*Note: sorry for not upload chapter yesterday but I was celebrating the christmas with my familiy so is logic not to upload a chapter, sorry.
Well, today is christmas too but I encountered a little of free time to upload the chapter, so here you have.
Have a good day and happy christmas :)
...
The classroom fell into a stunned, heavy silence as Ren's declaration hung in the air like a physical weight. Every student present seemed to share the same bewildered thought: Again? Is this really happening again?. It felt like a recurring dream, or perhaps a farce, where every new face that appeared in their school had the singular, driving ambition of claiming Lala as their own.
While it was undeniably true that Lala possessed a beauty that transcended common standards, the sheer frequency of these suitors was becoming a source of intense gossip and disbelief. First, there had been the relentless pursuit by Haruka, whose obsession was well-documented, and now this muscular, green-haired stranger had marched in with the same demand. The students exchanged frantic whispers, wondering how it was possible for one girl—regardless of her charm—to be the eye of such a constant storm of popularity.
"The one who emerges victorious shall have Lala's hand in marriage!" Ren proclaimed, his voice booming with a theatrical confidence that resonated against the chalkboard.
I leaned back in my chair, my expression carefully neutral. I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of seeing me ruffled. "To start with... who are you supposed to be exactly?" I asked, my voice calm and steady. Getting worked up over a clown who had just walked through the door wasn't my style; I'd sooner be dead than lose my composure over someone like him.
The boy puffed out his chest, his muscles straining against his uniform. "I am Ren Elsie Jewelria!" he declared with a flourish.
I felt a vein throb slightly in my temple. "Yes, I heard you the first time you said your name; I'm not an idiot," I said, my brow furrowing in genuine annoyance. "You know perfectly well what I'm asking. Who are you to Lala, and why do you think you have any right to be here making demands?".
Ren flinched slightly under the weight of my gaze. Perhaps he sensed something in my eyes—a hardness born from facing dozens of potential threats and assassins. It was natural for me to be suspicious, but in his mind, his intentions were crystalline and noble. His only goal, the sun around which his world orbited, was to conquer Lala's heart and spend the rest of his days by her side.
"This might not be the most appropriate setting for such a discussion, but I am a man of my word," Ren said, trying to regain his footing. "My only objective is to win Lala over and live together with her until the end of time".
I exhaled slowly. "I see. But even if you want to compete for her hand, I am under no obligation to accept your duel," I pointed out, my voice laced with a cold logic. "Besides, Lala isn't some object or a trophy that I can just wager in a bet. Why don't you actually bother to ask her how she feels about this?".
Ren blinked, clearly taken aback by my lack of aggression. He had likely expected a hot-headed rival who would jump at the chance to defend his "honor". My tranquil demeanor was throwing his entire mental script into disarray. This situation was unfolding in a way that was fundamentally different from the dramatic confrontation he had spent hours rehearsing in his head.
He turned his attention toward Lala, his expression softening into something he probably thought was dashing. "Lala, beautiful lady... surely you remember me? It's me, Ren!".
Lala tilted her head, a look of pure confusion crossing her features as she scanned his face. She searched through the vast library of her memories, trying to find a single entry that matched the muscular boy standing before her. "I'm sorry, I don't remember you at all," she said honestly. "Do I actually know you from somewhere?".
Ren's smile faltered for a fraction of a second, but he refused to let his spirit be crushed. It was only natural that she didn't recognize him; years had passed, and his physical transformation had been significant. He wasn't the same person he had been back then.
"I'm Ren! The boy you used to test all your inventions on when we were little children," he explained, his voice hopeful. "I spent quite a bit of time with you back then".
A spark of recognition finally ignited in Lala's eyes. "Oh! You're Ren, the crybaby!" she chirped, nodding enthusiastically as the memory clicked into place. "Yes, now I remember!".
Ren's face turned a shade of pink that rivaled his sister's hair. "Yes, I'm that... though I'm definitely not a crybaby anymore!" he insisted, though he seemed secretly thrilled that she remembered him at all.
Lala's expression then shifted to one of firm resolve. "Okay, but even if you are that Ren, you have no right to interfere in our relationship," she said, her voice clear and unwavering. "I love Akira, and I have no intention of being with anyone who isn't him".
