Strike

After finishing the chess game, Sakayanagi returned to her usual state.

She looked around, spotted Suzuki Tsubame, but didn't see Kamuro's figure, and her expression immediately turned somewhat grim.

"Princess, care to play a round with me?"

Noticing Sakayanagi Arisu's unease, Suzuki Tsubame appeared at just the right moment.

"Oh my~ It's Suzuki-kun. Haven't you earned enough today?"

Sakayanagi Arisu shook off her gloom—perhaps seeing an acquaintance steadied her nerves a little?

"Well, I came to offer some points to Her Highness the Princess."

Suzuki Tsubame plopped down opposite Sakayanagi Arisu.

"Eh~ How many points is Suzuki-kun planning to give me?"

Sakayanagi Arisu believed Suzuki Tsubame's words, because she had absolute confidence in her own skill.

"Bet 500,000 points, winner takes all, loser eats dust. What does Her Highness think?"

"It seems Suzuki-kun is quite confident. Set up the board."

Rearranging the chess pieces, Suzuki Tsubame gestured for Sakayanagi Arisu to take white and move first. Sakayanagi didn't refuse, advancing the pawn in front of her king.

"By the way, where did your little sidekick run off to? Why isn't she by your side?"

Suzuki Tsubame chatted idly with Sakayanagi Arisu as they played, looking completely at ease.

"I wonder. Maybe she got lost. If Suzuki-kun is so concerned, shall I introduce her to you?"

"Well, no need for that. I was just curious."

The two played quickly. Sakayanagi liked to slowly devour all of her opponent's pieces, crushing them psychologically.

Suzuki Tsubame obliged her wish, letting his pieces be eaten one after another.

In the end... only the kings remained on both sides.

"...I lost..."

Sakayanagi Arisu's hand holding her king trembled slightly.

From the very start of the match, she had sensed something was wrong.

Facing her attacks, Suzuki Tsubame hadn't chosen to defend but had let her take his pieces freely. Unfortunately, her focus had been entirely on the opposing queen, completely overlooking the pawn in front of her.

In the end, facing the pawn that had reached the back rank, Sakayanagi Arisu was powerless to resist, slowly stripped bald by Suzuki Tsubame (a situation in a game where all one's own pieces are wiped out, leaving only the king).

Especially the final move—even though the pawn had already promoted to a queen, he still used it to trade for her knight. Suzuki Tsubame was completely toying with her!

"Huh? Neither of us has any offensive pieces left. Shouldn't it be a draw?"

Suzuki Tsubame was twisting the knife.

"..." Sakayanagi remained silent. If she still couldn't see it now, she was truly blind.

From the start, Suzuki Tsubame had followed her playstyle, feeding her every rook, knight, bishop, and queen.

That was equivalent to spotting her seven pieces from the opening, and he had also let her take white and move first.

"...I lost. I'll send you the points later."

Sakayanagi Arisu had no intention of welching. A loss was a loss.

If she couldn't even admit defeat, that would be the real failure.

It was just a pity that all the points she had won in the afternoon were gone.

"Suzuki-kun, you haven't had your fill yet, have you? Want another round?"

Seeing Sakayanagi return to her usual demeanor, Suzuki Tsubame felt relieved. He was afraid that if Sakayanagi Arisu got upset, she might ask her father to sink him into Tokyo Bay.

"Well, it seems like it's getting late. Let's call it a day for now. We can play another time."

"Your little sidekick doesn't seem to be around. Need me to walk you back to the dormitory?"

Actually, Kamuro Masumi had been following near him ever since the soccer field. During the time Sakayanagi Arisu was playing chess, Kamuro had been watching him.

How did he know...? When Suzuki Tsubame was playing ball, Kamuro Masumi had been sitting in the spectator seats, watching as if no one else was there.

Ever since strengthening his body, Suzuki Tsubame found his eyesight had improved significantly. His previously slightly nearsighted eyes had recovered well.

And why did Sakayanagi Arisu's expression turn ugly when she saw Suzuki Tsubame?

It wasn't because Kamuro wasn't near her. It was because when Suzuki Tsubame approached the Chess Department, Kamuro hadn't sent any message.

Clearly, she had lost him!

That was also why Suzuki Tsubame had chosen to take a detour around the Gymnasium on his way to the Chess Department.

"Then I'll leave it to you, Suzuki-kun..."

Sakayanagi Arisu extended her right hand toward Suzuki Tsubame, while her left hand held a steel cane.

"My pleasure, Your Highness."

However... just as Sakayanagi Arisu stood up, she nearly made a fool of herself.

