"——Anyway, that's all I wanted to say."
Leaving behind those vague parting words, Hikigaya walked off without even a backward glance.
Sakayanagi watched his retreating figure with a soft smile, clearly quite pleased with this "chance encounter."
"Hehe, I only wanted a little chat with Hikigaya-kun, but I ended up with an unexpected bonus… Honestly now, telling me not to lose."
It was just a simple word of encouragement, yet it struck a chord deep in her chest.
Truly strange.
"But judging from his reaction, it seems he still doesn't know our class has already lost," she muttered to herself, as though analyzing the situation. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have come all this way to cheer me on… Though it's only a matter of time before he finds out. And when he does, he'll probably scold me for not telling him sooner."
Strictly speaking, she really hadn't told him.
Because from the very beginning, Sakayanagi had already seen through Ryuuen's petty schemes.
Especially when Class C proposed that laughable karaoke event—it completely gave away his intentions.
In other words, Sakayanagi could've exposed Ryuuen's trap before the exam even began. Even if that wasn't possible, she could've at least warned the others to be more cautious. That alone would've helped them avoid falling into such a blatant setup.
But in the end, she did nothing and simply watched as Class B was pushed to the brink.
Her reason for doing so had nothing to do with revenge or giving up out of spite. Rather, this course of action aligned most closely with her own interests.
For this exam, most of the Class B students had a carefree attitude, thinking the opponents were nothing worth worrying about.
In that situation, even if Sakayanagi had preemptively shut down Ryuuen's plot, she wouldn't have earned much respect or gratitude from her classmates.
And even if they did manage to beat the "weak" Class C, her contribution would've been seen as nothing special.
So instead, she let the situation spiral out of control.
Just like now, after Ryuuen had thoroughly crushed Class B—Sakayanagi Arisu could rise up like a savior, willing to "sacrifice" herself to minimize the damage for her class.
Of course, there was no real self-sacrifice involved.
It was all an act. Sakayanagi had long prepared a backup plan. She even made sure to prevent Katsuragi from interfering by instructing Yamamura not to let him participate in the first event.
If that guy had stayed in the classroom, he definitely would've stood up against her replacing the commander. Unlike the others, he wasn't one to just go with the flow.
And that would've ruined the entire performance.
As for Yamamura's "withdrawal," that had also been prearranged—otherwise, Sakayanagi wouldn't have had the chance to step in and "turn the tide."
By the time she arrived at the multipurpose room, Ryuuen and the two homeroom teachers were already waiting.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Eh? Sakayanagi-san?"
The moment they saw her, Hoshinomiya-sensei couldn't hide her shock, and even Ryuuen's eyes went wide.
Chabashira-sensei looked equally surprised and couldn't help but ask, "Sakayanagi, since you're here, that means you know what you're getting into, right?"
"Of course." Sakayanagi smiled and nodded. "I'm here to take Yamamura-san's place. I heard she suddenly wasn't feeling well. But the exam isn't over yet, so I'll be acting as the commander for the remaining two events."
"And you—"
"I understand that if we lose, the penalty will fall on me as the substitute commander. There's no need to worry about that."
"…I see. Then I have nothing more to say."
With things at that point, no matter how unbelievable it was, the three of them had no choice but to accept it.
Sakayanagi had come here fully prepared to be expelled.
"Whoa, whoa, seriously? You're just giving up completely?"
After a few seconds of stunned silence, Ryuuen came to his senses and grinned, mocking her.
"Sakayanagi, looks like you're weak not just physically, but mentally too. I used to think it was all just an act, but you let that dead-eyes mess with your head so much you've gone full shut-in. Coming all this way just to get yourself expelled."
"It's not suicide, you know. Like I said, the exam isn't over yet."
Sakayanagi looked around the classroom as she leaned on her cane and calmly walked forward, settling into her seat.
"Haha, even if you win both of the last events, so what?" Ryuuen sneered. "You're still going to be expelled. But hey, if you beg me for mercy right now, I might just let you off the hook."
