"Let's hurry as well! We can't let them occupy the broadcasting room like this; if it drags on, it will only incite even greater chaos."
Jumonji Katsuto urged Kudo Mitsunobu, wanting him to pick up the pace.
"Though, it has already caused quite a commotion as it is."
Kudo Mitsunobu glanced at the students who had abandoned their classes and quickened his steps to catch up with Jumonji Katsuto.
By the time the two arrived at the broadcasting room, the entrance was already packed with people; they were the last to arrive.
"Saegusa, what is the current situation?"
Jumonji Katsuto took the lead in asking Saegusa Mayumi, wanting to grasp the state of affairs.
"They are currently occupying the broadcasting room, demanding that we improve the treatment of Course 2 Students."
Saegusa Mayumi spoke with a troubled expression. In truth, there was no need for them to be this anxious; she had already perfected the plan, and it was originally scheduled to be brought before the School Council for a vote in the near future.
Yet, who could have foreseen that such an incident would occur right now?
"Have you considered a direct, forceful breakthrough?"
Watanabe Mari said bluntly. She had arrived only a few minutes before Kudo Mitsunobu and the others, so she hadn't participated in the prior discussions. To her, these people were nothing more than criminals, and there was no need to show them any mercy.
Furthermore, given the strength of those inside, if the people present were to force their way in, they could completely subdue their opponents in just three minutes without causing any significant damage.
"We cannot do that. It seems the other side is also seeking a path toward a formal resolution; a forced breakthrough would only further escalate the conflict."
Ichihara Suzune shook her head, clearly disagreeing with Watanabe Mari's suggestion of a frontal assault.
None of the suggestions offered were reliable or feasible, and the atmosphere among those present grew increasingly tense.
"Should we consider accepting their proposal and agreeing to negotiate, resolving their forced occupation of school facilities first?"
"Besides, everyone here already harbors the desire to eliminate the hostility between Course 1 Students and Course 2 Students, don't they?"
Kudo Mitsunobu offered his opinion, attempting to resolve the problem from a different angle.
"A good suggestion." Saegusa Mayumi immediately affirmed Kudo Mitsunobu's proposal. After all, among the many solutions suggested so far, this was the most practical.
"Acceptable."
Even Watanabe Mari, who had been quite firm in her stance, agreed to the suggestion after a moment of thought.
"Then it's settled!"
Jumonji Katsuto's nod meant that the resolution to this matter was finalized. After all, with the three major powers of the school in agreement, there was no room for others to interject.
The hardliners led by Hattori Hanzo had no choice but to back down under these circumstances!
"Now, all that remains is to contact those inside. Does anyone here have a way to reach them?"
"If not, I'll go borrow a megaphone!"
Kudo Mitsunobu scanned the crowd, but everyone shook their heads. Only Shiba Tatsuya pulled his mobile terminal from his jacket pocket.
After a few rings, the call was immediately answered by the other side.
"Junior Shiba, is there something you need?"
A girl's voice came from the other end of the line. Shiba Miyuki's face immediately darkened, and a playful smile appeared on Kudo Mitsunobu's face.
Shiba Tatsuya naturally noticed his sister's emotional shift, but this was not the time for him to explain to her why he had the contact information of a strange girl on his mobile terminal.
"Senior Mibu, are you currently inside the broadcasting room?"
"Yes, is there something you need, Junior Shiba?"
Shiba Tatsuya held the terminal to his ear and used his eyes to ask the others how he should respond.
Kudo Mitsunobu reached out, signaling for Shiba Tatsuya to hand over the terminal. Shiba Tatsuya did not hesitate and promptly placed it in Kudo Mitsunobu's hand.
"My apologies, Senior Mibu."
"I am the Student Council Vice President, Kudo Mitsunobu."
After Kudo Mitsunobu finished speaking, Mibu Sayaka on the other end fell silent for a moment.
"What do you want? We will not leave until the school agrees to our demands."
"Calling you is proof that we have agreed to your request for negotiations."
"Otherwise, what you would be facing right now is a forced breakthrough from us."
Kudo Mitsunobu said coldly. This attitude was typical for him, as he had always despised idiots who couldn't think for themselves.
The other end of the line fell into a long silence, likely as they discussed whether or not to accept.
"We accept your terms for negotiation," Mibu Sayaka's voice came through again.
Kudo Mitsunobu felt his mood sour even further; they were the ones who had requested the negotiations, yet they were acting as if the Student Council was the one begging them.
"Then hurry up and come out of the broadcasting room so we can discuss the specific details of the negotiations. Staying in there like this will affect the school's normal operations."
"Wait, how will our safety be guaranteed?"
Mibu Sayaka interrupted Kudo Mitsunobu directly.
"Listen, Senior Mibu, although the Student Council has agreed to your request for negotiations, you don't actually think that you can do something like this without facing any punishment, or that you'll be easily forgiven, do you?"
Kudo Mitsunobu's sneer deepened.
"But we only wanted to demand the treatment we deserve."
"Causing a disturbance on campus, unauthorized use of magic, and wantonly inciting the student body. Do you need me to list more of your criminal acts?"
"If you wanted to demand fair treatment, you could have come directly to the Student Council to find us, but after what you've done now, there is no way this will end easily."
"The only guarantee I can give you is that you will have a fair, just, and transparent negotiation, but the crimes you have committed can be judged after that negotiation."
Kudo Mitsunobu had no interest in lying to them by promising forgiveness or anything of the sort; he told them the reality of the situation directly. If they remained obsessed and refused to see reason, then there would be only one outcome for them.
The opposing side seemed intimidated by Kudo Mitsunobu's frigid tone, and his unyielding attitude made it clear to them that this was an ultimatum—they had only two options: accept or refuse.
After a while, the main doors were pushed open.
The Course 2 Students inside all swarmed out, led by Mibu Sayaka, who had been the one speaking to Kudo Mitsunobu just moments before.