The next morning, the torrential rain finally stopped. The heavy clouds dispersed, and warm sunlight filtered through the leaves, falling across the damp soil of the Uninhabited Island and driving away the chill and dampness of the past few days. As the school broadcast sounded again, the multi-day survival exam on the Uninhabited Island, filled with schemes and clashes, officially came to an end.
At nine in the morning, the school broadcast rang out across the entire Uninhabited Island right on time.
[Notice: The final stage of the Uninhabited Island Survival Exam is beginning. All students from the four classes must arrive at the central assembly plaza within ten minutes for the Leader Card guessing stage. Those who fail to arrive in time will be considered to have forfeited.]
The cold, mechanical voice broke the island's morning stillness. Students from each class gathered their belongings and headed for the central plaza. The scent of damp soil mingled with fresh grass in the air. The woods felt cool and crisp after the rain, but the tension weighing on everyone's hearts remained.
Class D's group moved slowly. Suzune Horikita was still pale and walked unsteadily. Ayanokoji deliberately slowed his pace, walking silently beside her and discreetly supporting her. Yosuke Hirata walked at the front of the group, looking anxious as he glanced back at the two of them from time to time, his heart full of unease.
"Ayanokoji, is Horikita feeling all right?" Hirata asked in a low voice.
"She's fine," Ayanokoji replied calmly. "We only need to watch today. There's no need to act. The plan will proceed as usual."
The brief answer somehow calmed Hirata's restless heart. Even though he still had no idea what Ayanokoji was holding back, he instinctively wanted to trust the seemingly ordinary boy.
The central plaza was broad and open, surrounded by dense woods. Four simple long tables stood in the middle, ready for class representatives to submit their guesses. The proctors, dressed in black uniforms, stood solemnly on a raised platform, their cold gazes sweeping over the students as they arrived.
Class C arrived first.
Ryuen Kakeru walked at the front with his hands in his pockets and an arrogant smile on his lips, radiating the pressure of someone certain of victory. Mio Ibuki followed close behind, still tense. Her gaze instinctively fixed on Class D's group, landing on Suzune Horikita. A complicated mixture of guilt and wariness lingered in her eyes.
A moment later, Class A and Class B arrived in turn.
Kohei Katsuragi wore a stern expression and deliberately shielded Yahiko at his side. Honami Ichinose stood quietly among the Class B students, her expression gentle and a faint smile on her face as she calmly observed the movements of the other three classes.
The four groups took up positions at the four corners of the plaza. The air grew heavy as they faced one another in silence.
On the raised platform, a proctor opened the rulebook and spoke in a cold, formal voice. "I'll reiterate the rules for the final stage. Each class must submit a written list naming the leaders of the other three classes. For each correct guess, you'll receive fifty Class Points. For each incorrect guess, you'll lose fifty Class Points."
The announcement stirred a faint commotion among the students.
Ryuen's smile grew even wider. He believed that, with the Class D Leader Card in his hands, victory was all but assured.
"Class representatives, come forward and submit your lists."
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji slowly stepped out of the group. His expression was calm, without a hint of nerves. He faced the gazes from every direction and walked steadily to the table.
"Ayanokoji?" Ryuen raised an eyebrow, his tone mocking. "Is Class D out of people? They sent a nobody to submit their list?"
Ayanokoji ignored his provocation. Holding a black pen between his fingers, he wrote in a smooth, uninterrupted hand, without the slightest hesitation.
Class A: Yahiko Totsuka.
Class C: Ryuen Kakeru.
Just two simple names.
Kohei Katsuragi's pupils shrank. He instinctively looked at Yahiko beside him, and a chill ran down his back. He never would have imagined that this unassuming boy had seen through Class A's long-concealed trump card at a glance.
At the last moment before submitting the list, Ayanokoji rubbed the card inside his pocket. It had a pure white background and the school's exclusive embossed pattern, with a distinctive matte sheen in the sunlight. It was the Leader Card bearing his name.
[Notice: All stages of the Uninhabited Island Survival Exam have concluded. All students from the four classes must immediately gather at the central assembly plaza and board the school's boats to return to the temporary rest camp. The final exam results and changes to Class Points will be announced there.]
