Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest Volume 5.
EXTRA CHAPTER: SUNNY WITH A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS.
Four days after Hajime and the others had conquered the Sunken Ruins of Melusine and returned to Erisen, the party was still resting in Remia and Myu’s house.
Remia’s house was pretty big by Erisen’s standards, but it was still just a house. True, there were enough rooms for everyone, but the bathroom, laundry room, and other locations weren’t huge or anything. The bathroom only had a single shower, which was enchanted to take in seawater from the ocean and convert it to freshwater. There was only enough space for two people to bathe at once.
Today, Tio and Shea were taking a shower together. Yue and Kaori had already finished theirs. Though they were always at each other’s throats, they always tended to group up for things like that. Tio found their relationship rather interesting.
“Hm? What’s this?” Shea stopped undressing and turned to where Tio was looking, her rabbit ears tilting forward inquisitively.
Tio stooped down between the clothes basket and picked up what seemed to be a notebook.
“What’s that?”
“I’m not sure. I found it in the corner there… Perhaps it belongs to Remia?” Tio looked the notebook over. It was bound in high-quality leather. Such bindings were commonplace in human cities, but Tio didn’t think dagons would have something like it around.
“Was it a gift from someone? Remia-san’s really pretty, so maybe an admirer gave it to her.”
“Hmm… That does seem plausible. I suppose we should return— Ah!?” Tio nodded and idly opened the notebook. When she saw what was written in its pages though, she froze.
“Tio-san? What’s the matt— Aaaaaaaaaaaah!?” Shea came over and took a peek at the contents over Tio’s shoulder. She was also shocked.
This was what was written in the notebook they’d thought belonged to Remia:
Yue’s Diary.
They stared at those two words in silence. Yue had never mentioned to anyone that she was keeping a diary, and no one had ever seen her writing.
After all, Yue didn’t speak much. That wasn’t to say she didn’t join in conversations, or play pranks, but she definitely spoke less than the others. If they read her diary, they would finally have a window into her enigmatic mind.
Tio and Shea gulped nervously. Then, they exchanged glances.
“I know a person’s diary is not something others should rifle through simply to satisfy their own curiosity…”
“Yeah, you’re right. It’s the most tactless thing you could do.”
The two of them nodded. They both agreed it was rude to read Yue’s diary.
“But let’s read it anyway!” “However, this time my curiosity is too great!” Still, they also had no tact.
Shea, who was buck naked, and Tio, who was half-undressed, squatted over the diary and flipped through the pages.
“Hmm… It seems Yue found this notebook at the end of the Great Orcus Labyrinth.”
“Yeah. It looks like she wanted to start her own diary after reading Oscar-san’s record of his adventures. This way she’d have a written record of all her travels with Hajime-san.”
“However, it appears she’s too embarrassed to tell Master. If even he is unaware of this, it stands to reason that we wouldn’t know.”
The two discussed Yue’s reason for starting a diary. The next few pages were filled with accounts of the special training she’d done with Hajime, her night life with Hajime, her conversations with Hajime, the food she ate with Hajime, watching Hajime transmute things, surprising Hajime with sex, making Hajime’s clothes, Hajime’s sleeping habits, spending time with Hajime in the bath, Hajime’s fetishes, Hajime’s weak points, Hajime’s…
“She’s way too clingy!” Over 90% of it was about Hajime. It basically detailed their month-long honeymoon. In just a few pages, Shea and Tio were throwing up. Naturally, they threw up sugar and rainbows, not vomit.
“Ugh, I feel like this is just rubbing their relationship in my face. Is all the stuff after they leave like this too? Just accounts of how much she flirted with Hajime-san?”
“W-Well, it might be… Wait, Shea, look, they’re finally about to leave Orcus’ house. Start from the part that says ‘Our adventure starts here.’”
“Oooh, that means Reisen Gorge is next! That’s where they met me! Ehehe, I wonder what Yue-san wrote about me?” Shea urged Tio to turn the page, a mixture of trepidation and excitement on her face.
“No need to be so impatient,” Tio said with a smile, and turned the page.
—O Month. X Day.
We found a worthless rabbit in the wild. I can’t imagine anything more worthless than her.
“Stop treating me like I’m some kind of animal! And quit calling me worthless!” Shea slapped the diary’s pages. Tio calmed her down and continued reading.
—O Month. X Day.
I’m in charge of training the worthless rabbit now. She’s totally in love with Hajime. I can understand why, since he looked really cool when he talked down the elders at Verbergen. Still, I don’t like the tricks she uses to get close to him. I’m gonna trap her in ice again today…
—O Month. X Day.
I haven’t been able to spend much time with Hajime these past few days. It’s all this worthless rabbit’s fault. I think I’ll trap her in ice. I am Yue, a woman who never goes easy on crafty rabbits, even if it is just training. Actually, this fog is pretty thick. Maybe I can kidnap Hajime without anyone noticing?
“Ugh, I definitely remember being frozen in ice every day… And can you stop calling me worthless and crafty all the time?”
“Shea, shouldn’t you be more worried about the last thing she wrote? She was planning on kidnapping our master.”
Tio shuddered as she read the account of Shea’s ten days of hellish training. She turned the page, and continued reading.
—O Month. X Day.
This worthless rabbit’s surprisingly tough. She always starts crying at the littlest thing, but she still hasn’t given up. The fire in her pale blue eyes still burns bright. I can’t help but admire her a little. That kind of pisses me off. Well, I guess I’ll just trap her in ice again. Also, I’m running out of Hajimenium. I’m starting to suffer from withdrawal symptoms. I’m going to ride him all night once this rabbit’s training is done. I am Yue, a woman who never lets her prey escape.
“Yue-san… I never knew that was what you thought about me… Ehehe!”
“Shea, you’re looking at the wrong thing again. Our poor master is about to be hunted down. What even is this Hajimenium!?”
Shea was blushing, but Tio grew even more worried as she read on. And so, she flipped another page.
—O Month. X Day. Hajime was delicious.
“She hunted him down! She really did it! When did she have time for that!? Poor Master… You were assaulted in the thick fog…”
Tio began to pity Hajime, and fear Yue. She turned the page again.
—O Month. X Day.
I lost to Shea. I actually lost. I lost to a worthless rabbit. How? What on earth is she? This doesn’t make any sense. She’s crazy. She threw entire trees at me, and she actually knocked down my magic with her hammer, and every time she jumped the earth shook and… This can’t be happening…
“Yue’s totally lost it! I’ve never seen her write like this, or talk like this! Is this really the same Yue!?”
“W-Was it really that much of a shock to lose to me, Yue-san?”
Tio looked shaken. Shea, too, was frozen in shock. She couldn’t believe that one glancing blow she’d basically landed by sheer luck had depressed Yue that badly. She wondered how much more of a shock it must have been when Shea had confessed.
Frankly, she was scared to keep reading. Still, Tio flipped the page.
—O Month. X Day.
We left the sea of trees and headed for the Reisen Gorge. In just half a month, we’ve already obtained a new comrade. It’s the bunny girl sleeping next to me right now. She’s sleeping so peacefully. Honestly, it’s like she doesn’t have a care in the world. She must have suffered a lot to make it this far. How is it she can still make such a happy face? Come to think of it, even when she’d begged us for help, she still looked just fine. She’s always like that. Even in the most desperate situations, she’s always full of energy, serious, and earnest. This girl is strong. Her spirit is unbreakable, even more than mine, really. I think that’s why I let her confess to Hajime, and let her come with us. She’s still inexperienced, but depending on how this labyrinth goes…
“…..” Tio silently turned the page. There were tears in Shea’s eyes. —O Month X Day.
