Chapter: 119. The Eve of the Academy League (3k8)
“Yohsaka… huh, you finally made it.”
“I hadn’t seen you before and thought you were afraid to fight! Indeed, the Academy League feels like it’s missing something without you!”
“Don’t think you’ll win easily this time!”
“That’s right, last time we just went easy on you. This time, we must take our revenge!”
…
As soon as Kanade and the others stepped into the Ark Academy dormitory building, they were immediately surrounded by other students from the academy.
The air suddenly became heated, and the atmosphere was filled with a tense fighting spirit.
It seems that last time, Mana left them with an unforgettable impression.
But Kanade was already too familiar with this scene.
Whether it was making fierce remarks before the competition or engaging in verbal sparring, these were traditional programs in the Academy League.
Kanade recalled the last Academy League held at Ark Academy, where students from various academies also exchanged fierce words.
It seemed that in their mindset, the pre-competition momentum was one of the key factors in determining the outcome.
Everyone would try to strike a proud pose, attempting to gain the upper hand in psychological warfare—
But just the next second, the atmosphere filled with fighting spirit suddenly changed.
“Beautiful lady, may I ask your name?”
“Ah, I’m sorry, I forgot to introduce myself first. Please forgive me…”
“Do you have time tonight? Would you honor me with your company for dinner?”
“I’d never go too hard on such a lovely girl like you…”
“Huh? If it were me, I’d probably just concede on the spot and offer up the victory…”
“Don’t listen to these boring guys! Do you have a partner? But it doesn’t matter if you don’t, I—oh no!? My hand! My hand is going to break ahhhh!!!”
…
Nagi blinked her clear, bright eyes, looking a bit flustered by the sudden confession assault. She tilted her head slightly, her lips trembling as if she wanted to say something, but was momentarily stunned by the scene.
However, those boys were blocked by Kanade and Uemon.
The boys who had just been fierce earlier were now kneeling on one knee, trying to surround Nagi in the center, murmuring oaths of loyalty to her like devoted knights, their attitudes so respectful that it was hard to believe. They were even starting to display a large number of “surrendering tendencies.”
Finally, a boy’s wail could be heard.
This boy was currently being held by the arm, groaning in pain, his face as pale as paper, cold sweat pouring down.
Behind him stood Mana, who had appeared there without anyone noticing.
She bent the boy’s arm at an astonishing angle, and even the sound of bones cracking was clear.
“Who’s next, wanting to disturb my Nagi-chan?” Mana scanned the surroundings with her sharp eyes, her voice cold enough to freeze the air.
The boys’ faces instantly turned white, as if they dared not even breathe, and they hastily began to retreat.
“Viol… violence is not a good thing, Mana-chan…” Nagi said deliberately with a worried expression, stepping forward cautiously to advise her.
“It’s important to quickly build a good reputation when just arriving,” Nagi thought to herself. After entering Infinite Academy, she fully embraced her “sunny and pure beautiful girl vibe”—on one hand, to give Kanade a sense of satisfaction for having such a lovely girlfriend, and on the other, to conveniently gather more information, achieving two goals at once.
Ahh~~ she really is an angel! The surrounding boys all silently shouted in their hearts, displaying expressions of bliss as if saved by a deity.
Out of sight from the crowd, Nagi’s lips curled slightly upwards.
“This is not violence,” Mana replied expressionlessly, “just a massage beneficial to physical and mental health.”
“Is, is that so? But his face is turning blue and his lips are trembling…”
“That’s a sign he’s becoming healthier.”
—Compared to this, that girl is a devil!!!
The boys’ silent despair coalesced into a palpable fear.
Seeing this, Kanade shifted slightly, with Nagi’s delicate form shielding him from view.
Because he knew that for teenage boys, a girl like Nagi—innocent, gentle, and cheerful—was an irresistible draw. It was like a flame in the dark, attracting countless moths.
No matter how much Mana might intend to set an example by intimidating one of the “moths,” it seemed unable to completely restrain this determined group of boys.
Until—
“Tsk, this is hopeless…”
Uemon stepped forward.
“Uemon, you…” Kanade looked touched.
“Leave it to me!” Uemon silently gave a thumbs-up, then smiled at the nearest boy and introduced himself:
“Hello, I am Oomae Uemon from Ark Academy. Please take care of me.”
“Ah, hello, I’m…” The boy subconsciously responded, trying to maintain his gentlemanly demeanor, but as soon as his brain processed the words “Oomae Uemon”—
He froze.
Not just him; the surrounding boys also fell silent.
“Lo—”
“Lo?”
“Lo—sorry—!!!”
Immediately, the boys screamed as if they had seen a ghost, darting away, some even terrifiedly crying out:
“It’s Oomae Uemon! Oomae Uemon is here!!!”
The once bustling dormitory entrance instantly emptied.
Even the unfortunate boy whose arm Mana had broken endured the pain and crawled away.
It was so quiet that it felt as if the previous uproar had never existed.
Uemon slowly knelt down, one hand covering his face, silently shedding tears.
Kanade’s eyes glistened with tears: “Thank you, Uemon, you’re a true hero.”
Uemon’s sacrificial appearance successfully quelled the chaos, and Kanade quietly helped him up, patting his shoulder in comfort.
However, Nagi, standing to the side, seemed still unsure of what had happened, tilting her head in a confused expression: “What just happened?”
“Uh…” Kanade hesitated, unsure how to explain, but before he could speak, Mana answered first: “This should be related to Oomae-kun’s unique ability.”
“Uemon-kun’s ability?” Nagi blinked, seemingly curious about this explanation.
—Oomae Uemon.
