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

Ayanokouji was far too confident, which made Kanzaki begin to wonder if escalating the incident and having President Kiriyama rule on it would really lead to Watanabe's expulsion from school.

After all, it seems that Watanabe really did strike first against Sato from Class B. If we were to investigate, how could the class not have points deducted if someone dropped out of school because of fighting?

In other words, after all that trouble, the class still ends up losing points, so what's the point of all the fuss?

After much deliberation, Kanzaki decided to confront Sakayanagi and Ayanokouji.

“I don’t really want to make a big deal out of this, but I believe you’ve all heard about the situation in Class D. We can’t accept either individual point penalties or class point penalties.”

"But that's the school's rule."

"Our class has worked so hard to go from zero points to over a hundred points now. Compared to you, it may be insignificant, but it is D class's last hope. If that last hope is shattered, I can't guarantee that D class won't do something crazy."

Are you threatening me?

Sakayanagi struck the ground hard with his cane, but only moved forward a slow step.

However, it brought a tremendous sense of pressure to Ayanokouji and Kanzaki. Her eyes, filled with anger, told Kanzaki that she would not compromise with any threat.

"This is not a threat, but simply stating a fact. Class D has gone through far too much, and many students are now in despair. If you take away Class D's last hope, I really can't guarantee what they might do. I believe you should know from various sources that I have no way to control the behavior of the students in Class D right now. If the entire class of Class D is dissatisfied with your decision and a class-wide riot breaks out, even if your decision is correct, the school will probably punish you to quell the situation, right? At the very least, you definitely won't be able to continue as the student council vice president and disciplinary committee chairman."

Upon hearing this, Sakayanagi felt a sense of helplessness.

Isn't this just being a scoundrel?

You can make your judgment. Anyway, we're penniless and can't afford the fine. If we lose the special exam, no one will have any objections, since we're simply not as skilled as others.

However, if class points and personal points are forcibly deducted because someone is punished, it is equivalent to extinguishing the hope of the students in Class D. If you make all the students in Class D lose hope, the whole class may riot against you. Even if the whole class drops out of school, you, Sakayanagi Arisu, will still be punished.

Not to mention the possibility that these rioters might not be punished in an attempt to quell the unrest.

Sakayanagi had never experienced anything like this before. She couldn't even imagine what a class riot would be like. She also understood that Kanzaki was probably bluffing, but Sakayanagi didn't dare to gamble. The issues involved were too huge for her to handle.

"Don't be fooled by Kanzaki's words. Kanzaki is just trying to intimidate you to negotiate. If we follow Kanzaki's logic, wouldn't their class be able to do whatever they want at school? And wouldn't any punishment be too harsh on them? What's the point of the school rules then? And even if there's a riot, so what? Have you forgotten what Amane did at the sports festival? A mere Class D, even with the right to use violence to suppress them, couldn't handle dozens of people from that class by Amane alone. So what's there to be afraid of?"

It must be said that Ayanokouji knew exactly what kind of words he needed to use to persuade Sakayanagi. If he had told Sakayanagi that the police station or school could handle the matter, Sakayanagi probably wouldn't have listened to Ayanokouji at all.

However, Ayanokouji mentioned Amane, which reassured Sakayanagi a lot. Even if something unexpected happened, as long as Amane was in Class D, she wouldn't do anything extreme.

However, even though Sakayanagi had come to terms with it, he still had to re-examine the incident. After so much time had passed, Sakayanagi had come to some sense that Sato had probably deliberately provoked Watanabe in an attempt to cause a conflict between Class B and Class D.

It's obvious that this kind of scheme is something only a shameless person would use.

The purpose was probably to demoralize Class D or for some other purpose, but it certainly couldn't have been a coincidence.

As the one who was framed, Watanabe did suffer a great loss. Although there are some unspoken "unwritten rules" in the school, such as admitting defeat after a contest of schemes fails, and treating the case as insufficient evidence even if everyone knows the truth, there is no evidence.

However, it's clear that Class B went too far; Watanabe's injuries have seriously affected his studies and daily life.

It would be unreasonable to hold Watanabe liable for compensation.

Therefore, Sakayanagi does not intend to follow the 'conventional' rules this time.

Class B has clearly achieved its objective, so there is no need to subject Class D to further losses.

Having made up his mind, Sakayanagi spoke very seriously.

“Ayanokouji-san’s words make a lot of sense. I think that the first-year students should handle the first-year students’ problems. Asking the second-year students for help would not only show the incompetence of the first-year students, but also likely result in severe punishment. However, the current situation of Class D is indeed worth considering. How about this, why don’t you two come up with a solution together? As long as you both agree, I can act as a witness and adopt your solution.”

Sakayanagi's suggestion was exactly what Kanzaki wanted to hear, so he agreed to Sakayanagi's suggestion almost without hesitation.

Ayanokouji hesitated. At this moment, it was undoubtedly the best situation to strike while the dog was down, but Sakayanagi had clearly seen through something.

