The Viper and the Chess Game

9:20 PM, Class C Activity Room.

The lighting was as ghastly pale as a morgue.

Kakeru Ryuen sat at the head of the conference table, his right foot propped up on the surface, spinning a utility knife in his hand. The blade caught the cold light, reflecting the scar on the side of his face—a souvenir from a fight last week, the stitches still in place.

Kikyo Kushida sat opposite him, her hands folded neatly on her lap, her smile sweet enough to induce a cavity. Yet, the ice in the depths of her eyes made Daichi Ishizaki, sitting beside her, shrink back in his seat.

"So," Ryuen stopped spinning the knife, the tip pointing at Kushida, "your 'pledge of allegiance' is to tell us that you've been played like a fiddle by Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, losing everything down to your last cent?"

The words were harsh.

Kushida's smile didn't waver. "Ryuen-kun, that's not the right way to put it. At the very least, I've brought the complete organizational chart of Class D, the personality flaws of every individual, and their potential contingency plans."

She pushed a folder across the table.

Ryuen didn't take it, signaling for Ishizaki to open it.

Ishizaki flipped through a few pages, his eyes gradually widening. "This... you even tracked what days Yosuke Hirata calls his mother?"

"There's also Suzune Horikita's rehabilitation schedule and Kei Karuizawa's psychological counseling sessions," Kushida added, her voice as soft as if she were reciting poetry. "Oh, right, Airi Sakura has been self-studying photo editing lately; she goes to the library's media room every Wednesday night, usually alone."

Ryuen finally sat up straight.

He stared at Kushida for a full ten seconds before suddenly grinning, revealing his stark white teeth. "Interesting. You're much more ruthless than you look."

"Thank you for the compliment." Kushida gave a slight nod.

"But—" Ryuen's tone shifted, and he slammed the utility knife into the tabletop, the blade stopping just two centimeters from Kushida's fingers. "Why should I believe you? What if this is just a double act Ayanokoji put you up to?"

Kushida didn't change her expression; in fact, her smile grew even brighter. "Because I have a grudge against him. He destroyed the image I spent a year meticulously maintaining and forced me out of Class D. This is a debt I intend to repay tenfold."

She paused, her voice dropping, laced with a sort of morbid excitement. "And besides, Ryuen-kun, don't you think... destroying something perfect is incredibly addictive? Class D is like a beautiful porcelain doll right now. Once you find that crack and give it a gentle tap—"

She made a "shattering" gesture.

The activity room fell silent for a few seconds.

Then, Ryuen burst into loud laughter, rocking back and forth until tears streamed down his face.

"Good! Good! Kikyo Kushida, you really are a freak!" He slapped the table. "I like it! Fine, from today on, you are the 'Special Consultant' for Class C. As for the compensation..."

He thought for a moment. "Five thousand points a month as a base, plus a 'bonus' for every successful blow you land on Class D. How's that?"

Kushida smiled. "That's fair."

"However," Ryuen's smile vanished instantly, his gaze turning viper-like, "if you dare to betray me, or if you fail to deliver... I will make you regret ever being born. Understand?"

"Understood." Kushida stood up and gave a slight bow. "Then, I'll go organize the data. I will submit the first phase of the strike plan against Class D tomorrow morning."

After she left, Ishizaki leaned toward Ryuen and whispered, "Boss, is this woman... reliable? I keep feeling like her smile is too fake."

Ryuen pulled out the utility knife and used the tip to pick dirt from under his fingernails. "Fake? Of course it's fake. But the hatred in her eyes is real. Hatred can turn anyone into the sharpest blade."

He paused. "Besides, do you really think I trust her? Albert."

Albert, who had been leaning against the corner of the wall, looked up. His right knee was wrapped in bandages, but his gaze remained fierce.

"Go and keep a close watch on her," Ryuen said. "I want to know who she meets, what she says, and where she goes every single day. Especially—if she contacts anyone from Class A or Class B privately, tell me immediately."

Albert nodded.

Ryuen turned to Ishizaki. "What's the situation on the forum?"

"Not great," Ishizaki said, his face grim. "Someone posted anonymous screenshots of evidence regarding Manabe's poisoning, and public opinion is overwhelmingly against us now. There are even people saying... saying you, Boss, ordered the girls to do the dirty work because you're spineless."

Ryuen's expression darkened.

"That bitch Manabe," he ground out through his teeth. "A traitorous piece of trash."

"Should we deal with her?"

"Not yet," Ryuen calmed down. "She's still useful. And... I have a better idea."

He beckoned the two to lean in and whispered a few words.

After hearing him out, Ishizaki's face changed. "Boss, this... isn't this going too far? What if the school finds out—"

"Then don't let them find out," Ryuen interrupted. "Didn't Kushida bring us intelligence on Class D? We'll pick the most suitable 'stage' and put on a good show."

He looked out the window toward the Class D dormitory area, his smile cruel.

"Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, don't you love playing psychological warfare? This time... I'll play a big one with you."

At the same time, in the Class D boys' dormitory.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stared at his laptop screen, which displayed the interface of the school's security system he had just hacked.

[Warning: Illegal intrusion into the school security system. You will face severe penalties if discovered. Continue?]

The system prompt flickered.

He clicked "Yes."

The screen cut to the hallway of the Class C dormitory building. At 10:05 PM, Kikyo Kushida emerged from the activity room clutching a document bag and returned to her newly assigned room—Room 309. Five minutes later, Albert limped to her door, leaned against the opposite wall, and lit a cigarette.

