The swimming competition progressed faster than expected.
After all, the pool was only 50 meters long. Strong swimmers could finish in under 30 seconds, while slower ones took around 40. Including the time to climb out of the water and record results, each group finished in roughly two minutes.
With five people per group and forty students in Class D, the entire competition wrapped up in just ten minutes. Counting the warm-up period, the event concluded within thirty minutes.
So far, Haruno Yukinoshita held the best time among the girls, while Sudo Ken led the boys.
But the highlight of the day had yet to come.
In the final ten minutes of class, the match everyone had been waiting for finally arrived—
Kure Ragna vs. Kouenji Rokusuke.
As the two stepped onto the starting platform, the waiting area erupted into cheers.
"Go, Kure Ragna!"
"Crush Kouenji! Show no mercy!"
"Be brave, my friend! Give it your all!"
"Both of you, do your best~" Yukinoshita Haruno smiled and waved gracefully.
"Wait... I blacked out from blood loss earlier. Who are they cheering fo—AHHH, IT'S KURE RAGNA AND KOUENJI! I'M DEAD!"
Thud.
A certain student collapsed with a nosebleed once again.
The crowd's cheers were overwhelmingly one-sided. While Kouenji had the looks of a prince, his eccentric personality made him difficult to support. In contrast, Kure Ragna, despite his sharp eyes and intimidating presence, had been approachable and easygoing. The difference in popularity was clear.
On the starting platform, Kouenji smirked as he glanced at his opponent.
"Did you hear that? They're all cheering for you."
Kure Ragna remained calm. "And?"
"Aren't you going to give them what they want?"
He exhaled, crouching low. His fingers clenched against the platform as he positioned himself in a stance different from Kouenji's standard form. His posture resembled Toji Fushiguro's before a sprint—his body slightly curled, muscles tensed like a coiled spring.
The tension in the air was palpable.
The physical education teacher raised the whistle to his lips, his tone carrying the sharpness of a referee.
"Swimmers, ready—!"
The entire class held its breath.
Tweet!
The whistle blew.
Both competitors launched off the platform simultaneously—
Like a swordfish cutting through the air, Kouenji performed a textbook-perfect dive, his body drawing a flawless arc before slicing into the water with minimal resistance. His movements were fluid, like a predator striking its prey.
Professional swimmers would have applauded.
But then—
CLANG!
The starting platform rattled violently, the metal groaning under impact. The floor beneath the students trembled slightly as Kure Ragna exploded forward like a cannonball.
In an instant, he had surged ahead.
While there were no restrictions on jump distance in swimming competitions, air resistance was lower than water's. The further a swimmer could launch themselves, the bigger their advantage.
And Kure Ragna?
He had covered an insane distance in a single push.
SPLASH!
Both competitors hit the water almost simultaneously.
Kouenji wasted no time. Instead of paddling immediately, he extended his arms forward, legs pressed together, body undulating like a serpent.
The butterfly kick—a technique allowed only in the first 15 meters of each lap—was a high-speed movement that burned through stamina at an extreme rate.
Yet even at full power, he barely matched Kure Ragna's raw speed.
The reason?
Kure Ragna's swimming style was absurd.
Most swimmers experience a slight pause when their arms break the water's surface before stroking forward. Even professional athletes lose some momentum from water resistance.
But Kure Ragna?
He didn't stop at all.
His arms alternated at a relentless pace, turning him into a human propulsion machine.
The students watching were stunned.
"H-He's completely ignoring water resistance!"
"Is he even human?"
"I'm convinced... he's Kratos reincarnated," muttered Hideo , the class's self-proclaimed expert on pop culture.
The reason?
In God of War, Kratos's rowing animation was so aggressive that it made the boat move like a speedboat. It gave the illusion that instead of paddling through water, Kratos was stabbing the riverbed and dragging the boat forward.
And right now—
Kure Ragna was replicating that effect with his bare hands.
Even the physical education teacher was momentarily stunned.
By the time he snapped out of it, the swimmers were already reaching the opposite wall—
And only seven seconds had passed.
Kure Ragna touched the wall first, a solid two-body-length lead. Without hesitation, he kicked off the tiles, sending a powerful splash directly into Kouenji's face.
If it were anyone else, they would've been thrown off completely.
But Kouenji was still Kouenji.
Reacting instantly, he exhaled rather than inhaled, avoiding the risk of choking. However, the interruption still disrupted his rhythm, costing him precious fractions of a second.
At this level of competition, that was enough to seal the match.
In the end, history repeated itself.
Just as Kouenji had dominated the warm-up rounds earlier, he now found himself on the receiving end of a flawless performance.
And with that—
Kure Ragna claimed victory.