Chapter 123 The Bootleg Brawl
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The next day, I caught a monster fight right in the middle of town.
Well, not the real thing, exactly.
”Whoa, that’s intense. It’s nothing like a typical hunt. It’s monster against monster… like a high-budget movie. Damn, that’s gory. Actually, it’s a hell of a show. I can see why this is such a booming business,” I muttered to myself.
Inside a massive glass-covered dome, a stone-skinned ape was locked in combat with a gargantuan ice rose. They were trading flashy, high-impact attacks.
”Jesus, that’s brutal. Do they really need to show the blood and guts?” I asked.
”We can lower the age rating if it’s too much for you, Lordship…” the attendant offered.
”Nah, I’m fine. I’m used to it. No need to go that far on my account. There are people who come specifically for the carnage, after all,” I replied.
”I am humbled by your understanding,” the attendant said, bowing low.
The duel unfolding before me wasn’t some mystical feat of taming monsters from a dungeon. These creatures weren’t physical; they were 3D projections. This “Demon Arena¹” was a mystical artifact about the size of four tennis courts. It allowed users to summon and pit monsters they’d encountered in the dungeons against one another. It was essentially a battle simulator, allowing for “dream matches” between monsters from entirely different biomes.
The projections were nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. It was estimated that these simulations mirrored reality with ninety-percent accuracy, even down to the roars and the rank smell of the beasts.
I’d been feeling a bit of a pull toward the mystical ever since that run-in with the powerful artifact yesterday. But I still had zero desire to actually set foot in a dungeon. To satisfy my selfish whim, Biwa had brought me to this commoner’s attraction. The Imperial Capital only had a few of these “good old-fashioned” entertainment hubs left. They were apparently a holdover from the Edo Period.
These glass-domed artifacts are found in a dungeon known as “The Meadow of Beginnings².” That place is a total tourist trap; it has levels, stats, and abilities, making it a popular spot for kids or couples to play at being adventurers. If you “die,” you’re just warped back to the entrance with a zero-percent fatality rate. Your physical gains are reset once you leave, but you can keep the items as souvenirs.
I could feel the “world-building” I’d done in my head starting to fracture. What kind of RPG-logic dungeon is that? Apparently, you have to collect a hundred different parts scattered throughout the dungeon to assemble one of these arenas. The whole thing felt like a giant DIY project.
Inside the dome, two mid-sized monsters were tearing into each other. Two young girls stood behind their respective fighters.
”Shojo, Use Rock Throw!” the first girl yelled.
”Gwargh! Graaa!” the ape roared. It ripped a chunk of stone from its own forearm and hurled it. The rock slammed into the opponent and detonated like a frag grenade.
”Crack! Snap!”
”Ngh… damn, a bad match-up. That long-range stuff is a pain. Hyoka, hit back! Use Vine Whip!” the second girl commanded.
”Skreeeeeee!” the opponent screeched.
It was a beautiful, translucent rose-monster, standing twice the height of a man. It lashed out with high-speed whips, but the stone-skinned ape caught them mid-air and shredded the vines.
”Too easy! You think a desperate move like that is gonna work?” the first girl bragged.
”Guh… cough… hack…”
”Wait, what!? My Shojo is… he’s coughing up blood? But he stopped the attack!” she cried out.
”Peki… kikiki!” the rose hissed.
”You fell for it,” the second girl smirked. “My Hyoka is fragile, but when she’s damaged, she releases specialized micro-thorns that shred the opponent from the inside. You can’t stop it just by catching it!”
The ice rose seemed to preen in victory.
”It was a trap!?”
”A bit late to notice. Thanks to that stone bomb you threw, the whole arena is already blanketed in thorns,” the second girl said.
The sunlight hit the air inside the dome, making the atmosphere sparkle. Thousands of tiny, deadly thorn-traps were floating everywhere.
”The more you move, the deeper they cut. Give it up. You’re just a bird in a cage now,” she added.
”Cheater! …Fine, but we aren’t done yet! Do it, Shojo! Hold your breath and crush her with everything you’ve got!”
The “cool-type” opponent gasped. “He can still move? That monster has that much grit?”
The ape charged, its limbs being sliced open with every step, but it reached the rose and began tearing the petals away with its bare hands. The rose fought back, sluggishly extending frost-covered vines.
”Just a little more… just hold on and we win! That monkey is blind, he can’t see a thing! Back off, Hyoka!”
