8 Chapter 8

The day had finally arrived when Toji would be introduced to another camp. Although he didn't feel overly nervous, he felt a bit stiff when meeting new people. His serious nature and sharp expression often intimidated people when they first met him. Toji realized that this might be an issue, and he tried to practice a friendlier expression in front of the mirror. However, he found it challenging and decided to settle for a neutral face.

...

As they entered the portal created by Tenka's ability, they were greeted by an unfamiliar sight. The mansion had a traditional Japanese style with tatami floors, which were rarely seen today. Toji felt like he was trapped in a memory from the past, and it felt strangely familiar.

As they arrived in the living room, Toji saw new faces, the majority of them being female, with one exception, a young man standing in the left corner.

"Eh..." When Toji's eyes met the young man's, they both suddenly recognized each other.

'Wakura Yuuki,' Toji recalled clearly. He was one of the students from the same school as Toji. Yuuki was quite well-known for his diligence and his habit of meticulously cleaning every corner of the classroom during his cleaning duties. The students at school even gave him the nickname "Vacuum Cleaner."

Yuuki and Toji continued to meet each other's gaze in surprise, but the awkward atmosphere in the room was eventually broken when Tenka started a conversation with a stern-looking silver-haired woman wearing a German military-style cap, Kyouka.

"Kyouka, have you been waiting long?" Tenka smiled warmly at the woman.

Kyouka shook her head. "No, Tenka-san. Anyway, we welcome your arrival at Camp 7..." She reached out her hand to Tenka, and they exchanged a warm handshake.

Then, Kyouka looked at Toji, who stood behind Tenka, along with Wakasa and Yachiho. "Is he the male member you mentioned?" She asked, curious.

Tenka nodded gently and replied, "Yes, I picked him up on the day of the Mato disaster, the same day you brought your servant..."

Kyouka began to assess Toji with her sharp gaze, and for a brief moment, Toji felt somewhat uncomfortable. "By the way," Tenka asked with a friendly smile, "is the inter-league match going to start now?"

Kyouka shook her head as she replied, "Not now. As the host, we want to treat our guests well before we start the inter-league match."

Toji looked around curiously, wondering what would happen during their visit to Camp 7.

...

Toji began to have a basic understanding of the team in Camp 7. Kyouka Uzen, the camp's leader, had an ability called Eternal Chain, also known as "Servant." Her unique ability allowed her to unleash the maximum potential of individuals she had enslaved. This ability was highly valuable as it could help people optimize their abilities.

Himari Azuma was the camp's vice-leader and Yachiho's younger sister. Despite often being considered a "failed product" compared to Yachiho, Himari managed to secure the position of vice-leader, a remarkable achievement. However, there was a slight sense of rivalry between them, and Himari's gaze sometimes reflected a sense of resentment. Himari's ability was Learning, allowing her to mimic the abilities of others using her smartphone as an intermediary. However, her weakness was that the abilities she learned didn't always suit the battle situation, and she had to deal with the limitations and changes in the original ability equation.

Shushu Suruga, with her typical cheerful personality, seemed indifferent to this meeting. Her clear attitude was evident on her face, and she occasionally gave Yuuki a strange look, causing his face to turn red. Toji began to suspect that Shushu might have special feelings for Yuuki. Shushu's ability, Paradigm Shift, allowed her to change her size from small to large. This ability also enabled her to alter the size of the items she wore, providing a unique advantage.

Meanwhile, Nei Ookawamura was the youngest member in Camp 7, still attending elementary school. Her ability was Promise, which allowed her to locate individuals like Shuuki within Mato. This power was born from her deep desire to find her missing parents. Although she was very young, Nei's ability proved that she had tremendous potential.

These individuals were indeed exceptional, but Toji felt that their abilities might not match those of Camp 6, let alone Tenka's and Yachiho's abilities. Their powers were already on a level beyond space and time.

Toji didn't know how to predict what the upcoming match would be like, but he was looking forward to it.

...

"Hey..." Toji tried to initiate a conversation with Yuuki as they relaxed before the match began.

"Eh... Yes?" Yuuki turned with a somewhat awkward expression.

"I was surprised to see you here... So, are you also a servant for them?" Toji asked cautiously.

"Uh... yeah," Yuuki replied hesitantly, observing Toji carefully. "So, you're in the same boat?"

"Um... it seems our situations are quite similar," Toji said as he reached out his hand towards Yuuki with a friendly tone. "I'm Toji Zenin, as you can see, I'm a student at the high school you visited."

"Oh, yeah. I'm Wakura Yuuki, the cleaner," he replied while scratching the back of his head.

Toji smiled. "Ahaha... Take it easy with me," he said, chuckling at Yuuki's awkwardness.

After that brief conversation, Toji and Yuuki continued to talk about their school memories before getting involved in the Mato world. It turned out that, despite being awkward, Yuuki was an engaging person. Time passed quickly, and now they were about to enter the first match in the inter-league. The first match would involve Yachiho facing Himari and Yuuki.

"Well, as planned, it's going to be a 1 vs. 1 match," Tenka said after the two camps faced each other.

"Yeah, our members can't make it, so this is our choice," replied Kyouka.

Then a previously absent woman walked to the center and extended her hands to use her ability, a Barrier.

Ginna Bizen was a member of Camp 10 and had come as the referee for this inter-league. Her ability, the Ginna Club, allowed her to create a Barrier within a certain radius and decide who could enter her Barrier.

Toji, now an observer, approached Tenka, who was giving some advice to Yachiho. Luckily, they had already been talking, so Toji could start a conversation.

"What?..." The tsundere woman, Yachiho, looked at Toji with her head slightly raised due to the height difference. As usual, she wore an unhappy expression.

"Ahem..." The big man cleared his throat a little before starting the conversation. "Whatever happened between you and your sister, I hope you're not burdened by it, and you give it your all." Toji said.

Yachiho's reaction was entirely unexpected, and her cheeks blushed slightly. "Hmph! Is that a given!?" She replied, truly displaying her tsundere attitude. "Now leave me alone!" She roughly pushed Toji aside and left him, heading to her match.

Toji, being pushed, didn't get angry or upset. He smiled slightly as he watched Yachiho's retreating back. "Fight on..." he murmured.

Yachiho heard the words of encouragement that came from Toji's mouth, and suddenly her heart raced, and her face warmed, showing a faint blush.

//Author's Note//

Hey there! I'm currently diving into my second fanfic project—exciting times ahead! I've got 7 exclusive chapters waiting for you over on [Patreon], so if you're curious, come join us.

Can't predict if this fanfic will sprint or stroll; depends on how my schedule shapes up. Let's see how the story unfolds in the future.

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