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)

Fujiwara Chika grinned sheepishly, trying to bluff her way through it, and started whistling.

"Good job, Chika. You did well."

He patted Chika on the shoulder, looking pleased.

"Huh?"

Fujiwara Chika froze, her cheeks turning faintly red.

Izumi-chan was so gentle! It was just like the way a big brother treated his little sister!

She'd thought he was going to scold her.

She had misunderstood a little. Hasegawa Izumi cared less about the girl taking matters into her own hands than about something else entirely.

"Isn't that a little too intimate? Are Fujiwara-san and Hasegawa in that kind of relationship?"

"No, no, Hasegawa is obviously much closer to that Takanashi girl."

The other classmates who noticed the scene saw things differently.

The people involved paid them no mind.

They had PE first thing that morning, so they went out to the track.

After they finished running,

Hasegawa Izumi sat down on a bench to the side.

"Phew... huff..."

Takanashi Rikka, panting, sat down beside him to rest.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, ruffling their bangs.

"The wind is especially noisy today."

He couldn't help letting out a sigh.

"I hear the sounds of battle carried on the wind. It must be foretelling a fierce battle today."

Takanashi Rikka picked up on his words.

At that, he smiled. "There will be a battle, but it may not be fierce."

Don't worry, I won't take up too much of your time.

Oh no! I said the wrong thing!

Takanashi Rikka bit her lip.

Wouldn't saying something like that make it seem as though she doubted her ally's ability?

That would ruin the bonds of their alliance!

"Ahem, ahem. I must have heard wrong."

The girl quickly changed her tune.

"Hmm?"

Hasegawa Izumi's ears suddenly twitched.

Footsteps sounded in the distance.

"Izumi-chan, Takanashi-san! So this is where you are."

Fujiwara Chika came jogging over, beaming with youthful energy in her white gym uniform. The two peaks on her chest bounced up and down, making for quite a spectacular sight.

So Chika-chan had such impressive assets?

He hadn't paid much attention to that before, so it had taken him a while to notice.

But it wasn't important.

"Did you need something from us, Chika?"

He replied.

"Oh, it's nothing much. I just ran into Kotsuna, and she asked me to let you know that the school has found someone to take care of the animals at the zoo. So starting today, you won't have to go over there to look after the little animals anymore."

As she spoke, Fujiwara Chika sat down on the bench beside them, resting her hands on its edge and turning to them with a smile.

"I see. So it's time to say goodbye already. Sooner than I expected."

Hasegawa Izumi let out a soft sigh.

They'd only spent twenty days together, but he still felt reluctant to part with those cute little ones.

But it couldn't be helped. It was all well and good while he had free time, but when the times changed in the future, he definitely wouldn't be able to spare the time.

Handing them over sooner would keep him from growing too attached and make it harder to let them go.

"We're saying goodbye to Chimera and the others? I suppose so. They're too dangerous to be left as they are. They need a dedicated trainer to teach them properly."

Takanashi Rikka froze, murmuring to herself.

Unfortunately, they couldn't serve as Summoned Beasts. The Sage had no intention of making that happen, and she was still under threat from the Holy Chef.

"It's okay. You can visit them whenever you want."

Fujiwara Chika noticed her expression and offered reassurance.

Her lighthearted tone and smile changed the mood in an instant.

"That's right! It's not as if they've vanished into another dimension. We can summon them whenever we want."

Takanashi Rikka stood up with a fist clenched, looking excited.

At noon,

the three of them went to the zoo and said goodbye to the animals one by one.

That afternoon, as the time for the match drew nearer, the wind outside blew harder and harder, as if expressing the feelings of certain people.

That was right. Many people at school were even more eager than Hasegawa Izumi to see how this battle would turn out.

If one victory could be called good luck, what about two victories?

If he won again, the remaining clubs would be in serious danger.

The flames of battle could reach them at any moment.

The thought of being trampled underfoot by a Mixed Academy Student filled them with deep humiliation.

"Ding~"

The bell rang. The teacher didn't run over, and soon left with the textbooks.

