The Deal

Kazama In followed Chabashira Sae. The sound of her high heels striking the floor echoed through the empty corridor with a cold, rhythmic cadence. They did not head for the faculty office, but walked straight down the hall toward the stairs leading to the rooftop. Afternoon sunlight streamed through the stairwell windows, casting intersecting geometric patterns of light and shadow across Chabashira Sae's straight back and Kazama In's calm features.

The heavy fire door swung open, and a breeze carrying a little dust and the warmth of early summer rushed in. The rooftop was spacious and quiet. The distant din of the campus was barely audible, making the place feel like an isolated island. Chabashira Sae walked to the railing at the edge of the roof, turned around, and fixed her sharp gaze on Kazama In like a hawk locking onto its prey.

"Kazama In," she said. The formulaic tone she had used in class was gone, replaced by an oppressive directness that went straight to the heart of the matter. "You've seen the state of Class D. Its Class Points have been wiped out, personal points have stopped coming in, everyone's panicking, and the class is in complete disarray. At this rate, forget about moving up to Class A. It's questionable whether you'll even make it to the end of the term."

Kazama In stopped a few steps in front of her, casually slipping both hands into his pockets. The few strands of silver-white and dark-red hair at his temple stirred in the breeze, glimmering in the sunlight. His ink-black eyes met Chabashira Sae's gaze without the slightest hint of evasion or nerves, as if he were simply listening to an objective report.

"What is it you want to say, Chabashira-sensei?" His voice was low, betraying no emotion.

Chabashira Sae leaned forward slightly, her gaze growing sharper, the glint in her eyes suggesting she could see through secrets. "I know who you are, Kazama In. Or, to be more precise, I know what you represent." Her voice dropped, carrying a hint of icy menace. "The Arbiter... the heir to The Ladder. With your status and abilities, is it amusing to hole up in Class D and watch these mediocrities sink? Or did your father really send you here just to 'get the experience'?"

She deliberately emphasized "The Arbiter" and "The Ladder," watching Kazama In's face closely for the slightest flicker of emotion.

Yet Kazama In's expression remained as placid as still water. He did not even bat an eyelid. He simply spoke, his voice steady and utterly calm. "Chabashira-sensei's intelligence work is impressive. But what does that have to do with whether Class D can move up to Class A?"

A hint of frustration, difficult to detect, flickered in Chabashira Sae's eyes. She had thought dropping these weighty details about his identity would shake him, or at least make him slip up. Instead, he was completely unmoved. He had even sidestepped her threat and steered the conversation back to its original subject. His composure far exceeded her expectations.

"It has everything to do with it!" Chabashira Sae's voice took on a note of urgency and force. "Class D needs a leader! It needs someone who can truly see through the rules and turn the tide! That person is you, Kazama In! Your abilities, your resources..." She pointedly glanced at his pocket, where the phone holding a million points was tucked away. "You're Class D's only hope! If you stand by and do nothing, Class D will never recover! And your father's expectations, the 'Ladder' you carry on your shoulders... are you really content to stop here?"

She tried to pressure him with responsibility, with his father's expectations, and with the "Ladder" he himself bore.

Kazama In fell silent for a few seconds as the wind swept at the hem of his clothes. Suddenly, he gave a soft laugh. It was faint, touched with the slightest hint of mockery, though not directed at Chabashira Sae.

"The Ladder... I'll climb it one step at a time, of course." He raised his eyes, his gaze passing through Chabashira Sae as though looking toward somewhere much farther away. "As for Class D..." His eyes refocused on her, a hard, sharp glint passing through the depths of his ink-black pupils. "Even if you hadn't said anything, I had no intention of watching it sink. Letting a bunch of rabble hold me back would go against my principles of efficiency."

His answer took Chabashira Sae by surprise. He was not angry, did not argue against her threats, and did not even bargain. Instead, he accepted the task of leading Class D upward with an almost matter-of-fact calm, as though it had been part of his plan all along. His air of control and confidence left Chabashira Sae's prepared follow-up argument stuck in her throat.