But the ape wouldn’t let go.
”How is he still moving!?” the second girl screamed.
”I was waiting for this! Look around you!”
”What? The ice particles are… they’re melting!?”
”That’s right! Between the sun coming through the clouds and the heat of our bond, your ice is history! Go, Shojo! Full-power Suicide Charge!”
”GOAAAAAAAARRRRGH!!”
CRA-SHHHHHH!
The ice rose was finally shattered into a million pieces. It sparkled like a falling chandelier before turning transparent and vanishing.
”Gwargh… ugh… huff… huff…”
The ape let out a final, bloody roar of victory, beating its chest for the crowd before fading away.
”Yes! My Shojo won!”
”I can’t believe you pushed me that far. I’ll give you credit for that,” the loser said, acting aloof.
”A win is a win! Now, like you promised, be a little nicer to your Hyoka, okay?”
”Shut up, let’s go again. My win streak isn’t over yet!”
”Let the poor thing rest! That’s why your monsters never listen to you!” the winner shouted back.
The losing girl kicked at the dirt.
”Damn it… after I begged Mom to take me to a dungeon… I need to see stronger monsters. I need to go somewhere more dangerous. Deeper… darker…”
She looked like she was about to have a villain origin story.
The crowd was going wild. People were exchanging the pocket change and candy they’d wagered on the fight. Soon, a new pair of girls stepped into the arena, full of energy for the next round. An older girl was going around collecting the entrance fees. It was a textbook pay-to-play business.
This place isn’t exactly the biggest thing in the Capital, but it’s a massive craze among the kids. Seeing these kinds of play facilities is a testament to how wealthy this city is. It’s almost heartwarming.
On the flip side, there are adult entertainment spots too. People from all walks of life head down toward Shinagawa to grab a drink and watch an execution. Apparently, watching a real human life snuffed out is more “fun” than a 3D image. To a modern person, it seems completely at odds with the clean, cherry-blossom-lined streets of the Capital, but public executions are a staple of this tourist city. In fact, people look down on cities that don’t have them.
Deep underground, it gets even worse. I’ve heard rumors of coliseums where debt-ridden peasants are forced to fight to the death. Everyone seems to be trying to keep that part hidden from me, though.
The social climate here keeps dealing me these little psychic blows. I should be used to it by now, and honestly, I’ve adapted a lot, but still.
”What’s with the face, Boss-ssu? You look all gloomy again. Commoner stuff not fancy enough for ya? Or was it too kiddie?” Biwa asked, noticing my expression.
”I’m hitting a wall here. I need to touch some breasts,” I said flatly.
”Wait, wh-wha!?-ssu” she stammered.
Biwa was the one who brought me here, but Shafu was the one I needed. She was built for this-sporty tanned skin, fresh black hair, and thighs that could stop a heart. She was the picture of youthful energy. Unlike me, her mind was bright and untainted. Sometimes just being near her made me feel a strange kind of envy.
I reached out and started idly kneading her chest while I lost myself in thought.
”Sorry. Just help me out a bit,” I muttered.
”Ah… nng… why so sudden? Were the monsters too scary? They can’t get out of the glass, I’m tellin’ ya-ssu!” she said, trying to rationalize it.
”I just need a mental health reset.”
”Geez… there’s nothing to be scared of. They’re just fakes!”
She tried to be reassuring. When I gave her a pleading look, she sighed and reached into her top to loosen her sarashi. She was too kind.
”I’m always worryin’ about ya, Boss-ssu. It’d be bad if people started talkin’. The Capital is huge, but if word got out… ugh. And don’t you dare blame me if your reputation goes down the drain, okay?”
”Haaa… I can feel my soul healing,” I exhaled.
”Nng… ah…”
She wasn’t exactly enjoying the stimulation. To be blunt, she was putting up with it because she felt sorry for me. But even if she was annoyed, her body was reacting. They’re always honest in that way.
”That’s enough! I can’t take anymore!” she squeaked, finally reaching her limit.
”Ah, hey! She ran away,” I said as Biwa hopped back out of reach.
I didn’t want to be a total creep and leave her all worked up and “messy” downstairs, so I let her go.
The Arena is strictly a girl’s game. You don’t see men here. Men are supposed to be “refined”-they don’t like the savagery, yet they love the cruelty. It’s a weird double standard.
”If you’re that bored, why don’t you hop in-ssu? Even Toshiro could handle it. Look at these snot-nosed brats doing it.” Biwa said, gesturing to the dome once she’d straightened her clothes.
