Volume 3 Chapter 3 I Want to Go to the Beach
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Summer vacation had arrived, and with it, our daily routine changed.
The best way to deal with school assignments was to get them out of the way early. My approach was simple: focus, finish everything within the first week, and enjoy the rest of the break without anything hanging over my head.
Other than the minimum sorcery training we conducted in the dungeon beneath Risa’s house and at our personal dojo, everyone spent most of their time at my place. Chifumi and I handled subjects that matched our strengths and helped whenever someone got stuck. Risa and Yurina suffered through the process, but we still finished right on schedule. The rule that there would be no night-time rewards until their work was complete turned out to be an extremely effective motivator.
For most first-year high school students, summer vacation was the season of club activities. At the National High School for Sorcerers, however, students were not allowed to join clubs until the second semester. Only after surviving the first term did those doors finally open.
As a result, none of us had any firm plans for the break, and how we spent those days was entirely up to us. Even so, I had no intention of letting the opportunity go to waste. By my decree, summer vacation became our intensive reinforcement month.
”Aaaaaah!!!”
We were gathered at Risa’s dojo.
While the rest of us went through our usual warm-up, lightly moving our bodies and circulating mana through our limbs, Risa suddenly let out a scream.
”It’s hot! It’s summer! Vacation!! And yet all we do is sorcery training, training, training! I’m sick of it!”
She threw her complaint into the room with all the force of a tantrum.
The same girl who had spent days complaining about being stuck at a desk was now grumbling because she finally had the freedom to move around. The moment she got what she wanted, she started complaining about that too.
What a brat.
”It’s not that I don’t want to do anything. I’m saying I want to go out and have fun once in a while! I’m sick of training from morning till night, seven days a week!”
”Aren’t you having fun right now?” I asked.
”Sorcery training doesn’t count as having fun!”
She jabbed a finger at me. My argument died instantly. I caught the offending finger between mine and pushed it aside before it could poke anyone else. Chifumi, who had been sitting directly behind me, decided to speak up.
”Minoru is a total sorcery geek, you know~? To him, sorcery is fun~. I had a hard time getting used to that myself~.”
”Chifumi… that sounds rough.”
Not exactly the response I wanted, but Chifumi had smoothly redirected the conversation. Risa immediately pretended to wipe away tears before offering exaggerated sympathy.
(You seem to be handling things just fine, though.)
Her attention shifted to Asari.
Asari blinked a few times, caught off guard by the sudden spotlight.
”Um… I don’t mind. I’m fine with training.”
”That’s only because you got some intense ‘special care’ from him, Asari! That’s why you can say that!”
”Oh… I suppose that’s true…♡”
”Since when did you start talking back, Asari?”
The day after the incident involving Ryota’s hideout, Risa and Yurina learned that I had spent some private time with Asari. Once they heard both the details and the results, they cornered me and demanded to know why she had received special treatment.
I had sent a warning through Chifumi beforehand, but they clearly had not expected the event to involve such patient, thorough care. According to them, if Asari had received special treatment first, there was no reason they should miss out.
Unfortunately, I was weak whenever they weaponized our own group rules against me.
Completely overwhelmed by their momentum, I ended up agreeing to stay at both the Naruse estate and the Kibe residence during summer vacation.
Naturally, Chifumi was not about to stay quiet after that. As the group’s highest-ranked member, she insisted that I visit the Takino residence as well. In fairness, they spent most of their time at my house, so it was only reasonable that I occasionally went to theirs.
The order of visits had already been decided according to our hierarchy.
We would be starting with Chifumi.
Risa then turned toward the final holdout.
”What about you, Yurina?”
”I’m fine with it. I enjoy our current training.”
”…Tsk! You’re betraying us too, Yurina? I saw you getting all lovey-dovey and blushing when Minoru touched your butt on the way back from the bathroom earlier! You’ve been completely trained!”
”You saw that!?”
Yurina immediately panicked.
Personally, I did not think she had any reason to be embarrassed, but she apparently disliked being seen receiving that kind of attention outside the bedroom.
Deciding to help her out, I stepped in.
”It’s fine. She doesn’t have the rotor in right now. You need to stay focused during sorcery training. Otherwise it’s dangerous.”
