The final two days leading up to the sports festival were filled with absolute silence.
While Class 1-A intensified the frequency of their relay coordination under Kanzaki Ryuji's strict supervision, and Class 1-D allowed the remnants of their lower-tier students to collapse on the sand track to fulfill Ryuen's plan, Class 1-B simply stopped.
"Starting this afternoon, all official physical activities under the name of Class 1-B are suspended," Koroizumi Seiji stated on Friday afternoon. "Go home. Get a full eight hours of sleep. Let your body's metabolism finish the work of rebuilding the muscle tissue we've been tearing down for the past three weeks. If I see anyone secretly running around the dorms, your post-workout herbal drink portion will be doubled to a full liter."
That threat was far more terrifying than any expulsion from the school. The classroom emptied entirely in a matter of minutes. Under the social control of Hirata Yosuke and Karuizawa Kei, every student obeyed the instruction. They consumed complex carbohydrates and lean proteins according to the biometric chart, then locked themselves in their respective rooms to stockpile their energy.
Seiji knew human biology perfectly well. Without a complete decompression and cellular recovery phase, a training regimen as brutal as theirs would only result in accumulated fatigue that would slow down neural synapses on the day of execution. He was preparing a bow drawn to its absolute maximum; these two days of energy conservation were the release of that bow for absolute speed.
Sunday, at the beginning of October, arrived.
Since six in the morning, the atmosphere around the main athletic field was already vibrating with the roar of loudspeakers and the footsteps of hundreds of people. The class flags fluttered beneath an autumn sky completely clear of clouds. On the west side, the White Team's territory—bringing together Class 1-B and Class 1-C—was marked by neatly arranged rows of white canopy tents. Across from it, the Red Team's faction—uniting Class 1-A and Class 1-D—radiated a contrasting tension.
"This formation was completely unbalanced from the very start," Kamuro Masumi grumbled, standing under the shade of the White Team's tent while roughly tying her sports shoelaces. Her eyes glanced toward the Class 1-A representatives, who looked incredibly organized on the other side of the field. "How are we possibly supposed to win if Class A has absolute control over the Red Team?"
"Do not be so pessimistic just yet, Masumi-san," Sakayanagi Arisu replied gently from her folding chair. She was wearing a beret marking her as part of the White Team faction, her hands resting elegantly on her cane. Her gaze did not dart toward Class A, but rather at the procession of Class 1-B students who had just entered the field area. "The real show has only just begun. Look at their faces."
Kamuro followed her leader's gaze and instantly realized.
The students of Class 1-B were walking in a tight triangular formation. There was no fear, no rigid tension in their shoulders. Sudou Ken walked at the forefront with eyes full of focus and sharp determination, while Miyake Akito and Onodera Kayano moved with incredibly stable rhythms.
Even students like Ike Kanji and Sotomura Hideo walked with their chins held high, radiating a physical freshness that contrasted entirely with the lethargic-looking Class 1-D students on the other side, a result of Ryuen's Zero Point Stamina strategy.
"They... do not look like people who are afraid," Kamuro whispered, feeling a slight psychological pressure simply by witnessing Class B's composure.
"Of course not," Sakayanagi chuckled softly, her mysterious smile widening as her eyes caught the figure of Koroizumi Seiji walking at the very back in a casual White Team sports uniform. "Their bodies have been calibrated by a truly terrifying architect, Masumi-san. Let us enjoy watching how the Red Team will crash against this defensive wall."
At exactly eight in the morning, the loud bang of a flare gun echoed through the air, splitting the morning sky and signaling the official opening of the Advanced Nurturing High School Sports Festival. Through the loudspeakers, the committee announced the first event, which was mandatory for all first-year representatives without exception: the 100-Meter Dash.
The school's rules for this opening event were massive. All first-year students, regardless of their competitive inclinations, were required to compete. With an absolute distribution of 40 students per class, it meant there were exactly 20 boys and 20 girls from each class who would be deployed in turns across 20 male heats and 20 female heats, facing off one-on-one on the straight track.
