Vol-10 Ch 2 – Athletic Festival

Part 1

A few days have passed since we decided on the events to participate in the athletic festival.

We were getting ready for the festival.

In addition to competitions and entrance/exit practice, the boys practiced for the cheer squad, and the girls practiced their cheerleading.

Even at my previous school, the boys did the cheer squad during the athletic festival, but this was the first time for me to participate properly.

However, the steeplechase, cavalry battle, and tug-of-war which I will be participating in will only require a simple explanation of the rules and confirmation of the course, and the other details will only be known at the actual event.

Instead, I was practicing the mixed-gender three-legged race with Rin.

""One, two, one, two.""

The two of us circled the schoolyard, shoulder to shoulder.

At first, we could only walk with some degree of control, but now we were able to run quite fast.

"Whew… isn't that nice! Yuuya's great after all."

"I-I don't think so. Rin is the one who matches my breath, so it's very easy for me to move around."

Rin grinned when I answered that.

"But it's bad, isn't it? You were with a girl like me. If it were Kaede, she would have been more comfortable hugging you."

"Buh!?"

H-hug, you say…!?

I know she's teasing me completely, but that's just too much for people to hear!

"Well, I know you don't feel like you're getting any perks with me, but bear with me, okay?"

"I-it's not like that! But you're very beautiful too… Um…"

"Eh?"

I'm not used to this kind of thing so much, so I ended up saying some weird things, but in fact, when I ran shoulder to shoulder with Rin, she smelled kind of nice, and her body was so soft that it was impossible not to notice.

"That's why, um… it still bothers me a lot, or maybe I'm just trying not to care… Sorry, that's a weird thing to say."

"N-no, it's me… that, I'm sorry for saying weird things…"

As we were both feeling awkward, Rin changed the subject.

"B-by the way, the new student, Merl, is amazing, isn't she?"

"Yes…"

Merl was assigned to participate in the athletic festival soon after transferring to the school, and just as in the case of Yuti, she demonstrated her abilities to the fullest extent.

In my mind, Merl was a girl who made full use of her extraordinary space technologies, but she was also good at actual physical exercises.

She is not as specialized in physical exercise as Yuti, Iris-san and the others, but even so, there is no doubt that she has extraordinary physical abilities when viewed on the Earth's level.

It was reassuring that Merl was on our team, but I could not let my guard down since Yuti was in the white group.

"Well, but isn't it Yuuya who is the center of attention the most?"

"Eh?"

"Besides, it looks like some TV stations will be there on the day, so I'm looking forward to seeing what happens."

"TV stations are coming?"

"Huh? You didn't know?"

I was astonished by Rin's words.

It was true that there had been reporters at the ball game related to Miu-san's entertainment agency, but that was not the case this time.

"Speaking of Ousei Academy's events, they're so flashy every year that many viewers look forward to them."

"Y-you're right…"

Is that it, or is it the feeling of watching the Olympics or a marathon? For that matter, it's not like athletes are competing against each other… But then again, Ousei Academy has a lot of students who excel in sports, so does that make it look good on TV?

"That's why. I have to do my best so that I won't be a burden to Yuuya."

Rin laughed again, and we resumed our practice once again.

＊＊＊

"Sorry! Have you waited long?"

"No, it's all right."

On my day off, I was meeting Merl before the opening of the park in order to head to the amusement park that I had promised her before.

Merl was dressed in plain clothes that properly fit in on Earth, just as when I showed her around the Earth some time ago.

Merl noticed my gaze and lightly spun around on the spot.

"How do you like it? I tried on a slightly different kind of clothing than before…"

"Yeah, it looks really good on you."

"I'm glad to hear that! So, here's the…"

"Amusement park."

A large facility was spread out before us.

It was not only Merl's first time visiting the largest amusement park near where we live, but it was also my first time to visit one myself, so I was very excited.

However, since it was a holiday, there were many people.

"Wow, that's a lot of people… Are they JKs, too?"

"No, they're not! In the first place, amusement parks are not facilities where only JKs gather, you know?"

"Is that so? …No, come to think of it, it only says that JKs go there often. Let me correct the data."

I'm curious as to what the data is…

Regardless, when the amusement park opened, we too bought tickets and entered.

"Oh!"

I am impressed by the scenery that unfolds there.

I had only seen the Ferris wheel from afar and the huge roller coaster. And there was a delicious or rather peculiar smell wafting through the air in the surrounding area.

Moreover, the staff greeted us with smiles, and there was an extraordinary space.

Maybe there is nothing extraordinary for me when I am experiencing other worlds and space, but still, this place just for enjoyment was very new to me.

"It's amazing… how different and unique the place is from the air outside…"

Merl also seemed amazed at the atmosphere of the amusement park.

"…Let's not be dumbfounded by this; let's go on something."

"Now that you mention it, I'd like to ride on something called a roller coaster first. It is said to be one of the most popular rides in amusement parks."

"I see. Let's go then."

I've never ridden a roller coaster before either, so I'm pretty curious.

Moreover, I heard that there is not only one roller coaster in the amusement park but also several different types.

When we headed for the biggest of them all, there was already a long line of people waiting to get on the roller coaster.

"Wow, that's a lot of people…"

"As I thought, the data was correct. That must be why this roller coaster is such a great attraction."

We got in line and waited our turn.

"H-hey, that… that's a really flashy hair color…"

"I mean, isn't it glowing? …No, it's normal to be glowing, right…?"

"I like that couple over there! It's like a beautiful man and a beautiful woman."

After all, Merl's appearance was very prominent and attracted the attention of other visitors.

"…It seems we're attracting some strange gazes here. Could it be that your perception manipulation was not as good as it could have been?"

"N-no, I think it's fine! Yeah!"

"Is that so? Then that's fine…"

Merl says that perception manipulation is not harmful to the body, but I don't think it's a good idea to be too careless with it, so I'm going to let it stay that way.

While we were having this exchange and asking about things at school, it was our turn.

"Yuuya-san! It's our turn!"

We sat side by side on the double-row roller coaster, and the safety bars were lowered to secure our bodies.

All that remained was to wait for the start of the ride, and I felt a bit nervous and elated.

"It's finally happening…"

Merl seemed a bit nervous as well, but her expression was cheerful.

And now the roller coaster begins to move.

The roller coaster we rode had very steep ups and downs and even had a part where it spun around in circles.

The coaster gradually accelerated, and when it reached its maximum speed, the coaster moved violently from side to side, up and down.

But…

"….."

"….."

While everyone around us was shouting and enjoying themselves, Merl and I were sitting there, bewildered.

We even looked at each other unintentionally during the process.

The reason is that… we didn't feel any thrill at all.

Normally, these types of attractions are meant to provide a variety of excitement that you would never experience in your everyday life.

However, Merl and I couldn't feel any excitement, probably because we had already experienced rides and battles that were more thrilling than roller coasters.

