The breeze carried a distinct, cool crispness, sweeping away the fading remnants of summer's humidity. Outside the glass windows of Class 1-B, the leaves on a few trees were beginning to show a brownish tint. September had arrived, marking the end of a summer vacation fraught with intrigue and psychological warfare on the uninhabited island and the luxury cruise ship.
Inside the classroom, the atmosphere felt calmer, yet harbored an underlying tension. Their success in skyrocketing from the bottom tier to now holding the position of Class 1-B with 1,340 Class Points had instilled a newfound confidence in the students. Their gap with Class 1-A, led by Ichinose Honami (1,405 Points), was now incredibly slim, while below them, Sakayanagi was slowly creeping up with 1,196 Points in Class 1-C, leaving Ryuen and Class 1-D languishing at 700 Points.
Moreover, the massive influx of Private Points from the Zodiac Exam made the majority of the class feel as though they were on top of the world. Amidst this increasingly relaxed atmosphere, Seiji Koroizumi sat in a casual posture at his desk, simply twirling a pen between his fingers as he waited for the bell to ring. On the surface, he looked like an ordinary student boredly waiting for the teacher, savoring the temporary peace before the daily school routine resumed.
Right as the bell rang, the classroom door slid open. Chabashira Sae strode in, the rhythmic click of her high heels exuding intimidation. Her posture was perfectly upright, her expression as icy as ever. Her sharp gaze swept across the room, ensuring all 40 of her students were present without exception. She halted her steps right behind the podium, dropping a stack of paper documents onto the desk with a dull thud that shattered the silence.
"Take your respective seats," Chabashira ordered in an authoritative tone. The murmurs in the classroom vanished instantly. Even Sudou Ken immediately corrected his sitting posture in compliance.
Chabashira stared at them for a few seconds before speaking.
"The second semester begins today," Chabashira said, her voice echoing off the walls of the silent classroom. "You have successfully survived the summer exams without a single expulsion. As your homeroom teacher, I will commend your resilience. Claiming the throne of Class B in such a short time is a rare achievement. However, do not think you can afford to relax."
She picked up a marker and began writing large letters on the whiteboard. Two words that instantly made several physically gifted students straighten their backs, while a few others gulped nervously.
SPORTS FESTIVAL
"Over the next month, from September to October, we will be holding a sports festival," Chabashira explained as she set the marker down. "Therefore, your physical education periods will increase significantly. This is not just a typical recreational event where you can simply cheer from the sidelines."
Chabashira picked up the stack of documents on her desk and handed them to the students in the front row to be passed to the back.
The sheets of white paper moved from hand to hand with a rustling sound that filled the room. Seiji received his copy, skimmed it with his supercomputer-like processing speed, and recorded every detail regarding the rules, point regulations, and penalty systems into his brain in a mere matter of seconds, before passing the remaining papers to the desk behind him—Horikita Suzune's desk.
"That is your new schedule and the information regarding the sports festival," Chabashira stated, folding her arms across her chest. "Read and understand it carefully. Similar information has already been uploaded to the school's official website. If you need more detailed information regarding the field mechanics or area divisions, you may visit it."
The classroom was filled with the sound of flipping pages and hushed whispers. Some students, like Sudou, looked incredibly enthusiastic, his eyes sparkling at the prospect of contributing points through physical dominance. On the other hand, students like Sotomura or Sakura Airi looked deathly pale upon seeing the grueling schedule for running and agility training.
Hirata Yousuke, who always acted as the class's glue and facilitator, raised his hand politely.
"Go ahead, Hirata," Chabashira gestured.
"Sensei, there is something I would like to confirm," Hirata said, his face reflecting caution. "Looking at the rule structure, which massively impacts both Class Points and Private Points, does this sports festival fall under the category of a Special Exam?"
That question caused the entire class to hold their breath. Special Exams were both a terror and the primary battlefield for the students of Advanced Nurturing High School to tear each other down.
Chabashira smirked faintly, a mysterious smile she always wore whenever her students began to realize the cruel reality of this institution.
"You may consider it whatever you like," Chabashira answered ambiguously, letting the threat hang in the air. "But what is certain is that it will undoubtedly have a massive impact on this class. This festival is designed to test not only your physical abilities, but also your synergy, negotiation strategies, and mental endurance under pressure."
Chabashira took a step in front of the podium, looking directly at her students. "In this sports festival, the competition structure will be entirely different. The entire first-year cohort will be pitted against each other in two major factions. The Red Team and the White Team."
She paused for a moment, letting the information sink into her students' minds.
"Based on the current class placements... Class B and Class C will be on the White Team," Chabashira continued, her voice calm yet carrying an explosive impact within the classroom. "Meanwhile, Class A and Class D will be on the Red Team. The Class Points at stake will depend on your overall faction's victory, as well as individual contributions in each respective event."
A momentary silence ensued before whispers erupted throughout the class.
Class B would be on the same team as Class C? That meant they had to cooperate with Sakayanagi Arisu's class, a faction notorious for its genius and ruthless manipulation, while simultaneously facing off against the alliance of Ichinose's class and Ryuen's class.