The cold, mechanical voice carried across the entire island. Students from each class gathered their belongings and headed for the central assembly plaza. After several exhausting days of competition, everyone looked worn out, but their eyes held both anticipation and apprehension about the results. The outcome of this exam would directly affect each class's ranking—and might even determine every student's future.
Class D's group moved slowly. Yosuke Hirata walked at the front, looking nervous but hopeful. The other students chatted among themselves, speculating about the results. Their voices were tinged with unease, along with a faint, hard-to-detect note of expectation. For Class D, the Class Points they had managed to save during the Uninhabited Island Exam were crucial.
Suzune Horikita was still pale, but after a brief rest in the temporary lounge, she felt much better. Walking in the middle of the group, she found her gaze instinctively settling on Ayanokoji's back ahead of her.
Ayanokoji walked along the outer edge of the group, his expression as calm as ever, as if the exam that would determine the class's fate had nothing to do with him. His gaze wandered casually over his surroundings as he reviewed the previous day's arrangements in his mind, checking for any oversights. Ryuen's fake card, his own status as the new leader, the hidden Leader Cards of Classes A and C—everything was under his control. All that remained was for the results to be announced and the final outcome revealed.
Once all the students had arrived, school staff organized them into orderly groups and got them aboard the boats. The ferry slowly pulled away from the Uninhabited Island and headed toward the temporary rest camp. The cool sea breeze swept away some of their exhaustion and the dust on their clothes. On deck, students from each class gathered in small groups, quietly discussing the exam. The mood held both tension and a hint of relief.
Suzune Horikita leaned against the railing and gazed at the boundless sea. "Whatever the result, thank you," she said softly to Ayanokoji beside her. "If it weren't for you, Class D would've been completely defeated this time."
Ayanokoji turned slightly to look at her, his tone calm. "I told you I'd win. You'll understand when the results are announced."
A little over half an hour later, the ferry reached the temporary rest camp. Neat rows of tents had already been set up, along with medical staff and supplies for the students. The school arranged for everyone to rest for half an hour, after which the final results of the Uninhabited Island Exam and the changes to Class Points would be posted on the noticeboard in the center of the camp.
During the break, Ryuen Kakeru found Mio Ibuki. His voice was cold. "Was that card actually fake?"
Ibuki shuddered and lowered her head, her voice dry. "Ryuen, I...I'm not sure, but I looked at it carefully. The card really did feel like the ones issued by the school."
"Damn it!" Ryuen roared under his breath, slamming a fist into a tent post beside him. His eyes burned with fury and frustration. "Going by the results, we didn't guess any leaders correctly. If it really was a fake card, we've lost completely!"
Half an hour later, all the students gathered in front of the noticeboard in the middle of the camp. Their eyes fixed on the printed announcement, and the atmosphere immediately grew so tense that even breathing seemed to stop. The notice clearly listed the final results, the changes in Class Points, and the rankings for all four classes. Every word held everyone's fate in its hands.
A school staff member stepped forward and read the announcement aloud through a megaphone. His voice carried clearly across the camp. "The final results of the Uninhabited Island Survival Exam are as follows—"
"Class A: Initial points, 300. Gained 50 points during the exam. Spent 50 points. One student withdrew from the exam, costing 30 points. Leader guessed, costing 50 points. No leaders guessed correctly. Final total: 220 points. Class ranking: third."
"Class B: Initial points, 300. Gained 40 points during the exam. Spent 100 points. No leaders guessed correctly. Final total: 240 points. Class ranking: first."
"Class C: Initial points, 300. Points spent and deducted during the exam reached the limit of 300. No leaders guessed correctly. Final total: 0 points. Class ranking: fourth."
"Class D: Initial points, 300. Gained 30 points during the exam. Spent 100 points. Two students withdrew, costing 100 points. Two leaders guessed correctly, earning 100 points. Final total: 230 points. Class ranking: second."
The announcement ended. The entire crowd fell silent for a moment, then erupted into an unprecedented uproar.
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