Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 31 - Chapter 1

Episode 1: Last Mudslinging Operations Under the Triathlon

For a high school student looking to have some fun, the biggest inhibitor was always transportation. There’s a limit to how far you can walk on foot, the train costs money, and no Japanese teenager has their driver’s license yet. With those restrictions, many kids ended up stuck at home even when they wanted to go out and play.

In that sense, Koutarou and the girls were lucky. Thanks to Theia and her Blue Knight, they could go wherever they wanted for free. And when it came to needing a place to stay while they were out, Kiriha and her connections always came through for them. It was the ideal situation for Koutarou and company, who had a long list of things they wanted to do over summer vacation. And today, they were checking visiting the beach off that list.

“The sun here sure is harsh...”

“Auuugh! I’m all sweaty already!”

However, not everyone was happy to be there. For the out-of-shape Clan and the whiny Yurika, being forced out into the summer heat wasn’t exactly a pleasure. They’d much prefer staying cooped up inside with air conditioning and ice cream, lazing about studying or reading manga.

“All right, less complaining and more walking! Everybody else has left you guys in the dust.”

That meant it fell on Koutarou to keep them motivated. They hadn’t taken a single step after emerging from the gate, so he positioned himself behind them to push them forward.

“You know I’m not well equipped for activities out of doors,” Clan said with a pout.

She was walking now, but clearly unhappy about it. Koutarou continued to corral her towards the road.

“I also know that you’ve gained weight since summer started because you’re not exercising.”

“H-How do you know that?!”

Surprised seized Clan’s face, though it quickly faded into a crimson blush.

“I have full authority over Blue Knight, you know? I know the weight of everyone who comes on board.”

“Ugh, how careless of me... To think using Blue Knight would backfire...”

“I mean, I don’t mind. I don’t really care about your weight all that much.”

“Then―”

“But I worry about what the citizens would think of having a chubby empress.”

“I know I’ve told you this before, Veltlion, but you’re not going to die a pretty death...”

“If it’s you killing me, I’m not too worried.”

“Ugh, that side of you is so unfair!”

Clan knew that Koutarou worried for her health, but deep down, she also wanted Koutarou to think she was cute. The athletic wear stuffed in her bag was proof she wanted to please him, but she found it incredibly irritating he wasn’t upfront about what he wanted from her. And so, dissatisfied and frustrated, she picked up the pace and chased after the other girls.

“Come on, Yurika. Even Clan’s ahead of you now. Stop dawdling and get going.”

“Whaaa?! But I’m only going to get hotter if I walk faster!”

The remaining problem was Yurika. She was sluggishly moving along, slinking from shady spot to shady spot. It seemed she’d failed to consider that she’d only be out in the heat longer taking such an indirect route.

“Did it never occur to you to just hurry to a cooler spot?”

“But if there isn’t one, I’ll have hurried for no reason!”

“You really are a pessimist, aren’t you?”

“I don’t want to hear that from you, Satomi-san.”

“...”

Koutarou was at a loss for words for a moment. Yurika’s casual remark had hit him in something of a sore spot, but he wasn’t about to let her off the hook for just that.

“A-Ahem! Anyways, Yurika...”

“Yes?”

“If you stay behind here, you’ll be even worse off.”

“Why is that?”

“I want you to slowly look to your right. Not too fast, okay?”

“Okay... H-Huh?”

Slowly turning to the right as Koutarou asked, Yurika spotted something dark brown. It stood out quite starkly against all the greenery around them.

“Now, what do you see?”

“Um... a wild boar?”

“Yup.”

“And it looks pretty mad...”

“It sure does, doesn’t it?”

Indeed, Yurika was looking right at a rather bristly boar with fearsome eyes.

“Now, can you tell who it’s got its sights set on?”

“Um... Probably not you in your plain summer clothes, but me in bright pink and red?”

“That’s exactly right. And do you know what’s going to happen next?”

“...Is it going to charge me?”

“Bingo.”

“Noooooooo!”

There, Yurika took off running. Considering how she’d been behaving just moments ago, one had to wonder where all that energy came from.

“Jeez, at least that got her moving...”

Watching Yurika dart into the distance, Koutarou fiddled with his bracelet—a comms device he’d gotten from Clan once upon a time.

“She’s pretty fast when she wants to be, though.”

After cutting off the wild boar hologram he’d conjured with the bracelet, he walked after Yurika like nothing had happened.

