Volume 9 Chapter 3 Summer Break Begins
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
With the start of summer break, my daily routine changed dramatically.
Basically, I’ve been keeping early hours and shuttling between the Tatemiya estate and the Naruse estate. Every time I move, I stop by the Onigahara Dojo or the Free Dungeon.
The dungeon I visit most casually is “Entertainment Town.” Its location advantage—right in the middle of the shopping street—puts it in a league of its own compared to other dungeons.
The good and bad sides are two sides of the same coin. Because it’s popular, it’s crowded no matter when you go. With summer break starting, the wait times have gotten even longer. Depending on the time, the line stretches all the way outside the Dungeon Management building. Today, I tried entering early in the morning to beat the wait. I walked through the shopping street with its shutters still down and reached the management building—sure enough, no waiting groups, and I got in right away.
Currently, I’m working on the 23rd floor.
There’s no need to rush through the floors. For money-making purposes, I’m exploring to collect drop items. The uniform patches dropped by humanoid monsters are my main income these days.
Incidentally, I haven’t encountered any rare monsters on the way since last winter. The rare monster in the Commercial District is the famous Silver Crocodile. I’d love to run into it, but there’s no sign of it at all. I’m starting to suspect that Pape or Poplar might have a hidden ability that lowers the appearance rate of rare trash mobs. Though I have pulled rare variants of boss-class monsters like Mantis Swordsman and Scale Earthworm, so my real-life luck isn’t completely bad.
Around noon, considering my remaining mana, I wrap up my Entertainment Town exploration.
When I exited, the management building was packed with people. After cashing in my drops, I headed to my usual café for lunch. I often choose this place to rest after diving into Entertainment Town.
It’s not prohibited to enter shopping street shops while carrying equipment, but the stares from those around you are harsh. Especially at this hour, bringing large bags into a crowded store feels inconsiderate—common sense, really. In that sense, having an eating establishment that’s empty and easy to enter without hesitation is invaluable.
A mountain of food sits before everyone, and it all disappears into our stomachs. The wallet that thickened from selling drops just a moment ago thins out in no time. There’s no doubt we’re contributing to this place’s sales.
”So what’re we doin’ this afternoon~?”
”Good question… No plans, really. Figure we head back and call it a day.”
”Got it~”
Yesterday was an overnight stay at the Tatemiya place. Everyone’s stuff is still there.
Under the midsummer sun, we head home, working up a sweat.
”Man, it’s hot. I’m stayin’ here ’til I cool off~”
”Same~”
The two members who use heavy equipment—Mitsuki and Risa, both drenched in sweat—stake out a spot in front of the AC.
Meanwhile, Asari and I, who use lighter gear, handle the bath prep and ice cream distribution.
By the time the room cools down, Yurina joins us, and everyone’s sprawled out on the floor in various states of undress. Over this past year, everyone’s become completely unguarded in this house. In the lazy atmosphere, I move next to Chifumi, wrap my arm around her shoulder, and give her breasts a squeeze.
”Heyyy~♡”
Though her voice sounds scolding, she presses my hand against her chest from above. She offers me the popsicle stick she was eating, and I take a bite. Sweet. When I kiss her, her tongue eagerly reaches out.
Slurp slurp, our tongues tangle. Why are girls’ tongues so soft? My witch’s mark is on my tongue—am I secretly into tongues? I wonder, as I savor Chifumi’s tongue thoroughly before pulling away.
”Mmm~♡ Sweet~♡”
She looks up at me, leaning against me, licking her lips with her tongue—so damn sexy.
”Minoru~♡ I’m next~♡”
Mitsuki crawls over on all fours. The rest of the group waits nearby.
We go through the same motions with Risa, Yurina, and Asari in turn. The flavors of everyone’s ice cream come through, making each girl’s saliva faintly sweet.
And then begins the summer-exclusive activity: s*x while smelling everyone’s body odor. Doing it half-naked has a different thrill than being fully nude. Chifumi keeps her bra on, strips from the waist down, and leaves her panties hooked around her ankles as I push her onto the towel blanket in missionary position.
”Nngh♡♡”
”Ah… damn, that… feels good…”
There’s something to be said for a leisurely afternoon, rubbing genitals together while running low on mana.
”Minoru~♡”
”Minoru…♡”
Asari and Risa cling to my back and arms, pressing their lips and breasts against me, being all affectionate.
