Classroom Of The Elite 22 Classroom Of The Elite Vol 3 Chapter 5 Part 2 (2/2)

”Co”

When I narrowed the distance, she raised her feet high and kickedme out

How reat mistake

In an attempt to repair that mistake by myself, I transformed it into an irreparable situation

8

(Ibuki's POV)

I let out a deep breath overlooking Horikita who had lost her consciousness completely It's been a while since I had such a stubborn opponent Maybe if her physical condition had been good, it wouldn't have been a ridiculous situation regardless of the winner She was that strong

I continued what I was doing shortly afterwards and dug up the flashlight and transceiver wrapped in vinyl Although I would have rather gotten by without using those if I could

”What…?”

Right after I took out the two iteht by a mysterious sensation I didn't know the cause of it It's just that for so they were different compared to the last time I had buried the it ot my hands on the transceiver Then I reportedto be contacted from somewhere and sat down to rest

30 ht flashed its light in front of ulated like the Morse code I did the saht near ht went stronger With his irritating face I didn't want to see, Ryuuen showed up

”Oi Thank you for your hard work, Ibuki, it was a good perforht?”

”Justified? You knew you had to do it withouthere”

”There was no other way, right I didn't think the digital caital camera hadn't wrecked, I would have taken a photo of the keycard and everything would have ended there I'd have a certain proof inthe transceiver But as a result, I went into a big risk carrying the card that led to Horikita finding out my true colors

”So, where's the card?”

”It's here”

I took the card from my pocket and handed it over to Ryuuen Ryuuen illu the name carved on it was that of Horikita Suzune

”You, come here to confirm it as well You demanded it from the start Be at ease No one is supposed to be here in this weather and darkness It's good to take precautions but don't waste your ti place He was the caluy Completely opposite of our leader I pretended to be calain aware of Ryuuen's awfulness Right after this trial started, Ryuuen said he'll coax A class against me and he really did carry that out But how the hell…

Taking Horikita's card froi observed it with his own eyes It couldn't have been forged in this uninhabited island

”Looks like the real thing”

”Do you agree with this?”

Although it exhibited a certain proof, Katsuragi didn't change his stern expression I've heard he's a cautious guy, but being this careful is kind of a disease

”You ed to infiltrate into D class well Weren't you suspected?”

”Under nored to do it – that's a secret to be traded”

I unconsciously rubbed e operation was launched on D class, Ryuuen hit me to make my leave less fake But the pain and the hatred behind it was all real Naturally, I misunderstood that students in class D were beaten and kicked out as well Maybe if I hadn't been injured, I wouldn't have gotten in so smoothly

”Don't ponder about it forever It's a black-and-white situation Besides, you've already done half a thing for us Don't be stupid and withdraw here”

”…That's right”

Although he replied this, it looked like they didn't reach consent Perceiving this, Ryuuen s annoyed, he whispered:

”What would you do if this is not a i's faction has now overtaken yours and has theto enter the student council after presenting yourself as a candidate? Here's your chance, right?”

”Son of a bitch… Why are you tellingalliances If that's the case, even those who have betrayed you will come under your umbrella Or will I turn to an enei signed a contract with the devil He was just negotiating But that thought was naïve Once you discuss with the devil, it will lead to a i is now absent It's impossible that someone who can't make decisions here rules A class”

”…We've concluded the negotiation as pro said this, Katsuragi stretched his arm to Ryuuen Without an answer, Ryuuen boldly seotiation about? Would you explain to me in detail?”

