The silence in the Main Hall of the cruise ship Speranza wasn't the peaceful kind. It was an artificial silence, the held breath before someone pulls the trigger.
Hundreds of first-year students sat frozen in their red velvet seats. Their eyes were no longer fixed on Mashima Tomonari up on stage, but rather on the flat rectangular objects in their hands.
Cell phones.
Seiji Koroizumi sat with a relaxed posture in the middle row, his legs crossed. All around him, he could sense the electromagnetic waves from hundreds of devices receiving signals simultaneously, but what was far more palpable were the waves of human emotion radiating outward: greed, fear, and confusion.
Bzzzt. Bzzzt.
The vibration came. Long. Steady. Urgent.
It wasn't a message notification from a friend asking to grab dinner. It was a verdict from the school system.
Seiji reached into his uniform trouser pocket slowly. He was in no rush. As someone who had once lived at speeds of Mach 20, this human world always seemed to move in slow motion. He savored these seconds of anticipation like savoring the first bite of pistachio gelato.
He pulled out his phone. The screen lit up, displaying the rotating school logo, before a digital envelope opened.
[SPECIAL EXAM NOTIFICATION: ZODIAC]
Seiji tapped the screen. The message unfolded.
To: Koroizumi Seiji (Class 1-B) Group: GEMINI (Meeting Room C) YOUR ROLE: Based on the system's random selection, you have been designated as the VIP (Target) for the Gemini Group.
Special Instructions:
Your identity as the VIP is an ABSOLUTE SECRET. Only you and the school administration know it.
If your identity is correctly guessed by a student from another class before the exam ends (Scenario 2), your class will receive a penalty of -50 Class Points, and your group will be dissolved.
If your identity remains hidden until the end of the exam (Scenario 1), or if incorrect guesses are submitted, you will receive an additional 500,000 Private Points on top of the group bonus.
Survive. Or deceive them all.
Seiji stared at the screen without blinking. The corners of his lips twitched slightly, forming a thin, almost imperceptible curve.
"Nurufufufu..."
A soft chuckle escaped him, swallowed up by the hesitant murmurs of the other students around him.
VIP. The Target. The Prime Prey.
An incredibly fascinating scenario. During the island exam, he had acted as the decoy to protect Matsushita Chiaki. This time, however, the school was forcing him to be the true "King" on the chessboard.
Seiji lifted his head, scanning the room. He didn't need to look at anyone else's phone screens to know what was happening. Their body language told the entire story.
In the front row, Ryuen Kakeru was staring at his phone with a horrifyingly wide smirk.
Ryuen was in the Cancer Group. And in that exact same group, was Horikita Suzune.
Seiji could see Ryuen turn his head back, his sharp, eagle-like eyes immediately locking onto Suzune's position. Ryuen licked his lips, as if he had just been served a delicious appetizer.
"Kukuku... The party isn't over yet, Suzune," Ryuen muttered, his voice loud enough to be heard by a few students nearby. "Locked in a room with you... I'm going to peel you layer by layer until I find out whether you're the VIP or not."
Suzune, who was sitting next to Seiji, remained calm. She slipped her phone back into her blazer pocket with stiff movements. Her face was flat, her iron mask perfectly in place, yet Seiji—with his superhuman hearing—could hear the girl's heart rate accelerate slightly.
"He's targeting you," Seiji whispered without turning his head.
"Let him," Suzune answered coldly. "He's just a dog that can only bark after you broke his fangs on the beach yesterday. I will handle him."
"Good. Maintain that mentality."
Seiji's eyes shifted to the other side of the room. Toward the Class 1-C (formerly B) group.
Sakayanagi Arisu sat in her wheelchair, holding her phone with both hands as if it were a portable game console.
The girl chuckled softly. An elegant, yet unsettling laugh.
"Fufufu... Libra, huh?"
Sakayanagi turned her head to the side, looking at a tall male student with a goofy face who was currently panicking, rereading his email. Yamauchi Haruki.
Yamauchi was in the Libra Group with her.
"This is going to be highly entertaining," Sakayanagi murmured. "Manipulating fools is a hobby that never gets boring. Perhaps I can make him dance."
Kamuro Masumi, standing behind Sakayanagi, merely rolled her eyes in boredom, but her hand gripped her skirt pocket tightly. She was in the Taurus Group alongside Hirata Yosuke and Albert Yamada. A bizarre combination.
And then, there was the Virgo Group.
Seiji glanced toward Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. The young man sat silently, his face expressionless as usual. He didn't look at his phone again after the initial check.
However, beside Ayanokouji, Karuizawa Kei looked anxious. The girl was twirling the ends of her hair—a habit of hers whenever she was nervous or hiding something.
