Landing on the Island

Back in his single cabin on the upper deck of the cruise ship, Kazama In locked the door from the inside and drew the heavy blackout curtains, shutting out the bustle and the ocean view. The room was lit only by the cold glow of his laptop screen, which illuminated his expressionless face.

He quickly reviewed the encrypted logs on his tablet, consolidating the intelligence he had received from Kurosawa, his own findings from surveying the ship, and the scattered fragments of communications he had intercepted by special means.

"Painted Skin has been eliminated. Kurosawa took care of it."

"Second screening of the crew and passenger databases is complete. No signs of any other Blood Crow members in disguise."

"No unusual intrusion or signals of a hidden presence in the ship's surveillance network."

"Supplies are moving normally. No records of unusual equipment transfers."

He filtered, analyzed, and cross-checked the information one piece at a time. At last, a clear conclusion emerged: "The threat aboard the ship has been eliminated. The remaining two Blood Crow assassins have almost certainly infiltrated the target island ahead of us to survey the terrain and prepare ambush sites."

His dark eyes fixed on the satellite image of the island displayed on the screen. It was an undeveloped place, covered in dense primeval forest and rough terrain, with several natural caves and freshwater streams. A perfect hunting ground—and a perfect... hunting ground for the hunted.

"The target is unknown..." Kazama In tapped his fingers lightly on the desk. Had they simply caused panic by making a show of hunting the children of prominent families, or did they have another motive? The possibility that he himself was their target wasn't low, but he wasn't the only one. There were plenty of students aboard the ship who qualified as "valuable targets": Sakayanagi and Katsuragi from Class A, Ichinose from Class B, and even Horikita Suzune from Class D, given her brother's identity. "Not enough information. Revealing my position to draw them out carries too much risk and could involve innocent people. I'll wait and see, then act when the time is right."

He shut down the computer and rubbed his temples. Uncle Kurosawa had already used special channels to stash several key "tools" at a few designated safe points on the island. Once he landed, he would be able to retrieve them.

Only after he had finished dealing with the cold facts and plans did Kazama In feel a touch of weariness. He rose and went to the window, drawing back the heavy curtains.

In an instant, a dazzling river of stars crashed into view!

With no lights from land to pollute the sky, the night above the ocean, far from the bustle of the world, was as pure as the deepest black velvet. Countless stars lay scattered across it like diamonds casually strewn by a god, twinkling in shades both bright and dim, cold and warm. They gathered into a vast, magnificent band of the Milky Way stretching across the heavens. The sea was calm, reflecting the stars above, and the cruise ship seemed to sail along a brilliant road studded with them, a scene straight out of a dream. The cool sea breeze, salty and redolent of freedom, poured through the open porthole and stirred the hair on Kazama In's forehead.

The scene was so tranquil and breathtaking that even the Arbiter, accustomed to darkness and scheming, felt his heart stir. A faint glimmer of starlight seemed to find its way into his cold eyes.

"I should go out and get some fresh air." The thought crossed his mind.

Kazama In changed into simple black athletic clothes and quietly left his cabin. The deck was much quieter at night than it had been during the day. Only the waves lapping against the hull and the distant, faint hum of the engines could be heard. The sea breeze had grown stronger, carrying a refreshing chill.

He went to a secluded stretch of railing near the stern, leaned against the cold metal, and gazed up at the boundless sky. Starlight fell across his stern profile, tracing its deep-set contours.

Just then, light footsteps and the sound of girls chatting and laughing drew nearer. Kazama In didn't turn around, but his keen senses had already identified the newcomers: Ichinose Honami and several of her friends from Class B.

"Wow! The stars are so beautiful tonight! Even more breathtaking than they were during the day!" one of the Class B girls exclaimed.

"Yeah! It feels like my soul's being cleansed!" another agreed.

"Look over there! That's the Big Dipper!" Ichinose Honami said brightly, pointing excitedly toward the northern sky.

The girls chattered as they stopped not far from Kazama In and leaned against the railing to look up at the stars. Ichinose Honami laughed and joked with her friends, then casually glanced around. Her eyes instantly settled on the familiar figure standing alone at the railing, gazing up at the sky.

Beneath the stars, Kazama In's tall, straight figure seemed especially aloof. He tilted his head slightly upward. The starlight traced the lines of his profile, making it look as perfect as a sculpture, while the Milky Way reflected in his dark eyes seemed deep enough to draw in anyone's soul. The breeze stirred the strands of silver-white and dark-red hair over his forehead, lending him an air of cold, otherworldly solitude—and... an indescribable charm.

