Akatsuki Translations

It seemed this woman understood all of my intentions. Why I was so calm. Normally, with a level difference of more than double, there’s no chance of winning. Especially in a 3-on-1 situation. Yet, I remained calm.

“I don’t really understand what you mean, but the person who asked me to take care of things afterward is someone called Nagumo,” I said.

I felt pathetic for being so calm just because Nagumo-san was involved.

The Sensoji Temple, a mid-level dungeon. The explorers here are mid-level. I thought they’d recognize Nagumo-san’s name. Ikemoto, seeing that I wasn’t showing any fear, probably suspected that I, like them, might have a strong acquaintance.

If that were the case, they couldn’t act carelessly.

Ikemoto must have considered running away if things went south. But if that happened, I wouldn’t know when he might target me again. It would be even worse if he targeted Misuzu. That’s why I needed to make sure Ikemoto and his group couldn’t escape.

I immediately noticed Onoda’s conspicuous brown hair on the same train. He was wearing a hat to hide, but I found him right away because for three years in middle school, my daily routine was to first check if you guys were in class.

“When death is final, you wouldn’t fight without regard for your life, even against someone who pisses you off, right? heh,” I chuckled.

I let out a weird laugh because Ikemoto and his group had fallen into my trap so perfectly. They always bullied me under conditions favorable to them. But at the very end, at the most crucial moment, I managed to turn the tables on them. It was unbearably fun.

“I see. Bullying is fun, isn’t it?” I said with a smirk.

“H-Hey, let’s make a deal,” Kyouka said, her face draining of color. The irritation that had been confined to her now spread to everyone else, making them all suddenly uneasy.

“What kind of deal?” I asked.

“You know, right? They just had that incident recently. They must hate trouble. We’ll properly discipline our pet from now on, so could you ask Nagumo to let this slide? If you want, we’ll even entertain you, all five of us, as an apology. Don’t worry, we won’t use any weird drugs, and you can do as you like,” Kyouka proposed desperately.

“Kyouka! What nonsense are you spouting?” Ikemoto started to protest.

“Shut up, you dog! I’ll kill you!” Kyouka screamed, completely losing her composure.

“Huh?” Ikemoto glared back, seemingly annoyed by her outburst.

“Who are you calling a dog? You’re my dog!” he shouted.

“Enough. I’ll do the talking, so you shut up,” Kyouka snapped at Ikemoto before turning back to me. “Listen, Rokujou-kun. Please tell us your conditions, we’ll accept them.”

“This guy came here seriously intending to kill me. If I hadn’t had prior information, I really would have died here,” I said coldly.

If Sakaki-san hadn’t told Misuzu about Ikemoto’s level up, it would have been bad. Without that, I’m sure things would have turned out in a way I don’t even want to imagine.

“That’s true…” Kyouka admitted reluctantly.

“We absolutely wouldn’t have let that happen! We don’t want to die either!” one of the women in the back blurted out, clearly distressed.

“Rokujounokim! What prior information!?” Ikemoto demanded.

“But fortunately, that didn’t happen. I managed to corner Ikemoto safely,” I continued, ignoring him.

“It really was a close call. We’re lucky you’re smart. So, what are your conditions?” Kyouka pressed.

“One-on-one with Ikemoto. Nothing else. I won’t complain even if I lose. That’s my only condition. You ladies are attractive, but I don’t want your bodies,” I stated firmly.

Besides, if I laid a hand on other women, Misuzu and the others would be terrifying. They’re scary enough as it is, I don’t need them getting scarier.

“B-But we didn’t raise Kazuya to be so weak as to lose to a level 7!” one of the women protested.

“I’m sure you didn’t. I’m aware of that too,” I replied calmly.

“No, no,” Kyouka shook her head. “It’s troublesome even if you’re aware. If you lose, Nagumo will show up, right? We’ll definitely be killed. Nagumo is abnormally protective of those he takes a liking to.”

“That’s not my problem,” I said coldly.

“That won’t do. We haven’t done anything that bad to you, have we?” Kyouka pleaded.

“Then just pray that I win,” I said, cutting off any further negotiations. Even though I had no intention of fighting fair and square, my desire to settle things with Ikemoto myself was genuine.

“H-Hey, what should we do? That kid doesn’t seem like he’ll listen,” another woman said nervously.

