Before the Second Class, the School Swimming Pool (Continued)

"Huh?"

Even Sae Chabashira couldn't help letting out a gasp.

This person had suffered injuries that severe?

It was as if he'd fallen from a building...

There was no way he could've gotten like that from tripping on level ground!

That left only one possibility...

Keima Katsuragi had beaten him into this condition.

She found it hard to believe that conclusion herself.

After all, Keima Katsuragi didn't look like the sort of person who would get into fights.

Besides, his physical ability had been rated E in the entrance assessment.

Could he have been hiding his true abilities in that regard?

All sorts of thoughts surfaced in Sae Chabashira's mind. She had indeed thought Keima Katsuragi was an unusual student, but she'd never imagined he could do something like this.

"Keima, although school rules prohibit fighting, self-defense is permitted in a situation like this. So don't worry—just tell me what really happened."

Narimori Sakayanagi spoke to Keima Katsuragi with a smile still on his face.

"Sorry, he really just fell."

Keima Katsuragi said without changing his expression.

There was no way he could explain that the culprit had first crashed into a Hell Creature, then been swung around like a yo-yo by an even stranger Hell Creature.

Besides, he'd already confirmed there were no cameras in that area.

Even if there were, Elsie could tamper with them.

Seeing Keima Katsuragi answer like that, Narimori Sakayanagi said nothing more and simply nodded.

"In that case, I won't ask any further. But Keima, you've always made a strong impression on me."

Narimori Sakayanagi said with a smile.

"Oh?"

"After all, it's extremely rare in this school's history for anyone to get full marks on every subject in the entrance exam. You scored more than ten points higher than the runner-up, Ichinose. I've wondered whether you would've widened the gap even further if the exams had been worth more—"

Narimori Sakayanagi deliberately paused, then turned to look at Sae Chabashira.

"What's more, Keima, you're the first student in the school's history to make 'playing games in class' a legitimate activity."

"Teacher Chabashira said you can buy anything at this school. If that's not actually possible, doesn't that mean the rule is meaningless?"

Keima Katsuragi's tone remained perfectly calm. As he spoke, he even took out his handheld console, ready to play a game.

Sae Chabashira, standing nearby, looked a little displeased.

She might not interfere with students' behavior in principle, but he could at least pay some attention to the situation...

They were standing in front of the school chairman, after all!

But Narimori Sakayanagi showed no displeasure. If anything, he was all the more convinced that Keima Katsuragi was an unusual student.

"You're right. As long as you have enough points, you can buy anything. Points are a symbol of strength, and this is a meritocracy, so there's nothing wrong with that. But this year's students are the most unusual class yet. In less than a week since the start of school, every class had already learned about the S-System. And the first to discover it was your Class D."

"Anyone who gave it a little thought would realize the school's rules were strange. How could the government allow students to spend so much money without limit? With a hundred and sixty students in each year, the amount spent by all three years in a single year would be enormous."

"Indeed. I have nothing more to ask. It's getting late, so Keima and Sakura, you should head back and get some rest."

"I have one more question, Chairman."

Just then, Keima Katsuragi raised his head, and his eyes met Narimori Sakayanagi's.

"What is it?"

"Sakura and I are the victims here. We should receive compensation, shouldn't we?"

"Oh?"

"The school's failure to properly screen its staff caused Sakura and me unnecessary trouble. This was extremely dangerous, and if word got out that something like this had happened at our school, it would probably damage its reputation, too."

"What would you like to do?"

"Sakura and I need to be compensated."

As Keima Katsuragi said this, Sae Chabashira's eyes widened in surprise.

This guy was actually demanding compensation directly from the chairman?

Seriously?

Airi Sakura, standing nearby, also widened her eyes in surprise.

Hearing what Keima Katsuragi had to say, Narimori Sakayanagi paused for a moment, but soon smiled.

"You make a fair point. So, Keima, what kind of compensation do you want?"

"Sakura and I should each receive five hundred thousand points."

Keima Katsuragi seemed to have already decided, because he answered without the slightest hesitation.

