Chapter 5 Part VIII

After the short break, the order of the contests went in reverse temporarily and the curtains rose on the girls' cavalry battle. The 1st year girls all gathered at the center of the grounds. Of course, it's still a competition between the DA coalition and the BC coalition. 

The rules for the cavalry battle are the same for both boys and girls and have a time limit. It's a mechanism set up such that scores are allocated based on the number of enemy horsemen defeated and the number of allied horsemen remaining after a period of 3 minutes. Four horsemen make up one team. 

From each class, four horsemen were chosen and it ended up as a 8 vs. 8 match (due to that the surplus students were kept on reserve, treated as emergency substitutes). 

One horseman is worth 50 points and each class has one horseman designated as the general and the general horseman is worth 100 points. You can acquire these points even if the opponent is still standing so as long as you can steal away their headband. If we had a peerless warrior it's possible to gain as many as 400 or 500 points in one stroke. By the way, Horikita is one of those in Class D chosen to be the jockey. The ones acting as support underneath her are Ishizaki, Komiya and Kondou. As far as maneuverability goes, they're not too bad. 

As for the other jockeys, Karuizawa, Kushida and Mori were chosen. 

The problem here is Mori's horse, which is composed of unathletic students. If we're targeted, there is a high possibility that she'd be the first to go down. 

By designating that weak horseman as the general, they've adopted the strategy of keeping it out of the fight and protecting it with the remaining three horsemen. Perhaps they're aiming for a counterattack if the enemy attacks them?

Once the start signal is given, the horsemen from Class C and Class B quietly begin to close the distance. Amongst them, as I thought, the one overflowing with motivation was Class C's Ibuki. Ibuki, who happens to be the jockey, issued orders and headed towards Horikita without hesitation. No, it's not just Ibuki.

"O-Oi oi, what the hell's happening!?".

Ike, who had been watching, cried out and beside him, I could see Sudou clench his teeth. 

Class C did not attack their other enemy, Class A, at all and did not pay any attention to Class D's general nor the other horsemen either. They only surrounded Horikita's horse. Their objective was all too clear. 

Four horsemen attack Horikita. Is their strategy to crush us one after another, or do they think it's fine as long as they defeat Horikita? They're both possible given that Ryuuen is in command. 

Outnumbered numerically, the only thing we could count on would be backup from Class A but perhaps they intend to profit from our fight, since Class A only performed feints and showed no signs of openly participating in the fight.

"They're blatantly targeting Horikita aren't they?".

"Shit.....it's probably on Ryuuen's order. That piece of trash!".

"Well, it can't be helped. Horikita is well-known as the person who's holding Class D together".

The importance of crushing the head is the same whether it's war or sports. Ryuuen's tactics aren't half bad. Seeing that situation, the first ones to act in her support were Karuizawa and the cavalry under her command. Shinohara dashed there while supporting Karuizawa, who's the center. However, the one who got in their way was Class B's general horseman, Ichinose. 

Unlike Class A, Class B is properly following Class C as they take independent action. 

Running into one another, it's Karuizawa vs. Ichinose. 

The ones who initiated the attack were Karuizawa and the others.

I suppose that's inevitable, given that they need to settle this as quickly as possible to support the targeted Horikita. The three girls supporting Karuizawa aren't particularly athletic. At best, it's a horse built from cooperation between close friends. On the other hand, Ichinose has utilized Class B's most prominent and talented people for her horse. They weren't afraid of Karuizawa's attack and with a movement surpassing hers, they dodged her attack. 

However, despite being able to make a direct attack, Ichinose's movements didn't seem as sharp. In response to her attack, Karuizawa was able to react well and return fire. 

The coordination vs. maneuverability match, contrary to expectations, showed signs of dragging on. 

"This is a really good match!".