"First event, Boys' Category, Heat One, please proceed to the track immediately!"
BOYS' CATEGORY (HEATS 1 - 20)
Heat 1 Sudou Ken exploded from the starting blocks with perfect mechanical heel power, absolutely leading since the first thirty meters, escaping the pursuit of Class A's soccer star.
Sudou Ken (Class 1-B) – 1st PlaceShibata Sou (Class 1-A) – 2nd PlaceHayato Kitou (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceTanaka (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 2 Miyake Akito maintained optimal breathing control over the remainder of the track, overtaking the rapid movements of Kanzaki, who began to slow down due to micro-fatigue in his thighs.
Miyake Akito (Class 1-B) – 1st PlaceKanzaki Ryuji (Class 1-A) – 2nd PlaceHashimoto Masayoshi (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceKaneda Satoru (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 3 Ayanokouji Kiyotaka sliced through the air resistance right behind Katsuragi's shadow, intentionally holding back his explosive power to secure a safe second-place position.
Katsuragi Kohei (Class 1-C) – 1st PlaceAyanokouji Kiyotaka (Class 1-B) – 2nd PlaceTetsuya Hamaguchi (Class 1-A) – 3rd PlaceSuzuki Rio (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 4 Hirata Yosuke maintained constant momentum the moment the whistle blew, surpassing the fierce resistance from Class A's mid-line and Ishizaki's physical aggression.
Hirata Yosuke (Class 1-B) – 1st PlaceHamaguchi Tetsuya (Class 1-A) – 2nd PlaceTobe Hitomi (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceIshizaki Daichi (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 5 Kouenji Rokusuke ran with an exaggeratedly casual style to preserve the aesthetics of his muscles, allowing the top spot to be taken by Sumida.
Sumida Makoto (Class 1-A) – 1st PlaceKouenji Rokusuke (Class 1-B) – 2nd PlaceTsunoda Reo (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceAlbert Yamada (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 6 Yukimura Teruhiko pushed past his energy limits thanks to the blood circulation adaptations trained during their afternoon interactive scenarios.
Yukimura Teruhiko (Class 1-B) – 1st PlaceBeppu Ryouta (Class 1-A) – 2nd PlaceFukuyama Shinji (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceNomura Yuuji (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 7 Ike Kanji exerted his full power, his face flushing bright red, driven by the absolute terror of Seiji's thick recovery herbal drink.
Ike Kanji (Class 1-B) – 1st PlaceWatanabe Norihito (Class 1-A) – 2nd PlaceMachida Koji (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceSuzuki Hidetoshi (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 8 Sotomura Hideo utilized his body weight to maintain a straight stride, stealing third place from the out-of-breath Class D representative.
Nakanishi (Class 1-A) – 1st PlaceMorishige Takuro (Class 1-C) – 2nd PlaceSotomura Hideo (Class 1-B) – 3rd PlaceKondo Reo (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 9 Yamauchi Haruki stumbled slightly at the start but managed to execute a hip-gravity correction to secure the third-place points.
Ishida Daisuke (Class 1-A) – 1st PlaceMasuda Koichi (Class 1-C) – 2nd PlaceYamauchi Haruki (Class 1-B) – 3rd PlaceTokito Hiroya (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 10 Minami Setsuya optimally utilized the length of his linear stride to sever Class A's front-line dominance in the final ten meters.
Haruto Amamiya (Class 1-A) – 1st PlaceMinami Setsuya (Class 1-B) – 2nd PlaceTsukasaki (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceKomiya Kyogo (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 11 Hondo Ryoutarou sprinted steadily without any directional flaws, while Ryuen Kakeru provocatively merely strolled casually from the starting line.
