Under Mashima Tomoya's direction, the students of Class A formed neat, orderly rows on the beach.
Mashima clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention, and the staff members beside him began distributing a black wristwatch to each student.
"Listen carefully."
Mashima swept his gaze across the assembled students and spoke in a low, measured tone.
"Each of you will receive one of these watches. From this moment until the exam concludes one week from now, no one is permitted to remove their watch without authorization. It must remain on your wrist at all times."
"If anyone removes their watch without permission, it will be treated as a rules violation and subject to severe penalties."
Those penalties were, naturally, tied to class points — and points were of considerable importance to every student here, Class A included. While Class A's individual point reserves were substantial, their class points hadn't pulled far enough ahead of Class B or C to be comfortable. They were still within catching distance.
Mashima paused, then continued his explanation.
"This is not merely a timepiece. It contains a high-precision sensor capable of monitoring your body temperature, pulse, and physical movement in real time. It is also equipped with a satellite positioning system, allowing the school to track your location at any moment."
"Additionally, this watch has a function for transmitting emergency signals to the school."
Mashima pointed to a prominent red button on the side of the watch.
"If you encounter a danger on the island that you cannot handle, or if you experience severe physical distress, press this button without hesitation. The school will receive the signal immediately and dispatch a rescue team. Needless to say, doing so also means you are withdrawing from the exam."
"One more thing — these watches are fully waterproof, so there's no need to worry even if you go swimming in the sea."
Shikime Natsu accepted the watch and slipped it onto his wrist with casual ease. The cool metal pressed against his skin, carrying a faint chill.
He listened as Mashima went on to explain the additional rules — how they were to seek out and occupy strongpoints scattered across the island, and the point reward system that came with successfully holding them.
Natsu filed every detail away in memory. But even as he listened, his mind drifted back to the helicopter he'd spotted on the stern deck of the cruise ship.
Was that helicopter here for rescue operations? The island didn't seem to have anything particularly dangerous — no deadly terrain, no ferocious wildlife. Then again, if a person was determined to get hurt, they could manage it on a perfectly flat surface.
Still, the fact that they'd deployed a helicopter did suggest the school genuinely cared about student safety to some degree. Or perhaps more accurately — if a student actually came to serious harm, the school itself would be the one in trouble.
After all, this school counted among its enrollment certain heirs to major financial dynasties. Kouenji Rokusuke being a prime example. Those families would never tolerate their successors being exposed to unknown risks. Though in Kouenji's particular case, Natsu suspected there wasn't much on this island that could pose any real danger to him.
Once Mashima had finished running through all the rules, a brief silence settled over the beach.
Almost instinctively, every single pair of eyes in Class A turned and landed on Shikime Natsu.
Mashima had formally dismissed them, but no one moved. They wanted to know what Natsu had in mind. Left to their own devices, they could certainly act independently — but Class A was no leaderless rabble. They had Shikime Natsu.
Feeling the weight of all those expectant, trusting gazes, Natsu showed not the slightest trace of pressure.
He stepped forward out of the group, looked at Mashima, and asked a question that caught every single person present completely off guard.
"Mashima-sensei, I'd like to clarify something."
His expression was pleasant, his tone unhurried.
"The rule about prohibiting environmental pollution — what exactly are the specific standards for that?"
"For instance... if we were to make use of the trees, vines, and other natural resources on this uninhabited island to construct shelters — would that also count as environmental pollution?"
Hearing that, Mashima Tomoya blinked.
Even the Class A students standing behind Natsu stared with wide eyes, their faces written over with pure disbelief.
Constructing... shelters?!
Was he actually serious? Was Natsu genuinely asking because he intended to build actual structures out here in the wilderness, from scratch, with nothing but timber?!
That was insane, wasn't it?!
Sure, everyone knew Natsu was capable across the board — academics, athletics, even cooking.
But...
Construction? Carpentry?
That kind of specialized skill — did he actually have that too?!
Mashima adjusted his glasses, studied Natsu carefully, and only once he confirmed that the boy was not joking did he slowly provide an answer.
"In principle, as long as it doesn't constitute large-scale destruction of vegetation, or leave behind non-biodegradable man-made waste..."
"If you're only using fallen timber from the island, or felling trees in moderate quantities to construct temporary shelters, and you clean up all scattered debris when you leave without causing permanent environmental damage..."
"Then no, it does not violate the rules."
"Understood."
Natsu nodded, a knowing smile spreading across his face.
"Got it. That's all I needed to know."
