(kei's perspective)
---
Kenji's blade slashed through the air again—and once more, I slipped past it. His swings were fast, furious, and getting more erratic. I could tell my silence was getting to him.
"You are one pesky little shit," he snapped, breathing hard. "No wonder Ichika calls you an eagle."
I gave him a blank look, calm as ever. "Pick up the pace. Is this really all you've got?"
Kenji snarled. "Stop holding back, Kei! All you do is dodge!"
"You want to see an attack?" I whispered.
Before he could blink, I closed the distance—just a flash of motion—and left a thin scratch along his cheek. Just enough to sting. To remind him I was choosing not to end this.
Kenji froze. His eyes widened. He got it now.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small coin—silver, gleaming even under the canopy's dim light. I recognized the symbol engraved on it immediately: a skull.
My jaw clenched. "So that's one of the tokens. The one that gives you full permission to use force."
Kenji's laugh was manic now. "Yes. Yes it is! This entire exam? Rigged from the beginning. The president of the student government made sure of that. Every year, every grade—it's the same. Only Class A ever gets into the government. It's all biased. A fake meritocracy."
He stepped forward, holding the token up to the sky.
"We make the rules," he continued. "You all just follow them. Like pawns."
I stared at him, unimpressed. "You're monologuing, Kenji. I've known since the start this was rigged. That's why I'm here now. I knew you and Reika had the tokens—and I knew exactly how you'd try to use them."
Kenji's grin widened. "Then you know what happens next. All I have to do is give this to the drone, and the countdown begins. After that… violence is legal. For 24 hours."
I looked up—and, of course, a drone hovered into view. Red lights glowed. It was watching.
"This is it, Kei," Kenji grinned. He lifted the coin and handed it over.
The drone let out a sharp beep, then its lights turned crimson. A digital countdown blinked into life: **24:00:00**.
Kenji pulled a flare gun from his bag and fired it into the air.
"That'll call Reika. She'll be here soon."
I didn't react—but I heard footsteps. I knew who it was instantly.
Ayame. And Mei.
Kenji turned his eyes on them. "So, you made it through one of our traps, huh?"
Ayame's arm was bandaged sloppily, her sleeve stained crimson. My gut twisted. Her shoulder had been hit.
"I'll report this injury to the drones," she said, her voice trembling but firm. "If I do, the exam ends in a draw."
Kenji cackled. "But I activated the violence token before you arrived. That makes your injury irrelevant."
Ayame clenched her teeth. "I was hurt *before* you handed over the token. It's your word against mine."
"Maybe," Kenji said. "But if I take all of you out right now, it won't matter."
He reached into his coat. Pocket knives. Not one. Not two. **Three.**
I stepped in front of the girls.
"Ayame. Mei. Go find Haruto. Now."
They hesitated, but nodded, and disappeared into the trees.
Kenji lunged. I pivoted, ducking low, and in one smooth motion, flung a knife—not at him, but at the trap holding Kaito in the net nearby.
Kenji laughed. "Your throwing is garbage!"
"I wasn't aiming for you."
Kaito dropped from the net, free. Kenji turned toward him—just for a second.
That was all I needed.
I struck a nerve cluster at the base of his neck. Kenji's body locked up instantly. He dropped, twitching, his eyes wide in disbelief.
A second strike to the back of his head.
Kenji collapsed.
Kaito stood up, brushing off leaves and netting. "Didn't you knock out Satoshi like that too?"
"He got in the way," I said. "Now go. Haruto and the others need help."
"What about you?"
"I've got unfinished business."
He nodded and bolted.
I turned—and found him standing there. Again.
Aoi Fushimiya.
My older brother.
"What do you want?" I said, already walking past him.
He didn't move. "When are you going to stop pretending?"
I froze.
"You act like you're one of them," he continued, calm and unreadable. "Like you're just another normal student with emotions. You're not."
"Shut up," I muttered.
"You've always been faking it," he said. "Even now—you knew this exam was rigged. You had the intelligence to dismantle Class A's strategy from the start. But you held back. You always hold back."
"I'm not pretending to be anything," I snapped.
"Then why run away every time someone gets close?" Aoi said. "Why not do your absolute best—for once—instead of watching people around you bleed?"
"I'm done talking," I said, and ran toward the others.
I didn't look back.
But his voice followed me.
"One day, Kei… someone else will pay the price for your hesitation."
And still—I didn't stop running.
(Reika perspective)
---
Haruto was on the ground, dragging himself backward, desperate and shaking. I couldn't help but chuckle.
"What's the matter, Haruto?" I said with a grin. "You look a little frightened. You know, once I'm done with you, I think I'll go help Kenji out. That flare he fired off a minute ago—looks like he's having trouble with Kei."
Haruto reached for a nearby stick and waved it at me like it was some kind of sword. I couldn't stop laughing.
"You?" I said, amusement dripping from my voice. "You're supposed to be one of Class C's top students? I expected more. If this were Kei… oh, he wouldn't even blink. He's the type to look me in the eye like I'm nothing."
"I'm not Kei!" Haruto snapped. "So get the hell away from me!"
He tried to rise—limping, trembling—but I was quicker. My leg swept out, knocking him back to the dirt.
"Pitiful," I sighed, shaking my head. "But hey… I almost feel sorry for you. So let's make it interesting."
I crouched down, smirking.
"I'll count to ten. If you can get up and run, I'll let you go."
He looked up, terrified.
"Ten," I started. He struggled to his feet.
"Nine. Eight. Seven."
Haruto grabbed Satoshi's unconscious body and tried to carry him. Admirable, really—pointless, but admirable.
"Six. Five. Four."
He fell again, the weight too much for him. I whistled casually, toying with him.
"Three…"
He turned, eyes wide, breath shallow. He knew the stakes. The moment the drone accepted the token, anything went. And I meant *anything*.
"Two…"
He fumbled through Satoshi's pockets, pulling out a knife with shaking fingers.
"One."
I dashed toward him—ready to end this.
But just as I closed in—two silhouettes jumped in front of him.
I froze.
"Ayame," I muttered, recognizing the voice instantly. She stood tall, protective, despite the wound on her arm.
"Oh please," I scoffed. "Don't make me laugh. What do you think you can—"
Another shape emerged from the trees. Big. Strong.
Kaito.
I blinked. **Kenji… had lost?** He was *defeated*?
Before I could react again, a final figure walked into the clearing.
*Kei.*
Of course. Calm. Collected. That unreadable look on his face, like none of this surprised him. My heartbeat quickened.
"If I'm going down," I muttered, gritting my teeth, "then I'm taking the strongest with me."
I lunged at Kei, adrenaline pushing me past caution—but Kaito intercepted me with a strike to the shoulder. I hit the ground with a grunt, wincing.
Kei stepped closer, looking down at me. "Just accept it, Reika. You lost."
Those words ignited something in me. Fury.
"Surrender?" I spat, glaring at Ayame when she tried to reason with me. "That's the last word I want to hear from *you*."
Even Mei chimed in, saying she'd fetch the drones.
I clenched my fists. Useless. I wasn't done yet—
Then it happened.
A red flare soared into the air.
I laughed—*really* laughed.
"Oh, you thought you won?" I said through a wide grin. "Kenji's awake. That red flare? It means he's headed for your precious base."
Kei's expression hardened. Without another word, he grabbed some rope from Kaito and bound me to the tree behind me. I didn't fight it. I didn't need to.
I watched them run off into the darkness, toward whatever chaos Kenji had planned.
Left behind, I leaned my head back against the bark and smiled.
Let them think they've won.
Because this game wasn't over yet.