Chapter 136 The Most Fearsome Duo
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
After seeing Himeno and Chikako off to the Academy and returning to the disposal floor, Fujisaki was killing time by practicing the forms of the Phoenix Temple Spear Technique (Hououin-ryu) spear arts.
”Oh, you’re back early,” Fujisaki said.
I was only at the Academy for a few seconds, but about 10 minutes have passed over here.
Even so, Fujisaki was calm, no longer worried about being left behind.
I received the wristwatch I had entrusted to Fujisaki and took out the Nectar twig.
Since we left early in the morning, it was just around lunchtime when we returned to the base. Since it was a forced march through the desert and the pyramid dungeon, both of us were understandably tired.
Once the lively Himeno and Chikako were gone, I felt like it had suddenly become quiet.
”Shall we have hamburgers for lunch?” I asked.
”Yay!” Fujisaki exclaimed.
The hamburgers I bought in the special zone are few in number, so they are a treat we only eat occasionally. Even if you cook for yourself properly, you still end up craving junk food.
I took out the hamburger sets in paper bags and we had lunch while looking out at the desert at a round table with a parasol.
”Even so, to think Chikako is a Hybrid Class,” Fujisaki muttered, seemingly trying to fill the silence.
”Do you not see Hybrid Classes much at other schools either?” I asked.
”It’s not quite like that. Even if the numbers are few, those people in the ruling class usually have powerful Class Titles. When it comes to negotiations or trouble, those are the kinds of people who show their faces first,” she replied.
”The ruling class, huh…,” I said.
From this word alone, I can imagine the situation Fujisaki was placed in, having called herself part of the “fall-out group.”
”Can even a Master Class Title not compete with a Hybrid Class?” I asked.
”When you get to the Master Class, the Titles are powerful too, but in the first place, even if you reach the Master Level, it’s not guaranteed that you can acquire a Master Class Title. Talented guys acquire multiple strong skills from early on. Since I haven’t been able to acquire any offensive skills since becoming an Assassin, my growth will almost certainly hit a ceiling here. If I can acquire an offensive skill someday, that would be a godsend. There are cases of success by changing to a class of a different lineage, but once you get to the Expert Level, that isn’t an easy thing either,” Fujisaki explained.
”So it’s not just a matter of raising your level…,” I noted.
”Whether the current lineage suits you is something you should decide at the Beginner Class stage, but we didn’t have that kind of leeway. Shimaki and Sagara also had powerful Gifts, so they were top class at first, but a shadow appeared in their growth, and they were getting impatient being left behind by the lead group. That’s why they fell for Sendou’s smooth talk about collecting sacred artifacts and came to this disposal floor. Because the story was that if you have a sacred artifact, you can easily acquire strong skills and Titles. I don’t know if it’s true, though,” Fujisaki said with a sigh.
”So that’s why they were after the Spirit Sword. But, in the end, it seems that wasn’t a sacred artifact,” I said.
”Eh, is that so!?” Fujisaki asked, surprised.
”After that, while I was undoing the seal on the Spirit Sword, Sendou came to steal it again, but I’m sure that in front of the Spirit Sword he said, ‘This isn’t a sacred artifact. It’s a Great Spirit Tool,’” I told her.
”That’s strange… I don’t think Sendou would mistake the reaction of a sacred artifact,” Fujisaki muttered.
”In the first place, the Spirit Sword was sealed the whole time; did he sense that?” I asked.
”I don’t know, but I’m sure he said that while the four of us were gathered talking about future activities, there was a strong reaction for just a moment, and we departed immediately,” she replied.
”It’s also unnatural for a Spirit Sword under seal to release magic power for just a moment. Could it be that what Sendou sensed was something else?” I mused.
”Does that mean there’s still a sacred artifact somewhere on this floor!?” Fujisaki asked, eyes wide.
”The possibility of that is high. But there’s no way to search for it,” I said.
”Ah, that’s right. Especially on this ridiculously wide floor, I don’t think it can be found without a cheat-like sensing ability like Sendou’s,” Fujisaki said, deflating.
—
From the afternoon, the two of us decided to go around the hunting grounds and collect treasure chests. We haven’t been able to obtain a water skin with a plus-correction yet.
Since we were walking in the desert in the morning, I guess walking on the rocky mountains is enough for today.
”For calling it a hunting ground, there are few Monsters,” I remarked.
We are exploring the vast rocky area next to the sand dunes, but we haven’t encountered many Monsters.
”Because Himeno-san was hunting and exhausting them to the roots,” Fujisaki said.
”That can’t be helped, then…,” I replied.
”That girl is brutal. Even though she’s a Beginner, she was finishing off even the hard Monsters on this floor with mostly one blow. I’m really glad we didn’t end up having her as an enemy. If they were at that place where we first encountered her, she might have instantly killed even Shimaki and Sagara,” Fujisaki said.
”Haha…,” I laughed nervously.
After that, we collected one treasure chest that had respawned, but as expected, we didn’t encounter any Monsters.
”Do you want to try going a bit further into the danger zone? With the current me and Takeru, we’ll probably be fine,” Fujisaki asked with a grin.
”Danger zone? I’ll go, I’ll go, doesn’t it sound interesting,” I said.
Fujisaki gave a smirk and turned her steps toward the back of the rocky area. Since she has the same villainous face as always, if it were our first meeting, I might have suspected it was some kind of trap.
