COTE : Backed By Black Technology System-Chapter 191 - : New Atmosphere and New Technology

Going back a little in time—although Ryuen didn't manage to make Horikita actually kneel, he was still thrilled about getting 20 million points.

As for Horikita, he could deal with her some other time. There'd be plenty of chances.

That was, until he received an anonymous message.

The only thing in it was an audio recording.

"Listen carefully. To frame and crush Horikita Suzune from Class D, I'm going to show you how it's done. Here, take a look at something interesting."

"I have no intention of opposing your plan, but please, give me a chance to face Horikita myself—"

"Kinoshita, you'll run against Suzune in the obstacle race. Bump into her however you want, but make sure you fall. After that, I'll make sure you get 'injured' and completely stomp that girl's pride into the ground!"

The moment Ryuen heard the recording, his first thought was: **This has to be Kanda Shuichi's doing.**

But he quickly dismissed that idea. If it were Kanda Shuichi, he wouldn't have given him 20 million points in the first place.

Besides, the recording sounded exactly like the one from the cruise ship incident—almost as if the source had been right next to him.

What's going on?

Forget it, no point thinking too much. Whether it's Kanda or not, I should at least check first.

Ryuen pulled out his phone and directly called Kanda Shuichi.

"Was it you?"

As soon as the call connected, Kanda Shuichi heard Ryuen's low voice.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

Kanda Shuichi's voice came through the phone, filled with confusion.

"The recording!"

"What recording?"

Was it really not him?

He couldn't say too much over the phone. What if the call was being recorded?

If Kanda Shuichi had really sent that recording, then even if he laid everything out, it wouldn't matter—the other party already had the evidence.

But if Kanda Shuichi wasn't the one who sent it, then saying the wrong thing now would just hand him more proof.

"It's nothing!"

With that, Ryuen hung up, a sinister grin spreading across his face.

The traitor in Class C... You better hope I don't find you. Otherwise, you're done for!

After hanging up, Kanda Shuichi's puzzled expression quickly turned into a smile.

To fool others, you have to fool yourself first. That's why, even over the phone, Kanda played his role perfectly.

As for why he did this? Well, just to give Ryuen something to worry about.

Go on, Ryuen. The traitor is right there—go find them!

Come on, Ryuen. The mysterious person who sent you that recording is right here—come and get them!

Even though Kanda had denied everything, Ryuen still didn't believe he was uninvolved. After all, back on the cruise, it was Kanda Shuichi who had revealed the previous recording.

If Ryuen couldn't find the person who sent him this recording, he would definitely start looking into Kanda again.

And when that time came, Kanda would have the perfect excuse to take back the 20 million points he had stored with Ryuen.

After all, you were the one who told me not to hold back next time, right, Ryuen?

As for why he wasn't taking the points back now—well, it was better to let Ryuen enjoy his victory for a while. It would also help strengthen his trust in Karuizawa.

More importantly, Kanda had already achieved his biggest goal: his phone now had a transaction record showing he had transferred 20 million points to Ryuen.

With this, everyone would believe that Kanda had spent the 20 million.

Now, his points had gone from being publicly known to being hidden. All he needed was another similar opportunity in the future, and he could fully transfer his 50 million points into the shadows.

If a situation ever came where classmates were forced to drop out, he could simply say, "I don't have any money left!"

Even Hirata wouldn't be able to argue with that. After all, all his money had been used to help his classmates.

The next day, October 1st, the school announced the new class points.

Class D lost 50 points, which meant their monthly allowance decreased by 5,000 points as well.

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But no one in the class complained. Since they had all caused this together, it was only fair that they took responsibility together.

"Morning, Horikita. How's your foot?"

The moment Kanda Shuichi entered the classroom, he spotted Horikita already sitting at her desk, reading a book.

Hearing his greeting, Horikita closed her book and turned her head toward him.

"That thing really worked. After just one night, the pain is completely gone, and the swelling is down too."

As she spoke, she stretched out her right foot for Kanda Shuichi to see.

Hey, girl, are you expecting me to pick up your foot and examine it?

We're in class right now. If you want me to check it, wait until we're back at the dorm, and I'll take a proper look for you.

Seeing Kanda Shuichi's strange expression, Horikita seemed to realize that her action was a bit awkward. She quickly pulled her foot back and acted like nothing had happened.

"Even though we lost 50 class points, no one seems too upset about it."

As if trying to cover up the awkward moment, Horikita changed the topic to the class atmosphere.

Just like usual, everyone was gathered in small groups, chatting and having fun.

"Well, in a way, that's a good thing, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but I hope they haven't forgotten about the midterms in two weeks."

"Who knows."

Kanda Shuichi sat back in his seat and took out the textbooks for the next class.

"Morning, Shuichi."

Before long, Miyake walked in, yawning.

"Did you not sleep well?"

