Ayanokōji's POV
Early in the morning, around 6 am, I did my round-trip of all of Class D's spots. It was much harder than usual, because the weather had taken a turn for the worse.
It was overcast outside, the skies cloudy and grey. It must have rained last night, because puddles and patches of mud were here and there on the ground. It looked like it was going to start raining hard, probably in the early afternoon. Of course the weather got stormy right at the end of the test. Just a light rain would have been fine, but there might be heavy rain and strong winds.
I dragged by sluggish body forward, inch by inch. It'd now been three whole days since I last slept, and it was starting to catch up to me. All humans would take a hit to their performance if they don't sleep – sleep is an essential factor for humans, after all.
However, I chose to go without it nevertheless. It made life harder, sure, but I still judged it to be the easiest and convenient way to do this. That was because of the conclusion I'd come to right at the start:
To win this exam, I don't even need to be anywhere near my best.
My pace was slowed down because I had to make sure to avoid losing my footing as I traversed the muddy and slippery ground. The shrubbery was wet, too, which caused me to garner wet patches on my clothes as I pushed my way through the wilderness.
It would be dangerous for any normal person to travel the island under these harsh conditions. I supposed that's what our wristwatches were for.
As I was on my way back, I stumbled upon an extremely interesting grouping. Ichinose, Kushida, Horikita, Yamauchi Haruki and Sakura Airi. I'd heard from Lelouch that, when he went to use his 'advanced negotiation techniques,' he'd discovered that Class B and E were now camping together. It was no wonder that they were out here together too.
Near them, not strictly part of their group but definitely travelling around in their company, were Katsuragi Kōhei and Yahiko Totsuka, of Class 1-A. I hadn't seen Class A in a while, as they seemed to have moved their base camp somewhere secretive.
These two groups must've stumbled across each other while searching for food.
"Hm? Ayanokōji-kun?"
Ichinose noticed my presence and waved to me.
"Tch. This guy." Horikita scowled at me.
"Now, now, Horikita, that's not a very nice thing to say when you see your friend." I said jokingly.
"You were never my friend!" She shot back coldly.
"You wound my heart."
Ichinose, Yamauchi and Kushida began giggling as I said that in a completely monotone voice.
"Hey man, I don't think we've met," Yamauchi said to me in greeting. "I'm Yamauchi Haruki, the gem of Class E! Nice to meet you."
"Uh, right. I'm Ayanokōji Kiyotaka..."
I responded to his introduction awkwardly. To put it nicely, Yamauchi was very... energetic.
"So, what are you doing all the way out here, Ayanokōji-kun?" Kushida asked.
"Isn't it obvious?"
I took out the key card from my pocket and waved it at them briefly before returning it to my pocket.
"I still can't believe that you're being so careless with your leader's identity." Katsuragi stated, baffled.
"Me neither," Horikita narrowed her eyes at me. "Did you miss the rule that clearly states 'having your leader guessed nullifies all bonus points earned from spot occupation?' This strategy of yours makes no sense."
"What? There's a rule like that?" I asked, trying my hardest to sound shocked.
"Y-you..!"
Horikita's eyes slowly widened, before she shook her head and returned to her normal, cold expression. The rest of them looked similarly incredulous.
"Anyway, you guys are looking for food, right? Mind if I join you for a little?" I asked.
"Sure! The more the merrier, right?" Ichinose gave a vibrant smile.
It seemed that, even though I was directly responsible for her class' situation, Ichinose didn't harbour any ill will towards me. I wondered whether that had anything to do with Lelouch smoothing things over with Class B and E yesterday.
"Mhm~! We'd love to have Ayanokōji-kun come along!" Kushida gave an equally captivating smile.
With that, our group set off on a trip through the forest, collecting various foodstuffs as we went and making idle conversation.
"Why are you even with us, Kushida?" Horikita asked coldly, after a while of silence. "What happened to your usual friends?"
"Oh, eto..." Kushida leaned in to Horikita and whispered something that I couldn't hear.
"I see... But still, why did you choose our group to go with? Many groups are out looking for food right now. You must've had other options."
Horikita and Kushida didn't get along. That much was obvious. In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they hated each other beneath all the formalities. The question was why?
Who hated who first? And for how long have they hated each other? What sparked the hatred in the first place?
These questions must have answers, answers that're shrouded in mystery. Uncovering them eventually could be beneficial to me.
"I wanted to talk to you, Horikita-san, and thought this was a good chance. You know, we haven't really talked at all during this trip, have we? Well, as soon as it gets dark out, let's head to bed."
Even though Kushida understood that she was disliked, and dislike Horikita in turn, she wanted to try making friends with her. When I first met Kushida, she'd mentioned that her goal was to make friends with everyone.
Even after learning of her dark side, I still thought that making friends with everyone was her true goal. Only the motivation for that goal was changed by my shift in perspective.