On the surface, this battle is between Class B and Class D, but in reality, it is also part of the battle between Class B and Class A. If Class B were to easily defeat Class D, Class A's current position would be immediately surpassed.

Even though Sakayanagi didn't intend to win this special exam, she didn't want Class B to win too easily.

Therefore, preserving Class D as much as possible is Sakayanagi's top priority. Although Sakayanagi is a student council member, she is also the leader of Class A.

Ayanokouji realized from Sakayanagi's sudden change in attitude that Sakayanagi had discovered Class B's plan.

So the question is, should we continue to relentlessly pursue and attack Class D, or would it be better to let this matter rest?

Just as Ayanokouji was hesitating, Sato in his arms gestured for Ayanokouji to bring his ear closer.

"Miyako only gave 200,000 yen, there's no need to work so hard."

Sato was getting a headache listening to the conversation. She knew she had the upper hand, but she didn't want to offend anyone too much. She figured it was better to leave some room for maneuver in the future, in case there was a chance for cooperation.

Furthermore, since Amane's donation this time wasn't much, there was absolutely no need for her and Ayanokouji to work themselves to the bone for a mere 200,000 personal points. Therefore, Sato decisively let Ayanokouji end this dispute.

"I agree."

"Alright, I'll give you two ten minutes. Please come up with an agreement that both of you can agree on within those ten minutes."

After finishing her sentence, Sakayanagi took out her phone, adjusted the timer mode, and then casually found a seat away from the three of them. It seemed that she had no intention of participating in the discussion at all, so as to avoid dragging her into any future disputes.

With Sakayanagi not around, the three of them could finally have a more relaxed discussion.

"Tell me, what do you want?"

Kanzaki went straight to the point and asked the two men about their purpose. After all, negotiations should start by exchanging pleasantries and probing each other before proceeding with formal discussions.

However, Sakayanagi only gave them ten minutes, which means that in order to negotiate a satisfactory agreement within ten minutes, they must know what the other party wants from the beginning and then discuss it around that.

"Tch, do you think you can give us the personal points we want?"

Sato rolled his eyes at Kanzaki as he spoke.

Although Sato demanded a swift end to the conflict, it doesn't mean she had no issues with Kanzaki.

Even now, Sato still remembers Kanzaki's arrogant attitude when they first met, so naturally he wouldn't give Kanzaki a friendly look.

Seeing that Kanzaki's expression wasn't good, Ayanokouji quickly made his request.

"My demand is that Watanabe and Beppu must withdraw from this special exam."

"Impossible, I absolutely cannot agree to such a request."

Kanzaki could accept it if Watanabe simply didn't participate in the special exam, since what kind of special exam could he possibly take given Watanabe's current condition? Even if Watanabe volunteered, Kanzaki wouldn't agree.

In other words, if Ayanokouji had simply suggested that Watanabe not participate in the special exam, Kanzaki would almost certainly have agreed without hesitation.

However, Kanzaki could not accept the idea of ​​not letting Beppu participate. Beppu excelled in math and English, and his overall grades were even among the top five in the class. Class D was in turmoil after losing Ichinose and Shibata.

The fact that Kanzaki would even make use of someone like Himeno, who has ambiguous relationships with people from other classes, shows just how scarce talent is in the class. Right now, the only three people in Class D who are truly capable are Kanzaki himself, Himeno, and Hamaguchi. The others can only slightly compete with other classes in terms of academic performance; their overall abilities and strategic thinking are simply incomparable to the talent pool of other classes.

Therefore, Kanzaki does not want to give up talents like Beppu, who can play a very important role in special exams, unless absolutely necessary.

"Then forget it, let's just ask the upperclassmen student council to get involved."

When Ayanokouji heard Kanzaki's refusal, he didn't even try to negotiate and immediately gave up on the idea.

This left Kanzaki, who was already planning to engage in a bargaining session with Ayanokouji, speechless.

He had met many different people and learned how to communicate and negotiate with all sorts of people, but he had never met a negotiator as tough as Ayanokoji.

But thinking about it, it's obvious that the other side has an absolute advantage. How could Class D possibly negotiate without spending money?

In order to prevent Beppu or Watanabe from dropping out of school, and also because he didn't want to pay high personal and class points, Kanzaki ultimately chose to give up and confront Ayanokouji head-on.

"Okay, I agree. Let's leave it at that. Neither of us is allowed to pursue any further responsibility."

"no problem."

Thus, the drama orchestrated by Sato and Ayanokouji was a complete victory thanks to Kanzaki's compromise.

When the news reached Amane, she wasn't too surprised. Putting aside Sato's abilities, Amane found it hard to believe that Kanzaki and the others could outmaneuver Ayanokouji, given his presence.

If Kanzaki had that ability, Class D wouldn't have ended up like this.

Although Amane was mentally prepared for this outcome and wasn't too surprised, she was very happy about the successful impact of Ayanokouji's plan.