As the audience's excitement soared, the situation besides the two struggling horsemen began to change. Cheers burst forth. While I was busy watching Karuizawa and the others, one of the horsemen had their headband stolen away. It was Horikita. She was attacked simultaneously by four horsemen and no longer able to avoid their persistent attacks, she was finally crushed. She fell off her horse quite flashily and is now collapsed on the ground, trying to raise her upper body back up in frustration. However, in a situation like this, not even Sudou would have stood a chance of winning. 

The cause of her defeat lies in Class A, who did not rush to aid her right away. 

In any case, it's no use crying over spilt milk. Horikita's defeat marked the onset of a melee. Having lost a horseman and having Class B pursue them on top of it, Class D's unity wavered in an instant. Some fell off their horses and others had their headbands stolen away, and aside from Karuizawa, the other two horsemen resisted in vain before they were defeated.

Karuizawa, who had been fighting against Ichinose, momentarily ended up in an 8 vs. 1 scenario before, at the very end, she managed to steal away the headband from a different Class B horseman through a suicidal resolve and succeeded in ending that fight with a mutual kill. Having lost a horseman, Class C and Class B attacked the remaining Class A and wiped them out. As for the opposing team, they ended up losing only two horsemen as casualties. 

Biting back her frustration, Horikita returned to our camp. Sudou calls out to her immediately. 

"Don't worry about it. It was hopeless anyways, it's the others' fault for being too slow with their support".

"...it doesn't change the fact that I lost. I was swallowed up by that momentum of theirs".

Certainly, Class C gave off the feeling of obstinately aiming to defeat Horikita. 

I had thought this earlier as well but if that's the case, no horseman would have stood a chance either way. 

"Leave it to me. I'll go on a rampage and make up for this as well".

Sudou coolly said that. Normally words like this wouldn't even reach Horikita, but in her weak state right now, they seem to have resonated within her. 

"I'll be expecting that from you".

It was brief, but she responded like that to Sudou. 

"Alright, let's go guys!".

Sudou shouts. The boys' cavalry battle begins. I served the role of the horse on the right side. Sudou stands firm in the middle and Miyake's on the left side. Hirata assumed the role of the jockey and the class's strongest horseman was formed.

A peerless warrior capable of attaining victory even if the allied horsemen were to be defeated. 

"Oi Hirata. You focus only on not falling down or having your headband stolen away".

"...so we're using 'that' strategy, right?".

"We were thoroughly beaten during capture-the-flag after all. We're going to win without holding back".

I couldn't see his face, but I knew Sudou must have been grinning. They're probably planning on using that tactic we've practiced over and over again during our training. 

"But I'd like to make a proposal of my own, would that be fine? I was watching the girls' match earlier and I've thought of a way to win. I've already told Katsuragi-kun about it as well. It'll be bad if we keep being crushed each and every time".

The horsemen of Class D followed Hirata's orders and joined up with the horsemen from Class A at the same time the starting signal for the match rang. By becoming almost indistinguishable from Class A, we'd inevitably end up forming a massive cluster. They did abandon Class D to its fate during the girls' match but surely simply losing isn't what Class A wishes for either. 

Looking at the situation unfold, the one who assumed the role of Class C's general, Ryuuen, laughed daringly. If fine details like cooperation cannot be achieved, then use broad orders to direct everyone forcibly. Following Katsuragi's orders, eight horsemen from the DA coalition assault the enemy team. 

"Just aim for that shitty Ryuuen's head! Raah! Send him flying!".

In an instant, as the match begins across the entire field, Hirata's horse, Sudou, dashes forward with all his strength. 

But a horseman from Class B stands in the way of his rampage in the middle. However...

"Don't get in my way!".

Sudou, without stopping, slammed into the enemy horseman's body with all his might and threw him off balance. 

"Uwa!?".

The enemy, whose physique is inferior to Sudou's, could do nothing but collapse, jockey and all. 

"How about that, huh!?".

He looks down at them like a wild beast and moves onto his next prey. Normally hitting the body itself would be considered foul play but the school has already confirmed that there's no problem with it rulewise. 

