Ibuki Gets Beaten Up Again

"Katsuragi, how long are you going to keep doing nothing?!"

Hashimoto berated Katsuragi, who sat calmly in the tent, doing absolutely nothing. Although Hashimoto belonged to the Sakayanagi faction, he also cared about the class's interests. Since Katsuragi's own faction members dared not question him, he would be the one to play the villain.

The other members of Katsuragi's faction also felt their resolve waver. Five days had passed, and Katsuragi, aside from arranging daily patrols and looking after everyone's food and living arrangements, had taken no strategic action. It was as if he truly viewed this exam as a camping trip.

"We've already gained sufficient benefits from this game. All you need to do is stay put and behave yourselves." Faced with Hashimoto's challenge, Katsuragi remained composed. However, the other students were unaware of the deal between Katsuragi and Ryuuen, and they hadn't seen any sign of the "sufficient benefits" Katsuragi spoke of.

Consequently, the atmosphere in the class was very tense. With Sakanagi Arisu absent, the Sakayanagi faction couldn't pose any substantial threat to Katsuragi.

"Do you really deserve to be our leader, acting like this? Why don't you step down and let Sakanagi Arisu take charge?" Hashimoto continued to attack Katsuragi.

These words infuriated Katsuragi's faction members. Many students stirred, but Katsuragi stopped them with a raised hand. "Sakanagi Arisu can't participate in the Uninhabited Island exam. She should have told you before the exam that everything during the exam is to be done under my command. Are you trying to defy Sakayanagi?"

"Tch, you turtle!" Hashimoto was furious, but he had nothing to say. Sakanagi Arisu had indeed told them to obey Katsuragi's orders during the exam.

"Katsuragi, what are these huge benefits you're talking about?" Katsuragi's subordinate, Totsuka Yahiko, couldn't help but ask.

"I'll tell you after the exam. It's still confidential for now." Katsuragi didn't want to say more. The fewer people who knew about his deal with Ryuuen at this stage, the better.

At this time, Class C students were already living self-sufficiently on the ship. Except for Manabe, everyone else was quite satisfied with the exam.

That night, Manabe entered Ryuuen's room with trepidation. Ryuuen said nothing and used no violence. He simply made Manabe kneel before him and read. For two hours, Manabe's legs went numb, her knees turned red, and she didn't read a single word.

Then Ryuuen let her go, but her legs were so numb that Ryuuen eventually had to call Morofuji Rika and Yamashita Saki to carry her back.

Under Hoshinomiya Chie's guidance, Ichinose Honami of Class B decided to continue the exam. She and Shiranami abandoned all their camp's food and water and started living anew.

These past few days were Shiranami's happiest.

Although their lives were tough, finding wild fruits together, eating together, sleeping together—spending the entire day together—felt like paradise to Shiranami. Ichinose Honami's eyes were only on Shiranami. They were like a couple managing their broken class.

"How are we supposed to figure out the leaders of the other classes?" Ichinose Honami was troubled.

"It's okay if we can't figure it out," Shiranami said, cleaning a purple wild fruit and wiping it. She took a bite first to confirm it wasn't poisonous, then put it into Ichinose Honami's mouth.

For the past few days, everything Ichinose Honami ate and drank had to pass through Shiranami's mouth first. "You don't have to be so careful. We ate this fruit yesterday; it's not poisonous."

Ichinose Honami chewed the sweet and sour wild fruit as she spoke.

"No, that won't do! This fruit isn't from the same tree as yesterday's. What if this one's poisonous? It's better to be cautious."

With Shiranami saying that, Ichinose Honami could only accept it. Ichinose Honami wasn't actually that repulsed by another girl's saliva, as her family hadn't been wealthy before, and sharing an apple with her sister was a common occurrence.

Time quietly slipped by, reaching the final night, which was still a night of bright moon and sparse stars.

It was time to set the trap for Ibuki.

Ayanokoji deliberately showed a weakness, allowing Ibuki to notice him secretly going to find Horikita Suzune.

"What do you want?" Horikita Suzune wasn't sure why Ayanokoji was looking for her at this moment, but she didn't dare to let her guard down. Ayanokoji's intentionally revealed strength had made Horikita Suzune very wary of him.