We passed through the main roller coaster course with some confusion, and the roller coaster ride was over without a hitch.

"….."

"….."

With indescribable expressions on our faces, we looked at each other again as those around us happily shared their impressions.

"N-next! Let's go to the next attraction!"

"R-right!"

In an effort to change the mood, I quickly made the suggestion to see the next attraction, and Merl showed her agreement.

"Then… how about the haunted house? The data records indicate that this one is more of a couples' staple than a JK staple."

"So what's the data about…?"

I don't know if it's a couple's staple or not, but I'm new to this as well, so I'm looking forward to it.

Moving quickly to the location of the haunted house, we see a hospital-like building that looks like it might be haunted.

"Is that the haunted house? If I remember correctly, I think that shape and symbol was a hospital on this planet…"

"You're not wrong in that assessment. What can I say? Hospitals are deeply related to life and death, aren't they? So I think that's why people have a strong image of it being haunted or something."

"I see…"

I spoke from my own imagination, but in front of a hospital with an atmosphere, albeit a fake one, I certainly felt that I could see ghosts and other spiritual things.

Like the roller coaster, we waited in line, but it was not as crowded as the roller coaster, so our turn came relatively quickly.

"It's going to be fun!"

"Yeah."

The attraction itself is just following the route in the building, but what is it like?

With a sense of excitement, I stepped into the building and found myself in the reception area of a battered and decaying hospital.

The number of lights was minimal, and they were flickering on and off, perhaps to create an ambiance.

"I see… that by making it dark in this way, you can create a mood of fear…"

Merl muttered to herself, then immediately put on a subtle expression.

"…Um, I've known true darkness and cosmic terror, like a black hole, so darkness alone isn't much…"

Well, from Merl's point of view, who travels a lot in space, this level of darkness is not scary.

"W-well, this isn't the main thing, you know! After all, the most important thing is gho──"

I was about to say that when I realized.

No, I noticed.

"…There it is."

"…Yeah."

I think it was probably the ghost actor, but I obviously detected the presence of people on both sides of the route, etc., with my [Presence Detection] skill.

N-no, this presence is not necessarily that of the ghost actor! Maybe the couple that entered before us is still… no; it's strange to think that they're still staying across the route…

We went on ahead to see what the presence was for the time being──.

"Woooo!"

"Baaaaah!"

"….."

"….."

"Ah… uwoo."

"…Aaaah…"

Merl and I stared at the ghost actors who popped up with indescribable expressions on our faces.

I mean, we wanted to be surprised, but we couldn't be surprised…

I was not really surprised because I could even detect the presence of them popping out, if anything.

Witnessing our expressions, the actor playing the role of the ghost almost went back to his normal self for a moment, but he quickly recovered and backed away, somewhat bewildered.

"…Shall we proceed?'

"…Yes."

After that, all we could do was give subtle looks to the crew members who tried to scare us the whole time.

Some of them were even trying to scare us with mechanical gimmicks instead of humans…

"Ah, Yuuya-san. If you go through there, you will probably hear loud noises."

"…Wouldn't it defeat the purpose if you told me that?"

"Ah…"

Merl, with her space technology, saw through it all.

It is not that she is operating the device attached to her left arm, but she seems to be able to detect this much without using that device.

We continued on, and we were almost to the exit.

"U-umm… I didn't expect such harm…"

I could never have imagined that my skills and otherworldly experiences would interfere in this way.

It was the moment when I thought that we would end up arriving at the exit… without any problems.

"Yu-Yuuya-san…"

"Hmm? Merl, what's wrong?"

Suddenly, Merl stopped.

When I looked at Merl, I saw that Merl, who had been so unconcerned until then, had gone completely pale.

"M-Merl! What's wrong?"

"Oh… oh… that…"

"Eh?"

Merl points a trembling finger at a corner of the haunted house.

Following her fingertips, I turn my gaze in the same direction and see──.

"!?"

You should praise me for not raising my voice.

What a surprise… A child was standing in the direction Merl pointed.

──With his feet missing.

The fact that I didn't notice it before shows that this child doesn't respond to the [Presence Detection] skill for some reason.

In other words…

"Gho-gho… Gho──!"

"I don't believe it; I don't believe it, I don't believe it. I don't believe in such an unscientific existence…!"

Merl shook her head vigorously as if she had seen nothing.

But the next moment.

"Let's play!"

"~~! Kyu…"

"Meeeeerl!"

Suddenly, Merl fainted at the sound of the child's voice coming from behind her!

I hurriedly took Merl in my arms and dashed straight to the exit!

"Whooaaaaaa!"

It would be disturbing to shout so loudly, but fortunately, this is a haunted house. Even if I screamed a little, no one would think it was strange, and we succeeded in escaping.

I-I never thought that a real ghost would appear. Did it come by because of the atmosphere of the haunted house…? Whatever the case, I'm glad we were able to escape…

Merl had passed out but woke up the moment we got out of the haunted house and we were exposed to the light outside.

"Huh! T-this is…"

"It's outside. I made it out of the haunted house without incident."

"I-I see… Ah."

Merl looked relieved from the bottom of her heart, and then she noticed something and blushed.

"Merl?"

"U-um… It's all right now, so if you could put me down…"

Ah? S-sorry!"

As I hurriedly put Merl down, an indescribable air passed between us.

So I opened my mouth to change the atmosphere.

"R-right! Let's go to the next attraction!"

"Y-yeah, you're right."

However, I am not quite sure what to go to next.

After all, the roller coaster wasn't going so well, and we were not sure if we would be able to enjoy the other attractions.

We were worried about that, but we decided to just go for the time being and got in line for the other attractions.

As a result, we could enjoy the merry-go-round and go-carts without any problem.

The coffee cups were not as exciting as the roller coaster, but Merl, who rides on a spaceship, seemed to find the go-carts refreshing, and the merry-go-round was relaxing enough to enjoy the atmosphere.

After enjoying some other mini-games, such as Struck Out and Free Throw, and getting a few prizes, we decided to have lunch.

"How's that? This is an amusement park… are you enjoying yourself?"

When I asked her that again, Merl smiled.

"Yes, I am enjoying it. There were a few attractions that I didn't expect…"

"I never thought I'd be this incompatible with a roller coaster, the centerpiece of amusement parks…"

No one could have predicted that, indeed.

Well, Merl and I are just too unique…

"So, what do you think? I think I enjoyed it to some extent…"

"If so… why don't we take a ride on that thing at the end?"

She then pointed to the Ferris wheel, another symbolic attraction of the amusement park.

However…

"Is that okay? You usually ride on a spaceship, and the height of a Ferris wheel doesn't…"

"That may be so, but after all, I could see it from outside this amusement park. I'd like to take a ride."

Certainly, I would like to ride on the Ferris wheel, which was visible from a distance on our way to this amusement park.

