Day 6. 02:00 AM.
The silence of the tropical jungle, usually occupied only by the sound of nocturnal insects, was now torn apart by something alien. Something crackling, hissing, and devouring oxygen ravenously.
At Class 1-C's Base Camp, Seiji Koroizumi opened his eyes.
It wasn't an alarm that woke him, but a change in the air composition. His nose, once trained to smell gunpowder and blood from a kilometer away, now picked up a very specific scent.
Burning pine resin. And... kerosene.
"Wake up!"
Seiji didn't scream in panic. His voice was sharp and cutting, loud enough to wake Hirata and Sudou, who were sleeping near the tent flap, yet controlled enough not to trigger mass hysteria.
"What... what is it, Koroizumi?" Hirata rubbed his eyes, still half-asleep.
"Fire," Seiji answered curtly. He was already on his feet, his shoes on in a matter of seconds. "In the eastern sector. The wind is blowing the smoke this way. We have to move now."
The word "fire" worked like an electric shock. Sudou bolted upright instantly, grabbing his flashlight.
They rushed out of the tent. Sure enough, in the distance—about two hundred meters from their camp—the dark night sky was stained by a terrifying orange glow. Black smoke had begun to billow upward, blotting out the starlight.
"Damn it!" Sudou cursed. "Who the hell sets a forest fire at this hour?!"
"Not who, but why," Seiji corrected coldly. His eyes narrowed, scanning the darkness immediately surrounding their own camp. "This is a diversion. Ryuen is starting his party."
Seiji turned to face Hirata.
"Hirata, wake everyone up. Keep them calm. Instruct them to pack only the essentials—the key card, water, and the first-aid kit. Gather at the edge of the river. The water is the safest place."
"Got it!" Hirata sprinted toward the girls' tent.
"Sudou, Ike, Yamauchi!" Seiji called out. "You're with me. Grab shovels and water buckets. We're going to dig a firebreak before the flames reach our tents."
"We're going to fight the fire?!" Ike's face went deathly pale.
"We're not fighting it, we're cutting off its path," Seiji said, snatching up a folding shovel. "Move! Unless you want to get roasted in your sleep!"
Eastern Sector - The Point of Ignition.
Seiji and the "Seven Dwarves" squad (minus the girls) sprinted through the underbrush. The intense heat was already starting to sting their skin.
When they arrived at the location, the fire had already engulfed an area of dry brush roughly the size of a badminton court. Tongues of flame licked at the tree trunks, creeping upward rapidly.
"This is intentional," Seiji analyzed quickly. He observed the fire's spread pattern. There were several separate ignition points that had merged together. Someone had doused accelerant—likely stolen cooking oil or some other fuel—in multiple spots simultaneously.
"Hurry! Dig up the dirt over there!" Seiji ordered, pointing to a patch of bare ground separating the burning brush from the dense foliage leading toward their camp. "Clear away all the dry leaves! Create a dirt trench one meter wide!"
Sudou, utilizing his monstrous strength, hacked at the ground like a madman. Adrenaline had completely taken over his fear. Ike and Yamauchi splashed the river water they had brought in buckets onto the edges of the approaching flames.
Seiji himself moved with inhuman speed. His hands blurred as he snapped off low-hanging branches that could act as bridges for the fire to jump across.
However, amidst the chaos, Seiji's ears caught the sound of laughter.
"Working hard there, Class C?"
Seiji paused for a moment. He turned his head toward the shadow of a large tree, safely out of reach of the flames.
Ryuen Kakeru stood there. His face was illuminated by the dancing firelight, making him look like a demon fresh out of hell. Behind him stood Albert and Ishizaki, watching the spectacle.
"Ryuen!" Sudou growled, looking ready to hurl his shovel. "You did this?!"
"A harsh accusation," Ryuen smirked, shrugging his shoulders. "My friends and I were simply taking a midnight stroll to enjoy the sea breeze, and happened to stumble upon your campfire getting completely out of control."
"Our campfire was put out at 10 PM," Seiji countered calmly, though his hands were still busy clearing away dry leaves. "And this is no campfire. This is arson."
"Who cares?" Ryuen stepped forward, approaching the edge of the trench Sudou was digging. "What the school will see later is this: A fire originated near Class C's territory. You were negligent. You endangered the island. Disqualification."
Ryuen glared sharply at Seiji.
"Unless... you're willing to negotiate."
"Negotiate in the middle of a forest fire?" Seiji let out a small, chilling laugh. "You really are insane, Ryuen."
"I am pragmatic," Ryuen stated. He pulled out a Walkie-Talkie. "I can call the teachers right now. Report this fire. Or... I can order Albert to help you put it out. For a price, of course."
