The Almighty Chuunibyou Expert

"Speaking of which, this feeling of being watched by everyone isn't so bad."

A smile, like a cat that stole some cream, appeared on the girl's lips as she gazed at the white clouds in the sky.

The only problem was that the higher you climbed, the harder you would fall.

"So, Seeker of Truth, lead us to victory in this battle!"

She felt that sense of shared destiny and recognition with that person once again.

Meanwhile.

At Shuchiin's junior high, the other students also received the news that Dekomori Sanae was participating.

As the only junior high student, it was quite abrupt and almost unbelievable.

"Dekomori-san, are you serious? The students in the basketball club are all monsters! You'll get hurt! Those guys are like 'Demon Lords' to us!"

During break time, besides a few other girls, a boy she could talk to also approached her to persuade her.

In Dekomori Sanae's mind, the boy's role should be that of a sidekick to the Brave.

"You underestimate me, Lord of Toys! It's just a Demon Lord, nothing compared to a Thunder Hammer User, death! Moreover, with Master and Sage fighting alongside me this time, no enemy ahead will be anything to fear, death!"

She said, throwing a chop at the air, full of passion.

"Can you please not refer to me as 'Lord of Toys'? It's a bit embarrassing."

The boy in front of her showed an awkward expression.

"However, if that 'Sage' is truly as monstrous as the legends say, perhaps you really can win..."

"Of course, death, Sage is our pride!"

"That's nice. I wish I could express myself like that person."

He murmured with envy in his eyes.

However, after just a brief thought...

"Never mind that, I'd definitely get killed and my corpse would end up in Tokyo Bay."

He didn't have the confidence or the strength to face such terrifying waves.

Time ticked by.

Every second that passed made those waiting grow more anxious.

Until.

"Ding~"

As the dismissal bell rang, the suffocating emotion intensified.

In Shuchiin's history, no one had ever done something like this before, nor had it ever garnered such high attention.

This was no longer just a simple competition; it was witnessing—

The birth of a king!

"Let's go."

Without a word, Hasegawa Izumi signaled to Chika and Rikka, who had come with him to the hallway.

The girls now had determined eyes, having transformed into warriors!

Although the time was indeed short, the training over these past few days had yielded remarkably excellent results, enough to shock the world!

The upcoming battle would present a scene that the students of Shuchiin would never have expected.

"Hey, don't push!"

"The gymnasium can't hold that many people!"

"Enough, stop it!"

After school, students who wanted to watch the spectacle rushed towards the gymnasium.

But there were too many people, and they couldn't all fit in while a competition was taking place.

This emergency situation ultimately forced the Student Council to intervene and manage the scene.

Finally, and quite realistically, in this Shuchiin High School, class status was inherently obvious, so a large portion of people were quickly barred from entry through a ruling.

"Everyone, don't be too disappointed. For today, our Student Council has prepared a live broadcast. If you're interested, please come this way."

The Student Council President promptly appeared, ushering people away.

Although they couldn't watch in person, for these people, this was an acceptable reality.

Inside the venue, it was cleared out.

Fewer than fifty people remained.

"Good afternoon, Shimiya-san."

"Hello, Sawamura-san... are you here to watch Hasegawa's match?"

In a corner of the gymnasium, Eriri happened to run into Shinomiya Kaguya.

"It... is like that, yes."

Eriri glanced left and right, confirmed no one was nearby, and nodded in agreement.

"You must be working hard."

Seeing the situation, Shinomiya Kaguya deduced the answer through analysis and smiled faintly.

"Classmate Shinomiya, are you also interested in this match?"

Eriri completely ignored the question, her eyes flickering, and changed the subject.

"Yes, of course."

Shinomiya Kaguya nodded with great certainty.

"Why?"

Eriri's expression suddenly became guarded.

If it's Shinomiya, then it's a bit tricky!

"Because... my intuition tells me that it won't be long before classmate Hasegawa appears before me..."

Huh?

"And issues the same challenge to me."

Oh.

The girl's eyebrows instantly relaxed upon hearing this.

"If that's the case, then yes, you, who have won national championships several times in middle school, are definitely within Izumi's target range."

