Jojo : Well on to the next video.

Since it was before seven in the morning, most students were still

asleep; the campus was empty as I approached a bench near Keyaki Mall.

Clearing off some snow, I sat. Soon, a man appeared.

Ike : Who are you meeting with so early in the morning ?

Sudo : Just keep watching Kanji, it will we shown anyway.

Mmm, sudo's matured a lot.

“It’s rude to ask somebody to come out so early in the mornin’,” he

spat.

Ryuuen Kakeru, Class C’s leader—no, its former leader—glared

sharply at me.

Everyone : Ryuuen.

Suzune : Why are you meeting with Ryuuen ‐kun.

Ayanokouji : To have some gossip.

Ryuuen : Kuku, indeed.

“I needed to meet you when I was sure no one else would be around.”

“That’s your problem. It’s got nothin’ to do with me.” True. I had more

to lose being seen with Ryuuen than he did with me. “So, what do you need?”

“I thought we could make small talk.”

“Hah. That’s a real funny joke for a real shitty morning.”

“Come to think of it, I saw you yesterday,” I said. “Plus Ishizaki and some other guys.”

Hashimoto : Hey come to think of it, Ryuuen is still here even though he said he'll get expelled.

Shibata : Yeah, now that you mention it.

Sakayanagi : Fufu, I wonder what the reason could be.

“What, are you happy you stopped me from dropping out?”

Kanzaki : Why did you stopped him from getting expelled Ayanokouji.

Ike : Wouldn't it be better if he got expelled.

Ayanokouji : I had my reasons.

Sakayanagi : Fufu, It seems like he still had some use for you dragonboy‐san.

Ryuuen : Kuku, Don't worry loli, I will crush you soon enough.

“I’m impressed. Even though you’re all alone, you’re not hiding in your room and sulking.”

“I do whatever I want, wherever I want. Does it scare you to see me out? After all, you don’t know when I’m gonna take revenge.”

“And after you take revenge, I’ll regret that I didn’t get you expelled?”

Ryuuen kicked snow off the bench, then sat beside me.

“I’d like you to hold off on that, if possible. I’d rather live peacefully.

Fighting you again would just be a pain,” I told him.

“Then don’t ask me to meet you! Don’t draw my attention back to you.”

I decided to dispense with the small talk and cut straight to the heart of the matter. If I dragged this out too long, Ryuuen would just get up and leave.

“Regarding what happened on the roof the other day… I wanted to add

something to that story,” I said.

Everyone : HUH.

Matsushita : What did you mean by that ayanokouji-kun.

Ayanokouji : Well we made a deal between us. You'll see what it is.

“Add something?” Ryuuen sounded wary. Analyzing his defeat wouldn’t be fun for him. Still, I had to show him the truth he couldn’t face. “If you’d been alone up there, you could’ve stuck it out. You would’ve been able to keep fighting.”

Some random idiots tilted their head in confusion because they had no idea as to what I was saying.

Kanzaki : You are clearly looking down on him huh.

Ryuuen : Kuku, and here I thought it was my job.

Horikita : You know you are actually acting like Ryuuen‐kun.

Ayanokouji : I was just stating facts.

However, Ibuki, Ishizaki, and Albert had been there. Their presence, and the knowledge that they’d share the blame for whatever happened, might’ve hastened Ryuuen’s decision. He surrendered after seeing that possibility down the road, not just because of what happened in the moment. It was a wise move. Of course, I’d manipulated him into it. But in terms of living up to my expectations, Ryuuen had a great deal of potential after all.

Ryuuen : Kuku, I am honored to be complimented by you.

“You really are a piece of work, huh?” Ryuuen snapped. “I’m amazed

at how far you’ll go just to screw with people. I thought that was my

specialty, but you put me outta business.”

Sakayanagi : Fufu, this is kinda funny.

“I’m only speaking the truth.”

“I’m guessing that this benefits you in some way, and that’s why you used Ishizaki and the others to stop me from dropping out?”

Hmm. I’d hoped that Ryuuen might catch on by now, but it seemed that

wasn’t happening.

“Do you really think you can still make me your puppet?” he demanded.

“Puppet? What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb. I’m talking about using me to take down the other classes. Why else would you keep me at this school?”

