Hunter Academy’s Battle God

After the storm-like uproar passed, a peacefulness enveloped the club room. EunAh drank some tea and thought about the shocking situation she'd just witnessed.

"I never imagined I'd see her shed tears…"

Sumire, who was sitting on the sofa, nodded her head.

[M-Mommy Adela… You're leaving?! Are you really going to leave?!] Velvet had cried while embracing Adela after hearing the news that she was returning to Italy.

[Velvet…] Seeing Adela cry had been shocking.

It was hard to believe the usually emotionless Adela, ‘The Ice Queen of Gaon Academy’, could show them something like that, but YuSung knew she’d been feeling alone. Moreover, those emotions had been devouring her, and YuSung was happy to see the change.

"That means Velvet has become important to her," YuSung said as he smiled at Velvet.

"The doll Mommy gave me is really the best." Velvet looked happy as she hid within the hollow orca and peered out of its mouth.

"To think you'd enter my mouth…" the animated toy said.

A species-transcending friendship between a dragon hatchling and a soul-imbued toy was a strange combination, but even EunAh couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"She's cute…"

Everyone was feeling at peace when…

WHOOM-!

They felt a tremendous vibration from afar. Someone urgently slammed the club room door open and entered.

"Breaking news! Breaking news! Haa- Haa!" It was none other than Amy.

"Did you come running all the way here? Wh-what happened?" Sumire asked.

Instead of answering, Amy showed her something on her Pocket.

[International Competition Subgame]

[Event: 2 vs. 2 Team Battle]

[Rules: Only two members, excluding the 'party leader' from each country, can participate.]

[※ The winning team in the subgame can choose the starting point in the next round.]

[※ Party members who lose in the subgame cannot participate in any future rounds.]

"Isn't this a bit odd…?" After checking the message, EunAh couldn't help but have a few doubts. She wasn't the only one who felt that way. Something like a ‘subgame’ was completely new, after all.

"A subgame? Also, it’s a team battle?” Sumire asked with a puzzled look. “I’ve never seen this before."

Amy nodded. "It's confusing. Listen, this is… about reducing the number of participants!" As expected, Amy’s mind worked quickly in such situations, and she was good for more than just eating spicy food.

"First of all, this year's International Competition has a particularly large number of participants. The wildcard rule was normalized, and while parties of three people have usually participated in the past, our party alone has five members, including me, right?"

Amy's analytical skills were sharp. "What if you consider the participants after the subgame? At least half of the participants will probably drop out, right?"

YuSung nodded after hearing Amy's brief explanation. "If that's the case, then I can understand why they aren’t allowing party leaders to participate."

Amy continued explaining. "That's right! The organizers want to lower the participant count. If a team is eliminated, they can't proceed to the next game!" Amy proudly puffed out her chest when she finished talking, and Sumire applauded her.

"It makes sense that those who lose in the subgame cannot participate in the main one." Even EunAh seemed impressed.

It was time for YuSung, the party leader, to make a decision.

'There are three issues…'

He was worried about which country they would team up with, who they would be against, and who would be picked to fight. Fortunately, there was no need to overthink it. He just needed to make the strongest possible party for the match after the subgame.

"Party Leader, you're curious about the match-ups, right?! Ta-da! Thanks to my information network, I have it 10 minutes earlier than anyone else!" Amy had all of the answers to YuSung’s questions in mere moments. "Ta-da~ Everyone, get ready~!"

Pa-!

Amy confidently stretched out her hand, and a blue hologram burst forth from her pocket, leaving several party members speechless.

[Team A - Gaon Academy (South Korea)]

[Team A - Choten Academy (Japan)]

The group they were to team up with was very familiar.

* * *

* * *

Neither Gaon nor Choten understood how both SiWoo and Sakura could vanish every weekend despite being from different academies, but the two spent their time in Academy City’s beautiful park, bathed in blue light.

"Ah~" Sakura picked up food with chopsticks and offered it to him, and SiWoo, feeling embarrassed, looked away.