I hate Miledi.
“What happened to the serious tone from earlier!?”
“I mean, she was really annoying!” —O Month. X Day.
Shea worked really hard. She’s definitely one of us now. I’m too embarrassed to say this to her face, so I’ll write it down here. She’s like the little sister I wish I always had. And my best friend, too. I’ll protect Shea’s future from here on out. I won’t let anyone take anything important from her.
“Yue…san…”
“What a discovery. Yue is as fond of you as she is of Master.” A waterfall of tears ran down both sides of Shea’s face. They dripped to the floor in a steady rivulet. She’d never realized Yue cared that much about her. Obviously she’d known Yue treasured her, but not to such an extent. She wanted to run out and give Yue a giant hug. Though she was still naked, so she couldn’t do that.
Tio gently patted Shea’s head. After Shea had calmed down, Tio turned the page once more.
—O Month. X Day.
We found a wild deadbeat dragon. I never knew dragons were this pathetic. She’s a hopeless pervert. I can’t believe I looked up to your species once.
“Bwah!?”
“Tio-san!? Get a hold of yourself! It’s not as bad as it sounds!”
Normally Tio enjoyed being insulted, but bringing down the prestige of her entire race just hurt, especially since this came right after Yue wrote all those nice things about Shea. Tio wanted to run out and prostrate herself before Yue to apologize for ruining her image of dragonmen.
—O Month. X Day.
The world knows about Hajime’s strength now. The people from the Holy Church didn’t look happy at all. Our journey’s going to get a lot rougher from here on. It’s possible the Holy Church will declare him a heretic. Oh, and we can’t forget that Hajime kissed his teacher. Teacher-student relationships sound… fascinating. I will become Yue- sensei, the teacher who hunts students after school.
“No, don’t!” “You can’t!” The entries had grown comedic again. —O Month. X Day.
This dragon’s even more perverted than I thought. She’s beyond saving. Of that, I’m certain. But still, I can tell she’s trying to get to know us. I like that part of her. And the more I talk to her, the more I realize that she’s actually really smart. Though it’s kind of creepy how she sometimes looks at us all like she’s our mom. I don’t think that’s part of her weird fetish. It seems like she’s remembering something really important to her when she looks at us. Like me, she lost her country and her comrades… I’ll need to ask her for that story sometime. What did she feel when she watched her country burn? How is she planning on living from here on out? I’m sure she’d tell me if I ask, but I’ll wait a little bit. I haven’t opened up to her enough to ask that kind of question. She’s been open with us this whole time, so I have to do the same before I go any further. Also, is it just me, or does she actually like being punished by Hajime? I-I am Yue! I may not be able to change pain into pleasure, but nothing anyone does to me can kill me! I can take it, Hajime!
“Please don’t! If he actually beat you until you nearly died, then he’d be a psycho!”
“……” Tio just stared at the pages silently. She scratched her cheek awkwardly, not sure of what to say. She was happy Yue thought so highly of her, but didn’t know how to express her thoughts in words.
“Tio-san, let’s keep reading.” Tio looked up to see Shea staring right at her. She’d read the pages too. But she didn’t say anything else, instead choosing to just gaze gently at Tio.
Now that I think about it, Shea is no different. She’d lost her homeland and most of her family as well, but Tio understood now that Yue had her own reasons for not asking more of either of them.
She was going to wait until she could share with them before delving deeper.
“You’re right, let’s keep going.” Tio had also begun to cry as well. —O Month. X Day.
I want a kid.
“Seriously!?”
“She even underlined it!”
She probably didn’t like that Myu never called her Mommy. They could see the marks the pen had left on the page. She’d pushed down on it really hard. Her frustration was evident from her handwriting.
—O Month. X Day.
Myu’s so cute. I want a kid. I want a kid. Specifically, Hajime’s kid. I really want one. Like, really want one. I love Hajime, and I want his kid. I want a kid, I want a kid, I want…
“Sh-She spent a whole five pages writing that…”
“Sh-She’s actually insane. Only a madman would write something like this! Yue-san, I never knew you were a yandere!”
Tio’s hands trembled. Cold sweat poured down Shea’s back, and her rabbit ears were pressed firmly against her head.
—O Month. X Day.
A wild Kaori appeared. I thought she was spineless, but she’s surprisingly determined. I like her spirit, so I guess I’ll crush her head on. Also, I still want Hajime’s kid. I am Yue. I won’t hold back against any love rival, no matter how weak.
“Are we all just wild animals to Yue-san?”
“I’m more worried about her obsession with having Master’s child. How badly does she want one? We’re in the middle of conquering all the labyrinths… Now’s not the time for her to be getting pregnant! I hope Yue understands that as well… but the more I read of this diary the more scared I get that I’ll read an entry that says ‘I got pregnant.’”
“I-I get what you mean. Yue-san does do it an awful lot with Hajime- san.”
“Resisting her is futile.”
Even the monster of the abyss had no chance of beating her. Yue the vampire princess was at her most dangerous when she was seducing someone. Nothing could stand against her when she was on the prowl.
Trembling in fear, Shea and Tio continued reading through the diary. “Shea. Tio.”
“Ah!?”
Suddenly, they heard a voice behind them, which made them stiffen in terror. They turned around, their heads creaking like a badly-oiled door.
“Y-Y-Y-Y-Yue-san!? How long have you been there!?”
“Th-This isn’t what it looks like, Yue! We didn’t mean for this to happen!”
Yue’s merciless gaze bore into the two of them.
“Did you read it?” They couldn’t answer her. All they could do was sit there, trembling in fear.
Yue silently held out her hand. It seemed she wanted her diary back. Tio held it out to her reverently, as if it were some holy artifact. Yue took it and put it in her pocket. Then, both Shea and Tio prostrated themselves at Yue’s feet.
“We’re so sorry!” They simultaneously exclaimed. She made them raise their heads and shrugged.
“It’s partly my fault for leaving it here. Don’t worry about it.” They hadn’t expected her to forgive them, so they felt even more guilty. They tried to apologize again, but Yue interrupted them.
“Anyway, did you two finish taking your shower?”
“Huh? O-Oh, not yet.”
“W-We… were about to go in when we spotted this…”
For some reason, Yue’s question scared them. They had an ominous premonition about what was to come. “I see…” Yue replied, and her golden hair began to flutter.
“I am Yue. I won’t hold back, even against my best friend or the woman I look up to.”
The two of them bolted. Shea tackled the bathroom wall, grabbing a bath towel to wrap around herself along the way. Tio hurriedly deployed a barrier behind her, then restored Remia’s wall with her newly acquired magic. The two were in perfect sync.
They knew they’d need to run until Yue’s wrath finally subsided. Unfortunately, before they could even go a few paces, dark clouds rolled in, and thunder dragons filled the sky.
Shea and Tio’s screams were loud enough that all Erisen could hear them.
Yue opened her notebook and pulled out a miniature pen from her pocket. —O Month. X Day.
Today’s weather, sunny with a chance of thunderstorms. All in all, a good day.