As soon as we decided on our next move, we quickly made our way to the Ferris wheel, and this time we were able to ride it easily.

We gradually ascended the Ferris wheel, feeling strangely embarrassed at the thought of being alone in such a small space.

The scenery around us became more and more distant, and we came to a position where we could look down at the roller coaster we had ridden in the first place.

Having ridden spaceships before, I had initially wondered how the Ferris wheel would be, but it was interesting to watch it slowly rise higher and higher, and I was genuinely enjoying myself.

"When I was on Merl's spaceship, the Earth itself became distant in an instant, but it is nice to look at the scenery slowly like this."

"Yes, you're right."

While I was relaxing and enjoying the scenery outside, Merl opened her mouth, looking somewhat nervous.

"Um… once again, I'm really sorry about what my fathers said to you on the planet Amel."

"Eh? Ah, no! I don't mind. At first, I didn't know what to do, but now we are back, and that's how it happened…"

In fact, it was only because Merl covered for us that we were able to come back like this.

Then Merl continues, still looking nervous.

"U-um… it's strange, but what do you think of Planet Amel, Yuuya-san?"

"Well… I was too busy to see it properly before, but it's still very different from Earth, and the technology is way ahead of us."

I hope I can go sightseeing next time under calmer circumstances.

In that case, I would like to take Night and Iris-san and the others with me.

As I was thinking like that, Merl continued.

"How about living on the planet Amel?"

"Eeh? A-as expected, that's…"

I did think it sounded like an interesting planet, but when asked if I would live there, I indeed couldn't immediately nod my head.

"R-right…"

Merl looked a little dejected at my response.

"T-then, um… my… l-lover… n-no, it's too early for that… Will you become my friend?"

"Eh? T-that's of course! A pleasure for me too."

Why did she suddenly ask me that? As for me, I already thought we were friends…

As I was thinking this, the Ferris wheel finally reached the top.

"Wow! It's such a nice view…"

"….."

The view of the city, which had always been so casual, seemed special, glistening in the sunlight.

I suddenly shifted my gaze to Merl, who was also stunned by the view in front of her.

It was thanks to Merl's invitation that I was able to see such a view…

"Merl."

"Yes?"

"Thank you for inviting me out today. I had a lot of fun."

"Yes!"

We laughed again and enjoyed the Ferris wheel to the end.

Part 2

While Yuuya and Merl were enjoying the amusement park.

Orghis was working in his office at the castle. Suddenly, one of the soldiers arrived in a hurry.

"Your Majesty!"

"What's the matter?"

"We have succeeded in capturing one of the believers of the Evil cult!"

"What?"

It was a report that they had captured a member of the Evil cult who was currently marching through the [Great Devil's Nest] in search of Yuuya.

"I understand; I will be there soon."

Orghis put down the papers in his hand and immediately headed for the believer, guided by the soldier.

The believer was in the interrogation room, and upon his arrival, Orghis was immediately escorted into the room.

There sat a man with his hands and feet bound, and the soldiers watched him to ensure he did not do anything strange.

Orghis sat down in front of the man and asked him directly.

"Are you a believer of the Evil cult?"

The man's tone was one of uncertainty, but he answered matter-of-factly, without pressure.

"If so, what would you say?"

"What?"

"What did we do?"

"That's…"

Orghis could not answer the man's question.

The reason was that, although the Evil cult was a dangerous group that worshipped "Evil," they did not harm the people in their surroundings in any particular way.

The idea of worshipping "Evil," the enemy of mankind, was dangerous in itself, but it was not enough to catch them and punish them.

"This country has become quite barbaric, hasn't it?"

"You!"

"Fine."

The man's words immediately prompted one of the soldiers to slash at him, but Orghis restrained him.

"You are right. The members of the Evil cult did not directly cause damage to our country. But it is also true that this country has suffered tremendous damage due to the Evil you worship. That is why we cannot leave your ideology unchecked."

"…You also stand in our way."

The man muttered quietly in response to Orghis' words, his expression disappearing. But he quickly smiled.

"But it's too late, you know? Our plan is already in motion."

"Plan?"

"Yes! We will summon our God by offering Him our divine enemy who has arrogantly defied us!"

"Wha-?"

Orghis and the others widened their eyes at what the man had just said.

If the man's words were true, then "Evil" that is the incarnation of despair would be resurrected.

"Hey, you! What kind of──"

"───"

Just as Orghis was about to ask more questions, he noticed that the man's eyes were wide open, he was smiling, but he was out of breath.

The blood flowing from his mouth indicated that he had bitten off his tongue.

"Damn it! Hey, heal this guy right away!"

He immediately instructed the soldiers around him to cast a recovery spell on the man, but it was already too late, and the man could not be brought back to life.

"Y-Your Majesty… I apologize…"

"…No, it's fine. This time it is entirely my fault. I misjudged the fanaticism of these Evil believers…"

Orghis would have liked to gather more information if he could, but the man's death made that impossible. Nevertheless, there was certainly information to be obtained.

"We will summon our God… don't tell me they really think they can bring 'Evil' back…?"

Orghis, who thought they had finally found peace after Yuuya had defeated the Evil, now had a grim look on his face as he realized that the threat of the Evil was approaching once again.

The mere resurrection of the "Evil" was significant, but the man had something more problematic to say.

"Offering a divine enemy… Does that mean that there is a ritual that summons the 'Evil' by sacrificing the 'Holy'…?"

As might be expected of the king of a magic powerhouse, he immediately recognized the possibility of the existence of such magic, but he did not infer that the subject of the sacrifice might be Yuuya.

"…The king's council has just concluded, but I will send letters to all countries immediately so that they will be a little more vigilant. I hope my fears are unfounded…"

Orghis sighed heavily and quickly returned to his office.

＊＊＊

After enjoying the holiday with Merl at the amusement park, the school practiced for the athletic festival alongside regular classes, and finally, the morning of the big day arrived.

Unfortunately, I could not bring Night and the others, and Ouma-san was sulking as usual, but I asked him to endure it.

I really wanted them to come as my family, but I wouldn't be able to stay with them all the time, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to them. Well, since Night and the others are smart, I don't have to worry about them, though…

So, when I finished my preparations and headed to the school, I found that many TV cameramen were getting ready to shoot, just as Rin had said.

"Well, here we are again this year, the Ousei Academy Athletic Festival! I am Shirase, a member of the broadcasting committee, and I will be your host for this year's event."

After the preparations were finished, everyone gathered on the field, and then, to the surprise of everyone, the broadcast by Shirase-san, a member of the broadcasting committee, began as if it were a live broadcast!

I have never imagined such a loud broadcast at an athletic festival!

"And this time, we've invited our PE teacher, Ohki-sensei, to act as a commentator! Pleased to be working with you, Ohki-sensei."

