Volume 9 Chapter 8 Onigashima Trip
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Today marked the start of our three-day, two-night trip to Onigashima.
The microbus that came to pick up Chifumi and me—we’d gathered in front of the Tatemiya estate—already had Manaka’s companions from Shisei High School onboard. Behind the wheel sat Oku-sora Shizuku in civilian clothes. Unlike Onigahara-san’s aunt, watching a young woman move a big vehicle like it was an extension of her own body… yeah, that hit different.
I claimed the very back row. Chifumi settled beside Manaka. Everyone else scattered into seats throughout the bus.
The bus pulled out, picking up participants in order: Naruse, Onigahara, Kasakura. Then it headed for the Onigashima ferry terminal.
Normally, I’d be buzzing with excitement, imagining all the fun stuff waiting at our destination. But my mood hadn’t switched to leisure mode yet.
The reason? The dungeon access denial issue that came up recently.
”Haaah…”
A sigh escaped me before I could stop it.
I knew everyone was worried about me.
”Sighs don’t suit you, Minoru. You’re the leader now. Just sit back and take it easy. We’re following your lead, after all.”
Mitsuki, seated in the row ahead, turned around and held out a bag of snacks.
”Thanks.”
”Minoru-san, we still have time. There must be something we can do.”
”Yeah.”
I cracked open the fried potato bag and crunched away while chatting with the two of them. Megumi and Miku joined in.
”We’ll help look for a solution too!”
”That’s right! It’s too early to give up, wan!”
Just as we got that far, the folks sitting near the front of the bus chimed in.
”Heyyy~? It’s not fair whispering back there~”
”This concerns all of us. Please speak so everyone can hear.”
The moment Manaka finished speaking, the road noise faded away.
Air-shaping sorcery could serve as both soundproofing and a makeshift microphone. Pretty handy. With everyone’s voice now carrying through the bus, the talk continued. I started by laying out my feelings.
”In the end, neither White Peak nor Tamamo Castle let us in either.”
”Tough situation, huh~”
After Yurai returned to the Imperial Capital, we’d tried a few more dungeons. Total disaster. Like Chifumi said, things weren’t looking good.
”Losing both White Peak and Tamamo Castle hurts. Especially since I was planning to talk with the school to make that castle the third-year evaluation dungeon if we could get in. That plan’s shot.”
”So the only one we can access now is the Commercial District…”
The Commercial District stayed open as always. We’d confirmed it yesterday with Manaka’s companions.
”Second and third terms should be manageable. After that… might get rough~”
”Past third year, we could switch to the Tower Dungeon group. Or we could transfer schools if we’re set on dungeon clearing. Naturally, we’d come along.”
Chifumi’s negative comment caused Manaka to state her plans clearly.
”Wouldn’t it hurt Kuga’s standing if we don’t clear White Peak and Kinpira Palace?”
”We’ll just clear a higher-difficulty dungeon and shut them up. Unless you’re aiming to become Head of the House, they’re just noise—no real harm. Actually, I won’t let them complain at all.”
Manaka’s bold words earned a gentle follow-up from Sawa.
”I’d like to stick with graduating from the Thirteenth District. …Not that I’m against transferring.”
”I understand. We still have over half a year. We’ll find a way somehow.”
”Ancient Land Deity, huh… No idea how to even start~”
At this rate, we weren’t getting anywhere. And letting silence drag on at the start of what should be a fun trip wasn’t good. I decided to forget it for now and focus completely on enjoying ourselves.
”Well, maybe something’ll come to us while we’re playing in the ocean… I’m looking forward to those swimsuits.”
”Leave it to me~”
”You’d better be!”
”I’ll do my best!”
”I brought a new one too!”
Chifumi, Risa, Yurina, and Asari answered my clearly motivated request with confidence. I’d heard everyone got new swimsuits just for today. Promising.
”I brought my usual and a new one… hmm, what should I dooo?”
Mitsuki hesitated, watching Asari who was getting herself excited in the seat beside her. Well, Mitsuki’s always been a tiger-stripe T-shirt and hot pants kind of girl. Back when she had a belly it was different, but last year, that toned midsection look was pretty great. If I thought of it as steady trust, the usual Mitsuki wasn’t bad either.
”Speaking of, where are Koki and the others now?”
”Home. The sumo club’s national tournament’s coming up, so they’re training for that.”
”Seriously? They never take a break… Are you okay with that?”
”I did super-intense training yesterday and the day before so I could make this trip. This is my rest period.”
Mitsuki answered while cracking open another bag of snacks.
If her binge-eating was for recovery, I’d let it slide. Asari, you don’t have to keep Mitsuki company on this, you know. Not too many snacks.
