Chapter 42: Chapter 42 - Horikita 3 - Omnincience?

---Notice---

If you dont give me your powerstones I'll...

Be very sad so please send them my way.

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"Earlier, you said I'm not all-knowing. Let me tell you something—you would have been better off assuming I was." ~MwA (Yes, I quoted myself.)

Horikita stuttered, "W-what are you implying?"

Yagami simply walked back to the window he was previously standing by, taking his time to answer.

"Isn't it obvious by now? Or are you just having a hard time accepting it? That I knew everything. I knew you would deduce the importance of the first move, and this is why I speak of the 'true importance' of the first move; that importance doesn't lie in the advantage the first move provides but the fact I knew you'd figure out this advantage that if you had considered the possibility may outbid you more deeply, you might have noticed you were caught in my trap. Although, it still would've been too late to free yourself from it. That is the true importance of the first move. I also knew you'd recall my previous so-called 'defeat' and try to exploit what you saw as my weakness. I knew you'd believe this game could be won through fair play alone and that you'd actually place your trust in those meaningless words I said to Katsuragi. That's why I said those words to get your mind going to get you here where we are now, to make you come to these false assumptions. While I wished you were more capable of entertaining me, all you've done is follow the script I had written out for you months ago."

Horikita's eyes started to widen as he continued to explain.

"Are you starting to understand now? You and Class C—you don't think I've noticed how intent you two are on 'beating' me? Searching for my every weakness like madmen? So I fed you one. I leveraged my 'defeat' against Ryuen over you two. Foreseeing this situation with Class D and C, I purposely tackled the island special exam in a way that would reinforce the notion I am unable to function or function best with direct control over a situation. Then, I did the same in my game against Katsuragi, reinforcing that very notion with some meaningless words. And I chose the latest time possible for my game with Katsuragi, all to get you here in this room with me, Horikita."

"What does time have to do with anything?" Horikita asked.

"Well, if I played Katsuragi earlier in the day, you might not have gathered with everyone in the auditorium to witness my game. After all, regular students have games to go about themselves, so there wouldn't be as much of a crowd or interest in my game against Katsuragi."

"That doesn't explain anything. I would've seen your game with Katsuragi anyway and gotten the same idea I originally did to defeat you."

"It explains everything, Horikita. You see, I needed my game to become a big event to attract attention, to make you gather in the student lounge to watch it with everyone else. Not because you are important or anything. No, it was to prevent X, Class D's mastermind, from interfering with my plan. In a cramped lounge, if X had figured out my plan and prevented you from challenging me, they would have become the focus of the attention of all those in the lounge. If you had watched the game in a more private venue, X could have talked you out of playing me. They could've convinced you it was a trap and a bad idea, so I had to eliminate that possibility, which is why I chose the latest time interval for my game against Katsuragi because it would be when everyone would be free. Meaning by the time you declared your challenge against me, it would already be too late for X to interfere, as a challenge can't be rescinded. It's why I wasn't surprised to come out of my game with Katsuragi and receive a challenge from you."

"That doesn't mean you knew I'd be the one to react! It could've been anyone, for example, Ichinose or Kanzaki of Class C!" Horikita said, beginning to grow emotional.

"No, it was going to be you. I was sure, for the very reason, you are getting emotional right now. Because of all the first years, your brother chose me as his successor. You thought by defeating me or even outsmarting me to the slightest capacity, you could prove yourself to him, didn't you? It was obvious since the beginning of the year you have been unhappy with your placement in Class D. Since the meaning behind each class has been revealed, it was only easier to understand more about you from there on."

Yagami continued as he turned to face Horikita, "Ichinose and Kanzaki, no, Class C in general, wouldn't run into a situation they don't understand. In that way, they are like Katsuragi. Right now, I have no doubt that instead of trying to avoid me, they are planning to try and beat me head-on at my own game. You, on the other hand, were focused on finding my weakness, and that's why you were the only fish available to eat the bait I laid out, Horikita."

Throughout the lounge, the students of Class C felt a shiver run down their spines. It wasn't only Horikita's actions being anticipated but theirs as well.

Horikita didn't respond to Yagami and continued to look at the game board, but she was noticeably shaken. "How did you know I would attempt to buy the right to the first move?" she finally asked.

"You were right when you said Class D doesn't have the financials to make such a purchase. But knowing about the partnership between Class D and C, and the fact that Class B and I are the main targets in this exam, I assumed they'd lend you the points you needed after hearing your plan and the promise of returns after your victory," Yagami explained.

