Chapter 155: Can Class C Really Go This Far?
[Ichinose: "Something's wrong. Very wrong…"]
[Kanzaki: "You mean Class A's situation? Yes. Very wrong."]
[Shiranami Chihiro looked puzzled, tilting her head.]
[Kanzaki: "Think about it. Class A sent their top fighters, even Kitō is here. But… against Class C without Sudō, they're being pushed back."]
[Ibuki: "Couldn't it just be that Class C played well?"]
[Hiyori: "Theoretically… that's unlikely."]
[Ryūen: "Class A is hiding their strength. And Hikigaya knows it. But… how much they're hiding is hard to guess."]
[Ike: "I've never heard of anyone stronger than Sudō in basketball!"]
[Shinohara: "Even without Sudō, our class isn't weak… Is Class A really hiding their strength? Or is this just their level?"]
[Horikita: "They're definitely hiding. Otherwise, they wouldn't be suppressed this badly."]
As expected, after a short break, Sakayanagi still made no move to substitute anyone.
Meaning, she did not intend to use her Commander authority for this match at all.
Hikigaya: "You're not switching anyone out?"
Still composed, Sakayanagi looked down at her hat, took it off, placed it on the desk, and answered with a gentle smile: "No need to be surprised. This lineup was designed for victory. So… there's no need to change anyone."
"I see."
And indeed, even after Sudō entered, the sense of discomfort hit immediately. The two sloppy teams from earlier suddenly turned into evenly matched forces. Class C had Sudō now, but the problem remained, the score refused to widen.
As the only player with an earpiece in the basketball match, Hikigaya heard Sudō's voice clearly.
"They're hiding their strength…"
"But that won't be enough to beat me."
Hikigaya smiled slightly, choosing not to give further instructions.
Sudō of the past might have lost his temper at this sudden pressure. But the current Sudō wouldn't.
Facing Kitō's airtight defense, he continued searching for openings.
In truth, only Sudō Ken and Makida Susumu were true basketball players on Class C's side. Meanwhile, Class A, although lacking Sudō's insane skill, had incredibly balanced ability across the board.
As expected of Class A.
Suddenly, Sudō's voice sounded again, this time during a collision with Kitō.
"So you were going easy earlier. I knew it. Someone built like you pretending to be bad, it must've been exhausting."
Kitō shook his head without concern. "I'll admit you guys are tougher than I expected. I thought watching out for that guy in your class would be enough. But now I see, Class C can't be ignored anymore."
"But one thing I can tell you, I'm a basketball beginner. That's not a lie."
In reality, Kitō was experienced. No surprise, he was the kind of guy who would lie without hesitation.
On one side was explosive individual performance. On the other was impenetrable teamwork. The clash between both classes now looked like spear versus shield.
In Sakayanagi's plan, Kitō was supposed to provoke Sudō into anger. But clearly, Sudō wasn't going to fall for it. The old, brainless, charge-forward Sudō had vanished long ago.
According to Sakayanagi's calculations, a berserk Sudō would lose his rationality, be overwhelmed by Kitō, and fall behind.
Unfortunately for her, things didn't always follow calculations.
Seeing through her plan, Hikigaya simply spoke calmly: "I think your information network is a bit outdated. It seems you don't really understand Sudō."
Watching the point gap widen more and more, Sakayanagi seemed to realize her side had already lost. She no longer looked at the screen. Instead, she slowly turned her head toward Hikigaya, still wearing that calm, faint smile.
"After all, I don't bother learning about people I'm not interested in. So yes, the data hasn't been updated in a while. I'll keep it in mind next time."
As both of them expected, Class C completely dominated and secured the first basketball match with overwhelming strength.
The red-haired hedgehog's growth was on full display. Even without Hikigaya's instructions, even without anyone holding him back, he could now lead a team, standing at the very front and guiding everyone to victory.
Sudō's growth was truly remarkable.
The boy who once was hot-headed, impulsive, and quick to anger… Now he constantly encouraged his teammates, watched over everyone's condition on the court, and used his overwhelming individual talent alongside a reasonable distribution of roles to seal the final score at 30 to 16.
When the match ended, he didn't shout in triumph. Instead, he turned around, facing his classmates whose eyes were gathered on him, and deeply bowed.
"This match, thank you for your hard work!"
"Everyone thinks that if I'm on the court, we'll win. But that's not true at all. Your effort, your week of training, everyone in class saw it. Everyone knows. This victory belongs to us, not just me."
A few of their eyes grew misty. And from the spectators' seats, Class C erupted into thunderous cheers.
Hikigaya listened to the voice in his earpiece with deep satisfaction.
It seemed Sudō had finally become a true leader.
[In the group chat, Sudō stared blankly at this version of himself.]
["That's… me?"]
["It's me… it's really me… I actually said something like that? I actually did something like that…?"]
["This wasn't some special match, nor a peak showdown… so why, why does my heart feel so overwhelmed?"]
["I want to become that version of me… I definitely will."]
[Students of Horikita's class were also shocked. To them, Sudō no longer looked like someone they needed to worry about.]
[Now, he finally seemed capable of moving forward properly.]