The bus arrived at the harbor.
Like last year, we boarded the car ferry to Onigashima, bus and all.
Once onboard, I went up to the deck to look at the islands scattered across the sea when Shizuku came up. Perfect timing—I wanted to thank her for coming along this time.
”Shizuku-san, thank you for coming with us.”
”Not at all. It was Manaka-sama’s request. I’ll be enjoying myself personally too, so please don’t worry about me.”
Shizuku’s gentle smile. The relaxed air and gestures of someone older and more mature—something my childhood friends still lacked.
”I overheard your talk on the bus earlier. It sounds like quite the problem.”
”Yeah, it’s not something I can fix through effort alone… I just have to let things play out.”
”…Something just came to mind.”
Shizuku met my eyes as she began speaking.
The roar of the waves and the wind faded away. She must have used her natural sorcery. Seems Shizuku could do something similar to Manaka.
”The Thirteenth District has several dungeons said to have deep ties to the Ancient Land Deity. In fact, some old records mention dungeons where contact with the Ancient Land Deity was actually made.”
”There are records?”
”Yes. I came across them while organizing the Kuga family papers. Though, they’re quite old, so I can’t vouch for their truthfulness.”
”Still, any lead is helpful.”
If we could access one of those dungeons, we might be able to use direct talk with the Ancient Land Deity as an option.
”Where, exactly?”
”Kamikakei.”
”Kamikakei…”
I’d heard that name before.
That was the dungeon the Futami family had been exploring for generations.
”A B-Class dungeon on Dadamajima. It’s on a faraway island, and compared to other dungeons, there’s not much to gain from it, so few sorcerers explore it these days. The Kuga family has some old records, but only a handful of recent ones. However…”
”You’re saying the twins might know something.”
Shizuku nodded. She knew about the Futami family’s situation too.
”Maybe you should check with Yui-san and Yuu-san.”
”Thank you.”
”Don’t mention it. I do this for Manaka-sama’s sake.”
The sound of waves returned.
As the space control lifted, Manaka came up.
”Minoru, Shizuku-san, are you done?”
”Yeah.”
”Yes, milady.”
”Then both of you come with me. Everyone’s waiting—let’s take some pictures over there.”
Manaka pointed to where the rest of the group was sorting out seats on a bench. Apparently, they wanted to take memory photos at the deck’s photo spot.
”Excellent. I’ll take them.”
Shizuku pulled a professional-looking camera out of her bag—it looked like serious equipment.
Manaka led me over to join everyone, and we had Shizuku take our photos. The group all agreed Shizuku should be in the pictures too, so we asked a nearby passenger—a young woman—to take them. We used a disposable camera for that. Apparently, Shizuku’s camera wasn’t something amateurs could handle.
After the photos, we watched the sea with Chifumi and the others until the ship docked at Onigashima Harbor.
Shizuku had apparently learned the island’s geography beforehand, so she drove the bus without any trouble, and we arrived at the Onigahara family villa.
Mitsuki opened the gate, unlocked the villa, and we stepped inside.
Last year, the villa had been musty and dusty. This year, the air held a lived-in feel. A faint smell of seasonings—someone had clearly been cooking here just days ago.
We split up to unload luggage from the bus and carry it to our rooms.
There were five guest rooms. The room assignments for this trip were:
Manaka, Chifumi, Sawa
Risa, Yurina
Yui, Yuu
Megumi, Miku
Me
Mitsuki, Asari, and Shizuku would be staying in the Onigahara family’s private rooms.
It was almost lunchtime. We pulled out the boxed lunches we’d bought at a shop near the harbor, gathered in the dining hall to eat, and then headed straight for the beach. This was a three-day, two-night trip—no time to waste.
I quickly changed into my swimsuit and was pulling beach parasols and other gear from the warehouse when Mitsuki came over to help. Same look as last year. Maybe the tiger-stripe T-shirt was part of her identity as a “oni.”
By the time we’d laid out all the equipment, everyone had come together.
The scene before me: two organized groups and one… very dangerous person.
Group One:
Chifumi, Risa, Yurina, and Asari.
All four wore matching bikinis. Black base, frilled edges, ribbon chokers around their necks, and headbands on top.
In a word? EROTIC MAID BIKINIS! They were an erotic maid bikini squad!
Each had a tiny apron tied around their waist with their names written in hiragana.
”How is it?”
”…(!)”
I answered Chifumi’s question with a thumbs-up.