In the classroom, everyone strangely stayed put, as if waiting for someone to make the first move.

"Time to set out, Rikka! Let's show them what true strength looks like!"

Hasegawa Izumi stood and swept his right hand out.

"Let's shatter their delusions! No enemy can stand before us!"

Takanashi Rikka immediately echoed him.

"Izumi-chan, I want to watch too!"

Fujiwara Chika reacted quickly, hurrying to the back of the classroom to leave with them.

Only then did everyone in the classroom seem to thaw.

"Who do you think is going to win? I thought Hasegawa was just there to make a joke of himself, but he actually beat the Go Club. Maybe he really is serious."

"What nonsense are you talking about? The Tennis Club president won't be as easy to deal with as Waya. There's such a huge difference in their builds. Hasegawa's physical ability definitely won't be enough! That's just a fact."

"Don't be so sure. You might end up eating your words."

"Are you trying to undermine our confidence? I don't believe Hasegawa can work a miracle."

"I'm off to my club."

"Go ahead. I want to watch their match."

People began to disagree, and quite a few had come to expect great things from Hasegawa.

It was the instinct to admire the strong at work.

After all, they hadn't yet experienced his personal charm.

While they were chatting,

the three of them had already made it downstairs and were getting ready to change their shoes.

Fujiwara Chika slipped her little feet, covered in white ankle socks, into her leather school shoes. Once they were on, she tapped her toes against the ground to make sure they fit.

Takanashi Rikka was still fiddling with her Heelys.

To show respect, he'd worn a pair of sports shoes that day. He wanted to step onto the tennis court, and he wanted to dress appropriately.

A short while later, they arrived at the tennis court.

A crowd had already gathered outside the fence, packed in so tightly that there was hardly any room. Everyone wanted to claim a good spot before the match began.

Compared to the number of people who'd come to watch the Go Club match, interest in this one had surged.

"Move."

Faced with the noise, Hasegawa Izumi barked the word in a low, powerful voice, immediately overpowering the crowd.

They came to their senses and realized that the main event had arrived. They parted at the entrance, opening up a wide path.

With him at the head, the three of them stepped onto the tennis court.

"So you're that Hasegawa? You look pretty ordinary to me. Nothing special. I never thought you'd beat the Go Club. You didn't actually cheat, like they said, did you?"

A deep, booming voice rang out. A tall, sturdy figure with shoulder-length hair approached and stopped in front of them. He had to be over six feet tall.

Compared to him, the two girls, both under five-foot-three, looked like little potatoes.

"You're the Tennis Club president?"

Hasegawa Izumi lifted his gaze slightly. Despite the difference in height and build, he remained composed.

"You really are as arrogant as they say."

Kawamura Kentaro saw that he'd answered with a question instead of a reply. He wasn't annoyed; in fact, he looked intrigued.

"But I don't care whether you cheated. What matters is, do you really intend to play against me? Let me warn you first: I play hard. With those scrawny arms and legs, you might end up crying if I hit you. Don't expect me to go easy on you."

A tennis ball could easily hit someone by accident, so even without direct contact, someone could get hurt. That was different from the mental exertion of playing Go.

"That's exactly what I wanted to say."

He smiled faintly.

The court was a battlefield, and he understood that better than anyone.

"Besides, I'll end this battle as quickly as possible, so watch out."

That sounded like a straight-up provocation!

"Heh."

Kawamura Kentaro laughed in anger and cracked his knuckles, his eyes turning fierce.

"Don't worry, I won't take up too much of your time!"

Have you heard of a kick serve?

The Art Club.

"Look, it's really lively over there! Are they about to start fighting?"

"Isn't that the Tennis Club? I think today's the day Hasegawa goes up against them, right?"

"Oh, that was last week... It looks pretty interesting. Why don't we go take a look?"

"Maybe we shouldn't. There are so many people over there, we won't be able to get in. Besides, we have club activities."

Eriri sat in front of her easel, staring at a blank sheet of paper with a paintbrush in hand, pretending she was about to start drawing.