Chapter 132 The Demon King Descends, A Dreaded Encounter and the Muscle Inspection
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The time was half past three in the morning.
As I sat down on the stone stairs, the Teleportation Gate shone with a pale, blue light. I immediately ducked behind the stairs, holding my breath and pressing myself into the shadows.
Checking the atmosphere, I sensed only one person had teleported. With my heart pounding¹, I cautiously revealed myself from the hiding spot.
”Is that Hiromi?”
”Takeru-kun!”
Hiromi, wearing her school uniform and a Boston bag slung over her shoulder, rushed towards me with a delighted expression.
”Hehe, you actually remembered,” she smiled.
”Of course I did. How could I forget?” I insisted.
”…”
”Hiromi! It’s been so long!”
My snake, Valeria, who had been coiled around my wrist, shot out and transferred to Hiromi’s wrist.
”From my perspective, we just parted ways a little while ago,” Hiromi said, forcing a wry smile at Valeria, who was rubbing her head against her.
”Hiromi, so that outfit means you’re really…” I trailed off.
”Yes. I’ll be joining the training for a while, too. If I can learn to use my Gift properly, maybe I can fight on the frontline as well. The more people we have on the front, the better, right?” she asked.
”W-well, yeah…” I managed to.
”It feels a bit sneaky towards the others, but for a while, it’ll just be the two of us,” she observed.
”A-ah… Th-that’s… that’s right…”
It was exactly as I had feared!
A late-night meeting with Hiromi at this hour—I had suspected this might happen! But there was no way I could avoid explaining the situation with Fujisaki now. A cold sweat broke out, and I fought desperately to stop my body from shaking uncontrollably.
”…Takeru-kun?”
Hiromi looked at me with an intense, freezing glare, her suspicion immediately apparent. That’s right! With Hiromi’s Magic Eye of the Truth Official Gift, she already knows I’m lying!
”Takeru, let’s move before we talk. Three minutes here is five hours over there,” a husky voice pressed out.
”Who is that!?”
Hiromi’s sharp gaze snapped towards the voice, and Fujisaki, clad in her bikini armor, emerged from the shadows of the stairs.
”Eh!? Y-you are! Fujisaki!?”
Hiromi, her expression one of utter shock, immediately took up a defensive stance and glared at Fujisaki. Fujisaki’s own expression was hard to read, but her naturally sharp eyes made it seem like she was glaring back.
”Takeru-kun, what is the meaning of this?” Hiromi declared with a low voice.
”W-well, you see… w-when I got to the base, she was living there, and so, you know… we’re sort of living together now, or something…” I stammered.
”I have no way to get home from that place, so in exchange for letting me tag along, I became Takeru’s s*x slave,” Fujisaki stated flatly.
”Takeru-kun?” Hiromi’s voice was now dangerously soft.
”N-no, it’s not like that! I told her the slave part wasn’t necessary! She’s just helping me with my training! It’s… how should I put it, um!” My breathing became ragged and painful. This must be hyperventilation. I think I’m going to die. I could hear Tina laughing up a storm in my head, and it made me even more irritated.
”Hmph. I was worried you might be lonely by yourself, but it looks like you’ve been having fun. And thank you, Fujisaki-san, for looking after Takeru-kun,” Hiromi said, beaming a wide, bright smile, but it felt incredibly terrifying, and my body wouldn’t stop trembling.
”I… I’m getting a good life, so, w-well, I suppose I’m grateful,” Fujisaki muttered, scowling and looking away. Hiromi slipped her arm into mine, entwining our fingers in a lover’s grip. The strength she put into her hand was bone-crushing.
Ouch! Ouch! My hand is going to be crushed!
”Well then, let’s move first,” Hiromi suggested.
”O-oh, right, let’s go.”
The three of us stepped onto the Teleportation Gate and were teleported to the abandoned floor. I picked up the wristwatch I had left in front of the Gate and checked the time: just before 6 PM. Since I had teleported to the dungeon around noon, more than five hours had passed here. Then, I had Valeria produce a Nectar branch², and we warped to the base.
”Oh, this is looking quite nice,” Hiromi commented, glancing around the living room.
Under the round wall clock, a cat calendar was hung, and the 25th of January—the day Hiromi had specified—had a red circle drawn on it. (I had marked it before I left yesterday, though.)
