At the start of the first round, the character controlled by Eriri launched a fierce assault, and the fight looked almost completely one-sided. (Continued)

"That was so awkward."

Nibuya Morika's thoughts were in turmoil.

But was basketball really this easy?

In just one short hour, Hasegawa had given them all sorts of pointers. They sounded almost childishly simple, and it felt like they could adjust their play without much effort.

No, this had to be thanks to Hasegawa!

It was like a beginner in the field getting guidance from a seasoned master. Naturally, they'd feel like they were improving by leaps and bounds.

After Hasegawa's astonishing performance earlier, she'd automatically changed her way of thinking and hadn't considered any other possibility.

After all, that would only be even more unbelievable.

"There's nothing more I can teach you. From here on, it's up to you to figure things out for yourselves and keep practicing."

Hasegawa Izumi looked at the girls, who were utterly exhausted and lying on the ground like flopped fish, and gave them an approving look.

The training had been intense. They hadn't expected to be able to stick it out, but somehow they had.

By now, though, they were all panting. Even Dekumori, usually the most talkative, was too worn out to reply.

The sun sank toward the horizon.

The sunset burned a bloody red, and the clouds gradually took on the same hue.

"Whew... ha..."

Nibuya Morika was still panting.

She was a little tired, but this had probably been the most fulfilling day she'd ever had.

Maybe hanging out with these weirdos isn't so bad...

"Wait, wait! How could I have such a dangerous thought?"

She hurriedly shook her head, trying to shake the thought out of it.

"But the sunset sure is beautiful today."

The girl couldn't help reaching out as if to touch the sky.

Training was over, and it was already getting late.

They didn't linger to say goodbye, and soon everyone went their separate ways.

For Hasegawa Izumi, this was probably the latest he'd ever gotten home on a school day. As a result, Kōko complained at him several times.

He had to use a rule-breaking skill like Head Pat to finally calm his Little Sister down.

By Wednesday.

Hasegawa Izumi had assumed the day would be just like any other. After class, he'd go with his teammates to the basketball court outside school to practice. But a little twist came during PE.

"Hasegawa, race me. Let's see who's faster."

The speaker was a boy with short brown hair, a square face, thick eyebrows, and a determined gaze. He looked like a hot-blooded young man.

He'd just introduced himself. Apparently, he'd only joined the Track and Field Club this year, and his best event was the 50-meter dash.

"Sure, if you say so."

Hasegawa Izumi readily agreed and stood up from the bench.

This was the first time anyone had challenged him.

How interesting.

Why this classmate had chosen this particular moment to challenge him was certainly worth pondering, but... he didn't care.

33. Thunder Breathing!

"It's so noisy over there. What's going on?"

"Why are you still standing around chatting? Come on, Yamazaki's challenging Hasegawa!"

"Huh? Hasegawa's been challenged? It's Yamazaki-kun, the Track and Field Club's rising star."

"Who'll win? Those two... Yamazaki-kun's a professional, but Hasegawa-kun is just too strange. You can never figure him out."

News of the impending showdown quickly drew over the students who hadn't left the field yet.

First of all, something unusual like this was bound to attract attention. What's more, it involved Hasegawa-kun, who'd been on a roll lately.

My name is Yamazaki Yutaka. I'm nothing special to look at, and my grades have always been average. Running is the one thing I've got a talent for. So, after someone spotted my potential that day, I resolved to become the fastest man in Tou-ei!

I passed the professional skills exam, got into Shuchiin High School, and joined the Track and Field Club.

Just as I was getting ready to show what I could do, I heard that there was a lunatic at school who didn't take any of the clubs seriously.

At first, like everyone else, I didn't pay much attention—until that guy defeated the Tennis Club president.

That was when everyone in the Track and Field Club finally realized a crisis was upon us.

Nobody wanted to be trampled underfoot and humiliated.

So, after we discussed it, I decided to step up and test that guy's strength for everyone.

If he really was strong, I could just make up some excuse like "I'm sick" when he accepted the challenge.

