COTE : Oh No, I've Become the Substitute

"Deal!"

Ichinose Honami agreed immediately, nodding with satisfaction, her eyes curved into crescent moons.

A quarter, huh... Judging by the size of that full-grown male goat, giving the Class B students a hearty meal should be no problem at all.

Ryuen Kakeru, clutching his faintly aching lower back, ran with an awkward gait. The ferocious light in his eyes blazed even brighter. Clearly, he was still nursing a deep grudge over that ramming from earlier.

"Damn it. A quarter's a quarter. But I'm going to hack that goat head off with my own hands!"

"Fine." The brief negotiation was concluded mid-sprint.

"In that case, have your class's students spread out immediately."

Katsuragi Kohei, who had spent these past few days cramming survival knowledge in the library, looked at the ever-increasing number of students around them and immediately formulated a plan.

"There are far too many students right now. Leave half to continue the pursuit. The rest will split into a command squad and an ambush squad. That goat's stamina is simply too good. Chasing it like this, we'll never catch up."

Ever since that goat had broken through from the cliff, they had been pursuing it nonstop all the way until now. Yet it was still nimbly darting through the forest, its speed not slowing in the slightest. At this rate, they might not even catch it by nightfall.

Once darkness fell, it would be even easier for it to escape. The risk during the continued pursuit would surge.

And with so many people packed so densely right now, tools like bows and javelins were difficult to use and could easily cause injuries. Besides, if that goat went berserk, dodging would also be hard with too many people around.

On the other hand, digging pits, crafting vine traps, or ambushing it at a specific location all required manpower. The rest could keep chasing it from a distance and wear down its stamina.

"You've got some skills after all, Katsuragi." Ryuen bared his teeth in a grin and reassessed Katsuragi from head to toe. "I thought you were too conservative. But you're still worthy of being called Class A's leader."

"Still—don't you dare try ordering me around!"

With that, Ryuen muttered a few low instructions to the Class C students beside him and, on his own, accelerated with his men toward the goat.

That twisted running posture... was he really alright?

With the addition of Class B and Class C students, the Class A students who had been relentlessly pursuing the goat gradually fell back. The boys of Classes B and C rotated in shifts to continue the chase, wearing down the goat's stamina while methodically driving it toward a specific area.

The afternoon sun drew near the horizon. The blue sky at the edge of the sea began to dye into shades of red and gold.

Time trickled away.

A sharp shout tore through the clamor of the forest.

"It worked! It's entered the encirclement!" Someone yelled with excitement.

A crowd of boys burst from the forest. The terrain ahead opened wide—a shrub-choked depression, hemmed in on three sides by steep slopes.

The goat, just as planned, had been driven by the herding crowd straight into this natural cage.

Students from the three classes surged from every direction, sealing off the sole gap. Gripping makeshift spears, they formed a tight human wall.

The goat, panting, seemed to understand its predicament at last. It pawed restlessly at the ground.

"Damn you, beast!"

Ryuen shoved the human wall aside. Paying no heed to whatever plan there was, he charged straight in first. In a single stride, he lunged at the cornered goat, his face full of savage glee, and kicked out.

"Got you now! Die!"

He was going to avenge his back for that ramming blow!

"Ryuen-aniki! Go for it!"

"Ryuen! Take it down and I'll consider forgetting what just happened!"

"Charge, Ryuen-san!"

The Class C students, along with a portion of drama-relishing students from other classes, burst into cheers.

Just as Ryuen was less than three meters from the goat, a vicious gleam flashed through the eyes of the cornered beast.

It did not retreat. With explosive power, it kicked off the ground. Its powerful hind limbs coiled and launched outward, kicking straight at Ryuen!

"Knew you'd pull that!"

Ryuen sidestepped and evaded the hooves.

"I was just careless earlier and let you get a cheap shot in! Now do as you're told and become goat soup!"

He lashed out with another kick.

"Thud..."

A heavy impact resounded against the goat's flank. This time, Ryuen had landed a solid hit.

"Whoa!"

That single kick ignited the crowd. The clearing had become a Roman coliseum. Most of the first-year students were roaring encouragement for this indomitable man.

"Ryuen-aniki, you're the best!"

"I misjudged you before! I always thought you were just a chuuni, impulsive, and had a taste for eating crap. Never imagined you had such a heroic side!"

"Ryuen-kun, go! From this day forward, I'm your number one fan!"

Gradually, the battle between Ryuen and the goat reached white-hot intensity. A hoof for a punch. The two sides engaged in fierce back-and-forth combat.

Just as the man and the goat were fully focused on each other—above the steep slope, a hand extended and flashed several rapid signals.

In that instant—

Kito Hayato burst from the crowd. With a kick of devastating force, he struck the goat's center of gravity and sent it crashing to the ground.

"Now! The vines! Hurry!" Katsuragi was the first to roar out.

The ambush squad, lying in wait atop the slope and behind the thickets, revealed themselves.

Matoba Shinji and Hashimoto Masayoshi from Class A. Kanzaki Ryuji and Shibata So from Class B. Along with a few Class C students following Katsuragi's command—all of them gripped the thick vine ropes they had gathered and braided during the wait. From different angles, they flung them with all their might.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Seven or eight vines descended like serpents, aimed straight at the goat's limbs, neck, and horns.

The goat struggled, leaped, and charged in fury, trying to break free. But the vines looped around its hooves and neck were pulled tight by the surrounding students. The other ends were wound around tree trunks and knotted into place.

The more it struggled, the more vines entangled it—and the tighter they became.

"Pull tight! Don't let go!"

"Another one over here!"

"Bind its horns!"

More students joined in, throwing and winding more vines over it.

The depression filled with the groan of vines pulled taut, the goat's furious bleating, the shouts of the students, and Ryuen's manic laughter as he kicked the goat again and again.

That goat which had once threaded through the forest like lightning, leaving three classes helpless—within the net woven from vines by the gathered crowd, it had exhausted every last ounce of its strength. Bound firmly on the spot, it could only pant in futility.

"Whoa! We won!"

Amid the cheers of each class, the chaotic cross-class grand hunt came to a close.

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