”Obviously!”
”Don’t worry. I’m planning to give you plenty of special care later, Risa.”
”Thanks! I’m happy!! …Wait, that’s not what I meant!!!”
Risa instantly snapped at my attempt to reassure her.
(Hmm. Was my response off target too?)
Either way, she seemed unusually restless today.
I sent a silent plea toward Chifumi.
Noticing it immediately, Chifumi sighed as though she had expected this all along.
”Then~, why don’t we go to the beach~?”
”Ugh, the beach~?”
Risa grimaced.
”That means swimsuits, right? Are we seriously going to show up looking like a bunch of skinny sticks? Won’t we stand out?”
”Minoru loves the plain-girl look, though~. If it makes Minoru happy, that’s what matters, right~? Why worry about what anyone else thinks~?”
”I mean, if it makes Minoru happy, I don’t mind. But I don’t want him getting laughed at because of us.”
Rather than worrying about herself, Risa was worried about me.
She really was a sweet girl.
”In that case~, let’s use a private beach~.”
”Huh? Those actually exist around here?”
Her mood brightened instantly.
Yurina and Asari looked equally interested.
”A friend of mine happens to own one~.”
”A friend of Chifumi’s…?”
Everyone’s gaze slowly turned toward me.
Apparently, nobody needed an explanation.
”One of the Strong-Females I used to hang around with before junior high. Onibara. Asari, you met her recently, right?”
”Ah… yes. Mitsuki-san…”
”The Onibara family owns a private island~. We used to spend time there every summer before junior high~.”
”An island…”
”It’s a populated island in an inland sea about twenty kilometers across~. It has electricity, a small mountain, a beach, and even fishing spots~.”
She was talking about the Onibara family’s private retreat, commonly known as the Onigashima Villa.
It had been our regular summer destination back when all of us were still close.
”I mean, sure, we’d be able to relax without worrying about other people, but that’s impossible.”
”Is it really~?”
”I was abandoned by Mitsuki and the others, remember? What kind of face am I supposed to show if I suddenly show up there again? There’s no way.”
”Looking at it normally, I suppose you’re right~.”
”Doesn’t the Naruse family have something similar?” I asked.
”No. We have a few villas, but none of them are near a beach.”
”I see. What about you, Asari?”
”My family… isn’t wealthy enough for something like that…”
I already knew the Takino family did not own anything similar. That left Yurina, and her circumstances made the question impossible.
”It would still be safest to ask the Onibara family~. So~, I’ll be the one who brings it up~.”
”You’re going to handle it, Chifumi?”
She puffed out her chest proudly.
”I still talk with Mitsuki-chan and the others~. I’ll present it as a request between the Takino family and the Onibara family, with Minoru just tagging along~.”
”Will that really work?”
”If Mitsuki-chan and Manaka-chan support the idea, I think it will~.”
”Seriously?”
”Even if everyone ‘discarded’ Minoru, all of their families still think highly of you~. Our relationship with Mitsuki-chan may be at zero, but I doubt they’d reject a chance to build new ties with the Tatemiya family~.”
”Hmm…”
Originally, all of my childhood friendships had been arranged to strengthen connections between our respective families.
Through my brother and Marin-chan, I already had a route to the Kuga family. The others, however, had grown weak over time.
If I looked at it that way, Chifumi was simply opening a new path.
”Alright. Chifumi, can you handle it?”
”Leave it to me~.”
She nodded firmly.
The moment the decision was made, Risa practically lit up.
”Yes! The beach! I’m so excited!”
”Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
”I know, but I can’t help it! Yurina, Asari, aren’t you excited too?”
”Yeah.”
”Yes… I’m looking forward to it.”
Both of them looked genuinely happy.
They had not complained much before, but it was obvious they wanted a break from nonstop training too.
A little change of pace was probably necessary.
”Alright then. Let’s give it one more push before the beach. How about today’s dungeon exploration?”
”I’ve been waiting for this!”
And so we headed into the underground dungeon.
Since Asari had only learned about its existence after her training, this was just her second visit.
”Today we’ll be fighting the Unique Variant set. The Anatomical Model and Hanako-san.”
”Can’t you recreate that Red Mantle?” Yurina asked.
