"Princess, please be our cheer captain!"
"Princess, as long as you'll cheer for us, we'll do anything!"
"Princess, if you put on a cheer outfit, we'll fight to the death to win!"
"Princess! We're on our knees!"
With that, all the guys in the class dropped to their knees in unison.
"D-don't… don't do that…" Himeragi Yukina, seated at her desk, was at a loss and could only look pleadingly toward Shichen at the lectern.
It was a homeroom meeting. Besides choosing who'd play in the intramural ball games, they also had to settle small details—like the cheer squad and cheer outfits.
At games, hype matters. Sometimes cheers can push players to perform beyond their limits—especially when it's a beloved class beauty leading the cheer.
Everyone calling Himeragi "Princess" said enough about how popular she was.
It wasn't hard to see why: Yukina's features were clean and lovely, her figure slim but not frail; her posture was straight, soft on the surface with steel underneath. Unlike the dreamy, hazy air around Avrora or Kanase Kanon, Yukina felt more grounded and real.
"Alright, alright—knock it off. Can't you see Yukina's agonizing here?" Shichen reined the guys in.
He was present because the ball games fell under P.E., and as the P.E. instructor he had a say.
"Ehh—"
"Shichen-sensei's possessiveness is off the charts…"
"Yeah, why can't Princess cheer for us?"
"Mm-hmm! We really want to see Princess in a cheer uniform."
"With Princess cheering, we're guaranteed to win!"
"Not a chance."
Shichen shot them down without hesitation. "I haven't even seen Yukina in a cheer outfit, and you think you will? Keep dreaming."
"S-Sensei…" Yukina flushed.
"Bottom line: stop fixating. Games are won on skill. Sideshows don't matter."
"Come on—"
"Shichen-sensei, you're stingy!"
"Stingy? Then why not have your girlfriends be your cheer squad?" Shichen fired back.
"We don't have girlfriends…"
"Don't think I don't know a couple of you do. You make Yukina cheer for you and you'll be dumped on the spot."
"Uhh…"
"Pick your players. The official Cheer Club will handle cheering. Don't get ideas—Nagisa and the others aren't doing it either."
"Argh—"
Gripes aside, Shichen didn't budge. As if he'd let them ogle Yukina (or the others) in a skimpy outfit.
Halfway through picking participants, Shichen glanced out the window and walked toward the door.
"Keep choosing. I'll be right back."
"Shichen-sensei?" Yukina nearly stood to follow.
He waved her down. "Just the restroom. You tagging along?"
"Sensei!" she huffed, flustered.
"Heh—back in a minute."
Shichen left the classroom, stepped out of the building—and vanished. The next instant he stood on the rooftop.
Whsst—!
A silver flash streaked toward him. As if he'd expected it, Shichen turned, raised a hand, and caught the incoming projectile with ease.
It was a metal arrow—Western style, with a sharp head and fletching.
Whsst—!
Another silver streak. He casually dropped the first arrow and caught the next—two this time.
They'd been aimed straight at him. Whoever was shooting knew their target—and meant to kill.
In his "ordinary Sensei" guise, he hadn't offended anyone. No way a few salty students would try to murder him over cheer uniforms.
So the assailant clearly knew his real identity.
Not that Shichen didn't already know who it was.
Whsst—!
Another arrow—this one into the ground.
It stabbed deep into the rooftop. Then the shaft melted, reshaping itself—like a cloth puddling on the concrete—spreading into a thin metal sheet, flexing, folding, and morphing again.
In a blink, the swelling, bending plate became a complex beast silhouette, as if invisible hands were origami-folding steel into art.
At first it looked dog-like—very Metal Garurumon—but finally it settled into the form of a lion.
"Raaah—!"
The metal beast, infused with mock life, slammed a paw down and roared. Its feral motions were almost no different from a real lion.
A conjured monster, born of sorcery.
The steel lion didn't hesitate. It sprang, jaws opening wide to swallow Shichen.
Shichen didn't move—not from fear, but because he didn't need to. He raised a hand and caught its pouncing foreleg.
Its limbs lacked bulk, but their edges were blade-sharp—enough to cleave bone in an instant.
"Pretty sure Digimon never had a Steel Lionmon," Shichen mused.
"Raaah—!"
As if insulted, the steel lion snapped at his head.
"Good thing you don't have breath. That would actually annoy me."
His other hand came up and pressed its lower jaw. Its maw snapped shut with a whimper.
Whsst—!
Another arrow hit behind him—into the rooftop. Metal melted, reshaped, and another beast lunged from the rear.
"This one is Metal Garurumon," Shichen said, satisfied.
A steel wolf, clearly. Not exactly the anime design, but close enough.
Flanked front and back, Shichen didn't flinch. These were counterfeit lifeforms driven by a curse. Agile as real predators and edged enough to slice bone, sure—but useless against him.
Not only was he immune to such sorcery; a pulse of mana would erase both in an instant.
That's the confidence of real power.
But if he did that, the teaching building beneath him would probably quake. He wasn't about to risk students' lives.
Plenty of cleaner options. Golden fire blossomed in each of his hands and streaked toward the metal beasts.
Whoom—
In an instant, both were wrapped in flame. Two and a half seconds later, they were pools of molten iron—and then nothing. Not even slag remained.
"What?!"
On a distant rooftop, a young woman stared, stunned.
So this was the power of the Fifth Primogenitor?
Still, she wouldn't be afraid. For Yukina's sake—
She raised her bow again—but Shichen's figure vanished.
"Where did—?"
"Looking for me?" his voice came from behind her.
"Eek—!" She jolted forward, spun around, and faced him.
"F-Fifth Primogenitor!" she blurted.
"You know me? Dressed like that… you're a witch from the Lion King Agency, aren't you?" Shichen asked, taking her in and feigning ignorance.
She was young—clearly early twenties—wearing what was obviously a uniform. Tall and willowy, with refined poise. Pale skin; light-colored hair pulled into a ponytail; chestnut strands swaying.
"H-how did you— Mm! No, I'm not!" She slapped a hand over her mouth—but too late.
"So you are Lion King Agency. You're the one who just attacked me, right? What's your Agency playing at—suicidal?" Shichen's tone cooled.
"T-this has nothing to do with the Agency! It was my decision!" she blurted.
"Oh? Why?"
"B-because you're making Yukina work so hard!" her voice cracked into a complaint.
"She's just a college student and you've got her monitoring someone dangerous like you. You're a vampire—what if you decide to bite her? She couldn't stop you! Why should she have to suffer that risk?!"
"…I think you've misunderstood something."
"No way. You've got a thing for petite types. There's no way you wouldn't make a move on Yukina—make a meal of her!"
"?"
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 220+ Chapters Ahead of Others!