In the anime, people are in everyday Tokyo, but they are playing the reincarnation game

"The day they disappeared was exactly the day they claimed they would be forced into a dungeon by the game system."

"The evidence the authorities have at this stage is that those who are selected to become players will have an eye icon app appear on their phones that ordinary people can't see. They are forced to enter a dungeon once a month, can choose to enter the dungeon on their own initiative, and will receive rewards after completing the dungeon."

After sharing the information she had, Ashikaga Miwa paused before looking at Asagiri and asking.

"So, you, Yuuki-san, Iwanaga-san, Shinomiya-san, Fujiwara-san, and that Kato-san from another school, are you considered... partners in conquering dungeons together?"

"There are no Kaguya Shinomiya and Chika Fujiwara."

Asagiri shook his head and replied in a flat tone.

"We know that Kaguya Shinomiya and Chika Fujiwara are players, but they don't know our identities."

"That's it..."

Ashikaga Miwa breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, and then hurriedly gave instructions.

"Then you must be very careful not to let Fujiwara-san and Shinomiya-san, especially Shinomiya-san, know that you are also a player. Although I do have certain connections, if someone from the Shinomiya Group targets you, it will be difficult for me to protect you outside of school."

"You seem to have some misunderstandings about Kaguya Shinomiya."

Asagiri leaned back on the soft leather sofa and said lightly.

"Kaguya Shinomiya didn't tell the people in the Shinomiya family about her identity as a player and the relevant information about the game. As for the reason, you should understand."

Ashikaga Miwa frowned slightly and said thoughtfully.

"Is it because she wants to use the power she gained from the game to rebel against the Shinomiya family's constraints... Never mind, she's not the focus of this discussion."

Ashikaga Miwa did not dwell on Shinomiya Kaguya's choice as a player, but skipped the topic and opened her drawer. She took out a black pistol, gently placed it on the table, and looked at Asagiri and asked.

"Can you use a pistol?"

“I know a thing or two, but I’m not an expert.”

"It's okay, just know how to set the safety and aim."

Ashikaga Miwa put the pistol back into the drawer and said seriously.

"I'll keep this gun here. If you're ever in danger, you can always use it. Don't worry. I'll be responsible for handling and covering up the aftermath. Your safety is the most important thing. Do you understand?"

"Ashikaga-sensei..."

Seeing Asagiri's emotional look, Ashikaga Miwa originally thought that this boy was deeply moved and was ready to thank her, but the next second, she heard Asagiri chuckle and teasing.

"You're not trying to play teacher-student with me, are you? I'm sorry, but I refuse."

"What teacher-student romance? Don't talk nonsense, kid."

Ashikaga Miwa frowned and waved her hands unhappily.

"It's just for insurance. Although it's unlikely that there will be any accidents given the level of security at our Xiuzhiyuan, it's still a precaution."

"Well, that's fine too."

Asagiri first replied with this sentence, and then told Ashikaga Miwa that Shinomiya Kaguya had just come to her and hoped that she would participate in the student council election with her. After hearing this, the latter did not have any special reaction, but just said in a flat tone.

"So, have you decided?"

"Well, it's decided from the moment you said you put a gun in the drawer as a safety for my safety."

Asagiri restrained his smile, looked at Ashikaga Miwa who was sitting behind the desk, and spoke softly.

"I will run for student council, and I will win."

...........

After school that day, in a cafe on the street in Tokyo.

"So, Ashikaga-sensei already knows our identities..."

After listening to Asagiri's story, Kato Megumi remained calm and gentle, and spoke slowly.

"I don't think it matters. Teacher Ashikaga helped us with special training, and after she figured out Utsunomiya's identity, she didn't tell anyone but went straight to him. She even put a gun in her office drawer as a safety precaution. Based on these actions, I think we can trust her."

"I agree with you."

Asuna Yuuki picked up a small piece of strawberry cake and put it in her mouth. The soft and glutinous texture of the cake, coupled with the sweetness of cream and strawberries, made her feel instantly better.

"Like Asagiri said, Ashikaga-sensei is a pure idealist. She seems more concerned about the future of Shuchi-in than the potential benefits of this death game. In short, she doesn't seem to be trying to use us or blackmail us secretly. She even provided us with official information. We have no reason not to trust her."

Having said that, Yuuki Asuna turned her head to look at Asagiri beside her and couldn't help but ask curiously.

