The morning sun had yet to climb high, but its rays already felt piercing, promising a scorching day ahead. Inside the cabins of the luxury cruise ship Speranza, the PA system chimed, shattering the students' sweet dreams of buffet breakfasts and swimming pools.
"Announcement. All students are expected to gather on the main deck within 30 minutes. Please wear your sports uniforms (jerseys) and sneakers."
The voice paused for a moment before continuing in a much sterner tone.
"It is strictly forbidden to bring any personal belongings—especially smartphones, wallets, and snacks. All forms of communication devices must be left in your rooms or handed over to the staff. Repeating: wear only your sports uniforms and bring urgent medical necessities."
The announcement was repeated twice, its tone flat and emotionless, a stark contrast to the vacation atmosphere promised just yesterday.
In Room 401, Seiji Koroizumi opened his eyes. He had already been awake five minutes before the announcement sounded—his highly trained biological clock never missed a beat.
"Sports jerseys and the confiscation of communication devices, huh?" Seiji murmured as he got out of bed. "Not swimsuits, not casual wear. The message is clear. Total isolation."
He glanced in the mirror, fixing his slightly messy hair. Behind the reflection of his pitch-black eyes, the instincts of The Reaper began to stir awake. This was no longer a school field trip. This was a troop deployment into a black zone.
"Ritsu," Seiji whispered softly, tapping his hidden bone-conduction micro-earpiece—the only piece of technology that couldn't be detected by the school's standard scanners.
"The outside temperature is 28 degrees Celsius with 85% humidity. The UV index is high. Ideal conditions for heatstroke among untrained civilians," Ritsu reported.
"Thank you. Passive mode."
Seiji put on the signature red-and-white sports jersey of Advanced Nurturing High School. The synthetic fabric felt a bit warm against his skin, but this was their armor for the impending battle.
As he stepped out of his room, the ship's corridors were filled with confused faces. School security staff stood at every intersection, carrying large metal lockboxes. One by one, the students reluctantly dropped their smartphones into the boxes.
"This is insane..." Satou Maya complained, giving her phone a farewell stare.
However, contrary to the school's likely expectation of mass panic, the students of Class 1-C looked calm—or at least, organized in their resignation. Suzune's early warning and Ryuen's subtle intimidation in the restaurant last night had effectively killed the element of surprise. Their mental state had already been tuned for disaster.
In the corridor leading to the deck, Seiji crossed paths with Horikita Suzune.
The girl's face looked calm, her iron mask perfectly in place. "Good morning, Horikita," Seiji greeted.
"Morning," Suzune answered curtly. Her voice was slightly raspy, but firm.
"The medicine?"
"Already taken," Suzune replied quickly, shooting him a look signaling not to discuss her physical condition in public.
"Good. Remember, don't try to play the hero in the first act. Let the pawns make the first move."
They walked side-by-side toward the deck.
..........................................................................................….
The view from the Speranza's main deck was enough to make anyone catch their breath.
Not because of its beauty, but because of the contrast. On one side, a luxury cruise ship. On the other side, just a short gangway away, stretched a wild tropical island.
Dense jungle covered the vast majority of the landmass. There were no hotels. No villas. No signs of civilization whatsoever.
The four classes lined up neatly on the pier. Mashima Tomonari, the homeroom teacher of Class 1-A, stepped forward holding a megaphone. Beside him, school staff began handing out an unfamiliar object to every student.
It wasn't a guidebook, but a black wristwatch with a thick rubber strap and a simple digital display.
"Put those on right now," Mashima ordered firmly. "Ensure they are fastened tightly to your left wrists."
Yamauchi flipped the watch over in his hands. "What is this? A present?"
"That is not a present," Mashima cut in, his voice echoing. "That is your lifeline."
Mashima pointed toward the jungle behind him. "Welcome to the First Special Exam: The Uninhabited Island Survival Exam."
He raised his own arm, which bore a similar watch.
