40 Life: 3.1 Heat Up Occult Research Club! : Part 3

Ball Tournament

BANG! BANG!

The sound of the start of the ball tournament echoed in the sky. From today's weather broadcast, it's going to rain in the evening. Please don't rain until the tournament finishes.

[Tsukmoto-kun of the "Manga research club", Hashioka-sensei is calling you. Can you please come to the teacher's room immediately.]

The PA which is placed throughout the school ground was making announcements endlessly. All of us members got changed into our PE uniform and gathered at one place and were resting up till the start of the match. But the club matches were at the end. First of all, there were matches between the class. I think my class is going to compete in baseball. I and Asia also have to participate. The practice we did after school wasn't in vain.

The baseball was pretty easy since there weren't any real challenging players in other classes also we had some great players among us. Even if he is a pervert, Matsuda is quite an athletic person. He knows how to hold his own in a game.

After that, there was a match between genders.

The sport in which we competed was ping-pong also known as table-tennis. Boys lost in that game. Of course! I didn't get to participate in that game, but the girls were quite good in that game.

Then after lunch, there was a match between clubs. I did some light exercises as a warm-up. Asia was stretching with the help of Akeno-san. Koneko-chan was sitting on the plastic mattress on the ground reading the rule book for ball games. Kiba...was still thinking about something. He had been staring at the sky. Buchou went to check the category sports for the club matches.... Oh! she came back. Buchou, who just came back, was smiling fearlessly.

"Fufufu, we have won this match already."

"Buchou, so what is the sports we are playing then?"

"Dodgeball!"

I only had a bad feeling about this.

"Bloo…bloomers."

I became shocked after seeing what Asia was wearing. It was not the school's PE uniform shorts but a bloomer! Before the start of the club matches, Asia suddenly disappeared, and when I thought she came back she was wearing a bloomer.

"...…Ummm...I heard from Kiryuu-san. That the proper uniform for dodge ball is bloomer... An…and also that Ise-san will be happy if I wore this..."

Ki….Kiryuuuuuuuu! That damn bitch! Vines pooped up from my forehead

"You don't like it?"

Asia asked me with a shy voice while looking up at me.

"No, no. It's great, Asia. Thank you very much. Thank you very much!"

I took Asia's hand and thanked her a lot. But Asia herself didn't know what was going on.

"Raise your spirit, you two."

Buchou was still energetic even after that intense tennis. Well, I was also fired up!

"Osu! Since I'm doing it, I'm not going to lose!"

"Good reply, Ise! I will give you a reward if you work hard!"

...…! Wh…..what!! Are you serious, Buchou!? I felt some unknown power flowing within me!

"Oh! If that's the case then, I will be claiming it"

[Members of the occult research club and the baseball club. Please gather at the ground.]

The announcement which called for us! Our battle was about to start!

"Aim for him! Aim for Hyoudou!"

"Uoooooo! Screw you guys!"

I was shouting at the same time crying while I was dodging incredibly fastballs. The match between clubs that started! The sports we had to do was dodge ball and our first opponent was the baseball club. These guys couldn't hit anyone besides me from their viewpoints!

Buchou. One of the "Two Great Onee-sama". The really popular school idol. Can't aim for her.

Akeno-san. One of the "Two Great Oneesama". School idol. Can't aim for her.

Asia. The Angel and the number 1 beautiful girl of the second year. And also a Blondie! Can't aim for her.

Koneko-chan. A loli-loli girl who is our school mascot. You feel bad if you hit her.

Kiba. Enemy of every male student in our school, but the girls will hate you if you hit him. Can't aim for him.

Me, Ise. Everyone thought "I don't understand why that guy belongs to the occult research club". It's not a problem if you hit him. No, you have to hit him instead. Damn it. Die, nerd. Aim every ball at him!

Headshot!

Die, die you wild beast! I felt like I could hear their thoughts! The ultimate way to eliminate me! And everyone's evil intents concentrate on me! From every student of this school!

