I Suspect This Is an Octagon, Not an Item Race

From the other contestants' perspective, Shuo Ye kept to their blind spots by using the buildings for cover, yet she never fell far from the front of the pack.

The three senior members of the red team in the stands noticed the Eagle-Owl Girl's tactics and huddled together to discuss them.

"Look. I think Iris has caught on to what Shuo Ye's trying to do," Scarlet Snow said.

"She made it all the way to the second lap before anyone noticed? Shuo Ye might be even better at hiding than we thought," Red Rose observed.

"Don't forget the one at the back, though. How many items has Nightingale collected now?"

Scarlet Snow's question was answered almost immediately by Inari.

"Twenty-one so far... Oh, twenty-two. She's picked up almost every item box the leaders missed," Inari said.

Even Red Rose raised her eyebrows at that absurd number, then laughed with delight.

"Hahaha... That's ridiculous. She's gathered all those items and still stayed in the middle of the pack. Looks like Nightingale understands tonight's Item Race better than anyone."

"I wonder what she's got. Given how far back she was when she picked them up, she must have the biggest stash of rare, powerful items in the race."

Scarlet Snow sighed in amazement.

Up front was Hyacinth, the brute who had weathered a relentless bombardment from two Magic Cannon girls without going down. At the back was Nightingale, quietly hoarding items for one enormous move. Between them was Shuo Ye, skirting the edge of the course and hiding among the buildings. The favorites for the title seemed to be those three.

But Iris showed Shuo Ye no mercy. She wasn't about to go easy on the team's newcomer. Instead, she lowered her Magic Cannon toward every point where Shuo Ye might emerge