After we spent some time enjoying the festival stalls, registration finally opened. I headed to the counter with Aoi and Hina to sign us up for the tournament.
We received a set of matching bibs emblazoned with the number 120 and put them on.
"Does this mean a hundred and twenty teams have actually signed up?" Hina asked, looking at the number.
"Well, the numbers might not necessarily start from 001," I replied. "If they started at 101, then there are only about twenty teams so far. Though I’m sure the count will keep rising from here."
As I answered Hina, I took a look around. There were quite a few people who appeared to be participants, but the atmosphere felt more like the start of a local marathon. There were hardly any people radiating the over-the-top, aggressive intensity of those "elite" teams we’d seen earlier. Instead, most of the crowd was friendly and relaxed.
We spent a while chatting as we waited for registration to close. Shortly after it ended, the race schedule was posted.
Each race consisted of ten groups, and we were slotted into the fourth. That meant at least forty teams—a hundred and twenty people—were participating. It was a larger-scale event than I’d originally expected.
Alice had mentioned it wasn't exactly a "fringe sport," so it seemed it really did have a decent following.
Following the announcement, an official provided an explanation of how to use the Flying Board for the first-time participants. The board was a large disc designed to be ridden by three people, with each member responsible for a specific function.
One person would handle Directional Operation. This involved touching four arrows—forward, backward, left, and right—on the board to steer. Since the board's flight patterns were notoriously erratic, keeping it on course while accounting for its wobbling was bound to be a significant challenge.
The second person would handle Altitude Operation. Since this meant controlling ascent and descent, the race was clearly intended to be three-dimensional, likely featuring obstacles. While it sounded simpler than steering, it was a vital role that required being perfectly in sync with the navigator.
The final role was Speed Operation, and based on the description, it sounded like the hardest of the bunch. Because the Flying Board was a magic tool, it ran on the magic power stored within magic crystals. In essence, that mana was our fuel.
If you prioritized speed, the magic power consumption would accelerate, and in the worst-case scenario, it wouldn't last until the finish line. On the other hand, if you were too cautious, you’d lose the race. It was a crucial position that required monitoring the crystal's Remaining Magic Power—visualized through a magic formula—and adjusting the throttle accordingly.
"I think Aoi-senpai should handle Speed Operation," Hina suggested. "Of the three of us, she has the calmest judgment for that kind of thing."
"Good point... Aoi, can we count on you?" I asked.
"Yes. In that case, I'll take charge of the Speed Operation," Aoi agreed.
It was a delicate task that required adjusting the board's pace while calculating the Remaining Magic Power based on the race's progression. Aoi was the perfect fit. She had been a magic-user main in our old online games and was excellent at MP management. She was definitely the most qualified person for the job.
"That leaves Hina and me to handle Direction and Altitude, but..."
"I think it's better if Kaito-san handles the steering," Aoi said. "Hina, you... well, you aren't exactly the type to take a detour or adjust for the situation."
"Hey! That's not true! I can do it too!" Hina pouted.
"Suppose you were handling Directional Operation, Hina," Aoi countered. "How would you steer us?"
"Aoi-senpai, you can’t win a race if you aren't moving forward! My only strategy is straight ahead!"
"Alright," I sighed. "I’ll handle the Directional Operation."
"I’m counting on you," Aoi said.
"Whaaaat!?" Hina cried out in protest.
I understood Aoi’s concern perfectly. Hina was likely the type to charge straight through an obstacle rather than go around it. While taking risks was sometimes necessary to win, the Flying Board was unpredictable to begin with. Given that it required a certain level of cautious handling, I did feel a bit uneasy about leaving the steering to her.
Thus, it was settled: I would handle Directional Operation, while Hina would take Altitude Operation.
"Well, we’re in the fourth race, so at least we can get a feel for the atmosphere by watching the first three," I said, trying to settle our nerves.
"True. It’ll be hard to know what to expect until we see it in person," Aoi noted.
"Right! Let's do our best and grab victory with our teamwork!" Hina declared, pumping her fist. She looked like she was having the time of her life.
"You seem really excited today, Hina," I remarked.
"Of course I am, Kaito-senpai! This is teamwork! Aoi-senpai and I were brought to this world right after the summer tournament ended, so we missed out on our school's sports festival and cultural festival. I’m absolutely starving for team activities right now!"
"Hina is the kind of girl who loves things like group solidarity and the whole class working as one," Aoi added.
"Ah, I see..."
So she had been enthusiastic from the start because she was craving teamwork. Hina certainly seemed like the type to love that kind of camaraderie. Conversely, Aoi struck me as someone who preferred individual competitions.
At any rate, it had been a while since I'd participated in a team sport myself, so I decided to do my best to meet Hina's expectations.
I remembered the basketball game I’d played recently. I’d mostly just been dead weight alongside Tre...
Serious-senpai: "I thought Kaito’s Luck Correction would give him a massive advantage if the flight patterns were random, but it looks like there’s a fair amount of manual skill involved. Maybe it won't be that easy?"
???: "Well, there might be some correction in how it flies, but the core of the sport is coordination. It’s exactly as Hina says—a true team battle."