7O3X Fastest Finger First (ナナマル サンバツ)

Looks like you've figured something out, Koshiyama.

But I'm confident in my answer.

The bigger question is...

Now, all players, show your—

Just a moment.

Let's see their answers one at a time.

I'd like to hear how they arrived at them.

Then, we'll start with Shibata-san.

Friday

Why did you think it was Friday?

Uh... It's not the 13th, but they all sounded ominous...

After all, there's a "Black Friday," isn't there?

Next, Mikuriya-kun.

If his answer is correct, he'll hit 20 points.

Sun

Sunday.

Why do you say Sunday?

Basic arithmetic based on Zeller's congruence.

H-H-How about that?

Mikuriya-kun made his guess of "Sunday"

using not history, but math!

Sun

It's not a guess. It's a fixed answer.

Next is Koshiyama-kun.

I arrived at my answer in my own way, too.

Yes.

I found my answer based on the third date given: May 15th, 1932.

That was the date of the coup d'état

known as the May 15th Incident,

when Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi was assassinated...

So he went with the May 15th Incident?

But I didn't know which day of the week that was.

I recalled all the details I'd read about,

but there was nothing that pointed to a specific day of the week.

But then, I remembered.

One book about the May 15th Incident said that

the Prime Minister's wife, when she learned of the incident,

rushed to his residence from the hotel where she'd been staying.

I read the book when I was in middle school,

and I remember being surprised that the Imperial Hotel was around then.

According to the information in the book,

his wife was attending a wedding ceremony being held at the hotel,

when she rushed back home.

Oh-ho?

In other words...

Sun

Because of the wedding,

that would make it a Sunday, right?

People didn't have Saturdays off work back then,

so most weddings would have taken place on Sundays or in the holidays.

He got that not from the incident itself, but from the involvement of a third party?

That's incredible, Koshiyama-kun! Great deduction!

Koshiyama-kun really is interesting.

If he keeps gaining more experience and getting used to things,

he could be great at quiz bowl.

Next, Sonohara-kun.

You were the one who buzzed in.

Are you feeling confident?

Oh, I just trust my intuition!

Intuition, huh?

If you're wrong, you lose three points, and you're out.

Oh, that's right!

I don't have any particular reasoning behind it, but...

Not.

They both said Sunday, didn't they?

In that case...

I've won this little game.

Sunday

I also said Sunday.

Okay, we will now reveal the correct answer.

The question was, "April 5th, 1722;

January 22nd, 1905;

and May 15th, 1932.

All of these were, specifically, what day of the week?"

The correct answer is Sunday.

The first date, April 5th, 1722,

was when Easter Island was discovered.

It was so named because it was discovered on Easter Sunday.

Oh-ho...

And the second date was the Bloody Sunday massacre during the Russian Revolution.

Common knowledge, of course.

Now, Sonohara-kun, since you answered correctly after buzzing,

please distribute your three points.

Akira-kun?

Isn't this a riot? Everything I've done to set this game up

has finally led to deciding who wins and who loses!

Is this game over? Or is there still a chance?

I don't really care whether I win or lose,

but all of you guys want a chance, right?

Just look! They all want me to subtract points from the guy at the top!

Get on with it. You're wasting our time.

You know, when I'm provoked, I just can't help responding.

Mikuriya Chisato, I'm subtracting...

three points from you!

Mikuriya-kun drops from nineteen to sixteen points!

Mikuriya

But he gets one point for his correct answer.

Way to go, Koshiyama! You took the lead!

Not using my own ability.

We've all been taking this seriously!

Why do you keep doing these mean-spirited things to interfere?!

What are you saying?

If I hadn't taken points from him, you would've lost.

Now, you have a chance! Isn't that good?

He thinks this is a joke!

Throw him out of here!

Cut it out. Subtracting points is part of the rules.

A true winner can win, no matter what the rules are.

Koshiyama!

If you let this chance slip by, I'll sneer at your failure.

There's his competitive spirit.

Nothing gets Mikuriya-kun down, does it?

I guess that's why he's so strong.

Sonohara-kun, where are—

I'm done with this. I'm bored.

I withdraw.

What?!

Hey! Sonohara!

It's just no fun.

Akira!

You can't, President!

I know you're worried about your brother,

but you should leave this to Sekigawata's club president.

Yes, you're right.

I have to assume the responsibility of hosting the regular meet until it ends.

With Sonohara-kun's withdrawal, the meet will resume with the remaining five players.

Squee

Uh...

What do you want?

It's upsetting to hear you say you're bored

when you weren't even playing for real.

Why can't you take the competition seriously?

In any game, everyone's entitled to their own playing style, right?

And quitting before the match is over is your "style"?

No, it's not.

You know, I'll gladly use infinite combos, bug exploits, or secret commands anytime,

but I'll never use hack codes or no-disc patches.

What are you talking about?

In that last question, though...

The day of the week? What about it?

I made the one-in-seven chance a two-in-seven chance.

The kanji for "Sunday" and "Monday" look really similar, don't they?

I wrote it sloppily enough that it could be read as either Sunday or Monday.

If the guys most likely to get it right said Sunday or Monday,

I could jump on board with them.

In other games, you'd call it a forbidden move, right?

So I'm done. I fouled out.

Sunday and Monday, huh? The kanji do look similar.

You really are cunning.

I get that a l—

Never do that again.

I-I won't! Are you nuts?

It's just quiz bowl... Just a stupid game!

You guys get way too worked up over it!

Oh, is that right?

It looked to me like you were desperate to stir everyone up in there!

You don't have any friends, do you?!

Sh-Shut up!

In any case, maybe you can indirectly mess with people who take this seriously,

but you don't have the guts to face them head-on, do you?!

You're wrong! There's no one who'll face me head-on, that's all!

Hey! Let go!

What's your problem?! Let go of me!

Just get in here.

It's about to get even more interesting.

If you miss it, you'll regret it!

Huh?!

First, a wall slam, and now they're holding hands?

Oh, my God! Is this a new development?!

The president of Sekigawata's club...

...and President Sonohara's little brother are...

If Mikuriya-kun buzzes in and answers correctly,

we'll both reach 20 points.

I have to avoid getting into a sudden death fastest finger round with him.

Three questions remain.

Koshiyama only needs one more point.

All he has to do is answer correctly, and he wins...

Question.

Occurring in times of technological innovation roughly—

Yes!

Innovation? Moore's law?

I don't know! I didn't hear enough of the question!

Kondratiev Waves

The correct answer is Kondratiev waves.

Occurring in times of technological innovation roughly once every fifty years, the business cycle named for a Russian economist is known as "what" waves? A: Kondratiev waves

Shibata-kun, Shibuya-kun, and Mikuriya-kun answered correctly.

Kondratiev Waves

With points added to each of their scores, the battle is growing quite chaotic.

Kondratiev Waves

I need to get better at straight questions with early determining points.

Now, Shibata-kun, how will you distribute your three points?

Uh...

I'll subtract one point from Koshiyama-kun of Buzou.

Huh?!

Well, you seem like you could answer correctly without buzzing in.

Don't be upset.

Oh... I'm not...

Thank you.

Don't thank him for taking a point away from you.

Huh? Oh, y-you're right...