Volume 4 Chapter 7 Information And Compensation
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The day after Mitsuki-san1 became my Witch (a magical partner), I found myself returning to the Onigahara Dojo (a martial arts school) alone.
It was Saturday. My official excuse for the visit was to get a good workout at the dojo.
”Hey there~!” Mitsuki cheered at the entrance.
She wore simple clothes—a basic T-shirt and jeans. On Mitsuki, with her tall body and amazing curves, even a simple outfit showed off her chest. It looked incredibly hot. By this world’s standards, a body like hers shouldn’t have been attractive at all. But me? I absolutely loved it.
We left our bicycles and walked toward the dojo. Mitsuki leaned in and spoke in a low voice.
”Big Bro is waiting for you inside.”
”Man, I really just wanted to come by and get the info,” I muttered.
”There’s no way Big Bro is just going to hand over info for free,” she countered with a playful smirk. “Besides, I hate to brag, but he really dotes on me. I think it’s only natural he’d want to test Minoru, the guy who became my master.”
”Well, when you put it that way, I guess I should be grateful…” I admitted.
Training with a powerhouse was a sure way to get stronger. It was a fact that I had a lot to gain from training with Koki-san.
For a sorcerer like me, my fighting power depended entirely on the anomalies I controlled with my Inherent Sorcery (a special magic power). Enemies would naturally target the master. No matter how powerful my anomalies were, if my main body was crushed, it was game over. It only made sense for enemies to target the weaker link. My goal was to strengthen my teamwork with my anomalies. I wanted to stop anyone from getting a clean shot at me. I also kept improving my defensive skills.
But wouldn’t it be way cooler if they targeted my main body assuming it was weak? Then I could turn out to be totally ripped and beat them on the spot! …I was half-joking, but you really couldn’t be too strong.
We arrived at the dojo.
I slid the door open. I saw Koki-san sitting in zazen2 in the exact center of the room. He was fully lost in focus.
”Good morning, sir!” I barked, giving a sharp greeting.
”Morning,” Koki-san replied evenly.
I gave him a deep bow. I bent nearly ninety degrees at the waist, like a kid in a high school sports club. Koki-san gave his usual short reply.
Mitsuki had become my Witch. That meant, for all intents and purposes, I had claimed her. Koki-san doted on his younger sister. I couldn’t afford to disappoint him with a lazy attitude. For an athletic guy like Koki-san, a sharp, energetic attitude was the best approach.
”Why so stiff? Where’s your usual attitude?” Koki-san asked. He stood up and stepped closer to me.
Looking at him closely, I couldn’t see any negative feelings like anger or hate.
”No, sir. This is about drawing a line and showing proper respect,” I explained firmly.
”I get where you’re coming from, but there’s no need to overthink it. Handing Mitsuki over as Minoru’s Witch was a formal decision by the Onigahara family,” Koki-san said. He waved a hand dismissively.
”Yes, sir.”
”If anything, making her your Witch during your very first lesson is impressive. You deserve praise for that,” Koki-san added, grinning broadly.
”Thank you very much.”
In reality, breaking the Three-Limit (a magic rule for Witches) was largely due to Mitsuki’s own power. But there was no need to point that out.
To be honest, I didn’t fully understand how we broke the Three-Limit either. I understood the theory. The bad reaction when manas clash is forcefully fixed using healing sorcery. The plan itself makes perfect sense. In fact, most Witches with healing-type Inherent Sorcery use this exact method to break the Three-Limit.
The confusing part was that we succeeded on our very first try. Even when I asked Mitsuki, she just said our compatibility and luck were good. Sure, getting lucky happens, but if I pulled that off twice in a row… I must be incredibly lucky.
Koki-san shifted his gaze to Mitsuki next.
”Besides, it was exactly what Mitsuki wanted anyway,” Koki-san teased.
”Big Bro, shut up! Don’t say unnecessary things!” Mitsuki shrieked. Her face turned bright red.
”Oops, my bad,” Koki-san muttered.
He turned right back to me, apologizing almost by habit. A beat later, his expression shifted to a confused look at Mitsuki’s outburst.
”…Wait a second. You two are officially Master and Witch now, right? Haven’t you talked about the situation yet?” Koki-san questioned, narrowing his eyes.
Mitsuki and I exchanged a brief glance. I took the lead in answering.
”Not yet,” I answered cleanly.
”Aren’t you curious about why Mitsuki advanced to Shisei High School and transferred in during the second semester?” Koki-san prodded.
”I am curious,” I admitted.
”Then you should just ask her,” Koki-san stated firmly.
A Witch could not disobey her Master. If I commanded her not to lie and ordered her to speak, she would have to confess everything.
”No, I won’t ask. I’ll wait until she’s ready to tell me herself. That’s the promise we made,” I declared without hesitation.
”…I see. If you’re both fine with it, then that’s all that matters,” Koki-san murmured. He let out a quiet sigh.
I gave a clear answer, so Koki-san chose not to ask any more.
I already knew Chifumi and Mitsuki—my childhood friends—were hiding something from me. If I truly wanted to, I could force them to tell everything. Unlike Chifumi, who was an expert at avoiding the truth, Mitsuki was terrible at lying. She would have shared everything she knew right away.
But I had made a promise to Chifumi.
Chifumi had pleaded with me. She had pampered and served me with all her heart. She promised it was for my own good. She said they would explain everything themselves when the time was right. Hearing that, I found myself nodding along.
Breaking that promise would be easy. But the moment I did, I felt the order of our group would face a huge crisis.
Better to let sleeping dogs lie.3
Chifumi and the others were already my Witches. We were a group bound by fate. There was no way they would do anything to bring about my ruin. I trusted them. In that case, I just needed to stay calm and wait for them to bring it up on their own.
With life updates out of the way, it was time for the main event.
”Alright, let’s get to it,” Koki-san commanded, rolling up his sleeves.
”Yes, sir. Please guide me,” I responded, stepping into my stance.
Koki-san’s group and my group weren’t scheduled to arrive for another hour. It would be better to wait until everyone was there before discussing the dungeon data.
Which meant what was about to begin right now was a no-holds-barred, serious spar. It was training, but we were going all out. During our last fight, neither I nor Koki-san had used our full strength. This time, we were both playing for keeps. Even if someone got badly hurt, Mitsuki was right here to heal us.
Mitsuki stepped back, creating a safe distance.
A bright golden aura wrapped Koki-san’s body. Without even thinking, my instincts screamed at the sheer danger. He had been holding back a huge amount of power during our last fight. A crushing pressure hit my senses like a real nightmare.
I couldn’t afford to fall behind. I activated my Inherent Sorcery. I overwrote the space within the dojo. From my expanding shadow, a centipede nearly five meters long crawled into reality. Next, I touched my own shadow with both hands before pulling back. Though my hands looked unchanged, I had filled them with the striking force of a pistol shrimp. Within the darkness of my shadow, an electric ray, a nudibranch, and a giant clam stood on standby.
This setup let me trigger the abilities of my current anomalies with a single movement. If I was going to be a one-man army against Koki-san, this was the best combination.
”…”
”…”
Koki-san narrowed his eyes slightly. No doubt he was feeling a thrill of excitement.
I steeled my resolve.
”Here I come,” I called out, surging forward.
”Bring it,” Koki-san roared, meeting my charge.
I launched my assault on Koki-san, perfectly syncing my timing with Hinoki.
An hour later, the rest of the group stepped into the dojo. They spotted me receiving medical treatment over by the wall and hurried over.
Chifumi looked like she wanted to say something to me. I was lying there using Mitsuki’s lap as a pillow. Seeing how utterly spent I was, she held her tongue. In the end, the words that escaped her lips were filled with real concern.
”Are you okay? You got completely wrecked~” Chifumi crooned, peering down at me.
”It’s been a while since I’ve been pushed this hard…” I groaned softly.
My entire body was covered in deep bruises. While nothing was outright broken, I had a strong feeling that a few spots were slightly fractured. Mitsuki was currently channeling her healing sorcery into me. A warm, gentle light seemed to wash over my entire being. It carried the endless pain away with it.
Koki-san had also been receiving healing sorcery from Mitsuki until just a few moments ago. Being fellow Oni (a strong, horned race), the healing worked better. He had fully recovered a step ahead of me. Now he leaned against the wall, waiting for my treatment to finish.
”Looks like it was a brutal training session~” Chifumi commented. She treated the situation like it was entirely someone else’s problem.
Just you wait. The real hell for you guys starts now.
A moment later, Koki-san’s group members filed into the room. They were fully armed and equipped. The faces of Chifumi and the others instantly went pale. They realized what this meant, even though they had been told today’s visit was just to listen to info.
”Huh?!” Chifumi gasped, freezing in her tracks.
”Seriously…?” Yurina muttered, her eyes widening in despair.
As their leader, I issued a strict command.
”Today isn’t going to be a easy, half-baked session like last time. Give it everything you’ve got,” I ordered, gesturing toward the floor.
”I knew it was gonna turn out like this~” Chifumi whined. She reluctantly dropped into a low stance.
With that settled, I watched from the sidelines. Chifumi and the girls engaged in a serious spar against our seniors. As expected, the gap of a single year was massive. Their physical skills and sorcery control were on an entirely different level. There was a wealth of experience to be learned here.
For everyone in the group, training with the Witches from Koki-san’s team was bound to be a great push. Risa and Yurina in particular had a rather poor track record when it came to fighting other sorcerers. Watching them sharpen their skills through battles with various types of sorcerers brought a sense of pride to my heart as their leader.
Another hour passed. Every single one of them was stretched out flat on the floor.
Standing side-by-side with Koki-san, we traded thoughts regarding everyone’s performance during the fights.
”Looking at them like this, your girls aren’t half bad, Minoru,” Koki-san observed. He looked over the exhausted lineup.
”Right?” I agreed proudly.
”Especially that girl with the katana. She has the potential to become an absolute monster down the line,” Koki-san pointed out. He nodded toward Yurina.
”I’ve got high expectations for her too,” I replied.
Perhaps because Koki-san heavily favored close-quarters combat himself, he held a very high opinion of Yurina. She had used her Severing Sorcery to hold her own against her senior in melee range. From my perspective, though he didn’t explicitly mention them, Risa and Asari hadn’t done poorly either. In fact, they were doing great.
”With this level of ability, you shouldn’t have any trouble exploring the ‘Commercial District’ (a dungeon area),” Koki-san decided. He crossed his arms.
”You think so?” I questioned.
”Yeah. Once everyone’s done resting, we’ll share the info we have on it,” Koki-san promised.
With that, Koki-san and one of his seniors left the dojo.
About ten minutes later, Koki-san and the senior returned. Held in the senior’s hand was a single notebook.
”This is the dungeon data put together by our group’s smartest member. Put it to good use,” the senior offered. He held out the bound volume.
Chifumi accepted the notebook and opened it up under the senior’s encouraging gaze. Inside, details regarding the labyrinth’s layout and the types of anomalies inside were perfectly organized. This was incredible—it was raw, practical strategy data.
”To think we’d get such a detailed breakdown… Thank you so much! We might end up consulting you if we run into anything confusing,” Chifumi chimed happily.
”If there’s anything written in there you don’t understand, just ask. I’ll answer to the best of my ability,” the senior promised gently.
”Yes, ma’am!” Chifumi cheered.
Chifumi cleverly secured a promise for follow-up support from our senior. She and Asari immediately began flipping through the pages together.
The smartest members of our group were Chifumi and Asari. I would leave the dungeon conquest planning entirely in their hands.
Still… even just catching a glimpse of it from behind them, I could tell the sheer volume of data packed into that notebook was amazing. If we had tried to get this much info through official channels, it would have taken a lot of time and money. I had to tip my hat to Koki-san’s incredible generosity for just handing it over without a second thought.
”To be honest, I didn’t intend to go this far initially,” Koki-san confessed. He scratched the back of his neck.
”Eh? Is that so?” I blinked in surprise.
”After watching our training match earlier, it’s clear that a guy like you who can match me in a fight would only need time to gather this level of data on your own. If that’s the case, it’s better to save you the wasted effort,” Koki-san explained with a wry grin.
Koki-san’s view of me was incredibly high. While it made me happy, it also brought a fair amount of pressure.
”Of course, I’m not handing this over completely free of charge. There’s a favor I’d like to ask,” Koki-san added. His expression turned serious.
”A favor, sir…?” I inquired carefully.
What could it be? Telling me to take good care of Mitsuki, maybe?
”First off… come over to train with us on a regular basis. It’s not just me; these guys mentioned they had a blast training with the girls from your group too,” Koki-san requested.
”Naturally. We were actually going to beg you for the opportunity ourselves,” I answered immediately.
Nodding in satisfaction, Koki-san continued.
”The second thing involves a certain loose end from our own dungeon training,” Koki-san stated grimly.
”A loose end?” I echoed.
”We once picked up a bizarre presence while inside the ‘Commercial District’. There was almost certainly a Unique Variant (a rare, special monster) nearby… and yet, it left behind no physical trace. We were never attacked or harmed by it,” Koki-san revealed, lowering his voice.
”That’s strange,” I murmured, frowning.
”Yeah. In the end, we were never able to solve the mystery of that presence. Info regarding a Unique Variant in the Commercial District hasn’t been made public… or rather, official records claim that no such thing exists there. If you happen to find anything regarding that matter during your runs, let me know,” Koki-san requested earnestly.
”Understood. I’ll keep an eye out,” I promised.
”I’m counting on you,” Koki-san finished, offering a parting nod.
Following that exchange, Koki-san and the rest of his group took their leave. The only ones left behind were the powerful women of my own squad.
”Wow, we managed to get our hands on some incredibly valuable info without any fuss,” Risa remarked, letting out a soft sigh.
”Is it really okay for us to receive something this big so easily…?” Yurina chimed in anxiously. They both looked completely taken aback as they addressed me.
During our classroom lectures preparing us for dungeon training, the teachers had emphasized that we were supposed to get dungeon data ourselves through repeated field exercises. On the surface, that was indeed the standard rule, but a back alley existed for everything.
The simplest workaround was the power of money. While info available for free was strictly limited to the bare minimum, dungeon data was bought and sold constantly. It happened through both official and unofficial channels. As long as you were willing to spend the cash, decent data could be bought. For old sorcerer families, they often had a massive amount of inherited data already stored away at home anyway.
Personally, I couldn’t help but feel the government should just make all dungeon data entirely public. But due to the different goals of various groups, things hadn’t turned out that way. Data regarding dungeons designated for student exercises was in particularly high demand. It sold for insanely high prices. Koki-san was being remarkably generous by giving us this info for nothing. I was getting to a point where I’d never be able to lift my head up high around the Onigahara family.
”It’s the result of personal connections. There’s no need to stress over it so much~” Chifumi cooed smoothly, waving her hand.
”Yeah, exactly. Big Bro just happened to be in a great mood today. We should just thank the heavens and accept the blessing gracefully,” Mitsuki agreed eagerly, nodding along.
Chifumi and Mitsuki were firmly on the side of enjoying the reality of the situation.
Well, I suppose it wasn’t all that different from getting old university exam papers from a friendly upperclassman. Let’s just consider it the fruit of our built relationships and put it to good use.
”Alright everyone, once you’re able to move, we’re heading back to the Tatemiya residence,” I announced, rolling my shoulders.
”What’s the rush…? Why don’t you guys just hang out and rest in my room for a bit?” Mitsuki pouted, crossing her arms.
”Snooping around the main house as a massive group makes me a bit self-conscious. Besides, under this very same roof, Koki-san is probably turning up the heat with our seniors right about now,” I pointed out with a knowing smirk.
”Ah… Yeah, Big Bro and the others probably are,” Mitsuki mumbled, her cheeks flushing pink as she backed down.
Mitsuki seemed to find that reasoning perfectly convincing.
”Fair enough. Let me go grab my things, just wait here a bit,” Mitsuki added, pivoting on her heel.
With that, Mitsuki headed off to fetch her overnight bag.
Leaving Chifumi and Asari behind as they eagerly poured over the dungeon documents, Risa and Yurina squeezed in from both sides. Their voices dropped to a sultry whisper right against my ears.
”Speaking of which, Minoru… what exactly do you plan on doing with us once we get back?” Risa purred provocatively, leaning close.
”Well, it’s obviously going to be that, right?” I countered playfully.
”Minoru-sama, I will make sure to serve you with everything I have,” Yurina murmured submissively, casting her eyes downward.
Despite how hard my body had worked just yesterday, my energetic son was already rearing his head again.
The moment Mitsuki returned, we made a swift exit back to our residence. There, we proceeded to spend an absolutely wonderful time together.
—
Summary:
Minoru revisits the Onigahara Dojo alone on Saturday and engages in a high-stakes, unbridled sparring match against Koki. After their intense duel leaves Minoru bruised and undergoing healing therapy from Mitsuki, the rest of Minoru’s squad arrives to be rigorously trained by Koki’s experienced witches. Impressed by their performance, Koki hands over premium, highly detailed tactical data on the Commercial District dungeon while leaving behind an unresolved prompt regarding a mysterious, unrecorded Unique Variant presence.
—
Trivia:
Minoru’s strategic core is entirely dependent on his physical body surviving while commands are funneled to shadow anomalies.
The Three-Limit breakthrough normally requires advanced recovery-class inherent sorcery to brute-force past clashing mana rejection.
In this reversed-beauty world setting, standard hourglass physical traits are treated as completely unstimulating by regular societal metrics.
Dungeon strategy guides are tightly gatekept and monetized within old sorcerer family lines or sold under high black-market valuations.
Official records explicitly state that no Unique Variant exists within the designated Commercial District practice environment.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Onigahara – The Onigahara family (formerly Koki), bearing the names Mitsuki and Koki, is an influential sorcerer lineage running a massive, traditional martial arts dojo famed for Oni-fication sorcery. Exuding disciplined austerity, these stern mentors possess distinct combat records and maintain close, hierarchical bonds with their students and apprentices, preserving a rigorous legacy of strength.
• Mitsuki – A tall, dark-skinned transfer student with a muscular, explosive hourglass figure, she is Minoru’s competitive childhood friend, rival, and clingy Witch/Majo. Relaxed yet childishly demanding of his attention, this confident vanguard leader proactively guides their group, allied with Manaka and Koki. Unaffiliated with factions, the Three-Limit top assassin candidate leads Onigahara Dojo, using rare healing sorcery and a heavy Kanabo club with destructive, deceptive black Oni-fication.
• 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.
• T – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• S – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• B – A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S’s group.
• Minoru – The pragmatic, black-haired protagonist is a reincarnated, risk-averse sorcerer leading a dungeon exploration party in a reversed-beauty world. Clad in uniform, he uses Tatemiya magic, an iron whip, and stamina-boosting/space-modifying sorcery to control shadow anomalies and specters. He holds absolute mana-based mastery over his female squad—managing route coordination, drop analysis, and limit-break training. He maintains complex bonds with his possessive childhood friend, romantic partner Risa, recruit target Mitsuki, and hidden sister Mai while abstaining for an upcoming duel.
• Koki – Nearly two meters tall, muscular, and handsome, this Onigahara-style second-year sorcerer is Minoru and Mitsuki’s brother, whom he deeply dotes on. Tied to the Sumo club, he values physical training and close-quarters combat. As a powerful mentor, analyst, and “Gold Oni” user, he gave Minoru a notebook on dungeon gimmicks and remains a cautious evaluator focused on threats and clan conditioning.
• 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.
• 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.
• A – A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R’s high school squad.
• Shisei – An acquaintance involved in high-profile activities.
• Chifumi – A scrawny, long-haired first-year Lead Majo and intellectual strategist, this frost-water sorceress strikes dramatic idol poses and speaks with a playful, bubbly cadence that masks a sharp, calculated demeanor. Minoru’s childhood friend, protector, and top-ranked harem member, she acts as a grounded, eldest-sister figure who coordinates the team, handles training, and scouts for Koki’s group. Despite a limited mana pool, she wields a water staff to unleash highly destructive, anti-group area-of-effect magic.
• Hinoki – A three-meter, Oni-fied centipede Phantom born from the sea and subdued by Minoru. Speaking in a regional dialect, this aberration serves as Minoru’s mount, tactical advisor, and defensive shield, perfectly coordinating with him for joint strikes. Known to the protagonist for sorcery, venom, and dungeon manipulation, they split into smaller forms, use chains, and act as a reliable squad ally.
• Yurina – Black-haired, refined Plain-folk student and Kibe-born vanguard swordswoman in Minoru’s squad, serving as his devoted, intimate partner. This polite, stoic, and emotionally stable childhood friend/protector to Risa and Chifumi wields a katana with swift precision and Severing Sorcery. After securing a drop item, she is devoured by the Phantom and becomes a logical, duplicate facility guide.
• 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.
• Risa – A tall, sharp-witted female Plain-folk student and daughter of the Naruse merchant guild’s head. Minoru’s dutiful childhood friend, servant, and group member who defers to Chifumi, she is also a childhood friend of Yurina. Lacking innate sorcery, this disciplined Onibara practitioner trains hard with upperclassmen to gain experience, sniping monster vitals with a rifle, magic pistols, or machine gun without hesitation. Notably well-endowed, she rivals Mitsuki in size and resents her mother.
• 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 – Tall, long-haired, and curvy (170cm+, E-cup), this Kasakura first-year is a barrier sorcerer and Onigahara Dojo trainee in Minoru’s squad. Sweeter-toned and the smallest of his group, she vanguards defensively, maps layouts, and analyzes dungeon data with Chifumi. Close to Mari and Nagase, she craves intimacy with Minoru via special training, respects seniors, and was tragically devoured by a Phantom.
• Tatemiya – The prestigious Tatemiya family plays a central role in the group’s social dynamics. Their name references the household where the protagonist Minoru, Kotoha, and his witches return to live, bond, and interact.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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