Upon arriving at the forest school grounds and separating by gender, the girls gathered in the separate gymnasium as well.
Just like the boys, once their assigned teacher instructed them to form small groups, discussions began with each grade keeping their distance.
"Excuse me?"
A high-pitched voice still carrying a hint of childishness drew the attention of all the first-year girls.
The first-year girls were clustered by class, forming one large circle.
The owner of that voice walked toward the center, tapping her cane.
"I am Arisu Sakayanagi from Class A. When it comes to deciding the small groups, Class A has a proposal."
After finishing her self-introduction, the girl looked one by one at the representative students from each class.
Honami Ichinose from Class B, Suzune Horikita from Class D, and for Class C she tentatively regarded Hiyori Shiina at the head of the group as the leader, appraising them as she waited for a response.
"What is it, Sakayanagi-san?"
Honami answered on behalf of everyone.
After confirming, Sakayanagi signaled with her eyes to Masumi waiting in the back and gathered the girls from her own class around her.
"We in Class A would like to form an 11-person group made up of three classes by adding students from other classes to these members.
As you can see, the current group has nine people. We're recruiting the remaining two participants."
Their coordinated group action created pressure and showcased Class A's initiative right here.
It was more than enough of a performance to claim they were the center of this discussion.
Yet the three leaders didn't flinch.
They carefully weighed the opinion Class A had put forward first.
All three stayed on guard.
True, by limiting the number to eleven and loading the group with Class A members, the average score would rise easily and the odds of winning would jump.
But Arisu Sakayanagi was rumored to possess one of the most aggressive personalities in the entire year.
For this exam, if the goal was to chase points, a 15-person group would be far more desirable.
Moreover, a four-class composition could target even higher points.
To anyone who had predicted Sakayanagi would play that card, the phrase "three-class composition" sounded downright bizarre.
"Why three classes, Sakayanagi-san?"
Forming a three-class group essentially meant excluding one entire class.
When Honami asked to confirm, Sakayanagi flashed a fleeting apologetic look, stepped back, and Masumi—who had been waiting behind—moved forward in her place.
Masumi kept her unfriendly expression and stared straight at Honami.
"We were the ones who proposed it. We're not accepting anyone from Class B."
The gymnasium air turned razor-sharp.
Masumi ignored the tension and kept going.
"We're aiming straight for first place. But Ichinose-san, we don't want to share a group with people from the class led by someone like you."
"…What do you mean? I'd like to hear the reason."
Naturally, Honami looked bewildered at being slammed without explanation.
"I can't trust you. After all, there are rumors you've been collecting points through dishonest means.
I refuse to team up with someone like that, and living in the same dorm for a whole week with Class B students who treat a person like you as their leader is straight-up impossible."
The murmur spread slowly, and angry shouts erupted from Class B.
"What the hell! Ichinose-san would never do anything like that!"
"Don't just hurl insults and mess things up for everyone!"
"We'd rather not team up with Class A anyway!"
Class B was a class bound together by Honami Ichinose's popularity and charisma.
Everyone trusted her absolute top-caste status, so any criticism triggered an immediate fighting stance.
Class A students weren't soft either.
They fired right back.
The first-year girls' group formation had already turned into a jeering match from the very start, and the discussion was on the verge of total collapse.
"…Um, first of all, I haven't collected any points through dishonest means. If I've done something that bothered you, I'll apologize. If you don't trust me, please tell me how I can earn it back."
Amid the flying abuse, Honami tried to soothe the situation by stepping closer to Class A.
"Can you drop the fake good-girl act? We can all see right through it."
"It's not an act. I really—"
"Ugh, annoying. Just talking to a hypocrite like you makes me sick."
When one Class A girl shot back coldly, even Honami—with her outstanding communication skills—went speechless.
The outright rejection hit the kind-hearted Honami hard.
The moment she fell silent, the childish barrage of insults started again.
But before it could spiral, Suzune Horikita from Class D cut in with an exasperated sigh.
"We'd like to move the discussion forward, so could you listen to Class D's opinion too?
Students from excellent classes should understand that wasting any more time is pointless, right?"
Her words poured fuel on the fire.
Despite the growth she'd shown through multiple special exams, that aggressive side of hers refused to stay quiet.
