Chapter 191: Terrifying Combat Power
[Inside the group chat, almost all the students had their beliefs completely shaken by the scene before them.]
[If, in their ingrained perception, the school had always been fair and just, then at this moment, that perception was utterly shattered.]
[A school famous throughout Japan and renowned worldwide was actually harboring something so corrupt. And what lay beneath the surface wasn't simple at all, the darkness behind it even involved social politics and the corruption of politicians.]
[Since its founding, this school had upheld the belief of cultivating the strongest geniuses, placing them into society as future leaders of the nation. And now… everything has collapsed.]
[If there was any good news at all, it was that these corrupt individuals hadn't yet formed an overwhelming power base before being exposed. If this had been allowed to continue, society itself might have eventually been hollowed out.]
[And the cause of all this… was merely the existence of a single person.]
[Hikigaya Hachiman. As a student, he accomplished something no one else would have dared to imagine. Surrounded and attacked from all sides, he forced the situation to this point purely by leveraging the rules and his terrifying powers of observation.]
[Sakayanagi: "So this is what you meant before, Little Hiki… the darkness inside the school."]
[Horikita Manabu let out a sigh, then shook his head with a relieved smile. "I never imagined that in the final semester of my third year of high school, I'd witness something this spectacular. It's just a shame, I didn't personally catch these guys."]
[Karuizawa: "Don't you think… Hikigaya would actually make a really good politician?"]
[From an objective standpoint, Hiyori calmly analyzed, "Yes. Although Hikigaya-kun can't compare to natural-born geniuses in many areas, when it comes to governance and management, he has a unique approach. With that sharp insight of his, he can even foresee many dangers ahead of time."]
[Ryuen: "That bastard really makes my skin crawl. Who knows what he went through before to turn out like this. But no matter how disgusting he is, he's still nowhere near as disgusting as those corrupt officials."]
[Even Koenji, who always maintained an air of arrogance, revealed a confident smile. "Looks like my judgment wasn't wrong. Hikigaya-boy really is suited to changing this society together with me."]
[Sakura: "You're all talking about things that are way too far off… Right now, I'm just worried about Hikigaya's safety. And… with just Koenji and Sudō, can they really hold out until Chairman Sakayanagi arrives?"]
[Sakura's words finally snapped most people back to reality. That's right, the game wasn't over yet. If those two escaped now, it would become even more impossible to trace things further up the chain.]
[So… they had to be stopped here.]
[At the same time, Hiratsuka Shizuka could no longer hide the anger in her heart. "Do people like that even deserve to be called educators?"]
[Haruno quickly tried to calm her down, speaking as gently as possible. "Shizuka, relax. Things like this may not be common in society, but they do exist. You know that the higher the position, the more of this so-called darkness there is."]
[Yukinoshita Yukino stopped sulking and tightly grabbed Hikigaya's hand, repeatedly murmuring, "It'll be fine… it'll be fine…"]
---
Ye Zhi clearly hadn't expected Sudō to suddenly rush out and slam her into the wall. Faced with that bull-like brute force, she merely smiled calmly.
"Michael, it looks like our journey ends here."
Michael returned the smile, showing no pressure at all despite facing Koenji: "I'll admit you're strong. But you should understand, sometimes, age and experience are what truly decide victory."
Koenji rolled his wrist, still wearing that arrogant, confident expression.
"I really hate cleaning up messes. But capturing you here does make me look rather radiant and dazzling."
Shinohara muttered helplessly, "Can this guy be serious for once, at a time like this?"
As most of the students rushed up to the podium, this exam became one in name only.
Chabashira stood at the front, her gaze razor-sharp as she stared at the two, shielding her students behind her.
"Michael. Ye Zhi…"
"Chabashira, there's no need to look at us like that. You should know, everyone has their own path to walk. And this is ours."
With that, the four of them tangled together once again.
If Koenji could fight Michael to a standstill, then on Sudō and Ye Zhi's side, it was a completely one-sided crushing.
Aside from the moment Ye Zhi was caught off guard by the initial sneak attack, she now completely dominated the fight. With her flexible body and terrifying punching power, she pummeled Sudō until his muscles screamed in pain. After taking another kick, he collapsed and couldn't get back up.
In this class, Sudō's fighting ability was unquestionably top-tier. Yet against Ye Zhi, a woman, he couldn't even withstand three moves.
