Chapter 5 Part 3

 "How are you Tsubaki-san?" 

It's 8 a.m. and if all goes well, it's about the time a group of first-year students get in touch with Ayanokouji. 

Yagami, who is concerned that the report has not yet come out of the walkie-talkie, asks. 

 “'Don't be scared, everything is going according to plan so far. Things are going very well. " 

 "Good to Know." 

Ayanokouji is swerving orderly so as not to get caught by the first grade group who are closing the distance. I don't know how long it will be, but it is clear that I am using GPS search on a regular basis. If you can spit to a point, it's better than that. I intend to commit violence, but I think it would be ideal if I could crush him without doing so. 

If you can keep up with the movements, you will find a way to win with no contact. 

If they can't stand it and plan to force their way, they can crush him there. 

We were in a situation where we could push him, but we didn't, and we did it in a way that made it easier for him to escape. 

Tsubaki drops the scores she has accumulated without hesitation and activates the GPS search in 10-minute intervals. She has not been saving her test scores for the past 12 days as of yesterday. To drop all scores right now. 9 a.m. passes and Ayanokouji's third step is confirmed. 

The tablet then indicated that Ayanokouji's destination was D2; Ayanokouji, who was fleeing towards C6 at the time, would have a hard time stepping on the designated area, even if he hadn't been disturbed. Two groups continue to move to hunt down Kiyotaka Ayanokouji. Even with updates every 0 minutes, you can see the movement so clearly. If she continued, Ayanokouji could go north on the B4 and C5. 

Therefore, she ordered the three remaining groups to meet at C4. Deciding that they could wait and see for a while, Tsubaki stopped the search for an hour and took a break. After 10 p.m., she checks everyone's position to confirm the situation. Ayanokouji was about to go between B4 and C5 as Tsubaki had read. The two groups that were chasing him were also about to enter B5. 

 "Don't let him go out." 

She instructed the group in C4 to target Ayanokouji going down the mountain. The objective was to get ahead of him and lead him towards B4 and B3. From here, Tsubaki checks again every ten minutes to get an idea of the general position. As she had read, Ayanokouji is heading north on the B4 to escape the first-year students who were ahead of him. Seeing this, she sends the three groups north of C4 to hunt him down so he can't escape. 

 "Can I talk to you, Tsubaki-san? 

 "...... what?" 

In the distance, Yagami, who is also handling a tablet, looks back. 

 “'Wouldn't it be possible to corner Ayakoji-senpai with more detailed instructions? It seems like a bit of a tedious progression. " 

 "It's so depressing." Tsubaki decideded to ignore it, saying it in a whisper that Yagami couldn't hear. 

After another 30 minutes or so, the problems appeared. Because the three groups that ordered to advance north from C4 had barely moved. 

If there were some kind of displacement problem, why would three groups stop? 

Now she updates the GPS position in 5 minutes, which is even shorter than 10 minutes. 

 "I knew it didn't work ......" 

Ayanokouji tries to get out of B3, but 3 groups haven't got out of C4. If nothing is done, there is a risk of him escaping to C3. 

 "What’s happening? What's going on?" 

She called on her walkie-talkie, but there was no answer. 

 "How weird." 

Tsubaki senses that this is not a simple accident within the group. 

 "What's wrong, Tsubaki-san? 

Yagami, who saw a shadow in her facial expression, looked into the tablet without realizing it. 

 "What happened?" 

 “Three of the five first-year groups we sent have stopped moving. The three groups that stopped moving had one thing in common: they were all in the same position crossing paths with the sophomores. " 

In a test on an uninhabited island with more than 400 people, it is not uncommon for several groups to pass. That's why Tsubaki hadn't paid attention to them until now. 

 "Reply". 

Tsubaki called again with her walkie-talkie, but got no answer no matter how long she waited. 

 “Is it not possible that it is an accidental problem? On this uninhabited island, many groups are constantly on the move in search of designated areas and tasks, and I think it would be dangerous to assume otherwise. "  

- "Even if that’s true…there are three groups blocked for second years? 

 "It's true, but ......" 

For another 5 minutes, Tsubaki, who held on while suppressing her anger, updates the GPS. 

“They are starting to move, but they seem pretty slow. 

 "There is a group of second year students who stayed." 

 Meanwhile, Ayanokouji had left B4, down to B3, and was about to head to C3. When this happens, she had no choice but to leave it to the two groups that are following him. The two groups that were chasing Ayanokoji also stopped moving when they realized it. And likewise, a group of sophomores is stagnant. And besides, a group of second graders stay around there. 

 "It certainly seems like a second year student is sabotaging them, but if it is ...... who ... will it be." 

Yagami took the liberty of touching the tablet and trying to check the details. 

