Chapter 124 Preparing to Leave
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Hey, Takeru-kun,” Tomoko said, her voice soft and teasing.
”What’s up, Tomoko?” I replied, a little caught off guard.
She giggled, a bright, playful sound, and threw her arms around me, practically glowing with happiness as she perched on my lap. Ever since I started calling her by her first name in the teleportation hub—desperately shouting it to get her attention—it had stuck. Somehow, it felt like I’d been tamed, like she’d trained me into it. And in the same breath, Satou-san had roped me into calling her Akari, too.
After parting ways with Amahara-senpai and the others at the cafeteria, we’d returned to Hiromi’s room. We’d already shared all the critical info with the group before the meeting with Demiurge, but after they left, The Last Survivor had been roped into joining the attack team.
”Tsuchimiya-senpai,” Higurashi said, lounging on the sofa across from me, her tone cutting through the room’s relaxed air. “Who’re you taking for the attack team?”
”I’m unleashing the Nectar Staff!” Tomoko declared, her voice brimming with excitement.
”I’m in, too!” Kanon chimed in, her enthusiasm matching Tomoko’s.
I nodded. “Right, Tomoko and Kanon are locked in for the rearguard.”
Tomoko hugged me again, her joy practically radiating. Even without the Nectar Staff, her Magic Evolution gift made her one of the Academy’s top attackers. Kanon, with her explosive magic, was no slouch either—she could match Tomoko’s firepower. Against a King Ogre, magic attacks were our best bet for dealing damage, far better than close-quarters combat. It was risky, but these two were indispensable.
”For the vanguard, it’s me and Himeno,” I said. “It’s a dangerous opponent, but I need you with me.”
”Of course!” Himeno’s face lit up, and she clung to my arm, her excitement almost palpable.
”The rest of you, I need you on standby with the defense team.”
Higurashi’s expression soured. “My Avian Spear has insane piercing power. I should be on the attack team.”
I shook my head. “No, that thing’s swing speed is unreal—way too fast. Its range is longer than your spear, too. The moment you step into its attack zone, you’re done before you even realize it. Outside of Sogahara-senpai, I don’t think anyone else can handle that thing’s attacks. Among us, only Himeno’s speed stands a chance.”
Higurashi’s eyes narrowed, sizing me up. “So how do you plan to fight a monster like that, Tsuchimiya-senpai?”
”I’m heading out for some special training,” I said. “Leaving today, won’t be back until the morning after tomorrow.”
”Special training?” The room erupted in surprised gasps, but Higurashi’s expression didn’t flicker.
”That’s not exactly a ‘little’ thing, is it?” she said coolly. “I figured you’d pull something like this eventually.”
Of course she’d seen it coming. She probably even knew where I was headed. Surprising Higurashi was no easy feat.
”You’re not coming back until the day after tomorrow?” Hano-san’s voice rose with concern. “I get the training, but a day and a half—will that really be enough?”
”Y-yeah!” Himeno added, her voice trembling. “At least come back at night!”
I shook my head. “Once I leave, I’m not back until the morning after tomorrow. I’m going to… the Abandoned Floor.”
”The Abandoned Floor?” The room froze, everyone’s eyes wide with shock. I couldn’t help but smirk.
”The Abandoned Floor, huh?” Satou-san nodded, impressed. “Makes sense. A single day there is like a hundred days here.”
”A hundred days?!” Himeno grabbed my shirt, her voice desperate. “Tsuchimiya-senpai, take me with you! Please!”
”No, this time I need to focus on training,” I said, gently prying her hands off. “If I bring you along… well, you know I wouldn’t be able to hold back, and then training would be the last thing on my mind.”
Himeno’s face fell. “Tsuchimiya-senpai…”
Truth be told, she’d be the one who couldn’t hold back, but there was no need to stir the pot. I could already picture a future where we’d spend morning to night tangled up, with no training in sight. I felt a twinge of guilt, but it was better to let her down gently.
”I understand,” she said softly, her shoulders slumping. “But going alone… I’m really worried.”
I gave her a reassuring smile. “I’ll be fine. I’m taking Valeria with me. She’s the Floor Master there, so she’ll make things easier. With a long stay like this, having her around will keep things comfortable.”
”Valeria, huh?” Hano-san muttered, her expression oddly strained.
”She’s already back in her room, though,” Hiromi added, her face mirroring Hano-san’s unease.
”I’ll talk to Valeria before I head out,” I said. “First, I’m hitting the special zone to stock up on food, a portable stove, and supplies. But before that, Higurashi, come with me to the dungeon for a bit.”
