Chapter 168: Sports Festival Rules
September 1st, back-to-school season, Advanced Nurturing High School teaching building.
The afternoon Class A classroom was exceptionally lively.
"Oh~ Crap-Eating King, I've suddenly realized that you're actually pretty cool after all—especially that time on the uninhabited island when you got launched by a goat and still clutched your kidneys and desperately kept running with the wind..."
"Seems like everything's more bearable with a comparison. They wouldn't just quit halfway through like they did on the uninhabited island, would they?!"
"Class D is at zero points right now, so aside from taking first place, no matter what place they get, it won't affect their class at all."
...
For a time, the entire Class A was swiftly enveloped by a low-pressure atmosphere.
Having witnessed Class D's scatter-and-flee performance on the uninhabited island, they truly couldn't bring themselves to hold any expectations for Class D's students.
As the class leader, Katsuragi Kohei rose from his seat at the appropriate moment, sweat beading on his face as he raised a hand and attempted to placate his classmates:
"Everyone, there's no need to be so pessimistic. To falter before the battle has even begun is a grave taboo. Don't forget, Class D has several students with formidable physical abilities. When it comes to physical prowess..."
It had to be said, Katsuragi still commanded considerable authority within the class. After a brief burst of commotion, the murmuring in the classroom quickly subsided.
Indeed, judging from the intelligence they usually gathered, Class D's overall physical ability might well rank first in the entire first year.
"Alright."
At the lectern, Mashima Tomonari rapped the blackboard forcefully, compelling the entire class to quiet down.
"Whether you are willing or not, and regardless of the other party's capability, morals, or conduct—since you have been assigned to the same group, you must cast aside past prejudices and cooperate fully with them."
"In the future, once you enter society, you will inevitably encounter such situations. Cooperating with colleagues with whom you fundamentally disagree within a company—even when that person is nothing more than a do-nothing incompetent who got in through connections. Yet for the sake of making a living, you must lower your head, hold your nose, and finish the project. Only after that comes resolving the issues between the two of you."
"These are things you will face sooner or later. Now, continue listening as I finish explaining the Sports Festival rules."
Silence filled the Class A classroom.
Suddenly, a muttering voice drifted from somewhere in the room:
"Is it just me, or does Mashima-sensei sound like he's speaking from personal experience?"
The motion of Mashima's hand rapping the blackboard paused. Without a change in expression, he turned back around and continued his explanation.
Just then, Morishita Ai, sitting beside him, seemed to remember something. She tugged at Fuyuji Mikage's hair and leaned close to his ear:
"Nn, nn, that Tarzan guy we ran into on the uninhabited island—wasn't he from Class D too?"
"Oh, right!" Fuyuji remembered as well. "He sure was!"
That eccentric yearmate with the bizarre, devilish laugh and the robust physique of a silverback gorilla—Koenji Rokusuke—had undeniably left a deep, lasting impression on his tender, transmigrated heart.
Good god, how could someone swing through a forest like Tarzan, relying purely on physical ability, jump off a cliff unprotected, swim back to the cruise ship, and then scale the ship with his bare hands?
Even Somali pirates weren't that ferocious!
In other words...
Fuyuji flipped through the materials in his hands, quickly locking his gaze onto a few specific lines.
[This Sports Festival is divided into All-Participant Events and Recommended-Participant Events.]
[All-Participant Events: Events in which all students from each class must participate.]
[Recommended-Participant Events: Events for which each class selects a portion of students to participate. One person may participate in multiple Recommended-Participant Events.]
So if that Tarzan was willing, he could single-handedly claim all the points from every individual event.
The strong take all. As expected, this truly is a meritocracy.
Fuyuji marveled inwardly, then continued skimming further down.
· All-Participant Event Point Distribution (Individual Events)
Corresponding results within the group: 1st place 15 points, 2nd place 12 points, 3rd place 10 points, 4th place 8 points.
