"The designated area just happened to be near this guy? Did he just get lucky?!"
Mikitani, watching from a distance as Saiki reached the area and earned points with the help of the teachers, furrowed his brows.
"It's very likely..... not a coincidence."
Kiriyama Ikuto could only purse his lips.
Although he didn't want to admit it, he was starting to believe his earlier speculation more and more.
Saiki had probably figured out the pattern of the designated areas.
The location Saiki had chosen to camp was already quite strange. It wasn't a suitable spot for camping, yet Saiki had still chosen it, which was suspicious in itself.
Not only that, but Saiki had just arrived at the designated area and checked in, further proving the point.
The designated area had appeared right next to Saiki—
And this area just happened to be Saiki's target.
There's no such thing as that much of a coincidence in the world.
This made Kiriyama Ikuto even more wary of Saiki.
"Do you really think Saiki predicted the distribution of the designated areas? That's impossible, right?"
"Theoretically, it should be impossible, but this person is someone even President Nagumo is wary of. So, even if he has some special methods, it's not entirely unreasonable."
Kiriyama Ikuto pursed his lips and spoke.
"What should we do next?"
Mikitani was anxious. After all, with teachers around, they couldn't take any action.
"Let's observe for now and see if we can find any weaknesses."
…..
Soon, several hours had passed.
Kiriyama Ikuto and the others couldn't take any action...
Because the tasks Saiki participated in were all near his camping area, he didn't need to move much to complete them.
And since the teachers were nearby due to the close proximity, even Kiriyama Ikuto and his group couldn't do anything.
Moreover, to hide their intentions, Kiriyama Ikuto had to miss several tasks. By the time he realized he couldn't afford to miss any more, he had no choice but to compete directly with Saiki in the same tasks.
However, he couldn't defeat Saiki.
Time was being wasted, and Kiriyama Ikuto could only watch as Saiki's score gradually surpassed his own.
After completing the last task, Saiki had risen to 3rd place, closely trailing behind Nagumo Miyabi and Koenji Rokusuke.
"Damn it, we're just wasting time."
Mikitani complained,
"What kind of person is this Saiki guy?!"
Saiki's rapid rise to the top three in such a short time left the third-year students baffled.
"Earlier, Kiryuin-senpai seemed to really value this Saiki, right?"
"That's right..."
Kiriyama Ikuto frowned in frustration. He had completely underestimated Saiki's abilities.
Saiki was probably the most hidden monster in the second year.
Kiriyama Ikuto finally realized why Horikita Manabu and Nagumo Miyabi were so concerned about Saiki.
"So, what should we do next?"
Mikitani asked anxiously.
"Then, we'll have to resort to more drastic measures."
Kiriyama Ikuto said through gritted teeth.
The plan to eliminate Saiki's threat by restricting his freedom had failed, and trying to suppress his task scores through collaboration had also failed.
Now, Kiriyama Ikuto was almost out of options and had to resort to extreme measures.
For example, forcing Saiki to withdraw from the exam.
If that didn't work, they could try offering him some benefits to persuade him to give up.
Otherwise, they'd have to resort to force.
"Let's confront Saiki directly tonight."
Kiriyama Ikuto said, looking up at the sky, which was gradually darkening.
"What are you all doing here?"
But at that moment, a deep voice sounded beside them.
"Huh?!"
Kiriyama Ikuto was startled because he hadn't noticed anyone approaching.
It was Tsukishiro Tokinari.
[Why is Acting Chairman Tsukishiro here?!]
Kiriyama Ikuto was extremely nervous. He hadn't sensed Tsukishiro's presence at all.
"You're Kiriyama from Class 3-B, right? The vice president of the student council... if I'm not mistaken. But I've noticed that your group of eighteen has been loitering around here all day. Saiki-kun is also nearby. What are you planning? I've even noticed that some of your groups missed their designated areas, right?"
Tsukishiro Tokinari wore a meaningful smile as he looked at the group.
"We, we just thought the chances of succeeding in tasks were higher around here, so we stayed..."
Kiriyama Ikuto reacted quickly and responded.
However, Kiriyama Ikuto's true intentions couldn't be hidden from Tsukishiro Tokinari.
[These kids are trying to get Saiki to withdraw from the exam, aren't they?]
[But I can't let them succeed.]
[We absolutely cannot make Saiki unhappy.]
For Tsukishiro Tokinari, the purpose of this uninhabited island exam had changed.
Originally, it was to bring Ayanokoji Kiyotaka back, but now, it had become about avoiding angering Saiki at all costs.
After all, Yagami Takuya had likely caused trouble for Saiki, which was a major taboo. Tsukishiro could also sense the fear hidden in Ayanokoji Atsuomi's tone.
If things continued like this, the consequences of the White Room and themselves facing retaliation from other forces would be unimaginable.
Tsukishiro Tokinari didn't want to throw away his future like this.
Moreover, he had an idea: perhaps he could switch sides and seek a new path under Saiki's influence.
So, Tsukishiro Tokinari decided to come and curry favor with Saiki.
"Uh, Acting Chairman Tsukishiro, may I ask why you're here?"
Kiriyama Ikuto quickly asked.