She didn't get angry. Instead, she smoothly operated the computer mouse, getting familiar with the system as she replied,
"You're the one who should relax, Ryuuen-kun. If you're so sure I'm getting expelled, there's no reason to be so on guard, is there?"
"On guard? You think you're worth being wary of at this point?"
Ryuuen suddenly chuckled darkly, as if something amusing had crossed his mind.
"Once you're gone, your class'll be nothing but a headless mob. This exam has made that painfully obvious."
"True. In that case, why don't you just hand us the next two wins, Ryuuen-kun?"
"I wouldn't be opposed to that. But saying that out loud… is that you admitting you can't beat me?"
He had no intention of going easy on her, of course—but Ryuuen still felt the need to probe whether this infuriating girl intended to go through with being expelled.
After all, it wasn't entirely impossible to avoid expulsion. For instance, if she somehow gathered twenty million points… maybe with dead-eye's help?
But Sakayanagi seemed to see right through this shallow line of thinking.
"No need for that kind of probing." Her voice carried a faint tone of mockery. "I'm just here as a human sacrifice, trying to minimize losses for my class. Rather than worrying about what tricks I might pull, maybe you should be focusing on how to defeat me."
"Tch. You think you're some big deal or something?"
"Hehe, then why are you so nervous?"
Using her hand to brace against the desk, Sakayanagi slowly stood up and looked down at Ryuuen.
Even if just a little, she could feel him falter.
"If you're so sure of victory, why not relax a little? Even in the worst-case scenario, your class still gets 130 points. That's not a bad outcome, is it?"
"Ha. You've got some nerve, acting all high and mighty when you're on your way out."
"Indeed. This is probably my last time killing time with you, dragon-kun."
"…Tch."
Ryuuen couldn't hide the irritation in his voice.
Not that it was surprising—he still couldn't figure out what Sakayanagi was after.
If she'd just taken over as commander from the start, that'd be one thing. He'd considered that possibility—it would've just meant she was willing to risk expulsion.
But now that victory was basically sealed, she still showed up in this room.
Even though she claimed to be ready for expulsion, the more she said it, the more someone like Ryuuen—cynical by nature—felt something was off.
"…Alright, that's enough chit-chat. Sakayanagi, take your seat."
At that moment, Chabashira-sensei clapped her hands, interrupting their exchange.
"We're about to start the sixth event selection. Both sides, get ready."
The screen flickered briefly before settling on an athletics event.
[Relay Race] — 4 participants required
Rules: Standard relay race regulations. The commander may change the opposing team's baton order once.
This one had been proposed by Class C, since they had two members from the track and field club.
They hadn't chosen a 100-meter sprint or something similar, mainly because Class B had that monster, Gokuto.
Not that it mattered anymore—Gokuto had already been taken out in the judo event by an even bigger monster, Albert.
Three events remained for Class C, while Class B had only one left—mostly athletic or combat-based.
Victory seemed almost guaranteed.
After a brief moment of consideration, Ryuuen chose track and field members Kinoshita and Yajima, along with another decently fast guy.
As for the last member… he picked Ibuki.
She had some martial arts experience and might have been useful in the final event, but as far as Ryuuen was concerned, it was all third-rate. He could knock her down with one hand. No point saving her.
And even if it came to fighting, without Kito, Class B wasn't much of a threat. Ishizaki alone would suffice.
Decision made, Ryuuen quickly arranged the baton order.
Relay races usually put the fastest runners first and last, with the slowest in third.
Kinoshita would go first. Ibuki, second. But then—
"Even though it's still selection phase, I'm guessing you'll go with Kinoshita-san and Yajima-san, right?"
Ryuuen snorted. "Heh, not bad. Got a decent memory, I'll give you that."
But he didn't take the bait. If Sakayanagi thought she could shake him with a few words, she was way too naive.
Those two were in track and field. They'd stood out at the sports festival. Of course, their names had leaked.
Yet she continued.
"As for the third runner… hmmm, I'd say it's Komiya from the basketball club, right? Out of the remaining students in your class, his speed is at least passable."
