Volume 8 Chapter 14 Golden Week Free Dungeon Conquest: Sword-Hammer Cave
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Golden Week had started, and we had a week and change of vacation ahead. The plan: clear our unfinished business from last year. We’d go back into the dungeon we’d left half-explored, purge the boss, and push until we hit a decent stopping point. The target dungeon was Sword-Hammer Cave’s surface layer.
Over spring break, we’d been chipping away at the exploration, little by little, and had reached the nineteenth floor. The twentieth was the boss floor. The boss was a scale-covered earthworm. As for its attack patterns and other intel, we’d gotten that from Komoda. The exchange condition was rare unique variant drops—wire.
Komoda was prioritizing progress over spending time hunting rare unique variants. The wire turned out to be an item he wasn’t planning to get, so I think we got a better trade rate than we’d expected.
We shared today’s schedule in the waiting room before entry.
The dungeon was as empty as ever. Kinpira Palace’s waiting room was packed, but Sword-Hammer Cave had no one else besides us.
”Ideally, we finish the boss fight today. But if we’re worn out by the time we reach the twentieth floor, we withdraw. Tomorrow’s fine. Don’t push it.”
”Got it!”
We checked everyone’s gear and entered the dungeon.
Following standard procedure, we released Snow Flies into the dark dungeon to light the way. We chose the wider water channel and followed it deeper. So far, picking the wider channel had never been wrong. No reason to get lost. We’d already established countermeasures for the monsters that appeared. As long as nothing irregular showed up, we wouldn’t lose our footing.
Irregular monsters—rare variants—hadn’t appeared yet. Among the drops from regular mobs, the high-value items were almost exclusively from rare variants. And that’s why our funds weren’t building up.
Since we’d decided on a policy of subjugating rare variants, the only one we’d encountered so far was that mantis. Looking back, I sort of wished we’d subjugated it. But if we had, we wouldn’t have gotten the wire, and we’d have gone into the boss fight blind. You can’t have everything.
We cleared out grasshoppers, bats, newts, geckos—the usual dungeon mobs—as we pushed deeper. Two hours plus of that, and we found the stairs to the next floor. Total encounters so far: ten. Smooth sailing. We moved to the twentieth floor and took a rest in the safe zone right at the entrance.
Like at the entrance points of previous floors, we held a strategy meeting in the open area beside a spring.
”What do we do~? Everyone’s literally got plenty of stamina left~” Mitsuki chirped, her voice drawing out the words with playful enthusiasm.
I checked everyone’s condition, starting with Chifumi. There hadn’t been any particularly tough fights along the way. No one had taken significant damage. On the other hand, everyone’s HP and mana were down to half of what they’d been at entry.
”Asari, give us the boss info.”
”Right.” Asari adopted her teacher-like pose, raising one index finger, and began explaining in full.
”The boss here is a Scale Earthworm. As the name suggests, it rather looks like an earthworm covered in scales all over its body. The arena is a wide cavern. If you follow the water channel as we have been doing, you shall eventually reach the boss room. It is about the size of a high school gymnasium—bigger than the Commercial District boss room by a good margin. Once everyone enters the arena, the Scale Earthworm appears.”
”The initial appearance point is random, right?”
”Correct. It emerges from the rock walls, but I am told the earthworm moves through solid rock as easily as if it were swimming through water. Picture a dolphin at an aquarium—it shall burst out of the wall like a dolphin leaping from the water. Because it uses earth sorcery to move through the walls, there will not be any holes left where it emerges.”
”If it popped out from under our feet, the perceived speed would be something else…”
”When it is inside the rock, you cannot see it, but mana detection can pick it up, so we should be able to tell where it is. The earth sorcery causes vibrations, so if the walls or floor nearby start shaking, get away from that spot immediately.”
”How far away is safe?”
”At least three meters. It’s almost impossible to dodge if you’re standing still. The earthworm’s size varies, but on average, it’s about a meter in diameter and twenty meters long.”
Risa cut into my conversation with Asari.
”What’s the strategy? How do we purge it?”
”You attack when the earthworm is exposed. Its scales deflect attacks, but by dealing damage you can break them. Attacks on exposed areas count as critical hits, so aim for those. Once the scales are broken, even non-slashing and non-bludgeoning attacks become crits as well. Risa-san, I would recommend rapid fire with your magic pistol.”
