Chapter 192: The Final Struggle
[Chabashira: "So things have really escalated to this point?"]
[Hoshinomiya: "Chabashira, it looks like your students are pretty impressive. They actually managed to stall those two for that long."]
[Chabashira shot Hoshinomiya a glance: "Is this really the time to be saying that? I'm more worried about Hikigaya. If he runs out like that, with his fighting ability, he'll lose consciousness in an instant."]
[Mashima: "That guy is usually extremely rational. Why did he suddenly lose his head and chase after them at a time like this?"]
[Clearly, most people were deeply worried about Hikigaya's actions. Hiratsuka Shizuka was no exception, her fists were clenched tightly, yet there was nothing she could do.]
[No matter what… don't let him get hurt.]
Chasing closely behind the two, Hikigaya had no intention of stopping his pace, until violent panting and a clear sense of discomfort surged through his body. Only then did he finally realize the gap between himself and those monsters.
And so, Hikigaya stopped.
"Running that fast, don't forget, Sakagami-sensei won't be able to get away."
Second-Year Class A's coordinator: Sakagami Kazuma.
Michael and Ye Zhi seemed to realize something at the same time. They actually slowed to a stop, then turned around to face Hikigaya, revealing sinister smiles.
"What? You think someone like you can stop us?"
Even though Hikigaya could feel their terrifying pressure, he still forced himself to suppress the fear in his heart and spoke calmly.
"I don't need to stop you at all. To be honest, what happens to you has nothing to do with me. After all, I can continue staying in this school, while you can only leave here like homeless dogs."
Ye Zhi: "Heh. Don't think that just because you've seen through our plan, you've gained everything. To tell you the truth, society is far darker than you imagine. So many people are forced onto this path against their will. Your so-called justice is nothing more than something built on top of someone else's justice."
Michael: "Don't waste words on him, Ye Zhi. He's just a brat. There's an insurmountable generational gap between us. All we need to do now is drag Sakagami out, then everything will be over. Sakayanagi won't make it in time. And besides, there's no one left in this school who can oppose us."
When he heard the words "self-righteous," Hikigaya felt as if his consciousness had been dragged back to a long time ago, before he ever came to this school.
Back then, he hated self-righteous people more than anything. People who had no grounds for pride, yet shamelessly spouted ignorant words. And in their eyes, the current him probably looked just as ugly.
In the end, mutual understanding between people was impossible. Obtaining something genuine wasn't difficult, because there would always be one or two people in this world who shared your wavelength, who loved what you loved and understood everything about you. But… for society as a whole, forming a "genuine" relationship was absolutely impossible.
Just like buyers and sellers in a market would always argue over profit, everyone stood on a different position. And Hikigaya… could only respect those positions.
"If the paths differ, there's no point in plotting together."
Everyone had their own things they needed to do. Forcing your own will onto others and trying to change their beliefs was selfish to begin with. And so… in order to protect everything that existed now, Hikigaya gently spread his arms, as if shielding the entire school behind him, wearing a fearless expression.
Ye Zhi and Michael exchanged a knowing glance. The teasing smiles from before were gone. Facing an opponent they could defeat with a single blow, their expressions sharpened, filled with nothing but respect.
Even if it was only for a single second, Hikigaya would stand in front of them.
Michael and Ye Zhi stepped forward and, in the blink of an eye, kicked out at him.
"Die."
Bang!
There was no pain at all, only an indescribable rush of wind. Hikigaya finally opened his eyes.
At that moment, Ryūen wore a pained expression. Even though he had used all his strength to completely block Michael's leg with both arms, he was still at a disadvantage.
Michael gave him no chance. He twisted his body and followed up with another kick, sending Ryūen flying more than five meters away. He collapsed face-first to the ground like a dog eating dirt.
Because he had been dragged across gravel the whole way, Ryūen's skin was already visibly bloodied. Even so, he showed a bold, exhilarated smile. After lightly wiping the corner of his mouth, he stood back up through sheer, terrifying willpower.
"Interesting… interesting. Looks like you're pretty good."
Michael didn't say a word. His expression remained icy. It seemed he had already realized that time was running out, there was no room left to keep playing around.
Ryūen: "Come on! Keep playing with me, you bastard!"
