Combat Strength Is Important, Right?

"It's perfect, isn't it?"

"Yes, I think that was pretty good."

After the last rehearsal before the live performance, Takeshi and

Hikaru voiced their satisfaction. For once, no comments of criticism came

from Sayaka and Alisa. And... Nonoa, without a care in the world, seemed

to be content with the situation.

Masachika felt the same way, and with the five of them dressed in

costumes produced by Nonoa and with renewed enthusiasm, he honestly

thought that the rehearsal was the best rehearsal he had ever attended.

"It was so good... really."

As Masachika said this while clapping his hands, Takeshi responded

shyly.

"Hey, it feels like we've already completed the performance. We're

still in rehearsal, you know?"

"Haha, that's true, but... I just wondered how these members

managed to come together so well."

"No, it was Kuzecchi who gathered them."

"That's right."

"...Oh, right."

"You actually forgot!"

Takeshi's comment made Alisa and Sayaka laugh as well.

Incidentally, Nonoa's term for calling Masachika reverted to "Kuzecchi"

within a few days. But according to him, it still didn't feel right.

"The manager has given his blessing! Now that we have the

manager's seal of approval, let's move backstage a little early!"

"Wait a minute, Takeshi. You still have important things to do."

"Huh?"

"No... you guys haven't decided on a leader yet, have you?"

Masachika said to Takeshi, who was plainly stunned, almost

cowering a little. At his words, out of the corner of his eye, Masachika saw

Alisa's expression harden. But Takeshi's reaction was slow.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh, there was... that thing."

"No, it's important, don't forget."

"No, it's more like I forgot......."

After scratching his head feeling a bit annoyed, Takeshi looked at

Alisa.

"I'd already had a feeling that Alya was the leader of the group....

"What...?"

At Takeshi's words, Alisa's eyes widened. But then even Hikaru

nodded in agreement with Takeshi..

"I agree. I, too, think Alya should be the leader."

"Eh, Hikaru-kun...?"

When Alisa turned around in surprise, Hikaru smiled gently and told

her.

"Earlier, when Masachika said 'It's amazing how this group came

together,' I think Alya-san played a significant role in that. She was the first

one to reach out to all the members and that made me happy. And also...

when we decided on the band name."

There, Hikaru scratched his cheek, a little embarrassed.

"While everyone else was suggesting names based on their personal

preferences, Alya-san was the only one who proposed a name with a

meaningful message for us, right? I believe that it played a part in

determining the direction of the band. That's why... ever since then, in my

mind, Alya-san had became our leader"

At Hikaru's words, Alisa's lips pursed and her eyelids trembled as if

she was trying to hold something back.

"Hey, Hikaru! You say too many nice things! You make me look like

an idiot!"

"Read the air, you idiot."

"That's what I'm talking about, you idiot."

"You're terrible!"

Takeshi shouted in a panic, and Masachika and Hikaru immediately

countered. The atmosphere, which was starting to feel good, was spoiled.

Alisa, too, looked distracted and laughed.

"Now that we have two votes for Alya... what about Sayaka and

Nonoa?"

As Masachika tried to regain his composure and asked, Sayaka kept

her expression unchanged and shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm not so tactless as to object in this."

"Sayachi isn't very honest."

"Did you say something? Nonoa."

"Sayachi isn't very honest."

"You don't need to repeat yourself!"

Masachika and the others laughed at this, another disheartening

exchange between the two.

"So, how about Nonoa?"

"I think it's good, don't you think? Nice to meet you, Leader."

Saying this simply, Nonoa fluttered her hand to Alisa. The attention of

the five gathered on Alisa, and she shook her eyes. However, after closing

her eyes for a moment and changing her expression, she laughed

powerfully and clenched her fists.

"Well then, let's go... and do our best for the first live performance

as "Fortitude"! Eiiii!"

Alisa called out, and Masachika and the others...

"Oh~!"

"O-Oh~!"

"Oh?"

"Oh....oh"

"Oh─."

"No, don't half ass it. You guys aren't in sync at all."

Immediately after Masachika commented, Alisa's shoulders

contracted as she loosely lowered her fist.

"~~~"

"Look, Alya's embarrassed! Alya's embarrassed, you know! She

tried, you know? She tried to lead like a leader even though she'd never

done it before, right? You guys! Don't bully the leader!"

"Masachika-kun."

