.

Akabane-kun chuckles. "Well, our former PE teacher was pretty strict."

Sensei perked up. "Really?"

"Was he harsh on you guys?" asked Hirata-kun.

"Well not really harsh. He can be strict, but he'll jump in should anyone need saving." replied Akabane-kun.

"Oh."

"Were you in any clubs, Akabane?" asked Sudo-kun.

Akabane-kun rubs the back of his head. "Ah, no. I've been clubless all my life."

All of us, apart from Ayanokoji-kun were taken aback. "Wait, really?" Sudo-kun asked, surprised.

"But didn't you train in martial arts?" Yukimura-kun asked.

"Well yeah, but that's separate from clubs and school activities. Doesn't count."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense." replied Yukimura-kun.

Our PE lessons came to end. We continued on with our classes like usual. There were several tests we took for this day. As usual, I scored somewhere in the average range for each one. When the results came, everyone was surprised to see that Akabane-kun scored equal to, or higher than all of our top classmates; Yukimura-kun, Horikita-san, and Koenji-kun.

We knew he was smart from his OAA, but it still came as a shock to us, since it didn't even look like he was taking class seriously. Sometimes I'd notice him staring out the window, or even reading a book or manga from his seat. Still, he'd been acing every test since then, and he'd always stood at the top without even trying.

Smart without even as much as exerting any effort, and very athletic, despite not even being in a club. He is trained in fighting though. I've gotten myself some very useful intel. Although he doesn't hide his abilities, there's probably more to all this than what's shown, so I'll keep digging.

Part 4

Everything happened so fast.

Once the bounties were announced, we set out for the open field. As soon as we arrived, Akabane-kun voiced his, and Ayanokoji-kun's decision to help train everyone for the exam.

Everyone was skeptical, not because they were hesitant to let Akabane-kun train them, but because of Ayanokoji-kun. There were still who couldn't stop doubting him, because of how secretive he is.

However, I my attention was caught by a certain line.

'For me to train you effectively, I need someone who could keep up with me. I know his capabilities here the best, and we have great synergy.'

Did he imply that Ayanokoji-kun was just as strong as he is? If so, how? No one else seemed to have noticed this though. They were too preoccupied with arguing over Akabane-kun's audacity.

We were getting nowhere. I wanted to speak out, but then Ryuen-kun and others from Class B arrived.

They wanted to take the open field from us, and threatened us with force should we fail to comply. Horikita-san reluctantly agreed. She didn't want to see anyone get hurt. Just then-

"Aha ha ha ha! Well this is quite the turn of events."

Akabane-kun seemed to have taken delight with the whole situation, and stepped forward. He claimed that there was no reason for any of us to leave. Horikita-san tried to intervene to stop things from escalating any further, but Ayanokoji-kun stopped her.

We were all surprise by this. I get Akabane-kun can fight, but this was Albert-kun and Ryuen-kun he was facing.

"This is for your own good. Don't interfere."

What? What did he mean, "This is for your own good"? Is he implying Horikita-san would only get caught in the crossfire? Is he even concerned for his own friend?

After a few more words, Horikita-san reluctantly gave in. Akabane-kun and Ryuen-kun continued with their exchange. It then took a nosedive when Akabane-kun started proviking Ryuen-kun by calling him names. The situation was tense. I looked over to my classmates, and all of them, including me, were anxious - well, all but one. Ayanokoji-kun remained super calm, not worried at all.

A fight was about to breakout. Horikita-san and Sudo-kun looked like they've had enough and were getting ready to jump in the fray, but Ayanokoji-kun stopped them. This time though, neither of them put up much of a resistance. Soon after, Sudo-kun voiced his confidence in Akabane-kun. Soon after, Hirata-kun followed suit. Everyone seemed to have gotten the message.

Both Class B behemoths approached the provocative red head. This is when Ayanokoji-kun spoke up to Akabane-kun.

"Karma, be careful, and don't overdo it."

Shinohara-san voiced her disbelief at him, and a lot of out other classmates shared the same sentiment. However, that last part was something that caught my attention. "don't overdo it". What did he mean by that? Was he telling Akabane-kun to not take the provocations too far? Or... was it?

Before I could finish piecing things together, both Albert-kun and Ryuen-kun launched a punch at Akabane-kun's face. However, instead of dodging or even flinching, he caught both their fists with both his hands, and the air around him changed.

"You know, that actually hurt quite a bit." His tone was cold and menacing, matching the feeling I'm getting from him. As amazing as it is that he caught their fists, I was too overwhelmed by the feeling of fear I'm getting. I don't know what it was, but something about him was frightening.

I was snapped out of my trance when several of my classmates voiced their disbeliefs. They can't believe that what was happening in front of them was real. It wasn't just myself and our classmates that were in shock. So were the teachers, and other Class B students.

Akabane-kun didn't give both of them time to react. He kneed Ryuen-kun hard in the abdomen, causing him to stagger back, and fall to his knees, wincing in pain. As for Albert-kun, he grabbed him by the collar, lifted him up, and slammed him hard to the ground on his back. He then raised his fist, and threw it to his face, but stopped it just inches away from making contact.

I was in utter disbelief. This one boy had the strength to overwhelm two of Class B's top fighters; those two being Ryuen Kakeru, and even Albert Yamada. We were all stunned, but we were also terrified.

"A...Ayanokoji-kun... Did you know about this?" said Horikita-san meekly.

All our heads were turned to the red head's friend. He said nothing, and just continued observing, his poker face not changing for even just a bit. Did he knew this was gonna happen? Just then, their earlier words started ringing in my head.

'For me to train you effectively, I need someone who could keep up with me. I know his capabilities here the best, and we have great synergy.'

It's like Akabane-kun was implying that Ayanokoji-kun was his equal. If that's the case, then that also means Ayanokoji-kun is stronger than both Ryuen-kun and Albert-kun. I have no proof, but still. It fits the bill. I thought Ryuen-kun would retaliate, but surprisingly, he seems amused.

"Kukukuku. Crushing you would be fun, but I'm not stupid enough to go on with this any further. I once fought a monster similar in strength to you. I ended up losing bad."

Wait, what?

Everyone, myself, and the teachers included were dumbfounded. So this isn't the first time Ryuen-kun's lost a fight? I guess it makes sense. One can't always maintain the top spot forever, but there was something else in what he said that stood out. He said 'a monster similar in strength to you'. Who is this monster he's referring to?

Akabane-kun chuckles in amusement. "This 'monster' you spoke of. It seems you may have overplayed your hand."

"Kukuku. You have no idea." Ryuen replied.

I thought for a moment, and then it hit me. Could both of them be referring to Ayanokoji-kun? My reason for thinking this is because Akabane-kun seemed to be hinting that he knows who Ryuen-kun is referring to. No one else seemed to have caught on though. Well, almost no one. I can see Horikita-san discretely giving Ayanokoji-kun a glance.

I can't say for certain, but I have a theory on how this could have happened. Last year during December, Class B had a falling out. From what I've heard, Ibuki-san, Ishizaki-kun, and Albert-kun fought Ryuen-kun and beat him, which caused him to step down as leader. Everyon seemed to have accepted this, but something about that story always felt off to me.

For one, I had always thought that both Albert-kun, and Ishizaki-kun were loyal to Ryuen-kun I can't say much about Ibuki-san though. For me, it had always felt like the story was just fabricated. If that were the truth, then that would just be a cover up for what really happened. It's possible that it was Ayanokoji-kun who fought him, and made him step down.

I remember back then that Ryuen and all three of his lackeys were covered in bruises. I only saw Ayanokoji-kun on Chirstmas break once, and he looked fine. Whether he possesses strength similar to Akabane-kun, the whole idea still seemed outlandish to believe that he would have fought them and came out unscathed. He could probably take two of them, but four seemed incredulous. Perhaps he had someone help him. Either way, if I hope to ever get an answer, I need to continue digging.

After Class B left, everyone, save for a few, started to have their misgivings towards Akabane-kun. However, this did not faze him. A while later, three school staff members arrived carrying a large box each.

Akabane-kun requested for some equipment that we could use for our training. Three large boxes were settled down by the school staff. He took a rubber knife out, and took the reins. He gave a big speech to everyone about how we need to start taking initiative, and that we can't keep relying on our class leaders and key players if we ever hope to reach Class A.

I was also starting to contemplate if whether or not it would be a good idea to actually start putting in effort. I've been holding back a lot, because I originally thought we had no chance. However, if everyone becomes motivated and actually starts showing improvement, then I might just start showing a bit more of my own abilities.

He then pulled out something long, and curved. It looked like a katana. He tosses it to Ayanokoji-kun, who catches it with ease, and attaches it to his hip. Does this mean that Ayanokoji-kun practiced in swordsmanship? I would like to see that.

Hasabe-san then broughtup a question that was on everyone's minds.

"Hey Akabane-kun, just out of curiousity, how good is Kiyopon with it?"

He didn't respond. There was a brief pause. Suddenly, Akabane-kun swung his knife and aimed it for Ayanokoji-kun's head. In a split second, Ayanokoji-kun drew his katana and blocked Akabane-kun's knife. His movements were so fast, I couldn't even see it. It didn't even looked like he reacted much. These two, have theydone this before?

Akabane-kun then explained the rules for our training, and even made a bet with Ayanokoji-kun. He probably did that so that Ayanokoji-kun doesn't let himself get tagged early on. Even Horikita-san expected this.

"If you won't accept my bet, I won't stop barging in to your room whenever you have another appointment, and I'll start chanting lines from the book 'The Lesser Key of Solomon' while I'm at it."

Okay that was odd. I haven't read that book, but I heard from my parents that it was some sort of grimoire about demons, so they never allowed me to read it. Was he gonna summon demons or something?

With that, Ayanokoji-kun accepted his bet, and our training then began. I'll use this training to continue gathering as much information as I can about their capabilities. If these two were just as capable as I thought, then the chances of our class moving up the ranks has increased ten-fold.

So I'll be splitting Matsushita's SSs into different parts. I don't know if it's just me, but I feel like I've made her too perceptive than normal, but eh.

Next part will be a SS from Karma so look forward to that.

I don't really have much to say. I probably could've gotten this done faster, but I also wanted to finish And Then There Were None since I'm enjoying the story a lot.

I've noticed that a lot more people have been discovering this story, and I just wanna say, I really appreciate the support this has been getting. I think I've said this ever A/N, but I really am thankful that people find this entertaining.

Also, I received a comment from@ ShashotoIslam that I should make a reaction fic out of this. I'm actually considering it. I'll even include E class, Karasuma, Irina, Manabu, Tachibana, and maybe even father and son Asano in it. Since the story hasn't been going on for that long, I'll also include some stuff from the canon story, and even some scenes from AC. I won't have them react to the story in order though. I'll be picking scenes, and have them react to them. I don't know when I'll work on it, but I will at some point.

Anyway, that's all from me. I'll see you next update!

SS - Akabane Karma, A Day In The Life Of

Part 1

The day has finally come!

The new Sonic Ninja movie has just released on theaters. Keyaki Mall should also be showing it. It was now 4 pm. I freshened up, and left my dormitory.

As I was walking my way to the mall, I made sure no one else was around me. I took out my phone, put on my earphones, and tapped on the pager app, developed by Ritsu. After a couple of seconds, she appeared on my phone screen.

"Good afternoon, Karma-kun!" she asked all excited.

"Afternoon, Ritsu. You ready?"

"Oh yes! I've been looking forward to watching it with you since the first time."

By first time, she meant when Korosensei brought her, me, and Nagisa to Hawaii to watch the screening in english. Ordinarily, I would've watched it again with Nagisa, but right now that was impossible.

To keep me company though, Ritsu decided to watch it with me. I plan to just position my phone in an angle that the front camera would face the screen, while at the same time not being caught.

"If you'd like, I can deliver a message to Nagisa-kun for you." she said.

Because of the no outside contact policy at school, students weren't able to contact anyone outside. Our phones were heavily monitored, and any outside contact of the sort would result in a severe punishment.

However, there are ways one can bypass that. Thanks to Ritsu, I was able to keep in touch with the rest of Class 3-E through her acting as a middle man. No matter how much they monitor our phones, they won't be able to track her down.

"Much appreciated. I have some stuff to do after this, so perhaps tomorrow?"

"Oh, sure! No problem! Oh, by the way. Nagisa-kun asked me to send a video to you."

"Hm? Will the school be able to pick up on that?"

"I've already taken that into account, and no they won't."

"Cool! Show me then."

"Okay!"

Ritsu then uploaded a video to my phone. I hit play, and it shows Nagisa, Sugino, Kayano, Okuda, and Kanzaki. Kayano was in disguise to not let people know about her true identity as the child acting prodigy, Haruna Mase.

"Hey, Karma!" says Nagisa all enthusiastically.

"Kayano just got some free time, so I thought I'd let her and these guys watch the new Sonic Ninja with me."

That lucky bastard!

If I were out of here, I'd watch it with them. I don't really have anyone else to enjoy the franchise with in this school. Well, maybe not yet. Fate is a funny thing. To think that at one point we were strangers in the same class. After we discovered each other's fondness for the franchise, we then became best friends.

While I appreciate Kiyotaka for being my first friend, the ones I've made outside the White Room I treasure equally. I can't let them know that though. If they did, I'd rather jump off another cliff.

Back to Kayano, since graduating from Middle School, she went back to acting. Due to her reputation, she got quite a lot of offers, and she landed a role in a big movie. It should be released by around October.

She was always busy, so we almost never got to see her much. Of course, all of us were also busy, but her schedule was even more hectic.

"Hey, Karma!" Kayano exclaimed. "You're missing out a lot over here. I heard that we won't be able to see you for 2 years, so at least try and keep in touch through Ritsu, okay?"

Well, I've been pretty much doing that. It may be against the school rules, but hey. You can't get in trouble if you don't get caught.

"Hey, once you're done watching it, let us know through Ritsu. We'll share our thought about it after." As always, Nagisa seems to be enthusiastic about discussing the movie with me. Figures.

"Karma, the movie's about to start in an hour, so we'll be hanging out for a bit before that." says Sugino.

Both Kanzaki and Okuda waved goodbye, and said in unison. "We'll see you after graduation. Take care!" The others also waved goodbye, and the video ended.

As much as I was happy to see and hear those guys on video, there was also some sort of emptiness I was feeling.

2 years of not being able to spend time with my old Class E, huh? As lonely as it may seem, I do have my reasons for coming here. Besides, I have Kiyo to talk to, and I have Ritsu to keep me in touch with the others. I asked her early on if there was ever any progress between Nagisa and Kayano, but she said there wasn't.

What a shame. And here I thought that my and Rio's efforts to get them together were gonna work. Guess not everything works out. Although they're not actually together, they're just too cute not to tease. I still have the picture of them from that day. It'll be very interesting when people realize that the Haruna Mase kissed a girly looking guy. Not like I'll show anyone, but if people do find out, I can imagine the reactions of her admirers.

While walking to the mall, Ritsu caught me up with what else my old Class E is up to. So far the only noteworthy things going on are: Kayano's new upcoming movie, Hazama-san having her manuscript for her horror novel being noticed by big names, Isogai becoming student council president in his high school, with Kataoka becoming vice president, Nagisa finally cutting his hair, and both Chiba and Hayami-san going on a couple of dates.

I had actually wondered about the last part. Those two are always seen together, but a lot of their conversations seem to be strictly business. Ritsu even said that their dates ended up being awkward, because they can't maintain a casual conversation. Despite Korosensei's efforts to pair us up together, none in our class have become official couples.

Kayano may have feelings for Nagisa, but the guy's too dense to take the hint. Although I hung out with the two of them before, I still feel like a third wheel, even though they aren't even together. Speaking of together, Okuda and I also tried going on trial runs, but none worked out. I'm still glad to have her as my friend, and supplier though.

Part 2

As soon as I arrived at Keyaki Mall, I told Ritsu that I'll page her as soon as the movie begins. Once I bought my ticket, soda and popcorn, I secured a seat at the middle. There's a lot more people here than I thought. I don't see any of my classmates though. However, I do see someone I wasn't expecting - Class B's Ibuki Mio. From what Kiyo's told me, she's one of Ryuen's top henchmen.

She was seated right next to me. She didn't recognize me though. Well not like she'd recognize me anyway. I've only been here a few days at most, so it's understandable that not many people knew about me.

The previews were ending. I was about to take out my phone to page Ritsu, but a an unfortunate happenstance occurred.

"Our apologies, but we're currently having trouble with our equipment. Staff are currently getting it checked."

"Oh bummer." I muttered under my breath. Ibuki-san didn't seem to pick up on this though. However, I can hear what she's mumbling under her breath though.

"Seriously? Again?"

From what Kiyo's told me, this happened to them last year on December. I this girl some sort of magnet for disaster or something? I decided to ask her something.

"Hey" she heard me and turned her head. "Does this happen often?"

There was a brief silence coming from her before she responded. She probably was feeling awkward talking to a stranger. "Uh... no. Not really."

"Really? You said 'again' though." I replied.

"Well it's happened to me once before. I don't know about other times when I'm not around."

By 'once before' she meant that time. I fight the urge to let out a laugh. She didn't say anything more. She didn't want to keep talking to a complete stranger. I'm fine with that, but this was pretty awkward. After about ten minutes of waiting, another announcement came through.

"We apologize, but the equipment needs replacing, and repairs won't be done until tomorrow. We'll pay you back for the points you've spent, and compensate you with additional payment. We apologize for the inconvenience."

How sad. I still have quite a bit more popcorn and soda.

"Oh my god. Not again." Ibuki-san mumbled under her breath. This time, I wasn't able to stop myself in time, and let out a snort. She turned to me with a face akin to that of a demon's.

"What? What are you laughing?"

"Oh, uh nothing really. Just situational irony I suppose."

She scowled. "Do you know long I waited for this film to come out? I mean seriously, what kind of professional establishment does a lousy job at maintaining their equipment."

She does have a point. I also didn't expect her to be a big fan of Sonic Ninja.

"Well we're at least getting our points reimbursed."

"Well yeah, but it's a premier for a reason."

I paused for a second, then asked.

"Do you really like the franchise that much?" She seemed taken aback by my question. She paused before giving me a response.

"Well not that much, but I like the director. Also one of my favorite American voice actors is playing a prominent role."

Huh, guess we're much more similar than I thought.

"Well the director does produce good movies. As for your favorite American voice actor, I'm assuming that's the guy playing the protagonist's brother's evil boss right? Frank Welker, I assume."

"Well, yeah. How'd you know I was talking about him?"

"Well his reveal from the last movie got a lot of fans hyped for the sequel. Even not-so-die-hard fans of the franchise ended up wanting to see it. Understandably so too. He is well known for being the voice of Megatron and Soundwave in the G1 cartoon, Prime, and other iterations of Transformers media."

Her eyes widened. She was probably shocked that I knew about Frank Welker.

"Well yeah, that's basically it."

"I take it that you like the transformers franchise then, too?"

She paused, and thought for a moment. Her eyes narrowed at me and replied.

"Why are you asking me so many questions?"

"Well there's no harm in talking about similar interests, right?"

"Uh.. yeah I guess, but it's still weird. Anyway, I gotta go."

She got up to leave in a hurry, leaving me behind in my seat. I thought about making some connections through films. Unfortunately the person I ended up talking to ended up being another Asano type. Oh well. Maybe some other time.

After being reimbursed with my points, I exited the cinema with my snacks in hand. Seeing as how there was still day light left, I decided to make a quick stop before going to the library. Before I go there, I stopped by the stairwell to page Ritsu, while ignoring Matsushita-san who has been tailing me since leaving the cinema.

I sat down, put on my earphones, tapped on the pager app, and Ritsu appeared.

"Hello, Karma-kun. Did the movie start yet?"

"The movie was a bust. The cinema experienced some equipment malfunction. I was really looking forward to Sonic Ninja too."

Truly disappointing. Seems I'll have to come back here tomorrow.

"Oh, I see. That's a shame."

"How 'bout tomorrow? Repairs should be done by then."

"Okie dokie! Nagisa and the others should currently still be watching the premier right now."

I nodded. "Mind telling him I'll discuss the movie with him some other time?"

I can't say Nagisa's name out loud, otherwise people might get suspicious, especially my stalker.

"Sure, no problem!

"Alright, thanks for this."

With that, I hung up the call. I sat there for a bit, finishing my popcorn and soda. Luckily they weren't large, so it didn't take long until I finished them. I then got up and headed for the bookstore; Matsushita-san still following me.

I browsed the manga section in search for the latest volume of Doctor Stone. As soon as I found what I was looking for, I took my sweet time browsing some more, so that she'd leave me alone. After I confirmed she was gone, I paid for my item, and left for the Library.

Part 2

As soon as I arrived at the library, I noticed a bunch of underclassmen holding study groups. I wanted to browse the mystery section, when a voice called out to me from behind.

"Are you Akabane-senpai?" The voice was from that of a girl. I turned around and spotted a rather cheeky looking girl. Her hair was maroon, tied into two pig tails, with some of her bangs framing her face.

I answered her: "Uh, yeah. And you are?"

"Amasawa Ichika desu!"

Amasawa, huh? If I recall, Kiyo said that she helped Hosen in having him expelled. She then later told him that she's not an enemy. What a strange girl.

"Hello Amasawa-san. Can I help you?"

"Uh, I was just wondering what you were doing?" she asked.

"Just looking for a good book to borrow."

"Oh, I see. Is there anything you have in mind?" she sure was taking her sweet time asking me questions.

"Uh, well I just got here, so no. I haven't found anything yet."I decided to ask her. "Hold on, Amasawa-san, how do you know about me?"

"Oh, well we heard of a new transfer student. Given how rare it is in this school, everyone thought it was unusual. We were actually just talking about it. When I saw you, I thought I'd say hello." she said rather cheerfully. I looked over to her table, where her group was, and they didn't seem to make my presence into such a big deal.

There was something off about this girl, but I can't quite put my finger into what it was.

"By the way, senpai, what class are you in?" she asked.

"Me? Class D. Not the best, but I guess that's what I get for umm..." I coughed twice. "Well, anyway. Why are you asking me what class I was in?"

"Oh, I wanted to know if you know Ayanokoji-senpai."

Kiyo? Well given her involvement with him, they're definitely no strangers to each other.

"Oh, yeah I know Kiyo. Did you need something from him?"

Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Kiyo?" she asked.

"Yeah. That's what I call him, since Kiyotaka is a long name."

"Oh, so you two knew each other before school?"

"You could say that."

There was something odd about this girl.

"So... did you need something from him?"

"Oh, I just wanted to know how he was doing."

"Oh, well he's doing fine."

"Seeing how close you two are, do you know about his girlfriend?" she asked with a cheeky grin.

Not surprising. Kiyo did tell me that she crashed on his date with Karuizawa-san in order to take his knife.

"Seeing as how you know, I assume there's no point in me hiding it then?"

"Teehee~ I suppose not. Have you met her?"

"Well no, but I asked him to introduce me to her."

"Well, senpai, did you know that Ayanokoji-senpai and Karuizawa-senpai are currently having an indoor date?"

My eyes, and smile widened, and my head tilts a bit to the left. I had a feeling something was up when he asked me if I had plans today.

I decided to inquire. "Oh really now? Do tell."

She giggled. "Well, I saw her going in to his room yesterday. I overheard that they were gonna have another dinner date tonight."

My grin stretched back some more. This was interesting news. "Ho? I see you're quite cheeky aren't you."

"Teehee~ Well Karuizawa-senpai is fun to tease! Her face turns super red, and her speech drops from a hundred to one."

I placed my thumb on my chin, and thought back to what I've seen of her so far. "From what I've observed to far, she seems to be a tsundere-type."

She chuckles some more before responding. "You're precisely right, senpai~!"

She seems to have some sort of weird fixation on Kiyo. Was it because of the whole bounty? If that's the case, she wouldn't be declaring herself as someone who isn't his enemy. I have my suspicions, but that can wait. I want to have some fun. Since I can't mess with Nagisa and Kayano, this is the next best thing.

I hummed in thought for a second, then spoke up. "Amasawa-san, how precisely does she react when she gets embarrassed?"

"What do you mean senpai?"

"I mean, does she throw a fit? Spit out the word baka everywhere? Locks people in a chokehold? Those kinds of things?"

She started laughing before continuing. "Well, she gets super flustered and super angry at Ayanokoji-senpai. She thought he was cheating on her with me, but obviously that's not the case. She can be pretty loud too." she seemed way too enthusiastic in saying all that.

Seems I may have found another partner in crime when it comes to this stuff. Teasing Nagisa and Kayano was a lot of fun with Rio by my side.

"Amasawa-san, how far are they in to their relationship?"

"Hmm? By that, do you mean...?"

"I mean, what stage are they in? Because that guy refuses to tell me for some reason."

She put her index finger on her lip and thought for a second. "Well I thought they were doing something lewd, so I gave Ayanokoji-senpai some protection. Seems I was wrong."

As she said that, I burst out laughing. "WHAT A BOLD WOMAN, YOU ARE!"

She then joined me. As we were laughing, there were a couple of people shushing at me. I ignored them, but continued on our conversation, but quieter.

"Did you give it to him in front of her?"

"Why, yes!" She said with an innocent smile.

I giggled. "And how flustered does it get her?"

Her grin widened at me, and she proceeded to tell me what happened that day.

"Sheesh~ you really like to mess with them, don't you?" I said.

"Hehehe. Well the contrast in their reaction is super cute. Are you gonna do the same thing as well, senpai?"

"Oh you better believe it. I need to see this for myself."

"Well if you say so senpai! That's should-" before she could finish, her classmates cut in.

"Amasawa-san, could you come here for a second? We need help with this next problem."

She turned to face them. "Okie~ just a second." She then turned back to me. "Sorry, senpai, but I'm afraid my classmates need me for something."

"It's fine. Thanks for the information. Ah but before you go, mind if we exchange contact info? I'll probably contact you after I'm done with my business with both of them."

"Okay!" she brought out her phone. I then brought out mine and we exchange contact information.

"Done! I'll see you later senpai~"

"Mm. See ya."

As soon as she left, I continued to browse for a book before leaving for the drugstore. As I was browsing, I kept thinking about my interaction with her. She seemed way too fixated on Kiyo. On top of that, she seemed way too eager to meet me, unlike her other classmates. There's also the fact that she seemed too surprised about mine and Kiyo's apparent closeness.

As much as I want to unravel the mystery behind the girl named Amasawa Ichika, my business with Kiyo and Karuizawa-san takes presidence.

"Hehehe. This should be fun." I muttered to myself.

Ey so this is a shorter chapter than usual, but hey it's a short story for a reason, right? There'll be more in the future. I'm planning to do more character short stories after this. There's probably gonna be one more after this, and it'll be one from Hashimoto's perspective.

As I was writing this, I can't help but write and read Amasawa's line in Iroha's voice from Oregairu, especially when she says "senpai~"

Speaking of Amasawa she finally gets a proper appearance. Ritsu as well. Nagisa, Kayano, Sugino, Okuda and Kanzaki Yukiko also get a cameo in video form. Because of the no outside contact policy going on, this will be Karma's most direct way with communicating with them.

I'm actually a firm believer that none of the E Class have actually gotten together after they graduated. I find the relationship between Karma and Okuda kinda cute. I mean, they would be cute as a couple, but I don't think they ever ended up getting together in the 7 years later portion of the story. I see them more as very good friends.

We can see how close they are if you go back to episode 1 of s2. Karma was actually opening up to Okuda about how uncomfortable he was when he watched Nagisa fight Takaoka. Okuda was willing to listen to him, not interrupting a single word he said. To me, it shows how comfortable they are with each other. Okuda even willingly goes along with Karma's antics, and none of it feels forced, like the valentines day cyanide thing.

So, yeah. I just see them as good friends. I just added the part about them trying a few dates to see if they're compatible, and ultimately just not working out. I'm actually fine with it, since two people of the opposite gender don't necessarily have to be in a romantic relationship with each other, just for them to be close.

I mean it's still possible, but right now, I'd like to use that as an advantage to pair up Karma with someone else. I originally thought Kiryuin, but there were a couple of people saying Nanase. To be honest, I'm now actually conflicted with both. It could work. I actually think Karma's more comfortable around people who are soft, and non-judgmental, kinda like Nagisa and Okuda.

Btw, the whole Chiba and Hayami thing is actually canon. According to the character book, both of them went out on a few dates, but their inability to hold a conversation weighed heavily on them. I don't necessarily know if they are dating though. If they are, then all the better. #snipersquad.

Anyway the Hashimoto SS is probably gonna be the last one I'll work on for a while. I just finished reading And Then There Were None - great book by the way - and now I'm gonna go reread the 2nd island exam arc so that I'll better understand the whole premise. I read a fanfic of that arc, and their rendition of it was actually pretty cool. I'd say I enjoyed it more than the actual one.

There'll also be more Ibuki and Karma interactions. Their interactions will be similar with hers and Kiyo's but because Karma's open about his sadism, that's bound to set her off rather easily.

Anyway, I'll see you next update.

SS - Hashimoto Masayoshi, A New Contender

Part 1

When word about Class D's scuffle with Class B spread, everyone was surprised to know that the new guy from Class D was able to take down both Ryuen and Albert - two of Class B's strongest, and top fighters.

I asked the Princess about her thoughts, and she only said the bare minumum: "Whoever he is, he must be an excellent student to have taken down Dragon-boy-san and Yamada-kun. Even his OAA stats are much higher than mine."

I checked Akabane Karma's OAA evaluation, and it did indeed took me by surprise.

Akabane Karma

Academic Ability: A (95)
Physical Ability: A (98)
Adaptability: B (78)
Social Contribution: C- (42)
Overall ability: A- (83)

How did someone like him end up with the defects? His OAA stats are rivaled only by the likes of Student Council President Nagumo Miyabi. I asked Hime, and she said that he may prove to be a challenging opponent to beat.

Because he's only been around for a short while, I decided to do a little bit of reconnaissance. If I'm to secure my place in Class A, it couldn't hurt to gain some information about this guy.

Part 2

It was now around 5:30 pm. We ended our training for the exam, and headed home. Before going back to my dorm, I made a quick stop at Class D's training area. Seems like they too were just about done.

I spotted Akabane, and noticed him talking with Ayanokoji and Hirata. I couldn't make out their conversation, but Hirata's always worried about expulsions. Both Ayanokoji and Akabane are Class D's bounties, so it's safe to say that he's just showing his concern for them.

Hirata then left for the direction of his club, and Akabane and Ayanokoji left for the dormitory together.

While I did not intend to follow Ayanokoji, looks like there's no helping it now. I'm getting strange deja vu vibes right now. I remember doing this sort of thing with Ayanokoji last year, after hearing about Horikita-senpai's close relationship with him.

I continued my pursuit, while maintaining a safe distance. Since I needed to go back to my dormitory anyway, it's not at all that odd for us to cross paths with one another. At the very least, I'll have a good excuse if they ever spot me tailing them. Still, I can't give myself away. It didn't seem like Ayanokoji noticed me following him last time, so I'm probably in a good position right now.

Once they entered the dormitory, they both got on the elevator back to their rooms. I can't maintain pursuit of Akabane like this.

Guess I'll wait 'till tomorrow then.

Part 3

A couple of hours later, I was asked to meet with Sakayanagi and the other Class A key players at Karaoke for a strategy meeting. I changed out of my uniform and made my way to Keyaki Mall. As soon as I was close enough to see, I spotted both Akabane and Ayanokoji by the entrance. They too had a change of clothes.

Huh, are they close?

Seeing as how they both left school together, and met up at the mall with a change of clothes, they must at least be familiar with each other. I was still a good distance away, so I could kept an eye out without drawing too much suspicions.

Ayanokoji was on his phone, calling someone repeatedly. Whoever he was calling didn't seem to he picking up. He gave up, and they both went inside. I had managed to catch up to them, and I was now only just a few feet away behind them.

Guess I'll use this opportunity to call out to them.

Since I've already spoken to Ayanokoji before, it won't be strange for me to hit him up for a chat. Our classes are also not competing with each other, so us talking shouldn't be a problem.

"Yow! Ayanokoji!" I called out to him.

They both turned around and met my gaze.

"Hashimot, did you need something from me?" he replied.

"Why so stiff King? I just wanted to have a chat."

"I thought I told you to stop calling me that."

He really did not like being called that. Personally, I think he should just wear it like a badge of honor.

Akabane looked intrigued. He turned to him and asked: "King?"

Ayanokoji shook his head and replied. "No. Don't ask about that."

Akabane looked at him with a mischievous smirk. Something tells me this guy's not gonna let this go.

I cleared my throat and chimed in. "Anyway King, you're with the new guy. Sorry, let me introduce myself." I extended my hand. "Hashimoto Masayoshi."

He reaches for, and shook it with his own. "Akabane Karma."

"I've heard about you, or rather what you did with Ryuen and Albert."

He whistles. "Word sure spreads fast."

"Well it is Ryuen getting his ass beat. That's undoubtedly gonna get a lot of people talking."

He shrugs. "I suppose my actions weren't that at all discreet."

Ayanokoji raises an eyebrow at him, but Akabane just ignores him. I think this is the first time I've ever seen some sort of expression on his face.

For someone to beat both Ryuen and Albert at the same time would mean that person alone surpasses them both in strength. While I don't know the full details, from what I've heard from some of Ryuen's classmates, the fight between them was pretty one-sided.

Ryuen alone is pretty strong, but Albert is something else. I have a hard time imagining Ryuen winning a fight against him. Despite all that, Akabane beat them both without trouble at all it seems.

I laughed lightly. "Still though, that's not something just about anyone can do. You're pretty strong, Akabane."

He puts his hands behind his head. "Meh. Those guys were just weak I guess."

Weak? Did he just call Ryuen and Albert weak?

I asked around, and each story was consistent with Ryuen throwing his all with that punch in blind fury, with Albert not half-assing it either.

Sensing my bewilderment, Ayanokoji clears his throat. "Okay, let's not talk about that now." He clearly didn't want to talk about this. "What brings you to Keyaki Mall at this time, Hashimoto?"

I have no reason to hide it, so I may as well be honest. "Ah, well I'm meeting some of my classmates at Karaoke. What about you guys?"

"Karma and I were invited by Yosuke for dinner at the cafe."

Ah I see. It's just as I thought. Hirata's just showing his concer-

Wait, 'Karma'? 'Yosuke'?

Okay, Hirata I can understand, but how are he and Akabane on a first name basis already?

I eyed them both. "Karma?"

"Yes, I'm Karma." says the Redhead.

Ayanokoji then asked. "Is there something wrong?"

"Well it's just, no offense, but I just didn't expect you guys to be on a first name basis pretty early."

While Ayanokoji didn't change his expression, Akabane's eyes widened for a fraction, then chuckled. "Well Kiyotaka and I knew each other before school."

Ah so that's what it is. They already have a prior connection. Hold on, did they happen to meet here by coincidence?

"Did you know that Ayanokoji was here before transferring, Akabane?" I decided to subtly pry a bit.

He shook his head lightly then responds: "Nah. We hadn't been in touch for a few years now. I guess it was just by a stroke of luck that we reunited in this place"

I can't tell if he's lying or not. If he is, then he's doing a damn good job at it. If he isn't though, then that's gotta be one freaky coincidence.

Ayanokoji glances at his watch, then looks up. "As much as we'd like to continue the chatter, Hashimoto, we still have to reserve a table and order food."

"Alright. Well it was nice meeting you, Akabane. Nice talking to you again too Ayanokoji."

They both nodded. We then parted ways. I made my way to the Karaoke as I watched them enter the Cafe. I seemed to have gotten myself some pretty interesting intel.

If they were friends before school, people would normally not make a big deal out of it, however Akabane doesn't appear to just be 'someone'. Not only is he stronger than both Albert and Ryuen combined, but he's also incredibly smart. His OAA shows this.

You have quite the interesting connection there, Ayanokoji. Maybe I'll find out more about you by getting to know Akabane.

Making connections with that guy wouldn't be a bad thing. If he can take on Ryuen no problem, that just increases my options for success.

Lost in my thoughts, I almost didn't notice that I had just passed by the Karaoke. I turned back and stepped inside. Sakayanagi, Kamuro, Kito, and a few others were already present. None were supporters of Katsuragi though. He may have lost Yahiko, but there were still a few remaining with lingering loyalty, though they were already starting to waver.

The princess noticed me enter, and inquired. "What took you so long, Hashimoto-kun?"

"Sorry princess. I got held up for a bit." I replied.

I plopped down on an empty seat, and order my food and drinks. Shortly after, Sakayanagi began the meeting. It went on for about 2 hours, mainly going over how we were going to deal with Ichinose's class.

Because of Sakayanagi's disability, she herself can't participate, thus she will have to, instead, lay out the groundwork for us. Although we don't have her taking command during the exam's run, our class still consists of plenty of capable people.

On top of that, the likelihood of Ichinose going on the offensive during the first 20 minutes was very low. Despite her being in a different class, she would most likely take a more defensive approach - protecting Class C's bounties, rather than take out our own. Her lack of offense is gonna cost her this exam.

Going up against Class C won't be a problem. Instead, we have to look into a certain other issue that will sprout in the midst of this exam.

"Princess." I decided to speak up. "Won't Katsuragi take advantage of this exam to commandeer control over the class?"

We probably don't have to worry too much, but given the risks, some of our classmates might have to side - even if temporarily - with Katsuragi. Sakayanagi could put him in his place, but he may still try and use this exam to his advantage to exercise control and increase his influence.

She didn't seem worried though, and merely chuckles at my question. "I understand your concern, but I assure you, he won't be a problem. If he dare tries something, I'll simply squash him like the bug he is."

As expected. Something like this is trivial for her.

"I see. It seems that my worries were for nothing."

"Very well. If there aren't any more questions, then I believe that's where we end off with the strategy meeting. Kito-kun, I expect that you'll be putting up a good fight?"

He nodded in response. He isn't Class A's top martial artist for nothing. Even Ryuen is wise not to take things too physical with him.

"Ordinarily I couldn't care less what would happen to Machida-kun, but given what's on the line if he gets eliminated early on, it can't be helped. Just make sure all of you keep a tight leash around him, alright?"

We all gave out a collection 'yes'.

"Alright. Then this meeting is adjourned. Thank you for your time, but before we leave, there's something else I'd like to discuss with you all - a matter that may be more important than this exam."

Everyone present seemed to be a little surprised. We were all probably thinking something along the lines of 'what could be more important than the exam?'

"What is it?" Asked Kamuro.

Sakayanagi's eyes wander around the room for a bit, scanning everyone, and making sure we were all paying attention.

"I'm sure you've all hear of the scuffle between Classes D and B, right?"

So this is what she wanted to bring up. Earlier today, all she said was the bare minimum, but now it seems that she's much more willing to go into details.

"Yeah, we've heard about it. How can we not?" Kamuro replied.

"Well, it has come to my attention that a rather interesting individual has slipped into Class D. Someone who possesses immense strength that can topple the likes of both Ryuen-kun, and Yamada-kun. Not only is he immensely strong, but from the looks of his academic ability, he's also incredibly intelligent."

All of us looked at each other, puzzled. Indeed, we know who she was talking about, but there was one question that was on all our minds.

A classmate of mine asks: "You're referring to Akabane Karma-kun, right?"

Sakayanagi smiles and nods. "Indeed."

Kamuro chimes in. "I remember you talking about him a bit a while ago. You didn't seem to want to talk about him much, so why bring him up now?"

She pauses for a second, then replied. "Simple. OAA ratings mean nothing if a person is only limited to just that. If they can't prove their worth and act accordingly, suffice to say they're not worth keeping an eye on."

"And I'm guessing the incident with Ryuen caught your attention?" asked Kito.

"Yes, though you are only half right. Not only did he took out both Ryuen-kun and Yamada-kun, he even successfully gained control over the rest of Class D for their training."

Upon hearing about the scuffle between Akabane, Ryuen, and Albert, Sakayanagi had Kamuro spy on them from afar. After she reported back on Class D's recent developments, she started to take an interest in their affairs. I do have to wonder though, what did she mean by 'half right'?

"Masumi-san, would you please share what your findings?"

"Alright, fine." Kamuro complied. "All I can really say though is that both he and Ayanokoji assumed command over their training. They tested their class's combative abilities, and Akabane even assigned roles to some of his classmates."

"And I'm assuming that their classmates were having a tough time keeping up?"

Kamuro seemed surprised at the princess's question. "Well yeah. How'd you know?"

Sakayanagi chuckles. "Oh nothing much. Please, continue."

Kamuro looks at her warily, but brushes it off aside for now. "Well like you said, everyone from their class had a hard time keeping up with them - not even Sudo, Horikita, and Hirata came close to matching their speed and combative abilities."

This was a surprise. While I'm not too familiar with Horikita, both Sudo and Hirata are probably some of the top athletes from our year. Sudo especially almost immediately cemented himself as one of the basketball club's top players, which also earned him a spot as one of Class D's key figures. While Hirata isn't on Sudo's level, he isn't bad in anyway either. A lot of people from his club have nothing but good things to say about his performance.

Although all of us were surprised by this, Sakayanagi didn't seem it in the slightest - almost as if she were expecting it. I decided to ask. "Hey, Princess, how come you don't seem so surprised?"

"Hm? Whatever do you mean, Hashimoto-kun? Isn't it only natural that Akabane-kun's stength should be apparent after what happened between him and Ryuen-kun?" she replied.

"Well sure, but you're not even gonna comment about Ayanokoji's feats? I mean yeah he's fast, but it's not like we were expecting that he was skilled in combat."

There was a brief pause. She didn't respond. She just closed her eyes and hummed.

Kito then chimed in. "Have you known about this already by any chance?"

We were all listening intently, but she didn't answer. I then decided to add on my own question.

"Princess, you seem to know a great deal about Ayanokoji. Was this one of the things that you were talking about last year?"

With her eyes remained shut, she merely widened her grin. She dodges our question and asks one herself.

"Hashimoto-kun." She opened her eyes and I met her gaze. "How much do you expect to get out of all your stalking?"

I tensed up a bit. I didn't expect her find out about my undercover work.

"What do you mean, Princess?"

"I know you've been following Akabane-kun since hearing his dealings with Ryuen-kun and Yamada-kun."

"Wait, what makes you say that Princess?"

There's no use lying to her, but I at least tried to throw off the scent.

"It just seems like a you thing to do. Establishing connections with powerful figures to secure your spot at the top isn't such a bad idea."

She saw through me. I have been establishing connections with people from different classes, especially with Ryuen's class. The only ones I couldn't really make connections with are those from Ichinose's class, since none of them were willing to oppose their own class, and none of them possess the same kind of feats as other class leaders.

"It isn't a bad idea, unless of course you choose to step out of line. Then it would be a problem."

I guess it's understandable she would think that. "I'm just simply broadening my social networking, Princess. It could prove useful for you in the long run. You know, for intel gathering."

"I see. In that case, I'm glad we've come to an understanding. I would hate to have one of my own go rogue. It's too much unnecessary extra work."

"Of course, Princess. now you wanted to ask me something, right? About my findings?"

"Yes."

Kamuro blinks slowly, and then speaks up. "Did you just admit to stalking?"

"What? It's just intel gathering."

She hummed. "I dunno. Seems like stalking to me. You're stalking guys now Hashimoto? I didn't know you swing that way." she says with a shit eating grin. I can hear others snort.

Annoyed, I said. "It's nothing like that! Besides, weren't you stalking Ayanokoji last year too?" I returned her grin with my own.

This time, hers fades and she scowls. "That was under her orders." Pointing to Sakayanagi, who was finding our exchange amusing, but I can tell she wants to get this done soon.

"Now, now Masumi-san." She cuts in. "There'll be plenty of time for you two to settle this later. For now, please do share with the rest of us your findings, Hashimoto-kun."

All ears were now on me. "Well I haven't been gathering intel on him for long. I only just started once we ended training. From what I could gather though, he and Ayanokoji apparently knew each other before school, and are pretty close. They're even on a first name basis."

"I see." she commented.

"Well if both of them assumed command for Class D's training, then I guess that it would make sense if they both had a prior connection with each other." says Kito.

Kamuro then asked. "Isn't it just because they're both bounties that they're doing this?"

"Perhaps so, Masumi-san." The Princess answers. "But I highly doubt Ayanokoji-kun would have taken the lead without someone joining him as his back up."

"What makes you say that?"

"If he were the type to take the lead, he would have done so a long time ago."

I guess she has a point, but there was still something bothering me.

"Hey, Princess." I decided to chime in. "I get that you know a great deal about Ayanokoji. You said you knew him before school, but if he and Akabane also had a prior connection, does this mean you already knew about Akabane before as well?"

Everyone present looked at her intently. There was a pause. She closed her eyes, not losing her smile, and just sat there quietly, deep in thought. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes, and looked at us with a more serious tone.

"I'm going to warn you all right now. Just one of them is a challenge enough.If you care about maintaining your spot in Class A, then having both of them in the same opposing team would be less than ideal. Unlike Ayanokoji-kun however, Akabane-kun doesn't mind taking the spotlight. While I enjoy a good challenge, even I have to admit that having them on the same team would prove to be difficult."

I and the others were surprised by this. While Akabane's feats were more apparent in his OAA, as well as his confrontation with Ryuen and Albert, Ayanokoji's were more obscure. The only ones we know of are his running speed, his math abilities, his insane chess skills which gave even Sakayanagi a run for her money, and now his combat abilities. Sakayanagi has also hinted that there's more to him than meets the eye, but just how much exactly is he hiding?

I know Horikita-senpai spoke of him highly from my conversation with Nagumo-senpai, so perhaps Ayanokoji does possess qualities that could rival even the class leaders. What other qualities these are however remains a mystery.

"You did say that Ayanokoji was capable, but just how capable is he exactly, other than what we know so far?" asks Kamuro.

Kito then adds his own question. "From the way you spoke, you say it like they're truly forces to be reckon with."

Sakayanagi merely stares at them, her expression not changing a bit. She then evades answering and stood up slowly.

"That's enough for now. I'm sure you'll find the answers you seek once the exam comes. If i'm right, Dragon-boy-san is at the mercy of demons."

Demons?

I, along with the others wanted to ask her what she meant, but she started walking towards the door, and motions for everyone to leave. We all followed suit, and left the karaoke together. As we parted ways for our respective rooms, her words keep repeating in my head. Now I have even more questions.

"Guess I'll just have to find out on my own then." I muttered to myself as I entered my room.

Part 4

The next few days have been uneventful. I haven't gotten much out of them. All I have been able to gather is that they often spend a lot of time together, and they're a lot more athletic than what I originally thought. Since I have to keep my distance to keep myself from being discovered, I can't exactly listen in on their conversation.

Seems I'll have to take Sakayanagi's word and wait for the exam then. It won't be long, but I'll continue to keep watch whenever I can.

Part 5

What the hell am I witnessing? Akabane, Ayanokoji, and Koenji are overwhelming their enemies by themselves as we speak. They don't even look tired in the slightest. All their other classmates were down, and it was now about half of Class B versus just the three of them, yet they're turning things around.

Despite the overwhelming difference in numbers, the students of Class B are dropping like flies from just those three alone. Ayanokoji's swordsmanship, and Akabane's knifework is nothing short of astounding.It's like they practiced the real deal. Even Koenji's combative abilities were well refined, which really surprised me, since he was never the type to take anything seriously.

Where was this determination back when we were in the Mixed Training Camp? I thought to myself.

I looked at Class D, and they were just as surprised as we are. The feats displayed by those three are phenomenal. Earlier Sakayanagi called them Class D's wild cards, and went to great details to just what exactly qualifies them as such.

After seeing them in action for myself, I finally understood what she meant, including her words back in our first strategy meeting in the karaoke. Neither one of them were relenting, and no pellets nor blades could come close to even as much as grazing them.

Akabane, and Koenji aside, I never knew Ayanokoji was this capable in combat. If he and Akabane knew each other before coming here, did they knew of each other's capabilities as well? Did they receive similar training?

After some time, the match between both classes ended. Ayanokoji had just returned, and now the match between Akabane and Koenji was about to begin. I'm actually excited. I have no idea how this will turn out. Both of them are really great at what they do.

Whatever the case, it seems that getting to know Akabane and Ayanokoji more would prove beneficial for me. Looks like this year may just be getting a whole lot more interesting.

Ey so I just finished this short story. I would've gotten this done sooner if: (a) I was more familiar with Hashimoto's character; (b) wasn't caught up in part time job; (c) wasn't caught up in late uni work; (d) was also kinda busy with reviewing some of my notes from uni to prepare for whatever is to come; and (e) I wasn't messing around with Google Earth with my friends.

Anyway I dunno when I'll be updating next, but once I'm done rereading yr 2 vols 3 and 4, I'll get to writing.

I actually just finished rereading the rules shown in yr 2 vol 2, and I gotta say, a lot of them feel so superflous. I'm probably gonna change some here and there just to simplify the rules.

To be honest, I think one of the biggest problems with special exams in COTE is that there are far too many rules, but not all of them are gonna end up playing out, because pretty much all of them happen outside the perspectives we are reading.

Like, wtf do these penalties have to do with the main character, and would they even affect the main narrative to a degree like the first island exam? I get it's to make things more believable, but it's COTE. Pretty not everyone reads the rules extensively.

I'll change some of the rules, but I won't change the big ones like the groups and what not. I just want to simplify it.

Anyways, yeah I'll have to do some revisions to simplify the story.

Anyway nuff said about the rules. Let's discuss something else.

Have you seen the new illustrations? What are your thoughts? I'm actually excited to see what Ibuki and Yagami gotten themselves in to, and Horikita's worries towards Kiyotaka. I actually think Yagami may have leaked Kiyo's plans to Horikita or something, or they discovered him to have a hand in Kiyo's expulsion.

Also, thoughts on Haruka? Will she go through with revenge, or will she forgive Kiyopon? I actually think the maid outfit was the gift that Airi bought with those 5k points. I could be wrong though. There was never any confirmation if she knew about the maid cafe.

Lastly, Kanzaki and Himeno seem to have a bigger role in this volume. Do you think both of them will usurp Ichinose's position as leader? Could be interesting. As far as I know, only both of them don't completely adhere to the whole 'friendship is power' philosophy. I mean they're not bad people, but they know you have to be a bit more ruthless in order to move up the ranks.

As much as people shit on Ichinose's class, I actually feel kinda bad for them. In the first place, no one knew that students would have to compete for points and the 100% job employment before they enrolled on ANHS. If this were a normal high school, I'm pretty sure they'd be more well off, but eh.

Competitions are fun to watch, and read, but from the perspective of the characters, it's actually very stressful.

Anyway, about the next arc for this story. So I have the ending planned, but starting the arc may prove to be more difficult than I thought, but I'll burn that bridge when I get there.

Lastly, this is just a heads up, but I have possibly 4 more characters from AC whom I have planned to appear as guests for the cultural festival. No, I'm not counting Ritsu in that. For one of them, I did do a little bit of revision to their background to make them eligible to enter. They're the only person I could think of that may make sense in joining as a guest, especially with what happens in the 7 years later storyline.

I think you may have some idea with some of them, but I'm not confirming anything. I'll leave that up to your imagination.

Anyway, that's all I have to say. Thanks so much for the support on this book. I really appreciate it. Once I've sort out some of the necessary uni work this week and the next, I'll be back on the grind more.

See you next update!

Vol. 4, Chapter 1 - A Challenge

Part 1

(Ayanokoji POV)

After the exam ended, we all returned on Thursday, the day after the match between Class C and A. Our class was now in a better position, thanks to the huge momentum it gained from our win in the Line of Fire exam.

The current standing in points are as follows:

Sakayanagi's Class A at 1339 cps

Ryuen's Class B at 565 cps

Ichinose's Class C at 539 cps

Horikita's Class D at 393 cps

Due to our deal with Ryuen, we had to sacrifice more points we could have earned, all to make sure Kushida would be dealt with. From what Karma told me, she won't be making a move any time soon.

Still, a 146 difference in points between us and Ichinose's class isn't too bad. Given the current state of Class C, it isn't at all outlandish to think that our class would overtake them sooner or later.

While on paper, our class seemed to be doing well for itself, it seems that people are beginning to realize one big schism to it. That is, there are only a few people that are actually making it move forward. During the exam, people have begun to realize just how much a threat myself, Karma, and Koenji really are.

If something were to happen to us, our class would lose more than half of its manpower. Enemy classes would most likely want to exploit this weakness.

Due to the agreement between Koenji and Horikita, Koenji now has to take exams seriously. Should he honor it, it would give Class D a huge boost in power. However, relying on Koenji, Karma, and myself heavily may also prove to be a huge detriment. If the others wish to rise to the top, they better take Karma's advice, and take the initiative on improving themselves.

After we returned, we were given the days off on Friday to Sunday to recuperate. Karma told me that Koenji wanted to talk to us. I can make a guess as to what it was about. My curiosity piqued, I accepted their invitation to meet with them Monday after class somewhere.

I pretty much spent the days off in my room, or talking with the Ayanokoji Group, Karma, and Kei.

Come Monday, I was on my way to school, and encountered Chabashira-sensei on the way. She noticed me, and waited for me before resuming her trek. There was actually something I needed to discuss with her, and it seems that she too wanted to talk about it.

"Good morning, Sensei." I greeted her.

"Morning, Ayanokoji. You're rather early." she replied as we were walking.

"Is there anything wrong with that?"

"No, not at all. Enough of that. There's something I want to discuss while there's no one else around."

"Is it about the special exam?"

"Yes. The whole bounty thing got me and Mashima-sensei thinking that it had been rigged to try and get you out."

True enough, that was indeed the case. Tsukushiro hastened his efforts to try and get me out, seeing as how Karma may prove to be a huge nuisance in his plans.

"Well you're right about that."

"You seem rather calm about this. Interfering with an exam directly is no laughing matter." she said sternly and concerned.

"Given everything else he's done so far, it shouldn't be surprising."

"I suppose, but there's something else as well. This exam was announced to us teachers last minute. It was never originally planned to happen before the upcoming exam this summer."

By upcoming exam this summer, I assume she meant another island exam. Still, even though this was last minute, the preparations seemed well done.

"If he was able to organize it this well under a short period of time, then good on him. I highly doubt it was easy getting all those soldier to help proctor the exam."

"You're right about that. Some couldn't even make it, and had to have a substitute fill in for them."

I see. That explains the infiltrator sent out by my father, and how he managed to slip in without much difficulty.

"Still." she said sternly. "Both of us can't help but think there was more to this than that."

She was right. Because my father and Tsukishiro know full well of my capabilities, they know that merely having a whole class of students won't be enough to get rid of me. On top of that, there's the presence of Karma.

To increase their chances of my expulsion, they needed to send out a highly trained professional that could get rid of me from behind the scenes. Luckily Karma and I considered this possibility, and took measures beforehand.

"Don't worry about that." I replied to her reassuringly. "It's all been taken care of."

"Are you sure?" she remained unconvinced.

"Well, I'm still here, aren't I?"

True to form, had they succeeded, I wouldn't be here right now. My presence here should be proof that their plan failed.

"Well, I suppose you have a point." she said with a slight hint of hesitation.

"Did you and Mashima-sensei find anything else?"

"Other than what I just told you, no. I'm afraid not."

"Figures. He most likely destroyed all evidence during the preparatory phase."

They most likely knew that, but it seems that Chabashira-sensei still had something on her mind that she needed to get out.

I decided to ask. "Is there something else that you needed to say?"

"Well yes. I know how much your father wanted to get you out, but I'm getting the feeling that this attempt was done out of desperation instead of it being a more calculated move. Both he and the Acting Director have made some rather risky moves. If that's the case, I wonder why."

So that's what was bugging her. There's only one explanation for this.

"The answer's simple." I said. This caused her to reel back a moment.

"And just what is that exactly?"

"It's because of Karma."

"Akabane?"

"Indeed. We go way back, to the point that we were practically raised together." This wasn't an exaggeration either.

"He's aware of my situation. He somehow found out about me being here, and knew the lengths my father would go through to get me back. He came here to back me up. He and Chairman Sakayanagi spoke to aid with his enrollment, and the Chairman filled him in on what's going on that he knows of."

She looked to be in disbelief.

"If Akabane's presence is what caused this, I assume he's a threat they cannot take lightly, right?"

I nodded. "If Horikita's brother were here, I'm pretty sure he'd go through the painstaking efforts to recruit him in to the student council in a heartbeat." And I speak from experience.

"I've already seen some of his capabilities. He's no ordinary student, I'll give him that."

That could not be more true. Whether it be one of the best from the 4th generation of the White Room, or assassination, he's not someone you can take lightly. The last special exam should show her as much. Even if Karma isn't taking things seriously, he's still a force to be reckon with.

"This attempt by Tsukishiro was an attempt to split us up. Just me alone was challenging for him enough, but having both of us just made things even more complicated."

"Seems you two make quite the team."

Team, huh?

"We were able to see through their plans, and got out of it, though..."

At a cost of life. I held myself from saying that.

"What is it?"

"No it's nothing. Don't worry, it's been taken care of, however I ask that you and Mashima-sensei proceed with your investigations with more caution. I doubt Tsukishiro is oblivious to me having potential allies from the inside."

"I understand. I'll be announcing this soon, so I'll say it to you in advance anyway. There'll be a new special exam coming this summer. I'm sure you have an idea what it is."

"Another island exam, huh?"

"I will neither confirm nor deny that. In any case, please be careful. I don't know what he's planning, but it's probably something big, and he may use this special exam to his advantage."

I nodded. "Understood."

Once we reached the shoe lockers, I stopped.

"Let's split off here. It would be troublesome for the both of us if we're seen together."

"Got it." She started to walk forward, but she stopped in her tracks and turned her head around to meet my eyes.

"By the way, congratulations on yours, Akabane's, and Koenji's performance. You three really outdid yourselves." She said joyfully with a smile. She was probably giddy with excitement from our class gaining a huge boost in points from the last exam.

Her hope for Class A had just been further ignited.

I honestly couldn't care about that. The class could rise without me. Whether Karma or Koenji decide to lend a hand is something else out of my control.

"Well, a certain senpai can leave an impact. Go thank him."

Her grin widened, and she walked away, leaving me in the lobby. She mostly definitely knew who I was talking about.

Part 2

(Karma POV)

Classes for the day ended, and we were now headed home - well everyone else was anyway. I, on the other hand, made a detour, and stopped by a rather peculiar person's abode along with Kiyotaka. As soon as we entered, this blonde behemoth came to view, and motioned for us to have a seat.

"Well, well. Do neither of you have a better reaction after entering the home of a perfect being?"

"Even after losing to Karma, you're still firm on your whole 'perfect existence stance', Koenji?" says Kiyotaka.

"As a perfect human, I see no reason for admonishment. One such as myself must keep reminding those forgetful insects."

"Sheesh." I said. "And here I thought that beating I gave you humbled you a little. Maybe Karasuma-sensei shouldn't have stopped me when I was gonna enact my tradition."

Koenji looked at me in amusement. "As I said, 'one such as myself must keep reminding those forgetful insects'. Demons are another thing entirely, especially one who trained in assassination in order to kill a planetary-threat super-being."

My grin widened a little. "Well, better for you to remain headstrong than wallowing in shame for your remaining days, I suppose. So, what did you want to talk about? "

He chuckles lightly, then replies. "Well, I suppose I'll start off with this. Ayanokoji-boy, when you first arrived at this school, your name kept ringing in my head, telling me I've heard it before. Then, after the first island exam, it clicked. Color me surprised when I ended up meeting the Professor's son yet again in a place like this."

"I see." Kiyo said. "Here thought only Sakayanagi and her father knew who I was when I arrived. However, thinking about it now, doesn't your family have a branch in New York?"

"Correct."

"Ah, then that makes sense. I remember visiting New York with my father when I was young. While I didn't see you, I'm pretty sure that was a branch of the Koenji Conglomerate that we visited."

"So it seems your father was a contributor in the funding of that place then." I added.

Koenji nodded. "I actually visited that place at the age of 7. I happen to saw you two overwhelm your opponents without much difficulty. It was upon that sight that made me pursue the path to perfection."

I hummed, maybe a bit too loudly, then looked at him with a joyous look. "So what you're saying is... we're like your childhood heroes!" I raised my arms in the air saying this.

"..."

There was a brief moment of silence, and both of them looked at me in disbelief. Before Koenji could reply, Kiyo intervened. "Don't answer that, Koenji. You'll only be feeding his ego."

Koenji laughs. "Inspiration, huh? It's more like I want to squash that place's philosophy, by taking you both down in the process, and proving that I am superior."

Damn. And here I thought I was gonna be one of those inspirational figures that leads the protagonist down to the path of greatness. Kinda like how Uncle Ben is to Spiderman, or how Iroh is to Zuko.

I crossed my arms, and looked away from them, not hiding my dejection. "You're both stinks in the mud, you know that?"

Actually, thinking about it now, maybe I don't want to be a sensei, or inspirational figure for the protagonist. The ones who fill that role always die.

"Don't be a child. Anyway, Koenji, ignore this thing."

'Thing'? Did you just demote me from being human? Rude!

Koenji lightly chuckles, then continues. "Well, as I've said, I first became aware of your existence after the first island exam. I dropped out for two reasons: one, the exam was a waste of my time; and two, I never thought we had a chance at winning. To my surprise, our class came first with a massive lead."

"I assume that's when you became aware of my existence?"

He nodded. "Yes. I've kept a close eye on you from afar since then. Although I have no interest in our class competitions, I am interested in seeing how you move about in the shadows. I've become aware of your many involvements behind the scenes. Secretly pulling the strings behind Horikita-girl, your battle with Dragon-boy and that little girl, your manipulation of the class poll exam, your dealings with that Gorilla-boy, Hosen, even your recent behind the scenes works for this exam, though not the specifics."

"I see. I've always known you were sharp, so none of this is surprising. Still, it's impressive how you were able to deduce all this on your own."

"Fufu. It's not a difficult task. The clues are everywhere."

"He's right you know." I said. "Only a few people in our class know about your true involvement behind the scenes. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if more enemies knew about you than our own classmates."

It stills boggles my mind how the whole class still hasn't figured it out. How funny would it be if, by the time we graduate, everyone, except for the one who already knew, still haven't managed to figure it out?

"Well that does already seem to be the case." says Kiyo. "Still the less they know, the better."

"Is it really though?" Koenji inquired. "Those insects still see the so-called "masterpiece" as a lowly defect."

"Well, their opinions is changing." I said. "From here on you should be good to take backseat for a while. If they bother you, just wave those 60 class points you earned to their faces to make them leave you alone."

Kiyo merely sighed. Although they won't give him death glares, the showcase of his skills is bound to garner attention. If there were ever an exam that required combative prowess, he'd be on the line for recruitment.

"You seem rather calm about this, Karma."

"Oh me?"

"Yes. They'll probably distance themselves from you now."

"Eh. Same old same old. I've sent a lot of people to the hospital. I'm used to the barrier. Besides, it just makes it all the more interesting."

Though, I am glad that Class-E saw me other than just...

"Ah yes, on to my next point." Koenji chimed in.

"I mentioned you being an assassin. I don't know what circumstances led up to you escaping the White Room, but I had become aware of your involvement with that creature, who was gonna blow up the Earth 2 years ago. If I remember, that thing taught at a Junior High, and the class that creature taught was given the task of killing him. You were part of that class of assassins, weren't you?" He eyed me curiously, awaiting for a response.

I remained quiet for a bit. I'm not suppose to talk about this with just about anyone. I only told Kiyo, because I'm sure he must have heard about the experiments Koro-sensei went through, and that he wouldn't go around sharing secrets.

Giving it some further thought, if Koenji's father were a benefactor to the funding for Koro-sensei's final assassination project by the government, I guess it wouldn't hurt to indulge him a little. Afterall, I did promise to talk to him should our match be satisfactory.

Thinking about what to say, somehow the way Koenji described Koro-sensei didn't sit right with me. Sure the guy can be an idiot, but it's undeniable that he taught us so much, not just academics, but also life.

Sure he was once the Reaper, but he's changed. He's not evil, unlike a certain someone I know. Antagonizing him feels like a disservice. Only Class E's allowed to make fun of him. I decided to give an answer that summarized my own thoughts and feelings.

"His name is Koro-sensei, and he was the best teacher we've ever had. No one comes close."

Koenji hummed in surprise at my response. He probably didn't think I would've been sentimental towards my former teacher. In the eyes of the public, Koro-sensei was a menace, that needed to be put down. Our actions were seen as heroic, but they never acknowledged his huge positive impact in our lives.

...Mine especially.

"It seems you're quite attached to this Koro-sensei. I never knew one of the demon duo would grow a heart."

I too was surprised by the change in me. It didn't happen overnight, but gradually overtime. My new host parents were the starting point, but Nagisa, Koro-sensei, and the rest of Class 3-E made a huge impact on me, and pretty much humanized me.

I still harbor some of the darkness I acquired from the White Room, but I can now move forward and see it as a thing of the past.

Sometimes I may be wrong.

Sometimes my cold-hearted nature may surface, but I won't let it take over me.

I'll honor the gift of being able to live my life freely, and honor everything that came with it.

"I suppose... miracles do happen, Koenji."

There was brief pause. Then, Kiyo ended it by speaking up.

"This coming from a sadist, pretty sure we could use more miracles like that."

I chuckled.

"I'm interested." Koenji spoke up, eyeing my curiously.

"Hm?" I responded.

"About this Koro-sensei. I wish to know what made him so great in your eyes. You, a former demon of the fourth seem to put him on a pedestal above the White Room."

Oh, so that's what.

"Well, I guess I don't mind. I did promise you I'll answer your questions."

"Then let's hear it. It's not often that a perfect human, such as myself, wishes to indulge in the life of others."

"Alright, but only if you promise to keep quiet on this. If you say things carelessly, the government will have their eye on you."

He laughs loudly. "Do I look like the type to give away secrets? That's only for creatures of the lowest caliber, like Kushida-girl."

I laugh at what he said. Kiyo responded to him. "Seeing as how you kept my identity a secret until now, there's credibility to your words. Though, you still ended up telling people about my involvements with Yosuke, and Horikita."