“You’re a man who enjoys battle, aren’t you?” I asked.

“Even if, for argument’s sake, I crushed Classes A and B—with you

around, it’d be meaningless.”

Sakayanagi : Fufu, you seriously think you can defeat me.

Ryuuen : Kuku, there's no way I can't.

Everyone could see a spark between them. I can see that kanzaki wanted to say something but didn't. That was a wise decision.

Quite a definitive statement. “What? Did I break you that badly after just one defeat?” I asked.

Sakayanagi : Fufu, poor dragonboy‐san.

Hashimoto : Hahaha, that's our king no hesitation at all.

Anger sparked in Ryuuen’s eyes. “You wanna go? Right here and now?”

Hosen : Haha, it looks like the skinny wimp is hungry to get beaten up again.

Ryuuen : Kuku, Don't forget what happened at the island test gorilla.

Everyone : ????

Hosen : Ha, you wanna go, I will knock your teeth out now.

Ryuuen : Kuku, I'll pass. I don't waste time with idiots.

Mashima : No fighting. Keep watching the video.

“I said too much. Please forgive me.”

If the whole incident on the roof hadn’t happened, Ryuuen probably would’ve punched me out. This guy didn’t know fear. But he’d learned it since then.

Sudo : Haha, his face was clearly filled with fear. Looking at this picture again makes me laugh.

Ryuuen ignored sudo.

Even so, Ryuuen would likely have fought me right here and now if I pushed him enough. Still, he had to avoid dropping out or being expelled if he was ever going to mature.

Sakayanagi : Your acting like babysitter ayanokouji-kun.

Ayanokouji : I was stating facts.

Ryuuen : Tch.

“We’ve already settled the score between us,” I said. “I won’t bring up the rooftop anymore after this. I promise this is the last time. So, let’s talk.”

Of course, Ryuuen didn’t believe a word I said. “Talk is pointless. I can’t see what I get outta this. I’m leaving.”

He stood up, looking angry.

“You might get something useful,” I replied, stopping him in his tracks. Ryuuen sat back down without looking at me. He’d probably risen to draw something out of me. He had no intention of going home empty-

handed.

“Interpret this however you like, but don’t you think these simple battles are getting boring?” I asked.

Ryuuen looked annoyed. “Simple battles, huh?”

Sakayanagi : Fufufu, now you are insulting the school itself ayanokouji-kun.

Koenji : Haha, of course this simple school and pointless exams are nothing for a perfect existence like me.

Everyone : Narcissist.

Ayanokouji : That's no‐

Ryuuen : Kukuku, what else did you expect from a monster.

Kiryuuin : Hahaha, as expected of my kouhai.

Ayanokouji : Listen I ‐

Shinohara : Simple exams, how can these exams be ever called simple.

Ike : Hey man do you have any idea how hard I have to try to keep with these exams.

Ayanokouji : I didn't mea‐

Kanzaki : You really are overconfident aren't you.

Nagumo : You think of yourself too highly don't you Ayanokouji. Don't worry I'll bring you down soon.

Katsuragi : You really are very dangerous opponent Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji : Sigh *

Can't these guys at least let me finish my sentence. Seeing me like this kei giggled and patted my head.

Kiyotaka : What are you doing ?

Kei : Hehe, don't worry I will protect you from all accusations.

Isn't it supposed to be the other way.

Sato : Ara~~ Look at that, Girlfriend‐san is taking care of her boyfriend.

After realizing what she was doing kei became red.

Kei : W‐well t‐that's y‐you know I was just

Matsushita : Yeah we understand. Gotta say you two make a good couple.

Kei : Mouu stop teasing me guys.

Matsushita and satou just laughed seeing kei like this.

“Class D beats C, then B, and finally A. Then, Horikita and the rest of

us become Class A ourselves,” I said.

Ike : Well that's the plan, right.

“It sounds like the formula for a big-

budget movie. But we needn’t adhere to such a formulaic structure, right?”

Horikita : ' what is he trying to say ? '

Real life didn’t conform to a narrative. We were free to strike Class A

before going for Class B, or even to ally with our enemies, Class C.

