## Chapter 68

March 22nd.

The day of the Event Selection Exam—the ultimate culmination of their entire first year—had finally arrived.

Before morning homeroom, the Class A classroom was filled with a comfortable sense of tension and a distinct fervor born from the fact that every single one of them had made it to this day without a single missing member.

Before heading out to the separate room as the Commander, Ichinose Honami stood at the podium, looking out over the entire class as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Everyone, thank you so much for your hard work leading up to today! It's finally time for the real thing."

The classmates responded with serious, focused glares to Ichinose's bright yet dignified voice.

"Regarding the strategy Hiyori-chan proposed—purchasing the selection rights for the seventh event with private points... after confirming with Hoshinomiya-sensei, they did indeed demand an astronomical amount of points. It's not completely impossible for us to pay it with our current class savings, but..."

At that point, Ichinose paused slightly, continuing with a serious expression.

"Just as Aizen-kun analyzed for us, even if the opponent's genuine event is drawn, we still have a solid fighting chance; and in the worst-case scenario where we lose, the penalty is a mere minus 30 Class Points. In our current situation, having just expended a massive sum of money during the recent Class Poll, we judged that discharging any more points carries too high of a risk. Therefore, we decided to pass on it this time."

Having finished her explanation up to that point, Ichinose instantly snapped her head up, a dazzling smile spreading across her face.

"So, which class the final seventh event gets drawn from will be completely random. But you know, even without buying it, there's a solid probability that our event will be selected... and even if the opponent's genuine event is drawn, I'm not worried in the slightest. Because I've watched all of you push yourselves like absolute demons up until today from the absolute closest distance! No matter what event comes our way, we can definitely win! Let's combine our strength and firmly pull through this exam together!!"

"Ohhhhhhh!!"

In response to Ichinose's powerful speech, a shattering roar of cheers and applause erupted from the entire class.

Amidst that heated atmosphere, Kanzaki Ryuji stood up quietly, giving a firm nod.

"Yeah. It is exactly as Ichinose says. No matter what kind of schemes or extreme events Class C has prepared, the effort and solidarity we have built will not waver. …Let us firmly grasp victory together, every single one of us."

"Yeah! Thank you, Kanzaki-kun!"

Faced with the sincere and dependable words of Kanzaki, who could be considered the class's lieutenant, Ichinose nodded with a radiant smile.

*(…Yeah. With this, there's absolutely nothing to worry about.)*

Faced with the completely optimized morale of the class, I quietly let a satisfied smile play on my lips entirely by myself.

"Well then, everyone, I'm heading out!"

Waving broadly to her classmates, Ichinose promptly made her way toward the multi-purpose room where the Commanders would be stationed.

### The Commander Room.

Stepping into the sterile room lined with multiple monitors and communication equipment, the figure of Class C's Commander, Kaneda Satoru, was already present. Serving as witness invigilators to prevent any bias toward their own classes, Mashima Tomoya and Chabashira Sae—homeroom teachers completely unrelated to this specific matchup—watched quietly from near the wall.

"Ichinose-san. I look forward to working with you today."

Kaneda adjusted his glasses, bowing his head with a polite demeanor.

"Yes, I look forward to it too, Kaneda-kun. Let's both do our best so we leave with no regrets!"

Ichinose returned the greeting with straight, honest eyes. Then, as she took her seat in front of the monitors, she tossed out a probing remark with a gentle casualness.

"…Actually, Aizen-kun did mention the possibility that Class C might put Ryuuen-kun forward as the Commander to play mind games on us... but in the end, you ended up taking the role since you hold a protection point, Kaneda-kun."

At Ichinose's words, a subtle, sharp glint flashed deep within Kaneda's eyes.

"…As expected, Aizen-san went so far as to deduce that much. However, we cannot afford to let Ryuuen-san get expelled here. Of course, we intend to go all out for the win ourselves... but we need him to stand on the absolute front lines and run wild in the martial arts events."

"I see. So he really is stepping onto the field for the martial arts."

Even within their amicable tones, the probing dialogue between the two Commanders quietly threw sparks.

"The time has come. We will now begin the Event Selection Exam for Class A versus Class C. The first event is—"

Mashima-sensei's strict voice resonated through the room, announcing the first event.

#### 【Event 1: Class A Selection 『World History Test』 Participants: 8】

Seeing the text displayed on the monitor, Ichinose instantly operated the terminal at her hands, selecting 8 individuals from the top academic layer of the class. In response, Kaneda also selected 5 students without a shred of hesitation.

*(…Right off the bat, he reduced his numbers by three. Even though the capacity is an 8-person event.)*

Looking at the selected members of Class C displayed on the monitor, Ichinose instantly realized her opponent's objective.

