"So what exactly is he trying to do?" Shiraishi Makoto asked, puzzled. "He's even dragging uninvolved people into this. Is he planning to make the White Room public?"
"But if the five upperclasswomen don't withdraw from the exam, they won't be able to get Ayanokouji expelled, will they?" Nanase Tsubasa said. "Defeat Ayanokouji first, then force the upperclasswomen to withdraw-that must be their plan, right?"
Even if the girls put up a desperate fight, a single knife-hand strike each would be enough.
Shiraishi Makoto looked away and checked the time. "Let's keep moving."
With all the other students converging southward, the GPS signals of Shiraishi Makoto, Nanase Tsubasa, and Ayanokouji's group moving toward 2I Area stood out on the map like the brightest stars in the universe.
Tsukishiro Tokinari and the White Room students weren't the only ones who would notice.
At ten in the morning, on the border between areas 2I and 3I, the two teams approaching 2I from different directions finally met. More precisely, Shiraishi Makoto and Nanase Tsubasa caught up with Kushida Kikyo's group of five, who had stopped there.
"Long time no see," Shiraishi Makoto greeted them.
"Makoto!" Kushida Kikyo threw herself into his arms. "I missed you so much."
The two groups' Route Schedules differed so much that they had barely seen each other during the entire two weeks of the Uninhabited Island Exam.
"I missed you all too." Shiraishi Makoto stroked Kushida Kikyo's hair, then said with a smile, "All right, let me give Kei and Airi a hug too."
Only after they had finished catching up did Shiraishi Makoto turn his attention to the figure in red ahead.
"Hello, President Shiraishi, Nanase." Amasawa Ichika raised her right hand in greeting.
"Amasawa." Both recognized her, and Nanase Tsubasa nearly dropped into a fighting stance.