“Nagumo is dangerous. He nearly destroyed Osaka, and if he takes a liking to someone, even an idiot like Hazumi, he dotes on them. He even killed Raiden for that. We don’t have any resurrection drugs,” Kyouka explained, her voice tinged with fear.

“But if we don’t let them fight…” one of the women trailed off.

Kyouka and her group looked very uneasy. After discussing among themselves for a while, they seemed to reach a decision. Kyouka raised her head and spoke.

“Kazuya. You fight alone,” Kyouka said firmly. “You must have understood a bit from our conversation. He has someone scary backing him too. We can’t beat that person, and we don’t want to upset them. So, you fight fair and square. You’re not going to say you’re scared with that level difference, are you?”

“What if he’s lying?” Ikemoto asked suspiciously.

“He’s not. My danger sense is going off constantly. You know how excellent this skill of mine is after being with me all this time, right?” Kyouka replied.

“Tch. Fucking bitch, getting all scared,” Ikemoto spat, his face twisted with utter disgust.

“Yes, yes, I’m sorry for being such a coward,” Kyouka said sarcastically. “Kazuya, if you don’t want to die, try not to injure that kid too badly. Even if you win, make sure to apologize for everything afterward.”

“That’s right,” another woman chimed in.

“Kazuya, I’m telling you this for your own good. Just get on your knees and apologize now,” a third woman advised.

“Yeah, yeah. Kazuya, if it saves your life, it’s a small price to pay, right?” a fourth added.

“Are you idiots? Why should I apologize?” Ikemoto snapped.

“Kazuya!” Kyouka shouted.

“Shut up! You dirty bastards. Can’t you even fight a man’s battle without someone’s help?” I interjected.

“You’re one to talk,” Ikemoto retorted.

It seemed Ikemoto had finally grasped the situation. Yet, the words coming out of his mouth showed he had no self-awareness at all.

“Ah, how boring. I was thinking of beating you to a pulp with the three of us and trying out killing someone for the first time. Because you had to go and borrow someone’s help without knowing your place, now I have to struggle! Do you understand!? Huh!?” Ikemoto ranted.

He was trying to intimidate me with all his might. His inflated pride seemed unwilling to accept losing to me under any circumstances.

“Sorry about that,” I said coolly. “For now, let me punch you in the face once with all my might. That’ll make me feel better.”

This is your last chance, Ikemoto. If you don’t want to die, back down now.

“Pft! You think you can beat me?” Ikemoto scoffed.

“I don’t intend to lose,” I replied calmly.

“Did all that bullying make you lose your mind? Onoda, Gotou. Stand back. I’ll kill him myself,” Ikemoto ordered.

“Hey, Ikemoto, what’s going on? I don’t understand,” Gotou said, confused.

“Idiot. Just come over here. The result won’t change either way,” Ikemoto said dismissively.

As Onoda pulled the still-confused Gotou away, I took out six potions from my magic bag, still disguising my appearance with the Ring of Celestial Change.

These items, obtainable from Bronze Gacha, would definitely have negative effects on my status if used for leveling up in the Stone Area. Each one could raise strength, agility, defense, dexterity, magic power, or intelligence by +30. The effect only lasted for 10 minutes, but each bottle cost 10 million yen.

The total of 60 million yen hurt, but I had borrowed funds from Evie during our previous date and purchased them in case of emergency. Needless to say, I had no intention of losing. I didn’t want to die, and if possible, I didn’t want to ask Nagumo-san to take care of things after my death either.

That’s why I maneuvered things to ensure my victory as much as possible.

It was lucky that I could act together with Sakaki-san for this purpose. The Ring of Celestial Change was very convenient, allowing me to take different actions while maintaining my disguise.

Although large movements were impossible, Onoda shouldn’t have noticed me typing on my smartphone to communicate with Sakaki-san. The information I obtained from Sakaki-san was truly helpful.

“There’s just one thing I want to know,” I had messaged her.

“You’re not holding your smartphone, right? How are you contacting me?” she had replied.

“It’s a secret for now. I’ll explain properly later.”

“Okay. Then ask me anything, and I’ll tell you.”

“Tell me all of Ikemoto’s stats, including his skills.”

“Got it.”

