The Morning Exam Ends with Class C in the Lead, While Class B Is on the Brink of Elimination! (Continued)

So for a moment, I was caught in a dilemma.

While Akasaka was hesitating, Class B's match had already ended.

"It really didn't work."

Two girls were chosen as Class B: one named Miyuki Saegusa and the other named Maki Tsuda. Although both of them had a background in Kyudo, they had not participated in Archery Club training since high school, and the year of neglect had a great impact on their skills.

Their average skill level was even lower than Rina Akasaka's, so the Commander Authority didn't even have a chance to be used, and Class C won directly.

"There's no rush for this; we can take our time to think it over."

There was still no conclusion after meeting Akasaka, and Miyake didn't press too hard. Now that the third-year students are about to graduate, there are only four first-year students in the Archery Club besides Miyake. If they can't recruit new students next year, the Archery Club might wither away.

Therefore Miyake, not only Akasaka, but also those Miyuki Saegusa from earlier, Maki Tsuda felt he could suggest that they join the Archery Club.

However, he was not familiar with Miyake, and moreover, he had just defeated them in Special Exam, so he did not act rashly.

"Class C draws their event: Kyudo. They face off against Class B. Class C wins."

After the announcement of Class C's project, Class B has already lost two rounds in a row. The students in Class B were initially excited by their victory over Class A, but the next two projects immediately dampened their spirits.

Not only did they fail to score, but they also suddenly fell to the very bottom, becoming the class closest to elimination.

"Won't we really be the first ones eliminated?" A sense of unease crept into the hearts of the students in Class B.

"Next up is Class D. Please draw your item, Ryuen."

After Hoshinomiya-sensei finished speaking, Ryuen sneered and clicked the draw button. A few seconds later, the light circle stopped on the [Karate] item.

Upon seeing this project, Ryuen's face did not show a smile. He simply looked at Class A. Yes, his target was Class A, but he didn't know if Class A would accept him.

If Class A doesn't accept, then they can only choose Class C, and Class C has a monster with extremely strong fighting power.

He originally thought it wouldn't matter if he lost to Class C in one of the events, but he didn't expect to choose Karate.

Ryuen unsurprisingly chose Class A as their opponent, but Kamuro naturally refused. Class A didn't have anyone skilled in Karate, and even if they did, they probably wouldn't be a match for the guys in Class D.

Of course, if Shuichi also refuses, then Ryuen will probably designate Class A again, and there won't be any other way then. It's good that he can take the fall for Class C.

Seeing Kamuro refuse, Ryuen frowned. Since Class B had just been chosen by Class C, they couldn't choose, so Ryuen could only choose Class C.

So, will you accept or refuse?

After making his selection of Ryuen, he glanced slightly at Shuichi Kanda.

Seeing the direction sent by Ryuen, Shuichi Kanda narrowed his eyes slightly. Should he accept? If he did, Class C would undoubtedly win easily.

However, it's Class A's turn next. If Class A draws Chess, then Kamuro will be unable to designate Class C again. In this case, although Class A can win, they may not be able to fulfill their promise to Sakayanagi.

This is troublesome, and it's also a troublesome matter for Shuichi Kanda.

To be on the safe side, let's decline first.

Upon seeing the message "Rejected, please specify another opponent" on the computer screen, Ryuen paused for a moment.

But soon, he smiled. Would Shuichi Kanda give up on a project he could win so easily?

Don't joke around. He must have some other plan behind this. In that case, how can I let him succeed?

Anyway, Class D probably won't win this time, so let me give you a good thrashing!

Therefore, under this malicious influence, Ryuen forcibly designated Class C as their opponent in the Karate event.

Several people present were stunned by what they saw.

"Hey, Ryuen, what do you mean by this?" Shuichi Kanda frowned. "Are you deliberately looking for death?"

Ryuen's first choice was Class A, but he only chose Class C after Kamuro refused. At the time, he didn't seem very willing.

But after Shuichi Kanda refused, this guy immediately changed his tune, and with a sinister smile, he came closer again, which was a bit puzzling.

Kamuro, on the other hand, was somewhat regretful. If she had known that Ryuen would ultimately choose Class C, she would have just agreed.

