Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's

It was now time for dodgeball. During my time at the White Room, I was taught a variety of athletics and sports, but dodgeball was not one of them. It was regarded as unnecessary, and because it was a team sport, I didn't have anyone with whom I could try it with.

As the sole survivor of my generation, I spent years alone and in seclusion. People may think I must've felt isolated and friendless but that was not the case. After all, being alone is not synonymous with feeling lonely. I didn't feel sad nor regretful that there was no one I could call an acquaintance in the vicinity I was raised in. I simply felt apathetic about such things.

"For those of you who are unfamiliar with how to play, I'll be explaining it to you right now. So listen carefully and no chit-chatting while I'm speaking. I don't like to repeat myself." Mashima-Sensei was adamant and stern.

The main objective in dodgeball is to eliminate all members of the opposing team by throwing the ball at them. Players must dodge the ball to remain in the game and the team who manages to eliminate all of their opponent’s first are deemed the winners.

While there is no real point scoring in dodgeball, the aim of the game is to eliminate players of the opposing team, which can be done in several ways. The most obvious way is hitting an opponent with a ball, if a player is hit and the ball is not caught before becoming dead, that player is eliminated. However, if a player throws a ball that is caught by an opponent, the throwing player is eliminated from the game.

A player will eliminate themselves if they run out of the court of play.

The game is over when all of the players on one team are eliminated, resulting in the other team winning the game. If both teams still have members at the end of an allotted amount of time, the winning team will be the one with the most players. If this still results in a deadlock, overtime can be played.

Rules of Dodgeball

-The number of players, number of balls, size of the court, and length of the game can be determined by the organizers.

-Players must remain within the court at all times unless collecting dead balls.

-Players are allowed to leave the court to collect balls but they are not allowed to throw the ball until they are back within the court. If a player leaves the court for any other purpose or they throw a ball from outside the court, they are eliminated.

-Players struck with a ball that is then caught before it becomes dead are eliminated.

-When a player catches a ball, the throwing player will be eliminated.

So that's how you play dodgeball...

I'm quite sure I understand the goal and the regulations. Because my reflexes and reaction time are so much better than the ordinary human, I should be able to avoid being hit relatively well. I can also use my speed to my advantage to get a head start on the competition by grabbing the ball first before anyone else can.

"Now does anyone have any questions?" Multiple people raised their hands.

"Yes, Horikita?" Mashima-Sensei pointed at her.

"How many balls will we be playing with?" I was gonna ask that question too but it seems Horikita beat me to it.

"Since there are fourty of you currently present here, there will be eight dodgeballs, two for every ten individuals," Mashima-Sensei answered.

"Will the competition be a free for all or will we be divided into different teams?" It was surprisingly Ike out of all people who asked the reasonable question.

"I wanted there to be two matches, each separated by gender, but because of the limited time we have, you'll be put into two teams with ten boys and ten girls in each team."

"Sensei," I called out to him. "Are we allowed to have multiple dodge balls at the same time?" To be honest, hoarding a huge number of dodge balls didn't seem like a horrible strategy. At the very least, I have the quickness and grip strength to carry more than one.

"That's a good question. The answer is no. A single person is only allowed to hold one dodgeball at a time."

"I see..." I nodded as a response.

"Is there going to be any kind of prize for the winning team? Or will there be a penalty for the losing team?" Eichiiro inquired.

"The losing team will not be penalized, but if your team wins, you will be rewarded. A total of 2,000 private points will be awarded to each member of the winning squad. I will personally provide a bonus of 10,000 private points to the winning team's MVP." Mashima-Sensei went on to explain things further.

The atmosphere in the gymnasium changed dramatically after he announced the prize for the victors, as the boys appeared to be hungry animals determined to win at all costs.

"No one else seems to have any more queries. Okay, then. I'm going to start separating the teams." Mashima-Sensei made the statement.

We spent a few minutes getting to know the team we'd be fighting along with. The following were the list of the two groupings.

