The autumn sun crawled toward its zenith, baking the athletic track of Advanced Nurturing High School with a heat that began to drain the body's fluids. Sand dust swirled in the air, clinging to the students' skin, which glistened with sweat. The cheers from the spectator stands no longer sounded like a celebration, but rather the drums of war demanding greater physical sacrifices.
"Attention all students! The third event, the Hurdle Race, will commence shortly! Participants, please take your positions on the track!"
The loudspeakers once again tore through the remaining breath of the participants. Beneath the Class 1-B tent, Horikita Suzune stared at her participant list with a calculative expression. Holding a pen, she crossed out several names who had just completed the Obstacle Course Race, then shifted her attention to the Vanguard and Shield lines prepared by Seiji Koroizumi.
"The Hurdle Race requires rhythm and flexibility," Suzune murmured, glancing toward Hirata Yosuke and Sudou Ken, who were performing light stretches. "Class A will undoubtedly deploy their athletic specialists again. Ichinose will not let us seize first place easily."
Koroizumi Seiji, leaning casually against the tent pole with a cold bottle of mineral water pressed to his cheek, nodded slowly. "Of course. Ichinose Honami is racing against time and her own stamina. she forged a contract with Class D to monopolize the victories in this early stage. Let her have them."
Suzune turned her head, her brow furrowed. "Let her? Koroizumi-kun, if Class A continues to sweep first place, they will close the gap in our points."
"They will not," Seiji interrupted with a calm smile. "As long as we consistently lock down second place, our margin of loss is incredibly thin. Remember the pure point rules: 1st Place receives 15 points, 2nd Place receives 10 points. A difference of 5 points per event is an incredibly cheap investment to drain 100% of Class 1-A's lungs. Instruct the others: do not push your muscles beyond 80% capacity. Secure second place, then let Class A burn themselves out for the sake of victory."
Suzune fell silent, absorbing the logic behind the instruction. She nodded in understanding, rapidly recalling every detail of the point distribution in her head, then walked toward her class's representatives to relay the tactical directive Seiji had just devised.
Across the field, Shibata Sou of Class 1-A stood at the starting blocks for the Hurdle Race. His breathing was already slightly heavy after being forced to compete repeatedly in the previous Obstacle Course Race. However, when his eyes caught sight of Ichinose Honami standing by the track with an encouraging, albeit slightly forced smile, Shibata swallowed hard and refocused his gaze.
Bang!
The pistol fired!
The Hurdle Race unfolded with terrifying tension. Shibata shot forward like a bullet, leaping over hurdle after hurdle with brilliant technique. Hirata Yosuke from Class 1-B ran right behind him. In the middle of the track, Shibata forced his legs to keep pumping, ignoring the soreness in his calves to maintain the lead. Hirata, remembering Seiji's instructions, did not push to overtake him. He maintained his breathing rhythm, securing a safe distance from the Class 1-C representative who was running casually in third place.
Meanwhile, the representatives of Class 1-D? They ran lazily, kicking the hurdles down, and finished in last place without the slightest hint of guilt.
The final results of the Hurdle Race were indisputable: Class 1-A took 1st Place, followed by Class 1-B in second, Class 1-C in third, and Class 1-D in last place.
"Excellent work, Shibata-kun!" Ichinose cheered as the young man returned to the tent, handing him a towel and a bottle of isotonic water.
Shibata accepted it with slightly trembling hands. "Thank you, Ichinose. But... Class B is incredibly tenacious. I had to exert one hundred percent of my energy just to keep my distance from Hirata. It's like they don't feel fatigue."
Hearing that, Ichinose's smile faded slightly. She looked toward the Class 1-B tent, watching Hirata merely wipe a bit of sweat from his forehead before returning to converse with his friends. Ichinose's business calculations were beginning to feel heavy. She was winning the gold, but Class B stayed glued to the silver, preventing the point gap from widening as she had hoped.
Without giving anyone a moment to breathe, the Fourth Event, the 200-Meter Dash, was immediately announced.
This mid-distance sprint was pure hell on the lungs. Ichinose once again forced the rotation of Class A's elite students. On the track, the battle of speed was once more dominated by Class A's resolve. They ran with faces grimacing as soreness began to spread through their leg muscles, cutting through the wind on the sharp curves of the athletic track.