One way or another, after a good time with everyone, we hit the bath to freshen up. We parted ways in the cool of the evening.
After walking everyone to the gate, I go check on Poplar on my way back.
The Poplar flock, which had been nesting in the hollow of a sawtooth oak tree since winter, moved to the tree’s roots to escape the summer heat. They’ve built nests, and the heat-sensitive individuals wait in the cool burrows.
The snow fly nests Moo so meticulously crafted are pleasantly cool and well-received by the Poplars. Moo seems to be obediently following the senior monsters as a newcomer.
I stretch my legs and head to the fields. Beside the vegetable patch where my mother’s been weeding, there’s a pile of something unfamiliar. On closer look—it’s mole carcasses. Just as I see the dirt bulge, Moo emerges. Not the usual pencil-sized form, but as big as a large moray eel. Startles me a bit.
’Ma asked Moo to take care of ’em,’ it says.
”Huh… Damn impressive.”
An earthworm exterminating moles—that’s the opposite of the normal food chain. Sensing my praise, Moo gives its whole body a tremble.
’Don’t you worry none—Moo’s cullin’ ’em proper,’ it says.
”Wouldn’t be bad to wipe ’em out entirely. Good boy, Moo.”
The earthworm writhes its body to express emotion. A giant earthworm sprouting from the middle of a field, wriggling around… makes me wonder if this has anything to do with that urban legend. Pondering that, I head from the fields to the main house.
It’s almost dinnertime. Might as well eat before heading back to the annex. I reach the main house and decide to stick around.
Sitting around the house doing nothing feels like a waste. I grab some work gloves and head to the back, where it’s shaded, and start pulling weeds. You might think I could use sorcery, but hand-weeding has its uses—there’s a certain technique to it.
That said, I’m not about to pull weeds in direct sunlight. I lose myself in the meditative rhythm of yanking weeds from the relatively cool patch. Around the time I’ve got a decent pile, I sense something off.
The feeling of sorcery being activated nearby.
But this familiar sensation tells me there’s no real danger. I leave it be. In the end, the sorcery doesn’t trigger.
”Didn’t work…”
”Riku. What’s up?”
Still squatting, I turn around—and sure enough, there’s my little brother in casual clothes.
Riku crouches down beside me and starts pulling weeds too.
”Wanted to show you what I got from my solo training we talked about. Ended up failing.”
”Course you did. Can’t use Tatemiya sorcery here.”
He’d tried to use it and failed. A closed space is the core condition. This place has the ground and the shed wall as boundaries, but the other three directions and above are open. No dice.
”That’s exactly why. If I could pull it off without walls, wouldn’t that be a killer hidden trump card?”
The new technique for next year we talked about. Guess we’re all thinking the same thing.
”If you actually could, sure. But no Tatemiya sorcery user in history’s ever done it. Least, none I know of. Dad and Grandpa can’t either.”
”Yeah… figured…”
”Everyone thinks the same. Everyone tries to use Tatemiya sorcery in open space at least once. They all give up in the end.”
”You try too? Give up?”
”Yeah. You already know this, don’t you? That’s not how the sorcery’s built.”
Tatemiya sorcery isn’t about constructing space from nothing. It rewrites existing space. Let me put the rough image into words.
Spatial Domination happens in three stages.
First stage: you overwrite the surface of boundaries—the ground, walls—surrounding you. Imagine painting a coating agent made from your own mana onto the floor and walls. It’s not actually applying mana, mind you. Just a metaphor.
Once you’ve surrounded yourself on all sides with the agent, second stage: you project your will and spread your awareness through the agent. Like expanding your body. Final stage: using the agent that surrounds you in all directions as a binding oath, you grant special abilities to the enclosed space and manipulate it freely.
Starting from common traits, differing traits, and your own foundational traits, you experiment with various additions, eventually forging a unique Spatial Domination sorcery.
The key requirements in the first stage—surface overwriting—are a certain level of strength and viscosity in the coating agent. If the space you’ve built gets broken, it’s all for nothing. It needs to be tough enough not to shatter easily.
Also, you need viscosity so you can activate it even in spaces that aren’t strictly closed. It’d be heartbreaking to fail a room because a tiny window was cracked open. For small gaps, you slap on extra-thick, high-viscosity agent to forcibly seal them off.