“Interestingly enough, it seems that Class A will attack Class B once the third semester begins. We could take Class A out with a single strike while they’re focused on that,” I told Ryuuen.

Hashimoto : Oi oi king, you were seriously planning to use Ryuuen to take us down.

Chihiro : Honami‐chan did you know about this.

Horikita : If you knew about this you should have told me or Ichinose-san. You do remember that we were in a cooperative relationship at that time.

Kanzaki : Ayanokouji, if you knew about this why didn't you tell us. We were in a cooperative relationship.

Ichinose : Kanzaki‐kun stop it. There's no use in getting angry at ayanokouji-kun.

Kanzaki : Ichinose why are defending him. From this videos it is clear that he can't be trusted.

Ichinose : Ayanokouji-kun has actually helped me a lot and it may be seen in the video. So let's stop it.

Kanzaki : Fine.

He suddenly looked interested. “How credible is this information?”

“I’d say about fifty-fifty.” I had to consider whether Sakayanagi was

bluffing. If I read her correctly, though, there was a ninety percent chance she’d told me the truth.

“If your information’s solid, this’d be a good chance. But I thought you Class D folks had a whole non-aggression thing going on with Class B? Striking at Class A is all well and good, but they’d crush Class B in the meantime. Ichinose can’t beat Sakayanagi,” said Ryuuen.

“I don’t care who wins or loses. I don’t plan on getting involved.”

“So, you’re just gonna watch her burn, huh?”

“If Sakayanagi crushes Ichinose, that saves me the effort. It could clear

Class D’s path to Class A. Besides, this’s Sakayanagi we’re talking about. It

might be time I looked up what kind of infractions the school punishes with

expulsion.”

Kanzaki glared at me not even bothering to hide his anger.

“There’s a lot I don’t like about this. You have no ambition to rise. Don’t you want to stay invisible?” Ryuuen asked.

“I do, but if people around me take their own actions…well, I’m fine with that. I’m not opposed to the idea of us rising to Class A easily,” I told him.

“So, you’re just gonna sit back and observe?”

“I need a problem taken care of. There’s someone rather troublesome

in my class.”

Ike : Is it who I think it is.

Horikita/Hirata/Matsushita/and smart students : ' He's referring to kushida.'

“Kikyou, huh?” Ryuuen didn’t even need to think about it.

Heaing her name kushida glared at me. I glared right back at her which made her avert her eyes from me.

“Yeah, she’s certainly giving you a lot of trouble. The way this school works, having an enemy on the inside’s real bad.” Kushida was targeting Horikita at the moment, and causing enough problems in the process that she—rather than moving up to Class A—was my primary concern. Since I’d been a bit reckless during the incident on the rooftop, I couldn’t afford to make an enemy of Horikita Manabu, the former student council president. If Horikita Suzune, his sister, was expelled while he was still at this school, he’d show me no mercy. I wanted to avoid anything that endangered my school life’s tranquility.

“Kikyou contacted me the other day, actually. She was askin’ when I’d

attack. Unfortunately, I was engrossed in hunting you down, so I didn’t respond. Seems she hasn’t given up on getting Suzune expelled. She’s looking for the opportunity to pounce. Heh. She’s quite a girl,” said Ryuuen.

Kei : Woah she really is quite determined isn't she.

Hirata : Let's hope she won't do anything bad from now on.

“If you’d made good use of Kushida, you could’ve dealt a heavy blow to my class.”

“To Suzune or your class, sure. But Kikyou’s way too weak to take

down someone like you. You don’t care about anything.”

True. As far I am considered kushida is not even a minimal threat to me. Just another defect.

Sakayanagi/Ryueen : Fufufufu/Kukukuku

Kushida : Tch.

Ryuuen : Kukuku, oh man you really way too rude inside that head of yours.

Horikita : How are you even able to say these things.

Matsushita : You sure are quite arrogant inside your mind ayanokouji-kun.

Kiyotaka : Well that's just my thought.

Kei : Sigh *

“So, what’re you planning?” Ryuuen demanded. “You can slow a cancer’s growth, but it’s not going away till it’s excised, y’know? That shit can spread.”

And then we’d all die. “I know that.”