”Hmm, so AR-type’s the main focus.”
”Shotgun-type might not work as well—the spread makes it less effective. Also, if you take too long, it can regenerate its scales using earth sorcery.”
”So we need to go fast. Got it.”
”While it’s underground, it attacks with earth sorcery—rock cannon shots. The more worn down it is, the more projectiles it fires, so be careful.”
Asari finished her explanation.
”So~? You went over all that boss info again, which means we’re, like, doing this, right~?” Mitsuki chimed in, her tone upbeat and expectant.
”No, we’re not.”
”Alright, let’s give it our—wait, WHAT!?” Mitsuki’s voice shot up in surprise.
”Mitsuki-chan, you’re still rotten at that straight-man timing, y’know~” Chifumi teased, her words lilting with amusement.
Ignoring the playful jab at Mitsuki, I laid out my reasoning.
”I thought it through while we were going over everything. The odds of winning are high. But there’s always a chance things go sideways. Wasting Escape Balls here would be ridiculous. There’s no need to rush. …I’ll have to trouble Aunt Onigahara for a ride again. That’s the only thing I feel bad about.”
”Ma won’t mind, trust me. I’ll ask her myself, so don’t worry.”
”Thanks.”
And so, the boss fight was postponed. We escaped the dungeon and got a ride home from Aunt Onigahara. We stopped at a family restaurant on the way to grab a bite before she dropped us all off at our respective places.
During the break, the first half was spent with each of our families, and the second half was scheduled for everyone to stay over. Of course, I was looking forward to the nights too. I made sure to get all the preparations done ahead of time so I’d be ready for whatever I wanted to do when they arrived. Anything I could handle on my own, I finished up quickly.
Today, I’d left Pape to watch the house. While I was out, they’d cleaned the water tank, and when Tempura and the others got back, they were in high spirits.
Pape had even done the laundry, cleaning, and aired out the futons. What a lifesaver.
I was just bringing in the laundry and putting it away in the chest of drawers when Hinoki came back from outside. Their routine went like this: emerge from the shadows at the gate, get a report from Poplar about what happened while they were away, then head back to the annex.
”Everythin’ quiet, then.”
”Yeah, thanks. Good work.”
Hinoki usually went off to do their own thing after reporting, but today they lingered in the doorway, unusually hesitant.
”What’s up? Something on your mind?”
”Just wanted to ask yer somethin’, big bro. Why’d yer decide to pull out today?”
”Hmm? Oh, you didn’t catch the conversation in the dungeon?”
”Nah, I heard it alright. Just thought that old you’d’ve reckoned it was worth a shot.”
So they thought I’d gotten more cautious.
”Maybe you’re right. I might’ve been a little too careful.”
”I ain’t sayin’ it was the wrong call. It weren’t a situation worth pushin’ our luck, that’s plain as day. And I reckon today’s call were the right one. But… that ain’t all of it, is it?”
”…You can tell?”
As Hinoki said, there was logic in my decision, but it wasn’t just logic. There was something else—a feeling.
I just had a bad feeling. Not quite a trap… but a sense that if we pushed forward, something might happen.
”A premonition, eh… Big bro, I reckon yer might be startin’ to use my ability without even knowin’ it.”
”Your ability?”
”Aye. Yer Inherent Sorcery lets yer use the sorcery of the monsters yer’ve subjugated, right? I were thinkin’ maybe yer’d unconsciously tapped into my perception ability.”
”I didn’t notice at all, but… what does it do, exactly?”
”Just a vague sense of when somethin’s off. Hard to pin down. It’s a kind o’ supernatural perception—pretty vague, like I said.”
Hinoki rose up, swaying their head side to side, up and down, in a slow, almost hypnotic motion.
”Back in me prime, I could dodge every attack just on instinct. These days, I’ve got maybe a fraction of that power.”
I wondered if that swaying motion was supposed to represent some kind of evasive maneuver, like a Dempsey roll.
”It’s not like having it hurts. I’ll take advantage of it, and be glad for it.”
