Classroom of the elite second year volume 4 onwards (vol15) part 3 and epilouge

I made it across the border to I2, but my watch didn't signal my arrival.

Normally, I would have suspected a GPS error, but that was unlikely this time. So, I would have to move as close to the center of the area as possible to make up for the error in the watch. Of course, I hadn't experienced anything like this in the past two weeks, and I guess it was one of the inevitable factors, including the fact that the tip of the I2 island was near the center. Even if Ichinose hadn't come to me and I stepped in without knowing anything about it, it was designed to be reached.

I walked slowly along the path that I was not allowed to escape. In less than ten minutes, the deep forest began to release the light, and I could see the blue ocean and blue sky stretching out beyond my vision. Even though I had come this far, my watch did not show any response. Instead, I saw two adults sitting on the small beach in front of me, looking at me.

One of them was a man I knew well: Tsukishiro, the acting director. He was dressed in a jersey, which made him look somewhat out of place.

The other was Shiba-sensei, the homeroom teacher of the first year Class D.

It's a strange combination, but that's what it seems to be.

"You've decided to take a very forceful approach, Acting Director Tsukishiro."

I call out to him as I walk along the beach.

"I just can't seem to get things right. This is the best choice I can make."

I looked back at the 14 days of this special exam. It became clear that Tsukishiro's final "trap" was to lure me to I2. But there's

still something I can't figure out. There are no designated areas or tasks around this northeast area, so it's unlikely that other students will come here. But at the same time, there must have been a future where I would abandon the designated area and go for the task. Or a future where he was working with someone else, such as Nanase.

There's no way that Tsukishiro would have set up this final event just by sheer luck. It means my arrival here was already predetermined.

After Nanase lost to me in our fight, she wanted to go off on her own so she could hide out around 11th place and plan to get to the top. Then there was also the first-years. The timing of the attack of the first-year students and the nature of their attack, all of which could have been planned by Tsukishiro's side from the beginning.

"So, what's going to happen to me after this?"

The small ship in the corner of my vision was at anchor, rocked by the waves with its engine running. This means that it is ready to go at any time.

"If possible, I would like you to follow the instructions honestly and come aboard with us."

"If it's in the form of a voluntary declaration of retirement, it will be a roundabout solution." Shiba-sensei added.

"Do you think I'll choose the option of going straight to the ship?"

"Certainly. There's no need for you to walk across the uninhabited island once again."

"By the way, I didn't have any particular connection with Shiba-sensei at school, but he was on the side of Acting Director Tsukishiro, wasn't he?"

From the fact that he didn't have any contact with me, maybe he was Amasawa's supervisor. Now that the need to do so has disappeared, he doesn't seem to be trying to hide it anymore. I was in the northeast, where there was nothing to see, which was probably a little suspicious, but I also saw Ichinose and Nagumo. I'm not sure what to make of it.

No matter which way you look at it, it's safe to assume that the people monitoring the situation are on Tsukishiro's side. But they don't seem to be carrying anything visibly dangerous.

"It would be easy to subdue you here if we used weapons and such, but unfortunately, you are a commodity. It's my duty to get you back safely, so I've decided that what I need is my fists."

Standing on the sandy beach, Tsukishiro smiled fearlessly and spread his hands lightly. In this situation, to resist at the last minute, it is necessary to fight with Tsukishiro? I'm not sure if I should continue to avoid attacks.

However, Tsukishiro is most likely several levels higher than Nanase, so it's unlikely to work.

"So, I guess I have no choice but to take it in order to avoid expulsion."

"That's what it looks like."

"If possible, can you give me a break with this? I'm not saying that violence is a bad solution, but I'm a student at this school, and based on the normal rules, this is a foul."

"That may be true. However, Ayanokoji-kun, you are an example of success and you have achieved extraordinary things even inside the White Room. Even if you were to fight within the limited rules, you would have no enemies. Don't you think it's silly to compete with others in this school? Or have you come to find pleasure in being the lord of the mountain?"

"If so, is it an evolution... or a degeneration that would disappoint that man?"

"No, no, no, not really. The White Room's long-held desire is to take control of Japan, and by extension, the world. If you, the pinnacle of the White Room, feel that way, then eventually your desire will be shared and motivate other students to take over the world and enjoy the pleasure."

From a small Japanese high school, the goal quickly spread to the seizure of the world. Even if someone were to hear such a dream-like story, they would probably just laugh through their nose.

The man in front of me, Tsukishiro, is probably skeptical about how realistic it is. He's just trying to do his duty in an unobtrusive manner, faithful to his orders.

"Well, if I'm being honest, I didn't think this school would be much of a challenge."

"Of course. Because for you, the level of this school is a path that you passed through in your childhood.

"I'm only talking about the curriculum. I'm finally starting to see the direction of what I should and want to do in this school. I think I'll be able to enjoy myself until I graduate, and there are plenty of talented people outside the White Room."

Rather, it's a treasure trove of talent that the White Room could never produce.

