The Omnipotent Super Chuunibyou - Chapter 15
By this day, everyone had heard of the audacious challenge issued by some nobody to all the clubs at Shuchi’in.
Most people were too busy being angry to see it as anything more than a joke; no one thought he’d actually follow through.
At the center of the storm, Hasegawa Izumi attended school as usual, undisturbed by the gossip swirling around him.
After classes ended, the trio went to the school’s zoo.
“Izumi-chan, are you really good at Go?”
Excited but still a bit anxious, Fujiwara Chika asked.
“I wasn’t before, but I am now,” he replied enigmatically.
“Really? I heard the Club President of the Go Club has already passed the professional exam. It can’t be easy to beat him.”
“I’m confident in myself. Don’t worry about me, Chika.”
“All right.”
Seeing the seriousness and self-assurance in his eyes, Fujiwara Chika decided not to press the issue.
“I’ve played Go before, but since it’s so difficult, I eventually gave up. Still, I understand the rules… Can I watch tomorrow?”
Chika wanted to join the fun.
Go counts as a “tabletop game,” right? So it counts as a club activity!
“If you want to come, just do so,” he said casually. “As long as the Go Club doesn’t prohibit it.”
“Okay, thank you.”
Chika turned, showing her teeth in a grin.
“Requesting Reinforcement! Sage! Chimera’s trying to escape!”
Suddenly, an urgent voice called from the neighboring cage—it was Takanashi Rikka.
Turning around, Hasegawa Izumi saw that the tomcat had broken free of Rikka’s grasp and was charging toward the cage’s entrance.
“I’ll take care of it!” Fujiwara Chika offered, volunteering herself.
“Meow!” She crouched, reaching out, meowing in what looked like an attempt at communication.
However, the tomcat didn’t spare her a glance as it ran past her to the other side.
“What? My charm has failed!”
The girl’s expression fell.
Just as the tomcat was about to slip into the grass outside and vanish, a hand shot out from above, grabbed it by the nape of its neck, and instantly rendered it limp.
“Thanks to you, Sage, Chimera failed to break free of its seal and the world succesfully avoided great catastrophe.”
After putting the cat back in its cage, Takanashi Rikka clapped her hands, dusting off her hands, and stepped back.
“You’re still too careless,” Hasegawa Izumi chided her. “Just because you’ve lost your power doesn’t mean you should lose your vigilance.”
“Yes,” Rikka responded, though she seemed to have more to say, her voice trailing off.
Next to them, Fujiwara Chika listened to their conversation, her head bobbing back and forth, utterly lost. This kind of exchange was far too advanced for her!
The moon gradually disappeared, and the sun rose as usual.
A new day had arrived.
Today was the day of their match, the first challenge issued by the Far Eastern Magic Society. They couldn’t afford to lose!
“Rikka, let’s go.”
When the bell rang, signaling the end of classes, Hasegawa Izumi’s usual demeanor changed, replaced by a confident, assured expression.
“Our battle has begun.”
Takanashi Rikka followed close behind, mumbling something under her breath.
Under the odd stares of their classmates, they walked out the door.
“Wait for me, Izumi-chan, Takanashi-san,” Fujiwara Chika called after them, quickly catching up to her friends.
By the time the three of them arrived at the Go Club, its members were ready for them. As they stepped into the club room, they were met with a hostile glare from nearly every member.
Their Club Challenge was unpopular, especially after the Mass Media Club’s announcement made it clear they were coming to embarrass the Go Club.
Moreover, by placing the Go Club first on their list, they had obviously assumed the Go Club was the weakest, which was completely unacceptable!
“Ooh, scary!” As the girls took in the furious scene, Takanashi Rikka and Fujiwara Chika both took a timid step back.
Only Hasegawa Izumi remained unfazed by the crowd’s hostility. In fact, he stepped forward and asked, “May I ask who the Go Club’s president is?”
This question left the Go Club utterly speechless.
“What? Are you looking to be beaten up?!”
“You’re challenging our Go Club without even doing some basic research?!”
“I can’t take this! President, let’s beat him up first!”
………
“Ahem, I am the Go Club’s Club President, Waya Yoshitaka.”
Seeing the situation devolve, the leader of the Go Club had no choice but to step forward and say something.
“And you must be the strongest player in the Go Club, then? I don’t want anyone else to pop up and make a fuss after I beat you.”
He turned toward the person who had spoken earlier. Brown hair, a resolute gaze—indeed, he looked like he could be a club president.
“As the club president, I am indeed the strongest player here. A defeat on my part would mean our Go Club has lost to you, and no one else will challenge you.”
As he spoke, Waya Yoshitaka scanned his fellow club members. As the club president, he strove to set an example.
“We accept our president’s decision,” the other members responded as one.
As a more traditional club, seniority was taken very seriously. They also recognized their president’s skill, so naturally they believed he would soundly defeat this arrogant opponent before them!
“If that’s the case, let us begin our match. I hope for an exciting game; I’m looking forward to it with relish.”
Waya Yoshitaka’s expression clearly showed his excitement.
“Just a moment, we don’t have anyone to record the results yet.”
He lifted a hand in explanation.
His goal wasn’t merely to defeat his opponent, but to establish the Far Eastern Magic Society’s reputation!
Without the publicity, the event wouldn’t have drawn nearly as many spectators.
Soon enough, Asahi Shizuku, the Club President of the Mass Media Club, arrived at the scene. To be honest, her club hadn’t placed much importance on this event; they’d only sent her to confirm the results because the Go Club had insisted so strongly. According to their research, Hasegawa Izumi had never taken Go lessons or joined a professional Go school, while Waya Yoshitaka was a seasoned expert. The outcome of this match seemed all but predetermined.
“If everything goes according to plan…”
Asahi adjusted her glasses, and the sunlight streaming in through the window reflected off their frames.
The two players took their seats on opposite sides of the board. Takanashi Rikka and Fujiwara Chika sat behind Hasegawa, watching the match, while Asahi sat across from him to record the moves. The other club members stood around, awaiting the start of the game.
“Black moves first, so I’ll go ahead,” Hasegawa said.
In the “Nigiri” phase, Hasegawa Izumi had chosen black, giving him the advantage of going first. Of course, this meant he would have to concede compensation points to his opponent.
“Go ahead,” Waya Yoshitaka replied, extending his hand.
This was his way of inviting his opponent to make the first move without any reservations.
“Clack!”
Hasegawa Izumi picked up a stone with two fingers, neither too quickly nor too slowly, then glanced at a spot on the board before placing it with a crisp sound, as if a flash of golden light had sprung forth before his eyes.
Everyone strained their eyes to see.
To their astonishment, he had placed the stone at the Tengen point!