Her words hit Ren like a physical blow. His sadness quickly curdled into a sharp, misguided anger—not directed at Lala, of course, but at the man he believed had poisoned her mind. He looked at me as if I were the architect of some grand deception.
"Damn you, Akira Sato!" Ren shouted, his voice thick with resentment. "I don't know how you've managed to brainwash her, but I won't allow my dear Lala to stay with someone like you! Be a man and accept my duel! If I win, you will walk away from Lala and leave her life forever!".
I remained seated, watching his outburst with a detached curiosity. "And if you lose?" I asked simply.
"Then I will never bother either of you again!" Ren promised, his eyes burning with conviction.
Under normal circumstances, I would have dismissed such a childish challenge without a second thought. But as I looked at him, I realized that I was actually feeling a bit restless. A little physical exertion might be just what I needed to clear my head.
"Fine," I conceded, standing up. "What exactly does this duel entail, and when are we doing this?".
Ren smirked, feeling as though he had already gained the upper hand. "Hmph. My direct combat skills might not be my strongest suit, but my physical conditioning is unparalleled," he boasted. "I'll give you a lesson in our physical education class. I happen to know that the teacher plans to have us do various exercises today; we will compete in all of them, and whoever wins the most events will be the victor".
I raised an eyebrow. How could you possibly know the lesson plan when you just arrived at school? I wondered. Then, a likely explanation dawned on me. It probably had something to do with Run and that perverted principal. For the promise of a little cleavage or a glimpse of some panties, that man would probably hand over the keys to the school and follow any order a beautiful student gave him without hesitation.
"I don't know how you came by that information, but... fine," I agreed with a shrug. "If it means you'll finally shut up and stop squawking, I accept".
Lala didn't voice any objection. She knew I had my own reasons for agreeing, and her faith in me was absolute; she knew I would never gamble our relationship if I wasn't entirely certain of the outcome.
While the boys were settling their terms, Haruka was fuming in her seat. Who did this Ren guy think he was?. She had been a fixture in this school long before he had even set foot on the planet, and in her mind, if anyone deserved the title of Lala's "lover," it was her, certainly not some muscle-bound boy. Though her feelings had been a bit of a mess since her last conversation with Lala, her devotion hadn't wavered; she had merely hit the pause button on her plans while she waited for a better opening.
Looking at Lala's indifferent expression toward Ren, Haruka felt a smug sense of satisfaction. It was clear that Lala had zero interest in the newcomer. In reality, Haruka probably had a much better chance with Lala than Ren did. It wasn't that Lala hated Ren, but their connection was virtually non-existent. To Lala, he had been nothing more than a convenient guinea pig for her childhood inventions—not even a friend.
If Ren had known that a girl in the class was currently higher on the leaderboard of Lala's potential interests than he was, he probably would have fainted from the shock. Of course, from Lala's perspective, Haruka was just another friend, in the same category as Momioka and the others.
(Note: It's probably time to give up when things reach this point... but let's see how Ren reacts in the future. Even I'm looking forward to it).
"Ahem! Have you two discussed this enough?" the teacher finally intervened, his patience visibly wearing thin. "Sit down immediately and stop wasting time! If you have differences to settle, do it after the final bell!".
The class scrambled to their seats as the teacher's shout finally restored order. Ren had tried to snag a seat next to Lala, but it was occupied. He then tried for the seat behind her, but Haruka met him with a look of such concentrated, murderous intent that he beat a hasty retreat. He was baffled—why did this random girl seem to loathe his very existence?. He eventually decided she must be one of Akira's secret admirers who was offended by how he had treated him. Damn you, Akira Sato! he cursed internally once more.
The rest of the morning classes proceeded with a strange, buzzing energy. Ren spent most of the time glaring at the back of my head, while Haruka spent an equal amount of time staring daggers at Ren. Technically, Akira should have been the target of her ire, but for some reason, all her frustration was being redirected toward Ren. How dare he try to swoop in on her Lala?.
