The All-Powerful Chūnibyō Champion

"Sorry, I got a little engrossed in my practice just now... Sigh, is it really impossible to cultivate immortality without Spirit Root?"

His expression was somewhat dejected.

The mother and daughter were somewhat stunned by what they saw.

Spirit Root? Cultivation? What are these?

I can't understand it at all!

"Ahem, Eriri was a bit concerned about you, so I brought her over to check on you. Uh... it seems like Izumi-chan is doing quite well."

Sawamura Sayuri quickly changed the subject.

He looks very energetic physically, but his mental state is another story.

She understood why her best friend's family had sent the child there; there were indeed serious problems.

"I see, Eriri is concerned about me."

Hasegawa Izumi smiled at the girl.

"I... I wasn't worried about you at all!"

That sunny smile was so infectious that it made the girl blush instantly and unconsciously become a little smug.

"I just came... to laugh at you!"

"You've missed almost a week of school. If this continues, I'll surpass you in the final exam rankings!"

To Eriri, who was still in elementary school, this was a devastating blow, the ultimate humiliation.

"Eriri, is your perspective really that narrow?"

The boy covered his forehead and shook himself gently.

What do you mean by that?

Our goal should be the stars and the sea!

"Are you... looking at the stars? The universe is truly beautiful."

"It's just a metaphor... Never mind, Eriri, you're not mature enough to understand it right now."

"Are you an idiot!?"

As an adult, Sawamura Sayuri watched the confrontation between the two children in silence.

One is immature, the other is immature.

That's really funny.

That's right. In the eyes of Sayuri, a veteran otaku, the boy is not mentally ill, but rather suffers from a cute yet embarrassing condition called "chuunibyou" (middle school syndrome), only it's a bit more severe.

But as long as they don't do anything too horrible, they're no different from normal people.

After that, Sawamura Sayuri consulted with her attending physician and best friend, and finally made a decision.

Soon, the boy and girl returned to their peaceful daily lives.

However, because of this incident, Hasegawa's existence eventually became a laughing stock on campus, which caused the girl to no longer feel as comfortable as before, and she only dared to have secret, clandestine contact.

However, the girl still frequently checks on the boy's condition, worried that his illness might worsen.

Fortunately, the boy's condition fluctuated, seemingly indicating Intermittent Insanity...

No, it should be intermittent chuunibyou (middle school syndrome).

As time went by, the girl's love for comics deepened her understanding of Otaku culture, and she gradually came to understand the existence of 'chuunibyou' (middle school syndrome). Therefore, she reached the same conclusion, which can be considered a beautiful vision.

"Izumi, are you hurt?"

One day, she found an opportunity to be alone with the boy, her gaze fixed on the marks on his hands. They didn't look like injuries from a fall, but rather like wounds caused by the claws of a wild animal.

"Well, he is indeed injured."

Hasegawa Izumi said nonchalantly.

"Some time ago, I heard that a terrible demon had appeared in Yatagashira Elementary School, and was wantonly oppressing humans... This caught my attention. I wanted to see if a demon really existed in this world. As it turned out, it wasn't a demon at all, just a human. However, it had some strength. Although my power had not yet awakened, it was still quite remarkable that it could hurt me. Given time, it could become a pillar of humanity."

"Imiwaga nai!"

Eriri was completely bewildered, covering her head with both hands and shaking it violently.

But she now roughly understands that the boy went out and got into a fight with someone.

"In short, you are not allowed to do such dangerous things!"

The girl put one hand on her hip and pointed at him with the other.

"Eriri, who do you think you are to me? My girlfriend?"

The boy pursed his lips.

"Girlfriend!? What nonsense are you talking about! I was just concerned about..."

Eriri tried to explain, but in her haste, she blurted out what was on her mind.

But the moment she stepped out, she realized something was wrong.

"Are you that concerned about me, Eriri- chan~"

The boy laughed.

"Hmm."

The girl's eyes darted away, her face flushed red.

I'm ignoring you!