Next to the sofa was a short bookshelf, and on the white rug, a vase of flowers (kept fresh with a Universal Potion³, bought on Higurashi’s recommendation) was displayed. The bookshelf mainly contained the manga Fujisaki had recently been relaxing with on the sofa. There was also a large-screen TV and a game console on the TV stand.
Fujisaki was fidgeting nervously while looking at Hiromi. I figured this was the moment I should introduce her.
”She’s my—”
”I’m Maekawa Hiromi. I’m currently dating Tsuchimiya-kun. It’s nice to meet you—though not for the first time, I suppose,” Hiromi announced with a chilling edge to her voice, applying subtle pressure.
”I see… I’m Fujisaki Kaede. Regarding the past… I regret what happened,” Fujisaki replied.
”…Understood. Let’s put the past behind us. Since we’ll be living together for a while, let’s try to get along,” Hiromi said, her voice and expression suddenly softening. Fujisaki stared curiously at the hand Hiromi extended before they shook hands. It seemed there was no lie in Fujisaki’s words.
”You can call me Hiromi. Fujisaki-senpai… is that right?” she asked.
”Eh!? C-call me Kaede! We’re both second-years, after all…” Fujisaki insisted.
”No, that’s stretching things a bit,” I cut in.
”Shut up! It’s really tough being treated like I’m older!” Fujisaki snapped.
She apparently couldn’t accept that she had aged more. Even disregarding the time she spent in exile, Fujisaki arrived in this world over a year before us, so she should technically be one or two grades ahead of us in her original school year.
”Hehe. Alright, Kaede. I look forward to our time together,” Hiromi accepted.
”U-un! Me too, Hiromi!” Fujisaki’s shoulders visibly relaxed in relief. She was actually really nervous, despite her tough facade. I was just glad everything had settled down peacefully. I shuddered to think what would have happened if Himeno had been here.
”What do you usually do at this time?” Hiromi asked.
”Training until the sun sets. I’m just about to run through my forms,” I replied.
”Takeru, today is supposed to be a rest day,” Fujisaki interjected.
”Just for a little bit,” I insisted.
”No! Last week you said the same thing and ended up with such bad muscle soreness you couldn’t walk properly after doing core training all day!” she lectured.
”Nngh…” I groaned.
My core training—standing on my tiptoes on the spiked health mat I’d snuck out of Men’s Dorm B—was something I could easily do anytime, anywhere. The mat was still sitting in the corner of the living room.
”If you don’t keep an eye on him, he’ll push himself too far,” Fujisaki said to Hiromi.
”Hehe, it seems like it was a good thing Kaede was here,” Hiromi mused.
Actually, during the initial, most intense period, I think I was only able to keep going because Fujisaki was there. When there’s a third person, especially a girl, watching you, you can’t really complain or show weakness.
”I thought about making dinner… but on second thought, we just had lunch recently. Hiromi, are you hungry?” I asked.
”It’s not really my dinner time either. If I can have something light later, that’s fine,” she decided.
”Ehh, will there be no game time today?” Valeria complained, protesting loudly. She was constantly whining that she was bored, so I had finally allowed her two hours of gaming a day, only on the days we ran the generator to power the rice cooker and oven for dinner prep.
”In that case, I bought this from the shop,” Hiromi offered.
She pulled out a deck of playing cards from her bag.
We set out juice and snacks on the table, and while Hiromi brought me up to speed on the outside world, we played a card game.
Valeria quickly became obsessed with the game, but she was terrible at it. Even though I couldn’t see her face, I could tell exactly what she was thinking from her gestures and tone of voice. Hiromi, on the other hand, was terrifyingly strong, but it took me a long time to realize that she was cheating by using her Future Sight Gift.
* * *
The alarm blared, and I reflexively reached out to silence it, but both my hands were trapped.
Fujisaki, who had been clutching my right arm, hit the snooze button and then smothered my face with her breasts.
”Hmph. So this is how it usually is,” a voice whispered.
As I was finally freed from Fujisaki’s embrace, Hiromi, who had been using my left arm as a pillow and was pressed tight against me, kissed me.
I was thoroughly ‘punished’ by both of them last night, and it felt incredible.
