The Battle of Words (Part One)

On the morning of the Debate Tournament, Tang Yu stood in front of the mirror and checked his injuries. The fracture in his ribs had mostly healed after he used the Accelerated Healing Agent exchanged through the system (cost: 2,000 points), but the bruises on his skin were still shocking to look at. He carefully put on his school uniform, making sure the injuries wouldn't be too noticeable.

His phone vibrated. Karuizawa had sent a message: [I'm downstairs. I bought breakfast. How are you feeling?]

Tang Yu looked out the window. Sure enough, Karuizawa was standing below the apartment building, holding a convenience store bag. In the morning light, her blond hair was like flowing sunshine, and she was a world away from the heavily made-up "queen" of last semester.

"I'm much better." Tang Yu went downstairs and took the breakfast from her. "Actually, you didn't need to come all the way here."

Karuizawa's gaze swept over the faint bruising at his collar, and a flicker of heartache crossed her eyes. "I wanted to come." She paused. "Last night... what did Ayanokoji say to you?"

Tang Yu took a bite of his rice ball and considered his answer. "He warned me to watch out for Tsukishiro. Today's Debate Tournament might not go smoothly."

Karuizawa's expression grew serious. "I had a strange dream last night... I dreamed I was standing on a stage, and everyone was watching me, but I couldn't speak. It was as if something was pressing down on my chest..."

Tang Yu paused. This didn't sound like an ordinary nightmare. It was more like a sign of Tsukishiro's mental interference. He activated the "Emotion Weaving Network" and gently soothed Karuizawa's unease. "It was only a dream. Remember, no matter what happens, just do what we prepared for."

On the way to school, Tang Yu noticed that the atmosphere on campus was unusually tense. Students had gathered in small groups, whispering about what had happened in the Gymnasium yesterday. When they passed by, the murmuring stopped abruptly, replaced by curious and reverent looks.

"Looks like the news has spread," Karuizawa said quietly.

Tang Yu nodded. This was to be expected-the sight of more than thirty people being knocked down by Ayanokoji alone was too shocking to keep secret. The question was, what effect would it have on today's Debate Tournament?

Horikita Suzune and Hirata Yosuke had already been waiting for some time in front of the school building. Unusually, worry showed in Horikita's eyes. "Are you sure you can compete?"

"No problem." Tang Yu rolled his shoulder. "The plan stays the same."

Hirata handed him a revised schedule. "The judges have been confirmed. Besides the usual teacher representatives, there are also Student Council members and..." He lowered his voice. "Tsukishiro Shuhei."

Tang Yu took the sheet. Sure enough, Tsukishiro's name was listed among the special judges. Worse still, the judges' table was directly opposite Class D's debaters, giving Tsukishiro a perfect opportunity for mental manipulation.

"Where's Ayanokoji?" Tang Yu looked around.

"I haven't seen him yet." Horikita frowned. "He's been acting very... strange since yesterday."

The four of them headed toward the main auditorium, where many students had already gathered. The Debate Tournament was a school-wide event, and every class had sent representatives, but there were especially many people today-apparently, they had come for the showdown between Class D and Class C.

Backstage in the auditorium, Tang Yu checked the system status:

[Current Emotion Points: 118700/∞]

[Available Abilities: Emotion Weaving Network, Group Emotion Resonance, Emotion Shield (100%), Combat Emotion Resonance]

[New Mission: Resist Tsukishiro's mental attack and win the debate]

[Reward: Unlock the full version of "Mental Defense Network"]

"It will start in five minutes," a Student Council staff member reminded them.

Tang Yu made his final arrangements. "Horikita, stay calm during the opening. Don't let them provoke you. Hirata, keep an eye on the pace. Karuizawa..." He looked at the nervous girl. "Remember, the truth is the most powerful thing."

Karuizawa took a deep breath and nodded. Tang Yu sent her a steadying force through the "Emotion Weaving Network" and felt her heartbeat gradually settle.

The lights in the auditorium dimmed, and the host announced the start of the Debate Tournament. Tang Yu followed his teammates onto the debate platform and immediately noticed Tsukishiro Shuhei's faintly amused expression at the judges' table.

Tsukishiro was wearing a formal dark gray suit today. His gaze, behind his glasses, swept over each member of Class D like a scanner, lingering on Karuizawa for a few seconds in particular.

"Today's debate topic is the pros and cons of meritocracy-based education. The host will announce the rules. Each class's first speaker will give an opening statement, followed by an open debate, and finally, the fourth speaker will deliver the closing statement. Class D's first speaker, Horikita Suzune, please begin."

