Volume 4 Chapter 1 The Second Semester Begins
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The first day of the second semester, before the morning assembly.
I said hello to Ryota and the others in our “Tsuyo-Osu” (Strong-Male) group. I also talked to a few people from other groups. A lot of my classmates had dark summer tans, but no one looked very different. The start of the day felt normal.
The only clear change from the first semester was that those two troublemaking “Free Girls” were gone.
Now we had transfer students instead.
”Alright, everyone, how are we doing? Did you live through the summer heat? I spent the whole break working like hell for the school, so I’m dead tired,” Tamai-sensei said.
Our homeroom teacher walked in with a stiff smile. He did not even try to hide how much he hated this school.
He spoke in a flat voice. Being a teacher at a National High School must have some good points, but it was still a hard job. And after what happened last semester, this class had to be a pain.
”Today is the opening ceremony. Come on, everyone, into the hall.”
The teacher pushed us along to the auditorium. Every student in the school was packed inside. The air conditioning was weak, and we all had to listen to the Principal’s “important” speech.
”Ehh, now that you have all finished your summer vacation, I expect you to work harder in study, sports, and sorcery…”
It takes real skill to make a speech that empty last more than ten minutes. I was almost impressed.
After the ceremony, the second and third years left. Only the first years stayed behind.
”What’s starting now?” Risa whispered.
”Just watch. You’ll see~” Chifumi said calmly.
”Eh—wait, hey, is that really—?” Risa cried out.
She had seen a face she knew.
The school introduced the transfer students for the second semester.
There were ten of them. And one was someone I knew very well.
”That’s… Onigahara-san..,” I said quietly.
”Yeah, it is,” Ryota nodded. “Bit of a shock, ain’t it?”
”You knew?” Risa asked me.
”Well. I’d heard,” I answered.
Yesterday, I got a message from our families. It said I should look after Mitsuki. Yesterday? I had thought that, but there had to be a reason. The plan was for Mitsuki to join my group.
She was tall for a girl, so she stood out right away. Mitsuki saw us and gave me a long, meaningful look. Ugh. That kind of look did not suit her. Did Sawa teach her that?
Usually, Mitsuki would get the most attention as a transfer student. But this time, people were not only looking at her.
One boy and four girls wore white uniforms. They were different from the District 13 High School uniform.
The boy said his name was Kaoru Shoji. He seemed to lead the group. Including him, five students stood at the front together. That meant five “Free” students had transferred in. If I left out Mitsuki, whom I planned to recruit, then there were four.
It seemed the teachers could not gather ten girls. So they made the strange choice of moving a whole group instead.
The boy in front had pride on his face. He looked like he thought he was different from the others.
I did not know yet if he had real skill or only empty pride. Either way, I could already see trouble coming. He would surely be an important person this semester.
I only hoped he was not around for long.
After the introductions, the first years went back to their classrooms.
When we returned, the teacher came in with Mitsuki.
She was introduced at once. Mitsuki stood at the front and greeted the class.
”I’m Onigahara Mitsuki. I’ve transferred from Shisei. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”
In the first semester, I had been the tallest boy in class. Mitsuki was even taller than me. That made her look strong. Still, her easy smile softened it.
”Onigahara-san will return to Shisei High School at the end of this semester if she does not join a group. Whether you become friends in that short time… that is up to you,” Tamai-sensei said.
His eyes stayed on me.
By the rules, transfer students were only here for a trial. If they wanted to stay after the third term, they had to join a group.
Still, Mitsuki was definitely staying.
I was going to bring her into my group.
First-year groups could only have six members. We could not have seven until the second year. The other way was to complete a counter-attack.
In this class, I was the only boy who did not have a full group. The teacher was clearly telling me to take Mitsuki in.
And her desk was right next to mine. That was too obvious. The Onigahara family and the Tatemiya family had probably worked to make it happen.
Mitsuki walked between the desks and sat beside me with a grin.
As soon as break started, people gathered around her.
It was my group and Ryota’s group.
Chifumi and the others already knew. Ryota’s older members all knew Mitsuki too. For them, though, this transfer had been a complete surprise.
”Onigahara-san, long time no see.”
”Yamada-san, you all look well too,” Mitsuki said brightly.
While Mitsuki started talking with everyone, Ryota spoke to me.
”Oi, what’s all this then? You getting Onigahara-san transferred here, that’s a bloody surprise.”
”Honestly, I only heard yesterday. It caught me off guard.”
”So it’s family stuff. The Onigahara family is showing they care about their tie to the Tatemiya family, right?”
”Looks like it.”
Ryota lowered his voice. “Is Kuga okay with this?”
”Yeah, I heard that won’t be a problem.”
She had left Manaka’s group at Shisei to come here. Without Mitsuki, Manaka and the others would have more work. Mitsuki was important to them.
