Interesting Deal

Amako Kura walked out of Hoshimiya-sensei's dormitory, facing the anxious Class B students waiting by the door.

Watanabe and Shirakami Chihiro immediately stepped forward, their expressions and tones varied, but all revealed concern for the situation inside.

Watanabe was impatient, eager to resolve Class B's assessment issues to win the bet with Class C. He had been thoroughly frustrated by Ryuen Kakeru, his efforts thwarted at the last moment. He was full of annoyance.

His voice carried a hint of urgency, "Amako, how is it inside? Is Ichinose okay? What did Hoshimiya-sensei say?"

Shirakami Chihiro appeared timid, her personality making her reluctant to speak in front of others, but her worry for Ichinose gave her courage. "Um... Amako-san, is Ichinose... alright?"

Amako Kura looked at them, then turned to everyone, her expression serious and calm. "Ichinose has decided to stay and take care of Hoshimiya-sensei. Hoshimiya-sensei's condition isn't good right now, and Ichinose doesn't feel comfortable leaving like this."

Watanabe looked disappointed and anxious upon hearing this decision. He scratched his head, "Then what about our assessment? We still have to win the bet!"

Shirakami Chihiro said softly, "Ichinose... she's really kind, always thinking of others."

Amako Kura nodded, understanding Ichinose's decision and respecting her choice. "Ichinose told us to go back first, that she'll stay to take care of Hoshimiya-sensei. She also told me a way to deal with Sakagami-sensei, so we can act first."

Hearing Amako Kura's words, the Class B students, though somewhat disappointed, understood Ichinose's decision. They knew Ichinose always put others' needs before her own, which was part of her charm.

"Alright, then we'll proceed with Ichinose's plan first." Watanabe, though reluctant, accepted the reality. "We can't let her efforts be in vain."

Shirakami Chihiro also nodded, a hint of determination in her eyes. "We will complete the mission, Ichinose."

Amako Kura looked at everyone, knowing Ichinose's sacrifice and decision had given them new motivation. She encouraged them, "Let's work hard together and live up to Ichinose's expectations."

Itozawa and Kanzaki led the Class B students back to the office entrance. They found Shibata had been released and was sitting on the ground, looking dejected. Seeing this, Itozawa couldn't help but gasp inwardly, thinking Sakagami-sensei's methods were indeed ruthless. Every student "tormented" by him seemed to have suffered a significant blow.

Shibata looked up lazily when he saw them return, showing no intention of standing up. The Class B students gathered around him. Besides a few who went to comfort him, the others were discussing what to do next. Seeing Shibata's state, they all felt a bit intimidated and hesitant to face Sakagami-sensei themselves.

Seeing the situation, Itozawa knew they couldn't delay any longer. He volunteered, offering to go in and negotiate with Sakagami-sensei. His voice was firm and strong, "I'll go talk to Sakagami-sensei. You all wait here for me."

Everyone was deeply moved by Itozawa's words. They knew he was taking a risk, and his courage and responsibility earned their admiration.

At that moment, Shibata, still sitting on the ground, suddenly looked up and warned, "If you're going in, be careful of the shadows."

Itozawa nodded, took a deep breath, and adjusted his state.

Then, he slowly pushed open the office door and walked in.

Thanks to Shibata's warning, Itozawa felt a sense of alertness about the situation he was about to face.

Sakagami-sensei's special ability was related to shadows, which made him even more cautious.

As he entered the office, the door slowly closed behind him.

To his surprise, the room wasn't plunged into complete darkness. Instead, it was enveloped in a faint, soft light, outlining all objects with a thin shadow. However, the overall atmosphere remained dim, with a palpable sense of oppression in the air.

After a while, Itozawa's eyes adjusted to the indoor light. His gaze was sharp, constantly scanning his surroundings for any unusual movements.

While observing, he cautiously spoke, "Sakagami-sensei, I am Itozawa from Class B. We have something we'd like to discuss with you."

Suddenly, he noticed his own shadow becoming unusually active, as if it had a life of its own, quietly wriggling and trying to trap him.

Thanks to Shibata's warning and his own heightened awareness of his abilities, Itozawa dodged the shadow's first attack with agile grace.

Simultaneously, on the chessboard within his Mind Sea, a small, grayish-black piece appeared, landing in a new position.

Then, his body moved like a nimble cat, quickly leaping to the side, evading another attempt by the shadow to entangle him.

A surprised "Oh?" came from the darkness, as if Sakagami-sensei hadn't expected him to evade the attack so easily.

However, immediately afterward, all the shadows in the room, large and small, surged towards him. Itozawa's situation became even more precarious.

He weaved left and right, like a dancer on a stage, each movement precisely avoiding the shadows' attacks.

His figure moved rapidly in the dim light, leaving behind blurred afterimages. With each evasion, the grayish-black piece in his Mind Sea slowly grew larger and more solid.

However, the office space was too confined, and there were too many shadows. Itozawa was eventually trapped. His body was entangled by countless shadows, rendering him unable to move.

Only then did he finally see Sakagami-sensei. Sakagami-sensei wore gold-rimmed glasses and was dressed impeccably, appearing like a wolf in sheep's clothing.

He looked at Itozawa with evident interest.

Facing Sakagami-sensei, Itozawa showed no fear. He took a deep breath and calmly said, "Sakagami-sensei, I want to make a deal with you."

His voice echoed in the office, breaking the tense atmosphere.

A flicker of interest crossed Sakagami-sensei's eyes, as if curious about Itozawa's proposal. "A deal? What do you have to trade with me? The secret to dodging my Mental Attack and being so agile?"

Itozawa was somewhat surprised. He hadn't realized Sakagami-sensei's attack had included a Mental Attack.

But unfortunately, he knew nothing about his own special ability and couldn't explain it to Sakagami-sensei. Therefore, he had to speak quickly and avoid the topic.

"Our Class B has the ability to help Class C students, and you can help us complete our assessment. This would be beneficial to both you and Class C."