I'm in a real religion, why are all the people who confess to me girls?

She knew that if she were the victor, she would not hesitate to keep the secret until the very last moment, even if the person being deceived was her friend, at most she would only feel some guilt.

But what did Amane do? She handed over a victory that was within her grasp to Ichinose. If Ichinose had done as Amane said, everyone would have guessed the wrong holder of the key card. Amane's reason for doing this was not the arrogance of a strong person, nor did she think it didn't matter if she didn't win against Class B, or perhaps she let her off the hook for the sake of her friend.

It is pity, not compassion.

She sympathizes with Ichinose.

Some might think this was just Amane, a powerful being, giving Ichinose a handout.

If anyone actually thinks that way, they are sorely mistaken.

Only Ichinose understood that Amane had always possessed a purest emotion; at that time, what Ichinose experienced was the purest compassion.

She witnessed Horikita and Shibata employing various schemes and tricks to manipulate Ichinose, and she also saw Kanzaki's heroic act of trying to turn the tide but ultimately failing due to lack of strength, yet still fighting to the death for Ichinose.

She saw the same disgusting game as Ichinose, and wanted to give Ichinose a chance to break the deadlock.

That's why she showed Shibata the replaced key card. If Shibata had any conscience left and was willing to prioritize the class, he would have exposed Amane's scheme, but he didn't.

This led to Amane's idea of ​​saving Ichinose alone.

At that time, Ichinose chose to refuse.

She knew her actions were foolish, but her game wasn't over yet, so she couldn't escape this dirty game alone.

Class B was plunged into despair. Following Ichinose's instructions, Kanzaki decided to teach Shibata a lesson for trying to incite everyone, but unexpectedly he was eliminated early.

Although there are some minor regrets, they do not have much impact on the overall situation.

This game is not over yet.

During the preferential treatment exam, Ichinose discovered another little secret: Himeno seemed to be a bit dishonest after all. After being controlled by Shibata and her, Himeno actually tried to side with Amane through Kushida and eventually succeeded in making contact.

But... she never dreamed that Kushida would secretly expose her little tricks to Ichinose.

Kushida is even more two-faced than her. Besides Amane, she also keeps in touch with Sakayanagi and Ryuen. Telling her about Himeno's betrayal this time is just to maintain her friendship with Ichinose while doing her a favor.

After realizing Kushida's thoughts, Ichinose quickly judged that Kushida was a more dangerous guy than Horikita. Although it would be very easy to deal with Kushida, she always felt that Kushida seemed to have something important in his hands, and that if he were to be hurt, it would trigger a chain reaction.

So, after deliberately cooperating with Shibata to put Class B in a desperate situation, and after Shibata ordered the elimination of a large number of Zodiac groups in one go, confirming that Shibata's defeat was inevitable.

Ichinose chose to end the game because she had achieved all her goals. Class B would fall to rock bottom as a result, and the only way for Class B to rise again after being depleted of all its resources was to rely on Ichinose.

Shibata's shoulders cannot bear the cost of this defeat. He will probably behave himself after this, and at most he will just want to find outside help to make a comeback.

There's nothing to worry about.

So Ichinose took the initiative to reveal her weakness that Kushida had exploited, which was also her most painful wound.

"theft".

The contractions were really painful.

But once the pain subsided... she was someone who had no weaknesses left.

Compared to the pain, everything is worthwhile. As for fame? You have to give up something to gain something.

If you're not even willing to 'give up,' how can you 'gain'?

Will Shibata understand? The person he treats as someone he can bully at will is actually a chess player, even the weakest one, who is fundamentally different from a chess piece.

"Now that you've gotten here, you should understand everything, right? If we keep going, we'll be talking about the sports festival... I suggest we stop here, or you might break down. Because, Shibata-kun, you're just a pawn that everyone discards. The way you looked was heartbreaking. But I'm telling you the truth. Ayanokouji-kun told me personally that you betrayed me."

Chapter Eleven: Only I Can Save You

Shibata was utterly plunged into despair.

In the more than ten years of his life that he has lived, he has never been as disheveled as he is today.

Previously, he was labeled with positive terms such as an excellent student who balanced academics and physical fitness, gentle, handsome, cheerful, etc.

He originally thought that even if he came to this school where merit was paramount, he would become the most dazzling one, but reality gave him a harsh blow.

