Classroom of the Elite: Alter - Self-Test

Vol. 3: Chapter 12.2 - Exquisite Performance

The three of us sat around the campfire at equal distances away from each other. I instantly noticed Ryuuen's ragged appearance. Apart from his bag, some raw fish, and fruits, Ryuuen didn't have any other provisions. Even his shelter was a purchasable smaller tent. If he used the bigger, free tent, Ichinose and I would've found it suspicious when we visited the beach.

"So, what brings you here, Ayanokouji?" asked Ryuuen.

"I thought you knew I was coming. You didn't seem surprised at all."

"Kuku... Did my demeanor make it seem like that was the case? Do you really think I'd voluntarily make my presence known to anyone on this island? Staying hidden was the lifeline of my strategy." He grinned at me with a venomous glare.

"Well, Hashimoto's here," I replied.

"He's here for a different business and it's none of your concern."

"Oh, don't be like that, Ryuuen. Ayanokouji made the effort of walking all the way here. Wouldn't it be distasteful if we leave him out?"

"Heh. You're planning to help Class B, too?"

"Haha, well, not really. Originally, my plan was to help Class B instead of your class, but our princess said something spooky. I changed gears to fit the road as a result." Hashimoto glanced at me with a dubious look on his face.

"Oh? This is the first time I'm hearing that. What did Sakayanagi say?" asked Ryuuen.

"You don't have to concern yourself with that, Ryuuen. Just be grateful for my gift."

I see. So Hashimoto is one of Sakayanagi's aides.

"By 'gift', I imagine you're talking about Class A's leader? You told Ryuuen about his or her identity, am I right?"

"And why would you say that, Ayanokouji?"

"It's simple. Since Sakayanagi is absent, you'd want to sabotage the class while it's under Katsuragi's leadership. His integrity and influence would plummet as a result," I heaved a sigh. "I knew there was some sort of internal conflict going on within Class A, but I sure didn't expect this. Who knew that you'd put the entire class at risk just to trip Katsuragi up."

"That's just how she does things." Hashimoto shrugged indifferently.

Since it sounds like my conclusion was correct, I'll leave things at that for now.

"Alright, I'll assume that Hashimoto has no intention of telling Katsuragi about this meeting. After all, it'd spell the end of Class D's strategy." I glanced at Ryuuen.

Hashimoto did nothing but smile. He raised an eyebrow, waiting for Ryuuen's response. It seems like he's decided to watch us instead.

"Keh... How the hell did you even find me, Ayanokouji? This place should be far enough from your base camp."

"That's your mistake, Ryuuen. I have the means to find where your camp is." I fixed my sitting position before continuing. "You never really wanted to play the game using the usual conventions. Your goal was to come out on top using the additional rules. Am I correct?"

"You're saying some funny things, aren't you? Stop trying to scare me, Ayanokouji. You're not even sure if I'm the leader." Ryuuen scornfully scoffed at me.

"It's true that the leader can stay on the ship so there's always a possibility that you're not Class D's leader. However, there's a surefire way to find out the truth."

Ryuuen's eyes narrowed and his smile dimmed.

"The spots, huh?"

"I've known about your location since last night. There's only one reason why I didn't snoop around this area during the day. I wanted to make sure that you're unaware of me being on you."