Love this new chapter, though i honestly hope to see Shirogane interacting with Haru in the future, trying to understand why this girl who never won any race and could be called "weak" by professional uma racing is somehow popular and loved by so many others.
Meanwhile, i've decided to give a try at making an omake, i apologize for any spelling mistake since english isn't my first language.
"Old Classmates"
It was after a new day of training have passed, her classmates already spent almost all of their stamina that they decided to end after she started to win more and more races.
Shirogane, leaning against a rail and drinking from her water bottle, gazing upon her classmates laying of the turf resting and panting for breath after running almost all day, was the first to notice the steps. Her ears, who many have mentioned had the tendency to move more than others always searching new sounds, turned to her side before her head followed them.
A young man was walking towards her, looking to be around 25 or 30 years old. Secretary Tazuna was some meters behind him looking curious at the man action but not alarmed which at least made clear to Shirogane that this man was not an stranger that sneaked into the academy, maybe a new trainer or at least one she never saw before.
Only a few seconds later he stopped right in front of her. Shirogane lowers her bottle and keeps her eyes on him, aware of how her classmates are all watching her and this stranger(she makes an effort to ignore the whispers of some of them about "fan" or "a confession?"). This close she is able to see more details. He's wearing a suit, the kind an office worker would use, with a mix of black and dark purple in it with some gold on his sleeves, the most eyecatching detail is that in place of a regular tie he was using some sort of ornament in the shape of a small crimson sphere. His face, unlike the rest of his appearance, was what she could only call the most regular face she could imagine, the kind that coud be lost in a crowd easely.
For some reason Shirogane felt as if she could recognize him even though she knew she never met this man before.
"It's been some time" he said, and just like his face his voice had nothing that she could call special, just another voice of many, yet Shirogane could feel how his tone carried a nostalgic feeling and his eyes saw her as if he was meeting an old friend after so long.
Shirogane decided to ignore the weird feeling of familiarity he gave him, "Do i know you?", she asked, watching as the man gave a resigned smile at her words as if saying 'of course you would say that'.
"Yeah, there's no way you would recognize like this, those two didn't either until we got to talk", saying this the man put his hand inside his jacket as if looking for something, only the fact that Tazuna remained calm while looking at him kept Shirogane from bolting, ignoring the instinct of running in case this man had some sort of weapon she remained in place waiting for him to take out what he was looking for.
"Can't believe that Kazuma actually convinced me to try this", he finally took the object out and Shirogane saw that it was a mask, like the type one could get on a carnival. The man started to put on the mask while Shirogane started to notice the mask details and the feeling of familiarity returned even stronger.
"Maybe using this from now on will be easier, after all, i really wanted to speak with you since i notice you were here", finally he put on the mask and Shirogane coud see it clearly, a skull mask was staring at her, "after all, we are old classmates, isn't that right, Tanya?".
Memories of another life came to Shirogane, not his life as a salaryman or as a too young soldier sent to battle, but those of a school, of others like her.
Memories of a guy on a tracksuit, an overlord and a pervert. Memories of a big red button.
"...Ainz?", Tanya Degurechaff, the Devil of the Rhyne, asked to her old classmate.
"Glad to see you again, Tanya", Ainz Ooal Gown, Overlord and King of Nazarick, smiled at his friend question.
So, this is the short Omake i though of, the idea is that the other Isekai Quartet protagonists are also here, or at least Ainz, Kazuma and Subaru since i don't really know much about the other isekai protagonist introduced later. Kazuma and Subaru, being still students close to Shirogane age are still studying for their training license(cause i don't have any other idea to get them close to the academy, maybe they are shown as apprentices of other adult trainers), meanwhile, Ainz is already a licensed trainer, considered a sort of young prodigy, even though he doesn't have the same amount of experience as other trainers he has shown his abilities with some great trainees, but again that role is just to have an excuse to get the group to interact while Tanya is still an student.