"Starting from this exact second, you are forbidden from removing these Special Wristwatches. This device possesses four vital functions that serve as the absolute referee on this island."
Mashima began to explain in the tone of a military drill instructor:
Vital Signs Monitor: "The sensors on the back of this watch monitor your body temperature and heart rate 24 hours non-stop. If your body temperature exceeds safe limits or if signs of serious illness are detected, the school will know. We will forcibly extract anyone deemed unfit to continue the exam for the sake of safety."GPS (Location Tracker): "We know exactly where you are at every given second. This is to prevent you from getting lost or engaging in dangerous activities outside the designated exam zones."Emergency Alert System: "If you feel you can no longer continue, press the button on the side of the watch. That signals your retirement from the exam."Anti-Tamper Mechanism: "Do not attempt to forcefully remove it. This watch is equipped with a locking circuit. If it is removed without a special key from the staff, an alarm will sound and a violation signal will be sent to the command center. The consequence is instant disqualification."
The classes fell dead silent. Ike gulped, staring at his wrist. The object no longer looked like a high-tech watch; it looked like electronic handcuffs.
"Now, the rules," Mashima continued after ensuring all students were wearing the watches.
The staff then handed out thick guidebooks.
"You will be living here for one week. No electricity, no running water, no gas. The school is providing each class with a starting capital of 300 S-Points (Survival Points)."
Seiji opened his guidebook, scanning the rules rapidly.
Summary of the Island Exam Rules:
Starting Capital: 300 S-Points per class.Usage: Purchasing survival necessities (tents, water, food, portable toilets) from the manual.Reward: The remaining S-Points at the end of the exam will be converted and added to the Class Points for next month.
However, the penalty section was what caught Seiji's attention the most.
Penalty System & Points:
Severe Illness/Injury (Retired): -30 Points per student. (This was the primary function of the Special Wristwatches: detecting who collapses).Missing Roll Call (08:00 & 20:00): -5 Points.Polluting the Environment: -20 Points.Physical Violence: Instant disqualification for the entire class.
"Wait a minute..." Hirata Yosuke raised his hand. "Mashima-sensei, if these 300 points can be added to our Class Points... does that mean if we survive without buying anything, we get 300 Class Points?"
"Correct," Mashima answered.
That number made the students' eyes widen. 300 Class Points was equivalent to 30,000 yen in monthly allowance per student. For the recently resurrected Class 1-C, this was a golden opportunity to catch up to Classes A and B.
"But there is another way to earn points," Mashima added.
"Scattered across this island are 'Spots' (Points of Authority). Whoever claims control over them using a special key card will receive 1 Bonus Point every 8 hours."
"And finally..." Mashima glared pointedly at the four class leaders—both the official and the shadow ones.
"...Every class must designate one person as the Leader. The identity of this Leader is a secret. On the final day, each class must guess who the Leaders of the other classes are."
Correct Guess: The guessing class receives +50 Points. The targeted class loses -50 Points.Incorrect Guess: The guessing class loses -50 Points.
"High risk, high reward," whispered Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, who was standing behind Seiji. His flat eyes stared at the watch on his arm. "With these watches monitoring our every move, and the leader-guessing rule... this isn't a survival exam against nature."
Seiji offered a faint smile, tracing a finger over his own watch. "Exactly. This is an information Battle Royale. Who is sick, who is leading, and who is hiding."
Mashima concluded his explanation.
"Your time begins now. Designate your Leader, spend your starting points, and enter the jungle. Be careful, nature will not be lenient. And remember..."
Mashima smirked faintly.
"...Those watches never sleep."
"Dismissed!"
Instantly, the pier turned into a buzzing beehive. The four classes immediately separated, forming their own strategic circles, while the sun climbed higher, roasting them on that green hell of a stage.
------------------------------
"Like my work? Catch up to Chapter 35 over on my Patreon!"
P - Gem_Blanks
Thank you so much for your support — you make all of this worthwhile.)