Under immense fear, Hosen Kazuomi's consciousness left his body, and he fell into a deep unconsciousness.
Although Saiki's attack hadn't landed on Hosen's face, the sheer force of the impact caused Hosen's body to experience a near-death sensation, ultimately causing him to lose consciousness.
'Yare yare, what a troublesome guy.'
Saiki looked at Hosen Kazuomi in front of him. Hosen was somewhat similar to Ryuen Kakeru, but in many ways, he was even worse than Ryuen.
He couldn't let this guy cause him trouble in the future.
As Saiki thought this, he used his telepathy to implant some terrifying memories into Hosen's mind, just as he had done with Ryuen Kakeru before.
This way, Hosen Kazuomi would no longer pose a threat to him.
Meanwhile, in the distance, Yagami Takuya was completely stunned by what he had just witnessed.
[What just happened? How did Saiki take down Hosen with a single move?]
Yagami Takuya hadn't expected Saiki to possess such immense strength.
Hosen Kazuomi was a large individual, easily weighing over 200 pounds, while Saiki's physique appeared no different from that of an average student.
Theoretically, how could a student of Saiki's build so effortlessly throw someone of Hosen's size to the ground like that?
Even Yagami Takuya couldn't have taken down Hosen Kazuomi in that manner, as Hosen's strength wasn't something to be taken lightly.
If skill were factored in, Yagami could have easily defeated Hosen, but he still couldn't have done it to the extent that Saiki had.
[What kind of technique was that just now?]
Yagami Takuya couldn't comprehend it at all.
"But I've gathered some very important evidence…"
"With this, I can easily control Saiki…"
"As long as I hand this footage over to the teachers, I can have Saiki expelled at any time."
Yagami Takuya looked at the recording on his camera and smiled—
But just then, he suddenly realized something was wrong.
The footage he had just recorded was gone!
"What?"
Yagami Takuya couldn't believe it.
He had definitely pressed the record button earlier. There was no way he could have made such a basic mistake.
What was going on?
But at that moment, the sound of footsteps reached his ears.
"Saiki… Saiki-senpai…"
Yagami Takuya quickly rubbed his head and, with a natural motion, hid the camera behind his back.
[When did Saiki get here? I didn't notice at all?!]
[Did he see my camera just now? No, since the footage wasn't saved, there's no evidence of what I did. I can just say I happened to be passing by!]
[This way, I can avoid suspicion…]
"When did Saiki get here? I didn't notice?"
"?"
Yagami Takuya was startled. His voice was coming from the tablet in Saiki's hands.
"There's a recording."
Saiki looked at him expressionlessly.
Just now, Saiki had used his telepathy to 'broadcast' Yagami's thoughts out loud.
"I…"
Yagami Takuya took a step back, completely unable to understand what was happening.
[Did I just say my thoughts out loud?]
[How is that possible? How could I make such a basic mistake?!]
[What's wrong with me today?!]
Yagami Takuya couldn't figure out what was going on…
[Wait!]
Yagami Takuya looked down at the watch on his wrist and seemed to realize something.
Earlier, he hadn't been able to tamper with the watch, likely because Saiki Kusuke had provided the technical support.
And since Saiki was Saiki Kusuke's brother, it was possible that he knew how to control the watch.
The electronic products in the store were probably all made by Saiki Kusuke…
Which meant the camera in his hands was no exception!
No wonder his footage had disappeared. From the very beginning, he had fallen into a trap.
It was possible that all his plans with Hosen Kazuomi, all his actions, had been monitored by Saiki Kusuke.
[Dammit, I didn't think of this at all!]
Yagami Takuya was filled with regret and even felt like tearing his hair out in frustration.
[From the moment I entered this exam, I had already fallen into their trap. This entire exam was orchestrated by Saiki… Saiki has access to all the students' data, so he must already know that I'm from the White Room.]
'Huh?'
At that moment, Saiki was slightly surprised.
He had only planned to deal with Yagami Takuya, the troublesome guy, and had used his powers to delete the video—but he hadn't expected Yagami to concoct such an elaborate scenario in his mind.
Still… it didn't seem to affect him much.
"Was this all part of your plan from the beginning?"
Yagami Takuya gritted his teeth, looking at Saiki with unwillingness.
'…'
Saiki could only play along and nod mysteriously.
"Then, you already know my identity, don't you?"
"I don't…"
Saiki was about to deny it, but Yagami Takuya continued.
"That's right, I'm from the White Room. My mission is to bring Ayanokoji-senpai back."
'Yare yare, don't just tell me that!'
"I want to prove that I'm even more outstanding than Ayanokoji-senpai."
"But that has nothing to do with me."
"…"
After Saiki spoke, an awkward silence filled the air between the two.
…..
Almost simultaneously, on the rugged mountain path of the uninhabited island.
"If you'll allow me to say something selfish, I hope you won't leave this school and will assist me. Right now, Tsukishiro is also trying to expel me, using it as a gift for my father. He's plotting something during this special exam, which would even go against Matsuo's wishes of defying orders to get me into this school."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka spoke to Nanase Tsubasa, who stood before him.
Earlier, Nanase Tsubasa had deliberately chosen a secluded spot to attack Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. Her goal was to force him to drop out.
