Reishi and Mina arrived at Principals Yamane's office.

The office was painted grey, and it had only one floor-to-ceiling window, which faced the main road. On the grey desk sat a desktop computer, a notebook lying open, and a stack of papers sitting under a turtle-shaped paperweight. In a corner, the air conditioner was blasting at medium, and there was a swivel chair in the middle of the office. A bookshelf, bursting with books was in a corner, with yet another stack of papers under a paperweight that was shaped to look like a tuft of grass. A few pens were lying on the papers, but some had fallen onto the top of the bookshelf.
There was also a backroom which is most likely a storage room of some kind.

Reishi looked around and saw there was another girl besides Mina In the Vicinity.
She was Purple haired with flamboyant green eyes and a sturdy chest although she was a bit pudgy with a slightly protruding thicc belly.

?: Finally, You two are here.

Mina: Hey Akeno.

Mina said casually. They appeared to know each other.

Akeno: Did sakoshi perv on you again?

Mina: Y-Yes. But Reishi here helped comfort me….

She said. Akeno looked at Reishi.

Reishi: You're akeno right?.

Akeno: Yeah. You're Reishi Right?

Reishi: The one and Only.

Akeno narrowed her eyes at Reishi

Akeno: Hmph. Glad that you're on our team. The other two boys left. They looked weak as fuck.

She snarled. Akeno seemed to be very stoic and straight to the point.

Reishi: O-Oh Really?

Mina: I don't think It's nice to judge them Like that Akeno-San.

Akeno: I don't think it's nice that we're being forced into to participating in this "Tournament".

Reishi: Me neither.

Mina: Well, Think of it as A positive experience! at least we can show off our dueling skills!

Akeno: The only thing I'm going to show off is my ass once-

She was interrupted by The opening the backdoor.
Ayuri Yamane came out….. ? She had a jar in hand we was tapping it casually.

Yamane: Oh! I'm glad that you all are all here! Hope you all are having a wonderful day.

Mina: You too.

Yamane: Would you all like some Hazelnuts~?

She put the jar on her desk.

Mina: Sure! I love nuts!

Reishi: Y-You Shouldn't say that so casually.

Akeno: I'll Take some Nuts too.

Akeno shoved her hand into the jar pulling out a handful of roasted hazelnuts and shoved them into her mouth chewing them savagely like the slob she was.
Mina did the same except with only about three in her palm.
Reishi Wasn't hungry so She didn't even bother.

Yamane Laughed.

Yamane: You know… The hazelnut Actually has a very interesting history.

Yamane: It was first grown in scotland as A way to start a bonfire, But over time People started to realize it had a edible quality to it~ After all,You can roast them, Bake them… put them into a pie, Anything you want! Their very versatile~

Yamane: I loved Hazelnuts So much That I named my daughter after them.

The three girls looked perplexed at their principals lecture about hazelnuts.

Mina: Excuse me Miss yamane. Not be disrespectful or anything but why are you telling us this?

She asked.

Yamane: Because, You girls are like Hazelnuts to me. On the outside their bland and boring but when you put them in the oven they simmer and become yummy~

Akeno: Is that a compliment or-

Yamane: What I'm saying is that You all have potential.

Mina: Potential?

Yamane: I'm think you all figured out that I didn't pick you five at random. I picked you because you five are the greatest in this school.

Reishi: Miss Yamane with all due respect, We really don't want to participate in this tournament.

Yamane: I understand. That's what the boys said as well. But have you ever considered that maybe this is for a greater cause?

Reishi: Greater cause?

Yamane: You see… When I was young I use to work on a farm with my daddy. Can you guess what we farmed.

Akeno,Reishi,Mina: Hazelnuts.

Yamane: Haha~ How'd you all guess?

She joked.

Yamane: It was definitely an odd choice of crop to grow in japan. The mountainous nature of this nation made it hard to grow them.

Yamane: But after awhile the started to Blossom into full grown Hazelnuts.
Afterwards, we made a decent amount of money selling these new "foreign" type of crop to the japanese public.

Yamane: While the rest of my family was jubilant in their new found wealth. I wasn't I hated leaving on the farm and ran away when I was 17.

Mina: What happened next?

Yamane: After about 3 weeks after I had ran away. I had run out of money and so I had returned home~

Reishi: And?

Yamane: …..

Yamane: I-I had come back to find our entire estate Burned down….
My brothers
Sisters.
Parents
Were all dead.

They all stood silent at their principals revelation. Fear and pity in their hearts for her dark story festered their Minds.

Yamane: Thats why hazelnuts are so special to me. They remind of what I was doing wasn't meaningless or pointless….. it contributed to something.

she got got up from her desk and proceeded to walk towards her backroom.

Yamane: So Maybe... Everything we do is for a Greater Cause.

She looked at Reishi in particular.

Yamane: The matches will be at Kaibacorp Sanctuary - Arena 5. You'll be going first, reishi.

She closed the door as she entered her other room.
Leaving the girls decide if they gave into sadness or hope.

Author: Not my favorite chapter of this story. It's super cringey and makes me want to vomit.