”Good. Use it well. …That’s all I wanted to say. Catch yer later~”
Hinoki still held their head high as they sidled off, disappearing into the main house with a shuffle that reminded me of a stage performer exiting the wings. They were probably off to chat with Tempura and the others. They’d picked up another surprisingly expressive habit.
Tonight, I was having dinner with the family at the main house. There was still time, so I flopped down on the tatami and opened a paperback. The literature in this world was nothing like what I’d known back in Japan. Subjects like language and social studies from my old life were completely useless here—if anything, they just got in the way. But as entertainment, discovering entirely new kinds of novels was a genuine pleasure.
In the end, I spent the whole time reading until Kotoha came to fetch me.
The middle of Golden Week was all about the group staying over and doing things together. We went to the movies, shopped and had tea on the shopping street, did sorcery training and studying. Just listing it out like that, it didn’t look much different from our usual routine.
We’d recovered our stamina, mana, and energy, and it was the second half of the break. We returned to Sword-Hammer Cave.
Today, we resumed from the twentieth floor entrance.
We followed the water channel, ran into a patrolling monster and a stationary one—one fight each—and finally arrived at the boss room.
The arena visible beyond the passage was vast. “About the size of a high school gymnasium” was the intel we’d had, but that was an understatement. This was more like a city gymnasium—an arena that could easily fit four basketball courts. The ceiling was high, too.
Mitsuki and Asari peered into the arena from the entrance, studying the layout.
”Whoa, isn’t this huge?” Mitsuki’s voice echoed with genuine awe.
”Yeah. This is way bigger than the intel suggested.”
”Think it’s dangerous to just charge in?”
”There’s a rumor that the size of the boss room correlates with the boss’s size. It might be a big one after all…”
”You think it could be a rare variant?”
”No intel on a rare variant boss. I cannot rule it out entirely, but…”
Everyone was waiting for my decision. If we played it safe, we’d retreat.
However—if the boss happens to be a rare variant, retreating would reset the encounter. We’d lose our chance at a rare spawn.
”Moving in. If it’s just big, no problem. If it’s a rare variant… first priority is assessing its capabilities. No unnecessary attacks—focus on evasion, prioritize defense. If it looks bad, we bail immediately. Keep Return Slips ready at all times.”
”Got it~”
Carefully, the whole party entered the plaza.
The moment Chifumi, bringing up the rear, stepped into the open area… a low rumble echoed. Not an earthquake—impossible. The boss had started moving. As they advanced slowly toward the center of the plaza, the sound grew steadily louder.
At the head of the formation, Yurina halted.
”Here it comes!”
A flash of light erupted on the floor directly in front of Yurina as she scrambled backward—and a colossal object burst out. A reddish-brown, rope-like form. Calling it an earthworm was accurate, but calling it that undersold the sheer scale. Its diameter was roughly my height. Maybe a bit bigger? About two meters.
”Hah!”
Yurina’s blade, drawn in an iai strike, glanced off the creature’s surface scales as if sliding along polished stone.
”Orya!”
My own swing with the kanabō mallet connected—and despite the hardness of those scales, the worm’s body gave with a sickening squish, dispersing the impact. Before the worm could fully emerge, its head was already retreating back into the floor, sinking into that pool of light.
We attacked—me, Risa, and Chifumi—before it could vanish entirely.
Our shockwaves shattered several scales. I followed up by firing Magic Bullets into the broken spots—and that seemed to do real damage. The worm thrashed violently; Yurina and Mitsuki scrambled clear. Mitsuki tried to freeze it solid with wide-area ice sorcery, but the creature was simply too massive—the spell barely slowed it down. Frost clung to its scales as the worm sank back underground.
The worm had vanished entirely. Time to track its next emergence via mana detection.
I sensed a mana signature shifting near the ceiling.
Should mention—we’d released Snow Flies throughout this enormous plaza to keep the place lit. Without them, we’d be fighting the worm in pitch-black darkness, so light was essential. The downside? With all this light, the flash of sorcery when the worm emerged was harder to spot.
If the plaza were pitch-black, we’d see sorcery attacks coming the moment they activated—but physical charges like body slams would be near impossible to dodge. With light, we could avoid direct attacks easily, but sorcery was harder to read. The trade-off was ours to make.
