---
The drones disappeared as suddenly as they came, their metallic hum fading into the wind.
Silence lingered in their absence, but not for long.
Shuto was the first to speak. "We need to organize. Fast. If Class A gets even one token before we do, this whole thing gets complicated."
Kaito nodded. "We've got the numbers. If we split up smartly, we can cover more ground and search the island faster."
I watched the rest of the students begin to murmur among themselves—some eager to contribute, others clearly overwhelmed. Too many voices. Too many egos. We couldn't afford to be sloppy.
"I'm calling it now," I said, stepping forward. "We form three squads. One for each token. We send each group toward one high-risk zone, and we rotate teams if any token is found."
Everyone turned to look at me. No surprise there—they expected the strategist to speak. Might as well give them what they wanted.
Ayame blinked. "You're already planning this out?"
I ignored the question. "The help token should be our lowest priority. The tent token gives us map control—we'll need that. The skull token is the most dangerous, so we either secure it first… or make sure it's found last."
Haruto crossed his arms. "We should just take it first and keep it under lock. That way Ichika's little monsters can't go on a rampage."
Kaito frowned. "But if we hold the violence token, we become targets."
I glanced at him. "Exactly. Which is why we don't just **hold** it. We hide it. Deep. Somewhere no one would ever think to check. Somewhere only I know."
Shuto looked at me sideways. "And we're just supposed to trust you with that?"
"No," I said flatly. "You're supposed to trust that I want to win more than I want to screw you over."
Shuto scowled but said nothing. He knew I was right.
I scanned the crowd. "We need scouts. People who know how to move fast and silently. Find dangerous zones—dense forests, rocky cliffs, or old ruins. That's where the tokens will be."
"Send Class D to scout," Haruto offered. "They've been treated like trash long enough. Give them a real purpose."
"Fine," I agreed. "Class D scouts the north and northeast. Class B handles the coastlines—there may be caves or hidden inlets. Class C splits between support and strategy."
"And what about you?" Ayame asked quietly.
"I'll monitor everything," I said. "Coordinate movement. Study patterns. Ichika thinks numbers make us slow—so I'll make us move like a single body."
Kaito grinned. "So you're the brain."
"Exactly," I said. "But the brain is useless without eyes and legs."
They got it. They understood.
This wasn't just about searching for tokens. This was chess now. Every move would be watched, countered, exploited.
*And if Ichika wants to test me with this ridiculous scenario, fine. I'll play.*
But I won't play fair.
---
---
A couple of hours had passed since we regrouped, and still—nothing.
The forest gave us nothing but shadows and fatigue. No tokens. No sign of Kenji or Reika. No movement from Class A. And no clues.
By the time we got back to base, everyone looked like they were running on fumes. Faces sagging. Clothes damp from sweat and sea mist. Even Ayame didn't have her usual fire in her voice when she wished me goodnight.
Night fell hard. Stars overhead, but none of them looked like they were on our side.
Eventually, the camp quieted. The only sounds were soft snores and the occasional crackle from the fire someone forgot to put out properly.
But I wasn't asleep.
Because I'd been thinking—no, calculating.
So I moved. Quiet steps. Precise.
And one by one, I nudged Haruto, Satoshi, and Kaito awake.
Haruto rubbed his eyes. "Kei? What the hell? It's like… what, two in the morning?"
Satoshi blinked groggily. "You better have a good reason, man."
Kaito sat up, instantly alert. "Did something happen?"
"I think I know where the tokens are," I said simply.
That woke them up fast.
Kaito narrowed his eyes. "Then why the hell aren't you telling the rest of the class?"
I kept my voice low. "Because I think they're in the **mysterious side** of the island."
Satoshi blinked. "But the school specifically **recommended** we don't go there."
I let out a dry, sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, well… they also 'recommended' we don't read past page 100 of the NIFL guidebook. Look how that turned out."
None of them argued. Because they remembered—what was hidden past page 100 changed how we saw this entire school. And now, this island felt like the same trap in a new shape.
"Besides," I continued, "we've only been searching the more familiar, safer regions. Maybe the reason we haven't seen Reika or Kenji is because—"
"Because they're **already** on the mysterious side," a voice finished behind me.
We all turned sharply.
Shuto stood there, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
Haruto jumped. "What the hell are you doing still up!?"
Shuto shrugged like it was obvious. "Thinking about my theories. Like usual."
I tilted my head, curious. "You know what, Shuto? We could actually use your insight. Why do **you** think they're there?"
He nodded slightly. "Because I think there are hidden supplies stashed in that part of the island. Supplies no one else knows about. And I'm guessing Ichika had them secretly dropped off there. I mean, come on—they're part of the student government. You think they're playing by the same rules we are?"
He was right.
Of course Ichika wouldn't leave something like this to chance. He wanted dominance. Control. He'd load the game in Class A's favor without hesitation.
I gave Shuto a small nod. "Thanks. That confirms what I suspected."
Then I turned to the others.
"Satoshi. Kaito. Haruto. We're going."
"Mysterious side?" Kaito cracked his knuckles. "Finally. Some real damn adventure."
Satoshi grinned. "Took the words right out of my mouth."
Haruto gave a quiet sigh. "As long as everyone stays asleep while we're gone, this'll be fine."
I turned to Shuto. "While we're gone, you're in charge. Keep everything stable here. Delay anyone who starts sniffing around."
He gave a thumbs-up. "Don't worry. I've got this."
The moonlight was faint as we packed light and prepared to leave.
I looked out into the blackness of the jungle beyond the marked trails—the so-called mysterious zone.
*This is where the real game begins*, I thought.
*And if Reika and Kenji are hiding there… then so are the tokens. And maybe something even more important.*
"All right," I whispered, eyes fixed on the trees ahead.
"Let's move out ."