"Hmm?"

"Please, shut up."

"Yes."

◇

"Oh wow, there are quite a few people here... Dahm, I'm getting

nervous."

"Hahaha, yeah... But I think there will be even more people from here

on, you know? It may sound self-centered, but it seems like we're getting

quite a bit of attention."

"Yeah... Yesterday, I was approached by people here and there as

well."

Twenty minutes before the performance, after moving backstage with

his instrument, Takeshi looked toward the stage from offstage and shivered

a little, then suddenly looked at Masachika.

"Speaking of which, we met Kiryuin the other day, right? Is there

something between you and him, Masachika?"

"Kiryuin, that's the name of that guy, right? What was he saying? He

was way too abstract to understand."

"Yeah, that's right. Well, you see... he was quite persistent in asking

whether you would be performing on stage or not......"

"Huh? What's that about? That 'you' you're referring to is me, right?"

"Yeah."

Masachika tilted his head at the information conveyed by Takeshi. If

you asked Masachika, he did feel as if Yusho had asked him something

similar directly before, but he didn't understand the intention behind it at

all....

"Well, you're the manager, and when I said you wouldn't be on stage,

he had this kind of awkward expression..... Do you have any idea why?"

"...No, I don't think so."

"Ugh."

At that moment, Masachika and Takeshi looked over at the barbed

voice that rose unexpectedly. Nonoa, who seemed to have been listening to

the conversation, had a half-closed eye expression and opened her mouth

slightly in surprise.

"What's wrong?"

"Well... JunYusho-chan[1] is so pitiful~....."

Masachika raised his eyebrows at the words, which were spoken

somewhat to himself.

(JunYusho... the runner-up? Huh? It feels like I've heard that

before...)

Feeling a tingling sensation in one corner of his brain, Masachika

kept his eyes down and searched his memory. But then Takeshi raised his

voice and his thoughts were interrupted.

"I'm going to go... and pick up Kano."

"Yeah, see you later!"

"Make sure to come back in time!"

"Sure, I'll be right back."

Nonoa then spoke up as Takeshi moved away from them.

"I'm going to go get Rea and Leo, too."

"Who?"

"My little brother and sister."

"I'm sorry. I'm going to the bathroom for a minute too......."

"Oi, oi........"

After raising his eyebrows a bit at the members who were leaving the

place one after another, Masachika cowered his shoulders.

"...Well, I guess waiting all the way backstage just makes me

weirdly nervous."

Then Maschika casually turned his head and somehow met eyes with

Sayaka. After making eye contact with Masachika, Sayaka shifted her gaze

to Alisa, looked diagonally upward, and then abruptly turned on her heel.

"I also want to see Leo and Rea, so I'll follow Nonoa."

"Hey, why so suddenly?"

"What are you talking about? I'll be back in ten minutes."

"Oh, yeah."

And just like that, Masachika and Alisa were the only ones left

backstage. As he had done something embarrassing the other day that

could have been mistaken for a marriage proposal at this very spot, the

situation of just the two of them being alone was slightly awkward.

"Well, how should I put it... It feels like the band has some cohesion,

but maybe not as much as I thought? What do you think about that,

Leader?"

As he jokingly posed the question, there was no response from Alisa.

Perplexed, Masachika looked at her face and was taken aback by the

expression he saw.

"Alya?"

Alisa looked as if she was about to cry, her eyebrows were furrowed

and her eyes strained. When Masachika called out to her in confusion,

Alisa's face fell down and she hid her expression. Masachika's

bewilderment reached its peak when he saw her shoulders shaking slightly.

(What, she's... crying? W-What should I do? Should I gently embrace

her? No, no, that's only allowed for handsome guys, and besides, I don't

even know why she's crying. Maybe it's better to hide her face and comfort

her, but...)

After a second of furious conflict, Masachika decided to lend his

shoulder as a compromise. Instead of going so far as to hug her, he

approached Alisa himself and awkwardly let her bury her head in his

shoulder. He then patted her head as gently as possible, just as Maria had

done for him.

"What's wrong? Weren't you happy to be elected leader?"

As Masachika voiced the deduction he arrived at after thinking, he

could see Alisa nodding slightly near his shoulder. Then, a small trembling

voice, filled with doubt, reached his ears.

"Did I live up to your expectations...?"