Fujisaki seemed to be holding back out of deference to Hiromi, so she was gentler than usual. We typically alternate between attack and defense each day, and on the days Fujisaki is the ‘attacker,’ things get quite intense. Still, she maintains control of her impulses and ensures I get enough sleep.
While being invited, or sometimes ambushed, for ‘training’ during breaks is not uncommon, it’s always quick, and I can’t really complain too much, considering she held back entirely when my muscles were too sore for me to move.
Speaking of muscle soreness, it’s been constant, but now I can ignore it when I concentrate. On days when the pain is mild, I even worry that I should be pushing myself harder—my body has completely adapted to it.
While I washed my face and began my morning forms practice, Fujisaki and Hiromi prepared breakfast.
After breakfast, I went back to practicing my forms. Hiromi decided to join the forms practice as well. After taking a rest day, my body felt lighter than usual, despite the dull aches.
I felt I had made considerable progress with the forms. When I was so sore that I couldn’t move properly, I realized that putting all my weight on one foot caused agonizing pain. This forced me to move with a slow, sliding gait, keeping my center of gravity perfectly centered—and that turned out to be the key.
Before, I just lowered my hips when moving through the forms, but by focusing on my center of gravity, my stability has improved astonishingly. The instant my center of gravity shifted even slightly, intense pain would shoot through my leg, turning the training into a super-strict, Sparta-style regimen. It seems all that painful practice paid off.
”Takeru-kun, you’ve developed quite the presence now,” Hiromi observed, pausing her own movements to watch my form.
Heh heh heh, keep the praise coming.
Fujisaki also declared her intent to participate, so I handed her a wooden stick. Since I’ll need her to fight against Kibakura’s forces, I’m more than happy for her to get stronger.
After that, it was time for my daily routine of walking up the rocky mountain. Hiromi and Fujisaki followed, chatting amongst themselves. I’d increased the weight of my waterskin backpack to thirty kilograms, but I can now complete the circuit in under four hours without completely collapsing. I might need to increase the weight again.
After returning, I spent the time until noon practicing my forms and training to use Blast for movement. I can now execute detailed mid-air adjustments and even hover in place for several seconds without losing balance.
After a lunch break, I spent the afternoon doing a bit of acrobatics training under Fujisaki’s guidance. Thanks to the Brave Warrior Title raising my physical abilities, I was able to do basic somersaults right away. Now I’m practicing layout somersaults and adding twists, but it’s proving difficult. I sometimes hit the ground, but thanks to the soft, sandy earth and my Defensive Barrier⁴, I haven’t been injured yet.
Then we moved on to combat training, starting with a match between Fujisaki and Hiromi.
”Hiromi is only level 5. I don’t think she has a chance, but it might be good for you to see an advanced fighter in action,” Fujisaki boasted, supremely confident.
As the match started, Fujisaki immediately closed the distance with a high-speed frontal rush. The moment Hiromi moved to meet her, Fujisaki sped up further, side-stepping four meters across the ground. To Hiromi’s eye, Fujisaki must have vanished. It was actually quite interesting to watch Fujisaki’s movements from the outside, having only ever seen them up close.
However, Hiromi’s thrust, which should have been aimed at the afterimage of Fujisaki in front of her, continued its trajectory and was perfectly embedded in the flank of Fujisaki, who had moved to Hiromi’s back.
”Huh?”
Fujisaki froze, looking bewilderedly at the tip of the wooden stick jabbed into her side.
”Sorry, did that hurt?” Hiromi asked.
”N-no, I’m completely fine… but…” Fujisaki stammered.
”Winner, Hiromi.”
”What!? What do you mean!?” Fujisaki demanded.
”What do I mean? That was a clean hit, wasn’t it?” I pointed out.
”Y-yes, it was… but why!? Did you see that move!?” Fujisaki was incredulous.
”I have pretty good eyesight,” Hiromi explained calmly.
”No, no, no! Is that really all it is!? That was the Assassin skill Vanishing Step!”
Hiromi wasn’t lying. She just meant ‘good eyesight’ in a completely different way than Fujisaki thought.
Fujisaki had been completely careless. If she had been more vigilant, she could have defended against an attack from a beginner like Hiromi. Hiromi, however, had attacked precisely because she knew it would connect.