As a result of this, Kushida couldn't avoid dealing with Horikita, no matter how much she wanted to.
"I don't have enough free time to spend it with you unnecessarily."
"You're so mean, Horikita-san. Even though your face is so cute when you're sleeping."
Horikita seemed a little annoyed by Kushida's odd teasing.
"So... Do they like each other or not?" Yamauchi scratched his head in confusion.
"Hard to say," I lied in response. "Some friends have this kind of playful and teasing dynamic, but there's also a possibility that Kushida and Horikita genuinely despise each other."
"Despise?! That's a strong word!" Ichinose cried in shock.
"Yeah, you shouldn't use words like that when talking about people like this, Ayanokōji-kun!" Kushida scolded me.
"I see... My mistake."
Apparently, there are numerous social nuances that I'm out of the loop on.
"The forest is kinda eerie... Or maybe I should say that it's scary, plus hot and humid."
The sky was cloudy, and the forest was completely different from yesterday. Visibility was especially poor. Yamauchi, with great sweat stains under his armpits, dejectedly flapped his gym clothes to fan himself.
"Aren't you hot, Sakura?" he asked.
For the first time, I looked at the pink-haired girl trailing along at the back of the group. Her name was Sakura Airi, a Class E student who had an extremely low profile. If it wasn't for Sora and Shiro's extensive intel gathering on the students at this school, I would never have known who she was.
Yamauchi was clearly scheming for a way to talk to Sakura. But his eyes were focused on her breasts, and it was easy to see that he simply wanted to look at her boobs.
"Eh? O-oh, it's okay. I'm fine."
Sakura leaned forward, as if to indirectly avoid Yamauchi's gaze. It's said that girls are sensitive to the lascivious male gaze.
Everybody was focused on the interaction between Yamauchi and Sakura, and it was quite an uncomfortable interaction to say the least.
Kushida, while everyone was distracted by the two, sent me a discreet face of disgust, as if to say, 'do you see now why I hate him?'
"Yamauchi. It'd be good if you paid attention to the treetops. They might have fruit. Also, we're pretty tall, so we need to be careful around here," I said.
"Y-yeah. Of course."
Thus I prevented Yamauchi from gazing lustfully at Sakura, at least somewhat. Still, a supremely horny guy wasn't going to run out of steam.
Sakura gave me a look of appreciation. I'd judged her to be the type to find social contact difficult, but strangely, she was able to look into my eyes without a problem. I wonder why...
"Sakura, right? My name is Ayanokōji, although you probably already knew that. Nice to meet you," I said in greeting.
"Oh, uh, yes, nice to meet you too, Ayanokōji-kun."
Sakura fit with the theme of Class E that we'd discussed yesterday. Like Horikita, her defect was obvious – she was inept socially, and didn't compensate for it with any other abilities.
We looked for food while walking quietly. Kushida alternated between looking at Horikita and me, while appearing lost in thought. Of course, Horikita ignored everything.
"What's the matter, Kushida-chan?" asked Yamauchi, who'd noticed Kushida's odd behaviour.
"Ayanokōji-kun and Horikita-san were on pretty good terms at the beginning, right? But now they look a lot more distant from each other. I was trying to think of what the reason might be."
"Good question! Did you guys fall out or something?"
Kushida had opened a troublesome subject.
"We never got along in the first place." Horikita denied coldly.
"That's not strictly true. We were on pretty good terms until you discovered that I'm better than you." I retorted smugly.
She shot me an icy glare.
"And since when were you so overconfident?"
"It's not overconfidence when it's true. That's just faith in one's own ability."
Ichinose blinked, and stared at me curiously. "Is that really true, Ayanokōji-kun?"
"Yes. In terms of overall ability, I don't think I'll lose to anybody in this school."
That was my honest opinion. I was most definitely outclass in some respects by other students at this school – for example, Shiro's mental specs far surpassed my own. However, when taking into account every element and skill, I came to the conclusion that I wasn't surmounted by anyone.
"Hmm... Ayanokōji-kun, you're not exaggerating to make yourself look cool in front of girls, are you?"
Kushida teased me like that. I found myself wondering if she actually believed me or not, since she knew about my other side.
"Of course not. I don't care about that."
"Is that so..."
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, while Ichinose let out a giggle, clearly amused by our interaction.
"But Ayanokōji-kun and Horikita-san are quite similar, aren't they?"
"I think so too!"
Ichinose and Kushida seemed to find some kinship in each other as they discussed my and Horikita's apparent similarity.
"What about me is so similar to this guy?"
Horikita wore a stern expression. She probably found it distasteful to be compared to me, for whatever reason.
"Well, for one, I've never seen either of you wearing a smile before."
Kushida had pointed out something rather unexpected, thinking that we'd merely accept her word. Regarding Horikita, though, I'd seen her smiling a few times in the past, when she was making fun of me during the first month. Her smiles never contained any genuine affection, though.
