Chapter 093: Katsuragi: "The advantage is mine this time!" Ryuen: "This time, I will be the winner!"
"Attention all students. We will be landing on the island in half an hour. All students must change into their sportswear and bring a second set of sportswear, undergarments, and their mobile phones to the deck for assembly. All other personal belongings should be left in your rooms."
The broadcast echoed through the cruise ship.
When the students arrived at the deck as instructed—clad in sportswear and clutching their phones—they found the homeroom teachers of the four classes already standing in a neat line. The class representatives stood beside their respective teachers, and the students lined up behind them.
The scene displayed a sharp contrast in class discipline: Classes A, B, and C were perfectly organized, with boys and girls separated into straight rows. Only Class D was a chaotic mess of students leaning every which way, some whispering complaints and others looking dazed, lacking any sense of tension for the upcoming exam.
As the representative supported by the collective effort of Class B, Hachiman, despite his dislike for standing out, had to stand at the very front of his class. Ichinose Honami led the Class B girls beside him, a gentle smile on her face as she checked the headcount and whispered reassurances to the nervous students.
Once everyone was lined up, Hoshinomiya Chie, the Class B homeroom teacher, stepped forward holding a large black bag. Though her face wore its usual friendly smile, her tone was slightly stricter. "Everyone, please place your mobile phones in this bag. Phones are strictly prohibited during the exam. The school will keep them in custody and return them once the island stay is over."
Immediately, Mashima Tomonari (Class A) Sakagami Kazuma (Class C), and Chabashira Sae (Class D) produced identical black bags, demanding their students surrender their devices.
"Huh? They told us to bring them just to confiscate them?" Upon discovering the trap, some students grumbled but reluctantly dropped their phones into the bags. It was a cruel blow; most students were "phone addicts" who hadn't let go of their devices since enrollment. Even Hachiman, whose contact list used to have only a handful of people, had grown accustomed to having his phone at all times. Now, they were returning to a "No-Phone" state.
The cruise ship slowly approached the island. Its silhouette grew clearer—lush with vegetation, remote, and desolate. No one knew what kind of exam awaited them.
"Is it outdoor survival? But with so many students, it must be a group lifestyle, right?" a girl in Class B whispered, her voice laced with anxiety.
Hachiman glanced at her and recognized her as Himeno Yuki. She was a somewhat reclusive girl whom Ichinose often went out of her way to look after. With her twin tails, ear piercings,
and a face that rarely smiled, she was a "gyaru" type who felt out of place among the "purified" and kind-hearted sheep of Class B.
As the murmurs died down, Mashima Tomonari, the Class A homeroom teacher, took a megaphone and stepped to the front.
"Quiet down, please. I am Mashima Tomonari, and I will be presiding over the special exam taking place on this island for the next week." The deck fell silent instantly.
"First, congratulations on arriving. However, one student is absent due to health reasons. Therefore, the class in question will begin with a deduction of 30 class points."
"30 points?!" Class A exploded in disbelief. They knew exactly who was missing—Sakayanagi Arisu, the leader of the Sakayanagi faction.
Katsuragi's expression remained unchanged, but his subordinate, Yahiko, immediately whispered, "It seems with Sakayanagi gone, Class A starts at a disadvantage." He looked at Katsuragi anxiously. The gap between Classes A and B was currently less than 50 points; this deduction made things even tighter.
"Don't dwell on that, Yahiko," Katsuragi said, tapping his temple. "Physical limitations are unavoidable. No one should be blamed for that."
It was unclear if he was being genuinely fair or simply trying to win over the Sakayanagi faction members. Despite his words, murmurs persisted. Even though Sakayanagi had ordered her followers to follow Katsuragi in her absence, the class was far from united.
In contrast, Ryuen Kakeru of Class C wore a playful smirk. "Heaven is on my side. Class A loses points at the start... this is our chance."
Mashima continued through the megaphone, "Silence. I will now announce the core requirements. In ten minutes, each class will board small boats to land on the beach. You will spend seven days living together using the supplies provided by the school. At noon on the seventh day, the final results will be announced."
"Seven days?!"
