Volume 5, Chapter 5: Raising the Curtains Part 3

The next contest up is 'capture-the-flag'. It's a simple yet rough and slightly dangerous team competition.

"We're definitely winning, you guys. Since that idiot Kouenji isn't here, we've got to be that much more fired up!" Sudou shouts.

He encourages all the boys from both Class D and Class A assembled in front of him.

On the other hand, the ones that Sudou's group will be facing are the boys of Class B led by Kanzaki and Shibata as well as the boys of Class C led by Ryuuen. In particular, there are students in Class C that, while unknown, appear to be strong.

There's Sakazaki and Komiya, who were both involved in the quarrel with Sudou a while back, and there's also the brawny half-Japanese half-black student named Yamada. I've seen him around occasionally at school but I wonder how strong he is. Whether there are plenty of or not enough students in each class, right now there's nothing to do but fight after taking our current forces into account.

The rules of the match dictate that the group that makes two captures wins. During their discussion earlier, Katsuragi and Hirata have decided that their classes will be alternating between offense and defense.

They must have determined that splitting up into offense and defense here is a highly risky move. This way it's easier to understand as well as to cooperate. Class D will go on the offense first while Class A have the role of protecting the flag. If this formation allows us to successfully get a headstart then the plan is to not change roles.

"Well, don't worry about it. Even if I'm alone, I'll beat down our enemies".

"Not the people, we're after the flag though.....?".

I said that to him as I've gotten slightly worried after all.

"I can't guarantee that. I'm pissed off because of Kouenji. Grr".

Perhaps he intends on attacking them as he was frank with his hostility. Sudou gave the middle finger to our opponents.

"I'd better keep my distance.....".

Scared of getting involved, Ike and the others slowly backed away from Sudou. That's wise of them.

The attacking team (mainly Sudou) waited impatiently at the front for the whistle that signalled the start of the match. On the other hand, the defending team consisting of Katsuragi and the others are repeatedly checking their formation and building solid defenses.

Naturally, blatant acts of violence like punching and kicking are prohibited but a certain degree of entanglement would probably be overlooked by the school.

A lot of grabbing and pushing is anticipated.

"Uuu---somehow I'm starting to get nervous. Capture-the-flag is a first for me.....".

"Haven't you played it before at your middle school's sports festival?".

"I wasn't told that it'd be a dangerous competition. Have you played it before, Ayanokouji?".

"No....this is a first for me too".

"What the hell? So it's a first for you too".

In the middle of this stale conversation, the signal that marks the match's start rang. And Sudou charged in ahead of everyone else.

The more proactive members followed after him.

"This is bad, let's go Ayanokouji! I'd rather not get killed by Sudou for lazing off after!".

Ike, Yamauchi and I, the ones not suited for conflict, followed slowly behind the more proactive group. Much like us, the BC coalition has also divided its classes up cleanly between offense and defense.

It may be an obvious thing to do given that cooperation between them is more difficult than it is for the DA coalition. In the first round, it seems like it's going to be Class B defending the flag on their side.

The folks from Class B wait up ahead.

By the way, it's forbidden for an attacking team to interact with another attacking team.

At the very most, the rule is that the attacking team must necessarily attack the defending team.

"Anyone who wants to die, bring it on!".

Saying something outrageously dangerous like that, Sudou tore into the opponent's defending team. Then, with a height and power that makes it hard to believe he's a 1st year high school student, he tears away at the students around the flag one by one.

"Stop---! Stop Sudou---!".

A portion of the defending team surrounds Sudou, accompanied by those screams from Class B.

"Hey you guys, follow quickly! I'll clear the way for you!".

Sudou shouts out to the advancing group following from behind him without looking back. However, things aren't that simple. The situation gradually became chaotic, almost like a battlefield, and clouds of dust rose up.

I relied on the Class B students to overcome that situation without being useful nor a hindrance.

"Shit, just how many's going to charge at me!".

Three or four male students pushed back at Sudou with their bodies and even his strength was surpassed.

On the other hand, the advancing group too, on the brink of being able to break through, was suddenly cut off. The problem with Class D is that despite having the penetrative offensive power of Sudou, there is almost no one else with that kind of strength. In contrast, Class B had many students who possessed above average strength. Especially the unaggressive ones like me and the Professor, without contributing to the offense, inevitably end up becoming a liability to it instead.

"This is bad, Ken! It's Class A! That half, Yamada or what's his name, is going on a rampage!".

"Huh!?".

As he turned back towards that voice, the Red Team's flag that Class A had been protecting was now slightly slanted. Since Class C is full of violent people like Sudou...no, students who are almost like fighters, it was an easy task for them to penetrate through our defenses.

If we have a scuffle against each other, it's clear who has the advantage and who's at a disadvantage.

Besides, if Ryuuen had ordered them to attack us, it would probably become a desperate struggle. We need to do something but Sudou, who's the vital one, is also being obstructed by four of five people and can't do a thing. We were completely locked down. Of course, it's already rather impressive that we're facing off against that many people though. Sudou desperately tries to make a move towards the flag, but cruelly enough, the whistle rang.

Ultimately the White Team easily ended up completing one capture.

"Ahh, shit! What the hell are you guys doing!? Put your backs into it!".

Glaring at the cruelly toppled flag, Sudou turns his wrath towards the Class D that could not mount an offense.

"Even if you say that....those guys are pretty strong you know? Oww....I've got a graze".

"It's just a flesh wound, right? Bear with it, you've been snapping at them and kneeing them, you're useless!".

I understand the feeling but both of those are a step away from being foul play and disqualification.

"It can't be helped that they won one round. Next time let's protect it properly ourselves".

