6.3

A little after 10 a.m. on the last day of the exam, I, Suzune Horikita, was heading north along the border between I4 and I3, aiming for I2. It was the last day of the special exam, and I was trying to muster up my last bit of energy. Fortunately, until just before midnight last night, the second year Class D had not been listed in the bottom 10 groups. The bottom five groups, the range of expulsion, were all third-year students.

However, we cannot be absolutely sure. At the end of the day, if these five groups were to join forces with another group, their scores would inevitably increase, and there was a possibility that they would switch places with the group just outside the sixth and seventh positions. In extreme cases, if all ten of the bottom groups are paired with the top group, then all ten of them could be out of the bottom.

My tablet shows that my designated area is I7, which is the exact opposite of I2, where I am headed. It was an outrage to ignore the designated area that I was heading to. The answer to why I am doing this lies in a piece of paper in my right hand. This was folded and tucked away in my tent when I woke up this morning. I unfolded it and saw that it had four words written on it in an irregular pattern: "Noon," "K.A.," "Expelled," and "I2." The first time I saw it, I knew I was in trouble.

As I inquired further, I thought of two things. The first was that the person who wrote it had such beautiful handwriting that I wanted to use it as a model. The other is that paper and pen are not part of the free supply.

"I wonder how many points the notebook and pen were..."

I vaguely remember it being mentioned in the manual for the deserted island, but I don't remember the detailed point prices because I decided it was worthless. I may need the note if my tablet runs out of battery or breaks down in a hurry, though. Anyway, some drunk guy bought a notebook and some notes, and then sent me this little cryptic thing.

"No, it's too easy to call it a cipher."

I2 is the area of the deserted island, and noon is the time. This indicates that there is something going on here today, the fourteenth day, since it was the last day when he sent the note. If I say it was just a prank, that's all. But the two words that remain are not.

Aside from the former expulsion, it is the K.A. that is the problem.

If other students had seen this note, they probably wouldn't have understood what it meant. The moment I saw it, I knew the meaning. It was the initials of Ayanokōji Kiyotaka.

"If you consider the meaning as it is, Ayanokōji-kun will be expelled from the school today at noon, I2...."

You've got to be kidding me, I thought.

So, when the 7 a.m. designated area was announced, I was going to ignore it. But I was a little concerned about the fact that Ayanokōji-kun's GPS was on E3. But if time goes by and he gets closer to I2, it might not be just a joke. If it was someone's trap to waste points, then I had fallen for it.

The result - Ayanokōji-kun had made his way from F3 to G3. If he continues to head to I2, he will be able to get there quite soon...

I had such a premonition that I decided to head north to find out for sure. There is a bounty on his head. The probability that it is a suggestion cannot be dismissed. There was still some time before noon, but I wondered how far Ayanokoji-kun had gotten. Of course, it's possible that it's just a coincidence and he's already on his way to another area. I feel the urge to do a GPS search, but I hold it back. My score is good enough to be in the top 50%. However, if I abandoned the designated areas and tasks from here on, and even used the search, I wouldn't know that. If I'm wasting my time in any way, I might as well head to I2.

"Ah! I'm finally catching up! You better wait for me Horikita!"

Such a voice came from behind me as the end of my vision opened up and I could almost see the river.

"How... did you end up here?"

Mio Ibuki-san, who is out of breath and glaring at me, shows up. From the fact that it doesn't feel like she just appeared by accident, it looks like she went to the trouble of GPS searching to follow me.

"Score, show me your score."

"Hold on. What the hell are you talking about?"

Showing up out of nowhere and asking me, the enemy, to show you my scores is a behavior I don't understand.

"I told you. I'm not going to let you beat me in this special exam."

She sticks her forefinger in front of my eyes.

"You don't need to confirm that now. Couldn't you have waited until it was over?"

"I mean, there's no guarantee that all the groups' scores will be announced after the special exam."

"Sure, that might be true. It's the top and bottom groups that matter."

There was no guarantee that all students would have immediate access to the rankings of the many groups that existed. Of course, there's always the possibility that they'll be made public as a matter of course.

"So why don't you let me check here and now?"

She wants it to be black and white as to which of us collected more points on the last day.

"That's a silly and unbelievable statement, but... you're serious if you've come all this way. How many times did you use the GPS search?"

"Three times. Since you were so close, I figured it was now or never."

The greater the distance, the more difficult it becomes to meet the person you want. That meant Ibuki-san had used the GPS search three times to get here.

"Well, that's a lot of work, isn't it?"

"I don't need that kind of pity, just tell me your score. I got a 131!" She declared forcefully, as if to say, "What do you think?"

"Thanks for telling me, even though I didn't ask. But I do have two things to say. First of all, there's no guarantee that you're telling me your real score."

"Huh? Then why don't you just look at it?"

I stop Ibuki-san as she tries to take her tablet out of her backpack.

"Secondly, even if you disclosed your real score, I won't tell you."

