With the school competition finally concluded, peace returned—at least temporarily—to the students of First Private Junior High in Tianshui Prefecture.
James had claimed first place with an overwhelming advantage.
While the school forum buzzed with excitement, James sat quietly, thinking about how to spend a bit of free time with Mochizuki.
A big celebration might be too much, he thought. The unified exam is just around the corner… but a short walk around the city should be fine.
Ding-dong!
His phone vibrated—another message. Unlocking the screen, he saw congratulatory texts from Shido and Hikari, as well as a flood of new friend requests.
"Brother, dinner's ready."
Mochizuki arrived at the dining table with a tray of steaming dishes. Several plates were already lined up neatly.
"That's enough, Mochizuki. We can't finish all this," James said, gently taking the spatula from her hand and guiding her to a seat.
"Where would you like to go for fun?"
Mochizuki tilted her head thoughtfully, then smiled. "Mochizuki thinks it doesn't matter where we go. As long as Brother is by my side, I'm happy. We're family, and it's enough just to be together."
"Eh? You're spoiling me again."
"Brother!"
She stood and walked around to straighten James's posture, her expression suddenly serious.
"Right now, the most important thing is the Sakura Unified Exam. Mochizuki mustn't be a distraction for Brother."
James, however, gently pressed her shoulders and guided her back into her seat.
"Mochizuki… everything I've worked for is to give our family a better life. That includes spending time together. Let's not lose sight of that."
His words struck a chord. Mochizuki blinked, stunned—and her eyes shimmered with moisture.
It's true. We haven't spent proper time together in a while.
"But… Brother, that's not how things are supposed to go…"
Their light-hearted family meeting concluded with James the clear winner.
After dinner, they finalized plans: time, place, and activities.
"Should we invite Senior Shido and the others?" Mochizuki asked. "It might be more fun that way."
James shrugged. "Up to you. I heard Zi Teng and his family already left for a trip."
Without missing a beat, Mochizuki pulled out a notebook and started jotting down estimated expenses, mumbling to herself.
James raised an eyebrow. "Mochizuki, my competition bonus is coming in soon. We're not short on money right now."
Still crunching numbers, she muttered, "Even if we're okay now… in the future, there'll be more to spend on. Mochizuki has to go to school. Brother will go to Tokyo... and maybe... even have a girlfriend there... which will be very expensive…"
Her voice grew quieter, eyes distant, and she dragged her finger across her neck in a mock throat-slitting gesture. "We're doomed…"
James gently tapped her head to snap her out of it.
"Hey now. Let's not worry about the future. What matters most is cherishing today."
"Mochizuki will listen to Onii-sama," she replied, a bit embarrassed.
---
Later, James returned to his room and sat down to watch some videos. Keeping up with world news and social trends was important—he didn't want to become disconnected.
Ping!
Another friend request.
Shinomiya Saki requests to add you as a friend…
He hesitated for half a second, then tapped Accept.
A message popped up immediately.
"Congratulations on your victory." (Read)
"You were amazing too." (Sent)
They exchanged a few polite messages. But then—
"Want to go out together this weekend?" (Read)
"Eh? Sorry, I already made plans with my sister." (Sent)
"Can I come too?" (Read)
James blinked at the screen, thought about it briefly, and typed:
"…It's not impossible." (Sent)
"Time and place?" (Read)
"xxx, xxx." (Sent)
"OK." (Read)
Just then, Mochizuki entered the room with a cup of hot tea. The soothing aroma of jasmine filled the air.
James patted her head affectionately.
"Mochizuki, I want to discuss something with you."
"What is it, Brother?"
"Would you mind if someone else joins us this weekend?"
Mochizuki blinked. "Of course not. If Brother makes more friends, Mochizuki is happy."
She beamed brightly.
"Great. Shinomiya Saki will be joining us. She knows Tianshui Castle well, so she can guide us."
Mochizuki's smile stiffened. Her lips twitched downward, and her cheerful eyes grew cool.
Danger! A crisis has emerged!
Still smiling—albeit forcedly—Mochizuki cooed, "Onii-sama, can I bring Chiyo too?"
"Sure. The more the merrier."
Mochizuki puffed out her cheeks, muttering under her breath.
If anyone's going to become my sister-in-law, it better be someone I can control… not some icy beauty with mysterious tactics…
---
Meanwhile, at the Shinomiya residence…
A beautiful woman—who resembled Shinomiya Saki by about 70%—held a phone in her hand, stifling giggles behind her palm.
Next to her stood Shinomiya Ayano, who looked less than amused.
"Yuuko, Kosaki might get mad if you do this."
Yuuko Shinomiya—Saki's mother, who had recently changed her name—grinned mischievously, holding up Saki's phone.
"Ayano, your strategy failed. Time to let me take the reins. Besides, her father said he fully supports this."
She waved the phone with a wink.
Ayano sighed. She recalled the image of that man giving her a big thumbs up and felt a wave of helplessness.
Xiao Saki… I really tried my best...
---
It was a clear, sunny weekend.
James stood at the front gate of Tianshui Amusement Park, scrolling through his phone.
The campus forum servers had finally been restored, and students had flooded it with new posts. The hottest topic?
"How strong is James?"
The original poster started with detailed accounts of James's performance—his red sword, his physical strength, and especially Hedao.
Although the narrative was a bit overhyped, the author made a solid point: Hedao was likely a sustained sword technique, not a single-use skill. Its limitation came from the weapon quality—not the user.
> "Does James have innate powers?"
"I've never seen him use any, but based on previous guesses…"
"If I were his opponent, I'd assume he does."
> "Terrifying. Our school might rank high this year."
> "Looking forward to the Kanto Tournament!"
> "It'll be streamed live. There'll also be highlight reels."
The comment section had exploded with thousands of messages.
"Brother! Over here!"
James looked up to see Mochizuki waving, holding Chiyo's hand.
Mochizuki wore a black pleated skirt, paired with a stylish shoulder bag and light makeup. Her pink lips were slightly glossy, and her soft black hair was tied into a neat high ponytail.
Next to her was Chiyo Nitta.
Chiyo was wearing a delicate blue dress, her violet hair styled to one side with a star-shaped clip. Her soft, pale skin glowed in the sun, and her dark eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Her bangs had been pinned back by Mochizuki, showing off her gentle face. Her cheeks were tinged pink with shyness.
Ha! You must be stunned, Brother! Mochizuki thought smugly. This is my carefully planned beauty strategy!
James was indeed pleased. Both girls looked beautiful—and he couldn't help but admire the effort.
Just then, a new figure began to approach from the distance…
Øóffer going on for diamond tier
pàtreøn (Gk31)