The fabric area changed to each girl’s body. Chifumi attacked with sheer bust-power—her large chest making a statement. Asari’s smaller chest made up for it with the gap between her serious personality and the situation—a real smart move. Risa’s gal energy, Yurina’s innocent grace—all great, impossible to rank.
I gave each of them honest, personal compliments. Relieved expressions spread across their faces. They’d apparently worried whether their choices would actually hit the mark for me. No need for concern. My witches looked cute in anything.
Group Two:
Yui, Yuu, Megumi, and Miku.
These four also matched with the same swimsuit idea.
Bikinis with less fabric than usual—actually, I think they had even less coverage than the erotic maid bikinis. That alone would’ve been within expectations. What went beyond them was the see-through sailor-style school uniforms worn over the bikinis. I had no idea what the material was, but they were truly see-through.
The four had different bikini colors, showing their personalities.
Compared to the other group, these four had less noticeable curves, so in terms of raw effect, they lost to the dynamite crew before them. But body differences weren’t everything—these outfits stirred something emotional. Specifically, it felt like I was wearing glasses that could see through clothing, peeking at their underwear through their jackets—exciting and slightly guilt-inducing. And since the bikinis themselves were shaped like sexy lingerie, the overall effect was actually more erotic than a straight sexy swimsuit.
The bikinis underneath showed each girl’s personality. I thought all four had chosen swimsuits based on their own underwear likes. At least Megumi and Miku had.
”…So?”
”Say something already!”
I patted the twins’ shoulders—they looked a bit worried—and praised them.
”Amazing. Especially you, Yui. Your sense of style is getting better by leaps and bounds.”
”I’m happy but… kinda annoyed…”
”Yes! A win!”
Yuu whispered something to a confused-looking Yui, then they struck a matching Jirai-kei pose.
Beside them, Megumi gave a modest salute while Miku beamed and struck a sailor-like pose. Both sweet.
Next to Miku stood Sawa in full fishing gear—long sleeves, long pants, boots. Her fishing rod was already set up. Guess Sawa wasn’t swimming this year either.
”What?”
”Nothing… Nice rod.”
”You can tell? Cost me a pretty penny. Real quality piece.”
Leaving Sawa to show off her gear to Megumi and the others, I turned my attention to the last person standing—Manaka.
(Shizuku was present too, but since she was staying back, she hadn’t changed. Not part of the check.)
One word for Manaka: dangerous, in every sense of the word.
I considered how to comment as I took in her look from head to toe. She spoke as I silently watched her.
”Minoru, what do you think?”
”…Good. Very good.”
”Thank you.”
In the end, I gave a safe, public answer. At the moment, Manaka wore a straw hat, a one-piece swimsuit, a pareo, and sandals. Her refined smile was that of a proper young lady.
But it was all a trick.
According to my Discernment ability, Manaka’s swimsuit was a fake created by air-shaping sorcery. She was moving space to bend light reflections and make something appear that wasn’t there. What I actually saw: Manaka wearing n**ple covers and a front cloth, layered with a mesh swimsuit with laughably huge netting, plus the pareo and hat (the extras were real, for some reason), striking her pose with total confidence.
The key detail: the mesh holes were absurdly large. Fishnet stockings couldn’t compare—each hole was about two inches square, just a collection of strings. The shape of the front cloth was clearly visible. By filling in the mesh with air-shaping sorcery, she’d hidden it as an ordinary one-piece swimsuit.
Manaka’s secret hobby as a perfect young lady: showing off.
As far as I knew, from sixth grade through middle school—four years—Manaka had spent her Onigashima beach time in her… unique style. Actually, it was possible she’d started even earlier, and my Discernment ability had simply woken up during the summer of sixth grade. None of my childhood friends ever scolded Manaka or even mentioned her behavior. I figured I was the only one who’d ever noticed.
I’d avoided pointing it out to prevent awkwardness, and Manaka still believed she’d gotten away with it. Her confidence in her cover-up had only grown, and whenever surrounded by insiders, she’d let herself do her bad habit.
…Imagining her reaction when I finally tell her this at the end of the school year—just thinking about it got me hot under the collar.
”…Minoru.”
”Ah! Minoruu~?”
Manaka and Chifumi had both spotted the change in my crotch. Oh no. Gotta cool down.
I chanted a mental prayer to calm my thoughts.
Before I could embarrass myself further, I took the lead and started moving.
”Wait~! Minoru! What was THAT just now?!”
I could feel Chifumi—half-angry, half-flustered—chasing after me with a demonic expression as I grabbed a bench and parasol and made my escape.
—
Summary:
The group begins their Onigashima trip with the dungeon problem weighing on them, but decides to enjoy the beach anyway. Shizuku shows that Kamikakei dungeon on Dadamajima may hold clues about the Ancient Land Deity. The chapter ends with the swimsuit check and Minoru running from an angry Chifumi after being caught staring.