"What? What's that? Are you going to say the same thing as that guy?"

That guy...? I was a little curious, but I kept talking.

"Even though we're both second-year students, we're enemies. I don't want to take the risk of disclosing any information."

I don't think I'm in the bottom ten groups at this point. But the scores will fluctuate until the very end. Even if it's the last day, there's a non-zero chance that I'll be caught flat-footed by the information I give to Ibuki-san.

"All right. So, you freaked out when you heard my score, huh? You're losing, right?"

"I'm not even going to answer that question. It'll give you an implication to whether you're winning or losing."

Even though I repeated that I wasn't going to give any information, Ibuki-san kept pushing on.

"Why don't you just admit it honestly? That you couldn't beat me in points."

"I'll leave it at that, and you can go back to your exam."

I try to match Ibuki-san, if that makes her happy.

"Holy shit you piss me off. Show me your real score."

"I basically admitted defeat, but you're not satisfied?"

"I want to know what your real score is. And I want to know how much I beat you by."

"This is silly..."

"It's important to me."|

"I'm sorry, but we have to move on."

"Are you trying to escape?"

"I'm on my way to the designated area. It's funny that you would describe it as running away." I turn my feet to hurry to I2. Ibuki-san must have taken that as running away, because she followed me.

"Do you have a designated area to the north of you? Or are you simply following me?"

"What I want to know now is your score. If I knew that, I'd go back to my assigned area too."

So she's obsessively concerned about me. I honestly don't want to be stranded here. I don't want to waste my time when I'm being swamped by a single piece of paper.

"I've lost."

"Oh, you admit it? So, you're finally admitting defeat, huh?"

"No, I don't. I'm saying that I lost to that kind of obsession of yours.

I've collected 145 points. You came close, but I won the game."

I disclosed information that should have been hidden. That's why I declared my defeat.

"You're beating me? If you're going to say you're winning, then show me the proof, the proof."

Of course you will. But I'm not going to stop walking. I want to get to I2 as quickly as possible now to make sure he's safe.

"Okay."

This is efficient, though I don't think it's the right answer.

In any case, even if Ibuki-san knows the score I have on the last day of this exam, it won't have a big impact. Right now, every minute or second counts. I take down my backpack and reach for my tablet, which I keep inside. Ibuki kept her stern face and waited for me to tell her how many points I had. I took out the tablet and was about to press the power button.

Almost at the same time, Ibuki-san and I felt a strong presence from ahead that we didn't even try to hide, and we looked up.

"My my, what do we have here~!"

An innocent voice, like that of a child meeting a playmate.

"Hi, Horikita-senpai!"

Looking at the female student who had appeared before she knew it, Ibuki-san expressed her dissatisfaction without even trying to hide it.

"Who...?"

"It's Amasawa Ichika-san from 1st year Class A."

It's possible that we just happened to show up at the same place, but she's acting kind of strange.

Still wary, I turn to face Amasawa-san, tablet still in my hand.

The first year's bounty and what was written on this morning's paper flash through my mind.

"Don't worry about me, you can do whatever you were doing, okay?"

"Not so fast. We were just talking about various private matters."

Ibuki-san is well aware that I don't want to tell her my scores as much as possible. She'll also understand that I don't want to show her the scores on my tablet here to see if I won or lost. I tried to gently urge her to leave, but she didn't move.

Ibuki-san, who seemed to have lost her numbness at the sight of her, said irritably,

"You're in my way..."

"So Horikita-senpai, how is Sudō-senpai doing~?"

"Huh? Did you just ignore me?"

It's impossible that she didn't hear Ibuki-san's question, but Amasawa-san ignored her. She turns her shoulders, setting down the backpack she was carrying, as if she wasn't planning to leave right away.

"Yeah. I'm sure he's grateful that you saved him." She smiles, and there is no hint of an apology to me.

The longer she stays here, the longer I'll be delayed in getting to Ayanokōji-kun. Unless these incidents are somehow related...

"Amasawa-san, you're in my way. I have a prior engagement over here, so please go away."

"Prior engagement? Didn't Ibuki-senpai just barge in on her own too?"

It was as if she had heard our conversation from an early stage.

Something isn't right.

"Even if that's the case, it doesn't matter, now please go."

With a stronger tone than previously, Ibuki from my side tells Amasawa-san,

"Go away. Now."

If I go any further, Ibuki-san might actually do something about it.

Even with such a threat, Amasawa-san just smiles in amusement.

"I wonder what your goal is, Amasawa-san."

Putting aside Ibuki-san for the moment, I turn my attention to Amasawa-san. I don't want to spend any more unnecessary time on her, but I have no choice.

"Tsk." Ibuki-san is irritated by this, but she waits for me as if she has no choice.

"I want to ask you one thing, where is Horikita-senpai going to go from here?"

"I'm standing here talking to Ibuki-san right now, but as soon as I'm done, I'm heading for the F3 area."

