A long time ago, Kaoru Mitoma had drawn a reward, which he had initially thought would be useful elsewhere.
But now, it seemed like the perfect time to test its effects.
The moment he pressed the shutter, the scene before him was instantly captured on the photograph that appeared in his hand.
In the picture, a boy stood in front of a small cabin at the base of a cliff, holding a key card and swiping it on a device. Beside him was the faint reflection of another person.
In the bottom right corner of the photo was a date: August 1st, 12:58 PM—the day they had arrived on the island.
It was obvious that the boy in the photo was Kaoru Mitoma himself and the other person could only be Hashimoto Masayoshi.
"If I had taken photos of all the checkpoints back then, the exam would've been over" Kaoru Mitoma mused as he played with the time-space camera.
It could capture images from up to a hundred years ago and even came with a handy timeline for users to adjust the time.
This kind of thing likely came from some extraordinary world, something like the Marauder's Map that shouldn't exist in a normal world.
Next, Kaoru Mitoma took several more photos of the checkpoint device and the surrounding environment, carefully examining each one.
From the first day until the end of the exam, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
However, when he put down the camera, he couldn't help but gaze at the calm sea with a strange expression. Fortunately, he had prepared in advance, otherwise a sudden storm might have led to some unexpected incidents.
Kaoru Mitoma took his camera and walked around to other locations, eventually finding the photo he wanted in front of the tower.
As expected, Horikita Suzune hadn't given up on him.
Looking at Ayanokoji Kiyotaka beside the girl, Kaoru Mitoma fell into deep thought. Although he could see future scenes through the camera, he didn't know the plot.
How could he shape the future into something he desired?
After some consideration, Kaoru Mitoma spent some time walking alone to the edge of the pier, then adjusted the time to noon on August 7th.
Click—
The crisp sound of the shutter kept ringing as Kaoru Mitoma repeatedly checked the photos.
The images showed the four classes standing on the beach, with Tomonari Mashima announcing the exam results on the stage.
Since the photos had no sound, he couldn't hear Mashima voice.
However, the sheer joy of Class A was almost palpable and even a fool could guess the outcome.
Moreover, he could glean more information from the photos.
For instance, the reactions of Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, Horikita Suzune, and Ryuuen Kakeru were quite intriguing.
Lost in thought, Kaoru Mitoma eventually calmed down and turned back into the forest, soon arriving at Class D campsite.
They had occupied the downstream area of the river, with four eight-person tents in sight.
Temporary toilets and a laundry area were nearby, and he could see Horikita Suzune chatting with Kushida Kikyo, while Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stood quietly behind them, keeping to himself.
Hirata Yosuke was directing the girls, while Sudo Ken and others were fishing by the river.
Many familiar faces were also present, such as Karuizawa Kei, Sakura Airi, and Ibuki Mio.
It seemed like Koenji Rokusuke was missing.
Had he gone back?
Without disturbing Class D, Kaoru Mitoma raised his camera from a distance and took some photos of the campsite.
Looking down, he confirmed what Katsuragi had said: during the check-in, Class D had deliberately formed a circle, making it impossible to see who was checking in.
Unfortunately, this camera could only reveal information through photos and without an exact time, it was like opening a blind box—what he saw depended entirely on luck.
Wait, luck?
If he remembered correctly, he still had four uses left.
Kaoru Mitoma took out the lucky dice again, tossed it into the air and it landed with a two facing up.
Doubling the original effect should be enough, right?
After some thought, he tossed the dice once more and this time it landed with a five facing up.
[The judgment condition is now in effect, and the "Lucky Dice" effect is immediately activated!]
[Your luck has increased fivefold!]
So, did the stacking effect succeed?
Kaoru Mitoma raised the camera and aiming it at Class D campsite, randomly adjusted the time forward.
With a click, the photo fell into his hands.
Hirata Yōsuke was smiling as he handed the key card to Horikita Suzune.
Although this scene wasn't enough to definitively conclude that Horikita Suzune was the leader, it significantly increased the credibility of what Kushida Kikyo had told him.
Adjusting the time further, he soon saw a combination of elements: a rainy day, a burning campsite, and fleeing girls.
Kaoru Mitoma expression turned peculiar.
Was Class D really this disaster-prone?
With the intelligence in hand, Kaoru Mitoma wasted no time and immediately headed towards Class B location.
Class B camp was set up near a well, surrounded by dense woods, offering excellent concealment. They also employed a human wave tactic, with several people guarding the check-in device near the well to protect their leader during the check-in process.
It took Kaoru Mitoma quite some time to finally spot a figure who seemed to be the leader.
Shiranami Chihiro.
This girl always showed signs of unease before checking in, frequently looking around nervously.
Without definitive evidence, Kaoru Mitoma had no choice but to patiently focus on Shiranami Chihiro, continuously taking photos.
After capturing around a hundred photos, he finally saw the other person take out a key card from their pocket before taking a shower.
No matter how cautious one is, there's always a moment of carelessness, especially when facing Kaoru Mitoma relentless methods.
Kaoru Mitoma checked the camera's battery level—it was about half full—and then stored it back into the wishing machine.
He also buried all the photos to ensure no one would find them.
After completing these tasks, he took out the Marauder's Map and began tracking someone trail through the forest.
In no time at all, a small dot could indeed be seen, isolated in a certain spot.
Hmm, that small dot was Ryuuen Kakeru.
After recklessly squandering all the exam points, Class C promptly withdrew from the exam the next day, leaving Ryuuen Kakeru to fight alone.
Of course, he still had two spies.
In fact, even if the time-space camera hadn't captured Ryuuen Kakeru, Kaoru Mitoma could have guessed his intentions.
When the other party proactively proposed a deal regarding the leaders, it was clear to anyone with eyes that he would definitely stay on the island and would not withdraw from the exam.
It must be said, this guy is really tenacious.
Without any surprises, the leader of Class C should be Ryuuen Kakeru, because keeping the key card on Ibuki Mio and the others would be unsafe, with the risk of being searched.
This way, he had already secured the identities of three leaders.
But was the exam really going to end so easily?
Kaoru Mitoma had always been skeptical about a certain "masterpiece," after all, the title was quite intimidating and Sakayanagi Arisu kept chanting about burying the other party like a chuunibyou.
How would the other party respond?
Kaoru Mitoma decided to provoke a bit, just in time to mess with Horikita Suzune again.
At that moment, a rustling sound suddenly came from beside him.
He instinctively turned his head and saw Amikura Mako standing behind him, holding a pile of corn, her face covered in dust.
The two of them locked eyes, both momentarily stunned.
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