As soon as the first round began, the character controlled by Eriri launched a fierce attack. Judging by the action, it was an almost one-sided beatdown. (Continued)

"Izumi-chan, teach me~"

She turned around to ask someone for help.

After that, everyone stopped holding back and began trying it out for themselves.

Somehow, he had started a trend in his class.

The various clubs were recruiting around the Activity Building, with their booths spreading out from its ground floor.

Since it was the start of the school year, the first few weeks were usually the peak recruiting period. The area was crowded and extremely noisy.

"Hey, are you interested in the Soccer Club? The sports clubs at Shuchuin were really popular, especially the Soccer Club."

"Come on, anyone want to join the Judo Club? New students can get one-on-one lessons from an upperclassman. If you're tempted, come on over!"

"The Tabletop Game Club is recruiting! If you want to play more fun games, come join us."

Amid all the lively booths, one spot tucked away in a corner was completely ignored.

"This can't be right. Hasn't anyone come to admire my great renown? Was all that effort for nothing?"

Hasegawa Izumi sat with his fingers interlaced beneath his chin, looking utterly perplexed.

"Could it be that no one else has reached this level besides us? Or are they afraid to believe?"

Takanashi Rikka frowned from the seat beside him.

"Maybe they're still on the fence and haven't made up their minds?"

After some thought, he hung a banner behind them to make their booth more eye-catching.

Suddenly, a pair of footsteps stopped in front of them, drawn by the words on the banner.

"Do you want to understand the meaning of life? Do you want to truly live? The Far East Magic Society? How interesting. I could use this as inspiration for a character in a novel... Huh, are you the famous Chuunibyou Freshman?"

Only then did the beautiful upperclassman in black stockings turn to look at him with interest.

"Would you like to join our club, senpai?"

Hasegawa Izumi looked up and asked noncommittally.

"I'm not interested for now."

The upperclassman promptly turned and left.

Before long, another boy showed up. He was thin and looked rather low on energy.

"Are you two interested in joining our Anime Club? I think you'd be a better fit for our club. I'm sure we'd have plenty to talk about."

He tried his best to recruit them.

Was someone really trying to poach their members?

Hasegawa Izumi froze for a moment, then silently shook his head.

The boy left, greatly disappointed.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

They still hadn't made any progress recruiting. Hardly anyone had even come to ask about the club, let alone applied to join.

"Why is this happening? The door to a brand-new world has already opened. They should be flocking to us."

Takanashi Rikka furrowed her brows, unable to understand the situation.

12: Challenge the Dojo

"Maybe I haven't done enough. My reputation isn't big enough yet. Everyone's only heard about what happened, but they know nothing about me as a person, let alone our club."

After thinking it over, Hasegawa Izumi came to this conclusion.

If he'd realized this sooner, he should have attended the club fair to raise his profile.

"Hmm... Reputation is one thing, but there should be another, more important reason. We haven't shown them enough strength. Of course they're afraid to take the plunge, worried that we won't be able to protect them when the Invisible Boundary Management Bureau targets them."

Takanashi Rikka offered her own analysis.

So, was there a way to raise their profile and show off their strength at the same time?

Just as the two of them were pondering this, an upperclassman appeared in front of them. She was dressed rather unusually, in a black robe and a pointy hat—a witch's outfit.

"Let me introduce myself first. I'm Atenbo Yume, a second-year student and the Club President of the Supernatural Phenomenon Research Club. I'm here today to invite you both to join our club and investigate the hidden secrets of this world. I believe that if we work together, we can accomplish twice as much with half the effort and glimpse that brand-new world."

She kept her eyes closed, a warm, friendly smile on her face.

Usually, people like this were dangerous types—the smiling tiger sort. Once they opened their eyes, it meant they were getting serious.

But that was just an anime trope. This was reality.

At least, Hasegawa Izumi didn't sense anything mysterious about her.

The name of her club made it clear, too. They were only trying to explain supernatural phenomena. They were still a long way from stepping through that door.

"What are you talking about? The people standing before you are the powerful Wicked Eye of the Tyrant King User and the Omniscient and Omnipotent Sage. The world you see has long been no mystery to us! We would never stoop to your level!"

Takanashi Rikka stood up and retorted on the spot, placing one hand against her forehead in a cool pose.

"And what does Hasegawa-kun think?"

Atenbo Yume smiled without answering, shifting her gaze to him.

"Whatever Rikka thinks is what I think."

He answered without hesitation.

Since he had already made a pact with Rikka, he would stand by her.

"That's... too bad."

Atenbo Yume sighed, looking disappointed, then turned to leave.

