Battle of Words (Part 2)

Tang Yu's temples throbbed, and black spots began to appear at the edges of his vision. His system's emotion points were dropping at a rate of 500 per second; at this pace, he would be depleted in less than five minutes.

Just as he considered whether to risk exchanging for a new ability, an unexpected savior appeared—Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

The previously absent Ayanokoji had quietly appeared in the last row of the auditorium. When his gaze met Tang Yu's, he gave an imperceptible nod.

The next second, Tang Yu felt a peculiar mental fluctuation emanate from Ayanokoji's direction, like a sharp sword piercing through Tsukishiro's mental fog.

[Third-party mental intervention detected]

[Nature: Neutralization/Cancellation]

[Emotion point consumption reduced by 80%]

The pressure on Tang Yu suddenly eased. He had no time to ponder how Ayanokoji had managed this, seizing the opportunity to prepare his final closing statement.

"Now, please have Class D representative Tang Yu proceed with the summary," the host's voice echoed.

Tang Yu stood up and faced Tsukishiro Shuhei. Their gazes clashed in the air, and invisible mental forces collided violently.

"Judges, fellow students," Tang Yu's voice was steady and powerful. "Before I finish, I would like to ask everyone to consider a question—when we simplify 'ability' into scores and rankings, what is it that we lose?"

Tsukishiro's fingers tapped the table again, but this time, Tang Yu was prepared. He activated his newly unlocked Combat Emotion Resonance ability, converting the subconscious fear the audience felt toward Tsukishiro into a force of resistance:

"We lose the ability to understand complex human nature, we lose the patience to appreciate different rhythms of growth, and ultimately... we lose the soul of education."

Beads of sweat seeped from Tsukishiro's forehead; clearly, he had not expected Tang Yu to be able to counterattack. The tug-of-war on the mental plane caused the water glasses on the judges' table to vibrate slightly, and students sitting nearby rubbed their temples involuntarily, feeling a headache they couldn't explain.

"Class D is called a 'collection of defects,' but it is precisely these 'defects' that make us understand the pain of being misunderstood, and better appreciate the battles everyone fights that remain unseen."

Tang Yu's gaze swept across the audience, lingering on the faces of Karuizawa, Horikita, Hirata, and the others. "Ability should not be a tool for grading, but a beacon that illuminates the unique value of every individual. Thank you."

The applause lasted for nearly a minute, and even some students from Class C reluctantly joined in. The judges whispered among themselves, clearly impressed by Class D's performance. Only Tsukishiro Shuhei sat expressionless, recording something, his glasses reflecting a cold light.

During the scoring period, Tang Yu felt a wave of dizziness—the mental confrontation had been too draining. Karuizawa quietly steadied his arm: "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Tang Yu managed a weak smile and looked toward the back of the auditorium. Ayanokoji was already gone, as mysterious as when he had appeared.

The head judge stood up to announce the results: "After deliberation, the winner of this debate is... Class D!"

The students of Class D cheered, and a few girls even hugged each other in excitement. Horikita Suzune offered a rare smile, and Hirata Yosuke pumped his fist in excitement. Karuizawa's eyes shimmered with tears as she gripped Tang Yu's hand: "We won!"

Tang Yu nodded, but his attention remained on Tsukishiro. The man at the judges' table slowly stood up, a strange smile hanging on his lips, and mouthed three words to Tang Yu: Just you wait.

After the awards ceremony, Tang Yu made an excuse to go to the restroom and slipped out of the noisy auditorium alone. He needed fresh air and quiet to think. Just as he turned the corner of the hallway, a figure appeared silently before him—Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

"Not bad," Ayanokoji's voice remained calm, "but this is only the beginning."

Tang Yu looked him in the eye: "Who exactly are you? And what was that just now?"

Ayanokoji checked his surroundings and lowered his voice: "A product of the White Room, just like Tsukishiro. The difference is... I escaped."

"The White Room?"

"An experimental program for artificially cultivating extraordinary humans," Ayanokoji's voice carried a rare hint of fluctuation. "Tsukishiro is a product of the seventh generation; I am the only survivor of the eighth."

Tang Yu processed this shocking information: "Your ability is..."

"Mental resistance and mimicry," Ayanokoji answered briefly. "Tsukishiro excels at mental manipulation, while I can resist and mimic anyone's ability pattern. That is why I could briefly neutralize his interference with the audience."

Tang Yu suddenly understood: "So you also..."

"Analyzed it, but I cannot fully replicate it," Ayanokoji shook his head. "Your system is too unique. That is also why Tsukishiro is so interested in you—he wants a sample of your ability."

The two walked in silence down the empty corridor. The noise from the auditorium drifted in from afar, forming a sharp contrast to the silence here.

"Tsukishiro won't give up," Ayanokoji stopped walking. "Today's failure will only lead him to take more extreme measures. Especially regarding Karuizawa Kei—the emotional recovery ability she displayed is also a research target."

Tang Yu clenched his fists: "I will protect her."

"You need more allies." Ayanokoji handed him a slip of paper. "These are the names of students in the school who may have the potential to resist Tsukishiro's influence. I will try to contact them."

Tang Yu scanned the list, which included several familiar names: Katsuragi Kohei (Class A), Kanzaki Ryuji (Class B), and even Ryuen Kakeru (Class C).

"Ryuen? But he's been working with Tsukishiro..."

"Forced cooperation," Ayanokoji corrected. "Tsukishiro is threatening him with mental control. Ryuen currently has a nano-controller implanted by Tsukishiro, but that also means he wants to get rid of Tsukishiro more than anyone else."

Tang Yu recalled the fear in Ryuen's eyes yesterday and had an epiphany. Just as he was about to ask more, the system suddenly issued an alert:

[Emergency meeting of the School Board detected]

[Agenda: Special disposal plan regarding "abnormal students"]

[Danger level: Extremely high]

"I have to go," Ayanokoji seemed to sense something as well. "Tsukishiro has already begun his next move. Be prepared, there might be—"

His words were interrupted by a jarring broadcast: "Will student Tang Yu please report to the principal's office immediately. Repeat, will student Tang Yu please report to the principal's office immediately."

The two exchanged a look. Ayanokoji whispered: "Don't go see them alone. Insist on having witnesses present, preferably the media."

Tang Yu nodded, turned, and headed toward the principal's office while quickly checking his system status:

[Current emotion points: 85,600/∞]

[New ability: Group Consciousness Link (Temporary)]

[Effect: Can synchronize the thought patterns of multiple people, creating a synergistic effect]

[Consumption: 10,000 points/minute]

This was a powerful new ability, but the consumption was staggering. Tang Yu didn't know what he would face next, but one thing was clear—Tsukishiro Shuhei had launched an all-out war, and this battle would determine the future of Class D, Karuizawa, and the entire school.

Reaching the door of the principal's office, Tang Yu took a deep breath and knocked. No matter what was waiting for him inside, he was ready to fight.