"Hah. Too bad. Wrong guess."
"Oh, I doubt it."
Even without seeing her expression, her tone radiated confidence.
That alone was enough to piss Ryuuen off.
Worse, she wasn't done yet.
"And as for the last runner, I'm certain you'll choose Ibuki-san."
The earlier guesses still carried a hint of speculation, but this one—this one was pure certainty.
Then came Sakayanagi's smug voice:
"The only way your class has a chance at winning the final event is if it's a combat event, so you'd naturally save your heavier hitters like Ishizaki. But Ibuki-san? Her level's… let's just say it's nothing to write home about. So now's the perfect time to send her out… ah."
She deliberately paused at the end.
"Of course, you could always change your mind. There's still time left to pick, after all. That way you could turn around and laugh at how wrong I was… Hehe. But honestly, Ryuuen-kun, your thought process is just so transparent. It's like reading an open book."
"Tch, save your childish games."
"You're misunderstanding. I just want to make sure you feel the gap between us before I get expelled."
Then Sakayanagi let out a soft sigh.
In the silence of the classroom, it was especially grating.
"From the moment we enrolled, I never saw you as a threat. And since you've always seemed to deliberately avoid clashing with me head-on, I let you be. But this opportunity—I simply can't let it slip away."
"…You've got some nerve, talking like that after getting kicked down from Class A."
This smug little brat!
Even knowing she was trying to provoke him, Ryuuen couldn't hold back the anger welling up inside him.
Especially after having his entire plan so effortlessly seen through…
"Oh yes, not just falling—I even ended up in Class C for a while." Sakayanagi's voice was practically cheerful. "So how about it? A final showdown between two Class C students. Since commanders can only interfere with the exam in limited ways, let's keep it simple."
"Ridiculous."
"Don't be like that. You're not scared, are you?"
Ryuuen didn't want to respond, but Sakayanagi just kept talking.
"It's easy—we each predict who the other chose as their first runner. I'm guessing you went with Ibuki-san."
"Hmph. Like hell I'm playing your stupid game."
Even so… Ryuuen was rattled. A gnawing frustration churned inside him—one he couldn't quite put into words…
"Alright then. Since you're sending your lackey to run the first leg, I'll do you the favor of not using my commander ability to interfere."
Ryuen planned to use the same tactic he'd used before to disrupt Sakayanagi's decisions.
But she merely smiled faintly in response.
"No problem. No matter what you try, Masumi-san and Ibuki-san will still be our first runners."
"Heh, cut the crap."
Though he wore a look of disdain on the surface, Ryuen's brain was working overtime.
Was she telling the truth… or bluffing?
He tried desperately to find a chink in Sakayanagi's words, but ended up unsettling himself instead.
Logically speaking, with victory already in the bag and facing an opponent destined for expulsion, Ryuen should've been the one acting more composed.
And yet, his current state was anything but composed—not only because of Sakayanagi's unexpected appearance and verbal provocations, but also…
Because he was too greedy for a decisive victory.
After all, the scheme involving the laxatives used against Class B hadn't come cheap. Anticipating retaliation from the likes of Katsuragi and the others, he had paid a hefty price to secure a powerful backup before even implementing the plan.
If he couldn't recoup those losses in this exam, he'd be taking a major hit.
Not to mention, their class still lagged several hundred points behind Class A. Any points they could grab now had to be seized, or else catching up would be impossible.
At that moment, Sakayanagi's voice floated over from the other side.
"What's the matter, Ryuen-kun? Time's almost up. Haven't made your decision yet?"
"I was just trying to let you enjoy your last moments at this school. After all, once this exam ends, you're getting kicked out."
That's right—no need to be nervous.
The thought of Sakayanagi's inevitable expulsion helped Ryuen regain his calm.
In the final seconds of the countdown, he quickly switched Ibuki into the first leg position and skipped any commander interference for the subsequent phase.
Heh. If Sakayanagi wanted to play, he'd humor her.
