"Azuki Shinatsu! Kinua Gareto! And Kodama Himegami! Go up on stage and demonstrate a duel for the freshmen!"
"Yes, Principal!" the three girls shouted in unison.
"Eh? Eh?"
While Takeru stood there utterly bewildered, the three upperclassmen—Azuki, Kinua, and Kodama—confidently marched toward the stage as if this were just a normal Tuesday assembly.
"What's happening, Suzuki?" Takeru asked, his voice cracking with panic. He was completely out of his depth.
"I don't know," Suzuki replied calmly. "Just go up to the stage. If you're still confused, just ask Himegami-senpai. You did just meet her, right?"
"Well... yeah, but..."
Takeru hesitated, shuffling his feet. But seeing the hundreds of expectant eyes locked on him, his natural pushover tendencies took over. He couldn't refuse. Dropping his head in defeat, he trudged miserably toward the stage, realizing just how unlucky he was to be randomly selected out of the crowd.
Suzuki nodded to himself, entirely content to watch from the sidelines.
"Suzuki Tanaka, come up here too!"
"....." Suzuki froze.
Kodama, who had noticed Suzuki casually observing from the comfort of his seat, decided she wasn't going to let him just sit back and watch.
"What's wrong, Himegami?" Principal Minori asked, tilting her head.
"Principal, can I bring him onto the stage too? It'll look like I'm bullying the poor guy if it's just one-on-one," Kodama requested smoothly. She could easily tell that Takeru was weak and clueless. Suzuki, however, looked smart, calm, and seemed to grasp the situation much better.
"Okay, sure!" Minori agreed without a second thought.
"....." Suzuki.
Does my opinion not matter at all here?
He sighed, conceding defeat. He knew there was absolutely no point in arguing with women in this academy—especially in front of a massive crowd. Smoothly standing up from his seat, he walked toward the stage with practiced elegance.
"Suzuki!" Takeru cried out in sheer relief, looking at him like a savior.
Kodama, on the other hand, folded her arms beneath her chest and flashed him a wicked, teasing grin.
"...Do you always enjoy causing trouble for your juniors, Senpai?" Suzuki asked dryly as he stopped beside her.
"I'm just helping you adjust and adapt to your new school life, junior~!"
Despite her helpful words, her expression was pure mischief.
Suzuki rolled his eyes, deciding not to push it. Instead, he allowed his gaze to drop slightly, appreciating her outfit. When she was sitting earlier, it was nice, but standing up, the effect was devastating. The Zettai Ryouiki—the absolute territory—between the hem of her short pleated skirt and the top of her thigh-high socks was flawless.
The way those garter belts dig tightly into her smooth thighs is genuinely a work of art, he noted approvingly.
However, while Suzuki was quietly appreciating Kodama's legs, the rest of the auditorium was busy appreciating him.
It was a natural human reaction. Just as the boys were gawking at the beautiful girls, the girls were absolutely zeroing in on Suzuki.
Originally, the 6th Suzuki's appearance had been just slightly above average. But thanks to the Manager running in the background, constantly optimizing his posture, health, and muscle tone, he had developed a highly refined, striking appearance. He knew that good looks offered massive societal advantages, much like how the beautiful girls in this academy commanded attention effortlessly.
"Wow, he's so handsome..."
"If I heard right, his name is Suzuki."
"Damn that Kodama, how dare she make the first move on him!"
While the girls aggressively whispered among themselves, the boys in the crowd grumbled in bitter envy.
"Dammit, look at that smug bastard."
"Is he going to take that beautiful upperclassman?"
"Why did he get called up? I'm way better-looking than him!"
"...Dude, look in a mirror."
While the auditorium buzzed with varied reactions, Haruko sighed in profound relief from the balcony. She had been genuinely worried about Takeru standing alone on that stage.
I really need to thank him later, she thought. Knowing Takeru's incredible knack for causing trouble, she knew she was going to have to rely on Suzuki a lot. Maybe she could repay him with something special to show her gratitude.
"...." Suzuki suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, entirely unaware of Haruko's thoughts.