Noticing Miyake Akito's obvious dark circles, Kanda Shuichi found it a little strange.

"Sigh, since I didn't run in the 1200-meter relay yesterday, I ended up falling asleep right after getting back to the dorm. But then I couldn't sleep at night."

Akito, what are you even saying? Who just randomly knocks out because they didn't run in a race?

You weren't on the phone with Johan-senpai all night, were you?

Before Kanda Shuichi could ask more, the warning bell rang. Akito, you're really getting lazy.

After the bell stopped, Chabashira-sensei walked into the classroom.

"You should all know the results of the sports festival by now. Class D has lost 50 class points. I won't go over the details again."

Chabashira-sensei's expression was the same as usual, but Kanda Shuichi could tell she was in a good mood.

"But now that the sports festival is over, I hope you haven't forgotten something important—the upcoming midterms."

"Ah!"

"No way!"

The moment Chabashira-sensei finished speaking, the class erupted in groans.

Over the past month, a lot of students had used the sports festival as an excuse to slack off on studying.

"Complaining won't change anything. If you fail the midterms, you'll be expelled. There will be no exceptions."

Chabashira-sensei's words shut everyone up instantly.

At this school, failing the midterms or finals meant automatic expulsion. That was a strict rule, and now that the class had lost its safety net, no one dared to take the exams lightly.

"Also, don't forget—students who placed in the bottom ten during the sports festival will have ten points deducted from their test scores."

Silence fell over Class D once again.

"Uh, sensei, can I ask how many students from our class were in the bottom ten?"

Hirata raised his hand and asked.

"There are quite a few. First, missing several matches, and then finishing last in several more—Kanda Shuichi."

Kanda Shuichi gave a helpless smile. It seemed that winning first place in the borrowing race hadn't saved him from being in the bottom ten.

After all, not participating meant getting no points, while coming in last still gave some.

That means Sakayanagi must be in last place.

But speaking of Sakayanagi, what was he doing with Ayanokouji? Something seemed fishy.

Next, Chabashira-sensei announced three more students from Class D who ranked in the bottom ten during the sports festival: Wang Meiyu, Yukimura Teruhiko, and Sotomura Hideo.

Kanda Shuichi, Wang Meiyu, and Yukimura Teruhiko were some of the top students in Class D. Losing ten or even twenty points wouldn't stop them from passing.

But Sotomura was different. His grades had always been barely passing. If he performed badly this time, he might actually fail.

So, as soon as Chabashira-sensei finished announcing the list, Hirata immediately looked at Sotomura, who lowered his head in shame.

"Also, students who performed well in the sports festival will receive extra points. Or... would you rather get private points?"

"Of course, exam points! If we fail, we'll get expelled!"

Sudou made his decision right away, since he had earned a decent amount of points in Class D.

By the way, the one who got the most reward points was Miyake. He placed first in all his individual events. Even though he participated in fewer recommended events, that didn't affect the result—after all, someone missed two individual matches.

"Looks like no one has any objections." Chabashira-sensei nodded with a smile. "By the way, you guys don't seem to be short on points either."

At that, the students of Class D grinned.

That's right. Even though they were in Class D, they still had more than 40,000 points a month to live on.

After Chabashira-sensei left the classroom, the first class of the morning began. But many students were still caught up in the sports festival, so they weren't really paying attention.

"Help me, Suzune! I didn't study at all last month!"

As soon as class ended, Sudou jumped up from his seat and ran straight to Horikita.

Wait—Horikita actually lets Sudou call her by her first name now?

"If you had studied properly before, you wouldn't need to panic now."

Horikita didn't hold back with her words, but she still closed her textbook and started planning a study guide for Sudou.

Sudou actively sought Horikita's help, while Hirata took the initiative to approach Sotomura. He really was the kind of person who cared about his classmates.

"Thank you so much, Hirata! I'll definitely work hard!"

Sotomura grabbed Hirata's hands and shook them as if he were about to cry.

Overall, even though everyone was nervous about the midterms, no one was panicking. Instead, they were each finding their own way to survive.

And what was Kanda Shuichi doing at this moment?

He was checking out the new high-tech gadget sent by the system.

After receiving a medical kit in September, he was really looking forward to what October's item would be.

But maybe his luck had run out, because this time, the item was pretty average.

It was a black belt—literally called "Black Belt."

As long as he tied it around his waist, he would instantly become a world-class judo expert. If he touched his opponent, he could throw them effortlessly.

Judo originated from jujutsu, which came from Chinese martial arts. It focused on using softness to overcome hardness, blending strength and flexibility.

Wait, why did this explanation sound so much like Tai Chi?

Even though it seemed ordinary, Kanda Shuichi was actually quite satisfied with it.

Since he's about to make a move against Ryuen, and knowing Ryuen's personality, if Kanda Shuichi messes with him too much, Ryuen might just get angry and settle things with violence.

