The Strategy Hall wasn't part of the main academic building.
It stood slightly apart, connected by a narrow glass corridor that overlooked the inner courtyard. Most students never entered it. Some didn't even know what it was used for.
But everyone knew one thing—
Important things happened there.
---
At exactly 8:55 a.m., ten students stood outside the large double doors.
The Top 10.
No one spoke much.
Even the usually confident students seemed quieter than usual.
Pressure worked differently at this level.
It wasn't about passing anymore.
It was about proving you belonged.
Ophelia stood a few steps behind the group, arms crossed.
"They look like they're about to enter a battlefield," she muttered.
Sakura stood beside her.
"It kind of is," she said softly.
Inside the group, Izuya stood slightly off to the side.
Hands in his pockets.
Expression neutral.
As if he had accidentally walked into the wrong place.
A few students glanced at him.
Rank 8.
Quiet.
Unpredictable.
No one really understood how he thought.
Which made him uncomfortable to stand near.
At the front of the group stood Rank 2 and Rank 3.
Confident.
Focused.
Trying not to look nervous.
Then—
Footsteps echoed through the corridor.
Everyone turned.
Arthur Beaumont walked toward them.
Perfect uniform.
Calm expression.
Unhurried steps.
And yet…
the atmosphere shifted the moment he arrived.
Conversations stopped.
Postures straightened.
Even the air felt tighter.
Arthur stopped in front of the doors.
He glanced at the group once.
Then his eyes briefly moved—
and landed on Izuya.
Just for a second.
Then he looked away.
"Good morning," he said.
His voice was calm.
Controlled.
The others responded almost immediately.
"Good morning."
Izuya said nothing.
Arthur didn't react.
---
The doors opened.
Mr. Kuroda stood inside.
"Enter."
---
The Strategy Hall was large, circular, and quiet.
Ten desks were arranged in a wide ring.
Each desk had:
- a tablet
- a digital screen
- a microphone
At the center of the room stood a large holographic projector.
The lights dimmed slightly as the students took their seats.
Izuya chose a seat near the edge.
Arthur sat directly across from him.
Not by accident.
---
Kuroda stepped into the center.
"This is the Advanced Strategic Evaluation."
His voice echoed slightly in the hall.
"The rules are simple."
He raised one finger.
"You will be given a live scenario."
Second finger.
"You may not communicate with each other."
Third finger.
"Your solutions will be evaluated in real time."
The holographic projector flickered to life.
A 3D model of a coastal city appeared in the center of the room.
Ships.
Buildings.
Road networks.
Everything detailed.
"This," Kuroda said, "is Port Aegis."
The model zoomed in.
"Three hours ago, a large cargo shipment was hijacked just outside the harbor."
The image shifted.
Armed ships.
Blocked routes.
"The attackers are demanding ransom."
Another shift.
Inside the city—crowds gathering.
"Meanwhile, panic is spreading among citizens."
Another change.
Police units moving.
Military preparing.
"You are acting as independent strategic advisors."
Kuroda looked around the room.
"You have one objective."
The hologram froze.
"Resolve the situation with minimal loss."
A timer appeared above the model.
60:00
"Begin."
---
The room fell silent.
Students immediately began analyzing the scenario.
Some focused on the hijackers.
Others on the city.
Some on negotiation strategies.
Across the circle, Arthur rested his chin lightly on his hand.
Watching.
Not rushing.
Not reacting.
Just observing.
---
Izuya looked at the model for a few seconds.
Then he closed his eyes.
---
The Void.
Port Aegis reconstructed instantly.
This time, it wasn't empty.
Ships moved.
People ran.
Sirens echoed through the streets.
His mind filled the simulation with everything it needed.
He walked along the harbor.
Watching.
Analyzing.
The hijackers' ships.
The city's response.
The timing.
He ran multiple scenarios.
Direct attack.
Negotiation.
Diversion.
Each one ended with consequences.
Losses.
Instability.
Noise.
Izuya frowned slightly.
Too many variables.
Then—
A voice broke the silence.
Not inside the Void.
In reality.
"Izuya."
---
His eyes opened.
Arthur was looking directly at him.
The entire room noticed.
No one spoke.
Arthur tilted his head slightly.
"Are you solving it," he asked calmly,
"or avoiding it?"
The question wasn't loud.
But it carried across the room.
Several students froze.
No one expected direct interaction.
Especially not from Arthur.
Izuya stared at him for a moment.
Then—
"…Both," he replied.
A pause.
Arthur's lips curved slightly.
"Good."
He looked back at the model.
"Then you've already seen the flaw."
Izuya's eyes narrowed slightly.
Flaw?
He closed his eyes again.
---
Back in the Void, the simulation replayed.
This time, he didn't focus on the hijackers.
Or the city.
He focused on timing.
The attack.
The panic.
The response.
Something didn't align.
The sequence felt…
constructed.
Izuya stopped walking.
"…This isn't about the ship," he murmured.
The Azure Bird appeared above him.
Circling once.
Izuya looked up.
"…It's about the reaction."
---
Back in reality, his eyes opened again.
Across the room, Arthur was already watching him.
As if waiting.
Izuya picked up his tablet.
And for the first time—
he started writing immediately.
---
Around the room, other students were still struggling with the scenario.
Trying to minimize damage.
Trying to choose the best option.
But two students had already moved past that point.
They weren't solving the problem.
They were questioning it.
---
From the center of the room, Kuroda watched silently.
His eyes moved between two desks.
Rank 1.
Rank 8.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
The evaluation had just begun.
But something far more interesting had already started.