"...It seems Mikitani fell right into their trap."
After checking the current status of the Mikitani Group and the Ryuuen Group via GPS, Kiriyama made that judgment.
"Ryuuen… and Hikigaya. It appears we underestimated them too much. Letting Mikitani handle this might have been a mistake."
Mikitani was by no means a mere foot soldier—his OAA (Overall Ability Assessment) scores were close to Kiriyama's own. Yet, his half-hearted approach and arrogant carelessness led to this outcome.
"...Losing the free group is a painful blow, but even so, our victory remains certain."
There was no impatience in Kiriyama's eyes.
He had anticipated things unfolding this way, and his strategy to maintain their top position was already set in stone.
......
"You bastards!! Crush them!! Even if you have to force your way through, stopping them gives us the upper hand!!"
Behind us, Mikitani—still clutching his stomach—was the first to bark orders at the surrounding third-years.
The third-years, who had been faltering and struggling to grasp the situation, seemed to snap into focus at Mikitani's words, bracing themselves to intercept me and Ryuuen.
By my count, at least sixteen of them were now glaring at us with hostility.
"Heh, that's more like it!! A one-sided beatdown would've been boring as hell!!"
Despite the overwhelming disadvantage, Ryuuen charged forward with a wild laugh. Does this guy even have a concept of fighting strategically?
As if to shatter my thoughts, Ryuuen drove a brutal front kick straight into the face of the upperclassman in front of him.
"—Guh!!?"
"Y-You little…!"
When another third-year beside him tried to retaliate, I drove my fist into his gut, stopping him cold.
Two upperclassmen crumpled to their knees, groaning in pain.
"Honestly, if I hadn't stepped in, you'd be eating a counter right now, Ryuuen."
"Quit babysitting me. That weak shit wouldn't have done anything."
"You could at least say thanks."
"Thank you? I'd rather die."
As we exchanged words completely unfit for the situation, the remaining upperclassmen tightened their circle around us.
"Surround them!! Don't let them make it one-on-one! Overwhelm them with numbers!!"
Following Mikitani's command, the remaining fourteen closed in, step by step.
"Man, you seniors are savage. Picking on your juniors like this?"
"Sorry, but I don't see the two of you as juniors. If you wanna be treated like one, learn to obey your elders."
"And if you wanna be treated like an elder, maybe scram while you still can."
Negotiations failed. Mikitani, now certain we'd never see eye to eye, raised a hand—a silent signal to attack.
"You sure about this, Mikitani? 'Cause we will wreck you."
"…Yeah. We're crushing you two here and now. Go!!"
On his cue, six students rushed us at once—half from the front, half from behind.
At a glance, it seemed like a perfectly coordinated assault, but the truth was obvious:
None of these six were experienced fighters. None had real teamwork.
They were just a bunch of amateurs, half-heartedly attacking at roughly the same time—if anything, they were relying too much on each other.
Nobody here was used to violence.
Except for me and Ryuuen.
Ryuuen took the ones behind. I planted my fist into the face of the one in front.
Two more down. Twelve left.
We needed to wrap this up fast—the next designated area wouldn't wait.
"These upperclassmen charging in with no real will to fight… What a buncha morons."
"Don't be too harsh. Not everyone's used to throwing hands."
Back-to-back, we kept our eyes forward.
"No time to waste on these clowns. Let's clean up."
"Agreed."
I clenched my fists again as the next wave of upperclassmen closed in.
.......
Under Ryuuen and Hachiman's orders, the Ishizaki Group had quietly surrounded the area.
Ishizaki and the others stayed hidden, observing the battle between Ryuuen and Hachiman. Though this wasn't part of the original plan, the rest of the group had agreed—there was no harm in staying prepared.
"D-Damn…"
Ishizaki couldn't help but mutter under his breath as he watched the two in action.
Against a large group of third-years, these two were dominating—almost untouched. It was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
"When those two team up… they're seriously unstoppable."
"No kidding. It's like watching an overwhelming force. And who knew Hikigaya was that strong?"
Nishino's surprise was understandable. Hachiman usually flew under the radar, making it easy to forget just what he was capable of.
"I have to agree. I never expected Hikigaya to possess this level of skill."
Katsuragi crossed his arms, his tone solemn.
Hearing this, Ishizaki smirked, a hint of pride flashing across his face.
"Ishizaki, what's with that look? It's kinda pissing me off."
"Heh heh heh. I knew Hachiman was a beast from the start! We're tight like that, y'know?"
"Annoying."
"Besides, this ain't even him goin' all out. If he really cut loose—"
As memories of the rooftop incident resurfaced, Ishizaki suddenly realized something.
"Wait, where's Shiina? The hell'd she go?"
"Now that you mention it… I don't see her. She was here earlier."
"…Oh. Uh. Shiina's… over there."
Nishino pointed hesitantly as Ishizaki and Katsuragi scanned their surroundings.
When the two turned to look—
"So cool… So, so cool ♡ Ahhh, why is Hikigaya-kun this amazing and perfect? ♡ I love him, I adore him! ♡ Once this exam's over, I'll— ♡"
Shiina clutched her flushed cheeks, her dreamy gaze locked onto Hachiman with unsettling intensity.
"......Well. As long as she's unharmed."
"...Yeah."
Katsuragi and Nishino quickly averted their eyes, refocusing on Ryuuen and Hachiman's battle.
"What's up with you guys?"
Ishizaki, the only one completely oblivious, tilted his head in confusion.
.......
How much time had passed?
By my estimate, about seven minutes—no, maybe even less.
What had started as a fierce struggle now ended with every single third-year groaning on the ground, writhing in pain.
"Guh… Ugh… Dammit… What the hell are you two? There were sixteen of us… Monsters…?"