Ichinose Honami's heart skipped a beat! Two blushes rose uncontrollably on her cheeks. She stared blankly at Kazama In's profile with her blue eyes, forgetting to speak and even forgetting the friends beside her. In that moment, the noisy world seemed to fall away, leaving only the stars, the waves, and the figure bathed in starlight.

"Honami? Honami! What are you staring at so intently?" A girl beside her noticed her odd behavior and followed her gaze. When she spotted Kazama In, she immediately gave a knowing smile and nudged Ichinose with her elbow.

"Huh?!" Ichinose Honami snapped back to her senses as if she'd been caught sneaking around. Her face turned bright red, and she hurriedly looked away, stammering, "N-nothing! Let's... let's go look over there!" Head bowed, she grabbed her friend and hurried off in the other direction, as if some terrible beast were behind her. All that remained was a string of stifled laughter and the girls' teasing whispers.

Kazama In's senses clearly caught it all: the moment her heartbeat stopped, her burning gaze, her hurried retreat and suppressed laughter... He could even "hear" Ichinose's heart pounding like a startled fawn's.

He slowly turned his head and watched Ichinose and her friends hurry away, then glanced at several couples on the deck nearby, nestled together and speaking softly as they shared the starlight and sea breeze.

A trace of confusion, nearly imperceptible, passed through his dark eyes.

"So this is... everyday student life?"

"An accelerated heartbeat, a flushed face, an averted gaze... because someone saw a certain person?"

"Like what the books call... 'falling in love'?"

"Then..." His gaze returned to the couples, carrying an almost academic scrutiny. "If two people spend time together and have a physiological response—an accelerated heartbeat—does that count as 'being in love'? What... exactly is the definition of 'being in love'?"

The stars still glittered, and the sea breeze was still gentle, but Kazama In's thoughts had drifted toward another unknown territory he did not yet fully understand: emotions.

The next morning, as the first rays of golden sunlight broke over the horizon and gilded the blue sea, a clear, energetic announcement woke the entire cruise ship:

"Good morning, everyone! This is a message from the bridge. We have some good news: we're about to reach our destination for this school trip! Please look toward the bow. You should soon be able to see the meaningful, beautiful stretch of untouched nature that awaits us!"

The announcement was like a stone dropped into a still lake, instantly bringing the ship to life! Students poured onto the deck and crowded along the railings, excitedly gazing toward the bow.

Kazama In also made his way to the front of the upper deck, where the view was best. On the distant horizon, the outline of an island covered in lush primeval forest and ringed by golden beaches gradually emerged from the morning mist, growing larger and clearer! Mountain peaks rose faintly in its center, like a sleeping giant.

"Wow! We're really here!"

"That island's huge! It's all trees!"

"The beach! I can see the beach! It's so beautiful!"

"Is this where we're going? This is amazing!"

The deck rang with exclamations and excited anticipation. The students from Class D gathered together too. Sudō, Ike, and Yamauchi had temporarily forgotten their unpleasantness from the night before and were pointing at different parts of the island. Horikita Suzune and Hirata Yosuke were carefully studying the terrain, while Ayanokoji Kiyotaka silently assessed the difficulty of landing. Sakura Airi looked at the dense forest, both eager and a little uneasy. Kushida Kikyo was excitedly talking with several girls.

Ichinose Honami and her Class B classmates were nearby as well. She saw Kazama In standing alone at the front and remembered her loss of composure the night before, causing her cheeks to flush faintly. Still, she summoned her courage, flashed him a bright smile, and waved. Kazama In gave her a slight nod in return.

As the cruise ship slowly approached the island, it eventually dropped anchor in deep water some distance from shore. Several large lifeboats were lowered to transport the students to the island in batches.

The homeroom teachers began organizing the students by class, taking attendance, and handing out supplies.

At the Class D assembly point, Chabashira Sae still looked as stern and capable as ever. She pushed up her glasses and gave her instructions in a clear voice. "Everyone, line up by student number! Take attendance! Hirata, keep order! Each of you will receive one supply backpack and one special wristwatch! The backpack contains basic survival supplies: drinking water, compressed biscuits, a simple first-aid kit, waterproof matches, a multi-purpose knife, a basic tent tarp, and insect repellent! The watch is a locator and emergency communication device. You must wear it the entire time. Do not damage or lose it, or you'll face the consequences! Understood?!"

"Understood!" Class D replied in unison, though their voices carried different emotions—excitement, nervousness, and, for some like Sudō, complete indifference.

