"Aah~. Things were just getting interesting, but I guess this is the end~."
"What do you mean...?"
"It's over, that's what. If you wanna go through, be my guest~."
With a careless wave, Amasawa stepped aside, opening the path she had so fiercely guarded until now.
Horikita and Ibuki eyed her suspiciously, wondering if this was some kind of trap, but Amasawa simply adjusted her backpack and began walking away.
"Where are you going?"
"Where? Hmm~, the exam's almost over anyway, so I might as well head back to the starting point~."
The abruptness of it all left Horikita momentarily stunned, but she steeled herself and turned toward I2, determined to confirm the truth.
"Oh, right. You can go to I2 if you want, but... I don't think there's any point anymore?"
"...Why not?"
"It's already over, Horikita-senpai. Don't believe me? Go see for yourself~."
"I don't understand how you can say that with such certainty."
There was no proof, no credibility in Amasawa's words—yet she spoke as if she knew.
At Horikita's question, Amasawa lowered her gaze slightly.
"You won't find the answer at I2 either~. Not that I have to answer you, but... fine."
Then, she turned back, flashing Horikita and Ibuki a knowing smile.
"If I had to give a hint—once those two team up, no one can stop them."
Leaving behind those cryptic words, Amasawa brushed past Horikita and walked away.
"Oh, and Hikigaya-senpai is mine, so keep your distance, okay~?"
"God, you're so annoying! Just get lost already!"
Ibuki shouted after her, but Amasawa paid no mind as she disappeared into the trees.
Once she was gone, Ibuki turned to Horikita.
"So, what now? You still going to I2? That's why you fought Amasawa, right?"
"Yes. I am curious about what she said, but right now, I need to keep moving forward."
She couldn't turn back now—not when she was so close to her destination.
"Then I'm coming too."
"You? Why?"
"I've got questions for Hikigaya, and I'm not letting him slip away."
"...I see."
Without another word, the two shouldered their backpacks and broke into a run toward I2.
......
"Then let's see it—your true strength in a one-on-one."
As Tsukishiro took his stance, Shiba followed suit with his own unique posture.
"Don't let your guard down, Hikigaya. These guys are the real deal."
"Seems like it."
Tsukishiro closed in on Ayanokouji, while Shiba advanced toward me. To meet them as equals, I took a step back, adjusting my footing.
The two adults attacked simultaneously, soundlessly.
I dodged the high-speed right hook and drove my left fist into Shiba's cheek.
"Gh—!?"
Jabs with shifting rhythms, sharp punches—each strike was light, focused solely on landing hits. But as they piled up, Shiba's smirk began to fade.
Slipping past his guard, my fist connected cleanly with his face.
"Tch..."
Pain clouded his vision—a critical disadvantage.
Not wasting the opening, I swung for his jaw.
"...How long has it been?"
Wiping blood from his lips, Shiba—who hadn't shown a single change in expression until now—grinned fearlessly for the first time.
"I underestimated you. Thought you were just some second-year kid. But I'll admit it—you're the real deal."
Shiba was undoubtedly a professional. Every movement was refined, precise. He was unquestionably top-tier.
"I came here just to get the job done, but... this is fun."
With an amused laugh, he reset his stance. But instead of pressing the attack, he began inching backward.
Calm, methodical—he was calculating the path to victory without a hint of recklessness.
Ignoring his retreat, I stepped in and loaded my right fist with power.
"Impressive. Yagami Yahiko—no, Hikigaya Hachiman—!"
A twisting body blow, delivered with near-perfect force. Yet even as it landed, Shiba's grin didn't waver. Staggered, he grabbed a handful of sand and flung it at me.
A last-ditch attempt to blind me—but his unstable stance meant the sand fell short. Still, he capitalized on the split-second distraction, launching a right kick.
I crossed my arms, blocking it head-on.
"You blocked that? Hard to believe you're just a high schooler."
My gaze flickered toward Ayanokouji for the briefest moment.
In my periphery, I saw him and Tsukishiro locked in their own battle.
"One last question—are you surrendering?"
A meaningless query, but I asked it anyway before the final blow.
"Do you think I would?"
"No. Of course not."
Shiba was a hired hand. As long as his employer's will remained unchanged, he wouldn't back down.
"Then—let's end this."
This time, I stepped in, lowering my stance and closing the distance in an instant.
He twisted away from the uppercut I aimed at his chin, using the momentum to drive his right foot toward my abdomen.
——Now.
I didn't miss the opening. Leaping sharply to the left, I saw Ayanokouji mirror my movement, darting to the right.
"——!?"
The perfectly synchronized switch seemed to catch both Tsukishiro and Shiba off guard.
I clenched my fist and unleashed a full-power strike at Tsukishiro.
He tried to evade, but too late—the blow landed cleanly.