She snapped her notebook shut, nodded in satisfaction, and went out to retrieve the companions she’d burnt to a crisp.
Diamond. diamond. diamond.
BONUS SHORT STORIES.
—The Match-selling bunny girl.
“Does anyone need matches? Matches for saaale~”
One harsh winter evening, a bunny girl wandered the streets selling matches. Her weak voice rang out through the snow, and her bunny ears drooped in the cold.
“Someone please buy my matches~ Doesn’t anyone need matches?”
She’d already spent half the day walking the streets peddling her wares. She was so numb from the cold that she could barely walk. Her cries were practically a plea for help.
“Why won’t anyone lend this poor bunny girl their ear… I’m so, so cold.”
The bunny girl ducked into a nearby alley, hoping to get out of the wind and snow. But the dark, dingy alley provided no succor for her frozen heart.
“Sniffle at this rate I’ll freeze to death. I guess I should use one of my matches to warm me up.”
The bunny girl took out one of her matches. Just as she was about to light it, she noticed someone staring at her. A white-haired boy with an eye patch was looking at her from the main street. Thinking she might finally have found a customer, the bunny girl called out to him.
“Would you like to buy a match!?”
TALES FROM THE ARIFURETA: THE MATCH SELLERS
The boy looked at her as if he were staring at some strange creature and said,
“Aren’t you cold? You’re shivering.”
Of course I’m cold! I’m freezing to death here! So buy my freaking matches! The bunny girl once again tried to sell her wares to the boy.
“How about you put on some clothes?”
Indeed, despite the fact that it was the dead of winter, the bunny girl was dressed in a very skimpy outfit. That outfit was the main reason most of the villagers avoided her.
The scantily-clad bunny girl’s eyes opened wide in surprise. “How did I never realize!”
I can just wear more layers! Her ears shot up. —The match-selling perverted dragon
It was evening, in the dead of winter. A beautiful older woman shuffled down the street, carrying a basket full of matches.
“Ugh, I was unable to sell any matches today as well.”
She hung her head, and a few people spared her pitying glances.
“It’s far too cold out tonight. I suppose I have no choice but to light these matches to warm myself.”
The woman stepped into an alleyway and lit one of her matches. The fire’s gentle light warmed her frozen hands. However the fire lasted only a brief moment before going out. The woman groaned. It seemed she would have to do what she would rather not.
“Ascend in a swirling vortex of crimson fire—Blaze Tempest!”
A burning pillar of fire erupted in front of the woman. She hadn’t wanted to use magic, but it was too cold not to. Don’t ask why someone who could use fire magic was selling matches.
Finally warm, the woman let out a contended sigh.
“I found her! She’s over there! You do this every night, you crazy pyromaniac! I’m taking you in! Men, tie her up!”
“Wh-What!?”
A horde of angry policemen surrounded the match-selling pyromaniac. The woman tried to run, but one of the policemen, a young white-haired boy with an eye patch, grabbed her and started spanking her. Despite being punished, she looked oddly happy.
Remember kids, if you start fires in the middle of a city, you’re likely to get arrested. So don’t be an arsonist.
—The match-selling vampire princess
“Do you want to buy some matches? You do, right? You absolutely want these matches.”
It was a cold windy night, and there was a girl pushing matches onto anyone who passed by. She had golden-blonde hair, red eyes, and a stunning figure. Most of the men nearby were more interested in her than her matches. However, if you didn’t buy her matches, this beautiful girl would crush your balls. As most people weren’t interested in exploring the world of extreme masochism, they gladly bought her matches. Thanks to that, the vampire girl did booming business.
Even women weren’t spared this girl’s wrath. “Want some matches?”
“Huh? No, I don’t really…”
“……”
The girl stared pointedly at a mother until she finally gave in. “I-I’ll take a box.”
“……”
“I-I mean two boxes… no three boxes, please…”
“Good. Thank you for your purchase.”
The poor woman bought a box for each of her kids as well. At least the children seemed excited to have matches to play with. As the lady walked away, the vampire girl spotted her next mark. A white-haired boy wearing an eye patch. He struck a rather handsome figure, or so the girl thought.
“Would you like to buy some match—actually, would you like to buy me?”
She suddenly changed what she was selling. Most people would be suspicious of a girl claiming to sell herself. The boy sensed that this girl was up to something and quickly walked away.
“Would you like to buy me?” Unfortunately, he was unable to escape.
—The match-selling demon
“W-Would you like to buy some matches?”
A girl stood at the corner of the street, selling matches. She seemed somewhat flustered.
At a glance, it seemed she was just desperate for customers. However, her gaze wasn’t focused on the people milling about, but at a spot further down the street. In fact, she made no motion to offer her matches to the people walking past her.
Suddenly, the match-seller hid behind a nearby lamppost. Blushing, she peeked out behind it to stare at that same spot down the street. She was acting extremely suspicious. A passing child pointed to her and said,
“Look mommy, it’s that girl again. She’s always standing there…”
“Shh! Don’t look at her. Don’t talk to her either! She’s a stalker!”
The match-seller didn’t even notice she was being insulted.
Finally, the boy the match-selling stalker was waiting for appeared. He had white hair and wore an eye patch.
“I-I can do this! Today’s finally the day I’ll sell him a match and confess to him!”
There was no particular reason that she needed to sell him a match to confess, but she was too panicked to realize that.
“Hm? Wait? What’s this? He’s not alone?”
As she was pumping herself up, the match-selling stalker noticed something. Upon closer inspection she noticed that there was another match-seller girl hanging off the boy’s arm. The match-selling stalker’s face went blank. The light went out of her eyes. Her nervousness forgotten, she marched boldly up to the white-haired boy.
“Hm? Who’re you?”
“That’s what I want to know. I’m the only match-seller he needs.”
“Oh? So you say you’re the only match-seller worthy of him? Let me show you just how fleeting your life is. You’ll vanish faster than a match’s flame.”
Why the two of them were so hung-up on being match-sellers was something no one knew.
The two of them struck grandiose poses. A giant thunder dragon appeared behind one match-seller while a demonic swordsman with a frightening mask appeared behind the other.
“Fufufufufufufu.” “Ahahahahahaha.”
Their ominous laughter rang out through the streets. There would be a fierce blizzard tonight. Oh, and the white-haired boy had long since run home.
Diamond. diamond. diamond.
ARIFURETA MAGIC ACADEMY 4.
“I can’t take it anymore. I quit. Someone else can be student council president.”
Despite how softly it was said, the words carried across the student council room.
The other student council members and its advisor all stiffened. An unnatural silence followed that proclamation. Urged by the piercing stares of his fellow council members, vice-president Kouki Amanogawa hesitantly called out to the president.
“Sh-Shizuku? What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
Shizuku’s face was hidden by her bangs, and her expression was unreadable.
“You want to know if something happened?”
Kouki quailed at the thunderous tone of her voice. The secretary, Eri Nakamura, accountant, Suzu Taniguchi, and advisor, Aiko Hatayama, all flinched as well. Shizuku pointedly pointed to the stack of documents on her desk.