Kazama In calmly accepted his backpack and watch. The moment he picked up the watch, he noticed something was off: it was slightly heavier than the standard model, and there were faint traces of modifications on the inside of the casing. "Kurosawa's work." He understood, but put it on without showing any reaction. Its face looked no different from the others, but he knew it contained a miniature poison dart launcher, a signal-jamming countermeasure module, and an encrypted miniature communicator. It was one of his trump cards for fighting the shadows on the island.

The other classes were going through similar procedures. Under Sakagami Kazuma's direction, Class A moved in orderly fashion, like an army. Class B had a friendly atmosphere, guided by Ichinose Honami's gentle but firm voice. Class C was restless beneath Ryuen Kakeru's menacing gaze.

By the time all the students had boarded the lifeboats and were heading toward the golden beach, it was nearly noon.

As soon as they stepped onto the soft sand, feeling solid ground beneath their feet and breathing in the hot, humid air, fragrant with plants, the students burst into cheers! Before them lay a dense, almost primeval jungle. Strange birds called out nearby, mingling with the sound of the waves. Excitement at leaving civilization behind and returning to nature filled the air.

As everyone curiously surveyed this unknown territory, Sakagami Kazuma, the Class A homeroom teacher, walked to the front of the student groups and stood on a slightly raised reef. He pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting the dazzling sunlight, and spoke through a loudspeaker that carried his voice across the beach:

"First-year students of Advanced Nurturing High School! I hereby announce—" He paused deliberately to draw everyone's attention. The beach fell silent.

"The core event of this school trip at sea, our first special field test—the Uninhabited Island Survival Special Exam—is now officially underway!"

"Whoa—!" Even though many had guessed what was coming, the official announcement still provoked a huge commotion on the beach! Excitement, nervousness, worry, anticipation... All sorts of emotions mingled together.

Sakagami Kazuma ignored the commotion and continued reading the rules in his rigid voice. They were exactly the same as in the original story:

1. Test duration: One week, or 168 hours, starting now.

2. Test location: The designated area within a radius of approximately one kilometer from this landing point. The specific boundaries have been sent to everyone's wristwatch.

3. Objective: Survive and earn as many "points" as possible. Points can be earned by checking in at designated locations, completing specific tasks, collecting rare resources, and... eliminating students from other classes, using the wristwatch to declare a "legal" challenge and determine the result.

4. Rules: You may not leave the designated area; you may not use personal electronic devices, except for the wristwatch; you may not deliberately injure others; and you may not damage the ecosystem beyond permitted limits. Students may freely form teams, trade, make alliances, or fight, either within or across classes.

5. Rewards and penalties: The class's total points will be significantly adjusted based on its average score and ranking! Students with outstanding individual performances will receive bonus personal points! Those who break the rules or perform poorly will face severe penalties, including the deduction of large amounts of personal points or even expulsion!

Once the rules had been read, the beach fell briefly silent, then erupted in even louder discussion!

"Just as I thought! It's a survival test!"

"And we have to eliminate others? That..."

"One week! On a deserted island! How are we supposed to manage?"

"Points! How do we get a high score?"

"Make an alliance? With whom?"

Over in Class D, Ken Sudō rubbed his hands together. "Ha! Sounds fun! I'm best at fighting and grabbing points!"

Kanji Ike and Yamauchi Haruki were a little apprehensive. "W-we have to spend the night in the woods? What if there are snakes?"

Horikita Suzune and Hirata Yosuke had already begun quietly discussing their strategy.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka silently checked his backpack and wristwatch.

Kushida Kikyo wore a sweet smile, but her eyes quickly swept over the other classes as she sized up potential allies.

Kazama In calmly adjusted the strap of his wristwatch. His gaze seemed to wander casually across the depths of the dense jungle, but his dark eyes were icy. "The survival game... has begun. Where are the assassins hiding?"

At the edge of a natural rock shelter hidden beneath the dense canopy on the island's highest peak, a figure wearing a ghillie suit perfectly camouflaged against the surroundings was quietly surveying the students gathered on the beach like an ant colony through a high-powered telescope. His gaze precisely locked onto the cold-looking figure in Class D wearing the specially modified wristwatch.

Uncle Kurosawa lowered the telescope and curled his lips in a cold smile. He whispered to the air, as if Kazama In could hear him:

"The stage is set, kid. The tools are hidden too. Now... it's up to you. Survive, win, and drag every one of those vermin hiding in the shadows out into the open... and crush them one by one!" His figure flickered and vanished into the vast sea of green, like a ghost merging with the forest. The island's struggle for survival and hunt for prey had officially begun in bloodshed.