Besides, even if Akira was her rival, she had to admit—privately, of course—that he was a decent person and a good friend. No! Akira is my rival, my enemy! What am I thinking?! she scolded herself, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. Since their talk, these confusing feelings had been popping up more often. Was it possible she was actually starting to like him, even just a little?. No, that's impossible. I have no interest in men, especially not my romantic rival!.
While Haruka wrestled with her identity crisis and Ren seethed in the corner, Lala and I were perfectly relaxed. Who could possibly be bothered by someone like Ren?.
Ren is essentially useless to me, I thought, my mind already drifting toward a more complex problem. My real goal is his sister, Run. I need to find a way to separate them permanently. Perhaps the Omnitrix's AI, now that it's more advanced, can calculate a solution. I didn't want to wait until they were technically adults by their race's standards to see them split. I'd have to see if the Omnitrix could manage it, or if I should just tell Lala and let her genius invent a device to do the job. It sounded absurd, but as they say, you never know until you try.
Finally, the time for the physical education class arrived. As Ren had predicted, the lesson was a "medley" of sports: track, long jump, and shot put.
"Get ready, because I am definitely winning this duel!" Ren declared, his eyes burning with a competitive fire.
The first event was simple enough: seven laps around the school's athletic track. The rule was straightforward: the first one to complete all seven laps would be the winner of the race.
"We'll see about that," I replied, maintaining my calm.
I had total confidence in my physical abilities. I might not have the raw, innate power of a Devilukian yet, but the Omnitrix had been steadily optimizing my human body over the past few weeks. I highly doubted I would lose to someone like Ren in a test of pure endurance and speed.
"I will win!" Ren shouted as the teacher signaled for the students to begin.
The teacher had intended for it to be a steady jog, but Ren and I took off like rockets the moment the word "start" left his lips. In another version of this story—perhaps one where a boy named Rito was in my place—Ren would have won this test with ease. But this was different. I wasn't in poor shape, and I could match Ren's pace without breaking a sweat.
The physical enhancement from the Omnitrix was truly remarkable. Ren was incredibly fast, and a few months ago, I would have had to transform into XLR8 just to keep sight of him. Now, I was running side-by-side with him using nothing but my own corrected physiology. My stamina felt almost bottomless; even as we finished the third lap, my breathing was steady and my legs felt light.
The rest of the students stopped their own exercise to watch the spectacle. Lala, Haruna, Dita, Momioka, and Mio were all watching intently. They had started the race with a bit of anxiety, worried that I might have bitten off more than I could chew, but seeing me hold my own against Ren turned their worry into pure admiration.
"I didn't know Akira could run that fast!" Momioka exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.
"He could have told us sooner; I was actually worried for a second," Mio added with a relieved smile. Both girls had grown to appreciate Akira so much that they were standing on the very edge of falling in love, even if they hadn't quite realized it yet.
Haruna, meanwhile, was watching my every move with an enchanted expression. In her eyes, the sight of me running with such power and grace was nothing short of perfect. Lala shared that sentiment, her eyes sparkling as she cheered for me.
Haruka, on the other hand, was a mess of conflicting emotions. Part of her wanted me to lose because I was her rival, but a larger part of her wanted to see me humiliate Ren for his arrogance. There was also a tiny, nagging part of her that was just as mesmerized by my performance as the other girls, a thought she tried desperately to squash.
By the sixth lap, neither of us had given an inch. To the onlookers, it looked like we were going to end in a dead heat, which was impressive enough. But just as we came within meters of the finish line on the final lap, I found an extra gear. I accelerated with a sudden, explosive burst of speed, pulling ahead of Ren by a clear margin and crossing the finish line first.
The crowd erupted. Even those who usually looked at me with envy couldn't help but cheer for such a dominant performance. Lala, Haruna, and Dita were at my side instantly. Lala produced a bottle of water from her portable storage, and she and Dita took turns helping me drink while Haruna used a soft towel to gently dab the sweat from my brow. The sight of three beautiful girls doting on me in the middle of the field was enough to make every other boy present turn green with jealousy.
Ren stood a few meters away, panting and incredulous. He had lost. He had actually lost to Akira Sato. And to add insult to injury, the girl he loved was currently ignoring him to pamper the winner.
"Damn you, Akira Sato!" Ren growled, his face contorted with fury. "This is far from over!".