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Disclaimer: this was done using Google Translate with some light editing for readability. Apologies for any errors.
Chapter 2: From A Small Crack
It was past 5 p.m.
Although the sun sets late in the height of summer, it could certainly be described as evening.
Far from having recovered from the fatigue of the Uninhabited Island Survival Game Special Exam, some students were stepping into a new special exam while still shouldering the full weight of their accumulated exhaustion.
Before long, the time arrived for the group to tackle the special exam. Their supervisor made his appearance.
"I am Urushihara, and I will be serving as the supervisor for Group 3. It is a pleasure to meet you all." A man—an adult none of them had ever seen before—offered this greeting and began checking to ensure that everyone was present.
Of the ten groups, four had third-year homeroom teachers assigned as their supervisors. It appeared that this man was one of the six supervisors assigned to the remaining groups.
"In this special exam, you will be challenging various tasks to earn tokens; however, these tasks fall into three distinct categories. I will now explain the details, so please listen carefully. The three categories are 'Individual,' 'Group,' and 'Team.' 'Individual' is straightforward: it refers to tasks assigned to each student individually. Essentially, this involves competing one-on-one against someone within your own group or against someone from a different group. Next is 'Group': this involves the sixteen of you cooperating to tackle tasks set by the school, or competing collectively against the entirety of another group. Finally, the third category is 'Team.' This involves a further subdivision within the group, specifically referring to distinctions based on your respective classes. Since there are detailed and unique rules governing this category, I will provide a full explanation only when the specific tasks relevant to it are actually about to take place."
Confirming that everyone was following his explanation without any issues, Urushihara, the supervisor, continued.
"Now—I would like to move on to the subject of how tokens are awarded. However, before we do that, you must first select one 'representative' from each of your respective classes."
Up to this point—neither in Mashima-sensei's explanation of the rules nor in the accompanying materials—had the term "representative" appeared anywhere. Upon hearing of this role for the very first time, the students in the group exchanged bewildered glances.
"Is there any upside to becoming the representative? Oh—actually, if there are any downsides, I’d like to hear about them now, too." Sonoda took the initiative to cautiously ask Urushihara this very question.
"No, nothing in particular. However, we have adopted a system where any tokens earned by a class are collectively awarded to that class's representative. This becomes relevant when tackling challenges in the two categories that aren't the 'Individual' category. For instance, let's say Class A earns 10 tokens through a 'Group' or 'Team' challenge. In that scenario—assuming Ike-kun is the representative for Class A—all of those earned tokens would be awarded to Ike-kun."
Up until this point the students—myself included—had never doubted for a moment that any tokens they earned would be awarded directly to them as individuals. Now, that fundamental assumption was being completely overturned.
Whether tokens are awarded individually or collectively to a representative makes a massive difference.
"Huh? What kind of nonsense is that? So, does that mean if the representative feels like it, they could just pocket all the tokens for themselves and do whatever they want with them?" Realizing just how twisted this system was, Ibuki glared suspiciously at the overseer.
"The school administration has no such malicious intent, but strictly speaking, the rules do allow for that possibility. Since the degree to which individuals contribute varies depending on the specific challenge, your class may need to hold internal discussions regarding how best to allocate the rewards. In that sense, the role of representative may indeed require a certain level of personal integrity."
The overseer offered a plausible-sounding explanation, but the reality was that the level of risk involved had just skyrocketed.
As Ibuki had feared, entrusting the management of tokens entirely to a representative meant there was no longer any firm guarantee that you would actually receive any tokens yourself.
It appeared that the "Individual" category was an exception to this rule; however, assuming the challenges and token rewards were distributed evenly across all three categories, that would mean the tokens you could control entirely by yourself amounted to a mere one-third of the total.
"However, there is one thing I’d like you to be mindful of here: the distinction between 'heads' and 'tails' tokens. Tokens earned individually are treated 100% as 'heads' tokens; however, tokens earned through group or team activities are calculated on a case-by-case basis by dividing the total tokens earned for that specific task by the number of participants. For instance, if a group completes a task and earns 48 tokens, 12 tokens are initially allocated to the representative of each respective class. Since the group consists of 16 members, this means that three tokens per person hold the value of a 'heads' token—serving as the maximum limit recognized as legitimate individual earnings. In other words, if an individual were to receive four tokens, one of them would be treated as a 'tails' token. Since the rights associated with front-side tokens do not expire but rather accumulate, there are no negative consequences regardless of when they are actually distributed."
Roughly summarized, it breaks down like this:
Tasks fall into three categories: "Individual," "Group," and "Team."
"This rule sucks—seriously."
It seems safe to assume that the distinction between 'heads' and 'tails' tokens was established specifically to prevent representatives from monopolizing the tokens and making a solo bid for the "Special Prize."
Even so, the privileges held by a representative—such as the ability to earn personal Private Points or to help their classmates avoid expulsion for finishing in last place—could be said to carry even greater weight than the zeal of the overseers themselves.
We were also informed that any fractional remainders resulting from these calculations are simply disregarded; for example, even if a group were to earn 41 tokens, the maximum limit for front-side tokens—when divided among four members—would remain unchanged at 10.
"Very well. You are to now discuss amongst yourselves and decide who will serve as your representative. If you are unable to reach a decision within the allotted time, you will be required to settle the matter via a team vote."
"Going out of their way to concentrate all the earned tokens onto a single representative—that’s a rule that offers us students absolutely no benefit, only downsides."
"It looks like they’re trying to deliberately sow discord among us."
Sanada’s expression hardened in response to the unique restriction imposed upon them, while Yoshida voiced his own thoughts on the matter.
In all likelihood, they were right. The true test here was whether they could place their trust in their classmates—and, conversely, whether they could prove themselves worthy of that trust.
"I don't know who ends up becoming the representative, but whoever it is—you will be handing those tokens over to me, won't you?"
Immediately harboring suspicion toward this new rule, Ibuki cast a wary, distrustful gaze upon her fellow Class B members.
"Fundamentally, this situation shouldn't lead to anyone being sabotaged. And precisely to ensure that we don't end up with the sort of person who would do such a thing as our representative, we ought to settle this using a fair and impartial method."
Katsuragi responded to Ibuki’s inquiry, proposing a simple solution: deciding the matter via a majority vote.
It was, after all, the most straightforward and generally most agreeable method of selection available.
Meanwhile, in the other classes, different dynamics were already beginning to emerge.
"I’m thinking of stepping up to be our representative—that’s fine with you, right? ...Mii-chan?"
That intimidating voice rang out from within the Class A team, belonging to none other than Shinohara.
"Oh—uh, y-yes. I don't have any objections to that, but..."
Showing no signs of wanting to contest Shinohara’s bid for the representative role, Mii-chan simply nodded, albeit with a hint of bewilderment. Given that she herself was not the type to enjoy being in the spotlight, her mindset was likely that as long as someone else was willing to take on the responsibility, she was perfectly content to let them do so.
"Well, since Mii-chan says it’s fine, I guess there’s no problem then."
As if a single person’s opinion were all that was needed to officially secure the representative position, Shinohara flashed a smile, her expression radiating sheer self-confidence.
"Um... shouldn't we check with Ike-kun and Kushida-san, too?"
Seeing the discussion heading toward a conclusion that would be sealed by her own single vote, Mii-chan instinctively spoke up—but Shinohara paid her no mind.
However, in this special exam, finishing in last place in terms of token count carries the risk of expulsion. When looking several steps ahead, it remains questionable whether it is truly wise to casually select Shinohara—or even Ike—as their representative.
Kushida, too, understood this fact; she likely felt that simply going along with the flow, as Mii-chan had done, amounted to nothing less than taking a significant risk.
The brief silence that settled over the Class A group was just a shade too long—a heavy, lingering pause that stood out rather than blending into the conversations taking place with the other classes.
Before any of the four could explicitly open their mouths, the atmosphere itself shifted first.
Mii-chan glanced back and forth between Kushida and Shinohara just once, then immediately lowered her gaze.
Whether she was simply unaccustomed to having a decision entrusted to her, or whether she fully grasped the gravity of voicing an opinion in this specific moment, one thing was clear: she showed no signs of offering an immediate answer.
Shinohara, for her part, did not let that fleeting hesitation go unnoticed.
Even at this stage—before a definitive conclusion had been reached—her priority was to steer the momentum of the discussion in her own favor.
She held her gaze steady, applying pressure to ensure there was no avenue for escape.
And then—
"So, you're saying you don't want me? Is there some kind of problem with me being the representative?"
Kushida pressed the issue. Though framed as a question, in reality, the range of acceptable answers was severely restricted.
An affirmative response would create friction; a negative one would force a concession.
It was patently obvious that, by presenting this binary choice, Kushida was attempting to seize control of the situation.
"Um... well... yeah, I guess so... It's not that there's any 'problem' with you being the representative, exactly... it's just that I was actually thinking of volunteering myself..."
Shinohara spoke with a modest demeanor, yet her intent was articulated with firm resolve. But upon hearing Kushida's words, Shinohara’s expression stiffened, betraying a hint of displeasure.
