We hadn't even gotten that far yet, but I noticed her unsteady breathing—she'd probably been running for a while now, completely exhausting herself.
I stopped in my tracks, and the sudden resistance yanked her backward. She stumbled, but I caught her just in time, wrapping my arms around her to keep her steady.
"Slow down, sis. I'll carry you," I offered.
Sliding my right hand behind her thigh, I could feel the sweat clinging to her smooth skin. It was sticky and slippery at the same time—a weird sensation—but I managed to lift her up.
"W-What are you doing!? " Takao's face turned crimson. Clearly, she wasn't expecting a princess carry. Still, she didn't protest—probably too tired to complain.
"You've been running nonstop, right? Just let me handle it. We're both getting punished if we get caught anyway."
She looked away, cheeks flushed, and gave a reluctant nod. As humiliating as it was, it beat getting sexually harassed by a group of girls... though, ironically, she was currently being sexually harassed.
Normally, my left hand would go to her shoulder, but since she didn't lean in, I accidentally grabbed the side of her breast when aiming for her armpit. She didn't react—maybe she didn't feel anything off about it. Same for me. Right now, survival took priority.
I crouched low, building momentum, and dashed forward at full speed. But the moment I landed, something felt off—like I was stepping on loose gravel.
Before I could react, the ground gave way beneath me. I sank straight down, my torso still above ground.
Earth Style: Hiding Like a Mole Technique.
Takao didn't fall thanks to my arms cushioning her. Still, she groaned.
"Ow... What happened? Did you mess up the landing? " she complained. But then, seeing me stuck halfway in the ground, her face twisted in confusion. "How did you end up like that? "
I sighed. "This must be one of Chitose's traps. I won't be able to get out of here... I'm sorry. Just run. At least I can buy you some time."
Silence.
She didn't look away, her eyes filled with resolve.
"No."
"Huh?"
"I won't leave you here! "
I raised an eyebrow. I was ready to sacrifice myself—and yet she refused. What a stubborn girl. Then again, she didn't abandon Kenji either. Why would she abandon me?
Somehow... I felt happy. And that was weird.
She crouched in front of me, giving me an unfiltered view of her red, sweaty thighs. Her pink teddy bear panties were completely visible, damp with sweat, with a few stray pubic hairs poking out the side. I only glanced for a moment.
She stood, grabbed both my forearms, and tried to pull me up. But my body had sunk too deep.
"You won't be able to get me out," I said, locking eyes with her. "Just go. I won't blame you."
"No! I won't leave you! No matter what you say! No!" she shouted, still pulling with what little strength she had left.
"Don't look down on me! If I leave you, I'm not fit to be the captain of the Game Creator club!"
"... Although, I'm used to bidding farewells."
I sighed, resigned, and watched her.
Eventually, her breathing grew ragged, and she slumped down in front of me. I didn't say anything. What could I say that would reach her?
And then—they caught up.
"Found them! "
I didn't even look. I already knew what would happen next.
Takao stood up, wobbling. She faced the girls closing in, let out a breath, and shouted—
"I don't know what you're planning, but bring it on!! "
Her face was beet red, but she stood firm.
And just as they stepped forward—
SCHLUP!
The three of them sank into the same trap I fell into, leaving only their heads poking out.
"Eh?"
"Umm…"
"Hm…"
Black lines appeared on their foreheads as their eyes slowly drifted… to Takao's chest.
"Breast difference," they thought in unison.
Seeing their state, Takao burst out laughing.
"HAHAHAHA!"
She looked down at them like they were pathetic insects. "Look at you now. How pitiful! "
"Umm... Can you pull us out? " Chitose asked meekly.
Takao smirked. "I'll think about it. But only if you let me off the hook."
I stopped paying attention to them and looked up at the sky. Strangely enough, it felt like my view of the world was beginning to change.
After several days, the conflict had finally reached its conclusion. Everything returned to the way it was... apparently.
"From here on out, you are visiting the True Game Creator Club!"
"First victory!"
"We are the victors at F.F.F.E.S.!"
A wide vein popped on Takao's forehead as she glared up at the club sign. Although the contents were technically true, she still found it unacceptable. She reached up to rip it off—only to realize the sign was far beyond her reach. That didn't stop her from jumping repeatedly in a futile attempt.
Noticing the odd noise from outside, I decided to open the door—and what greeted me was a full view of my sister's bouncy "juicers" swaying mid-jump. I froze, staring at the ridiculous yet divine sight, then shook my head.
"What are you doing, sis?"
She paused mid-jump and turned to face me. Our eyes met. Her face flushed crimson in pure shame from getting caught. Reflexively, Takao clenched her fingers into a "C" shape, then slashed them downward in my direction like a claw swipe.
"Ougi—Takao-zan!"
I leaned back and stepped aside just in time. Her attack sliced through air with a frightening whoosh.
Raising an eyebrow, I let out a half-sigh. "What are you doing? That could've been dangerous if it landed..."
"What was that!?"
"Ougi Takao-zan..." Chitose began to narrate in that theatrical voice of hers. "It's the final secret technique passed down through the Takao bloodline, a forbidden art that can only be executed with both hands slashing vertically, blessed by the bounce of divine breasts."
"They say even the male head of the family couldn't perform it. You need... volume."
"That's all I know."
"Don't make up such nonsense lore!" Takao shouted, her face redder than a tomato dipped in hot sauce.
"But it's true, isn't it? Am I right, Shin?" Chitose smirked.
"I have no idea..." I replied quickly, eyes avoiding Takao's murderous glare like a trained coward. Self-preservation comes first.