A lie, of course. I'm in a situation where I'm about to abandon my own designated area. But there's no advantage in telling Amasawa-san that. She's colluding with the other first-year students to try and get the bounty of expelling Ayanokōji-kun. It's safer not to talk about unnecessary things related to Ayanokōji-kun. I thought that was my decision, but I soon realized that it was a mistake.

"You're a liar Horikita-senpai. Your designated area isn't over here, is it?"

"What do you mean? Are you trying to trap me with some strange trick?"

"There's no point in trying to deceive me. The designated area that you should be heading to is I7, right?"

Amasawa-san's immediate response was the designated area where I should be heading next. There was no way she could have guessed this by mere coincidence.

From the look on her face, I could only assume that she was trying to hook me from the start.

"We second-year students have our own way of fighting. We can't tell the truth about everything."

After saying that, I quickly continue.

"Isn't it inevitable that we should be wary of the person who tried to bring down Ayanokōji-kun?" I smoothly switch the conversation here.

The first year is the enemy, theres no harm in showing some ill will.

"Hmm. Well, I guess that's true too." She said this, but it didn't seem as if she was listening to my words.

I couldn't help but feel that she was already here with a conclusion in mind.

"Where are you going, Horikita-senpai? You don't think it's... I2, do you?"

Apparently, that thought of mine had hit me in the wrong direction.

"You know a lot of things, don't you? But it was only this morning that I decided to go to I2. You're very perceptive, aren't you?"

Even if she had used the GPS search to pinpoint my location, it wouldn't have been easy for her to get ahead of me like this. If that's the case, then I should assume that Amasawa-san is also involved in this piece of paper today. As I was wondering if I should ask her about it, Ibuki-san stepped forward.

"Hey, how long are we talking about this?"

I felt the same irritation. I'm going to be forced to deal with Amasawa-san more than I'll be able to deal with Ibuki-san.

"Ibuki-san."

I turned on my tablet and showed the screen of my score to Ibuki-san, knowing that the information would leak out. She would inevitably see the three group expansion slots I had obtained, but since I didn't have to use them until the end of the game, there was almost no harm done.

I'm sure she doesn't care about the maximum group quota part, though.

The moment she saw the score, I heard Ibuki-san's faint click of her tongue.

Then she scratched her head and said loudly in frustration.

"Huh? Seriously? That sucks."

It's a somewhat cruel answer to her hard work for the past two weeks so far.

Nevertheless, I think Ibuki-san did well. The fact that she's scored enough points to compete with me, even with her low academic ability, is enough to make me look back at her.

"If you're done, you can head to the designated area. You've got double the points this last day, so you still have a chance to turn things around."

"That's true, but... what do you mean you're trying to abandon the designated area?"

She asks, as if Amasawa-san's words from earlier are bothering her.

"This is your chance to leave, Ibuki-san. I'm in a situation where I can't score any points right now for some reason."

I don't have to explain everything from scratch, you understand, right?

I appeal with my eyes.

"Yeah well, the game is on until this exam is over. If you say you're going to stop, I'll just turn the tables on you without reservation." In disgust, Ibuki-san turned her back and walked away, as if she was satisfied with the situation.

With this, I succeeded in parting ways with Ibuki-san. As I put away my tablet in my backpack, I focused on dealing with Amasawa-san.

"I'm heading to I2 now, but what about you?"

"Why are you ditching the designated area to go to I2 where it doesn't matter? I don't care about that assignment. It's not like we're doing it during a special exam, is it?"

"Don't you think you know that better than anyone?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't be silly, you threw this paper into the tent while I was asleep.

What's the point of that?" I show her the small folded paper, holding it between the thumb and forefinger of my left hand.

"Paper? Can I see that please?"

You do your best monkey business imitation. Well, I have no use for this piece of paper anymore anyway. I give the paper back to Amasawa-san, who I think is the original owner.

After receiving it, she opens it and checks the contents. "Irregularly lined up letters: "Noon," "K.A.," "Expelled," "I2." She reads it aloud, then closes his eyes once more.

"Damn it..., I didn't realize how much you liked to play games..."

"Games? What are you planning to do by involving me and Ayanokōji-kun?"

"I don't know about that. It seems that I'm just one of the participants, just like my senpai."

"Don't try to fool me. The fact that you appeared in front of me proves that you are the owner of that paper."

Laughing somewhat annoyed, Amasawa-san tore up the paper. She tore it seven or eight times, and when it was unreadable, she threw it away.

"Did you see something disturbing in those four words?"

"Ayanokōji-kun might be expelled from school. It's not unconventional to read it that way."

"Hmm." She continues to talk as if she has a better grasp of the situation than I do.

Anyway, it's a waste of time to keep up with her word games any longer. I put my backpack back on and start walking towards her.

"I'm not happy. I don't know anything about Ayanokōji-senpai, but I don't think it's right for you to pretend to be his friend just because you're classmates."

As we stood side by side, Amasawa-san said those words.

"You don't know anything about Ayanokōji-senpai, right, Horikita-senpai?"

