Chapter Summaries

Oreki recruited Kikyou Kushida to collect Points from Class C students afraid of the Sports Festival’s bottom-ten penalty, promising to sell them a way to avoid it. After Kushida and Hirata gathered thirty students’ requests, the school assembled in the Gymnasium, where Fujimaki was introduced as the festival’s overall commander.

• Oreki asked Kikyou Kushida to identify worried Class C students and collect four million Points for his plan, while Horikita Suzune offered to take over for a higher share.
• Kikyou Kushida agreed to Oreki’s request and discussed gathering Points with Hirata.
• Kikyou Kushida and Hirata collected requests from thirty Class C students willing to pay around 100,000 Points to avoid the bottom-ten penalty.
• The students gathered in the Gymnasium for the Sports Festival rally, where Class A’s factions stood in separate lines and Sakayanagi stood beside Oreki.
• Fujimaki of third-year Class A introduced himself as the Sports Festival’s overall commander while Manabu Horikita stood aside.

At the Sports Festival meeting, Ryuuen challenged the rules and threatened to lead Class D away, prompting Katsuragi to intervene. Ryuuen argued that cooperation between rival classes would only waste time, leaving the meeting on the brink of conflict.

• The first-years watched as Katsuragi stood with the Student Council, having been selected as its new Secretary despite being a first-year.
• Fujimaki advised the students about the Sports Festival and told each grade to discuss strategy with its team.
• Ryuuen asked whether students would lose Points for breaking the meeting’s rules, then announced that Class D should leave because the meeting offered no benefits.
• Fujimaki warned that failing to cooperate could cost Class D 100 Class Points, but Ryuuen questioned why his class should worry when Fujimaki was responsible for the team.
• Katsuragi stepped down from the platform to stop Ryuuen, who said that cooperation between rival classes would only lead to distrust and wasted time.

Ryuuen refused to cooperate with Class A and led Class D out, while Oreki explained why the move made sense and looked forward to taking Ryuuen’s Points during the Sports Festival. The chapter ended with Class A also leaving the gymnasium, and Oreki considering bringing his cat to school for Sakayanagi.

• Katsuragi asked Ryuuen whether he could win without cooperating, but Ryuuen left without explaining his plans.
• Sakayanagi called Ryuuen’s class pitiful and said Oreki would strip them of their Points after the Sports Festival; Oreki offered to bring his orange cat to school for her to pet.
• Kamuro asked whether Ryuuen’s refusal to cooperate mattered, and Oreki said Class 3-A and Nagumo’s second-years made the larger Red Group reliable.
• Oreki reasoned that Ryuuen had no need to coordinate with Class A because the Red Group was likely to win, leaving the first-year competition as the real concern.
• Oreki anticipated pooling and taking Ryuuen’s and Class D’s Points, while Class A left the gymnasium after Ryuuen’s departure.

Oreki left the Sports Festival preparations to pursue his plan, while Horikita publicly asked Class B to let weak Class C students win some individual events. Ichinose and Kanzaki were left to decide whether they could agree to the request.

• Oreki left Kōenji and sent a message to relevant people as he headed back to Class A.
• Ichinose and Kanzaki warned Class C that Ryuuen might act independently during the Sports Festival, and Hirata’s reply reminded them of Class B’s earlier troubles with him.
• Horikita said she had collected money from Class C students afraid of finishing in the bottom ten and asked Class B to withdraw in overlapping individual events.
• Karuizawa voiced support for the proposal, but Ichinose and Kanzaki looked troubled and had not agreed to it.

Horikita persuaded Ichinose’s Class B to go easy on Class C’s weak athletes, while Kanzaki and Ichinose suspected Oreki had engineered the deal to obtain their participant roster. Oreki collected the money, visited Chairman Sakayanagi to ask permission to bring a cat to school, and learned that Karuizawa had a hamster she wanted to bring too.

• Horikita asked Ichinose’s Class B to go easy on Class C, and Ichinose agreed to discuss concessions with her classmates.
• Nagumo told Manabu that Horikita had asked Class B for help, and Manabu was pleased to see his sister taking action for her class.
• Kanzaki questioned Ichinose’s agreement, and she explained that helping Class C would let them obtain its participant roster and anticipate Oreki’s plans.
• Oreki received four million points, returned ten percent to Horikita and five percent to Kushida, then visited Chairman Sakayanagi to request permission to bring a cat to school.
• Oreki asked Karuizawa whether she had a pet, learned that she kept a hamster named Hamtaro, and decided to pay the fee to bring it to school as well.

