This coaching is not right.

Ito Sawa unleashed his full power with the chessboard ability, enveloping Katsuragi in an invisible spiritual field around the manifested chessboard. This chessboard was not only a symbol of his power but also the core of his ability.

Under the cover of the chessboard, Katsuragi felt an unprecedented sense of oppression; his intuition told him that something was wrong.

Katsuragi instinctively wanted to continue burning his mental energy to accelerate the analysis process of "superpower analysis," hoping to find a way to resist Itosawa's assimilation.

However, he soon discovered that his superpower seemed to have met its natural enemy. The power emanating from the chessboard instilled fear in his mental energy, and all of his mental energy was mobilized for self-protection.

Katsuragi's mental energy began to shrink, trembling like an animal facing a threat. His mental energy was no longer a tool for attack or analysis, but had become a defensive shield, struggling to resist the assimilating power of the chessboard.

Ito Sawa noticed Katsuragi's struggle, and a resolute glint flashed in his eyes.

He knew this was the crucial moment that would decide the outcome. Ito Sawa began to maneuver all the pieces on the board, concentrating their power for a final assault on Katsuragi.

The light on the chessboard grew brighter and brighter, and the power of the chess pieces was brought to its limit.

Each beam of light was like a sharp arrow, shooting towards Katsuragi's mental power. Katsuragi felt his mental power gradually weakening in the face of the chessboard's power; his ability analysis was unable to effectively analyze and adapt to this attack, because its power had been suppressed by the chessboard's power.

The atmosphere inside the stadium was incredibly tense; everyone could feel the intense battle raging on the ring. Although they couldn't see the clash of their mental strength, the expressions and movements of Ito Sawa and Katsuragi conveyed the intensity of the fight.

Ultimately, under the sustained pressure of Itosawa's Go board ability, Katsuragi's mental defenses began to crumble. His analytical abilities could not withstand the assimilative power of the Go board, and his mental energy began to be absorbed by the Go board, transforming into power on the board.

In the end, Katsuragi's spiritual power was completely assimilated, transforming into a silver-white chess piece. This piece shimmered with a faint light, its surface adorned with intricate patterns, as if containing the essence of Katsuragi's supernatural ability. The piece was placed in the very center of the chessboard, becoming a new source of power on the board.

Ito Sawa gazed at the newly formed silver-white chess piece, sensing the immense power it contained. This piece not only enhanced the overall strength of the chessboard but also provided Katsuragi's special ability with a portion of its power.

Katsuragi stood on the ring, his face pale, but he had to accept the reality of defeat.

One minute later, Mr. Sakagami announced that Itosawa had won, and the students of Class B erupted in cheers. They were proud of Itosawa's victory and that it had earned their class a valuable point.

Ito Sawa stepped off the stage and returned to Class B's camp. His classmates surrounded him, celebrating his victory. Ito Sawa knew that his chessboard ability had much more potential to be explored, and this victory was just the beginning. He thanked his classmates, especially those who had helped him with their mental powers. Their trust and support were key to his victory.

As Ichinose stepped onto the ring, Katsuragi stepped down, looking somewhat dejected. Despite his heavy heart, he tried to pull himself together and nodded to Ichinose as a greeting. Ichinose understood Katsuragi's feelings; she simply responded without saying anything more, then stood in the center of the ring, ready to face Class A's attack.

However, the situation on Class A's side was far from peaceful. Sakayanagi Arisu spoke coldly, her voice revealing an undeniable determination: "Let's give up on the next challenge; we won't get this point."

These words immediately sparked a murmur of discussion within Class A. Those in the Katsuragi faction were dissatisfied with Sakayanagi's casual announcement of surrender, arguing that even with slim odds, they should have given it their all. Even some in Sakayanagi's faction felt his approach was problematic, believing the team should have been allowed to fight instead of giving up outright.

Shiori Tsukaji, a normally gentle girl, also mustered up the courage to stand up and speak for them.

Her voice trembled slightly, but her tone was firm: "Sakayanagi-san, I think we should still let them give it a try. Even if the chances of winning are slim..."

However, before she could finish speaking, Yahiko rudely interrupted her. His eyes were full of provocation, and his tone was sharp: "Tsukaji, what do you mean by this? Are you looking down on us? Do you think we don't even have the strength to fight?"

Shiori Tsukaji was interrupted by Yahiko's words. Her eyes flashed with hurt, her voice stopped abruptly, and her expression changed from firm to aggrieved.

Her lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to explain, but the words caught in her throat. "I...I didn't mean that..."

Shiori Tsukaji's voice lowered, her eyes filled with helplessness. She had only hoped to encourage everyone, but she hadn't expected to be misunderstood and accused like this.

Yahiko ignored Shiori Tsukaji's grievances and continued to argue loudly and fiercely.

Shiori Tsukaji stood to one side, her head slightly lowered, tears glistening in her eyes. Her fingers gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her body trembling slightly, clearly struggling to control her emotions.

The surrounding classmates noticed this scene, and their eyes showed sympathy. Some classmates began to quietly comfort Tsukaji Shiori, trying to ease her distress.

But Shiori Tsukaji was filled with disappointment. She had only hoped to cheer everyone on, but she never expected to be treated like this.

Sakayanagi Arisu quietly observed all of this, a hint of indifference in her eyes.

She wasn't angered by Yahiko's provocation, but simply said, "If you want to go, then go ahead. Don't blame me if you embarrass Class A."

Her tone was contemptuous, as if she had already foreseen the outcome.

Upon hearing Arisu Sakayanagi's words, Shiori Tsukaji felt a surge of joy. She wasn't sure if she had truly influenced Sakayanagi's decision, but her persuasion seemed to have at least softened Sakayanagi's stance somewhat.

Despite Sakayanagi's continued indifference, Tsukaji Shiori still felt a sense of accomplishment.

She approached Sakayanagi, and with gratitude and respect, bowed deeply: "Sakayanagi-san, thank you for considering our opinion."

Sakayanagi slightly turned her body to avoid Tsukaji Shiori's bow, her movements revealing a sense of detachment, as if she was unwilling to accept this gratitude.

But Shiori Tsukaji was not discouraged; a grateful smile remained on her face. In her view, the fact that Sakayanagi hadn't directly refused meant that her words had been heard to some extent.

“You don’t need to thank me,” Sakayanagi said calmly, her gaze shifting to the upcoming match. “I never intended to stop them anyway.”

Shiori Tsukaji thought that Sakayanagi was just shy and embarrassed to admit that she had made him agree to it because of her crying, so she didn't care and just smiled.

"Okay, I understand, but I still want to thank you, Sakayanagi-san."

Sakayanagi didn't say anything more; her gaze refocused on the ring, looking at Ichinose.

She didn't actually intend to stop them from going up; she just wanted to try and see if her intervention could influence the course of the story after witnessing their failure.

The results proved that it was possible, so it seems that the only reason her previous predictions were inaccurate was because of him.

Her gaze passed over the ring and landed on Ito Sawa, who was watching the stage.