Though he managed to stay on his feet, the impact sent him reeling backward.
"...What... was that...? It was like..."
"...Perfect coordination."
Tsukishiro finished Shiba's thought.
But we didn't let up. A wide swing forced Tsukishiro back further, and as he stepped forward to counter with a front kick—
We switched places again.
Simultaneous kicks slammed into Tsukishiro and Shiba. Both blocked with their arms, but the force sent them stumbling.
"What was that? You couldn't have planned it—there were no signals, no eye contact."
Tsukishiro narrowed his eyes at the flawless teamwork, then turned to me for an explanation.
"You already know the answer, don't you?"
"I have a theory... but it's too absurd to be real."
A dry chuckle escaped him as he pieced it together.
"As much as I don't want to believe it... Ayanokouji-kun, Hikigaya-kun—you predicted each other's movements."
"What...!?"
Shiba's voice rose in shock at Tsukishiro's answer.
He was right. Ayanokouji and I had anticipated how the other would act, the timing of every strike.
"If that wasn't a coincidence... then this goes beyond human capability."
Perfectly syncing with another person's movements—saying it aloud makes it sound simple, but in reality, it's impossible.
Yet for Ayanokouji and me, it was possible.
No eye contact, no signals—just flawless synchronization.
"Do you understand now, Acting Director Tsukishiro? Victory was never an option for you."
"Or do you still think you can beat us?"
In a pure one-on-one, they might have stood a chance. But with us moving like this, their defeat was inevitable.
"Acting Director Tsukishiro. Your plan had no flaws. Against just me, it might have worked. But you made one critical mistake."
Ayanokouji kept his eyes on Shiba as he spoke.
"——You made enemies of both Hikigaya and me. That's why you lost."
Had I not been here, the two-on-one might have dragged on indefinitely.
But with the two of us together? Defeat was impossible.
"Nothing but surprises today. You two truly are beyond reason."
Then, Tsukishiro raised a hand, signaling to the small boat offshore. The pilot began preparing to disembark—clearly their last resort in case of failure.
But——
"Too bad. Time's up, Acting Director Tsukishiro."
Abruptly, the boat's engine roared to life, leaving Tsukishiro and Shiba behind as it sped away.
The reason? Another boat was approaching—one from the school.
"...Impressive. How did you call that boat? I made sure to block any requests from your side."
"Simple. Take a closer look at the boat."
Ayanokouji gestured toward it.
Onboard were Mashima-sensei and Chabashira-sensei. Realization dawned on Tsukishiro.
"All it took was someone reporting that Class 2-A and 2-D students were in danger at I2. Hard to ignore, don't you think?"
Even without GPS signals, that kind of report would guarantee an investigation.
"I see. Ayanokouji-kun was stalling from the start, waiting for this moment. That's why he focused on evasion despite the disadvantage."
"Right. Though once Hikigaya arrived, brute force became an option too."
"Terrifying how seriously you say that."
Tsukishiro laughed, though whether it was genuine or not was unclear.
"I concede. For now, I'll withdraw."
For now.
Whatever lurked behind those words, there was nothing more he could do here.
Still smiling, Tsukishiro watched as Mashima-sensei disembarked. Before they left, I had one last question.
"One thing, Acting Director Tsukishiro. Were you truly trying to expel us? With your resources, you could've been far more forceful."
I refused to believe a man like him would overlook such options.
"You overestimate me. I was simply following orders to expel you by any means. Yet here I stand, defeated."
One thing was clear—Tsukishiro still hadn't shown his full hand.
"One final request, Ayanokouji-kun... no, Hikigaya-kun would be better. Could you pass a message to Amasawa Ichika?"
"I'll hear it."
"Tell her this: 'For defying orders, Amasawa Ichika has been deemed a failure. There's no place for her to return to. Whether she stays at this school or leaves is up to her.'"
Truth or lie? Tsukishiro's expression gave nothing away.
Only one thing was certain—this wasn't over.
"By all means, struggle to the very end."
As Tsukishiro and Shiba were led away by Mashima-sensei, Ayanokouji and I exchanged a glance.
"This exam... I owe you for bailing me out multiple times."
"Don't mention it. Seriously, it's annoying. But teaming up with you was... an experience."
Fighting in perfect sync was a first for me—refreshing, even. Ayanokouji seemed to agree, nodding slightly.
"But was it worth it? Your group was neck-and-neck with Nanase's and Kouenji's. Helping me might've cost you the top spot."
"Doesn't matter. I left everything to Ryuuen."
The final stratagem, decided that night on the third day.
I remembered the plan vividly.
.........
Night of the Third Day.
Gathered around the campfire, Ryuuen and I discussed strategies to conquer the exam for the first time.
The plan for maintaining our top position.
How to handle the upperclassmen.
Methods to prevent interference.
