---
The camp was empty when I got there. Haruto was gone.
I narrowed my eyes, alert, scanning the area. Something wasn't right—
Then suddenly, a heavy force crashed into me from behind.
Haruto.
He wrapped an arm around my neck, locking me into a chokehold and growled into my ear, "I finally got you, bastard."
Even as the air tightened in my lungs, I stayed calm. His hold was sloppy, desperate.
"You already let your guard down," I said coldly.
I kicked backward, my heel smashing into his knee. Haruto gasped in pain and crumbled to the ground.
I turned around, watching him clutch his leg and glare at me like a wounded animal.
"Where the hell are the others, you psychopath?" Haruto spat.
"They're ten minutes away," I answered flatly, brushing dirt off my shirt. "We need to get moving."
But before I could take a step, I noticed it—
Smoke. Thick, black, rising fast nearby.
And not just one column—two.
Haruto stood beside me, still catching his breath.
"There are two fires. One close. One... farther away," he said, squinting.
I frowned.
"The farther one is where Ayame and the others are."
Haruto stiffened. "Then shouldn't we go help them?"
I shook my head. "No. We trust them to handle it." I turned toward the nearer smoke. "Right now, we deal with what's in front of us."
Haruto hesitated, then nodded.
We sprinted toward the nearer fire, weaving through scorched underbrush and fallen branches.
And that's when we saw him.
A lone figure, feeding the flames like a madman.
Red hair tied into a bun.
Even from this distance, I recognized him.
Kenji.
"You're Kenji... from that role-playing strategy game," I muttered as we approached. "So you're the one they left behind."
Kenji grinned when he saw me. His hands tossed more wood into the fire like a ritual.
Behind him, Class B scrambled, frantically trying to beat out the flames with their jackets—
Useless. Pathetic.
Kenji just laughed louder, the fire's reflection dancing wildly in his crazed eyes.
"From the moment the survival gauntlet was announced—even before Class A voted for it—the president of the student government already had a plan," Kenji said, almost singing.
I stepped closer, every muscle in my body coiled tight.
"Who even is the president of the student government?" I demanded.
Kenji just kept laughing.
"He's been absent all year... but watching you... *especially you*, Kei."
I gritted my teeth. "I don't care if he's watching. What's his name?"
Kenji sneered.
"Are those really the questions you wanna ask... when the fire's about to swallow you whole?"
Class B started panicking. Jackets slapped at the flames. Cries of fear filled the smoky air.
Useless. Absolutely useless.
Kenji kept tossing wood into the fire like he was throwing a festival.
Then, with a flourish, he pulled something out from behind him—
A jug.
Gasoline.
A cold chill ran down my spine.
Just then, Kaito stumbled forward from the bushes, looking pale but determined.
"What the hell is Class A even about anymore?!" Kaito yelled hoarsely.
"I thought Class A was about *status*, *power*—not *attempted murder*!"
Kenji shrugged, a crazed smile on his face.
"No... it's doing whatever it takes. No matter what."
He uncapped the gasoline, the sharp chemical scent cutting through the smoke.
Haruto stepped forward, shouting desperately, "KENJI, THAT'S CRAZY! Are you trying to commit mass murder?!"
Kenji cackled like a lunatic.
"Call it whatever you want!" he screamed, splashing the gasoline all over the fire.
I felt a deep, raw anger well up inside me.
"Kenji, you little shit," I said, voice low and vibrating with disgust.
"Never in my life have I seen a student sink to something this pathetic."
Kenji laughed louder—pure madness in his voice.
"Oh well! It is what it is!"
Then, from his bag, he pulled out something else.
Fireworks. A whole bundle of them.
*Where the hell did he even get those?*
Haruto's voice thundered over the chaos, louder than anything else:
"EVERYONE RETREAT!! DUCK IN THE FURTHEST BUSHES NOW!!"
Class B listened immediately.
We all sprinted, diving into the nearest thickets, covering our heads.
Kenji hurled the fireworks into the gasoline-soaked fire—
And then he ran.
"The games have only just begu—"
BOOM.
A deafening explosion tore through the island, shattering the air itself.
The ground rumbled.
I squeezed my eyes shut and threw my arms over my head.
BOOM. BOOM.
More explosions. One after another.
The world disappeared into a blinding white flash and choking black smoke.
When the last echo faded, I stumbled out, coughing hard, waving the smoke from my face.
It was like a battlefield.