"I simply see nothing worth smiling about."
"Aww, don't be like that, Horikita-san! There are plenty of things worth smiling for!"
Ichinose flashed us a vibrant, beaming smile. Kushida nodded in agreement at her words.
"Mhm! I'm quite sad for you, Horikita-san, if you never see anything to smile about." Kushida adopted a melancholic look. "What about you, Ayanokōji-kun? Why do you always look so, so... so blank?"
I had mixed feelings about being called 'blank.' It was slightly hurtful to hear but, when I thought about it, such a description wasn't wrong. My life is a blank slate. It always has been.
"This is just how I am. I can't express myself very well."
I gave her a vague answer. It should suffice for now. I had no desire to get into the specifics, after all.
"So you do actually feel emotions, then?"
"I suppose so,"
"Ah, that's good then! People have started viewing you as 'the emotionless genius,' of the school, you know."
The emotionless genius? Apparently, I'd been given a widespread title like that.
"Is that a good thing?"
Unexpectedly, Ichinose, who was at the centre of the school's social network already despite being a first year, answered instead of Kushida.
"Well, Ayanokōji-kun is viewed by the girls as quite handsome, so the stoic genius exterior also gives you an aura of mystery and aloofness, which some find cool and attractive. Unfortunately, though, it also makes you quite difficult to approach."
Her words were very insightful to me. So basically, I was seen as attractive in a different way to people like Light, who is popular because of his charisma and easy-to-talk-to personality.
"Is that so..."
"Mhm~! But Ayanokōji-kun is also quite easy to talk to once you actually get to know him!" Kushida interjected with a smile.
After a little more time of idle chatter and looking for food, I decided to depart.
"Say, I'm going to go back now. I have some things to do, after all."
"Okay! Goodbye, Ayanokōji-kun!"
"Make sure to meet me after the exam so we can exchange contact information, Ayanokōji-kun!"
Kushida and Ichinose waved me off brightly, while I received a jealous glare from Yamauchi.
After I disappeared into to the forest, in the direction of my class' camp, I turned back, and headed the opposite direction. I didn't go back to my camp.
I walked for a bit, taking care not to bump back into the group that I'd just split off from, and swiftly arrived at the beach.
I scanned my eyes across the sand, and spotted the two people that I had business with.
Initially, we'd intended to just follow Ryūen on the last day to overhear Class B's leader, but we had a change of plan.
Our plan had to be changed due to it conflicting with the plan I'd executed involving the spots.
What I was about to do was about that new plan.
△▼△▼△▼△
I returned to the base camp some time after noon, with nothing to show for my scavenging efforts. When I arrived, I was met by a peculiar sight.
Everybody, including Shiina, was sitting in a cyclic formation on the logs outside the cave, saying words one after another.
"Rock."
"King."
"Gallows."
"Sieve."
I moved closer, and sat down in the empty space on a log next to Shiina.
"What are you guys doing?" I asked as I sat.
"Playing Shiritori," answered Sora, as he took a pause to think of a word. "Examination."
"Shiritori? What's that?"
Being a loner, I'd never heard of that game before.
"It's a game where you have to say a word that starts with the same letter the previous word ended with," Shiro responded, as she was next in turn. "Night."
"And you can't say a word that's already been said," Lelouch added, going next in the order. "Television."
"If you can't answer within 30 seconds, you lose, and are eliminated from the game." Continued Kururugi. "Newspaper."
"Last one standing wins. It sounds easy at first but, once you've been going for a while, it gets tough to think of new words as well as keeping track of all the ones that have already been said." Light explained. "Rodent."
"Thermoluminescence," said Ryuzaki.
Everybody stared at him silently.
"What?" he asked.
"You're just trying to show off," Sora scoffed.
"Perhaps,"
"What does that even mean?" Kururugi asked in bafflement.
"It's when a crystalline material such as a mineral exhibits luminescence by re-emitting energy it previously absorbed from radiation as light." Shiro replied in monotone.
"It's used to date crystalline minerals," Sora added.
"Whoa! I didn't know people could go out with rocks!" Lelouch exclaimed jokingly, which earned some laughs.
"Well, Rule 34 of the internet states—"
Shiro began talking, but her mouth was swiftly covered by Sora's hand.
"Shh! Think of Shiina and Ayanokōji's innocence!" He scolded as Light and Lelouch giggled.
Rule 34, huh? I didn't know what that was. I'll have to look it up on the internet when I get back off the island.
"Ahem. Anyway, moving on from that," Ryuzaki said with a small chuckle. "Did you do it, Ayanokōji?"
"Yeah. Lelouch's new plan is ready to be set in motion."
"Good. All the tasks at hand have been cleared. We'll make our move when it's darker." Lelouch said with a smirk.