Horikita's face slowly changed into one of acceptance. "I see. And after that, you assumed I would expect you to also try to buy the right to the first move and overcome that with Class C's reserves of wealth. May I ask… Just how much exactly did you pay for the right to decide play order?"

"Hahah," I chuckled, "How cute did you think you managed to drain my and Class B's pockets? Well, Horikita, I spent 500,002 private points, a whole point more than you did, correct?" I ask with a playful smile.

"Stop lying!" Horikita said, slapping her hand down on the table in front of her. "If that's the case, if I had expected you to figure out this trick in outbidding, your entire plan would've collapsed. I would have paid far more than 500,000 private points if I expected you to do the same."

"Exactly, Horikita. That's why I only paid 500,002 private points. You see, those extra 2 points? That's all Class D is worth to me. Wasting 100,000 private points or more to gain an advantage over you wasn't worth it to me. If you had expected me to outbid you, knowing how much wealth I possess, you definitely would have wasted hundreds of thousands of points—points you don't have. After all, you can only acquire so many from your own struggling class."

Yagami says, alluding to how borrowing points and losing this game would've definitely brought Class D to a true financial collapse.

Yagami locked onto Horikita's eyes before continuing, "I told you this was one of your mistakes, challenging me to a game of intellect. With the first move advantage, as long as I play perfectly, I can win. Theoretically, if I didn't have this advantage, there is a chance that I could lose. But that's also assuming you are more intellectually capable than me. Now tell me, Horikita, after hearing everything I've said, do you still believe yourself capable of beating me in a game of intellect?"

***

"That's… quite a high level of planning for a simple competition between two classes," Mashima muttered, attentive to the game.

Hoshinomiya responded with a smile, "Yes, it's quite the pleasant performance. This special exam usually isn't this intriguing."

Sakagami finally took a moment to speak. "That's only the beginning. After he bought the right to the first move, I talked to Yagami briefly. In that short amount of time, I learned a lot about him."

"Huh? What happened?" Mashima asked, looking at Sakagami with curiosity. Hoshinomiya and Chabashira did the same.

"I shouldn't say," Sakagami quickly responded.

The other teachers, understanding, dropped the topic.

"What about you, Chabashira? Were you expecting something like this?" Mashima asked.

Chabashira took a second to think before responding. "It's… complicated. When Horikita approached me wanting to buy the right to the first move, I was pleased. I thought her strategy was decent, so I asked one of my students his opinion on the game between Horikita and Yagami. He told me Horikita didn't stand a chance. I asked him to interfere, but he claimed there was nothing that could be done at this point. Horikita had fallen into a trap, and there was no escape."

"Must be quite the capable student for you to be interested in their opinion and ask them to interfere," Mashima commented, and Chabashira simply nodded her head.

"Yes, I don't know if he knew the depths of Yagami's plans, but as we began to watch the game, the reason I was quiet was because of his words about Horikita's defeat being inevitable. Still… Yagami's plan began months ago. I could have never predicted he would use the situation with Ryuen as bait for Horikita."

Hoshinomiya spoke next. "Now that I think about it, didn't Yagami join the student council on the same day the five students of Class D were expelled? He was called in through the loudspeaker, right? He had likely attempted to join before, but he likely knew from the moment he was accepted to the student council that he would be able to use everything that occurred as bait against Horikita and Class D. That fact alone makes his insight quite scary."

***

"Hey, Ichinose? Do we really have to play against Yagami? Isn't it kinda too much for us?" Shiranami asked, echoing the thoughts of her nervous Class C classmates. Even though they knew they wouldn't be the ones directly facing Yagami, they still saw the act as senseless.

"It's nothing to worry about, guys. In the end, most of this is a friendly competition, right?" Ichinose responded, trying to uplift her class, but it didn't seem to work.

"That may be true, but we do have a lot to lose in terms of class points. If we lose to Yagami, it will become very difficult to catch up to Class B and therefore achieve Class A status," another student of Class C said in a sad tone.

Ichinose, not knowing what to say, remained silent. Thankfully, Kanzaki responded, "What about if Class B reaches Class A then? Will we just hide away from Yagami and his Class at that point?"

"I'm not saying that. I'm just saying maybe right now it would be the best decision to avoid him; he doesn't seem to be hostile against our or any other class after all, so we have no reason to challenge him…" the student mumbled back.

