"Eiji? Eiji?"
In a daze, a gentle voice called out beside his ear.
Eiji woke up from his sleep, rising with a bewildered expression.
In front of him stood a girl with long golden hair braided into a thick plait. Her features bore some resemblance to Souji, Nero, and the Ahoge girl.
She gazed at Eiji with gentle eyes, her lips curved into a friendly smile.
Huh, why does it seem like there are so many fated encounters with girls in this school?
"Jeanne…?"
"Yes, I'm Jeanne. Eiji, it's time to hand in your homework."
"Homework?"
Eiji repeated the word.
Then, as if doused with a bucket of cold water, he instantly sobered up.
His instincts kicked in—just hearing that word was enough to wake him up on the spot.
This was the classroom.
Last night, he had returned home just before dawn. After catching a short nap, he dragged himself to school, only to doze off at his desk due to sheer exhaustion. Before he knew it, it was time to turn in assignments.
Jeanne was the class president.
Since the other students were all too awed by the "God's sleeping visage" to dare disturb him, the task of waking Eiji naturally fell to her.
"Hmph."
Eiji crossed his arms and flashed a composed smile.
"I didn't do it!"
"…That's not exactly something to be proud of."
Jeanne looked momentarily baffled.
She had never encountered someone who could say they didn't do their homework with such confidence. She genuinely didn't know how to respond.
"Um, do you want to borrow mine? You can copy it quickly."
Jeanne made the suggestion.
What an angel!
If only I had a class president like this back in the day, I wouldn't have had to worry about finishing assignments or being punished by teachers!
"No need for that."
Eiji waved his hand confidently. "I, Eiji, may be a good student, but if I don't want to do homework, just report that to the teacher as it is."
"…What kind of 'good student' logic is that?"
Jeanne felt a headache coming on.
The legendary "God" was truly not an ordinary person.
His way of thinking was so out of the box that normal communication felt impossible.
If it were her younger sister, she'd probably force her to finish the homework, even if it meant wielding a whip.
But Jeanne didn't have much experience interacting with "God" and wasn't comfortable treating him strictly like she would her own sister.
"Then… I'll just tell the teacher that you forgot to bring it. But you should really try to complete it—I'll be collecting it again tomorrow."
Jeanne hesitated for a moment before ultimately backing down.
"Ugh, homework again…"
Eiji patted his face, trying to shake off the drowsiness.
Scathach had allowed him to join the student council, meaning he didn't have to worry about attendance, but the burden of doing homework remained.
Being nagged about assignments every day was annoying. Who could I get to write it for me?
"Achilles, who's the top student in our grade?"
"You're bothering me even when I'm this busy?!"
"Alright, carry on then."
Achilles looked livid.
He hadn't done his homework either—he was currently borrowing someone else's to copy.
Unlike Eiji, he didn't have Scathach's special permission, so if he didn't turn in his assignment, that Spartan teacher would definitely make him suffer.
"I know!"
Nearby, Suzuka Gozen excitedly raised her hand and answered, "The top student in first year is Jeanne. In second year, it's President Nero. As for third year… uh, I forgot."
"Jeanne is actually number one?"
"Yeah, that's probably why Scathach-sensei chose her as class president."
Eiji nodded thoughtfully.
Should I get Jeanne to do my homework?
But from the looks of it, she seems like the type who wouldn't help others cheat.
In fact, she'd probably lecture me about not relying on others.
Thinking about it, asking anyone in class to do it didn't seem like a good idea either.
"Ugh… sleepy. Gonna nap again."
Sleepiness washed over him once more. Eiji yawned.
He decided to ignore these trivial matters for now. Resting his head on the desk, he quickly dozed off again.
No one disturbed his sleep—not even the teachers.
Many of the faculty in Class 1-A were Heroic Spirits, but since they had no memories of their past lives, they didn't bother managing Eiji. Even the homeroom teacher left him alone, so why would anyone else care?
After all, everyone in school understood one thing—God was a privileged class all on his own.
By the time he woke up again, it was already past 3 PM—almost time for dismissal.
When the bell rang, Eiji didn't linger, nor did he chat with anyone. Instead, he went straight to the student council room.
"Ah~! This feels amazing!"
Soaking in the hot spring within the student council's private bath, all his fatigue quickly melted away.
"Right? Right? This is one of my finest creations!"
In the steamy waters, Nero lounged confidently, her body wrapped in a short towel that barely covered her.
"By the way, why are you in here so openly?"
"Hm? This is my bathhouse—why wouldn't I be here?"
Nero spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
…You make a good point. I have absolutely no rebuttal.
Eiji relaxed in the water, a towel wrapped around his lower half.
Nero's gaze swept over him like a laser, scrutinizing him with an almost artistic intensity.
"Such a perfect physique! Even someone as picky as I am can't find a single flaw!"
Having long since outgrown his former scrawny build, Eiji now exuded a powerful, vibrant energy. His tall, well-proportioned frame, enhanced by his natural charm, was so alluring that even other men might struggle to look away.
Nero openly admired him, eyes gleaming with appreciation, and even let out the occasional sound of gulping.
"Eiji, be honest with me—do you think I only fell for your looks?"
"Hmm? Isn't that the case?"
"…You're really blunt, huh?"
Nero was caught off guard by his straightforwardness.
This guy really says whatever's on his mind, no pretense at all.
To be honest, she despised two-faced people who said one thing and thought another. Eiji's directness, however, reassured her—she knew she hadn't misjudged him.
But precisely because of that, she felt a little uneasy.
"Do you not think I'm serious about you? Shouldn't love be sincere?"
After all, no matter how you looked at it, she had fallen for his appearance. She simply wanted to claim something beautiful as her own.
Just like the emperors and generals of old—who could ever resist a true beauty?
"I don't think there's anything wrong with it."
Eiji replied nonchalantly.
"Love is always based on looks at first. Isn't love at first sight just that? Besides, if I were ugly, would you have even noticed me?"
Nero shook her head without hesitation.
She adored beauty, indulged in extravagance, and relished luxury.
Even if an 'ugly' person had a beautiful soul, she'd never have the chance to appreciate it—because she wouldn't have noticed them in the first place.
It might not be romantic, but it was the undeniable truth.
"So don't worry about it. Just take it slow."
Eiji was completely at ease.
***
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