Chapter 788

Chapter 788: Chapter 788

The uninhabited island exam had reached its seventh day.

A blanket of gray clouds hung over the island, hiding the sun completely. Since morning, intermittent gusts had carried a persistent damp chill through the air.

Kaoru glanced up at the sky.

It would probably rain today.

Weather out at sea was unpredictable, after all. There had been a rainstorm during last year’s uninhabited island exam as well.

’I wonder if the girls brought rain gear.’

The thought briefly crossed his mind.

He could contact them afterward.

For now, Kaoru continued forward while listening to the walkie-talkie. He pushed through a narrow forest path tangled with thorns until the sound of waves crashing against rock gradually reached his ears.

After another stretch of walking, the trees suddenly opened up.

Kaoru emerged onto a coastal cliff overlooking an endless expanse of ocean.

Miyabi stood ahead of him with a walkie-talkie in hand, apparently speaking to someone. Kaoru guessed he was confirming whether anyone had followed him.

A short while later, Miyabi finally lowered the radio.

"I originally planned to call you out yesterday, but there were a few complications. Then that whole ghost incident happened."

With his back still turned to Kaoru, Miyabi stared out over the sea.

"This year’s students really are lively."

Kaoru already knew how the ghost incident had ended.

He had stayed out of it because he trusted Honami and Arisu to handle things. There was no reason for him to personally deal with a reckless idiot like Hōsen.

Working together, Arisu and Honami had forced Ishigami and Hōsen to back down.

However, there had been no decisive evidence tying them to the theft, so neither had been forced to withdraw from the exam, nor had the school punished them.

If Riku truly hated Hōsen as much as he claimed, then the next move belonged to him.

Kaoru had already told him what to do.

Whether Riku would actually have the resolve to go through with it was another matter.

Kaoru was mildly curious about Ishigami’s identity as well, but he no longer had time to investigate every mystery surrounding him.

"I waited several days for you to make a move, and the first thing you do when you finally contact me is threaten me."

Kaoru’s voice carried almost no emotion.

"Nagumo-senpai, couldn’t you come up with something better next time?"

The student who had appeared at Kaoru’s campsite yesterday had been one of Miyabi’s people.

He had left behind a walkie-talkie and immediately departed.

That radio became Miyabi’s method of contacting Kaoru.

And the moment communication was established, Miyabi had issued his threat without hesitation.

Meet him at a designated location around noon today.

If Kaoru refused to come—or brought anyone else—Miyabi would go after Kei and the others.

"Hehehe. And yet you obediently came anyway."

Miyabi scoffed.

"There’s practically no supervision on this island. If I decided to target those girls, even you couldn’t protect all of them, could you?"

By target, he obviously did not mean simply forcing them out of the exam.

He meant something far uglier involving direct violence.

"The fact that you’ve resorted to threats like that just proves you’ve run out of options."

Kaoru’s expression did not change.

"If you’ve got something planned, hurry up and use it. It’s going to rain soon, and I don’t have all day."

Miyabi’s face darkened.

He finally turned around and stared directly at Kaoru.

"Mitoma, you seem to misunderstand your position."

"Don’t start thinking you’re standing at the top of this school just because you’ve reached the upper ranks."

"You only managed it because Kiriyama and the others were helping you."

"I’ll take that as a compliment."

Kaoru had no interest in Miyabi’s impotent rage.

"Heh. So you think you’re untouchable?"

Miyabi’s voice turned cold.

"You think I can’t do anything to you?"

"After resting all day yesterday, your ranking should’ve fallen somewhere around fifteenth, right?"

Kaoru really had spent the entire previous day resting.

He had remained with Fūka and Mio and had not even bothered visiting his designated areas.

As a result, his ranking had plummeted from the top ten.

"I seriously don’t understand what you’re thinking, but whatever."

Seeing that Kaoru remained silent, Miyabi suppressed another spark of anger.

"You’re only this relaxed because you have an enormous amount of private points to fall back on."

In Miyabi’s eyes, Kaoru’s day off had been nothing more than deliberate mockery.

Kaoru could have continued earning points.

Instead, he had simply stopped.

Almost as if he were telling Miyabi:

Run ahead if you want. I’ll catch you later.

"I’ll admit that you’re troublesome."

Miyabi smiled coldly.

"Even if I went all out in this exam, it would probably still come down to the two of us fighting over first and second place."

"Of course, I could always do what I did during the previous exam and get one of your women expelled."

"I imagine the expression on your face would be extremely satisfying."

Miyabi clearly expected anger.

Instead, Kaoru merely shook his head.

"You can’t."

"You know perfectly well that no matter what you try now, someone around you will leak it."

"All you have left are a handful of loyalists. And you don’t even trust them enough to order them to do anything truly serious."

Miyabi snorted but did not deny it.

Instead, he sneered.

"You sound awfully pleased with yourself."

"They’re nothing but idiots. I have nothing to say to people like that."