Masachika was shocked by these words. Immediately afterwards,

Masachika regretted his own shallowness.

It was Masachika himself who gave Alisa the task of "surpassing

Sayaka to become the band leader. In order to live up to those

expectations, Alisa had given her all. Yet... Masachika had selfishly felt

jealous of Alisa and did not care about her mental health.

(You're an idiot, me...! No matter how well she may appear to be

doing, she must have been filled with anxiety deep down! Alisa, who had

never been too assertive even in the student council, was suddenly

desperately trying to communicate with these four people who weren't even

that close to her. Why couldn't I have taken better care of her!)

How much of a psychological burden must it be for someone, who

had never even made friends on her own, to be asked to be friends with four

people at the same time? Masachika had completely underestimated that

expectation. He even insisted that he would support her as usual, but then

became jealous because he thought things were going well without his

support....

"You're a great partner, more than I could have ever hoped for... I

really respect you. I'm sorry for not being more considerate. I'm so

sorry......."

Alisa silently shook her head at Masachika, who apologized in a

voice tinged with contrition.

Again, feeling a bit guilty, Masachika gently continued.

"It's really great... that you're taking part in a group activity, and a

leadership role in that, even though you must have been unfamiliar with

it... you've done a great job."

He said this while lightly patting her back, and eventually Alisa began

to speak back.

"I have always mistakenly thought that I was the hardest working

and the best."

Masachika, however, listened to this sudden confession without

saying a word.

"But it was just an illusion. I finally realized that at the end of the first

semester when I gave my speech at the closing ceremony."

Hearing this self-detramenting monologue, Masachika's mind flashed

back to Alisa's speech, in which she straight-up admitted her immaturity.

"While I'm working hard, others are working hard elsewhere, and

there is no one in the world with whom I am better at... everything. In fact,

I am a good singer, but I can't play any instruments. Besides......"

In a slightly calmer tone of voice, Alisa said quietly.

"I can't see the whole picture and give precise directions like Sayaka,

nor can I be flexible and adapt to my surroundings like Nonoa. I can't be as

cheerful and relaxed as Takeshi, and I can't be as caring as Hikaru. It's no

wonder I have been negligent when it comes to interpersonal relationships."

Masachika was impressed and admired by her honest strictness

toward herself.

"If I wanted to be recognized as a leader by those four people... I

have no choice but to approach them head on. I have to drop the bad tactics

and... work harder than anyone else in that situation to pull everyone

along."

"Yeah... I see. You worked hard, really hard."

As he again awkwardly stroked Alisa's head, Masachika was filled

with inner regret. He should have done this earlier. He should have listened

to her and cared for her.

What's this nonsense about 'Do I even belong here?' I'm not just

the band's manager, but also Alya's partner. If there were no issues with the

band, I should have prioritized Aria and considered her feelings first......)

With regret and remorse, Masachika says gently to Alisa.

"I'm happy for you. You've been rewarded."

"...yeah."

With a small nod, Alisa buried her face in Masachika's shoulder and

murmured.

[I'm glad to be recognized....]

Masachika did not fully understand the true meaning of those words.

She was relieved to be recognized as a leader, and not only that...

However, before he could resolve that question, a lone intruder appeared

backstage.

"What?"

The one who stopped in surprise was a male classmate who, oddly

enough, was the one who saw them in a similar situation yesterday. He

looked at Alisa, who was burying her face in Masachika's shoulder to hol

back tears, and at Masachika, who was gently patting her head.

At the somewhat misleading sight, the boy asked with a half smile.

"Well, did you give her an... engagement ring?"

"...Just leave it at that, could you?"

"Oh, yes. Take your time......."

After seeing the boy offstage, Alisa left Masachika with a somewhat

disgruntled look on her face.

"Have you calmed down...?"

"Yeah, we're good to go......."

After saying this, Alisa put her hand over her eyes.

"I think my eyes got a little red."

"I'll be there... in a little bit. But don't worry. The audience won't

know and they won't say anything."

"Yes."

When Alisa noded with a small smile, Masachika too regained his

composure and brightened up his voice.

At that moment, an explosion sounded from the stage.

◇

Rewinding back a bit to the time when Masachika and the others

were having their last rehearsal. Having left their work as executive

committee members to other committee members, Touya and Chisaki were

greeting the Raikokai, the biggest VIPs of the festival.