Kei's eyes darted wildly, then locked onto Seiji for a moment. There was a plea in them.
Seiji-kun... her gaze seemed to scream.
Seiji gave a small, barely noticeable nod. A signal: Calm down. I'm right here.
Seiji returned his focus to his own situation.
The Gemini Group.
Its members: Koroizumi Seiji (VIP), Kouenji Rokusuke, Ichinose Honami, Shiina Hiyori, and several other less conspicuous students.
This wasn't just a discussion group. It was a monster pen.
There was Ichinose Honami, the leader of Class A, who possessed razor-sharp intuition and exceptional social skills. If anyone could sniff out a lie through a smile, it was her.
There was Shiina Hiyori, the silent observer who read situations like she was reading a mystery novel. She knew Seiji quite well. She knew Seiji liked to play roles.
And there was Kouenji Rokusuke. An unpredictable variable of pure chaos.
Being the VIP in the middle of them... Seiji thought. This school really wants to put me to the test.
Mashima-sensei began speaking at the podium again, drawing everyone's attention away from their small screens.
"The first discussion period will begin at 1:00 PM this afternoon. You have one hour to eat lunch and mentally prepare yourselves. Remember, it is strictly forbidden to show the contents of your emails to anyone. Violating this rule means instant expulsion."
The threat of "expulsion" was always effective at silencing the students of Advanced Nurturing High School.
"Dismissed."
The students began to stand up, the sound of squeaking chairs filling the room. However, the atmosphere was entirely different from when they had entered.
Now, every single student was looking at the person next to them with suspicious glares.
Is he the VIP? Is she going to betray me for 500,000 points? Can I even trust my own classmates?
The Zodiac Exam wasn't about academic intellect. It was a test of faith. A test of how much trust was truly worth.
Seiji stood up, straightening his uniform jacket.
"500,000 Private Points," Seiji murmured softly. "Half a million yen. An amount sufficient to buy many things. A new gadget, designer clothes, or even... betrayal."
For students like Ike or Yamauchi, who were always running out of points, this temptation was absolutely lethal. They might be loyal to the class, but in the face of cold, hard cash, teenage loyalty was a fragile thing.
"Koroizumi-kun."
A gentle voice called out to him.
Seiji turned his head. Ichinose Honami stood in the aisle, smiling at him. But this time, the smile felt like an X-ray scan.
"We're in the same group, aren't we?" Ichinose said cheerfully. "Group Gemini. What a coincidence."
"A fascinating twist of fate, isn't it?" Seiji replied amiably.
"I hope we can work together to achieve Scenario 1," Ichinose said, looking straight into Seiji's eyes. "A Win-Win for everyone. That's the best outcome, right?"
"Of course," Seiji answered without hesitation. "I dislike unnecessary conflict. Peace is my ninja way... I mean, my philosophy."
"That's good," Ichinose nodded, though her eyes narrowed slightly. "But you know, Koroizumi-kun... sometimes the people shouting the loudest for peace are the ones hiding a bomb behind their backs."
Ichinose waved, then walked off to join her classmates.
Seiji watched her retreating back.
She's sharp, Seiji praised internally. Her experience on the island made her vigilant. She isn't going to trust me that easily.
Seiji walked out of the hall, heading toward the ship's open deck. The sea breeze struck his face, carrying the fresh scent of salt.
He felt his trouser pocket, noting the shape of his phone.
Inside it held a secret worth millions of points.
As the former Reaper, concealing his identity was his primary expertise. He had worn thousands of faces, used thousands of names.
But this time was different.
This time, he didn't just have to hide himself. He had to ensure the other 11 groups achieved the exact same outcome.
Because to Seiji Koroizumi, true victory wasn't when he won alone.
True victory was when he could educate this entire cohort to reject the school's dirty games, and choose a third path not provided by the system.
"Alright then," Seiji whispered to the blue horizon.
"Let's begin this game of Werewolf. And I will make sure not a single sheep gets eaten tonight."
He stepped forward, ready to enter Meeting Room C, the place where the Gemini monsters were waiting for him.
.................................................................................….
The one-hour break before the discussions began felt like the countdown on a time bomb. In four different corners of the cruise ship Speranza, the four factions of power were formulating their strategies.
This was no longer about surviving in the jungle. This was a cold war fought across round tables.
VIP Lounge – Class 1-C's Base (Sakayanagi)
Sakayanagi Arisu sat on a single leather sofa, sipping Earl Grey tea with the elegance of a bored queen. Standing before her were the high-ranking officers of Class C: Katsuragi Kohei, Hashimoto Masayoshi, and Kamuro Masumi.