The venue quieted, but now every ounce of hate focused on Horikita.
However, Kikyou Kushida from Class D tapped her shoulder, turning her around.
She leaned close to her ear and whispered.
"Horikita-san, mind if I take over for a bit?"
"Why? It's quiet now, so I'll make the proposal myself."
"…I'm better suited here. I'll handle it."
Her voice stayed gentle, but Kushida pushed forward forcefully.
The moment her sullen face melted into a charming, captivating smile, the whole atmosphere shifted.
The two were beauties of different types, but when it came to sheer likability, Kushida held an overwhelming edge.
"Sorry about that. Time isn't unlimited, so I'd like everyone to hear Class D's opinion—and Class C's too—for just a moment."
After checking the room, Kushida resumed, and the prickly tension eased a little.
By mentioning Class C, it felt like she was trying to take control in a way that crossed class lines.
"First, just to confirm… Sakayanagi-san, does that mean no one in all of Class A wants to team up with Class B?"
"No. These nine members in my group are the ones refusing to group with Class B.
The remaining eleven have no complaints about joining any group."
"I see. By the way, who will be the leader for Sakayanagi-san's group?
Unless that's made clear, it's hard for Class D to join."
Sakayanagi's Class A wanted an 11-person group.
They were asking for one from Class C and one from Class D, but if they planned to shove the leader role onto either with expulsion in mind, joining wouldn't be easy.
"Please rest assured. Kamuro-san will serve as leader. We have no intention whatsoever of scheming for anyone's expulsion."
"Got it. Hearing that really puts me at ease!"
Kushida and Sakayanagi exchanged smiles.
When it came to probing each other's intentions, these two were the top two in the year. Their invisible battle had already begun.
"Sakayanagi-san, Class D is willing to accept that proposal. In exchange, would it be okay if we formed a 15-person group centered on Class D?"
"Yes, that's fine. However, forming that kind of group means Class D is aiming for first place, correct?"
"It's a little embarrassing, but Class D has very few class points, so we're ready to shoulder some risk.
On the other hand, Sakayanagi-san's strategy… is quite defense-focused… It's honestly surprising."
"Choosing the most appropriate measure each time is what matters most. Class A has plenty of class points, so there's no need to force an aggressive move."
It was unusual for the normally aggressive Sakayanagi, but for this exam she was simply making the rational choice.
Compared to the maximum possible points it was lower, but an 11-person group with nine from Class A in a three-class composition would yield 39.65pp and 118.8cp if they took first.
The calculation assumed Class A held the leader position and came from the 10,000pp and 3cp first-place reward multiplied by 1.1 (reward multiplier) × 2 (class composition) × 2 (leader) × 9 (members).
It only secured about one-third of the max reward, yet gaining over 100cp still counted as a solid result.
Looked at differently, it was still a pretty aggressive play.
"As expected of you, Sakayanagi-san. You really are formidable~"
"Yes, you seem quite formidable yourself… truly."
"Ahaha, thank you. Hearing that from you makes me a little shy."
Her sapphire-blue eyes locked onto Kushida.
Her Ultimate analytical ability.
From the results of that analysis came a very rare glimpse of Sakayanagi's true feelings.
Even in the peaceful atmosphere there was provocation, testing her opponent's reaction.
She had given definite recognition to Kushida, who had skillfully danced through the exchange without showing her hand.
"Class C would also like to make a proposal."
Once the conversation hit a natural break, Shiina spoke slowly and at her own pace.
"Class C will form a 15-person group like Class D. We've already assembled twelve people in advance and are requesting one student each from the other classes."
"Then Class B will make our proposal too! Class B will also form a 15-person group!
We'll solidify with twelve from Class B and hope for one student each from the other classes!"
A pleasant high-pitched voice and a crisp, carrying voice echoed through the gymnasium.
Both were strategies aimed at securing the maximum points.
Since the students on both sides had high fundamental abilities, there was a strong chance they could surpass the average score prepared by the school, with virtually no risk of expulsion.
Class B in particular could aim for a high ranking if they made full use of their natural teamwork.
Of course, that was only if there was someone capable of properly leading Class B.