"Welcome to our school. I am the current student body President,

Touya Kenzaki-san."

"And I am Chisaki Sarashina, the Vice President."

Gathered in the student council room, which was currently set up for

visitors, were a group of past student body Presidents and Vice Presidents,

the Rakokai. Among them was the president of Taniyama Heavy Industries,

Sayaka's father.

"And ... you are Gensei Suou-san, right? I am familiar with Yuki-san

as we often work closely together in the student council."

"I see."

Then, there was also Masachika and Yuki's grandfather, Gensei.

"I'll show you around the school. Please come this way."

After a heart-wrenching self-introduction to a group of powerful

alumni, Touya began to show them around the school festival.

As he stepped out into the hallway, students who had noticed the

Raikokai members made surprised faces before quickly clearing the way.

Even though they may have been tempted to at least say hello to one

of the biggest figures in the political and business world[2]

, whom they have

usually only seen on TV or in magazines, they were not allowed to do so.

This was because there was an unwritten rule that students were not

allowed to talk to the visiting Raikokai during the school festival. Only the

student body President and Vice President were allowed. Instead, other

students are only allowed to talk when spoken to, first. Naturally, they were

not allowed to form a circle around them or take pictures.

The guests from outside who come as invited guests were to also

abide by this rule, either because they were told by other visiting alumni of

the school, or because they have been strictly instructed to do so by the

invitees.

So, even though there were no particular organizers or bodyguards,

the tour went very smoothly.

"Oh my... We didn't have greenhouses like that when I was in

school."

"Yes, that one was donated by an alumnus to the gardening and

flower arrangement clubs eight years ago."

"I see, so you grow the floral materials used for flower arrangement

there?"

"That's right."

"Oh... Come to think of it, who was it that donated a ring for the

boxing club?"

"Ah, that would be President Tamura from Forestine. I've heard that

he is a big boxing fan himself."

"Ah, Forestin's... I see."

Looking out the window toward the greenhouse, Touya answered the

questions coming from Rakokai without hesitation. Of course, he was only

being confident on the outside, but inwardly he was already nervous about

what questions would come next. To tell the truth, he was so nervous that

he felt like throwing up at any moment.

Originally, Touya was not that thick-skulled. On the contrary, until just

a year and a half ago, he was considered so timid and mentally weak that

he could not even fathom the idea of finding himself in this situation.

He lacked self-confidence and always felt looked down upon and

ridiculed by those around him. It was none other than Chisaki who broke

down this shell with her daring way of life.

He admired the way she carried herself without flattering anyone and

changed himself. And now... she was standing next to him, supporting

him.

"...?"

Chisaki blinked with curiosity at Touya's gaze.

Drawing courage from her seemingly relaxed demeanor, Touya

straightened his posture.

"Would you like to take a closer look?"

"Yes, I do. If you have time."

"I understand. May I have everyone's attention, please?"

With the agreement of the other members of the group, Touya put

strength in his stomach and legs and walked with dignity. As Chisaki

Sarashina's boyfriend, he wanted to carry himself in a way that wouldn't

bring shame to her.

Once he was able to relax a little, his vision naturally widened and he

was able to clearly see the faces of the students looking at him. The aweinspiring gazes directed evoked a sense of deep emotion within him.

Who in the world would have imagined it? Touya, who had always

been looked upon with contempt and ridicule, now found himself on the

receiving end of respect from all directions. Chisaki, who was once feared

by boys, was now looked upon with a sense of trust. When he thought that

these were the results of his own efforts, a warm and overwhelming feeling

welled up in his chest.

"Touya? What's wrong?"

"No......."

Perhaps sensing something in Touya's expression, Chisaki spoke to

him in a whisper.

After answering with a reassuring smile, Touya turned his attention to

his surroundings.

"You see that? The gazes directed at us."

The change in the way they looked at them was incomparable to last

year.

The question by Touya was not clear. But as expected of lovers, one

might say, Chisaki understood and glanced briefly at their surroundings

before quietly nodding in response to Touya's words. And with an

affectionate expression, Touya relaxed his demeanor..

"Though there are two hostile auras."

"Yeah, sorry, I don't understand what you're saying."

"Two men, one in a blue shirt and the other wearing a black hat, in

front of the staircase twenty meters ahead."

"Hold on, what?"

