Chapter 166

Nobody knew anything about magical girls, and nobody was interested in calling him "senpai" (senior). Kaguya herself exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay.

Finally, the blond youth lay sprawled on the ground like a defeated dog, his tears soaking the sand. This made Kaguya and the others feel somewhat embarrassed; this person was indeed overly enthusiastic, but surely it didn't warrant such hurt?

Mai Sakurajima frowned slightly, just about to go up and say a few words of comfort, when she saw Kohei Imamura punch the sand.

Thump--

"Why, why don't female high school students these days have any anime/manga/game (2D) traits!?"

His voice was hoarse and filled with extreme grief, leaving Yuki stunned. Having grown accustomed to the cunning old foxes in Reincarnation Game, he had never seen such a pure person.

"You'll get used to it. Kohei Imamura may look somewhat good, but he's actually a bit mentally challenged." Kitahara patted Yuki on the shoulder, giving him a look that said, "Please excuse my foolishness."

Before he could finish speaking, a dark figure leaped over like a ghoul, pounced on the young man, straddled him, and pulled out a beer from the side, pouring it into his mouth.

"Iori Kitahara, you're the one who's out of your mind! This is pure love for anime!"

Such heavy resentment.

Yuki watched Kitahara struggle desperately like a drowning man and actually felt a sense of pleasure. Being tackled like this was a completely different experience from being in a dungeon.

The lights came on, and the Diving Club team connected the batteries and hung up the lights, making it seem as if a star was rising on the dark beach.

The starlight illuminated the figures of the people on the Yuki looked around blankly and found it to be more harmonious than he had imagined.

Without any formal introductions, the two groups blended together seamlessly. It was clear that the members of the Diving Club were more proactive, which was partly due to their personalities and partly due to the senior students' duty.

Chisa Kotegawa and Shiina Hiyori continued setting off fireworks in the distance. Kaguya Shinomiya felt somewhat uncomfortable and wanted to maintain her icy pose, but her red eyes reflected the dazzling firelight.

Hayasaka Ai had gone to help out at some point, and her dazzling knife skills drew gasps of amazement from Aina, who had short blue hair; her eyes practically sparkled.

Looking to the side, she saw her senior classmate holding a glass of juice and chatting quietly with Nanaka, whose mature and elegant demeanor she found very appealing.

Unfortunately, she's a twisted siscon. Oh, I finally met Senior Azusa; she's much more magnanimous than I remembered.

Yuki glanced at Hamaoka Azusa, who had purple hair and snake eyes and was wearing a black tank top. She was clearly the chef for tonight, lighting the stove and putting on the grilled meat.

Sizzle--

Accompanied by the sound of burning oil and the rich aroma filling the air, Yuki, holding a beer can, neither checked whether there were any players inside nor pondered any philosophical questions.

It was a noisy, pure, aimless, and time-wasting night, but how should I put it?

As a large amount of pepper and chili powder was sprinkled on the meat skewers, Yuki's nose twitched.

Yes, that's the taste.

Chapter Twenty-Six: No Need to Ask (Second Update!)

For the past month, words like goals, calculations, and survival have filled his mind, almost making Yuki forget his previous life.

When they meet someone, they immediately start to think about their identity. If it's a player, they immediately start scheming against them. They say they're returning, but they hardly have any time to rest.

Yuki finally realized why he hadn't withdrawn his application to join the club; perhaps deep down, he preferred this carefree life.

Without worries or purpose, they simply gathered together, like-minded people, to drink and chat, fully enjoying life. Then he discovered that Mai Sakurajima, Hayasaka, Hiyori, and even Kaguya were the same.

At first, I felt a little uncomfortable, but I was quickly infected by their enthusiasm and became less reserved.

"Birds of a feather flock together. No wonder I can stay with my seniors. No wonder I'm interested in Iori Kitahara but haven't tried to take advantage of him."

Yuki got his answer and sat on a broken piece of wood, drinking his sake. He wanted to help, but Hayasaka Ai forcibly kicked him out.

So considerate, are you planning to let me just be a bystander?

At first I was puzzled, but then I noticed Hayasaka's distracted look and immediately understood.

Senior Zi was wearing only a tank top, grilling meat and drinking alcohol. Beer mixed with sweat dripped down her slender neck, past her delicate collarbone, and quickly disappeared into her valley.

That valley is so deep that even a drop of sweat, let alone something more magnificent, would disappear if it fell in.