"I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's performance."

Along with commentary?

Well, well, it's not like they invited someone from outside or anything; I guess it's normal…?

"Now, I'm sure you all know this, but let me briefly explain the rules. Students are divided into red and white groups in this athletic festival and compete in different competitions, and points are awarded according to their rankings. The winners are decided by the total of the points. However! That doesn't mean that people in the same group are your friends! What's more, the points earned by each class determine the budget for the school festival to be held at a later date! Besides, there will be extra prizes for different rankings, so everyone, let's go out there and die trying to win!"

""""Uuuoooooooooooooo!""""

W-what an amazing enthusiasm…!

At Shirase-san's words, all the participants, men and women alike, were filled with a fighting spirit and shouted heroically.

If it's this passionate, the parents must be bewildered…

With that in mind, I turned my gaze to the audience and saw──.

"White team! Don't looooosseeee! I'm betting all my food on you guys!"

"Ara ara, you're such an amateur to bet on the white team, aren't you? Maybe you're not gathering enough information. This year will be the red group, and that fact will not be reversed!"

"I wish I could have participated when I was younger. The second prize every year is just too good to pass up."

"Sure thing. Last year, the extra prizes were amazing, too. I wish I could have spent my school life like that…"

Everyone seems to be accepting it as normal!

Am I the only one surprised here?

Despite my surprise, after the opening ceremony was over, Shirase-san made another announcement.

"The venue seems to be getting more and more excited! Let's move on to the first competition! All contestants, please assemble at the entrance!"

Thus, at last, the curtain rose on the Ousei Academy's athletic festival.

"Now, the bread-eating contest! The bread you will be eating this time is from Yakitate-do! If you'd like to try some freshly baked, delicious bread, please come to Yakitate-do!"

Are you going to advertise here?

M-maybe we are supposed to advertise in exchange for support from companies in this way?

"By the way, there will be a slice of very spicy bread among the breads prepared for you! This will test not only your foot speed but also your luck."

You're adding a gambling element here!

Several boys from my class are going to participate in this race, led by Akira…

"Well, then, let's move on to the introduction of the athletes… First of all, Akira! It's his first appearance after a long time!"

"Just leave it to me! Let this [Bread-Eating Nobleman] set an example for you!"

Akira's spirit of nobility is truly unfathomable.

But is he going to be okay? I have a strange and bad feeling about this…

As I had a mysterious bad feeling, the bread-eating contest finally started.

Akira was originally good at physical exercise itself and got to the bread place faster than anyone else.

"Fuhahahahaha! Behold this magnificent way of eating bread…!"

Akira bites down vigorously on the dangling bread.

And then──.

"S… S-spicyyyyyyyyyyyyy!"

Akira's face turned bright red, and fire erupted from his mouth!

"Oops, Akira! It looks like he got himself into some super spicy breeaaaadddd!"

"W-water! Give me some wateeeeeerrrrrr!"

Akira went straight off the course and rushed off to get a drink of water. In the meantime, the other students would swallow their bread and reach the finish line without any problems.

When Akira returned to the class-waiting tent, his lips were bright red and swollen.

"Fu-fufufu… as expected, I couldn't beat that spiciness…"

"Um… are you okay?"

"My lips still hurt…"

Right… it's swollen up as far as I can see…

As I was treating Akira, the next competition was about to start.

"Well, next up is… the scavenger hunt! After the players start in unison, they are asked to draw a piece of paper from which the contents are hidden. Then, reach the goal with what is written on it in your hand!"

"Kaede! Don't lose!"

"…Fight."

"Rin-chan, Yukine-chan, thank you! I'll do my best!"

It looks like Kaede will be competing in the scavenger hunt, and I'll be cheering her on.

"Kaede! Good luck!"

"Yu-Yuuya? Y-yeah! I'll do my best!"

Kaede was determined and headed to the starting point.

Part 3

Kaede's POV

"Wawa… Yuuya-kun cheered me up…!"

As Kaede moved to the starting point, she thought back to Yuuya's words earlier and blushed.

Although she felt that they had become a little closer again after spending the summer vacation playing together, Kaede wanted to get even closer to him.

"Hah… I wish I were a little taller…"

That is why Kaede was honestly envious when it was decided that Rin would participate in the three-legged race with Yuuya.

She was confident in her running speed, but there was nothing she could do about that.

"No, no, no! Since Yuuya-kun cheered me on, I have to do my best in the scavenger hunt…!"

As she braced herself once again, Shirase's announcement rang out.

"The next scavenger hunt will be decided by two things: how easy a subject you can draw and how quickly you can find the item you need to borrow! Are you all ready? Now then──"

Following Shirase's announcement, the event finally gets underway.

Then, all the students started running at once, but Kaede, who was confident in her speed, was the first to reach the platform where the subjects were lined up.

"Let's see, if I draw one from here, it's…!"

Kaede takes a sheet of paper without hesitation and opens it on the spot.

And──.

"Eh?"

Kaede froze at the subject written there.

The other students also picked up the subject one after another and started to check it on the spot.

"Haaaaaahhh? W-what is the legendary sword?"

"V-vice principal's wig, you say…?"

"Is there such a thing as the Greatest Treasure of Human Connections?"

"Damn it! A girlfriend, you say… You were taking advantage of me being singleeeeeee!"

It is truly an agonizing scream.

None of the subjects were straightforward, and they all had everyone scratching their heads.

"Oops! All players have not moved from their assigned locations! Ohki-sensei, what do you expect to happen from here?"

"Yes, well… the organizers have tried to make some of them achievable while mixing in some crazy ones… but unfortunately, it seems that all of them didn't get the right one…"

Shirase and Ohki-sensei continued to explain calmly, but Kaede was unable to do anything about it.

"T-this subject is… b-but I can't win if I don't bring someone with me…"

Kaede was confused.

Then, Yuuya, who was in the waiting tent, raised his voice.

"Kaede! Are you okay?"

"Yu-Yuuya-kun…"

At the sight of Yuuya, Kaede decided to prepare herself and rushed to Yuuya's side.

"Yu-Yuuya-kun, please come with me!"

"M-me? G-got it!"

Yuuya, who understood in an instant that Kaede's borrowed object that fit the theme was him, jumped out of the tent, grabbed Kaede's hand, and started to run.

Although she should be happy to be in a situation where she was holding Yuuya's hand, Kaede is not in the mood for that right now.

But as luck would have it, Kaede and Yuuya were able to finish in the first place because the others had not yet obtained the desired borrowed items.

"The first one to cross the finish line was Kaede from the red group! And with her, hand in hand is our school's hottest new student, Yuuya! What on earth was the subject?"

"Right… Well, let's just say we'll leave that up to your imagination."

Kaede, who had received a somewhat warm gaze from Ohki-sensei, turned her head down, her face reddening.

