Chapter 49 - Foresight

---Notice---

Forgive the horrible consistency; I've been busy. I am trying to get back to writing, although it will be a bit difficult at the moment. Anyway, here's a chapter.

If you don't give me your powerstones I'll...

Be very sad so please send them my way, as always I appreciate comments and reviews as well, I love hearing everyone's thoughts.

My discord: discord.gg/v32vBv4Y

--------------------------------

"In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing." ~Theodore Roosevelt

"Is it true, Ichinose, Horikita, Hirata? Is that the reason you and Horikita have been so quiet regarding the exam?"

Horikita remained silent, her face betraying disappointment. She'd anticipated this result, yet it didn't dampen the sting of the outcome.

Finally, Ichinose spoke up, her voice carrying a hint of resignation. "Yes, it's true. Yagami's assessment explains everything. Me, Kanzaki, Horikita, and Hirata decided it was best to keep our plan secret; Horikita feared information might leak. But it seems that effort was pointless. The result of this exam might as well have been set in stone."

Her words settled over the lounge, somber and final, until Kushida broke the silence again.

"Doesn't this mean Morishita will have to withdraw from school?"

The atmosphere grew with tension. An expulsion hadn't seemed real until now; this exam wasn't supposed to carry such severe consequences.

Hirata's face tensed, though he forced a hopeful smile. "Maybe Yagami will let it go? He may go far to accomplish his goals, but he isn't heartless. I think he's made that clear."

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Ryuen cut in, his tone dismissive. "This has nothing to do with whether Yagami's a good person or not. He didn't set the rules for this exam—Morishita did. He has no reason to act out of kindness."

Karuizawa, listening intently, spoke up. "That's not true. Yagami has helped all of us. He even saved me once, putting himself at risk when he didn't have to."

Ryuen shook his head. "Your situation and Morishita's are completely different. Yagami took a risk for you, but you never tried to jeopardize his future. But by setting these terms, Morishita put both herself and Yagami at risk."

Horikita's voice broke through next. "I hate to say it, but I agree with Ryuen. Morishita pushed these conditions, not Yagami. If she's expelled, she has only herself to blame. If I were in Yagami's position, I don't know if I could show mercy to someone who put my future at risk."

Hirata and Ichinose, visibly tense, clenched their fists in frustration. They hadn't hoped for this outcome, but it hit them particularly hard.

At that moment, the TV flickered back on. Yagami stood up, leaving the others seated as they processed his words. Without a word, he walked out of the room, signaling the end of this competition.

Shiranami approached Ichinose and Hirata softly. "It isn't your fault. You did everything you could."

Ichinose turned toward Katsuragi, who had remained silent. "Aren't you upset, Katsuragi? Morishita is your classmate, after all."

Katsuragi looked at her with a calm but hardened expression. "Of course I am. But who am I supposed to be mad at? Yagami, for securing his own safety? I wish he'd gone about it differently, but anger only goes so far."

Hashimoto chimed in, admiration clear in his voice. "Regardless of feelings, you have to admit it's impressive. A perfect 3-0 record is incredible, especially given Yagami's circumstances. He's played games of chance and games with odds stacked against him—and yet, he has not lost."

Shibata, from Class B, shot back. "Odds stacked against him? He's played dirty every game!"

Hashimoto shrugged. "Is that the whole story, though? In his first game against Katsuragi, he only exploited a loophole after giving Katsuragi every advantage possible. Katsuragi could've won if he'd taken it. Then, against Horikita, Yagami abused the rules, but so did Horikita—she was simply outsmarted. And now, he faced Morishita on her terms without taking advantage of any loopholes, and the outcome was still clear. In each game, he's shown his different strengths—planning, genius, adaptability. No matter what they try, Yagami always seems to be finding a way to win."

The room fell silent once more, Hashimoto's words leaving an impact. The complexities of Yagami's victories, each achieved with precision and undeniable skill, leave everyone in thought.

Shibata's eyes hardened. "Well, it isn't over yet… Our Class C will be Yagami's final opponent. We'll show him there are situations even he can't handle. We've been planning for this from the start of the exam, giving us the time to make sure we win."

