"Don't joke. You beat Sakayanagi. In my book, she's on par with top chess masters. Who here could beat you?"
Hashimoto asked, incredulous.
"It's true."
Saiki replied calmly.
"Wait... Saiki?"
Hashimoto realized, leaning forward.
"The match is over. Excuse me."
Saiki left without answering.
...
In the multipurpose room, Sakayanagi leaned back, exhaling.
*[Ayanokōji truly is something. I lost fair and square.]*
Though defeated, Sakayanagi felt fulfilled, as if a wish had been granted.
*[Sakayanagi lost at chess?]*
Meanwhile, Sakagami and Hoshinomiya Chie exchanged thoughts.
*[Class B's strength is impressive, but Saiki as leader did almost nothing.]*
"Congratulations, Saiki. I lost gracefully."
Sakayanagi approached Saiki, smiling.
"Just our class's strength. I did nothing."
Saiki shrugged.
"One match left. It decides which class becomes A."
Sakayanagi noted.
*[We're less than 30 points apart. If Class B wins, we'll lose our A rank.]*
"Let's finish this."
"Yeah."
Saiki nodded.
Earlier, Saiki resisted becoming Class A, fearing more attention and enemies.
But now, it didn't matter—thanks to his classmates, he was already a school celebrity.
Whether they became Class A or not, Saiki could only console himself with more points.
"Final round's starting."
Sakagami returned to the computer, starting the last draw—
Rock-Paper-Scissors. One player. Ten minutes.
Rules: A standard rock-paper-scissors match, best of three rounds.
Command Tower: Allows one round of rock-paper-scissors to be played by a substitute.
"Rock-paper-scissors...?"
Sakayanagi Arisu narrowed her eyes slightly. To be honest, she was surprised this event had been chosen.
But upon further thought, it made sense.
After all, in a situation where a class was at a disadvantage in every aspect, a luck-based game like rock-paper-scissors might give the weaker class a chance to score.
Sakayanagi casually selected a participant, Takemoto Shigeru. He had been in the same group as Saiki Kusuo during the privileged exam, though they hadn't interacted much.
After a moment's thought, Saiki chose Karuizawa Kei.
Kei and Shigeru appeared on the screen, and the match began.
Kei won the first round.
Shigeru evened the score in the second.
Now, it all came down to the final round.
"Saiki, will you use the Command Tower to intervene?"
In the multipurpose room, Sakayanagi turned to Saiki and asked.
"Hm."
Saiki nodded.
Since it was the final round, he figured he'd participate.
*Though it's a game of luck, analyzing the opponent's psychology can increase the chances of winning... If it were Saiki, what would he choose?*
Sakayanagi's mind raced as she tried to determine the best move.
*Saiki must be thinking the same thing right now.*
*'Sorry, not at all.'*
In reality, Saiki was simply waiting for Sakayanagi's decision.
Finally, after a few minutes, Sakayanagi chose "paper."
Saiki, using telepathy, heard her choice and promptly selected "scissors."
For a psychic, luck was never a deciding factor.
As Sakagami Kazuma announced the results, Sakayanagi forced a smile.
*So, it ended in defeat after all?*
Beside her, Sakagami and Hoshinomiya Chie took a moment to process the outcome before declaring:
"The match is over. Class B wins this round, making the final score 6-1 in favor of Class B. Class A put up a great fight!"
Undoubtedly, Class A had shown true skill and strategy.
Yet, they still lost to Class B.
They attributed their defeat to 'luck.'
"It was a fantastic match, Sakayanagi. You all did wonderfully, just a bit unlucky..."
Hoshinomiya tried to console Sakayanagi, but she wasn't interested.
"Thank you, but I don't need sympathy. I accept the result. Class B earned their victory. Luck isn't an excuse."
Sakayanagi spoke calmly, accepting the outcome gracefully.
"We'll leave Class A's position to you for now. We'll take it back later."
She smiled at Saiki and left the room.
Meanwhile, Sakagami glanced at Saiki, his lips tightening.
*Rising from Class D to Class A in less than a year... Unprecedented. What kind of monsters are in that class?*
"That's it for today. You can head back directly."
Sakagami told Saiki.
"Thanks, I'll be leaving then."
Saiki nodded and left.
---
An hour later, in the adjacent classroom.
"Class D defeated Class C with a score of 5-2."
Mashima Tomonari announced the result.
Ichinose Honami looked dejected, like a shell of her former self.
