The first day back at school was a blur of classes, reunions, and speculation. Every conversation in the hallways revolved around the same topic: the Rising Tide protocol.
"It's unfair to Class A," Hashimoto complained during lunch. "We earned our lead. Now they're just giving it away."
"We didn't earn it," Katsuragi replied quietly. "Sakamoto-kun earned it. The rest of us were passengers."
Hashimoto's expression flickered. "That's not—"
"It's true. And now we need to prove we can compete without him carrying us."
Sakamoto's absence from the lunch table was conspicuous. No one had seen him since disembarking. Machida and Takemoto ate in silence, offering nothing to the conversation.
Ayanokoji observed from a nearby table, filing away the information. Class A's internal cohesion was showing cracks. The Rising Tide protocol had introduced doubt where there had been certainty.
Good. Division creates opportunity.
That evening, Ayanokoji received a message from Horikita.
From: Horikita Suzune
Subject: Strategy Meeting
My room. 8 PM. Bring your notes on the Rising Tide protocol.
He arrived to find Horikita's room meticulously organized, a whiteboard already covered in diagrams and point calculations.
"You've been busy," he observed.
"I've been thinking." She gestured to the whiteboard. "The Team-Based Strategic Competition is our best chance to close the gap. But only if we plan properly."
"What have you concluded?"
"Three things." She held up a finger. "First, the teams will likely be mixed within each class—not self-selected. The school wants to test how we cooperate with people we wouldn't normally choose."
"Reasonable."
"Second, the challenges will favor classes with diverse skill sets. Class D has been underestimated because our average academic scores are lower. But the protocol says challenges will test 'cooperation, resource management, and adaptive thinking.' Those aren't measured by standard test scores."
"Also reasonable."
"Third—" She paused. "Sakamoto will be involved somehow. He's too prominent to be left out. The school will want to see how he performs under the new rules."
Ayanokoji nodded slowly. "You're right. But there's a fourth thing."
"What?"
"The other classes will be preparing too. Ryuuen will use this as an opportunity to target Class A—and possibly us. Ichinose will try to build alliances. And Class A will be fighting to maintain their lead."
"So we're caught in the middle."
"Always."
Horikita sighed. "What do you suggest?"
"We need allies. Temporary ones. Ryuuen approached me on the ship—he wants to coordinate against Class A."
"You trust him?"
"No. But I trust his self-interest. He wants to bring down Class A, and he's willing to cooperate to do it."
"And what does he want in return?"
"Information. And a promise that we won't target Class B."
"Which we can't guarantee."
"Which we can promise and then break if necessary."
Horikita studied him. "You're becoming more ruthless."
"I'm becoming more practical. There's a difference."
She nodded slowly. "Fine. But we need to be careful. If we ally with Ryuuen and he betrays us, we'll be worse off than before."
"We'll manage the risk. For now, let's focus on the exam itself. We need to identify our strongest team members and prepare them for the challenges ahead."
They spent the next two hours mapping out strategies, assigning roles, and identifying potential weaknesses. By the time Ayanokoji left, a plan was beginning to take shape.
But as he walked back to his dorm, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.
Sakamoto hasn't made a move yet.
That was the most worrying thing of all.