Classroom of the Elite: I Can Add Points Without Limit, Chapter 266

Since Aragaki Shun is currently suppressing Advanced Nurturing, no matter how much Class 1-B struggles, it won't make much difference. So, what's the point of Ayanokoji being strong or not?

And that is indeed the case in reality.

Even though Koenji, Ayanokoji, and Ryuen Kakeru all joined Class 1-B last August and September, and two semesters have passed since then, it hasn't changed the fact that their class is still declining.

It's obvious that with just these three outsiders, Class 1-B has no chance of reversing its decline and being promoted to Class A, let alone maintaining its current position.

Because of this understanding, others naturally paid less and less attention to information about Ayanokoji.

However, it seems that the opponent may not have been able to shake Aragaki-kun's strength, but he does have extraordinary expertise in the field of [Rapid Mental Calculation].

If the difficulty is further increased, Ichinose Honami herself is not confident of winning.

"No, I only attended some mental arithmetic classes that my parents arranged for me, which is why I could barely keep up with Ichinose-san."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka still had that expressionless face. Even though he was already making a big splash on stage, he still didn't show any sharpness, as if he were just an ordinary student who specialized in a certain field.

After all, many of the students initially assigned to Class D could be considered to have uneven academic performance... right?

Of course, Ichinose Archangel n't really too concerned about this kind of thing. Everyone has their own thoughts, and she wasn't the type to like prying into other people's secrets.

Therefore, even though she noticed that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka seemed to be deliberately keeping a low profile, she didn't intend to say anything more.

"Actually... oh no, it's nothing," the pink-haired girl suddenly spoke up, as if she was about to offer some advice, but the words immediately changed to something else, "Everyone is working hard for the class, let's all cheer each other on!"

Actually, the Archangel wanted to ask Ayanokoji Kiyotaka if he was interested in joining Class A, since he seemed quite capable.

But before the invitation could be fully uttered, the girl remembered the other person's somewhat ambiguous reputation—

For the sake of the class atmosphere, let Aragaki-kun decide this.

In any case, if Aragaki-kun had any ideas, he would have already taken action. Since he hasn't, there's no need for me to do anything unnecessary.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka: "..."

The Masterpiece was somewhat bothered by Ichinose's sudden change in tone, but since that incident, this kind of casual Matoba more than once or twice.

It's probably nothing important.

With this thought in mind, Ayanokoji began to consider whether he could gain the upper hand against Ichinose Honami and directly secure victory in the match.

He hadn't forgotten that the real opponent in this match was actually Commander Tower and could Aragaki Shun at any time.

However, according to the rules of the Selection Exam, the Commander Tower only has the right to make suggestions in [Rapid Mental Calculation], and whether to adopt them depends on the contestant's own opinion.

Under normal circumstances, Ichinose Honami would certainly not ignore the correct answer given by Aragaki Shun, but what if the opponent suddenly had a change of heart and simply gave up the match?

A strange light flashed in his eyes, and the Masterpiece of the White Room said seemingly naturally:

"Yes, no matter what, I have to win this project. Katsuragi is a key pillar of our class. If he is expelled, many people will be heartbroken."

"Katsuragi ..." Ichinose's face showed regret as she sighed, "He was a responsible and upright person who could bear the trust of his comrades. If he hadn't refused Aragaki-kun's invitation that day, everyone in Class A could have become friends with him."

"But it is precisely because of Katsuragi's integrity that he cannot abandon his friends in class and choose to be happy alone."

Ayanokoji's usually expressionless face contorted into a complex expression as he clenched his fist, seemingly determined to protect his classmates. "After joining Class B, Katsuragi took great care of me. Even someone like me was treated the same as everyone else in the class."

"I heard that he was ridiculed for having alopecia since he was very young because he had hairlessness. Later, his parents and grandparents passed away, leaving him and his twin sister to depend on each other for survival. They grew up with the help of relatives."

"If that man is forced to drop out of Advanced Nurturing training, he will lose far more than just his future hopes; perhaps even what he already has will once again be on the verge of collapse..."

It is obvious that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka is using moral blackmail.

This move is unlikely to have much effect on most other Advanced Nurturing characters, but it is very likely to be surprisingly effective when facing Ichinose Honami.

Because she's an exceptionally good person, Archangel on campus!

Good people are the ones who are most likely to have guns pointed at them.

So let me see what choice you, Ichinose, will make, and whether you can justifiably push your familiar classmates into a corner?

"... From a poor family, living with his younger sister, right?" Just as Ayanokoji had predicted, the Archangel's expression changed noticeably. "I never imagined Katsuragi had such a background."

At that moment, the pink-haired girl thought of her younger sister and completely understood her feelings.

But she was probably luckier than Katsuragi Kohei, since she not only had her mother, but also, after arriving at Advanced Nurturing, she was able to work hard alongside her classmates in Class A, forging a bond that would last a lifetime.

Thinking of this, the Archangel couldn't help but smile.

"I'm sorry, Ayanokoji, although I understand what you mean, I absolutely will not hold back in this Special Exam."

