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)

Such an overconfident display of arrogance made the two of them laugh.

The little shop was filled with a cheerful atmosphere, too.

It was another peaceful day.

But how much longer could these peaceful days last?

49 If We Can't Love, Then We'll Fight

Busujima Saeko was the daughter of the prestigious Busujima Family, renowned for its kendo. Her swordsmanship was exceptional; she had won the national championship in her second year, and was now the captain of Shuchiin's Kendo Club as a third-year student.

When she wasn't holding a sword, everyone saw her as a highly accomplished traditional young woman. She was not only skilled at cooking, but also humble and gentle toward others. She was even known as a Yamato Nadeshiko.

Even setting aside her family background and achievements, her striking appearance alone—dark purple hair, cool features, and a superb figure—had earned her countless admirers at school.

But no one understood the darkness within her—not even her only family, her father.

The truth was, she had a powerful violent streak. Back in middle school, after being attacked, she had deliberately let her assailant approach, then struck him hard with a wooden sword, breaking his leg and shoulder blade.

That was clearly excessive self-defense, but under the circumstances, with the strength of the two sides so uneven, her actions were naturally excused.

But she knew how exhilarated she had felt while attacking him.

After that, she quietly buried that impulse. But it was only hidden, not gone. It still lurked deep within her.

For instance, whenever she sparred with members of the Kendo Club, the difference in their skill often caused that hard-to-suppress urge to make her "accidentally" hit too hard.

Because of that, gradually, no one dared to practice with her anymore.

And now, it seemed someone like that had finally appeared before her!

In the courtyard of her family's samurai residence, Busujima Saeko swung the blade in her hands with meticulous precision. The thrill welling up inside her made the corners of her mouth lift without her realizing it.

"Phew..."

Her wooden sword cleaved through the air, sending out sharp whistles with every swing.

After a long while,

only when sweat had soaked through her clothes did she finally catch her breath, lower the wooden sword, and return indoors to rest.

Just then,

she received a call from her father.

"Saeko, I heard you're going to have a kendo match with someone?"

His deep, authoritative voice came through the phone.

"Yes."

She replied.

"Sounds like that person's been running wild at Shuchiin, hasn't he?"

"In a sense, yes."

"Don't forget, our Busujima Family was one of Shuchiin's founders. The reputation of our family, renowned for kendo, shouldn't be casually defiled—especially not by some nobody."

"I'll win."

Busujima Saeko understood what her father meant. After staying silent for three seconds, she gave him a firm answer.

It wasn't that she lacked confidence. She was thinking about other things.

Unexpectedly, that answer still failed to satisfy her father.

"Not 'I'll win.' You have to win! You're the Young Lady of the Busujima Family, the national champion. Are you telling me you don't even have the confidence to deal with some no-name?"

Hearing that, she really wanted to point out that her opponent was no longer a "no-name," but a dragon who had turned Shuchiin upside down.

"I'll definitely win."

But she knew her father's temperament. She understood there was no point in saying so, and simply continued the conversation.

As the national champion and an exceptional swordswoman, Busujima Saeko was also deeply confident in the skill she had honed over the years.

"Let's leave it there, then."

With that, the call ended.

Busujima Saeko put down her phone, held the wooden sword in one hand, and walked slowly to the veranda. Her deep eyes gazed up at the sky.

"Hasegawa-kun, I hope you can prove my swordsmanship."

A few days ago, he'd gone out for ramen with Chika. Since then, Hasegawa Izumi had stayed home and hadn't gone anywhere.

Yesterday, at last, a spring rain had fallen. Its soft, nourishing drops landed on the Sword of Seeking Defeat hanging outside, as if washing away its worldly grime and gradually purifying it.

"Mm, that's the stuff."

He picked up the Sword of Seeking Defeat, gave it a satisfied sniff, then put it back in its place.

"Come to think of it, since we founded the 'Far East Magic Society' in the real world, we should establish a faster way to communicate in the Sea of Electrons, too."

Lying on the sofa with his hands behind his head, Hasegawa Izumi suddenly thought of it. He pulled out his phone, opened LINE, started a group chat, and invited the organization's members.

During those days when they had been training for the basketball game, everyone had added one another as friends, with Chika leading the way.

That saved him a lot of trouble.

Rikka and Dekomori responded quickly, joining almost at once. They soon changed their group names, too.

Wicked Eye of the Tyrant King User: Could this be an "ideal world" Lord Sage specially opened up in the Sea of Electrons for the organization?

Thunder Hammer User: You've gone to so much trouble, Lord Sage!

When chatting online, Dekomori had clearly dropped her verbal tic.

