Mission Accomplished

"The results are in. Shiranami Chihiro and Sima Zhenglong tied. The score among Classes A, B, C, and D is 1:0:0:2. Class D is in the lead. Machida Koji will play first in the next round."

"I picked the wrong card just now. This one I'm choosing now is an 8."

Machida scratched the back of his head with one hand and corrected his choice with an apologetic look. This time, he picked the black 8.

"Let's just leave it at that. We can't win anyway."

Shiranami said she was giving up, but her actions told a different story. She was waiting for another opportunity. No one should have played the 7 yet, so she still had a chance to turn things around with the mechanism, just as she had in the ninth round.

Shiranami chose the white 3.

"This is an exam, not some casual game. If you haven't prepared yourself for that, you shouldn't have come up here to compete."

I chose the black 4.

"That's right. This is a competition. I did all right this time, didn't I? At least I protected the results of Airi's hard work."

Hasebe stood there, deliberating for a while before finally choosing the black 8.

This was the sixth game. If she and Machida tied, then in the last three games, she only had to play the 7 at the right moment. Even in the worst-case scenario, she could hold on to second place.

That was already the best possible outcome for her. No one else in Class D could blame her.

"The results are in. Machida Koji and Hasebe Haruka tied. The score among Classes A, B, C, and D is 1:0:0:2. Class D is in the lead. Machida Koji will play first in the next round."

"If I don't play this 7, Class D might lock in first place. I've got no other choice. Damn this turn order."

Machida chose the white 7. If he played the black 6 instead, Shiranami definitely wouldn't play her white 7.

With Sima Zhenglong behind him as a safety net, playing the white 7 wouldn't let Hasebe score. But if Machida played the black 6, he wouldn't be able to trick Shiranami into playing her 7.

If Shiranami didn't play her 7, then she and Sima Zhenglong would both have a 6 or a 7 left. The two of them would surely tie in the next round.

When they'd discussed their signal beforehand, the other person had told him to send Class B to the bottom if he got the chance this round. Now that chance had come, so he needed to trick Shiranami into playing her 7. Besides, he still had a 9 in his hand, so he was already guaranteed to achieve his goal.

"Machida has no choice. Neither do I."

Shiranami had finally given up. The moment Machida said 7, her last hope vanished. All she could do was play her 7 and hope for a miracle.

If they got lucky, all four of them would advance to the next round. If not, only Classes B and C would move on.

"There's no way all four of us will advance. Only two classes will make it to the next round."

Once Shiranami picked the white card that all four of them knew was a 7, the outcome of the exam was all but decided. The only question left was whether Hasebe would play a 7 or a 5 in the next round. If she played a 7, only Classes A and D would compete again. If she played a 5, then Classes A and D, and Classes B and C, would both compete again.

I chose the black 6.

"The results are in. Machida Koji and Shiranami Chihiro tied. The score among Classes A, B, C, and D is 1:0:0:2. Class D is in the lead. Machida Koji will play first in the next round."

"Well, everyone knows what they have left in their hands now. Congratulations to Class D."

Machida Koji picked the black 6 without the slightest hesitation.

"The card you have left is either a 5 or a 3. You played a 6, which doesn't matter to me either way. There are still two 7s in play."

Shiranami chose the black 4.

"Then I'll play a 7 first."

I chose the white 7.

"It makes no difference to me either way."

Hasebe thought she'd already secured the win. She didn't believe Sima Zhenglong would pass up the chance to score in this round. It was better to fight for second or third than for third or fourth.

"The results are in. Sima Zhenglong wins. The score among Classes A, B, C, and D is 1:0:1:2. Class D is in the lead. Sima Zhenglong will play first in the next round."

"We've finally made it to the last step. Your Highness, my mission is complete!"

After choosing his final card, Machida excitedly reported to Sakayanagi that he'd completed his task, openly revealing which side he'd been on.

"Mission complete? What mission?"

Shiranami, standing beside Machida, looked completely bewildered. Was A Class's goal simply to avoid losing Class Points?

After choosing her last card, Shiranami also stepped down from the platform.

The students of Class B welcomed her as one of their own. They comforted her, telling her not to take the result to heart, that everything would pass, and that she should just treat it as experience.

"Hasebe, go recommend Ayanokoji for the next match. He got exactly 50 in every subject on the entrance exam, and he knows Sakayanagi well. He has a chance of winning. Don't tell anyone else besides Sakura. Just consider it a favor in return."

After choosing my card, I went over to Hasebe and quietly asked her to recommend Ayanokoji. Then I stepped off the platform.

"Huh? Didn't I win? Why—?"

"The results are in. Machida Koji wins. The score among Classes A, B, C, and D is 2:0:1:2. Classes A and D are tied. The two classes will now send out their next competitors, who must not have participated in any of the previous ten rounds."

After choosing her card and stepping down, Hasebe was stunned to hear that she'd lost the final round.

"Looks like Machida had a 9 hidden away. He must have stolen a point earlier with a 3 or a 5."

Horikita had been keeping track of the matches below the platform. After getting the information about the match from Hasebe, she put it all together and worked out why Hasebe had lost.

"Who should we send next?"

"Don't look at me! I can't do it. I'm allergic to cards."

As Hirata searched among the Class D students for the next competitor, Hasebe walked over to him.

"Send Horikita's sidekick. The one called Ayanokoji. He was there throughout our practice matches, wasn't he? Someone with experience is better than someone without any. Besides, our opponents might not be that strong. It's already been ten rounds, so the capable players have probably all had their turn."

"That makes sense. Let's do that, then. Ayanokoji, you're up. Don't feel too pressured. Second place is our worst-case scenario, so just do your best."

"All right, then."

At Hasebe's recommendation, Hirata agreed to send Ayanokoji up to face Sakayanagi.

Ayanokoji hadn't planned on taking part in any of this, but the problem was that he'd been sitting right beside Horikita, with Horikita, Hirata, and Hasebe hemming him in. There was no escape. And with Hirata asking him, Ayanokoji couldn't refuse, so he had no choice but to go up.

At this point, Sakayanagi wasn't yet the leader of Class A, and she wasn't that well-known among the first-years. Besides, there was no record of her competing in any of the previous matches.

So no one really knew how good Sakayanagi was. Otherwise, Hirata probably wouldn't have so readily decided to send Ayanokoji up.