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

Because she just earned a huge sum of five million points from Amane, Ichinose doesn't have any particular thoughts about personal points for the time being.

She receives a small reduction each month, but five million points are enough to last her until graduation, so she has plenty of room to maneuver, since Horikita isn't the only one who wants to work with her.

What? How are you going to survive until graduation?

If Tianyin spends her points like that, it would be a miracle if she could survive until graduation. But if everyone only receives 5,000 personal points per month, she could survive for the next two years.

Whether 5,000 points are enough for the students' expenses is none of her concern.

If it weren't for her, we probably wouldn't have been able to get that item back from Ryuen after the battle.

Therefore, Ichinose has no responsibility to anyone and no obligation to guarantee their livelihood.

"What Horikita-kun owes is no ordinary favor. Rather than a favor, it's more like the right to use Ten'e. Horikita-kun explicitly stated that if he needs to use Ten'e, Ten'e can repay this favor. In that case... the value of this favor becomes unimaginably high."

Ichinose happily opened her arms, as if embracing a bright future.

"But the future is full of uncertainties. Although we are currently in Class D, our overall academic performance is still ranked second among the first-year students. We will have more opportunities, and we may not even need Tianyin in the future. Compared to this vague promise, I prefer to gain immediate benefits. As long as we launch an attack on Class C, we have a very high probability of winning. As for defense, as long as it's not Class A that attacks, we can basically secure the fifty class points. I believe that Class A will absolutely not attack our Class D."

Shibata earnestly offered his advice to Ichinose.

This competition has a particularly disgusting rule.

This is to control the class points across all grades, preventing the points from ballooning to an alarming level due to the outcome of certain special exams.

For example, before the "One Against One" event, Class A's class points were actually ahead of Class B's by almost the same amount as Class C's. If this continued, Class A's class points would probably approach 2,000 soon, putting some pressure on the school's finances.

Therefore, Kiriyama set up a "transfer" system, which is a competition between classes where the winner's points are directly taken from the loser's class points.

If the loser has no class points, then the transfer of points cannot be implemented.

In other words, Class D was deemed worthless in this exam even before it began.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Value of Human Favors in Tianyin

As long as there are no points, other classes will not include Class D, which has no reward for winning and is even more shameful for losing, in their attack plans.

On the contrary, it is hoped that Class D will not designate any of them as targets, because according to the rules, a successful defense will also be rewarded with fifty class points. However, Class D has no points, which means that no matter which class Class D attacks, that class is destined to lose fifty class points, regardless of whether the defense is successful or not, from a benefit perspective.

Therefore, Class D was undoubtedly the most advantageous class in this final exam, which is also the result of Ichinose's pre-determined strategy of having a fighting style where even the weak have their own way of fighting.

With no class willing to designate a defense, Class D firmly held the power of both offense and defense, which became their bargaining chip in negotiations.

I disagree with Shibata's view.

Kanzaki hesitated for a moment but still chose to oppose Shibata's "focus on immediate strategies." This was not because of a bad relationship with Shibata; Kanzaki's decision to oppose it was entirely based on considerations for the future development of Class D.

"Then, Kanzaki-san, what's your opinion?"

Ichinose was also looking forward to seeing how Kanzaki, who shared her opinion, viewed Shibata's thoughts.

After regrouping, Class D abandoned the previous class-wide voting system and adopted a three-person consensus system. Only if Shibata, Kanzaki, and Ichinose unanimously agree can a plan be passed and implemented.

The advantage of this deliberation system is that although the three seem to be independent individuals, it is well known that Kanzaki is a supporter of Ichinose. Therefore, in order to have a say in the results of the discussion and to prevent Ichinose and Kanzaki from making decisions on their own, the other students in the class chose to support Shibata. They would convey their thoughts through Shibata, and Shibata once again gained the support of the majority, thus maintaining a delicate balance with Ichinose and Kanzaki.

However, the final decision on this matter still rests with Ichinose.

"I agree with what Shibata said earlier. The future is full of uncertainties. Since there are so many uncertainties, why don't we take this opportunity to buy ourselves some insurance? It's precisely because connections have such a wide reach that I find this condition so valuable. For example, if we need a lot of personal points, we can borrow money through 'connections.' If we really encounter an unavoidable struggle with Class C, we can also use these connections to minimize our losses. Connections don't necessarily have to be used for offense; minimizing losses is also a very important point."

Kanzaki's words were clearly more comprehensive than Shibata's.

It's all about how you use personal connections. If you use them for offensive purposes that could cause losses to the other side, such as using personal connections to get Class C to attack Class A, that would be a foolish thing to do.

Even if Class C agrees to minimize their losses when facing Class A, they will most likely choose to go through the motions without putting in much effort, since they can't expect the other side to defeat Class A out of personal obligation.

That would be a waste of a valuable opportunity.