"The price?"
"The Leader's Key Card. The real one," Ryuen hissed. "And bow down at my feet, Koroizumi. Admit that you've lost."
Seiji looked at the fire, which was beginning to come under control thanks to the hard work of Sudou and the others. The firebreak was working. The flames couldn't jump the gap.
"Ryuen," Seiji said, entirely ignoring the threat. "You forgot one variable in your equation."
"What?"
"The wind," Seiji answered. He held a finger up in the air.
The sea breeze that night was blowing from south to north. From the direction of the beach where Ryuen stood, straight toward the forest.
"This fire may be close to our camp. But, the smoke..." Seiji pointed upward.
The thick smoke wasn't heading toward Class C's camp. The wind was carrying it off, curving toward the highlands.
Toward Class B's camp (Sakayanagi).
"You didn't just attack us," Seiji said. "You just declared war on Sakayanagi Arisu by sending toxic smoke right into her 'castle'. And you do know Sakayanagi has respiratory issues, don't you?"
Ryuen's expression shifted slightly. He hadn't accounted for the sickly Sakayanagi.
"If Sakayanagi Retires due to an asthma attack triggered by the smoke you created," Seiji continued, his voice growing heavier, applying mental pressure on Ryuen, "the school won't disqualify us for negligence. They will investigate the cause of this fire as a criminal act. And the traces of kerosene on Ishizaki's hands right there..."
Seiji pointed at Ishizaki's hands, which were glistening with oil under the firelight.
"...will be highly incriminating evidence."
Ishizaki immediately hid his hands behind his back in a panic. "B-boss!"
Ryuen clicked his tongue. "Tch. You've got a smart mouth."
"Sudou! Douse the left side!" Seiji ordered, ignoring Ryuen once again.
The fire began to dwindle, running out of fuel in the isolated area. Ryuen's plan to create mass panic and extort Class C in the midst of a crisis had failed due to Seiji's rapid response and the change in wind direction.
"Let's go," Ryuen ordered his subordinates. "The party ended early."
However, before Ryuen could turn away, Seiji threw something at him.
A half-melted, empty mineral water bottle.
Ryuen caught it reflexively. "What is this?"
"Your trash," Seiji said. "Don't litter in my forest. And Ryuen... next time you want to play with fire, make sure you don't burn yourself."
Ryuen crushed the bottle until it crumpled. He glared at Seiji with a fresh, unadulterated hatred. No longer looking at him as just a player in a game, but as a sworn enemy.
"This isn't over, Koroizumi. The sun hasn't risen yet."
Ryuen and his group melted away into the darkness.
Seiji let out a long sigh. He looked at Sudou and Ike, who were panting heavily, their faces blackened with soot.
"You guys did great," Seiji praised sincerely. "You just saved the class."
"Heh... t-that's... of course..." Ike coughed, then grinned. "We're Koroizumi's Seven Dwarves, after all."
Seiji smiled.
However, his smile didn't last long. His bad premonition hadn't faded.
Ryuen had retreated far too easily.
A diversion, Seiji thought. This fire... while dangerous, it's far too conspicuous. Ryuen likes to play both sides. If this was the overt move, where is the covert one?
"We're heading back to camp," Seiji ordered. "Check all our supplies. Especially the water reserves."
Class C's Camp - 03:30 AM.
By the time Seiji and the firefighting team returned, the atmosphere in the camp had calmed down slightly, though everyone remained on high alert. Suzune had gathered everyone in the open area near the river.
"The fire is out," Seiji reported. "It was Ryuen's doing, but we managed to block it."
Suzune nodded, but her expression was dark.
"There's another problem," Suzune said quietly. She pointed toward the pile of food supplies.
There, several canned food items lay dented and opened. The contents—processed fruits and vegetables—were scattered across the dirt, swarming with ants.
"Someone infiltrated the camp while we were all focused on the fire," Suzune stated. "And they didn't just cause damage. Look at this."
Suzune handed over a large mineral water bottle with a broken seal. The water inside looked clear, but it had a strange odor. The smell of... laxatives?
"They poisoned the reserve water," Seiji hissed. "A classic siege strategy."
If Class C had drank this, they would have been hit with mass diarrhea. In a survival exam scenario, dehydration from diarrhea was an express ticket to Retirement.
"Good thing Kei caught them," Suzune added. "She saw a shadow running away from the logistics tent while you were heading to the fire."
"Who was it?"
"It was dark. But the posture was small. Female."
Seiji closed his eyes.
Ibuki Mio.
The girl he had given the peach to yesterday. The girl he thought was beginning to doubt Ryuen. It seemed her loyalty to her "tyrant king" was still stronger than a momentary sense of gratitude.