*(In this exam, Class C with their 38 students carries a numerical disadvantage against Class A's 41. Since they can absolutely never beat us in a head-to-head academic showdown, they threw the match from the very start to burn through their student count, aiming to balance out the total numerical gap at an early stage. …Indeed, for them, that might be the most rock-solid strategy.)*

Exactly as Ichinose predicted, the result of the test concluded in an overwhelming, massive-margin victory for Class A.

**《Class A: 1 Win | Class C: 0 Wins》**

#### 【Event 2: Class C Selection 『Arm Wrestling』 Participants: 9】

The second event was displayed on the central monitor.

*(…This is a spot to throw away. Unlike intense martial arts events like Karate or Judo, arm wrestling carries a low risk of injury, so let's deploy the girls who won't be participating in the academic tests here.)*

Without hesitation, Ichinose selected 9 members, centering her choices around female students who lacked confidence in their academics. In response, Class C solidified their roster primarily with a few girls and boys who possessed heavy physical strength.

Looking at the lineup of Class C displayed on the monitor, Ichinose nodded in internal understanding.

*(Yamada-kun, Ishizaki-kun, and Ryuuen-kun's names aren't here. …As expected, they preserved them for their genuine martial arts entries.)*

Needless to say, the outcome concluded in a landslide victory for Class C, who completely outstripped them in raw power.

**《Class A: 1 Win | Class C: 1 Win》**

#### 【Event 3: Class C Selection 『Judo』 Participants: 7】

Another Class C event. Ichinose's hand froze completely for a fraction of a second.

*(A 7-participant singles-match series... If I'm going to deploy our main-tier boys like Aizen-kun, I really want to concentrate them into the 5-person 'Karate' or 3-person 'Kendo' events. But the opponent definitely knows that too. If I deliberately play the reverse card here and crash Aizen-kun and the others into Judo... we might reliably secure 3 wins. But...)*

Taking a bird's-eye view of the entire board, Ichinose calmly calculated the probabilities.

*(No, even if the three of them—Aizen-kun, Kanzaki-kun, and Shibata-kun—win their matches, we still need one more victory to claim the event as a whole. I shouldn't gamble here.)*

Ichinose deliberately preserved her main forces, selecting 7 members centered around boys who struggled slightly with studying. They fought valiantly under Aizen's guidance, brilliantly tearing away 2 wins, but ultimately suffered 5 losses in the remaining slots, resulting in Class C claiming this event as well.

**《Class A: 1 Win | Class C: 2 Wins》**

#### 【Event 4: Class A Selection 『Modern Japanese Test』 Participants: 4】

Accompanied by a sterile electronic tone, the monitor shifted, and this time, an academic event belonging to Class A's genuine pool was selected.

*(Perfect. Since this requires a small number of participants, let's solidify it with members who can reliably harvest high scores.)*

While preserving a portion of her top academic layer for later test events, Ichinose precisely selected four individuals who excelled in Modern Japanese, spearheaded by Hiyori. Class C possessed no means to stand against Class A in terms of intellect, resulting in a safe, landslide victory for an overwhelmingly dominant Class A.

**《Class A: 2 Wins | Class C: 2 Wins》**

#### 【Event 5: Class A Selection 『Chemistry Test』 Participants: 7】

Drawn consecutively was yet another academic test that Class A excelled in.

Ichinose deployed her ironclad academic layer without an ounce of hesitation. Kaneda of Class C quietly selected his members without breaking his expression, but the baseline gap in fundamental academic capability was simply too vast to overcome.

The result concluded in a standard, high-scoring blowout for Class A. With this, Class A finally reached match point for total victory.

**《Class A: 3 Wins | Class C: 2 Wins》**

#### 【Event 6: Class C Selection 『Women's Kickboxing』 Participants: 1】

A crucial match where a victory here would lock in Class A's total triumph. Ichinose selected Tsube Hitomi, who possessed the best athleticism among the girls in the class and had received direct guidance from Aizen for this exact day.

Her opponent from Class C was, naturally, Ibuki Mio.

Facing off on the specially constructed ring inside the gymnasium, Ibuki assumed she was dealing with a complete amateur and let a relaxed, confident smirk play on her lips. However, the moment the opening gong rang and she unleashed a sharp flurry of consecutive strikes, Tsube utilized the waste-free footwork and defensive techniques drilled into her by Aizen, evading them by a hair's breadth.

"Wha...!?"

Exploiting a fraction of an opening born from Ibuki's panic over the unexpected movement, Tsube lunged into the pocket with a fluid motion, driving a brilliant counter-straight right squarely into the tip of Ibuki's chin.