The issue is, those areas without pre-existing boundaries tend to be weaker—a key weakness of Tatemiya sorcery. Conversely, even a single thin sheet of shoji paper serves as a boundary; once coated, it’s not easily destroyed.
”Couldn’t you just make walls on all four sides somehow?”
”Everyone starts there.”
Lots of ancestors tried to activate Tatemiya sorcery without any pre-existing boundary. They figured: crank the viscosity to the max, or just build walls out of the agent entirely, and save the hassle. 3D printer thinking.
But as of now, no such technique exists. If it had existed in the past, it’d have been passed down as a secret art. The lack of records tells us that countless ancestors researched and struggled—and it’s still out of reach. Reality’s merciless.
That said, their efforts weren’t wasted. As a byproduct of their trial and error, techniques to resist or nullify enemy sorcery attacks—especially those that affect space itself—developed significantly.
The next best thing for using Tatemiya sorcery without boundaries is to put a layer in between: first use another sorcery to create walls, then activate Tatemiya. The beauty of this method is cooperation with other sorcerers. In my group’s case, Asari’s crystals or Chifumi’s ice create the partitions, then I trigger Tatemiya.
Past Tatemiya users chose this approach—quick, convenient, strong—for dungeon runs and multi-sorcerer battles. As a result, the finisher role of Tatemiya sorcery evolved to focus on annihilation, leading to the current mainline tradition: once activated, it strikes true and kills.
Unlike my “Mysterious Phantasm Pavilion,” Riku’s “Steel Fortress” has the space itself as the killing mechanism. A true classic. But precisely because of that, it takes time to activate, and setting up the conditions to trap the target is a hassle.
And setting up those conditions—that’s what his future group members are for. The Initial Strong-Female candidates. The catch: he has to beat them first to recruit them. To form his own group, he’s gotta struggle and get stronger. That’s the burden, little brother.
”Bro, how’d you handle your first instruction match?”
”You really wanna hear that?”
”Kinda… for reference. It was Chifumi-nee first, right?”
”Yeah, Chifumi was quiet even before she entered the room.”
”…Room? Not the dojo?”
”On the bed, she took off her own clothes, and when I ordered her to beg, she got all flustered but—”
”Stop! Wait! Not that kind of instruction! I meant the fighting kind!!”
”Huh? That one?”
”You could tell from the whole conversation, right?! I don’t wanna hear about your nighttime activities, bro!?”
Just a little joke. Don’t be mad.
”Seriously though… hidden trump cards. Same thing you’re trying. I was hiding the fact I could use the girls’ abilities from the start—except Kaname’s.”
”Shrimp’s and Ray’s abilities?”
”Yeah. Springing something on someone you’ve never shown is a highly effective tactic… of course, they’re ready for the same. Chifumi, Mitsuki, and Risa all had tricks I didn’t see coming. Can’t let your guard down.”
”Huh…”
”With the second and third girls, I won by sheer stat difference after becoming a Majin, so the only real danger was Chifumi first. If you wanna play it safe, take on someone you’re sure you can beat first, and save the tough ones for later. Making them fight two or three consecutive matches drains their focus and mana—win rate shoots up. Even if you can’t become a Majin, one instruction match levels you up as a Strong Male.”
”Logically, I get it. But… it feels kinda lame.”
”That’s old school thinking. Not so much nowadays. Plenty of cautious guys in my year who prioritize results over pride.”
”Hmm…”
We keep talking while weeding, his problems spilling out.
Man. I feel like a real big brother right now.
”Wanna train together sometime?”
”Really?”
”I wanna get more experience using the monsters’ abilities too, and you can practice fighting a variety of opponents, right?”
”Yeah. I’d like that.”
Another weed pile forms, and Kotoha comes calling.
”Big brothers, dinner’s ready~”
”Got it. Coming.”
I toss the weeds in the compost pile and head back. Family dinner together. Tonight’s spread: simmered dishes and grilled fish.
”Bro, you’re going to Onigashima, right? Lucky~”
”Yearly tradition.”
”I wanna go too~”
”No. This year’s not a pleasure trip.”
”Huh? It’s not?”
”Nope.”
Lies. Totally a pleasure trip.
”Stop whining. Your brother’s got his own stuff to deal with.”
”Ugh… guess I can’t help it…”
Riku throws me a lifeline. Maybe that talk paid off?
Mother confirms the schedule.
”So? When are you going?”
”Before Obon. The Onigahara household’s schedule only had that window open.”