After proceeding for a while, the rocks became sparse, and a terrain where rocks protruded here and there from the sandy ground came into view.
Fujisaki drew her slender sword, slowed her pace, and entered a combat-ready stance.
”From here on, be on guard. Don’t rely on search magic,” she warned.
”Right…,” I replied.
There were no red light spots indicating Monsters on the Auto-Map, and only the blue lights of me and Fujisaki were displayed.
”You can see many small sand mounds, right? Those are the nests of the Wolf Eater⁴. Don’t let your guard down because they sometimes make nests in the flat ground other than the sand mounds,” Fujisaki said.
Certainly, there are rounded sand mounds about one meter high all over the place.
Fujisaki, while holding her sword in a low stance, cautiously approached one of the sand mounds.
Around the point where the distance became two meters, Fujisaki suddenly slashed her sword upward, defeating a Monster that had jumped out of the sand mound like a lightning bolt.
”This is… a spider?” I asked.
The thing whose head was split in two and whose legs were twitching and trembling was a giant jumping spider exceeding one meter in length. It’s essentially a wolf-catching spider.
The inside of the sand mound was hollow, perhaps reinforced with silk, and the entrance was Takumi skillfully camouflaged with a lid that had sand on the surface.
”Silk is stretched in front of the burrow, and it attacks when you step on it. You can tell if you look closely, but be careful because it can be buried in the sand and invisible,” Fujisaki explained.
’Ambush-type Monsters with stealth abilities are not rare. In this case, the silk making the burrow acts as a shelter, and if it comes out of the burrow, it will be displayed on the Auto-Map too.’
In other words, you can’t see it until you’re attacked.
”It’s quite fast,” I noted.
”Even a Master Level player could lose their life if caught off guard. I probably wouldn’t have thought of approaching from the front if it weren’t for the special training with Takeru and Himeno-san,” Fujisaki said.
”From the front? Ah, I see. Since you know where it is, you can just stab it from behind the burrow,” I asked.
”That’s right. But…,” she started.
”That wouldn’t serve as training, would it,” I finished.
After putting the Wolf Eater’s corpse into ‘Storage,’ I also held the Kondou Spear in a low stance and approached a nearby sand mound.
When I looked closely, I could certainly see the silk stretched across the ground. It seems to spread in a fan shape from the entrance of the sand mound. If you look closely at the lid of the entrance, there are unnatural parts, but you probably wouldn’t notice unless you looked very carefully.
’There is paralyzing venom in the Wolf Eater’s fangs, so please be careful.’
If I’m alone, just one bite will lead to death. In a usual dungeon, the venom disappears if you kill the Monster, but with wild Monsters, you can’t detoxify unless you drink a potion yourself.
When I poured magic power into the Kondou Spear, it began to carry electricity with a crackling sound. The moment I held my breath and gently placed my foot on the silk, the lid flipped up and a Wolf Eater jumped out.
I reflexively timed it and flicked the spearhead upward. The spearhead slashed through the Wolf Eater’s head, and the electric shock paralyzed its body. I stopped the head that had lunged with weakened momentum by stepping on it with my boot. When I thrust the spearhead into the boundary between the torso and the abdomen, the Wolf Eater curled its legs with a “kyu” sound and stopped moving, perhaps as a reflex reaction to the current.
”Phew…,” I exhaled.
It was a terrifyingly fast speed, but I was able to react properly. It seems I’ll be fine as long as I don’t let my guard down.
Compared to the special training with Himeno, the difficulty is lower, but the tension is high because the Monster is seriously coming to eat me.
Just in case, I equipped Shin Guards to protect my legs and then went on a hunting spree for Wolf Eaters. Luckily, two treasure chests dropped, but as expected, I couldn’t obtain a water skin.
—
”Eh, you’re eating this!?” Fujisaki asked, looking horrified.
When it came time for dinner preparation, Fujisaki was terrified by my proposal to eat the Wolf Eater.
”The scorpions were quite tasty, so I think this will be good too,” I said.
”When I was here alone, I tried eating most Monsters, but I didn’t touch the bugs,” she said.
”Spiders aren’t insects,” I corrected.
”I-is that so?” she asked.
”Didn’t you learn that in biology class? Insects basically have three parts: head, thorax, and abdomen, with six legs. In contrast, for spiders, the head and thorax are joined into one, and they have eight legs. They are part of the polypod group and are actually close to crabs. I heard that tarantulas taste similar to crabs and are a delicacy that can’t be eaten without a shaman’s permission in the local area,” I explained.
”I love crabs, but I didn’t want to hear such a story… I hated even looking at the illustrations, so I don’t remember much of the content of the classes around there,” Fujisaki groaned.
”I’ve wanted to try a tarantula once. Anyway, let’s just try eating a leg. Even if it happens to disagree with us, we have Universal Potions,” I said.
”Ugh… you eat first!” she said.
With the two of us, it seems we’ll get full on just one leg. I used a knife to cut off the Wolf Eater’s leg.
”So good! What is this!” Fujisaki shouted in surprise.
”This is already almost exactly like crab, isn’t it,” I said.
When I poured ponzu sauce over the white meat I took out after grilling it on a net, it was incredibly delicious.
I had Tina use Appraisal to confirm it wasn’t poisonous. It seems there are customs of eating spiders in some countries in this world too.