I didn't care whatever they did, but I had the right to know details After ai connected with Ryuuen had been the right thing to do

”To unite with A class”

”Let er than nori returned the card to otiation? What are the details? What's the coht after thunderstorht Without even being surprised, Ryuuen, with an eerie smile, told me the details of the contract Those details weren't simple, but co up troubles, and achievements that were surely difficult, there was the prosi of the trial where the majority of students was about to retire and fully enjoy holiday on a boat, a situation no one i to Ryuuen's aiuts to the point I wanted him dead, but he was extreain

”But… Is there a guarantee Katsuragi will continue keeping the promise? Even on a wastepaper”

”Naturally, there's a cover for it He has no choice but to keep it”

I walked up to Horikita and grasped the keycard with her hand after wiping off irl could have done She could have only stayed silent and endure knowing C class had found out about her leadershi+p until the end of the trial

I was sure about it after observing D class for a week This girl didn't trust anyone Even after knowing the keycard was stolen she didn't inform her classmates It looked like she had opened her heart to Ayanokouji only to isolate froain

In addition, if we added up her incompetence, she would be harmless

Besides, if she had the keycard, the fact her leadershi+p was found out due to her ht have not been leaked to D class I understood this girl's nature to a certain extent Patient and stubborn The type of person that doesn't listen to others' opinions In other words, notime

”Use your smart head and protect yourself”

In the darkness, we disappeared in the woods quietly

9

I kicked the wet ground and ran after Ibuki One botherso on the weather, thereinvolved into an accident It was also a concern the fact that the sun would go down sooner than I expected and it'd be difficult to push forithout a flashlight

The passing shower beca to blow more violently The weather was just one of the bad circue here Visibility could only berain And even if it looked like I lost my way, thanks to the rain, the footprints of two people reround, so it was easy to follow them

Those footprints suddenly vanished No, they weren't interrupted, rather they continued in the deeper forest This ied sharply and the persons intentionally bought the the flashlight, when I aiht deeper in the forest, the two pairs of footsteps gradually were entering deeper and deeper There was no reason why those people would put their feet in a dangerous forest like that

Just to be sure, I tried to illu to the beach, but there were no footprints there and the ground was clean With s Then I followed the footprints and went into the forest

Naturally, the visibility soon got worse It was safe to say it seeht already The ominous atmosphere floated around the dark forest but I pushed forward relying only on the footprints

It happened about 30 htly in ht and concealed htness, I could see the light again It was a flashlight It was like it was sending off a signal Ibuki and Horikita? No Both of theht I quietly turned ht and shortened the distance

Hearing voices of peoplesmall noises in the rain, I concealed myself It didn'tabout The proble the situation was secondary

And then, shortly after, the light of the electric torch went far off It seemed to be over Just to be sure, I approached cautiously And then, there…

Near a big tree, there was Horikita's figure, covered in mud, who lost consciousness and she really looked like she was dying

A keycard was dropped to the ground near her hand that had no force left On her injured body, traces of excavated soil Looking at the situation, it was confirmed that Horikita has been found out as the class leader by none other than Ibuki After picking up the keycard, I hoisted Horikita up in my arms

”Um…”

I felt a sense of discohed faintly and Horikita, slowly but surely, opened her eyes very weakly

”Did you come to your senses?”

”Ayano…Kouji-kun”

Whether she could understand the situation, she uttered another faint coh fever It's better for you not to strain to talk”

”I see…I, to Ibukibut, why are you here?”

Even if I told her to sleep, Horikita would concern herself with this and that proble Then, she started to understand the situation little by little

”As expected…it was Ibuki who stole my card”

”I see”

”I can't be any more stupid than Sudo-kun and others And I'raceful behaviours”

She closed her eyes la about

”It's not a trial where you should keep hiding for 24 hours You can be open to attack”

I intended to folloith so else but it seemed like it made Horikita sad She was too injured and in a state of total heartbreak

”It could have been avoided if I kne to rely on someone”

If you seriously wanted to protect the leader's identity, you would have to rely on trustworthy people fro so, people would have protected the existence of the card on a 24-hours basis But Horikita had no friends who could have done it

She lookedconsciousness, I felt like I heard Ryuuen's voice…That's odd, he should be retired since long ago…”

”You were losing consciousness Maybe you saw him in your dream”

”If it was really a dream, it would be even worse”

I wonder if she really heard Ryuuen's voice Even if she fell asleep and lost consciousness, her brain probably allowed her to wake her up by herself after she heard soly picked up Ryuuen's voice

”I'ized

”Why are you apologizing to ize to, except you”

H that makes me think hard

”If you think that's bad, in the future try to make some reliable friends Start fro to be ned h, it's pitiful to make fun of someone”