“Why don’t you tell me what didn’t happen. This stack of papers is all complaints people have lodged against the academy. No other student council president in the history of this academy has ever had to deal with so many. Now this stack of papers is all the orders to repair, replace, and strengthen school facilities that have been destroyed. That stack of papers over there is order forms for all the goods that were taken without permission during academy events and need to be replaced. Finally, that stack of papers over there is receipts for all of the events we’ve held. Worse, a certain teacher’s and a certain student’s fan clubs have grown so large that their club budget is greater than that of the sports clubs! Oh, and I almost forgot. You see
this? This is a letter a student sent in. He’s asking how he can steal Yue-sensei away from Nagumo. Apparently if we don’t reply he’s going to bomb the school. There’s hundreds more like that, dozens for all the girls surrounding Nagumo. Ufufu, I must say our students are certainly wonderful young adults, don’t you agree? Fufufufufufufufufu.”
Suzu and Eri shrunk back and hugged each other as Shizuku rattled off her problems one after another. Aiko fell to the ground when she heard Shizuku’s deranged laughter.
“C-Calm down, Shizuku. I’m sure… I’m sure it’ll be alright! We’re here for you. We’ll pull through this somehow—”
“Somehow!? You mean you’ll make me do even more work, right!? Ufufu, Kouki you really need to get better at telling jokes… say that again and I’ll kill you.”
“Hiii.”
Kouki crumbled. No one could blame him. Shizuku looked ready to go off on anyone who so much as looked in her direction. The accumulated stress of managing the student council had finally caught up to her. However, Shizuku was, above all, rational. When she saw her friends flinching away from her gaze she realized she’d been unreasonable. She cleared her throat and tried to calmly—
Before she could say anything, the door slid open. The head of the public morals committee, Ryutarou Sakagami walked inside, a stack of papers in his hands.
“Hey, Shizuku. Yue-sensei and the others have blown up the school again. Here’s all the complaints and—”
“I’ll kill them.”
With that ominous proclamation, Shizuku picked up her katana and stomped over to the door. Everyone present knew she would really do it.
“S-Stop, Shizuku!”
“Calm down, Shizushizu.”
“Someone call a healer! We need someone who can heal broken hearts!”
“Sakagami-kun! Defend that doorway like your life depends on it! We can’t let Yaegashi-san get out while she’s like this.”
Kouki tried to pin Shizuku’s arms behind her back while Suzu and Eri held her back. Aiko hung on to Shizuku’s sword arm for dear life. Sweating profusely, Ryutarou prepared to give his life to stop the student council president.
“Hmph, let me go. Let me go, I said. I won’t be satisfied until I’ve killed them at least once! They need to taste my pain!”
“You can’t even kill someone more than once! Besides, they’ll be dead so they won’t be able to taste your pain!”
Kouki was absolutely correct. However, Shizuku really was at her limit now. Taking care of Yue and the others’ fights, then taking care of the riots each girl’s respective fan club caused after those fights had left her utterly exhausted. Sounds of fighting filled the student council room for a while. Finally the dust settled, and Shizuku remained standing amidst a sea of corpses. With her enemies defeated, Shizuku declared,
“Student council president elections are now open.”
Translation: “I’m sick and tired of dealing with this! Someone else can handle these problems now!”
Kouki tried to talk her out of it, but Shizuku refused to listen. In the span of a few days, she’d already set up the special elections to decide the next president. It was times like this that her unparalleled organizational skills shone. The candidates for the next student council president were as followed:
Canditate 1 – Yue
“If I am elected president, I promise to make a room all students can use to have sex in.”
Needless to say, the students’ expressions stiffened when they learned a teacher of all people was running for student council president.
Candidate 2 – Shea Haulia
“I want to make a government of the rabbit ears, for the rabbit ears, by the rabbit ears! In other words, turn the government into me and Hajime-san’s love nest!”
Needless to say, the students all retorted that no one would vote for someone who was clearly planning on using the student council for her own gain.
Candidate 3 – Kaori Shirasaki
“I-I’ll do my best in Shizuku-chan’s place! I promise to open up a suggestion box where everyone can bring me their opinions and requests. I know with Hajime-kun’s help the two of us will be able to make the academy a better place!”
It seemed Kaori was planning on having only Hajime in her student council. Needless to say, the students all sighed as they could easily tell what she was really after.
Candidate 4 – Perverted Dragon Headmistress
“If I am elected I will make Mas—Ahem I mean Hajime Nagumo the student council president! After that, I will utilize my powers as headmistress to turn the student council room into the headmistresses’ office! No one is allowed to—Ah, hey! Stop throwing things at me! Wh-Who did that!? And who’s firing advanced-level magic at me!?”
Needless to say, the students all hurled insults at her. “Go back to your cave, you perverted dragon!”
Equally needless to say, Tio found said insults highly arousing.
In the end, the election resulted in Shizuku Yaegashi being chosen to serve for another term. Because of the special election rules she herself had set up, she had no right to refuse the appointment. When Shizuku saw the results, she threw a tantrum.
“Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. That does it, I’m dropping ouuuuuuuuuuuuut!”
After her infantile outburst, she tried to flee the school.
“Th-The president’s trying to run away! Everyone, chase after her!”
“Without her, this school’s doomed! Capture the president, for the sake of our future!”
“Guys, surround her! We’ve gotta make sure she can’t escape!”
“This is an announcement for all little sisters of this school! Launch the onee-sama disciplinary squad! There will be a prize waiting for the one who can console her! Furthermore, you are permitted to take advantage of the chaos and touch her.”
Needless to say, the entire student body chased after Shizuku. Their fervor was surely a sign of how much the students loved her.
However, despite her childlike tantrums, Shizuku was still a crafty woman. She continued to evade her pursuers for a good three days and three nights. Finally, after a concentrated effort combining the entire talents of the student body, they captured her. Her great escape was so impressive that leaders of other countries applauded her skills. Unfortunately, that also meant her status as student council president was set in stone.
“I swear, I’ll kill you all someday.”
Shizuku Yaegashi muttered to herself as she nursed a headache and started working through today’s pile of paperwork. She truly was this academy’s hardest worker.
Diamond. diamond. diamond.
FANTASY WORLD MINI-SKIRT SANTAS.
“Come to think of it, it’s almost Christmas.”
Hajime and the others looked up from their food at Kaori. They had stopped in a small town for lunch. Yue and the others looked confused, but Hajime nodded and said,
“Oh yeah, you’re right… At least, going by earth time it would be.”
“Fufu, the Christmas party we had last year at school was pretty fun. You only stayed for a little bit, but at least we took pictures and exchanged presents still…”
Kaori smiled as she reminisced about the past. Hajime, too, smiled faintly as he thought back to his days in Japan. Yue’s eyebrows twitched as she watched the two of them. Shea grumbled to herself while Tio smiled knowingly. Myu simply watched them with a blank expression on her face.
“Yeah, I definitely remember you and Yaegashi blocking the door and begging me to take a picture with you guys. Thanks to that, the whole class hated me on Christmas. After that, even though it was supposed to be a random present exchange you only gave your presents to me. So, the class hated me even more. Then you jacked the present I’d brought for the party and invited me in front of everyone to an after party at your house. At which point I’m pretty sure the rest of the class was ready to murder me… Yeah, that Christmas was definitely nostalgic. Also, terrifying.”
“Are you sure we’re remembering the same party!?”
Kaori couldn’t believe her ears. But all the events Hajime mentioned had really happened. He honestly feared for his life that night. Yue tugged on Hajime’s sleeve and asked him what Christmas was. He explained that it was an end-of-year festival and left out the Christian
roots. After all, what was important about Christmas was that a jolly man in a strange costume went around giving presents to all the good kids that night. That, and all the Christmas cake people ate. Kaori puffed out her cheeks and complained about Hajime’s half-assed explanation.