The enemy team faltered from that strong impression they received at the very start.

It was a strategy that could not be realized without the physique and personality to go with it. But this aggressive strategy has its drawbacks. Even if we knock down a jockey, it wouldn't count as a stolen headband. Rather, it would be treated as a self-destruct. The 50 points we should have obtained would end up floating away. But even so, if we bet on stealing their headbands, we'd incur a proportionate amount of risk. 

That's about right for a Sudou-like strategy. But we cannot let our guard down just yet. 

In Class B, there's the manoeuvrable general horseman that Kanzaki and Shibata are a part of and in Class C, there's still the general horseman composed of physically strong power types with Ryuuen as their jockey. 

The DA coalition won't stand a chance of winning unless those two are taken care of. It's also eerie how we cannot read Ryuuen's mindset. 

"Sudou-kun, let's defeat the ones around us first. Leave Ryuuen-kun for last".

"Huh? Don't say something boring like that! What we should be aiming for is the general's head!".

It's not like I don't understand what Sudou's trying to say through his howls but the wall in front of Ryuuen blocking us is a thick one. 

"If we get swept up by our emotions here, that's giving him exactly what he wants. Let's do what's necessary to win in the end".

"Tch---!".

In front of us, two horsemen from Class C begin their attack. Still holding a grudge from when he was stepped on, Sudou resists his urge to attack Ryuuen. 

"I get it, first all we have to do is rout these guys right!?".

To defeat these enemies, focus is needed. Hirata reined him in well. 

We fell during capture-the-flag before an overwhelming power but this time, things are going differently. Three horsemen from Class B and Class C combined have already been beaten by Sudou, showing an overwhelming difference in power.

Riding that wave, Katsuragi and the other Class A students succeeded in taking down Shibata and Kanzaki's horse despite losing three of their own. 

The only remaining enemy is the general, Ryuuen himself. On the other hand, both Hirata and Katsuragi's horses have survived and Class D has an additional horseman remaining, creating the ideal situation. 

"Oraora, it's 3 vs. 1 now though? This one's in the bag!".

Exchanging looks, the two horsemen, Katsuragi and Hirata, surround Ryuuen. The other horseman too, while keeping a slight distance, targets Ryuuen. 

From the fact that he was able to steal away a headband, I could guess at the strength of Ryuuen's horse to a certain extent but even so, he would still be overwhelmed by our numerical superiority. 

However Ryuuen did not panic. He wasn't perturbed. Rather, he seemed to be enjoying this desperate situation. 

There's no negligence and neither did he seem defeated. That sort of feeling. Hirata and Katsuragi, if the two of them attack simultaneously, even if in the worst case scenario that one of them goes down, the other can still steal away Ryuuen's headband.

Then our victory will be assured. 

It's precisely because the situation is like this that Ryuuen is able to pierce through the chink in his enemies' hearts. 

"I've remembered your name, Sudou. I stepped on you earlier. It seemed painful".

"Keep saying that. I'm going to be beating you down now".

"You sound quite high-and-mighty for a mere horse leg. It feels pretty good looking down on a horse".

"Hah. Just because you're riding on a horse doesn't mean you're all that".

"Heh.....then this is all meaningless unless we go at it one-on-one".

"Ahh?".

"No, I mean, if you're saying you can't beat me unless it's 2 vs. 1 then it can't be helped. But 'winning' basically only holds meaning if you win one-on-one. Or are you going to put on airs after beating me with a pincer attack?".

"What the hell...!".

"Don't, Sudou-kun. It's a bad idea to rise to his provocations. Let's cooperate with Katsuragi-kun".

".....you don't get it".

"You're the one who's not getting it, Sudou. I understand you've taken care of these guys before but back then, you must have mostly been using cowardly tactics right? The comrades I trust would never be beaten by a frontal attack".

Some of those supporting Ryuuen's body also happen to be members of the basketball club who got into trouble with Sudou. 

