A dangerous situation. The second round carried risks of violence and penalties, but it was averted thanks to Shiina's devoted actions.
Sakayanagi quickly understood that this wasn't merely a miracle brought about by chance.
"...I see. Tokitō-kun has grievances with your class. You anticipated that I would exploit this and placed Shiina-san in the same group as Tokitō-kun for that reason."
"If Tokitō goes on a rampage, stopping him isn't easy. As you can see, anyone else would just add fuel to the fire. Whoever you send, it's basically the same."
"Why could Shiina-san stop him?"
"Kuku. He's sweet to women, especially ones he's into. He doesn't have the guts to strike a woman with a raised fist."
"Didn't you consider disposing of the rebels beforehand?"
"Tokitō's rampage is just playing with fire, not really a rebellion."
"You're giving him a chance to grow—you're surprisingly kind, contrary to your appearance."
"Somebody seems to like that sort of thing."
Using the environment to foster growth in others was a method Ayanokōji often employed.
Though they were entirely different people, Sakayanagi felt a hint of Ayanokōji in Ryūen.
She realized that she was enjoying the battle with Ryūen more than she'd imagined.
"However, I wish it was only your birthdays that were the same."
Ryūen laughed at the unexpected jab.
"Ha, that's none of my business. That must be him copying me."
The group was able to take advantage of Shiina, who had been excluded from the representative role, and anticipated that Class A would exploit Tokitō's position. Sakayanagi genuinely admired Ryūen's strategy.
Of course, it wasn't without its dangers, but that too was typical of this man.
Regardless of whether it directly affected the specific outcome of this special exam, at least from the perspective of Classes A and C, it appeared that Ryūen's side had gained momentum.
'Both parties have chosen to pass, so we will move to honor the student's nomination.'
This round ended with both representatives choosing to pass. Shiina became the target and was dismissed. In the third round, Shimizu would again challenge Tokitō, but this time, Tokitō showed no irritation. He couldn't betray Shiina's expectations, a resolve that was evident even through the screen.
'Ryūen-kun, Sakayanagi-san, both of you have successfully identified Machida-kun as an honor student, resulting in a draw.'
After they both passed on the previous nomination, with them getting the same nomination correct time, the two drew again. The discussion, which had been stagnant, accelerated with the immediate exclusion of Shiina, who'd supported Tokitō.
"It seems we can't avoid nominating Shimizu-kun now."
"I was thinking the same thing."
Both of them exchanged a few words.
The nomination for the next round came.
'Sakayanagi-san, Ryūen-kun, both of you have successfully identified Rokkaku-san as an honor student, resulting in another draw.'
Contrary to their declarations, it wasn't the conspicuous Shimizu but the honor student Rokkaku who was correctly identified.
With that, the second discussion ended, and both sides maintained their lives in a rare development.
The situation remained unchanged as they entered the third discussion at a stalemate.
From the first and second rounds, both sides continued to pass, but from the third round, they simultaneously switched to the offensive, nominating executive roles in consecutive rounds and drawing. In the fifth round, Ryūen nominated an underclassman as an executive role, recovering his life to seven. In the sixth round, both sides passed again, resulting in another draw.
"I didn't think your persistence would last this long."
"I've misread you too. You weren't just all talk."
They praised each other's tenacity in what turned out to be a prolonged battle. Sakayanagi hadn't crossed any dangerous bridges in this discussion and hadn't nominated any specific role names even once. She took a stance to avoid attacking where she smelled trouble.
As a result, the rounds were tangled and dragged deep, showing a rare pattern where all the ordinary students left, and the remaining honor students won.
"Can't you at least provide some water?"
During the recess interval, Ryūen had made this demand, and the examiner hurriedly brought a plastic bottle. Ryūen forcefully grabbed it, opened the cap, and gulped down about half its content.
"Hydration is important. You're not used to using your brain this much, and I'm sure it's unexpectedly draining your energy more than you thought it would."
It was a sarcastic remark implying that she didn't need it, but Ryūen didn't care.
"Do you really want a rematch with Ayanokōji-kun that badly? You can't win against him."
"Not now. But if I continue relentlessly targeting him, he'll surely show an opening somewhere."
"I would hope so. Ayanokōji-kun isn't such a lenient opponent."
Despite choosing not to elaborate, she came off as taking the upper hand in this conversation.
"What an unpleasant woman."
"Thank you very much."
The time for the fourth discussion was finally approaching. Both sides were seriously trying to crush each other.
During the new discussion, as soon as Sakayanagi identified someone with an executive role, Ryūen made a wrong nomination and lost two lives. It seemed that the tides were turning in Sakayanagi's favor, but in the fourth and fifth rounds, they both correctly guessed the executive role and the honor student consecutively, leading to an unpredictable series of draws. After both had passed in the sixth round, in the seventh round, Ryūen and Sakayanagi both correctly guessed the honor student again, swiftly ending the match.
From when the battle between the generals had begun, more than three hours had already passed.
The discussion was about to enter its fifth phase.
"We can't seem to be able to deliver a decisive blow to each other."
"I guess so."
Ryūen had five lives while Sakayanagi had eight.
They kept nominating one after another, neither giving an inch.
Yet, a gap was forming.
In the second round of the fifth discussion, Ryūen, with an incorrect nomination, had reduced his lives to four.
Ryuen had been conducting himself calmly up until this point, fighting with vigor that he received from Tokitō. However, he was continually forced to struggle with frustration, one crucial step away from reaching Sakayanagi.
In the midst of that, there was something he couldn't help but think about.
The reality was that his predictions couldn't surpass Sakayanagi's.
Indeed, Sakayanagi hadn't made a single decisive mistake.
She hadn't suffered even a single incorrect nomination, while Ryūen was gradually losing lives due to minor mistakes.
He felt increasingly cornered, as if being pushed to the edge of a cliff.
"What are you able to see, Sakayanagi?"
"I always see what you see, but there are things I notice that you don't. Isn't that all there is to it? However, you are also very patient. Perhaps it's about time you exercised your traitor rights to shift the momentum?"
Given that Ryūen was slowly losing lives, the situation was undeniably disadvantageous.
The quickest way to shift the momentum was to use the right that only Ryūen had left. Sakayanagi had anticipated that he'd use his traitor rights much earlier, so she was puzzled by it.
With more than half of his lives gone, it was conceivable that Ryūen could be defeated in the next discussion. If that happened, his defeat would be decided without even using the right.
Naturally, he wanted to avoid that at all costs.
That was why he was going to lay the groundwork for the fifth discussion and for the sixth discussion beyond that.
Having been suggested that it should be used, he conversely aimed to preserve it.
In the fourth round, Ryūen made his move.
Who among the remaining participants could be considered an honor student?
He trusted the answer that his eyes saw, his ears heard, and his brain deduced, and he made his move.
'Ryūen-kun has successfully identified Nishi-san as an honor student, so Sakayanagi-san will lose three lives.'
Ryūen took the initiative and successfully found the first honor student.
"...I've finally closed the gap."
Ryūen smiled slyly, welcoming his slightly quickened heartbeat warmly.
"That seems to be the case. It looks like you drew a slim chance."
In this discussion, there were many students who hadn't spoken much, and neither side had any decisive clues.
"No, it isn't that simple. At least in this nomination, your insight surpassed mine."
When it was time to acknowledge her opponent, it must be done. Ryūen was a student worthy of that.
The blow was undoubtedly significant, but the opposite would happen in the next round.
'Sakayanagi-san has successfully identified Hoashi as an honor student, so Ryūen-kun will lose three lives.'
Using the hint from Ryūen's previous nomination, Sakayanagi had noticed the other remaining honor student.
"Damn you..."
"Thanks to you, I was able to find the remaining honor student. I offer my thanks."
Thanks to Ryūen showing that Nishi was an honor student, Sakayanagi was able to find an answer she hadn't been able to arrive at before.
The brief joy was gone, and now Ryūen only had one life remaining while Sakayanagi had five. Although both succeeded in nominating honor students, unlike a draw, the mismatched nominations accelerated the situation. The discussion ended, and the recess interval began.
"Now you are truly in a situation where you cannot afford a single mistake."
Sakayanagi, seeing her path to victory in the next discussion, resolved to defeat Ryūen without getting complacent.
Meanwhile, Ryūen closed his eyes and looked up in frustration.
He absolutely had to prevent Sakayanagi's next move.
He managed to nominate an honor student, which brought him a slight sense of relief.
He decided to wait and see, and that decision turned out to be a mistake.
But it was too late now. The faint signs of a comeback were fading.
Is this it...? Is this all?
To demonstrate his abilities to Ayanokōji, he challenged Sakayanagi head on.
He threw all his cunning and strategies at her.
Yet, he fell short, and the gap didn't close.
The next discussion would undoubtedly be the final battle.
Given a chance, Sakayanagi would nominate without fear of risk and chip away at his life.
Had he used his traitor rights, could he have made it a more competitive match?
He thought so for a moment, but he also realized that even that wouldn't have been enough to even the odds.
From the way things had gone, Sakayanagi would've been able to quickly eliminate any traitors.
He had no moves left.
All that remained was to nominate the honor student lurking as the two out of fourteen participants and believe in a miracle.
Even if that miracle worked once, it was unlikely to work a second time. However, he had no choice.
Regardless of whether he would leave the final outcome up to chance, there was no doubt he had been continuously overpowered by sheer ability.
He wondered what it would feel like when he'd lose, but he himself seemed rather relieved.
It was because Ryūen had to acknowledge it at this point.
The small student in front of him, contrary to her appearance, was a true monster.
Her ability to foresee the trials ahead, her broad perspectives, and above all, her flawless defense.
If Ryūen primarily used bluster, bluffing, and intimidation tactics, Sakayanagi fought with the conviction within herself. When he challenged her in an honest fight, he realized he still fell short in many areas compared to Sakayanagi.
"—Damn, I didn't expect it to turn out like this."
Ryūen's at one life remaining, Sakayanagi's at five lives remaining.
No matter how many times he looked at the monitor, the current situation with their lives wouldn't change.
"You only have a limited number of moves left, don't you? Let's use your right first."
To keep the possibility of a comeback, he had to sneak in the 'traitor' that he'd been saving.
Sakayanagi advised him to use it, but Ryūen saw through it as a lie.
"Even if I use the traitor here, it won't be able enough to turn the tables. It would only lower my chances of winning. We've been fighting to the death up to this point, but I haven't fallen so low that I can't see the battle situation, you know?"
As much as it could be used as a trump card, it was already too late.
Using the traitor now would create a desire to pass and advance the round.
Even if he wasn't able to hit the honor student, which was already a situation with low odds, his heart would sweetly drift towards thinking it might somehow work out.
In other words, even if he exercised the traitor rights, it would take time to feel the benefits. Even if the information of one or two participants was disclosed, in the end, he would have to blindly go for two consecutive honor students. Even if that bet succeeded, Sakayanagi would likely block at least one of them.
And then she would find an executive role in the discussion and defeat him first.
It was clearly the endgame.
"I see. You still had some wisdom to foresee that."
Perhaps it would be more like Ryūen to go out in a blaze of glory without using the traitor rights.
"You're strong—"
He caught himself mid-sentence and felt a pang of regret.
"This match... I've lost."
He dragged out his true feelings with an early declaration of defeat.
It was hard to say it, but once he did, a sense of relief washed over him.
It was undeniable proof that he felt Sakayanagi was one step above.
"It seems you've also seen the checkmate of this battle."
"Yeah. I admit it."
"You fought well too. I honestly acknowledge that you were a worthy opponent."
Indeed, Sakayanagi felt regret that the match was ending.
She had wanted to see more of Ryūen's way of fighting, almost like a parental emotion.
Even as she received her opponent's declaration of defeat, Sakayanagi wasn't complacent or arrogant.
She considered the possibility that he might be feigning death, aiming for a comeback. Glancing at the sharp gaze, Ryūen couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"You're a tough woman to beat, even down to the way how you don't let your guard down."
"Of course. I won't ease up one bit until the results are out from the school."
[ILLUSTRATION]
There were about three minutes left until what would likely be the final discussion. One life and the traitor rights remained.
"Tch…!"
Suddenly, a click of the tongue slipped out.
"What was that click for?"
"No, it's nothing... maybe he predicted I'd lose like this."
As Ryūen reflected on today's events, a click of the tongue came out unconsciously.
"Are you talking about Ayanokōji-kun?"
"Yeah. This morning, after receiving the explanation on the special exam, that guy called me out."
"I knew Ayanokōji-kun had his eyes on you, Ryūen-kun. You both went to the bathroom together. I imagine there was some exchange."
Naturally, Sakayanagi, who was aware of this, nodded as she recalled.
"At that time, he asked me, if I ended up losing, to pass you a message."
"I see. So that's how he saw it, then."
Just as Ayanokōji had predicted, Ryūen was pushed to the brink of defeat.
"Let's hear it. What message did he leave for me?"
Whether the story about the message was true or false could be judged by its content.
That was why Sakayanagi was interested. However, an unexpected response came from Ryūen.
"I dunno. All I know for sure is that Hashimoto has that message."
"Hashimoto-kun has...?"
"Moreover, it's a message that can only be understood in this special exam. I don't even know if it's true or not."
Given such a statement, it was impossible for Sakayanagi not to be interested.
"If you choose Hashimoto's group in the final discussion, I'll exercise the traitor rights."
Since the start of this battle, the group belonging to Hashimoto, whom Sakayanagi had been excluding so far, would be employed.
As the game seemed to be concluding, a new development emerged, which involved using Hashimoto from Ayanokōji's message.
It was impossible not to sense that something was fishy.
"Are you saying you haven't given up on the game yet?"
"If you think that's the case, do as you like."
Sakayanagi's instinct was telling her, 'Do not take this offer.'
In that situation, where the probability of winning was nearly 100%, taking any action that could slightly reduce that chance was foolish.
However, she didn't think Ryūen was lying.
She felt that it really was Ayanokōji's message, which was why her sense of caution immediately heightened.
But at the same time, her desire to know Ayanokōji's message emerged.
"If you're saving the traitor rights for this moment, it means you were fighting me at a disadvantage. I don't quite like that."
"It was a complete failure. I should've used it sooner."
He had intended to win without using the traitor rights, but there were times where he could've used them before being overwhelmed. Yet, he hadn't fully utilized the rights because he was concerned about Ayanokōji's message.
The odds of Sakayanagi employing Hashimoto's group were highly unlikely.
That was why he genuinely regretted it, showing a self-mocking laugh as he shook his wrist.
"However, a message through Hashimoto-kun—what was he thinking?"
"I don't know either. But if I were to make a wild guess, it'd be a setup. The traitor is the only one at risk of expulsion. If Hashimoto plays innocent, he can be pushed to expulsion."
Ryūen would designate Hashimoto as the traitor, and Sakayanagi would call him out in the interrogation.
And if Hashimoto were to be overlooked, he would gain a large sum of private points.
On the other hand, if she knew his identity, Sakayanagi would decisively expel Hashimoto without any hesitation.
"He thinks he won't be chosen as the traitor. He might even feign ignorance even if you try to sway him."
"Indeed, if he takes that approach, then there is a risk of expulsion, but it will be difficult to do so."
The role of the traitor was extremely disadvantageous.
Once their identity was exposed, they would likely confess if nominated.
Of course, if the nominated student wasn't the traitor, the representative would receive a penalty, but it was just losing one life, which wouldn't be a significant disadvantage.
Hashimoto himself probably didn't think he was likely to be picked as the traitor, but if Ryūen exercised his traitor rights, he could unexpectedly be chosen. Even if the conversation hadn't happened, Sakayanagi would still suspect him and would at least call him for an interrogation.
"When I call him, he will definitely confess. There's no need to worry about the decision on my end, as refusing to admit he's a traitor would mean his expulsion from the school."
If Sakayanagi had only one life left, then the situation might be different. However, with five lives remaining, there was no choice but to make a declaration against Hashimoto, regardless of his innocence or guilt.
"If you're harboring any faint hopes, it's futile. Regardless of whether Hashimoto-kun is innocent or guilty, I will declare him a traitor."
"I know that. Now then, show me the skills you're so proud of. If you can convince Hashimoto that you won't declare him a traitor, he might fall along with me."
At times like this, she considered the "what if."
What if Ryūen had already made a deal with Hashimoto?
What if this was a trap set by Ryūen from the beginning?
However, the details of this special exam were only revealed this morning. By that stage, representatives and participants were completely isolated, with no chance for any interaction.
The possibility of making a contract to save him from expulsion if he continued lying as the traitor was non-existent.
No—she didn't dismiss the possibility outright; Sakayanagi was truly considering the "what if."
What if the rules of the special exam had been leaked in advance?
Whether Ryūen had proposed such a contract to Hashimoto or not.
No, that was 100% impossible.
Regardless of whether Hashimoto confessed or not, Sakayanagi would simply declare that he was the traitor.
Without thinking about anything else, that was the only choice, and there would be no comeback.
Perhaps this incident was not caused by Ryūen but was orchestrated by Ayanokōji.
"Shall we check if there really is a message from Ayanokōji-kun?"
Sakayanagi chose Hashimoto's group for the discussion.
And Ryūen randomly picked a group, exercising his traitor rights.
This was an action made following Ayanokōji's message, without any deception.
The discussion began.
But Ryūen wasn't even looking at the monitor where the discussion was taking place; his eyes were closed.
"It's kind of you to show that you aren't playing any tricks."
"I don't hate struggling in vain, but I can't forgive myself for falling for Ayanokōji's smooth talk."
This time, Ryūen had declared to Ayanokōji that he would overpower Sakayanagi with his own abilities.
Since that didn't happen, the match was already over.
Sakayanagi, just to be sure, reviewed the discussion.
The information gained in one round was limited, but she sensed several participants' potential roles.
And she was fully prepared for when the time to initiate the interrogation arrived.
Holding her cane, Sakayanagi slowly left the classroom. Watching her leave, Ryūen looked up at the ceiling and slammed his fist down onto his knee.
He regretted allowing Sakayanagi to lead throughout.
"Damn it..."
He didn't want it to end here.
If it ended this way, his growth would stop here.
But that wish was no longer attainable.
Ryūen Kakeru had lost.