Volume 2 Chapter 106 Simulation Battle (II)
"You did a lot, Rie-Rie... Now it's my turn."
"""""...Eh!?"""""
Under Sakurako's sharp gaze, Sagawa took a deep breath. Then, with full control, he activated his skills: Body-Hardened, which made his four times stronger, and Feminine Berserk Mode.
The moment the second skill kicked in, a pulse of magic burst out. It wasn't wild. It wasn't loud. But it was heavy—so heavy it pressed on every chest in the room.
Gasps filled the air.
Nobody expected this from an F-Class student.
"I'm coming, Rie-Rie... Haaah!!"
With a short shout, Sagawa dashed forward—same move as before, but faster, harder, and far more dangerous. Like a bullet set free.
"Kh...!?"
CRACK!
Amamiya tried to move, but it was too late. Sagawa's fist, powered by both skills, flew toward her. Amamiya crossed her arms to block.
Then—
Zzzzzzzzshhhh—!!
The floor cracked beneath Amamiya's feet as she slid backward. Her shoes scraped across the ground, dust kicking up around her.
She had blocked it... but not fully.
"Hehehe... So? I'm not that weak, right?" Sagawa grinned, his voice teasing.
"Tch! If it weren't for Sakurako-sama's guidance..."
"Ah-ah-ah~ No excuses, Rie-Rie," Sagawa waved his finger. "You know the rule. No skills until Sakurako-sama says so."
"...Fine. I understand."
The change in Sagawa stunned the crowd.
──────────────────
"Hey... did you catch that move at the start?"
"Yeah. Barely. Did you?"
"Honestly? I almost missed it."
"Wait—he? But he's B-Class Upper..."
"...I saw just a blur."
"You too?"
"Yeah. Before, he moved like a normal F-Class. But that punch? It felt like a whole different fighter."
"...Exactly."
And they weren't the only ones shocked.
Online, the reactions were blowing up the stream chat:
──────────────────
473: Anonymous D-Streamer
...Huh?
474: Anonymous D-Streamer
What... was that?
475: Anonymous D-Streamer
I couldn't see the attack at all! It looked like Sagawa vanished for a second!
476: Anonymous D-Streamer
One moment, Rie-tan was standing there, and then she got blown across the floor!
477: Anonymous D-Streamer
I think Sagawa just ran straight at her and punched. That's what it looked like... kind of.
478: Anonymous D-Streamer
Yeah. If we go by the result, 477 is probably right.
He says it well...
But I couldn't really see it either.
479: Anonymous D-Streamer
No way this boy's still F-Class!
480: Anonymous D-Streamer
It felt like he jumped from F-Class to maybe... C-Class strength?
481: Anonymous D-Streamer
Hmm... C-Class? I think that hit was more like B-Class lower, at least.
482: Anonymous D-Streamer
Still, this sudden power-up...
Does it mean he used a skill?
483: Anonymous D-Streamer
Most likely.
Also, remember: both Sagawa and Rie-tan were introduced by Sakurako-sama as people who actually drank the Trans Potion and got real skills.
So yeah... this must be part of that.
484: Anonymous D-Streamer
Are you serious...
That Trans Potion's crazy...
* * *
"Hmm... not bad. The result's just what I wanted."
Sakurako sat in the VIP seats below the stage. She smiled with full satisfaction as she checked both the crowd's reaction and the comments online with her tablet.
"Exactly what you planned, huh?"
The voice came from beside her. It belonged to Omega—real name, Yuki Takeru—who wore his signature skull mask, the kind that made him stand out even in a place like this.
"Of course," Sakurako replied, not looking away from the screen. "You can feel it too, right? The tension in the air. Not just from the Seeker crowd—but the regular guests too."
"Yeah... I feel it."
Everyone in the venue was stirred up. Sagawa's sudden change had left both fans and fighters unsettled. Whispers filled the space, and even the most bored Seeker had leaned forward.
"Plus, check the online chatter," Sakurako added. She tapped her screen. "The D-Streamer board's going wild. Just like here."
"Oh man! My Yo!Tube stream's going crazy too!"
Takeru laughed, scrolling through the flood of messages on his own screen.
The two of them, side by side, were completely focused on the wave of attention crashing in.
"But still... what now?" Takeru asked.
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"Well... Sagawa's using his skills, but Rie-tan's just stuck defending. She's having a rough time out there."
He wasn't wrong. Onstage, Sagawa—now acting full-on dramatic and flashy—was easily pushing Amamiya Rie back. It almost looked like she was toying with her.
"Of course she is. Rie-tan hasn't used any skills yet. No way she can take Sagawa's power head-on."
"Then..."
"Relax." Sakurako gave a soft laugh. "You know how it works. The real star always shows up late, right?"
"...Oh?"
Her grin widened—sharp, confident, a little too calm for what was happening on stage.
"Amamiya Rie... it's time for you to unlock your skill."
Notes:
• Sagawa - Former bully. An F-class Seeker who gained attention for becoming a Seeker in high school.
• Yuki - Charismatic and spotlight-loving member of the 'Valkyrie' clan; her distinct trait is her insatiable craving for attention, always seeking the limelight, though she balances it with self-awareness and genuine apologies when she oversteps.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!