Mid-March.
While each class continued to quietly sharpen its fangs in the shadows ahead of the Event Selection Exam, the day finally arrived for the official unveiling of everyone's hand: the Announcent of the 10 Events.
During morning horoom, Hoshinomiya-sensei stood at the podium. Her expression was entirely devoid of her usual easygoing attitude as she held up a printout in her hand.
"Good morning, everyone. Today is finally the day that the ten events submitted by our opponent, Class C, and the ten events submitted by our class are officially made public. ...Knowing your opponent's hand is an absolute prerequisite for victory. Please examine them carefully."
As Hoshinomiya-sensei operated the monitor on the blackboard, a complete list of the events devised by both classes, along with their respective participant counts, appeared on the screen.
[Class A Selected Events]
100-ter Dash (Participants: 1)
Table Tennis (Participants: 2)
Soccer Penalty Shootout (Participants: 3)
Modern Japanese Test (Participants: 4)
Mathematics Test (Participants: 5)
English Test (Participants: 6)
Chemistry Test (Participants: 7)
World History Test (Participants: 8)
Geography Test (Participants: 9)
Relay (Participants: 15)
[Class C Selected Events]
Won's Kickboxing (Participants: 1)
Badminton (Participants: 2)
Kendo (Participants: 3)
Relay (Participants: 4)
Karate (Participants: 5)
Judo (Participants: 7)
Arm Wrestling (Participants: 9)
Dodgeball (Participants: 10)
Soccer (Participants: 11)
Tug-of-War (Participants: 15)
The mont the lists appeared, a tense, heavy silence fell over the classroom.
The events we had submitted were centered around academic tests, exactly as we had discussed beforehand. In a total-score showdown where student count dictated the edge, our large household of 41 students gave us an undeniable upper hand. If an academic test event was selected and we flooded it with as many participants as possible, that alone would secure an overwhelming advantage.
Conversely, the event list Class C had put forward was an extre lineup that matched my expectations perfectly.
"...They managed to solidify it entirely with athletic and martial arts events to a spectacular degree," Shiranami muttered from the front row, her face twitching slightly.
"Yeah. It has been ticulously adjusted to leverage their greatest weapons—brute strength and combat ability—to the absolute limit."
Kanzaki also glared at the monitor with a sharp gaze, quietly offering his analysis.
After school.
Not a single student from Class A went ho. Instead, everyone remained in the classroom to hold a detailed strategy eting based on the publicized event lists.
Ichinose Honami, serving as the Commander, stood at the podium, while Class C's ten events were written out in large text on the blackboard.
"Everyone, let's talk about the Class C events announced today. ...We expected this, but it looks like it's going to be a difficult battle after all."
As Ichinose spoke with her brows furrowed slightly, Kanzaki stood up.
"Yeah. It's blindingly obvious which five events are their genuine choices just by looking at this lineup. First, the one-participant event: 'Won's Kickboxing.' This is undoubtedly a guaranteed-win event tailored specifically for Ibuki Mio. Following that are 'Kendo,' 'Karate,' 'Judo,' and 'Arm Wrestling.' It is safe to assu these martial arts and combat-focused events are definitively woven in as their genuine entries."
"Yeah, I completely agree with Kanzaki-kun!"
Ichinose nodded firmly, but her expression instantly tightened.
"However, I checked the detailed rules for the martial arts events... and every single one follows a 'singles-match series' rule set where each person gets only one bout. Since it isn't an elimination-style winner-stays-on format, no matter how strong Aizen-kun is, the rules are designed so that he can't win all the matches entirely on his own."
"—They have squeezed out what little wisdom they possess. Just as a pack facing an absolute predator offers up a single sacrifice to preserve the rest of its lives... they avert their eyes from my overwhelming tyranny, choosing instead to bundle their microscopic numbers and scrape together minor victories. A truly petty survival instinct."
"'They are wary of Sousuke-kun's strength, so they made it a team match to ensure he can't defeat everyone single-handedly. It's a pragmatic strategy to secure a definitive victory,' is what he ans!"
I crossed my arms, letting out a deep sigh of understanding.
(...Naturally, they would challenge us with this kind of event composition.)
"...For those who will be stepping into the martial arts events—which is the opponent's ho turf—please make absolutely sure that you do not get injured."
After appealing to the entire class, Ichinose turned her gaze toward a certain student with a slightly apologetic expression.
"With that in mind... for 'Won's Kickboxing,' which requires a single participant, I would love for Tsube-chan—who has the best athleticism among our girls—to step up. ...Would that be alright...?"
In response to Ichinose's anxious inquiry, Tsube, who had been singled out, proudly puffed out her chest with a bright smile.
"Leave it to , Ichinose-san! Sousuke-kun has been giving all kinds of pointers after school, so I don't think I'll end up getting hurt! ...But to be completely honest, if you ask whether I can beat Ibuki-san, I don't have any confidence at all..."
"I'm sorry for pushing such a heavy burden onto you. Thank you so much for accepting it!"
Ichinose smiled in relief, offering gentle reassurance to Tsube.