"Now that everyone's requests are out, let's start forming the groups."
When Sakayanagi took charge and urged them forward, the four classes began to move.
It started with discussions within each class about which group they wanted to join.
That said, the core members in every class had already been decided.
The conversation quickly shifted to deciding which groups the eleven from Class A, eight from Class B, ten from Class C, and ten from Class D would enter, with the remaining students forming two additional groups.
However, forming groups with these leftover people immediately created problems.
"Huh? There's no way we're going into the same group as you…"
As the groups were slowly being decided, a voice full of open hostility rang out within the circle of first-years.
The student who spoke was from Class D, and her target was a student from Class C.
They stood with arms crossed, glaring at each other, and the tense atmosphere spread once again.
"Who the hell are you?"
"…Who? Hmph, how typical of you, Manabe-san, always acting like a queen. You don't even remember what you did to other people."
The Class D student didn't introduce herself and continued in a confrontational tone.
"It was right before winter break, right? You bumped into me and knocked me down."
Her gaze was filled with deep resentment, her entire expression showing she was ready to grab the other girl at any moment, silently pressuring her to remember her face.
"…Ah, that time."
The accused Class C student, Shiho Manabe, moved her lips and expression slowly, as if recalling a distant dream.
Her completely indifferent attitude made the Class D student furrow her brows even deeper.
"That's exactly how it was back then too! You were the one who ran into me first, yet you blamed me for not watching where I was going and didn't even apologize!"
Manabe, who had been yelled at, pressed her lips tightly together, her cheek twitching as she swallowed the accusation.
Then, she said something shocking.
"…Sorry about that."
Even as she bowed her head, Manabe's clenched fists made it clear how bitter she felt—she looked like she wanted to snap back at any second.
Not only the Class C students, but nearly everyone was surprised.
However, her honest admission of guilt only ended up fanning the flames of anger even more.
"…!? You think apologizing now is going to make me forgive you!?"
When the Class D student raised her voice and took a step forward, it couldn't be ignored.
Before the situation exploded, Ichinose stepped between them.
"Stop! It looks like something happened between you two, but that's enough!"
"Move, Ichinose-san! She shoved me, and you're telling me to just suck it up and cry myself to sleep!?"
"If that's true, I'll arrange a discussion later and we can talk it out there. That way, we can put this issue behind us, right?"
"You want me to drop it just because she apologized? When I'm the only one losing out here…? Haha, you really are mature, Ichinose-san."
What Ichinose said was perfectly logical.
When someone with Ichinose's top status in the school said that, most students had no choice but to back down.
The Class D student also realized that defying her any further would only hurt her own position.
With a frustrated expression, she swallowed her intense hostility and returned to her class circle.
"Manabe-san, we can take what you said earlier as the truth, right?"
"…Yeah. I'll do as you say, so can we hurry up and continue deciding the groups…?"
Manabe forced a smile even as her face twitched.
Even subtracting her foul mouth, her attitude wasn't exactly apologetic, but Ichinose still smiled gently at her.
"Yeah, got it. For now, let's finish deciding the groups first."
Currently, four groups had been decided.
An 11-person group consisting of nine from Class A and one each from Class C and Class D.
A 15-person group with twelve from Class B and one each from the other classes.
A 15-person group with twelve from Class C and one each from the other classes.
A 15-person group with ten from Class D, three from Class B, and one each from Class A and Class D.
The remaining number of students was 80 − 56 = 24. Specifically: eight from Class A, four from Class B, five from Class C, and seven from Class D.
They needed to form two groups from these 24.
However, friction had already been born.
"Just so we're clear, there's absolutely no way we're grouping with someone as violent as Manabe-san."
"…Yeah, I'll take that into consideration."
Ichinose swallowed the opinion to keep the situation under control.
To change the bad atmosphere, she moved on to the next topic.
"What class composition should the remaining groups have? If we're following Class D's opinion, I think it would be best to completely separate Class C and Class D, but…"
"Honami-chan. Sorry, can I say something?"
It was just as Ichinose tried to regain control again.
One girl from Class B spoke up, openly showing an apologetic expression.
"The four of us also don't want to group with the people from Class C."
At this point, voices refusing to group with Class C rose from Class B's side as well.