"I don't mean to denigrate the students of the Advanced Nurturing High School in any way, but as you said, there are always talented people all over the world. Sometimes they outperform you in sports, sometimes in academics. But it's not that part that's important, it's the people who can excel in all situations and lead others."

Acting Director Tsukishiro glanced lightly at Shiba.

"Where are Nagumo-kun and Ichinose-san?"

"Nagumo has stopped moving, and Ichinose has already moved away, so I don't think there's anything to worry about."

Me stopping Nagumo and Ichinose must have been part of his calculations, of course.

"And as for the unscheduled reaction, it seems that Amasawa is blocking their movements."

Unscheduled reaction? There were no designated areas or issues in this vicinity. Was someone other than Ichinose and Nagumo approaching me? If an unrelated student appeared here, it would be a nuisance for Tsukishiro. It seemed that Amasawa was the one who was stalling that irregular presence.

"So, she's done her due diligence, is that it?"

"It didn't seem like Amasawa was in step with Acting Director Tsukishiro, though."

"She is, simply put, a traitor. She was the one who was chosen to bring you back, but it seems that she had no intention of bringing you back from the start."

Tsukishiro took a step forward, as if to say that the idle talk was over.

It's not a good idea to waste time by talking it seems. He closes the distance between us little by little. But we were still at least five or six meters apart from each other. Shiba-sensei slowly walks up behind me to make sure I don't escape.

"You wouldn't call two against one unfair, would you? You are, if anything, the White Room's finest. Even with this, I'm even a little worried here."

That being said, Tsukishiro had an overwhelming amount of leeway.

I can feel in my gut that he was convinced that he could hold his own even one on one, and that's why he chose to fight with the two of them. No pride whatsoever, just a rock-solid stance. I move my gaze to the ship waiting on the shore. As far as I could see, there was only one person on board, the pilot. This means that even if they rush in, I only need to eliminate a maximum of three enemies.

"Don't worry. It's just me and him that will be fighting you."

He wasn't a simple enough opponent for me to simply take his word for it. The way he said it earlier, he was empty-handed, but the possibility that he was carrying a concealed weapon could not be dismissed.

I am fighting against two adults with unknown abilities, both of whom are agents of the White Room, so I have to be on the lookout for weapons,

reinforcements, and other uncertain factors.

Normally, my brain would be fried from multitasking, but I am not mentally disturbed. Fighting in absurd and disadvantageous situations has been drilled into me repeatedly since I was a child. It is the same as the unconscious process of breathing that is essential for human survival.

"You don't have the slightest idea that you're going to lose, you have a face like that."

"Do I look like I have that look on my face?"

There's no visible opportunity for me to leave anywhere. The only way to open the future is for me to grab it here. With my front and back taken, my opponent is still advancing upon me. Normally, I would want to make the first move, but it's not a good idea to do it from here. The people in front and behind me were not students, but people from the school. If I were to raise my hand alone, I would be at a disadvantage in situations other than fighting.

"Even though you know it will be advantageous, you still can't initiate it yourself? That's just like you."

Tsukishiro, who would have detailed knowledge of the education policy regarding the White Room, analyzes.

"Then.... let's start from here without hesitation, shall we, Acting Director Tsukishiro and Shiba-sensei?"

As soon as I call out their names, the two adults start walking towards me at the same time. They calmly closed the distance on me as if they were advancing Shōgi pieces.

The distance between me and Tsukishiro, who was walking in front of me, was 7 steps, 6 steps, 5 steps, 4 steps....

Shiba's two hands came to grab my face from behind, and I ducked a little to avoid them. The first move was from behind. In the middle of my evading action, Tsukishiro stretches out his arms in front of me and attempts to grabs me as well as Shiba. I avoided him as if I were rolling along the beach, and then I got up and ran at the same time to escape the chase.

TL Note: Shōgi is a Japanese version of chess.

Dust danced in the

sea breeze. The two adults didn't rush after me, but looked at me quietly. Now I understand what their strategy is. They're trying to figure out my skills from my practical movements, which they can't get from data. My feet sink into the sand. I wonder if I should have taken off my shoes earlier. Under the hot sun, the two of them start to walk again, closing the distance that had opened up. With my face and body facing them, I step back the same distance. With my back to the ocean, I try to get away from the soft sand and secure a foothold while at the same time avoiding being spun around.

"It's a good theory, but I'm not sure it's the right one, Ayanokōji-kun."

They will no longer be able to get behind me, but that will narrow my escape route. If I go lower, the waves will hit my legs, and that's where Tsukishiro and Shiba will come in. The outstretched arm keeps trying to grab my body. However, it seems that they do not intend to damage me with blows yet.

"You're very good at running away."

Both of them moved faster, and the space for me to avoid them was quickly taken away. After dropping so low that one of my feet stepped on the seawater, I couldn't take it anymore and ran away from the scene.

"Oh? Have you already given up on having the ocean protect your back?"