"Well, those peasants don't know their place. They needed to see just how insignificant they are in the face of a so called "masterpiece". Still, I only said the ones that don't involve your true abilities, so they still don't know what you're fully capable of, Ayanokoji-boy."

"I suppose you have a point, Koenji."

"Fufufu. Now then, Akabane-boy. Let's hear what you have to say."

So now it's back to me, huh?

"Hmm.. Now where do I begin?" I closed my eyes, recalling the early days in Class 3-E. "Ah yes. During my third year of Junior High, as soon as my suspension was lifted-"

Part 3

(Ayanokoji POV)

The middle of June was gradually approaching.

There were no new special exams after the one in May, and so we were able
to get on with our normal school lives for a while. The White Room student, who was targeting me also hadn't made any moves yet.

Up to now, the only thing that had affected me was the recent Line of Fire exam, the time when Amasawa came to my room, and the major crisis concerning whether or not I would get expelled hadn't happened at all.

However, that accident seemed to have left too deep an impression on us, so
much so that we hadn't yet found the right timing to kiss again. No matter
how good an atmosphere we created, there was always like an invisible wall
between us. Although I would like to break this wall down as soon as
possible to make progress on our relationship, there was really no need to
rush.

Over time, Kei would be able to slowly remove that wall herself, moving onto the next stage naturally. That would help her growth.

As a high school student, I was living a substantial school life. At the same
time, the season was changing into summer day by day.

The temperature outside began to rise slowly, just like every year. On a sunny day, the temperature could reach around 30 degrees, and like every year, the temperature started to rise, bit by bit, announcing that summer heat would take over the spring breeze.

Living an ordinary school life for a long time, I've often heard this topic
brought up.

What was one's favorite season? But it was an unexpectedly deep and interesting topic.

After experiencing the change of the four seasons at this school, I was once again looking forward to the hot season. If I thought about it, my favorite season is probably summer.

Maybe that's why the blue sky felt so beautiful and dazzling in this season.

"Good morning, Ayanokouji-senpai."

As I was walking while looking up at the sky, I was greeted by someone in front of me.

Following the voice, it seemed to be Nanase Tsubasa, a student of Class 1-D.

She was alone. We ended up talking about how great the weather was today, the whole 20M point bounty special exam for the first years, and how Hosen has been behaving lately.

"Although it's a far-fetched theory based on only the result, I think it's thanks
to you that he has become a bit more well-behaved. I guess you could say that he's taking some of the energy focused on the first year students and placing it on the upperclassmen. Recently, he keeps saying things like, "Let me fight the 2nd years". That's just great."

That was indeed great - for the first years anyway. Now that she said that, the fact that Housen would meet my eye when I passed his huge body was really just a sign of provocation.

No thanks. Go fight Karma. I'm sure he'd love to stuff your nose with condiments.

We talked some more, until we reached the school. Nanase's parting words seemed to indicate that I don't have much time left in this school.

With that, she bowed her head, and we parted ways.

Part 4

I entered the classroom, and as soon as I approached my seat, Horikita looked up from her book, and greeted me.

"Good morning, Ayanokoji-kun."

"Morning. What were you reading?"

"Noli Me Tangere"

A Filipino classic written by their national hero, Jose Rizal.

A story that depicts the dark times the people of the past underwent during the Spanish colonial period. Inequalities, abuse of power by the ruling body, war. Although much of those are supposedly in the past, it's undeniable that the past always repeats itself.

Even now, oppression of any kind is not at all uncommon. It goes to show the vile nature of human kind, and how people are easily driven by greed and lust for power.

"Good pick. By the way, has there been any news lately? It's almost summer."

"You mean that they'll make us do another summer exam? No, there hasn't. However, I wouldn't put it past them."

"I see. I'll leave you to your book."

I sat down on my seat, and cast my gaze outside the window. A couple of minutes later, my view was then obstructed by this monstrosity, who had just arrived.

"Hope you don't mind me interrupting your view, but I do need to sit down, you know?"

"Oh, morning, Karma."

"Yow."

He plopped down, while playing a game console.

"Did you come all the way to school while playing your game?"

Without looking away from his game, he replies: "There's no rule against it. As long as I don't do it during class, I'll be fine."

"That's not the point here. Let me rephrase my question. Did you walk all the way to school while playing your game?"

"Yes." He didn't even try to deny it. "I made a mistake starting DBZ: Shin Budokai, and now I can't stop."

While I have no idea about this game he's talking about, I at least know he's gotten addicted to it. I have seen Dragonball before arriving to this school though. One of the few things I was able to watch while I was under Matsuo's care.

"I see."

"By the way, any news on Tsukishiro?"

"No, but I have a feeling he'll be making another move again soon."

He merely hummed, then remained quiet while continuing his game. A few minutes later, Chabashira-sensei strolled into the room.

I turned to the red-head. Sensing my stare, he got my message of him needing to stop. He reluctantly pauses his game, and puts it away.

"It seems like everyone is here, that's good."

After taking attendance, Chabashira-sensei worked the tablet on her hand to show the images on the monitor.

It didn't take long for her to get ready. She switched to a white screen and then turned back to us.

"I've been with you guys for a while now, so I'm sure you must've guessed what this is."

A new special exam is about to begin. Even though everyone had that sentence in their throat, they still waited for Chabashira-sensei's next words.

Apart from some students, most students had their eyes on Chabashira-sensei, and after a pause, she laughed lightly.

"It's true that we'll be discussing the topic of the special exam after this, but to maintain the suspense for a bit longer, I'll pick it up later. First, let's talk about summer vacation."

After saying that, Chabashira-sensei looked at her tablet, and then an image appeared on the monitor.

The first thing shown was a picture of a luxury cruise ship.

Our Class D had memories of a similar ship.

"Now I'll explain to you what'll happen in the summer vacation before it actually starts."

For a moment, the students looked at each other, as if they were trying to express their inner joy with sweet words.

However, the combination of a boat and a vacation also brought up a different memory deep inside everyone.

This school wouldn't just feed us sweet things. As we thought back on this, the monitor switched from pictures from the exterior of the ship to the interior. The schedule was also shown.

"From August 4 to August 11, you can enjoy to your heart's content your summer vacation on this luxury cruise for a total of eight days and seven nights. You can watch play or pamper your taste buds. And there will not be anything like a special exam on the cruise."

In other words, we were being promised a real, genuine one-week vacation. The strongly skeptical students eased up a bit.

However, as soon as those images were cleared, that ease disappeared. It was as if saying that it was a temptation.

"But in order to fully enjoy this cruise trip, you must successfully complete the next special exam."

Just after the students were treated to a fantasy for a little while, they were quickly dragged back to reality.

This approach of lifting us up and then bringing us down would usually be very frustrating to us students.

However, the students instantly changed their mindsets to one of alertness to the forthcoming battle.

"Looks like you're indeed learning." A smile of admiration appeared on Chabashira-sensei's face.

It wasn't as if she had brought up the vacation first and foremost just to be mean.

Even though we were still in Class D, she wanted us to prove that we are different from the Class D of a year ago. Through trial after trial in succession, we had learned how to brace ourselves.

Chabashira-sensei then went on to explain the contents of the exam, or rather the contents that she was allowed to disclose. It seems more rules would be revealed shortly before the exam, starts.

After Chabashira-sensei finished her discussion, everyone's top priority right now was to look for teammates. However, I had a different thought in mind.

Sensing my line of thinking, Karma spoke up to me.

"I'm guessing were on the same page?"

"Well, I did agree to your condition after all."

"I knew you'd come around. This opportunity would go to waste if we don't take advantage of it. Wouldn't you say?" He said brightly. I could practically see sparkles coming from his eyes.

"I am interested in seeing more of what you learned during... well, you know."

"So it's decided then?"

Before I could agree, I had one concern in mind.

"While I'd like to use this opportunity to compete against you directly, there is a big problem."

"Ah. You mean him and the bounty on your head, right?"

I nodded. As long as I have this bounty on my head, and if Tsukishiro intervenes, things won't go smoothly.

"I actually have something in mind for him. Care to hear it?" he said.

"Go ahead."

"I'll tell you later in your room. It's best not to discuss it out loud in the open."

"Alright. Tell me about it later then."

He nodded. A year ago aiming for first place in an exam like this would be out of the question. However, if I'm to fulfill Manabu's parting gift, it wouldn't hurt to show a bit more of what I'm capable of, especially against someone, who I regarded as an equal.

Currently, my classmates only know of my immense physical abilities. As long as I avoid any events that involve academics, I think I'll be fine. If it can't be avoided, I'll be careful not to overdo it.

Not long after, Horikita and Yosuke both stood on the podium, and called for everyone's attention. Everyone, including Koenji, listened. Since he lost the bet with Horikita, he now has to contribute to the class.

"First, let's prioritize the groupings." Says Horikita. "The particularly important part of this exam is, although there are certain conditions, we can form groups with anyone in the same year at will."

This was a new rule that had never exited in the special exams up to now. The closest thing that came to this were the groups we formed during the Mixed Training Camp.

Sudo then voices out his concern about the distribution of class points when your group wins. Indeed, one could look at it in a way that there's no benefit in grouping up with other classes. This special exam was not just a competition across the year groups, but also a battle between classes of the same year.

The most effective way for a class to win would be to form a group consisting of members from your own class. Even so, the school prepared some interesting rules.

There were advantages to grouping up with students from other classes, and disadvantages with grouping up with only your classmates. If your class lacks people with strong physical ability, a good alternative would be to find someone from another class. Same goes for academics. It was a low risk, but low reward type of ordeal.

The ideal situation would be forming groups of 2 or 3 within the class, and then converging into the big groups later. However, forming big groups after the special exam begins is not easy.

Perhaps the biggest thing one must consider for this special exam would be the unimagined destructive power it presents. If a single class manages to take up the top three spots, they'd receive 600 class points. If Horikita's class achieved this, then that would be an express ticket to Class 2-B.

"But if we rely on only our class, there are some talents that can't be offset. If it's only our class that forms groups within our own class, the worst-case scenario is that Class D falls behind as the gap widens if the other classes join forces."

That is true. One needs to consider the power dynamic at play here. If it were up to me, a couple of students from Class D and Class B pairing up together would actually prove to be ideal. In terms of abilities, I'd say we balance each other out. Class D has more academically gifted people like Horikita, Yosuke, Karma, Mii-chan, and Kushida; meanwhile Class B has more physically gifted people, like Ryuen, Ishizaki, Albert, Ibuki, and Komiya.

The only drawback I see from this is that if a group, which consists of members from both classes wins, then Class D won't be closing the gap with Class B. Another would be the animosity between classes. This school breeds on student conflict from all these competitions. Because of this, trust is another issue.

We could try to form an alliance with Ichinose's class, however I'd say they have more academically gifted students than physically gifted ones. Other than Ichinose, Kanzaki, and Shibata, much of the other students' abilities from Class C remain too ambiguous.

One could go choose to partake in the exam alone, but then they'd run the risk of other groups targeting them, and the risk of expulsion would be much higher.

Horikita and Yosuke then brought up a rather interesting question, which would have a great effect on the exam's outcome.

"How will Sakayanagi, Ryuen, and Ichinose act?"

"Class A, who is in the leading position, probably won't be troubled by the mixing together of the classes. It doesn't matter which group wins, as long as the gap of points between their class and the other classes don't become narrower. On the contrary, we of the other three classes ranked below them would like to narrow that gap."

Sudo then brought up an idea that I had originally discarded: An alliance between Class D and Class C.

It wasn't a bad idea. One reason for this is because of our past alliance with Ichinose's class in our first year. If it was her, she'd most likely accept. However, my point still stands that their full capabilities are too ambiguous. There's also the possibility of both Ryuen's Class, and Sakayanagi's Class retaliating against us.

Currently, everyone was at a stand still. Forming groups was enough of a headache for everyone. It's decided that everyone would start forming groups tomorrow once all the special cards have been given out, and if another class comes forward with a proposal to us first.

Part 4

After school ended, the phones of students with remarkable abilities rang at the same time. Horikita approached me as she watched.

We exchanged a few words about who we were gonna be teamed up with. One would assume that she would have a lot of people asking to be in the same group as her, however, because not many people have her number, she didn't receive any invites.

I too didn't received any, mainly because my phone battery was dead. She asked me if I could achieve first place, but I just shrugged it off. In the middle of our exchange, Karma stood up and walked over to us while playing his game.

"Kiyo, are we going or not?"

I looked to Horikita. Before I could say anything, she spoke up.

"Before you the two of you go home, do you mind if I just ask you, Akabane-kun?"

"Oh, uh go ahead." He replied without removing his focus from his game.

"Who are you gonna group up with?"

Karma didn't answer. He was too caught up in his game.

"Karma." I called out to him. This time, it did get his attention.

"Huh? Yes, I'm Karma."

Horikita once again repeated her question. "As I asked, who are you gonna team up with?"

"Me? No idea. I'll just see where the wind takes me I guess."

"Both of you aren't teaming up together? You'd make a pretty good team."

Practicality-wise, it wasn't a bad idea, however there's one thing she failed to consider.

"Horikita, being friends is one thing, but I'd rather not be stuck with this guy for 2 weeks, 24/7."

"You wound me Kiyotaka." He said sarcastically with a smirk. "It's not like I'd push you off a cliff, or stuff your nose with sand while you sleep."

"..."

Horikita and I both stared at him blankly.

I'd like to take a moment to reflect, why is this guy my friend and partner again?

"Akabane-kun, it doesn't matter if they're your teammate or not. Please don't do something like that."

"Don't worry, Horikita, I'll be on my best behavior." He said all cheery.

The last time you said that, you pretry much traumatized a whole class! I held my tongue from saying that.

Even after Karma's talk with Horikita and Yosuke, I highly doubt that would be enough to offset his sadism. It's one of the reasons why not many people, outside the Ayanokoji Group, Horikita, Yosuke, and Sudo were willing to approach him.

Despite his remarkable abilities, his behavior would make people reconsider having him as a teammate. Although I have my own reasons for not teaming with him, if I didn't have it, I still wouldn't team with him for the sake of my sanity.

Horikita merely sighed. She looked like she wanted to say something else, but I stopped her.

"Horikita, just do what I do and let it go. There's no use talking him down."

Resigning to defeat, she sighed again and gave us a goodbye.

After she left, I saw Chabashira-sensei standing outside the door waiting for someone, presumably us. I nudged Karma, and we both made our way over to her.

"Were you waiting for us?" I asked.

She nodded while also looking concerned. "Yes. I need you both to come with me."

"Where?"

"The headmaster's office. You already know who's asking for you."

So that's it, huh?

As we were walking, I turned to her and asked a question.

"Do you know what this is about?"

"No. I was just asked to bring you two to him."

"I see."

"Also, Akabane, please put away your game. It's disrespectful behavior in front of a teacher." She said sternly to the red-head.

"Hang on. This guy stole my Dragonball."

Chabashira-sensei turned to me. "He's not gonna stop, is he?"

I shook my head.

"Akabane, we're nearing the headmaster's office. Please show some respect." She said in a more authoritative tone.

He sighed heavily, and put down his console. "Okay Miss I'll-Threaten-A-Thousand-Children-before-I-Let-My-Dream-For-Class-A-Die."

Chabashira-sensei winced at this, caught off-guard, not just by what Karma called her, but rather what he knows of her.

"Oh yeah. I know all about what you did. Don't think that'll work on me though." He said, eyeing her with a more menacing look.

"That... that was in the past." She said stuttering, and breaking into a cold sweat as she feels Karma's bloodlust.

Karma just put both hands behind his head.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, sensei." He said 'sensei' with a slightly menacing tone. He clearly did not like how I was used as a pawn for her own selfish gain. He probably thought that she would do the same to him if he were in my shoes.

She made no effort to retort; clearly accepting her guilty conscience. She also can't do anything to Karma, seeing as how his abilities are unmatched by many, and unlike me, he has no qualms showing them. If she wants to reach Class A, it would be wise to keep him around.

The remainder of our walk was quiet. Chabashira-sensei definitely felt awkward after Karma revealed his knowledge about what she did.

As soon as we arrived, she motioned for us to go in while she waited outside.

Upon stepping inside, we were greeted by Tsukishiro.

"Hello, Ayanokoji-kun, Akabane-kun. Please, have a seat."

We did as we were told, then he started talking.

"You boys put on quite the interesting show. It seems I underestimated you both."

"It was an interesting exam to say the least." I replied.

"Defeating a whole class by yourselves and Koenji-kun, huh? Forgive my dismissive comment last year. Still, I have a job to do, and my time here is limited. I'll do what it takes to bring you back, Ayanokoji-kun. I would've preferred to make more preparations, but-"

He looks at Karma.

"-I did not expect him to show up and throw a wrench into things. As such, I had to make haste and split you both up."

"And you thought bringing in a suicide bomber was a good idea?" Karma asked mockingly.

Tsukishiro stared at him intently, careful not to slip up.

"I have no idea what you are talking abo-"

"Oh don't be like that, Acting Director. It's practically the talk of the exam supervisors there. I mean, the explosion wasn't so inconspicuous, you know? I was just taking a nice leisurely walk when I overheard them talking."

Tsukishiro narrowed his eyes at him. He then put on an innocent smile.

"Hahaha. So an explosion would automatically lead you to assume that the cause of it was a suicide bomber?"

"Oh?" Karma rests his face on his palm, staring at the Acting Director intently. "Are you questioning my deduction? It seems that even after admitting that you underestimated us, you still continue to do so."

"I'll admit you're strong, however you're still teenagers. If the results of this exam has shown me anything, it seems that you're still a long way from achieving maturity. Perhaps your time outside the White Room has indeed dulled your mind, Hiruko-kun."

He called Karma by his original last name. He was probably trying to get a reaction out of him, but Karma merely chuckled.

"I haven't been called that in years. Kiyotaka here never even once called me by it as soon as I arrived."

"Well, you did change your last name for a reason. Even if you didn't, I don't call you by your last name anyway." I retorted.

"Fair point."

Tsukishiro clears his throat to try to get our attention. "Now, if you two boys are done, let's get to why I called you here."

"Go ahead." I said.

"I'll propose a wager. As you may know, my time here is limited. Despite Sensei's best efforts, he can't keep the allegations against Chairman Sakayanagi up for much longer. He'll actually be returning to office by the time summer vacation ends, and I'll be going back to the White Room. So how about this? If both of you survive expulsion from this exam, and achieve first place together, I will rescind the bounty, and order one of the White Room students to drop out. If both of you fail to come first place, however, both of you will drop out. What do you say?"

Karma and I looked at each other. Originally, we weren't suppose to team up, since we wanted to compete against each other. However...

"You really want us to team up together? Do you really want that?" Asked Karma with a mischievous tone and smile.

"Ah, you're thinking that both of you teaming up together would make it all the more easier for you two to win? I've already thought of that. While you were away, I've already doubled the bounty, and as for the third years, if they are able to successfully expel you both during this exam, those who contributed will receive class transfer tickets."

I see. So he's taking advantage of not just Nagumo's system, but those desperate to want to graduate from Class A. From what I'm aware of, the gap in points between Class 3-A and the other third year classes is impossible to narrow. The only way now to graduate from Class A is through the use of 20 million private points, and a class transfer ticket.

"Is all of this even legal?" I asked. "You're pretty much making deals under the rug."

Tsukishiro chuckles. "It's already been done. Believe it or not, right now I hold the most authority in this school. If any of the teachers or staff oppose me, they'll be exiting the school with their walking papers."

So he's threatening to fire them, huh?

"Quite cruel of you, Acting Director Tsukishiro." Says Karma sarcastically. "And what's stopping them from reporting you to the authorities for abuse of power?"

"Sensei already has that covered. I already made sure that none of the teaching staff are aware of this deal, and I've made sure to have all the 3rd years swear under an oath of secrecy. Should they violate that, expulsion is on the line for them." He says confidently.

I then decided to inquire. "And what makes you think we'll agree to this arrangement?"

It probably didn't matter if we agreed or not, but I decided to ask anyway.

"It doesn't matter if whether or not you agree. Like I said, the deal with the third and first years has already been done. Your words hold no weight here."

"I see. Then I'll ask one more question then. Why order only one White Room student to drop out?"

"In the event this fails, and you do win, we'll need to keep someone on the inside who can just as easily directly confront you on our behalf. I'm sorry, but this is all I can do. I'd say it's rather generous, wouldn't you say?"

"Generous my ass." Karma snorted.

Tsukishiro looks at him intently. "I'll let that disrespectful tongue slide, since your days are numbered anyway. Now then, what do you say?"

Karma and I both thought for a moment. Then, the red-head started chuckling.

"It's like our own lives are on the line. So we'll pretty much be targeted by two different school years, huh? How interesting." He then turns to me. "What's say you, Kiyotaka?"

I've already made up my mind.

"Us teaming up for first place against a whole school of nearly 480 students, huh? It won't be easy, especially since we'll be targeted by nearly about 300 of them."

"Ahahaha! I'm all up for my opponents coming at me like they want me dead. It just makes things a whole lot more fun. I'm in."

"Very well, we accept your challenge, Acting Director Tsukishiro."

He seemed delighted. "Very well. Goodluck to you both. You may leave now."

He points towards the door and motioned for us outside. However, before we could leave, Karma turned around to look at him with a bright smile, and said a few last words.

"Just so you know, Acting Director, this is a direct threat to both our livelihoods. We're prepared to put our lives on the line for this." He then gazed at him with a murderous look, and he let out his killing intent. "But are you willing to do the same?"

He didn't wait for an answer. He just opened the door and left, and I followed after him. Before I closed the door behind me, I took a brief glance at Tsukishiro for a bit. Although he was doing his best to maintain his composure, a closer inspection suggests that he was unnerved by Karma's words and bloodlust.

After closing the door, I turned to Karma, and Chabashira-sensei, who was waiting for us outside.

"You didn't need to wait for us." I said.

"Considering our alliance, I'm just being cautious. So, how did it go?"

Before I could answer, Karma spoke up.

"Kiyo, seems we'll have to set our competition for another time."

"Indeed. By the way, did you happen to-" I replied.

"Of course. Who do you take me for?"

Chabashira-sensei looked at us perplexed.

"Wait, what are you two talking about?"

Karma turned to her. "Sensei, you're about to bear witness to living history!" He said all excited.

She was confused.

"What he means is, our alliance will soon be over by the time this exam ends." I added.

"Huh?"

"Let us explain as we walk back to the classroom."

Part 5

(Tsukishiro POV)

I watched as Ayanokoji-kun closed the door behind him. I was now finally alone. Quickly, I try to regain my cool. I've been trying to keep up my composure this whole time so that they wouldn't shake me. I couldn't afford to show any signs of weakness.

"I never expected him of all people to show up." I muttered under my breath.

Expelling Ayanokoji-kun is hard enough in of itself, but having Hiruko-kun - or rather Akabane-kun - around just complicates things even more.

I'm just hoping that this time around, things will workout, otherwise Sensei will have my head.

Even after Sensei sent out that guy to forcefully expel one of them, it still failed.

This exam better work. Those good-for-nothing first years and third years better do something. They call themselves elites, they better live up to that right here, right now.

I sighed.

Ayanokoji-kun, just come back already. As much as I want to bring you back as well, Akabane-kun, I have a feeling that won't happen. Ha~ You might as well as just drop dead already.

Ayo! Finally done with the first chapter for this new arc.

How will Kiyo and Karma fair against more or less 300 students? Only time will tell.

Btw, are you guys looking forward to Volume 0? The illustration of Sakayanagi and Kiyotaka as kids was actually really cute.

A lot of COTE hype happening lately. Yr2 Vol7 released, Volume 0 was announced, and the new season of the anime will be released next week (on my bday too lol).

Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and thanks again for the support on this story. We're almost at 20k reads. That's just insane to me.

With that being said, I'll see you in the next update!

Vol. 4, Chapter 2 - Declaration Of War

Part 1

(Ayanokoji POV)

After the proposal made by Tsukishiro, Karma and I explained what we could to Chabashira-sensei. Knowing Tsukishiro, there was definitely more to this exam than just what he let on. In times like these, intel gathering, and surveillance would be our greatest assets.

After explaining things to her, we went home, and Karma made a quick stop by my room. He told me his plan for Tsukishiro. It was a bit more grandiose than I expected, but it may just prove to be effective should we play our cards right.

"And that's about it." He said.

"I see. You're certainly stepping up your game."

"Hey, if he's coming after my livelihood, I'll respond with and even greater dose of his own medicine. I'm not messing around here."

"You do have a knack for this sort of thing. The way I see it, the only real issue now is making sure that we evade all the 1st and 3rd years. We can't really come up with a plan just yet, not without knowing what the full contents of the exam would be about."

There were too many unknowns, and right now we were pretty much surrounded on all sides. On top of that, if the third years are involved, the biggest problem right now would be their unparalleled access to exam information thanks to a certain someone.

"You have a point. When do you think they'll explain the additional rules?"

"If it's anything like the previous exams, I'd say they'll explain more of the rules shortly before the exam begins."

"Right, but that's not our main concern, is it?"

"No. If the third years are our enemies, then their biggest advantage would be the information network of Nagumo. Since he's the Student Council President, he has access to classified exam information before any of us."

Karma rubbed his chin, and thought for a moment.

"Don't we already have someone on the inside working for the Student Council?"

"Only the Student Council President, and whoever he chooses can see the exam details. I highly doubt Horikita would know anything about the upcoming island exam other than what Chabashira-sensei told us, especially since she's from an enemy year."

Karma hummed and leaned back. "What a drag. I could probably just have Ritsu hack in to the school system. She did hack in to a government-owned space station, however that's only if those computers are connected to the internet."

Ritsu was an AI developed by the government in order to join Karma's class in killing their target. If she was able to hack in to a highly secured space station, then something like this should be a piece of cake.

"Can you have her do it now?"

"Hmm... You know, it'll all be revealed to us anyway. I'd say we not ruin the suspense of not knowing. Besides, I'm not the only assassin that she's helping out."

I fail to see how this would provide us an edge, but I guess he has a point. His other cohorts would probably need Ritsu's assistance as well.

"For now, let's just relax. Since we'll be teamed up anyway, we don't need to worry about groups."

Actually, it's grouping with you that I'm worried about.

"Never go near my sleeping area."

He turned to me with a bright smile.

"Don't worry. I'll be on my best behavior, partner."

Stop saying that! You do not instill confidence in me in the slightest !

Part 2

(Karma POV)

I was on my home with Kiyotaka. I wanted to stop by at Keyaki Mall for some groceries. While doing so, Ishizaki-kun whisked him away, probably trying to form a group with him or something.

Right now it was 5pm. I'm at Keyaki Mall doing some groceries. I was checking the dairy section, when a voice called out to me.

"Yo, Kohai!"

I turned around and saw Kiryun-senpai approaching me. I haven't seen her in a while.

"Hello Kiryuin-senpai. Did you need something from me?"

"I just came to see how you were doing. You and Ayanokoji never got back to me after I gave you my number. I mean seriously, is that what you do when a lady gives you her number? You just leave them hanging?"

"Ahahaha. That was never our intention senpai. We were just caught up in some other things."

"Well, I suppose you 2nd years were pretty busy with your last exam."

"Ah, so you've heard."

"Mhm. Speaking of which, you and Ayanokoji have been quite the hot topic lately." She said with a suggestive tone. Given that she's a third year, she definitely knows about the deal with Tsukishiro.

"Oh really, senpai? Do tell me more."

She chuckled. "While I would like to tell you, I think I'll leave that up to you to find out, if you haven't already that is." She said that last part while eyeing me intently. Her gaze was sharp, and she gave off a sort of noble aura to her.

"It's fine senpai. I already know. I just wanted to see if you'll croak."

She laughs at my comment. "I knew it. You two truly are interesting."

"Seeing as how were on this topic, is it really okay for you to be seen talking to me out in the open? I mean, I get that we're at the dairy section, but it's not like we're being inconspicuous with our meet up."

"Well it's not like we planned it either. Also, I have no intention in taking part in that crap. Those obsessed with Class A are those with no confidence in their abilities, and like taking the easy route. While I don't mind shortcuts, Class A is just a waste of my time. I'm confident I can take on whatever university throws at me."

Her confidence in one's self is strikingly similar to Koenji's. If she weren't a woman, I might've actually mistaken her for him.

"I suppose you have a point. Still though, the Class A benefits is much too appetizing to not pass up for many. I mean, imagine having to skip University and immediately getting the job you wanted."

"You do have a point, but if it were up to you, would you want it?"

Thinking hard on this, I remembered that talk Korosensei gave us before our first exams.

If the 100% Employment guarantee was your only ticket to anywhere in life, you fail to broaden your own skillset, and fall short behind other people.

Let's say you do manage to graduate from Class A, and receive the 100% Employment benefits. What if that benefit was a one time thing? What happens if you leave your first job and transfer to a different one? Would the next employer still accept you as one of their own?

Imagine if someone below average miraculously graduated from Class A. They can skip college and go get a job at whatever company he so desires. Okay, their application got accepted. Now let's talk about their skillset. If they can't keep up with everyone else, they'll fall short, and it won't be long until they gets sacked from the job.

Even if the 100% Employment benefit can be used more than once, then okay, it's onto the next job for them, however their performance from their last job will forever stay on their record. Once other companies see this, they'll think more than twice before they could even entertain the notion of hiring them.

This is my real issue with this whole system. Not everyone is built the same. If everyone were equal, then you could say that everyone should have an equal chance at those Class A benefits, or are equally deserving of receiving those benefits.

There are people called free-loaders. They leech off the achievements of others and ride the waves of their success. Say Kiyotaka decides: "Screw it. I'm gonna get serious and get us all to Class A". Would everyone in the current Class D be deserving of that kind of success without even trying?

Us in Class E worked our butts off to get to where we were now, whether that be our battles with the main campus, assassins, or killing Korosensei. However, this Class D enjoys rising without even knowing how they're doing it. Not many of them have even contributed much, and they've had a whole year for that.

In my most honest opinion, only few are really deserving of graduating from Class A.

Remind me again why this school is known as an Elite school when idiots like Ike-kun, Miyamoto-kun and others were even admitted here?

"Whether I graduate from Class A or not isn't my actual goal here senpai. I just want to have a fun academic battle. Oh, and watch the humiliated faces of the losers from the bottom."

Kiryuin-senpai laughed at my remark.

It's the truth though. The Class A benefits mean nothing to me. It's not what I came here for, although more private points would be nice.

"So you just want to kill your boredom, huh?"

"I wouldn't say boredom, but battles are pretty simulating. I mean, can you just imagine the looks on people's faces when you get all rights to flaunt your victories right at them and all they feel is helplessness?"

I can still remember the faces of the main campus guys back in Kunugigaoka when I made my return. Their looks of misery were absolutely priceless. They pretty much all hid behind Asano and looked like they wanted to run for the hills.

"Ahahaha! Even if your OAA didn't show it, you're quite something, Akabane."

"Like you're one to talk, senpai."

She's one of the few whose OAA ratings consist of more than one A, she was, by no means an ordinary student. She could probably go toe to toe with Nagumo-senpai if she wanted and tried.

"Oh please, let's just skip the formalities. Just call me Kiryuin. Heck, you can even call me Fuka if you want."

"Hm? But this is the 2nd time we've ever spoke."

"Heh, I don't mind. I have a feeling we'll be talking a lot more down the line."

"Oh? You do realized that-"

"Your own expulsion is on the line?" She understood what I was getting at.

"Oh don't worry about that. My intuition tells me that you guys can handle it."

She seems pretty confident in us. Guess there's no use getting around her.

"Fine then. Fuka it is. Feel free to call me Karma then. That's what I prefer people call me anyway. My whole class from my 3rd year in Junior calls me by it."

"Great then, Karma. Mind accompanying me shopping? A lady needs her company."

Isn't there an unspoken rule that says: 'Don't ever go shopping with a woman?'

I'm getting a bad feeling about this.

I was pretty much dragged around the supermarket by her, and I ended up spending a bit more than I should've. All the while, we were regaling tales about our lives.

"Wait, wait! So you're friend kissed this girl in order to calm her down?"

"Pretty much."

"And what were you doing in the meantime?"

"Oh, simple. I started snapping pictures!"

She started laughing hysterically. I still have them. I even printed one out and framed it.

"And then this one time my rival was high off laughing gas from getting his wisdom tooth pulled out, and he ended up calling my teasing partner, Rio, cute."

"You mentioned that he's grouchy, right?"

"He's pretty much a big tsun2x. The guy won't even admit that his so-called minions are his friends."

"I see. So what else happened while he was high off laughing gas?"

"Oh, you want to know?" I pulled out my phone, tapped on my gallery, and open my "Extortion" folder. "How 'bout I show you?" I said excitedly.

"Of course you would record it." She said chuckling.

"Why wouldn't I? If you think that's all I did, the guy was fuming mad when he found out I posted it on the school forums."

That week was fun. Watching Asano get held back by Sakakibara and the other Virtuous Five from smashing my head with a chair was pretty amusing.

"How did the dentists even let you in?"

"Oh he went in to his appointment alone. When I dropped by to mess with him, they thought I was his sibling so they let me in."

"Pfft! It's amazing how you're still alive after all the stunts you pulled off."

"Eh." I shrugged. "Them wanting me dead just makes it all the more fun."

"Ahahahaha! You are evil."

We both shared some moments of laughter. Just being able to talk to someone other than Kiyo was quite relaxing.

Part 3

After we were done with our groceries, she asked me to stop by at a restaurant. I enjoyed her company so I agreed.

When we entered the restaurant, I noticed a mix of 1st to 3rd years. One table consisted of a group of Class 2-A, Sakayanagi-san being one of them. Another seat consisted of a few girls from my class. I opted to ignore their stares. Being with a senpai, one being of the opposite sex specifically, sure gets you some attention.

We sat down by a window seat, and after ordering our food and drinks, we carried on with our conversation.

"So why did you ask me to join you here for dinner, Fuka?" I asked.

She hummed for a bit. "I want to get to know you. Only very few people catch my interest, you know?"

"And you think I'm interesting?"

"Same goes to Ayanokoji, but since he's not here right now, I'd like to get to know you first."

"Mhm. Then tell me, what exactly about me do you find interesting then?"

"Well aside from what your OAA shows, and your hilarious sense of humor, my intuition tells me that you'll be giving the third years, even Nagumo a run for their money. Well, you and Ayanokoji of course."

"And why exactly do you say that?"

"You probably don't know this, but your performance in your last special exam is actually quite the hot topic amongst the Student Council, which was then overhead by some other third years."

Kiyotaka did say that the Student Council President has access to exam information, including their results. I guess the president wanted to know why exactly his idol spoke highly of Kiyo's abilities.

"Don't you think it was because our opponents were pushovers?"

She chuckled at my response. "You say that, but-"

She reached over and grabbed my bicep, gripping it repeatedly, and causing it to contract in response. She then pulled her hand back and continued slicing her food with her table knife.

"You say they're pushovers, and while that may or may nor be true, you're also pretty well-built. Your muscles are much more defined than most people our age. Seeing as how you and Ayanokoji have history, and the fact that he performed exponentially well in your last exam, I'm assuming he's the same. Why is that?"

Ah that's easy. We were raised in an underground facility, where our abilities were cultivated through harsh trials at a young age. Then, some time two years ago, I trained in assassination to kill a super creature, that could travel at mach 20, and continued my training with the same instructor after graduating.

I held my tongue from saying that, instead opting for a different, yet reasonable answer with truth to it.

"I get in a lot of fights, and sent a lot of people to the hospital."

She laughed lightly. "And what? Lift weights on the side?" She said sarcastically.

While we were talking, a presence loomed over us.

"Oh? Well this is a surprise." The certain someone said in a loud tone, almost like he was announcing to the whole restaurant.

We both turned our heads and see Student Council President Nagumo, joined by Vice President Kiriyama, Yagami-kun, and few other third years, who I assume were his friends or members from the student council approach us.

I didn't see Ichinose-san, nor Horikita though. My guess is that they have their own classes to deal with, and I never saw Horikita as the party-goer anyway.

The day she joins a party is the day the Earth quakes.

They stopped, and stood in front of our table.

"I didn't expect to see you here Kiryuin. With company too." He eyes me after saying that last part.

"Oh look, it's the creepy President." Fuka says mockingly. I let out a small snort, and the others accompanying him fought the urge to laugh.

Nagumo-senpai looked amused instead of annoyed. This was probably a regular thing between them.

"You know, you're the only one who has the gal to disrespect me." He said with an exaggerated tone.

I never got the impression that she was one to respect authority.

"Ooh, did I hurt your feelings? Feel free to cry. Just don't expect me to give you a shoulder to lean on though." She kept teasing him, which was hilarious.

He then let out a faint chuckle, and stood next to her.

"No thank you. You've got beauty, but you're charmless. I have no interest in charmless women."

"I have charm, I just haven't found the right man who could draw it out yet."

"If there's a man who can bring out that charming side of you, I'd like to meet him."

This was an interesting interaction. I can't tell if they're flirting or if they're mocking each others. Maybe both?

"So what business does the student council president have with me anyway? Don't you have work to do? You have too much time on your hands."

"I've finished what I needed to. There's nothing wrong with a little downtime, right? We just happened to see a rather peculiar sight on our dinner break."

"Really? And here I thought you brought in your trusty lapdog to snuff me out." She glances over at Kiriyama-senpai as she said that.

He grimaced at her. "Trusty lapdog?"

She laughs quietly at his dismay. "If you're getting mad at this, then that means you know what I'm talking about. Right now, there's no question who's the loyal dog, and who's the owner, right?"

Kiriyama-senpai's eyebrows furrowed at her snide remark. "You're a real pain, you know that." He then turns to Nagumo-senpai. "Nagumo, you're wasting your time with her."

"Agreed. So can the rest of you just get out of our sight? You're wasting our precious time." Fuka said.

Kiriyama-senpai was growing more agitated by the minute. This was pretty funny to see. Her skill at provocation was impressive, and amusing.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You're the one-" He was began approaching Fuka, but the others held him back.

"Now, now Kiryuin. Please don't mock my beloved student council member."

"A beloved comrade? Sorry, but your words seem empty to me."

"You're free to interpret that as you may. Anyway, you asked me what I'm doing here right? Well for starters, I'm curious as to how someone like you got to know a rather peculiar 2nd year." He shot me a glance, but I kept munching away on my honey toast, ignoring his gaze.

"Oh, we just happened to meet some time ago on his first day here."

"Happened to meet, or did you perhaps sought him out?"

Fuka merely grinned at him. "You're free to interpret that as you might."

Nagumo-senpai didn't respond. He then turned to me. "Akabane Karma, right?"

I just gave a "Mm" as a confirmation, while I continued chewing on my food.

"You probably don't need an introduction from me, but I'm Nagumo Miyabi, the Student Council President as you've heard from your date here."

I just gave another "Mm."

Date huh? It's more like I was dragged here.

"Akabane." He called out to me.

I swallowed the food in my mouth and respond. "Yes, I'm Akabane."

"You drew quite a lot of attention."

"And what ever do you mean, President?" I asked all innocently.

"Your altercation with Ryuen's class, as well as your performance in your last exam."

"Ah, you mean that."

"Because of my position, I have access to exam information from the exam committee. I was able to watch a recording of your battle with Class B. To my surprise, you three alone - you, Ayanokoji, and Koenji - were able to make a comeback. The odds were stacked against you, but you three managed to turn the tides."

I rolled my eyes and shrugged. "They had it coming."

"Ho? You make it sound like it was so easy."

"Think as you might. I was just having some fun."

"Fun, huh? Was your treatment towards Koenji also out of fun?"

I can feel everyone's gaze strongly on me. Was he trying to get something out of me and bait me?

"President Nagumo, what do you want? I don't take you for the type who makes trivial chitchat with just about anyone."

His eyes widened for a fraction of a second, then he starts laughing.

"So I've been caught?"

From the corner of my eye, I could see Fuka's grin widen. She apparently found this whole ordeal to be quite entertaining.

"Fine, I won't sugarcoat my words. After seeing your performance, as well as your OAA rating, I've decided to conduct some research on you."

Ah, that explains some of the wierd things I've noticed since returning from the exam site.

"By research, you mean you had your third year minions stalk me?"

He giggles. "I wouldn't call it stalking. More like, keep an eye on you for a bit."

He didn't deny it. This proves that our encounter here wasn't just a mere coincidence.

"Really? Didn't know I was so popular. Sorry President, but I have no such taste in men." I said that as I slowly sipped on my iced tea.

This apparently caused him to fluster, and me earning some laughs from Fuka and Nagumo-senpai's companions. I was surprised to see that even Kiriyama-senpai was laughing. Never took him for the type to joke around.

Fuka then gives him a sympathetic, yet mocking look. "Aw, first Horikita-senpai rejects you for 2 years, and now Karma here turns you down before you got the chance to-"

Nagumo-senpai cuts her off before she could finish. "Quiet Kiryuin." He says to her sternly, making the others stop laughing.

"And you, Akabane -"

"Yes, I'm Akabane." I cut him off which annoyed him a bit.

"Don't cut me off." He then took a long exhale and regained his composure.

"As I was saying, no it's not anything like that."

"Really? 'Cause you're not the first Student Council President who has an obsession over me."

I could hear the others struggling to keep in their laughter, meanwhile Fuka didn't make any effort to hide hers.

"Don't twist my words, kohai."

I sighed and frowned. I looked out the window away from them and replied. "Okay, okay. I'll let you have the podium. So, what do you want? It better not be a confession."

Although I'm not looking at him, I can see his reflection from the glass. He was gritting his teeth, before letting out a deep breath to calm himself down.

He sighed. "Now then, as I was saying, I had some of the third years keep tabs on you."

I nodded.

"I wanted to see what else you're capable off. I only got reports of your apparent fondness for reading, and the superhero genre."

Fuka laughed, but didn't say a word.

"Perhaps the one that caught my interests the most was that you and Ayanokoji spend a lot of time together."

I was wondering when Kiyo would enter the equation. Without looking at him, I broke my silence.

"And why exactly does me hanging out with him matter?"

"I don't know if you know this, but he actually gained the acknowledgement of Horikita-senpai, or your classmate, Suzune's older brother so to speak. He's considered one of the best students in this school."

"I have heard some things about him from Kiyo. It's also no secret that the Horikita from our class idolizes him. I've never met him, but he sounds like quite the guy. From the way Fuka talked to you about him, it also sounds like you have high respects for the then president."

Even some of the teachers would speak highly of him from some of the conversations I've overheard. I've even heard a few more things about him from some third years.

"Yes. I suppose you're right, Akabane. Now, Horikita-senpai is not very easily impressed. In fact, he rarely acknowledges anyone-"

Fuka then interrupts and gives her own statement.

"Oh here we go. What he means is that Horikita-senpai has only openly acknowledged two students in his time here. One of them being Mr. Notice Me here, and the other being Ayanokoji."

"I don't appreciate you interrupting me, nor giving me that ridiculous nickname, but yes. What Kiryuin said."

From the tone of his voice, there was a hint of jealousy. I'm guessing he doesn't like how Kiyo was acknowledged by the person he looks up to the most despite not even showing much of his abilities.

"Forgive me for interrupting, President Nagumo, but where exactly do I fit in to all this?"

"Ah, we'll get to that. As Kiryuin here said, one of the few people he's acknowledged is Ayanokoji. In fact, he spoke pretty highly of him. Now, I didn't know why that was the case. The only thing I got from him was his running speed from last year's sports festival, and his perfect score in math."

I did hear about that relay race, though I doubt Kiyo was being serious at the time. As for his perfect math score, the fact that only he was able to attain a perfect score with that kind of difficulty earned him a lot of attention.

"Mhm. And from where this conversation is going, I'm guessing your opinion of him rose quite a bit, eh?"

I can see a smirk forming on his face from his reflection.

"Read my mind. Like I said before, the Student Counil President has the power to access past exam results, one of those being footage from your exam."

I still find it odd that the student council has access to that kind of information. Shouldn't stuff like that remain accessible by the exam committee and school board?

I suppose it's a matter of trust to the person in power. If someone like the Student Council President doesn't have a sense of confidentiality, then they cannot be trusted as a leader outside in society.

Leaders need to be transparent, yes, but they also have to know which information shouldn't be given out to the public. If it entices a panic, it might be best to keep it a secret.

Kinda like how Korosensei remained a state secret to not cause panic to the public, and was only revealed when his time was up, though they painted him as evil, which was far from the Korosensei we knew.

"Go on." I said.

"To my surprise, his performance was outstanding. Although he didn't get the most amount of eliminations, he still performed admirably. The same goes to you and Koenji, especially your duel."

Sensing a sense of excitement in Nagumo-senpai's words, Kiriyama-senpai cut in.

"Nagumo, you can't be saying what I think you're saying."

Nagumo-senpai chuckled. "I don't think there's a problem with that. It's a battle between students from different years afterall."

He then directed his attention back to me.

"It was from your last exam that I've come to accept that there's more to Ayanokoji than meets the eye. I want to use this island exam as an opportunity to gauge more of his abilities. You as well."

I remained quiet for a bit, while his companions started to become uneasy. I turned to my food, which had been sitting on my plate peacefully for a while. I took my table knife and sliced another portion of my honey toast, and asked the President a question.

"Senpai, may I just ask?"

"Go ahead."

I then glanced over to him. With a straight face, I said:

"Just how bored are you that you went out of your way to stalk and harass a kohai just to satiate your need for a challenge?"

His eyes widened for a sec, then covered his mouth while laughing.

"No, no I'm not harassing you."

"Well, you did interrupt our dinner."

"Ahahaha yes. I suppose I did. Sorry about that. But-"

He walks behind me and stops.

"I'd like to have a battle with you and Ayanokoji. You are teaming up together, right?"

"What makes you say that, senpai?"

He looks at me smirking. "Oh you already know. The prize for beating you both mean nothing to us Class A, but that doesn't mean I won't aim for first place."

Ah, so he's not even hiding it from me that Tsukishiro made a proposal to them. He's just keeping it vague since there are outsiders present. Seems he's using this to his advantage to finally get a real challenge.

"Hmm. And what's in it for us, exactly?"

"You two will be aiming for first place, won't you?" He said that in a quieter tone, being careful that we would not be overheard.

"Seeing as how you know of our situation, I think you already know the answer to that."

"Ahahahaha yes. I was quite surprised when that special condition was made. Since I'm from Class A, there's really no need to participate in that. However, I do want to see what Horikita-senpai saw in Ayanokoji, and I want to see what you two are capable of as well."

In other words, 'fight me, show me what you're made of.'

"Us aiming for first place doesn't necessarily mean challenging you directly. At least give us some other incentive here."

He laughs. "Alright, how 'bout this. If you can get first place, I'll toss in 5 million private points to you each. I won't ask for anything if you don't get first place. That's all."

Seems he doesn't know that us not getting first would mean we would have to drop out. How inconsiderate of Tsukishiro to leave that out.

"So, what do you say?"

I put my thumb on my chin as I think of a reponse. Then, Kiyo came to mind.

"You're challenging two people. I can only speak for myself. Not my partner."

"Oh I wouldn't worry about that. Like I said,-" He lowered his voice. "you'll both need to get first place is he wants to get rid of the bounty, right?"

"You do have a point. In that case, he'll probably like the extra 5 million points anyway."

"Ahahaha! So it's settled then?"

"Wait just a minute."

"Oh? What is it?"

"8 million private points each, and a favor from you."

He was surprised at my proposal.

"Ahahaha fine, but why 8 million?"

"Eight is the number of symmetry."

He looked confused, but didn't ask for a clarification. He just continued.

"Okay, but if you lose, you'll also owe me a favor. How about it?"

"Deal."

The others were taken aback. They probably didn't think we'd win because the odds were so stacked against us. If I'm being honest, this will probably be one of the most difficult things we'll ever do. It won't be easy getting first place while also being targeted by most of the school.

"Ahahahaha! You won't win, but I'm glad you accepted my challenge."

"Hm? You sure are confident."

"Well, the odds aren't in your favor, afterall, but at least I'll be able to see what you two are truly made of."

Sheesh. Seems like he gets off from trampling on those he perceived as weak. I get the feeling that him staying at the top of the pecking order is because he's never met someone who can give him a good challenge. Interesting.

Sensing how he's made his companions feel uncomfortable, he decided to ease up the mood.

"Ahahaha! What's with the long faces everyone? Sorry Akabane. Did I bother you?"

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't find your behavior to be comparable to a certain high and mighty slug from my old school." I bluntly said.

Fuka snorted, and I can see the others stare at me in disbelief, while holding in their laughter. They probably found my disrespectful behavior towards the student council president to be quite daring.

"Oh? So you're calling me a slug?"

I shrugged. "Who knows?"

"I'll let that slide. However, I do ask that you watch your tone, Akabane."

"Sorry President, but I think it's only appropriate that I respond with a tone equal to yours."

He laughs at my remark.

"You're funny. Disrespectful, but I guess it can't be helped. Either way, you won't be talking like that for long. That victory is mine. In fact-"

He leans in closer until he was next to my ear, but he didn't change his volume.

"I'm even willing to bet my own life on it."

Sensing those words, my eyes lit up. My lips curled upwards, and my bloodlust began to surge.

Immediately, I raised the fork in my hand, and pointed it at his adam's apple.

This caused him to freeze in place. The smug look on his face was gone, and he was scared that if he makes a move, I might actually drive this fork into his throat. His other companions cringed, while Fuka looked with a mixture of shock, and amusement.

"Are you sure about that, pretty boy?"

Apparently the eerieness of my voice was enough to snap him out his trance. He staggered back to his group while clutching on to his adam's apple.

I then placed my elbow on the table and rested my chin on my palm. I looked at him intently with all my killing intent, which they definitely felt.

"A word of advice, President Nagumo: Don't go around betting your life if you're not prepared for what comes next."

Their faces twitched, Nagumo-senpai especially had a very funny look on his face.

"One more thing." I continued, not losing eye contact for even a second.

"If you're planning on using this incident in getting me in trouble, don't. You're the one who invaded my personal space, to which I felt threatened by and felt the need to defend myself. Once more-"

I looked around the cafe, looking at all the onlookers who were watching this exchange, some of them my own classmates.

"there are several witnesses around, who could vouch on my behalf. Furthermore-"

I looked at a nearby corner. Their eyes followed the direction of my line of sight, seeing a camera hanging from the ceiling.

"if you have people lie about their testimonies, we'll just have to check the security footage to see who the instigator of this whole ordeal is."

Trying to file a complaint against me would be stupid move on his part, however I know he isn't that stupid.

"You may by the student council president, but even you aren't above the rules. One could say that the punishment you would receive may be a lot more severe, given you're supposed to be in a position of power."

They remained silent for a moment, until Fuka started clapping. She then laughed at the Nagumo-senpai's predicament.

"Ahahaha! He got you there, Nagumo!" She said mockingly.

This caused Nagumo-senpai to recover from his shock, and stopped clutching his neck. He then sent Fuka a glare. If looks could kill, this would probably be it.

Nagumo then sets his eyes on me. He paused briefly, then spoke.

"You're quite something, Akabane. I didn't think you'd be so daring."

"Forgive me, President, but I just don't take kindly to others who're quick to gamble on their lives without minding the repercussions."

One of the biggest things taught to us by that damned octopus. We may have been taught assassination, but we were ultimately taught about the value of life, and not to take it lightly, which is why Korosensei didn't appreciate me jumping off that cliff. I made that decision without giving it a second thought.

He was already on death row, so he used the remainder of it to prepare us for the future. He was willing to stake his own life in hopes that he would be able to do one last thing before his lights flicker out. This is why he was so at peace in the end. He felt satisfied, and was ready to die knowing he accomplished what he needed to.

Nagumo scoffs at my remark. "I'll keep that in mind." His lips then slowly curled upwards, and he let out a faint chuckle.

"Seems you'll be providing me with quite the entertainment."

"Oh, we'll be aiming for first place. However, I do ask one thing out of you to make this more worthwhile, whether it be our last competition or not."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"With everything going on in this exam..."

I motioned my index finger and made a gesture akin to slitting one's throat with my own neck.

"just come at us like you want us dead. I want you to treat it like it may be the last time we'll face off. It just makes it all the more fun."

He eyes widened in surprised, then he let out a laugh, amused at what I said.

"Now that's something. I thought you said you dont take kindly to others who're quick to gamble on their lives without minding the repercussions."

"I did, but if I'm not prepared to be flexible, I wouldn't be saying these things."

"I see." His smirk widened. "Fine then, I'll fight with my gloves off as well."

Pretty sure I've heard those words before.

"I look forward to the upcoming exam, Akabane. Everyone's here to witness this declaration of war, so there's no backing out from you nor Ayanokoji."

I shrugged. "Meh. Not like we have much of a choice to begin with."

"Hahaha! I suppose. Alright, we'll leave you to your dinner."

He motions for his companions to leave us. With that, they sat at table located at the opposite end of the restaurant.

I sighed at the relief that I can finally eat in peace. Before I could get back to what I was doing before being rudely interrupt by that blonde hindrance, my "date" chimed in.

"What was that?!" She said in astonishment.

"Well, it's not like I could really refuse him given-" She cuts me off.

"No, no, not that. I mean what was up with that thing a while ago when he got close to you? It's like you transformed into a completely different person in a split second."

Ah, so that's what she meant.

I just shrugged my shoulders. "Just instincts, I guess."

" Just Instincts, is it?"

She didn't seem to believe me. I wasn't lying. I just left out the part that it was all due to our training as assassins.

"Well, that's up to you whether you believe me or not, but I'm telling you, it is the truth."

Her eyes gazed at me suspiciously, and hummed at my response.

"Seems there's more to you than what I initially thought, Karma. Tell me, what were you like before coming to this school?"

I sat there and hummed while thinking of an answer.

"Guess you could say I got my name around."

"Oh? Is that so? Seems like I'll need to keep an eye on you some more. Ayanokoji too."

"Hmm... I'd be careful if I were you though."

She chuckles. "It's fine. I'll get my answer one day, ah but I won't pry where I'm not supposed to. Don't worry. There's no need to rush. For now, let's just finish eating. Nagumo's visit just turned our food cold."

"Well, I can't argue with you there."

With that, we resumed our dinner. I shot Kiyo a message, asking him to meet later. I wanted to let him know what just happened.

Part 4

(Ayanokoji POV)

"You did what?!" I asked this red-head in front of me. I only noticed it some time after I said it, but my voice was more elevated than normal.

He asked to meet me in his room. He explained what went down between him and Nagumo, and now I'm getting the urge to stab him.

I left him alone for a few hours and suddenly he's gotten us into more trouble.

He just waves me off before responding.

"Now before you try and kill me, let me just say that we do get something good out of this."

"..."

That favor could prove useful down the line if we win. IF.

I sighed. "Winning isn't the issue here, Karma. It's the fact that you caused a scene, which I'm roped in by the way."

He shrugs his let shoulder. "Hey, he started it. Like I said, I felt quite threatened. I had to defend myself somehow."

I rubbed my temples. "And pointing a fork at his adam's apple is a good form of self-defe-" I stopped myself, realizing it wasn't a bad way to defend one's self against someone who was invading your personal space.

I sighed heavily. "Never mind."

He chuckles. "Hey, could've been worse. He's just lucky I'm right handed, and that I was holding the fork with my right hand, and the table knife with my left hand."

I blinked slowly at him.

He looked at me with an innocent look. "Oh c'mon, don't look at me like that. It's not like I had much say in the matter. You know very well that aiming for first place is our only option anyway."

"Yeah, but also riled him up. This just makes it harder for us to win."

"Yeah, but where's the fun if it were easy?"

"..."

I suppose this would make things a lot more interesting. I've actually been curious about Nagumo for a little while now. From everything I've heard about him from Manabu, Ichinose, and Asahina, he would truly be a formidable opponent.

According to Manabu, Nagumo has full control over the third years. Well, most of them. Kiryuin is a special case. Because of this, he pretty much has an army in his arsenal. I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a bit of a challenge while I fulfill this parting gift as a means to an end.

"If we're going up against Nagumo, then we have to take in to account an all out battle against the third years." I said; reminding him that with Nagumo having full control over the third years, he can use them to keep us from advancing.

"I'm well aware of that. However, there is a huge schism in that plan."

"Which is?"

Karma's smirk widened.

"The more people he commands, the more difficult it is for him to exercise control. Student Council President or not, he could only do so much."

That is true. Controlling over a hundred students is no easy task, regardless of how good you are. No matter how powerful your position may be, you can't always account for everyone.

Even I would have trouble controlling that many people.

"I suppose you have a point. I'm guessing you want us to use this against him, right?"

He chuckles. "'The opportunity of defeating the enemy, is provided by the enemy himself'."

"A quote from Sun Tzu, right?" I replied.

"Of course you'd know that. Right now, we should start getting to know our opponent some more. We still know too little on how he operates, and we know too little about the contents of this exam."

"I agree. It would be nice to have more information on the latter."

"About that."

He pulls out his phone.

"I changed my mind. If Nagumo wants to fight with his gloves off, I'd say we even the playing field as well."

I see. Earlier he didn't want to have Ritsu hack in to the school system to look in to the contents of the exam, because he wanted to keep the suspense of not knowing. However, this time it was different.

Nagumo has access to the contents of the exam, and if he's fully intent on using that to his advantage to keep us from winning, then Karma's willing to rescind his precious stance. He doesn't want to give Nagumo the edge over us. Neither am I.

"Looks like I'll be here for a while."

"Well then, shall we?"

He taps on the screen, and a few seconds later, the female AI appears.

"Good evening, Karma-kun!" She greeted him cheerfully.

"Evening Ritsu! If it isn't too much to ask, we have a favor to ask you."

Ey, so finished writing this chapter. This was actually meant to be longer, but I decided to split it in to two different chapter to make it more coherent. I already wrote like an extra 3300 words, and it will be the starting point of Vol. 4, Chapter 3.

Anyway, uh haven't been able to get much done honestly. Been setting up for work, binging Soul Eater, resumed reading Crime and Punishment, and also grieved at the loss of a favorite content creator recently.

Yes, I used to play Minecraft. Haven't played it for a year now, but I still watch a few videos from time to time. Yes, I love watching Technoblade. The guy's a legend, and him making merch off his own death is a badass exit for badass person, and a final "Ha! If you nerds have time to grieve, go buy my merch losers. Later idiots!". It doesn't matter from which community you are from. No one deserves to go through what he did, let alone lose your life at a young age. Fuck cancer. The posts from his friends, especially Skeppy's latest video broke me. Be sure to show love to you love ones. You never know what may happen to them. I don't want to go on with this any more, so I'm just gonna leave it at that.

On a more positive note, Classroom of the Elite Season 2 is releasing tomorrow - well tomorrow as I'm writing this. I'm looking forward to that. I find it funny how Chairman Sakayanagi - at least I think it's him - got an anime appearance, despite not having any illustrations of himself for the entirety of the Light Novel's run since his appearance. Also, I'm still a little mixed with Ayanopapa's design in the anime. Idk, he's not as imposing as he is in his Light Novel illustration. Maybe that's just from the intro. Who knows?

Oh uh, for Genshin players out there. How'd you feel about the last stream? I'm sure I can say with 100% absolute certainty, that that was in fact the best stream ever. Yes, definitely have no problems with it. It was the perfect mix of seriousness, hype, and comedy. At no point did me and my friend, who was watching it with me on discord, want to pull our hair out. Mmm yes. Good job Hoyoverse. Very cool.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Again, this was meant to be longer, but it won't be as coherent if I kept in the succeeding parts, since they feel like entirely different chapters. How will Kiyo, and Karma overcome Nagumo?

Before you go ahead and answer that, I just want to point out that Nagumo's not the idiot people make him out to be. He wouldn't be the Student Council President if he was an idiot. He is just blinded by his pride, and many victories. If you reread Yr 2. Vol 4, Nagumo wasn't even being serious in the exam, yet his group still placed 3rd. He only really acted once Koenji started becoming a threat they could no longer ignore, and once he noticed Ayano's performance in the shadows.

With this story, he'll be a lot more serious, and will use everything at his disposal from the start.

With that being said, you guys will find out later. The next chapter will come out sooner than intended since I've already written like half of it already, so look forward to that soon.

See ya guys next update!

Vol. 4, Chapter 3 - Inauguration

(Ayanokoji POV)

(Part 1)

The day after Karma and I were strategizing proceeded as normal - is what I would say if it weren't for all the talks about our battle against Nagumo going around.

As soon as Karma and I arrived in the classroom together, a bunch of our classmates approached us, most of them were from Kei's group. Karma said that they were at the restaurant.

They were all repeating the same questions:

'Did you guys actually challenged Nagumo-senpai?'

'Are you guys insane?'

As soon as they finished asking questions, I turned to suffering incarnate, who was whistling innocently beside me, while averting my gaze. I took my bag, which was filled with a bunch of books I was supposed to return to Hiyori, and a couple of rocks, and I swung it with a lot of force towards his head. He let out a scream as he dodged. The impact it would've made would have given him more than a concussion.

If I had a knife, I'd stab him right here, right now.

I did not appreciate this kind of attention we were getting, but we're too far in to get out of it.

Before we could provide an explanation, Horikita sensed my discomfort and interrupted. She asked them to leave us alone, as this shouldn't be made into a bigger issue than it needs to be. They all hesitantly complied. I thanked her by giving her a nod.

Kei then texted me to meet with her after class. I told her I'll do it as soon as I was done with my appointment with Horikita.

Horikita said that she wanted to speak with both of us in private after class. I told her we'll only go after Karma and I finish our dinner.

Some time later, some of us had our phone received a notification. Those that did received one of the special cards.

I ended up with the Trial Card, Horikita with the Half-Off Card, and Karma with the Bonus Card.

"I never thought I'd get a special card" I muttered under my breath.

This was troublesome. This card was bound to garner me even more attention. Additionally, it's a double edge sword. The requirement says that we need to be in the top 30% for its effect to be used, however not being the top 30% would prove to be a detriment.

It would probably be a wiser idea to trade it with someone, but not many were willing to risk the penalties that came with this card.

It's possible that Tsukishiro had given me the card in order to help force my expulsion, but given that the card can be transferred, that was far too weak of a strategy to pressure me. It would be more natural to interpret it as nothing more than the luck of the draw.

"You really have quite the string od bad luck, don't you?" Horikita called out to me.

"It's truly distressing."

"It would be nice if we could trade within the class freely, still, no one would probably want to hold on to the Trial Card even if we were allowed to."

She's not wrong.

After morning classes were over, it was now time for lunch.

Currently I was eating lunch with the Ayanokoji Group and Karma in the cafeteria. There were a couple of third years around, and some of them were looking at us.

"You guys don't seem bothered by it." Said Keisei.

"Bothered about what?" I asked.

"Well isn't it obvious? I'm talking about the third years staring at you two."

Keisei's pretty observant, so something like this was bound to get his attention.

"We just try our best to pay no mind to it. Honestly, acknowledging it might just make things worse." I replied.

Haruka frowned. "I don't like him. I don't like how he singled you guys out. Honestly, he should've just left you guys alone."

The others agreed.

"He may be the student council president, but that doesn't mean he gets to treat others badly." Said Akito, agitated.

"Don't worry about it." I said. "You guys shouldn't be getting yourselves involved. You might get yourselves targeted by Nagumo."

"Don't worry? How can we not, Kiyopon?" Haruka raised her voice slightly saying that. Luckily it wasn't loud enough to gather the attention of others.

"Haruka's right. I mean, who knows what he'll use that favor for."

Keisei has a point. Given that Nagumo isn't that at all too happy that I've gained Manabu's acknowledgment without even showing much of myself, he may try to use that favor to ruin my life here.

Well, given the circumstances, he won't be getting that favor from us regardless if we won or not. That, and my wish for a peaceful life was already compromised the moment Chabashira-sensei showed Horikita the results to my entrance exam.

"Hey, Kiyotaka, Akabane," Akito spoke up. "if you guys need help, don't hesitate to let us know."

"Yeah, we're absolutely not letting Nagumo-senpai humiliate you guys."

Keisei and Airi both nodded in agreement.

"Thanks for your concern," Karma says reassuringly. "but we brought this upon ourselves. No need for you guys to get involved."

More like you brought this upon us!

"Still though-"

"That's enough, Hasabe. Just promise us that you guys will do well in this exam. You wouldn't want us worrying about you guys too, right?"

She remained quiet for a moment before replying. "Well, sure. As long as you guys make sure to teach that guy a lesson."

Karma gave her a warmer smile than his usual kind. "Of course. We're not letting that blonde hindrance make a fool out of us."

The four of them laughed at Karma's nickname for Nagumo, easing the tension caused by his wager.

I might start calling him that.

"You sure have a way with nicknames, Akabane." Haruka compliments Karma.

"H-hey, speaking of nicknames. Wasn't there something we were supposed to do?" Airi, who had been merely listening and making gestures as a form of reaction to the conversation, decided to speak up with a bit more excitement.

The others looked like they were just reminded of something important. I already knew what it was. It's something we've been discussing for a while.

"Oh yeah." Haruka turns to Karma.

"Akabane, it's been some time, but we were thinking of having you be the newest addition to the Ayanokoji Group."

Karma stopped what he was doing. He looked surprised.

"Wait, what?" He didn't seem to believe what he was hearing. I then decided to speak up.

"Well we've been discussing it for a while. You've been taking part in these gatherings with Haruka and the others for some time now, because you hang out with me a lot."

"Yeah. We were thinking, why not just make it official?"

He raised an eyebrow, perplexed. "You sure you want me around in your group? You do know what I did to Koenji, and even Nagumo-senpai, right?"

"Actually." Akito chimed in. "Yeah, you could use some work on your behavior and you can be kind of scary, but when you're not being that, you're actually pretty chill to hang out with."

"Yeah, plus you've even helped me tutor Haruka and the others a few times. Thanks for that by the way." Keisei said gratefully.

"We'd like it if you can talk to us about movies some more... a-and...um... yeah..." said Airi.

She actually enjoyed talking about movies with Karma quite a few times. Same goes for the others. For the majority of his time outside he White Room, he didn't have that many people to talk to, so he immersed himself with different forms of entertainment from different forms of media. Video games, manga, movies, anime, shows, books; he's quite diverse in a lot of today's pop-culture.