Michael couldn't be bothered to waste words on him. He kicked Ryūen again, who had already taken a full defensive stance. This time, Ryūen slammed straight into the wall. Even as his hands desperately tried to support his collapsing body, he still forced a smile.
But this time, it was a bitter one.
"I really don't know how Kōenji managed it."
After exchanging a glance, Michael and Ye Zhi headed straight toward Sakagami's direction.
Hikigaya didn't retreat at all. He continued blocking the only path forward. Just as the two sides were about to collide, a tall, powerfully built man slowly stepped out.
Ye Zhi: "Is this ever going to end?"
Michael: "Mashima-sensei, I really don't think you can stop the two of us."
"What if I'm added to the equation?"
Horikita Manabu appeared from who-knew-where. He calmly walked over, gently removed his glasses, and placed them on a nearby chair.
Even Hikigaya hadn't expected these two to arrive at a time like this. To be honest, if they'd been even one second later, he probably would've ended up no differently from Ryūen lying there.
Compared to Hikigaya, however, Ryūen looked visibly annoyed, probably thinking that these two couldn't have come a little earlier, instead of letting him eat two kicks first.
In this world, even Ryūen, who had once always worshiped violence and believed it could solve everything, was now lying on the ground, having accepted that violence wasn't the answer. If even that could change, then what couldn't?
As for Mashima and Horikita Manabu's fighting strength, Hikigaya had never really known. It was a complete unknown. Still, considering Mashima went to the gym every day, and Horikita Manabu was a well-rounded genius, they probably wouldn't be weak.
That said, no matter how good they were, they couldn't possibly be better than Kōenji. That guy simply wasn't human.
Knowing his own role clearly, Hikigaya quietly withdrew from the center to make space for the four of them.
And so, The second battle officially began.
None of the four wasted time on unnecessary words. The goal was simple: one side wanted to leave, the other wanted to stop them. In the end, only fists could decide the outcome.
Horikita Manabu knew his own strength couldn't compare to the two adults, so most of the time he focused on dodging to buy time. He didn't know why, but without his glasses his reactions seemed sharper. If things continued like this, it would definitely favor their side.
Unfortunately, this fight wouldn't end in just one or two minutes. Physical clashes were inevitable. Against Ye Zhi, who had refined jujutsu to a near-mechanical level, Horikita Manabu could only barely hold on, and at times had no choice but to take small losses.
On Mashima's side, if he hadn't happened to bring a pair of nunchaku with him earlier, he probably wouldn't have been able to exchange blows with Michael at all. After all, that man was someone who could go toe-to-toe with Kōenji, an absolute genius in his own right.
…
Time passed, second by second, and at that moment, Sakura's call came through.
"Hachiman, where are you?! Are you okay?!"
"Where I am doesn't matter. They're going to look for Sakagami soon. We'll set a trap there, everything will end there!"
"You're that sure they'll go after Sakagami?"
"Yes, I'm sure! Because the reason I came here was to guide them there in the first place!"
"Leave Sakayanagi's side to us. I believe in you, I always have!"
After hearing Sakura's response, Hikigaya clearly felt more confident. This confidence wasn't born of ignorance. It wasn't about rushing in to get beaten, it was about having absolute clarity in his plan.
That's right. Everything would end.
If Horikita Manabu and Mashima's stamina could be considered decent, then Ye Zhi and Michael's stamina was downright terrifying. Even now, there was no noticeable drop in their movements, a truly frightening level of endurance.
Hikigaya: "That's enough!"
At those words, all four instantly pulled back, creating distance. Mashima looked over, clearly puzzled.
"Hikigaya, what are you saying?"
"I said, it ends here."
Michael sneered: "Not bad. You really are smart. You should know that no one in this school can stop us. Stopping now would be beneficial for you."
Hikigaya: "Leave this place now, and everything ends."
Mashima: "Impossible. I will never let two pieces of society's human garbage leave this place."
Ye Zhi clearly ignored Mashima's words and casually spread her hands: "If you'd done this earlier, there wouldn't have been so much trouble. Just look at that dead dog lying against the wall, he should've been standing here in perfect health."
Ryūen: "Who are you calling a dead dog?!"
Hikigaya: "You only get one chance. Leave this place."