"Kuh...!"

Ibuki's face snapped back, and a wave of commotion rippled through the Class C camp watching via the monitor. However, Tsube's offensive didn't stop there.

Completely embodying the tactical movement of *'striking from the blind spot of the opponent's thinking'* that had been pounded into her by Aizen, she launched a breathless rush against a rattled Ibuki. She disrupted Ibuki's stance with a precise low kick, driving a left hook straight into the open guard.

"Aguh...! Don't... screw with me!"

Driven entirely onto the defensive, Ibuki was forced to retreat all the way to the ropes. Against an opponent she had completely dismissed as an overnight amateur, Tsube dealt clear damage, cornering Class C's strongest female fighter to the absolute brink of a knockdown.

However—the **'combat instinct'** of Ibuki Mio, who had trained in martial arts since childhood and crossed through numerous real fights, caught fire completely upon being cornered.

"...Don't look down on me!!"

Shouting as if spitting blood, Ibuki instantly re-established her stance, shifting into an unorthodox, murderous onslaught that completely disregarded standard theory.

For Tsube, who had been operating strictly under Aizen's logical simulations, Ibuki's wild, logic-defying combinations were completely outside her calculations. Heavy, sharp middle kicks coupled with a furious, feint-laden barrage. It gradually whittled down the defense of Tsube—who possessed only a rushed skillset—reliably seizing back control of the ring.

Even so, Tsube absolutely refused to fall.

No matter how heavy of a kick she absorbed, she thoroughly adhered to Aizen's teaching of *'defending to avoid fatal damage,'* gritting her teeth to remain standing on the canvas. She endured Ibuki's ferocious onslaught through sheer grit, occasionally throwing back life-saving counters, clinging on with everything she had without taking a single step back.

And then—the gong signaling the conclusion of the final round resonated through the gymnasium.

"Haa, haa...!"

Both fighters were breathing heavily from their shoulders, covered in sweat and bruises as the match moved to a judges' decision.

The result handed down by the referees—was a decision victory for Ibuki, who had accumulated an overwhelming volume of strikes and effective hits in the latter half, turning the tides through sheer obsession.

Though Tsube suffered a narrow defeat, Class A showered her with a massive roar of applause and praise for her valiancy, having refused to concede a knockdown until the very end and pushing Ibuki to her absolute limit.

**《Class A: 3 Wins | Class C: 3 Wins》**

A complete tie of 3 wins and 3 losses.

At this point, both classes had exactly 5 students remaining.

The final draw narrowed down to a binary pick between Class A's **『Mathematics Test』** or Class C's **『Karate』**.

*(The opponent only has combat-focused students left... If the Mathematics Test is pulled, we still have Aizen-kun and Kanzaki-kun remaining, so we're guaranteed to win...!)*

Ichinose stared at the monitor as if praying, while Kaneda also locked his eyes onto the screen, sweat breaking out across his forehead.

Finally, a ruthless electronic tone rang out, and Mashima-sensei heavily delivered the result.

"The final event has been decided as—Class C's selection, **『Karate』**. Participants: 5. Commanders, quickly finalize your selections and match order."

The moment he heard that notification, Kaneda let out a deep breath, an unhideable expression of relief washing over his face.

Conversely, Ichinose bit her lip tightly.

*(Ugh... It was drawn. But there's no reason to despair. From here on, it's a game of reading between me and Kaneda-kun.)*

Ichinose dropped her gaze to the terminal at her hands.

The remaining students for Class C were 5 individuals: Ryuuen, Yamada Albert, Ishizaki, Tokitou, and Kondou.

The remaining 5 for Class A were: Aizen, Kanzaki, Shibata, Takigawa, and Watanabe.

*(According to Aizen-kun's assessment, Kanzaki-kun and Shibata-kun have a fighting chance if their opponent is Ishizaki-kun, but they stand absolutely no chance against Ryuuen-kun or Yamada-kun. …Meaning, to secure a definitive victory, we must crash Aizen-kun directly into either Yamada-kun or Ryuuen-kun to 'neutralize' them!)*

For the boys' Karate singles-match series, the rules dictated that instead of submitting a pre-determined order beforehand, the Commanders would select their fighter on the spot, match by match.

"First match, input selections."

Ichinose took a deep, heavy breath, selecting **『Shibata』** as her first choice.

In response, Kaneda selected **『Tokitou』**.

*(Yes!)*

Ichinose pumped her fist internally. Kaneda let a regretful expression slip onto his face over the misread, muttering a frustrated "Ugh...!".

