On the same day. 2 in the afternoon, past 10 minutes.

Most students had finished eating and were now spending all of their time hanging out.

While waiting for the person whom I called, I stared at the sea in silence. I took out my phone, clicked on my name: Horikita Suzune, and opened the OAA. I thought that there would have been some difference in my test results, but it looks like there arent any somehow. Teachers were always individually monitoring the students, so that might have reflected here.

Then after that, I held her OAA in my hand and examined it, but as expected there were no changes.

Right after that I closed my phone and stared at the sea by myself, in silence.

After that cruel Uninhabited Island Test with no sense of reality, it has been a fast few days.

Ive discarded my bodys exhaustion, but being on a luxury cruiser my sense of normalcy is still thin.

Geh, youre already here?

A voice came to me from nearby. Before I turned around I returned those words.

Could you not use other people to call me? You will make them misunderstand that were close.

The one I spoke to was from her class, Yamaga-san.

Sorry but I had no way to contact you but that. Or did you want me to call you when many people were around at lunchtime?

Thats horrible. But being called out like this today was almost just as horrible.

If thats the case then could you please tell me again how to contact you in case I want to talk to you?

Its best if you dont want to talk to me.

Ibuki-san made an unpleasant face after coming 10 minutes later than the appointed time.

Without a single word of apology, she spoke out her growing dissatisfaction.

You dont seem to have been late because of special circumstances. Did you intend to be like Miyamoto Musashi?

Hah? I dont get it.

To anger me didnt seem to be her intention.

Well, if that was her goal then she should have been late by 2 hours instead of 10 minutes.

If you didnt want to soil my mood then would you please tell me why youre late?

Haa? Personally being called by you has soiled my mood.

Yes. Thats true.

After I replied honestly, she sighed as if she was exasperated.

After I ignore your call you make it look like I ran away. What is the meaning of this? Its annoying.

Even if I called you, you would ignore it wouldnt you?

Well yeah. Would I have to meet you just because you went and called me out?

Even though she was considering ignoring it altogether, she came, albeit late.

From her viewpoint she probably didnt like losing to me at all. Phrasing the invitation like a challenge was correct.

Ah- I get it already.

If you have something to say then say it already. She showed a hurrying attitude along those lines.

I do want to be considerate of her feelings, but the circumstances dont allow it.

Let us talk while walking. It would take the same time as talking while standing in one place, and wed stand out here.

This was suitable to meet at, but not for a confidential discussion.

Haa? Good grief.

Though she was annoyed, she followed me relatively easily.

She was personally frustrated over the fact that I beat her on the island in terms of accumulated points.

It would be no wonder even if she came here to look for a chance at revenge.

Having been able to blend in with the hustle and bustle of our surroundings after starting our walk, I started talking.

It has something to do with Amasawa-san, the girl we fought on the island.

Aah, that damn cheeky 1st year.

Since she was walking from a short distance behind me, I wasnt able to see Ibuki-sans expression.

Its a bit difficult to discuss so could you raise your walking pace a little bit?

Shut up. I decide what pace I should walk at.

Yes if youre alone.

I stopped my feet and turned around.

You want to end this quickly. So I also want to settle this as quickly as we can. But for that I need your cooperation.

Yes yes, I get it, I get it. Ill walk faster.

She said and walked, fast enough to overtake me. As if she were racewalking.

How should I say this? This girl is childish in a bad way. Of course theres no such thing as being childish in a good way, so its not a good thing. Harboring that impression in my heart, I looked at Ibuki-sans back with exasperation. She turned around with a scary expression.

Not coming!?

Going too fast is also a problem. Could you walk at an appropriate speed?

Ah-, my goodness!

She scratched her head and returned.

Ill listen to what you have to say, but respond to my revenge match! Got it!?

Okay. Im expecting a sports festival in our second term depending on the situation I can grant it.

After digesting the meaning of my words for just a little bit, Ibuki bit her lips looking dissatisfied.

In other words, depending on the situation you wont accept it, is what you mean.

Ara, your brain can unexpectedly understand that much. Good job, good job.

When I clapped with a pachipachi, as if she thought that I was making a fool out of her, she knocked my hands and made them fall.

How violent.

Shut up! If you dont promise that youll accept it then this conversation ends here!

