Classroom of the Elite: Free Will

V4: Tomori Nao's Monologue

Fifth place.

That was the best I could do.

My overall ranking.

I hadn't taken advantage of those first six months before Kiyotaka changed. Before he became the Masterpiece.

Unlike Karma, Mikoto, Tsukasa or Rin, I never knew what was to occupy the first place on a ranking. During those first six months, the overall ranking would change almost every week. Those four at the top.

It had taken some years for that ranking to stabilize. Kiyotaka was first comfortably, but the second place would always change.

Mikoto was the first to fall from that battle and Rin took hold of that second spot when we were seven. Mikoto and I began fighting over the fifth place around that time, while Karma and Tsukasa were focused on taking the third place. It wasn't until we were twelve that Tsukasa was able to leave Karma on the fourth. And, even though, Rin had left a few weeks later, no one had been able to take over her second place. To equal her results.

As for myself, I had taken a lot of second places in more specialized rankings. Things like puzzles and deduction, always behind Kiyotaka, of course. If it hadn't been because of those kinds of tests I knew for certain that I would be one of the ninety-four students that were disposed of.

That didn't mean I wasn't good when it came to physical abilities... I just wasn't on the level of the other five.

That's why I decided to focus on my own specialities, just like Tsukasa and Mikoto kept their focus on the physical aspect.

Because of that decision I was able to have a stable position at the fifth place. I had no reason to complain, though. I had accepted that I would never reach the second spot, let alone the first. Besides, my future was decided. Just like the others, I was supposed to help Kiyotaka lead the country and take my seat at the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

But then, they sent us here to prove ourselves. To prove we weren't failures, that we could have the use they had planned for us.

I was fine with it. It allowed me to discover the outside world and relax. That's what I thought at first... I had no motive to overreach myself, if I was the fifth of that place, then who could compare to me, right?

After all, they had presented the outside world to us in a way that everything that didn't came from the White Room was worthless, lesser than an insect.

Therefore, arriving here and finding people like Sakayanagi, finding myself on the top...

I felt nothing.

I wasn't thrilled.

I wasn't satisfied in any way.

There were interesting people outside of that place, but that was the end of it. Despite being interesting, neither she, nor anyone else had proven to be that remarkable.

After all our exchanges and since she was aware of the existence of the White Room, I had high expectations on her. But it was still early on the year, so only time would tell. Another exam would be ideal to confirm her abilities, though.

As for the second, I wondered.

Was it because I didn't reach that spot myself? Or simply because I couldn't feel excited by the idea of being at the top?

Despite my lack of excitement, I was determined to defend my place.

Karma, Mikoto, Kiyotaka. I was disposed to follow along with their plans to some extent. It was useful after all; it was an easy way to know what they were up to. The fact that I may have been helping them accomplish their goal wasn't relevant for the moment. Things were only starting and up until know, any damage to my class was welcome.

That wasn't the case anymore, though...

Mikoto wasn't a great schemer to our standards, so I was certain she would leave that to Ryuuen as to evaluate his potential and keep herself to do control damage. The trial and the island had proven that.

My main concern was Karma, the unity of his class made it so that they wouldn't question his decisions and he was capable of both the most logical and the most irrational decisions. I still had to discover what had happened between Karma and Kocho but there wasn't any reason to rush things on that regard.

Mikoto and Chikujoin's plan had been a great way to keep Karma on check on the island. And, right now, I just had to light a spark and see the consequences.

I wondered how such a united class would react to disarray.

With my class united, I was glad that now, I could begin to concentrate on my own plans. I could really focus on the things that mattered.

Mainly, defending my place.

I would hold my ground at all costs to stay at the top.

Kiyotaka's intervention had surprised me at first, but I just resigned myself. If he was going to intervene then fine, there's was nothing to be done about that but to prepare for the worse.

After all, one doesn't fight against the storm.

So, if Kiyotaka stood in the way, avoiding direct confrontation with him and targeting his classmates was the obvious choice.

Even if that didn't guarantee anything...

That was the best way to protect from this particular storm.

To isolate him.

At the end of the day, it didn't matter how remarkable one was. Alone, it was impossible to change the world.