Chapter 40: Rematch Party!
[May 25th, only five days left until the midterm exam.]
[You couldn't resist Roland's pleading, and in the end, agreed to his invitation to join the party.]
[Gawain and Tristan decided to go with you, only Oberon refused to come — one, because he wasn't interested, and two, because his wallet was too thin.]
[Time gradually passed until evening...]
Evening, at Enma-tei.
There was still some time left before the party began.
The boys, dressed neatly in fashionable suits, sat upright in the Japanese-style hall of Enma-tei, waiting.
"Let's review the unspoken rules from the last party — use your chopsticks to point at the girl you're interested in, so we can avoid unnecessary competition."
"If there's no girl who catches your attention, then flip your chopsticks around and point at yourself."
Gawain spoke with a serious expression as if he were heading to a battlefield, his gaze fixed straight ahead.
Tristan was nervously adjusting the strings of his harp.
Eikou, on the other hand, couldn't sit still and kept swinging his legs back and forth.
The atmosphere felt a bit off.
There was a strange sense of déjà vu, mixed with a bad premonition.
"..."
Though no one said it aloud, the memory of the failed party last time was still vivid in everyone's mind.
For example, Eikou originally intended to approach Baobhan Sith, but ended up almost being wrapped up and taken away by her mother to open a room.
And the dreadful skill "Disaster With Women" was passively learned from that very event...
Forget this, forget that — in short, it all sank into deep despair.
"..."
After such a painful lesson, it was only natural that Eikou and the others no longer felt as enthusiastic as they had the first time.
"Why hasn't that Roland guy shown up yet?" – he muttered.
"Hopefully he's learned to restrain himself this time…" – Gawain sighed, "The last party was heavy enough for me, I don't want another shadow cast over this one."
"It's fine, maybe he's already been kicked out somewhere."
Before he could finish speaking, a loud, spirited voice called out from outside Enma-tei: "Eikou, Round Table Knights, you guys came early!"
Roland appeared, dressed in a perfectly pressed, fashionable suit — looking every bit like a groom-to-be — as he strode in slowly.
Following behind him were the other party participants — Charlemagne and Astolfo.
"Am I going blind or something?"
Seeing Roland in such a neat suit, Eikou couldn't help but rub his eyes.
"Didn't expect you to dress properly for once. Excuse me, are you Roland from the Lostbelt?"
"No, I'm from pan-human history!"
"You're dressed way too formally, you might scare the girls at the party." – Eikou said, hands on his hips – "Doesn't look comfortable at all, why don't you take it all off and just leave the tie?"
"Wouldn't that make me a pervert!?"
"You already are one."
"No… I'm no longer Roland the hentai, tonight I've completely reborn myself!"
Roland clenched his fist tightly, and with a tone of extreme seriousness declared —
"It's rare for me to get a chance to join a party, so tonight I'll play the role of a serious and charming knight, and find my destined one."
He extended his right hand toward the boys before him, his fingertips slightly raised — like Adam, yearning for the spark of wisdom bestowed by God, for soul and life itself.
"I've failed countless times before, so I'm betting everything on this party — my life, my Spirit Origin, my very reason for existence. This time, I will definitely get a girlfriend."
"My senpais at the party… please, lend me all your strength!"
Seeing Roland's sincerity, Eikou and the Round Table Knights couldn't help but straighten up as well.
Hmph, though he might be overdoing it a little, his determination could truly be felt.
"...I understand."
Eikou nodded seriously, deeply moved by that resolve.
"Roland, in this party, I'll give you my full support!"
He slowly stood up, turning toward the boys beside him and speaking in a spirited tone:
"See that? Even after so many failures, Roland never gave up. We can't lose either! Since we came to this party, that means each of us is hoping for a beautiful encounter, right?"
"!"
The two Round Table Knights nodded firmly, their spirits flaring up at once.
Perhaps on the other side of that door, mature and seductive onee-sans were waiting for them; or maybe on the other side were those voluptuous chests — the crystallization of every man's dream!
"For Roland! For redemption! For Raikou and Ibuki, and for all the charming mature women... Let our elite squad charge once more into this party!"
Eikou raised his hand and shouted loudly.
In that instant, it was as if the boys could vaguely see the figure of Gilgamesh — the Sage King of Uruk — standing atop the city walls, facing Tiamat as she approached the Absolute Demonic Front, inspiring his people with the dignity of a king who, even when faced with despair and uncertainty, still sowed the seeds of hope!
"Uooooohhh!"
"We are... the trio team!"
The three boys shouted in unison with excitement, raising their fists high toward the sky.
"Party, fight, kimochi!"
Hearing their enthusiastic cries, Roland suddenly remembered something and quickly said:
"Sorry, Eikou, but this time Ibuki and Minamoto no Raikou probably won't be there, since the moment those two meet, they start fighting like crazy. So the party organizers had to replace them at the last minute..."
Huh, replaced? Then who are the girls participating this time?
"Well, that's not important."
Eikou smiled calmly,
"Our main goal is to help you find a girlfriend — that's what really matters. As long as we can fully support our friend's happiness, that's enough!"
Roland was so touched he was almost in tears.
"...But don't worry, even though it's not Ibuki Douji or Minamoto no Raikou, the ones this time are also mature women, so it shouldn't be much different."
"Hmph, mature women, huh..."
Eikou crossed his arms before his chest, his gaze sharp, trying his best to project the air of a battle-hardened veteran in love.
"That's exactly my type. Honestly, the girls at school all still feel too immature. Only older women deserve to be my opponents — only they have the right to face me on equal terms. If I could be lucky enough to meet that kind of dangerously mature and fatal woman..."
"Our battle will be legendary!!"
The boys marched forward in unison, filled with blazing spirit, heading straight toward the party hall.
The brilliant lights of Enma-tei shone down upon their straight postures, making them look like valiant knights setting out for war.
"Then even if we fall, so be it! Or rather… it's fine if she's the one who falls!"
Eikou felt that his line was seriously cool.
[That night, however, it would be very difficult for any of you to "fall."]
[Because the mature women who arrived were not high school girls — they had truly come... BUT!!!]
[That evening, at the party venue, you encountered your homeroom teacher — the dangerously mature and fatal woman, Scathach of the Land of Shadow!]