”I don’t know…” I groaned.
”You don’t want to? If you don’t have a monster, I’ll lend you one of mine. It’ll be fun. Hehe… believe it or not, I’ve seen a few real ones in my time-ssu.” she bragged.
She clearly thought I didn’t have any monsters of my own to summon.
”I just can’t bring myself to view them as toys. Not when I think about all the people who died screaming in those dungeons,” I said, my voice heavy.
”Whoa… listen to you talkin’ like a seasoned pro-ssu! That’s actually kinda cool!” she chirped.
”Fine. Let’s do it.”
I’ve always been a bit of a pushover. This wasn’t exactly the “mystical experience” I was looking for, but it seemed fun enough. I had time to kill before lunch anyway.
”Wait… is a noble actually participating? I’ve never seen one of the elite playing in the plaza before,” one of the girls whispered.
”Why is he here? Is it a joke? We have to be careful not to offend him,” another added.
”What do I do? Should I even fight him?”
”Who’s going? We need someone who can lose gracefully. Does anyone have a monster that’s smart enough to follow orders but weak enough to lose?”
The girls immediately started panicking about how to suck up to me.
”To whoever beats me,” I announced, raising my voice to the crowd, “I’ll give you this as an Imperial Grant³.”
I pulled a handkerchief from my breast pocket.
”Whoa! It’s the one! The one that boy was using!” a girl in the crowd cried.
”Wait, did he just pull that out of his shirt?” another asked.
”I bet it smells amazing. It definitely does!” a third chimed in.
The square erupted with instant, frantic energy.
Being treated like a grand benefactor just for handing out basic supplies actually started to make me feel like a true aristocrat. I kept it to myself that I’d only given it away because I hated the pattern.
The attendant walked me through the interface of the Demon Battle Arena⁴. Inside the entrance stood a massive control console. This was where players could manifest their monsters.
The moment I touched the screen, it interfaced with my mind, cataloging every creature I’d ever encountered. It looked like a twisted encyclopedia of natural history.
”That’s… unsettling,” I muttered.
There were so many monsters I didn’t even recognize. They must have been lurking in the periphery of my vision, watching me without me ever knowing. We’d met, but they’d never attacked. Why had they just stayed there, observing? It was pure horror. Then again, some monsters are powerful but simply don’t have a taste for human flesh. Maybe it was just one of those.
”I guess it’s time to put these enhanced skills to the test,” I said to myself. “The grand debut of my ‘cheat’ ability.”
I searched my mind. With my current memory, it was effortless.
Ever since I took down the Blue Maggot boss, my recall had spiked significantly. It was a side effect of the Psionic Power⁵ I’d developed-a subconscious refusal to let the nameless dead of the dungeons be forgotten. I’d always had a knack for it, but after leveling up and coming into contact with those high-level artifacts yesterday, I could now remember basically everything.
It was as if standing before such a profound mystery had forced my own mind to self-organize. Overwhelmed by that sheer power, I was forced to look at my own insignificance objectively. I became acutely aware of my own desires, and my latent potential just… unlocked.
I can’t explain it well. Maybe getting smacked on the head by Arianrhod-sama was the real catalyst.
”My cheat is so damn boring, though,” I whispered.
Plus, with great memory comes a high probability of vivid nightmares. It’s a garbage-tier skill, really. Last night was a perfect example of how much it sucks.
I scanned my mental archives for something appropriate. There. The memory snapped into focus like a high-res photograph. I could see the monster camouflaged against the background, tracking me.
Satisfied, I shoved down the cold shivers and turned back to the screen. I filtered the list.
”Not the Horned Owl. I’m sick of looking at those, and they aren’t much of a spectacle. Too fast for the crowd to even see,” I said.
I’d dominate, sure, but where’s the flair?
I kept swiping. Small apes, black panthers, fish, snakes, Maggot-vines… the usual jungle trash from the Rurunai Ruins.
The list of monstrosities went on and on. A mass of flesh and its offspring, blue crabs, some foul thing peering through the fog, humanoid monsters disguised as trees, butterflies, pupae with human heads, and the Blue Maggot itself.
Size and strength didn’t matter. There was even a small dragon-the kind that appears when you sign a blood seal. Then there were the oddities, like giant boulders that were actually alive. And then… the Dungeon Door. What even is that?
