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)

Natsukawa Masuzu choked on her words.

Did this guy really have no self-awareness at all?

What normal person would take a super chuunibyou like you seriously?!

People praised you because you were a genuine expert. Everyone else didn't get that treatment; they were lucky if they weren't treated like weirdos.

"Heh..."

Nibuya Morika chuckled to herself.

She was probably the only one here who could truly understand how he felt right now.

"Heh... sigh..."

Natsukawa Masuzu took a deep breath. She thought of the best way to deal with the situation, which was also the last resort she didn't want to use.

"Actually, I have a reason I have to join... because I'm a Stand User! We're from the same world!"

"A Stand User?!"

Everyone except Hasegawa Izumi was surprised, though they were surprised for different reasons.

"That's right."

Her ears turning red, Natsukawa Masuzu nodded firmly.

Even for a girl like her, who had gained the "Expertise in Acting," saying something like this was embarrassing.

"But how can you prove it? I don't see your Stand anywhere..."

Hasegawa Izumi seemed to pick up on the same wavelength right away, looking around.

What?

That still wasn't enough?

Natsukawa Masuzu's supposedly resilient heart now seemed so fragile it was close to breaking. She nearly lost her temper and started swearing.

"Only Stand Users can see Stands, and I've temporarily lost the ability to summon mine..."

With no other choice, she could only take her performance further. She gave an awkward but polite smile as she spoke.

"That does make sense."

Hasegawa Izumi hummed and nodded quite casually.

"How did you pick up on the same wavelength so quickly?!"

This time, it was Nibuya Morika who was at a loss.

"So, Lord Sage, should we let her join? We're only one member short of officially establishing our base."

Takanashi Rikka still chose to ask for his opinion.

"Lord Sage, I still don't think we can trust this Stand User, death!"

Standing off to one side, Dekomori Sanae swung the Twin-tail Hammer, clearly displeased.

They had differing opinions.

In the end, he made his decision. "All right, I'll accept your request to join the Far East Magic Society. But I'll make this clear first: if you join us, you must follow our rules. Otherwise, you'll face the combined force of our suppression!"

"Of course!"

Natsukawa Masuzu answered cheerfully.

The process had been a little arduous, but at least she'd achieved her goal.

As for what came next, she'd take it as it came.

It was Wednesday.

The warm morning sunlight streamed through the window.

When class ended, Hasegawa Izumi suddenly turned to the vice president with a question.

"Rikka, when are we going to be number one at Shuchiin?"

"Today! It'll happen today!"

Takanashi Rikka answered without hesitation, full of enthusiasm.

From her first unexpected meeting with the Sage to spending every day together now—

From the early days of the school year, when the Far East Magic Society had been established and everyone ignored it, to a few weeks later, when it had become famous—

Every bit of it felt like a dream to the girl.

Deep down, she hoped this beautiful dream would go on forever, that she would never wake up.

Ding~

The familiar dismissal bell rang.

"Let's go, Rikka. Let's win the final battle of our journey!"

"No matter how many battles lie ahead, I'll always be by the Sage's side... There are no enemies before us!"

Afterword

Another new book is being released. I hadn't planned to say anything, and there really isn't much to say.

But since the new book's performance has been pretty good, I'll say a few more things.

It's only natural that some people aren't happy with certain parts. You can probably tell that this book is completely full of my personal preferences. It's the kind where I put myself into it, and the first person I'm trying to satisfy is myself.

You can probably tell that I'm a post-90s kid with a complicated mix of influences. I grew up watching wuxia dramas and things like that, then got into shonen manga and Yu-Gi-Oh!, and only discovered romance anime after I found Bilibili...

That's just what happens when we're not on the same wavelength. That's all.

The plot structure from here on is simple: everyday life, with the supernatural gradually appearing. The two won't differ too much in how much space they get. The main draw is still the absurd, entertaining stuff.

Fighting monsters and leveling up? That's not what the protagonist is supposed to do.

