Don't Get Too Deep

At the same time, as Mazumi Mami and his group discussed club and student council matters inside the gymnasium, a sleek black luxury sedan was steadily driving along the road leaving the campus.

Inside the car, Sakayanagi Arisu leaned back against the soft rear seat, her slender fingers lightly gripping her cane. Her gaze passed through the window, watching the gradually receding outline of the school gate. Her expression was calm, but deep in her eyes flickered a barely perceptible glint.

Across from her, the school's chairman—and also her father—Sakayanagi Narumori, was carefully examining the bottle of Milky Nutrient Solution in his hand. The transparent bottle glowed with a warm, soft light under the rays filtering through the car window. The liquid remaining inside measured about six-sevenths of the original amount, nearly identical to when her daughter had received it that morning—except for the single sip she had taken.

"Arisu," Sakayanagi Narumori's voice broke the silence inside the car, his tone carrying seriousness and concern. "Are you telling the truth? After drinking the nutrient solution provided by that young master Mizuki, has your body truly improved?"

Sakayanagi Arisu sat up slightly, her voice calm but firm: "Absolutely true, Father. I would never mistake this feeling." She paused, her gaze growing more resolute. "After drinking this nutrient solution, my overall condition has indeed improved significantly compared to before. I believe that even you, Father, can see the change in me just from my appearance."

Sakayanagi Narumori studied his daughter's face carefully through the rearview mirror. That small face, usually pale and weary, now showed a hint of rosy vitality and liveliness that had been absent for a long time. Those violet eyes were also clearer and brighter than usual, and the aura she exuded was no longer the frail, forced energy of someone barely holding on.

"Your complexion is indeed much better than before," Sakayanagi Narumori said slowly, a note of surprise in his voice. "I thought it was because you were in a new environment and your mood had changed... I never expected it was the effect of this nutrient solution." He gently shook the bottle in his hand, his gaze turning deep. "After all, before this, we tried so many methods and mobilized so many top-tier medical resources, yet your condition never improved like this."

"To be honest, Father, I am also surprised," Sakayanagi Arisu said softly, lowering her head to look at her slender fingers. "Our family already stands at the top of Sakurajima Metropolis Prefecture, and the resources we can access should be the best in this country. But..." She lifted her eyes, a hint of something like admiration in her gaze. "There are always people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens. Above us, there are still others. And Mizuki Heavy Industries—there is no one above them. The level of resources they can access far exceeds our imagination."

She paused, then continued her analysis: "Not to mention, this is a nutrient solution personally consumed by the heir of Mizuki Heavy Industries. The ingredients and technology it contains likely involve many fields we don't even know exist. That's precisely why the effect is so remarkable."

Sakayanagi Narumori was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. "You're right. The Sakayanagi family, after all, is nothing more than a 'nouveau riche' that has risen only in the past few decades. Compared to a millennium-old prestigious clan like the Mizuki family, there is an insurmountable gap in heritage." His tone carried a hint of self-mockery, but more than that, a calm acknowledgment.

However, he then shifted the topic, his tone becoming cautious: "But... is it really alright for us to openly take this nutrient solution out of school for testing?" He frowned. "Although the Mizuki family does have some business dealings with our family, and it's unlikely they'd fall out with us over something like this... still, this is the young master Mizuki's personal item. Arisu, are you sure—did young master Mizuki really tell you personally that you could take it for testing?"

Sakayanagi Arisu did not hesitate at all, her voice calm but certain: "Yes, he told me personally—'If you're worried, you can also take it for testing.'" She curled the corner of her mouth slightly, revealing a playful smile. "So, Father, you don't need to worry too much. I believe young master Mizuki won't mind such a trivial matter. Since he dared to give me this nutrient solution, it means he has enough confidence—even if it's tested, no core secrets will be leaked."

Hearing this, Sakayanagi Narumori's tense expression finally relaxed, and a relieved smile appeared on his face. "Then I can rest easy." He carefully placed the nutrient solution into the car's temperature-controlled storage compartment, then turned his head, a hint of scrutiny in his gaze. "But... for young master Mizuki to give you something so precious, it shouldn't be for no reason, right?" He paused meaningfully. "Did he propose any conditions to you?"