"You... agree?" Chabashira Sae asked, uncertainly confirming what she had heard.

"Mm." Kazama In answered curtly. "Class D needs to be brought together. I'll handle it."

A weight lifted from Chabashira Sae's heart, but it was accompanied by an even deeper sense of wariness. This student was more calculating and inscrutable than she had expected. He had agreed so readily, but was it really just to improve the class's efficiency? Or did he have some other motive?

As Chabashira Sae pondered, Kazama In spoke again, putting an unexpected question to her:

"Chabashira-sensei, points can buy a lot of things at this school, right?" He sounded casual, as though confirming a basic fact.

Chabashira Sae frowned. "In theory, as long as it doesn't violate school regulations or involve dangerous goods, points can be exchanged for most daily necessities, learning resources, and even certain privileged services. What do you want to buy?" She instinctively grew wary. There was no way Kazama In's "shopping request" would be simple.

Kazama In took out his phone and swiped across the screen a few times, bringing up an image: a photo of an exquisitely designed necklace. Its body was made of some kind of deep, dark-silver metal, shaped in smooth, abstract lines. At its center was a perfectly cut, dark-red gemstone like congealed blood, echoing the colored streaks in his hair. The overall style was austere and mysterious, with an understated sense of luxury.

"A personal item." Kazama In turned the phone screen toward Chabashira Sae. "Something with special meaning to me. I want to bring it to school."

Chabashira Sae examined the image carefully. The necklace's design was unique, and its craftsmanship looked exceptionally fine. It was clearly expensive, but from the image alone, it certainly didn't look like a dangerous item. It seemed more like a work of art or a luxury accessory.

"A keepsake?" Chabashira Sae looked at Kazama In suspiciously. "The school has no explicit ban on bringing in valuables, but they must be declared, registered, and pass a security inspection. That's to keep dangerous and prohibited items off campus." She stressed, "Anything brought into the school has to undergo a strict scanning and inspection process."

Kazama In put his phone away, showing no surprise. "I know the inspection process. That's why I need your 'permission.'"

"Permission?" Chabashira Sae frowned more deeply. "I have no authority to interfere with the regular security process. If there's nothing wrong with your item, it'll pass inspection on its own."

Kazama In gave a slight shake of his head, looking straight at Chabashira Sae with his ink-black eyes. "Sensei, we both know that some 'keepsakes' mean and are worth far more than they appear to. The inspection process... can sometimes be a little too 'thorough.' I don't want it to be taken apart and studied because it's too 'precise,' or trigger an unnecessary alarm because of some 'special material,' only to be confiscated or even... reported." His tone was calm, but the implication was unmistakable: this necklace was no ordinary item. What he needed was a green light from the security process, with Chabashira Sae using whatever authority she had as his homeroom teacher to ensure it entered the school intact and undamaged, without drawing any extra attention.

Chabashira Sae's heart sank. She stared at Kazama In, trying to find a crack in his composure, but all she saw was an unfathomable calm. There was definitely something wrong with that necklace! It might be more than just a keepsake! Given Kazama In's background—the son of The Arbiter—could it be some kind of weapon? A deadly tool disguised as an accessory?

The thought sent a chill down Chabashira Sae's spine. But Kazama In's next words eased her mind a little.

"Don't worry, Sensei." Kazama In seemed to see her concern, but his tone remained as level as ever. "It has no gunpowder or blade. It won't explode or suddenly fire a poisoned needle. Its 'special' qualities lie in its materials and craftsmanship, and... the promise it carries. That's all." He paused, then added, "Besides, if I really wanted to bring 'dangerous items' in here, assembling something from materials available at the school wouldn't be difficult. It would just be... pointless."

His words were half reassurance, half threat. He made it clear that he was capable of creating something dangerous but had no intention of doing so. At the same time, he stressed that the necklace itself posed no immediate threat—or at least appeared not to. The important thing was that he needed to get it into the school intact.

Chabashira Sae was torn by a fierce inner struggle. Letting a suspected dangerous item onto campus was an enormous risk! But if she refused Kazama In, this student, who had just agreed to lead Class D upward and whose background was unfathomable, might turn against her immediately or resort to even more unpredictable measures. Besides, he had made one key point: if he really wanted to cause trouble, assembling something from items available at the school might be even more dangerous.