"I… I'll eat it myself,” he mumbled. “There are people passing by…"

Sakura was adamant. "No. It’s already here for you."

"Ah, come on… Let's just eat normally."

Unfortunately for him, Sakura was going to get her way.

"No. If you keep refusing, it will crash~ Open your mouth~ Ah~"

SiWoo looked around, and when he saw no one was looking, he made a face as if he couldn't help it and was reluctantly giving in. "Alright… Ah…"

He was accustomed to Sakura's affectionate gestures.

"Next, do you want to try the braised dish?"

"Then split it in half and give it to me."

"Hehe~"

The two of them looked quite charming together, and their relationship was constructive since they also both practiced more than ever before.

Swoosh. Knock, knock-

Sakura skillfully split the braised lotus root in half with chopsticks and tapped it on SiWoo's lips. "Knock, knock. Hello~ I'm the fish stew!" she said in a comical tone.

"Hey…"

"Half a portion for dieting. Is it okay to go in now?"

"Sakura, please… Don't do that," SiWoo said with an embarrassed look on his face, but he still opened his mouth.

Sakura couldn't help but laugh. "Pff."

She was the idol of Choten Academy, and thanks to her touch, the previously harsh SiWoo was nowhere to be seen, leaving only a gentle lover in his place.

Ding-!

"Seiji?"

The sender was Choten Academy Party Leader Seiji.

"Hmm~ I told him not to contact me on weekends unless it's urgent…" Sakura checked the message with a displeased expression before widening her eyes in surprise.

"Huh? What's this, a subgame?"

[Team A - Gaon Academy (South Korea)]

[Team A - Choten Academy (Japan)]

Gaon Academy and Choten, who’d once been at odds with each other, were on the same team.

"SiWoo, check this out!" Sakura wrapped her arms around SiWoo's neck from behind and showed him the tournament bracket via a hologram.

"This is…" SiWoo also looked surprised.

Even though there wasn't anyone nearby, Sakura whispered into his ears so softly that it tickled. "Shall we~ Try to join together?"

If Sakura was going that far, then there was only one possible answer for the well-cooked SiWoo…

"Well… I'll tell him." Since they had to save their EunAh and Sumire trump cards, SiWoo’s offer to participate was something YuSung couldn’t refuse.

That's how Gaon and Choten Academy's first two students were confirmed.

* * *

On Choten Academy’s rooftop…

It was after school hours, so Kirishima Isshin checked his message alone as he made a stern expression.

[Team A - Gaon Academy (South Korea)]

[Team A - Choten Academy (Japan)]

'Teaming up with Gaon Academy…' Thinking back, it wasn't the first time they'd collaborated with Gaon Academy. They’d also joined hands to conquer the Succubus’s Castle.

Back then, Isshin had refused to collaborate with Sumire, but his feelings had changed a bit.

'Then… Will Sumire come…?' He thought of her in a different light and had seen her bright smile when she was in YuSung’s party. He stroked his chin and wondered why YuSung’s face came to mind whenever he thought of Sumire.

Why did he feel like he'd already lost even though nothing had ever really happened between him and Sumire? He tried to be rational as he suppressed the strange feelings welling up inside of him.

'That's right… I just feel bad about Sumire.'

Once started, Isshin's rationalization began flowing smoothly.

'After using such harsh words and being so rude, it's natural to be concerned about her…'

Isshin felt his mind becoming clearer and his heavy heart lightening up.

'I haven't properly apologized yet.'

Why hadn't he realized that sooner? Isshin shook his head like a philosopher who'd discovered the truth and made a refreshed smile.

"Ha. Haha… Yes, I see. Toward Sumire…"

He thought he understood why Sumire came to his mind when he had time for idle thought, why his heart ached when he imagined her face, and why he thought about her so frequently…

"I felt sorry!" He was fully convinced.

'I should take this opportunity to apologize. It isn't good to go empty-handed, so I should stop by the dango shop before the station. She used to like sweets…'

If Sakura were there, she would have clicked her tongue at him, but if you didn't know you'd lost, then you hadn’t lost yet. Thus, Isshin was happy.