I didn't like that for some reason, and I stopped in my tracks.

"Then are you saying that you know more about him than I do?" I just looked at her and she forced me to meet her eyes and smiled widely and triumphantly.

"Fufu~ I know a lot about Ayanokōji-senpai. I know why he's so good-looking, smart..., and stronger than anyone else."

It was hard to believe that a freshman who had just entered the school would know so much about Ayanokōji-kun. Does that mean they've known each other since before middle school? Just like me and Kushida-san, who were in the same junior high school?

Amasawa-san continued her words unconcernedly.

"So, what do you know, Horikita-senpai?"

What do I know? I'm... the... first friend Ayanokōji-kun has made since he entered this school. Yes, I guess you could say we're friends in a way. Our seats happened to be next to each other, and we started to talk... a lot.

I thought he was just a normal student at first, but he was actually much smarter than I imagined. My brother was one of the first to approve of him, and he's also an expert in martial arts. However, he usually hides this side of himself and prefers to lead a quiet school life. There are still very few people who know about his abilities, but other than that, the information he has is probably not much different from others.

"Yes, it's true, I may not know everything about him, I can't deny that."

Thinking about Ayanokōji-kun again, I couldn't help but come to that conclusion. Maybe Amasawa-san knew exactly what she was talking about. I don't know.

At my words that could be considered a declaration of defeat, Amasawa-san smiled happily.

"However..."

"However?"

Surely that's not what's important. I think it's not how much I know about him now.

"I want to continue to know him for the rest of my life, until I graduate.

As a classmate, as a... friend, far more than you are now."

That's what I wish for right now, and that's how I feel. He is an important friend and an indispensable member of the class that we cannot afford to lose. If he was in danger right now, I couldn't help but run to him.

That's the reason why I'm leaving the designated area and heading there.

Now, I was able to reaffirm what I was trying to do. This choice is not a wrong one. If it turns out to be just an unfounded fear, so much the better.

"Do you think you can help him? You're not good enough yet."

"I may not be good enough as you are right now. But I'm going to be the one who can help him when he's in trouble."

This school life had only just begun to turn around. This conversation, which could have been considered a waste of time, might have had a great meaning. I suppose I should thank her for making me realize that. As I was about to walk away, Amasawa-san's outstretched right hand stood in front of me. When I look at her face again, I see that she has already lost her smile and is looking at me with intense murderous intent.

"I've learned something from talking to you. Something is actually about to happen on I2. If not, you don't need to try so hard to keep me here."

I can't afford to waste any more time here.

"Where are you going?"

"Can't you see how this is going? I'm going to I2 to help Ayanokōji-kun."

Exactly what I said earlier, a step towards becoming someone who can help him in times of trouble.

"Don't make me laugh. There's no way Ayanokōji-senpai would ask Horikita-senpai for help." She says that just to correct me.

"At least for now, yes."

"Only, it's different in the future?"

Nodding, I look back once.

"And there's another thing I've figured out. I really think you don't want me to go to I2. In other words, you were not the sender of this paper."

As I tried to avoid the outstretched hand, Amasawa-san stood in front of me once again.

"I won't let you go, Horikita-senpai."

"The more you stop me, the more I'm definitely going to have to go to I2. The way you're talking about it, it means he's in trouble now, doesn't it?"

It didn't matter how much I knew about the situation. All I could be sure of was that something was clearly going on with Ayanokōji-kun right now.

"Do you think you can go?"

"Yes, I think I can go."

Even if I have to forcefully remove the obstacles that stands in front of me.

"Hmm, I can just feel your determination. I'll just wait for you to put your bags down."

That meant that she would restrain me even by force. It would be better not to think of it as a mere verbal threat. I took her words in stride and slowly set my backpack down at my feet.

"Just so you know, I'm an experienced martial artist."

"I know."

"You're pretty well-informed, aren't you?"

I wondered if she knew more about me than just Ayanokōji-kun.

"I'll go ahead and say it too, but I'm super strong, so you'd better be prepared for that."

From the moment she showed her anger. I knew firsthand that she was no ordinary girl. I'm sure this isn't some kind of stunt. The fatigue from the desert island exam has naturally built up. The same is true for Amasawa-san in front of me. However, I'm not as tired as one may think, so we're evenly matched as far as condition goes. If that's the case, I won't be defeated so easily.

I took a slow stance and observed the behavior of Amasawa-san in front of me. She doesn't seem to be taking any particular form, and only has an eerie expression on her face.

"If you say you're going to see Ayanokōji-senpai, let's play for a bit to stop that."

The Amasawa-san in front of me stepped to the left and...

"Ack!"

I was on full alert, but immediately after I saw it start to move, I sensed danger and ran away, jumping backwards. The outstretched arm was not strong enough to grab me, or was it? In any case, I thought I had avoided the initial blow, but the next thing I knew, I was grabbed by the chest and the clothes on my right arm.