If the opponent is in a hurry, it's easy to invite a mistake. While I was thinking about this, Shiba and Tsukishiro kicked the sand and came towards me. Now it's two against one, and if either of them catches me, it's game over. All four arms extended one after the other,

and the situation would continue to end if I showed the slightest opening. I tried to run and get some distance, but the two of them didn't move away and started to chase me.

Running around like this would only continue to drain my energy.

It was obvious that they were trying to take away my stamina with the blazing sun and bad foothold. I canceled my escape move midway, and using the spring in my body to the fullest, I stepped forward with my left foot, stomped on the sand, and flipped over to attack Shiba, who was directly behind me.

"Mmm!"

Shiba's movement stiffened slightly due to my movement, which showed an unexpected trajectory. I feinted with the left fist aiming for the chest on the right, but sensing the danger, Shiba didn't panic and kept his distance. This is evidence that he is prioritizing evading rather than grabbing.

"Oh no... that's a brilliant move against the two of us, Ayanokōji-kun."

I tried to counterattack while avoiding the attacks from both sides, but I couldn't get a clean hit.

"However, human strength is finite. Isn't it about time for you to start resting?"

"You're a difficult opponent to fight, Acting Chancellor Tsukishiro."

"It's my job to take the initiative in doing things that people don't like."

There's nothing clean or dirty about it, it's just a fighting style aimed at catching me and bringing me back. But I wasn't just throwing up my stamina for nothing either. What I've gained so far. It seems that there is a slight difference in combat ability between Tsukishiro and Shiba.

If I had to rank them... 4 for Tsukishiro and 6 for Shiba. My hunch is that Tsukishiro is a cut below Shiba...

The balance of caution should be changed slightly from 5:5. I thought that the inferior Shiba had taken over the back, but it was the other way around. It's a way to outflank me. This makes me want to go for the inferior Tsukishiro, but even so, his ability is off by an order of magnitude. It's not something that can be easily finished off. In fact, if Tsukishiro realizes that I've done the analysis, he may become more conscious of his defense. I'm not going to let him know that I've noticed the difference in our abilities and finish him off with a single blow. In simple terms, the idea is to take one shot at each other with the intention of switching sides. The other side hasn't thought of hitting me yet, so now is my chance. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to damage him unilaterally.

Then, after neutralizing Shiba, I'll quickly deal with Tsukishiro on a one-on-one basis. A second or so of thinking time. Both of them attacked me with the same speed. But the fist that seemed to be grabbing me was clenched tightly and transformed into a blow.

I've been read... If that's the case, then it's time to attack in a way that outperforms...

I tried to turn my consciousness to trade damage with Shiba behind me, but something unexpected happened. I felt a cold mark on my neck and was forced to interrupt the counterattack. For the umpteenth time, I took evasive action to get away from Tsukishiro. The sound of Shiba's fist, swung slightly later, reaches my ears dryly. If I hadn't agreed to the damage exchange, I might have been stopped in my tracks. Shiba's strike definitely had the same power as mine if not more...

I looked at Tsukishiro's movements, which should be inferior to Shiba's, but they were both faster than I had expected.

"You're still a tricky person, Acting Director Tsukishiro." I evaded him just in time, and for the first time in years, I broke out in a cold sweat in a fight. If I hadn't trusted my instincts, what would have happened? Not only would I have been hit by Shiba's blow, but I might have been left unprotected by Tsukishiro's attack. The reading of Tsukishiro 4, Shiba 6 was itself a false information created by the other side. They intentionally saved their abilities and attacked beyond their vigilance.

"I was going to finish you off now, but your reaction time is not that of a normal person."

It's a good thing that I didn't discard the possibility that I might have been wrong. This was the only thing that helped me raise my guard at the last minute. They are both cautious and don't take risks as much as possible, but they will not hesitate to take a risk if they think it will benefit them.

The odds are slightly in their favor.

Even if I took down one of them, the other would be waiting for a counter-strike. It's hard to believe they got together overnight.

"Is your analysis going well? Ayanokōji-kun."

It had only been a little over two minutes since the fight began.

They've already tried various patterns, but none of them have been decisive.

"It would have been easy to do if it was purely a brawl like a child's, a fight where only strength and power are clashed. But we adults don't hesitate to take the best measures to avoid losing. Even if it's muddy and not the flashiest thing to do."

Tsukishiro has read 99% of my thoughts as well. The way he fights is precise without hesitation, yet he doesn't let you read his thoughts. I'm not sure what to say, but I'm not going to show him the truth. Anyway, in the current situation, I lack a decisive factor. If I'm going to continue to lose ground, I'm going to have to take a reasonable amount of risk.

"Acting Director Tsukishiro." The one who broke the stalemate was Shiba, who had so far responded with few words.

Immediately after his name was called, Tsukishiro seemed to have noticed the change. It was something that no one here had expected.

"I wonder what the acting director and homeroom teacher are doing with a student in such a deserted place. Would you be willing to tell me?"

