Seat of the Strong

The dismissal bell rang, and the students in the classroom began to pack their things, preparing to leave. Kanzaki didn't move. He turned his head directly, his gaze sharp as he looked at Ichinose and Itozawa.

"Did you two practice some new moves behind my back?" Kanzaki's eyes were locked onto the two of them. "How did you pull off that move?"

Ichinose was completely bewildered by Kanzaki's question. She blinked her large eyes, looking at Kanzaki with a blank expression, and asked in surprise, "Huh? Kanzaki, what move are you talking about?"

Seeing Ichinose's reaction, Kanzaki immediately realized she was unaware. A hint of understanding flashed in his eyes, and then his gaze turned intently to Itozawa, clearly waiting for his explanation.

Ichinose didn't get an answer from Kanzaki, but she quickly realized that only Itozawa knew what was going on.

So, she also turned her head, looking at Itozawa with her clear eyes, waiting for his answer.

Itozawa looked at the gazes of the two and said calmly, "Actually, I just discovered it myself. I can guide Ichinose's ability."

He didn't reveal the whole truth. He knew that if they didn't understand the nature of Ichinose's passive skill, they wouldn't know how to counter her.

Moreover, maintaining a certain level of mystery would allow him to occupy a more advantageous position in this game.

Although Kanzaki was a teammate now, Itozawa remembered his actions in the original work and had to guard against Kanzaki potentially selling them out in the future.

Kanzaki was a bit stunned by his answer. He hadn't expected such a response, but he quickly shifted his gaze to Ichinose, worried about her reaction.

After all, anyone would feel uncomfortable if they were told their ability could be controlled by someone else.

But to his surprise, when Ichinose heard Itozawa's words, her eyes sparkled with curiosity and surprise. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, revealing a cute smile. "Wow, Ito, you can really guide my ability? Does that mean we can cooperate better from now on?"

Her voice carried a hint of excitement, clearly very happy about this new discovery. Her reaction made both Itozawa and Kanzaki unconsciously relax their expressions.

Kanzaki's brow furrowed slightly, and he nodded, turning to Itozawa. "If you can really do that, then our strength will indeed improve significantly."

Itozawa looked at Ichinose, his eyes filled with admiration. "Yes, Ichinose. We can cooperate better from now on and exert greater power."

After understanding what had happened, Ichinose quickly acted as if nothing had happened and invited Itozawa and Kanzaki to have lunch together.

Itozawa was taken aback. He then realized that Ability History Class had been going on all morning, and it was already noon. It was indeed time for lunch.

The three of them went to the canteen together. Itozawa's gaze swept across the canteen. He noticed a few empty seats at the front and was about to pull them over to sit down.

However, his movement was quickly stopped by Kanzaki. Kanzaki's expression was serious, and he whispered a warning to Itozawa, "Those seats are reserved for the strong upperclassmen. Sitting there would be seen as a provocation. With our abilities, we stand no chance against them, so we absolutely cannot sit there."

Itozawa noticed the situation around them and realized it was true. Everyone was consciously avoiding those seats.

Just then, he saw a few familiar faces swaggering over to those seats—the idiotic trio led by Sudo from Class D.

Along the way, some people kindly advised them, but Sudo's response was to raise his fist, flames igniting around it, threatening them. Naturally, no one bothered them anymore.

Kanzaki pulled them to a seat and then pointed at them, saying, "If you don't believe me, watch how they get thrown out."

Inside the canteen, the tense atmosphere gradually escalated. Itozawa, Ichinose, and Kanzaki noticed the actions of a few upperclassmen. They had been preparing to make a move after Sudo's trio sat down, but upon seeing the seats they chose, the upperclassmen's expressions turned strange. They sat back down in their own seats, their eyes glinting with schadenfreude, as if waiting for a good show to unfold.

Soon, the two main figures appeared at the canteen entrance. One was a cold-faced, mature boy wearing glasses, and the other was a girl with purple hair tied in a bun.

Itozawa quickly recognized them: Student Council President Horikita Manabu and his junior secretary Tachibana Akane. He couldn't help but feel sorry for Sudo's trio, as they seemed completely unaware of what they were about to face.

Horikita Manabu and Tachibana Akane noticed Sudo's trio sitting in their seats. Horikita Manabu's expression remained calm, but Tachibana Akane's face sank. Horikita Manabu gave them a chance, his voice calm and powerful, "These are our seats. I suggest you leave."

Sudo's trio, however, did not appreciate the offer. A provocative smile appeared on Sudo's face, and he responded dismissively, "Why should we? Your names aren't written here."

Horikita Manabu didn't say much, just gave them a faint look. But Tachibana Akane couldn't hold back any longer. A flicker of displeasure flashed in her eyes, and her voice turned icy, "These are the rules of the student council. Don't you know them?"

Sudo sneered and suddenly threw a punch, Fire Fist, towards Horikita Manabu's face, flames burning fiercely around his fist. Before Horikita Manabu could retaliate, Tachibana Akane had already acted. A layer of ice erupted from her palm, and the cold air spread rapidly, forming a perfect Ice Domain. Sudo's flames, upon contact with Tachibana Akane's ice, were like a suddenly extinguished candle. The flames were frozen and turned into ice crystals.

Tachibana Akane's movements were elegant and swift. She waved her hand gently in the air, and Sudo and his companions were thinly encased in ice. Her control was extremely precise, not affecting anything else. Horikita Manabu watched her reaction without saying anything, just nodding silently.

Tachibana Akane then slid the three of them to the canteen entrance. Three ice sculptures stood there. Those who didn't know would think they were some new kind of door gods. The students in the canteen were all stunned, looking at Tachibana Akane with awe in their eyes.