Episode 49: Named Characters Might Show Up, But Who Knows If They’ll Actually Do Anything Significant.
Having finished handing over the good luck charms, Kazuma spent his lunch break with Alice and the others. After lunch break ended, Kazuma returned to the Support Course classroom.
Back in the Support Course classroom, Kazuma battled drowsiness as he made it through the afternoon classes.
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After school, Kazuma had a meeting for the Academy Battle Tournament, so he said goodbye to his friends and headed to the conference room.
When Kazuma reached the conference room, he opened the door and went inside. There, the student council members and the participants for the Academy Battle Tournament were already gathered. It seemed Kazuma was the last to arrive.
“Ah, sorry I’m late.”
“No, it hasn’t started yet, so don’t worry about it. Besides, this place is far from the first-year Support Course classrooms.”
“Thanks! Next time, I’ll make a grand late entrance like an executive!”
“Ahahaha, I don’t think that would be permissible, though.”
Kazuma got carried away by Hayato’s kind words, but naturally, there was a difference between what was permissible and what was not.
Kazuma sat in an empty seat. Next to him were other Support Course students. Like Kazuma, they were Support Course representatives chosen for the Academy Battle Tournament. Their roles were the same as Kazuma’s, so outside of the Crown Battle, they were practically on the same level as spectators.
“Yo! Long time no see, senpai!”
“Satsuki is full of energy, isn’t he…”
“It’s quite enviable, isn’t it~”
Sitting next to Kazuma were two male students. One had a shaved, close-cropped head, was taller than Kazuma, and had a sturdy build. His name was Abashiri Renuto. He, like Kazuma, was chosen for his high physical abilities.
And next to him was a man with a distinctive hairstyle, one eye hidden by his bangs. He was also a player chosen for his impressive physical abilities. His name was Yamanaka Tsukasa. Incidentally, his nickname, derived from his surname Yamanaka, was Ssanchu. Both of them were third-year students, just like Hayato.
“You think so? Doesn’t this kind of thing get you excited?”
“No way. We’re playing the role of weak, ordinary citizens. And in the Crown Battle, we’ll be targeted by all sorts of enemies…”
“Aargh, I hate it! Just because I’m a little faster than other students, I don’t want to be the one who just gets beaten up~”
“If you’re going to say that, what about me? I have to run around all by myself without any escorts, you know?”
“Well, if you put it that way, we’re certainly lucky.”
“Yeah. The senpais chosen for the Academy Battle Tournament every year were pitiful. Even those experienced in martial arts were helpless against Gifts like Body Enhancement, fire, ice, and lightning, and got taken out.”
“Right? Last year’s senpais were protected, but I’m on solo play!”
Though he said that, Kazuma’s case was an exception among exceptions. A Support Course student more skilled in combat than those in the Combat Course—you could search all over Japan and probably only find Kazuma. Perhaps there were others, but there was undoubtedly no one more capable than Kazuma.
“I’m sorry. For making you all go through such a tough experience.”
Rather than just overhearing the trio’s conversation, they were speaking loud enough for everyone in the conference room to hear, so Hayato had heard it too. Hayato apologized for having forced them into this.
“No, no, I was just lured by the exemption from final exams and winter break homework, so there’s absolutely no need for the President to apologize!”
“I wasn’t apologizing to you, Kazuma-kun.”
“Alright, it’s a fight then. Bring it on, I’ll take you on!”
Rolling up his sleeves, Kazuma tried to stand up from his chair, but Renuto, who was sitting next to him, held him down.
“Idiot! No matter how strong you say you are, your opponent is the strongest student council president in the academy! There’s no way you can win!”
“I’m well aware of that! But what’s the point of giving up before you even try! If you do that, you’ll never win your entire life! There are times when a man has to fight, even if he knows he’ll lose!”
“You’re saying cool things, but this definitely isn’t the time for that, right!”
Kazuma shook off Renuto’s restraint and tried to pounce on Hayato. Realizing Renuto alone couldn’t hold Kazuma back, Tsukasa joined in, and the two of them pinned Kazuma down.
“Kazuma. Behave.”
“Yes…”
Kaede, one of the chosen representatives, scolded Kazuma, who was struggling while being held down by the two senpais.
Having been scolded, Kazuma drooped his eyebrows dejectedly and quieted down. He wasn’t being restrained by Telekinesis; he simply quieted down because he had been told off.
“Sorry, Makimura-san.”
“Thank you, that was a great help.”
“No, it’s only natural as we’re both first-years.”
For the Academy Battle Tournament, there were a total of ten representative players: five third-years, three second-years, and two first-years. In addition, there were two substitutes. These two could be from any grade. In short, they were individuals with skill but who weren’t chosen as main representatives. And then, the three from the Support Course.
A total of fifteen members were participating in the Academy Battle Tournament. However, aside from the Crown Battle, the three from the Support Course were essentially spectators.
“Satsuki-kun is really a daredevil, or rather, how should I put it…”
The one looking exasperated was Shishido Retsuo, a first-year from the Combat Course like Kaede, who boasted the strongest Body Enhancement in their grade. Besides him, formidable individuals like Alice, Kaori, and Tsuyoshi had been candidates, but Hayato made the final decision.