Sakayanagi Arisu was silent for a moment, then nodded lightly. "He only hopes that, in the class, I won't oppose his opinions—and that I can appropriately follow his instructions."

"Oh?" Sakayanagi Narumori raised an eyebrow. "Then it seems... he's aiming to become the class leader." He revealed a knowing smile. "To grasp the essence of this school right upon enrollment... as expected of an heir from a millennium-old clan, his instincts are indeed sharp."

"I won't deny that," Sakayanagi Arisu replied calmly. "He is indeed outstanding." She paused briefly, then added, "One could even say—this morning, he had already discerned the connection and operational mechanism between Class Points and Personal Points." She recounted the events that had happened in the classroom that morning concisely and clearly.

After listening to his daughter's account, a sharp glint flashed in Sakayanagi Narumori's eyes. "On the second day of school, he's already figured the rules out to this extent... and his entrance exam scores are top-tier as well. I think he can be called a 'genius.'"

"Indeed," Sakayanagi Arisu said, her voice soft but firm. "He truly is a genius."

Sakayanagi Narumori caught the change in his daughter's expression, and a meaningful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Oh? It seems my precious daughter has a very good impression of him." He deliberately drew out his tone. "How about it? Want Father to put in a good word for you? After all, the two of you—in terms of family background and talent—can be considered well-matched."

Hearing this, a faint look of helplessness appeared on Sakayanagi Arisu's face. "Father... you're interested in topics like this too..."

"Of course I am," Sakayanagi Narumori laughed heartily. "I'm not some stuffy old man. I still care about my daughter's happiness." He dropped the joking tone and asked seriously, "So, what's your actual opinion of him? Since young master Mizuki was willing to give you such a valuable nutrient solution, it means his impression of you shouldn't be bad. With a little more effort, the two of you becoming a couple isn't out of the question."

Sakayanagi Arisu was silent for a moment, her gaze drifting toward the scenery speeding past outside the window, her voice as light as if she were talking to herself: "Let's put that aside for now... I haven't defeated him yet. And before I defeat him... I don't have much mind to spare for such things."

The car fell into a brief silence.

After a long while, Sakayanagi Narumori spoke softly: "Eight years have passed... you still can't let that matter go." His tone became much gentler. "Are you really that hung up on that game of chess you played with that kid Kiyotaka back then?"

Sakayanagi Arisu's fingers tightened slightly, the knuckles gripping her cane turning white.

Her gaze sharpened, her voice carrying a stubborn resolve: "Yes, I must defeat him. I want to prove to him—true genius is born knowing. Someone like him, an artificially manufactured 'genius,' is nothing but a counterfeit."

Sakayanagi Narumori looked at the burning obsession in his daughter's eyes and let out a soft sigh. "Very well. Since you insist, I won't say anything more."

His tone grew weighty. "But don't let yourself get too deeply involved."

He paused, as if choosing his words carefully. "I do pity Kiyotaka... but someone raised in that environment—I don't believe he can still be considered a 'normal person.'"

His voice dropped low. "What one cannot obtain in youth will haunt them for a lifetime. Kiyotaka was deprived of too many things essential to a normal person from childhood—familial love, freedom, the right to choose, self-awareness..."

"The absence of these things will leave indelible marks on him as he grows. As an adult, those flaws will only deepen, becoming impossible to mend."

He looked seriously into his daughter's eyes. "So, my daughter—don't get too deeply involved."

Sakayanagi Arisu was silent for a long time before finally nodding gently. "I will keep that in mind."

"Good."

Sakayanagi Narumori's tone returned to its usual warmth. "Then I'll say no more."

The black sedan glided steadily forward through the twilight, carrying the father and daughter, along with that bottle of nutrient solution—a vessel of hope and mystery—toward an unknown analytical result.

And within the campus, night was also slowly descending—a new game had only just begun.