In terms of defense, it has many uses. For example, in a test of cooperation, if Class C sends Tianyin to help Class D, the effect will definitely be much better than attacking Class A. Moreover, in some interpersonal matters, such as lending money or mediating disputes, having Tianyin's connections can sometimes play a crucial role.

After thinking about it for a moment, Shibata finally agreed with Kanzaki's statement.

"Then I'll accept this deal. However, Class C needs to provide proof for this transaction; otherwise... I still have some concerns about the importance of personal connections."

"Well, I'll discuss this with Horikita-kun. Now, let's vote by raising our hands. Those who agree to make a deal with Class C, please raise your hands!"

As soon as Ichinose finished speaking, three hands, including hers, were raised.

"Yay! The whole thing passed! Now let's discuss something else. Kushida has started an internal rebellion against Class C, and we promised to provide support..."

……

Grade 1, Class B.

Ryuen, Ishizaki, Ibuki, and Albert had a brief reunion in the same private room where they had met last time.

Ryuen originally invited Shiina to participate as well, but Shiina declined the invitation, saying it was "too cold outside."

Ryuen never expected Shiina to participate in the class discussion, so she tacitly allowed Shiina to skip the party openly.

The reason why Shiina skipped the party is that when the four of them went downstairs, they bumped into Shiina, who was returning from grocery shopping, in the stairwell.

Shiina happily greeted Ryuen and the others, then took the elevator back, showing no sign of embarrassment whatsoever.

Seeing that Shiina had skipped the party, Ibuki also tried to slip away, but was caught red-handed by the kind Albert.

After Ibuki greeted Albert warmly, he reluctantly followed Ryuen here.

As soon as she entered, Ibuki began to complain.

"Why do we always have to choose such a noisy place for our gatherings?"

"On one hand, it's to prevent spies from eavesdropping; on the other hand... well, it's all trivial stuff anyway."

Ryuen tried to laugh it off, but Ibuki seized on the opportunity to make a point.

"What's the other side? It's really frustrating when someone only says half of what they mean!"

"Tch! What's the rush? It's nothing important anyway. Once you're here, just follow my instructions."

"When the boss was topping up his account, he persuaded me to subscribe for the year, saying there would be discounts and they'd even give me a fruit platter and drinks, so I topped up a large sum of money and opted for the yearly subscription."

Albert suddenly spoke up, exposing the truth about Longyuan.

"Oh, I didn't expect you to be so good at managing your finances, Longyuan."

Ibuki's teasing made Ryuen's face darken.

"Albert, don't meddle in other people's business without my permission next time."

After making an OK sign, Albert stood still, as if he had turned into a statue.

Long Yuan composed himself and looked at everyone in the room.

"Next, I will announce Class B's battle plan for the final exam. We will be engaging in an offensive and defensive contest against Class A."

"Class A?"

Both Ibuki and Ishizaki showed expressions of horror.

"Hey, Ryuen, are you sure you're not mistaken? We're going to have to compete with Class A in the final exams? This sounds like..."

This is as unreliable as sending someone to their death.

Compared to Class A, the academic ability of Class B is negligible, if not slightly different. In Class A, there are only a handful of students who score below 80 on exams, while in Class B, those who score above 80 are truly few and far between.

Before the match even started, Ishizaki already thought he was 80% sure to lose.

"What? Ishizaki, are you going to question my decision?"

Faced with Ryuen's gaze, Ishizaki frantically waved his hands repeatedly.

"That's not what I meant, it's just... well, you should know everyone's academic level, Ryuuen. Instead of attacking Class A, which is obviously tough, why don't we attack Class C? Class C also has a lot of students with poor grades. I feel that if we compare them, Class B might have a pretty good chance of winning. Of course, if you've already made up your mind, then just pretend I didn't say anything."

Seeing Ishizaki's terrified expression, Ryuen sighed.

He knew that Ishizaki's intentions were for the benefit of Class B, and he also knew that what Ishizaki said was not wrong.

The problem is that, given any other option, he wouldn't want to attack Class A. Attacking Class A is almost a death sentence; no, in his view, the only chance of winning is gambling, and it's a gamble with a high probability of losing.

It would be too embarrassing to be reduced to the same level after only a month of climbing up to Class B. Ryuen had contacted Ichinose, but Ichinose had the upper hand this time and was already waiting for the best offer. Although Class B had just been promoted, they hadn't received any benefits from the one-man show, so Ryuen had no idea what benefits to offer Class D. If the item hadn't been given to Ichinose, there might still be room for negotiation.

But Class B is currently penniless, with the entire class probably only having two or three million points, and it's impossible for them to give it all to Class D at once. This is why Longyuan never thought that Class D would cooperate with him from the very beginning.

So, excluding Class D, Class C is the best option. However, Kushida foolishly launched a plan to split Class C. At this critical juncture, if Ryuen were to show signs of wanting to destroy Class C, he swears that Horikita would use him as an external threat to reunite Class C.

Ultimately, this led to Kushida's plan failing.

