Horikita Manabu's Choice

The news was indeed false, but amidst the tense atmosphere, Itozawa and Ichinose's coordination was seamless.

After Ichinose heard Itozawa's words, although she was momentarily stunned, Itozawa's step to the left perfectly blocked Nagumo Miyabi's line of sight, buying her precious time.

When Nagumo Miyabi adjusted her posture and could see Ichinose's expression again, she had already quickly composed herself and put on an angry facade.

Meanwhile, Itozawa's Mental Power was like a taut bowstring. He frantically channeled his Mental Power into Ichinose, his brain working at full speed, guiding her Halo to dissipate in a stable direction.

He knew that the further away it was, the harder it would be to control, so he kept praying for someone to bump into them soon.

But so far, Ichinose's Halo hadn't touched anyone, and he had to maintain this state with extreme caution.

Fine beads of sweat broke out on Itozawa's forehead, his heart racing. His Mental Power was like countless fine threads connecting him to Ichinose, and he had to precisely control the tension of each thread to prevent the Halo from going out of control.

Fortunately, he could use his angry expression to mask his distress, which prevented Nagumo Miyabi from noticing anything amiss.

Ichinose sensed Itozawa's actions. Recalling their discussion that morning, she understood what Itozawa was doing.

Her body trembled slightly, but she tried her best to remain calm.

She knew Itozawa was using his ability to help her, and she couldn't let his efforts go to waste.

So, she took a step forward, diverting Nagumo Miyabi's attention from Itozawa.

Her expression was angry and resolute: "Nagumo Vice President, we will not hand over the application to you."

Faced with Ichinose's determination, Nagumo Miyabi's brows furrowed. He could feel Ichinose's anger, but his intuition told him that something was not simple.

His gaze flickered back and forth between Itozawa and Ichinose, trying to find a flaw.

Itozawa felt his Mental Power becoming increasingly difficult to control, and a sense of urgency welled up in his heart. He knew that if this confrontation couldn't end soon, his Mental Power might go out of control, and Ichinose's Halo could be exposed. He had to come up with a new strategy quickly.

Just as Itozawa felt his Mental Power was about to give out and Ichinose's ability Halo was on the verge of losing control, Tachibana Senpai's figure appeared at the office door.

Her ability was imitation, which made her exceptionally sensitive to the aura of different abilities.

So, when she reached the lower floor, she noticed Ichinose's Halo and quickly determined it was Ichinose's ability.

Looking up to the floor above, she confirmed the direction of dissipation and quickly realized that something was happening in the Student Council Office.

Thus, she rushed over, a hint of urgency in her steps.

Hearing Tachibana Senpai's voice, both Itozawa and Ichinose couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Itozawa quickly retracted his Mental Power. His body swayed slightly, and his forehead was already covered in sweat.

Ichinose also felt the fluctuation of her ability weakening, and her Halo began to slowly retract.

Nagumo Miyabi's expression changed slightly. He knew that Tachibana Senpai's arrival meant his plan might fall through. He quickly adjusted his expression, putting on an innocent look.

As soon as Tachibana Senpai entered, she nervously grabbed Ichinose's hand, her expression filled with worry: "Ichinose, are you two alright? I heard Nagumo Vice President was here..."

Nagumo Miyabi chuckled beside them, his voice laced with a hint of mockery: "Do you think my methods are that low-level, Senpai?"

Although he didn't know how they saw through him, since Itozawa and the others had already seen through his intentions, Nagumo Miyabi no longer needed to pretend.

His attitude became direct and provocative. He looked at Itozawa and asked his name: "What's your name?"

Itozawa indifferently stated his name: "I am Itozawa." Nagumo Miyabi chuckled, a flicker of interest in his eyes: "Itozawa, I'll remember that."

Tachibana Senpai turned to Itozawa, interrupting their conversation: "What are you two here for?"

Itozawa's voice was calm: "We came to submit an application, but Nagumo Vice President said you were all busy and suggested we give it to him."

Tachibana Senpai's gaze turned to Nagumo Miyabi, her eyes filled with anger: "Nagumo, you're deceiving even the first-year students?"

