A Vengeful Retribution

Chapter 37: Summer Tourny

3rd POV

The day crawled on, punctuated by the usual classes, a few yawns, idle chatter about potential teams, and more than a few whispered debates over who wanted to pair with whom. Despite the looming pressure of the tournament, students of 2-1 handled it with the usual IS Academy flair—equal parts excitement, bravado, and chaos.

By the end of the day, as the afternoon sun cast a golden sheen through the windows, the final bell rang. Most students were already halfway out of their chairs, bags slung over shoulders, minds on food or rest—until one voice stopped them in their tracks.

A groan preceded Haruto standing up.

Reluctantly, he walked up to the front of the classroom, holding up his phone as if it physically pained him.

"Alright, before you all run off back to your dorms or wherever it is you lot disappear to," he started, voice carrying with practiced exhaustion, "do me a favor and drop me a message in the class group chat."

A few paused in the doorway. Cecilia tilted her head. Rin and Houki had already turned back to listen.

"Let me know which format you want to take. Solo, pair, squad—whichever. I don't care what you pick, just give me one. And when you do..."

He pointed at the air for emphasis.

"Do not just give me your name followed by an 's' like 'Rin-s'. That tells me nothing. I'm not gonna interpret emoji hieroglyphics or figure out if you meant squad or solo. I cannot read your damn mind behind a keyboard."

Charlotte chuckled from her seat. "We did that to you last year too, huh?"

"I still have flashbacks," Haruto said dryly. "K, that's all. Enjoy your freedom while it lasts."

He started heading for the door, dragging his feet slightly.

"Now I gotta go attend that staff briefing. Joy."

"Viel Glück, Liebe," Laura called after him with the faintest trace of amusement.

"You can take my spot," he muttered as he disappeared down the hallway.

Behind him, a few laughs broke out, and the class finally began to disperse.

Meanwhile, in his mind, the SoVR interface pinged softly in his neural link.

SoVR: Probability of another assignment incoming: 89%. Estimated enthusiasm: -200%.

Haruto let out a sigh as he turned the corner toward the faculty block.

"Oh shut up."

The briefing room was brightly lit, but it still felt oppressively heavy with the sheer weight of administrative tension and expectations. Several staff members were present—Miss Yukimura at the head of the table, Miss Yamada seated beside her, and even Chifuyu Orimura, arms folded, her expression unreadable as always. Around the long oval table were the class reps from various year groups—Haruto among them, noticeably slouched in his chair with a neutral, almost bored expression.

That is, until the projector flickered to life.

Miss Yukimura's voice carried evenly. "Now then. Moving on to the equipment regulations for the upcoming Summer Tournament..."

The screen displayed a sleek presentation: renderings of new IS units—clearly labeled with spec summaries and modular diagrams. The title read: Gen 2.5 / Prototype Gen 3 Training Units.