"Don't fuck around. Those guys are trash who can't even fight well".

"You're acting rather bullish even though you have no proof of that. If you're saying that's not true then face me one-on-one. And if you can beat me then, I'll do anything, even if it's prostrating before you".

"...got it. Don't go forgetting those words, Ryuuen! You heard him, Katsuragi. Don't stick your nose in this!".

"What are you talking about? It's sheer folly to let this chance go. We should use a pincer attack to make sure he goes down".

"If you stick your nose in this, I'll destroy your horse".

Apparently he took Ryuuen's cheap bait. He already has nothing in his mind except a one-on-one. He understands well the fact that Sudou always had a bullish personality and is quick to fight. 

"So you're determined to do it one-on-one no matter what then, Sudou-kun?...if we're doing it then let's win".

Hirata already knows Sudou's personality and behavior well. Once he flips his switch, it won't really be turned back off that easily. 

Perhaps he had judged that continuing to carelessly try and persuade him otherwise would not be beneficial, as he agreed to the one-on-one. 

"Naturally. Hirata, make absolutely sure your headband doesn't get stolen!".

Along with Sudou's forceful signal, the horse proceeds forward. Katsuragi, with a bitter expression, decides to watch the battle unfold. It's because if he interfered, Sudou would attack him even if he happened to be an ally.

Sudou charges forward and performs a body slam. However, the enemy horseman stood firm without being perturbed by it. Their power was equal. At the center of the horse protecting Ryuuen is the half I've been hearing about, Yamada. His strength is amazing. Just as the rumors claim, he's robustly strong. 

Sudou clicks his tongue. I wonder if that's his frustration at being unable to overcome them. 

Of course, Miyake and I, who supported Hirata from his flanks, could not use as much horsepower as Sudou is using. Suppose Sudou's horsepower is a 10, then the two of us would be a 5. 

On the other hand, part of Ryuuen's horse, Yamada, would be a 9 or a 10. The rest of them tough enemies consisting of 7s and 8s. 

"Interesting. Hey, bring it on. Or are you going to lose to our Albert in strength?".

Provoking Hirata, Ryuuen beckoned us without even setting any traps beforehand. Up until now, as far as the matches go, Ryuuen's had good fortune with his opponents and in all the individual contests he'd participated in, he's taken 1st place. He's quite athletic. 

He observes us after brilliantly dodging Hirata's extended hand. 

While supporting Hirata, I looked at the battle against Ryuuen and as far as I can see, we're evenly matched.

It wouldn't be strange no matter which side wins. However, he's only aggressive vocally, as Ryuuen showed no signs of pointlessly attacking us. 

He's conserving his stamina and maintaining a ratio of 1 attack for every 3 attacks from Hirata. In short, this battle is just a waypoint for him and he's saving energy for the fight later against Katsuragi and the others, who are currently standing by. 

He seems to be absolutely confident that he won't lose. If so, we need to strike at that opening. If we repeatedly attack then an opportunity will present itself to Hirata.

"Not yet, Hirata?".

Sudou said that in a pained voice while receiving most of the attacks coming from the enemy horseman alone. 

"Just a little bit more---!".

He extends his arm, mixing a feint into it as well. His arm then bends and finally, managed to grasp Ryuuen's headband. However, what he grasped was only a few centimeters of the tip. He tried his best to pull it further into his hands. 

"!?".

Hirata had indeed grabbed ahold of the headband but he didn't make it as far as stealing it away since the headband slipped out of his hands. 

"What are you doing, Hirata!? Take it! I'm using up quite a bit of strength here!".

"Sorry...my hand's a bit slippery!".

While breathing heavily, Sudou once again aims to attack. And Ryuuen fearlessly awaits it. 

Compared to Ryuuen, who has yet to launch an offensive resembling an attack, Hirata's only been on the offense so far and he's beginning to breath heavily. 

