Episode 16: You Were a Good Guy…
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Although the Academy Battle Tournament ended with the Seventh Esper Academy’s victory, Akatsuki’s attack had left the closing ceremony in limbo.
As a result, the Seventh Esper Academy had yet to receive the championship trophy and banner and couldn’t return to their academy. However, thanks to the Crimson Knight, the problem was resolved, and it was decided that the closing ceremony would be held.
It turned into a lonely closing ceremony without any spectators, but given the Ibinom attack, that couldn’t be helped.
Nevertheless, the representative players of the Seventh Esper Academy, watched over by the players from the other academies, received the championship trophy, and medals of honor were bestowed around their necks.
It wasn’t thunderous applause, but they received a great round of applause from the players of the other academies.
The players of the Seventh Esper Academy gave a big thank you to the rivals they had competed against and fought well with, then proudly and confidently raised the trophy.
“For a while, I wondered what would happen, but receiving the medal like this makes me realize we really won,” Hayato said.
“That’s true. By the way, Kazuma-kun, where were you?”
“I went to the restroom.”
“Again? You said the same thing when you disappeared before, right?”
“Once my stomach starts hurting, I end up going many times.”
“Is that how it is?”
“That’s how it is.”
Kazuma was being evasive as he spoke with Hayato.
Just then, Souji joined their conversation.
“Yo, congrats on the win.”
“Thanks!” Kazuma replied.
“Thank you,” Hayato added.
“What are you guys gonna do after this? I heard the hotel is fine, so we can have a party that also serves as a victory celebration.”
“Ah, yeah. I think we probably will. Thanks to the Crimson Knight, our worries are gone,” Hayato said.
“Oh, I see. In that case, it’s the last supper. Let’s enjoy it, shall we?”
Kazuma made a suggestion to Souji, who was grinning.
“In that case, Souji-senpai! Let’s unveil that!”
“No, that’s really not a good idea. It’d be fine if it were just guys, but with women around, the risk if we mess up is too high.”
“I’m perfect at it, you know!”
“At your level, it’d be a piece of cake. But I can’t do it.”
“Is that so… Well then, I’ll do it even if I’m alone!”
“That’s not something the MVP of this tournament should be doing…!”
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way! Nothing ventured, nothing gained!”
“You’re saying something profound, but what you’re trying to do is the worst.”
“Senpai… Please collect my bones, okay?”
“You, are you serious about doing it?”
“I’ll incorporate it into the program for the victory celebration party!”
“Stop, don’t be rash!”
Souji reached out to stop Kazuma, but Kazuma slipped away smoothly and disappeared from sight.
Souji, unable to stop the kouhai he could call his best friend, clenched his teeth in frustration, but he quickly stopped and showed a nonchalant expression.
“Souji. What is Kazuma-kun trying to do?” Hayato asked.
“You’ll find out later. Well, when that time comes, let’s watch over him with warm eyes.”
“I’m curious, but if you say so, I’ll do that.”
The two of them stared in the direction Kazuma had run off, but then Souji turned to Hayato with a question.
“Hey, Hayato. Have you decided on your future path?”
“Eh? Ah, well, I’m tentatively aiming for the National Defense Force, but what about you, Souji?”
“I’m still thinking. I’ve got offers from Samurai and from overseas, you see.”
“Hahaha, as expected of you. But you don’t have much time left, you know?”
“That’s right. Graduation is at the end of February, so I have to decide by then…”
“Don’t tell me the strongest student is going to be a ronin?”
“Maybe I should aim for university now,” Souji mused.
“That’s rude to the people studying for university entrance exams.”
“Just kidding. Well, I need to decide soon~”
“What are you undecided about?”
“Hmm, whether to go with the National Defense Force or a private company. Or maybe I’m thinking of starting my own company.”
“Starting a company… Isn’t it difficult to break into the market in Japan right now? There are many companies that dispatch Gifted, led by Samurai.”
“That’s true~…”
Just as Hayato said, a new company wouldn’t be able to compete.
Numerous companies existed, with Samurai at the forefront.
No matter how much Kenzaki Souji was hailed as the strongest student, no one would entrust work to a newcomer with no track record.
“So it’s a choice between Samurai or the National Defense Force after all,” Souji concluded.
“What about overseas? You said earlier you had offers from abroad.”
“Ah, that’s fine. I’m Japanese, and there’s also the fact that I don’t want to leave my hometown… but I don’t want to leave my girlfriend behind.”
“I see. If that’s the case, it can’t be helped.”
Hayato also understood that if that was the reason, it couldn’t be helped.
