"K-kendo Club?" Kiba's stuttered.
If he recalled correctly, the Kendo Club's captain, Meguri Tomoe, was one of Student Council President Sona Sitri's peerage, a reincarnated devil.
While Kuoh Academy had its share of devils, they were a small fraction of the student body.
Roy's knack for zeroing in on devil-run clubs—first the Occult Research Club, now the Kendo Club—felt uncanny.
Was it dumb luck or some fated tie to devils?
"How'd you pick the Kendo Club?" Kiba asked.
"Some classmates in my class are members. They invited me," Roy explained.
"I've dabbled in kendo before, so it'd be an easy fit."
"And, honestly, I figured I could slack off a bit," he added with a grin.
"Slack off?" Kiba laughed, incredulous.
"You're dreaming if you think the Kendo Club's a place for that."
"The captain's a stickler. Training's intense— kendo swings all day. You'll see members practicing even at lunch."
"If you want to coast, skip sports clubs."
"They're all about drills. Try a literature club for slacking," Kiba suggested.
"If my kendo skill's are good enough, even the captain might let me off, right?" Roy said, smirking.
"Oh?" Kiba raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
That kind of confidence hinted at real skill.
"Didn't peg you for a pro, Roy," Kiba said.
As a swordsman himself, Kiba saw no telltale signs of training in Roy's posture.
Either Roy was a beginner, or his skill was so refined it left no trace.
"Just a bit of practice," Roy said modestly.
"We should spar sometime," Kiba said, smiling.
"I train with swords too, but my club keeps me out of the Kendo Club."
"I usually practice alone."
As a friend, Kiba figured he could help Roy polish his skills, assuming he was a beginner.
The odds of Roy being a master seemed slim.
"Sounds good," Roy nodded eagerly.
"But, Roy, fair warning," Kiba added.
"The Kendo Club's captain is tough."
"Thinking you'll slack under her watch? Good luck."
"That strong, huh? Now I'm curious," Roy said, feigning anticipation.
"Is the Kendo Club active right now?" he asked.
"It's a big club. Plenty of members, so someone's always there, even at lunch," Kiba said.
"Wanna check it out?"
"I want to see this captain you're hyping up," Roy nodded.
Kiba's gut twinged with doubt.
Roy's calm confidence, unfazed by talk of a formidable opponent, was almost too bold.
Was he bluffing, or was he the real deal?
"I'll come with. You probably don't know where their dojo is," Kiba said, curiosity piqued.
After lunch, they left the cafeteria for the Kendo Club.
Two handsome guys walking together drew inevitable attention.
From the cafeteria to the dojo, they sparked whispers among passing girls.
Then, a few figures caught Roy's eye.
Leading was a girl with shoulder-length black hair and glasses, her sharp, intelligent face radiating authority.
Her poised stride screamed discipline, like a strict scholar from an older era.
Behind her trailed another girl, tall with long black hair reaching her knees, also wearing glasses.
Her demeanor mirrored the leader's.
Students bowed politely as they passed, a sign of respect.
"Kiba, this is," Roy stuttered.
"Thats Sona Sitri and Shinra Tsubaki," Kiba explained, then teased, "isn't she?"
"Kiba," Roy said, straight-faced.
"I'm pumped to join the Student Council."
"Remember why I came here?" he added.
Kiba's expression faltered.
"Perfect," Roy said, exhaling dramatically.
"You said the Kendo Club's captain is on the Student Council, right? Guess joining's a must," Roy said, dead serious.
Even during lunch, the dojo hummed with activity.
Most members were girls, dressed in white kendo uniforms, practicing with wooden swords.
Some sat on the floor, chatting animatedly.
A girl with reddish-brown hair moved among the trainees, correcting stances and offering tips.
"Is he joining the Kendo Club?"
"Who's that with him? He's gorgeous!"
Roy and Kiba's arrival at the dojo's entrance sparked gasps and cheers.
Practicing girls paused, and those lounging scrambled to fix their appearances.
"Kiba-san, what brings you to the Kendo Club?" Meguri Tomoe, the captain, asked, her eyes on Kiba.
As a knight in Sona'd peerage, she rarely interacted with Rias's peerage, like Kiba.
Club visits were even rarer, making his presence a surprise.
"It's ," Kiba said, glancing at Roy.
"This is Roy Flott, a transfer student. He's curious about the Kendo Club, so I tagged along."
"Hey, Captain Meguri. I'm Roy Flott," Roy said, smiling politely.
"Hi, I'm Meguri Tomoe, Kendo Club captain," she replied, eyeing Roy curiously.
"Heard my class buzzing about a transfer student today, guessing which club you'd pick."
"Didn't expect you'd come here."
"I've got some kendo experience, so I thought I'd check it out," Roy said.
"You've some experience?" Meguri studied him, then nodded.
"That'll make starting easier."
"Captain, no guys in the club? It's all girls," Roy noted.
Meguri gave a wry smile.
"Last semester, a few boys applied, but they're still on probation. No official male members yet."
Kuoh's history as a girls' school meant boys were new, and the Kendo Club's appeal often drew guys with less-than-pure motives.
Meguri weeded those out, only keeping boys genuinely dedicated to kendo on a trial basis.
Read advance chapters at:
200 Stones = 1 chapter
400 Stones = 2 chapter