Shortly after Makoto and Senzaemon left,
While waiting, another familiar figure appeared at the door of Class 1-F.
It was Sawamura Eriri, also a player from Class 1-B.
"Eh? Eriri, what are you doing here?" Chizuru, a teammate from their Genin Team, asked.
Another teammate, Yumiko, promptly invited her, "Want to transfer to our class?"
"I-I'll think about it."
Eriri smiled sheepishly, then looked at Megumi and Utaha. After a moment's hesitation, she looked up and asked quietly, "Um, are you two still coming to the club?"
The two were stunned for a moment before remembering that before their last time slip, they had indeed joined Tomoya's club.
Having spent so long in the Naruto World, they had completely forgotten about it.
Just then, the two noticed Tomoya standing silently behind Eriri, head bowed, and understood immediately… Tomoya didn't have the courage to ask himself, so he had brought Eriri as his mouthpiece.
'He was way too timid,' Utaha thought, exasperated.
Tomoya stood to the side, his fingers tightly gripping the hem of his clothes, his heart hammering in his chest as he waited anxiously.
Seeing that Makoto wasn't there, his tense nerves relaxed slightly. A faint, flickering hope remained.
Utaha folded her arms, her tone cold. "Sorry, I decline."
Megumi nodded softly, her voice calm but resolute. "I won't be coming either. We have more important things to do now, Aki-kun. You should find someone else."
Having heard about the crab-man, Megumi had lost interest in gal games too.
If she were alone, maybe. But she had parents, people she needed to protect. She didn't have time to help Tomoya make games.
Seeing them both refuse, Eriri was about to say more when Tomoya suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud, performing a perfect dogeza bow, shocking everyone.
"I know you're busy, but this is my dream! You both promised, didn't you?"
Tomoya's eyes were red, tears swirling, his voice trembling with desperation. "We made a promise to make the best gal game together! How can you just give up like that?!"
His outburst drew the attention of people in the classroom and even in the hallway. Whispers began.
"What's that glasses guy doing?"
"Those two girls seem to be Makoto's women."
"Whoa, he's got some nerve, harassing Makoto's women."
"Let's get out of here. What happened to Eizan-senpai earlier made me lose my appetite for days. I don't want to see another corpse."
Hearing the whispers from inside and outside, Utaha and Megumi didn't soften their stance because of Tomoya's dogeza. Their expressions grew even colder.
'Wasn't this emotional blackmail?'
Just then, the murmuring from the doorway abruptly stopped.
The sudden, deathly silence made many feel uneasy.
Immediately after, Makoto walked in. His gaze fell on Tomoya, still kneeling, then turned to the others. "What's going on?"
Sonoko came up and quickly recounted what had just happened.
Everyone expected Makoto to kill the kid on the spot. Quite a few people started to slip away, not wanting to see what came next and risk sleepless nights.
But after hearing Sonoko's account, Makoto was surprisingly calm. He simply gestured to Megumi.
Megumi seemed to guess his intent, a slight blush rising to her cheeks as she walked over. When he put his arm around her waist, she leaned into his embrace.
Tomoya's body went rigid.
The next moment, he watched as Megumi stood on her tiptoes and gently pressed her lips to the corner of Makoto's mouth.
Tomoya's chest heaved violently. His breathing became a painful struggle.
Before he could recover, Makoto gestured to Utaha.
Utaha rolled her eyes at him but still walked over obediently. Looping her arms around his neck, she left a clear, audible kiss on his cheek.
Watching his two club members unabashedly snuggle up to Makoto and engage in such intimate acts right before his eyes,
Tomoya felt the nerve of reason in his brain snap like a twig under a sledgehammer.
"Aaaaah—!!"
Tomoya broke down, letting out a heart-wrenching cry.
Then, scrambling to his feet, he stumbled and staggered out of the classroom.
His wails echoed through the crowded hallway,
Making passing students turn their heads.
'Who was that lunatic?'
Eriri stood frozen, unsure what to do.
The students who hadn't managed to flee were stunned.
'Killing him would have been one thing, but crushing his spirit too?'
…
In the evening, the lights were brilliant at the Suzuki Family's sprawling private estate, one of the Four Zaibatsu.
A top-tier evening banquet, gathering most of Asia's prominent figures, was being held here.
Not only were celebrities from various circles in Japan present, but nearly all the individuals standing at the pinnacle of wealth and power across Asia were gathered here.
Sonoko had already informed her parents of her plan: she wanted to transform nearly half of their estate into a training ground, similar to the one in Konoha Village, for the use of all Reincarnation Game's players… specifically, for Makoto and those close to him to train daily.
Shiro and his wife agreed without hesitation, even more enthusiastic than Sonoko herself.
To firmly secure this powerful connection, they mobilized all the connections the Suzuki Family had accumulated over decades. They invited the most influential financial magnates, celebrities, and family heads from Japan and across Asia's political and business spheres to the event.
If they had secured such a powerful ally, wouldn't it be like walking in fine clothes at night if they didn't let the whole world know?
The culinary area at the banquet was a dream lineup.
Not only were the current members of the Elite Ten Council, led by Tsukasa and Erina, present, but even retired former members had been brought in at great expense to personally cook for the event.
Tasting the dishes made by the Elite Ten Council, a girl with pink hair and a star-shaped hairpin trembled slightly with delight.
"Mmm... so delicious. The skills of the Elite Ten Council are truly well-deserved!"
Nakano Itsuki's face was blissful, her plump figure quivering with satisfied sighs.
Unfortunately, there were no 'food cells' causing clothes to burst for dramatic effect.
Her adoptive father, Nakano Maruo, ran a large general hospital in Tokyo. In Japan's upper-class circles, he was roughly positioned near the top of the third tier or the bottom of the second.
Ordinarily, getting to taste the cooking of the Elite Ten Council was nearly impossible, so today was a real treat.
"Itsuki, could you be a little less conspicuous..."
Beside her, a girl who looked ninety-nine percent like Itsuki, distinguishable only by hairstyle, clothing, and temperament, whispered with a headache.
Nakano Nino.
At home, she was the cook among the five sisters and loved feeding Itsuki, the foodie. Seeing her sister satisfied made her happy.
But this was hardly the time or place.
Surrounding them were people her father had to look up to.
Nino glanced discreetly towards the center of the banquet.
There, a group of political and business titans, whom even Maruo had to crane his neck to see, showed fawning smiles. Like star-struck fans, they crowded around a single figure, vying with each other to offer flattery.
Nino naturally knew who that man was.
Nishikawa Makoto.
Universally acknowledged as the strongest person in the world, the most powerful superhuman of the era.
"...He's quite handsome." Nino murmured unconsciously.
She had always been drawn to men with a wild streak, a bit of a bad boy edge, who could provide a strong stimulus.
When she saw Makoto on TV before, her attention was entirely captured by his earth-shattering power, completely overlooking his appearance.
Now, seeing him up close, Nino realized that Makoto's looks and demeanor almost perfectly matched all her criteria for an ideal man.
If she had to find fault, it was probably that he didn't smoke or have bleached blonde hair.
Yes, her taste in men was that peculiar.