"I just noticed the situation here and wanted to come see for myself~"
Tsukishiro's explanation didn't convince Kiriyama Ikuto.
[The Acting Chairman wouldn't come here for such a reason, right? After all, none of our alarms were triggered, and even if something had happened, it should have been the homeroom teachers or the medical team who came. But now, only the Acting Chairman is here..... It doesn't make sense. Could it be... that the Acting Chairman has some connection with Saiki?]
Kiriyama Ikuto's eyebrows twitched slightly. He was even more puzzled about Saiki's true identity.
The subtle changes in his expression were noticed by Tsukishiro Tokinari, who could see through his thoughts clearly.
It was time for Tsukishiro to exert his authority as the Acting Chairman.
"By the way, although I'm not sure what you're planning, let me remind you that while I've allowed some level of conflict between students, forcibly entering someone else's camp and coercing them to withdraw from the exam is a different matter."
Tsukishiro Tokinari said immediately.
A heavy pressure fell on Kiriyama Ikuto and the others. He understood Tsukishiro's message very clearly.
If they took any drastic actions, they might risk being disqualified from the exam.
Kiriyama Ikuto didn't want to take that risk. If he were forced to withdraw, it would be a huge loss.
But this also meant that they couldn't do anything to Saiki.
[Damn it..... What's going on?]
[Has the Acting Chairman figured out our plan? Earlier, he hinted that students could take aggressive actions, but now he's personally stopping us.]
[Could it be..... that Saiki has even infiltrated the teachers?!]
A terrifying thought arose in Kiriyama Ikuto's mind.
If that were the case, then Saiki was a monster who surpassed even Horikita Manabu and Nagumo Miyabi.
"W-we understand. We won't do anything like that. We're about to move our camp."
As he spoke, Kiriyama Ikuto had no choice but to lead his group away.
Watching them leave, Tsukishiro Tokinari quickly walked toward Saiki's tent.
"Saiki-kun, do you have a moment?"
Tsukishiro's voice was extremely respectful, as if he were speaking to someone of higher status.
"Is there something you need?"
Saiki opened the tent and stepped out.
Originally, he had been thinking about how to deal with Kiriyama Ikuto and the others tonight.
But now that Tsukishiro Tokinari was here, it had solved a lot of his problems.
Since Tsukishiro's attitude toward him had changed so drastically, perhaps he could use this to reduce his troubles.
Of course, this would also lead to further misunderstandings about Saiki.
He had been forced to participate in the exam to secure first place, and now he was being seen as someone who had 'orchestrated a scheme.'
"Uh, Saiki-kun, how's the exam going for you?"
"It's fine."
"Never mind..... Let me get straight to the point. Saiki-kun, did Yagami do anything out of line to you?"
Tsukishiro Tokinari wanted to get closer to Saiki while also finding out what had happened to Yagami Takuya that day.
'He tried to kill me.'
Saiki answered in his mind, but as he was considering whether to reveal the truth, Tsukishiro Tokinari was already analyzing why Saiki had paused for a second.
[Saiki didn't answer my question immediately..... I see, he's probably wondering if I have any surveillance devices on me. He's so thorough it's terrifying. It's hard to believe he's just a high school student.]
'I, I wasn't thinking that much.....'
Just as Saiki was feeling a bit helpless, Tsukishiro Tokinari spoke again:
"Don't worry, Saiki-kun. I don't have any surveillance devices on me. As the Acting Chairman, showing up here is already a bit risky. I won't leak any information to anyone. You probably already know that Yagami was sent by the White Room as an assassin, but he didn't follow my orders. I had told him not to bother you, but it seems he still took action... I want to know what he did."
"Of course, Yagami got what he deserved. He disobeyed our orders and can be considered a traitor to the White Room!"
"I was worried that he might have caused you any trouble, so I came to ask."
"..."
This series of statements left Saiki feeling a bit helpless.
He had originally planned to play dumb and act like he knew nothing, as there was no evidence linking him to these events.
But now that Tsukishiro Tokinari had laid everything out, it was impossible for Saiki to pretend he didn't know anything.
And there was no point in doing so.
At this point, Saiki could no longer pretend to be an ordinary person like before.
The best option now was to play a role similar to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, as long as he didn't reveal his psychic abilities, it was still manageable.
"I did have some conflicts with Yagami-kun and Hosen-kun..... but I've already resolved the issue."
Saiki said.
Generally, Saiki was careful when dealing with ordinary people.
However, this time, Yagami Takuya had tried to kill him, and not just him—if other students had been present, Yagami might have done the same.
So, Saiki had given him the punishment he deserved.
If Saiki hadn't been there, things could have gotten much worse.
"That's true..."
Tsukishiro Tokinari pursed his lips. He remembered how Yagami Takuya had looked—it was clear he had suffered some severe mental shock.
Despite having no external injuries, Yagami Takuya had ended up in that state..... What had Saiki done to him?
Yagami Takuya had already been sent back to the White Room, and what would happen to him next was unknown.
But without a doubt, this further proved that Saiki was an even more terrifying existence.
…..
Meanwhile,
The radio on Kiriyama Ikuto's waist suddenly crackled to life.
"President Nagumo, what's the matter?"