"That was satisfying. We only played for two hours, but I got my fix. What did you think?" Kitahara stretched after the game and turned to Kamuro and the others.
Lying facedown on the desk, Kamuro said in despair:
"If I'd known, I never would've agreed to join your club."
"I can't believe it. I thought we'd just play a few games, but instead I was put through two whole hours of torture."
Kanzaki sat on the other side. He said nothing, but the lightless look in his eyes spoke volumes about what he'd been through.
Images of himself being executed kept flashing through his mind, along with the repeated sound of weapons clashing.
The weapons scattered across the ground in front of the throne in Extreme Emperor City showed just how intense the fighting had been.
"Ahem. It's nothing. It was your first time playing, after all. You'll get the hang of it with a little practice," Kitahara said reassuringly.
"..." Kamuro and Kanzaki were speechless. Was that what they meant?
"But the weather's still awful. How are we supposed to get back? Did either of you bring an umbrella?" Kitahara looked outside at the pouring rain.
"No," they both replied, shaking their heads.
"Then how about we play a few more rounds? We can't go back in this weather anyway, so what do you—" Before Kitahara could finish, the classroom door opened.
Ichinose walked in carrying three umbrellas. She smiled and said, "I was worried you might not have brought umbrellas, so I brought a few over."
"Are you still playing?"
"N-no... We're done. Thank you so much, Ichinose. You came at just the right time." Kamuro hurried over, looking delighted.
"Really?" Ichinose asked, turning to Kitahara.
Though he felt a little hurt by Kamuro's reaction, Kitahara replied, "We're really done. We were just wondering how we'd get back, and then you showed up."
Ichinose handed them the umbrellas with a smile. "Good. You should head back quickly. It doesn't look like the rain will let up anytime soon."
Kitahara accepted an umbrella, feeling touched. Ichinose really had thought of everything.
Kamuro and Kanzaki hurriedly took theirs too, eager to escape this "gaming hell."
Meanwhile, behind the Special Teaching Building, Ryuen looked at the three people kneeling on the ground and said:
"Who took it upon themselves to withdraw the complaint without my permission?"
"It... it was the three of us," Ishizaki replied nervously from the ground.
"Albert," Ryuen said to the Black man beside him.
"This is the boss's order. Don't blame me."
"Ah... ah..."
After Albert had finished roughing him up, Ryuen stepped on his back and continued:
"I wanted to crush Class D and use it as a chance to see how the school would react, and what that guy was capable of. Now it's all gone to waste."
"You useless trash. A little punishment is only fair, isn't it?"
"Tell me who set you up. Was it that Kitahara guy or someone else?"
"It was..."
When he didn't get the answer he wanted, Ryuen said, "Get lost, you useless trash."
"I never expected Class D to have someone like that besides Kitahara. Looks like I'll have to..."
"Step... step..."
At the sound behind him, Ryuen turned and said to the person who had arrived:
"Sakayanagi, right?"
"I remember you're from Class C..." Sakayanagi Arisu replied.
"Pretending to be a queen right after starting school? How arrogant." Ryuen saw the people around her shielding her and spoke up.
"That wasn't my intention," Sakayanagi said with a smile.
"I'll crush Class D, then Class B, and finally Class A. I'll crush you, too." Ryuen fixed his gaze on Yanagihara and made his threat.
"Do you really think you can?"
Two voices sounded at the same time.
Noticing who had arrived, Sakayanagi smiled and said:
"Kitahara, it's been such a long time."
Hearing how Sakayanagi addressed him, Ryuen turned his gaze toward him and said:
"You're Kitahara Seiichi from Class D."
"Ah, I didn't realize I was so famous. But I can't believe even you, the leader of Class C, don't know who I am."
Kitahara teased him lightly.
"This really is an unexpected meeting. I didn't expect representatives from all the classes to be here," Ryuen said, looking at Ichinose beside Kitahara.
"Then let me say it again: I'll crush your Class D, Kitahara, and their classes too."
"After all, this school only needs one king."
"Indeed," Sakayanagi replied, undaunted.
Watching the two of them make such childish declarations, Kitahara could only answer helplessly, "I'm not interested in being some so-called king. Besides, I'm not Class D's representative."
"Class D's representative is the one who made you take a hit this time."
Hearing Kitahara bring it up again, Ryuen said:
"Horikita? I won't let her off easily. Once I've dealt with her, you're next."
"Is that so? I'll look forward to it," Kitahara replied with a smile.
"..."
Kitahara was about to leave when he noticed that Kamuro, who had been standing nearby, had somehow appeared beside Sakayanagi.
Seeing this, Kitahara could only feel sorry for her in silence.
"Then I'll be off. See you all." Kitahara left with Ichinose.
"I'm glad the plan went smoothly," Ayanokoji said to Horikita, who seemed troubled.
"You used me, didn't you?" Horikita said after a long silence.
"What are you talking about?"
"You pointed out that there were no security cameras in the Special Teaching Building, then led me into giving false testimony," Horikita said slowly.
"You're overthinking it."
"You promised to help me get promoted to Class A, didn't you?"
"That was mostly because you forced me." After saying this, Ayanokoji tried to leave, but Horikita grabbed him.
"I want to know what you're really thinking."
Seeing Horikita's gaze and realizing she might have figured something out, Ayanokoji replied:
"I just want to live a quiet life. That's all."
"If you really didn't want to, you wouldn't have stepped in to help."
"I suppose I just wanted to help a friend," Ayanokoji said, making up an excuse.
"Liar. You never once thought of anyone as a friend."
"So who are you, really?"
After Horikita pressed him again and again, Ayanokoji paused to think before answering:
"I'll help you get promoted to Class A, but..."
"But what?"
"Stop trying to figure me out."
The next day, Ichinose stood at the front of Class B and explained what Kitahara had meant the day before.
After hearing her explanation, everyone understood that Kitahara wanted to join Class B, but they would still need nearly four million points. Faced with such a huge sum, they all fell silent.
Just then, Shiranami raised her hand and asked Ichinose, "What do you think, Ichinose? I'll go with whatever you decide."
As soon as she finished speaking, many others voiced their support for Ichinose too. "We'll support your decision."
Seeing how much everyone trusted her, Ichinose was happy, but she still explained the pros and cons.
She said that if Kitahara joined them, Class B would become stronger, but they would also lose most of the points they had been saving for so long.
So she asked them to consider their decision carefully.
After Ichinose finished speaking, everyone began thinking it over again. After a brief pause, Kanzaki stood up and said, "Then let's vote."
"Yeah, that works. It's fairer that way," Shibata, seated beside him, agreed.
"All right, then let's vote," Ichinose said, looking at them as she made the decision.