"Damn..." In the time it takes me to mutter such words, my vision is spinning around. Realizing the pain in my back, the fact that I was thrown on my back followed.

"Oh no... what a surprise."

Unable to breathe, I let out a labored gasp.

"No, you can't let your guard down. Yes, I'll give you a fresh start, so stand up, stand up." Looking down at me, Amasawa-san gives me an evil smile.

I don't think I need to put into words again how humiliating that is. Just one contact is enough to know. Amasawa-san's ability is considerable. As we were both women, I thought that even if there was a difference in our abilities, it would be slight. Ingenuity, resourcefulness, inspiration, and luck were all factors that could turn the tables. But I may have been naive in my thinking. Anyway, the damage to my back was not something to be laughed off. It was fortunate that the ground was dirt, but it would take some time to recover from the damage.

If the other side is proud of their overwhelming advantage, I'll take full advantage of it. I decided to spend tens of seconds on one process of getting up.

"Don't worry, I'll wait for you; you can rest for five or ten minutes."

"If your goal is to keep me from going to Ayanokōji-kun, then so be it."

"If you don't want to fight, that's the best way, right? Even from Horikita-senpai's point of view."

That's for sure. We've been going through the deserted island test without a hitch up to this point, and now we're starting to fight and quarrel at the end of it. If I'm not good enough, I'll be retired and I'll even be expelled as the sole student.

"Not yet..." Once the pain in my back is gone, I take another stance.

The same stance as before.

Just because I have a background in martial arts doesn't mean I'm any good at street fights. I can only demonstrate my abilities as I have learned them. I was surprised at how fast Amasawa-san was moving, but I had an idea of how to fight her with my judo skills. One time, a karate master taught me carefully what to do when a man grabs a woman and tries to push her down. I remembered this in my mind and practiced it again. I was wary of going easy on my instructor, but if it is Amasawa-san, I wouldn't have to worry. I throw away the idea that she's younger than me and switch to the feeling of fighting a superior opponent.

"Fufufu~!" She laughs aloud, perhaps amused that I'm focusing on the slight changes in Amasawa-san's legs and shoulders instead of her face.

"Yeah, yeah, I know what you mean, Horikita-senpai. I know exactly how you feel. But you know what?"

I don't go along with her play on words. Right now, I'm focusing all of my attention on seeing through her first move...

After another shock and pain, I realized that the left foot that was coming at me at high speed had hit a little above my armpit as I tried to match the right foot that she had stepped on.

"Ack!" I was kicked to the ground in agonizing pain, almost to the point of tears. I was kicked to the ground, and all I could do with my arms, which couldn't even defend themselves, was catch myself. I rolled around on the ground two or three times, confused even though I knew how it happened.

"You thought it was mainly judo, didn't you? You're not thinking straight."

"Ugh, ugh....!" I hold my right side where I was kicked and close my eyes.

The pain is so intense that it almost breaks my heart in an instant. This is the second time I've felt such deadly strength since the time I faced off against Hōsen-kun... It was only recently that I started to lose confidence in a number of ways.

"This year's first-year students are not all that cute..."

"Does that mean that last year's Horikita-senpai was a cute girl, unlike me?"

I know it's a mean question, but it's a painful reply. I may be a different type of girl, but I'm sure I'm no less cute than you. I tried to stand up, but as I put pressure on my legs, I felt them slipping away. With a back throw and one kick, my strength has been drained more than I thought possible.

"What are you? You seem to know the old Ayanokōji-kun..."

One thing was for sure, this Amasawa-san possessed a strange strength just like him. A glimpse of the strength that Ayanokōji-kun showed when he faced my brother, when he faced Hosen-kun.

"There's no way I'm going to tell a senior something like that."

"Well, you don't seem like the kind of person who would give me an easy answer."

Anyway, it's one of the few good things that the other side is playing with me. It's just a matter of keeping me from going to Ayanokōji-kun, so I guess it doesn't matter how much time we spend here. I need to let some of the damage I've done go in order to move forward.

"What can I say, I'm disappointed about a lot of things. Senpai isn't as good as you think you are, you know? That's why Ayanokōji-senpai doesn't ask you for any advice."

As if peeking into my heart, Amasawa-san's eyes look into my inner thoughts.

"You say you want to help, but really you want to know what he thinks of you, and you're scared to find out that he doesn't trust you."

"Yeah, I guess that could be it."

"As I said before, Ayanokōji-senpai won't be able to rely on Horikita-senpai."

"Even if that's the case, I want to hear it from him, not from you."

"Can't you see that's not cool?" Without even trying to hide her annoyance, Amasawa-san approached my side.

"Kushida-senpai still has better eyesight than you."

"Kushida-san? How come Kushida-san's name came up here...?

"Stand up, Horikita-senpai. Talking to you is only irritating me, so I'll end it."

As a mercy at least, she gives me a reprieve to regain my stance. Then, as for me, I can't just give up the fight until the end. I stand up and focus all my attention on seeing through Amasawa-san's attack. I know I'm repeating myself, but as long as I can only do this, I have no choice.