"I hope one day I'll see you both change your minds."

She turned her head as she left those words behind.

She certainly had a flair for drama.

For Hasegawa Izumi and Takanashi Rikka, it was just a minor interruption. Their focus remained on how to strengthen their organization.

Recruiting this way clearly wouldn't work. No one cared, so they had no choice but to try something else.

"I've got it."

After thinking it over again and again, Hasegawa Izumi finally came up with an answer.

"Izumi, do you have an idea?"

Takanashi Rikka leaned closer, her little face near his as she asked.

"Do you know what 'challenging the dojo' means?"

He answered with a question of his own.

"Challenging the dojo? Does that mean going to challenge a dojo?"

Takanashi Rikka guessed from the phrase.

"That's right. I'm planning to challenge the other clubs."

He nodded, his smile growing brighter.

"True. If we defeat them fairly and squarely, we can raise our organization's profile and show off its strength."

The girl could see how it might work.

As for whether they could win, neither of them even considered that question.

They were both incredibly confident.

One believed in others, and the other believed in himself even more.

"Then let's start by drawing up a plan for challenging the other clubs."

Hasegawa Izumi didn't act rashly. Instead, he decided to make a plan first.

If the Far East Magic Society was to rise to the top and become the number-one club at Shuchuin, there was a certain way to do it. The best stories started small and gradually built toward a final climax. Only then could they deliver the most explosive effect and leave everyone with nothing to say!

"First, we can cross the Anime Club off the list. Challenging them would be a waste of time. No one cares about them."

He found a list of the clubs. It included all the different clubs in Shuchuin High School, big and small. Then he crossed out the very last one.

To be a strong person, you needed wisdom, basic ability, and fighting ability.

"Let's start with the Go Club. It has a decent reputation."

After weighing his options, he chose the Go Club as their first stepping-stone.

"Then let's go challenge them now! I think the Go Club is right next to our base."

Takanashi Rikka was already fired up.

If they could trample all over Shuuchuin Academy, it would be an incredible feat!

"No. Before we challenge them, there are two more things we need to do."

He shook his head and held up two fingers.

"First, we'll send them a challenge letter so they can prepare in advance. That way, they can't say we caught them off guard or that our victory was unfair."

That way, they would accept their defeat wholeheartedly.

"Second, we'll publicize the whole thing through the News Department and make sure the entire school hears about it. That's the only way to make a real splash!"

A challenge no one witnessed might as well not have happened.

"Izumi, your wisdom really is unfathomable. You came up with such a thorough plan in no time at all."

Takanashi Rikka couldn't help praising him again.

"Let's get started."

He grinned and looked up at the Activity Building in front of them, a hint of fervor in his eyes.

Let everyone at Shuchuin pave my road to becoming a hero!

13: Everyone at Shuchuin Is Trash

The Go Club had an old-fashioned, elegant atmosphere. By the window was a tatami area furnished with folding screens and fans. It was where the Club President, Watanabe Yoshitaka, usually played matches and discussed the game with others. On the other side, two long rows of wooden tables stood in an open space, with boards and black and white stones set out for members to play against each other.

At that moment, the Go Club's president, Watanabe Yoshitaka, was analyzing a game he'd just played online against a professional.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

Suddenly, someone knocked. One of the Go Club members went to answer the door and found a dignified-looking boy with a cold expression.

"Please hand this to your president."

The boy passed him a letter. The member took it by reflex, then noticed the words "Challenge Letter" written on the envelope. His expression changed in surprise. When he looked up again, the boy had already vanished.

"How interesting. Getting a challenge letter... It really makes me wonder if I'm living in ancient times."

After reading its contents, Watanabe Yoshitaka broke into a cheerful smile.

"President, this is obviously a provocation! You've already passed the professional exam. Not just anyone can challenge you! This guy's definitely looking to pick a fight, isn't he?"

A first-year student who had joined recently immediately voiced his opinion.

"I don't think so. I can tell what kind of person he is from the way he wrote this letter. He's serious, so I need to seriously prepare for our match the day after tomorrow. I haven't had anyone to play face-to-face with lately, so I hope he's a skilled player who can give me a real challenge!"

Anticipation showed on Watanabe Yoshitaka's face.

After delivering the challenge letter, Hasegawa Izumi and Takanashi Rikka headed to the News Department on the floor above.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Come in."

After knocking and hearing a voice from inside, the two of them entered.

The spacious News Department was abuzz with activity. Its members were passing around the information they had gathered and preparing the next day's issue.

The News Department's president was Asahi Shizuku, the Newspaper Bureau Chief's daughter. She wore glasses and looked very gentle.