—
Trivia:
Manaka has been secretly using air-shaping sorcery to hide her show-off swimsuit since at least sixth grade.
Minoru’s Discernment ability lets him see through tricks, making him the only one aware of Manaka’s secret.
The Futami family has been exploring Kamikakei dungeon for generations, and Yui and Yuu might have useful information.
The Commercial District is currently the only open dungeon after White Peak and Tamamo Castle were blocked.
Koki and the sumo club are training for nationals and couldn’t join the trip.
Shizuku serves the Kuga family and has access to their papers, where she found records about Ancient Land Deity contact.
The twins (Yui and Yuu) are growing their fashion sense, with Yui showing clear improvement.
Manaka’s upper-class speaking patterns contrast sharply with her secret hobby, creating a running joke.
Mitsuki keeps her tiger-stripe T-shirt and hot pants look year after year as part of her identity.
The Onigahara family villa shows signs of recent use, meaning regular upkeep.
Notes:
• T – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• Onigahara-san – Onigahara-san is a stern, disciplined mentor from the influential Onigahara sorcerer family and an aunt to a party member. Dedicated to preserving her lineage’s legacy, she manages logistics and drives the family microbus for the group’s dungeon training. After arriving to pick someone up, she remains involved upon learning of the situation, maintaining hierarchical bonds with dojo students.
• Onigahara – Onigahara-san is a stern, disciplined mentor from an influential sorcerer family and Mitsuki’s aunt. Dedicated to her lineage’s legacy, she manages logistics and drives the family microbus for dungeon training. She maintains hierarchical bonds with dojo students and remains involved in the group’s situation after a pickup, potentially having received word from Manaka’s father.
• Tatemiya – Tatemiya is the family name of Minoru, a pragmatic protagonist in a world with reversed beauty standards. He leads a strong-female harem with analytical detachment, treating interactions as transactions. Strained by Manaka abandoning Minoru, the family has tense ties with the Kugas. Associated with a symbolic residential gate, the name connects to Manaka’s father’s social circle.
• Chifumi – Eldest daughter of the Takino residence, this 160cm, J-cup kimono-clad sorcerer is Minoru’s childhood friend, Lead Majo, and trusted partner. Sporting a long brown side-tail, her bright, casual personality bridges his group with Manaka’s companions. Wielding a staff with flowing ice/water magic, she manages household admin and rearguard combat while secretly protecting him from the truth.
• Shizuku – Job: Kuga family servant/attendant; Relationship: Branch family member; chauffeur; Note: Childhood acquaintance of narrator.
• Manaka – Manaka Kuga is an elegant, sharp-featured Shisei High student, authoritative circle leader, and strategist for the top-tier Kuga family’s Founding Strong-Females. Minoru’s refined yet direct childhood friend, she uses a short staff for spatial/air-shaping sorcery. Known for her aristocratic bearing and “-chan” honorific, she manages security, led a year-long deception, and orchestrated an exchange battle request.
• Shisei – An acquaintance involved in high-profile activities.
• B – A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S’s group.
• M – A first-year student at District 13 High School and the childhood friend of Anonymous Student 0006, described as an atavistic strong-female who looks plain but possesses significant power.
• S – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• Kasakura – The family name of Asari and her father.
• Naruse – Naruse is the paternal surname of sisters Anri, Risa, and Momono, separate from their mother’s magical Shoji line. Led by their influential hotel/dungeon manager mother, this wealthy old-money sorcerer family and merchant guild provides institutional support to local establishments. They reside in an understated, modest private estate featuring an integrated dungeon and a small dojo.
• 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.
• Minoru – The protagonist and narrator is a black-haired Demon reincarnated from Japan, standing 183cm with sharp eyes. Pragmatic yet internally hurt, this eldest Tatemiya son wrongly believed his childhood friends abandoned him. Serving as ‘master’ to a mixed female group, he uses inherent spatial manipulation sorcery to command a handgun and subjugated monsters like Pape in mid-guard combat.
• Mitsuki – Eldest daughter of the Onigahara estate, this 188 cm science-track classmate has short brown hair, a lean athletic build, an I-cup, and a mischievous grin. A determined vanguard and healer in Minoru’s group, she uses a golden mace and Oni-Transformation Sorcery. She bickers friendlily with Minoru, coordinates with Manaka’s companions, and uses recovery magic for service play and training.
