---
Haruto charged at me with reckless rage, his fists flying through the storm. I slipped to the side effortlessly, dodging his attack like it was nothing.
"It's pointless, Haruto," I said coldly, my voice cutting through the rain. "Not even Satoshi, the second-best athlete in the school, could defeat me. What chance do you think you have?"
Haruto gritted his teeth, snarling, "As if I'm gonna let a traitor like you win! After what you did to Daiko, I'll never forgive you!"
I clicked my tongue in annoyance. "He was a liability. A virus. A weakness to our group. If we all tried to defeat Class D together, half of us would have dropped out from exhaustion. We would've lost the prize points even if we *won* the fight. Just trust that I know what I'm doing."
"Bullshit!" Haruto spat. "You don't know everything, Kei! You're not some god!"
I paused, letting the rain run down my face.
"You're right," I admitted. "I'm not God. I don't know everything..." I tilted my head slightly, locking eyes with him. "But I know enough to defeat you."
Before he could react, I swept his legs out from under him, sending him crashing into the muddy ground with a sickening splash.
Haruto scrambled up, his face twisted with anger. "So it's like that, huh?"
"You think I'm the villain here?" I asked, emotionless.
"You're a psychopath, Kei!" he shouted. "A cold-blooded monster!"
I sighed, my patience thinning. "You don't understand the world at all. There's no black or white in reality... Only grey. From the ultimate perspective, we are all the same shade."
"The world doesn't work that way!" Haruto yelled. "There's no in-between for heaven or hell!"
"Enough talking," I muttered. "Let's finish this already."
Haruto charged, throwing every punch and kick he could muster. His attacks were wild, desperate. I dodged them all without even breaking rhythm, stepping around him like he was moving in slow motion.
One opening was all I needed. I struck several pressure points along his side and shoulder. Haruto collapsed into the mud, gasping.
"It doesn't matter," he wheezed. "Even if you beat me... what I'm doing is right. And what you're doing... it's wrong... in every way."
I looked down at him, my expression blank. "I really don't care, Haruto."
Without hesitation, I delivered a knockout blow. Haruto's body went limp.
Behind me, I heard Kaito's voice, faint but still conscious as he leaned against a tree. "What you're doing... will have unintended consequences, Kei... and he knows it too..."
"Maybe it will," I said quietly. "Or maybe it won't."
I picked Kaito up again, struggling under his weight, and trudged toward the Class B camp.
The rain made every step heavier. My arms ached. My clothes clung to my skin like weights.
When I finally reached the border of Class B's camp, I stopped.
Dozens of Class B students stood there, waiting. Their pocket knives gleamed even in the gray rain. Their faces were cold and cautious.
"I'm from Class 1-C," I said, steady and calm.
One by one, the knives lowered. The tension vanished like smoke.
I laid Kaito down carefully on the muddy ground and stepped back. They moved as a unit, lifting Kaito and bringing him into the safety of the tents.
Then they turned to me.
I instinctively tensed, expecting an attack.
Instead... they bowed.
Dozens of heads lowered toward me in gratitude.
I stared at them, caught off guard. For a moment, I just stood there, feeling something strange twist in my chest — something I hadn't felt in a long, long time.
Without saying a word, I turned back into the forest.
The rain hadn't let up.
I found Haruto still lying unconscious where I had left him, face down in the mud.
"I almost forgot about you," I muttered.
With a grunt, I hoisted him onto my back and made the long trek to our own camp.
When I stumbled out of the trees, all eyes turned toward me — or more specifically, toward Haruto.
The girls had already found Mei, burying her in bear hugs, laughing and crying at the same time.
I set Haruto down near the tents and, without missing a beat, said, "He fell... on something."
A flimsy lie, but none of them questioned it.
Ayame ran up to me, her face filled with excitement.
"Kei, you won't believe it!" she said. "Mei says she escaped by herself from Class D! She untied herself and everything!"
I glanced at Mei across the fire.
She winked at me playfully, her hands moving in subtle, silent sign language:
*"Your secret's safe with me."*
I exhaled quietly, feeling the weight lift off my chest.
Maybe... just maybe, there wouldn't be any consequences after all.
---
(A day later)
---
It was the second day of the island exam.
