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Step by step.
One step, then another.
As I slowly move forward, the end finally comes into view.
The door leading to the rooftop.
This is where Ryūen and the others must have cornered "X."
Yet, not a single lookout remains.
I reach for the doorknob and open the door.
With a *click*, the door swings open, and sunlight—unfelt indoors—washes over me.
As the glare fades, an unusual sight comes into view.
Ishizaki, Ibuki, and Albert lie sprawled out, barely seeming to have escaped with minor injuries.
Beyond them, a battered Ryūen and, sitting nearby, Karuizawa.
And Ayanokōji—standing there without a single trace of sweat, his breathing perfectly steady, his expression blank.
What happened here?
It's not something you could understand at a glance.
But that doesn't matter.
What I see now is—
"Ryūen is down, and Ayanokōji is standing."
That fact.
The outcome I desired.
Before me stands an existence equal to my own—those emotionless eyes.
Well then, Ayanokōji.
Let's keep this going just a little longer, shall we?
...
"Damn it, why the hell are you here, Hachiman?!" Ryuen's words made Hachiman take a slight breath before responding.
"...Just came to check on you. Didn't expect things to turn out like this, though."
His tone was the same as always—unchanged, indifferent. After replying to Ryuen, who was still slumped on the ground, he shifted his gaze to Ayanokouji.
"...So you were X, huh? Ayanokouji."
When he called out to Ayanokouji, the central figure in all this, Ayanokouji also turned his eyes toward Hachiman.
"Didn't expect you either. Thought it was just the guys on the rooftop."
A perfectly normal conversation.
Amid the current situation, the two exchanged textbook-level words, but Ryuen—still on the ground—was the only one who sensed something off.
"I'm guessing Ryuen threw the first punch? And your skills were just better than his."
"Pretty much. He tried to take me down, so I fought back. Got a problem with that?"
Only Ryuen noticed the strange undercurrent in their exchange. In his hazy vision, a single thought surfaced.
"Nah, no problem. But I'm in Ryuen's class too. Can't just let this slide."
"You're seriously picking a fight with me too?"
"I'm in Ryuen's class. What's weird about that?"
His words sounded almost natural.
Ishizaki and Ibuki, who had been listening, widened their eyes in disbelief.
Their impression of Hachiman was that he was never proactive—always passive, the type to never involve himself in things like this. To them, the Hachiman standing there now felt completely alien.
"You saw what happened to Ryuen and the others. You really think you can take me?"
Slowly, step by step, the distance between them closed.
"Won't know until I try."
The sound of their footsteps echoed, and no one present dared to interrupt.
"Stop it, Hachiman!"
Seeing the two closing in, Ishizaki shouted, realizing what was about to happen.
"Ayanokouji's a monster! Me, Albert, Ibuki... even Ryuen-senpai! He took all of us down by himself! You get it, right?! There's no way you—"
"Don't worry, Ishizaki."
Hachiman cut him off with those words.
"What the hell are you saying?! You're not stupid, right?! After hearing Ishizaki, how can you say there's nothing to worry about—?!"
"There's nothing to worry about."
He silenced Ibuki just like Ishizaki and continued advancing.
Finally within striking distance, the two locked eyes—cold, unreadable gazes meeting head-on.
"If you're gonna do it, you better go all out."
"Was about to say the same... Ayanokouji."
———In an instant.
A vicious kick shot toward Ayanokouji's head.
"..."
Ayanokouji blocked with both arms, but the impact forced him back several steps.
Seizing the opening, Hachiman stepped in with his left foot, pivoting into a roundhouse kick. But Ayanokouji dodged it at the last second and countered with a right hook.
Hachiman weaved away, putting distance between them again.
"...Huh?"
Ishizaki's voice leaked out, unable to process what had just happened.
But it wasn't just him—everyone present was stunned.
"What... was that? That speed..."
Ibuki, who had fought Ayanokouji earlier, was shocked by the sheer speed.
It was beyond normal human reaction time.
Witnessing a side of Ayanokouji she hadn't seen before, she stared wide-eyed—then turned her gaze to Hachiman, who was keeping up.
"You're strong. Now I see why Ryuen didn't bring you along."
"Same goes for you. With skills like that, why stay hidden all this time?"
As he spoke, Hachiman closed the distance and threw a right straight.
Both moved at the same time, colliding in an instant.
Ayanokouji ducked, dodging the punch, and aimed for Hachiman's exposed jaw—only for a kick to slam into his leg mid-motion.
"..."
Both strikes landed simultaneously—jaw and leg—yet neither flinched, only retreating again.
As everyone watched the exchange in stunned silence, only one person saw things differently: Ryuen .
...
My eyes met Ayanokouji's.
What I saw there was an empty, lifeless gaze.
And reflected in those eyes was my own—just as emotionless.
Ah, nothing's changed.
Not this atmosphere.
Not those eyes.
Not a single thing since the first time we met in that white room three years ago.
