A crossover anime/manga story, set in everyday Tokyo, but within a loop of a game.

How can I gain the support of sports clubs?

"It's very simple."

Asagiri smiled slightly and glanced at Fujiwara Chika beside Shinomiya Kaguya.

"Fujiwara-kun, you'll be in charge of negotiating with the sports clubs and telling them that after you become the student council president, you'll increase the sports club's activity budget, replace protective gear, repair the facilities, and so on. That is, you'll be polite in advance."

"After explaining all this, if the other party still hasn't agreed immediately, then propose that our people have a fair match with the strongest player in their club."

"Shuchiin's sports clubs have excellent results and often win awards in major competitions. Moreover, the members of the sports clubs are all Shuchiin students. Shuchiin students are more arrogant than students from ordinary high schools. If you want to gain their respect, the most direct way is to defeat their best members in a competition."

9

Chapter 09: Obstacles Ahead for the Student Council President

Kaguya Shinomiya nodded slightly: "I see."

Then, she frowned slightly and said.

"You said you'd beat the best member of the sports club in the competition, but there are so many sports, can we really rely on just the two of us? Does Yuuki-kun even have a sport he's good at?"

Asuna Yuuki shook her head: "No."

In fact, with Yuuki Asuna's current physical abilities, which are practically monstrous for an average high school student, she could easily defeat even the strongest athlete in a particular sport within Shuchiin High School.

However, she naturally couldn't tell Kaguya Shinomiya this, and Kaguya Shinomiya's words just now were probably just to avoid exposing her weakness as a player.

"That's it..."

Kaguya Shinomiya nodded noncommittally, then looked at Asagiri Michi.

"I remember you are the national champion in basketball, badminton and tennis, while I am better at kyudo, kendo and judo. Even though I am very confident in my strength in these sports, I cannot say that I am sure of winning if I were to compete against the best player in Shuchiin High School."

"No, you have to win."

Asagiri left Kaguya no room for maneuver at all. Although her tone was very calm, it conveyed an unquestionable meaning.

"Other sports are one thing, but for a purely skill-based sport like archery, I can't win just by relying on my athletic talent. And there are many members in the archery club, so we need the support of the archery club. The same goes for the kendo club. I've never practiced kendo, so you have to win. That's what you, as a first-year high school student, have to accomplish if you want to become the student council president."

Seeing that Kaguya Shinomiya fell silent after hearing Asagiri's words, Chika Fujiwara quickly stepped forward and comforted her with a smile.

"Actually, it's alright. Didn't Utsunomiya-san say that we should negotiate first? If the negotiations are successful, then there's no need for..."

"No, that's not the case."

Kaguya Shinomiya interrupted Chika Fujiwara and said softly.

"Only the weak harbor wishful thinking."

Then, Kaguya Shinomiya looked directly into Asagiri's eyes and spoke, word by word.

"I understand, since that's the case..."

"I will definitely win."

……

Twenty minutes later, at the private Shuchiin Academy, in the activity room of the kendo club, which is also the entrance to the dojo.

In a regular high school, it would be impossible to renovate a dojo of several hundred square meters just for club activities. In fact, most high schools don't even have a kendo club. But Shuchiin Academy is a prestigious private school with a long history, so it not only has a kendo club, but it is also a large club with a large number of members.

"Please wait a moment."

When they reached the entrance of the dojo, a member of the kendo club stopped Asagiri, Kaguya Shinomiya, Chika Fujiwara, and Asuna Yuuki.

"Utsunomiya-kun... and Shinomiya-kun? May I ask what brings you to the kendo club?"

Kaguya Shinomiya and Asagiri Utsunomiya are arguably the two most famous students at Shuchiin High School right now. Most students know them, partly because of their talents and the things they've done, but also...

Kaguya Shinomiya is very beautiful, and Asagiri is very handsome.

Their outstanding appearance naturally increases the amount of attention they receive.

Fujiwara Chika, who was in charge of negotiations, stepped forward and spoke with a smile.

"We're here to discuss something with your minister. Is he in?"

"Forehead……"

Just as the kendo club member was hesitating, a girl in a kendo uniform walked out of the dojo.

