Tusks of the Dragon Garden

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka scanned his surroundings. The courtyard was relatively secluded, yet not entirely enclosed—several windows on the second floor of the school building faced this way, and people occasionally passed by in the distant corridors.

More importantly, through [Insight (Beginner)], he detected a reflective point hidden behind the bushes at the courtyard entrance—likely a phone lens or the glint of glasses.

Someone was watching, perhaps even recording.

"Kushida-san," Ayanokoji spoke up suddenly, his voice remaining calm. "You claim I threatened you. Could you be specific about when, where, and how I did so?"

Kushida clearly hadn't expected him to counter-question her so abruptly. She faltered for a moment but quickly recovered. "It, it was after school yesterday, on the rooftop... You said a lot of terrifying things..."

"After school yesterday?" Ayanokoji continued. "What time exactly? And who else was present?"

"A-about five-thirty... It was just the two of us..."

"Are you sure?" Ayanokoji stared into her eyes. "Do I need to remind you that at five-thirty yesterday, I was in the library? There are borrowing records and surveillance footage to prove it."

Kushida's complexion shifted slightly.

The crew-cut boy, seeing this, interrupted impatiently: "Cut the crap! The evidence is solid, you still want to deny it?"

"Evidence?" Ayanokoji turned to him. "Your so-called evidence is just her one-sided word? Then what if I say that Kushida-san invited me here herself, and then you three appeared to try and threaten me—does that count as evidence too?"

"You!" The tall, thin boy grew angry. "Looks like you won't be sensible until we teach you a lesson!"

The three of them lunged at him simultaneously.

If he were an ordinary person, facing three attackers who had come prepared would likely have been a dire situation.

But Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was no ordinary person.

[Combat Mastery (Master Level)] was fully activated in that instant.

His body seemed to possess a consciousness of its own—he sidestepped the first punch, raised an arm to parry the second person's kick, and simultaneously shifted his feet to slip out of the encirclement.

His movements were fluid and effortless.

The three of them froze, clearly not expecting him to be so agile.

"What are you standing there for? Get him together!" the crew-cut boy roared.

The second wave of the assault was more ferocious, but also more disorganized. Their anger had cost them their coordination, leaving them to charge forward on brute force alone.

And this was exactly what Ayanokoji wanted to see.

He stopped dodging and met them head-on.

In the first exchange, the crew-cut boy felt a numbness in his wrist, and his entire arm instantly lost its strength. In the second, the tall, thin boy was swept in the side of the knee and stumbled to the ground. In the third, the last man was pinned to the floor with a simple grappling technique, unable to move.

The entire process took less than ten seconds.

The three lay on the ground, clutching their arms or knees, their faces masks of pain and disbelief.

They hadn't even seen how he had struck them.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka straightened his slightly disheveled collar and looked at the now-pale Kushida Kikyo.

"Kushida-san," his voice remained flat, yet it now carried an invisible pressure. "Is this the 'justice' you wanted?"

"I... I..." Kushida took a step back, a look of genuine fear appearing in her eyes for the first time.

"I don't know who put you up to this, and I don't care," Ayanokoji continued. "But tell that person—if they want to play games, I'll play along. But if they use such low-handed tactics again..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three groaning men on the ground: "Next time, it won't be this simple."

With that, he turned to leave.

But just then, applause rang out.

"Brilliant, truly brilliant."

A figure emerged from the shadows of the school building. A black uniform, a red tie—a student from Class C.

More importantly, this was someone Ayanokoji recognized.

No, it should be said that Yang Ye recognized him—through the original work of Classroom of the Elite.

Ryuen Kakeru.

The tyrant of Class C, the man who ruled his class through violence and fear. At this moment, he was clapping, a savage and excited smile plastered on his face.

"I never expected it, I really didn't. Class D actually hides such an expert." Ryuen walked to the center of the courtyard, his gaze fixed on Ayanokoji like a viper. "Those losers said you were just lucky, but now it seems... you're more interesting than I imagined."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stopped and turned to face this uninvited guest.

"Ryuen Kakeru."

"Oh? You know me?" Ryuen raised an eyebrow. "That makes things easier. Saves me the trouble of introducing myself."

He kicked the groaning crew-cut boy at his feet. "These losers were a test I sent. I just wanted to see how much the 'perfect-score genius' of Class D was really worth, but I didn't expect... to be given such a big surprise."

His gaze scanned Ayanokoji up and down, as if appraising a newly acquired toy.

"Your skills aren't those of an ordinary high schooler. Have you trained? Or perhaps... do you have some special 'background'?"

This was a dangerous question. In this school, every student had a file, but some students' files were "special"—like Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's own.

"That has nothing to do with you," Ayanokoji replied.

"Hahaha!" Ryuen laughed. "Interesting! Very interesting! I'm starting to like you, Ayanokoji... or, what should I call you?"

His gaze suddenly turned sharp: "A product of the White Room, also interested in this kind of school game?"

This sentence struck like a thunderclap.

The White Room—the place Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had struggled to escape and hide from, the "facility" that had forged his very instincts.

How could Kakeru Ryuen possibly know?

No, he couldn't possibly know the full details. But clearly, he had grasped some clues—clues substantial enough to pose a threat.

Even if this differed from the original narrative.

For the first time, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's eyes flickered, though it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

And Kakeru Ryuen caught that fleeting ripple.

"Looks like I guessed right." He wore a satisfied smile. "Though I don't know the specific details, someone with a background of special training hiding their strength in Class D... that in itself is interesting enough."

He stepped forward, lowering his voice: "Listen, Ayanokoji. I have no interest in your secret, at least not for now. What I'm interested in is you."