"Aww, how cute. It seems like Class C is getting scared," Ryuen said, obviously antagonizing the class.

Of course, Ichinose, Kanzaki, and the rest of Class C didn't respond to his provocation. Instead, Ichinose asked a question, "Hey Ryuen, did you know about any of this? About Yagami's plan?"

Ryuen seemed focused as he heard the question, as if in contemplation. "No, I didn't. We usually function independently. He wouldn't have bothered to tell me about his plan if he didn't deem it important to do so. He was confident in his victory, so he didn't say anything to me, and I didn't question him," Ryuen replied.

Kushida, who had been quietly watching the game, interrupted, "It's crazy if all that's true. Yagami really anticipated and then manipulated Horikita's actions while letting her believe she was in full control. Following that, he isolated her from outside interference, preventing her from receiving assistance from Class D's mastermind all by himself. And he began this whole process months ago… Could you have done it, Ryuen?"

Ryuen didn't even have to give the question much thought. He hated to admit it, but even he didn't think Yagami was this capable, so he answered reluctantly, "No, I can't say I could have, but that's not how I operate anyway..."

"It's impressive for sure, but at the same time, I wonder what's going on in his head. Someone has to be a little crazy to come up with a grand plan like this just to achieve one measly victory," Kanzaki responded.

Katsuragi hummed before replying to Kanzaki's statement, "Maybe, or maybe the plan you see as 'grand' to him was worthless. From our perspective, the plan may look genius, but you must ask yourself if what you see as genius would be seen that way by a true genius. Growing up, I had always been referred to as mentally gifted, but Yagami played against me as if he was playing against a child. While I took my time preparing to play against him, Yagami gave our game no second thought, appeared, and quickly dispatched me. To me, he seems like a true genius, but from his perspective, even if I've been called a genius all my life, do you think he would see me as one?"

"So are you saying that plan may not have been all that impressive to him?" Ichinose asked.

Katsuragi nodded, "Exactly. What we are seeing as impressive or great may just be average to Yagami."

Hearing those words, Ichinose's mind seemed to once again go back to Yagami's late appearance and disinterest in the island exam and both his matches, first against Katsuragi and now against Horikita. "I guess stuff must get boring when you reach that level of ability."

Soon, Horikita's voice echoed through the televisions, filled with a sense of defeat. "Huh, so that's how it is? I've been eating out of your hand since the expulsions, and I continued to do so as you joined the student council, in the island exam, and even during this exam. You exploited everything, literally down to the last detail, like time."

"Well, you wanted to see what I was capable of, right? Why I was chosen for the student council? Now I've shown you. So, Horikita, do you still believe you can win this game of ours?" Yagami asked, his tone collected.

In response, Horikita simply looked down at the game board.

[o], [o]

[o], [o], [o]

[o], [o], [o], [o], [o]

[x], [o], [o], [o], [o], [o], [o]

"Is it even possible for me to win?" Horikita asked, seriously pondering the point of this game.

"No," Yagami responded honestly. "Best case scenario, you lose in 14 moves."

"I see…" Horikita murmured, but her thoughts were far from the game. The encounter with Yagami had torn apart the very fabric of her self-confidence, leaving her to question everything—her actions, her intelligence, even her life.

The weight of Yagami's overwhelming intellect pressed down on her, crushing any remnants of hope. The truth was undeniable: she had never stood a chance. The sheer magnitude of his foresight and manipulation left her feeling like a leaf caught in a powerful breeze, with no control of her own.

"I… forfeit…"

With that, the will to fight drained from her, leaving her empty. The game was over before it truly began, and Horikita, shattered by the encounter, surrendered after making only a single move.

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I really want to hear what you guys have to say regarding this game and this original arc in general.

Honestly, writing these reveal chapters is some of my favorites. I feel like I get the chance to really show off my writing, whereas in chapters where there isn't much going on, I feel like I decline a lot. Thats also partly due to the fact normal chapters are more boring, but you all get the point.

Please give me your thoughts now that this game is over; I think the scenario is pretty realistic, although I think the Katsuragi one and the one I have planned next is better in terms of realism.

Moreover, for those who want to see more of Ayanokoji's involvement, I want to say I have a reason I haven't been showing much of him, which will be revealed soon.

I hope you all are excited for the last 2 games; I'm actually happy I replaced the zodiac exam with this exam; I believe it fits better in my story.