So, Kanda Shuichi desperately needed something to boost his fighting ability. This black belt could make him skilled in judo.

And judo, a martial art known for using softness to overcome strength, was perfect for making up for Kanda Shuichi's lack of power.

Was this thing custom-made for him by the system?

But if he remembered correctly from the manga, once someone put on this black belt, they would instinctively throw anyone who got close to them.

Even a weakling like Nobita could easily take down two grown men with it, so if Kanda Shuichi wore it, wouldn't he become unbeatable?

But... was this thing uncontrollable?

He needed to find a chance to test it.

"What's this?"

Miyake curiously picked up the black fabric from Kanda Shuichi's desk.

"A black belt for judo."

"I see. Shuichi, are you planning to learn judo?" Miyake looked at him strangely.

"Something like that."

Kanda Shuichi took the black belt back from Miyake and put it away, not giving a clear answer.

"Then how about we check out the school's judo club this afternoon? I can be your sparring partner."

Hearing Miyake's suggestion, Kanda Shuichi fell silent.

Akito, you're truly a great friend, even willing to be my punching bag. How am I supposed to repay you?

After school, instead of going to the judo club, the two of them went to a fitness center in Keyaki Mall. After all, since they weren't members of the judo club, it wouldn't be right to just show up and use their space.

"By the way, Akito, I didn't know you practiced judo."

"Yeah, just for self-defense."

...

After changing in the locker room, Kanda Shuichi tied the system's black belt around his waist.

"Let's go."

Miyake, also dressed and ready, patted Kanda Shuichi's shoulder. The moment they made contact, Kanda Shuichi suddenly had the urge to throw Miyake over his shoulder.

But he held himself back and let out a breath of relief. Good, he could control it.

"Come on, Shuichi."

Miyake motioned at him with his left hand while keeping his right hand behind his back—a clear provocation.

Kanda Shuichi didn't waste any words and charged at Miyake. His body moved instinctively, performing an advanced judo technique.

The result?

Miyake was flipped over his shoulder and slammed onto the ground.

Luckily, the floor wasn't too hard, so he wasn't injured.

But Miyake was completely stunned.

What just happened?

Who am I? Where am I?

Did Shuichi just throw me? How is that possible?

After pulling off the throw, Kanda Shuichi finally understood the black belt's limitations and how it actually worked.

Once the black belt was tied around his waist, it gave him strength beyond his usual limits and allowed him to throw anyone he touched.

However, this extra power didn't just appear out of nowhere—it came at the cost of his stamina.

The downside was that if he used it too much, he would collapse from exhaustion.

Thankfully, the system kindly provided Kanda Shuichi with a maximum usage time—three minutes.

This was calculated based on his physical ability to determine the ideal time limit.

If he fought for more than three minutes while wearing the belt, he would collapse from fatigue. Of course, if he had enough willpower, maybe he could hold on a little longer.

The time limit could increase as his physical condition improved, but it could also decrease if the intensity of the fight got too high.

So, in a way, it was both good and bad news. Did the system calculate this with Miyake as the test opponent?

There's a saying: amateurs watch for fun, while experts look for the real skill.

From just that brief exchange, Miyake had already figured out that he wasn't a match for Kanda Shuichi.

That flawless over-the-shoulder throw—he himself couldn't even do it that perfectly.

"Shuichi, I didn't know you were this strong," Miyake said as he got up from the ground, looking at Kanda Shuichi with a complicated expression.

Kanda Shuichi forced a smile.

As soon as he untied the black belt, he immediately felt the fatigue hit him.

The entire fight, from the starting dash to throwing Miyake, hadn't even lasted twenty seconds.

And yet, just that short moment had drained him noticeably.

*Sigh... Three minutes, huh? Even with the black belt, I can only fight for three minutes.*

Kanda Shuichi couldn't help but complain about this time limit.

*Am I some kind of alien warrior from the M78 Nebula?*

"I learned this a long time ago, but I didn't expect it to be this tiring. Looks like I still need more training."

Seeing Kanda Shuichi like this, Miyake felt relieved.

*Shuichi being a genius... didn't I already know that?*

After that, Kanda Shuichi tied the black belt again and sparred with Miyake a couple more times.

But once again, it was a one-sided beatdown.

This made Detective Shuichi even more aware of how terrifying the system was.

At the same time, a new thought popped into his mind.

*If I use the black belt in battle while eating a memory candy, can I turn the fighting experience into my own?*

With that in mind, Kanda Shuichi asked Miyake to be his practice dummy once again.

And that's when he noticed something.

He could remember the way his body moved and the techniques he used while wearing the black belt.

But the moment he took it off, everything went back to normal.

His strength fluctuating so much left Miyake completely confused.

The situation could basically be summed up as—

Brain: I remember how to do it! Body, go!

Body: It doesn't matter if you remember. I have to remember too!

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