"What's the matter? Is that it?"

"Kuu.....! Sorry, Sudou-kun, fall back for now!".

In accordance with Hirata's shout, we put some distance between us. There's a difference in the consumption of stamina between Ryuuen, whose side hardly moved from that spot and our side that's been performing intense movements. Ryuuen's probably focusing on the upcoming battle against Katsuragi after defeating us. 

Sudou, whose knees were trembling, took up his stance again while breathing feebly. 

"Make the next one....the last, Hirata. Make sure you absolutely steal it!".

".....I understand. I'll try doing it".

Hirata also calms his breathing and concentrates only on stealing Ryuuen's headband away. 

"Give 'em hell!!!".

Mustering up the last of his strength, he performed a body slam on them but the horse did not collapse. Once again, a fight between the jockeys broke out. However, Hirata assumed they would not initiate an attack and defenselessly extended his arm. The results that came of it would be well worth the risk taken. 

"Got it!".

Straightforwardly and boldly, he reached out. Hirata once again succeeded in grabbing ahold of the headband. 

However, once again, the headband slipped out of his hands. 

"Wha---!?".

Ryuuen did not overlook that upset, and his hands reached out to grasp Hirata's headband while he's still in a defenseless position. That hand of his, in the form of a counter, deeply gripped the headband. And forcefully. When he pulled back, the headband fell from Hirata's head all too easily. The moment he sensed that we had lost, Sudou collapsed onto his knees and Hirata fell off the horse. 

Hirata's headband was noisily hoisted up.

Immediately after, as though it came from within the field, a warning was issued from the referee.

"Shit!".

Sudou, who was going wild, glared at Ryuuen as he stood back up. However, if he keeps standing still like that, I don't know what kind of warning he'll receive. I pushed Sudou's back and headed out. 

"How regrettable".

Ryuuen, as though sneering at him, left behind those words. It's still too early to accept defeat though.

The general horseman, Katsuragi, a survivor from Class A, boldly challenged Ryuuen. Katsuragi, who had assumed the role of the horse's head, issued orders to the jockey, Yahiko, and builds up a thorough defense. Now that Sudou's withdrawn, they were able to link up with the remaining horseman from Class D and a 2 vs. 1 situation is realized. 

However, just as I had thought they were able to grab ahold of the headband like Hirata did, a similar scenario unfolded where they were unable to pull it off and ultimately Yahiko's headband, along with Class D's headband, were both stolen away. 

Despite only utilizing minimal movements, Ryuuen demonstrated marvelous strength and survived to the very end. 

As the signal marking the match's conclusion rang out, he took off his headband and swung it around in a display of triumph. Doing that and thoroughly repeating his acts of provocation are also probably a part of his strategy. 

"He's the only one I absolutely didn't want to lose to! Pull yourself together, Hirata!".

Because Ryuuen's the one person he didn't want to lose to, Sudou's frustration is at an all-time high today. It's a situation where it wouldn't be strange even if he went on a rampage and tore the place up. 

"Sorry, Sudou-kun. That headband was strangely wet and so I couldn't quite pull it off. I thought it was sweat at first but that feels a bit off.....".

Hirata said that and showed us his hands. When I touched his fingertips, I realized he had some kind of clear and sticky fluid stuck on his fingertips. 

"That's not sweat".

"Then that means that bastard...!".

After confirming it by touching it with his own fingers, Sudou approached Ryuuen. 

"Oi, that's foul play you bastard! You slathered your headband with something!".

In response to the howling Sudou, Ryuuen fearlessly and boldly replied. 

"Ahh? I don't know anything about that. Even if that's so, it's probably just the hair wax. Don't be a sore loser".

He could say it came from his hair when he put on the headband. Perhaps it's because he had been swinging it around after his victory or perhaps it's simply because he'd wiped it on the ground but rather than being drenched, the headband in Ryuuen's hand was only dirtied. It seems the evidence has been erased. 

