"Animation? It's a foreign concept. While I understand the basics, my knowledge is limited. In the White Room, such worldly things are irrelevant."
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka thought to himself.
*'Huh? You're basically a weeb... Guess White Room knowledge has its limits.'*
Saiki Kusuo thought in response.
At that moment, the exam questions appeared on Saiki's tablet.
**Question 1:** Which is the title of Episode 13 of the anime *Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt*?
1. Goodbye, Thunderbolt
2. Burn, Thunderbolt
3. Shout, Thunderbolt
4. Thunderbolt's Tears
*'This is obvious. The answer's 2.'*
Saiki thought, quickly selecting his choice.
From what he could sense, everyone else had answered—except Ayanokōji.
"This is outside my expertise, but I must try. It's a 25% chance by guessing. Option 4 stands out—'Thunderbolt's Tears' is the only one with the name first. Maybe that's the hint. I'll go with 4."
Ayanokōji reasoned calmly.
*'Seriously? He doesn't know this?'*
Saiki thought, amused.
Soon, the answers were revealed. Ayanokōji was one of only two who got it wrong.
The other was Nanase Tsubasa.
**Question 2:** Who performed the theme song for the anime *Escape from the Underwater Chicken*?
Both Ayanokōji and Nanase's confusion deepened.
...
After 20 minutes, Saiki answered every question correctly, securing first place.
He hadn't intended to win, but since the exam was about anime, he figured no one would suspect him. Even Sudō Ken's group only missed one question.
"I didn't expect you to know so much about anime, Saiki," Sudō remarked.
Meanwhile, Ayanokōji watched Saiki from a distance, thinking:
"Saiki knows even this? It shows they value 'worldly knowledge.' Today's exam proves it can be useful in certain situations."
Ayanokōji and Nanase both scored below 25%, failing the test.
*'I've got 9 points today, plus yesterday's 11. That's 20 now.'*
Saiki scanned the area with his powers. He had more points than most, so he didn't need more for now—he didn't want to become a target.
On Day 4, the top and bottom 10 groups' points would be revealed. On Day 6, students could use GPS freely.
"Where are you headed, Saiki?" Ayanokōji asked.
Saiki sensed Ayanokōji's intended route and replied with the opposite direction.
As they spoke, Nanase's thoughts were unusually loud:
*'Ayanokōji's just an ordinary student—but he doesn't belong here. I'll make sure he leaves.'*
*'Hmm.'*
Saiki glanced at Nanase, sensing his hostility toward Ayanokōji.
Through telepathy, Saiki knew Nanase's reason for attending the school involved a butler named Matsu—but the real culprit was Ayanokōji Atsushige. Nanase seemed confused, targeting Ayanokōji instead.
*Strange...*
For a moment, Saiki thought: *Maybe the White Room shouldn't exist.*
"Looks like we're splitting up again," Saiki said.
"Right. Our next zones are different. I'll head out."
...
Meanwhile, on another part of the island, Yagami Takuya studied his wristwatch.
He planned to destroy it before Day 6, when GPS signals would be public.
"White Room taught us about electronics. I can dismantle anything, but this watch..."
Yagami smiled, then began tinkering.
After struggling, his expression turned serious. He couldn't open it.
Despite his knowledge, the watch's design was beyond him.
"What's going on? How is this possible?"
His voice trembled. White Room knowledge was useless here.
Frustrated, Yagami grabbed a sharp rock and smashed the watch.
As a top White Room student, his strength was immense—but the watch was unharmed, not even a scratch.
"Impossible! Is this bulletproof glass? Why would the school use such tech? How does it even charge? White Room never taught this..."
"And this island... It's too large. Normal students would exhaust themselves. Is this even fair?"
"Wait... Was this exam designed by... Saiki-sensei?"
*Could Saiki Kusuo be involved?*
Yagami decided to try again, heading to the island's edge to drown the watch.
But he noticed two figures approaching—Utsunomiya Riku and Tsubaki Sakurako.
He paused, pretending not to see them.
"Yagami, what are you doing here?" Utsunomiya asked coldly.
Utsunomiya, from Class C, was the public leader:
Academics: B (72), Physical: A (87), Flexibility: C (51), Social: D+ (39).
Tsubaki, the true leader, appeared lazy:
Academics: C- (44), Physical: D+ (40), Flexibility: D+ (38), Social: D+ (40).
They'd briefly joined Nagumo's plan against Ayanokōji but quit quickly.
"I'm heading to my next zone, but first, a question," Yagami said.
"On Day 6, leaders were to meet. Utsunomiya, what's your proposal?"
Yagami turned to Tsubaki.
"What do you mean?" Tsubaki narrowed her eyes.
"You're planning something big, right? Not just a progress report. You're the real leader, manipulating from behind."
"Interesting, Yagami. You see through me. Is that why you supported the meeting?"
If only Tsubaki had proposed it, few would've joined. But Yagami's support changed that.
"I believe all first-years should cooperate. Even if it's just to check in, it's worth it."
Yagami smiled, hiding his intentions.
Meeting them early was unexpected, but Yagami decided to accelerate his plans.
*Time to guide the conversation.*
"Yagami, I've got something interesting to share," Tsubaki said lazily.
"Go on."
"But I can't promise you'll like the outcome."
"Try me."
Yagami's smile never wavered, as if everything was under control.