After weighing the pros and cons, Chabashira Sae finally gave in. She took a deep breath, her voice tinged with weariness and resignation. "...I can try to put in a word with security and ask them to give your 'personal item'... a little 'special treatment.' As long as the scan doesn't clearly indicate a prohibited item, they'll let it through. But!" Her tone suddenly turned stern. "Kazama In, you have to promise me! This thing must not cause any trouble on campus! Otherwise, I don't care whose son you are. I'll be the first to get you expelled!"

"Deal." Kazama In agreed briskly, without the slightest hesitation.

"One more thing," Chabashira Sae added. "Bringing special items in from outside the school requires paying an additional 'special item entry permit fee.' Five hundred thousand points."

Kazama In didn't even furrow his brow. He took out his phone and made the transfer. "The points have been transferred."

Chabashira Sae watched the notification pop up on her phone, showing the huge deposit, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly. This student's way of solving problems really was... simple and brutal.

"When will it arrive?" Kazama In asked, putting his phone away.

"You'll need to provide a way to receive it and a time. The school will tell you where to pick it up, usually at the school gate or a designated logistics center, under the supervision of security staff," Chabashira Sae replied in a businesslike tone.

"Understood." Kazama In nodded. "Then I'll handle Class D. If there's nothing else, Sensei, I'll take my leave."

Watching Kazama In's straight-backed figure turn and walk away, Chabashira Sae leaned against the rooftop railing, overwhelmed by a deep sense of helplessness and crushing pressure. She felt as though she had let a wolf in sheep's clothing into the fold, and the reins she held to control him were pitifully fragile. What was that necklace, exactly? And what was Kazama In really after? Looking down at the campus, laid out like a chessboard, she felt for the first time that this game of "meritocracy" was beginning to veer in a completely unknown direction because of Kazama In's presence.

Night fell, and the Class D dormitory area was shrouded in gloom. The fear and pressure of having no points were starting to weigh on everyone. Kazama In's room, however, was silent. He sat at his desk without turning on the lights. The computer screen cast a faint blue glow, illuminating his sharply defined profile and the differently colored strands of hair at his temple.

He did not use the school's network. Instead, he connected to an encrypted satellite channel through a specially modified phone. The screen flickered a few times, and a communications interface, protected by multiple layers of encryption and obscured by data scrambling, appeared.

Kazama In entered a long string of complex commands and verification codes. A few seconds later, the connection was established.

There was no image on the screen, only the voice of a middle-aged man, processed through a voice changer and unmistakably teasing. It was hoarse but full of force, like sandpaper scraping against rock:

"Well, well! Look who it is! Why, it's none other than our famous 'Little Arbiter' himself! What's the matter? Is life in your ivory tower too comfortable? Finally remembered to call old Kurosawa, did you? Or did those brats' exams stump you, and now you need your old uncle to tutor you remotely? Hahaha!"

The corner of Kazama In's mouth lifted almost imperceptibly. It was a rare expression of ease, one that only appeared when he was with the few people he truly knew and trusted. "Uncle Kurosawa, cut the nonsense." His voice was still low, but less cold than usual, touched with familiarity. "I have something important."

"Tsk, tsk. Still as unfriendly as ever." The man called "Uncle Kurosawa" spoke with an amused laugh. "All right, all right. I know you're a busy man, the future head of the Kazama family. So, what could make you use this line, kid? You're not asking your old uncle to do your homework, are you?"

"I need something brought in," Kazama In said, getting straight to the point, his tone turning serious. "Advanced Nurturing High School."

"Oh?" The teasing in Uncle Kurosawa's voice quickly faded, replaced by a steady, wary tone. "The place... isn't the most heavily guarded, but its monitoring and security systems are government-grade. It could be troublesome. What is it? Who's it for? An assassination target? Or..."

"It's my own property." Kazama In cut off his guess. "An old possession. The necklace my father gave me."

