Ultimate Phantom Thief

"Hey, hey, isn't that guy way too handsome?"

"Yeah, yeah, he looks even better than the models in magazines..."

"I wonder if he has a girlfriend..."

"Hmph, this guy looks like all show and no substance. Everyone should pay attention to someone with depth like me instead."

These fragmented and blunt discussions naturally reached the ears of the person in question; most were exclamations of praise, though there was no shortage of jealous voices.

Yet Karuizawa Kei, who had presented herself as a very strong-willed, gal-styled girl ever since arriving in the class, was unusually silent and did not echo the girls around her.

Her expression was extremely complex.

At the same time.

It's you, isn't it, Master Yamauchi?

Glancing at the Black Room's masterpiece who was currently full of jealousy, Xu Nuo silently made a note in his mental ledger before slowly standing up.

In an instant.

The noisy clamor of the entire classroom vanished.

There was no particular expression on Xu Nuo's face, just a pure sense of calm, but this very calmness was an intangible aura in itself.

It made everyone subconsciously hold their breath.

Waiting for him to speak.

Only Xu Nuo knew that his inner thoughts at this moment had absolutely nothing to do with being "calm."

As a Transmigrator.

A golden finger was naturally an indispensable part of the package.

Xu Nuo's golden finger was simple: as long as he declared "I am the Ultimate XX" in front of more than ten people, he would gain the corresponding ability.

It would last for seven days.

Therefore.

He jokingly called it: Weekly Superpower.

An ability with off-the-charts chuunibyou levels.

But its practicality was simply heaven-defyingly strong.

Whether it was the absolute pitch brought by the "Ultimate Pianist" or the invisible hands granted by the "Ultimate Hacker," both had allowed him to be invincible throughout his life thus far.

Relying on this ability, he had grown from an ordinary infant into what others called a "genius."

And today, his previous ability had just expired.

Let me think...

Class A seems to have a phantom thief, right?

Seeming to have thought of something, the corners of Xu Nuo's mouth slowly curled into an imperceptible arc.

Then, he spoke.

"My name is Xu Nuo, and I am the Ultimate Phantom Thief."

"..."

"...Huh?"

At this moment.

The air in the entire Class D almost froze.

Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki, sitting in the front row, were the first to lose their composure. The two exchanged a glance, and their shoulders began to shake uncontrollably.

They were holding back laughter, their deliberate expressions exaggerated to the point of distortion, looking as if they had been constipated for several days.

"Pfft... Phantom, phantom thief?"

"This guy... must have read too many comics, right?"

"Hahahahaha..."

Compared to the boys, the girls' reactions were more complex. One second their hearts were racing because of his heaven-defying looks, and the next second, they felt like their hearts had died.

Their expressions all revealed a trace of pity.

Handsome guy, what a pity he's a chuunibyou.

"Ahaha, Xu Nuo-kun is really interesting. By phantom thief, do you mean you're good at magic tricks or puzzles? I'm quite interested in that too."

Only Yosuke Hirata maintained his consistent gentleness.

Look at that.

What perfect crowd control.

As for Xu Nuo's seatmate, Horikita Suzune's expression at this moment could no longer be described as merely cold.

It could even be described as disdain.

"Trying to attract attention? What a clumsy tactic."

At the same time.

Outside the back door of the classroom.

A figure leaned against the wall; Sae Chabashira had originally just wanted to see if any surprises would occur.

When Xu Nuo stood up.

She had indeed felt an improper expectation rise within her.

After all.

A handsome face was also a form of strength.

As it turned out...

She sighed silently, her eyes, once full of anticipation, dimming as she mocked herself internally.

What was she thinking?

Class D, as expected, remained that scrap heap.

Sae Chabashira walked away.

Yet Xu Nuo, at the center of the storm, appeared unusually calm, accepting the knowledge surging continuously into his mind with a face as placid as a lake without a ripple.

Subsequently.

He gave a lukewarm nod of thanks to Yosuke Hirata, who was still trying to smooth things over.