I wouldnt mind, but then the revenge match you so hope for will never come true.

Hey-

I cant promise here, but depending on your actions I could set aside the possibility. Dont you think thats very important? I dont think Ive lost to you. So until we graduate no, even after we graduate, youll be left with regret.

Gu!

So? Will you listen or will you not listen to me? The choice is yours, Ibuki-san.

I get it, I get it! Ill listen to you!

If you had been obedient from the start then this talk you dont like would have been shorter. This makes it easier for me.

Next I gave her advice for the future. Ibuki-san wants a revenge match, but that really depends on what happens next. Of course, if it doesnt coincide with the direction of my class then I could never fight her. Though even if I say that here it wouldnt be anything but a minus, so I didnt.

Because I gave the scope for me to accept her revenge match, shes more or less satisfied right?

Ibuki-san stopped moving and started walking along with my pace.

So? What about that damn cheeky 1st year?

How did you feel after meeting fists with her?

How did I feel

She was stronger than anyone you had ever fought with until now. Dont you feel that way?

Well that didnt go perfectly so I have no choice but to say that.

Whether for me or Ibuki-san, Amasawa-sans power was so different from ours that we wouldnt be able to win even if she were in a handstand.

Yeah, that 1st year Amasawa was too strong. Theres no doubt about that. Ah-, when I think about that I get annoyed so I dont like it.

Please dont say that. The only one who currently needs to talk about this is you.

Its exactly because she faced off against her directly that she knows that. If we were to talk about Amasawa-sans strength to someone who doesnt know, they wouldnt be able to gain even a millimeter of understanding.

It happened in a weird way, but you might have gotten some sort of wound too. I think I should apologize for that in advance.

Wound?

As if she didnt understand, Ibuki-san knitted her eyebrows.

After this, Im thinking about looking into Amasawa-sans past.

So cut into her neck? Wouldnt it be better to not? She seems to have a few screws loose in her head. Shes the type of person we dont know how to deal with.

Amasawa-san held a strong enough image to make Ibuki-san say that.

She is indeed dangerous. But if we let her go I feel that bad things will happen from now on.

I dont think she had any interest in you though?

Not me. Ayanokouji-kun.

Hearing that name, Ibuki-san looked like she understood and moved her gaze to the ocean.

Ayanokouji, huh. I dont really get it, but she felt like she knew a lot about him.

Yes. Amasawa-san knows about Ayanokouji-kun.

It didnt look like she knew about him just as a junior from this year.

Hes my classmate. If I can do something then of course Id want to lend him a hand.

I myself thought that there was something behind it.

If myself from when I had just enrolled in this school were to hear this, her skin would tingle and she would deny it with all her might, right?

But if she notices that youre investigating her, she would more or less come and do something. If that happens you wouldnt have any chance of succeeding, would you?

Her strength is, how do I say I feel like its on a different dimension from the world we live in.

Dont just go and say that on your own, is what I want to say, but she might really be different.

You mean theres no one as strong as her even in your memories.

If its the 2nd years Im the strongest. That went for when I was in middle school too. There arent many girls who practice martial arts, and Ive never lost to someone whos only dabbled in it. In other words, I have always been the strongest person I knew.

Okay. Your strength is the second strongest in the 2nd years next to me. I wont deny it.

Youre definitely denying it. So you wont recognize my strength?

Nobody is saying that. I just dont think Im weaker than you.

No no, Im definitely stronger.

Wherever on earth that self-confidence of yours comes from is a mystery. Your basis?

My intuition?

Completely inaccurate. Your analysis is biased. Neither of us have fought the other at full strength. We dont have any basis to make us conclude for sure that either of us is stronger than the other, do we?

Then Im tentatively 1st place. Why would you make me be 2nd place?

Its the result of my objective evaluation.

I dont get it.

We arrived at one of our objectives, the cafeteria.

This will take a little time, so let me buy drinks. What would you like?

Anything is fine, but ice lemon tea please.

I took Ibuki-san and my order and settled it via phone. With two drinks it was 1400 points, how expensive.

We took both of them from an employee after it was finished.

Go ahead. Its my treat.

I kinda get a complicated feeling being treated by you though.

You should accept gratitude honestly.

Well, its okay.

Ibuki-san took the cup in her left hand and took a sip while looking beyond.

