As soon as the first round began, the character controlled by Eriri launched a fierce attack. Judging by the action, it was an almost one-sided beatdown. (Continued)

"Hahahaha! Now you finally understand, don't you? Trying to stop us is futile! Sing the praises of the glorious Far East Magic Society!"

Takanashi Rikka stood up on the tatami and proclaimed grandly to everyone.

"Tch, what's that got to do with you?"

"You're just some nobody who showed up to watch. What are you acting all high and mighty for?"

"Where'd this brat come from?"

Her words stirred up the crowd, who glared at her angrily.

"Takanashi-san, don't be so arrogant! You're really going to get beaten up!"

Fujiwara Chika got to her feet, covered Rikka's mouth, and whispered in her ear.

"They're mere mortals. Before my Wicked Eye of the Tyrant King, they don't even have the right to move."

"Uh, wait. What even is the Wicked Eye of the Tyrant King?"

"The Wicked Eye of the Tyrant King is..."

Ignoring the two girls whispering together in the corner,

"I lost this match fair and square. You beat me even though your first move was on Tengen—that shows there's a huge gap between our playing strengths."

Watanabe Yoshitaka stood to one side and held out his hand.

Hasegawa Izumi didn't give him the cold shoulder. Out of politeness, he shook his hand.

"To have such skill at your age, your talent for Go is truly immeasurable. If you're willing, I hope you'll join my Go institute and study further. I believe you could become a man who shoulders the future of Tou-ei's Go world! Fame and fortune will be yours!"

Even in defeat, Watanabe Yoshitaka recognized talent and wanted to recruit him, appealing to both his feelings and his desire for profit.

But that wasn't what he wanted, so he rejected the offer outright.

"Sorry, I'm not interested."

After saying that, Hasegawa Izumi headed out of the Go Club.

"Rikka, Chika, let's go."

Inside the room.

"Whoa, the Club President actually lost to that guy? And got totally crushed!"

"What was that Heaven and Earth Unite thing? I thought he was a beginner, but his skill was incredible."

"Hey, Club President, was the board glowing gold while you were playing?"

"You saw it too? I thought I'd imagined it."

"Seriously? That can't be real! Was it that legendary aura that makes people see things?"

The Go Club members, who had been holding back, burst into chatter.

Hasegawa and the others made their way to the News Department.

"Club President."

Ki Karen and Kyose Erika put down their work and came over. Then Asahi Shizuku told them the result of the match, and they were all taken aback.

Someone with no record of ever playing Go had beaten a professional-level player. It was absurd!

Had he secretly taught himself online?

That would still be impressive!

In an instant, their opinion of Hasegawa Izumi—the "madman"—rose to "a crazy guy with real talent."

Once the result was in, they began the second round of interviews.

There wasn't much new to cover. They'd already traded taunts, so they just recorded his thoughts and insights from the match, then asked him to choose his next target.

"Then the Tennis Club."

After some consideration, Hasegawa Izumi picked a target with some real weight.

Compared with the Go Club, a traditional sports club like this had more standing and fame. Beating them would make a bigger splash and get people to take this seriously.

Until he had defeated every major opponent ahead of him, and the Far East Magic Society had claimed the top spot in every respect!

"Please welcome our next victim."

He added that little taunt, making the girls burst into laughter.

"Pfft..."

"By the way, here's some information I gathered on the Tennis Club's Club President... It should improve your chances a bit. The Tennis Club will probably be a tougher challenge than the Go Club."

Asahi Shizuku set a sheet of information on the table and slid it over to him with her finger.

"No need. If he can fire a 'Light Orb' or a 'black hole,' or enter the state of Ultimate Skill, then I might have to take him seriously."

He had no interest in learning more and left without a care.

"Do you... do you understand what he's talking about?"

Asahi Shizuku turned to them, looking bewildered.

"Not at all."

Kyose Erika shook her head.

"It's normal that we can't keep up with a chuunibyou's train of thought. If we could, that'd be the real disaster!"

Ki Karen said.

"Y-yeah..."

The others agreed.

"Click."

The door closed.

The three of them walked down the hallway.

"That was great. He got off to a wonderful start. Maybe Izumi-chan really will achieve that grand goal of his."

After seeing his amazing performance, Fujiwara Chika's expectations of him had shot up to a whole new level.

"Thank goodness Izumi-chan didn't plan to challenge our Tabletop Game Club. I'd be so embarrassed in front of the whole school~!"

