"Our class's points are steadily rising."
"These guys' grades have taken a qualitative leap. While the recent minor exams haven't closed the gap with Class A, they haven't widened it either."
"And next, we might just have a chance to surpass Class A!"
Chabashira Sae's thoughts were crystal clear to Saiki Kusuo.
Saiki found Chabashira Sae somewhat baffling as a teacher.
She wanted to elevate the class to A rank, but initially did nothing, barely fulfilling her duties as a teacher. Instead, she chose to deceive students with lies.
At the same time, Saiki could guess from her thoughts that another special exam was likely on the horizon.
"Now, I'm announcing your midterm exam scores. Anyone scoring below forty is expelled immediately."
Chabashira Sae said with a smile, posting the exam results.
As everyone looked at the scores, many faces showed surprise.
Sudō Ken, who should have been at the bottom, was now near the middle. The last spot was occupied by Yamauchi Haruki.
"Sudō isn't last this time?"
"Since the sports festival, he's completely transformed."
"Yamauchi's at the bottom now."
Everyone was shocked by Sudō's improvement. Since the sports festival, he had changed significantly.
"Adversity isn't necessary for growth. Sudō's progress comes from feeling respected and appreciated. Saiki's methods seem more effective than White Room's."
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka thought to himself.
*'I never thought about any of this nonsense!'*
Saiki wanted to argue but couldn't.
"I've smashed my previous record! Look! I almost averaged sixty points!"
Sudō jumped up from his seat, excited.
*'Seriously, you're not first, so why so happy?'*
Yamauchi glanced at Sudō with disdain.
*'Is that how you think of your friend?'*
"This is annoying… Now I'm at the bottom."
*'Haven't you considered it's your own fault? Even Sudō improved, and you're not reflecting at all?'*
"Lately, nothing's going right… For some reason, I feel like someone's been following me… Am I just paranoid?"
*'...No, someone is actually following you.'*
Saiki replied in his mind.
Since the last incident, Class D's targeting of Class B had increased. Normally, Ryūen Kakeru would have used 'physical means' against Yamauchi.
But Ryūen now feared Yamauchi, thinking he might be fully prepared. Yamauchi also moved with Ike Kanji, making it hard to act. They could only monitor him secretly for more valuable information.
Saiki looked at the scores. His own were still in the middle—nearly tied with Ayanokōji.
"I'm looking forward to next month's individual points, Teacher!"
Sudō leaned on his desk, smiling.
In a normal school, talking to a teacher like this would mean punishment, but Chabashira didn't mind, her smile unchanged.
"Yes, your sports festival performance was great, and this exam was decent. You can expect better individual points next month. You've come a long way from Class D, and you're biting at Class A's heels. Well done."
Chabashira rarely praised the class.
Her gaze shifted to Ayanokōji, who stared back expressionlessly.
She quickly looked away.
"You know, for the second semester's finals, a mini-exam covering eight subjects will be held next week. Some of you are already preparing, but I'll remind those who aren't."
"Huh? Another exam right after the midterms?"
Ike looked surprised.
"Don't worry, Ike. First, the mini-exam has 100 questions, 100 points, and is very simple. It's just to confirm your grasp of basics. Like last semester's mini-exam, it won't affect your grades—whether you score zero or 100 doesn't matter. It's purely to assess your current abilities."
Chabashira's smile was meaningful.
*'This exam, though seemingly insignificant, will influence the finals' groupings.'*
*'Yare yare, this school never does anything without a catch.'*
Saiki thought.
Ayanokōji, hearing this, also sensed something was off.
*'This school wouldn't arrange something 'without impact.' This mini-exam must have hidden motives.'*
*'Yare yare, you're a psychic too?'*
Saiki muttered in his mind.
"However—I must tell you, the mini-exam results will significantly impact the finals."
Chabashira continued, unnecessarily cryptic.
"What does that mean?"
Sudō asked, confused.
"If I could explain it more clearly, I would, Sudō. The school will pair you with someone in your class based on the mini-exam results."
Chabashira's expression turned serious.
"You'll take the finals as a pair. Eight subjects, 100 points each, 50 questions per subject, totaling 400 questions. There are two ways to fail: First, like before, each subject has a minimum score of sixty. If either partner scores below sixty in any subject, both are expelled. The sixty points are the combined score of the pair. For example, if Ike and Hirata are paired, even if Ike scores zero, Hirata just needs sixty to pass."
"Surprised?"
"I'll just team up with the top scorer!"
"Don't pair me with Yamauchi…"
Everyone was stunned.
"Second, if your total score across all subjects doesn't meet the passing threshold, both are expelled. The threshold isn't set yet, but it's usually around 700. If either condition is met, both are expelled. In past Paper Shuffles, one or two pairs usually fail."
Listening to Chabashira, Ayanokōji's mind raced.
*'Paper Shuffle? Just from the name, it's not just about pairing. The mini-exam influences the finals… So, the mini-exam determines the pairs. Likely, top scorers will pair with low scorers. This simple mini-exam is actually about pairing, which directly impacts the class's finals performance.'*
*'Yare yare, you're quick to analyze.'*
Saiki glanced at Ayanokōji.
"Also, you'll create the finals questions yourselves and assign them to one of the three classes outside your own. Essentially, you'll 'attack' another class, and they'll 'defend.' If your class scores higher, you gain 50 class points from the losing class."
"If two classes attack each other, the points become 100."
"Your questions will be strictly and fairly reviewed by all teachers. If they exceed the curriculum or are unsolvable, we'll ask you to revise them, ensuring fairness."
Chabashira explained further.
*'Yare yare, this school loves complicating things.'*
Saiki sighed internally, though this was better than sudden survival exams.
"That's all for the upcoming exams. The rest is up to you."
...
After class, Hirata Yōsuke gathered students to discuss strategies for the exams.
Pairing and preparing for possible questions were key, and improving everyone's scores was essential.
Saiki didn't want to join, but Hirata asked him to meet at the school café to discuss.
*'The café's acceptable, at least there's food.'*
Saiki packed his bag, thinking.
Just then, Ayanokōji approached him.
"Saiki, you're going to their meeting, right?"
"Aren't you going too?"
"I wanted to discuss tactics with you first."
Ayanokōji said calmly.
"Hmm… What do you mean?"
Saiki nodded, unwilling to waste time but curious about Ayanokōji's plans.
"You've likely figured out the exams' true purpose from Chabashira."
*'Of course, you've already thought it all through.'*
Saiki thought, nodding.
"The mini-exam determines the finals pairings."
"Right."
Ayanokōji nodded.
"Thanks to you, Ryūen's focused on Yamauchi. I recall Ryūen following you recently."
"Hmm…"
Saiki recalled Ryūen's head rolling on the ground.
"But Ryūen didn't act against you, meaning you either distracted him or restricted his actions. This has kept Ryūen inactive for a while."
*'You mean when I used invisibility to record and send messages?'*
Saiki nodded calmly.
"Impressive. Ryūen will likely fear us more now. For the finals, Class D might attack us. You're probably planning to deal with them, right? Ryūen's capable, like us. He could be a useful tool later."
*'How are we alike? And you want to use him?'*
Saiki muttered internally, nodding slightly.
"Hmm…"
"Ryūen will target our class, but our biggest threat is within. There's a cancer in our class that must be removed if we're to advance."
Ayanokōji's expression remained neutral, but his gaze turned cold.
"Kushida Kikyō. I want her expelled. What do you think, Saiki?"
"Huh?"