I Was Treated as a Hero All Over the Country After I Saved a Beautiful Girl on a Subway and Left Without Giving My Name - Volume 2 Chapter 15
Chapter 15 - Camouflage
"Now, the afternoon session of the sports festival is about to begin! The red team has 500 points. Meanwhile, the white team has 450 points! Can the white team make a comeback?!"
The lunch break is over and the afternoon session finally begins.
As the sunlight heats up the ground, I'm waiting quietly at the edge of the field, waiting for the next event to begin. Just as announced earlier, the white team lost to the red team in total score.
The reason we lost is because the white team didn't practice enough. Of course, that's a factor, but to be honest, we're suffering more from Kusayanagi's cowardly tricks.
Kusayanagi is a member of the sports festival executive committee. He makes good use of this by checking the list of participants for the white team and sending in people from sports clubs to exploit their weaknesses.
Kusayanagi's high school is an all-boys school. It's possible that the red team was deliberately formed with a class that has many students with sports experience. In terms of physical differences and stamina, our white team was overwhelmed by their spirit and tenacity, and was left at a disadvantage.
But there's still room for a comeback.
Since there are many events worth a lot of points in the afternoon, there's still a chance. If we win the upcoming horse-riding battle, we'll get high scores. And since Kusayanagi is also participating, we absolutely cannot lose this event.
By the way, for the upcoming Cavalry battle, both the red and white teams will form groups of four people with people they like, and participate in the competition. There are 40 people on each team, so there will be a total of ten groups. The jockey and the horse will be chosen, and the jockey will have to steal something from his opponent while protecting the headband he is wearing on his arm so that it doesn't get stolen.
So, it's basically the same as a normal Cavalry battle.
But the way the winner is decided is a little different. There is only one way to decide the winner. The moment the king's headband is taken, it's an automatic loss.
Only one person from each team is appointed to play the role of king. Also, who the king is is shared with the other team in advance, so how do they defend it while their enemy knows? That holds the key to the match.
The king of our white team is Hinami. On the other hand, the red team’s king is Kusayanagi. If we don't defend the king's headband, the white team's chances of winning will be low.
In order to prevent Kusayanagi from becoming MVP, we must make sure we win this match.
Hinami and I are in the same group. Of course, I play the horse. Together with the other two boys, I fight to protect Hinami, the king. Meanwhile, Yuri and Koi-san are each in different groups. Hinami, Yuri, and Koi-san. These three are in different groups, but all of them are jockeys.
The fate of the team will largely depend on whether Hinami’s or Kusayanagi’s headband is taken first.
Kusayanagi, we won't lose. We'll definitely win!
While I was waiting, the blaring volume of an enormous microphone suddenly pierced my eardrums.
"Now! The fiercely contested sports festival has finally entered its afternoon phase! Kicking things off, we’ve got the first-year students’ cavalry battle! What kind of intense clashes are we in for!? I can hardly wait! Now then, first up—let’s welcome the red team!"
After the commentator spoke, the brass band members in the cheering section all played their instruments at once. To the accompaniment of the lively music, the red team, who were waiting in the opposite direction from us, the white team, entered the venue one after another.
"Everyone in the red team! We came in second in the morning's Scavenger hunt, but we'll win next time!"
As Kusayanagi entered the stadium, he waved to the fans who cheered one after another with a big grin. The moment they saw Kusayanagi’s charming smile,
"Kyaaaah!"
The girls in the stands had heart-shaped pupils sparkling in their eyes.
He’s trash on the inside, but if you go by looks alone, he’s definitely good-looking. If you didn’t know what he was really like, it’d be totally normal to fall for him."
"Come on everyone! Let's make the plan we prepared to beat the white team a success and take the king's headband!"
""OOOOHHHH!""
Kusayanagi shouted with confidence, encouraging his teammates.
Looking at the opposing players, there were a few who were big. Even though it was a mixed-gender cavalry battle, there were quite a few athletic guys. It would be tough to face them.
"All red team members have just finished their entrance! The entire venue can't take their eyes off Kusayanagi’s striking appearance! What strength! What style! With Kusayanagi—also the king—leading the charge, how will the red team play their hand? And now, up next is the white team's entrance!"
Finally, we, the White Team, begin our entrance.
Everyone in the waiting area was about to head to the match area when Hinami called out to everyone.