Good. That settled it.
If the rules allowed it, then there was nothing stopping him from going all out.
Next came the procedural selection of a "Leader."
The Leader was the person who held the sole "key card" — the instrument of strongpoint occupation.
According to the rules, if another class successfully identified a class's Leader, that class would suffer a severe penalty: an immediate deduction of 50 of the precious exam-use points, and a full reset of all bonus points accumulated from occupied strongpoints. The same reset applied if a class guessed another class's Leader incorrectly.
The risk was considerable — which meant the key card holder should ideally not be the person who was visibly the class's usual leader, as that made them an easy target.
Natsu had no particular desire to spend the week wandering from strongpoint to strongpoint with a key card in hand, so he didn't volunteer.
"I'll do it."
While everyone was still deliberating, Katsuragi Kouhei stepped forward on his own.
"My presence is relatively low-key, and I tend to move cautiously by nature. Other classes should have a harder time identifying me."
He glanced at Natsu, clearly seeking his approval — because in Class A, nothing was truly decided until Shikime Natsu gave his nod.
Katsuragi's natural presence wasn't especially weak, but standing next to Shikime Natsu had a way of making anyone fade into the background by comparison.
Hearing Katsuragi volunteer, Natsu accepted without a moment's hesitation. Katsuragi was someone who got things done — that much was beyond question.
"Alright. I'm counting on you, Katsuragi."
With the Leader role handled, Natsu could now focus on actually enjoying this uninhabited island getaway with his girlfriends.
Of course, handing off the Leader position didn't mean he was stepping back entirely.
While no one was looking, Natsu quietly reached into his system inventory and activated an item card — [Barometer].
He dialed in his preferred temperature and weather conditions, then triggered it. On an uninhabited island, rain would be an enormous nuisance, and Natsu had no fondness for grey, drizzly weather.
With the card activated, an invisible ripple spread silently across the entire island.
The oppressive, muggy humidity that had been clinging to the tropical air seemed to be smoothed away by an unseen hand in an instant.
The moisture in the air settled to a perfect level. The temperature eased down to around 24 degrees Celsius — right in the sweet spot of human comfort.
"Hm?"
Totsuka Yahiko, standing nearby, rubbed his arm and blinked in surprise.
"That's strange... did it suddenly get a lot cooler just now?"
"You're right, it was pretty hot a moment ago, and now it's like...not so hot anymore?"
Hashimoto Masayoshi undid the top button of his collar and breathed in the sea breeze, which had turned noticeably refreshing, a look of genuine bewilderment on his face.
The others found it odd as well, but chalked it up to the unpredictable nature of island weather and thought nothing more of it.
Only Shikime Natsu smiled quietly to himself, his contribution hidden in plain sight.
Next up: selecting a suitable strongpoint to occupy.
Natsu flipped open the "Field Manual". Unlike everyone else agonizing over which supplies to prioritize, he went straight to the tools section and pointed out a basic carpentry kit listed on the page, addressing Katsuragi Kouhei, who was managing their points.
"Redeem this set first. Thirty points."
No one in Class A raised any objection. As far as they were concerned, if Natsu was doing it, he had his reasons — and besides, he'd already mentioned building shelters. They were curious to see how that would turn out.
Tools in hand, Natsu let his photographic memory do its work. The map of the island he'd memorized aboard the cruise ship snapped into perfect clarity in his mind.
Water sources, level ground, fruit trees — he had it all mapped out down to the last detail.
"Follow me."
He waved the group forward and led them through a stretch of forest, heading directly to a spot on the eastern side of the island.
The location bordered a clear, gently flowing stream — water access was effortless. The ground was flat and dry, sheltered on all sides by surrounding trees that provided both concealment and ventilation. It was, in short, a natural camping paradise.
"Katsuragi, use the key card to claim this spot."
Natsu indicated the strongpoint registration device.
Once Katsuragi completed the occupation, Natsu turned and pointed in several different directions deeper into the forest, his instructions crisp and organized.
"Next — Katsuragi, take a few people and check those directions."
"I observed from the ship earlier. There should be more strongpoints hidden at each of those locations. If no one's claimed them yet, secure them."
"Understood."
Katsuragi gave a firm nod and immediately set off with a small group.
The remaining students began organized resource-gathering under Natsu's direction, each assigned a clear role.
"Well then."
Natsu rolled his wrists and surveyed the dense trees surrounding him, the corner of his mouth curving upward.
"Time to get started."
He picked up the axe they'd just redeemed and walked toward several tall, straight-trunked trees.