"Why? Is it because you don't trust me?"
"No, it’s not that. I’ve actually intended to run for the position right from the start..."
"Oh? Well, that makes me feel like you don't trust me—and that leaves a bad taste in my mouth."
"But if we’re going by that logic... wouldn't that imply that you, Kushida-san, don't trust me?"
Kushida looked flustered and somewhat overwhelmed by Shinohara’s intensity, yet she did not back down from her counter-argument.
"Huh? It’s not like that at all, though—"
Smiling faintly, as if finding the situation slightly amusing, Shinohara continued.
"But tell me, Kushida-san—do you honestly believe you can earn someone's trust unconditionally?"
She raised her voice slightly. While they hadn't drawn a crowd just yet, if the exchange escalated any further, it would inevitably catch the eyes and ears of students from other classes.
"I... I certainly intend to make the effort to earn that trust. And precisely because of that, I didn't want to place any unnecessary burden on you, Shinohara-san."
With the eyes of other classes upon them, Kushida had no choice but to keep up the act—to continue playing the role of the "usual" Kushida. And it was precisely because Shinohara understood this all too well that she felt emboldened to press the issue so aggressively.
"Burden? What do you mean?"
"Well, managing the tokens is a hassle, after all. And even though it’s the 'representative' role, it’s really just glorified busywork—so I figured it would be better if I handled it myself."
"It’s not a burden at all, so don't worry about it. You can just relax and leave everything to me, Kushida-san."
"What do you think, Mii-chan?" Kushida turned to Mii-chan, her tone pleading for support.
But before Mii-chan—caught in the middle and looking utterly bewildered—could offer a reply, Shinohara shot her a look of sharp annoyance.
"You heard her say she’d left it entirely in my hands, didn't you? So why are you asking for confirmation all over again? Is it because you still don't trust me?"
"N-no, it’s not that. I just wanted to make sure I’d properly checked everyone’s opinions..."
"In that case, why don't you ask Kanji, too?"
Shinohara—convinced that he would instantly side with her—looked over at Ike with a dismissive snort.
"Hmm... Ike-kun, what do you think?"
Closing the distance slightly, Kushida looked up at Ike through her lashes and asked.
"Huh? Uh... well, I mean... Kikyo-ch—er, Kushida... yeah, she wouldn't be a bad choice at all, either."
Even though the class had already seen her true colors, Kushida still maintained the facade of an angel on the surface. When she turned that trusting, expectant gaze upon him, Ike blushed and flustered in embarrassment.
"Hey, Kanji...?"
It was Shinohara who took offense at Ike’s unexpected reaction. She gave his left ear a sharp, hard tug.
"Ow! Ow-ow-ow! That hurts, Satsuki!"
"Tell us: who is more qualified to be our representative—me or Kushida-san? Answer honestly."
"Of course! Of course!" Ike stammered, wincing in pain as he gave his answer.
"I-I’m sure we’ll be perfectly safe if we just leave it to Satsuki!"
Exposed to Shinohara’s blatantly suspicious glare, Ike scrambled to save himself.
"So, it looks like that settles it. That works for you, right, Kushida-san?"
"Alright. Yeah, if everyone else is fine with that, then I’m fine with it, too."
Kushida was likely harboring a great deal of frustration, but with Shinohara and Ike holding two votes between them, her hands were tied. Even if she were to dig her heels in and somehow manage to win Mii-chan over to her side, the votes would simply split, and no representative would be decided. Having already issued such a strong rejection, provoking Shinohara any further would be a tactical blunder; thus, it seemed Kushida had no choice but to back down.
Of course, neither Shinohara nor Ike were likely planning to use their control over the tokens to pull any dirty tricks on Kushida or Mii-chan—at least not at this stage. However, that was only because they hadn't been backed into a corner yet. If, down the line, they found themselves unable to increase their token count as planned—or worse, if they started losing them—the authority Shinohara held as the group representative could swell to a massive, unmanageable, and terrifying degree.
Once again, it simply underscored just how critically important the 'representative' position was.
There were likely very few students among the current third-years who lacked the insight to grasp something so obvious.
And precisely for that reason, Kushida, in particular, would find that navigating the situation from this point forward would require an extremely delicate touch.
"It looks like Shinohara ended up becoming the representative over there. Well, I suppose it’s only natural for a student facing the risk of expulsion to want to secure that representative role. Conversely, that’s got to be a real headache for people like Wang and Kushida."
Yoshida, who had been quietly eavesdropping, offered that calm analysis.
"So, what should we do for the time being? We’re sticking with you as our representative, right?" Yoshida approached me and asked for instructions in a hushed voice.
"You’re going to follow my lead?"
"Of course. I admit I panicked a bit back during the Survival Game Special Exam when it looked like we were going to lose, but since we ended up taking second place exactly as planned, I can hardly complain now. Besides, you’re the designated leader for this exam. Our ideal goal is to take first place within this group, after all."
Standing right beside Yoshida as he gave that reply, Sanada also nodded without a moment's hesitation.
"So, it is settled then—you will be our representative?"
"You can just ignore her. She’s not going to step up to the front lines anyway." Yoshida pressed on with the conversation, assuring me that I didn't need to pay any mind to Morishita—who stood there with her arms crossed, nodding repeatedly to herself.
"I’m sure Morishita-san realizes, just as we do, that entrusting this role to Ayanokoji-kun is our best option."
It felt as though Sanada was deliberately flattering me a bit too much, but I didn't let it bother me.
"One final confirmation: Are you absolutely sure you want to leave this to me? Once I become the representative, I’ll have complete freedom to allocate the tokens we earn however I see fit. I might even choose to act solely for my own self-preservation."
"You’re Ayanokoji—the eccentric who chose to drop down from Class A of his own free will. If you were to betray us and try to save only yourself, that would be the end of you; at the very least, you’d never be able to remain our class leader. So, it’s not just a matter of trust—your very position wouldn't allow for such selfishness."
That was how Yoshida explained his reasoning for accepting me as their representative.
As if to echo his sentiments, Sanada also nodded in agreement.
It was an attitude born of a firm resolve: unless they placed their complete trust in me, there was simply no hope for their class to rise.
"I don't trust you, mind you. But—well, let's put you to the test and see if you're truly fit to lead the class."
"Understood. If Yoshida and Sanada say so, then I accept the responsibility; I will serve as our representative."
We informed the overseer that I had been selected as the representative for the Class C team, and then waited for the remaining teams to make their decisions.
---
That's it for the trial. Thanks for reading. Hopefully the rest of Y3V4 won't disappoint.
Y3V4 Chapter 2: From A Small Crack (you are here)
Disclaimer: this was done using Google Translate with some light editing for readability. Apologies for any errors.
Chapter 1.3
A new special exam had begun before the fatigue from the previous survival game had even fully dissipated.
Ryūen listened to Mashima-sensei’s explanation of the rules, mentally formulating several strategies.
Since entering this school, he had faced every challenge with absolute confidence in his own judgment and discretion; yet now, at this juncture, the image of Ayanokōji was flickering through his mind at every turn.
Straightforward tactics, unconventional stratagems, or even outright lawlessness that defied the rules—Ayanokōji would anticipate them all and surpass him.
Ryūen found himself projecting such outcomes onto a future that had yet to be written.
If he were merely losing a battle of wits, there would be any number of ways to counter it; but Ayanokōji possessed astonishing physical capabilities as well. Recalling their last skirmish with paintball guns, Ryūen clicked his tongue in mild annoyance.
"Is something the matter, Ryūen-shi? Did something displease you?"
Kaneda, who had been assigned to the same group, seemed to notice the tongue-click; he addressed Ryūen while casting a glance toward the other members who were beginning to gather.
"I was just thinking about that bastard Ayanokōji. Don't worry about it."
"...So it's related to Ayanokoji-shi. I see."
If Ayanokōji was left unchecked—assuming his group secured first place in total tokens and reaped the benefits of the special individual rewards—Class C stood to gain 200 Class Points. Furthermore, they would acquire Private Points, thereby increasing their overall freedom of action.
The lead Class C had maintained up until now had vanished during the previous Uninhabited Island Survival Game Special Exam. Even if there were no risk of demotion until the following month, their Class Points had already dropped to a level that would—on a provisional basis—see them fall from Class B to Class C. Moreover, the point gap separating them from the lowest-ranked class—Ayanokōji’s class—had narrowed to a razor-thin margin.
In short, this was a battle they absolutely could not afford to lose.
But... that had been true of the previous special exam as well.
How, then, could he finally surpass Ayanokōji?
Ayanokoji would undoubtedly amass a vast number of tokens. The question was whether or not Ryuen could surpass him. If surpassing him proved impossible, then—at the very least—it would be absolutely essential to outrank him in the group standings and capitalize on the token multipliers. That was the indispensable prerequisite for Ryuen to secure a victory.
There was one other matter to be concerned with: the penalty of expulsion incurred if one’s token count dropped to zero.