“That’s not all, Hajime-kun. If you’re going to explain, explain properly. L-Like how it’s a holiday for lovers to deepen their bonds.”
Kaori blushed at her own words. Yue and the others suddenly looked very interested.
“Hajime, did you do anything with Kaori that night? You know, the kinds of things lovers might do?”
“I already mentioned everything I did at that party. Back then, I just thought of Kaori as a troublemaker. There’s no way I would have ended up spending Christmas alone with her. If I had… I probably wouldn’t be standing here right now.”
“Th-That’s mean, Hajime-kun!”
It hurt to have Hajime denounce her as a troublemaker so casually. Worse, Hajime didn’t seem moved at all by her pleading gaze.
“That’s my line, you airheaded troublemaker. It would have been even worse if you’d only invited me to that after party of yours, but as it was that was still a huge problem for me. Especially with the way you were dressed. I thought for sure you were out to kill me.”
“O-Out to kill you? Why would I do that?”
Wondering what Hajime meant, Kaori tearfully searched through her memories. The way I was dressed? What was I even wearing that day? Oh yeah…
“U-Umm… if I recall correctly I was dressed in a santa costume…”
Indeed, Kaori had been dressed in a santa outfit the day of the party. That in itself wouldn’t have been a problem. Santa costumes were pretty common during Christmas. Kaori tilted her head, wondering what had been wrong with her outfit. Hajime sighed. The worst part about all of this was that he knew now that Kaori hadn’t actually meant anything malicious by it.
“Back when you asked me how you looked I just said it suited you. That was because I didn’t want the other students to kill me. However, I’ll be honest with you now. That costume of yours was really erotic.”
“E-Erotic!? You really thought that!?”
“Uh, yeah? Your skirt was so short I thought I’d be able to see your panties. There was a heart-shaped pattern cut out of the shirt so I could easily see your cleavage, and it was sleeveless. Plus, with how tightly it fit I could see all of your curves. Do you even know how many guys Yaegashi had to put down because they couldn’t control themselves any longer?”
Kaori buried her face in her hands. She was red all the way to the tips of her ears. She’d worn that outfit because her friends (mostly Suzu) had told her that she’d be able to make any man fall for her if she put it on. It was only her delusions of making Hajime fall for her that had given her the courage to wear such an embarrassing costume. When she thought back on it now, she realized just how bold she’d been. But she didn’t have too long to sit there squirming, because Shea and the others chose that moment to butt in.
“You really are crafty, Kaori-san. Really crafty. To think you tried to use revealing clothes to make Hajime-san fall for you. You’re a natural born erorist!”
I don’t want to hear that from you. You wear even less than that normally! thought Kaori.
“Hmm I understand now. You wore a revealing outfit on purpose so you could get off to everyone calling you a pervert. You are even more of a deviant than I am.”
I am NOT! Also there is no way I would ever be more perverted than you!
“You’re so red, Kaori-oneechan. You look cute~”
You’re cuter than I am, Myu. In fact, you’re my only source of healing in this cruel world.
Yue stood up silently, her eyes burning with fighting spirit.
“……”
She grabbed Kaori by the collar and dragged her out of the restaurant.
“Y-Yue? Where are you taking me? Actually wait, let me go! I can walk myself!”
“We’re going to buy clothes. Then to fight, seduction with seduction. Santa costume against santa costume. I’ll prove that you’re not the only one that can be an erotic santa.”
“I never claimed I was! Also, I’m not that much of a pervert! Stop lumping me together with you!”
“Heh.”
“Hey, what was that laugh for!? Tell me, Yue!”
But Yue ignored her. Realizing what was about to happen, Shea and Tio followed the pair out. They took Myu with them, and left Hajime to pay the bill.
That evening, five people in santa outfits stood in front of Hajime. With the exception of Myu, all of their outfits were erotic. Mini-skirts and sleeveless shirts abounded.
“Hm. What do you think, Hajime?”
Yue twirled around, her skirt rising dangerously high as she did so. Shea and Tio struck alluring poses, emphasizing their massive breasts.
“Well, they do look good on you guys, but… if I saw you on the streets I’d think you were all perverts.”
“!?”
Yue, Shea, and Tio stiffened. They all turned to Kaori, who was trying her best to cover herself up with her hands. Kaori averted her gaze.
“You planned this, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t! In fact, I’m the one who told you guys not to do this! But you kept insisting! And now I’m stuck wearing this too… it’s so embarrassing!”
“Doesn’t matter, this is your fault. Now pay for making Hajime sigh at us!”
Yue called forth a fierce tempest. Kaori, who had no real defense to speak of, could only watch as her skirt was flipped all the way up.
“Stooop! He’ll be able to see my pantieeees! Ugh, fine if this is how you want to play… Divine Shackles!”
Kaori pushed her skirt back down and sent chains of light at Yue’s skirt.
“Hmph. Not good enough. Tio Barrier!”
“What are you doing? Aaah, they’re twisting around me!? I’ve never experienced bondage like this!”
Yue pulled Tio in front of her and used the dragonwoman as a shield. Kaori’s chains mercilessly tied Tio up, emphasizing her breasts even more. She instantly started panting heavily. Yue countered with another burst of wind. This too, was aimed at Kaori’s skirt.
“Like I’ll let you! Shea Barrier!” “Whaaa!? Hey, Kaori-san!?”
Kaori’s chains wrapped around Shea and dragged her into the line of fire. Shea’s skirt flipped up past her stomach, revealing her plump thighs.
“Kaori-san! This is far too embarrassing! Please let me go!”
“Don’t worry, the outfit you’re usually wearing is just as embarrassing!”
“Hey, what the fuck did you just say, you little bitch!? Are you insulting the traditional dress of the Haulia!?”
Shea ripped off her chains and charged Kaori. But Kaori fended her off with a barrage of Binding Blades of Light.
Freed from her shackles, Tio squared off against Yue.
“If you’re going to strip people, then it’s only fair for you to be stripped in return!”
Tio grabbed Kaori’s unpowered chains and looked for an opportunity to flip Yue’s skirt. In an inn inside a small town in Tortus, four santas tried their best to strip each other.
“Daddy, this coat is all fluffy!”
Meanwhile, Myu enjoyed prancing around in her santa outfit. “Myu, please grow up into a better woman than those four…”
Hajime patted Myu’s head while he watched the four girls try to strip each other through increasingly violent means.
Diamond. diamond. diamond.
RABBITMAN COSTUMES ARE A DANGEROUS WEAPON.
Hajime and his party had stopped in a small town for the night. Despite the town’s relatively small size, there were a surprisingly large amount of people there. The girls all looked around happily.
“So, this is the town famous for its textiles. Everyone’s clothes look really well made.”
“Mhmm. The weavers here are very skilled.”
Yue’s crimson eyes darted from person to person. She was impressed by the quality of the cloth she saw. Back in the abyss she had sewed clothes for herself and Hajime. At first, it had taken a lot of effort to make even the simplest of garments, but she’d improved a lot since then. Sewing had become something of a hobby for her. Hence why she was so excited by all the rolls of colorful yarn that she saw, and the skilled weavers who knitted with them.