"I'm the captain of the kendo club. What can I do for you?"

"Oh, hello, hello, it's like this..."

Although it was their first meeting, and she was facing upperclassmen, Fujiwara Chika was not intimidated at all. She took the initiative to step forward and, according to the plan she had made beforehand, began to explain with a smile why she and her companions had come to visit.

After she finished speaking, the kendo club president looked noncommittal and said in a flat tone.

"You mean, if we support Kaguya Shinomiya as the new student council president, we'll get more funding for our kendo club, and we'll get new protective gear, equipment, kendo uniforms, and the like?"

"Yes, that's roughly the idea."

"What if we don't support her election and she becomes student council president, will she cut our activity budget?"

"Huh? I didn't say that~"

Fujiwara Chika first replied with a smile, but then shrugged as if somewhat helpless and sighed.

"However, without additional sponsors, the student council can only allocate so much funding. If some clubs receive more, it will inevitably lead to cuts in funding for others. That's just how it is."

"Humph."

The head of the kendo club was a smart person, and she could naturally tell that although Fujiwara Chika's tone was gentle and playful, it contained a hidden threat. She just snorted and then looked at Shinomiya Kaguya standing there, and slowly spoke.

"Actually, it doesn't matter much to our kendo club who becomes the student council president. If you could increase our activity funding, supporting you to become the student council president wouldn't be out of the question, but..."

At this point, the Kendo Club president suddenly changed the subject, narrowed his eyes, stared at Kaguya Shinomiya's face, and said in a deep voice.

"How can I trust that you have the ability to keep your promises? After all, I know nothing about you, and I can't judge your character based on just a few words, so..."

"it is good."

Kaguya Shinomiya understood what the other party meant, nodded slightly, and said in a calm tone.

Do you have any brand new kendo uniforms that fit properly?

"Yes, come in."

Without much verbal communication, the Kendo Club president and Kaguya Shinomiya had already reached an agreement: to have a Kendo match and communicate through Kendo.

……

Ten minutes later, inside the kendo club's dojo.

Kaguya Shinomiya, who had already changed into her kendo uniform, stood facing the kendo club president at a distance of nearly ten meters. Both of them held a bamboo sword in their hands, while Asagiri, Asuna Yuuki, Chika Fujiwara, and dozens of other members of the kendo club stood quietly at the edge of the arena as spectators.

"Ok?"

Before the match officially began, Asuna Yuuki looked at Kaguya Shinomiya's sword-wielding posture, and a strange light flashed in her eyes, but because Chika Fujiwara was right next to her, she did not show it directly.

"Shinomiya Kaguya."

The kendo club president gripped the hilt of the bamboo sword with both hands, his eyes sharp as he stared directly at Kaguya Shinomiya standing there, and slowly began to speak.

"Tell me, sword, what kind of person you are."

Upon hearing this, both Asagiri and Yuuki Asuna had only one thought in their minds.

This kendo club president... seems to have a bit of a chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) problem?

Of course, it could also be because neither of them understood swordsmanship. Although Asuna Yuuki's weapon was a longsword and she was a swordsman, she knew nothing about swordsmanship philosophy; she only knew one thing.

Killing the enemy with the sword in my hand is enough.

"let's start."

Kaguya Shinomiya didn't say much, but simply gripped the hilt of the bamboo sword with both hands, adopting the standard two-handed sword-wielding posture.

"it is good."

The Kendo Club president said this first, and then began to slowly move toward the direction where Kaguya Shinomiya was standing.

The moment the distance between them shrank to less than five meters, she suddenly rushed forward and slashed at Kaguya Shinomiya's shoulder with her bamboo sword.

"Clap."

Kaguya Shinomiya used her bamboo sword to directly block the Kendo Club president's attack from the side, and the two bamboo swords made a clashing sound.

After the first sword strike was blocked, the Kendo Club President did not panic. Instead, he followed the force of Kaguya Shinomiya's strike, changing the vertical slash into a horizontal slash, aiming for Kaguya Shinomiya's waist.

Seeing this, Asagiri already envisioned how she would react if she encountered this situation herself.