"Natsu, do you need a hand?"
Kamuro Masumi walked over, eyeing his ready-for-action stance, and asked.
Natsu stopped, turned to look at her, and shook his head with a smile.
"I've got this."
Masumi's current physical condition was more than capable of chopping trees — but it would still drain her stamina. Natsu, on the other hand, had unlimited energy, and on top of that he had his Nimble Hands skill. Truthfully, the others wouldn't be able to assist him in any meaningful way.
"Masumi, you and the others just gather some wild fruit and dry branches from the area nearby."
"As for this part..."
He glanced over at Hashimoto Masayoshi and Totsuka Yahiko standing to the side.
"Hashimoto, Totsuka — and the rest of you guys — come give me a hand."
"Help me haul the timber, and set the materials wherever I tell you."
"Yes, sir! Leader!"
Several of the boys immediately rolled up their sleeves and came forward.
What followed was a masterclass.
In the time that came next, Shikime Natsu showed everyone present the true meaning of the word "professional."
Thwack — thwack —
The axe swung. Wood chips flew.
Trees that would have seemed impossibly solid to any ordinary person fell before Natsu's hands like they were made of tofu — dropped in just a few clean strikes, then swiftly stripped of branches and cut into timber of the right length.
His movements were seamless, without a single wasted motion. Every step seemed to have been calculated to microscopic precision — no thinking required, just pure execution.
And then there was his strength.
It was staggering. Massive beams of timber he hoisted with ease, positioning them with exact precision and driving them into the foundation.
"This is... Shiki-san's true ability?"
Hashimoto Masayoshi and Totsuka Yahiko, hauling lumber on the sidelines, stood with their jaws on the floor.
They'd assumed Natsu was just academically brilliant. But this — his manual capability, his raw physical output — was on a level that defied description.
This wasn't a high schooler. This was a master craftsman fused with a superhuman strongman.
Very quickly, under Natsu's turbo-charged pace, a simple but fully functional outdoor toilet rose from the ground first.
Then, one after another —
One cabin. Two cabins...
Class A had forty students, so Natsu built five in total — five spacious wooden cabins, constructed one after the next without pause.
Each one was structurally sound, fitted with ventilated windows screened by large leaves that could simply be removed when airflow was needed.
The clearing could only accommodate so much — but for students experiencing wilderness survival for the first time, this was an almost absurdly luxurious living arrangement.
The entire spectacle left Mashima Tomoya, who had been watching quietly from a short distance away, completely slack-jawed.
His mouth hung open. His habitually expressionless face was, for once in his career, written entirely in shock and disbelief.
When Natsu had asked that question about "environmental pollution," Mashima had assumed he was talking about throwing together a simple rain shelter, or maybe a frame for a campfire.
But...
He genuinely had not anticipated this.
Shikime Natsu had actually done it. Five proper wooden cabins, erected from scratch in an impossibly short stretch of time.
Was this still the uninhabited island survival exam designed to forge student resolve and grit?
How had it turned into an episode of "Island Renovation Masterclass"?!
"This is... incredible..."
Hashimoto Masayoshi stepped inside one of the cabins, running a hand along the smooth interior wall, unable to hold back a heartfelt murmur of awe.
"Shiki-san... you're genuinely something else."
"Craftsmanship like this... even a professional carpenter couldn't match you, could they?"
The rest of the class gathered around, marveling at the cabins that had seemingly materialized from thin air, their eyes full of admiration and delighted surprise.
"We only spent thirty points... and got all of this?!"
"Good grief... that's absurdly efficient!"
"If we'd redeemed tents, our points wouldn't even have covered it!"
"And wooden cabins are way more comfortable than tents anyway!"
"Sticking with Shiki-san was absolutely the right call!"
The praise came from every direction.
Everyone here was made of tough enough stuff to endure hardship for the sake of their class points. But...
If there was an option to live better — to sleep in solid, weatherproof wooden shelters — who in the world would turn that down?
"Alright, the shelter situation is sorted."
"Next... I'm going fishing."
"Fishing?"
Everyone blinked.
Then, almost as one, the protests started pouring in.
"Shiki-san, please take a break first!"
"Seriously! You just built all of that, and it started from chopping down trees — that's brutal physical labor!"
"Even a machine would be running on fumes by now!"
"Fishing — leave that to us!"
In their eyes, the energy expenditure of what Natsu had just pulled off had to be astronomical. Admittedly, he looked completely fine right now — flushed with healthy color, breathing steady, not the faintest sign of fatigue. The man was basically Superman.