After that, Fujisaki was on guard and struggled, losing three continuous matches but managing to take a win on the fifth match when Hiromi caught her off guard again.
Next, it was my turn for a five-round match against Hiromi, but I knew the secret to defeating her. I ignored her counter-attacks and focused on overpowering her head-on. I simply unleashed a flurry of attacks that she couldn’t defend against, even knowing they were coming. The fight was over quickly, with my five continuous victories, a testament to the overwhelming difference in our foundational strength.
Although I won purely through brute force, I realized that if Hiromi developed her strength a bit more, the outcome could be uncertain in the future. Hiromi definitely had the potential to become a powerful asset with a little bit of special training. I’d prefer not to put her on the dangerous frontline, but if we are short on fighting power, more sacrifices will have to be made. At Hiromi’s current level, reinforcing her defense is the top priority. Continuing forms practice combined with combat training to get a feel for battle seems like the best approach.
”I just don’t get it!” Fujisaki complained, still not grasping the trick.
Afterward, Fujisaki and I fought, and I couldn’t get a single clean hit on her. Fujisaki looked even more disgruntled by that outcome.
* * *
Ten days passed, and the day Hiromi was scheduled to return arrived. Hiromi had even leveled up to 7 by hunting Monsters with Fujisaki.
We walked half a day across the desert to the Teleportation Gate at the pyramid.
”Kaede, please take care of Takeru-kun,” Hiromi asked.
”Yes, you can count on me,” Fujisaki replied.
Hiromi and Fujisaki had become quite close during those ten days.
”Takeru-kun, let’s set the time for our next meeting,” Hiromi said.
”Next time?” I asked, confused.
”I initially planned to train in secret and return quietly, but given the situation, if I kept this a secret, Himeno-san would be furious with me later,” she explained.
T-that means Himeno is coming next time…
Indeed, if Hiromi kept quiet about this, Himeno’s anger would be directed at Hiromi as well, and there was no way Himeno would just quietly accept the situation once she knew the truth.
”It’s better to resolve the issue sooner rather than have a fight right before the decisive battle,” Hiromi suggested.
”U-um…” I stammered.
This is bad! This is really, really bad!
But it was an issue we couldn’t avoid sooner or later. Maybe it was better than having a huge confrontation right before the decisive battle… I’d have to rely on Hiromi to put in a good word for me this time.
* * *
For the next twenty days or so, I immersed myself in training, trying to distract myself from my restless anxiety. But finally, that dreaded day arrived.
I moved to the pyramid the day before to make sure I wasn’t late for the appointment, but as soon as I arrived, I immediately teleported to the safe zone in the First Dive area. My extreme nervousness seemed to be contagious, as Fujisaki’s face was also pale.
But shortly after we arrived, even though we still had almost twenty minutes until the appointed time, the Teleportation Gate glowed with a pale, blue light.
As expected, she intended to lie in wait for me.
Given Himeno’s personality, it wouldn’t be surprising for her to have been staked out for hours, but she must have had a briefing and discussion with Hiromi early that morning, so she probably didn’t have that much time. Even though she’s normally impatient, she can be frighteningly tenacious when she wants something. Or maybe it’s because she’s impatient that she can’t relax until she’s at the scene.
I braced myself and waited for Himeno to teleport in front of the Gate. Before leaving the base, I had already mentally committed to the worst, essentially making a sacrificial commitment⁵. I am a dead soldier!
The moment the teleportation finished, a heavy thud seemed to sound, and the air instantly became dense.
Standing there were the expressionless Himeno and a sleepy-looking Chikako, who let out a yawn. The instant my eyes met Himeno’s cold stare, her face was suddenly right in front of mine, and she firmly grasped my shoulder.
”Tsuchimiya-senpai! Y-your body… it’s gotten bigger, hasn’t it?” she breathed out.
”Eh?”
Himeno started running her hands over my body. Dangerously close! I almost wet myself!
”H-Himeno, that tickles a bit,” I whispered.
”Ah! Y-your abs are actually defined now!” she exclaimed.
”Well, I’ve been fighting muscle soreness every day, after all,” I explained.
Even so, I had only noticed my abs developing recently.
”Good! This is very, very good!”
Wait, is Himeno a muscle fetishist?
Himeno hugged me, her face completely enraptured, and started stroking my body. She seemed to be in a state of intense arousal⁶.