Oreki joined Class A’s sports testing, observed Kamuro’s athletic ability, and accepted Katsuragi’s event assignments. He then investigated Class C’s testing and found its boys boasting about their strength while Horikita recorded the girls’ sprint results.

• Oreki watched Kamuro run the 100m Sprint and inferred that her athletic skill and art experience reflected a complicated past.
• Katsuragi assigned Kamuro to the 1200-meter relay and Oreki to the Three-legged Race.
• Kamuro said Sakayanagi Arisu had sent her to investigate the girls around Oreki, and Oreki agreed to look into Class C’s situation.
• Oreki observed Sudou Ken record an 80.5 kg grip strength and heard Class C’s boys discuss their disappointing results.
• Oreki approached the girls’ sprint line, where Horikita Suzune praised Onodera’s time, and asked Kamuro for water.

Oreki explained how Horikita could use Sudou and the Sports Festival’s substitute rules to give Class C a chance while baiting Ryuuen into breaking the rules. Horikita accepted the role of carrying out the plan, which aimed to make Ryuuen’s class pay its VIP Exam Points.

• Kamuro brought Oreki water, and he joined Horikita as she scouted Class C’s testing and learned that her classmates had rejected her Tian Ji Horse Racing proposal.
• Horikita said Kōenji believed Class C could afford to place last, but Oreki urged her to strengthen the class so Ryuuen could not defeat it without cheating.
• Oreki told Horikita to center Class C’s lineup on Sudou and exploit the recommended-event rule allowing unlimited substitutes for 100,000 Points each.
• Oreki explained that Sudou’s repeated appearances in the Mixed Gender Three-Legged Race could help Class C win and tempt Ryuuen to sabotage him.
• Horikita realized Oreki had let Ryuuen’s earlier misconduct go unreported to encourage another violation, which could expose Ryuuen and force his class to surrender its VIP Exam Points.
• Horikita prepared to present the Sudou-centered lineup and substitute strategy to Class C as a plan that could still win.

Oreki changed his Sports Festival entry to join the All-Grade Joint 1200m Relay after Sakayanagi expressed a wish to record him running, and a system mission tasked him with defeating Nagumo Miyabi. By the deadline, all classes had submitted their entries, and Oreki had added his name to the relay.

• Oreki told Kamuro that his discussion with Horikita Suzune concerned a planned transaction, while Kamuro wondered whether to report that he had given Horikita the water she bought for him.
• Katsuragi, Class C, and Ichinose’s Class B submitted or revised their Sports Festival entry forms, with Class B adjusting its plans after learning about Class C’s Three-legged Race strategy.
• Sakayanagi suggested Oreki join the All-Grade Joint 1200m Relay so she could film him, and Oreki initially resisted because his abilities might give him an unfair advantage.
• A system mission appeared, requiring Oreki to defeat Nagumo Miyabi in the relay and offering the special ability Equivalent Exchange as a reward.
• Oreki agreed to join the relay, and Kamuro watched Sakayanagi photograph her after teasing that Oreki could not resist Sakayanagi’s disappointed expression.
• Before the 17:00 deadline, Oreki and Katsuragi went to Teacher Majima, and Oreki added his name to the relay entry.

Oreki considered how to prepare for the relay mission that required him to defeat Nagumo Miyabi, then encountered Ichinose scouting other classes’ athletes. He headed to the Soccer Club to find Nagumo, while Ichinose tried to learn whether he had committed to the relay.

• Oreki learned that his side quest required him to defeat Nagumo Miyabi in the 1,200-meter all-grade relay and began planning to confirm Nagumo’s relay leg and practice baton exchanges.
• Oreki found Ichinose recording promising athletes from other classes and realized she was scouting competitors for the Sports Festival.
• Ichinose complained that Ryuuen was keeping his class’s plans secret, and Oreki inferred that Ryuuen was trying to prevent opponents from targeting his students.
• Oreki told Ichinose he was going to the Soccer Club to look for Nagumo, which eased her concern that he might uncover Class B’s plans.
• Ichinose asked Oreki whether he had decided to participate in the relay and leaned closer while trying to gather information.

Oreki visited the Soccer Club with Ichinose to learn which leg Nagumo would run in the 1,200-meter relay, then challenged him for the final leg. After receiving a message from Kikyou about Horikita having a problem, Oreki left Ichinose and went to the Class 1-C training area.