Unreasonable slander and brutal violence began to cause Shibata pain. He could not play his role at all in this place. His grades were good, but there were many people in the school who had better grades than him, and some had even completed university courses. How could he compare?

After his studies became mediocre, he tried to gain attention through his physical abilities. As a result, his excellent athletic ability, handsome appearance, and gentle personality attracted the attention of many girls, thus gaining him a lot of popularity and goodwill.

During this time, he got along well with the students in his class, and just when Shibata thought he could finally integrate into the school.

He received the first title bestowed upon him by everyone.

"She looks just like Ichinose-san! Shibata-san is like a male version of Ichinose-san—gentle and all-around amazing!"

A single sentence destroyed all his efforts so far.

What does it mean to be the male version of Ichinose?

His name is Shibata Hayate, not Ichinose.

He was the first to discover the serious assimilation problem in Class B. Even someone as distinctive as him could only be described as a male version of Ichinose at best. So how would the other students, whose personalities had been erased, feel?

Shibata's starting point was selfless; he simply wanted to save those who had been assimilated by Ichinose. Everyone has their own name, not just a simple "You're a classmate in Class B, right?" No wonder his personality is so similar to Ichinose's.

Shibata resolutely embarked on a path of opposing Ichinose, wanting to change and save the class.

But his actions were completely inexplicable to Ichinose.

It's like Shibata wanted to carry Class B on his back to help them move forward, but he didn't realize that Class B, who was being protected by Ichinose, actually had wheels. As a result, Shibata carried them on his back and the wheels disappeared, causing him to fall from Class B to Class D. It's as ridiculous as that.

But can you really laugh at Shibata's efforts? That's a difficult question to answer.

Shibata is not someone who cannot accept failure and setbacks. What truly drove him to despair and collapse at this moment was Ichinose's casual remark.

It was Ayanokoji Kiyotaka who betrayed him.

Why would he betray him? Shibata couldn't think of any reason why Ayanokouji would do such a thing. As someone who had briefly served as the class leader and was at odds with Ichinose, he considered himself quite capable. In Shibata's view, Ayanokouji would never abandon such an excellent pawn.

So Shibata thought it over and over and finally concluded that this was just a trick by Ichinose to deceive him.

"I don't believe Ayanokouji-san would betray me."

"So you're admitting your betrayal? You bastard!"

Kanzaki, standing to the side, launched into a tirade of insults without holding back.

Shibata was speechless in the face of Kanzaki's merciless insults and could only suppress his humiliation. Yet, his firm and resentful gaze was sharp and unyielding.

"Kanzaki"

"Sorry, I was too talkative."

Ichinose simply called Kanzaki's name gently, as always, and Kanzaki, who was full of anger, immediately apologized respectfully.

This attitude surprised Shibata. Kanzaki was nothing like the Kanzaki who had previously wanted to compete with him for the position of class leader.

Rather, the current Kanzaki is his original self, which means... Kanzaki is just a pawn that Ichinose uses to play with Shibata Hayate?

He actually managed to fight to a standstill against a manipulated pawn? No... it wasn't Shibata who defeated Kanzaki, but Miyako.

In other words... he couldn't even defeat Ichinose's pieces.

Why would this happen to him...?

Just as Shibata's intense resentment had completely dissipated and he began to feel weak all over, Ichinose rested her head on his shoulder and spoke softly.

"I know you're stuck on the 'male version of Ichinose' label and can't shake it off. I sympathize with your situation, but have you ever considered that this doesn't mean it's a denial of you as an individual, but rather the highest praise for your exceptional performance? You've been so immersed in this label of 'excellent' that you've forgotten that this school ultimately values ​​ability. Have you seriously tried to understand why you received this evaluation? Have you seriously tried to understand me? In this class, I am undoubtedly more 'capable' than you, so their evaluation of you is simply praise."

Ichinose's somewhat boastful words, coupled with her gentle yet confident expression, left no room for argument.

It was as if Ichinose was simply stating the truth.

“Excellence is not the same as ability, which is why you were abandoned by Ayanokouji. He wanted to use you, a worthless pawn to test me. He was clearly more interested in me. That’s the reality.”

Ichinose gave Shibata the answer he wanted, but it was not an answer that Shibata could accept.

"A worthless pawn? You mean...me? Worthless?"

