Pre-Game Blue Team vs Red Team.

The school day was over, and the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting a warm golden hue across the campus.

I was looking forward to today, the game has everything to be fun. Kazuya isn't ready to be on the team yet, but Renji and Kenta are. It will be cool to see how they will play with me on the team.

As Akira was leaving the room, a group of girls approached him laughing. One of the girls, a petite brunette with sparkling eyes, stepped forward, a bit hesitant. She looked at Akira with a mixture of admiration and shyness.

"Um... Akira, right?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Akira, who was usually confident on the court, suddenly felt a wave of nervousness wash over him. He could feel his face turning red as he nodded, wondering what this was all about.

Someone help me.

The girl held out her phone, smiling shyly.

"Could we, um, take a picture with you? We've been watching your games, and you're amazing!"

Akira blinked, momentarily caught off guard. He wasn't used to this kind of attention off the court.

Keep calm, and give a calm answer, be cool Akira, be cool.

"Uh, sure," he managed to say, trying to keep his voice steady.

The girls quickly gathered around him, and Akira awkwardly put his arms around their shoulders for the photo. He smiled, albeit a little stiffly, as they snapped the picture.

Just as the photo was taken, Renji appeared out of nowhere, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. He looked at the girls and then at Akira.

"So, this is how it begins," Renji muttered, half to himself. "The Secret Organization must be behind this. They're sending agents disguised as schoolgirls to gather information on our team's secret weapon."

Renji's weirdness! This could be my salvation!

Akira gave Renji a bewildered look, as the girls slowly walked away, not quite understanding what Renji was talking about.

"Uh, thanks for the photo," Akira said, smiling awkwardly at the girls as they waved and walked away, still whispering excitedly.

Once they were gone, Akira turned to Renji.

"Secret Organization, really?"

Renji nodded seriously, his expression dark.

"That's the only explanation. Stay vigilant, Akira. They want to steal your divine thunder god power."

Divine thunder god power? Why does he use 'divine' and 'god' in the same sentence?

Akira sighs. "Anyway, thanks. The last time this happened in the US I ended up in a mall watching a romance movie with a group of four girls."

Akira doesn't know how to say no to girls. He feels an evil gaze, as if it wants to kill him from the end of the corridor.

"What is that..."

Out of nowhere, Daichi stormed down the hall, eyes blazing with fury. As he got close to Akira, he hurled his pencil case straight at Akira's face.

"You bastard son of a bitch!" He says, almost crying.

"What the fuck Daichi?! Are you crazy?"

"You won over four girls at school at once? Do you think the girls:boys ratio is fair? OF COURSE NOT. For every girl there are four guys, you are reversing the equation and unbalancing the natural cycle of life!"

"I don't give a shit you weirdo" Akira throws the case at Daichi's face again.

After the hallway encounter, the trio made their way to the gym, where the atmosphere was charged with the excitement of the upcoming game. In the locker room, the players quickly changed into their gear, the tension palpable. As they headed out for warm-ups, Coach Yamamoto strode in with a confident grin.

"Hey! Is everyone excited for today's game?" he called out.

The players responded with nods and murmurs, but apart from Akira, most seemed a bit on edge. They all knew the stakes—these games would define who might secure a spot on the starting team for the upcoming tournament. This was more than just a friendly match; it was a proving ground.

As the teams split up, Hiroshi joined the other starters, his expression serious. Inspired, Akira did the same, gathering the reserve team around him.

Hiroshi's team was called the red team, while Akira's was called the blue team.

"The key to this game is not to be nervous," Akira began, his voice steady. "I know everyone here wants to prove themselves, but trying out things you've never done before won't help you secure a spot. Stick to what you know."

Kenta nodded in agreement. "My brother's right. Just focus on what you're good at."

"I'm not your brother... Ah, whatever."

"This is a great chance to test out the new exorcist skills I've been training," Renji added with a determined glint in his eyes.

Noriaki and Jinichi exchanged uneasy glances, their confidence wavering.

"Akira... we don't have the momentum you do. I'm not sure we can keep up," Jinichi admitted.

Akira smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about it. I have a plan."

As the teams lined up on the court, the tension reached its peak. Hiroshi locked eyes with Akira, his focus razor-sharp. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the whistle to blow, eager to prove their worth.