Even Ayanokoji—for all his capabilities—could not possibly keep every single one of his classmates under his protection, twenty-four hours a day. If Ryuen could successfully dominate and manipulate the group, he could certainly manage to eliminate at least one student from Class C.
His gaze wandered until he spotted Ayanokoji’s figure standing a short distance away. Yoshida was standing beside him, appearing to be speaking to him, yet—in reality—neither of them truly registered in Ryuen’s field of vision.
Ayanokoji was staring off in a different direction, his demeanor strangely listless.
"What the hell are you looking at...?"
Even though Ayanokoji was a man whose thoughts and emotions were unreadable, Ryuen would not give up on trying to read him from the very start. No matter how trivial the clue, he had to latch onto it like a serpent if he were to find a breakthrough. Ryuen followed the line of Ayanokoji’s gaze.
Under normal circumstances, it would be a rare occurrence to discern exactly what a distant individual was looking at—especially given that a large crowd of people was currently standing clustered together in that direction.
Yet, Ryuen noticed it immediately.
He spotted the figure of Hiyori Shiina, standing precisely where Ayanokoji’s gaze was fixed.
"Ryuen-kun, it looks like we’re in the same group."
Just as he was attempting to decipher Ayanokoji’s thoughts, a student called out to him.
"What do you want?"
He shot a sharp glare in the direction of the voice, only to find Hirata Yosuke standing directly before him.
"There’s a request I’d like to make right from the start. I don’t want to see anyone expelled from this group."
"Hah. You’ve got quite the keen nose. But that’s a request I can’t grant, Hirata. After all, this is the perfect opportunity to force an expulsion from your Class A. You don't think you're safe, do you?"
"If you’re planning to target me, I won’t try to stop you. But if you intend to expel a Class A student who isn’t me—or perhaps even a student from Class C—then you’re simply going to have to listen to what I have to say."
Hirata could tell from Ryūen’s gaze and the atmosphere surrounding him that Ryūen had no interest in Class A whatsoever; instead, he was sizing up the students in Class C. That was precisely why he had phrased his words with such deliberate nuance.
"I am under no obligation to take orders from you, regardless of who I choose to target. Or is there something else? Can you offer me anything in exchange for sparing these small fry?"
"Well... I would certainly be open to the idea of cooperating across class lines. Ryūen-kun, you are the leader of your class—which means a victory for this group would effectively be a victory for Class B."
"I can’t think of a single benefit for you—a student from Class A—to lend me a hand."
"It’s a simple matter. The greatest benefit is simply avoiding the needless expulsion of any students."
"It seems you’ve got the same kind of troublesome personality as Ichinose."
"You’re free to think whatever you like. All I want is to resolve this situation as peacefully as possible."
Without rushing to a conclusion, Ryūen weighed the sincerity of Hirata’s words and demeanor, considering which course of action would yield the best outcome.
Even if he were to drain someone’s tokens to zero and force an expulsion from Class C, that would amount to nothing more than a petty act of harassment directed at Ayanokōji; it would have no direct bearing on the overall class standings or point totals. In fact, depending on how one looked at it, any student foolish enough to let their own token count drop to zero was essentially dead weight—a liability for their class. There was little point in going out of his way to make an enemy of Hirata just to eliminate someone like that.
On the other hand, if Hirata’s offer of cooperation was genuine, that would represent a distinct advantage.
Gazing at the students gathered in their groups, Hirata continued.
"This special exam carries several heavy penalties; so if Ryūen-kun were to set a trap, it might not be impossible to force the expulsion of someone from Class C. However, the only reason you’ve left open the option of specifically targeting a lower-ranked class is to inflict damage upon Ayanokōji-kun. That said—even if you could freely select and expel one person from the group of four... or rather, from Class C as a whole—I doubt it would have any real impact on him, nor would it truly count as a victory."
To put it simply: if Ayanokōji happened to be in the same group as Ryūen—and Ryūen managed to defeat his strategy in a direct confrontation before forcing a Class C student’s expulsion—that would undoubtedly be a monumental triumph for him. Yet, under the rules of this particular exam, there inevitably existed certain blind spots. It was an undeniable fact that accomplishing a deed only while the "demon" was away was hardly anything to boast about.
"In fact, such a result might only serve to symbolize just what a small-fry you really are."
"You make me laugh. Are you really so desperate to protect this makeshift group that you’d go out of your way to provoke me? If so, you’re going to have to prove it with your actions first."
Leaving the final verdict in limbo, Ryūen issued this threat to Hirata.
He had determined that if Hirata intended to operate as an ally rather than an enemy during this special exam, he would possess ample utility.
As if he had understood this from the very beginning, Hirata gave a firm, solid nod.
"I understand."
The expression Hirata wore as he glanced sideways was rigid—a look utterly at odds with the impression Ryūen had of him until now, and one that seemed to emanate an aura laced with a faint, chilling murderous intent.
Link to Y3V4 Chapter 2: From A Small Crack.
Y3V4 Chapter 1.3 (you are here)
Disclaimer: this was done using Google Translate with some light editing for readability. Apologies for any errors.
Chapter 1.2
Around the time Ayanokoji was making first contact with Group 3, Horikita—who had been assigned to Group 8—was likewise coming face-to-face with the members of her group.
A student with long pink hair, smiling as the sea breeze ruffled her locks, parted her lips to speak.
"Nice to meet you, Horikita-san."
"I suppose I did anticipate a fair probability that class leaders would end up in the same group, but to think I’d be paired with you—Ichinose-san."
Horikita felt a sense of relief, realizing that—among the other three leaders—Ichinose was, at the very least, the easiest to deal with.
This wasn't a matter of whether her opponent was strong or weak; rather, she was convinced that Ichinose’s presence—provided she was on their side—would bring immense stability to the group.
Although this special exam involved competition between classes, it also placed a heavy emphasis on the group's collective performance. With Ichinose involved, there was a high probability that things would turn out for the best.
"If this were a purely class-versus-class battle, things might have been tricky. But judging by the rules, cooperating as a group actually leads to mutual benefits—so it’s not a bad deal at all, is it? If you and I join forces, we might even be able to secure a safe victory for our group."
Almost simultaneously, Ichinose had been mulling over much the same thoughts.
As Horikita observed Ichinose standing before her, she sensed a powerful aura—one distinct from the presence she had felt from her in the past.
As an enemy, such a presence would be nothing short of a nuisance; but as an ally, it was a source of immense reassurance.
"Indeed. As leaders, we belong to a group where victory is the primary objective. Under normal circumstances, we’d likely be trying to probe one another’s true intentions—but instead, we’ll cooperate to aim for the highest possible rank... does that sound like a plan?"
Would they choose to cooperate, or to antagonize one another? Since it was entirely possible to divert tokens to other groups simply to prevent a rival from winning, a single decision regarding their strategy could drastically alter the total number of tokens the group ultimately acquired.
"Of course. If our group takes first place, the reward is 100 Class Points for each of us. It is, quite simply, the ideal scenario. It won't just be me; if necessary, I intend to strongly request the cooperation of every single student in Class D. Does that work for you?"
"I’ll take that as a gracious offer and accept it at face value. On our end, we also intend to unite behind the strategy of securing a solid total number of tokens for our group. Of course, that will likely depend on the moves of Classes B and C—whose intentions remain unclear for now."
Students from other classes had begun to trickle in, their faces appearing here and there.
Neither Ayanokōji nor Ryūen was among them.
Had all four class leaders happened to end up in the same group, cooperating to maximize their total token count would have been a simple matter; however, for any class other than the front-running Class A, such a scenario would have offered very little to celebrate. It would have meant squandering a precious special exam—a golden opportunity to widen the gap between themselves and the other classes.
"Sharing the mindset of working together to aim for first place in the group seems like it will go surprisingly smoothly; however, there is one issue—one that is crucial for both you and me—that we simply cannot overlook."
"What to do about the expulsions... isn't that it?"
Horikita’s gaze met Ichinose’s, and she gave a firm nod.
It had already been announced that this special exam would result in expulsions.
Moreover, one of those expulsions was a penalty that someone—inevitably—would be forced to accept. The only ways to prevent it were either for the designated victim to conveniently happen to possess a Protection Point, or to pay a ransom of 20 million Private Points.
"Horikita-san... I will absolutely not allow a single one of my classmates to be expelled. If aiming for the top spot in total tokens requires the sacrifice of a comrade, then—without a moment's hesitation—I will choose to save my comrade instead."
It was a message from Ichinose: If you have any objection to that, speak now.
Accepting that message head-on, Horikita took a deep, steady breath and offered her reply.
"I share that sentiment. I, too, have no intention of sacrificing my classmates."
"So, does that mean we’re allies—people facing the same direction, ready to join hands?"
"…Provided, of course, that you’re willing to place your trust in me."
At the very least, Horikita was not the sort of person who commanded the same level of trust as Ichinose. She was well aware of that much. Right now, she was in the position of having to prove herself worthy of being trusted.
"In that case, it looks like there’s no problem."