But then, Himeno stopped moving abruptly, turning her gaze sharply toward the stairs.
”You’re over there, aren’t you? Please come out,” Himeno commanded in a sharp voice, pulling her body away from mine.
Slowly, Fujisaki emerged from the shadow of the stairs.
”You must be Fujisaki-san. Hiromi-senpai told me all about you, but I do not recognize your right to be here,” Himeno declared with a cold voice.
In response to Himeno’s frigid tone, Fujisaki curled her lips into a sneering grin. She’s probably terrified inside, but that was a perfect villainess move.
”I am Class 1-A’s Asagiri Himeno. My specialty dish is hard-boiled eggs!” Himeno proclaimed, throwing down the gauntlet in a declaration of war.
—
Summary:
Takeru’s secret training is exposed as Hiromi arrives, creating immediate tension when she discovers Fujisaki. After Hiromi uses her Magic Eye to verify Fujisaki’s apology, a fragile peace is established. The two girls train with Takeru for ten days, and Takeru’s forms and strength improve dramatically. Hiromi leaves after setting up the next, far more dreaded meeting. Twenty days later, the ‘Demon King’ Himeno arrives, initially distracted by Takeru’s new muscles before turning her cold, full attention onto her rival, Fujisaki, setting the stage for a dramatic confrontation.
—
Character Insight:
Takeru’s fear of Himeno and Hiromi is a running joke but also the primary source of tension. Hiromi shows a terrifying calculation by setting the stage for the inevitable confrontation, and Himeno’s sudden, out-of-character reaction to Takeru’s abs suggests a hidden layer to her personality, immediately followed by her assertive, competitive nature towards Fujisaki. Fujisaki proves she can put on a brave face despite her underlying panic.
—
Behind the Scene:
This chapter introduces the full spectrum of Takeru’s love triangle, positioning Himeno as the most formidable romantic rival. The ‘Demon King’ title implies that Himeno is the most overwhelmingly powerful and fear-inducing of Takeru’s female companions, despite her actual level. The training sequences highlight Takeru’s creative use of pain/limitation to boost his physical control and skill acquisition, a common trope in leveling-up stories.
—
T/L:
¹I (Ore) is a rough, masculine first-person pronoun. Takeru’s inner monologue uses it to reflect his self-awareness and simple, honest feelings (mostly fear and embarrassment) as a typical male protagonist. ↩
²Nectar branch is a magical item, likely used for teleportation due to the context of warping to the base. ↩
³A Universal Potion is likely a high-tier recovery/utility item, here used creatively to keep flowers alive indefinitely. ↩
⁴Defensive Barrier is a protective spell or skill Takeru possesses, allowing him to train dangerous physical movements without injury. ↩
⁵Sacrificial commitment (影腹を切ってある) is a translation of a Japanese phrase meaning to be fully prepared for the worst or to face a situation with the mindset of a ‘dead man walking,’ taking responsibility for a bad outcome before it happens. ↩
⁶Intense arousal (In Estrus) is a substitute for the original euphemism, reflecting the character’s strong emotional/physical reaction to Takeru’s muscular development. ↩
Notes:
• Hiromi – The leader of the group of four girls (including Hano, etc) who are in the same class as the MC.
• 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.
• Fujisaki – The female assassin from another school who appeared in Chapter 56. She, along with her late friend, battled with the MC in the abandoned floor of the dungeon. Black haired, use bikini armor, and big.
• Higurashi – Higurashi Asuka. A girl afflicted with an incurable disease. Another MC’s girlfriend.
• Maekawa Hiromi – The leader of the group of four girls (including Hano, etc) who are in the same class as the MC.
• Himeno – MC’s first girlfriend
• Kibakura – Leader of Demiurge. Described as huge, with a monster’s clawed hand and sharpened nose, midway through transforming into a King Ogre. A physical match would be like a half-ogre version of **Ryūji Goda (Yakuza)** in early monster mutation form.
• Chikako – Hano Chikako. Brown-skinned, brown-haired gal, and free-spirited. Honest and straightforward. She joined Maekawa Party after being helped in the past.
• Chika – Hano Chikako. Brown-skinned, brown-haired gal, and free-spirited. Honest and straightforward. She joined Maekawa Party after being helped in the past.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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