Hashimoto responded with a slight smirk. "Maybe, but if you really set up a game disadvantageous to Yagami, don't you think he'd just reject your challenge and choose the random game assigned by the school?"

Class B fell silent, some of them exchanging anxious glances. But Ichinose's voice cut through the tension, calm and confident.

"No, he will definitely accept." She paused, drawing everyone's gaze.

"Yagami… as long as there's a chance for him to win, he'll accept the challenge. Even if it's a one-in-a-million shot, he'll take it—because he truly seems to believe he isn't capable of losing."

Several of them nodded, agreeing with her assessment. Yagami had feigned fear, anxiety, and other emotions in past games, but in the end, his confidence was absolute. As Hashimoto said, Yagami always found a way to come out on top.

The second a game began, he was already on the path to victory, no matter how impossible the situation seemed.

***

Mashima's frustration was evident, his voice growing sharper. "It doesn't make sense—how is it fair for someone like Yagami to be placed in Class C? With peak academic abilities, intelligence, decision-making skills, even his willingness to act… He already has the capability to lead a class. On top of that, he has impressive physical abilities and ranks high in social contributions, especially within his own class. Yes, he may have some narcissistic traits, but that's hardly unique—even Class A's Sakayanagi is known for similar tendencies."

Chabashira gave a slight nod, her gaze fixed on her drink as if lost in thought. "You know as well as I do that class placement isn't just about raw ability. Class A has its share of average students, while Class D occasionally has high achievers. It's like this nearly every year. Class A and B almost never drop drastically in rankings, and Classes D and C rarely rise."

"That's precisely the problem, isn't it?" Mashima shot back. "Class B is making a steady climb up the ranks. And as for Class C—regardless of this exam's final result, their performance is nothing short of remarkable. Class placements are supposed to foster growth and address the flaws of each student. But is that really happening with Yagami in Class C? It's obvious Class B isn't bringing out his potential, nor is he helping them bring out theirs."

Hoshinomiya tilted her head thoughtfully, a playful hum escaping her lips. "Mmm, I guess that's true. But think about it—without Yagami, Ryuen would likely be leading Class C. He's also a lone wolf and is pretty capable."

"That's true," Mashima agreed, "but I doubt Class C would have seen anywhere near the level of success they've had without Yagami. With only Ryuen, there'd have to be some improvement; he'd have to adapt his methods significantly if he wanted real success."

"This scenario isn't unheard of, though," Sakagami interjected, pausing to choose his words carefully. "Remember last year—Nagumo from Class B quickly took over Class A and left a wide point gap between his class and the rest. Given the potential of this year's first-years, it was only a matter of time before we saw another student defying the expected class hierarchy."

A thoughtful silence fell over the group, each teacher considering Sakagami's words. They all knew the truth of his point: sometimes, a single student's drive could change everything. Yet, Chabashira broke the silence with a skeptical frown. "But for Class C to aim for Class A's position is still unheard of. These performances, especially this early on, are highly unusual for a class expected to lack coordination."

"Unless," Mashima replied, his voice lowering, "Yagami was never expected to have this kind of impact on Class C. It's hard to predict the true potential of high school students. Academic and physical talent don't always make someone a genius. True genius is something rarer and harder to define. We've seen students who excel academically or athletically, but that doesn't mean they're all exceptional. Ryuen, for instance, doesn't appear academically gifted—not because he couldn't be, but because academic ability isn't a guaranteed marker of genius. Sometimes, what appears as genius is just the result of relentless effort."

Hoshinomiya chimed in, almost as if to herself. "Mmm… And it can work the other way around, too. Lots of students graduate with perfect grades and good athleticism, but that doesn't make them geniuses. Once you reach a certain level of competency, you start to blend in with others."

Sakagami looked her way, his expression turning serious. "You don't seem worried about your Class C, Hoshinomiya. They're about to face Yagami, after all."

Hoshinomiya smiled slyly, pressing a finger to her lips. "Hihi, let's just say I have confidence in my students and the strategy they've prepared. Yagami won't be able to rely on any of his old tricks. This time, he'll have to come up with something entirely new—and I don't see how he'll manage that. There are only so many tricks Yagami can pull before he's out of ideas."

