The reason the jet ski event was divided into 1-person and 2-person categories was simple.
We wanted the 1-person event to be a pure race, while the 2-person event, much like the water skiing, would be a chaotic battleground of flying bullets.
In terms of pure difficulty, a solo jet ski gunfight might be easier than water skiing, but it's still incredibly challenging. It demands an absurd level of balance. If all the aquatic events had such a high barrier to entry, it would be difficult for students to actively participate. The water skiing event alone saw a mass exodus of participants who gave up and switched events. If the jet ski races were the same, it would have become a competition that many students wanted to join but couldn't.
And that wouldn't be much of a festival, would it?
Anyway. Of the four teams that made it to the finals, there were only two worth focusing on.
The Arius Squad Duo and the Tom and Jerry Duo.
Azusa and Saori were a proven combination, so there was no need for a lengthy explanation. Surprisingly, Azusa was the one driving the jet ski, likely because this wasn't a combat environment where she could fully utilize her skills. Azusa shines on battlefields where she can set traps and engage in hit-and-run guerrilla warfare. In contrast, Saori is more of an all-rounder, making her perfectly suited for the role of the shooter.
Akari and Iori were a completely unexpected pair, and in truth, their synergy wasn't all that great. They were a team that relied entirely on individual skill rather than teamwork. But their strengths were glaringly obvious.
As if to prove that her madness on land was just as potent on the sea, Akari drove her jet ski like a biker gang member tearing up the water. The more I watched her, the more I thought she was the kind of talent who should have been in the 1-person, race-focused event.
As for Iori, she's often underestimated because of her ridiculously pathetic portrayal in the main story, but she's not that weak. I feel the need to emphasize this again: she's strong enough to be considered the Prefect Team's second-in-command in terms of power. She may not be on Hina's level, but she's still a capable fighter. And in this competition, she was definitely showing her skills. But why did she have to show them here of all places? The more you prove your worth, the more trouble it causes for me…
Ding. Ding. Ding. Diiiiing—
With the signal, four jet skis shot forward in unison, their engines roaring. At this rate, it would take them ten seconds at most to reach the firing line. The sheer sense of speed was on another level compared to the water skiing. Even though they weren't at full throttle yet, it looked like they would soon surpass the top speed of the water skiers.
In the blink of an eye, they crossed the firing line, and the shooters in the back seats instantly aimed their guns at each other.
However.
[Wh-What? Me?!]
Iori's bewildered face, caught by a broadcast drone, flashed across the jumbotron. The Gehenna mob teams, who I had expected to cooperate in ganging up on the lone Trinity team, had apparently decided to target her team first. She clearly hadn't seen that coming.
I can't read lips, of course. But her expression was so genuinely wronged that I could pretty much guess what she was saying. I'm sure it was something along those lines.
Reaching the finish line faster than the others, or eliminating the opponents to become the last one standing. It's pointless to argue which is easier or harder. For the belligerent students of Gehenna, with the exception of Akari who seemed to only have eyes for the finish line, the latter was clearly the preferred option. Iori herself was no exception, which might be the root of the discord in their Tom and Jerry team.
[Oh, what's this? The race is unfolding in a completely different way than many of us, myself included, had predicted! How fascinating! In the lead, Gehenna's Team 3 is taking some unexpected friendly fire! Behind them, Gehenna's Team 1 and 2 are in hot pursuit, while at the very back, Trinity's Team 1 is waiting for an opportunity.]
Hey, President. You're enjoying this way too much. Is this really the same General Student Council President I know…?
[Ah, just as I say that, Trinity's Team 1 instantly accelerates and cuts in between Gehenna's Team 1 and 2!]
Azusa's daredevil driving sliced through the two Gehenna teams. And then came Saori's fierce barrage, a pistol in one hand and an assault rifle in the other.
Did I say the Gehenna students were belligerent? My two from Arius are no slouches in that department either.
This is it, Arius Squad! Just like that, send those horned buffoons to the bottom of the sea…!
[Gehenna's Team 2, the shooter is down! With their shooter eliminated, Gehenna's Team 2 is left with only one option: race to the finish! They can't afford to slow down now if they want to break through the other teams' blockade… huh?]
Having instantly neutralized one team's offensive capability, the Arius duo continued to accelerate.
BANG!!
Iori, obviously not one to stand by and watch, opened fire, but Azusa masterfully swerved the speeding jet ski, easily dodging her shots and creating a spectacular scene. In fact, she even tried to close the distance again, aiming for the inevitable moment when Iori would have to reload, but…
[Trinity's Team 1 goes for the opening, but the magazine capacity of the Gehenna Team 3 shooter's weapon is five rounds…! Was there a miscalculation?]
Iori, who had feigned an opening as if to reload, fired a surprise shot heavily imbued with Mystery. The bullet flew straight towards the Arius pa—
[Trinity's Team 1 makes a sharp turn, and though the gap with Gehenna's Team 3 has widened considerably, they have averted the crisis! Indeed, their incredible skill proves that the number of jet skis they've sunk so far was no fluke!]
—and missed, cutting through empty air. Despite Azusa's dangerously sharp turns, which would have shaken any normal person, Saori calmly continued to pressure Gehenna's Team 1, which was now sandwiched between them. At the same time, she used her pistol to tenaciously hound Gehenna's Team 2, which had lost its shooter and was trying to break away. Her intention was clear: eliminate one team for good before moving on.
