The Omnipotent Super Chuunibyou - Chapter 41

“Goodbye, Hasegawa-san.”

“See you next… No, the week after.”

“I look forward to seeing you, Hasegawa, until the very end, when you’ll liven up Shuchi’in, which hasn’t seen change in ages!”

With that, the interview concluded. The three members of the Mass Media Club rushed back to transcribe and edit the contents, then post them to the school’s website.

When they realized that Hasegawa Izumi’s quixotic challenge had a chance of succeeding, they grew incredibly invested. Part of it was the prospect of entertainment, but another part was their dissatisfaction as students of a Pure Institute, with a deeper understanding of Shuchi’in’s flaws.

No one had ever been able to stand up to the academy before, and now someone finally had. Naturally, they were ecstatic.

After bidding farewell to the Mass Media Club, the last order of business was internal affairs.

Strictly speaking, the team had been cobbled together on the fly, and there was no deep bond between its members. Naturally, once the challenge was over, they would go their separate ways.

“Then, Izumi-chan, I have club business to attend to, so I’ll be heading out first~ Great match today! I felt your manly vigor surging, and I was well protected~”

Fujiwara Chika winked slyly, made a suggestive gesture with her right hand, and turned to leave without lingering.

“Finally, the rotten humans are gone. It’s time for us to get down to business.”

Takanashi Rikka watches her depart, then turns to ask, “Sage, what do you think of Dekomori? Is he qualified to join our organization and walk alongside us?”

At this moment, excitement flickers in Dekomori Sanae’s eyes.

“After passing this trial, I acknowledge that he has the qualifications. Dekomori, when we return from the May Day holiday, submit your application to me.”

Hasegawa Izumi nods in agreement.

For any other organization, they would surely require some sort of test of obedience or devise some means of control, but since this is the founder’s loyal servant, there’s no need for such considerations.

“Yay! Sage-Sama approves of me, Death!”

Dekomori Sanae jumped up happily, like a rocket taking off.

Then, the three turned their gazes on the last remaining member of their group.

“Come back to my side, Mori Summer.”

He held out his hand, extending a straightforward invitation.

“All right.”

Nibutani Shinka looked left and right, pondering the offer, then nodded.

She really didn’t want to mess around with these people anymore, but the impact of this battle had been far greater than she’d anticipated. Even if she jumped into Tokyo Bay, her reputation would never be fully cleared.

So, for now, she’d just join the club as a ghost member and slowly work on whitewashing herself!

Life was full of such compromises; one had to accept defeat.

But before that, she needed to destroy all evidence of her existence…

“Dekomori, as promised, it’s time to return the Mabinogion to me.”

Nibutani Shinka fixed her gaze on the noisy middle schooler.

“Oh, uh, since you want it, Mori Summer-sama, I’ll give it to you.”

Unexpectedly, the boy handed her the book with a soft, polite voice and a bright red face.

She had no idea how important she was to Dekomori Sanae—though admittedly, she wasn’t particularly interested in finding out.

With the Grimoire in her hands, Nibutani Shinka finally gave voice to her feelings, backing up a few steps before pulling out the lighter she’d prepared and setting fire to the book.

“Why?! Why would you destroy the Grimoire you worked so tirelessly to create, Mori Summer-sama?”

Dekomori Sanae watched this scene unfold, feeling like her faith had collapsed.

“Those relics of the old age should just disappear, along with that shameful name… You middle school kids really put me through my paces, even forcing me to ‘sell’ myself. But it’s fine, at least now I don’t have to worry about you coming back to haunt me. My efforts finally paid off.”

Her gaze was cold and scornful, piercing the heart of one particular person.

The burning Mabinogion was tossed aside.

“How could… How could this happen? So this was your true goal in impersonating Mori Summer, Death…”

Dekomori Sanae jogged over, covering her face as she crouched down, faintly hearing sobs echoing around her.

“So I was right to be suspicious all along.”

For some reason, Hasegawa Izumi couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

It should have been a sorrowful scene, but…

Takanashi Rikka said not a word, because she understood the situation, and there was no need to worry.

“Ah ha ha, ah ha ha ha, ah ha ha ha ha… Ah ha ha! Good thing I anticipated this day would come! I’ve already made a full backup, Death!”

After her wild laughter, Dekomori Sanae stood up, her hands on her hips, her eyes crescents in mirth.

“Eh?!” Nibutani Shinka’s expression changed abruptly.

“I should thank you, you fake Mori Summer, because now I know your true intentions! The Mabinogion is the trail Mori Summer left in this world, a key relic for her return. You wanted to erase this trail, this beacon, because you don’t want her to return to the world of the living—to achieve your ulterior motives, Death! But thankfully I’m here, and your schemes have utterly failed!”

Dekomori Sanae mocked her without restraint.

“How dare you! Since you’ve gone this far, I’m going to make you pay first, you little brat!”

Nibutani Shinka, at the end of her patience, charged Dekomori Sanae.

“And who will stop me?” Dekomori Sanae asked defiantly.

The two instantly clashed.

“Well, I’m off. Have fun with your little game, but I’ve got to get back and take care of my little sister.”

Hasegawa Izumi glanced at the time, anxious to return home. The battle between Dekomori Sanae and Nibutani Shinka ceased, and the group parted on unhappy terms.

“Let’s go, Master. We finally have some free time today, Death. Any missions?”

“We have a special operation today called ‘The Devil Hour.’ We’ll checked some singularity and investigating several strange occurrences that have been reported lately.”

“Are new monsters about to appear? It seems the Mortal Realm is becoming increasingly dangerous, Death.”

The voices faded as the two walked away.

Shuchi’in Academy, once established as an institution for the education of noble and samurai families, was still a prestigious school today.

As such, the Kendo Club’s area of the campus was more prosperous than that of the other clubs. In addition to a historical-looking kendo hall, it boasted a secluded garden with a tiny stone bridge, babbling brook, lush vegetation, and everything else one might expect.

Suddenly, several boys and girls, clad in kendo uniforms featuring white tops and black bottoms, stepped into the garden. Their gazes swept over the figure sitting beneath the large tree, and their eyes lit up with admiration.

“Busujima-senpai, the results of the match are in, and they’re more or less like this… Based on what we’ve seen, that man must be an extraordinary martial artist to have been able to so thoroughly dominate his opponent! Also, we just received word that the man’s next challenge will be to the Kendo Club.”

As they walked along the stone path, one of the girls stepped forward.

“Is that so?”

The seated woman reached for her bamboo sword, embedded in the dirt beside her. With a casual slash, she effortlessly sliced a falling leaf in two. She slowly opened her deep-blue eyes, their sharpness somewhat evident. Her chest rose and fell lightly, and she exhaled a faint white mist.

“This is exactly the kind of opponent I’ve been waiting for!”