"After all, thanks to Natsuki-kun, that fellow Katsuragi is basically out of the game now."
Arisu Sakayanagi said with a smile, her bright eyes flickering with the delighted gleam of a chess player assessing the board.
Her interest in Subaru had become increasingly intense.
Sakayanagi had already guessed beforehand that Kohei Katsuragi would suffer a crushing defeat.
However, she hadn't expected it to be quite this miserable.
Three classes adding up to zero points; there was nothing more interesting than this.
"I didn't do anything."
Subaru replied flatly, as if stating a fact unrelated to himself.
"Katsuragi's exit is the result of the limitations of his own strategy and the inevitable consequence of cooperating with the wrong partner. I merely... brought that result forward and made it manifest more clearly."
"What a modest way of putting it."
Sakayanagi's smile deepened.
"But it is precisely because you calculated everything that it was so lethal. Originally, Katsuragi-kun might have been able to rely on his strategies and the overall unity of Class B to slowly accumulate an advantage in conventional competition. But what you brought was a strike that transcended convention."
"Kakeru Ryuen's complete collapse not only destroyed Class C but also collateral-damaged the possibility of external cooperation Katsuragi-kun had painstakingly built, making his strategy based on rationality and stability appear clumsy and outdated. Coupled with the fact that Class B also scored zero points this time, the internal questioning of his leadership will reach its peak."
"Hashimoto-kun and the others can hardly wait to receive the 'inheritance'."
She made no secret of her control over and promotion of the power transition within Class B.
For her, Katsuragi's failure was the perfect opportunity to reorganize Class B and bring it completely under her command.
Ordinary students would feel depressed by their class's defeat. However, Arisu Sakayanagi was the complete opposite.
She even felt a sense of delight. One could say she was enjoying it.
"So, you allowed Katsuragi to act, perhaps even secretly pushing him to cooperate with Ryuen, just so he would fail more thoroughly, allowing you to take over?"
Subaru pointed it out directly.
"Your observational skills are truly keen, Natsuki-kun."
Sakayanagi admitted frankly.
"I did indeed tacitly allow Katsuragi-kun's 'free performance' during this period. Because I believed that in your game, his style was destined to hit a wall. And I only needed to wait for the result, and then, at the right moment... clean up the mess."
She narrowed her eyes slightly, a smile still on her face.
"Facts have proved that my judgment was correct. You completed it even more... cleanly and neatly than I imagined."
Her tone held undisguised appreciation, the kind reserved for an excellent chess player or an exquisite weapon.
"Katsuragi's face looked absolutely wonderful! That expression of depression—I really want to admire it properly!"
"So, you came to find me to express your gratitude?"
Subaru interrupted Sakayanagi directly, though his tone betrayed no emotion.
"Partly."
Sakayanagi tilted her head slightly, her silver hair swaying with the movement.
"But more than that... it's curiosity—very strong curiosity. Natsuki-kun, how exactly did you do it?"
Her eyes locked tightly onto Subaru, filled with a pure desire for exploration, as if she wanted to dissect Subaru's very heart.
"Kakeru Ryuen's movement routes, the locations where other class squads encountered accidents... The precision and coverage of those 'accidents' are definitely not something that could be accomplished on a whim."
Sakayanagi took a step forward.
"It's as if you could foresee their movements and lay traps in advance. This goes beyond the scope of intelligence gathering!"
"I also heard about Kikyo Kushida. Did you tear off that fellow's mask?! Your exposure of Kikyo Kushida... the timing and method were just right to trigger maximum chaos. This requires an extremely precise grasp of human hearts and the situation, perhaps even... some degree of manipulation."
She paused, leaning forward slightly, her voice lowered, carrying an intimacy like sharing a secret:
"Natsuki-kun, how on earth did you do it? Can simple analysis of the human heart really achieve this level?"
Sakayanagi's eyes were full of curiosity.
Subaru watched her quietly, his emotionless eyes reflecting her face filled with the thirst for knowledge.
After a few seconds, he spoke slowly:
"Do you really want to know?"
"But of course."
"What if knowing would make you die?"