Karma thought for a moment with his head down. He then raised his head and gave his answer.

"Well, okay I guess."

He scratches his cheek, which had a tint of red to it, and averted their gaze.

"Uh... Thanks for having me in the group."

We all noticed the peculiarity in his behavior, and Haruka was the first to point it out.

"Wait, are you actually blushing?! Aw that's cute!"

Karma grimaced, and wide-eyed. "Shut up..." He said silently, but everyone heard it.

I guess they couldn't believe that the sadist would actually get embarrassed by kind gestures towards him. I was also quite surprised. I've never seen this side of him. It really just goes to show how much he's changed since leaving the White Room.

The others were laughing quietly. They were apparently enjoying this side of Karma. The same goes for me as well. Now I have something to get him back with.

"Since you're officially part of the group now, we'll call you Karma as well. Feel free to call us by our first names too." Said Akito.

Karma returned his gaze towards them, sighs and regained his composure.

"Well I do prefer being called Karma. That's what my whole class from my third year of Junior High call me, so yeah. In that case, I'll be calling you Akito, Haruka, Airi, and Ter-"

Keisei stops him before he could finish. "Actually, please just call me Keisei. It's the name my father wanted to give me, and it's also what he and these guys - minus Haruka - call me."

Karma looked a little taken aback, and thought for a moment. "By the way you're speaking, I'm guessing you don't have a good relationship with your mother then?"

Keisei looks down, unease starting to rise from the pits of his stomach after being asked that question.

Sensing his discomfort, Karma retracts his question. "No, don't answer that question. I won't press for anything you don't feel comfortable with. Just let me know if that's the case, Keisei."

Keisei raises his head to look at him. "Thanks for understanding, Karma." He said sheepishly.

Haruka then decides to ease the uneasy atmosphere.

"Well the others are gonna be calling you by your first name, but I think I'll call you Akane!"

Karma stares at her, and blinks slowly.

"Why?"

"Because Akabane starts with 'Aka' , and ends with 'ne'. So, 'Akane'."

"Uh, no that's not what I meant. I mean, why not just call me Karma like the others."

Akito chuckles in amusement. "That's just Haruka."

"She always gives her guy friends nicknames." Airi added while giggling softly.

Indeed. Even though she's been calling me 'Kiyopon' for nearly a year now, it still feels weird.

"Can't you just make an exception for me and call me by my first name instead? Akane feels like a completely different person."

Haruka just shrugs. "I gotta keep up the tradition."

Karma sighed, surrendering in defeat. "Well it's not like it's the first time I've received a nickname."

"You've had nicknames before, Karma-kun?" Airi asks.

"Mhm."

"What kind?" Haruka inquired.

"Ah, all sorts names!" Karma said excitedly as he clasped his hands together all excitedly.

He then began counting with his fingers as he lists of his many nicknames.

"Well there's: 'Demon', 'Delinquent', 'Sadist', 'Halfway-Chuunibyou', 'Semi-Senioritis', 'The Devil of Kunugigaoka', 'The Handsome Devil of Class E', 'The School Hell Hound', 'Sensei's Number One Tormentor', 'The Devilish Mathematician', 'The Honor Student Bad Boy', 'The Evil Genius', 'The Hospital's Number One Contributor', 'The Harbinger of Chaos', 'Spawn of Demons', 'The Evil Mastermind', 'Asano's Pain and Suffering', - "

"Okay, you can stop now." I cut him off. The others were just listening in stunned silence.

"Really? I still have a couple more." He said.

"I'd rather we not spend the rest of our lunch listening to every name you earned through infamy." I sternly said.

He crossed his arms, pouted, and turned his head away from me. "Hmpf! You're no fun."

After he stopped talking, Akito let out a faint laugh.

"Okay, I know I'm not supposed to be laughing because of what your reputation earned you, but you guys have to admit, it's pretty funny."

The others can't help but agree, and also started to laugh.

"Who gave you these nicknames, Akane?" asked Haruka amusingly.

Karma hummed. "My classmates of course. Sometimes my rival and his group."

Keisei raised an eyebrow. "Rival?"

"Mhm. It's usually me and him vying for the number one spot. He's the son of our former principal."

"Oh, that's why he's so smart."

"Well, he isn't just smart, Keisei. He's also pretty strong. He's fairly trained in martial arts too, but he lacks experience in fighting, so he could never beat me."

"I guess that makes sense, even if your reason for experience is because of your delinquency" Keisei said dryly.

Karma shrugs. "Hahaha! Yeah. He's still a slug though."

Haruka laughs. "You call him a slug?"

"Oh I call him many things!" Karma said excitedly as he, once again, begins counting with his fingers as he lists off every insulting name he gave his rival.

"'Slug', 'Bitch', 'Angry Gremlin', 'Princess Peach', 'The Principal's Lapdog', 'Big Tsun-Tsun', 'Closet Otaku,' - seriously the guy can't admit he watches Dragonball and Naruto - there's also 'Carbon Copy', 'Chihuahua', 'Sore Loser', 'Cocaine Eyes', 'Daddy Issues', 'Forever Second Placer' - he almost ripped my head off with that one."

The others were trying their best to muffle in their laughter, but as soon as he was done listing of the names he's given his rival, they all burst out laughing. I'd be lying if I said this wasn't at all amusing.

"I thought you guys were friends." Said Akito.

This caused Karma to flinch. "Friends is the farthest thing we'll ever be. Murder seems more likely."

"You guys really don't like each other, huh?" Keisei asked curiously.

Karma shook his head. "Nope."

"You know, Akane, your provocations and name calling are probably gonna get you in hot water one day." Haruka said.

"Meh. Add it to the pile. About over half of the guys from my old school probably want me dead anyway." Karma answered, sniggering. "Didn't stop me from taking the top spot though. There's an unspoken rule back where I'm from that the one who gets the top spot gets bragging rights."

Keisei answered with interest. "And I'm guessing you were the one on that spot, hence why they couldn't do much with you?"

"You bet. If you think I'm bad because I kept flaunting my wins right at their faces, then let me tell you, those guys pretty much made me look like a saint, before I was numero uno."

Everyone reeled back in surprise. "Wait, really?"

Karma nodded. "Well at least for me, there's a line I won't cross. It's kinda like with this school. The ones at the top tend to belittle the ones at the bottom. Before I ended up being placed in the bottom class, I was somewhere in the middle. I never really cared which class you were from. I treated everyone the same."

Everyone listened with interest.

"Then what happened?" Asked Haruka.

Karma closed his eyes and hummed in thought for a moment, most likely recalling his time in Junior High. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and gave a response. "That..." He closed his now empty lunchbox, and packed up. "Is a story for another day. I don't mind myself being late to class, but I'm pretty sure you guys do, right?"

Although he told me that he was placed in E Class due to his behavior, there were clearly some stuff that he left out. He probably didn't feel comfortable sharing it.

"Well, yeah I guess you have a point." Said Haruka.

Sensing his discomfort, everyone decided to just leave it at that, and let Karma tell his story another time. We then packed up our stuff, and left for our classroom.

(Part 2)

After school ended, Karma and I met up with Horikita in her room. She wanted to discuss our duel with Nagumo. Karma and I made sure to eat dinner first, as I didn't want to be subjected yet again to another one of her food bribery.

Right now we were sat around her table, as she was giving us a stern look.

"Ayanokoji-kun, Akabane-kun, you know why I called for you two here, right?"

Karma, in all of his glory, was the first to respond. "Is it to tell us that you got yourself a boyfriend?"

Horikita flinched in embarrassment. She tried her best to compose herself, but she was clearly annoyed by his attitude.

"No. Listen-"

Not wanting to have this talk, I decided to match Karma's energy, just this once.

"Did someone confess their love to you?"

Horikita looked surprised that I would go along with Karma's antics, however before she could say anything, Karma beat her to the punch.

"Ooh. Kiyo, maybe she's the one who wants to confess to someone."

"I-"

"Maybe. Who is this guy, Horikita?" I asked, cutting her off.

"No listen-"

"It probably doesn't matter who. Whoever it is, I, the best wingman of Japan shall assist you on your journey to love." Karma bows like a butler while saying this.

"No! I'm not-"

"Now, now Horikita." He wags his right index finger. "There's no need to hide it. If you want to confess to someone, all you have to do is leave flowers for him everyday on his doorstep. On Monday, leave an Agapanthus. Tuesday, a Strawberry Flower. Wednesday, a Peony. Thursday, an Easter Lily. On Friday a-"

"Enough, both of you!" Horikita snapped, completely fed up by us.

I actually wanted him to finish what he was saying. It may prove to be useful in the future for my dates with Kei. I'm always willing to try out new things for our relationship.

"This is no laughing matter!" She said loudly and sternly. "Could you both, stop playing dumb and please take this seriously?!"

We both sighed. Karma then rested his face on his palm and asked. "If this is about our duel with the Blonde Hindrance, then we have nothing more to say, other than he started it."

Horikita sent him a glare, unhappy by his disrespectful attitude.

I've been wondering for a while, but does glaring strain your eyes? If it does, how bad is Horikita's eyesight? She glares at people a lot afterall.

"If you're referring to Nagumo-senpai, then yes. Regardless of who started it, the fact that you still took it up and even threatened him with a fork is a serious issue."

Karma hummed. "To be fair, he invaded my personal space. I was just defending myself."

"True, you did, but you also accepted his duel, and even asked him to come at you like he wants you dead. Do you have any idea just how troublesome this is?"

I then decided to comment on that. "I did try to lecture him afterwards."

Horikita glances at me. "Of course you did. I don't take you as the type to want to attract attention, although your recent actions seem to suggest otherwise." She said with a hint of suspicion.

A reasonable assumption, however-

"In my defense, Karma made that decision without me."

Thinking hard on it now though, I may have considered doing what he did and conditioned a favor from Nagumo should we win. It's not like we had much of a choice. Tsukishiro's got us backed in to a corner.

"I'm well aware that you two possess immense capabilities. In the one year I've spent with you Ayanokoji-kun, I've seen what you can accomplish while remaining in the shadows. As for you Akabane-kun, you've demonstrated yourself to be someone who can go toe-to-toe with strong opponents, like Ryuen-kun, and Albert-kun. It's even thanks to the three of you that our class was able to come out on top last exam. However, this exam is against students from different years. I'm confident that you can take on Nagumo alone, but in this exam, he isn't your only enemy."

Although she knows that we'll have to fight students from all three years for the top spot, including our own classmates, she isn't aware of the special conditions put in by Tsukishiro. We have to be prepared for the eventuality that we'll be heavily targeted. The only ones who know this are me, Karma, the third years, and the second years. Well, they to some extent anyway.

"Look." Karma sat up straight. "It's not like we have much of a choice. You're well aware of the 20 million bounty on Kiyo here, right? Since we don't know when that'll go away, or if it will go away or not, that protection point would be useful for him."

Horikita is well aware of the 20 million bounty, but she doesn't know that it's been doubled, and that it'll go away if we win. Karma may have lied, but the protection point prize is certainly useful. It's enough to convince Horikita that we do in fact want to aim for it.

"Then let me ask you. Can both of you achieve first place?"

Karma and I looked at each other, before giving an answer.

"Although I don't like Karma making moves behind my back, I am serious in getting the top spot." I said.

"Same goes for me. If they really come at us like they want us dead, it might slow us down a bit, but we'll manage." Karma added.

Horikita pauses for a moment, then sighs. "It's not that I underestimate you both. It's that I just don't like how you two are being so risky here. You do know why Nagumo-senpai is doing this, right?"

"Because of your brother?" I pointed out.

"Indeed." She said as a matter-of-factly.

The man known as Horikita Manabu was not someone who was easily impressed. While he does not necessarily look down on others, he's not the type to openly speak highly about someone. He can give praise to those he deems worthy of it, like Sakayanagi, and even Katsuragi, but there is a level of respect that he reserves only for those that truly catch his eye.

Nagumo, the first person Manabu has ever spoken so highly about, wanted to see what was it about me that caught Manabu's interest. Because I hide my abilities, he probably doesn't see much in me, however my perfect math score, as well as my performance last exam has changed his opinion towards me. He was beginning to see that there was more to me than I let on. It also doesn't help that Karma and I have a history, someone else whom Nagumo set his eyes on.

For sure, things will only get more difficult from here on.

"Whatever's going on between you and President Nagumo is your own personal matter, however, you are still a valuable member of Class D. I don't want anything regrettable happening to either of you."

In other words: 'don't let yourselves get expelled. Class D won't be the same without you.'

These days, Horikita has been relying on me less and less, which is a good sign of her growth. However, she still has some flaws to work out. If she continues at this pace, someday she'll become a leader worthy of a challenge in the eyes of Sakayanagi and Ryuen.

While I've filled up some of the holes in her plans, she has been working tirelessly at the forefront to keep the class moving forward. Someday soon, I will no longer be needed to provide her with assistance.

"Don't worry about it." I reassured her. "If you recall what I said to you while we were on our way to the student council room, you should know that we won't let ourselves be beaten that easily."

I once told her that our capabilities were paramount, and no one could knock us over our the top spot.

Still, it's not like we don't lose. In fact, back in the White Room, we lose to each other all the time, just not to anyone else. It's how we've come to grow a mutual respect for each other, even if he can be pretty annoying.

It may have been years since we've last been a proper team, but we've been doing pretty well so far. Since we knew each other's way of thinking, it's not that hard to preempt the other's thoughts, and synchronize should the situation call for it.

Horikita hesitated for a moment, but decided to accept my response.

She sighed. "As long as you two take the top spot and be careful, I won't say anything more. Goodluck to you both, and show Nagumo-senpai why my brother praises you."

We both nodded in response. After some time, we both left her room.

(Part 3)

After our conversation with Horikita, Karma left for his room and I went back to mine. A few minutes later, Kei arrived.

Since we've both already had dinner, I only prepared some tea for the both of us. As soon as we both settled down, she addressed the elephant in the room.

"Kiyotaka, are the two of you seriously gonna go up against Nagumo-senpai?" She asked, concerned.

"Seems so."

"Well, I feel like if it's you, Kiyotaka, you can definitely win. You even have Akabane-kun as your partner."

"Aren't you getting a little over excited about this? Even with Karma by my side, securing first place won't be easy?"

"Well, I've seen what you can do! I'm confident that you alone could probably win, but since it's you and Akabane-kun, your chances of victory is pretty much guaranteed!" She said with unwavering confidence.

Well it's not like her assumptions are baseless. We did overturn the whole situation last exam, along with Koenji that is.

"Ah! I just realized. With you getting all the attention lately, and if you win this exam, it'll just make it harder for us to come out that we're dating!" Kei said while tugging on to her hair anxiously.

If word got out that I'm Kei's boyfriend after everything that's happened recently, it'll just paint her in a bad light. While we were at this topic, I decided to ask something I've been curious about recently.

"Speaking of, how are your friends taking the whole us being in a relationship thing?"

On the first day that Karma and I assumed command for training, it was revealed to some of her friends that Kei and I have been dating since the end of Spring Break. While it definitely came as a shock to them, I'm curious as to what they think now.

"Well, at first they found it odd. You already know the kind of reputation Hirata-kun has for himself. I mean, us together was probably the last thing on their minds, but your reputation has been improving a lot recently." She said joyously. "It'll probably improve a lot more depending on this exam."

"I see."

Kei and her friends were present when Nagumo challenged Karma, and by extension me. They witnessed what went down between them, and saw that this wasn't something to be taken lightly.

"There is one thing that was super hard to explain to them though."

"Which is?"

"Your relationship with the former Student Council President, Horikita-senpai."

"What did you tell them?"

"All I said was that you two became acquainted through Horikita-san. However, I'm pretty sure they knew there was more to it than that. By the way Nagumo-senpai spoke, Horikita-senpai has a high opinion of you. That wasn't something that got over their heads."

It's odd enough that Horikita Manabu and I were acquainted, but it was especially odd to hear that he acknowledges me as someone worthy of standing on the same stage as him and Nagumo.

Me, a Class D nobody, who has little to no presence until just recently, was acknowledged by one of, of not the best graduates produced by this school. Someone, who garnered so much respect, that he became student council president in his first year; and defended his spot in Class A for a whole 3 years.

News like this was definitely a punch in the gut for them.

She continued. "Even though they didn't buy it, I was able to at least convince them not to make a big deal out of it, and not to let it get around."

I'm pretty sure word of that would go around eventually, but the challenge by Nagumo was such a hot topic, that it drowned out my acquaintance with Horikita's brother for the interests of others.

"You're probably gonna have them coming up to you asking questions." She looked down meekly, and her voice softened. "Sorry. I wish I could have done more."

"Don't worry about it." I said reassuringly. Her apology was unnecessary. "It's not like you could erase everything that happened yesterday. What's done is done."

"Still though, it's not like you like the attention you're getting."

"While it's a bother, I can't remain incognito forever. Especially not with that red-headed devil around."

Although Karma gave me a push in order to show more of myself, Manabu's words are my driving force.

While living a peaceful life was originally my goal, was it a fulfilling one?

After asking myself that question, I've to a conclusion.

"You're already starting to get pretty popular, you know?" Kei said.

"I'm popular?"

She scoffs. "This part of you is something I really hate! For how perceptive you are, you're pretty clueless about a lot of basic social cues!"

Okay, that's pretty much true. I'm still learning about "normal", but I haven't quite reached reached the point where I can converse about trends and whatnot. I mean I can, it's just I won't be able to maintain it for long.

"You're not gonna argue?" She asked.

"I really can't." I said bluntly.

She hummed. "Were you sheltered your whole life, Kiyotaka?"

"Why do you think that?"

"Well... it's just... it feels like, even though you know a lot, you can be kinda clueless to a lot of things in the outside world. You know, like social norms or something."

Normally I wouldn't say anything to give away my past, but I'll at least indulge this question of hers without giving it away.

"You could say I'm sheltered."

" 'Could say'?"

"If I was completely sheltered, I wouldn't have met Karma."

This was mostly true. Although we were sheltered our whole lives - not counting the past 4 years Karma's been outside the White Room - it was a different kind from normal.

"But, Akabane-kun mentioned a time when you guys were in elementary school."

She's talking about the first time Karma ever crashed our dates. Honestly, that guy...

"Like I said, I'm not completely sheltered. Not in the traditional sense anyway."

Kei looked at me in confusion. "Not in the traditional sense? Alright, you're just making me even more confused. It's like every time I ask you something about your past, I end up with more questions than answers."

It's not like you would be able to fully comprehend the existence of the White Room.

Even if I let her know now, it would just put her in danger.

Kei frowned. "I wish you'd at least open up a little more. I'm willing to lend an ear if you're troubled by something."

I got up and sat down by her side. "Don't worry about it. When the time comes, you'll know. For now, please just have faith in me."

She lied down on her side, her head resting on my lap.

"Okay. But if you won't talk about your past, can I at least just ask something about your friend."

I gently stroke her hair. "I don't know if I can answer, but I'll see what I can do."

"When we were at the restaurant, when Nagumo-senpai mentioned he was willing to be on his life, Akabane-kun seemed to have taken great offense to it."

"It's like a flip switched in him. He went from being uninterested in the conversation, to...some sort of... killer mode or something."

"Did he say something when said switch flipped?"

She nodded. "Mhm. Something like, not taking too kindly at others who are willing to bet on their lives so easily."

If I'm reading this right, it seems that any mention of the word kill or anything related to losing a life triggers his and his former classmates' bloodlust. However, it still feels like something's missing. I haven't gotten the full picture as of yet.

Perhaps it's not the word "kill" or anything related to that that triggers their bloodlust necessarily, but rather how quick others are to gamble on their lives. Karma mentioned that, while they were taught assassination, they were also taught about life and the value of it.

In other words, they don't like it if others don't take the value of their lives seriously. Having had a lot of near-death experiences themselves, and even taken a life, the class of assassins know full well what it's like to put your life on the line, and how it's not something that should be taken lightly.

"Did something happen to him that made him like this?" She asked.

I hummed in thought for a moment. I can't exactly mention Karma's rather peculiar circumstance. "Despite his sadism, he does value life. He doesn't appreciate it if others take theirs so lightly."

"I can get that, but what causes him to act like that specifically?"

By that, I'm pretty sure she meant his - I guess - 'assassin mode'.

"He's not really the most open person. Whether he told me or not, it's not my place to speak for him. Sorry, but what I said is all you're getting out of me. If you want answers, I suggest you ask him."

She hummed. She most likely knows that she won't be getting an answer even if she asked him.

"I guess that's fine for now. You're just being respectful of his wish to not reveal secrets."

"Thanks for understanding, Kei."

She sat up, sat on my lap, and leaned back, resting her back against my chest. She turns her head outside the window.

"Even though most of the moon is still destroyed, it's still quite a lovely evening out, huh?"

"Yeah." I agreed. "Kei?"

"Yeah?"

"This exam, I'm probably gonna have you do some stuff for me. Will you lend me a hand?"

"Of course."

"By the way, this special exam does involve expulsion. If you are in the bottom 5 groups, you'll have to face that penalty. That's why you can't randomly choose who you group up with."

"Yeah. That's why, I wanted to group up with you, Kiyotaka, but because of your circumstance with Nagumo-senpai, I'll probably just get in the way."

She doesn't want to end up being dead weight and slow us down.

"Even if I don't protect you, there's still a way to save yourself, right? That is, to keep a deposit of the amount of private points needed to nullify the expulsion."

"That's true, but..."

Although a large amount of private points were required, as long as you had them, you definitely won't be expelled.

"That's true, but even if you do form a group of 6 students in the exam, you'll still need 1 million points to avoid expulsion, right? I don't have that much."

"How much do you have left now?"

"Um... 240,000 points... E-even so, I'm considered to be someone who has saved up a lot recently!"

Not that I was making an accusation against that. Since I was in a similar situation, I was hardly one to assign blame.

"So you're short 760,000 points?"

Even though I won a lot of points from the last exam, due to my deal with Kushida, I had to sacrifice half of it. Still, I can provide the missing points to Kei if necessary. However, I'd like to reduce the cost as much as possible.

"Kei, you've got the Free Ride card, right?"

"Yeah. How much is that card worth?"

"Honestly, I can't say that it's a good card. Whether it's in a good or a bad way, the impact on yourself would be the least out of all the cards, as it's neither a card that rewards you for effort, nor a card that helps you if you commit a mistake during the exam."

Since you could only use it to bet on a group that you think would likely win, you could say that it's at the bottom of the list in terms of value.

"... Sure enough, that's true."

Kei more or less understood that from the start, and sighed in disappointment.

"Kiyotaka, your card is the Trial card, right? It's a card that has a strong effect if you win, but conversely if you lose it would be tragic... Ah, of course, I know that you'll have no problem at all. I wanted the Half Off or the Nullify card though."

For a student like Kei, it was natural that the relief cards feel more valuable than cards like the Trial card.

"It's not like there's no hope for the Free Ride card. There are probably also many students who think that the Half-Off card or the Nullify card is worthless. In their eyes, the Free Ride card also holds a certain value."

Unlike the Head Start card and the Bonus card, it wouldn't affect the students who were confident about their abilities; rather, it targeted the students at the middle of the pack who reckoned they couldn't win. Also, since most students were in the middle, it would be easy to find someone to trade with. However, cards like the Half Off card would be coveted by some students in the middle and students in the bottom. Depending upon the cardholder, even a worthless card could dazzle like a gold one.

"I have the points for you, but I'll still find a way to reduce the cost as much as possible."

"Eh? Reduce it... How?"

"There are many ways, but selling the Trial card is one way to get you the required points."

"But then, you'll have to give up the Trial card... Is that really okay?"

"It's more important to prevent you from getting expelled."

"Ye-yeah... Th-thanks."

After saying that, Kei blushed.

Soon after, our conversation shifted to the approaching summer vacation, and the room's atmosphere got more lively, but, there wasn't any further progress in our relationship.

Part 4

"Can I trouble you with something, Kiyotaka-kun?" Yosuke approached me.

"Is it about my duel with Nagumo?"

So far he hasn't asked me about it.

"Good guess, but no it's not it."

I can't say I'm not surprised, since that's pretty much what everyone's been talking about lately.

"Okay, what is it?"

"It's about Ike-kun and Shinohara-san."

Ah, so that's it. On my way here, I happened to witness them arguing with each other about groups. Ike wanted to group with Shinohara, however his attitude ruined his approach. She then decided to go with Komiya from Class B instead.

Even now, Ike hasn't been himself. After hearing that Shinohara would be discussing about their group with Komiya in the cafe, Ike may try to follow them. Depending on the situation, he might cause a scene.

Yosuke, the mediator, wanted to avoid that, so he invited me to come with him to keep an eye on Ike. I agreed.

On our way, we discussed a little bit about the composition of small groups. He thought of a plan to unite the second years against the third and first years in order to prevent any expulsions, but it didn't get anywhere.

As idealistic as this plan is, not everyone would be on board with it. Not only were we competing for the top spot for the class points, but everyone also has their own ideal groups.

"It seems like we can only form groups that leave us with no regrets." I said.

"Yeah..."

"You must've been invited by quite a few people, Yosuke?"

Yosuke was popular with both the boys and the girls, and was excellent in every aspect, so there's no way nobody has invited him yet.

"For me, I'd like to select 2 people from Class D to form a group. Instead of aiming for the top places, I'd rather fight to not get penalized."

It's the students of Class D that he should protect, not the other classes. That was the logical way of thinking. If the student was strong and popular, it wouldn't be a problem for the other person when they formed a group, but for the less powerful students, it would be hard for them to ask for help from
anyone else.

"Will Sakura-san be okay?"

Yosuke was worried about Airi, who was a part of my group and was last in terms of ability. For now at least.

"As of now, she's going to form a group with Akito and Haruka."

"Miyake-kun has good motor skills, so I feel the group is well balanced."

Although Keisei was left out, thanks to his mind, the other classes were trying to scout him for his brainpower. It would be a formidable group if he could choose students who could cover for his lack of physical ability.

"Still, her academics have been improving quite a bit lately, huh?"

True enough. Because Karma's been hanging out with us, even before becoming an official member of the group, the grades of the other members of the Ayanokoji Group have been improving a lot more.

Keisei may be a good tutor, but Karma's methods were both effective, and ruthless. It took some time to get accustomed to, but everyone got used to it, and were rather thankful since they got a huge boost in their grades.

Airi may be last for now, but her recent test scores were helping her close the gap between her, and the person above her. Depending on the outcome of this exam, she might even overtake them.

Still, test scores alone weren't going to be enough to help you rise the ranks. You need to be able to work with others as well. It's part of the reason why Keisei has also been trying to work on his tutelage method. If he can't improve on his physical ability, he'll at least work on being able to work well with others.

As for the others, the last exam showed the difference in skill between us. Airi may be meek, but she can be quite perceptive at times.

After all, she did make a guess that I might have been X at one point, though her reasons for as to why didn't really back up her guess all that much, which made it easy for me to deny it. However, I wouldn't be surprise if she suspects that there's more to me than I let on, especially since I have history with Karma, and our upcoming competition with Nagumo.

Everyone has different ways to motivate themselves for improvement. After seeing some of what I can do for the past few months, Airi probably wanted to do this so that I would notice her some more. Haruka, Airi's best friend, and mentor, is doing what she can to help support her.

"You can thank Karma's and Keisei's tutelage for that." I replied to Yosuke.

"Akabane-kun is quite something, huh? In just the few months he's been with us, he's really outdone himself."

True enough. So much so that he caught the eye of Nagumo. It's especially impressive when you realize he's from Class D.

"Indeed."

"But is it just Akabane-kun though?"

I turned to him asking for a clarification. "What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about the reason for Sakura-san's improvement."

Yosuke is by no means incompetent. He's definitely caught on to Airi's feelings towards me.

"It's still her choice to improve."

"Have you not told them about... well you know?"

Love is an interesting thing. It could either help a person rise from the bottom, or destroy and plummet them to their lowest.

If they ever found out about my relationship with Kei, will Airi use that to help better herself, or will it shatter her and undo all her growth?

"No. Now isn't the right time for that." I bluntly said.

"Do you not trust them?"

"That's not it. I'm just adjusting the time to reveal it when she's ready. I'm not the only one in this relationship, after all."

"I see. You're right. I'm just hoping Sakura-san takes it well."

She would most definitely not, but that's where the others come in.

"She has Haruka and the others to console her. Although things might get awkward between us, perhaps she can take this opportunity to rebuild herself."

"You have a point. What about you though?"

"Me?"

"I've been trying to avoid talking to you about this, because I don't know if you're fine with it, but it's about yours and Akabane-kun's battle with Nagumo-senpai."

So he's finally brought it up, huh?

"It's fine. Better talking about it with you than most other people."

Yosuke's probably one of the few people I feel fine talking to about this.

"I've only heard about through word of mouth, but I'd like to get the full picture, if you're okay with it."

"You're gonna have to be more specific."

I could probably think of different questions he's going to ask, but he'll need to break them down first if I'm going to answer them.

"Okay. First, what really went down between Akabane-kun and Nagumo-senpai the other day?"

"Do you recall last Christmas break when Nagumo approached us?"

"Yes, of course. The situation was pretty tense."

Nagumo's provocations that day made everyone uncomfortable. He really likes to assert himself as the one to lead the conversation.

"Then I suppose you should know by now about my acquaintanceship with Horikita's brother."

"So that race between you two back in the Sports Festival really wasn't a coincidence?"

"Well, you're half right. We didn't really plan that out. It was just something we thought of on the spot."

It was also part of my plan to lure Ryuen into a trap, though I also just wanted to gauge the elder Horikita in a race.

"Ever since that race, Nagumo has been curious about our acquaintanceship. Afterall, it is quite odd that the then student council president, who is known to be one of the best students in the whole school, happens to be acquainted with a student from Class D."

"I suppose I can't deny that."

"Nagumo's been doing some digging. As the Student Council President, he has access to exam results. According to Karma, Nagumo watched a recording of our last exam, and how me, Karma, and Koenji turned the tide. That and my perfect math score must have changed his opinion of me from a Class D nobody, to perhaps someone worthy of a challenge."

Nagumo's non-stop wins, and the Elder Horikita leaving the school have been boring him. His goal right now is to turn this school into a true meritocracy, but he's also looking for someone who could give him a challenge.

"What you three did truly was impressive, but is that all the reason for his challenge?"

He's quite perceptive. As expected of this outstanding man next to me.

"I suppose, to Nagumo, he didn't like how I caught the attention of Horikita's brother without showing much of myself."

In other words, there was also a feeling of jealousy involved. He, who has accomplished many things, was ranked lower than me, who hasn't shown much of myself by Horikita Manabu.

"I'm not gonna ask what else you're capable of, but can I at least ask how you two even became acquainted in the first place?"

Do I really want to tell him that we fought during our first meeting?

"We ran in to a bit of trouble early in to our first year. We just happened to meet by chance."

Well it wasn't a lie.

"I see. But how'd he know there was more to you than you let on?"

"In his words: 'intuition'."

Yosuke chuckled. "So excellence meets excellence then?"

"You're free to interpret that however you want."

Hi level of intuition is the same as Kiryuin's. It's both admirable and annoying. Still, I'm glad to have met him. If possible, I would've liked for him to stay here longer. I've become quite fond of our conversations, even if they were brief.

"By the way, can you-"

"Keep this between us? Don't worry. I won't tell anyone." He said reassuringly.

One of the reasons why I decided to indulge Yosuke a bit, was because he knows when to keep a tight lip. It's the reason why he hasn't told anyone about some of my involvements from behind the scenes, at least the ones he knows of anyway.

Yosuke and I talked about some other stuff, however, while we were going after Ike, a problem surfaced.

The person following us had been keeping her distance, however it seems like she wasn't making much of an effort to avoid being spotted by my. I get the feeling she'd been meaning to talk to me about something, probably about my whole ordeal with Nagumo. I could probably just ignore her, but it may become troublesome in the future if it continued.

"Sorry, Yosuke, but can you go on first?"

"What is it?"

"I remembered something I have to take care of. I'll be back in around 10 minutes."

"Alright. I'll call you if something happens."

Without asking any more questions, he disappeared into Keyaki Mall.

Shortly after, she decided to drop her incognito tailing, and just walked over next to me.

I then turned to her and asked before she could say anything. "What do you want Matsushita?"

"You don't seem surprised to see me. Did you noticed from the start?"

"I just don't show any surprise in my expression."

I'm not the only one she'd been tailing. Karma told me she'd been tailing him for a while now.

"So, what were you and Hirata-kun talking about? About Ike-kun, or about the uninhabited island exam?"

Matsushita, who was standing by my side, raised her head as she judged the situation.

"Is that any of your business?"

"It's not so much about me, it's about you. You're an important existence for us to get into Class A, Ayanokoji-kun."

She seems to have a high opinion of me, but what was her objective?

For how smart she is, she should know that flattering me won't get her anywhere, but I don't think she approached me for no reason.

"Don't be cautious. I approached you because I wanted to ask you something asap, since I might not get another chance to."

I see. Kei did say that Matsushita was with her when they witnessed Nagumo's declaration for a challenge. She also said that I might get bombarded with questions later down the line. This was probably one of those instances.

"If this is about mine and Karma's thing with Nagumo, then I'm not talking."

"Are you really gonna deny someone who went through painstaking efforts to follow you here just to get an answer?"

"Actually, I would." I bluntly said.

She frowned. "You're kind of cold."

"That's not it. I just don't want to talk about it."

"But, you... actually never mind." She cut herself off before she could finish.

"What? What were you gonna say?" I pushed for an answer.

"Well... I just thought you were fine with talking about it since you told Hirata-kun."

Ah so that's what.

"Though, thinking about it now, I guess it makes sense you'd tell him since you're close, and he's also a class leader."

Unlike Yosuke, Matsushita and I never really got a chance to hold a proper conversation other than that one time during spring break.

"Well, since you know you won't be getting anything out of me, I suppose I'll be on my way now."

Before I could go, Matsushita stopped me.

"W-wait!"

I turned around to look at her.

"What is it?"

"About the Trial Card. Are you gonna keep it, or are you gonna sell it?"

"Good question." I answered vaguely. "I suppose we'll just have to see."

"If you are gonna keep it, it's a huge risk if you guys don't get in the top 30%. I know you and Akabane-kun are pretty capable, but if you guys want, I can lend a hand. I'm willing to cooperate. We're classmates after all."

I don't think she didn't have any good intentions, but the essence of the matter lay somewhere else. While suppressing my desire to hurry up and go to Yosuke, I turned to Matsushita, who was walking beside me.

"Did you judge that your odds of survival are the highest if you grouped up with us?"

"... So I've been exposed?"

Matsushita narrowed her eyes and smiled, raising the white flag early.
"I don't think it'd be difficult to stay in the top ranks if it were you. Even ifwe don't end up on the podium, we're bound to reach the top 30%. It wouldbe more dangerous if I put my friends first and make a half-assed group withthem."

"Even if it were possible, you do realize the risks of being grouped with me and Karma, right?"

Ordinarily, anyone who isn't confident with their ability wouldn't want the trial card, however, in her mind being grouped with us wouldn't be so bad. The problem isn't us holding the trial card, however. The problem lies in our competition against Nagumo.

"I was thinking that since the matter is between you three, I thought that perhaps he won't set his eyes on me."

No, you couldn't be more wrong. This was the exact same trick that Nagumo used against the Elder Horikita during last year's Mixed Training Camp.

"However, thinking hard about it now, I guess it's a pretty naive way of thinking, huh?"

"Correct."

"I was originally going to suggest us forming a large group during the exam, but I guess that won't work out well, huh?"

"No, it wouldn't. It would just place a target behind your backs by Nagumo. Just focus on your own group, and Karma and I will focus on our competition."

She sighed. "I see. Sorry for the bother then."

She was about to leave, but stopped herself. "Oh, by the way, are you guys planning on adding a third member by any chance?"

We had thought about it already. If we were to add a third member to our team, that person could only be a guy due to the gender ratio. That limited our options. To top it all off, they also run the risk of being targeted by Nagumo, and the first years. However...

"We'll burn that bridge when we get there." I said.

"I see. Truth be told, I still feel unsatisfied, since I didn't get the answers I wanted."

I suppose if I were in her shoes, I too would feel the same. Still, my stance remains steadfast.

"Ah, right. Here's my contact information."

Seemingly prepared in advance, she handed me a paper with her ID written on it.

"Alright, I've said what I wanted to say."

Having wrapped up the conversation without wasting any time, Matsushita turned around and began walking back towards the dormitory.

"Well, it certainly doesn't feel bad to have another girl's contact information." I muttered under my breath.

After wrapping things up here, I met up with Yosuke at Keyaki Mall. He briefed me in on the situation with Ike, Shinohara, and Komiya. From the looks of things, things aren't going well for Ike.

Komiya and Shinohara seemed to be having a nice time, while Ike quietly watched, depressed.

Yosuke and I discussed what we should do. We both agreed not to intervene unless Ike goes berserk and causes a scene. We then made the decision to conduct an investigation on why Komiya decided to invite Shinohara.

As soon as we were done discussing things, I got 3 notification on my phone from 3 different people: Kiriyama, Ryuen, and Karma. All asking me to meet with them at some point. I told them that I'm a little busy at the moment, and to just have each of our meetings set up at different dates.

Well, I'm gonna meet with Karma anyway, so I'll be meeting with him once my investigation here is over.

(Part 5)

After conducting my investigation on the matter of Ike and Shinohara, I shared findings with Horikita in the cafe, but she was rather indifferent. After some convincing however, she caved in. However, it was already too late, as Shinohara was now officially grouped with Komiya and Kinoshita Minori, both of whom were from Class B.

I then suggested that we meet up with Yosuke so that we would take measures to prevent Ike's loss of motivation. All three of us then decided to meet up later.

After discussing things with both of them, all three of us walked back to the dormitory. As soon as we arrived at the entrance, Karma, who was sitting waiting for me while playing his game, noticed us and stood up.

"You called for me?" I asked him.

"Yup."

"What did you need?"

Without taking his eyes off from his game, he replied. "I'll tell you once we're in your room. We wouldn't want any unwanted eavesdroppers."

Seeing as this was a private matter, both Horikita and Yosuke were understanding, and went back to their respective rooms ahead of us. As soon as they left and the elevator returned to the lobby floor, Karma and I both got on and headed for my room. Once we were inside, I decided to speak up before he can get too entranced by his game.

"This better be something important. Last week when you were here, you started spouting spells."

(Flashback to Last Week)

"Kiyotaka, will he not leave us alone?!"

Kei and I were in the middle of a date, when this red-head entered my room through the window, and has been bothering us for a couple of minutes now.

"Good question. Karma-"

"Yes, I'm Karma."

"Do you wish to leave on your own accord without this getting physical, or do you want me to toss you out the window?" I said sternly.

"Oh! The latter sounds fun!" He said, clasping both hands and putting on an innocent look, like a child who had just received a toy as a gift from his parents on Christmas.

"..."

Kei just listened, dumbfounded.

"Karma, you need to get out. You've been doing nothing except chanting spells, and it's disturbing Kei."

Karma sighs, and opens the window.

"Ah but before that." He clears his throat and does a pose with both hands out and his head looking up the ceiling.

"Sedah fo stosh krad eht lla yb nediaR eehsnaB eht driaB nomeD eht em evig ,mih yortsed eehsnaB eht ,lleh fo traeh nevow eht ni srednic fo tsettoh ehT."

As he finished chanting, he stepped out the window, and climbed back to his room.

"Ki-Kiyotaka! What's wrong with that guy?! This is the third time now!" Kei exclaimed, clearly disturbed.

I sighed heavily. "A lot of things."

"What the hell was he even saying?!"

"Not sure."

Next time Kei asks to keep the window open to let in some of the cool night air, I'm declining no matter what.

(End of Flashback)

"Oh don't worry this is different. I reckon you'll like what I'm about to say." He replied.

"Get on with it then."

He put down his game and looked at me with a more serious look. He then opened his mouth, and started explaining. Without me knowing, he had been conducting some investigations.

Interesting. Seems this wasn't a waste of time. Now how will this affect the exam?

Eyow! Done with this chapter. It's a lot less serious than previous ones, but hey wanted to try something a little different.

Also, a lot of it follows the flow of the Yr 2 Vol 2, but I've also jumbled up the order of some scenes to match what I was going for.

I would've gotten this out sooner, but I was busy with work, and finishing Crime and Punishment; I'm on page 440 out of 642. Story's getting a lot more interesting now btw. I also just bought a few more books: No Longer Human, The Invisible Man, and Inferno.

Anyway, enough about books. Next chapter should be the last before the exam proper, unless I decide to split it again, but that seems unlikely.

As for when the exam proper arc is gonna be out, I still have to reread it a couple more times to get a better gist of it. I have the action planned out, but I also want to get some scenes from the LN right. Not all, but just those that matter.

Anyway, enough said. I'll see you guys next chapter!

Vol. 4, Chapter 4 - Prelude To Battle

(Part 1)

(Third Person POV)

It was Friday of the first weekend after the group formations had started. Sakayanagi had contacted Ichinose and asked her to come to the cafe.

That day, an hour before the meeting at the cafe, Sakayanagi had extended a sudden invitation to Ichinose. It wouldn't be strange for Ichinose to reject the invitation if she already had things scheduled.

Inviting Ichinose on such short notice was a strategy to not give her the time to think. Had she been told a few days in advance, Ichinose would have speculated on what the meeting would be about.

Depending on the occasion, she might even ask a classmate like Kanzaki for help. This was just a precautionary measure.

Before they could get down to business, they made some small talk. Sakayanagi first asked why Ichinose accepted her sudden invite, despite everything she did to her - exposing her past.

To Sakayanagi, it wouldn't be a surprise if Ichinose rejected her invite after what happened. However, to her surprise, Ichinose hadn't only accepted her invite, but she didn't seem to resent her at all.

After exchanging a few more words, Ichinose addressed their meeting.

"So... What do you want to talk to me about?"

Not wanting to make things awkward, she asked Sakayanagi to urge her to get to the point.

"As you wish, I'll get to the point, but you might not be very comfortable with that either."

Ichinose mumbled to herself, "Please have mercy", as Sakayanagi said this as a warning.

Sakayanagi addressed Class B closing in on them. Despite the gap in point between her class and Ryuen's class to be double that of the current class points possessed by Class B, it was only natural for her to be wary of Class B's rise, thus she wanted prevent the gap from closing.

However, by doing so, she also pointed out how Ichinose's class was left out of the competition. Indeed the amount of points between her class and Ryuen's class was 26 from the last special exam, as of July the gap was reduced, but only by 2 points. You could sense the strong will of Ryuen and his class to never be surpassed by Ichinose's class.

The way they operate is different. Ichinose thought that her class could close the gap by preventing tardiness and other violations, however if there was a special exam, they'd be at the mercy of Ryuen, who was known to utilize subterfuge. On top of that, after Ryuen's class rose from Class D to B, there were no holes found in his class, thus making it difficult for Ichinose's class to close the gap using merely good grades, and maintaining good behavior.

Recognizing just how formidable Ryuen is, Sakayanagi pointed out how he was able to keep his class from doing any form of misconducts. Unlike before, his class hasn't caused any problems lately. This proved to be a hole in Ichinose's plans to catch up in points in daily life.

If she can't close the gap using their test scores and maintaining good behavior, her only option is the special exams; something that she knew Ryuen would have the upper hand in.

Despite Ichinose's apparent discomfort for having been told all this, Sakayanagi didn't relent, and continued talking harshly.

Right now, Ryuen was Ichinose's biggest hurdle, and was an opponent she wanted to avoid as much as possible. However, both girls knew that it can't be helped.

"There's also the issue of being overtaken by Class D. Even though your class is ahead in points, thanks to their performance last exam, the difference in points between you two is less than 150. They've overtaken Ryuen's Class before. I wouldn't put it past them if they were to do so with yours again this time around."

"Yes. You're right." Ichinose replied sheepishly. "They've done it before. I'm certain they can do it again. In terms of individual strength, they have strong key players, even ones that surprised us all... Looking at it this way, it seems like I really don't have any room to spare."

"Yes, you're right. If we're talking about their key players, there's Hirata-kun, and Kushida-san, who have strong communication skills, well-balanced grades and good athleticism. Speaking of athleticism, Sudo-kun indisputably their ace for sports; he's the only other person in the entire second year to have an A rating in physical ability. At the start of our first year, he was an ill-tempered bonehead who couldn't work with others, however he's changed, and his grades are rising. To top it all off, they have three hidden gems in their class."

From the last exam, everyone should know that the three specific individuals Sakayanagi mentioned, are the ones they really got to look out for.

"You're referring to Ayanokoji-kun, Akabane-kun, and Koenji-kun, right?" Ichinose said apprehensively.

"Indeed. Akabane-kun is the only one in the entire second year who currently has two As in his OAA rating. That being his Academics, and his Physical Ability."

After the exam, and a couple of tests, Akabane Karma's OAA rating rose.

Currently it was now:

Academic Ability: A (99)
Physical Ability: A (98)
Adaptability: B (80)
Social Contribution: B (72)
Overall Ability: A (89)

"Despite his sadism, he is indisputably the top student in our grade, whose OAA rating is now rivaled only by the current student council president, Nagumo Miyabi-senpai."

Ichinose seemed intimidated at the prospect of going up against such an individual, but she tried her best to keep her composure. "Yes, you're right. When the time comes, he'll definitely be our number one enemy from Horikita-san's class."

"Indeed, but it's not like he's the only one you have to look out for. I'm pretty sure I don't need to bring up Koenji-kun and Ayanokoji-kun, but I'll do it anyway."

Even though Karma tied with Koenji for the most amount of eliminations and beat him in their duel, both Koenji and Ayanokoji were by no means weak.

"The current strengths of both are currently still a mystery, since they don't often put themselves in the forefront, unlike Akabane-kun, who has no problem taking center stage. However, since it's apparent that Ayanokoji-kun and Akabane-kun have history, I think we can make the assumption that both are close in terms of ability, should Ayanokoji-kun decide to show more of his capabilities. As for Koenji-kun, he was able to hold his own against Akabane-kun, even if for just a while."

Currently, the OAA rating of both individuals after the Line of Fire special exam are as follow:

Koenji Rokusuke:

Academic Ability: B (71)
Physical Ability: A (93)
Adaptability: C (47)
Social Contribution: D (38)
Overall Ability: B (66)

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka:

Academic Ability: A- (81)
Physical Ability: B (77)
Adaptability: C (45)
Social Contribution: B (79)
Overall Ability: B (69)

"And then, Horikita-san, the leader who brought them together and led them forward. She has both excellent academic and physical abilities, and has even recently joined the student council."

Sakayanagi once made Ichinose reaffirm her current situation of being left out in the cold. Unlike the other three classes, which are either on the rise, or remain steadfast, Ichinose's class is currently at a downslope.

"Sorry for continuing with the tough words, but I think it's only a matter of time before your class falls to Class D."

Ichinose wanted to retort, but Sakayanagi shot down every one of her arguments.

No matter how hard they try, it would be difficult for them to keep up with the rise in strength of the other classes over the course of the year. In terms of growth, Ichinose's class was one with the least amount. This was apparent in the OAA ratings.

"Is it that you knew, and pretend not to notice, or is it because you were afraid to face reality, that you didn't dare check.

Ichinose could only take Sakayanagi's verbal criticism. Every interaction they had together, it felt like Ichinose shrank lower. Any form of rebuttal was out of the question, as Sakayanagi's attacks were on point.

Sakayanagi acknowledges Ichinose as a smart and capable student, and admits that she is, by no means, weaker than her, however, when faced with a disadvantageous situation, she can't demonstrate her strengths. Unlike her, both Ryuen and Sakayanagi are able to bare their fangs, and even Class D is capable of going on the offensive.

For the past couple of minutes, Sakayanagi has been attacking Ichinose, and hitting every one of her weak points, however that wasn't Sakayanagi's goal.

Sakayanagi then proposed that they work together. It was an unexpected proposal, but Sakayanagi had her reasons.

"A cooperative relationship between classes isn't a bad thing. In fact, didn't you have a similar relationship with Horikita-san's class back in our first year?"

Sakayanagi then went on to say her speculation about the alliance between both classes having been dissolved after their first year. Comaparing both classes, despite being last, it was undeniable that Horikita's class had accumulated the most class points than any other class last year, and are still gaining momentum, especially with the introduction of Akabane Karma.

Unable to deny this, Ichinose merely nodded. The reason for their alliance in the first place, was because of the difference in class points. Now that that's no longer the case, the alliance has been dissolved. However, Sakayanagi took this opportunity to establish a relationship between hers, and Ichinose's class.

The reason why Sakayanagi chose to ally herself with Ichinose's class, is because, not only of the difference in their class points, but also because of Ichinose's ultimate weapon, trust. That is an important factor when establishing an alliance, and Sakayanagi knows full well that Ichinose would never betray them. However, she also had another reason.

After giving it some thought, Ichinose considers it, and asks Sakayanagi for more details.

After Sakayanagi then went on to explain more into detail about her plan. Despite her disability, she was allowed to participate as a 'semi eliminated' student. In other words, even though she can't walk like everyone else, she's still allowed to compete within the same rules. She can act as consultant should Ichinose needs advice. However, if both her teammates retire, then the whole group is eliminated.

After going over it some more, Ichinose voiced her thoughts. She pointed out Sakayanagi's apparent desire to avoid an alliance between Classes D, C, and B from happening. Naturally there would be nothing wrong with that, but Sakayanagi's desire to prevent it was stronger than what Ichinose had originally thought, or in Ichinose's words, Sakayanagi is afraid of that situation.

"You said we were someone you could trust, and while I think your words are genuine, your ultimate goal is to prevent the other three classes from working together to catch up to Class A. Indeed, the amount of class points we can get from winning will decrease, but there's no guarantee that such a development wouldn't appear - that this alliance between the three classes would continue."

Ichinose, who had been pushed back by Sakayanagi's words until now, attacked her with her feelings.

"An alliance between the three classes to force Class A out. If that's successful, you would be forced into a bitter battle from now on, Sakayanagi-san... Isn't that so?"

Sakayanagi was a bit surprised by Ichinose's counterattack. Until now, she had merely been on the defensive.

"I guess I've underestimated you a little, Ichinose-san."

The matter of any of the lower classes getting more than 300 points in this special exam wasn't her concern. Her main concern is the possibility of the three lower classes establishing an alliance. Should more of these types of exam happen, then that alliance would definitely put Sakayanagi in a difficult position.

If there was a talent, who could bring the three classes together, it would be Ichinose, which is why Sakayanagi was trying to get Ichinose on her side before this could happen.

After Sakayangi acknowledged her words, she asked for Ichinose's cooperation.

After careful consideration, Ichinose laid her conditions for an alliance on the table, and Sakayanagi accepted. With that, the Class A - Class C alliance is formed.

After strategizing for the upcoming exam, they conclude their meeting.

(Part 2)

After going about their separate ways, Sakayanagi sat down in her room in deep thought. She thought back to the current situation is Class D, and then again to the challenge declared by Nagumo.

Although she had just personally met both Ayanokoji and Karma after entering school, she thought that they'd want to go solo and compete against each other.

'Something must've happened to force them to team up and aim for first place.' She thought.

Even back in the White Room, the relationship between the two boys was deeply rooted in competition. Due to them being capable enough of beating the other, they've come to grow a mutual respect for each other.

Sakayanagi thought that, this exam, those two would rather compete against each other rather than team up together. Since Nagumo revealed them to be in the same team, Sakayanagi assumed that the alliance was established before Nagumo even declared his challenge.

The most likely reason for this probably had something to do with the Acting Director Tsukishiro, however she has no proof.

She sighs. 'As much as I'd like to go up against them myself, even I'm not foolish enough to challenge them at the same time. President Nagumo I can understand since he doesn't know their history, but Acting Director Tsukishiro, you made a mistake by forcing them in the same team. President Nagumo, while I don't blame your for your ignorance, it doesn't excuse that you just declared war against possibly the most dangerous people in this school.'

Even though Karma had been MIA from the White Room from some time, it was clear to Sakayanagi from the last exam that he hadn't been slacking off. While she doesn't have any shred of evidence, the duo's rather calm demeanor seemed to suggest that there were multiple things at play behind the scenes during that time. She knows how both of them operate to some extent after some careful observation.

'Ichinose-san, you're right about me not wanting the lower classes forming an alliance, however that isn't my biggest worry. My biggest concern is those two demons being in the same class.

Akabane-kun and Ayanokoji-kun are both similar in their line of thinking. Both know how to assess their situation, and people around them. In under a short period of time, Akabane-kun used his assessment of people to assign them different roles, and read his enemy's movements. Ayanokoji-kun is similar, but unlike Akabane-kun, he prefers remaining in the shadows. Despite their similarities, they each have their distinct style in moving their class.

Akabane-kun's style is more military. It's ruthless where it counts, and he's good at analyzing people's strengths and weaknesses. He uses those to his advantage in moving them about the battlefield, by positioning them in key positions that would help best utilize their uses. Perhaps his biggest advantage over Ayanokoji-kun is that he doesn't mind attracting attention. Because of this, gathering intel is much easier for him, since he doesn't have to worry about remaining hidden. This helps him fulfill his job much more effectively, when taking the forefront.

As for Ayanokoji-kun, his style is more one that controls from the shadows. Deception, manipulation, accurately predicting his enemy's movements. Due to his inconspicuous nature, he tends to blend in rather easily, which helps him catch more detail of his surroundings than Akabane-kun. However, because of his desire to remain in the shadows, it sometimes take him longer to gather any more necessary intel on his enemies, and the situation at hand. Still, it's a huge advantage since this means that he can continue strategizing without people taking notice.

Even though Ayanokoji-kun did a good job at leading his class without them knowing, this restricts his movements to some extent, which could sometimes slow down his plans. However Akabane-kun can compensate for that. He can fight at the frontlines, while Ayanokoji-kun could fight at the rear, keeping any enemies from blindsiding them.

While they don't necessarily need each other to carry out each one of their plans effectively, both of them complement each other's styles well. You could say the efficiency in their strategies would double , since they have each other dividing the work and covering for each other's potential blind spots.

An alliance formed by the three lower classes may be dangerous, but those two together pretty much trump any sort of threat posed by the union of the three classes. Even if Class A were to join in to defeat them, it would still prove to be difficult. If one wishes to graduate from Class A, an alliance by those two is the worst thing imaginable. Those two were known as demons for a reason.'

(Part 3)

Amidst all that's happening on Ayanokoji's investigation regarding the matter of Ike and Shinohara, a gathering between 1st years took place after afternoon classes at the special building. This meeting was attended by the representatives of each class, or students chosen by said representatives. Yagami Takuya of Class 1-B and Utomiya Riku of Class 1-C were the first to arrive. They exchanged a few pleasantries, with Utomiya voicing his class's unfortunate loss of their classmates Hatano, who was recently expelled.

Hatano was a valuable member of Utomiya's class, with an Academic Ability of A. His expulsion was a massive blow to Class C's manpower; having lost a valuable key player. This expulsion was another realization for the first years on just how harsh this school was. That being said, it had already been a month since his expulsion.

Having lost an excellent student, Class 1-C deemed it necessary to get solid results in the upcoming Uninhabited Island Exam. After exchanging a few words about Hatano, their topic moved on from Hatano, to that one of Hosen.

Since the first month, Hosen has an iron grip on his class, and everyone followed him obediently, for fear of getting on his bad side. Due to Hosen's unruly behavior, he made it clear that he would only participate with other classes should they offer his class private points.

Even with this exam, where forming groups with students from other classes would prove to be advantageous, Hosen made it clear that he wouldn't change his stance unless they were offered private points. Because of this, it's made it difficult for the other three classes to establish some sort of cooperative relationship with Class D, and they even debated whether or not it was a good idea to leave them out of the loop.

As they were discussing the effectiveness of Hosen's strategy, they were greeted by the loud voice of Takashi Osamu of Class 1-A. Although he was an unassuming figure with a C in Academic Ability, he was good at getting along with people, and as a result, often asked to go the meetings that took place. He had amassed many friends in the other classes and years.

Atlhough Takashi and Utomiya aren't necessarily the leaders of their class, due to their position, and the trust they've amassed from their classmates, they were chosen to preside over these proceedings.

"So only Kazoumi isn't here yeat?"

There was still about three minutes until the meeting time. If he didn't show up, they would start the discussion without hesitation.

"What about we just work together now? What I actually want is to isolate Class D and crush them as soon as possible." Said Utomiya.

Instead of agreeing though, Yagami spoke up in defense of Class D, stating that their physical abilities are second in their year, and only by a slight margin from being first. Brushing them aside too soon may prove to be detrimental, as it could off-set the balance of the 2nd years' team compositions.

Takashi, on the other hand, held a neutral position on this matter. While he saw the benefit of working with Class D, it wasn't worth bending over backwards to meet Hosen's ludicrous demands. As he proposed that they just start the discussion in the direction of just the three classes working together, Hosen approached them, seemingly as if he had seen how this conversation would plan out.

"Looks like you cam after all, Hosen-kun." Yagami greeted with a smile.

After some greetings, Hosen brought up the matter of orivate points.

"So, y'all decided on paying up?"

The others made no effort to hide their protest to his demands. Eventually, an argument ensued, and things got heated between Utomiya and Hosen. Sensing that Utomiya is physically strong, Hosen considers a fight, but reconsiders; saving their fight for another time.

In the midst of their argument, Utomiya calls out to Hosen, pinning him as the perpetrator for Hatano's expulsion.

"Ain't it just the small fry imploding as a result of fearing expulsion?"

Utomiya knew that Hatano wasn't that type of person. Hatano wasn't one to break school rules, leading Utomiya to believe that his former classmates had been tricked by Hosen.

The others, not wanting a fight to ensue, redirected the topic to that of the uninhabited island exam, with Yagami leading the conversation. He proposed that the first years should hold off prioritizing class points for other exams, and instead form teams that would stand a chance against the 2nd and 3rd years. He argued that, because the 2nd and especially 3rd years are battling for class points due to time constraints, the 1st years should take this to their advantage, since they still have more than 2 years left.

The others have their misgivings to this, but Yagami was able to convince them otherwise, since the their enemies would me older students, who have experienced the very same exam before. In other words, the experience of the upper years trumps theirs. Since the first years are able to form a small group of up to 4 members, forming the strongest team of 4, comprising of students from all three classes, to take 1st place would be the most optimum route.

After some debating back and forth, Hosen laid his demands on the table. The others protested, but Yagami was able to convince them, much to their hesitance. With that, they concluded the first part of their meeting. As Hosen started to walk away, Yagami called out to him.

"Hosen-kun, wait!"

"What? We're done aren't we? If that's the case, I'm headin' back. "

"There's still one more thing we needed to discuss."

"And what? Ya' seriously takin' his offer into consideration?"

"Well, not really, but I think it's only polite that we hear him out. After all-"

Before Yagami could continue, two figures approached them.

"Well, well, well, seems I came at a good time. Looks like you're done planning your meeting, right?"

The man who arrived, was none other than Student Council President, Nagumo Miyabi. He was accompanied by Vice President Kiriyama Ikuto, and two other 3rd years.

"President Nagumo, Vice President Kiriyama, it's a pleasure to have you." Greeted Takashi.

Utomiya and Yagami too gave them their greetings, but Hosen didn't seem to care, and instead attempted to leave. However, before he could, Nagumo stopped him.

"Leaving already?"

"I ain't interested in yer chit-chat."

"You're a rude kohai. You need to learn more respect."

"Just 'cause yer the Student Council President, doesn't mean I have ta bend over my back for ya."

Despite his standoffish behavior, Nagumo didn't seem agitated. Instead, he seems amused.

"Hosen Kazuomi, right? I've heard quite a bit about you."

Hosen clicked his tongue. "So what? Yer gonna assert your authority over me or somethin'"

Nagumo chuckled. "Relax. Unless you've done something wrong, and with evidence, I can't really do anything to you."

Utomiya looked like he wanted to speak out, but he held his tongue. Despite his suspicions towards Hosen, there wasn't any shred of evidence that could pin him as the one behind his classmate's expulsion. He also didn't want to leave a bad impression on the Student Council President, and false accusations would certainly only make him seem incompetent.

"Hosen-kun," Yagami called out to him. "Let's at least hear him out."

"Tch! Whatever! I'm only doing this just to get it over with. Don't expect me to go along with whatever you have in mind." He crossed his arms as he said that.

Yagami breathed a sigh of relief. He then turned to Nagumo. "Senpai, why did you call us here?"

"I'm assuming all four of you are representatives from each of the first year classes, right?"

All of them nodded, except Hosen, who just rolled his eyes, but at least didn't deny it. This was all Nagumo needed as a confirmation.

"Alright then, I'll start us off. Firstly, I want everyone here to keep this meeting confidential. If word got out before we could even enact our plan, there would be trouble."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Now then. I just want to say, my goal is no expelling Ayanokoji. However, I have no intention on stopping you either, since this special exam was given to you by the Acting Director. Even if try to protest, it is he who ultimately makes the final call."

"Senpai." Yamagi spoke. "Word about your competition with Ayanokoji-senpai and Akabane-senpai. If you have no intention of expelling Ayanokoji-senpai, then why did you bring, who I assume are, the representatives of Classes D, C, and B from the 3rd years?"

"Like I said, Yagami. Expelling them isn't my goal. My goal is to take first place in this exam, and which is what they to are ultimately aiming for to put a stop to this bounty. The reason why I brought you all together, is because all of you lot practically have the same goal."

Due to Tsukishiro's challenge, the first years, and the lower classes of the third years would have to expel Ayanokoji, and Akabane.

"The prize of those two's expulsion is worthless to me." Exclaimed Nagumo. "However, as it is my goal to transform this school into a true meritocracy, I see no reason to deny anyone from my year of their goal to graduate from Class A. Since the Class Transfer Tickets are cheaper than 20 millions private points, this is a good opportunity to enact my philosophy that students with superior abilities should rise to the top."

Nagumo's vision deters from that of Horikita Manabu's. Manabu believes that a class should work together as a community to rise to the top. However, this also means that students with good abilities who made great progress in their growth, would be left behind, since not everyone in their class could keep up with the competition. As for Nagumo, he saw the flaw in Manabu's vision, and instead makes it his goal that no student of superior ability would be left behind.

Because the school sorts students through merit and background, sometimes excellent students would be sorted into the lower classes, due to them having a tragic background. An example of this would be Ichinose. Though her abilities would make her suitable to be placed in Class A upon admission, due to her previous case of thievery, she was instead placed in Class B.

Nagumo's system was meant to give everyone a more fair chance, thus leading him to create the OAA, an application that measured a person's merit through a quantifiable method. This allowed him to see who was worthy of graduating from Class A. Ordinarily he would use private points to have someone transfer to Class A, however the Class Transfer Tickets were just as effective.

"Perhaps you're thinking that establishing an alliance between both years is an overkill, however I held this meeting so that we would avoid butting heads."

Because both the first and third years - not counting Nagumo and his Class A - have the same goal of expelling Ayanokoji and Akabane, it was inevitable that they would clash.

"I see." Said Utomiya. "Are you suggesting that we all form some sort of pact?"

"Class A has no business here. It's the other three that you'll need to discuss this with. I'm just the middle man, and the presider of these proceedings. How you go about this is up to you."

After that, Nagumo took a step back, and gave the podium to his other third year companions. Kiriyama was the first to step forward. He introduced himself as the class representative of Class 3-B, with the other class representatives following with their introductions shortly after. Kiriyama then led the conversation.

"Now, before we begin, may I just ask, is everyone in your year on board with the bounty?"

The representatives of each of the first years, except Hosen, all looked at each other, waiting for a confirmation. They knew that while a large number of students, were on board with it, there were still some that were hesitant. However, after the bounty has been doubled, there were those whose stance on remaining neutral had their stance wavered.

"I think a majority of students from our year are on board with it, but I also don't want to pressure the ones who want no part it in it." Said Takashi.

"I agree with him. If I'm being honest, I also don't want to take part in it, but as my class's representative, I have to respect everyone's wishes and relay whatever is discussed in these meetings." Yagami voiced his hesitance.

Utomiya seemed to share the same sentiment, but Hosen rolled his eyes, an obvious sign that he's going through the bounty. This was also his opportunity for a rematch with Ayanokoji, to which he doesn't want to pass up.

"I understand." Said Kiriyama. "However, since you wish to respect your classmates' wishes, I think it's safe to assume that this meeting will proceed despite your apprehension."

The leaders of Classes 1-A,B,C and see nodded, while Hosen shrugged, not caring.

As they were talking, Nagumo quietly observed. As he watched them, from his peripheral view, he notices the shadow of someone's foot moving between the gap of the door and the floor, concluding that someone was eavesdropping from inside the Chemistry Lab.

"Very well. In that case-"

"Hold it right there, Kiriyama." Before Kiriyama could continue, Nagumo interrupted.

The others turned to look at him. He put a finger in front of his mouth, signaling everyone to keep quiet. The others obliged, but were confused. He then quietly approached the door to the Chemistry Lab. As soon as his hand touched the door handle, he swung it open with full force, almost slamming it.

As everyone entered the room, they noticed it was empty. All windows were closed, which would normally lead them to assume that no one was inside, but they then noticed a drawing on the whiteboard.

"Did someone draw this?" Asked the 3rd year Class D representative.

"Obviously." Nagumo remarked. "However, the question is, when?"

"Did you noticed someone was inside?" Asked Kiriyama.

"Yeah. I saw movement from between the gap of the door and the floor while you were talking. Since we were standing outside, the only way out is through the windows."

They all approached the windows. After inspecting it, Utomiya noticed that one of them was unlocked.

"You're right, senpai. Someone was here. They escaped through this window." He said.

He opened the window, but saw no sign of anyone outside.

"Did they jump down?" Asked Takashi.

"That seems ridiculous." Remarked Kiriyama.

Hosen chuckled. "If they did, they're pretty ballsy."

"They probably walked along the ledge, and entered another room through a window." Said Yagami.

The others looked concerned.

"The ledge is pretty narrow though." Takashi commented.

"Indeed. If they did that, then that meant they would have a great sense of balance." Said the representative for 3rd year Class C.