Sudou Ken, Matsuo Eichiiro, Koenji Rokusuke, Miyake Akito, Yamauchi Haruki, Okitani Kyousuke, Ijuin Wataru, Yukimura Teruhiko, Minami Hakuo, and Makida Susumu.

Girls: Horikita Suzune, Onodera Kayano, Shinohara Satsuki, Mori Nene, Hasebe Haruka, Sakura Airi, Azuma Sana, Ishikura Kayoko, Maezono, and Wang Mei-Yu.

Group 2

Boys: Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, Hirata Yosuke, Ike Kanji, Hondou Ryotarou, Sotomura Hideo, Onizuka, Okiya Kyosuke, Kikuchi, Minami Setsuya, and Miyamoto Soshi.

Girls: Kushida Kikyou, Inogashira Kokoro, Karuizawa Kei, Matsuhita Chiaki, Satou Maya, Sonoda Chiyo, Nishimura Ryuko, Ishizaki, Rino, and Ichihashi Ruri.

"Oi oi oi! Is this sorting even fair?!" Ike voiced his complaint.

On this one, I had to agree with Ike in part. In comparison to us, the other squad has a lot more athletic and sporty pupils. I, too, had my doubts about the match's power balance. Is it possible that Mashima-Sensei sorted it incorrectly on purpose to put me to the test?

Perhaps I'm just overthinking things again. Sudou, Eichiiro, Koenji, Horikita, and Onodera, with their above-average physical ability, pose the greatest threat to the opposition squad. To secure a faultless triumph, I'll have to focus on them especially.

Meanwhile, because we are the most physically dominant members of our team, a bounty will most likely be placed on mine and Hirata's heads. I'm sure I'd be able to handle the likes of Sudou and Eichiiro, but I'm curious as to if Koenji could compete equally with me, if not outperform me. If he could, I wouldn't have any complaints or regrets.

"What's wrong Ike? Afraid you're gonna lose?" Eichiiro taunted with a provoking smirk.

"Don't worry Ike, once I've finished crushing you and your group, I'll attend your sorry-ass burial," Sudou stated arrogantly.

Sudou's constant boasting prompted a few glares from some of my teammates. Sudou's confidence probably rubbed them the wrong way, and his provocations made them sneer at his words. I had to concur that Sudou was behaving too confident in his team's ability to win considering that I'm still a threat.

"Hoho, don't get too cocky now, Sudou-Dono." Sotomura suddenly appeared behind me. " Your team may have Koenji and you as their top players, but you're overlooking the fact that we also have the legendary Ayanokouji-Dono on our side to guide us to victory." Sotomura boldly declared while patting my back repeatedly.

Seriously, What is it about folks liking to smack each other in the back?

"Hah! I accept that Ayanokouji is a formidable opponent, but whether it's him, Hirata, or anyone else, I'm going to beat you all in the end!" Sudou yelled with full battle zeal as if he were a soldier about to go to war.

"That's enough both of you!" Mashima-Sensei reprimanded. "You're only wasting more valuable time with your pointless trash talk. Assemble with your groups and take your positions. I'm almost finished with arranging the dodgeballs." Mashima-Sensei commanded.

We all formed a horizontal line and took our positions. My opponent team's classmates stood in front of me, taking the same attitude as we did. There were eight dodge balls in the gym court's exact middle. Given my location, grabbing the dodgeball second to the very right of the center would be the most effective and efficient.

"On your marks!"

"Get set!"

"Go!" Mashima-Sensei gave us the signal.

Everyone dashed to the center of the gym in the hopes of catching a ball. I wasn't holding back, but I made sure I wasn't running at full speed, but rather just enough to get ahead of everyone else.

I was fortunate enough to be the first to arrive at the facility and get a dodgeball. I rapidly studied the crowd in front of me to choose who I should attack. I had intended to get the power players out first to secure an easy victory, but I noticed an easy hit on Haruka and changed my mind. I took a step back and arched my back, releasing the ball in the direction of Hasebe. The ball ended up hitting her on the... Boobs.

Gomensai, Hasebe.

And with that, she was out of the game.

"Oi Ayanon! That was dirty! I thought we were friends!" Haruka pouted, sounding as if she had just been betrayed by a close comrade.