Perhaps because the suggestion had come from her own class, Ichinose opened her mouth, her long eyelashes fluttering repeatedly.
"…Just to confirm, may I hear the reason?"
"You remember too, right, Honami-chan? That violent incident that happened around June."
The violent incident was the dispute in which Ken Sudou from Class D had used violence against multiple students from Class C.
It had escalated into a major issue that even involved the student council.
In the end, Class C withdrew their complaint, and the matter was settled peacefully. However, one wrong step could have resulted in suspensions or even expulsions.
"Even before that happened, all of us in Class B had Class C students following us around or complaining to us, remember? At the time, Manabe-san complained to me, and other students did things that were basically stalking. I don't want to be in the same group as people like that."
"T-That's…"
It was their own fault. The words rose up in Ichinose's throat, but she somehow managed to swallow them back.
Even though they had been following Ryuuen's orders and had no choice, the ones who carried out the acts were Class C students. Therefore, being excluded between classes like this was unavoidable.
However, if she dismissed it by saying it was their own fault, a certain problem would arise. Ichinose remained silent because she was aware of that.
"Now that you mention it, Class A suffered something similar as well, didn't we?"
"W-Wait, Sakayanagi-san!"
Wanting to stop the issue, Ichinose hurriedly tried to restrain Sakayanagi. However, Sakayanagi brushed off the attempt because she wanted to fuel the situation further.
"Fufu, I understand, Ichinose-san. But this is their own fault. They must pay the price right here and now for what Ryuuen-kun has done."
Ichinose fell silent once again. Because she also agreed with that opinion.
Ryuuen's actions dragged in far too many others. The violence incident, the uninhabited island exam, the sports festival—every single test, he had tried to harm some class or another.
Therefore, he should receive punishment.
Precisely because Honami Ichinose was a good person, she believed in just rewards and punishments, and couldn't immediately voice a strong denial.
"Class A also has no desire to group with Class C in the remaining groups. There's no need to explain the reason any further, is there?"
The first-year girls fell completely silent. Within the time allotted for this discussion, they had to form two groups from the remaining 24 students.
But with this stance, three classes were now involved.
If they couldn't form the groups... all students who couldn't be placed would face expulsion. Each class had received that explanation on the bus.
"B-But if we exclude Class C, there will be 17 people left. That's not enough to reach the minimum number for two groups! If our own classmates end up getting expelled, it defeats the entire purpose!"
"What are you saying, Ichinose-san? The minimum number is 10 people. If the three of us cooperate and each contribute one more person, it can be arranged somehow."
"…!? But no matter how you look at it, this is…"
"My my, even though your friends were hurt, you're choosing to help the students who hurt them, Ichinose-san?"
Save the Class B students, or save the Class C students.
There was no need to even answer that question.
However, if expulsion was the result waiting at the end, the kind-hearted Honami Ichinose simply could not make that decision.
"…Excuse me for a moment."
While Ichinose looked down, Sakayanagi smirked faintly, and Horikita observed from the side, Hiyori Shiina finally stepped forward from within the group.
Sensing that the situation was about to shift, all three leaders turned their eyes to Shiina to hear her next words.
"It seems Class C's past actions have unknowingly caused harm to all of you. First, please allow me to apologize for that."
Shiina bowed deeply. Even though she herself hadn't done anything to cause that harm, she took responsibility as the leader. Her quick thinking allowed her to anticipate Ryuuen's intentions and avoid clearly stating who bore responsibility.
"Do you think a mere apology is enough? The three of us have suffered actual damage. If you truly have sincerity, we'd like to receive some form of compensation. For example, private points."
"I'm sorry, but I don't have the authority to discuss anything regarding points."
Shiina answered Sakayanagi directly and confidently.
Sakayanagi's eyebrow twitched at her demeanor. Once she held the advantage, Sakayanagi would never loosen her grip.
She would use sound logic and group pressure to corner her opponent without letting them escape, trying to make them panic. And right now, Shiina stood on the edge of a cliff.
One wrong move, and several Class C students could easily be expelled. Therefore, she would lose her normal judgment and have no choice but to accept their demands. That was what Sakayanagi believed.
