Volume 1 Chapter 14
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Fuuu… Haaa… Hah!!”
Mana’s attacks came in a relentless barrage, slicing through the air with a sharp whistle.
The man parrying her strikes was the Academy Instructor in charge of the ‘Phase Zero¹‘ field exercises. As a veteran who regularly dove into ‘Phase Two’ dungeons, he was handling Mana’s onslaught with ease, yet a flicker of genuine surprise crossed his face.
”Incredible… she’s doing this without a Job Skill. Is it raw talent, or just sheer blood and sweat?”
The words he muttered were clearly his honest assessment. He didn’t bother hiding his look of admiration as he began to weave in a few counterattacks of his own. The gap in their abilities was vast; inevitably, Mana was forced onto the defensive.
But she didn’t break.
Desperately weaving through the instructor’s strikes, she watched for any opening, lashing out with sharp, stinging counters whenever he left a gap.
”Her defensive fundamentals are solid,” he noted. “But more than that, she has ‘the eyes.’ She refuses to back down, no matter what. That kind of grit is what determines survival from ‘Phase One²‘ onwards. Alright, one last thing-see if you can survive this!”
The instructor’s aura shifted instantly. A sudden, chilling pressure filled the air, as if a true dungeon monster had appeared in the middle of the yard. He kicked off the ground, and in a heartbeat, he was in Mana’s face. He unleashed a mid-level kick, a strike that, by all rights, should have been impossible to evade.
Mana barely managed to get an arm up in a desperate guard.
”Kyaa!!”
The sheer force of the kick tore right through her guard, sending her body tumbling backward. She went skidding across the dirt with a cry, but she immediately tucked into a roll, recovered her footing, and snapped back into a fighting stance.
”Excellent. Your spirit didn’t break, even after taking a ‘Phase One’ level hit. Tanaka Mana… I hereby grant you permission to enter ‘Phase One.’ However, don’t forget the reality that you still cannot use a Job Skill. Never let your guard down… and don’t you dare go dying on me.”
”Understood… thank you so much!”
As their exchange ended, a roar of cheers erupted from the classmates watching on the sidelines. While several students with Common Jobs had already secured their permits, Mana was a known Dud Job³ holder. Seeing her claw her way to ‘Phase One’ earned her the genuine respect of the class.
But, as always, someone had to ruin the moment.
”…Heh, not bad, Mana. I guess you worked your ass off just to get back on my level, huh? Well, if you’re that desperate to impress me, I suppose I could throw you a bone. I can’t exactly take a ‘Dud’ back as my girlfriend, obviously… but tell you what. I’ll make you my ‘FWB.’ Yeah, I’ll let you be my side-piece.”
It was Kosaka-the resident “pretty-boy jerk.”
Mana hit him with a gaze of absolute zero. Even the other classmates began shooting him looks of pure disgust. Oblivious to the room’s temperature, Kosaka kept running his mouth.
”Well, Mana? Happy? You get to play with me again.”
”You have to be joking. I told you when we were dating that I wasn’t interested in that kind of thing while we were students. The idea of being ‘friends with benefits’ is beyond insulting, and the idea of us ever dating again is a flat-out impossibility. Honestly, I look back now and can’t even remember why I liked you in the first place.”
”Wait… what?”
The jerk looked genuinely stunned, as if the reality that Mana wasn’t doing this for him was a physical blow.
”We are complete strangers now, so please, don’t ever speak to me again, Kosaka-kun.”
Mana turned her back on him and ran toward me. In an instant, her icy mask shattered, replaced by a smile as bright as a blooming flower.
”Kanade-kun, did you see?! I got the permit thanks to you! It’s all because of you, Kanade-kun!”
”I-I saw it! But Mana! Hey, you’re a little close! Everyone’s watching!”
She clung to my arm, squeezing my bicep against her chest with zero hesitation.
”Who cares? It’s just us, Kanade-kun… besides, it’s not like we haven’t seen all of each other’s most embarrassing secrets already!”
”Well… I mean, technically…”
At her uncharacteristically bold words, a shockwave of whispers rippled through the class. I could see the girls nearby blushing and casting sidelong glances at us.
”Embarrassing secrets… they’ve seen everything?”
”Kanade-kun looks so innocent, but I guess he’s a man of action…”
”The Class Prez looks so prim and proper, but she’s actually a total pervert?”
”Is Kanade-kun secretly a player?”
”Get wrecked, Kosaka.”
As the hushed gossip began to fill the ‘Phase Zero’ dungeon, the buzzer finally rang to signal the end of class. I practically scooped Mana up and made a break for the exit, desperate to escape the mounting scrutiny.
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Summary:
Mana undergoes a grueling combat test against an Academy Instructor to earn her Phase One entry permit. Despite her ‘Dud Job’ status and lack of skills, her raw effort and tenacity allow her to endure a high-level strike. After succeeding, she is confronted by her arrogant ex-boyfriend, Kosaka, who offers her a degrading relationship as his ‘FWB.’ Mana decisively rejects him with total indifference, publicly severing their ties forever. She then immediately turns to Kanade with immense affection, physical intimacy, and suggestive comments. This sudden closeness sparks a wave of scandalous rumors among their watching classmates as they leave the dungeon.
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Trivia:
- The Instructor mentions ‘the eyes,’ a common trope indicating a character’s latent potential or ‘awakening’ that transcends system-assigned jobs.
- Mana’s comment about ‘seeing all of each other’s embarrassing secrets’ hints at a deeper, possibly magical or physical bond formed during their private training sessions.
- The mention of ‘Phase Two’ dungeons sets a future power ceiling for the protagonists to aim for.
- Kosaka’s disbelief suggests he may become a recurring nuisance or attempt to sabotage them out of bruised ego
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Character Insight:
Mana and Kanade’s relationship shifts from secret collaborators to a semi-public (and misunderstood) ‘scandalous’ duo. Mana’s total emotional pivot from Kosaka to Kanade highlights her complete shift in loyalty and affection.
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Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The world uses a ‘Phase’ system to gate dungeon difficulty and student progression. ‘Job Skills’ are the primary source of power, making Mana’s purely physical accomplishment extraordinary.
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TL Notes:
The term ‘zamaa’ (serves you right) is the core emotional beat of the second half, localized through the classmates’ reactions and Mana’s blunt dismissal.
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Glossary:
Notes:
• Mana – Class President, a serious, neat beauty with long hair, glasses, and a black ponytail, refined and disciplined, high agility, elite close‑quarters combat skill. She practices martial arts, shows a sadistic competitive side, and is currently dating soccer ace Kosaka, though recently dumped and depressed, feeling worthless like a house centipede.
• Tanaka Mana – Class President, a serious, neat beauty with long hair, glasses, and a black ponytail, refined and disciplined, high agility, elite close‑quarters combat skill. She practices martial arts, shows a sadistic competitive side, and is currently dating soccer ace Kosaka, though recently dumped and depressed, feeling worthless like a house centipede.
• Kanade – Small‑statured academy student with a Unique Job—Vital Point Master/Pressure Point—who’s analytical, determined to reach Phase One, and supportive of the Class President despite doubts about his skill. He admires the President, has a crush on Mana, and feels competitive with Kosaka, while cynically viewing the government’s National Citizenry classes and his peers.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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