In her opinion, even if Class A lost another game, it would be better than disrupting Shuichi's rhythm.

Or does Ryuen already know that Class A is actually Class C's wingman?

"It's nothing. I just feel like you're plotting something. So what if we lose a game to sabotage your plans?"

Ryuen, looking refreshed, said that since things had turned out Shuichi Kanda, it didn't matter if they lost a game.

Damn it, that bastard!

Shuichi Kanda was speechless at this guy, but it wasn't entirely incomprehensible. If Ryuen figured things out but didn't take action, then he wouldn't be Ryuen.

"Very well, since that's how it is, you'd better not regret it," Shuichi Kanda displeased expression.

Equally displeased Sakayanagi Arisu, who was watching the game live. She could obviously see why Shuichi Kanda had refused, but it was a done deal now, and she could only pray that Class A wouldn't be drawn to play Chess.

"Haha, it's just a game of chance, I can afford to lose."

Ryuen said nonchalantly, and after a series of operations on the computer screen, he selected three people.

Project: Karate

Required number of participants: 3; required time: 10 minutes.

Rules: Each match lasts three minutes, direct strikes to the opponent are prohibited, and an elimination tournament format is used.

Command Tower: Allows you to replay any match.

Looking at these rules, Shuichi Kanda didn't hesitate to send out Class C's ace player, Koenji Rokusuke, while the other two were just random noobs thrown in.

As for Ryuen, they basically just gave up. Apart from Suzuki Hidetoshi, who was somewhat capable, they also sent out two idiots. Although it didn't seem like a lineup that wanted to win, they still sent out Suzuki Hidetoshi as insurance.

What if Shuichi Kanda deliberately chose to deal with three weaklings?

"Is it my turn to go on so soon?"

When Koenji saw his image appear on the screen, he didn't waste any words and went straight to the Gymnasium. Since he had promised, he would naturally keep his word.

The result was self-evident: Koenji easily defeated three opponents single-handedly and won the match.

Seeing this swift and decisive result, Ryuen didn't even use their Commander Authority; they simply ended the match.

"Class D's event, Karate, against Class C, Class C wins."

And so, the first round of the final Special Exam for first graders came to an end.

Class A has 31 students remaining; the score is 0-1.

Class B has 24 students remaining; the score is 1-2.

Class C has 33 students remaining; the score is 2-0.

Class D has 29 students remaining; the score is 1-1.

Class C is currently in the lead, while Class B has already lost two rounds and is getting closer to being eliminated.

However, this didn't give them time to rest or think; the next round started immediately.

Urged on by Mr. Sakagami, Kamuro clicked the draw button. This time it was a choice of four. If he chose Chess, Sakayanagi's wish to compete against Ayanokoji would be shattered. So both the four Commander in the Multipurpose Classroom and Sakayanagi Arisu outside the venue were watching this project.

Watching the circle of light roll back and forth between the remaining four items for Class A, and then stop at Chess, just when many people were feeling nervous, it bounced again, and finally stopped at the Mental Arithmetic column.

Project: Mental Arithmetic

Required number of participants: 2; time: 30 minutes.

Rules: The class that wins the most Mental Arithmetic competition based on accuracy and speed will be the winner.

Command Tower Access: None.

Another project without Command Tower access. It seems those guys in Class A really have a lot of faith in Kamuro's abilities.

So, what should Kamuro choose next?

Should she choose Class B like in the first round? Or should she choose Ryuen that just tricked her?

This time, it was Shuichi Kanda's turn to watch the show. After all, the Mental Arithmetic project was proposed by Class A, so there should be students in Class A who are good at this.

It's not so certain for Class B and Class D, though; who knows, maybe there are students in Class B and Class D who are particularly strong in one subject but weak in another?

Ryuen and Ichinose also maintained their unchanged expressions, but these unchanging expressions actually betrayed them.

The people present are all somewhat shrewd. Take Ryuen for example; if he were confident of winning the Mental Arithmetic competition, he would definitely have deliberately revealed some weaknesses to make Kamuro choose him.

But the way this guy is acting so relaxed and nonchalant right now seems rather strange.

However, it's also possible that this guy is deliberately acting so nonchalant.

