CHAPTER 246: RANKING MATCHES [5]

"You what?" I blinked.

"To build my own harem," Trent repeated with full conviction. "I have to learn."

The words echoed in my head like a bad punchline to a joke no one should’ve told.

I just... stared at him.

"...Just die."

"W-Wait! What!?" Trent stumbled back half a step. "Why would you say that!?"

"Because that was the dumbest thing I’ve heard all week," I said flatly.

He opened his mouth to argue—then shut it, sheepishly.

"You’re... really against harems, huh?"

"No," I said with a tired sigh, brushing my hair back. "I’m against morons thinking they can gather a group of girls like it’s a damn Pokémon team. You’re not building relationships, you’re recruiting like it’s a cult."

"I-I wouldn’t call it a cult."

"You just said ’build my own harem’ with your chest like it was some noble goal."

"I mean..." he scratched his cheek. "Don’t all the greats in history have multiple lovers? Kings, heroes, sword saints, the guy who tames dragons—"

"I’m gonna stop you right there," I said, holding up a hand. "None of those guys ever started with, ’I want to build a harem.’ Things just happened. They weren’t ticking boxes on some fantasy checklist."

Trent frowned. "So you’re saying... I shouldn’t aim for love?"

"No. I’m saying don’t be a clown while doing it."

"I see..." He looked genuinely thoughtful for a moment, then his eyes lit up again. "Then... teach me how to not be a clown!"

"Ugh." I rubbed my face.

"Please," he added quickly, hands together in a pleading gesture. "I’ll stop charging blindly. I’ll stop yelling speeches mid-fight. I’ll stop—uh—mentioning harems in public!"

I narrowed my eyes. "You’re still gonna pursue multiple girls, though?"

"W-Well..."

I reached into my cloak.

He flinched. "W-Wait! Are you pulling a weapon!?"

"No." I pulled out my thermos. "I’m just gonna drink more coffee before I kill you."

The crowd erupted with laughter again.

From the upper rows came someone’s exaggerated groan:

"Dude, nooooo..."

Another shouted, "Bro just said ’build my own harem’ out loud!?"

A few people near the railing broke into snickers.

Even the referee couldn’t stop a small chuckle from escaping.

----

Ama POV

Ama’s eyes widened.

She stood, hands still mid-wave, expression somewhere between shock and horrified betrayal.

"...He WHAT!?" she said, nearly falling off the edge of the balcony railing.

"I-I never said I liked him like that!" she shouted quickly to no one in particular—her cheeks turning beet red.

Some students turned toward her, eyebrows raised.

"You cheered for him though."

"Only because he’s my classmate and clubmate!" she yelled back. "Not because I want to join his harem or whatever!"

Ama turned to Mira, eyes frantic.

"Tell me I misheard that. Please tell me I’m hallucinating."

----

Mira POV

Mira stared down at the arena with her arms crossed, one eyebrow slightly raised.

She hadn’t reacted when Trent charged.

Not when he missed.

Not when Rin mocked him.

But now?

Now, her lips twitched slightly.

"...Harem, huh?" she muttered.

She didn’t say it loudly.

But the glint in her eye could’ve sliced through steel.

"That idiot’s lucky I didn’t step into that ring instead," she said softly, reaching for the snack bag beside her.

Ama gave her a pleading look. "Y-you’re not mad, right? You know I don’t like him like that, right?"

Mira popped a rice cracker into her mouth.

"I know."

Ama sighed in relief.

Then Mira added, without looking over,

"But if he brings up a ’shared bed’ fantasy next match, I’m vaporizing him."

Ama didn’t know whether to laugh or prepare to drag Trent’s body out of the crater.

---

Rin POV

"Listen," I said, shaking my head. "You wanna get stronger? Fine. I respect that."

"But strength doesn’t mean waving a flag saying ’I want a harem’ and charging at people like a raging toddler."

Trent opened his mouth again.

I didn’t give him the chance.

I flicked my wrist.

Then a black dagger appeared in my hand.

"I’ll ask you again, will you give up on this stupid ideas of yours."

Trent also ready himself as aura started to flare around his body again.

Trent’s words hit me like a badly tuned violin string—shrill, jarring, and trying way too hard to play a melody it didn’t understand.

"It may be a stupid idea for you," Trent said, his eyes locking onto mine with a seriousness that didn’t match the ridiculousness of what he was saying, "but you don’t even know what love is!"

The aura around his body flared like someone trying to cast a level-five spell with level-one mana control. Bright, chaotic, and full of ego.

I stared at him.

Then blinked.

Then tilted my head.

"...What the hell did you just say to me?"

His jaw clenched, like he thought this was the climax of some grand romantic shounen arc.