”We can even make crab hot pot (kani-suki) with this, can’t we!” Fujisaki said excitedly.
”The rice porridge (ojiya) at the end is the best,” I added.
It was the day a new ingredient was added to our dinner table.
I had been pushing through the grueling training since then, and since I’d racked up a decent amount of EXP, I figured I’d go ahead and bump Tina-tan⁷ up to Level 6. I also noticed that, at some point, a clock had appeared in the corner of my Auto-Map. Apparently, Tina-tan had been using her own EXP to customize the interface. It was actually pretty handy, showing both the time on the Disposal Floor and the Academy side simultaneously-though it did make my wristwatch feel like a useless hunk of metal.
Fast forward to the eleventh day after Himeno and the others left. We were back at the 3rd floor safe zone. I checked the Auto-Map: 7:29 PM. On the Disposal Floor, time was fast-forwarding at a rate that was honestly a little terrifying to watch.
As the clock struck 7:30 PM, the Teleportation Magic Circle began to pulse with a pale blue light. Alright, I thought. Who’s it going to be this time? Two figures materialized inside the circle almost instantly.
”NOOOOOOOOOO!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!”
The moment I saw them, a full-blown “American-style” scream ripped out of my throat. Standing there were two women with long, flowing black hair: Satou Akari and Amahara-senpai.
”You look well, Takeru-kun. And… Fujisaki-san,” Akari said, her expression flickering with something complicated as she looked at Fujisaki.
”Yeah… look, I’m sorry about before,” Fujisaki Kaede replied, raising her hands slightly in a gesture of surrender. “I’ve got no intention of being your enemy anymore, so relax.”
”A-A-Amahara-senpai? Is… is the timing okay?” I asked.
Amahara-senpai was staring at me with a stone-cold, expressionless gaze, a massive Boston bag slung over her shoulder. I knew she was probably still pissed at me, and I hadn’t even managed to get those water skins I was going to use as a “please don’t kill me” peace offering. But more importantly, this duo was a nightmare. Between them, they possessed strategic-grade milking weapons. It was pure despair-like being caught between a Tidal Wave and a Meteor strike. I didn’t see a single timeline where I survived this.
”I’ve been working non-stop to get the Academy’s combat preparations in order,” Amahara-senpai said as she started walking toward me. “But everyone kept telling me to take a break. Then Higurashi-kun told me there was a place where I could get perfectly refreshed in just three or four hours. I was skeptical, but…”
That damn Higurashi! She set me up!
Amahara-senpai reached me and, without another word, wrapped her arms around me in a tight embrace.
”Tsuchimiya-kun… I missed you,” she whispered.
”Amahara-senpai…” I managed to choke out.
Suddenly, her hands moved down, and she began to firmly knead and squeeze my butt.
”This is… calming…” she muttered.
Wait, what?! Is this a routine now? Is this how we start every conversation?!
”Oh? You’ve gotten firmer,” she noted, her hands still busy. “Your physique has changed. It’s only been a day for me, but it seems you’ve really been putting in the work.”
She’d sensed my entire training progress just by the hardness of my rear.
”Takeru, we shouldn’t linger here,” Akari said.
”O-Oh, right. Amahara-senpai, maybe we should…”
”No. I haven’t ‘refreshed’ yet. Just a little more,” Amahara-senpai replied.
”You can have as much as you want later! Let’s just move first!” I shouted.
”Fine. I’ll endure it for now,” she sighed.
Dammit. I realized the second the words left my mouth that I’d basically given her a blank check for later. But even as we spoke, the time on the Disposal Floor was screaming past us. Seeing it ticking away on the map gave me a serious sense of phantom urgency.
I took Akari’s and Amahara-senpai’s hands and stepped onto the Magic Circle. We teleported to the Disposal Floor, and then used a Nectar Sprig to jump straight to our base.
”This is…?” Amahara-senpai asked, her eyes darting around the living room of the tent house.
”This is the base I use for my training. Make yourself at home,” I said.
”I should introduce myself. I’m Fujisaki Kaede. Nice to meet you,” Fujisaki said.
”I’m Satou Akari. Nice to meet you… again, Fujisaki-san,” Akari said as she reached out and shook Fujisaki’s hand.
”I am Amahara Karen. I look forward to working with you, Fujisaki-kun,” Amahara-senpai added, joining the handshake.
Amahara-senpai, huh? Fujisaki was really committed to this “second-year student” act, even though she was a full-grown adult.
”I don’t recognize you, Fujisaki-kun,” Amahara-senpai said, her eyes narrowing. “You aren’t one of my students.”
Seriously? Does she have the names of all thousand students memorized?!
”No, I’m from Sekitoba High. I’ve been over here for about a year now,” Fujisaki lied.
(Try two and a half years, more like.)
”Another school?! Then you must tell me everything!” Amahara-senpai lunged forward, radiating a terrifying, suffocating aura. Fujisaki, visibly overwhelmed, was backed into the wall in an instant.
”Okay, stop right there,” Akari said, stepping in to restrain her. “Ukita-senpai told me to make sure she rests immediately. She hasn’t slept in over thirty-six hours. We have plenty of time; save the interrogation for later.”
”Hmph…” Amahara-senpai grumbled.
Wait, she wasn’t just being scary because she was mad? She was just that sleep-deprived?
