One sentence was all it took for Makoto Nishikado to make Kushida Kikyo follow his instructions.
"Kikyo-chan, you wouldn't want this recording getting out, would you?"
Kushida Kikyo looked up angrily and met Makoto Nishikado's amused gaze.
It reflected how miserable she looked at that moment: her cheeks were flushed red with anger, and even her hair was a mess.
"What do you want me to do?"
Kushida Kikyo still had enough sense to know what she should do.
At that moment, she didn't even have the power to drag them down with her.
"Join Horikita Suzune's faction and help her take control of Class D."
"Until we deal with Class A and Class C, our two classes will work together."
Makoto Nishikado shook the voice recorder in his hand and gave her his answer.
He wasn't some kind of demon, and his demands were perfectly reasonable.
"Hmph. Looks like you two aren't that close after all. You're already thinking about fighting each other in the future?"
Kushida Kikyo sneered.
Makoto Nishikado and Horikita Suzune didn't react to her impotent rage.
As the leader of a team, one ought to understand the truth that "there are no eternal allies, only eternal interests."
Kushida Kikyo surely understood that herself. She'd just lost her mind and was desperate to vent her feelings.
"I agree. I'm leaving now. Don't you dare come up with a second condition, or I'll take you both down with me!"
Kushida Kikyo stormed off.
"Is this really enough? She didn't seem willing, and something might go wrong."
Watching Kushida Kikyo's retreating figure, Horikita Suzune's instincts told her this wasn't over.
Kushida Kikyo wasn't exactly an honest person. She might betray them at a crucial moment.
The consequences of being ruined were painful, but she'd already experienced them once. Maybe she wasn't as afraid of them now.
If so, she'd simply switch from betraying them openly to doing it in secret.
"Don't worry. Leave the rest to me. I'll tell you how I tame her, so you can use it as a reference."
"Once she's truly under control, I might need you to help out."
Makoto Nishikado quietly stated what he wanted.
He needed Horikita Suzune to make a few sacrifices.
"Will that work? If it will, I don't mind."
Horikita Suzune didn't care.
As long as she could get Kushida Kikyo as a useful piece on the board—no, as a partner—she was willing to pay the price.
"In that case, it's settled."
Makoto Nishikado waved goodbye to Horikita Suzune and left with Yuki Himeno, but his thoughts had already turned to Karuizawa Kei.
Because of the commotion he'd stirred up in Class D, Karuizawa Kei had given him a large number of emotion points.
Makoto Nishikado wasn't stupid. He was clever enough to know all the details.
He only had to think for a moment to figure out what Karuizawa Kei was thinking.
Perhaps he could make a deal with her.
By then, the three girls in Class D and the people around them could form a group strong enough to split the class.
"Will you make a move?"
Thinking of Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's robotic face, Makoto Nishikado felt a little excited.
Given his personality and experience from two lifetimes, he'd normally prefer a strategy that guaranteed victory.
Setting a trap to deal with Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, that bug of a person, wasn't a wise move.
But after acquiring his cheat, Makoto Nishikado had unconsciously changed his attitude.
Now he was actually looking forward to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka making a move soon.
"Himeno, we're done here. You can go to the study session too."
"Sure, boss. Aren't you going to join the study session?"
"Who do you think I am? There's no need."
"I know, but everyone does wish you'd join in on group activities once in a while."
"Did Ichinose ask you to tell me that? All right, I'll be merciful and keep you company today."
By the time the day's study session ended, it was already night when Makoto Nishikado returned to his dorm.
He'd just finished showering when a message came in.
[Kamuro Masumi: Are you free this weekend? Sakayanagi has something she wants to meet you about.]
[Makoto Nishikado: I am, I am. I've got plenty of time to go on a date with the master thief.]
[Kamuro Masumi: You didn't even change how you address me, and you're already thinking about a date!]
[Makoto Nishikado: How could you do this to me? My love is lost forever; all I see is ruin!]
[Makoto Nishikado: When and where?]
[Kamuro Masumi: ...Come to the Go Club's activity room this weekend.]
[Makoto Nishikado: Is she looking to get crushed?]
"Wow, someone else is watching the chat!"
Makoto Nishikado saw in the system notification that both Kamuro Masumi and Sakayanagi Arisu had given him emotion points.
Sakayanagi Arisu really wasn't being honest.
[Kamuro Masumi: You really dare to say that!]
[Makoto Nishikado: The evil little mage should be better at chess, right? I can play her at that.]
[Kamuro Masumi: Who's the evil little mage?]
[Makoto Nishikado: The little princess, of course. Her iconic line is, 'I'm a demon! Don't laugh!']
[Kamuro Masumi: Believe me, one day you're going to get beaten up!]
Makoto Nishikado could see that Sakayanagi Arisu had given him over a hundred thousand emotion points this time.
[Makoto Nishikado: Even Kito Hayato and Hashimoto Masayoshi together can't beat me. The little princess still has a long way to go.]
[Kamuro Masumi: You know about all that?]
[Makoto Nishikado: What if I can take on ten people at once? What's the little princess going to do about that?]
[Kamuro Masumi: Sakayanagi says she'll send me to fight you.]
[Makoto Nishikado: So the naturally evil little kid from Sakayanagi has another trick up her sleeve!]
[Makoto Nishikado: Well, that can't be helped. I'm no Haymaker; I can't hit women. Just go easy on me when the time comes, and don't touch my handsome face.]
[Kamuro Masumi: Come to think of it, why are the two of you chatting through me?]
[Makoto Nishikado: That's just how the little princess is. If I gave you my contact info but not hers, she'd definitely think I was provoking her.]
[Makoto Nishikado: So she wants to beat me first, then ask for my contact info.]
[Kamuro Masumi: ...You guessed right again. Sakayanagi says it's rare to meet someone who understands her so well, so she likes you.]
[Makoto Nishikado: I like her too. And tell her she guessed right: I am provoking her.]
[Kamuro Masumi: Have the two of you ever considered getting married?]
[Makoto Nishikado: I'd be happy to, but with my level of Go, it's pretty much impossible for her to beat me, so I can't be her dog.]
[Kamuro Masumi: You're impressive. Sakayanagi says if you beat her, my date with you will still go ahead.]
[Makoto Nishikado: Seriously, sis, why do you get the perks when she loses?]
[Kamuro Masumi: You call that a perk? Sakayanagi says she'll go on a date with you too if you win.]
[Makoto Nishikado: Tell her I want to beat her ten times in a row!]
Makoto Nishikado had just finished his conversation with a master and her servant when he received another message not long afterward.
"Am I this popular today? I guess being too handsome is a real headache."
Makoto Nishikado opened the new message. This time, it was from Kushida Kikyo.
Looking out at the night, Makoto Nishikado couldn't help but sigh.
"Kikyo-chan really can't wait, huh?"
Before you continue