Higurashi raised an eyebrow, a sly grin creeping across her face. “Oh? Just the two of us in a secluded dungeon? That’s a rare invite, Tsuchimiya-senpai. Should I slip off my underwear first?”
”No!” I snapped, my face heating up. “I just need to talk to Tina and share some info!”
”Relax, I’m kidding,” she said, her grin widening.
Damn it, she was stirring things up again. The room buzzed with awkward energy, everyone shifting uncomfortably.
—
”Hm… so depending on how that day played out, Asagiri-san could’ve become the Demon King?” Higurashi mused, twirling the Kondou Spear in her hands, her mind clearly racing. We were in the safe zone on the fifth floor of the First Dive area.
I’d just told her about the oracle I’d seen that day. I always tried to share as much as I could with Higurashi—she was sharp, and holding back would only waste her ability to piece things together. I’d hesitated a bit about this one, but something about it felt tied to Kibakura’s situation, and I couldn’t shake the feeling. Better to let Higurashi run with it than keep it bottled up. To her credit, she didn’t doubt a word I said, taking it all in with complete trust.
”Anything else about the situation outside the Academy?” she asked. “Can you recall more?”
”It’s like trying to remember a dream right after waking up,” I said, frowning. “It’s hazy. Bits and pieces come back sometimes, but they slip away fast. I figured talking it out might help it stick, since I don’t know how long I’ll hold onto what I remember now.”
She nodded. “That’s probably the right call. The key detail here is that card embedded in Asagiri-san—the one labeled Demon King. You’re sure that’s what it said?”
”Yeah,” I said. “Normally, you wouldn’t be able to see something like that so clearly, but it was crystal clear.”
”That’s likely because it was an oracle,” Higurashi said, her voice thoughtful. “It wasn’t just a random glimpse of the future—it was something the oracle wanted you to see. Which means it’s probably significant.”
Was it? I couldn’t forget how Valeria had shown me some utterly useless oracle before. And who even sent me that vision? If it’s called an oracle, does that mean a god? Kondou-senpai, maybe?
”If Asagiri-san became the Demon King because of that Demon King card,” Higurashi continued, “then maybe Kibakura-senpai had a card embedded in him to become the King Ogre.”
”If that’s true, it would’ve happened early on,” I said.
”If the card preys on emotional turmoil, then the First Dive—when we were all thrown into the dungeon with no explanation—would be the perfect moment to strike.”
”So, if we could peel that card off Kibakura, could we stop him?”
Higurashi’s eyes darkened. “In the future you saw, peeling the card off Asagiri-san killed her, right? She was already badly injured, though.”
I nodded, the memory heavy. “Yeah… in that moment, it was like I was both watching everything from above and reliving it through my own eyes. When the card was removed, I could feel it—something vital was torn out with it.”
”Hmm…” Higurashi leaned back, her fingers still twirling the Kondou Spear thoughtfully. “Considering Asagiri-san is fine now, that card might sink its roots into something vital over time—maybe the soul or the essence of life itself. With Kibakura-senpai’s state, it could already be too late…”
”If Kujinami used our students to mass-produce things like King Ogres, we’d be in serious trouble,” I said, my stomach twisting at the thought.
”Probably not,” Higurashi replied, her voice calm but sharp. “Asagiri-san earned the King of Darkness title before the card was embedded. That means she had the potential already. That’s likely why she was targeted.”
I swallowed hard. I’d considered that possibility, but it was too unsettling to dwell on. Still, Himeno wasn’t the type to fall into darkness and become a Demon King anymore. At least, I hoped not.
”It’s not confirmed, but given the situation, it’s highly likely Kibakura-senpai had a card embedded,” Higurashi continued. “If so, that card could be his weakness. Our trump card might be…”
”The Kondou Spear?” I glanced at her, then froze. “Wait, what the hell are you doing?!”
Higurashi was pricking the Kondou Spear with a tiny needle, her expression one of intense curiosity.
”It’s like a Japanese spear with bamboo layered and lacquered, but not a single scratch,” she murmured. “I thought I could embed something in it, but it’s like it’s rejecting me…”
”Give it back!” I snatched the spear from her hands. “That’s spear abuse!”
”Oh, poor thing,” I said, cradling the Kondou Spear. “Did that hurt?”
Higurashi smirked. “You’re treating it like a pet dog or cat.”
”Shut up! What do you think you’re doing to my beloved spear? If I let you keep going, you’d ruin it! What are you, a grade-schooler?”
I carefully stored the Kondou Spear in my Storage, glaring at her.
”Another thing,” I said, shifting gears. “Kibakura’s class. From the way things sound, it’s got to be King Ogre, right? Does a class title like that even exist? What’s the deal, Tina?”
