It was noon on the fourth day of the exam. The sun poured down onto the sea without obstruction, making the shimmering water somewhat dazzling.
Natsukawa Sosuke arrived alone at the beach occupied by Class C.
Just the day before yesterday, this place was filled with deafening motorcycle noises, the smoke of barbecue, and the unrestrained revelry of that group. Yet now, it was eerily quiet.
On the ground, only some empty wine bottles and trash remained, which hadn't been cleaned up, making slight rolling sounds in the sea breeze.
Class C's entire base was deserted.
'They really left.'
Natsukawa Sosuke stood on the empty beach, his gaze sweeping over the messy remnants.
'Dragon Boy's execution is truly impeccable. I'll have to observe more carefully for point usage these next few days, keeping an eye out for any traces of Ryuuen's activity. Since he wants to act, I'll play along. I truly hope he can still act so well when he hears he actually got zero points (chuckle).'
Natsukawa Sosuke did not linger. He turned and left the dead silent beach, walking toward the cave area on the other side of the island.
That was Class A's main camp.
Compared to Class C's ostentatiousness, Class A's base was chosen inside a massive natural cavern. Guards rotated at the entrance, making it appear heavily fortified.
Natsukawa Sosuke did not barge in directly. Instead, he stood patiently under the shade of a nearby tree, waiting.
Before long, a bald, steady figure appeared at the entrance of the cave.
Katsuragi Kohei. The leader of Class A's Steady Faction.
Katsuragi Kohei stopped, cautiously looking at the Class D male student before him. He recognized the face, but that was all.
"Natsukawa from Class D?" Katsuragi Kohei frowned, crossing his arms. "If you've come to spy for information, I advise you to go back. Class A has nothing to say."
"As expected of Katsuragi-kun, you are truly cautious." Natsukawa Sosuke smiled, his expression harmless. "However, I didn't come here on my own behalf today. I came on behalf of Horikita Suzune to discuss a 'deal' with you."
"Horikita?" Katsuragi Kohei's gaze shifted slightly.
"Please follow me."
Natsukawa Sosuke gestured toward a secluded patch of woods nearby.
Katsuragi Kohei hesitated for a moment, but ultimately followed him. He also wanted to know what the girl who performed brilliantly during the hearing with Class C was plotting.
The two arrived behind a rock where they wouldn't be disturbed.
"Tell me, what does Horikita want you to do?" Katsuragi Kohei got straight to the point.
"It's nothing major, really." Natsukawa Sosuke leaned against the rock, his tone as relaxed as if he were discussing the weather. "It's just that Horikita has seen through the scheme between Class A and Class C. Not only Ryuuen Kakeru's suicidal 'Zero Point Operation,' but also the private transaction between your two classes regarding guessing the leaders of the other classes."
Katsuragi Kohei's usually steady expression instantly showed a slight crack.
(How is that possible... Only Ryuuen, a handful of core members in the class, and I know the full details of this matter. Most people in Class A only know we traded personal points for exam points. How could Class D know this clearly?)
He forced himself to remain calm and said in a deep voice, "I don't know what you're talking about. That's just your speculation."
"Whether it's speculation or not, you know best." Natsukawa Sosuke ignored his denial and continued to drop the bombshell. "However, that's not the main point. What truly surprised Horikita, or rather, what made her feel there was an opportunity for cooperation, is..."
Natsukawa Sosuke paused briefly, leaned forward, and lowered his voice, his deep eyes looking directly into Katsuragi Kohei's.
"The 'leader' of Class A for this exam is your follower, Totsuka Yahiko. Is that right?"
"!!!"
At that moment, Katsuragi Kohei's pupils constricted sharply. The face that was usually known as a poker face finally revealed an undisguised look of shock.
If the previous knowledge about Class C's scheme could be explained as "conjecture," then knowing that "Totsuka Yahiko is the leader" absolutely proved that Class D had precise intelligence on Class A!
It was impossible for him or Totsuka himself to have revealed it, which meant... A small figure leaning on a cane flashed through Katsuragi Kohei's mind.
Natsukawa Sosuke chuckled internally, watching Katsuragi's violently shaken gaze.
'This reaction is so easy to read. Civil War Illusion God Sakayanagi, truly lives up to her name.'
"It seems I was right." Natsukawa Sosuke straightened up and brushed the dust off his hands. "Now, can we properly discuss this deal?"
Katsuragi Kohei took a deep breath, trying hard to calm himself down. He looked at the seemingly casual male student before him, feeling a deep sense of apprehension toward Horikita Suzune, the mastermind he had yet to meet.
Those who manage to restrain themselves from demanding immediate benefits usually seek something far greater.
"...What exactly does Horikita want you to come here for?" Katsuragi Kohei's voice became low and hoarse. "It shouldn't just be to watch us make fools of ourselves, right?"
"Of course not." Natsukawa Sosuke shook his head. "We are here to seek 'mutual benefit.'"
"Mutual benefit?"
"Exactly." Natsukawa Sosuke held up two fingers. "As you know, if Class D writes down 'Totsuka Yahiko' at the end of the exam, Class A will not only have 100 SP deducted directly. More importantly..."
