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)

Kōko stood up, holding the patched-up Demon Rabbit in one hand and making a sideways V-sign in front of her face with the other as she recited a familiar line.

"Are you hungry? Big brother will make dinner for you right away."

He understood what she meant. After tossing his schoolbag aside, he headed into the kitchen.

A while later.

A steaming bowl of noodles appeared in front of Kōko, topped with tomatoes, eggs, and seasonings like her favorite garlic.

Even so, his little sister furrowed her brows.

"Why isn't it tonkotsu ramen?"

It was her favorite food, and it had to have lots and lots of garlic.

Still, a vampire eating garlic was pretty hilarious.

"Because that takes too long to make," Hasegawa Izumi replied.

Kōko pursed her lips, then continued, a little displeased. "By the way, My other half, not only have my offerings become so meager, but you've also been neglecting your duties lately. Is it all because you've been playing with those humans at school?"

She was jealous!

He could see his little sister's mood plain as day.

"That's because I've had important matches to deal with at school lately, and I had even more club activities today. Naturally, that means I have less time to spend with you, Kōko. It can't be helped."

He looked helpless.

"Besides, I'm fighting alongside my allies."

He raised a finger to emphasize his point.

"I-I never heard anything about that! Big brother, explain it to me!"

Kōko looked flustered and anxious.

So, he briefly told his little sister about what had happened since he started attending Shuchiin.

"My other half, do you think club activities are more important than I am?"

Kōko turned her head aside, reluctant to accept it.

"I'm glad you understand."

He answered without thinking.

"Ugh."

His little sister's cheeks puffed up at once.

She absolutely did not understand!

Big brother could only be her big brother!

Sunday.

Another sunny day.

To keep himself in good shape, Hasegawa Izumi planned to squeeze in a workout during the holiday.

First, he quietly pushed open Kōko's bedroom door. His little sister was sleeping soundly, with no sign of waking up, so he put off breakfast for a little while.

Exercise required a proper routine. Otherwise, it would be a waste of effort, so he chose what was theoretically the most effective workout.

One hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, one hundred squats, and a ten-kilometer run every day.

The exercises were meant to build muscle strength, endurance, and explosiveness. They would also improve cardiovascular fitness and stamina. If he kept at it long enough, his physical fitness would make a huge leap.

"But there seems to be one drawback to this routine: it might make me go bald?"

Hasegawa Izumi thought it over, his brows knitting together.

Maybe he'd better not.

Going bald at such a young age just wouldn't do.

He felt like he could pull off a shaved head with his looks, but he'd inevitably get teased and stuck with some weird nickname like "Bald Cape Hero." The image was almost too beautiful to bear.

When he finished exercising and returned home, Kōko had just come out of her bedroom, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

"Did My other half just go out?"

His little sister asked.

"I worked out for about half an hour," he replied.

"Is that so? Is this your resolve to become stronger, My other half? But if you want to surpass me, you still have a long way to go."

"Heh."

He smiled without replying and patted his little sister on the head.

No need to argue with a child!

"My other half, I can't tell that you worked out at all."

Kōko looked up at her big brother's face, which wasn't even sweaty, and felt puzzled again.

"Nothing to it. Maybe the workout wasn't intense enough... Anyway, now that you're awake, Kōko, I should get breakfast ready."

He answered casually and walked into the kitchen.

Kōko stayed where she was, watching her big brother leave, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

Then she remembered that her morning anime was about to start, and her attention wandered in an instant.

Today's Wind Is Especially Boisterous

Over the weekend, their parents called to check in, wanting to know how their children had been doing since they'd left them.

"Izumi, how have you been lately? Has it been tiring? Taking care of Kōko must be a lot of trouble, right? And I heard from Sayuri that you've been making quite a stir at Shuchiin."

"I think it's been fine. Taking care of Kōko is a piece of cake, and she's grown a lot more independent lately. She can even go to school on her own now... As for what's happening at school, it's all no big deal."

"All right. Since you say so, I'll take your word for it for now. If you run into any trouble, you can talk to Aunt Sayuri. We're practically best friends, after all~ Of course, you can talk to Eriri, too."