Horikita Manabu didn't say anything. He just looked at Hikigaya, sometimes frowning, sometimes showing a trace of pain.
Michael and Ye Zhi nodded in tacit agreement.
"Actually, you don't need to act so righteous. For now, there's no one in this school who can stop us. Even if Director Sakayanagi showed up, it wouldn't change anything. So… we're not afraid at all. And right now, we're going back to drag Sakagami out. Well? There's nothing you can do about us, is there?"
Hikigaya smiled. This time, however, he didn't continue blocking their path.
"Just as you said, there really is no one in this school who can stop you. So… go ahead and leave together. That said, Sakagami is probably still proctoring the Second-Year Class A exam right now. After all, something this big happened, yet it hasn't been made public, most of the sensei and students don't even know about it."
As he said this, Hikigaya truly stepped aside, making room for them. He simply watched Michael and Ye Zhi leave, silently, without saying a word.
After the two of them had completely disappeared, Mashima walked up with an indignant expression, grabbed Hikigaya by the collar, and shouted, "Why?! Why did you let them go like that?! Don't you know this problem isn't just about the school anymore? It's about the operating rules of society itself breaking down!"
Horikita Manabu, on the other hand, remained relatively calm and merely asked, "Did you prepare something?"
Hikigaya didn't hide it.
"It's already over. Everything… is over."
---
Time rewound twenty minutes earlier.
Hikigaya had been watching the battle between Kōenji and Michael. The fight was still at its peak. Although Kōenji was holding the upper hand, Ye Zhi's side was completely different, if she freed up even for a moment, the situation would instantly reverse.
Hikigaya understood this very clearly. He also knew that relying on them alone, there was no way to stop those two.
So… the plan had to be changed on the fly.
He shifted his target to the sensei overseeing Second-Year Class A. If the mastermind behind the scenes had to expel two people, then Nagumo and Hikigaya were necessary targets.
That meant the plan could never be limited to just one class from the very beginning. Hikigaya didn't know who was proctoring the Second-Year Class A exam at the time, but that person had to be an accomplice.
In that case, instead of reacting passively, it would be better to set things up in advance at Second-Year Class A, where the exam hadn't ended yet. Sakura would bring Kōenji, who had deliberately taken a fall, there ahead of time and subdue Sakagami. After that, Hikigaya himself would chase after the two escaping culprits.
Because Hikigaya was weak, they would inevitably underestimate him. That was human nature. All Hikigaya had to do was simple: treat them as true opponents, and use his attitude to tell them that there was no one left in this school worthy of stopping them.
Back when Kōenji and Michael were still locked in combat, Hikigaya had already contacted Mashima-sensei and Horikita Manabu. As essential fighting forces, regardless of their actual strength, the two of them had to appear to be defeated, at the very least, they couldn't suppress the enemy.
Thus, luring those two there would mark the end of everything.
But Mashima didn't understand.
"Even if we go there, so what? We still can't stop them. Once again, they'll just leave."
Hikigaya shook his head.
"No. From the very beginning, our target was never them. Sakayanagi understood this too, that's why she hasn't brought anyone here even now."
Horikita Manabu frowned slightly.
"You're saying you're drawing out the bigger fish behind them? Do you already have a lead?"
Hikigaya recalled that day, Sima Zhongda, and replied calmly, "This was a trap laid for them from the very start."
---
Inside the Second-Year Class A classroom.
When Michael and Ye Zhi finally arrived and forced open the classroom door sealed by advanced technology, they stepped inside at last.
But… what greeted them was completely different from the scene they had imagined, where Nagumo would be expelled.
The classroom was completely empty. Forget sensei, there wasn't even a single student.
Ye Zhi stared at the scene in disbelief and instinctively stepped inside. After confirming they hadn't entered the wrong classroom, Michael followed her in, taking two steps forward as well.
Those two steps were enough for them to finally realize something was wrong.
The door that had just been opened slammed shut in an instant and locked itself.
The two of them hadn't even had time to react.
"…We fell for it."
Facing the massive iron door that now separated them from the outside, Michael and Ye Zhi finally understood everything.
No matter how strong someone was, it was impossible to smash open a steel door with a single punch. That kind of thing simply wasn't scientifically plausible, and for the two of them, it was equally impossible.