Mikitani glared up at us from the dirt.
"…Wait, you didn't have to fight us, right? You could've just run…?"
He seemed to be implying that once they realized they were surrounded, escape had still been an option.
"Heh, sure, we could've slipped past without tangling with you seniors. But—"
"Technically, yes, we could've avoided confronting you. However—"
At his question, Ryuuen and I crouched down, our eerie gazes locking onto his.
"If you're dumb enough to pick a fight, we'll beat you to a pulp. Way more fun that way, right?"
"It was simply more convenient to ensure you seniors stayed down. That's all."
"...You're both insane."
Ryuuen answered Mikitani's horrified stare with a sharp punch to the face. A dull thud later, he collapsed, unconscious.
"Heh. Good warm-up."
Ryuuen flicked the blood off his knuckles.
"We've got more 'exercise' ahead."
The uninhabited island exam was about to hit its climax. Though we'd taken down the third-years faster than expected, the next designated area would be announced soon. There wasn't much time to rest.
"Take a short break, then we move."
I tossed Ryuuen a water bottle. He caught it with a nod.
...
Ichinose Honami was running.
"Hah... hah... I-I have to hurry... I have to reach Ayanokouji-kun...!!"
Gasping for breath, she pushed her exhausted body beyond its limits, sprinting toward Ayanokouji's location.
The reason she was abandoning all caution in the exam traced back to an incident just days prior.
"If I don't hurry... Ayanokouji-kun will... that Chairman Tsukishiro will..."
It had been a twist of fate.
While returning to the starting point due to a malfunctioning watch, she'd accidentally stumbled upon Tsukishiro. Precisely because her watch was broken, he hadn't detected her presence.
And in that moment—she'd overheard his mutterings.
"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka"... "final day"... "I2"... "eliminate"...
When Tsukishiro noticed her shock, he'd coldly warned her: "If you speak of this, I cannot guarantee your classmates' safety."
Yet here she was, running anyway—to save him.
The fuel driving her forward was undeniable: gratitude toward Ayanokouji... and something deeper, something tender. Every emotion propelled her onward.
"There...!"
Across the river, she finally spotted him.
"AYANOKOUJI-KUN——!!"
Her voice tore through her parched throat as she screamed his name.
........
"F-Finally... I finally caught up... Ayanokouji-kun! I—"
"Calm down. What's wrong, Ichinose?"
Panting heavily, Ichinose stumbled toward Ayanokouji, desperately trying to form words. Seeing her on the verge of collapse from exhaustion, he steadied her with a slight embrace.
"I... I had to tell you something no matter what...!"
"Tell me what?"
"I kept thinking... and thinking... I couldn't stop worrying... I had to protect my friends, my classmates...!"
Of course, that alone wasn't enough. The only thing Ayanokouji could grasp was her desperation.
"But even so... I was so worried about you, Ayanokouji-kun, I just couldn't—!"
"...What do you mean?"
"M-My watch... it broke, so I went back to the starting point to exchange it... and that's when I saw Chairman Tsukishiro and Professor Shiba...!"
Still struggling to catch her breath, her words came out fragmented.
"Th-They said... if you made it to the final day unharmed... they'd call you to I2 and... eliminate you——"
I2. Eliminate. The moment those words registered, Ayanokouji pieced it together instantly.
"Let me guess. Tsukishiro threatened to use your classmates against you if you exposed him?"
Ichinose's eyes widened at his accuracy, but she nodded repeatedly.
"If I told you... he said he'd expel my classmates...! But I just... I couldn't stop worrying about you...!"
"You should've abandoned me without a second thought. I'm your enemy."
"No...! You're not my enemy. Because... because to me, Ayanokouji-kun is——"
Her grip on his shirt tightened.
"I... I love you...!"
The words spilled out—unplanned, unintended. She immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, her face burning.
"W-Wait! That's not— I mean, why did I— Huh?! Wha—?!"
Panic set in as she floundered, utterly unable to process what she'd just confessed.
Ayanokouji studied her for a moment, then spoke quietly.
"———Thank you, Ichinose."
"H-Huh?! Wha—?!"
"If you hadn't warned me... I don't know what would've happened."
She'd risked everything to alert him. For Ayanokouji, this was a pivotal moment.
"What you said earlier... Was it true?"
"Th-That's... I mean... N-No, it's not like that! It's just... um...!"
"If it's not true, deny it now. Otherwise, I might misunderstand."
Cornered, Ichinose's whisper was barely audible.
"...I... do love you."
A confession wrung straight from her heart.
"Honestly, I'm surprised you feel that way about me."
"S-Sorry... I mean, it's weird, right...?"
"Not at all. But I can't give you an answer right now."
"O-Oh... Yeah, I'm... not good enough for you anyway..."
"That's not it. There are things I need to resolve first. In this situation, I can't say yes or no."
With the exam ongoing and countless variables in play, any answer now would only cause complications later.
"Your feelings mean a lot to me. As does your risking so much to warn me. This might not satisfy you, but it's all I can offer right now."
"...Okay. I understand."
Ichinose nodded, her disappointment hidden. Ayanokouji gently patted her head once.
...
After parting ways with Ichinose, Ayanokouji retrieved a transceiver from his backpack.
The notification tone sounded within seconds, and the call was immediately answered.
"Ayanokouji-senpai? Is something wrong?"
"Nanase, I need a small favor."
The voice on the other end belonged to his junior—a piece now under his control.
"A favor...?"
"More of a message, really."
"A message? ...Understood. For whom?"
"Hikigaya."
The unexpected name gave Nanase a brief pause, but she quickly composed herself, urging him to continue.
"Tell Hikigaya this: On the final day—stay out of my way."
=================================
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