Horikita stood up, her voice clear and calm. "Our position is that meritocracy-based education is theoretically reasonable, but in practice, it can easily become a breeding ground for the law of the jungle..."

As he listened, Tang Yu discreetly watched Tsukishiro. When Horikita said, "The essence of education is to discover each person's unique worth, not simply to rank them," Tsukishiro tapped his fingers lightly on the table, in a strange, rhythmic pattern.

The system immediately sounded an alarm:

[Detected spreading mental waves]

[Target: All audience members]

[Intensity: 30% and continuing to rise]

Tang Yu activated the "Emotion Shield" and tried to extend the "Emotion Weaving Network" over his teammates. But the range was too large, and the cost was staggering. In just a few seconds, his Emotion Points had dropped by 2,000.

Horikita continued speaking, but Tang Yu noticed something unusual in the audience. Some people were yawning, others had unfocused eyes, and some were even nodding off. These weren't ordinary signs of boredom-they were signs of mental interference!

"...Therefore, an educational model that judges people solely by results will ultimately stray from the original purpose of nurturing students." Horikita finished speaking, apparently unaware of anything unusual.

When it was Class C's first speaker's turn, the effect was completely different. Although the arguments were mediocre, the audience responded with enthusiastic applause. It was clearly unnatural. Tang Yu saw that even the Class C students looked confused.

During the open debate, Hirata Yosuke stood up to refute Class C's position. Just as he began to speak, Tsukishiro tapped his fingers on the table again. Hirata suddenly stumbled over his words. His face turned pale, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

"I... I..." Hirata blinked in confusion, as if he'd suddenly forgotten the arguments he had prepared.

Tang Yu immediately activated "Group Emotion Resonance," syncing Hirata's emotional frequency with his own and Karuizawa's. Hirata sucked in a sharp breath, like a drowning man surfacing. "...As I was saying, the system for evaluating education should be multifaceted!"

The crisis had been temporarily averted, but Tang Yu's Emotion Points had dropped by another 3,000. At this rate, he wouldn't last until the end of the competition. He had to find a way to counter Tsukishiro.

When it was Karuizawa's turn to speak, Tsukishiro's interference intensified. As soon as Karuizawa stood up, a wave of whispers suddenly swept through the auditorium-some people jeered, some whistled, and someone even shouted, "What a fake!"

Karuizawa gripped the edge of the lectern so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Tang Yu saw her lips trembling slightly, and a trace of her old fear flashed in her eyes-the look Karuizawa Kei had only when she was being bullied.

At this critical moment, Tang Yu made a risky decision. He activated the "Emotion Weaving Network" at its highest setting-deep link-briefly merging his consciousness with Karuizawa's.

Look at me, he said softly on a mental level. Just look at me.

Karuizawa's gaze found Tang Yu. Through that invisible link, Tang Yu transmitted all his conviction and strength to her. You are Karuizawa Kei. You're no longer a victim, but a survivor, a fighter.

Karuizawa's breathing steadied. When she began to speak, her voice trembled at first, but soon grew firm:

"I used to... be afraid of people seeing the real me." Her gaze swept across the audience, pausing on the faces of those who had bullied her before. "Because being real means being vulnerable. It means there's a chance I could be hurt again..."

The auditorium fell quiet. Even Tsukishiro's mental interference seemed to be briefly suppressed by this genuine courage.

"But what does true strength mean? Is it pretending to be perfect, or daring to face your imperfections?" Karuizawa's voice grew stronger. "This school divides us into four ranks, A, B, C, and D, yet ignores the battles within each person."

"Aren't those who overcome self-doubt and emerge from the shadows a better embodiment of the true meaning of strength than those who were naturally gifted?"

A few girls in the audience quietly wiped away their tears. Through the "Emotion Weaving Network," Tang Yu sensed the subtle shift in the crowd's emotions. Tsukishiro's mental control was being offset by the genuine emotional response.

"...So I believe that true meritocracy should respect the struggles and growth of every soul. Thank you."

Thunderous applause filled the auditorium, and this time it was sincere. As Karuizawa sat down, Tang Yu gently squeezed her hand, feeling the sweat and warmth in her palm. Tsukishiro's expression darkened, and the rhythm of his fingers tapping on the table grew more hurried.

[Warning! Mental wave intensity has increased to 70%]

[Target: Directly suppress Class D's debaters]