The Uninhabited Island Exam is Underway (1)

"Wow, these clouds are huge, and the sea is so blue."

"And this cruise ship is just massive, isn't it?"

"Uh... Shibata, is that all you can say?" Kanzaki stood to the side, looking at the excited Shibata with a helpless expression.

"Eh... did I say something wrong?"

Before Kanzaki could answer, a series of roars erupted from nearby.

"Whoa, this is amazing! Do you see that, Yamauchi?"

Kanzaki followed the sound and saw Ike leaning over the railing, pointing at something and shouting loudly; his cries echoed across the surroundings for a moment.

Compared to Shibata just now, his behavior was far too agitated, but the people around him ignored him; after all, for most students, simply being able to experience this environment was already an extravagant luxury.

The cruise ship swayed slightly with the waves amidst the low hum of the engines.

Kitahara stood at the bow with one hand on the railing, his white uniform billowing in the salty sea breeze, his black hair messy, yet his eyes fixed on the distant Uninhabited Island like blades.

Perhaps due to his enhanced physique, the current Kitahara could discern the specific conditions on the Uninhabited Island even from such a great distance.

Kitahara's gaze slowly swept over the width of the beach and the density of the vegetation, instantly calculating the "risk disparity for landing on the east and west coasts"—the rocky reef area on the east side offered easy concealment but made water collection difficult, while the west coast was flat but could become a focal point for conflict.

(Don't ask how he could tell; after all, he is a man who has mastered high school geography.)

"Oh, Kitahara, so you're here." Ichinose walked over with a smile when she saw him.

"Hm? Ichinose, weren't you all going to check out the facilities on the cruise ship?" Kitahara asked, looking at Ichinose as he emerged from his thoughts.

"You mean that? We've already finished looking."

Kitahara nodded and continued, "Then, is there something you needed me for?"

"Actually, it's nothing major. It's just lunch time now, and everyone in Class B wants to go to the restaurant together, so I came to call you."

Ichinose gently tucked a strand of hair blown by the sea breeze behind her ear and explained with a smile.

Hearing Ichinose's explanation, Kitahara finally noticed that the number of people on the deck had thinned out significantly.

He glanced at his watch and said, "Is it that time already? Let's go, then; I happen to be a bit hungry myself."

The two walked along the deck toward the restaurant, and upon entering, they saw the members of Class B who had already claimed their seats.

Kanzaki was waving at them, "Kitahara-kun! Over here!"

Shibata shouted incoherently, his mouth stuffed with food.

Just as they were walking toward their seats, Kitahara keenly sensed a gaze from the right.

Katsuragi of Class A set down his cutlery, his eyes scanning him repeatedly while filled with a hint of hostility.

After Kitahara and the others sat down, Katsuragi from Class A also walked over and said to Kitahara, "Sorry to disturb you. You must be Kitahara-kun, right?"

"Come to think of it, this is our first time meeting."

Hearing Katsuragi's words, Kitahara gently set down the fork in his hand, the metal clinking crisply against the porcelain plate.

He looked up slightly, his expression calm yet carrying an indescribable sharpness, "I didn't expect Katsuragi-kun, the leader of Class A, to take the initiative to come and greet me."

"Though, I assume it isn't just to say hello."

After Kitahara's words fell.

The noise in the restaurant seemed to dim for a moment; the students of Class B stopped their conversations involuntarily, and Ichinose looked at Kitahara nervously.

Seeing this, Totsuka Yahiko, Katsuragi's loyal subordinate from Class A, stood up immediately, his chair scraping against the floor with a harsh sound.

"Hey, Class B, watch your tone!"

He marched over aggressively, only to be stopped by Katsuragi raising a hand.

Seeing this scene, Ichinose and Kanzaki also moved to shield Kitahara behind them.

Amidst this tense atmosphere, Katsuragi said calmly, "Yahiko, stand down."

Although Katsuragi's voice was not loud, it carried an unquestionable authority.

Katsuragi then looked at Kitahara and said slowly, "Kitahara-kun, I admire your ability. Have you considered joining Class A?"

"Aha..." The people around were left somewhat confused by Katsuragi's question.

"Thank you for your kindness, but I have no intention of transferring classes again. Besides, a lady invited me before you, and I didn't agree to her either."

"Is that so? So she invited you as well," Katsuragi replied calmly.

"In this exam, our Class A will do everything in our power to defeat you."

"Then I shall wait and see. Let me witness the true strength of the leader of Class A," Kitahara said with a slight, confident upturn of his lips.

Just like that, under the gaze of everyone present, Class A had officially declared war on Class B.

After Katsuragi returned to his seat, Ichinose, who was sitting next to him, leaned toward Kitahara and whispered, "Kitahara, are you really going to confront Class A head-on?"

Hearing Ichinose's inquiry, Kitahara felt a bit helpless for a moment.

He said, "Ichinose, isn't our goal to reach Class A? So, a conflict between us is inevitable sooner or later."

"Besides, since he has already brought it up, we have no choice even if we didn't want to."

Upon hearing Kitahara's explanation, Ichinose finally realized with a start, "That's right, our goal has always been Class A..."

Ichinose's voice gradually grew firm, though she simply hadn't expected it to come so suddenly.

Seeing the lingering hesitation on Ichinose's face, Kitahara knew he had to use a failure to make her understand the cruelty of this competition, and this special exam was the perfect opportunity.

"..."

"Hey, hey, this isn't free, is it?"

"They aren't going to send us a bill after we're done, right?"

"No, people from other classes are eating here too; it must be free."

"We didn't come to the wrong place, did we? Maybe we should just leave."

"You're right..."

Just as they were still debating, a restaurant server interrupted, "Welcome. Will it be for four?"

And so, the Sudo trio and Ayanokoji were led to a table, which happened to be located right near the area where Katsuragi and the members of Class A were seated.

Kitahara, who had been watching them from the side, suddenly thought of something and said to the people around him, "Do you believe they're going to get into an argument with Class A in a moment?"

Hearing Kitahara's words, the members of Class B all wore expressions of confusion.

It was Ichinose and Kanzaki who took the initiative to ask, "Ah, why do you say that?"

"Heh heh, heaven's secrets cannot be leaked. Just tell me if you believe me or not first." Kitahara didn't explain, only smiled and asked.

Seeing Kitahara's confident demeanor, even though Kanzaki and Ichinose didn't know the reason, they still nodded and said:

"I believe you."

"Heh heh, then just wait and see."

Sure enough, right after Kitahara's voice trailed off, Yamauchi, one of the four, took an action that caught everyone by surprise.