"Ooh~ That girl is so lucky..."

"I want a tall guy like that too... just look at those shoulders."

"Why is he so tall and muscular? Tch, some people just drown while others are starving to death out here."

"Do you think he's a model? He has to be a model."

The hushed, giggling whispers of several young women echoed through the brightly lit corridors of the premium shopping mall.

They walked past in small groups, casting not-so-subtle glances toward the tall, blonde young man leaning casually against a polished marble pillar.

"Master, they're complimenting you," Riffi commented softly from her comfortable perch on Koya's broad shoulder.

'I'm well aware…' Koya muttered internally, running a hand across his forehead with a long, drawn-out sigh. He adjusted the brim of his budget disguise cap, hoping to shield his face a bit more from the prying eyes of the public.

They had finished the terrifying movie a while ago, barely surviving the sensory assault of The Grinning Entity, and had subsequently gone for lunch to calm their racing nerves.

Saki had surprisingly chosen a popular, bustling Maid Cafe in the heart of the entertainment district. Koya honestly had to admit, talking with Saki in a relaxed environment while being served genuinely good food and colorful drinks by overly enthusiastic maids was perhaps the best way to enjoy a late lunch.

The omurice had been excellent, even if the mandatory magical chanting was a bit embarrassing but now, the dynamic had shifted.

He was currently standing in the middle of a generic, high-end shopping mall scene, fulfilling his duty of helping Saki pick out some dresses that caught her eye.

Normally, men absolutely weren't allowed to step into the exclusive Female section of this particular boutique, let alone hover near the changing rooms.

However, if the woman explicitly confirmed to the staff that the man was her boyfriend, or at least someone she was deeply comfortable with, the strict rules were bent so Saki had confidently dragged him past the velvet ropes without a second thought.

'Well, it's still illegal to enter the actual changing room without permission from the staff…' Koya thought with a sigh, crossing his arms over his chest but that wasn't the main issue pressing on his mind right now.

The major issue was that all these passing women were staring at him all the time. Didn't they get tired or something? He was just a guy waiting for a girl to try on clothes.

Suddenly, the heavy velvet curtains of the fitting booth parted with a soft swish. The Professor stepped out, a brilliant, genuinely happy smile gracing her beautiful features as she showed him her chosen dress.

"How do I look?" Saki asked, doing a small elegant twirl. "You like?"

Koya blinked, momentarily stunned into silence.

The dress was absolutely stunning, a deep, midnight-blue cocktail gown made of a rich silk that caught the overhead lights perfectly.

It was a sleeveless design with a tasteful but plunging sweetheart neckline that perfectly accentuated the soft, voluminous swell of her breasts, pushing them up just enough to be incredibly alluring without being overly scandalous.

The fabric hugged her slender waist tightly before flowing down to mid-thigh, clinging perfectly to the smooth natural curves of her hips.

A high slit on the left side revealed a generous amount of her pale, toned leg. It made her look mature, elegant, and breathtakingly beautiful.

Koya nodded slowly, his voice completely genuine. "It looks really good on you, Saki. The color suits your real hair perfectly."

Saki's blush deepened at the direct compliment, a rosy tint spreading across her pale cheeks. She nodded, her hands smoothing down the silk fabric over her hips.

"I'm glad you think so. There was one last thing I wanted to try out, though... A bikini."

Koya raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly. "What do you need a bikini for right now? Summer is still a bit away."

Saki waved a hand dismissively, though her eyes darted away nervously.

"Well, for your first Real School exams tomorrow, you guys will be going to a—" She suddenly paused, her eyes widening slightly as a massive blush overtook her entire face.

She aggressively clamped her mouth shut, realizing she had almost let a massive secret slip. "N-nevermind! I wasn't supposed to mention that! Just wait here while I change!"

Without giving him a chance to question her slip-up, she quickly pulled back on the curtains, sealing herself inside the booth once more.

Koya leaned back against the stand nearby, running a hand through his blonde hair and knocking his budget cap askew by mistake before putting it back.

'I wonder what tomorrow's exams are really going to be…' Koya thought as he stared at the closed velvet curtain.