Apparently, the Dungeon Door doesn’t move when summoned, so people just use it as a training sandbag.
”Actually, this is incredibly useful for scouting,” I mused. “I can identify monsters I didn’t even realize were there. I can test their attack patterns here in the arena before facing them for real. I could even do ecological research. This ‘toy’ is a top-tier mystical artifact.”
There was a catch: things I’d only seen in my spirit form didn’t count. I had to have observed the monster in the flesh, while it was alive. Dead monsters from the market didn’t show up either.
Biwa was staring at the sheer volume of my list, visibly recoiling. She didn’t know my history. Being judged like that actually kind of hurt.
”How have you even seen this many monsters?” Biwa asked.
”Trust me, I’m asking the same thing,” I replied.
”And you’re still alive? Is… is hunting them your hobby or something-ssu?” she whispered.
”I wasn’t exactly ‘safe.’ Unfortunately…”
”Oh…” Biwa muttered.
Great. Now she thinks I’m some kind of monster-obsessed freak. She looked a little pale. I needed to watch my tone, or she was going to start getting genuinely worried about my sanity.
I decided to change the subject.
…Alright. I’ll go with this one. I tapped a monster on the list.
”I choose you! Uh, it doesn’t have a name, so I’m calling it… Electric Shark⁶!” I shouted.
A wet, bubbling trill echoed as an electric catfish flopped out onto the arena floor.
”Popopopopo!” the creature gurgled.
”It’s an Electric-type. Consider it a handicap since I’m going first,” I said with the composure of an adult.
This thing usually spent its time swimming through the Rurunai marshes, discharging bolts into the water. I’d ignored it back then, so I had no idea how strong it actually was. Surely it couldn’t be that bad.
The catfish twitched, its skin sparking. Even though it was a projection, it felt real. A catfish the size of a medium dog is a lot more intimidating than you’d think.
Impressive. I couldn’t tell the difference between this and the one I’d seen in the wild.
”I don’t care how noble you are, starting a fight without a greeting is just rude!” my opponent shouted.
The winner of the lottery was a girl with a buzz cut, maybe in late elementary school, who looked like she could hold her own in a scrap. She was staring down the arena with deadly seriousness.
”Now, that handkerchief is as good as mine! Duel start! Go, Kaji Nyudo!” the girl yelled.
A low, guttural roar filled the air as a massive, bald, crimson giant erupted into the arena. Steam hissing from its skin as it brandished a heavy smithing hammer. It looked human, but there wasn’t a shred of intellect in its eyes.
Her summon looked like a beast. It was warming up by swinging its hammer with terrifying ease. A gunshot or two wouldn’t even make that thing flinch.
This might actually be a challenge.
As for my monster? It was currently gasping on the pavement. It looked pathetic.
”It’s suffocating. Right. No water, no breathing. I guess it doesn’t fly, either,” I muttered.
”You summoned a fish on a dry stage? You must have some kind of secret strategy. Kaji Nyudo, stay back! It’s a trap! Use your ranged hammer-toss!” the girl commanded.
”Dodge it, Electric Shark! Just use an electric shock or something!” I yelled.
The shark glowed, trying to follow my command. The hammer came whistling through the air.
”Hnnngh!” the giant grunted.
The electric discharge met the flying hammer head-on. Purple sparks danced across the iron. And then…
Crunch.
The Electric Shark was flattened. The match was over.
The catfish had been reduced to a wet smear on the ground. My partner vanished into pixels.
”Wait. That’s it?” the girl asked, blinking.
”He just… squashed it. No way. My Electric Shark…” I trailed off.
The screen flashed two words: **TOTAL DEFEAT**.
I was stunned, but the girl looked even more confused. The whole match had lasted maybe three seconds.
”I guess the electricity just earthed into the floor. It grounded itself. Damn, the physics in this thing are way too realistic,” I said, genuinely impressed.
The girl and the crowd just stood there, awkward and unsure.
”Look, I know it’s weird coming from the guy who just lost, but that was a bit… underwhelming, right? It ended way too fast,” I said.
”Y-yeah…” she replied.
”So, listen. I have a favor to ask. How about a mercy rematch? Let’s run it back. You can keep the handkerchief either way,” I offered.
”Really? Yes!” the girl cheered.
We exchanged proper bows and hit the summon buttons simultaneously. I wasn’t going to waste the redo. I needed something I’d actually seen in combat. Something reliable.
I forced a fearless smirk and leaned into the persona.