Ryuen sneered inwardly and patiently waited for the four runners to gather at the track.
Soon, both teams lined up at their starting points.
Just as Sakayanagi had claimed, the screen displayed the first runners: Kamuro and Ibuki.
"Looks like I won this round, Ryuen-kun."
"Whatever. If you want this kind of trash victory, you can have it."
—Go ahead and bask in your little triumph while you can.
It looked like Ryuen had taken the bait and let Sakayanagi lead him by the nose. But in reality, it was all part of his plan.
He had already seen through her intent.
She wanted Kamuro and Ibuki to face off, to crush the morale of his remaining team members.
Ibuki still held a solid presence in the class. Though disliked by many of the girls, a loss from her would deal a heavy blow to both Kinoshita and Yajima's confidence.
From that perspective, Sakayanagi's ploy was pretty effective—a calculated challenge meant to lure him in.
But the one miscalculation was… her intel was outdated.
True, judging by the results of the sports festival, Ibuki had ranked only third among the girls in terms of speed.
But ever since she lost to Horikita, she'd been training non-stop. Now, her speed was on par with the fastest girl in class—Kinoshita.
Heh… Bring it on, Sakayanagi.
Let me give you a little surprise.
However—
As the starting pistol fired, Ryuen's smirk froze on his face.
The expected outcome never materialized. From the get-go, Ibuki fell behind. Even though she was giving it everything she had, she just couldn't catch up to Kamuro.
"Oh my, what a surprise. Looks like Masumi-san is in the lead."
Sakayanagi's annoying voice drifted over again.
"This is unexpected—or perhaps not. After all, Ryuen-kun seems to trust Ibuki-san quite a lot. You've entrusted her with some very important tasks… like during the deserted island exam. Hehe. Maybe you're not that good at judging people?"
Her pointed reference to Ibuki wasn't just about the island. She meant more than that.
But Ryuen, distracted by the situation unfolding on the track, didn't catch the implication.
"Tch. Don't get cocky," he snapped, then sank into thought.
Based on the sports festival, Kamuro shouldn't have been this fast… Was she hiding her true abilities, or had she improved?
Either way, he wasn't too worried. Yajima and Kinoshita were still up next. Things should be fine.
Unfortunately, Ryuen's assumption was wrong.
The Class B students ran like madmen, clinging tightly to their lead. They never once relinquished it, and in the end, they won the race outright.
…What the hell?
How could they still have that kind of morale after losing so much?
Before Ryuen could make sense of it, the final event was drawn:
[Karate]
Required participants: 3
Rules: Each match lasts 3 minutes. First to score wins. Tournament-style elimination. Commanders may request one rematch for any individual match.
Another event from Class C.
"Haha! What luck, Sakayanagi. Of all things, it's karate!"
Ryuen didn't bother dwelling on the previous race—it was over now anyway.
And this match was absolutely theirs to win.
He immediately selected Daichi Ishizaki, Hidetoshi Suzuki, and Takumi Oda—three guys who were all good at fighting.
Keeping Ishizaki in reserve had paid off.
While he wasn't quite on Albert's level, among the boys, Ishizaki was still one of the stronger ones.
As for Sakayanagi's side… Hmph. She'd probably pick Hashimoto.
"This one's our Class D event. Whoever you send, bring it on."
With that, Ryuen raised his head and looked at the giant screen in the center.
Sure enough, not long after, Hashimoto's name appeared.
Everything was going exactly as Ryuen had planned.
Even if Hashimoto was stronger than expected, as long as Suzuki and Oda were sent out first to wear him down, Ishizaki could finish the job.
As for the other two guys from Class B, Ryuen didn't even consider them a threat.
Aside from a few exceptions, the rest were just a bunch of bookworms.
"Not bad, Ryuen-kun. If you win this, you'll earn up to 190 points."
Sakayanagi's mockery arrived late, dragging Ryuen's mind back to the earlier race.
"But whether you can actually get those points is still up in the air… I bet you think aside from Hashimoto-kun, the other two can't fight, right?"