"Sudou, we'll end up causing an uproar here. For now, I think it's better if we returned to our tent".

I could tell that the referee is openly glaring at us. Even if we cause trouble here, we wouldn't be able to prove that Ryuuen had smeared it and as a matter of fact, I do believe he's used hair wax. 

If not then it would be a risky move that could result in foul play, something he wouldn't do. 

"I know! More importantly, Ayanokouji, you're also at fault here. You need to provide better support more".

Even after returning to our tent, Sudou showed no sign of calming down. I took my distance from him to give him some alone time to cool off.

Karuizawa called out to me and Hirata once we came back from our cavalry battle. 

"Hey, Kiyotaka. Isn't this bad?".

"What is? Wait, why did you just call me by my first name?".

"Why you say?.....I've begun to call him Yousuke-kun so I'm doing the same for you too".

Then why are you only dropping honorifics for me? Are you saying I'm even lower than him in your eyes? 

I don't even have to think deeply about it.....it's probably just that. 

"More importantly, it's about Horikita-san. Isn't she having a hard time for quite a while now? Even during the cavalry battle just now, she was a mess. Even if I try and follow up for her if it's like that, it's just absurd".

"That's right".

Horikita is being tormented by the contests and not just the team competitions but as a whole, her rankings have fallen significantly. The reason for that is an obvious one. Due to her fall during the obstacle course race, her right leg has been injured. One would normally suggest withdrawing but if that were to happen, Class D as a whole would be taking a huge step backwards. 

"Well, I don't intend to blame her though. Her opponents are just too much".

Like Karuizawa said, it's not like it's Horikita's fault. Each and every time she keeps running into difficult opponents. No matter what contest it may be, if she keeps having to face students who happen to be the best in their clubs, then naturally winning would prove difficult. 

But this is far too biased to write off as a mere coincidence. 

"It can't be helped. She's being targeted after all".

"Targeted? So you mean it's not a coincidence that she keeps running into all these amazing people?".

"I can't think of anything but that. You should also know just how athletic she is".

It's not that Horikita is bad, it's just that the opponents she's forced to compete against happen to be superior. However, by consecutively placing bottom, she couldn't help but stand out to both enemies and allies alike. 

More so because people have started to take notice of Horikita in particular. 

The fact that she was the first one targeted in the cavalry battle only means that they're targeting the root. And in all likelihood, the one who ordered that is---the one conducting himself like a king in the enemy camp, Ryuuen Kakeru. No one but him would do this. 

He's progressively prioritizing attacking Horikita over leading Class C to victory.

"It's what you'd call harassment".

"You're saying someone's harassing Horikita-san...? But, how.....".

"By the way, it's not just Horikita. They know everyone's group numbers for the contests. They fed weak opponents to the more athletic ones like Sudou and Onodera and for the unathletic one like Sotomura, Yukimura and Ike, they had them compete against students who are capable of barely winning. Basically, what it means is that we're being toyed with".

Then there's the fact that it's all students from Class C. 

"...the class's information slipped out...the list on the participation table was leaked?".

"That's right. All of this was set up in advance and the information was communicated to Ryuuen".

"That sort of thing.....if I recall, Horikita-san's opponents were always---Yajima-san and Kinoshita-san...does this have something to do with the traitor you were talking about earlier?".

I nodded slightly. I made her understand just how bad of a situation this is. 

"That sort of thing...how did you find out....? How should I put it, it would be less strange if you told me you're the traitor.....that's not it right?".

"Unfortunately enough".

Leaving aside the 'who' for now, what's important is that the class's information is being leaked.

Our order of participation in the contests that we agreed on, with Hirata being first on the list, as well as our strategies, all of it is known to Ryuuen. Based on that information, he did two things. 