All they could do was smile bitterly.
They had lost. Completely.
They had lost to their own self-righteousness, and to their excessive pride.
They could have left freely at any time. They truly believed that nothing in this school could trap them.
But now, everything has changed.
Birds in a cage. Frogs at the bottom of a well.
---
[Kōenji: "Is it over? I quite like this ending. It's beautiful."]
[Ryūen: "So I'm the only one who was completely kept in the dark the whole time, huh? Hikigaya, that bastard really has no sense of loyalty."]
[Albert: "Boss, you're the one who said that to fool others, you have to fool your own people first."]
[Ryūen: "I never said that. Don't learn nonsense."]
[Ibuki: "I really didn't expect the final outcome to turn out like this…"]
[Hiyori: "Hikigaya-kun… he's really smart. He understands human nature far too well. Even in the end, every step those two sensei took was already calculated inside a cage."]
[Hikigaya: "Don't make me sound that scary… Hiyori."]
[Hiyori: "Scary? I think it's amazing!"]
[Kanzaki: "It is scary. Think about it, someone who can always guess what you're doing. Is that even a human? That's basically surveillance."]
[Hikigaya: "That metaphor's a bit exaggerated. In the end, this was partly luck, partly a gamble, and the result came from many factors. If it had been just me, I would've gone down from a single punch."]
[Sakayanagi: "Hachiman, that's where you're impressive. You unconsciously make rational use of the people around you. I have to admit, on that point, I'm inferior to you."]
[Ichinose: "Sakayanagi, I don't like the word 'use.' To me, Hikigaya wasn't using anyone. It's because I trust him, and he trusts me, that things turned out this way."]
[Karuizawa: "Alright, alright, stop embarrassing yourself, Ichinose. Trust this, trust that, it's mainly because Hikigaya is just too kind. There are plenty of things he could've handled alone, but he still thought about our feelings."]
[Kushida: "On that point, I agree."]
---
As the iron door slowly opened, six people walked in from outside. Their faces were unfamiliar, but each of them bore the insignia of the Security Force, and every one of them carried a long rifle.
Faced with modern firearms, the two of them had no right to resist. They slowly raised their hands and let out one last bitter smile.
Years of effort, all for nothing in the end.
What were they thinking as the handcuffs were fastened around their wrists? Hikigaya didn't know, and didn't want to guess. He never wanted to experience a prison sentence in his lifetime.
At the same time, also in handcuffs, was Sima Zhongda, the mastermind behind the school, along with Sakagami and a whole group of sensei.
Judging by this, the things they had done over the years were certainly not few.
Watching their figures disappear into the distance, the tension that had been hanging over Hikigaya's heart finally eased.
This school had once seen students die.
Only now did Hikigaya quietly offer a moment of silence for them.
The disappearance of these people might bring temporary peace to society. Those corrupt officials lurking within society would likely be dragged out as well. And the "talents" this school had sent out over the years would probably be re-investigated.
But… in the end, this peace would only be temporary.
In the near future, new corruption would be born again. Society was simply like that. Talking about something genuine in a fundamentally unreasonable world was practically insane, and Hikigaya was exactly that kind of person.
He would keep walking this path, until one day he himself was corroded by it.
---
Asahina approached with a dejected expression. She didn't look well.
"Hikigaya… Nagumo left. We didn't force him, he chose to withdraw on his own."
"I know. He took the wrong path, and chose the wrong one. Even if all of us know things could've been resolved, he himself couldn't accept that. That's just the kind of person he is, full of pride."
For a moment, Hikigaya didn't know how to comfort the girl in front of him. He understood clearly that the bond between Asahina and Nagumo couldn't be severed by just this one incident. Even so, the two of them would probably walk completely different paths from now on.
Asahina: "Hikigaya, you don't need to try to comfort me. I'm fine. I'm just reflecting… life changes constantly, fleeting like a drop in the ocean. Only one's original heart is something that truly needs to be held onto."
"My feelings for him are no longer what they once were. And as for my future, I'll rely on my own ability to continue standing strong in this school."
"So please, watch closely. Your senpai isn't that weak."
At that moment, Hikigaya felt a slight sense of daze.
Maybe he was happy for her.
Or maybe… It was sorrowful.
(End of this chapter)