Hot.
That was the very first sensation that assaulted their skin the moment their feet stepped off the deck of the cruise ship Speranza. It wasn't the refreshing warmth of a morning sun, but a heavy, sticky, suffocating humid heat.
The air on the old wooden pier felt dense, filled with the scent of sea salt mingling with the pungent odor of rotting vegetation from the dense jungle before them. The sound of insects—cicadas and forest crickets—buzzed in a deafening symphony, seemingly mocking the hundreds of bewildered students standing there in their red-and-white sports jerseys.
Seiji Koroizumi took a deep breath, letting the tropical air fill his lungs.
Nostalgic, he thought. This scent is similar to the forest behind the old Kunugigaoka school building during summer. Or perhaps, similar to the jungles of Vietnam where I once crawled for three days without food during an assassination mission.
The difference was, this time he wasn't holding an anti-sensei knife or a sniper rifle. He was holding a school-issued bottle of mineral water and a guidebook.
"This is insane..." Ike Kanji complained, flapping the collar of his jersey. Sweat was already pouring down his face. "It's so hot! Where's the resort? Where's the pool?"
"Right behind you, Ike," Seiji replied calmly, pointing at the luxury cruise ship whose engines were still purring softly. "Paradise is over there. Over here..."
Seiji stared at the towering wall of dense green trees before them.
"...is our new classroom."
Mashima-sensei had just dismissed their formation after explaining the rules of the Special Survival Exam. 300 S-Points. Capturing Spots. And the "Guess the Leader" game.
The faces of the Class 1-C students—who had just finished celebrating their point increase—were tense once more. The euphoria of their 1,040 points seemed to evaporate right along with their sweat. The reality that they had to survive for an entire week without modern facilities was beginning to sink into their bones.
"Horikita-san," Hirata Yosuke called out, approaching Suzune, who stood upright beside Seiji. Hirata's face looked anxious but focused. "We need to move immediately. The sun is getting higher. We need to find a strategic location for our Base Camp before noon, or we'll run out of energy and suffer heatstroke."
Suzune nodded. Her eyes swept the jungle with the sharp gaze of a general. "Correct. Our top priority is to secure a water source or a flat, shaded area. We cannot afford to waste points on impulsive purchases."
Suzune turned to face the class. She opened her mouth to issue commands, but a familiar, highly irritating laugh severed her momentum.
"Hahaha! What a boring strategy for such a filthy, barbaric place."
All eyes turned toward the gangway connecting the pier to the ship.
Kouenji Rokusuke stood there. He wasn't looking at the jungle. He was looking back at the Speranza. He ran a hand through his blonde hair with a dramatic flourish.
"Kouenji-kun?" Suzune called out, her tone sharpening. "What are you doing? We're heading out."
"You all are heading out, Horikita Girl," Kouenji replied without looking back. "Me? I am returning to the ship. My existence is far too precious to be placed on this muddy ground. My skin requires controlled humidity and silk sheets, not mosquito bites."
"Wait!" Sudou yelled, stepping forward furiously. "If you return to the ship without a medical reason, our class gets hit with a 30-point penalty! Are you trying to ruin our efforts again?!"
"Thirty points is a trivial number compared to my comfort," Kouenji retorted nonchalantly. He began to walk toward the ship's stairs.
The situation was heating up. Hirata looked panicked, desperately trying to find gentle words of persuasion. Suzune clenched her fists, ready to launch into a logical argument about collective responsibility—which the narcissist would undoubtedly ignore.
If Kouenji dropped out (Retired), Class C would begin the exam with a handicap of -30 S-Points. That was a massive loss before the war had even begun.
"Let me handle this," Seiji's voice sounded softly in Suzune's ear.
Before Suzune could stop him, Seiji had already stepped forward. His movements were casual, yet his footsteps cut across Kouenji's path with calculated precision, blocking his access to the ship.
"Move aside, Teacher Boy," Kouenji said, looking down at Seiji from his taller height. "You are blocking my path back to civilization."
Seiji smiled. Not his usual friendly smile, but a slightly lopsided smirk—the smile of a merchant peddling a mirror to a blind man.
"Kouenji-kun," Seiji greeted smoothly. "I have no intention of holding you back. Please, go right ahead if you wish to return to the ship. Central AC and cold juice are indeed tempting."
Kouenji scoffed. "Good to see you understand. Move."
"It's just that..." Seiji didn't budge. He looked Kouenji up and down, from head to toe, then shook his head with an expression of exaggerated disappointment.
"...I'm slightly disappointed. I thought you were the Übermensch. The perfect human who transcends all limitations."
Kouenji's eyebrow twitched by a millimeter. "What are you implying?"