We chose to prioritize dodging physical attacks.
”I’ll cover us!”
The reason? Asari.
Asari’s mana detection was above average. She could sense incoming ranged attacks before they materialized—Crystal Walls could block the rock cannons.
”Guh…!”
Asari grunted with effort.
The incoming projectile hadn’t penetrated the wall, but it had left a massive crack—embedded in the crystal, stuck fast. Direct hit on a person would’ve been devastating. Wait, more than that… that projectile lodged in the wall—that wasn’t rock. A metallic sheen.
”Sorcery that fires metal rounds? Have we ever heard of that?”
”Never!”
”So… it really is a rare variant?”
”Highly likely!”
Asari adjusted her defensive formation to counter metal projectiles. The next shot only left a small crack—much better.
”Leave the defense to me—everyone focus on attacking!”
Almost simultaneously with Asari’s shout, the worm emerged directly above Mitsuki.
”Whoa!”
Mitsuki, channeling her demonic transformation, braced herself against the descending worm.
”Graaah!!”
She held her ground—barely—but the weight difference was overwhelming, driving her back.
”Mitsuki, don’t push yourself!”
”Mitsuki-san!”
A flash from Yurina’s Severing Sorcery sliced through scale and flesh alike, carving a deep gash into the worm. The combined barrage from the others finally registered—the worm was feeling it. The balance shifted. Mitsuki heaved the worm aside with raw strength, sending it writhing across the stone floor rather than diving under.
”Now!”
Concentrated fire from the whole party. Destroy the scales, then hammer the exposed flesh beneath.
After a sustained beating, the worm recovered, retreated, and burrowed back into the rock.
The worm stayed hidden for a while. We deflected nearly ten more metal shots before it finally emerged again. It had learned attacking Mitsuki wasn’t working—this time it targeted Yurina.
Yurina evaded the charge, and just like the first exchange, she kept attacking relentlessly until it vanished.
We repeated the pattern several times, wearing the worm down. At some point, it adapted—causing stalactites to fall from the ceiling with its tremors, and using its tail to shotgun metal rounds in wide arcs. In darkness, those tricks would’ve been deadly, but the Snow Flies kept visibility high—easy dodges.
But one detail bothered me.
”The scales fully regenerate every time it burrows,” I observed.
”Yeah~”
The more scales we destroyed, the longer it took for the worm to re-emerge.
”Wish it’d stop wasting time.”
”Plus, like, its HP is insane—Asari-chan might run out of mana first~? Gotta save the Majo’s Tears~”
”Risa and Yurina have it rough—they can’t dodge projectiles as easily without mana detection. We don’t want this dragging out.”
”Need to drop massive damage and end it in one shot~”
”Should I use my power to drag it out? No… that much mass is probably too much…”
Two more rounds passed as we discussed tactics. When the worm burrowed this time, the entire plaza shook violently.
Earthquake—about magnitude 5. At the same time, pillars of light appeared beneath and above all of us, connecting floor to ceiling. Bad feeling.
”Scatter!”
Everyone dove clear of the light pillars. Seconds later, metal blocks materialized top and bottom—slamming together like massive hammers. We’d have been flattened like crackers.
The plaza echoed with the clang of metal hammering metal. The trap didn’t stop after one—more pillars appeared at each person’s new position. We kept moving, dodging nonstop.
After evading four consecutive rounds, the attacks stopped—and the worm surfaced again. Finally, our turn. Time to execute the plan.
Risa swapped with Asunaro. Hinoki emerged, about half the worm’s size, and charged before it could retreat—locking heads in a direct clash. That bought us time. I activated my Inherent Sorcery.
Mana drain was heavy, but for about a minute, I could maintain Tatemiya Sorcery across this entire plaza.
With the worm immobilized, Mitsuki, Chifumi, and Yurina struck from the flanks—concentrated attacks. The worm went down. Asari’s crystals pinned it, preventing thrashing. Hinoki coiled around it, locking it in place.
I circled to the front, slammed it with Shock magic to peel off scales—and that signaled Asunaro’s turn. We swapped positions; Asunaro dove in, arm wreathed in crimson lightning-veined flame, and punched straight into the exposed flesh. A beat of silence—then fire and lightning sorcery tore through the worm’s body, consuming it from within.
