Interesting Deal

Amako Kura came out of Hoshimiya-sensei's dormitory and faced the Class B Students anxiously waiting outside.

Watanabe and Shirakami Chihiro immediately went up to her. Their expressions and tones differed, but both showed their concern about what was happening inside.

Watanabe was impatient. He was eager to resolve Class B's assessment problem so they could win their bet with Class C. He'd swallowed a bellyful of water himself, only for all their efforts to be ruined by Ryuen Kakeru, and he was still thoroughly annoyed.

His voice carried a note of urgency. "Amako, how is it in there? Is Ichinose all right? What did Hoshimiya-sensei say?"

Shirakami Chihiro, on the other hand, seemed timid. Her personality made her reluctant to speak in front of everyone, but her concern for Ichinose gave her the courage to ask, "Um... Amako, is Ichinose... all right?"

Amako Kura looked at them, then turned to face everyone. Her expression was serious and calm. "Ichinose decided to stay and take care of Hoshimiya-sensei. Hoshimiya-sensei isn't doing too well right now, and Ichinose doesn't feel right leaving her like this."

Watanabe seemed disappointed and anxious at the decision. He scratched his head. "Then what about our assessment? We still have to win the bet!"

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

Amako Kura nodded. She understood Ichinose's decision and respected her choice. "Ichinose told us to go back first. She'll stay and look after Hoshimiya-sensei. She also told me how to deal with Sakagami-sensei, so we can get started."

The Class B Students were somewhat disappointed by what Amako Kura said, but they understood Ichinose's decision. They knew Ichinose always put other people's needs before her own. That was exactly what made her so charming.

"All right, then let's follow Ichinose's plan for now." Watanabe was reluctant, but he accepted the reality of the situation. "We can't let all her effort go to waste."

Shirakami Chihiro nodded too, a hint of resolve in her eyes. "We'll get it done, Ichinose."

Amako Kura looked at everyone. She knew Ichinose's sacrifice and decision had given them new motivation. She encouraged them: "Let's all do our best and live up to Ichinose's expectations."

Itozawa and Kanzaki led the Class B Students back to the office. They found Shibata had been let out and was sitting dejectedly on the floor. At the sight, Itozawa couldn't help clicking his tongue inwardly. Sakagami-sensei really was ruthless; every student he'd "tormented" seemed to have taken quite a beating.

Shibata merely raised his head lazily when he saw them return, making no move to stand. The Class B Students gathered around. Apart from a few who went over to comfort him, the others discussed what to do next. Seeing Shibata like that made them all nervous, and they were reluctant to go in and face Sakagami-sensei.

Seeing how things stood, Itozawa knew they couldn't put it off any longer. He simply volunteered, offering to go in and negotiate with Sakagami-sensei. His voice was firm and strong. "I'll go talk to Sakagami-sensei. You wait here."

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

Just then, Shibata, still sitting on the floor, suddenly raised his head and warned them, "If you go in, watch out for the shadows."

Itozawa nodded. He took a deep breath and steadied himself.

Then he slowly pushed open the office door and went inside.

With Shibata's warning in mind, Itozawa was on alert for what might be waiting for him.

Sakagami-sensei's ability had something to do with shadows, which made Itozawa even more cautious.

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

To his surprise, the room wasn't completely dark. A faint glow filled it, outlining every object with a thin shadow. Even so, the room remained dim, and the air seemed heavy with a sense of oppression.

After a while, Itozawa's eyes adjusted to the light. His gaze was sharp as he studied his surroundings, watching for any sign of movement.

As he looked around, he spoke cautiously. "Sakagami-sensei, I'm Itozawa from Class B. We have something we'd like to discuss with you."

Suddenly, he noticed his shadow behaving strangely, writhing as if it were alive and trying to trap him.

Thanks to Shibata's warning and his own alertness to his ability, Itozawa nimbly dodged the shadow's first attack.

At the same time, a small gray-black chess piece appeared in a new spot on the chessboard in his Mind Sea.

Then he darted to the side like an agile cat, avoiding another attempt by the shadow to ensnare him.

A startled "Huh?" came from the darkness. Sakagami-sensei seemed not to have expected him to evade the attack so easily.

But then, shadows of every size in the room surged toward him. Itozawa's situation grew even more difficult.

He dodged from side to side like a dancer leaping across a stage, each movement precisely avoiding the shadows' attacks.

His figure darted through the faint light, leaving behind a series of blurry afterimages. With every dodge, the gray-black chess piece in his Mind Sea slowly grew, becoming more solid.

But the office was too cramped, and there were too many shadows. In the end, Itozawa was trapped. Countless shadows wrapped around him, leaving him unable to move.

Only then did he finally see Sakagami-sensei. He wore gold-rimmed glasses and was dressed impeccably, but he looked like a thoroughly respectable beast.

He regarded Itozawa with evident interest.

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

His voice echoed through the office, breaking the tense silence.

A spark of interest appeared in Sakagami-sensei's eyes. He seemed curious about Itozawa's offer. "A deal? What do you have to trade with me? The secret behind how you can dodge my Mental Attack and move so nimbly?"

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

But unfortunately, he knew nothing about his own ability, so he had no way to explain it to Sakagami-sensei. He had to speak quickly and steer clear of the subject.

"Our Class B can help the students of Class C, and you can help us complete our assessment. It would benefit both you and Class C."