It wasn’t that long-distance relationships were bad, but one naturally wants to be close to their lover.
“Well, I’ll think about it a little more,” Souji said.
“Make sure it’s not too late.”
“You’re right. Worst case, I’ll just repeat a year.”
“Normally, it would be expulsion, but in your case, it seems like you’d be allowed as a special exception.”
After getting excited over such trivial talk, the two of them joined up with the other representative players and returned to the hotel.
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In any case, the representative players from each academy, having safely completed all programs of the Academy Battle Tournament, decided to hold a party that also served as the Seventh Esper Academy’s victory celebration.
The hotel where the representative players were staying had luckily escaped the Ibinom attack, and all its facilities were undamaged.
Thanks to that, the party could be held without any hindrance.
“Cheeeeers!!!”
The clinking sound of glasses coincided with the joyful voices of the players.
They were still students, so they couldn’t drink alcohol, but the atmosphere was completely like a drinking party.
Joyful laughter could be heard from all directions.
They were rivals who competed against each other, but someday they would be comrades standing shoulder to shoulder.
Their relationships were by no means bad.
However. While their relationships weren’t bad, there was no doubt they were rivals.
Naturally, it was necessary to “mark” promising individuals for the future.
Whether it was a man or a woman, what needed to be done was always the same.
A woman approached Kazuma, the rising star of the Seventh Esper Academy and the MVP of this tournament.
It was Tennoji Yayoi, the student council president of the Second Esper Academy and the young lady of the Tennoji Zaibatsu.
“Is now a good time?”
“Nn? Ah, if it isn’t the student council president from the Second Esper Academy!”
Kazuma noticed Yayoi approaching him.
The way he allowed her approach without any particular wariness suggested his past experiences had been meaningless.
However, since a Honey Trap leading to poisoning was impossible here, Kazuma’s response was based on the understanding that he wouldn’t actually be killed.
“Ufufu, you truly got the better of us this time. To think the Seventh had such a hidden ace…”
“No~, hahaha!”
“By the way, may I ask you one thing?”
“Yes, anything at all!”
“Are you currently seeing anyone?”
The women near Kazuma stirred at Yayoi’s remark.
“No, unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance…”
“My! You’re so strong, yet you’re not dating anyone?”
“Yes. Well, this is the first time I’ve really shown my abilities, though!”
“(Hmm, hmm… If he doesn’t have a girlfriend, that’s convenient! It should have been broadcast nationwide, so Father must be watching too. This man’s value is incredibly high! I must make him mine now!)” Yayoi thought.
The Tennoji Zaibatsu was involved in a wide range of businesses, including weapons-related fields such as Powered Suits.
Yayoi, having learned of Kazuma’s potential, approached him, judging that it would lead to profits for her company.
Of course, since strong men were also her preference, she definitely had ulterior motives.
Meanwhile, Kazuma was thinking about Yayoi, who had approached him.
“(Hmm. We’ve had no contact until now, so why so suddenly? Is it because of my performance in the Crown Battle? Wait a minute? Souji-senpai said he was popular. So, this is my popular phase! That’s it, isn’t it, Souji-senpai!)”
Kazuma, convinced there would be no poisoning from a Honey Trap, sent a passionate gaze towards Souji, wondering if this was his popular phase.
“(No, that’s not it…! That’s not it, Kazuma! Tennoji isn’t that kind of woman! I know because I was approached by her before, but she’s the type who thinks about profit and loss, so this isn’t your popular phase, Kazuma!)” Souji thought back.
“(W-Whaaat!?)” Kazuma mentally exclaimed.
The two, whose friendship level had reached its maximum, were perfectly communicating through eye contact.
Kazuma, having heard the truth from Souji, trembled with sadness, but Yayoi was still an attractive woman, so he couldn’t resist.
Such is the sad fate of a man.
Kazuma couldn’t bring himself to treat Yayoi coldly.
However, at that moment, a helping hand appeared.
Kaede forcefully pulled Kazuma away as he was getting along well with Yayoi.
Kazuma, surprised by the suddenness, widened his eyes and spoke to Kaede.
“Um, Kaede-san?”
“I won’t hand Kazuma over.”
Yayoi, caught off guard by Kaede’s statement, froze in thought.
Quickly regaining her composure, Yayoi questioned Kaede, who had suddenly appeared.
“Excuse me? Um, what are you to him?”
“I’m not his girlfriend… but a friend.”
“If you’re just a friend, could I ask you not to interfere in a conversation between a man and a woman?”
“I get a wicked feeling from you, so no.”
“If you’re saying I have ulterior motives, well, of course I do.”
