Chapter 178: Maple's Machine God, and a Pair of Closeted Perverts?
.....
"Die!"
"Shine!"
"Agh! Damn you!!"
"Faster! Faster! Get more balls up here!"
"Bring it on! Bring it!"
The court had devolved into a war zone. The four players were no longer playing volleyball; they were using the balls as projectiles to launch a full-scale assault on each other.
Finding the standard supply insufficient, they were screaming at their respective classmates to fetch more ammunition. The spectators watched the scene in stunned silence, utterly speechless.
Ai Hayasaka blew her whistle repeatedly, but Seito and the others completely ignored her. They were far too busy settling their personal vendetta. This blatant disregard for the rules left Hayasaka fuming with silent rage.
Unlike the Class D students, the Class E boys didn't hesitate when Iori called for help. They swarmed the court like ants, acting as a dedicated ball-retrieval unit. With that, the "Great Volleyball War" truly began.
...
A long time later.
Seito and Kirito looked down at the pile of collapsed, groaning Class E members. They shared a disdainful smirk.
Trash. Absolute trash. Every single one of them was down for the count.
"Class D... disqualified," Hayasaka announced tonelessly. She had abandoned the official scorekeeping long ago, sticking to the script of "eliminating" the chaos-causers.
Seito and Kirito shared a look. Disqualified? Ah... well, that checks out.
Neither of them had intended to play a legitimate match anyway. They turned and walked off the court. Returning to the girls' area, Seito collapsed back into his lounge chair, adjusted his sunglasses, and pulled Kanade into his lap, returning to his blissful sunbathing.
"Hmm?"
Seito's brow furrowed. He felt a sudden, piercing gaze directed at his back—a stare thick with murderous intent. He turned his head to scan the surroundings.
Finally, he spotted the source in the Class C section.
There, a group of figures draped in black hooded cloaks were staring him down in unison. On the forehead of each hood, a crimson letter "F" stood out prominently.
Seito stared back, baffled. What the hell? Did yesterday's beating turn the entire Class C male population into the FFF Inquisition?
The FFF Inquisition: the legendary organization of single men dedicated to hunting down "normies" and tearing couples apart. Every member was a proud loner who loathed the "riajuu" (those with fulfilling social lives). Their motto: "If they're a couple, split 'em up." Any member who dared to get a girlfriend would face a trial by fire.
Seito withdrew his gaze, his face a mask of indifference. What, they're judging me now? Is this a joke? How am I a 'normie'? At most, I'm just a guy with thick skin.
"Seito-kun, how are we planning to play the third event?" Risa Shiramine suddenly asked, leaning over.
"Hmm~" Seito's eyes darted as he thought.
"Sora, Shiro, and I will lock down the top three. You guys just work hard and see if you can break into the top ten."
"Got it." Risa nodded. She leaned in closer, whispering into his ear, "I suspect Maple might actually be the Goddess of Luck reincarnated."
"How so?" Seito blinked.
"Her luck is beyond 'top-tier'—she's a literal cheat-code," Risa sighed. "I went on a quest with her earlier, and she obtained a badge called [Machine God]."
"It fits in the necklace slot. But that's not the point. The point is that this badge lets Kaede pilot a giant mecha! Unlike Shiro, who needs to equip five different pieces of gear to assemble one, Kaede just needs that one badge to call down the heavy artillery."
Hearing Risa's explanation, Seito had a moment of realization. Maple got 'Machine God', huh?
It was within his expectations. After all, she could pilot mechs in the anime, so it wasn't a shocker. However, thinking about the later stages where Maple could transform into a literal kaiju-sized monster, Seito's lip twitched. That's where her power truly gets terrifying.
"Normal. That's just how 'Gacha Gods' operate," Seito said, waving it off casually.
"???" Risa's head filled with question marks.
I know what a lucky player is, and I know Kaede is lucky... but this is ridiculous. And you're sure this is 'normal'?!
As she stood there dazed, Seito let his eyes roam over her outfit. He gave her a flirtatious grin. "By the way, Risa, that swimsuit looks amazing on you~"
Risa was wearing a white bikini—a far cry from the conservative school-issued swimsuits. It was quite daring, and because Risa had a fantastic figure, she looked absolutely stunning.
"Ugh..." Risa's entire face flushed crimson. She scrambled back, putting some distance between herself and Seito, her embarrassment clear.
Seito chuckled and went back to his sunbathing.
7:30 PM.
The afternoon had flown by. After dinner, the students trickled back into the ryokan. At this hour, a large number of them were heading to the hot springs to soak away the day's fatigue.
Seito followed suit. Specifically, he headed for the mixed-gender bath.
However...
Sitting in the steaming water, Seito's lip twitched. He looked around. The bath was packed to the rafters—with men. A literal sea of dudes.
Class E and Class C had the highest representation, while Classes A and B were present but in smaller numbers. Seito glared at the four guys sitting directly around him.
"I can understand Iori and Hidenori being here," Seito said, his voice dropping an octave. "But... Ryuen? Hayato? You two usually act so 'proper.' Why the hell are you at the mixed bath?!"
"And where are the girls?!"
"What's the point of me staring at a bunch of sweaty guys?!"
Seito's final words echoed his frustration. If the guys took up all the space and scared off the ladies, then the whole "mixed bath" concept was a lie.
"What? I'm not allowed to be here?" Ryuen asked, his expression indifferent.
"I was dragged here by my classmates," Hayato chuckled awkwardly.
Seito studied the two of them, his gaze lingering on Ryuen for a long time. Ryuen felt a bit uncomfortable, wondering what the hell Seito was looking for.
After a moment, Seito shot them a look of pure disdain.
"Tch. A pair of closeted perverts."
Ryuen: "..."
Hayato: "..."
Huh? Closeted perverts?
"Hey, hey! Watch your mouth!" Ryuen was the first to snap. He wasn't about to take that lying down. Him? A closeted pervert?
Absolutely not!
...
Thank you for reading.