'Huh? What are you talking about now?'
Saiki Kusuo was completely baffled, having no idea what Kiryūin Fūka was getting at.
"You must have seen through Nanase's plan too."
'Huh?'
"Nanase will manipulate third-year students to secure his top position. But precisely because of this, he won't lose his lead early in the exam. He'll control his score, giving others the illusion they might surpass him."
"In reality, Nanase can choose how this exam ends—second place narrowly losing, or Nanase pulling ahead at the last moment. It all depends on his mood. But undoubtedly, to ensure his victory, he'll target students close to his rank and hinder their performance."
"You're hiding your strength to avoid scoring too high early on and drawing Nanase's attention."
Kiryūin smiled at Saiki.
"You actually want to showcase your abilities in this exam, don't you?"
Saiki's mind was flooded with questions, struggling to understand Kiryūin's words.
After a brief silence, Saiki finally spoke:
"You're right, senpai."
At this point, he could only go along with her.
"You're quite honest. What rank are you aiming for in this exam?"
Kiryūin narrowed her eyes.
"Given your usual style, you'd aim for around 10th to 15th place. But choosing the survival exam surprised me. I thought you'd pick a standard topic for a moderate score."
'That was my initial plan.'
Saiki thought, then continued:
"But for specific reasons, I need to aim for first place this time…"
Saiki figured being direct might reduce complications.
After all, if he didn't take first place…
The island might be rigged with bombs, and the entire island could sink.
With Saiki's powers, evacuating everyone instantly wouldn't be hard, but he worried about the aftermath.
How would he explain their sudden disappearance or relocation to another island?
'Should I destroy this island and replace it with another?'
'No, that's too risky. The island's environment is already recorded. If the terrain doesn't match maps later, it'd be problematic.'
'For now, I'll stick to my deal with that guy—especially since there's luxury dessert waiting for me afterward.'
Saiki thought, then said:
"I want to use this exam to resolve my conflicts with Student Council President Nanase once and for all."
"Oh?"
Kiryūin seemed intrigued.
"So, this exam is your showdown with him? Have you already challenged Nanase?"
"Not yet…"
Saiki replied casually.
Kiryūin nodded thoughtfully, then stood up:
"I'll take my leave. You look ready to rest."
"Yeah, the exam is long, and I need to conserve energy."
"I'll explore the island and see if anything interesting happens. Also, I'll be watching to see if you can truly defeat Nanase. Don't disappoint me, Saiki."
With that, Kiryūin disappeared into the forest, leaving Saiki alone.
'Finally, some alone time.'
Saiki used telepathy to confirm no one was around, then telekinetically reassembled his folded tent.
'Telekinesis is handy sometimes.'
He thought, then entered the tent. Despite his teleportation ability, he needed to maintain appearances.
'Talking with Kiryūin reminded me: I can't stand out too early.'
'Nanase seems to have ensured his top rank somehow. I'll figure out how later.'
'Also, if I recall, Kōenji is aiming for first place too, right?'
Saiki remembered Horikita Suzune approaching Kōenji Rokusuke before the exam and making a deal.
If Kōenji took first place, Suzune wouldn't interfere with his actions. Otherwise, he'd have to contribute to the class.
Saiki didn't care about that.
He used telekinesis to adjust his smartwatch's GPS, then teleported home.
"What a day," Saiki sighed, leaving his room.
"Welcome back, Kusuo!"
Saiki Kūsuke appeared before him.
'What are you doing here?!'
Saiki used telepathy to question him but got nothing.
He noticed Kūsuke wore a strange device on his head.
'What's going on?'
Kūsuke spoke:
"Kusuo, are you using telepathy? Sorry, this device blocks it. I can't hear you~"
He said with a sly tone.
"What do you want?"
"Let's play rock-paper-scissors!"
"I don't care what you're up to."
"Come on, play!"
"Are you even listening to me?"
"Rock-paper-scissors!"
Despite his reluctance, Saiki played to get rid of Kūsuke.
Without telepathy, Saiki still won by reading Kūsuke's muscle movements.
"Where's everyone else?"
The house was unusually quiet.
"I sent them on a trip~"
Kūsuke smirked.
"Also, the house is being renovated. Food, water, even tap water—all gone!"
"You…"
Saiki knew his brother's plan: to prevent him from using teleports for supplies.
"And since you're at school, no allowance either. You're broke."
Kūsuke clapped.
"Exams should be fair. Sneaking home for supplies is cheating, right?"
Saiki was speechless.
"So, Kusuo, focus on the exam~"
Annoyed, Saiki teleported back to his tent.
'Damn it.'
He thought, 'No food or water… I'll have to rely on exam rewards. Competition tasks shouldn't be too affected.'
Sighing, Saiki rested, using clairvoyance to check on Karuizawa Kei and Sakura Airi's progress before sleeping.
....
The next morning, Saiki prepared for the day's exam.
Without Kiryūin around, he moved freely.
After receiving instructions, he headed to the target area.
It was far, and for normal students, reaching it would take time and energy.
Saiki could teleport nearby but chose to walk to avoid GPS discrepancies.
Kiryūin's words reminded him to stay low-key early on.
Upon arrival, he chose a task not requiring academic or physical prowess:
**Task: Quiz**
Type: Miscellaneous
Multiple-choice questions. All group members participate.
Rewards: 8 points for 1st, 4 for 2nd, 2 for 3rd. Additional rewards based on group size, including food and water.
It wasn't academic, so no complex questions. The rewards were worth it.
....
Saiki arrived at the quiz location, where a familiar figure waved:
"Saiki, hurry! Four spots left!"
Saiki registered, and soon, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka and Nanase Tsubasa arrived.
[Saiki chose the quiz too?]
Kiyotaka focused on Saiki, sitting down.
Tsubasa also eyed Saiki.
[Him again… He easily defeated Hōsen last time. Who is he? Thankfully, he's not my target. Hopefully, he's not with Ayanokōji—but Ayanokōji wouldn't team up with anyone, right?]
'Actually, Kiyotaka invited me to team up.'
Saiki thought.
Registration completed, and Saiki took his seat, picking up the tablet.
More group members meant more knowledge, but Saiki didn't need help.
The quiz topic appeared: **Anime**.
'This is my forte.'
Saiki thought, glancing at Kiyotaka—who looked confused.