Seiji pointed toward the wild jungle behind them.
"Look at that forest, Kouenji-kun. That is pure nature. Chaos. Untamed. There are no rules."
Seiji stepped closer, lowering his voice so that only Kouenji could hear his subtle provocation.
"On that ship... your comfort is provided by machines built by other men. The temperature is regulated by a thermostat. The food is cooked by a chef. You rely on technology to maintain your physical 'perfection'. It's... artificial. Fragile."
Kouenji's eyes narrowed. His gigantic ego was beginning to be pricked.
"But look at history," Seiji continued, his voice flowing like sweet poison. "Hercules. Tarzan. Figures worshipped as the absolute peak of masculinity and physical beauty. Did they need air conditioning? No. They conquered nature."
Seiji patted Kouenji's muscular arm.
"True beauty will not wilt under mud or heat, Kouenji-kun. True beauty actually shines brightest amidst chaos, precisely because of the contrast. But if you feel that those beautiful muscles of yours are mere gym decorations that will melt without freon... well, by all means, return to your incubator."
There was a moment of silence.
Hirata and Suzune held their breath, worried that Kouenji was going to lash out. Sudou was ready to jump in if a fight broke out.
However, suddenly, Kouenji's shoulders began to shake.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
Kouenji's laughter erupted, loud and booming, startling several seagulls into flight. He laughed while clutching his stomach, then flipped his hair back exaggeratedly.
"Interesting! Very interesting, Boy! You are truly adept at manipulating words!"
Kouenji pointed right at Seiji's face with a wide smirk.
"You challenge my definition of perfection? You think I am afraid of a little sunlight and some insects? Hahaha! Ridiculous! I am Kouenji Rokusuke! Wherever I stand, that place becomes my palace!"
He spun around, turning his back to the cruise ship.
"Very well! I accept the universe's challenge! I will prove that even this jungle will bow before me and offer me its finest fruits!"
Without any warning, Kouenji bolted. He leaped over the pier's guardrail with incredible athletic prowess, landed on the sandy beach, and charged straight into the dense jungle all by himself.
"Adieu, commoners! Do not come looking for me! I shall enjoy my vacation in my own style: Solo Survival!"
And in a flash, his figure vanished behind the trees.
Class 1-C's jaws hit the floor.
"H-he... went off on his own?" Yamauchi asked stupidly.
"At least he didn't Retire," Hirata sighed in relief, his shoulders slumping. "We didn't lose 30 points. Thank God."
Suzune stared at Seiji's back. "You manipulated him again."
"I merely provided him with a stage suited to his ego," Seiji answered casually, returning to the formation. "He won't waste class points because he's far too proud to ask us for help. He'll live independently. That's the best-case scenario."
Seiji looked at Suzune, his eyes serious.
"The wild card is gone. Now, it's your turn to lead these sheep, Captain."
Suzune nodded. She took a deep breath, letting the hot air burn away her doubts. The medicine Seiji gave her last night had worked. Her fever had broken, and her mind was clear.
"Alright, everyone!" Suzune's voice rang out loud and clear. "We're moving out! Form up! Boys, carry the heavy equipment; girls, handle the lighter logistics. No one gets left behind!"
Class 1-C marched into the mouth of the jungle.
An hour later, they found a fairly decent area. A flat piece of land near a clear, flowing stream, sheltered by the massive canopy of a large tree that provided shade from the brutal sun.
"We stop here," Suzune ordered. "This will be our Base Camp."
The students dropped their bags with relief. Sudou, Ike, and Yamauchi immediately collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.
"Good job," Seiji praised, tossing a bottle of water to the three of them. "You three are strong. If you hadn't carried the tents and the extra water, we wouldn't have made it here this fast."
Receiving praise from Seiji (along with admiring glances from a few of the girls), the egos of the "Three Idiots" soared.
"Heh, this is nothing," Sudou bragged, even though his hands were shaking from exhaustion.
While the rest took a breather, Class C's core strategic circle gathered behind the large tree, slightly removed from the crowd.
Suzune, Hirata, Kushida, Karuizawa Kei, and Seiji.
"It's time to designate our Leader," Suzune stated, getting straight to the point. She held the electronic key card provided by the school. This small object was their lifeline.
"The rules are clear. If our Leader's identity is guessed, we lose 50 points. If we guess an opponent incorrectly, we also lose points. This is an information war."
"The other classes will definitely target you, Horikita-san," Hirata said anxiously. "You are the public face of Class C. Ryuen and Sakayanagi will naturally assume you hold the key."
"Or Hirata-kun," Kushida added. "Because he's your most trusted deputy."