"Phew… I'm glad we made it to the finish line without incident. It seems that I was the right person for the borrowing subject… but what kind of subject was it? A transfer student, perhaps?"

"Eh? Oh, y-yeah! Right! That's the kind of subject it was!"

Kaede hurriedly answers Yuuya's question.

"(I-I can't possibly say that! I can't believe the subject was "Who's on my mind right now"…!)."

Kaede and Yuuya were good subjects in the eyes of the TV station, and they were unaware that the camera was immediately filming them.

＊＊＊

"Now, the scavenger hunt, in which only a few of the competitors made it to the finish line, was over. The next event was the ball throw!"

I was the one who reached the finish line with Kaede as a borrowed object that fit her subject, but it seemed that most of the others didn't even make it to the finish line.

T-that's right… I don't know where to borrow a legendary sword or something like that either…

More importantly, the next competition was the ball throw.

Many students, including Shingo-kun, participated in the ball throw, but Yuti was from the white group.

But at the same time, Kaori is also participating as a member of the white team… What in the world is going to happen…?

"Well, are both groups ready? Then… Start!"

"Hmph!"

At Shirase-san's signal, Yuti was the first to move and kicked up the countless balls rolling on the ground in one go. Then, in an instant, she retrieved the balls floating in the air and tossed them one after another into the basket.

"──[Meteor Shower・Athletic Festival Version]."

"Whoa! After Yuuya just now, Yuti is the next most talked competitor from the middle school division! With her incredible physical ability and throwing technique, she manages to put one ball after another into the basket!"

"Oh… Tenjou is tremendous in PE, but she's amazing too. I'm looking forward to seeing her come to the high school."

As expected, the game was Yuti's sole domain, with Yuti accurately placing balls into the basket from one end to the other. Incidentally, the number of balls prepared for this ball game was much larger than that of a regular school, and on top of that, the baskets were large and multiple.

Therefore, a very intense game of ball throwing was being played…

"Eii!"

"Guhahhh!"

"Ta-Tanaka! Bwaaah!"

"Sa-Saitoooooo ── Gahahh?"

"Oh, participant Kaori! All the balls are flying in the wrong direction and ── It's dangerous!"

Kaori, a member of the same white group as Yuti, had sent every ball she threw flying in an unbelievable direction. Moreover, whether on purpose or by accident, the balls struck the students of the red group, and one after another, the red group's camp fell.

"W-what is this? Kaori's violent throw caused the number of participants in the red group to decrease!"

"W-wild pitch!" [T/n: In baseball, a wild pitch (WP) is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, or the batter (on an uncaught third strike), to advance.]

Kaori is shocked by Shirase's announcement, but… T-this might be called a violent throw…

The red group, who managed to survive in front of their fallen comrades, had to avoid the still continuing throws from Kaori as the ball was being thrown in the air.

"Ueeeeeee! I-it's impossible to throw while avoiding this!"

"Don't worry! I, the [Ball-Throwing Nobleman], am going to ── Buhh?"

"Akiraaaaaa!"

"I-I'm sorry! B-but if I don't throw, the game is…!"

Kaori apologizes for her poor control but continues to throw it seriously because it was a game.

As a result, the game had turned into yet another competition in which they had to keep avoiding balls of a speed that even I, who was improving my level, would lose sight of.

After the wildly exciting ball game was over, the results were announced.

"L-let's see… just now, thanks to the efforts of Yuti and Kaori, the red group has a total of fifty balls, and the white group has three hundred balls, so the white group is the winner…"

"Victory."

"Ahaha…"

Yuti mouthed the words in her usual tone, then turned her gaze to me and sent me a V-sign.

Part 4

"T-then, let's move on to the next competition! Next up, the obstacle race!"

"Oh, it's my turn."

"Yu-Yuuya-kun! Good luck!"

"…If it's Yuuya, he'll be fine."

"Well, I'm sure Yuuya will do just fine."

While receiving words of support from Kaede and the others, I made my way to the starting point, but when I arrived there, I felt my jaws gradually drop at the sight of the obstacles being set up on the ground.

"I-is this the track…?"

What a surprise, a full-scale obstacle course had been prepared on the ground that would challenge any physical fitness enthusiast.

"Now, the annual popular Ousei Academy specialty, the full-scale obstacle race! Try to overcome the obstacles on each course and reach the goal!"

Wait, wait, wait!

Don't tell me that obstacle course is the specialty? No, but it makes sense when you see obstacles of this magnitude!

I myself had no idea that Ousei Academy's athletic festival was so popular that it was broadcast on TV until I heard about it from Rin and the others.

That's why I expected it to be an obstacle race a little bigger than a regular school, but…

Once again, looking around at the participating students… there were only strong-looking boys there…

"Finally, this day has come…"

"My body has been tuned up for this day… let's see how far it goes!"

The atmosphere in the competition is such that reaching the finish line itself seems difficult! Will it be all right?

"Now, what great games will be contested this year? So let's get into position, everyone! Go…"

Bang! With a lively signal, we all started running at once.

Then, the first obstacle stood in our way.

"A steep wall, about five meters high, is the first obstacle that stands in the contestants' way! You will not be able to overcome this obstacle unless you have a solid run-up and the strength to run up the wall."

Shirase-san was right; an almost vertical wall appeared in front of us.

"This much is… phew!"

I jumped up toward the wall with a little momentum, put my hand on the top of the wall, and climbed over.

"Oh, participant Yuuya! He conquered this obstacle in an instant!"

"As expected. This should be easy for him normally. But will he be able to keep his composure after this?"

The students followed me, overcoming obstacles one after another, even though they were not as smooth as I was.

A second obstacle stood in our way.

"Eh?"

The next obstacle was a balance beam placed on a high platform with a simple pool of water underneath.

Moreover, the platform was not designed to be crossed normally.

"The second area awaiting the contestants required them to push forward while avoiding the pendulums that strike one after the other!"

Yes, large cushioned pendulums attacked us as we moved forward on the balance beam, blocking our path.

And it's──.

"Heh! This much I…"

One of the students quickly got on the balance beam, only to find that the balance beam began to spin.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeee!"

The male student rushed to regain his balance and clung to the beam desperately.

However…

"Wha-? Aaaaahhhh!"

"Oh, I forgot! If you are distracted by this balance beam and how it spins, you will fall prey to the pendulum!"

"It is truly an obstacle that requires a good sense of balance, a wide field of vision, and composure."

Yes, the boy fell into the pool after hitting the pendulum while he was distracted by the spinning balance beam.

Seeing this, the rest of us hesitated to go on.

…But if I don't go on, I won't be able to reach the finish line…

I made up my mind and hung my feet on the balance beam.

"Oops, participant Yuuya! Are you going to strike boldly?"

As I put my foot on it, I found out that with a slight shift in balance, this balance beam spins.

