Considering the heat outside, rather than putting on my jacket, I carried it on my arm. Putting on my sports shoes, I slang my bag on my shoulder and opened the main door.

"See ya later, Devil-chan." I waved at her as I walked outside.

"Mhm…" She nodded, holding the doorknob.

"Don't make a mess in the house…"

"I'm not a kid, you know?" With a sigh, she rolled her eyes, but I was completely in the mood to ruin her day as I replied with, "Looking at your intellect, I highly doubt that statement of yours."

"Please leave!" She yelped and slammed the door. This definitely brings a smile to my face.

I don't even know why I'm going to school today, considering the fact I have neither participated in any event nor was I the in-charge of any one. I could've stayed home and slept till afternoon.

Also Nee chan was coming to visit so I think I have to be present in order to show her around. It's not like she can do that by herself, as she has already visited my school a dozen times.

Though I may not have taken part in anything, my main motive was to stir up things with Senpai further and see how things go from there. It's been barely two weeks since I started talking with her, and till now, there has been no prominent progress. If things continue like this, it'll take me a heck of a long time to get her to fall for me.

As I was talking with Lilith about this, I asked her if the souls can affect the vessel directly and she told me they can but the probability of that happening is minimal unless some external force acts as a catalyst to stir things up.

Since the souls are hungry for life, it isn't weird that they will feed off the vessel's ambitions and dreams until the human is nothing but an empty vessel literally. Considering that possibility, it's harmful for Naoto too, as well as it lowers my chances to make her fall for me.

I have to think fast, and act accordingly otherwise I would be in a whole nother world of trouble. Deep in my thoughts, I didn't notice that I had reached the intersection already. Walking up behind the crown of people waiting at the intersection, I stopped and took out my mobile to check the time.

The surrounding crowd soon started to disperse, which meant that the light was green for us pedestrians. Putting my mobile back in my pocket, I walked to the other side of the road. As I was about to walk off, I noticed Tsumen walking towards me from far away.

I was waiting for him. As he walked closer, his eyes gazed towards me. Noticing my presence, he gave me a nod and continued walking as I joined him, too. He was wearing the jacket in this heat, though the chain was open and the sleeves were rolled up to his forearms.

"Are you nervous?" I asked, as he appeared rather calm and was humming the opening of his favourite anime.

"About?" His gazes shifted towards me, as he asked in a relaxed tone.

It was finally the day he had been waiting for so impatiently since the start of this year so I was wondering if he was nervous or not. Because usually in important situations like this, people face a sense of intense pressure and responsibility.

"Today is the day of judgement for you." I said.

He instantly replied, "I know… and that's why keeping a calm and collected composure is important."

Maybe this was his method of coping up with the pressure he was under. After all, everyone in his club had some expectations from him as he improved a lot since last year. Though his skills were great, it was his self doubt that made him step back even from places he can come out as the triumphant.

"Sounds weird coming from you, not gonna lie." I chuckled to lighten up the mood. The best I can do is give him a pep talk, but his club members are there for it, so I would rather keep it as normal as possible.

Narrowing his green eyes, a frown formed on his face as he asked, "Heh? And what about you?"

'Huh?" I looked at him in confusion as he continued, "Like last year, you didn't take part in any damn event, did you?'

"Bruh, even you know that I'm not athletically good." I replied, to which he just rolled his eyes and playfully punched me on the shoulder.

"Yeah, Yeah…" He said with an unsatisfied expression on his face.

I don't why but I had no desire to take part in anything or win prizes. It all seemed so distant from me that I lost my interest in them. Although I have won some trophies when I was a kid in sports only.

But it was the small Saishi who was an ambitious little kid with innocent dreams. The current Saishi is nothing but a useless guy with no will to improve, and who keeps living an average life as a rebellion against his parents.

To some inside me, I always wanted to come out on the top. As the only victor. But there was another part inside me which stopped me from trying my best and giving it my best. Maybe I was nothing but an insecure kid who was really average and used this as an excuse to hide his own incompetence.

I don't remember the expectations I had from high school me when I was in elementary school, but one thing I know for sure is that little Saishi would be really disappointed in high school Saishi.

We finally reached our school, and it definitely looked a lot different from the usual days. A crowd of people could be seen waiting near the gate, and the noise of chatter and microphones being tested from inside the campus could be heard easily.