Volume 4 Chapter 16 Training Begins
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
To ease Hinoki’s frustration — or rather, to get back their lost power — the immediate goal was to defeat the Commercial District’s shallow-floor boss while it was in a strengthened state.
First, I needed to gather information.
My first stop was a trusted senior. Searching old documents is fine, but since I needed current information, I decided to check with Koki-san.
The easy part — being able to contact Koki-san right away through Mitsuki — was a big plus. It would also be killing two birds with one stone if I could ask them while we were at the Onigahara estate for training, instead of trying to set up a meeting at school.
And so, here we are at the Onigahara estate.
It’s a day off. The whole group has come for a joint training session.
Koki-san’s group members are all here too. We start by confirming basic movements, then take turns in practice matches against different opponents.
Essentially, our group is being taught by theirs, but the roles switch sometimes. The fact that Asari can beat a senior that Mitsuki can’t shows how much Inherent Sorcery (a person’s natural magic ability) affinity matters in one-on-one fights. Surprisingly, the one with the lowest win rate was Risa.
I and Koki-san finish our training a step ahead of the rest, and as we watch everyone continue their drills, Koki-san fills me in on the details of the boss Aberration.
”That said… the boss was so weak it was disappointing, you know?” Koki-san said, shrugging. “It was in the memo I gave you, right? You know those mannequins in department stores? The ones used to show clothes? It’s just like that, but naked.”
”You mentioned its attack is a body slam, but…” I replied.
”Yeah, exactly,” Koki-san continued. “I took one hit to see what would happen. It tries to hit you, sure, but it’s not that hard. It’s about as hard as a slightly bouncy cushion. You might get hurt if you take it at a bad angle, but it’s slow. It’s slow enough that you can dodge it as long as you aren’t aiming for the vital spots. At that level, it’d be harder to lose.”
”So, it’s not just because it was you, Koki-san?” I asked.
”Yeah. I can say that for sure,” Koki-san said firmly. “Honestly, Mitsuki could beat it alone. The weaker enemies in the lead-up are way tougher.”
”I see.”
A boss that is unnaturally weak.
It must be a boss designed to get stronger when you do something.
”But why do you want to hear about the boss at this stage? You haven’t reached the boss floor yet, have you?” Koki-san asked.
”About that…”
I report to Koki-san that I used information from a classmate to find and fight a Unique Variant (a rare, stronger Aberration). I decide to keep the battle method a secret, as I promised Komoda-kun.
”Ho, so it’s a pattern where the conditions to start the fight are special,” Koki-san said. “I know the plaza with that statue. I found it on the 10th floor. I remember thinking it had a scary feel, but nothing happened, so I just moved on.”
”It’s just a statue if you don’t meet the conditions,” I explained. “Anyway, I was able to defeat the Unique Variant, but it seems the boss gets stronger every time one is defeated. I’m a bit worried about that.”
”I see, I understand the situation,” Koki-san replied. “But there’s nothing I can really tell you. Since I don’t know how much stronger it gets, I can only give you a vague comment.”
”That makes sense… thanks for the reference.”
We pause the conversation to watch the others dueling with sorcery.
Risa is fighting right now. Against Risa, who is firing her magic pistol, the senior is defenseless. They are taking the bullets head-on, but there’s no visible damage. Or rather, it’s Risa who looks pained.
It’s a damage-reflection type of sorcery.
The usual way to deal with that is to change the wavelength of your Mana or the timing so it doesn’t get reflected, but Risa, whose only attack method is a magic pistol, struggles with those fine adjustments. As things stand, she has no way to break through.
”That kid’s hit a wall, huh?” Koki-san observed.
”Yeah,” I agreed. “If we’re going to go deeper into the dungeon, we should swap to better gear… I have to work hard to hand in items until better equipment is available to buy.”
We spend nearly half a day on training, finding out everyone’s weak points.
How to keep up with the speed of a Unique Variant, how to deal with the boss when it uses sorcery.
After Koki-san, it’s Komoda-kun’s turn.
He knows that the boss gets stronger. If I have information on how it gets stronger, I can prepare countermeasures and even guess further enhancements.
”The enhancement details of the boss? Sure, I’ll tell you,” Komoda-kun offered.
During lunch break the following week, I call Komoda-kun over in the hallway, go to the roof, and we talk side-by-side in the corner.
He’s happy to fill me in.
”The item we got was a left arm,” Komoda-kun explained. “A Torso with a left arm will use it to guard against attacks. Once the limbs are attached, it starts using sorcery. The left arm gives a sorcery that boosts its own defense.”
”A support sorcery? It doesn’t use attack sorcery?” I asked.
”It’s not in the records,” he replied. “The left arm isn’t a part that gives attack Abilities.”