Koutarou and company had specifically come to the beach today for the local triathlon. There were some floated concerns about the less athletic members of the group participating, but fortunately it wasn’t an especially serious or competitive event. A standard triathlon included a minimum of 400 meters swimming, 10 kilometers biking, and 2.5 kilometers running. This one, however, would be much shorter. The biking leg would be kept at 10 kilometers, but the more exhausting swimming and running portions were cut down to 200 meters and 2 kilometers respectively so that even younger participants could finish the event in just a few hours. It was intentionally designed to be family-friendly summer fun.

“At last, my time has come! Victory will be mine!” Theia, who was already in her bathing suit, boasted with a fearless laugh.

With her athletic prowess and naturally competitive personality, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Theia was going to take the triathlon seriously even if it was meant to be for fun. Her goal was a clear and decisive victory leagues ahead of the competition.

“Not so fast, Theia-chan. If you want to win, you’re going to have to make it past me first,” said Shizuka with a smile as she approached.

Quite unlike Theia’s simple sportswear swimsuit, Shizuka was wearing a fashionable bikini. But choice in swimwear aside, Shizuka was every bit Theia’s rival when it came to brawn and athleticism. She would undoubtedly be her real competition today.

“I’m going to do my best too!” Maki chimed in. “I used to do things like this all the time during training!”

Once part of a militaristic organization, Maki had been through rigorous, daily physical training that wasn’t all that much different from preparing for a triathlon. While she might not be as strong as Theia or Shizuka outright, she was smart and knew how to pace herself. It was entirely possible that she’d come out on top if the other girls let their guard down.

“Koutarou, Koutarou! Let’s get some ice cream! We can split it!” called out Sanae.

“Not before the competition, Sanae. You’ll get a tummy ache.”

“Aww... Then later for sure, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“My... That’s a rather bold swimsuit for you, Ruth. Are you trying to catch a certain someone’s eye?” observed Kiriha, turning to Ruth standing next to her.

“Kiriha-sama! Th-That’s not what I―”

“No?”

“W-Well, maybe a little...”

“Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me. To tell you the truth, I’m doing the same thing.”

“I have to admit I’m a little envious, Kiriha-sama... Your swimsuit top looks so full it might pop if you just move the wrong way.”

Koutarou was wagering that Sanae, he himself, Kiriha, and Ruth would finish after Maki in that order. That prediction was purely based on physical ability, but of course there was always something to be said for luck too.

“Let’s do our best, Clan-san, Yurika-san,” said Harumi with a smile.

“I can’t imagine myself winning,” sighed Clan.

“Me either. I might not even make it to the finish line...” whined Yurika.

The three of them would likely be competing for last place out of the group, albeit for different reasons. Harumi was born frail, Clan was out of shape, and Yurika was just plain gutless. But in spite of the odds against the three of them, spirits were running high. You see, coming in last place didn’t necessarily mean walking away empty handed.

“But we’ll still get a reward if we try hard!” exclaimed Yurika to motivate everyone.

“I think Veltlion just wanted to be nice to Harumi...” pouted Clan.

“That’s not true!” objected Harumi. “So let’s all do our best together!”

If he only offered a reward for the top position, Koutarou knew it would inevitably go to Theia or Shizuka. So instead of favoring either of them, he’d devised a system to reward the girls based on their efforts. If it was unanimously acknowledged that someone had tried their hardest, said someone would be able to ask anything they wanted from someone else in the group. That way everyone had the chance to earn a reward regardless of their physical ability.

“What was that about me?” Koutarou asked, walking over after he heard Clan mention him.

Unsure of what the girls were talking about, he had a perplexed look on his face. Seeing him, however, Clan frumped and tossed a biting reply his way.

“We were just talking about how you designed this system to give Harumi preferential treatment.”

“You don’t get it at all, Clan.”

Now that he realized what was going on, Koutarou sighed and shrugged. Irritated by the gesture, Clan’s tone turned even harsher.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I’d give Sakuraba-senpai preferential treatment even without special rules. She’s a good girl, after all.”

“Hahh... I can’t deny that much.”

“S-Satomi-kun?!”

Harumi blushed furiously at the unexpected praise. It was unclear whether she was happy, surprised, embarrassed... or a combination of all three.

“So, really, I came up with the rules to give you and Yurika a fair chance.”

“I-It was for us?”

“Really?!”