Morning sunlight broke through the clouds, glistening off the muddy earth from last night's storm.
Haruto was still unconscious in the tent, his breathing steady but shallow. Based on my calculations, he would probably wake up within the next hour or two. Not that it mattered for now.
The rest of us were busy gathering berries and whatever scraps of food we could find nearby. A loud mechanical buzzing pulled my attention skyward — a drone hovered over us, projecting its message in a robotic voice:
**"Plus 50 class points to Class C for hunting a chicken."**
I glanced at the others. Relief spread through the group as they cheered and high-fived each other. Every point mattered out here.
Ayame ran up to me, an excited spark in her eyes.
"I think we should go find an area to claim," she said.
I nodded. "I agree."
"Okay, then wake up Haruto and let's go," she said casually.
I stiffened. My body betrayed me with a small bead of sweat rolling down the side of my face.
"Oh... Haruto. I think we shouldn't wake him up just yet. We can pick him up after we claim a territory," I said quickly.
Ayame frowned. "Why are you sweating all of a sudden?"
I forced a crooked smile. "Oh, nothing. Let's just go call the others."
Before she could question me further, a boy from our class jogged over.
He had short, messy brown hair and a friendly face.
"Hey," he called out. "What did Haruto fall on, exactly? He's been out for more than ten hours."
I blinked. "You're... Shuto, right?"
He grinned. "Yeah, that's me! I can't believe you never noticed me until now."
I gave a polite chuckle. "Haruto fell pretty hard, I guess."
Shuto tilted his head, a teasing glint in his eye.
"Yeah, he's so out of it it's like somebody purposely attacked him and paralyzed him."
My heart skipped a beat.
For a moment, I thought he had seen through me.
I fought to keep my face blank as I stared at him.
But then Shuto laughed and said, "But that's just my personal theory!"
I let out a silent sigh of relief.
"Right... just an accident," I said.
The entire class packed up, and we made our way deeper into the island, sticking to a rough trail that led us near a river.
The spot we found was perfect — clear freshwater, plenty of trees for shade, and it was secluded enough to hide us from prying eyes.
Shuto stood at the riverbank, arms wide open as he took in the scenery.
"This is amazing! If only Daiko was here to see this beauty."
I glanced at him. "You and Daiko were close?"
Shuto's face softened.
"No... that was my best friend. He was practically a brother to me. I've known him since elementary school. Over half a decade."
A heavy silence settled over us.
Ayame muttered under her breath, "Oh shit."
I turned to her sharply. "What's wrong?"
Ayame looked pale. "We need Haruto to officially claim this area. He's our leader. Without him, it's useless to even be here."
Tch. Right.
Another annoying obstacle.
"I'll go get Haruto," I said. "You guys defend this place until I get back."
Everyone nodded.
I sprinted back through the jungle alone, moving swiftly between the trees.
Mud splashed against my boots, and the humid air stuck to my skin.
That's when it happened.
A drone buzzed down from the canopy and hovered right in front of me.
I instinctively braced myself for an announcement, but instead, something else caught my eye —
a walkie-talkie was taped crudely to the side of the drone.
Static crackled from it. Then a familiar voice came through.
**"Little brother, I have some news you need to know."**
I stopped in my tracks.
It was Aoi.
My older brother.
I pressed the button to respond.
"What do you want, elder brother?"
His voice was calm but serious.
**"All of Class A left the island, except for two students."**
My eyes widened in disbelief.
"That's impossible," I said sharply. "Even if Class A wins, they gain nothing without numbers."
**"Class A's ego has grown out of control,"** Aoi said.
**"Most of them left because they thought there was no real challenge here. They believe two students alone are enough to beat you."**
I gritted my teeth.
"And the two students? One of them is Ichika, right?"
**"No,"** Aoi replied. **"It's Reika and—"**
Suddenly the walkie-talkie went dead, cut off by either interference or intentional sabotage.
I stared at the device, the cold silence ringing louder than any storm.
My hands clenched into fists.
Whoever the second student was, it didn't matter.
Whether it was Ichika, some unknown ace, or a hidden monster —
I would defeat both Reika and whoever dared to stand against me.
This was my battlefield.
And I would win.
---