Epilogue

"Hoo, hoo, hoo!"

The shockwaves generated by the intense pressure of the air whistled continuously through the forest.

Rinya's figure seemed to merge with the wind, utilizing the gusts stirred up by the air pressure. His afterimages were so fast they defied perception, causing the five of them to strike at empty air time and time again.

After several rounds of this, they finally realized that their opponent was nowhere to be seen, having vanished into thin air long ago.

And that woman had also disappeared early on.

"Damn it, all he does is play these little tricks! If you've got guts, come out and fight me one-on-one!"

"Bang!"

With a heavy stomp, the sand and gravel on the ground shattered instantly. Genko, his face twisted in rage, continued to trample the debris on the ground.

The white-haired youth leading the group shook his head at the sight. He walked over, patted his shoulder, and sighed, "Enough, that's enough. Since the other party has no intention of fighting us, there's no point in staying here. Today's plan is canceled. I will explain this to the Master personally. Let's go."

Hearing this, though the man was furious, he had no other choice.

"Hmph, kid... you just wait. I'll remember this grudge!"

Meanwhile, Rinya, who had set out specifically to take Hoshinomiya away, felt a sense of unexpected surprise after reaching a safe location.

Throughout the journey, he had been carrying her in his arms as he rushed through the woods.

If it were a normal woman, theoretically, being held so closely by a stranger—let alone a couple—would at least elicit some subtle change in expression, if not screaming or resistance.

That was even more true given the teacher-student relationship between them.

Yet, her uncharacteristic silence was absolute; other than her eyes, which remained fixed on him, she was no different from a wooden doll.

"What's wrong... have you lost your voice, Teacher Hoshinomiya? Heh."

Rinya boldly stroked her hair. Seeing her expression remain as dead and still as water, he couldn't help but become intrigued.

Since his awakening, not only had the shackles on his body been completely shattered, but his perception had also reached a terrifying level that no one else could match.

He could sense that her mind was simply too chaotic, her consciousness unable to process or adapt to the situation, which was why she had become so dazed.

"It looks like you need a little help coming back to your senses," Rinya said, his gaze shifting.

Since he had already exposed himself today, he had decided to personally force out her other side.

If he could fully control her, he would bring her into his fold. If she was the type who would rather perish than submit, he would have no choice but to use a painful method to make her lose her memories of this period.

After all, he wouldn't waste extra time on trouble that could be nipped in the bud.

Thinking this, Rinya walked calmly behind her and gathered a bit of energy. With a brief burst of internal force, he struck it into her back, much like he would use to heal himself.

The next second, something happened that even Rinya found incredibly awkward.

Although the hollow look in Hoshinomiya's eyes faded as the energy rushed through her, and she gradually regained clarity, this was a technique meant for others. Kushida at least had experience with it, but Hoshinomiya...

It seemed the power of that energy was just a little too strong. After helping her regain her senses, the residual force didn't dissipate but instead continued to surge from top to bottom. The result, needless to say...

"Ah~"

A sharp, shrill cry escaped the woman, causing the birds in the forest to scatter in all directions.

In that instant, Hoshinomiya's expression went through ten consecutive changes: blankness, confusion, fear, surprise, panic, shyness, endurance, collapse, despair, and silence~

Rinya, who subconsciously covered his nose, recognized the familiar scent immediately.

Having caused such a massive blunder, Rinya—who had originally intended to use her dark history to force out her other side—found himself momentarily unable to speak.

"Is someone there!"

Just then, the rescue team, alerted by the scream, arrived quickly.

Seeing that things were taking a turn for the worse, Rinya couldn't help but smile and shake his head. "Looks like I'll have to wait for next time."

He wasn't in a hurry, though. Everything that happened today was far too bizarre; he believed she would come looking for him sooner or later.

But before that... he really wanted to investigate how many more hidden cards that man had left in this school.

After all, it wasn't until he helped Hoshinomiya regain her senses that he realized the hypnosis was still active, seemingly with other commands waiting to be fulfilled.

Although he had destroyed the hypnotic suggestion in Hoshinomiya's consciousness with his energy, the homeroom teachers of the other three classes wouldn't be so lucky~

Seeing that this turmoil was about to come to an end...

The youth, moving through the forest, suddenly stopped and looked toward the sunset.

He muttered to himself, "The upcoming uninhabited island exam... people are going to die, aren't they..."