Honestly, no one could blame the boos coming from the experimental school's side—Haizhou's tactics were just too underhanded...
The home crowd had watched their team dominate from the start and thought the victory was already in the bag.
But then the tide suddenly turned. The once-lopsided score was clawed back point by point—Haizhou Academy had been hiding a trump card all along, saving it for the final moment!
Their entire strategy was designed to stall for time, so when Raiden Ei finally stepped onto the kendo stage, both players and coaches visibly relaxed.
Once the scoreboard showed a tie, the middle-aged fencing coach couldn't hide his delight. He was the mastermind behind today's strategy.
He knew just how bad his team really was, so all his hopes had been pinned on Raiden.
And he'd made the right call!
He rubbed the few strands of hair left on his head, thinking, "Well, looks like I'm not getting fired after all…"
Maybe he'd even get a bonus.
"As soon as Beelzebub came on, the match was totally one-sided!" Venti said, inexplicably sipping on a bottle of coconut milk.
Watching from the stands, Lu Chen nodded. Under Raiden Ei's unrelenting storm of attacks, her opponent didn't even get a chance to retaliate.
The score gap widened point by point. Since scoring allowed for tactical pauses, Lu Chen could even hear the opposing coach yelling at his own player.
There was nothing else to it. The player had become the weak link, the breakthrough point. Ei's opponent was probably going to take the fall for the entire match.
15:40
Only five points remained. The match was nearing its end.
On the experimental school's side, the gym was dead silent. Meanwhile, the Haizhou students were fired up, shouting Ei's name in unison as it lit up the scoreboard.
Some boys waved Haizhou Academy flags. Some girls clutched their cheap inflatable cheering sticks so hard they were about to burst.
Even Lu Chen couldn't help but join in. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted "Awesome!" three times in a row...
With Power Level 6 boosting him, his booming voice echoed throughout the entire gym, even bouncing off the walls...
Everyone turned to look at him.
Venti covered his face and shoved Lu Chen back into his seat—even he felt a bit embarrassed.
But Lu Chen, blessed with the absolute confidence of someone with "social god syndrome," didn't think anything of it. After a brief pause, the Haizhou side roared back to life.
Thanks to his lead, the entire gym erupted with chants of "Awesome!"
Somewhere out of sight, under her mask, Raiden Ei's mouth twitched slightly.
...
15:44
Just one point left.
The entire audience held their breath as the atmosphere tensed again.
Even Lu Chen, who already knew the outcome, couldn't take his eyes off Raiden Ei. This—this was the charm of competitive sports.
You never knew who would win until the very end.
Her opponent, already worn down by his coach's scolding and nearly devoid of confidence, knew these last few seconds would decide everything.
Raiden Ei stood before him like an immovable mountain, impossible to shake.
Still, the player wanted one last shot—just a single point, even just one.
So he moved, thrusting his sword with all his resolve at this towering, formidable opponent.
Under her mask, Raiden Ei's expression didn't waver. Even against an opponent this weak, she refused to lower her guard.
Her opponent's silver blade moved twice as fast as before. After all, nothing draws out instinct like real combat.
Just as his sword neared within half a meter of Raiden Ei, her hand moved. With a backhand parry, her soft foil deftly deflected the attack. The sharp sound of clashing metal rang out, and with a burst of force, her opponent's sword was knocked violently aside.
It spun through the air in a dazzling silver arc, flying out of bounds and landing hard on the floor.
The opponent collapsed to the ground, drained.
The gym fell into dead silence.
Then, the Haizhou crowd erupted in deafening cheers.
15:45
Victory!
Haizhou Academy had finally won!
Miss Raiden had saved the fencing team! The whole team rushed over. Whatever bad blood there'd been before—none of it mattered now. Everyone just wanted to lift Raiden Ei into the air and cheer.
But Raiden Ei shook her head and silently removed her mask. Her silky hair tumbled down her back.
She took a deep breath, as though the air under the mask had been too stuffy.
Then she scanned the stands, spotted Lu Chen, and quietly walked out of the arena—like all the noise and celebration had nothing to do with her.
Her teammates exchanged awkward glances. The mood was tense until the coach slung an arm around them and grinned. "Come on, you all know Miss Raiden doesn't like crowds. Let's go—Chairman Zhang booked us a place for the celebration!"
The team broke into smiles again.
...
Half an hour later, on a beach with white sand.
Raiden Ei stared at the massive slab of fresh wild boar meat in front of Lu Chen, eyes sparkling like amethyst at the sight of all the secret sauces laid out beside it.
It was the first time she'd ever craved something that wasn't a dessert.
"I made this honey sauce myself, specially adjusted to everyone's tastes!" Lu Chen said proudly, brushing honey onto the grilling meat.
"What do you mean, everyone's tastes?" Venti raised an eyebrow, shooting a glance at Raiden Ei. "It's all sweet. You clearly only considered her taste!"
"No way..." Lu Chen looked aggrieved. "To match your taste, I even added a little white wine."
"Hm?" Venti narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
Lu Chen nodded. White wine worked like cooking wine, helping reduce the gaminess and bring out the aroma. Still, he kept the amount low, worried Ei might get tipsy.
As the grill heated up, a faint trace of alcohol wafted through the air.
"Mm... that's more like it." Satisfied, Venti nodded and sat back down, fiddling with his new guitar.
Soft, uneven strums floated through the air as he tested its tone.
Lu Chen flipped the meat and brushed on another layer of sauce. Back when he agreed to watch Ei's match, he had pictured them celebrating with a beachside barbecue if she won—and now, here they were.
When he brought out the slab of "Great Snowboar King meat," Raiden Ei had looked genuinely delighted. Just thinking about it put Lu Chen in a good mood.
The boar skin crackled over the flame, releasing a mouthwatering aroma. Lu Chen, a seasoned grill master, layered on golden honey sauce, making it smell even more delicious.
Fat dripped onto the charcoal with a satisfying sizzle. Raiden Ei stood expectantly at his side, clearly interested in the whole barbecue process, itching to try it herself.
Without a word, Lu Chen gently pushed her fidgeting hands down. The kitchen terminator should probably stay far from any cooking tools.
There weren't many people on the beach. The white sand stretched on forever, merging with the clear blue sea.
Not far away, light guitar notes danced in the air as the sea breeze ruffled Venti's green braids.
In the distance, Qiqi, dressed in children's clothes, crouched on the wet sand, letting waves wash over her feet. She watched little crabs scurry and dig, her usually dull eyes now full of life.
Facing the sea, Venti plucked at his guitar and sang an old tune from who knows where.
"The wind drifts in from the Pacific..."
"Blowing over everything..."
"A gentle breath, bringing life..."
"Brushing across countless faces..."