The so-called 'true self' was a psychological suggestion Nanase had imposed on herself, transforming her into someone who had lost Song Xiong Rongyilang, seeking revenge against Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.
Nanase Tsubasa possessed talents far beyond her peers—but in front of Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, it wasn't enough. Ayanokoji had effortlessly defeated her without even trying.
Moreover, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka chose to mold Nanase Tsubasa into a tool he could use, easily shifting her stance with his words.
"What I should do… is resist, right?"
"Will you help me?"
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka extended his hand to Nanase Tsubasa.
"I will."
Nanase Tsubasa took his hand and nodded firmly.
[My essence is the same as that man's. As long as I can protect myself, what happens to others doesn't matter—but even if our essences are the same, there are slight differences. I don't think it's wise to reveal these aspects to others so easily.]
[In other words, it's about whether or not to extend a helping hand to the foolish people around me.]
[That man would never help foolish people. That's the decisive difference between him and me.]
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka thought to himself.
The rain began to fall, and it seemed like it would soon grow heavier. But just then, another figure appeared before the two.
"The rain's about to get heavier, senpai!"
The voice belonged to Amasawa Ichika.
She had been tailing Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and Nanase Tsubasa all along. Ayanokoji had noticed but hadn't shown it.
"Please step behind me!"
Nanase Tsubasa immediately stepped forward, positioning herself in front of Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.
"Oh? It seems I'm not welcome here, Nanase-chan? We're in the same group, yet you're so cold."
"I don't trust you."
"How mean~ Why would you say that? I'm so cute, after all. But right now, I want to talk to Ayanokoji-senpai. Can you step aside?"
"We can talk here."
"That won't do~ It's about the White Room, after all—outsiders—"
Amasawa Ichika deliberately drew out her words, looking at Nanase Tsubasa.
"It's fine, Nanase."
As he spoke, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stepped forward.
"Sorry, but given what happened with Nanase, I won't just take your word for it because you mentioned the White Room. Show me some proof that you're from the White Room."
Although Saiki had previously given Ayanokoji Kiyotaka two suspects, Ayanokoji needed concrete evidence.
"Sure, I'll prove it to you, but… it's a bit~ inconvenient with Nanase-chan here."
Amasawa Ichika wore a mischievous smile and glanced at Nanase Tsubasa, who had no choice but to step away.
"So, where should I start~? The curriculum you took at age 10 was based on Project 5's constructivist theory… at age 11, it was based on Project 7's relativity… I've taken those courses too, so I remember them clearly…"
"…Whether it was the rooms, the hallways, or the room assigned to me, everything was pure white…"
"…Not only that, inside the White Room…"
Amasawa Ichika revealed information that only someone from the White Room would know, essentially confirming her identity.
[Just as Saiki guessed. Even I, under normal circumstances, could only confirm her identity at that moment. But Saiki figured it out the moment he saw her.]
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka thought to himself, then spoke.
"You chose this moment to reveal yourself and your true identity. What's in it for you?"
"You're curious about that, aren't you~? Well, it's because I want to tell you, senpai, that I'm not your enemy."
"Your words are contradictory. Students from the White Room were sent here to expel me, yet you say you're not my enemy. That doesn't make sense."
"Ayanokoji-senpai, you're part of the 4th generation. The students after you harbor strong jealousy toward you, so the higher-ups thought they could use that jealousy to force you to drop out. But they chose the wrong person. They failed to see that I'm just a girl who truly admires you, senpai~"
Amasawa Ichika deliberately put on a flirtatious expression.
"Then why didn't you act like this from the start?"
"Because admiration is just in the imagination~ It takes time to meet, talk, and think, 'Ah, admiring this person is wonderful.'"
Amasawa Ichika placed a slender finger on her lips.
"Also, there's one more thing that delayed my meeting with you, senpai…"
"It's Saiki, isn't it?"
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka directly stated the answer.
He was well aware that Amasawa Ichika harbored considerable curiosity toward Saiki.
At the same time, Ayanokoji noticed a flicker of panic in Amasawa's eyes when he mentioned Saiki's name.
"That's right. I'm also very curious about Saiki-senpai."
"If I'm not mistaken, you've been ordered not to make contact with Saiki."
"That's true, but we still have the right to move freely within the school~"
"You came to me not just because of your curiosity about me, but also because of Saiki, right?"
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka narrowed his eyes slightly.
"As expected of you, senpai. You're absolutely right."
Amasawa Ichika's expression showed a hint of panic.
"I think Saiki-senpai is a very special person. He shares many similarities with you, senpai, but he's also completely different—I want to understand him better."
"And then?"
"However, Saiki-senpai might be in danger now."
"Danger?"
"The other person who came to this school with me has lost control. He's desperate to prove himself, and Saiki is his first target. He plans to deal with Saiki-senpai before coming after you."
Amasawa Ichika spoke with concern.
Not long ago, she had met with Yagami Takuya—
At that time, Yagami had declared his intention to take down Saiki, and even Amasawa Ichika couldn't stop him.
However, she would never have expected that, at this very moment, Yagami Takuya was standing in front of Saiki, drenched in sweat.