The Seventh Question

Please fill the number in the blank of the following question.

When concentrated sulfuric acid is added to ethanol and heated from (____)℃ to 170℃, ethylene will be formed. This reaction that causes water molecules to be removed is called dehydration.

Kirishima Shouko’s Answer:

‘160’

Teacher’s Comment:

It’s impressive of you to study up on all the subjects, Kirishima-san.

Sakamoto Yuuji's Answer:

’16 ’

Teacher’s Comment:

There’s a missing ‘0’ at the back. You accidentally erased it when correcting the answer, right? Sometimes, you will make such careless mistakes that are quite a pity, Sakamoto-kun.

However, sensei does feel that you are really smart when I see your answers to the other questions, Sakamoto-kun.

Do continue to work hard and fulfill your abilities.

“But I can relax after hearing that your current situation is like the summoning tournament, Mizuki.”

“Eh…”

“You just need to win in order to settle this, right?”

“Ye, yes! There’s definitely no mistake about it!”

“Then it’s alright. Everything will fall in place in the end.”

“Why are you so certain…”

“Because, even though there’s a lot of distractions or trouble along the way—those guys are the ones who’ll win in the end.”

“So even with the power of the summoned beast, you can’t destroy the wall like this, is it? Yoshii-kun?”

I’m standing right in front of the wall that doesn’t show a single crack, flabbergasted, and Kinos.h.i.ta-san says these words to me.

“I thought you guys would do something here when you took down C cla.s.s before.”

Kinos.h.i.ta-san’s words weigh heavily on me.

Maybe that Yuuji failed in damaging the wall, or A cla.s.s may have seen through Yuuji’s methods, and might have come up with a counter plan. In this situation, it’s impossible to destroy the wall even with 1, 2 attacks.

But in that case—

“I’m going to do it no matter how many times it takes! If I can’t destroy the wall, I’ll hit it until it’s destroyed!”

Who’ll give up when it comes to such a mere setback? We haven’t lost yet! Our summoned beasts are still alive! We’ll kneel on the floor and regret only after all possibilities are exhausted!

“Ordinary people would have given up in this kind of situation…but because of this, F cla.s.s…!”

Kinos.h.i.ta-san’s stares sharply at me. Fine! We’ll fight until the bitter end! Let’s see how much our experience of countless b.l.o.o.d.y wars match up against your knowledge through hard work!

“Everyone, move to the wall! Don’t let Yoshii-kun get close!”

Kinos.h.i.ta-san instructed, and everyone from A cla.s.s line up near the wall. It seems they’re protecting the target while trying to surround us.

Since the opponent’s using this move, we’ll use this then!

“Leave this to me! Muttsurini, go meet with Ooshima-sensei and run to A cla.s.s!”

“…(Nods)”

Muttsurini leaves the English summoning field as there’s no one surrounding him.

Muttsurini once fought both Kudou-san and Ooshima-sensei during the study camp, so once we let him reach A cla.s.sroom, there might be a miracle. I have to block the attacks from Kinos.h.i.ta-san and everyone and bet everything on Muttsurini’s strength!

In response to my change in strategy, Kinos.h.i.ta-san immediately reacts.

“That won’t work! Aiko, please!”

“Wha…”

Kinos.h.i.ta-san calls out to the corridor.

And then, a female student walks through the door and enters.

“……Kudou…Aiko……!”

“h.e.l.lo h.e.l.lo, Muttsurini-kun.”

Kudou-san waves at us. Is A cla.s.s still holding back.

“You guys will be able to do anything if the opponent’s Tsuchiya-kun. To be safe, we kept Aiko on standby until Tsuchiya-kun appears.”

Know where Ooshima-sensei is going, but do not enter this cla.s.sroom until Muttsurini appears. This is likely the order Kudou-san received. Even if Muttsurini and Ooshima-sensei meet up due to some unexpected situation, she’ll try to delay them. d.a.m.n it…if he can get into D cla.s.sroom, Yuuji and the rest can still delay her…

“Aiko, I suppose you know.”

“Un. Even I won’t be so stubborn as to wait for Ooshima-sensei and fight using health education. Of course, I want to fight Muttsurini-kun with health education if possible.”