There was no way they would let her go easily if they wanted top results at Shisei.
So those talks must have been hard. Even the Onigahara family would not want to fight Kuga directly.
From what Chifumi heard, it ended peacefully. Manaka gave her okay in the end. She had even said something big like, “Do you really think my group will fall apart because one Mitsuki left?” That sounded exactly like Manaka.
I did not know what Manaka truly felt.
But Mitsuki was exactly the kind of talent my group needed. So I would just be thankful and accept the path people had made for me.
”Onigahara-san, are you joining Tatemiya-kun’s group?” the class rep asked.
Mitsuki looked at me and laughed. “Ahaha.”
”That’s the plan, but I wonder what Minoru thinks~?”
I could feel everyone waiting for my answer.
”Of course. I’m going to recruit Mitsuki. I’ll give her a ‘match’ challenge.”
The class rep let out a low whistle. “My, how bold.”
I was a little confused by her tone. But Mitsuki, who already understood the class rep better than I did, kept going.
”Hmm. So when? When are we doing it?”
”Don’t rush. We need to check when the place is free. And you need to get ready too, right?”
I stopped her with one hand when she started to stand.
There was not much break time left. We did not need to do it now. We could book it later. Unlike the first semester, the groups were already settled. So the Guidance facility should be easy to book.
”That’s true. No need to rush~”
Mitsuki stayed in her seat and stretched. Her eyes moved from me to Chifumi, Risa, Yurina, and then Asari.
”So who’s my opponent? Chifumi? Asari-chan? Or…”
”It’s me.”
I decided right there.
It would look bad if I sent anyone else to fight Mitsuki.
If all I wanted was a sure win, I could have the others tire her out first. Then I could step in at the end. As group leader, I could choose the fighter. In fact, Chifumi would probably win even without me.
But this was not about that.
I wanted to beat her with all I had. I wanted to show her clearly who stood above.
Besides, she was exactly my type. There was no way I would let someone else fight in my place.
”Ohh~~”
”What?”
”No, I’m just surprised you’re really letting me fight you one-on-one. Then I’ll have to go all out. I’m looking forward to it~”
”You’ll only be saying that for a little while.”
”Bring it on!”
Mitsuki clapped her hands and got excited.
I was looking forward to it too.
Only Chifumi really understood the gap between what Mitsuki meant and what I meant. She looked at me with tired eyes and sighed.
”Alright~ back to your seats. Break time’s over,” Tamai-sensei said as he came back in.
After the opening ceremony, we stayed until all the school notices were finished.
The teacher brought a thick pile of papers. There were schedules for the second semester and notices for our families. Once that was done, it was time to go home.
Chifumi and the others gathered around me.
Just as I was about to leave with them like usual, Mitsuki called out.
”Hey! You didn’t forget, did you?”
”…Right. Let’s go book the facility.”
So I took Mitsuki to the Faculty Room. When I asked Tamai-sensei to use the Guidance facility, he gave me the booking notebook.
I looked through it and asked Mitsuki, “So, when do you want it?”
”Do you have a preference, Minoru?”
”Nah. I’m good whenever. Pick what works for you.”
The booking page was almost empty.
”I can book pretty much any day.”
”I see… Is after school this Friday okay?” Mitsuki asked.
”No problem,” I said.
”Alright, then it’s settled!” she said.
I wrote my name in the notebook and gave it back.
Today was Monday. For someone as impatient as Mitsuki, she had left a longer gap than I expected. I had thought she might say, “Let’s do it tomorrow!” So this felt a little weak.
When I left the Faculty Room and walked down the hall, I ran into a group I knew.
It was Komoda-kun’s group.
When Komoda-kun saw me, I noticed his skin was very dark from summer. He spoke first.
”Hey. It’s been since the closing ceremony, hasn’t it?”
”Yo. You look like you’re doing well,” I said.
”Same as always,” he answered.
”That’s a pretty dark tan for ‘same as always.’ Did you go to the beach or something?”
The people in Komoda-kun’s group were all on the chubby side. If they went to the beach in midsummer, they would stand out right away. They did not need to hide on a Private Beach like we did.
What caught my eye was that the Tsuyo-Mesu (Strong-Female)s behind him were not tanned at all. Had they put on that much sunscreen?
”The sea, you say? I wish I could say that…”
For a moment, I felt like his eyes sparkled. Ah, this was going to be a pain.
”During summer break, we trained against sorcery. We were left outside under a binding sorcery. The goal was to break it and get inside. But the summer sun without shade is deadly.”
”I see. Sounds like hard training,” I said.
What kind of training was that? Even I thought it sounded way too much.