One is to feed weak students to the talented students like Sudou and Hirata. And then he forces unathletic students like Ike and Yamauchi to compete against students who excel in sports beyond the shadow of a doubt in order to rack up wins that way. Of course, we are also taking that into account when coming up with our combinations but since Class C knows everything, they simply wait for us to make our move. That way, there's no mistaking the fact that Class C would produce better results. 

The other is his targeting of Horikita. But that has nothing to do with leading his class to victory. He himself, for the sole purpose of crushing Horikita, is sending out powerful pieces to attack and crush her. 

As a matter of fact, she's already losing face. If we rank Class D, then Horikita is already sinking to the very bottom of it. These strategies indeed reveal the peculiarities of the man known as Ryuuen Kakeru. 

If he truly did not wish for his strategy to be revealed, he could have made sure to switch up the students in detail. However, the fact that he didn't do so would mean that he wishes to shock us by having us catch onto his strategy, it's because his desire to scare us that way is clear. 

"So you're not going to help her?".

"How?".

"That's....something I don't know".

"The participation table for this sports festival has already been confirmed. There's nothing we can do about that".

"So you're saying Class D might lose like this?".

"I suppose so".

"Is there nothing we can do?".

"Rather than consult me, I think this is something you should go over with Hirata".

"That's---that's true but...somehow if it's you, I thought you'd be able to think of something.....".

This sports festival is open for public viewing. Unlike the uninhabited island, there aren't very many blind spots. Since we're being watched by a great many people, both teachers and students will find pulling something off without being noticed a difficult task. 

You could say that fighting upfront like Ichinose and Katsuragi, or taking a risk and using cowardly tactics repeatedly like Ryuuen are the only methods one can utilize.

Even in Ryuuen's case, from his movements and attitude, I could tell that he committed foul play only after thorough rehearsals and practice. In short, what it means is that most of the results have already been decided from before the sports festival even began. 

"What do you think of Horikita?".

"What...I don't like her. She's conceited and impertinent".

"But you're still worried about her".

"Maybe I saw her as being similar to me".

Targeted, taking concentrated fire and forced into distress. So she's projecting her old, bullied self onto her. 

"Right now, Class D is last place right...? Is there any way left to win?".

"Not to worry. So far everything's going as I predicted".

"So you have been putting some thought into it after all. So? How do we win?".

"Win? I don't intend to win in particular. Right now what's truly important is that we do nothing".

"Ehh?"

Karuizawa opened her mouth agape when I answered like that. 

"For this sports festival, just do what you can. By doing that, it'll prove beneficial later".

"What do you mean by---".

As I pondered over how best to escape Karuizawa's interrogation, I suddenly heard an angry bellow. 

"I'm seriously going to knock the shit out of that bastard!".

Sudou, who had turned into a demon, walked forcefully towards Class C.

The continuous provocations he received during the team competitions, and Ryuuen's statements that seemed to be targeting Horikita. All of that appeared to have been for the sake of causing Sudou to go on a rampage now. 

"I get what you mean, Sudou-kun. But I think we need to stay calm about this. You should know what'll happen if you attack Ryuuen-kun".

Hirata stood in his way to stop him but he forcefully shoved Hirata. 

"Shut up! He's the one fucking around here! He's committing foul play!".

"I do think there's a high possibility of it being foul play. But isn't it difficult to prove that?".

The trampling he received during capture-the-flag and letting go during tug-of-war, both of those can be considered foul play but it's still in a gray area and as for the hair wax he used during the cavalry battle, since there's no evidence of it now it's nothing more than mere speculation. At the very least, drawing close to him while being controlled by his rage, Sudou wouldn't be able to solve anything. More likely, he'd have the tables turned on him instead. If he attacks the other classes this publicly, there's the possibility that it wouldn't just end with Sudou being disqualified.

"I'm the leader during the sports festival. Obey me, Hirata, let's gang up on Ryuuen together".

"I'm not denying that you're the leader. Considering this sports festival, there's no doubt that you're the leader. But I want you to look around. Just how many people right now acknowledge you as their leader?".