From 5th place downward, points decrease by 1 per rank. The winning group in team events receives 500 points.
· Recommended-Participant Event Point Distribution
Corresponding results within the group: 1st place 50 points, 2nd place 30 points, 3rd place 15 points, 4th place 10 points.
From 5th place downward, points decrease by 2 per rank. (The final relay event awards triple points.)
· Effects of the Red Group vs. White Group Outcome
For the losing group, every class across all school years will have 100 class points deducted.
· Effects of Year-Specific Rankings
The class with the highest total points receives 50 class points.
The class with the second-highest total points receives no change to its class points.
The class with the third-highest total points has 50 class points deducted.
The class with the fourth-highest total points has 100 class points deducted.
...
Fuyuji's finger paused mid-page-turn.
In other words, in this Sports Festival, aside from the first-place class earning 50 class points, the other three classes would all suffer point deductions to varying degrees. With even the slightest misstep, a class could end up with zero points gained and even a net loss of 50 points.
It seemed the school intended to thoroughly eliminate any possibility of inter-group cooperation. The only option was mutual competition.
"Furthermore, take special note."
At this point, Mashima at the lectern deliberately emphasized his tone as he warned:
"In this exam, the ten students across the entire grade who rank at the very bottom in points earned will, in the next written exam, receive a penalty of 10 points deducted. Naturally, if you fail to pass, you will be expelled."
Hearing this, Fuyuji actually let out a breath of relief, his gaze settling on Yamamura Miki in the upper right corner.
In other words, only students unremarkable in both academic ability and physical fitness faced the risk of elimination. Miki had always excelled in her studies—even with 10 points deducted, she wouldn't be at risk of failing.
Beyond that, the materials also outlined the individual rewards and penalties for this competition. Those who placed could choose between bonus points or private points.
But for Class A, with nearly 1,700 class points, this was little more than a drop in the bucket.
"Finally..."
Mashima paused briefly, flipped the poster on the blackboard to its other side, and continued:
"After all the Sports Festival events are completed, there will be a campus cross-country race specially added by the school. All students and faculty members across the entire school may sign up to participate."
"Eh? Teachers can participate too?" A female student in the front row raised her hand, curiosity on her face.
"Yes," Mashima nodded. "Teachers may participate as well. Incidentally, I will also be taking part."
"The rules are very simple. On the day of the race, the school will set up various checkpoint stations across campus. Completing the challenge at each station will successfully register your check-in at that location. The race route will not be announced prior to the event—only the checkpoint locations will be provided. Therefore, participants must plan their optimal routes on their own."
"On race day, all participants will set off from the Advanced Nurturing High School stadium. The first student to complete all check-ins and return to the stadium will be declared the winner of the race."
"Sensei." Tsukasaki Taiga, as if he hadn't quite heard Mashima's earlier words clearly, raised his hand and asked, "Does everyone have to participate in this competition? The entire Advanced Nurturing campus—it feels like running it would be pretty brutal. And," he flipped through the materials in his hands, "it seems like there aren't any rewards listed here."
"This event is voluntary. The school has no mandatory requirement for students to participate, and there is no penalty for failure. Correspondingly, aside from first place, no other ranking in this competition carries any reward."
The classroom atmosphere instantly relaxed.
Tsukasa let out a sigh of relief. "That's good, then. I'll just quietly go be part of the logistics and cheer squad."
"However, the first-place reward..."
Mashima slowly exhaled, faced the entire class, and announced with solemn gravity: "Five million private points."
"..."
In the classroom, a water cup on someone's desk toppled over with a clatter, rolling twice across the floor before coming to a stop against a desk leg.
The very next second, a tsunami of shocked cries reverberated through the entire teaching building.
"EHHH?! FIVE MILLION!!" xN
At the same time, identical scenes were unfolding in every classroom across Advanced Nurturing High School.
Student Council Vice President Nagumo Miyabi had successfully made the entire student body and faculty roar with excitement—using five million private points!
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