"Once this exam ends, they’ll understand who the final winner is."

"And who their master really is."

"So you genuinely think the entire third year belongs to you."

Kaoru finally understood why so many third-years had spent so long walking on eggshells around Miyabi.

Miyabi answered as though it were obvious.

"The strong are supposed to control the weak."

"That’s how the world has always worked. Winners take everything. Losers lose everything."

"I’m stronger than them, so naturally they should obey me."

"By that logic, if I’m stronger than you, shouldn’t you obey me?"

Kaoru asked.

"Heh."

Miyabi smiled coldly.

"Mitoma, we still don’t know which of us is stronger."

In Miyabi’s mind, Kaoru had merely seduced the third-years with private points and outside influence.

"So how exactly are you planning to win?"

Kaoru glanced around.

"Beat me up here?"

There was nobody else visible.

Though for all he knew, Miyabi might have several people hidden in the forest.

Miyabi did not deny it.

Instead, a dangerous smile slowly appeared.

"As expected of you. You immediately thought of the most efficient way to settle this exam."

On an island the school could not fully monitor, students were effectively supervised only through their watches, which tracked their physical condition.

As far as actual oversight went, that was nearly meaningless.

"I met an interesting underclassman during this exam."

Miyabi smiled.

"He never said it outright, but I understood what he believed the moment I saw his eyes."

"Violence."

"No matter how clever your schemes are, they mean nothing against overwhelming physical force."

"What good is intelligence if someone can simply crush you?"

Kaoru’s expression became strange.

Had Miyabi finally lost his mind?

Had Hōsen’s stupidity somehow become contagious?

"If I keep fighting you through conventional methods, this will just turn into another long, boring competition."

Miyabi continued.

"I’m sick of it."

"You can’t completely eliminate me, and I can’t completely eliminate you."

Kaoru had his class supporting him.

Miyabi still had the remnants of his own faction.

Even if one side withdrew from this exam, neither of them would necessarily be expelled.

"I thought about it for a long time."

Miyabi stared at Kaoru, almost as though afraid he might suddenly turn around and leave.

"Instead of wasting each other’s time, why don’t we settle it another way?"

"A duel between men."

"The winner stays."

"The loser leaves voluntarily."

Kaoru almost laughed.

Funny how Miyabi had never suggested anything like that before.

Now that he had realized ordinary methods could not defeat Kaoru, suddenly he wanted a noble man-to-man duel.

Yes, Miyabi still had some strength remaining.

But everyone knew his ship was sinking.

There was a very real possibility he would be gone from Advanced Nurturing High School after the next special exam.

And knowing that, he still had the nerve to offer Kaoru terms.

"Nagumo-senpai, you’re not a cowboy, and I’m not an idiot."

Kaoru answered calmly.

"Why would I agree to a duel with you?"

"Because you threatened me earlier?"

"Nazuna."

Miyabi spoke the name.

He paused.

"If you refuse to fight me, I’ll never acknowledge someone like you as worthy of having her."

Kaoru’s brow furrowed for a moment before smoothing again.

"Don’t do that."

"Nazuna isn’t a prize for either of us to win."

Miyabi’s face darkened.

Of everyone in the world, Kaoru had the least right to say something like that.

Hadn’t he been the one who stole Miyabi’s childhood friend and turned her into one of his own women?

"Hehehe... Mitoma, how long are you going to keep pretending?"

Miyabi’s voice turned icy.

"You’re obviously thrilled."

"You probably want nothing more than to parade your trophy in front of me."

"And now you’re pretending to be noble?"

"Don’t make me laugh."

"The strong control everything."

"Prove your strength!"

Kaoru finally understood why Nazuna became so angry whenever she talked about Miyabi.

This man lived entirely inside the world of what he thought other people should feel.

What anyone else actually wanted barely mattered.

"You want me to fight you like a pair of monkeys?"

Kaoru’s voice turned cold.

"I refuse."

"If this is all you have left, then I’m disappointed."

"MITOMA!"

Miyabi finally lost his temper.

"You think you still have a choice?!"

"Either fight me properly, or turn around and run away like a coward while I go after your women!"

Kaoru slowly inhaled.

He knew Miyabi might genuinely be desperate enough to follow through.

Once someone was cornered badly enough, they could do anything except solve a math problem.

But before Kaoru could answer, Miyabi threw aside both his walkie-talkie and tablet.

Then he charged straight at him.

"Mitoma! This is the final battle!"

Kaoru frowned.

At this point, whether he wanted to fight or not no longer mattered.

Miyabi swung first.

Kaoru caught the incoming fist.

Then he pivoted and drove his own fist directly into Miyabi’s cheek.

Thud!

The impact was heavy.

A trace of blood sprayed from Miyabi’s mouth, and his face twisted in pain for an instant.

The next moment, brutality flashed through Miyabi’s eyes.

He seized Kaoru’s wrist and tried to counterattack with everything he had.