Looking at Ayanokouji feels like staring into a mirror.
Every human being is different.
Appearance, way of life, way of thinking.
The variations are endless.
But I don't understand.
Is there really any difference between the "Masterpiece," Yagami Hachiman, and the "Masterpiece," Ayanokouji Kiyotaka?
Of course, our appearances are different.
But what I'm talking about is our essence.
We've spent more than half our lives in that white room as the pinnacle of its creations.
So what sets us apart?
We received the same education.
Lived the same life.
There are no exceptions.
"Thinking too hard?"
Ayanokouji's words cut through my thoughts like a blade.
I dodged his left hook and countered with a punch to his abdomen.
No holding back.
Just a full-powered strike.
Yet despite the direct hit, Ayanokouji's expression didn't so much as flicker.
"I can never tell what you're thinking. No change in expression, no reaction to pain. What's going on in that head of yours?"
I asked as we distanced ourselves again.
"You're one to talk. Have you ever shown emotion even once?"
I twisted my body to the limit and launched a kick.
But Ayanokouji reached out with his dominant hand, trying to disrupt my balance.
The slight shift in my stance threw off my aim, and Ayanokouji easily caught my leg mid-motion.
"...Yeah. Figures."
I forcibly yanked my leg free, finally understanding the unease I'd felt all along.
Something had been off from the start.
With me.
With Ayanokouji.
Even in this exchange, we both could have pressed the attack further.
We weren't fighting at full strength.
No—that's not it.
Subconsciously, we both knew.
"This isn't the time for our true reckoning."
We don't want to settle things here.
That's why we're holding back.
And yet, we both believe the same thing:
"No one is stronger than me at my full power."
That's why we crave it.
Someone who can break us—but we can't even imagine ourselves losing.
A contradiction in terms.
We remain almost unharmed as time slips by.
Every kick is dodged or deflected.
Every punch is blocked and countered.
The stalemate persists because neither of us is truly going all out.
Then—
"That's enough."
The rooftop door swung open, and a voice echoed across the space.
"I'll be taking charge of this situation."
The figure who appeared was none other than the former student council president—Horikita Manabu.
"If you cause any more trouble, expect immediate punishment."
His tone left no room for argument.
Ayanokouji and I lowered our fists and raised our hands in surrender.
"So this is how it ends. You planned this, didn't you?"
Ayanokouji spoke while keeping his hands raised. I averted my gaze slightly before responding.
"Who knows? Maybe, maybe not."
......
With the appearance of Kiryūin Sakagami, the situation was resolved.
Ayanokōji left the rooftop with Karuizawa, leaving only us from Class B and Kiryūin behind.
"Are you satisfied now?"
"Yeah, it's perfect."
Just before Kiryūin left the rooftop, he muttered those words as he passed by me.
Before heading to the rooftop, what I had asked of Kiryūin was to *create a resolution to this incident*.
I had explained everything that would happen on the rooftop to Kiryūin from the beginning and asked him to step in and settle things depending on the situation.
Between me and Ayanokōji, things wouldn't have ended here.
That's precisely why we needed someone capable of handling this situation.
With everyone but Class B gone from the rooftop, silence took over.
No one spoke—or rather, no one *could* speak.
First, to check on everyone's injuries, I went to Albert and then Ishizaki in order.
"W-wow, you were amazing back there! As expected of Ryūen's right-hand man!"
"Yes! Monster boy!"
Ishizaki and Albert, who had just witnessed the fight between Ayanokōji and me, excitedly crowded around me.
And Albert—you really need to drop that nickname…
"You alright too?"
Confirming that the two were relatively unharmed, I next rushed over to Ibuki.
As I approached, she refused to meet my eyes for some reason.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?"
"N-none of your business! It's nothing, so don't look at me!"
Why was I being yelled at?
She covered her face with both hands, stubbornly refusing to meet my gaze.
I was just worried and wanted to check if she was injured.
"Why not? I just wanted to make sure you were okay—"
"I-I'm fine! I'm fine, so stop looking at me! Or I'll kick you!"
"Seriously, what's your problem…?"
Leaving Ibuki—whose face was red to the tips of her ears—for now, I approached Ryūen, who had taken the worst beating out of all of us.
"…What about you?"
The current Ryūen was completely distorted. There was none of his usual smirk—just a blank, downcast expression.
"..."
"R-Ryūen-san…"
Perhaps concerned by Ryūen's silence, Ishizaki called out to him anxiously.
"…Everyone but Hikigaya, get off the rooftop. I'll transfer the points for today's work later."
Finally, he spoke—but his tone lacked its usual dominance.
"B-but, Ryūen-san, you're the most injured! At least let's get your wounds treated first!"
"Did you not hear me?"
"Huh…?"
"I said *get out*."
"B-but…"
Ishizaki was probably just worried about Ryūen's condition.
But no matter how much time passed, Ryūen's mind wouldn't change.
