*"I can't mention Saiki's name. It'd cause him trouble."*
*"Nagumo suspects my connection to Saiki, but no proof. Otherwise, he wouldn't have probed earlier."*
*"Time to bluff."*
Horikita thought, then spoke:
"I've always known who you are. Just as you've misled me these two years, I've misled you."
"Horikita-senpai... impressive."
Nagumo frowned, his expression darkening.
"So, you're the deceptive one."
"You broke our agreement first. If you'd kept your word and not involved others, I'd have competed fairly. But now, our competition is pointless."
Horikita stated firmly.
After Saiki Kusuo warned him about Nagumo, Horikita had doubted it but cautiously approached Tachibana Akane. Even when she hesitated, Horikita noticed her distress and pressed until she revealed the truth. He then helped resolve the issue.
Horikita admitted Nagumo was untrustworthy—and Saiki's insight was sharp.
*At least I didn't cause more trouble.*
Saiki sighed in relief.
*"Nagumo's expression changed completely. Is it an act? No... it feels genuine."*
Hashimoto bit his lip, while Ryūen smirked.
"The great student council president outplayed? You're not as good as your predecessor."
Ryūen mocked Nagumo.
Nagumo's eye twitched, ignoring Ryūen. He addressed Horikita:
"Whether you accept my challenge isn't up to you. I decide if others—not just Tachibana, but your Class A—get involved."
Horikita felt unease but hid it.
*No failures allowed in these final months.*
"Is that so? Bring it on."
Horikita replied expressionlessly.
"Interesting!"
Ryūen grinned, arms crossed.
Hashimoto stayed silent, overwhelmed by the two presidents' presence.
The conversation ended. Hashimoto and the others left the first floor, returning to their rooms.
He moved quietly, approaching Saiki's bed.
*"Saiki... Nagumo mentioned him earlier. It wasn't a joke. He meant it."*
*"I thought Takatouji was the biggest threat in Class B, but I overlooked Saiki..."*
*"Has Saiki been hiding his true strength?"*
Hashimoto curiously looked at Saiki's bed—and saw him sleeping peacefully.
Saiki was actually pretending to sleep. After eavesdropping, he used teleportation to return to bed, avoiding suspicion.
*No one noticed I left.*
Hashimoto returned to his bed.
*Finally, the night's over.*
Saiki thought, relieved.
The next day, the exam began.
It included meditation, speeches, a relay race, and a written test.
Saiki's group performed adequately. Even Kōenji Rokusuke participated in the relay race, not out of teamwork, but to avoid expulsion.
Kōenji didn't go all out but still outperformed 80% of students.
By afternoon, the exam ended. Everyone gathered in the gym for the results, announced by third-year teachers.
"You've all worked hard during the eight-day forest school. This special exam, held only every few years, has been highly praised—thanks to your excellent teamwork."
"All male groups passed, with no expulsions—a perfect result!"
"The top male group is led by Ninomiya Kuronosuke from Class C. Points will be awarded to all group members later."
Saiki's neighbor cheered.
Ninomiya was in Saiki's large group. Neither Nagumo nor Horikita risked being leaders.
*We first-years didn't contribute much, but thanks to upperclassmen, we won.*
Saiki glanced at Horikita and Nagumo, both expressionless despite the victory.
Horikita realized Nagumo was more dangerous than expected, making the next months harder. Nagumo saw Horikita as a tougher opponent, his plans foiled. Their previous agreement was now meaningless.
"Now, the female group results. All passed, with no expulsions. The winner is Ayase Natsume's group from Class C..."
Tachibana Akane sighed in relief. She'd prepared to sacrifice herself, but Horikita protected her.
Her gaze shifted to Saiki—
*Saiki, a first-year, saw through Nagumo. Even Horikita didn't notice. He's far more capable than I thought.*
"Saiki! Your group won! Amazing!"
Karuizawa Kei approached, smiling.
"Just followed upperclassmen's lead."
Saiki replied. Even without first-years' effort, Nagumo and Horikita ensured victory. Being in the same large group, Nagumo couldn't target Horikita without risking his own group.
"But school exams are getting tougher... Expulsion risks might rise."
"True."
---
Saiki Kusuo noticed that the school's rules seemed to be changing, and the risk of students being expelled was increasing.
Was this always the case, or was the school undergoing some transformation?
For now, it wouldn't affect him personally.
*'I'll deal with any risks ahead of time. That should be enough,'* he thought.
...
After the recent training camp exam, all students and teachers had returned to school.
Unnoticed, over half a month had passed, and February arrived quietly, bringing warmer weather to replace the cold.
However, this was the busiest time for the teachers at the Elite Academy.
Despite the recent exams, they had to prepare for grade promotions, expulsions, and graduation—especially the final special exams for each grade.
Yet, the teachers in charge of the first-year students felt more conflicted than their colleagues.
"...That concludes the details of the final special exam for first-year students and the introduction of the new system."
A man addressed all the teachers, explaining the final exam for the year.
The details for second and third-year students differed slightly from previous years, but the changes for first-year students were unprecedented.
"If anyone has questions, please speak up."
The man smiled, scanning the tense room. An eerie silence hung in the air, and the first-year teachers looked particularly grave.
"May I say something, Chairman Tsukishiro?"
At that moment, Mashima Tomonari, the homeroom teacher for Class 1-A, raised his hand, breaking the suffocating silence. The other teachers turned to him.
The man before them was Tsukishiro, the acting chairman.
Recently, Ayanokōji's father had forced Sakayanagi's resignation and installed Tsukishiro to bring Ayanokōji Kiyotaka back to the White Room.
"What is it, Mashima-sensei of Class 1-A?"
Tsukishiro smiled, though it was a facade.
"While the exams for second and third-year students follow past standards, the first-year exam far exceeds the average. The class voting… this exam carries a high risk of expulsion, doesn't it?"
As a first-year teacher, Mashima didn't hesitate to challenge the acting chairman. His tone was serious.
"I know this sounds rude, but Chairman Tsukishiro, you've just taken office. While you may understand our school, forcing expulsions when none have occurred in the first year seems problematic."
Tsukishiro had just used his authority to alter the final exam's content, ensuring at least one student per class would be expelled.
Listening to Mashima, Tsukishiro's smile remained.
*'My goal is simple: expel Ayanokōji Kiyotaka. But directly expelling a student without cause would cause chaos. So, I'll change the rules to make his expulsion justified. That way, no one can complain.'*
*'As for other students, expulsions are inevitable, but that's not my concern. My task is to expel Ayanokōji. The rest don't matter.'*
*'Also, I need to investigate if there are other noteworthy first-year students.'*