”Impossible. Not enough information.”
I immediately dismissed the idea.
Those Apparitions existed outside Hinoki’s memories. Recreating them would require repeated encounters so she could gather enough data, and we had only fought the Red Mantle once.
”Today I want you to let them run wild on purpose. I’ll interfere as little as possible, so stay sharp.”
”Yes!”
We entered the training dungeon.
The Anatomical Model came first as a warm-up.
At this point, Yurina could defeat it one-on-one while in her normal state.
The trick was to target the joints and sever them before the fight dragged on. If given too much time, the Anatomical Model would grow impatient and start ripping out its own organ replicas to use as projectiles. The safest strategy was to dismantle it before it could resort to anything unpredictable.
This time we removed both arms and its head.
The severed head rolled across the floor before Yurina’s blade pierced it cleanly.
Although the torso and lower body continued twitching, the movements were little more than reflexes, like a lizard’s tail after being cut off. As long as you stayed calm and avoided them, the remains would eventually dissolve into smoke.
Next came Hanako-san.
After enduring her opening scream, we began the battle against her standard form.
Risa erased the incoming fireball with a single swing and followed through without hesitation, shattering the porcelain shell that served as her true core into countless fragments.
Under normal circumstances, this type of Apparition1 posed little threat as long as someone could endure the initial psychological shock.
The third opponent was another Hanako-san.
This time, I deliberately pushed it into its Runaway State.
As soon as the transformation occurred, fireballs began pouring across the battlefield. Asari planted herself at the front and maintained a barrier while Risa and Chifumi attacked from range, steadily wearing the Apparition down.
Fortunately, Hanako-san’s attacks became far less precise in that state. The fireballs came in wild bursts rather than carefully aimed shots, which meant Asari only had to intercept the ones heading directly toward us. As long as Risa and Chifumi moved through the openings in the barrage, they could keep pressure on the core without much trouble.
The important thing was to finish the fight before Hanako-san adjusted. Even in a Runaway State, repeated attacks would eventually force it to shift into a more defensive pattern. The overwhelming display of fire and noise was meant to break an opponent’s composure, but once you looked past the spectacle, it was simply another problem to solve.
”This is the end!”
Risa’s voice rang through the chamber.
A Magic Bullet fired from her rifle tore straight through the target, and the toilet shattered into dust.
She had improved again.
With Asari’s defensive sorcery anchoring the team, maneuvers that would have been impossible alone had become second nature. The two of them worked together smoothly, and before long they succeeded in exorcising a Runaway State Hanako-san without any help from me.
The final trial was a simultaneous spawn of two Unique Variants.
This time, the focus was an Anatomical Model in its Runaway State.
Once enraged, it became obsessed with whoever had destroyed its partner.
Naturally, that person was Risa.
The moment the battle began, the Anatomical Model charged straight at her.
Asari, Yurina, and I formed a defensive line and intercepted it. There were a few moments that made my heart jump, but Yurina’s severing sorcery proved especially effective against it. While the Runaway State increased its speed and power, it lacked many of the strange and unpleasant tricks its normal form liked to use.
By working together, we cleared the encounter without a single injury.
After leaving the dungeon and returning to the lobby, Risa turned toward me.
”Hey, why don’t we subjugate those two? Wouldn’t it be convenient to have a Runaway State monster working for us?”
”It’s impossible.”
”Huh?”
”This dungeon is only a simulation. Everything inside is a reconstruction based on Apparitions we’ve already encountered. They’re not the real things. Think of them as Apparition look-alikes, the same as the monsters found in Simulated Dungeons.”
”Oh… that’s a shame.”
Asari stepped into the conversation, looking thoughtful.
”Minoru-san, you can subjugate Apparitions, right? Hinoki-chan and the ones in the aquarium back at Doma are Apparitions too, aren’t they?”
”That’s right.”
”I still can’t believe that shrimp can use such incredible sorcery.”
She shook her head in disbelief.
”It’s honestly hard to wrap my mind around.”
”Well, it tends to surprise people.”
Most Apparitions gained their abilities from the stories and beliefs surrounding them.
The Anatomical Model, Hanako-san, the Red Mantle—famous Apparitions with deep roots in folklore could become frighteningly powerful, but their behavior usually followed patterns people already understood.