- "Hey, get out of my way." 

 "What?" 

 "I allow you to be here because you are one of us, but I don't remember allowing you to take it without permission." 

Yagami takes a step back, while looking into her eyes full of intensity. ...... 

 "I get it. But I would like to give my opinion. Shouldn't we check who the second-year students are obstructing us? " 

 "I already know it". 

Tsubaki, who intended to confirm it without being told, starts the operation. Second year students who appear to be interfering. 

However, there are no students of mixed interest in the five groups. 

 ''It seems that the person who is leading the second year students is not participating'' 

 "And there is a great variety of students from class A to D, there is no perceptible trait." 

 "So you are saying that it is not just one particular class, but the entire second year that is doing the movement? 

 "So you're saying that it's not just one particular class that is doing this, but the entire second-year class?" 

It was as Yagami had said, but Tsubaki felt stuck. Why didn't she think that all the classes would unite to protect Ayanokouji. 

 "...... so to speak." 

An answer that arises from the situation. 

 "These five groups do not understand why they have been ordered to stop us." 

 "Do you think they are cooperating without being informed?" 

 “It could be for any reason, I suppose; Perhaps this is a light assignment in which they were asked to interfere with the movements and tasks of the freshmen to protect a sophomore? " 

“Take a look at today's GPS search logs. Swipe the screen to track where the sophomores were. He's too good at what he does. We can only assume that he knew all along that we were going to attack him today. 

 "There are only two days left until the exam is finished. It's not strange that the other party is very attentive. I'm sure you know that there is a bounty on your head, so they have probably been preparing the ground beforehand." 

Yagami says it's not surprising because the closer the exam ends date, the more they get on their guard. 

 "We just have to spend time attacking now, but second-year students can't protect 

Ayanokouji-senpai all the time, right? There are special tests." 

With two days to go, it is time to score as many points as possible.  "That is sure ......." 

 "The other thing that worries me is that this group here is being easily mocked. 

Although they move separately, it is not easy to capture the five groups." 

Yagami couldn't respond to that concern, so he puts his hand on his mouth and thought about it. 

 "Don't you know why? That shows that there is a hidden commander there. " 

 "Do you think someone like Tsubaki, who is in charge, is hiding behind all this?" Tsubaki nods and unfolds a map of the entire island. 

Somewhere in this GPS answer there is a person who is viewing the battlefield the same way she is. 

He is giving the proper instructions and kept the freshmen group at bay 

 "I think we should consider suspending the operation." 

 "Why?" 

 "Are you trying to force yourself to continue with this? It is dangerous." 

 “No, I won't. The five groups of students I'm capturing right now can't do that. " 

 "Then, why don't you suspend them?" 

 "Because it's the same anyway 

 "Is the same ......?" 

This situation was something Tsubaki had foreseen from the beginning. In fact, she was even grateful that a group had appeared to interfere. 

 "I don't know who is directing everything, but I am here to show you that visual information is not everything." What the hell are you doing? 

 "Perhaps your commander has noticed the five first-year groups we moved last night." 

 "I see. So you've been doing nightly searches without fail. " 

 "As I said before, there is a second-year exam for second-year students. As we have five groups, they will try to have five groups as well and they will try to take advantage, and if they had six or seven groups, they would be neglecting the exam . " 

 "But they may have one or two more groups just in case, right?" 

 "Can be. But from what I can see now, there are only five groups of sophomores who showed irregular movements. Maybe they are confident enough to decide that they can deal with the same number? But that's what kills them. " 

Tsubaki picked up the walkie-talkie and sent out new instructions. 

 “Now there is no one who can interfere. Now you can do whatever you want ”. 

 "What do you want to come up with? There are no longer any groups in the vicinity that can move. ...... " 

 "I told you. I told you that the information you see is not all there is. " 

After giving the instructions, Tsubaki thinks about who is involved in this war. 

 “Ayanokouji is running away? No, that's not possible. I don't have the full strength to be able to manipulate and direct the other classes, I can't afford that now. " 

A murmur that was really just the movement of her mouth, inaudible even to Yagami who was next to him. 

When Tsubaki thinks, she tends to reason with words to the point that her surroundings cannot hear her. No matter how low the sound is, speaking out loud clears the mind. If I had to use an analogy, it would be to take clothes out of a messy closet one at a time and put them back in, to put them in order. 

 “Presumably, Ayanokouji contacted the people involved in this situation and asked for their help. So he could have prepared for this moment from the beginning ... " 

 "What, did you say something?" 

 "It's nothing, don't worry." 

I'm not sure if it's because she was whispering back and forth, but I think the words reached Yagami's ears as well. Tsubaki replied a bit dejected, and looked at the tablet again.