But even so — he was the core of the class. How could they let their most important person push himself to exhaustion like this?
Natsu, for his part, just waved them off with an easy gesture. He had unlimited energy; what he'd just done had barely registered as exertion.
That said, to avoid raising suspicion, he'd been quietly using Synchronization throughout — nudging everyone's perception so that his performance, while impressive, felt like the natural output of someone with exceptional physical gifts. The effect only lasted twelve hours, but the residual impression would linger: in everyone's minds, Shiki-san was a guy with freakish stamina and serious construction chops.
Combined with everything he'd shown at school before, the mental hurdle for accepting what they'd just witnessed was considerably lower.
"I'm fine, really. Not tired at all."
"Leave the fishing to me. I've done it before, I know what I'm doing."
"You guys — stay here and get a fire going, and sort through whatever wild fruit was brought back."
Without waiting for further argument, he turned and walked toward the shoreline.
Totsuka Yahiko and Hashimoto Masayoshi made a move to follow.
But Natsu waved them off again.
Seriously — if they tagged along, how was he supposed to use his Supernatural abilities to cheat?
Watching his retreating figure, the two of them could only concede with exasperated sighs.
They figured that even if he came back empty-handed, it would be fine. He'd already done more than enough for one day.
Mashima Tomoya had been keeping a close eye on things from nearby. When he saw Natsu heading toward the water, he hesitated a moment, then walked over.
"Shikime — do you need to purchase a fishing rod?"
He pointed to the fishing gear listed in the manual and offered the suggestion in good faith.
The kid was a phenomenon, sure. But catching fish by hand — that was on another level of difficulty entirely, wasn't it?
"No need."
Natsu shook his head, his tone easy with confidence.
"I'll just go in and grab them directly."
"Don't worry, Sensei — I won't swim out too far."
Mashima knew full well that Natsu's physical condition and swimming ability were both well above average.
Even so...
Out of a sense of duty as homeroom teacher — and to guard against any unforeseen incident — he followed Natsu down to the water's edge regardless.
He didn't go in, of course. As examiner and supervisor, helping with the fishing would have been entirely inappropriate. He simply stood on the shore and watched.
He watched Natsu kick off his shoes, give his body a quick stretch, and then plunge into the deep blue sea like a sleek, agile fish — his silhouette vanishing beneath the surface in an instant.
Mashima stood on the shore, eyes fixed on the calm water, silently counting seconds.
One minute...
Two minutes...
Just as he was beginning to wonder if Natsu had been under for too long —
SPLASH —
The surface erupted.
Shikime Natsu burst out of the water.
And cradled in his arms was...
A massive fish, thrashing wildly against his grip.
Mashima stared. His brain stalled.
That fish...
Judging by its size and length — it had to weigh something close to ten kilograms.
That...
That couldn't be right.
A fish that size — caught by hand, in that short a time, with absolutely no equipment?!
That defied every law of reason!
Natsu waded back to shore, soaking wet from head to toe, the enormous fish tucked under his arm. He looked at Mashima Tomoya's utterly stupefied expression and broke into a wide, bright grin.
"Heh heh..."
"Lucky shot. Total fluke."
"Today's my lucky day, I guess — barely went under and this big guy just swam right into my arms."
Mashima stared at him, his cheek giving an involuntary twitch.
Lucky shot.
You're going to attribute landing something that size to luck?
What do you think this is, a video game?!
Though...
Looking at the fish, still flopping vigorously in Natsu's grip, Mashima had to concede the point.
With a catch like that...
Class A's food supply for the day was completely and utterly secured.
Add in the five solid wooden cabins...
Class A's basic survival needs on this uninhabited island had been, without exaggeration, entirely resolved.
Mashima Tomoya gazed at the boy in front of him — still shaking water droplets from his hair — with a complicated expression he couldn't quite put into words.
Deep inside, a long, slow sigh of resignation welled up.
Shikime Natsu...
This guy was, through and through, a complete and utter monster.
Mashima had taught class after class over the years, supervised more uninhabited island survival exams than he could count.
But in all his time, he had never once — not in any previous cohort — seen a first-year student take what was supposed to be a grueling wilderness survival test and somehow transform it into something that could only be described as an "uninhabited island bed-and-breakfast renovation project."
With the basics fully taken care of... was the next item on the agenda really going to be sightseeing and leisure?
____
👻🔥Read More: Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Oshi No Ko: Co-starring with Kana Arima
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