We continued the game of Shiritori, and played other games and made idle talk until it was time.
△▼△▼△▼△
Horikita's POV
I sniffled as I sat near a fire, trying to use the heat to warm my shivering body. I had to press on – there wasn't much longer left now. If I dropped out, then we would lose 30 points. I couldn't be a burden, not after all the claims I've made.
I rested my gaze on the rest of the students here. The skies were beginning to get dark, the clouds black, a harbinger of the impending downpour.
Contrary to what you'd expect, though, after the underwear incident occurred and all our spots were taken, the atmosphere wasn't that bad. It seemed that joining up with Class B had improved everybody's mood.
Students were intermingling, laughing and having fun with each other. Class B had purchased a barbecue, which was now being shared, and many fires burned, lighting up the faces of the students across the coarse expanse of golden sand.
I was sitting alone, feeling the blazing heat of the fire on my features as I observed the scene. Despite this, my body was still cold due to my illness. My body had began to feel heavy and weak, and my mind was starting to falter.
But I must press on if I want to reach Class A.
After some time passed, an unexpected event happened, which caused everybody on the beach to fall silent and stare up into the sky.
A whistle could be heard. I was feeling hazy, so I didn't pay it any attention at first.
Boom!
An explosion followed. I raised my head and stared upwards, becoming baffled by what I saw.
A bright colour dyed the black skies a vibrant red. The splashes of light burst outwards, and fell across the sky like falling stars. Before long, another one followed, this one a green colour.
Fireworks?
Someone had actually purchased fireworks. For what reason? Who would be idiotic enough to waste valuable points on something pointless like fireworks?
"Hey, look, look!"
"Fireworks! Where are they coming from?"
"Whoa! So pretty!"
Excitement spread across the beach as all of Class B and E gazed up in wonder at the luminescent explosions that contrasted the darkness in the sky.
Well, I suppose everybody enjoyed watching fireworks. It was a pretty universal phenomenon in Japan. Festivals are a prime example.
Whoever was setting the fireworks off must've been quite skilled, because they created some rather spectacular combinations.
Multiple flying into the sky at once, merging together in brilliant flashes of colour. It was rather captivating, I had to admit.
While I was half engrossed in the spectacle before us, I felt an odd sensation on my clothes. It took me a moment, but I realized that a hand had reached into my pocket.
I looked over, and horror immediately filled my core. Ibuki-san had reached into my pocket and swiftly swiped the leader key card.
Alarms rang in my mind as I reflexively glanced over to where I knew the other key card was – Class B's. As I'd dreaded, it seemed that Kaneda-kun was in the process of pickpocketing their card from Ichinose-san.
She was too invested in the fireworks to notice.
Was this just a set up the whole time? A distraction? Or did these two spies see an opportunity and take it? But how the hell did Kaneda-kun know that Ichinose-san and I were the ones in possession of the key cards right now?
Ichinose-san had been given Class B's card as safe keeping, since we no longer needed to occupy spots. Me, on the other hand, kept it safely hidden the whole time. There should've be no way for anyone to know that I had it, yet Ibuki-san did.
To make things worse, I began to feel plops of water hit and run down my cheek. It was raining.
I forced my heavy, sluggish body to chase after Ibuki-san while the hard rain fell. The sky was covered with rain clouds that blocked out the sun, so visibility was poor. Even though I couldn't see Ibuki-san, she'd left footprints in the muddy ground. If I just followed them, they'd lead me right to her.
She'd ran about a hundred meters from the beach, sometimes veering off to the right or left. Rather unexpectedly, I found her waiting, as if expecting me. She was joined by Kaneda-kun. I instinctively hid myself, though there probably wasn't any point.
"Go back, Horikita. You've already lost."
Ibuki spoke without even bothering to turn and look at me. Her calm voice cut right through the sounds of the falling rain.
"We know you're there." Kaneda-kun said.
"When did you notice?" I asked.
"Right from the start."
Her short answer felt ominous. My impression of her as being quiet and taciturn didn't change, but something was different.
"I'll make this simple to understand. Give me back the key cards you two stole." I demanded.
"I refuse."
With that, the two of them walked away. I followed behind, matching their speed. Ibuki-san and Kaneda-kun changed course and headed toward the centre of the forest.
"Where are you going?"
"None of your business." Kaneda-kun replied coldly.
It was difficult to walk straight. I'd realized this over the past several days. That was even truer in this weather, which impaired visibility.
I couldn't give up, however. I was the one who'd let my guard down and allowed the key card to be stolen. I had to take responsibility and solve the problem.
Boom!
Another explosion rang out as another firework burst above us, briefly lighting up the dark wilderness. They were like assaults on my mind. They sounded deafening to me, and made it hard to think.
