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After all the confusion in the earlier events, the time had finally come for the final stage of the sports festival. Rito took a deep breath, trying to shake off the memory of the embarrassing moments he'd suffered earlier—like when he ended up getting slapped by Haruna after an awkward mishap during the boys' race. Now it was all or nothing.
The loudspeakers announced the last challenge: a mixed cavalry battle between teams. Rito clenched his fists, determined to redeem himself and show confidence; this time, he would protect those he loved and let no one down. At the center of the field, Saki Tenjouin wore a mischievous smile. As soon as everyone took their positions, Saki pressed a hidden remote in her hand—click!—and something unbelievable happened.
A loud crash echoed, followed by a WHOOSH!, and suddenly, streams of water burst from the sides of the field, flooding everything in the blink of an eye. In mere seconds, the track turned into a giant improvised Olympic pool. Students widened their eyes in shock as the water rose up to their waists. From the stands, the perverted principal cheered wildly, clapping with a suspicious gleam in his eyes—after all, the competition would now take place in swimsuits, much to his delight.
The participants rushed to change in the portable lockers set up along the edges. Soon, boys and girls returned in vibrant-colored swimsuits, bikinis, and trunks. Rito emerged wearing red trunks from his team, his cheeks slightly flushed. He couldn't help glancing at Haruna Sairenji, who wore a sporty blue bikini that highlighted her slim figure. His heart skipped—thump-thump!—but he quickly swallowed hard and turned away, trying to keep his cool. Focus, Rito, focus… he repeated to himself.
Haruna noticed his nerves and gave him a timid, encouraging smile, making warmth bloom in his chest. Lala, meanwhile, wore a pink stylized swimsuit (courtesy of Peke, her outfit-bot), waving excitedly at Rito. The alien girl seemed carefree, but Rito knew Saki surely had more tricks up her sleeve.
Then the "cavalries" were formed: mixed groups of students, where some acted as the "horses" carrying the "riders" on their shoulders. Each rider held a small flag, and the goal was to capture the opponents' flags. Rito took his place as a base along with Ren and another teammate, supporting Lala as she climbed onto their shoulders as the rider. Haruna, still a bit hesitant, stayed slightly behind, ready to provide support if needed.
On the other side, Saki assembled her own imposing formation: her friends Rin and Aya as the base, while she, perched high, raised her flag with arrogant confidence.
"Lala, you're going to eat my dust!" she taunted, lips curling into a venomous grin.
"We'll see!" Lala shot back, her tail swaying cheerfully but her gaze sharp with determination.
Everyone glared at each other tensely; even in the water, the atmosphere was heating up.
BWEEEP!—the whistle blew, signaling the start of the battle. Immediately, the cavalries trudged forward through the water, splashing waves in every direction. Rito and his teammates moved in sync, though stumbling slightly against the resistance. Lala kept a surprisingly steady balance on Rito's shoulders, raising her flag high.
Saki's team charged straight toward them, like a torpedo zeroing in. For a moment, Rito caught a treacherous glint in Saki's eyes. Suddenly, small metallic devices popped out from her sports jacket—tiny drone-like machines, their spinning blades whirring to life. VRRRR!
The little flying machines scattered at high speed, swooping over the pool. Before anyone could react, retractable blades began slashing at the competitors' swimsuits! Saki had unleashed a swarm of razor drones to shred bikinis and trunks, all to humiliate Lala's team in front of everyone.
"Ahhh! Help!" one girl screamed as her bikini was sliced to ribbons in an instant. Slash! Another buzz and a swimsuit was torn—trish! "Kyaaa!" echoed embarrassed shrieks as several girls desperately tried to cover themselves.
In seconds, the pool was littered with floating scraps of clothing—tops, bottoms, shorts—total chaos.
Lala barely had time to register what was happening before one drone zipped past her. ZZIP! In the blink of an eye, her high-tech suit was slashed apart. But her trusty bot Peke instantly kicked in, materializing a new outfit piece by piece in midair. Lala hardly faltered, clutching her flag as her suit regenerated in a flash.
Saki gnashed her teeth—her "fun" ruined by alien tech. Still, the drones buzzed on, wreaking havoc.
