Two weeks had passed since enrolling at Advanced Nurturing High School.
By now, I had completely grown accustod to the school's systems and the layout of the campus.
However, my position in Class 1-B had beco firmly established as the "lonely Demon King."
(...Once again, nobody's willing to co within a two-ter radius of today.)
Before morning horoom, my classmates had already ford their own groups, chatting excitedly about weekend plans and club activities.
But the back window seat—my absolute territory alone—remained as cold and isolated as a frozen tundra.
Still, there was one exception.
"Good morning, Aizen-kun! Nice weather today, huh?"
Swaying her pink hair, the central figure of the class, Honami Ichinose, greeted with a smile.
No matter what kind of disaster (poetry) I caused since the first day of school, she alone continued greeting every single day simply because:
"We're classmates."
(Ichinose-san...! Are you actually the Virgin Mary!? Thank you, good morning to you too! I'll answer with my best smile and say, "Yeah, let's have another good day today!")
Internally moved to tears, I ford a gentle smile and opened my mouth.
"—Indeed. However, the light that shines upon this cramped little garden is, to , nothing more than a tedious glow. ...If you remain forever fixated on the pebbles beneath your feet, you too will eventually forget the blueness of the sky."
(NOOOOOOOOO!! WHY DOES EVERY SINGLE GREETING TURN INTO A SPEECH ABOUT THE TRUTH OF THE UNIVERSE!? WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY MOUTH!?)
Hearing my words, Ichinose desperately tried to smooth things over with an awkward laugh.
"A-Ahaha... I see, Aizen-kun must be looking at a much bigger world."
But the reactions of the surrounding students were very different.
"...Hey, he's insulting Ichinose-san again."
"She's going out of her way to talk to him, so who the hell does he think he is...?"
"...Still, we've got no idea what he'd do if we pissed him off, so just leave it alone..."
My Aizen-spec hearing perfectly picked up the anger-filled whispers.
The class clearly resented the way I treated Ichinose, yet nobody dared confront directly due to the "incomprehensible pressure" I emitted.
(That's not it, everyone! I just want normal conversations! Please, Ichinose-san, receive the "good morning" inside my heart!!)
As tears of blood flowed internally and I repeatedly perford ntal dogeza, I quietly waited for the after-school bell to ring.
---
After school.
Once again, I walked through the halls of the special building after finishing today's "money-making mission."
(...Phew. Sohow today's dojo-crashing at the kendo and tennis clubs ended safely too.)
Over the past two weeks, I had spent every afternoon visiting various clubs and provoking upperclassn into gambling matches.
Having tasted overwhelming victory in the Board Ga Club, I expanded into every conceivable competition:
fighting gas in the esports club,
sparring in the judo club,
matches in the kendo club—
and in every contest, I utterly crushed the upperclassn and stripped away their points.
Before the overwhelming intellect and physical abilities of Aizen specs, high school club activities were little more than child's play.
(But... I'm hitting the limit now. Everywhere I go, people just scream "T-the devil's here!!" and run away.)
I checked my terminal.
In just two weeks, I had amassed an absurd 9 million points.
Combined with the special hush money belonging to both and Hiyori, our current total was now:
15 million points.
(Only five million left until twenty million... I'd love to earn it all at once, but I'm running out of clubs I can exploit...)
Sighing, I opened the door to my one and only sanctuary:
the library.
As always, a silver-haired girl sat by the window with a book open before her.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Hiyori."
"Ah, Sousuke-kun. Good work today. It sounds like... um... things were pretty intense again."
Apparently, Hiyori had heard rumors about my "club rampage" from sowhere and smiled worriedly.
"...It matters not. I rely kicked aside a few stones lying upon the path leading to the throne. It is not sothing you need concern yourself with."
"Hehe, Sousuke-kun really is strong."
When I answered in poetry, Hiyori accurately grasped my intent and smiled happily.
The mont we sat together and opened our books to spend another peaceful afternoon—
"—So you're the cocky first-year who's been running around feeding on upperclassn lately, huh?"
A voice overflowing with confidence echoed through the library.
Turning around, I saw an unfamiliar upperclassman standing there with neatly styled blond hair and an arrogant smile.