I have to make up for my mistake. I have to make up for my mistake. I repeated those same words over and over again in my head. I couldn't fail here. My heart beat fast. I was breathless. Little by little, I closed the distance between Ibuki-san and myself. Depending on the situation, I might need to retrieve the key card by force. Considering my considerable skills, I could handle it well. I can handle it well. I can do it. I can do it.
I understood all too well that I wasn't calm, but I had to do something. I didn't have anyone else to rely on. I'd handled things on my own up until this point, and I could continue just the same. The rain and winds were a bit easier to deal with in the middle of the forest than on an open road. But the visibility had become that much worse, and the footing even more terrible. Also, as I went right and then left, I lost my sense of direction.
But my biggest problem was my physical condition. With every second that passed, I grew worse. Up until now I'd only had a slight fever, but as the rain came down I reached my limits. My sickness grew steadily worse.
Ibuki-san stopped, and then unexpectedly looked up at a tree. She gazed at a single handkerchief, wet from the rain and tied to the tree.
"How long are you going to follow us? Don't you think enough is enough?"
"Once you return the two things you stole."
"Sorry, no can do," Kaneda-kun denied. "There's nothing a pathetic girl for you to do here. Go run back to your class."
"Shut up!" I shouted hoarsely.
Ibuki-san crouched, and started digging in the ground using both hands.
"Ah, agh..."
Wracked by intense dizziness and nausea, I leaned my back against a nearby tree.
"Your condition has gotten a lot worse, hasn't it?"
Ibuki-san turned to look at me. However, she quickly returned to work.
"Ah... Ah... Ugh..."
Although I was trying to manage my breathing, I couldn't anymore. My jersey, soaked from the downpour, leached my body heat away. I'd tried to resist wanting to lie down and rest, but I could no longer hold my head up.
As I thought about my physical strength, I had no choice but to fight.
"Ibuki-san, if you don't give it up peacefully, I'll have to use force."
"Huh? Pahahahahaha!"
Kaneda-kun burst out into laughter, and Ibuki-san stopped digging.
"Do you realize your situation? You can barely stand. There's two of us."
"That doesn't matter."
"I see..."
Ibuki-san dropped her bag to the ground and outstretched her arm. Kaneda-kun also set his bag down.
Ibuki-san stared into my eyes, and made a provocative beckoning motion with her hand. She was mocking me.
"Hurry up. I don't have all night."
I gritted my teeth in frustration, and slowly limped over to the two of them.
As soon as I stepped into striking range, Ibuki-san's slender leg went right toward my face. What little alertness I had left saved me. I flew backwards, avoiding her kick. Mud splashed me, and I struck a defensive posture with both arms raised.
"Hmm, she's not too bad, Kaneda."
"Let's just get this done with quickly. I don't want to be here any longer than I have to."
"An act of violence means immediate disqualification..."
"Someone might see us here, you mean? Weren't you willing to use violence, too?"
While I was wondering why she had such a sly grin on her face, they both suddenly dashed at me.
Kaneda-kun's sloppily thrown fist sought out my face, and I used what little energy I had left to bat it out of the way. If he was a trained fighter, I would've lost then and there.
Ibuki-san's leg came up in my peripheral, barely visible in the dark forest. I rolled, escaping from her and putting some distance between us. I desperately tried to raise myself out of the mud. That was the first time I was really thankful that I practiced martial arts.
"Oh? You can really move, surprisingly. You practice or something?"
Ibuki-san, without panicking whatsoever, seemed genuinely impressed as she sized me up. She'd perceived my knowledge of martial arts, and probably wasn't an average practitioner herself. How could I respond without telling her that I was in the worst condition?
"I've...been nothing but a complete and utter failure in this test."
I hadn't contributed a single thing to Class D. If anything, I was probably a hindrance. The rest of them, all trying their hardest, were held back because of my poor physical condition. I wished I'd told them from the start. I could have requested that another person become the leader since I wasn't feeling well. It would have been fine had I just refused. But my pride got the better of me, which was unforgivable.
I mocked people. I hated useless things, labelling them incompetent, while I was useless myself. Ha ha... I laughed dryly in my mind. Was I really still making excuses for myself?
"Why... did you steal... the key cards? What is it all for...?"
The two of them readied themselves again, and shortened the distance between us in an instant. This time, they came at me together.
Ibuki-san feinted a strike with her right arm, but actually went for a high, fast kick. I threw myself out of the way, but was immediately grappled my Kaneda-kun.
He hadn't been trying to attack me at all just now – no, he was only trying to capture me and restrict my movements.
This was bad. If I got hit, I would undoubtedly be knocked unconscious. I couldn't allow myself to fail here. I had to be strong.
My body and mind were wracked by intense cold and nausea. I was barely able to stand.
"You tried really hard. I'll respect that, I guess."
Ibuki-san approached me with a grin on her features.
I struggled desperately to escape the grasp of Kaneda-kun, but it was futile. In my state of immense weakness, I could do nothing against the seemingly immovable strength of a boy.