With two people suddenly gone from Class D, it was almost certain that Class D would fail one of the special exams right from the start.

With a guaranteed victory, it shouldn't be too difficult for Class B to defeat Class D, right?

"I never expected that Sato and the others would actually..."

Horikita looked at the message Sato sent to Amane and felt a mix of emotions.

Her meticulously planned scheme was ruined by a small mistake, while Sato took care of the two people from Class D in just the time it takes to eat lunch.

In comparison, Horikita's results were rather pitiful.

"Ring sound..."

Amane was afraid that Horikita might do something rash, so she deliberately moved closer to Horikita.

"Don't worry, I won't do anything stupid. Now that things have come to this... I should also come to terms with myself."

Horikita gently hugged Amane beside her, then rested his head on Amane's shoulder.

Amane was utterly shocked to see Horikita, who seemed to have truly come to terms with things.

You should know that Amane has been trying to help Horikita grow, and even created all sorts of powerful enemies to force Horikita to grow. However, under the continuous blows, Horikita not only did not grow, but became more dependent on her.

Left with no other choice, Amane even asked Horikita Manabu to give Horikita Suzune a wake-up call. The effect was obvious; Horikita Suzune studied and trained even harder after that, and seemed to have grown.

However, only Amane understood that this was not growth at all. Academic performance and physical fitness can be improved through external conditions. Horikita's state at that time was simply that he was working harder to catch up with Horikita Gakuen.

However, she didn't experience any real inner growth. Her defeat in her contest with Horikita Manabu was merely a realization of the gap between herself and her brother.

Amane originally judged that since Horikita Manabu was no longer of any use to Horikita Suzune's growth, then perhaps only a major defeat could make Horikita Suzune realize her problems and thus truly grow.

Amane had even devised a method to ensure Horikita's defeat in despair, but to Amane's utter surprise, before she could even make a move, Horikita awakened her true self in this seemingly insignificant defeat.

This is simply...unbelievable.

Amane didn't really care whether she won or lost in this insignificant match; even if Ayanokouji and Sato lost, it wouldn't be a big deal.

If she wanted, she could single-handedly take on the entire Class D, or even if the entire grade were to gather together, unless all the strongest individuals were present, they wouldn't even be qualified to compete with her in terms of "academic ability," "physical strength," and "strategy."

The difference between people can sometimes be greater than the difference between people and dogs.

This is also why Tianyin doesn't want to fight with those people.

Because it's so boring.

……

The day of the special exam finally arrived as scheduled.

Each class has a commander and a general. The commander can intervene in the competition and participate in the competition, while the general can engage in a one-on-one duel with the opposing general on a specific event.

If the Commander fails, he will be expelled from school without any redemption, while the General, who seems very useful, can only be used as a strategic weapon to deter the opponent. It is possible that the General will not appear in even one game out of seven matches.

This special test for the command tower began under such circumstances.

Amane originally thought that the four classes would compete at the same time, but later she found out that they would compete one by one. Amane even asked Chahashi-sensei why they had to make it so complicated when the venue allowed it. Chahashi-sensei's answer to Amane was that the school seemed to want to use this Command Tower Special Exam as a form of publicity for the school, and it seemed that they also intended to reverse the negative public opinion left over from the sports festival.

Upon hearing that she might be on television, Amane even dressed up a little, leaving Horikita speechless.

Only after school leaders repeatedly emphasized the importance of economic discipline and adherence to school rules did this special exam truly begin.

Seeing that even Fujiwara-san, who doesn't like working, was being seriously emphasized about the spirit of competition, Amane realized that the school seemed to be serious about improving its reputation this time.

"The school will probably be super strict this time, so my little tricks won't seem to be of any use."

Horikita was curious upon hearing Amane's words. Amane had actually prepared some tricks for this special exam?!

"Tianyin, have you really prepared some underhanded tricks?"

Horikita looked at the beautifully dressed Amane with suspicion. It was no wonder that Horikita was suspicious. Ever since Amane tricked Class D, she had stopped caring about the special exam and spent her days playing games with her. Logically speaking, Amane should not have had any time to prepare any tricks.

"Of course, I've prepared a lot of tricks."

Tianyin puffed out her chest proudly as she spoke.

Seeing Tenon's state, Horikita became even more curious about what methods Tenon had prepared, that even her bedmate had no idea.

What are you preparing?

"Lingyin, do you want to know?"

"If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. I know you're definitely going to take advantage of me, so I'll just choose not to ask."

After saying that, Horikita stood aside with her arms crossed, and gave Amane a smile that said, "I saw through everything."

Amane's cheeks puffed up when she saw that Horikita wasn't falling for her tricks.

"That's why I hate smart girls the most. I like silly girls like Hui the most."

"Hmm? Tianyin, are you calling me?"

Karuizawa, who had just returned from buying juice, immediately came over when she heard Amane calling her name.

"I was just saying that I like Megumi the most!"