He quickly refocused his attention on the two girls who had stepped forward to demonstrate the duel.
"The one with short hair is Azuki," Kodama whispered, leaning in close, "and the wavy-haired one is Kinua."
"Gareto?" Suzuki recalled the name. "Sounds French."
"Her father is French."
"I see." France was famously one of the largest otaku markets in the world, but Suzuki pushed the useless trivia aside as Kinua suddenly glanced in his direction. Maintaining his flawless elite-student persona, he offered her a gentle, polite smile and a subtle nod.
Kinua blinked, a soft blush dusting her cheeks, and she offered a small, elegant wave back.
"You should focus on the battle, Gareto, or you're going to severely regret it when I beat you into the ground!" Azuki suddenly barked, folding her arms and radiating fierce confidence.
She's like a tomboy, Suzuki observed.
If Kodama and Kinua were the epitome of feminine elegance and demure beauty, Azuki was the total opposite. She exuded a brash, boyish energy, emphasized by the athletic bandage stuck across the bridge of her nose. Yet, despite her tomboyish attitude, her womanly assets were impossible to hide. Her breasts were notably large, and her toned, athletic legs were completely exposed beneath her skirt.
"Hmph! This attitude is exactly why you're going to be single forever, Azuki-san!" Kinua shot back, a smug smile on her lips. "There's a very good-looking man right over there. If you don't take your chances now, someone else will snatch him up, you know~?"
"I don't care about stupid things like that! Just fight me for real!"
"I see... it truly is impossible to reason with a primate."
"What did you just say?!"
"I'm just reminding you that when I win, you have to return that to me."
"You're still hung up on that?!"
As the two girls fiercely argued, their fighting spirits flared, creating a palpable, heavy aura around them. The sheer intensity of their energy created a localized updraft, causing their short skirts to sway dangerously high.
Suzuki kept his face perfectly neutral, but he couldn't help but notice the sudden wardrobe malfunction. Is it really okay for me to just stare at their panties like this?
As expected of the elegant Kinua, her panties were mature, frilly, and looked quite expensive. Azuki's, on the other hand...
White bear panties...
How incredibly childish, yet... strangely cute, he thought.
"Those two are quite beautiful, aren't they?"
Kodama's soft whisper suddenly tickled his ear, making him shiver.
What the hell?
Suzuki glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She was giving him a soft, gentle smile, but the aura radiating from her felt intensely dangerous. It was a blatant trap. If he praised the other girls, he felt like something horrific might happen to him.
So—
"Really?" Suzuki asked smoothly.
"You don't think so?"
"I think you are much better, Senpai." Suzuki leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a smooth, quiet murmur right next to her ear.
Hearing that direct, confident answer, Kodama's breath hitched. She quickly looked away, loudly snorting to hide the sudden, deep blush painting her cheeks. "Hmph. You sure are a smooth talker. But don't think that means I'm going to hold back on you later."
"...Please hold back just a little, Senpai."
"NOW, LET THE DEMONSTRATION DUEL BEGIN!" Principal Minori shouted into the microphone.
Kinua immediately dropped her elegant demeanor, her eyes sharpening into those of a seasoned warrior. "Understood! Let's get right to it!"
Her hand shot to the hilt of the unique, ornate blade strapped to her waist. As she drew the weapon from its scabbard, a glowing orb embedded in the center of the blade flared with blinding light.
"Scythe! Ready! Go!"
With a fierce swing of her sword, a massive, razor-sharp vacuum blade of compressed wind erupted from the weapon, tearing across the stage straight toward Azuki!
"...What the actual hell is happening here?!" Takeru screamed, his jaw dropping in sheer terror as a literal anime attack flew across the auditorium.
Suzuki, however, remained perfectly composed, though he sighed internally.
Isn't this dangerous?
Still, as the intense wind pressure from the attack caused all the girls' skirts to fly violently upward again, Suzuki simply crossed his legs to hide his own reaction and let out a helpless sigh.
Yep. This school was going to be a lot of trouble.