Eldritch

 

I don't want to know how awkward it looks to others when I'm running these rounds.
The issue is that I'm overly conscious about the act.
There's not only the problem that I don't want anyone to notice that I could run them in what others might consider a full sprint when I have my reputation as the insomniac girl, no, I also have to worry that I might grow beast legs to run even better.
It's a stupid balancing act where I have to tell my body that, yes, I want to run, but no, not so fast that anything weird happens.

The result is me doing some kind of quick walking with overly pronounced stomps.
At least, I can be sure that my classmates won't think that I'm a sports ace now after my transformation.
This might help me during the sports day.
Just thinking about it, I already feel like a cheater without even having participated yet.
And no one can tell me that I’m merely using my naturally given talents.
My powers don't even belong in this reality.

Yet once I stop only focusing on myself, I notice another issue.
Today not only ours, but all classes of our year train together.
Something about this strengthening-comradery bullshit... Uh, pardon me.

Anyway, this includes two certain members of the occultism club.
Sora and the cooky girl.
Cooky girl seems pretty normal, aside from her intentionally distancing herself from the other runners, even if this means she has to run a longer distance on the outer lanes.

But the real problem is Sora.
It might be my perfect memory, but I remember very well how I did a little body strengthening on him.
Mostly, because I thought that with that attitude of his, he might inevitably get into a situation where a weak body would get him killed.
So in hindsight, I might've been a bit too generous, as this boy takes showing off his body prowess to a whole other level.
He's already at it to leave the best runners behind for the third time.
There's far too much energy and strength going with him, and it starts getting too obvious.
I think I have to do something about this, or we'll eventually get some broadcasting agencies here, which I'm not too keen on.
Yet I can only accelerate so much without looking suspicious, given my current running form.
So simply catching up to Mr. Superrunner is out of the question.
But how about I slow him down?

Yes, that might work.
I don't want to do anything too flashy to stop him, or people will get another topic that's going to be reported.
So I come up with a pretty ingenious way to drag this boy down to my speed level.

I wait till Sora is about to rush past me for another time.
A good distance before he's about to reach me, I let small tendrils in the same color as the tracking field grow directly below his shoes and merge them with his sole.
Yet they're so thin that they simply rip off the moment he raises his feet.
Anything stronger would've made him trip and I don't want to harm him.

By the way, the same goes for not suddenly taking away his powers.
Especially, as they're mostly his own.
I only activated them.
Basically, I see him as a good guy who only is a bit bad at holding back.
After all, there's no reason to punish him for this mishap.

Instead, I reconnect the tendrils the moment his feet touch the ground again.
I repeat this with every step he makes.
This way, his legs should become more and more difficult to move.
He seems confused, but if you don't look very closely they're gone the moment he lifts his foot.
Such shallow control doesn't even require a conscious effort of mine to maintain.

And it has a nice side effect.
Now Sora simply looks like someone who has overpaced and now pays the price, which makes him appear a little bit more normal.
Not by much, as he was simply too ridiculous before, but every little bit helps.

By the way, I also directly mend all possible damages to his shoes for this treatment.
After all, I'm not going to destroy his property.
When he's close enough to hear me I call out to him, in a way that only he can hear me.

 

"Stop being so obvious. You weren't an Olympic track runner last week." (I)

 

He stares at me, completely stopping in his tracks.

 

"Don't stop! Others can see us!" (I)

 

I give it my all not to sound too ominous, yet he seems to mind my status as a demonic overlord deity.
However, this is also what induces him to start running again.
At least, I have now a nifty trick to control his pace.
This way, we are eventually done.

 

"Great job, everyone! Iori! You're too stiff! Don't think so much about your movements! Yes, a walking form can be important, but for now just try to make the process flow a bit smoother!" (Ms. Otsuki)

 

Seriously, you don't want to see what happens if I don't think continuously about my movements.
Next, she addresses the whole class.

 

"That was a great workout, everyone! Now that you're all properly warmed up, there are various group activities you can apply for. Please, apply for those you're interested in. The clubs prepared all kinds of fun things! I hope each of you will find something that will get your heart pounding! Don't forget to form groups for team activities. Skipping out on this is not an option. At least one activity aside from the standard ones is mandatory. If you don't find your own thing, we'll assign you to one of our fun competitions! We have several competitive games, presentations, and many others! So let's have fun!" (O)

 

Help.