”Takeru-kun, take Amahara-senpai to the bedroom. Stay with her until she falls asleep,” Akari directed.
”Got it,” I replied.
I kicked off my boots and swapped into slippers, setting out pairs for Akari and Amahara-senpai as well. I’d made it a strict rule: no shoes past the living room.
It was just after 11:00 AM. We’d only talked for a few minutes on the other side, but hours had already bled away here.
I led the slipper-clad Amahara-senpai into the bedroom. The moment we were inside, she pulled a one-piece nightgown out of her bag and started peeling off her clothes.
”Whoa-! Sorry!” I yelled, spinning around.
”It’s fine if it’s you, Tsuchimiya-kun. You can look,” she said.
Temptation won. I sneaked a glance back just as she was down to her underwear, her back to me as she swapped her bra for a soft nighttime version. I whipped my head back around and waited for the rustle of fabric to stop.
”Tsuchimiya-kun…”
I turned back to find her lying in bed. I walked over and knelt by the bedside, trying to keep my eyes level with hers. I needed to make sure she felt safe enough to actually pass out.
”Sleep with me. Beside me,” she whispered.
”Wait… no, you really need to sleep,” I said. I didn’t think for a second that I could get into bed with an Evold and have it stay “just sleeping.”
”It’s okay. Now that I’m looking at you, the tension is finally breaking. I’m so sleepy… just stay until I drift off…”
”……”
”Please… come here…” she said softly.
Amahara-senpai’s face was flushed as she pulled back the blanket, inviting me in.
”O-Okay…” I stammered.
I swallowed hard, my heart hammering against my ribs. I practically floated into the bed, and the moment I was under the covers, she lunged. She wrapped herself around me, and I was instantly buried in a world of sweet scent and searing, soft heat.
”Takeru-kun…”
Her voice had lost its rigid, professional edge; it was thick, sweet, and needy. She pulled me into a kiss, her face looking completely melted with desire. It was just our lips meeting, but every time those plump, soft curves pressed against mine, my brain felt like it was short-circuiting. My head was spinning.
Without thinking, my hands found the small of her back. She responded by tangling her legs firmly with mine. I wasn’t just “sleeping beside” her anymore; I had effectively become her human body pillow.
Is this really okay? I wondered, but before I could spiral, I felt her movements slow down. Her eyelids grew heavy, and soon, the steady, rhythmic sound of her breathing filled the room. She was out cold.
I waited, making sure she was completely under before I tried to make my escape, but her long limbs were locked around me like a vice. It took me thirty minutes of agonizingly slow movements-carefully unhooking her smooth, silky legs and trying not to lose my mind as my face was pressed into her soft, heaving chest-to finally slip out of her grasp. My self-control was hanging by a thread by the time I finally stumbled back into the living room.
Fujisaki and Akari were sitting at the table, quietly sipping tea. The tension from earlier had evaporated, replaced by a strangely domestic vibe.
”Welcome back. I see you survived,” Akari said with a knowing, nonchalant smile.
She’d totally expected me to get jumped. Akari could be cold-blooded when she wanted to be.
”What is up with that woman?!” Fujisaki hissed. “The pressure she puts off is insane! I almost started crying!”
”She’s just exhausted. Cut her some slack,” I said.
I totally got it-if she turned that aura on me full-blast, I’d probably be on the floor apologizing for existing.
After that, we got down to business with our usual form drills and combat training. Akari sparred with Fujisaki for a bit, but she eventually called it quits, admitting the level gap was too wide for it to be productive. She went back to solo drills. I made a mental note to have her spar with Amahara-senpai tomorrow instead.
By the time we finished and headed back into the house, Amahara-senpai was still dead to the world. Valeria had been keeping an eye on her and said she hadn’t stirred once. I figured I’d take a quick breather and then start on dinner.
”Takeru-kun, I’m going to unload the extra supplies,” Akari said.
She started pulling an absurd number of gas canisters for the portable stove out of the Storage Bag Himeno had lent her.
”Oh, man! That’s a huge help!” I exclaimed.
I had originally stocked up on a massive amount of supplies, but we’d been burning through them so fast I was already starting to run on empty. Since the shops in the Special Zone⁸ would be closed by now, I’d asked Himeno and Chikako to pick up the essentials for me.
”We brought the groceries and snacks, and I made sure to buy plenty of sweets. Himeno-san actually bought out the entire shop’s cake selection just for Fujisaki-san,” Chikako said.
”I’m so happy! Thank you!” Fujisaki Kaede exclaimed.
I had bought a little bit myself, but it wasn’t nearly enough for Fujisaki, who had been absolutely starving for sugar. I started moving the haul into my ‘Storage’⁹, but the sheer volume of desserts made me do a double-take. It looked like they’d truly cleared out the storefront; everything from the cakes that were on display to made-to-order parfaits and pancakes had been packed up, plates and all. They’d even included a menu from the cafe to make it easier to choose.
When Himeno sets her mind to something, she really goes all the way.
On top of that, Chikako had scavenged a mountain of pre-packaged sweets. Looking at it all, I started to wonder if we could survive the rest of the trip on sugar alone.
”Is there still more? Akari, you hold on to the rest,” I said.
”Got it,” Akari replied.
Unlike my ‘Storage,’ you can’t pull things out all at once from a ‘Storage Bag’, which makes them a major hassle to manage.