Shea and Kaori were quite excited as well. Shea was a master of all household chores, so of course clothes and sewing excited her, while Kaori was a high school girl with an interest in fashion. While the others were fascinated by the town, the town was fascinated by Tio. Her exquisitely crafted dress was a traditional garment for dragonwomen, but it was rare to see something like it outside her village.
“Daddy, look at all the different clothes! I’ve never seen those kinds before!”
“Really? …Come to think of it, what do Dagons usually wear anyway?”
Young though she may be, Myu was still a girl. She was just as interested in clothes as the others. Hajime looked up to the little girl riding on his shoulder. She tilted her head and thought for a moment.
“Nothing, usually!”
“You guys are nudists!?”
Hajime noticed the cold stares from the girls and quickly cleared his throat. In truth, Dagons usually wore some form of swimsuit, as they spent most of their lives in the water. When they were on land, they put on a robe or something over that, but that was about it.
Hajime could see the other girls were about to mention that they would strip for him if that was what he wanted. He really didn’t want to have that conversation so he turned to Myu for salvation.
“Is there anything you want, Myu? Since we’re already here, I can buy you some new clothes if you want.”
“I can buy anything!? Ummmm ummm…”
Eyes sparkling, Myu looked for something to get. Hajime really did spoil her. Yue and the others stared pointedly at him. Hajime smiled, and agreed to buy them whatever they wanted too. After a few seconds of searching, Myu found what she wanted. She stared long and hard at a certain article of clothing. Specifically, what Yue was wearing.
“Hm? What’s wrong, Myu?” Myu pointed at Yue and said,
“I want what Yue-oneechan is wearing! I want to wear something like that too!”
“You want my clothes? But Myu, there’s so many other cuter outfits here.”
Yue’s dress had frills everywhere and was plenty cute. But she’d designed it for travel and combat, so it wasn’t the most elegant piece. However, Myu had seemingly taken a liking to it.
“But you’re the coolest, Yue-oneechan! You look really cool when you’re fighting with Daddy and using magic and stuff! Even though I’m daddy’s daughter, I’m really weak. But maybe if I wear your dress I’ll get stronger too!”
“Myu, you’re so pure it hurts.”
Myu’s statement had been so cute that it gave Yue a nosebleed. Yue plucked Myu off of Hajime’s shoulder and squished her soft cheeks. Myu squealed in protest but Yue ignored her.
“M-Myu-chan, don’t you think I look cool too? I can take out anyone with a single swing of my hammer! Enemies cower before me!”
“Myu-chan, I’m really good at holding enemies back! Here, let me show you my Binding Blades of Light!”
“In that case, allow me to show you the power of my breath. You’ve yet to see just how amazing I am, correct? My glorious breath will leave you astounded.”
Everyone tried to impress the party’s little princess. Myu squirmed her way out of Yue’s grip and turned around.
“You’re not…cool, Shea-oneechan. You’re, umm… wild?”
Shea clutched her chest and fell to the ground with a moan. There was nothing more heartbreaking than being told you’re not cool by a little girl.
“And Kaori-oneechan’s… weak…”
Kaori clutched her chest and fell to the ground with a moan. There was nothing more heartbreaking than being told you’re a pathetic weakling by a little girl.
“And Tio-oneechan… y-you’re okay!”
“What on earth is that supposed to mean!?” Tio retorted and fell to the ground. There was nothing more heartbreaking than being pitied by a little girl.
Three girls lay on the ground in the middle of the town’s main street. They looked up simultaneously when they heard footsteps approaching them. Yue was standing over them, grinning from ear to ear. Rarely did she ever show such expressiveness.
Shea and the others slowly got to their feet, a murderous glint in their eyes. They had always known she would be the final boss.
Thinking it was her fault that her role models were fighting, Myu hurriedly stepped between them.
“U-Umm, you all have really cool clothes too, Shea-oneechan, Kaori- oneechan, Tio-oneechan! So umm… I know! Let’s all trade clothes! That way we’ll all be able to wear everyone’s clothes! It’ll be fun!”
The four women looked at each other and smiled awkwardly. Their petty rivalry had caused a little girl to worry about them. Hajime smiled, proud of his daughter’s attempts to mediate. Then he grinned wickedly and turned to Yue.
“How about it, why not give Myu’s proposal a go? You can all draw lots at random and wear whoever’s outfit you pull. We’re in a town of tailors, so they’ll be able to make them in your sizes easily.”
Myu looked up at the girls expectantly. There was no refusing her. Yue and the others quickly agreed to Myu’s idea. With a great deal of money and coercion, Hajime convinced a nearby tailor to make the girls’ outfits right away. Once he was finished, the girls went into the fitting rooms to change. As the store they were in was a large one, there were plenty of other customers around. Hajime stood in front of the changing rooms, waiting to see who came out first.
“Daddy, look, look! I’m Yue-oneechan!”
It turned out to be Myu. She was wearing Yue’s clothes. A frilly shirt, a black skirt, a white coat, and ankle boots. Hajime had to admit she looked cute. She flapped her arms, which were too short for the coat, and struck the same pose Yue did when she was casting magic.
“Oh, it looks pretty good on you Myu. You look more like an adult now.”
Myu grinned and blushed.
“Myu, don’t open the door while other people are still changing.”
Yue stepped out of the same fitting room. She’d gone in with Myu to help her change. Hajime muttered a soft “Wow…” as he saw Yue’s outfit. He wasn’t the only one either. The other customers and even the tailor who ran the store were impressed. Yue was wearing Tio’s kimono. The dragonwoman’s kimono was an eclectic mixture of western and Japanese styles. Yue looked like a refined, elegant lady in it.
“Th-This is my first time wearing such an outfit… I must say it’s rather embarrassing.”
“Your clothes are so frilly, Kaori-san! There’s so much cloth it’s hard to move around in them.”
Next were Tio and Shea. Tio was wearing Myu’s one piece. It was white, and adorned with multiple ribbons and frills. Tio blushed as she looked down at herself. It’s rare to see that perverted dragon ever embarrassed about anything. Still, she looks cute in that. Hajime said as much to Tio, which caused her to blush even more furiously and hide behind a clothing rack. The male customers all got nosebleeds watching her.
Meanwhile, Shea was in Kaori’s priestess’ clothes. She found the overabundance of cloth uncomfortable, but the outfit accented her figure nicely. Hajime had to admit she looked beautiful in it. The only person left was Kaori. However, even after a few minutes she didn’t come out.
“Hm? She’s still not coming out.”
“Hmm. Wait here, I’ll drag her out.”
Yue smiled mischievously and barged into Kaori’s changing room. There were a few loud thumps, and Kaori screemed shrilly, “I can’t do it! I can’t wear Shea’s clothes! They’re practically underwear!”
“Don’t worry about it,” was Yue’s reply.
Then, after a moment of silence, the door to Kaori’s changing room flew open and and Kaori was thrown out into the wild.
“Ugh, this is soooo embarrassing. Hajime-kun, please don’t stare at me too much…”
Kaori tried to cover herself up with her hands as she blushed to the tips of her ears. Rabbitman clothing was quite revealing, and Kaori’s slender legs and ample cleavage were on full display. Hajime normally didn’t notice the outfit since Shea didn’t seem to care about how much of her skin she exposed. However, Kaori’s embarrassment emphasized just how revealing it was. Quite a few of the customers fainted from blood loss after seeing how sexy she looked. The store became a sea of blood as Yue and the others swapped outfits again and again.