However, I, who had been trained by Master Usagi and Iris-san for a long time in the name of combat training in places with poor footholds, managed to maintain my balance on the spinning balance beam and avoid strikes by the pendulum and succeeded in clearing it.

"W-what! Participant Yuuya once again cleared the second obstacle first as well!"

"Wonderful! I've never seen a student clear it so cleanly before."

"Even Ohki-sensei is very impressed. As for the other students, as expected, they can't go as smoothly as participant Yuuya, but they steadily clear the way, using other students as shields for the pendulum and so on!"

"But things will get even tougher from here."

The difficulty level is still going up!

Surprised by Ohki-sensei's announcement, I proceeded onward, only to find that a five-meter long cloud ladder had been prepared this time. Moreover, the bars to hang from were thick and widely spaced, requiring a strong grip.

Fortunately, having experienced many things in the other world, I was able to clear the obstacle in one go.

In the next obstacle area, a huge iron ball was placed, and I had to carry it to the goal of this area.

The ball felt as heavy as an adult male when I lifted it, but I was able to conquer it without any problem, probably because I had handled a weapon called "World Strike" in the other world.

"Participant Yuuya is amazing, amazing! He overcame the obstacles one after another with great dexterity!"

"I didn't expect him to go this far… I think this is going to set a new tournament record!"

"What a surprise! Apparently, we may be witnessing that historic moment!"

"But will he make it through the last event?"

There were a series of other obstacles that would normally cause one to collapse from exhaustion just getting to this point, such as going under taut barbed wire and going through a storm of spikes by the volleyball team for some reason.

And then, after passing through an area where I had to climb a vertical wall using only the strength of my arms and ropes, the final obstacle stood in front of me.

It was…

"Now, participant Yuuya, who is currently leading the race! He finally reached the last obstacle, which is…!"

"Yes, it's a tightrope walker!"

To my surprise, there was only one thin rope in the last obstacle area. Moreover, the distance to the goal appeared to be more than ten meters.

"Having given everything he had up to this point, he must have already been tired, and now this tightrope walker. There was a balance beam at the beginning, but this was nothing like that! Every muscle in your body is screaming, and it must be difficult just to keep your balance!"

"Of course, you can go ahead and hang on. But then there is the concern of interference by the following contestants."

Ohki-sensei is right, if the contestants behind me catch up with me as I am crossing the rope super-carefully, the rope could be shaken, and I could be dropped.

Fortunately or unfortunately, this summer vacation has been full of battles in the other worlds and outer space, and I have enough strength left to balance this much without any problem, but…

"Yuuya-kun, keep up the good work!"

"Yuuya! You can do it!"

"Everyone…"

Cheers flew one after another from the red group's tent. With that cheering, I decided to give one a try.

"Oh, at last, the followers have arrived! Will this be a disadvantage for participant Yuuya?"

"No, wait! That Tenjou… is he going to walk on the tightrope normally in this situation?"

Perhaps Ohki-sensei and the organizers were thinking that this tightrope walker was supposed to proceed ahead while hanging on, rather than just walking across normally.

That is why they were surprised that I took a step onto the rope without any hesitation.

──But I wasn't going to be a regular tightrope walker.

"Hmph!"

"Wh-whaaaaaaattt?"

The rope was so tight that it was made to twist and turn as I took a step forward.

Then, using the elastic force of the rope, I jumped all the way to the opposite side.

"H-he jumped! Participant Yuuya, using the recoil from the taut rope, forced himself to jump over the rope!"

"That's absurd! Even if you are using a rope, can you jump a distance of more than 10 meters?"

Despite the reaction of the surprised Shirase-san and the others, I landed safely on the other side and ran through in a single bound, reaching the goal.

"G-goooooaaal. Participant Yuuya has reached the finish line at an overwhelming speed! And that clearance time is a new meet record! Or rather, will there ever be a contestant who can surpass it?"

"N-no, I don't think it will be possible… I think it will be tough even for a professional contestant of this kind…"

"I don't understand what you mean by 'surpassing professional athletes!'"

I'm glad I won for the time being, despite all that's being said. As I returned to the tent, I was greeted by Ryo and the others.

"Yuuya, that was awesome!"

"Yeah, you clear every obstacle in an instant!"

"…It was great to watch you."

"I-is that so? Thank you."

"B-but, Yuuya-kun, are you okay? Next up is the tug of war…"

Shingo-kun said this with concern, but I had no problem with it.

"Yeah, I'm fine with this much."

"T-this much, you say… you're too much of a monster, aren't you? Look at all the other contestants."

Rin was right, the other contestants were exhausted, and they all limped back to their tents with heavy feet and collapsed in a heap.

W-well, I wouldn't have cleared it very well either if I hadn't been leveled up in the other world.

But these days, in addition to training with Master Usagi and Iris-san, I had to fight in outer space, and I was in a situation where my physical strength was increasing whether I wanted it to or not.

Since I couldn't give a detailed explanation, I tried to cover it up with a vague smile and headed to the next competition, tug-of-war.

Part 5

The tug of war was played separately for men and women. As a result, the red team won the men's team, but the white team was now ahead of the women's team.

The reason was that the white team had Yuti.

"Kuh! We can't let this happen…!"

Merl, who was participating in the tug-of-war, seemed to try to use some technology from the planet Amel, perhaps to counter the white team's Yuti, but…

"Preventing it. I'll beat you before you do!"

At that moment, Yuti's eyes glowed.

"Wha-?"

"Uwaaaaa?"

Before Merl could do anything, Yuti pulled the rope as hard as she could, and all the girls in the red group were pulled, like fish from water.

Naturally, it would have been dangerous if they had fallen, but Yuti jumped out instantly, caught them all in the air one by one, and carefully brought them down.

"Secured. Are you okay?"

"Y-yes!"

…Some of them had reddened faces and sparkling eyes for Yuti.

"It's frustrating… because I really wanted to win, but… Yuti-san did it better than me."

"W-well, Yuti is strong… but even Merl did a great job for her first athletic festival."

Yes, Merl had attracted a lot of attention from people around her because she was a transfer student, and she contributed to the victory to live up to their expectations.

In fact, even during the ball throw, most of the red group's points were scored by Merl.

"I really didn't calculate it during the ball throw… I didn't expect such a powerful attack from the white group…!"

"Ah-ahaha…"

I could only smile wryly at Merl's words.

She called it a powerful attack, but that was just a ball Kaori threw out of control, flying all over the place… but Merl was right. The power of that flying ball is extraordinary.

Kaori was usually not good at exercise, but in this respect alone, she may be one of the best in the world. I couldn't even react to it…

"More importantly, isn't Yuuya the one who did a great job? The obstacle race was amazing, wasn't it? Besides, the men's tug of war could be won only with Yuuya's help."

I am indeed much more powerful than most people now, but that didn't mean I thought I could have won on my own.

