Kikyo Kushida retraced her path quickly, her mind racing as she organized the information from her conversation with Kakeru Ryuen.
Miyabi Nagumo had indeed intervened. Although Ryuen hadn't explicitly admitted to cooperating with him, the information revealed between the lines was sufficient. She had to be more careful; she couldn't allow herself to be treated completely as a pawn by either side.
As she neared the area where she had separated from the Class D scouting team, she quickly adjusted her breathing. She allowed an expression of slight panic and helplessness to resurface on her face, deliberately messed up her hair, and rubbed some fresh mud and grass clippings onto her arms and knees—creating traces that looked more like a genuine slip and fall.
She selected a slightly steep slope and slid down it carefully, making some noise, before she began to call out softly with a tearful voice:
"Is anyone there...? Hirai-san? Yamada-kun? Where are you all... I think I'm really lost..."
Her voice wasn't loud, but in the relatively quiet forest, it traveled far enough.
Sure enough, not long after, responses and footsteps came from the distance.
"It's Kushida-san's voice!"
"Over there!"
Two boys from her group followed the sound and found Kikyo Kushida sitting on the ground in a somewhat disheveled state, her eyes slightly red. They ran over immediately.
"Kushida-san! Are you okay? We've been looking for you for ages!"
"I... I accidentally slid down here and couldn't find the way back... I'm sorry for causing everyone trouble..."
Kikyo Kushida looked up, her eyes swimming with just the right amount of tears, her voice soft and full of guilt.
"It's okay, it's okay! As long as you're safe!"
The boys quickly comforted her while carefully helping her up.
"Are you hurt? Can you walk?"
"My ankle seems a bit twisted, but it's not serious..."
She tried to take two steps, furrowing her brows slightly, displaying an expression of pain endurance that was measured to perfection.
"We'll support you. Let's walk back slowly. The others should be returning to the base soon too," one of the boys said, his tone full of concern.
"Thank you both... I really am too useless. I clearly wanted to help, but instead..."
Kikyo Kushida lowered her head, her tone self-reproachful.
"Don't say that. The roads on this island are hard to walk on to begin with. Besides..."
The other boy lowered his voice, speaking with a hint of dissatisfaction, "If it weren't for Natsuki being so anxious to send us out for scouting and demanding efficiency, you wouldn't have... rushed..."
Kikyo Kushida didn't respond. She simply pursed her lips even more gloomily. This appearance, on the contrary, deepened the dissatisfaction in the two boys' hearts and their sympathy for her.
They supported her, slowly heading back in the direction of the Class D base.
*
Meanwhile, after Kikyo Kushida left, the smile on Kakeru Ryuen's face completely vanished, replaced by a cold contemplation.
"Nagumo..."
He whispered the name.
Student Council Vice President Miyabi Nagumo had indeed secretly sought him out before the exam, proposing 'cooperation' with a target pointed directly at Subaru. The conditions offered were quite tempting. But Ryuen didn't like being used as a gun, especially by someone like Nagumo—a type who appeared gentle but actually possessed an extremely strong desire for control.
He had agreed to 'consider it', but in reality, he had other plans.
Kikyo Kushida's appearance, and her overly eager provision of information, confirmed that Nagumo was indeed applying pressure on Class D, and specifically on Subaru, from multiple angles. Kushida was likely another nail Nagumo had buried in Class D, or at least someone under Nagumo's suggestion or influence.
"Wanting to use me to deal with Subaru while wearing down Class C's strength? Nagumo, you underestimate me too much."
Ryuen let out a cold laugh.
"However... the variable that is Subaru is indeed worth dealing with first. I said I would definitely make him kneel before me. As for the method... making a move on Airi Sakura serves to both probe Subaru and obtain points from Miyabi Nagumo. Why not do it?!"
A plan was sketched out in his mind.
Airi Sakura was the first step, used to create chaos and test Subaru's reaction. Kikyo Kushida claimed Subaru was the Leader. This information wasn't necessarily true. After all, Subaru had been indifferent to Class D's affairs previously; for him to suddenly stand up now? The probability was too low.
Unless...
Subaru simply didn't put the other classes in his eyes at all.
Next, Ryuen needed to confirm the Leader's identity more directly, or... create a situation where the Leader had no choice but to expose themselves.
"Ishizaki."
He called out.