The girl looked relieved.

"Don't worry. The Tabletop Game Club isn't qualified."

Hasegawa Izumi tried to reassure her.

"Izumi-chan, you're so mean! You're looking down on me! Fine, starting next week, you have to play games with me during lunch!"

Fujiwara Chika suddenly spoke up again, her cheeks puffed out. She wanted to improve her odds by challenging him again and again.

That woman was seriously competitive when it came to games!

"If I have time, I don't mind."

He sounded completely indifferent, and was even a little looking forward to it.

Though what he looked forward to was seeing what kind of cheating Chika would try.

Before long,

the news of the Go Club's defeat spread through group chats and private messages between friends.

The performance of Shuchiin's number-one madman had caught almost everyone off guard. The News Department had also announced that his next target was the Tennis Club, and since school was already out, the match was set for the following Monday.

The sun sank toward the horizon, casting its golden glow over the tennis courts.

After finishing their practice match, the Tennis Club members were picking up the balls and getting ready to pack up and head home.

The Tennis Club's Club President was a muscular man who stood 1.8 meters tall. His name was Kawamura Kentaro. Back in middle school, he had competed in singles at the national tournament, and his skill was beyond question.

"Club President, something big has happened!"

Suddenly, a first-year student who had been looking at his phone stood up and shouted to Kawamura Kentaro.

"What is it?"

Kawamura Kentaro walked over, looking puzzled.

Then he learned from the other student that he had been chosen as the second target.

"Heh, so what if he beat the Go Club? What's there to be afraid of? How can people who use their brains compete with my well-trained muscles?"

He wasn't worried at all. He raised his right arm and showed off his smooth, bulging muscles, rippling with strength.

"To become a true strongman, you need to believe in yourself. Don't panic so easily!"

"Yes! Thank you for the guidance, Club President!"

18 Saitama Training Method

"What? Seriously? Am I seeing this right?"

On the train home, Nibuya Morika saw the message that was spreading like wildfire through her friend circle. She looked utterly incredulous, her tail slightly flared and frozen in place.

A chuunibyou? What could that be?

Just someone who spent all day dreaming and imagining they had some special "power," when in reality, all they did was make other people laugh at them. They were usually seen as good-for-nothings.

Like everyone else, she'd believed even more firmly that he was just messing around, only talking big. She hadn't expected him to actually do it!

And she certainly hadn't expected him to succeed.

"When did that guy learn to play Go? Was he secretly working hard, then astonishing everyone? What kind of cliché anime plot is that... And if he keeps going, there's no way he's such a genius that he can beat everyone, right?"

But for now, that was as far as her thoughts went.

After all, in the memories she had locked away, Hasegawa had been her guide, but he'd never shown the kind of strength that could truly convince her...

Meanwhile,

"Whoa, that Hasegawa guy actually won!"

"No way! That guy didn't cheat, did he? I've heard of some pretty nasty cheating tricks, like hiding something..."

"Uh, heh, who knows? He's already issued a second challenge. He's going to play against that big guy from the Tennis Club."

"That big guy? Wouldn't that be even harder? And you can't really cheat at tennis, can you?"

As his Childhood Friend and a member of the Art Club, Eriri acted as if she didn't care about his news at all. In truth, she was just too embarrassed to join in with everyone else, and her feelings were a mess.

That idiot had actually won his challenge?

Was that a good thing or a bad thing?

She'd been planning to force herself to comfort Izumi after he lost, but it seemed she wouldn't have to step in after all.

"By the way, where did Izumi learn Go? How come I never knew?"

The girl wondered.

As his Childhood Friend, she prided herself on knowing him better than anyone.

But she really had never heard anything about this.

So, on her way home, she asked Izumi about it.

Izumi: Didn't I tell you? I dreamed it.

"Heh, you're trying that line on me again? You must've secretly learned it online!"

Looking at the message, Eriri felt a # symbol appear on her forehead. She made up her mind and gave a cold laugh.

Only an idiot would believe that explanation!

After chatting with Eriri, Hasegawa Izumi had arrived at his front door.

"Kōko, I'm home."

He opened the door, changed his shoes in the entryway, and went into the living room, where he saw his little sister watching anime as usual.

"Hmph, Kōko is merely a false name. My true name is Resis, the progenitor of the mighty Night Blood Clan. Now I thirst for blood, heh heh heh... Hand over the offering at once, or I shall bring disaster upon you!"