Even with chuunibyou, let's learn together!

Page 75

Hayakawa stared blankly at Ichika, his eyes wide open, unable to calm down for a long time.

At this moment, he thought of the strategists of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. They formed alliances and counter-alliances, befriended distant states while attacking nearby ones, and used one force to devour another. With a wave of their hand, they manipulated the seven states like chess pieces on a chessboard. With feather fans and silk turbans, they were full of vigor and ambition. In the midst of their laughter, the rulers of the world were reduced to ashes.

Their images gradually overlapped with those of Ichika in front of Hayakawa's eyes.

The School of Diplomacy?

Hayakawa stared incredulously at the calm-looking girl before him, feeling as if she possessed an aura of unfathomable power, reminiscent of Zhang Yi reborn.

This chess player is just like me, a chess player too!

"..."

Hayakawa looked at Ichika with a strange expression, a rare hint of admiration in his eyes. After a long while, he looked away and breathed a sigh of relief.

However, he is ultimately just a mortal, far inferior to the Emperor.

"Um... Hayakawa-kun,"

Looking at Hayakawa's strange expression, Nakano Ichika sensed four parts shock, two parts admiration, two parts approval, two parts wariness, and even a hint of murderous intent in his gaze. She couldn't help but ask, "Why are you looking at me with such a strange look?"

Hayakawa immediately revealed his great discovery about "Ichika of the School of Diplomacy".

"Ok?"

Ichika Nakano didn't understand at first. She didn't know what the term "strategist" meant, which was considered an advanced and obscure foreign concept in Japan.

Hayakawa then explained it to her.

"……Are you stupid?"

After hearing this, Ichika was dumbfounded. What was all this? What kind of weird idea was this? Why did I suddenly become the kind of high-IQ strategist in TV dramas? It doesn't suit me at all... I'm an idiot.

"I'm very impressed with you now, Yihua,"

Hayakawa looked at Ichika with the same gaze he would give his companion, and said in a deep voice, "You're just like me..."

They're all chess players!

"..."

Nakano Ichika turned her head away, somewhat helplessly, and said, "How are we the same?"

One is among the top students in the grade, while the other is a sure thing that no one dares to compete with, being at the bottom of the grade.

"Humph,"

Hayakawa, with his hands in his pockets, noticed that his companion seemed to lack confidence, so he encouraged him, "Come on, do it!"

"…Um."

Nakano Ichika's heart stirred slightly, and she responded softly, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

For some reason, her mood improved after chatting with Hayakawa for a few minutes.

Perhaps strolling hand in hand with a boy through the brightly lit streets of a temple fair, with the evening breeze blowing, is the kind of youth she has always longed for.

Nakano Ichika turned her head slightly, glanced casually at Hayakawa's clean and handsome face, and then quickly looked away.

Although this is the man my sister loves.

……

"That's all for now, I need to go downstairs."

Upon arriving at the entrance of the temple fair, Nakano Ichika guessed that her manager would be arriving soon, so she said goodbye to Hayakawa: "Hayakawa-kun, you can go back now."

"Ah."

Hayakawa hadn't spotted the old bridge or Ogata along the way, and was now a little distracted. He only gave a soft reply when he heard this.

"My sister and I made plans to set off fireworks together tonight. Nino even rented a rooftop, but I don't know the exact location. If you see my sister, you can watch the fireworks with them."

Ichika Nakano paused for a moment, then a smile appeared on her delicate face: "And... please tell my sisters I'm sorry."

"Oh... um?"

Hayakawa responded, then suddenly realized what was happening and looked up, only to find that Ichika had already walked away.

What did she just say?

Hayakawa was somewhat bewildered, but he still bore the heavy responsibility of finding the old bridge and Ogata. After thinking for a moment, he returned to the temple fair without hesitation, intending to continue his search.

Hayakawa vows not to rest until he finds the traitor.

But there were just too many people at the temple fair, and I couldn't possibly find my way around by myself.

Hayakawa had a headache and was deep in thought with his head down when he realized that he had returned to the shooting stall where he had just met Kirisu Mafuyu.

At this moment, Kirisu Mafuyu, who was standing on the stall firing a gun, had disappeared, replaced by another girl. She wore a phantom thief-style mask that obscured her face, had beige hair tied in a bun, and a slender figure, though not as tall as Kirisu Mafuyu, making her appear cuter. She was earnestly aiming at the target, firing shot after shot.

Do you all like wearing masks?

Okay... I wear it myself too.

Hayakawa was thinking to himself when he suddenly remembered that he was also wearing a mask. He chuckled and touched the mask on his face.

The children were still nearby, cheering incessantly as they watched the girl's excellent marksmanship. The shopkeeper next to them was pale-faced and couldn't bear to look. This familiar scene gave Hayakawa a strong sense of déjà vu.

The children seemed to notice the gazes around them and looked at Hayakawa. Their eyes were fixed on the mask on his face with some confusion, but after a few seconds they immediately realized: "Ah, it's that ni-chan from earlier!"

After saying that, the group ran towards Hayakawa. They had a very high regard for this generous older brother who bought them food from the stall.

Seriously? How did you recognize me while I was wearing a mask?

Hayakawa frowned slightly as he was being pushed and shoved by several children.

The mask stall owner is lying. This thing doesn't conceal anything at all. Even a few kids who just met me can tell me apart. Wouldn't Furuhashi and Ogata, who know me even better, recognize me at a glance? What's the point of wearing a mask then?

"You guys,"

Hayakawa frowned slightly and couldn't help but ask, "How did you recognize me?"

"Ni-chan's mask is so cool!"

