He Can Never Defeat Him

"How brilliant, you've opened my eyes." Sakayanagi Arisu cast an approving look at Yagami Shizuka.

"Just a minor skirmish; after all, it's only a school, just an ordinary class." Yagami Shizuka didn't take it to heart.

Even if a few people were unwilling to join, it didn't matter; their points were already negligible anyway.

He had anticipated everything long ago.

Strategies like this were easy to implement because they were carried out among students; whether they would succeed if used on adults in society was another matter entirely.

After school, the seven gathered at the cafe once again.

"That was amazing! It really worked; you actually managed to twist a divided class into a single rope in just one day." Morishita Ai pulled out her notebook to show off her results.

"I'm completely convinced as well." Katsuragi Kohei bowed to Yagami Shizuka. "I didn't expect it to be so fast either. Shizuka-kun, you truly have talent. Honestly, if you want the class representative position, I could hand it over right now."

"Haha, we've certainly learned something new today. Who knew you could do things this way?" Hashimoto Masayoshi said from the side, clearly impressed.

"Actually, Arisu was the one who told me to do it this way," Yagami Shizuka said modestly.

"Don't look at me. I wouldn't dare claim credit for this. It has nothing to do with me; don't pin everything on me." Sakayanagi Arisu didn't want the credit; instead, she found those gazes rather glaring.

"If you ask me, Shizuka-kun deserves the most credit." Shiraishi Asuka also pushed the credit onto Yagami Shizuka.

Nishikawa Ryoko was the only one on the scene feeling a bit ashamed. "Um... am I really suited to be here? I don't think I did anything at all.

You didn't give me any instructions either; no one told me what I was supposed to do."

Only then did everyone remember the true hero of this battle, who remained completely oblivious to her own contribution.

"Don't be so humble, Liangliang." Shiraishi Asuka showed her the messages in the Seven Star Gathering group chat. "If it weren't for you, we would still be bickering with those short-sighted people."

"You mean... I... I told those people... but... I didn't mean to..." Nishikawa Ryoko thought she was being blamed. "I can't help it. Maybe I shouldn't be in this group; I'll end up leaking your information."

"No, no, you actually fulfilled your mission." Yagami Shizuka explained the reason to her. "I added you to the group specifically so you would spread my words. I did it on purpose, so you can stay with peace of mind.

Don't worry, any information sent in the group can be revealed freely; I'll tell you what can't be shared via private message."

After hearing Yagami Shizuka's explanation, Nishikawa Ryoko suddenly understood. It turned out she had played such a huge role without even realizing it. She pouted and said, "Next time something like this happens, can you tell me beforehand? It's not like I can't be trusted."

"Sure," Yagami Shizuka said casually.

Even though she said that, Yagami Shizuka had no intention of consulting her when discussing major matters; her greatest utility was simply that mouth of hers.

The end of the month arrived in the blink of an eye.

On the last day of the month, there was a surprise quiz.

With the intelligence provided by Yagami Shizuka, they weren't nervous. This test was merely to gauge their current standing and evaluate the students' academic ability.

The real main course of the battle was still to come.

Poke—

Feeling the pressure on his waist, Yagami Shizuka immediately twisted his body to dodge, but he was still struck before he could fully evade.

"Teacher! I'm reporting this; someone has openly brought a weapon into the classroom." Yagami Shizuka raised his hand properly to speak.

Mashima Tomoya finished handing out the papers and looked at Sakayanagi Arisu, who was sitting upright.

It was obvious that the cane in her hand was the lethal weapon Yagami Shizuka was referring to.

Some were already whispering, saying that the two were openly flirting in class and were being quite indecent.

"Quiet. Even if this test isn't included in the report card and carries no risk, I still need you to take it seriously. Also, cheating on exams is a very serious matter; don't do anything foolish."

After being reprimanded by Mashima Tomoya, the classroom immediately fell silent.

After receiving her test paper, Sakayanagi Arisu risked a point deduction to speak to Yagami Shizuka. "Shall we have a bet on the results of this test?"

"Is that necessary? What do I gain if I win?"

"If you win, I don't mind going on a date with you. But if I win, you have to listen to me from now on; you must consult me on everything and not act on your own," Sakayanagi Arisu said with a straight face.

She probably thought Yagami Shizuka really wanted to go on a date with her, so he would show his true strength in the exam regardless.

And no matter who won, she felt she wouldn't lose out.

Perhaps she could even seize the initiative.

Yagami Shizuka didn't care either way; he could accept winning or losing. But just as he was about to make a choice, a yellow light appeared.

[Victory is but a thought away, but do you really think you can conquer Sakayanagi with grades alone? Do you think she will look up to you just because she sees your strength? Ignorant as you are, you receive the following choices.]

[1. I can provide you with all the standard answers for this test. You will achieve the top score in the entire grade, entering the sights of all classes, and Sakayanagi Arisu will acknowledge your strength and attempt to date you.

However, she will not be discouraged by this; instead, she will be single-mindedly determined to surpass you, and a rift will form in your relationship.

Whether you try to lose on purpose or win, you will never escape the fact that she views you as an opponent.]

[2. A true genius is never defined by a single win or loss, but by being truly insurmountable. With me, you can manipulate your score at will. You can make your test score always exactly one point lower than Sakayanagi Arisu's.

Although you lose the competition, seeing you possess such strength, she will never be able to muster the heart to defeat you.

Not only that, she will feel a warmth she has never experienced before.]

[Choosing this option will allow you to truly conquer Sakayanagi Arisu.]

Impressive, I never imagined it could be played this way.

Indeed, winning outright is nowhere near as terrifying as always being exactly one point behind her.

How could anyone possibly defeat an opponent like this?

Yagami Shizuka turned his head toward Sakayanagi Arisu and said, "I only need to watch you from behind. I will always be behind you; I have never once thought about surpassing you."

"What do you mean?" Sakayanagi Arisu looked displeased, assuming Yagami Shizuka was afraid to accept the challenge.

Yagami Shizuka didn't respond, as the test had already begun.

Controlling one's score is no easy task; while an expert can manage their own points, it is impossible to precisely control them to be exactly a few points lower than someone else's.

That is exactly what Yagami Shizuka was doing right now.

The exam questions were simple, and there was no difficulty in answering them.

The day passed by quickly.

In the evening, many students rushed off to the KTV to fully unwind; this recent period had truly been stifling for them.

Tomorrow is the moment of judgment, as well as the moment when points will be credited. Even if all the points have to be handed over, they are still thrilled.

There is still a three-year road ahead; if they can't handle this much, it simply won't do.