"Can't talk right now, too busy trying to win," I said unemotionally. One down, nineteen to go.

Sudou threw a ball at me, and I immediately dodged it by shifting my feet to the left. Eichiiro took advantage of the situation and attempted to direct the ball towards my feet. Because of the way he was looking at me, I was able to figure out which body area he was planning to hit me at. I leaped to dodge the ball that was beneath me.

"SHIT! I ALMOST HAD HIM!" Eichiiro whined looking frustrated.

"You're going down Ayanokouji! SHINE!" Yamauchi tossed a ball at me. Fortunately, his throwing posture was quite unorganized, and the ball's speed was very slow, so I was able to effortlessly grab the ball with ease. With that, Yamauchi is no longer in the game.

In my peripheral view, I observed Koenji wasn't even attempting to do anything. Of course, he was dodging the balls hurled at him, but he wasn't even attempting to retaliate or rebuke. Perhaps he's working on some sort of strategy right now...

"SHIT!" I heard Miyamoto curse out loud. He was apparently caught in the crossfire and was struck by a ball. I turned around to see that three members of my team had already been removed. Hasebe and Yamauchi were the only members of the other squad that were eliminated.

I was about to make my move when I noticed a ball heading straight towards me. My quick reflexes came in as I shifted my weight backward to dodge a ball aimed at my face. It wasn't over yet, as I raised my arms high to escape getting struck by a ball that was presumably targeted at my bicep.

Miyake snatched a ball from the ground and tossed it towards me. To dodge it, I swiftly bowed my knees and dove. I'd just ducked three balls in a row in such a short period of time.

"Holy fuck, nice reflexes Ayanokouji!" Hondou complimented me.

A ball flew over my shoulder before I could respond.

"Tch, I missed." Horikita clicked her tongue in exasperation. She might have gotten me if she had only thrown in a few more steps to the left.

It's evident that I'm the opposition's main target. Maybe I'll be able to take advantage of that. I'll act as a decoy for them to target, and while they're distracted, I'll have someone hit them and catch them off guard.

I tried to communicate with Hirata by looking at him. He returned my stare and nodded, indicating that he understood what I was trying to convey. With this, we should be able to put our plan into action.

I dashed over to collect the ball that Horikita had just thrown. I then started to sprint in a diagonal line to try to get one of the opposition players' attention. It appeared to succeed because Onodera's attention was now totally on me only. She tried to think of the best method to attack me, but before she could attempt to do anything, I quickly directed Hirata to throw the ball towards Onodera, to which he complied so, hitting her in the chest.

Okay, one of their five power players has been eliminated. Because both of our sides are losing players, I'll have to tread carefully to avoid making a mistake that could cost us the game.

Miyake, who had thrown his ball against me, caught my attention instantly. I swiftly spun to the right and used that momentum to charge some force into my right arm as I slammed the ball in Miyake's direction, hitting his arm.

"Sorry, Ayanokouji-Kun!" Mii-Chan shouted something before hurling a ball at me. Due to her unathletic build and feeble throw, I was able to effortlessly catch the ball. Mii-Chan was no longer a player in the game.

I would now execute my second strategy when I was done evaluating everyone in front of me. I swiftly shifted my feet to the right, making it appear as if I was about to strike Sakura. Horikita, who happened to be nearby, noticed me and used the chance to assault me while I was distracted.

However, it was all a ploy. A trap set by me that Horikita had fallen into.

I turned my sight quickly to Horikita. I then threw the ball with enough force that she wouldn't be able to respond quickly enough to the abrupt and unexpected onslaught. She tried to evade the ball when she saw it was being thrown at her, but it was futile as the ball hit her shin.

"Tsk, damn it!" Horikita clenched her teeth in annoyance. Horikita didn't seem the type of person to take trivial competitions seriously. I suppose you learn something new every day.

The match became increasingly fierce as each team lost more players by the minute until only six individuals remained on the court. Those six people were me, Hirata, Suodu, Eichiiro, and Koenji, and somehow Ike managed to survive this long surprisingly.