"I know. Don't worry. You and Dad should just enjoy your time together."

"Hehehe... All right, pass the phone to Kōko. I want to talk to her."

After listening, Hasegawa Izumi handed his little sister the telephone receiver.

"Kōko? I haven't heard your voice in so long. Have you missed Mom?"

"Ah, i-it's been a long time... Mom."

At the sound of her mother's voice, Kōko looked visibly nervous. She slipped back into her sweet, soft-spoken self, her voice trembling as she lost her usual loud, overbearing air.

He wasn't interested in eavesdropping. After taking one look, he went to his room.

Some time passed.

When he came back out, Kōko was sitting on the sofa watching TV as though nothing had happened.

"Kōko, Mom must have reminded you to do something, right? Like watch less anime and read more, or not stay up late?"

He sounded quite certain.

Kōko's body trembled. She turned around with a strained expression, still holding the same pose, and said, "Heh heh heh, I am the Progenitor of Blood. I have long since escaped the restraints of my bloodline and am no longer bound by my creator's commands!"

"Fine. I'll call her right now and tell her about it."

He narrowed his eyes and threatened her.

"Ah, don't, big brother! I-I get it!"

Kōko pressed her thin lips together and had no choice but to agree.

"Midterms are next month. You don't want to disappoint Mom, do you? So, do your best. I'll give you a little more allowance, and then we can go eat tonkotsu ramen together."

He patted his little sister on the head and gently coaxed her.

"Really, big brother?"

Kōko looked excited. Her sadness turned to joy as she lifted her head.

"Really."

A new week began.

It was also the last week before the Golden Week holidays.

People were usually restless in the days leading up to a short break.

Hasegawa Izumi rode the bicycle he'd repaired over the weekend to the area near Shuchiin High School, then found a spot and securely locked it up.

Why park it outside?

Obviously, riding it into school would be far too conspicuous.

With his current level of notoriety, he might get pranked. Students at this high-achieving school might have good grades, but the privileged-kid attitude was still obvious, so he had to be careful.

When he reached the school gate, he headed inside, acting as though nothing was out of the ordinary.

In reality, he could feel that the attention he was getting had multiplied several times over compared with last week.

It wasn't hard to understand. After he defeated the Go Club and proved he wasn't all talk, even those who'd dismissed him had taken a fresh look at him.

So, by now, he'd become a celebrity at Shuchiin.

He'd gone from being the circus clown to someone who was known by name.

But that was only a small step. He would prove the worth of the Far East Magic Society and lead more lost lambs onto the right path.

"Harano, your skin is so nice! What skincare products do you use? Or do you take milk baths?"

"Nothing special. I just soak in the bath a little longer every day. Mostly, I was born this way."

"That's so nice. I'm jealous."

"By the way, have you heard what happened last Friday?"

"Ah, you mean that..."

The classroom, which had been full of lively chatter, suddenly fell silent.

It was because someone had walked in through the front door, looking radiant and imposing, as if he stood apart from the world.

Hasegawa Izumi. To them, his name had become a familiar one.

They were all from prominent families, rich or influential, but at Shuchiin, that made them fairly ordinary. Yet this boy, who seemed unremarkable at first glance, had already become a celebrity at school.

It made them both resentful and envious.

If they could make a name for themselves at Shuchiin, it would surely be a huge boon to their futures.

Of course, they couldn't bring themselves to approach him and ask how he'd done it.

As for the Mixed Academy Students, they kept their distance, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.

"Izumi-chan, you're completely famous now!"

After class, Fujiwara Chika bounced over to his desk and held out her phone.

Hasegawa Izumi noticed that the screen showed a post on Shuchiin's school forum, with the title—

<First Battle Won! Who Can Stop This Man? Will Shuchiin Really Be Crushed Beneath His Feet?>

A few photos were attached: several good-looking shots of him from the side, and one of him shaking hands with Watanabe Yoshitaka.

But from this angle, the only person who could have taken the photos was...

"Chika, you posted this, didn't you?"

He stared at the girl.

"Ahaha... That's not important!"