Using a Ruse to Counter a Ruse

"It's coming," he said into the walkie-talkie.

"Copy that," the various defensive points responded.

Just then, the system's notification chime rang out suddenly.

[Ding! Detected that the host is about to face a joint attack. Limited-time mission triggered: Hold the Position.]

[Mission Requirements: Defend Lookout Hill for the next three hours without losing it.]

[Mission Rewards: Experience points for "Tactical Command" and Class Cohesion points based on defensive performance.]

[Special Note: Detected that the enemy has probing intentions. Please respond with caution, host.]

Probing intentions? Ayanokoji understood. Class A and Class C wanted to test if they had surveillance clearance.

If they adjusted their defenses in advance, they would be exposed. If they didn't adjust, they might not be able to hold.

A dilemma.

He thought quickly, then made his decision.

"Attention, everyone," he said into the walkie-talkie. "The enemy might attack from the west and south simultaneously. But we must not adjust our defenses in advance."

"Why?" Sudo asked.

"They are probing," Ayanokoji explained. "If we adjust beforehand, it proves we know their plan. That will invite an even fiercer attack."

"Then what do we do?"

"Play along," Ayanokoji said. "Wait until they actually attack, then adjust according to the situation. But make it look like a last-minute reaction, not something prepared in advance."

This was a delicate balance. They had to hold the line while making it look convincing.

"Understood."

Time ticked by, second by second.

At exactly two o'clock in the afternoon, the attack began.

On the gentle slope of the west side.

Ken Sudo hid behind a rock, watching the Class C squad charging up from below—six people, led by Daichi Ishizaki.

"They really came..." He gripped the wooden stick in his hand tightly.

Following Ayanokoji's instructions, he hadn't reinforced the defense in advance; there were still only him and two others here.

Three against six, the disadvantage was obvious.

But Sudo wasn't afraid. He shouted to those behind him: "Get ready!"

The Class C members charged closer and closer: twenty meters, fifteen meters, ten meters...

"Go!"

Sudo was the first to charge out, his wooden stick aiming straight for Daichi Ishizaki.

Ishizaki was prepared and dodged to the side. The two were instantly locked in combat.

The other two Class D students also stepped up to meet them, but the numerical disadvantage quickly became apparent. They were tied up by two Class C students, while the remaining three Class C students bypassed them and continued to charge toward the high ground.

"Stop them!" Sudo wanted to fall back to defend, but Ishizaki clung to him tightly.

Just as those three were about to break through the defensive line—

"Over here!"

Suddenly, two people rushed out from the side; they were students from Class B. They had been lying in ambush nearby, waiting for exactly this moment.

Three against three, the forces were evenly matched.

The western defensive line was temporarily stabilized.

In the woods on the south side.

Ayanokoji was facing the attack from Class A here. Five people, led by Kohei Katsuragi himself.

Class A's method of attack was very different—they weren't in a rush to charge, but were steady and methodical, advancing step by step. They used trees as cover, compressing the defensive space bit by bit.

"Troublesome," Ayanokoji frowned.

This style of play was time-consuming, but also very stable. Class A was clearly not in a hurry; they were observing, testing.

Ayanokoji only had three people here and couldn't afford a head-on clash.

He made a gesture, and his two teammates understood, beginning to retreat.

It wasn't a rout, but a tactical withdrawal. Utilizing the terrain, they fought while retreating, drawing Class A deeper into the complex woods.

Katsuragi followed as expected, but at a very slow pace, maintaining his formation the entire time.

A few minutes later, Class A had penetrated about fifty meters into the woods. At this moment, a sudden change occurred.

Sharp whistling sounds erupted all around, rising and falling in succession.

"An ambush?" Katsuragi became instantly alert.

But no one rushed out. There were only whistles, as if many people were surrounding them, yet no figures were to be seen.

The students of Class A looked around nervously, their formation showing a slight looseness.

Now was the time.

Ayanokoji suddenly dashed out from behind a tree, heading straight for Katsuragi.

Katsuragi reacted quickly, raising his staff to block. But Ayanokoji's target was not him—after a feint, he suddenly turned and struck a student beside Katsuragi with his staff.

The student failed to react in time, taking a hit to the shoulder and stumbling back with a cry of pain.

The formation of Class A was thrown into disarray.

Ayanokoji did not linger; having landed his strike, he immediately retreated, vanishing back into the woods.