After analyzing their situation, Nagumo concluded it was pointless catching their eavesdropper.

"Going after them is pointless. They're probably long gone by now."

Class 3-D's representative hung their head low. "This isn't good. Someone knew we were meeting up."

"The question is, 'who?'" Utomiya commented.

As everyone was thinking, Hosen started laughing.

Everyone looked at him confused.

"Hosen-kun, what's so funny?"

"That ya idiots were being careless." Hosen said bluntly.

"You didn't noticed it either, Hosen." Utomiya countered.

"I'm not the one who chose the meeting spot. In case ya forgot, I never wanted to be here in the first place."

Utomiya looked like he wanted to grab Hosen, but Yagami and Takashi held him back.

"Hahaha! Still, I'm kinda glad I came here. I got ta see somethin' interestin'." Said Hosen, amused by their situation.

"That's enough." Nagumo diffused the situation before it could escalate, but, like Hosen, was clearly amused.

Kiriyama sighs. "What's done is done. We'll just have to make sure that whoever this someone is, doesn't get in the way."

Everyone except Hosen and Nagumo slowly nodded. The representative for Class 3-D then looked back to the white board, and voiced their thoughts.

"Do you think that drawing means anything?"

"Perhaps." Said the Class 3-C rep. "Though, I don't know what it could be."

After observing the drawing some more, Utomiya looked like he just had a realization.

"Hey, doesn't that drawing seem familiar to you?"

Nagumo hummed in thought, then replied. "Now that you mentioned it, you're right."

Nagumo approached the white board.

"Wasn't this thing on the news?" Asked Takashi.

"Yeah, but I don't remember it having green stripes." Said Utomiya.

Everyone wondered why the person drew the image on the white board. The drawing was a yellow smiley face with green striped.

"This was the creature that was gonna blow up the Earth, right?" The Class 3-C rep asked.

"Yeah." Nagumo replied. "Which brings up the question: 'What's the significance of this image, and how is it connected to the situation at hand?'"

Everyone was in deep thought, but couldn't come up with an answer. They decided to put it off for now, and relocate to make sure no one would eavesdrop on them again.

As they were doing that, Nagumo was in deep thought. (I wonder... Was it one of those two? If so, how did they know we were, holding a meeting?)

(Part 4)

(Ayanokoji POV)

The days, gone by, and a couple of notable things happened. I got to witness Katsuragi's transfer to Ryuen's Class, and even sold my Trial card in exchange for someone in his class to trade their Half Off card for Kei's free ride card.

With the amount of points I have on me, I probably didn't need to do that, since I could provide the remaining points in the case Kei is ever on the line for expulsion, but I needed to reduce the cost of points as much as possible since I would need more points in the future.

I had an interesting talk with Kanzaki, Yagami, Kiriyama and Kiryuin. Kanzaki's, opinion of me rose quite a bit, but I could also feel some dissatisfaction from him towards his class. I can't say I blame him. Out of everyone from the current Class C, Kanzaki was the one who wanted to graduate from Class A the most. Because of Ichinose's overly good nature, it prevented them from going on the offensive.

As, for Kiriyama and Kiryuin, it was mostly them bantering, and Kiryuin wanting to see more of what I could do. As much as I'd like to protest, I can't pull any punches during this exam. Kiriyama on the other hand pretty much cut all ties with me. It was bound to happen. I get the feeling that he's given up on taking down Nagumo, and now sees me as an enemy thanks to that stunt Karma pulled, but reassures them wanting me expelled wasn't personal.

As for Yagami, he warned me about the current situation with the first years. While I appreciated it, it was troublesome that Kushida was present for our conversation. Despite what Karma did, she may use this as an opportunity to have us expelled still, though the likelihood of that happening may not be so high, due to there being a high risk of her secret being exposed by Karma.

Ishizaki also tried to get me to help him find a teammate for Ibuki. I tried it with Horikita, but to no avail. If those two ever ended up pairing, they might end up killing each other. Still, as weird as it may seem, I can actually see them being friends. Their personalities may clash, but they're a lot more similar than people give them credit for.

The end of the first semester had come much sooner than I had anticipated.

We had to move on to our next objective as soon as possible.

It's been a year since we last left school and headed for the port, where we
boarded a large passenger ship to some unknown deserted island. This time
not even a moment of respite was given, and tomorrow morning, the special
exams would be announced to start.

The students, who were told to gather in
the classroom for a brief explanation, went to their classes, waiting for their
homeroom teacher to show up. Meanwhile, there was a brief checklist on the screen with reminders like, "Is there anything you have forgotten?"

While waiting for the sound of the bell to signify the start, Keisei, who seemed to be once again checking to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, came to my seat with a grim expression on his face.

He aired his grievances to me. For someone like him, and exam like this was pure torture.

As we were chatting, Karma arrived. Keisei noticed, and we both gave him a wave.

"Yo, morning."

"Morning Karma. Are you and Kiyotaka ready?" Keisei asked nervously.

"Yeah. That blondie has the gal to demand a challenge condescendingly, I'd say we knock him down a peg or two."

Keisei laughed, his previously grim mood lifted. "I see. Good luck you two."

Ask we were talking, the rest of the Ayanokoji Group approached our seat.

"Kiyopon, Akane, are you guys ready?"

We both nodded.

"I-I see." Haruka said hesitantly. "I know you don't want us worrying about you, so I'd instead like to make plans for after the exam is over."

"What kind of plans?" I asked.

"I don't know. I was actually hoping we could try something you guys are interested in."

Karma spoke up. "We'll be on a cruise right? In that case, how about fishing?"

"You fish, Karma-kun?" Asked Airi.

"Not the traditional kind."

"Huh?" A confused Akito looked on confusingly.

I then asked for a, clarification. "Just what kind of fishing are you talking about?"

Karma' smirk widened and he was pretty much giving off a devilish aura.

"Top fishing spots for in-season delinquents are in front of convenient stores, gaming arcades, and dinner late at nights. I vote, that after we win, we our favor to use Nagumo-senpai as bait to catch the ones that try to shake him down, and fleece them instead."

The others gaped at the red-head. Even Horikita, Yosuke, and Sudo, and Kei and her group, who were nearby talking, overheard the whole thing and gave off a mortified look.

"U-uh, maybe not do that." Said Haruka. Meanwhile Akito has something else in mind.

"U-uh. Delinquents are seasonal?" He was formerly a delinquent, so probably didn't like the image of him being fleeced.

"Well not many people know that. Sometimes they crowed the alleyways during winter season."

"Why do you know all this?" Asked Keisei nervously.

Karma just shrugged. "Experience."

Everyone sweat-dropped.

"Uh, Akabane-kun." Yosuke spoke up from nearby. "Maybe you could fish like normal?"

Karma pouted. "Aw. Where's the fun in that?"

"Akabane-kun..." Horikita called out to him sternly.

Karma sighs. "Fine. I guess since we're on a cruise ship, we can try a more normal kind of fishing."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, however, I noticed something odd with his phrasing. I decided to ask.

"Karma, what did you mean by 'more normal?'"

"Oh, I just thought we could use Nagumo-senpai as bait for the sharks. I've always wanted to try fishing for one-"

"Karma/Akabane!" Everyone listening screamed in unison.

This attracted the attention of everyone else in the room.

"Please don't do something like this while we're doing the exam." I muttered under my breath.

Just then, Chabashira-sensei entered the room, and everyone went back to their seats.

After doing a final check on all of us, she imparted some words of encouragement for us.

"We'll gather in the court in 10 minutes for a roll call. Remember to go to the bathroom first, if you need to."

With that, she left the classroom.

Horikita then turned to me.

"Ayanokoji-kun, Akabane-kun."

Both of us turned our heads to her.

"I probably don't need to say this, but goodluck."

We nodded. "Thanks."

"Oh, and Ayanokoji-kun."

"What is it?"

"Try and keep Akabane-kun from causing any trouble." She said sternly while glancing at him for a bit, then back to me.

That was the one thing that's beyond my power.

"I can't make any promises." I said dryly.

"Come on guys. Why so little faith in me? ." Said Karma sarcastically.

"Because it's you." Horikita and I said in unison.

He wanted to retort, but held his tongue.

Since there wasn't anything else left to do, we and a couple of our other classmates left for the entrance.

As we made our way there, I reflected on everything that was going on with this exam.

A challenge by Tsukishiro that decides our fate.

A challenge from Nagumo, that became one of the biggest events to look forward to by everyone in this exam.

Us facing off against pretty much the entire school.

The White Room student finally making their move.

A pact formed by the 1st and 3rd years in order for them to reach their goal.

Lastly, the proper return of our little duo. The White Room Masterpiece, and the former other half of the Twin Demons - now trained assassin.

So much on our plate, yet, I'm starting to feel a swell of excitement.

'You must be laughing at my original wish for a peaceful life right now, Matsuo.'

Ey, the final chapter for this volume is done. So obviously, I did not bother writing the whole meeting with other people thing. I mean, you already knew how they played out. I probably could' ve included the whole Kiriyama conversation, but not much changes, other than him declaring his wish to expel Ayanokoji.

I'm gonna have to warn you in advance. My 1st term for uni is starts on Aug 1. I'll try to get out like 2-3 chapters before then, but once lessons start, updates will slow down; probably 1 chapter every 2 weeks or so. Sorry for that in advance, but hey I want my degree.

Don't worry, I have no intention on stopping. This is a nice hobby, and a good distraction. It's weird, because my course is very math heavy, but I have a mind of a journalist/writer lol. Even if I'm not good with either.

Anyway, not much left to go on. The next volume is probably gonna be a bit longer than the others, but hopefully it comes out right.

Thanks again for supporting this story. It feels nice seeing a lot of people enjoying this, and more people discovering this story, and adding it to their list.

Again, thank you. I'll see ya next update.

Vol. 5, Chapter 1 - Island Time

Part 1

(Ayanokoji POV)

July 19th. A sprawling deserted island of everlasting summer. A wide, crystal-clear ocean beneath a high, blue sky.

It was every student's dream to enjoy their summer days on a cruise. Chatting with friends, swimming in the pool/beach, unwinding, nothing could be better.

However, for the students of Advanced Nurturing High School, such a thing is but reality. Right now, we were about to embark on yet another special exam.

For ordinary students, this would be a big opportunity to raise class points. For myself and my partner, Karma, though, this exam would decide our fate in this school.

After listening to Mashima-sensei's explanation of the rules, we were treated to an evening show. I'm guessing this is the school's way of trying to calm everyone's nerves before the whole exam.

All students were in the auditorium, being served food and drinks, while we watched the performance of a pianist playing Fantaisie Impromptu, and other classical music. It was being played by a beautiful, well-endowed, blonde woman in a long, sleeveless, red dress. She was hired by the school as one of the performers for the cruise. Her movements were elegant, captivating everyone in the audience.

I was currently seated with the Ayanokoji Group, listening to a performance, that made every male spellbound. Even Keisei, who never showed any interest in romance can't help but be enamored by her presence. Meanwhile, Karma seemed to have a different expression from everyone else. While he was enjoying the performance, he also seemed to have a knowing look.

I looked around me, and all eyes were on her, like they've been trapped in some sort trance. I too had difficulty taking my eyes of her. Her performance with the piano was great, but there was something else about her that made her so charming. As I thought why that was, I didn't noticed it at first, but my mouth was actually gaped open, to which Karma pointed out.

As soon as he said that, from a nearby table, I could feel a somewhat sinister aura emanating from one of the girls. As I was contemplating on how to explain myself to Kei, the pianist finished her performance.

She got up from her seat, turned to the audience, and gave a bow. The whole room echoed with the sounds of hands clapping, people shouting their praises and demanding an encore. However, to everyone's dismay, she thanked everyone, and walked to the back of the stage.

The show was over.

Everyone was exasperated, meanwhile Karma chuckled, lightly.

"What is it, Karma?" Asked Akito.

"Oh, it's nothing."

Haruka then turned to us. "She was amazing, wasn't she?!"

"She really was." Said Airi in a soft tone.

"Man." Said Keisei. "It's hard to hear you guys with everyone screaming."

"Ahahaha. Well, I can't say I blame them." Said Karma.

Indeed. Anyone would want a repeat of her performance.

With sad news, Tsukishiro came on to the stage, and announced that the show was over.

Part 2

(Karma POV)

8:00 pm. I snuck away from everyone, and stealthily avoided detection. Thanks to Ristu hacking into the ship's system, she was able to hijack the surveillance cameras to make sure I don't get caught. She also provided me with a schematic of the whole ship, so navigating it won't be too difficult.

With that, I descended to the lower levels, avoiding anyone I see. The lower levels were staff only, so there were fewer cameras, and some rooms don't even have them. I entered one of them, and inside awaited the person I was meeting. She was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. She final noticed my presence, and greeted me.

"You're here. About time, Karma." She said jokingly.

"Quite the show, Bitch-sensei."

She chuckled at my compliment. "Oh, why thank you! I like the looks on your schoolmates' faces. They just can't take their eyes off me, can they now?"

I sniggered. "Doesn't really work on me though. After spending an entire year with you, I've grown used to your techniques."

She scowled. "Well duh. I work best when my targets don't expect it. Still, it's not like I'm not ready to adapt. Like Karasuma and the Octopus said, 'The greater the assassin, the broader the skillset.'"

Indeed. Irina Jelavic may seem like a goofball once you get to know her, but she's not one of the top assassins for nothing. Being one of Lovro's top students, her kill count was impressive for someone her age, and her skills made her be sought after a lot by various clients from all over the world. However, after spending a whole year teaching Class E, she moved on to greener pastures, and now works for the Ministry of Defense, where her skillset could be used for good.

"I know. I mean, you did captivate everyone in the room with your charms."

"Ahahaha! Well, I'm glad you liked it, but right now we have more pressing matters to attend to. I didn't infiltrate this school just to babysit again, you know?"

With my words of compliments towards her performance out of the way, we were now getting down to business.

I nodded at her words. "Did Karasuma-sensei and Ritsu briefed you in on everything?"

She crossed her arms. "Yup. You're a big trouble magnet kid."

"Sorry for this, but I'd say this is well in line with the Ministry of Defense's scope, right?"

She nodded. "If what you said to Karasuma about Ayanokoji is true, then this could be one of the biggest political, and human rights scandals in modern history."

"Oh believe me, what I said about Ayanokoji-sensei is far from the full picture. Unfortunately, I cannot say it all without ensuring you of your safety."

"In other words, if we want to get the full picture of what he's up to behind the scenes, we'd need to capture him."

Getting the Ministry of Defense on our side was already difficult enough of itself. It's a miracle that Karasuma-sensei was able to pursued them. It helped that Ritsu was also able to look into some of Ayanokoji-sensei's past cases.

While his records looked clean on paper, there were numerous allegations, none of whom have succeeded in convicting him of any criminal activity. However, because of how many there are, suspicions were bound to arise.

Following Karasuma-sensei's report, they awaited for a signal from me. Once Ritsu relayed my current situation, they sent in Bitch-sensei in order to spy on Tsukishiro, and get incriminating evidence against Ayanokoji-sensei.

Any knowledge about the White Room being leaked to outsiders would only result in those in the know having their lives be put in danger. While I trust Karasuma-sensei's and Bitch-sensei's capabilities, I don't want to burden them more than they should have to endure.

For now, it's better to let them know on their own over the course of the investigation. If we were to have any hope of defeating that man, the key would be Tsukishiro, and the other White Room student. Amasawa-san could also be a key, but right now Kiyo and I have different plans for her.

"I will work on my part to keep any eye out for an opening during the exam. I'll give the signal when the time's right." I told her.

"Mhm. And in the meantime, I'll keep a close eye on Tsukishiro. Since we'll have Ritsu backing us up, she can keep tabs on him in the event I can't. We'll keep in touch through her as well."

She pulled out her phone, and tapped on the pager app. After that, Ritsu appeared.

"Good evening, Bitch-sensei. Lovely performance, by the way." Ritsu said cheerfully.

"Oho, stop it." Bitch-sensei said enthusiastically. "Come on you guys, I won't be able to get any work done you if you keep this up." She said, giggling.

"Come on, Ritsu. Let's not inflate her ego." I told the AI.

Ritsu giggled. "Sorry. Anyway, will things go smoothly? We have quite a lot on our plate."

"Well, Bitch-sensei's infiltration was successful - obvious by her presence here with me. Right now, we just need to keep tabs on Tsukishiro, while I make sure that things on the island tomorrow go smoothly."

For this plan to work, patience and stealth are an absolute must.

"Infiltrating this school wasn't easy you know - is what I would say, but in my case, something like this is child's play."

Ritsu and I nodded in agreement.

"There will be 2 other teachers given the task of monitoring the Acting Director. They don't know your involvement with me though. I would tell them, but that may compromise your infiltration. They'll instead be reporting directly to Kiyotaka and myself on the island once we come in to contact with them. Please be careful in the meantime."

"Hehehe. Piece of cake. As for your case though, I'm assuming you'll be putting on a good show on the island? Ritsu told me that you and your partner are gonna have to take 1st place."

I nodded. "Mm. It'll help you avoid drawing suspicion."

"Of course. Just remember to show them what you demon brats put me through that year."

"Ahahaha! Of course. I'm looking forward to it."

"By the way." She narrows her gaze towards me suspiciously "I knew you were smart, but to be able to work in conjunction with the Ministry of Defense, and even having dirt on Ayanokoji. Seriously kid, who are you?"

I closed my eyes and hummed in silence, my smile faded. After thinking of a response, I opened my eyes again and looked at her intently.

"Now's not the time. You'll know once we bring that bastard down."

Bitch noticed the shift in my mood, and the swelling of my bloodlust. Although she didn't get the answer she originally wanted, she at least got the hint that there was more to this case than she and the ministry originally thought. For a teenager such as myself to have so much dirt on a powerful figure, and deadset on bringing them down, they knew that we have history.

Not wanting to worsen the mood, she changed the topic to how my school life is going. Slowly, I let myself be at ease, and decided to catch up on my former teacher.

Part 3

(Ayanokoji POV)

July 20, the day of the exam.

From the ship's deck, I can see the island drawing closer. It was nearly time for the uninhabited island exam.

As I lamented on the event that led up to this moment, Yosuke joined me on the deck.

"Mashima-sensei said that this island is larger than the last one."

"Larger" was probably an understatement. Considering the whole school would be participating instead of just a single grade level, they'd need to use an island that could run an exam for over 400 students.

As we made small talk, I noticed the uneasiness in his voice. His hands were clenching onto the deck's railings. If you exclude mine and Karma's unique position, this exam could be a game changer for everyone. Classes could rise or fall, lose students. So many possibilities. For someone like Yosuke, who yearns for peace, that would be anything but desirable.

It wouldn't be strange if he had been subconsciously bottling up his strength inside himself as a result.

"Have you resolved yourself, Yosuke?"

As danger encroached upon the tranquility and peace that he strove to protect, I chose to pose him a question, my tone strong and serious.

Although he felt anxious, he fixed his gaze on my own, and nodded his head a single time.

"I'll put forth every effort so I have no regrets. That's the only thing I can do for the class."

It's not like he wanted someone to get expelled. Far from it. It's just that there was simply no way that our class could avoid casualties this time.

"What about you?" He asked me in return.

He wasn't asking me whether I'd be fine this exam. He knows there was more to me than I let on. He was asking if Karma and I will be able able to defeat Nagumo.

"It's been a while since Karma and I last partnered up. Even with the last exam, we never got to function as a proper pair. This time, however, it's going to be a blast from the past for the both of us."

Yosuke kept his gaze on mine, but his expression was now lighter, like a weight had been lifted of his chest. He was probably anxious about our battle with Nagumo, but my words reassured him that we won't be beaten quite easily.

"Seems you two have a lot of faith in each other."

"As annoying as he is, he comes through when the situation calls for it."

True enough, even back then, while competing against each other was something we liked, when we do pair up, we were near-perfectly in sync. My only real problem now is making sure he stays away from my tent. I don't want sand being shoved in my nose and ears, or whatever shenanigan he has in mind.

"I see. I'm glad. I feel like with the two of you, you'll really give Nagumo-senpai a run for his money."

"Don't expect too much though. You might end up disappointing yourself from setting the bar too high. Just focus on your part, and we'll focus on ours."

He nodded.

"Where is he, anyway?"

"In our room. Probably still sleeping. I'll need to wake him up before we arrive on the island."

Yosuke let out a nervous laughter. "Will you be okay? I don't mean about the competition. I mean with you pairing with Akabane-kun."

No.

"I'll be fine." I couldn't be honest.

"Practicality-wise, we compliment each other pretty well. Personality-wise..." I trailed off. Although I'm no saint, I still want no part in any of his shenanigans unless there was any benefit to it.

"W-well I'm sure you'll be able to handle it. It's you after all."

I paused for a moment before replying. "Some things... are beyond my control."

He chuckled. "Well... it will be interesting to see how to you do in this exam."

I nodded. Despite the odds being stacked against us, I can't help but feel a swell of excitement. Before I could say anything, an announcement came through that instructed everyone to be ready, as the ship was about to dock on the island in about 10 minutes.

I turned to Yosuke, and said. "Guess I better go wake up my partner."

He nodded, but I noticed that he looked like he wanted to say something.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Oh uh, it's just a request." He said sheepishly.

"After this exam, wanna hang out with me or something?"

That was it?

"You could've asked this of me any time. What brought this on?"

"Well we never got the chance to hang out unless it was over something important. I want to get this exam out of the way so that there's stress involved."

"Why not?" I accepted his invitation wholeheartedly. "Do you have something in mind?"

"Ahahaha. Admittedly, no, but they said an unplanned outing makes for some of the best memories. I'd say we just wing it after some food, and see where the wind takes us from there."

I did hear about that from Haruka and the others. Sometimes our hangout are so spontaneous, we jump from one thing to another in a matter of minutes.

"Alright then. I'll hold you to that." I replied.

With that, we bid each other farewell, and I set off to wake up my partner.

When I arrived in our cabin, it was just him. He was still unconscious, and mumbling something in his sleep.

" Nagisa, if you're gonna cut it off, Yuji might come back and spend more money." He then snored loudly.

I just paused, and stared at him, perplexed. This is the first time I've ever witnessed someone sleep talking. What the hell is he dreaming about?

Not wanting to waste any time, I covered his face with a pillow, preventing him from breathing.

After a few seconds he started struggling for air. He jolted awake. I then let go of the pillow, and he grabbed it off his face. He sat up and gave me death glare, and a murderous smile.

"Why did you do that?"

"I needed to wake you up. We'll be docking soon."

"You could've woken me up like a normal person."

I decided to take a page out of his book.

I shrugged. "Where's the fun in that?"

He was gritting his teeth, and his face twitched. I hastily left the room as he grabbed, what looked to be, a butter knife. I'm guessing he stole it from the restaurant we just ate at.

Part 4

8:30 AM, we finally arrived at the island. I stood with my class on the main deck as the ship slowly started to dock. As it did, I recalled the rules of the exam, and summarized it the best way I can.

--

Basic Movement Rule

--

Early Bird

-The first three groups to arrive to their designated area earns bonus point: 10 points for the first group, 5 points for the second group, and 3 points for the third group.

-Early Bird bonus will only be awarded if the all members of the group arrive.

-Being in the area once it's designated to you won't give early bird points.

Arrival Bonus

-Arriving at a designated area gives the individual with 1 pt.

Designated Areas

-Designated Areas change three times a day on the 1st and last days. On the days in between, they change four times a day.

- Three out of four times a day, the next designated area will be within two cells laterally or one cell diagonally of the previously designated area.

- Randomized designation can happen more than once, but never in a row.

-Targeted Intervals: 7:00 am - 9:00 am; and 9:00 am - 11:00 am. 2 Hour Break. 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm; and 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm

-Failure to reach a designated area three times in a row will result in a one point penalty. If done four times in a row, the group incurs 2 points. So on and so forth. If the chain is broken, the penalty counter resets to 0.

-As long as one member makes it in time, no penalties will be given.

--

Watch and Health

-

--

- The watches monitor a student's condition. It sets of an alarm everytime it detects any abnormalities.

- The third time it goes off, it is considered an emergency. The student is then required to undergo a 24 hour medical check up at the starting area.

-Disregarding the emergency or failure to show up in time would result in penalties, such as retirement.

-Swap out broken watches for a new one. While there are no penalties for not procuring a new, functional watch, no points will be given without one.

-Each watch is pre-programmed with one of 12 different tabled. Every member in a group is assigned the same table. Large groups, or newly formed groups will have their re-assigned to the main group.

--

Tasks

--

- Tasks may appear at any time from 7am to 5pm. (On the 1st and day, they'll start appearing at 10:00 AM, and by the final day, they'll stop appearing by 3:00pm.)

- Tasks are split into three categories: 40% Academic Ability, 30% Physical Ability, 30% others.

- Task appearance is unpredictable.

--

Because Karma and I already looked through the rules beforehand, thanks to Ritsu, the explanation by Mashima-sensei was merely a recall on our part.

Prior to our arrival on the island, we were each given 5k points to spend on whatever we like for the exam. It's wiser to spend points here on the ship, since purchasing items on the island would cost double the amount.

Those with the "Head Start" card are given an additional 2,500 points, so they start of with 7,500 points in total. Since Karma has the Head Start card, he of course started off with that amount. We both agreed to split costs evenly, since we were on the same team. In total, we have 12, 500 points as our base amount.

For our purchases, we both bought 4 Liters of water each, and 2 single person tents for each of us. A 2 liter water costs 250 points, and a single person tent costs 1,000 points. All in all, we spent 2,500 points on those alone.

In addition, Karma suggested we buy some food an other ingredients for him to cook. Since he had been cooking for longer than I, he knows his way around the kitchen more than I do, so he's in charge of food. I tried out his cooking before. He's actually pretty good, though he likes to make them spicy at times. For this exam, he wants to make sure that they were not only edible, but also taste good.

Aside from food, water and tents, we also bought a flashlight for each of us, a portable battery charger each, a pot, a lighter, a few utensils, a set of paper cups and plates, 2 walkie-talkies, and extra set of batteries.

By the end of our expenditure, we were left with 1,210 points. Karma having the Head Start card on him gave us more leeway to make more purchases, and since he has more experience in the outside world than I do, he was smarter with purchases. Still, we had to keep playing safe. By my calculations, we should have a little over a week's worth of food.

We could save up more by choosing to keep in touch through Ritsu, but we wanted to avoid drawing any suspicions. It was also much more convenient to communicate through a walkie-talkie, since there was less delay than having Ritsu act as the middle man delivering our messages back and forth.

Aside from the necessities, we also planned on purchasing two more item down the line. When we were strategizing in his room, we also made the decision to hold off on making too many purchases, and focus our budget on getting those two particular items. However, they were only available during the exam, so they couldn't be purchased prior to that. That's understandable as one of them might cause a safety hazard.

Once the ship docked, the first years were the first to disembark on the island, in the order of Class A, B, C, and D. While this gave them an advantage, this was only for the start of the exam.

The total difference would only be an initial 15 to 30 minutes or so, but factoring in our limited travel time, it would still be a fairly sizeable setback.

"Depending on how long this takes, we may have to give up on Early Bird for the first round." Karma spoke up beside me.

It was reasonable for him to think that, but getting an early bird wouldn't necessarily be impossible.

"Perhaps not."

"Hm?" He turned his head towards me.

"We could make up for the time delay with speed."

He seemed surprised. He probably didn't expect me to say that, since I didn't like showing off my abilities. However, considering a lot of people already knew of my running speed, that was one of the things I don't mind showing off.

"Are you sure you're feeling fine? Your watch hasn't broken and failed to detect any abnormalities in your condition, has it?" He said sarcastically.

"We can't waste even a single moment to spare now, can we?" I argued.

"Mm. Fair point."

As we were talking, Horikita approached us from behind, and greeted us.

We both greeted back, and made some small talk. As we were talking, the clock struck 9:00 am, and with it, our watches sounded off the first alert of the exam. Everyone, in unison, pulled out their tablets and began to check the details, us included.

Our first designated area was D7. Just two cells north of the starting area. Horikita lets us know that her designated area is F9.

"Looks like we'll be traveling separately." She said.

"At least you're traveling alone." I replied.

Karma raised an eyebrow. "Aw, what's wrong with traveling with me?"

"A lot."

"Says the person who nearly suffocated me in my sleep." He retorted.

"It was an effective way of waking you up."

He clicked his tongue, and sent me a glare.

Before long, the 1st years were asked to depart first. Class 1-A were the first to get off the ship, followed by Class 1-B, C, and finally D. Once all of them step foot on the island, each of them then headed for their first designated area.

"They don't seem to be in a hurry to get Early Bird." Horikita commented.

Karma answered her. "They're probably trying to conserve stamina. Wouldn't want to get too exhausted this early in the game now, would we?"

"I suppose you're right."

Wasting energy this early on would only do more harm than good. Since it's only the first day, let alone the first designated area, it was best to take it slow and steady.

As soon as the last of the first years departed, it was now time for the 2nd years. Naturally, Class 2-A was the first to disembark. I can see Sakayanagi being helped by one the staff. Since she has to walk with a cane, it would be difficult for her to move around.

Once Class A was all off the ship, and heading for their designated areas, Class B followed suit, followed by Class C, and lastly us, Class D.

Once we were on the ground, we checked our surrounding area. With nothing left to do, we bid Horikita goodbye, and headed north for D7.

Part 5

Since this was still part of the early stages of the exam, there was no need to expend too much energy, which was fine for us since we didn't want to deplete our stamina so quickly. As important as it was to get Early Bird, it was also important to know when to pick your battles. An example would be now. Since the first years had a head start, trying to beat them to the destination would not be ideal. Better to go for arrival points instead.

As we trudged our way through the forest for nearly 30 minutes, at D8 we spotted Akito, Airi, and Haruka, who were all in the same small group. They were ahead of us, but we were able to catch up to them in no time thanks to the difference in stamina. While Akito has excellent motor drives and was pretty athletic, both Haruka and especially Airi were far from it.

As we called out to them from behind, they waved back and greeted us.

"Hey you guys. Are you headed for D7 as well?" Asked Akito.

"Yeah. Seems like it." Karma replied.

"Kiyopon, Akane, you guys wanna tag along with us, since we're all headed for the same direction?"

Since the first years got a head start, and tasks don't appear until 10:00 am, there was no need to rush.

"I don't see why not." I said.

As we were walking for another 20 minutes, we made small talk. While doing that, I noticed Airi had been panting for quite a while now. In terms of physical ability, she was far from athletic, which could slow their entire group down by a lot.

Seeing her current state, Karma asked. "Are you okay there, Airi?"

"U-uh, yeah."

"Are you sure Airi?" Haruka asked worriedly.

"We could take a break if you want." Akito added.

Airi shook her head, still panting. "N-no. We're almost there anyway. I don't want to drag us down just for that."

"You won't be in good shape if you continue on like this." I said.

"Kiyo's right." Said Karma. "If you're not careful, these two would only be dragged down with you."

Airi frowned after hearing his words. Haruka turns to Karma, upset that he would say such things. "Akane, that's not nice."

Karma sighs. "Look, I'm not saying that she's a liability. I'm saying she will be one of she's not careful. Right now, we have nothing to lose from not being able to make it to our designated area asap. Remember, this is still our first designated spot, on the first day, and the 1st years got a head start."

Karma was right, which is exactly why we didn't bother to go for early bird this time.

"Just take it easy for now, and don't overwork yourself. If you retire because you suddenly got sick, injured, or collapse from exhaustion, it would only harm these two, and not just yourself. You can work on what to do after you get to the designated area. We still have a little over 3 hours until the next one anyway."

The others let those words sink in. If they were to make it through this exam, it was important that they keep in mind their stamina and resources. While winning was important to raise more of our class points, not being expelled was just as important. Currently, their combined overall ability was not great, so their focus right now should be making sure they don't fall into the bottom 10.

Akito then stops in his tracks and turns to the others. "Come on, Airi. We can take a 15 minute break here." As long as we get arrival points, that should be fine. Right, Haruka?"

Haruka nodded. "Mhm. We can worry about tasks once we get there. Like Akane said, we still have a few more hours."

Airi reluctantly agreed, and sat down. Haruka sat down next to her, while Akito took out some water, and split it evenly between them. He then turned to us.

"Do you guys want some?"

Karma and I shook our heads. "No thanks. We have plenty."

"Yeah, and I'm used to not drinking for extensive periods of time."

"Really, Karma?" Akito asked, puzzled.

Karma shrugged. "Climbing a mountain daily can do that to you."

"A mountain? Daily?" Questioned Haruka.

Karma chuckled. "Oh, it's nothing. Anyway as much as we'd like to stick around, I think we'd better go on ahead. Kiyo?" He turned to me, awaiting for a confirmation.

I nodded. "Yeah. We'll see you later. Take care."

"Oh, okay then." Haruka said.

"See you guys, and good luck." All three of them said in unison.

As we bid them farewell, we continued walking north. As we were walking, we could feel the presence of someone following us. We turned around, and saw Kiryuin tailing us from behind. As soon as our eyes met, she gave us a wave.

"Yow! Wait up!"

We waited for her to reach us.

"Good morning, Kiryuin-senpai." I greeted her.

"Morning Fuka. This is one freaky coincidence, huh? Where's your group?"

She giggles. "Morning. I'm solo. What's your designated area by any chance?"

With an A on both academic ability and physical ability, she being in a group was probably unnecessary for her, and judging from her previous interaction with Kiriyama at the mall, not many were probably willing to team with her, since she wasn't a team player.

Seeing as how there was no harm in telling her, I responded. "D7."

She smirks. "Nice. My designated area is D7 as well." She took out her tablet and showed it to us.

"Seems we'll be going the same direction then." says Karma.

"Indeed. Mind if I accompany you guys?"

"Are you sure?" I asked, cautious in case she tries something.

"Oh, if you're worried about me conspiring against you to get... well, you know, then you're gravely mistaken."

Karma has told me about what Kiryuin said to him. From what she's telling us right now, she doesn't seem to be lying.

"Even if you're not aiming for it, won't you be in trouble with Nagumo if you're seen with us?"

She snorts and rolls her eyes. "Nagumo doesn't control me. I can take him on if I want to. Sadly, he just doesn't entertain me anymore like he used to."

Karma sniggers at her words. "I guess we'll just have to take your word for it then, but don't blame us if you get in trouble with the students from your year."

Kiryuin waves her hand at his concern. "Oh, don't worry about it. If they were capable of getting rid of me, they would have done it a long time ago."

True enough, looking at the OAA, Kiryuin's stats were well above others. Amongst the 3rd years, only very few can match her, one of them being Nagumo.

"Alright then Fuka, glad to have you on board."

"Thank you. Now then, shall we get going? Or are you two not concerned with getting Early Bird?"

"Not at all." I answered her question. "In this stage, just getting arrival points would suffice, since the 1st years got a head start."

"Guess I'm right. Well then, shall we?"

We both nodded, and continued walking towards D7. On the way, Kiryuin asked Karma to tell more stories about his time in his previous school. Some of them were rather amusing.

"Ahahaha! Seriously? Your teacher tried to play match-making with you all?"

"He was pretty annoying. He said it was a test of courage, but he didn't really do a good job hiding his ulterior motive. I mean the guy set up twister in the middle of the cave."

Match-making? Maybe this was a good chance to learn about other things to do on dates. Last time, Kei and I were enjoying the view of the ocean from the cruise's deck. Twister, huh? I might need to look in to that when we get back.

Karma then continued on telling more stories, while mentally taking notes whenever some form of romance was being said for future reference.

"And he was like: "Akabane, you're the most annoying and insufferable person I've ever met." and then I said: "Aw thank you, Asano-chan. That really warms my heart." And then when he took a bite off his sandwich, he immediately spat it out after he noticed that I replaced the mayonnaise with wasabi."

Kiryuin laughed in amusement. Seems both of them found some common ground: Finding amusement in the suffering of Karma's middle school rival.

"That guy really can't catch a break, huh?"

Karma shrugs. "Meh. He's too uptight. I'm just doing him a favor by having him loosen up a bit."

"By what? Making his life a living hell?" Kiryuin snorted.

"Exactly! He's been high and mighty for far too long. He needs to realize that the world is unfair."

"Ahahaha! You are evil."

Karma grinned. "Thanks. I've had a long life experience for it."

Apparently tormenting people for years counts as a good life experience.

Part 6

After a couple more minutes of walking, we arrived at D7, where a couple of first years were settling down for a break. By the time we arrived, it was already 9:40. Since we were able to make it, our watches wrang, indicating that we received the arrival bonus. That gives us 1 point each.

"So what now?" Asked Kiryuin.

Karma turned to her and responded. "Well tasks don't appear for another twenty minutes, so I'd say we just take a break for now."

I nodded in agreement. "By the way, senpai, where are the other third years?"

She just shrugged. "Eh. They're probably just really slow. I actually outpaced a bunch of Class A from my year before running in to you guys."

This proves that she's a lot more fit than most students from her year.

"How about we settle down over there for the time being?" Karma pointed to a spot beneath a tree, where it was shaded from the sun's rays.

"Alrighty then." Kiryuin agreed, and I too followed suit.

As we sat down, both of them continued with their conversation, all the while I remained vigilant. Soon after, more of the third and second years show up, and once the clock hit 10 am, our tablets gave out an alert - the first set of tasks have now appeared.

I took out my tablet, and Kiryuin did so as well. We didn't have any problems with her accompanying us this far, however, seeing as how this was now the competitive part of the exam, I asked her to give us some privacy, as we didn't want her knowing our plans.

"That's fine. I already know which tasks I should go for anyway. Even if I knew yours, I won't change my mind."

While I was grateful for that, I still couldn't take any risks.

"Anyway," She got up and dusted some of the dirt and dust off her butt. "since you guys need some privacy to talk things over, I'll be off then. It was nice chatting with you two. Tada~"

She waved us goodbye.

"See ya!" Said Karma, and I waved her a good bye as well. He then turned to me, and looked at the tablet in my hand.

"Now then, what tasks are there?"

I showed it to him, and from the screen, we could see 3 tasks nearby. Two of those tasks are Grip strength at C6, and a Written Test at E7. The third task that was nearby was a swimming event at D5, however we both decided to not partake in that. The reason being it was far too early, and it would consume too much stamina.

Prior to the exam, Karma and I agreed that we should focus on one area for each of us. Karma for academic ability based events, and me for physical ability based events. The last exam showed an extent of my physical ability, so performing events that fall on that area shouldn't be a problem, as long as they weren't sports.

Since only Karma, Sakayanagi, and to some extent, Horikita, and Kei are aware the true extent of my academic chops, it would be unwise if I were to suddenly get perfect scores in all the tests. The only exemption to this would be math. Since I got a perfect score on that one math test, there was no reason to not participate in any events involving that subject. The only times we'll participate together is if an event requires a teammate or teammates.

We both agreed that I would take up the Grip strength, and that he would take up the knowledge-type test. However, a problem soon arose.

Part 7

As soon as we were getting ready to leave, we noticed that a couple of third years were also getting ready to disembark at the same time we were. To confirm our suspicions, Karma and I walked straight north for a bit, which is the direction of the swimming event. However, our true destination was the very center of D7. From the corner of my eye, I can see that one of the third years pulled out a walkie-talkie.

Karma hummed at this. "Seems they're not wasting any time at all." He said in a low tone, so that only I could hear.

"Yeah. It's just as we predicted. Nagumo's having the 3rd years keep tabs on us."

"And by the time we make a move, they swoop in to intercept. Just great." He said sarcastically.

With Nagumo's influence, and his desire to turn this school into a true meritocracy, the third years would willingly follow his plan, in order for them to graduate from Class A. If he plans to restrict our movements by having the third years make it to the events first, and blocking our path, then it would prove to be an effective strategy.

Would.

Karma casts a glance at me and spoke up. "Shall we?"

I knew what he meant. We checked to see if they were still following us. They were.

I nodded to him as confirmation.

As soon as we made it to the very center of D7, we stopped in our tracks. The third years saw this. Some slowed their pace, while some hastened. As soon as most of them were at the middle, or close to it, Karma and I bolted away from each other, splitting up to get to the other two events. The people around us were surprised by the speed at which we ran. Some tried to chase after us, but it was no use. We continued running, until I could no longer see him from behind me.

I spotted some third years ahead of me, and they immediately tried blocking my path.

"Hold it right there!" One of them shouted.

However, I wasn't one to adhere to their warning. As soon as I closed the distance, I jumped over their heads, and landed on a tree branch right next to them. I then used that to jump upwards, until I was high enough they couldn't do anything to stop me. I jumped from tree to tree, parkouring my way through the forest, all the while I could hear some screams coming from the people below me.

After some time, I arrived at C6. Once I landed, I bolted for the event. Luckily, there were three slots left, and I was able to take one right on time.

"Yo! Ayanokoji!" I turned around, and saw Sudo approaching me. He was accompanied by his groupmates: Ike, and Hondo. "Are you joining the event as well?"

"I just took up the last slot."

"Well, good thing you made it. The event's gonna start in 5 minutes. Is Akabane with you?"

I shook my head. "No. He's partaking in another event near our first designated area."

He looked surprised. "Wait, you're not gonna participate in the same events together?"

"No. We decided this was more efficient."

"Splitting up to take on different events, huh? Man. You two sure are confident."

He then swung an arm around me.

"Well, it's not like you guys don't have what it takes. I mean, Nagumo-senpai did ended up challenging you two. He too recognized how amazing you guys are."

"Uh, thanks, but I'm only really good with numbers, and physical activity."

"Hahaha. Maybe. Though I wouldn't be surprised if you were packing more than what you show."

As Sudo matured, his intuition grew. After seeing some of my accomplishments for the past few months, an excuse like this wouldn't work on him, or at the very least, it wouldn't be as effective. He also knows I have a good deductive reasoning and like to play dumb, since I was able to deduce Hosen's plan in stabbing himself with a knife in order to paint me as the perpetrator, and having me expelled. Just like with Horikita, making excuses around him would be a waste of time.

"Believe what you will I guess." I told him.

As we were talking, I noticed that Ike was quieter than usual. Curiously, I asked Sudo about it.

"Is Ike okay?"

"Oh, uh... well... how do I put it?" He rubbed his chin, thinking of a response. "Ever since Shinohara teamed up with Komiya, Kanji's been pretty out of it. We're pretty worried."

I could see Hondo making jokes trying to cheer Ike up, but to no avail. Although he laughed, it felt forced. He probably didn't want Hondo to feel too bad.

Ike's experience in camping is instrumental for an exam like this. If he doesn't pull himself together, he won't be able to utilize his full potential. Although Sudo is athletic, and above average in academics, he can't go on while Ike keeps sulking, and Hondo tries to cheer him up.

"Will you be fine?" I asked Sudo.

"Oh, yeah. Kanji will get over it."

"It must be rough. Having to go on with the whole exam like this."

Sudo looks down. "Well, it's not like I can just leave these guys behind."

"At least he's not slowing down your guys's pacing. Right?"

He nodded once. "Yeah. He's actually keeping up pretty alright. This'll all come to pass. I'm sure of it."

Love is a complicated thing. On one hand, it empowers a person to strive higher. On the other, it can mentally, and emotionally destroy them. For Ike's case, it's the latter. As unfortunate as it is, only he can get over this. No matter how much his friends help him out, if he's unwilling to move forward and stop being dead weight, he'll only be a detriment.

As Sudo and I were talking, they announced the start of the event. The teacher asked for all participants to line up. One by one, we measured our grip using the tool provided to us, and the instructor wrote down our results. I knew Sudo's grip strength was 80.2 kgs from last year's Sport's Festival. I decided to score just a little over that.

As soon as it was my turn, I took the measuring tool, and gripped it lightly. As soon as it reached 40kgs, I gradually strengthened my grip, and watched as the numbers rise. 50kgs, 67kgs, 74kgs, until I stopped it at 85.2kgs. As soon as the instructor wrote down my result, he went over the results, and announced the top three.

Sudo got 2nd place, with a grip strength of 82.8kgs, which was slightly higher than the last time. It seems that his continued workout routine helped maintain, and improved his physique.

In the end, I got first place, which surprised a lot of students from my year. Although they knew I was physically fit after seeing my performance in the last exam, it still surprised them that I outranked Sudo of all people.

The prize for winning was: 1st place got 10 points, 2nd place got 7 points, and 3rd place got 5 points.

Sudo approached me, and congratulated me for the win.

"Man. I've always been curious as to how strong you are ever since... well... you know."

By that, he means that incident with Hosen.

He then took me aside. Once we were out of earshot from everyone else, he asked, in a quieter tone just in case.

"I've seen you in action twice already. Mind if I ask?"

I already knew where this was going. "Go ahead."

"Just how much were you holding back? Don't worry, I won't say a word about this to anyone."

I would've assumed that he would've gotten mad or jealous at me for holding back and not revealing my real strength, however he knew I didn't like drawing attention. Even though I was getting attention from beating him, it would be even more bothersome if I completely eclipsed him by a lot.

"What makes you think I was holding back?"

Even though I knew this wouldn't work on him, I at least tried to mess with him a bit.

"You're kidding right? You didn't even look like you were struggling back there. You even knew what my grip strength was from last year. You can't lie to me. I know you were holding back to avoid a lot of trouble."

There was no hint of aggression in his tone. He was simply curious to know. However, even I didn't know the answer to this.

"I don't know. Truth be told, I have been thinking about it for a while, but I've never gotten around to actually finding it out for myself. I just don't have it in me to go check."

He hummed at me for a bit, then replied. "Well, I guess I'm not getting any answers from you no matter how much I tried. Oh well. I think I can make a guess just from seeing how you conducted the test."

For someone like him, who trained regularly, it wasn't improbable for him to assess a person's physical strength based on his observation.

After saying a few more words, Karma's voice came through the walkie-talkie.

"Earth to Kiyotaka. Are you there?"

I took it out of my pocket, and responded. "I'm here. Did you need anything?"

"I'm just letting you know that I just finished the written test. I got us 10 points."

"What a coincidence, so did I. What kind of test did you take anyway?"

"Actually it wasn't so bad. Well, it would've been if Sotomura-kun were able to participate. Guess it was my lucky day."

The Professor? What kind of test was it that made Karma be wary of the Professor? I thought to myself.

Part 8

(Karma POV)

These third years just don't know when to give up, huh?

I've been jumping from tree to tree on the way to the written exam event. I wasn't even going that fast. Even though these third years were struggling to keep up, they were insistent on getting there before me.

"What's up with this guy?!"

"He's too fast!"

"And how's he travelling like that?"

I could hear some of them complaining. Do they really have the right to complain though? It's their fault for choosing to do this in the first place. It was amusing to seem them struggle, so I decided to slow my pace for a bit and taunt them verbally.

"Hey, I'm not the one obsessed with chasing after a kohai. Mind your own business!"

"Like hell!" One of them yelled out.

I can hear various insults thrown at me, but I didn't care. Not wanting to waste anymore time, I decided to pick up the pace after giving them some parting words.

"If you wish to defeat me, train for a million years!"

With that, sped up, letting them eat my dust. As soon as I arrived at the task sight, I immediately signed up. It was a themed test, and I was the last to sign up.

After I signed up, Sotomura-kun and his group came up from behind me.

"Wait!" They came up running, panting from exhaustion. "Can we still enter?"

The instructor shook his head. "I'm sorry, but all slots have just been filled out."

They let out a groan of despair. I imagine that they were struggling their way through the forest, hoping to secure the last slots. Sadly for them, I was the one who took it. I looked over their group, and saw that they were beyond exhausted.

"You guys might want to sit down. It would be troublesome if you passed out from exhaustion." I told them.

Once they noticed my presence, they looked surprised. This was rather awkward, since I never really had a proper conversation with any of them. Well, outside Sotomura-kun, whom I've spoken to a few times during our training for the Line of Fire exam, but even then, it was all strictly business.

"O-oh, uh, hi Akabane-kun." Said Sotomura, still panting.

"I hope you have plenty of water."

"Oh, yeah. We do." Said Miyamoto-kun He then took out some water, and all three of them shared some of it, and saved the rest for later.

"Did all three of you ran here?" I asked them, curiously.

"HA! What gave it away?" Said Okitani-kun, panting.

"Dunno. Maybe the fact that you're all sweaty, and struggling to catch your breath." I said jokingly.

"You look fine though."

I shrugged. "Meh. Karasuma-sensei's training was pretty intense. I'm used to it."

All three of them looked at each other with a hint of uneasiness. I guess my mention of my former teacher jogged their memory of my nice little duel with Koenji.

"Anyway, you three should probably sit down over there. It's pretty shaded, and no one's occupying it." I pointed to a nearby spot where the ground was shaded by a tree from the ground where it stood.

"Oh, uh, thanks." Said Okitani-kun sheepishly.

As they sat down, Sotomura-kun asked me a question.

"Oh, by the way, what kind of test is this?"

"No idea. It's a themed test, but they still haven't revealed what the theme is. They're still getting ready."

"Oh."

As if on cue, the proctor called for our attention, and instructed us to take out our tablets, as that's where we'll be answering the exam.

"Now, as all of you may know, events are split into three categories: Academic Ability, Physical Ability, and Other. You're probably thinking that this test would involve Academic Ability, but actually, this is one of the events that falls in to the "Other" category."

Everyone whispered amongst themselves in confusion. I wonder where this will go.

"As I've said before, this test has a theme, and out theme for today is... Anime."

"Anime?" Everyone yelled out in unison.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Sotomura-kun making a dramatic gesture as he yelled out a "NO!", which caught the attention of everyone.

After being told off by the instructor, he and his group apologized.

"There are twenty items. Some are multiple choice, some require you to write out the answer, etcetera, etcetera. Now, once I give the go signal, you will have 20 minutes to answer the test. Once you're done, you may hit the submit button at the bottom. If you finish ahead of time, please do not leave the site, and don't interrupt the ones still taking the test. You will be called again once 20 minutes are up. Whoever gets the highest score gets 10 points. There will be no points given to anyone else coming after that."

Well this was surprising. I didn't think the school would actually use anime in some form of exam. Although I've seen a handful of anime, contrary to popular belief, I'm not actually a weeb. A couple of my Class E classmates thought I was a hardcore one though, which is part of the reason as to why Hazama-san gave me the code name 'Halfway Chuunibyou'.

I only really watch the ones I'm interested in, and a lot of them are mainstream too. If someone like Sotomura, or even Fuwa were to take this exam, I have no doubt in my mind that they would take first place.

However, I can hear some exasperated sound coming around me. Seems everyone was on the "I Don't Watch Anime Boat" and were not lookin forward to this one bit. Neither am I. This exam better not include anything like "Who's the best girl" of this and that or whatever. Each of us were then sent the test on our tablets. As soon as the instructor gave the go signal, the timer started, and we each opened the test.

1. How many times did Subaru Natsuki died in the Re:Zero anime?

"..."

I strangely happened to know this one. I chose the option of '17'.

On the side note, there was something about the scene where White Rabbits gnawing away at Subaru, that was oddly engrossing. I remember Hazama-san and Fuwa replaying that scene to Korosensei over and over in an attempt to kill him by giving him a heart attack. It obviously didn't work, but good attempt. The poor guy ended up avoiding snowy areas, and even rabbits for a time after that.

As I continued answering the test, it seems that I either underestimated my knowledge in this culture, or the school picked out a bunch of main stream, an/or popular anime for this exam, which was fair.

Guess they were also catering to non-veterans as well. How generous of them. There was one I got frustrated over though.

'What is the longest running anime?'

There were no options either. This feels like a trick question. Ordinarily one would pick One Piece, but I decided against it for two reasons. One, it felt like a too obvious answer, and two, because at one point Fuwa said that it wasn't even close to being the longest running anime. Since she a huge fan of the series, I trusted her words. However, because I genuinely have no idea what it was, I decided to leave it blank.

I now reached the last question. Or should I say, the last question, which was worth three points.

'Name three characters that were voiced by Miyano Mamoru.'

Miyano Mamoru, huh? A pretty popular voice actor, who's played a lot of iconic characters. I then decided to list down the three at the top of my head: Death The Kid, Yagami Light, and Dazai Osamu.

The more I played their voices in my head, the more I realized how similar they sound to Asano. It's kinda creepy if you ask me. He's already pretty annoying. I don't want to imagine him having the same voice as those three icons.

The more that I think about it, I kinda wish that Asano has Kid's OCD. If that happened, I would have even more ways to torment him. Moving the pictures in the student council room by 2 cms, rotate the tables and chairs slightly, misarranging the items on the bookshelves, oh just so many possibilities.

As soon as I was done, I submitted my work, and waited. As soon as 20 minutes were up, the scores were announced. Surprisingly, I took first place, with a total score of 18. I already knew which ones I got wrong. Because I got first place, I earned myself and Kiyo 10 points. I checked our counter, and it seems that he also got us 10 points, which brought up our total to 22 points.

Seeing that I was done, Sotomura-kun looked like he wanted to call me over, but hesitated, probably afraid that I might do something. I'm not really in the mood for mischief. I reserved it for later. For now, I decided to join them.

"Hey." I greeted. "You looked like you wanted to talk or something."

"Oh, uh yeah." Said Sotomura-kun nervously.

"Well, go on."

"About the exam," He said with some hint of hesitation. "you got first place. How was it?"

I looked at my tablet for a bit, wondering what was the best way to do this. Since there was really no harm showing it to him since the test was over, I decided to show him.

"See for yourself." I offered him my tablet.

They hesitated for a bit. "Are you sure?" Asked Miyamoto-kun apprehensively.

"Meh." I shrugged. "Test's over. No harm in showing you. Besides, you looked like you were dying to know."

"Oh, thanks." Said Sotomura-kun, as he took my tablet in his hand.

As soon as he opened it, he immediately looked through the contents of the test, and were rather surprised at my knowledge.

"Uh, Akabane-kun?" He turned to me and asked.

"Yeah?"

He eyed the others for a bit before looking at me.

"Are you perhaps an otaku?"

I expected him to ask that.

"Not really. I don't really watch a lot of anime. Those were just the ones I happened to see."

"So you're saying you watch more mainstream stuff?"

"I guess you could say that."

Sotomoura-kun narrows his gaze at me suspiciously, as if probing deeper into my thoughts.

"You say that, but..." He turned my tablet around so that the screen was facing me. He then continued. "there are quite some obscure ones here that you know too."

"Mmm... well I had a lot of free time in Junior High. Still, if you compare my count to a veteran's, the difference is obvious."

He didn't seem to accept my answer though. He just narrowed his gaze at me.

"What's your favorite anime opening?" He asked me.

I raised an eyebrow. I thought of it for a moment. "Kyouran Hey Kids."

He then pointed a finger at me excitedly. "Noragami! That's not mainstream!"

"It's also not unpopular either. The 2nd op especially is pretty popular. I mean, the music video for it has like 140M views on YouTube"

"Alright then. Since you watched Soul Eater from your Death The Kid answer, what's the name of his theme?"

I paused for a bit, thinking about what to say? Do I answer truthfully? I always kinda wanted to be able to talk to someone about stuff like this. Nagisa usually fulfills that role, when it comes to superhero franchises, but he's not here right now.

Hm... I wonder...

"Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Have A Nice Dream."

Sotomura-kun smirked at my response. He then let out a light chuckle as he adjusted his glasses. "It seems we have quite a bit to talk about."

The others just looked at me, as if they have just discovered something unexpected. Well, I guess I don't blame them.

"Why don't you sit down, and have chat with us for a bit?."

The next set of tasks won't appear for a while, so I guess I have time.

"Are you sure?" I asked, glancing the others.

It seems their fear of me evaporated as soon as they saw my apparent fondness for watching a couple of anime. They all gave the okay.

"Uh, okay then. I guess I can spare a few minutesz but I'm leaving as soon as new tasks appear nearby" I said.

They all nodded in unison.

"Ah, but before that, lemme check in on my partner first."

What a strange place to make a connection, I thought to myself. Guess I'll ignore the gazes of the 1st and 3rd years for now.

Ey, just finished writing this. Bitch-sensei is here! How will she play in to this whole arc? Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Also, if you didn't get the whole Asano joke, well sucks to be you.

A lot of the events here deviate a lot from the original, but hey it's my fic. Fuck following the original events from the light novels. Yr 2, Vol. 3 was boring anyway. It only got exciting when Amasawa was destroying Kushida, as well as that Shinohara incident. The romance between her and Ike wasn't what made it good. It was the sense of danger they were in. Also that whole fight between Kiyo and Nanase was pretty bs. I'm changing it.

Anyway, I don't know when I'll be able to get the next chapter out. I'm pretty busy preparing for uni, as well as work, but I'm hoping to get out at least 1 or 2 chapters before school starts.

Thanks again for supporting this fic. We're currently at 1.1k votes, which is insane. Thank you all so much. Uh, I don't really have much else to say, so I'll just leave it at that. I'll see you guys next time!

Vol. 5, Chapter 2 - New History Time

Part 1
(Ayanokoji POV)

The weather was fair, all things considered. For an exam like this, it being too hot would cause risks for the health of the students undertaking it. Traveling beneath shaded areas would be the most ideal means of protecting one's self while ensuring that you resume your progress. It's precisely what I'm doing now.

After completing the Grip Strength task in C6, I opened my tablet, and checked which task I should go for next. After some thinking, I decided on my next destination: the 100 Meter Dash at C4. Karma just informed me that he'll be taking another written test at D8.

However, the journey to from C6 to C4 was not an easy one. There was a large mountain between both sites. In order to get there, one would need to climb over it, or go around it. When I checked the map again, I found that there was a narrow valley that cuts through the mountain at B4. I could pass through D5, but that would involve having to deal with the large river. I wanted to avoid any situation, or events that would get me drenched.

There was also another reason why I chose the path of going around the mountain from C6 to the valley at B4. Because the valley is narrow, I could use it to lose the third years chasing my tail. It won't be easy for a large number of them to squeeze through the valley. It may not stop them, but it would slow them down by a lot. However, I would need to throw them off with a reason for going to B6 first.

Fortunately, there were other tasks nearby that would've been more convenient, however all of them were academics-oriented events, hence why I opted not to go for them. However, as luck would have it, there was another swimming event in B6. Since I didn't want to get drenched, participating in that event was out of the question, however I could use it to mislead my pursuers.

And so, I made my way to B6. Once I was near the middle, I slowed down my pace in order to give time for the third years to catch up. Once I had fooled them into thinking I would partake in the swimming event, they waited no time in turning to its direction. Once we were a good distance away and they were headed towards the swimming event, I made a curved turn towards the valley at the bottom right corner of B4.

As I jumped from branch to branch, outpacing the 3rd years below me, I conversed with Karma over the walkie-talkie. He reported to me his current circumstance, which happens to be the same as mine, while another batch of third years try to intercept me.

"These guys just don't stop at all." He said through the walkie-talkie.

"Neither will the ones in my area. I can't keep travelling like this forever."

"Yeah. As much as I like to keep messing with them like this, I can't keep this up for 2 weeks."

Even if our stamina were above the average person's, it's still not unlimited. It's especially bad for me, since I opted to go for physical ability-oriented events. If I'm not careful in conserving my stamina, it would only hamper my performance.

"Just stick to the plan. No matter how many there are, they can't keep this up either." I told him.

"Roger. By the way, do see any sign of him yet?"

"No. Either way, the time will come. Let's reconvene at D7 once we finish these next events."

"Got it."

With that, I hung up. I close in on the valley. Just as it was shown on the map, the gap was narrow. It could probably accommodate about 5 people at a time, however the path was an uphill route. In order to save time, I chose to jump upwards from boulder to boulder, instantly giving me a huge momentum boost. The third years chasing me lagged behind, and because of the gap, they had difficulty just getting through. This bought me time, but they'll eventually contact Nagumo about my fluke.

However, the time I bought was all I need. Even if he has command over the third years, he can't coordinate everyone forever; not when he has to switch communicating from one group to another, and that he also has to try and intercept Karma.

As soon as I arrived at my destination, I noticed plenty of third years gathered, however there were still a couple more slots available. They tried to block my path, but I managed get the slip, and secured a spot instead. After I finished signing up, I noticed Shibata, and Ichinose as some of the participants.

"Hey, Ayanokoji!" Shibata and Ichinose waved me over. I approached them, and Ichinose immediately averted her gaze. She's been acting very strange for some time now. It's now difficult maintaining eye contact with her during a conversation. In fact, we've hardly ever gotten the chance to talk to each other lately.

"H-hi. Seems we'll be racing against each other, huh?" Ichinose said sheepishly.

"Seems like it." I replied.

"Man, looks like I've got some tough competition this time around." Said Shibata excitedly.

Shibata was Class B's best athletes, and one of the school's best athletes period. He's part of the soccer club, same as Yosuke. Not only is he a great player, but he's also a really fast runner. During last year's Sport's festival, he got MVP amongst the whole school, which was well deserved for someone of his caliber.

"Says the MVP from last year's Sport's Festival." I told him.

"Ahaha! You say that, but if you had been running all out, like when you raced against the former student council president, from the very start, I'm positive you would've gotten MVP, even if your class didn't win."

It was a reasonable assumption. The whole time during the event, I had withheld myself from even exerting any effort that would have gotten me any attention. I had only decided to reveal just a little bit of what I could do, when I challenged Horikita's brother to a race. Although it garnered me some attention for some time, it served it's purpose in advancing my plans.

Even if I had decided to run using my full speed, it didn't mean I would automatically get MVP. Speed and raw strength alone don't decide the victor. Luck, skill at playing sports, even communication. These, amongst many others, are things to consider when rising through the ranks. From past experience, luck was already out of the question.

The whole time we were talking, I noticed Sato's group from the distance. I feigned ignorance, and continued conversing with Shibata and Ichinose. As we were doing that, the instructor announced that the event was about to begin, and all participants were required to line up according to our class and year.

Since Horikita's class, and Ichinose's class was right next to each other, I was racing next to Shibata. It also seemed like I was the only Class 2-D taking part in this race.

As soon as every participant was ready, they started the count down.

"On your marks! Get set! Go!" They fired the starting pistol, and everyone made started running.

A lot of the participants were pretty fast, however they expended too much of their energy at the start, causing them to falter some time around the middle of the race. Near the end, it was a race between me and Shibata. He was pretty good, on par with Horikita's brother.

As much as I wanted to gauge more of his speed, getting first place was my main priority. Once we were nearing the end, I picked up my pace ever so slightly. Shibata did the same, but each time he did, I would increase my speed, until he could no longer do so.

In the end, I ended up taking first place, with Shibata in 2nd, and a 1st year Class D taking third. I won 15 points for winning, which increased our overall score from 22 to 37.

After the race, Shibata and Ichinose approached me.

"Hey!" They both exclaimed.

I turned to them and waved.

"That was a good race. Congrats on the win." Said Shibata, with Ichinose nodding in agreement right next to him.

"Thanks. You did really great too."

Shibata was panting as he said: "Dude, it looked like you ran faster than when you raced against Horikita-senpai."

"Did I?" I tried to play it off, but it probably won't work, especially after they saw me take on all those Class B students in the last exam.

"That's pretty amazing, Ayanokoji-kun. Looks President Nagumo will have his hands full."

"You're not gonna support him, Ichinose?" I asked her. Since she was a member of the student council, it wouldn't be too much of a surprise if she supported her superior. However, after everything that happened between them last year, that was probably unlikely.

She shook her head to my question. "Although I have nothing against him, I do want to support a dear friend instead. I don't know how this will all play out, but I hope you guys have fun, and won't have any regrets in the end. We'll be doing our part in getting the top spot, so don't count us out either."

Shibata nodded in agreement. Ichinose is a well-rounded student, and Shibata is one of the school's top athletes. Both of them combined make a very good team for an exam like this one. Combine that with their team having Sakayanagi, and you have a formidable line up going on.

Although Sakayanagi can't physically participate, due to her disability, she can still communicate with Ichinose and coordinate plans when need be. That alone should make up for her semi-non-participation.

The 3rd and 1st years may be our main opponents, but we can't count the other people from our year out just yet, as they too will be vying for top spots.

There were three teams amongst the 2nd years in particular that we needed to look out for, not counting our own group. Those three groups being the team consisting of Ichinose, Sakayanagi, and Shibata; the team consisting of Ryuen and Katsuragi, and the solo team of Koenji.

With Ryuen and Katsuragi, they both can make up for each other's shortcomings. Although their group consists of only just the two of them, their strengths make up for the lack of a third member.

Ryuen is one of the most physically capable students amongst the whole school, and Katsuragi is highly gifted at academics. On top of that, both of them are highly intelligent. Both are brilliant strategists, with Ryuen specializing on offense, and Katsuragi specializing on defense.

As for Koenji, the last exam shows the feats of his athleticism, and he boasts some of the highest grades amongst our whole year. Although it was against his character to take an exam seriously, let alone actually contributing to the class, due to him losing in his bet with Horikita, he now has to actually put in effort, though how much that effort may be is not guaranteed. While Horikita never specified that Koenji has to seriously go for 1st place, he is, however determined to get back at Karma.

These three small groups of 2nd years were bound to put up quite a fight for the top spot, however the competition is tough, especially with the third years being coordinated by the student council president himself, and the 1st years having formed an alliance. Of course, not many people know this, however I wouldn't put it past Sakayanagi and Koenji to have pieced it all together.

With the current 100 Meter Dash event over, and our points being rewarded, I made my way back to D7. I bid Ichinose and Shibata goodbye, and pretended to ignore Sato, who had been watching me intently.

I took my time getting back to my original designated spot as to not expend too much of my stamina, all the while not minding being monitored by the 3rd and 1st years. Since I didn't plan to partake in anymore events, I just let them do as they please.

I got a notification on my wrist watch, and saw that we earned another 10 points. Seems Karma had just finished with his test. Right now, it was 11:50. He should either be headed back to D7, or going for another written test event on the way.

(Part 2)

(Karma POV)

After getting first place in the math test, I won us another 10 points, which now puts our total at 47 points. Although it may not seem like much, it's actually considered a lot for the first day, especially from a team of two.

In terms of overall placement, we were currently sitting at 7th place, with Nagumo-senpai's team at first, and other third year teams after. All things considered, I'd say we're dong pretty good.