While the odds were in Theia and Shizuka’s favor, there was still a chance Sanae or one of the other capable girls could luck out and end up taking the lead. But realistically speaking, Harumi, Clan, and Yurika didn’t stand a chance. Clan and Yurika in particular were in terrible shape, so Koutarou had largely devised the reward system for their sake.

“If you still think I’m being unfair, we can drop rewards altogether.”

“N-No one said anything about that!”

“I knew you were a nice person the day we met, Satomi-san!”

Now that they knew the truth, Clan and Yurika were inspired with new enthusiasm for the triathlon. There was a fire in their eyes that hadn’t been there before.

“For my wish, I’ll have you grovel before me, Veltlion!”

“C’mon, me! We can do it, we can do it! Yes, we can! Yurika, gooooo!”

More than the prospect of a reward, however, they were mostly pleased that Koutarou had given special thought to them.

“Good. I’m glad to see you’re both motivated now.”

“You know, Satomi-kun...”

“What is it, Sakuraba-senpai?”

“Actually, it’s nothing. Let’s all do our best out there!”

Harumi knew how her two good friends felt, and thought to take a moment to explain it to Koutarou. Upon realizing that it would put a damper on their mood, however, she thought better of it and decided to keep quiet for now.

The first leg of the triathlon would be the swimming portion, and a special rule had been put in place regarding the setup: participants would be positioned according to their self-reported swimming skills. And since this was an all-ages, family friendly competition, there was a large discrepancy in the abilities of the participants. Staggering the starting positions was a way to take that into consideration while also reducing chaos at the start of the race.

“Clan-san, I can’t see the others all the way up there.”

“I think you mean they can’t see us all the way back here.”

According to the starting system, Yurika and Clan were placed in the bracket furthest from the water. They’d been practicing over the summer, so it wasn’t like they couldn’t swim at all, but they were still admittedly quite uncomfortable in the water. That landed them in a group with the weakest swimmers in the competition, which is why they were now surrounded mostly by the elderly and young children. Koutarou and the others had all ranked better and were placed much closer to pole position.

“Let’s try not to end up in last place, Clan-san.”

“That would be rather embarrassing...”

Their goal for the day was to have Koutarou and the other girls acknowledge their efforts. They didn’t know exactly how to go about doing that, but they knew there was one thing they couldn’t do—and that was finish last. If they lost to all the grandmas, grandpas, and kids around, it would be hard to argue they’d really tried their hardest.

“I know! Let’s not overwork ourselves in the water when we can’t swim well in the first place, and instead save our energy for later.”

“It’s true pacing is an integral part of long-distances races... But what’s the plan then? Catch up later in the cycling leg?”

If they wanted to finish strong, they would be better off conserving their strength at the beginning of the race. Having to drop out if they exhausted themselves while swimming would be quite an embarrassment, so they decided to play it safe and stake everything on the latter two legs of the course.

“I just hope we can reach the goal...”

“State of mind is also important in endurance competitions. So long as we believe we can finish, we should be able to.”

“I sure hope so...”

Bang!

Just as Yurika meekly slumped her shoulders, the starting pistol fired in the distance.

As they ran down the beach towards the water, Clan and Yurika lost a good bit of headway on the other competitors around them. But since they were intentionally playing it slow and steady, they didn’t lose their cool over it.

“Wow, the sea is so salty,” remarked Clan when they hit the water.

“Just being at the ocean is kind of magical. It’s like something out of a fairy tale,” commented Yurika.

Once they were in the water, Clan and Yurika glided away from the shore using breaststroke, which they’d intentionally chosen because it was low-impact and stable. It was slower than other strokes, however, meaning they were only moving at a crawl compared to the frontrunners using freestyle. They stuck to the plan, however, and tried to keep their cool and conserve their energy for now.

“The leading group... is already... on their way back...” observed Clan.

“Th... They’re so fast... It hasn’t even... been five minutes yet...” whined Yurika.

Since the swimming leg of the triathlon was set to 200 meters, there was a buoy set 100 meters out from the shore that they had to circle around before coming back. The leading group had only taken two or three minutes to reach it. That might have been considered a slow time in a swimming pool, but the waves and currents of the ocean made swimming in it markedly more challenging. In fact, Clan and Yurika had only reached the thirty-meter mark so far. The water was rougher than usual today, making the task especially time consuming.

“Don’t... get worked up over it...” encouraged Clan. “The more worked up we get... the slower we’ll swim...”