Surveillance.

As expected.

Ayanokoji switched to another camera: the Class C Activity Room. Ryuen and Ishizaki were still inside, pointing at a map spread across the table, Ryuen's expression twisted with a savage excitement.

[Crisis Prediction (Beginner) triggered: Within the next 24 hours, Class C will execute a "destructive operation" targeting Class D. Predicted location: Library Media Room. Predicted target: Airi Sakura. Motive: To crush Class D morale and test their reaction.]

Library Media Room. Wednesday night. Airi Sakura, alone.

It matched the intelligence provided by Kushida perfectly.

Ayanokoji turned off the monitor and rubbed his temples.

Kushida's move was venomous—the information she gave Ryuen was true, but she deliberately omitted the most critical point: Ayanokoji already knew she would provide it.

This was an open trap. She was betting that even if Ryuen was suspicious, he wouldn't be able to resist using the intel.

And once Ryuen made his move, he would fall straight into Ayanokoji's counter-trap.

"Borrowing a knife to kill, then killing the one who lent the knife," Ayanokoji whispered to himself. "Kushida, you really... haven't changed at all."

His phone vibrated.

It was Honami Ichinose calling.

"Ayanokoji-kun, I'm sorry to bother you so late." Her voice sounded exhausted. "...I found a lead regarding the leak of Kentaro Hamaguchi's younger brother's medical records."

"Speak."

"The IP address of the anonymous post used a proxy, but tracing it to the end, it originated from a public computer in the Class A dormitory area." Ichinose paused. "And... this afternoon, Masayoshi Hashimoto took leave to go out for two hours. When he returned, I happened to see a piece of paper sticking out of his jacket pocket with the name of Hamaguchi's brother on it."

Ayanokoji narrowed his eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"I took a photo." Ichinose sent a blurry image, but the handwriting on the paper was legible: "Kentaro Hamaguchi—Cardiovascular Surgery—Surgery Cost Breakdown."

The smoking gun.

"How do you intend to handle this?" Ayanokoji asked.

Ichinose was silent for a long time before saying softly, "I don't know. If I make it public, the brother's privacy will be completely exposed, and he might suffer secondary harm. But if I don't... Class A will use even crueler methods next time."

"Then change the approach," Ayanokoji said. "Don't make it public, but let Class A know—that we know."

"What do you mean?"

"Tomorrow at noon, ask Hashimoto to meet you alone," Ayanokoji said. "Show him this photo and tell him: 'If you touch the Hamaguchi family again, Class B will make Class A pay ten times the price.' No explanations, no detailed threats, just say it and walk away."

Ichinose gasped. "This... isn't that too risky?"

"They are the ones taking the risk," Ayanokoji said calmly. "The matter of the brother has already crossed the line. If we don't strike back, they will think this line can be trampled on at will."

A deep breath came from the other end of the line.

"Okay," Ichinose said, her voice turning firm. "I'll listen to you."

The call ended.

Ayanokoji had just put down his phone when there was a knock at the door.

Kei Karuizawa stood outside, wearing pajamas with a coat wrapped over them, her hair damp—she had clearly just showered.

"Something up?" Ayanokoji stepped aside to let her in.

Karuizawa walked in, but didn't sit, standing in the center of the room with her hands twisted together.

"I... I saw the forum," she said softly. "Someone dug up my past, and they said such horrible things. But this time... no one in the class is insulting me."

She looked up, her eyes slightly red. "Hirata posted an announcement in the group chat saying, 'Class D does not abandon any comrade.' Even though Horikita didn't say anything, she reported all the accounts that were leading the rumors. Even those two idiots, Ike and Yamauchi, were arguing with people in the threads..."

She paused, her voice choking up. "Why? I wasn't... exactly nice to them before."

Ayanokoji was silent for a few seconds before taking a juice box from the fridge and handing it to her.

"Because you are a member of Class D now," he said. "Besides, people grow. You've changed, and they've seen it."

Karuizawa took the juice but didn't drink it, just held it in her hands.

"Ayanokoji," she said suddenly. "If... I mean if, one day I become a burden or dead weight, will you abandon me?"

"No."

The answer came without hesitation.

Karuizawa froze.

"Why?"

"Because you said you wanted to change," Ayanokoji looked at her. "And I believe you meant it."

The room fell quiet, save for the faint hum of the air conditioner.

Karuizawa lowered her head, her bangs obscuring her eyes. After a long while, she whispered, "Thank you."

She turned to leave, but stopped at the door without looking back. "By the way... Airi is going to the library on Wednesday night, right? I'll go with her."

Ayanokoji raised an eyebrow. "How did you know?"

"Because Kushida knows," Karuizawa said. "And you know that Kushida knows. So... you need someone to act as bait, right?"

Smart.

Ayanokoji smiled. "Fine. But stay safe."

"Don't worry." Kei Karuizawa turned back, flashing him a sly grin. "I'm 'Kei Karuizawa of Class D' now; I'm not that easy to push around."

The door clicked shut.

Ayanokoji walked to the window and looked up at the night sky.

Tomorrow was Wednesday.

Kushida's gambit, Ryuen's blade, Sakura's peril.

There was also the meeting between Ichinose and Hashimoto, the ticking time bomb that was Manabe, and the impending VIP Exam from Sakayanagi Arisu.

All the threads were tightening.

He opened his system panel and stared at the quest: [Ryuen's Revenge].

His intuition told him—

The storm was about to break.