Horikita was about to rush in to help, but Kushida grabbed her arm.
Everyone knew Horikita had some combat training, but anyone with eyes could see that this gap in raw strength was insurmountable. Going in like that, she wouldn't last even two seconds.
Ye Zhi didn't stop there. She immediately joined Michael, and the two of them attacked Koenji together. Their blows rained down like a storm, instantly overwhelming his body. If he had still been able to gain a slight upper hand earlier, now he could barely even defend himself.
After being kicked and sent flying more than three meters away, Koenji simply smiled. He stood back up and said in a mocking tone, "Looks like you're not much either. You talk about crushing me with age and experience, but in the end… it's just two against one."
Michael, wearing an expression of military pragmatism, raised one hand and slowly shook it.
"Overwhelming with numbers is also a tactic."
The two exchanged no further words. After a brief, tacit glance, they charged straight at Koenji again.
Koenji instantly assumed a defensive stance.
Their goal wasn't to defeat these two, just to stall. Stall until reinforcements arrived, and they would win!
Hikigaya: "No, something's wrong! They're trying to run!"
Hearing Hikigaya's shout, Koenji immediately tried to change his stance, but he was a beat too slow. That single moment of hesitation was enough for the two of them to burst through the door.
If those two escaped the school now, everything would be for nothing.
So… they absolutely can't let them escape.
"Yo, things are pretty lively here. The exam on my side was a real pain and dragged on forever, but hearing how noisy it was over here, I just couldn't help coming to take a look."
The moment the door opened, a strand of long white hair slid down from her shoulders all the way to her waist. The aura she radiated was nothing like that of a student. She was sitting casually outside the door, as if she had been waiting there for quite some time.
If she claimed she came because she heard the commotion, then that was undoubtedly a lie. The distance between classrooms was considerable, and before the door had been forcibly broken open, the soundproofing had been intact. Even students from the same grade would need some time to rush over, let alone someone like… Kiryuin Fuku standing before them.
Ye Zhi frowned, her expression clearly worse than before.
Kiryuin, however, didn't seem to care at all, maintaining her relaxed demeanor.
"Ms. Ye Zhi, why are you in such a hurry?"
Ye Zhi said coldly, "Kiryuin, are you sure you want to become my enemy? You could have stayed out of everything happening here. I know you're not interested in this either."
Kiryuin let out a hearty laugh and finally stood up slowly.
"Sorry about that. This time, I'm actually pretty interested."
"Then come on."
Ye Zhi shook her head helplessly, then slowly curled her lips into a ferocious smile.
At the same time, Koenji stepped forward as well. Kiryuin and Koenji didn't even need to exchange a glance. Standing back to back, they formed a pincer formation against their opponents.
This time, Michael and Ye Zhi no longer showed even a trace of a smile. They faced the two of them with full seriousness, completely shedding the teasing attitude from before.
The fight between the four of them was like a dance, sometimes frozen, sometimes explosive, sometimes surging to a climax, sometimes sinking low.
If they were actors on a stage, then the students standing behind the sensei were undoubtedly the audience.
Ichinose whispered, "Sensei… if they keep dragging things out like this, we'll win, right? Sakayanagi and Chairman Sakayanagi shouldn't take much longer to get here…"
Chabashira shook her head. "It's not that simple. There are internal entanglements within the school. If the interests of certain sensei are touched, they'll definitely turn a blind eye. Gathering a group of trustworthy people isn't easy either. It'll take at least half an hour before they arrive."
"Half an hour…" Ichinose murmured. "That should still be enough. If they keep fighting like this, they'll just exhaust themselves, right?"
Chabashira lowered her head again, helpless. "Even though I acknowledge Kiryuin and Koenji's strength, against Michael and Ye Zhi… it's still not enough. They probably won't even last ten minutes…"
Kushida grew anxious. "Are those two really that strong? Then what do we do…? We can't just let them go like this."
"If it really comes to that," Chabashira said quietly, "then I'll have to step in."
Hikigaya glanced at Chabashira's long, slender legs. "Chabashira-sensei, may I ask, if you go in, will you just be cannon fodder, or do you actually have the strength?"
Chabashira immediately bristled and grabbed Hikigaya by the neck.