Shea’s outfit looked smoking hot on anyone who wore it, and before long the customers were drowning in their own nosebleeds. Hajime made a mental note to slaughter all the men who’d gotten nosebleeds looking at Myu in Shea’s outfit later. Once the outfit swapping was over, Hajime gave his closing remarks.
“Yeah, I guess Shea’s clothes really are sexy.”
Traditional clothing or not, it was rather revealing. And so, Hajime reconfirmed what he’d always known, but had forgotten.
Diamond. diamond. diamond.
THE STANDS.
It was a peaceful, sunny day in the floating city of Erisen. Lately, however, the city had been anything but peaceful. Today, like usual, Hajime was sitting on the pier practicing his transmutation. One of the causes of the city’s troubles walked up to him.
“Hajime-kun, can I sit next to you?”
“That you, Kaori? You know you don’t have to ask permission for each little thing, right?”
Kaori blushed, and sat down close to him. Extremely close to him. Close enough that Hajime had a hard time concentrating on his transmuting. She was also in her swimsuit.
Hajime turned to Kaori, planning on telling her to respect his personal space, when she was blown off the pier. She flew through the sky, flipping over herself multiple times, and fell into the water with a loud splash. Yue walked up and took the spot Kaori had vacated. Though she was as expressionless as usual, Hajime could tell she was satisfied. She sat down next to Hajime and stretched her bare legs.
“Yue, did you just…”
“What are you making, Hajime?”
Looks like she’s at it again today too. Yue pretended she hadn’t just blown Kaori into the water and looked curiously at Hajime’s work. But before she could do much more, Kaori pulled herself back onto the pier. She was dripping wet, and her bangs covered her face so that she looked like a certain horror movie antagonist.
“Yue, do you have anything to say for yourself? I’ll give you one chance to explain.”
“? Who are you?”
A vein pulsed in Kaori’s forehead. Invisible sparks flew as their gazes met.
“Fufufu, you’re a funny one Yue. I can’t believe you’ve forgotten about the person you just threw into the sea. Is your memory really that bad?”
“Oh. I remember now, you’re Kaori. You’re so gloomy I always forget who you are. You should try and do something about that gloominess of yours.”
“I think you’re the one that needs to fix that leaky brain of yours.”
Kaori and Yue both started laughing. Yue got to her feet and the two glared at each other. As always, strange creatures appeared behind both of the girls. A massive golden thunder dragon appeared behind Yue while a demon in a terrifying mask appeared behind Kaori. The dragon let out a ferocious roar while a blizzard whipped up around the demon as he tapped his sword against his shoulder. This was the reason Erisen hadn’t been peaceful in recent days. The strange apparitions that Yue and Kaori summoned were the cause of it all. Hajime knew what came next. Kaori would yell at Yue for being a bully and attack her. Yue would reply that it was Kaori’s fault for trying to be crafty and fight back. Their little catfights had become quite the spectacle, and many of Erisen’s citizens came to watch.
“Look, they’re at it again today too. Just what are those things behind them? They look like a dragon and a demon, but how do they appear and disappear like that?”
As Hajime watched them duel with a troubled smile, Shea walked up to him.
“Why do you look so unhappy? By the way, you shouldn’t try to understand those apparitions. Just accept them as part of life.”
“What are you saying, Hajime-san? Those things only pop up whenever they’re fighting over you. In other words they’re proof of their love!”
“They better not be. What kind of symbol of love is a dragon or a demon?”
Shea folded her ears over her head and ignored Hajime’s words.
“I love you just as much as they do, so how come I can’t summon a spirit of love? I want one of those weird apparition thingies too!”
That’s what she’s unhappy about? Hajime sighed as he watched Shea scrunch up her face and try to summon something.
“I think I already know, but what are you doing?” “Trying to summon an apparition, obviously!”
I’m not sure that’s something you can bring out by force… However, force was the only thing Shea could think of to use. What happened to these things being a symbol of love?
Sky blue mana swirled around Shea and her hair began to flutter in the breeze. She let out an earth-shattering yell that sent nearby residents scurrying to safety. The sea around the pier grew choppy, and for a moment Hajime honestly thought she might summon something. But in the end, nothing happened.
“Well, figures that wouldn’t work.”
“Awww. What a shame.”
Shea sank to her knees and her rabbit ears drooped in disappointment.
“Is my love not strong enough? No way…” She muttered to herself. Hajime smiled and patted her fluffy rabbit ears. He continued playing with them until he was satisfied.
“Well, I didn’t think you’d be able to summon one of those anyway.”
“I don’t believe it. Do you doubt my love too, Hajime-san?”
Shea’s mood had started to improve when Hajime began patting her, but it took a nosedive when he said that. But Hajime shook his head.
“I don’t really… mean that in a bad way. I think those things are created from negative emotions. They’re illusions born from the negative auras those two have.”
“Haaah… Really?”
It wasn’t a very scientific explanation, but it seemed that Hajime had at least given it some thought. Shea stared blankly at Hajime, wondering where he was trying to go with this. Hajime pulled Shea close and ruffled her ears some more.
“Basically, you’re not the kind of person that would have one of those. Besides, even if you don’t have a weird illusion behind you, you have two perfectly good bunny ears on top of you. You should be proud of those. At the very least, they’re good enough for me.”
“Ugh… I wish I had more experience. I never know what to say during times like these. If only I was more girly…”
Shea blushed and fidgeted absently for a few seconds before deciding to lean into Hajime. Her ears perked up, and she pulled Hajime’s hand closer.
“Fufu. You don’t let any opportunity slip by, do you, Shea?”
“Yeah. She got us there. Though it was a splendid surprise attack… I can’t believe you would try and surpass your master.”
“Ah!?”
Shea’s ears shot straight up. She turned around to see both Yue and Kaori smiling at her.
“Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah”
Rooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar.
Kaori’s demon and Yue’s dragon growled ominously at her.
Shea bolted. Naturally, Yue and Kaori gave chase. For some reason, the residents of Erisen cheered whenever they heard another explosion.
“I’m so glad this city is peaceful.”
Hajime’s words were drowned out by the sound of rumbling thunder.
Diamond. diamond. diamond.
A FALCON’S DAUGHTER IS STILL A FALCON.
There was a loud bang, and several flashes of crimson light shot through the sky. Hajime’s railgun-accelerated bullets shot straight through the wolf-shaped monsters. Each bullet blew up a monster’s head.
“Aww. Thanks to your Artifacts, the only time we ever get to fight is when we’re in a labyrinth, Hajime-san.”
“That’s just how it is. Master’s Artifacts are so powerful that at long range, they make magic look like a joke.”
Shea and Tio chatted while they watched Hajime mow down an entire pack of wolves. Kaori smiled awkwardly and said,
“I’m not sure you could even call those Artifacts… they’re more like weapons out of a sci-fi story.”
Yue tilted her head in confusion. “Sci-fi?”
“It’s short for science fiction. Basically stories that are based off of science but aren’t very realistic. There’s guns in our world, but they’re not like the rail guns Hajime-kun’s made. You’d only see something like that in books or movies.”
“Well, I had to use the cheat known as magic to make them work so I’d say they’re more ‘fantasy’ than sci-fi.”