"Everyone! Let’s follow the strategy Koi-chan gave us! If the red team moves just like she predicted, we go ahead with the plan!"
Just like Hinami said, we’re acting based on the strategy Furui came up with.
Here’s the gist of her plan:
At the start, we observe the enemy’s movements while taking as many headbands as possible—except the king’s—to wear down their numbers. Since Kusayanagi is the king, he’ll almost certainly stay in the back and give instructions to his team. So instead of going for him right away, we focus on reducing the number of enemy riders first.
Next, once the timing is right, Koi-san and Yuri act as decoys and charge into the enemy lines to draw their attention. While the enemy is distracted and an opening appears, all the other riders except us will rush straight toward Kusayanagi.
If a huge number of opponents suddenly charge at him, even Kusayanagi is bound to be rattled. While he’s forced to go on the defensive, we’ll circle around and approach from behind—then Hinami, our rider, will grab his headband.
That’s the general outline of the plan.
We don’t know if it’ll work, but the odds of winning are definitely there.
"The first-years from the white team are coming in one after another! The king of the white team is Kujou Hinami! We're really looking forward to seeing how they'll protect her and fight against the red team!"
As the crowd erupted in cheers, we walked to our designated position and saw Kusayanagi with a confident look on his face in the enemy camp. There are many people around Kusayanagi who seem to belong to sports clubs. Even from here, you can feel their burning fighting spirit. He's going to win through sheer physical strength.
None of us are built like that.
From his perspective, the match is probably already over. Though Kusayanagi's attitude irritates me a little, I take my position and form the horses.
I'm in front, and the boys from the other classes are on the left and right. Hinami gets on top of the horse that the three of us made.
Looking at the others, most of them have finished getting ready.
"Both teams are in their positions and ready to go! What kind of match will it be? Now... let's start!"
With the signal from the commentator, the white team starts moving all at once!
"Frontline troops! Move out!"
Right from the start, Hinami gave orders to the frontline troops before the red team, and a total of five horsemen began to move.
Meanwhile, in contrast to the frontline troops, Yuri, Koi-san, and the horsemen assigned as guards formed a rear formation, encircling Hinami as decoys.
In response, Kusayanagi shouted,
"Alright! It's our turn to move! Frontline unit—advance!"
Not wanting to fall behind the White Team's movements, Kusayanagi quickly issued orders and set his troops into motion.
There were five horsemen from the red team approaching head-on. Meanwhile, behind them, Kusayanagi and the four horsemen protecting him were solidifying their defense.
Half the team was assigned to offense and the other half to defense, with the defensive side made up of well-built, athletic types. With that kind of power and intensity, they could hold the line through sheer strength and determination.
From within an impenetrable defense, he can give commands without worry. Then, when the number of White Team horsemen has dwindled, he’ll go for Hinami’s headband.
That’s how Kusayanagi operates.
If he wants to be chosen as MVP, he needs a victory that clearly shows his contribution. Protected by four horsemen, he’ll wait quietly until the right moment, then make his move.
Our initial formation isn’t much different from the Red Team’s. The frontline unit will wear down the enemy, while the defense unit in the rear protects Hinami.
The opening move is the same—but what matters is what we do from here on out.
“Ah—both the White Team and the Red Team are on the move! They charge straight at each other in a head-on clash! It’s a fierce battle as they fight to snatch those headbands!”
The front line troops, moving under Hinami and Kusayanagi's instructions, collide violently in one go. A fierce struggle unfolds as bodies crash violently against one another, each side trying desperately to snatch the enemy’s headbands.
From where I stand, watching from behind, the Red and White Teams seem almost evenly matched. With their strength so close, whichever team manages to take the first headband will shift the momentum. The side that strikes first will likely gain the upper hand.
Kusayanagi assigned the more athletic types to defense, so his offensive power is slightly lacking. If we can reduce the number of their horsemen here, we’ll have a much better shot when it comes time to face Kusayanagi himself.
If we can just take one here...
That’s what I was thinking—but things didn’t go the way I’d hoped.
“Alright! Team A, Team B—now! Go!”
“Roger!”
Suddenly, Kusayanagi gave orders to his allies from the rear. In response, one of the Red Team riders suddenly changed his movements. They were fighting fiercely for the headband, but suddenly stopped fighting and started to run away.
"What?! He suddenly ran away?! Why?!"
Words slipped out from one of the White Team horsemen in the heat of battle.