The match inside the gymnasium turned into an incredibly close fight, but Shibata, pushing through with his natural athleticism and stamina, brilliantly secured the victory.

**《Class A: 1 Win | Class C: 0 Wins》**

"Second match, input selections."

Ichinose selected **『Watanabe』**. Kaneda selected **『Kondou』**.

Here, Kondou, who outstripped his opponent in proficiency, claimed the victory.

**《Class A: 1 Win | Class C: 1 Win》**

*(With this, Class C's remaining roster consists of their core three: Ryuuen-kun, Yamada-kun, and Ishizaki-kun. On our side, we have Takigawa-kun, Kanzaki-kun, and Aizen-kun. …Kaneda-kun is thoroughly on guard regarding where I will deploy Aizen-kun. To win now, I have no choice but to pit Kanzaki-kun against Ishizaki-kun. If only I had deployed Kanzaki-kun in the second match, it would have been guaranteed...)*

While regretting her deployment slightly, Ichinose pondered her next move.

"Third match, input selections."

Ichinose selected **『Takigawa』**.

In response, Kaneda—deployed Class C's leader, **『Ryuuen Kakeru』**, right here.

*(Tch, that bastard Kaneda lost the read, huh? But the match is far from over.)*

Stepping onto the gymnasium court, Ryuuen clicked his tongue but curled the corners of his mouth into a malicious smirk. The moment he realized he had been pitted against a sacrificial pawn like Takigawa, he deduced that Kaneda was being completely toyed with by Ichinose's deployments.

*(Even if it ends up being a matchup between Ishizaki and Kanzaki after this, Ishizaki has plenty of winning chances. Furthermore, the exact moment a matchup between Albert and Kanzaki locks in, our victory is secured. The advantage remains firmly on our side.)*

Taking a bird's-eye view of the entire war situation, aiming to rip away a definitive victory, Ryuuen ruthlessly assaulted Takigawa the exact moment the starting signal was given.

Takigawa desperately fought back using the footwork and defensive techniques drilled into him by Aizen, but it held no weight before the savage, real-combat-hardened violence of Ryuuen, ultimately suffering a defeat after absorbing a ferocious kick.

**《Class A: 1 Win | Class C: 2 Wins》**

Watching Ryuuen's victory through the monitor, Kaneda let out a breath laced with a mixture of unhideable relief and tension.

Meanwhile, Ichinose calmly organized the situation.

*(Kaneda-kun just made his move using Ryuuen-kun. …With this, Class C's remaining roster is Yamada-kun and Ishizaki-kun. On our side, we have Kanzaki-kun and Aizen-kun.)*

Glancing next to her, Kaneda had a hand placed on his chin, sunk deep into intense deliberation.

*(Kaneda-kun is remaining calm too. He's desperately agonizing over when I will drop Aizen-kun onto the field...!)*

"Fourth match, input selections."

At the end of an extreme battle of brains, Ichinose selected **『Aizen』**.

And Kaneda's selection—was **『Yamada Albert』**.

*(I won the read...!)*

Ichinose's eyes flashed with absolute certainty. In response, Kaneda made an overtly despairing face, muttering a strained "Kuh...!".

*(I read that Kanzaki-san would come here, deploying Yamada-san to firmly crush him...! To think that at this exact juncture, she would pit the strongest asset, Aizen-san, against him...!)*

Kaneda stared at the monitor as if praying.

On the gymnasium court, the giant Class C prided itself on, **『Yamada Albert』**, stood facing the absolute powerhouse of Class A, **『Aizen Sousuke』**.

*(Perfect! As expected of Ichinose. In the midst of this extreme psychological reading, she beautifully routed the most troublesome opponent to me. …Leave the rest to me!!)*

Even when the starting signal echoed, Albert didn't move.

He instinctively guarded against the fathomless pressure radiating from me, refusing to step in carelessly as he maintained a cautious stance at a fixed distance.

I let an effortlessly stylish smile play on my lips, speaking quietly without even assuming a basic stance.

"…Distance only carries meaning in a battle between individuals of equal strength. Between you and me, distance holds absolutely no meaning."

Immediately following those words.

My body blurred as if vanishing into thin air—and in the next instant, I had glided like a phantom right into the absolute front of Albert's massive frame.

"…!?"

Albert's vision widened in pure astonishment.

Placing the palm of my right hand softly against his massive chest plate, I delivered a cold declaration.

"Look, if I do this, it feels as though my hand could reach your heart at any given moment."

Devoid of an ounce of tension, delivered from a state of perfect relaxation, a right palm strike accurately blasted through the giant's solar plexus.

Not even a striking impact resonated; it was a blow designed to directly shatter the interior.

Albert's massive frame flinched violent