"No, don't worry about the outco. Your opponent, Ibuki-san, is a martial arts veteran, so losing would simply be an inevitability. Above all else, make avoiding injury and protecting yourself your absolute highest priority."
"Got it!"
I stared at the martial arts events written on the blackboard, my mind spinning rapidly.
(To be completely honest, our odds regarding Won's Kickboxing are incredibly poor. Tsube has been carving out ti after school to desperately practice combat sports. But... her opponent is Ibuki. A genuine brawler who has trained in martial arts since childhood and is thoroughly accustod to real combat. She is not an opponent sweet enough to be bested by overnight training. We should operate under the assumption that the mont Won's Kickboxing is drawn, the opponent secures a guaranteed point.)
(The real issue lies within the boys' martial arts events.)
(, Shibata with his outstanding athleticism, and Kanzaki who can maneuver calmly. How we concentrate and deploy these three fighting assets into an event will be the ultimate linchpin.)
The 3-participant event: 'Kendo'
The 5-participant event: 'Karate'
The 7-participant event: 'Judo'
(Among these, if the three of us—, Kanzaki, and Shibata—want to reliably secure a majority win... our choices narrow down to a binary pick between Kendo and Karate. In Kendo, winning two out of three matches secures the event. In Karate, winning three out of five secures it.)
(However, when it cos to the 7-participant Judo event, the narrative completely shifts. If we have to scrape together seven people under Judo rules, we will inevitably be forced to deploy students with inferior physical capabilities just to fill the slots. The opponents are Class C's delinquents, who are thoroughly accustod to street fights, led by the likes of Yamada Albert and Ishizaki. No matter how much I secure a guaranteed win on my end, relying on the remaining mbers to pull off three or four additional victories is far too high of a gamble.)
It all ca down to the timing and choice of event deploynt by our Commander, Ichinose. Her adaptive leadership would heavily dictate our victory or defeat.
"Aizen. If it's you, are you confident you can win regardless of which martial arts event you are placed in?"
At Kanzaki's inquiry, I stood up quietly.
"—Though there may be a spear that pierces the moon, or a blade that splits the sea, they cannot hope to infringe upon my domain. No matter how much violence they bundle together to oppose , I shall rely overrun them silently, as though brushing dust off a ga board."
"'Sousuke-kun himself is confident he can secure a guaranteed win in any martial arts event he enters, but since it's a team format, everyone's collective strength is required to grasp total victory,' is what he ans!"
Sitting next to , Hiyori offered a flawless translation with an amused giggle.
"Aizen is exactly right!"
Shibata thwacked his own chest and stood up dynamically.
"If Aizen secures a guaranteed win for us, the rest of us—, Kanzaki, and the other guys—will cling on like absolute demons in the remaining matches to pull off a victory! If it's a team match, we can definitely win through teamwork!"
"Yeah. Let us deeply engrave Class A's unshakeable bonds into their very souls."
Kanzaki also nodded with a stylized flair, his hot fighting spirit ignited. Looking at their dependable figures, the entire class was heartened, and the atmosphere enveloped itself in a bright, encouraged mood.
"But even if the opponent's event gets drawn, there's no reason to despair, right?!"
Amikura chid in with a bright voice, elevating the mood even further.
"With the genuine academic test events we prepared, we can utilize our nurical advantage to reliably secure at least three wins! With Class C's academic standing, there's no way they can beat us!"
"Yeah, Amikura is entirely correct."
Kanzaki added a calm analysis.
"This Event Selection Exam dictates that 7 events will be selected from a combined pool of 10 genuine choices. Extrapolating from the patterns of previous special exams... I don't believe the school would utilize a lazy deploynt that leaves the draw entirely to raw random chance, allowing one class's genuine entries to heavily dominate the board."
"aning...?"
"The selected events will likely be adjusted to ensure a reasonably even distribution, such as 'three events from Class A's genuine list' and 'three events from Class C's genuine list.' At the very least, we can operate under the assumption that three of our academic events are guaranteed to be drawn."
The classmates nodded in deep agreent with Kanzaki's hypothesis.
"...The issue lies in 'the final seventh event,' and which class's genuine pool it will be drawn from," Ichinose said, her voice serious as she attempted to bring the eting to a close.
It was at that exact mont.
"Um... what if we utilize private points to purchase the right to select that seventh event from the school side?"
Hiyori raised her hand modestly, putting forward a proposal.
"True! That option exists! We might be able to use the power of points to engineer a situation where victory is guaranteed!"
Ichinose's eyes shone in agreent. However, I quietly shook my head and stood up.
"—To tilt the scales of heaven, a corresponding weight of the soul is strictly required. Distorting an event that directly links to our trajectory ans the demanded compensation will undoubtedly be astronomical."
I flatly delivered the reality of the situation.
"Furthermore, even if the board tilts toward the enemy, it does not guarantee our defeat; and even if we are tripped up by an anomaly, what we lose is a re fraction of a fragnt. We have only just bled heavily in the recent festival of madness. Is there truly any value in expending the remainder of our reserves right now simply to prevent a wound that isn't even fatal...?"
