Chapter Summaries

Kushida prepared to leave Class D for Class C while using compromising information to deter retaliation, and Ayanokoji confronted her about her motives and exposed how long he had suspected her hidden nature. Kushida insisted she remained in control.

• Kushida told Karuizawa and Sakura she was transferring to Class C, and Karuizawa blocked her from leaving Room 404.
• Kushida revealed she had a USB drive containing compromising material about Class D students and said it was her insurance against retaliation.
• Ayanokoji inferred that Kushida planned to use the material to prove her loyalty to Ryuen and threatened to expose Class D if they retaliated.
• Kushida listed damaging information about Karuizawa, Sakura, Hirata, and Ayanokoji, including her suspicion that he was not the original Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.
• Ayanokoji said he had confirmed Kushida's split personality from early in the school year and explained how he had recognized her information-gathering behavior.
• Kushida dismissed his accusations and claimed she was still in control.

Ayanokoji forced Kushida to abandon her attempt to take Class D’s blackmail materials, but she defected to Class C and a forum rumor threatened Karuizawa and Sakura. As he began investigating the leak and Manabe’s promised surprise, his new ability predicted a physical attack that evening.

• Ayanokoji used Ibuki’s evidence and a bluff about an automated message to make Kushida destroy the USB drive, open her suitcase for inspection, and agree to stay out of Class D’s affairs.
• Kushida warned Ayanokoji that Shiho Manabe had another surprise, then left for Class C; Ayanokoji recovered fragments from the crushed USB and found encrypted files named for Sakura and Ichinose.
• Hirata told Ayanokoji that an anonymous forum post was spreading rumors about indecent photos of Karuizawa and Sakura, and Ayanokoji reassured the shaken girls that the photos had not been leaked.
• Ayanokoji learned from Ibuki that Kushida and Manabe were meeting with Ryuen, then used Crisis Prediction to foresee a physical attack by the Class C Trio behind the Third School Building that evening.

Ayanokoji defeated Albert, Ishizaki, and another Class C boy, then uncovered Shiho Manabe’s role in trading dirt about Class D and other students. He planned to confront Manabe that night and force her to hand over the information, while warning Ichinose that her secret might be exposed.

• Ayanokoji defeated Albert, Ishizaki, and another Class C boy in the alley and warned them that he had backed up surveillance footage of their attack.
• Shiho Manabe photographed the fight and demanded a higher price from Hashimoto Masayoshi.
• Ayanokoji showed Class D evidence linking Manabe to payments, forum attacks, and information supplied by Kushida, including secrets about Karuizawa, Sakura, and Ichinose.
• Horikita shared Manabe’s family and disciplinary records, and Ayanokoji showed footage suggesting Hashimoto had also paid Manabe in cash.
• Ayanokoji proposed using the report about Manabe’s brother’s school violence to make Manabe surrender the dirt, then arranged to meet her at eight with Karuizawa.

Ayanokoji and Karuizawa confronted Manabe, who surrendered her evidence and revealed that Ichinose had been kidnapped and suffered severe psychological trauma. Ayanokoji bought the records to protect Ichinose, while a new post turned public opinion against Ryuen and Class C.

• Ayanokoji and Karuizawa pressured Manabe with records about her brother, and she agreed to hand over her USB drive and erase her backups.
• Manabe revealed that Ichinose had been kidnapped for six months in ninth grade and had later been diagnosed with PTSD and severe depression.
• Ayanokoji paid Manabe thirty-five thousand points for Ichinose's records and had her sign a confidentiality agreement.
• Manabe warned Ayanokoji that Ryuen, Kushida, and Class A had made him a target before she left.
• Karuizawa thanked Ayanokoji for not giving up on her, and he comforted her without discussing her past.
• Horikita and Hirata told Ayanokoji that an anonymous forum post had exposed Ryuen's order to poison someone, shifting public opinion against Class C.

Kushida joined Ryuen’s Class C as a paid advisor and gave him information that Ayanokoji had anticipated, setting up a predicted attack on Sakura in the Library Media Room. Ayanokoji also directed Ichinose to confront Hashimoto privately over the leak of Hamaguchi’s brother’s medical records, while Karuizawa volunteered to accompany Sakura as bait.

• Kushida gave Ryuen intelligence on Class D, and he hired her as Class C’s special advisor while ordering Albert to monitor her.
• Ryuen planned a sabotage operation against Sakura in the Library Media Room, while Ayanokoji watched Class C through hacked campus surveillance and predicted the attack.
• Ichinose told Ayanokoji that evidence linked Hashimoto to the leak of Hamaguchi’s brother’s medical records, and Ayanokoji instructed her to warn Hashimoto privately.
• Karuizawa told Ayanokoji that Class D had stood by her after rumors about her past spread online, and he reassured her that he would not give up on her.
• Karuizawa volunteered to accompany Sakura to the library on Wednesday night, and Ayanokoji agreed to the plan.

Ayanokoji’s trap turned Ryuen’s ambush against him, rescuing Karuizawa and Sakura and forcing Ryuen to delete the compromising files. As Class D regrouped, a caller claimed to have abducted Honami Ichinose and demanded that Ayanokoji come alone to the Old School Building basement.