Shibata finally lost his temper and grabbed Ichinose by the collar, forcing Ichinose to look him in the eye.

Despite Shibata's potential violence at any moment, Ichinose maintained a constant smile.

"That's certainly true for him. You've already failed, which in itself proves that your strength is insufficient to challenge me, doesn't it? You couldn't seize the opportunity to compete with me at your peak, so what chance do you have to defeat me now that you've fallen to the bottom and your reputation is ruined? Shibata-kun, your weakness is that you overestimate yourself. You are excellent; you are the most outstanding person I've ever met in terms of personality, appearance, physical ability, and academic performance combined. But you are not the strongest. If you don't recognize your own limitations, then there's nothing I can do to save you. All I can do is send you on your way."

Ichinose's words shattered Shibata's last shred of self-respect. His last line of defense as a model student was torn to shreds by Ichinose. Under the shackles of this persona, he was just a pitiful person who was good at everything but couldn't understand what true strength was.

Shibata released his grip on Ichinose's collar.

Then he knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"Can someone as useless as me really be saved?"

"sure"

"What's the reason?"

"Because it was I who saved you, Honami Ichinose."

Ichinose smiled and extended his hand to Shibata.

Chapter Twelve: Lies Intertwined with Hope

Looking at that hand that seemed like a lifeline, Shibata knew very well that as long as he grasped it, he could be saved, and all his previous failures and sins would vanish completely.

He can also start again as an outstanding student on the stage built by this school and leave his mark once more.

But the same applies.

Shibata was well aware that if he accepted Ichinose's rescue, he would have failed completely.

All his previous grand pronouncements will be in vain; he will never have another chance to save the rest of the class.

Shibata hesitated for a moment, but finally took Ichinose's outstretched hand.

Ichinose pulled him up effortlessly.

"See? I told you saving you was easy! Welcome back, Shibata-kun!!! I'm getting a little hungry after talking so much. Kanzaki, shall we go back and eat something else? The beef at this restaurant is really delicious! It's just too expensive, so I didn't eat much, which is such a shame..."

"If you want to eat, why don't you just order a few more portions? You have plenty of points anyway."

"No, those points are the reins of Class D..."

Ichinose seemed to be happily discussing the next steps with Kanzaki, but Shibata ultimately chose to back down.

Shibata glanced at Ichinose, who was in high spirits. He didn't want to spoil Ichinose's good mood, but if some things weren't explained in advance, they might cause bigger misunderstandings later. So Shibata braced himself and started to interrupt Ichinose's high spirits.

"Um, Ichinose-san, I have a favor to ask."

The moment Shibata opened his mouth, he was met with an unfriendly gaze from Kanzaki.

"Shibata, I'm not trying to be mean, but don't you think you're pushing your luck? Ichinose even forgave your treason and betrayal, what more do you want? If it were Ryuen or that executioner Miyako, you'd be living a life worse than death by now, right? Dropping out of school would have been the only way to save you then."

Faced with Kanzaki's stern rebuke, Shibata chose to remain silent.

He knew that whatever he asked for would seem like he was pushing his luck, but he had lost all motivation and could no longer fight for Class D like before. What he wanted to ask Ichinose was a request that no normal class leader would accept.

From then on, he stopped participating in any class affairs.

It's like having the same illness as Kōenji but lacking his abilities.

He tried to open his mouth for a long time but couldn't.

They must know how shameless such a request is.

"You want to be a bystander, don't you?"

Shibata suddenly looked up.

Ichinose's eyes, which seemed to see right through people, were staring straight at him.

"I…"

"There's no way I'll agree to that; you might as well give up on the idea."

Ichinose's answer was reasonable, not to mention that Shibata, a person awaiting punishment, also had something on Ichinose's hands.

Even if a normal person made such a request, let alone the class leader, the classmates would drown him in their spittle.

Why can he stay out of it while we have to work hard?

Everyone will definitely have this thought, and Shibata will naturally become a black sheep that must be eliminated in the eyes of the class leaders.

If the class leader disagreed, and he didn't have the strength to rely on, Shibata didn't even consider what his next two years of school life would be like.

Therefore, Shibata could only plead with Ichinose to have a change of heart and let him, the loser, go.

"I truly have lost the will to continue this game with them. I... am just a useless pawn, a loser who has no right to fight them... I..."

Shibata's voice choked with emotion.