After the rules had been read out, Hoshinomiya Chie placed the remaining documents on the table, folded her arms, and smiled as brightly as ever. "Those are all the rules for this exam. If you have any questions, ask them now. Otherwise, the exam will officially begin. Let me remind you that this exam concerns not only your personal points, but also your class. Make the most of this opportunity."
The room fell briefly silent. Everyone was quickly digesting the rules, their expressions varied.
After thinking it over for a moment, Kira understood the nature of a typical Special Exam. This game was essentially identical to backgammon: everyone had the potential to betray the others.
Rather, the rules were based entirely on prisoner's dilemma theory—a game combining the special features of Werewolf and a traitor game.
First, each group would be assigned a VIP (the traitor), and all the rules revolved around that person. Every day, there would be two discussions in which they could analyze the situation for themselves. The game would then last no longer than until nine o'clock on the fourth evening.
At any point during the game, anyone could submit the name they believed belonged to the traitor. But if they were wrong, their class would be punished.
Only answers submitted during the "Answer Period," between 9:30 and 10:00 p.m. on the fourth evening, would avoid punishment. If the traitor chose to reveal their identity and trust the other members of the group, then everyone could correctly submit the traitor's name during the Answer Period. That would be the best outcome, Result One: everyone would receive 500,000 personal points, and the traitor would receive an additional one million personal points.
But if the traitor's identity was discovered and someone submitted an answer early, the result would instead be Result Three. Those who answered correctly would receive 500,000 personal points and their class would gain 50 Class Points, while the traitor's class would lose 50 Class Points. If the traitor chose to conceal their identity and remained undiscovered until the game ended, and nobody rashly submitted an answer during the game, then Result Two would occur if not everyone answered correctly during the Answer Period. The traitor would receive 500,000 personal points. Conversely, if someone submitted an incorrect answer during the game, the class of the person who got it wrong would lose 50 Class Points, and the traitor would receive 500,000 personal points.
If any of the above conditions were met, that group's game would immediately end. However, any answers submitted during the game by the traitor's classmates would be considered invalid, and the game would continue.
(To prevent the traitor from pocketing the points without contributing to their class, they could indeed take a risk and submit an answer to test whether it would end the game. But if the traitor wasn't from their class, this would obviously sabotage their teammates and needlessly cost their class points.)
After a moment, Ryuen Kakeru was the first to break the silence. His voice carried a hint of provocation. "The rules are simple enough. But since this is a group exam, I'm sure everyone here has their own agenda. Let me make one thing clear: if anyone gets in my way, I won't go easy on them, whether they're in my class or another."
Sakayanagi Arisu glanced up calmly. Her voice was gentle, but edged with a hint of sharpness. "You should show a little more restraint, Ryuen. This exam is about deduction and strategy, not brute force. I doubt your classmates in Class C would appreciate you costing them points because of your impulsiveness."
Ryuen's expression darkened, and he was about to retort when Honami Ichinose quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Come on, let's not argue. What matters most right now is understanding the rules and organizing our thoughts, not provoking each other. After all, we need to find the VIP to earn points, and that benefits everyone and every class."
Kira Yoshikage spoke slowly, his tone calm yet commanding. "I have a question. Our group's roster is filled with key figures from each class. It's hard to explain that as 'random.' Did the school have some additional purpose or pattern in arranging this group? Is this arrangement fair?"
His question struck a nerve, and everyone turned to look at Hoshinomiya Chie. She smiled, neither confirming nor denying anything. "You're very observant, Kira. But the school has its own reasons for arranging the groups. You only need to follow the rules and take the exam seriously. There's no need to ask too many questions."
Since he hadn't received a clear answer, Kira Yoshikage didn't press the matter. He only gave a slight nod, but the wariness in his eyes remained undiminished. He knew the school's deliberate arrangement would make this exam more complicated, and that anyone in the room could be a hidden opponent—or even the VIP.
Only then did Ayanokoji speak, his tone flat. "The rules are clear. There's little point in continuing to dwell on how the groups were formed. Next, we need to decide when to hold our first group discussion and what direction each of us will take in investigating. Also, let me remind you: don't trust anyone too easily, even your own classmates. The VIP could very well be among us."
His words were like a bucket of cold water, jolting everyone back to their senses. That was right. The core of this exam was finding the VIP hidden among the group members. Anyone before them—even a classmate—could be the "mole" they needed to uncover.
Hoshinomiya Chie watched their reactions and nodded in satisfaction. "It seems you all understand the core of the exam. Our first group discussion will be held tomorrow at five in the afternoon and will last half an hour. It will take place here in Room 404, so please arrive on time. Also, the email attachment contains the complete roster for this group. You can check it yourselves and familiarize yourselves with all the members."
With that, Hoshinomiya Chie turned and ushered them out of the room, ready to receive the next batch of Class C students. Ryuen arrived with several of his classmates just then, and the two groups came face to face. The atmosphere in the room instantly grew tense. Suspicion and wariness passed between them like invisible smoke, filling the air.
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