"LET'S GO SUDOU AND MASTUO! WIN THIS FOR US!" The boys vehemently cheered on them.

"IKUZO HIRATA-KUN AND AYANOKOUJI-KUN!" The girls of our team also encouraged us passionately.

I felt sorry for Ike since no one seemed to believe in him. However, he only has himself to blame for tarnishing his own reputation amongst our peers by being a pervert.

"You're going down Ayanokouji!" exclaims the narrator. Sudou flung a ball towards me, full of strength and battling energy. I swerved to the side to avoid it. Unfortunately, Ike was right behind me and absorbed the brunt of the blow instead of me. What made matters worse was the fact that...

He took a direct strike to the balls.

"AGH!" As he dropped to the floor, Ike cried out in anguish. Every boy who saw what had happened had a shudder on their faces, most likely because they understood how excruciatingly painful it was to be smacked in the balls.

"Oh crap! Sorry Ike! That wasn't on purpose!" Sudou apologized, his face showing remorse.

Noticing Sudou had his attention occupied on Ike, I quickly seized a ball from the ground, stretched my body, and flung the ball at Sudou with strong power, hitting his chest.

Would it have been more moral for me to just wait for him to quit being concerned about Ike? Maybe. Is it possible that what I've done is considered unsportsmanlike? Probably. But I wasn't going to allow the chance to get rid of Sudou to pass me by.

Sudou had finally been dispatched. The chances of us winning now appear to be higher, but that depends on whether Koenji will care to participate and act serious now that there are only four of us left.

Eichiiro had hit Hirata with a swift and accurate shot that had hit him in the head. And now it was two against one, Koenji and Eichiiro vs. me.

The odds seemed very appealing to me.

I dashed forward in an attempt to catch a ball, but my attempt was thwarted when I had to dive for it to avoid being hit by a ball shot by Eichiiro. I was about to target Eichiiro after I stood up and regained my footing when my instincts kicked in and I jumped vertically and twirled mid-air, narrowly evading the ball that was fired at me. After that, I landed on one foot and used the momentum gained from the flip to finish off Eichiiro.

"Oh my God!"

"THAT WAS NICE AYANOKOUJI!"

"What in actual fuck did I just witness." Throughout the gymnasium, people's shocked reactions to my actions could be heard.

Koenji appeared to have finally begun to take things seriously. He was anticipating for the rest of the players to leave the game so he could attack me when my guard was down. Fortunately, I was able to avoid his surprise attack, but only merely though. He had been eagerly waiting for us to go off against each other in a one-on-one battle with no outside interference.

"It appears that it's just the two of us now, Ayanokouji boy," Koenji stated the obvious. "This I've been waiting for this moment my entire life so do please entertain me."

To be honest, the odds were stacked against me. Koenji had been conserving energy the entire time while I was working tirelessly to lead my squad to victory. But I wasn't going to let the odds get the best of me.

"Then give me your best shot, Koenji." I challenged. We dashed forward to catch the balls that had fallen behind us. I wasn't going to hold back any longer. It was now the first time Koenji and I was formally competing in a duel.

"One minute remaining!" Mashina-Sensei announced to the both of us.

If neither of us are struck by a ball once the clock runs out, the game will end and conclude in a draw, which I wouldn't mind because I really have nothing to lose. I'll have to eliminate him with the remaining amount of time we've been given.

50.

We, both were analyzing and trying to predict what the other was going to do next.

40.

He made the initial move, attempting to deceive me by shifting his eyes towards my chest while he was aiming for one of my feet. Fortunately, I was able to hop over it before it had a chance to make contact with me.

30.

I made the second move, feinting a right-handed throw while quickly changing directions and aiming for the spot where he was leaping. As the ball whizzed past his left shoulder, I realized I'd made a slight miscalculation.

20.

I shifted my weight backward, bending both legs and evading a ball aimed at my face or chest. I regained my balance and tossed a ball at his knees, but he jumped over and did a backflip to avoid it. I thought the backflip was superfluous, but knowing Koenji, he was most likely just trying to show off.

10.