Sudou looks around.

Starting with Ike and the others, who cowered before his anger, most of the students kept their distance from the irritated Sudou. They're all keeping their distance so as to not incur his wrath. Horikita too, was looking at Sudou's speech and conduct with exasperated eyes. 

This is the current state of Class D. It's something we need to accept and improve upon. 

"I'm desperately trying for the sake of the class.....".

Sudou squeezed those words out angrily but all the other students except Hirata raised their voices. 

"Is that really so? Rather than wanting the class to win, isn't it just that you want to show off? Isn't it just that you want to show us just how amazing you are? At the very least, I think so. You're just being swept along by your emotions, and you decide usefulness and uselessness based on that. You get angry. If the class can win with just that alone we wouldn't even be having trouble. If you're going to throw your weight as leader around, you need to make rational decisions and give accurate advice".

It was Yukimura who cut in like that. Despite suffering from his own results in the sports festival, he's earnestly putting in effort. 

"Shut up.....".

"I feel the same way too, Sudou-kun. It's precisely because we're relying on you, Sudou-kun, that I want you to see the bigger picture. And I want you to respond to the feelings of all your comrades".

"Shut up...".

"You should be able to do that, Sudou-kun. That's why---".

"I'm telling you to shut up!".

Go~. Just as I thought a dull sound like that rang out, Hirata, who had been standing next to him, was shoved from behind and had collapsed onto the ground. 

Sudou's eyes were bloodshot and he doesn't even seem to have realized the mistake he made. If someone says too much, they'll probably be the next ones to be beaten. No, he's already trying to beat Yukimura up. 

However, by beating Hirata up, Sudou's already bathing in attention regardless of whether it's wanted or not and the teachers are eyeing him as well. Despite it being a class's internal affair, if violence is involved, it won't end with just a warning. 

"What's going on?".

Chabashira-sensei, who is responsible for watching over the class, walks over to the collapsed Hirata. Then looking at Sudou's rage and the red mark left on Hirata's cheek from being hit it's more or less easy to grasp what's happening. 

"Did you hit him?".

Not even hearing him out, Chabashira-sensei only asks for the truth. Not having felt any gratification, Sudou angrily answered without even denying it. 

"....what'll you do if I did?".

Sudou affirms it but on the contrary, Hirata stood up and panickedly corrects her.

"That's not it, sensei. I just fell down on my own".

"I hardly see it that way".

"You're wrong. Because I'm saying so, there should be no problem then".

We cannot afford to have both the fact that Sudou punched and Hirata was punched come to light. Hirata made the right call. After a slight delay, Chabashira-sensei delivers her judgement. 

"Certainly you're right. If the victim is saying nothing's wrong then first of all, there's no problem. However, objectively looking at it, there's the possibility that there's some kind of trouble going on between you guys. For now, keep your distance from one another. Then I'll be filing a report to my superiors. As a preventive measure".

"There's no trouble here and I don't want to cause any misunderstandings. I understand".

Thanks to Hirata's calm response, nothing came of it. Hirata took his distance to stay out of Sudou's field of vision.

On the other hand, Sudou was no longer able to suppress his rage and kicked a pipe chair near him with all his strength. Under Chabashira-sensei's watchful eye, beating up Class C is impossible to pull off.

"Do whatever you want. Go ahead and lose, you small fries. This sports festival can eat shit".

For a moment, Sudou looked at Horikita, who had been watching the whole thing but he averted his eyes. Sudou left and started walking back towards the dormitory. 

"This is bad, Ayanokouji".

"This has nothing to do with me though".

Kouenji is absent due to ill health. And now Sudou's walked out on us. Rationally speaking, Class D's situation can be summed up as a shamefully terrible one. 

"Are you alright, Hirata?".

"Yeah, I really got it good though".

Fortunately, it seems like only the inside of his mouth is a bit cut up and no large and visible external injuries occurred. 

"But what do we do.....this is bad".