Volume 8 Chapter 2 The Exchange Battle Participation Request
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The first weekend after the opening ceremony. A day when the key players would gather at the Takino residence to talk.
I still had time before the meeting. Sitting alone at my desk, I decided to organize the situation once more.
. . .
Today, the topic to be discussed at the Takino residence was the “exchange battles.”
The exchange battles were a system where groups from national and private high schools would, over the course of their second year, repeatedly hold joint sorcery training and matches. The purpose was to gain combat experience against sorcerers from other schools—people they normally had no connection with. Essentially, it was designed to raise the overall skill level of sorcerers in the region.
. . .
During the first year, combat against sorcerers from other groups was officially prohibited. The only ways to gain actual sorcerer-to-sorcerer experience were through “instruction” within the group and the internal “ranking matches.” Duels were strictly forbidden.
The exceptions were individual challenges during joint training—things like receiving instruction from the master at Onigahara Dojo, or sparring with fellow students to test each other’s skills.
Of course, there were always those who engaged in underground duels beyond the adults’ watch, and situations where you had no choice but to fight in self-defense. In fact, I’d ended up in a battle with an adult sorcerer in District 5, and just the other day, I’d fought with Risa’s mother. The former was definitely a battle, but the latter was more of a one-sided beating, so whether it could even be called a “battle” was debatable.
In any case, once you reached the second year, official combat training against sorcerers from other groups was formally permitted at the Guidance Facility. Having spent a year together, everyone understood each other’s abilities and personalities, so there was no need to get overly fixated on winning or losing. What happened were sorcery battles that looked like full-strength fights but actually held back. Personally, I was curious to test myself against Komoda and Shoji at least once.
Demons fought with reserves in matches against each other. But at the same time, they also wanted opportunities to go all out, crush their opponent, and feel that rush. The exchange battles were especially popular among demons with that kind of selfish, fight-hungry streak.
The opponents they would unleash their full power against were the Strong-Females from outside their own group—specifically, Shoji’s group.
Demons versus Limit-Breaker Strong-Females. Logically speaking, the outcome was obvious. The demons would win.
To bridge that gap, the demons imposed various handicaps on themselves—and over the course of a year, they would “train” their opponents. They would take extra steps to build up their own worthy rivals. Then, at the end of the year, they would “instruct” all the trained Strong-Females under the guise of confirming their abilities, completing the acquisition of their “subsets.”
That was the flow of the exchange battles.
. . .
Now, let me apply that to my current situation.
The paper in front of me was about the exchange battles. The A3 sheet I’d received from Tsubaki-sensei the other day was filled with detailed participation conditions and precautions.
Participation requirements: You had to be a second-year Demon, and your group needed to have multiple Witches as members. My group had Chifumi and Mitsuki, so the condition was satisfied.
As for precautions: details about how the exchange would proceed, what to do if the exchange had to be interrupted midway—all of that was listed there.
The second sheet was the application form. If I signed it, I’d be officially participating. The deadline was next week. Shorter than I expected.
The schedule after participation was also clearly written out. Once all interested applicants were gathered, each school would select its participants. There were five spots. If more than five groups applied, the participants would be chosen through a selection process. If fewer than five groups applied, the number would be reduced accordingly.
Once each school’s participating groups were decided, there would be an initial meeting with all groups. After that, the pairings would be determined. Once the initial pairings were set, those groups would be partners for the entire year.
. . .
Mitsuki strongly insisted that I participate. Chifumi hadn’t said it aloud, but I believe she felt the same. The two of them had been coordinating with Manaka’s companions. In other words, Manaka wanted me to participate in the exchange battles.
She probably wanted to specifically target me as her exchange partner. To show me in front of other demons, watching me get stolen away by someone else—though I’m pretty sure Manaka didn’t have that kind of twisted preference.
So why did she want to fight me in the exchange battles?
To consider this question, I had to confront a certain doubt I’d deliberately avoided until now.
”What do Manaka’s companions really think of me?”
. . .
I’d thought I’d been abandoned by Manaka’s companions back when I was applying to high school.
There were two reasons for this.
First: their attitude toward me from my second year of middle school onward. Up through second year, I thought we’d built a decent relationship, all things considered. Compared to when we were kids, our exchanges had become more subdued, but that could also be attributed to us growing up and gaining more sense. The awkwardness caused by my shift in preferences had been gradually repaired—I’d often have long gaming sessions with Sawa, or goof off with Mitsuki and get scolded by Manaka.