• Karuizawa waited with Sakura in the Media Room, where Ishizaki, Albert, and another boy broke in and Ryuen revealed his threats against Karuizawa and Sakura.
• Ryuen threatened Sakura with a knife, but Ayanokoji arrived with Hirata and Sudō and played a recording exposing the planned ambush.
• Ayanokoji explained that he had used Kushida and Manabe to bait Ryuen, then forced Ryuen to delete the photos and chat logs by threatening to expose evidence against him.
• After Ryuen left, Karuizawa embraced Ayanokoji, who reassured her that the allegations about her past were mostly fabricated or exaggerated.
• A caller claiming to hold Honami Ichinose ordered Ayanokoji to come alone to the basement of the Old School Building.

Ayanokoji rescued Honami Ichinose from Hashimoto’s kidnapping plot with Shiho Manabe’s help, and the school intervened to punish those involved. After the others were taken away, Sae Chabashira asked Ayanokoji to speak with her.

• Ayanokoji arrived at the basement, where Hashimoto held Ichinose and demanded that he abandon an investigation, forfeit the VIP Exam, and apologize.
• Shiho Manabe emerged from hiding, confronted Hashimoto, and revealed that she had joined Ayanokoji to protect herself.
• Hashimoto attacked Manabe with a knife, but Ayanokoji disarmed him and knocked him unconscious.
• Suzune Horikita, Sae Chabashira, and Ikuta Kiriyama arrived, and Manabe freed Ichinose and presented a transfer record implicating Hashimoto.
• Ikuta Kiriyama ordered Hashimoto expelled, the outsiders handed to the police, and Manabe given a major demerit and a 10,000-point penalty.
• After Chabashira checked on Ichinose, she asked Ayanokoji to come speak with her.

Ayanokoji learned that Sakayanagi had manipulated Hashimoto into attempting to kidnap Ichinose so she could eliminate him, while Class D was paired with Atsushi Ryuen’s Class 2-C for the upcoming VIP Exam. Sakayanagi warned Ayanokoji that Atsushi was waiting to face him, and Ayanokoji prepared to meet the coming threat.

• Chabashira told Ayanokoji that Sakayanagi was behind Hashimoto and revealed that Class D had been paired with Class 2-C for the VIP Exam.
• Chabashira warned that Atsushi Ryuen was a dangerous hunter and said the teams could not be changed.
• Ayanokoji told Chabashira he had promised Shiho Manabe help transferring to Class B, and Chabashira cautioned him about her.
• Karuizawa messaged Ayanokoji that Ryuen’s group had headed toward the Old School Building and that Kushida had said Ryuen took the bait.
• Ichinose thanked Ayanokoji for protecting her, and he reassured her that he would not reveal her past.
• Sakayanagi called Ayanokoji, admitted she had nudged Hashimoto into acting so she could get rid of him, and warned him that Atsushi Ryuen was eager to face him.

Ayanokoji learned he had been assigned as the traitor for the upcoming exam and agreed to play Atsushi Ryuen’s dangerous game in exchange for keeping Ryuen Kakeru away from Class D. He rallied Class D around a plan to exploit the rules, while a message from Kushida raised doubts about a potential ally.

• Ayanokoji read the exam rules and learned that Class 1-D would team up with Class 2-C for a three-day mountain exam.
• Hiyori Shiina delivered Atsushi Ryuen’s invitation, and Ayanokoji met Ryuen in the Old School Building music room.
• Ryuen revealed that he knew Ayanokoji was the traitor and threatened to expose him unless he played along; Ayanokoji agreed but warned Ryuen he would not hold back.
• Ayanokoji told Class D about his traitor status and assigned them roles in a defensive plan for the exam.
• Ayanokoji proposed treating Class 2-C as the opposing class to exploit the rules, and Class D agreed to try the plan.
• Kushida sent Ayanokoji a photo of Shiho Manabe handing Honami Ichinose a USB drive, prompting him to dismiss her warning.

During the rain-soaked VIP exam, Ayanokoji was exposed as Class 1-D’s traitor and fought off Atsushi Ryuen’s ambush. He publicly accused Ryuen of knowing the VIPs’ locations, then headed west with his classmates as hunters converged and an anonymous message warned him to watch out for Kushida.

• Ayanokoji and Ryuen agreed to lead a mixed group north while Horikita and Shiina took another group south.
• The wristbands revealed Ayanokoji as the traitor, and Ryuen’s three Class 2-C underlings attacked him and his classmates.
• Ayanokoji defeated the attackers, while notifications reported that Horikita and Shiina had been forced to withdraw after an ambush by Class 2-A.
• Ayanokoji announced on the public channel that Ryuen had bought information about the VIPs’ locations from someone in the Student Council, drawing several classes toward the northern resource point.
• Ayanokoji told Karuizawa, Hirata, and Sudō to head west and maintain the plan, then received an anonymous warning about Kushida and a discovery east of the northern resource point.