Real Cult: Welcome to Paradise of Freedom

"Ayanokoji-kun, sorry, but we're running a bit low on firewood. Could you go gather some?" Hirata, still setting up the campsite, said upon spotting Kiyotaka.

"Got it. I'll pick up a bit."

"It's too dangerous for you alone."

"It's fine. I'll find someone to come with me."

With that, Kiyotaka left. On the way, he spotted Airi and promptly dragged her along to collect branches.

"Kiyotaka, is it really okay for you to just pull me out like this?" Airi asked, looking at him nervously.

Seeing the tense yet shy expression on Airi's face, Kiyotaka couldn't help but feel a mischievous urge.

He pressed her directly against a tree, covering her soft lips as he said, "What's wrong? Aren't you happy I brought you out?"

Airi quickly shook her head and replied, "No, it's just that everyone's busy. Isn't it bad for us to sneak off like this?" She endured the pleasant sensation spreading from her softness, speaking in a muffled tone.

Deciding he'd teased her enough, Kiyotaka let her go and said, "What are you thinking? We came out because we might not have enough firewood—just gathering some more."

"Then why were you groping me!" Airi pouted in dissatisfaction, her eyes glistening as she looked at Kiyotaka.

"Collecting interest."

Kiyotaka said calmly, then began selecting suitable firewood.

Watching him get to work, Airi stomped her foot adorably and scolded him in a cute, fierce tone. "Kiyotaka, you're awful!"

Soon, the two had gathered a large pile of firewood. But on their way back, they spotted a dejected figure sitting by the path. Looking closer, they could see her face was covered in bruises, as if she'd just been beaten.

Chapter 30: Mio Ibuki

"Ah, classmate, what happened to you?" Kind-hearted Airi immediately moved to approach the pitiful-looking girl.

Kiyotaka grabbed Airi, muttering under his breath, "You're Ibuki from Class C, right?"

Airi looked at Kiyotaka in confusion and asked, "Kiyotaka, what's wrong? She's injured."

Kiyotaka glanced at Airi, then let go and shook his head. "Nothing."

Seeing this, Airi walked over to Ibuki's side and crouched down. "Classmate, are you okay? Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Didn't you hear him say I'm from Class C?" Ibuki shot Airi a cold glance and said flatly.

Airi just smiled and replied, "No matter which class you're from, you're hurt now, and I can't just ignore that." With that, she helped Ibuki up and slowly guided her back to the campsite, settling her down nearby.

As evening fell, a group gathered around Ike.

"Look, you just strike it like this, and the flame appears!" With Ike's demonstration, a fire quickly rose from the woodpile, blazing up.

Just then, the girls' group, who had been picking fruit, returned. Among them, Kikyo smiled warmly at everyone. "We're back! We picked a lot of fruit, but we can't tell which ones are edible."

"Yeah, who knows if these are safe to eat."

"Maybe they're blueberries?" Kikyo said, holding up a cluster of slightly blue-purple fruit.

"Hey, isn't that the fruit of the Bog Bilberry? It's super sweet! Oh, you even picked figs? What a nostalgic taste. Did you gather all this yourselves, Kikyo? You're amazing!" Ike, having just lit the fire, exclaimed in delight upon seeing the fruit in Kikyo's hands.

"Ike-kun, you know so much—finding water sources, identifying fruit, and mastering all these skills," Hirata remarked in admiration from the side.

"Ike even taught us how to start this fire. It's really impressive," Kei Karuizawa added affirmatively.

Hearing Kei's praise, Ike's expression wavered for a moment before he stood up and spoke.

"Karuizawa, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called you dramatic this morning. It reminded me of my first time camping with my parents and how I made a scene over the crappy toilet. I didn't think it through. Please forgive me."

"Why are you suddenly apologizing? We're at fault too. Looks like if we don't do something, we won't be able to keep our points."

Ike's apology caught Kei off guard, and she responded awkwardly.

Just then, Hirata clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.

"Everyone, I hope we can get along this week and aim to save at least 250 points."

"What, you planning to use 200 points?" someone asked in confusion.

"Here's the thing. If we need to replenish food and water, even the cheapest meal costs 15 points. From tonight until the exam ends, that's 12 meals, totaling 180 points. Add the 50 points we already spent on the toilet and tent, that's 230 points. With 20 points left as backup, keeping 250 would be pretty good."

"What do you think?" Kiyotaka asked, standing beside Horikita.

"A realistic calculation. Matches mine exactly," Horikita said coldly.

"Oh? Did you teach him that?"

Horikita shot Kiyotaka a glare.

"As if."

Hirata continued.