Hondo Ryoutarou (Class 1-B) – 1st PlaceMoriyama (Class 1-A) – 2nd PlaceNakajima (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceRyuen Kakeru (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 12 Okitani Kyousuke demonstrated pure stamina improvement after undergoing the strict nutritional intake calibration program from the dorms.
Okitani Kyousuke (Class 1-B) – 1st PlaceTokunaga (Class 1-A) – 2nd PlaceShimazaki (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceOda Takumi (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 13 Fujii Takahiro maintained second place through balanced lower-body foot placement despite the pressure from the Class C runner.
Yoshimura (Class 1-A) – 1st PlaceFujii Takahiro (Class 1-B) – 2nd PlaceShigeru (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceNoguchi (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 14 Ijyuuin Wataru preserved the rhythmic momentum of his large body on the sand track without letting his position be snatched by Mikage.
Satomura (Class 1-A) – 1st PlaceIjyuuin Wataru (Class 1-B) – 2nd PlaceHayato Mikage (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceDaigo (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 15 Sano Kouta took full advantage of the physical exhaustion of his fallen enemies, caused by the Red Team's lack of rotation.
Sano Kouta (Class 1-B) – 1st PlaceKatagiri (Class 1-A) – 2nd PlaceOmi Eitaro (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceGoda (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 16 Endou Yuta secured second place after winning a visual micro-collision at the finish line against Miyamoto.
Kaito (Class 1-A) – 1st PlaceEndou Yuta (Class 1-B) – 2nd PlaceMiyamoto (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceKaito Hoshino (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 17 Kikuchi clocked an acceleration far surpassing his middle school track record, thanks to the propulsion angle corrections from Seiji.
Kikuchi (Class 1-B) – 1st PlaceMinamikata (Class 1-A) – 2nd PlaceMakida (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceAkira Shirai (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 18 Nakamura withstood the onslaught of Takemoto's linear speed, locking down the second-place spot without any energy leakage.
Takemoto (Class 1-A) – 1st PlaceNakamura (Class 1-B) – 2nd PlaceNakata (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceAbe (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 19 Nomura utilized the dryness of passing middle age to dart into the lead ahead of the Class A representative.
Nomura (Class 1-B) – 1st PlaceUtomiya (Class 1-A) – 2nd PlaceSanada (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceRyota Sakamoto (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 20 Uchimura secured the top spot for the final boys' heat after an intense shoulder-to-shoulder duel, while Koroizumi Seiji crossed the finish line with a lazy expression, intentionally restraining his pace to stay right at the safe boundary of the top three for the sake of the White faction's efficiency.
Uchimura (Class 1-A) – 1st PlaceTokunaga (Class 1-C) – 2nd PlaceKoroizumi Seiji (Class 1-B) – 3rd PlaceKei Tsukishima (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
GIRLS' CATEGORY (HEATS 21 - 40)
Heat 21 Onodera Kayano darted forward without resistance with the aerodynamic posture of a swimmer, followed by an incredibly pragmatic performance from Ichinose.
Onodera Kayano (Class 1-B) – 1st PlaceIchinose Honami (Class 1-A) – 2nd PlaceIbuki Mio (Class 1-D) – 3rd PlaceKamuro Masumi (Class 1-C) – 4th Place
Heat 22 Horikita Suzune demonstrated absolute dominance with a highly efficient swinging stride, crossing the finish line with high precision.
Horikita Suzune (Class 1-B) – 1st PlaceAndo Sayo (Class 1-A) – 2nd PlaceYamana Yui (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceManabe Shiho (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 23 Kushida Kikyo locked in first place using a stable, linear focus slicing through the straight track.
Kushida Kikyo (Class 1-B) – 1st PlaceKobashi Yume (Class 1-A) – 2nd PlaceSawada Yasumi (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceKinoshita Minori (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 24 Karuizawa Kei fought tenaciously on the track, securing a top-two position under the strict supervision of the female faction group.
