The Almighty Chuunibyou Expert

Hasegawa Izumi gave his answer without thinking.

Takanashi Rikka looked like she was about to cry, muttering to herself, "But the laws of physics in this world are still too difficult for me to grasp."

In the blink of an eye, a weekend passed.

Time came to the day of the exam.

"I'm so nervous, I wonder what my rank will be this time. Izumi-chan, Takanashi-san, aren't you nervous at all?"

Fujiwara Chika, holding her meticulously taken notes, came before the two seeking comfort.

"Of course, how could a mere exam in the Human World possibly stump me?"

Hasegawa Izumi said with disdain, appearing completely at ease.

For him in the past, such an exam might have been difficult, but now...

He could only say that he had already grasped the secret of runes.

"If only the Wicked Eye of the Tyrant King would show its power..."

Takanashi Rikka covered one eye, breaking into a slight sweat.

Then, when the proctor entered the exam room and everyone began the test.

"For this question, I should choose... Hmm, three long and one short, choose the shortest. Three short and one long, choose the longest. If they're mixed, choose B. If they're uneven, choose D."

A short while later, he heard Rikka's mumbling.

Then, he looked down at the multiple-choice questions and fell silent for a long time.

It seemed Rikka had forgotten to cast a luck spell on herself.

Thursday.

"The results are out! Everyone hurry down and look!"

Someone outside shouted, drawing everyone's attention.

At Shuchiin, academic performance was a reflection of one's status, so many people paid special attention to it, causing the corridor where the announcement board was located to quickly become packed.

"Excuse me, everyone, please move aside."

Hasegawa Izumi arrived with Rikka. Upon hearing his voice, the crowd kindly parted.

At the same time, Shinomiya Kaguya also arrived from the other side, their gazes meeting in mid-air.

"Everyone, listen to my analysis, this must be a banquet of conspiracy!"

Almost at the same instant, the two looked up at the announcement board.

Because Shuchiin placed great importance on academic performance, the rankings displayed the names of all students in the same grade.

First, Hasegawa Izumi.

Second, Shinomiya Kaguya.

Third, Shijo Mako.

Fourth, Natsukawa Masuzu.

There was no need to search through a crowd of names; starting from the first place, his name had already appeared.

"Shinomiya, you're quite impressive, just a little bit behind me."

Hasegawa Izumi turned to compliment Shinomiya Kaguya.

After all, with his current level, he could score almost any score he wanted, easily controlling it.

When he decided he wanted first place, no one else could surpass him.

"I've lost to you again. Whether it's archery or academics, you've made me concede defeat wholeheartedly."

Shinomiya Kaguya maintained a smile on the surface, but her heart was so unwilling she felt like spitting blood.

That detestable genius!

For the first time, she realized the devastation that talent disparity could bring.

"Since I've seen the rankings, I'll take my leave now."

Turning her head and leaving the crowd, the girl's composed expression instantly crumbled. She even stumbled, nearly falling flat on her face.

"Rikka, have you found your rank yet?"

At this moment, Hasegawa Izumi's attention shifted to his ally, who had already looked back and forth several times.

"Mm, I found it."

Takanashi Rikka's gaze shifted to the side, and she nodded.

Her expression clearly indicated that it wasn't good.

So, what was her rank?

He scanned the rankings himself and finally saw Rikka's name among the last few.

Also, there was something even more terrifying: a few more students surnamed Nakano, who looked like quintuplets, and one of them was a classmate he had interacted with.

Good heavens, I can only call them good heavens.

If they aren't family, they don't belong in the same household.

On the way back to the classroom.

"Rikka, you need to focus on your studies during this period. If you fail the final exams, you'll be in trouble."

Hasegawa Izumi walked forward with his hands in his pockets.

At Shuchiin, failing to reach half of the average score was considered failing, with no remedial measures like tutoring. Each subject had two failing grades resulting in no credits, and failing to get credits for compulsory subjects would inevitably lead to being held back a year.

"Don't worry, Sage. The Wielder of the Wicked Eye of the Tyrant King will never fall here. I will definitely reach that place!"

Takanashi Rikka clenched her fist and made a promise.