Subaru's gaze fell upon Sakayanagi's face.
Return by Death.
After speaking this term, Sakayanagi's heart would likely be crushed.
After all, in the previous world, once he spoke this term, the power belonging to the Witch would crush the hearts of those around him.
If the opponent's power was strong enough.
Then, what would be crushed would be his own heart.
However, after changing worlds, would that rule still be in effect?
Subaru didn't know.
But since he still possessed the ability of Return by Death, it should still be effective.
Come to think of it...
When would he lose Return by Death?
At that time, when the base he created was destroyed in a day, when even Pandemonium was destroyed—
When he found Ram and saw that incomparably clear red in her eyes, Subaru's heart truly thought that Return by Death could stop.
When he finally craved death, he could finally welcome release.
Unfortunately, he didn't.
Is this Return by Death a curse?
Or is it... Or is it...
The him of that time was not truly seeking death.
Perhaps it was just because the him of that time craved 'color' rather than death.
Compared to the release of death, he wanted to live in a world with color more.
This might also be the reason he came to this world.
"Of course. To obtain the truth, even dying wouldn't matter, right? Besides, I don't believe, Natsuki-kun, that you would lose control to such an extent."
Sakayanagi looked at Subaru, thinking she understood him well—
However, she did not know.
Once, she had been killed by Subaru.
Even her father was the same.
Subaru's gaze locked onto Sakayanagi's neck.
Just a gentle twist, and it snapped.
Sakayanagi's physical constitution was just that poor.
The Sakayanagi of that time tried to struggle, right? She seemed to have said something.
Was it begging for mercy or something?
Madman?
Forget it, it doesn't matter.
She definitely didn't want to die.
Subaru thought this in his heart, yet that look made Sakayanagi sense a trace of danger.
"Natsuki..."
"It seems you aren't as unafraid of death as you claimed."
Subaru said slowly.
Beside him, Sakayanagi was completely in a fog.
But at least, the pressure she had been bearing vanished.
At the same time, Subaru spoke again:
"In reality, when you have experienced enough mistakes and repetitions, you will naturally know that under specific pressure, specific types of people will likely make what kind of choices. Ryuen's tyranny and desire for control, Kushida's disguise and vengefulness, Katsuragi's stubbornness and pursuit of rationality... these are all predictable variables. As for 'accidents'..."
He paused, seeming to choose his wording.
"One only needs to arrange enough simple possibilities on the critical routes. When the base number is large enough, coincidences will always happen. The important thing is to guide them toward those paths where 'possibilities' exist. And for this, only a tiny bit of information suggestion is needed, or... creating some reasons why they must go to those areas."
His explanation sounded reasonable, attributing the supernatural foresight to a profound understanding of human nature, meticulous layout, and the use of probability.
But this still couldn't fully explain that precision which bordered on clairvoyance.
Subaru added another sentence:
"Sensei said that everything can be bought with points. So, buying the GPS locations of a few students isn't hard. After that, analyzing their movement paths is just that simple."
Sakayanagi didn't fully believe it, but she didn't continue to press.
She knew some secrets wouldn't be easily shown to others.
She was more interested in another layer of meaning revealed in Subaru's words.
"'Experienced enough 'mistakes' and 'repetitions'..."
She savored this sentence, the light in her eyes growing brighter.
"That sounds... not like the experience of an ordinary high school student, Natsuki-kun. You are indeed... very special."
Her gaze moved back and forth over Subaru's face, as if assessing the value and danger of a rare treasure.
An emotion mixing appreciation, curiosity, and intense possessiveness quietly bred in the bottom of her heart.
Such a special existence... such a powerful and uncontrollable variable... If she could bring him into her chess game, make him a piece in her hand, or at least, establish some solid cooperative relationship...
To tame him.
How exciting that would be!
Far more interesting than playing those by-the-book games with Katsuragi, Ichinose, and the like thousands of times over!
"Natsuki-kun."
Her voice took on an imperceptible, coaxing tone.
"What do you think of this school's game? Do you find it... interesting?"
"So-so."
Subaru's answer remained concise.