Ren, one of Rito's teammates, had his trunks cut in half by a passing blade and stumbled backward in shock. Falling into the water, he sneezed loudly—"ACHOO!"—and in a bizarre twist, transformed into his female self, Run Elise Jewelria, right there in the middle of the pool. Now Run floated topless, her long lilac hair only partly covering her chest.
"Kyaaa!" she yelped, blushing furiously as she crossed her arms over her bare chest.
Even amid the pandemonium, Rito couldn't help blinking in disbelief at the mistimed transformation. This really happens at the worst times! he thought, almost finding irony in it.
All around, students flailed through the water, fending off drones or trying to recover what remained of their clothes. Bits of fabric floated like strange lily pads of secondhand embarrassment.
Risa Momioka, Haruna's friend, was another victim—her orange bikini shredded, forcing her to squeal and dive under the water for cover.
Haruna herself wasn't spared. A drone sliced the strap of her top with a snikt! Alarmed, she clutched her chest, but her bikini bottom was yanked away—SNAP!—vanishing in an instant. The shock and humiliation were overwhelming; her head spun.
"Ah…" Barely able to cry out, Haruna fainted, her body sinking beneath the water.
"Haruna!" Rito shouted as he saw her unconscious, slipping below the surface. Without hesitation, he dove after her—SPLASH!—sending up waves that drowned out the chaos above.
Opening his eyes underwater, chlorine stinging, Rito spotted Haruna sinking slowly, her dark hair spreading like a halo around her serene face. Amid the cloudy water and drifting fabrics, she looked eerily calm—like Ophelia in her river—if not for the desperate danger.
His heart pounded—thump-thump, thump-thump!—he had to save her. With firm strokes, he reached her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She felt so light in the water… and so vulnerable.
Breaking the surface with Haruna in his arms, Rito gasped for air. "Uff…" With sheer determination, he cradled her against his chest, water cascading from both their bodies. Droplets sparkled down Haruna's exposed skin; she was still unconscious. Rito's face burned—she was practically naked in his arms, her soft body pressed against his. Swallowing hard, he carried her toward the pool's edge, trying to shield her with his own arms.
Every step was heavy in the waist-deep water, but he pushed forward, driven by a quiet courage he didn't know he had. Haruna needed him—nothing else mattered.
Reaching the side, he gently laid her on the dry ground. "Haruna, Haruna!" he called, lightly patting her flushed cheeks. She stirred with a faint moan, eyelashes fluttering as she opened her eyes.
For a moment, she realized she was wrapped in Rito's protective arms, blushing deeply.
"R-Rito…" she whispered, acutely aware of her missing clothes. Reflexively, she crossed her arms over her chest and curled her legs, trembling with shame. Her lip quivered, about to stammer something, but Rito interrupted softly.
"It's okay…" he said, panting, turning his eyes away respectfully. "I… I pulled you out, you fainted… but you're safe now." His words trembled, but were filled with sincerity and relief.
Seeing the worry in his eyes, Haruna felt her heart warm. Despite her embarrassment, she recognized the truth: Rito had risked everything to save her.
Meanwhile, in the pool, Saki fumed as her scheme unraveled. Instead of an easy, humiliating victory, she saw only chaos. Lala was still standing strong, intact in her regenerated suit, and Rito—whom she had underestimated—had become a hero rescuing Haruna.
"Useless!" she yelled at the remaining drones, flailing her arms like mad. "Finish them off, now!"
But the drones, perhaps through fate or divine irony, turned against their master.
"What?! Get away from me!" Saki shrieked, panicking atop her teammates' shoulders. Too late.
With a menacing buzz, the two drones circled her. "No, no, NO!" she cried, waving her flag like a futile swatter. Vup! Vup! In an instant, their blades sliced her expensive bikini straps. The top fell away, followed by the bottom sinking with a plop.
Time froze. Saki's eyes widened—she was completely naked before everyone. The arrogant leader let out a shrill scream of humiliation, hugging herself in vain. Rin and Aya lost balance, SPLASH!—all three tumbled into the pool miserably.
