Sakayanagi suspected she was being followed, so she lured Ayanokoji to expose the stalker.
Tsukishiro took the bait.
"Interesting. I heard this school is fun. Are all students like you?"
Tsukishiro smiled at Sakayanagi and Ayanokoji.
*Ayanokoji, I'll take you back to the White Room.*
*This girl must be Sakayanagi's daughter.*
*Her father's fallen, yet she acts so arrogant. Annoying.*
"The staff office is downstairs, not here."
Sakayanagi said.
*Let's teach her a lesson!*
Tsukishiro aimed to kick her cane. Ayanokoji noticed and moved to protect her.
But then, another set of footsteps approached.
Saiki arrived.
"You?!"
Tsukishiro was stunned. He hadn't expected Saiki.
Saiki was equally confused.
He'd used his powers to see it was Sakayanagi and Ayanokoji calling him, so he came to avoid future trouble.
But who expected Tsukishiro to show up?
*What's going on?*
Saiki looked at them, puzzled.
*Saiki's here. Did he predict this?*
*Why is Saiki here?*
*They called me...*
Even hearing their thoughts, Saiki was clueless.
"Why are you here?!"
Tsukishiro glared at Saiki, recalling Ayano Doutoshi's warning: *Don't mess with Saiki.*
This made Tsukishiro wary.
*For Ayano to say that... Saiki's background must be powerful...*
Tsukishiro's forehead sweated, his eyes darting nervously.
"Someone called me."
Saiki replied, holding his phone.
*Tsukishiro's scared of me. Good. Less trouble.*
"What a coincidence."
Tsukishiro narrowed his eyes.
Ayanokoji noticed Tsukishiro's unease.
*Tsukishiro's tense and scared. Why? He came for me, but he reacted to Saiki. Did they meet before?*
*Did Tsukishiro discover Saiki's abilities and approach him? But this reaction is odd... Did something happen between them?*
*Clearly, Saiki's in control.*
Ayanokoji's mind raced.
Sakayanagi noticed too.
Even as Tsukishiro composed himself, Sakayanagi saw through it.
"Tsukishiro, what were you about to do?"
She'd seen him lunge toward her.
"Just saying hi."
Tsukishiro laughed nervously.
*If they're Saiki's allies, this gets tricky...*
Tsukishiro hesitated.
"You sent the letter about expelling Ayanokoji, right?"
Sakayanagi pressed.
"I'm here to take him back. Cooperate, and it's better for both of us."
"I'm not leaving."
Ayanokoji said calmly.
"Really?"
Tsukishiro touched his pocket, where a hidden camera was tucked.
He planned to attack Ayanokoji and Sakayanagi, provoke a reaction, and record it—then expel Ayanokoji for assaulting a staff member.
But Saiki's arrival ruined his plan.
Saiki saw the camera and destroyed it with his powers.
Tsukishiro didn't notice.
"Saiki, what's your relationship with them?"
Tsukishiro demanded.
"Just classmates."
Saiki replied, distancing himself.
*Smart move. Now I can't act rashly.*
*I'm telling the truth!*
---
"Since that's the case, I won't disturb you further."
Tsukishiro smiled.
"Though I've only recently arrived at this school, more formal activities will begin after April. Let's see what happens."
As he spoke, Tsukishiro walked toward the exit where Saiki was standing.
*What's this guy's deal?*
Tsukishiro's body leaned toward Saiki, as if testing his physical strength through a collision.
In that instant, it was as if Tsukishiro had crashed into a wall. He lost his balance and fell to the ground.
"Are you okay, Acting Chairman Tsukishiro?"
"I-I'm fine!"
Tsukishiro quickly stood up, hurried away, and left the special classroom building.
*What kind of physique does this guy have?!*
Meanwhile, Sakayanagi and Ayanokōji witnessed the scene.
For Tsukishiro to be knocked down like that… Saiki's physical strength must be terrifying.
'Whoa, he suddenly bumped into me so close, and it was an impulsive move. Even I didn't react in time…'
For Saiki, it was entirely unexpected. He could only try to change the subject.
"What did you two come to see me for?"
"I want to discuss the future."
Ayanokōji said slowly, shifting his gaze to Sakayanagi.
"Next exam, let's settle things between us once and for all."
Sakayanagi's eyes widened in surprise.
"I didn't expect you to say that to my face."
"If that man interferes in April, I won't have the time to keep this going. I want to make things clear now. It's also a promise—you helped me during the message incident, so I'll fulfill my end by facing you."
"Fine, no need for multiple rounds. I'll gladly be your opponent, but—"
Sakayanagi turned to Saiki.
"Saiki, I hope you'll join this showdown too."
"You want a three-way battle?"
Ayanokōji asked.
"Exactly. Time is precious, and I want to know who's the true genius among us."
Sakayanagi replied.
"This doesn't concern me, does it?"
Saiki said immediately.
"Of course it does. Last time, you gained the upper hand by clearing our messages overnight. How did you do that?"
Sakayanagi narrowed his eyes.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Saiki said calmly.
"Don't pretend. This exam exposed you to everyone. You can't hide anymore. But I'm not unreasonable. If you beat me in the next exam, I'll leave you alone."
Sakayanagi's tone was serious.
"Really?"
Saiki asked immediately.
"Yes, my word is final. If you're worried about ending up like Yamauchi, we can record it."
Sakayanagi paused, then continued.
"Speaking of which, you were there when Yamauchi bumped into me. Did you predict he'd target me and plan to use Kushida against you? You countered by worsening Yamauchi and Kushida's relationship, making her useless to me."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Saiki truly had no clue what Sakayanagi was referring to.
"Fine, I know you won't admit it. Let's meet again during the next exam."
Sakayanagi waved and left the building.
---
Meanwhile, Tsukishiro rushed back to his office.
"It was like hitting a wall… How can a high schooler have such a physique? Even Shiratori's greatest creation couldn't do that!"
"He doesn't even look that strong… Why? Was it some aikido technique?"
"Wait, maybe the camera recorded something."
Tsukishiro checked the micro-camera in his shirt—but found only broken parts.
"Broken? How?! Did it break when I fell?!"
Tsukishiro recalled his fall. He landed on his back, so the chest camera shouldn't have broken.
Wait…
A terrifying thought crossed his mind.
"Could it be… Saiki?"
"Did he strike my chest the moment we touched?"
"I didn't even notice!"
Tsukishiro had undergone intense training, rivaling elite soldiers. Yet he couldn't see Saiki's move.
Combined with Ayanokōji's earlier words, Tsukishiro broke out in cold sweat.
"What kind of monster is he…?"
---
March 8th.
One desk was missing from the classroom, as if Yamauchi had never existed.
"Now, I announce the final exam of the first-year term."
After the bell rang, Chabashira entered, explaining the final exam.
"This special exam will test your comprehensive abilities—intelligence, physical strength, teamwork, or luck. You must use all your potential."
"It's a 'selection project exam' where classes compete. Opponents will be decided by rules, like Paper Shuffle."
"First, I'll use ten white cards and yellow cards matching the class size to explain."
Chabashira placed blank cards on the board.