The faint chuckle escaping Seiji Koroizumi's lips—"Nfuhuhuhuhu"—was so quiet it was nearly drowned out by the rustling of papers in the classroom. Yet, to Horikita Suzune, who sat directly behind him, the sound seemed to make the air vibrate in a peculiar way. It wasn't the empty laughter of arrogance, but the resonance of an absolute confidence standing at the very top of the food chain.
Before Suzune could further process the meaning behind that laugh, a sharp tapping from the podium broke her focus. Chabashira Sae was knocking on the blackboard with a chalk eraser, demanding the undivided attention of everyone in Class 1-B.
"You must exert all your abilities in every event," Chabashira said, her cold voice slicing through any lingering enthusiasm in the air. "I've warned you beforehand: this festival will have a massive impact. And trust me, the penalty for losing will not be light."
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. The students, who had been leaning back casually just moments ago, now sat up rigid and tense. At this school, the word 'penalty' always went hand-in-hand with the looming threat of expulsion or mass impoverishment.
Chabashira looked at her students' faces one by one, ensuring the fear sank in. "Any student who places last in an individual event will instantly lose 1,000 private points." She paused, letting the number digest. "However, there is an even crueler exception. If the last-place student has fewer than 1,000 private points, the remaining penalty will be converted and applied as a point deduction on your next written exam."
Losing 1,000 private points was currently not an issue at all for Class 1-B. Thanks to their high class standing (yielding 134,000 points per student every month) coupled with the massive 500,000 private point bonus from their manipulation of the Zodiac Exam, they were all essentially filthy rich. A 1,000-point fine was nothing more than pocket change to them.
However, Ike Kanji, realizing that the real issue at this school wasn't money but academic grades, hastily raised his hand. His eyes were glued to another line in the document.
"Chabashira-sensei, wait a minute!" Ike exclaimed, his face conveying a panicked confusion. "What does it mean by the rewards for the top three? And what does getting points for the written exam written on this sheet mean?"
Chabashira Sae crossed her arms over her chest, maintaining her stern expression as she observed the reactions of her students who were currently scraping by academically.
"Exactly as you might imagine," Chabashira explained, her tone smooth and calm. "If you manage to win and place in the top three in an individual event, you will receive 10 bonus marks for the upcoming written exam. That will undoubtedly be incredibly useful, especially for those of you whose test scores are currently barely passing."
Hearing this confirmation, an immense sense of relief erupted among the students who realized the potential of that reward. For those with borderline academic grades but gifted with prime physiques, like Sudou Ken, this was a golden ticket. They could secure their written exam scores just by running fast.
"Seriously? Awesome!" Ike cheered, pumping his fist into the air. Several other average students in Class B chimed in with enthusiastic murmurs of agreement. The previously dampened spirits were now burning bright again.
However, Chabashira didn't let that euphoria last for more than five seconds.
"Don't celebrate just yet," Chabashira cut in sharply, her voice like a bucket of ice water dumped over hot coals. "This school's system always demands an equivalent balance. If there is a reward for the best, then there is a penalty for the worst. There is a penalty for the bottom 10."
Chabashira leaned forward, staring directly at Ike, who was now gulping hard once more.
"The penalty for the bottom ten in the first-year cohort is a deduction of 10 marks for every subject in the upcoming written exam," Chabashira continued without an ounce of mercy.
A suffocating silence instantly overtook the room. A 10-mark deduction... for every subject? If someone had a thin margin of safety, that cumulative deduction would be an instant ticket to expulsion. This wasn't merely a sports festival; it was a minefield disguised with tracksuits and referee whistles.
"The details of the events held at the festival are in the document," Chabashira concluded, standing upright once more. "Study it as if your lives depend on it."
At his desk, Seiji Koroizumi remained entirely unaffected by the wave of panic surrounding him. With an unreadable expression, his obsidian-black eyes darted rapidly from left to right, scanning the second page of the document he had been handed earlier. His reading speed far exceeded the average; he wasn't just reading the words, but rather dissecting the very structure of the competition within his mind.
Seiji read the event details in silence.
Event List:Main Events (Individual Category):
1. 100-Meter Dash: A basic sprint competition pitting absolute linear speed on a straight track. No tricks, just pure explosive muscle power.
2. Hurdle Race: A test of speed while leaping over a series of hurdles. It requires technique, rhythm, and flexibility far beyond mere speed.
3. Capture the Flag: Exclusive to male students; a brutal physical clash to bring down the opposing team's flagpole. This event is essentially the legalization of controlled physical violence.