Katsuragi looked tense. His rigid face reflected a deep concern regarding the format of this exam.
"Sakayanagi," Katsuragi's voice was heavy. "We must establish a clear class policy. This exam is dangerous. If any of our members betray their group for private points and guess incorrectly, we will lose another 50 class points. We cannot allow the gap between us and Class B (Horikita) to widen any further."
"You are too rigid, Katsuragi-kun," Sakayanagi set her teacup down. A soft clink resonated in the quiet room. "It is precisely because this exam is dangerous that it is so much fun."
"This is not a game," Katsuragi argued.
"Everything is a game," Sakayanagi corrected coldly. Her eyes swept over her subordinates. "Listen closely. Our strategy for this exam is Defensive-Opportunism."
"What does that mean?" Hashimoto asked, leaning casually against the wall while flipping a coin.
"It's simple. Do not attack first," Sakayanagi explained. "Our primary goal is to secure Private Points from Scenario 1 (Solidarity). Let the other classes—especially Ryuen's Class D—make the mistakes."
Sakayanagi twirled her cane slowly.
"However... if you see a golden opportunity where victory is 100% guaranteed—for instance, if a foolish enemy VIP opens their own mouth—crush them without mercy. Especially if that VIP is from Class B."
Sakayanagi's eyes flashed at the mention of Class B.
"Koroizumi Seiji humiliated us on the chessboard and the leaderboards. I do not want him getting comfortable. Hashimoto, you are in the Taurus Group with Hirata Yosuke, correct?"
"Yes, Hime," Hashimoto replied.
"Keep an eye on him. Hirata is a pacifist, but he is Seiji's protective shield. If you can find an opening to crack him mentally, do it. But remember... do not get caught."
Sakayanagi smiled sweetly, but the smile contained venom.
"We will play the role of the snake in the grass. Let the dragons and tigers kill each other, and then we will suck the blood of the victor."
Open Deck (Stern of the Ship) – Class 1-A's Base (Ichinose)
The sea breeze whipped through Ichinose Honami's strawberry-blonde hair. She stood in the center of a large circle of Class A students. Unlike Sakayanagi, who commanded from on high, Ichinose stood on equal footing with her friends.
However, something about Ichinose had changed post-island exam. Her smile was still warm, but her posture was straighter, more vigilant.
The experience of seeing her "market" destroyed by Ryuen and subsequently having to buy information from Kushida had taught her an expensive lesson about reality.
"Everyone," Ichinose's voice was loud yet gentle. "Our goal in this exam is Scenario 1."
"Meaning we cooperate with the other classes?" Shibata asked.
"Correct. We will encourage everyone in our respective groups not to guess the VIP. We will distribute 500,000 private points to everyone. That is the most peaceful and profitable path for all parties involved."
Many students nodded in agreement. That was the Ichinose style they knew and loved.
"BUT," Ichinose continued, raising the volume of her voice slightly. That 'but' silenced the atmosphere.
Ichinose looked at Kanzaki Ryuji beside her, then looked back at her class.
"We cannot be naive anymore. Kindness without vigilance is foolishness—someone taught me that. Therefore, we will implement Benevolent Pragmatism."
"If anyone from another class attempts to betray the agreement... if you see signs that they are going to submit a guess..."
Ichinose's blue eyes grew sharp.
"...then you are authorized to strike first. Protect our classmates. If the VIP is on our side, ensure they survive. If the VIP is on the enemy's side and they try to play dirty, guess their identity before they can guess ours."
"We will be the hand that embraces," Ichinose concluded, clenching her fist in front of her chest. "But if they bite that hand, we will strike back."
Kanzaki nodded in satisfaction. This was the leader Class A needed to stay at the top. A kind leader, but not a blind one.
Dark Lower Deck Corridor – Class 1-D's Base (Ryuen)
The cold vapor from the ventilation vents hung in the air. Ryuen Kakeru leaned against the wall of the narrow corridor, far away from the crowds.
His face was gloomy. The sadistic smirk that usually graced his lips was nowhere to be seen. The crushing defeat in his physical duel against Seiji on the north beach still left ghost pains all over his body, even though he wasn't severely injured physically.
Ibuki Mio, Ishizaki Daichi, and Albert Yamada stood silently before him, waiting for orders. They had never seen Ryuen this quiet before.
"Ryuen-san..." Ishizaki dared to ask. "What's our plan? Do we crush them? Find their VIPs and steal their points?"
Ryuen stared at Ishizaki with a terrifyingly blank expression.
"Shut up," Ryuen snapped.