"So what are you doing here anyway?" Chitose asked, turning to her.
"Oh! Right!" Takao snapped out of it. "I came here to ask—what is that sign!? You're bragging about victory like it's some big deal!"
"But it is true, isn't it?" Roka answered without hesitation.
"Grrr... Fine! Even though , I gave that victory to you!"
Nothing particularly special happened today. Just another day of petty squabbles—this time over a club sign that bruised a certain someone's pride. If anything felt off, it was the fact that Kenji hadn't shown up all day. I couldn't help but glance toward Sakura, quietly sipping her water at the corner. Had the two of them argued? I'm not omniscient—I can't monitor things 24/7. But if my gut feeling is right, then this might just be the beginning... of the Devil Arc.
Later, behind the school building...
The air was heavy, and a scent of mischief floated like smoke in the humid afternoon.
Four shadowy figures gathered beneath the cracked basketball hoop, their faces obscured by caps, hoods, or just bad lighting. Each of them radiated a different flavor of chaos.
"Buddha has infinite faces. Asura may be one of them! —I am Fuju Academy's Yokoshima! "
"Although I'm tall, no one notices me. But the moment you realize it, I'm already behind you. The name's Nagayama Hiroshi! "
"Umm… Ah… Kazama Kenji. Nothing special to say…"
"Lastly!"
"I am the vice president, the one pulling the strings behind the Kazama Gang—Kawaharu Ataru! Together, we will occupy this academy! "
"And I'm Fuju Academy's flamethrower girl—Shibasaki Roka! "Suddenly, a petite blonde girl popped out of nowhere, butting in.
"Why are you here!? " Kenji asked, startled.
"I was looking for Shin-san. I figured he'd be with you," she said while pulling out a bag of chips and handing them out. Naturally, Yokoshima was the first to grab one.
"Oh? Now that you mention it, he has disappeared…" Kenji said, scratching his head. "He told me he had something important to take care of—something about our plan to occupy the school."
"Occupying the school? Sounds fun. Count me in," Roka said while munching chips.
Ataru set the matter aside and pulled a folded sheet from inside his uniform.
Slam! — He slapped it dramatically onto the ground, his glasses flashing ominously. "I've got intel to share..."
"What's that? " Yokoshima asked, leaning in.
"It's a list of very important people at Fuju Academy. If we're going to take over, we'll need to target them first."
"So, leader... Who do we start with? " Roka asked, visibly excited and ready to take someone down.
Kenji's eyes scanned the list until a certain name caught his attention. "Let's see… This name sounds familiar. Feels like I've heard it before—"
"14 Orchestra of Evil."
"14 Orchestra of Evil!? " The announcement hit like a slap to the collective brain. Ataru and Roka's faces twisted in disbelief, sweat dripping like a broken faucet.
"Evil? That's not a name—that's a final boss cutscene! " Ataru shouted.
"Right off the bat!? " Roka panicked, throwing her hands up.
Seeing their reactions, cold sweat trickled down Kenji's spine. "A-Are they really that dangerous? "
Ataru's face turned sour like he'd just eaten something rotten. "Like the name suggests, 14 Orchestra of Evil. They are musicians."
Kenji furrowed his brows. "Huh? So they're just musicians who fight with instruments? "
"No..." Ataru replied flatly. "They're just a bunch of troublesome guys obsessed with music rhythm games."
"Aren't they just a bunch of gamers!? "
"Then if we challenge them, it'll be 2 vs 5? C'mon, leader! Let's take them on! " Roka said, fired up.
"No..." Kenji felt a shiver down his spine and tried to look for an easier target. "How about… them? " He pointed to another name.
"Double Brothers: Texas Cha-shu! "
"Double Brothers!? "
"Are you insane!? "
This time, Ataru and Roka reacted even more violently than before.
Kenji gave them a deadpan stare, thinking they were just overreacting—until he saw Ataru's grave expression.
"The Double Brothers are actually Raou and his younger brother Tokizi," Ataru explained. "They look strong… but they're always holed up in the game center's restroom playing card games."
"What the hell!? That doesn't live up to the hype at all! " Kenji retorted, covering his face in secondhand embarrassment. "Why is everyone in this school such a freak!? "
"That's it! I've had enough! I'm just going home." He stood up and turned to leave—until Roka stopped him.
"Wait, Kazama-san, don't you want to defeat them? " she asked.
"I don't care!! "
"They may look hopeless, but taking them down would clear the way for you to stand on top of the school. Don't you want that? To conquer it? "
Her words ignited something in him—a dormant ambition now blazing with life.
"Very well! " Kenji shouted. "I'll choose another target! "
Roka gladly handed him the list. "So, which one will it be? "
His eyes scanned quickly, seeking the strongest-sounding name. The moment he spotted it, he shouted with confidence:
"That's it! I'm going to defeat this guy! His nickname screams power! I will absolutely defeat him! "
Ataru and the others leaned in to see the name.
"King of Violence…"
"Umm… That's…" Roka and Ataru fell silent.
"Hm? What's wrong? Don't tell me he's also a weakling," Kenji said, annoyed.
Roka and Ataru exchanged a meaningful look.
"Well, Kenji…" Ataru started, hesitating. "The King of Violence… is actually Shin."
Kenji froze in place, petrified in disbelief.
"Are you really going to fight him, Kazama-san? Even some seniors don't dare provoke him," Roka said, watching him closely.
Kenji's mouth dropped open. His soul visibly left his body. Any thoughts of conquering the school evaporated.
…Good thing he didn't say Roka's nickname—or he'd have no hope left.