The events around Yuu and Yui’s character shifts had been particularly entertaining.
But after that… those moments had abruptly stopped.
I couldn’t explain it away with “I was busy with club activities” or “I was busy with middle school events.” Chifumi still found time to hang out with me one-on-one, but my individual contact with the other five had decreased so unnaturally.
Still, everyone had stayed around me. I didn’t think they hated me.
That assumption was proven wrong in the third semester of my third year of middle school. When it came time to prepare my high school applications, I was told they were all going to Shisei High School. The only one who followed me was Chifumi.
I finally understood that I’d been abandoned by everyone… or so I thought…
But looking back at everything that happened last year, none of it fit that story.
Manaka’s companions joining us at the training camp during summer break. Mitsuki transferring in during the second semester. The events during winter break. Their attitudes toward me. All of it went against what I thought.
To make sense of it, I had to change what I thought.
”Manaka’s companions don’t actually hate me.”
With that assumption, their actions during the previous year made sense. But then, the opposite—their actions during my third year of middle school became impossible to explain. They could have just entered the same high school with me.
Had their feelings of “dislike” changed after entering high school? Had they reconsidered my charms while attending Shisei High School and experienced a change of heart? I needed to clear up these circumstances today.
. . . It was almost time for the meeting.
I stood up, changed into the clothes Pape had prepared for me. After stashing the anomalies in my Doma, I stepped out of the annex, called out to the Snow flies who were staying behind, and set off toward the Takino residence.
. . .
I arrived at the Takino residence precisely on time. I rang the doorbell, and Chifumi came out from inside.
”I’ve been waiting for you~ Come in~” she said in her usual bright tone.
”Excuse me for intruding,” I replied.
Shoes lined up in the entryway—shoes, shoes, shoes. There were so many there was hardly room for them all.
When I entered the living room, all the members except me were already there. My group members and Manaka’s group members—everyone was relaxing inside.
”I asked Mum to step out~” Chifumi explained, her voice lilting. “So right now, the only people in this house are the ones here~”
I understood: they’d made full preparations for a private conversation.
”Here, Minoru.”
Mitsuki handed me a canned juice, and we started with a toast. Snacks were laid out on the table. Apparently, the intention was to keep the mood light.
”Well then… Cheers,” I said, raising my can.
”””Cheers!”””
I led the toast, and the tea party began.
”When everyone’s gathered like this, the room gets pretty cramped, huh~” Chifumi observed.
Twelve people in one room. Of course it felt small. The heat was building up too—it was spring, but we were already running the air conditioner.
”The situation’s the same as the winter cottage, though,” I said.
”The rooms are different sizes though~” Chifumi countered.
”Can’t really expect that kind of space in a normal house. If we connected two tatami rooms in the main building, we might manage,” I mused.
”True~” she agreed.
Manaka joined in on my conversation with Chifumi.
”It’s been a year since I last visited Minoru’s house, during New Year’s,” Manaka said, her voice refined and elegant. “I hope everyone is well?”
”They’re doing fine,” I replied. “Actually, my little sisters said they’d like to hang out with Manaka’s companions sometime.”
”I see…” Manaka responded, looking somewhat troubled.
Currently, the relationship between the Tatemiya and Kuga families wasn’t good. And whose fault was that? Mine, for being abandoned by Manaka. Though things were slowly improving through my younger siblings, there was no way my little sisters could play with Manaka—the very person at the center of the bad relationship—right now.
And yet, the cause of the strained relationship—me—was happily traveling with Manaka, so I understood why my little sisters might pout. …Whoops, that turned into blaming Manaka. I reflected on my poor choice of topic.
I took a sip of my drink to hide my embarrassment, giving myself a mental kick.
What was I doing, continuing with safe topics? Today, I had to ask what I needed to ask.
Steeling myself, I turned the conversation to Manaka.
”About the exchange battles. There’s something I want to confirm,” I said.
”Yes?” Manaka replied, her expression turning serious as she nodded at my question.
”Mitsuki wanted me to participate. Manaka, do you feel the same?” I asked directly.
”Yes. That’s correct,” she answered smoothly. “I want you to participate in the exchange battles, Minoru. I want you to be the opponent for my group in the exchange.”
She must have anticipated my question. Manaka’s answer came smoothly. Up to here, it was expected.
”Chifumi, you feel the same way, right?” I pressed.
”Mm-hmm, that’s right~” Chifumi’s answer came just as quickly.