"Next up were the cheer squad and the cheerleaders, right?"

"Aside from my side, will Merl be participating in cheerleaders as well?"

"Yes. I did my best to learn it. Um… I hope you can look forward to that, okay?"

Merl's cheeks flushed a little red, and after saying so, she walked away quickly.

＊＊＊

As per my conversation with Merl, once the tug-of-war is over, there wouldl be a lunch break, followed by the cheer squad and the cheerleaders.

In previous athletic festivals, I would have eaten alone, but this time Kaori invited me to eat lunch with her.

Since I had made Yuti's lunch as well, Kaori and I were allowed to visit her and her friends together, and we had a pleasant lunch together.

Then──.

"Oh oh oh oh, the red group! Good luck to you, yeah, yeah, yeah!"

Dressed in our school uniforms, which we don't usually wear, and wrapped in red bowls, we showed off what we had practiced as a cheer squad.

We were not only supposed to cheer as a normal cheering squad but also to perform a casual dance.

To be honest, this dance was probably the most difficult part of the athletic festival.

As we managed to perform the dance, we had memorized and received applause from the parents; the girls now began their cheerleaders' performance.

Then, the boys, who had returned to the waiting tent, cheered in unison.

"Oooooooooooooooh! That's good!"

"I'm so glad I got into this school…!"

"Those raw legs are dazzling, man!"

The girls, dressed in cheerleader costumes, performed a full-fledged cheer dance as they were, cheering on their respective pairs.

The unfamiliar sight of everyone and their short skirts made me a bit nervous, and my gaze wandered all over the place.

The cheerleaders, including Kaori and Kaede, who I am used to seeing on a regular basis, also took part in the performance, and I was thrilled to see a side of them that was different from the norm.

The TV cameras were frantically following the girls as they performed.

The costumes may have caught the viewers' attention, but the cheerleaders themselves were also very accomplished and looked very good on TV.

After the cheerleaders finished their performance, an announcement was made by Shirase-san.

"Well, that was a very impressive cheer and cheerleader performance! Now I would like to start the afternoon session here! As for the current score, it appears that the white group has a slight lead."

"The red groups are winning more spectacularly in each event, but the white groups are steadily gaining points."

It seems that the red group is currently losing, and our class teacher, Sawada-sensei, issues a proclamation,

"Hey, you guys! Do your best for your teacher's bonus!"

"No, you should have more words to say to us!"

Ryo was quick to tsukkomi her, but Sawada-sensei…

＊＊＊

That's how the afternoon session begins.

Everyone tried their best to help the red group win but could not take back the lead from the white group by just one more step.

"Well, let's move on to the next event! Next up is the mixed-gender three-legged race!"

"Oh, it's our turn."

"Yeah, let's go for it!"

"Rin-chan, Yuuya-kun, good luck!"

"…Fight."

We were cheered on by Kaede and the others as we made our way to the starting point.

"Hmm… The white group seems to have a lot of track and field students."

"Is that so?"

"There are some track and field students in the red group, but there are more in the white group. How tough can this be?"

"Either way, we've been practicing, and we're going to give it our all."

With all the players once again bracing themselves, they all got together and started off at the teacher's signal.

""Huff, huff, huff, huff!""

Rin and I continued to run smoothly, breathing in unison to show the results of our practice.

However, as Rin had said before we started, there were many track and field pairs in the white group, and their three-legged speed was quite fast.

"Kuh! If we don't do something about it, we're…!"

"Ah, Rin!"

Impatient with the speed of the people around, Yuuya sensed that Rin was about to pick up the pace and quickly matched it, but perhaps because she had never run at speed like that in practice, her legs got tangled, and she almost fell over.

"Uh!?"

But I managed to prevent Rin from falling by supporting her with my hands around her waist, but she rolled her eyes and looked disappointed.

"I-I'm sorry. I was impatient…"

"No, it's fine. More importantly, is your leg okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine… Ugh!"

I was able to prevent her from falling down, but it seemed that Rin had sprained her leg, and her face was contorted.

"Rin?"

"I was in such a hurry that I tried to speed up and ended up getting hurt…"

Deciding that it was impossible to continue running, I told the teachers right then and there that we were going to forfeit from the race.

"Yuuya, I am so sorry."

Then Rin said this in a depressed tone, but it was important to carry Rin to the nursing tent for the time being.

"We have no choice in the matter. I'll carry you to the tent."

"No, I'm fine walking ── Kyaa!"

While holding Rin, who was trying to walk alone, I quickly took her in my arms and carried her to the nursing tent.

Meanwhile, Rin's face was flushed , and she was trying to say something, but in the end, no words came out. W-well, it might be embarrassing to be carried in a princess carry in front of everyone, but I hope she could bear with it.

After I finished carrying Rin and returned to the red group's waiting tent, Kaede and the others approached me with concern, but I told them that everything would be all right for the time being.

After all, once again, the gap in points with the white group was not decreasing.

Part 6

And the afternoon events continued to progress and the competition finally came down to the last event, the cavalry battle.

"This is the last event… This year was by far the much more intense competition compared to a normal athletic festival."

"I guess so. And it's going to be nationally televised, so that's great."

"I-I can relate to why people would want to see this when the event is this spectacular. It may not be comparable to the Olympics or the National Athletic Meet, but it is still very exciting."

"Yes! And this time, it's a very close match with the white team. We're losing now, but if we win this cavalry battle, we will be the winners!"

Ryo was right, so far, it was a close match, and the pair that wins this cavalry battle would likely determine the outcome of this competition.

"So, are you ready?"

"Of course!"

"Leave it to me! I, the [Nobleman of Cavalry], will support you well!"

"I-I'll do my best!"

It was decided that our horses would be Ryo, Shingo-kun, and Akira, and I would be the rider on top.

I asked them if they were sure it should be me, but all three nodded vigorously and unanimously agreed that only I could do it.

Since they expect so much from me, I must do my best…

"Well, the next cavalry battle will be the last event in the athletic festival. With the intense fight up to this point, the current scores are very competitive, and the winner of this cavalry battle will be the athletic festival champion!"

"As for this cavalry battle, the teachers, including myself, will be there to support students. I know everyone is tired because they have given their all so far, but that is why you must be careful not to get hurt."

After all, competition is a competition, and it seems to be conducted with the support of the teachers.

So, all the boys formed up on horseback, and I got on top of them, and then the game started.

The rules of the cavalry match itself were to fight freely for a certain period, and then the remaining pairs would fight one-on-one.

"You guys! Drag down the general of the red teeaaamm!"

"Go for the general of the white team!"

There was also a general cavalry rider from each team, both were strong seniors in their third year.

Following the instructions of these seniors, the riders maneuver their horses, and finally, the battle between the riders begins.

"Bring me that head!"

"Sink they down!"

Isn't it too noisy?