"Using only school supplies?!"
D-Class's Sudo Ken shouted, "Sensei, what if the supplies aren't enough? Is the island dangerous?"
Mashima glanced at him briefly. "Each student will be issued a black wristwatch that monitors vital signs. It must be worn at all times. Removing it without permission will result in severe punishment. If the watch detects a threat to your life, an alarm will sound and a rescue will be sent. However, that student will be disqualified, and their class will be docked another 30 points."
The mood shifted from complaining to grim solemnity. No one wanted to be the "sinner" who cost their class points or forced an early exit.
"Finally, these watches have built-in GPS, but the data is only accessible to the teachers. Now, the teachers will distribute the watches. Once finished, head to the boarding point. After landing, we will announce the specific scoring rules and provide the base supplies."
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Ten minutes later, the students were on the beach. Each class gathered in a separate area, staring in silence at the meager pile of supplies in the center.
"Is this a joke... just this?" a Class B student muttered.
The supplies consisted of: two eight-person tents (flimsy fabric), two plastic flashlights, one box of matches, and one portable chemical toilet. Each student also received a small blue pouch with a toothbrush, toothpaste, towel, soap, and a cup. Sunscreen was provided in unlimited quantities, and feminine hygiene products were available from the teachers upon request.
"This is way too little!" a girl complained.
"We have forty people! Two tents aren't enough, and one toilet for forty people? Both boys and girls using the same one?!"
Even the well-mannered Class B boys looked distressed. This was the reality of the special exam.
Hoshinomiya then began to explain the scoring rules.
"Each class starts with 300 base points. You can use these points to buy extra food, water, or supplies at the exchange point where teachers are stationed. Any student in the class can spend these points."
"300 points?" Ichinose's eyes flashed. "So if we are frugal, we can keep these points until the end?"
"Correct," Hoshinomiya smiled. "The final score of this exam is determined by how many of those 300 points you have left after seven days. They will be added to your class points at a 1:1 ratio. If you spend zero, you get 300 points."
"300 points?!" The gap between Classes A and B was only 50 points. A 300-point gain could change everything.
Hachiman remained calm. Ichinose leaned in and whispered, "Hikigaya-kun, did you already know the rules? You don't look surprised at all."
Hachiman realized Ichinose was playing her part well. She already knew the gist from him, yet she acted like she was just noticing his lack of surprise.
He played along: "The school never gives away points for free. There must be a trap."
"Don't get too excited," Hoshinomiya interrupted. "It's almost impossible to spend zero. For example, the toilet will surely be insufficient, and polluting the environment will lead to penalties. However, there are ways to increase your score."
"There are multiple 'Spots' across the island. Each class will choose a Leader who will be given a keycard. Using the Leader's card to 'clock in' at a Spot will grant bonus points. Furthermore, most Spots have natural resources. If you use them wisely, you won't need to spend your base points on supplies."
"It sounds like all benefits," Kanzaki said, frowning. He agreed with Hachiman; the more benefits they heard, the more cruel the hidden rules likely were.
"It's not all benefits," Hoshinomiya continued. "On the seventh day, there will be a 'Guess the Leader' phase. For every other class's Leader you correctly identify, your class gets +50 points. If you guess wrong, you lose -50 points. You can also choose not to guess."
"However, even if you don't guess, other classes can guess your Leader. For every class that correctly identifies your Leader, you lose -50 points. Moreover, if any class correctly guesses your Leader, all bonus points you earned from occupying Spots will be voided. Seven days of hard work, gone in an instant."
A dead silence fell over Class B. The joy vanished, replaced by heavy pressure. This wasn't just a survival test; it was a game of "Werewolf" involving psychological warfare. You had to protect your Leader's identity while hunting for the others.
"This is very much in the school's style," Ichinose remarked.
"Yes," Hachiman added. "If the Leader is caught, all Spot points are gone. No matter how many you occupy, it becomes zero."
Ichinose finally realized why Hachiman hadn't cared much when Classes A and C were observing the island earlier. Even if they found and occupied Spots, they might get nothing in the end. But she wondered: if Hikigaya knew the rules in advance, why did he let Classes A and C find the Spots?
