Vol 1 Chapter 18: The Sacred Ground of Fights Already Had Its Early Visitors (Vol 1: The Delinquent High School Girl’s Servant Survived and Advanced to the Second Year)

A five‐minute walk from Rikkokugawa High School, past a bridge, leads to a grove of mixed trees called Rokumori.

Inside the grove, there are athletic courses and even restrooms installed. Although it was originally meant to be a playground for children, the woods rarely see sunlight and lie next to a cemetery, making it a place few dare approach. As a result, it has become a hangout for delinquents and is known locally as the “Sacred Ground of Fights.”

If it had been me six months ago, I would have been too scared to even go near this place. But not long ago, it was also where I had a one-on-one with Mutoda—a classmate who bullied me and who was later expelled.

Our Rei Second-Year group, each outfitted with open-finger gloves and fist supporters, headed for Rokumori, only to find Mio and the Rei First-Year group waiting at the school gate.

“Please wait. I’ve heard everything. You weren’t planning on leaving us behind, senpai?”

Mio, arms crossed and smirking, said to us.

“Not at all—they’re nothing but a bunch of incompetent amateurs. We’re perfectly fine on our own, aren’t we?”

“Come on… if it’s the usual pattern, there’ll be even more of them than before, and it’s better to have as many reinforcements as possible, right?”

“Idiot! I’ve never once thought of you guys as my pawns!”

“You’re cool, though. But since we’re all from the same school, you should count on us, too.”

“I mean, your real intention is just to go on a rampage, isn’t it?”

“Oh, did you figure that out? Ahahaha!”

Miyayuri let out an exasperated sigh at Mio, whose thinking was hardly what you’d expect from a girl.

“…Geez, I appreciate the sentiment, but what are we going to do if the teachers find out and not only I but everyone ends up suspended?”

“If that happens, we’re all in it together! We’ve all been training hard in martial arts for times like these!”

Kaori, the other leader of the First-Year group, spoke in a firm tone, and Miyayuri sighed again as she agreed.

“Sigh… Fine, I guess we have no choice. I plan to settle it one-on-one if possible, but if it turns into a group fight, I’ll be counting on you all, as always.”

“Hai!”

The dependable First-Year group responded energetically.

◇

“Oi, oi… What in the world is going on here?”

Upon entering Nanamori, I was astonished by the sight of about ten men sprawled out on the ground.

“These guys—they’re the bunch from Shubi High School’s Kamikoukou who were at the school earlier, right?”

“Yeah. Those guys, with not even a scrap of decency on their faces, are definitely them.”

Kei and Katsuko grabbed the collar of one of the collapsed, unconscious men and confirmed the identities of the group.

“Does this mean someone already took care of them before we arrived?”

Just as I voiced that doubt, Azuma-kun shouted loudly.

“Ah, everyone! Over there, someone’s fighting!”

In the direction Azuma-kun pointed, I recognized two girls: one who introduced herself as Kamiko, and Asanai, who had just burst into the school.

“Hey! What’s going on here?”

When Miyayuri rushed over, a girl who looked just like her spoke in a completely relaxed tone.

“Ah, Miyayuri-chan, sorry about earlier~”

“You damn fool, you made the bandit go to heaven! … But seriously, what’s the situation here?”

“Can’t you tell? We did this ourselves.”

A handsome youth who uses “watashi”… or, wait—she’s wearing a skirt, so is she actually a girl?

When a girl, who bore a striking resemblance to someone, spoke to Miyayuri, she pointed at her in surprise.

“You! Could it be that you’re Hozumi?”

“Long time no see, Miyayuri-senpai. I’m always grateful for Hineno’s help.”

Hozumi bowed politely.

With that aura and those boyish features… could it be that this girl is—

“Hey, Miyayuri-chan, could it be that this girl is Hineno-senpai’s little sister?”

Before I could ask, Katsuko inquired of Miyayuri.

“Ah, that’s right. This is Orito Tachibana Hozumi—the younger sister of Himeno and Tamaki. I never heard she’d be enrolling in Rikkokugawa High School.”

“Yeah. It’s rare for three sisters to all attend the same high school.”

“Well, our homes are close by… there’s plenty to talk about, but now isn’t the time for that. Can you explain what’s happening?”

Pointing at the two girls facing off in what looked like a situation on the brink of explosion—Asanai and Kamiko—Miyayuri asked Hozumi.

“Yes. Since delinquents are our ‘NEO Rei’ enemies, we’re taking them down.”

Hozumi stated the unbelievable thing with a composed expression.