Saying this, Ichinose flashed a smile devoid of any hesitation and reached out her hand.
Observing her demeanor, Horikita let out a silent sigh of admiration deep within her heart.
It was the sheer strength of weathering more than two years of trials and tribulations with the power of trust. She had sensed it indirectly on several occasions before, but now that they had actually formed a group together, that strength felt far more vivid—and incredibly reassuring. Under normal circumstances, one ought never to place their trust so readily in a rival; yet, she found herself instinctively concluding that this was someone she could trust.
Of course, it was merely a probability approaching 100 percent; there was no absolute guarantee anywhere that she wouldn't eventually be betrayed.
Nevertheless, the fact that Ichinose’s presence alone could subconsciously instill in her the mental fortitude to accept the outcome—to tell herself, "If I’m going to be betrayed, I’d rather it be by Ichinose"—was, in itself, a remarkable feat.
"Before we join hands, there’s one more thing…"
Gazing at those slender, elegant fingertips, Horikita posed a probing question.
"It is all but inevitable that someone will have to be sacrificed. However, we are committed to ensuring that no students are expelled from either of our classes. We will do whatever it takes to achieve that end. As long as we adhere to this policy—or to put it another way—it means that the expulsions will have to come from either Ryūen-kun’s class or Ayanokōji-kun’s class. Are you truly prepared to accept that reality?"
In response to her inquiry, Ichinose closed her eyes for a moment, then gave a faint smile.
"I admit, the 'me' of the past might not have been so quick to nod in agreement. But now, I have no doubts. You can rest assured: I have absolutely no intention of holding back or showing any mercy to a rival class when it comes to protecting my own allies."
Once again, Horikita met her gaze head-on—staring into those eyes, now wide open and shining with unwavering, absolute resolve.
"I see... You’ve grown even more than I imagined, Ichinose-san."
Horikita recognized that Ichinose was a formidable opponent. Even so, there was still a part of her that underestimated Ichinose Honami.
Being a fundamentally good person often implies—by its very nature—that one also harbors a certain weakness beneath the surface.
Even the simple act of protecting one’s classmates is no easy feat. Time and again, both Horikita and Hirata had attempted to do just that, only to fall short. Yet Ichinose—despite her struggles and hardships—has managed to protect her classmates without losing a single one, right up to this very moment.
"I feel the exact same way about you, Horikita-san. You seem to have become far more formidable than you were when we first enrolled."
"I wonder about that. Personally, having more people to protect actually makes things more difficult for me... But putting that aside, there’s something that’s been on my mind ever since we received the briefing for this special exam. To maneuver in such a way that none of our teammates’ token counts drop to zero, luck is bound to play a role. What are your thoughts on that aspect?"
"Have you noticed the correlation between the number of tokens initially assigned to a student and their performance in the Uninhabited Island Survival Game Special Exam?"
"Yes; it appears that students who stayed in for a longer period tend to possess a higher number of tokens. Of course, I haven’t verified this with every single classmate, so it’s not an absolute certainty..." Horikita added this caveat, noting that her conclusion was based solely on inquiries she had made with a handful of students whose elimination times had varied.
"I share that assessment. In other words—compared to the classes led by Ayanokoji and Ryuen, both of which suffered numerous dropouts shortly after the exam began—one could argue that our class holds a slight advantage."
"Your class does, after all, include students who managed to remain in the game until the very end. If one extrapolates the answer from those maximum values, then yes—that would indeed appear to be the case. However, simply possessing a higher aggregate token count as a class does not necessarily guarantee a favorable outcome."
Ultimately, given that the tokens are distributed at random, the only result is a disparity in the total token counts across the various groups. Or, at most, it merely creates minor advantages or disadvantages for individual participants.
"But... having our class collectively hold a large number of tokens also means a significant difference in the number of times we can use our radios to relay information. If you and I work together to manage our tokens meticulously, we can keep a constant watch over any students who find themselves running low. Excluding Group 10—which has fewer than sixteen members—we can use our eight-person groups to transfer tokens and provide cover for one another."
"I see... So, aside from our own Group 8—which is aiming for first place—you want the others to maneuver in a way that ensures no one ends up as a casualty? Any tokens that are transferred become "tails", thereby losing their value as individual rewards. However, from our group's perspective, this also means that the other groups—the very ones we need to defeat—will be forced to fall behind."
In principle, attempting to unify two entire classes is no easy feat. First and foremost, it would mean "forcibly compelling" the students assigned to the remaining nine groups to give up any hope of winning a Special Prize. While such a strategy might be feasible for Ichinose’s class—which acts as a single, unified entity—convincing every single one of Horikita’s classmates to go along with it would be virtually impossible.
"It’s an interesting idea, but it would also mean asking certain students—those who might otherwise have the chance to pull off a major upset within their own groups—to make a sacrifice. After all, isn't it true that the groups that have the potential for an unexpected victory are the ones that don't include Ryūen-kun or Ayanokōji-kun?"
This point highlighted a fundamental difference in perspectives: Ichinose wanted to lean heavily toward a defensive strategy, whereas Horikita felt the need to maintain at least some focus on offense.
Even if they agreed to move forward in the spirit of cooperation, Horikita couldn't shake the strong premonition that this special exam was still destined to be a long and arduous journey.
"You're right. I do think there will be parts of our strategies that simply won't align. But this Special Exam lasts for four days and three nights. Let's take our time, talk things through thoroughly, and figure things out together, Horikita-san."
"True. We don't even know the specific challenges or how the tokens will flow yet. There's really no point in rushing things at this stage."
"I'll go and let the rest of my group members know."
Ichinose excused herself to Horikita and left. Alone, Horikita watched from a distance as she cheerfully greeted students from other classes.
"There’s no need to rush... I know that, but..."
Horikita recalled her conversation with Sudo immediately after the survival game special exam ended.
“There might be a traitor right here in our class.”
During the battle against Class A, she had been told that the opposing students had prioritized targeting Satou—the designated VIP—over Sudou, who should have been the far more formidable adversary.
Had she herself been Sudou’s enemy in that situation, she would undoubtedly have made him her primary target. Yet, they had focused their attacks on Satou instead. And if there were indeed someone pulling the strings behind the scenes...
"Are you saying... that there is someone within our own class leaking information?"
She spotted Ayanokouji in the distance. From Class A were four students: Mii-chan, Shinohara, Ike, and Kushida.
Even before the first semester had drawn to a close, the four classes had already settled into a state of near-perfect equilibrium.
If their internal affairs were truly being leaked, then any information Horikita conveyed would inevitably reach Ayanokouji as well. They might very well be forced to struggle through this special exam, too.
Deep within Horikita, a faint flicker of unease continued to smolder.
Link to Y3V4 Chapter 2: From A Small Crack.
Y3V4 Chapter 1.2 (you are here)
Disclaimer: this is done using Google Translate with some light editing for readability. Apologies for any errors.
Chapter 1.1
After all the explanations were finished, Morishita and I headed to our respective group's designated location.
Group 3's waiting area was closest, so it seemed we were the first to arrive.
"Let me make one thing clear right from the start: do not get overly familiar with me during this exam. If—even by the remotest chance—anyone were to mistake you for my boyfriend, it would have a profoundly negative impact on my school life going forward."
"You can rest assured on that front."
"I wonder about that. After all, they say that even if a man’s mouth says one thing, his lower half often has a mind of its own—though I don't really know the exact mechanics behind it."
"You certainly have a knack for speaking about things you know nothing about as if you were an expert."
"Flattery won't do you any good; it certainly won't raise my affection level towards you."
I found myself wondering if anyone else would show up soon, when suddenly, the sound of footsteps kicking up sand reached my ears.
"Glad to be working with you, Ayanokoji,"
The voice calling out from behind belonged to Yoshida Kenta. Sanada followed shortly after. The assembled members of Class C were academically inclined students who could handle any task competently and without fuss.
"Ugh, is that Morishita?"
"You seem to be having trouble concealing your delight, Kobayashi Kenta."
"It's Yoshida! My name is Yoshida!"
"...Gah! Ayanokōji? You mean I'm stuck in the same group as you?"
Meanwhile, a voice dripping with undisguised disgust rang out from among the participants from other classes. It belonged to Ibuki Mio from Class B. Almost simultaneously, Katsuragi Kōhei approached us as well, his expression grim and unyielding.
"To think I’d end up in the same group as you. This looks like it’s going to be a tough battle."
"I could say the exact same thing."
Since Katsuragi is the type who refuses to let his emotions cloud his judgment, having him as an adversary in a special exam like this means there’s little chance of an easy ride. That said, given that we’ll also be cooperating as a group, he could just as easily prove to be a reliable ally—making it difficult to determine exactly how to approach him.
The remaining students from Class B had yet to make an appearance; instead, it was a student from Class A who stepped forward to join us first.
"Oh, you're with Ibuki-san. Nice to meet you!"