”I want to hear the details,” I said.
”Of course,” Chifumi replied with a grin. “What specifically?”
It seemed Chifumi would answer first.
”You all want me to participate,” I said slowly, my voice carefully measured. “How long have you been planning this? Who came up with it? Were all of you in on it?”
”I’ll answer one by one~” Chifumi said, ticking off fingers. “How long… since the latter half of second year. The original proposer was Manaka-chan. And then me, Mitsuki-chan, Sawa-chan, Yui-chan, and Yuu-chan—all six of us decided together. It was the consensus of all the childhood friends.”
”I was left out of the loop, though,” I said flatly.
”Well, yeah~” Chifumi gave a wry smile.
”We didn’t think Minoru would forgive us if we told you honestly,” Manaka said, looking me straight in the eye. Her voice carried an aristocratic poise, but there was an undercurrent of earnestness. “So I proceeded on my own initiative.”
”Are you going to tell me that honest truth today? Right here?” I asked, holding her gaze.
”Yes. That’s the plan,” she confirmed.
I prompted Manaka to continue, waiting in the charged silence that followed.
”The first thing we have to discuss…” Manaka began, her tone measured and deliberate, “is how we truly feel about Minoru, isn’t it?”
”……”
She cut straight to the heart of it.
”We don’t hate you, Minoru. We’ve held positive feelings for you since we were children. That never changed, right up until the end of junior high.”
”……”
Manaka’s feelings, put into words.
She met my gaze and didn’t look away. Her eyes, fixed on me, held no trace of lying.
”Then what about your attitude in third year?” I said. “You suddenly started acting all distant, didn’t you?”
”Of course,” she replied. “It was an act. All according to plan.”
No way. Girls are terrifying…
”We needed everyone around us to think we hated you,” Manaka continued. “Otherwise, our choice to attend Shisei High School would have seemed unnatural. It was unavoidable if we didn’t want to raise suspicion.”
”By ‘everyone,’ who exactly are we talking about?” I asked. “Who knew about the plan?”
”Everyone involved is right here—your five Founding Strong-Females, plus Yuu. The six of us, and that’s all. It was a secret even from our families.”
So it really had been Manaka’s call all along.
”Though I suspect my father and mother figured it out,” she added. “Otherwise, I don’t think my father would have allowed Tatemiya, Takino, and Kuga to keep associating with us as before. He never pressed us for details about those trips we took last summer and winter either.”
”Same here~” Mitsuki chimed in. “I think my mom had a clue~”
”Mine was a mess, but for different reasons,” she went on. “When I said I wanted to go to Shisei High School, my family grilled me like I was on trial. It settled down eventually, but… thinking back, maybe Manaka’s dad said something to the Onigaharas on my behalf.”
Mitsuki was always a terrible liar, so I could easily imagine how hard it must have been for her to keep up the act.
Chifumi had told me last year that I was surprisingly well-regarded by my childhood friends’ parents. It wasn’t like there was any reason for them to dislike me.
”Didn’t it occur to you that I might hate you for this?” I demanded.
”That was our top concern,” Manaka said. “Making sure you didn’t hate us, while making it look like we hated you. Chifumi played a huge role in that.”
”It was tough~” Chifumi added with a rueful smile.
Looking back now, it wasn’t just my imagination that someone always had my back when it counted.
The conversation went deeper.
There was one thing I had to confirm.
”What made you suddenly change your attitude?” I pressed. “Why did you all decide to enroll in Shisei High School?”
”That’s…” Manaka hesitated.
”Let me speak.”
Yuu, who’d been quietly listening this whole time, finally opened her mouth.
”If we’d left things as they were, I would’ve been the only one going to Shisei High School,” she said softly. “Manaka and the others felt sorry for me—they made this plan so I wouldn’t have to go alone.”
It’d been a while since I’d heard Yuu speak in a serious tone, not her usual kya-pi☆ airheadedness. She reminded me of the scared little girl she used to be.
Yui, sitting beside her, spoke up as if protecting her sister.
”Yuu isn’t one of Minoru’s Founding Strong-Females,” Yui explained. “We’d swept that under the rug through junior high, but once we entered high school, the difference in our standing would’ve become unavoidable. But Yuu didn’t want to be separated from everyone. Going to District 13 High School as a Free was out of the question. So the plan was for her to enroll in Shisei High School and use the exchange match system to keep us all together.”
”Couldn’t Yuu have just gone to Shisei High School alone and formed a group there to participate in the exchange matches?” I asked.