Once I was done with that, I made my way back to D7 to rendezvous with Kiyotaka. I trudged my way through the forest, and by 12:20, I arrived at D7. I settled down on a shaded area, and told Kiyotaka my location over the walkie talkie.

While I waited for him to arrive, I prepared some light food. Since it was only canned food, it didn't really take long to prep, and as soon as I was done, he arrived.

"You didn't go for another test?"

I shook my head. "We can get more later. Right now, I'm starving, and I bet you are as well."

He sat down, and took his portion.

"We only have 20 minutes before our next designated area. You might want to hurry up with that." I told him.

"It's fine. We're not going for Early Bird this time anyway."

"Oh?"

"It's too early to be focusing on that. Besides, we've already earned enough points thanks to tasks. As long as we get the Arrival Bonus, we'll be fine."

"Mm. I guess you have a point. It's also not nice running around with a full stomach."

You may be able to train your muscles, but you can't train your internal organs. No matter how much we train, even we aren't safe from getting sick from moving around so much right after eating.

As we begin to chow down, we made some small talk. Seems he was surprised that me and Sotomura-kun ended up being acquainted through mutual interests. He explained to me the situation regarding Ike-kun.

After he finished, I let out a sigh. "If he doesn't shape up soon, Sudo and Hondo-kun are gonna get dragged down along with him."

"I agree. Sudo's pretty capable, especially with his grades improving, however the outdoors is Ike's element. They'll need Ike if they want to get through this exam."

I nodded in agreement and sighed. "Ah love. Such a fickle thing."

After we finished eating, we packed up our things. As soon as that was done, our next designated area appeared on our tablets.

"B7, huh?" I muttered.

Kiyo and I got up, and we both looked around us. Everyone else was preparing to head out. As we headed west, towards the direction of B7, we noticed a couple of third, and first years following us.

"They're persistent, I'll give 'em that." I told my partner.

"Let them be. It won't change anything."

I let out a light chuckle. "Well, at least it's not boring."

After nearly an hour of walking, we finally made it to B7, earning us a point each. Since we were not the first ones here, we didn't get early bird, but that was fine. Arrival Points were still just as important.

Tasks won't appear for a little while, so we decided to check out the coast. There, we met Nanase-san. She saw us and gave us a wave. We then walked on over to her.

"Good afternoon senpais." She greeted us.

"Hello Nanase." Kiyo greeted her back, while I gave her a nod. "Where's your group?"

"They went on ahead of me to the borders. We're not actually going for Early Bird this exam, so we're focusing on tasks."

"So you're dividing the work?"

"Mhm. Amasawa-san is taking care of academics-oriented tasks, while Hosen-kun is taking care of physical ability-oriented tasks. As for me, I'm tasked with getting arrival points, and getting whatever tasks are available on the way, or nearby our designated area."

I see. So their strategy is similar to ours, however there was probably more to it than just that. I refrained myself from asking questions, as I didn't want to give anything away, nor warrant her suspicions.

"What about you senpais? You didn't seem like you were in a hurry to get Early Bird."

"It's only the first day. Something like that would be a huge waste of energy." I told her. She looked at me, but I could tell there was some bit of awkwardness coming from her. I guess it's no surprise. This is the first time we've ever spoken to each other after all.

I decided to introduce myself. "Akabane Karma by the way."

She nodded at me once. "Nanase Tsubasa. Nice to meet you, Akabane-senpai."

"So, Nanase-san. Where do you plan to go now?"

"I don't know. Tasks will appear in a bit, so I guess I'll go over to the nearest ones. I'm sort of taking both Academics and Physical Ability tasks, so I could really go either route."

"I see."

As if the heavens were listening in to our conversation, out tablets gave off a sound, and the next set of tasks appeared. We each took out our tablets, and I asked Nanase-san to give us some privacy.

"No offense, but right now we are enemies. If you don't mind?"

"It's okay senpais. I'll just head on over to my chosen task now."

"Much appreciated."

She started walking away, and until we could confirm that she was out of earshot, Kiyo and I started choosing which tasks to go for. Since I'm taking Academics-oriented tasks, I have a few options. Ultimately, I chose the closest one: the History Test at C6, while Kiyo chose the rock climbing event at B5.

Since it's been a while since we've eaten our food, it was now safe for us to move around more dramatically. After choosing our tasks, we once again split up, and dashed for our respective tasks.

After some time, I arrived at my task site, where I was met by Hirata. He saw me, and waved me over. I pointed to the proctor while looking at him, silently telling him that I'll be right over after I signed up.

As soon as I filled out my name, the proctor waited for a couple more people to join, so I decided to go ahead and chat with Hirata. I walked over to him, and greeted.

"Hello."

"Good afternoon, Akabane-kun. Is Kiyotaka-kun with you?"

I shook my head. "No. He's taking on a different task at a different site."

"I see. So you're dividing your work."

"Yup. Since we're not going for Early Bird, we'll have to make up for it with event points."

"You two are doing a good job for your first day. You're currently at ninth place."

Since we couldn't get Early Bird, because of Nagumo-senpai's strategy, it was only natural that we'd drop in our overall placement. We really needed to do something about that guy.

"How 'bout you and your group?"

"We're currently doing alright, but I'm the one taking part in this event so that the others could rest."

He turned his head over to their direction, and there I could see both Mii-chan and Mori-san. I'm not too familiar with Mori-san, but I do know that Mii-chan is an honor's student.

"Mii-chan isn't taking part? She's pretty good at academics though."

I already know the answer to this, but I decided to ask anyway.

"Well it isn't that she doesn't want to take part, it's that she can't. Right now, only one person per group can participate."

He's right. In all the written test events that I've took part in, all of them only ever allowed one person per group to take part. It makes sense though. If every member in a group were allowed to take the test, it would be advantageous for groups with more people.

As for the coverage of the tests, the last one I took were topics covered in Middle School. This was probably to make things fair for everyone, since the 1st years haven't been around for that long, and the 3rd years would have the overwhelming advantage if the tests covered topics taught during high school.

If I'm right, this level of difficulty should apply to all academics-oriented tasks.

"Yeah. You're right. Still though, Mii-chan would be a great asset for something like this."

He nodded in agreement. "Yes, which is why she'll be taking the next test after this. Since I'm the one with the best physical ability in our group, I've decided to take part in tasks that require that area of specialty."

"Good point, but you'll be travelling together, right?"

"Yes. That's the plan. It would be bad if I don't keep an eye on them."

Given their physical ability, travelling as a pack would be the wisest idea, since Hirata can guide them and look after them should they have trouble getting around.

As I thought this, the proctor announced the participants to gather, as the test was about to begin. Once we all got ready, the test began. It was simple enough, and as I predicted, they were all topics covered in Junior High. When we got to the last two questions though, I could feel my chest tighten a little.

'What school did the Earth-Destroying Monster reside in?'

'What is the maximum speed that the Earth-Destroying Monster can travel?'

'On what day did those 28 heroic students kill the Earth-Destroying Monster?'

Considering his very existence alone, it was only natural that Korosensei would end up in the history books. I mean, why wouldn't he? He did publicly claim to all the world's leaders that he was the one, who blew up 70% of the moon. Not only that, but he's also a 7ft yellow octopus. It's hard to ignore him.

As much a I want to call them out for disrespecting him like this, I knew I had to hold my tongue. I can't just reveal to everyone I was one of those very students, let alone would they believe me. The only thing I could do now was answer the test accordingly, and not say anything unnecessarily.

As soon as the test results were announced, I got first place, which earned us another 10 points. This made up for missing out on Early Bird, but it did nothing nothing to let us move up the ranks. We were still at 9th place. Guess I'll just have to bank on Kiyo winning his next event.

After we were done, Hirata waved me over, and I made my way over to their group.

"Nice job getting first place. You got a perfect score."

I shrugged. "Meh. Hey, you did a good job yourself."

Hirata was able to get 3rd place, which earned his group 5 points. 2nd place went to a group from the 3rd years.

"I didn't expect those last three questions to be added in there." He said.

"Well it does make sense. I mean a super creature blowing up 70% of the moon, and intending to do the same to Earth would definitely be one for the History books. It's not like you could just ignore the crescent moon in the night sky either."

"I suppose you're right."

"28 students taken hostage, and ended up saving the world." Mii-chan mumbled. "I wonder where they are right now?"

Hello. Nice to meet you. My friend delivered the killing blow, I was basically the class's commander for that mission. I refrained myself from saying it.

"Therapy?" Said Mori-san. "I mean they were held hostage for nearly a year."

Therapy from being held hostage? That octopus is the one that needs therapy, since he has an annoying habit of stalking us whenever we're alone with someone of the opposite sex. I can't even begin to count the many times he's tailed me and Okuda whenever we're making some concoctions.

"Still though." Hirata spoke with a somber expression. "I couldn't imagine myself being placed in a situation like theirs. Not only were they held hostage, but they had to kill that thing. I feel really bad for them."

"Yeah." Said Mii-chan. "The amount of emotional turmoil they felt must have been insurmountable. I mean, I'm glad they succeeded, but it's not like they came out of it unscathed."

"On the bright side, they'll be remembered as the heroes who saved the Earth, wherever they may be." Said Hirata.

Heroes?

Is that what we really wanted to be remembered by? Well, it's not like I can blame them for thinking that. It's not like they knew the full story, but still...

Even though I sided with the kill team, it's not like I didn't want to save him. I truly did wish we could've done something more, but assassination was always our bond. I didn't want to dishonor that. It's what Korosensei would've wanted as well.

Did we regret it afterwards? I don't know. What I am certain is, if it weren't for him, none of us would be where we are now. I'm just thankful I got to spend a whole year with Korosensei and the rest of Class-E. That was more than what I deserved. For the first time since leaving the White room, I had a purpose. I made friends; ones, whom I could rely on.

"Akabane-kun?"

I snapped out of my thoughts as Hirata called out to me.

"Is something wrong?"

"You seem tense." Mori-san pointed out.

Without even realizing it, I had clenched my right hand into a fist while listening to their early words.

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just that, no matter what situation you're in, taking a life isn't easy."

Hirata sighed exasperatedly. "Yes. You're right. Taking that creature's life must've still taken a toll on their emotional, and mental well-being."

"Even if they're heroes, they didn't choose to be put in that situation." Said Mii-chan with sympathy.

Somehow I couldn't stand the thought of us being regarded as "heroes", however I can't just out right tell them everything. I'll just have to bear with it. Not wanting to feel the awkward tension, I decided to take my leave before I say anything unnecessarily.

"Anyway, the next tasks just showed up. I'm headed for the next one. See ya."

I got up and left for my next task: a Math test at C8. Being regarded as a hero would be cool, if it wasn't over something like this. I wonder how they'd react if they ever find out the truth? While I don't intend on revealing everything, it would still be an interesting thought to keep in mind.

(Part 3)

(Ayanokoji POV)

After getting first place in the rock climbing test, I won us an additional 20 points. While that may seem like a lot, the course we took was half the size of the mountain's height. Needless to say, they'll need to compensate for the large risk the task presents.

Overall, we were now at 79 points. I opened my tablet, and checked for any other tasks I could partake in. However, by the time I finished the event, it was only 40 minutes until 3pm, the last interval for the assigning of our designated area.

Our last designated area was B7. Currently, I'm in B5. Since designated areas are assigned either two cells laterally, or one cell diagonally, I was not in an ideal spot. I quickly made my way over to B6 in order to be in a safe spot, and avoid the possibility of missing out on Early Bird. Although that wasn't our goal, it never hurts to aim for it whenever possible.

As I made my way over to B6, I got another notification on my watch, and saw that our points were updated. Karma got first place, and won another 15 points, putting us at 94 points in total.

By the time I made it to B6, there was only 5 minutes until our next designated area. While I waited, I decided to take a sip of water to replenish myself.

After some time, 3pm rolled around, and our tablets displayed our next designated area, B9. That's two cells south laterally. Karma is in C8 right now, so that's only one cell diagonally from him. I took seeing as this was a good opportunity for an Early Bird, I ran full speed for it.

As I did that, I took out my walkie-talkie, and contacted Karma. He immediately picked up. From the sound of rapid footsteps coming from his end, I could immediately tell he was thinking of the same thing.

"Sup." He greeted me.

"Judging by the sound of the wind and rapid footsteps on your end, I'm guessing we both have the same idea?"

"What was it they said? Great minds think alike?"

As we were making our way over to B9, it seems that the third years surveilling me quickly relayed the information over to Nagumo, however, they won't be able to stop us that easily. For them to keep us from getting Early Bird, he would need to contact a lot of people in order to check who's assigned with the same designated area as us.

Nagumo may be arrogant, but he's not an idiot. Well, he's an idiot for triggering Karma's bloodlust, but it's not like he knows that. He knows that trying to prevent us from getting Early Bird would be inefficient, so it's better to just let us have it, especially since it's the last designated area for the day.

Around 3:35, Karma was the first to arrive at B9, and 10 minutes later, I joined him. Although there were other people here before him, it seems they were not a complete group. Since their other members haven't arrived yet, they didn't get the Early Bird bonus, and Karma and I got it instead. That in addition to our arrival points, we gained 12 points, totaling our overall score to 106 points.

"Not too bad I suppose." Said Karma.

"We were lucky that it was close."

We settled down for a few minutes in order to recuperate. We may have larger reserves of stamina, but we wouldn't want to exhaust ourselves moving forward. We took out some water, and drank some of it in order to replenish ourselves.

After 15 minutes, arrived a familiar figure.

"Hello senpais."

It was Nanase again. This is the second time we've ran in to each other, both times being of the same designated areas.

"Hello Nanase." I greeted her.

"We meet again." She said.

"Indeed. I'm guessing this is your next designated area?" asked Karma.

"Yes. Quite the coincidence, huh?"

This was too good of a coincidence if you ask me. I decided to ask her something to confirm my suspicion.

"Nanase, what was your first designated area?"

"It was D7."

It seems that my suspicions are correct.

"Was your first designated area D7 as well, senpais?"

"Yes. Looks like we have the same table." I told her.

"Well, what do you know? Guess we'll be seeing each other a lot more moving forward then." Said Karma as-a-matter-of-factly.

"I guess so."

For Nanase of all people to be given the same table as us is too good of a coincidence. While I have no proof, Amasawa did say that there was one other White Room student. While I have no shred of evidence pinning Nanase as the other one, I can't quite let my guard down around her, neither can Karma.

If she is the other White Room student, it would make sense for Tsukishiro to give her the same table as us under the table, in order for them to sabotage our progress.

"Senpais, are you going to be taking part in some tasks after this?"

"Of course." Said Karma. "Probably one each. Depends on the tasks, really."

Some tasks require more time, and energy to complete, such as the rock climbing task from earlier. Those tasks are worth a lot of points, but it also means that you won't have enough time for the next one. Stuff like this is important when factoring in which tasks you should take.

"Say, Nanase-san. How's Amasawa-san doing?" Asked the red-head.

"Oh, she's doing fine, Akabane-senpai. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, we just happened to have met on a few occasions. She gives very good suggestions on what how to spice up my favorite past time in this school."

By favorite past time, he means messing with my dates with Kei. As someone who claims to be a romance expert, he sure loves instigating some drama.

I sent him a look that conveyed my disapproval, but he just returned it by sticking his tongue out.

"Oh, well I'll be meeting with her and Hosen-kun once we turn in for the night. I'll let her know you're here."

"Great! Because we'll be setting up camp here after the last task as well."

He then leaned towards me and flung an arm over my shoulder with a mischievous grin.

"This is gonna be so much fun. Right, Kiyo?"

"Define "fun"." I said dryly.

He just chuckled at my despair. I don't even want to imagine him and Amasawa ganging up on me with their shenanigans.

Nanase just laughed nervously. "Uh. Am I missing something?"

"Don't worry about it Nanase-chan. It's just that Amasawa-san and I just want to have some fun with Kiyotaka here."

"O-oh. I see."

For the first time in my life, I pray to whatever gods exist out there to get me out of this situation. I may not believe in the divine, but if hell was real, these two are the incarnations of it.

I grabbed his arm. "Get off me, Karma." I shoved him away, putting some distance between us. He wasn't bothered by it though. Instead, he was rather amused by my annoyance.

Just then our tablets gave off a notification. The next tasks have just appeared. The ones nearby were Flash Arithmetic at C7, another was an Empty The Bottle Game at D8, and third was another grip test at B6.

"Sorry Nanase, but I'm gonna have to ask you to give us some privacy." I told her.

"It's okay, Ayanokoji-senpai. I understand. I already picked my next task anyway. I'll see you two later then." We waved each other goodbye, and she set off for her own task.

As soon as she left, I turned to Karma. "So, what now?"

"Hmm. I'll go with this one." He pointed at the empty the bottle game.

"Why? I figured you'd go for this one." I motioned my finger to the Flash Arithmetic.

"Ahahaha. I have a funny, and effective method for this one, so leave this to me. Besides," He rests both his hand behind his head. "I'm getting bored with winning all these test event. It'll be a nice change of pace."

"Alright then. Let's go."

Not wanting to waste any more time, we both set out for our respective tasks.

Part 4

(Karma POV)

As soon as I arrived at D8, I quickly signed up for my task. To my surprise, Nagumo-senpai was here as well. He was playing in the water with a bunch of other third years.

After I signed up, he dried off, changed clothes, and walked over to me.

"Hey! You seem to be doing fine."

I can't tell if he was being sarcastic, or genuinely impressed by our performance.

"Oh hello, Senpai. Did you have one of your minions tell you where I was?"

"Ahahaha. No. I was actually enjoying a nice relaxing time by the beach over there, as you saw. To my luck, it just so happens that this event was assigned in this very area. Who am I to pass that up?"

"Ah. So that's how it is."

He rests his hands on his hips. "So. Where's Ayanokoji?"

"Did you really need to ask? Don't you already know that?" I asked him near-sarcastically.

He laughs at my response, but it didn't seem to be mocking manner. More like he's playing along.

"I guess you have a point. To be honest, I'm not really anywhere near my walkie-talkie right now, so I haven't been able to receive any recent updates, but I think it's safe to say that he's taking on a different event right now, correct?"

I shrugged. "Who knows?"

From behind him, Kiriyama-senpai closed in on us. As soon as we made eye contact, I could tell he was warry of me. Understandable. I did let my bloodlust run wild with Nagumo-senpai the last time we met.

"Ah, Kiriyama. Did you want to say anything to say to Akabane here?"

"No. The event's about to start anyway. There's no use in pointless chitchat."

"I suppose you're right. Well, Akabane, we'll continue our chat after this event."

I nodded in confirmation, as they announced the start of the event.

As soon as it started, we were presented with a large glass bottle filled with water, and the objective was to empty it out into a large, empty basin as fast as we can. Of course, the one with the fastest time wins.

"You are free to use whatever method you like, as long as you complete your objective." The supervisor said.

This is perfect. Seems I could go for that after all.

There are 5 basins, and we had to form a line for each one. I was in a line with Nagumo-senpai and Kiriyama-senpai. I decided to go last. Nagumo-senpai, being the hotshot that he is, went first.

Although he had his back turned to us, by the motion of his arms, I could tell he was doing that trick where one spins the bottle so that the water forms a vortex. This creates a channel of air that relieves the pressure, and improves the time spent for the water to come out. Although his time isn't revealed, by my calculations, it probably took him around 6 seconds to empty it.

He walked over to the side of the table, and gave me a smug look, but I didn't really care. There were two method that had his beat. For something like this, one method would be to use a straw to create a large passageway to relieve the pressure, but I doubt anyone has any on them.

From what I could see, everyone in front didn't have the same trick as Nagumo-senpai in mind. Some tried, but luck wasn't on their side. That, or they didn't know how to do it right. Those who didn't go for that method, opted for a different one.

Some tried to tilt the bottle, while some tried patting the base. After some time, it was finally my turn. Asahina-senpai actually stood with Nagumo-senpai and Kiriyama-senpai while I was waiting, and they both took a closer step to see what I would do. I could see Nagumo-senpai smirking, as if saying "No pressure buddy. Let's see what you can do."

As soon as I was given the bottle and held it up, the timer started. immediately, I pulled out a sharp rock from my pocket, and smashed the bottle with it. The only thing left in my hand was the neck.

Everyone around me looked surprised, even Nagumo-senpai. Meanwhile Asahina-senpai looked like she was struggling to hold in her laughter.

From the distance, I could hear a familiar cackle. I turned my head, and saw Ryuen laughing out loud whilst clutching his stomach, with Katsuragi-kun next to him staring at me in disbelief.

Although the instructors also looked shocked, they tried their best to hide it. I then turned to them and asked.

"Since we're free to use whatever method we want, I'm assuming there's nothing wrong with this, right?"

They looked at each other, and realized that my method was technically allowed, and they gave me the okay. I thanked them, and walked to the sidelines, tossing the neck of the broken bottle into the trash.

We just patiently waited for our results. As soon as they were announced, I got first place with a time of 1.43 seconds, and Nagumo-senpai got 2nd with a time of 6.36 seconds. I won 10 points, which now puts our total to 116 points.

Once the event was over, I turned my head to Nagumo-senpai. "Well, that was a good game, wouldn't you say?"

At first he didn't say anything, but some bit of laughter escaped from his mouth. "I have to admit, that was rather smart. Did you plan that? Did you really have that rock on you the whole time?"

"Pretty much. I figured some of the contestants would go for the spinning bottle trick, so I had to prepare a much more efficient method."

You can also be never too prepared, when you need to smash some heads. I withheld myself from saying it.

"Ahaha! Tell me. What would you have done if you weren't allowed to break it?"

"Oh that." I pulled out a straw from my pocket and showed it to them. "I would've used this."

They looked at me incredulously, apparently impressed by how much I had planned for all this.

Nagumo-senpai crossed his arms. "So you knew that as well. Impressive."

I shrugged. "Pretty elementary if you ask me. I'm more surprised you didn't have one on you."

"Well it's not like I was planning on participating in this event in the first place, so I didn't have time to prepare." He said defensively.

"I suppose you're right. Anyway, I'm off."

I waved him goodbye, and started to walk off, but before I could, he called out to me.

"Akabane."

I turned around and looked at him.

"You and Ayanokoji have been doing rather well, all things considered, but can you really get past our defenses?"

By defenses, he means the wall of third years taking up the upper ranks. I didn't want to reveal anything to him, so I just chose to answer vaguely.

"I suppose only time will tell, Senpai. Now, if you excuse me."

With that, I left. On the way, I stopped by in front of Ryuen and Katsuragi-kun, who looked like they wanted to talk to me.

"If you're gonna keep staring, at least say something." I told them.

"Kukuku! Smashing the bottle with a rock. Well played, Akabane. It takes guts to try out something so risky."

"Indeed." Katsuragi-kun concurred. "Had it not been allowed, you would've been disqualified."

"Maybe, but..." I pointed my index finger to my temple. "guess my brain is just too large."

"That's quite arrogant of you to say, Akabane." Ryuen pointed out.

"Look, to be frank, it probably would've been safer to use the straw method, but where's the fun in safety?"

Katsuragi-kun blinked at me slowly, while Ryuen cackled.

"Guess you have a point. Well then, we should get going."

Ryuen motioned for him and Katsuragi-kun to leave, and I did the same. As I was leaving, I checked my wrist watch which gave of a signal a little while ago, to see that Kiyotaka managed to win us another 15 points, totaling our overall score to 131 points.

I could go for more tasks, but I didn't want to waste too much energy on the first day, so I instead opted to rendezvous with Kiyotaka again back in B9.

Just the first day alone was already pretty hectic. Since it's only the first day, it was only reasonable that neither Tsukishiro nor that other White Room didn't make their move. Still, I can't keep my guard down. There are eyes and ears everywhere. I'll just have to wait for a report from Bitch-sensei and Ritsu.

Chapter finished. There were actually a couple of things I wanted to include here, but I decided to save them for another time.

I actually thought of this whole water bottle game after rewatching Season 1 ep 3 of A.C. You know. That one scene when Karma smashed a bottle in front of Nagisa's bullies.

Anyway, this arc is gonna be lengthy, and I'm not gonna have a lot of time to work on it, but hopefully I'll be able to pull off the action and the ending. There's gonna be a couple of tasks that are gonna be lengthy, so look forward to that.

Anyway, 'nuff said for now. Thanks again for the support this has been receiving, and I'll see you guys next time.

Vol. 5, Chapter 3 - Future Plans Time Literature Time

(Part 1)

(Ayanokoji POV)

The first day of the Uninhabited Island Exam came to pass. After finishing our last tasks, Karma and I set up camp at B9, someplace near the top of a cliff. The sun was going down as we were setting up our tents. Once that was done, we made a fire, and Karma immediately started setting up in order to prepare dinner.

In the midst of it all, he took a glance at the sunset over the cliff. He then let out a deep exhale

"This brings back memories." He muttered.

"Of what?"

He turned to me and responded quietly. "Oh. One of my attempts was jumping off a cliff, so that I'd shoot him as he flies down to catch me." He shrugs. "Obviously didn't work."

Even though he failed, I sense no feeling of dissatisfaction from him.

"You don't seem upset by it."

"Mm. It was a long time ago. Besides. I some experience out of it."

"Experience, as in?"

"A new type of bloodlust I guess. Well, new for me at least."

"And what kind of bloodlust would that be?" I asked, curiously.

He rubs his chin in thought. "It's hard to explain."

After thinking it over, he came up with an explanation.

"Mmm... I guess killing intent with feeling? Think of it like anger. Unrefined anger, one where you have too much of it, and you become reckless and succumb to your lowest instincts. A healthy kind of bloodlust, the refined kind of anger, is where you can channel that aggression into something more practical. I don't know. It's better if you experience it yourself, but that's the best way I could describe it."

From the way he described it, it sounds like something one would require emotional stability for. If one were to be consumed by rage, they throw a tantrum and it becomes their undoing.

I suppose the best example I could give for this one is when Sudo gave in to Ryuen's taunts last year, which ended in him punching Yosuke, and leaving the team for a while. As for the healthy kind that he mentioned, one example I could give is Ryuen's comeback, where he channeled his aggression towards me, and used it to destroy Ichinose's class, and her spirit.

"I think I get it, but I probably won't be able to experience it myself."

Karma let out a sigh. "Maybe, but who knows? I think it's fine as long as you don't succumb to the unhealthy kind of bloodlust, though you'd need to actually experience emotion for that to happen."

True enough. While I may be able to give off killing intent, it's vastly different from Karma's. I can't say it's refined, but I can't say it's unrefined either.

As for if I'll be able to even feel emotions, the probability of that happening is miniscule. While I would like to feel emotions, the remaining years I spent in the White Room after he left crushed any chances of that happening. At this point, I may as well be more machine than even Ritsu.

Karma glanced over at me, realizing I was in deep thought. Although it was only for a fraction, I could tell there was a hint of sympathy from his stare.

"If you're feeling sympathetic towards me, don't. There's no need for it."

He didn't respond, but just continued what he was doing. There was an awkward silence between us. Neither one of us uttered a word. Once he was done cooking, he gave me my portion, and we ate our dinner in silence.

As soon as he was done eating, he turned to the direction of the edge of the cliff, and watched the crumbling crescent moon in the sky.

"Mind if I ask you a question?" The red-head asked.

"What is it?"

"What do you wish to do after you graduate?"

My future is already set in stone. This question is unnecessary, and he knows this.

"You already know the answer to that." I replied.

"Yes, well..." He turned his head to me. "let's just put the whole ' you going back to that place crap' to the side. I'm asking Kiyotaka what he wants. Not what his father wants."

What I want?

I didn't give an immediate response. I don't know why he was asking me this question. I didn't have an answer for it.

Even if I were to somehow attain permanent freedom from that place after I graduate here, I can't see a path ahead for me, other than what's already been laid out by that man.

My reason for being here was because of Matsuo's guidance, and for me to satiate my curiosity. I wish to learn what I couldn't from that place, so I'll make the most of my freedom here while it lasts. The freedom I have right now is only temporary, hence why I'll protect it no matter what the cost.

I suppose if we're talking about something I want, then it would be to learn, to improve, to win, however a part of me also wishes to prove that man's ideology wrong, that his method of teaching is flawed. However, while I desire for that to happen, it also goes against my desire to win.

Unlike a normal person's dreams, where they wish to become a certain profession growing up, like a doctor, or an engineer, my "desires" aren't so concrete. They're abstract concepts that cannot be solved merely by simple guidance.

Whether that man succeeds in expelling me here or not, I'll continue with my desire to learn from the life of a high schooler. Once that's all said and done, whether willingly or not, I'll return to the White Room, and continue with my training. There really is nothing else for me. Such a dream of normalcy is out of the question. Karma may have been able to achieve it, but I'm different.

"Judging from your silence, I'm guessing you don't have an answer." His words broke me out of my train of thought.

"Not really that. You already know the ans-"

He let out a loud yawn which cut me off from talking.

"Blah, blah, blah." I'm going back to that place", yadi yadi yada. Man. It's like I'm speaking to Nagisa and Asano or something."

If I recall, Nagisa is his closest friend from his previous class, while Asano is his rival. He said that talking to me is like talking to them. Last I checked, I saw no resemblance. By anything, the way he described Asano reminds me a bit of Sakayanagi, and Nagumo.

As for Nagisa, I really couldn't compare him to anyone. I suppose you could compare his good-naturedness to someone like Yosuke, and Ichinose, but it's not like you'll find anyone with talent and skills for assassination like him here.

Confused, I inquired. "What do you mean?"

He let out a light chuckle. "I'm not telling you. You're clever guy. I'll let you figure it out on your own."

The closest thing I could relate to Asano is his ruthlessness, but even then, there's a huge difference between my ruthlessness, and his. His resembles Sakayanagi's more. As for Nagisa, I really don't see any resemblance between us.

Not wanting to answer my question, nor even give me a hint, he cleaned up, and excused himself into the forest in order to relieve himself.

Once I was done with my food, I too cleaned up, and just stared at the night sky. As I did that, his question kept rewinding in my head. Although I gave him my answer, I don't know why, but it still feels incomplete.

I let out a deep sigh. "What a bothersome thought." I mumbled to myself.

Part 2

I woke up at 5:40 am, and heard the sounds of footsteps outside. When I took a peak outside of my tent, Karma had already finished making breakfast, and was moving back and forth between his tent and the campfire.

When I went out, he greeted me.

"Nice bed hair." He joked.

"Have you not heard? They say it's the new fashion trend."

"Whoever said that is an idiot."

We made small talk as we ate our breakfast. Once we finished, we packed up our stuff, and waited for 7am, the first interval for our 1st designated area for the day.

"This should help with our theory." He told me quietly.

We had been theorizing on the matter of how designated areas are assigned.

Although we had Ritsu hack in to the system in order to check the how the exam works, some information were inaccessible to her, presumably because they were stored in a different system that wasn't connected to the internet. The important one that we couldn't get a hold of was the designated areas' distribution process.

However, the first half of the mystery should be solved today, and the other half tomorrow. Hopefully that is.

As soon as 7am rolled around, we received our first designated area. We checked our tablets, and saw that we were assigned to C9.

"I see."

"We're by the edge of B9. We might want to hurry this time."

I nodded at him.

With that, we took our leave. We took the route of the tree tops this time, and not just the branches. We wanted to avoid giving away our immediate location to anyone as much as possible. After all, we shouldn't be the only ones awake, and headed for their assigned designated area this time around.

Since we already had enough time to get through with our food, we didn't have to worry about complication from moving around so much. We stealthily, but swiftly traversed the forest, and around 7:40, we made it to our first designated area. We were the first ones to arrive, so we ended up getting 10 points from Early Bird. Add that to our arrival points, and our combined total was now 143 points.

Not long after, more students arrived. The third years were especially surprised to see us here. The 2nd group to arrive after us was a group from their year. Since they only won 5 points, it gave them the idea that we got Early Bird first before any of them did.

"Think they solved it?" Karma asked me.

"I highly doubt it. It's too soon, even for Nagumo."

"I suppose you're right."

Although tasks were already present, Karma and I decided to wait for new, closer ones to show up, we ended up resting for a bit. Since we won 10 points from Early Bird, there was no need to go overboard. While we waited, Nanase approached us.

"Good morning, Ayanokoji-senpai, Akabane-senpai."

"Morning Nanase-san." Karma waved.

"Morning." I greeted her.

"Did you get Early Bird?"

I nodded.

"Yup. We were the first ones here." Said Karma.

"Wow, that's pretty great."

"By the way, where were you guys last night? I thought you'd camp back in B9."

"Oh, sorry for that, Akabane-senpai. We ended up camping elsewhere, not too far from B9. Amasawa-san said hi though."

Karma let out a light chuckle. "Well, that's fine."

A partnership forged between those two is the worst thing imaginable.

"So, how are you doing this exam?" I decided to inquire.

"We're doing great. So far, we haven't dropped to the bottom 5, so that's a good sign."

"That's great then. After all, your team is rather well-balanced."

Given that they have Amasawa, I highly doubt they would drop to the bottom 5 any time soon. Even if she just focused on Academics-oriented tasks, Hosen is still a formidable opponent for any physical ability-oriented events. In terms of overall ability, their team is one of the most well-rounded one in all of the 1st years. However, there's still the concern of the bounty.

Karma decided to be bold. "So. Just what exactly are you first years planning for in regards to Kiyo's bounty?"

Nanase seemed taken aback, but she tried her best to quickly regain her composure. "I'm sorry senpai, but I'm afraid I'm left out of the loop. Even if I knew, I couldn't tell you."

I looked to Karma, and he seemed to be staring at her intently, almost like he's peeking in to her very soul.

"Well, so far all your year has done is monitor, and occasionally obstruct us, yet you don't seem to be doing any of that."

She shook her head. "Like I said, I'm currently left out of the loop, but I'm fine with anything as long as it doesn't involve inflicting bodily harm." She looked at my hand saying that last part. She was obviously still concerned about another stabbing incident.

"Hmm. Well, it would be interesting to see you try."

She seemed surprised. She probably expected him to be more concerned, yet instead he answered with some form of challenge.

"Are you not worried about Ayanokoji-senpai being expelled, Akabane-senpai?"

He pointed a thumb at me. "If this guy were an easy opponent, he would've been expelled a long time ago. Don't you agree?"

"I-I suppose you have a point."

Her walkie talkie let out a sound, indicating that someone was trying to connect with her. She bowed her head to us.

"Please excuse me, senpais." With that, she left.

Once she was out of earshot, I turned to Karma.

"She's lying." I told him.

"About being left out of the loop?"

I nodded.

"I figured as much. There's also something else about her that I picked up."

"What is it?"

Karma turned his head to me. "Killing intent." He pointed a finger at me. "Pretty sure it's directed towards you specifically."

During my previous interaction with Nanase, I already got the feeling that she had some feeling of animosity towards me. Whatever that reason may be, I don't quite know.

"You said that there are two kinds of bloodlust, right? Unrefined, and refined. Which one was she giving off?"

"The former."

"I see."

"For some reason she's mad at you. What did you do?"

"Other than making Hosen fail in his attempt to expel me, nothing at all."

Karma hummed in thought. "Let's assume for a second that she's not one of the enforcers. Other than the other enforcer student, that Amasawa-san mentioned, Nanase-san is probably the one most determined to get you expelled than any other student."

He may be right, however she also protected me from Hosen's attack. That at least tells us that there are measures she's not willing to go through. Unless of course that was just a front, and she's trying to subvert our expectations.

"Whatever the case may be, until we find out more about her, we won't know what drives her to do so."

"You're right." I concurred. "For now, let's just keep an eye out for the other students."

So far, only the 3rd years have made a move. The 1st years may be planning something, but they are waiting until they could secure enough points to ensure that none of them would end up at the bottom. Since they don't operate under the command of one person, and instead are coordinated by multiple people, there's bound to be some internal debates, and lack of full cohesion.

If internal conflicts were to arise, that would weaken their cohesion. They already have troubles with trying to get through to Hosen, and thanks to allegations regarding a recently expelled Class C student presumably by the hands of Hosen, there is some animosity and distrust going on between them. An alliance between all four classes is powerful indeed, but without someone to mediate between them, or someone to act as the overall head of the operation, it could cause conflict down the line.

This isn't to say having one leader over multiple leaders collaborating together is any better either. If it were just within a class, one person would be enough to lead it. Sakayanagi, Ryuen and Ichinose are examples of this. However, controlling an entire grade is something else entirely.

Up front, Nagumo may have a good grip on the third years, but it's undoubtable that there are those who don't follow him. An example of this would be Kiryuin. One person controlling that many people would also end up in the group having a lot of communication problems.

To my knowledge, there's no one else like Nagumo amongst the third years. The only two I could think of are Kiriyama, and Kiryuin, however Kiriyama doesn't hold a candle to him, and Kiryuin is simply uninterested in those kinds of things. Without someone to act as his back up, this schism would continue. It doesn't matter how small it may be. As long as it's there, it can be exploited.

20 minutes later, new tasks nearby have appeared. Most of them were written tests. In the end, Karma chose the English test at D9. Since the physical ability-oriented tasks were too far off, I opted for the math test at B8. We left for them asap.

Part 3

(Karma POV)

As soon as I arrived at B8, I signed up, and waited for the test to begin. So far, I don't see anyone I recognized, though that didn't stop the watchful gazes of the other years.

After some time, the instructors announced the start of the test. In the end, I got first place, and won 10 points, totaling our overall score to 153 points. Not long after, another 10 points was added, meaning Kiyotaka won first place in his test. This puts our total to 163 points.

So far, the available tasks are too far off, so I decided to wait for new ones to appear. While I was at that, I remembered that I was at the starting area. I looked around, and saw the person I expected to be here. As I approached her, she saw me, and gave me a wave.

It was Sakayanagi Arisu of Class 2-A.

"Good morning, Akabane-kun. Fancy meeting you here."

"Morning, Sakayanagi-san. I was just participating in an English test over there." I pointed to the direction of the previous event.

"And knowing your wager with President Nagumo, I'm guessing you ended up taking first place, right?"

"Yes."

"Fufufu. It's pretty impressive that you and Ayanokoji-kun are currently sitting at top 6 in a school of more than 400 students. As expected of you."

I shrugged. "You're not doing too bad yourself. Your group is just two places behind ours."

The other group that was between ours was the solo Koenji. Considering he's alone, that in of itself is nothing short of astounding. I suspect he'll be rising up the ranks soon.

"Well, your wager only applies to you, not us. Unless of course..." She eyed me intently.

"What is it?"

"Oh, it's just... I can't help but feel like you two would've much rather go up against each other, rather than team up. Am I wrong?"

She wasn't. It seems she's already suspected that there was indeed a different reason as to why we decided to team up.

"How about you make a guess. With your brain, I'm pretty sure you could deduce it no problem, if you haven't already."

She chuckled. "The Acting Director, right?"

I shot her a grin, which told her that she was correct.

"While I don't know the full details, he must've offered you two something irresistible."

"Quite so."

"Fufufu. I'm assuming it has something to do with getting first place in this exam as well, right?"

"You figured out this much? As expected of the esteemed leader of Class A."

"Thank you for the compliment. However, I'm sorry to tell you this, but we too are vying for first place, so please don't take it personally."

"Not at all. As you said, the wager only applies to us. You and your group have nothing to do with it. You're free to aim for first all you want. It just makes things more fun."

With their line up, they're bound to put up quite a good fight. The more the merrier as they say.

"Fufu. Very well. However if Acting Director Tsukishiro does try anything to get either of you expelled outside of what is allowed, I too am free to step in whenever, so please let me know if you two need any help."

"Quite a formidable girl you are. I'll keep that in mind. Ah speaking of wager. You said you wanted to have a battle with me right? This exam is the perfect opportunity, however I feel like it would be much better if you were in your element. There's also the possibility of the Acting Director interfering. Do you wish to compete now, or delay it another time?"

"I understand your concern. I'm aware of the current circumstances at play to some extent. As long as that bounty is still on Ayanokoji-kun's head, and the Acting Director is still at large, I'll never be able to play with you on equal terms. I'm willing to delay our contest. I'd like to focus on getting rid of him first as soon as possible, so that I could have my fun."

Her resentment towards Tsukishiro stems from his subterfuge from the Commanding Towers exam last year, and of him belittling her. For someone like Sakayanagi, who prides herself as a natural-born genius, and one who lives in the moment of battle, Tsukishiro's treatment is highly unappreciated. Can't say I blame her.

"Very well then. If we're in any need of assistance, we'll let you know."

"That's fine. By the way, where is Ayanokoji-kun anyway?"

"Taking on a different exam elsewhere."

"Fufu. So it's just as I had guessed."

"Well, you probably have your minions keep tabs on us from afar, so I'm not surprised that you know."

"Shibata-kun ended up racing Ayanokoji-kun in an event, so yes, I have received updates that you two are taking on different tasks."

"I see. By the way, I'm curious about something. Don't worry, it won't affect your current standing."

"What is it?"

"Is your group allowed to receive Early Bird points?"

Considering that she can't move around, and the condition that all members need to be present in order to receive, it's not unreasonable to think that they're not eligible to receive those bonuses. However, her inability to move around is caused by a disability from birth, it's safe to assume that they would accommodate for it.

"The school was kind enough to consider my unfortunate circumstance. Even though I can't walk, as long as both Shibata-kun, and Ichinose-san are both able to arrive on time, we'll still receive the Early Bird Bonus. As for arrival points however, I'm afraid I can't receive any."

I placed a hand on my hip. "Well I guess that makes sense. Since they're already compensating you for the Early Bird Bonus, an arrival point may feel a bit too much."

"Fufufu. Yes. Still, It's not a problem. Quite the contrary in fact. Both Ichinose-san and Shibata-kun are putting in great work, so I have no complaints. The only real problem now are those pesky 3rd years."

With Nagumo-senpai stone-walling the top 5 spots, it would be difficult to advance upwards at our current pace. However, there was no need for concern.

"Do you two have a plan?" She asked.

"Hm?"

"With how to get past Nagumo-senpai's defenses."

I stuck my tongue out for a little bit. "Dunno. Since he's coming at me like he wants me dead, it may prove to be a challenge. We'll just have to see."

"Fufufu. Knowing you two, I'm sure it'll work out. Ah, by the way, since you're hear, do you have some time?"

"For what?"

"A chat. The last time we spoke was rather brief. I've been meaning to get to know you for a while now, but the opportunity never got to present itself."

"A chat, huh? Will you take responsibility for me missing out on potential tasks?"

"Fufufu. Quite cold of you." She remarked, sarcastically.

I placed a thumb on my chin as I think about what to say. "How 'bout this. Once this is all over, I wouldn't mind having a chat. However, I have some conditions."

"Oh? And what would those be?" She asked inquisitively.

"You either have to defeat me, or give me a good enough battle with all gloves off. I wish to see what the leader of Class 2-A is fully capable of."

She giggled. "Oh I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound rude. If anything, I'm excited. So no holding back, huh? Very well. I have no qualms with your condition. I've been meaning to gauge another White Room student's capabilities for some time now."

"Great. Now on to my next condition."

"Yes?" She tilted her head a bit.

"You mentioned that you're willing to lend a hand in our battle against Tsukishiro, right?"

"Why, yes. I wish to see his face smothered to the ground if possible."

"Oh, I'd like that as well. In the event that we do ask for your help, I do hope that you'd comply, even if it means that it isn't beneficial to your class. Don't worry, I won't ask anything out of you if it meant that your class bears the brunt."

She hummed in thought before giving me a response.

"You expect me to help out another class in the process? I could help you two in your battle behind the scenes, but whether my class benefits or not, I don't see the need to help other classes."

I had a feeling she'd say something like that. Luckily, I have a hidden blade up my sleeve. My trump card of all trumps cards.

"If you'd like, I can even set you up on a date with Kiyotaka."

Her eyes widened in surprise at what I just said. I paced back and forth in front of her, making gestures with my hands.

"Just think. A maiden like you, spending quality time with the idi- I mean... man who stole your heart. Just you two, alone. The tension building up between you two as you gaze in to each other's eyes with only the sunset illuminating your surroundings."

I caught a glimpse at her turning beat red from the corner of my eye. She was trying her best to maintain her usual composure, but I saw through her. I continued with my speech.

"Just think."

I cleared my throat, and went in to speak in third person, as if narrating a story.

"As Sakayanagi-san and Kiyotaka sit by a candle lit dinner alone under the sunset, Sakayanagi-san could feel her heart beating faster by each passing minute as Kiyotaka continues to ramble on about how he'll destroy his enemies."

I clenched my fist and raised it into the air.

"She could feel butterflies in her stomach. Her heart was fluttering all over as he talks. A part of her wishes that she was one of those enemies that he would destroy." I shook my head dramatically. "No. Rather, she wishes to be destroyed by him."

From the corner of my eye, I could see her face twitch, and her mouth gaped open. This would have been a lot more fun if I had Rio around, but oh well.

"The tension inside her continued to rise. She was shifting in her seat uncomfortably as she grew more anxious. Finally, the dam inside her burst. She could no longer hold it in. In the heat of the moment, she let laid her feelings bare. "Ayanokoji-kun, I love you." Said Sakayangi-san loud and passionately. Not waiting for a response, she quickly grabbed his face and pulled it in for a kiss. She deepened the kiss until they were both gasping for ai-"

"Okay, that's enough." She hastily exclaimed.

She was beat red, from her face to her ears. It's like I could see smoke coming out from those ears. She was slightly trembling, and her eyes glared at me, while tightly gripping on to her cane with both hands.

"What? Do you not like it? I could keep going."

"Akabane-kun, how do you know about how I feel towards Ayanokoji-kun?" She probably didn't need to ask me this question considering it's me she's talking to, but she did it anyway.

"It's so transparently obvious, it's more surprising that more people haven't figured it out yet."

"And why come up with such a story?"

"Do you really not like it? I haven't even finished telling chapter 1 yet."

"Chapter 1?" She asked dryly.

"Oh there's multiple parts. It's all saved in my phone, but I more or less have it all memorized in my head. Thought I might need if I want to mess with him on his date again. It's not just you, by the way. I have multiple scenarios with different girls that have a liking to him."

Her eyebrows furrowed at me. "And why would I exactly agree to just a date with him?"

My grin widened at her question. "You say that, but I know you want it."

I could tell by the look on face that she was more than interested. Seems my trick worked. Guess reading Koro-sensei's "student data" book, and my many attempts at playing cupid for Nagisa and Kayano-chan came in handy.

"Come on. What are you worried about? You, the leader of Class A on a dinner date with a boy from a different class? Who cares?" I gave her a suggestive look. "I mean, honestly. It's more dangerous to keep the sexual tension inside, rather than focus on class politics."

I decided to not tell her about Karuizawa-san, since I'm pretty sure she doesn't know about her and Kiyo dating. Though, I will prevent them from kissing or doing anything... intimate when it comes to it.

I don't really encourage cheating. Well, unless we're talking about Kayano-chan's sister, in which case she might as well dump that bastard Yanagisawa for Koro-sensei. This is just gonna be a dinner date, where she can spend as much time with him as she wants.

After thinking it over, she let out an aggravated sigh. "I'm not worried about being seen by him. Fine. I will hold you to that promise. Just... make sure you set it up right."

I gave her a salute. "Okie dokie!"

"By the way, will he even agree to this?" She raised an eyebrow at me.

I shrugged. "Meh. Probably not, but I have my ways."

She looked at me with an exasperated look. "I see."

She seemed to have realized something, which caused her to regain her composure. Her tone then went back to normal as she asked me a question.

"Akabane-kun, you're a lot different. It's like you weren't even raised in the White Room. Your personality is pretty much that of a normal high schooler, unlike Ayanokoji-kun, who has to put on an act in hopes that he'll eventually develop a personality. Yet, yours feels genuine. Why is that?"

I could feel my smile fade for a bit, but I managed to keep it on just slightly. I thought about it for a while, and came up with an answer, that would hopefully satisfy her curiosity.

"Well 4 years is a long time. I spent a lot of time outside the White Room. Guess that's why."

She listened to me with sincerity. She wanted to know how I, one of the fourth generations demons, grew to be such a person. It didn't feel like she was intending to use my words with mal intent. I suppose, at the end of the day, she too is just a normal teenager, who wants to get along with others.

She was analyzing my words, and my train of thought. She then let out a response.

"Friends." She muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean you actually made friends. Genuine ones. Right?" She looked at me with a warm smile, different from her usual smug grin, as she said that.

I thought back to my time in Class 3-E, Koro-sensei, Karasuma-sensei, Bitch-sensei, my new host parents, even some of the losers from the main campus like Asano and what-not.

I asked myself: "What if none of that happened? Would I be who I am today?" It was by pure coincidence that I was present when Koro-sensei, as the Reaper, and his disciple were sent to kill the men accompanying me, that I'm even out here. If that was what you call fate, then what a funny thing that is.

Instinctively, I turned my head away. "I suppose I have."

"I'm happy for you. Happy that you were able to live the life of a normal teenager, and escape the shackles from that place."

I could face twitch as I started to feel my cheeks heat up a little. "Uh, thanks. I guess."

I turned around away from her. "Anyway, I gotta go."

"Fufu. It was nice chatting with you. I'll hold you to that promise."

I raised my hand and waved goodbye. I then took out my tablet, and chose my next task. By sheer coincidence, I didn't need to do much walking. The next task was right here at D9. It was a test where you have to translate texts from from famous literature from Japanese to English.

I turned around to speak to Sakayanagi-san.

"Seems I'm gonna be here for a while."

She had already checked her tablet, and knows what I'm getting at.

"A translation-type of test, huh? *sigh* I wish I could join in."

"Why don't you? It's literally right over there." I pointed to booth and tables they were setting up."

She thought about it for a moment, then her smile widened.

"Let's ask if I'm eligible or not."

Considering her unique circumstance, it's only right to assume that there may be conflicts to her participation. I nodded in agreement, and we both walked over to the test site.

Part 4

As we approached the test site, one of the instructors happened to be Chabashira-sensei. As soon as she saw us, she gave her greetings.

"Good morning you two. You're the first ones here."

"Good morning Chabashira-sensei." Sakayanagi-san and I asked in unison.

"I'd like to sign up for this test." I told her.

As soon as said that, she presented me with a form, and I immediately signed my name. Once I was done, I asked her another question.

"Sensei, I have a question."

"Yes? What is it?"

"Is Sakayanagi-san here allowed to participate for events, given her case?"

Sakayanagi-san gave her a smile, while Chabashira-sensei thought of it for a moment.

"Although she's bounded here due to her disability, I suppose nothing is truly keeping her from taking part in events."

"That's wonderful, Chabashira-sensei." Sakayangi-san said gratefully. "In that case, I too would to like to sign up as well."

"Very well. Just sign up here." She handed the paper to Sakayanagi-san, to which she signed up immediately.

Once she was done, I turned to her. "Let this be a prelude to our upcoming competition, whenever that may be."

She smiled, with excitement in her eyes. "Very well. I look forward to it."

She held out her hand for a handshake, to which I accepted. After some time of waiting, more people arrived. One of those groups happened to be Shiina Hiyori from Class 2-B. Although we've never talked to each other before, from what I know, she's one hell of a bookworm. Her and Kiyo spent a lot of time with each other in the library, apparently.

"Oh." She caught us staring at her, and I gave a small wave.

"You're Ayanokoji-kun's friend, right?"

Sakayanagi-san listened with interest, intrigued that Kiyo has made a connection with someone outside his own class.

I nodded. "And you're Shiina Hiyori-san, right?"

"Mhm. That's me."

"I heard you're quite the bookworm. Seems you'll be tough competition for this test."

"Oh, ahahaha. I don't know about that."

I rolled my eyes. "You sell yourself short, Ms. Honor Student."

Not only was she a bookworm, but she has good academic chops as well. She's an honor student, and has been consistently been in the top 10 in the whole grade.

She lightly giggled. "It's really nothing. Especially not against someone who's been at the top spot since entering this school."

I scoffed. "At least learn to take a compliment."

She laughed sheepishly. Sakayanagi-san then spoke up.

"Good morning, Shiina-san."

"Oh, good morning, Sakayanagi-san. I didn't mean to seem rude for ignoring you."

"Fufufu. It's fine. So the top student from Class B is gonna be taking part, huh?"

"Well, I wouldn't know about top student, but I'll be representing my group for this test."

"I see."

I looked at Shiina-san's teammates, and they appear to be afraid of me. Upon getting a closer look, I recognized them to be some of my eliminations from the Line of Fire Exam. Guess I let my bloodlust run a little wild that day.

After some time of waiting, all slots have been filled, and Chabashira-sensei asked for everyone to get ready. We were told to take out our tablets, as the test questions will be sent through them, and we have precisely 30 minutes to answer the whole test.

As soon as the test questions were given, the timer began. Although the test asked us to translate these famous texts from famous literatures from Japanese to English, I suspect that they're being a lot more specific than that.

As soon as we were done, we were given a couple more minutes to wait for the system to check our our test results. If my hunch is right, the reason why they're not manually checking it, is because they aren't necessarily asking for us to translate the texts from Japanese to English.

"You seem to have noticed it as well, Akabane-kun." Sakayanagi-san spoke from beside me.

As expected of her. She too got the hint. Since it's only Chabashira-sensei and one other teacher checking the test, it would be impossible to manually check each students' answer sheet.

I didn't respond, verbally at least. I just glanced at her with a smile, which conveyed my answer to her question.

After some waiting, the test results were in. I got first place with full marks. This earned my group an additional 15 points, putting us at 178 points in total. Sakayanagi-san came in 2nd, missing out on only 5 marks, and Shiina-san came third, just a few marks below Sakayanagi-san.

Sakayanagi-san and Shiina-san then approached me.

"It seems you've won this round, Akabane-kun." Sakayanagi-san said.

"Congratulations, though I am curious. Was the school really asking for our own translation?"

Sakayanagi-san was impressed. "Ah, so you've noticed it as well, Shiina-san."

Shiina-san chuckled. "So I was right. You two noticed it too."

We both nodded.

"In all likelihood, the school wants to see how adaptable we can be." I replied.

Sakayanagi-san nodded in agreement. "Indeed. If they were simply asking us to translate these texts, they would need more instructors to manually check our answers, but there were only two."

Shiina-san then gave her own understanding of the test. "Meaning that they already had a set of answers prepared that we needed to match. Those answers would be the original English texts of the Japanese editions."

I nodded. "They were gracious enough to choose famous literature often discussed in English lectures in the schools of Japan, such as The Great Gatsby and what-not."

"Yes, but some of them are only mentioned in passing." Sakayanagi-san remarked.

"I'm curious, Akabane-kun. From what book was the question from?" Shiina-san asked. Sakayanagi-san appears to share the same curiousity.

"I'm guessing you've never read Salinger's The Catcher In The Rye?"

They both hummed. "I've heard of it, but have never gotten around to reading it." Said Shiina-san.

"It's the same for me. It's been mentioned in a few English lectures in the past." Sakayanagi-san remarked.

I let out a light chuckle. "Well even though I read books, it also helps to have a rather nosy and pushy teacher shove books into your face."

I thought back to one of Koro-sensei's lectures. Even though Bitch-sensei was our English Teacher, Koro-sensei does follow ups from time-to-time.

"I've always admired these types of subtle rebellions. You simply must read it in both languages. It ought to struck a real chord with you at your age." Said Koro-sensei much too excitingly, while everyone is giving him dead-panned looks.

Although I've already read it before leaving that place, it was only the Japanese edition. I never got to read the original, english version until the guy pretty much shoved it into our faces.

From beside me, I could hear Shiina-san let out a light giggle. "I suppose I'll have to give it a read then."

"Go ahead. As annoying as it was being shoved into my face, it's actually a good read."

"Alrighty then."

"Shiina-san!" One of her companions called out to her. "We should get going."

"Oh, on it!" She turned to us and bowed. "I should get going now. Bye."

With that, she waved, and left with her group, leaving me and Sakayanagi-san

"Well then, Sakayanagi-san..." I stretched out my arms and legs. "I should get going too."

"Fufufu. Very well. It was nice going up against you."

I nodded. "Likewise."

We walked off to opposite directions, her back to her seat, and me onto my next destination. I got another notification from my wrist watch, which showed that Kiyotaka earned us another 15 points, putting our total at 193 points.

It was now 10 minutes until our next designated area. I stealthily climbed up a tall tree, away from the prying eyes of the other students. Once I'm given my next destination, I'll head out ahead of everyone.

I have yet to receive any updates from Ritsu or Bitch-sensei, but I guess it is only the 2nd day. For now, I'll just keeo enjoying this exam while it lasts.

Ey chapter done. Firstly lemme just say, thank you guys so much for 30k reads. Ever since it made it past 20k, more people have begun to pick it up more, and it feels pretty overwhelming that so many people are reading this story. Nonetheless, the support means a lot.

This'll probably be the last chapter for a while. I don't know when I'll be able to update this next, but I tried to get this one done asap. Currently I'm in a different town for a relative's wedding, and I don't have my laptop on me. Needless to say, I can't work on the next chapter immediately, but I do have part of the draft in there.

I've said this before, but our next school year for uni is starting soon, so I won't have a lot of time to write this story. It also doesn't help that I have to study in advance for an exit exam for two subjects, but hey, that's life I guess.

I threw in a little reference from s1 ep16, as means for Karma and Sakayanagi to sort of compete against each other. I've teased that these two will battle, but I want to reserve that for another arc.

That being said, thanks again for all the support. I'll see you guys next time!

Vol. 5, Chapter 4 - Chess Time Teacher's Offer Time

(Part 1)

(Karma POV)

The next Designated Area is gonna be assigned soon. Right now I'm moving away from D9 asap in order to avoid missing out on Early Bird. Luckily, I was able to step out of D9 just in time, and in to D10 with a minute to spare.

Once the clock hit 9 am, our next Designated Area showed up, D9. I took one step backward into D9 from D10, and earned an Arrival Bonus.

"Phew. That was close." I muttered to myself.

Had I been a minute too late, we could've lose out on Early Bird. Waiting for my partner, I made my way over again to Sakayanagi-san.

"Hello." I greeted as I approached her.

She seemed taken aback by my immediate return.

"Well this is a surprise. Back so soon?"

I shrugged. "Well this is our Designated Area."

"I see. Well in that case it would seem that we would be able to chat some more."

"I suppose I can spare a few minutes while I wait for my partner to arrive."

"Is he close?"

A spark of brilliance struck my head. I fought the smirk, that was about to crawl its way over to my face.

"With his speed, it shouldn't take long."

We ended up chatting about various topics while we waited, all the while I started typing away on my tablet. Surely enough, Kiyotaka finally showed up, earning us another Early Bird, and Arrival Bonus. This puts our total to 205 points. Although our placement in the leaderboards didn't change, it did help narrow the gap between us, and 5th place. However, narrowing the gap wasn't our main concern right now.

"Took you long enough." I said to Kiyotaka.

"Good morning, Ayanokoji-kun." Sakayanagi-san greeted him.

"Good morning, Sakayanagi. I assume Ichinose, and Shibata aren't with you?"

She shook her head. "No. Our Designated Area is a good distance from here."

"I see. Actually, I've been wondering about your group."

"What of it?"

"Are you allowed to receive Early Bird?"

"Ah yes. I've already explained this to Akabane-kun here. The school was graciously kind enough to-"

I started reading out the lines in the notepad app I had written down, while I was conversing with Sakayanagi-san earlier.

"Underneath the twilight hour, the small maiden gazed at the horizon, whilst sipping her iced tea beneath her parasol. In the midst of taking in the view, a strong breeze passed, and swept away her sun hat."

"Karma?" Kiyotaka asked curiously, but I ignored him. From the corner of my eye, I could see Sakayanagi-san smiling, though her smile did not reach her ears. I continued with my narration nonetheless.

"Unable to retrieve the hat herself due to her unfortunate condition, and without any of her mandatory volunteers around to aid her, she resigned herself to a helpless defeat. She let out a deep sigh, and slumped back in her chair. However, just when she thought she lost hope, her hat was placed back on her head."

From the corner of my eye, I can see that Kiyotaka was confused - well you can't see it in his facial expression, but I can see the cogs in his brain moving, and Sakayanagi-san was discreetly gripping her cane tightly, with a gaze that looked like they could kill a man.

"She turned to see who her good samaritan was. As soon as he entered her field of view, her heart started skipping faster as she saw the sight of his chiseled chest through the thin, white fabric of his shirt, and the dead, lifeless eyes that stared back at her. Her body started to shiver. Her mouth began leaking drool, and her legs started shifting uncomfortably as-"

I instinctively leaned to my right in order to avoid the in coming cane. I turned my head to her, and could see that she looked like she wanted to murder me. Kiyotaka walked past me to retrieve her cane.

"Akabane-kun, you're really selling the whole, coming at you like we want you dead spiel, huh?" Sakayanagi-san said coldly without losing her cold smile, but I remained unbothered.

"Hm? You want me dead? Why, I did no such thing. I'm just writing a story to pass the time, Sakayanagi-chan." I said cheerfully.

"You know exactly what I mean. You better honor our deal."

I stuck out my tongue, and gave a thumbs up.

"What deal?" Kiyotaka asked warily, returning Sakayanagi-chan's cane to her.

"Don't worry about it." I replied.

"That's not reassuri-" I cut him off, grabbed him by the shoulders, and started pushing him away with me, away from this scary creature.

"Oh well, would you look at that. We've wasted enough time already. Time to get to our tasks. We still haven't decided yet, after all."

"That's true, but why are you-"

"Anyway Sakayanagi-chan, we're leaving now. Remember, reality is an illusion, the universe is a hologram, buy gold. Bye!"

Part 2

(Ayanokoji POV)

Karma and I went our separate ways, and went on to do our chosen events. I opted for the archery event in F9, while Karma went for the Social Studies Test in C8.

As soon as I crossed a stream that flowed from the mountain, into the ocean, I arrived to the event area, and immediately signed up. I looked at my surroundings, and found Akito, Haruka, and Airi, sat together in a circle underneath a shaded tree. They saw me and walked towards my direction.

"Hey. It's been a while." Akito greeted, while the other two waved at me.

"Well, it's a large island. Seems we'll both be competing against each other."

"Yeah."

"Is it just you? Where's Akane?" Asked Haruka, curiously.

"At a different area. He's taking part in another event." I didn't want to say which one, since there were other people present. I didn't want to risk giving away any sort of information that the other years might use against us.

"Oh, I see. So you guys are splitting up, huh?"

I nodded. "Pretty much."

"You know, Kiyotaka." Akito chimed in. "For someone who's taking on different tasks all by yourselves, you've managed to outdo most of the entire school."

"Y-yeah. You and Karma-kun are currently in top 6! Good job you guys." Praised Airi excitedly.

We've been doing a good job keeping up with everyone else. However, the problem was with the Third Years. The top five spots were dominated by them, with Nagumo's team in first, and Kiriyama's team in second, followed by another group of third years in third, fourth, and fifth.

With us in 6th, the ones following us were the solo Koenji at 7th, Sakayanagi's team at 8th, 9th place by another team of third years, and lastly, 10th place by a team of first years.

Nagumo's strategy of preventing us from getting Early Bird was working in keeping us at bay, however even he knows he can't keep that up forever. He's focusing on defense rather than offense in the early game.

Although he claims that he's serious for this competition between us, I can't help but think that he's slowly starting to lose interest. I'm wondering if that'll change soon, since Koenji is starting to catch up. The point difference between him, and our group is narrowing by the minute.

"Thanks, but right now my options of tasks are limited. I can only do physical ability-oriented tasks."

"Has that really all you've been doing, Kiyotaka? You're gonna wear yourself out." Akito said, concerned.

He's right to be worried. Although it takes a lot to wear me out, I'm not invincible. My body has its limits. Although I'm going for events that require one's physical ability, I'm avoiding ones that put on too much strain on one's body, so that I don't overexert myself.

"I could do math, but none have appeared nearby yet."

"Well, I'm sure you and Akane got this, Kiyopon. After all, you two have been doing a pretty good job so far." The other two nodded.

"Thanks."

Haruka clasped both her hands together. "By the way, you'll be going up against Miyatchii! This should be fun to watch!"

Airi chuckled. "It would be interesting seeing you two competing."

Akito nods. "After seeing you in action last exam, you actually have pretty good accuracy. Looks like you'll be giving me a run for my money."

"Those were air guns though. You think I can do well with a bow?"

I have never shot an arrow with a bow before, so this should be a new experience for me.

Akito shrugs. "From my experience, it should translate over."

"I see."

After a while, the event organizer called for us, and we complied. We were each given a bow, and three arrows. The objective was to get the best score as possible in all three shots. They ordered us to line up, and face our targets. As soon as we were given the go signal, I took aim, pulled back the string, and shot my first arrow. I didn't get a bullseye, but I did pretty well..

In the middle of my attempt, I got a notification from my wrist watch. Seemed Karma won us some points. Once everyone was done, the scores were announced. I did pretty well, and tied for first with Akito. Since there was no tie-breaker, we both got 15 points each.

I checked my group's overall score, and saw that Karma and I were now at 230. Seems Karma won us another 10 points while I was doing archery.

"Nice one Kiyotaka." Akito approached, and congratulated me.

"You too. We both got first."

"I told you your gun skills translated over. If you were in the archery club, or at least practiced some more, I've got no doubt in my mind that you would've overtaken me."

Probably. We never really did archery back in the White Room. We learned about it, but we never got to try it out first hand. According to the instructors, a gun is more efficient, and compact than a bow, so there was never a need for us to learn that skill. Still, I did pretty well if my only form of practice was with a gun.

"Where will you be headed for now?" Akito asked me.

"I haven't decided yet. I don't want to go too far, so I'll wait for tasks to appear nearby."

Akito chuckled. "Yeah. You have a point."

"What about you guys?"

"We'll probably be taking a short break. After that, we'll head back to the starting area for some provisions."

"You're already short on food and water?"

Akito shook his head. "No. I mean they'll need some... women-only stuff. You get what I mean."

So that's what it was.

"It must be tough. Travelling with two girls I mean." I told him.

He let out an exasperated sigh. "While I have nothing against them, I feel like I would do a lot better if I went solo."