In the original manga storyline, the physical assessment exam was a highly anticipated event… It was some sort of expansive VR world battle royale where everyone from all the classes was going to be dropped into a simulated environment to fight each other.

The class that managed to win the battle royale would be given a massive, set number of Class Points, potentially shifting the entire hierarchy of the school. Meanwhile, the individual students that managed to survive and remain until the end would be given a hefty sum of Individual Points.

But things had already changed significantly.

Given that the Buffer Tournament had occurred which was an event that absolutely didn't happen in the original manga timeline, Koya honestly wasn't sure if the Principal was going to change the mid-terms as well.

'Should I ask Saki, though?' He finished the thought, pondering the ethical implications. Well, they did have a really nice date today, and she had already let slip that it might involve water, given her sudden desire to buy a bikini.

She could probably tell him everything if he pressed her nicely.

Before he could formulate a plan… the melodic ringing of the assistance bells inside the changing room echoed out.

As Koya moved to check, a person was already there, stepping past him with efficiency. It was one of the boutique workers dressed in a sleek uniform.

That was what the bell meant; the person in the room had undergone some problems with changing or encountered an issue with their clothes and needed immediate staff assistance.

Standing outside, Koya could clearly hear their conversation through the thick fabric of the curtains.

"Ma'am, do you need help in there?" The maid-like worker asked politely, unzipping the side of the curtain slightly to peek in.

"Yes, please," Saki's frustrated voice filtered out. "I need help wearing this top piece... the bra strap just doesn't fit right. It's too tight around the back."

The worker stepped fully into the booth.

"Oh, let me see... Ah, it's not that it's too big or small, ma'am, but you simply didn't fit it properly around the clasp. You have to lift and hook it like this… Hold still."

What followed was a series of muffled grunts, the snapping of elastic, and a few frustrated sighs from Saki. Koya aggressively cleared his throat and looked away, staring intently at a rack of overpriced scarves to distract himself from the incredibly suggestive noises coming from mere feet away.

A minute later, the curtains finally opened wide.

The maid stepped out with a highly professional, satisfied smile on her face, holding the midnight-blue dress over her arm and behind her, Saki stepped out into the display area, wearing the bikini.

Koya's breath genuinely hitched in his throat.

The bikini was a striking, bold crimson red that contrasted incredibly well with her pale skin and now raven-black hair. It was a classic string two-piece, but the design was distinctly mature.

The top was a halter-style cut that tied securely around her neck, doing a phenomenal job of supporting and lifting her heavy shapely breasts with the soft mounds pressing together to create a deep alluring cleavage. The bottoms were equally captivating, sitting high on her waist to accentuate the flare of her hips.

The fabric clung tightly to her, highlighting the firm, plush shape of her ass and the long, toned length of her legs. She looked like a professional gravure idol stepping off the pages of a magazine.

Saki immediately blushed under his intense gaze, her arms instinctively coming up to cross partially over her exposed chest. "W-well? Do you like it?"

Koya forced himself to maintain eye contact, nodding affirmatively. "It fits you a lot, Saki. You look amazing."

Saki let out a long, shaky sigh of relief, dropping her arms to her sides. The maid stepped down from the small platform, her smile widening.

"The lady looks absolutely gorgeous," the worker praised.

She then turned to Koya. "She said that she would buy all the clothes that you said looked cool on her. Did you want anything for yourself, sir? We have an excellent catalog. We could go to the Male section next and find some matching outfits!"

Koya glanced at the worker, then pulled his phone from his pocket, tapping the screen to check the time.

The digital numbers glowed starkly against the screen. "Maybe next time. It's almost curfew."

Saki blinked, stepping out of the booth entirely as the maid respectfully walked off to process the purchases.

"It's almost time?" she asked with a hint of disappointment lacing her tone.

ALI had chosen to be incredibly strict about their curfews during the highly anticipated Mid-terms period. The lockdown happened exactly at 7:00 PM.

If you weren't physically inside your designated dorm building by that exact time, the administration would erect the massive, impenetrable ALI magical barrier, completely preventing entry into the campus. Furthermore, they would ruthlessly deduct a massive chunk of Individual Points from your balance as a penalty.