”We considered that,” Yui admitted. “But we didn’t think Yuu could lead a group at Shisei High School. She’s got more than enough ability as a sorcerer, but everything else… the Futami family’s standing, her personality, all of it—we scrapped that idea.”
”I’m sorry, Minoru,” Yuu said, her voice trembling. “This is all my fault. I caused you so much trouble. Made you feel terrible.”
”I’m just as guilty,” Yui added. “I’m sorry.”
Yuu and Yui bowed their heads deeply before me.
Considering Yuu’s natural personality and how she interacts with anyone outside her immediate family, she definitely wouldn’t be described as good at making friends… I could see why they’d been worried.
As if shielding both of them, Manaka continued her explanation.
”Rather than sending Yuu to Shisei High School alone,” she stated firmly, “I judged it would be most effective if I, as Kuga’s daughter, led everyone there. I’m the one who should ultimately take responsibility.”
I understood their reasoning.
My head accepted it, but whether my heart could follow was another matter… I felt like I deserved at least one angry comment.
”It was hell, you know?” I snapped. “At the start of the year, it was just me and Chifumi. My reputation took a nosedive.”
”I’m deeply sorry,” Manaka said, her voice softening. “But… all of us were certain that you would find a way. That you’d pull through with that composed face of yours and exceed our expectations—that’s the kind of Strong-Male you are.”
”……”
”I know that sounds like I’m just saying the convenient thing now,” she continued. “But it’s our genuine, unfiltered feelings.”
I wasn’t sure anymore if their opinion of me was high or low.
Things had worked out in the end. I still wasn’t fully satisfied, but at this moment, I didn’t have it in me to lash out at Manaka.
Chifumi spoke up.
”I enrolled in District 13 High School alongside Minoru to support him,” she explained. “The absolute condition was to expand our group to at least four members within a year and include two sorcerers—otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to compete in the exchange matches.”
”Minoru added Risa, Yurina, and Asari to the group, with Chifumi as the leader, and started performing well in dungeon training,” Manaka elaborated. “But normally, getting members who aren’t Founding Strong-Females to Third-Push within a year would be extremely difficult. Even with Chifumi, the two-sorcerer requirement was steep. So we sent in Mitsuki. We figured she’d be able to reach Third-Push. And in fact, Minoru achieved the condition early in the second semester by promoting Mitsuki to sorcerer.”
”After we hit that condition, I think our attitudes toward Minoru started showing cracks here and there~” Chifumi said with a nervous laugh. “But Mitsuki-chan and I kept things from escalating. And now we’ve reached this point—we’ve told you the truth, we want you to join the exchange matches with us, and that’s where we’re at~”
Chifumi finished her explanation and fell silent, watching for my reaction.
Manaka, Yui, Yuu—everyone else was quiet too. Waiting to see what I’d decide.
”One last question,” I said slowly. “All of you lost weight this year. Why?”
”Because we heard Minoru liked the average body type,” Manaka explained. “We were worried you wouldn’t be motivated to ‘instruct’ us with the way we looked in junior high, so we slimmed down quickly. …Mitsuki’s dedication to shedding weight a year ago was absolutely terrifying, by the way.”
Under my gaze, Mitsuki gave a sheepish grin.
”The first member to finish could join Minoru’s group ahead of everyone else,” she said cheerfully. “Of course we all went all out. I only won that slot because I had the advantage of Recovery magic—it let me push myself harder than anyone else. That’s how I lost weight first.”
For a while, Mitsuki had gotten so lean she was bordering on six-pack territory.
I’d since asked her to keep a little more body fat and maintain a properly feminine figure.
I looked closely at the four of them, all dressed in their spring best—Manaka, Yui, Yuu, and Sawa.
Every single one of them looked drastically different from a year ago.
The soft padding that used to sit on Manaka’s belly was gone. Even through her clothes, you could tell she’d slimmed down to about where Chifumi had been at the start of high school.
Sawa, who’d had the broadest frame, had gone from yokozuna-tier to merely chubby.
These childhood friends were already good-looking. Now, they were a group of beauties I wouldn’t mind hearing cry out in bed. There was no reason not to make a move.
”I understand your situation,” I said at last.
”Yes,” they replied in unison.
”I also get that you want to participate in the exchange matches,” I continued. “I’ll allow it. On one condition—you’ll get your wish.”
”Thank you so much,” they said together.
A wave of relief swept through the room.
