Round Table Conference?! King Arthur Akiyama Shin! The Rebel Army's Ryuen Kakeru makes his move?!

Elsewhere, the peaceful quiet of the campus park was shattered by a dramatic wail.

"Why... Why won't you let this Observer attend King Arthur's Round Table Conference? Why, why?!"

Morishita Ran rolled around on a bench, her dark-blue-to-purple ombré hair getting mussed up. She flailed her arms like a child who'd been deprived of a beloved toy, drawing curious glances from several pairs of students out for a stroll or on a date.

"What's wrong with that girl over there?"

"King Arthur? Round Table Conference? Is this some kind of cosplay?"

"Isn't that Morishita from Class B...? I heard she's a little..."

A boy pointed to his head, then whispered to his companion.

"But she's kind of cute..."

His companion watched Morishita Ran's adorable, airheaded antics and heard her spirited cries, unable to stop himself from laughing.

Kamuro Masumi stood nearby, her waist-length purple hair fluttering gently in the breeze.

Her beautiful, strong-featured face was now filled with helplessness and the awkwardness of pretending not to know this person.

The glances coming their way made her cheeks feel hot. She was so embarrassed she nearly dug a whole Dream Barbie Castle into the ground with her foot, all the while grumbling furiously to herself.

What otherworld did this girl learn her language from? Is she even human?

And... how did that guy Akiyama's title get upgraded from Special Grade to King Arthur?

And this Round Table Conference...

"Why not just call it a Five Permanent Members United Nations meeting?!"

Kamuro Masumi finally couldn't take it anymore. She lowered her voice and growled at Morishita Ran, who was still rolling around, trying to bring her back from her wildly off-the-rails fantasies.

(Note: No real-world allusion intended.)

She took a deep breath and tried to regain her usual composure as she explained.

"We're neutral right now. There's no reason for us to attend the Joint Study Group between Class D and Class B."

"Besides, we hardly ever get involved in class affairs. If we suddenly get so eager to help Class D, do you want the Katsuragi Faction to suspect we've already sided with Sakayanagi? Or do you want the Sakayanagi Faction to wonder if we've been secretly in touch with Class D?"

At her words, Morishita Ran stopped rolling and sat on the bench. She tilted her head, touched her chin with a finger, and looked thoughtful. Her chuunibyou aura began to fade a little, and a glimmer of the sharpness of a former Class A elite shone in her eyes.

"Hmm... Third-Class Private Kamuro has a point..."

She muttered softly.

"If the Observer barges into the center of the stage, she really could throw off the script... or even invite an unnecessary plot-induced death!"

She pondered it, then seemed to grasp the key point and nodded firmly. She stood up with her hands on her hips, her usual boundless energy back in full force.

"Understood! Lying low is an important mission too!"

"This Observer will hold her position for now! I'll secretly gather more intel on the worldlines for King Arthur!"

Kamuro Masumi watched Morishita Ran recover so quickly and sighed helplessly. She was just about to say that was the right way to think when, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of several figures passing by the edge of the park.

Her pupils contracted. The alarm bells went off at once.

It was Ryuen Kakeru of Class 1-C!

Ryuen Kakeru's shoulder-length red hair stood out in the crowd. He was handsome, but his brow was shrouded in an unshakable air of menace and malice.

He was like a venomous snake poised to strike at any moment.

At that moment, he was heading straight for the school library with two others, his purpose clear.

One beside him was Ishizaki Daichi, tall and burly, with a somewhat simple-looking face.

The other was the 190-centimeter-tall, well-built Black student Yamada Albert, who wore sunglasses.

Kamuro Masumi had been recruited by Akiyama Shin right from the start and had been moving between classes to pass along information ever since. She knew Ryuen Kakeru's ways all too well.

Using violence and a snake-like, unyielding will, that man had forcibly taken control of the entire chaotic Class C.

In the eyes of every class leader, he was an extremely dangerous and unpredictable figure.

At this time...

And heading straight for the library with his underlings...

An ominous feeling welled up in Kamuro Masumi's heart.

Was he going there to cause trouble?

And was he targeting the Joint Study Group?

Almost on instinct, she swiftly pulled out her phone, her fingers flying across the screen as she messaged Akiyama Shin, who was attending the study group.

[Kamuro Masumi:] Akiyama! Ryuen from Class C is heading to the library with Ishizaki and Albert! Unknown purpose! Be careful!

Morishita Ran had also noticed the three figures. She shrank back and whispered nervously in Kamuro Masumi's ear.

"T-The leader of the Rebel Army!"

"King Arthur is holding the Round Table Conference in the library right now! W-We have to help him!"

Kamuro Masumi grabbed Morishita Ran, who looked ready to spring into action, and spoke in a low voice.

"Not yet! I've already passed along the information!"

"What happens next... is up to Akiyama to decide. If we show up uninvited, we'll only get in the way."

Her eyes followed Ryuen Kakeru and the others as they walked away, her gaze sharp.

Elsewhere, inside the library.

Akiyama Shin looked at the open textbook before him, but his thoughts clearly weren't entirely on the book.

He keenly sensed the subtle shifts in the library's atmosphere: the Class B students tutoring in earnest; some of the Class D students, like Yamauchi and Ike, not paying attention; Horikita Suzune's profile, focused yet pensive; and... Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, who seemed ordinary but had always struck him as somehow out of place.

The Terminal in his pocket gave a faint buzz.

Without changing expression, Akiyama Shin took out the Terminal and unlocked the screen. A message from Kamuro Masumi appeared, brief and to the point.

[Kamuro Masumi]: Akiyama! Ryuen from Class C is heading to the library with Ishizaki and Albert! Unknown purpose! Be careful!

Akiyama Shin's brows shifted almost imperceptibly.

Ryuen Kakeru?

On the path to the library at this hour?

He raised his head, his gaze passing over Sakayanagi Arisu, seated elegantly right in front of him.

The tyrant of Class C...

Was he finally about to make his official debut?

Instead of feeling nervous, Akiyama Shin found himself growing curious and eager. He wanted to see how this venomous snake, who ruled his class through violence, would choose to stir up these seemingly calm waters.

He lightly tapped the screen and sent Kamuro Masumi a brief reply to let her know he understood, then slipped the Terminal back into his pocket.

He turned his gaze toward the library entrance. Beneath his calm eyes, scrutiny and wariness had already begun to gather.

Hello, Ryuen Kakeru.