It wasn’t as if there was an overwhelming gap in skill. In fact, they were nearly evenly matched. That’s why their sudden retreat came as such a shock.
Why did they run?
From where I stood, watching from the rear, I couldn’t figure it out—at least not right away. But as I watched what happened next, it finally made sense. They hadn’t run away. They had changed targets.
The Red Team horsemen who’d just been fighting pulled back momentarily—only to charge straight toward a different White Team rider.
Right now, there are five horsemen per team battling on the front line. In other words, it’s five one-on-one matchups. Each rider is locked in a fierce clash, trying to snatch the headband from the enemy directly in front of them.
Amidst the chaos, the Red Team horseman who had appeared to retreat now set their sights on a different White Team target—closing in from behind.
The White Team rider who had been fighting them gave chase, but couldn’t match their speed.
“Watch out! Behind you!”
I called out from behind, watching, but I was a few seconds too late. The white team's horseman, which was being targeted, was distracted by what was ahead and didn't notice the red team approaching from behind.
Taking advantage of the moment when their target let their guard down, the Red Team swooped in from behind and boldly snatched the headband.
“The Red Team! They’ve taken a White Team headband from behind! A successful pincer attack—brilliantly executed!”
Damn it… They got the first strike.
That bastard Kusayanagi… So this was his plan from the start—to pull off a pincer attack. We had five horsemen on the front line. We held back at first to see how they’d move, then matched their numbers to meet them head-on.
So they intentionally created a one-on-one situation and then carried out a pincer attack. Kusayanagi had thought it through.
I glared at Kusayanagi from a distance. He didn't notice my gaze at all, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, perhaps because he had managed to create an advantageous situation.
If we kept going like this, they'd take advantage of the opportunity to attack us from both sides while we were distracted by the battle. With a four-against-five situation, we'd be at a great disadvantage. If we were attacked from behind, it'd be the end.
What should we do? Should we send our cavalry forward from our defensive position? No, maybe that was also part of Kusayanagi's plan. Damn it.
I was biting my lip when Koi-san spoke about the situation.
"Let's calm down for a moment! The enemy's strategy is to attack from behind with a pincer attack! Form pairs and fight while protecting each other's backs! The defensive camp waits where they are! If we start to move, the enemy will get what they want!"
She calmly gave instructions to all the members of the White Team, who were beginning to feel impatient and anxious.
Considering that she even gave instructions to us who were protecting Hinami, I think Koi-san must have read Kusayanagi's strategy before making her decision.
Let's stay calm and obediently do as we're told.
Under Koi-san's instructions, the White Team immediately began to form pairs. They fought against the approaching Red Team while protecting each other's backs.
“The White Team! They’ve quickly paired up to protect each other’s backs and prevent another sneak attack! With this formation, the Red Team’s pincer tactic won’t work! A swift, clever response—brilliantly shutting down their opponent’s strategy!”
It's true that Kusayanagi's plan may have been contained.
However, the frontline forces are outnumbered by four to five, putting us at a disadvantage. We quickly paired up to counter the pincer attack, but that didn't change the unfavorable situation.
Even though the athletic people were defending Kusayanagi, this situation was pretty bad. In fact, watching from behind, we could see our allies' physical strength rapidly depleting. No wonder they were fighting at a disadvantage. As long as they are working in pairs, it would be difficult to retreat and regroup.
If this continued, our frontline forces would lose out physically.
“Koi-san, what do we do...? Even if we shut down their strategy, our team’s stamina—”
“True. In terms of numbers, we’re at a disadvantage. At this rate, the front line might get wiped out.”
“Come on, that’s not gonna cut it!”
“Don’t be stupid. You think I haven’t thought of that? Sure, it’s a mixed-gender match, but their team’s packed with athletic types. Not to mention, Seirin High has way more boys than we do. So we’ll just turn the situation to our advantage. That’s exactly why we’re here—as decoys.”
As Koi-san said this, she looked at Yuri next to him and made eye contact. Then, as if she had seen through her intention instantly, Yuri started grinning.
What, what is that telepathic thing that's so unique to girls...
“Yuri, Koi-chan… Are you sure about this? Do you really think it’ll work?”
"It's okay! We'll manage it, Hinami! We'll do something about it as decoys!"
"Yeah, that's right. Don't worry, Hinami. Okay, Yuri. Let's move on to the second phase."