Sage: It was no trouble. I did it on a whim.

Thunder Hammer User: It may have been easy for Lord Sage, but that's not the case for me.

Wicked Eye of the Tyrant King User: I have to admit that. Even though the Wicked Eye of the Tyrant King is the strongest, it still can't compare to the Sage's boundless magical power.

Nibuya: Can you two stop laying it on so thick? Aren't you embarrassed?

Nibuya Morika had joined the group at some point and shared her opinion.

Of course, Dekomori immediately bombarded her with a barrage of attacks.

Thunder Hammer User: Fake! Don't get too cocky! One day, the Thunder Saint Hammer will come crashing down on your head!

Nibuya: I'm dying! I'll curse you to death and make sure you have nowhere to be buried!

Nibuya: No, no, that last line doesn't count! Go die!!

Nibuya then sent a flustered little emoji.

You could almost feel the despair in her heart through the phone screen.

"I said it out loud again!"

He could practically hear her muttering to herself.

Of course, even saying something like that wouldn't spare her from Dekomori Sanae's sarcasm.

If we can't love, then we'll fight!

That was Hasegawa Izumi's most accurate assessment of the relationship between the two of them.

Wicked Eye of the Tyrant King User: All right, hurry up, Dekomori. We still have one last base to deal with today.

Thunder Hammer User: Okay, master!

Nibuya: Why are you two texting when you're together? You idiots!

Sage: Rikka, what are you and Dekomori doing?

He asked curiously.

Wicked Eye of the Tyrant King User: Conducting a routine inspection for singularities. So far, there's nothing unusual.

Thunder Hammer User: Would Lord Sage like to join us?

Sage: I think I'll pass. You two carry on. Call me if you run into anything you can't handle.

After turning them down, Hasegawa Izumi left the chat.

After all, it was almost time for the game he'd arranged with Eriri.

And so, the Golden Week holiday passed.

50 I'm a Good Guy with a Sword

Night gradually faded. The sun rose, and a faint fish-belly white appeared on the horizon, slowly deepening to gold and then orange-red, until the sky was awash in a brilliant dawn glow.

Beneath the warm morning light, a wooden sword hanging in midair seemed to have been tempered by the passage of time. Even the grain on its hilt looked brighter and more tactile.

Suddenly, a fair hand reached up from below, grabbed the bottom of its scabbard, and took it down.

"It's time."

Hasegawa Izumi murmured. He took out the bandages he had prepared in advance and wrapped the Sword of Seeking Defeat in them. Then he put on his belt and secured the sword behind his back, inserting it at a sixty-degree angle.

He headed out.

However, he immediately ran into a problem.

"Creak... rattle..."

When he touched the handlebars, ready to ride his beloved bicycle, he found it could no longer bear the strain. It gave an irritated groan from its Machine Spirit.

"What a frail mechanical life-form. It really can't compare to well-trained muscles."

"I only turned things up a tiny bit, and it's already broken down again."

"Looks like I'll have to stop using it for now."

He sighed.

There was nothing for it. He'd have to take the train to Shuchiin.

"Mom, what's that big brother carrying on his back?"

"I-it's probably a guitar?"

"A guitar? It doesn't look like one to me. Isn't it wrapped in bandages? Who would treat a guitar so carelessly? Maybe it's a sword!"

"Hey, hey, that's terrifying!"

"Stop, I'm scared. I don't want to run into another lunatic."

"He doesn't look like a good person. Sis, let's move farther away."

"Look at his uniform. He's probably from Shuchiin, right? Weirdos really do turn up everywhere."

"Mom, why are you moving away? I think that big brother looks really cool!"

When Hasegawa Izumi stepped into the train car, his getup quickly drew everyone's attention and sparked a discussion.

Because he'd wrapped the sword a little too thoroughly, people had gotten the wrong idea and assumed he was a member of the Light Music Club. But that clearly wasn't the case.

He had no intention of explaining. He stood alone in the corner, creating an air of absolute dominion that kept everyone away.

At last, the train reached its stop.

He slowly stepped out through the doors.

"Phew..."

Only then did everyone finally breathe a sigh of relief.

They had genuinely been afraid that this unknown guy might suddenly pull out a katana and go on a killing spree in the train car.

After all, things like that had happened before.

Along the way to Shuchiin, the figure carrying a wooden sword continued to be the most eye-catching person around.

It wasn't as if he were attending a cosplay event. Seeing someone like that in everyday life was bound to draw curious looks.

The trip went smoothly until Hasegawa Izumi reached the gates of Shuchiin—where someone stopped him.