Several children were chattering noisily. One of them pointed at Hayakawa's jacket and said, "But Nii-chan's jacket is the same as before, so I recognized him."

Hayakawa suddenly realized and cursed himself for being so careless. He was so focused on covering his face and didn't change his clothes, yet he was still recognized.

But I don't have any clothes to change into, and the weather is getting colder lately, so it would be very cold if I took them off.

But so what?

"Humph…"

Hayakawa sneered and took off his coat without hesitation. Feeling the slight chill of the evening breeze, Hayakawa remained indifferent and stood up straight as a javelin.

Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles; how could they be concerned with their own safety?

To find the ancient bridge and Ogata, for my great cause, what do I fear from the mere chill of my flesh! Even if I suffer a thousand cuts, to me I am nothing more than a shell of bones in this mortal world.

Liking will fade, and love will also dissipate with the passage of time.

But hatred will not.

The blessings of a virtuous person may last for three generations, but hatred can linger for a thousand years without end.

Especially the deep-seated hatred will be etched into his heart like a scar, becoming part of him along with his blood.

It was his hatred for Furuhashi and Ogata that strengthened his resolve and made him who he is today.

So I'm willing to do anything to defeat these two!

Hayakawa, with his imposing figure, stood on the street that met the distant horizon, gazing at the sky. His eyes, like those of a dragon soaring through the clouds, looked down upon the vast multitude of beings, his indifference revealing an air of self-righteous arrogance.

"..."

The noisy children instantly fell silent, deeply shocked by the man's immense aura. At their age, they couldn't comprehend how great this person was; they only knew that he must be someone who could control all living beings.

For the first time, the concept of "chess player" came to mind for them.

I must become someone like Ni-chan someday.

They thought to themselves, and then enthusiastically recommended that Hayakawa also come to the shooting booth and fire a couple of shots.

"Nii-chan, let's have a couple too! This is a lot of fun."

Several children looked up at Hayakawa, their eyes sparkling. Their innocent hearts held no ill intentions; they simply wanted to share what they found interesting with those they liked.

"Uh, I just..."

Hayakawa hesitated for a moment, and was about to refuse. He had no time to play, after all, he still had important responsibilities on his shoulders.

"It's going to be so much fun!"

"I met two beautiful ladies who are really good at shooting tonight. They're sharpshooters, one shot and one kill."

"Ni-chan's aim is definitely better than theirs."

Upon hearing this, Hayakawa's vanity immediately flared up, his nose practically twitching. He quickly changed his tune, adopting a fake humble expression and waving his hand, saying, "Hey, don't flatter me like that, it's my first time."

"But..."

Hayakawa glanced at the stall in front of him, his expression dismissive.

Such a trivial matter is something that I, as the Great Emperor, could easily obtain with a simple reach.

"I just can't do anything with you guys..."

Hayakawa feigned helplessness, walked up to the stall, and picked up a gun.

Although facing such a towering figure as himself too early might be a blow to them, since they have sincerely made the request, then let them see what he is capable of...

The power of the Almighty Emperor.

Chapter 100 The Great Emperor's Fist

"Humph?"

Hayakawa strode to the stall, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings. He noticed the girl next to him who was shooting a gun, scrutinized her with a nonchalant look, and then gave a sneer.

Wearing a mask? How dare you, a coward hiding your head and tail, compete with me on the same stage?

Hayakawa withdrew his gaze, picked up the gun, and examined it with a seemingly professional look, revealing a confident expression.

"Um... classmate, are you coming too?"

The shop owner, who had just looked grim, turned even paler when he saw Hayakawa approach. Tonight, he had encountered two uninvited guests: one was the girl now standing in front of his stall, and the other was the woman from before. Both of these unpleasant guests were wearing masks and had knocked away his precious dolls, which he had kept in the glass display case, one by one.

He still remembered the woman whose marksmanship had been so accurate that she had shot him in the face, and she clearly knew this young man. Could that be a good thing?

Thinking of this, the boss looked at Hayakawa with even more suspicion.

"Yes."

Hayakawa waved his hand confidently, under the admiring gazes of the elementary school students, and said, "Give me one."

……

"Chirp chirp chirp..."

Doma was intently aiming at the target in front of him, but the noise around him made it impossible for him to concentrate. He frowned slightly and looked to the side, only to find that the children who had been surrounding him not long ago were now surrounding a boy, as if they were supporting him.

"Um…"

Doma looked at the boy and his expression immediately froze. He saw that the boy was wearing a fox mask that covered half of his face. The exposed skin was very white and delicate, his lips were very red and well-shaped, and his jawline was also very beautiful. He was the type of person whose appearance alone was enough to tell that he was not ugly.

But none of that matters. What matters is that this person is wearing a school uniform, specifically the same Ichinose school uniform as me.

Isn't this a student from the same school as me?

Doma's expression tightened beneath his mask, and he instinctively tried to dodge.

I'm "UMR" now, and I'm wearing Ichinose's school uniform right now. If people see this, won't they find out that the most famous and powerful street gamer in the nearby arcade, UMR, is a female student from Ichinose Academy?

However, Doma immediately remembered that he was wearing a coat and the mask he usually wore, so he should be hard to be recognized, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Seriously, isn't this guy cold? I'm wearing my school uniform underneath a thick down jacket, and I still feel a bit cold, while this guy is only wearing his school uniform.

"Um…"

Doma Umaru looked at Hayakawa's calm and composed demeanor carefully and thought that this boy must be very strong.

Meanwhile, Hayakawa was busy demonstrating his unparalleled marksmanship to the elementary school student next to him.

"Have you all decided?"