---Notice---
Two uploads in a week? New world record? Let's see if we can make it three.
I want my story to get out there for people to enjoy, so Powerstones?
My discord (Best server in the world): discord.gg/X8bVrxFa
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"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"The hurdle race is next," Ryuen remarked as Ibuki quietly returned to the class, her frustration evident.
"It shouldn't be too different from the 100-meter sprint," I noted, watching as the earlier groups took their positions on the track. "From what I can tell, the rules are straightforward. It's essentially the same concept, except there will be hurdles placed along the track. Hitting a hurdle adds 0.5 seconds to your time, while merely touching one adds 0.3 seconds. There are ten hurdles in total, meaning one hurdle every ten meters."
As I observed the competitors, my analysis was quickly validated. Many students struggled with their footing, losing precious seconds, but overall, the race remained a test of rhythm and speed rather than pure stamina.
A moment later, the speakers crackled.
"Group 4, please step forward."
"Looks like I'm up," I said, making my way to the starting area.
Standing beside me were Ayanokoji and Kanzaki.
"Ah… looks like I got a bit unlucky," Kanzaki muttered upon noticing his opponents. "Ichinose warned me that you're faster than you seem, Ayanokoji."
Ayanokoji tilted his head slightly. "Ichinose said that? She must be mistaken," he replied, his tone flat.
Kanzaki gave a slow, unconvinced nod before turning to me. "And I heard you were personally inspired to try your hardest in the sports festival, Yagami."
I chuckled. "Haha, don't tease me too much. I heard you're pretty athletic yourself."
"I'm decent, sure," Kanzaki admitted, stretching his arms. "But you beat Shibata in the 100-meter sprint without even looking winded. I'm not sure I could do the same."
"Is that so? I think you underestimate yourself," I replied evenly.
Kanzaki exhaled, then said something unexpected. "You know, this may sound stupid, but you two—Ayanokoji, Yagami—you're the kinds of people I fear the most. In some ways, you're so similar, yet at the same time, completely different…"
No one responded. Neither Ayanokoji nor I had anything to say to that. Even Kanzaki himself seemed to recognize that his words needed no follow-up.
Then, without further delay, the race began.
This time, my start was cleaner—better than in the 100-meter sprint. I surged ahead, taking an early lead over the other participants.
Curiosity quickly got the better of me.
Confident that I wouldn't lose—and honestly indifferent to the final ranking—I glanced back.
Kanzaki was in second place, his speed steady. Ayanokoji, however, lagged in fourth.
Interesting.
I returned my focus to the track, maintaining my lead as the race continued.
The first hurdle came quickly, but I cleared it with ease, my form perfect. A quick glance back confirmed that Kanzaki had done the same. Ayanokoji, despite his seemingly slower pace, was already gaining ground. The student in front of him hesitated slightly, struggling with his jump, which allowed Ayanokoji to slip ahead without issue.
Even as we reached the second, third, fourth, and fifth hurdles, the pattern remained the same. The three of us—Kanzaki, Ayanokoji, and I—had already separated ourselves from the rest of the competitors by a considerable margin.
It became clear what set us apart. Unlike the other runners, we cleared each hurdle flawlessly, without even brushing against them. Even if Ayanokoji was holding back, he had no interest in outright crashing into any obstacles. His movements were effortlessly efficient.
As the race neared its conclusion, the positions remained unchanged. I maintained my lead and crossed the finish line first, with Kanzaki finishing close behind me.
"Ha…" Kanzaki exhaled, slightly out of breath. "That was impressive, Yagami. I knew you were athletic, but you even surprised me. You too, Ayanokoji."
Ayanokoji responded in his usual indifferent tone. "I've always been a good jumper, so I guess I just had a slight advantage in this race compared to a regular sprint."
I glanced at Kanzaki. "If anything, I think your performance was the most impressive. Your breathing, your form—everything was impeccable."
Kanzaki sighed, shaking his head. "You two… both immediately downplaying your own performances." He turned to Ayanokoji with a knowing look. "I can understand you doing that, but as for you, Yagami… what's the point in complimenting me? You took first place. There's no reason to act like you have anything to learn from me."
"It was only by a small margin," I replied smoothly. "I'm sure there are plenty of things I could pick up from you, even if I won."
Kanzaki let out a short, amused laugh. "I'm not so sure about that. I am slightly out of breath after that race, while you and Ayanokoji still look like you're in peak condition. And not only that… you specifically Yagami, seemed more interested in watching the race behind you than in actually winning. I doubt it was as close as the results made it look."
He let out another sigh—disappointment lingering in his tone—but then smiled. "At least you won. That way, Ichinose might still be happy with our team's results."
I returned his smile. "I hope so." Then, with a nod, I added, "Anyway, we should head back. Good luck in your next competition, Kanzaki. And you too, Ayanokoji."
With that, I turned and made my way back to my class.
I watched the following hurdle races, but they weren't particularly entertaining. Most followed the same predictable pattern, with only a few students standing out. Before long, the female hurdle race began, and I turned to Ryuen.
"Next is Capture the Flag, right?" I asked.
He responded without hesitation. "Yeah. Unlike most events, it's not split by gender. But I thought it'd be a waste to put you in that one. Your energy is better spent on individual competitions."
"Is that so?" I murmured more to myself than to him.
Soon, the hurdle races came to an end, and Ryuen, along with the rest of the students, gathered for Capture the Flag.
The rules were simple: the first team to secure two flag captures would be the winner.
As the event unfolded, it became clear that Ryuen was right—I really wasn't needed. The white team, consisting of Classes B and C, secured an easy victory.
Class D's athletic ability was severely lacking. Even though their partners for this exam were from Class A, making them a more formidable force, the sheer number of above-average athletes in Classes 1-B and 1-C tilted the balance in our favor. The game wasn't a complete one-sided stomp, but ultimately, we overwhelmed Classes A and D's defenses.