Both girls were doing their best to keep moving. Despite the rough waters, the high salt content of the seawater helped keep them afloat as they slowly made their way towards the buoy. The trip, however, was exhausting. By the time they hit the sixty-meter mark, they’d slowed down considerably.

“B-But Clan-san... It feels like no matter how hard we swim... we’re not getting anywhere...” Yurika gasped between breaths.

She was already near her breaking point. She was working so hard physically that not quite enough oxygen was getting to her brain. As her mind clouded over, she could barely remember why she was even out in the water in the first place. Her focus and willpower were waning, which was a dangerous prospect for the already weak-willed Yurika.

“Quit grumbling... and keep swimming! You can do it... if you try!”

Clan, meanwhile, had plenty of stubborn determination in her. Her real problem was stamina. Being a sheltered princess and a shut-in scientist was a recipe for fitness disaster. She was relying on sheer tenacity and spite—her nasty side, as Koutarou would say—to get her through this. It helped her keep her wits about her... and an eye on Yurika.

“Clan-san, Yurika-chan!”

“Oh, there you two are.”

On their way back to the shore, Shizuka and Theia crossed paths with the two struggling girls. Unlike Clan and Yurika, they still had plenty of energy to spare. Their casual, friendly greetings said it all.

“Y-You two... sure are fast...”

“C-Can you lend me... some of your strength? I’m just about... all out of steam...”

Both Clan and Yurika were actually quite surprised to see how well they were doing. They weren’t quite in first place, but they’d pulled well ahead of most of the pack. Not only that, but they’d barely put a dent in their stamina reserves. Indeed, seeing Shizuka and Theia was a rather rude wake-up call.

“My strength is all I’ve got, so I can’t afford to lose!”

“In the name of Forthorthe, neither can I!”

But their encounter only lasted a brief moment, which was to be expected considering they were moving in opposite directions. Shizuka and Theia were gone just as quickly as they’d come.

“Seeing that is kind of a downer...” grumbled Yurika.

“Like I said, enough complaining! We’re doing this our own way!” barked Clan.

While Yurika was on the brink of losing her motivation, Clan was picking up momentum. Seeing Theia trying so hard had stoked her inner fire and natural sense of rivalry with her fellow princess.

“I dunno, Clan-san... I think it might be about time to give up...”

“Wait, what are you talking about?!”

“I feel like nothing matters anymore...”

“H-Hey! Yurika! Keep your chin up!”

Yurika was quickly losing speed. The taxing exercise and lack of oxygen to her brain took its toll as the strength was sapped from her limbs. Right now, all she wanted to do was let the waves carry her away.

“Ahh, what should I do?!”

“What’s wrong, Clan?”

While Clan was cradling her head, Koutarou swam up to her. He’d spotted her acting strangely from a distance and come to see what was wrong.

“Veltlion!”

Clan’s expression immediately eased up when she saw him. It was an unusually honest display for her, but that was just a sign of how flustered she was by Yurika’s condition.

“It’s bad! Yurika’s ready to give up!”

“It’s true, Satomi-san... I don’t feel like anything matters anymore...”

Even as Clan was explaining what was happening to Koutarou, Yurika was simply splashing about without going anywhere.

“I see. That’s too bad, Yurika. I’ll miss you.”

Now that he understood the situation, Koutarou turned a look of pity on Yurika. Confused, she looked up at him with wide eyes.

“You’ll... miss me?”

“That’s right. Think about it. If you give up—if you stop swimming now—what’s going to happen?”

“Uh... I’m gonna drown?”

“Yup, which means...”

“I’m gonna die?”

“So this is goodbye, Yurika. Like I said, I’ll miss you.”

“N-Noooooooo!”

The moment Yurika realized what Koutarou meant, she refocused her efforts and quickly swam away in a panic. She wasn’t quite matching Theia and Shizuka’s pace, but she was moving far faster than she had been at the start. It was almost like she was trying to outswim death itself.

“Veltlion... You really have it coming, you know?”

Koutarou was, of course, exaggerating. There was no way the lifeguard on duty and the event staff were just going to let Yurika drown. His plan to motivate her had relied entirely on the fact that she wasn’t thinking clearly right now.

“I don’t think I have anything to worry about with you around, Clan. I know you’ll protect me.”

“What?! You really think I’d protect you?!”

“You’re going to be the one to kill me, right? So if I’m going to die at your hands, you’re going to have to protect me until then.”

“Stupid! You really are stupid! Drop dead, you moron!”

In short order, Clan swam after Yurika. Granted, she wasn’t trying to catch up with her so much as she was trying to get away from Koutarou. She didn’t want him to see her bright red face.

Motivated by pure fear and a desire to live, Yurika paddled onward. Really, Yurika didn’t like exercise because she lacked discipline and confidence—not because she lacked resilience. Her technique was terrible and she wasted a lot of energy in the process, but somehow she managed to swim the full 200 meters and make it back to shore.

“I made it... I lived...”

Because she’d been swimming for her life, however, Yurika felt like she’d gone kilometers already. That coupled with the heaviness that beset her when she got out of the water made her feel several times more exhausted than she really was. Spent, she clumsily staggered towards the bikes.

“Yurika...! You were tricked...!”

Shortly thereafter, a winded Clan showed up. Unlike Yurika, Clan’s problem was simply that she was out of shape. Her swimming technique was just fine, so while she was tired, she wasn’t in the same sorry state Yurika was.

“Hwuh?”

“There’s a lifeguard on duty...! There’s no way you would’ve drowned...!”

“Aaaaahhh! And I fell for it!”

Yurika finally realized what Koutarou had done, but she was long out of the water now. It was too late to do anything about it.

“I’m gonna give Satomi-san a piece of my mind!”

Her cheeks puffed out indignantly, Yurika trudged towards the bikes. Her only goal now was to catch up to Koutarou and let him have it.

“If he actually planned things out this far, I’m rather impressed... God, why is he never this considerate with me?!”

Clan furrowed her brow and angrily followed after Yurika. She had a few choice words for Koutarou right now too. Incidentally, he hadn’t anticipated getting Clan riled up as well... Not that he’d be unhappy about seeing them both in hot pursuit. In fact, he’d be quite impressed with his handiwork.

The only hitch was that neither Clan nor Yurika knew how to ride a bike. Naturally, then, the second leg of the triathlon would ordinarily be where they had to retire. Clan, however, had installed autobalancers on their bikes beforehand. They were small boxes only a few centimeters in size that stabilized the bicycles they were fashioned on to keep them from falling over. Essentially, they were high-tech training wheels. Such a handicap would be illegal in an official triathlon, but since today’s event was only for sport, the organizers were allowing various modifications to help a few participants in the low-seed starting group. There were even a couple of people on tandem bikes and tricycles. As such, Clan and Yurika didn’t feel guilty about using their own modifications in the second leg.

“This is my first time on a bike, but it’s surprisingly fun,” admitted Clan.

“I would have preferred doing this before swimming, honestly,” said Yurika.

“I agree.”

The bike course ran 10 kilometers along a cycling path parallel to the beach. It was a combination of flat terrain and a few gentle downhill stretches, meaning the girls could comfortably roll forward without exerting themselves too much. With a gentle breeze blowing against their faces and the lovely ocean scenery to take in, Yurika and Clan were actually enjoying the second leg.

“Clan-san, how much longer do you think this is gonna last?”

“According to Veltlion, the hard part starts once we reach the halfway point.”

“Aww... So the second half is the hard part...”

“I just hope we can get a bit of a lead...”

Despite their trials in the first leg of the triathlon, they were still lagging behind most of the participants. If they had a chance to get ahead, it would be in the second half of the event when everyone else started to slow down. And since they were nearly in last place as it was, there should be plenty of opportunities to pass people coming up.

“...Oh?”

“What is it, Clan-san?”

“Isn’t... Isn’t that Harumi?”

“Ah! It is! That’s totally Sakuraba-senpai!”

The two girls happened to recognize one of the competitors in front of them, however. It was their good friend Harumi.

“Harumi!”

“Sakuraba-senpai!”

Though they were still conserving their strength, Clan and Yurika picked up the pace some in order to catch up to Harumi.

“Yurika-san, Clan-san!”

When Harumi heard their voices, she glanced over her shoulder and greeted them with a smile as she slowed down a tad.

“We finally caught up!” cheered Yurika.

“You’re putting up a good fight, Harumi!” cheered Clan.

In a matter of seconds, all three girls were riding side by side. Once they were together, Harumi got back in her stride.

“I’m doing my best while pacing myself.”

“That’s amazing, Sakuraba-senpai.”

“It certainly is impressive, all things considered... Good for you, Harumi.”