If you've been paying close attention, you could tell from the absurd dialogue right from the start that this world's setting isn't ordinary. It isn't designed around one person having all the power.

The protagonist's ability has already been made clear in the title: the bigger the heart, the bigger the stage. His power keeps up with Version Updates, leaving him practically invincible. This isn't a story about an Immortal Emperor descending into everyday life.

All right, that's enough from me.

I hope you'll support the book with an early subscription.

If you want to save chapters for later, go ahead. No need to tell me~

A Perfect Shot!

"Izumi-chan."

"Kaguya-chan."

"Izumi-chan..."

"Kaguya-chan..."

"What should I do? Who am I supposed to support?!"

Fujiwara Chika followed along with everyone, mumbling to herself.

"Fujiwara-san, are you close with Shinomiya-san?"

Beside her, Nibuya Morika noticed her state.

"Yeah, Kaguya-chan and I have been friends since middle school. Ah... I guess I've known Izumi-chan for about as long. This is awful! Now it's even harder to choose!"

As Fujiwara Chika spoke, her head spun. She kept shaking it as she walked.

"Uh..."

Nibuya Morika could only go over and support her, keeping her from falling over.

Everyone in the Far East Magic Society seemed a little abnormal—even that Nibuya girl. She tried hard to hide it, but her true nature was obvious.

Walking at the very back, Natsukawa Masuzu quietly observed the club.

She'd only joined yesterday, so she still had a very limited understanding of everyone. She'd need to learn more about them before she could make her move.

But she wasn't worried. Aside from Hasegawa, they were all easy to fool and manipulate.

A while later, Hasegawa Izumi, who was leading the group, stopped and looked ahead.

"We're here."

Like the Kendo Club, the Kyudo Club had its own traditional dojo. But its grounds were mostly just for practicing with targets; there wasn't any other flashy stuff.

As the Far East Magic Society arrived together at the Kyudo Club's entrance—

"The Far East Magic Society is invincible!"

"Hasegawa, it's all up to you!"

"Ah~!"

"Good luck, Hasegawa-kun!"

They couldn't squeeze in to watch the whole match, but plenty of people still came over to cheer. They left a path down the middle, laid out like a red carpet.

Most of them were Mixed Academy Students, since they were eager to see a scene like this. As for the Pure Academy Students, most were girls, drawn in by his personal charm.

This guy was just too cool.

Admiring the strong and falling for geniuses—it was the same for the young ladies from wealthy families.

'This is ridiculously over the top.'

Even Natsukawa Masuzu couldn't help thinking that.

Could joining the Far East Magic Society really make me more popular, just like Hasegawa said?

No way, right?

"Hasegawa-kun, please come this way to change. We've prepared a room for you."

When they entered the club and reached the changing room, a girl in archery clothes came over to him, raising both hands to point toward a small room nearby.

"All right."

Hasegawa Izumi hesitated, but then agreed.

He'd planned to compete in his school uniform, but they'd gone to the trouble of preparing this for him. For the sake of ceremony, he might as well do as they did.

Before long, he came out wearing archery clothes.

Changing into a different outfit could often change the way someone came across.

At that moment, Hasegawa Izumi looked a little more composed and dignified than usual, leaving the girls impressed.

"The Sage is so handsome!"

"Lord Sage is so handsome, death!"

Rikka and Dekomori were both very direct about it.

"True."

Nibuya Morika gave a small nod.

Fujiwara Chika giggled. "Izumi-chan looks so dashing today."

Natsukawa Masuzu joked, "I've fallen for you again, Lord Sage!"

"Don't copy the way we address him, you!" Dekomori Sanae immediately shouted at her.

"Pathetic."

Natsukawa Masuzu looked at her dismissively, then put her right hand on Dekomori's head, keeping her at a distance and out of attack range.

"Shinomiya-san can't wait any longer, can she? It's my turn to go out there."