Charred trees. Ash everywhere.
And everyone—*everyone*—gasping for breath.
Kaito staggered beside me, furious.
"That little sociopath."
I wiped blood from the side of my mouth, my body trembling with adrenaline.
But my voice was steady.
"Don't worry," I said, my eyes narrowing toward the direction Kenji fled.
"We'll make him pay for this."
---
---
Ayame came running toward us, the rest of Class C trailing behind her. Class D had shown up too—great, now we had a full audience for this mess.
Her eyes widened the moment she saw us. "Kei! What happened? Why is there smoke everywhere? And why do you and Haruto look like you just crawled out of a chimney?"
I shook off the ash from my sleeves. "That bastard Kenji lit a fire—then escalated it with gasoline and fireworks. The wind made it worse. If we hadn't retreated fast enough, someone would've been seriously injured. Or worse."
Ayame's face tightened with worry. "But… everyone's okay, right?"
I gave a nod. "Barely."
Before I could elaborate, Shuto stormed up beside us, fists clenched. "What the hell do we do about that psychopath? He clearly has no morals left—if he ever had any to begin with. Are we just supposed to let him run loose?"
I opened my mouth to respond—but then something caught my eye. Three drones zipped through the trees and hovered above us, bright lights shining down on the groups of students. Their cold, metallic voices rang out:
> "A new mission has been added to all classes in this exam. This applies to all classes **except** for Class A."
Kaito muttered, "What the hell is it this time…"
Shuto groaned. "Probably something stupid. Hunting animals, maybe—those barely give you 50 points."
But the drone continued:
> "**New mission: All classes work together to defeat Class A. From this point forward, Classes B, C, and D will be temporarily combined and referred to as Class X. Your objective is to stop Class A from acquiring what are called *Rule-Bending Tokens*.**"
That made the entire clearing fall into a stunned silence. Even the usual loudmouths said nothing.
> "**There are three tokens hidden on the island. Each token grants a powerful, temporary effect:**"
I narrowed my eyes.
"Let me guess," I muttered. "One of them gives someone a second chance…"
> "**Correct. The first token—marked with a *help* symbol—allows you to bring a lost ally back into the exam temporarily. The second—marked with a *tent*—lets you claim two territories for one day. The third—marked with a *skull*—grants total freedom to use violence for a 24-hour period.**"
There was a moment of pure silence before Kaito growled, "If Class A gets the violence token…"
Shuto finished the thought grimly. "Then we're screwed."
I raised my voice. "Wait. What if the violence token is found **last**?"
> "**If the violence token is the final token obtained, it is rendered unusable. The class with the *majority* of tokens at that point will automatically win the exam.**"
I nodded slowly. "So if we make sure the skull token is the last one taken, we avoid the bloodbath."
> "**Correct. Example: If Class A gains two tokens, they win. If each class has one token, the class that claims the final token—regardless of which—wins the game.**"
Shuto clicked his tongue. "So our safest path is to find the violence token first. Take it out of play."
> "**Yes. Tokens are hidden in high-risk areas. Reminder:**
>
> 1. *Help token* – marked with a "help" symbol.
> 2. *Territory token* – marked with a tent.
> 3. *Violence token* – marked with a skull.\*\*
Kaito gave a short, scoffing laugh. "Hold on. So it's all of us—easily a hundred students—against *two* psychos from Class A? That sounds way too easy."
I wish it was.
Shuto looked up toward the drones. "Who even authorized this insane rule?"
The drones responded without hesitation:
> "**This new rule was authorized by Vice President Ichika Renji.**"
That name made every student stiffen. I saw fists tighten, jaws clench. I didn't even need to look at Haruto to know he was seething.
As for me—I stared into the sky, where the drones now hovered like gods overseeing a twisted game.
Ichika Renji… of course.
*So this is how far he's willing to go to prove a point.*
I closed my eyes for just a moment, calculating.
Ichika's ego must be unhinged if he thinks two students from Class A can take on over a hundred others.
But then again… Class A isn't normal. I know that better than anyone.
This isn't about numbers.
It's about control. Strategy. Psychological warfare.
And Ichika… Ichika doesn't set fires.
He lights matches and walks away—knowing the flames will spread on their own.
I glanced at Ayame, Haruto, Kaito, and Shuto.
*If we want to win, we don't just have to stop Class A.*
*We have to outthink the Vice President himself.*
*And I'm the only one here capable of doing it.*
---