After covering all these points, Ryuuen made one final proposal.
"Using Kouenji as bait?"
"Exactly. That bastard's stamina is unpredictable, but if he lasts until the final day, we'll make full use of him."
Ryuuen tossed another log into the fire as he spoke.
"Kouenji's the key to this exam. We'll avoid direct confrontation and use him as a decoy instead."
It was true—if Kouenji drew the upperclassmen's attention, our burden would lighten. In fact, attacking from both sides could whittle down Nagumo's forces.
"But are you sure? Exploiting Kouenji like this means if it comes down to a fight for first place, things could get messy."
"Heh. That's exactly what I'm counting on."
A sadistic grin spread across Ryuuen's face as he locked eyes with me.
"If that bastard lasts until the final day, he'll claw his way into the top ranks—maybe even take first. But if he does, he'll never participate in another exam."
His words reminded me of the contract between Horikita and Kouenji.
If Kouenji secured first place solo, the agreement stipulated he would no longer involve himself in any class competitions.
"I see. But that would dump a massive amount of class points into Class D."
"Maybe. For a while, Class D might even rise in rank. But who does that really hurt? Not us."
"——Ichinose's class."
If Horikita's Class D surged forward, the ones panicking the most would be Ichinose's current Class C.
"Of course, this only works if Kouenji survives until the end. No guarantees."
"True. And even if he does, we'd need fine-tuned point adjustments."
By coordinating with the entire class and GPS data, minor score manipulations were possible.
"Heh. In the end, it all comes down to the final day."
........
On this final day, our final ranking would be determined by Ryuuen's strategies.
Soon, all the results would be announced.
Then, a question occurred to me, and I turned to Ayanokouji.
"Speaking of which, on my way here, I found Nanamiya collapsed. Was that your doing?"
"Yeah. He was being a bit too persistent. Couldn't exactly bring him along, so I knocked him out. Did he do something?"
"No, not exactly—"
Just as I was about to continue, I spotted two figures approaching from ahead.
Ibuki and Horikita—the same two who had been blocked by Amasawa earlier.
"Unusual pairing, Horikita. If you and Ibuki are together, it must be about to rain."
"...Are you two alright?"
"Alright how?"
"Well, I mean... I thought you and Hikigaya-kun might have been in some kind of conflict with someone."
At her words, Ayanokouji and I exchanged glances and denied it almost simultaneously.
"Nah? Nothing happened. Right?"
"As Hikigaya said."
"Then what were you two doing here?"
Well, of course, that question would come up.
I'd leave the explanation to Ayanokouji.
"It's been an exhausting two weeks. We were just resting by the sea, away from prying eyes. I invited Hikigaya along."
A bit of a stretch, but as long as they didn't know the truth, any excuse would do.
"...Ibuki, why are you glaring like that?"
"No reason."
Guess the suspicion wasn't going away that easily. Even though we'd been in a hurry, these two had seen us with Amasawa. I'd probably need to come up with a better excuse later.
And before long, the exam finally came to an end.
........
The long, grueling two-week survival test on the uninhabited island had finally come to an end.
On the final day, some students from groups that pushed themselves too hard sustained injuries, but the exam concluded without major incidents. At the starting base camp, teachers welcomed the exhausted students with words of encouragement.
As the sun began to set, I exchanged brief greetings with a few classmates in passing before heading back aboard the ship. Leaning against the wall near the corridor, I spotted Ryuuen. He noticed me too, our eyes meeting briefly.
"Sorry about dumping everything on you at the last minute."
"Heh. Not gonna ask?"
"Whether I failed or succeeded?"
What kind of success? I didn't need to ask.
"We'll find out soon enough. Or should I ask now?"
Instead of answering, Ryuuen smirked and walked further inside.
Don't ask—that's what he meant. Naturally, I didn't follow him, taking my time to move through the ship.
"Oh my, what a coincidence."
"Arisu."
I turned a corner and nearly ran into her.
"Long time no see. I knew you'd be fine, Hikigaya-kun, but it's still a relief to see you unharmed."
"You seem to be in good health too—that's what matters most. You helped me out a lot this time."
I owed Arisu quite a bit for her assistance during the exam.
When I bowed slightly in thanks, she smiled softly, her expression warm.
"No, no, there's no need for thanks. Besides, thanks to you specifying the timing, I was able to rack up even more points."
On the final day, I had tipped her off about when Nagumo's movements would weaken. It had been for my own benefit too, but judging by her reaction, she must have scored big.
"Ryuuen-kun and your group put up an impressive fight, but I wonder what the final results will be."
"I'm curious too, but we'll find out soon enough. The announcement should be starting shortly."
"Fufu. How exciting. Care to go together?"
"Of course."
Which group would come out on top?
It was time to go and see.
.......
At the 7 PM dinner, students savored their first lavish meal in two weeks.