On the other side of the track, Class 1-B's representatives locked in their positions in a starkly contrasting manner. Kouenji Rokusuke ran at the front of the pack while occasionally fixing his hair, maintaining an elegant stride for the sake of his muscular aesthetics without any intention of wasting energy to overtake anyone. Exactly one step behind him, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka followed with his trademark flat expression, locking his position at the safe boundary of second place with no intention of advancing, yet tactically closing the gap so the Class C runner could not approach.
Once again, the same pattern repeated. Class 1-A finished first, Class 1-B in second, Class 1-C trailed in third using Sakayanagi's energy conservation tactics, and Class 1-D resigned themselves to fourth place.
"Fifth event! Standard Tug of War!"
The tension shifted from a battle of speed to a battle of pure strength. The Tug of War was divided by gender, forcing every muscle in the body to contract. Here, Ichinose deployed the larger-built students of Class A.
On Class 1-B's side of the rope, Sudou Ken and the Shield group took their stances.
"Remember the posture Koroizumi taught us!" Sudou yelled, digging his heels into the sand. "Drop your hips! Pull with the earth!"
As soon as the whistle blew, the giant rope snapped taut. Class 1-A pulled with a desperate roar, exerting all the strength in their arms and backs. Class 1-B withstood the pull like a solid rock. The brutal back-and-forth struggle lasted for two full minutes. The students' hands were chafed, their shoulder muscles screaming.
However, from the sidelines, Seiji Koroizumi gave an almost imperceptible hand gesture—a signal to ease the pressure.
Receiving the command, Sudou gritted his teeth and slowly allowed his heels to be dragged forward. Class 1-A, already at the brink of arm muscle exhaustion, finally managed to pull the red ribbon across their boundary line. They cheered hysterically, falling flat on their backs in the sand, panting heavily.
1st Place for Class 1-A, 2nd Place for Class 1-B. Class 1-C, putting up little resistance, was satisfied with third, and Class 1-D, not even attempting to pull seriously, finished fourth.
"Sixth event! Ball Toss!"
This female-exclusive competition became a stage where Ichinose Honami personally stepped in. The pink-haired girl arranged the throwing formation with intense structure. Even though the hands of the Class A girls began to tremble from the exhaustion of previous events, Ichinose continued to encourage them with a forced smile and a voice that was beginning to grow hoarse.
"Just a little more, everyone! We need these points!" Ichinose yelled, tossing a red ball into the high basket.
On Class 1-B's side, Kushida Kikyo and Karuizawa Kei led with terrifying efficiency. Thanks to the muscle memory from Seiji's lethal training, their throws were accurate without wasting much energy. However, adhering to their class's macro strategy, Class 1-B did not push themselves to chase the ball deficit in the final minutes.
The results repeated once more. Class 1-A 1st Place, Class 1-B 2nd Place, Class 1-C 3rd Place, and Class 1-D 4th Place.
The sun had now slid to the center of the sky, turning the sky a hotter hue. But the heat above the sand field felt as if it were incinerating what little oxygen remained. Six events had passed at a grueling pace.
Beneath the Red Team's tent, the students of Class 1-A lay scattered across the plastic mats. Shibata massaged his aching calves, while several girls cried softly, the fatigue gnawing at their mental resolve. Ichinose stood among them, handing out water with slightly trembling hands.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry for pushing you all this far," Ichinose whispered, looking mournfully at her friends. "But we need this accumulation. We have to build a wall of points that Class B cannot tear down."
Kanzaki walked closer, offering Ichinose a small towel. "Honami, this is the limit. We've won consecutively in these basic individual and group events. But our point gap with Class B is incredibly narrow because they always stick to second place. And worse..." Kanzaki shot a sharp glare toward the corner of the tent.
In that corner, Ryuen Kakeru, Albert Yamada, Ishizaki Daichi, and Ibuki Mio sat relaxed. They were drinking cold water, chuckling, and hadn't broken a single sweat. The Class D pawns they sacrificed in the early rounds were indeed exhausted, but Class D's main vanguard of monsters was still in one hundred percent prime condition.
"Ryuen is still completely fresh," Kanzaki hissed. "We are handing over the two Recommended-Only Events later to them according to the contract. If they betray us at the end, all these sacrifices will be in vain."
"Ryuen will not betray the contract," Ichinose replied, trying to convince herself even though her voice sounded fragile. "He wants to win against Class B. He will use his energy to defeat Koroizumi."
"Seventh Event! Capture the Flag!"
The loudspeakers blared again, forcing the male students to rise from their brief rest. This was an arena of legalized violence. A brutal competition permitting rough physical contact to bring down the opponent's flagpole.
On the field, Class 1-A deployed a human wave strategy. They swarmed the flagpole with their remaining energy, crashing into the enemy defenses with full determination.
Meanwhile, Class 1-B's defensive line, led by Hirata and Miyake Akito, applied the principle of dampening momentum taught by Seiji. Instead of putting their bodies on the line to clash muscle against Class A's strength frontally, they utilized a flexible, passive defensive tactic.
Every time Class A's attacking wave charged, Hirata and the others intentionally stepped back slightly to channel the pushing force into empty space, minimizing bruises from direct impacts. They deliberately stalled for time, holding the flagpole at a certain angle, letting the opponent's stamina evaporate along with their sweat, before finally allowing their flag to be captured when Class A was completely out of breath. In another corner, Class 1-D's defensive line, consisting of weak students, collapsed within seconds when swarmed by Class 1-C. Ryuen, watching from afar, only laughed dismissively.
Capture the Flag Results: Class 1-A forced another 1st Place finish, followed by Class 1-B in 2nd, Class 1-C in 3rd, and Class 1-D in 4th.
"This is insane," Kamuro Masumi muttered from the Class 1-C tent, wiping the sweat from her neck. "Class A has won almost every event since the beginning. On the scoreboard, they must be racking up a massive amount of points."
Sakayanagi Arisu smiled faintly, tapping her wooden cane lightly on the floor. "A very expensive victory, Masumi-san. Ichinose Honami is buying a golden crown using the exhaustion of her own friends. Look at Class A's lineup. Their legs are starting to give out and tremble."
"Eighth Event! Girls' Cavalry Battle!" This was the climax of the first phase of physical events for the female students. A strategic battle where one person acted as the rider atop the shoulders of three female teammates, fighting to snatch the opposing riders' headbands.
In the center of the field, dust plumed as the human horses formed from the ranks of girls. Ichinose Honami surprisingly mounted as the rider for Class 1-A's main formation. She knew her female classmates had no combat power left, so she took on the physical risk herself.
"Protect the formation!" Ichinose yelled, her pink hair fluttering under the blazing sun. "Don't let them get close! We have to finish this first half with a clean sweep!"
Across from them, Class 1-B formed their Girls' Cavalry with Horikita Suzune as the rider. Unlike Class A, Class 1-B's formation looked incredibly solid. The legs of Onodera Kayano, Hasebe Haruka, and Matsushita Chiaki, acting as the support horses, were planted firmly in the ground. Koroizumi's hell juice and the biometric recovery system proved their magic here. They were tired, yes, but their muscles still responded perfectly to their brain's instructions.
"Our task is not to defeat Ichinose," Suzune instructed coldly from atop her teammates' shoulders. "Following Koroizumi-kun's plan. Let Class A exhaust their remaining strength hunting for first place points. We are targeting Class C and Class D's headbands. Secure second place without having to clash directly with Class A's aggressiveness."
The Cavalry Battle erupted fiercely. Class A moved with high aggression, charging forward to secure their points. Ichinose maneuvered with the remnants of her stamina, parrying attacks from the Class C girls with slowing movements, then snatching the opponent's headband with ragged breaths.
Meanwhile, Suzune guided the Class B Cavalry, maneuvering on the blind side of the arena. They avoided fatal collisions with Class A, swiftly ambushed the resigned Class D girls' Cavalry, and snatched Class C's headband with clinical precision.
When the long whistle signaling the end of the eighth event blew, Ichinose Honami nearly fell from her teammates' shoulders. She had managed to secure the most headbands. Class 1-A once again emerged as 1st Place. Class 1-B smoothly locked down 2nd Place. Class 1-C 3rd Place, and Class 1-D 4th Place.
Provisional Accumulated Scoreboard (Events 1 - 8)
WHITE FACTION : 19,500 Points (Leading)
Class 1-B: 12,450 Points
Class 1-C: 7,050 Points
RED FACTION : 17,300 Points (Trailing)
Class 1-A: 14,850 Points
Class 1-D: 2,450 Points
Ichinose's eyes widened upon seeing the scoreboard. True, Class 1-A had amassed a massive amount of internal points (14,850 Points), leading the individual class standings. However, their gap with Class 1-B was not wide at all. Class 1-B, which had constantly played it safe in second place, managed to stick tight with 12,450 Points.
And what was most devastating was the total faction points. Because Class 1-D contributed absolutely no valuable points (only 2,450 Points) and continued to sit in last place, the Red Team remained behind the White Team, which was supported evenly by Class B and Class C.
"The margin... isn't wide enough," Kanzaki whispered, standing exhausted beside Ichinose. "Honami, we won all the gold, but we didn't break their defense. And we are already out of energy."
Beneath the Class 1-B tent, Seiji Koroizumi walked around handing out water bottles to Sudou, Hirata, and Suzune as they returned from the field. They were sweating profusely, their muscles ached, but their eyes radiated immense satisfaction.
"You all executed perfectly," Seiji praised with the warm smile typical of an educator. "You gave Ichinose the false victory she desired, and allowed them to drain the absolute limits of their stamina."
Suzune wiped the sweat from her neck with a towel. "Class A's physical condition has reached its limit, Koroizumi-kun. They won't be able to perform optimally in the remaining events. Class A might dominate the individual class scoreboard for now, but the Red Team's overall position is highly critical."
Seiji did not answer immediately. His eyes slowly shifted across the field. There, beneath the shadow of the Red Team's canopy tent, a thick tension and an intimidating atmosphere began to rise, creeping from the ranks of Class D, who still held their energy in full reserve.
Ryuen Kakeru stood up from his folding chair. He stretched his neck until a soft cracking sound was heard. Behind him, Albert Yamada, the giant of Class D, stood tall with a solid posture entirely untouched by fatigue. Ishizaki Daichi adjusted his wrist guards with a focused stare, while Ibuki Mio simply crossed her arms over her chest, looking coldly toward the track that was beginning to clear.
Class 1-D's main vanguard, who for eight events had merely sat and watched their peers compete, now stepped out onto the field area in one hundred percent prime condition.
"Attention all students!" The committee's loudspeakers echoed again, but this time with a much more intimidating tone. "The phase of mandatory class-level events has concluded. We will now enter the climax events of the latter half: The Recommended-Only Events! All classes are expected to prepare and deploy their elite lineups!"
The atmosphere in the stadium changed drastically. If the early events were a test of mass endurance, the Recommended-Only Events were the arena for true gladiators. Only those appointed by their class would fight on this track.
Ryuen casually walked past Ichinose, who was still sitting in the sand. He stopped for a moment, shooting a brief glance with his signature faint smirk.
"Good work on this exhausting first half, Ichinose," Ryuen said, his tone casual yet cold. "You've fulfilled your part of the contract to lock down the early points. Now, step back and rest. Let me handle the rest of these events."
Without waiting for a response from the speechless Ichinose, Ryuen stepped forward into the center of the field. His wild eyes immediately locked across a distance of dozens of meters, straight toward a single point beneath the Class 1-B tent. Toward Koroizumi Seiji.
Beneath the White Team's tent, Seiji simply slipped his hands into his trouser pockets casually.
"The abstract mass agility calculations are over," Seiji said softly, his voice carrying an absolute calmness unusual for a first-year student. "The class hiding behind Class A's shield is finally moving onto the track. Suzune, Kushida, tell the kids to fall back and rest in the rear lines."
Kushida swallowed hard briefly, feeling the dense psychological pressure radiating from the calm young man before her. "Koroizumi, you... you are going to take over the burden of these Recommended-Only Events?"
Seiji merely offered a faint smile, a relaxed yet cold expression implying he had seized full control over the entire rhythm of the competition in the stadium. He simply wiped his temple slowly, letting the autumn wind sweep over his short-sleeved sports shirt that clung lightly to his body.
"After this... the true arena will only just begin to showcase how brutally this competition can drain the remainder of your energy and your stamina limits. It is time to welcome Class D's advance in an appropriate manner."
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