"Plus, thanks to Ike finding a water source, if we can gather our own food, we might even save over 300 points! That'd be a huge improvement over our usual scores under 100."

Class D's students found Hirata's analysis convincing, their confidence swelling.

About half an hour later, Kiyotaka walked over to Ibuki, who was sitting alone.

"Sorry, bear with me a little longer. Hirata and the others are discussing your situation."

Ibuki buried her face in her bag and muttered.

"Whatever. I'll get kicked out soon anyway. Doesn't matter."

Kiyotaka sat down beside her.

"Not necessarily. Our class has quite a few decent people."

No sooner had he spoken than Kikyo approached with some food.

"You're Ibuki, right? Have something to eat for now. You might have to wait a bit longer."

Ibuki stared at the warm-hearted Kikyo, a flicker of surprise on her face.

"You guys... are you all idiots? Being this nice to someone from another class."

Kikyo smiled sweetly, unfazed.

"I hope we can have a good chat later. Eat up first..."

Ibuki watched Kikyo walk away, then turned to Kiyotaka in confusion.

"Aren't you afraid I'm a spy from Class C?"

Kiyotaka's golden eyes locked onto Ibuki, a sharp glint flashing and vanishing. He said calmly.

"That's none of my business. I'm not the one calling the shots in Class D. As long as no one messes with me, I don't care."

Ibuki's hairs stood on end from that momentary glare, but when she looked again, it felt like an illusion. This left her with a mix of suspicion and wariness toward Kiyotaka.

At the same time, a long-unheard voice echoed in Kiyotaka's mind.

"Target Mio Ibuki detected. Mission accepted. Seduction begins."

The brief sentence made Kiyotaka narrow his eyes. He'd thought the next target would be Honami Ichinose, but it turned out to be Ibuki from Class C.

Kiyotaka cast a discreet, appraising glance at Ibuki. He didn't know much about this blue-haired girl, but her body proportions and the firm muscles in her arms and calves made it clear she trained regularly—maybe even had some martial arts background.

Coupled with her suspicious timing in appearing on Class D's turf, a hint of amusement stirred within Kiyotaka.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

Ibuki, now wary of Kiyotaka, caught his subtle scrutiny.

"Nothing. Just thinking about your question earlier," Kiyotaka said calmly.

"What question?"

"If you really are a spy from Class C, how I'd make you regret it."

With that, Kiyotaka gave Ibuki a faint smile and headed back toward Horikita at the camp. He needed to keep an eye on her condition to avoid any mishaps.

Chapter 31: Kikyo's Submission

Kiyotaka's gaze felt piercing, as if it stripped Ibuki bare and laid her soul open. The sensation sent a chill down her spine, and even after he left, she couldn't snap out of it for a long time.

Ibuki's mission appearance opened up a new line of thought for Kiyotaka. For now, both Horikita and their homeroom teacher Chabashira demanded advancement to Class A. To get there, he'd have to knock down Classes C, B, and A one by one. Ibuki's arrival gave him a foothold into Class C—seducing her to infiltrate them was one viable path.

As Kiyotaka mulled this over, Sudo's roar jolted him back.

"Koenji, you bastard! I'm gonna beat the hell out of you!"

Kiyotaka moved closer to the crowd upon hearing this and asked.

"What happened? Why are you so angry?"

Hirata rubbed his temples and said.

"Koenji didn't show up for evening roll call. According to the homeroom teacher, he went back to the cruise ship on his own. He's not allowed to return during the exam and will lose 20 exam points."

Hirata's words made Horikita shake her head repeatedly, but for Kiyotaka, it was unexpected yet within reason.

Everyone in Class D was what the homeroom teacher called trash, each with their own flaws. Though Kiyotaka didn't know much about Koenji, judging from his usual self-centered behavior, it was indeed possible for him to do something like this.

"The key now isn't dwelling on what's already happened, but how Ibuki plans to handle it."

Kiyotaka rarely spoke up, which made Horikita's eyes flash with surprise and suspicion. She never expected him to chime in at a time like this—it was completely unlike him.

"Ayanokoji is right. Actually, my suggestion is to accept her. Even though this is an exam, it's too dangerous to let a girl fend for herself on this deserted island."

Hirata nodded and expressed his opinion.

Karuizawa always followed whatever Hirata said, so she didn't object.

As for Kikyo, there was no need to mention her—her surface-level kindness wouldn't allow her to say no.

With that, the agreement of these three largely decided Ibuki's fate. Seeing the consensus, Kikyo said.

"Then should I go talk to Ibuki?"

Hirata smiled slightly at Kikyo.

"I'll leave it to you."

Seeing Kikyo about to go find Ibuki, Kiyotaka silently approached her and said in a low voice.

"Follow me."