Then, amidst the murmurs of the crowd, he sat back down.

The entire process was smooth and fluid.

Without the slightest waver, he fully embodied the idea that if I am not embarrassed, then it is others who are.

The way he looked.

It seemed.

As if he had just been stating a fact.

Like the sun rising in the east, water flowing to lower ground, and—

I, Xu Nuo, am a Phantom Thief.

His composure, unshaken even if Mount Tai were to collapse before him, left those who had prepared to watch a joke at a loss, causing them to start doubting themselves instead.

Could it be... that this guy is serious?

"Shut up, you bunch of trash!"

Bang—

Suddenly.

A loud crash shook the entire classroom into silence, drawing everyone's gaze.

There.

A fierce-looking red-haired youth with a volatile expression kicked his desk violently, causing it to lose balance and overturn instantly.

After doing this.

He didn't spare anyone a glance, shoved his hands into his pockets, and walked straight toward the classroom door.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Hah~

Truly a textbook opening for Class D.

Xu Nuo sighed.

However.

Faced with this farce, one person remained completely indifferent.

Horikita Suzune did not even turn her head.

As if the other party were merely an insignificant pest, her focus was entirely on one person at this moment.

Her reddish-purple eyes locked onto the youth beside her.

"You..."

"What is your goal?"

Her voice was very low, tinged with a hint of confusion.

There was no helping it; this guy was simply too composed. In a daze, she had even caught a glimpse of her brother's shadow, and her previous conclusion had collapsed on its own.

After all.

Facing mockery while displaying an attitude similar to her brother's—he could never be an ordinary chuunibyou.

Therefore, he must have had a specific purpose in doing so.

Hearing this.

Xu Nuo did not answer; he simply raised his right hand casually and snapped his fingers in the air.

"Click—"

The sound was crisp, inexplicably appearing exceptionally clear.

A miracle.

At that very moment, it happened: a delicate, dew-kissed red rose appeared out of thin air at his fingertips.

"?!"

Horikita Suzune's eyes widened. At such close range, she could clearly see every detail of the rose and smell its faint fragrance.

But she could not understand.

This thing.

How exactly did it appear right under her nose?

Magic? A sleight of hand?

Xu Nuo offered no explanation, merely smiling as he gently held the red rose out to her.

"For you, Suzune."

A breathtaking scene that only existed in shoujo manga.

"Hmph, don't call me by such a disgusting name." Horikita Suzune's earlobes turned slightly red, and while her words were cold, her actions were honest as she took the flower, unexpectedly choosing not to press the matter further.

The classroom remained in the chaos brought about by the redhead.

No one noticed them.

Only three people, sitting in different spots with different thoughts, quietly took in the scene.

The first.

The little angel who always maintained a perfect smile—

Kushida Kikyo.

She seemed to be paying attention to this side, and the moment the rose appeared, her sweet smile remained, yet a trace of imperceptible gloom flashed through her eyes.

The second gaze came from the other side of the classroom.

The center of the girls' clique—

Karuizawa Kei. This assertive gal's eyes were obscure as she watched the boy, her heart filled with complex, unspeakable emotions.

It's him...

He had clearly moved away after elementary school.

She had thought those naive feelings had long since been sealed away in a corner of her memory as time passed.

How could it be?

How could he be here?

And in this way, be dug back up?

Was she surprised?

Perhaps a tiny bit, like winning a scratch-off ticket only to find the prize was just five dollars.

More than that.

It was a sense of inferiority mixed with shame and panic.

The version of herself from the past.

That dowdy, inconspicuous, and even somewhat cowardly self felt as if she were about to be exposed to everyone with the appearance of her former childhood friend.

The shining Karuizawa Kei she had spent so much effort to craft.

Absolutely.

It absolutely could not collapse here!

The third gaze came from an inconspicuous corner—

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. For the first time, ripples appeared on his expressionless face as he seemed to be deep in thought.

A speed of hand that even he couldn't track.

A Phantom Thief... is it?