Kushida, who had approached Ibuki from behind, gave her shoulder a gentle tap and flashed an angelic smile. To any onlookers, it would appear she was simply offering a friendly greeting to a friend—though what was truly going on beneath the surface remained anyone's guess.
"Ugh, Kushida...just great."
Ibuki looked just as disgusted as she usually did around me—but Kushida, of course, didn't let a single facial muscle twitch.
Students from other classes began to gather one after another.
Once all 16 people were assembled, I thought about the members of this group again.
Group 3 Participants
Class D Sumida Makoto, Moriyama Susumu, Minamikata Kozue, Amikura Mako
Class C Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, Yoshida Kenta, Sanada Kosei, Morishita Ai
Class B Sonoda Masashi, Katsuragi Kohei, Ibuki Mio, Morofuji Rika
Class A Ike Kanji, Kushida Kikyo, Shinohara Satsuki, Wang Mei-yu
While the group included a few rowdy individuals, my initial impression was that it was a solid, well-balanced roster. I immediately began to construct a strategy for this group.
The important things were the number of tokens, the multiplier, and avoiding penalties. There were still some unknowns, such as the goal mechanism that affects the multiplier, but it was certain that these 16 people were both allies and enemies. Analyzing their abilities and relationships, I tried to narrow down the best course of action.
While I was pondering this, four students from Class A were watching me.
As their former classmate, I decided I ought to offer them a polite, standard greeting—even if it meant risking a barrage of insults from Ike and his friends the moment I opened my mouth.
As I was vaguely pondering such things, Ike and Shinohara exchanged glances and whispered something to one another; the very next moment, wearing expressions of tense resolve, they took the initiative to approach me. They stood side-by-side—so close their shoulders nearly touched—making it plain to see that their relationship remained as strong as ever. Since the probability of a couple ending up in the same group was just under eight percent, that fact alone wasn't particularly surprising; yet, the two of them might very well be sensing some baseless sense of "destiny" in it regardless. Behind them, Kushida and Mii-chan were also watching us; Kushida offered me a smile and a light wave, while Mii-chan, though looking somewhat timid, gave me a bow.
"I never imagined we'd end up in the same group as you, Ayanokoji,"
It was Ike who spoke first. His tone seemed calmer than I had expected. As I considered how best to respond in kind, Ike continued speaking.
"The moment I saw your face, I actually thought about venting a bunch of complaints. But hey, since we’re in the same group now, let’s just try to make it work, okay? I’ll do my part to help out, too."
"I feel the exact same way as Kanji. It seems this exam isn't just about pure combat this time around, and I believe I have a good grasp of just how capable you are, Ayanokoji-kun. I’ll do whatever I can to cooperate, so please take care of us."
It was an unexpectedly friendly greeting from former classmates. They ought to harbor a strong, negative impression of me, yet they appeared to be trying their absolute best to interact with me as normally as possible. They were even wearing genuine, unforced smiles.
In this scenario, we are simultaneously allies and enemies. That is precisely why they likely wished to tackle this exam in a peaceful and amicable manner. Avoiding the creation of unnecessary enemies is a sound strategy—and I was honestly surprised to hear such sentiments coming from these two in particular. I felt as though I was witnessing a sign of their growth.
The softness of their expressions and demeanor was, I would venture to say, impeccable given that they were addressing the very person who had once betrayed them.
Averting my gaze from Ike and Shinohara—who had surely mustered up a great deal of courage just to approach me, I walked right past them and approached Kushida and Mii-chan, who had been standing just behind me, observing the situation.
"I imagine it’s a bit awkward having to work alongside a 'traitor,' but let's make the best of it until the exam is over."
That was the very first thing I said—a greeting directed at Mii-chan.
"Huh? Oh... y-yes! Likewise..."
Though clearly flustered, she responded with polite words. Next, I shifted my gaze to Kushida, who was standing beside her.
"It would be a big help if I could count on you as an ally."
"I could say the same to you. I just hope someone like me can actually be of use." She replied softly, though her eyes betrayed a glimpse of her true feelings.
"I place a particularly high value in your communication skills, Kushida. It’s going to be tough to manage things with four different classes all mixed together like this."
"Of course, I’ll do everything I can. I really hope the whole group gets a good result."
Mindful of the eyes watching us, Kushida gave a safe, diplomatic reply.
"That’s more than enough."
Having finished these brief greetings for the moment, I turned my back on them and started walking toward Class C.
"Hey—whoa, wait a second?"
"Um... Ayanokoji-kun?"
Ike and Shinohara called out to me, wearing expressions of utter bewilderment—as if they couldn't make heads or tails of what was happening.
But I merely cast a fleeting glance in their direction and walked right past them.
Apparently finding that behavior too strange to ignore, Ike raised his voice.
"Hold on! Are you just going to ignore us?!"
Suppressing his smoldering emotions—and taking the initiative to speak up even before Kushida or Mii-chan did—Ike let his frustration show.
"I’m feeling pretty annoyed right now—I mean, seriously... Did we do something to you?"
"No, nothing at all. I simply decided that you weren't worth the effort of a greeting."
"Huh!?"
As I hurled those merciless words at them—words they surely never expected to hear—their expressions, naturally enough, twisted into even deeper fury in a truly amusing display.
Even Kushida likely never imagined I was capable of spouting such scathing remarks.
And who could blame them? Anyone would be furious if, after swallowing their pride to offer a greeting, they were met with such unreserved rudeness in return.
"Well then, see you later."
As I turned to leave, I directed my parting words not to those two, but to Kushida and Mii-chan.
"Ayanokoji! You—that attitude is completely unacceptable!"
They exploded with the emotions they had been bottling up, yet they made no move to chase after me.
Ignoring them completely, I started heading toward the spot where Yoshida and the others had gathered. On the way, a female student—perhaps drawn by the shouting—stood frozen in my path, staring right at me.
"...Ah—s-sorry! I-I'm so sorry...! I-I was just getting in your way..."
Upon making eye contact, Morofuji stammered out an apology and, looking utterly flustered, fled the scene.
There was no particular reason for her to apologize, yet she appeared simply terrified to an abnormal degree.
Morofuji was one of the students who had previously participated in the bullying of Karuizawa; perhaps this reaction was a lingering aftereffect of that incident.
As I watched Morofuji’s retreating figure—her back turned as she fled back toward Class B—Yoshida approached me from the opposite direction and called out to me.
"Is something up with Morofuji?"
"No, nothing in particular."
"I see. More importantly... are you sure about this? Ike and Shinohara have been glaring at you non-stop."
He must have been concerned after overhearing our exchange.
"Don't worry about it. I never intended to get along with my former classmates in the first place. More to the point, what do you think of our group's roster?"
"Huh? Oh, right. Well, it feels like a relatively easy group. Katsuragi is a pain since he knows us so well, but the rest of Class B’s members are pretty small fry. Class A feels disjointed, too—like a mix of top-tier talent and bottom-tier dead weight. Class D seems balanced no matter how you slice it, so they might put up a decent fight, but they’re hardly intimidating."
Imagining the battles that lay ahead, he offered that simple assessment.
"Wouldn't this make things easier for you, too?"
"True. If you look only at Group 3, that line of thinking is correct. However, when it comes to the key leaders—people like Ryūen, Horikita, and Ichinose—it would have been ideal to have them in the same group as us. Especially Ryūen."
"...Ryūen? I’d absolutely hate being in the same group as him."
He pulled a face as if he’d just bitten into something bitter—clearly not joking.
Sanada, who had been listening to our conversation from a short distance away, slowly approached us.
"So, you believe that in this special exam, the more troublesome an opponent is, the more control you can exert over them by keeping them close at hand—is that right, Ayanokōji-kun?"
"Yes. No matter who the opponent is, my resolve to give my all to ensure my class wins—and to protect my class—remains unchanged. However, in this particular exam, it’s simply impossible to cover every single angle, including those outside my line of sight."
Nodding in agreement, Sanada picked up the reference materials and flipped open the page detailing the penalties.
"Using tokens, I can—to a certain extent—maneuver things so that none of my classmates end up in last place, and ensure that not a single person fails to meet the requirements. However, there is absolutely nothing I can do about the penalty stating that the very first student whose token count drops to zero is immediately expelled."
Perhaps my answer helped Yoshida understand the situation; he pursed his lips into a tight line and nodded.
"That’s certainly true... If someone gets paired up with Ryūen and falls victim to his dirty tricks—ending up with zero tokens—they’re instantly expelled right then and there... Yeah, when you think about it like that, it is pretty damn scary."
"Of the various penalties in play, this is the only one I feel is truly beyond my ability to mitigate."
In reality, under certain specific circumstances, another penalty could potentially bare its fangs even more viciously; however, since there was no point in bringing that up here, I decided to let it slide.
"Isn't it pointless to worry too much about it? I assume the school administration has designed the tasks in such a way that it’s not easy for someone's token count to hit zero."
"Sanada’s right. Unless someone is incredibly stupid and falls right into a trap, they should be fine—it’s not like it’s that easy to screw up. Besides, even if we do worry about it, there’s no way to prevent it anyway, is there?"