From there we moved a little bit to a place that wouldnt be noticed by people.

I understand that because youve fought with her, you feel similarly to me about her strength. So then have you felt any weak points or habits in the way she fought?

Shes not that easy to analyze like that.

Yeah.

It would be best if we never fight again, but if she chases me I dont know what would happen.

Alone youd just have the tables turned on you and beaten. I dont think you could reverse that result.

It wasnt to discourage me. Ibuki-san was saying that as mere fact.

As for me doubling down on my training from here on out, it would only end as she said.

Its up to you to think about this and that, but isnt it best to just leave it?

Have you been listening to me? Ayanokouji-kun-

Yeah, thats it.

Facing the hand which held her cup towards me, she interrupted my words.

If its that guy wouldnt he deal with Amasawa-san on his own?

What do you mean?

Ayanokouji-kun is indeed an excellent person.

That is something I saw in my 1st year beside him, and something Ive gotten to see little by little.

But there are still many questions. I dont completely understand his academic ability nor his physical power. Thats the case for me even though Im in the same class. Ibuki-san whos in a different class shouldnt know more.

Hes only good at math and decent in his reflexes. Thats all the information about him from outside.

Ive felt you almost asserting it from the way you spoke, but you seem to think quite highly of Ayanokouji-kun.

Whether I think highly of him or whatever, if you think of how strong that guy is anyone would understand.

If you think of how strong he is youd understand, Ibuki-san said clearly.

Could you have heard about the affair with Housen-kun from somewhere?

Hah? Housen? Who was that again? Ah-, that gorilla guy, right?

With us having been on different pages, though just a little bit I was engulfed by a sense of accomplishment.

You said that Ayanokouji-kun is strong. Where did you hear that information from?

Where

Choosing her words, she made a face that said she messed up somewhere.

Did they tell me to keep my mouth shut about that? Did they not? I forgot

As if she was trying to remember something, Ibuki-san closed her eyes and linked her arms with an u-n.

Something happened somewhere I dont know, didnt it?

I tried to give a little push here.

No, you didnt know anything?

Nnn its not like I dont know but its not like I do know either.

I threw her off and advanced the conversation as fast as I could.

Its necessary to compare our memories.

I dont want to though.

You have to. Now that were here, tell me everything you know. About the Ayanokouji-kun who you know that I dont.

This is a sort of once in a lifetime opportunity to collect information.

Something, anything was fine. If Ibuki-san knew anything then

Well, okay. So what do you not know?

Had she not decided what to disclose? Ibuki-san asked as if she found it bothersome.

Of course you would ask that Im curious about what you were talking about earlier.

The thing I thought Id say earlier was the incident between Ryuuen and Ayanokouji on the rooftop. You know, the time we called Karuizawa there and did some water torture.

Hmm-eh? Wait, what are you talking about? I dont understand at all.

Ryuuen-kun? The rooftop? And Karuizawa-san? Water torture?

Question marks floated inside my head one after another.

Ah~, you know. Since that guy doesnt talk with anyone from his class.

As if Ibuki-san understood something before me, she nodded to herself in comprehension.

And then she started talking about the Ayanokouji-kun I dont know.

In the time I heard her speak, I stared out into the ocean and took care not to get roused up while organizing my thoughts at the same time. In looking for Ayanokouji-kun who had been hiding in our class, Ryuuen-kun zeroed in on Karuizawa-san. In saving her, Ayanokouji-kun proceeded to the rooftop alone.

There he showed overwhelming force and suppressed Ryuuen-san and the others.

I thought that I had understood him to some degree, but even so, I was exceedingly surprised a number of times.

There was a time when Ryuuen-kun stopped making moves on our class. I didnt know any of this.

Anyway, you understand now right? That guy is abnormally strong.

Yes, yes thats right. He holds something unfathomable from your viewpoint, having fought both of them, if they were to fight, who do you think would win?

Dunno. I havent seen either of them being serious. I dont want to say that hes a man or that shes a woman, but all things considered, isnt Ayanokouji-kun stronger? With that, theres no need for you to stick out your neck.

Even if Amasawa-san did something to him, he might at least have enough power to deal with her.

But having physical strength doesnt make him completely safe. It doesnt mean that he can avoid being expelled from the school. Its possible for that strength to backfire instead.

