The Story Starting from Classroom of the Elite

"How can you guarantee that you won't use the video for other purposes?"

Sakayanagi Arisu pondered for a long time, ultimately deciding to take the gamble.

At this moment, the allegiance of Kamuro Masumi was secondary; her curiosity was simply impossible to suppress.

If such a formidable person truly existed, losing would be worth it.

Consider it tuition fees to broaden her horizons and expand her own perspective.

However, before that, she had to obtain an absolutely reliable guarantee.

Otherwise, if this video were leaked, the impact on her would be far beyond what a mere 10,000,000 points could cover.

Tanaka Yukishin chuckled, looking as delighted as a child who had just spotted a favorite toy.

"It's simple. If you're willing, record it; if not, it doesn't matter."

...This guy, what exactly is his goal?

Sakayanagi Arisu fell silent.

Tanaka Yukishin was dissatisfied with his chips → proposed recording a video → the video content was somewhat over the line → yet he didn't force her to record it.

So, was it purely to stimulate her?

She felt that the answer she had arrived at was somewhat whimsical.

She couldn't be bothered to think about it anymore.

Since it wasn't forced, she would just go along with him.

"I'll take the bet."

Seeing Sakayanagi Arisu accept the wager, Tanaka Yukishin pulled out his student ID terminal.

He opened his account balance and handed it to her.

With an expression that said "as I expected," Sakayanagi Arisu began her questioning.

"I see it clearly, but to ensure you abide by the terms of the bet, you must tell me how you earned it through your own ability. You should disclose its specific origin."

"Club raiding."

Tanaka Yukishin was very cooperative, telling Sakayanagi Arisu his method of making money.

After hearing about Tanaka Yukishin's experiences with club raiding, Sakayanagi Arisu considered whether this was true.

She wondered if there was any fraud or unreasonableness in the process.

"I have a few questions, please answer them for me."

"The first question: you raided clubs openly and honestly based on your strength. Why would they accept your challenge again and again? Faced with an irresistible opponent, they should have hung up a 'no-contest' sign."

After learning that he got his money from clubs, Sakayanagi Arisu made a rough calculation.

The amount was reasonable, but the upperclassmen weren't fools.

They wouldn't knowingly hand over points to someone they knew they couldn't beat.

Even when she went to the Chess Club for pocket money, she had to control her strength to disguise it as luck, then gradually corner the seniors step by step to get enough points.

But even then, when the gap in skill was too wide, the seniors would eventually choose to give up.

There was no reason for Tanaka Yukishin's experience to be any different.

"It's simple, it's an open conspiracy. I told them that I had already perceived the hidden truth of the school on the first day. Then, I leaked a few thoughts."

Tanaka Yukishin intentionally guided Sakayanagi Arisu to think.

"You perceived the truth, which means you told the seniors you are very smart. If they didn't agree, you had a way to force them to agree."

Sakayanagi Arisu followed Tanaka Yukishin's line of reasoning, stepping closer to the correct path.

She arrived at an answer that left her astonished.

"Are you planning to establish a new MMA Club?"

Agreeing to a raid meant losing some points at most.

Refusing a raid meant he would use the rules to force a duel and take over the entire club...

To put it simply:

She controlled her strength, artificially created cognitive errors, and won points from others through deception.

While he demanded them openly and honestly, and if they didn't give them, he would just take them by force.

Tanaka Yukishin, you are truly formidable.

"But even so, the school would at most allow you to control two or three clubs from behind the scenes. There's no reason for all the clubs to pay you."

Sakayanagi Arisu quickly thought of another point of doubt.

This approach was indeed very intimidating, and everyone was afraid to bet on which clubs he would establish.

Submission was normal.

However, a mere two or three clubs were nowhere near enough to make all the sports clubs submit.

"It's simple: courtesy first, force later; coercion and inducement."

Tanaka Yukishin patiently explained his scheme point by point.

First, use pressure from the school as a spear, forcing the initial clubs to accept the challenge.

Then, use benefits as a link to connect everyone together.

Just as Advanced Nurturing High School uses promises as bait to lure students into competing on a class-by-class basis.

Tanaka Yukishin used competition results as a bargaining chip to extinguish any desire for resistance in the other clubs.

After all, everyone entered this school for the sake of Class A, and now that Class A was out of reach, there weren't many good paths left to take.

Suddenly, a powerhouse descends from the heavens to carry them to victory.