"By the way, since Ashikaga-sensei is able to become a director of Shuchi-in, it means she has a strong background, right? What exactly does she do? She can't really be just a warrior, right?"

"Oh, it's nothing actually."

Even in the coffee shop, Chao Wudian's drink was still a glass of iced cola. He gently stirred the cola in the glass with a straw and explained casually.

"She has dojos all over Sakura Province, and training courses in kendo, kyudo, judo, and so on. Most of them are run by her own companies. She's a leader in the handmade cold weapon collection industry and the owner of the largest high-end bodyguard company in Sakura Province. Oh, and she's also one of the organizers of the fighting competition."

Hearing Asagiri's casual introduction, Yuuki Asuna couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

"Is Ashikaga-sensei so powerful?"

"What do you think? You don't think any random board member would dare to openly embarrass Shinomiya Huangguang during a board meeting, do you? In terms of industrial scale and wealth, Ashikaga Miwa can't compare to Shinomiya Group. But Shinomiya Group doesn't belong to Shinomiya Huangguang, and the industries I just mentioned are all hers alone. Coupled with her status as a direct descendant of a samurai noble family, she is fully capable of competing with Shinomiya Huangguang for the position of Chairman of the Shuchiin Board."

"So that's it..."

Asuna Yuuki nodded, not quite understanding. Although she was a rich girl and a daughter of a prominent family, her father was only the CEO of a comprehensive electronic equipment manufacturer. She was not one of the students with the richest family backgrounds in Shuchi Academy. The Shinomiya Group and Ashikaga Miwa were not at the level she could normally come into contact with.

After Yuuki Asuna asked the question, Kato Megumi asked immediately.

"Then doesn't Ashikaga-sensei have any thoughts of becoming a player? After all, for someone like her who has practiced martial arts since childhood, gaining powerful strength is an extremely tempting thing, right?"

Without Asagiri's reply, Iwanaga Kotoko, who was sitting next to Kato Megumi, took the initiative to explain.

"Teacher Ashikaga doesn't have that idea. At least not at this stage, she has no plans to enter the game herself. Not only her, but also those important figures who have learned about the game situation are unlikely to become players for the time being. After all, they are very cautious about their lives. The safest way is to let some of your subordinates become players first. Once your subordinates have sufficient strength, you can team up with them and enter the game, just like the power leveling in ordinary online games."

004 Student Union Election Plan

After hearing what Iwanaga Kotoko said, Kato Megumi seemed to have thought of something and said thoughtfully.

"Searching for players in the real world, killing them and stealing their phones is not only likely to leave traces, but also inefficient. But if it's in a dungeon..."

"Yes."

Kotoko Iwanaga nodded, picked up the cup of black tea, took a sip, and then spoke slowly.

"Those who want to seize player identities and establish factions will definitely attack other players in dungeons. They are different from players like us. Compared to obtaining high-level clearance evaluations, they are more concerned about how many player registration rights they can seize in the dungeon."

Yuuki Asuna frowned and muttered.

"So... PVP?"

"Yes, it's PVP."

Asagiri nodded first, then changed the subject.

"But if someone enters a dungeon with this in mind, they'll definitely pay the price. The PVP rewards in this game are completely different from the rewards of earning high-level ratings through normal clearance. Simply increasing numbers will ultimately just be a mob. Clearing a dungeon is already difficult enough. Constantly thinking about finding opportunities to kill other players and steal their phones, while also collecting clues, analyzing information, and finding a way to successfully clear the dungeon? That's oversimplifying the game."

"Well, the difficulty of the dungeon in the second stage is simply not comparable to that of the first stage."

Iwanaga Kotoko smiled and said softly.

"Even with our abilities, we could get hurt in the second stage of the dungeon. Even though we're doing the hidden main questline specifically for advanced players, the failed creations, the monsters in the lava cave, and the buggy areas created by Prototype Mita alone are challenges that ordinary players can only overcome with complete concentration and extreme caution. If you're not focused on clearing the dungeon and instead focus on PVP infighting, you'll die."

Asuna Yuuki looked down at the milk tea in the cup, gently touched the cute cat pattern drawn with cream on the surface with a straw, then looked up at Asagiri.

"By the way, what are you going to do about Shinomiya Kaguya's campaign for student council president? It's almost impossible for a freshman to run for president, vice president, and secretary. Although Ashikaga-sensei has the power as a member of the school board, after all, Shinomiya Koukou is the chairman of Shuchiin. Ashikaga-sensei can't use his position to provide you with any meaningful help, right?"