Kaoru had never seriously studied martial arts.

Years ago, he had learned a handful of techniques because he once needed to protect an idol.

Everything else came from an old reward he had obtained long ago.

Combat Instinct.

So Kaoru simply trusted it.

Without consciously thinking, he blocked Miyabi’s counter and immediately struck the opening in his abdomen.

The stomach was soft.

Unprotected.

A far better target than a hardened skull.

The blow landed cleanly.

Miyabi felt as though his internal organs had been smashed together.

His face turned pale.

Yet he still tried to swing back.

Kaoru gave him no chance.

Within moments, Miyabi was on the ground with Kaoru pinning him down.

"Mitoma!"

Miyabi shouted his name through the pain.

Even from underneath him, he still tried to throw punches.

"If you barely know how to fight, don’t imitate people who do."

Kaoru raised his fist.

Then drove it into Miyabi’s face again.

"You’re ridiculously weak."

"It feels like I could push you over with one hand."

"I haven’t lost! I’ll—ghk!"

Another punch cut Miyabi off.

Blood poured from his nose, some of it running backward and choking him before he could finish speaking.

"You already lost."

Kaoru looked down at him, his knuckles stained red.

Miyabi gasped several times.

His hands clenched the wet soil beneath him so tightly that his fingertips almost dug into the earth.

Kaoru noticed the movement.

A moment later, Miyabi grabbed a fistful of dirt and flung it straight toward Kaoru’s eyes.

Kaoru instinctively shut them.

A cheap trick straight out of some street brawler’s handbook.

And unfortunately, extremely effective.

"You’re the one who lost, Mitoma!"

A cold glint flashed.

Kaoru’s pupils contracted.

Miyabi had hidden a knife.

"Anyone who opposes me can go to hell!"

Miyabi laughed wildly, as though he had finally gone completely insane.

The blade shot toward Kaoru.

But just as Miyabi thought he had succeeded, Kaoru’s hand snapped out and caught his wrist.

Then he twisted.

The knife changed hands instantly.

"Wh-what?"

Miyabi froze in disbelief.

He had clearly seen Kaoru close his eyes.

Combat Instinct.

Even without vision, Kaoru’s body had reacted before conscious thought became necessary.

Kaoru looked down at the knife.

It was real.

For the first time since arriving, his calm expression disappeared completely.

"Are you trying to die?"

His voice turned ice-cold.

Miyabi had aimed for his neck.

After the initial shock, however, Miyabi suddenly became calm.

"You fell for it, Mitoma."

His expression changed completely.

A smile filled with malice appeared on his battered face.

"I never intended to kill you."

"Quite the opposite."

"This is my winning formula."

The moment he finished speaking, Kaoru heard movement from the forest.

A male student stepped out holding a tablet.

Obviously, he had most likely been photographing or recording everything.

"I thought I’d at least manage to hit you a few times."

Miyabi saw Kaoru remain still, and his smug satisfaction became almost impossible to hide.

"Turns out I was the one getting beaten the entire time."

He winced as the movement pulled at his injuries.

"But whatever."

"This actually makes things easier."

Miyabi grinned despite the pain.

"You assaulted an upperclassman."

"And now you’re holding a knife."

"I doubt even the school can ignore that."

"For an ordinary student, maybe they’d just disqualify you from the exam."

"But you’re different, Mitoma."

"You’re the Student Council president."

"You represent the entire school."

"How could the Student Council president pull a knife on an upperclassman?"

So that had been the plan.

Otherwise, who would announce an attack with a knife by screaming first?

Miyabi had deliberately made sure Kaoru noticed it.

What Miyabi had not expected was Kaoru reacting quickly enough to disarm him.

Ironically, that only made the trap better.

Kaoru lowered the knife.

Seeing that, Miyabi became even more pleased.

"Something this deranged?"

He smiled.

"Even expulsion wouldn’t seem unreasonable."

In Miyabi’s mind, the outcome had already been decided.

Kaoru had beaten him bloody.

There were photographs.

All they needed now was for school staff to arrive.

At long last, Miyabi could drive Kaoru out of Advanced Nurturing High School.

The only humiliating part was that he had never been beaten this badly before.

Yet just as Miyabi began imagining how he would use the evidence—

Kaoru dropped the knife.

Then raised his fist again.

THUD!

The punch left Miyabi completely stunned.

Even the student holding the tablet froze, suddenly unsure whether he should keep recording.

A moment later, Miyabi recovered.

His entire face twisted with rage.

"You still dare hit me?! Mitoma, you’re finished!"

THUD!

Kaoru punched him again.

This time, one of Miyabi’s teeth came loose.

"You were right about one thing."

Kaoru smiled faintly.

"Violence really does solve problems faster than schemes."

"At the very least..."

He calmly drew back his bloodied fist.

"I feel much better now."

Something about that smile sent a chill down Miyabi’s spine.