Being a guy is already an advantage when it comes to an exam like this. This isn't a matter of debate. Even if a girl were to train a lot, it doesn't erase the fact that the female anatomy is vastly different from that of the male's. It's especially bad for them when it's "that time of the month."

This isn't to say girls won't do well in this exam. There are those with a good chance of taking the top spot, or at least getting in to the top 10. Ichinose, Sakayanagi, Horikita, Onodera and Kiryuin are good examples. It's just that the there's a huge difference in needs between the female body from the male body.

I wanted to tell Akito that their group is doing pretty well for itself, however they're at the bottom 10. Airi and Haruka aren't the most physically gifted people, it especially doesn't help that they're not very participative during PE, so their placement doesn't come as a surprise. Still, as long as they don't drop to the bottom 5, we should be fine.

"It would be nice to join a large group. You know, for insurance." Said Akito.

"You're right, and since you're already a mixed gender group of three, I don't think it would be too difficult to find a group that would allow you to adhere to the gender ratio rule."

"True, but who would want us?"

As harsh as his self-deprecation is, he has a point. If Akito were solo, other groups probably won't have any problems taking him in, but because he's with Haruka and Airi, that only complicates things. Those two aren't known to have good overall ability, and they're not the most sociable of people.

Perhaps a group from Ichinose's class might be willing to take them in, but even then, Ichinose also wants to make sure that none of her classmates get expelled, so she has to take in to account their strengths and weaknesses. When it comes to Airi and Haruka, the cons outweigh the pros.

"I... I'm sorry..." Akito let out a nervous chuckle. "I have nothing against Haruka and Airi. It's just-"

I cut him off before her could finish. "You also wish that your group would do better, right?"

He meekly nodded. I can't blame him for thinking that, but this was ultimately his choice. It's true Akito could probably do better if he instead paired off with Keisei, since they balance each other out in terms of overall ability, but that would leave out both Haruka and Airi.

They don't have many friends, both within our class and out of it, so it'll be difficult to find a group that they'll be able to work with.

Akito sighed. "Well, this is still better than letting either of them be at the risk of expulsion, so I'm alright with this."

Although Karma had told Akito beforehand that he could probably do better if he paired off with Keisei, Akito still wanted to make sure that Haruka and Airi won't be in any danger. Because of this, he gave up any chances of making it to the top 10, as long as it meant that he could protect his friends.

"How noble of you." I remarked.

Although we said he would do better if he and Keisei worked together as a pair, it's still probably not enough to bring them into the top 10. Especially not when you have Nagumo pretty much having the entire third years under his belt.

At best, if they did work together as a pair, Akito and Keisei would probably be placed around the middle. While it's not an exceptionally impressive placement, it's still a massive improvement from Akito's current one.

"What about you, Kiyotaka? Is everything alright with you and Karma? I haven't seen him since we parted ways yesterday." Akito asked.

"Well, he hasn't killed anyone. The most he's been doing is taunting people, so I'd say we're good."

"Ahaha. Well that's good news."

As we were talking, Haruka and Airi approached us. We decided to take a break for a while before embarking for our next destinations.

Part 3

After parting ways with Akito, Haruka, and Airi, I made my way over to another event, that just appeared, a chess tournament in G9. Although it doesn't require outstanding physical ability, it was better than answering written tests.

I remember Haruka and the others saying how Sakayanagi openly praised my chess ability, back when we were doing the Line of Fire Exam, so it's at least well known that I'm rather skilled at the game.

I also raised my hand when Horikita asked her class "who was good at chess?" back during the preparations for the Commanding Towers Exam, so my own classmates should at least know that I have no problems playing it.

As I made my way over to the exam site, I spot the devil headed towards the same direction as me. Seeing as I have no reason to avoid her, I called out her name.

"Horikita."

The short, black haired woman turned around and spotted me as soon as she heard me call out her name.

"Ayanokoji-kun?"

She waited for me to come nearer, until we were now walking side by side.

"Are you headed for G9 as well?" I asked her.

"Yes. I take it you too will be participating in the chess event?"

I nodded. "Seems we'll be competing against each other then."

"If you're one of the contestants, then as long as Sakayanagi-san doesn't compete, the winner is as clear as day."

Because I personally trained her in chess myself, she knows my chess abilities to some extent. She also knows that I was holding back against her during our training sessions, so she also knows that the only ones that could come closest to beating me are the likes of Sakayanagi.

"You seem rather confident, that I would come out on top."

"I admit, we don't know how good other students are at chess, but if someone like Sakayanagi-san openly acknowledged your skills at the game, even going as far as to say that there's a high chance she would've lost if it had been you two playing from the start, then I have no room for doubt."

After Sakayanagi's Class A won the Commanding Towers Exam, Horikita thought that me boasting about my abilities was just that, all talk. However, over the course of these past few months, she's seen more of what I can do. Couple that with Sakayanagi's own praise towards me, Horikita's faith in me seemed to have been restored.

"There are other factors that you have to consider. Skills and talent aren't always apparent based on how a person presents themselves. I'm confident I could get a high placement in chess, but whether I win the whole thing or not is a different story."

"You're contradicting your past words. You said before that no one could beat you, even when you're holding back." She said sternly.

"You're right to think that, but it would be stupid not to consider the strengths and weaknesses of others. I may be confident, but I'm not arrogant."

Although the chances of me winning are rather high, I always have to consider the unknown. If my chances of winning are 99%, there's always that 1% that I cannot ignore. Nothing in this world is 100% certain. No matter how small the chances of you losing are, it's still there. You can never be too careful.

"Although I would like to call you out on that, you have always been cautious, despite not appearing to be. You anticipate a lot of what may or may not happen, and everything almost always works to your favor."

"Not always. There are some stuff that I couldn't anticipate."

Horikita scoffs. "Ah yes. The few times you couldn't anticipate future outcomes definitely outweighs the many times you've accurately predicted many scenarios. You predicted that I would fall for your trap during Sudo-kun's trial-"

I cut her off. "At the time, you needed guidance. You were trying to prove something, so I just lent you a hand. Besides, it's not like you would've listened to me anyway."

She ignored my comment, and continued. "You also predicted that Kushida-san would betray the class during last year's Sport's Festival, and that I would kneel in front of Ryuen-kun. You even perfectly timed sending him that message right, which ended up in me not kneeling in front of him."

"That was just luck. I honestly didn't even know that you were about to kneel right then and there. I just remembered to send the message on the spot. I could've done that at any time."

Although I was able to get my point across to Ryuen, making Horikita kneel wouldn't be so bad. She may have changed after I criticized her, which led to her bringing back Sudo, but some of her pride still lingered, which can hinder her growth.

Having her kneel in front of Ryuen would make her taste the full feeling of defeat, thereby shattering her pride completely. The shame she would feel would sting her, but she would fully realize the gap of power between both her and Ryuen posses much sooner.

As harsh as it may seem, the shame from a more crushing defeat would help strengthen her resolve, and it would better impact her "rebirth".

As I thought all this, Horikita continued with listing down events from her memory.

"You even anticipated that you wouldn't get expelled, and instead Yamauchi-kun will. You claim to have not done anything, but perhaps that's because you didn't need to."

"What do you mean?" I asked her curiously.

"As I said last Spring Break, you probably won't answer this, but..." She eyes me suspiciously. "I'm pretty sure that you and Sakayanagi-san planned that whole thing. That you would receive the most praise votes, that way you would have an excuse to become the commander, and face off against each other during the Commanding Towers Exam directly."

It was reasonable for her to think that. However, me receiving that many praise votes, which ended up into me becoming the commander for the exam really was just a huge coincidence. Sakayanagi just wanted to make sure I was safe, but Tsukishiro used that to his advantage to make me lose the protection point I had just received.

"You're free to interpret all that however you want, however, I can tell you that I didn't expect the praise votes ever playing into me becoming the commander."

Horikita's brows furrowed. "So you're saying that you just got lucky? Getting all those praise votes and all that."

"You're probably sick of me playing it all down to coincidences and luck, but the thing is, most opportunities are created by luck. It takes skill to grasp those opportunities and turn them into success."

Horikita looked like she wanted to say something, but ended up holding her tongue. She lets my words sink in, understanding what I had been saying.

"I... I suppose you're right. When I think about it, whenever you see an opportunity, you tend to jump on it, and work it to your favor. Like how you got lucky that I was sick during last year's island exam, and used it to your advantage."

"A morbid example, but yes."

"Ah, yes, about that."

She jabs me in the abdomen with her elbow.

"I never properly got you back for that."

"Then allow me to apologize for that properly."

She held out a hand, telling me to stop. "No need. You can pay by winning this exam. It works out to both our favors anyway."

"I suppose."

"Speaking of winning, it seems we're finally here."

In the middle of our talk, we managed to arrive at G9. There were already quite a few people here. We quickly made our way over to the booths, and signed up.

Part 4

The rules for this chess tournament were simple enough. One participant per group is allowed to play, and no switching allowed. This means that players cannot switch with their teammate/teammates during, and after a match.

2 players are pitted against each other, and the winner gets to move on to their next opponent. There's only one round per match.

A chess clock is also imposed, so that players don't take up too much time. Overall, each round has a time limit of 20 minutes. In the case of a draw, the victor would be decided using the time from the clock. There's also a five minute interval after the last match is finished. Depending on how this goes, I could be here for more or less an hour.

Right now there are 32 participants, which means I need to win 5 matches in order to win the whole event. Looking around me, I recognize a few, one of them being Hashimoto from Sakayanagi's Class A. He gave Horikita a run for her money last time, and was even trained by Sakayanagi herself for a short time.

The proctors instructed us to get ready. I sat down on my seat, and was faced against a Class B student from the 1st years.

"So you're Ayanokoji-senpai, huh?" The first year said, starting up a conversation.

Not wanting to make things awkward between us, I decided to answer him. "Yes, I am."

He narrowed his gaze towards me, and let out a hum.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Well you already know about the whole bounty thing." He said quietly, enough for me to hear, but not for everyone else to catch. "I was just thinking, are you really all that your cracked up to be?"

"What do you mean?"

"I've heard quite a few things about you. Yeah, you're pretty athletic, but you don't strike me as the brains type."

"Is that so?"

"I've heard about your math score, but honestly, once you get the hang of it, cheat sheets aren't that difficult to pull off."

Apparently this guy thought I cheated on that one math test, that I got a perfect score on. While I don't blame him for thinking that, he's clearly underestimating the level of surveillance the school puts in to monitoring for our exams.

"I see."

"What? Not even gonna retort?"

"It's a huge waste of energy arguing over something so trivial."

"Are you mocking me, Senpai? You may have stopped Hosen's plan, but that's because the guy's an idiot defect."

"So you're saying that being placed in Class D from the start automatically makes you incompetent?"

He shrugged. "Well that is how things work around here. The way I see it, you have some muscle, but that alone isn't gonna get you anywhere. If you didn't have Akabane-senpai as your back up, you probably won't even get far."

Well he's both right, and wrong. In a way, our current placement is precisely because Karma and I are working together as a well-synched duo, instead of being pitted against each other.

"I suppose I could see your point."

"So you concede?"

I thought of it for a moment, before giving my answer.

"If you think Karma is so incompetent, I'd like to see you go up against him yourself."

"What about you though? You're not gonna defend your honor?"

"There's no honor to defend. Besides, you'll find out in the next few seconds."

"Hm?"

As we were talking, Hoshinomiya-sensei approached us.

"Oh, good morning Ayanokoji-kun, Hayashi-kun!" She greeted us, bubbly.

"Good morning, Hoshinomiya-sensei." I greeted her.

"Good morning, sensei." Hayashi greeted back to her.

"I'll be overseeing your match for today, and whoever wins between you two. So, are you both ready?" She asked, inquisitively.

I nodded.

"Yes, sensei."

"Very well then. Once I give you the go signal, white, who in this match is Hayashi-kun, will go first. Remember about the clock you two. I'll be watching."

"We got it, sensei." Hayashi said smugly, while I merely nodded at her.

"Alright then. On your mark, get se, go!"

As soon as Hoshinomiya-sensei gave the signal, Hiyashi started his timer.

"Hmm..." He hummed.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm thinking about how I could win this, easy."

I glanced at his timer, which was already counting down. "I'm not saying to hurry up, since I don't know what you're thinking, but the clock is ticking."

I shrugged. "Yeah, yeah, senpai. I know. I already have a sure-win strategy in mind. Watch."

He moved his pawn from G2 over to G4. "There, G4. Get the Bishop out. I'm just gonna play simple chess. No need for overly complicated strategies, when dealing with a defect."

He then hit the button on his clock. I then hit mine, and it started counting down. Immediately, I moved the pawn, that was directly in front of my King, two tiles forward. I then hit the button of my clock again, stopping it's countdown. As I did that, he proceeded to do the same with his clock, causing the timer to count down again.

He hasn't made a move yet. Instead, he let out a light chuckle, as if saying that he's got this. He then glanced over to me.

"Hehehe. You're not gonna see this coming from a mile away, senpai."

I didn't respond. Instead, I just watched as he moved his pawn from F2 to F3. I was so perplexed by his choice of action, that I almost didn't noticed him hitting the button on his clock. Luckily the sound of his palm hitting the button snapped me out of my train of thought, and I hit my own clock immediately after his.

Before I made my next move, I glanced at him for a little bit, and then back to the chess board, and then back to him again.

"What is it, senpai? Chicken?"

I glanced over to Hoshinomiya-sensei, and she looked like she was covering her mouth, doing her best to hold in her laughter. After returning my attention to the chess board, I immediately moved my Queen diagonally over to the other side, and checkmated his King.

"Checkmate." I said.

After I did that, I hit the clock. I didn't need to, but I wanted to snap Hiyashi out of his shock, however, the sound of me hitting the button on my clock did not appear to have register for him, as he just sat there with his mouth gaped open, while Hoshinomiya-sensei clutched her stomach, laughing hysterically.

"Hiyashi?" I called out to him.

He didn't listen. He just continued to stare at the board with a blanched expression. I then turned my head to Hoshinomiya-sensei, hoping that she would break the tension.

"Sensei?" I called out to her.

"AHAHAHA! Ah yes. Sorry about that." She said, wiping a tear from her eye. She then cleared her throat, and put a hand on Hiyashi's shoulder, getting his attention.

"Congratulations. I'm not that good a chess myself, but I think I could safely say that that was one of the fastest matches I've ever seen in my life!" She said, while trying her best no to burst out laughing.

"Now then, the match goes to Ayanokoji-kun. Hiyashi-kun, please make your exit. You're free to watch the other matches, but keep a distance between you and the other contestants. We wouldn't want to cause a disturbance."

"...Uh...huh...huh..." He tried to give his okay to her, but all that came out were unintelligible noises.

Hoshinomiya-sensei took him by the arm, and helped him stand back up. He then started to walk away, but not before shooting me a look of confusion, which tells me he still didn't understand what just happened.

I just remained seated, as Hoshinomiya-sensei came back.

"I think you may have fried his brain." She said in between chuckles.

"Honestly, I'm just as confused as you are."

I'm still wondering if that match was even real. It almost feels like a dream.

"Ahahaha. Well regardless, you finished way earlier than everyone else, so if you'd like, you can take a look around. Just makes sure you don't disturb anyone."

"Don't worry. I'm not moving."

She sighed. "What a shame. I was really excited to see you play chess again, especially after your match with Sakayanagi-san, but ooh boy was that a let down."

It really was. I didn't even have to think at all.

"Sorry to disappoint you then."

"Oh, don't be silly!" She said, winking. "That guy was just full of himself. I'm sure I'll see another great match later down the line."

She then placed a hand on my shoulder, and leaned a little closer. A little too close for a teacher if you ask me. I'm thankful Karma's not here.

"You know, Ayanokoji-kun, you're just full of surprises, huh?"

"What makes you think that, sensei?"

"You really love playing dumb, huh?"

I suppose after everything I've displayed so far, excuses like these won't work on just about anyone anymore.

"It's really no fair. Sae-chan's hogging a lot of great people. Now you even have Akabane-kun in your class. I mean, I get that he's got an attitude problem, and is a sadist, but come on!" She said pouting.

This was getting really uncomfortable, but I was able to push that thought aside as soon as I noticed some feeling of resentment she's bearing.

"Are you unhappy, sensei?" I asked.

"Why do you think that?"

"You seem pretty unhappy with Chabashira-sensei, and our class for some reason."

She sighed. "Well let's just say that you, Sae-chan's class, are doing pretty well for yourself."

"But you can't say the same for your class. Is that it?"

"Well I don't hate them, it's just that there seems to be an imbalance of power. I mean, what was the school thinking putting Akabane-kun in Class D. I mean, I get it, but I think it would've made more sense if her were in a higher class."

I can't argue with that. Although Karma has behavioral issues, the school may have failed to look in to his developments starting in his last year of middle school, and instead, focused on all his past issues. Still, given his skillset, it would've made more sense for him to be placed in either Class B or C. If that's the case, he would be an interesting opponent to go up against. Being placed Class A is out of the question though, since his background is riddled too much with filth.

"It's not like we're gonna stay at the bottom of the barrel forever. Horikita's doing a good job leading everyone, all things considered."

"Yeah, but if you ask me, this development is way too quick. It's like there's some sort of hidden force at play." She says that last part, while eyeing me intently.

She already has reason to suspect that there's more to me than meets the eye. It especially doesn't help that Chabashira-sensei keeps close tabs on me as well.

"A hidden force? Aren't you imagining things?"

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Whatever the case, balance needs to be restored."

She rubs her chin, and thinks for a moment. After a few seconds, she places both hands on my shoulders, almost like she was pouncing at her prey.

"Ooh, I know! Why don't you transfer to my class! You and Honami-chan already get along pretty well, anyway."

"Interesting. Why me though?"

"Like I said, balance needs to be restored. Class D has way too many top players. Akabane-kun can take your place in that class. Our class is filled with great people. I'm sure they'll welcome you with open arms!" She said all cheerfully.

"You've really put forward something so outlandish, haven't you?"

She huffs. "Now, now. Don't be like that. I just want what's best for my students. So anyway, how 'bout it? It's a revolutionary idea, no?"

Not really. Even someone like Ishizaki could come up with it, and I have a good reason to believe that.

"If Katsuragi-kun transferred to Ryuen-kun's Class, then so could you."

"Isn't it your job as a teacher to remain impartial to your student's state of affairs?" I retorted.

"Aw come one. I just want what's best for my class."

"If that's the case, why don't you lend them a hand?"

She sighed. "I am, but it's not good enough."

"Then that would mean that there's a problem with how you do your job. Am I wrong?"

"Ayanokoji-kun! Don't be so mean!" She said in a pouting manner.

"Look, even if I agreed, where would I get the 20 million points? I won't be able to save up enough by myself. There's also no guarantee where each Class would be placed in the future. For all we know, Class C could drop down again to Class D, and, although highly unlikely, the current Class B could even become the new Class A.Even if I do save up until graduation, I'd rather use those points to transfer directly to the current Class A around that time."

"Y-you didn't have to say it so impartially."

If you somehow managed to secure the right to transfer classes, it went without saying that you wouldn't use it until you were on the verge of graduating.

That is, unless you happened to get poached free-of-charge by one of the other classes, like Katsuragi. Although... virtually none of the worthwhile students would jump at the opportunity to demote to one of the lower classes, so that was bound to end up failing as well. Even on the off chance that someone agreed to go through with it, whether or not the single person would be enough to raise the class all the way to Class A was yet another matter.

I sighed. "If you have nothing else more to say, I think I'll go look around."

"B-but I thought you said you were gonna remain in your seat."

"I changed my mind." I got up from my seat, and started walking away.

From behind me, I can faintly hear her mutter: "So cold..."

Although I escaped her grasp for now, she did say that she'll be supervising me, or whoever ends up beating me, until the very end. While that may be bothersome, my argument may just keep her from bothering me. For now, I'll just observe some of the matches.

Yellow, been a while since my last update. I did say updates would be slowing down, since school's starting, though the main thing that really slowed me down was me getting sick ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL BY THE WAY. I swear, it's like I was cursed or something.

By the way, if you get the chess reference, you're a legend. Also, Hiyashi is an OC. I just looked up Japanese names and chose at random. In case you were wondering.

Anyway, lemme just say... why the fuck are you guys still reading this? Lol. Sometimes I can't stand reading my own work, but for some reason, this ended up getting 36.5k reads, and 1.5k votes. Just the other day, this had 34k reads. Seriously, thank you so much. I really appreciate it.

There was also another reason why I slowed down in writing this, and that's because I was like, fuck it. Let's actually update my Horimiya fic too. Anyway, that's getting updated soon as well.

I'm going to give you guys a heads up right now, my version of the uninhabited island exam may or may not actually be 14 days long. I have something planned, I swear, but for now, you'll just have to bide with it. Once day 2 comes to an end, it will be the end of Vol 5, and Vol 6 will then come soon after with day 3. I have a pretty cool ending for this arc, but I need to polish it, since there is a lot going on.

Also, in case you're wondering, yes, I'm also doing on own take on Yr 2, Vol 4.5. However, the one I'm most excited to write is the Class Poll exam. I have something special planned for that exam. It's gonna be great.

Lastly, I'm probably not gonna write all the way until graduation. By anything, I'll probably stop after a certain point after the end of their 2nd year. It's not because I don't like writing this - trust me, I really do - it's just that I have an ending planned, that I feel like would be a nice send off. When I was brainstorming for ideas, I thought of a Christmas arc that feels like it would already make for a good send off to both of our protagonists.

Anyway, I feel like writing what goes on in their third year would feel super repetitive, since I don't want to have to keep recycling old ideas, nor keep coming up with new exams. It's especially gonna get stale, most likely since by the time 2nd year ends, Karma's and Kiyotaka's arc would be complete.

I'm not gonna say anything more, because I don't want to risk myself giving anything away, but yeah. That's all your getting out of me, but I hope you look forward to it.

Also, quite a few people have been asking me if more characters from AC are gonna show up, and the answer is yes. After all, this is a crossover of both COTE and AC. Why wouldn't more AC characters show up. As for who will show up?\_(ツ)/

That's all I have to say. I'll see you guys next update. Sayonara!

Vol. 5, Chapter 5 - Chess Time Part 2 Sowing Time

Part 1

(Ayanokoji POV)

Some time after my match with the first year, Hiyashi, ended, I spectated the matches of the other contestants. I noticed three in particular, who stood out from the rest in terms of skill: Horikita, Kanzaki, and Hashimoto.

I was already aware with Hashimoto, since he was Class A's representative during the Commanding Towers exam, and I was the one, who taught Horikita personally. However, I was not expecting Kanzaki to be a pretty good player, let alone even play chess.

20 minutes since my match passed, and the first round of the chess tournament ended. We were called over to our respective seats, and in front of me was none other than Vice President Kiriyama of Class 3-B.

As he took his seat, he looked at me warily, before giving his form of greeting.

"So you're my opponent, huh?"

"It would appear so." I replied.

"What's your game?"

"Excuse me?" I asked for a clarification.

"Obviously you have something planned." He said, crossing his arms. "Not just for this chess tournament, but for the rest of the exam."

The plan isn't quite as concrete as there are still some things we needed to confirm before we could proceed. Still, I didn't want to give anything away.

"If you're talking about this chess tournament, you're overthinking things. I'll just play the game as is intended. If I lose, I lose. That's it."

He raised an eyebrow at me and asked. "That's it? What do you mean 'that's it'?"

"It's as I said. It's not like I'll know what moves you're going to make. I'll only find out once our match starts."

"Well I... suppose you have a point. But what about the rest of the exam?"

"I'm afraid I can't give anything away to our enemy."

He narrows his gaze at me. "Not like I expected you to just give away you're plan. Still, you've been doing quite fine for yourselves, all things considered."

"Karma's not one to lose, and neither of us are leaving this school. That much you can count on."

"Well you've certainly proven yourselves to be worthy adversaries so far, but do you honestly think that you could take on Nagumo? Even Horikita-senpai was troubled by him."

He's probably referring to the many onslaughts of attacks thrown at Manabu by Nagumo himself. The most recent one being from last year's Mixed Training Camp, where he had a near-iron clad strategy. He may not have succeeded in expelling Tachibana, but the blow he dealt to Manabu was not a small price to pay.

"For someone, who wants to take down Nagumo so bad, you sure seem content at following his orders."

"...What do you mean?"

"I understand wanting the Class Transfer Tickets as a reason for participating in our expulsion, but even before this, you didn't seem to have any qualms with going through with his plans."

He remains quiet for a second, before giving me an answer. "Well... despite my desire to overthrow him, he's still very much the Student Council President. Of course I have to comply to some of his requests, even if they're absurd."

"That's not my point, Kiriyama-senpai."

"What do you-"

Just as he was about to ask, Hoshinomiya-sensei walked over to our table, cutting him off mid-sentence.

"Okay! So are you both ready?"

The board had already been prepared beforehand, so there wasn't much for us to do. Not wanting to waste any more time, we set aside our conversation and we both gave her our 'okay'.

"Alrighty then. You both now the rules by now, so I assume there's no need to repeat myself?"

"It's alright, Sensei." Said Kiriyama.

"Same fore me." I said.

"Very well. Once I turn this hourglass, the match begins."

We turned our attention to the hourglass in her hands. The moment she turned it, let out a "begin!".

I was White, so I get to make the first move. I tapped my hand on the clock next to me, and it started counting down. I began to make my move. Once my turn was over, we started alternating, neither of us speaking a word to the other.

A couple of minutes passed, and Kiriyama was starting to feel the weight of the match on him. I have taken both of his rooks, one of his knights, his queen, and four of his pawns. On my end, I lost one of my knights, one of my bishops, and three of my pawns.

From a single glance, I could tell that he was panicking. Droplets of sweat slid down from his head, and his eyes wandered all over the board, trying to think of a way to turn things around. However, it was futile.

As soon as he made his move, I made mine, and ended the game with my knight.

"Checkmate." I exclaimed.

He appeared shocked, but tried his best to keep his cool. Next to us, Hoshinomiya-sensei clapped, and congratulated me for my victory.

"Well done, Ayanokoji-kun. I'm impressed."

"Thank you, sensei."

"Yes. Well played indeed." Said Kiriyama, said grimly.

"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself, Kiriyama-kun. You did fantastic against Ayanokoji-kun." Said Hoshinomiya-sensei, trying to console him.

To his credit, Kiriyama took his loss rather well, unlike Hiyashi from last round, who looked like his brain shorted a few circuits. Kiriyama looked looked to be in deep thought however.

"Is there something wrong, Senpai?" I asked, snapping him out of his daze.

He perked up and looked at me. "Ayanokoji, while I'm starting to see why Horikita-senpai holds you in such high regard, I get the feeling even he doesn't seem to have seen the full picture."

"Oh?" Hoshinomiya-sensei reacted. "So Horikita Manabu-kun knows about you as well, Ayanokoji-kun?"

"More or less." I responded.

"Well I guess that makes sense, given your race from last year. Still, to be acquainted with such a man is no small feat."

"It's just as sensei said. Although Senpai doesn't shut other people out, and rather welcomes them with open arms, there is a sense of professionalism between his many interactions." Said Kiriyama.

From what I know of Manabu, he tends to keep a professional distance between himself, and other people. The only person I could truly say he's really ever close with is Tachibana, but even then, the true nature of their relationship is still ambiguous.

It's obvious that she has feelings for him, but it seems one-sided. Even with their status as being friends is still questionable. Although they do get along, and are seen together a lot, there was always a sense of professionalism. Somehow, even after they've been freed from their Student Council duties, there still seems to be a hint of their relationship as President and Secretary.

Perhaps their relationship will continue to grow. Since they'll be in touch after graduation, maybe then Manabu would somehow break down that barrier that separates him from other people. This would in turn let him become closer with Tachibana.

"It's not like we're in anyway close."

True to form, much of our interactions have always been business. The only times I could really say, that we were casual with each other were that one time during the Class Poll exam, when I asked him if he and Tachibana were dating, and lastly our final moments together. Even then, those moments were brief.

"Perhaps so, but-" I cut Kiriyama off before he could say anything more.

"Before you continue..." I turned to Hoshinomiya-sensei. I didn't want any unrelated parties listening in on us.

"Sensei, could you please leave us alone for a while. I'm pretty sure there's no problem if the loser of the match stays, right?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I guess it's fine. Oh! But what's so important that you can't let little ol' me listen in?"

"I believe we're right to be entitled to with our privacy." I turned to Kiriyama. "Right, Senpai?"

He nodded in agreement, just now realizing he'd rather not speak about this matter in front of a third party, even if that third party is a teacher.

"Oh fine! Just make sure you don't cause a scene. I'll be around if you need me."

With that, she sauntered off to observe other matches.

Part 2

"I get why you made her leave, but is your acquaintanceship with Horikita-senpai really that sensitive, that you don't want other people around, listening?"

It's understandable he would think that, but that wasn't why I made her leave.

"Let's change the subject." I told him. He raised an eyebrow at my request.

"What is it?" He inquired.

"Are you still going to take down Nagumo?"

He seemed taken aback by my sudden question. He took a moment to respond.

"What makes you think I'm not?"

"Just a hunch."

"A hunch?" He asked, puzzled.

"The last time we met, you said you wanted nothing more to do with me, yet you're speaking to me now."

"Well, you're my opponent. I just... don't want to make things awkward."

His argument was valid, but there was strain in his voice.

"Alright then, let me ask you something else. What have you been doing in order to take down Nagumo?"

I emphasize on 'you' to get my point across.

He opened his mouth, and tried to say something, but no words could be formed. He looked into my eyes, and saw that no amount of lies can get him out of this one. Resigning to defeat, he let out a deep sigh.

"It's hopeless." He muttered in a lowly, but loud enough for me to here. "Nagumo's impossible to take down. His overall abilities are unmatched throughout the third years. On top of that, his influence, power, and information network are wide. No one would dare oppose him at this point."

"By 'at this point' you mean now that all of you are nearing graduation, right?"

He nodded once.

"And without Horikita-senpai, you have no one to back you up. Isn't that right?"

He closed his eyes, and gave another nod.

"Well, all but you apparently." He said. "However, no matter how much Horikita-senpai thinks highly of you, it's too far late in the game. His class has too many class points, that not even Class B could hope to narrow the gap."

"Which is why you decided to stop opposing him, and instead went along with him, in hopes that his plans could somehow get you into Class A. Right?"

There was a brief moment of silence, him pondering at how I had just figured him out.

"How long have you known?"

"A while." I shrugged. It was fairly obvious. "The whole class transfer ticket thing is not something you could pass up."

He sighed. "Which is why I told you before that it wasn't anything personal. As 3-B's representative, I took it upon myself to take as many of my classmates with me to Class A as much as possible." He stared at me sternly. "By any means necessary."

There was a hint of defeat in his voice, a man who has given up, and has instead taken an alternative route. One which dealt a huge blow to his pride.

"It's admirable that you want to help your class, however..." I slowly stood up, but remained in my spot.

"Your resolve is misplaced."

He raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"

"You've chosen this path out of desperation, and greed. Those at the top tend to take advantage of others' misfortunes, and those people become nothing, but their own personal slaves."

He scowled. "You think I'm-"

I cut him off. "A slave, a pawn, a tool? Yes. You became one the moment you resigned yourself to Nagumo's will."

He clicked his tongue. "Me? A slave? As if I'd sick that low."

"Haven't you already though?"

He tried to say something, but before he could, I continued, not giving him time to steal the podium.

"While I have no issues with all of you going after Karma and I for those class transfer tickets, you might want to think about why you're doing it in the first place."

He clicked his tongue, slammed his hands on the desk, and rose up, leaning closer towards me.

"Isn't it obvious?! I'm doing this for-"

"Kiriyama-kun!" One of the teachers called out to him, the other facilitators now eyeing our table, while the contestants try their best to ignore the situation.

Kiriyama sank back down to his seat, and continued what he was saying, in a quiter town this time.

"I'm doing this for my class."

"While I believe you on that one, would you also be saying that if Nagumo asked you to spy on me, or even expel one of your classmates, simply because he doesn't like them?"

"Wh-what?!" He stuttered. "Why one Earth-" He pauses, making sure he wasn't being disruptive to the other contestants. "Why on Earth would I go through with that?"

I crossed my arms. "Once someone's in control of you, it's difficult to break free from it. They may even be controlling you right now, and you wouldn't even notice a thing."

"N-no... I get how manipulative Nagumo can be, but I won't succumb to that."

"Seems to me, that you're already dancing in the palm of his hand."

"Y-you...You're just trying to get in my head."

That is true. It is a very efficient way of breaking him down. I withheld myself from saying that though. Right now, I just need to continue destroying this man's spirit.

"Think however you like. Well, that is if you're still capable of doing so at least. From what I could see, the man in front of me isn't the person Horikita-senpai entrusted with to help me take down Nagumo. All I see is a slave of his own making. For you to even make excuses for no longer opposing Nagumo, even after all your big talk from last year, it's just disappointing."

His face hung low. He couldn't even look at me. He wanted to deny everything I said, but all my words struck a chord. No matter how much he wanted to deny them all, my words were spoken with sound reason.

"Perhaps Horikita-senpai was wrong about you." I shook my head.

"No. Perhaps I, too, was wrong about you. I had thought he wanted me to work with you, because you had the will to oppose someone like Nagumo. It seems that his trust in you came, not out of belief in your abilities, but rather out of sentiment. His trust was misplaced, and he expected too much out of you."

He clenched his fist, but remained unmoving in his spot, sweat dripping down his face.

"You were right to cut me off." I turned around away from him, preparing to walk away. "I wouldn't want to work with someone so useless either."

With that, I left my table, and left Kiriyama there, shaking. I stood elsewhere, observing a match from the other contestants.

Suddenly, I heard the sounds of a table and chair being hastily moved around. I turned back, and watch Kiriyama ran off to a different location.

Although my words sound harsh, I'm hoping that my point got across to him, because I need him to resolve himself into stopping Nagumo once again if we're to move forward. Having someone more than one person on the inside of the Student Council, and the third years would prove useful in many ways to come.

Contrary to my earlier words, Kiriyama has not out lived his usefulness. A time will come when he is needed.

Part 3

The 2nd round has come to an end. It was close to 11:50, when the 3rd round was being set up. Seeing as how this match might take longer than I thought, I walked over to a spot, free from a lot of people, and called Karma over the walkie-talkie.

"Yellow?" He answered in a higher pitch.

"This chess tournament I'm in might take longer. We might have to sacrifice Early Bird for our 3rd Designated Area."

"Oh, that's fine. Since that tournament is pretty lengthy, I'm assuming that there's gonna be a lot of point to be handed out."

"That's what I'm hoping on."

If this were anything like the Rock Climbing Event I participated in, the rewards are bound to be equal to participating in three events, possibly even more. From what I could gather, written tests give out the lowest amount of points as rewards, since they don't require a lot of risks.

Events like the Rock Climbing Event are highly risky, as one could severely injure themselves. In a tournament-type event, like this one, the risk would be that you don't get to participate in other events, while the current one you're participating in is still on-going. If it's lengthy, they also have to take in to account the arrival points, and Early Bird Bonuses potentially lost.

My estimate is that the reward for first place should be over 50 points, but not more than 100.

"By the way, how are things on you're end?" I inquired.

"Same old, same old. Just proving how much of a genius I am. In fact, in 10 minutes, they'll be announcing the results for this test I'm in, so look forward to more points being funneled into our total count."

"I see. In that case, I'll leave you to it then."

"Oh, you don't wanna hear what type of test this is?"

I paused for a moment before responding.

"Alright, I'll ask. What test is it?"

I can hear him chuckling from the other side.

"What's so funny?"

He stopped laughing and responded. "Oh, it's not actually a test. More like an experiment."

"An experiment?"

"A Chemistry experiment, damn it!"

Okay, this is rather concerning.

"Karma, what did you do?"

"Okay, so they made us work with a bunch of stuff, right? So I decided to remake a certain kind of laxative a friend of mine came up with. It's super strong, and the effect takes place instantly upon consumption, and-"

"Karma." I cut him off before he could finish. "What did you do with the laxatives?"

"What? You think I would use it one everyone here? I'm offended, that you think I would commit, what would be, a heinous crime."

I'd be more surprised if he didn't do what I imagined he would do.

"It's because you would do something like that."

He sighs. "Alright, truth be told, I may need them for later. I can't just go around wasting resources. We have a competition to win!"

"Fine. just don't mess this up."

"No problem, Sir! Besides, there's too many witnesses here. I can't just-"

Before he could finish, an announcement could be heard from the background on his end. Something about announcing the top 5.

"Oops, that's my cue. Gotta run!" With that, he hung up.

"Laxatives, huh?" I mumbled to myself, lowly.

I sigh. 'I should've kept one of the bows, and a quiver of arrows on me.'

A couple of minutes later, I receive a notification from my wrist watch. 30 points have been added to our total, which means we were now at 260 points. Right on cue, the set up was now finished, and each contestants were asked to head on over to their assigned seats.

Part 4

"Hey, Ayanokoji!" The man in front of me is Class 2-A's, Hashimoto Masayoshi.

He represented Class A in the chess event, and he's 2nd only to Sakayanagi in his class, in terms of chess skills.

"Hello." I greeted back to him.

He took a seat in front of me, and continued.

"So, you're finally come forward, and play the game yourself, huh?"

"Pretty much."

He crosses his arms, and hums.

"Is something wrong?" I asked him.

"Oh. It's just, I'm facing a pretty difficult opponent right now. With how Sakayanagi praised your chess skills, it's like staring death right in the face. Don't you agree?"

Despite what his words imply, he doesn't seem to be fazed. Rather, he appears calm. Almost like he's already accepted the inevitable outcome.

"Agree with what?" I asked him. I knew what he meant, but I didn't want to jump right in to it right away.

"You really like playing dumb, huh?"

He points a finger at me.

"I'm talking about you. You've been pretty good at hiding your skills up until recently."

"There's nothing to hide. Combat, chess. It's not like I could make use of them all the time."

Although this may seem like I'm deflecting, it's also reasonable I'd say this.

"Well, I suppose they are pretty situational, but damn dude. I knew you were athletic, given your speed from last year's Sports Festival, but to think you would out perform a whole class."

"You can say that all you want, but I didn't necessarily outperform them." I've given emphasis on that part. "If it hadn't been for those other two, I would've been eliminated."

He chuckled. "Yeah. All things considered, they did pretty good."

I tilted my head a bit to the left. "What do you mean, all things considered?"

He puts a thumb to his chin and responded. "Well your class was pretty much outnumbered, and a lot of people were gunning for you and Akabane. Even with word about his altercation with Ryuen being passed around, I'm pretty sure no one expected him to perform that well. The odds really weren't in your favor."

He's right. Ten of our classmates had to sit out the exam due to Kushida's sabotage, and Ryuen's Class is much more coordinated than Horikita's. Additionally, the former class has more athletic people than the latter class. Our class really shouldn't have been able to win that one. The only ones that could've expected such an outcome, would've been myself, Karma, Koenji, and Sakayanagi.

"As for Koenji..." He sighed and pinched his nose bridge, and gave me a dejected look. "Need I say more?"

His expression was understandable, given the hell Koenji gave us during last year's Sports Festival. Despite being from an enemy class, Hashimoto, and even Ishizaki, can't help but feel sympathy towards us for having to deal with Koenji on a near-daily basis.

I put a hand out, signaling that talking about Koenji was unnecessary.

"Anyway, that's about it really. You guys really gave us the shock of a lifetime."

"I see your point, but it's not like the others in our class didn't play their part."

He sniggers at my response. "Yeah, right. Like those other defects can even hold their own. I'm sure you've noticed it as well, but-"

Before he could continue, he was interrupted by Hoshinomiya-sensei.

"Okay boys, the match is about to begin." She said, brightly.

"We'll continue our talk later, Ayanokoji."

I wanted to know what he was gonna say, but I pushed that thought aside so that we could get to our match.

Part 5

"Oi, oi, oi! What kind of other worldly playstyle are you going for here?!"

It's been nearly 10 minutes since our match started. All throughout, I wanted to gauge his skills firsthand. I've been going easy on him up until this point. As skilled as he is, I have determined that he's nowhere near the likes of Sakayanagi.

In a few more moves, we concluded the match with his King being checkmated by one of my rooks.

"Checkmate." I exclaimed.

He leaned back to his backrest, and watched in awe.

"Well damn..." Said Hashimoto, impressed.

Hoshinomiya-sensei then chimed in. "Congratulations, Ayanokoji. As expected, victory is yours once again."

I thanked her. She then turned to Hashimoto, consoling him.

"Better luck next time I guess, Hashimoto-kun. You were just unlucky, going up against Ayanokoji and all."

Hashimoto let out a sigh. "Yeah. Going up against Ayanokoji in chess is like going up against Sakayanagi. I can see where her praise is coming from."

However, he hadn't made any indication of leaving.

"Is there something you'd like to talk about?" I asked him.

"Oh yeah. About what I was gonna say earlier." He turned to Hoshinomiya-sensei. "Sensei, can you leave us?"

"Ooh!" She exclaimed, brightly. "A secret? Between students from two different classes?" She motioned a little bit forward towards us. "I want in!"

Before she could get any more ideas, I answered her sternly. "Sensei, need I repeat everything I told you earlier?"

Her smile faded, and she started to pout.

"You're no fun, Ayanokoji-kun... I was just curious, that's all..."

"Well, Ayanokoji's right." Hashimoto agreed in having her leave us. "I'd rather not discuss this with someone else listening, much less that someone beinga homeroom teacher from a different class."

She winced at his words, and stomped a foot to the ground lightly. "You're both so mean! Fine, I'll leave! Hmpf!"

She turned around, and briskly walked away from our table. There wasn't a lot of time left until the round would end, so it's best if Hashimoto makes this discussion brief. I told him this, and he agreed.

"Alright. What I was gonna say earlier was that, dontcha think 10 of Class D's students, a couple of which were key players, were all too conveniently taken out without a hitch?"

So this is where he was going with this. Perhaps Hashimoto already had an idea that Ryuen planted a mole within our ranks. If that were the case, I'm curious to know just the extent of what he's deduced so far.

"I suppose. I find it odd how he was able to get away with it so easily."

"Then you've must have come to the same conclusion as I have, right?" He eyed me curiously upon asking this, as if he was already expecting a specific answer out of me.

If I try to play it off, he may not buy it; not with me defeating him in chess and what-not. In a way, he knows I'm sharper than I let on. This is backed up by both times I've played chess with him. Instead of deflecting, I decided to answer honestly.

"That it was an inside job?"

He straightened up, glad that he got the answer he was expecting. "Exactly! Now we're talking."

"Even if it was, there was no way of proving it. On top of that, I find it absurd that someone would willingly betray their own class."

He doesn't know about Kushida, and I intend to keep it that way.

"Well yeah, but what else could it be? It's not like the personnel are there to take bribes. Their commander, Karasuma was it? He seems to be a pretty by the book person. No way would any of them take sides, especially under his watch." He points out as-a-matter-of-factly.

While I would like to agree with him, he doesn't know the full picture. The suicide-bomber, and his attempt to eliminate me in order to get me expelled is knowledge only a few people know of. Other than that, he's on point.

"You're right, which would only leave students of Class D themselves." I told him

He nodded. "That's true. No offense, but your class is full of idiots."

None taken. Say that to the others though, and they will take offense by it.

"Well, I guess there are a few exceptions."

He emphasize 'few' as if referring to myself and Karma.

"Would Koenji count on that few as well?" I asked him.

He shook his head.

"No." He responded without hesitation. "Not after what he put us through last year's Mixed Training Camp. Doesn't matter how skilled he is. He's still a liability."

Understandably so. If one doesn't put their abilities to use, they may not as well have any to begin with.

"About the traitor." I brought back the topic, to see how much insight he has on the matter.

"What about them?" He asked.

"Who do you think it is?"

He hummed in thought at my question. "Hard to say. Besides it's your class. Wouldn't want to get involved if it has nothing to do with me."

More like, 'if it doesn't benefit me, I have nothing to say to you.'

"Anyways King." He stretched his arms and stood up. "I wish you luck on your next matches. Not like you'll need them, but you'll never know, right?"

"I guess."

"We should hang out after this. See ya."

With that, he bid me farewell. His invite may seem friendly, but from what I know, Hashimoto likes making connections with people who could guarantee his spot in Class A. It seems he may have taken an interest in me on that front.

Part 6

My walkie talkie has been signaling me for a while now. I decided to answer it while there were still a few more matches going on.

"Earth to Daddy Issues, are you there?" Karma spoke from the other side.

"Who?"

"Oh good, you're there."

Daddy issues?

"I've been trying to reach you for a while now."

"I was in the middle of a match. of course I wouldn't answer." I pointed out to him.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I just wanted to let you know I couldn't secure first place in the chemistry test. We lost out on first place, which was like, 50 points. I only secured 3rd, which was 30 points."

"Why's that?"

"Some guy made a stupid baking soda volcano, and won. My strong laxatives ended up getting second."

Why a backing soda volcano?

"You still got us 30 points. That's better than nothing."

True, losing out on 20 points is a lot, but we can make up for them later on. Unfortunately, due to this tournament, we can't get Early Bird for the next designated area.

"Well yeah. Anyway, I got pissed, so I discretely put one pellet-shaped laxative in his water bottle." He started giggling as he regaled his account. "When he drank it, he made a b-line for the nearest toilets. You should've seen the look on his face when-"

I concluded that the call wasn't important and hung up. He tried calling back, but I took out the batteries. Knowing him, he wouldn't want to risk being being disqualified, so he most likely covered his tracks.

I returned to the exam area for my next opponent.

Part 7

"So I finally get to face you."

In front of me was none other than Class C's Kanzaki Ryuji. He seemed to have noticed my earlier performance, and in his mind, our match was inevitable.

"Hello." I greeted him.

He sat down, and I can see a rathe conflicted look on his face.

"Kanzaki, is something wrong?"

He sighed at my question. "I suppose there's no point denying anything in front of you, is there?"

"What do you exactly mean by that?"

"Ayanokoji, I said this before, but I know you're the reason for your class's rise in the ranks."

Before I could say anything, he put a hand up, in front of his face, motioning me to stop, and he continued.

"While you're most likely going to deny this, and I won't blame you since I'm an outsider, I know for certain that you're more involved with your class than you let on. Your performance in the last few exams, and making it this far in this tournament speaks for you."

"Kanzaki, why are you bringing this up?" I asked him.

"I'm saying that your placement in Class D is questionable. Forgive me if I may seem like I'm prying into your life, but it's been on my mind lately ever since you got that perfect score in that difficult math test, that not even Ichinose, and Sakayanagi could get full marks in."

While the school judges the student's class placement using their merits, background, and other abilities, I, and the other White Room students - minus Karma - are a special case. The only ones who know this are the ones involved with the White Room, which includes the father and daughter Sakayanagi. Koenji may have an idea, but we never gave him an answer, nor did he seemed to care about getting one.

"Let me ask you a question then, Kanzaki."

He seemed taken aback, but didn't seem to be against it.

"How do you think this school handles a student's class placement?"

"Forgive me, but I wouldn't want to discuss this with an opposing class. Perhaps if we were still in an alliance, I'd answer it."

Understandably so. With knowledge like something such as this, it could prove useful when wanting to improve one's class standing. However, Class C is already starting to fall behind. While they're not necessarily a bad class, their growth is far too slow compared to the other three classes.

"Would it really matter though?" I decided to be bold here. It was risky, it could even paint me in a bad in light Kanzaki's eyes, but I wanted to know his input. This could also prove useful in the future.

"What do you mean?"

"Have you given it any thought? About what we discussed before coming to this exam? When you were just coming back from the convenience store, I mean."

"Ah, that." As if realizing where I was going, he folded his arms, and straightened his posture.

"About Ichinose, right?"

I nodded.

"Even if we were all to voice our dissatisfaction towards Ichinose's leadership, it's not like there's someone more capable among us, who could take her place. She's no Sakayanagi, Ryuen, nor Horikita, it's undeniable that she's the only one that could actually lead us."

He sighed before continuing.

"As first, it was a blessing that someone like her stepped up to be our leader, but as time grew, we needed more than her compassion to move forward. Don't get me wrong. We don't hate Ichinose, but it doesn't erase the fact that she just doesn't have whatever it takes to overtake even Ryuen."

That's true. If this were a normal school, I'm sure Ichinose would be the ideal leader to take charge of a class, however that was not the case for this school, which breeds student conflict. Compassion alone won't help you survive in the real world either.

"You asked me before if I don't see your Class as a threat. I think what you said is an answer enough."

I thought he would take offense to what I said, but he didn't.

"Aren't you offended, Kanzaki?"

"You would think that, huh?"

"Wouldn't it be natural to be so, when someone is insulting your class?"

He let out an exasperated sigh. "While I hold no ill will towards them, I would be a hypocrite to disagree with you, especially after everything I just said."

Kanzaki may be determined to get through this exam, however his faith in his class's success has wavered. In front of me is a man, who seemed to be on the cusp of giving up.

"Why are you bringing this up?" He asked me.

"There's something I'd like to discuss with you, but..." Before I continued, I checked on the other tables, and they were nearly ready with their matches. "we'll have to discuss this after the match."

He seemed puzzled. "I understand if it's important, but-"

As if on cue, the bane of my existence appeared.

"Oh, hello boys!"

Hoshinomiya-sensei reappeared once again. Kanzaki greeted her, but I just sighed. They both took note of my reaction. Hoshinomiya-sensei seemed offended, while Kanzaki was starting to understand why I wanted to delay our conversation. He stopped questioning it, as if knowing what a nuisance this woman was.

"Alright you two, same rules as before. Once I give the signal, the match begins."

We both nodded at her. Before she could give out the signal, Kanzaki turned to me.

"Ayanokoji, do you mind?"

"What is it?"

"When playing chess, I tend to be quiet. You don't mind, do you?"

I shook my head. "By all means. Play however you want."

"Thank you. We're good sensei."

I agreed, nodding.

"Very well, please commence!"

Part 8

It took approximately 10 minutes, but our match finally ended. Kanzaki fought valiantly, but he eventually succumb to defeat like everyone else before him. Hoshinomiya-sensei didn't congratulate me this time, however. Probably because Kanzaki was from her class. I noticed that he had his eyes closed, looking like he was deep in thought.

"Are you alright, Kanzaki?"

He opened his eyes, yet he remained stern. "Yes. It's just, I've thought about this. With how Sakayanagi praised your skills in chess, hinting you to be her equal, I realized that you truly do have what it takes to go toe-to-toe with her."

"I see."

Hoshinomiya hummed at Kanzaki's words. "Well they did go against each other last year. It was pretty impressive."

Her words were brief, almost like she could feel Kanzaki's sentimence.

"Yes. It is. I still get the feeling that you were holding back, though."

"Forgive me if that's how it may have seem, but I wanted to try out some other moves, but I had to keep switching up my strategies."

"Ah, I see."

He wasn't wrong though, however it's not like I intentionally held back against him. After many years, it's like my brain has been hardwired, that I can't go all out to begin with, even if I want to.

Hoshinomiya-sensei cleared her throat to get our attention.

"So moving on to the finals, is Ayanokoji-kun. Well fought, Kanzaki-kun."

"Thank you, sensei." Kanzaki said dryly.

I turned to her.

"Sensei, Kanzaki and I want to discuss something. Could you-"

"Leave?" She finished my sentence before I could. "Oh no! As his homeroom teacher, it's best that I-"

"Sensei." Kanzaki cut her off. "We would appreciate it if we were left alone."

She seemed offended. "You too Kanzaki? Ugh! Fine, whatever..."

As she was leaving, we could hear her mumbling under her breath.

"I just come and go, just like that. Just like all the men in my life..."

Once she was out of earshot, Kanzaki and I could finally get to talking. He was the one to break the ice first.

"I... apologize... for her behavior. I hope she didn't give much trouble." He said, embarrassingly so.

"No need. You seem used to it though."

He sighed. "We've seen worse; both in, and out of class."

I can't even begin to imagine what they went through with that woman. I imagine they had to do a lot of apologizing on her behalf.

"Anyway, what did you want to talk about?"

Now we were getting to business.

"Firstly, there's two things I wanted to discuss. You may benefit from them."

He raised an eyebrow. "Benefit? Why?"

"I'll keep that to myself for now. I'll let you know in a bit, but first, let me bring up the first thing I wanted to discuss with you."

He seemed suspicious, but he let me continue.

"Going back to my question earlier, how do you think the school determines a student's class placement?"

"That's what you wanted to discuss?" He replied, puzzled.

I nodded.

"Like I said before-"

I cut him off. "And as I have just said, you may benefit from this. So please, just answer my question."

He didn't answer right away. Instead, he tried probing for me.

"What are you up to?" He asked sternly.

"You think I have an ulterior motive?"

"In this school, one does not simply inquire about another class's affairs without some sort of gain."

"I understand why you may think that, however, you can rest assured that I have no intention of using this against you. We already have our own hypothesis. We just wish to compare with that from another class. Since I find your class to be the most trustworthy amongst our year, I feel as if I won't have much trouble discussing this with you. "

He thought over what I just said. Then, he responded.

"Why talk to this about me? Why not Ichinose?"

"You're Class C's second-in-command. Further, if you hadn't noticed, I've been having trouble speaking with Ichinose as of late."

"I have noticed. I've been meaning to ask why that is."

I shook my head. "If I had an answer, I'd be discussing this with Ichinose. Instead, here I am with you. No offense."

He shook his head. "None taken, but is me being the second-in-command your sole reason for discussing this with me?"

I paused briefly before answering his inquiry.

"In the near future, there's gonna be some changes. Our Class won't always be Class D, and neither will your class will remain as Class C."

He narrows his gaze at me. "Is this some sort of challange to overtake us?"

I decided to be truthful in my response.

"Kanzaki, within your class, you're probably the one with the strongest desire for change. You too must have noticed that you have no chance in this battle of elites."

His lips twitched, but he didn't argue, almost as if subconsciously agreeing with me.

"If your standing doesn't improve by the end of this year, feel free to consult me."

He was taken aback.

"What are you scheming? One doesn't just simply help out another class with no strings attached."

"That may be so. While I can't tell you exactly what, I can tell you I have no intention on harming you outside of what is permitted."

"You say that, but what is permitted is rather vague, don't you think?"

This school was unlike most. Truly, the line of morality is distorted.

"I agree. In that case, I'll also share my own thoughts in the matter. Would that make it okay?"

He didn't give a response right away. Instead, he thought it over some more.

"You said I could consult you in the event our standing doesn't improve. You're suggesting this is inevitable."

"With the rate your class is going, quite so." I said, bluntly.

"Still, why should I consult you on this?"

"I have my reason. I can't tell you what they are, just no I do indeed come to you with no ill intent."

I seems I've backed him into a corner. Among all of Class C, Kanzaki is the one with the strongest desire to reach Class A. While he has no intention of using underhanded tactics, like Ryuen, and Sakayanagi, he may be desperate to turn tail, and resort to whatever it takes to get there.

He hummed in thought, before finally giving me a response.

"We of Class B - no, Class C - have been brainstorming about this early on into our first year. At first, we thought grades were what determinedone's placement, however, that didn't seem to be the case. If it was, then stidents, such as Horikita, Yukimura, and even Shiina should be placed higher, but they're not."

So far so good. They're conclusion was dissimilar to Horikita's. She, and Keisei prided themselves in their academic prowess, that they failed to see what truly merit an individual's true worth.

I continued to listen without interrupting him.

"We did some reconnaissance, and found that there are plenty of well-rounded students in other classes as well. Students, such as Horikita, Hirata, Kushida, and even Koenji boast excellent grades, yet they were placed in the lowest class. Meanwhile, someone like, Ryuen was placed above them."

While Ryuen is by no means dumb, he doesn't have the same level of academics as the aforementioned four. However, his intelligence lies not in academics, but rather on the battlefield.

In other words, he's people smart, and street smart; one even Sakayanagi gives credit for. In the real world, that it far more valuable than one, who is simply good at academics. On top of that, despite his violent tendencies, he's also smart about it. He knows when to apply force, and when to withhold it. It's how he was able to keep his class in check.

Ryuen's record may be muddied, but he most likely did a good job covering up his tracks. It's what got him this far in this school.

"Due to all of their placements contradicting this theory, we put that aside. If grades don't determine one's class placement, then that would mean they would've considered other areas; specifically, their abilities."

"Meaning areas including one's athleticism, and strategic ingenuity."

He nodded.

While their thought process was reasonable, none of them were able to get the full picture. However, it seems I may have judged their conclusion a little too soon.

"It makes sense - at first at least."

So they did see some discrepancies in that theory. I didn't say a word, and just let him continue.

"If one's abilities are what determines their ranking, then why were Horikita, Hirata, Kushida, Koenji, and even Akabane placed in Class D, and not higher?"

I have all the answers to his question, but elected to hold my tongue.

"It took some time, but our class came to the conclusion, that perhaps one's own personality was taken into account. Looking back, and I mean this in no way bad, Horikita wasn't someone you could get along with, and the same could be said especially with Koenji. I witnessed it yet again with Akabane, who appears to have violent tendencies."

He's right on both accounts. One's own abilities are useless if they continue to needlessly clash with others. Horikita's pride and her habit of pushing people away, Koenji's narcissism, Karma's sadism, they're all undesirable within the work place.

Koenji may be the oddball, since he's the heir to his father's company, but even then, he's bound to piss off a bunch of his future employees. Well... I say that, but Koenji does know when to actually take action, that is, as long as it suited him. As for Karma, simply put, he's more than capable of adapting.

Despite all this, however, his class still missed one more important detail. It seems that they've all noticed this, however.

"However, another contradiction to our theory presented itself. Kushida, and Hirata. Truly, those two not only boast excellent grades, and athleticism - especially with Hirata - but they're also constantly surrounded by people. Unlike Horikita, and Koenji, those two have no problems when it comes to working with other people."

"Do you think, that you're theory is wrong then?" I asked him.

He put a thumb on his chin. "Not quite. It's more like our theory... is incomplete. We feel as if we're still missing something."

Indeed you are. Aside from what he mentioned, there's also a student's background, that the school looks into during the administration process. Students with troubled pasts, like Kushida and Yosuke, ended up being placed in Class D, because of all that. I suspect Ichinose is in the same boat. However, because the severity of her crime wasn't big, and merely resulted in plenty of absences on her record, it saved her from being placed lower than Class B during our first year.

Kanzaki sighed. "That all we have, really. I couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation for the cases of Kushida, and Hirata."

"I see." I replied. "Our thought process is similar. When I compare my class's finding with yours, they're pretty much similar."

I kept the rest of my findings to myself. As long as no one else is aware of the school checking one's background to determine their class placement, they wouldn't investigate the cases of Kushida and Yosuke. If this type of knowledge were to be out there, they may even investigate me, which is the last thing I'd want to happen.

"That may be. Now tell me," He told me. "How does this benefit me?"

"Honestly, I thought we could somehow get close to the answer if we put together our findings."

He sighed. "So in the end, nothing then."

"Not quite."

He perked up as I said that.

"What do you mean?"

"You said one's abilities, and personality determine one's placement, correct?"

"Yes. Where are you going with this?"

"Ichinose."

"Ichinose?"

"By all account, her placement in Class B did speak for her attributes, but why wasn't she placed in Class A? By anything, she should've been in Class A to begin with."

While Ichinose can't lead a class like Sakayangi, and Ryuen could, she's still one of the most well-rounded students of the grade. In addition, she would be the ideal person in keeping the class together, sort of like a mediator role, like Yosuke. She's probably the only other person who could rival even Kushida's social networking too. Needless to say, she has what it takes. However...

"Yes. I too found that quite odd." Kanzaki said, perplexed.

"In a way, she too is an oddity, like Yosuke, and Kushida. The only difference being that she was placed in Class B, and not Class D in the beginning of our first year."

Kanzaki's eyes were on the ground, seemingly in deep thought to what I said, however, our time was nearly up. The last couple of matches were coming to an end.

"Kanzaki." I called out to him.

"Ah, yes?" He replied.

"I think it's best we discuss this another time."

He looked around him, and saw what I meant.

"Yes, of course. Although it may not seem like it, this really was useful information. Thank you."

His words were genuine, unlike the hostility he displayed to me prior to this exam.

He got up from his seat.

"I'll take my leave then."

"Don't forget what I said." I reminded him.

"I'll... keep that in mind."

With that, he took his leave.

Two down.

I still need to locate a couple more people. Knowing my luck, that's going to be difficult with an island as large as this.

Yow, finally got a new chapter out for you guys. Sorry for the lack of updates to he story for a good two months now I think (?) I've been pretty busy with uni, but I managed to clear most of my backlogs, and pending work, so I managed to get this done, before the months ends.

I'm publishing this fic as soon as I finish it, so there may be spelling and grammatical errors here and there. I'll check on those once I have some free time again. I just wanted to get this chapter out there.

I'm not gonna make any promises, nor give an estimate when the next chapter is gonna be released, just know I do indeed plan to continue with this fic.

I actually have ideas for future appearances for A.C characters. I'll say it right now, I do plan to have all of Class E to make an appearance at some point.

Next chapter should be the conclusion to this chess tournament. I think you can guess who Ayano's final opponent would be.

On an unrelated note, if you got the whole losing to a baking soda volcano thing, you deserve a gold medal, you legend.

Before I end off, I just want to say, HOLY CRAP! Thank you guys so much for 50k reads!

I haven't updated in so long, and people are still finding this fic, and reading it. Thank you all so much for the support. It means a lot. Like I said, I do plan to finish this fic through the end, so don't worry about me discontinuing it.

With that, I take my leave here. See you guys next time! Dunno when, but it'll happen! See ya!

Vol. 5, Chapter 6 - New Companion Time

Part1

(Ayanokoji POV)

It was the final round for this chess tournament. Because of how long this was taking, Karma and I had to skip out on Early Bird.

Our designated area will be assigned to us in 10 minutes. Even if I were to finish this next match within that time, just getting to our next spot was impossible. I'll have to leave it to Karma to earn us an arrival point - not like it's worth that much without both of us, and the Early Bird Bonus.

As preparations for the final match was underway, we were called over to the front. It's there where we'll conduct the finals.

As I approached my area, I spot my next opponent, Horikita Suzune, already seated on her seat.

"We both made it, Ayanokoji-kun." She said.

"Seems we have."

"I expected nothing less from someone, who could go toe-to-toe with Sakayanagi-san."

"I expected nothing less from someone, who was taught under my tutelage."

"While I'd like to thank you for complimenting me, I wouldn't want to stroke your ego."

Ouch.

I sat down on my seat, and waited for them to finishing with preparations. As I did, Horikita and I made small talk.

"I saw Vice President, Kiriyama scurry off from you with a distressed look. What did you do?" She probed.

By that, she was referring to my verbal assault on the man.

"Nothing much, really. I just beat him in chess. That's all."

She scowled. "Lying won't get you out of this. As a member of the student council, I have a right to know. Remember, among the council, he's second in power only to Nagumo-senpai. Whatever happened between you two, I'm hoping it won't escalate. He seemed very distressed."

Disrespecting the one holding the title of ' Student Council Vice President' was a bold move; one not many would dare to make - maybe Karma, Ryuen, and Kiryuin would, but even Sakayanagi would watch her tone. However, I have my reasons.

"Whatever happened between us is private. I'd rather you not get involved." I remarked, coldly.

She paused in silence for a minute before continuing.

"Can you at least assure me, that this won't cause any more problems in the future?"

I nodded.

"Yes. Like I said, it was a matter between us."

"Alright." Said Horikita apprehensively.

Truth be told, I really couldn't assure that it won't. I just needed her off my case.

"Okay! Are you guys ready?"

Approaching our table was none other than Hoshinomiya-sensei. It was brief, but she sent me a menacing glance. She must be very unhappy of how I've treated her for the past few hours.

I nodded.

"Yes, sensei." Said Horikita, compliantly.

"Very well then. You already know the rules at this point, so no point in me going over them again." She explained dryly.

It was probably more like she wanted to get this over with so she could get rid of me. I honestly don't blame her.

"Ready?"

Both Horikita and I stared at the chess board. Since she was playing as white, she gets to go first. I can tell she's determined to win this, knowing full well how much she struggled to go up against me before, even when I'm massively holding back.

"Begin!"

(Horikita POV)

As soon as Hoshinomiya-sensei gave the signal, I started to move my first pawn forward.

The man in front of me, Ayanokoji-kun, is an anomaly. He, for whatever reason, chooses to hide his abilities, yet still chooses to participate in class matters in his own way. Despite that, and him holding back, our class rose because of him. Even when he held back in our chess practices, I still only barely managed to win a few matches against him.

Now, we are in a tournament, and he is my opponent. He will not be an easy opponent. As our hands move continuously across the board, moving one piece at a time, I have come to realize that he's not battling against me at maximum capacity.

Despite that, when I compare him to my previous opponents, all of them paled in comparison. Not once has he let down his guard. Every move is calculated. He makes me think that the moves I make would overturn the match in my favor. Instead, he gives me false hope, and crushes any chances of me winning.

He wants me to take both knights.

He wants me to take both rooks.

He wants me to take the queen.

His words from last year...

Perhaps this is his way of saying, 'even when it seems, that I'm in a bad spot, you can't beat me.'

In the end, even when it seemed like I had the upper hand, he beat me with just a few pawns.

"Checkmate." He declared.

The match is now over.

I lost.

(Ayanokoji POV)

It may have seemed like I was toying with Horikita, but I wanted to see just how far she's come. I thought perhaps that she has what it take to overturn the tide, but apparently not. Even when I gave myself those handicaps, sacrificing all of my officials, save for my King, and one knight, I still came out on top.

My expectations weren't all crushed, however. I have seen major improvements. She's able to make faster and better decisions this time around, and she's much more methodical with her approach. Still, it wasn't enough for her to win, but it would prove useful for future conflicts she may encounter.

"I lost." She exclaimed.

"Are you upset?" I asked her.

She let out a sigh. "Although it would've been nice to actually win against you, since you winning here would better your chances at coming first place for this island exam, I can't complain too much, since it would also earn our class more class points."

"I see."

Although her reasoning was sound, I can tell she was still disappointed.

