Afterword

This is Kinugasa, and as of this November, I have finally crossed into a major milestone.

19 years old → 40 years old. When I look back, it appears I have dedicated more than half of my life to the act of writing.

I have become a full-fledged ‘ojisan,’ reaching an age that, in eras past, was classified as the beginning of one’s elder years. Literally old.

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However, the fact that I can continue my professional activities without incident is entirely due to the support of my readers. For that, I offer my sincere gratitude.

Volume 3 focused on the uninhabited island arc, which leads me to wonder: were there those among you who were anticipating a fan-service display of girls in swimsuits?

Too bad! That's not happening!

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But, maybe next time (but then again, maybe not).

So, with that expectation set, the answer will be carried over to Volume 4.

This time, it was a story about the third years as a whole, so it was a bit thin and wide, but the next special exam is scheduled to narrow the focus to a much smaller cast of characters, despite the large scale of the trial itself.

It will feature new encounters and inevitable partings, serving as a significant turning point for the third-year arc, so I look forward to your continued support.

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And so, that was the summary of this volume and a preview of the next......

Here, I have one important announcement to make.

Up until now, I have managed to keep my career moving forward by essentially deceiving my own body, pushing through the physical strain. But recently, in an effort to maintain my strict publication schedule, I have placed an immense burden on my family and my colleagues. To be honest, as I worked on Volume 3, I was surprised I could even bring it to completion for release. It was a daily struggle so grueling that I doubt I could ever replicate such a feat.

I've managed to persevere this far with various forms of support, but I've judged that if I try to maintain this pace, not only will I cause more trouble and worry to those around me, but it will lead to a fatal decline in the quality of the series.

Therefore, following this release, I have decided to allow myself a longer interval before the next volume. While the schedule would normally dictate a March release, it will likely be pushed to late April or perhaps late May. I cannot provide a definitive date at this moment, but I intend to return as soon as I can.

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To everyone who is looking forward to it, I apologize for the inconvenience, and I thank you for your understanding. It's a bit early to say, but I'll see you in 2026. Until then.

We hope you loved this volume as we all did.

This time, several of us were occupied with exams around the time of the release, but despite that, we’ve done our best. Rest assured, this is the highest-quality translation for this volume.

We sincerely appreciate your patience and continued support.

If you’d like to share your reading experience or have any suggestions for us, feel free to reach out through animeanyway.com/contact or join our Discord.

Next, we’ll meet again in Year 3 Volume 4, which, in Kinugasa-sensei’s own words, marks a significant turning point in the third-year arc.

Until then, we hope you enjoyed this release as much as we enjoyed working on it.

See you in the next volume! And goodbye for now!

Akiso (Lead)
What does Kinugasa-sensei meant with ‘new encounters and inevitable partings’? (*Nervous) Well... despite that I am interested for THE ISLAND EXAM and NEW EXPULSIONS! Sooo loooking forward to the next volume! and about this one... Loved it! The Hirata-Hashimoto and Kōji-Ryūen scenes in particular. Anyways, hoping for a fast recovery for Kinugasa-sensei and a Happy New Year for y'all! Until next time!

Saku (Editor)
Ryuen is the finest creation of Kinugasa, Morishita is close second.

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Meihara Fuyu (Translator)
It ain't much, but it's honest work.. Think I love Morishita~

RI || Great Love (Translator)
Hi! RI here again !! (Since it's New year, I'd like to express happiness and prosperity to all our dear readers and the ANIME ANYWAY team. Since it's winter here, the snow view covering the area is very beautiful here. I hope you're also enjoying your best time with your loved ones.) Anyway, Once again I would like to express my deepest gratitude towards the Anime Anyway team for the opportunity given to me. So, about the volume, It lived up to my expectations. The fighting scene of Ryūen and Ayanokōji and the infiltration of Ayanokōji in class A was pretty much breathtaking. Oh, it seems like I spoke too much. Guess it's time for me to rest my pen here. Looking forward for the better future. See you in next volume! Happy New year!

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Eduardo (Dev)
PLEASE PLEASE MUJHE MAT MAARO MUJHE JEENA HAI MAIN MAA BANNE WALI HU I'M PREGNANT

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The Real Eduardo (Definitely not akiso)
Don't worry about the above one, I am going to work to the bone for y'all

NotInvented (Dev)
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it!

HeliosDrago (Illustration CL/RD)
Kei is the best girl in COTE.

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NanotechPikachu (Proofreader)
"I don't know where the story will take me. However... I'm sure that the place I want to go is the final chapter." That's all I wanna say. See ya in the next volume!

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Tr577 (Translator)
As it turns out, what I mentioned in the last volume will be ready by the next one. I’ll see you then!