"Do not drink water from any bottle with a broken seal," Seiji ordered the entire class. "Throw it all out. We'll boil fresh river water tomorrow morning."
"But our supplies are running low..." Shinohara complained.
"Better thirsty than dead," Matsushita snapped, breaking character for a split second before instantly throwing her frightened mask back on. "I mean... ugh, that's so scary!"
Seiji surveyed the mess.
Ryuen was truly employing a scorched earth tactic. He failed to burn down the forest, so he poisoned the well.
"Ritsu," Seiji whispered soundlessly.
"Yes, Master."
"Analyze Ibuki Mio's movement patterns based on Kushida's observational data."
"Subject Ibuki Mio displays a high level of stress. Her gait is hesitant. She committed sabotage, but she left traces that were far too obvious. The bottle of laxatives... was placed in plain sight, rather than hidden at the back of the pile."
Seiji's eyes opened.
"She did it on purpose," Seiji murmured.
Ibuki carried out Ryuen's orders, but she sabotaged her own sabotage. She placed the poison where it would be found, not where it would be consumed.
It was a small act of rebellion. The scream of a guilty conscience.
Seiji smiled faintly. The seed is still growing, Ibuki. You just need a little more of a push.
"Everyone, go back to sleep—in shifts," Seiji ordered. "Tomorrow is the final day before the verdict. Ryuen has run out of cards to play. Now, it's our turn."
Day 6. Afternoon.
News of the fire and the attempted poisoning spread rapidly among the four classes. The atmosphere on the island grew intensely hostile.
Class A (Ichinose) completely locked down access to their camp. There was no more market. No more friendly smiles. Ichinose looked exhausted and defensive.
Class B (Sakayanagi) fortified their patrols. Hashimoto and Kitou were frequently seen making the rounds carrying wooden sticks, ready to strike anyone who approached.
Class D (Ryuen) became pariahs. No one dared to approach the south beach territory. They were isolated.
However, amidst that overwhelming tension, Seiji Koroizumi walked alone into the deep forest.
He didn't carry a bag. He didn't carry a weapon.
He only carried a Walkie-Talkie he had swiped from Ryuen's pocket during the incident at the spring yesterday. (Yes, precisely when he threw Ryuen into the water and Ryuen grabbed the dummy card, Seiji, with the lightning-fast hands of an Assassin, had stolen the backup communication device from Ryuen's back pocket).
Seiji pressed the transmission button.
"Testing. Testing. One, two."
Static answered him, followed by Ryuen's furious voice.
"Who is this?! This frequency..."
"Good afternoon, Ryuen-kun," Seiji greeted cheerfully. "How does it feel holding Sudou's expired ID card? Have you framed it yet?"
There was a brief silence on the other end. Then, an explosion of rage.
"KOROIZUMI! YOU STOLE MY DEVICE?!"
"Found it. Finders keepers in the jungle," Seiji corrected. "Listen, Ryuen. Your game is over. You failed to burn us. You failed to poison us. And you are holding a fake card."
"It's not over!" Ryuen growled. "I still have one day left. I will physically destroy every single one of you if I have to!"
"And get disqualified? Be my guest," Seiji challenged. "But I have a much more interesting offer."
"An offer?"
"Meet me at the north beach. Alone. No Albert, no Ishizaki. Just the two of us."
"What for?"
"To settle this like men. Not with poison or fire, but with our fists. If you can land even a single punch on me... I will tell you who the true leader of Class C is."
It was bait that Ryuen's ego could never refuse. He was a street fighter. He believed in his physical prowess above all else.
"Kukuku... You've got a death wish, Koroizumi."
"Come at sunset. Don't be late."
Seiji turned the device off, then crushed it in his hand until it shattered into pieces.
He tossed the electronic debris into the bushes.
From behind a tree, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka emerged. He was always in the right place at the right time.
"You're luring him into a physical duel?" Ayanokouji asked. "That's risky. If you hit him back, our class gets disqualified."
"Who said anything about hitting back?" Seiji smiled, stretching his neck.
"I'm going to give him a private tutoring session. A lesson on the difference between 'violence' and 'martial arts'. And you, Ayanokouji-kun... I need you to be a silent witness. Make sure no one else interrupts our private class."
Ayanokouji stared at Seiji for a long moment.
"You really enjoy playing this teacher role, don't you?"
"Of course. There is nothing more satisfying than setting a delinquent student straight."
The sun began its descent toward the west.
The final duel on this hellish island was about to begin. Not a duel of points, not a duel of strategy. But a clash of ideologies between Pure Violence and Controlled Power.
And Seiji Koroizumi, the former God of Death, was fully prepared to dish out punishment.
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