"You still did good, Horikita-san." Said Hoshinomiya-sensei. "I mean, you still lost, but you were up against Ayanokoji-kun. You did well, all things considered."

"Uh... thank you, sensei." Said Horikita, dryly.

If this was Hoshinomiya-sensei's way of comforting someone, she may need to work on that.

"Well, now that we have our winner, and our second place, please wait here until your points are transferred, okay?"

We both nodded, and gave her our 'okay'.

With that, she headed over to the other teachers, and gave the results. Horikita then turned to me, and posed a question.

"Where are you headed to after this?" She asked.

"Going over to the next designated area is a waste of time now. I'll head over to the next event, that's nearby."

Our assigned designated area was E8, but going there would be fruitless without Karma, let alone having already missed every chance of Early Bird.

"Have you decided which one?"

I shook my head.

"Speaking of..." I stopped myself in order to bring out my walkie-talkie, and placed the batteries back in.

She raised and eyebrow at me, perplexed. "Why did you cut off communication with him?"

I looked Horikita in the eyes as I gave my reply.

"I'll be blunt. He was annoying."

"Ah." She responded dryly.

I tried reaching Karma, and after a few tries, my call finally reached him.

"Karma, are you there?"

"You took out the batteries, didn't you?" He asked, almost like he was pouting.

"I had to. The results should be in soon."

"Great! 'Cause I'm about to head into this math test in a bit. Keisei's here too."

Now that was interesting. I haven't seen, nor heard from Keisei at all throughout this exam.

"Keisei, huh? Is he with his group?"

"Yup. 2 soccer club members from Class C, I think. I probably don't need to worry about their overall team balance. I'd say they're pretty well-off right now."

"I see. Well I'm calling to let you know the chess tournament's over. They'll hand out the points in just a bit."

"I'm assuming it was a landslide of a victory?"

I glanced over to Horikita, who was also listening along.

"I wouldn't say that."

I can hear her letting out a sigh. From my peripheral view, I could see her rolling her eyes.

"You know..." He called out to me. "For someone so good at manipulation, you're an awful liar for the most mundane of stuff."

I can't deny that. Even Horikita nodded in agreement.

"I have no idea what yo-"

Before I could finish, I could hear the announcer in the background of his endcalling for everyone.

"That's my cue to bounce." Karma told me.

"In that case, don't let me distract you."

With that, I hung up.

"A math test, huh?" Mumbled Horikita.

"Is something wrong?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "Not at all. Honestly, I'm just glad that Yukimura-kun is doing well."

"Same here. He may not be athletic, but he does strive in academics. It was good that he was scouted out by two others who could make up for his lacking athleticism."

Horikita nodded. Before she could say anything, both mine, and her watches gave off a beep. When I looked at mine, I saw that I received 50 points for winning. This puts our total at 310 points. I then looked to Horikita, and asked her how many points she received.

"40 points for second place. I assume you earned more points - probably 10 - on top of that?"

I nodded.

"I see. It seems that tournament-styled events reward more points, since you risk missing out on points from other events, and even potential Early Bird Bonuses, and arrival points." She reasoned.

"It's also a huge risk." I remarked.

She agreed. "Yes. The risk is only worth it if you can make it to at least second place. If you place lower, you lose out on so many points."

Her reasoning was sound. On paper, it may seem like a good trade-off, but it's still probably better to participate in events with little-to-no risks. This may not be the same for every event, but it's still noteworthy nonetheless.

I took out my tablet, and started looking for my next task. Finally, I found one.

"Horikita, I'm heading out now."

"Alright. Don't let me stop you."

I got up from my seat, and left, leaving Horikita behind.

I learned a lot from this tournament; motives, unspoken feelings.

Everyone has their own inner demons, no matter how little they may be. Even just the tiniest bit is enough for others to take advantage of, when they're brought to light.

Part 2

(Karma POV)

Once Kiyotaka hung up, I rejoined Keisei, who was waiting along with the other contestants.

"Hey!" I waved to the four-eyes.

"You're right on time. They were just calling for all of us."

"Well I had to do a status update to my exam partner." I replied.

"Oh yeah. How's Kiyotaka doing?" Keisei inquired.

"Well he just finished a chess tournament. So-"

I was cut off from the sound of my own watch's signal. I checked it, and saw that Kiyotaka won us 50 points.

"How many points did you earn?" Keisei asked.

"50."

"Wow." He said, taken aback. "That's a lot."

"Well it is high-risk event. They'd have to compensate the participants for the length of the match, since it could cost them potential points, especially Early Bird." I explained to him.

"Yeah, you're right."

As we were talking, the event organizers motioned for everyone to get ready. Once that was done, we were each given test papers flipped over to hide the contents, a blank sheet of paper and, a pen. They then laid out some additional instructions. Bottomline: the test will be multiple choice, and all solutions shall be checked to receive full marks per item. No solution, or answered incorrectly but solution is provided equals 0 points. Answer within the given time.

Standard so far, except for the fact that you don't get partial credit for getting a question wrong, or getting a question right, but with no solution, or wrong solution. Something tells me the questions are gonna be much higher leveled this time around, and the school wants to test a student's advanced learning capabilities. This may seem unfair, but they probably didn't want to hand out so many points willy-nilly. not only that, it's also a way to prepare for entrance exams.

"And lastly-" Sakagami-sensei called out to everyone. "points earned aren't determined by placement for this test. Instead, it will be determined on how many questions you get right. There are 25 items. Each item is worth 2 points if answered correctly. If you are done, or feel unable to continue any further, you may submit your answer and your solutions as you please. We will have them checked on the spot."

I perked up, while everyone around me started mumbling their dissatisfaction.

It seems my hunch was spot on. If one item is worth 2 points if answered correctly, then there should be 50 points earned for full marks. While this was a cash grab, the questions are most definitely gonna be much more difficult to make sure one can't just win 50 points so easily.

I looked over to Keisei, and he seemed to be having second-thoughts with this. While you don't lose points for answering incorrectly, or not answering at all, this test could also be a huge waste of one's time, and lose out on points for other events.

"This is ridiculous!"

"What kind of rules are those?!"

"I wish to drop out of the event!"

Numerous contestants were voicing their displeasure out loud, however I remained aloof.

"You already signed up, and we've already prepared everything. There's no backing out. If you wish to leave, you may leave any time during the test, but not prior."

It's like getting roped into a pyramid scheme, or MLM. They bait you, and then trap you. It would probably be wise to just leave early, but you never know if you can miss out on any potential points.

Everyone then started to quiet down after Sakagami-sensei's words. Feeling that they don't have to push themselves any further than they have to, they ceased all complaints, and focused all their attention on hoping that they can still nab a few points.

"The test will begin shortly. Participants, please ready yourselves."

The tension beings to rise as everyone readied themselves. I can see trickles of sweat dripping along some of their faces.

"There's three hours on the clock. Begin!"

As soon as Sakagami-sensei gave us the go signal, we all flipped our test questionnaires at the same time. Once everyone saw the first problem, everyone was relieved when they learned that it was just simply conversion. However, that sense of relief won't last. As the test went on, I could tell many were having a difficult time with the bigger problems. This one was just the beginning of it.

'A spherical segment is formed with the top radius, a2, being 4m, and the bottom radius, a1, at 6m. The height of the segment is 2m.'

This question was divided into 6 parts, each worth 2 points.

a.) Determine the distance of the segment to the radius of the sphere, x

b.) Radius of the sphere

c.) Distance, y

d.) Lateral surface area

e.) Total surface area

f.) Volume

I actually know how to do this. What's bad though is that you can't skip one. For you to answer the whole problem, you need to answer them in order - save for volume, since it isn't directly tied with the others.

I'm going to assume other problems are similar in difficulty and length as this one, so I brace myself as I may be here a while.

Part 3

I was able to finish the test with 40 minutes to spare. I probably could've finished it sooner, but the Octopus's voice kept ringing in my head. His advanced lessons were downright annoying, but they did help. I already knew about them beforehand, but he, and my rivalry with Asano were able to keep my memory fresh.

Once I submitted my answers, I decided to wait for Kesiei, who was still persisting through the face of difficulty. I have to admit, he's got guts. The only ones remaining are us, and a couple of third years. Third years were more understandable, since they, the engineering and architecture students especially, would be encountering these types of questions. As for Keisei, he did mention that he studies university level tests in advance. Why he does this, when he doesn't have to if it isn't in line with his field of choice is none of my concern.

After some time of waiting, he finally submitted his work, and walked over to me.

"So, how was it?" I asked him.

"Awful." He answered with a defeated tone and expression. "I knew I studied some of them, but... I can't rap my head around most of them."

Well, I guess that was understandable.

"How'd it go for you? You finished relatively early."

"Me? I could've just gave up on some of them, and submitted anyway. Honestly, stressing over them so much is too much of a hassle." I was completely bullshitting, and I suspect he knows. I just don't want to give him a clear answer.

He raises an eyebrow at me before responding. "You do realize you and Kiyotaka have even Sakayanagi beat at math, right?"

I shrugged. "Maybe. Doesn't mean I can completely ace something like this though. I'm not a college student. What am I? A super being?"

"..." He stared at me quietly.

"What is it?"

"...then how come you're so calm? You even know those topics were for college."

"I mean I think it should be obvious from the rules. They would've ramped up the difficulty by a lot in order to keep a lot of people from earning too many points."

"... Karma, that's not what I mean."

I tilted my head a little bit to the left. "What then?"

"You know exactly what I mean. You know those topics like the back of your head, don't you?"

I can see his brows twitching, obviously displeased at my response. Is this how Kiyotaka feels whenever he acts dumb? I have to admit, it's a whole other level of funny. It's like watching a little kid actively chase after some older person, who stole their candy, then later throwing a tantrum, when they don't have it their way.

Keisei may be smart, but he's too prideful in his academics, so much so that it's the only thing he focuses on, and that anything else is unnecessary to him. However, there are all sorts of smarts. All sorts of talents. If one can't expand their horizon, they rust. He may be good academically, but his pride is his downfall.

I shrugged, almost exaggeratingly. "I have no idea what your talking about."

His face was starting to twitch. Seeing him get even more frustrated was amusing, so much so that I'm struggling to keep a straight face. Any more of this, and I might just burst out laughing.

"Karma?"

"Hm? Yes, I'm Karma."

"How long did they say the checking of papers was gonna take again?"

"Oh they didn't give any specifics. Just that they'll hand us our points once they've gone through everything, and that we can take our leave once we're done."

"Then why are you still here?"

"What's wrong with waiting for a friend?" I asked, innocently.

He blinked at me in silence for a bit.

"Is that what you were really doing, or did you wait for me just to gloat?"

I shook my head profusely. "I would never." I placed a palm to my chest, swearing an oath. "I am a man of humility, and trustworthiness. Look in to my sincere eyes."

I blinked at him innocently, however he was not convinced.

"You're a load of crap, you know that?"

I clutched my chest with both hands. "Aw... I'm hurt! And here I just wanted to have a nice conversation with a friend."

He rolled his eyes and answered sarcastically. "More like you're here to gloat."

I put both hand on my hips, posing as if I was offended. "How rude! I'm not gonna stand here, and listen to you accuse me of things I clearly did."

His lips were starting to twitch, but before he could say anything, my tablet gave off a notification. I held it out in my hand, and saw that 50 points were added to our total score. Just a while ago, we earned another 20 points, courtesy of whatever event Kiyotaka joined after the chess tournament. This puts us at 380 points. The gap in points between us and 5th were now 20.

"Was that your points being added? How much did you earn?"

I put a thumb on my chin. "Hm... 5 minutes until my next designated area. No doubt Kiyotaka would be heading there too." I mumbled loudly to myself, ignoring the ranting of this four-eyes.

He put out a hand, trying to get my attention. "Wait, at least tell me the-"

"Solid Mensuration. Inscribed Polygons. Segmented Spheres. Truncated frustums and cylinders, and a bunch of other things. 1st or 2nd year for Engineering and Architecture College I think." I answered him before he could finish.

He seemed bewildered, as if I just read his mind. "W-well okay... Wait, how do you know all this? Are planning to be an engineer?"

I turned to him, and shook my head. "Nah. Why work for other people, when I can rule the world?" I can feel my grin widening a bit, and I think I see a bit of cold sweat pouring down his face.

"U-uhuh." He said, hesitantly.

I held a finger up in front of him. "Don't worry. As long as you don't piss me off, you'll be fine under my rule."

"Huh?" He sweat-dropped.

"Anyway, we should probably go our separate ways now."

"R-right. I'm heading back to my group."

With that, he left, all the while I could still hear him mumbling "solid mensuration", "rule the world?" under his breath among other things.

Just then, the next designated area has appeared.

"G9, huh?"

It wasn't far. Not wanting to waste any time, I immediately set out for it, racing past other students, and letting them eat my dust.

Part 4

(Ayanokoji POV)

After my event, I made my way to our next designated area, G9. As soon as I arrived, I met Karma by the coastline. It's been a whole day since then, but we finally got another Early Bird bonus, totaling our overall score to 390. The gap between us and 5th was now 15.

As I approached him, he grabbed something from his bag. Once I got close enough to see what it was, it was a container filled with food.

"Thought you might want some. It's no longer warm, it's not like you're in any position to beg."

I accepted it, but not before doing a quick inspection. I first took a whiff of the scent before taking some in.

Sensing my suspicions, he spoke up. "I didn't put any of my laxatives in. Don't worry."

"Can you guarantee me that?" I retorted.

He shrugged. "Well I need you in tip-top shape. You're the last person I'd be poisoning this time around."

I sighed. "I suppose there's no helping it, but is now really the time to be eating?"

"We've got time. The designated areas were just assigned. Tasks won't be given out until a bit later. Now eat it before it goes bad."

"... fine."

Reluctantly, I gave in. I sat down underneath the shade of a tree, and took a bite of my "lunch". Although it wasn't necessarily the best, it wasn't bad either. Either he prepared this in a hurry, or the flavor wasn't well-preserved from all the moving around he'd been doing. Probably both.

I ate in silence, while he sat down and gazed in to the ocean.

"Hm?" Something caught his attention.

"What is it?" I asked him.

He pointed over to the edge of the nearby forest. Coming out of it was Nanase. As soon as she saw us, she started walking towards our direction.

"Hello senpais." She waved and greeted, and we returned the pleasantry.

"Are you here alone?" I asked her.

"Yes. Amasawa-san, and Hosen-kun went to do other tasks. I'm just here to secure an arrival bonus."

"Hmm... It's not much, but it's honest work I guess." Karma commented.

The arrival bonus would hardly make a dent in their overall score, but a single point is better than none at all. Also, missing a designated area too much would also come back to bite you later on.

"Senpais, did you perhaps went to E8 before this?" She asked.

She probably went there, but saw that we weren't. I looked at my partner, and gave him a "you didn't go?" look. He shrugged it off, and answered her question.

"Sorry, we got caught up in other stuff. Going there would've been pointless."

"Oh, I see."

"Well we're here now, so that's something."

"Actually, I wanted to ask something of you, senpais."

"What is it?" I asked her.

"Is it okay if I accompany one of you? It'd be less boring, and I think it wouldn't really be an inconvenience, since we have the same table."

Karma and I exchanged a look. If we allow her to accompany us, she could basically act as the 1st year's surveillance. This may hinder our actions moving forward. Sensing our suspicions, she immediately defended herself.

"Oh, in case you're thinking of me telling on you to the other 1st years, I don't have a walkie-talkie on me, so I have no way of contacting Amasawa-san, and Hosen-kun remotely."

"I see." Karma replied. "But Nanase-san, can you keep up with us?"

"So you'll allow it?"

"Well we don't have a problem with it, but can you really keep up with Kiyotaka and I?"

She nodded. "Of course. I'm rather athletic myself, and even did gymnastics when I was younger."

"Hmm... I see. Well if we're gonna do this, we need to layout some conditions." said Karma.

"I understand. Please, go on."

Karma held a finger up. "One, if we catch you making any suspicious movements, we will respond accordingly."

"This isn't a threat, it's just a precautionary measure." I added. "You are a first year, after all."

"Of course. I understand." She didn't fight it. She just allowed us to continue.

"Second, the food and water we have right now are only good for two people. You'll have to use your own."

She nodded. "Mm. No problem. I wouldn't want you to waste your food on me anyway."

I decided to add my own conditions. "Third, please let Karma and I get the Early Bird bonus."

"Don't worry, I was gonna bring that up later. I can't get it anyway without Hosen-kun, and Amasawa-san. It's all yours, senpais."

"Lastly," I continued. "You'll be accompanying me. Do you have a problem with that, Nanase?"

She shook her head. "No. I was gonna leave it to you two to decide who I was gonna accompany anyway."

"Alright then, that's settled!" Karma got up, and dusted some of the dust and sand off his butt.

"We're just waiting for Kiyotaka to finish eating, and for the next tasks to appear."

"That's fine. I'm not in a hurry."

"Where are you going?" I asked Karma, who then got behind the palm tree we were resting under.

"Getting ready. Figured I'd do something while we wait for you to finish."

I was nearly done anyway. I guess he took that as a sign that we should be heading out soon. After a while, I finished my portion. As I packed up, Karma was inspecting his tablet.

"The next tasks have appeared." He announced.

"Is this where we part ways, Akabane-senpai?" Nanase asked.

"Well, Nanase-san, since Kiyotaka and I split the work, I suppose so." Karma answered.

I checked my tablet, and decided on my next task.

"Nanase." I checked in on her. "Will you be participating in this as well?"

She checked to where I was pointing on the tablet. "A volleyball game in F9?"

I nodded.

"That's just one cell away. Sure."

I turned to Karma. "What about you?"

He pointed to a spot on his tablet. It was another written test, this time on H9.

"I guess we'll see you later, Akabane-senpai." Said Nanase.

Karma nodded. "Mm. Likewise." He turned towards the direction of H9. "See ya you two. Don't do anything too crazy. Last I checked, the shops back at the starting area don't sell special protection."

"Huh?" Nanase said allowed. Karma didn't answer. He just continued to walk away from us. Both of us were confused by what he meant, however it seems that she was starting to realize something as her face started to turn red.

"What is it?" I asked her, curious as to what she thought.

She turned to me and started waving her arms. "N-nothing! We should go."

She didn't answer my question, but I didn't protest to her declaration of our exodus of the area, as I didn't want anyone taking our spots. I turned, and lead the way.

Part 5

"Looks like there's few people here, Ayanokoji-senpai." Nanase pointed out.

We had just arrived at the event area. Already, it seems that only one group got here before us. We immediately sign up. The games were separated by gender, so Nanase and I won't be competing with, nor against each other.

After we finished signing up, I looked around to see who I would be competing against. I saw one familiar face. It was Yosuke. I could also see Mii-chan, and Mori by the sidelines. As soon as he saw me, he approached me.

"Kiyotaka-kun, are you participating as well?" He inquired.

"Yeah. What team are you on?" I asked him in turn.

"Team B."

"I see. I suppose that makes us teammates."

He lightly chuckled. "I'm glad. I don't think I would've stood a chance against you."

I shook my head at his praise. "I've only played Volleyball once. That was summer of last year. You play sports a lot, so I'm assuming you have more experience with this."

"Truth be told, I only really played Volleyball during PE back in middle school before... well... you know..."

He tried to say that last part with a smile, but the uneasiness in his tone just made it apparent that he wasn't completely over it. By "it" I mean his past fear-mongering. Seeing as that wasn't something we should be discussing in public, I elected not to bring it up further. I just shook my head, telling him I understood, not asking him to elaborate any further.

I cleared my throat. "In any case, your other skills in other sports, as well as your experience should still give you the edge over me."

"Maybe, but I suppose there's really only one way to find out, huh?"

"I guess."

While we waited for the other people to arrive, we made some small talk. I also ended up telling him about travelling together with Nanase.

"Is that alright though?" He asked me, worried.

"Don't worry." I reassured him. "We have some conditions set in place. It won't be a problem."

"I see." Understanding that we have the situation under control, he decided to press any further.

He doesn't know about the special exam given to the first years involving my suspension, so he doesn't know the full depth of the risk with traveling with a first year, nor does he know about Hosen stabbing my hand. I intend to keep it that way.

As we chatted, the slots filled up, and we were all called over. The man in charge of the whole event was Mashima-sensei. He explained the rules to us. Basically, although we're from different groups, as of this event, we'll be on the same team. If team B wins, each member from different groups would win 20 points. Although multiple members per group can participate, they made it so that the points earned would only amount for the group as a whole, not per individual. Other than that, standard rules for a game of volleyball will be followed.

On the opposing side, I could see that they are a bunch of third years. I don't know which of them are from the same group, if there are any at all.

"Our opponents are third years." Yosuke said. "Do you think this is a coincidence?" He asked.

Considering our contest with Nagumo is widespread, it wouldn't be too unreasonable to think that he instructed them to face off against me. However, there was a flaw with that assumption.

"While I wouldn't put it past him, two of our teammates are also third years. This is probably just a coincidence, however I would advice you to keep your guard up."

He nodded affirmatively. It could also be possible that Nagumo sent instructions to disrupt our game by sabotaging us, however I doubt Nagumo would make a move that would intentionally bring down a third year's performance, since he is adamant on his whole meritocracy spiel.

As soon as the game started, our team was the one to serve. The third years move well. I could tell they're well trained, and experienced. My teammates too were just as impressive, Yosuke especially. As expected, this wonderful man was putting the pressure on the opposing side.

I wasn't doing too bad myself. Eventually, I started to pick up the pace. Although I wasn't to the same level as Yosuke, I was able to keep up, and ultimately scoring a few points here and there.

After some time passed, our team one with an eight point lead. I didn't have to do much this time. I just left most of it to Yosuke and the others. Once the game was over, I rejoined Yosuke while waiting for our points to be handed out. Upon looking at my watch, I could see that another 15 points were added while we were playing, courtesy by Karma. This puts us at 405 points, and we finally rose to fifth place.

"You did great." Said Yosuke.

"You guys did most of the work. I'm grateful we were put in the same team."

"You say this is your second time playing Volleyball, but you pick up fast."

"Well I didn't want to be deadweight."

As we were talking, Mori and Mii-chan approached us.

"Hirata-kun, Ayanokoji-kun, you guy did super great!" Mori loudly exclaimed, as Mii-chan silently nodded in agreement.

Yosuke lightly chuckled. "Thanks. It was a group effort."

As we were talking, I could see that the girl's game just finished. I excused myself, and waited for Nanase, all the while Mori looked confused. Considering she knows about my relationship with Kei, seeing me with another girl, let alone a first year must've raised some concerns. I looked to Yosuke, trying to silently give him a signal to help me out. It seems he understood, and tried to reassure her, without giving away mine and Kei's relationship in front of Mii-chan.

"You won. Congratulations." I told Nanase.

"Thank you. Your team won too, senpai. Congratulations."

"Thanks."

"Uhh..." She rubbed the back of her neck.

"What's wrong." I asked her.

"I hope I didn't interrupt you talking with your friends."

I shook my head, reassuring her that wasn't the case. "Don't worry. You weren't. Are you tired?"

"No, I'm fine. Maybe a little thirsty, but I have my own water so don't worry about me."

As if to prove her point, she grabbed a bottle of water from her bag and took a quick sip.

"I see. But we can rest if you want though."

She shook her head. "Like I said, don't worry. My last task is probably gonna be my last one, so I won't be expending as much energy moving forward."

"That's good. I was thinking the same thing also."

As we were talking, Yosuke and the others approached us from behind.

"Kiyotaka-kun."

I turned to him as he called me out.

"The rest of us will be headed over to G9."

"G9?" I said.

"Yes. A badminton event had just recently popped up there. I was thinking of taking part of it myself."

After he said that, Nanase called for my attention. "Senpai, isn't that?"

I nodded. "I know."

"Is something wrong?" Mii-chan asked us.

This time, it was Nanase who answered. "G9 was our last designated area. We were just there before coming here."

Seeing as how this was a practical arrangement, I decided to ask Yosuke if we could accompany them.

"I don't have any problems with that. How about you two?"

Mii-chan nodded. Mori seemed hesitant, but begrudgingly agreed to it anyway.

"Karma will likely join us later." I said to them.

"That's fine. The more the merrier they said." Yosuke reassured.

With that, we waited for our points to be given out to us before heading out. It only took a minute, but now 20 points were added to our overall score, meaning we were now at 425 points. Now that that was out of the way, we immediately set out for G9 once again.

Part 6

Arriving at G9, we could see a couple of people in queue for the event. In the event were badminton court mats - the ones that you could roll up and set down whenever, - the nets that came along with the court, and an umpire's chair for each one. I don't see anyone I recognize, however Yosuke ended up saying pleasantries to a few, who were there.

"You're pretty famous." I commented.

He lightly laughs, and we signed up for the event. Once again, it was segregated by gender, so Nanase and I will neither compete with, nor against each other. And again, only one member per group may participate.

After regrouping with Yosuke, we both found out that we were once again on the same team. This is probably because we signed up at the same time.

"Have you ever played badminton before?" He asked me.

"Not competitively." I lied. I only really know the fundamentals, but have never tried playing it myself.

This will be a first for me, like how Volleyball last year. From what I understand, while it may be similar to tennis, unlike tennis, one can't overhand serve as it's not permitted. We must also try our best to make sure that when we hit the shuttlecock, it shouldn't land on our side of the court, or outside the opponent's side. This would mean that if the opponent overshots their batter, where the shuttlecock would fly outside our side's court, it's better to just leave it be, as that would give us a point.

"I'll have to rely on you for this event again." I said.

"Don't beat yourself up over it. You adapt fast. I'm sure you'll still give the opponents a run for their money."

Seems he really can't accept my inexperience as a reason for me bringing myself down.

"You're putting a lot of pressure on me, but I'll give it my all."

After a little while, the event organizers called for all participants to gather as the event was about to begin.

The game was a doubles game. Yosuke and I were facing off against a team of third years for the first round. As soon as the game began, I could immediately tell that they were experienced. While I was in no way on the same level as both Yosuke, and my opponents, I was able to make sure that I won't overdo my shot.

Having to restrain my own swing was a lot more challenging than I had originally thought. A few times, I swung too hard and the shuttlecock almost went out of court. However, it was just enough that it caused some confusion in the opposite side, and they'd be too late to react.

This gave me an idea. Once I got better control over my swings, I was able to adjust it so that I was able to have the shuttlecock land near the edge of the court intentionally this time. I didn't always do this, since I didn't want them to catch on that I was now doing this on purpose.

Eventually, they did catch on, but by the time they did so, it was already too late. Yosuke and I were able to secure our victory for the first round. Once the match ended, I informed Yosuke of my plan, and he was fully on board.

In the next consecutive rounds, I do the same thing. Even when facing against more experienced players, my own inexperience ended being their downfall. This type of scenario is actually a lot more common than people may think. More experienced competitors are much more used to playing with high levels of skills, that it's difficult for them to dial it back, when facing against competitors at a much lower caliber. This essentially allows less experienced competitors to gain the upper-hand, since they have the element of unpredictability on their side.

My unpredictability, and Yosuke's athleticism gave us the upper-hand. In the end, the event ended with us in 2nd place. While we didn't come first, we were able to secure 20 points each. First place was 30 points, and third place was 10 points. For this being my first time playing badminton, coming in 2nd was a huge achievement.

After the points were handed out, we regrouped with Nanase, Mori, and Mii-chan. While we waited for Nanase, I received another notification. It seems that Karma won us another 15 points. Together with my 20 points, our total points were now 460. We were rising through the ranks slowly, but surely. While this was good, it also means that Nagumo, the third years, the first years, Tsukishiro, and the White Room enforcers would have to increase their efforts.

Once Nanase returned, Yosuke explained that him and his group were gonna call it a day and camp for the night.

"Would you care to join us?" He asked.

I accepted as I wanted to experience the "joys of camping by the beach" as he puts it. After accepting his invitation, I excused myself to inform my exam partner about an increase in numbers for the night. Taking out my walkie-talkie, I contacted him. After a while, he finally picked up.

"Hey." He answered.

"I'm calling to inform you, that Yosuke and his group would be joining us and Nanase for the night. Are you fine with that?"

"Yeah, that's fine. By the way ~" His voice was muffled by the sound of the breeze.

"Can you repeat that?" I asked him.

"I said, has Nanase-san done anything out of the ordinary?"

"None so far. She's been minding her own business actually."

This doesn't mean I can afford to let my guard down around her. Since she has some sort of hidden animosity around me, she could come at me at anytime with my back turned. Sensing my line of thinking, he responded.

"Well, I'm sure I don't need to remind you to watch out, but... well... whatever."

"I'm aware."

"Cool. Lemme know where you are and I'll come meet up with you guys."

After giving a brief explanation of our whereabouts - basically describing our surroundings -, he noted that he needed no more information.

"Are you sure you could find us?" I asked him, curiously.

"Don't worry. I recognize those trees. I'll be there in a jiffy."

Without elaborating further, he hung up. I then went to rejoin the others, who were now setting up their camp. So far the past two days have been going smoothly. Too smoothly if you ask me, which means that things may start to get heated soon.

Hello! It's been a while. I finally got this part out, however vol isn't over yet. I initially planned this to be longer, however the part that comes after the badminton event has a different shift in tone, so I decided to split it. It should be like a .5 volume, like the actual COTE light novels. Because of that, it should be a lot shorter than the usual chapters.

I was actually suppose to put this out earlier, but I decided to unwind, and not overwork myself. Ended up spending the past few days with friends, and caught myself up with some games and other stuff outside school. I start 2nd semester next week, so don't look forward for an update so soon. I've seen my subjects, and they're much heavier than the ones I had last semester. I was also thinking of doing freelancing to make some extra money, since college is a bitch (If you've read the chapter, I'm pretty sure you can guess my program). Needless to say, updates may slow down significantly, but I'll keep you guys updated.

Again, lemme just reassure you I'm not stopping this. I love working on this story, and I have no plans on stopping.

Thanks again for all the support this has been getting. I haven't updated in a while, and we're almost at 60k reads! That honestly blows my mind. I'm hoping to finish this island exam arc soon, since I'm really excited to work on the Unanimous Vote Exam. That doesn't mean I'm gonna rush this though. I'll see this arc through and through.

That's all from me. I'll see ya guys next time!

Vol. 5.5 - Contemplations

Part 1

(3rd Person POV)

As the second day of the Uninhabited Island Exam approaches its end, everyone started to settle down. Along the coastline of G9, a group of students set up camp, each unpacking their things.

Among those students, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had just gotten back from speaking with his exam partner over the walkie-talkiee, and was now setting up his own tent beneath a tree. Alongside him were Nanase Tsubasa, Hirata Yosuke, Mori Nene, and Wang Mei-Yu (also known as Mii-chan.)

Throughout the day they had tackled different events, and it ended with Nanase accompanying Ayanokoji in his travels around the island, and both groups camping in the same location. Not wanting to feel like a burden, Nanase decided to help set up the porta potty bought by Hirata's group.

"That must've costed you a lot." Ayanokoji said to Hirata as they set up their tents.

"Well guys and girls have their own needs. We talked it out, and came to the conclusion that this was necessary." Hirata replied.

Although Hirata was initially apprehensive in buying the porta potty, since it would mean that they would have to sacrifice buying more food, he recalled the first island exam they had, and eventually gave in.

"I see." Said Ayanokoji.

After setting up their tents and porta potty, Hirata instructed everyone to gather as much fire wood as they could. After they had set up their campfires, everyone started to unpack their food. As they did that, a voice from a short distance spoke up.

"So you're cooking this time, Kiyotaka?"

Everyone turned their heads to see Class, D's residential sadist, Karma, approach them.

"I was getting things ready for you." Ayanokoji replied to his exam partner.

Nanase turned her head to him, and asked. "Does this mean Akabane-senpai does the cooking between you two?"

"Well he willingly volunteered... Also he just prefers his own cooking." Ayanokoji answered.

"Not to sound like I'm bragging-" Karma settles down near Kiyotaka. "but between you and I, I have a better chance at earning a compliment from Gordon Ramsey than you would."

The others let out a light laugh at the red head's joke.

"Hello, Akabane-kun." Hirata greeted, soon followed by Mori and Mii-chan.

"Hey." Karma returned the greeting. "Alright. Move over and let me work, T-Rex-kun." Karma says as he shoos Ayanokoji away from the fire.

The girls were confused by the nickname he gave him, meanwhile Ayanokoji and Hirata understood the meaning behind it completely. Ayanokoji was annoyed, but remained quiet, while Hirata just let out a nervous laugh.

Ayanokoji just stood up and walked towards to thicket to relieve himself, while Karma, Mii-chan, and Nanase start working. As they did so, Karma spoke up.

"So... Nanase-san, no Hosen-kun nor Amasawa-san for tonight?"

Nanase shook her head. "No. I'm afraid we'll be camping apart for some nights. Sorry senpai. I did tell Amasawa-san you said hi."

"Well that's a shame." Karma pouted.

"Are you perhaps close with her, Akabane-kun."

"Ah, well." Karma perked up. "We happened to meet by chance. Turns out we went to the same elementary school, so we had a few things to talk about."

While Karma didn't technically lie, he did decide to omit the White Room's existence entirely.

"What school did you went to, Akabane-kun?" Asked Mori.

After seeing how laid back Karma could be, and with Hirata's encouragement, both her and Mii-chan decided that if they're going to camp with him, they'd need to get along. With that, Mori decided to open a conversation, but not without apprehension.

In response to her question, Karma shot her a glare, flared his bloodlust slightly, and responded with a menacing tone. "If you knew, I'd have to kill you."

Both Mori, Mii-chan, and Nanase yelped.

"You never know what a man may be hiding." He said, flipping the knife in his hand. His smile then stretched wider, showing his teeth. "Who knows? Maybe my performance last exam wasn't all for show. I could have more than a few skeletons hidden in my closet."

Mori, and Mii-chan especially were broke into a cold sweat, meanwhile Hirata just sighed, expecting something like this to come from him after being warned in advance by Ayanokoji.

"Akabane-kun." Hirata called him out.

Karma wasn't bothered by it, however. He just shrugged, rolled his eyes and said calmly: "Geez I'm just kidding. It's not like I'd actually kill you. What do I look like, a killer?"

Internally, the girls all thought "yes", while Hirata scolded Karma for his "joke".

"It's not nice to make jokes abut killing someone, Akabane-kun. Especially when you sound like you meant it."

Karma sighed as he resumed his cooking. "Okay, look. Part of the joke was to make it sound believable. It's not like I'd actually go through with it."

Hirata sighed at Karma's explanation, and shook his head, knowing that the residential sadist wouldn't just stop. Sensing that Hirata was having a hard time reprimanding him, Nanase resolved herself, and stood up to her senpai.

"Akabane-senpai," Karma was taken aback by the sound of the kouhai's meek voice. "not everyone is gonna have the same reception to your joke. Some, like Ayanokoji-senpai may be fine with it, but others, like us would feel unease by it. Please try to at least understand that some people are more sensitive than others."

Although she was still recovering from the feeling of dread by Karma's joke, she stood her ground, and firmly voiced her thoughts.

Karma looked down at the pot in front of him, and remained quiet after listening to Nanase's words. It wasn't just a Nanase's voice that rang repeatedly in his head, but the familiar sound of being reprimanded by a certain someone. After giving it some thought, he sighed and relented.

"Fine. Whatever. You win."

"Like what Nanase-san said. I appreciate that you're willing to be open to conversation with your classmates, but not everyone can match your humor." Hirata added.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. No more of those kind of jokes. I don't need to here the same spiel over and over again." Karma said, annoyed.

Hirata nodded, and politely said: "That's good, but isn't there something else, that you should be saying?"

Karma paused for a moment. He turned his head slightly until Nanase, Mori, and Mii-chan were in his field of view, then quickly turned back to his cooking, averting their gaze in a second.

Without looking at them, he muttered: "S-sorry, I guess..." Embarrassed, he could feel his cheeks flush a bit, so he turned his back to them, hoping that they won't notice. "There, I said it." The last thing he needs is his bad boy image being tarnished even more, he thought to himself, but knows that continuing a joke like this would dishonor the man who's helped him get this far.

Once Hirata was able to put the others at ease, Ayanokoji returned. He could sense the awkward tension between the group and Karma. Karma had his back to him, so he couldn't see his expression. He shot Hirata a look that said: "what happened?", while Hirata just returned with a weak smile, exhausted for having to keep the peace.

Part 2

Once dinner rolled around, and everyone had finished preparing their meals, they all sat together around a campfire. Mori, Mii-chan, and Hirata were chatting cheerily as they ate, having put the previous happenstance behind them, while Ayanokoji, Karma, and Nanase ate in silence.

Nanase, as she was seated near Ayanokoji, caught whiff of the smell of his food, and found it delightful.

"That smells really good, Ayanokoji-senpai." She said, finding the aroma to be delightful, despite their situation being on an island.

"Well Karma prepared it. Give your compliments to him."

Nanase looked at Karma, who had been quietly eating his portion. "Are you perhaps good at cooking, Akabane-senpai?"

Karma shrugged. "Meh. I'm alright."

"Really? But given the limited materials one could buy with their finite amount of points, this still tastes like delicious home cooking." Nanase retorted.

"Well, I suppose I've been in the game for a while." He replied, nonchalantly.

"Have you ever started cooking while you were still young?" Nanase asked.

"Mm... No. Just some time when I entered Junior High."

"Oh."

I decided to interject. "Would you like to try some?" I asked her.

"Oh, uh..." She was taken aback by my offer. "Are you sure?"

"I don't particularly mind. Karma made more than I could take anyway."

"Hey!" Karma called out, offended.

Nanase took a scoop out of Ayanokoji's plate, and brought the food to her mouth. As soon as she got a taste, she let out a hum of satisfaction. The others, who had been listening, were now curious.

After savoring the flavor in her mouth, she swallowed it, and looked like she wanted more.

"This is actually really good, Akabane-senpai." Nanase exclaimed, cheerfully.

Karma started to feel his pride swell up. "Well, I'm glad someone here appreciates my work." He said, his eyes darting to Ayanokoji by his side, who internally sighed.

"Also," He returned his attention to Nanase. "What do you mean by "actually"?" He stated, pretending to be offended.

Caught off guard, Nanase hastily defended herself. "Oh, uh... I-I meant-"

Before she could finish, Karma cut her off. "I get it. You don't need to repeat what you said earlier about limited stuff. Sheesh, it's like listening to a broken record."

"Oh."

Ayanokoji, and Nanase noticed Hirata and the others watching the scene unfold, curiously. They could smell the aroma from the other side of the campfire, but said nothing about it, however they were all thinking the same thing.

"Would you like to try some, senpais?" Asked Nanase.

"Uh..." Mori, and Mii-chan let out, hesitantly.

Hirata turned to Karma, hoping the boy would give them his consensus.

"Knock yourself out." Karma said, shrugging.

"It wouldn't really be fair though, since we'd be practically taking your food."

Mori, and Mii-chan agreed, nodding.

Karma rolled his eyes at Hirata's politeness. "Fine, how 'bout this. Since Kiyotaka said he's full, Nanase-san and Mori-san can share that one. As for you and Mii-chan, you and I can just trade as a compromise. You fine with that?"

Everyone gave it some thought, and eventually agreed with his proposal. Once the swaps were done, everyone took a bite, and were overcome with satisfaction. The more everyone enjoyed his cooking, the more Karma's pride swelled. Ayanokoji noticed this, but just sighed.

"This is really good, Akabane-kun." Hirata exclaimed.

"Mhm." Said Mii-chan.

As she shared hers with Hirata, she was overcome with a sense of embarrassment. From the corner of her eye, she could see Karma smirking at them devilishly, revealing to Mii-chan his ulterior motive, much to everyone else's ignorance.

"Akabane-kun," Hirata called out to him. "Do you usually cook for your family on weekends or something?"

Karma shook his head. "Mostly just for myself. When they're around, it's either they who do the cooking, or we just buy take out."

"Oh."

Part 3

"Right. That about does it." Says Hirata, looking over their now clean campsite. "Good work everyone."

After eating their dinner, they decided to clean up before continuing the rest of their evening around the campfire.

"Thanks, Hirata-kun." Replied, Mori, followed by Mii-chan and Nanase.

"Oh, Akabane-kun." He called out to Karma after seeing him walk over a certain spot. "Be careful with that area. I saw some sharp rocks, and shells over there."

"Oh, cool!" Replied Karma, enthusiastically. He then began surveying the surface beneath him.

"Uh, senpai... Maybe you shouldn't be over there." Said Nanase.

"I'm just picking up a few for later use. In an island like this, you never know when you might need to stab something." He said, nonchalantly.

"Uh..." The girls all said nervously.

"Or someone" He added, calmly.

Ayanokoji and Hirata just sighed, knowing they can do nothing to stop him.

"Just let it happen." Said Ayanokoji as Karma started picking up the sharp rocks and shells, like a small child unearthing hidden treasure.

"W-why would you need to stab something?" Asked Mii-chan, nervously.

"Well for one thing, there's hunting. Plenty of fish in the sea for food. Second, intruders."

"Intruders?" Asked Mori. "Do you not trust others not to-" She stopped herself before finishing, realizing the kind of school they're in, and how stupid she sounded. "Nevermind..." She finishes off, meekly.

"Yeah... no... Not trusting a bunch of strangers to just come near me." He said, as he walks back to them with his findings. "And since the actual knives we have on us are too bulky, I need to improvise with something lighter."

"But... you let me stay with you, senpai." Said Nanase.

Karma then glanced over to her. "If you think I'm not prepared for you stabbing us in the back, then as the great Batman once said, you're damn fools." He said, glancing over to Ayanokoji briefly. Silently, the brown-haired boy agrees.

"Wait, is that what you think about the rest of us?" Asked Hirata, concerned.

Karma rolls his eyes. "I'm not gonna stab you if that's what you're thinking. Sheesh."

He then pauses.

"Well, unless you stab me in the back first."

Mii-chan and Mori started to get nervous at his comment. Seeing this, Nanase asked.

"Do you not trust your classmates, Akabane-senpai? Hirata-senpai, Wang-senpai, and Mori-senpai all seem pretty nice."

Karma scoffs at her comment. "Yeah it's always the nice ones. Next thing you know they're gonna strike you in your sleep and steal your precious organs."

"But... we won't ever do that." Argued Mori, meekly.

"Senpai, you should trust your classmates more." Said Nanase.

Karma leaned forward, his tone serious.

"Last time I did, one turned out to be a psychotic, two-faced lunatic on a revenge spree, and the other nearly choked the life out of me."

The others winced, while Ayanokoji tried to recall some of what Karma told him during his time in the Assassination Classroom. The revenge spree one he could grasp, but as for the latter, nothing came to mind.

Seems you left more interesting stuff out than I had originally thought. Ayanokoji pondered.

While everyone was rationalizing what Karma said as a joke, his tone and expression said otherwise.

"Wh-what kind of people have you been seeing?" Mori asked, mortified.

Karma shrugged. "I'd rather you didn't phrase it like that, but if you must know..."

He started counting with his fingers as he describes some of the people he met.

"Some homocidal maniacs. An occultist.A poison specialist. A guy much like Sudo, though not as smart as Sudo. That idiot nearly drowned the whole class. A techy guy with a lotta baggage. He nearly killed pseudo-Sudo out of anger. It was pretty funny. Some stalkers, a womanizing scumbag, a yakuza, two shooters, a psychopath - I think-, a perverted overgrown man-child, an overworked, emotionally distressed father of 30, oh and a bitch. "

Hirata, Mii-chan, Mori, and Nanase just listened in horror as Karma dryly recounted his old classmates in graphic descriptions, while Ayanokoji merely listened with interest.

When he was finished, the others were starting to wonder if his sadism really came from a place of hurting.

"I think you may need to start choosing better people, Akabane-senpai." Said Nanase, worryingly.

Karma shrugged. "Meh. They're alright. It honestly could've been worse."

"Worse? How?" Asked Mori.

Karma hummed, straight-faced. "Well there was that one time we all nearly died on an island vacation."

"Huh?" Hirata said, visibly worried.

Ayanokoji stopped him.

"I think that's enough."

Karma crossed his arms. "Well, whatever. These guys don't have the stomach to handle all this anyway." He says, pointing to his classmates, and Nanase, who were all uncomfortable.

They just remained quite, finding it difficult to digest what he just told them.

Part 4

As the night went on, everyone chatted about various topics. They brought up Ayanokoji's and Karma's placement, and were impressed that they managed to make it in to the top 5.

"It's only the second day, but you guys are giving everyone a run for their money. Congratulations." Hirata exclaimed, the others agreeing.

Karma let out a laugh. "Well I certainly don't want to lose to that loser." He said.

Don't act so overconfident now. We've only been at this exam for two days. Who knows what's in store for us. Ayankoji thought internally.

Indeed. Although there were 3rd years who were actively trying to restrict their movements on day 1, now it seems like they were taking more of a backseat. Ayanokoji thought it over, and concluded that Nagumo may be trying to reassess the situation. With Ayanokoji and Karma now at fifth place, Nagumo may launch his counter attack soon, and no doubt the first years too would begin to mobilize. For all they know, Nanase travelling with them could be a tactical play by whoever's in charge.

"I'm sure you guys got this." Mii-chan said, encouragingly.

"Haha. Careful what you say. Especially in the presence of an outsider." Karma said that as he glanced over to Nanase, who had been listening to the whole exchange.

Nanase sunk lower in her seat, defending herself from their suspicions.

As the conversation continues, the crumbling, crescent moon shone brightly in the clear night sky. Everyone's attention was drawn to it, and the topic shifted to a grimmer tone.

"Hey, you remember that one test from yesterday?" Asked Mori.

"The history test with questions about the superbeing?" Replied Hirata.

Mori nodded. "Do you really think it's possible to blow up a sizeable chunk of the moon like that?"

"Well..." Mii-chan chimed in. "Although it's hard to believe, I guess it's not necessarily impossible."

"I s-suppose you have a point. One thing doesn't add up, though. Why teach?" Asked Mori.

"That is odd." Hirata replied. "Then again, very little has ever been made known to the public."

"Yeah. Even the identities of the students were secret." Noted Nanase.

"Still, it may have been for the best." Hirata replied. "They've been through enough that whole year. It's best that they're able to live their lives without having other people pester them about it."

"Yeah." Agreed Mii-chan, grimly.

As they were talking, Ayanokoji discretely glanced over at Karma, who was staring at the crescent moon with a somber expression, just like on the first day. He knew that, from what Karma told him, the media fabricated the news in order to hide the truth, and that the students weren't taken against their will. They all loved their octopus of a teacher dearly, and vice versa.

"How do you think they're doing right now?" Asked Nanase.

Everyone listening gave it some thought. Then, Hirata replied.

"Well, we talked about it yesterday, but maybe therapy?"

"Oh." Nanase thought. "I suppose it would make sense. Aside from wanting to go on with their lives, they also need all the help they can get."

"I hope they're well compensated." Said Mii-chan, sympathetically.

"If the government put them up to the task in killing the creature, surely they would've done something to help ease all the trauma they received." Hirata commented.

Nanase then turned her attention to the pair silently listening to the discussion. Not wanting them to be left out of the conversation, she decided to ask. "What do you think, Ayanokoji-senpai, Akabane-senpai?"

"Us?" Said Ayanokoji, while Karma just continued to stare in to the night sky.

"I'm sorry, let me reiterate. What you guys think about the whole superbeing incident?"

Ayanokoji thought over what he was going to say. Since he knows the truth from that year, he has to watch his words carefully, especially since he was technically being monitored by two of the people involved.

"Well, it was certainly an interesting turn of events. As unfortunate as it is that middle school students got involved, I have a feeling their transition back to normalcy isn't so cut and dry."

Everyone listening, apart from Karma, were surprised by his answer. Curiously, they pressed him on.

"What do you mean? That they're not completely getting the help they need?" Asked Mori, raising an eyebrow.

Ayanokoji was about to reply, but Karma responded for him, this time, not in his usual tone.

"I doubt the government would be so kind to get them help." He said, with the last word having more emphasis.

"Akabane-kun, are you saying the government is just done with them?"

Karma hummed in thought before giving a response.

"I have a feeling it's more like they're just paying them to keep a tight lip. It would just be more work for the people in charge if some sensitive information got out there."

"That seems cruel to just disregard them like that." Mii-chan mumbled.

Karma heard that, and added on. "That's what it means to be an adult. Especially those in power. Reality is a lot more cruel than you make it out to be."

"But..." Nanase said. "Shouldn't they at least get some kind of compensation?"

"I already told you didn't I? They may have been compensated with a huge chunk of cash." Karma replied.

"Is that enough though?" Mii-chan asked.

"Trust me." Karma added. "This is more for the government's benefit than the students involved. They'd rather the students don't do anything unnecessary behind their backs."

"I guess you're right." Mori rubbed the back of her neck. "If the students ever said anything bad about them, the government would be seen in an even worse light."

Karma scoffed at her statement. 'Yeah. Leave it to a bunch of middle schoolers to do your dirty work why don't ya.' He thought, bitterly.

"It's not like they have a good reputation to begin with." He said aloud. He then took a sip from his water bottle before resuming. "A lot of shady things going on behind the scenes. A lot of them are no better than the average criminal."

As much as the others wanted to respond, even they're aware that they're not being fully kept in the loop. Corruption is prevalent, and those in power tend to abuse what power they have to get their way, even at the expense of others.

Hirata then cleared his throat. "So..." He said. "The school the creature taught at... it's quite a surprise no one else other than those students, the principal, and the those working for the government caught wind beforehand, huh?"

"Well several reports did say that the principal was being backed into a corner at that time." Mii-chan said.

"Yeah, but wasn't the principal's system pretty scummy as well?" Asked Nanase.

"Are you referring to the discrimination the students from the lowest class felt for so long?" Asked Hirata.

Nanase nodded in affirmation. "In a way, it's like with this school, but maybe worse."

"Why's that?" Asked Mii-chan.

"Well, that's because-"

As Nanase was about to explain, Karma answered for her. "Because, at least here, those at the bottom are still given a fighting chance. Well, if they choose to fight, that is."

"Akabane-kun's right." Agreed, Hirata. "Unlike our school right now, the headmaster of that school actively puts the lowest ranking students under a lot of pressure, and actively does whatever it takes to keep them there, including sabotage."

The atmosphere became grimmer as Hirata explained, though all this isn't news to one particular red-head sitting among them.

Nanase clenched her fist, and gritted her teeth at the thought of the headmaster's inhumane acts. "I'm starting to think that the principal may have even been more than willing to put those students in danger."

"Why?" Mori asked. "Because he put them under harsh conditions, so what's a superbeing holding them hostage gonna do kinda thing?"

"Yeah." Nanase replied, her bloodlust starting to flare.

As the others, who were kept out of the loop were thinking it over, Ayanokoji voiced his own thoughts.

"That may not be the case."

Everyone turned to him.

"What do you mean, senpai?" Asked Nanase.

"While I understand what he did was immoral, I'm certain he must've had limits to what he could allow. I highly doubt that he'd just willingly put those students in any immediate, life-threatening danger, since he would still need them to show the rest of the student body as an example of what not to become."

The others were at a loss for words as they thought about it. From what the press released, the principal explained his philosophy, forcibly, knowing that lying won't get him out of it. Karma then chimed in.

"Kiyotaka's right. Bottom of the barrel they may be, they're still part of his educational philosophy." He lied down on the sand, his head resting on his arms before continuing. "In his own twisted image that is."

The others were saddened by this. Even without the superbeing's involvement, those who were part of that system beforehand still ended up enduring a lot of scorn, and nothing was done to help them. Even if there was, their experience as being part of the system must have scarred them for life.

"D-do you think that some of them... may have..." Asked Mii-chan weakly.

Everyone knew what she meant. To have he feeling of the whole world turn its back on you, it wasn't unthinkable that at least a few of those students went to relieve themselves of their pain permanently by cutting their time short.

Hirata didn't want to imagine it. Not just because of what happened to his friend, but because it could happen to anyone, and he'd be powerless. He'd be lying if he too hadn't thought about it himself. Nanase let he thought swirl in her mind, and it ended up bringing back an awful memory. To that, she nearly vomited, but was able to hold it in to save face.

Ayanokoji and Karma both thought back to their time in the White Room. It wasn't uncommon for children to off themselves. If the harsh environment didn't end them, they'd do it themselves.

Perhaps what kept these two going after so long were their determination to best everyone, and their shared rivalry. In a way, they ended up finding companionship in it, and because of that, they felt less lonely.

Not wanting to end the night on a grim note, Karma chimed in to ease the tension.

"Whatever you're thinking, rest assured he got what was coming to him."

"As if that did any good." Nanase said, grimly.

"Yeah." Mii-chan added. "I heard he's opening a new school too."

"Who's to say he won't model his new system with his old one?" Asked Mori, infuriated.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure he won't be doing such a thing, Mori-san." Karma replied.

The girls, and Hirata raised an eyebrow in confusion, and let out an audible "Huh?"

Ayanokoji then clarified in Karma's place. "I think he means, that the headmaster won't be able to get away with something like that, now that he's been exposed."

"W-well I suppose you have a point." Mumbled Mori.

"That, and he may have even ended up experiencing quite a few things that year to have cause quite the shift in perspective." Added Karma.

"What do you mean?" Asked Nanase.

"Well, being in close proximity to a superbeing such as that would've most definitely change a man." Karma paused before continuing.

He then smiled faintly as the memories of the repeated losses of A Class and Asano Sr. started flooding in, though no one seemed to notice.

He then continued. "Whatever he experienced must've been quite explosive that it blew him away."

"W-well I can see your point, senpai, but do you have any idea what that might've been specifically?"

Karma hummed in thought before answering. "Death?"

"Huh?"

"Facing near death can change a man drastically. Who knows? Maybe that creature got so annoyed with him, and started dropping him 100 meters in the air, only to catch him and repeat the process all over again. Or that the creature threatened to kill his family. Empty his credit card by spending it all on junk food and porn mags. Torture him by grooming his hair, eyelashes, and nails. Or maybe he even made him face a grenade right to his face. If you have powers like that, the possibilities for torture are endless." He said jokingly.

This was apparently enough to lighten the mood a bit, as everyone, save for Ayanokoji let out a little chuckle.

"You know what?" Said Mori. "I don't care if I sound like an asshole. I'm glad that guy got what was coming to him."

Nanase, and Mii-chan agreed. Even Hirata found it hard to disagree.

"Why those kinds of torture specifically?" He asked Karma.

"Well normal torture may get boring for a creature of that caliber, so I imagine he'd have to get creative." Karma replied, nonchalantly.

"Okay, but... grooming? Junk food? Porn mags?" Asked Hirata, visibly perplexed.

Karma shrugged, smiling fondly. "Well if I had powers like that, I'd steal people's wallets and go on a spending spree. Maybe even give 'em a hairdo, and make them cross dress as a maid to humiliate them. Who knows?"

"Oh."

"You know, I wish I had superspeed too." Said Mori. "I bet I could go to a lot of different places I could never to go to before."

"That sure would be a useful power." Agreed Mii-chan, enthusiastically.

"Mhm." Said Karma. "Bet you could travel to Hawaii without a visa, and watch the English previews. Or maybe even draw your face around the world using your own contrails, and make a stupid song of out it."

"O-or go sight-seeing. Like the top of Mount Everest." Replied Mii-chan.

Everyone, apart from Ayanokoji were each giving out their own ideas for what they would do if they had super speed. Successfully diverting the awkward atmosphere from earlier into a livelier one, Karma was able to get their minds of his former E Class. As fun as it was messing with people's heads for him, he didn't want to give himself away either.

Amidst all this, one individual among them noticed the oddly specific scenarios and wordings used by Karma, but chose not to press on as they didn't want any trouble.

As the night progressed, everyone became at ease once again.

Part 5

(Ayanokoji POV)

It was more or less 30 minutes away from 9 pm. We had all decided to turn in early to be fully recharged for tomorrow's endeavors. Before we could, I asked Karma to meet with me in a secluded area not too far from our campsite. I told the others we'd be back, and off we went. Once we were now out of sight and earshot, I decided to finally satiate my curiosity from earlier.

"So... What did you want to talk about?" Asked Karma.

"I want to know. Earlier, when everyone was talking about the incident regarding your class, you seemed too lax when you were sharing your some stuff. Why?"

He shrugged. "It's not like I was giving away any sensitive information."

"That's not what I mean."

"Oh?" He said, raising an eyebrow.

"Although you ommitted your involvement, what you said were all too specific. That's the worrisome part, since the two of us know he actually did all those things."

"Alright, let me ask you this." He said, crossing his arms.

"What?"

"Can you really take everything I say at face value? Who's to say I'm not just messing around?"

That is true. Throughout his time in Horikita's Class, Karma has had a habit of messing with people's heads, including myself, when conversing with them. While I myself am able to discern his facts from fiction, the tone he uses when speaking either one are mostly the same - in that it always sound like he's just joking around, or getting in your head.

"Even when I know whether what you say is the truth or not, not everyone has the same thought process as I do."

He snaps fingers and points one towards me as if saying: "congratulations."

"Precisely! As my former teacher once said, I'm a gifted improvisor!"

By maintaining his usual front, no one, aside from myself, would be able to tell that what he said earlier were actually real.

"Are you not worried about people being suspicious?" I asked him.

"Honestly, what were dong right now is pretty suspicious. Discussing in a secluded area out of sight and hearing range is pretty shady. It looks like were dealing drugs or something."

Well I suppose, that, from the perspective of an outsider, it does look like we're doing something illegal.

"I can see your point, but please just answer my question."

He sighs. "Me? Worried? Not really."

"And why's that?"

He leans his back against the tree before answering.

"Without concrete evidence, all they have to go off of are just some ideas I said, that seem outlandish."

Apart from his opinions towards the government, most would just assume that his ideas were all just the byproduct of one's own imagination.

"Still. Aren't you perhaps underestimating the people you talk to? Yosuke is pretty perceptive as well. Nanase is also an unknown." I told him.

He hummed in thought.

"Are you worried I might get found out?" He asked back to me.

I decided to be honest with my answer. "Honestly? Not really. What you do with your secret is none of my concern. I'm just curious, that's all."

I wasn't lying. Whether he did get found out or not, as long as it doesn't affect me, is none of my concern. Though, it would be interesting as to how he would handle the blow back.

He shrugs again. "Then there's nothing for me to worry about either."

"But what if they do found out?"

"Mm. We'll cross that bridge, when we get there." He replied, nonchalantly.

From his uncaring behavior, he doesn't seem to be all too concerned about keeping his secret. Otherwise, he wouldn't have told me and Koenji.

"Now, is there anything else?" He asked.

"Yes, there is. You seem to enjoy sharing some of what you experienced back there."

"And?"

"That's all."

"I thought you were leading me on to a bigger question. You can't just leave me hanging like that."

What I'm about to do is rather bold, but I want to know how he goes by this.

"I just thought I'd point out how laxed you were earlier. Almost as if you were actually enjoying yourself recounting your time that year."

He knows what I mean.

"I suppose I'm wondering if that was your own subtle way of reminiscing, without letting others know. I never really took you for the sentimental type."

He hummed at my response. Then...

"What makes you think I was being sentimental?" He asked me.

"Everything you said earlier, when describing the former head master of your school, and your old teacher says it all. You don't have your old classmates to talk to, and since I'm not from your old class, I can't relate to any of what you said, so you decided to steer the conversation in a way, that would allow you to vent, much to an outsider's ignorance."

Upon noticing how he was staring into the night sky earlier, specifically the crumbling crescent moon, I could tell there was a lot going on in his mind, and the topic of his former class was perhaps a doorway for him to let out some much needed steam. In a way, he felt lonely, and just wanted someone to vent to.

However, he didn't give me a response. Instead, he just straightened his body, and turned to our campsite.

"Let's end this conversation. We have a long day ahead of us." He said.

"You're being dismissive." I told him.

"Oh? Am I now?"

"Yes, you are."

He sighs and turns to me, his expression serious. "Look, that conversation was just it; a conversation. How I choose to handle things is none of your concern."

"Now you're being defensive." I pressed on.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't try to stoke the fire then." He argued.

He was starting to get visibly annoyed, but did his best to remain calm, which didn't amount to much.

"Aren't there things you want to talk about?" I probed.

He then turned to me, bewildered. "Huh?"

"You clearly have some things to say."

"Well, here's something: leave me be." He replied, sternly.

He was, insistent on leaving it here, but I persisted.

"That much bottled up emotions isn't good for anyone."

He clicked his tongue. "What do you know? It's not like you can feel anything anyway."

Well, I won't argue, but that wasn't the point.

"While I can see where you're getting at, this isn't about me." I told him.

"And if it's about me, then I'm entitled to my own thoughts." He argued, almost yelling.

"Karma." I paused briefly, before continuing to make my point. "You're clearly still gri-"

But before I could finish, he cut me off.

"Listen Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, I'm not letting in you in my head, just so you can satisfy your own curiosity. Go mess with someone else's."

"I'm not messing with your head."

"No, but you're clearly crossing a limit."

"Then you admit, that you're still not over it?"

"What?"

He knew what I was referring to, and I now have him backed into a corner.

"I meant about that year. About how you're not over how that year ended."

"... I have nothing to say to you." He said, looking like he's near his breaking point.

"You clearly do if you enjoyed rambling, like earlier, about some of the fun you had that year."

"I wasn't rambling. I was trying to lighten the mood and have some fun." He said, gritting his teeth.

"Then enlighten me. What was on your mind moments before, and after his deathbe-"

He finally snaps, and yelled with a fury.

"I'M NOT DISCUSSING THIS WITH YOU!"

After he yelled that, I turned to check towards the direction of our campsite to see if anyone heard us. Luckily, it didn't seem so.

Realizing what he just did, he shook his head, and tried to regain his composure.

"Look..." He started. "I may have told you some of what happened, but it doesn't mean you're entitled to know my own thoughts on it."

"Right, because they're written all over your face."

"What do you know? You haven't seen me for years. Are you seriously insinuating, that you know me better than I know myself?"

"I've known you the longest. I think I have a good grasp on the kind of person you are, outside of what you normally show others."

If I were to describe him, it would be that he's a facade. He doesn't often show his true feelings, and instead masks them with a display of aloofness, and toughness. Even in the face of true hardship, he always put on a strong front in order to hide any sign of weakness. When confronted with a trial, he jumps into action first, ever so confident in order to not make himself look weak.

In a way, just like myself, he's not showing his true self either. Not even to the ones he's closest to. There are cracks to his mask, but they are always overshadowed by his rough exterior.

"I'm done talking. I'm going to bed."

He tried to walk away from me, but I called out to him.

"You can't keep up that front forever."

He didn't turn around to face me. He just stuck a middle finger in the air and kept walking.

The way how he projected his own feelings of grief into that conversation earlier, by masking them as jokes, I've learned the impact one has on someone, even those who were once emotionally detached. To come to care for someone like that, to the point of grieving over their demise, I wonder if someone one day would be able to make me feel that.

If that ever does happen, the bigger question would be: how do I deal with it? I have seen different people deal with grief differently from others. Take Yosuke for example. He deals with his by always trying to be the one who's there for everyone, even at the cost of his own well-being. This isn't just out of his pure desire of wanting to help people. It's also his way of making up for his past mistakes.

As for Karma, he deals his by putting on a mask, not letting others see how that grief affects him. He doesn't actively find someone to confine in. Instead, he lets them come to him. How he chooses to respond when confronted by someone in regards to his problem seems to be different depending on the person.

There's varying degrees as to how one upholds others. In other words, while we won't outright admit it, we tend to make our own tier list of people, and the length of how long people know each other matters less. For example, those "friends" who belong in the B tier are those who one could laugh with, and the world sees them as the best of friends, and the people in question may even think so. Meanwhile, those in the A tier are the ones whose level of trust is insurmountable, and they get to see a side of an individual, that others never get to witness.

If I were to guess, I'd say I'm probably borderline A and B in Karma's ranking. However, because I may not be fully in A rank, there's still a gap of what he could entrust me with. Those in the A rank, are most likely comprised of people from his former E class. He could trust me with scheming, and telling me portions of the truth from that year, but not the full picture, nor his most honest feelings.

Should the day come, when I'll have to deal with feelings like grief, would I succumb to the turmoil, or would I find a way to cope with it? Would I be ready for it? No matter how much I try to study the grief of others, some things are truly better explained once I get to experience them myself.

I let these thoughts sink in as I arrived back at our camp. Everyone, Karma included have already retreated to their respective tents. I stare back up at the night sky one more time as the crumbling crescent moon shone upon us. Then, I entered my tent, zip it shut, lay down and shut my eyes, eager to start another day anew.

HELLO! Long time no update. Last time I updated was November 2 I think.

Before anything else, advance Merry Christmas everyone! I wanted to put out an update before Christmas day so that you guys will have something new to read. Our Christmas Break actually started on Dec 17th, but I decided to unwind; hang with a friend, play some games, watch some shows, etc. for 3 days.

Also, Although I'm on "break", our professors still gave us long term tasks to work on, which is why I still couldn't get to working on this story this right away. I mean seriously, wtf. Whoever said to "get excited for college" needs a good slap in the face. So yeah, don't expect future updates to come out after this any time soon. My best estimate as to when the next update would be out would be either February or March the earliest. Really sorry about that.

Now, about this chapter. This was suppose to come out like, weeks ago - early December, late November - but upon rereading my initial draft, I realized that it needed major rework, so I shafted like a good 60% of it, and put it on hold until after our exams. The original draft was actually much heavier, which wasn't my initial goal for this chapter, and it just made Karma look more like Gakushuu, which he'd probably be appalled by.

Next chapter should finally be the start of Volume 6, and the 3rd day of the island exam arc. I have stuff laid out, but I'll get to it once I can.

For those who have read this story since the first arc, thanks again for sticking around for so long, and for newer reads, thanks for picking up this story. A lot of it is cringy, since I've never actually written a story with this much plot and length like this before, but I'm glad you guys still find enjoyment out of it anyway. Though I can't update much, I'm semi active on Wattpad, and I often read your guys' comments.

Thanks for the 69k reads before Christmas btw lol.

I'll see you guys in the next update! Merry Christmas, and have a Happy New Year!

