Chapter 6 - Meter Marks

"Let's go. I'm going to show you how to throw. Watch carefully." Kirisu-sensei said, raising the ball to eye level.

The students' gazes followed the teacher as she positioned herself at the spot marked for the throw. Kirisu-sensei bent her knees slightly and assumed a focused posture, with her gaze fixed on the horizon. There were several stripes in front of the spot marked for the throw, divided by meters and more meters of distance in an open dirt field that ended with a metal fence to the forest that surrounded the academy.

Kirisu lifted the ball, swinging her arm back fluidly, as if she was used to making this movement. Then she threw the ball with impressive force. The trajectory was clean and fast as the ball she threw sliced through the air. All eyes followed the ball's rapid ascent until it lost speed and finally fell with a distant thud.

"Seventy meters!?" One girl exclaimed in surprise.

That's what the pink magic numbers that appeared in the air next to Kirisu-sensei said.

Basara gulped, immediately understanding how she had thrown the chalk so powerfully at him before.

"Seventy meters, sensei! Wow!" One of the closest students murmured, clearly impressed.

Teacher Kirisu crossed her arms and let out a soft sigh, remaining as serious as ever. "Only 70 meters. Even for an ordinary human being like me, that's not much. With a little physical training, any of you can do much better."

Basara looked around and noticed that most of his colleagues seemed torn between admiration and nervousness.

"She says she's an 'ordinary human'... but no human here could achieve the same results." One girl commented.

Then Kirisu-sensei turned her attention to the group again. "Now, it's your turn. And remember, I want to see results better than mine."

The first students to throw didn't have impressive results. In fact, they were terrible.

"Twelve meters."

"Seventeen meters."

"Nine meters."

Basara wondered if those students were sedentary or something, because it didn't make sense that they were weaker than elementary school children. However, as more of the ordinary students went, the students with potential also came forward.

When it was the turn of Basara's desk neighbor, Koneko Toujou, she held the ball and took the correct position. Koneko didn't make many elaborate throwing movements; her style was straightforward, with no flourishes, just like her personality. In one swift movement, she threw the ball, not even seeming to try very hard.

The impact was clear: about 85 meters.

"Way to go, Koneko-chan!" someone shouted from the background.

However, not even a subtle smile appeared on the girl's face, and she quickly went into hiding with the same calm expression as always. To Basara, she was a complete mystery.

The next to stand out was Moka Akashiya, the girl with the long pink hair who was also entering the middle of the semester like Basara. Unlike Koneko, Moka seemed a little more comfortable with the attention. She chatted to a few people in the class who seemed to like her a lot and even formed a small cheerleading choir for her.

"Go, go! Moka-san! Go, go, Moka-san!"

When she threw the ball, aiming for the clouds, the ball traveled through the air like lightning, easily passing the 100-meter mark before falling.

"Over 100 meters!"

"That's it, Moka-san!!!"

Moka, for her part, just smiled, accepting the praise willingly but without overdoing it. The confidence that emanated from her was something that few in the room seemed to possess, and the looks on her faces were pure admiration.

"All right, Komiya-san. Your turn." said the teacher, calling on the next student.

The order was not determined by the call or the position of the name alphabetically, but by Kirisu-sensei herself.

Saizou Komiya, one of the tallest boys in the class, walked up to the throwing point with a nonchalant attitude. Apparently, everyone knew him as one of the strongest physically, and he seemed ready to prove that he deserved that reputation. With a brutal movement, Saizou threw the ball. The sound it made as it cut through the air was different and more fleeting. Everyone watched in disbelief as the ball flew higher and farther until it landed at the 200-meter mark.

"Wow, that was incredible!" some students shouted in unison, visibly impressed.

Saizou, with an arrogant smile, crossed his arms and looked around, clearly enjoying the attention. "Hah! Now that's what I call a result! You can keep trying, but I don't think anyone will beat that."

The murmur of admiration among the students grew, and Saizou looked proud of himself.

Then Basara's turn came. He walked over to the throwing position, feeling the curious stares of his classmates. Some were whispering, probably making up all sorts of boring theories. However, he didn't mind comments from strangers. The only thing on his mind was that, knowing that being among the best gave him a chance of going to those Dungeons, he had reason to do his best and not hide anymore.

'If I'd known that, I'd have tried harder in the previous tests too,' he thought.

Basara took the white ball from the basket and tested its weight, tossing it from one hand to the other. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment to focus. When he finally opened his eyes, he visualized the shot. It was time. He bent his knees, pulled his arm back and, in one explosive movement, threw the ball with all his strength.

The ball flew into the air with such speed that a sonic boom echoed around him, and the wind it generated made all his teammates' hair stand on end. Quiet with disbelief, everyone followed the ball's trajectory with wide eyes and dropped jaws. When it finally landed, it was far away. Very far. The exact mark? 372 meters!

A stunned silence overtook the class. No one moved for a few seconds, until finally one student muttered: "Three hundred and seventy-two meters?"

Saizou, who had been boasting before, remained silent, with an expression of such shock that he looked as if he'd had a heart attack.