"How dare you look down on your sensei… you really don't know what's good for you."
Yelping in pain, Hikigaya struggled free of her grip.
Looking at Hikigaya, Chabashira's heart stirred.
The situation was clearly grim, yet he acted as if it had nothing to do with him. She gently placed both hands on his shoulders and looked at him with an expression completely different from her usual one.
"Thank you… for giving me a different answer."
"As a sensei, I'm probably unqualified… but even so, I've always been watching your growth."
"You were once so insecure and weak, yet along this path, you finally found a road of your own. None of this was a coincidence, you know? I once thought you would sacrifice yourself, because at heart, you're kind. You couldn't bear to let the class sink together with you. But you're also smart. The moment you sensed something was wrong, you immediately abandoned that way of thinking. That, too, was your growth."
"So… Thank you. I've finally found the answer to that exam ten years ago…"
As she spoke, the usually cold and ruthless Chabashira actually let tears fall. The students, who hadn't yet processed what was happening, were utterly shocked. In their eyes, Chabashira Sae was not someone who should possess such emotions.
She gently embraced Hikigaya. Though there was a full ten-year gap in their ages, the warmth in their hearts was so alike, like two lonely people finding solace in each other at this very moment. Through those crystal-clear tears, Chabashira seemed to see her own ignorant self from ten years ago.
If she were given another chance… she knew what she would do.
Unfortunately, there was no going back.
But there was still a chance to make things right.
Because… everything was right in front of her.
At the moment she accepted these sincere feelings, she understood clearly that she had always, always loved her students.
Trying to seek her own answers through their actions was an extremely selfish thing to do, but it was also the only thing Chabashira could do.
Feeling this sudden surge of sensei–student affection, Hikigaya seemed to drift back to that summer long ago.
Hiratsuka Shizuka, pointing angrily at her thesis, had shouted: "Die, normies!"
Everything felt so distant, and yet, so close.
Perhaps, when it came to emotions, he had already completed that missing piece long ago.
The battle continued.
As Kiryuin's stamina gradually depleted, the disadvantage became increasingly apparent.
On the other hand, Koenji was still suppressing Michael. This unexpected development left even Chabashira astonished.
Ye Zhi said, "You're really troublesome, Kiryuin. I have to admit… you're a genius."
Kiryuin replied, "And you aren't bad either. To be honest, I've never really met an opponent who could last this long against me. Usually it's either I get taken out in one move, or I take them out in one move. Being able to learn something before your inevitable prison sentence, well, that doesn't seem like a bad experience."
At the mention of prison, the smile on Ye Zhi's face vanished instantly. Just as Kiryuin said, if they were caught, prison would be unavoidable.
"Heh. You sure talk a lot."
With that, the two of them unleashed their strength at the same time and clashed again. Everyone knew Kiryuin would be the first to give out, but Hikigaya, who was closely observing the situation, noticed something subtle, even someone as strong as Ye Zhi had begun to slow down.
Meanwhile, Koenji and Michael exchanged no unnecessary words, constantly probing each other. Fortunately, Koenji maintained the upper hand throughout, making it impossible not to marvel at how utterly monstrous he was. Facing punches as fast as raindrops, he dodged them with ease.
Sudo was gently helped up by Sato. Even he was momentarily at a loss for words after witnessing the four-way clash. He wasn't arrogant enough to think himself invincible, but being taken down in a single move was just ridiculous.
At the same time, Kito, Albert, Ryuen, and Hiyori arrived. If they hadn't seen the scene with their own eyes, they wouldn't have believed it.
Ryuen scoffed. "Hey, hey. Two sensei bullying two students, what kind of situation is this?"
"There's no time to explain," Hikigaya said. "We absolutely can't let those two escape."
Kito clearly understood the background of the situation. Without wasting any words, he jumped straight into the fight.
"Get the students evacuated first!" Hiyori shouted.
Reminded by Hiyori, Chabashira immediately opened the front door and ordered the uninvolved students to leave at once.
Kitou had barely joined the fight for three seconds before he was sent flying back, crashing onto the ground with a bang like a firecracker, startling Karuizawa.
"Hey, hey, hey, Kitou, you trash," Ryuen cursed. "All talk, huh… Albert, go!"
Three seconds later… Albert came flying back as well.