"And it's incredibly bouncy, swaying wildly from side to side with every bold movement... wait a minute, is Azusa-senpai not wearing anything...?"

Before she could finish speaking, her vision went completely black. When it returned, she saw a face wearing a rabbit hair clip and wearing a polite smile.

Mai Sakurajima cupped Yuki's face in her hands and asked with a smile, "What was it again, extremely bouncy?"

Yuki showed none of the nervousness one would expect from someone caught peeking; his face remained expressionless, appearing extremely serious.

"Senior, please don't stop me from appreciating art and studying gravity."

"I don't believe you for a second. What art? And Zi-senpai is really something, coming out with just two band-aids on..."

"What did they put up again?" Yuki slightly, as if blaming himself for not considering this possibility.

"Stop pretending with me. If you were peeking, just admit it. Don't make up excuses." Mai Sakurajima wrinkled her nose, sat down beside her, propped her chin on her hand, and gave her an admiring look.

"Senior Zi is really nice. She's warm, generous, and easygoing. She's also beautiful. I rarely meet people like her."

Unfortunately, she's attractive to both men and women.

Yuki added in his mind, then casually asked, "The people in the Diving Club are all very enthusiastic; being with them always makes you forget a lot of things."

"It's much easier now. How should I put it? It's much easier to get along with everyone. Taiyi when I was with the rest of us." Mai Sakurajima looked at him quietly, a faint smile on her face.

Hayasaka Ai and the others are more introverted, and having suffered the beatings of the Reincarnation Game, they are all quite sensitive. These people, on the other hand, laugh very unrestrainedly and purely.

"Now I finally understand why you joined the Diving Club; there's definitely no trouble around them."

Entering a dungeon and fighting tooth and nail, then returning to revel in youthful exuberance—it's truly captivating.

"It's not bad to be with you guys. Everyone has a different way of living, and the two don't conflict." Yuki shrugged. After observing for so long, he found that the people in the Diving Club were better than he had imagined.

There was no baseball game, no Male Black Sphere, it was really just a barbecue party, and they even prepared a lot of juice.

"They were very restrained today, clearly taking special care of you; they are indeed reliable adults."

Huh? Is this considered restraint?

Mai Sakurajima glanced at Kohei Imamura, who had fainted from the oolong tea, and Iori Kitahara, who had lit the 'white water' in his hand, leaving Yoruichi, who was not far away, dumbfounded.

The young lady had never seen oolong tea that made someone fall into a deep sleep, nor had she ever seen flammable purified water.

"Well, they are indeed quite troublesome, but they know where the boundaries are and haven't dragged you into it."

"Senior, when did you get the idea that I wasn't a member?" Yuki looked at him with a sly expression, picking up the empty wine bottle and shaking it.

The lighting was dim, and Mai Sakurajima hadn't noticed what Yuki was drinking until now, when she realized it was a bottle of liquor with a 96° label that was quite glaring.

How could we not join? We just made a bold move that scared them off.

"No wonder I didn't see Tokita- senpai."

"He'll probably throw up somewhere."

"Yuki, you'll have no friends if you do this. It's practically cheating."

"It's not that bad, as long as the emotions are there, I'll go help out. It can't Hayasaka Ai and Azusa-senpai acting out their own show." Yuki had just stood up when her hand was grabbed, and she turned around to see Mai Sakurajima's refusal.

"Hey, I just went to experience the enthusiasm of my senior, I had absolutely no other intentions. We've been eating for almost two hours and haven't even exchanged a few words."

Whether it's Nanaka or Azusa, he always gets pushed away whenever he tries to approach them. There's no way around it; both their bodies and personalities exude an older sister vibe, putting them on a completely different level from sixteen or seventeen-year-old girls.

"Anyway, you're not allowed to go." Mai Sakurajima raised her head, looking like there was no room for negotiation. With her emotional intelligence, she knew that those two senior girls were incredibly powerful, and no pighead could possibly resist them.

Just kidding, I can resist desire even in the church basement. Oh well, this is probably just possessiveness at play.

"Senior, you don't really need to be as nervous as Hayasaka."

"Why?" Mai Sakurajima was too lazy to even feign ignorance.

"Because you also have a broad mind, unlike Hayasaka who is fake."

What nonsense!

Mai Sakurajima was initially stunned. She glanced at Hayasaka in the distance and, without realizing it, seemed to have grown a little older. Then she lowered her head, a blush rising to her ears.

"You idiot!"

"I really thought you were a beast, but it turns out you're all show and no substance. And you're not at all like I imagined; you're not as cold and ruthless as you appear. It seems that this kind of intimidation is only effective against a specific group of people."