The other end of the line fell silent for a few seconds. Clearly, Uncle Kurosawa knew what the necklace meant. After his wife had been brutally killed, Kazama Ryunosuke had given it to the young Kazama In as a "talisman." But it was also a lethal transforming weapon crafted by the organization's top artisans, using special alloys and ancient techniques. In its usual form, it was an elegant necklace, but a specific action could trigger a mechanism that snapped out sharp blades to form a short knife. Its internal structure could also be rearranged into a compact micro-pistol that fired special nonmetallic ammunition. It was a gift from The Arbiter to his heir, and a final safeguard.

"Jesus..." Uncle Kurosawa sucked in a sharp breath. "Kid, have you lost your mind? Bringing that thing into a school? What are you planning to do? That place isn't a battlefield!"

"It's important to me." Kazama In's voice carried an unshakable firmness. "Just in case. I need it within reach. Besides, I've already arranged for some 'special treatment' from the school's security."

Uncle Kurosawa fell silent again for a few seconds, apparently weighing the risks and feasibility. "...All right, I understand." His voice turned grave and dependable. "If this is your decision, kid, I'll get it done even if it costs me my life. Where is it now?"

"At the old house, in my safe. You know the combination."

"Fine, I'll pick it up myself," Uncle Kurosawa said. "As for getting it in... We can't force our way in. We'll have to use a little finesse. We'll disguise it as an ordinary package, but we'll need to get around several key scanning procedures, especially the deep scans for irregular metal objects and energy sources. I've got some newly acquired Phase Shielding Coating and Inert Material Wrapping Technology that should fool their standard equipment. But it'll take time to prepare and test."

"How long?"

"I'll have it done within three days. I'll disguise it as... hmm, 'custom precision metalwork components.' I'll declare a high value to make it look plausible. The recipient and address will use your public information: Kazama In, Advanced Nurturing High School. I'll arrange for an absolutely reliable 'courier' to deliver it to the school gate at a specified time. Just go sign for it once the school notifies you." Uncle Kurosawa had a clear head and quickly worked out a plan.

"Safety comes first, Uncle," Kazama In reminded him. "They can't discover what it really is, and they definitely can't trace where it came from." That was the bottom line.

"Don't worry, kid!" Uncle Kurosawa's voice returned to its usual hearty tone. "I was in this line of work before you were old enough to play in the dirt! I'll make sure it happens without anyone being the wiser. Those school security guards will think it's some rich kid's little luxury item! But..." His tone turned teasing again. "You're a student and you want a weapon, too. What's going on? Is the bastard who killed your mom hiding at that school? Or... do you have too many pretty girls chasing after you, and need to scare off your rivals?"

Kazama In ignored the teasing in the second half. "Sorry for the trouble, Uncle. Keep in touch."

"Got it! I'll let you know when it arrives. Kid, be careful at school, too. Don't focus so much on studying that you let your skills get rusty! I'm hanging up!" The connection cut off briskly.

The blue glow of the screen went out, and the room fell into complete darkness.

Kazama In sat silently in the dark, his fingertips unconsciously tracing his bare neck. He could almost feel the shape of the necklace and its cold touch still resting against his skin. It was more than a weapon. It was a key connecting him to the blood-soaked hell of his past, a weighty trust from his father, and the scar and... resolve that could never be erased from the depths of his heart.

Bringing it into this seemingly peaceful campus was like placing a ticking time bomb inside an ornate birdcage. He knew the risks clearly, but he could not bear the thought of facing a hidden enemy without a weapon more than he could bear the danger. Sakayanagi Arisu's probing, Chabashira Sae's threats, Class D's turmoil, the S System's coldness... all of it was just a surface-level illusion. He had never forgotten his deeper purpose in coming here: to search for clues and be ready to "pass judgment" at any moment.

In the darkness, a dark-red flame seemed to burn soundlessly in the depths of Kazama In's ink-black eyes. He slowly clenched his fist, his knuckles making a faint crack in the silence. Three days later, when the necklace was back in his hands, the game in this "meritocracy" cage would truly begin for him.