"For now, let's prioritize figuring out how our own group should maneuver."
I gave a single nod in response to those words. From this point on—just as always—I needed to gather all the scattered pieces of realistic strategy, pull them close, and carefully select the most viable options while discarding the inefficient ones. I had already purged a great deal of mental clutter, but I still lacked sufficient information to fully sort out the true intentions of the other class leaders. I would likely need a little time to familiarize myself with the specific details of the rules.
Since our designated supervisor hadn't arrived yet, I took a moment to look around the area.
Naturally, the entire third-year student body was gathered there, along with a large number of adults bustling about busily.
My purpose in looking around wasn't simply to figure out the breakdown of the ten total groups, or to see who had been assigned to which one. While it is possible to get a general grasp of the situation here through visual observation alone, there is little point in committing it to memory unnecessarily, given that 100% accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
My true objective was to locate a specific individual.
And once again, off in the distance, I spotted Hiyori—surrounded by her classmates and engaged in conversation. Had she been closer, I might have called out to her, but the distance between us made that entirely impossible.
It seems that throughout this uninhabited island exam, fate simply wasn't on my side when it came to crossing paths with Hiyori.
Still, there is no need to panic.
Once we return to the ship, an opportunity to speak with her will inevitably present itself.
"..."
Suddenly, I felt a strange sense of incongruity regarding my own thoughts.
Yes—the notion that there was no need to panic.
Furthermore, the notion that fate wasn't on my side—that we were somehow "disconnected"—wasn't entirely accurate, either.
From the time we left the school by ship until this very moment, it was true that I hadn't spoken to Hiyori for a few days; however, that gap in communication wasn't nearly long enough to warrant describing it as a complete severance of ties. In fact, looking back on the past, there had been times when we went even longer without any contact whatsoever.
But why do I suddenly feel like it's been ages since we last talked?
No—perhaps even asking "why" is already absurd.
Could this be the result of the shift in my mindset—the psychological effect that took hold once I realized I might be falling for Hiyori?
At this stage, where the details remain vague, Hiyori—belonging to a different group and a different class—is nothing more than noise; her existence plays no part in the strategic structure I am building block by block.
And yet, my eyes unconsciously follow her.
I find myself tracking her profile from a distance.
Even after becoming fully aware of it, that impulse hasn't changed.
This waste of time and energy grants me a faint sense of exhilaration.
If these feelings truly are romantic in nature, I wonder if Karuizawa felt the same way when she looked at me.
Romance—it is a textbook I failed to comprehend on my first read-through. But by reviewing it now, I am gradually beginning to grasp the things I previously overlooked.
What emotions arise when speaking to someone you like? When touching them? My curiosity isn't limited solely to positive sentiments.
I also want to know what emotions would surface within me if such a person were to come to despise me—or if I were to lose them entirely.
Love and hate, affection and aversion—I wish to experience both sides of this emotional duality.
Yet, attempting to tackle both simultaneously is a daunting challenge.
Perhaps it is wiser not to be greedy—not to expect to master the entire subject of romance through a single relationship.
If experiencing both is simply not in the cards, then either one will suffice...
"What's up, Ayanokōji? Is there something on your mind?"
Yoshida, who had been talking to Sanada, turned to me and asked.
"It’s nothing like that, but why do you ask?"
"Well, it’s not so much 'why' as... you were just staring blankly into the distance, so I figured maybe you’d sensed some kind of looming threat."
"It’s just that the Survival Game Special Exam only just ended. I’ve simply got a bit of accumulated fatigue. But as long as Shiraishi and Yamamura are still giving it their all, I can’t very well be the first one to throw in the towel."
I paused to take a breath, then decided to add a little more.
"Right now, we still can’t see the full picture—things like the total number of tasks or exactly how many tokens are up for grabs. In any case, make sure you don’t let any information regarding our current token count leak out to outsiders."
"Even to our own allies, right? I heard as much from Hashimoto."
"Furthermore, I want to avoid getting into any unnecessary friction with the other classes for the time being. If we’re going to secure that first-place finish in this group—the one you’re so keen on, Yoshida—then cooperation with our other classmates is unavoidable."
"Yeah, I suppose so. But I wonder what the other side is thinking? They’ll obviously want the Private Points, but I bet they won’t want to let our class win, specifically. They might end up holding back on us."
"Even if that’s the case, the situation is exactly the same for the leaders of the other three classes. That underlying reluctance to let the others win is something that will inevitably linger in the background."
Sanada and Yoshida exchanged glances for a brief moment, instantly grasping the truth of my words.
"I see what you're saying. For now, just give us the word whenever you have instructions."
I gave a single nod, conveying my gratitude to Yoshida through my demeanor.
Satisfied with my plausible explanation, Yoshida gave my back a light slap.
"Don't hesitate to let me know if you need help."
"Yeah, I intend to."
With that reply, I averted my gaze from Hiyori.
First, I need to successfully navigate this Special Exam; I can worry about what comes next later.
Link to Y3V4 Chapter 2: From A Small Crack.
Y3V4 Chapter 1.1 (you are here)
Disclaimer: this is done using Google Translate with some light editing for readability. Apologies for any errors.
Chapter 1: Special Token Collection Test
"We will now begin the Uninhabited Island Special Exam," Mashima-sensei announced, explaining as if leaving the bewildered students behind.
Just when it seemed like the Uninhabited Island Survival Game Special Exam was over, another Uninhabited Island Special Exam began.
The survival game that took place earlier was the first half, and now this is the second half, perhaps?
Of course, there's always the possibility that what seems like the second half is actually just the middle stage, but considering the health of some of the students, three consecutive tests might not be realistic. Either way, it's a harsh situation. Moreover, it's already almost 5 p.m.
The third-year students have become accustomed to numerous special tests so far, but even they can't hide their confusion in a different way than before.
"It looks like they're seriously going to start the special test now. Yamamura and Shiraishi must be at their limit,"
Hashimoto muttered sympathetically with a half-smile, but there was no sign of the school stopping them.
"This special exam will be conducted in groups of 16, for a total of 10 groups. Each group will have one adult supervisor who will give instructions as needed. Make sure you follow the supervisor's instructions carefully. As you probably already know, due to the students who have dropped out, some groups will inevitably start with fewer members. However, in this special exam, adjustments have been made so that there is no advantage or disadvantage based on the number of members in each group, so you can rest assured that there will be no favoritism or disadvantage."
If the groups will be based on 16 people, it seems highly likely that this is not a simple class-based special test.
As if to prove this, Mashima-sensei's next words gradually revealed the situation.
"Look at the plastic bottles that you were instructed to pick up when you disembarked. Some students may have noticed something strange, but these are the key to determining the groups this time. There are five types of labels on the bottles, divided into red, blue, green, yellow, and purple. We prepared enough for everyone to receive one."
The other students and I lowered our gazes to the plastic bottles we were holding. The label on the mineral water I was holding was blue. Hashimoto, standing next to me, had a purple one. At this point, it seems safe to say that at least Hashimoto and I are not in the same group.
However, there are only five different label colors, and this alone is not enough to divide us into 10 groups. So that means... there must be some other trick.
Peeling off the labels would just create extra waste. If the wind blows them away, they might even end up in the sea. If we consider randomness, we can simply think of the caps. I open one by hand, remove the cap, and look at the back. Watching what I did, Hashimoto followed suit.
"There's nothing on my cap. What about yours?"
"There's a black line drawn on it."
"I'd like you to remove the caps from the plastic bottles and look at the back. There are two types of caps: ones that are blank and ones with a black line. Students with red labels and blank caps are in Group 1. Students with red labels and caps with lines are in Group 2. That will be your group."
Mashima-sensei then verbally explained the remaining eight groups. Blue is Groups 3 and 4. Green is Groups 5 and 6. Yellow is Groups 7 and 8. And Purple is Groups 9 and 10. Additionally, this 10th group is the only remaining group with fewer than 16 people.
"I'm in the small group 10. And Ayanokoji is in group 3... From here, there's no way I can tell which group the others are in."
Hashimoto looked around, but even though he can see the color of other people's labels, he can't really check whether they have a line on their cap, so he won't know who he's teamed up with until they actually gather together. This specification may also be intended to prevent students from exchanging plastic bottles with each other. He'll find out who his members are later, whether he likes it or not, so it would be better to focus on the rules. In fact, the teachers, including Mashima-sensei, are also making preparations for what comes next.
"Now, I will announce the details of this special exam. I will also distribute materials that summarize the outline of the exam for clarity, so please take a look."
After a brief pause, Mashima-sensei gave the signal and the materials began to be distributed to the students. The multi-page materials, which included maps, had card rings attached to the edges, presumably to prevent them from being blown away by the wind.
Mashima-sensei then announced the details of the new special exam to be held on the deserted island.