"Katsuragi is certainly admirable, but since he chose to be the Commander Tower, he must also have the resolve to fight for the class's victory even if it means being expelled, right?"

Just as Aragaki-kun said—facing such an opponent, Class A should naturally adopt the same attitude and earnestly inflict defeat upon them!

Not to mention, Katsuragi isn't the only Commander Tower; her lover, Aragaki Shun, also single-handedly risks expulsion, all for the sake of Class A's ultimate victory... You can't say that just because Aragaki-kun has enough Private Points to offset the expulsion penalty, the danger isn't dangerous, can you?

Those Private Points didn't just fall from the sky; Aragaki-kun was able to accumulate so many because of his own exceptional skills, but that's absolutely no reason for her to pity Katsuragi or betray the class.

Before her inner turmoil is resolved, her determination to atone for her sins might waver, but for now... let her and Aragaki-kun take on the villainous role together!

"To be honest, I'm not as kind as outsiders imagine. In this Special Exam, please treat me as a vicious enemy. Compared to Katsuragi's future, I'm definitely more concerned about Aragaki-kun's feelings. I'm sorry."

Just like that day in her Third Year of junior high school, when she faced her sick mother and crying sister, she abandoned her usual kindness for the first time and unknowingly stole the hair clip from the shop.

If it were for the sake of closer family or lovers, Ichinose Honami knew she could harden her heart and do things that Archangel shouldn't do... After all, she wasn't a truly morally perfect person.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka could sense the determination in the pink-haired girl's voice. Though he didn't show it on his face, he was somewhat surprised inside.

Based on his past intelligence, the girl's personality model is significantly different from her current behavior.

"Is this the magic of love? I never thought it could completely change a person..."

But this was an area where the Masterpiece was not skilled; it was knowledge that had never been taught in the White Room, so he found it difficult to understand thoroughly.

If given the opportunity, he would like to find someone to try it out for him personally, perhaps gaining valuable experience for further growth.

Unfortunately, Ayanokoji was aware of how bad her reputation was in Advanced Nurturing; none of the girls in the three grades would want to date a suspected voyeur.

Therefore, not only acquiring knowledge about love, but also observing the weaknesses of Class 1-A and attempting strategies to sow discord among them... all require careful planning.

Meanwhile, just as the two contestants in the examination room were lost in their own thoughts, the school's bell suddenly rang, announcing the end of the halftime break and the resumption of the match that had been interrupted due to a tie.

"According to the rules, this [Rapid Mental Calculation] competition has officially entered an overtime period. The school will release increasingly difficult questions one after another, and the two students will need to solve them within the allotted time until one of them gets it wrong."

Following Sakagami- sensei's declaration, the questions began to appear on the screen in the Audio-Visual Room again, this time with increased difficulty to [four digits, fifteen digits, one and a half seconds].

There are a total of fifteen numbers, each of which pauses for only 1.5 seconds. The two contestants need to memorize these numbers as they flash and disappear in an instant, and finally calculate the sum of these numbers.

At this point, Ichinose Honami was already starting to feel the strain, after all, she wasn't a professional player who had specifically trained in [Rapid Mental Calculation].

In fact, if it weren't for the fact that she had been nurtured by Star Power dozens of times after uniting with Aragaki Shun, which improved her physical fitness, memory, and mental processing speed, she really couldn't say whether she could have answered the eleventh question based on her personal talent alone.

Normally, it shouldn't be possible, right?

She can do it now, but that's about her limit. She's not confident about the twelfth and thirteenth questions.

It seems the only option is to leave it entirely to Aragaki-kun...

The command Command Room where the Commander Tower is located.

Through the screen, Aragaki Shun saw Ichinose Honami making a gesture of spreading her hands to both sides, indicating her helplessness. So, he decisively used his Commander Tower authority to intervene in this [Rapid Mental Calculation].

Upon witnessing this scene, both Katsuragi Kohei, his rival, and the proctors Sakagami Kazuma and Chabashira Sae understood that the scene had turned into a battle between Aragaki Shun and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

"Uh... well then, please Commander Tower instructions on the next questions. The later the questions, the higher the score."

As Sakagami Kazuma announced, numbers began flashing on the computer screen in Class A's Commander Tower. It was the twelfth question, and the difficulty had increased to [four digits, sixteen digits, one and a half seconds].

However, both Aragaki Shun and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka calmly and collectedly calculated the answer in the end.

The next question, number thirteen, was [four-digit number, eighteen digits, 1.5 seconds]; number fourteen was [four-digit number, twenty digits, 1.5 seconds]; and number fifteen was even [four-digit number, twenty-two digits, 1.2 seconds].

With his extraordinary mental attributes, Aragaki Shun answered these questions with ease, making it seem effortless for everyone.

As for Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, he's catching up, but his speed in writing answers is noticeably slowing down.

"Wait, these two monsters are actually classmates with us? If they have such abilities, why don't they just develop their specialties instead of competing with us in Advanced Nurturing?"

In the exam preparation area, some students who witnessed this scene couldn't help but express their feelings.

They simply couldn't understand why, since they were all human, the differences between them could be so vast.