The harsh rule applied to both students and Professors alike so nobody was exempt.

"Yes, it does," Koya said with a nod, showing her the glowing screen of his phone. "It's 6:00 PM alre—"

He was abruptly interrupted. Saki snatched the dress from the hook and violently closed the curtains in a sheer panic.

"H-hold on! I'll be fast so we can get going immediately!" she shouted from behind the velvet barrier, the sounds of frantic changing echoing loudly.

…

Saki and Koya ran along the bustling, neon-lit streets of Keropolis Supercity. The grand, imposing architecture of the Academy of ALI was not too far away in the distance with its towering spires illuminated against the evening sky.

They had about forty minutes to spare, but neither of them wanted to risk cutting it close.

"I think we can calm down now…" Saki said with a heavy, exhausted sigh as she finally slowed to a brisk walk. She pulled a delicate handkerchief from her purse and wiped some glistening sweat from her forehead. "I can't believe we ran all the way from the transit station..."

"Well, neither of us wants to stay out in the city until the next morning," Koya said with a sigh, his own breathing perfectly even thanks to his immense physical conditioning.

Riffi nodded in agreement from his shoulder, her claws gripping his shirt tightly to avoid falling off during the sprint. "Misora would kill me… Quite literally, she might assassinate me."

He had even only gotten a tiny, rushed bite of the delicious lunch she was making back at the dorm before he had run off for this secret date.

The undercover Princess would certainly be incredibly pissed by now, likely pacing the floor and plotting his demise.

"I can understand having a roommate like that. It was the exact same here when I was a student," Saki said with a bit of a nostalgic laugh, her breathing finally evening out.

She looked up at the towering gates of the academy approaching in the distance. "One of these days... when she comes back from the Front lines, I'll introduce the two of you. So... did you enjoy the date?"

Her heart beat frantically in her chest as she asked the question, her eyes locked onto the pavement.

She had a massive list of things that she had originally wanted to do with him… visiting the botanical gardens, trying out the VR coaster but given their limited time, she had only been able to fit in the arcade, the movie, the cafe, and the shopping.

She had also desperately wanted to shop for clothes for him too, since he was so patient helping her shop, but time was the ultimate enemy as usual. If he asked her the same question, she knew her answer. Yes, she really, genuinely enjoyed it even the terrifying movie.

"I really enjoyed it," Koya said sincerely "It's much better than any date that I could ever plan on my own. What about you, did you enjo—"

"Of course I did!" Saki perked up immediately, cutting him off with a massive, radiant blush spreading across her cheeks.

She looked away, tucking a stray strand of black hair behind her ear. "I wouldn't mind doing this again when you're no— I-I'm— Whatever... do you have anything else to say before I go to the Professor's wing?"

Koya stopped walking as they reached the edge of the campus grounds. He turned to face her fully with his expression turning slightly more serious.

"Right, so Professor... are you going to tell me about the exams tomorrow?" Koya asked smoothly, his eyes locking onto hers. "Just so I can know what to expect. Since I had a good performance in this Buffer Tournament, I want to keep my momentum going."

Saki looked very thoughtful for a brief moment then, her expression shifted, her eyes narrowing as a dark glint entered them.

"Wait..." she stepped closer, poking a manicured finger hard into his chest.

"Did you come on this entire date just to make me tell you about these exams?!" She asked, gritting her teeth in sudden, fiery annoyance.

Koya instantly raised his hands in surrender, shaking his head rapidly. "No, no, I didn't! I genuinely enjoyed our time together but since we're here, I would really like to know about them if you have any hints."

Saki stared at him for a long, intense second before finally sighing with her tense shoulders dropping.

She shook her head in defeat. "Even if I wanted to tell you, I can't. Even the Professors don't know what the physical exams are going to be about this time. The Principal called a sudden meeting and said he would change the entire format at the very last second to ensure no one had an unfair advantage."

Koya blinked, mildly surprised by the deviation from the manga's lore, but he nodded gracefully. "I see. That was fine, then. I really did enjoy the date, Saki."

She smiled brightly at his use of her first name and the annoyance melted away instantly. "Thank you, Koya... and if you're free for another one after the exams, I'll free up my schedule an— Create: Teleport."