That means other parts will give attack sorcery?
”Do you know what happens with other parts?” I asked.
”I do, but… are you planning to fight a boss with two or more stages of enhancement?” he countered.
”Yeah. If I’m going to do it, I want to fight a boss that offers a challenge.”
”Were you always this much of a battle-maniac?” Komoda-kun sighed. “I really think you should stop…”
While saying that, Komoda-kun tells me what the other parts do.
”First, the right arm,” he continued. “This adds new attack patterns. It won’t just body slam; it will start punching with its arm. The right arm also gives attack sorcery.”
”Hmm.”
”The left leg increases speed,” he went on. “Movement speed goes up, apparently. It will start using movement sorcery to dodge, too. And finally, the right leg boosts the other parts. It doesn’t change anything on its own, but with the right leg attached, the effects and power of the sorcery from other parts are increased.”
”If you only upgrade one spot, the right leg is the jackpot, then.”
”Right,” he confirmed. “If no other parts are attached, nothing happens when you attach the right leg. Yet the drop items are rewarding, so it’s a very generous Aberration. The left arm we have is the next-best jackpot part.”
”On the other hand, the worst value for effort is the right arm?”
”A Torso with a right arm is tough, but it’s not impossible to win.”
From what I’ve heard, a boss with four stages of enhancement is probably a very strong enemy.
”Are there five or more stages of enhancement? What happens if you get items by moving through world lines (different versions of reality) two or more times? Isn’t there a head part?” I asked.
”I don’t know,” Komoda-kun admitted. “No one has recorded fighting a boss with four or more stages of enhancement. How strong the ‘complete form’ is, is unknown. No one has found a head part, either.”
”I see… I understand. Thank you. That helped a lot.”
”Don’t push yourself too hard,” he warned. “I don’t want to lose a friend because of my tips.”
”I know. I think I know my own limits.”
”If you say so…”
I thank the worried Komoda-kun and walk away. In the shadows, I consult with Hinoki.
’We got some pretty good info, didn’t we~’ Hinoki chirped.
”I’m grateful to know the enhancement patterns.”
’Right now, we’ve got the left arm and the right arm, yeah?’
”We got the dud parts.”
’Either way, we’re aiming for the complete form, so it’s the same thing.’
”…Right, I missed one question.”
Assuming there are Unique Variants on the 10th and 15th floors, which parts do they drop? I’m curious if the parts can overlap.
’We’ll find out when we fight ’em.’
”I suppose so.”
I meet up with Chifumi and the others, and we search public records after school.
The high school library has plenty of material on Aberrations. But there wasn’t a single mention of the Unique Variants in the Commercial District. Nothing about boss enhancement either. I had little hope since it wasn’t in official documents, but it was still a bit sad to find absolutely nothing.
I asked everyone’s families, but there was no further information.
I believe this is all the information I can collect for now.
So I move to the next step. Specifically, getting the necessary tools.
First, weapons. I judge that the equipment of our two Vanguards (frontline fighters) doesn’t need to be replaced. Both can still perform well. I think it will be a long time before we can buy anything better than our current items in stores. If I were to replace anyone’s first, it would be Risa’s. Her current magic pistol didn’t deal effective damage to the Unique Variant.
If I can find a gun with better affinity, I can expect it to serve as a damage source. Last time, we brought a Rifle-type magic pistol and a shotgun-type magic pistol. Next time we fight a Unique Variant, I think I’ll try a different type of magic pistol.
Next, armor. There is room for improvement here.
Right now, we have our initial equipment — the training Uniforms (magical combat clothing). There are two ways to make them stronger. Strengthening our current Uniforms, or buying new ones.
Between the two, strengthening is easier. We can give special effects by sewing drop-item Uniform patches onto our Uniforms. Although the effect amount is small, it’s better than nothing. The downside is that it looks ugly.
The smarter approach is to get higher-tier Uniforms. That said, they aren’t simply direct upgrades; they are strong against some attributes but weak against others, so we’ll need to choose the right Uniform based on the dungeon we are diving into and the enemy Aberrations.
If we’re going to fight a Unique Variant, the process will be to confirm what attack methods the opponent has, then buy one with high defense for that attribute.
To buy, we need to save up Acquisition Qualification Points (currency for buying equipment). We’ll aim to replace our armor by selling rat fur and Uniform patches to earn points. That’s going to take a lot of effort. We might just barely have enough points after selling all the drop items we can get in the second term. It definitely won’t be in time for the next Unique Variant fight.
Well, since we have Asari’s defensive sorcery, our defense isn’t in a state of absolute crisis. Let’s just aim to buy armor strong against physical strikes for both Vanguards by the time we reach the boss fight.