Seeing Horikita Suzune's attitude, Ayanokoji was very satisfied. "Here's your Magnetic Card back."

"Why are you giving it back to me now?" Horikita Suzune took the Magnetic Card from Ayanokoji's hand.

"By now, Ibuki has searched all the girls' side. She should be searching the boys' side now. The Magnetic Card isn't safe with me anymore. It's safer in your hands now, after all, the most dangerous place is the safest." Ayanokoji explained patiently.

"Indeed," Horikita Suzune said, sounding a bit weak.

"Are you still not feeling well?"

A seemingly uncaring concern escaped Ayanokoji's lips.

"I felt much better after taking the medicine the day before yesterday, but yesterday, after taking more, my head felt even dizzier."

Of course, she would be dizzy, because Ayanokoji had added several more medicinal ingredients to the medicine to ensure Horikita Suzune would collapse on the last day.

However, unlike the original story, Ayanokoji didn't tell Horikita Suzune his strategy, meaning Horikita Suzune didn't know that the class leader would be changed at the end.

The reason he didn't tell Horikita Suzune was simply because Ayanokoji was wary of her. She was too close to Ryuuen and could easily expose them.

Ayanokoji believed that Ryuuen was so focused on him because he was close to Horikita Suzune. If the rumors were true that Ryuuen liked Horikita Suzune, then any boy who got close to Horikita Suzune would naturally attract Ryuuen's attention. Ayanokoji was aware of this common sense.

Although she couldn't hear Ayanokoji and Horikita Suzune's conversation from a distance, she clearly saw the Magnetic Card in Horikita Suzune's hand under the moonlight!

The Magnetic Card was in Horikita Suzune's hand! Ibuki's heart pounded, her hands trembled. She had finally found it. For this Magnetic Card, Ibuki hadn't had a good night's sleep since arriving on the island.

At midnight, once again, Ibuki stole Horikita Suzune's Magnetic Card. She fled into the forest again, but this time she took her backpack with her. This time, she wouldn't be coming back.

Horikita Suzune noticed Ibuki's movements, but her body felt heavy, and her eyelids were hard to open. Finally, Horikita Suzune had to bite her lip to clear her head, threw on a jacket, and went after Ibuki.

This time, Horikita Suzune didn't hide herself, and Ibuki also sensed someone behind her.

Surprise attack!

Ibuki hid behind a tree and kicked Horikita Suzune as she approached, but Horikita Suzune caught her leg with both hands.

"Give me back the Magnetic Card." Horikita Suzune's voice was hoarse.

"Never!" Ibuki supported herself on one foot and delivered a spinning kick.

Horikita Suzune's combat strength was higher than Ibuki's, but Horikita Suzune was under a debuff from Ayanokoji, making it difficult to fend off Ibuki's wild punches for a while.

After more than ten punches, Horikita Suzune still showed an opening. Ibuki kicked Horikita Suzune in the head. Although Horikita Suzune cushioned the blow with her hands, she still collapsed to the ground.

Just as Ibuki was about to leave, her mood greatly improved after sweeping away the frustrations of the past few days, Ayanokoji appeared in front of her.

"I suggest you get out of my way! Otherwise, you'll end up on the ground like Horikita Suzune!" At this moment, Ibuki was quite confident and completely looked down on Ayanokoji, who appeared to have no combat strength.

The moment she finished speaking, her head hit the ground. Ayanokoji stepped on Ibuki's back. "Don't move again. The next kick will cripple you."

With her spine pinned, Ibuki broke out in a cold sweat. The oppressive feeling of facing death made her afraid to breathe. Only after watching Ayanokoji take the Magnetic Card from her hand and leave with Horikita on his back did Ibuki dare to sit up from the ground.

A small cut on her neck, caused by a branch on the ground, bled faintly. Ibuki wiped it with her hand, and the light red blood instantly dried on her skin. Ibuki cried, not feeling any sadness, but tears simply flowed from the corners of her eyes.

I guess I'm not that strong after all.

Wiping her eyes with her sleeve, Ibuki hugged her backpack and spent the cold night under a tree.