”It’s a Monster class title,” Tina’s voice responded. “It does exist.”
”I knew it!” I said, my suspicions confirmed.
”Originally, it was a bug in the player system—or rather, an attack on the system from the outside, causing titles like that to manifest. I think someone tried to turn all players into Monsters.”
”An attack on the system?” I frowned. “So there’s an enemy out there trying to break the player system? Who? And is the system even safe?”
”The player system is built with robust defenses, so there’s no need to worry,” Tina said. “But this was a clever backdoor attack, and fixing it would be too massive an undertaking. So, we recognized Monster Titles as official class titles and adjusted them as much as possible to minimize harm to players.”
”Minimize harm?” I scoffed. “Kibakura’s lost his mind and is attacking people!”
”Yes,” Tina admitted. “He was likely given an unadjusted title. It slipped through the security system and wasn’t tweaked afterward. If KujinamiSekira, a single player, pulled this off, they must have used a sacred artifact.”
”A sacred artifact…” I muttered. Kondou-senpai had been given a powerful magic item like that, and Sendou, who targeted the sacred sword Varniora, had mentioned something similar.
Higurashi, meanwhile, looked bored, idly poking her own spear with the needle.
”So, who’s behind the attack on the player system?” I pressed.
”That’s a restricted topic,” Tina said quickly. “I’m already getting warning signals just talking about it.”
A forbidden subject, then. We couldn’t dig any deeper, and even if we could, what good would it do? I sighed.
”I get the gist, but can you explain it so I can follow?” Higurashi said, unable to hear Tina’s voice.
I relayed Tina’s explanation to her.
”Can’t we make Kibakura-senpai undergo that system adjustment or whatever?” Higurashi asked, directing the question at Tina.
I passed it along, and Tina replied, “If it were possible, it would’ve been done already. I think the sacred artifact card has to be removed first.”
I repeated her words to Higurashi.
”So, removing the card might kill Kibakura-senpai,” Higurashi said grimly. “Right now, defeating him without killing him seems impossible. And that’s assuming we can even win.”
”That’s why I’m training,” I said firmly. “I’m not letting him turn everyone into his prey. I’m not banking on some convenient ultimate move, but I can build my strength, hone my skills, and get tougher. Sogahara-senpai handled his attacks. If he can do it, so can I.”
”Do whatever you want,” Higurashi said with a shrug. “But first, let’s go shopping. For breakfast, go with light rice like Akitakomachi or Sasanishiki. For dinner, I’d recommend something sweeter, like Milky Queen.”
”Uh, sure…” I mumbled. I didn’t care that much about rice varieties.
”Why not grab a generator at the hardware store?” she continued. “A microwave would save time, too. And a regular clock would be handy.”
Looks like Higurashi was tagging along for the shopping. She’d probably notice details I’d miss, though I had a feeling she’d push me to buy way more than I needed.
* * *
”We’ve got enough meat,” Higurashi said, scanning our haul. “Now we need fresh vegetables, fish… and eggs. Grab, like, fifty packs of eggs. That’ll cover it.”
”Are you running a restaurant?” I groaned. “How many eggs do you think I’m eating?”
But she had a point—protein was key for building strength. Meat, eggs, it all made sense. I guess.
We hit the stores, stocking up on a mountain of supplies. I grabbed a ton of instant meals, but I planned to cook as much as I could. Prices were steep, and we’d already racked up four million yen, mostly thanks to the inverter generator and fuel costs. Higurashi was still scribbling a list of things to buy, occasionally barking orders into her phone. By now, the Student Council’s meeting with Demiurge had started, and she got called away, leaving me to finish up.
We hadn’t eaten lunch yet, so we stopped at the open-air café I’d visited with Amahara-senpai before. The server soon brought our order: a massive hamburger for Higurashi and the fish burger I’d missed out on last time.
”This is delicious,” Higurashi said, taking a big bite.
”The fish burger’s amazing,” I agreed. “I should bring Ijuuin-kun here sometime.”
Higurashi raised an eyebrow. “Ijuuin-kun? Shouldn’t Asagiri-san’s name come up first? You’ve got a date planned with her, don’t you?”
”Oh, right!” I said, laughing awkwardly. Between my packed schedule and my introverted nature, the idea of a date with a girl felt… unreal.
”Seriously,” Higurashi said, shaking her head. “If Asagiri-san snaps one day, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
”Got it…” I muttered. Apparently, this was the kind of thing that could make a girl seriously mad. I’d have to be careful.