4. Ball Toss (Tamaire): Exclusive to female students; throwing as many balls as possible into a high basket. It requires accuracy and composure under pressure.
5. Tug of War: A test of pulling strength separated by gender. It tests pure strength and the center of gravity.
6. Obstacle Course Race: An agility contest navigating various unique physical obstacles along the track. It tests adaptability on unpredictable terrain.
7. Three-Legged Race: A paired race where the inner legs of both participants are tied together. Absolute synchronization is the primary key.
8. Cavalry Battle: A team event where one person acts as the rider (attempting to snatch the opponent's headband) atop the shoulders of their teammates. An arena where formation strategies and observation become the deciding factors.
9. 200-Meter Dash: A mid-distance sprint requiring higher speed endurance than the 100-meter track. The threshold where your lungs will feel like they are burning.
Additional Events (Group Category):
10. Scavenger Hunt: Participants run and must find the object or person written on a random instruction card. Luck and social connections are the main weapons here.
11. Four-Way Tug of War: An extreme variation of tug-of-war involving four pulling teams simultaneously from four corners. It's not just about strength; it demands instant negotiation and tactical betrayal.
12. Three-Legged Race (Mixed Gender): A three-legged race requiring a male and female student pairing.
13. Joint 1200-Meter Relay: The pinnacle race that stakes the highest prestige.
A total of thirteen events. Seiji leaned back slowly. He realized one fundamental thing: this wasn't an athletic exam. This was a resource management game. The muscles, lungs, and stamina of the students were coins they had to spend with the utmost care.
"They all look incredibly tough," grumbled Karuizawa Kei from the other side of the room. The blonde girl twirled the ends of her hair with a look of distaste. Imagining having to get sweaty, dirty, and race under the scorching sun just to avoid a grade deduction was clearly not her ideal scenario.
In another corner, Sotomura Hideo—a heavyset student who had thus far only relied on his skills behind a monitor and rarely exercised—wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
"Can all this really be finished in a single day?" Sotomura asked, his breathing already sounding heavy, as if merely reading the event list burned calories in his body.
"It can," Chabashira replied coldly, her eyes glancing toward Sotomura with an evaluating gaze. "There will simply be consecutive events testing your physical fitness and stamina. The schedule is extremely tight, and rest time is minimal."
Chabashira walked back to her desk, organizing her documents. "That is the core of this exam. The school does not dictate who participates in which event. You will discuss and decide who will participate and in what order. Design your participation table independently, then submit it to me before the deadline."
Hirata Yousuke furrowed his brow, trying to digest the extreme freedom their homeroom teacher had just granted them. In the S-System, too much freedom was usually a highly lethal trap.
"Sensei," Hirata called out, his tone indicating the caution of a diplomat. "To what extent are we allowed to choose? Is there a maximum participation limit for students who excel in sports?"
"Entirely," Chabashira answered firmly. "You are the ones who will discuss and decide who will compete on which team and in which event. If you want to force a single student to participate in ten consecutive events until they collapse from exhaustion, that is your class's right."
Chabashira raised her head, allowing a pregnant silence to blanket the room. She had just tossed a ticking time bomb right into the middle of Class 1-B. Fatigue management, the egos of students wanting the spotlight, the fear of the weaker students, and the threat of grade deductions—all of this would trigger an explosive internal conflict if not managed with a cool head.
Slowly, Chabashira's gaze shifted from Hirata in the middle row. Her eyes passed over Sudou, who was pumping his fist excitedly; passed over Suzune, who was deep in logical thought; and finally locked straight ahead.
Ending in silence, Chabashira stared at Seiji Koroizumi.
It wasn't the look a teacher gives an ordinary student. It was the evaluating gaze of someone who had caught a fleeting glimpse of the monster teacher hiding behind the young man's friendly smile. Chabashira knew that the absolute freedom she had just granted wouldn't be a major issue for Class B, as long as this 'shadow teacher' was the one moving the pieces on the chessboard.
At his desk, Seiji Koroizumi met his homeroom teacher's sharp gaze with a relaxed, faint smile. His hand slowly stopped twirling the pen, setting it down on the desk with a soft click.
This exam was about to test far more than just muscle; it would test whether this class had truly become a solid unit, or if they were merely a mob that could be broken apart by exhaustion. And as the true teacher behind the scenes, Seiji was very much looking forward to seeing how his students would answer the challenge on the track.
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