Not so fast. Don’t think I’m going to forgive you that easily.
—
Summary:
Minoru arrives at the Takino residence for a meeting about the exchange battles, only to discover that his childhood friends have been conspiring since middle school—and Manaka has been the mastermind all along.
The chapter builds tension through Minoru’s internal reflection on being abandoned, then pivots when Chifumi reveals that Manaka proposed the exchange battle plan years ago, with all six friends in agreement.
As the scene unfolds, Minoru steels himself to confront the painful question of how his friends truly feel about him, and Manaka finally prepares to reveal the answer.
The scene opens with Manaka confessing the year-long deception to Minoru. The Founding Strong-Females reveal their elaborate plan to protect Yuu from being separated from the group, and Minoru processes the weight of their betrayal and genuine care. The conversation concludes with Minoru granting conditional acceptance, but the lingering tension suggests he has not fully forgiven them.
—
Trivia:
The exchange battle system is a year-long commitment where Demons train Strong-Females to become worthy opponents before defeating them.
Minoru’s group already meets the participation requirement because he has Chifumi and Mitsuki as Witches.
The deadline for the exchange battle application is next week.
Manaka’s companions include Chifumi, Mitsuki, Sawa, Yui, and Yuu.
The Tatemiya and Kuga families are currently in a strained relationship due to Minoru’s situation with Manaka.
Minoru’s little sisters want to play with Manaka’s companions but cannot due to the family tensions.
The “character shift” events involving Yuu and Yui were notably entertaining to Minoru.
Chifumi is the only one who followed Minoru to Shisei High School.
Manaka’s companions joined Minoru at summer training camp, and Mitsuki transferred to his school in the second semester.
The final line of the chapter is Manaka’s promise to reveal how they truly feel about Minoru.
Manaka was the sole architect of the plan, taking full responsibility for the deception.
The group’s goal was to have all six members enter Shisei High School together, using the exchange match system to stay connected.
Chifumi enrolled in District 13 High School specifically to support Minoru, not by coincidence.
The two-sorcerer requirement for exchange match participation was the critical bottleneck that prompted sending Mitsuki into Minoru’s group.
Mitsuki’s Recovery magic gave her a physical advantage, allowing her to lose weight faster than the others and secure her slot in Minoru’s group.
The girls’ parents largely suspected the plan, but chose not to interfere or press for details.
Minoru’s childhood friends all significantly altered their physical appearance over the year to match his preferences.
Sawa, who once had the broadest frame, reduced from yokozuna-tier to merely chubby over the course of the year.
The term “Free” refers to a status at District 13 High School that was considered unacceptable for Yuu.
Minoru’s internal conflict balances intellectual understanding of their motives with emotional hurt from the deception.
Notes:
• Takino – Chifumi’s pushy yet hospitable mother uses this family name as an alternative identity to discreetly manage external relationships when the Tatemiya name cannot be used. A member of Komoda’s group, she utilizes this alias to facilitate requests, coordinate with Muto, and insist on the protagonist eating dinner at her home, balancing her covert operations with an overbearing maternal presence.
• A – A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R’s high school squad.
• T – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• S – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• Onigahara – Onigahara-san is a stern, disciplined mentor from the influential Onigahara sorcerer family and an aunt to a party member. Dedicated to preserving her lineage’s legacy, she manages logistics and drives the family microbus for the group’s dungeon training. After arriving to pick someone up, she remains involved upon learning of the situation, maintaining hierarchical bonds with dojo students.
• Risa – A female acquaintance who could bake cookies for Tatemiya if asked. A member of Minoru’s group. She has black eyes that can turn red when Asunaro takes control. She wields a magic pistol and can switch to Asunaro mode to use fire and lightning sorcery. She serves as a mid-guard sorcerer.
• 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.
• Komoda – An eccentric, polite male sorcerer and leader of the influential Komoda house, he commands a Sword-Hammer Cave squad. He manages travel and intel, coordinates with Ryota’s group, and seeks an alliance with Minoru. Outperforming Shoji’s team, he recently cleared the cave’s surface layer by purifying a giant scaled earthworm boss, establishing his group as a benchmark for party performance.
• Shoji – A serious silver werewolf beastman and top 5th District sorcerer, he wields magic pistols, shock spells, and a spear. After leading his group—including Ryota, Komoda, and Strong-Females—through a dungeon, he returns to aid the narrator. Driven to rescue his relative Risa from a Shadow entity by tracking scents to feed her Hinoki, he also manages complex associations with Kotoha and others.