Eriri expressed her agreement.

Hasegawa Izumi wasn't plotting any schemes; he had already told everyone his reasons, so it wasn't hard to imagine.

"Classmate Sawamura, it seems you have very high trust in classmate Hasegawa."

Shinomiya Kaguya's lips curved slightly upward.

"Hmph! Who would trust that idiot!"

Eriri's face flushed, she gave a soft snort, and turned her head away.

Doubt first, then believe!

Doubt again, believe again!

That was her line of thinking.

Shinomiya Kaguya had intended to pry for more information, but in the next moment, both teams entered from their respective sides, instantly capturing all their attention.

At the same time, the voice of Asahi Shizuku, the head of the News Department and the announcer, came through the loudspeaker.

"Before the match begins, let's introduce the two teams..."

36 ZONE!

"First, the team in black uniforms, Shuchiin High School Basketball Club. Number 1, Basketball Club Captain Hyuga Konji, followed by Number 4, Vice-Captain Hiiragi Gosho, Number 3, Kato Eiji, Number 7, Akamine Rōnin, and Number 9, Kurosaki Kawa."

Omitting the team teacher and coach, Asahi Shizuku directly announced the starting lineup.

"Next, wearing... uh, wearing tracksuits, the Far East Magic Society. Number 1, Captain Hasegawa Izumi, Number 2, Takanashi Rikka, Number 3, Fujiwara Chika, Number 4, Dekomori Sanae, and Number 5, Nibuya Morika."

Of course, they didn't have time to specially make team uniforms for this match, so they simply used the school tracksuits and attached numbers.

Good enough.

As the players from both sides arrived at the center of the court, a strong sense of contrast naturally emerged.

The people on the left were all burly men with imposing physiques. In contrast, on the other side, the only one who could be considered passable was Hasegawa, the male student, but he was a head shorter. As for the girls, there was simply no comparison.

In terms of physique, they could be called opponents of completely different weight classes.

In a physically intense sport like basketball, this was already a huge disadvantage from the start.

Even so.

"Look, Hasegawa and the others aren't affected at all; instead, they're full of fighting spirit!"

"That lawless ruffian aside, Fujiwara-san and the others don't seem to be afraid either."

"Perhaps everyone understands that because they are girls, the basketball players won't be able to make overly rough moves. Otherwise, one spit from them could drown them."

The surrounding spectators were chattering amongst themselves.

Under everyone's gaze, although the Far East Magic Society was physically weaker, their spirit and demeanor were no less, showing no signs of fear or worry.

"Interesting, has that Fujiwara been trained like that in such a short time?"

Shinomiya Kaguya observed her closest friend with great interest.

It's thanks to him for finding so many chuunibyou friends. And Chika-chan, why do you have to get involved in everything!

Eriri was inwardly complaining furiously.

Meanwhile.

Ten people stood facing each other. Hasegawa Izumi and Hyuga Konji locked eyes, their gazes filled with intense confidence.

Both sides had their reasons to be sure of themselves.

"The Road to Kinghood, Third Match: Shuchiin High School Basketball Club versus the Far East Magic Society officially begins!"

Asahi Shizuku's voice continued to ring out.

The referee on the court said, "Salute!"

"Please guide us."

Both sides nodded slightly.

After the customary courtesies, what followed was a peak battle.

Both teams took their positions on the court.

'So, it's you for the tip-off, huh?'

Within their respective semi-circles at center court, Hyuga Konji watched Hasegawa Izumi walk towards him, not surprised at all.

If it were a girl, there would be no need to think; they wouldn't be able to win the tip-off. Only Hasegawa, being a boy, had a chance.

Now, it remained to be seen if this guy with monster-like stamina truly had no weaknesses!

"Beep~!"

The whistle blew. The referee tossed the basketball high into the air and stepped aside.

Hyuga Konji leaped up without hesitation, aiming to secure the initial advantage for his team.

A moment later, Hasegawa Izumi made his move.

Despite his disadvantage in height, he displayed astonishing leaping ability and explosive power, reaching the basketball first with a delayed but superior speed.