But there was no time to relax just yet. As the teachers began gathering, the microphone clicked on at exactly 8 PM.
"Please pause your meals for a moment."
At this announcement from Sasaki, the third-year Class A homeroom teacher, all eyes turned toward the stage.
Beside me, Ryuuen and I focused on the proceedings as well.
"First, congratulations on completing the uninhabited island exam. Despite 13 students dropping out, every group managed to endure the full two weeks—a feat that has surprised even us faculty members."
The address began with words of acknowledgment.
"Some classes may already be aware, but as previously explained, the bottom five groups have been penalized with expulsions. For groups with multiple members, one representative will be named: Third-year Class D's Mutou, third-year Class D's Kawakami, third-year Class C's Katsumata, third-year Class C's Shinonome, and third-year Class B's Mikitani—five groups, totaling 15 students."
Murmurs rippled through the first and second years at Sasaki-sensei's explanation.
I had checked the rankings near the end of the 12th day and confirmed the bottom groups, but it was unexpected for all of them to be third-years.
Perhaps the clash between Ayanokouji and Nagumo at the last moment had influenced this outcome.
Then, the large screen flickered to life, displaying a blank white image before Acting Director Tsukishiro appeared on stage.
"Now, we will announce the top three groups of the uninhabited island special exam."
There wasn't a trace of the man who had fought us earlier—his demeanor was as composed as it had been at the exam's start.
The tension in the room thickened instantly. The murmurs died down, and every student waited with bated breath.
"In third place—second-year Class A's Sakayanagi Group. 311 points."
The sole second-year group to rank in the top three.
Sakayanagi Arisu's seven-member group, the only one of its kind permitted among second-years, had played it safe, steadily accumulating points to secure third place.
The timing I had given her at the end must have helped, but Arisu had executed everything flawlessly. A solid victory.
And then—second place.
Everything in this exam culminated here.
Every action, every strategy—this was where their worth would be proven.
Glancing beside me, I saw Ryuuen with his eyes closed, waiting silently yet intently.
I shut my eyes as well. Darkness enveloped my vision, leaving only my hearing.
What would Ryuuen and I feel in this moment?
The thrill of victory?
The sting of defeat?
Or perhaps—
......
"In second place—Second-Year Class B, Ryuuen Group. 325 points."
...
No third cue was needed.
The stunned gazes from those around us.
The disbelieving murmurs.
All of it felt like white noise—background static to the only sound that mattered.
The sharp crack of our fists colliding echoed through the space.
Words were unnecessary.
Emotions were irrelevant.
The thrill of victory, the sting of defeat—none of it meant a thing.
No gratitude, no celebration.
Only one undeniable truth remained.
"Additionally, as the Ryuuen Group possesses a Trial Card, their awarded class points will be multiplied by 1.5."
A total of 300 points added to Class B.
A reward nearly on par with first place.
While the crowd buzzed with shock, neither of us felt an ounce of joy.
Right now, Ryuuen and I were undoubtedly thinking the same thing.
"Anything less wouldn't have been worth teaming up with this bastard."
We weren't allies.
Not friends, not comrades.
There was no trust between us.
Just enemies.
We'd only cooperated because our interests aligned.
But—
"Went exactly as planned. If anything, it's still not enough. Teaming up with you alone puts me in debt."
"Without my support, this ranking would've been impossible."
"Hah? Save the delusions for your dreams. The guy who ran at the last second has no right to run his mouth."
"I didn't run. And objectively, I contributed more. Facts."
"Heh. All talk, as usual. I don't remember asking for your 'support.'"
"You just failed to notice. If you can't even read the battlefield, your future's looking bleak."
"Pfft—melt your brain in the heat, did you? Seems you've officially downgraded to just being an idiot."
"Funny how you've never beaten that 'idiot.' What does that make you? A flea? A speck of plankton?"
"——Oh, you're on."
Whether provoked or genuinely amused, Ryuuen bared his teeth in a feral grin and seized my collar.
I grabbed his in return, the tension between us escalating to the brink of an all-out brawl.
"I'll say it again. I will crush you."
"Try not to let it stay just words."
"That smug look won't last forever."
"I'll enjoy seeing when it finally cracks."
With every taunt, Ryuuen's grin only widened—genuinely, viscerally entertained.
"Don't think I'll ever stop. I'll keep learning. Keep growing. Keep figuring out how to break you."
His grip on my collar tightened, knuckles whitening.
"Suzune, Ichinose, Sakayanagi, Ayanokouji—I'll crush them all my way. And then—"
——Yeah.
That's right. That's how it should be.
You've grown again in this exam.
Stay relentless.
Stare down defeat. Chase victory.
With your unbeaten methods.
With your unbroken will.
And someday—
"I'll devour you whole, Hikigaya Hachiman."
=================================
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