We ordered fifteen hamburgers and fifteen fish burgers to go—quick, filling food for the trip. While waiting, I enchanted nine phones with communication functions for Demiurge’s team and some others at a nearby table, fifteen for the Student Council and Student Freedom Alliance, and ten used phones Higurashi had bought, totaling thirty-four.
Once the phones were done, Higurashi took them and headed back to the Academy. I picked up the burgers but still had more shopping to do. I wanted to get some advice from Sogahara-senpai before leaving, but as vice president, he was probably swamped. I’d try contacting him later.
—
After lunch with the group, Hiromi Maekawa checked a message from Akiyama.
”I’m heading out to help the Student Freedom Alliance,” she said, glancing at the others. “They asked me to bring a few people along…”
”I’m in,” Tomoko said with a shrug. “Not like I’ve got anything else going on.”
”I’m sorry, but I’m heading out for training!” Kanon said, her voice firm. She’d been quiet during lunch, lost in thought, but now she lifted her head and met Hiromi’s gaze with a rare spark of determination in her usually reserved eyes.
”Training?” Hiromi asked. “You’re going to the dungeon?”
”Yes!” Kanon nodded. “I want to make sure I can properly use the power Tsuchimiya-senpai gave me!”
Hiromi respected Kanon’s resolve, but sending a rearguard out alone was too risky. Kanon’s attack magic was formidable, but if she burned through her mana and a Monster caught her, she’d be defenseless. Before Hiromi could respond, Tomoko stepped toward Kanon.
”Kanon-chan, I’ll go with you,” Tomoko said, her voice warm but resolute. “I want to master some new magic before the day after tomorrow, too.”
”Tomoko-senpai!” Kanon’s face lit up.
”And I’ll make sure nothing happens to either of you,” Himeno added, stepping forward with a confident smile.
”Himeno-san!” Kanon exclaimed.
”Well, with Himecchi there, we’ve got nothing to worry about, right?” Tomoko said with a grin.
Hiromi’s lips curved into a soft smile at the sight of the three holding hands, their bond clear. She hadn’t even needed to say a word.
”Alright, take my Universal Potion with you,” Hiromi said. “You’ll need it to replenish your mana. Attack team, focus on training. Defense team, help with preparations.”
”Thank you, Hiromi-senpai!” Kanon said, her voice brimming with gratitude.
”Just be careful out there,” Hiromi added. “And make sure you’re back by dinner tonight.”
”Yes!” the three replied in unison.
—
”Hinako-senpai, got a minute?” a voice called out.
Hinako Machida turned toward the sound. A Scout from her team peeked through the slightly open door of the archive room.
In the adjacent meeting room, the Student Council was deep in discussion with Demiurge’s leaders. Soon, representatives from the Student Freedom Alliance, a major force, would join them. The archive room buzzed with hushed conversations among the team members on standby, but Hinako’s Eavesdrop skill let her pick up the quiet call without strain. Excusing herself from the others, she stepped into the hallway.
”Find something?” she asked, addressing Rina Tachikawa, a Scout from Togamine’s third party.
”Yes,” Rina replied. “Could you come with me for a sec?”
At Rina’s urging, they headed in the opposite direction of the meeting room, stopping just before the office at the end of the hall. They entered a room used as the girls’ changing area for team members. Rows of tall, narrow lockers lined the walls, with a blue plastic mat spread out in front. In the center, two folding tables were cluttered with bags and personal items, left haphazardly by their owners.
They crossed the room and opened a door at the far end, stepping into a small tatami-floored break room. Light streamed in through the sliding doors facing the balcony, bright enough that they didn’t need to turn on the lights. They slipped off their shoes and settled onto cushions around a low table.
”As you asked, I checked the dorm manager’s surveillance monitors,” Rina said. “The manager didn’t even know about the recording function. When I explained it, they were really grateful.”
”And?” Hinako prompted. “Something was on there?”
”Yeah, take a look.” Rina pulled out her phone and played a video. The footage, clearly recorded directly from a monitor, was a bit grainy.
It showed the girls’ dorm lounge from an overhead angle. The spacious room was sparsely populated, with only a few people scattered about. Rina zoomed in on a table in the back. A girl appeared, carrying a large hiking backpack. She set it down by her feet, sat, and started fiddling with her phone, looking bored. Though she handled the bag easily—likely thanks to her Evold strength—Hinako could tell from the tilt of her posture that it was heavy. Big backpacks weren’t that unusual these days, with some people lugging them into dungeons for barbecues, so it didn’t stand out too much.
The girl toyed with her phone for a while before standing and walking off, leaving the backpack behind.
”This is where it gets interesting,” Rina said, her voice tight with tension.
A moment later, another girl sat at the table.
”That’s… Akane-chan?!” Hinako gasped.