"As you said, Ashikaga-sensei can't provide me with any meaningful help. Even if she could, she wouldn't do it because using her power to interfere in students' internal affairs goes against her philosophy."

Asagiri first replied with this sentence, then said with a smile.

"However, it's not completely impossible for Shinomiya Kaguya and I to win. I'm confident we can secure the support of most of the sports clubs and the students from the mixed academy. As for Shinomiya Kaguya, she's the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya family, a native of the Pure Academy. Although this is a high school competition, she's a student who's been attending Shuchi Academy since she was a child, so she's not completely without any reputation. Furthermore, we both ranked first and second in the grade exam. Isn't academic performance the most important thing for a student?"

"That's true, but..."

Yuuki Asuna frowned slightly and said hesitantly.

"While Shinomiya-san has the advantage of being a pure student, the person she appointed as the student union vice president is you, someone who has openly criticized the distinction between pure and mixed students. Won't this affect her campaign's support?"

Asagiri chuckled and replied, "Whether it will have an impact depends on how it's promoted. So-called publicity is using different rhetoric to create completely different public opinions about the same thing."

When Iwanaga Kotoko heard this, she immediately understood what Asagiri meant.

"Kaguya Shinomiya is running for student council president, and you're her vice president... Are you trying to make those Juninaka students think this represents a victory for Juninaka? But then, wouldn't others think you've lost to Kaguya Shinomiya?"

"It doesn't matter, if I lose, I lose."

Asagiri shrugged and smiled nonchalantly.

"Is this kind of failure, which brings no harm but only helps, truly a failure? Compared to the illusory face, I still care more about whether I can achieve my goals."

"I see."

Iwanaga Kotoko nodded thoughtfully, then asked curiously.

"But ultimately, why did you agree to work with Shinomiya Kaguya? Besides your agreement with Ashikaga-sensei, there must be other reasons, right?"

"The reason..."

Asagiri looked like he was thinking seriously. After pausing for a few seconds, he raised his head and replied with a smile.

"Because she's pretty."

"What!?"

When Iwanaga Kotoko heard this, her face changed, and she accused him with tears in her eyes.

"Wow, after all, domestic flowers are not as fragrant as wild flowers, a red apricot blossom has grown out of the wall..."

"What words are you using?"

Asuna Yuuki interrupted Iwanaga Kotoko's outburst speechlessly, turned to look at Asagiri beside her, and said unhappily.

"Seriously, why is that?"

“It’s an investment.”

Asagiri suppressed his smile and explained seriously.

"I know why she wants to run for student council president and why she wants Chika Fujiwara to be the student council secretary. She wants to use the student council work as a legitimate excuse to buy herself and Chika Fujiwara time to enter the dungeon, and use the student council office as their secret base in the real world. After all, she's different from the rest of us. Once she leaves school and returns home, she's under constant surveillance, without even the luxury of going out. For Kaguya Shinomiya, Shuchiin is the most suitable and safest haven."

"Although I can't fully trust Kaguya Shinomiya and Chika Fujiwara and wouldn't consider teaming up with them for now, they both have excellent individual abilities. Now that the game's events have been exposed in the real world, after this month, when the game's difficulty reaches the third stage, new situations might arise, like the one we discussed before, where players from another world come to our world."

"Through this incident, we can lay the foundation for mutual cooperation. Maybe one day in the future, we may be able to cooperate with Shinomiya Kaguya and Fujiwara Chika in some aspects. Of course..."

At the end, Asagiri paused for a moment before speaking seriously.

"Also because they are both beautiful girls."

Asuna Yuuki couldn't help but reach out and pat Asagiri's shoulder, rolling her eyes and speaking unhappily.

"You're pretty outspoken, huh?"

"That's not."

Asagiri nodded and smiled.

"My greatest strength is my honesty."

"that..."

Kato Megumi, who had finished eating the cake, took out a bill from her wallet, gently pressed it under her cup, and then spoke in a soft tone.

"Then I'll go home first. I have an exam tomorrow and I have to go back early to review."

"it is good."

Iwanaga Kotoko responded first, then looked at the banknote under the cup and said with a smile.

"But there's no need for money. Today is my treat. It's a celebration party after all."

Kato Megumi shook her head and said softly.

"That won't work. Although I know you both have money, considering the long-term continuation of the relationship, it's better to go AA."

"Oh well."

"Well, I'm leaving now. Contact me anytime if you need anything."