”!!!!!!”
A voiceless death scream. The worm shattered its crystal restraints, thrashing wildly.
Its scales contained the explosion of internal flesh. Black smoke and the scent of burning meat leaked from between the scales. Their color had shifted from reddish-brown to black—the heat had probably oxidized the metal content within them. Clearly, it was a fatal wound.
Asunaro withdrew—and I followed up, unleashing multiple max-power shockwaves into the worm’s ruined interior. With a sound like shattering glass, the scales burst apart from within, exploding outward.
The fragmented scales dissolved into smoke and vanished. What remained was a massive chunk of metal.
We’d successfully banished the Scale Earthworm.
”Drop items,” Yurina announced.
”Can’t wait to appraise this.”
Yurina stowed the metal chunk in her bag.
Asunaro approached me.
”Prince, are you okay?”
”Thanks to you, we ended it in one shot. I appreciate it.”
”Don’t mention it. You can repay me with one round of mating.”
”Understood.”
Asunaro had apparently developed a taste for Risa’s body. The unspoken rule was that whenever Risa had s*x, Asunaro would take the second round.
Risa blinked—opening her eyes, now black once more. Asunaro had receded.
’So, big bro—how’d the exorcism go?’
”Successful.”
My stock of bound anomalies had grown.
I’d learned a bit more about the nature of these beings.
’Scale Earthworm—rare variant. It continued growing as an earthworm instead of ascending to Nozuchi. That’s the vibe.’
I summoned the just-banished anomaly into my palm—a tiny earthworm form.
About the size of a pencil, it squirmed and wriggled. Surprisingly quick. I felt its squishy body slide between my fingers as I considered names.
”How about ‘Mimi’ or ‘Nozu’—which is better?”
’Bro, at least try to come up with something decent.’
”Minoru~ That’s so bad~”
”Take it seriously, maybe?”
Hinoki, Chifumi, and Mitsuki all shot down my suggestions without mercy.
I got the distinct feeling the worm itself disapproved too. Why?
”Uh—well, we can decide on a name later. Exploration’s over for today. The exit is…”
I scanned the surroundings. Part of the wall had collapsed, revealing a passage.
It wasn’t a natural cavern anymore—it looked like a maintained mining tunnel.
A Black Wall appeared immediately—past it would be the 21st floor.
This was the middle layer of Sword-Hammer Cave.
Mission accomplished. We’d move to Floor 21, exit the dungeon, and call today’s exploration done.
After getting the drop items appraised, it turned out to be a lump of demonic copper.
Rather than selling it, I chose to buy it myself. Plan was to use it as material for magic tools at Onigahara Forge.
Onigahara-san—auntie—sent everyone to my place, and we had a sleepover.
As usual, boss battles really put you in the mood.
Giving in to masculine urges, I had everyone change into sexy outfits. After fully enjoying the harem flirting, we took turns coupling.
My cute Majo all seemed more responsive than usual—like they were in heat as females. The moment I slid my eager son into their bellies, each of them served me devotedly, begging for my seed with sweet, coquettish voices. I teased them a little, then released generously, marking them properly from the inside.
Asunaro, as always, was a total weakling. Tonight, to show my gratitude, I made her c*m over and over like a princess.
And that was the end of Golden Week.
Before the break, I’d planned to explore Freedungeon a bit more. As it turned out, I couldn’t explore much. But I managed to subjugate a rare aberration, and I also recognized Hinoki’s Special Ability. All in all, not a bad way to spend the break, I think.
—
Summary:
The party enters Sword-Hammer Cave to clear the twentieth floor boss, but after Asari briefs them on the Scale Earthworm’s mechanics, the protagonist orders a withdrawal despite favorable odds, citing a vague unease. Later, Hinoki reveals that this premonition may stem from the protagonist unconsciously using their perception ability, hinting at a new power development. As the party regroups for a second attempt, the protagonist faces the same decision at the boss room entrance—push forward or retreat again.
