When the smoke cleared out, a figure of a hooded boy in black clothing was revealed standing at the center of the stage. Striking your typical chuunibyou pose, he opened his mouth and said to everyone watching.
"I am Phantom! The hero who lurks in the shadows."
He claimed himself as the anonymous guy named "Phantom", the masked male model in that one magazine with Haruka Fujimiya, the top rising idol.
"It's the Phantom guy! He rally came!"
"The masked guy with Haruka-san in that monthly idol magazine issue? You mean that's him?"
"Wait, does that mean he really does go to our school!? So Hidetoshi Fumidai was telling the truth!?"
The crowd got riled up as gossips emerged about the anonymous guy 'Phantom', the guy that got featured in the photoshoot with Haruka-san, the top rising idol.
Unbeknown to Yukiya Saito, Phantom was the talk all over social media for being featured in that one magazine with Haruka Fujimiya. It has gained a lot of traction and conspiracies on who could the mysterious person be behind the mask. It might be a surprise celebrity, or a totally new talent. Who really knows?
While everything is happening, Yukiya Saito just stood there, lost in his own world thinking.
'Kukuku, that was probably my best entrance yet... I'm so glad I brought my smoke bombs with me today.'
[This series does not promote you bringing smoke bombs to school.]
Well, it's not like I bring smoke bombs with me everyday and everywhere I go. The ones that let out so much smoke was hella expensive. The only reason I brought some today was I got a feeling that something interesting might happen today, and it actually did.
"So you're the Phantom guy I was hearing so much a bout."
Hidetoshi Fumidai approached and glared at me with hostility. I stood there thinking,
'Huh? ..People talk about me?'
It's not like I had that much interaction since school started, so I wondered what could it be about.
Thinking back on it now. 'Who is he anyway? I don't believe I have met him before.'
One more thing I was curious about was, how did he even know where to find me?
He seems like he goes to a different school. At least the one who challenged me so far(the letters) actually goes to our school. So who is he?
For someone going to such lengths just to challenge me, there must be a special reason as to why.
Anyways, let's just lowkey deduct what's happening for now and asses the situation.
"Who sent you?"
I asked Hidetoshi Fumidai in my deep monotonous mysterious shadow hero voice.
"Shadow Marionette told me I could find you here. I'm not sure how reliable the info is at first, but I got you now you son of a"
'Shadow Marionette? ...I see. I think I'm getting a grasp of the situation '
I smirked and thought to myself, as though I finally figured everything out.
"I see, so that's how it is."
"Shadow Marionette" is Ayaka's character name.
'So Ayaka was the one who sent him here.'
Hidetoshi Fumidai then proceeded to state his purpose.
"I came here to test if you really were worthy of being Haruka-san's partner. And to prove that I, Hidetoshi Fumidai am superior."
I put my hand to my chin trying to process the info so far and deduct the situation at hand.
'I see... The most likely thing that happened was; Ayaka tried bragging about me telling how cool her brother was. Then this Hidetoshi Fumidai guy tried to deny I am the coolest being that has ever existed and argued that he was the cooler person of the both of us. [This didn't happen.]
'That must mean the reason he came to our school was to settle who truly was the cooler person.'
'It's obviously me but judging by how he acts, I think he's roleplaying an arrogant character that has power to support his claims.'
'There's no way someone in real life actually acts so narcissistically, right?'
I nodded to myself coming up with my own assumptions.
'But what has Haruka-san got to do with this?'
While I was stuck there in my thoughts, Hidetoshi Fumidai tried to catch my attention because I seemed like I was already spacing out.
"Hey, are you listening?"
I did not notice he was already speaking to me.
"Ah, sorry. You look so insignificant that I forgot to listen. Can you repeat that again?"
I said as if looking down at him as I speak.
I was tryin to answer his narcissistic attitude with my arrogant shadow hero act, as the all powerful and mysterious character known as Phantom.
"You little-"
Hidetoshi almost lost his temper but can't as there was so many people watching. He remembers he still have a public image to maintain.
'Calm down. I can just pay him back later ten fold once we begin the competition.'
Grinding his teeth in anger, he ominously smiled and promised that.
'I'll definitely humiliate him in front of everyone for this. I'll demonstrate to the world who's the better talent fit to be by Haruka-san's side.'
After calming himself down, Hidetoshi Fumidai officially proposed.
"You are the Phantom guy, correct. You may have already heard earlier. But I'll repeat it once again."
"I challenge you to a duel. Let us all see who comes out on top. I'll make sure you realize how big the gap between us was."
He proposed, extending his right hand to me to confirm my answer.
I stared at his hand, pretending to be thinking for a second then took it. I told him,
"Sure, although I already knew the outcome."
I held his hand, officially accepting Hidetoshi Fumidai's challenge for a duel.
For some reason. I could feel a tight grip coming from him as we shake hands.
"I swear I'll definitely crush you."
He told me with a smile while grinding his teeth.
Was this perhaps hostility?
I gripped his hand with equally the same force and replied to his taunt.
"I'd like to see you try."
With an unfazed expression on my face, I sneered back at him. As if saying, I can't see that thought happening, but I am willing to see you try.
Mocha-san on the audience, still confused on what is going on.
'No, really? What the hell is happening?'
With the confirmation of the duel, a battle between Fumidai and I will occure to conclude who really was the superior person out of the both of us.