”You did well to take down the Electric Shark. Too bad you walked right into my trap,” I said.
”Wait, what trap…?” the girl asked.
”That was just the opener. By letting you ‘destroy’ my first monster, I’ve set the stage for my real partner. No more games. I summon… the Blood-Stained Mobile Home!”
I slammed the screen.
The monster materialized.
It was a thirty-foot, rectangular white trailer, hitched to an invisible cab. It looked like a shipping container with a door. In the States, it was the symbol of the wandering poor. No windows. No exits except the one door at the rear.
I’d found this thing in the ruins of a city at the bottom of the Uncanny Valley. It emitted a cheerful loop of recorded conversation that shifted to match the listener’s local dialect. The smell of home-cooked meals wafted from it, smelling exactly like a nostalgic hometown kitchen. It had a “Welcome Party” sign that made everyone want to step inside. And the moment a human entered… they were tortured to death.
A small wooden sign hung on the wall in English: ‘Parker’s Toy-Box’⁷.
”I… I don’t like it. That monster is creepy,” the girl whispered.
”The ‘family’ inside doesn’t lose,” I said.
”Hiee! Wait… I can hear my great-grandma’s voice. But she’s dead. Who’s in there?” the girl cried out.
”I hear it too. Voices from my previous life. Honestly, I’m starting to regret picking this one…” I admitted.
Panic-stricken, the girl screamed at her monster.
”Quickly, destroy that white house, Kaji Nyudo!” she shrieked.
The crimson giant let out a wet, wheezing roar and charged. A brave, mindless strike from a monster that knew no fear. The giant slammed into the mobile home with the force of a freight train. The house flipped onto its side.
”Gfo! Gfo!” the giant grunted, raining hammer blows down on the white siding.
With every strike, the exterior peeled away. But beneath the metal weren’t studs and insulation. Chunks of raw, bloody meat sprayed out from the half-destroyed home.
”Gfo…?” the giant trailed off, confused.
Multiple hands erupted from the monster’s open wound, lashing out to seize the Kaijin and drag him into the darkness within.
In a heartbeat, that massive crimson frame was gone.
”Where’d he go?! Did it… did it eat him?” the child with the bobbed hair asked in shock.
I couldn’t give any specific orders, so I just blurted out a stray incantation.
”Heh… You let your guard down because there was no counter. A Mobile Home staying still on the first turn is exactly like an opening move at the center-point in Go,” I muttered.
”What is that even supposed to mean!?” she cried.
”This thing is a counter-type specialist. Amateurs at Othello obsess over the corners, but in chess, moving the pawn first is the ironclad rule, little lady. This? This is a Rinshan Kaihou checkmate,” I replied.
”Muuu… You noble types talk in riddles,” the girl huffed.
To be honest, I didn’t even know what I was saying. Thinking back, I really should have summoned a monster that was a bit easier to pilot.
The “Mobile Home” works like this: any attack from the outside acts as a trigger to pull the aggressor into its interior. The solution is simple: ignore it. No rational explorer would fall for such a blatant trap, but the story changes after days without food or water, when you’ve lost your way and your mind is starting to fray. Eventually, people start drifting toward it. It’s the kind of monster that delivers the final blow like a hallucination in a blizzard.
The Mobile Home began to cackle as it “welcomed” its guest. Yet, the screams coming from inside weren’t cries for help. They were the guttural, furious roars of a Kaijin clad in steel.
The shrill laughter of a happy family and the berserk bellows of a beast shook the house to its foundation. The echoes of a domestic spat rang out – though God knows what kind of war was actually happening in there – until eventually, all movement stopped.
”…Did they both die?” someone in the crowd whispered.
The audience watched, holding their breath. The girl with the bobbed hair didn’t move an inch, her eyes glued to the scene.
A deafening CRA-AAACK echoed as the Kaijin tore right through the side of the house. The white siding was stained a visceral crimson.
”He’s still alive! He didn’t go down!” a spectator cheered.
He stood there heroically, leaping from the mangled heap of flesh that used to be the Mobile Home. As if taking a curtain call, the Kaijin raised his hammer to the heavens.
”VO… VO… VOOOH!”
Battered and broken, he let out a final, triumphant roar.
The Mobile Home dissolved into nothing. On my screen, those same two words appeared again: TOTAL DEFEAT.
The girl began to dance.