Vol 6. Chapter 1 - Sycophancy Time

Part 1

(Ayanokoji POV)

I woke up early on the third day of the Uninhabited Island Exam. I got up from my sleeping bag, and exited my tent. Upon inspecting my surrounding, I can see Karma fishing by the shoreline; his tent all packed up.

After our conversation last night, having a chat with him now this early may not be the best idea.

I left to relieve myself by some nearby shrubs. When I got back, I started packing up my tent. As I did that, Yosuke awoke, followed by Nanase, Mii-chan, and Mori.

"Good morning everyone." Greeted Yosuke.

We all greeted back.

"Where's Akabane-kun?" He asked.

I pointed towards Karma by the shoreline, fishing.

The girls took turns with the porta potty, while Yosuke joined Karma to go fishing.

Right now it was 5:38 am. The first interval for our designated areas is 7:00 am. We have until then to get ready. We all woke up relatively early. In mine and Karma's case though, it's usually to plan ahead, whereas for Yosuke's group, the female species tend to have more necessities than us male.

Probably one of the worst case scenarios a woman could have during an exam like this is going through their menstrual cycle. It does beg the question though: if one does have the unfortunate circumstance, would she be penalized should she seek medical attention on the ship?

It's not really an illness, rather just something every woman experiences at some points throughout the year. It's not something like a fever, or injury, that can be prevented. A woman being told to drop out due to having her menstrual cycle during an island exam is like telling a blind man from birth that it's their fault they can't see.

That aside, while the other group, and Nanase continue to proceed with their routine, Karma and I have yet to continue strategizing. From an outsider's point of view, it would be because we are busy with other duties; I on clean up duty, and Karma on readying food.

That, however, is not the case. He must not want to talk to me after our talk last night. In an exam such as this, any sort of discord between teammates is not ideal. However, if he continues to lament on the past, it may cloud his judgement.

In our relatively short reunion together, one thing I've learned about him is that he can't always lay his feelings bare. He may be expressive, but when it comes to being genuine, he puts up a tough front. So much so that he's even fooling himself.

Perhaps it was a bad move on my part to have pressed him on in admitting it, but it needed to happen sooner or later.

After a bit of time, we all gathered around to have breakfast. Karma kept up his front, and acted like he wasn't the least bit bothered by anything from last night. A talent he must have honed in order to not show weakness.

As everyone ate, nothing seemed amiss. The girls and Yosuke talked like normal, while Karma continued making quips. It's as if nothing happened. It felt like a normal camping experience between youths; something I had been wanting to experience ever since the first island exam.

This, and us gathering around the campfire last night are experiences I would look back on as something I may only get to experience in my short time here.

Alas, all good things come to an end. As we finished eating our meals, we quickly packed up our belongings, and waited for the notification on our respective devices. Once the clock hit 7am, our devices alerted us to our first designated areas.

For me, Karma, and Nanase, our next designated area is F7.

How odd. Designated areas are normally assigned to students in two ways: 2 areas either north, south, east, or west; or 1 area diagonally. Given that this was not the case, it would mean we got a random designated area on the first interval.

"Ayanokoji-senpai, Akabane-senpai, is this-" Nanase was gonna ask, but Karma stole the words right out of her mouth.

"A random designated area? Seem like it." He confirmed.

We then turned to the rest of the group.

"Looks like this is where we part ways." Said Yosuke.

Their designated area was further east from here, so we'll be going in opposite directions.

After saying our goodbyes, we all left the area.

Part 2

On our way to our first designated area, Karma and I first tried traveling at our usual pace, however, we eventually had to slow down in order for Nanase to keep up with us.

Fortunately not by much, as Nanase proved to be quite athletic herself. However, it did mean that we can't parkour on from tree branch to tree branch. Because of this, we were pretty noticeable to a bunch of third, and first years.

"How are you holding up back there, Nanase?" I asked her behind me.

"I'm doing fine senpai." She replied. I was actually impressed by how she was keeping up with us.

Karma and I may have taken to travel on the ground instead of the treetops, but we were still moving at a pace faster than any average high schooler. Not only was she pretty fast, she also appears to have above average endurance, as she doesn't seem to be having too much difficulty breathing amidst all the running.

Though I said we didn't have to slow down much, it was still a significant amount of time delay.

"Crap." Cussed Karma, as more students came in to our view ahead of us.

We eventually started passing them, but the sheer amount of them is concerning. On one hand, they may be trying to beat us to the early bird bonus. On the other, they may just be serving to throw us off.

Since our first designated area is a randomized one, it's more than likely that they haven't yet deduced where it is, and are simply just trying to throw us off in numbers as the one in charge tries to figure out our destination.

Unfortunately for us, whoever's in charge - most likely Nagumo - must've deduced our movements. By the time we exited F8, and were entering F7, there were already a few people present, and were unable to secure 1st arrival, which would've granted us 10 points for early bird.

Fortunately, we didn't completely miss out, as we were able to get third, and receive 3 points for early bird, plus 2 more points for arrival.

This puts our total points at 465.

Upon arrival, we down to recuperate. While Karma and I were pretty much alright - we were really just waiting for some tasks to appear nearby -, it was Nanase who needed to take a break.

"Are you alright?" I asked her.

"Y-yes." She said, trying to save face, but we can see that she was trying to catch her breath.

"Tasks haven't appeared yet, so do take your time recuperating. You will need them should you wish to enter an event."

She nodded, seemingly understanding my concern.

We waited quietly for about 10 minutes.

Neither of us said anything to the other. Karma must've chosen to keep quiet in order to not seem affected from our conversation last night.

By the time tasks did appear, we briefly discussed which ones we would take.

We noticed that there were no written tests for Karma to take, so we have opted for him to take on a different task outside of the knowledge based ones.

From our cell, two events caught our eye. One was a skipping rope race, and the other was... UNO.

"Oh this seems fun!" Exclaimed Nanase excitingly to the UNO event.

I haven't played it, but I have watched Ike and others do, but was quickly cut short due to the arrival of Chabashira-sensei. Because of that, I haven't been able to get a full grasp of the rules. Haruka did buy a pack of cards shortly before this exam, but we never got around to playing it, because we were busy with everything else.

"Ayanokoji-senpai, let's go join!"

"UNO, huh?" I mumbled.

While I haven't been able to get a full grasp of the full set of rules, I do understand that the goal was to lose all your cards, while also making sure the other players keep drawing more cards from the deck.

Other than that, I never bothered asking for the rules, since Haruka said she'll teach us once this exam was over.

"It is close by."

"It'll be great."

Before we could agree on it, Karma stopped us.

"Hold it."

"What is it, Akabane-senpai?"

Karma then posed a question for me.

"Kiyotaka, do you even know how to play UNO?"

Emphasizing "know", Karma caught my dilemma. If it was just a casual game between friends, he probably wouldn't have a problem letting me play. However, there were points on the line.

"Only a little, but I'm sure I'll pick up on it quickly."

My explanation did not satisfy him, however. Still, Nanase seemed set on playing the game, and was filled with confidence.

He sighed. "Well, you are a fast learner."

"It's okay, Ayanokoji-senpai. If you want, I could teach you the rules on the way so that you'll know what to do."

"Hmm..." Let out Karma. "That would be helpful. You sure you could explain everything to him before the start of the event?"

"I'll do the best that I can."

Karma shrugged. "Alright then. In that case I'll go do the skipping rope race."

With Nanase's support, we managed to ease Karma's worries, and convince him to let me participate.

"It's best we depart immediately." I said to everyone.

"Right, of course." Said Nanase.

We all picked up our bags, and got up.

Karma faced us. "Well you two, good lu-"

He stopped himself before he could finish. His face grimaced, as if he had just recalled something tragic. He then let out a deep sigh, slumped, and looked at us serious.

"Kiyotaka, let me do the UNO event with Nanase instead. You can go do the Skipping Rope race instead."

"Eh?"

"Huh?"

I was... not expecting this. I thought we had convinced him.

"Is something wrong, Akabane-senpai?"

He sighed heavily.

"Skill is just one aspect to this game. A much bigger aspect to this game..."

He sighed again.

"Is luck."

"Oh." I said.

So that was his concern.

"Well, yes, luck does play an important part, but the deck is most likely gonna be shuffled, and dealt by one of the facilitators. That way, no cheating from the get-go is unlikely." Nanase explained.

Karma sighed again.

"That's not what I mean."

"So... what is?"

Karma looked at me with disdain.

Honestly, is my luck really that bad?

"I've seen Kiyotaka play games like poker, and monopoly." He recalled dryly.

"Is it really that bad?" Asked Nanase, quizzingly.

I then decided to speak up for myself.

"We all have equal chances of winning, Karma."

Just as Nanase explained earlier, we all have equal chances of receiving the special, and non-special cards.

"Kiyotaka, the last time we played Monopoly, you kept getting the 'Jail Card', the Tax Spaces, money-costing cards, and last time you kept landing on Akito's blue properties, while only owning brown properties, and two stations yourself. You can't land on blue properties unless they're owned by someone, you never get the get out of jail card... Do you want me to continue?"

Karma attacked me in a flurry of my past experiences. While we haven't played a lot with Karma, due to having only been at this school for a short amount of time, it was enough for him to decide that I should stay away from luck-based games.

UNO requires skill to play. Deceiving the opponent, deducing their deck on hand, it's like every other type of game. However, all of those are moot, if I can't get a good card.

Looking back, it's probably for the best that I don't participate in this event. Luck truly isn't in my favor. I can still recount the amount of times I've been placed in a bad situation because of it.

Being trapped in an elevator with Ibuki, the water bottle fiasco with Horikita, the scavenger hunt, being trapped in a store with Ibuki again...

"Honestly, I've never seen someone with such atrocious luck." Karma finished off with a deadpan expression.

"That's... terrible." Said Nanase, who was listening to Karma with a baffled expression, likely finding it hard to believe that someone could have such bad luck.

"Alright, I'll leave it to you." I told Karma.

Considering everything that's happened, it's best I stick to the physically oriented events. I've skipped rope before, but never as a form of competition.

"Right. Glad we've come to an agreement."

He turns to Nanase, and continued.

"Until lunch, you and I will be travelling together. You fine with that?"

"Yes, of course." She replied.

"I'm surprised you're not making her go with me to the other event." I said to him.

He shrugged at my statement, and replied.

"Well, she's pretty enthusiastic with UNO. Who am I deny her?"

So he was being considerate for her wants and needs.

"O-oh." Nanase let out. "Thank you, Akabane-senpai."

Karma waved her off.

"Whatever, let's just go."

With that, we each set off separately.

Since I don't have Nanase accompanying me this time, I'll have more freedom of movement. Outrunning the first years, and Nagumo's henchmen won't be a problem, though I'll have to be mindful of my stamina, since an event like this demands it.

Part 3

(Karma POV)

"There's already a lot of people." Commented Nanase-san.

"It is a popular game. It's also bound to give out a lot of points."

Upon arriving at the game site, we've noticed that it was brimming with people. Luckily for us, it seems that this one requires 36 participants, so there were still a bunch of slots available.

"Are the rest of them not competing?"

She was referring to those not grouped up along with the participants.

"They're most likely the teammates of the other participants. They're probably just spectating, and didn't want to get separated."

Looking at some of them, I noticed a few I recognized, including Karuizawa-san. Her two teammates appear to be waiting by the sidelines. I even see Haruka. Upon noticing my presence, she waved me over.

"Akabane-senpai." Nanase-san called out to me.

"I'm gonna go speak to my classmates, if it's alright with you."

What a stoke of luck. Now I don't need to make up an excuse to shoo her away.

"That's fine. I'm gonna go speak to some of mine."

"Okay. I'll see you after the game, I guess?"

I shrugged in response. She took that as a "yes", and went off to speak with her classmates. I know there's the possibility of them discussing on how to get us expelled, but I don't really care. With her out of the way, I went to speak with Haruka.

"Akane!" She called out to me as I neared her.

I'm never gonna get used to that nickname.

"Where the others?" I asked her.

She pointed outwards. After wandering me eyes around the direction she as pointing to, I managed to spot both Akito and Airi. They were seated underneath a tree. Keisei was there too. I'm guessing one of his teammates is playing in their stead.

"Where's Kiyopon?"

"Elsewhere. Doing a skipping rope race."

"I didn't know Kiyopon could skip rope."

Neither did I.

"You really need to make that guy go engage in more recreational activities."

She sighed. "Yeah, but he's usually so busy. For someone who keeps to himself a lot, he sure does have quite the connections."

If that alone isn't suspicious, I don't know what is. Having a connection to not only our class's leaders, but others as well should raise some flags, but it seems no one has caught on. I mean, it's better it stays that way, but come on.

Haruka already knows about Kiyotaka having a connection with the likes of Ichinose-san, but not with Ryuen, and Sakayanagi-san. It's better it stays that way. In this school, being seen having a connection with those two is just begging for trouble.

"Meh, maybe he's seeing someone." I jokingly told her.

"Wha-" She was taken aback, thought for a moment, then laughed.

I heard a small gulp coming from behind us.

Behind us, Karuizawa-san was chatting with Sato-san. They were close enough for her to just about hear what we were talking about.

"Who's to say he's bringing girls over in his dorm in secret."

The blond demon might kill me for this, but I don't care. It's fun getting a reaction out of her. As if on cue, I feel bloodlust coming from her, but I can hear her and Sato-san walking away from us.

Oh well. Maybe later. Alright, back to Haruka.

"I mean, he has the looks." Replied Haruka.

I waited for her to continue, but no words were coming out of her mouth.

"You're not gonna add anything to that?"

"W-well..." She paused for a moment.

"H-he's pretty athletic. He's even shown that he's capable of more than just running. Even if he doesn't play a lot of sports." She continued, shyly, quieter than usual.

"And uh... w-well he's a lot smarter than he lets on." This time she was avoiding eye-contact with me, and her eyes were darting everywhere.

Okay, what is going on?

"Haruka." I called out to her.

"Uh, yeah?"

"Are you alright?"

"I am. Why do you ask?"

"You don't seem like it."

She rubs the back of her neck. "Well you know. It's just weird describing your friends of the opposite sex like that."

Well there's that I suppose.

"I mean, would you openly describe your female friends according to what makes them attractive?" She asked me, defensively.

"Uh... no."

Relationships between people are interesting, and I don't mean the romantic kind. Depending on who you are, and the dynamic you have with someone, when asked about that someone, you either instinctively say insulting things about that person as a joke, or say nice things about them. Despite what you may say, your true feelings may differ.

Take Asano Gakushuu-kun for example. He says the other Virtuous Five are idiots. He says they're his minions. If you ask him directly about what their positive attributes are, chances are he'll just base it off their best skillset. Koyama-kun's, and Araki-kun's technical know-how, Sakakibara-kun's way with words, and Seo-kun's foreign language skills for instance.

He'll never say something like, "Oh this guy is a really good friend, and I treasure him deeply."

Nah. If he did, I'd probably barf.

Considering Asano-kun's a man with an immense amount of pride, saying anything positive about his friends will remain strictly professional, followed up maybe with a few insults here and there. Regardless, he does in fact care for them, and see them as his friends.

It's easier to say something positive about a complete stranger than your friends sometimes, because complimenting the latter would just end up in them teasing you for your big softiness, where ass strangers are completely separate from you, thus they pretty much don't matter.

It's an even bigger issue if it's the opposite sex. If you compliment a friend of the opposite sex right to their face, it's considered flirting by pretty much everyone, except yourself. If you compliment a stranger of the opposite sex, it's either seen as you genuinely praising someone for those attributes, or you have a crush on them.

Or both.

Either way, societal stigma, pride, and the opinion of others get in the way of us being completely open with others.

It's understandable that Haruka feels somewhat embarrassed for complimenting Kiyotaka, a close friend of hers of the opposite sex.

As for if I'd also give out my most honest opinions about someone, yeah I think I'd rather carve my own tongue out.

"See?!" Haruka said, triumphantly.

I sighed and wave the white flag. "Whatever. It's not like I was asking you for your insight on what makes Kiyotaka even remotely attractive."

I really didn't ask, but she just said them anyway.

"W-well I like saying nice things about my friends."

"Okay? What about Keisei? Can you say something nice about him? Specifically what may make him attractive?"

"Yukimuu? Let me see..."

"No insults, just compliments."

After some thought, she spoke up.

"Well he's pretty smart. While he lacks athleticism, he's pretty determined. He knows what he lacks, but that doesn't stop him. It just makes him want to study more."

Wanting to improve your academics is admirable, but if that's all you've got going for you, then you're not making it anywhere in life. Book smarts alone if insufficient. In fact, while it may get you into a good university, it's what comes after making it in that really shows you how lacking you really are.

Grades are to be maintained - true - but university or college is all about the application of what you're learning, and expanding your horizons. Sticking to just one area is a huge caveat. You need to be flexible.

Unfortunately for him, even after a bunch of rigorous physically-oriented special exams, there's been little improvement from him in that area. He's dead-set on wanting to improve his studies. He lacks that flexibility.

If his sole usefulness in this class rests solely on his academics, then there's not a lot of options for him to to be of use at all. He may be on par with Horikita at academics, but there are others who can do his part, maybe even better.

I sighed, and Haruka must've understood my misgivings.

"It's not enough, is it?"

"What do you think?"

"I can see where you're coming from."

She thought for a moment, then added on.

"I know! We can do weekly morning jogging sessions. That way, all of us... well mostly me, Airi, and Yukimuu would improve our physical ability."

Not a bad idea. They would need to improve their diet, and keep it consistent as well, but it's a start. There's just one little problem with that.

"You said weekly morning." I told her.

"U-huh." She replied, all chippered.

"And just what day, and time of the morning would this take place?"

"I was thinking on weekends-"

Oh no.

"-preferably Sundays-"

Please stop talking.

"-since we might have classes on Saturdays. We can still do it on Saturdays if we're free that day though."

Silencio! Silencio! Silencio!

"As for the time..."

She paused, thinking it over.

"I was thinking we'd meet up around 4am or 5am."

...

"I'll pass." I said without hesitation.

"Huh?" She said, taken aback. "But why?"

"Weekends exist for a reason." I reasoned with her.

"I know. That's why-"

I cut her off.

"Look, if you're gonna do it, do it without me. I'd like my me time."

"But it defeats the whole purpose of doing it as a group."

There are so many things wrong with that statement. I held my tongue from pointing that out, not wanting to make her I think I'm that kind of indecent.

"The whole point of doing this is to improve your physical ability." I argued with her.

I get she wants to bond with us, and while I appreciate that she's willing to be my friend, I also just don't want to abandon ship so early in the morning. Weekends are the only days I can live out the life of a hermit.

"Yeah, but... well you did say I should get Kiyopon to get out some more."

"I did say that."

"I also thought that this would be a good opportunity to... well you know... have him help out Airi some more."

"Seriously?" I raised an eyebrow at her.

"I know you're not oblivious to it, Akane."

"She's certainly doing a shit job at keeping it a secret."

"I know. Even Kiyopon knows it."

I shrugged. "Like I said. She's crap at keeping it a secret."

From what that guy told me, she's liked him for a good while now. Now one could probably speculate that she fell for his... charm(?), but I'm willing to bet that it's more circumstantial.

As someone who might as well be a ghost in class for how little presence she has, it does mean that she doesn't come in to contact with a lot of people, let alone those of the opposite sex.

From what I've come to know about Airi, looks and status are all irrelevant to her. She's actually a lot more observant than one gives her credit for. She won't let someone in to her life, unless she gets to know them some more.

I reckon that, since Kiyotaka's the first male friend she ever made, and gotten to know, he was really her only option of romantic attraction. One could argue it was love at first sight, but I don't really buy that bullshit.

I'm no expert in love myself, but this all sounds like she just has a huge infatuation towards him. Infatuation is defined as an intense but short-lived passion or admiration for someone or something. It happens very quickly and involves a strong attraction, while love is a much deeper experience of knowing someone fully, feeling bonded and close to them, and caring about them in a way that's both enduring and not centered around how they make you feel

...

Okay, maybe Airi does feels the latter parts of all that towards Kiyotaka, but just how much of it would she feel should she really get to know him? I can tell even she knows he's not letting them in to his life fully.

I get the feeling that if it were another guy she became close with first, let's say someone like Hirata-kun, then all those feelings of attraction would be directed towards him, not Kiyotaka.

Another to add to the pile I guess.

Haruka leans forward and whispers.

"Are you not supportive of Airi being in love?"

Haruka was really insistent on playing wingman, huh?

Saying that Airi's in love with Kiyotaka is basically like someone saying that Demon Slayer is the best anime of all time, even though it's literally the first, and only anime they've ever watched. Let them see a bunch of different series, and I guarantee the number one spot would be very different at some point. I've seen it happen all before.

Sure, Demon Slayer may still be up there, but how much you love a show is tested once you've seen a bunch of other ones.

Same goes for romantic relationships. It's tested through and through. That's why couples should get to know each other more, and go on dates. Basically, they need to test the waters.

Failure to do all that are one of the biggest contributors to relationships failing, and some lead to cheating, or being cheated on.

In a way, if Airi doesn't change, should she ever get in to a relationship, then it's bound to fail.

"Let's say I am." I replied. "Then what?"

She seemed taken aback.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Have you not considered that she should just be left alone to sort out her feelings by herself?"

"Well, I have, but I'm only trying to help her out. You know what she's like."

Ah, that whole spiel.

"Haruka." I called out to her, serious.

"Yeah?" She replied, waiting to hear what I have to say.

"I think it's best that-"

Just then, and announcement came through.

"The event will begin shortly. Please proceed to your respective tables immediately. Anyone not within their table would be marked with an immediate disqualification."

Drats.

I turned back to her.

"I'll tell you later. We go to go."

"O-oh. Okay."

We exchange our goodbyes, and went off to our tables.

She doesn't realize it, but I'm beginning to see one of her defects now. Question is, will she work on fixing it? That kind of behavior is actually a lot more dangerous than you would think. Dangerous for both sides actually, and she doesn't know it.

Hey! I'll keep this short, but with how long this chapter is already, I've decided to split it into two. Next chapter will be the game proper.

Also, thank you so much for being patient with me in updating this story, and for continuing to support it. I really appreciate it.

That's all I have to say. See ya!

Fools Special

Part 1

(Karuizawa POV)

Once the announcement for the event came, Maya and I walked over to our assigned table. There, we could see Akabane-kun already seated amongst the other participants.

He noticed us, and we waved at him.

"Fancy meeting you here." He said.

"Well we're also playing, so there's that." I replied.

Maya and I plopped down onto our seats; Akabane-kun to my left, and Maya to my right.

Normally Maya and I would be having our usual chit chat, while we wait, but she was usually quiet. It doesn't take a genuis to know why.

Not only are we in a group of unfamiliar people, but one of them is our class's resident devil. I guess she hasn't really grown comfortable being around him. That feeling of discomfort is only elevated when you realize that they only have me acting as a barrier between them.

As for me, sure I thought he was a psycho after the last special exam, but his constant intrusions on mine and Kiyotaka's dates made me see that he's really just a nuisance if anything.

Oddly enough, I got to know him more through those times. When he's not trying to mess with people, he's actually very well behaved, and pretty quiet. I mean, what is he? A wild animal?

Am I afraid of him? Nope. Not even close. Annoyed though? Oh boy. That's an understatement.

Not liking this akward silence, I decided to start up a conversation.

"Do you even know how to play?" I Asked Akabane-kun, sitting next to me.

"Hm?" He piped up. "Oh yeah. I've played a couple of times."

"I'm susprised he's not here though."

As strange as it seems, Kiyotaka has been wanting to try out games like UNO. I thought he'd seize that opportunity with this event.

Instead, Akabane-kun rolled his eyes.

"Not happening."

"But why?"

"Between relying on his luck, or read my old teacher's ridiculously thick advice book, I think I'd rather go with the latter."

"Huh? Hold on wha-"

Actually now that I think about it, Kiyotaka has told me how awful his luck is. I've witnessed it a couple of times too.

What I don't get is why Akabane-kun seems turned off by the idea of reading an advice book. I'd ask him, but I get the feeling he won't give me an answer.

I sighed, deeply all the while Maya was listening to our little conversation.

"Buuuut..." He suddenly spoke up, louder this time for the whole table to hear, all the while grinning.

"Since you'd rather he be here, maybe I could go hunt him down and-"

I swiftly covered his mouth with my palm, but everyone still heard it.

"Nothing here. Ignore this rambling lunatic."

As soon as after I said that, I felt something wet touching my palm. I jerked it back, and wiped the slob off with my jogging pants.

"Did you just lick my palm?!"

He shrugged. "Worked, didn't it?"

"Oh you little-"

"That's enough." A teacher said.

Looks like the game is about to start.

I glared at him, conveying a message. 'I'll deal with you later.'

He just rolled his eyes and shrugged, while Maya was giggling next to me.

"Now then-"

Everyone straightened up upon hearing the man's voice.

"I will be the one dealing you your cards. Before we begin, is there someone here who hasn't played the game? Please raise your hand."

Nobody raises their hand, which means everyone has indeed played.

"Very well. Assuming you're not lying, there will be no need for me to explain the rules. The winner for this group, will move on to face the other winners."

"Oh..." Maya silently mumbled under her breath. "That's why there are 7 groups."

"Now then, I shall distribute to you your cards."

He then started shuffling the cards, and dealing them in the group. For me I have 4 normal cards, a red block card, and a reverse card.

"Alright then. We'll start with you-"

He points to Maya.

"and move around clockwise."

So I'm next then.

The teacher took a card from the deck, flipped it over, and placed it on the table.

A green 6.

That was now Maya's cue to make a move.

Maya stared at me, with an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry Kei-chan."

Maya put down her card: A green reverse card.

Oh wow.

I sighed. "It's fine. We're competing afterall."

The turn now goes to the person to her right. The game continues without anything noteworthy happening. It was now Akabane-kun's turn.

He turned his head to me, and gave me a... look. I couldn't read his expression. Then he placed down his own card. Another reverse card.

"Tough break." He said.

I wasn't happy, but it could've been worse.

The person next to him put down her own reverse card. It was now his turn again. I couldn't help but let out a chuckle at his plan to make me skip a turn being ruined.

"Tough break." I mocking remarked.

He raises an eyebrow, and puts down another card.

A... Plus 4 card...

He looked me dead in the eyes and shrugged.

"I tried to spare you."

I let out a deep sigh.

As per the rules, I have to draw 4 now, while skipping my turn. It was now Maya's turn again. Another rotation happens.

Once it reached back to Akabane-kun, he put down a... did he just... IS THAT A BLOCK CARD?

It was Maya's turn again. She placed down a yellow plus 2 card. The person next to her also placed down a plus 2 card. Then the next person. Then the next person. Then the next, until it came to Akabane-kun.

He just sighed. I was relieved. I did NOT want to draw 12 cards. He motioned to take 10 from the deck. I started laughing, until he withdrew himself and slammed a PLUS 2?!

"What is going on?!" I yelled.

He shrugged. "Your luck is shit."

Maya was laughing hysterically next to me. "Oh my goodness! AHAHAHAHA!"

"And to think your card screwed her over in the end." Akabane-kun said to her.

"I-m s-sorry Kei-cha-an." Maya said, but he was trying to keep herself from laughing while saying it, which ruined the apology.

"No you're absolutely not!" I yelled at her.

"You're right, I'm not!" She said, continuing to laugh.

"Karuizawa-san, you're gonna have to draw 12 now." Said the teacher facilitating us.

"Ugh!" I grumbled. I took 12 more from the deck, and it was then Maya's turn once again.

I have not placed down a single card yet.

I was mad, but then again, the game hasn't been that long.

She puts down a card, and the rotation went smoothly. It was now back to Akabane-kun once again.

He looked like he was contemplating on what to do. He glances over to all the cards I held in my hands.

Swiftly, he places down a BLOCK?!

"WHY?!" I yelled at him, and everyone started laughing.

Again, he just shrugged, with cheshire grin. "Could've been worse." He said.

WORSE?!

Maya didn't appear to have the correct card, so she kept drawing until she could place one down.

Once it reached to the person next to Akabane-kun, was about to place down a card, when...

"You better not put down that plus 4." Akabane-kun called her out.

She grinned at him. "And what if I do?"

He grinned back at her. "Guess I can't stop you, but I'm warning you."

"Is that a threat?"

"Nope. A warning."

"He really doesn't want to draw, huh?" Maya whispered next to me.

"No. No he doesn't."

"A warning? More like an empty threat." the girl to his right loudly exclaimed.

"I'm warning you." He, said, menacingly, but without that strange, menacing vibe he usually gives out when he means business.

The girl's smirk grew bigger, as she placed down the plus 4.

Akabane-kun let out a deep sigh.

"Great. You just made a helpless woman cry."

Wait what?

My eyes widened at the realization as he motions to out down his own... PLUS 4?!

ANOTHER PLUS 4?!

"ARE SPECIAL CARDS ALL THAT YOU HAVE?!"

He shook his head, calmly.

"Nah. Anyway, don't blame me, blame her."

He pointed to the girl to his left, who started laughing hysterically.

"Oh man!" She said giddily. "This the best!"

I won't accept this.

"No, absolutely not!! Sensei, I demand a do-over!!"

"There are no take-backsies in my kingdom."

"But, but, but-"

"Here."

He threw a spherical object towards me.

"You might need this."

I looked at the object in my hand.

A stress ball?

I looked at him in question.

"I always come prepared." He said, while everyone, including my supposed best friend, laugh.

"URGH! WHY DID I AGREE TO PLAY THIS GAME?!" I yelled out, fed up.

I hastily drew 8 more cards, and now have to use both hands to hold all of them.

Maya went in her turn. Then, the third person after Maya put down a plus 4 card. Then the next person did the same.

I started to sweat, and vigorously squeezed the stress ball in my hand.

It was now Akabane-kun's turn.

Oh god!

It. Was. Now. Akabane-kun's. Turn.

I panicked.

He started to let out an evil laugh.

I could feel my heart beating faster.

"I suppose I have no choice but to unleash my trump card."

TRUMP CARD?!

He then held out a... Wait, what it that?

"Is that?"

"No way..."

The others started mumbling at the sight of the card held between his fingers.

"Behold, THE FOOL ARCANA!"

"Oh no. Kei-chan..." Maya said, sympathetically.

I can't take it anymore.

"WHAT IS GOING ON?!"

"Why act surprised?" One of the participants asked.

"BECAUSE THAT IS NOT AN UNO CARD!"

"Yes it is." Akabane-kun said.

"No. No. No. What is that?!"

"The Fool Arcana."

"The Fool Arcana?"

"Do you not know what a Fool Card is, Kei-chan?" Asked Maya.

"No. What even is that?" I demanded.

"The Fool Arcana activates The Fool's World. The ability to seal away all abilities around the user."

"M-meaning?" I asked, confused.

"I have effectively shutdown these guy's plus 4s. I'm safe... Oh yeah... I guess you are now too."

"U-huh?"

"Sheesh, do you not play this game? You've been living under a rock."

I was going to object, but one of them said: "Can we hurry this along?"

I bit my tongue. Since he negated those plus 4s, it was now my turn.

FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THIS MATCH STARTED, I CAN NOW PLACE DOWN A CARD!

At least I didn't have to draw again.

Small victories I suppose.

Maya went, then, the person next to her did.

He placed down a card with a round... Wait what?

He makes eyecontact with Akabane, and they both stare at each other.

"Oh you wouldn't dare." Said Akabane-kun.

"I do!"

He stood up from his seat, placed a foot on the table, and point to Akabane-kun declaringly.

"I CHALLENGE YOU TO A BATTLE!"

Akabane-kun shook his head. "I refuse."

"You can't." One of them said.

"When you make eye contact with another, your both obligated into a battle."

Akabane-kun sighed, then sent him a determined look. "You're on."

"Maya, what is happening?! Are they gonna fight?!"

"Well yeah." She said, calmly like this was normal.

"WHAT?!"

"Okay. This way you two." Said the teacher.

He led them to what looks to be a battle field.

Wait, has this always been here?

Each of them took up one side, at both ends of the field.

"I thought you said they were going to fight?"

"Yeah."

"Then why are they far away from each other?"

"Because they'll end up getting caught up in their Pokémon's attacks if they're on the battle field themselves."

"POKÉMON?!"

"Now then. I shall act as referee!" The teacher announced.

"It'll be a 1v1 battle! The battle will be over once either side is unable to continue! As it is 1v1 battle, substitutions aren't allowed!"

What is even happening anymore?!

"Now, both trainers be ready to send out your first Pokémon!"

They each took out what appear to be Pokeballs from their pockets.

...

No way. THEY ACTUALLY HAVE POKÉMON?! IS THIS EVEN REAL?!

"3, 2, 1, GO!"

"TOOTHLESS, STAND BY FOR BATTLE!"

"LION, I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE!"

On Akabane-kun's side is a black dragon that... Wait a minute...

I KNOW THAT DRAGON FROM THAT MOVIE FRANCHISE!

I turned my head over to the other side, and has what appears to be a pink lion. Uh... What?

"BATTLE, BEGIN!" The teacher exclaimed.

"Toothless, in the air!"

The dragon obeyed, and soared sky high.

"Lion, Hyper Voice!"

The Lion jumped high, and appeared to be kicking the air, launching itself upwards. It then let out a roar, with soundwaves sending Akabane-kun's dragon back.

"That did a lot?" Akabane-kun exclaimed.

"Of course." His opponent said, smugly. "Lion's ability is Pixilate."

"Tch! Oh I get it. So it's fairy type, huh?"

He looks up at his dragon.

"Toothless!"

The dragon roared in response.

"USE IRON TAIL!"

The dragon roared again. Its tail enclosed in bright light, and charged towards the Lion. It's tail shears through the air, as the Lion tries to run from it.

"LION, USE HYPER VOICE!"

The Lion stopped mid air, and let out another roar.

"DODGE IT TOOTHLESS!"

The dragon evaded, kept charging, and landed a hit with its tail.

"It's super effective!" Said Maya, excitingly.

I have no idea what going.

"That's it!"

Akabane-kun's opponent took out his Pokeball, and got his Lion to go back inside.

Suddenly, he reveals what appear to be a wrist band. Light emits from out of it, and the pokeball...doubles, triples (?) in size.

"DYNAMAX, LION!"

Suddenly, I hear music. He throws the ball in the air, and it erupts a bright light. The weather changes. Black clouds circle the sky above us. A purple light covers the area, and the Lion is now HUGE!

"Now, see how you like this?!" The male, said.

"I see." Exclaimed Akabane-kun. "In that case."

He pulls out what appears to be a rubber knife. Attached to the hilt appears to be some sort of jewel.

"He has a key stone too?!" One of the other participants exclaimed, surprised.

Huh?!

"Toothless, MEGA EVOLVE!"

An orb drops from out of nowhere, and engulfs the dragon in light.

WHERE DID THAT EVEN COME FROM?! ACTUALLY WHAT EVEN IS HAPPENING?

The dragon starts to change forms. Finally, the light dispersed, and the dragon now, glows in blue, is larger, and has more spikes.

"ALRIGHT LION! USE MAX STARFALL!!!"

"DODGE THEM ALL, TOOTHLESS, AND USE IRON TAIL!!!"

Giant Stars start falling from the sky, while the dragon charges in, dodging every single one of them.

I finally had enough.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING?! NONE OF THIS MAKE SENSE! WHY ARE THEY HAVING POKEMON BATTLE, WITHOUT POKEMON! THE HELL DO YOU MEAN A FOOL'S ARCANA OR WHATEVER! SOMEONE EXPLAIN THIS TO ME RIGHT N-"

The ground starts to shake, interrupting the battle. From behind us, a machine - a giant, mechanical spider of some sort - emerges from the ground. On it looks, what appears to be a pharmacist, fighting a teal, rectangular... huh?

The battle halts at the sight of a fully grown man fighting some strange animal.

"Why is that weird beaver-duck thing wearing a hat?" Asked Maya, perplexed.

The thing sees us, smiles, and tips its hat, while they continue to fight. The teal thing pulls a lever, and flies off with a jet back.

"Self destruct sequence, initiated." A robotic voice spoke.

Wait, SELF DESTRUCT?!

Maya grabbed my hands. "WE HAVE TO RUN, KEI-CHAN!"

We started running, and suddenly we hear an explosion from behind us. We checked, and see the Pharmacist running away for his life. As he runs, he yells.

"CURSE YOU PE-"

Before I could hear him finish his sentence, a giant metal object fell on me, and hit me in the head.

(PART 2)

I jolted awake. I looked around and saw that I was in my room. I was relieved. I checked the clock, to see it was 3 am.

I was about to go back to sleep, when I realized, that this wasn't my room. I was about to get up, when I noticed something else.

Or rather, someone else.

I looked beside me, and saw...

Kiyotaka.

He must've felt me wake up.

"Kei?" He asked.

"Uh, yeah?"

"Is something wrong?"

"N-no. I just had a weird dream."

It really was. I'm just glad to know it wasn't real.

"Okay, come here."

He embraced me, and I allowed my head to rest on his bare, chiseled chest.

...

Bare. Chiseled. Chest.

I could feel the cool air blowing on my body.

My eyes widened in realization.

I got off him. I looked at both of us. I took off the covers and-

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!"

(PART 3)

I jolted awake. I look around, and see that I was still on the island. The sun started to rise.

Was this real now?

I took a large stick, and hit my head with it.

"OW!" I yelled in pain.

"Yeah, this is real." I said to myself.

A dream within a dream. I sighed. Hopefully the 3rd day of the island exam will go smoothly.

I entered the portable showers we bought on day one. As I washed myself, the dream kept flashing back to me.

Then, it came up.

Kiyotaka.

I could feel myself getting hotter.

Oh god.

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS LMFAO!

Ha ha ha... I really should've been studying than do this, but ey I enjoyed it. Anyway, have a good one.

Vol. 6, Chapter 2 - U.N.O Time!

Part 1

(Karma POV)

The event was about to begin shortly. I went to my assigned group, and took a seat, which happened to be next to Karuizawa-san. She side-eyed me for a second, then whispered.

"What are you doing?"

"Me? Just playing this game."

"I meant, what the hell were you thinking telling Hasabe-san about... well you know... that?" She said, irritated.

By that, she meant about Kiyotaka being in a relationship, which is currently still kept secret from everyone, save for a select few.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I acted oblivious.

"You know, exactly what I'm talking about." She hissed.

"C'mon now. It's just a joke between friends."

"You're going to give her ideas." She countered.

"Well I suppose it isn't out of the realm of possibility, but have you even stopped to consider the kind of person that guy is?"

Although he has the looks, it's not like people are going to start falling for him left and right. Well... there may already some who have - one of them being the girl to Karuizawa-san - but still. From my time outside, confidence is what really makes one attractive.

Considering how he never really displays himself as someone like that - at least in the eyes of the public - the thought of him secretly dating someone likely never crossed their mind.

Though I have noticed that Airi has been observing him from a distance. She may have started to pick up on a few details here and there, but not enough to form a concrete conclusion.

"Of course I have. You of all people should also know about the reputation he's been slowly building up for himself nowadays."

Ah yes. Reputation in the grand scheme of social hierarchy.

Looks, talents, skills, intelligence, wealth, personality, confidence.

People are easily attracted to someone who emanates these traits. The more of these one possesses, the more reputable they are, and if they know how to make use of them, more people would follow.

Take the current student council president Nagumo Miyabi-senpai. He has it all. The only problem I could think of from his is his personality. He's egotistic, and annoying, but it's not like there's no good reason for that.

Considering his capabilities, he's under the impression that none in his year can stand in his way. There may certainly be some, but they either don't care, or don't have it in them. All of his achievement have allowed him to gain control of his entire year, and is uncontested by them.

Of course one doesn't necessarily have to take advantage of their reputation. In fact, there are just some who are popular just for the heck of it. Take the two ikemen, Isogai, and Hirata-kun.

Both are popular with girls, not just because of their looks and capabilities, but also their personalities. Their kindness is their charm, and girls are easily smitten by them.

Personally, I've never really cared for any of that. I just like doing my own thing.

I sighed at her worry. "If you're that concerned, then just make it public."

"Wh-what?" She flustered. "I- well- I..."

Looks like I broke her. The thought of her just announcing it to everyone must've caused her brain to short-circuit. Although Kiyotaka's reputation is improving, and one can't necessarily say that he's invisible anymore, Karuizawa-san does have a reputation to maintain among the girls in class.

There's still the stigma that Kiyotaka's not on the same level of Hirata-kun. To dump the latter, and date the former is almost irrational in their eyes. On the other hand, it could also be seen as Karuizawa-san latching on to the next hot topic.

With how Kiyotaka's reputation is improving, Karuizawa-san would be seen in a bad light. That being that she's a selfish brat, who dates guys solely on how much they benefit her.

Considering how much of his capabilities are slowly coming to light, it can be seen that she's dating him specifically for those traits, and maintaining her high social standing.

Well... in a sense, they're not completely wrong.

I sighed. "Girls." I muttered.

"What?"

"You always worry over the littlest things." I answered.

"Well... of course we are."

I rolled my eyes.

"You see, this is the problem with you. Won't it just be easier to just not give a damn about reputation and what not, and just get it over with?"

She's only really just making things harder for herself. Being in a secret relationship is hard to maintain, especially if your reason for doing so is vein.

"Are you insane?!" She said in a sort of whisper-shout.

"Do you want me to answer that honestly?" I asked blankly.

"Wha- Forget that. Look... a time will come. Just... not now."

I scoffed.

"Whatever you say, sunshine."

She recoiled. "Sunshine?"

To her right, I could see that Sato-san looked like has something on her mind.

"Have something to say to my face, Sato-san?" I inquired.

I can hear her let out a little yelp. I guess she's still not really comfortable around me. Well, not like I care.

"Don't worry Maya. He's not gonna bite you." Karuizawa-san reassured her.

"Oh I most certainly will." I said, with a grin on my face.

"Uh..." Sato-san let out.

Karuizawa-san sighed. "Don't worry. He's just messing with you. He's not actually that scary. Annoying though, oh boy."

I clutched my heart dramatically. "Aw... You're gonna break my fragile heart."

She scoffed. "Good. Maybe it'll start working again afterwards."

I can feel grin widening at her response. "Feisty. Not bad."

She recoiled; her face reddening at what I just said. "A-are you hitting on me?!" She said, again in a sort of whisper-shouting.

I rolled my eyes, but kept my grin. "You just had to ruin your moment."

Her face was red with embarrassment, and I could hear Sato-san laughing from beside her. Karuizawa-san discretely sent her a glare, then turned back to me.

"First of all-" I continued. "I already have a blonde-haired, blue-eyed partner-in-crime in my life. Second, you are far from the type of person I would ever date."

Offended, she glared at me even more. How is she not blind?

"What's that suppose to-"

"Third," I cut her off. "I'm not really big on the whole dating thing. Seems like a lot of work."

There was a brief pause after I said that. Before she could respond, we were interrupted by our respective facilitator.

"Good morning everyone."

Everyone straightened up, and Karuizawa-san immediately assumed her usual front. To anyone, it made her look imposing. To anyone in the know though, we know it's just an act.

"I am Kujo-sensei, and I will act as your facilitator for this round."

Finally. We get to play.

Part 2

The girl to me left raised her hand. Kujo-sensei pointed to her.

"What do you mean, by "for this round", sensei?"

"Ah yes. Well you see, the winner from this group will move on to the winners' round, where they'll compete against the other winners from the other groups."

So it is like a tournament.

"Oh, so that's why there are seven groups." I hear, Sato-san mutter.

"Before we begin, is there anyone here, who doesn't know the rules to this game?"

I looked around. No one raised their hand.

"Assuming you're all telling the truth, I take it that everyone know the rules. In that case, let's begin."

He places a deck of cards on the center of the table before us.

"The deck has already been shuffled. As the facilitator, I will be the one dealing you your cards."

He did just that. Each of us have been given 7 cards. As standard, they were all faced down. Once he was finished, he instructed us to lift up our cards. I did just that, and I inspect them.

A red skip card, a red 0 card, a red plus two card, a blue 4 card, a blue 2 card, a green 4 card, and a green 0 card.

No yellow card though.

Why am I suddenly getting an eerily deja vu-ish vibe from these cards? Probably just my imagination.

I can hear the person to my left sighing. Whatever she got, they must not be good. Actually, getting a good look around, I just realized, that I'm the only other boy in this group. The other one is directly across from me.

After seemingly inspecting his card, he raises his hand. our facilitator saw this, turned to him, and asked him if he needed anything.

With the most effeminate voice and mannerism, he asked. "Kujo-sensei, is it too late to use the toilet?"

"I'm sorry, but you were given ample time to prepare yourselves beforehand."

The student slumped, pouted, and let out a very audible "hmf".

Nevermind. I take back what I said. I'm the only boy in this group.

"Now then," Kujo-sensei began. "As soon as I place down the first card from the deck, the first person, that being you-" He pointed to Sato-san. "Will start off this round, and we will rotate clockwise. From there, you already know what to do. The game will end once someone from the group has used up all their cards."

There's are a couple of ways to play UNO. In some games, the remaining players keep going even after someone had already won. It ends once it comes down to the last two players. Since this is a tournament type of event, it makes sense to stop once a winner has been decided.

The guy from earlier raised his hand.

"Sensei, will we play it where we have to keep drawing until we are able to place down a card, or would we only need to draw once no matter what, and have our turn be skipped should we not be able to draw a useable card for said turn?"

Those are some of the variations to this game. Players can come to a consensus on how to play it. Two of the most common ways people play the game is by the rule of drawing cards in either of the two ways he just said.

The latter being for a more casual, faster paced type of game, while the former being more chaotic.

Personally, I like the former option. It just makes things much more interesting, and calls for really hilarious moments.

"For this round, you would only need to draw once."

I caught on to his choice of words. I raised my hand, which caught his attention.

"So by "this round", do you mean that those playing in the winners' round get to play by having to keep drawing until they're able to get a useable card?"

He nodded. "Yes. That's exactly it."

Well, now I just got to win.

"Now then, are there any more questions?"

He looked around. This time, it was Sato-san who raised her hand. Sensei pointed towards her.

"Will we play it so that we can jump in should we have any similar cards with what's been placed down, despite it now being our turn?"

Kujo-sensei shook his head. "No. That's reserved for the winners' round."

I raised my hand, once again. He turned to me, and I spoke up.

"Will we use the specials perks that come with sevens, and zeroes?"

In some games, if a player places down a zero card, the players must rotate all their cards according to the flow of the rotation. Let's say the rotation is clockwise, and I place down a zero card myself. That would mean I have to give my card to the person to my left. They do the same, and I receive the cards from the person to my right.

As for the seven card perk, placing one down allows the player to swap deck with their chosen player. It's good if you yourself have a bad deck, and you know who has a really good one. It's especially good late game is the person you're swapping with only has a few cards remaining.

To my disappointment however, Kujo-sensei shook his head. "No. Those rules are reserved only for the winners' round."

I see. Seems that the winners' round is an all hand on deck kinda round. Interesting. Things are bound to get chaotic from that.

"Now, will that be all?" He asked the group again. This time, however, he got no response.

"I will be watching out for any forms of cheating. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sensei." We all responded.

"Very well. Let's begin."

He took the top card from the deck, and placed it down. The card facing upwards, we see that it is a blue 3.

All eyes turn to Sato-san, as she places down a blue 5. It was now Karuizawa-san's turn, and she immediately places down a yellow 5. This gives me the idea that she doesn't have any blue cards, but of course that could also mean that she does have some, and is simply doing this to throw us off.

Not having any yellow cards myself, I picked up a card from the deck.

It was a yellow reverse card.

I placed it down, and reversed the rotation. Once again, it was Karuizawa-san's turn. She sent me a glare, and I just shrugged it off.

She then reaches for the deck, but doesn't place down any cards. I'm about ninety percent sure now that she doesn't have any blue cards. Whether or not I will be able to use that to my advantage, only time will tell.

The rotation goes smoothly, without anyone else drawing from the deck. It came back to my turn. The last card that was placed down was a blue 3 card. In response, I placed down my own blue 4 card. Turning to Karuizawa-san, she placed down a yellow 4 card.

Yup. No blue cards.

Sato-san then placed down a yellow plus 2 card. Her seatmate, who I assume doesn't have any plus 2s on hand herself, drew two more from the deck. The last card being the color yellow, the fella next to her then placed down a yellow 5 card. The next two girls then placed down a yellow 0, and a green 0 in that order.

I placed down my own green 0 card. Following me was Karuizawa-san. She places down a green 2. After her was Sato-san, who places down a green 9. Something to note was that she now has 3 cards remaining. That's something I have to look out for.

Ordinarily in UNO, one usually reserves their wild cards until the very end. It's possible that one to three of her remaining cards are wild cards. Worst case scenario, they're plus fours. The best way to combat this would be to have the player that preceded her place down a plus two card, since not even plus fours can counter that.

However, that's assuming she doesn't have a plus two herself. An alternative way to combat this would be to have the player before her place down either a reverse card, or a skip card. That way, Sato-san won't get a turn for a full rotation.

Back to the game, the player after her places down a red 9 card. After her, the next three place down a red 2, a red 2, and a blue 2 in that order respectively.

I was at a bind here. I have a red 2, however, I'm not sure Karuizawa-san has one also. If she does, this could prevent Sato-san from placing down another card, and making her draw 10.

Glancing over at Karuizawa-san, she showed no reaction on her face. I was informed that she was particularly good at maintaining a calm front in high-stress situations. This could mean that she doesn't have a 2, but isn't showing it to throw us off. On the other hand, she does have one, and isn't bothered by me placing down my own.

It's a 50/50, but I decide to risk it, hoping she does have her own 2. Either way, there's no way I'm drawing 6.

To my disappointment, she sighed and started taking 8 cards from the deck.

To my surprise though, she didn't glare at me, which I thought was odd.

"In my defense, I thought you had one also." I told her.

"Yeah, I don't blame you." She replied, turning her gaze to Sato-san.

She understood what my intention was. If she were in my shoes, she'd probably do the same. It was a near-perfect set-up. Luck just wasn't on our side right now.

Not only does Sato-san not get to draw more cards from the deck, but she also gets the freedom of placing down whatever card she wants now.

She didn't took too much time thinking it over, and just placed down a green reverse card. This now left her at two. Not good.

Now it was Karuizawa-san's turn. She placed down a green 7. I followed it up with a green 4 of my own. The person next to me placed down a green 1, followed by a green 2, and green 5 in that order.

Sato-san looked anxious. Depending what the person preceding her places down, she may win this game. I don't know what Sato-san has, but usually it's this late into the game that players reserve their wild cards, like 4s.

It's highly likely she has one, which is worrisome.

To our relief, however, the girl before her placed down a green skip card. It may not have made Sato-san draw more cards, but it does give us a fighting chance. With her turn skipped, Karuizawa-san placed down a green 6.

Unfortunately, I don't have anything to respond to that. I don't have any 6s, and I used up all my green. Reaching for the stack of cards at the center, I drew one, and received a yellow 5.

Close, but no.

The person after me also drew a card, but didn't place one down.

The person after her places down a green 3, which was then followed up by a green 2. Now this is a problem. The guy now had 2 each. Like with Sato-san, I'm gonna assume that he also has a 4.

I tried thinking of ways to combat this. The best I could think of is that we all team up against them. Karuizawa-san may be willing to help, since she's the furthest one from winning, but Sato-san, and the others may be reluctant. Not only is it because Sato-san is close to winning, but others don't know me either.

If either of us could just manage to say UNO before either of them could, then they'll draw 2 cards from the stack. The likelihood of that happening however is slim, since they'll keep that in mind, even before placing down their card.

Hoping that the girl before Sato-san has something in mind, I shot her a look that'll hopefully convey my message, that tells her to make Sato-san draw. To my utter horror, she was the one that drew a card. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like her card was eligible for play, so she kept it.

Next came the part I was dreading, but to my surprise, Sato-san just drew one card from the stack. Unfortunately, she does place it down - a green 9.

This at least tells me that her last two cards are neither green, nor are the numbers on them a 2.

To that, I hear the others let out a sigh of relief.

Karuizawa-san then placed down a green 2.

I wasn't happy, but at least the game isn't over yet. I reached for the pile, and draw 2. I checked my cards, and finally, I got a 4. The other was a blue reverse.

Before placing down a card, there was a brief pause. Considering how dangerously close the other guy was to winning - with 2 left and all -, the person after me was thinking of a way to prevent him from placing down another one.

Finally, after what seemed like a minute, she placed down a blue 2 card. This was then followed up with a red 2 card. It was a good play, and unlike earlier with trying to get Sato-san to draw, it proved successful.

The guy now had to draw 4 more cards, which was a relief to everyone.

However, now the girl before him now had 2 left. That's something we had to look out for.

Before the person next to him could place her card, she seemed to be deliberating on how to deal with Sato-san. Sure she now had 3 cards instead of 2, but it would still be ideal to make her draw more.

After another minute, and with freedom to choose any card she wants, she placed down a red skip.

As luck would have it Sato-san sighed her turn was skipped again.

After that, Karuizawa-san placed down a red 2. I matched it with my own red 0.

The person after me changed the color to blue, by placing down a blue 0.

Perhaps she didn't have a red, or is simply trying to throw the others off. Either way, it didn't seem to work as the person after her made a motion to grab a card from her hand, and immediately said:

"UNO."

At the same time she placed down her blue 7.

A sense of panic arose from the others, though they were trying to cover it up by maintaining a poker face.

The other guy let out a hum as soon as it was his turn.

"Seems like we're in a pickle here." He said. He then continued. "That wouldn't happen to be a 4 now, would it?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I have no obligation to reveal my card." She answered.

"That's true, but it's usually in rounds like these where those on the verge of winning preserves their 4s."

"Oh? Then I take it that one of the cards in your hands is a 4 as well?"

Considering that he too was on that boat, it was a reasonable assumption.

He merely shrugged. "In your own words, 'I have no obligation to reveal my cards'."

The girl chuckled. "I suppose you're right."

The guy took a minute to consider what his next course of action was. He dropped one arm, and appears to have started tapping on his thigh with that one hand, and held the cards on the other.

After what seemed like over a minute, he places down a blue 5.

It was then followed up with a another blue 5 from the girl after him.

After that, Sato-san placed down a blue skip, which meant that it was now my turn instead of Karuizawa-san's.

I took my time thinking about my next course of action. If we're to keep that girl with one card left from winning, I need some way to coordinate with the person next to me.

As I turned my head slightly, I noticed that she, and the person after her - the one close to winning- were now holding their cards on one hand each.

I had an idea. It was risky, but I went with it.

"Hey." I called out to my seatmate.

"Oh, yeah?" She answered.

"What's your name?"

She quirked an eyebrow, confused. The others were looking at me in a similar state. My classmates probably had an idea on what I was up to, but were still equally confused.

"Does it matter?" She asked.

"You can just give me your last name." I told her.

She paused and thought it over before answering.

"I don't feel comfortable giving out my name to just about anyone. Sorry senpai." She said with a bow.

Ah, I see.

"Ooohhh, are you hitting on her?" The girl after her teased, and snorted.

Not wanting to give anything away, I responded with:

"Think of it how you will."

I could hear Karuizawa-san coughing next to me.

I know that reaction. It's one, that people do as soon as they hear something ridiculous.

In this case, she probably found it preposterous that I'd be hitting on someone.

Both girls started conversing.

"What do you think?" The second one asked the first one.

"About what?"

"Of him."

The first girl scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous."

Ouch.

"He's probably just trying to trick us or something."

"Oh, I'd never do that." I chimed in.

"Yeah, right." The first girl said with an eye roll. "Just place a card already."

"Well aren't you impatient." I chuckled.

I already knew what to do. I'm not sure if Karuizawa-san caught on by now, but I'm at least hoping she had some idea.

I placed down a blue reverse card, which should buy me some time.

"Karuizawa-san," I called out to her.

She reared her head at the mention of her name. When her eyes met mine, I motioned my eyes towards the winning girl.

"Think long and hard about this." I said.

She has the most cards out of all of us. She may be the one furthest from winning, but the surplus amount of cards also gives her the most ammunition.

She seemed to be struggling at what I was implying.

I decided to help her out a bit. I nudged my right foot at her left foot. This caught her attention. I then turned my gaze from her to Sato-san.

Following the direction of my gaze, hers dropped to the deck of cards in Sato-san's hands. As if a light bulb went off in her head, she finally figured out what appropriate action to take.

She took a risk, and placed down a 4.

This was both good, and bad.

Good, because Sato-san would now either have to draw four, or lose her own 4 (if she has one), which should help us immensely, since her chances of winning went down.

Bad, because it's highly likely that the winning girl's last card was a 4 card. If that is the case, we essentially just gave her the win.

She grabbed a card from her deck, and placed it down - a 4 of her own.

However, the chain did not continue. Instead of placing down a 4, the person after Sato-san reached for the stack of cards in the middle, and started drawing 8.

So close.

Still. Maybe it was for the best. If her last card is a 4, we could probably buy time by making her skip a turn. I'm just hoping the guy before her had a skip, or a 2.

It was now his turn, and he had the freedom to choose whatever card on hand he wants now. He hummed, then smirked.

"That was most unfortunate."

"It really was." I told him.

"Tell me, did you not assume that whatever card she has on her is a 4?"

I shrugged.

"I had considered that, but I'm not the one who placed down the first 4. She did."

I gestured to my right.

"Well, did you not consider that possibility? It is her last card you know." He asked Karuizawa-san.

"I did, but he-" Pointing to me. "-didn't give me a good set up."

This was her way of saying she didn't have a blue 2 specifically. With the amount of cards she has, she probably has a 2, just not the correct color, thus resulting in her using her 4.

It's not like I had a choice. I needed to reverse the rotation. I was banking on her and the three after her to have 2s.

He nodded his head, understanding where we were coming from.

"Well I do want to win, so I'll pitch in." He said, and placed a green 2.

The girl after him let out a sigh, and she drew 2 card from the middle stack.

"I believe this is your first time drawing." I told her.

"Hey, you're right." Said the other guy.

She shrugged. "Guess I'm just lucky."

"Maybe. At least until now." The other guy said with a smirk.

The girl rolled her eyes.

"Just hurry up and play. We don't have all day."

"Awe. You must be frustrated." I teased her.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Watch it, senpai. I'm gonna make you eat those words."

I grinned harder at her. "Oh yeah? Come at me then." I taunted.

She scowled. "Hurry up already." She told the girl between us rather harshly.

Said person then placed a yellow 3.

"Have you no respect for your seniors?" Said the other guy jokingly.

"Oh shut it. Have you no respect for your juniors?" She hissed back.

"Whatever, kohai."

Yes. Please keep talking.

I was faced with two threats. Having just placed down her card, she was now left with just two. That was bad enough, but there was also Sato-san, who was in the same position.

My only relief is that there's a good chance Sato-san doesn't have a 4 on her, as she had just placed one down. There's always the possibility that she has more than one, however, given that she didn't draw as much as Karuizawa-san had, I think it's alright to assume that she only had one, and already used it a rotation ago.

Seeing as how Karuizawa-san had 1, 2 ,3, 4... 9 cards on her, I decided to try something.

I clenched my hands together, which stacked the cards a little as I took a deep breath. As I exhaled, I allow my hands to unfold them again.

"Hey." I called out to her.

"What is it?"

"Do you have a yellow 2, or a yellow reverse card?"

"Huh?" This wasn't just her, but everyone.

They were caught off-guard at how direct I was.

"Hey, is it really alright for you to be conspiring like this?" The other guy said, though slightly amused.

"I don't think it's a problem. Right, Sensei?"

All our attention turn to him, and, to the others' astonishment, he shook his head.

"But, that's cheating, isn't it?" Asked one of the players.

I sighed. "I'm merely asking Karuizawa-san something. It's a simple yes, or no question."

The others seemed surprised. Karuizawa-san thought about what I has just said. While I'm pretty sure she didn't get the full gist of it, she knew I had a plan in mind. If I want to win, I need her observational prowess to shine here.

"Karuizawa-san, feel free to answer me however you like. You can answer me truthfully, or lie to my face. I won't force you."

"Wait a minute, Karuizawa-senpai." The girl next me - 2 cards on hand - interjected. "You don't have to do what he says."

"She's right. What do you hope to gain from teaming up with him?" Said the one to her left.

I turned my head to eye both of them. "Why don't you let her decide?"

"Are you even listening to yourself?" The person to my left said.

"Hard not to. My ears and mouth are both attached to my head, and last time I remember, I'm neither deaf, nor mute."

Both girls scowled, meanwhile I can hear Karuizawa-san, and Sato-san giggling.

"You just love to rile people up." Whispered Karuizawa-san.

I shrugged. "It's my special talent."

"Yeah. Yours and Koenji-kun's" She joked.

The other guy let out a chuckle. "Well, what's it gonna be, Karuizawa-san? Your call."

She hummed as she thought over her next action. She glanced around the table again, eyes darting back and forth between Sato-san, and the girl to my left. She then directed her gaze back to me again, and smirked.

"Hypothetically speaking, what are the odds that she -" Pointing to the girl to my left ."- has a 4?"

The person in question's face seemed to falter, albeit slightly.

"Considering this is the first time she's gotten down to 2 cards, I'd say it's close to fifty-fifty." I replied.

Without saying another word, she took a card from her hand, and placed it down.

It was a yellow reverse.

I had come up with two different plans; one for which ever of the two cards I had suggested she used. This was the path I desired the most.

"Good call." I told her.

Immediately, I place down my own 4.

The girl to my left was left with two options if she does have a 4.

Option A: She accepts the 4, and places down her own. Now, while this would leave her with only one card remaining, we could easily remedy that by making her draw using a 2 of my own.

I'm not a hundred percent sure if she has multiple 4s, but if she does, I need to make her get rid of at least one of them.

Option B: She either doesn't have a 4, or she pretends she doesn't, and draws 4 cards from the center stack.

In UNO, you don't necessarily have to match the 2 or 4 cards if you have any. You can simply pretend you have neither, and just draw the needed amount of cards. While it does load you with more cards, it's a common strategy to use when you need to stack up on really good ones.

You're essentially playing the long game, but if the other players have tunnel vision on trying to lose as much cards as they can to win, and if you literally and figuratively play your cards right, you should still be able to win.

We waited for which of the two options she was gonna chose. She was deliberating rather disgruntledly, while shifting back to the position I saw her in earlier. If my hunch is right, I think I know which of the two she was gonna go for.

She made a motion, and, just as I predicted, she drew four instead.

This gives the girl after her freedom to choose any card she wants.

She places down a red 1.

This leaves her with 2 cards left.

The guy after her puts down a yellow 1. Which was then followed up with a yellow 2.

Because of that, Sato-san had to draw 2, since she doesn't have a 2 of her own, which was a huge relief.

Karuizawa-san places down a yellow 0. She then turned to me and asked.

"Did everything turn out like how you'd hoped?"

I can't help but grin at this.

"Yes. Now the real fun can begin."

I cleared my throat to get everyone's attention.

"Before I place down my card,-" I turned to Kujo-sensei. "Kujo-sensei, I'd like this table removed."

"What?!" The other players, except Karuizawa-san, all said, astonished.

Kujo-sensei seemed puzzled. "Do you have a particular reason?"

I shrugged. "Oh, nothing important."

"If it's nothing important, would not removing the table not make a difference either way? You'd only have a smaller space for the center cards."

"I think we can manage with stool. I mean, sure some of the cards we place down may still fall off, but as long as the center deck stays in place, we should be-"

My explanation was immediately cut of by the girl two seats to my left.

"Hold on! Why are you calling the shots?!"

"Exactly!" The girl to my immediate left agreed. "You even said that it wasn't important. Why remove the table in the first place if that were so?!"

I expected the other two to also argue, but it seems that they've caught on. Rather than join my side, however, they merely watched. There was a simple reason for that.

I didn't answer their inquiries. I waited to see if the other two would say their piece. However, it was Sato-san who spoke up instead.

"Akabane-kun, I'm sorry, but I don't buy your "nothing important" reasoning. Can you at least tell us?"

"Maya-chan." Karuizawa-san called out to her. "Trust him on this."

She seemed surprised that Karuizawa-san would agree to my plan.

"You too, Kei-chan?"

"Haven't you noticed?"

"Huh?"

I sighed. "Finally, someone with brains."

I turned to Kujo-sensei again.

"Sensei, is it possible to do so?"

He crossed his arms. "Only if the general consensus is unanimous."

"Which we are not by the way!" Said the girl two seats to my left.

I can't help but let out a chuckle. They're so bad at this.

"Don't you two have anything to say? I've been waiting for a reply from you for a while now." I told the other two players, who have been quite through out this small discourse.

Despite all eyes being on them now, they've yet to say anything.

"Well, how about I give you my actual reasoning."

All their attention were now directed at me.

I chuckled a bit. "You're all horrible actors."

Hello! Been months hahaha.

I was supposed to get this out like a week ago, but I got distracted with irl stuff, and ended up getting writer's block for a bit. To remedy that, I had to rewatch Kakegurui to get some ideas, but I ended up taking longer 'cause I also enjoyed writing my other fic, and I was waiting for my new laptop, which still hasn't come. I was hoping to transfer all my files there, so I had to wait, but it still hasn't come.

Now, I would've gotten this out earlier this week, but I ended up getting sick all week, starting last Monday. Talk about awful timing, but at least it's not a school day.

Anyway, I'm not sure how the reception for this chapter would turn out, but hopefully it's readable ig. I mean, I understood it, but then again I'm the writer.

I dunno when the next chapter will out. Hopefully I'll get my new laptop then so that I don't have to keep waiting, and hopefully you won't have to wait for too long.

Before I go, I just wanna say THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE 100K READS! I never thought it would come to this, but it did. Thanks for taking the time out of your day to read this story. It means a lot.

I also started a new fic called "Down The Summer Memory Lane". It's a Phineas and Ferb reaction fic inspired by "Into The Mysterious Force" by Nalu_Crazy-Fan. Go check it out if you're interested, because I plan to do an overarching story with it too. I wish I had a better name for it, but no.

School starts at August, so I may still be able to get out 2 chapters before, and it'll hopefully conclude the UNO tournament.

Anyway. I don't what else to say, other than see you next time I guess!