Gold Card: Sword Mastery

Inside an abandoned school building.

Ryuen was surrounded by many students.

He was currently reprimanding Albert and the others.

Yamazaki and the others were kneeling on the ground as Ryuen stepped forward and kicked Yamazaki in the abdomen.

Ryuen shouted angrily:

"It seems the lesson I gave you last time wasn't enough!"

"You idiots, didn't you promise that the three of you would definitely be able to take care of Angela Yi Chen this time?"

"What are you even good for? You even cost me 300,000 points."

Yamazaki wheezed:

"I'm sorry, Ryuen. He didn't have this kind of strength before today."

"He didn't beat the two of us that easily before."

Upon hearing this, Ryuen stepped forward and delivered another heavy punch to Yamazaki.

Yamazaki spat out blood and stopped talking.

Ryuen leaned in close to look at Yamazaki and shouted loudly:

"Your entire class will bear the loss of these 300,000 points."

Ryuen kicked Albert in the back and grabbed Ibuki Mio by her bangs, pulling her head up.

Ibuki Mio was in great pain, gritting her teeth with deep resentment in her heart.

Ryuen said disdainfully:

"Do you have any objections?"

The group hurriedly replied that they did not.

Ryuen barked at them to get lost as far as they could.

After they left.

Ryuen slammed a heavy punch into the abdomen of a classmate standing nearby.

That student fainted on the spot.

Ryuen wore a dark expression and said viciously:

"Angela Yi Chen."

"I, Ryuen, have noted this lesson."

"Just you wait, I will definitely make you experience torture a hundred times more humiliating than this."

Back on campus.

The setting sun still hung on the horizon as Airi reluctantly parted ways with Yi Chen.

After the two separated.

Angel:

"Mission complete:

Gold Card: Sword Mastery

Description:

"After use, your swordsmanship will reach mastery level."

After Yi Chen used the card, a massive surge of knowledge flooded into his mind.

A short while later, Yi Chen took a deep breath and picked up a wooden stick with a sharp tip from a roadside planter.

Yi Chen's eyes were clear and focused as he imagined the wooden stick in his hand to be a sword.

Yi Chen performed a backhand Tiliao, gripping the sword to thrust straight ahead.

He executed a Tiliao cut, a hack, and a diagonal slash.

He pulled the sword back to his chest, performed a Phoenix Nod, and then a Dragon Sword.

Yi Chen crouched and leaped, finishing with a final Phoenix Nod.

Landing on the ground, he finished with a sword gesture.

Yi Chen looked at the wooden stick in his hand, feeling secretly thrilled:

"So cool! Is this the system? I've never learned swordsmanship before, but playing with a sword now feels amazing."

"What man could refuse the charm of wielding a sword?"

After finishing his practice, Yi Chen happily stroked the wooden stick in his hand, feeling an intense desire to wield a real sword.

At this moment, a figure similar in build to Yi Chen slowly emerged from behind a nearby planter.

Yi Chen looked over calmly, gripping the wooden stick tightly in his hand.

The person approaching moved slowly forward.

This person was none other than the Student Council President, Manabu Horikita.

Angela Yi Chen watched him calmly, though his expression was somewhat sour; he suddenly felt quite awkward.

On the surface, Angela Yi Chen remained expressionless, but inside, he had already suffered a social death.

Angela Yi Chen's thoughts:

I must have been too absorbed in my practice just now; he definitely saw that.

He isn't going to try and strike up a conversation with me, is he? Ugh, this is truly awkward.

Manabu Horikita stepped forward with a cold, aloof expression:

"Angela Yi Chen, your swordsmanship is quite impressive."

Angela Yi Chen wore a deadpan expression:

"..."

Angela Yi Chen looked at Manabu Horikita with an awkward smile.

Seeing that Angela Yi Chen remained silent, Manabu Horikita spoke directly:

"Angela Yi Chen, you are joining the Student Council."

Angela Yi Chen's eyes widened instantly as he looked at Manabu Horikita in confusion.

The stern-faced Manabu Horikita saw this expression.

He couldn't help but turn around and grit his teeth.

Soon, Manabu Horikita turned back around, looking at Angela Yi Chen's face with restraint.

Angela Yi Chen said calmly:

"Why?"

Manabu Horikita:

"The position of Head of the External Affairs Department in the Student Council has opened up, and you are going to take it."

Angela Yi Chen looked at him with an "and then?" expression:

"Hm?"

Manabu Horikita:

"You are the leader of Class D, aren't you? Whether it's the expulsions or the withdrawal of the complaint regarding the last incident."

"It was all you pulling the strings."

Angela Yi Chen thought about it and realized it was indeed the case; knowing the plot, he had truly just flicked his finger to get it all done.