”I did it! I really did it! Amazing! Now the handkerchief is mine! Oh, what should I do? I have to get ready. I’ll display it on the family shrine – and, and – I’ll pray to it every morning and night! But on holidays, I’ll let myself sleep with it right next to my pillow!” she exclaimed.
She was bouncing like a rabbit, spinning in circles as she rattled off her grand plans.
When the cheering finally died down, we left the Battle Arena and shared a moment of mutual respect.
”I’m so sorry for winning… I mean, uh, I’m honored! I’ll never forget today. I… I’m just so happy you’d let me join in a noble’s game. Sorry if I was a bit unsightly, I got a little too carried away,” she said, bowing.
”Relax,” I told her.
”Ha… hah… Y-yes, sir!” she replied.
”I had a great time too,” I said.
She was a mess of nerves and adrenaline. Even if she’s just a kid, it’s bad form to be this shamelessly happy after beating a man. If I took it the wrong way, it could turn into a major incident.
”That’s one strong monster you’ve got. Meeting a beast like that means you’re diving into some dangerous territory, so stay safe out there. Here – as promised,” I said, handing her the handkerchief.
”Oh, I’m so happy I could die!” she cried.
”There, there. Why not use it right now?” I asked.
”I couldn’t! It’s too precious! I’ll treasure it for the rest of my life. I won’t let anyone – not even a finger – touch it!” she vowed.
She held it in her palms like a holy relic, tears streaming down her face. Her emotional capacity had clearly hit its limit; she was a total wreck. For some reason, the winner of the fight was the one having a mental breakdown.
”Well, let me wipe your face with my other one, then. Yesterday’s enemy is today’s friend, right?” I said.
”Fueee…” she whimpered.
She looked at me like I was a literal god. I’d felt a twinge of bitterness about the loss earlier, but seeing her this happy made it vanish completely.
While the women of the Imperial Capital are generally used to men, it’s not like they get many chances to actually talk to one. The emotional volatility of the commoners here was no different from any other town. I stayed with her until she stopped crying, gave her a few headpats, and took my leave. The onlookers looked like they were going to die of envy.
The Battle Arena is a deep game, with losers-bracket tournaments and tag matches, but watching it without the “mosaic” filter for too long starts to make you feel ill. I enjoyed it well enough, but it was a bit too gory for me to really lose myself in. Apparently, there’s a “Blood: OFF” mode, though.
By the way, that rugged Kaijin? Turns out it’s not actually male. It’s a “High Rarity” monster that just happens to look like a very beautiful man. I see. So it’s that kind of world…
* * *
After that, I projected my consciousness over to Yukari-san’s place. She was on duty, so I just made sure she’d been released safely and then turned into a “lunch gypsy.”
I have no idea what the prices are at male-oriented eateries. I wandered aimlessly, not carrying a single cent. I can feel my sense of financial reality dying a slow death. In the Imperial Capital, the very concept of paying money for goods has breathed its last. My physical body is the credit card.
”Hehe… I actually miss the bills I used to hate so much. I wonder what the total for this trip is up to now?” I mused.
Looking at the numbers would probably hurt, but at least it would be grounding. I really am just a pathetic little commoner at heart.
I eventually found a secluded restaurant tucked away from the main drag.
”This place looks pricey… Well, whatever. I have no way of knowing the price anyway. Let’s just head in,” I whispered to myself.
I keep running into this, but the Imperial Capital has these weirdly exclusive zones. High-end places that turn away “first-timers,” where even a man isn’t welcome. Despite being a city built for tourism, there are shops dotting the landscape that only “the chosen” can enter. I don’t go looking for them, but I seem to have a magnet for them.
The restaurant I was standing in front of was the textbook definition.
”Our deepest apologies, sir. We are entirely fully booked today. We simply do not have a table available that would allow us to provide the level of service you deserve,” the host said.
”I don’t mind sitting next to the restroom?” I asked.
”We are truly, deeply sorry,” he replied.
”No, it’s fine. I didn’t mean to intrude. Sorry,” I said.
I gave a polite nod and turned to leave. Just then, the door opened to the sound of laughing and chatter.
”Hey. You got any good seats open?” a young man asked.
”Certainly. Would you prefer the dining room or the terrace?” the host replied.
”Let’s do the back. Oh, and another one of us will be joining later,” the man said.
”Of course. Right this way, gentlemen,” the host said.
Three young men brushed past me, chatting away as they were led to their vacant table. They didn’t look like they had a reservation.