"Some samples are reasonably interesting, but overall... it's a bit dull."
"Dull?"
Sakayanagi chuckled softly.
"That's because the game rules aren't free enough. If... someone could change the rules and create a more interesting stage? For example, making the competition more direct, more... unrestricted? Let those pale, boring impurities be eliminated faster, leaving only the individuals who truly possess color?"
Sakayanagi narrowed her eyes slightly.
"I've heard that you seem very obsessed with so-called 'colors', Natsuki-kun~ What you refer to is a person's personality or essence, right? I feel that Natsuki-kun and I are the same kind of people!"
Subaru heard the implication in her words, but he had no interest in it.
"Changing the rules won't necessarily spawn better colors. Sometimes, an overly harsh or twisted environment will only spawn equally twisted products."
He said flatly.
"Besides, I have no interest in changing the environment. I am just an observer."
I don't seem qualified to say that.
Because I have already changed it.
Why this inconsistency between words and deeds?
Am I craving something?
Subaru thought this in his heart.
"Observers also need a suitable stage and light source."
Sakayanagi didn't give up.
"Natsuki-kun, we can create a more interesting experimental environment. I can provide you with resources, intelligence, and even... help you screen for observation subjects with more potential. Wouldn't that be more interesting~"
Sakayanagi extended an olive branch to Subaru.
This was not cooperation, but more like an invitation.
Sakayanagi invited Subaru to formally start a match with her.
Sakayanagi originally cared deeply about two other people in the school.
However, now she placed Subaru in the primary position.
Only Subaru was qualified to stand on the same stage as her.
"I refuse."
And without a single shred of hesitation, Subaru gave his answer.
The smile on Sakayanagi's face froze for an instant, but soon returned to normal, only a trace of extremely faint displeasure at being rejected, and a more intense... desire for conquest, brushed past the depths of her eyes.
Being rejected so crisply was a rare experience in her life. This, on the contrary, made her interest in Subaru increase rather than decrease.
"What a pity."
She sighed lightly, stood up elegantly, and picked up her cane again.
"It seems Natsuki-kun prefers to be a loner. However, I believe that in this not-so-large campus, we will always have times when our paths cross. I will make you have to stand before me."
She walked to the door, looked back again, her eyes holding a gentle yet firm light that was determined to win—
"I said, you aren't as unafraid of death as you imagine."
Subaru merely replied.
Sakayanagi curled her lips, but said nothing more, and left directly.
After the door closed, silence returned to the cabin.
The expression on Subaru's face didn't change at all; he was even more indifferent than when Sakayanagi was present.
He walked to the window, gazing at her elegant and confident back disappearing around the corridor corner.
"Arisu Sakayanagi."
He repeated the name in a low voice, no emotion discernible in his tone, only a deep calm.
In Subaru's eyes, this person, Arisu Sakayanagi...
Had no color.
Yes, no color.
It wasn't that she wasn't smart enough, keen enough, or special enough.
Quite the opposite. Her rationality, her layout ability, her posture of controlling the chess game from high above—all were top-tier among students of this age group.
But, she had no color.
That was just exquisite calculation, calm strategy, a magnificent yet hollow shell of thinking built upon a sense of superiority and desire for control.
All her actions were based on the logic of game enjoyment, yet she made moves that didn't fit logic.
She could allow Katsuragi to fail in order to integrate Class B, and come to probe him to satisfy her curiosity.
That was merely pursuing delight.
And a delight that suppressed one's true nature.
However, what about the depths of her soul?
Subaru saw no color whatsoever.
Without color, Subaru had no interest.
If...
If she really wanted to bring some unnecessary trouble to Subaru—
If there was no possibility of color appearing.
Then let her disappear.
Subaru's eyes were incomparably cold.
____
👻🔥The Director is back! But with a brand new look, heheh...🔥👻
New Story: Classroom of the Elite: Black Sphere Academia
✅ Unlock a 40-chapter backlog for ALL my series.
✅ Receive exclusive content and regular updates!
Help us reach these goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 universal bonus chapter
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters for ALL STORIES!
👻 P - Walnut-chan