In short, it's all about psychological warfare, seeing what Kamuro is really thinking.

What does Kamuro think?

Kamuro wasn't thinking about any of that nonsense. What she was thinking was that you almost ruined Shuichi's plan, so this time she was definitely going to target you!

Without hesitation, Kamuro designated Ryuen from Class D.

Seeing Kamuro's state, Ryuen knew that refusing would be a waste of time, so he accepted the task directly. This was the first project he hadn't been refused since the start of the exams that day.

Seeing that Ryuen had taken over the project directly, Ichinose breathed a sigh of relief. Mental Arithmetic although some people in Class B had some experience with this project, it probably wouldn't be as successful as the talent-rich Class A.

However, Ichinose was quite curious: who would Class A send to fight?

Will you send Classmate Sakayanagi directly to participate?

However, as far as I can remember, only Classmate Sakayanagi from Class A is good at Chess. If Classmate Sakayanagi goes to play, then who will Chess?

However, the results came out quickly: Class A sent out Katsuragi Kohei and a girl named Tamiya Emi.

Meanwhile, Ryuen from Class D also sent out Kaneda Satoru, a top-tier fighter, while the other member was just a background character.

"They actually sent Katsuragi directly? Interesting."

Upon seeing Katsuragi's iconic portrait, Ryuen knew that this time things were likely to turn out badly.

Although Katsuragi might look down on Ryuen in terms of fighting skills, Ryuen still respected him for his academic abilities.

While Kaneda's academic ability is no less than Katsuragi's, he doesn't have much experience in Mental Arithmetic, so sending him out was a last resort.

"There are ten questions in total. The questions get progressively harder towards the end, but the points awarded for each question also increase. Only in the event of a tie for first place will an overtime round be held, continuing until one side answers incorrectly."

The class teacher, standing behind Kamuro, announced the competition rules for the event. Judging from his unpleasant expression, it was clear that he didn't think highly of Kaneda.

As the participants took their positions, questions began to appear on the screen: single digits, three digits, and a five-second time limit.

The answer is sixteen, given the numbers six, nine, and one.

The question is very simple; basically, anyone with a normal IQ can answer it.

"It seems the earlier questions weren't enough to create a significant difference in scores."

Shuichi Kanda muttered something under his breath, then continued looking at the questions below. Gradually, the difficulty began to increase; not only did the numbers change from single digits to tens digits, but the number of numbers also increased, and the time allotted began to shorten.

The fifth question involved a three-digit number, six digits, and five seconds. The sixth question was even more complicated: a three-digit number, eight digits, and five seconds.

But so far, Kaneda and Katsuragi have answered perfectly. As for the other two, the other guy from the Ryuen class had already given up; he was obviously just there to make up the numbers.

Another student from Class A also looked somewhat flustered.

However, although Kaneda was able to keep up with the difficulty of the questions, that was basically the end of the story.

The next question, number seven, was a three-digit number, twelve digits, and four and a half seconds. Katsuragi frowned, then wrote down the answer. Kaneda also came up with the answer, but it was already very close to the limit.

Question 8 involves a three-digit number, fifteen digits, and three and a half seconds.

Question 9 involves a three-digit number, fifteen digits, and two and a half seconds.

As for the tenth question, it was a three-digit number, fifteen digits, and 1.6 seconds. Neither of them had even completely memorized the fifteen digits before the time was up.

"Hmph, it seems Kaneda has lost."

Ryuen didn't care about the result at all, because Kaneda hadn't answered any of the questions since the eighth one, while Katsuragi had answered the eighth one, but he still failed the ninth one.

"The final result— Katsuragi Kohei, who answered eight out of ten questions correctly and achieved the highest score, is first place. Class A wins."

Then, Mr. Sakagami announced the results: the fifth event ended with Class A defeating Class D.

Now Class D is in the same position as Class B, having lost two rounds. However, Class B will have to play in the next round, while Class D can rest for one round. So whether Class B can win depends on this round.

In the second round, the project drawn for Class B was: Chemistry Test.

Project: Chemistry Test.

Required number of participants: 5; time limit: 50 minutes.

Rules: Answer questions within the scope of the year's learning, and compare the total score.