"Kill Iseeeeee!!"

"Asia-chaaaaaaaaan! Bloomer's are the best! Iseeeeeee, die!!"

"Please! Take Hyoudou down! For Rias-onee-sama's sake! For Akeno-onee-sama's sake!"

"You have to bring Asia-san back to the good side!"

"Die! Right! No, throw at the head!"

"Kill him!! Die!! There should be only one loli-con, and that is me!"

"You wouldn't have gotten killed if you didn't come out!"

"One is enough for you why did you have to sweep every girl in school. Damn!"

It's fine if they are targeting the whole team or just males but damn they are targeting only me, this team vs. team game suddenly turned into one vs. team.

Suddenly a ball was aimed at my crotch. I barely managed to dodge it.

"Fine you want to play it that way, then don't blame me when I am done"

"Huh?"

"Oh~ you are gonna be sorry"

CATCH!

I caught the ball which was aimed towards me.

"Back at you"

SMASH!

The ball first hit the crotch of the boy who aimed at my crotch.

"Who's next?"

CATCH! CATCH!

Another catch

SMASH! SMASH!

Two balls hit the face of two students who were just about to throw their balls towards me.

And thus the game came to an end after the entire team moved into action. But somehow Kiba was lost in his thoughts many times I and Koneko-chan had to catch the balls thrown at him.

And thus ORC won this game by completely crushing the baseball club.

RAIN

It was raining hard outside. We were lucky that it rained after the tournament.

SLAP!

There was also a bitter sound that echoed along with the sound of rain. Buchou just slapped someone. Not me. It was Kiba.

"How is it? Did you wake up?"

Buchou was quite angry. For the ball tournament, we, the occult research club, got 1st place. Me, Asia, and Koneko-chan went back and obtained 1st place as a whole team... But there was one person who didn't cooperate. I'm talking about Kiba. He did contribute a couple of times but he was doing nothing most of the time. Buchou got angry at him a couple of times during the match but he didn't seem to care. I would have gotten pissed if Buchou didn't. Even if he got his cheek slapped, Kiba still didn't make any expression nor talked.

What is with this guy?... Is he really Kiba?

Because of the sudden change, he looked like a totally different person. He was a good looking guy who always had a refreshing face. Then he suddenly made the usual smiley face.

"Are you done now? The ball tournament has finished as well. We won't be practicing anymore so can I take a rest until it's nighttime? I'm a bit tired so I will take a break from the usual club activity. I'm sorry for my behavior this noon. Seems like I didn't feel well today."

"Kiba, you are acting really weird lately?"

"It's none of your concern."

I asked him but Kiba replied coldly with a smiley face.

"Even I'm getting worried about you."

"Worried? Who worries about who? I think it's normal for Devils to live by how they want. Well, I think I'm at fault for not listening to my master this time."

Hmmm, maybe I should tell him a bit. But why am I supposed to do this? It's usually the other way around. I say something insane, and Kiba calms me down.

"It's troublesome a situation like this when we are trying to form a proper group. That's how we felt after we went through that bitter experience in the previous match, remember. Don't we have to cover for each other's weak points from now on? We are comrades."

"Comrades..."

Kiba then made a gloomy face.

"Yes, comrades."

"You are always burning... Ise-kun, lately I started to remember the basic things."

"Basic?"

"Yeah, that's right. The reason why I am fighting."

"Isn't it for Buchou?"

That's what I thought. That's what I believed in hard. Just by my own thinking. But he rejected it immediately.

"No. I'm living so I can seek my revenge. Holy-sword Excalibur. Destroying that is the reason why I am living."

Kiba had a face with a strong determination. That time, I thought that I had seen his real face.

"Well if that's what you want then fine. I am going down to take a smoke"

Before going down I placed my hand on Kiba's shoulder and told him.

"You don't always have to do everything by yourself. Ask me if you need any help I still owe you one about the sword in [Rating game]."