Given her experience with Hachiman "doing bad things," she suspected he was planning something truly wicked.
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Meanwhile, at the Class 1-A site:
"We have 270 points because of Sakayanagi's absence," Mashima announced. "You can use them for supplies. Here is the manual."
When the students heard that anyone could spend the points, the Katsuragi faction looked at the Sakayanagi faction with some resentment. They were already down 30 points because of her. Furthermore, penalties were numerous: littering, missing roll call, or returning to the ship due to illness.
But the "Guess the Leader" part was the focus.
"Katsuragi, we can occupy a lot of Spots," Yahiko said excitedly upon hearing that one Spot provides 1 point every 8 hours (translating to significant points over 7 days). "I saw a white tower while observing. It's the highest point. If we scout from there, we can find even more Spots."
"In this exam," Katsuragi stated, "even with the -30 penalty, if we occupy enough Spots, we could earn 500, maybe even 600 points total. We need to designate a Leader and move fast before the other classes react. Sensei, I want to confirm our Leader immediately. Let's start!"
"As expected of Katsuragi! He should be the leader of Class A!" the students cheered. They had feared being besieged without Sakayanagi, but now they felt the advantage was theirs.
"Katsuragi's taking the credit, even though 'Little Masumi' leaked the intel to him," Hashimoto Masayoshi of the Sakayanagi faction said, arms crossed.
"Don't call me that," Kamuro grumbled. The information about the Spots was indeed what she had "overheard" from Hachiman and relayed to Katsuragi.
"I wonder how many points he'll get," Hashimoto mused. If they saved half their base points and occupied 15+ Spots, they could hit 500 points. That was a massive gain.
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At Class C:
"So those are the rules," Ryuen said, looking at Shiina Hiyori with surprise. She had told him last night that there would be an island exam. They had spent the morning using binoculars to gain an advantage.
Ryuen knew how to survive in the wild. He estimated at least 20 Spots on the island. If they survived without spending points and racked up Spot bonuses, they could hit 600+ points. If they guessed the other Leaders correctly, they could reach 700!
He glanced at the expressionless Ibuki Mio. She had clashed with him on the ship; "kicking her out" of the camp would seem perfectly natural to others.
The "Guess the Leader" rule was tailor-made for him. He could send spies to other classes to ferret out their Leaders. The only pity was his alliance with Class B; he couldn't attack them. He had really wanted to beat Hikigaya Hachiman fairly for once instead of always being restricted.
Regardless, he intended to be the winner!
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As for Class D:
"Huh?" "Special exam?" "What is that? The school never told us!"
They were already on the beach, but their brains were only just catching up. After three days of luxury on a cruise ship, they were expected to suffer for seven days on a deserted island? The class was in an uproar.
"..." Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
Ayanokouji quickly analyzed the situation. He realized why Classes A, B, and C had observed the island beforehand—the best Spots were probably already scouted.
However, Spot points would be voided if the Leader was caught. To score, one could observe who "clocks in" at a Spot every 8 hours to identify a Leader. But for Class D, the best bet was saving the 300 base points. If they saved half and kept a few Spot points, they could get 200+. Add a correct guess, and they'd have 300+. It was a decent start.
Just as he was thinking this, Horikita Suzune stood up.
"I have something to announce," she said. "And I think now is the perfect time. What do you all think about 'distribution according to labor'?"
'Oh?' Ayanokouji thought.
'Horikita-san, are you planning to make a major contribution to the class?'
New Fanfiction!
You call this a projection?
What is a sword?
After Shirou Emiya awakened the memories of his past life and obtained a system that allowed him to travel to other worlds, his horizons were broadened by witnessing the wonders of those realms, and he suddenly reached a moment of enlightenment.
"Only swords... how could it be such a limit!"
Shirou Emiya: "Trace on!"
"False Magician's Red"
Consequently, by the time the Holy Grail War officially began...
Rin Tohsaka exclaimed in agitation:
"This isn't Projection at all!"
Crossover with Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Jujitsu Kaisen and others.
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting