Sakayanagi Arisu, Joy!

"I lost, and I lost quite miserably."

Sakayanagi Arisu savored the memory of the match just now, complex emotions surging within her.

Don't let her current composure fool you; her expression had been ghastly when she first suffered defeat, and she had even spiraled into severe self-doubt.

Wait, was that for real? Was she not a genius after all?

As a genius, how could she have lost so badly?

"I practically lost my dignity along with the game."

In truth, Sakayanagi Arisu could sense that in chess, Makoto Nishikado was only slightly better than her.

If she were to play ten games against Makoto Nishikado, her record would likely be four wins and six losses.

But to Sakayanagi Arisu, no matter how miserably she lost at Go, it was merely a minor defeat.

Yet, while the chess match was technically a minor defeat, she had actually been beaten to a pulp.

Go was Makoto Nishikado's forte, whereas chess should have been her own.

To be defeated in such a pathetic manner in her area of greatest expertise—anyone else would have been consumed by resentment by now.

Yet, even Sakayanagi Arisu found it strange that she broke free from those feelings of frustration so quickly.

It was incredible; at this very moment, her heart was filled with satisfaction.

The corners of her mouth curled upward uncontrollably, her smile widening until it finally transformed into a string of crisp laughter.

"Sakayanagi, are you alright?"

Kamuro Masumi was beginning to feel afraid.

Laughter? This was the Nika Conquest.

The naturally wicked little princess of Class A had lost so miserably, yet she could still laugh?

Was this not a case of laughing out of sheer rage?

Kamuro Masumi was already wondering how many children Sakayanagi Arisu would have to "devour" today to vent her anger.

Sakayanagi Arisu ignored Kamuro Masumi, her eyes fixed on Makoto Nishikado, unwilling to look away, her gaze filled with admiration.

"Cheng, you are an unparalleled genius."

"Next time, on the stage of class competition, please use your full strength against me as well."

With that, Sakayanagi Arisu stood up and bowed to Makoto Nishikado.

For the first time, she realized that when encountering a genius far above her, the emotion surging in her heart was actually joy.

She even hoped that Makoto Nishikado would always defeat her in the future, never giving her a chance to surpass him.

She wanted to see the limits of talent.

That was the very thing she had been pursuing all along.

"I just happen to know how to play, I wouldn't call it unparalleled."

Makoto Nishikado shook his head, not particularly smug.

In his past life, the renowned nine-time champion was also an abstract figure on the internet.

He simply liked Go, so he had studied it a bit more than others.

As for talent, without his cheat, he could still beat Sakayanagi Arisu, but only at Go.

It would be impossible to make Sakayanagi Arisu doubt her own existence like he had today.

"As for the challenge regarding class competition, I welcome it anytime."

"However, it would be best not to involve others; just you and me."

Facing Sakayanagi Arisu's challenge, Makoto Nishikado naturally would not avoid the fight.

The little princess was someone who could handle a loss, and playing chess with her was quite pleasant—seeing the massive haul of emotion points he had gained made it even more so.

"Is it because there is someone in Class B you care about?"

Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly turned her head, her gaze landing on Yuki Himeno not far away.

She still wore that seemingly gentle smile, yet Yuki Himeno felt as if she had been doused with a basin of ice water, instantly feeling a bone-chilling cold.

Was this leader of Class A an escaped princess from an ice kingdom?

"That's not the reason; I just hope that our duels can remain purer."

Makoto Nishikado stood up and blocked Yuki Himeno from view.

He couldn't let anyone bully his little follower.

"That's good; I also don't want others interfering in our contest."

Sakayanagi Arisu withdrew her gaze, and Makoto Nishikado also stood up with a smile to see her off.

After waving goodbye to Makoto Nishikado, Sakayanagi Arisu left with Kamuro Masumi.

Along the way, Kamuro Masumi remained somewhat worried about Sakayanagi Arisu's mental state.

Seeing her expression so focused, as if she were savoring something, Kamuro Masumi dared not step forward to disturb her.

She knew Sakayanagi Arisu's temper all too well; interrupting her at a time like this would only lead to a miserable outcome.

Before entering the dormitory, Sakayanagi Arisu stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Kamuro Masumi.

"If it were a date, where would you like to go?"

Since she had lost, Sakayanagi Arisu would naturally honor the agreement.

Next, she and Kamuro Masumi would have to find some free time to accompany Makoto Nishikado on a date together.

Thinking about it, she was actually quite looking forward to it.

"...No, why are you asking this question too!"

Kamuro Masumi felt like this question was deja vu.

There was another issue.

To this day, she still didn't understand why she had to be punished along with them just because Makoto Nishikado and Sakayanagi Arisu had made a bet.

For a moment, Kamuro Masumi even felt a bit envious of Yuki Himeno.

Look at her boss, and then look at yours!

"Masumi, do you have some sort of opinion about me? Feel free to say it directly."

Sakayanagi Arisu asked with a gentle expression.

"I wouldn't dare, but I also have no relevant experience."

Kamuro Masumi let out a cold snort.

Although she listened to Sakayanagi Arisu, she didn't listen to everything.

"Then go back and think about it carefully; when we have class the day after tomorrow, please run an errand for me."

Sakayanagi Arisu nodded and explained her request.