Yurika and Clan were happy to have caught up to Harumi, but considering her natural handicap, it still wasn’t all that much of an achievement. Harumi was simply aiming to reach the goal with her limited stamina. Basically, she was tackling a speed race with an economy car. And, in that sense, she was doing as well as any of the frontrunners in the lead group.

“Oh, it’s nothing special... But it certainly looks like you two are giving it your all.”

Bashful at all the sudden praise coming her way, Harumi turned the conversation on her two friends. It did indeed seem like they were really challenging themselves today.

“That’s because Satomi-san lied to me! I’m gonna catch him and give him a piece of my mind!”

“That’s right! If we try hard enough, we should be able to snag him on his way back!”

“Oh my.”

Hearing what had the two of them so motivated, Harumi couldn’t help giggling.

“Heehee... So in the end, this is all about Satomi-kun, is it?”

Both Yurika and Clan were so eager to lay into Koutarou that they were trying their hardest to get to him. Rather than retiring and waiting to catch him after the race, they wanted to see him right now. Harumi found that unbearably amusing.

“It’s only because he’s so mean! He told me I was gonna die, you know!”

“A-And what about you, Harumi?! Why are you trying so hard?!”

Furious as she was, Yurika openly acknowledged that she was after Koutarou. The bashful Clan, however, blushed at the implication and threw the question back at Harumi.

“I’m after the reward for doing my best,” she answered with a smile.

In order to encourage all the girls to do their best, Koutarou had promised rewards based on performance rather than placement in the triathlon. That way they’d be judged based on effort and not ability, meaning they’d all have a fair chance so long as they tried hard. And in Harumi’s case, she had her sights set on simply finishing the triathlon. It was a modest goal for many, but an ambitious one for her—one she was sure would be rewarded.

“So what are you going to ask for as your reward, Harumi?”

“That’s...”

Harumi had been forthcoming thus far, but suddenly fumbled for an answer. The “reward” for doing one’s best in the triathlon was being able to ask for something from any of the others. That left it up to the individual to decide what to ask for, and Harumi was thinking of making a rather bold request.

“What is it?” Yurika asked the silent Harumi.

“I was, um... thinking of asking a certain someone to spend the day holding hands with me...”

Harumi’s wish was just like her. There were a great many things she desired, but her passive personality often kept her from asking for them outright. She also tended to hold back out of consideration for the people around her. But if it was a reward she’d earned on her own, she thought it would be fair play to ask for something she really wanted.

“Holding hands for a day...”

“That sounds like something a couple would do...”

Dwelling on Harumi’s answer, both Clan and Yurika began daydreaming about holding hands with a certain someone.

Knowing him, he would still be a jerk... but I wouldn’t mind so much if he was holding my hand. Really, I bet he’d be the one uncomfortable for once... Aha, that’s brilliant! I’ll ask for the same thing for my reward!

A broad grin appeared on Clan’s face as she continued to imagine her future reward, unconsciously beginning to pedal faster.

Nothing really happened after Maki-chan and I kissed him on the cheeks other than him fussing at us. But I bet if we lovingly held hands like they do in shoujo manga, then... Teeheehee! Oh, I know! That’s what I should ask for!

Yurika too was feeding off of her imagination. Hers was a bit more rose-colored and dreamy than Clan’s, largely because it was overinfluenced by shoujo manga, but it drove her forward just the same.

“W-We have to make it to the goal!”

“Yeah! Let’s do our best, Sakuraba-senpai!”

“Heeheehee... Of course!”

Clan and Yurika were on fire when they’d first caught up to Harumi, but that fire was burning a little differently now. That change puzzled Harumi at first, but she was ultimately of a like mind and quickly began pedaling faster herself.

Yurika and Clan ended up parting ways with Harumi when the cycling path doubled back. Because she was going slow and steady, she wouldn’t be able to keep up with them from this point forward as they tried to pull ahead. She wished them luck, however, as they began tackling the uphill challenge.

“Are you sure it was okay to leave Sakuraba-senpai behind, Clan-san?”

“W-We had no choice...! We have to give this our all in order to get our own rewards...!”

“Y-Yeah! You’re right!”

“We should only be worrying... about ourselves right now!”

As total novices to cycling, neither one of them knew how to pace themselves on bikes or even effectively change gears. They ended up burning a great deal of time and energy just getting up the hills on the way back, which would cost them dearly when it came to the third leg of the triathlon—running.