• Oreki and Ichinose went to the Soccer Club, where Nagumo greeted them and tried to test whether Ichinose had feelings for Oreki.
• Oreki revealed that he wanted to know Nagumo’s relay leg, and Nagumo said he would run the final leg and accepted Oreki’s challenge.
• Ichinose said Oreki seemed to be deliberately provoking Nagumo, and Oreki explained that they both wanted to become Student Council President.
• Kikyou messaged Oreki that Horikita had a problem, so he chose to go to her instead of continuing with Ichinose.
• Oreki arrived at the Class 1-C training area, where students were practicing while Sudou was expected to handle the Three-legged Race loophole.

Oreki noticed that Horikita’s blunt remarks during Three-legged Race practice had turned the girls against her, so he asked Karuizawa to step in. The chapter ended as Karuizawa approached Sakura and Haruka, preparing to learn what had happened.

• Yukimura asked Hirata to train again, while their classmates practiced individual events.
• Oreki noticed Kushida’s pleased reaction as Horikita and Onodera struggled to coordinate during Three-legged Race practice.
• Horikita blamed Onodera for their poor rhythm, prompting the other girls to look at her disapprovingly.
• Oreki decided to intervene indirectly and messaged Karuizawa for help.
• Karuizawa approached Sakura, who was resting with her friend Haruka, and asked what had happened.

Oreki asked Karuizawa to help Horikita repair her partnership with Onodera, while he discussed the Student Council and the relay race with Manabu Horikita. Karuizawa brought Horikita and Onodera back to practice, but the chapter ended as she gave Horikita a chance to walk back her blunt remark.

• Airi told Karuizawa that Horikita and Onodera had argued over which partner should adjust to the other during the Three-legged Race.
• Karuizawa read Oreki’s message asking her to help Horikita, then went to intervene.
• Oreki discussed Nagumo and the all-grade relay race with Manabu Horikita, who asked whether Oreki also meant to defeat him.
• Karuizawa helped Horikita and Onodera resume practicing after both adjusted their pace.
• Karuizawa suggested that Horikita could say she had misspoken and smooth things over with Onodera.

Karuizawa helped Horikita recognize that she was asking too much of Onodera in their Three-legged Race, while Oreki’s gesture with a bottle of water left Kei flustered. As Sports Festival training intensified, Oreki applied to rent a voice recorder, prompting Teacher Majima to warn him about the device.

• Karuizawa challenged Horikita’s demand that Onodera match her pace, and Horikita apologized to Onodera after reconsidering the strain it could cause.
• Oreki offered Karuizawa a bottle of water he had already opened, and Kei blushed as she wondered whether he meant to share an indirect kiss.
• Oreki visited Classmate Sakayanagi to pet his cat, then used Teleportation to return home.
• Oreki arranged daily class training and special training with Teacher Majima during the school’s increased Sports Festival preparations.
• Teacher Majima questioned Oreki’s application to rent a voice recorder and warned him that it could be treated as a dangerous object.

Oreki arranged a timed sprint with Kōenji and Sudou, then joined the opening ceremony for the Sports Festival. The festival began with Sudou placed in the first 100-meter race as bait to draw Ryuuen’s attention.

• Majima stamped Oreki’s form to rent a voice recorder, while Kamuro lent Sakayanagi her jacket after realizing Sakayanagi wanted Oreki’s scent on it.
• Oreki paid Kōenji and Sudou to run 100 meters, and Kōenji beat Sudou with a time of 9.88 seconds.
• The Sports Festival began on July 27 after the students attended the opening ceremony and separated into their Red and White groups.
• Oreki returned to his group and saw that Sudou had been assigned to the first 100-meter race to draw Ryuuen’s attention.

Oreki used Ibuki’s reaction to infer that Ryuuen planned to prevent Sudou from competing in the Three-legged Race, while preparing to counter Ryuuen’s offensive at the Sports Festival. The chapter ended with Oreki holding Horikita close and discreetly taking his hand out of her pocket.

• Sudou won the 100m Sprint by a huge margin, Kōenji forfeited, and Oreki took first place in his group.
• Horikita beat Ibuki in the girls’ 100m Sprint, and Oreki offered both girls towels.
• Oreki drew Ibuki into conversation about Sudou and learned from her remark that Ryuuen would act against Sudou before the Three-legged Race.
• Oreki considered Bo-taoshi a likely place for Ryuuen to make his move and planned how to use his three Voice Recorders.
• Oreki asked Horikita to let him hug her as insurance against Ryuuen, then slipped his hands into her pants pockets before withdrawing his left hand.