"Ishizaki, just go home and rest for today. Albert, Ibuki, you too. I'll handle Ryūen's treatment."
"B-but…"
"It's fine. I'll take care of the rest."
Though the three of them still seemed unconvinced, with my push, they left the rooftop without further protest.
Now, only Ryūen and I remained.
"So, anything you wanna say?"
"…You knew, didn't you?"
Leaning against the wall, still avoiding my gaze, he spoke.
"Knew what?"
"Don't play dumb. X's identity, my plan, the outcome. And Ayanokōji's true strength—you foresaw *all of it*."
He seemed certain.
There wasn't a hint of hesitation in his words.
"And if I did? Would you blame me for it?"
"Keh. Keh keh keh…"
A dry laugh.
As if he had realized something.
"Today, you challenged Ayanokōji—and lost. Utterly crushed."
This wasn't a taunt. It was something Ryūen needed to hear.
"Without me, this would've ended in Class B's total defeat. The root of your loss was underestimating X."
"Keh. Yeah, guess so."
He didn't argue back, replying as if stating the obvious.
"Relax, I'll take full responsibility for today. I'll transfer all my points to you."
This incident couldn't be made public. But even on the surface, it was clear that Class D had the overwhelming advantage.
"This was all my doing. I'm the only one who should be expelled."
"Didn't take you for the responsible type. Taking accountability like that."
"Shut the hell up. It's my choice, not yours."
Spitting out the blood in his mouth, he spoke as if it didn't matter.
"Too bad, but you can't be expelled. There's a contradiction in your statement."
"…Hah?"
"The surveillance cameras weren't just destroyed by you—a Class D student was involved too."
"The hell are you… talking about?"
"Class D has already paid the repair fees in private points."
The school would only judge this incident based on the destruction of the cameras.
Ayanokōji wouldn't let this go public. He must've realized Ryūen's usefulness. That's why it'd turn out like this.
"Bullshit. Stop screwing around."
"It's not a joke. That's the truth."
Even if he went to Professor Sakagami, the result would be the same.
"I'm dropping out."
"Even though there's no problem?"
"It's what *I* want. That's all that matters."
The school couldn't ignore a student's personal decision.
"And then? What happens to the class? You think they'll manage without you?"
"They'll be fine. Kaneda and Hiyori are there. Hell, *you* could take over as leader."
Ryūen, staring into the distance, refused to look forward.
"Running away like that—you happy with that?"
"...!?"
Annoyed by my words, Ryūen finally looked straight at me.
"You once told me, *'I'll make you kneel before me.'* Where's that confidence now?"
How would he take this?
"From then on, you started growing bit by bit. You got results, and now you even have the class's support."
How would these words sound to him now?
"And yet, a single defeat shattered you completely. Everything inside you was crushed by the 'fear' Ayanokōji instilled."
"Tch…"
For the first time, Ryūen's expression twisted.
"You saw it—the *overwhelming gap* between you, Ayanokōji, and me."
He had witnessed the fight between me and Ayanokōji.
And he realized the difference between himself and us now.
"No matter how many times you lose, no matter how many times you kneel—you keep fighting to the end. That's who you *were*."
I grabbed Ryūen by the collar, forcing him to meet my eyes.
"Are you *that* scared of a single loss? *That* terrified? Is your strength really so weak?"
Ryūen's face was badly swollen.
But deep in his eyes, I could see the core of his fighting spirit.
"Crush that fear. Remember your way of doing things."
These words meant nothing.
"Don't think about defeat. Focus on victory."
To Ryūen, these words might've been meaningless.
"Experience it. Grow. Think. Never stop calculating. Use everything you have to devour Ayanokōji—and then—"
With that indomitable gaze.
With that undefeated method.
Someday, using everything you have—
"*Devour me too*, Ryūen Sō."
Releasing my grip, Ryūen slumped to the ground.
But unlike before, he wasn't looking down—there was a strange aura around him.
"Keh… Keh hah hah hah hah hah!!"
Looking up at the sunset-filled sky, Ryūen laughed.
"Don't forget those words. I don't care how long it takes—I *will* kill you. No matter how many times I lose, no matter how many times I kneel—I'll *devour* you."
With his usual ferocious grin, Ryūen declared this to me.
His face was free of doubt, filled only with fighting spirit.
That's right. That's what you needed now.
You've just taken your first step onto a higher stage.
"…Disgusting. The words in my head right now are disgusting."
"...? Whatever. I'm leaving."
With nothing left to do, I walked toward the rooftop door.
"The fact that I'm even thinking this is sickening. Worst feeling ever."
Ryūen was muttering something behind me, but it didn't concern me as I reached for the doorknob.
Then, just before closing the door, I heard a very small voice.
—————Thanks.
A whisper so quiet it could've been my imagination.
What did those words mean?
What was their purpose?
I didn't know.
I didn't know—but those words remained inside me.
=================================
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