The afternoon corridor was deserted, with sunlight stretching long patches of light across the floor through the windows.
The rhythmic echo of three people’s footsteps resonated within it.
“So, do you need my help?
Or you can just assign me tasks,” Hashimoto Masayoshi offered his services once again.
“I can do things as well,” Kito Hayato chimed in.
“Hashimoto-san, I’ve always found it strange,” Mikage Touji voiced the doubt he had held for the past few days.
“Why are you gravitating toward me instead of Katsuragi, even though I’ve repeatedly stated I don’t want to lead the class?”
“Well, that’s obviously because I want to graduate from Class A.”
“Can’t Katsuragi do that too?”
“But I feel the chances are a bit higher if I choose you, Mikage-san.”
“You turned to me without hesitation just to increase the probability of graduating from Class A by a tiny bit?”
“Haha, after all, I truly feel that having you lead Class A would give us a better chance of graduating from there.”
“You mean your chance of graduating from Class A would be higher, right?”
“…Is there a difference?”
“Since you can abandon Katsuragi just to slightly increase your odds of graduating from Class A, it wouldn’t be surprising if you betrayed us in the future, would it?”
Only the slightly heavy footsteps of the three echoed in the empty corridor.
Kito Hayato’s expression changed immediately; when he looked at Hashimoto Masayoshi again, his gaze was no longer as friendly as before.
Hashimoto Masayoshi gave a bitter smile.
“Hey, hey, Mikage-san, saying that is a bit too hurtful, isn’t it?
I’ve worked hard for Class A as well, you know.”
“Is that so?” Mikage Touji remained unmoved.
“No matter what, I wouldn’t betray the class, right?
What would be the benefit in doing that?”
“Benefits?
Didn’t I just mention them?”
The corridor fell into a long silence again.
Hashimoto Masayoshi let out a heavy sigh.
“As expected of Mikage-san, I can’t hide anything from you.”
“…It might actually be a possibility.
When the time comes, I might look for my own way out.
After all, graduating with the status of Class A is my ultimate goal for coming to this school.”
Hashimoto’s words about “looking for his own way out” were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, the ripples spreading silently through the empty corridor.
“You—”
Kito Hayato was about to speak out against Hashimoto when Mikage Touji pressed his hand down.
“Kito-san, calm down.
This is normal, isn’t it?
People always look for a way out for themselves.
While I don’t like this method, he’s just immoral at most.
Of course, in the future, he might end up displeasing both sides—when the battle starts, the fence-sitters are the first to be cut down.”
“Hey, hey, no need to insult me that much.”
“However, Hashimoto-san, is it really okay to tell me your principles so easily? This chapter was copied from novelping.com without permission.
You don’t seem like the type to reveal your hole cards right away.”
“I have no choice,” Hashimoto said helplessly.
“You’re different from Katsuragi.
Your guard is too high.
Without presenting a certificate of allegiance, I can’t get close at all.
Over the past few days, I’ve gradually investigated other capable students in the school.
While they all perform well, I feel they simply can’t compare to you.”
“There it is, the exclusive skill of the fence-sitter—flattery!” Mikage Touji said abruptly.
“Tsk…
I’ve found that your personality is actually quite wicked.” Even Hashimoto’s lilt was jumping out.
The corners of Kito Hayato’s mouth, who had been silent, turned up slightly.
“And you, Kito-san?” Mikage Touji turned to look at Kito Hayato.
“I just feel…
you are the best choice.” Kito Hayato’s voice was raspy, and his speaking speed was a bit slow.
“Compared to Katsuragi-kun, I am more inclined toward you.”
“Is that so…”
Mikage Touji lowered his gaze and fell into deep thought for a moment.
“Alright then.”
Mikage Touji stopped and leaned against the corridor wall.
Hashimoto Masayoshi and Kito Hayato also stopped to watch him.
He took out his phone, his fingers sliding fluently across the screen.
After a short while, Hashimoto Masayoshi’s phone vibrated.
Hashimoto opened his phone in confusion.
When he clicked the play button, his eyes widened.
“This is…
Pfft!
Hahaha!”
“Is this that…
Haha…
Ryuen?
Hahaha!”
The muscles on his face were stiff with confusion at first, but then, like a bursting dam, wild laughter surged out.
He bent over, clutching his stomach with one hand and slapping his knee with the other, gasping for breath.
“Hehehe…” Kito Hayato, who had snatched the phone from Hashimoto, also couldn’t help but laugh.
His deep voice carried a suppressed atmosphere; for some reason, the midday corridor felt a few degrees colder.
After the two calmed their laughter, Mikage Touji spoke.
“Hashimoto-san, here is your certificate of allegiance.
Spread this.
The wider it circulates, the better.
Don’t let it be traced back to you.
As long as the classmates don’t find out, you can even betray me—but you only get one chance.”
If this video were released, Ryuen Kakeru would likely face social death.
Giving it to Hashimoto Masayoshi meant he would have to completely offend Ryuen with this video.
If he refused or messed it up, it would mean either his attitude or his ability was flawed.
In either case, his value in Mikage Touji’s eyes would drop significantly.
Hashimoto Masayoshi stopped laughing and fixed his ponytail, which had become messy from the wild laughter.
“I understand.”
“I will help as well.
Also,” Kito Hayato stepped forward, his wolf-like eyes staring at Hashimoto, “I will be responsible for keeping a close eye on you.”
“Right, right!” Hashimoto raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
“I said that was only the most extreme case.
At least for now, I can’t think of any reason to betray you.”
“Mikage-san really got hold of a ‘one-hit-kill’ item this time.
With this, there’s no way Ryuen Kakeru can unify Class C in the short term.” Hashimoto looked at the video on his phone and couldn’t help but laugh again.
“I’ll leave it to you two.”
Having finished everything in one breath, Mikage Touji closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, not wanting to say another word.
Using both Detection and Psychokinesis at the same time was still too much; in just a dozen seconds, all of his mental energy had been drained.
Detection alone was fine; it was just extending his spirit.
If the range wasn’t large, he could keep it open for over ten minutes now.
But Psychokinesis consumed far too much—it was creating force out of thin air.
However, this also indicated that his constant training was paying off; in the beginning, he could barely make a petal on the roadside move.
“Hey, hey, Mikage-san, are you really okay?
I don’t want the Lord to disappear immediately after I’ve joined the camp,” Hashimoto said in panic as he saw Mikage Touji’s face turning paler and the weight of his body starting to press against them.
“Send him to the infirmary first.”
Kito Hayato made a split-second decision.
He slung Mikage Touji over his shoulder and began running down the corridor with large strides.
“There’s no need to make such a big deal out of it, I’m just a bit exhausted.”
Feeling himself being hoisted up and bobbing in mid-air, Mikage Touji opened his eyes helplessly.
Unfortunately, the two didn’t listen to his explanation at all, and he didn’t have the extra strength to struggle down.
He could only watch as they carried him toward the infirmary.
In a short time, the two had covered the distance from the classroom to the infirmary.
“Teacher!
Something is wrong with his face!” Before they even arrived, Kito Hayato’s deep voice preceded them into the room.
The two people inside the infirmary turned their heads at the sound.
Then, they saw a man who looked like a demon carrying a pale student like a corpse, sprinting toward them.
Their brains went into a state of paralysis.
Before they could process the situation, the man had charged into the infirmary and placed the “corpse” onto a hospital bed.
The “corpse” placed on the bed sat up with a start, clutched his stomach, coughed twice, and muttered: “Kito, I didn’t die of exhaustion, but I’m about to die from the elbow strike of your rock-like arm…”