"Ryuen!"
Daichi Ishizaki ran over from nearby.
"Let those guys in our class who like to scurry around go wander near the other classes, especially Class B and Class A. Spread some news. Just say... Class D has a serious internal disagreement over leadership rights. Someone is extremely dissatisfied with the current Leader and might provide key information."
Ryuen revealed a sinister grin.
"Muddy the waters. See if we can lure the snake out of the hole, or make the other classes start suspecting each other first."
"Understood!"
"Also, tonight... send a little gift to Class D."
Ryuen added, his gaze dark and predatory.
At the Class D base, when Kikyo Kushida was supported back, limping and swaying, it caused a small commotion.
Yosuke Hirata immediately stepped forward to show concern, and Suzune Horikita also frowned as she looked over.
"I'm sorry for causing everyone trouble... I accidentally slipped and got lost. Thanks to Hirai-san and Yamada-kun..."
Kikyo Kushida apologized incessantly, her attitude sincere and frail.
"As long as you're safe. Go rest first," Yosuke Hirata said gently, arranging for a girl to help take care of her.
Subaru merely sat there with incomparable leisure. Only when Kikyo Kushida was helped back did he lift his eyes to sweep a faint glance over her. His gaze lingered for a moment on the traces of dishevelment on her body—which were much more 'reasonable' than when she had left—before immediately returning to the guidebook in his hand, as if everything was unrelated to him.
He naturally knew what Kikyo Kushida had gone to do.
Given her personality, getting lost was likely deliberate. In this timeframe, it was highly probable that Kikyo Kushida had gone to find an ally and sell out the class's information. The most likely candidate was Kakeru Ryuen.
But, it didn't matter.
What Subaru was waiting for was precisely for Ryuen to take the initiative to attack.
On the other side, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji and the other students had finished setting up the tents. He witnessed the entire process of Kikyo Kushida's return, including the impeccable guilt and frailty on her face, as well as the clearly deepened sympathy from those two boys—and their vague dissatisfaction with Subaru.
Getting lost should just be an excuse. Kushida did something, and she planted seeds in the hearts of those two classmates, making them hostile toward Subaru.
However, what exactly is Subaru's plan?
Is it just a diversionary tactic? That would likely do more harm than good.
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji did not understand what Subaru's objective was. He hadn't hidden his intention to be the Leader at all. Could it be that Subaru was preparing to utilize the rule that 'the Leader cannot be changed without a justified reason'?
In other words, with a justified reason, a change was possible.
If it were Kiyotaka Ayanokoji manipulating things, he would make use of this rule. However, he felt that Subaru wouldn't do so. What exactly did he want to do?
He didn't let his gaze linger too long, quickly lowering his head again as if he were just spacing out.
Night fell. The campfire was lit in the Class D camp, but the atmosphere was even more gloomy and oppressive than during the day.
The day's fatigue, the worry about the unknown environment, Subaru's cold leadership style, and Kikyo Kushida's 'accident' all weighed on everyone's hearts like a stone. Airi Sakura huddled closely to the crowd by the campfire, almost daring not to take half a step away, her eyes filled with unease.
After arranging the night watch order, Subaru was the first to enter his tent, seeming indifferent to everything outside.
This tent was exclusive to Subaru alone, although he had also purchased large tents and some food for the class. At least they had a place to rest and food to eat. Ruling through fear, while granting certain benefits. The way Subaru, once the Purge King, operated was exactly like this.
However, in the depth of the night, when most people had fallen into a light sleep or uneasy rest, a slight noise suddenly came from near the simple shed at the edge of the camp where tools and some food were stored. This was immediately followed by the sound of something being knocked over.
The student responsible for the night watch in that area jolted and hurriedly shone their flashlight over. They saw only a black shadow dart swiftly into the woods and disappear. Scattered around the shed were several empty tin cans and packaging bags—part of their rations for tomorrow.
"Someone's stealing things!"
The shout pierced the silence of the night, followed by the sounds of more people waking up in shock and the chaotic beams of flashlights.
The Class D camp was abruptly roused from its oppressive drowsiness. Panic, like ink dropped into water, spread rapidly.
"What? What was stolen?"
"Is it food?!"
"Who did it? People from another class?"
"How did they know we put our things there?!"
The students gathered around the makeshift shed, looking at the empty cans and bags scattered on the ground, their faces written with anger, fear, and unease.