"You heard me!" he barked, taking a step forward. "You walk around all cool and collected, acting like you’ve figured everything out—but you don’t even get how powerful love can be! That’s why I need a harem!"

I raised a hand to stop him. "No. No, don’t repeat that line. Say anything else. Just not that."

But Trent had already decided this was his dramatic moment.

"My heart burns for connection, for companionship, for—"

I didn’t let him finish.

The dagger in my hand—Lan—shimmered as it transformed mid-swing into its true form: a long, crimson staff.

The air cracked as the transformation completed.

Trent, who had been dramatically pouring his soul into whatever nonsense he was saying, paused. He looked up just in time to see the staff already swinging his way.

"Like I said before," I muttered coldly, "just die."

Lan extended in a flash, the staff stretching mid-swing and slamming straight into Trent’s chest.

He went flying like a sack of bricks, even with a defensive aura surrounding him. The impact was loud enough to silence the arena.

Trent crashed into the outer wall, groaning. Out of bounds. Instantly.

I didn’t even try to hide the sigh that escaped my lips.

Great. I ended up revealing Lan’s true form—[Soulbound Staff]—just because I got that irritated.

This wasn’t supposed to be a dramatic moment. It was a ranking matche. But nooo, Trent had to turn it into some kind of theater performance.

Seriously. What kind of villain monologues about burning for companionship? What is he, a rejected dating sim character?

He wasn’t even the protagonist!

He looked like someone who was supposed to tank damage and yell "leave it to me" while the real main character powered up.

And yet he stood there, chest puffed, eyes sparkling, talking about soulmates like we were in the final arc of a romance manga.

I wasn’t having it.

The way he stared at me with those hopeful eyes—like he thought this was the start of some twisted friendship, or worse, a rivalry—made my skin crawl.

"Harem, my ass," I muttered, turning away from the crater he left behind.

Lan hummed quietly in my hand, like it agreed.

The audience began to murmur again, clearly unsure whether to clap or just remain stunned.

I didn’t care either way.

I walked off the field, done with Trent and done with this ridiculous ranking matche.

----

Ama POV (Again)

"...He didn’t even use magic," Ama whispered.

"Nope," Mira said.

"...Did you see how he moved?"

"Yep."

"...Do you think he likes me?"

"...Absolutely not."

Ama fell quiet.

"...Damn."

---

Trent POV ( in first person view. First time writing someone else besides Rin. Aside from Leona, of course.)

I laid there. In a crater. Like a bug that got flicked off a divine table.

My ribs ached. My pride hurt worse. And my dreams?

Well, they were currently scattered somewhere between "build my own harem" and "taste the dirt of the arena wall."

"...Owww," I groaned, barely able to lift my head. "Did... did he have to go that hard?"

A referee jogged over to check on me, but I waved him off with the limp energy of a man betrayed by fate—and maybe also gravity.

"I’m... fine," I muttered. "Physically. Mentally? Spiritually? Debatable."

Somewhere in the stands, I could hear people snickering. One voice even shouted, "Bro got baptized with a staff!"

...Rude. Accurate. But rude.

I rolled onto my side and coughed up some dust. And maybe a little ego.

Okay, sure. Maybe I should’ve eased off on the harem talk. Maybe I got a little too passionate. But was I really so wrong?

I mean, love was powerful, right? History was filled with warriors fighting for love! Kings, saints, conquerors—

...Yeah okay, maybe Rin had a point about me treating it like a checklist. Still, did he have to weaponize a staff transformation sequence to prove it?

That thing extended like a divine punishment bat.

I groaned again, dragging myself upright, still wobbling.

Rin didn’t even look back. Just walked off like he didn’t just slam a whole damn tree trunk into my sternum.

I squinted at his back.

"Cool guys don’t look at explosions," I whispered.

Then I clenched a shaky fist and pointed at him weakly. "Rin Evans... mark my words... I’ll stand beside you one day. As an equal."

The referee paused beside me.

"You want to surrender or...?"

"...Yes," I said immediately.

He raised his flag. "Match over."

And as the crowd began to murmur, cheer, or meme me to death, I let myself collapse back into the dirt, staring up at the arena lights.

A slow smile crept onto my lips.

I’d embarrassed myself, sure. Got wrecked in front of half the academy, fine.

But Rin... he didn’t hate me.

He didn’t ignore me.

He took me seriously—seriously enough to go all out.

That meant I still had a chance.

Not at a harem.

...Well, maybe that too. Eventually. I’ll have my own harem but that doesn’t matter for now.

But more importantly?

A chance to matter.

I closed my eyes and whispered to myself:

"...Next time, I’m bringing a helmet."

----

Author Note:

No Chapters tomorrow.

I have high fever.

Sorry and thanks for reading it.