Vol. 2 Chapter 95 – The Sea, Popular Types, and a Luxury Resort (19)

“Hey! Komiya! You bastard!” (Ooba)

“This is why guys with girlfriends…!!” (Mukumoto)

“Hahaha! The schemer drowns in his own scheme! You never thought you’d get the same treatment?” (Shuu)

Shuu declared triumphantly while receiving curses from the two who got knocked down with him.

The line itself was cool, but it was hard to say anything considering it came from someone already guaranteed last place and a school swimsuit.

“I did it…! First place…!” (Haruna)

“Goal goal!! Goooooal!! First place in race one goes to Fujimoto-san!!!” (Hikaru)

While the three fell into the abyss together, Fujimoto-san leisurely crossed the finish line in first.

“Damn…! But second and third place are still good enough—” (Ooba)

The knocked-down duo returned to the track and tried to recover toward the goal—

“Yeah~! Goal!” (Takasaki)

“Nooooo!?!?” (Ooba and Mukumoto)

Takasaki-san, transformed into a cannonball by an item and in invincible state, blew them away again and finished second.

“Excuse me~” (Matsunaga)

Following Matsunaga-san who’d gotten the start dash, others crossed the finish line one by one.

The duo who suffered their second course-out just before the end ultimately finished sixth and seventh.

“Well… that was quite an intense battle from race one?” (Hikaru)

“Ah… well, you could call it intense… this is supposed to be a racing game, right? It’s turning into a battle royale…” (Reiya)

My calm observation was drowned out by the excitement, and race two began without pause.

Race two became just as chaotic as the first.

The guys, whose cooperation was now exposed, engaged in even more blatant disruption than the first race, tormenting the girls who were each trying to avoid punishment and place high.

However, the girls also countered effectively by using Shuu, who’d become a course gimmick assisting Fujimoto-san while collecting items near the finish line.

As a result, races two and three became similarly chaotic, leaving almost everyone with possibilities for both victory and punishment before the final race.

“Now, only the final race remains! Analyst Reiya-kun-san! Looking back at the races so far, what are your thoughts?” (Hikaru)

“Well… I have some things I’d like to say, but they’ve definitely delivered excitement beyond expectations. With rankings still undecided except for last place, no one can predict how this final battle will end.” (Reiya)

The participating players waited for the start with glinting eyes, each focused on their goals.

Matsunaga-san, who’d face guaranteed cosplay without a high placement, naturally, but even usually easygoing Fujimoto-san had entered a battle-ready state like facing a track competition.

Shuu, with last place confirmed, was still determined to assist Fujimoto-san with full effort since she could still place low.

The only exception was Takasaki-san, for whom punishment games weren’t really punishment, so she maintained her usual composure.

She’d probably disrupt the race again using powerful low-position items.

“Whether in tears or laughter, this is the end! Final race… start!!” (Hikaru)

With heat and tension reaching their peak, the final race began with Hikaru’s signal.

First, four people burst ahead with start dashes.

Fujimoto-san, Matsunaga-san, Ooba-kun, Mukumoto-kun.

Either they had natural talent or their technical skills had improved considerably by the fourth race.

Guy disruption specialist Kiue-kun and consistently stable Yamano-san followed.

Shuu again became the finish line guardian in last place, with Takasaki-san running at her own pace.

“I’m definitely winning!! The gift certificate is mine!!” (Matsunaga)

“Oh! Matsunaga-san suddenly accelerates! She breaks away from the lead group!!” (Hikaru)

Matsunaga-san used a Mario item to accelerate and leaped to the top.

She was currently on the borderline between high and low placement points-wise.

Without at least fourth place here, punishment was guaranteed.

If she sank to seventh, bunny girl costume remained possible.

She couldn’t afford to lose here and was burning with determination.

“We won’t let you get away so easily! Let’s go! You guys!” (Ooba)

“Yes!!” (Guys)

“The three-man guy team isn’t backing down! United they chase the leader!!” (Hikaru)

Meanwhile, the teaming guys were equally motivated.

To send as many girls to low positions as possible, monopolizing high positions in this final race was essential.

In the very end, three became one, following the racing line of leading Ooba-kun.

The final race completely changed into a quiet battle between high-skill competitors.

The top positions constantly changed in seesaw battles, and before long it was the final lap.

“Now, after this long battle, only one lap remains…! Who will the goddess of victory smile upon…!” (Hikaru)

Right after Hikaru said that, the goddess of victory smiled on someone.