"Bye~!"

Amasawa-san runs out with light steps and comes at me. Do I catch her? Avoid her? I'm sure neither of them will succeed.

If that's the case, at least give me a shot...!

Pan! The sound of a dry fist rang beside my ear.

But the pain doesn't come, and a shadow forms in front of my eyes, hiding my vision.

"You, why ...?"

A student catches her fist in front of me and spits it out without even looking at me. The small back was Ibuki, who was supposed to have left.

"I guess that wasn't a bad punch."

"Nice catch~. I was a little surprised by your unexpected appearance."

When I couldn't swallow the situation and couldn't move, Ibuki-san turned around and stared at me.

"I'm the one who's going to beat you. I don't want to see you get defeated by a freshman from who knows where." She said and shook off the fist she had grabbed. Amasawa-san distanced herself again.

"I'm Ichika Amasawa~. Please remember my name, Ibuki-senpai."

"I'm not good at remembering personal things. If you want me to remember, can you leave that much of an impression on me?"

"Fufu, that's kind of funny."

"I'll play with her, and you can go wherever you want."

"What are you talking about? You've worked so hard on this special exam to beat me, haven't you?"

"You're throwing away the designated area too, aren't you? There's no point in turning the tables like that."

That's why you came back? I swallowed the words.

"She's incredibly strong, you know. You might end up regretting it.

Would you still be okay with that?"

"What's that? Are you saying I'm going to lose?"

"That's how strong your opponent is."

"I don't think I can lose to Ibuki-senpai."

"You guys really think I'm not good enough eh?"

A bad threat seems to have the opposite effect, igniting Ibuki-san's feelings.

"Even if you were to win against Amasawa-san, if you were to overdo it or sound an emergency alert in the process, you may well be retired. As the lone you, there's also a chance you'll be expelled."

"So it's the same for you, right?"

"What? Yes, I suppose so."

"I'm sure I'm stronger than you." She gestured with her hand for me to leave.

"Which one of you is going to fight? You'll have to decide quickly!"

"I'll take her."

"What kind of line is that coming from the chick who almost lost earlier? You're in my way, so back off."

"This is my fight, it's none of your business."

"What the hell are you talking about? You must have hit your head and gone crazy."

"That's..."

It's not possible to stop Ibuki-san with a half-hearted attempt. But I can't do something here that I would leave to her. I grabbed Ibuki-san by the shoulders and forced her to step back.

"What are you doing!"

"I've been trying to be obtuse, but I have to tell you. You can't beat her."

"Don't be silly. Don't make assumptions before you even try."

"It's true. You can't beat her because I couldn't even get my hands on her."

If the fire has been lit, I will stoke Ibuki-san's fire to the utmost.

"Then I guess I'll just have to prove you wrong..."

I hold out my left arm toward Ibuki-san.

"What?"

"I don't want to fight a losing battle, and if you're going to break into this fight, you're going to have to show a certain amount of resolve as well.

You'll be in the same group as me. And if one of us is incapacitated, you can leave and prevent the group from retiring."

"You're kidding. Why would I want to be with you?"

"I told you. I asked you to be prepared. You don't get into this fight without being ready."

"I don't like it..."

"You don't have to like it. But if you're going to join, I want to be able to count on you."

"Seriously, that sucks to death. But it wouldn't be any fun if you got kicked out of school by a freshman."

We both know that our intentions are repulsive. But the watches stop where they meet. The link requires ten seconds. If she wanted to stop us, Amasawa-san could do so easily, but there is no sign of movement.

Amasawa-san is only enjoying observing what we do from above.

"That's not a bad strategy. If single people work together to form a group, you can certainly escape expulsion even if the other person is a big monster."

Turning her back to us, Amasawa-san quietly distanced herself from us.

I don't think she felt the danger of being in a two-on-one situation and pulled away. After some distance, she stops and looks back at us.

"But there's one miscalculation, Horikita-senpai."

"Miscalculation? What exactly are you talking about?"

"The fact that it's okay if one of you retires means, on the other hand, that there's no problem if one of you breaks."

She smiles a wide smile of pure evil that she has never shown before.

"So you're saying I already pissed you off? You're not good enough."

Even though she must have felt her opponent's strength firsthand, Ibuki-san seems to be enjoying herself.

And at this point, the signal for the completion of the link rings out.

"I wonder, which one should I break first!"

After taking the first step, the expression of Amasawa-san, who ran out at once, was full of passion. There is no stance or anything, just the desire of grabbing as she extends her hand towards us.

"Kuku! Kukukuku!!!" She was smiling so much that she looked distorted and inhuman.

Is it me or Ibuki-san? I'm probably more hateful to her, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't think that I have a higher chance of being targeted.

"Let's go, Ibuki-san! You, to the left!"

"Don't order me around!"