”I made sure not to dry out by having water dripped onto my face now and then. The sight of me reaching out my tongue like a puppy was so cute that they even took a picture. Even while my mind grew weak, I still finished the training.”
”Oh, is that so~” Chifumi added lightly.
Komoda-kun and Chifumi sounded like they understood each other. I had heard several worrying things, but I decided to ignore them.
”Are you going to recruit her?”
Komoda-kun looked at Mitsuki for a moment.
”Yeah.”
”It is not really my place to say this, but do not lower your guard. Good luck.”
”Of course.”
After that short talk, Komoda-kun’s group walked off toward the Guidance room.
”Hmm. So that’s the one who got counter-attacked, huh?” Mitsuki said casually.
”Yeah. He’s a real man,” I said.
Komoda-kun had been in the top ten of the grade last semester. I was surprised when I saw his name near mine on the ranking list.
Usually, a Tsuyo-Osu (Strong-Male) who gets counter-attacked drops low in the rankings. The shock is too big. But he had broken that common idea.
And what was all that talk about how his group had strong Tsuyo-Mesu (Strong-Female)s but he himself was weak? That was clearly wrong. He was capable.
Even after being counter-attacked, he did well in both classwork and dungeon runs. In other words, he got past the hit to his pride. He also worked together with the Tsuyo-Mesu (Strong-Female) who had done it to him.
Honestly, he was crazy.
Still, because his grades were so good, his place in the school had risen a lot. Thanks to that, even when I talked to him in the hall, other groups did not look down on me anymore. I was thankful for that.
”Are you all going home now?” Mitsuki asked.
”Yeah, I guess,” I said.
”Do you have plans this afternoon?”
”No, nothing special.”
”Then why don’t you come to our Dojo?”
Mitsuki’s offer was so sudden that I stopped walking.
”Minoru, you haven’t been to our Dojo since you finished junior high. If you’re going to fight me, you should remember how to move your body right, don’t you think?”
”That… is true, but.”
I had trained with Chifumi on my own. But I had not been taught by someone better than me for almost half a year.
And Mitsuki would surely use her Oni strength in a hand-to-hand fight. So some real training was not a bad idea.
The problem was whether it was okay to visit now.
”Why not?”
The help came from Chifumi.
”I think it’s better for the people at Onigahara too. It matters that Minoru fights with everything he has.”
So she meant it was better if Mitsuki lost to “serious Minoru” than to “careless Minoru,” That would save her pride.
”It’d be a pain if you lost and then made excuses, right?” Mitsuki said to push me.
That settled it. I was going to make her cry.
”Alright. I’ll visit the Onigahara Dojo today for the first time in a while. Let’s go home first and leave our bags.”
”Can we come too?”
”Risa, Yurina, Asari, we’re all going. That’s okay, right, Mitsuki?”
”Sure. You’re welcome.”
Mitsuki laughed.
At first, I wondered if she had some hidden plan. Maybe she wanted to learn about my Inherent sorcery or my habits.
But when I saw her face, that did not seem to be it.
She just looked happy that she could train with me again.
—
Summary:
Minoru begins the second semester by reuniting with his classmates and noting the arrival of new transfer students. Among the newcomers is Onigahara Mitsuki, whom Minoru plans to recruit into his group. The narrative follows Minoru as he asserts his intention to challenge Mitsuki to a match, signaling a power dynamic he intends to establish. The interaction culminates in a scene where the two agree to visit the Faculty Room to schedule their upcoming clash.
Minoru books a sparring session at the Onigahara Dojo with Mitsuki after an unexpected encounter with the Komoda group in the hallway. Komoda’s strange training regimen and Mitsuki’s challenging attitude leave Minoru feeling motivated to test his skills. The group decides to visit the dojo together later that day to observe or participate in the session.
—
Trivia:
The school is a National High School with rigid gender-based social hierarchies.
Mitsuki is a high-profile transfer from Shisei High School.
Provisional transfer students must join a group to remain after the second semester.
The Onigahara and Tatemiya families have active, influential connections to the school’s operations.
Groups are generally capped at six members for first-year students.
Komoda managed to rise in the school hierarchy by balancing academic success with dungeon progress following a traumatic counter-attack.
Mitsuki’s invitation is partly motivated by a desire for Minoru to have a legitimate “serious” sparring record to preserve her own reputation.
The Onigahara Dojo holds significance as a location Minoru has not visited since finishing junior high.
Notes:
• T – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• Ryota – Middle‑schooler in Minoru’s class, this loyal, outgoing leader of a “Strong‑Female” squad bears the “Great Bear” reputation for stamina. A well‑connected sorcerer who uses the Nagase house as a hideout, he serves as strategic spokesperson and logistics chief. Observant, supportive, and part of the Tsuyo‑Osu circle, he knows Mitsuki.