Morishita Ai (Class 1-C) – 1st PlaceKaruizawa Kei (Class 1-B) – 2nd PlaceChihiro Shiranami (Class 1-A) – 3rd PlaceYabu Nanami (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 25 Matsushita Chiaki held back her speed to remain within the safe bounds of the top two without drawing excessive attention.
Ninomiya Yui (Class 1-A) – 1st PlaceMatsushita Chiaki (Class 1-B) – 2nd PlaceYui Hirasawa (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceYamashita Saki (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 26 Amikura Mako showcased her highly athletic natural physical resilience by darting into the lead right from the start, while Hasebe Haruka steadily maintained second place.
Amikura Mako (Class 1-A) – 1st PlaceHasebe Haruka (Class 1-B) – 2nd PlaceNishikawa Ryoko (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceNishino (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 27 Satou Maya exhausted the rest of her stamina in the final twenty meters to snatch the second-place medal from Yamamura.
Kurihara (Class 1-A) – 1st PlaceSatou Maya (Class 1-B) – 2nd PlaceYamamura Miki (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceSuzuki Miku (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 28 Sakura Airi, placed functionally within The Shadow, successfully completed the running target without any technical errors, utilizing the absence of the Class C representative to secure safe points.
Aoi Mizuhara (Class 1-A) – 1st PlaceSakura Airi (Class 1-B) – 2nd PlaceYano (Class 1-D) – 3rd PlaceSakayanagi Arisu (Class 1-C) – 4th Place (Did Not Participate/Disqualified)
Heat 29 Wang Mei-Yu (Mii-chan) maintained her bodily stability, shutting down the movement space of the Class D student from the very first meter.
Himeno Yuki (Class 1-A) – 1st PlaceWang Mei-Yu (Mii-chan) (Class 1-B) – 2nd PlaceKano Nene (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceYoshikawa Yumi (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 30 Ishikura Kayoko locked in a profit margin position by securing second place right behind the Class A representative.
Nishi Haruka (Class 1-A) – 1st PlaceIshikura Kayoko (Class 1-B) – 2nd PlaceMatoba Risa (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceHiyori Shiina (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 31 Azuma Sana exploded in the latter half of the sand track, tearing through Class A's dominance with the advantage of one small step.
Azuma Sana (Class 1-B) – 1st PlaceShiraishi Maho (Class 1-A) – 2nd PlaceUrushibara Shion (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceTakemiya Yui (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 32 Nishino Takeko demonstrated extraordinary physical endurance, leading the White faction to shatter her personal best time.
Nishino Takeko (Class 1-B) – 1st PlaceMotodoi Chika (Class 1-A) – 2nd PlaceKobayashi Yui (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceHoshino Minami (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 33 Shinohara Satsuki secured the third-place points after winning a tight duel of foot placement against the Class D representative.
Sakurai Haruna (Class 1-A) – 1st PlaceInami Yui (Class 1-C) – 2nd PlaceShinohara Satsuki (Class 1-B) – 3rd PlaceImai Risa (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 34 Nene Mori maintained linear focus without allowing any bodily openings to be exploited by the Class C faction representative.
Nakada Yumi (Class 1-A) – 1st PlaceNene Mori (Class 1-B) – 2nd PlaceShimizu Sae (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceOno Erena (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 35 Sonoda Chiyo seized second place by capitalizing on the decline in physical performance from Class D's lower ranks.
Watanabe Risa (Class 1-A) – 1st PlaceSonoda Chiyo (Class 1-B) – 2nd PlaceFukuda Mayu (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceMaeda Atsuko (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 36 Inogashira Kokoro sped away due to the driving memory of her training trauma, pulling off a massive upset by locking in first place.
Inogashira Kokoro (Class 1-B) – 1st PlaceIto Saki (Class 1-A) – 2nd PlaceSuzuki Mika (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceTsukishima Sakura (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 37 Ichihashi Ruri swept up the remainder of her linear energy, securing an absolute point to widen the White faction's accumulated lead.