However, the moment I said to move, Ibuki-san starts moving to the left. I also move to the right side at the same time and check the aim of Amasawa-san who is coming towards me. She seemed to be running straight towards us with no intention of playing tricks. It was clear she was trying to stop me from making the correct judgment with her unrelenting advance.

However, even then, I could see it clearly. As both sides took action, the distance was instantly closed and we collided. Because my fists and Ibuki-san's could not possibly work in tandem, the timing of our attacks would naturally diverge. But even so, it would be impossible to respond to it easily.

Nonetheless, Amasawa dodged as easily as if she were training.

We continued to attack without resting our hands, as we were being hit repeatedly.

"Yes, let's stop for a while."

Amasawa-san interrupts our attack without any hesitation.

"What's with this chick...!"

"Totally..."

We lined up and stared breathlessly at Amasawa-san in front of us. As an impromptu duo, we're choppy, but it's still two against one. If it were a normal situation, we should have been able to overpower her. Instead, it was the other way around.

It's more than I imagined... No, it's beyond my imagination.

Furthermore, we also had to be wary of our movements. If we did as we pleased here, the risk of expulsion wouldn't be minimal.

"Ibuki-san, don't you dare touch her."

"Let go of me!" As if she couldn't stand the restraining condition, Ibuki-san stretched her flexible body to the limit and unleashed a kick. It was the first time I had ever seen a woman in such a position.

"Ah!"

"I said stop, didn't I?"

At this moment, I felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort in the midst of a war that was being pushed. A clear difference in power. Does this mean that Amasawa-san is playing?

She seemed to be fighting with minimal movement since a while ago.

What if she wasn't waiting for me to recover when she was fighting me one on one? But it's not an answer that fits. It should be easy to subdue me with her strength. I can think of one strategy I'd like to try. I need to get out of this once and for all anyway.

"Ha!" I thrust my left fist into her body, but like Ibuki-san, it was lightly swatted away.

"Yes, let's start over."

Looking down at us and smiling, Amasawa-san distances herself once more.

"You're going through the same thing I did."

"Unlike you, I set myself up for this to happen... to start over."

"Excuses are dumb."

That would probably refer to both of us to anyone looking at the current situation.

"If you think I'm licking my chops, I'm going to remind you..."

I get up and grab Ibuki-san's arm to stop her from setting one of us up.

"What are you doing?"

"Now that we're on the same side, you're going to follow my instructions. Can you do that?"

"Huh? I can't do that."

"There's no point if you don't do it. You know full well how strong Amasawa-san is in front of you, I can't win by myself nor can you."

"Even if I can't, I'm not going to follow your orders."

I think about it. I wondered what the best way to treat Ibuki-san would be. What would Ayanokōji-kun do if he were here and in the same situation as me? How can two people who don't really get along work together, even if it's just for this occasion?

"Ibuki-san."

"I told you I don't want to."

"I'm well aware that you and I are water and oil, and even though we got into a bit of a tussle during the island exam a year ago that led to our current relationship, there's one thing I do approve of about you."

Yes, I'll do what I need to do now, without hesitation.

"Your fighting sense is second to none to mine. No, I'd say it slightly surpasses mines."

"Ha, what a rush. Are you trying to lift me up with that?"

"But your fighting style is specialized for one-on-one combat, and I know better than you how to move against a strong opponent in a two-on-one fight. Cooperation may have been the wrong word for you. Lend me that strength of yours."

Ibuki turned her attention to me for a moment as I said this.

"You are stronger in terms of physical strength. But that's all. Other than that, you're on a whole different level. You can't study, you can't organize a class, you can't join hands with anyone. I'm sorry, but calling yourself my rival is a bit conceited."

If I offended her, that was it. But I'm not going to stop mid-sentence.

"I think it's time for you to come out of your shell. Ibuki Mio-san."

"What's...?"

"If you continue to push forward in solitude as you are now, you will surely face the danger of being expelled from school somewhere down the line."

"No, I don't care if that's what happens."

"That would mean a complete and utter defeat for you, but that's okay, right?"

"Huh?"

"Dropping out at the halfway point isn't even close to being a rival.

You'll have to hang on until the very end, and grow into a rival who I'll be able to fear."

"Oh, I get it, I get it, shut up. I'll obey you for this moment. That's it, right?"

"Very well."

"So, what do I do?"

"Just like before, attack Amasawa at the same time. But don't worry about hitting her. I want you to stand around so that you will never be caught.

And I want you to keep attacking endlessly."

"Hitting is secondary? What's the point in doing that?"

"If my readings are right..., I'm sure there's a winning strategy here.

When I give the signal, attack with everything you've got."

Ibuki-san moved away from me, though she didn't seem convinced.

"Conference meeting is over? Well then, let's start round two, shall we~?"

We started running at the same time, splitting left and right as we headed towards Amasawa-san. In order to avoid being caught, it is strictly forbidden to get too close. I timed my fist thrusts from a distance where they might not connect. Of course, if Amasawa-san does not take any action, the attack will hit her. So, as for her, she needs to keep responding to every attack with some degree of nervousness.

