The silence in the Strategy Hall didn't break immediately.
It lingered.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Not because students didn't understand what just happened—
But because they did.
---
Kuroda stepped forward.
"Both solutions are valid," he said.
A few students exhaled quietly.
"However…"
The word tightened the room again.
"A strategic evaluation is not about being possible."
He looked at the frozen city projection.
"It is about being optimal."
---
The board shifted once more.
A comparison appeared.
Two columns.
RANK 8 — IZUYA SHODA
RANK 1 — ARTHUR BEAUMONT
---
Kuroda pointed to Izuya's side.
"Immediate stabilization achieved in 22 minutes."
Murmurs.
Fast.
Very fast.
---
Then Arthur's.
"Stabilization achieved in 1 hour 40 minutes."
Slower.
---
Some students already understood what that meant.
Others didn't.
---
Kuroda continued.
"Short-term efficiency favors Rank 8."
A few heads turned toward Izuya.
Surprised.
---
"However," Kuroda said, "long-term stability analysis shows a 63% probability of internal corruption under Rank 8's method."
He tapped Arthur's column.
"Rank 1's method reduces long-term instability to 18%."
---
The room went quiet again.
---
Kuroda folded his arms.
"So the question becomes…"
He looked at both of them.
"What matters more?"
No one answered.
Because this wasn't a question for the class.
---
It was for them.
---
Izuya didn't respond.
Arthur didn't respond.
---
After a few seconds, Kuroda nodded once.
"Final evaluation—"
The board flickered.
---
1st — Arthur Beaumont
2nd — Izuya Shoda
---
A small wave of reactions spread across the room.
Not loud.
But noticeable.
Rank 1 remained Rank 1.
But Rank 8—
had just moved to Rank 2.
---
Ophelia, watching from the observation area outside through the glass panel, blinked.
"…Wait."
Sakura leaned slightly closer to the glass.
"He moved up," she said softly.
---
Inside the hall, students were already processing the result.
Some impressed.
Some frustrated.
Some confused.
---
Izuya looked at the board.
Then away.
No reaction.
---
Arthur, however—
looked directly at him.
---
Not as Rank 1.
Not as a top student.
---
But as something else.
---
"Interesting," Arthur said quietly.
---
Izuya didn't look at him.
"What is?"
---
Arthur tilted his head slightly.
"You solved the real problem faster than everyone else."
---
A pause.
---
"But you chose the incomplete solution."
---
Izuya finally looked at him.
"…Incomplete?"
---
Arthur nodded.
"You stopped at stabilization."
---
"And you didn't?" Izuya asked.
---
Arthur's expression didn't change.
"I don't stop."
---
Silence again.
---
Izuya held his gaze for a moment.
Then looked away.
"Sounds exhausting."
---
Arthur almost smiled.
---
Kuroda's voice broke the moment.
"Evaluation complete."
He turned toward the class.
"You are dismissed."
---
Chairs moved.
Students stood.
Conversations began immediately.
Low voices.
Quick opinions.
---
But a space naturally formed around two people.
---
Arthur stepped forward.
Not leaving.
Not yet.
---
"Izuya," he said.
---
The name felt different coming from him.
Not casual.
Not distant.
---
Intentional.
---
Izuya paused.
"…What?"
---
Arthur looked at him directly.
For the first time, there was something clearer in his expression.
Not superiority.
Not indifference.
---
Interest.
---
"You see the world as something to avoid."
---
Izuya didn't respond.
---
Arthur continued.
"I see it as something to fix."
---
A short pause.
---
"Which means," Arthur said calmly,
"we'll eventually disagree again."
---
Izuya slipped his hands into his pockets.
"…Probably."
---
Arthur nodded once.
"Good."
---
Then he turned.
And walked out of the Strategy Hall.
---
Just like that.
---
Leaving behind a room full of noise.
---
Izuya stood still for a few seconds.
Then sighed quietly.
"…Troublesome."
---
Outside, Ophelia was already waiting the moment the doors opened.
She grabbed Izuya's arm.
"You're Rank 2 now!"
---
He looked down at her hand.
Then at her.
"…Okay."
---
"That's it?!" she said.
---
"Yes."
---
Sakura stepped closer.
Her eyes were softer.
But more focused than before.
"You stood equal to him," she said quietly.
---
Izuya shook his head slightly.
"No."
---
He glanced once toward the hallway where Arthur had disappeared.
---
"Not yet."
---
For a moment—
just a moment—
there was something different in his eyes.
---
Not excitement.
Not pride.
---
Something quieter.
---
Recognition.
---
Somewhere ahead of him…
there was finally something
worth thinking about.