Amasawa-san acted as violently as she wanted to on the island, but that cant happen inside the school.

Thank you Ibuki-san. Your information might be more useful than I thought.

You wont tell Ayanokouji about this?

Not yet. To begin with, its him. Itd be no wonder even if he guessed to some extent.

Amasawa-san in particular has met him directly a number of times before the Uninhabited Island Test.

The next problem is the paper

Paper?

Theres something Ive been wondering about after the test aside from Amasawa-san.

I explained that a single piece of paper had been inserted into my tent.

It looked like Ibuki-san understood why I was northeast on the last day.

I see. Someone aside from Amasawa-san sent an advance notice that suggested for you to go there.

You know a word like suggest.

Can you not look down on me?

Ibuki-san had a low academic ability in the OAA, but she understood more than I expected.

Theres no discomfort from talking to someone whos obviously lower than my level.

At that time, Amasawa-san tore that paper into small pieces after I gave it to her. That has constantly been on my mind since. I wonder if she didnt want to leave any traces of the handwriting. Anyway, the only thing I remember clearly is that it was nice handwriting.

Nice handwriting?

Yeah. Its impossible that there are many people who can write on that level.

I see. So theres a possibility that the person who wrote it is part of an intrigue. But searching for them just from this would be difficult wouldnt it? Even the evidence has been destroyed.

One more thing. This doesnt have much proof to it yet but the one who wrote this letter might have high physical ability. Like Ayanokouji-kun or Amasawa-san, they might be exceedingly strong. And theres a high probability that its a 1st year.

If Ayanokouji and Amasawa are concerned, they might indeed be strong. But whats your basis for saying theyre a 1st year?

Amasawa-san was familiar with the handwriting. That makes it improbable for it to be a 2nd or 3rd year.

I see.

Ayanokouji-kun, Amasawa-san, and a 3rd party.

What kind of relationship did they have with each other? I cant see the full picture yet.

But I cant let it go.

You dont intend to get injured, but if Im taken down then I cant guarantee that. If Amasawa-san shows strange movements, dont hesitate to leave the-

Kan. A light noise echoed on the deck.

Ibuki-san had clinked the cup of black tea she was holding with the handrail.

More than half of it still remained. Some of it leaked from her mouth and she wiped it with her hand.

What is it?

If youre taken down? The one who will take you down is me.

I dont intend to be helplessly done in myself. But aside of Amasawa-san, an invisible enemy is doing something I dont know, so-

If the opponents are two, then we should go after them with two shouldnt we?

That

If you can join me, the strongest of the 2nd years, itd be a different story. If youll do it anyway, theres no helping it so I dont mind lending you a hand you know?

After she said that, she took her cup in her other hand and licked the lemon tea from the back of her palm.

What do you intend to do? To think thatd youd give me your cooperation for a second time.

I dont wanna leave after having a 1st year make fun of me, and you losing to someone whos not me is hard to stomach. And you yourself actually came here because you wanted my help right?

Ibuki-san looked into my eyes directly.

No, not at all?

Hah? Why not be honest with that at least? Ibuki-sans cooperation is necessary, like that.

Ive never thought that even once though?

Fine then! I wont try to lend you a hand again! Bye Bye!

Just when Ibuki-san looked like she was about to walk away out of anger, I grabbed her left wrist.

What!?

In compensation for the drink I bought you just now, I will have you work for me free of charge.

Haah? Even though you said youd treat me, youre trying to collect my debt now?

Its just that theres nothing worth collecting more.

Then tell me now.

Ibuki-san took out her phone and handed it to me.

If thats whatll happen then wont you give me 3,000,000 points?

I scowled and shook my head, not being able to understand her meaning.

I treated you. Dont you think thats worth something?

I dont think so at all! That was 700 points!

If you dont have the means to pay, then Ill cancel your debt if you lend me a hand.

Look here Ill say it again. Wont you be honest?

If theres a need to, I will.

For some reason it was embarrassing to ask for Ibuki-sans help, so it became like this.

But I kept acting as I always did and continued pressuring her.

Youre a really unpleasant person.

That goes for both of us, Ibuki-san.

Both of our gazes met and Ibuki-san exasperatedly finished her cup.

What an expensive lemon tea-

A complaint like that was somewhat funny. I ended up smiling just a little bit.