A few days after the sports festival ended, the long-awaited student council election finally took place.
However, calling it an election was a mere formality.
Among the second-year students, there was no one capable of challenging Nagumo Miyabi. As for the first-years, there wasn't a single student who had garnered enough support from their peers—let alone someone who could command an entire grade the way Nagumo did.
Even Ichinose, despite her popularity, lacked the authority and influence to stand against him.
In that sense, Nagumo was undoubtedly a talented individual. Even as a first-year, he had the capability to rival Horikita Manabu.
The handover ceremony between the outgoing and incoming student council was held in the gymnasium, and all students were required to attend.
If Hikigaya weren't a student council member—more importantly, if he weren't standing on stage—he would have likely been dozing off like most of the audience, treating this event as nothing more than a dull obligation.
But for now, he simply wanted to witness Horikita-senpai's final moments as student council president.
Looking back, it was still hard to believe he had gotten involved with the student council once again.
Back at Soubu, he had decided that his high school life would be peaceful and uneventful.
If it weren't for Miss Haruno… No, even without her recommendation, Horikita-senpai would have likely approached him anyway.
Of course, whether he would have accepted was another matter entirely.
Lost in thought, Hikigaya was pulled back to reality as the announcer's voice echoed through the gymnasium.
"Now, let us welcome President Horikita to deliver his farewell speech."
With those words, Horikita Manabu stepped forward to the microphone.
"Leading the student council for two years has been a source of pride. At the same time, I am deeply grateful. Thank you all."
With that brief remark, he stepped back in silence.
His tone remained as composed as ever, and his speech was astonishingly concise—almost as if he were merely recounting a trivial matter.
It was, without a doubt, a very Horikita-like… no, a very Horikita-senpai-like way to conclude things.
But the ceremony wasn't over yet. If anything, the real spectacle was about to begin.
"President Horikita, thank you for your hard work. Now, let us welcome the new student council president, Nagumo Miyabi from Class 2-A, to deliver his speech."
As his name was called, Nagumo Miyabi strode confidently to the podium, flashing a charming smile at the gathered students.
The contrast between the two student council presidents was stark. The latter was clearly more adept at winning over the crowd—at least, on the surface.
"I am Nagumo from Class 2-A. President Horikita, thank you for your strict yet passionate guidance. Having had the opportunity to work alongside a student council president who demonstrated leadership to the fullest, I extend my deepest respect."
Saying this, Nagumo bowed deeply toward Horikita before turning his gaze back to the audience.
"Though this may seem sudden, my first action as the new student council president will be to change the term limits, appointment process, and election system."
He paused momentarily, seemingly giving the audience time to process his words.
"The election traditionally takes place in December. President Horikita moved it up to October, which I consider a commendable change. However, I believe it is time for the student council to take another step forward. From now on, the term of office for the student council president and its members will be indefinite—lasting until graduation."
At this, Hikigaya let out a quiet sigh.
Horikita had made the adjustment to ensure that the next student council would have ample time to familiarize themselves with their responsibilities before the arrival of new students.
Nagumo, on the other hand, was doing the exact opposite—revealing his intent to hold onto power for as long as possible.
"Additionally, I plan to abolish the general election system and remove any restrictions on the number of student council members. The student council will adopt a system that allows the recruitment of capable and necessary individuals at any time. If a member is deemed unfit for their role, they will be removed through a majority vote."
This was a classic example of making a grand statement while leaving a loophole.
Nagumo was cunning enough to recognize that outright abolishing elections would be met with backlash. By adding this supposed safeguard, he was offering a superficial sense of fairness.
—See? If you're dissatisfied, you can vote me out at any time.
But anyone with half a brain knew that rules like these were only enforced on others, never on those who created them.
"With this as our foundation, I would like to make an announcement to all students and faculty, as well as the members of the previous student council. To build the next generation of this school, I will first dismantle everything the past student councils have protected."
Nagumo's declaration was resolute, leaving no room for doubt.
By essentially erasing the achievements of the previous student council, he was making his determination to enact change clear.
"I promise you all—major changes are coming. Those with strength will rise, and those without will fall. I will transform this school into a true meritocracy. I look forward to your cooperation."
The moment his speech concluded, the gymnasium fell into complete silence.
And then, almost immediately, a wave of cheers erupted from the second-year students, turning the venue into a raucous celebration.
Hikigaya could barely contain his exasperation.
He hadn't expected so many fools among the second-years.
What exactly were they cheering for?
Nagumo had just declared that those without strength would be cast aside. And according to the fundamental laws of society, the majority would always be those without strength.
Did they really think they were among the strong ones?
…Pathetic.
Not one of them seemed to realize that they were unlikely to benefit from these new rules.
The truth was, while some talented individuals might use this system to reach Class A, most students relied on teamwork to succeed.
Unfortunately, self-awareness was in short supply.
Sigh… Horikita-senpai sure left behind quite the mess.
Hikigaya found Nagumo's actions despicable, yet he had to admit they were brilliant.
By offering an enticing dream without specifying clear criteria, he had managed to convince everyone that they had a chance.
For now, the school administration was probably observing the situation.
But given time, even the first-years would come to accept this system, and next year's incoming students would follow suit. Eventually, it would become a tradition.