"We'll see about that," Sakagami replied.

***

Ryuk floated beside me as I made my way toward the ship's lounge, his voice carrying a trace of amusement. "Well, that's finally over. Only one last game to go, Light."

I stretched my limbs, keeping my voice relaxed. "It's nothing, Ryuk. This much was to be expected."

With that, I entered the lounge. As usual, I felt the weight of every gaze shifting toward me, the atmosphere charged as the room went silent. I was used to it by now—the attention that came with every victory.

"Good job, Yagami! You really showed those Class A, C, and D losers how it's done!" Ishizaki called out, moving forward with a loud, congratulatory slap to my back.

"Eh? Maybe that's a bit too far, Ishizaki," I replied, trying to keep his enthusiasm in check before he said anything more inflammatory. I didn't want any extra attention—especially this late in the day.

Before I could say anything further, Ichinose stepped forward, a small pamphlet clutched in her hand. Her expression was hard to read, but I sensed a quiet determination behind her usual politeness. "Sorry to approach you right after your game, but Class C would like to extend its challenge. This is our game proposal," she said, handing me the pamphlet.

She looked somewhat troubled, but I ignored her current state and took the pamphlet, glancing down at the title.

"'Lucky Number?'" I muttered, then flagged down an administrator, passing the pamphlet directly to them. "This will be my last game," I said quickly.

"Huh? Wait… Shouldn't you read the rules and directions before accepting?" Ichinose asked, a look of surprise crossing her face.

"That won't be necessary."

Ichinose's expression shifted to confusion as she tried to piece together my intentions. "Could it be… someone leaked the contents of our game to you? Or is this just a tactic to throw Class C off balance? Or maybe…" she trailed off, speculating.

I laughed lightly. "Relax, Ichinose. It's nothing like that. You're an honest person, and you're certainly no fool. If you handed me this pamphlet expecting me to read it, then I'm confident it's fair enough to pass along. Plus, after my previous games, I doubt you'd leave any obvious loopholes for me to exploit." My words seemed to settle her unease slightly, though I could tell she was still trying to gauge my true intentions.

In reality, it was a waste of time reading a game proposal that, to me, seemed no more than a collection of desperate ideas crafted by Class C.

"Well then, good luck, Yagami," Ichinose replied, her voice regaining some of its usual warmth.

"Yes, and good luck to you too, Ichinose." I offered a quick nod and left the lounge, retrieving my phone from my pocket as I exited.

"Not reading the pamphlet… Now that's very unlike you," Ryuk said with a grin, his voice low and full of intrigue. "Usually, you're thorough down to the last detail."

I didn't look up as I answered. "I already have a solid idea of the kind of game Ichinose proposed. The title reinforced my theory, so I know there's no real need to read it."

"Oh, I see," Ryuk murmured, now floating closer with his eyes sparkling with interest. "So, do you have a plan?"

"Of course," I replied, a faint smirk touching my lips as I scrolled through my contacts. "I just need to make a few calls."

***Information you may want to know below***

Day 3:

Light v Morishita- 1-0

Katsuragi v Ichinose- Draw

Ryuen v Kushida- 1-0

Kanaki v Horikita- 0-1

Class Points:

Class A: 1124 Class Points

Class B: 813 Class Points

Class C: 803 Class Points

Class D: 90 Class Points

Cumulative Point Gain at this point in the exam:

Class A: +0 Class points

Class B: +250 Class points

Class C: -100 Class points

Class D: -150 Class points

High Roller Records (Wins/Losses/Draws):

Light Yagami: 3/0/0

Kakeru Ryuen: 2/0/1

Kohei Katsuragi: 1/1/1

Suzune Horikita: 1/2/0

Kikyo Kushida: 0/2/1

Honami Ichinose: 0/0/3

Ryuji Kanzaki: 0/2/1

Ai Morishita: 1/1/1

--------------------------------

I'd love to hear whatever you guys have to say regarding the plot and how things are developing, I like hearing everyone's opinions and I want to make this story as enjoyable as possible for the most amount of all of you.