Kanzaki's Probe

Though he found it a little hard to understand, Itozawa decided not to stand there puzzling over it. Instead, he headed to the Class B classroom ahead of time.

That way, he could observe her as soon as she returned to the classroom and, while he was at it, see if any of the other students seemed strange.

Itozawa walked into the Class B classroom and quickly scanned its layout, finding the seat with his name tag on it.

He sat down quietly and looked around. He was the first one there; the classroom was still empty.

He glanced over the name tags nearby. Ichinose and Kanzaki both had seats close to his, so it looked like it would be much easier for him to work his way into Class B's decision-making circle.

As he looked around, the seats gradually filled with his new classmates.

Each of them wore a different expression. Some were excited, some nervous, and some brimming with confidence.

As usual, Itozawa began unconsciously gathering and analyzing information about them, trying to pick up useful clues from their behavior and expressions.

Before long, a boy took the seat to his front right.

Itozawa noticed that the boy had a lean build, but the lines of his arms and neck showed that he exercised regularly.

His gaze was sharp, yet his expression was remarkably calm. He gave the impression of someone good at fighting but level-headed and inclined to avoid trouble. Itozawa silently labeled him in his mind.

He seemed a lot like the Kanzaki from the Original Work.

Or maybe Itozawa was just drawing a target around an arrow he'd already shot.

Just as Itozawa was absorbed in his analysis, the boy suddenly turned to him and asked bluntly, "Are you analyzing me?"

Itozawa froze. He hadn't expected the other boy to notice him watching.

But he quickly regained his composure. He didn't see any point in hiding it, so he nodded and admitted it.

Itozawa felt the boy's gaze sharpen, as if an invisible pressure were bearing down on him.

His heart began to race against his will, and a sense of instinctive wariness rose within him.

Suddenly, his head throbbed, as though an invisible shock wave had pierced his thoughts.

Then it was as if he'd suddenly unlocked his full potential. His vision became startlingly clear, and he could "see" the culprit behind his headache: the other boy's Mental Power.

The boy spoke again, his voice carrying an almost irresistible force of command. "Forget your analysis of me."

Under that force, Itozawa felt his consciousness begin to blur. It was as if a gentle yet powerful current were trying to sweep his thoughts into a whirlpool and muddy his memories.

But just then, a force of resistance surged from deep within Itozawa. Like a sturdy dam, it held back the current.

A strange vision appeared before Itozawa. He seemed to be standing before a vast chessboard, with pieces scattered across it.

His thoughts raced faster than ever. Almost instinctively, in a way he couldn't understand, he transformed the invading Mental Power into a gray, hazy chess piece and placed it on the board.

He felt his consciousness clear again. The fog and the compulsion to forget vanished. He even felt that his Mental Power had grown a little stronger.

Itozawa blinked, confused. He didn't understand how he'd done it. He only felt that, in that instant, his body and mind had somehow responded in the best possible way.

He blinked again, still dazed and unsure what had happened.

The boy, meanwhile, looked astonished. He quickly composed himself and introduced himself with measured caution. "My name is Kanzaki Ryūji. And you are?"

Hearing that name put Itozawa more at ease. It seemed the Original Work's characterization was pretty close after all.

But what was that Mental Attack just now?

After hearing his name, Kanzaki furrowed his brows even more. He'd never heard of the Ito family.

So how did Itozawa have such a powerful Mental Power ability? And he'd never heard of any mental ability that could be transformed after entering someone's Mind Sea.

An ability with a similar capacity to invade would normally repel an enemy before they got inside.

A family he'd never heard of, and a strange ability. They piqued Kanzaki's interest in Itozawa.

"Itozawa, was it? I'll remember that." Kanzaki sounded as if he were reassessing him. "We'll soon learn what everyone in this class is worth. I look forward to seeing what you can do, Itozawa."

With that, he turned away and said nothing more.

The atmosphere suddenly turned awkwardly tense, and neither of them knew what to say.

Fortunately, Ichinose and Shirakami came in hand in hand just then. The warmth radiating from Ichinose immediately dispelled the tension.

Ichinose sat down beside Itozawa, while Shirakami took the seat next to Kanzaki.

With both of Class B's central figures seated around him, it would be easier for Itozawa to guide them in the future.

Kanzaki's gaze lingered on Ichinose for a moment. He decided to use his Mental Power again to probe this seemingly gentle student.

His Mental Power extended toward Ichinose like a fine thread, silent and unobtrusive.

But then something astonishing happened: the moment his Mental Power touched Ichinose, it changed.

The force was no longer sharp or invasive. Instead, it became as gentle as Ichinose's own Mental Power, eventually blending into his affinity and becoming part of him.

It all happened without a sound. Ichinose didn't notice a thing; he simply smiled and chatted with Shirakami Chihiro while introducing himself to Itozawa, his new deskmate.

Only Kanzaki's expression grew even more shocked. He'd never encountered anything like it. His Mental Power had been assimilated and absorbed with such ease.

Was it a Mind-Type ability? Or a Charm-Type ability?

For the first time, Kanzaki felt a tumult of emotions. He realized that this year's Kouiku intake was far better than he'd expected. There were several people here he couldn't see through.

At last, he understood why his father, a man with considerable influence in both politics and business, had chosen to send him to this school instead of the White Room, where Ayanokoji Atsuomi was and which had closer ties to their family.

"Looks like I'll have to reassess everyone in this class," Kanzaki thought. His gaze sharpened, but he also became more cautious.

He knew he might no longer be the only strong one in this class. He would have to tread carefully to make a place for himself in this new environment full of unknowns.