"I see..."
Hiyori nodded deeply at my words, turning to offer a gentle smile to the classmates.
"'Since it directly links to Class Points, an astronomical sum of private points will undoubtedly be demanded. Even if the opponent's genuine event is drawn, we still have a solid fighting chance; and in the worst-case scenario where we lose, the penalty is a re minus 30 Class Points. While there is a concern that Class B might close the gap... we have only just expended a massive amount of private points during the recent Class Poll, so we should carefully deliberate whether to discharge our funds here as well,' is what he ans!"
"True... Aizen-kun makes a very valid point. Forcing ourselves to expend too many points here might carry a massive risk. But just to be safe, I'll check with Hoshinomiya-sensei to see exactly how much it would cost to buy!"
While nodding in agreent with my calm analysis, Ichinose nevertheless maintained a forward-looking smile to explore all possibilities.
"The final slot when we are locked in a three-and-three tie. If that slot lands on our academic event, our victory is secured right then and there... but if Class C's martial arts event is drawn, we will absolutely have to win it on the field. Therefore, let's prepare as thoroughly as we can in the remaining ti so we can fight no matter what event cos our way!"
"Ohhh!"
In response to Ichinose's words, Class A united as one, letting out a massive cheer.
A guaranteed victory through academics, coupled with a gritty defensive struggle through martial arts.
We unified as a single monolith, elevating our morale for the impending day of the decisive battle.
—anwhile, around that ti.
Inside a room of the karaoke box, Ryuuen Kakeru, the leader of Class C, let a fearless smirk play on his lips as he faced the publicized event list of Class A.
Surrounding him were Kaneda and Ishizaki, along with Ibuki Mio and the giant Yamada Albert.
"Kukuku... As expected, they solidified their hand with academic tests to an amusing degree."
Staring down at the printout tossed onto the table, Ryuuen laughed from the depths of his throat.
"Yes. Our martial arts event selection has undoubtedly been completely read by Aizen-san and Ichinose-san as well. With both sides understanding the opponent's objective, we are both attempting to drag the other onto our preferred turf. We are operating on the exact sa wavelength."
Kaneda analyzed calmly while adjusting his glasses.
"Yeah. The only issue is predicting 'where' Aizen will be deployed among the drawn martial arts events... we only need to read that single move."
Ryuuen let the ice in his glass clink softly.
"By utilizing the singles-match series rule format, we eliminated the risk of Aizen single-handedly wiping out our entire roster. However, whatever match he enters, we are guaranteed to drop a point. Because of that, I want to pit a zero-value 'sacrificial pawn' against whatever position Aizen occupies."
Faced with Ryuuen's cunning strategy, Kaneda placed a hand on his chin, letting his thoughts spin.
"Considering their fighting power distribution, they will likely bundle Aizen-san, Kanzaki-san, and Shibata-san into a single event to secure a majority win. Extrapolating from the participant counts of our prepared events... the match they challenge will likely be either the 3-participant 'Kendo' or the 5-participant 'Karate.' In a 7-participant 'Judo' event, they would be forced to field amateurs just to fill slots, which carries far too high of a risk for them."
"Then the play is simple, isn't it?!"
Ishizaki leaned forward, shouting as he balled his hand into a tight fist.
"If we just beat every single person other than Aizen, it's our win! Let's use any ans necessary to crush Kanzaki and Shibata and rip those points away from them!"
Faced with an enthusiastic Ishizaki, Ryuuen shot him a freezing glare.
"Moron. Don't get ahead of yourself, Ishizaki."
"Hie...!"
Hit by a trendous aura of intimidation, Ishizaki's shoulders flinched violently.
"The opponent is fully aware that we are choosing martial arts events. I've already received reports that they are carving out ti after school under Aizen's instructions to conduct highly detailed combat sports training. It may be overnight training, but if individuals who possess good baseline athleticism resist like absolute demons, there is a massive probability we'll get tripped up."
Ryuuen placed his glass back onto the table, glaring at his subordinates with a sharp gaze.
"Under no circumstances will dropping a point in our own turf of martial arts events be permitted. I don't care where that monster Aizen is; you will win the remaining matches even if it kills you. ...We are firmly securing victories in our own events."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Ishizaki nodded deeply with a stiff expression, while Albert nodded quietly from behind him.
"Yes, boss."
After receiving Albert's short but powerful response, Ryuuen shifted his gaze toward Ibuki, who was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.
"Ibuki, make absolutely sure you take your 'Won's Kickboxing' match. It's a one-on-one singles match. Dropping a point there won't be permitted under any circumstances."
"Obviously."
Ibuki scoffed, glaring back at Ryuuen with a sharp gaze filled with absolute confidence.
"I don't care how much overnight training their girls do after school; there's no way they can beat . ...I am absolutely winning."
Class A, establishing an ironclad setup with intellect as their ultimate weapon.
Class C, aiming for an upset from the bottom with violence as their ultimate weapon.
With their hands officially made public, the strategies of both classes intertwined even deeper. Heading toward the opening of the war, the quiet tactical reading between them was undeniably mounting in heat.
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