As long as they pay the points on time, when the competition date arrives, Tanaka Yukishin goes out to compete; why wouldn't they want to ride his coattails to pad their resumes?

The Club President won't give them?

It's time for a coup d'état to welcome a new Club President.

Under the leadership of the new Club President, we will establish a friendly relationship with Tanaka-kun.

The former Club President can focus on their studies, Tanaka-kun gains points and a chance to leave school for a change of pace, and we gain competition results and excellent resumes.

We all have a bright future.

Under these circumstances, even if someone were thick-headed, the others would force them to agree.

Sakayanagi Arisu opens her eyes to see the world.

Huge sums of points, leaving school, and upperclassmen rallying around Tanaka Yukishin just to ride his coattails and pad their resumes.

Truly a layout that achieves multiple goals with one move.

No, leaving school also leads to home visits.

It wasn't just the upperclassmen; his peers and underclassmen would be influenced by Tanaka Yukishin just the same.

At this moment, he had effectively become one of the most untouchable figures in this school.

Because he was entangled with too many people.

Sakayanagi Arisu sighed while pondering whether she could replicate this if she copied his homework.

Her fingertips traced circles on her cane unconsciously.

Thoughts in her mind were like someone who had wandered into a maze, searching for a way out.

But no matter how many times she tried, the outcome was always failure.

Physical confrontation is more intuitive and obvious than mental confrontation.

The former, taking mixed martial arts as an example, allows a strong person to knock down an opponent with a single punch, leaving them unable to rise again.

Whereas the latter, taking her favorite Chess as an example, even if a professional plays against a novice, it takes at least a dozen turns.

With her frail body, if she were to establish a new Chess Club.

The upperclassmen would inevitably use a war of attrition, exhausting her stamina or mental energy by dragging out the time, and then easily snatching victory.

Not to mention, she wasn't even certain she could consistently beat those upperclassmen.

At this moment, an uncontrollable sense of envy welled up in Sakayanagi Arisu's heart; she also wanted to possess a healthy, strong body.

"I wonder, what is Tanaka-kun's view on innate geniuses versus man-made geniuses?"

Having acknowledged Tanaka Yukishin's strength, Sakayanagi Arisu unconsciously compared him to that person in her heart.

Yet, she found herself unable to distinguish who was superior.

There is a saying: "The lethality of a first love's white moonlight is so great that even the person themselves cannot compete."

In the original story, when she met Ayanokoji Kiyotaka again after many years.

She said, "It's been 8 years and 243 days since we last met," informed Ayanokoji that she had known of him unilaterally, and declared to his face that she wanted to bury him.

From this, one can see how much she cared about and valued Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

Yet, at this moment, she was unable to distinguish who was superior.

Clearly, Tanaka Yukishin had already left a deep impression on her heart.

Tanaka Yukishin raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Why would you ask such an immature and naive question?"

He was somewhat dissatisfied; the previous stimulation should have been enough to broaden her horizons.

Why was she still obsessed with the identity of a "genius"?

Aside from bringing Sakayanagi Arisu a bit of useless pride and naivety, it had no meaning in its existence.

Tanaka Yukishin's voice was as steady as a deep pool, yet it made Sakayanagi's hand gripping her cane tighten slightly.

Beneath her pale skin, blue veins were faintly visible.

"I am curious about your perspective."

The corners of her mouth maintained a perfect arc, but her eyes were no longer as composed as usual.

"I believe that humans can never truly overcome their innate talents. There exists a gap between people that no amount of effort can ever bridge."

Tanaka Yukishin did not answer immediately.

He stopped the pen he had been spinning in his hand and handed it to Sakayanagi Arisu.

"Before I answer that question, do as I say first."

"Please, go ahead."

"Write down the factors you believe have a critical influence on a person, with no limit on the number."

Turning the white paper over, Sakayanagi lowered her eyelashes, and the tip of the pen danced lightly across the page.

Family background, personality, ability, talent, circumstances, connections, effort, choices... one word after another was neatly arranged.

"Now, select the three you consider most important, rank them, and hand it to me."

Tanaka Yukishin increased the difficulty, putting forward a new request.

Five minutes ticked by on the clock.

Sakayanagi Arisu kept revising the order, finally settling on family background, circumstances, and choices.

Tanaka Yukishin took the paper, the corners of his mouth curling into an almost imperceptible arc.

He then picked up a pen and wrote down three words.

Innate nature, choices, effort.

He then pointed at the words and said to Sakayanagi Arisu.