After receiving Kushida's request for help, Ryuen wanted nothing more than to find Kushida, pin her to the ground, beat her up, and ask her if she had lost her brain somewhere.

But there's nothing we can do about blaming Kushida now. What's done is done. Once they attack Class C, the only option for Class C to overcome this crisis is to unite as one and fight against the enemy with all their might.

He didn't want to become Horikita's tool, so even though attacking Class C had a very high probability of success, Ryuen didn't intend to alert them.

If Kushida really managed to dismantle Class C all by himself, how could a mere fifty class points compare?

So after a round, Longyuan only had two choices left: attack Class D, where there would be no benefit if they won, and they would lose face in front of the other classes if they lost, and the probability of losing was quite high.

He could lose face in front of Amane, and he could lose face in front of that little girl Sakayanagi, but he could never lose face in front of Class D, who had already lost all hope.

So only one road remains.

They went all in and decided to fight Class A to the death.

If he wins, then no one in the first year will be able to stop him from reaching the top of Dragon Garden.

Is it shameful that Class B, the lowest-achieving class in the first year, lost to Class A?

From some perspectives, this is a foolproof plan. Now it just depends on whether Longyuan is willing to gamble with those 100 class points.

However, in Longyuan's eyes, there was never any sense of being willing or unwilling to give up anything. As long as he could achieve his goal, he was willing to put everything on the gambling table. Moreover... he had a backup plan, so he might not lose even if he gambled against Class A.

“I understand what you mean, Ishizaki, but I also have my own considerations. What I just said was not to discuss with you, but to inform you of my decision. As members of Class B, you only need to obey my orders, understand?”

Unlike Class D, Long Yuan is the supreme ruler in Class B, and the entire Class B is his personal fiefdom.

Therefore, no matter how unreasonable the decision is, everyone else is forced to accept Longyuan's decision.

Because Class B couldn't find anyone more outstanding than Long Yuan.

"Yes!!!"

……

"I'm so sorry to trouble you to come to the student council even though it's a holiday."

Sakayanagi slowly walked to Katsuragi's side with a cup of hot tea, then smiled and bowed slightly to him.

"Since it's something related to the class, it's not a matter of whether it's troublesome or not. I just don't know what I need to do?"

"Katsura-kun, you're really in a hurry. Well then, let me tell you about what's been going on lately. Here, please have some tea. The tea was brewed to my liking, but I don't know if it will suit your taste."

Sakayanagi handed the black tea to Katsuragi, who quickly stood up and carefully took it.

"Thank you for your trouble. Tea is meant to quench thirst, so I'm not picky about the taste... It tastes quite delicious. I didn't expect you, Sakayanagi, to have such a skill in brewing tea."

Katsuragi only took a small bite before showing a surprised expression.

Although he couldn't quite distinguish between good and bad tea, he could immediately tell the quality of the brewing technique just by tasting it. His brewing skills were probably unmatched by many others in the school.

"Hehe, it's great that Katsuragi-kun is satisfied. However, I haven't practiced specifically at school. There was this girl who was particularly picky about tea, so I practiced hard for a while to make sure she couldn't find fault with it. Just when I was starting to get better at brewing tea, I didn't expect her to switch to drinking milk..."

After a brief chat and some tea, the two got down to business.

"This final exam is a crucial battle for Class A to re-establish its prestige, so I plan to target Class B as our opponent. Class B is the best target for Class A in terms of both academic ability and class ranking."

Katsuragi nodded slightly at Sakayanagi's words.

Now, listening to Sakayanagi's plan, Katsuragi realized that it was a completely different feeling from when he racked his brains to come up with a solution. Sakayanagi's elegant and confident demeanor gave people a sense of security just by looking at him, and his rational and intellectual gaze could impress many people just by looking at him.

Including Katsuragi.

"Nasaka Yanagi, why did you call me here...?"

"I'd like to hear your opinion; perhaps there are better options."

Sakayanagi's words were quite clever; she said there might be a better option. It seems that Sakayanagi already believed that her plan was the most perfect solution at present, and asking for opinions was just a formality.

Sakayanagi's real purpose in summoning him was probably to give him a warning.

Chapter 40: Arisu Sakayanagi's Trust

"Sakayanagi, your plan is a perfectly sound choice. Class B's academic ability is on a completely different level from ours. We just need to rely on our advantages to crush them in one fell swoop. Moreover, Class A's defeat of Class B right after experiencing setbacks will also restore Class A's prestige. So, from any perspective, it's a perfect decision. But I still have a question..."

When Sakayanagi heard Katsuragi praising her, her expression remained reserved yet slightly smug. However, when Katsuragi suddenly mentioned that he had another question, Sakayanagi's smile faded considerably.

"Please speak freely, I'm all ears."

Katsuragi glanced at Sakayanagi, and seeing that Sakayanagi didn't immediately deny other possibilities, he continued speaking.