• Megumi – A 162cm former District 13 student at Shisei High, she is a flexible-body Sorcery user wielding a naginata. Belonging to Manaka’s, Minoru’s, and Tatemiya’s groups, this plump woman has thick thighs, a generous belly, and a C-cup. Submissive, eager to please, and speaking with a pleading manner, she maintains a highly proactive and desperate physical intimacy with Minoru.
• Miku – Former District 13 student in Minoru’s and Manaka’s groups at Shisei High. Standing at 147cm with an A-cup, she has a chubby, long-legged build and a supermodel face, dressing to hide her figure. As one of Tatemiya’s “strong-females” and a courier with Megumi, she uses Heaven-kick Sorcery and leg armor. She is energetic, highly reactive, and prone to angry, Chihuahua-like displays.
• Yurai – Member of the Bujin Head House. Wields Thunderclap Sorcery. Lean build. Wears sunglasses casually. Playful and confident demeanor. Shows maturity and restraint during sparring. Has a history with Kanade. Accepts affection from Kanade naturally.
• Kuga – Worn on Manaka and Marin’s garments to symbolize kinship, the Kuga family name carries heavy social weight and authority. This distant lineage, marking the farthest point from the narrator’s home, has a strained relationship with the Tatemiya family due to Minoru being abandoned by Manaka. A family member working as hotel staff also reports Anri’s visit to the sealed dungeon.
• Sawa – Voluptuous, broad-framed yet recently slimmed-down, this confident, bespectacled Nieda student and game otaku is an IT-savvy Shisei member and core strategist in Manaka and Mitsuki’s circles. An upper-middle tier green-manipulation sorcerer who uses a hoe, sickle, and scissors, she controls security. She is a competitive Onibara disciple who bluntly complains to her childhood friend Minoru.
• Yurina – A stoic, analytical 165cm Plain-folk vanguard with a black ponytail and G-cup. A humanities student and eldest daughter of seven, she uses a katana and Severing Sorcery in Minoru’s party. She protects Chifumi, fights alongside Mitsuki, and addresses Minoru-sama with polite deference. Efficient and loyal, she trusts his judgment despite feeling unsettled by his escalating violence.
• Asari – A tall (175cm), braided black-haired Kasakura honor student with an E-cup, this analytical, quiet, and pragmatic science-track strategist serves as Minoru’s devoted partner and Risa’s future host. Close to Mari and Nagase, she uses a hand-armor gauntlet and Silicic Armor to manifest crystal barriers, switching between Vanguard and Mid-guard. Polite yet lecturing, she is currently recovering from mana exhaustion.
• Risa – A curious humanities student (167cm, light brown semi-long hair, H-cup, black eyes) and the youngest Naruse sister. Playfully assertive and protective of Minoru’s group, this mid-guard sorcerer has no inherent magic but wields magic pistols and Hinoki’s power. When Asunaro takes control, her eyes turn red, enabling fire and lightning sorcery. She is also known to bake cookies for Tatemiya.
• Yuri – A cheerful, energetic, and curvy Higashi High first-year student dating Shibuya. While calculating, she is fiercely loyal, even winning a third-place Best Couple Award with him. She was an acquaintance of Kibe Yurina in middle school. Known for being aggressive toward Hayato and displaying overt favoritism, she is defined by her intense relationships, vibrant spirit, and distinct presence.
• 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.
• Koki – Nearly two meters tall, muscular, and handsome, this second-year sorcerer is the eldest son of the Onigahara estate and Golden Oni-Transformation user. President of the Sumo and Shooting clubs and a cautious analyst, he provides vital dungeon data. He dotes on siblings Minoru and Mitsuki, obtained a subset in last year’s Exchange Battle, and is an acquaintance of the protagonist.
• Futami – The family name of twins Yui and Yuu, and their younger sister Mai. It carries a lower social standing, which factored into the group’s concerns about Yuu’s ability to lead at Shisei High School.
• Yui – Yuu’s older twin sister, this blunt Shisei student from an upper-middle sorcerer line has short hair with a white lock and a downer Jirai-kei, pink/black gothic-lolita look. Minoru’s childhood friend and a protective, mocking member of Manaka’s circle, she defends Yuu and shares guilt in their deception. Composed but critical, she wields a knife and venom-sorcery before being eaten by the Phantom.
• Yuu – Minoru’s childhood friend and Yui’s twin, this Futami twin is a Mid-guard in Manaka’s group. Dressed in a striped swimsuit or Jirai-kei/gothic-lolita fashion, she underwent a character shift from soft and timid to bubbly with sharp commentary. A needle-using Shape-Proxy Sorcery user who teases Minoru, she motivated the Founding Strong-Females’ plan before being eaten by the Phantom.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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