Beyond the team battles, the Sports Festival also featured two competition formats:

Full Participation Events (mandatory for all students).

Scoring:

1st place: 15 points for their team

2nd place: 12 points

3rd place: 10 points

4th place: 8 points

5th and below: -1 point per rank

Group events awarded 500 points to the winning team.

Selected Participation Events (voluntary sign-ups)

Scoring:

1st place: 50 points

2nd place: 30 points

3rd place: 15 points

4th place: 10 points

5th and below: -2 points per rank (Final relay race awarded triple points.)

Final rankings would be determined by total scores.

Penalties & Rewards:

The losing team (Red or White) would deduct 100 Class Points from all participating classes, regardless of grade.

Within each grade, rankings would also be calculated separately:

1st place: +50 Class Points

2nd place: No change

3rd place: -50 Class Points

4th place: -100 Class Points

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"Excuse me, but is there no reward for the winning group?" Katsuragi noticed the missing explanation in the materials.

"Winning merely means avoiding point deductions—don't get your hopes up too much," Mashima replied flatly.

"Even if your group wins, if your first-year ranking is still low—say, dead last—you'll still lose 100 points."

Under his gaze, another wave of hushed murmurs spread through the classroom, with many students showing clear skepticism.

"With Katsuragi-san on our side, there's no way we'll lose!" Totsuka Yahiko shouted loudly

Kaoru Mitoma glanced around.

Not only the original members of the Katsuragi faction but also other students were echoing Totsuka Yahiko's words.

Meanwhile, Sakayanagi Arisu, the leader of the opposing faction, sat quietly in her seat, her cane resting across her lap.

With a faint smile, she silently observed the scene before her.

Just as Kaoru Mitoma had judged Nagumo Miyabi, Katsuragi Kouhei now appeared to be unifying Class A—yet at the same time, he was also being put on the spot by his own class.

Even if they had suffered some losses in the VIP exam, compared to the other classes, Class A's victory was overwhelmingly dominant—so much so that one could say they had won effortlessly.

Not that this was necessarily a bad thing.

Katsuragi had indeed rapidly elevated his standing, to the point where even students from the Sakayanagi faction were considering switching sides.

If this continued, Sakayanagi might soon find herself completely isolated.

However, this cotton-candy-like expansion of authority could easily melt under the slightest heat.

If Katsuragi lost even a single special exam, the situation would take a sharp turn for the worse.

The sense of security Katsuragi had brought to Class A would crumble, replaced by panic.

"Sensei, what does this punishment mean?" someone suddenly asked.

On the next page of the handout, the school had specified special rewards for individual students.

The school would award 5,000 Personal Points—or an equivalent of three points on written exams—to the student who placed first in an individual competition.

Second place would receive 3,000 Personal Points or two exam points, while third place would get 1,000 Personal Points or one exam point.

The student who placed last in an individual competition would have 1,000 Personal Points deducted.

If they had fewer than 1,000 points, they would instead lose one exam point.

Additionally, the student with the highest overall score across all competitions would receive the title of 'Most Outstanding Student' along with a reward of 100,000 Personal Points.

Finally, the top three students from each grade would be awarded 10,000 Personal Points each.

Though it was surprising that the school was offering exam points as a reward, most Class A students didn't care.

Their grades weren't so poor that they needed an extra point or two.

Instead, their attention was drawn to the very last explanation.

"After the competitions conclude, the ten students with the lowest overall scores in each grade will be penalized," Mashima repeated, then added, "But don't worry too much—it's just a deduction of ten points on the next written exam."

For high-achieving students, this punishment wasn't particularly severe.

But for those with poor athletic abilities and only average grades, it was undeniably harsh.

"Is it ten points off the total score, or per subject?"

"I won't be answering questions about that now. I'll explain the details before the exam, and the list will also be announced then."

"That's so unfair!"

Kaoru Mitoma could understand their frustration.

If it was ten points deducted per subject, it would be nothing short of a disastrous collapse.

For example, the girl sitting next to him now wore a completely blank expression.

"Kamuro-san, want to copy my answers when the time comes?" Kaoru whispered.

Kamuro turned to look at him as if snapping out of a daze, her chest rising and falling for a moment before she bluntly said.

"Fine. When the time comes, we'll drop out together. Wherever you go, I'll follow."

After a semester of interaction, Kamuro had largely figured out Kaoru's personality.

Arguing with him was pointless.

Thus, at times like this, all Kamuro needed to do was nod.

"Only a puppy would follow its owner around like that," Kaoru eyed her skeptically.

Kamuro couldn't hold back anymore and snapped, "You're the puppy! The kind that chases after girls, wagging its tail, shamelessly licking their feet!"

Clearly, she was still hung up on what happened during summer break.

"Because I'm a foot guy," Kaoru Mitoma couldn't be bothered to explain further.

"If a girl's attractive, I won't just lick—I'll do plenty of other outrageous things too."

Kamuro stared at him in disbelief.

How could this guy dare say such things in the classroom?

"You're no exception. Even if we're good buddies, that doesn't mean I'll go easy on you."

As he spoke, Kaoru glanced at the girl's thighs.

Her black stockings only reached her calves, not even covering her knees, leaving her fair, smooth thighs bare.

Since she was sitting sideways, the curve of her petite but perky ass was especially noticeable.

Her plush thighs pressed against the chair, the outline of her hips subtly visible beneath her skirt—a tantalizing glimpse that teased the imagination.

"You're the worst! That's sexual harassment!" Kamuro's face flushed slightly as she met his gaze, a mix of embarrassment and irritation bubbling up inside her.

For some reason, around Kaoru, she always became acutely aware of her femininity.

Her usually bold and carefree demeanor would instantly regress.

Maybe it was because his gaze was just too perverted—utterly shameless.

She could practically guess what he was thinking.

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