Chapter 147 – Pole-toppling game

After the men's 100 meters, the women's 100 meters naturally followed. As expected, without the interference from the second year, Kinoshita and Yajima, who are from the track and field club, also secured two first places for Yukio's class.

Following the hurdle race and the long jump, Yukio's class continued to dominate, making the atmosphere even more exhilarating and overshadowing the last of the summer's heat.

Considering factors like fatigue and spectator interest, the school didn't schedule all individual events before moving on to team events. Instead, they were interspersed thoughtfully throughout the day.

After several individual events, the first triple-point team event was held: a pole-toppling game for boys. This event is somewhat of a unique feature of Japanese sports festivals, involving an open field, poles on both sides, and two teams in attack and defense. The goal is to navigate through the opposing team and knock down their pole.

How to attack the opponent's pole or defend your own is entirely up to the students.

As Yukio's male students headed to the third venue for this event, Ishizaki was filled with anticipation: "I hope we get to face the second-year A class! I can't wait to follow Yukio-san's lead and step on that Nagumo's head!"

Due to the unpredictability of which teams would compete in which venue, Ishizaki harbored this wish to emulate Yukio's bold action against Nagumo in such a fiercely competitive event.

However, Ishizaki was bound to be disappointed. Upon arriving at venue three, they saw Sudo from the first-year D class, rallying his troops with a roar: "We must win, damn it! Let that arrogant fool Koenji see that even without him, we can still win!"

It made sense to target the first-year D class, perceived as the weakest, especially since Yukio's class had the participation lists for three D classes. Who else would they choose?

Yet, despite Sudo's passionate speech, his classmates seemed unconvinced and troubled. It was as if they were silently questioning why they should be dragged into Sudo's feud with Koenji instead of confronting Koenji directly.

Yukio noticed that Koenji was conspicuously absent from the opposing team, likely having found an excuse to skip the event or claiming illness to visit the medical tent.

The confrontation between the two classes heightened Sudo's resentment towards Yukio's class, a rivalry that had been simmering since the mid-term exams of the previous semester.

Unfortunately, Sudo had no chance for revenge until the opportunity of the pole-toppling game finally presented itself. He clenched his fists, determined to vent his pent-up anger.

Contrary to Sudo's enthusiasm, many boys in class D began to feel dread: "Oh no, why did we have to go up against Yukio's class?"

"With so many athletically talented delinquents in their class, we don't stand a chance, do we?"

"This is too hard. Just look at that giant, Yamada Albert. We obviously can't match up!"

Yukio's class indeed had an advantage in the sports festival; while they might not excel academically, their physical prowess was unmatched in their year.

After being suppressed for a semester, the boys in class D held a degree of awe for Yukio's class, leading to their defeatism before the battle even began.

Hearing such defeatist talk infuriated Sudo. He couldn't rally his classmates no matter how hard he tried. Finally, he simply clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked, threatening his classmates with his "iron fist" if anyone dared to slack off.

This only made the boys in class D even less willing to participate.

In stark contrast, Yukio's class was the picture of ease and harmony: "We thought we'd face upperclassmen, but it's just class D."

"Isn't this too easy? It's like we've hit the jackpot. It's like getting triple points for free."

While one side was gloomy and tense, the other was laughing and carefree. The referee, holding the starting flag, shook his head at the clear disparity but dutifully blew the whistle to start the game.

Both classes adopted a prudent tactic: half of the members defended their pole, while the other half attacked.

As the attackers met in the middle of the field, like two opposing tides clashing, class D's line was immediately scattered.

Sudo, leading the charge, shouted, "Come on! I want to see who's not afraid to die trying to stop me!"

But as soon as he spoke, Ishizaki, Komiya, Kondo, and Oda firmly blocked him. Despite Sudo's efforts, he couldn't break free from this predicament.

As for the rest of class D's boys, they were easily scattered by Albert's charge. They couldn't even hold their ground before Albert and his team broke through, heading straight for class D's pole.

"They're coming! The big guy's coming!"

"Quick, quick, stop him!"

"No use, we just can't stop him!" Against class D's boys, the towering figure of Albert was like a tiger among sheep. With just a push, he could easily clear his path without breaking stride, as if strolling leisurely in a garden.

Not to mention the rest of Yukio's class, each one adept in brawling. They either charged like bulls, knocking down class D's members, or took advantage of the dust kicked up to play dirty.

It didn't take long for them to lay class D's boys flat.

Even Ayanokoji, who Yukio had been watching, showed no fighting spirit, only making a token gesture of resistance before being effortlessly pushed back by Albert and awkwardly falling to the ground. Albert himself didn't notice anything amiss, thinking it all perfectly normal.

Seeing this, Sudo was nearly bursting with rage: "Damn it! Damn it all!" He tried to break free from the encirclement of Ishizaki and others to defend, but it was futile.

After all, Sudo wasn't some protagonist from a fighting anime who could turn the tide with sheer anger. Extreme rage couldn't solve everything, like a difficult math problem or being outnumbered in a fight.

While Yukio and Ryuen casually observed from the sidelines, enjoying the spectacle without needing to intervene, Albert single-handedly toppled class D's pole. The outcome was decisively one-sided, with no suspense whatsoever.

Ryuen even had the leisure to comment on their easy victory: "This must be the easiest opponent. Class D only really has Sudo to show for, and we just happened to run into them. Yukio, was this part of your beauty plan? Did you manage to get hold of class D's list?"

Yukio, in response, lightly kicked Ryuen's knee, causing him almost to lose his balance: "If you're going to speak, say something pleasant. If not, better to keep quiet. What's this about a beauty plan? Do you really think I need to compromise my integrity for information?"

Ryuen, rubbing his knee and staying silent, glanced at Yukio's handsome face, thinking to himself whether it was really unnecessary. Perhaps he hit a nerve, hence Yukio's irritated response.

But then, considering class D and remembering Kushida who approached Yukio for a chat on the cruise, Ryuen smirked, realizing Yukio didn't lose out at all; in fact, he seemed to have gained quite a bit from the situation.

***

Enjoyed the chapters? Read 20 chapters ahead on Patreon

PATREON.COM/METARLN

400 power stones = 1 extra chapter