At his desk, Seiji Koroizumi rested his chin on one hand. His eyes narrowed, displaying a dark glint that could only be read by those who understood his true nature. This formation was truly unexpected, yet it created a brilliantly crafted stage for a psychological drama.
"Interesting," Seiji murmured softly, shifting his focus from the piece of paper to the whiteboard. "So that means we are paired up and have to cooperate with Sakayanagi's class, huh."
That sentence was heard clearly by Horikita Suzune, who was sitting right behind him. Suzune, whose asymmetrical short hair swayed slightly as she looked up from her documents, immediately focused her gaze on Seiji's back.
Cooperating with Sakayanagi. Suzune recalled the incident during the Zodiac Exam. Sakayanagi was a genius girl who played by the rules of 'Mutually Assured Destruction,' unhesitant to destroy anyone for the sake of dominance. And more worryingly, Sakayanagi exhibited a highly unhealthy obsession with Seiji Koroizumi. Having an ally like her on the battlefield was as dangerous as walking through a minefield.
"It's not just the alliance dynamics that make this interesting," Seiji added. He tilted his head slightly backward, speaking at a volume low enough that only Suzune could hear him amidst the chatter of the class.
"Look at the second page, under the section for the Selected Participants Event," Seiji said, his index finger tapping lightly on the surface of his desk. "The rules there do not strictly restrict grade levels if the faction agrees. And it is highly likely... that these Selected Participants Events allow the second and third years to participate in the exact same racing arena."
Suzune's eyes widened slightly. Her analytical brain immediately pieced together the puzzle fragments from the information Seiji had just dropped. Cross-grade competitions. The Red Team and White Team encompassing the entire school.
That means...
Suzune's mind raced. Ever since she shed the shell of her idealism, cut her hair, and declared her intention before Horikita Manabu to become his equal, she harbored a pure desire to compete and test her abilities openly. After receiving her brother's acknowledgment, this sports festival was the very stage of genuine proof she had been looking for.
Finally, Suzune thought, feeling her heartbeat accelerate slightly and her palms growing a bit sweaty. There is a possibility I can face Nii-chan directly.
In academic competitions, differing syllabuses made it impossible for first-years to be fairly pitted against third-years. But in physical sports, those academic boundaries crumbled. Relay races, sprints, or pure physical team events. If Manabu were to participate in a Selected Participants Event representing the Red Team—or even on the same team—this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that could not be missed.
However, a bitter reality quickly jolted her logic. Horikita Manabu was the manifestation of physical and mental perfection. Her brother's athletic and martial arts abilities sat at the very pinnacle of Advanced Nurturing High School's hierarchy. Even though Suzune trained hard and possessed stamina well above the average female student, racing against a man as strong as Manabu in a pure test of speed was a calculation nearly impossible to win on her own.
Suzune raised her head. Her gaze landed on the figure of the young man lounging casually in front of her. Koroizumi Seiji.
However, Suzune also recognized the reality of her brother's physical superiority, which existed on an absolute tier. If she wanted to see the absolute highest limit of ability achievable in this school, she needed a benchmark. She looked at Seiji, who was sitting calmly in front of her. The young man who, ever since their first encounter in the dojo, had demonstrated an immense strength, capable of dismantling all her attacks with master-level Aikido efficiency that was difficult to fathom.
Suzune leaned forward, bringing her face closer to Seiji's back.
"Koroizumi-kun," Suzune called out in a low voice, yet laden with seriousness and restrained ambition.
"Yes, Horikita-san?" Seiji replied without turning his head, still staring straight ahead.
"Assuming your prediction is correct," Suzune began, her tone carrying a faint tremble. "If there happens to be an individual race... a 200-meter sprint, for instance..."
Suzune fell silent for a moment. Her tongue felt a little stiff asking something that directly touched upon the absolute pride of her older brother. But she needed certainty. She needed to measure the upper limits of Seiji's strength.
"Could you defeat Nii-chan?"
It wasn't merely a question of running faster. To Suzune, it was a philosophical question regarding the true hierarchy of power in this world. Whether 'The Teacher' who had been mentoring her—acting as both the shield and the sword of Class 1-B—possessed the physical capacity to defeat her brother.
At his desk, Seiji's shoulders began to tremble slightly.
It was not the trembling of intimidation. It was the vibration of pure enthusiasm from an entity craving a challenge, responding to his student who was beginning to think beyond the boundaries of the system that confined them.
For a creature whose memory retained the experience of moving fast enough to cleave the atmosphere, the challenge of running a 200-meter dash against the best human in a high school was nothing more than a highly entertaining, minor warm-up spark.
Seiji's lips curved into a mysterious smile, a smirk that concealed the monster lying just beneath. His signature laugh, which sent vibrations through the air, slowly slipped out, signaling that the teacher had found a brand new stage upon which to impart his lessons.
"Nfuhuhuhuhu..."
------------------------------
"Like my work? Catch up to Chapter 57 over on my Patreon!"
P - Gem_Blanks
Thank you so much for your support — you make all of this worthwhile.)