บท 42: Final Exam Of First Year [9]
Class A : Katsuragi Kouhei
Class C : Akito Miyake
"I think, you are not getting the point, my dear Sakayanagi-chan. This battlefield is not yours.", Yamauchi said.
"....What do you mean?"
"All the pieces are in position now."
The commander's room turned silent once again.
Yamauchi had this slightly relaxed expression like he had already won the battle.
Sakayanagi unable to understand, looked at him in confusion.
However, she understood one thing for sure.
She underestimated the 'Yamauchi', sitting in front of her.
She used verbal attack again on him, hoping that his mental state would falter, which would cause him to change his choice of player for this event.
For that, she spilled information, she gathered from her spies, unknown to even the teachers.
But, her perception of Yamauchi was way too off.
Hoping that Akito Miyake would not be assigned for this event, she chose Katsuragi, an important asset of class A as the archer, to gain victory in this event.
But, her perception of Yamauchi was way too off, which would cost her this event, and this special exam.
As the archery battle went on, the victor came out clear.
"Akito Miyake has won with a 10-point lead. So, Class C is the winner," the invigilator's voice echoed across the arena, igniting cheers from Class C and leaving a solemn silence in the Class A stands.
The score was now tied at 2-2 in the special exam.
Class C had clawed their way back into contention, a feat no one had seen coming, especially against the seemingly invincible Class A, led by the mastermind Sakayanagi.
In the commander's room, Yamauchi leaned back in his chair, a smug grin spreading across his face. "See, Sakayanagi-chan? I told you this battlefield isn't yours anymore."
Sakayanagi's expression remained composed, but there was a slight tightening of her grip on her cane—a small sign of her displeasure. She was used to having control, dictating every move, every twist in the game.
But Yamauchi had slipped through her fingers, like sand she couldn't grasp.
The next event would be crucial for both the classes.
If class C continues their momentum with another win in the next event, then chances of them winning the special exam would be lot higher.
But, if class A manages to win this fifth event, then, it would be extremely difficult to overturn the situation for class C.
On the other hand, class C's loud cheers represented their regained hope, and zeal to win.
With this newfound confidence, even if an event appeared from class A's selected list, they would take it on whole-heartedly, and perform to the best of their capabilities.
And thus, the announcement for the fifth event came.
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Flash Mental Arithmetic
Required Participants: 2 Persons
Allotted Time: 30 Minutes
Rules: Victory will be awarded to the class of the student who places first in terms of both accuracy and speed, using abacus-style mental arithmetic.
Commander: The commander can change the answer for just one question of their choosing.
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"Well well, another event from our class popped out.", Sakayanagi said sarcastically.
"It sure seems that way. Class A mostly has studious students, so I am sure this event is already in your bag, huh?", Yamauchi replied the same way.
"That's not true at all, Yamauchi-kun. I was hoping to put Katsuragi-kun in this event, but you made me waste him in the previous one. And he was the best in arithmetic in our class. On your end, I guess, Matsushita-san would be the best choice, if I remember correctly, isn't it?"
"....Seriously though. I wonder how the heck you get your hands on such information."
"That's not good, Yamauchi-kun. You just confirmed my assertion by your statement just now. I was not so sure of Matsushita-san's abilities, but now I am sure of it. This piece of information might not have much use in this event or special exam itself, but in the later special exams, I am certain that it would be quite useful."
"Well, you yourself slipped an information about Katsuragi's proficiency in arithmetic, didn't you? It cancels out, I guess."
"Fu fu ~ you might be right about that."
"It doesn't matter anyway. You have other cards up your sleeve, don't you, Sakayanagi-chan?"
"...."
Yamauchi calling her like that probably pissed her off, as she remained silent, with her usual smile on face.
The atmosphere grew tense as the names of the chosen contestants for the fifth event, Flash Mental Arithmetic, were about to be revealed.
Everyone knew this event would be pivotal in deciding the direction of the special exam.
The scoreboard sat at 2-2, and the stakes couldn't be higher.
Then, the names of contestants appeared on the large screen.
Class A : Tamiya Emi, Haruto Kiyoshi
Class C : Chika Matsushita, Renji Kurose
As the names were announced, students from both the team came to their designated seats, except Haruto Kiyoshi.
Apart from Katsuragi Kouhei, Haruto Kiyoshi was class A's trump card for this flash mental arithetic event.
Albeit hidden, as Katsuragi himself didn't know about his abilities.
His name was called again, as someone from class A informed the invigilator something about his situation.
The tensions grew as the panic-stricken face of that student was clearly visible on the screen.
Then, the invigilator went towards the staff room, where the examiners were sitting.
The arena buzzed with anticipation, the tension thick in the air as the invigilator left the stage to confirm Haruto Kiyoshi's absence.
Sakayanagi's mind raced, contemplating the implications of losing their strongest player at such a critical moment.
"Where is he?" Tamiya Emi asked, glancing nervously at the remaining contestants from Class A. "He should be here!"
"Maybe he's still feeling unwell," another classmate chimed in, trying to remain optimistic, but deep down, they all knew that without Haruto, their chances were severely diminished.
Back in the staff room, the invigilator was met with murmurs of concern from the examiners.
They exchanged glances, weighing the possibility of allowing a substitution for Class A.
As they debated, the minutes ticked away, heightening the anxiety among both classes.
Yamauchi, sensing the unease in Class A, leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smirk. "Looks like your trump card might be off the board, Sakayanagi-chan. What a pity."
Sakayanagi shot him a sharp look, her calm demeanor cracking slightly.
After several agonizing minutes, the invigilator returned to the stage.
"Due to unforeseen circumstances, Haruto Kiyoshi will not be participating in this event. Therefore, Class A will compete with the remaining contestant, Tamiya Emi, paired against Chika Matsushita and Renji Kurose from Class C. Also, several other students of class A are feeling unwell at the moment and are asking for leave, due to which, we are going to remove their names from the choices for upcoming events on the commander's interface. This matter would be investigated further, so students are advised not to panic and focus on the exam itself."
The announcement sent a wave of shock through the Class A stands.
Several students falling sick at the same time is no coincident.
Their absence would mean the gate to class A's victory being closed.
Whispers of disbelief rippled among the students, and a few heads hung low in disappointment.
Sakayanagi clenched her jaw, struggling to maintain her composure. Losing Haruto was a blow she hadn't anticipated, and now the absence of several other classmates left her feeling cornered.
"Looks like Class A is really in trouble now," Yamauchi said, his tone dripping with mock sympathy.
"Is this also your doing?", Sakayanagi asked Yamauchi in anger.
Yamauchi sighed heavily, seemingly deciding on something.
"Like I said before, Koenji is the one giving me commands. He has a grasp of my weakness for which I can't refute his order. That's why I did all this. Moreover, as you said, everyone in class C hates me to the core right now due to various reasons. And I don't want to make another enemy out of you and class A either. A peaceful life is all I need right now. So,.....would you make a deal with me?"
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Author's Notes :
3-4 chapters left to end this sub-arc.
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