Tempura was different.
Almost nobody in this world knew what a pistol shrimp was actually capable of. As an Apparition, it belonged to a very minor category that attracted little attention. The destructive force it produced, however, was anything but minor.
The shockwaves generated by Tempura’s claws were real. After being amplified through sorcery and precisely directed, they became the foundation of the shock sorcery I relied on so often.
Until this year, even Chifumi had assumed Tempura was nothing more than a rare and colorful creature living in my aquarium.
She knew it was an Apparition.
She just had no idea it had already been subjugated, nor that it possessed enough power to serve as a lethal weapon.
That misunderstanding had played a major role in my victory over her during our first training match.
Of course, other sorcerers could learn combat sorcery capable of producing shockwaves. Even beginner-level spells could strike from a distance with force comparable to a professional boxer’s punch.
Tempura’s attacks were another matter entirely.
The difference was like comparing a jab to a tank shell.
Its shockwaves could punch through thick steel plates and even tear through the defensive sorcery of a high-ranking Majin head-on.
Grandfather had already proven that.
Combined with the advantage of striking first, it became an exceptionally dangerous weapon in battles against other people.
”Where did you even find that shrimp?” Risa asked.
”At the sea. Ten years ago, on Onigashima.”
”There was an Apparition shrimp wandering around the beach?”
”No. Back then, Tempura wasn’t an Apparition yet…”
As I answered, a memory surfaced.
Onigashima.
The moment the island crossed my mind, another thought followed.
”Actually, we should bring that clam Asari’s father gave us during the summer trip.”
”Huh?”
Risa tilted her head.
”What does that have to do with anything?”
”Let’s just say Onigashima happens to be the perfect place for it.”
The clam, the island, and the conditions required for my plan all lined up perfectly.
More importantly, it was about time I taught my locked subordinates a little more about how I did things.
Afterward, we moved to Risa’s room to discuss the trip.
The room was packed from floor to ceiling with firearms, making it look less like a teenage girl’s bedroom and more like a private armory.
An hour later, after finalizing most of our plans for the summer outing, I returned home.
Risa and the others had already started hauling equipment around in enormous duffel bags.
Watching the growing mountain of supplies spread across the house, I found myself thinking that it might finally be time to do some serious cleaning.
—
Summary:
The group shifts into their summer vacation routine, focusing on intensive sorcery training after Minoru mandates a period of reinforcement. Tensions rise as Risa voices her boredom, leading Chifumi to suggest a beach trip to the Onibara family’s private island. The chapter concludes with the group entering the training dungeon to face a new set of Unique Variants, including the Anatomical Model and Hanako-san.
The group clears a series of simulated apparitions including Hanako-san and an Anatomical Model in a dungeon environment. After exiting, the protagonist explains the nature of these simulated entities to Risa and Asari, distinguishing them from the real apparitions he possesses. The group concludes the session by planning a summer trip to Onigashima, where the protagonist intends to reveal his combat methodologies to his subordinates.
—
Trivia:
- The National High School for sorcerers restricts club activities until the second semester.
- Minoru is currently excluded from his original childhood friend circle, including Mitsuki.
- The “Onigashima Villa” is the nickname for the Onibara family’s private island retreat.
- Asari’s current ranking in the group is at the bottom.
- The Anatomical Model uses its own internal organs as projectiles when it gets impatient.
- The dungeon is a simulation that reconstructs apparitions rather than summoning real ones.
- The protagonist’s ability to use “Shock Sorcery” is derived from the biological function of the pistol shrimp, Tempura.
- Chifumi was previously unaware of the true power level of the protagonist’s aquarium collection.
- The protagonist considers his subordinates to be in a “locked” status, implying a hierarchy or level of restricted information access.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Chifumi – Minoru’s 15-year-old childhood friend is a scrawny, long-haired frost/water mage and elite witch from a Sorcerer bloodline. A brilliant, bubbly, and sharp-witted facilitator, she manages the group’s communications, kitchen, and intimacy schedules. While devoted to Minoru, her airy charm masks an observant, suspicious nature as she probes secrets, maintains diplomatic ties, and leads as his scout.