Retsuo was chosen because his Body Enhancement magnification rate was higher than the other three, and he also practiced martial arts. It wasn’t that the other three were inferior, but unfortunately, he was the one chosen this time.
Incidentally, since he was in a different class from Alice and the others, he wasn’t acquainted with Kazuma. Although they had seen each other a few times during joint classes, they weren’t close like Kazuma was with Alice’s group.
“A first-year Support Course student who knowingly picks a fight with the student council president… Kazuma-kun is probably the only one in the whole world, huh.”
“There might be others, you know? There are countless idiots who look down on the President after hearing about his Gift.”
“If there’s anyone like that, I’ll beat them senseless. The President is our idol. He’s a great senpai who mastered his Thread Gift, which was laughed at as disadvantageous in combat, and climbed from the very bottom to the top.”
“Every student at the Seventh Esper Academy knows that much.”
He was showing his anger, but he wasn’t angry at Kazuma. The one speaking of this hypothetical situation was one of the second-year representatives, Kotou Taiga. He was the strongest Body Enhancement Gifted among the second-years and also the ace of the kendo club.
And, chosen as second-year representatives along with Taiga, were student council members Himuro Yukihime and Akeno Karin. They served as secretary and treasurer. It was said they might become president and vice-president in the future, but nothing was decided yet.
“Ahem. Well then, it’s time, so let’s begin the meeting. Everyone, please be quiet.”
The meeting finally began. This time, it was about confirming the schedule and important notices. However, since everyone had already looked through the materials, there wasn’t much to explain. If anything, it was just about adjusting the schedule for the day itself.
“Uh, well then, regarding the Academy Battle Tournament starting next week, please make sure to come in your school uniform. Don’t joke around and come in casual clothes. Don’t forget your student ID either. And also your mobile terminals. Absolutely do not be late on the day. We need to register the participating players as soon as we arrive there.”
“Yes! May I ask a question!”
“You may not, Satsuki-kun.”
“Why not!?”
“Because it seems like you’d ask a silly question. For now, please listen quietly to the explanation.”
“Incomprehensible…”
As instructed, Kazuma listened to the explanation in silence afterwards. There wasn’t anything particular he needed to ask, so Kazuma didn’t ask any questions.
However, he was, as usual, thinking about something foolish like whether he should ask about the budget limit for snacks, so silencing him had been the right call.
“Next, let’s confirm the schedule for the day. Meet at the station at 9 AM. After arriving in the First Area, we’ll travel by bus to the hotel. Once we reach the hotel, please leave your luggage in your rooms and come to the lobby. We’ll be registering the participating players. Once that’s done, you’ll have free time until dinner.”
With no particular questions, the meeting progressed, and explanations about the Academy Battle Tournament events and other details continued. Kazuma, having no role other than in the Crown Battle, listened to the explanation in silence the whole time.
Once all explanations were finished, the meeting was adjourned. Kazuma slung his bag over his shoulder and headed home with Kaede and Retsuo.
“I’m looking forward to the Academy Battle Tournament.”
“I’m also looking forward to seeing how far my current self can go.”
“You two have it good~. I’ll probably be bored outside of the Crown Battle.”
“Satsuki-kun, you’re in the Support Course, so it can’t be helped. But isn’t yours the most important role?”
“Well, yeah. The role of running around holding the crown.”
“If it were me, I’d decline. No matter how much they exempt you from final exams or winter break homework, it’s not worth it. Being chased around by representative students from the First to the Eighth Esper Academies? No thanks.”
“Kazuma will be fine.”
“Makimura-san, where does that confidence in Satsuki-kun come from…?”
“You saw his combat data, didn’t you?”
“I saw it, but he’s just stronger than some mediocre Combat Course students. It won’t work against the chosen representatives.”
What Retsuo-san said was perfectly normal. Kazuma certainly possessed exceptional physical abilities for a Support Course student, but compared to Combat Course students, especially those chosen as academy representatives, he wasn’t quite at that level.
“Well, I get what Shishido is saying. To be honest, I think it’ll be tough too… but still, I want to live up to their expectations.”
“By ‘their expectations’… do you mean the President’s?”
“That’s right. The indomitable thread user who clawed his way up from the very bottom to the top, Kiryuuin Hayato. He earnestly asked me, saying he just wants to win. As a fellow man, I want to answer that call, don’t I?”
“……If you put it that way, I can’t really argue, huh. I know how amazing the President is too.”
The Student Council President whom everyone acknowledged, Kiryuuin Hayato. If he was the one asking, the students of the Seventh Esper Academy would inevitably nod in agreement. That’s just how great a figure he was to his juniors.
“How about we grab some katsudon to fire ourselves up before heading back!”
“Mm, sure.”
“Agreed! Let’s go right now!”
And so, the three of them, instead of returning to the dorms, went to eat katsudon in preparation for the fast-approaching Academy Battle Tournament.