Before she could even finish her flustered sentence, a complex, glowing magic circle erupted beneath her high heels. She teleported away in a flash of blinding blue light, leaving a loud pop and a sudden displacement of wind behind that ruffled Koya's clothes.

Koya blinked, staring at the empty space where the beautiful professor had just been standing. 'If she could use high-tier teleportation magic this whole time... then why the hell had we been running so desperately through the streets?'

Regardless of the glaring logical inconsistency, Koya adjusted his shirt and walked toward the towering gates of ALI.

As he crossed the threshold, he casually took off his disguise, starting by pulling off his budget cap and letting his vibrant blond hair blow freely in the evening wind. He threw the cheap cap into a nearby public incinerator bin, and then tossed his fake glasses in after it.

"It's time... to face the devil." Koya said with a heavy shake of his head. He could practically feel Misora's terrifying, murderous gaze locking onto him from her dorm window even from here, and she absolutely wasn't happy.

…

"Koya-kun, why do you look so incredibly pale?" Mio asked the very next day.

They were all standing together in a massively expansive, stadium-sized room located deep within the subterranean levels of the academy.

The sheer scale of the gathering was breathtaking. All the students of the prestigious ALI were packed into this single room, ranging all the way from the elites in Class 1 down to the underdogs in Class 5.

Everywhere in this colossal room, there were sleek, metallic pods. They were gathered in dense clusters in the center, lining the ground in perfect, symmetrical rows that stretched as far as the eye could see.

There were pods everywhere with their glass visors reflecting the harsh sterile overhead lights and everyone was waiting in tense anticipation for what was coming next.

"Well, I didn't eat dinner last night, or breakfast this morning.." Koya replied, his voice slightly weak as he shook his head. He subtly glanced over his shoulder at Misora, who was standing a few feet away with a group of Class 5 students.

However, once the beautiful brown-haired woman saw him looking pitifully in her direction, she immediately turned her head away with a dramatic harrumph.

"Hmph!" Misora scoffed, crossing her arms and entirely ignoring his existence.

It was really quite cute to see the terrifying, undercover Princess of the world acting like a petty, scorned wife, but her punishment was severe.

She was purposely starving him. When he had finally returned to the dorm last night and desperately tried to cook something for himself, she had aggressively deployed a destructive spell and completely destroyed the high-tech cooker in a fit of rage.

Not eating wouldn't kill him anyway, thanks to his enhanced constitution as an Awakened, so he wasn't horribly bothered by the physical toll, but he genuinely missed her cooking. She made incredibly good food, almost rivaling his own sister, Reona.

Suddenly, the massive industrial intercoms bolted to the high ceilings blared to life.

"Greetings, Everyone!" Tech Tube's voice boomed, echoing off the metallic walls. "I will be the one exclusively supervising the third day of your ALI Mid-term exams. You may refer to me as Tech Tube, the living AI and an unhackable one too!"

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

"There are more than enough synchronization pods here for all of you," Tech Tube continued. "Everyone, approach an open pod and stand inside it to officially start your exams. Be warned: this assessment won't take place in the physical world of the living, but rather in the absolute confines of Advanced Virtual Reality. Do it immediately, students, as there is absolutely no time to waste!"

There was a massive, collective shuffling of boots and sneakers against the metal floor as everyone immediately scrambled to get into their own respective pods.

Koya approached one nearby. Once you placed your hand on the biometric scanner of a pod, the heavy glass door hissed and slid open, allowing you to step inside the cramped, padded interior.

"I guess I'll see you later, Koya-kun! Good luck!" Mio called out. She turned and walked off toward a cluster of pods waving cheerfully over her shoulder.

Koya nodded back before turning his attention to the sleek machine next to him. Putting his hand on the cold metal door, it recognized his hand, hissed open, and he stepped inside.

The interior was dark and the door slid shut behind him with an airtight seal, plunging him into darkness.

Above him, something opened and a heavy, complex device lowered itself from the ceiling of the pod. It was a sensory-deprivation VR helmet.

"Put the helmet on and close your eyes securely," Tech Tube's voice instructed softly from a small speaker inside the pod.