”I want to eat them now, but I have to be good until after dinner,” Fujisaki muttered.
Her mind was already fixated on dessert.
”Should we do crab hot pot tonight?” I asked.
”Eh? Oh, crab… yeah, crab is great…” Fujisaki said, trailing off.
”?”
Akari tilted her head in confusion at the strange look Fujisaki shot her.
* * *
While Fujisaki and Akari chopped the vegetables and mushrooms, I brought a hand axe down against the Wolf Eater¹⁰ legs I’d placed on a Knight Shield. The heavy thwack echoed as I broke them down into smaller pieces.
”Tsuchimiya Takeru-kun… those are huge. Is that really crab?” Akari asked.
”Well, it’s a ‘pseudo-crab,’ I guess,” I replied.
They were definitely big. The front leg I was chopping was about as thick as a human leg. The back legs are a bit tougher but have a deeper umami, making them perfect for grilling.
”Kaede…” Akari prompted.
”Yeah… truth is, it’s a spider,” Fujisaki confessed.
When Fujisaki responded to Akari’s suspicious look, Akari’s face went rigid. Her hands stopped moving entirely.
”A spider?! Like, a monster?! You can actually eat that?!” Akari cried.
”Yeah, it’s actually pretty tasty,” I said.
Akari’s head whipped around to stare at Fujisaki.
”I-I mean, it really is delicious! Just… just trust me and try it,” Fujisaki said.
”…Fine. But let’s leave the final judgment to Amahara-senpai,” Akari said.
That was fair. There was always a chance Amahara-senpai just didn’t like crab. If she hated crab, maybe she’d actually be okay with spider? If not, I figured I could just throw in some pork and make udon-suki.
Once the pot was prepped, I went to wake Amahara-senpai. When I entered the bedroom, she was still sleeping soundly.
”Amahara-senpai, good morning,” I said softly.
”……Mm?” she groaned.
I leaned in close and kept my voice low. She blinked, looking at me blearily for a moment before her eyes suddenly snapped wide.
”T-Tsuchimiya-kyun?! Wait, what?!” she stammered.
She seemed completely disoriented.
”We’re on the Disposal Floor. Dinner’s ready,” I explained.
”Dinner… oh, right… how long was I out?” she asked.
”About eight hours.”
”I see… it’s been a long time since I’ve slept that deeply,” Amahara-senpai said, letting out a peaceful sigh.
”Come on, let’s go. Food’s almost ready,” I said.
Amahara-senpai reached out both arms toward me, wanting to be held.
”Takeru-kun… I want a kiss,” she whispered.
The sheer destructive power of those words… it was a critical hit.
”Y-yes!” I managed to say.
Following her lead, I leaned over the bed and pressed my lips to hers. When I pulled back, she was wearing a look of pure satisfaction.
”Help me up,” she said, wrapping her arms around my neck.
I pulled my body back, and she clung to me as she rose from the bed.
”Want to wash your face?” I asked.
”Yeah. I should,” she replied.
Amahara-senpai stood up and tied her long hair back into a ponytail. I led her to the washroom at the end of the hall and showed her the ropes. I’d installed a mirror I’d bought right in front of the basin. I ladled some Universal Potion¹¹ from a barrel into the washbasin. Once you’re done, you just let it drain away. Valeria had been diligent about keeping the towels fresh.
When we made it to the living room, Fujisaki and Akari were already at the round table. The clay pot was sitting in the center, packed with veggies and mushrooms, the broth just starting to bubble.
”Sleep well, Amahara-senpai?” Fujisaki asked.
”I did. My head feels much clearer now. Thank you, everyone. I think I’ll head back tomorrow,” Amahara-senpai said.
Wait, really?
While I was processing that, Akari tapped a command on her phone. Ukita-senpai’s voice started playing through the speaker.
’Karen-chan, you listening? I know you worry, but we’re just doing clerical checks until tomorrow morning, so stay put! Honestly, even if you did come back, I wouldn’t let you touch a lick of work until at least the day after, so just relax. Have fun, okay?~’
”I knew she’d say that, so she told me to play that for you. You’re staying here for at least two weeks,” Akari said.
”Muu… but I can’t just play around while everyone else is working through this emergency…” Amahara-senpai protested.
She’d been working herself to the bone since coming to this world. She desperately needed a break, but she was the type who would never take one for herself.
”You’re going to be doing combat training and level grinding here,” I told her. “Starting tomorrow, it’s going to be pretty intense. It’d be a bad look for the Academy Representative to stay at such a low level, wouldn’t it?”
”Ugh… fine. I suppose you’re right,” she relented.
She finally gave in. She’s the kind of person who can’t settle down unless she feels like she’s being productive. If left to her own devices, she’d probably work until she collapsed.
”Oh, a new face. I am Valeria, a High Spirit,” Valeria said as she stepped out from the kitchen.
Amahara-senpai looked startled.
”Valeria lives here,” I explained. “She’s one of us now. For official purposes, she’s a spirit under the command of Hiromi.”
”Ah, the spirit who sealed Kibakura-kun! I am Amahara Karen, President of the Student Council. Thank you for making time for us,” Amahara-senpai said.
”Please, don’t mention it. I look forward to getting to know you, Karen,” Valeria replied.
”Likewise, Valeria,” Amahara-senpai said.