"Which is exactly why we need a Decoy and a True Leader," Seiji said. He leaned against the tree trunk, his arms crossed.
"Suzune will continue to act as if she's the leader. She will hold a fake key card, issue orders, and be the center of attention. But the real card... must be held by someone inconspicuous. Someone smart, but highly skilled at concealing their presence."
They exchanged glances.
"Seiji-kun?" Kei suggested.
"No," Seiji cut in quickly. "I'm too active. Ryuen has already taken an interest in me. We need someone the enemy genuinely considers 'average'."
Silence hung in the air for a moment.
Then, a calm voice sounded from behind the bushes.
"In that case, how about me?"
They turned around.
Matsushita Chiaki stepped out from behind the trees. The beautiful girl who usually just went with the flow and nodded in agreement to everything now stood with an entirely different posture.
Her eyes were sharp. Her smile radiated confidence.
"Matsushita-san?" Hirata was surprised.
"I overheard your conversation," Matsushita said, looking straight at Seiji. "Koroizumi-kun once told me... being a passenger on a battleship is dangerous. I agree."
She held her hand out.
"I will be the True Leader. No one will suspect me. I'm just a fashionable girl who loves to complain about the heat and my makeup. Ryuen and Sakayanagi won't even glance in my direction."
Suzune looked at Matsushita, evaluating her. She recalled Matsushita's exam scores, which were always perfectly stable in the 80s, and Seiji's analysis regarding this girl's potential.
"Are you sure you can bear the burden? If you're discovered..."
"I won't be discovered," Matsushita cut in. "Because I have a good teacher who's going to show me how to disappear into a crowd." She shot Seiji a sideways glance with a smirk.
Seiji chuckled, "Nurufufufu. An excellent choice."
Suzune handed the key card over to Matsushita.
"Very well. Matsushita Chiaki is the Leader of Class C. From now on, you are our Invisible Hydra."
Matsushita gripped the card tightly, concealing it within a hidden pocket inside her jersey.
"Now," Seiji said, his eyes glinting. "We need defense and spies. Kushida, Kei."
"Present!" Kei immediately stood up straighter, thrilled to be included in the inner circle.
"Kushida," Seiji ordered. "Use your angelic face. Wander around the other classes' camps under the pretext of borrowing salt or just saying hello. Find out who holds their key cards. Focus on their micro-habits: who keeps touching a specific pocket, who gets nervous when approached."
"Leave it to me," Kushida smiled sweetly—a smile that concealed venom. "I'll be the friendliest neighbor ever."
"Kei," Seiji continued. "Your task is internal defense. Guard the girls in our class. Ensure no one leaks any information about Matsushita. And if any of Ryuen or Sakayanagi's spies come snooping around our tents... cause a scene. You're the master of drama, right?"
Kei pouted slightly, but then smirked. "Okay. Anyone who dares mess with my territory is going to regret it."
The strategy was set.
Suzune as the Shield. Matsushita as the Heart. Kushida as the Eyes. And Kei as the Fortress.
Seiji looked at the formation with deep satisfaction.
They're growing, he thought. They are no longer students who need to be spoon-fed. They are a combat unit.
"Alright," Seiji clapped his hands once. "Meeting adjourned. Let's start surviving. I'm going to help Sudou set up the portable toilet. Sanitation is a priority."
Seiji walked back to the crowd of students, leaving the girls to their secret missions.
As he walked, he crossed paths with Ayanokouji, who was carrying branches for firewood.
Their eyes met for a fleeting moment.
"Kouenji left," Ayanokouji commented flatly.
"Natural selection," Seiji replied curtly.
"And Matsushita looks different today," Ayanokouji added.
Seiji stopped walking. He looked at Ayanokouji with a faint smile.
"You're very perceptive, Ayanokouji-kun. Perhaps you should start showing your true colors as well? This jungle is an excellent hunting ground."
"I much prefer fishing," Ayanokouji replied, continuing on his way.
Seiji chuckled softly. Fishing, huh? Let's see who catches the biggest fish.
The sun began its descent toward the west, painting the sky into a canvas of orange and purple. The first day on this hellish island was almost over.
Class 1-C had pitched their tents, secured a water supply, and most importantly, established a strategy.
However, Seiji knew, nightfall was when the true predators began to prowl.
In the distance, from the direction of the beach where Class D had landed, Seiji could feel a violent aura beginning to radiate. Ryuen Kakeru had undoubtedly begun executing his "scorched earth" strategy.
And in another direction, at Class A's seemingly too-comfortable camp where cooking smoke was already rising... Ichinose Honami was launching her "business."
Welcome to the tropical battlefield, Seiji thought, staring at the first star appearing in the sky. I hope you're all ready.
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