It was an uninvited visitor.

"I believe you are..."

"She's Fūka Kiryūin from class 3B."

Why is she here? I'm sure I'm the only one who has this I2 as a designated area.

"It doesn't look like you're a lost kitten. What can I do for you, child?"

Once he broke his battle stance, Tsukishiro asked in his usual tone.

"Actually, I've been observing the situation behind the big tree for a little while now, but I just couldn't watch the two-on-one situation. That's how I ended up popping out."

Of course, there was no way that Tsukishiro and Shiba hadn't seen the GPS reaction.

"Could this be the reason? It looks like an accident caused the watch to malfunction. Oops." Kiryūin laughed as she dangled her watch that was shattered on the surface.

"Since there are people from the school in front of me, let me ask you this: there is nothing wrong with it, is there? Even if the watch is broken, it will only turn off the scoring function. I'm free to go wherever I want."

"Of course, there is no problem. But still, this is a test where there is no end to the number of watch malfunctions."

Tsukishiro didn't seem to panic at the irregularity of this situation.

Normally, the situation should be to withdraw now that another student saw this incident. However, understanding that this is his last chance, Tsukishiro is still not going to back down.

It's probably just a matter of Kiryūin being written into the list of people to be eliminated.

"Ayanokōji, was my action unnecessary?"

There was no point in trying to mend things if she had seen the warped and snarled battle between teacher and student. Instead, she should make the

most of this accident that happened.

"That depends on what happens after this. Can I assume that you'll be willing to lend me hand?"

Tsukishiro's strength is quite impressive. With his fighting style based on experience and skill, I can say that he

is one of the strongest opponents I have ever fought.

"Of course. I don't know what's going on, but as a senior, it's natural for me to protect my junior, isn't it?" Kiryūin laughs as she stands next to me saying that.

"But why did you come here?"

"Yesterday, you were running away from the first years. I was curious and wanted to talk to you, but I thought it would be better if I followed you around for a while."

So, she went through the trouble of breaking her watch and approaching me so that I wouldn't notice her.

"I'm glad my curiosity got the better of me, because I was invited to a very interesting turn of events."

Well, it's just that it's not a development that would normally be possible.

"Shiba-sensei, I'll leave it to you to deal with her."

"From what I can see, it seems that the Acting Director and Shiba-sensei are at a ridiculous level of competence. I don't know how much help I can be, but I probably won't be able to last that long."

With that, Kiryūin stood right beside me and held up his fist happily.

"If you can draw him away for a second or two, I'll be welcome."

"No need to worry Ayanokōji. I'll hold out for a minute or two at least.

But Ayanokōji, can you please try and match the occasion?"

"Match the occasion?"

"That sloppy expression on your face. Hold up your fists and try to create an air of urgency."

I hadn't expected to be told such a thing here. But under the strange pressure of Kiryūin, I had no choice but to strike

a pose that looked like it.

It's like something you'd see in a fight scene in a drama.

"How about it...?"

"Huh, kind of clumsy. Oh well, let's just say you met the minimum standard." With a grin, Kiryūin also struck a fighting pose once again.

"Have you ever punched anyone before?"

"I'm a lady, you know. How could I have?"

"Are you serious?"

"Don't worry. I've always wanted to hit someone."

We both move away from each other, moving into a clear one-on-one.

"Let's settle this, Acting Director Tsukishiro."

"If it's just me, I can win... you've decided that, haven't you?"

Tsukishiro readies himself with his usual smile that shows no margin or urgency.

"Then let's see what you're really capable of in a one-on-one match."

I greet the opponent standing in front of me as an equal foe. If I don't, I'll be the one who gets caught flat-footed. But it will still be decided in less than a minute. I'm going to get him before Kiryūin is held back by Shiba.

Tsukishiro came charging towards me. I dodged Tsukishiro's attack without warning and hit Tsukishiro's cheek with my left fist.

"Ah!"

I jabbed lightly and with speed, hitting hard. The power of each shot is slight because I concentrated only on hitting. As I repeatedly hit him, Tsukishiro's smile faded.

My target was the bridge of his nose. Even light damage can trigger a certain effect in the human body.

That

is "tears".

Every human being induces tears when they are knocked on the nose.

The tears overflow before the pain and take away visibility, which is crucial.

It doesn't matter if you are an adult or a child, young or old. It's just how the human body works.

I let Tsukishiro's eyes water up, and then I swing my fist out in an uppercut towards his chin. Looking up at the sky, Tsukishiro must have bitten the inside of his mouth, and blood gushed out, though only slightly.

"When was the last time you felt something like that?"

Wiping the blood dripping from his lips, Tsukishiro smiles wryly.

"I'll admit it, considering that you're a high school sophomore kid in front of me. You are an undeniable masterpiece."

Of all the opponents I had fought with, Tsukishiro was without a doubt one of the best. It was enough of an acknowledgement that Tsukishiro had judged that he had a chance with me in a one-on-one fight.