Meanwhile, for Gehenna's Team 1, caught in the middle, a delicious-looking prey had just appeared: Iori's team, which had just emptied its magazine and started to reload.
Just as the Gehenna Team 1 shooter's machine gun began to spit fire, Akari kicked their speed up another notch. The sudden acceleration was so intense that Iori, who was in the middle of reloading, dropped her bullet in surprise and had to cling tightly to Akari.
[Gehenna's Team 3 accelerates to a speed that makes you wonder if they can even make it through the upcoming curve. At the same time, Trinity's Team 1 has finally succeeded in eliminating Gehenna's Team 2, who had repeatedly tried to break through after losing their shooter!]
Amidst the chaos, Saori nonchalantly shot the Gehenna Team 2 mob-chan in the head, eliminating them, and reloaded her pistol. I could just imagine the chic, sexy smile Saori was wearing behind that mask, and it was a shame I couldn't see it.
[Gehenna's Team 3 successfully navigates the curve at an astonishing speed! Realizing that letting the gap widen any further would mean forfeiting victory, the other two teams also push their speed to the max as they exit the curve, and the race now enters its middle stage.]
Iori, having finished reloading thanks to the time Akari bought her, turned around and aimed her gun at the teams behind them. Three shots, which sounded completely different from her previous ones, roared towards the two pursuing teams. The missed bullets hit the water with such force that they momentarily created cone-shaped cavities in the sea. The Gehenna Team 1 mob-chans, terrified by the sheer power, tried to evade.
[Shiromi Iori, a clean hit! She takes out Gehenna's Team 1 in a single blow! Unfortunately, her shot aimed at Trinity's Team 1 missed, but just like that, the race has turned into a one-on-one showdown at the halfway point.]
Feeling her pistol was now useless at this distance, Saori holstered it and gripped the forend of her rifle. Her judgment was clear: from now on, precision shooting would decide the match.
"Kikik… It seems the match has been decided! The distance between the two teams is already over 100 meters."
"Yep, and the effective range of Saori's rifle is well over 400 meters. Even if her accuracy is extremely low in this unstable environment, a single clean hit is all it takes to turn the tables. So it's too early to celebrate, Makoto."
"Kishishishi—!!! You're talking a lot, Misono Mika! Are you nervous? You must be, right? Of course, you are! If you don't take first place here, your Trinity will never have a chance to catch up to us! But look! Look at the pathetic marksmanship of that needlessly cool-looking student representing your Trinity! Not a single shot… huh?"
[Aah, Shiromi Iori! Too focused on shooting, she loses her balance in the final curve and falls into the water! The lack of communication, a fatal flaw for Gehenna's Team 3, has been exposed!]
"Ahaha, see, what did I tell you, Makoto? It's too early to celebrate. Now Akari's jet ski is just a moving target. I guarantee you, Saori would never miss an opportunity like this."
Even with Iori making a ridiculous exit and Akari being left alone to drive, the fact remained that the Arius duo was still at a disadvantage.
But I believed in Saori.
I believed that Saori would bring me victory.
…I fought a one-on-one duel with that red-eyed monster just to save you. You can at least do this much for me, right? Right, Saori?
I'm really counting on you, you know? I really am.
[The race has finally entered its final stage! In the lead, Gehenna Team 3's Wanibuchi Akari, going at full throttle! Trinity's Team 1 is in hot pursuit, but with both teams at top speed, the gap is no longer closing! The fate of the finals rests on Joumae Saori's shooting, and her aim has become more deliberate… the finish line is just ahead… Aaaaaah!!! A hit! It's a hit!]
The moment Akari slumped over the side of her jet ski, I clenched my fists, shot up from my seat, and punched the air.
Yes! That's it, Saori!
That's it! This is how you repay a debt! This is how you show and prove!
[With just 50 meters to the finish line, Joumae Saori lands a perfect shot on Wanibuchi Akari, turning her into shark bait! It was a match where the outcome was uncertain until the very last second, but in the end, a winner has been decided! Trinity's Team 1 slows down and crosses the finish line with ease!]
Damn it… I really believed in you!!!
"Wh-What…?! Impossible! A hit with only 50 meters to go?!"
"Ahahahaha!!! Makoto, the look on your face right now is priceless ☆! The game isn't over 'til the bottom of the ninth with two outs! You should have known it's not over 'til it's over, right? The most important thing is an unbreakable spirit! I'm sure you understand that now, don't you?!"
Hu, huhu. Huhuhuhu.
The Trinity stands, of course, but even the neutral and Gehenna stands erupted in cheers at the thrilling, explosive conclusion of the race, the roar deafening me.
But none of that mattered. The fact that we were now only one point ahead of Gehenna was a minor annoyance, but it couldn't diminish the joy of this moment.
[The gold medal for the 2-person jet ski finals, and the first gold medal of the 20XX Summer Festival, goes to Trinity Team 1's Shirasu Azusa and Joumae Saori!]
"My poor Makoto, you were so confident, talking so big… what happened? You lost. Pfft."
"GRAAAAAAAAH!!!"
I may not have been able to shut Makoto up, but my dear squirrel and our MVP Saori managed to completely shatter her spirit…
I think this calls for a drink.
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