The party successfully engages and defeats a rare Scale Earthworm variant using coordinated tactics and powerful sorcery, culminating in a decisive combo attack. After the battle, the narrator binds the defeated anomaly, names it after receiving criticism from party members, and collects demonic copper as a drop item. Following the dungeon exploration, the group celebrates at the narrator’s place with a harem-style sleepover and explicit activities, marking the end of Golden Week.
The protagonist reflects on their break plans versus outcomes, acknowledging they explored less of Freedungeon than intended but successfully subjugated a rare aberration and gained new understanding of Hinoki’s Special Ability, concluding with quiet satisfaction at how the break turned out.
—
Trivia:
The party had previously subjugated a mantis rare variant, but regrets it because subjugating it would have prevented obtaining the wire needed for boss intel from Komoda.
Komoda prioritized dungeon progress over farming rare variants, which created the opportunity for the wire trade.
Kinpira Palace is consistently crowded while Sword-Hammer Cave is consistently empty, establishing a world-building contrast.
The protagonist’s Inherent Sorcery allows them to use the abilities of subjugated monsters, which is how Hinoki suspects they unconsciously used the perception ability.
Hinoki’s perception ability is described as “vague” and “supernatural”—a form of intuition that at its peak allowed complete attack evasion on instinct alone.
The boss room is significantly larger than the intel suggested, possibly indicating the boss is larger than average or a rare variant.
The boss’s scales regenerate over time using earth sorcery, making speed a critical factor in combat.
The party has established countermeasures for all regular monsters in Sword-Hammer Cave, meaning only irregulars pose a threat.
Escape Balls exist as a resource in this world, and the protagonist considers using one a waste unless absolutely necessary.
The water channel navigation rule—choosing the wider channel—has never failed the party so far.
The Scale Earthworm’s scales regenerate completely every time it burrows underground.
The boss is a rare variant because it fires metal projectiles instead of standard rock rounds.
Snow Flies provide light in the plaza, making physical attacks easier to dodge but sorcery harder to spot.
Asunaro shares Risa’s body and takes over during the second round of sexual encounters.
The narrator’s Inherent Sorcery can cover the entire plaza but consumes heavy mana.
Hinoki can grow to roughly half the worm’s size and is referred to with they/them pronouns.
The worm’s scales turn black from heat oxidation after the final attack.
Demonic copper is a valuable material used for crafting magic tools.
Onigahara Forge is run by Onigahara-san, referred to as auntie.
Golden Week ends with the party’s celebration and intimate activities.
The protagonist’s pre-break plans prioritized dungeon exploration efficiency.
Actual exploration was limited, but yielded two valuable gains.
”Rare aberration” suggests Freedungeon contains supernatural entities, not ordinary monsters.
Hinoki uses they/them pronouns as explicitly marked by the author.
Hinoki’s Special Ability was only recognized during this break, implying new character development.
The protagonist’s final assessment uses understatement “not bad” as a cultural marker of Japanese restraint.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• S – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• T – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• Komoda – An eccentric, polite male sorcerer and leader of the influential Komoda house, he is Minoru’s second-year classmate who speaks with casual familiarity. He commands a Sword-Hammer Cave squad, manages travel and intel, coordinates with Ryota’s group, and seeks an alliance with Minoru. Outperforming Shoji’s team, he cleared the surface layer by purifying a giant scaled earthworm boss.
• A – A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R’s high school squad.
• 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.
• 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.
• Mitsuki – Eldest daughter of the Onigahara estate, this 188 cm science-track classmate has short brown hair, a lean athletic build, an I-cup, and a mischievous grin. A determined vanguard and healer in Minoru’s group, she uses a golden mace and Oni-Transformation Sorcery. She bickers friendlily with Minoru, coordinates with Manaka’s companions, and uses recovery magic for service play and training.
• 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.
• Chifumi – Eldest daughter of the Takino residence, this 160cm, J-cup kimono-clad sorcerer is Minoru’s childhood friend, Lead Majo, and trusted partner. Sporting a long brown side-tail, her bright, casual personality bridges his group with Manaka’s companions. Wielding a staff with flowing ice/water magic, she manages household admin and rearguard combat while secretly protecting him from the truth.
