Fake Card Lures Enemy, Undercurrents from All Sides

The long night dragged on, the torrential rain unceasing. Kiyotaka Ayanokoji supported Suzune Horikita, who was burning with a high fever and covered in injuries, as they stumbled through the slick, dense forest. Horikita's consciousness flickered in and out; cold sweat mixed with rainwater streamed down her forehead, and her body was so limp she leaned almost entirely on Ayanokoji. Every step was accompanied by stifled coughs, her frail figure swaying precariously in the wind and rain.

"Hold on, we're almost there." Ayanokoji's tone remained flat, yet his arm supporting Horikita grew firmer. He deliberately slowed his pace to avoid muddy puddles, minimizing the jolts that might aggravate her condition. He did not choose the nearest shelter, but instead headed straight for the teachers' base—to have Horikita successfully withdraw from the exam and take over as the leader himself, he had to obtain formal approval from the homeroom teacher and the school. This was the most critical step in his plan, and it allowed for no errors.

Over half an hour later, the brightly lit teachers' base appeared before them. It was a makeshift wooden cabin guarded by school security personnel, shielding it from the wind, rain, and chaos outside. Ayanokoji helped Horikita to the entrance, and upon seeing them covered in mud and Horikita's dire state, the guards immediately stepped forward to verify their identities before quickly letting them pass.

Inside the cabin, the homeroom teachers of the four classes were gathered, reviewing matters related to the uninhabited island exam. The air was filled with the faint aroma of coffee, a stark contrast to the storm raging outside. Hearing footsteps, everyone looked up, and their faces filled with surprise upon seeing Ayanokoji supporting the pale, battered Horikita.

Class D's homeroom teacher, Sae Chabashira, was the first to stand up and walk over, her brows furrowed in confusion and concern. "Horikita-san? Ayanokoji-kun? Why are you here? What happened to Horikita-san?"

Ayanokoji helped Horikita sit on a nearby chair and spoke in a calm tone, skipping the pleasantries to state his purpose directly: "Chabashira-sensei, I am representing Horikita-san to apply for her withdrawal from this uninhabited island survival exam."

"Withdraw from the exam?" Sae Chabashira was stunned, her tone filled with bewilderment. "Ayanokoji-kun, do you know what time it is? Tomorrow is the final day of the exam. Just hold on a little longer, and it will be over. Why apply for withdrawal at this stage?"

She looked at Horikita, her eyes full of regret. "Horikita-san, I know you are unwell, but if you grit your teeth and hold on for one more day, you can finish the exam. Withdrawing will deduct 30 class points, which is adding insult to injury for Class D, which is already short on points."

The other homeroom teachers also cast glances their way. The Class A teacher looked indifferent, the Class B teacher appeared curious, and the Class C teacher wore a trace of mockery; clearly, none of them understood this decision by Class D—with only one day left, withdrawing now was a losing proposition.

Ayanokoji ignored their gazes and spoke slowly, his tone logical and every word ringing with conviction: "Chabashira-sensei, Horikita-san is running a high fever and is covered in injuries. She can barely move, let alone continue participating in the exam. Forcing her to continue will only worsen her condition and could even lead to danger. This falls under the school's clause stating that one may apply for withdrawal due to severe physical discomfort."

He paused, looked up at Sae Chabashira, and added a crucial piece of information—the core purpose of his visit: "Furthermore, Chabashira-sensei, Suzune Horikita is the leader for Class D in this uninhabited island exam. Now that she is withdrawing due to injury, according to school rules, I am applying to change the Class D leader to myself."

As these words fell, Sae Chabashira stiffened. The confusion in her eyes vanished, replaced by a sudden realization. She finally understood that Ayanokoji was not acting on impulse, but had planned this long ago—if Horikita remained the leader until the end, there was a high probability that Kakeru Ryuen would guess her identity, resulting in a 50-point deduction. By voluntarily withdrawing, they would only lose 30 points, allowing Horikita to recover while smoothly changing the leader to evade Ryuen's targeting. It was a calculated retreat to gain an advantage.

Sae Chabashira was silent for a moment, then looked at the weak Horikita, who was resting with her eyes closed, and asked softly: "Horikita-san, do you agree to apply for withdrawal from the exam, and do you agree to let Kiyotaka Ayanokoji take over as the leader of Class D?"

Horikita slowly opened her eyes. Though there was exhaustion in them, there was also resolve. She nodded gently. "I agree, Chabashira-sensei. In my current state, I truly cannot continue as leader, nor can I continue the exam. I am willing to withdraw and have Ayanokoji-kun take over."

Having received Horikita's confirmation, Sae Chabashira did not hesitate. "Very well. I approve your withdrawal application and authorize Kiyotaka Ayanokoji to take over as the leader of Class D. I will report this to the school immediately to process the paperwork."

The other homeroom teachers had also caught on, and their gazes toward Ayanokoji shifted entirely. Tomoya Mashima, the Class A teacher, adjusted his glasses, a hint of approval in his tone: "A retreat to advance—trading 30 points for the absolute safety of avoiding a 50-point deduction, while silently changing the leader to dodge an opponent's trap. This solution from Class D is quite unexpected."

Kazuma Sakagami, the Class C teacher, darkened slightly, his tone tinged with frustration: "That brat Ryuen is likely going to fall at the hands of this unremarkable Ayanokoji."

Chie Hoshinomiya, the Class B teacher, smiled, her eyes full of intrigue. "This Kiyotaka Ayanokoji has always been low-key; I didn't expect him to have such foresight and courage. I'll have to tell Ichinose-chan to keep an eye on him."

