Anime rating game

"Mr. Masamune, where is the first rest stop? Where did the runway go?"

"Didn't you read the competition schedule? This commercial street is the first rest stop."

"Huh...? The whole street is like that?" Doma asked, looking surprised.

I had assumed that a rest stop would be an open space, a park, or a coffee shop.

Is it because there are too many people?

“That’s right.” Masamune nodded slightly. “There are too many participants; one coffee shop certainly can’t accommodate them all. So, the entire shopping street is a rest area. The specific competition rules are written on the signs over there.”

"It's already 11 o'clock, let's have lunch together?"

"No, I can't run anymore after I eat."

Doma Umaru hesitated for a moment, but still declined the lunch invitation.

Upon entering the store, I subconsciously looked around and saw that there were more than ten TVs inside, which not only covered the five different rest areas, but also the live broadcasts of the starting point and the finish line.

Seeing Karasuma Chitose and Doma Umaru giving an interview inside the terminal station, Doma's eyes widened, and he subconsciously glanced at his phone again.

"It's only been two hours, right? They've already reached the finish line? The entire course is about 45 kilometers long, isn't it?"

"It will only grow longer, not shorter."

"How did they manage that? And so many people passed through the final stop, could they all have gone by car?"

"Judging from the broadcast footage, they stayed within the track the entire time."

"Is that woman a superhero? Carrying two people, running 45 kilometers in two hours, is that something a human can do?"

"To be precise, she finished the whole course in one hour and forty minutes, dropped off Chitose and Hyakka before the finish line, and is currently running back."

"... "

Doma was speechless. He sat down in the shop and drank a glass of iced cola.

The physical fatigue was instantly cured, and the mind seemed to relax as well.

And then Karasuma Chitose's voice came from the television.

[...Ashamed? Not at all, everyone does it this way. If there's a shortcut, wouldn't it be foolish to stick to the slow, steady path?]

(As a member of Musashino Agency, Ms. Karasuma is also part of the organizers. Will participating in the competition and passing in this way have a negative impact on the public?)

[What does it matter? As long as the result is good, isn't that enough? (laughs)]

(How much did Ms. Karasuma pay to hire that superwoman in order to win?)

[It's a secret; how could I tell anyone about something like this? Just say, "Long live friendship!"]

It seems that this does not violate the rules of the game.

Although she doesn't like cheating when playing games, Umaru is honestly not good at physical activities.

Sprinting is fine, but long-distance running requires too much physical strength, especially a marathon that is more than 40 kilometers long.

The race course has five rest stops, plus the start and finish lines, making a total of seven sections, each section being seven or eight kilometers.

It sounds short, but it took me two hours.

Moreover, my legs are already a bit sore, and the next 40 kilometers seem like an insurmountable challenge.

After a moment's thought, Doma Umaru started dialing her brother's number.

"Brother, did you see the broadcast of the marathon?"

[Yes, I'm watching TV with everyone in the store.]

"Then...brother must have seen that Chitose has reached the finish line, right?"

[Umaru, you're not thinking of cheating like that, are you? Absolutely not! Since you've entered the competition, you should compete properly.]

"Brother, my legs hurt so much."

[this…]

"That's 45 kilometers! If I had to run that, my legs would be ruined."

"Besides, have you ever run that far before, brother?"

"I'm at the first rest stop now, which is only about seven or eight kilometers away. Just running this far, my legs are already aching terribly."

"Brother, you don't want to see me become a cripple, do you?"

[…How much?]

"Ten million."

How much did you say?

"Brother, please! If we keep running like this, I'm going to cough up blood."

[My heart is bleeding... Ugh... Fine, it's your own money anyway, I'm just saving it for you. I'll transfer it to you later.]

"Thank you, brother."

Doma was overjoyed; it was done!

After ending the call, I immediately dialed Gui Xuelu's number.

"Miss Katsura, I am Umaru Doma."