• A – A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R’s high school squad.
• 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.
• 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.
• S – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• 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.
• Tamai – Male homeroom teacher with a plastered‑on smile, visibly exhausted by school stress, also serves as academy instructor overseeing dungeon training, duel procedures, and student development; he mediates investigations, collaborates with technical staff, and supplies key testimony on timelines and context for students and staff under his charge.
• B – A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S’s group.
• Risa – Tall, sharp‑witted Plain‑folk and dutiful childhood friend of Minoru, she serves in his harem despite lacking innate sorcery. A disciplined Onibara practitioner of the Naruse family, she wields a rifle and magic pistols, resents her mother, and equips a weapon‑filled training room. First‑year student in Koki’s group, she studies sorcerer etiquette, collects pistol catalogs, and trains hard to keep pace with the squad.
• Chifumi – Scrawny, long‑haired frost‑water sorceress with a water‑based staff, she’s a first‑year Majo and Minoru’s childhood protector. Reaching Three‑Limit power, she’s well‑informed, joins Koki’s group, mediates and scouts, offering loyal, self‑sacrificing support while her bubbly charm masks keen observation.
• Onigahara – The Koki family, bearing the name of Mitsuki and Koki, runs a massive, rigorous dojo famed for Oni‑fication sorcery; their outward appearance reflects disciplined austerity, their identity is that of stern mentors, and they maintain close, hierarchical bonds with their students and apprentices.
• Mitsuki – Tall, curvy transfer student from Shisei High with dark skin and a friendly smile, she wields a kanabo and practices Oni‑fication sorcery. Assertive, tsundere childhood friend of Minoru, close ally of Manaka, leads training at Onigahara Dojo, fights to avenge comrades, manages logistics, watches Minoru, and is a top assassin candidate. Bold, clings to Koki, explores dungeons, unaffiliated.
• Sawa – Voluptuous, bespectacled private‑school student and IT‑savvy gamer, she’s an original Shisei member, pragmatic and self‑reliant childhood friend of Minoru. Acting as the group’s detective, she reads his behavior with insight, is a reserved Onibara disciple, enjoys fishing away from water, and helps with chores. She’s also an acquaintance of Mitsuki who may have coached her.
• Kaoru – A male transfer student from District 13 High School leading a group of four girls. A short, slightly chubby transfer student from a powerful northern sorcerer lineage. He carries a unique, futuristic magic pistol.
• 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.
• Shisei – An acquaintance involved in high-profile activities.
• Tatemiya – The protagonist Minoru and Kotoha belong to this prestigious family, which plays a central role in the group’s social dynamics and relationships.
• Yamada – The family name of Rana.
• Kuga – The family name, shared by Marin and Manaka, marks their kinship and appears on their garments, symbolizing their bond; it is also described as the farthest point from the narrator’s home, underscoring their distant connection.
• Manaka – An aristocratic‑beauty private‑school student, she leads the Initial Strong‑Females with a calm, clinical tactical voice. A resilient sorcerer whose power defines the high‑difficulty simulated dungeons, she once belonged to Mitsuki’s group at Shisei High. Childhood friend Minoru now serves as her observant, independent mediator.
• Minoru – Black‑haired, pragmatic sorcerer wielding Tatemiya magic to bend space and command specters. Reincarnated in a reversed‑beauty world, he’s a top‑ranking dungeon student with hidden memories of sister Mai. Leads a supernatural female squad, navigates possessive childhood bonds, a dominant romance with Risa, and a narrator‑led effort to recruit Mitsuki.
• Yurina – Black‑haired, refined Plain‑folk student and Kibe‑born swordswoman in Minoru’s dungeon squad; stoic piano‑playing childhood friend and protector close to Chifumi and Risa, balancing romance in his harem. After wielding precision blades and being devoured by the Phantom, she becomes a duplicate guide. Also in Koki’s worried group, knows Chifumi’s strength, heads home after school, and attends the transfer intro.
• Asari – Tall, long‑haired, curvy first‑year of the Kasakura lineage, she’s a modest defensive‑barrier sorcerer and former Free Girl loyal to Minoru’s group. Close to Mari and Nagase, she speaks in sweet, idol‑like tones, wears a competitive swimsuit, diet‑conscious yet craves intimacy with Minoru and communal meals. Polite to higher‑ranked sorcerers, she’s a nervous trainee at Onigahara Dojo, a potential foe for Mitsuki, and a member of the protagonist’s group heading home after school—tragically devoured by the Phantom she once showed kindness to.
• Yuri – A cheerful and energetic first-year student at Higashi High who is a classmate of Shibuya and an acquaintance of Kibe Yurina from their middle school days. A girl known for being aggressive toward Hayato and displaying overt favoritism.
• Komoda – The family name of Michinori.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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