"What, are you the tapeworm in my gut now?"
"I already told you, your thoughts are far too easy to read."
As they spoke, the first round of matches had already begun.
And once again, something happened that threw Ryuen off.
The two guys from Class B were clearly amateurs, but they fought with everything they had, forcing Suzuki and Oda into a mess.
In the end, Class C lost the first two matches. Ishizaki, their anchor, only barely managed to defeat his opponent with a great deal of effort.
"Surprised, aren't you, Ryuen-kun?"
Sakayanagi seized the perfect moment to press in again, as if haunting him.
"But if you knew the story of 'the desperate soldier wins', you wouldn't find this strange. And since Class C already secured so many wins early on, maybe you got a little too relaxed?"
"…I see. So you offered yourself as a sacrifice."
"Exactly—oh! It's over."
Onscreen, Hashimoto sent Ishizaki flying out of bounds with a flawless flying kick.
Since both commanders had already used their rematch privileges, the match came to an end.
The previous event was won by Class B. With that, the final result of the special exam is 4 wins to 3—Class C wins."
The final event had concluded.
Although they'd technically won, Ryuen couldn't bring himself to celebrate.
A narrow 4–3 win… Even considering that Sakayanagi was likely about to be expelled, this result wasn't worth feeling good about.
After all, Sakayanagi wasn't the only formidable foe standing in Ryuen's way.
The two homeroom teachers remained silent throughout, and even now, after announcing the results, they both turned to look at Sakayanagi.
Even Hoshinomiya-sensei didn't know what to say to a student about to be expelled… especially when that student didn't seem to need any comforting at all.
"Congratulations, Ryuen-kun."
Clap clap clap.
Sakayanagi lightly applauded as she stepped away from her seat, walking toward Ryuen with a smile.
"You finally managed to squeeze out four wins after all that effort. A fitting result for your abilities. I hope you'll continue to perform just as well in the future."
"…If you're getting expelled, shut the hell up already."
"Expelled? Why would you say that?"
Tilting her head innocently, Sakayanagi smiled sweetly.
"If you're talking about being penalized for losing the exam, then you're jumping to conclusions. There are still quite a few matters we haven't settled yet."
With that, she turned toward the two homeroom teachers.
"In the first five events, several of our students were unable to participate due to sudden health issues. I find it hard to believe that was just a coincidence. It's highly suspicious that so many people fell ill at the same time."
"Hah! Maybe they were all faking it!" Ryuen cut in sarcastically.
"I can understand your suspicion." Sakayanagi didn't argue—she simply nodded, still smiling. "Which is all the more reason to investigate. With this many students falling ill, the school has a responsibility to provide a proper explanation. If it turns out to be something like food poisoning, that would be quite serious."
"Exactly~! Sensei also thinks it's very strange. This exam result should be postponed," Hoshinomiya-sensei immediately agreed, and Chabashira-sensei didn't object either.
No one here was an idiot. They'd already guessed who was behind it.
They just hadn't said anything due to a lack of evidence and their positions as teachers.
But Ryuen had already factored that into his plans.
"Haha, you wanna sue? Be my guest."
He spread his arms wide, wearing a fearless grin.
"Honestly, if this was your ace-in-the-hole from the very beginning, Sakayanagi, I'm disappointed. Pulling something like that only forces yourself into a corner."
"Is that so? Then let's see how it plays out."
"Heh…"
Ryuen gave Sakayanagi one last meaningful glance before turning and pushing open the door to leave the multipurpose classroom.
This wasn't just bravado—he had everything under control.
This school might seem special, but in truth, it wasn't that different from the outside world. No matter what trouble students got into, the administration's first instinct was always to minimize it.
This place was even worse than the outside when it came to dodging responsibility. Even fights could be resolved by the student council without any teachers stepping in.
Compared to that, a little diarrhea was nothing.
It was precisely because he used to live in the gray areas of society that Ryuen had the confidence to predict how things would unfold.
Still… just to be safe, he figured he'd touch base with that blond-haired guy one more time.