I pulled out a chair for Amahara-senpai, and once everyone was seated-Valeria included-we were settled around the table: me, Amahara-senpai, Fujisaki, Valeria, and Akari.
”Amahara-senpai, it’s crab hot pot tonight,” I said.
”That’s something to look forward to. It’s been ages since I’ve sat around a hot pot. Is it that agar-looking stuff? That’s one huge crab,” she observed.
The Wolf Eater meat on the platter was a translucent, shimmering white. The shells don’t turn red when cooked, and since they were hairy-which Fujisaki hated-I’d already peeled them all. Akari fixed me with a very pointed stare.
”Takeru-kun. Total honesty, please,” Akari said.
”Right. Sorry,” I muttered.
I guess “basically crab” wasn’t going to fly.
”Actually, this is spider monster meat, but it tastes exactly like crab. Should I toss it in?” I asked.
”Spider? Sure, I’ll try it,” Amahara-senpai said.
She didn’t even blink. I started adding the meat to the boiling pot. We said our thanks for the meal, and Amahara-senpai went straight for the spider, dipping it in ponzu¹².
”Oh! This is delicious! And it’s so easy to eat without the shells,” she said.
Yeah, the struggle of peeling crab is the worst part. Seeing her reaction, Akari tentatively took a bite herself.
”Wow… it really is good. It almost makes me want a drink,” Akari said.
With that, Akari reached into her ‘Storage Bag’ and pulled out a boxed 1.8-liter bottle of sake.
”Ho? Chiyoda’s ‘Reiju’, is it?” Amahara-senpai’s eyes sharpened.
My parents used to keep that same brand at home.
”Would you like some, Amahara-senpai?” Akari asked.
”Umu. I believe I will,” she replied.
This was definitely a weird conversation for high school girls to be having. Without even being asked, she poured a glass for me and Fujisaki too, filling them to the brim. I took a sip; it was incredibly smooth. I don’t know much about booze, but I could tell this was the expensive stuff. I decided to stick to just the one glass.
The alcohol loosened everyone up, and dinner turned into a real party. Whenever Amahara-senpai’s glass went empty, Valeria was right there to top it off. While Fujisaki and I were still nursing our first drinks, Akari and Amahara-senpai were knocking them back at a terrifying pace.
”Amahara-senpai, maybe you should slow down a bit…” I cautioned.
”It is okay. I am the heir of the Amahara family, and I have been used to alcohol since a long time ago… I have noda-!” Amahara-senpai shouted.
Amahara-senpai’s energy was strange. Her face was flushed red and she was mixing professional tone with a childish one.
Akari, who was similarly holding up a glass that had become empty for the nth time, was the same as always without a single change in facial color.
”Come to think of it, I thought Tomoko and Kanon would come this time,” I said.
In my head, those two had been the first candidates.
”Those two declined, saying that spending time together with people they don’t know is scary,” Akari replied.
”Come to think of it, they were shy around strangers. I completely forgot,” I muttered.
They have settled in and spend time normally with our members, but I guess unknown people are scary after all.
”Chikako showed them the photo she took together with Kaede and was appealing by saying ‘It’s not scary,’ but…” Akari trailed off.
”Did it make them even more scared?” I asked.
”Sorry for having a scary face!” Fujisaki Kaede barked, leaning across the table.
”Now, now, I personally think Kaede-chan is quite the beauty,” Akari said.
”Hmph! I know myself that I have murderous eyes! Even my grandmother persistently told me in a roundabout way, ‘Kaede is cute, so it’s good if you’re always laughing.’ Even so, when I was an elementary schooler, I bumped into a boy I liked and he apologized, and when I tried to show him a beaming smile, he cried loudly and it was a big deal,” Fujisaki Kaede snapped.
That was the Demonic Grin for sure.
Then Amahara-senpai stood up from her seat and grasped Fujisaki Kaede’s hands with both of her hands.
”I understand! I understand, Kaede-chan! That is painful, isn’t it! Hic… ugh!”
”Eh!? Wait… why are you the one crying!?” Fujisaki Kaede yelled.
”It is okay! Let’s live strongly together, the two of us!” Amahara-senpai wailed.
”Hey! Let go–!”
Fujisaki Kaede was struggling while having her head pulled into a hug by Amahara-senpai. It has become quite chaotic. This atmosphere is similar to when my stepmother starts drinking alcohol at home.
”It seems like the vegetables are running out, shall I go cut some?” Valeria ¹³ asked, completely ignoring the drama in favor of the pot.
”No, there is dessert too, so let’s just finish off with the rice porridge,¹⁴” Akari said.
”Understood. Since I was taught the other day, please leave it to me,” Valeria replied.
Everyone cleared out the pot and Valeria efficiently prepared the ojiya. Finally, she added spider meat ¹⁵ and put the lid on. Valeria has a pretty good memory and has become able to make several dishes.
The spider-meat “crab” porridge was very delicious. Crab is fine already. In this world, let’s decide to call spiders “crabs.”
I have become full already, and moving to dessert seems impossible, but the girls were starting to eat cake seamlessly.
”Delicious! It’s all-you-can-eat, right! I want to try everything, but my stomach…” Fujisaki Kaede said, shoveling chocolate cake into her mouth.
There were about twenty varieties; there was no way she could eat them all.