• Asari – A tall (175cm), braided black-haired Kasakura honor student with an E-cup, this analytical, quiet, and pragmatic science-track strategist serves as Minoru’s devoted partner and Risa’s future host. Close to Mari and Nagase, she uses a hand-armor gauntlet and Silicic Armor to manifest crystal barriers, switching between Vanguard and Mid-guard. Polite yet lecturing, she is currently recovering from mana exhaustion.
• 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.
• Risa – A curious humanities student (167cm, light brown semi-long hair, H-cup, black eyes) and the youngest Naruse sister. Playfully assertive and protective of Minoru’s group, this mid-guard sorcerer has no inherent magic but wields magic pistols and Hinoki’s power. When Asunaro takes control, her eyes turn red, enabling fire and lightning sorcery. She is also known to bake cookies for Tatemiya.
• Onigahara – Onigahara-san is a stern, disciplined mentor from an influential sorcerer family and Mitsuki’s aunt. Dedicated to her lineage’s legacy, she manages logistics and drives the family microbus for dungeon training. She maintains hierarchical bonds with dojo students and remains involved in the group’s situation after a pickup, potentially having received word from Manaka’s father.
• Tempura – A pistol shrimp monster captured in the wild by Minoru. Despite being a former stray, he has won their master’s favor. He serves as the instructor for younger monsters and maintains a gruff but caring demeanor. He is in a romantic relationship with Kaname. A senior monster who scolds Kram for skipping sorcery training. She is mentioned as being holed up with Kaname-chan.
• 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.
• Hinoki – An older classmate and powerful anomaly who speaks with a warm, blunt, Kansai-influenced dialect. Using they/them pronouns, they have a shy yet contrary personality and interact casually with the protagonist. As a mediator in the supernatural community, they secure bodies and support others, having bestowed fragments of their power upon Pape, Kram, and Risa.
• Poplar – An Aberration who serves as the queen of a snow fly colony and Minoru’s shikigami, she remains at the detached house to guard the nest.
• Kotoha – Minoru’s high-spirited, long-haired younger sister is the inquisitive, fourth-grade eldest daughter of the Tatemiya estate. She acts as a coordinator for her younger sisters and helps manage household tasks like the rice cake ceremony. Deeply protective of her brother’s social life, she often interjects in his conversations and belongs to a close friend group that includes Shoma.
• Yurina – A stoic, analytical 165cm Plain-folk vanguard with a black ponytail and G-cup. A humanities student and eldest daughter of seven, she uses a katana and Severing Sorcery in Minoru’s party. She protects Chifumi, fights alongside Mitsuki, and addresses Minoru-sama with polite deference. Efficient and loyal, she trusts his judgment despite feeling unsettled by his escalating violence.
• Yuri – A cheerful, energetic, and curvy Higashi High first-year student dating Shibuya. While calculating, she is fiercely loyal, even winning a third-place Best Couple Award with him. She was an acquaintance of Kibe Yurina in middle school. Known for being aggressive toward Hayato and displaying overt favoritism, she is defined by her intense relationships, vibrant spirit, and distinct presence.
• Majo – A member of Minoru’s group whose presence is noted to be vital for success.
• Asunaro – An anomalous White Centipede monster who received a fragment of Hinoki-sama’s power. Known as Lady Asunaro, she resides in Risa’s body, serving as a second interpreter. Saved by Minoru (whom she affectionately calls “Prince Charming”), she speaks with a flat tone but has genuine emotions. Her name is heard during the goodnight sequence, and she belongs to a group with a large presence.
• Tatemiya – Tatemiya is the family name of Minoru, a pragmatic protagonist in a world with reversed beauty standards. He leads a strong-female harem with analytical detachment, treating interactions as transactions. Strained by Manaka abandoning Minoru, the family has tense ties with the Kugas. Associated with a symbolic residential gate, the name connects to Manaka’s father’s social circle.
• Minoru – The protagonist and narrator is a black-haired Demon reincarnated from Japan, standing 183cm with sharp eyes. Pragmatic yet internally hurt, this eldest Tatemiya son wrongly believed his childhood friends abandoned him. Serving as ‘master’ to a mixed female group, he uses inherent spatial manipulation sorcery to command a handgun and subjugated monsters like Pape in mid-guard combat.
• Onigahara-san – 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.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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