The running leg of the marathon was a shorter-than-usual 2 kilometer course. Most would be able to complete it in thirty to forty minutes, but it shouldn’t take more than an hour even for the children and the elderly participating. Nevertheless, it would still be an extraordinary challenge for the out-of-shape Clan and weak-willed Yurika.

“C-Clan-san, it says we have... another 1.5 kilometers to go...”

“You mean... we’re only a quarter of the way done...?”

“It’s so faaaaar... I’m gonna dieee...”

“I’ve come this far... for you, Veltlion... If you say anything stupid, I swear... I’ll never forgive you...!”

Both girls were reaching their limits. After powering through the swimming and cycling legs—neither of which they were good at—they had almost no stamina left. And now they were stuck running, or at least they were supposed to be. They best they could do was carry themselves at a forced zombie-like shuffle. They were only five hundred meters into the course, and they already looked like they were about to drop dead.

“W-We’re so close, Clan-san... We have to reach the goal...”

“And not finish in last place...”

“I want that reward...”

“We have to get it... after coming this far... or else...”

Even though they were just coasting on empty tanks at this point, the thought of the reward that awaited them kept them going. If they retired early or finished in dead last, it would be out of reach despite all their suffering. That’s why they weren’t willing to give up just yet. A sense of purpose drove them forward.

“Keep it up, ladies!”

“You’re almost there! Hang in there!”

Other participants were passing the girls left and right now. They’d done much better jobs at conserving their strength and pacing themselves, so they used some of their remaining energy to offer encouragement to the clearly struggling Yurika and Clan.

“I should really... exercise more...” huffed Yurika.

“I thought I’d gotten stronger with martial arts training... but it seems... I still have a long way to go...” huffed Clan.

Watching more and more participants pass by, the girls were growing desperate. Severe exhaustion took hold of them, making each step feel like a marathon of its own. But in spite of the struggle, they pressed onward. They summoned strength from their emotions... Emotions and desires deep down in their girlish hearts they were unwilling to let down.

When the goal was finally on the horizon, Clan and Yurika were barely able to move. They’d fallen considerably behind in the rankings. Even Harumi, who’d they’d left in the dust halfway through the cycling leg, had long caught up and passed them.

“Clan-san, the finish line! I can see the finish line!”

“Heh... Heh heh heh! A proud princess of Forthorthe... can truly do anything she puts her mind to!”

When they laid eyes on the finish line, a smile broke out on both of their faces. Knowing they were almost there brightened their mood immensely. They were too tired to even think at this point, so the sheer joy of the moment overtook them. Their pure smiles were so enchanting that any man who laid eyes on them right now was sure to have his heart stolen.

“Yurika, fight! Y-Yurika, fight!”

“Just a little further! I’ll show you that I can do it!”

Now fueled by hope, Yurika and Clan mustered the last of their energy and took off running. The goal was just a stone’s throw away. Seeing it was a relief. There was no longer a need to pace themselves. They could run to their heart’s content and finish this.

“Yurika! Clan!” cheered Koutarou.

“You’re right there!” shouted Theia.

“Please bear with it a little longer, Clan-sama!” encouraged Ruth.

When Yurika and Clan got closer to the goal, Koutarou and the others who had already finished began calling to their friends. Clan and Yurika could hear them, but couldn’t manage the energy or lungpower to respond. It did put a little more spring in their step, however.

“If he can cheer for us like that... why isn’t he nicer normally?”

“Satomi-san... isn’t very honest with his feelings. His reaction when I kissed him... was pretty underwhelming too...”

“Y-You kissed him?!”

“Only on the cheek...”

“That’s not the point!”

Yurika and Clan continued to chat as they neared the finish line. It might have seemed like a waste of energy, but the truth is that neither one of them would have been likely to make it on their own. Having a comrade with a common goal helped inspire both of them. They’d only been able to keep going because they each had the other at their side, and in the end, the triathlon helped bring them closer together as friends.

“Look, Yurika... We’re almost at the goal...”

“I hope... we’re not in last place...”

At last, they were finally upon the finish line. Their results were terrible—while they weren’t in dead last, they were frightfully close. Only a handful of children and senior citizens were still behind them. They’d undoubtedly finished last in their age group.

“That... doesn’t matter...” huffed Clan.

“But...” fretted Yurika.

“Even if nobody else praises us... I know we did a good job.”

“Yeah... Yeah, we did.”