”No, it's not that I think, deep inside you, you're starting to feel that you need allies”

”nobody said that…”

The usual Horikita, noould be insulting the other party but this ti included in her words was that of «exchanging and changing» oneself Otherwise she wouldn't have said «nobody who is willing to be my ally»

Still, it was not easy Until now, nobody had any difficulties if he could change steadily and skillfully the way he wasat so…I understood it since long ago”

You should not live alone in this world Both school and society consist of a huge amount of people

”Don't talk You're sick”

I can persuade her to be quite but Horikita didn't stop her repentance However, for Horikita, there are no alternatives other than rely on nobody And even if she saw a new one, she couldn't choose it

”With th, I will rise to A class I will surely recover frorabbed my sleeve and made an impassionate appeal

”I'm ready to be cursed by all the classes…I failed to that extent”

”According to this school's systeo up to A class We need classmates' cooperation at any cost It's inevitable”

She had no strength to keep her eyes open So her eyes, in the end, shut Horikita's faint grasp on

”It's iardless of how hard it is in the end…I a There's no persuasive or convincing power in a sick person's words”

I ely

”You can't bear heavy responsibilities You're not that strong Sorry to tell you”

”You're telling nize my dream to be in A class”

”I didn't say that You don't have to give up”

I looked down to Horikita suffering and groaning a little in ht by yourself, it's better to fight with another I will give you a hand”

”Why? You're not the kind of person…who says such things…”

”Then, why not?”

It's better for ue Shortly after, Horikita used up all of her strength and lost consciousness again What I have to do now is carrying this out without being noticed by anyone The easy choice would be to retire, but I don't knohich one is the eency button on the wristwatch If the helicopter is dispatched for an eency, the sound will echo all around

”I confused the road…it's dangerous, dangerous”

I was proceeding with the prayer to exit froot out on a steep cliff

Another step forward and I would have fallen I tried to ht below It seemed to be about 10in the wrong direction Anyway, should I retreat back to the original route? I tried to invert my direction slowly as to not to put a burden on Horikita, but right after ―――

Unluckily, the soil undercollapsed and I lost rabbed a tree branch and I would have stepped on it, but both of my hands were blocked with Horikita

I fell It was inevitable

I curled up my body to protect Horikita but I tumbled down the steep slope at loss for what to do For several seconds, I had the sense that I was flying I can't remember clearly what happened after I fell

Should I say that it's fortunate that it didn't hurt Horikita somehow? I looked up to the sloped but withHorikita in my arms, it's very unlikely for me to crawl up

”I screwed up”

However, now it's not the time to be stuck here This time I will carry the still unconscious Horikita on htstick in the forest

Rain ca away th The heat that came from Horikita on er, it could be dangerous

But, here, deep in the forest, there were no caves or other man-made shelters that people could use, so, there was no other choice but to rely on the power of nature

Fortunately, the trees here were overgrown, and depending on the place, our bodiestrees and then Idirectly under the rain, for the rich foliage prevented a lot of rain

Gently, I left Horikita to lay down on the ground

(Illustration: iet dirty, but this is so that we have to put up with at a ti Horikita's head onarea is cool, however, the huh that it felt daood I felt her tre as she curled her body fro her close tothat the burden would be eased a little bit and just waited quietly for the time to pass

How much time had already passed, I wondered

Horikita finally woke up being her usual fierce self but she seemed to be absent-ravity of the situation in which ere

”How… Did you?… I…”

I wondered if she was temporarily confused, it looked like she didn't reo

I explained what happened However, I was a bit doubtful whether she understood it all clearly

”That's what happened… I reood”

”I don't kno good this is Since I can remember my mistake, I feel the worst”

If she could talk in such a self-deprecating

”It's alht think that it is harsh, but you should retire I guess your body is at its li to be alright, but froer possible

”I can't do that We can't afford to lose 30 points, because of me… Wasn't I, the one who confronted Karuizawa and the others who used our points, carelessly? It will make me look like a total fool…”

The penalty related to poor physical condition was severe Speaking of the possible lost points alone, there were more than Karuizawa personally used

She laid her arm bitterly over her own eyes, so that she could conceal the tears from her eyes

”It's not only that… The key card was stolen from me, too You clearly understand what that means…?”