Angela Yi Chen:

"I suppose so. What else do you want to say?"

Manabu Horikita looked indifferent:

"Join the Student Council and help me."

Angela Yi Chen:

"What if I refuse?"

Manabu Horikita stepped forward, his knuckles cracking as he swayed from side to side:

"You can try."

Angela Yi Chen gave a helpless, awkward laugh:

"Student Council President? Are you joking? Even if you beat me to a pulp, if I don't want to, I don't want to."

Hearing this, Manabu Horikita relaxed his posture:

"I simply find you interesting and wanted to spar with you."

Angela Yi Chen:

"..."

Manabu Horikita sighed:

"Fine. Why is it that you don't want to join the Student Council?"

Angela Yi Chen said casually:

"I'm just too lazy to join, and I'm not really good at navigating social nuances and the like."

"It's too much of a hassle."

Hearing this, Manabu Horikita said haughtily:

"Suit yourself. Just take care of Horikita Suzune in Class D."

With that, Manabu Horikita walked away.

Yi Chen looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"?"

Soon, Yi Chen found Ichinose again as the sun was about to set.

The sky was gradually beginning to turn black.

Ichinose asked Yi Chen where he had gone, and Yi Chen made up a random excuse, giving her a simple reply.

Ichinose pestered Yi Chen, clinging to his arm and asking him to tell her what exactly had happened.

Yi Chen told Ichinose everything exactly as it occurred.

Ichinose leaned against Yi Chen with a look of surprise on her face.

Ichinose said worriedly:

"So, can you promise not to do such dangerous things in the future?"

"Ryuen from Class C is definitely not a good person."

Yi Chen laughed and said:

"Then, how should I handle it? Report it to the teachers?"

Ichinose said gently:

"If you run into something like this again, let me handle it. I can help you."

"I know a lot of people in the school."

Yi Chen looked at Ichinose tenderly with a smile and patted her head.

Yi Chen said sarcastically:

"Really? You certainly have a wide circle of friends, don't you~"

Ichinose pinched Yi Chen's cheek and said crossly:

"Are you going to start acting up again?"

"I told you that you are different to me."

Yi Chen pinched Ichinose's cheek and said gently:

"I know."

As the sky grew dark, Ichinose invited Yi Chen to the theater to watch a stage play.

The two chatted idly on the way.

Ichinose said softly:

"Yi Chen-kun, would you like to join our club? I notice you don't seem to have anything to do every afternoon."

Yi Chen said indifferently:

"Your club has to deal with trivial nonsense every single day, so I'm not going. However..."

"Speaking of clubs, is there something like a Kendo club? I seem to remember there is one."

Ichinose looked at Yi Chen with admiration:

"Yi Chen-kun knows Kendo too? That's amazing."

Yi Chen smiled:

"Actually, I only just mastered it."

Ichinose:

"That's still amazing. Do you need me to help introduce you to it?"

Yi Chen pinched Ichinose's cheek and said indifferently:

"Anything is fine, it's up to you."

Ichinose said shyly:

"Sure, sure! It just so happens that almost all the girls in the Kendo club have boyfriends, so I'll feel much more at ease with you there."

Yi Chen looked helpless.

Soon, the two arrived at the entrance of the theater.

Ayanokoji had just walked out of the theater entrance, his expression as blank as ever.

Yi Chen and Ichinose greeted him.

And just like that, everyone went their separate ways.

Yi Chen thought for a moment and said coldly:

"Ichinose? What is your relationship with Ayanokoji like?"

Ichinose said softly:

"We know each other, but our teacher Chie even told me to keep an eye on him."

Yi Chen felt a lump in his throat and said indifferently:

"Then what do you think of Ayanokoji?"

Ichinose replied with a serious expression:

"Hmm? He doesn't talk much, so he must be a good student. He even asked me for help with a classmate before."

Yi Chen sighed:

"Then do you like him?"

Ichinose looked at Yi Chen in confusion:

"What? Yi Chen-kun, we're just acquaintances, how could I possibly like him?"

"Why are you always like this, why would I like him? He and I are just acquaintances."

"Could it be that you're jealous?"

Yi Chen looked at the moon in the distance, feeling melancholy inside:

"If this were the world of an anime, Ichinose should be the one who likes Ayanokoji."

"Ichinose, you simply don't understand the pain of someone like me who holds the script."

"But if this is a real world, where will I go after I clear the game?"

Ichinose's voice pulled Yi Chen back:

"Yi Chen-kun, why are you so easily jealous?"

"Just say whatever is on your mind. Rest assured, as long as you don't mention breaking up, I will stay with you forever."

Yi Chen looked at Ichinose indifferently:

"I know."

Ichinose looked at Yi Chen, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him on the cheek.

Both of them instantly turned beet red.