Ayanokoji remained indifferent to all of this, standing quietly by Horikita's side. Once he confirmed her condition was stable, he said nothing more. His plan had successfully taken its most critical step. Now, he only needed to wait for the final phase of the exam, wait for Ryuen to walk into the trap, and complete the final move.

Sae Chabashira quickly finished the paperwork and handed the withdrawal certificate and the leader transfer document to Ayanokoji, warning him sternly: "Ayanokoji-kun, after taking over as leader, handle the final phase well. Don't let down Horikita-san's trust, and don't let Class D lose too miserably."

"Rest assured." Ayanokoji took the documents and replied flatly, his tone carrying an indisputable certainty. "We will win."

Afterward, Sae Chabashira arranged for staff to take Horikita to the temporary infirmary at the base to recover, while Ayanokoji remained outside the cabin, waiting for the start of the final phase the next day. The torrential rain had not ceased, but his gaze was firmer than the night itself. A game concerning the fate of Class D was about to reach its endgame.

Ayanokoji sat alone by a makeshift fire, his fingertips unconsciously poking at the burning twigs. The dancing flames reflected in his pitch-black pupils, devoid of any warmth. The mindset cultivated in the White Room was already etched into his marrow; he was accustomed to observing with cold eyes and calculating with precision. Emotions were, to him, merely a strange and redundant burden.

The words of companionship he had spoken to Horikita earlier were not a carefully crafted lie. He was simply, purely, trying to understand that fragile emotion, trying to figure out what kind of power the bonds between humans could generate. Horikita was the best specimen for him to observe human nature and perceive emotions.

He reached into his inner pocket, where a delicately crafted card lay quietly—the latest, true Leader Card for Class D.

The one Mio Ibuki had stolen was no longer valid.

The sudden fire had also been his doing.

The fire was controllable, the wind direction was controllable, and the timing of the rain was controllable. He had precisely calculated the weather changes and deliberately ignited the edge of the tent to create chaos, forcing the long-lurking Mio Ibuki to take a desperate risk. Ryuen's ambition, Ibuki's mission, Horikita's stubbornness—everyone was on the chessboard he had set.

At dawn, in a hidden cave deep in the forest.

Rain lashed against the cave entrance, emitting a dull roar. Kakeru Ryuen leaned against the cold rock, playing with the brand-new card between his fingers, his arrogant brows filled with the cockiness of someone who believed victory was already in his grasp. Mio Ibuki stood to the side with her head bowed, covered in mud, quietly reporting the mission.

"Boss Ryuen, mission accomplished." Mio Ibuki's tone was slightly smug. "I successfully seized Suzune Horikita's Leader Card. I fought her midway; she was feverish and weak, with no strength to resist. Class D has already failed this exam. As long as we confirm Horikita's identity during the guessing phase, we can securely seize fifty points from Class D."

Ryuen chuckled, holding the card up to the cave entrance to examine it in the dim light. "Well done, Ibuki. That woman Horikita is too stubborn, and Class D is loose internally; they were always fish on the chopping block. With this card, Class C is guaranteed to win this exam."

"It's just..." Mio Ibuki hesitated for a moment before voicing the doubt in her heart. "The fire last night was too suspicious. It wasn't an internal accident in Class D, nor were there any traces of other classes acting. I just feel like something is wrong."

"Class D is no longer a concern." Ryuen scoffed, his tone full of disdain. "It's just a pity that Kaneda, whom I sent to Class B, didn't find their leader."

He was too conceited and had never looked at the bottom-tier students in his eyes. In his view, his only opponents in this game were Class A; Class D was merely a stepping stone to farm points.

Mio Ibuki pressed her lips together and said no more. She knew Ryuen's personality—arrogant and paranoid. Once he decided on a result, he would not accept any rebuttal. Yet, that inexplicable sense of unease lingered. The card she had obtained had come too easily—so easily that it was flawless, which instead felt eerie.

At the same time, at the Class A base.

Under the faint light of a campfire, Kohei Katsuragi adjusted his glasses, his expression grave. Beside him, Yahiko hung his head, looking timid, playing the part of an ordinary student without a mind of his own as always.

"Ryuen has obtained the Class D Leader Card, and we have delivered the supplies to him as agreed," Katsuragi said in a low voice. "After the exam ends, he needs to transfer personal points to our side. This transaction must be completed securely."

Yahiko chimed in softly, "Katsuragi-san, do we really have to keep hiding our identities? What if someone finds out..."

"Don't worry." Katsuragi interrupted him, his tone steady. "No one will suspect you; everyone thinks I am the Class A leader. As long as we survive this uninhabited island exam, we can securely obtain the points and consolidate Class A's position. Classmate Sakayanagi specifically instructed before leaving: stay low, lie in wait, and observe the changes."

Neither of them noticed that in the shadows, a cold gaze had already taken in the entirety of this secret transaction. Ayanokoji had seen through Class A's disguise, Katsuragi's cover, and Yahiko's endurance since the very beginning of their arrival on the island.

Four classes, four undercurrents. Some were arrogant, some were deliberately disguised, and some were lying in wait. Only Kiyotaka Ayanokoji stood outside the chessboard, holding the pieces and controlling the game, keeping everyone's movements firmly in his grasp.

As dawn broke, the rain finally began to subside. The thick, heavy clouds slowly dispersed, and the cool morning light pierced through the mist in the forest, spilling onto the damp soil of the uninhabited island.