"Is that really possible?" Mio had never heard about this.
Seeing everyone looking at her, she could only reluctantly nod.
"I'll testify." She said.
But she knew nothing about this at all.
Did this mean that after the exam ends, regardless of their score, Class C would lose another 50 Points?
What was Kakeru thinking?
After Houtarou's words, the angels from Class B seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
They welcomed Mio partly out of goodwill, but also because this was a way to help their class. Class C's bully was detestable, and they wanted to see him punished.
"Well then, Ichinose-san, I'll leave Ibuki-san in your care." Houtarou said, "On our way here, we encountered some snakes. They seemed non-venomous, but we can't leave a girl alone in the wilderness."
"I understand." Honami looked toward Class B's angels.
No one objected. Having taken Class C's tents, they couldn't bear to see a Class C student stranded in the wild.
According to Houtarou, taking in Mio would be advantageous. They were already frustrated with Class C's close pursuit in Class Points, so causing them to lose more points would benefit everyone.
If Mio stayed with other classes for several days, her injuries might start to heal and fade.
They decided to keep her there first, then consider spending 5 Base Points on a digital camera to document her injuries as evidence.
Alternatively, tomorrow during roll call, they could bring Mio and Satoru Kaneda to their homeroom teacher, Hoshimiya Chie. While students' phones had been confiscated, the teachers still had theirs. The teacher could help photograph the injuries, saving their Base Points.
Class B's angels grew enthusiastic about the plan.
From Ibuki's perspective, these Class B students were convinced she had been beaten by Ryuuen. They seemed determined to seek justice, insisting they would help report it.
Mio: "..."
This made her feel like she had stumbled into quite a troublesome situation.
Honami turned slightly and asked, "Oreki-kun, could we speak privately for a moment?"
"Sure."
Houtarou agreed readily — after all, handing Mio over to Class B wasn't an act of kindness but rather disposing of an inconvenience.
⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟
Soon, Mio found herself surrounded by Class B's enthusiastic angels.
Class B had been collaborating with Class C, with Kakeru providing supplies. Honami, thinking ahead about potential injuries from working in their vegetable garden base, had prepared first-aid supplies like band-aids and iodine.
The girls eagerly offered to tend to Mio's wounds — a kind of attention she'd likely never experienced before.
Though she wanted to maintain her stern demeanor, seeing exhausted classmates like Chihiro — who looked on the verge of tears after three hours of pointless walking — made it impossible for her to act harsh.
Still, she felt troubled. At this rate, she really would end up stranded here in Class B.
And with that... had her mission to infiltrate Class A already failed?
⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟
Houtarou and Honami walked toward the edge of the camp.
Though she carried a flashlight, she didn't need it. The moonlight, while dim, provided just enough illumination to make out the path ahead.
But Houtarou's experience was entirely different.
While normal people struggled to see at night, he found that with concentration, his vision remained almost as clear as daylight.
This ability surely exceeded human limits. The modifications hadn't just given him supernatural powers — they had fundamentally transformed his body.
His feelings were somewhat complicated.
However, he was also aware of the incredibly beautiful girl beside him. Unlike Suzune's cool and dignified demeanor, Honami possessed a heart-stirring quality.
Her pink hair cascaded past her waist, complementing her delicate features and clear eyes. Something about her presence made people feel at ease. Fresh from her bath, her slightly damp hair carried a pleasant scent of shampoo.
Was he really out here alone with a girl who had just bathed?
"Oreki-kun—" Walking beside him, Honami tilted her head, her eyelashes fluttering as she gazed at him.
Did she realize how endearing that gesture was?
While Kikyō could act angelic, Honami seemed genuinely celestial without trying. When they made similar gestures, this natural angel's impact was even more powerful.
"Let's stop here." Houtarou said, "Ichinose-san, you've all had a demanding day. No need to walk further — you still need to return to your base."
"Uuu—" At this reminder, Honami's shoulders slumped.
The day had indeed been grueling. With her modest stamina and athletic ability, she had pushed herself to join everyone in the base search, refusing special treatment despite their collective exhaustion.
The outcome: Class D had claimed everything.
Their endless back-and-forth trek had left her feet aching. Though the recent bath had provided relief, standing here now, the pain returned — her feet felt disconnected from her body.
In that moment, she reminded Houtarou of a forlorn house cat. Usually, such a sight would compel him to offer comfort.
Being shorter than him, he could easily pat her head.
"..."
Should he? But wouldn't that be inappropriate?
Her now-dry hair looked invitingly soft.
"..." Houtarou restrained himself.
"Your alliance with Class D nearly broke us." Honami said, "I've never walked 23,000 steps in one day. My feet feel like they belong to someone else."
Though it sounded like a complaint, Houtarou recognized her subtle information gathering.
"Kōenji swam to the island alone last night." Houtarou explained, "He knows where all the bases are."
"Oh." Honami nodded slightly, "That explains it."
Now it made sense why all the bases had been claimed by Class D after their long day of walking. It seemed almost unfair.
Swimming here last night, though?
Either Rokusuke possessed extraordinary physical abilities, or he had known about this island being the exam location beforehand and came to scout. Having advance access to scout the island was remarkable.
Either way... the situation was unsettling.
"The base you found was originally Class D's territory." Honami said, fixing Houtarou with an intense gaze, "Around 6 o'clock, while we were guarding it, Kōenji from Class D showed up. He just shrugged when he saw us and decided not to claim this base. Though everyone believes he's the one leading Class D."
⍟⍟⍟
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