When the charge began, everyone's eyes were bloodshot, and they madly headed for the other rider to take him down!

"Oooh, there's some fierce fighting going on! However, looking at the situation, I would say that the white team has a slight advantage."

I fought to not lose to the other seniors, but I couldn't move as fast as I wanted because of the crowded battlefield and the possibility of injuring my opponent if I really tried to beat him.

As I tried to find the right balance of strength under these circumstances, the match progressed.

"T-the white team! They're making it look like they are going after the red team's general, but they are cutting down the forces around them!"

As Shirase-san announced, before I knew it, the other riders in the red team were overwhelmed by the white riders who were teaming up, and by the time the time limit approached, there were only three riders left in the red team including me and the general's rider.

In contrast, the white team had more than ten riders left.

"This is a complicated situation for the red team! Is victory for the white team sealed at this point?"

In accordance with the rules, the one-on-one battles would start here, but the general cavalry would be last, and we would be the team ahead of him.

"I-I wonder if we'll be alright…"

"Umm… indeed, I must say that it seems quite hopeless even for me, the [Nobleman of Cavalry], to turn this situation around…"

Akira is right; it will be very tough for the red team to regain ground from here.

When it came time to start the single horse race, the red team's riders, who had remained until then, lost in that first race.

Now there were only two riders in the red team, us and the general's cavalry.

With the difference being so great, the white team was now confident of victory and could see that they had enough time to win.

However──.

"Yuuya-kuuuuuuuuuun! Do your beeesssssstt!"

"Ryo, Shingo, and Akira, too, don't loseeeee!"

"Go out there and die for your teacher's bonus!"

We couldn't afford to lose with cheers flying one after another from the red team's tent.

"I-I can hear… them cheering for us…! This way, I can continue to fight for as long as I want!"

"A-as expected, it's hard to say exactly this much, but… I'll do my best!"

"Yeah! There's no way we can finish without defeating a single rider with all this support!"

Ryo and the others who were cheered on by everyone had braced themselves once again for the first battle.

Then──.

"T-this issssss!?"

Shirase-san's shout echoed through the air.

As soon as the one-on-one battle began, we rushed into the fray with the force of a crushing blow, knocking down the other rider after another.

"S-strong, he's strong, participant Yuuya! He knocked down the white team's cavalry one after the other!"

"Haaah!"

"Aghhh!"

One by one, we were knocking down the riders. But since the one-on-one battle is a winner-takes-all system, we will continue to fight until we lose.

"T-the arms of this [Nobleman of Cavalry] are screaming!"

"You said you could fight as long as you wanted before we charged!"

"I-I'm sorry, Ryo-kun! I-I think I might be getting to the end of my rope…!"

"Shingo too?"

Yes, Ryo and the others who were supporting me were reaching their limits.

I was trying to reduce the burden on everyone else by taking out the attackers and knocking them down quickly, but even so, the strain on the arms of the three men below was tremendous.

And because Ryo and the others charge at them without fear, I am also able to fight with a sense of freedom.

"Sorry, everyone! We're almost there…!"

I took down the other rider even more quickly, and finally, only the general rider of the white team was left.

"W-what can I say! No way, the participants Yuuya and the others really knocked down that many riders by themselves!"

"Kyaaaa! Yuuya-kun, that's amazing!"

"I knew he was extraordinary in the first place, but seeing him again, it's amazing."

The red team's waiting tent erupts in cheers as we have made it all the way to a one-on-one battle with the white team's general.

"Generaaaalll! Don't you dare loseeeee!"

"The other team is tired from their back-to-back battles! We should definitely win this oneeee!"

The white team's fighting spirit did not wane in the slightest. In fact, they were more combative now that their teammates were gone.

Then, the opposing general looked me straight in the eye and said with dignity.

"You're really a great foe, Tenjou! But it will be us, the white team, who will win this match!"

"No! We, the red team, will win…!"

With those words as our cue, we clashed.

But the opposing general's cavalry was composed of strong students playing the role of the horses, and Ryo and the others, who were already exhausted, were knocked away!

"Whoa!"

"Hold on, Shingo, Akira!"

"I-I'm holding on!"

"Hmph!"

Ryo and the others tried to fend off the onslaught of the seniors somehow, but it didn't work.

I tried to beat the general as quickly as possible, but the cavalry was so skillful that when I tried to engage them, they quickly pulled away. This caused Ryo and the others to lose their balance, and this continued as a vicious cycle.

But…!

"Haaa!"

"W-what?"

The general's cavalry charged when Ryo and the others had lost their balance, but I took advantage of that by supporting my almost collapsing balance with my torso, and I finally caught the other general!

"Whooaaaaaaa!"

"Haaaaaaah!"

The opponent was not giving up but fought back desperately. I tried to use my strength to dismount the general of the white team, but──.

"I-I'm sorry, Yuuyaaaaa!"

"!"

Finally, Ryo and the others ran out of stamina, and our horses fell apart.

But I took advantage of the momentum to grab the other general, and dragged him to the ground with me!

Then, the other general and I landed on the ground at the same time.

"I-it's settled! What a surprise, participant Yuuya has collided with the white team's general cavalry! With this, the cavalry battle was won by the red team! The red team is the winner of this year's athletic festival…!"

"""WHOAAAAAAAAA!"""

When Shirase-san made the announcement, loud cheers echoed through the ground.

"Yu-Yuuya! You did it! We won!"

"What do you think? This [Nobleman of Cavalry] lives up to the name with this strength of mine!"

"A-as expected of Yuuya-kun! I can't believe you took the opponent out in that situation, too…!"

As Ryo and the others ran up to me and told me this in hushed tones, the senior, who was the general of the white team, held out his hand to me.

"It was a good match. A total defeat for us."

"T-thank you very much!"

I shook hands with my senior.

＊＊＊

All the athletic events had been completed, but everyone decided to do a folk dance at the end of the festival.

Naturally, the students had practiced in advance, but it was a different feeling when we danced after the competition.

We switched one by one, and regardless of whether we were in the white or red group, we danced with Kaede and the other girls in the red group, as well as with Yuti from the middle school.

I was nervous because I had never danced with girls my own age before, and I ended up dancing with Kaori.

"Yuuya-san!"

"Kaori!"

As we took each other's hands and began to dance, I was still embarrassed.

Then Kaori opened her mouth.

"Congratulations to the red team for winning the competition. Yuuya-san was really cool in the cavalry battle, you know?"

"I-is that so? Um… T-thank you…"

My face gets all flushed when someone tells me to my face that I'm cool…

"Since I'm in the white group, I really should be cheering for the white group, but I… ended up cheering for Yuuya-san."

Kaori laughed like a child who had just been caught in a prank, and I couldn't help but be amused.

"But it was really fun, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was fun."

We look at each other and laugh.

───My first athletic festival after coming to Ousei Academy ended in this way.