At that point, cooperation would cease to exist beyond Class A. Even within the same class, students would start viewing each other as rivals.
To be honest, Hikigaya didn't particularly mind that part.
He had never been fond of the "let's all get along" mentality.
However, ANHS was a school that Komachi might attend in the future.
While the current system was flawed, at least classmates stood together. Nagumo's approach would only escalate the conflict, increasing the number of victims.
For the sake of his sister's future… and Horikita-senpai's wishes…
Hikigaya felt the need to do something.
But simply defeating Nagumo in exams wouldn't be enough.
Nagumo represented an ideology—one that directly aligned with the self-interest of many.
The only way was to crush that ideology before it took root.
And to do that, he had to start with Nagumo's closest allies.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, his phone vibrated with an incoming message.
It was from Chabashira-sensei.
Staring at the screen, Hikigaya narrowed his eyes.
"…What the hell is this?"
Staring at the words on the screen, Hikigaya narrowed his eyes.
There wasn't much written—just a simple message from the chairman asking him to come over.
Even so, an ominous feeling crept up his spine.
If nothing else, this was probably bad news.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting, Chabashira-sensei."
Hikigaya had received the message after the ceremony ended, but he had to stay behind to clean up, so he was already running late.
Fortunately, Chabashira-sensei was aware of the situation and didn't say much—she simply nodded in acknowledgment.
"Come with me."
No further explanation, just an instruction to follow.
However, Hikigaya couldn't help but notice something unnatural in her expression.
"Sensei, is something wrong?" he asked deliberately. "You seem a little… unsettled."
Chabashira scoffed. "Forget about me. You're staying surprisingly calm, considering you were summoned by the chairman."
"And what does that mean? I'm not the one who did anything wrong."
"…Sigh."
Out of nowhere, Chabashira let out a deep sigh.
"Hikigaya, I'd advise you not to be too optimistic… Being called in this time isn't necessarily a good thing."
"Yeah, I know."
"You… know?"
"Of course." Hikigaya remained unfazed. "If this were good news, they'd be calling Manabe, Ayanokoji, or Karuizawa. The fact that they called me instead? It can only mean bad news."
Then, as if something had just occurred to him, he added:
"Besides, Sensei, you must have known from the start that I wouldn't succeed. But your reaction is off—you know something more."
"Uh…" Chabashira-sensei suddenly found herself unable to read the student in front of her.
If he already knew it was unlikely to succeed, then why did he still agree to her conditions?
Was it simply because he didn't want to give up on that small possibility?
"Hikigaya, don't overthink it," Chabashira-sensei explained. "All I know is that the chairman said Ayanokoji is a very special, outstanding student who must be protected. Beyond that, I don't have any further details."
"Heh… he's certainly special, all right."
Hikigaya couldn't help but chuckle.
"If he weren't, he wouldn't have done something like that."
At most, Hikigaya had only ever considered how to get someone expelled, but Ayanokoji? He didn't even act like a normal person.
Someone like him didn't belong here—returning to where he came from and continuing to be their 'masterpiece' would be better for everyone.
"…Anyway, all I can tell you is that the chairman might cover for him. When the time comes, you… Never mind, as long as you're mentally prepared."
Chabashira-sensei had originally intended to remind Hikigaya of their agreement, but she changed her words at the last moment.
"It's fine. My injury still hasn't fully healed, after all."
As he spoke, Hikigaya raised his right arm.
The cast had already been removed, and his recovery was going well, but he still couldn't lift heavy objects, and even writing was a struggle.
Chabashira-sensei frowned at his motion. "Are you planning to threaten the chairman?"
"Threaten? No, I'd rather call it a negotiation."
That being said, Hikigaya had no real intention of using this tactic.
Helping Sakayanagi had been his own decision—he had no reason to leverage it against others.
There were far more effective ways to force the chairman to compromise. There was just no need to bring them up here.
"…You really are something else."
Chabashira-sensei shook her head but didn't comment further.
Perhaps, in her eyes, only a student with this kind of resolve had any chance of defeating the monsters from the other classes.
Soon, they arrived at the office door. Chabashira-sensei stepped forward and knocked.
"Chairman, I've brought Hikigaya Hachiman."
"Come in."
A gentle yet somewhat familiar voice responded from inside.
"Excuse us."
Chabashira-sensei slowly opened the door, revealing a man in his forties seated on the central sofa.
Even though they had only met once before, Hikigaya still had a distinct impression of the chairman.
Mainly because, in terms of demeanor, he and his daughter, Sakayanagi, couldn't have been more different.
"Hello, Hikigaya-kun. Thank you for coming all this way."
Sakayanagi, the chairman, gave a small smile and nodded at him before turning to Chabashira.
"I appreciate it, Chabashira-sensei."
"I'll take my leave, then. Please continue your discussion."
Understanding the cue, Chabashira-sensei immediately turned and left.
As the door closed behind her, only Hikigaya and Chairman Sakayanagi remained in the room.
"Hikigaya-kun, please have a seat."
"…Pardon the intrusion."
As he settled into the sofa opposite the chairman, Hikigaya pondered his next moves.
Even if the chairman intended to shield Ayanokoji, it was likely out of sympathy.
If that was the case, then he just had to make use of that sentiment.