• 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.
• B – A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S’s group.
• Strong-Females – A social designation within the world’s hierarchy.
• 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 – Minoru’s partner and childhood friend, this kimono-clad sorcerer acts as the energetic, supportive lead of his household. A confident “Strong-Female” combatant with shoulder-length hair, she uses casual, slangy speech and wields powerful ice and water magic to protect the team. She manages admin, handles frontline combat with AOE attacks, and shares a warm, trusting bond with Minoru.
• Mitsuki – A member of Minoru’s group. She provides Recovery magic and participates in service play scenarios.
• 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.
• Manaka – Manaka Kuga is an elegant Shisei High student in a coat, sweater, and scarf; a sharp-witted circle leader and respected sorcerer using spatial and sound magic. Minoru’s childhood friend and advisor, she is calm, direct, teasingly cold, manages faction security and recruits, leads her girls, and mails chocolate to the protagonist.
• Sawa – Voluptuous and bespectacled in practical western attire, this confident, competitive Nieda student gamer is an IT-savvy Shisei member, Onibara disciple, and core strategist. Part of Manaka and Mitsuki’s circles, she controls security, uses plant magic for motion sickness, and mails chocolate to the protagonist, while bluntly complaining to him and her childhood friend Minoru.
• Yui – Yuu’s sister and a Futami twin, this blunt Shisei student has short hair with a white lock and wears eccentric pink/black gothic-lolita clothes. Minoru’s childhood friend who seeks his styling advice and a mocking monitor in Manaka’s circle, she criticizes the protagonist yet mails them chocolate. She wields knives and curse arts before being eaten by the Phantom.
• Yuu – Energetic and bubbly, this Futami twin is Mai’s sister and Yui’s twin (tied to Yui’s personality change). A Mid-guard in Manaka’s group, she guards the management office in a striped swimsuit or matching gothic-lolita fashion. Known for signature poses, sharp commentary, and mailing chocolate to Minoru, she teases him, follows Yui, and is ultimately eaten by the Phantom.
• Shisei – An acquaintance involved in high-profile activities.
• Doma – A member of the household who directs the protagonist out of the living room during preparations.
• Pape – A Mannequin-type monster with a special nature. She serves as the boss of the shallow layer of the Commercial District dungeon. She has evolved from a lazy Torso into a diligent servant who prioritizes cleaning and proper attire. She aspires to become a butler and is influenced by Hinoki-sama’s power, which has made her fond of caregiving through clothing. A monster created as a dungeon boss who has spent many years in that role. Their monster history is exceedingly long. They follow rules properly and play cat’s cradle with Clam.
• Minoru – Master of the monsters. He tamed Pape and others. He has business at the main house. The protagonist and narrator. A young man who leads a group of female companions, wielding Inherent sorcery and managing a harem-like dynamic. He maintains a pragmatic, observant demeanor and holds the position of “master” within his group.
• Tatemiya – Minoru’s family name, referenced by the group members as a marker of their relationship with him. The protagonist and first-person narrator. A pragmatic young man who navigates a world where beauty standards are reversed. He leads a group of strong-females and maintains a clinical, analytical approach to relationships and sexuality. He operates with controlled detachment, viewing his interactions as transactions or maintenance of his harem rather than romantic connections.
• Kuga – The Kuga family name, worn on the garments of Manaka and Marin to symbolize their kinship, marks the farthest point from the narrator’s home. A member of this distant family also works as a hotel staff member, who reports Anri’s visit to the sealed dungeon.
• Futami – The family name of twins, Yui and Yuu. Also their younger sister, Mai.
• Yurina – A stoic, black-haired Plain-folk samurai and sorcerer in Minoru’s party. Trained by Anri in katana and Severing Sorcery, she acts as a perceptive vanguard who protects Chifumi and fights alongside Mitsuki. While she respects Minoru and handles group duties like gift-giving, she feels unsettled by his escalating violence, yet she maintains her loyalty and trusts his judgment despite her reserved nature.
• Asari – A tall, long-haired, bespectacled Kasakura honor student, this analytical, polite strategist serves as Minoru’s devoted partner and Risa’s future host. Close to Mari and Nagase, she uses Silicic Armor to manifest crystal barriers. A perceptive defensive specialist knowledgeable in Aberration mechanics, she uses formal speech to interrogate spiritual mysteries, currently recovering from mana exhaustion.
• 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.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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