Switch to holding the sword in your right hand, grab the opponent's blade with your left forearm, and then pierce the enemy's wide-open throat with one strike. Although your own forearm will be cut, the enemy will surely die.

However, this is a kendo competition focused on skill rather than a life-or-death real battle, so Kaguya Shinomiya obviously couldn't use such a move.

She took a perfectly timed half-step back, narrowly avoiding the Kendo Master's horizontal slash. Then, she gently placed her bamboo sword on the Kendo Master's shoulder. Her demeanor and movements were graceful and elegant, yet her speed was so fast that the bamboo sword left an afterimage.

"ended."

Feeling a slight weight on his shoulder, and seeing Kaguya Shinomiya's emotionless red eyes, the Kendo Club leader lowered his bamboo sword. After a few seconds, he slowly spoke.

"Well, it's over. I lost. The entire Kendo Club will support you to become the student council president."

……

After Kaguya Shinomiya changed her clothes and left the dojo, Asuna Yuuki leaned closer to Asagiri and whispered as she looked at Asagiri and Fujiwara Chika walking not far ahead.

"The way Shinomiya holds the sword is very strange."

"strangeness?"

"Correct."

Asuna Yuuki frowned slightly and said softly.

"Master Ashikaga once said that weapons are an extension of a warrior's body. One should not only consider offense, but also use the weapon in hand as a defense to protect the body, which is more vulnerable than the weapon."

"Logically speaking, since Shinomiya has studied kendo techniques, she should understand this principle. The correct way to hold a sword with both hands should be like that kendo captain, with the blade slightly tilted as a barrier between herself and the enemy. But when she first got the bamboo sword, the posture she subconsciously adopted was like..."

Asuna Yuuki pondered what words to use to describe it before finally speaking.

"It's as if she's not holding a sword, but a gun. The tip of the sword is the muzzle that fires bullets, and she's using the muzzle to aim at the enemy's vital parts, ready to pull the trigger at any moment."

10

Chapter 10: Visiting the strongest member of the basketball team.

Upon hearing this, Asagiri simply nodded noncommittally, then spoke softly with a smile.

"I don't know much about swordsmanship, but I absolutely trust your judgment. Tell me your theory?"

Hearing Asagiri say that she absolutely believed in her judgment, Yuuki Asuna felt a warmth in her heart, nodded obediently, and then said softly.

"I think the strange pose that Shinomiya-san unconsciously made when she held the bamboo sword must be related to her 'player' ability. It could be a talent or skill, or it could be some kind of special weapon."

"As for the specific effects, I can only make a rough guess. It's possible that she will launch the blade in her hand in the direction she is aiming, or that she will launch an energy attack from the tip of the sword, similar to my 'Piercing Light'. It's also possible that her longsword will extend and directly pierce through distant enemies."

Although Asuna Yuuki didn't do much information analysis when tackling dungeons with Asagiri, Kotoko Iwanaga, and Megumi Kato, it was only because Asagiri and Kotoko Iwanaga were very good at analysis and reasoning, not because she was not smart.

On the contrary, Asuna Yuuki is very intelligent and has a keen eye for detail. If she were in an ordinary team, she could easily serve as the strategist.

"So that's it."

Seeing Asagiri nod in agreement, Yuuki Asuna smiled, a hint of helplessness in her voice.

"Ultimately, observing Shinomiya-kun's actions might yield useful intelligence and information. That's probably the main reason you want me to participate in the election plan and insist that Shinomiya-kun personally take the stage to win the support of the Kendo Club, right?"

"You guessed it."

Seeing that her intentions had been seen through by Asuna Yuuki, Asagiri simply smiled and replied casually.

"As you know, I'm not very good at using weapons like longswords, and my observation skills aren't as sharp as yours, so..."

Asagiri turned her head and looked at Yuuki Asuna's delicate face, speaking earnestly.

"I can't do without you."

Upon hearing this, Asuna Yuuki's pretty face flushed slightly, and she gave a soft hum.

"You were doing just fine before I came along, weren't you? Are you just saying these things to make me happy?"

Asagiri said in a serious tone, "I could have endured the darkness if I had never seen the light."