Counterattack

At the same time, on the high ground.

Ayanokoji and the other two returned with water and food. When the people at the camp saw what they had brought back, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Water! It's water!"

"And food!"

Everyone crowded around them. There wasn't much, but at least it was enough to tide them over for now.

Ayanokoji pulled Hirata aside. "We caught the four Class C students who went to fetch water and tied them to a tree by the waterfall. I left a note telling Ryuen to trade supplies for them."

"Trade?" Hirata was taken aback. "Will he agree?"

"He has to," Ayanokoji said. "One of the four is badly injured. If he isn't treated soon, there could be trouble. No matter how ruthless Ryuen is, he won't dare let this turn into a serious incident."

"So... are we really going to trade them?"

"Of course." Ayanokoji nodded. "We're short on supplies, and Class C has more than we do. Trading four people for enough food and water to last two days is a good deal."

Hirata thought it over, then agreed. "But how do we make sure they don't try anything?"

"That's why we need a mediator." Ayanokoji looked toward the other side of the high ground. "Ichinose, can you help us?"

Honami Ichinose stepped out of the shadows. She had been watching the situation the whole time. "You want Class B to mediate?"

"Right. Your class hasn't fallen out with either side, so you're the best choice."

Ichinose considered it for a few seconds, then smiled. "All right. But in return, Class D will owe Class B a favor."

"Deal."

At six in the morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

They chose the open ground between the waterfall and the two camps as the exchange site. Five students from Class B served as mediators and oversaw the trade.

Six students from Class C arrived, led by Ryuen himself. They brought two crates of supplies—food, water, medicine, and some tools.

Ayanokoji, Hirata, and Sudo escorted the four captives on behalf of Class D.

The two sides faced each other from twenty meters apart.

"We've brought the people," Ayanokoji said. "Where are the supplies?"

Ryuen gave a signal, and Daichi Ishizaki pushed the two crates into the space between them.

Honami Ichinose and the other Class B students inspected the supplies. Once they confirmed everything was in order, they nodded to both sides.

"Release them at the same time," she said.

The captives were untied and slowly made their way toward Class C. The Class C students pushed the supplies over to Class D as well.

The exchange went smoothly, without a hitch.

When the last person had returned to Class C's side, Ryuen suddenly spoke. "Ayanokoji."

"What is it?"

"You won this time." Ryuen's expression was calm, but his eyes were as sharp as knives. "But the game isn't over. You won't be able to hold out through the twenty-four-hour guard duty."

"Try us."

"I will." Ryuen turned away. "Once the sun's up, I'll show you why Class C can keep Class D under its thumb."

The Class C students left.

Ichinose came over, looking worried. "Ryuen won't let this go. He's definitely planning something."

"I know." Ayanokoji looked at the two crates of supplies. "But at least now we have the means to keep fighting."

At eight in the morning, the guard duty on the high ground entered its tenth hour.

The students from Class D and Class B took turns resting while keeping up a steady watch.

Class A still hadn't made a move, but Kohei Katsuragi was watching the situation closely, apparently waiting for the right moment.

The Class C camp seemed quiet, but everyone knew it was the calm before the storm.

At ten in the morning, something unexpected happened.

It didn't come from Class C, but from beyond the island.

The roar of a helicopter sounded overhead. One flew low over the island, then circled above the central clearing.

"Is that... the school's helicopter?" Hirata looked up.

The helicopter didn't land. Instead, it dropped a box. A parachute carried it slowly down into the clearing.

Then the announcement came over the loudspeakers. "Attention, all students. A 'Special Supply Box' has now been dropped. It contains important supplies and clues to an additional task. Its location has been updated on your maps."

A Special Supply Box?

Everyone was stunned. The rulebook hadn't mentioned anything about this.

"It's a hidden rule," Hiyori Shiina's voice came over the walkie-talkie. "The school often adds unannounced elements to Special Exams to test how well students can adapt."

"What could be in the box?" Karuizawa asked.

"I'm not sure. But it's bound to contain something that'll help us in the exam."

That raised the question: the supply box had landed in the clearing, not far from any of the four classes' camps. Who would go and get it?

The first person to make a move would become everyone's target.

But the supplies were too tempting to ignore, especially when Class D was running low.

"Ayanokoji," Hirata said, looking at him. "Should we go for it?"

Ayanokoji considered the choice. Going carried risks; staying behind could mean missing an important opportunity.

[ Ding! New event detected. Limited-time mission triggered: Claim the Supply Box.]

[Mission requirements: Take the supply box before another class obtains it, then return it safely.]

[Mission rewards: Points and abilities awarded according to the value of the supplies in the box.]

[Failure penalty: None.]

[Note: This mission may trigger a battle between multiple classes. Assess the risks carefully.]

A limited-time mission, but with no penalty for failure. That meant the system was encouraging him to give it a try.

"Let's go." Ayanokoji made his decision. "But not everyone. Sudo, Horikita, you're coming with me. The rest of you, guard the high ground."

"Just the three of us?" Hirata sounded concerned.

"Fewer people means we'll be more agile," Ayanokoji said. "Besides, the other classes might not send a large group either. They'll be worried about leaving their camps undefended."

He was right. With the classes keeping each other in check, sending a small team made more sense.

Once they were ready, the three of them set off.

At the edge of the clearing.

When Ayanokoji and the others arrived, they found that someone else had already beaten them there.

Four students from Class A, led by Kohei Katsuragi himself.