He smiled, a hint of threat in his tone.
"You must have paid a considerable amount of points to ally with Class C, right? If you still lose in the end, won't that transaction be a huge loss?"
Katsuragi Kohei's face was ashen, and he remained silent.
"Therefore, Horikita has proposed a plan." Natsukawa Sosuke revealed his true intention. "Class A will pay Class D 200,000 private points every month as 'hush money.' In exchange, Class D promises never to guess Class A's leader and to keep this secret."
"200,000?!" Katsuragi Kohei frowned deeply. "That's too much! And this involves the interests of the entire class; I can't give you an answer right now."
"Is it too much?" Natsukawa Sosuke retorted. "Compared to losing 50 Class Points directly and the risk of potentially dropping to Class B, this amount should be quite a bargain, shouldn't it?"
Seeing Katsuragi's indecision, he did not press further but instead took a step back.
"I'm not in a hurry. You can go back, think about it carefully, and discuss it with your classmates. I will come back tomorrow, and I hope you can give me a satisfactory answer then."
Having said this, Natsukawa Sosuke seemed to suddenly remember something. He turned around, his back to Katsuragi, and added in a seemingly casual tone:
"Oh, right. One more piece of advice."
"Absolutely do not attempt to circumvent the risk by 'changing the leader.'"
Katsuragi Kohei's heart leaped. He had indeed just entertained that thought.
"Although the rules allow changing the leader for a valid reason, you must understand..." Natsukawa Sosuke turned back, his eyes playful. "Since we know the current leader is Totsuka Yahiko, even if you replace him, does that mean we won't find out the new name?"
"If you really replace him, I wouldn't mind selling this new information to Ichinose of Class B. I imagine she'd be quite happy to get those 50 points for free."
This sentence completely blocked all of Katsuragi Kohei's retreat paths.
If he had previously suspected that Class D had just made a lucky guess, Natsukawa Sosuke's confident words were now undoubtedly telling him—there was a traitor within Class A.
"Furthermore, strictly speaking, we could even be partners." Natsukawa Sosuke smiled again, though to Katsuragi, the smile was full of sarcasm. "Compared to the person who stabbed you in the back, I prefer your straightforward way of doing things."
"I think, Katsuragi-kun, you already have the answer in your heart, don't you?"
Having finished, he didn't look at Katsuragi's grim face again, and waved his hand.
"See you tomorrow, Katsuragi-kun. I hope you make the right choice. Don't end up losing 150 points, gaining no points from the deal with Class C, and accumulating a mountain of debt, only to drop directly to Class B next semester... If that happens, your situation will truly be awkward."
Natsukawa Sosuke's figure disappeared into the depths of the woods.
In the clearing, only Katsuragi Kohei remained, standing silently in place.
The sea breeze blew, rustling the leaves, but it couldn't disperse the gloom in his heart.
"Bang!"
Finally, Katsuragi Kohei couldn't hold back and violently punched the nearby dirt mound.
Rage.
An unprecedented anger burned in his chest.
He wasn't angry at Natsukawa Sosuke's threat—after all, this was an exam, and all's fair in war; it was Class D's skill to acquire the intelligence.
He was angry about the internal division within Class A!
In order to seize leadership of the class, and for the sake of the so-called "Factional Struggle," Sakayanagi Arisu would even commit the self-defeating act of betraying the class's core interests!
Not only did she reveal it to Class C, but now even Class D knows!
(Does she want me to be utterly ruined?!)
Katsuragi Kohei gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.
As a leader whose creed had always been "steadiness" and "class interests above all," he could not tolerate this kind of internal subversion of the class.
(If that Sakayanagi girl completely takes charge... Class A won't just fail to secure first place, it might even fall apart!)
At this moment, Katsuragi Kohei's dissatisfaction with Sakayanagi Arisu reached its peak. It also solidified his determination to seize leadership.
He took several deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down quickly.
Now was not the time to vent his emotions. Class D's threat was imminent, and if he didn't agree to the condition, Class A would surely suffer a devastating defeat in this exam.
However, convincing his classmates to pay 200,000 points every month would definitely not be easy. Especially the people in the Sakayanagi Faction, who would certainly seize the opportunity to cause trouble.
(I must find a way...)
Katsuragi Kohei patted the dirt off his hands, composed his somewhat scattered emotions, and slowly walked toward Class A's camp.
This was a battle he was bound to lose, but to preserve Class A's foundation, he had to sign this humiliating treaty.
If they were demoted from Class A by Class B right after the end of the first semester, it would be a huge blow to Class A's morale... After leaving Class A's base, Natsukawa Sosuke was in a rather good mood.
This operation killed two birds with one stone.
He had secured a long-term cash flow for himself by extorting Class A and successfully sown irreparable conflict between Katsuragi Kohei and Sakayanagi Arisu.
The more Katsuragi held grievances against Sakayanagi, the later his compromise would come.
'Now, let's see how many surprises Katsuragi can bring me.'