Handso features.
Eyes concealing ambition and dangerous confidence.
"...To interrupt my reading takes quite a bit of courage. Who are you?"
When I asked quietly—yet with unmistakable pressure—the man grinned.
"I'm Nagumo Miyabi, vice president of the student council, Class 2-A. ...You're Sosuke Aizen, right? I hear you've been extorting quite a lot of points from my toys—whoops, I an, my adorable juniors."
"...I see. So you are the leader of those defeated remnants. And? What business do you have with ?"
(Student council vice president!? Crap, is this where I get expelled for gambling!? Should I run!? No, if I back down here I'll look la in front of Hiyori...!!)
Despite my inner panic, Nagumo never ntioned expulsion.
Instead, he gave a ferocious grin and declared:
"Fight , Aizen. I'll beat that cocky attitude out of you with actual ability."
"...Oh?"
My eyebrow twitched.
(A challenge from the student council vice president!? Perfect timing—I was exactly five million points short of twenty million!)
Slowly closing my book, I stood and faced Nagumo.
The distinctive pressure emanating from caused the air behind him to distort slightly.
"...Very well. I respect your reckless courage. But a re ga would be far too dull. ...How about we place 'five million points' on the board as the price for this contest?"
"...Heh?"
Nagumo narrowed his eyes at the absurd sum coming from a first-year, suspicion and interest mixing together.
(Alright! Now I'll lightly provoke him with a "The student council vice president can afford that much, right? Or are you scared?" and lock in the match!)
"—What is wrong? If you fear the fragility of your own wings, then you should quietly remain upon the earth. ...A small bird ignorant of the vastness of the sky has no need to force itself to gaze toward the heavens."
(NOOOOOOO!! That taunt was straight out of a final boss scene!! He's definitely pissed now!)
A thick vein visibly bulged on Nagumo's forehead.
Clearly irritated, he grinned viciously.
"...Fine by , Aizen. I'll make sure you never run that mouth again. So what's the ga? It'd be unfair for to have an advantage over a first-year, so I'll even let you choose."
"—There is no need."
Elegantly brushing back my hair, I looked down upon him and declared:
"We shall use whichever competition you are most skilled at. ...So that I may carve into your very being the truth that no matter how much of a handicap I grant you, your struggles will never reach the heavens."
Nagumo's expression twisted with irritation.
"...Fine. Then I'll kill you on my own turf. Soccer. One-on-one penalty shootouts. I've never lost to anyone at soccer."
"That is acceptable. ...I shall look forward to the mont your confidence transforms into despair."
---
Thirty minutes later.
We stood facing a soccer goal at the edge of the field after school.
The audience consisted only of Hiyori—who had worriedly followed us—and several followers Nagumo brought along.
"The rules are simple. Five shots each, alternating turns. Whoever scores more wins. I'll go first."
"Do as you please."
As I took the goalkeeper position, Nagumo placed the ball and began his run-up.
His shooting form was clearly no amateur's.
Refined movent.
Powerful impact.
The ball launched like a bullet toward the right corner of the goal.
An ordinary high school student wouldn't even have been able to react.
—But.
(...Slow. It looks practically motionless.)
To my Aizen-spec dynamic vision, the ball looked like a balloon drifting underwater.
Without the slightest panic, I calmly extended my right hand just before it crossed the goal line.
PAAN!
With a dry sound, the ball landed perfectly in my palm.
"...What!?"
Nagumo's eyes widened in disbelief.
"...What is wrong? Surely that was not your 'full strength'?"
I rolled the ball back to him and smiled coldly.
Then ca my kick.
A perfectly trained body pushed to the very limits of human capability.
The instant Nagumo's center of gravity shifted ever so slightly, I fired the ball with flawless speed and precision into a blind spot he physically could not react to.
The result required no explanation.
Five victories out of five.
I caught every one of Nagumo's shots one-handed, while every shot of mine slipped just beyond his reach.
It was complete and utter annihilation.
"...Hah... hah... W-what are you... so kind of monster...?"
Nagumo collapsed to his knees, gasping.
His pride had been utterly shattered.
