The Time Stop Series!

The atmosphere at the scene was somewhat tense.

Ishizaki spoke up to break the silence:

"Ryuuen, is there really any need to make such a big deal out of some little nobody?!!"

Komiya and Kondo also looked utterly disdainful:

"Yeah, just look at how sloppy he is. He's definitely weak!!"

"That's right, boss. I alone can block him off. You guys can just run—if we lose, it's on me!!"

Ryuuen slowly turned around, his face twitching violently.

Then he suddenly erupted, knocking each of them on the head:

"Idiots."

"Even a lion uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit!!"

"What I want is..."

"An absolutely crushing victory!!"

The group clutched their aching heads and repeatedly agreed.

What else could they do? They had to follow orders!!

On the 400-meter red track.

The final group of ten had taken the field.

Uchiha's legs were going numb from squatting.

He turned back in confusion. Girl, why weren't you getting on yet?!

And what was with that half-step backward? I just helped you out of a bind!!!

Shiina's cheeks were flushed pink as she awkwardly held down her skirt, seemingly having some unspeakable difficulty.

Uchiha thought for a moment before suddenly understanding.

Was she afraid of dirtying my jacket?

What a trivial matter!!

He took off his school uniform jacket, grabbed its two sleeves, and tied them into a bow around the silver-haired girl's waist.

The long-sleeved jacket perfectly covered the girl's backside...

Shiina: "???"

"Um, classmate, you..."

Uchiha replied with an indifferent expression:

"To prevent exposure."

Hearing that, Shiina seemed to understand something, and warmth filled her heart.

He saw through it but didn't say anything. He's being so considerate of my feelings...

Looking more closely, his eyes were bright, like stars and the moon, and his face was rather handsome too...

Hm?!

Shiina asked blankly:

"Your skin is so nice. What skincare products do you use?"

Uchiha said, "None. I usually just wash my face with tap water. Maybe, like you, I was born beautiful?"

"Pfft, hahaha (^▽^)~"

Shiina couldn't help breaking into a radiant laugh, momentarily forgetting that she was unwell.

Using "born beautiful" to describe a boy? That was pretty funny~

Yamauchi and Ike, watching from outside the field, were dying of jealousy!

"Ahhh, my goddess actually smiled at Uchiha!!! I've never seen her smile at any other boy!!"

"Aren't they supposed to be competing? Can they stop showing off their affection?!! If I'd known, I would've carried a girl too. Maybe we'd have fallen for each other?!!"

Some of the boys from Class C miserably pounded the ground and wailed madly:

"Why!!! Whenever I try talking to her, she ignores me!!"

"I don't get it either. How am I worse than Jiahao!!!"

"Can you make Shiina laugh with one sentence? You probably don't have that kind of skill, trash!! Look at Jiahao's charm—he can make a girl smile so happily just like that. I might never be able to do that in my entire life!!"

Ayanokoji, who had been watching the show, initially wore an auntie-like smile.

Then, all of a sudden, he felt empty inside, as though something important was drifting away from him.

At the starting line.

Uchiha turned around expressionlessly and crouched down again.

This time, Shiina stopped being coy and climbed onto his back openly.

[Passion +1432]

[Passion +1168]

[Passion +1509]

[Passion +17]

Hm?!!

Flirting with girls could earn Passion points too?!!!

Uchiha watched the numbers skyrocket, and the corners of his mouth nearly curled crooked with delight.

No, no!!

I have to hold it together!!!

He desperately controlled his facial muscles and slowly straightened his mouth. He didn't want to become some crooked-mouthed Dragon King.

That look would suit the purple-haired guy beside him better.

After glancing around, he realized that aside from himself, there wasn't a single Class D student in this group.

One versus nine?

The increase in difficulty was practically zero!!

The masked boy pushed off with both legs, lifting the silver-haired girl. Her weight...

Was light. Very light.

It felt like he was carrying two stray golden retrievers.

A flash of lightning suddenly streaked across the sky. The heavy rain was coming—could you feel it?!

Seeing the sky darken, Dongshan stopped wasting time.

He strode over to the ten contestants, all ready to burst forward, with a whistle in his mouth:

"On your marks!!"

"Ready! Go!"

In an instant.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

Eight figures shot out like arrows loosed from a bow!!

Yamada remembered Ryuuen's instructions and focused solely on sprinting with all his might.

With his stamina, he could easily charge all the way to the finish without slowing down!!

Because Ryuuen had been distracted by Uchiha's situation, Ibuki had been faster off the line.

Ibuki charged forward fiercely, actually overtaking the other boys and temporarily taking second place in the group!!

"A rival evenly matched with myself? Interesting."

Watching from the side, Horikita silently calculated that at this speed, the blue-haired girl's finishing time should be almost identical to hers.

Then she looked at Uchiha.

Uchiha was still in his starting position.

He had stopped.

"..."

"..."

"?????"

I must be seeing things.

She pulled out a compass and jabbed Ayanokoji with it.

"...That hurt."

Ayanokoji stiffly turned around. Why did you stab me?!!!!

And why were you carrying a compass around with you?!!

That was dangerous, okay?!!!

Horikita folded her arms, utterly baffled:

"I'm not dreaming. Why isn't he running?!"

Dongshan noticed it too. Uchiha was standing motionless on the starting line.

The other students had already run several hundred meters.

What was going on?

Dongshan frowned deeply.

Had Yamada and the others' speed scared him stupid?

It seemed his mental fortitude was only average.

Everyone present stared in bewilderment.

"Hey!! Time has stopped!!!"

"...Is the Great Jiahao Era about to arrive?!"

"Then he's done for. His score is completely ruined!!!"

"Poor Shiina is going to be dragged down with him too."

Meanwhile, Uchiha was having trouble keeping his expression together.

At the exact moment the whistle blew, a sudden "ding" sounded in his mind!!

[Ding.]

[Detected that the host has swallowed his pride, which does not fit Jiahao's persona.]

[A temporary mission has therefore been issued: compete in a marathon against the PE teacher and utterly crush him!! Bring Passion points to 30,000.]

[Reward: Rain Curtain Isolation superpower upgraded once.]

"..."

Uchiha froze upon seeing the contents.

At this moment, it gave me such an absurd mission?!

You didn't issue it when I was confronting Teacher Dongshan just now. System, do you have a delay or something?!!

After a brief silence, he asked in his mind:

"Rain Curtain Isolation can be upgraded?"

[Yes. Rain Curtain Isolation can be upgraded into Rainwater Manipulation.]

[The host can control rainwater within a hundred-meter radius. Whoever you want drenched in a downpour will be drenched!!]

Uchiha: "!"

Even his breathing stopped for a beat!!

Rainwater Manipulation? I could even control a downpour?!

Then if I set up a camera on a rainy day and have raindrops from all over the sky rush toward it with me, wouldn't that make for an amazing shot??!!

"..."

Uchiha's gaze changed. He turned and stared at Dongshan, his previous casual indifference replaced by seriousness.

Extreme seriousness!!

The kind of look Saitama had when throwing a Serious Punch.

"Are you running or not?!"

Dongshan noticed the change in Uchiha's eyes and wondered what bizarre performance art he was trying to pull now?!!

The sense of crisis in his heart grew stronger and stronger, and then he heard Uchiha speak.

"Once I finish the physical test, I'll immediately crush you!"

Dongshan: "????"

Everyone else: "????"