Iori Kitahara her arms and looked into the distance as fireworks exploded in the dark night, illuminating faces.

The Diving Club has a natural affinity for each other, and the two sides get along very well. However, Kaguya and Hayasaka were whispering something to each other and kept glancing this way with disdainful looks.

Uh, I hope they're not looking down on me.

"Next time you say a cool line, could you wipe your mouth clean first?" Yuki, silently watching him while stretching her legs. She had just taken a full-force hit from her senior.

The young man casually wiped away the vomit and muttered, "You bastard, you're so boring, you're not even drunk."

"Who said I wasn't drunk? Look again!"

Kitahara turned his head, squinted, and saw that Yuki's eyes were hazy, as if he were half-drunk and half-awake. He immediately looked very happy and felt a sense of approval.

Judging from his expression, Yuki understood.

There were other players here, and they were very strong. Even though I wasn't paying attention, they didn't reveal the slightest trace of me.

"Then let's talk nonsense." Yuki glanced at them, not looking closely, as it wasn't important. He asked with some curiosity, "How can you guarantee they'll survive in the beginner dungeon?"

"Hmph, of course I have a way. Do you really think I'm heartless, that I can drink and brag with you like nothing's wrong?"

Yuki raised an eyebrow, making numerous guesses in an instant. No wonder he wasn't afraid of the player gathering effect; he had been prepared for this all along.

Moreover, Iori Kitahara is different from me; she leads her companions forward, while I choose my companions from within the dungeons.

After a moment of silence, Yuki asked again, "You know about that new phase, right?"

"I know, that's why I'm making every second count."

Playing baseball boxing against the clock?

Yuki really wanted to complain: some people were racing against time to prepare their backup plans, some were racing against time to implement their plans, but this lazy bum seemed to have done nothing at all.

But if he really has something to do, I won't be drinking with him here.

Looking back, Yuki felt somewhat relieved and shook his head, asking, "What are you planning to do?"

"This can be prepared for? Oh, you mean you want to plan like those people do?" Kitahara clearly knew what the 'Day' player organization was up to, and couldn't help but show a mocking expression:

"Thinking so much is useless. No one can control the future, especially when we don't even know what the new phase will look like. That just makes us look incredibly foolish."

These words are blatantly dismissive; if Shinomiya Oko heard them, his blood pressure would probably explode.

Iori Kitahara didn't seem dejected at all, and said, "Do you know why those people abandoned their families and devoted themselves entirely to mastering the Reincarnation Game?"

"Because through epic quests, we will be erased from all traces of this world except for the players," Yuki casually replied, revealing Ayanokoji's speculation.

"So you knew, huh? That's why I didn't want to think too much about it." Kitahara shrugged.

The logic forms a closed loop; players will always reach that point, and each person is not an independent individual.

They have friends and family, and certainly not all of them are players. Some chose to ignore everything; some chose to let the organization take care of their affairs even if they were forgotten; and some simply delayed, trying to enjoy a peaceful life as much as possible.

The air was thick with cries of anguish and fear of the unknown, a stark contrast to the laughter that echoed from afar.

Not everyone is a player, and does being forgotten equate to being dead?

Yuki suddenly realized how lucky she was, and replied with a smile, "Luckily, I don't have that worry."

"I know they're all gamers, but don't you have any other friends? Uh, not gamers, though."

"No."

"What about family members? Surely they have some?"

"I am an orphan."

Iori Kitahara quickly turned her head away, her eyes twitching, her envy bordering on rage.

There are so few people like this, so carefree and unburdened. They don't need to undergo the test of separation psychologically, as if they were born specifically for the Reincarnation Game.

But then I thought about it and something didn't seem right. This guy is indeed eccentric, but he's not hard to get along with. Could it be that he's been participating in the Reincarnation Game since he was born?

"Don't be so quick to envy me. At least you've experienced pure joy in your life." Yuki didn't elaborate further. If you're talking about friends and family, that's a thing of the past, isn't it even further back?

Some of the answers were strange. Kitahara didn't bother to find the logic between the words; since he was drunk, he shouldn't care about logic.

Just then, the two heard a cheer, and the largest firework exploded in the night sky, with a touch of icy blue special effects.

There is no doubt that this is Transcendental Grade power, but ordinary people simply cannot see it.

Yuki glanced at Kaguya, then looked at the bright faces. Some of them he had only met today, but they all seemed very familiar.