(Ayame perspective)
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I tried to stay strong. I really did.
We were just sitting there, waiting for Kei and Haruto to come back, doing anything to pass the time. Some of the guys played tic-tac-toe with rocks, others just napped. It was quiet... until it wasn't.
A huge trail of smoke suddenly rose from somewhere deeper in the island. I jumped to my feet.
"Hey guys, what's that?" I shouted, pointing.
Everyone turned, panic setting in.
Shuto's eyes widened. "We have to stop the fire! Come on — there could be students trapped over there!"
I felt the urgency claw at my chest. "Everyone! We need to move!" I ordered.
Then Mei pointed out something else, voice shaky: "There's… there's a second fire. Close to where Kei went."
My heart dropped.
But I gritted my teeth. "We have to trust Kei. For now, we head to the first fire. Move!"
Everyone nodded, and we sprinted through the woods. My lungs burned by the time we got closer, the smell of smoke filling my nose. As we broke through the trees, I saw them—
Class D was already there… but they weren't doing anything.
They just stood there. Frozen. Like statues. Terrified.
And that's when I noticed *her*.
A girl. A single figure, laughing softly, like the fire around her was some kind of game.
She turned toward us, her smile wicked. "Oh, look who's joined the party. Class C, huh? But what happened to your best students?"
I felt my body stiffen, but I stood my ground.
"Class C is still strong," I said, trying to sound brave. "We don't need them."
The girl tilted her head, amused. "Really? Then where are Daiko, Haruto, and Kei?" she teased, stepping closer.
I swallowed. "Haruto was one of our best, but Daiko... Daiko was just average. Kei's average too. We're still fine without them."
Even as I said it, doubt gnawed at me.
The girl chuckled darkly. "But I've been watching you all. Didn't Kei save Mei, after all?"
I flinched. Mei moved closer behind me, clutching my shirt.
"Who the hell even are you?" I asked.
The girl gave a mock bow. "I'm Reika. Kei and I... we've met before. But you and I? This is our first encounter."
The fire behind her crackled louder, leaping up the trees. Even Reika had to step back, wary of it now.
Class D broke into complete panic, waving their jackets pathetically at the flames. It barely did anything.
Satoshi — tough, fearless Satoshi — stood paralyzed, staring at the destruction.
I coughed hard from the smoke, eyes stinging. "What the hell are you doing?! What do you even gain from this!?"
Reika smirked. "The destruction of every class but mine. For Class A to win, of course."
"You'll never win," I shouted back, even as my throat burned. "No matter what you do!"
Reika's face twisted into a cruel grin. "There's an old saying," she said, voice dripping with venom, "when God doesn't give beauty, He gives brains. Yet I see neither in you. How pathetic."
Her words hit harder than they should have.
I stumbled back, coughing, tears streaming from the smoke. I fell to the ground, gasping for air.
And then I saw it—
Reika's long nails gleaming dangerously as she stalked toward me. Ready to strike.
I froze. I couldn't move. I couldn't even scream.
But before she could reach me, Mei ran forward and threw her arms out wide, shielding me with her own body.
"But she has a beautiful personality!" Mei shouted. "One that makes everyone stay — one that will always be remembered! That's why she's made real bonds!"
For a moment, even Reika paused.
Then one by one, every single conscious student of Class C moved — standing between me and her. Forming a shield.
Reika just licked her lips like a predator. "Oh? Then I guess I'll just break through all of you."
She moved.
*Fast.*
Before I could even blink, four of our classmates were down — unconscious from just a few brutal strikes.
Shuto cursed under his breath. "Damn, she's strong!"
Still coughing, I shouted hoarsely from the ground, "Don't let her hit you! Dodge her!"
But my body wouldn't listen anymore.
I blacked out for a moment — just a few seconds.
When my vision cleared, it was worse.
Everyone except Mei and Shuto were on the ground.
And Reika stood there, barely even breathing hard.
Smiling. Enjoying every second.
"Oh, come on," she said mockingly. "This is all you have? You Class C fools could never beat me. And it's barely been a minute."
I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe.
Mei and Shuto stood in front of me — terrified but refusing to run.
I felt the tears spill down my cheeks.
*"I can't protect them,"* I realized. *"I can't protect Mei, or Shuto… or even myself."*
And Reika was coming straight for us.
I closed my eyes, bracing for the end.
But instead of pain, I heard a loud impact — like two forces crashing together. I slowly opened my eyes, tears still blurring my vision, and saw Satoshi standing in front of me, fists clenched, blocking Reika's attack.
He glared at her with a rage I hadn't seen before.
"You're a fucking psychopath," Satoshi spat. "You and all of Class A are crazy."
Reika only laughed — a wicked, high-pitched laugh that made the hairs on my neck stand up.
"Oh really?" she mocked. "But aren't you the same hypocrite who kidnapped little girls from Class C and B? Pathetic."
Satoshi's fists shook, his face twisting in anger. "It was for Class D's survival."
Reika shrugged casually, as if she was talking about the weather. "And so are the other classes. They're trying to survive too — without resorting to trash tactics like you."
Even through the smoke and flames, I could see the fire blazing in Satoshi's eyes.
"Even so," he said, voice low, "threatening multiple lives is where I cross the line."
Reika's smile widened, a glint of something sinister flashing in her eyes.
"And that's why Class D will *never* prevail."
Satoshi lifted his fists, his stance firm despite the growing fire around us.
"Let's end this," he growled.
In a blur, Reika charged him like a wild beast. Satoshi barely managed to dodge, but not without cost — a sharp line of blood appeared on his cheek from her nails.
Reika smirked. "Aww, your face is slightly bleeding. Oh well — it was ugly anyway."
I coughed uncontrollably, the thick smoke filling my lungs.
"We have to get out of here now!" I cried out.
Without hesitation, Satoshi threw some of our unconscious classmates over his shoulders. Mei and I scrambled, grabbing whoever we could, carrying them piggyback-style through the choking smoke.
Through the haze, I saw Reika retreating, her silhouette disappearing into the flames.
"Don't worry," she called over her shoulder, her voice dripping with malice, "the games have only just begun."
We didn't have time to think about her words.
All that mattered was survival.
Luckily, a river wasn't too far away. We rushed to it, filling buckets and sprinting back and forth, throwing water on the fire.
Over and over, until finally, the flames began to die.
I dropped my bucket and collapsed onto the grass, breathing hard.
"Finally," I whispered in relief.
Mei sat beside me, wiping sweat and soot from her face.
"But what did Reika mean... by 'the games have just begun'?"
Shuto, helping extinguish the last embers, chimed in.
"She's likely declaring war. Against *all* the classes."
"But..." Mei said, looking around nervously. "There are at least thirty students in Class A. Why was Reika the only one we saw?"
Shuto laughed lightly, trying to ease the tension, even if just a little.
"Maybe the rest of them thought this exam was too easy and just left it to one or two crazies like her. But..." He winked. "That's just a theory, like always."
I didn't know if he was joking or if there was truth in his words.
But there wasn't time to sit around and wonder.
"We have to get to Kei," I said, standing up even though my legs trembled. "His fire hasn't been put out yet."
Everyone nodded without hesitation.
Class D gave us a quick farewell — and then we were sprinting through the forest, speeding toward where we last knew Kei had gone.
As I ran, carrying Mei's hand in mine to keep her steady, I thought to myself:
*No matter how beaten down we are, no matter how scared or tired, we have to protect each other. We're classmates — we're friends. And even if some of us can barely stand right now after Reika's assault, even if our bodies are battered and bruised —*
*We are going to save Kei.*
*Because that's our duty.*
*That's what it means to be his friend.*
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