Meanwhile, Ryūen Kakeru smirked, as if everything had gone according to plan.
Before the exam, Ryūen had laced Class C's food with a laxative, ensuring they'd be unwell on the day of the test.
He had also chosen events involving physical combat.
Under his meticulous planning, Class C stood no chance, losing the match instantly.
The lopsided victory allowed Ryūen's Class D to replace Ichinose's class.
Class C and Class D would swap ranks.
*I genuinely wanted to drop out... But I don't know why I feel this fear toward someone else... I haven't felt fear like this in a long time.*
*Yet, this fear excites me. I desperately want to know just how terrifying Saiki is.*
*My goal is to become the Command Tower, creating a no-retreat situation, to confirm if I truly desire another battle with Saiki...*
Ryūen's gaze never landed on Ichinose. Instead, he turned to the teacher.
He noticed Chabashira Sae, Class B's homeroom teacher, smiling broadly.
*Looks like Class B gave Class A a hard time.*
"How's the other match going?" Ryūen asked with a smile.
"It ended an hour ago."
Mashima replied grimly, glancing at Chabashira.
"Oh?"
Ryūen was surprised. Their match had been fast, but he hadn't expected Classes A and B to finish even quicker.
"What was the score?"
"Class B won 6-1."
Mashima's tone was flat, his emotions well-controlled despite being Class A's homeroom teacher.
"After this exam, Class B will become the new Class A."
"I see."
Ryūen's smile widened.
*Saiki, you're finally showing your true strength, aren't you?*
*To defeat Sakayanagi by such a margin... Your power is terrifying.*
*But... this only makes me more eager to face you!*
Ryūen's fear of Saiki deepened—
but so did his desire to overcome it.
Chabashira, meanwhile, was ecstatic.
*Finally, we've done it!*
Her dream of reaching Class A had come true.
---
Elsewhere, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka left the classroom, heading back to the dorms to rest.
For Class B students, the upcoming spring break was a time to celebrate.
But as Ayanokōji exited the building, a familiar figure appeared before him.
Sakayanagi Arisu.
"I truly accept this defeat, Ayanokōji."
Despite her class's demotion, Sakayanagi seemed cheerful.
"I was just lucky."
Ayanokōji replied calmly.
"The match is over, and I'm glad I competed against you. It confirms what I already knew—you're undeniably a genius. No impostor."
"Don't you want a rematch in chess?"
"Do you want me to?"
"No, not really."
"Hmm, you're straightforward."
"But there's someone else I want to defeat."
Ayanokōji spoke up.
"Oh?"
Sakayanagi raised an eyebrow.
"I heard something similar from Hashimoto earlier. Is it Saiki?"
"Yes."
Ayanokōji nodded.
"I fought him seriously, but he overwhelmed me effortlessly."
"Really? How is that possible?"
Sakayanagi was surprised.
She was confident in her skills, and Ayanokōji, who had defeated her, was unparalleled.
Yet, he had been crushed by someone else?
"I can replay our match for you. Would that be okay?"
"Sure, let's go to the library."
Soon, they arrived at the library, where a chessboard was available.
Ayanokōji's memory was extraordinary. He could perfectly recreate every move from his match with Saiki that night.
It was a game he could never forget.
"This is the entire sequence."
Ayanokōji said expressionlessly.
Sitting across from him, Sakayanagi Arisu's forehead glistened with sweat, and her body trembled slightly.
"This kind of skill... it's beyond human comprehension, isn't it?"
"What do you think?"
"You set up multiple traps during the game, and I only noticed them later. If it were me, I might not have caught them all immediately. But Kusuo seemed to see through your moves from the start, even preparing for your traps before you set them up... It's as if he can read your mind."
Sakayanagi Arisu bit her lip, realizing that only someone at her level could understand the depth of this game.
"Exactly, that's Kusuo's strength..."
"With such power, why didn't he use the command tower's interference... Could it be?"
A sudden thought crossed Sakayanagi Arisu's mind.
*Does Kusuo know my every move? Does he know I can't beat Ayanokōji? How is that possible?*
"Also, do you think the final rock-paper-scissors draw was just luck?"
At that moment, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka lifted his head, his gaze fixed on Sakayanagi Arisu.
"Kusuo has likely analyzed your personality, habits, and abilities so thoroughly that he can predict your every move."
"If that's true... then he's a complete monster, isn't he?"
"Indeed, I believe Kusuo is a monster—one that even makes me feel inferior."
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka stated.