While struggling to catch up with her thoughts, Touya shifted his gaze

in the direction Chisaki had indicated. There, he saw the exact duo she had

mentioned. As time passed, the distance between them and Touya closed

rapidly.

"What do you think we should do?"

In a situation like this, Chisaki's judgment was more trustworthy than

his own. Knowing this, Touya immediately asked her.

"Touya, wait here. Let me handle this for a moment—"

Chisaki said and tried to move, not even pausing to talk. However,

the duo moved first.

"!"

The duo they had been eyeing out came running straight at them,

and Touya immediately braced himself.

"Hey, you two! Stop──"

At that moment, as Touya shouted a warning to the duo, the man in

the blue shirt who was leading the way reached into his handbag. Touya's

heart skipped a beat as he saw a gleaming object being pulled out.

(What...? A weapon... a gun? This can't be real, can it?!)

The situation exceeded all expectations, leaving Touya completely

frozen. His brain refused to comprehend the reality before him, rendering

him unable to give any commands to his body. However, while Touya was

frozen in place, the man aimed the gun he held at Touya—or so it seemed,

until Chisaki swiftly kicked the gun out of his hand.

Like a gust of wind, Chisaki's left leg swiftly soared through the air,

accurately seizing the barrel of the gun and knocking it out of the man's

hand. And then, without hesitation, her right leg followed suit—mercilessly

delivering a powerful kick to the man's groin.

"Huh!?"

How hard did she kick him? The man leaped up from the ground,

bending his body into the shape of a bow. And the next moment. For the

first time in his life, Touya saw an aerial combo in the flesh.

A tremendous uppercut pierced the jaw of an attack. The impact of

the uppercut lifted the man further into the air, and his bent body was

straightened and stretched into an ideal sandbag position.

Chisaki's relentless five-hit combo was delivered to the now

defenseless attacker. Well, it couldn't be confirmed if it was truly a five-hit

combo. At least, that's how it appeared to Touya's eyes. It's also worth

noting that he could only see up to that point.

"Gegh─, gouu─!."

The man, emitting a voice akin to a crushed frog, slumped to the floor

with a squelching sound. The other man, who had been observing the

scene with a dumbfounded expression, hastily raised the smartphone he

was holding when he noticed Chisaki's gaze turning towards him.

"No, wait, it's not─It's a prank! It's just a prank!"

"Oh, really? Then here's my prank."

She told him mercilessly, and Chisaki carried out the same aerial

combo on him.

In just two seconds, the second man also sank to the floor, and the

students around them froze, as if they had not caught up with their

understanding of the sudden turn of events.

Suddenly, however, one of the boys saw the man holding the gun

and shouted.

"Hey, isn't that him? Isn't this guy Grealish?"

"What? That famous annoying online influencer?"

"Really? Didn't he get arrested for surprising a passerby on the street

and injuring him?"

"Oh, this pistol's a toy."

"No way, is this some kind of prank about assassinating important

people? How ridiculous."

With that voice as the starting point, other students began to move

one after another, and Touya also regained his composure. First, he turned

around and bowed his head to the members of the Rakokai behind him.

"I apologize for the inconvenience. It seems that someone unfit for

this school has infiltrated. I will gladly accept any reprimands, but may I

request permission for the Vice President to leave this place for now?"

After receiving an apology from Touya, the oldest and most senior

member of the group spoke up on behalf of the others.

"Well, it looks like there was a mismanagement of admission. But,

well, try to get things under control now."

"Thank you!"

After loudly thanking him and raising his head, Touya approached

Chisaki and said quickly.

"I'm sorry, Chisaki. Can I leave these guys to you? I need to find out

who invited them here... I'll handle the Rakokai"

"Understood. Leave them to me. I'll thoroughly interrogate them in

the Disciplinary Committee room."

"...In moderation?"

Touya advised Chisaki, who had already committed a considerable

amount of over defense, just to be sure. Then, Chisaki nodded her head

attentively.

"I'll be fine. We'll just separate them into burnable and unburnable,

just like garbage."

"Is that okay? I mean, separating the burnable from the nonburnable?"

"Huh? Of course, it's like removing muscles from bones─"

"Ouch! I don't really understand, but that definitely sounds painful!"

Although he was horrified by the thought of it, Touya tried to let

Chisaki take charge of the situation…

「────!」

Startled, Touya raised his head at a loud explosion that seemed to

come from somewhere.