"Five hundred thousand points is quite a sum. That's a million between the two of you—"

"I'm sure you understand how serious this incident was, Chairman. I don't think that's an unreasonable amount of compensation. Even if we students can't communicate with the outside world for now, one day we'll graduate. And if more students find out about this, their trust in the school will take a serious hit. So I don't think that's an outrageous sum."

Keima Katsuragi paused deliberately, then pushed up his glasses.

"Of course, I have another option for my own compensation. I can give up on receiving points."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"Make my playing games in class completely legitimate, and release me from the agreement I made with Teacher Chabashira—the contract to pay twenty thousand points every month and raise the class's strength."

Keima Katsuragi answered.

He'd made the deal with Sae Chabashira in the first place so he could play games in class.

If he got the chance to renegotiate, he wouldn't pass it up.

He had no desire to move up a class, and even less desire to waste too much time on "reality."

Narimori Sakayanagi turned his gaze to Sae Chabashira, whose expression seemed to have grown a little darker.

"You really are an interesting student, Keima. I accept your terms. Sakura will receive her points as well. Is there anything else?"

"One last question."

"What is it?"

"As far as I know, there's a girl in Class A with the surname Sakayanagi. Do you know her, Chairman?"

"You mean Arisu? She's my daughter."

Narimori Sakayanagi paused, then continued with a smile.

"But she wasn't assigned to Class A because of me. The screening process and everything else was fair."

Fair? As if.

Keima Katsuragi grumbled inwardly.

Sakayanagi Arisu didn't seem to be in good health, and she also seemed pretty sharp.

A student like that shouldn't have been placed in Class A.

But it didn't matter.

As long as she wasn't in Class D, she wouldn't cause me any trouble.

For now.

Although the chairman said he wouldn't give Sakayanagi Arisu special treatment, no one in the real world would believe that.

If I decided to make a move against Sakayanagi Arisu in the future, would I have to take the school into account, too?

Come to think of it, the chairman might be a useful source of information.

"Have you already met Arisu, Keima?"

"I saw her earlier today."

As Keima Katsuragi answered, Airi Sakura perked up her ears to listen.

"I see. I'd been a little worried about whether she'd get along with the other students."

"Does the chairman know what your daughter likes?"

"What she likes?"

The unexpected question left Narimori Sakayanagi puzzled.

"What do you mean, Keima?"

"Everything—hobbies, food, colors, clothes."

"Arisu likes playing chess, and she likes drinking coffee... Why did you suddenly ask about that, Keima?"

"Nothing. I was just curious."

Keima Katsuragi turned his gaze back to his handheld console. He'd gotten enough information.

"If there's nothing else, we'll be going now, Chairman."

"Mm."

"Goodbye, Chairman Sakayanagi. Goodbye, Teacher Chabashira."

Keima Katsuragi then left the office with Airi Sakura.

"He really is an unusual student, Teacher Chabashira."

"Keima's behavior in class really is unusual..."

Sae Chabashira pressed her lips together. After thinking for a moment, she asked again,

"Chairman, was what you said about the store employee true?"

"It was. The culprit's injuries were so severe that even the doctor suspected he'd been hit by a car."

"But... How is that possible..."

"Teacher Chabashira, let me show you a video the hospital sent over."

Narimori Sakayanagi held out his phone to Sae Chabashira.

A video was playing on the screen—

The badly injured store employee woke up in his hospital bed, then frantically repeated the same words.

"Monster! Monster!"

Sae Chabashira furrowed her brow.

"His head was seriously injured, wasn't it?"

"He brought it on himself. But an ordinary person couldn't have done something like that."

"Chairman... What exactly is Keima Katsuragi's identity?"

"I don't know much more than you do, Teacher Chabashira."

Narimori Sakayanagi shook his head.

He was a prominent figure in political circles.

He even knew Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's true identity.

But when it came to Keima Katsuragi, Narimori Sakayanagi had very little information.

"Perhaps the entire school's balance of power will change because of him."

Meanwhile, in Sakayanagi Arisu's room.

Masumi Kamuro hurried back and told her everything she'd just seen.

"What?"