"I'm not a fan of rough stuff to begin with, but I'm having fun."

Laughing amusedly, Tsukishiro set up again, but he didn't come at me right away. It could be seen as a way of buying time until Shiba defeats Kiryūin. I calmly try to follow the path of victory, which is to not rush in prematurely.

Tsukishiro looks at the sand at his feet for just a moment. I didn't care, I stepped forward and put all my strength into my right fist.

"You're absolutely brilliant...!"

I twisted myself and launched a body blow into Tsukishiro. It almost hit with full force. But even so, Tsukishiro's smile did not disappear. He grabbed a handful of sand from the ground with his left hand and threw it up at me.

Then, with his free hand, he plunges deeper into the hole in the sand and pulls something up. Even if his right fist, raised like an uppercut, hit me directly, it wouldn't do much damage if I was in a slumped position. I didn't receive counter from his fist, instead I pulled Tsukishiro's arm away and I immediately grabbed his other arm so he wouldn't move.

"Ah...!"

For the first time, Tsukishiro's smile disappears for a moment. My gaze ends at Tsukishiro's right hand, which is clenching a stun gun.

"How, how did you know?"

"I didn't know until just before. But in a situation where you couldn't show even a moment's gap, you dropped your gaze once as if you were checking your feet for some reason. I felt uncomfortable with that. If your goal is to take away my vision with sand, you don't need to bother checking your feet."

Even as his left hand grabbed a handful of sand and launched it to me, my awareness was still high.

"And I also felt that it was unnatural that you were ready to deliberately take my blow."

As long as our strengths were matched, to gain an advantage one of us would have to change the flow of the fight.

"I didn't want to take such a risk if I could help it... It was meant to be an insurance policy, but your ability to hold me off for this long was enough to make me impatient." He relaxed his right hand, and the stun gun fell from his head onto the beach, impaling him.

"Well, what do we do now? I've taken some deep damage..."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Shiba restraining Kiryūin from behind and tightening her up.

At this point, Acting Director Tsukishiro raises his hand and sends a signal somewhere. Then the pilot of a small ship at anchor began to hold something in his hand and attempts to land. It was obvious that this was a last trump card in case they were defeated. But it was the same for us as well.

"I'm sorry, but your time is up, Acting Director Tsukishiro."

Suddenly, the small ship stopped its landing preparations and blew its engines, leaving the Acting Director and the others behind as it rapidly departed. The reason for this was probably because they saw another small ship coming from the sea.

"I'm surprised. How did you call the ship? I've been laying the groundwork, of course. To stop you in case you resorted to getting help from the school's side. Besides, I knew you'd avoid letting the school know about it, too."

"It's simple. If you look closely at the small ship, you can see it, can't you?"

If you look closely at the end of the small boat, you can see Mashima-sensei and Chabashira-sensei. That gives Tsukishiro a hint.

"What if someone reports that a student from second-year Class A and second-year Class D has collapsed on I2 and is in danger? It's not something that can be covered up very easily. We've already confirmed in an incident a while ago that homeroom teachers are included in the selection of people to rush to the rescue. I knew that Mashima-sensei and Chabashira-sensei would rush to the scene."

This was simply a rule that the school had decided that the best homeroom teachers were those who could be identified at a glance. When I heard that it was second year classes A and D, I had no choice but to bring my homeroom teacher along even if I didn't want to. If it was an emergency, there was no time to check the GPS one by one. If the information includes that the watch seems to be broken, they will definitely go to check the last known location even if there is no GPS response there.

"If you had had all the students' GPS checked, would the rescue have come and changed the situation?"

"No. Right now, one student from Class A and one student from Class D in second-year are missing from the map, and the GPS response is missing from their watches. I think it was more of an increase in credibility."

"You had planned from the beginning to buy time and bring this development about. That's why you focused on escaping at first, knowing the disadvantage."

"You made the mistake of threatening Ichinose halfway through. If you're going to do this, you need to handle it thoroughly."

As a result, Tsukishiro had given me a chance to ask for help from Sakayanagi before I came here.

"Well, I'm still Acting Director for the time being you know? I can't do anything rash like that." True or false, Tsukishiro laughed when he said that.

As if following the resigned Tsukishiro, Shiba immediately took his hand away from Kiryūin.

"Fuu... Thanks for the help, Ayanokōji. You fought as if you were fearless, interestingly enough." Then she got down on one knee to rest her body.

I watched the fight between her and Shiba, albeit from the side, and she held her ground well, even when defending herself. It's great that she recognized that he was clearly superior and tried to just hold him back.

If Shiba had joined in the battle against the well-prepared Tsukishiro, I don't know how things would have turned out for me. Eventually, the ship landed, and the teachers came down.

The walkie-talkie I borrowed from Sakayanagi came in handy until the very end.

"Can you accept that I won?"

"I suppose it seems that way."

Currently, Tsukishiro shouldn't have enough cards to turn the game over here. Even the fact that he changed the designated area only for me, if some pursued it, multiple things might start to unravel.