"You know... it's against the rules... to steal the key card..." I muttered.
"So what? There's no evidence that I used violence against you. And the school will never find they key cards, so we won't endure any penalties."
Ibuki-san had the right read of the situation. Nothing could conclusively make the school perceive this as it really was. Even if I was the only one who got hurt, Ibuki-san and Kaneda-kun could say whatever they liked to get out of it. Even if I complained, we'd all be punished. And Class E had points to lose.
"I'm... going to get the... the... key card back. It'll be evidence."
"Enough is enough."
Ibuki-san readied herself in front of me, while Kaneda-kun still firmly held me from behind by the arms. Any resistance I tried was fruitless. My body was too weak to do anything.
"You fought pretty well, for a girl in such a weak state. But this is your limit."
With that, Ibuki-san raised her fist and shot it out mercilessly at my face. It struck me brutally in the cheek, and pushed all the way through, spinning my face to the side.
My mind splintered, the singular blow completely destroyed my perception of reality. My field of vision twisted so much that I couldn't tell what was the ground and what was the sky.
My eyelids seemed to weight tons, and I lost the ability to control my body to any degree.
My senses dulled, and I fell to the ground with a thud as the mud splash onto my face. What a humiliating and pathetic defeat.
The last thing I recognised before everything went black was the mocking sound of a bursting firework rocket.
△▼△▼△▼△
Ibuki's POV
I let out a deep breath as I stood over the unconscious Horikita, who had fallen to the ground after being released by Kaneda-kun.
It had been a long time since I'd seen such a skilled opponent. If it was one on one, and if she was in better health, the match could've gone either way. She really was that strong.
I resumed my work, with the assistance of Kaneda-kun, and we soon dug up the flashlight and wireless transceiver wrapped in vinyl. I would have rather gotten by without using them if I could, though.
I reported our current location to the man who'd been waiting to hear about our whereabouts and sat down to rest in silence. I didn't bother talking to Kaneda-kun, and he didn't seem interested in dialogue either.
About half an hour or so passed before I saw the gleam of a flashlight. It blinked twice, then three times. It was just like Morse code.
I responded with the same signal, using the flashlight that had been near my feet. The guiding light had gotten stronger, as if both lights were resonating with each other. Then I saw an irritating face that I didn't want to see. Ryūen appeared.
"Yo. Excellent work, Ibuki, Kaneda. You did an admirable job."
"Naturally, yes?"
"Naturally? If you hadn't made any mistakes until now. I wouldn't have had to risk coming over here."
"That couldn't be helped. I hadn't planned for the digital camera to break."
If only the digital camera hadn't broken, I would have taken a picture of the key card and that would have been the end of it. I would have had my definitive proof. I wouldn't have even needed to call Ryūen using the transceiver. But instead, I'd had to take a huge risk and steal the card itself.
"It is rather mysterious that both of your cameras broke at the same time, though... But anyway, where are the cards?"
The two of us reached into our respective pockets and presented the two key cards.
"Here,"
Ryūen shined his flashlight on the cards and confirmed the names. 'Horikita Suzune' and 'Chihiro Shiranami' were engraved on the sides.
"So, what now?" Kaneda asked.
"Well, I'm currently waiting for someone else. They shouldn't take long to show themselves."
Oddly enough, he put emphasis on the words 'someone else' as he said that. I didn't even question it, though. Trying to comprehend this man was just stupidity. Such was how Ryūen operated.
"I'm impressed. So you knew?"
A voice rang out from the darkness behind us. We all turned around simultaneously, and a silhouette slowly emerged.
Straight, black hair. A slender figure. Piercing, amethyst eyes. Every first year knew who this boy was. He was almost as enigmatic as Ryūen himself.
"Ah, Lelouch. So it was you? Somehow, I had a feeling." Ryūen grinned as he spoke cryptic words.
Kaneda and I sent each other a look, but didn't say anything.
"That's right. I was the one who set off those fireworks."
"So that's what that guy was on about..." I muttered.
I didn't intend for anyone to hear, but it looked like they all did.
"'That guy?'" Ryūen echoed. "What the hell are you on about, Ibuki?"
"That Ayanokōji. Earlier today, he came to the beach and approached Kaneda and I. He told us that Horikita and Ichinose would be the two holding the key cards, and that we'll know when to make our move. He left after without elaborating."
Ryūen narrowed his eyes upon hearing my explanation.
"Your plan, I assume?"
"Of course. That guy's been going around reclaiming all the spots this whole time, after all. I instructed him last night to drop by Class B and E whenever it was convenient and pass on that message."
I was starting to get really confused. What the hell was going on?
"Wait, wait. Why the hell are you two acting all buddy-buddy all of a sudden? Where is this crap coming from?!"
"Damn, you really are slow, Ibuki." Ryūen laughed.