"Oh...do you need my help?"

Yes, can you bring three people at the same time?

"Wait a moment, I'll be right there."

Soon after, Katsuragi was welcomed into the restaurant by Doma Umaru, who had been waiting at the entrance.

"Would you like to have lunch first, Miss Gui?"

"No need to eat, making money is the priority. This is the first rest stop. Three people, that's fifteen million."

"no problem."

Doma Umaru took out his phone, showed her the amount his brother had just transferred, and said with a smile:

"This is for me and Grey. We'll give it to you when we get to the finish line."

Upon seeing that long string of numbers, Gui Xuelu's breathing became rapid, and her eyes were filled with excitement.

I originally came for the 30 million for the championship, but after thinking about it carefully, the championship is really too difficult to win. The top few in this kind of competition are usually predetermined.

In that case, it would be great if we could earn some extra money along the way.

The previous 1200, plus the current 1500, that's 2700. If I make two more trips this afternoon, I'll be rich.

"Let's get going. Wait, I only have two hands, I can't carry three people!"

At that moment, Sylphyn ran over with a smile, holding three sets of roller skates in her hand.

"Use this. I just asked the president, and roller skates aren't considered equipment, so we can use them."

"Miss Gui ran ahead and tied us to her back with a rope. That should make running easier, right?"

"That's true." Gui Xuelu nodded slightly, then quickly realized a problem, "The money can't be less."

"Of course, I've already had my mom transfer the 5 million, and I'll pay immediately upon reaching the finish line."

"Okay, then you guys hurry up and put on your roller skates."

……

"Wow...is this woman a monster?"

Around 4 p.m., at the finish line rest area, Karasuma Chitose couldn't help but exclaim in surprise as she saw a large group of girls being dragged behind Katsura Yukiro.

Those around it were filled with amazement.

Even with the help of roller skates, it still requires a great deal of strength to drag so many people.

Not to mention, she initially carried herself and Baihua for more than 40 kilometers.

The next moment, when there were still more than ten meters to go, Gui Xuelu burned out completely, her legs buckled, and she collapsed to the ground.

Even though he was almost out of breath, his eyes were still wide open, and he kept shouting "money, money".

Seeing this, Doma Umaru picked up her phone, transferred the money, showed the transaction history, and said with a smile:

"Thank you, Miss Gui. You can go in peace now."

"Money...in handy. Whew...I'm rich now, whew..."

I overestimated myself. On the way here, many people kept asking about the situation, wanting to earn more money, so I dragged a lot of people behind me.

Even though the people behind me were wearing roller skates, it didn't feel like I saved much effort.

By the third rest stop, we were already pushing ourselves to the limit, and our pace had slowed down considerably.

But when he thought of the money, and the terrible days when he was a child being chased by debt collectors and running away with his younger sister, he gritted his teeth and started running again.

Gui Xuelu fainted with relief only after the last person had paid.

"Umaru, you guys are so slow. I was worried that you didn't want to spend money, which would cause you to fail the first level."

"There's nothing I can do. Miss Gui brought too many people, so the pace slowed down considerably towards the end. I told her to rest for a while, but she said that money doesn't wait for anyone."

"Is she okay?"

"She seems to have fallen asleep from exhaustion. Let her rest for a while."

Looking at Katsura Yukiji being carried aside by several people, Doma Umaru shook his head with a smile.

I thought Miss Gui was a superhero, but it turns out she gets tired too.

At this moment, a pink-haired high school girl walked over with a helpless expression and carried Gui Xuelu on her back.

"What is your relationship with Miss Gui? Where are you taking her?"

“She’s my sister, I’m taking her home.”

"How is Miss Gui? I really troubled her today."

"It's alright, my sister is always so willful and often causes trouble for others. But... I haven't seen her this happy in a long time."

After watching the two leave, Doma Umaru smiled and waved to Masamune and his companion who were walking towards them from a distance.