◇

Meanwhile, Takeshi, who had left Masachika and his friends, was

wandering around the schoolyard with his smartphone in hand, looking for

his younger brother.

"Huh? This should be the area... It's too crowded to tell."

His younger brother, who was only nine years old, was small. On the

other hand, most of the people here were of high school age or older, which

made it difficult to spot him in the crowd. As Takeshi looked around, trying to

find him, he suddenly saw a figure. It was a familiar figure with a cap on its

head. His gaze was drawn to the back of the figure, and when the figure

turned his head to the side, a voice leaked out.

"Eh... Nao?"

It was a friend who was supposed to have suddenly disappeared a

month ago. She turned reflexively at the sound of his voice, and their eyes

met.

"Takeshi......"

"Hey, why...?"

In the crowd, they looked at each other, one stunned and the other

uncomfortable.

And just as Nao was about to say something... a loud explosion

echoed from somewhere.

◇

(To think that something like this could actually happen...!)

In front of the source of the bursting screech, Sayaka was biting her

teeth and reminiscing about the events of the past week.

"Sayaka, what do you think is the most important thing for a public

morals officer?"

At a meeting of the Discipline Committee before the school festival,

Sayaka was questioned by Sumire. In response, Sayaka immediately turned

her head at high speed, in order to instantly derive the answer that the other

party was seeking.

Originally, Sayaka's reasons for being a member of the public morals

committee were extremely selfish. One reason was simply to gain an

advantage in her academic record. And the other reason, to be frank, was to

leverage students' weaknesses for her own benefit. Both aimed at elevating

her status within the school, ultimately leading to expanding her network of

useful connections for the future.

Sayaka was known as a serious and exemplary student, but she did

so only because she had no trouble behaving in a way that was able to

propel her towards the top. It's not that she particularly loved discipline or

hated actions that disrupted it, so she had no intention of imposing the

same behavior on others. Or rather, she was not interested in others

enough to bother interfering with their behavior.

However, Sayaka was not foolish enough to honestly talk about such

things here.

"Yes......."

While stalling for time under the pretense of thinking, Sayaka came

up with the best solution in her mind.

"I think it's about being aware of the school rules and the will of the

students, and being able to stand between the two without being too

biased."

That's it, she thought.

Sayaka's answer was so satisfying to her that she inwardly struck a

victory pose. But,

"No, Sayaka-san."

What came back was an outright denial. Sayaka's eyebrows twitched

as she observed Sumire, who seemed to be gazing into a distant realm that

even she hadn't reached yet.

"The most important thing for a public morals committee member. It

is......"

Then, she tells him in a voice that is filled with envy and conviction.

"Combat power."

What was this girl talking about? Sayaka thought sincerely. But she

was not so sure that she would be honest enough to say such a thing here.

Above all else, she wasn't foolish.

"Well, I see... that would mean I don't meet the requirements......"

Sumire smiled graciously at Sayaka, who answered sarcastically.

"No, there is no need to solve everything with your own power. In

times of emergency where combat power is necessary, if you lack strength

yourself, it is also correct to call upon someone with power. In addition, if

you can protect the weaker ones within your reach," Sumire explained while

placing the back of her hand on her cheek and smiling.

At the same time, Sayaka thought, "Maybe she watches too much

anime." At that time, Sayaka was both stunned and felt a sense of intimacy

with Sumire... She never thought that such an emergency situation would

happen right in front of her eyes.

After leaving the backstage area, Sayaka was wandering around the

schoolyard under the pretext of looking for Nonoa. Suddenly, a man

exploded a firecracker in front of Sayaka's eyes.

"Aah!"

"Whoa! What the hell?

While people around him were surprised, the man, to his surprise,

kicked a firecracker, which was smoking on the ground, toward the crowd.

Naturally, the people ahead of him screamed and ran away.

(W-What's with that guy?!)

The man was spreading confusion around him, but he himself was

strangely expressionless, and his whole body was emitting a strange

atmosphere, combined with his cuffed clothes and shaggy mustache.

"If you lack strength yourself, it is also correct to call upon someone

with power. In addition, if you can protect the weaker ones within your

reach."

Faced with an emergency situation, Sumire's words come back to

her mind. Right next to Sayaka, a boy of elementary school age was pushed

down by a fleeing student.

"Ah!"