Because of prolonged kneeling, combined with Sakayanagi's insufficient heart blood supply.

Her knees gave way, and she nearly collapsed onto the chess table.

Fortunately, Suzuki Tsubame caught her just in time.

Sakayanagi's body was very light; even with her entire weight suspended in Suzuki Tsubame's arms, she felt as weightless as nothing.

Though she was thin, her softer areas were by no means lacking.

"Princess, forgive my rudeness."

Suzuki Tsubame gently tossed her, turning her face-up into a perfect princess carry.

Sakayanagi lay obediently in Suzuki Tsubame's arms, neither refusing nor struggling. She simply rested there, gazing up at him.

The two of them left the Chess Department together.

As the surrounding gazes grew more numerous—some surprised, some envious—Sakayanagi Arisu finally snapped back to reality and buried her pretty face in Suzuki Tsubame's chest.

Suzuki Tsubame didn't mind at all. Let them see.

If this were his original world, he might have felt a bit nervous.

But... I've got a system now, so why should I care? Besides, this is just the Classroom of the Elite World.

"Whoa! Isn't that Suzuki Tsubame from our class? Who's the girl in his arms?"

His voice was so loud it was as if he was afraid no one nearby would hear.

Suzuki Tsubame glanced toward the source of the voice in surprise. He hadn't expected anyone to recognize him, especially since he hadn't even introduced himself.

Not far away, Yamauchi was pointing at him, surrounded by Ike Kanji, Sudo Ken, and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

Suzuki Tsubame ignored Yamauchi and looked directly at Ayanokoji.

His eyes seemed to ask: Didn't you say you weren't interested in clubs?

Ayanokoji spread his hands with a helpless expression, then gestured with his eyes toward Yamauchi and the others, as if to say: I had no choice; they dragged me here.

Suzuki Tsubame almost laughed at his expression. The Black Room Masterpiece suppressing the White Room Masterpiece—that made perfect sense.

He paid them no further mind, carrying Sakayanagi Arisu all the way out of the Gymnasium.

Arriving at the Artificial Lake near the Dormitory, he casually found a bench and sat down.

It was still early in the semester, so few people came here.

Suzuki Tsubame gently shook Sakayanagi.

"You're safe now, Princess."

Sakayanagi seemed to be basking in the warmth of his embrace, her delicate body lying against Suzuki Tsubame's chest, unwilling to get up.

As the Chairman, Sakayanagi Narimori surely had many matters to attend to. Though he doted on Sakayanagi, he likely couldn't spend much time by her side.

Added to that, she had just been stunned by Suzuki Tsubame's actions, so playing dead was perfectly understandable.

Suzuki Tsubame didn't mind. Sakayanagi's body was soft, and holding her was comfortable. So on the lakeside bench, he held her and enjoyed the lingering glow of dusk together.

He had chosen his spot well. The sunset scattered across the shimmering lake surface, refracting directly toward the bench. Combined with the sun's residual warmth, even though it was only early April, it wasn't cold at all. Instead, it felt quite warm.

Suzuki Tsubame could feel that Sakayanagi had actually fallen asleep in his arms!

If not for the steady rise and fall of her chest, he might have considered giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

[Ding! Heaven-Jealoused Talent, completion: 10%. Reward: Human Enhancement Serum ×10. Item effect: A bio-enhancer improved by the system, specialized for strengthening the human body, capable of curing all physical deficiencies. After use, physique +1. No significant side effects. (Note: Invalid after physique reaches 10 points.)]

[Ding! Enhancement item detected. System Scan function activated. After activation, directly look at a target to view their attributes.]

[Ding! System reward item detected. System Inventory function activated. (Note: System Inventory cannot store living creatures.)]

Holy crap, holy crap! Suzuki Tsubame was dumbfounded. Was Sakayanagi's reward this insane? The system was definitely a white-haired loli fan, no doubt about it.

As for why the task suddenly completed, Suzuki Tsubame guessed it was because she now understood what it meant to know that there are always greater heights beyond.

In Sakayanagi's original world, aside from losing to the artificial genius Ayanokoji as a child, she had never been defeated since. She once prided herself on being a natural-born genius.

And an artificial genius could never surpass a natural-born one.

In plain terms, she had been too well protected by her father. Though her father taught her how to navigate the world and she understood that the real world was full of darkness.

But in the end, she was just a young girl who had never experienced it firsthand.

And only now, under Suzuki Tsubame's merciless blow, did she finally understand what it meant to be blinded by a single leaf, and what it meant to know that there are always greater heights beyond.