Hinami looked a little anxious, but the other two looked confident. We haven't been told the details of the operation, but what kind of method are we going to use to get the enemy's attention?
While I was thinking about that, the two of them looked ahead and prepared to move.
Then, in unison, they said:
"GO!"
At that signal, the horsemen carrying Yuri and Koi-san kicked off the ground hard and surged forward toward the front line.
“What’s this?! Two of the White Team’s horse units that had been guarding the king in the rear have suddenly sprung into action! Are they moving up to support the front line? N–No, wait! That’s not it! They’re not joining the frontline battle—they’re freely moving across the field!”
“Hey, hey! Over here, Red Team!”
“Come on, bring it on, cherry boys.”
While darting around the field, Yuri and Koi-san began taunting the Red Team horsemen, both in the frontline and those standing guard.
The Red Team had the upper hand on the front line—and their defense was rock solid. So they were trying to stir things up, creating just a sliver of an opening by provoking them and throwing the field into disarray.
And it was working.
A few members of the frontline unit paused and turned their attention toward Yuri and Koi-san. Alright, if they take the bait and start moving, we can turn this around. If we strike the moment their formation breaks, we might just be able to take Kusayanagi’s headband.
The field was starting to stir, and hesitation was creeping into the Red Team’s movements—but then—
“Ignore their taunts! It’s a diversion! Don’t fall for it! Stick to your assigned roles and hold your positions!”
A sharp, commanding voice cut through the noise and immediately shifted the atmosphere. It was Kusayanagi, calling out instructions from the rear of the Red Team.
He must’ve seen through Yuri and Koi-san’s tactics and realized it was a feint. He quickly issued orders to his team, pulling their crumbling formation back together.
Damn... He’s good.
Calm and collected, even in the heat of it all.
"Kusayanagi! You calmly saw through the opponent's actions! Just like our star!"
Just when it seemed the decoy maneuver had failed and the situation was slipping back into a tough spot, a subtle change spread through the field. The White Team’s mood started to turn—and then it happened.
Yuri and Koi-san, who had been darting across the field moments earlier, suddenly started grinning. Not just any grin—one that clearly said they were up to no good. Like they’d just come up with something especially devious.
What the heck is that? They’re definitely planning something. W–What are they up to? How are they going to break the Red Team’s formation again?
As I watched from the back, unsure of what they were plotting, I heard something wild come out of their mouths.
“Aww, come to think of it—it’s the sports festival, and I still don’t have a dance partner,” Yuri said, her voice sweet and teasing.
“Isn’t there anyone who’d be willing to dance with someone like me? Oh! I know! If I had to choose, I think I’d want to dance with the guy who manages to take my headband.”
“And maybe... After the dance, we could sneak off and spend a little time alone. I mean, I am starting to want a boyfriend~.”
With that, she sent a playful wink to the entire Red Team.
The effect was immediate—most of the Red Team’s male players froze in place, caught completely off guard. Then Koi-san stepped up with her own surprise. She pulled two slips of paper from her pocket and announced with a sly smile.
“I just remembered—I won tickets for a couples-only getaway.”
“But, oh no... I can’t go alone. What a shame. I guess I’ll need a big, strong guy—muscles and all—to protect little ol’ me.”
“Just the two of us, off somewhere private... Hehe. I’m really looking forward to the night. I think it’ll be... quite the experience.”
With a quick, deliberate lick of her lips, Koi-san flaunted the pair of tickets.
Was this the final blow?
CRACK!
The sound of their composure snapping—especially among the boys on the red team.
For a few seconds, silence fell over the field.
Then—
"""OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!"""
The boys on the red team's horses changed color and roared, running straight towards Furui or Yuri.
“Yuuuuriiiii-chan!!! Dance with meeeee!!!”
“Koiiiiii-chan!! I’ll protect you no matter whaaaat!!!”
“Let’s go on a trip together, Koiiiiii-chan!!!”
Three horsemen fighting on the front lines and two stationed in the rear all had hearts in their eyes as they desperately began chasing after the pair.
What's with this way of taking the lead... Was Koi-san aiming for this all along...?
The ones chasing the two were mostly boys from the red team. The horses made up mainly of women didn't move an inch. Rather, they were looking at the boys desperately chasing them with cold eyes, as if they were looking at garbage.
The contrast is insane... Honestly, the atmosphere feels way too cold. Do girls really have eyes that cold? Women are scary!