"You will be divided into groups and will be tasked with various challenges. The objective of this special exam is to collect 'tokens' which you can earn depending on your performance. Also, one leader will be selected from each class by the homeroom teacher. Some classes rankings have been temporarily swapped based on the results of the Uninhabited Island Survival Game Special Exam, but this will not be finalized until the end of the month, so there will be no changes in the main test. Horikita Suzune will be in Class A, Ryuen Kakeru in Class B, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka in Class C, and Ichinose Honami in Class D. These students will serve as leaders."
As I listened to Mashima-sensei's voice, I lowered my gaze to the documents in my hand.
"Token Collection Special Exam"
Overview: During the 4-day, 3-night exam, participants will take on various challenges to collect tokens and reach the goal.
Group Goal Rewards: Rewards will be given based on the ranking of the group, including token multipliers and Private Points. *Rankings are determined when a majority of students in the group reach the goal.
1st Place: Token Multiplier 100%, 100,000 Private Points 2nd Place: Token Multiplier 95%, 80,000 Private Points 3rd Place: Token Multiplier 90%, 50,000 Private Points 4th Place: Token Multiplier 85%, 30,000 Private Points 5th Place: Token Multiplier 80%, 20,000 Private Points 6th Place and below: Token Multiplier 75%, 10,000 Private Points Group Disqualified: Token Multiplier 70%
Rewards and penalties are based on the number of tokens held. Additionally, the group to which the leader of each class belongs to will receive the following results according to the total number of tokens:
1st place: Class points +100 2nd place: Class points +50 3rd place: Class points +20 4th to 9th place: No change Last place: Class points -50
It seems that how many tokens you can acquire and how quickly you can reach the goal and achieve a high multiplier are important.
"The reward for reaching the goal is Private Points, which means that if your group comes in first place, each student in that group will receive 100,000 Private Points. The other reward is the token multiplier, which is linked to the ranking based on the number of tokens held and the individual rewards which will be explained later. If your group comes in 3rd place, the multiplier for the tokens used in the calculation will be 90%. If it's 6th place or lower, it will be 75%, and so on. Also, the number of tokens multiplied by the multiplier will be rounded up."
In other words, even if a group acquires 1000 tokens in total and finishes the test, the lower the ranking at the goal, the more the total number of tokens collected will be reduced. Details such as what the goal refers to and what conditions are unclear, but a top ranking is essential.
"Up until now, it's only been good news for the students, but this special exam also has several serious penalties. And... some are unavoidable."
The next page seemed to touch upon the penalties that Mashima-sensei was preparing to explain.
List of penalties:
The heavy penalties prepared are not imposed for rule violations, and some are avoidable, while others are unavoidable mandatory penalties.
It seems that the contents of this exam is a step up from the special survival game exam and is much tougher.
"So this is the real thing now, huh?"
"Apparently so."
Considering that Horikita probably bore the penalty from the special survival game exam, it is clear that Koenji still has his Protection Point, and other classes also likely have theirs as well, but intentionally reducing tokens to zero to eliminate the student who will be penalized would be more advantageous to the enemy than to an ally, so surely no one would do that. Now that Class A has lost one of their valuable Protection Points due to their defeat in the special survival game exam, their situation is particularly dire.
"Next, I will explain the details of the tokens and individual rewards in detail."
Tokens are transferable (a certain operation is required and the watch is touched) There are no restrictions on the number of tokens that can be transferred, the number of times, or the recipient All tokens used for transfer become "tails" tokens and cannot be returned to "heads" Once a student reaches the goal, their number of tokens is finalized and no further transfers are possible.
Allowing tokens to be transferred at any time seems to be effective in avoiding certain penalties. It will be possible to save allies in crises, such as students who are about to run out of tokens or students who are about to be last in the number of tokens. On the other hand, since a "heads" token turns in to a "tails" token when a token is transferred, it seems that it cannot be used to obtain individual rewards.
Individual Rewards:
Special Award: The class of the student who collects the most "heads" tokens will receive 100 Class Points and 500,000 Private Points (if there are multiple students tied for first place, the reward will be divided amongst them).
Additionally, all students will receive 1000 Private Points for each "heads" token they hold.
The part where 100 Class Points are awarded is not to be overlooked. It's a large number of points, comparable to winning a special exam, but the possibility of having to share the award can't be overlooked.
In any case, it is advantageous for students to collect as many tokens as possible individually.
For better or for worse, the whole picture has been revealed, and there must have been a good amount of tension among the students.
If a group cooperates to collect tokens and takes the top spot, the students in that group will naturally receive a large amount of Private Points. This is a pure advantage. However, at the same time, if students from other classes have a large number of "heads" tokens within the group, there is a possibility that the special award will be taken away. In effect, this means that a large gap will be created between your class and your rival class.
Next, we were given an explanation about the new features of the watches.
"By entering the 6-digit PIN you set on the watch, you can check your current token count and transfer tokens. We'll start by having you operate the watch as we explain it, but there's one important point to note. All students are given at least two tokens at the start, but the number of tokens given varies from student to student, so the number you start with is important information. We recommend that you be careful not to let anyone see it."
We had thought that everyone would start at the same rate, but it seems that's not the case.
The watch's display is almost impossible to peek at while the owner is operating it unless you are pressed against their back or directly beside them and peering intently.
The students, being mindful of their surroundings, operated the watch and checked their initial token count.
The number of tokens displayed on my watch was '11', and it was also labeled as such. At first glance, it doesn't seem like a lot, but all we know is that it's at least two, and in reality, we probably won't know for sure without collecting some data. There were also send and receive buttons for transferring tokens displayed simultaneously, and it seems that you have to touch the watch to the screen after pressing the button.
I silently extended my arm and showed the token displayed to Hashimoto, who was standing beside me. He looked surprised as he compared it to his own tokens, and then turned his display towards me. The number displayed on Hashimoto's arm was nine. The number of tokens was similar, but Hashimoto had slightly fewer.
It was unlikely that this was a comparison of the overall OAA score or any particular grade, so it was probably related to our role in the previous exam—or rather, our contribution, or maybe, the amount of time we were alive. Yamamura and Shiraishi stayed until the end and were the most physically exhausted. On the other hand, the students who retired early were in perfect physical condition and had plenty of energy left over. If you simply view this as a way to balance everything out, it makes sense.
But it's also true that I can't be completely happy about it.
Even though the information that he started with more tokens than others can be inferred to some extent, it's better to keep it a secret.
"And finally, although everyone is healthy now, some may unintentionally fall ill during the special exam. How this will be handled is very delicate, so please read the materials carefully."
I looked at the section on retirement written on the last page of the distributed materials.
Feigning illness, or intentionally concealing a sudden illness or serious injury to continue is prohibited, and if you are unsure, please contact the school. If a violation is discovered, you will be expelled.
During the uninhabited island test, illness and injuries are always a possibility. The underlying motivation is the desire to avoid reducing the group size, which is why false declarations are absolutely forbidden. The more the other classes are mixed in, the more disadvantageous it becomes, so students would be tempted to hide their poor health. This is an important rule to prevent that from happening. Since faking illness won't work, it's safe to assume that Koenji won't intentionally drop out and abandon the exam.
"That's a pretty strict rule. No mercy even if you get sick and drop out."
While there are relief measures in place, if a student who lacks ability or popularity drops out early, there's a possibility they'll be ruthlessly abandoned by their class. Conversely, if it's a student like Ichinose, there's a high probability that the entire class will go to great lengths to help them, even if it means donating tokens.
In any case, the number of tokens held, whether openly or secretly, is something no third party can spontaneously find out, making it a bit of a black box. It would be difficult to even grasp the number of tokens within a group, let alone know the number of tokens outside the group.
It seems that it's possible to contact people by using tokens, but the more frequently you use them, the more your maximum token balance will decrease. Except in emergencies, you should avoid wasting tokens.
Regarding the subsequent explanation about food and tents, you will be given a designated backpack and allowed to take whatever you like. However, since it is not clear how to deal with shortages during the three nights, it would be better to be prepared even if it adds some weight. This naturally puts girls with less muscle mass at a disadvantage, but it is unlikely that the school has not taken this into consideration. It seems likely that they will provide some kind of support.
"Now, after a 10-minute break, please gather in your respective groups. That's all," Mashima-sensei concluded, ending the explanation of the special exam.
"I'd like you to pass on a message to our classmates."
"Okay, tell me anything."
"First of all, I want you to tell them that while it's ultimately up to them whether or not to share tokens amongst themselves, they should consider it very carefully right now."
"...Share it carefully? Well, personally I'm in favor of secrecy, but wouldn't sharing it be a good idea to avoid risk?"
"That would be fine if you were all friends who were confident from the start that everyone in the class was prepared to go down with them, but even classmates are ultimately strangers. If it comes down to whether you fail or someone else fails, the answer is obvious."
Especially in my class, more than half of the students are highly capable and confident. As long as we have a strong will to graduate in Class A, sharing information carelessly is also a risk.
