"That bastard Ryuuen is getting more twisted by the day."

  Uesugi Gen thought back to Ryuuen’s shameless antics just moments ago, still feeling a lingering chill. As he processed the situation, he kept his phone to his ear, continuing his conversation with Kanzaki Ryūji.

  "If we ever run into him in an exam, we should take him out immediately. Who knows what kind of insane tricks he'll pull on us?"

  "Did you find Katsuragi yet? I’ve already taken care of Hirata on my end."

  Kanzaki's voice remained calm and steady over the phone.

  "Not that fast. With Katsuragi’s cautious nature, he’s probably—ah, found him."

  While Uesugi was speaking, Katsuragi Kōhei had already stepped in front of him, using his towering physique to block his path. He stood at attention, fully prepared for whatever move Uesugi might make.

  Uesugi scratched his head, sighing in exasperation.

  "Seriously, why are you guys always so confident? If it were Ryuuen, that bastard would’ve ambushed me from some dark corner by now."

  Katsuragi, still holding his phone, kept his muscles tense as he expined gravely:

  "A forced duel requires both parties to be within a five-meter radius. Right now, we’re standing eight meters apart. Before you arrived, I meticulously measured the area—I know exactly where that five-meter boundary is."

  "So, even if you charge at me, I can ensure that the moment you step within five meters, I’ll be the first to decre a forced duel and pull you into my field of advantage."

  "Using the terrain to your benefit, huh? Definitely suits your cautious nature."

  "My apologies."

  Seeing that Uesugi made no move to strike first, Katsuragi took a step forward.

  "Because I lost miserably to your css during the uninhabited isnd exam, if I fail to secure satisfactory results this time, Css A will likely fall into Sakayanagi’s hands. But after observing her for an entire semester, I’ve come to a conclusion—if A-Css falls under Sakayanagi’s control, she’ll drag it straight into the abyss."

  "For the sake of Css A, I have to win this exam!"

  Looking at the determined expression of the bald-headed giant before him, Uesugi let out a helpless sigh.

  "You’re making me feel guilty here."

  "What do you mean?"

  Katsuragi suddenly had a bad feeling. His eyelid twitched as he instinctively reacted.

  "Forced duel! Uesugi Gen! Wager: 6.6 million private points! Duel content: Mathematics test!"

  "……"

  Silence.

  Suddenly, as if realizing something, Katsuragi spun around and shouted.

  "Forced duel! Ryuuen Kakeru! Wager: 6.6 million private points! Duel content: Mathematics test!"

  【Forced duel request approved. Candidates must report to the designated location within the given timeframe.】

  "It was you all along, Ryuuen! Did your two csses team up? And… did you just fall into a cruise ship’s garbage disposal system?"

  Ryuuen, drenched from head to toe, left even the usually serious Katsuragi momentarily stunned.

  "Ughhh!"

  Uesugi fanned the air in front of his nose.

  "I mean, could you not have taken a shower first? If it weren’t for the stench making Katsuragi suspicious, you would’ve succeeded just now."

  "This kind of thing doesn’t matter! Uesugi, you bastard, your job is done—now scram!"

  Ryuuen barked as he strode forward with his usual arrogance.

  "Oho~. You’re getting pretty bold, huh? Want me to broadcast that video of you begging me to the entire school?"

  Uesugi countered with a friendly yet cutting smile.

  "Shut up and get lost. Once the point battle is over, I’ll pay you on time."

  Ryuuen's face darkened. He looked like he had just recalled something unpleasant.

  "Nah, I think I’ll stick around a little longer. I’m actually quite curious—how exactly do you pn to beat Katsuragi in math?"

  Uesugi leaned against the wall, clearly in the mood to enjoy the show.

  Ryuuen’s math skills were probably just barely passing. Where the hell was his confidence coming from?

  "Then open your eyes and watch closely."

  Ryuuen sneered, gncing at his phone screen.

  The time was just about right.

  Suddenly, a loud, thunderous noise erupted from Katsuragi’s stomach, drawing both of their gazes.

  "No way…"

  Uesugi’s mouth twitched.

  Katsuragi clutched his abdomen, his face alternating between shades of pale and green. He struggled to suppress the violent churning inside him.

  "It was… from dinner… You despicable, shameless bastard!"

  "What? How could I possibly do such a thing? You must’ve just eaten something bad, Katsuragi."

  Ryuuen, ever mindful of the surveilnce cameras around them, put on an innocent smile.

  "Well then, let’s head to the test, shall we?"

  If you can’t win fair and square, just poison your opponent so they can’t compete. That way, they’ll be forced to forfeit.

  No way! This wasn’t a duel at all!

  "Oh, by the way, the test officially ends in twenty-five minutes. So in reality, our challenge is to see who scores higher in that time."

  Ryuuen finally revealed his smug grin.

  "In other words, all I have to do is answer the questions I know and get a better score than you."

  "Well then, I’ll be off. Work hard, my dear Katsuragi."

  Ryuuen cheerfully waved at Katsuragi before sprinting toward the exam venue.

  "Get back here, damn you, Ryuuen!"

  Katsuragi gritted his teeth, barely holding himself together, one hand clutching his stomach, the other… gripping his rear in an awkward posture as he staggered toward the test site.

  Holy crap!

  Ryuuen, you’re absolutely rotten to the core!

  ---

  As expected, the final results were shocking.

  Despite being an academic underachiever, Ryuuen Kakeru defeated A-Css’s top student Katsuragi Kōhei by a mere five points.

  The emergency exam officially came to an end.

  Final Rankings:

  3rd Pce: Hashimoto Masayoshi – 3.3 million private points, awarded 3 million additional points.

  2nd Pce: Uesugi Gen – 10.3 million private points, awarded 5 million additional points.

  1st Pce: Ryuuen Kakeru – 19.7 million private points, awarded 9.5 million additional points.

  Ryuuen Kakeru was personally awarded the title of "Champion of the First Chaotic Duel King Tournament" by Uesugi Gen himself. (For some reason, he didn’t seem very happy about it?)

  Final css point distribution:

  Css A: 6.4 million + 3 million = 9.4 million.

  Css B: 15.3 million + 5 million + 4 million (Ryuuen’s payment) + 20 million = 44.3 million.

  Css C: 20.9 million + 9.5 million - 4 million = 26.4 million.

  Css D: 5.4 million.

  With this, the two-week-long isnd retreat in August officially ended, and the students returned to their long-awaited campus life.