"Your score is quite a fine line, but I think it's just barely okay. As for me, now that it's out in the open, I can't avoid protesting if you're in the bottom five groups."

"Don't worry. I'm sure I can cross the safety line in my own way."

"That was an unnecessary concern. Then, I'll leave it at that for the time being."

"For the time being, huh? I don't want you to do any more of your brute force tactics. I think it's against the philosophy of this school. If the rules allow us to test our strength through strategic attacks, then we should welcome it in such a way."

Without erasing his smile, Tsukishiro looks at Mashima-sensei and Chabashira-sesei who are disembarking.

"Let me ask you one last thing, Acting Director Tsukishiro. Were you seriously trying to get me expelled? I'm sure there were strong restrictions, but if I were in your position, I would have prepared a more reliable method and carried it out."

I don't think the man in front of me is foolish enough to not think of that.

"You're buying too much into this. I followed my superiors'

instructions and tried my best to get you expelled. But as it turns out, that didn't happen, and I had to fall before you like this."

One thing I've learned is that this Tsukishiro guy has yet to show his true colors. I don't know if there was any lie or deceit in what he just said, but I should assume that he had other intentions.

"Can I ask you to convey something to Amasawa-san for me?"

"Let's hear it."

"Ichika Amasawa, now that you have disregarded direct orders from your superiors, you are branded as disqualified from the White Room. There will be no place for you to return to. Whether you stay or leave this school, you are to do as you please."

Truth? Falsehood? I can't see it in his expression. Even though he admitted defeat, it didn't feel as if the ground was wavering at all. If Amasawa really did abandon the White Room, I don't think that's the end of the story.

What I think, is that more troubles lie ahead for me.

"Please, let me see you fight to the end." Slowly standing up, Shiro Tsukishiro raised his hands as if he had given up and approached Mashima-sensei and the others.

"Nothing much happened here. Me and Ayanokōji-kun were merely chatting."

"Do you think that will be enough to cover for what you've done?"

"Whatever assumption you may have, it's been decided. There's nothing you teachers can do about it. In fact, you should be grateful that I don't resist."

I looked at Mashima-sensei and responded with a nod of approval.

"Then let's leave, shall we? The students haven't finished their special exams yet."

After confirming that the adults were heading back to the ship, I looked at Kiryūin. She was sitting on the beach, on one knee, looking at the ocean, probably exhausted from dealing with Shiba.

"That was brilliant, Ayanokōji."

"No, Kiryūin-senpai was also very impressive against Shiba-sensei."

"I can't even take that as flattery after seeing you fight. Oh, don't worry, I'm not going to tell anyone about you. But I'd like to hear what you have to say."

It was unexpected that I had been seen, but thankfully it was Kiryūin.

"I have a bit of a complicated family situation. That's all."

"Complicated family situation, huh? That doesn't sound like an easy thing to go into." Standing up and lightly brushing the sand from her butt, Kiryūin starts walking towards the forest.

When I left I2 with Kiryūin and came back to I3, Nagumo was no longer there.

As I walked down the island, I ran into some unexpected students. As soon as they saw me, they looked at each other and were surprised.

"That's an unusual combination, Horikita. Walking around with Ibuki.

What's next, is it going to snow today?"

"Are you... okay?"

"What do you mean okay?"

"Well you see... I was just wondering if you were having a little trouble with someone."

This time, Kiryūin and I looked at each other and denied it almost simultaneously.

"No? There's no one behind us."

"Then what have you been doing here?"

"It's been a very tiring two weeks. I was resting on a secluded beach, watching the ocean."

"You've got a lot of time on your hands. Since it's you, I'm sure you've scored at least some points."

Horikita looks over at Kiryūin questioningly.

"I found a student who was skipping and I brought him back. I told him to be serious until the end." Saying that, Kiryūin lightly pats me on the back and walks off.

"Then I'll meet you on the ship after the exam," Horikita stands next to me and confirms again in a whisper. "Are you sure you were okay...?

"What?"

"I just... kind of heard something otherwise. And the little paper."

"Paper?"

"No, it's nothing, don't worry about it. I don't know what it is yet, so I'm going to do some research on my own and then I'll tell you."

I'm curious because I don't know what she's talking about, but I don't want to prolong the conversation about I2. I can't tell her about what happened with Tsukishiro.

"Well... why are you and Ibuki here? There aren't any assignments in in the vicinity, are there?"

Ibuki was about to say something, but Horikita stopped her.

"Ibuki had challenged me to a match, and we were checking each other's scores because of that. Your GPS was in a strange place, so I just thought I'd check on you."

"I'm going to call it a draw."

"How can that be, I'm the clear winner, aren't I?"

"You were too reckless, and you could have been expelled. I win"

"Whatever the risks were, if I'm ahead by even one point, I win."

I'm not sure, but through this exam Horikita and Ibuki became friends.

And not long after, the uninhabited island exam draws to a close.