I had no choice but to duck into a nearby diner. It didn’t have a sign, so I knew it was another high-end spot. I’d actually tried to come here before and been told it was “too crowded.” Today, it looked mostly empty, so I figured I’d be fine.
”I am terribly sorry, but we are a members-only establishment. We only accept guests with a formal introduction,” the waiter stated.
”Oh, is that so? But I feel like last time I came, you said it was because you were full…” I started.
”One moment, please,” he interrupted.
The waiter panicked and scurried into the back. Instead, a manager came out and bowed low.
”Please accept our apologies. The explanation provided by our staff previously was incorrect. Regarding your request for a meal… to be blunt, we do not believe any meal tray we provide could possibly satisfy a guest of your stature. Even should you visit us in the future, our current situation makes it difficult to accommodate you,” the manager explained.
”Ah… I see. Does that mean…” I began.
”We are truly pained to turn you away after you’ve traveled all this way in your busy schedule, but we humbly ask for your understanding,” he said.
”In other words… ‘Don’t come back.’ Got it. I’m sorry,” I replied.
He practically talked over me, and I fled the shop. Even after I was gone, the manager stayed out there, bowing deeply to my back.
I tried one last place as a “Hail Mary.” A beautiful, atmospheric traditional inn at the very end of the street. I actually worked up the nerve to pick the most grand-looking place I’d seen yet. I was acting out of pure spite at this point.
”Regrettably, today is simply not convenient…” the attendant said.
”Can I book a table for another day, then?” I asked.
”We currently have no openings for the foreseeable future. We would be honored if you would reconsider us at a later date,” she replied.
”The place looks empty, though… Never mind. Sorry for the trouble,” I muttered.
As I turned to run, I caught the final blow. Two boys about my age walked in at the exact same time.
”Hey, you. Waitress. Get us a seat. The quietest one you’ve got,” one boy demanded.
”Near the garden, okay? Somewhere with a nice, healthy breeze. My feet are killing me,” the other added.
They looked like a pair of typical kids out for a good time.
”Do you have an introduction or a reservation?” the waitress asked.
”Hah? What’s that? Of course we don’t. Hurry up or we’re leaving,” the boy snapped.
”Yeah, move it. You really want us to walk out?” the second chimed in.
A second waitress immediately rushed over to help them, and the two vanished into the back of the shop. They left me with nothing but a lingering look of pity and mockery. The waitress who had been helping me looked mortified. When I caught her eye, she froze, unable to even find her voice.
”A-ah… this… it’s not what it looks like… We didn’t… we didn’t mean any harm…” she stammered.
”It’s fine. I’m an adult, I can take it. Don’t worry about it. You shouldn’t let it get to you either, miss. See ya,” I said.
I didn’t stick around to see her reaction.
* * *
I spent the next hour being swayed back and forth in a rickshaw, my mind miles away. Biwa kept looking back at me with a worried expression, but I was so consumed by this hollow sense of powerlessness that I couldn’t even manage a response.
Blacklisted. Does that even happen to men? And they didn’t even have the guts to say it to my face; they just piled on those polite lies to “save my dignity.”
”It’s fine. If I were actually a kid my age, I’d probably be crying right now. Being told ‘You aren’t worthy of eating at our table’ in such a cold, clinical way… that would have destroyed me. Good thing my nerves are tougher than that,” I told myself.
I looked up at the sky. That was a lie. Just because I’m an adult doesn’t mean I’m bulletproof. Being rejected with that kind of “sincere” politeness is exactly what cuts the deepest.
It was a manual. A script designed to get a problem customer to leave quietly without making a scene. But what was the reason? If it wasn’t reservations or memberships, I was totally in the dark. I thought about swallowing my pride and demanding an answer, but that would just make me the “difficult person” they already thought I was.
Later, thinking it was a dress code issue, I went to a high-end tailor. Even there, after being ushered into the waiting room, I was “sweetly” encouraged to leave. I don’t know what makes me different from everyone else. Every time I’m tossed back onto the street, I have to endure the snickers of the men passing by and the heavy, soulful pity in the eyes of the women.
The Imperial Capital is a city of mysteries.
”Whatever. I don’t care. It’s not like I’m not enjoying my celebrity life anyway,” I muttered.
I thought of Aesop’s fable – the fox calling the high-hanging grapes “sour” because he couldn’t reach them – but I shook the thought away. I have no right to be dissatisfied. If I dared to complain about my lot in life, I’m sure I’d hear the screams of the “un-people” mourning from beneath the earth.