"Don't you see? It's what's called a 'wordless negotiation.' Ryūen and I understood each other's intentions, and realized that this course of action was beneficial to both our classes."
"Here," Ryūen said, tossing the Class B key card over to Lelouch.
"Chihiro Shiranami, huh? Interesting choice." He said as he read the engraved letters.
"Hold on. Why are we giving him free information now?" Kaneda exclaimed.
"It isn't free. Don't you see? He helped us steal the cards, so we're repaying him by giving him Class B's leader. A pretty good deal, if you ask me."
Ryūen flashed his white teeth at us. A crack echoed across the island as a white flash of lightning pierced the skies.
"So that's why you set up that firework distraction and told us who had the key cards? Under the assumption that we'd give you the leader in turn?" I surmised.
"Exactly. Since we still didn't know the leader, and it was getting late, I decided that we'd have to get a look at the card itself. Class B doesn't have spots to occupy anymore, so finding it out another way is practically impossible. If we tried to steal it ourselves, we would've been competing with Class C for who would steal it successfully. I knew that Ryūen was still on the island, so it was logical to just work with him to steal the card for both of us rather than compete for it. This method was mutually beneficial."
Lelouch explained his deep thought process, leaving Kaneda and I astonished. There were so many things going on behind the scenes that I didn't even know about.
"You thought of all that..." Kaneda murmured.
"By the way, it seems you gave little Horikita quite the beating," laughed Lelouch sadistically. "I pity her. All she can do now is sit in silence for the rest of the exam, knowing that her leader was discovered."
"Kuku, you're quite a complicit bastard, aren't you, Lelouch? I like your style."
This exchange was incomprehensible to me. Ryūen seemed to hold some degree of respect for Lelouch. The same was true the other way around. These guys got on my nerves to no end.
"Well, I'll leave you guys to it, then. I got what I came for."
Lelouch tossed the card back to Ryūen, and turned. Soon, he'd disappeared fully into the ominous shadows.
That entire encounter gave me an eerie vibe.
"You come over here and confirm it, too. That was your condition, remember? Relax, it's dark out, and this weather is horrible. Lelouch won't be sticking around here. It's great to be cautious, but don't waste time."
Yet another person made himself known. Katsuragi, from Class A. He was definitely the calm and dependable type, the complete opposite of our leader. I pretended to be calm, but in my mind I couldn't help but be reminded again of Ryūen's awfulness. Immediately after the test had started, Ryūen told me that he would coax Class A into helping us. Apparently he'd done it. But how in the world?
He'd probably been here the whole time. Katsuragi took Horikita's and Chihiro's cards from Ryūen and looked over them carefully. You couldn't have made a fake or anything on this deserted island.
"It looks like the real thing," he said.
"Are you convinced now?"
Although he'd been shown definitive proof, Katsuragi's stern expression didn't change. I'd heard he was a cautious man, but to be this paranoid seemed like a unique kind of illness.
"You two managed to infiltrate Class B and E quite well. Weren't you suspected?"
"Under normal circumstances, we would've been. But as for my methods, that's a trade secret."
I unconsciously rubbed my cheek. When we began our spy operation in Class E, Ryūen slapped me to turn a lie into the truth. But the pain and the hatred I felt toward him were all quite real. Naturally, the students in Class E misunderstood, and thought I'd been beaten and chased out of my class. Maybe if I hadn't been injured, they wouldn't have swallowed the lie so smoothly.
"Don't sit there and think about it forever. The situation is black-and-white, so make your decision. You're already halfway there. Don't do something as stupid as pulling out here."
"You're right."
Despite that, it didn't seem like Katsuragi had given his consent. Ryūen noticed this, but rather than get annoyed, he smiled. As if he were getting ready to attack his prey, he whispered, "If this wasn't an honourable deed, then what are you going to do? Did you know that Sakayanagi's faction has dominated ever since rumours spread that you failed to get on the student council despite your best efforts? This might be your chance, right?"
"You bastard. Why are you telling me this?"
"Class A maintains its position by forming alliances. If you can form those, even those who have double-crossed you will return under your wing, won't they? Or you could make me your enemy, I suppose? If you do, I wonder what would happen?"
Katsuragi hadn't signed a contract with the devil, but this was much more than a simple negotiation. Well, perhaps that line of thinking was naïve. Once you discussed terms with the devil, you ended up making a contract one way or another.
"Sakayanagi is absent. It's impossible for someone indecisive to rule Class A."
"We've established negotiations, as promised. I accept your proposal."
With that, Katsuragi stretched out his hand to Ryūen, who smiled audaciously.
"That's good. You've exercised sound judgment."
"Wait, what negotiation? Would you explain?" I asked.
They were free to do whatever they wanted, but I had a right to know the details. When I aimed for Class A, I had to decide if being close to Ryūen was the right thing to do.