After the 100m Sprint, Oreki checked on Airi Sakura and considered how to protect his friends from Ryuuen’s coming move. As the Hurdle Race began, Kanzaki suggested Oreki had held back in his race and told him about Hirata’s abandoned soccer-club plans.

• Kikyou Kushida took second place in her 100m Sprint, and Horikita slipped a Voice Recorder into her pocket after confronting her about Oreki.
• The 100m Sprint ended with the Red Group ahead of the White Group, 1701 points to 1300.
• Airi Sakura asked Oreki whether he had watched her race, and he congratulated her before she worried about the upcoming Hurdle Race.
• Oreki returned to the Red Group’s tent and took his place in the second boys’ Hurdle Race group beside Kanzaki.
• Kanzaki told Oreki that he seemed to have held back and explained that Hirata had left the Soccer Club to help ease tensions among his classmates.

Oreki won his race against Kanzaki and realized Ryuuen had obtained Class C’s entry sheet to suppress its strongest athletes. He warned Horikita that Ryuuen might target her points as part of a broader plan to bring down Class C.

• Kanzaki tried to distract Oreki before their race, but Oreki still narrowly beat him to take first place.
• Oreki noted that Ayanokouji and the Class C girls had underperformed against strong Class D competitors, suggesting Ryuuen had used Class C’s entry sheet to arrange matchups.
• Oreki told Horikita that Ryuuen’s targeting of Class C’s athletes showed he had begun acting against their class.
• Oreki revised his plan with Horikita, suspecting Ryuuen might target her because she had considerable points and Class C had already collected four million points.
• Horikita realized Oreki’s voice recorder might help protect her if Ryuuen tried to swindle her points.

Oreki warned Horikita to stay vigilant and watched Kushida’s behavior before the boys’ Pole Topping event. As the Red Team faced the White Team, Katsuragi questioned Ryuuen’s cooperation, while Oreki chose to conserve Class A’s strength and let Class D lead the charge.

• Oreki confirmed that Horikita had a Voice Recorder and believed she could protect herself, while Kushida approached and wished him luck.
• Oreki suspected Kushida remained Class C’s traitor and continued to oppose Horikita, but decided she did not need a recorder or further warning.
• Kamuro offered Oreki a towel, and Katsuragi confronted the late-arriving Ryuuen about the lack of cooperation before Pole Topping.
• Ryuuen said he would not target Class A in this exam, while Oreki anticipated that he would try to stop Sudou from dominating later events.
• The boys took their positions for the first Pole Topping round, and Oreki advised Katsuragi to conserve Class A’s strength as Class D charged at the referee’s signal.

Ryuuen’s team overwhelmed the White Group in the first Pole Topping match, knocking down their pole before Sudou could reach the opposing base. After Sudou blamed his classmates for failing to help, the teams switched sides and Ryuuen’s Class D prepared a full-force attack on the White Group’s camp.

• Ryuuen and Albert led the attack while Class D students held back the White Group’s strongest athletes, and the White Group’s pole fell before Sudou could break through.
• Ryuuen taunted Sudou for losing despite his individual strength, and the White Group took a five-minute break before the next match.
• Sudou berated the Class B students guarding the pole and accused his classmates of abandoning him when he was surrounded.
• Ike, Yamauchi, and others said they had avoided the melee to prevent injuries that could ruin their remaining events, and Sudou announced he would guard the pole next round.
• After the sides switched, Katsuragi kept Class A guarding the camp while Ryuuen’s boys gathered to attack the White Group together.
• Ryuuen’s entire team charged toward the White Group’s camp, kicking up dust that obscured the field.

Ryuuen used a dust cloud and a human wall to isolate Sudou and knock down the White Group’s pole, driving Sudou to abandon the Sports Festival. Class C fell further behind, and Hirata returned battered after failing to persuade Sudou to come back.

• Ryuuen’s students surrounded Sudou and attacked him while Class C classmates escaped, then Albert Yamada knocked down the White Group’s pole and secured another Red Group victory.
• Oreki, Katsuragi, and Hashimoto watched the dust cloud from their camp, while Oreki recognized that Ryuuen wanted to stop Sudou from earning points for Class C.
• Sudou left for the Student Dormitory, and Class C competed in the Four-Way Tug of War without him.
• Hirata missed the boys’ Cavalry Battle while trying to bring Sudou back, then returned with a swollen face and bandages after failing.
• The scoreboard showed the Red Group leading 5751 to 4130, as Ryuuen continued his plan to shatter Sudou’s confidence and drive him away.