”I never got to eat things like this before… I’m so happy,” Amahara-senpai murmured.
Amahara-senpai looked blissful as she savored a matcha parfait. Apparently, the Student Council members used to bring cakes as gifts, but because she couldn’t exactly stroll around outside for security reasons, she’d been pining for a real, shop-made parfait.
”Mmhmm. This shop is actually pretty good,” Akari noted, pairing her Mont Blanc with a glass of sake.
”Kaede-chan, what’s next?” Akari asked.
”Wait… give me a second, Akari. I need a breather or I’m not gonna make it,” Fujisaki Kaede panted.
”No fair! While I was sleeping, only Akari-chan and Kaede-chan got all close! You’re being mean~!”
The drunken Amahara-senpai had decided to crash their conversation.
”What are you talking about? We’re close too, aren’t we, Akari?” Fujisaki Kaede asked.
”Of course. Amahara-senpai is a vital comrade,” Akari replied.
”No-no-no-no! That’s not it! If you don’t call me ‘Karen-chan’ too, I’m gonna puke!”
Amahara-senpai had officially regressed to a toddler.
”Takeru-kun, you too! You promised you’d call me Karen-chan when we were in private!”
Crap, she was turning on me! Had I made that promise? Maybe, maybe not? Either way, playing along was the only way to survive.
”Right. My bad, Karen-chan,” I said.
”…Ehehe. That’s better, Takeru-kun. Here, have some of my parfait!” Amahara Karen happily slid her chair right up to mine, offering a massive spoonful of matcha ice cream.
”Uh, sure…”
I was beyond full, but the atmosphere said ‘no’ wasn’t an option. If it were meat, I would’ve gagged, but I could manage a bite of ice cream. I braced myself and took the bite. This must be what they call a ‘separate stomach’ ¹⁶ for dessert.
”See! Now the rest of you! Call me Karen-chan!”
”U-uh, sure. Karen… senpai?” Fujisaki Kaede stammered.
”**Karen-chan!**”
Amahara Karen immediately corrected her with a sharp look.
”Got it. Karen-chan,” Fujisaki Kaede whispered.
”Fine, fine. Karen-chan it is,” Akari added. “But strictly in private.”
Amahara Karen had her reputation as the Chief of the Student Council to think about, after all. Even I found the mental gymnastics of switching between her personas exhausting.
”Yay! Valeria-chan, you too!”
”Eh? Me as well? …Karen-chan,” Valeria said.
”Now we’re all best friends!”
Amahara Karen beamed, scooping up a strawberry and some red bean paste. She held it out to me. This was getting a bit much… I had to do something.
I chewed the strawberry while gently taking the spoon from her hand. She resisted for a second, but when I whispered, “My turn to feed you,” she turned bright red and let go.
I scooped up some matcha and whipped cream and held it out. She snapped it up instantly.
She was actually pretty cute. It was almost addictive—reminded me of the way Himeno looked when I gave her jerky. My only goal now was to finish this parfait before she reclaimed the spoon.
Akari and Fujisaki Kaede ignored us and started talking. From the outside, I knew we looked like a scene so sugary it would rot your teeth, but I was desperate to keep her occupied.
”Takeru-kun, my turn again,” Amahara Karen said.
I’d been making good progress, but I couldn’t keep the lead forever.
”Takeru-kun, say ‘ahh’~♪”
She snatched the spoon back with surprising force and began stuffing parfait into my mouth like I was a goose being prepped for foie gras. Crap. The sponge cake was the killer. It sat in my stomach like a rock.
Karen stared at me, waiting for me to finish chewing, but my brain was hitting a wall and I couldn’t swallow.
”Wait, so Takeru seriously lived in the dungeon for an entire week after his First Dive ¹⁷?!” Fujisaki Kaede’s voice drifted over.
”Yeah,” Akari replied. “Everyone had already written him off as dead. Then he just wanders back in, finds a spot to nap, and acts like nothing happened. We were all stunned.”
The room went quiet for a moment. Suddenly, the vibe around Amahara Karen shifted completely.
”Speaking of which, Takeru-kun… do you remember that I was angry with you?”
”–!?”
The sudden spike in her intensity nearly made me choke. Why now!? Why bring that up now!? I stopped stalling and washed the cake down with a big gulp of tea.
”I-I’m so sorry! I was being an idiot! I’ve really reflected on it! Truly!”
I remembered she was mad, but I couldn’t for the life of me remember why. I figured apologizing was the safest bet. But Amahara Karen leaned in, her face inches from mine, her eyes boring into my soul.
”Hmm. You ‘accidentally said something,’ did you? Don’t tell me… you actually forgot?”
Oh no. I said the wrong thing.
”N-n-n-no! I remember! Of course I remember! Vividly!”
I knew I was just digging my own grave, but I couldn’t admit I’d forgotten.
”I see… Takeru-kun is a very, very bad boy. I think… you need a punishment.”
”Eep!”
Amahara-senpai grabbed my arm and hauled me up. She was over four inches taller than me, and while she was normally intimidating, the sheer pressure she was radiating now was on a different level.
”L-let’s just talk about this!”
”Oh, we will. Let’s go have a nice, long talk over there. We have so much to discuss…”
Amahara-senpai began dragging me away. I realized then that she was the one person in this room you should never, ever make angry.
”I’m sorry! I’ve learned my lesson! Help!”