Gently patting Sudou's shoulder and once he had calmed down, Hirata sets the fallen flag back up.

"Tch...we're definitely going to protect it, you guys get it!?".

"W-We get it---. We'll do what we can---".

"Not just what you can, we're definitely protecting it. No matter if it's for an hour or two hours!".

If there's something else Class D is lacking in, it would have to be unity and motivation. Those two. This includes me too, but aside from a few students, the rest don't have any kind of ambition.

In regards to that, Class B from earlier who were on the defense had both high unity and motivation and as such, were formidable enemies.

"Ayanokouji, don't let that flag fall even if you die! Because you're still 2nd in the class after all!".

For the record, since I'm next up in strength after Sudou, I'll have to protect the flag alongside him.

I can't carelessly slack off now that I'm being watched by Sudou, who himself was stoutly defending the flag.

"Don't mess with me, I won't let them have an easy consecutive win. I'm going to beat that bastard Ryuuen down".

Speaking of which, during the first round earlier, Ryuuen who had been part of the attacking team, only played the role of an observer. It's because they were already dominating without even needing him to join in. Sudou probably couldn't stand that fact.

"Come out, C. Come out, C".

Sudou continuously whispers that but honestly, it'll prove difficult if the power centric Class C were to assemble and come after us. I think it'll be easier on us if it's Class B attacking us.

As both sides complete their preparations, the start of the second round is at hand. Now then---

"They're here, they're here. They've come!".

Apparently things didn't go the way I had hoped and it ended up going Sudou's way. Building up to an attack, strong students from Class C glared at us. Then the leader who brought that class together as one, Ryuuen, also laughed boldly from the rear.

Almost like he's a tactician commanding the battlefield and along with the signal to start the match, he gave them the order to charge.

It was most likely a simple instruction.

Beneath the words 'topple it' were the soldiers frightened by his tyranny into taking offensive action. Students with huge bodies similar to Sudou's, looking like they're the sports club type, came charging in.

They attacked us like an advancing wall without rushing it.

Screams rose up from the Class D students all over the place. The defending students making up the outer wall are slowly diminishing in numbers.

"Stand up! Grab their legs and pull them down!".

Sudou's unreasonable words of encouragement were drowned out by the angry bellows of our opponents.

Class C repeatedly used elbow strikes that almost wandered into foul play territory and in no time, they broke through to the inner wall. Katsuragi and the others from Class A have also advanced to the point that they could almost touch the flag but I wonder if they'll make it in time.

"Guah!?".

I could hear a voice of agony from Sudou, who was supporting the flag just in front of me. The half named Yamada had made his way up close to Sudou. His physique far surpasses Sudou's.

The flag we were protecting is now slightly slanted.

"Who the hell punched me in my stomach!?".

Apparently, during the chaos, someone had attacked Sudou directly. Furthermore, it wasn't just once or twice as voices of pain and anger become mixed. But for Sudou, who has to hold the flag with both his hands, he was left unable to do anything about it. All he could do was to turtle up and bear with it.

"It hurts, I said it hurts you bastard!".

Just by fighting with his voice alone, Class C showed no signs of ceasing their actions. Sudou kneels down in pain. But even so, I'd like to praise that fighting spirit of his that still tried to protect the flag.

Someone then stepped barefoot onto Sudou's back. Then, as though asserting his dominance, he crushed Sudou's back underfoot with all his strength.

"Gah!?".

Even in the midst of all this jostling during the match, it was a fiendish blow that capitalized on his blind spot. It goes without saying that the one responsible for it was Ryuuen.

"You. Bastard! Guh!".

He was once again stepped on without any hesitation to the point I had thought his spine had been broken.

As Sudou collapsed from that blow, now having lost its support, the flag collapsed after kicking up a cloud of sand.

In the blink of an eye, the outcome was decided.

While collapsed on the ground, Sudou glared up at the man who had stepped on him, Ryuuen.

"Hah, hah. You bastard...that was foul play!".

"Hmm? So you were there? I didn't notice".

Saying that without a trace of fear, he pulled the flag up. Sudou tried to chase after him but it seems his back is still hurting quite a bit as he wasn't able to stand back up.

The DA coalition suffered a great defeat.

"Is your back ok?".

"Kuh...somehow....shit, shit!".

Greater than his pain was the anger at having been the victim of an unreasonable foul play attack that he could not hold back.

"That pompous bastard, if I run into him again I'll punch his lights out.....!".

"You'll end up causing another uproar. Do you want to go through that again?".

By that, I mean the incident where Sudou got into a fight with Class C and almost got disposed of. Furthermore, if it's Sudou who initiates it then this time he will receive punishment for it.

"So it's fine when he does it and it's not when I do!? Look at the marks on my back!".

"I get what you're trying to say but it'll just be seen as an action that naturally happened over the course of the match".

Ryuuen and Sudou, they're both trying to do the same thing but there is an overwhelming difference in their technique.

This time, it was an action that took place while students were all mixed up during the contest and clouds of sand were being kicked up everywhere. Either way, he picked a good time and method to attack.

"Ahh this is pissing me off! To think I was planning on winning every contest!".

From the irritation he felt towards Ryuuen, he turned towards the disappointing Class D and Class A and blatantly voiced his displeasure.

Since Class A also heard it, a few of them returned the glare.

Some of them tried to retort but Katsuragi reined them in and things didn't come to that.

"Sorry for being useless.....".

"Me too. It's also because we couldn't protect it properly. Let's try hard next time".

Only Katsuragi and Hirata calmly accepted the outcome and for now we decided to disband and return to our own camps.