Five students from Class C had also arrived. Ryuen wasn't with them; Daichi Ishizaki was leading the group.

As for Class B, Honami Ichinose and three others stood on the opposite side.

All four classes had sent elite teams. They surrounded the supply box in the clearing, but no one made the first move.

"What a crowd," Daichi Ishizaki said with a grin. "All this over one box."

Kohei Katsuragi pushed up his glasses. "According to the rules, whoever gets here first gets it. Class A arrived first."

"Bullshit!" Ishizaki retorted. "We all got here at the same time!"

Ichinose tried to defuse the situation. "Everyone, calm down. Maybe we can share what's in the box?"

"Share it?" Katsuragi shook his head. "The supply box is clearly intended for one class. Sharing it isn't realistic."

The tension rose again.

Ayanokoji stood at the edge of the woods and didn't immediately join the standoff. He watched, studying everyone's positions and the surrounding terrain.

The clearing wasn't large, and woods surrounded it on all sides. The box sat right in the middle, bright red and impossible to miss.

If they rushed out to grab it now, they would become everyone's target.

They had to wait for an opening.

Seconds ticked by. The four teams watched one another, none of them daring to move first.

Suddenly, a bird called from the direction of Class C. It wasn't a real bird—it was a whistle.

Daichi Ishizaki's expression changed when he heard it.

It was a signal, one Ryuen had sent.

But what did it mean?

While Ishizaki was still hesitating, Class A made the first move.

Kohei Katsuragi suddenly gave the order. "Move!"

All four Class A students charged toward the supply box at once, moving in perfect unison.

"Stop them!" Ishizaki shouted.

The Class C students rushed forward too.

Ichinose hesitated for a moment, then joined the fray with her team.

The clearing descended into chaos. Students from three classes grappled with one another over the red box.

Only Ayanokoji and the other two remained hidden in the woods, holding back.

"Are we not going in?" Sudo asked impatiently.

"Wait a little longer," Ayanokoji said calmly. "Let them fight first."

The battle was fierce. Class A's discipline, Class C's brutality, and Class B's teamwork clashed.

A few minutes later, the box had changed hands three times: Class A grabbed it first, then Class C took it, and then Class B managed to get involved.

All three sides were battered.

Two Class A students were injured, along with three from Class C and one from Class B. The box fell to the ground, and no one could hold onto it.

"Now," Ayanokoji said.

The three of them burst from the woods like leopards and made a beeline for the box.

"Class D!" someone shouted when they spotted them.

But it was already too late. Ayanokoji reached the box first, grabbed it, and ran. Sudo and Horikita covered him on either side, blocking the pursuers.

"After them!"

The three classes realized what had happened and immediately gave chase.

But Ayanokoji and the others were fast, and they had planned their route in advance. Instead of running straight back to the high ground, they veered into the twisting woodland.

The pursuers quickly split up in the woods and lost sight of them.

Ten minutes later, Ayanokoji and the others had shaken off their pursuers and returned to the high ground with the box.

"We did it!" Cheers broke out through the camp.

They set the supply box in the center, and everyone gathered around it.

The box was locked and required a passcode.

What was the code?

Ayanokoji examined the box and found a line of small writing on its side: "The answer lies in the question."

"A riddle?" Hirata frowned.

Suzune Horikita studied the words carefully, then suddenly understood. "It's a math problem. Look here."

She pointed to a math problem engraved on top of the box: "√(16+9)×(5²-4³÷2)=?"

"We need to work it out." Horikita took out a pen and paper and began calculating.

A few seconds later, she had the answer: "-20."

"Negative twenty? Is the password a number?"

"Let's try it."

Ayanokoji entered "-20" into the lock.

Click. It opened.

There were three layers inside the box.

The first layer held high-energy food, water-purification tablets, and medicine.

The second layer held binoculars, walkie-talkies that could access channels used by other classes, and night-vision goggles.

The third layer, at the very bottom, contained a map and a note.

The map showed the island's terrain in far greater detail than the one they'd been given before. Several new locations were marked: hidden water sources, areas with edible plants, and dangerous zones.

The note read:

"To whoever finds this: you have obtained 'Observer Access.' From now on, you can view live footage from three hidden cameras on the island. Channel frequency: 145.8 MHz. Good luck."

Observer Access? Hidden cameras?

Ayanokoji immediately understood. This was the footage Akane Tachibana had said the Student Council could see.

He picked up a walkie-talkie with a screen on the back and tuned it to 145.8 MHz.

Three feeds appeared on the screen.

The first showed the Class A camp, where Kohei Katsuragi was holding a meeting.

The second showed the Class C camp, where Ryuen Kakeru was laying out some kind of plan.

The third showed the waterfall and its water source. It was empty now.

"This is..." Hirata was stunned.

"An information advantage," Ayanokoji said. "Now we can see what the other classes are doing."

That was a huge advantage for Class D.

But it also meant greater responsibility. If the other classes found out they had access, they would surely become everyone's target.

"Only a few of us can know about this," Ayanokoji said gravely. "Don't tell anyone."

Everyone nodded.

Just then, the footage on the screen changed.

In the feed from the Class C camp, Ryuen Kakeru stood up and said something to his men.

Then he turned toward the camera. Although he couldn't know exactly where it was, his eyes seemed to pierce the screen and stare straight at whoever was watching.

He smiled and mouthed a few words.

Ayanokoji understood them.

He had said, "Found you."