“Oh? Then let’s hear your plan, Ayanokouji. How’re you gonna end

Kikyou?”

Kushida : ' So what's his plan.'

“Do I need to answer that?”

“Whether I help you might depend on your reply.” A faint smile appeared on Ryuuen’s lips, but maybe his mouth was still tender where I’d hit him, because the smile immediately faded.

Hosen : Haha, Then you shouldn't have hit him that hard.

It’d gotten colder. Staying outside for too long right now wasn’t wise.

"Class D, starting from the 3rd semester, will rise up to Class C. However, in all likelihood, we'll be dropping back down to Class D. Why? Because---I am going to get Kushida Kikyo expelled".

Silence.

Almost everyone were stunned to hear this.

Sakayanagi/Ryueen : Fufufufufu/Kukukukuku

Sakayanagi : Marvellous ayanokouji-kun.

Ryuuen : kuku, it still makes me laugh.

Koenji : Haha, I agree with you ayanokouji-boy. I don't want an ugly creature like that to be in my presence.

Horikita just looked at me but she didn't say anything.

Hirata : ' If he wanted to expel her then he probably would have done it earlier. I'll just have to believe him.'

Kushida : ' Tch this is bad is he seriously planning to expel me. Shit Shit.'

"Kukuku. Kuhahaha!".

Ignoring the pain, Ryuuen roared in laughter.

"You truly are a terrifying man. So you're willing to lose a battle in order to win the war. This school is chock-full of useless small fries you can't even get

rid of under this troublesome school system. Yet even knowing that, you're

going to get her expelled, huh?".

Sakayanagi : Fufu, something like that would be a simple task for ayanokouji-kun.

Ryuuen : I agree with you loli.

“We can help each other with this particular endeavor without formally

establishing an alliance, don’t you agree?”

“Heh. This talk about getting rid of Kikyou tickles me. But going along with your bullshit and recklessly attacking Class A? Different story.”

“It could work, though.”

“Save it. If I’m going to throw down, I’d rather target you.” Some of

Ryuuen’s vigor had returned, judging by his heated gaze. Even after learning

fear, his eyes still had that sharp gleam. “It seems like you plan on using me,

Ayanokouji. But I have no intention of being used.”

“Seems that way.” Ryuuen appeared ready to disappear from center

stage. Maybe he had plans to enact in the wings. “Let me give you a piece of

advice,” I said. “Your plan with the private points—it’s not a bad strategy,

but it’s flawed. Even if one or two people make it, taking the entire class with

you is impossible.”

Katsuragi : What is he talking about Ryuuen.

Ryuuen : Kuku, just watch.

“Ibuki spilled the beans, huh?”

“She didn’t spill anything. She just asked me whether it was possible to

save eight hundred million points.”

Everyone : What.

Sakayanagi : Fufu, my my what a plan dragonboy‐san.

Hosen : Ha, what an absurd plan. Only a retard like you can think of it.

Nagumo : An interesting strategy.

Horikita : The plan is good on the thought but realistically impossible.

Ryuuen : Kuku, why don't you all just shut up and watch it.

That was likely Ryuuen’s strategy. Never in this school’s history had it worked. I initially thought he was only saving enough points to buy his own way to Class A, or perhaps to promote himself and those closest to him. He’d

surrendered his private points on the rooftop because he’d meant to drop out. I would’ve expected him to go underground and collect private points again if he planned to stay in school.

However, judging from what Ibuki said, Ryuuen was trying to find away for his entire class to win. To be a tyrant, you had to provide your followers with some acceptable quid pro quo. Of course, he could just as easily renege on a promise. “Perhaps you were only pretending to save eight hundred million points?” I asked. If he’d deceived Ibuki, too, this conversation was over.

“Even if you exhausted the points you have now, the contract with

Class A’s still in place,” I continued. “If you bring in eight hundred thousand

points per month, you’ll need twenty-five months to reach your goal. You’d

just barely make it before graduation. If you factor in the private points you need to use every month, you’ll squeak past.”

Of course, that was based on the assumption that Class A wouldn’t

collapse in the interim, and that Ryuuen could avoid unnecessary

expenditures.

“You’re certainly a clever guy, Ayanokouji, but you’re far from perfect.”