Hashimoto wasted no more time and put forward his proposal.
"Asuna-sama, I would like to lead approximately twenty people—half of our total strength—to scout enemy territory. I humbly request your permission, Asuna-sama!"
Hashimoto bowed his head deeply, awaiting Asuna's response.
Asuna propped her chin on one hand while the fingers of her other hand drummed against the armrest, pretending to be in deep thought. After a moment, she gave her answer.
"Go, Hashimoto. Do whatever is on your mind!" Asuna waved her hand grandiosely. "I shall support you from the rear!"
Having received his orders, Hashimoto spoke with fervent energy.
"The mission will be carried out! I shall pluck the fruits of victory and present them with both hands before Asuna-sama!"
With that, Hashimoto led Katsuragi away, his face beaming with pride.
Once they were gone, Asuna dropped the act. Her regal, authoritative posture immediately collapsed, and she slumped into the chair with a look of weary despair.
"I'm telling you... just how wild is your imagination? How did things even end up like this?"
Asuna truly couldn't wrap her head around it as she stared at the blue crystal in her hand. Hashimoto had just handed it to her for safekeeping, a testament to its vital importance. If this crystal were seized, they would lose 100 class points. Similarly, if the castle fell, they would lose another 100.
Given the crystal's significance, Hashimoto had decided to place it in the hands of the strongest person available—Asuna—to prevent any accidents. This way, even if someone wanted to steal it, they would have to think twice about whether they could actually defeat her.
Since the previous sports festival, Hashimoto had seen that no one in Class B was a match for Asuna. She might even be able to trade blows with the likes of Koenji. A peak-level combatant like her was, naturally, best used for "guarding the house."
The rules of this exam truly boiled down to whose fist was harder. To occupy another class's castle, physical confrontation was unavoidable; add in the need to seize the opponent's crystal, and combat was a certainty. The rules were simple, yet brutal.
Sitting on her throne, Asuna stared at the "Purple Energy Crystal" (another name for the blue crystal) measuring nearly 20 cm in her hand, before tucking it into her pocket for strict personal protection. She had given up on trying to make sense of things and decided to play the part until the very end. She didn't want her efforts so far to go to waste. Though, deep down, she was still baffled: Why do so many people worship me?
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
Elsewhere, at the castle belonging to Class 2-D—the territory controlled by Ryuen.
Ever since witnessing Yukino's strength, Ryuen had treated her as a guest of honor, akin to an "Elder" in a cultivation novel. Yukino was provided with free meals, and the class was always ready to request her assistance. In reality, Ryuen was paying Yukino extra points to ensure she would help the class during critical moments.
Yukino stood with her arms crossed, her brow furrowed. She had initially wanted to refuse, but Hiyori cut in.
"Please help our classmates," Hiyori walking over while cradling a book. "The current exam rules rely too heavily on pure physical strength. In that regard, we are clearly at a disadvantage."
She was referring to the incident where Ichika had defeated them all single-handedly. Only Yukino had managed to hold her own for a few exchanges, leading everyone to believe she was the strongest among them.
Yukino added resignedly, "My stamina is pathetic. Don't rely on me too much, or you'll end up losing big."
It wasn't that Yukino didn't want to help the class, but her physical endurance was truly poor, making her feel like she couldn't contribute much. In the previous encounter with Ichika, she could only last a few moves; if the fight dragged on, she was guaranteed to lose.
Hiyori offered a sweet smile and said it didn't matter; winning or losing was a problem for later—the important thing was participating. She was incredibly relaxed and didn't place too much weight on the final result.
As the actual leader of Class D, Ryuen scratched his head in frustration and agreed with Hiyori's suggestion.
What else could he do? In terms of raw power, they couldn't compete with Ryunosuke from Class C. Furthermore, according to reliable intel, even Asuna from Class B was no pushover. Not to mention Ichika from Class 1-A and Yagami from Class 1-B.
There were too many experts; Ryuen lacked the confidence to win. Finally, Yukino accepted Hiyori's proposal.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
Elsewhere, Yagami and Ichika began their move.
Their strategy was simpler and more ruthless: abandon the rest of their classmates and move on their own. Each carried their own class's blue crystal on their person, which was arguably the safest place for it.
Even if their castles fell, they would only lose 100 points. As long as the crystals remained with them, they could at least retain 100 points, keeping the class's morale stable and their leadership positions secure.
After all, as a leader, if you can't provide benefits for the class, why would anyone acknowledge you?
Yagami and Ichika's logic was straightforward: leave the "baggage" behind so they wouldn't complain, while allowing themselves to move freely. To both Yagami and Ichika, the rest of their classmates were mere hindrances; it was better to operate solo.
The two walked together, planning which class to target first. Given their combat prowess, as long as a class didn't have a prominent peak-level expert, either one of them could wipe the floor with them alone. Never underestimate a White Room graduate. No one who makes it out of there is ordinary. At the very least, taking on twenty opponents at once was a standard operation for them.
They reached a wilderness area. Yagami still hadn't given up on his obsession with attacking Ayanokouji. Ichika commented lazily:
"Can you just shut up and be quiet for a bit?"
"Even if you find him, what then? Can you even beat him?"
Yagami was instantly silenced. He shut his mouth in frustration but still looked unwilling to let it go. Ichika let out a long, weary sigh.
"Don't worry, I already have a plan to deal with Ayanokouji-senpai. As long as you follow my lead, everything will be fine."
"Really?!" Yagami looked energized.
Ichika rolled her eyes and didn't say another word, but Yagami obediently trailed behind her, ready to take orders.
Ichika's plan was simple: capture a stray member of Class C and use them as bait to force the target into the open. She had even chosen her candidate: Kushida Kikyo, one of the most popular figures in Class C.
With a key figure like her, Ichika was certain Ryunosuke wouldn't stay idle. Exactly!
Ichika's primary target remained Ryunosuke, while Ayanokouji was merely a bonus—the lure to keep Yagami compliant.
If you want a dog to obey, you have to give it its favorite treat. And Ayanokouji was the "tool" that could make Yagami obey. Right now, the one Ichika wanted to settle things with first was Ryunosuke, not Ayanokouji.
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