Going their separate ways

The three left the Martial Arts Club just as sunlight spilled across the windows, warm and pleasant.

"These points really were easy to earn." Rokusuke Koenji straightened his bangs and could not help remarking.

Looking at the extra three hundred thousand points he now had, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji showed a flicker of agreement.

"Indeed. It was much easier than I expected."

"Don't celebrate too soon. An opportunity this good might only come along today." Ken Kaneki put away his terminal, his tone somewhat meaningful.

"You've probably guessed it already. Our points might plummet next month. Given the state of our class, that's extremely likely to happen.

You must have seen Class D's performance today too. That glimpse tells us enough. With those sheltered flowers, our points are very likely to be wiped out next month."

Listening to Ken Kaneki's deductions, Ayanokoji and Beautiful Guy both found nothing wrong with them. In their view, if the rules really worked as they expected, Class 1-D would not have many points left.

"I don't care what happens to those mediocrities, but without points, my quality of life would decline considerably."

"That's why we need to use this time to find our own way of earning points." The corners of Ken Kaneki's mouth lifted in a slight smile.

"Since the rules allow us to wager points, we can challenge the various clubs and build up our points as much as possible. With our abilities, it should be easy."

"What a barbaric yet efficient plan. Well then, let's each find our own prey. Being with you two dims my radiance far too much." Beautiful Guy laughed loudly and offered his suggestion.

"Exactly what I wanted." Kiyotaka Ayanokoji nodded. He felt the same way about it.

After a brief discussion, the three split up, agreeing to earn points separately without meeting up again afterward.

Over the next few hours, Ken Kaneki visited many clubs whose activities he excelled at.

Relying on several skills he had honed to perfection, he earned quite a few points, completing the first stage of his initial capital accumulation.

After leaving the Judo Club, Ken Kaneki wandered aimlessly through the corridors and unwittingly arrived at a relatively quiet corner of the school building.

He looked up. The sign read "Chess Club."

Perhaps it was fate. When Ken Kaneki slid open the door, he saw a girl sitting by the window, staring at a chessboard.

The girl had exceedingly rare, short silver-white hair, skin fairer than snow, and delicate features, like a porcelain doll from the West.

She wore a neat school uniform and had a petite figure, with a rather ornate cane beside her.

Ken Kaneki softened his footsteps and quietly walked behind the girl, carefully watching her match against the upperclassman opposite her.

As he looked at the girl before him, information from the original work involuntarily came back to Ken Kaneki.

Sakayanagi Arisu, the undisputed core of Class 1-A, who called herself a true genius.

She had congenital heart disease and difficulty walking, but possessed one of the finest minds in the school.

More importantly, she was among the very few who knew of Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's White Room background, and even unilaterally considered Ayanokoji her childhood friend.

To Ken Kaneki, she was an immensely captivating character who fought with her intellect, dangerous and elegant.

She was also one of his favorite characters when he watched Classroom of the Elite, and he had seriously studied chess because of her.

The girl seemed to notice the gaze behind her, but paid it no mind. At her leisure, she picked up a piece and gently set it on the board.

Her bearing had the air of a master. She was utterly unhurried.

In contrast, the upperclassman opposite her was drenched in sweat, his eyes fixed on the board, even his hand holding a piece trembling slightly.

He had surely cursed the girl hundreds, if not thousands, of times in his mind.

A mischievous child toying with an old man, an expert crushing weaker players-it was exactly that.

"Check." Sakayanagi Arisu's red lips parted slightly. Her voice was sweet and ethereal, while her presence carried an oppressive air that brooked no argument.

The upperclassman put down the piece in his hand dejectedly and let out a long sigh. "I resign."

Then he took out his Student Terminal and deftly performed a few operations.

Ken Kaneki keenly noticed a notification pop up on Sakayanagi Arisu's terminal, showing that points had arrived.

It seemed that, like him, this genius girl was exploiting a loophole in the welcome day rules to collect points through wagers.

After the upperclassman rose and left with his head hanging, Ken Kaneki pulled out the chair and sat opposite Sakayanagi Arisu.

"You're very skilled, miss. Would you be interested in a game with me? The same stakes as before, three hundred thousand points. How about it?"

Ken Kaneki spoke with a smile, gently coaxing her.

Hearing that figure, Sakayanagi Arisu gave him a rather surprised look. She raised her head slightly and studied the boy before her.

A tall, straight figure and handsome features. His first impression was quite good.

What surprised her most was that he appeared to be a first-year student too, yet could casually put up three hundred thousand points as a wager.

"Three hundred thousand points is no small sum. It seems you've reaped quite a harvest elsewhere." Sakayanagi Arisu glanced at the clock on the wall. Seeing that it was still early, she nodded lightly. "Since you're in the mood, I'll gladly play you to the end."

The two quickly set up the board, with Ken Kaneki playing black and Sakayanagi Arisu playing white.

The game officially began. Chess had been Ken Kaneki's favorite intellectual sport between tedious training sessions in his previous life, and his skill had long since reached a professional level.

Even after coming to this world of Classroom of the Elite, he had never neglected it.

During the opening, Ken Kaneki moved his pieces rapidly, his attacks fierce, showing no mercy simply because his opponent was a frail girl.

Sakayanagi Arisu had initially been somewhat casual, but after a dozen or so exchanges, her gaze gradually grew serious.

She discovered that not only was the boy's defense watertight, but his offensive traps linked together one after another. The command he displayed over the board actually made her feel pressure she had not experienced in a long time.

"Your style is very domineering, yet extraordinarily meticulous. That's truly rare." As Sakayanagi Arisu considered her response, she spoke softly. "Let me introduce myself properly. I'm Sakayanagi Arisu of this year's Class 1-A."

"Ken Kaneki, Class 1-D." Ken Kaneki calmly moved his knight and replied with a smile.

"Class 1-D?" Hearing that class, Sakayanagi Arisu's hand paused slightly as she moved a piece, and her eyes immediately lit up with interest.

Her self-proclaimed childhood friend, the boy hailed as the White Room's greatest masterpiece, happened to be in Class 1-D as well.

She had originally thought everyone in that class apart from Kiyotaka Ayanokoji was defective. She had not expected someone like Ken Kaneki to be hidden there too.

Not only did he have the ability to put up three hundred thousand points, but his mastery of chess could also rival hers.

"It seems this year's Class D will be very interesting." Sakayanagi Arisu smiled meaningfully and moved a bishop, trying to defuse Ken Kaneki's attack.

"It certainly will be interesting. Quite a few interesting people have gathered there, after all."

Ken Kaneki naturally understood her implication, but did not spell it out, instead returning his attention to the board.

The two traded moves, and the position on the board became fiercely contested.

Time ticked by. Finally, after nearly an hour of intense battle, Ken Kaneki picked up the black queen with his slender fingers and firmly placed it in a deadly position.

"Checkmate." Ken Kaneki leaned back in his chair and smiled at the girl opposite him.

Sakayanagi Arisu quietly studied the board, her mind racing as she tried to find even the slightest possibility of breaking through.

However, after calculating dozens of possible continuations, she reluctantly discovered that her king had been completely trapped.

"What a splendid game." Sakayanagi Arisu was not annoyed by her defeat. Instead, she revealed a smile of genuine admiration.

She elegantly put down the piece in her hand and said frankly, "I resign."

After they exchanged bows, Sakayanagi readily paid the points.

Then she picked up her cane, rose, and left.

Before leaving, she did not forget to leave behind a proud remark: "I'm only leaving those chips with you for now. This game has only just been set up."