"Sakayanagi-san, there's only one thing I can say from our side… It's merely a message."
"A message?"
"'I will make revisions regarding that contract. So don't bully my classmates,' is what he said."
The moment Shiina finished speaking, the circle of first-year girls fell deathly silent. All the first-year girls began pondering the meaning of the message at once.
However, very few understood what the "contract" referred to. And the only one who realized that this message had restricted Arisu Sakayanagi's actions was Sakayanagi herself.
What everyone did grasp was that the message had protected the Class C girls from crisis, the identity of the person who had entrusted her with it, and that this message had raised Class C's morale.
"...─Ahaha, so that's what this is."
It was a quiet voice. As if to erase Class C's joy, the girl wore a smile.
She covered both eyes with the hand not holding her cane. Only her mouth formed a graceful arc, while her faintly flushed cheeks spilled out from between her small fingers.
Her smile held neither elegance nor fragility; it was seductive and contained something resembling madness.
"…Sakayanagi-san?"
Shiina called out to her with visible caution. Slowly, her mouth returned to normal, and when she lowered her hand, the usual Sakayanagi reappeared.
"…Ah, my apologies. So, about how we'll handle Class C?"
"Y-Yes."
"That's fine. Please consider my earlier statement withdrawn. Class A has no problem grouping with Class C. …However, let's see. If Class A and Class C form a group together, conflict might arise for a certain reason."
"I think so as well. That's precisely why the leftover groups need someone who can act as a mediator. If possible, I'd like to entrust that role to you, Sakayanagi-san…"
"No, I must keep my own class's students under control. Therefore, I cannot accept his proposal either. But there is one more person who can function as a stopper. One student from Class B capable of avoiding conflict, right?"
Sakayanagi spoke meaningfully. And that person was…
"…Me, huh."
Naturally, it was Honami Ichinose, the leader of Class B. She herself was fully aware of it.
"Yes, how about it, Ichinose-san? With you present, the group will hold together. I'd like to ask this of you."
"…Well, if there's no one better suited, I guess it can't be helped. Fine, Sakayanagi-san. I'll do it."
"Fufu, thank you very much."
Ichinose had originally been the leader of a 12-person group made up only of close friends. Although she wasn't the official leader, the central figure's shift caused a stir within Class B.
Still, everyone knew no one but Ichinose could hold such a group together. No one could stop her when she moved for someone else's sake. Rather, Class B looked upon her with respect for willingly doing what they themselves could not.
"Leave it to me, Honami-chan! We'll do our best too!"
When someone spoke those carefree words, Ichinose smiled and returned the cheer.
"…Alright then, shall we finalize the group decisions?"
She had used Ichinose's strong aversion to causing expulsions to prevent her from refusing.
Only Sakayanagi watched that fact with a bored expression. After that, through further discussion, all the groups were decided.
One of the remaining groups was a 15-person, four-class group consisting of 6 from Class A, 1 from Class B, 5 from Class C, and 2 from Class D. The other was an 11-person, three-class group: 2 from Class A, 4 from Class B, 0 from Class C, and 5 from Class D.
With this, the girls had managed to finalize the six small groups just before time ran out.
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Hi guys, I just wanted to let you know that the rewrite for the Supreme Overlord project is officially ongoing now. If you want to read it, feel free to check out my second account.
Since this account got shadowbanned and I can't really interact with anything anymore, I decided to upload it on my second account instead: Elenea. (I'll leave a comment under this post so it's easier for you guys to find my second account.)
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[Father of the Evil Gods]
Synopsis:
In Zoroastrianism, the Mother of the Evil Gods is the source of all sin and darkness!
It is said that she created the Six Archdemons: Malice, Chaos, Aging, Betrayal, Weakness, and Destruction!
After obtaining the Authority of the Mother of the Evil Gods in the Little Garden, Saigou became the Supreme Being in the world of Overlord;
Surrounded by the Overlord, the Witch of the Void, the Archon of Teyvat, the Sage of Gensokyo, the Satan of DxD, and the Creator of the Demon Pillars;
Saigou was certain that he had firmly established his name as the Evil God;
And so, he must shout at the top of his lungs - God is dead!
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If you're curious and want to read it, feel free to check out my second account.