—
Summary:
The protagonist visits a popular arena in the Imperial Capital where children use 3D holographic projections of monsters to battle. He observes a fierce fight between an ape and an ice rose, noting the unsettling realism. To soothe his mental fatigue from the city’s dark undercurrents, he uses Shafu for physical comfort before being coerced into participating in the arena himself.
The protagonist tests his newly enhanced memory and summoning abilities at the Demon Battle Arena. After a comedic failure using an ‘Electric Shark’ against a young girl’s powerful summon, he gets a rematch. He reveals a horrific ‘Mobile Home’ monster that uses psychological manipulation and turns out to be made of biological meat.
The protagonist participates in a Battle Arena match using a ‘Mobile Home’ monster, winning but losing his dignity to a young girl. Afterward, he attempts to dine at several high-end restaurants in the Imperial Capital but is systematically and ‘politely’ rejected. The chapter ends with him grappling with social exclusion and his status in this mysterious city.
—
Trivia:
- The arena monsters are non-physical 3D projections, not captured beasts.
- The ‘Meadow of Beginnings’ dungeon has a zero-percent fatality rate and works like a game.
- The protagonist feels psychic damage from the normalization of public executions in the city.
- The Demon Arena artifacts are made from 100 parts collected in dungeons.
- Men in this society generally avoid the arena because it’s considered ‘savage’ yet they enjoy real executions.
- The protagonist’s memory is actually a trauma-driven skill to remember the dead.
- The Demon Battle Arena only allows summoning of monsters seen in the flesh.
- The ‘Dungeon Door’ is a stationary training dummy.
- The ‘Electric Shark’ lost because of realistic earthing/grounding physics.
- The Mobile Home (Parker’s Toy-Box) mimics the listener’s local dialect and familiar cooking scents.
- The ‘Mobile Home’ is a counter-type monster that traps those who attack it.
- The Kaijin he fought is actually a female-form monster of high rarity.
- The protagonist’s ‘body’ is essentially a credit card in the capital.
- He is being intentionally blacklisted/excluded by establishments despite appearing to have high status.
- Establishments use a ‘manual’ of polite lies to turn away unwanted customers without a scene
—
Character Insight:
The protagonist continues to struggle with the moral dissonance of the world, seeking physical comfort from his companions to ‘heal’ his soul. Despite his aversion to dungeons, he easily succumbs to peer pressure or a desire for novelty when Biwa suggests he compete.
The protagonist struggles with the perception of his abilities, finding his ‘cheat’ plain and burdensome due to nightmares. He demonstrates a playful but slightly detached ‘adult’ persona when interacting with Biwa and the crowd, yet summons something truly nightmarish in the rematch.
The protagonist exhibits a mix of meta-gaming confidence and social vulnerability. While he plays the ‘noble’ role in the arena, the genuine rejection from society pierces his adult facade, revealing deep-seated commoner insecurities.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The author contrasts the childish wonder of a monster-battling game with the grim reality of a society that watches executions for fun, highlighting the protagonist’s status as a ‘modern’ outsider.
The ‘Parker’s Toy-Box’ is a direct play on Western urban legends and the Uncanny Valley effect.
The ‘Mobile Home’ is a play on the classic RPG mimic trope, subverted into a literal residence. The ‘polite rejection’ reflects real-world Kyoto-style social exclusion (Ichigen-san kotowari).
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Biwa – A young female servant with erotic brown skin and an athletic build. Highly ethical but easily influenced by the protagonist. Childhood friend of Ryoko-chan. A rickshaw puller who pants while working; acts as the moral watchdog or ‘Lolicon Police.
• Shafu – A girl with sporty tanned skin, fresh black hair, and firm thighs.
• Psionic Power – Mental energy concept in Chapter 35’s lecture. Trash-san teaches it to strengthen the protagonist’s mind after dungeon ordeals.
• Arianrhod – An unidentified young girl acting as a Goddess. She wears ancient, primitive garb including a loincloth.
• Rurunai Ruins – A low-risk jungle-type dungeon entered in Chapter 31 after the island escape. Found by Trash-san and the Young Master seeking safety.
• Yukari – Dora’s imperial guard, the one who hide in MC’s wardrobe. Twintail. A girl known as the ‘spy girl’ from Inubou-machi with trademark twin-tails, and a small hair whirl (crown of head).
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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