Perhaps no one else would praise them for their efforts. Their placement in the triathlon certainly wasn’t anything to be proud of. But deep down in their hearts, both Clan and Yurika knew they’d done their best. They acknowledged that both in themselves and in each other.

“We really did our best, didn’t we? Heehee...”

“Heh... Yes, we certainly did.”

Holding hands, the two proud friends finished the race they’d started together.

Neither Clan nor Yurika actually really remembered crossing the finish line. At that point in the race, their brains were so oxygen-deprived that the whole thing was kind of a blur. The next thing they knew, they woke up in room 106.

“...Yurika, are you awake?” Clan quietly asked Yurika, who was lying in the futon next to her.

“Yeah. I woke up just now from all the pain I’m in.”

The triathlon seemed like a distant dream to them now, but the exhaustion and soreness it left behind were very real. They could only assume the others had had to carry them back to the apartment after the race.

“We made it to the goal...”

“Yeah, we did...”

Staring up at the ceiling, they muttered to each other. Thinking back on it, it was out of character for either of them to try so hard when their lives weren’t at stake.

“I guess that’s how far pride will get you.”

“Men have their pride, but women do too.”

In the end, that was what had carried them through to the finish line. They both still wanted to give Koutarou a piece of their mind, but they simultaneously wanted him to dote on them. It was a complicated position to be in, but the truth was that—even if they never forgave him—they would let him get away with just about anything. Perhaps it wasn’t pride then, but an emotion called...

Nevertheless, the girls had accomplished what they’d set out to do, which put a big grin on both of their faces.

“Heh heh...”

“Heehee...

Grinning gave way to giggling, both girls breaking out into joyous laughter in celebration of their victory and their friendship. It left them a little disappointed their other friends weren’t there to share in the moment with them.

“I wonder where everyone else went...” Yurika sighed.

“I’m sure they left us alone to rest,” replied Clan.

“I see. Then―”

Grrrumble!

Just as they were wondering where their friends had gone, Yurika’s stomach interrupted. After working so hard to accomplish her goal, she was now starving.

“Hahaha!”

“Auuugh...”

The old Clan would have found this all extremely improper, but after what she’d been through with Yurika today, she instead found it extremely relatable. Clan, of course, was rather peckish herself.

“We should go find Veltlion and the others. I’m sure they’ve gotten something to eat by now.”

“Ooh, I agree! Good idea! Let’s go!”

Seeing Clan’s friendly smile, Yurika’s embarrassed frown turned into a bright grin... at least until she tried to sit up.

“Owowow...”

“What’s the― Ouch!”

When Clan tried to sit up too, she felt the same exact pain Yurika did. All their exertion earlier had left them quite sore.

“Ah, I see... Of course this is the result of that much exercise without relying on science or magic...”

“Let’s take it easy, Clan-san.”

“Yes, let’s.”

Moving too quickly invited pain, so the girls agreed to take things slow. It still hurt, but not badly enough to keep them down.

“...Oh?”

Once Clan was up, she spotted a small piece of paper lying on the edge of the tea table.

“What is it?” Yurika asked.

Clan then picked up the paper and showed it to her.

“It looks like they left us a note. Let’s see here... ‘We moved over to Blue Knight so we wouldn’t disturb you. Please join us when you wake up.’”

“That’s Sakuraba-senpai’s handwriting.”

“Now that you mention it, yeah.”

The courteous, thoughtful Harumi had left her two good friends a note for when they awoke. It was very much so like her to do that instead of texting.

“Let’s get going, Clan-san.”

“Wait a minute, that’s not all. The bottom says, ‘P.S.- Satomi-san and the others all agreed that you two tried your hardest. Please think about what you’d like to ask for as your reward.’”

“Our rewards...”

“That was the deal, wasn’t it...?”

After hearing the postscript, Clan and Yurika looked up at each other. As they locked eyes, they both began grinning.

“Say, Yurika... For maximum effect, I was thinking perhaps we should combine our wishes. What do you think?”

“I think that’s a good idea. We’ve come this far together, so let’s see it through together.”

“Heeheehee!”

“Hahaha!”

After their little tête-à-tête, Yurika extended her hand to Clan, who was sitting at the tea table.

“By the way, Yurika, when you kissed him on the cheek, how did he react?”

“Like I said, it was underwhelming. But that’s happened with Satomi-san before. There was this one time...”

Clan took Yurika’s outstretched hand, and the two girls crossed through the gate to Blue Knight just like they had the finish line.