And then, Kudou-san stands right in front of Muttsurini, and says to Takenaka-sensei who’s standing behind.

“Takenaka-sensei, if you please, I’d like to fight using modern language.”

Kudou-san’s target is obviously Muttsurini-kun. However, Kudou-san’s other grades besides health education are outstanding too, and Muttsurini’s Modern Language scores are rather low. In this situation, if he doesn’t accept the challenge, he’ll be disqualified for running away from battle, but he has no chance of winning if he fights her head on. In this situation, the only thing I can do is…

“Muttsurini! I’ll get over there immediately! Try and hang on!”

“Give it up, Yoshii-kun. Things were going smoothly before, but this match is our win.”

Kinos.h.i.ta-san says in a warning-like manner.

I understand that we’re in a desperate situation, but even though I know—even so, I’ll continue to fight until the very end! Maybe there’s still something I can do, right?

I continue to rack my brains to find a way to break this deadlock.

Right beside me, Muttsurini mutters something,

“…A pity.”

What enters my ears is a declaration of defeat.

A pity, the feeling of regret—the declaration of unhappiness.

“Well, it is a pity, but since it’s just a war, you guys don’t have to have such negative thoughts—”

Kinos.h.i.ta-san intends to emphasize on this, but this time, Muttsurini interrupts her words and clearly declares,

“—It’s seriously a pity, ane-ue.”

“““……Eh?”””

Muttsurini suddenly changes his voice and tone we’re all used to, and I, together with everyone from A cla.s.s, are all shocked by this.

“Yuuji wins this battle of wits.”

Hideyoshi takes off the wig and gives a grin.

“…It’s time.”

Kubo appears, and I see all the reinforcements from A cla.s.s entering C cla.s.s. Amongst these people is Kudou. That’s enough.

“??? Sakamoto-kun, this is—”

“Let’s go, Muttsurini!”

“…Copy that.”

I give the signal, and Muttsurini, who’s pretending to be Hideyoshi, takes off the annoying wig and runs out.

“Wha…!?”

“Awaken!”

I rush towards the shocked Kubo and activate my platinum bracelet. The summoning field takes interference, and Kubo’s summoned beast disappears. Now, there’s a path opened.

“I’LL LEAVE IT TO YOU GUYS!”

“““OHHH!!!”””

My cla.s.smates rush out onto the corridor during this opening, and clear a path to A cla.s.s. Muttsurini runs through this path and out.

“Ku…!”

“I won’t let you through, Kubo.”

I seal back my platinum bracelet before Kubo can attack Muttsurini and the rest. Now, it’s my turn to seal the exit, and the ones being boxed out is the opponent.

“Letting Tsuchiya-kun disguise himself as Kinos.h.i.ta-kun—you made him dress up as a woman…!”

Kubo remorsefully says a line that would make Hideyoshi collapse and cry if he heard it.

“You guys really underestimated Hideyoshi, didn’t you?”

Hideyoshi doesn’t have any outstanding subjects, and he’s not exceptionally good in controlling his summoned beast. His summoned beast isn’t the unique kind that can touch physical objects, and he doesn’t have a platinum bracelet. But that guy has his own unique skills.

“So Yoshii-kun and the rest were bait?”

“Of course. How is it possible for us to destroy a wall in the school a second time?”

“But I heard the sound of the wall being slammed on.”

“You have to fool your own people before you try to bluff the enemy.”

If that obvious idiot really believes it, the opponent will definitely think that there’s something going on there, so that’s why I didn’t tell Akihisa this.

“Also, I don't think people will like using cla.s.srooms with destroyed walls.”

“You sure can say so. You destroyed another cla.s.sroom wall half a year ago, didn’t you?”

“That’s because it has nothing to do with our own cla.s.sroom.”

I said, and Kubo shrugs as he smiles.

“—!!”

“…This noise is…”

“Looks like it’s decided.”

There’s noise coming from A cla.s.sroom, and the summoned beasts that are battling disappear. I think those F cla.s.s guys aren’t celebrating as they’re waiting for everyone to gather.

“Really…let’s go, Sakamoto-kun.”

“Oh, it’s been tough on you, Kubo.”

We move onto the corridor where the summoned beasts disappeared from and proceed straight to A cla.s.s.