Concession, Slave to the Rules

Behind them.

Watching the scene unfolding before them.

Kaneda was stunned for a moment, and Dragon Garden narrowed his eyes.

Even though they had all heard the exact same conversation.

Prince Ganlongdao had managed to perceive far more information than they had.

Only now did the two of them realize the terrifying nature of Prince Ganlongdao's logical reasoning abilities.

More importantly.

This arrogant, self-centered demeanor of Prince Ganlongdao seemed to make it very convenient for him to gather intelligence.

Dragon Garden, eyes narrowed, felt even more disgusted.

He couldn't figure out for the life of him what Prince Ganlongdao was actually trying to do, or where he intended to lead his class.

"Didn't you hear me?"

Prince Ganlongdao spun the basketball in his hand:

"Can't you see I'm getting ready to play basketball with my girlfriend? We're taking this court."

As soon as these words were spoken.

The gazes of Katsuragi and the others couldn't help but converge on Shiho Manabe and her group, their eyes filled with a hint of hostility.

Being stared at with such unfriendly expressions by so many boys would make most ordinary women feel at least a little nervous.

Shiho Manabe, however, was the exact opposite.

Instead, she lifted her neck like a proud white swan, filled with a sense of pride as if honored by the association, and particularly enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention.

Shiho Manabe was certainly not smart.

But she was the type to favor her own side regardless of reason, always standing firmly in her own corner.

"I see."

Not angered by the provocative tone, Katsuragi said calmly:

"Then you should be able to see that there are other empty basketball courts nearby."

"Idiot."

Prince Ganlongdao looked somewhat speechless:

"It's obvious that this court is better. Only the strong deserve to have the best facilities. I'd let it slide usually, but now that we're here, how do you not have the common sense to leave on your own?"

"Damn it, you better watch your mouth—"

Totsuka was furious, but before he could finish his sentence, he was stopped by Katsuragi, who examined Prince Ganlongdao with an expressionless face.

This guy.

He was still just as self-centered as he had been during the orientation session.

Since the classes were bound to be in competition with each other in the future, taking this opportunity to test the opponent's strength was a good choice.

"Only the strong deserve the best facilities, is that it?"

Katsuragi swept a glance over the group opposite him and spoke in a deep voice:

"In that case, why don't we have a match? 5v5 or 3v3, so that both sides can field their strongest players."

"Yeah, if you're so arrogant, let's see you back it up."

Totsuka and the others glared at Prince Ganlongdao's group, while a sharp glint flashed through Katsuragi's steady gaze.

A single court, a single victory or defeat, meant nothing at all.

His primary goal was simply to gauge the strength of this group from Class C.

The people before him were clearly the elites of Class C.

As long as they excluded Shiho Manabe, whether it was 5v5 or 3v3, Prince Ganlongdao could field his strongest subordinates.

As for his own side.

One look at Totsuka's physique was enough to tell that they were basically just playing for fun.

Neither Prince Ganlongdao nor Albert could be handled by the likes of Totsuka and his peers; any normal person could see that Class A was bound to lose.

But Katsuragi didn't care at all.

Losing a match was nothing; as long as he could see the true strength of Prince Ganlongdao and his group, he could make more targeted arrangements for future competition.

With a personality as self-centered as Prince Ganlongdao's.

Being provoked would surely make anyone furious.

"Idiots."

However, seeing the provocative members of Class A, Prince Ganlongdao sneered.

"Why are you lot in Class A acting like fools? I'm telling you to get lost, not negotiating with you."

"What did you say?"

Totsuka was truly incredulous: "You should know that we are Class A, and you are just Class C!"

"Morons."

Prince Ganlongdao sneered:

"Class A has the opportunity to choose their careers freely, but when has the school ever stated that people in Class A are stronger than those in Class D? Stop slapping 'strong' labels on yourselves."

"To be a plaything under someone else's rules and actually take pride in it."

"Don't make me laugh."

Heh.

Totsuka and the others sneered, assuming he was just being stubborn.

Dragon Garden, Kaneda, and the others found it hard to agree as well.

They didn't think they were inferior to the people in Class A, but it was perfectly normal for Class A to be considered stronger.

However.

The school had never publicly stated that there was a hierarchy between Class A and Class D!

Although homeroom teachers like Kazuma Sakagami had disparaged them, it was mostly mixed with personal emotions and a bit of selfishness; the school had never made a stance on this.

They merely provided some benefits.

The people below, in order to compete for these benefits, spontaneously divided themselves into superior and inferior, feeling smug about stepping on more people.

In the eyes of Prince Ganlongdao.

Whether it was those in Class A taking pride in their status, or those at the bottom striving to climb up.

They were all just playthings in the hands of the school.

It is impossible to succeed under someone else's rules; to succeed, one must make others conform to one's own rules.

"Alright."

Prince Ganlongdao waved his hand in disgust:

"Katsuragi, you're just trying to observe our strength, aren't you? Want to compete with me? You think you're worthy of standing on the same stage as me? Keep dreaming!"

"Dragon Garden, Albert, show them the door."

As the words fell.

The hulking figure of Albert, wearing sunglasses, appeared in front of Katsuragi and the others, forcing them to retreat continuously.

Dragon Garden hesitated for a moment, then decided to let it go.

Since he had conceded for the time being, he might as well give Prince Ganlongdao some face and follow his orders in front of outsiders.

Thinking of this.

Dragon Garden began pushing Totsuka and the others directly.

Since they were at the outdoor basketball court, the area was wide open and there were no surveillance cameras; he remembered the locations of the cameras very clearly.

Even if a fight broke out, there would be room to maneuver.

Or rather.

Prince Ganlongdao wanted to see the leaders of other classes, and Dragon Garden also wanted to observe the reactions of Katsuragi and his group.

"Damn it, what are you doing?"

Totsuka stumbled and nearly lost his footing, glaring at Dragon Garden.

It had to be said.

As members of Class A, they were quite disciplined.

Even to this extent, no one directly retaliated, and they stubbornly used their bodies to push against Albert, though their physiques were no match for his.

In the end.

They just kept shouting while retreating.

"Katsuragi-san, what are you afraid of? They started the provocation anyway, let's fight back."

"Enough."

Just then.

Katsuragi raised a hand to stop the people behind him, taking a deep look at Prince Ganlongdao and the others.

"Since you want this basketball court, we'll leave it to you, but don't think you can rise to Class A using methods like this."

After saying this.

Katsuragi turned and left with Totsuka and the others, heading toward the basketball courts nearby.

In any case, there were plenty of courts.

There was truly no need to get into a conflict with Prince Ganlongdao over such a trivial matter.

More importantly.

Katsuragi glanced back at Prince Ganlongdao and his group, who were preparing to start their game.

Every thought he had was seen through at a glance by this guy; looking at how they had divided their teams, Prince Ganlongdao didn't seem to have any intention of hiding his strength at all.

Thinking of this.

Katsuragi felt a sense of gravity in his heart.

Although Class C and Class D had both dropped to zero points in the first month.

Unlike Class D, which still hadn't unified, Class C, which had been united since the very start of the school year, might prove to be a formidable opponent.

However.

The next second.

Watching Prince Ganlongdao and the others playing, Katsuragi's pupils suddenly constricted to pinpricks.