In crossover anime, who isn't a childhood friend?

Yukino & Shiwa: "???"

Eriri asked, "Wait a minute, Chiya, what does plank mean?"

"Literally, given their level of excellence, simply increasing the difficulty of the questions would certainly be no problem for them. Therefore, it is necessary to add some difficulty to the questions in other aspects as well."

Yuan Qianye calmly explained, "Of course, if either of you can't do it, you can just raise your hand and admit defeat now, which will save time, and we can start the next round of the competition directly."

So this is where they were waiting for me... Yukino had some reservations about this, but then she thought that it was just a plank exercise added to the normal question-and-answer session. It wasn't difficult, but something just felt a little off.

But it didn't matter. What she cared about more was the word "admit defeat" that Yuan Qianye had uttered.

What a joke! It's one thing to lose to him all this time, but she absolutely refuses to bow down to Kasumigaoka Utaha!

Yukino hesitated for a moment, then squatted down without any objection, placed the pillow on the ground, and rested her elbow on it.

Since she did that, Shiyu, who had similar thoughts, naturally followed suit immediately.

Since Yuan Qianye hadn't officially announced the start, they were currently only kneeling on the ground in a preparatory posture, somewhat similar to the starting gesture of the dogeza ceremony, but with subtle differences.

Even with such similar movements, the way they appear on the two of them is completely different.

For example, Shiyu's specific posture when kneeling on the ground is that her elbows bring down the center of gravity of her upper body and waist, almost touching the ground, while her rounded head is raised high. From the side, it looks very similar to a cat stretching its body with its front paws on the ground and its tail sticking up high.

As for Yukino, she raised her back completely, looking like a semi-circular arched bridge from the side, but the height she raised was not as exaggerated as Utaha's... as if she was welcoming something.

Hmm... In this round, Yukino undoubtedly lost completely.

Yuan Qianye silently gave himself a score.

However, there's nothing that can be done about it. After all, Yukino hasn't received as much of his earnest instruction as Utaha, to the point that her body has memorized it and developed instincts.

Rikka, who was massaging Chiya's shoulders, was observing him closely and noticed a barely perceptible smile on his lips. She silently discerned the wicked side of her older brother, who seemed a bit cunning.

I definitely can't be too presumptuous in front of him in the future, or I won't even know how I got messed up.

"Okay, let's get started."

Yukino and Utaha simultaneously moved their feet back, their shoulders leading their arms to exert force, their bodies tensing and forming a straight line, while performing a perfect plank exercise.

"Continue, whose ukiyo-e artist created 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa'?"

Katsushika Hokusai.

Yukino and Utaha responded almost simultaneously once again.

Excluding Chiya, their final exam scores were the highest in the first and second years of Soubu High School, which was not surprising.

However, now that there is an additional physically demanding activity, the two, who are evenly matched in terms of mental knowledge, will eventually have a winner. It's just a matter of time before they give up.

What is Beethoven's Fifth Symphony often referred to as?

"Symphony of Destiny".

Which river flows through the most countries in the world?

"The Danube River."

After a few questions, the two answered at the same time.

But it was obvious that the two, who were physically weak, were starting to tremble as they answered.

Shiyu felt a particular soreness in her arms and lower abdomen.

She secretly glanced at Yukino beside her, intending to find out more about her, but that glance made her suddenly realize something.

In terms of maintaining the movement during this competition, from the perspective of the body's natural weight distribution and burden...

It seems that there is a ten or even nine-tenths unfairness on her part!

…………

Volume 2: Chapter 120: Saeko: You two, haven't you had enough? (10,000 words) (3)

How many times a week do sloths come down from the tree to defecate on average?

"Once! Whoosh—whoosh…!"

I've lost count of which question this is.

This time, Yukino was the first to give an answer, her voice filled with a rapid, suppressed gasp.

She was somewhat lucky in this regard, because her love for cute animals meant she had a habit of watching similar programs and documentaries to relax, and she clearly remembered the habits of sloths—

Because they move extremely slowly on the ground and are easily preyed upon, they will try to minimize such life-threatening behaviors.

"That's right. Now the score is four to three, and Yukino is in the lead again."

"Yay—!" Eriri couldn't help but let out a small cheer, clenching her fists in front of her chest.

This puts the first game at match point! If Yukino wins just one more point, they will win this tough first game!

Go for it, Yukino!

Yuan Qianye's gaze swept over the two sweaty contestants on the floor, feeling both amused and sorry for them. He asked, "How are you? Can you still keep going?"

"..."

Neither Yukino nor Utaha responded when questioned. Their current state was remarkably similar; both were nearing their physical limits, and even uttering a single word could shatter their precarious balance.

The two weaklings have persevered for over two minutes entirely thanks to their indomitable spirit.

My body, which was maintaining the plank position, began to tremble slightly, like a candle flickering in the wind.

Meanwhile, the arms, which are the main support, are now like a newborn fawn trying to stand up but with weak legs, trembling incessantly.