The first victory, paired with Sudō's actions, instantly ignited the entire venue. Class C's morale had reached its peak.
Even Sakayanagi looked somewhat surprised. If Hikigaya hadn't been staring at her, he wouldn't have believed she'd make such an expression.
But quickly, Sakayanagi regained composure. The expression lasted only seconds, like a flower blooming and fading instantly.
She understood well, people grow.
And in any class with Hikigaya, they would grow earlier and faster.
Hoshinomiya and Sakagami were just as astonished, but they tried to cheer for Class A: "C-Class actually won… but it's only the first match. The outcome is still undecided."
…
The second contest followed immediately, and the randomly drawn event… was again one proposed by Class C.
Second Exam: Typing speed test
Required Participants: 1
Time: 30 Minutes
Rules: Speed and accuracy competition in three typing formats: Vocabulary, Short Passages, and Essays.
Commander Intervention: The commander can notify the participant of one mistake.
Completely different from the previous team match, this one was a solo event. Under the rules, each student could only participate in one solo event, and it could not overlap with team events.
So the players from the basketball match could not be used again. They also had to consider future matches.
The exam still heavily restricted the Commander's influence. Naturally, because Hikigaya's own typing speed wasn't fast at all. No one to text, no reason to type. So from the beginning, this event was designed with that limitation in mind.
And to ensure future matches went smoothly, Hikigaya had to extract each student's maximum advantage.
Without hesitation, Hikigaya sent Sotomura Hideo into the arena.
Sotomura Hideo was a chubby glasses-wearing boy. He had terrible athletic ability, terrible academic grades, but one overwhelming strength, he was a hardcore gamer. PC, mobile, game consoles, he mastered them all.
And because of that, his typing speed and accuracy were absolutely overwhelming compared to these "bookworms."
This match had always been designed for him to shine. This way, they could save strong students like Hirata or Horikita for later.
As expected, the second match held zero suspense. Under Class C's thorough preparation, drawing this event meant an almost guaranteed victory.
Sotomura Hideo earned a near-perfect 98 points, while Class A lagged nearly ten points behind. They weren't even on the same playing field.
Hoshinomiya: "Ehh? Ehh?! Class C is really 2–0 already? That means… Doesn't Class C have a huge chance to win?!"
Sakagami: "No. Superficially you're right, C-Class is smooth sailing and morale is high. But these were their own events. Their victory isn't surprising. When Class A's home-field events come up, I don't think Class C has a chance."
Sure enough, right after he said that.
Third Exam: English Quiz
Required number of participants: 8 people
Time Limit: 50 minutes
Rules: Based on the first-year syllabus, comparing total scores between the two classes.
Commander Role: Can answer one question in place of the participants.
This was Class A's home turf.
The moment he saw the subject, Hikigaya chose the sacrificial strategy.
First, requiring 8 people would force C-Class to use high-academic students like Wang Meiyu or Yukimura. Class A still had many strong academics. More importantly, Hikigaya had zero confidence in beating Sakayanagi in English.
On the other hand, Sakayanagi instantly assembled her lineup.
'She won't waste this chance. She won't send weak players. If we send Hirata or Horikita here and they lose out of carelessness, Class C is doomed. And…'
'If the fourth draw is our event, Class A would be checkmated.'
So, Class C's lineup was: Okiya Kyōsuke, Minami Hakuo, Karuizawa Kei, Satō Maya, Shinohara Satsuki, Inokashira Kokoro, Sonoda Chiyo, and Ichihashi Ruri.
Yes, none were top students. Most were bottom-tier in academics. Sakayanagi clearly noticed and shook her head.
Class A naturally picked eight top-ranking students. Even Sakayanagi wouldn't risk sending weaker candidates here.
The results were obvious: Class A scored 740, Class C only 430.
The greatest one-sided match yet.
And the wider the gap, the more successful Hikigaya's sacrifice strategy proved to be.
[Shinohara: "No way… this guy is actually gaining the upper hand against Sakayanagi… am I seeing things?"]
[Ike: "I know he's a monster but… the opponent is Sakayanagi! Sakayanagi!!"]
[Sudō: "What's so surprising? I don't think it's surprising at all."]
[Sotomura: "Yeah right Sudō. Your mouth can't even hide your grin."]
[Hirata (excited): "We're only two matches away from beating Class A…"]
[Kitō (worried): "Princess…"]
[Sakayanagi smiled calmly and signaled him not to speak further.]
[Kamuro: "Don't worry. The princess won't lose. Hikigaya may be strong… but she's a natural genius."]
[Kitō: "True…"]
[Ryūen: "Hah? Still so calm? I wouldn't be."]
[Sakayanagi, still smiling: "Precisely because of that… competition has meaning."]
[Ibuki: "I'd love to see you lose, Sakayanagi."]
[Sakayanagi's smile didn't fade: "I apologize for the pressure I've caused you before."]
[Ibuki: "…This woman…"]
[Yukinoshita's hand rested lightly on the back of Hikigaya's hand. Neither spoke. No one seemed to notice.]
[…Well, it only seemed so.]
[Isshiki wore a worried expression. Even though Horikita's class was in the lead, the pressure before the final result was suffocating.]