He pulled out his phone, twirling the device in his hand.
"For this exam... our strategy is Silent Observation."
"Huh?" Ibuki frowned. "Are you joking? We need points! We're at the bottom of the standings, Ryuen! We only have 700 points!"
"Which is exactly why, idiot!" Ryuen barked, his voice echoing through the metal corridor.
"We don't have the capital to gamble anymore. If we guess the VIP incorrectly, we lose another 50 points. Our points will be completely devastated."
Ryuen clicked his tongue, looking away.
"Koroizumi... that bastard..." he muttered. "He baited me on the island. He made me think aggressively, then trapped me with a fake card. In this exam, he's definitely expecting me to go on a rampage again. He's waiting for me to make a mistake."
Ryuen clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white. The primal fear Seiji had instilled in him was still deeply rooted. He knew he wasn't ready to face that monster head-on again.
"Listen," Ryuen ordered his subordinates. "In your groups, do nothing. Do not try to find the VIP. Do not try to provoke anyone. Just sit, stay quiet, and observe."
"So we're being cowards?" Ibuki challenged.
"We're being patient hunters," Ryuen corrected, his eyes igniting once more, but with a colder, more controlled fire. "Let Classes A, B, and C suspect each other. We will gather data. Who is nervous, who is taking the lead, who is acting as bait."
"Until I find a way to kill Koroizumi without him being able to dodge... we will lie dormant."
Room 401 – Class 1-B's Base (Horikita & Seiji)
Inside the quiet dorm room, Horikita Suzune was pacing back and forth. In her hand was a notebook filled with scribbled scenario possibilities.
"This is risky, Koroizumi-kun," Suzune said, stopping in front of Seiji, who was sitting casually on his bed munching on some biscuits.
"If we get the VIP in our class, we have to protect them with our lives. But if the VIP is in another class, we have a chance to score an instant 50 class points. That could cut down the gap between us and Class A."
Seiji chewed his biscuit slowly, swallowed, then smiled.
"You're focusing too much on Class Points, Suzune. That's an old habit."
"Class Points determine our ranking. That is our goal," Suzune argued.
"True. But Private Points are our fuel," Seiji said. He stood up, brushing biscuit crumbs off his pants.
"Listen. Our strategy is Absolute Defense."
Seiji held up one finger.
"Instruct all of our classmates: The top priority is Scenario 1. We want everyone in Class B to secure 500,000 private points."
"Why?" Suzune asked skeptically. "That much money..."
"Money is loyalty," Seiji interrupted. "With 500,000 points in every student's hand, we can buy a lot of things in the future. We can save students who fail exams by buying points from them. We can hire the services of students from other classes. We can buy information."
Seiji stepped closer to Suzune, looking into the girl's eyes with the intensity of a teacher.
"Class Points can fluctuate easily due to the school's ridiculous rules. But the Private Points already deposited into your account... those are yours forever (as long as you aren't expelled). Enriching the citizens of our class is the first step toward building a powerful nation."
Suzune fell silent, digesting that logic. "So... we aren't going to try and guess the opposing VIPs?"
"Only if victory is served to us on a silver platter," Seiji replied. "Otherwise, do not take risks. We focus on ensuring there are no traitors within our own groups."
Seiji reached into his trouser pocket, feeling the phone that contained the VIP message. He didn't tell Suzune that he was the VIP of the Gemini Group.
Not yet.
The burden of being the VIP was his alone to bear for now. Telling Suzune would only make her worry and act unnaturally, which could be read by Ryuen or Sakayanagi.
"Trust me," Seiji said gently. "I will make sure we walk off this ship with heavy pockets."
Suzune let out a long sigh, then nodded.
"Very well. I will disseminate the instructions. Absolute Defense. No one guesses unless they are 100% certain."
"Good. Now then..." Seiji looked at the wall clock. The hands pointed to 12:50 PM.
"It's time to step into the lion's den."
Seiji walked toward the door. Behind him, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, who had been silent on the top bunk this whole time, climbed down soundlessly.
"You're heading to the Gemini Group," Ayanokouji stated flatly. "Ichinose and Kouenji. That's a hellish group."
"I know," Seiji smirked, the shadow of imaginary tentacles waving behind his back.
"But you know what they say, Ayanokouji-kun? Hell is the absolute best vacation spot for a devil."
Seiji opened the door and stepped out, ready to face the round table that would determine his fate.
The Four Kings had set their strategies. Sakayanagi with her opportunism. Ichinose with her newfound pragmatism. Ryuen with his traumatic caution. And Seiji with his absolute defense.
In Meeting Room C, the chair for the target had been prepared.
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