With just a glance, Ryuen was certain he was no match for those two. Charging in recklessly would only create unnecessary trouble for Kiryuin and Koenji. So he chose to wait and observe.
Only a handful of students remained in the classroom. Ichinose, Kushida, and Horikita had gone to call for reinforcements from the second and third years. If even after gathering all the first-year combat power they still couldn't stop them, then the only option was to prepare in advance and bring Horikita Manabu over.
No one really knew how strong that guy was, but according to Hikigaya's instincts, he probably wouldn't be any weaker than Koenji.
Kiryuin had started gasping for breath. Facing Ye Zhi's relentless attacks, she was forced mostly onto the defensive, and the occasional heavy punches she took drastically drained her stamina.
Ye Zhi: "Stand down. You no longer have the ability to fight."
Kiryuin raised her fist and assumed a stance, a fearless smile on her face: "Unless you knock me down, I won't let you get away that easily."
Ye Zhi shook her head helplessly, then threw a punch that gathered all her strength and drove it straight into Kiryuin's lower abdomen.
In an instant, Kiryuin, who had only barely been able to keep fighting, was sent flying more than five meters away, coughing violently as if announcing that her strength had finally reached its limit.
Hikigaya didn't hesitate for even a moment. He stepped forward and supported the half-kneeling Kiryuin. He didn't offer any words of comfort, he simply held her there, gently.
Sakura: "At this rate… this isn't going to work…"
Hikigaya: "Chabashira-sensei, it's about time you showed how amazing you are."
Chabashira let out a helpless sigh, then spread her hands and said, "Actually, I don't know any hand-to-hand combat at all. If I go up there, I'll probably get thrown away in three seconds, just like Albert."
Hikigaya: "You're really unreliable."
While the two were talking, Kōenji, caught in a pincer attack, instantly fell into a disadvantage. He had no room to resist at all.
After all, two fists can't beat four hands. At this moment, Kōenji finally revealed a slight opening. If he had been facing someone like Ryūen, who fights based on instinct and ego, he might not have been able to seize such a fleeting gap, but against these two, there was no chance element involved at all.
Bang!
A punch, just one punch. A punch without any restraint, landed squarely on Kōenji's flesh, producing a deafening impact, as though it had pierced straight through his internal organs.
If it weren't for the fact that Kōenji's body was practically like armor, an ordinary person would have lost consciousness immediately from such a blow.
Blood seeped from the corner of Kōenji's mouth. Clearly, no matter how strong one's physique was, this punch still caused internal injuries. Even though Kōenji stood at the pinnacle of combat ability, in the end, he was still only human.
Humans, after all, have limits.
Michael snorted coldly: "Playtime is over!"
After glancing once at Ye Zhi, the two of them didn't hesitate at all and immediately ran toward the outside.
Kōenji tried to rush forward to stop them, only to realize that he could no longer even maintain a half-kneeling posture.
This was how battles between experts worked. Although the exchange might seem lengthy, in the end, it was nothing more than a single decisive blow.
Hirata walked over to support him and shook his head helplessly.
Once those two run freely through the campus, there is probably no one who can stop them. And with the authority of the school's upper management, coming and going from this place was effortless.
As long as they left the school grounds, headed straight for the airport, and boarded the nearest flight out of the country… all truths would sink like paper into the sea, disappearing without a trace.
'Is it… over?'
'As expected, I can't change anything…'
'I can't change anything at all…'
'Just like before, I can only watch everything happen…'
'Everyone believes in me so much, yet I've done nothing…'
'Why…?'
'If I just don't look, it'll be fine. Just pretend none of this ever happened…'
'This isn't something I can bear…'
'…'
'Even so…'
Hikigaya felt unwilling to accept it. Even though he clearly lacked the ability to save everything, his body still ran forward on its own, beyond his control.
Sakura: "Hachiman!"
The moment Hikigaya dashed out in pursuit, Ryūen followed right after him.
"Leave him to me. I won't let him do anything reckless. You guys go get reinforcements immediately. I can stop Hikigaya, but I can't stop those two monsters."
He had personally witnessed how those two defeated both Kōenji and Kiryuin. No matter how confident he was, he knew clearly that they were opponents on an entirely different level.
So… this was absolutely not the time to play the hero.
Watching those two rush off, Kōenji revealed a bitter smile.
(End of this chapter)