[Hayama, Ebina, and Miura were the same. Even as mere spectators, they held their breath. The next event drawn would decide the direction of the match.]
[Seeing the tension, Yuigahama clenched her fist and smiled. "It's okay! Hiki will definitely win!"]
[Hikigaya: "If only I had your blind confidence."]
[Yuigahama: "Hiki… that's mean…"]
[Yukinoshita: "Hikigaya-kun's words are harsh, but overconfidence is dangerous. One wrong judgment from a Commander can decide everything."]
[Yuigahama: "Yukinon… also mean…"]
[…]
After a short break, the fourth exam began under everyone's gaze.
Fourth Match: Mathematics Quiz
Required number of participants: 7 people
Time Limit: 50 minutes
Rules: Based on the first-year syllabus, comparing total scores between the two classes.
Commander Role: Can answer one question in place of the participants.
Another Class A event. Another academic test. A massive headache for Class C.
And troublesome for Hikigaya.
His math had improved, yes, but compared to the consistently elite Class A students, he didn't expect to win.
Sakayanagi was curious. Since both teams had drawn two of their own events, would Little Hiki choose another sacrifice strategy, or gamble everything because the next draw might not be social studies?
As usual, after each event draw, the silver-haired fairy muttered alluring words beside Hikigaya, attempting to sway his decisions. Of course, they never worked. Hikigaya was a master at half-hearted responses.
So, the two stared each other down.
In the end, Hikigaya decided to gamble again. Leading 2–1, he could afford to reset the score.
Once again, he used the sacrificial strategy, causing the two supervising Sensei to sigh.
Hoshinomiya: "As expected… the difference in overall capability between A-Class and C-Class is too big…"
Sakagami: "And A-Class's events are all targeted at C-Class. If the requirement were one person, C-Class could fight. But with seven? One bad distribution and they collapse instantly."
Hoshinomiya: "Yeah… Hikigaya-kun still doesn't dare gamble."
As expected, the final score nearly mirrored the English match. Class C was crushed.
…
Fifth Match: Social Studies.
Required participants: 7
Time: 50 minutes
Commander Intervention: Commander may answer one question.
Even Hirata couldn't stay calm at this point.
"This luck…"
Ike: "Damn it! Are those A-Class bastards cheating?! Three straight draws of their events?!"
Karuizawa shook her head helplessly. "This is bad."
Shinohara: "My head hurts…"
Hikigaya smiled slightly. Sure, he could have gone all-out in the math match, but then he couldn't force A-Class to waste so many strong students.
Because Class C's top academic group easily rivaled A-Class, Sakayanagi didn't dare relax. After releasing 17 students across the exams so far, plus the 5 they used in basketball, A-Class now had very few viable members left.
Most importantly, Hikigaya was confident in Social Studies. Even against Sakayanagi, he wouldn't lose easily.
So, Class C's lineup was: Hirata Yōsuke, Yukimura Teruhiko, Wang Meiyu, Matsushita Chiaki, Kushida Kikyō, Ichinose Honami, Horikita Suzune.
Their absolute top-tier academic ability meant that even against any lineup Class A sent out, they still had the strength to fight.
Among the group, only Matsushita Chiaki, whose usual academic record wasn't very good, froze for a moment. She thought she wouldn't be selected. But…
It seemed that guy had already seen through the fact she was hiding her real ability.
Since that was the case, for Class C's honor, she might as well finally show her true ability.
With this being an all-out battle, aside from Kōenji, every main force capable of appearing was deployed in this exam.
If all the earlier matches were probing, exploiting loopholes, and testing each other, then this Social Studies exam was a direct academic clash between Class A and Class C.
Even Sakayanagi, upon seeing the lineup Class C selected, could only shake her head helplessly.
Though the calm smile remained on her face, she already understood the result.
Or rather, after being misled twice in a row by Hikigaya's sacrificial strategies, the only students Class A had left were mid-upper tier at best. It was nearly impossible for them to defeat this fully armed Class C.
Sure enough, Class A achieved an excellent 601 points, an impressive score no matter where it was placed. But…
Class C reached a terrifying 698 points. The difference didn't look huge on paper, but for top-rank students, every single point was hard to earn. And in this head-on battle, Class C was essentially scoring perfectly across the board.
This was the one match in the entire exam lineup where Class C not only beat Class A's chosen event, but Class A had never managed to beat Class C's.
Hoshinomiya: "Wow! Class C actually won!"
Sakagami: "The situation has been reversed."
Hoshinomiya: "If they win one more match, Class C wins the whole thing! Unbelievable, Sakayanagi's been forced into a corner!"
Sakagami's eyes were fixed on Hikigaya. "This approach is somewhat of a gamble, but without taking these gambles, Class C would have no chance against Class A. Now, the opportunity lies right in front of them…"
Hoshinomiya: "Yeah, yeah! If they can seize this and beat Class A, that'd be really interesting!"
The score now stood at 3 to 2.
What would the next event be?
Everyone's eyes were glued to the big screen.
Clearly… no matter who they were, their hearts were pounding faster in that moment.
(End of this chapter)