Although he was a student of the Special Program at Ark Academy, his name echoed in other academy’s special programs… though not in a very honorable way.
Not because of poor character or bad temperament, but because of his ability.
—To curse those around him with “extreme bad luck.”
It sounded powerful, even having a feel of being able to “control fate.”
But in reality, this ability offered almost no help in combat… Its effect was merely to subject those around him to various social disasters.
It could only psychologically destroy an opponent’s self-esteem, and nothing more.
However, for teenage high school boys, this kind of “social death” could be even more lethal than real physical attacks.
Especially during last year’s Academy League.
Uemon single-handedly created countless “legendary” social death moments, even causing many opponents to withdraw from the competition on the spot… which was why the previous boys, upon hearing his name, could endure pain from broken bones to flee in terror.
After hearing Mana’s explanation, Nagi had an expression of realization: “I see… Uemon-kun’s ability is really unique.”
“Ha, hahahaha…”
Uemon laughed awkwardly, bowing his head as if not wishing to discuss this infamous topic any longer, after all, he was actually an upbeat, passionate person who loved making friends.
Mana glanced at Kanade, and after their eyes met—
“Then, Tsukimi-kun and Oomae-kun should take a break for now. I’ll take Nagi-chan to the girls’ floor.”
With that, Mana took Nagi’s hand and headed upstairs.
Just as they stepped onto the staircase, a series of gasps erupted from above.
“Oh no~ that girl is so cute!”
“Is this the legendary Nagi-chan from Ark Academy?”
“Her hair is so smooth! So beautiful! I wonder what shampoo and conditioner she uses…”
“Her voice is also super lovely, can she call me ‘onee-chan’? Ahhh! My arm!”
…
Kanade stood at the bottom of the stairs, listening to the excited discussions, and couldn’t help but sigh.
—His childhood friend was simply too popular.
“Well, Uemon, you should take it easy for now.” Kanade glanced at the still mentally shocked Uemon, patting his shoulder.
Uemon tiredly waved his hand: “… What about you, Tsukimi?”
Kanade thought for a moment, then revealed a natural smile: “It’s my first time participating in the Academy League, so I’m a bit nervous… so I’m planning to take a walk.”
“A walk?”
“Yeah.” After responding, Kanade turned and exited the dormitory building.
The so-called nervousness was just a pre-prepared excuse.
The real reason was—he wanted to thoroughly observe the architectural layout of Infinite Academy.
Although the official map had clear markings, it was ultimately just a map for ordinary people, and some internal structures and secret passages wouldn’t appear on it.
Kanade’s primary goal in coming to Infinite Academy was not to win the Academy League but to find a way to connect with the upper echelons of the Special Circumstances SEMA board and gather the truth about the “Protagonist Project.”
If he could approach the upper management of Special Circumstances SEMA as “champion,” that would certainly be best, but he couldn’t solely rely on the competition; he had to prepare a second plan in advance.
Stepping outside the dormitory alone, Kanade’s eyes were met with the sight of students busily setting up for the event, preparing for the academy festival.
The so-called Academy League was an event exclusive to special program students; for most people, it was merely a large campus festival hosted by several academies.
The sun streamed through the towering school buildings, casting rays on the wide campus streets. Golden beams reflected off the colorful decorations—balloons, banners, and fairy lights intertwined, filling the school with a strong festive atmosphere.
The streets of Infinite Academy radiated a unique lively spirit that was special to the eve of the academy festival.
Kanade noticed many club students setting up food stalls, around them were adults helping out and some curious visitors, including a young blond boy with a perfect smile that you couldn’t criticize.
“This truly is Infinite Academy… even foreign tourists come to see the campus festival?”
The scene reminded Kanade of his days in Kawano City when he had happily prepared for the class store with Nagi in the seventh grade.
And that urban legend about “confessing during the bonfire night at the campus festival is guaranteed to succeed…”
Kanade strolled around the campus, leisurely weaving through the crowd, soaking in the bustling and youthful atmosphere, feeling a faint sense of nostalgia rising within him.
“… I wish I could stroll around with Little Nagi.”
Recalling the times spent with Nagi, it seemed they had never truly experienced a complete campus festival together.
For Kanade, this was perhaps a kind of youthful regret.
However, the current scenery also provided him with drive and purpose.
If he wanted to share such everyday experiences with Nagi, he must get to the bottom of the “Protagonist Project” that he was involved in—
With his thoughts returning to reality, Kanade found himself unknowingly standing in front of a silver-white building.
This building was where the board members of Special Circumstances SEMA would be on the day of the Academy League.
Unlike Ark Academy’s medieval-style architecture, the architectural style of Infinite Academy was filled with near-futuristic sci-fi vibes, the building’s streamlined exterior coated in silver, its walls smooth as a mirror, reflecting a cold glow in the sunlight.
If it weren’t for the signboard stating it was an administrative building, Kanade might have mistakenly thought it was an exhibition hall for some high-tech corporation, rather than an academic management institution.
He raised his head and gazed up at the highest building in Infinite Academy.
At that moment—
A black figure standing on the rooftop of the building caught Kanade’s eye.
His pupils slightly constricted as he looked toward that silhouette.
It was a girl in a black uniform, her short pink hair glistening slightly in the sunlight.
Her figure flashed by in an instant, leaving Kanade momentarily stunned in place for several seconds.
—So powerful
Even from such a distance, Kanade could feel an incredibly strong and dangerous signal emanating from her.
“Which academy is that girl from?” Kanade couldn’t help but murmur.
“If she’s also a participant in this Academy League…”
Kanade suddenly realized that winning this Academy League would not be an easy task.