Kazuma, caught between the two whose gazes clashed fiercely, was just flustered and as useless as a scarecrow.
To this, Karin and Yukihime also joined in, and Kazuma’s surroundings transformed into a battlefield.
“We won’t hand over our master so easily.”
“Kazuma-kun is our precious junior and comrade, after all.”
Isurugi Kanna from the Second Esper Academy also joined the fray.
However, her participation was more in the typical Kansai spirit of “this looks interesting.”
“Well now, looks like somethin’ interestin’s happenin’. Mind if I join in?”
“Oh, Kanna-san too, is it? So many rivals, I can’t keep up~. Well, but that just makes me burn with even more passion, you know.”
“Awawawawa…”
Realizing this was different from what he’d expected, Kazuma looked around as if seeking help, but everyone just averted their gazes and made no move to assist him.
Rather, they seemed to be watching him with amusement, as if he were an interesting spectacle.
Moreover, even the girls from other academies seemed to be on the verge of joining in, thinking it looked a bit fun.
Wondering how to resolve this situation, Kazuma was struck by a stroke of genius.
He had originally planned to perform a party trick at this party anyway, so he figured he could use that to turn the situation into laughter, and stealthily slipped out of the battlefield.
A short while after a part of the party venue had turned into a battlefield, the hall suddenly went completely dark.
Just as the athletes in the hall were murmuring, wondering what on earth was about to begin, music started playing from somewhere, a spotlight shone, and a pervert appeared on stage, stark naked except for a bow tie, his crotch hidden by a tray.
Seeing that, all the athletes froze.
A moment later, all the boys burst into laughter, while the girls screamed, though a few of them were captivated by Kazuma’s unnecessarily beautiful muscles.
“Fuffuffu! Behold! This is Satsuki Kazuma’s party trickkkk!”
The pervert, illuminated by the spotlight, held a silver tray to cover his crotch, and danced to elegant music while rapidly flipping the tray.
At the utterly idiotic sight, the male crowd was engulfed in a vortex of laughter and started jeering.
“Haahhahahahaha! That’s great~! Do more~!”
“Hyuu hyuu! You’re the best~!”
“Wahahahaha! As expected of the MVP! What he does is on a whole other level~!”
“Gahahahahahaha! He’s undoubtedly the strongest~!”
“That’s our Kazuma. To do that in this situation… you’re a Hero.”
While Souji and the others were roaring with laughter and praising him, the girls, though screaming, seemed unable to tear their eyes away and were watching intently.
“…”
At this sight, Yayoi, who until a moment ago had been trying to get Kazuma into her grasp, was speechless.
Kazuma, who had shown such an incredible fighting style in the Crown Battle, was now in an utterly idiotic outfit, performing a trick that could only be described as vulgar.
It was beyond mere disappointment.
Her disappointment had passed, and anger was welling up.
She was the one who had arbitrarily held expectations and made her own calculations, but such things didn’t matter now.
Right now, she wouldn’t be satisfied until she landed a punch on that idiot.
“I know how you feel.”
Just as Yayoi was about to give Kazuma—who was on stage hiding his crotch with a single tray and getting lots of laughs—a piece of her mind, she was tapped on the shoulder from behind.
When she turned around, the female students from the Seventh Esper Academy were there, their eyes gentle.
Ah, Yayoi understood that they were surely comrades who felt the same way she did, and she simply nodded silently.
“Let’s give him a good whack.”
“I’ll cooperate.”
“I’ll provide support.”
“Please leave it to us.”
“Ooh, scary. But this looks fun, so I’ll join in too.”
To take down a single idiot, they joined hands.
Just moments ago, they had been fighting over that same idiot, and now they were getting along so well.
As Kazuma, having reached his finish on stage, was smiling brightly, thinking he’d worked up a good sweat, passionate love calls—or rather, Gifts—were unleashed by several of the girls.
Of course, none of them were thinking of killing Kazuma.
Therefore, the Gifts, unleashed with restraint, destroyed the stage Kazuma had been standing on, and the pervert was sent flying by the shockwave.
“Hmph… So it ends with an explosion. How nostalgic.”
The pervert was vanquished.
Not quite. Souji, chasing after Kazuma who had been blown to an unseen spot and tending to him, praised him tearfully.
“You really are amazing…! To calculate things this far and entertain everyone like this!”
“Senpai… I did my best.”
“Yeah, yeah! I know, I alone know! You’re a good guy!”
“Heh, hehehe… Goodbye.”
“Ka-Kazumaaaa—!!!”
Kazuma collapsed, his strength gone.
Souji, playing along with the farce, was overcome with the sorrow of losing his best friend.