Don't rush, stay calm, and if you sense danger, quickly get away.

If I were alone, she wouldn't be able to escape, but now that she's dispersing her consciousness in two directions, it's a fighting style that works.

There is no time to lose.

Quickly, quickly, before I tire out...!

By continuing to attack dangerously, the sharpness of Amasawa-san movements begins to slow down. Although her expression was smiling, she was clearly starting to lose her breath.

"Now!!!" I swing my right fist with all my might at Amasawa-san so as not to miss this once in a thousand chance.

If it had been just a moment ago, I would have been able to stop her with one hand with room to spare, but she took a defensive posture. My fist didn't hit her directly and was blocked, but Ibuki, who was behind me, kicked the ground and shot a clenched fist into Amasawa-san's face as she turned and tried to respond.

The first time the attack hit, Amasawa-san's body shook.

"Haaaaah!"

As Amasawa-san drops her hips deeply, Ibuki unleashes a powerful thrust at her abdomen. Exhaling, Amasawa-san collapses. I straddle her at that moment, blocking her body from getting up.

"My... my. It seems that one worked quite well senpai."

 "It seems so... This is it, Amasawa-san... I admire your strength, but you have a fatal lack of stamina."

I was able to exploit her too unexpected weakness and managed to turn the tables on her.

"Fufu, did I give it away? I'm so frail."

Despite being defeated, she was in no hurry to laugh, sticking out her tongue a little. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw her skin peeking out from under her gym clothes. Without thinking, I grabbed her gym clothes and forcefully pulled them up to her navel.

"Ah, senpai. I didn't know you felt like that~"

A strong bruise-like mark. In fact, the marks of several blows can be outlined. A wound that looks like a punishment, quite different from the regular fist punch I had given her only one blow.

It was a wound that she had received before the fight began.

"I've just had a little fight before the seniors, you know."

Normally, her face would be contorted in pain, and she would have trouble walking. And yet, she was in such a ragged state, but she had the upper hand against the two of us.

It wasn't that she didn't have stamina. She had been fighting on the verge of severe collapse from the start. She was fighting in a situation where she needed to recover even more than I did... The truth of the matter almost makes me dizzy.

A person who can inflict such injuries against Amasawa-san, who is in perfect condition. Even if we were to include boys, the only person that came to mind was Hōsen-kun.

"Do you want to know who did this to me? It might have been Hōsen-kun."

There was no doubt that Hōsen-kun's ability was extraordinary. He could probably get the upper hand against Amasawa-san, who had unrealistic strength. But there are things about her character that can be seen even after just a little relative contact. I don't think she will answer honestly. It's just that she presented me with one answer that made sense to me. If that's the case, does that mean there is someone else who can overpower Amasawa-san? Even if I apply myself to all the students in the school, I can't think of anyone that comes to mind.

Maybe Yamada-kun, no, but there's no advantage for him to do that.

"I'm sorry, but I don't believe you. Who is it really?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that senpai~"

Seeing that I was careless because I was deep in thought, Amasawa-san seized the moment and jumped out of my grasp.

"Hey, what are you doing! You let her get away"

"You're right, I was careless."

She let Amasawa-san escape from what could have been a one-time opportunity.

"Well, now we're back to square one, both of you."

The other side was in a full-body wound. But the situation was reversed again. I'm not sure if I'll be able to hold her off again... to be honest.

But I have to try.

At least, I thought as much until she went to her backpack and pulled out her tablet.

"Looks like I'm done. It's getting a little interesting, but I think my time is up."

"What do you mean?"

"It means we're done here. If you want to go through, be my guest~"

She said, opening the path that had led her to show strong resistance and refused to let me pass through earlier.

Is this some kind of trap? While we were unable to grasp the situation, Amasawa-san started walking somewhere.

"Where are you going?"

"Where? Hmm... I guess the designated area for now. I'll have to do the special exam, just in case."

Well... if she's called it off, then I best go check on Ayanokōji-kun's condition.

"Ah, that's right. I don't think you need to chase after Ayanokōji-senpai anymore."

"Why?"

"Well, it's highly likely everything is already over. If you think it's a lie, why don't you go?"

"What about Ayanokōji-kun?"

At that question, Amasawa-san slightly lowered her eyes.

"Why don't you see for yourself? There's always the chance you might just end up regretting that you didn't make it in time."

Amasawa-san seemed to really be planning on turning back and slipped past us.

"What are you going to do? Are you going to go after Ayanokōji?

That's why you're fighting Amasawa, isn't it?"

"Yes, I'm going after him."

He's already in front of me, I can't turn back without checking now.

"Then I'll go with you."

"Why?"

"If Ayanokōji says he's in trouble, I thought I'd stand by and laugh at him."

"You're a bottom-feeder, aren't you?"

We hurriedly reloaded our backpacks on each other and ran off to I2.