Ichihashi Ruri (Class 1-B) – 1st PlaceSaito Asuka (Class 1-A) – 2nd PlaceSato Kumi (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceOshima Yuko (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 38 Nishimura Ryuko sliced through the wind path in the final ten meters, snatching second place from Sakayanagi's representative.
Takahashi Minami (Class 1-A) – 1st PlaceNishimura Ryuko (Class 1-B) – 2nd PlaceHonda Hitomi (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceShinoda Mariko (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 39 Maezono strode with a clean rhythm, locking in second place right beneath the absolute dominance brought by Class A.
Kojima Haruna (Class 1-A) – 1st PlaceMaezono (Class 1-B) – 2nd PlaceKato Shiho (Class 1-C) – 3rd PlaceMorita Hikaru (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
Heat 40 The Final Heat was finished neatly by Class C, who secured the first-place points to salvage their final accumulation.
Sasaki Mirei (Class 1-C) – 1st PlaceKashiwagi Yuki (Class 1-A) – 2nd PlaceKusuda Maki (Class 1-B) – 3rd PlaceTamura Hono (Class 1-D) – 4th Place
The moment all the 100-Meter Dash races were completely finished, the school's computer system immediately synchronized the data automatically. Upon the giant digital screen towering in the middle of the field, the accumulated point calculation for the first event branch was officially updated in an instant.
An important note from the school regulations stated that the points currently displayed on the scoreboard were Sports Festival Points, a special point component collected throughout the competition day to determine the final class rankings and individual contributions, before eventually being integrated into the actual monthly Class Points in mid-October.
The digital screen displayed the absolute final results:
Sports Festival Accumulated Points Scoreboard: 100-Meter Dash Event (Heats 1 - 40)
WHITE FACTION : 4,800 Points (Leading)
Class 1-B: 3,450 Points
Class 1-C: 1,350 Points
RED FACTION : 3,200 Points (Trailing)
Class 1-A: 2,850 Points
Class 1-D: 350 Points
"Uwoooooogh! We're actually leading in first place!" Ike Kanji screamed hysterically. "Koroizumi's sticker hunting method and hell juice really produced results!"
Horikita Suzune stood beside the Class B document desk, closing her notebook with a firm tap. A very faint, satisfied smile was etched across the beautiful, short-haired girl's face. "This is just a good start. Our Vanguard stratum has done their job to ruin Class A's profit margins in the first half, exactly according to scenario."
Across the field, under the shade of the Red Team's tent, Ryuen Kakeru unfolded the remnants of the paper ball in his hand before throwing it onto the ground. His smirk didn't fade in the slightest upon seeing Class D sitting in dead last for the first event. "Kukuku... enjoy your little victory in this early race, Koroizumi. Let Class A's fatigue hold back your front line's momentum. My retaliation plan won't crush you until the Cavalry Battle arrives later."
Meanwhile, Ichinose Honami walked back toward the Class 1-A tent. Even though her class was in second place below Class B, the pink-haired girl's eyes still radiated the composure of an executive holding absolute control over a business transaction. Her point distribution contract with Ryuen was proceeding according to plan, and she knew exactly how to optimize the remainder of these early-stage races.
In the corner of the Class 1-B tent, Seiji Koroizumi simply sat casually as he tossed his empty strawberry juice carton into the trash bin. His obsidian-black eyes moved, taking in the entire movement of the class leaders across the open field.
The first event had concluded, and the ripples from the clash of strategies among the four first-year rulers had just created the first wave upon the track. As an educator, Seiji smiled widely, calling out the representatives for the next event.
"Rest time is over, everyone," Seiji said, his voice flowing lightly yet carrying an authority that sliced through the roar of the stadium. "Second event, the Hurdle Race, prepare to take your positions. Let's see how much further the opposing faction can maintain their calculations under our pressure."
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