Nagumo Miyabi shrugged, his expression relaxed: "I was just trying to help. Since Tachibana Senpai is here, you can handle it."

Tachibana Senpai looked at his nonchalant demeanor, her face turning ashen. She then turned to Itozawa and Ichinose: "Give me the application, and I'll handle it. As for someone, it's best you leave quickly."

Ichinose quickly handed the application to Tachibana Senpai, a grateful smile on her face: "Thank you, Tachibana Senpai."

Itozawa also breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that with Tachibana Senpai's intervention, they were safe for now.

He nodded to Tachibana Senpai: "Thank you, Tachibana Senpai."

Tachibana Senpai smiled as she took the application, a hint of comfort in her eyes: "You're welcome, it's what I should do. I'll review your application as soon as possible."

Nagumo Miyabi stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes: "Since Tachibana Senpai is here, I'll take my leave."

After Nagumo Miyabi left, Tachibana Senpai breathed a sigh of relief. Her expression became unusually serious. She turned to Itozawa and Ichinose, her tone carrying a warning: "You two, be especially careful to stay away from Nagumo Miyabi. He's not as simple as he appears, and he's dangerous. Until the President deals with him, I don't recommend you interact with him."

Itozawa remained silent, his thoughts churning internally.

Tachibana Senpai probably didn't realize that Horikita Manabu wouldn't bother with Nagumo Miyabi's threats at all.

In the Original Work, Horikita Manabu's restrictions on Nagumo Miyabi were merely a casual act, and he didn't truly take it to heart.

If Horikita Manabu had genuinely been concerned about Kouiku under Nagumo Miyabi's rule, he should have more actively helped the first-year students deal with Nagumo Miyabi's threat.

Itozawa understood in his heart that Horikita Manabu had many ways to solve the problem better. He could have used his influence to push Kiriyama, or contacted Ichinose, who had been drawn in by Nagumo Miyabi, earlier and more proactively. He could have pushed his sister out earlier to provide a buffer for Ayanokouji.

These actions could have effectively countered Nagumo Miyabi's influence, rather than pushing all the problems onto Ayanokouji.

The reason Nagumo Miyabi later gained absolute power, reaching a point where he was almost impossible for a Deus Ex Machina to handle, was also largely due to Horikita Manabu.

He had misjudged Ayanokouji's determination to confront Nagumo Miyabi, and at the same time, he had misjudged Kiriyama. Horikita Manabu had mistakenly believed that Kiriyama joined the student council out of admiration for him, thinking Kiriyama would be a staunch ally against Nagumo Miyabi.

However, Kiriyama's true reason for joining the student council was his desire for victory and his willingness to achieve it by any means necessary. He was willing to align with Horikita Manabu, hoping to defeat Nagumo Miyabi through his power. But Horikita Manabu was unwilling to support Kiriyama with his own strength, and Ayanokouji, as Horikita Manabu's proxy, had no intention of overthrowing Nagumo Miyabi. Under these circumstances, Kiriyama had almost no chance of succeeding against Nagumo Miyabi.

Therefore, Kiriyama ultimately accepted Nagumo Miyabi's bribe, defecting to Nagumo Miyabi for Class A's admission ticket.

Horikita Manabu's decisions left those who resisted Nagumo Miyabi with no room to fight back, and he eventually subdued them one by one.

Ichinose, meanwhile, listened intently to Tachibana Senpai, a hint of determination in her eyes. "Tachibana Senpai, we will be careful. We won't act rashly."

Tachibana Senpai nodded, a hint of approval in her gaze. "Very good. You must remain vigilant at all times. Things at the school are not as simple as they appear, especially within the Student Council."

Itozawa and Ichinose both nodded, understanding that Tachibana Senpai's words held a deeper meaning. They needed to handle their relationship with the Student Council more cautiously, especially when dealing with someone like Nagumo Miyabi.

Tachibana Senpai looked at the two of them and added, "If you encounter any problems, you can come to me anytime. I will do my best to help."