"To form an alliance. With Class A."
"I'll be heading back now. I don't want to risk things by lingering for too long." Katsuragi returned the cards to me and Kaneda, and disappeared into the darkness.
"What about the negotiation? What was discussed? What are we getting in return?"
A flash of white lightning crackled through the air. Thunder came crashing down immediately afterward, a roaring sound coming from the sea. Ryūen didn't even twitch an eyebrow. He told me the details of the contract with a creepy smile on his face. The details weren't really complex, but they weren't simple, either.
Even with our problems piling up one after the other, making it really difficult to achieve anything, there was the promise of a huge return. Everything was going according to Ryūen's plan, including the fact that most of our students had retired. None of us had imagined this situation before the test had begun, when we were enjoying our holiday on the boat. I hated him so much that I wanted to die, but I supposed he was probably the man with abilities closest to those of Class A, after all. I had to acknowledge it.
"But...is there any guarantee Katsuragi will keep his promise? He might renege."
"I have that covered, of course. He will have no choice but to honour his promise."
I walked toward Horikita and, after carefully wiping my fingerprints from the key card, stuck it back in her hand. There was nothing this girl could have done. She didn't trust anyone, and that was her downfall.
"We've won." Ryūen smirked confidently.
"We have? How?" Kaneda asked.
"Well, put it like this. We now know every leader. That means we'll end this exam with a little over 200 points. On top of their usual expenses, the other classes will all lose 50 points. Class B and E will lose 50 more from Class D guessing their leaders, and I'm sure that those bastards have also figured out Class A's leader by now. If you do the math, it's clear to see that no other class will finish with over 200 points. We've won."
Putting it like that, it was impossible to think anything but our victory. All the other classes had fallen so far down that it was impossible to recover.
I took one last look at the muddy Horikita. The stubborn girl who didn't listen to other people's opinions. In other words, no matter how painful something was, she would endure it silently.
"Use your smarts to protect yourself."
Then we disappeared into the dark woods.
△▼△▼△▼△
Horikita's POV
Swirling. Swirling. A swirling vortex of darkness. Senses mixed up, jumbling together into one mess of sensory signals.
My eyelids we immovable, as if weighted down by the whole world. Emotions surged throughout me, flowing in and out of the vortex of senses. Nothing made sense to me anymore.
Humiliating weakness. That's what I possessed. I spent all my time looking down on others, even though I was useless myself.
I'm no different than Sudō-kun and the others.
I lamented the situation in which I was powerless.
This is all due to my mistake. My responsibility. I relied on pride, and deluded myself into thinking that I could win on my own. As a result, Class E would lose this exam.
We'd lose 50 points from having our leader guessed. What's more, I would probably be forced to drop out if anyone found me. Then we'd lose another 30. Even if I didn't, we'd still lose points from missed roll calls. And it's all my fault.
It could've been avoided if I just knew how to rely on someone.
I'm so pathetic.
I apologized to my classmates in my head. It didn't mean much, but it was all I could do.
I have to recover from this failure and climb to Class A. I'm prepared to be hated by everyone else. I was the sole person at blame for this, after all.
I came to a sudden realization.
I was moving.
I fought furiously to open my eyes. Inch by inch, I gradually forced them open.
After an indeterminate amount of time, I did so.
The rhythmic up-and-down movements of movement were now accompanied by sight.
I was being carried by somebody.
I stared up and, after my eyes adjusted to the darkness, made out the figure of a man I'd never expected to see.
"What... What are you... doing... here...?"
"Here to fix your mistakes. Obviously."
"Fix...? What can you fix... It's far too late..."
"Whatever. I don't care about your opinion. I'm not doing this because I want to."
He shot me down cruelly, with cold words. Words that I deserved to hear.
"This is why a weakling like you shouldn't try to bear every responsibility themselves. It's embarrassing, really, how delusional you've been. It makes me sick to my stomach."
He reprimanded me as he walked, and all I did was listen.
"Where... are we going...?"
"That doesn't matter. Listen up."
He set me down on the ground against a tree, and I rested my heavy body against it with no resistance.
Normally, I'd never let someone like this guy handle me in such a manner. In fact, I'd never even let him touch me. What a state I'd fallen to.
I stared up at his imposing figure, and he stared down at me. An accurate reflection of our positions right now.
Me, who was looking up to him as my last hope.
And him, who was looking down on me as nothing more than a useless child.
He looked into my eyes with an expression more serious than any I'd ever seen on his face before.
"Let's form a little agreement, Horikita-girl."
A/N: 7680 word chapter. Honestly, a little shorter than what I initially expected before I started writing it.
3 POVs in one chapter? I think that's the most there's ever been, if I'm not mistaken.
Next chapter will, of course, be the results and explanation. I'm not too sure how much people have already figured out by now, but everything will be explained, so the chapter will be a long one.
Thanks for reading <3