A plan!?

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting the sky in shades of deep blue and purple.

Night had fallen, and the once-bustling arena was now deserted, its vast emptiness echoing the silence that had descended upon the area.

Every person had long since returned to their dorms, seeking rest after the day's intense events.

The remaining matches of the second battle would resume the following day, but for now, the arena was still.

Yet, amidst the quiet, a lone figure appeared in the center of the arena.

It was none other than Shinju Hayato himself, standing tall in the middle of the empty space, his gaze fixed on the darkened sky.

"You seem quite pleased, huh? Looks like things have unfolded just as you expected,"

A melodic voice rang out from behind him.

A soft chuckle escaped Shinju's lips as he turned to face the source of the voice.

Standing there, with his trademark bright smile, was Morishita Shigeru.

"Ha-ha-ha. I see your habit of sneaking up from behind hasn't changed one bit, Shigeru."

Shigeru shrugged with a sigh.

"I don't like it either, but what can I do? I'm not strong enough to face someone head-on."

Shinju chuckled again.

"But it seems like you're satisfied with how things are progressing, aren't you?"

Shigeru's expression turned serious, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Indeed, but there's something that even caught me by surprise."

Shinju raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? What's that?"

"The Sengoku boy," Shigeru began, his tone thoughtful.

"I never imagined, not even in my wildest dreams, that he would unleash such a high-level spell out of nowhere."

Shinju's face momentarily tightened, the mention of Sengoku Seichii striking a chord.

"He was on the verge of death, and yet, when Rika tried to harm that girl, a power surged through him… It was almost as if he was possessed.

They say it's the power of love, don't they? Ha-ha-ha!"

Shigeru closed his eyes, nodding.

"That's true.But there's something else I wanted to say.

You've done a marvelous job teaching that little girl the Intermediate Blood Draining Array."

Shinju's eyes softened, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

"Of course. After all, she is my granddaughter. But… she's still just a child. She does everything I ask of her, without question.

If she is to take my place one day, she must develop a ruthless nature. That's the only way to ensure her success."

Shigeru let out a mock sigh.

"You and your endless fantasies about becoming the strongest. Let her enjoy her childhood, Shinju.

Not everyone can stand out just by following your methods. She needs time to figure out what she truly wants.

Otherwise, who's to say she'll even comes after you in the future?"

Shinju stared at Shigeru, his expression unreadable. For a moment, there was silence between them, before Shigeru sighed and gave him a mock bow.

"Well, I've got other matters to attend to. Mr. President, I'll take my leave."

With that, Shigeru turned and began walking away, leaving Shinju alone in the quiet arena. Shinju's gaze drifted back to the night sky, his thoughts swirling.

(Let her think, huh...)

.

.

.

Meanwhile, outside the dormitory, Shigeru and Akiko stood waiting as Ryuu emerged, a concerned look on his face.

"Master! Akiko-san!" Ryuu greeted them, walking toward them with a bow.

"Ah, Aramiya-kun, you're finally here," Shigeru said with a warm smile.

Ryuu stood upright, confused but polite. "Master, Akiko-san, why did you call me here at such a late hour? What's going on?"

Shigeru glanced at Akiko before responding. "Aramiya-kun, we apologize for the late summons, but we need to speak with Sengoku-kun as soon as possible. Could you take us to him?"

Ryuu looked startled, his expression growing more concerned.

"Master, there's no need to bow before me. I'll take you to Seichii, but he's in the medical room right now.

After today's battle, he was in bad shape—his bones were broken, and though Masumi-san's healing magic has helped, he's still being examined."

Shigeru gave Ryuu a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"You're a good friend, Aramiya-kun. Don't worry, Sengoku-kun will recover."

Ryuu led them into the building, guiding them to the room where Seichii rested.

"This is where he's staying. I'll take my leave now—"

"Aramiya-kun, please stay! Also, could you bring Tatsuno-san here too? I need to speak to all of you."

Ryuu was puzzled, but nodded.

"Okay, master. I'll fetch Ryoko-san right away."

As Ryuu left to find Ryoko, Shigeru and Akiko entered the room, but Shigeru suddenly stopped, gripping Akiko's arm gently.

"Shh," he whispered, his finger pressed to his lips as he motioned toward the bed.

Inside, Masumi sat beside Seichii's bed, staring at his face with a look of guilt etched across her features.

"Sengoku-kun, I'm so sorry! It's because of me that you ended up in this state. Please, forgive me. I'm so, so sorry."

Tears welled in her eyes as she looked down, her voice shaking.

Seichii, eyes closed, remained still for a moment before finally speaking.

"I won't…"

Masumi froze, her heart sinking. "What?"

Seichii's face flushed red, his voice barely audible.

"I won't forgive you, not until you call me something like before."

Masumi blinked in confusion, then the realization hit her. Her face turned bright red as she stammered,

"P-please forgive me… S-se… Seichii-kun!"

Suddenly, Seichii burst into laughter, his body shaking with amusement.

"Aha-ha-ha! Masumi-san, are you blushing?! Ha-ha-ha!"

Masumi buried her face in her hands, utterly embarrassed.

Seichii continued to laugh, and for a brief moment, the tension in the room melted away.

"Still," Masumi murmured, her voice quieter now,

"thank you, Seichii-kun, for everything you've done. I'm happy I met you."

Seichii's face went bright red, and a flurry of thoughts ran through his head.

(W-what does she mean by that!?)

Before he could respond, Shigeru stepped into the room with a smirk.

"Okay, lovebirds, that's enough of your flirting."

Seichii and Masumi froze, surprised by the sudden interruption.

Both of them turned to face Shigeru, confusion written all over their faces.

"Morishita-san!? W-what are you doing here!?"

Seichii's voice cracked slightly in his confusion, and Masumi remained silent, her face still flushed from the earlier exchange.

Akiko, however, noticed Masumi's discomfort and walked over to her with a playful smile.

"What a cute girl you are! I understand your feelings—men can be such foolish creatures,"

She said, giving Seichii a pointed look. Masumi's face reddened even more, her embarrassment now reaching new heights.

Ryuu and Ryoko entered just then, and Seichii's confusion grew deeper.

"Ryuu!? Ryoko-san!? What are you two doing here?"

Shigeru stepped forward, his expression shifting to something more serious.

"I'll explain. As you all saw today, Sengoku-kun unleashed not one but two high-level spells, despite his young age.

But as you can also see, his body can't handle the backlash of such power at this stage."

Shigeru's gaze softened, and he looked at Akiko.

"That's why Akiko and I have decided—since both of you specialize in wind magic—Akiko has agreed to take Sengoku-kun as her personal student.

She will help him overcome the limits that currently hold back his potential."

Everyone in the room stood in stunned silence.

This was an opportunity few could ever dream of. Seichii's heart raced, but it was too sudden for him to fully process.

Shigeru smiled gently, sensing the hesitation.

"I know this is sudden, so take your time to think it over, Sengoku-kun. No rush."

But before he could finish, Seichii looked up with determination in his eyes.

"I'm ready!" he declared, his voice filled with newfound confidence.

Shigeru blinked in surprise but quickly recovered.

"Then it's settled. After the training session, Sengoku-kun will begin his training with Akiko."

Seichii's mind raced. If I want to stand beside Ryuu and protect Masumi-san in the future, I need to become stronger. This is my chance. I can't let it slip away...

With a new resolve burning within him, Seichii embraced the challenge ahead.....