”Ah… Koki-kun, then.”
”Manaka’s family’s lending us a car. Shizuku-san’s driving.”
”Make sure you’ve got a proper thank-you gift ready.”
”I know, I know.”
A slow, family-filled evening.
—
Summary:
After a morning dungeon run and lunch, Minoru and his companions return to the Tatemiya estate for a lazy afternoon of ice cream and intimacy. The mood shifts when Minoru’s younger brother Riku appears, struggling with his Tatemiya sorcery training and seeking advice. Their conversation reveals the mechanics of the magic system, Riku’s challenges in forming his own group, and Minoru’s hidden trump cards from his past instruction matches—leaving Riku to decide whether to adopt a careful strategy or a more honorable approach.
—
Trivia:
1. Minoru is currently on the 23rd floor of the dungeon and has been consistently failing to encounter the Silver Crocodile rare monster since last winter.
2. Pape and Poplar are suspected of having a hidden ability that lowers rare trash mob appearance rates.
3. Moo, the earthworm monster, normally appears pencil-sized but can grow as large as a moray eel.
4. Tatemiya sorcery requires a closed space with boundaries to activate—it cannot be used in open areas.
5. Riku is training to use Tatemiya sorcery without walls, something no known sorcerer has ever achieved.
6. Minoru’s sorcery style is “Mysterious Phantasm Pavilion” while Riku’s is “Steel Fortress.”
7. The Initial Strong-Female candidates must be defeated before they can be recruited into Riku’s group.
8. Minoru became a Majin after his first instruction match with Chifumi.
9. Minoru’s hidden trump card was the ability to use his companions’ abilities (except Kaname’s), including Shrimp’s and Ray’s.
10. The group’s summer plans include a trip to Onigashima before Obon, with Manaka’s family providing a car driven by Shizuku-san.
Notes:
• 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.
• 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.
• Naruse – Naruse is the paternal surname of sisters Anri, Risa, and Momono, separate from their mother’s magical Shoji line. Led by their influential hotel/dungeon manager mother, this wealthy old-money sorcerer family and merchant guild provides institutional support to local establishments. They reside in an understated, modest private estate featuring an integrated dungeon and a small dojo.
• 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.
• T – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• 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.
• Mantis Swordsman – A mantis-type Unique Variant and lower-ranked species of the Head-Hunting Mantis, standing over 3 meters tall and wielding two giant scythes.
• 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.
• 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.
• S – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• A – A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R’s high school squad.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Moo – An earthworm creature that lives in the fields. Named “Moo” (モー) which is the sound a cow makes, creating a cute absurdity. Affectionate toward the narrator’s mother and seeks approval from the narrator. Uses a heart symbol (♡) to express affection.
• Riku – Second son of the Tatemiya family estate and Minoru’s younger brother, this second-year middle school student is frequently the subject of gossip. He is a user of the Tatemiya Sorcery: Iron Fortress.
• 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.
• Kaname – A proud catfish monster with golden curled hair who considers herself the leader of all monsters serving Minoru. She was given to the Tatemiya estate from the Takemani head house as a growth blessing when Minoru was small and has lived there for over a decade. She speaks in refined ojousama speech and initially clashed with Tempura but eventually developed romantic feelings for him. Mentioned as being with Tempura.
• Shrimp – One of the girls’ abilities Minoru can use (referenced as “Shrimp”).
• Ray – One of the girls’ abilities Minoru can use (referenced as “Ray”).
• 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.
• Koki – Nearly two meters tall, muscular, and handsome, this second-year sorcerer is the eldest son of the Onigahara estate and Golden Oni-Transformation user. President of the Sumo and Shooting clubs and a cautious analyst, he provides vital dungeon data. He dotes on siblings Minoru and Mitsuki, obtained a subset in last year’s Exchange Battle, and is an acquaintance of the protagonist.
• Shizuku – Job: Kuga family servant/attendant; Relationship: Branch family member; chauffeur; Note: Childhood acquaintance of narrator.
• Manaka – Manaka Kuga is an elegant, sharp-featured Shisei High student, authoritative circle leader, and strategist for the top-tier Kuga family’s Founding Strong-Females. Minoru’s refined yet direct childhood friend, she uses a short staff for spatial/air-shaping sorcery. Known for her aristocratic bearing and “-chan” honorific, she manages security, led a year-long deception, and orchestrated an exchange battle request.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply