บท 51: Chapter 51 - Ichinose 2 - The Final Nail

---Notice---

If you don't give me your powerstones I'll...

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"Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves." ~Henry David Thoreau

"I tested this game against my classmates a few times," Ichinose began as we entered the selection phase of the third round. "After a while, it became a strategy for players to choose the same 'safe' number twice in a row, especially in the first round. At first glance, that might seem foolish once your number's been revealed, but a huge part of this game is mind games—sometimes a move that looks dumb turns out to be smart."

"I see," I replied calmly, selecting the number 5. "I should've known a simple trick wouldn't work on you."

Ichinose tilted her head slightly, a hint of curiosity in her eyes. "You seem so calm, Light. Normally, in these games, you show hints of stress—even if it's fake, like when you faced Katsuragi and Morishita."

"Yes, but in this situation, there's nothing to gain from acting panicked. Besides, you'd see right through it. It would be obvious to you if I tried that here."

"True," she replied, selecting her own number.

Once we'd both made our selections, I chose to attack number 7.

"Round 3 has concluded," the administrator announced. "No damage has been dealt this round. Yagami selected number 5 and attacked number 7, while Ichinose selected number 1 and attacked number 3. Round 4 may now commence."

"So, Light," Ichinose began, her tone more probing as she picked a number from her pad, "what's your plan?"

"My plan?" I echoed.

"Come on, don't play dumb. Everyone knows you devise elaborate strategies before games like this, and if not before, then during. Tell me honestly—have you already figured out a way to win?"

I showed a faint smile. "Does it matter? Would you believe me if I said I hadn't? Would you believe me if I said I had? Either way, you know better than to take my word for it." I respond, playing the number 7.

She gave a quiet laugh. "I suppose you're right. But I'll be honest—I'm nervous. Playing against you, it feels like anything I do could be a mistake, even if it isn't. It's like everything Class C and I have worked on could fall apart at any moment."

"But didn't you challenge me to defeat that very notion that's been spreading among the students?" I asked, keeping my gaze steady.

"Yes, that's true…" Ichinose replied. "But as I watched you play, I couldn't help but feel like my challenge would be pointless." She chose her number to attack, her expression softening slightly.

"And yet, you challenged me anyway," I continued, pressing the number 7 on my pad. "Not to prove anything to me or out of disdain. You wanted to show everyone else that there's nothing to be afraid of, didn't you?"

She nodded, resolved. "Yes, that's about right. Competition is a huge part of this school, and I don't think it's healthy for students to have a fearful mentality."

The administrator's voice interrupted us. "Round 4 has concluded. The result is the removal of half a heart from Light Yagami's total health, leaving him with two hearts. This round, Yagami selected the number 7 and attacked number 4, while Ichinose selected number 6 and attacked number 8. Round 5 may now commence."

I glanced at the results screen but dismissed it with little reaction, continuing the conversation. "Are you afraid of disappointing your classmates and peers?"

She hesitated, then answered honestly, "Honestly… yes."

"The idea of disappointing those around you is terrifying," I replied, selecting the number 10 on my pad.

"Have you ever disappointed anyone?" Ichinose asked, her tone questioning but soft.

"Of course," I replied. "Plenty of students would love to see me lose in these games—I'm sure I've disappointed them." I chuckled before continuing, "But I don't think that's what you're really asking. You mean… letting down people who actually matter, right? Loved ones?"

Ichinose giggled softly, nodding. "Yes, that's what I meant."

"Well, I can't say I have," I said, keeping my tone neutral. "It's not that I'm trying to show off, but my family raised me well. I've always been focused on my studies, and with my father being a deputy director of the police, I grew up with solid values and discipline. It's not exactly easy to disappoint when you're following the steps set out for you."

"I see," she responded, pressing a number on her pad. "I'm glad for you, but don't sell yourself short. Many people have a supportive upbringing yet still find ways to fail those closest to them."

Selecting the number 3 on my pad, I nodded slightly. "True enough."

The attack round ended as quickly as it began as I entered the number 5 for my attack.

"Round 5 concludes with no damage dealt," the administrator announced. "Yagami selected the number 3 and attacked 5, while Ichinose selected 7 and also attacked 5. Round 6 may now start."

As the sixth round began, I spoke almost immediately. "Who did you disappoint?" I asked, locking in the number 5.

"Ah… well, that's a bit personal, you see," Ichinose mumbled, glancing down at her screen.

"I understand." I paused, giving her space before continuing. "Well, you mentioned regret earlier. Maybe you can tell me about that?"

She hesitated, her gaze shifting slightly. "It's related. But it's not something I'd want to share with everyone watching." She laughed softly, though her voice held a trace of sadness. "Plus, it's in the past now… really."

I watched her, genuinely intrigued by whatever story she was keeping to herself. "I get it. But you've moved forward from it? Determined to live without regret, to avoid giving others a reason to feel disappointed?"

Ichinose selected her number, nodding as she responded confidently, "Yes, that's enough for me. When I came to this school, I made a promise to myself—to live right. Not to let the past affect my future."

She pressed her choice on the pad, and I locked in mine as well.

"Round 6 has concluded," the administrator declared. "Yagami has taken another half-heart of damage, leaving him with one and a half hearts. This round, Yagami played the number 5 and attacked 2, while Ichinose selected 7 again and attacked 6. Round 7 may now start."

As the administrator announced the results, I caught a glimpse of Ichinose's face. Though she was \in the lead, her expression showed no satisfaction or relief. Instead, there was a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes, her smile fading slightly as she registered a successful attack on me.

In fact, she seemed almost… unsettled, as though she couldn't quite believe she was actually winning. I noticed her fingers tapping anxiously against her number pad.

For a moment, her confidence wavered.

She was visibly nervous, as if waiting for me to reveal some unseen multilayered strategy that would turn the game around in an instant, making this apparent victory feel less and less certain with every passing round.

Little did she know that the long-awaited moment she anticipated—the one where I'd unveil some genius strategy—would never arrive.

"Are you alright, Ichinose?" I asked, casually selecting a number from the pad. "You're winning; shouldn't you be happy?"

Ichinose's fingers hovered over the number pad, her movements tense and hesitant. She glanced at me, her expression clouded with something between doubt, as though wrestling with an invisible force pulling her deeper into a trap she couldn't see. Finally, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper, laced with unease.

"You know, Yagami… facing you isn't like playing against anyone else." She paused, eyes fixed on me. "It's… unnerving. Your way of predicting outcomes—of seeing things several steps ahead—It makes me feel like no matter what I do, I'm only walking into your hands."

She looked down as though forcing herself to continue. "At first, I thought I was making smart moves. Then… this creeping doubt sets in. It's like there's a shadow over every decision I make, whispering that it could be exactly what you want me to do. It doesn't matter what choice I make because, in the back of my mind, I start thinking you've already anticipated it. It's… suffocating."

"It sounds as if you're overthinking things, Ichinose. Maybe that's the real trap—one you're setting for yourself."

She swallowed, eyes narrowing, but she continued. "That's what makes you… terrifying to go up against," she continued, her voice shaking slightly. "It's as if your mind twists every move I make. The more I try to be unpredictable, the more I feel like I'm only circling into some invisible plan you've already laid out. It makes you seem… inhuman."

"I guess that's the result of everyone watching me crawl out of seemingly impossible situations, huh?" I replied, amused.

Ichinose gave a faint smile, finally pressing a number. "I guess so. Whenever I try to think through my strategy, my mind always drifts back to those moments where you won against all odds."

As she made her selection, I quickly tapped the number pad to attack the number 2.

Ichinose didn't respond this time and quietly followed suit, choosing her attack number without hesitation.

"Round 7 has concluded," the administrator announced. "No damage has been dealt this round. Yagami selected the number 5 and attacked 2, while Ichinose selected 4 and attacked 9. Round 8 may now commence."

I glanced at Ichinose and noticed an odd look of relief on her face, a subtle shift in her tense expression.

"That's a sudden change in demeanor," I commented.

She let out a small laugh, her tone relieved. "It's a bit comforting to know that for you to win, you'd have to accurately guess my number three times in a row now. I'm fine if this game ends in a draw; that's really all I came here for."

I noted her words as she pressed her choice for the round, and I did the same, afterwards selecting the number 1 to attack.

The administrator's voice broke the silence. "Round 8 has concluded, and damage has been dealt. Yagami has lost an entire heart, leaving him with only half a heart. Yagami played the number 9 and attacked 1, while Ichinose played the number 3 and attacked 9. Round 9 may now commence."

I let my fingers hover over the number pad, tracing each button slowly.

"You know," I began, voice low, "we talked earlier about regret, about right and wrong… justice, and the fear of disappointing others." I watched her carefully, noting the slight shift in her posture as she took in my words. "I really wonder sometimes… are those ideals guiding us, or are they just shackles? Barriers that hold us back?"

Ichinose's face softened. "I… I don't see them as shackles. They're reminders of who we are, of the values that keep us grounded. Without them… well, we'd lose sight of everything that really matters."

I smiled, leaning in. "But isn't it possible that those very values are what stop us from reaching what we truly want? They create boundaries, lines we're afraid to cross—choices we avoid, even if they're the most efficient way forward."

Ichinose hesitated, her fingers hovering over her own pad as she tried to grasp the meaning beneath my words. "Yagami… values like that are what keep us human. Without them, we'd just be acting for ourselves, needlessly harming those around us."

"Maybe…" I whispered, letting the silence drag out, my gaze unwavering. "Ichinose, if this game isn't about winning, then why keep pushing forward? Why take on the pressure, the strain—just in search of a draw?"

" I already said giving up now… would mean letting down everyone who believed in me. Like everyone else that challenged you, I came to show them that there's nothing to fear… that every Class can rise and compete against each other, even if it's just for a draw, is worth it."

I held her gaze, "Ichinose, you should forfeit."

She looked at me, her eyes widening with surprise. "Forfeit? But why would I… after coming this far?"

I leaned back on my chair, taking in Ichinose's confused expression: "Because if you forfeit now, I won't force Morishita to drop out of school."

***Lounge***

"What?" Katsuragi whispered, his voice barely audible as he stared at the television screen, which showed Yagami's calm, almost casual demeanor and Ichinose's frozen expression.

He wasn't alone in his shock. All eyes were glued to the screen, and the room buzzed with a mixture of confusion, unease, and outright disbelief. Yet, while most were stunned by the sudden shift, Katsuragi alone seemed to grapple with something deeper.

Kanzaki, noticing the confusion on Katsuragi's face, leaned in closer. "Why do you look like that?" he asked, his voice showing concern for Ichinose.

Katsuragi clicked his tongue in frustration, muttering under his breath. "Tsk… That's why… I should have expected this from him, scheming bastard… But I guess I can't be too upset he did help me in the end…"

Kanzaki's eyes narrowed, sensing something beyond what anyone else could see. "What do you mean?"

Katsuragi exhaled sharply, his gaze still fixed on the screen. "I suppose it doesn't hurt to say it now…" He glanced around the room, then spoke. "Morishita… isn't at risk of expulsion. Right now, Yagami is scamming Ichinose."

Kanzaki's eyes widened, but Katsuragi continued. "No matter what Ichinose says or does, Morishita isn't at risk of expulsion. Shortly after his last game, Yagami and I struck a deal to keep her safe. He personally requested we keep quiet about it until after this exam, and I agreed, thinking he was doing us a favor. But looking at this now… It's clear now he had other plans; I was wondering what else he could gain from helping us."

Katsuragi's gaze hardened. "You could say he scammed Class A, too, given these were his true intentions for striking a deal with us. But I guess I dont really lose from my dealings with him. Anyways, he agreed to spare her… but he's keeping that from Ichinose, manipulating her emotions, her fear, to make her forfeit."

A stunned silence fell over the room as the impact of Katsuragi's words set in. The watching students, who had thought they understood Yagami's strategy, now saw the game in a darker light, their shock turning to unease as they realized the true depth of his manipulation.

Katsuragi shook his head, a hint of bitter admiration in his tone. "He's playing her… and she has no idea."

***Flashback***

"Was that smart, Light? Letting a Class A student off the hook when you had the perfect opportunity to remove them from the school?" Ryuk asked, intrigued.

"It's perfect, actually," I replied, a faint smile forming. "Morishita will be useful—loyal, unsuspecting, and now indebted to me. She'll be an advocate within the Katsuragi faction, a voice that's mine to guide. And I still get what I want: the expulsion of a Class A student. You heard them, Ryuk—they agreed. I let Morishita stay, but in return, a 'traitor' from Sakayanagi's faction will be expelled."

Ryuk's nodded, amusement flickering across his face.

"I gain a puppet in Morishita, an 'ally' in Katsuragi, and, with their agreement, permission to chip away at Sakayanagi's influence from within. Piece by piece, I'm positioning myself to control Class A."

"I see," Ryuk murmured. "So you managed this without disrupting Katsuragi's faction, which you've been protecting from collapse throughout this exam. Morishita's survival works in Katsuragi's favor, too—keeping her reflects well on his leadership, doesn't it?"

"Exactly. And what makes it perfect is that my image remains intact. Katsuragi will be forced to keep quiet about the future expulsion, knowing that both our names are tied to it. If he ever tried to expose me, I might lose a bit of popularity in Class A, but it would be nothing compared to the power Katsuragi would lose when his classmates discover he was part of a plot to expel one of their own." | paused, letting the satisfaction settle in, savoring the memory. "All it took was a few words about Class A's best interests."

"'Katsuragi, please understand, I told him. 'If people in Sakayanagi's faction keep sabotaging exams like they did in the last island test-you'll never see true success. This is for everyone's good! And he bought it."

I leaned back, a faint smirk crossing my face as I recalled my final words to Katsuragi. "'You know I don't like the idea of expulsions,' I told him, 'but they're inevitable—especially in cases like these.'"

Ryuk's grin widened as he watched the satisfaction play across my face.

"Of course," I continued, "the biggest part was Katsuragi's own priorities. I knew he'd view Morishita as more valuable than some single traitor working against the class. To someone like him, keeping someone reliable like Morishita always outweighs the cost of losing a less trustworthy ally. I only needed to remind him of that."

Ryuk's eyes glinted with interest. "So when you reached out to Katsuragi and Morishita, your offer came off as… generous?"

I nodded, satisfied. "Exactly. In their eyes, my offer was basically a gift from god. I was sparing his friend and fighting his enemies. Who else would have gone so far for him? You see, many believe the most convincing power in the world is force or fear, well it isn't—the most convincing power is the ability to make others believe they're receiving a gift, even when that gift is a chain they must willingly put around their own neck."

"Yes, that is power."

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I'd love to hear whatever you guys have to say regarding the plot and how things are developing, I like hearing everyone's opinions and I want to make this story as enjoyable as possible for the most amount of all of you.

***Short discussion below please read if you can***

Now about a topic I'm sure a lot of you will be questioning, Morishita, no I didn't expell her, but yes someone from class a will be getting expelled, I'm sure you guys have some pretty accurate guesses. Anyway, this definitely isn't filler, and the events that took place in this exam will play a pretty big role later on.

Why didn't I expel Morishita?

Well, I feel like I actually need her to progress the story, and I think she makes a great side character and puppet in general, given her interest in, well, whatever interests her. I felt like I needed Morishita with what I have planned for Class A and Katsuragi and the other classes in the future, which is why I didn't expel her, but once again, someone 'major' (obviously not class leader major) will be removed from class a.

But Morishita was stuck up, so she should've been expelled!

I'll copy and pace something I said in my discord to respond to this, "Just so everyone understands something, Morishita didn't challenge Light out of ego or any malicious intent; she did it out of curiosity. She wants to see if Light really is that much better than everyone else and, if so, by how much. She challenges him to a game of deduction and makes the punishment extreme in an attempt to push Light to his limits or get his mind running at full speed to avoid the punishment."

I'll elaborate on Light and Katsuragi's deal in later chapters

-If you guys have any more questions on any of these topics or anything else, let me know I will try to answer.-