…If they want to increase the survival rate of sorcerers, I think they should unlock a variety of equipment from the start, and indeed, that proposal has come up from many places. Nevertheless, there’s no sign of this rule being changed.
It goes without saying — I still have much to learn about this world. But I’ll keep gathering what I can, one step at a time.
—
Summary:
Hinoki and their group attend a training session at the Onigahara estate, where they receive advice on boss Aberrations from their senior, Koki. Following this, the protagonist consults with Komoda-kun to learn the mechanics of how bosses are enhanced by various drop items. Armed with this knowledge, Hinoki begins planning to acquire better equipment for their team as they prepare for a future, high-difficulty boss encounter.
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Trivia:
- The boss Aberration in the Commercial District has an appearance like a naked department store mannequin.
- Boss enhancements are tied to specific drop items like left arms, right arms, and legs, which grant new abilities such as guarding, magic, and speed.
- The ‘right leg’ is considered the best enhancement part because it boosts other components without having negative side effects on its own.
- Risa’s magic pistol struggles against damage-reflection sorcery, indicating a need for equipment optimization.
- The protagonist’s team is currently hindered by school rules that prevent the early unlocking of diverse equipment.
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Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Hinoki – Bound to Minoru, this three-meter, Oni-fied centipede Phantom speaks from his shadow in a regional dialect. Acting as a reliable mount, advisor, and dungeon navigator, they share a deep bond with him. Currently frustrated by lost power, they wield sorcery, venom, and chains to defeat a shallow-floor boss, while expertly coordinating joint strikes and attracting Unique Variants.
• T – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• Koki – Nearly two meters tall, muscular, and handsome, this Onigahara-style second-year sorcerer and “Gold Oni” user is a trusted senior in the protagonist’s group. He deeply dotes on his siblings, Minoru and Mitsuki, gifting Minoru a dungeon notebook. Tied to the Sumo club, this cautious analyst provides training in close-quarters combat and detailed info about boss Aberrations.
• K – A student from East Middle who followed N to National High School out of care, successfully remaining pure through N’s protection until a misunderstanding involving Anonymous Student 0008 led to her capitulation.
• M – A first-year student at District 13 High School and the childhood friend of Anonymous Student 0006, described as an atavistic strong-female who looks plain but possesses significant power.
• S – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• Onigahara – The Onigahara family (formerly Koki), bearing the names Mitsuki and Koki, is an influential sorcerer lineage running a massive, traditional martial arts dojo famed for Oni-fication sorcery. Exuding disciplined austerity, these stern mentors possess distinct combat records and maintain close, hierarchical bonds with their students and apprentices, preserving a rigorous legacy of strength.
• Mitsuki – A tall, dark-skinned transfer student with a physically imposing, athletic hourglass figure and unexpected academic prowess. Blunt yet enthusiastic, she is Minoru’s deeply devoted, clingy childhood friend, rival, and Witch. Wielding a Kanabo with destructive Oni-fication and recovery sorcery, this top assassin candidate leads a vanguard party alongside Manaka and Koki.
• A – A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R’s high school squad.
• Asari – A serious, diligent Kasakura first-year, this tall (170cm+), long-haired, curvy (E-cup) Handicrafts club member and Onigahara Dojo trainee is highly intelligent. As a reliable defensive vanguard in Minoru’s squad, her barrier sorcery defeats anomalies and strong seniors. Close to Mari and Nagase, she is a devoted, intimate partner to Minoru, until she is tragically devoured by a Phantom.
• Risa – A tall, well-endowed Plain-folk Naruse merchant student and disciplined Onibara practitioner. Minoru’s strong-willed, protective childhood friend and servant, she defers to Chifumi, knows Yurina, and suspects Komoda. Lacking innate sorcery, this cautious Shooting club member works hard to cover the squad’s weaknesses, using a rifle and magic pistols with magic bullets to snipe monsters and harvest loot.
• R – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has successfully built a squad and added multiple girls, including M and A, into his group.
• B – A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S’s group.
• Komoda – An eccentric, polite male classmate from the influential Michinori family and experienced leader of the Komoda explorer group. Possessing restricted knowledge on boss Aberration mechanics, this calculated leader cordially approaches his acquaintance Minoru to share items and propose an alliance. While aiming to recruit Minoru, he also expresses genuine concern for the safety of his party.
• N – A student from East Middle with an eccentric personality who entered National High School due to complex family circumstances and used herself as leverage to negotiate a protective agreement for K.
• Chifumi – Scrawny and long-haired, this first-year Lead Majo is Minoru’s childhood friend, protector, and top harem member who interacts with Muto. An intellectual strategist, she masks a sharp demeanor with bubbly idol poses and quick-changing expressions. She coordinates the team, gathers intel on Aberrations, and wields a water staff for destructive AOE magic and ice-based defensive sorcery.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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