It was unmistakably Akane Hagiwara, her long wavy hair tied into twin tails that stuck out like antennae. She glanced around while scrolling on her phone, then stood, grabbed the backpack, and left.
Hinako checked the timestamp on the video. It matched the moment when Tsuchimiya Takeru had been cornered and interrogated. Akane had excused herself then, saying she was going to find Miki.
”If that backpack’s contents are what you suspected—the sand Monster that went wild in the room,” Rina said, her voice stiff, “then Akane-chan’s the one who brought it in, right?”
Hinako exhaled, her shoulders relaxing. “I see…”
”This stays between us,” she said firmly. “If you notice Akane doing anything else, don’t confront her—just report it to me. We’re closing this investigation as unresolved for now.”
”Hinako-senpai?!” Rina’s eyes widened. “Are you sure? If Hatsune-san finds out, it’ll be bad!”
”Right now, digging into this would be worse,” Hinako said. “The Student Council, Student Freedom Alliance, and Demiurge are working together, even if it’s temporary. This could be the start of the unified Academy Amahara-san dreamed of. But if Hatsune-chan gets wind of this and storms out to start her own faction, we could end up as the Academy’s only real enemy.”
”Ugh, that’d be rough…” Rina muttered.
”Honestly, Akane-chan might have saved us from a worse disaster,” Hinako said. “For now, we shelve anything that could set Hatsune-chan off and focus on the immediate problem.”
”Got it,” Rina said hesitantly. “So I just… act like I don’t know anything?”
”Exactly,” Hinako said with a reassuring smile. “I’ll take full responsibility. Just follow my lead.”
”Y-Yes…” Rina stammered, a shiver running through her as Hinako’s smile turned sharp. If Hinako wanted, she could easily pin the blame on Rina—and Rina knew it.
Notes:
• Tomoko – Nishina Tomoko. Shy girl. Looks like an upper elementary school kid despite being in high school. Childhood friends with Satou Akari. One of the Maekawa group
• Akari – Satou Akari. The Scout. Long black hair, slender and cool-looking. Passionate underneath, she was once the leader of the violent yakuza gang.
• Satou – Satou Akari. The Scout. Long black hair, slender and cool-looking. Passionate underneath, she was once the leader of the violent yakuza gang.
• Satou-san – Satou Akari. The Scout. Long black hair, slender and cool-looking. Passionate underneath, she was once the leader of the violent yakuza gang.
• Amahara-senpai – Student Council President
• Hiromi – The leader of the group of four girls (including Hano, etc) who are in the same class as the MC.
• Higurashi – Higurashi Asuka. A girl afflicted with an incurable disease. Another MC’s girlfriend.
• Kanon – Watarase Kanon: The magician girl. Party with the MC.
• Himeno – MC’s first girlfriend
• Sogahara – Student Council Vice President
• Sogahara-senpai – Student Council Vice President
• Hano – Hano Chikako. Brown-skinned, brown-haired gal, and free-spirited. Honest and straightforward. She joined Maekawa Party after being helped in the past.
• Hano-san – Hano Chikako. Brown-skinned, brown-haired gal, and free-spirited. Honest and straightforward. She joined Maekawa Party after being helped in the past.
• Valeria – An Elder Undine and part of the Water Spirit King Varniora, she first appears at a feast Hano opens and Maekawa toasts before Higurashi’s joint dungeon dive (direct: student demo; underlying: training). She allies with Tsuchimiya’s group, serves Varniora, outranks Njorn, coils as Maekawa’s glass-snake bracelet, and uses storage magic and water materialization.
• Kibakura – Leader of Demiurge
• Ijuuin – The one whom the MC thinks is in the same category as him. The one who was threatened by the delinquent. First appears in Chapter 79.
• Ijuuin-kun – The one whom the MC thinks is in the same category as him. The one who was threatened by the delinquent. First appears in Chapter 79.
• Akiyama – Akiyama Yuuki. The boy in the same class as the MC, who collaborates with Higurashi in the Student Freedom Alliance.
• Hinako-senpai – Machida Hinako. Togamine Party’s leader.
• Machida – Machida Hinako. Togamine Party’s leader.
• Togamine – Togamine Hatsune. The girl who like the student council but hate the MC.
• Akane-chan – Hagiwara Akane. Bright and energetic. Sub-member of Togamine class. Got caught by a goblin in her first dive, but was saved by Tsuchimiya.
• Hatsune – Togamine Hatsune. The girl who like the student council but hate the MC.
• Amahara-san – Student Council President
• Hatsune-chan – Togamine Hatsune. The girl who like the student council but hate the MC.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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