"Don't... don't think of others as so petty! And I wasn't angry at all, okay? I just wanted to become stronger on my own." Kaguya immediately bristled like a little lion, strenuously refuting.
Yusei looked at Kaguya with amusement, then sent party invitations to her and Asuna.
"Want to join us?" This question was directed at Asuna.
Asuna hesitated, glancing at Kaguya as if waiting for her decision.
Kaguya snorted cutely, "Fine, let's accept. Although this guy is very annoying, he's quite strong. We can just let him solo the boss and we'll win effortlessly."
For some reason, Kaguya felt she lost her composure whenever she was in front of Yusei. All those petty, sulky gestures and discontent would show themselves, even though she knew she was never usually like this.
'Is it because this guy is so good at irritating me? No good. As the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya Family, I must maintain my poise.'
"Solo the boss? Not a bad idea. It'll be a good chance to teach you a few moves then."
What Kaguya didn't expect was for Yusei to actually nod in agreement, which made her a little flustered.
'Don't you know this game is a real death game?! If you die, you lose everything!'
"Hey, I was just saying it! You might be strong in reality, but this is a game! You can't use those..."
"Alright."
"Of course I wouldn't joke about my own life. And... who told you real-world abilities can't be manifested in this game?" Yusei smiled mysteriously.
"Huh?" Kaguya was stunned. But just as she was about to ask more, a spiky-haired man suddenly appeared on the stage.
The man scanned the players on the stage, found nothing unusual, and then said loudly:
"My name is Kibaou. Before we begin the strategy meeting, someone among the players here must apologize to the others..."
Kibaou spoke glibly, preparing to denounce the Beta Testers, when a mocking voice came from the audience:
"If it isn't Kibaou-san? What's the matter, is your weapon ready for our duel today~?"
Everyone looked over in unison and saw a boy in a white cloak. He was slowly taking off his hood... revealing the face hidden beneath.
It was a boy with short black hair. His confident and handsome face held a touch of youthfulness, and his obsidian-bright eyes were captivating.
Even the incredibly beautiful Asuna, upon seeing Yusei's face under the cloak, couldn't help but gasp in admiration.
The other players were also murmuring, amazed that Yusei's looks were even more handsome than those of major celebrities.
However, quite a few players noticed something else.
"Isn't he... this year's National Youth's Kendo Champion?"
"So what if he's a Kendo Champion? This is a game..." Some who were jealous of Yusei's looks muttered.
But regardless, Yusei had voluntarily revealed his identity. He didn't seem to mind.
Yusei's gaze swept towards Kibaou in the crowd. Seeing him start to retreat, Yusei couldn't help but chuckle lightly.
"It seems your weapon still isn't ready today?"
The words caught in Kibaou's throat. He wanted to say something but didn't dare.
In the end, he just snorted coldly and returned to his seat in the audience.
Seeing this, Yusei also sat back down, quietly waiting for Diabel on stage to continue presiding over the meeting.
Diabel gave Yusei a friendly smile, unaffected by the interruption, and continued leading the meeting.
Asuna looked at Yusei curiously. She had naturally heard the [Kendo Champion] description and couldn't help but ask Kaguya quietly.
"Kaguya, how good is a [Kendo Champion]? Will he be very strong in the game too?"
'Of course he's strong. He defeated me easily,' Kaguya thought gloomily. But of course she wouldn't say that. It would be too embarrassing in front of her friend.
Kaguya took a deep breath and said as nonchalantly as possible, "He's... alright, I guess."
"Is that so... I remember last time you mentioned you also like Kendo, Kaguya. Did you participate too?" Asuna asked Kaguya curiously.
Kaguya's expression stiffened. She didn't know how to answer this question.
Yusei turned his head towards Asuna and said lightly, "She came in third. Well... she's very strong."
Kaguya glared fiercely at Yusei. She didn't say anything. Or rather, there was nothing she could say. After all, it was the truth.
Asuna immediately understood why Kaguya wasn't speaking and looked at her apologetically.
"I'm sorry, I... I didn't know."
"It's fine. And it's not something others can't know. But I will surpass him sooner or later."
"I hope so."
The strategy meeting soon concluded, and they agreed to meet promptly tomorrow morning to enter the Boss room and begin the raid.
After the meeting ended, by the time they returned to town, it was almost dark.
Kibaou practically took detours to avoid Yusei.
From the moment the meeting adjourned, he kept at least 500 meters away from Yusei. Yusei felt this was just fine, as it saved him from having his mood ruined by trash disturbing his meal today.
Near the central fountain in town, Yusei looked at the several girls in the party.
"Do you have any plans for now?"
"Eating." Kiriko took out a piece of black bread.
Kaguya and Asuna were similar. They both nodded, found a park bench to sit on, and took out black bread from their inventory, preparing to eat.
Seeing this, Yusei sighed. He took the bread from Kaguya's hand, took a bite himself, and immediately found it hard to swallow.
"It's so hard and dry... and you can eat this?" Yusei felt this Kaguya-sama was really different. That a young lady used to fine clothes and sumptuous food could accept this kind of food was unbelievable to him.
"I used the money I saved to enhance my equipment. Food just needs to fill the stomach." Kaguya glanced at Yusei, didn't say anything, and took out another piece from her inventory.
Seeing this, Yusei once again took the black bread from her hand. Looking at the girls, he smiled.
"Alright, ladies, let's go eat at a restaurant instead."
"Let's consider it a celebration for forming our party!"
The moment Kaguya heard this, she immediately stood up. Her exquisite face under the hood was hard to see clearly, but her actions had already made her meaning clear, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go, to the restaurant!"
"Um, still, isn't it better not to? Eating at a restaurant in the early game is too expensive... It could easily create a gap in equipment upgrades." Kiriko, the seasoned Beta Tester, said hesitantly.
Kaguya, however, shook her head beside her. She glanced at Kiriko, then at Yusei, as if thinking about something. Then she said to Asuna next to her, "...He's treating us for this meal."
"Huh? Is he rich?"
"Yeah. He's been eating at restaurants since day one of the game. He's never eaten black bread."