The long, long two-week deserted island test was over. On the last day, some of the students in the groups who tried to force themselves were injured, but eventually the exam was closed. At the starting point of the test, teachers welcomed the students as if to say thank you for their hard work.

A little after six in the evening, when the sky was beginning to turn red, we received a call that all the participating students had returned and were ready to be brought back on board. As we had been informed beforehand that the results would be announced on the ship, but perhaps because of the possibility of many students dropping out, it was decided that the lower groups would be notified in advance. The reality was that we would find out not long after we returned to the ship, probably before we went to bed. It doesn't seem like it will turn out to be a public execution in front of the whole school.

The bottom five groups will be called in beforehand, and the first thing they will be asked to do is to see if can take remedial action. Students who can be prevented from being expelled will be saved by paying the price here.

Students who do not have enough private points, or who have them but do not use them for some reason, will be expelled at this point and will have to pack their bags and board the small boat.

After taking my first shower in a few days, I decided to take a walk around the ship. Normally, I would have used my cell phone to communicate with my friends and loved ones, but since the school was still holding onto my phone, I wasn't allowed to do that.

I passed a few Class D students and exchanged a few words of appreciation with them, but I made my way to the deck. There, I saw an interesting combination of two people.

They were facing each other, talking. I didn't do anything to hide, so one of them noticed me right away.

His face was covered with scars, indicating that he had had a fierce battle with Hōsen during the exam.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but don't forget your promise to me, okay? That and the money."

Bringing up the word "promise," Ryūen only gave me a passing glance before heading back inside the ship.

"Of course, Ryūen-kun. Whenever the time comes, you can come and tell me." Sakayanagi smiled happily at Ryūen's back.

"Promise?"

"Yes, since the strength of the first-years was unknown. I prepared Ryūen-kun as a skilled mercenary soldier, but he's not the kind of person who would cooperate for free. I told him that if he would listen to my request, I would grant him a wish."

I see. So that's why Ryūn appeared to fight Hōsen.

"By the way, do you know the result of the quarrel?"

"I can't say I do. I know that both Ryūen-kun and Hōsen-kun returned to the starting point covered in wounds and were sentenced to retire after receiving medical treatment."

So the fight ended in a painful split, with both sides retiring, though the winner of the fight was unknown. But it must not have been easy to convince Ryūen who was only focused on winning the deserted island test.

"Yes. It's a promise that I don't even know when it will come true, and besides... that wish is like strangling his own neck in the near future." She smiled at me, and her eyes were as innocent as a child's.

I could tell the promise wasn't something as nice as a sweet date.

"I'm glad you're okay. Did you have any problems with the timing of the GPS disappearance you instructed me to do?"

"It was perfect timing. I'll be sure to pay you back."

"I have only one hope for the future. It's to have a serious match with Ayanokōji-kun without anyone getting in the way."

"That's a rather difficult proposal."

"I know. Right now, Ayanokōji-kun wants to lead a peaceful life as much as possible. I'm well aware that I can't do anything that would inadvertently make you stand out. There's no need to be hasty. We still have almost a year and a half of school life left."

Sakayanagi said that if there was an opportunity to compete somewhere before graduation, that would be fine.

"It's almost six o'clock, time to announce the results, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is."

Which groups had won and which had failed? I think I'll go check that out. At the 7 o'clock dinner time, the members of Class D naturally started to gather together and started eating at the same place. Yesterday and today, the list of subordinate groups was unavailable for viewing, so the only way to find out which group had performed poorly was to ask them directly.

"First of all... I think it's a great thing that none of us, the second year Class D students, were able to finish the special exam without missing any group. The fact that all Class D students are here means we all avoided expulsion. I'm really happy about that." Looking around at his classmates, Yosuke just said that with all his heart.

I was a little concerned because I hadn't seen Yosuke once on the deserted island, but he seemed to be more preoccupied with his friends than with his own fatigue. If they were all here, it meant that the group with Akito was also safe.

I decided to take a quick look at the rest of the second-year classes.

There didn't seem to be any students missing. The students were eating their first hearty meal in two weeks, but they couldn't stop enjoying themselves.

As the teachers begin to gather, the 8:00 p.m. signal is given and the microphones are turned on.

"Please stop eating and talking for a moment."

Such an announcement is prompted by Sasaki, the homeroom teacher of third-year Class A.

"First of all, I would like to thank you for your hard work on the special deserted island exam. We, the teachers and staff, are amazed that you made it through the two weeks without missing any group, even though a total of thirteen students retired."

He began with a word of appreciation for the labor.

"As some classes may have already noticed that some students are missing, we have penalized and withdrawn the bottom five groups as we had explained to them beforehand. If there is more than one person in a group, one name will be read out as the representative: the five groups will be: third-year Class D, Mutou; third-year Class D, Kawakami, third-year Class C, Katsumata; third-year Class C, Shinonome; third-year Class B, Mikitani, for a total of fifteen students."

