After the credits: Ayanokōji sits alone in his room. A text from an unknown number appears: "Welcome to your second year. The real exam begins now." He doesn't reply. He just smiles faintly.

is not a warm welcome back—it is a warning. It tells the audience that the “special exam” of life has only gotten harder. The episode successfully resets the board, introduces compelling new pieces, and most importantly, makes you feel Ayanokoji’s isolation in a school now filled with people who are either terrified of him or desperately trying to become him.