Especially Shiyu, as her arms trembled, certain more prominent parts also swayed noticeably and rhythmically... From Yuan Qianye's perspective, it was quite pleasing to the eye.

She used to use her physical advantages to mock Eriri for trying to emulate an elementary school student, but now she's truly getting her comeuppance.

“Alright, since there are no problems, let’s continue.” Yuan Qianye cleared his throat, his gaze lingering subtly on Shi Yu, who was clearly struggling more: “'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times'—from…”

A Tale of Two Cities!

Shiyu couldn't wait to answer!

In his excitement, he relaxed his core and his body almost touched the ground for a moment while answering the question. Strictly speaking, this could be considered a violation of the rules.

However, Yuan Qianye pretended not to see it, since he had already made the question somewhat biased.

He clearly remembered that on the bookshelf in Shiyu's boudoir, there was a hardcover edition of "A Tale of Two Cities".

Damn it, what a pity!

Eriri clasped her hands tightly together, feeling regretful for her friend.

“Correct answer, four to four, it’s almost over. You two are really evenly matched.” Gen Chiya turned around, signaling Rikka to stop pressing his shoulders, and smiled gently at her: “You can set the last question, Rikka.”

"Eh? Me? Okay, okay!" Rikka was quite excited to be involved in such an interesting event.

However, when she turned her gaze to the two pale-faced, trembling contestants on the floor who were still stubbornly persisting, a sudden "ding" sounded in her mind, and alarm bells rang!

Ok? !

Wait a minute... something doesn't seem right!

Rikka looked at Minamoto no Chiya in disbelief, her eyes filled with accusation.

I kindly helped you relax by giving you a back massage, and this is how you repay me?

They actually plotted against me! How cunning!

The current situation is that no matter what questions I ask, and no matter which of the two of them gets the answer right and wins, I'll offend the other loser! This is clearly a thankless task that will offend people!

What kind of scapegoat am I?!

"Sorry, I suddenly realized..."

"I'm going to the restroom, I've been holding it in for ages. I'll temporarily hand over the refereeing authority to you."

Gen Chiyo handed the black wings in his arms to Rikka without any hesitation and ran away, not giving her any chance to regret or protest before she could react!

How could this person be so heartless and cruel! He even betrayed his own adopted sister!

At this moment, Rikka's understanding of Minamoto no Chiya's shamelessness and cunning was refreshed!

Yuan Qianye deliberately lingered in the bathroom for a while, making sure that the matter in the living room had been resolved, before leisurely strolling back.

The atmosphere in the living room was slightly different from when he left.

Eriri was kneeling behind Yukino, diligently massaging her sore shoulders and arms, her face beaming with obvious joy.

Although Yukino's expression remained aloof, a hint of relief was also evident in her slightly relaxed brows.

Shi Yu sat alone at the other end of the sofa, her expression calm as she tried to pick up the teacup in front of her, but her arm was shaking so badly that she couldn't bring the cup to her lips steadily after several attempts.

Finally, with Rikka looking apologetic, as if she had done something wrong, she managed to get a sip of water.

Although the outcome of the first round was already obvious based on the current situation, Yuan Qianye still pretended not to know and asked, "It's over, right? Who won the first round?"

Eriri happily replied, "Yukino won!"

"Heh." Shi Yu put down her teacup and let out a soft snort. Although her arm was still trembling slightly, her tone had returned to its usual languid and sharp tone: "I barely managed to answer the last question with someone's help. It's alright to give you the first round."

"Hey! What are you saying?!" Eriri immediately bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on: "I did know the answer to Rikka's question, but I just instinctively said 'Ah,' and didn't say anything else! How is that a hint?!"

Yukino slightly raised her hand, signaling Eriri to calm down. She calmly turned her gaze to Utaha, her voice clear and steady: "To use this method to forcefully find excuses for your failure... If I were you, I would never do that. It's too ugly, isn't it?"

"Say what you will." Shi Yu turned her face away, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the edge of the teacup: "In a best-of-nine series, a lead of only one point can only be considered a temporary lead at best."

"Whether it's a temporary lead or not, you'll find out later."

"Alright, the pre-match trash talk is over. Let's focus our energy on the next match." Yuan Qianye interrupted this new round of verbal sparring at the right time, and sat back down on the sofa: "Then let's get straight to the exciting second match, or do you need to rest for a while?"

Yukino: "I'm available anytime."

Shiyu: "Let's get started quickly."

The two spoke almost simultaneously, their gazes clashing once more, sparking an invisible flame.

"Good, good, good." Yuan Qianye smiled quite happily and clapped his hands.

Actually, with the situation having developed to this point, much of the frustration he felt due to their argument had dissipated.

Looking at it from another angle, taking this opportunity to teach these two girls—one aloof and proud, the other lazy and sarcastic—a lesson, while also bringing ourselves some long-lost fun, is actually a win-win situation in a way.

"Then the second game is about to begin. You two, stand a little distance apart from each other, just like before."

The two did as Yuan Qianye instructed.