• Yurina – A refined, black-haired student and disciplined vanguard in Minoru’s group, she balances high-precision sword skills with piano talent. As a Plain-folk combatant specializing in severing sorcery, she is stoic yet prone to performance anxiety. Despite her slender frame, she has a voracious appetite, remains loyal to her team—notably Chifumi and Risa—and is nearing her physical unlocking limit.
• Risa – A sharp-tongued, long-haired gyaru sorcerer, she is an analytical combatant who wields firearms with tactical precision. Once disruptive, she is now a rational member of Minoru’s group who balances a confrontational attitude toward underperformers with devoted submissiveness to him. A Plain-folk descendant, she is deeply invested in the group’s image, intimacy, and achieving Unlocking.
• Yuri – A cheerful and energetic first-year student at Higashi High who is a classmate of Shibuya and an acquaintance of Kibe Yurina from their middle school days. A girl known for being aggressive toward Hayato and displaying overt favoritism.
• Minoru – A black-haired, pragmatic student and sorcerer in a world of inverted beauty standards, this protagonist hides his identity as a shock-wielding Devil. A detached, strategic leader, he manages his party of four brides and subordinates through contracts and growth potential. Possessing knowledge from a past life, he studies dungeon lore and uses his power to subjugate and command apparitions.
• Asari – A tall, long-haired first-year student from the Kasakura lineage, this defensive sorcerer specializes in barrier magic like Silicic Armor. Formerly one of the Free Girls, she is now a dedicated, diet-conscious member of Minoru’s group. Observant and modest, she shares a close bond with Mari and Nagase, training rigorously under her master’s guidance while seeking personal growth.
• Ryota – A loyal, outgoing middle schooler in Minoru’s class, this competitive leader of a “Strong-Female” squad is known for high stamina and his “Great Bear” reputation. A well-connected sorcerer who treats the Nagase household as a personal hideout, he acts as a strategic spokesperson and logistics expert. He is a keen observer of social dynamics who enjoys supporting his peers and miracle body lines.
• Naruse – The family name of Risa.
• Kibe – The family name of Yurina.
• Takino – The family name of Chifumi.
• Mitsuki – Koki’s younger sister and a first-year student at Shisei. She was once a childhood friend of Minoru, though her appearance has recently shifted toward a taller, curvier physique.
• Manaka – A former student linked to the Tatemiya house, she is the leader of the five Initial Strong-Females who established a school social hierarchy. Though she shares a childhood history with Minoru, she has since separated from his circle and maintains an independent identity from his current group.
• Tatemiya – The family name of the protagonist (Minoru), and Kotoha.
• Marin – A daughter of the Kuga branch family and a follower of Minoru’s younger brother. She is a Strong-Female who was fond of Manaka.
• Kuga – The family name of Marin.
• Mari – A former member of the Free Girls and childhood friend of Asari. She possesses an impressive physical build and resides in a typical suburban home.
• Hanako-san – A hostile, translucent apparition manifesting as a young schoolgirl with a bob cut, white blouse, and red skirt. Often haunting toilets within the simulated dungeon, she terrorizes intruders with lethal fireballs, disorienting mental screams, and a dangerous Runaway State. Her spectral nature makes her a formidable entity for anyone who crosses her path.
• Hanako – Hanako, known as Hanako-san, is a translucent apparition within the simulated dungeon appearing as a young schoolgirl with a bob cut, wearing a white blouse and red skirt. She is a hostile entity that terrorizes intruders by launching lethal fireballs and disorienting mental-scream attacks.
• Hinoki – A non-binary centipede-type Great Apparition bound to Minoru as his chibi familiar, tactical advisor, and defender. Emerging from his shadow, they crawl through the Doma and floorboards, offering expertise in ancient venom and dungeon reconfiguration. This playful, high-defense entity assists Minoru with anomalous phenomena while seeking to restart their life cycle through their unique bond.
• Tempura – A pistol shrimp apparition residing in the annex, this entity acts as both a pet and the core source of Minoru’s shock sorcery. Under the protagonist’s subjugation, it manifests as a formidable creature capable of generating powerful, destructive shockwaves.
• Grandfather – The current head of the Tatemiya house who dotes on Minoru.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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