If he could travel back to the day a month ago when he proudly pushed the new Sports Festival rules, Nagumo Miyabi would probably slap himself hard across the face.
The rule regarding temporary substitutes had been a deliberate loophole he created. His goal was to unify the second-year students and use them to take down Horikita Manabu of Class 3-A. He hadn't restricted the substitute rule to the same grade level for two reasons: one, he wanted to create opportunities to manipulate other third-year classes into sabotaging Class 3-A; and two, he expected Ichinose Honami's Class 1-C to struggle and fall into crisis during the festival. At that point, he could descend with second-year reinforcements like a god, using either coercion or enticement to achieve his shadowy ambitions.
But the way the Sports Festival had unfolded thus far had completely deviated from Nagumo's expectations.
From the united first-year offensive against upperclassmen, to the unexpected cat, to the mysterious disappearances of his own classmates and Ryuuen Kakeru's betrayal—each factor combined to turn the festival into a stage of unpredictable fate. Now, the only thing certain was—
Nagumo stared coldly at the calm expression of Horikita Manabu and spoke in a low voice:
"I didn't expect you to actually join the match, Horikita-senpai."
"I only want to give this school a new future," Horikita replied as he met Nagumo's gaze. The previously noisy surroundings quieted. This was a formal confrontation between the Student Council President and Vice President, and with class expulsion on the line, students from various classes began to gather around them.
"You truly want change... You want to change this school."
Horikita's calm words fell as the first round of matches for all classes concluded. In just a single morning, six students had been expelled. Perhaps one or two might be saved by their respective classes, but the majority were now gone.
It was less a Sports Festival and more a cutthroat special exam.
And all of it—was Nagumo Miyabi's creation.
"The Student Council has been too boring until now," Nagumo sneered. "Too obsessed with following tradition. They talk tough, but always leave room for mercy. Those naive rules that rarely lead to expulsions—those are no longer needed. That's why I created new rules."
He looked at Horikita.
"Didn't you just defeat Class 3-B yourself? There'll be expulsions from that match too, won't there? If you're against that, why did you still beat them? Or are you going to use twenty million personal points to save them yourself?"
"You know I won't be swayed by your sophistry," Horikita replied, shaking his head.
"The reason I didn't stop your Sports Festival plan from the beginning... was because I thought it could also be an opportunity."
"You're going to succeed me as Student Council President—that's the strength of the next generation."
He turned and looked at Kitagawa Ryo, his eyes full of admiration and approval.
"Then you also have to recognize that the next generation will also rise to challenge you."
"Originally, I only wanted to protect them—to prevent them from being crushed by your schemes before they had fully grown. But they've done better than I ever imagined."
"You seriously approve of these petty tricks?"
Nagumo couldn't accept that Horikita was praising a freshman more than him. He raised his voice, trying to argue.
"Even if the first-years lose this match, it won't change my opinion of them."
But Horikita cut him off:
"This soccer match is an eleven-person team event."
"Aside from me, we have: Hashimoto Masayoshi from Class 1-A, Kitagawa Ryo, Ryuuen Kakeru, and Yamada Albert from Class 1-B, Shibata Sou and Kanzaki Ryuji from Class 1-C, and Kouenji Rokusuke, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, Sudou Ken, and Hirata Yosuke from Class 1-D."
"So what? I have elite players from all second-year classes as well..."
"Nagumo, do you really think it's the same thing?"
For the first time, Horikita Manabu raised his voice and berated Nagumo. It was a sharp contrast to his usual calm demeanor—now he exuded the true authority of a Student Council President and upperclassman.
"If this were six months ago, maybe you would've succeeded."
He looked over Nagumo and the players behind him.
"Your year had the best talent in the football club. Back then, you were the star. You brought innovative tactics to training and led the team to win the summer tournament."
Nagumo's face softened with pride at the praise. Soccer had always been one of his proudest achievements, which is why he kept returning to the football club even after joining the Student Council.
"However."
Horikita paused.
"How many of your original teammates who played with you in that summer tournament are still standing behind you now?"
Nagumo's smile froze.
"Those who disagreed with your methods left the club. Then they left the school."
"But you didn't care. To you, strength was everything. If they were weak, their expulsion didn't matter."
"But this team you've built—is it really stronger than the one you had back then?"
With that, Horikita turned and left, leaving Nagumo standing there, his expression unreadable. His companion, Gouzetsu, seemed ready to offer comfort but was silenced with a single glare.
"Three, two, one—let's go!"
Back in the first-year huddle, Horikita was pulled into the team circle by Kitagawa Ryo. Students from all four first-year classes, along with their third-year senpai, reached out a hand each. Even the aloof Kouenji Rokusuke looked excited by the sight, murmuring that it was stunningly beautiful as he placed his large hand at the top.
In contrast, the second-year formation was tense and grim. Though Nagumo had regained some composure, his face was still dark as he issued tactical orders. Students from Class 2-B were exhausted after their match against Class 1-D, but Nagumo showed no signs of acknowledging their fatigue. He made no concessions in his plans, which left Kiriyama bitter but helpless.
Students from Classes 2-C and 2-D had just lost to Class 3-C and Class 1-C respectively. While the latter was a fair loss due to skill disparity, Class 2-C had a real chance to win—until Nagumo pulled their star athletes at the last moment to strengthen Class 2-A's team for this match. Morale plummeted.
Only Class 2-A, which Nagumo had prioritized and allowed to rest by skipping their match against Class 1-B, remained in top form. The contrast was glaring. Gouzetsu frowned and barked:
"Get it together! This is a crucial match for the second-years!"
But that only fueled more resentment. No one dared speak up openly, but a rebellious atmosphere brewed under the surface.
After all, this was a battle between Class 2-A and Class 1-A. A loss would only damage their pride—not their actual status.
Kiriyama, ever the opportunist, quickly signaled to two classmates to take it easy in the game. If questioned, they could blame their fatigue. After all, Class 2-A hadn't helped Class 2-B win—why should they give their all?
Still caught up in Horikita's words, Nagumo hadn't noticed his teammates' divided loyalties. Had he only been facing Kitagawa Ryo, he would've been mentally prepared for the taunts. But Horikita's appearance and his praise for Kitagawa had left Nagumo genuinely shaken.
"Do you understand?"
He began deploying strategies to target perceived weaknesses.
His sharp eyes scanned his entire squad, and he made a promise:
"If you perform well in this match, your name will be added to the list for Class A."
Nagumo didn't rely on coercion alone to dominate the second-years. The allure of joining Class A was a powerful incentive. Many top students from lower classes thought it wiser to abandon their weak classmates and side with Nagumo for a shot at Class A—allowing Class 2-A to conquer the other classes one by one.
Spurred by this promise, the players nodded.
But the moment the referee's whistle blew, the match played out very differently from Nagumo's expectations.
Only the students from his own class followed his tactics closely. Everyone else collapsed under the first-years' relentless offense.
Kouenji Rokusuke, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, Horikita Manabu, and Kitagawa Ryo led the charge, instantly dismantling the second-year defense.
Kitagawa now dribbled deep into enemy territory.
Gouzetsu and Tonegawa, Nagumo's right and left arms and secretaries of the Student Council, charged at him from both sides.
Kitagawa remained calm. He tapped the ball left with the inside of his left foot, dodging Tonegawa's tackle, then used the outside of his right foot to cut back right and bypass Gouzetsu.
"Double cut!"
Sakagami Kazuma, the homeroom teacher of Class 1-B, shouted ecstatically from the stands. One might think he was the one performing on the field.
"Double cut? Is that food?" asked the Class 1-A teacher beside him, eyes glued to the match.
"It's the move Ryo just did," explained Sakayanagi Arisu, sitting below them. Though she couldn't participate in sports due to health issues, she knew a thing or two about soccer.
She seemed ready to continue explaining, but a deafening roar from the crowd drowned her out.
She shook her head helplessly and turned her gaze back to Kitagawa Ryo.
At this moment, he was the center of the entire field. Every move drew the eyes of everyone present.
A step stop and pivot—a smooth spin past another defender.
A lift and dodge—avoiding a sliding tackle from the left.
If it hadn't been happening live, one might have thought it was a choreographed show.
He weaved past four defenders with dazzling flair. The unmotivated second-year defense crumbled.
Now 30 meters from the goal, Kitagawa veered half a meter to the left, setting up for a long shot. Nagumo didn't hesitate—he closed in to block.
"Shoot! Shoot!"
The crowd roared. Most didn't know the rules of soccer well—but they knew what a shot looked like. The stadium reached a fever pitch.
Kitagawa swung—but instead of shooting, he pulled the ball back under his right foot and slipped past Nagumo on the left.
"Fake shot into a pull!"
Sakagami's voice nearly broke.
At this point, he wanted to unfurl a banner: THIS PLAYER IS MY STUDENT—KITAGAWA RYO!
Nagumo was left helpless as Kitagawa stormed into the penalty box.
The goalie dove—Kitagawa casually sidestepped.
He raised his foot.
Every first-year student in the stands stood instinctively. Karuizawa Kei accidentally pinched Hotaru in her excitement, making the cat meow in confusion.
The ball smashed into the pristine white net.
Three minutes into the game, the first-years led 1–0.
The crowd erupted. Thunderous cheers filled the school.
In terms of atmosphere, this had already surpassed any past Sports Festival.
"GOOOOOAL!"
Sakagami threw his arms around Class 1-A's teacher, Mashima Tomonari. Normally composed, Mashima whooped like a child.
Nagumo's face was a mix of shock and fury. Even when paired with Class 2-B earlier, Kitagawa hadn't pulled this kind of stunt.
Those who had failed to stop Kitagawa looked nervously at Nagumo.
But Nagumo ignored them.
He only looked at Kitagawa Ryo—high-fiving his teammates.
In Kitagawa, he saw himself one year ago, leading the football club to victory in the summer tournament. Back then, he wasn't in the Student Council. He had teammates like these.
And in that moment, a sliver of regret genuinely rose from Nagumo's heart.
Maybe... his ideals had been wrong all along.
From that point on, Nagumo wandered the field like a sleepwalker. The first-years only grew stronger. Every player except the goalkeeper scored.
By the second half, many second-year students had walked off, unable to bear watching the scoreboard.
Final score: 9–1.
Class 1-A defeated Class 2-A by 4–3 overall.
Class 2-A suffered a second consecutive defeat in the Sports Festival.
This was a turning point.
Every student who watched understood that.
They looked to the united figures of Horikita Manabu and Kitagawa Ryo.
Then, with a hint of pity, turned their eyes to the disoriented Nagumo Miyabi.
No longer their era.
-------------------------------------
As the Sports Festival entered the afternoon, no one had time to pay attention to Class 3-A's merciless onslaught against the already-defeated Class 2-A.
All eyes were now drawn to the match result displayed on the electronic screen:
[Class 1-D vs. Class 1-B]
The challenger—was Class 1-D.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To Read Advanced Chapters, and support this novel, please join me on [email protected]/geats2000