"...Ga set. Your struggles were not even sufficient to alleviate my boredom."
I rcilessly declared those words while opening my terminal.
Grinding his teeth in frustration, Nagumo still transferred the promised five million points into my account.
(YES!! YEEEEEEES!!)
Inside, I was pumping my fists and dancing with joy.
At last—
at long last—
I had gathered it.
The absurd number displayed on the screen.
The ticket that would allow to bring Hiyori to my side.
"...Let us go, Hiyori."
"Ah... yes, Sousuke-kun!"
Without sparing Nagumo another glance, I turned my back and left with Hiyori.
Our destination:
the faculty office.
We headed straight for the desk of Chie Hoshinomiya, horoom teacher of Class 1-B.
"A-Ara, Aizen-kun. And Shiina-san too. What brings you here toda—"
"—We have co to demand fulfillnt of the contract."
I presented my terminal screen before her eyes.
"Tw-twenty million!? You've got to be kidding! How in the world did you gather that much in only two weeks!?"
Hoshinomiya nearly fell out of her chair in shock.
"The process is irrelevant. ...In exchange for these points, I demand her transfer—Shiina Hiyori's transfer into Class B. ...According to school regulations, this is possible, correct?"
"W-Wait! This is unprecedented! No student has ever exercised the right to transfer classes in April of their first year! J-just wait a mont! I need to confirm this with higher-ups!!"
Panicking, Hoshinomiya once again ran deeper into the faculty office.
More than thirty minutes passed.
When she finally returned, she looked even more exhausted than the first day when she paid us the three million point hush money.
"...Hah... hah... Aizen-kun. The school has approved your paynt of twenty million points and accepted Shiina-san's transfer to Class B."
"...A natural conclusion."
"But... there's one condition."
Hoshinomiya looked at us seriously.
"I want you to wait until May 1st for the official transfer procedures and announcent. ...Right now, in April, the school is still hiding the true nature of the point system from the students. If we move now, it'll completely ruin the test structure."
(I see. They want to line it up with the May 1st point announcent and all the reveals that co with it. Well... I guess waiting another two weeks isn't impossible.)
I slowly nodded.
"...Very well. It is not my intention to crush the pride of adults. On May 1st... beginning that day, she shall sit beside . Is that acceptable?"
"Y-yes. I promise."
At last.
The goal had been achieved.
Turning away from Hoshinomiya, I left the faculty office together with Hiyori.
Along the sunset-colored path ho, Hiyori's steps seed lighter than ever.
"Sousuke-kun!"
Suddenly, she stopped and looked up at .
There were faint tears in her eyes.
"Thank you so, so much! I can't believe you gathered sothing as unbelievable as twenty million points for my sake... But... was it really okay to do all this for soone like ...?"
Her earnest question made my heart leap.
(Of course it was okay!! I did it because I wanted to be with you!! I'll tell her with my biggest smile: "Don't worry about it, I wanted us to be in the sa class too!")
Taking a deep breath, I smiled gently and opened my mouth.
"—A foolish question, Hiyori. ...The moon does not illuminate the night sky for anyone's sake. It simply exists there, and thus I wished to keep its light close at hand. ...Your worth cannot possibly be asured by a trivial number such as twenty million."
(WHY DOES IT ALWAYS TURN INTO THIS!? WHY DO I KEEP BRINGING UP THE MOON AND STARS!? IT SOUNDS LIKE SO SUPER HEAVY MARRIAGE PROPOSAL NOW!!)
Internally clutching my head, I watched as Hiyori perfectly understood the hidden aning behind my words—
"Because I want to be with you."
Her face blood into a radiant smile.
"...Hehe. Sousuke-kun really is kind."
"—...You overestimate ."
"I can't wait for May! We'll get to talk about lots of books together in class too!"
Smiling beneath the evening sunset, Hiyori looked just like an angel.
The curse that forced poetry from my lips.
The loneliness of being the isolated Demon King.
If it allowed to see this smile of hers, then it was a cheap price to pay.
And so, beginning on May 1st, the reincarnated Sosuke Aizen's high school life was finally about to enter the peaceful paradise he had always dread of:
a world where the two of them would be alone together.
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