The reason Horikita Suzune gave did not satisfy Amane.
Looking at Horikita's pleading gaze, Amane couldn't help but want to soften, but then she remembered that the purpose of her refusing Horikita's request was to make her face reality and grow better.
How could she soften here?
"Then Suzune, have you truly realized that saving them is an unprofitable transaction no matter what? Saving them the first time means there's a high possibility of a second time. Do you have a way to protect them all the way until graduation, Suzune?"
Amane's tone softened slightly, but the content of her words was enough to make one despair.
"I can't guarantee I can protect them until graduation, but I can't not try just because I might not succeed."
"But what if you know the outcome of trying might not be favorable? Even if you save them, they might not remember your kindness. And once you save them, they will passively wait for you to save them a second and third time. They will feel that saving them is your obligation and responsibility, Suzune."
Amane's rebuttal was far more effective than Horikita's defense.
After several exchanges, Horikita had no choice but to fall silent.
Her intentions were good, but it was indeed not certain that doing so would be a good thing.
She was using Amane's points to save people, but she couldn't prove to Amane that what she was doing was right.
This made Horikita fall into silence.
"Weak people also have the right to survive."
Horikita Suzune thought for a long time and could only come up with such pretty words.
"No one is stopping them from surviving. They themselves failed to grasp the opportunity to survive. That is not your responsibility or mine."
Amane blurted out a quick rebuttal to Horikita Suzune's pretty words.
Seeing Horikita Suzune speechless.
Amane realized the moment she had been waiting for had finally arrived.
"Suzune, who do you think is more important: a powerful leader or a group of mediocre people?"
Amane knew what answer Horikita Suzune would give.
And she was waiting right here for Suzune to fall into the trap she had set.
"I don't deny that the power of an individual can change many things, but I still believe that the power of everyone surpasses the power of an individual."
Hmm, Suzune perfectly stepped into the trap.
"Then how about we play another game of chess?"
Faced with Amane's sudden suggestion, Horikita seemed a little hesitant.
"Chess? At this time, still playing chess?"
It was already 1:30 PM, and in four hours, all dropouts would be forcibly expelled.
With such limited time, Amane still wanted to play chess, which made Horikita I couldn't help it want to suspect that Amane intended to deliberately delay time.
Ultimately, the established fact of six people being expelled would be reached, and by then, even if Horikita Suzune wanted to save people, it would be futile.
"It won't take long, and it won't delay you from saving people."
Amane said, then stood up to look for the pieces.
When Horikita saw the black and white pieces Amane was holding, her expression couldn't help but change.
"If it's Go…"
Seeing the black and white pieces, Horikita mistakenly thought Amane wanted to play Go with her. Although she didn't know Amane's skill level, the fact that she suggested it meant she had some proficiency in it.
In that case, if both sides played seriously, four hours might not be enough to finish the game.
"It's not Go at all, it's checkers."
Amane placed the pieces and the board on the table.
It was then that Suzune saw the black and white pieces were actually small cylinders, each engraved with different patterns.
Horikita only breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that it wasn't Go.
Although she didn't know why Amane suddenly wanted to play chess, if it was checkers, she might not lose to Amane. As long as she won this game, Amane shouldn't have anything to trouble her with.
"Come on, let's make this quick."
Horikita's confident demeanor made Amane's lips curve into a slight smile.
"Suzune, you're very confident."
"Of course. While I may not be good at fighting, when it comes to chess, Amane, you might not be my match."
Horikita responded to Amane with a faint smile.
That was a good answer.
Amane set up the pieces and signaled to begin.
Horikita wasted no time and moved a piece.
Clack.
A crisp sound echoed on the board.
A black piece was removed from the board.
Amane, however, ignored it and picked up the outermost piece, moving it one step forward.
Horikita Suzune felt a little strange, but everyone's chess strategies and styles were different, so she didn't delve into it.
She continued to move the white pieces.
Clack.
Another black piece was taken.
But Amane still didn't react, only continuing to pick up the same piece and move it one step forward, capturing an insignificant white piece.
Horikita Suzune continued to use a white piece to capture a black piece.
With a 'clack'.
A black piece was taken off again.
Amane still continued to move forward with that same black piece.
If one couldn't see it in the first or second move...
It would be inexcusable not to see it by the third move. Horikita completely understood Amane's intention.
"I understand what you're trying to tell me. You plan to let that black piece reach the bottom to become a 'King' and then use the King's rule-breaking movement to tell me that an individual's strength can be greater than that of ordinary people, right?"
Horikita Suzune's words were met with a slight nod from Amane.
"But... Amane, haven't you noticed that your pieces are getting fewer and fewer? Your advancement is accompanied by countless pieces you've sacrificed. Even if you, all alone, become a 'King' in the end, what good will that do? Losing one piece means losing the entire game."
Horikita Suzune's words were very earnest, but Amane merely reached out, urging Suzune to continue her move.
Seeing that Amane was still unrepentant.
Horikita had no choice but to get serious. Since she already knew Amane's strategy, she would just focus on taking as many of Amane's pieces as possible. In the end, with only one King left, she could trap her to death.
Horikita continuously launched a wave-like offensive into Amane's territory with her white pieces.
Black pieces were constantly being captured.
For a moment, the entire board was almost completely occupied by white.
Even Amane could only occasionally move other black pieces to buy herself time.
Such actions, in Horikita's eyes...
Already indicated Amane was in a tight spot.
The black pieces couldn't reach the bottom of the board to become 'Kings' immediately.
And Amane's half of the board was in utter disarray.
The victory was too easy, so much so that Horikita even considered offering a draw to save Amane some face. After all, if Amane started crying and making a fuss, she wasn't confident she could comfort her.
Amane's idea was good; choosing checkers was perfectly suitable. The pity was... while Amane was trying to make a piece a 'King', she was also trying to manage other pieces, which resulted in her failing at both.
Clack.
Amane's last black piece reached the bottom and became a King.
Amane had only one piece left, while Horikita Suzune still had fifteen pieces.
The outcome was decided.
Was it really?
Clack.
Amane captured a white piece.
Horikita Suzune didn't react much; the King piece's rules were quite dominant, so losing a few pieces was normal.
But... Amane showed no signs of stopping.
Clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack... As if a perpetual motion machine had been triggered, Amane's piece kept jumping, continuously harvesting white pieces, and one by one, white pieces fell into Amane's hand.
At this moment, Horikita Suzune's eyes widened.
She stared at Amane as if she had seen a ghost.
How could this be... Could Amane defeat her in a single turn? Impossible! This shouldn't be possible.
Amane only had one piece left, which meant Horikita Suzune was guaranteed to win on her next turn.
But at this critical moment, Amane's black King piece began its solo performance.
Clack!!!
The last white piece was also captured.
Horikita Suzune stared blankly at the ordinary black piece, her eyes filled with immense shock.
Clatter, clatter.
Twenty white pieces scattered from Amane's palm onto the chessboard.
Each sound struck Horikita Suzune's heart.
"Losing one piece means losing the entire game? Then I won't lose this one piece."
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