Aside from the ordinary students who could only complain, a few, such as Koenji Rokusuke, Sakayanagi Arisu, Shiina Hiyori, tried to calculate in their minds and roughly estimate their own strength level in the process.

Unbeknownst to them, even many of the faculty and staff present held their breath, anticipating the ultimate limit the two would reach.

So the sixteenth question was revealed, and its difficulty increased even further.

[Five digits, twenty-two digits, 1.2 seconds].

351. The Defeat of the Masterpiece; Tsukishiro Seeks Another Way Out

[Five digits, twenty-two digits, 1.2 seconds].

When the difficulty of [Rapid Mental Calculation] soared to this point, everyone in the preparation area, whether faculty or students in Class A or Class B, had given up on doing the calculations together.

Sakayanagi Arisu tried to do it, but almost fainted in her seat due to overworking her brain and exhaustion, startling Kamuro Masumi and Morishita Ai who were around her.

"Is this the gap between me and them...?"

The silver-haired girl wearing a beret was very unwilling to accept this, but the physical limitations were there, and reality had already told her that this was the limit she could reach.

Such is the nature of this congenital defect; what can be done?

"If you keep acting tough and actually faint, don't expect me to help you back."

Kamuro Masumi, standing next to Sakayanagi, gave him a look of disdain, but the students in Class A all knew that she was actually the type who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside. It was just that the girl was really not good at directly expressing her concern for her classmates.

Sakayanagi Arisu was well aware of her tsundere nature, and normally she would have teased her about it, but at this moment the girl simply watched the duel displayed on the big screen in silence, feeling both disappointed and powerless.

Almost immediately after the sixteenth question was posed, at Aragaki Shun's suggestion, Ichinose Honami quickly wrote down the corresponding answer, which was verified as correct by the instrument.

As for Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, he spent about half a minute recalling and pondering in his mind before submitting the same correct answer.

Without a doubt, the gap between herself and these two was far too great. With her broken body, she didn't even have the chance to catch up... As she grew older, her rivals would only grow faster and faster. In the future, perhaps even those who were currently behind her would one day easily overtake her.

How ironic!

Now that things have come to this, the title of genius has become a myth, and the only label she can be proud of is that of "the daughter of the Sakayanagi Family."

"I never imagined that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who seemed so gloomy, would have such abilities?"

Kamuro Masumi naturally couldn't understand Sakayanagi's melancholy. Like most of the students in Class A, she was simply astonished by the sudden burst of White Room's Masterpiece, which had managed to withstand the pressure from the Leader of Class A until now.

As for Aragaki Shun... that guy is a monster to begin with, he's never shown any limits, so even if his current performance is a bit exaggerated, isn't that normal?

Of course, this was just the opinion of the Class A members. To them, their class monitor, who had always led them forward, was invincible and it was only natural for him to do whatever he did. As for a nobody who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, it was already quite impressive that he hadn't been kicked to death.

However, to Tsukishiro Tsunenari and the others who knew about the White Room and were familiar with Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's background, the Matoba before them was quite terrifying.

They spent over a decade, invested countless resources, and eliminated countless experimental subjects to cultivate their Masterpiece... only to be so easily defeated in a duel with an ordinary student?!

Oh, I misspoke. The person opposite me isn't an ordinary student, but the adopted son-in-law of the Aragaki Family, who is hailed as a true genius.

But that makes things even worse!

After all, the emergence of such a genius completely undermines the White Room's philosophy and mocks their long-standing research direction.

Because Aragaki Shun never underwent rigorous training or experienced hardships that would transform him, he simply grew and developed naturally, yet he possessed talent that surpassed even the Masterpiece of the White Room.

If Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, the only successful product, is easily defeated by him, then the research on the White Room and the so-called artificial genius will become a complete joke.

"Hiss~ This is a huge problem. Hopefully, Mr. Ayanokoji's son can weather this storm..."

If it can't hold up, the exhibition value of the White Room's Masterpiece might be cut in half.

The major powers in Sakurajima have a tradition of marrying off their daughters to accept talented elites and having their sons-in-law or adopted sons inherit the family business. Now, with this wave of events, those investors who were optimistic about the White Room may waver or even withdraw their investment.

The losses suffered by Dietman Ayanokoji's faction are truly unimaginable!

But as the saying goes, the things you least want to happen are often the most likely to happen.

Just as Tsukishiro Tsunenari uttered a prayer in his heart, this lopsided duel came to an end...

After the sixteenth question, the seventeenth question was quickly refreshed, and the difficulty had now increased to [five digits, twenty-five digits, one second].

Aragaki Shun maintained his rhythm, and after all the numbers flashed and disappeared in an instant, he quickly sent the answer to Ichinose via computer, thus naturally securing the corresponding points.

The proctors and students from Class A and Class B who witnessed this scene were already numb, so everyone instinctively ignored what was happening here and subconsciously focused on Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's actions.

According to the rules of the [Rapid Mental Calculation] project, participants must submit their answers within one minute of the question being fully displayed; otherwise, they will be considered to have forfeited the question.

Now, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka seems to be in a predicament, keeping his eyes closed and calculating in his mind, without answering for a long time.