Sayaka lifted up the boy who was crouching and whimpering, and

swiftly took out her smartphone.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, uh-huh. Thank you, onee-san."

Concerned for the boy's safety, Sayaka called Sumire's number and

dialed as fast as she could.

"Kiryuin Senpai! This is Taniyama! I'm in the B section of the

schoolyard."

Out of the gaze of Sayaka, who was calling for help, the man slowly

turned toward the outdoor stage. Then, still with the same bizarre

expressionless face, he walked toward it.

◇

"What the hell is...?"

The sudden burst of sound did not end with a single explosion, but

continued with a series of loud noises. And in between, the screams of the

students can be heard.

"Wha─!"

At the sound of something unusual, Masachika rushed offstage. He

looked toward the stage, seeing Alisa following a beat behind him out of the

corner of his eye. There, he saw an object that was making a loud noise and

scattering smoke, and the students of the dance club moving right and left

around it.

"Firecrackers...!?"

Having recognized the source of the commotion, Masachika

exclaimed, "Why are there firecrackers here!?" While he was in a state of

confusion, another firecracker was thrown onto the stage. Moreover, similar

explosions were heard from the audience seats as well.

"Hey! Get off the stage quickly!"

Masachika called out to the dance club on stage, but it seemed that

two or three students had fallen and were unable to stand up because of

firecrackers thrown into the air during the dance.

(Tsk, I need to find something to shield us from the firecrackers......)

Masachika looked around for some kind of shield to safely rescue the

fallen student. Alisa, holding a microphone, ran past him.

"Hey──"

Behind Masachika's startled shout, Alisa rushed onto the stage. She

then looked around the audience and recognized the culprit of the

commotion.

Behind the panicked audience, a middle-aged man in a tired outfit

pulled out a firecracker from his shoulder bag. Seeing that the man had lit a

firecracker and was about to throw it toward the audience, Alisa immediately

shouted,

"Stop!!"

A powerful voice amplified by the microphone echoed, causing the

man with the firecrackers and the panicked audience to freeze in their

tracks. As they instinctively turned their gaze towards the stage, they saw a

stunningly beautiful girl with silver hair flowing with a majestic demeanor,

standing there with an aura of magnificence.

"Woah........"

"Princess Alya......"

Everyone, those who knew her and those who did not, were all alike

disoriented. A new burst of sound broke through such a few seconds of

oblivion and silence.

The lit firecracker exploded in the man's hand as he stopped moving

involuntarily. He hastily dropped it to the ground and turned his gaze, filled

with an unsteady restraint, towards Alisa on the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Everyone, please remain calm and evacuate

to the other side of the building──"

Alisa ignored him and continued to call out to the audience. A new

firecracker was thrown at her.

"Ah──!"

Amidst the tense atmosphere and the watchful eyes of the audience,

someone let out a panicked cry as the firecracker approached Alisa. But

unexpectedly, a boy darted out from behind and kicked the firecracker midair, causing it to fall. The audience couldn't help but murmur in awe at this

action-movie-like feat.

Meanwhile,

(Ouch... that didn't hurt much! But it was risky. There's no guarantee

it'll work the next time!)

Masachika, who had knocked away the firecracker with a leaping

kick, was sweating profusely despite the brilliance of his technique.

While giving various instructions to the staff, Masachika suddenly

saw a firecracker flying towards Alya. Realizing that it would be dangerous

to knock it down with his hand, he instinctively extended his leg, but the

success was mostly due to luck.

"Alya, are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

He checked to see that the firecracker he knocked away had fallen

under the stage and then turned his attention to the worried Alisa behind

him.

(Actually, if I prioritized Alisa's safety, I should have just used my

hands instead.....)

With a bit of reflection, Masachika thought about what to do next

while protecting Alisa behind him.

(Should I directly confront that man? But I can't leave Alya's side...)

Masachika looked around to see if there was any other way to get

there and... noticed a group of students who were making their way

through the crowd to get to them. At the head of the group was a schoolgirl

with honey coloured hair in a ringlet roll hairstyle.

As soon as Masachika saw this, he grabbed Alisa's microphone and

called out.

"Those people in front of the takoyaki stand! Split up and make way

on both sides of the street! And those at the entrance there, clear the way!"

The loud instructions were quickly followed by people on the right

and left. A beautiful woman dressed in a knight cosplay was sprinting down

the two-meter wide path that had been created. Her honey-colored hair

fluttered in the wind, and she was accompanied by three girls in similar

costumes behind her.