Valuable food being stolen at the very beginning of the exam didn't just mean they might face shortages in the coming days; it was a naked provocation and threat.
Yosuke Hirata and Suzune Horikita arrived quickly to inspect the damage. Several boys volunteered to take tools and chase a few steps in the direction the shadow vanished, but the night was heavy and the forest deep; the trail was long lost.
"We lost about... enough food for five or six people for one day," Suzune Horikita reported with a grim expression after counting.
She looked at the panicked classmates around her, then at the direction of Subaru's tent, her brows locked tight. As a former competitor for leadership, she felt a heavy sense of responsibility and powerlessness. Undoubtedly, this was Ryuen's handiwork.
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji also stood at the edge of the crowd, his gaze calmly sweeping over the scene of the theft, then grazing past the terrified or angry faces. His sight finally rested on Subaru's tent. The curtain was still down, and there was no movement inside, as if the commotion outside had nothing to do with the tent's owner.
Precise theft. The target was clearly food. The opponent understands our layout very well. It's likely information Kushida sold, and they deliberately left traces to create panic.
Typical Ryuen-style harassment escalation, intended to disintegrate morale and test the Leader's reaction.
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji analyzed calmly.
Subaru... still hasn't made a move. Does he think this little loss is irrelevant, or... is he waiting for something?
Several students who were already dissatisfied with Subaru began to complain in low voices.
"See, I told you... that guy Natsuki doesn't care about us at all!"
"He's got it good, living in a single tent by himself, not caring even when our food gets stolen!"
"If Hirata-kun or Horikita-san were the Leader, it definitely wouldn't be like this!"
"Is he really the Leader? He has no sense of responsibility..."
Although these discussions were suppressed, they sounded exceptionally piercing in the atmosphere of panic.
Kikyo Kushida sat by the campfire a little further away, accompanied by a girl. Her face wore a look of worry and lingering fear, echoing the sighs perfectly, but her gaze occasionally glanced toward Subaru's tent. A trace of imperceptible doubt and anticipation flashed deep in her eyes—she also wanted to see how Subaru would respond to this direct provocation and the internally boiling dissatisfaction.
Airi Sakura was scared pale, her body trembling slightly. Although only a portion of the food was stolen, that sense of insecurity instantly drowned her heart.
Just as the sounds of complaint were gradually increasing and the dissatisfaction was about to ferment—
The curtain of Subaru's tent was finally lifted by a hand.
He didn't come out immediately. He only revealed half his figure and that face which, amidst the interplay of shadows and the campfire's residual light, showed no emotion.
His eyes swept over the gathered crowd. That gaze was so flat it bordered on cold indifference, yet strangely, it caused the few most intense complaints to come to an abrupt halt. The people who were just arguing quieted down instantly.
"How much was lost?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it traveled clearly into everyone's ears, still possessing no fluctuation.
Suzune Horikita reported the numbers again.
Subaru nodded, as if he had merely heard an insignificant figure.
"That amount is nothing."
"But..."
Suzune Horikita had just prepared to speak when she was interrupted directly by Subaru.
"Double the night watch personnel. Focus on guarding the supply storage point and the camp perimeter."
His commands were concise and clear. He didn't even express any opinion on the theft itself, nor did he comfort the frightened classmates.
"Tomorrow, food rationing remains unchanged for now. The stolen portion will be deducted from the exam points and replenished for the class."
"In addition,"
Subaru continued, his gaze seeming to inadvertently graze past Airi Sakura in the crowd, then sweep over Kikyo Kushida by the campfire, before finally settling on the dark jungle in the distance.
"Starting tomorrow, all teams going out for scouting or missions must travel in groups of three or more, and must include at least one boy. Without permission, no one is allowed to leave the core area of the camp by more than fifty meters at night."
The words were brief but efficient.
"Any other questions?"
Subaru's gaze swept across the faces of the students.
Although they held more or less some opinions against Subaru in their hearts, for the moment, they couldn't find any fault in his orders.
____
🔥New Story: Junji Ito: I Shall Smash Hellstar Remina🔥
✅ Get immediate access to 40 early chapters for all stories.
✅ Enjoy exclusive material and special announcements!
Help us unlock these community rewards:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters across ALL STORIES!
👻 P - Walnutchan