”D class will lose another 50 points”

Horikita nodded her head slightly Then, D class would have just a few points left

”Go back alone and leave me here If we do this, at least for noill be the only one absent fro to do?”

”By to… I will soe to surpassroll call, then for sure ill be able to do so about retireh with a et

”This situation isn't so easy, you're pretty weak right now, and the teacher in charge isn't naive enough so that you get through this with a fake perforet back on your own”

”Still, I have no other choice… So that some points remain in D class”

Aside from the key card case, there was still a possibility that we could protect some points in relation to roll calls and retireh Horikita eak, I felt that behind her words, there was still so spirit She could stand all the strain on her own, but it see a word, I rose up steadily, putting her head to rest on the base of the big tree She really meant to set me free from this situation

”I will leave you alone without hesitation, but if things go on like this, our classment It was my responsibility and it's allaccurate But she was just feeling asha body to endure the cold

It is hard when you are not dependent on others

The weather was still storn that the rain or ill end, soon

”Can you really co?”

”Yeah… I'll be ok”

”… Horikita, do you really think that it's alright not to retire in this situation?”

I blurted out unnecessary words

”Of course I won't… I do not have the option of retiring”

It was quite convenient to keep fighting with an indo if you lost in the end

”Hey Why do you think we are driven to the corner, in despair?”

”My negligence brought ht at all”

Horikita Suzune fought as hard as she could And tried to finish the test without failing

”… Please, go… Because I think of you as a friend, this is my request…”

Horikita said this and suddenly pressed her lips

”I aht As, if it didn't happen at all”

”No I think this is the worst part of it”

”It's alright I… alone!…”

And when she suddenly stood up she shut her eyes again in pain After all, it was a burden for Horikita

”Please, go…”

When she finished her sentence, Horikita lost consciousness, again

I gently picked her up, shi+fted my position to make her feel even a little comfortable, and then, when I stood up, I looked up at the unquenchable darkness and I let out a sigh

”It would have been much easier, if you had retired by your oill”

This stubborn princess will not resign from the exams until the very end

Splendid Yes, I think it's splendid Your ideas and actions were al that's definitely wrong Only now, this ht of you as a friend or an ally I've never cared about you as a class The process to do so, does not matter I do not care what the cost is I a as in the end, I have my victory

You, Hirata and everyone else are only the tools for that

It's not my fault that Horikita was driven to this point I just complied with it So, don't blame yourself, Horikita What I mean is that you were useful toup the flashlight My shoes were already covered with mud, and the inside of them was flooded

I don't urcorasp an understanding of my location When I went down the slope, without a doubt I drifted far from the base camp of class D But I was sure if I turned the other way back, the distance to the shore should be way shorter I can go through the woods that I've been walking for several days, relying on the map in my head

”It was close, after all”

Eventually, I reached the beach The shi+p was afloat and its lights were reflected in the sea

Then, it took me a couple of minutes to return to the previous place and pick up Horikita who had been lying on the ground, without any strength left Her beautiful face stained with n of her, regaining consciousness

I took hold of Horikita and started walking towards the shore, instead of the base ca, the tiet there in time The tents set up by the teachers were now folded so as not to be blown by the wind

I went up the ramp on the pier and reached the deck of the shi+p Then one of the teachers noticed my presence and ran up tohere You will be disqualified”

”I have an eh fever and now she is unconscious Please, allow her to rest at once”

As soon as I explained the situation, the teacher skipped the instructions and brought a stretcher I laid Horikita down

”Is she ok with retiring?”

”That's without a question However, let , please Because it is not 8 o'clock yet, her roll call has no effect, right?”

It was fifty-eight minutes past seven, it's almost certain that we are safe

I must win the teacher's promise, here

”… Certainly She is at the very li This key card, I have to return it”

I handed over the key-card fro back to the exaain, in the rain With this, class D would lose 30 points with Horikita's retire 5roll call

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