Her white flag slipped from her fingers, drifting on the water.
Lala knew this was the decisive moment. With a graceful leap, springing from Rito's shoulders, she soared over the competitors. Her tail swayed for balance, her body gliding through the air like a flamingo in flight.
"Ha! Got it!" she cried, snatching Saki's flag before it sank.
She landed triumphantly, holding the trophy high. Game over!
The loudspeakers boomed: "Lala Satalin Deviluke's team captures the flag! Victory for the red team!"
Cheers erupted from the stands. Lala jumped joyfully, waving the flag. They had won the insane contest.
Outside the pool, Rito helped Haruna cover herself with a towel—likely provided by Yui, ever responsible despite being wet and indignant herself. Haruna wrapped the towel around her body and gave Rito a timid smile, her face still rosy.
"Thank you… you saved me…" she whispered, glancing away.
Rito scratched the back of his neck, blushing. "I-it was nothing… I couldn't just leave you…" he replied with a shy grin, his heart racing.
Inside, he could hardly believe it—he had actually saved her, like a true hero (though he was dying of embarrassment).
Before the moment grew too heavy, Lala burst in, still soaked but glowing with joy. "Rito, Haruna, we did it!" she exclaimed, hugging them both at once, oblivious to the awkwardness.
"Ah!" Haruna gasped, clutching her towel desperately, while Lala rubbed her cheek happily against Rito's.
"Hehehe, we won thanks to you, Rito!" she declared, eyes sparkling. "You distracted everyone saving Haruna and gave me the chance to grab the flag!"
Rito opened his mouth, unsure what to say—he didn't think he deserved credit. But Lala's warm hug made him chuckle sheepishly.
"Y-yeah… I guess we made a good team, huh?" he managed, confidence blooming within.
Saki, meanwhile, emerged from the pool wrapped in towels, soaked, defeated, and utterly humiliated. She stormed past the winners, face red as a tomato, practically steaming. The snickers of Risa and others made clear—the "queen" had fallen from her pedestal.
She didn't dare look at anyone, retreating to the locker room, swearing revenge under her breath.
With things finally under control, many students climbed out of the water to regroup. The principal—who earlier had been buried under a pile of shoes thrown by angry girls—reappeared with a bandage on his forehead.
"Congratulations to all participants!" he announced into the mic, trying to sound dignified despite his reputation. "What a splendid festival, full of… uh… sportsmanship!"
Some girls rolled their eyes, knowing exactly what "spirit" he enjoyed most. Even so, the celebratory energy filled the air.
Rito barely had time to process everything: the sports festival had been terrifying and spectacular in equal measure. From clumsy and embarrassed in the morning to unexpected hero by afternoon, he felt he'd grown a little through it all.
Haruna now stood beside him, dressed in a dry jacket Mikan—his ever-helpful sister—had brought her. Lala chattered excitedly about how it was "the best competition ever!" her tail wagging as she laughed.
Rito just watched the two—Haruna and Lala—talking animatedly, and let out a relieved sigh. In the end, he had managed to protect them both, each in their own way, and that filled him with quiet pride.
"Rito…" Haruna's soft voice called, breaking his thoughts. "You were amazing today. Really." Genuine admiration shone in her eyes.
Rito was speechless, his heart thudding so hard it might burst.
Lala nodded vigorously. "He really was!" she chimed in, beaming.
Rito rubbed his head, embarrassed. "I-I just… did what anyone would…" he stammered humbly.
Haruna and Lala exchanged a fond glance, their lips curling into knowing smiles.
Rito Yuuki, drenched and exhausted, had been the star of the festival—even if he himself could hardly believe it.
As the setting sun cast golden light over the soaked field, Rito felt a hand on his shoulder. Haruna stood closer, grateful, while Lala grabbed his other arm, radiant. With two beautiful girls at his side and a sense of fulfillment, Rito couldn't help but grin from ear to ear.
Maybe I have some luck after all, he thought, hopeful.
That day ended with laughter, sighs, and unforgettable memories—a finale far different from what Rito had imagined that morning. And, for the first time in a long while, he felt truly confident, ready to face whatever came next.