After the tug-of-war ended, the other events continued.
Scavenger hunts, mock cavalry battles... Saiki Kusuo found the events bizarre, like something from a kindergarten game. Why were they part of the sports festival?
Despite this, the Red Team, including Class B, performed decently. In contrast, Class D's morale plummeted, affecting their performance.
"Weird, why does Class D seem so defeated?"
"Yeah, I don't get why they're doing so poorly."
"Me neither."
Class B students murmured, but only Saiki knew the truth.
*"Ryūen said Class B's plan was to exhaust us,"* a Class D student thought.
*"Ryūen told us to give up on the sports festival."*
*"We'll lose class points again... but there's nothing we can do..."*
Saiki could hear their thoughts clearly. Ryūen Kakeru had given up on the festival, likely because of Saiki himself, though he wasn't sure why.
The final event, a mixed-gender relay race, began soon. Unlike previous events, this 1200-meter race grouped students from all grades, meaning first-year students would compete alongside third-years.
Saiki, assigned as the anchor, sighed. *"Great, just what I needed... Why did I end up in this event?"*
Earlier mishaps during the physical tests and other incidents had forced him into the race.
Each class fielded three boys and three girls. For Class B, the boys were Sudō Ken, Hirata Yōsuke, and Saiki. Horikita Suzune led the girls.
*"Our relay team isn't bad. If Ryūen's plan had worked, Suzune might've been injured, and Sudō's condition would've suffered. Our results would've been worse, but that didn't happen,"* Ayanokōji Kiyotaka observed silently. He wasn't selected due to limited spots.
Ayanokōji wasn't interested in Suzune, Sudō, or the class's results. Instead, a thought intrigued him, like a seed sprouting.
*"If I raced Saiki, who would win? Since I arrived here, I've never run at full speed. Maybe Saiki's faster than me."*
Unlike Ayanokōji, Saiki had no interest in the race. He surveyed his competitors: the teams were mixed from different classes. Saiki was in the innermost lane, with Shibata Sō from Ichinose Honami's class beside him.
In the third lane was Nagumo Miyabi from Year 2 Class A. Saiki recognized the name but couldn't recall where he'd heard it.
The outermost lane held someone Saiki knew: Horikita Manabu.
Saiki had used telepathy to resolve a conflict between Manabu and Suzune, softening her pride. However, Saiki and Manabu had never interacted directly.
As the race began, Sudō sprinted ahead, passing the baton to Suzune. Manabu watched intently.
Suzune maintained the lead but soon, the gap between their class and others narrowed. Only Sudō and Suzune's efforts kept Class B competitive.
Class B fell behind, worrying onlookers. Hirata's effort kept them in contention, but then the Year 3 Class A runner fell, allowing Year 2 Class A to surge ahead.
"We've won, Horikita. I'd love to race you someday," Nagumo said, as if expecting the fall.
"We'll likely win overall. A new era begins," he added.
"Do you really plan to change this school?" Manabu asked calmly.
"The student council's too traditional. They're strict but offer safety nets. No one's expelled. That's unnecessary. I'll create a school based on pure meritocracy!" Nagumo declared.
*"What are they talking about?"* Saiki thought, uninterested.
He recalled hearing Nagumo's name when he and Kushida Kikyō bought test papers from a Year 2 Class D senior. Apparently, Nagumo was responsible for their class's struggles.
*"Even upperclassmen are weird,"* Saiki noted.
Year 2 Class A took the lead, leaving other classes close behind. Kushida, the fifth runner, held mid-pack.
First place was decided, but second and third were up for grabs.
*"Fourth place seems fine,"* Saiki thought.
But then, Manabu's gaze fell on him.
"Saiki, you think you're subtle, but I've been watching. You're unusual. I noticed your odd behavior," Manabu said, adjusting his glasses.
Saiki froze, panicking. *"Did he notice my powers?"*
"Your expression changed. I'm right. During the pole-toppling and tug-of-war, I saw your actions. You manipulated the events," Manabu accused.
*"This is bad..."* Saiki's face grew serious. If his powers were exposed, trouble would follow. Even his memory-erasing powers might not help now.
*"What do I do? Denying it would make things worse... Maybe playing along is safer..."*
"You saw through tactics in the pole-toppling, scoring in chaos. Others thought you were lucky, but I know it was intentional," Manabu continued.
*"Huh?"* Saiki was stunned. *"Is he delusional like Ayanokōji?"*
"In the tug-of-war, your team was losing, but you reversed it. I watched you. You didn't pull at first, creating a false hope for the White Team. They saw through it and gave up, minimizing their loss."
"..."
Saiki was speechless. *"This is just coincidence."*
"I knew you'd say that," Manabu smirked.
"Your class went from D to B in six months, unprecedented. I've been curious. Seeing you here, I figured it out. It's your doing. The anonymous recording I received was probably from you."
*"He's wrong, but denying it would be worse... Playing along might hide my powers..."*
"What do you want?" Saiki asked, almost admitting it.
It reminded him of his conversation with Ayanokōji, which had caused trouble. For now, this was his best option.
"Nothing. I'm just curious. We'll talk after the race," Manabu said.
Their conversation ended as the fifth runners approached.
*"This is annoying..."* Saiki focused on the race. *"We're sixth now. Kushida slowed down. The gap's wider. Manabu doesn't seem fast with those glasses. I'll stick to fourth place."*
Saiki pretended to prepare as Manabu sprinted forward.
A second later, Saiki received the baton from Kushida and dashed ahead, matching Manabu's speed.