“It’s here! A Star!! Heaven’s luck is with me!!” (Ooba)

Ooba-kun obtained a Star passing through an item box.

While normally rare except from low positions, luck favored him here.

“Let’s go, guys!! Follow me!!” (Ooba)

He pressed the button so forcefully the controller might break, activating it.

The item’s effect made his character glow.

In this state, speed increased and colliding with other characters would one-sidedly spin only the opponent.

“No way…!?” (Girl A)

“Ah, I got hit~…” (Girl B)

“Eh~ just a little more…” (Girl C)

He didn’t just overtake leading Matsunaga-san and others with the acceleration effect, but systematically knocked down each one for his following teammates.

The three who leisurely took the lead returned to the home straight.

Victory was close, but they hadn’t forgotten the final barrier awaiting them.

“…So you’ve come.” (Shuu)

Shuu muttered heavily as the three guys came into view.

He’d repeatedly refined items at the item box near the goal and was fully armed with six red shells.

He exuded an intensity unthinkable for someone supposedly guaranteed to wear a school swimsuit.

“This is the final showdown…!” (Ooba)

Right after Ooba-kun said that, the Star’s invincibility effect disappeared from his character.

“I’ll protect Haruna!!” (Shuu)

Timing it perfectly, Shuu fired one red shell toward them.

“Mukumoto!” (Ooba)

“Yeah!” (Mukumoto)

To protect Ooba-kun, Mukumoto-kun leaped forward.

As if anticipating this situation, he’d wrapped defensive green shells around himself.

Red and green shells collided, neutralizing Shuu’s attack.

The remaining two shells fired in succession.

However, Mukumoto-kun’s green shells perfectly blocked those too.

Before victory, their concentration had reached its limit.

“Damn…! But I still have…!” (Shuu)

Shuu drew another red shell from his held items and aimed.

He triple-fired to stop them again, but—

“Too bad, Komiya…!” (Kiue)

Kiue-kun, who emerged from behind, also wore three green shells.

He too displayed his life’s peak concentration, knocking down all red shells coming at him.

“See ya. Let’s enjoy Fujimoto-san’s maid outfit together later.” (Ooba)

Ooba-kun smiled wickedly like a story villain and passed the exhausted Shuu.

Nothing could stop them now.

Only the winning road leading to the girls’ compromising outfits remained.

However, they’d forgotten one more person… another existence disregarding placement like Shuu.

“What…!!” (Ooba)

“Huh…!?” (Mukumoto and Kiue)

Past where they’d avoided Shuu stood Takasaki-san on the goal line.

“Something strong came out~!” (Takasaki)

And her item slot showed a Spiny Shell icon.

That fired toward the first-place player, and once locked on… one of the strongest items with virtually no escape possible.

Shuu had convinced Takasaki-san to join his side before this final race.

Only I noticed that, but I deliberately said nothing.

Combined with not interfering with their teaming, this would be fair.

Anyway, the Spiny Shell fired toward first place caused a massive explosion, blowing all three off course—Ooba-kun and the two near him.

“Yay…! Goal…! I won…!” (Haruna)

“Yes!! At least punishment avoided!!” (Matsunaga)

“I guess this means no punishment for me too…?” (Yamano)

Meanwhile, girls crossed the finish line one after another.

“No way…” (Ooba)

“This sucks…” (Mukumoto and Kiue)

The three whose schemes all came to nothing dropped their controllers dejectedly.

The race continued, but they had no will left to resume playing.

Thus ended the first Shuei Academy Marimo Cart tournament.

“Well… we got to see something great… really amazing…” (Reiya)

“Yep yep, it was truly a nail-biting battle!!” (Hikaru)

Hikaru and I applauded everyone’s efforts.

I never imagined my Stitch would create such an epic match…

While continuing to applaud with deep emotion, the defeated guys were crying ‘We wanted to see even better things…’

Ultimately, the harsh punishments from sixth to eighth place were monopolized by the guys.

However, they manfully carried out their punishment games without excuses.

It became quite unsightly, so I’ll omit describing what that entailed.

The girls were squealing while taking lots of photos despite them being supposedly prohibited.

Those pictures would probably circulate throughout school tomorrow.

However, the pitiful guys weren’t without salvation.

Takasaki-san, who made a pact with Shuu, ultimately sank to fifth place and had to wear a maid outfit.

That was apparently quite pleasing to the guys’ eyes.

Incidentally, during that time, Hikaru covered my eyes saying ‘You can’t look.’