The first and second year students collectively breathed a sigh of relief at Sasaki-sensei's explanation.

I had confirmed that there were indeed those names in the lower ranks at the end of the 12th day, but it was so unexpected that the group of all the dropouts was from the third-year. I had thought that Nagumo would be the one to bail them out and pick them up. I had also expected that some freshmen and sophomores would also fall through the cracks. But as it turned out, five groups of three third-year students were gone.

"Of these, there are no students who could have used remedial measures, so a total of 15 students have been confirmed to leave the school without any change."

Given this result, had it been unofficially decided that the five groups of third-year students would be expelled? I thought so and looked at the faces of the third-year students, but apparently not. There was no room for doubt on the faces of many of the students, and they looked upset, as if they couldn't believe it. They looked as if they

were terrified of the outcome, as if they were being turned into an example.

I looked for Nagumo, but the profile I saw for a moment did not look any different from usual. Perhaps, his last-minute altercation with me might have affected the outcome.

The giant screen was turned on and a white image was projected, then another person came out.

"Now we are going to announce the top three groups in the results of the special desert island exam."

It was Acting Director Tsukishiro. He doesn't give the slightest hint about the fight with me, and proceeds with the same calmness as when he announced the start.

"Third place, second-year, Class A, Sakayanagi Arisu Group, 261

points."

It seems that they took full advantage of the only group of seven sophomores allowed to participate, and slowly built up a solid score to slip into third place. On the last day, Ichinose left the team halfway through the day, but I guess that didn't have much of an impact. In terms of scoring, the Ryūen and Katsuragi group also fought hard, but the retirement of Ryūen on the 13th day must have had an impact. With Katsuragi alone, there was a loss of order of arrival rewards and fewer challenges to participate in. It must have been a tough two days for him as he had to play it safe to avoid the risk of retiring.

The doubling of the score on the last day must have been a headwind.

The students who were sent to stop the first-year students were all from outside Sakayanagi's group. The tablets she used were from another group, so she didn't take any big risks. She responded to the danger by sending out Ryūen. Sakayanagi should have been able to foresee that it would have been dangerous for him to have a fight with Hōsen. Did Ryūen go because his junior school connection with Hōsen or was it because of the "promise?" If it was the latter, then it would be more attractive than the increased rewards from the third place and the ordeal card. However, I was surprised to see that the Kiriyama group stalled at the end of the game.

And the second place.

It's no exaggeration to say that this is where it all comes down to.

At the end of the 12th, it was clear that Nagumo and Kōenji were the two leaders. Even if they lost some points, as far as the third-place score was concerned, no disturbance would occur. It would be Nagumo who would bring the three years together, or Kōenji who continued to show breakneck momentum on his own.

"Second place, third-year, Class A, Nagumo Miyabi group, 325

points."

When Acting Director Tsukishiro read that out, there was not a cheer but a scream. Without a pause, the announcement of the first place was made.

"First place, second-year, Class D, Kōenji Rokusuke, 327 points."

The moment his name was called, Kōenji was instantly the center of attention and gaze of all the students. The result was a mere two-goal difference, something that could have been overturned by a single trivial incident. Still, Kōenji was able to achieve first place under the most difficult of conditions. He received the 300 class points that would have been distributed for first place, one million private points for each individual, and one protection point.

"You've really done it, Kōenji-kun."

Kōenji turned his gaze once to Horikita and asked, "You understand, don't you?"

Horikita would have no choice but to answer with a nod of her head. As she had promised, Kōenji was now exempt from all charges until graduation.

From now on, he will be able to live his school life as he pleases.

"I'm not at all honestly pleased, or maybe I'm just dumbfounded..."

"You can be happy now, can't you? Getting 300 class points alone is extremely significant for moving up to Class A. It's the second time you've confirmed your escape from Class D."

Besides, if it's Kōenji who originally did whatever he wanted, there wasn't much to control in the first place.

"Yeah, you're right. This means the scores will be quite close, from Class B to Class D, trivial matters might just make classes switch."

"As long as we don't drop too low this month due to poor behavior in our daily lives we should be fine."

Because class points are subtly deducted for daily conduct and problematic behavior.

"Don't say silly things."

But once again, I think about the huge significance of this two point difference. It reminds me of Nagumo, who took the trouble to visit me today.

I remember the voice of his friend that I heard from the walkie-talkie at that time. If Nagumo had answered that voice at that time, the results of the first and second place would have been reversed. And I wonder if there would have been a difference in the group that was expelled.

It's not something that can be answered by thinking about it here. For now, this long special exam has come to a successful end. Miraculously, none of the second-year students were absent, and we were able to get through the summer.

I also found out that Amasawa is a White Room student. I don't know why, but at least now she's siding with me instead of the Tsukishiro. Whether this is a coordinated strategy or Amasawa acting alone after betraying the White Room is not clear at this point, but the information I have gained is not insignificant.

Still, there are some mysteries left to be solved. Perhaps this summer vacation will not end smoothly.