A little shamelessness in exchange for a little less suffering—what's not to like?

Besides, what if I won?

They headed to the track, and each took a lane.

The event was a 100-meter race.

That guy strolled over, looking completely at ease, without the slightest sense of danger.

He sure is calm.

Yamazaki Yutaka thought to himself as he warmed up.

Before long, the student holding the stopwatch and starting pistol took their place. The race was about to begin.

Yamazaki Yutaka stood with his feet staggered, his right foot about a foot ahead of his left. His feet were shoulder-width apart, his knees slightly bent, and his body leaned forward.

He'd done this standing start more times than he could count. His form was textbook-perfect.

"Hiss..."

Just as he was silently preparing to sprint, he suddenly heard a strange sound beside him.

Who's boiling water around here?

He couldn't help turning to look.

That guy had his mouth slightly open, showing his white teeth. The sound he'd just heard, like the wind being torn apart, had clearly come from him.

Was he making that sound effect for fun?

That guy really was impossible to understand.

But when Yamazaki Yutaka remembered what everyone said about him, he quickly let it go.

"Ready... go!"

The girl beside them called out as she raised the starting pistol.

At the sound of a bang, Yamazaki Yutaka set off at nearly his top speed. The wind howled behind him, as if he were leaving it in his wake.

"Huh? Where is he?"

After he'd run some distance, he was surprised to realize he couldn't hear anyone else's footsteps.

Did I leave him too far behind?

But in truth, Hasegawa Izumi was still where he'd been, without having taken a single step.

"Hasegawa-kun, aren't you going to catch up...?"

The girl acting as the starter had just started to remind him to move when she saw him slowly lower his stance, muttering something under his breath.

"Thunder Breathing, Thunderclap and Flash!"

In the blink of an eye, like a flash of lightning, the person before her vanished.

"Huh...?"

The girl stared blankly.

Could I really win? I'm almost at the finish line!

Yamazaki Yutaka gazed at the finish line ahead, his face full of hope.

Isn't this already a win?

Hasegawa is nothing special after all!

The very next moment—

"Whoosh..."

A sharp, thunderous sound rang in his ears!

"What? He's caught... up?"

Yamazaki Yutaka's heart jolted. He was just about to look back when a figure flashed past him.

Could a human really move that fast?

At that moment, he found himself questioning the world.

"The winner is Hasegawa-kun!"

When Hasegawa Izumi crossed the finish line, the girl holding the stopwatch didn't react right away. She froze for a moment before remembering to press the button.

Even so, in this 100-meter race, Hasegawa had given Yamazaki, a short-distance runner, at least a 30-meter head start—and still set a time that beat the school record!

Afterward, the story immediately became a favorite topic of conversation.

The name Hasegawa inspired even greater fear!

"Hasegawa-kun, could you wait a moment?"

As Hasegawa Izumi left the track, a girl suddenly came over to talk to him.

That was quite a novelty, too.

His reputation at Shuchiin was already at its peak, but for one reason or another, few people ever approached him to chat.

"You're... Nakano-san, right?"

He looked at her shoulder-length cherry-colored hair and the bangs covering her right eye, and remembered her name.

"Nakano-san knows who I am?"

Nakano Miku looked surprised.

After all, she was always quiet at school, so she'd expected people to have a hard time remembering her.

"My memory's pretty good. I remembered you from the self-introductions at the start of the school year. Besides, you're cute, and you wear headphones, which makes you easy to recognize."

He thought for a moment before replying.

The girl blushed at the unmistakable compliment.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about, Nakano-san?"

He continued.

"I-I... I saw Monday's tennis match. Hasegawa-kun was so cool, especially your Fūrin Kazan special move. It was amazing!"

Nakano Miku started speaking shyly, but as she went on, her expression grew excited.

"I wanted to ask—is it based on Takeda Shingen? Do you know a lot about the Warring States generals?"

At that moment, Hasegawa Izumi finally understood.