Echo

Class A had chosen a natural cave for its base, sheltered from the wind, dry, and easy to defend but difficult to attack. Kazama In and Koenji Rokusuke moved like ghosts blending into the night, silently approaching the heights near the cave. Hidden behind dense shrubs, they watched from above.

Students from Class A took turns keeping watch at the entrance. The bonfire flickered there, casting dim silhouettes inside. The depths of the cave were pitch-black.

Kazama In's gaze was as sharp as a hawk's. He ignored the guards and the fire, instead using the special watch Kurosawa had modified for him. He gently pressed a tiny, well-concealed button on the side of its face. The watch slid open soundlessly, and a spider-shaped micro-robot, smaller than a fingernail, slipped to the ground. It swiftly and nimbly avoided fallen leaves and gravel, hugged the shadows along the ground, and silently slipped through a crack at the cave entrance.

Kazama In focused on the live thermal imaging and night-vision footage transmitted by the micro-robot to his watch screen. The image swept quickly through the cave: most of the students were asleep, breathing steadily; Katsuragi Kohei was resting with his eyes closed nearby; and several boys on watch were talking quietly near the entrance.

Under Kazama In's remote control, the micro-robot moved like a keen-nosed hound, avoiding every living thing as it ventured deeper into the cave. Its sensors scanned the walls, corners, and floor.

Suddenly, behind a waist-high boulder at a secluded bend deep in the cave, its sensors picked up an extremely faint trace of energy. They also detected a hidden symbol on the rock wall, drawn with special fluorescent mineral powder: a twisted bird-shaped mark, as if torn apart by sharp claws.

"The Blood Crow Mark!" Kazama In's eyes narrowed. He knew the mark all too well. It was a code used within the Blood Crow organization to mark targets or operational areas! The school staff had clearly overlooked it while cleaning and preparing the base.

"Oh? Found a 'beautiful' stain?" Koenji asked in a hushed voice, watching Kazama In's grave profile with interest.

"A mark." Kazama In was terse. He turned the watch screen toward Koenji for a moment, letting him see the twisted bird-shaped mark. "Deep in the cave. The target points to... Sakayanagi? (Though they hadn't realized Arisu wasn't taking part in this exam.) Or..." A cold glint flashed deep in his dark eyes. "It could also be a smokescreen, meant to mislead us, or... the ultimate target could be me."

Koenji's golden pupils contracted as he studied the ominous mark, yet a dangerous curve tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Twisted art... Whether the target is the Sakayanagi Family's shining jewel or our dear Arbiter, it foretells... the imminent arrival of a magnificent conflict. How thrilling!"

Kazama In retrieved the micro-robot and turned off the watch screen. He didn't act rashly. The mark was here, but the assassin clearly wasn't inside the cave at the moment. They were lurking like venomous snakes, waiting to bare their fangs at the deadliest moment.

"Let's go," he whispered. As silently as they had come, the two withdrew from Class A's base and disappeared into the dark forest.

Meanwhile, deep in the woods on the other side of the island, beneath a cliff far from every class's camp, two figures waited inside a temporary camp built in a natural rock crevice and concealed with camouflage netting.

The fire was kept to a bare minimum, just enough to illuminate a small patch of ground. One man was tall and burly, his muscles knotted. A hideous scar ran from his left forehead down to his right cheek, and his eyes were as savage as a beast's. His codename was "Blood Claw." He irritably sharpened a gleaming military dagger against a whetstone, each stroke rasping harshly as if venting his bloodlust.

The other man was leaner, wearing gray-green combat gear that blended into his surroundings. A black mask covered his face, leaving only his eyes and mouth exposed. His gaze was cold and keen as a surgical knife. His codename was "Gray Owl." He carefully inspected a compact submachine gun fitted with a suppressor. Every movement was meticulous, revealing the cold efficiency of a professional assassin.

"Why hasn't that damn bird come back yet?" Blood Claw's voice was hoarse and low, his fury barely contained. "If it dares betray us or fail..."

"Be patient, Blood Claw." Gray Owl's voice was like metal scraping against metal, cold and flat. "Nightingale underwent the most rigorous training. The neural-inhibitor chip implanted in it ensures it won't dare disobey its core instructions. It's only Kazama In's 'eyes' and 'ears.' We're its masters."

Just then, the faintest flutter of wings sounded. The deep-blue nightingale, "Phantom," appeared like a sprite blending into the dark and landed lightly on Gray Owl's outstretched arm. A tiny metal ring around its neck, almost the same color as its feathers, gave an almost imperceptible glint in the firelight.

Gray Owl's cold gaze swept over the nightingale. He touched a tiny sensor on the metal ring, then closed his eyes as if receiving information. A moment later, he opened them, a satisfied glint of cold light passing through his eyes.

"How did it go?" Blood Claw asked impatiently, twirling the dagger in his hand.

"Nightingale sent back word: Kazama In has been confirmed as Class D's leader, and the identification data checks out. Last night, he and Koenji Rokusuke operated separately. Kazama In personally investigated Class A's base and seems to have discovered something, though he didn't explore further. More importantly..." Gray Owl's voice carried a trace of cruel amusement. "During the investigation, Kazama In accidentally scraped his left arm on a sharp outcropping of rock. The wound isn't deep, but it's affecting his movement. He's given it basic treatment."

"He's injured?!" A bloodthirsty gleam blazed in Blood Claw's eyes. He licked his lips. "What a chance! Strike while he's down and finish him!"

"Fool!" Gray Owl snapped coldly. "This is school territory, and the school has government backing. An open assassination is too risky. If we're exposed, we'll have nowhere to run. Don't forget, the organization's ultimate goal isn't simple slaughter. It's to create an 'accident,' make that troublesome Arbiter, Kazama In, disappear for good, and cause enough chaos."

"Then what do we do? Wait for him to recover?"

"Of course not." A calculating glint shone in Gray Owl's eyes. "The news of his injury gives us an excellent lever. Kazama In... this cold-blooded Arbiter isn't without weaknesses. Based on the information from our employer and our own observations, he seems to feel differently about that girl from Class B, Ichinose Honami."

"The blonde girl?" Blood Claw paused, then broke into a savage grin. "You want to go after her? Draw Kazama In out?"

"Exactly." Gray Owl ran his fingers over the submachine gun's cold metal. "We'll stage an 'accident' and put Ichinose Honami in danger. We'll choose the Waterfall Area in the island's northwest. The terrain there is complicated, the current swift, and the signal easy to disrupt, making it an ideal place to stage an 'accident.' Then we'll send Kazama In a 'distress' signal through Nightingale. If he cares about that girl, he'll come alone to save her... and that's when the 'accident' we've carefully prepared for him will unfold."

He looked at Phantom on his arm, his voice cold. "Go, little thing. Return to your 'new master.' When the time is right, I'll give you new instructions." He touched the metal ring again. Phantom shuddered slightly, gave an obedient chirp, then took off and disappeared into the vast night.

Blood Claw stroked his dagger, his eyes glinting with menace. "The Waterfall Area... Heh, I like it there. The current will wash away every trace. Kazama In... and that annoying blonde girl... soon, you'll both disappear into those beautiful waters!" His savage laughter echoed through the silent crevice, brimming with cruel anticipation.

Gray Owl lowered his head again and continued wiping his weapon. Beneath his cold mask, the corner of his mouth curled into a humorless smile. The trap was set, the bait cast. All that remained was for the prey... to walk right into it.

On their way back to Class D's camp, Phantom quietly returned to Kazama In's shoulder and affectionately rubbed against his cheek. Kazama In gently stroked the bird and gazed toward the Waterfall Area in the northwest. It was as if he could see through the dense forest and sense a cold, deadly malice gathering against him and those he cared about. The Arbiter's instinct inside him stirred like a beast awakening, letting out a silent growl.