Meanwhile, Class 1-C and 1-D, whose bases had recently been compromised, began to take action.
After all, their crystals had been stolen. If they didn't find a solution immediately, they would end up at the bottom of the rankings for this special exam. Should that happen, their hopes of closing the gap with the upper classes would grow even slimmer.
As leaders, Nanase and Tsubaki understood this perfectly. Once you step into a leadership role, you must find ways to secure benefits for the class, or the subordinates beneath you will simply stop following orders.
The two agreed to form an alliance, setting their sights on the target they deemed the weakest—the one lacking top-tier combat power: Class 2-A, managed by Honami.
A massive force of eighty students from Class 1-C and 1-D moved in unison, marching toward Honami's castle.
On the other side of the battlefield, Hachiman had been waiting at the castle's highest point for a long time. He was leisurely sipping tea, admiring the breathtaking view of the island. Just as he took a sip, he spotted the mob of eighty people swarming toward their base.
Hachiman instantly spat his tea right back out. Hurriedly wiping his chin, he immediately signaled the members of Class A to be on high alert. The enemy had arrived.
The eighty students reached the foot of the castle, intent on seizing the territory and Honami's crystal. Standing at the peak, Hachiman let out a mutter about how "troublesome" this was, yet he didn't appear panicked in the slightest. He simply raised his teacup and went back to drinking.
Just as the horde prepared to storm the castle gates, the ground suddenly gave way. It was a trap Hachiman had prepared earlier—a pit nearly ten meters deep.
Almost everyone tumbled inside. To ensure no one was actually injured, Hachiman had lined the bottom with sponges and soft foam. As for how such a massive hole had been dug, it certainly wasn't the result of manual labor.
Hachiman had spent nearly sixty class points to rent an excavator to perform the excavation.
As a result, almost the entire fighting force of Class 1-C and 1-D was completely neutralized. Although a few managed to avoid the fall, they were too few to offer any meaningful resistance.
Hachiman seized the opportunity to split his forces and occupy the now-vacant castles of both classes. By the time this special exam concluded, Class 2-A was projected to gain no less than 400 class points, in addition to the points from their own crystal and castle.
The points haul was nearly identical to what Ryunosuke had managed. Ryunosuke should have been able to overtake them, but now it seemed he could only lift his class into the Class B position. Since Class A had started with a lead and the points gained this time were roughly equal, their top spot remained untouchable.
Left with no other choice, the students trapped in the pit chose to forfeit.
There was no helping it; if they didn't surrender, they would simply be stuck in a hole. It was better to return to the cruise ship and rest than to suffer down there.
As the members of those two classes returned to the ship in low spirits, the first-year homeroom teachers began to whisper among themselves, thoroughly impressed by the strategy from Class 2-A that had caused such chaos.
This left Chie, the homeroom teacher of Class 2-A, feeling on top of the world. Her colleagues occasionally threw compliments her way.
"Wow, Hoshinomiya-senpai, your students are amazing. I'm actually jealous."
"Right? Honestly, I feel like swapping my class for yours." Another teacher chimed in.
Chie planted her hands on her hips and laughed toward the sky.
"Hahaha! That was nothing—just a normal day for my students!"
She waved a hand dismissively, acting as if it were standard operating procedure, though her nose practically twitched with pride. She shot Sae a provocative look, raising an eyebrow.
(See that? That's the level of our Class A. Take notes.)
Sae rolled her eyes so hard they nearly hit the ceiling and ignored the eccentric woman. She was currently sucking on a lollipop; she had given up smoking.
Chie immediately sidled up to her. "Sae-chan, why the candy? Are you not smoking anymore?"
She hadn't yet realized that Sae had quit.
Sae pulled the lollipop from her mouth and said flatly, "I quit... A certain brat told me smoking was bad for my health..."
She stared at the candy in her hand as if lost in a memory.
Without her realizing it, her expression softened as she spoke—the look of a girl in love.
As the person who had known Sae the longest, Chie didn't miss the shift in emotion, though she pretended not to notice.
She already knew exactly who it was. The only person capable of making Sae act like this was that damn kid...
"Haaah..." Chie didn't know what to say. She was happy her friend had finally moved on from the shadows of their high school days, but this relationship didn't seem like it had a clear future.
Deep down, Chie wanted to tell Sae to give up, but secretly, she kind of wanted a "taste" of that boy herself...
Standing on the deck of the cruise ship, Sae gazed at the island as if searching for someone.
On the island, Ryunosuke felt a sudden sensation and turned toward the shore. Despite being separated by thousands of meters, it was as if their eyes met.
By now, Sae was no longer obsessed with the throne of Class A. Because with that man by her side... she didn't have to worry about anything. With a faint smile on her lips and the lollipop in her mouth, she headed back into the cabin with a light heart.
The other teachers exchanged confused glances. Mafuyu asked, bewildered: "Chabashira-senpai... did something good just happen to her?"
Chie only let out a soft snort. "Ignore her. She's just a girl in love. Acting all innocent at her age—who is she even trying to impress?"
Mafuyu fell silent, her brow furrowed.
"Aren't you and Chabashira-senpai the same age? If you say that, aren't you just insulting yourself too?"