"And?"

"And so, I want to invite you to play a game." Kakeru Ryuen's smile turned cruel. "A game between Class C and Class D. And you are my... special opponent."

"What if I refuse?"

"Refuse?" Kakeru Ryuen glanced at the three people on the ground, then at the pale-faced Kikyo Kushida.

"What do you think would happen if today's incident reached the school authorities? An act of violence, or rather, an act of violence involving multiple classes... that would be enough to get some people expelled, wouldn't it?"

He was threatening him, and the threat was highly effective.

Ayanokoji remained silent for a moment before finally speaking: "What game?"

"Simple." Kakeru Ryuen grinned. "Let's make a bet on the next special exam. If you win, I'll keep your secret and ensure Class C stops bothering Class D—at least during my tenure."

"And if I lose?"

"Then you have to do three things for me. Don't worry, I won't make you get expelled or hurt your classmates... probably." Kakeru Ryuen's laughter was filled with malice. "How about it? Dare to play?"

The courtyard fell into silence. Only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the muffled groans of the three on the ground remained.

Kikyo Kushida stared fixedly at Ayanokoji, waiting for his answer.

Her plan had failed completely, but now, the situation was spiraling into a state she could no longer control.

And Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was currently analyzing the situation rapidly in his mind.

Kakeru Ryuen's proposal seemed fair, but it was riddled with traps.

Yet the cost of refusal might be even greater—Kakeru Ryuen could indeed blow today's incident out of proportion, and in that event, not only he, but even Kikyo and Class D could be implicated.

More importantly, Kakeru Ryuen had already taken notice of him. In such a situation, facing it head-on was better than running away.

"I accept," Ayanokoji finally said.

"A wise choice!" Kakeru Ryuen laughed, patting him on the shoulder. "Then, I look forward to your performance in the next special exam, my 'special opponent'."

He turned to leave, but as he reached the entrance of the courtyard, he looked back and added: "Oh, and a friendly reminder—be careful of the people around you. Not everyone likes to play games out in the open like I do."

His gaze swept over Kikyo Kushida, intentionally or otherwise, before he walked away with a loud laugh.

Only Ayanokoji, Kikyo, and the three groaning "actors" remained in the courtyard.

"I, I'm sorry..." Kikyo finally spoke, her voice trembling. "I didn't know it would end up like this... I just... they threatened me..."

"Kikyo," Ayanokoji interrupted, "your acting is excellent, but there's no need to continue."

He looked at her, his eyes terrifyingly calm: "I won't pursue what happened today. But remember—this is the last time."

With that, he turned and left without another glance.

He left Kikyo Kushida standing there, her expression shifting uncontrollably.

Fear, humiliation, anger, resentment... various emotions churned within her. But in the end, all these emotions coalesced into a single thought:

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka... I must uncover all his secrets.

And then, control him.

Or... destroy him.

Evening, Class C classroom.

Kakeru Ryuen stood by the window, looking out at the campus scenery.

"Ryuen, do you really believe that Ayanokoji is some product of the 'White Room'?" a girl asked as she walked up to him. She was one of his confidants, Mio Ibuki.

"Whether I believe it or not doesn't matter," Kakeru Ryuen said without turning his head. "What matters is that he has value. Class D has always been the softest target for us to manipulate, but now... there's a variable."

"Variables can be eliminated."

"No." Kakeru Ryuen turned around, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Variables make the game more interesting. And..."

He walked to the center of the classroom, looking at the core members of Class C gathered there: "Don't you think? Constantly bullying the weak gets boring eventually. Occasionally meeting someone who can fight back... that's what makes it fun."

The members looked at each other, but no one dared to contradict him.

"Listen," Kakeru Ryuen's voice turned serious. "From today on, increase surveillance on Class D, especially that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. But don't act rashly—don't alert the enemy before the special exam."

"Understood!"

Ryuen looked back out the window, the setting sun staining the sky a blood red.

"Ayanokoji Kiyotaka... let me see just how far you can play along with me."

Meanwhile, inside the Class D dormitory, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka sat at his desk, staring at the system interface.

[Ding! Emergency mission "Countermeasure" completed!]

[Method assessment: Effectively repelled the threat, established psychological deterrence against the mastermind (Kushida Kikyo), and avoided serious injury that would have triggered school intervention.]

[Overall Rating: A]

[Rewards distributed: Deterrence +10, Tactical Thinking (Beginner) unlocked.]

[Current Deterrence: 25/100 (Small-scale, within the class)]

[Ding! Detected that the host has reached a special agreement with key figure "Ryuen Kakeru," triggering a long-term confrontation mission: Tyrant's Challenge.]

[Mission Description: Defeat Ryuen Kakeru and the Class C he leads in upcoming special exams.]

[Mission Rewards: Large amount of points and special abilities, depending on the method and impact of victory.]

[Failure Penalty: Must fulfill the promise made to Ryuen Kakeru, and class reputation will drop significantly.]

Two missions, two challenges.

Kushida Kikyo's secret surveillance, Ryuen Kakeru's direct provocation, and the various problems within the class...

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka closed the system interface and looked out at the deepening night.

"Tyrant's Challenge, huh..." he muttered to himself, "Very well. Let me see just how much 'ability'—in this classroom where ability is everything—can actually change."

He picked up a pen and wrote several names in his notebook:

Horikita Suzune, Hirata Yosuke, Karuizawa Kei, Sudo Ken...

And, Kushida Kikyo.

"The establishment of the core circle... needs to be accelerated."

The night grew heavy, and the lights of Advanced Nurturing High School flickered on one by one.

The game has officially begun.