Hajime walked up to the girls while reloading Donner. He’d already wiped out the monsters. Myu was sitting on his shoulders. She seemed to be enjoying herself quite a bit. She’d just had front row seats to a monster massacre, and it appeared she’d quite liked what she’d seen.
“Daddy, I want to try using that thing that goes bang too!” Yep, Myu was really enjoying herself.
Kaori, who tended to be sensible in all things not involving Hajime, furrowed her brows.
“Hajime-kun, you’re a bad influence on Myu-chan. She’s saying some really ominous things with a smile on her face now. I’m worried what kind of woman she’ll grow up into.”
“Well, you’ve got a point, but… This world’s pretty dangerous.”
“Yeah. You’re being naïve, Kaori. Here it’s kill or be killed. Even if your enemy doesn’t look like they’re going to kill you, kill them anyway. In fact, if your eyes meet, kill them. It’s best to have at least one kill a day. You can only get what you want by wading through a sea of blood and climbing over a mountain of corpses. That’s the kind of place this world is.”
“You’re way too bloodthirsty, Yue! We’re not in Fist of the North Star! It’s true that this world is more dangerous than ours, but it’s not that violent!”
Yue ignored Kaori and turned to Myu. In an imposing voice, she asked
“Do you desire strength?”
“Wait, Yue that line’s supposed—”
Before Hajime could finish, Myu interrupted.
“I do! I want to be able to make bad people explode like Daddy!” Yue nodded solemnly.
“Very well. Then Hajime shall grant you strength.”
She implored Hajime with her gaze to let Myu shoot Donner. Hajime’s expression stiffened. Not only would letting her shoot Donner be dangerous, it really wasn’t good to teach a little girl how to kill. Hajime hesitated, showing a rare display of common sense.
Myu hopped off of Hajime’s shoulders, ran over to Yue, and turned back to Hajime. She looked up at him with pleading eyes, and his common sense vanished.
“Alright, you can shoot.”
“Don’t you think you gave in a little fast there!?”
Hajime pulled some ore out of his Treasure Trove and began transmuting. Red sparks flew from his hands as he worked. All of the guns he possessed had too much recoil for Myu. So he made a toy gun that she could fire safely. He crafted this gun with even more care than he’d crafted Donner. He named his newly forged toy gun Donna. It wasn’t strong enough to kill anything, but it was still powerful enough to have some fun with. The exquisite craftsmanship of the toy revolver showed just how skilled a Synergist he really was. Myu’s eyes began to sparkle as she looked at it. It was as if she’d received the birthday present she’d always wanted. Though, not many four- year-old girls wanted a revolver as a present.
“Alright Myu, I’m gonna teach you how to shoot. But first you have to promise me you won’t pull the trigger without my permission.”
“I promise!”
Her cheerful reply was at odds with the murderous weapon she held in her hand.
“Haah, I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
Kaori’s muttered worries were swept away by the wind.
And so, Hajime began teaching Myu how to shoot. He set up a target ten meters away, and showed her the Weaver Stance.
“Alright Myu, this may be a weaker gun, but it still has a lot of recoil. If it hurts too much to hold, just let go of the gun.”
Myu nodded. Then, without hesitation, she fired. There was a soft pop, and Donna bucked in Myu’s hands. She didn’t even scratch the target. Myu pouted, and Hajime consoled her with a smile.
“Don’t worry, it’s not that easy to hit a target. You’ll get better with practice.”
He pulled out another set of practice bullets.
“Hajime-san, Hajime-san, I want to try shooting too, if possible…”
It looked like watching Myu shoot had piqued Shea’s interest.
“You have Drucken’s bombardment mode, don’t you?”
“I know, but that’s different. I want to try the precision shooting you do.”
“I told this to Myu earlier too, but it’s not easy to hit a target.”
Hajime was sure Shea didn’t really want to practice precision shooting. If anything, he suspected she just wanted to experience the feeling of shooting a gun. And it looked like Yue, Tio, and Kaori were all interested as well, judging by the expectant look in their eyes. Hajime sighed, shrugged his shoulders, and lent the girls Donner and Schlag.
“Here I go! Take that!”
Shea wasn’t prepared for the recoil, and her shot went wide.
“Hmm, despite the simple principles it works off of, this weapon is quite difficult to handle.”
Thanks to Tio’s draconic strength the recoil didn’t affect her, but her aim was still off.
“Kaori, the target’s over there.”
“I could say the same to you, Yue. You’re supposed to be shooting in front of you.”
Neither Yue nor Kaori could hit their targets either. After a few shots, Yue at least got the hang of it enough to graze the edge of the target.
“Well, I expected that to happen,” Hajime said with a wry smile. What he didn’t expect though, was the speed at which Myu learned. “Daddy, I need a new target.”
Hajime had been watching Myu out of the corner of his eye to make sure she didn’t do anything dangerous. So he hadn’t properly seen her shots. He pulled out some bullets, not realizing at first that she’d asked for a target, not more ammunition. He looked over at Myu’s target, and saw that she’d pulverized it already.
“Myu, let’s try putting the target a little farther away this time.” “Bring it on~”
Hajime made a mental note to speak with Tio about the kinds of words she taught Myu and put the target twice as far out this time. Twenty meters away. Myu took the stance Hajime had taught her and fired.
Her first shot missed by a mile. Just as Hajime thought he’d overestimated her, he watched her second shot graze the edge of the target. Yue and the others were watching her now too. Myu’s third shot was only ten centimeters away from the center.
“Hey, are you kidding me?”
Myu’s fourth shot hit the target dead center. Her fifth and sixth shots were a few centimeters off, but they were still within the bulls-eye.
“M-Myu, you think you’d be interested in shooting a moving target now?”
“I wanna try it!”
Within ten shots, Myu was able to shoot down the practice plane Hajime was moving around for her. Even when he tried moving the planes in unpredictable patterns, Myu would be able to read their movements after a few missed shots.
“Want to try sniping now?” “Yeah!”
Myu held out her hand and Hajime crafted a miniature sniper rifle for her. He gave it to her and showed her the proper posture for sniping. Myu did as she was instructed and tucked in her elbows, stood up straight, and pressed the gun’s stock against her cheek. She looked through the scope at her target—a dummy plane hovering one hundred meters away. No matter how good she was, no one was expecting Myu to hit this. But she betrayed all expectations. With a shot even a pro sniper would be proud of, she shot down Hajime’s dummy plane.
“Daddy, what’s next?” “Oh uh, here, try this.”
Hajime looked at Myu with newfound respect. Myu proceeded to cheerfully shoot down the next ten planes Hajime prepared for her. It was only the moment she pulled the trigger that Myu’s eyes narrowed into the sharp glare of a falcon. Once he started moving the targets again, even Myu couldn’t get them every time. Still, her accuracy was uncanny. Enough to leave Hajime and the others dumbfounded.
“Hajime-kun. Are you sure Myu-chan isn’t your real daughter?”
At Kaori’s words, everyone turned to Hajime. It was clear to everyone that her talent as a marksman was unparalleled.
“Mmrgh, I’m not as good as Daddy yet. I was off by five millimeters.”
“……”
Most people wouldn’t even notice they were off by five millimeters. After seeing his daughter’s unbelievable talent, he couldn’t bring himself to deny Kaori’s accusation. He simply stared off into the distance, wondering what the future held.
Diamond. diamond. diamond.