Students in each class, assigned to a group, are required to choose whether or not to share token information among themselves. Strict management has the advantage of reducing the risk of expulsion, as everyone can support any student who is lacking tokens. In that case, they cannot expect the token rewards that come from collecting a lot of tokens, but it is not so bad as to reduce the number of classmates. However, even if three or four people cooperate and distribute tokens equally, if it causes someone to be at the bottom, it does not guarantee that expulsion will be avoided 100%. Ultimately, they will drop out due to differences in OAA. On the other hand, if the four students try to support the student with the lowest OAA and give them even one more token, the student with the second lowest OAA will then be put at risk. No matter how they cooperate, trust and moral hazard go hand in hand. Starting from the question of whether they can truly accept the policy that was set from the beginning, distrust can easily grow even within the group, such as "that person has a lot" or "they are not helping as much as I thought," and it is also impossible to know where information may leak from. Those who venture outside the group and earn tokens are often burdened with the role of being expected to be rescuers from various places.
On the other hand, there is also the perfectly valid choice to absolutely not share the number of tokens with classmates in order to avoid that risk.
However, there are concerns even with complete non-sharing, and it is not something that can be wholeheartedly recommended.
If nothing is shared at all, it will be impossible to save classmates who are on the verge of expulsion in an emergency. Students who lie to get support will have an advantage. Distrust will deepen within the group and cause losses. Such things can happen.
The more rational a participant is, the more likely they are to choose not to say the exact number of tokens, but only say "I can't spare any right now," and only give out the minimum amount when a classmate is truly in danger.
"So, you're saying we shouldn't trust our classmates too much?"
"That's right."
Hashimoto seemed to understand it easily because he himself had a similar way of thinking.
After that, I asked him for a few more favors, but he readily agreed to all of them and nodded firmly.
"Leave it to me for now," he answered confidently and immediately ran off.
As if to replace him, Shiraishi and Nishikawa approached slowly, walking towards us.
"It seems that loyal dog Hachiko, or rather loyal dog Hashimoto Masayoshi, just ran off energetically across the beach. He looked like a child who couldn't contain his joy at being asked to run an errand."
And it seems that another eccentric person, Morishita, was with them.
"You look more energetic than I expected, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. I'm sure you were feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety because you missed me so much."
"Not at all. More than that, you yourself look quite energetic, considering you retired on the second day."
"That's true. It was surprisingly comfortable on the ship. I used up my Private Points like water, eating, drinking, and playing. I would have liked to continue living such a luxurious life for a little longer."
Morishita spoke candidly about what she did on the ship.
"That sounds like a very meaningful time. Did anything unusual happen on the ship?"
Thinking it would be pointless to ask Morishita, I turned the conversation over to Nishikawa, who had also been eliminated early.
"The third-year students who had retired had free time until the end of the special survival game exam, but it seems the first and second-year students had separate special exams. But I haven't heard anything about the results, so I don't know the details. Sorry."
It seemed they were in similar situations, not in the sense of getting an early summer vacation.
"The first-year students must be having a tough time too. I bet they're struggling with the gap between this and the luxury cruise ship," Shiraishi said, sounding concerned, but Morishita immediately clicked her tongue and shook her finger.
"They're still too soft, too soft. The younger students, especially the first-years, should go down to the island and experience the same hardships as us. We've been struggling since our first year, so it's really arrogant of them."
Morishita's sharp tongue continued, even though she hadn't supposedly had much of a hardship this year.
"I just saw Yamamura Miki, and she smelled really sweaty and muddy."
"Don't joke around about smelling muddy. It was a relief for the class that Yamamura stayed until the end. Of course, Shiraishi here too. Are you feeling alright?"
"To be honest, it's a little tough, but I can't give up. Our class came in second place, and we're now very close to the top classes."
In the special survival game exam, Ichinose's class came in first, Ryuen's class in third, and Horikita's class came in last. The class points between the top and bottom classes had narrowed considerably.
Our class had swapped with another class and was provisionally in Class D, but we were only slightly behind Ryuen's class. Depending on the results of the special exam that was about to take place, all classes had the potential to be in Class A.
"I came over here because I wanted to check the initial tokens," Shiraishi said, quickly manipulating her watch and turning the face towards me.
The tokens displayed were 12. Nishikawa also showed me hers, which was two, a big difference.
"What about Morishita?"
"Heh, I'm a secretive person."
"I also checked Morishita-san's tokens earlier, and she had 5."
It seems the secretive person was sharing information effectively.
"Well, 5 is more than enough for someone at my level. That said, in case of emergency, I intend to thoroughly exploit Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, so make sure you earn plenty."
Shiraishi currently has the highest with 12, I have 11, Nishikawa has 2, and Morishita has 5.
"Hashimoto had 9. It seems safe to assume that students who stayed on the field longer during the special survival game exam were given a significant advantage in the initial token count."
Class rankings, actions during exams, positions, and contributions may also be influencing the outcome. But one thing is certain: those factors are involved.
How useful the initial token handicap will be will likely be a key factor.
"Since everyone starts with a minimum of two tokens, can we assume that the risk of the first student to reach zero being expelled, a severe penalty, is unlikely to occur?"
"Not necessarily. As token transfers are available without restriction, there are always ways to make do. If, hypothetically, the possibility of losing multiple tokens in the first assignment is presented, then it will be necessary to acquire tokens from a third party before tackling that assignment."
Well, this is an exaggerated scenario, and it's unlikely to actually happen that far, but it's a good lie to tell Morishita, who's nodding along casually beside me, to keep her on edge.
"Are you sure you need to keep an eye on everyone in the class?"
"I've asked Hashimoto to relay various messages. Besides, no matter how thorough we are, in the early stages, until we secure a certain number of tokens, we won't be free from the risk of expulsion for having zero tokens. As long as the groups are divided, it's a problem they have to overcome on their own."
If they easily end up with zero tokens, they can't complain if they receive a notice of expulsion.
There's also the option of gathering everyone and distributing the surplus, giving some to those like Nishikawa who only have the minimum number of tokens, but that also has the disadvantage of lowering the upper limit. To make the class win, it's important for them to collect tokens on their own.
As this is a special exam where it's impossible to protect 100% of everyone, a certain level of risk is to be accepted.
"By the way, what group were you in, Ayanokoji-kun? I was in Group 1. I would have preferred to be with Asuka if possible."
It seems Shiraishi was in Group 2, so her wish didn't come true.
"You want to know which group I'm in? You're quite the perverted little guy, it's group 3."
"I don't recall ever trying to ask... Could it be that we're in the same group...?"
"What, no way, we're in the same group!?"
She covered her mouth with both hands in surprise and feigned exaggerated shock, but her eyes remained unchanged.
"This special exam is going to be exhausting..."
Imagining the special exam—which promised to be a chaotic affair—I felt a faint twinge of gloom.
Link to Y3V4 Chapter 2: From A Small Crack.
Y3V4 Chapter 1: Special Token Collection Test (you are here)
Reuploading because u/The_Honoured-1 ruined my formatting. This version is closer to the formatting used in the Japanese raws. All I did was lightly edit what Google Translate gave me for improved readability.
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Ibuki Mio's Monologue
I had a feeling this day would come eventually. The day I would no longer be able to keep up with the way this school operates. I’m no good at studying. And I certainly lack any sense of teamwork. The only thing I’m actually good at is fighting.
Somewhere deep down, I also had a premonition that I might end up being sacrificed. Ryūen, of course—but even Shiina and Katsuragi—are indispensable assets to the class.
Unlike them, I was always teetering on the edge of the precipice.
So, it wouldn't really matter if I got expelled. That’s the mindset I’ve tried to maintain all this time. I have no lingering regrets whatsoever.
Or so I thought...
But now, I’ve realized there is just one thing I still have left to do.
If I’m going to be expelled anyway, then before I go, I want to land one solid punch—even if it’s just out of sheer stubbornness—and knock Ayanokōji flat on his back.
Gazing at his infuriatingly indifferent back, I made that firm resolve.
A sneak attack?
A feint followed by a true strike?
I know perfectly well that none of those tricks would work on him anymore—that they’d be a complete waste of time. In that case, I’ll simply go at him fair and square, head-on. I took a strong, decisive step forward and closed the distance between myself and Ayanokōji. He turned to face me, his expression utterly blank. Reaching out, I grabbed him by the lapels and clenched my fist tight.
"I accept my expulsion. So just let me land one punch before I go."
I hurled this utterly unreasonable demand at him. It was a long shot. I was fully prepared for him to refuse—to tell me he owed me nothing—at which point I would simply throw the punch anyway. That was the resolve I had steeled myself with, but the response I received was something I never could have anticipated.
"I’m the one who decided that you would be the one to get expelled. I suppose I can grant you a small wish like that."
At Ayanokōji’s unexpected words, the corners of my mouth curved upward ever so slightly.
"You’ve got some nerve. In that case, I won't hold back."
I wouldn't pull any punches.
Don't you dare underestimate me just because I'm a woman.
I was absolutely going to knock a tooth—or two—right out of his head.
With every ounce of my being—dead serious, for real, and giving it my absolute all—I unleashed the most powerful cross punch of my entire life.
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I'll release the rest of the trial when I'm done editing.