Saiki, just looking at Koenji's face, felt annoyed, and didn't want to pay too much attention to the other party. After all, because of the other party, he had to stay on the island for several extra days.
'Yare yare, although there are only a few days left until the exam ends, in the end, I still returned here early, huh.'
Saiki returned to his own room and lay down on the bed.
'I've already told Ayanokoji the identity of each class's leader. For the class, it can be considered even now... but I should still observe the situation over there a bit, just in case any unexpected event occurs.'
While thinking this, Saiki activated his clairvoyance ability.
———
"Saiki actually fell ill just like that?"
Suzune looked in the direction of the cruise ship and still felt a bit incredulous.
"It's only been a few hours. Even if he caught a cold, it shouldn't have been this fast, right?"
"Maybe he had already been sick for a long time, but just couldn't hold on anymore today?" Ayanokoji helped explain for Saiki.
"Very possible, but I didn't expect that guy Saiki to be such a reckless person."
Suzune shook her head and shifted her gaze in another direction.
"But if Saiki withdraws from the exam, how will our class occupy a base afterward? The key card can only be used by the leader."
"There's no way the school's rules would have such a loophole."
While saying this, Ayanokoji walked up to Chabashira Sae, and those almost emotionless eyes were cast upon Chabashira Sae's face.
"Teacher Chabashira, since Saiki is currently unwell, then our class's leader should be replaced, right?"
"That's right."
Looking at Ayanokoji in front of her, Chabashira Sae's face showed a meaningful smile.
"What? The leader can be replaced?"
Suzune's eyes widened, filled with surprise. She hadn't thought of this at all.
"Then let's change the leader's identity to Horikita."
———
At the same time, in the forest on the other side of the island, Ibuki Mio was leaning against a tree, seemingly waiting for someone's arrival.
And just at this moment, two figures walked out from deep within the forest.
One of them was Katsuragi Kohei.
The other was Ryuen Kakeru.
At this moment, Ryuen looked extremely disheveled, his clothes full of dirt and filth, his face covered in stubble, and there were many scrapes on his body.
In order to make people from other classes believe that Class D had completely forfeited, Ryuen had been surviving alone on the deserted island the whole time.
Without points or material support, and unable to live in the school-provided free tents, he could only drink river water, eat wild fruits, and sleep in caves or bushes every day.
"I've already taken the photos."
Ibuki Mio first sized up Ryuen, then handed the digital camera in her hand to Katsuragi Kohei.
"Saiki... Saiki?"
Katsuragi Kohei froze for a moment at this name and couldn't immediately recall who it belonged to.
But, who it was didn't matter anymore.
"In that case, the contract is established."
Katsuragi Kohei said to Ryuen, and the latter smiled and nodded.
This was all part of Ryuen's plan.
"We also have information on Class B's leader. Do you want it?"
Ryuen smiled as he looked toward Katsuragi Kohei. The spy he planted in Class B had already obtained information about their class's leader, but for now, no physical evidence had been secured.
"If there's no conclusive evidence, then it's unnecessary. After the exam, go home and take a good bath."
Katsuragi Kohei shook his head, then directly turned and left this place.
"In that case, my task is also over."
While speaking, Ibuki Mio also walked toward the shore. Since her task was complete, there was no reason to stay here.
———
Very soon, it was noon on August 7. The deserted island exam officially ended.
After the leaders of each class wrote down their guesses of other class leaders and handed them to their homeroom teachers, all the students of the island gathered at the shore.
"It's finally over."
Almost every examinee's face carried a trace of fatigue. After all, as high school students, surviving in such an environment was not easy.
And just at this time, Ryuen, holding a tree branch as a crutch, slowly walked out from the forest.
"What, Ryuen?"
"Wasn't he supposed to have forfeited?"
"Could it be... Ryuen had been alone on the island the whole time?"
Other than Katsuragi Kohei, almost everyone's face showed an expression of surprise at the same time.
On Ryuen's face was always a meaningful smile. He believed his class should be the biggest winner of this exam.
He had reached a cooperation with Class A, bought 200 class points worth of supplies for Class A, and was also going to provide information on the leaders of other classes.
In return, every person in Class A would transfer 20,000 personal points to Ryuen each month.
One could say, Ryuen's main goal was precisely those personal points.
But if he could also earn some class points in this exam, it would be a good thing for Class D.