That evening.

Takanashi Rikka returned home and watched TV for a while when the sound of the door opening suddenly echoed.

"Who is it?"

She looked flustered, sitting on the sofa, waving her hands in a defensive posture.

"Who else could it be? Of course, it's me."

The speaker walked in.

She was a beauty with a slight resemblance to Rikka, possessing black hair and red eyes. The choker around her neck, combined with her poker face, gave her a cold and elegant aura. Additionally, a prominent strand of hair stood out as a highlight.

She was Takanashi Touka, Rikka's older sister, currently a chef at a high-end restaurant. She was usually the one who prepared her sister's bento.

"Holy Chef, why are you back so early today?"

Takanashi Rikka's expression was surprised.

Due to her work, Touka usually returned quite late.

"Of course, it's because of you."

Touka's chilling gaze fell upon her sister, making Rikka's expression increasingly uneasy.

After dinner.

"Let me see your test papers."

Touka urged.

Under the pressure of survival, Takanashi Rikka reluctantly took out the test papers from her school bag.

Touka flipped through them page by page. The scores in other subjects were acceptable, but upon seeing the math test paper with only 2 points, she finally lost her composure.

"How did you even score this? Even guessing randomly on multiple-choice questions wouldn't result in this score."

She laughed in anger.

Takanashi Rikka could only choose to remain silent.

There's nothing I could do!

It was just a streak of bad luck.

"Sigh, forget it."

Touka finally sighed, then changed the subject. "I already heard from your teacher that you and those suspicious individuals have been causing a ruckus at Shuchiin, making a big scene... Well done, you're quite capable."

"It's all thanks to the wise leadership of the Sage that our Far East Magic Society has been able to overcome all obstacles and stand out! We have now formed an unbreakable alliance!"

However, her sister didn't catch the sarcasm and became energetic again.

Touka was silent for a moment before her somewhat indifferent voice spoke again.

"This weekend, I plan to invite your friends over for a meal. Please ask for their opinions."

Friday, Far East Magic Society.

"...In conclusion, does everyone have any thoughts?"

Takanashi Rikka sat at the square table and recounted what had happened the previous night.

Hasegawa Izumi pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Everyone, listen to my careful analysis. Based on my judgment, this should be a 'Hongmen Banquet'!"

The girls simultaneously looked confused, as if waiting for his explanation.

Actually, the study of classical literature included a lesson on the 'Hongmen Banquet,' but they hadn't reached that point yet, so they didn't understand.

"Actually, the origin of this idiom is as follows..."

So, he took on the role of a teacher and shared the story with them.

"I see."

After listening, everyone nodded thoughtfully.

"In that case, the Holy Chef's intention is to invite us over, and then, while we're off guard, annihilate us all, death!"

Dekomori Sanae broke out in a cold sweat thinking about it.

"This is truly wicked! Fortunately, the Sage foresaw this and already saw through the Management Bureau's conspiracy death."

She praised the Sage's greatness once more.

"So, should we refuse?"

Takanashi Rikka asked next, looking around.

"This is obviously just a normal dinner, you guys are being too dramatic."

Nibuya Morika, who had been speechless for a long time, finally spoke up.

"Of course we should accept the invitation! Since they have ulterior motives, we absolutely cannot let this matter rest. Instead, we should seize this opportunity to strike back...!"

Natsukawa Masuzu suddenly interjected, speaking with fervent fervor.

"Classmate Natsukawa, you..."

Nibuya Morika's words were quickly swallowed back.

"This is the perfect opportunity to foil the Management Bureau's plot! Haven't you all been saying that the Management Bureau might be behind this? This time, we should try to take the initiative and capture the Holy Chef as a hostage!"

Natsukawa Masuzu said, excitedly making punching motions, quite provocatively.

"Speaking of which, that's exactly what we should do."

"It's time to face the Holy Chef head-on!"

"It's a perfect chance to learn the Management Bureau's true nature through the Holy Chef death."

The others were somewhat swayed by her words.

Seeing this, Nibuya Morika sighed and put a hand to her forehead.

She finally understood. This woman was simply stirring up trouble and making things worse; she was incredibly wicked.