I look around the different booths that have been set up but can't find anything that would cut it for me.
I don't feel like accidentally blowing someone's arm off in a game of dodgeball.
The relay race might be simple enough for me, but it's a bit too high-spec.
This activity usually draws much attention, which doesn't really align with my interests.
Also, I just established that I'm slow.
Then there are some small-scale things, like table tennis, or the real version.
Yet it's hard to get in there without connections.
Those are normally occupied by the dedicated clubs.
I certainly don't want to go through the hassle of having to deal with them.
Especially, not, if I'm not doing well.

Then there are some activities that call for volunteers.
Which usually means there's a reason why nobody wants to do them.

 

"Everyone who wants to partake in the rider's battle please line up here!" (application girl)

 

Oh damn.
I can’t say just how much I hate this kind of group activity.
Being put on the spot for lacking any physical abilities is already bad enough, but having to perform in forced group activities is worse by several leagues.
Everyone is looking at you, and to make it work in this case, you are also in an elevated position.
Thank you, but I decline!

Suddenly, I feel a tug at my arm and am dragged to that booth by a relentless force.

 

"Hey, Chiaki! You want to give it a try?" (application girl)

"Sure! And don't worry! I already know perfectly who I'll be teaming up with." (C)

 

I don't like the sound of that.
Should I switch dimensions?
I am seriously considering this option.

 

"Iori? Are you sure? Great enthusiasm but she isn't all that fit." (application girl)

"She is so small, she will make for a great rider!" (C)

 

I am not small!
And since when can one be recruited against one's will?
Okay, if I don't get into something in time I'll get allotted to the undesirables, which given my indecisiveness seems like the most likely outcome.
Yet this one is certainly not much higher on my list.

 

"Chiaki, where do you intend to get a team? We are only two!" (I)

"She isn't wrong. Usually we can only take full teams for the application." (application girl)

"That's no problem. We only have to find two more before the preparation time ends, right?" (C)

"Well, yes." (application girl)

"Then I'll be back in a jiffy!" (C)

 

And with a complete lack of personal space, she again drags me with her.

 

"Chiaki! Stop pulling! I didn't even say I wanted to do this!" (I)

"Oh, do you have your eyes set on something else?" (C)

"No, but..." (I)

"Then this isn't worse than anything else, right? You only have to sit on top and snatch the bands. And nobody's going to say something if our provisional team sucks. After all, they changed the policy." (C)

 

Huh, that's not wrong.
Ms. Otsuki just said they stopped grading classes as a whole because it "created an unhealthy atmosphere of hostility between groups".
I heard last year it got even more violent between the upper classes.
Instead, they're now granting points and prizes to the best teams or individual partakers.
This still puts the unfit ones on the spot as the school wants to present something like "striving to a common ideal of fitness".
Not to forget that all the visitors still penetrate us with their stares.
But overall it's not as bad as before.
Yet Chiaki is overlooking a certain problem here.

 

"We don't even have a team! Do you intend to drag Makoto into this?" (I)

"Nah, Makoto is busy. He's already doing the track and field run and something with lifting weights." (C)

"Then who else?" (I)

"Is 'Karin' free?" (C)

"I haven't seen her all day." (I)

 

And this already sums up my circle of friends.
The status of Zika still being debatable.

 

"Then what about the boy you were with earlier? I saw how you stared at him." (C)

 

How did she even notice this while running?!

 

"Look, I don't intend to..." (I)

"Uh, hello. I wanted to apologize for earlier. I know you didn't grant me those powers to pose in front of others." (Sora)

 

I'm pretty sure I said something like that I don't want to see him in the news.
On another note, what's up with this timing!?!

 

"Great that you're here! We need you!" (C)

"Really!? Are there monsters to vanquish?!" (S)

"Well, no, but we want to train for the rider battle. Can you help us? Pleeeaase?" (C)

 

She asks this with the perfect puppy eyes look no man can prevail against.

 

"Uh, if you ask me like this. But don't you need one more member?" (S)

"What about the other girl in your club? She knows us, and since she's also informed about Iori we don't have to tiptoe around her." (C)

 

That sounds like a terrible idea.
But who am I to make any decisions here?
It's not like I even have time to say something before she already speeds away and catches herself an, until now, unaffiliated girl.
I mean she literally catches her.
She grabs her by the hip, lifts her, and walks back towards us.

 

"H-hey! What's the meaning of this?! Help!" (Nanako)

"So, you're now part of our team!" (C)

 

What about consent, Chiaki?
The recent kidnapping victim seems to think similarly about this and wants to give Chiaki a mouthful but stops dead in her tracks the moment she notices me.

 

"Great goddess..." (N)

 

Please, no kneeling!