Katsuragi and Hashimoto of Class 2-B, having learned that the leaders of Class 1-A and 1-B were away, planned to strike both classes while the iron was hot.
Of course, a frontal assault was out of the question. They only had twenty people with them—hardly enough to overpower their underclassmen in a direct physical brawl. On average, each of their students would have to take on two opponents at once. The pressure was too immense, especially since their class lacked a high density of top-tier fighters.
And so, they looked for a shortcut.
Hashimoto stood alone near the Class 1-B castle, marking it as their first target. Based on the intelligence they had gathered, Classes 1-C and 1-D had already been dismantled by Hachiman from Class 2-A. That left only Classes 1-A and 1-B as potential threats.
Hashimoto chose to move against Class 1-B, perceiving it as the weaker link—the class managed by Yagami.
Adjusting his non-existent glasses and tucking his hands behind his back, Hashimoto took on the role of the decoy. He began hurling provocations, even going as far as cursing the ancestors of his opponents.
Standard Japanese insults are relatively mild, usually peaking at "idiot" or "bastard." To bridge the gap, Hashimoto had specifically studied profanities from the Middle Kingdom, and it was only then that he successfully shattered the enemy's mental fortitude.
Finally, the students of Class 1-B took the bait. About ten people broke formation to chase him, and Hashimoto immediately doubled back toward a predetermined location where twenty of his classmates lay in wait for an ambush.
After neutralizing those ten, they repeated the trick several times until nearly the entire membership of Class 1-B had been tied up and forced to forfeit the exam. Those who resisted were threatened with being hung from trees until the exam concluded five days later. Under that duress, they all agreed to withdraw.
When Yagami and Ichika returned, they found their base had been ransacked. Ichika felt largely indifferent since her class was untouched, but Yagami... he was now a commander without an army.
The two stood before the Class 1-B castle. Ichika fought a losing battle against a fit of giggles, while Yagami's face turned as black as a charred pot. He clenched his fists and roared:
"Who did this?!"
As luck would have it, a survivor lingered nearby to satisfy Yagami's curiosity.
"I-It was... Yagami-kun, Class 2-B did it." The speaker was a timid female student with blue hair and black-rimmed glasses.
Yagami's knuckles cracked, a vein bulging in his temple. "Damn them! Amasawa! You're coming with me! We're settling the score with Class B!"
"Eeeh~ I don't want to~" Ichika began to act spoiled; after all, she wasn't the one who had lost anything.
Yagami's gaze turned dangerous, as if he might snap at any second. Ichika let out a sigh. "Fine, fine. I'll go for a little stroll with you."
Ichika clasped her hands behind her back. Knowing she couldn't win a fight against Yagami, she had no choice but to comply.
The two arrived at Class 2-B's territory and opted for a direct forced entry.
Hashimoto had initially hoped to find their crystal, but after scouring the entire castle, it was nowhere to be found. He suspected the leader was carrying it.
He was right. That was exactly why he had left a "survivor" behind as an informant; he wanted Yagami to come seeking revenge. With forty members of Class B at his disposal, he didn't believe for a second that they couldn't take down a single Yagami.
It was an open trap, and Yagami knew it. Unfortunately, Hashimoto had miscalculated one crucial detail.
Yagami was good at fighting—unreasonably, illogically good. With only Ichika as backup, he nearly wiped out Class 2-B single-handedly. Now, outside the 2-B castle, bodies lay scattered in every direction, all defeated by the two of them.
Only two people remained standing at the scene, the masterminds behind the scheme: Hashimoto and Katsuragi. Both wiped cold sweat from their brows, thinking: (What is this? How can they be this strong?)
Inside the castle, Asuna was still oblivious to the carnage. Hashimoto had only mentioned there was a minor issue to settle before he stepped out.
In truth, Hashimoto was afraid of upsetting Asuna, and since there were only two intruders, he thought he could handle it himself—so he hadn't been entirely honest with her.
This left Asuna in the dark. At that moment, she was chatting with Arisu, Masumi, and Chihiro, complaining about the behavior of Hashimoto and the others. She slumped over the table, drained, and groaned:
"Being a leader is so exhausting! Sakayanagi-san, let's swap back. I don't want to be the leader anymore."
Asuna looked at Arisu with pleading eyes. She truly wanted to quit; acting like a "competent King" every day was bone-tiring. She much preferred playing video games.
Arisu averted her eyes. She had worked hard to shed the mantle of leadership just to have more time for Ryunosuke; there was no way she was taking that "hot potato" back. Besides, she realized that everyone supported Asuna as leader far more than they did her. Even if she tried to reclaim the position, she'd likely be overthrown by her own subordinates. Asuna possessed a natural talent for leadership.
Arisu raised her teacup, took a slow sip, and said casually, "Yuuki-san, please keep doing your best. Believe in yourself—you can do it."
"Haaah..." Asuna felt her life was a series of misfortunes.
Just then, Katsuragi and Hashimoto were sent flying into the room, skidding across the floor to land right in front of Asuna.
Instinctively, Asuna's back straightened. An authoritative aura radiated from her. She narrowed her eyes and asked, "What is wrong with the two of you?"
Before they could answer, Ichika and Yagami stepped through the grand doors, looking thoroughly dissatisfied.
Yagami stared at Asuna and demanded, "So, you're the leader of Class 2-B?"
Even as he asked, he was already coiled to strike, rotating his hands to loosen his muscles. Nearby, Ichika was busy smoothing out her slightly messy purple twin-tails with a pout.
"My hair got all messed up during that fight. Let me fix it first. Yagami, you go ahead."
Yagami ignored her, preparing to attack alone. Katsuragi and Hashimoto scrambled to their feet and knelt, feeling wretched for having troubled their "King."
Asuna waved a hand, signaling that it was fine. At the same time, her hand moved to the rapier at her waist. She had purchased the gleaming silver blade for 30 class points; it was a blunt-edged training weapon, but incredibly sturdy. As a fencing champion, having the right tool allowed her to push her abilities to their absolute limit.
This special exam clearly hinged on physical prowess, and Asuna had no intention of relying on a standard martial arts staff anymore—it simply wouldn't be enough.
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