"So you said all four csses should come together and agree on a satisfactory pn, but from the very beginning, you never intended to consult with us, did you?"

  Horikita Suzune narrowed her eyes, gring at Uesugi Gen with clear irritation.

  Ever since Uesugi had finalized his contract with all the first-year students yesterday, the helicopter on the deck had been taking off and nding non-stop. A group of staff members had been carrying in and out all sorts of unknown equipment—clearly in preparation for the upcoming exam.

  "If the exam content is too biased in favor of your Css B, the rest of us won't accept it."

  A calm and deep voice came from Katsuragi Kōhei’s direction.

  "Rex, rex. Even if you knew the test in advance, it wouldn’t give you any advantage."

  Uesugi waved a hand dismissively, speaking in a nguid tone.

  "Besides, a distribution of this many points still requires the school as a guarantor. Otherwise, there will always be people who won’t accept it, right?"

  As he spoke, the group simultaneously shifted their gazes toward a certain red-haired delinquent with his feet propped up on the table.

  "What are you looking at? I, Ryūen Kakeru, py by the rules, okay?"

  Facing their skeptical stares, Ryūen looked a little exasperated.

  Katsuragi Kōhei, who had been tricked by Ryūen during the deserted isnd exam, merely sneered. Yeah, sure, I totally believe you.

  "So, can you finally tell us what kind of scheme you're pulling this time?"

  Having dealt with Uesugi long enough, Horikita had already guessed that this pn of his was most likely something he had come up with on a whim while pying a game.

  "Come closer. I’ll whisper it to you."

  Uesugi gestured for Horikita to lean in.

  "What? Can't you just say it here?"

  Suspicion flickered in Horikita’s eyes.

  "Didn’t you want to get ahead by gathering intel? If I tell you now, you can start making your move early."

  His tone carried the air of a scheming strategist, as if he were about to offer Horikita a master pn.

  "Well…"

  Horikita hesitated for a moment before finally leaning in, though at some point, the tips of her round ears had turned a faint shade of pink.

  "So, it goes like this... bh bh bh…"

  "Hey, hey, are you serious? This pn might be fair, but it’s also completely chaotic!"

  Horikita frowned, her expression exasperated.

  "You just admitted it’s fair, so that means there’s no issue."

  "But what about safety concerns?"

  "Don’t worry about it—"

  And just like that, the two began discussing back and forth.

  "I mean, isn't this just btant cheating? We’re all still right here, you know."

  Katsuragi reminded them.

  "Even if you hear it in advance, it won’t help much. This test is purely about individual ability."

  Horikita sighed helplessly.

  "Oh?"

  The group’s curiosity was instantly piqued, and they all turned to look at Uesugi.

  "Listen closely, and I shall expin…"

  ---

  In the first-floor banquet hall, all the first-year students had gathered once again, just like the day before.

  However, this time, the homeroom teachers of each css were present as well.

  The teachers exchanged gnces before heaving a collective sigh.

  They had originally thought that after expining the details of this special exam, their role would be over, leaving the students to handle things on their own.

  Yet somehow, before the exam had even begun, one student had already cracked the test, rallied the entire first-year to reach a single outcome, and even convinced the chairman to set up an entirely new exam.

  As a result, these poor, overworked teachers were dragged back into the mess to facilitate another special exam—one where they had to follow the students’ orders.

  Despite teaching at Advanced Nurturing High School for years, this was the first time they had ever encountered students commanding teachers like this.

  Once all the first-year students had assembled, Uesugi scanned the crowd before speaking.

  "Since everyone’s here, let’s get straight to the point and go over the rules for this temporary first-year special exam."

  [Duel King]A beam of light illuminated the bckboard, projecting the title of the special exam.

  "Smack!"

  The students from Css B collectively facepalmed. That name was definitely something he had copied from a game he pyed.

  "The rules are simple. Right now, 300,000 personal points have been deposited into each of your accounts. However, these points can only be withdrawn and used after the exam is over."

  "During this period, your task is to wager your points and duel against others!"

  [Exam Time: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM tomorrow]

  [Exam Location: The entire cruise ship. The area will shrink every hour until it is confined to the first-floor banquet hall.]

  [Duel Types: Standard Duel, Forced Duel]

  [Duel Conditions: As long as the content is reviewed and deemed safe by school officials, it will be approved.]

  [Standard Duel]: Both parties agree on the duel conditions and wager. Once both sides confirm, school officials will validate the duel before it can proceed.

  [Forced Duel]: No mutual agreement required. Duel conditions and wagers are decided uniterally. Once the school approves the duel, it will be forcibly initiated. However, each student can only use this option twice.

  [Additional Rule #2: After 7:00 PM, if no one initiates a Forced Duel within five minutes, students can withdraw from the exam regardless of their remaining points.]

  These were the general rules of the exam.

  "A dueling app has already been installed on your phones. To challenge someone, simply call their name while within five meters of them. The duel details will be uploaded for school approval, and you will receive a notification once it’s approved."

  "All school resources have been uploaded into this special exam database. As long as the duel request isn’t too outrageous, it will likely be approved. If a duel requires specific facilities—like a basketball court—students can apply and head to the designated area, where official staff will oversee the match."

  "Additionally, cameras have been installed overnight, covering most areas of the cruise ship. Duel requests will only be approved in areas with camera surveilnce. If there’s a dispute over the duel results, you may file an appeal."

  Finally, Uesugi grinned and addressed the gathered students.

  "Simple, right? Any questions?"

  "…"

  The entire hall fell into stunned silence.

  It was simple, but… wasn’t this test just completely insane?

  Before anyone could speak, Uesugi spread his arms wide and grinned.

  "Well then—"

  "Saa, Game hajimemashou!"