Most of the boys on the red team were students of Seirin High School. In other words, their opportunities to interact with the opposite sex are quite limited. Some of them are sports-oriented, so they are busy with club activities and don't have much opportunity to do so.
In that situation, if two beautiful girls invited them, any teenage boy going through puberty would bite at the chance, even just a little.
She really thought this through. I didn’t get why Yuri was chosen as the decoy at first, but maybe it was all to ignite their desires!
“W-What’s this!? The White Team! Two beautiful girls just said something outrageous! Even the boys on the Red Team can’t ignore it—they’re desperately chasing after them! But Yuri and Koi’s cavalry are overwhelmingly fast! Maybe because of their mobility, they’re completely out of reach! What will the Red Team do!?”
The boys on the Red Team chased after the two desperately, but their mobility was on a completely different level. With overwhelming speed, they dashed across the field, breaking apart the opposing formation one after another.
Originally, Koi-san and Yuri’s cavalry had almost no offensive power. Instead, since they were mostly made up of track club members, their speed was absolutely unmatched. It was no wonder the opponents couldn’t catch up.
“Are you idiots!? What are you doing!? Get back to your positions! It’s a trap!”
Kusayanagi broke out in a cold sweat, giving orders while scolding his teammates. But once the fire in these guys’ hearts was lit, it wasn’t going to die down easily.
“““I waaaannnnnt a giirrrlfrieeend!!!”””
If anything, their excitement only kept rising. You could almost feel the heat so intense it could evaporate water instantly.
Normally, they wouldn’t have a chance to get close to such beautiful girls. On top of that, they might actually become popular with the opposite sex. Unable to resist the temptation, Kusayanagi’s words simply didn’t reach them.
"Damn it! We were gaining an advantage, and now we're falling apart!"
Just as Kusayanagi said, the red team's formation was completely broken.
On the front line, our forces were actually more favored in terms of numbers, and that defense made up of athletic members was now weak. Because they were distracted by Yuri and Koi-san, they didn't notice that their formation was in disarray.
Now’s our chance!
“Hinami! The Red Team’s formation is falling apart! If we’re going to strike, it’s now!”
“Right, Ryo-kun! Everyone, let’s go all out!”
“““Yeah!”””
Hinami signaled both the cavalry holding the defense and the teammates fighting on the front lines.
After everyone understood Hinami's intentions, all the cavalry except for Yuri and Koi-san, who were acting as decoys, began to move in a straight line towards Kusayanagi.
Our side had a total of seven cavalry units. In contrast, the enemy had only three cavalry units, even if they were made up of athletic members.
We could do it!
Taking advantage of the distraction caused by Yuri and Koi-san, they charged straight toward Kusayanagi in the rear for a direct assault. Outnumbered nearly two to one, even Kusayanagi couldn’t keep his cool.
“Damn it! Hurry up and protect me! What the hell are the others doing!?”
I could hear his voice, full of anger, loud and clear.
Good. He’s rattled. We can’t let this chance slip away!
Watching for the moment when the enemy was thrown into disarray, we quietly circled around behind Kusayanagi. While he was focused on the front, Hinami reached out toward his arm—and then...
“Got you!”
Holding Kusayanagi's headband tightly in her hand, Hinami pulled it away in one swift motion.
It happened so fast that the opposing players stood frozen, mouths agape, unable to process what had just occurred.
But Hinami—clutching the headband—and the rest of us who had seen it all up close understood perfectly. The moment she took the headband from Kusayanagi, the king, the White Team’s victory was sealed.
“Wha—Wha—Whaaaaat just happened!? Hinami has slipped behind Kusayanagi and snatched his headband!! That’s it—the headband of the king himself has been taken, which means the match is over! The victory goes to the White Team!!”
“““YEEEAAAHHH!!”””
The winner was decided, and we, White Team, had won!
Perhaps because we were so happy, everyone on the White Team who took part in the cavalry battle instinctively pumped their fists in the air.
“Great job, Hinami-chan!”
“You really came through, Hinami-san!”
“Well done!”
From the waiting area, words of congratulations for our victory and Hinami's performance were flying around.
In the first-year cavalry battle, we somehow managed to hold back Kusayanagi’s efforts and come out on top.
“We did it, Hinami!” I said as I helped her down.
“Yeah, we did! Yay!”
We laughed together and high-fived, celebrating our victory. < Prev
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