Akari and Fujisaki Kaede just waved at me with expressionless faces as I was hauled off. And just like that, I was dragged straight into the bedroom.
—
Summary:
Takeru and Fujisaki return to the disposal floor, sharing a rare hamburger and theorizing about the Hybrid Class and Master Titles, suspecting a hidden Sacred Artifact. They train against Wolf Eaters and discover the giant spiders taste like crab. Akari and the exhausted Amahara-senpai join them on the 3rd floor, with Amahara collapsing into Takeru’s bed and Akari and Fujisaki reaching a fragile peace.
After receiving sweets from Himeno and Chikako, the group enjoys a dinner of spider meat and sake, leading to a wild party. Amahara Karen, waking from her rest, grows affectionate and demands everyone call her “Karen-chan,” but the celebration turns tense when she drunkenly recalls a past grudge and drags Takeru off for punishment, leaving the others unfazed.
—
Trivia:
- Time passes differently between the Academy and the disposal floor (seconds vs minutes).
- Fujisaki has hit a growth ceiling as an Assassin because she lacks attack skills.
- Sendou’s sensing ability might have targeted a second hidden artifact rather than the sealed Spirit Sword.
- Wolf Eaters have paralyzing venom and use camouflaged trapdoor nests.
- Wolf Eater legs are edible and taste like crab when grilled
- Time dilation between the Academy and the Disposal Floor is visible on the map.
- Amahara-senpai has not slept for over 36 hours.
- Fujisaki is lying about her school and time spent in this world.
- Takeru accidentally gave Amahara-senpai permission for more physical intimacy ‘later’.
- Tina-tan is using EXP points independently to modify the user interface
- The ‘Universal Potion’ is being used for basic hygiene like washing faces.
- Akari’s ‘Storage Bag’ is significantly less efficient than Takeru’s ‘Storage’ skill.
- Amahara Karen was disoriented upon waking, forgetting she was on the Disposal Floor.
- The ‘Wolf Eater’ meat looks like translucent agar and tastes exactly like crab.
- Ukita-senpai’s voice recording was the key to forcing Karen to take a break
- Takeru was presumed dead for a week after his First Dive.
- Amahara Karen is physically much taller than Takeru.
- Valeria is a very fast learner at domestic tasks/cooking.
- Fujisaki Kaede’s ‘scary face’ is a childhood trauma involving a boy she liked.
- The spider meat is being treated as a delicacy similar to crab
—
Character Insight:
Fujisaki shows deeper trust in Takeru, no longer fearing being left behind, and reveals her insecurities regarding her level-capped growth. Takeru demonstrates his adaptability and survivalist mindset by successfully hunting and proposing to eat high-risk monsters.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The ‘Monster Cooking’ element is a recurring trope in this genre, used here to build camaraderie between the protagonist and the ‘villain-faced’ companion.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Fujisaki – The female assassin from another school who appeared in Chapter 56. She, along with her late friend, battled with the MC in the abandoned floor of the dungeon. Black haired, use bikini armor, and big breast with a villainous-looking face (akunin-zura).
• Chikako – Hano Chikako. Brown-skinned, brown-haired gal, and free-spirited. Honest and straightforward. She joined Maekawa Party after being helped in the past.
• Himeno – MC’s first girlfriend
• Chika – Hano Chikako. Brown-skinned, brown-haired gal, and free-spirited. Honest and straightforward. She joined Maekawa Party after being helped in the past.
• Amahara-senpai – Student Council President
• Satou Akari – The Scout. Long black hair, slender and cool-looking. Passionate underneath, she was once the leader of the violent yakuza gang. Same party with Maekawa.
• Akari – Satou Akari. The Scout. Long black hair, slender and cool-looking. Passionate underneath, she was once the leader of the violent yakuza gang.
• Satou – Satou Akari. The Scout. Long black hair, slender and cool-looking. Passionate underneath, she was once the leader of the violent yakuza gang.
• Higurashi-kun – Higurashi Asuka. A girl afflicted with an incurable disease. Another MC’s girlfriend.
• Higurashi – Higurashi Asuka. A girl afflicted with an incurable disease. Another MC’s girlfriend.
• Amahara Karen – Student Council President
• Karen – Student Council President.
• Ukita-senpai – Student Council Treasurer. Best friends with Amahara Karen.
• Ukita – Student Council Treasurer. Best friends with Amahara Karen.
• Valeria – An Elder Undine and part of the Water Spirit King Varniora, she first appears at a feast Hano opens and Maekawa toasts before Higurashi’s joint dungeon dive (direct: student demo; underlying: training). She allies with Tsuchimiya’s group, serves Varniora, outranks Njorn, coils as Maekawa’s glass-snake bracelet, and uses storage magic and water materialization.
• Hiromi – The leader of the group of four girls (including Hano, etc) who are in the same class as the MC.
• Kibakura – Leader of Demiurge. Described as huge, with a monster’s clawed hand and sharpened nose, midway through transforming into a King Ogre. A physical match would be like a half-ogre version of **Ryūji Goda (Yakuza)** in early monster mutation form.
• Tomoko – Nishina Tomoko. Shy girl. Looks like an upper elementary school kid despite being in high school. Childhood friends with Satou Akari. One of the Maekawa group
• Kanon – Watarase Kanon: The magician girl. Party with the MC.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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