The reason Albert didn't look at Ichinose the entire time was because he felt guilty.
"I'm quite disappointed. If she had done as I said, she could have at least saved some exam points, but she…"
Amane looked at the already vanished figure with a touch of melancholy.
"What if she chose to leave the exam then? Would you be happy?"
Albert asked a strange question.
"Probably not. If she had listened to me and withdrawn directly, I would have been even more disappointed, because that Honami would have changed."
Amane finished speaking, shaking her head, and walked towards the school staff.
Only a bewildered Albert was left, pondering the meaning of Amane's words.
At this point, only twenty-five minutes remained until the end of the exam.
Amane arrived at Mashima's tent. Just as she was about to knock, she bumped into Mashima, who was about to come out.
"Miyako-san? Is something wrong? The exam is about to end…"
Mashima was very surprised to see Amane appear before him at this time.
At this hour, both Class D and Class B must have already started their final celebrations, right?
"Mashima, there are some things I'd like to get answers to from you."
As soon as Mashima heard that Amane was there to ask questions, he was about to refuse, but Amane's familiar eyes drew him into certain memories.
Finally, it turned into a reluctant sigh.
"Go ahead and ask, I can't guarantee I can answer you."
"First question: In this special exam, if anyone leaves the exam area without permission, or misses the exam, they will be deducted thirty exam points, right?"
Amane's question left Mashima a bit confused. These were all things clearly written in the handbook; did she still need to ask him? However, he quickly thought of something, and an expectant look appeared on his face.
"That's right."
"Second question: Does Sakayanagi Arisu count as a person?"
Amane's question made Mashima frown.
"Miyako-san, your way of asking is very impolite, and disrespectful to Sakayanagi."
"My apologies, then I'll rephrase. If Sakayanagi Arisu misses the exam due to health reasons, will Class A be deducted thirty exam points?"
"Of course, they will. Points will be deducted for any absence."
Mashima felt somewhat incredulous, but if she was inheriting the Miyako surname, it was also reasonable, right? Rin.
"Third question: What was Class A's point total when the exam began?"
"Three hundred points."
"I understand, thank you, Mashima."
Amane bowed to Mashima, an action that surprised Mashima. Amane being overly polite gave her a very strange feeling.
After Amane left the tent, she checked the time on her watch.
Twenty minutes left.
Was that enough time for Amane? Not quite, she would have to give it her all.
Since she was also on the island, it would be too rude not to meet her, wouldn't it?
Amane was not planning to search blindly.
First, due to Sakayanagi's physical condition, she couldn't stay in a forested area.
Nor could she stay in the mountains.
After excluding the four strongholds and their surroundings.
What remained was the other side of the distant mountain range.
The mountain range was not very high, with the highest point being around three hundred meters at most, but it divided the island into two. The areas where the four classes were active probably occupied two-thirds of the island's total area.
The other one-third was on the other side of the mountain range.
According to the simple map, the other side was a crescent-shaped flat beach, perfectly suitable for someone with mobility issues.
After identifying her target, Amane began to run.
She had never felt such freedom as she did at this moment.
Completely unconstrained, Amane, like a cheetah sprinting across the grassland, quickly moved through the forest, then ran effortlessly along the gravel paths in the mountains.
Amane chose the lowest path across the mountain range and quickly climbed.
Her agile movements, comparable to those of a monkey, would likely startle anyone who saw them.
Time passed by second by second.
Finally, after climbing over a mountain, a conspicuous small white tent appeared on the beach not far away.
Nearby, there was also a makeshift restroom and a temporarily erected small shack.
Could Sakayanagi really do all this by herself?
Amane accelerated and rushed down.
Gradually, that familiar figure appeared before her eyes.
The girl with the same hair color was frowning, staring at a gurgling kettle, seemingly deep in thought.
"Arisu, I found you."
"Amane, you're too late."
"Although it's a bit late, fate still favors me."
"Hmph, at a time like this, you're still playing word games. Would you like some coffee? I still have one last packet of instant coffee."
Sakayanagi picked up a small bowl carved from wood and handed it to Amane.
Amane shook her head.
"My time is up, I need to go."
Amane glanced at the time on her watch; only one minute remained.
"Ah, saying goodbye as soon as we meet. If only you had found me earlier, we could have caught up properly. But well... Amane, this time I've finally won a move against you. How does defeat taste? Is it very painful?"
Sakayanagi brewed the coffee with hot water, narrowed her eyes, and took a sip, a look of triumph on her face.
"You idiot Arisu, it's not over until the last moment, who wins and who loses is still unknown."
Amane snatched the wooden bowl and drank the scalding coffee in one gulp.
"Hey, hey, that was freshly boiled water... Never mind, you should hurry and go, otherwise, you'll lose even more miserably."
Amane nodded, then accelerated and rushed into the sea, floating there.
"Student! What are you doing!"
Two staff members suddenly darted out of a nearby shack, anxiously questioning Amane in the sea.
If a student were to do something rash, it would be a huge problem.
"She just wants to lose her qualification for the exam, well, time's up, let's reveal the answer, I hope no one will drop their jaw because of my appearance... But that would be very interesting, wouldn't it? Hehe."
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/SolyuraMT
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"