Although the initial 300 class points had already been squandered, Ryuen could still earn points by guessing the identities of other class leaders.
[Using spies, I already know the leaders of Class B and Class C. And Class A's leader is also known to me.]
Ryuen slightly narrowed his eyes and looked at Katsuragi Kohei.
Inside Class A, there had been a split into two factions, one being Katsuragi Kohei, and the other being Sakayanagi Arisu, whom Ryuen regarded as the most formidable opponent among this year's freshmen.
With the cooperation of Sakayanagi's faction, Ryuen had learned Class A's leader's identity, and had also intentionally led Class A to occupy the wrong base, resulting in a point deduction.
[No one would think I was still on the island. And since I guessed the leaders of other classes, I can earn 150 points.]
Ryuen, now already the biggest winner of the exam, smiled as he approached the members of Class C.
However, his gaze was fixed on Suzune's face.
"Yo, Horikita."
Ryuen's gaze was full of contempt and disdain. "Surprised to see me, huh~"
"Ibuki really was the spy you sent over, huh." Suzune's sharp gaze stared directly at Ryuen.
"Mm-hmm, but I didn't expect so many goody-two-shoes in your Class C to fall for it so easily~ As for your class leader's name, I honestly wrote it down, you know."
Ryuen slightly narrowed his eyes, his face full of confident pride, as if victory was already in hand.
"Is that so?"
And Suzune also responded to Ryuen with a mocking smile.
"Oh?"
Seeing that confident expression on the other's face, Ryuen's brow twitched slightly.
[Is she bluffing? No matter, the victory still belongs to me.]
"Now announcing the scores of each class."
At that moment, Mashima Tomoya, homeroom teacher of Class A, came onto the temporary stage holding a megaphone, and began announcing the exam results.
However, upon seeing the score sheet, Mashima Tomoya seemed to be stunned for a moment.
"Fourth place, Class D, 0 points."
"What?!"
Ryuen widened his eyes, his gaze filled with shock.
[0 points? Why zero points?!]
[Wait wait wait… each correct guess of a leader gets 50 points, wrong guesses lose 50, being guessed also loses 50… could it be all three other classes guessed I was the leader?!]
[No, that's impossible… especially Class B's absolute defense strategy, they shouldn't have taken such a risk… Then there's only one possibility left, I guessed one class's leader wrong, and I myself was guessed by others… Who was it?!]
"Third place, Class B, 90 points."
"Huh?"
Ichinose Honami's face showed confusion, and beside her, her vice-rep Kanzaki Ryuji also wore an expression of disbelief.
"Impossible. I calculated our class's points, we should have 190…"
Ichinose Honami found it hard to believe such a result. Their Class B adopted a strictly defensive, conservative strategy. They didn't take the risk to guess other classes' leaders, nor did they occupy too many bases that would expose their leader's identity.
But even so… their class still lost 100 points.
"Could it be… Kaneda from Class D was a spy… But that would only be a 50-point loss… Why 100… Was there another class that guessed our leader? Did they cooperate with Class D? Or is there another reason…"
Ichinose Honami couldn't figure out the answer for now.
And Ayanokoji just slightly turned his head, casting his gaze toward the cruise ship.
"Second place, Class A, 120 points."
Although it was second place, Katsuragi Kohei's face looked extremely unpleasant, because this result was completely different from his calculations.
"First place, Class C, 300 points!"
"What?!"
"We actually got 300 points?!"
"We, we're first place! That's higher than the total of the other three classes combined!"
Hearing Mashima Tomoya's announcement, the entire Class C erupted in excitement.
While Suzune seriously turned her head to look at Ayanokoji beside her.
After she succeeded Saiki as the leader, Ayanokoji directly told her the identities of the other three class leaders.
Through the intel Saiki brought back, they deduced Class A's leader.
Through the discovered radio, they identified Class D's leader.
They had long known Ibuki Mio was a spy, and instead used her and the rules for leader replacement to give Class D false information.
This made Suzune realize that the boy beside her, Ayanokoji, wasn't simple at all.
But she still didn't understand how Ayanokoji figured out that Class B's leader was Shirakaba Chihiro, since they hadn't had much contact with Class B, and that class had used a full defense strategy.
"Ayanokoji, how exactly did you know who the Class B's leader was?"
While everyone else was celebrating wildly, Suzune asked Ayanokoji seriously.
"I don't know either." Ayanokoji gave his answer, he wasn't lying.
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