The man realized this, and after showing some signs of agitation at

the group running toward him, threw three firecrackers at the group. Sumire,

however, showed no sign of timidity, and calmly raised her cloak in front of

her face, and ran through the firecrackers without slowing down at all.

Then, as soon as she reached the man, she struck an unannounced

blow to the man's back as he turned to flee. Even though it was an imitation

sword, it was strong enough to break a man's bones if it struck him

seriously. Moreover, even though the one who swung it was a teenage girl,

she was a swordsman capable of easily overpowering adult men with a

kendo sword.

Naturally, it didn't end there.

The man who tried to escape staggered back with a shrimping body,

and the firecracker that fell from his hand still tried to explode in a flash of

light. However, two female students running on either side of Sumire

forcefully extinguished the fire by cutting the fuse as they passed by. Finally,

a petite girl rushed forward and twisted her sword into the man's right side.

"What?"

Receiving a feeble blow, the man sank to the ground. Then, in an

instant, he was swiftly restrained by the girls.

"Oh~~"

"So cool......"

"Sumire senpai...!"

The crowd started clapping involuntarily as if they had seen a live

action drama. Masachika walked straight through them.

Masachika bowed lightly to Sumire as she came up.

"Thank you, Sumire Senpai."

"No, I should be the one thanking you. Thanks to you, we were able

to handle the situation quickly."

As Sumire casually adjusted her hair, Masachika inwardly chuckled

and thought, "She's so resilient."

"Can I leave that man to the public morals committee?"

"Yes, of course... but we're having a bit of a problem."

"Huh?"

"It seems that he's not the only one. Other uninvited guests have

arrived."

"Eh...?"

"They have also appeared before the student council President and

onee-chan."

"The President...!?"

"Is the President alright?"

At Alisa's question, Sumire puffed out her chest proudly.

"Of course, onee-chan was with him."

"Eh, what?"

"Oh, she means Sarashina-senpai."

"Hmm? Oh."

Alisa blinked her eyes repeatedly. It was slightly complicated for her

to understand.

"Besides that, there's some trouble... apparently some group of

people are getting in."

"So, that's what happened......"

After saying this, Masachika quickly shook his head from side to side.

The investigation of the cause will come later. First, they must deal with the

situation that had just occurred.

"Understood. I'll take care of some matters first and then return to my

duties on the organizing committee."

"Oh, well, then I'll──"

"Alya, stay here."

"Huh?"

Turning back to Alisa, who widened her eyes, Masachika told her

without hesitation.

"Alya, stay here and calm the crowd down. And then, after consulting

with the staff, as soon as things settle down, you guys will go live."

"Yeah, but......"

But would they proceed with the performance after such an incident?

And was Alisa, a member of the student council, not supposed to contribute

to resolving the situation? Alisa's eyes revealed her inner thoughts, but

Masachika pierced through with a determined gaze. With a resolute voice,

he delivered his message.

"As manager of the band, Fortitude, I am responsible for making sure

the show is a success. Besides, I told you, I'll get rid of anyone who tries to

drag you down."

It was the pledge Masachika had made backstage yesterday. At

these words, the hesitation disappeared from Alisa's eyes, and a powerful

radiance dwelled in them.

"So trust me... and wait for me. I will make sure the show goes on."

When Masachika closed his mouth after saying this, Alisa clasped

her hands in front of her chest and smiled, full of trust.

"Yes, I believe in you."

"Hmm. Alright."

"Take care......."

"Yes."

Returning a strong smile to Alisa, Masachika turned back to Sumire.

"I'm sorry. Can you lend me some help from the public morals

committee to act as security for this place?"

"Yes, please give my best regards. Then, Hiiragi-san!"

"Yes."

Sumire snapped her fingers, and a bespectacled female student

appeared behind her. Was she a... ninja?

"Please work with Alisa Kujou here to calm everyone down."

"Understood."

The girl, dressed in masculine attire and with exaggerated theatrics,

bowed. However, she was the vice-captain of the girls' kendo club. She was

more than capable as a force to be reckoned with.

"Thank you very much. Sorry for the trouble. Well then, see you

later."

"Yes."

After thanking Sumire and exchanging one last glance with Alisa,

Masachika jumped off the stage to get things under control.