"Don't chase!" Katsuragi stopped his subordinates who wanted to pursue. "He is trying to lure us into splitting up."

He looked toward the surrounding woods, his eyes complex.

The whistling from earlier clearly indicated an ambush. But why didn't they come out? Was it a lack of numbers, or...

Katsuragi suddenly understood.

"Retreat," he ordered.

"Retreat? We only just..."

"This is a trap," Katsuragi said. "They were testing us, and we were testing them. The test is over now."

Class A began to withdraw in an orderly fashion.

Ayanokoji watched them leave from within the woods and let out a sigh of relief.

The whistling from earlier had actually come from only three people—Karuizawa and two girls from Class B. They had blown their whistles from different positions, creating the illusion of a large force.

Fortunately, Katsuragi was cautious and did not investigate further. If a real fight had broken out, the ruse would have been exposed quickly.

Karuizawa's voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Class A has retreated."

"Understood. What about the west side?"

"Class C has also retreated. Sudo sustained some minor injuries, but it's nothing serious."

The first wave of attacks had been held off.

Moreover, they hadn't exposed the surveillance access.

3:00 PM, Class C camp.

Ryuen listened to Ishizaki's report, his expression looking rather unpleasant.

"So, Class D didn't adjust their defenses in advance?"

"No," Ishizaki said. "When we charged, they were clearly fighting in a rush. If it weren't for the Class B students lying in ambush nearby, we would have already broken through the west side."

"What about the south side?"

"Katsuragi said they encountered an ambush, but he suspects it was a bluff."

Ryuen was silent for a moment, then he smiled.

"Interesting."

"What do you mean?"

"If Class D really had surveillance access, why wouldn't they prepare in advance?" Ryuen analyzed. "There are two possibilities. First, they truly don't have access, and we guessed wrong."

"And the second?"

"Second, they guessed that we were testing them, so they intentionally pretended to be unprepared." Ryuen's gaze turned sharp. "If that's the case... then this Ayanokoji Kiyotaka is truly terrifying."

"Then what should we do now?"

"Wait for nightfall." Ryuen looked at the sun, which was gradually sinking to the west. "Night combat is our specialty."

Lookout Hill, 4:00 PM.

Four hours remained until the end of the mission.

The students of Class D and Class B were exhausted, but they were still holding on. Those with minor injuries had their wounds bandaged before returning to defense, and supplies were counted once more to ensure they could keep going.

Ayanokoji sat on the edge of the high ground, looking down the mountain.

So far, everything had gone relatively smoothly. But the price they paid was not small—several people were injured, their physical strength was severely depleted, and their nerves had been stretched thin for a long time.

If there were another fierce assault, they might not be able to hold out.

"Ayanokoji." Hirata walked over and handed him half a compressed biscuit. "Eat something."

"Thanks."

The two ate in silence. After a while, Hirata spoke: "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about what Ryuen will do next," Ayanokoji said. "He definitely won't wait until the mission ends. There will certainly be another wave of attacks before nightfall."

"Can we hold them off?"

"I don't know," Ayanokoji said truthfully. "But we must."

Hirata looked at him and suddenly asked: "Why are you pushing yourself so hard? For the class points? Or..."

"For the sake of winning," Ayanokoji said, "everything in this school is built upon 'ability.' If we lose this time, it will prove that Class D is truly 'defective' and will never be able to turn things around."

"But what if we win?"

"Then we can change some things," Ayanokoji said, looking at the others in the campsite. "Change how others perceive us, and change how we perceive ourselves."

Hirata remained silent for a long time, then nodded. "I understand. I will fight alongside everyone until the very end."

After he left, Ayanokoji sat alone.

The system's notification chime rang out.

[Ding! Detected that the host is about to face the final trial. Hidden quest triggered: Declaration of Reversal.]

[Quest Requirements: Before the mission ends, publicly declare to at least two classes that "Class D will not lose."]

[Quest Rewards: "Leadership Charisma" points and class reputation based on the impact of the declaration.]

[Failure Penalty: None.]

[Note: This quest may trigger unpredictable chain reactions; please choose your timing carefully.]

A public declaration? At this critical juncture?

But the system rarely issued meaningless tasks. This quest, perhaps, had a deeper intention.

Ayanokoji pondered, and gradually, a plan took shape.

A crazy plan.