The morning sun pierced the thin mist and fell across the deserted island's beach. Tang Yu stood at the edge of the landing craft, the salty sea breeze washing over him. He took a deep breath, feeling excitement surge through him.
"Class D, prepare to disembark!" Chabashira-sensei's voice came from up ahead.
Tang Yu glanced back at his classmates. Some looked nervous, some excited, and others thoroughly unwilling.
The seven members of the Leadership Group stood at the front. Horikita Suzune was checking her equipment list, while Ayanokoji Kiyotaka wore his usual expressionless face.
"Remember the plan," Hirata Yosuke reminded everyone quietly. "Set up camp first, then think about the task."
The landing craft reached shore, and the Class D students stepped onto the soft sand. Tang Yu immediately activated Emotion Perception and scanned the surroundings. The other three classes had landed at different spots nearby, and the air was thick with subtle tension.
[Emotion Perception: Intense competitive emotions detected within a 50-meter radius]
"Split up according to the original plan," Hirata ordered. "Sudo, lead a team to gather firewood. Kushida, organize the girls to set up the tents. Koenji... Where's Koenji?"
The eccentric blond boy had already disappeared. Tang Yu had expected as much. "Forget about him. Let's carry on."
Horikita Suzune took out a map. "Based on the tides and wind direction, the best place for camp is that high ground." She pointed toward a nearby slope.
"No," Tang Yu said, shaking his head. "It's too conspicuous and could easily become a target. I suggest setting up at the edge of the woods, near the freshwater stream."
Unable to agree, the two eventually looked to Ayanokoji. To their surprise, he supported Tang Yu's proposal. "Staying hidden is more important."
Once they had settled on a site, Class D sprang into action. Tang Yu and Ayanokoji took a few boys with them to set up a perimeter.
The two worked in sync, placing simple alarms around the camp—makeshift warning devices made from string and empty cans.
"There's someone thirty meters east," Ayanokoji said suddenly in a low voice, his eyes still fixed on the string in his hands.
Tang Yu activated Emotion Perception and caught a faint ripple of nervousness. "A scout from Class C?"
"Most likely. Ryuen won't pass up any chance to gather information."
Tang Yu's lips curled slightly. "I'll handle it."
He deliberately spoke loudly to the classmate beside him. "I'm going to the stream to get some water." Then he carried a bucket toward the scout's hiding place.
As he approached the bushes, Tang Yu pretended to trip over a tree root. The bucket flew into the bushes.
"Hey! Who's there?" he shouted.
A scrawny boy jumped awkwardly out of the bushes, a Class C badge pinned to his uniform.
"S-sorry!" the boy stammered. "I was just... just..."
"Just scouting for Ryuen Kakeru?" Tang Yu finished for him with a smile, activating Emotion Perception at the same time. The Emotion Cloud above the boy's head instantly turned a panicked red.
[Fear from a Class C scout +100]
"Go tell Ryuen," Tang Yu said in a low voice. "Class D isn't a pushover. If he wants information, he can come talk to me himself."
The boy fled in a panic. When Tang Yu returned to camp, Ayanokoji was waiting for him.
"Take care of it?" Ayanokoji asked.
Tang Yu nodded. "Ryuen will soon find out we're not easy targets."
"You provoked him on purpose?" A hint of surprise flashed in Ayanokoji's eyes.
"Better to draw him out into the open than let him make trouble from the shadows," Tang Yu explained. "Angry people make mistakes."
By noon, Class D's camp had begun to take shape. The tent area, storage area, and cooking area were all neatly organized. They had even built a simple lookout tower.
By comparison, the other classes were clearly lagging behind. Class A was being too cautious, Class B's overly democratic approach was slowing them down, and Class C was focused on harassing everyone else.
"We're ahead," Hirata said with satisfaction.
Horikita Suzune was teaching several girls how to identify edible plants. "You can eat this wild plant, but that mushroom is poisonous..."
Tang Yu noticed Ayanokoji standing alone at the edge of camp, his gaze fixed on Class C's camp in the distance. He walked over and followed his line of sight. Ryuen Kakeru was approaching with several tall boys.
"Trouble's coming," Tang Yu said softly.
Ayanokoji nodded. "Time to see how well your strategy holds up."
Ryuen Kakeru, Class C's tyrant, was nearly 1.9 meters tall. Beneath his short black hair was a sharp-featured face, and his eyes held a predator's ferocity. Three muscular boys followed behind him, clearly spoiling for trouble.
The Class D students tensed at once. Ken Sudō and several other athletes stepped forward to block the way. "What do you want?"
Ryuen ignored Sudō and swept his gaze across the group before stopping on Tang Yu. "You're that transfer student from China? I heard you threatened one of my men today."
Tang Yu stepped forward calmly. "It was just a friendly chat. Welcome to the Class D camp. Want a tour?"
[Annoyance from Ryuen Kakeru +80]
Ryuen narrowed his eyes. "You've got guts. But out here, without teachers watching us every minute, accidents can happen pretty easily."
His blatant threat caused a stir among the Class D students. Tang Yu only smiled. "True. For example, an 'accident' like Class C choosing the wrong campsite and getting flooded by the tide in the middle of the night."
"You!" A boy behind Ryuen shouted angrily and stepped forward, but Ryuen raised a hand to stop him.
"Interesting." Ryuen stared at Tang Yu. "Looks like Class D isn't all useless. But don't think you can survive out here just because you can solve a few math problems."
Tang Yu shrugged. "We may not be as good as Class C at using violence. But this test is scored on 'quality of survival' and 'teamwork,' not on who can fight best."
[Anger from Class C members +120]
Ryuen's expression darkened. "You've got a sharp tongue. Let's see if you're still this cocky three days from now."
Just as tensions reached a boiling point, a gentle female voice came from the side. "Could everyone calm down?"
Honami Ichinose, Class B's leader, walked over with several classmates. Her flaxen hair gleamed in the sunlight, and her face was full of sincere concern.
"Ryuen, the test has only just begun. There's no need for this, is there?" Ichinose urged.
Ryuen snorted. "Class B wants to get involved too?"
"I just think everyone should get along peacefully." Ichinose replied with a smile, but Tang Yu's Emotion Perception picked up the tension within her. This kindhearted girl was genuinely worried the conflict would escalate.
"Hmph. Boring." Ryuen gave Tang Yu one last glare, then left with his men.
Ichinose breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Tang Yu. "Are you all right?"
"Thanks for stepping in," Tang Yu said politely, quickly assessing the Class B leader. Ichinose's Emotion Cloud was a warm pink-orange, filled with sincere goodwill.
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