She stamped her foot and fled in embarrassment.

Children's skin is much thinner than it is when they grow up.

Time continues to move forward.

Although the relationship between the boy and the girl experienced some ups and downs, it continued.

Although the teenagers occasionally caused some trouble, such as drawing strange magic patterns on campus, they were all ultimately treated as 'pranks'.

It added a touch of color to the girl's memories amidst her mundane daily life.

Then, the girl also encountered a turning point in her life.

After years of training, she finally decided to take a step toward her dream.

Therefore, she hopes that the boy can provide her with assistance.

Bonus Chapter 3: What will you do without me?

"What? Eriri, you want to become a manga artist?"

"What's so surprising now? Didn't you lead me down this path?"

The girl felt a surge of anger seeing the boy's shocked expression.

This clearly shows they don't care about their own affairs!

"Of course I was joking."

The boy said with a smile.

Seeing the girl's volcanic eruption, he quickly changed the subject, saying, "So, you came to me wanting me to help you with comic book references?"

"That's right!"

The girl gritted her teeth and said.

"You'd better take responsibility!"

"Hey hey hey~ But the Inherited Memory I've received are incomplete, so I can't help you. Besides, in your current state, do you really have the ability?"

The boy looked suspicious.

He didn't think the girl was capable of handling the task, given her poor health and the required abilities.

"You, you don't need to worry about me! I'm determined to become a cartoonist! You have to help me!"

The girl's breath hitched.

"What a willful guy."

The boy turned his head away.

"Fine, then let you experience a setback."

And so, the boy agreed to the girl's request and helped her with the creation of the comic.

However, when Eriri dragged him along to volunteer for the submission, she was given a harsh reality check.

Ultimately, shoujo manga lacked too much and could only fade away in disappointment.

Although the other party said she had great potential, the girl was not someone who could easily withstand setbacks; she gave up on the idea of becoming a serious comic artist after just one failed submission.

However, after Sawamura Sayuri learned about this, she came up with another idea.

That means becoming Doujin manga, and then, after accumulating enough experience, going ashore as a full-fledged manga artist.

Some authors in the industry accumulate experience and money in this way before their official debut, and only then do they finally succeed.

"Sure, it seems like it would suit you perfectly, Teacher Kashiwagi Eri."

Upon learning of this, her Childhood Friend offered her strong support.

The girl had no idea where the confidence in his eyes came from.

In short, she ultimately embarked on this path of no return.

After advancing to the next grade, the two became middle school students and attended the same school.

At this point, Eriri finally developed a strong sense of identification with her so-called 'Childhood Friend' identity, and her themes in the novels, manga, or visual novels she usually reads became clearly biased.

Childhood Friend are so wonderful!

The most enduring expression of love is to be there for someone!

The girl gradually became blinded by such thoughts.

"Cough cough cough..."

The girl was wrapped in a white scarf, her face pale, as if devoid of color.

She's sick again.

Eriri has been frail and sickly since childhood, especially during her first and second years of junior high school, when she would take sick leave every month on average, earning her the embarrassing nickname of "the beauty of Shimamura Middle School".

"Please take leave and go home to rest, Eriri."

When class ended, Hasegawa Izumi approached and asked with concern.

"I... I can still manage. I don't want to be looked down upon by those people!"

Eriri, panting heavily, stubbornly insisted.

"Still putting on a brave face."

The boy shook his head and turned to leave.

From a young age, the girl cared a lot about what others thought, which made her life very tiring.

As a result, during PE class today, when the girl was planning to rest, she overheard someone gossiping behind her back and decided to show off again.

Then, he fell down on the track.

With no other option, the PE teacher had the boy help the girl with her sprained ankle into the infirmary and then take her home after school.

"I just can't do anything with you."

The girl had heard this phrase countless times from her Childhood Friend throughout her life, and it had almost become a mantra in her memory.

As the sun sets, its afterglow paints the earth in gold.

The boy carried the girl on his back all the way to the Sawamura family.

"How is it? Something happened, didn't it?"