Still, despite our success, the overall score of the sports festival remained incredibly close.
While Class 1-D had been a weak link, Classes 2-B and 2-C weren't particularly dominant either—especially compared to the powerhouses of Class 2-A. It was likely due to Nagumo's influence; he had spent the last year weeding out the weaker students, leaving his class stacked with elite performers.
And then, of course, there was Class 3-A—a team so strong they could single-handedly turn the tide of the entire festival.
Despite the various mismatches, the point gap between the groups remained tight.
Next up: a contest of pure strength—Tug of War.
Unlike the previous events, this one required no explanation. As soon as Capture the Flag ended, everyone instinctively moved toward their assigned areas.
While Class A and Class D had suffered a tough loss, their female teammates managed to compensate with a win in the ball toss game. With momentum still up in the air, the next few events would be crucial in shifting the balance of the sports festival.
The students from all classes began forming their teams, but I quickly noticed something—Class A and Class D were lining up in order of height.
A simple strategy, but effective.
This event played to their strengths. While Classes B and C had the highest number of physically athletic students, Class C in particular lacked heavyweights—those with pure raw strength. Class B made up for this with powerhouses like Albert and Ryuen, but Class A had a few strong individuals of their own.
That wasn't the only factor at play, though.
Cooperation.
Classes B and C had been working together more smoothly compared to Classes A and D. Even though Class A was supposedly strategizing, the cracks in their unity were apparent. While Katsuragi had successfully rallied Class D and part of Class A into following his height-based formation, not all of his classmates were on board.
Some members of Class A stood idly, reluctant to follow his orders. Others moved into position, but with visible disinterest. It wasn't hard to tell—some of them had no intention of giving this event their all.
Even after supporting and helping the Katsuragi faction, Sakayanagi had clearly maintained control over her loyalists.
Katsuragi, of course, noticed this immediately. But instead of getting flustered, he acted.
Stepping forward, he addressed the group with a firm yet calculated voice.
"It seems some of you are unmotivated," he began, his sharp gaze scanning the hesitant members of Class A. "I hope you all understand that this is a team competition. Whether you support me or Sakayanagi, your priority here should be winning. A loss here will only cause problems for her, not just me."
Silence.
Katsuragi continued, unfazed.
"It's already been proven that a few of you betrayed Class A during the island exam," he said, his words carrying weight. "I won't point fingers, but we have a clear idea of the ones responsible for our defeat. So before anyone here decides to pull another stunt, ask yourself this—will it really harm me, or will it simply attract more suspicion and weaken Sakayanagi's position?"
An instant shift occurred.
The members of Class A who had been hesitant just moments ago seemed to reconsider. Whether it was due to fear of being exposed or genuine concern for the class's ranking, they grabbed the rope with renewed focus.
Katsuragi had grown.
He still wasn't capable of taking down Sakayanagi, not yet—but he was far more resourceful than he had been during the island exam.
And in this moment, he had successfully forced some of her followers to act in the best interest of Class A.
It was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.
The game of tug-of-war began.
At first, the rope swayed back and forth, neither side securing a definitive lead. The BC team applied steady pressure, forcing AD into a defensive stance, their heels digging into the ground as they struggled to maintain their position.
For a moment, it seemed like BC had the advantage. They were inching forward, forcing AD onto the defensive, gradually weakening their grip.
Then—suddenly—everything changed.
With what seemed like a single, overwhelming motion, the AD team caught BC off guard. In the span of three seconds, BC's solid grip was shattered. The advantage they had just moments ago was gone, wiped away as their balance was thrown into disarray.
It all came down to one person.
The anchor at the very back of AD's formation.
Rokusuke Koenji.
Not many noticed, but I did.
Right before BC began gaining momentum, Koenji had been relaxed, his stance almost lazy. He barely exerted any effort, content with letting the match play out like always.
Then, the instant BC tipped the scales in their favor, Koenji's posture changed entirely.
From a casual, upright stance, he shifted low, crouching down to lower his center of gravity. His muscles tensed, his frame locked into place as he became an immovable force. And with that, he unleashed his full strength, exerting maximum force through his entire body.
It was a single action—one man pulling with all his might.
But the effect was instant.
The sudden introduction of raw, overwhelming power caught the BC team off guard. The pressure they had been applying was reversed in a blink. Off balance and caught off guard, they lost control.
And just like that, AD secured the victory.
Yet one question remained.
Why?
Koenji had never shown any interest in assisting Class D before. He had made it clear time and time again that he had no allegiance to anyone but himself.
So what changed?
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
If Koenji had suddenly decided to make a name for himself, it could be problematic. His physical abilities alone made him a nuisance. If he truly desired to compete with other classes, he would have no trouble doing so.
But I knew that wasn't the case.
My gaze shifted.
Katsuragi.
During the coin game on the cruise ship, he demonstrated that Koenji—despite his unpredictable nature—could be tamed under the right circumstances. Horikita must have taken note of that.
She had already secured one victory against Ryuen in the gambling special exam, spreading false information through class D's traitor Kushidato to manipulate the outcome in her favor.
And in that same exam, she earned one million private points.
While Class D as a whole remained financially weak, Horikita alone had the means to bribe Koenji.
It seemed she had done exactly that.
Horikita had now secured a second victory over Ryuen.
This was a clear sign of her evolution.
A shift was occurring.
Class A had seen Katsuragi's growth.
Class B was undergoing Ichinose's transformation.
And now, Class D was witnessing Horikita's rise.
Change was in motion.
But…
Class C had yet to evolve.
Neither Ryuen nor I had been forced to change.
Not yet.
But even that will all change soon.
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I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts, reading comments is always fun.