Level: 15

Job: Explorer

Title: Dungeon Pet

HP: 82

MP: 34

SP: 66

Strength: 67

Agility: 67

Defense: 68

Dexterity: 37

Magic Power: 35

Intelligence: 25

Charm: 25

Gacha Luck: 3

Equipment: Nameless Series

Magic: Wind Blade

Skills: Brute Force, Poison Slash

“What’s Poison Slash like?” I had asked.

“If even a scratch from Kazuya’s attack hits, it inflicts a poison state and causes slip damage. If Kazuya’s attack lands, it’s over. What do you think? Rokujou’s stats are lower, right? Want to run away after all? I’ll go with you wherever you go,” Sakaki-san had replied.

“That’s fine. Just to confirm, Ikemoto and the others have been helped with all their leveling by mid-level explorers, right?”

“Good observation. I knew that would result in poor stat growth, so when I was with Kazuya and the others, I tried not to fight monsters as much as possible and secretly skipped school to level up.”

“Sakaki-san, don’t tell me you leveled up alone?”

“Of course not. I wouldn’t do something that dangerous. The mid-level women didn’t seem interested in tying me down too, so they were flexible with me if I helped make sure Kazuya and the others became proper pets. Those women, despite appearances, are desperately concerned about not having men around. So, as long as I helped raise Kazuya’s level, they let me do as I pleased. They even advised me on how to get good stats. That’s why even though I’m only level 7, my stats are pretty good. I even completed a quest on the second floor five days ago, skipping school.”

“What was the evaluation?”

“S. By the way, my job is Curse Mage.”

“Curse Mage with an S…”

She was more impressive than I had imagined. If Sakaki-san had been my enemy, I would have undoubtedly lost. As I pondered this, I drank all six potion bottles.

“Hey, Ikemoto. How does it feel to have all your actions backfire so spectacularly?” I asked coolly.

“What are you talking about!?” Ikemoto snapped.

“I felt utterly miserable, you know. No matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried, you always got in my way. Sure, I made some effort at times. But it all backfired. You always managed to interfere skillfully. I was good at swimming, you know. I really wanted to join the swim club and practice hard. But whenever I tried to put in effort, you’d mock me, telling me not to try so hard,” I explained.

“So what? You’re the one who didn’t do anything, right? Are you trying to say it’s all my fault?” Ikemoto retorted.

“Yeah, that’s right. I think it’s all your fault,” I said firmly.

I dispelled the effect of the Ring of Celestial Change. My appearance changed from the winter school uniform to my fully armed self with Mikamaru.

“Exclusive equipment… H-How many pieces do you have? What’s your Gacha Luck?” Ikemoto asked, visibly alarmed as he reached for his sword. A nameless sword.

“I have no obligation to answer. Well then, let’s begin. 【Acceleration】,” I said.

My speed increased to a level that even I could barely comprehend. The +30 boost from the potions made my body struggle to keep up, resulting in slightly clumsy movements. However, the dexterity potion I had drunk helped. I managed to control it and closed the distance to Ikemoto in an instant as he was trying to draw his sword.

But he wasn’t fast enough. I swung my sword, slicing through Ikemoto’s abdomen, armor and all. Blood sprayed. It was the first time I had cut a person. It felt better than I had expected. I felt no guilt because it was Ikemoto.

“Huh? Blood?” Ikemoto mumbled, shocked.

Pain doesn’t come immediately; it’s only when you become aware of it that you feel it strongly. Ikemoto looked at the part where he had been cut. There was quite a bit of blood.

“I-It hurts!!! What the!? Blood!? This much!?” he screamed.

“Stop making such a fuss. You’ve reached level 15 in the dungeon, haven’t you? This can’t be the first time you’ve bled,” I said coldly.

I used 【Acceleration】 again. This time, Ikemoto’s arm fell to the ground with a thud.

“I-It hurts!!! It huuuurts!!!” he wailed.

“Haha, what’s wrong with you? Are you really level 15? Were you raised too pampered? If you don’t try a bit harder, this will be too anticlimactic,” I taunted.

“Hey, wait a minute! What level are you? You lied, didn’t you!?” Ikemoto accused.

“No, I’ve only told the truth. I’m level 7. I showed you, didn’t I? You can’t fake the status screen. You know that, right?” I replied.

Then I cast 【Acceleration】 again and cut off his other arm. Two human arms were now lying on the ground. Yet somehow, it didn’t feel real.

“W-Wait a minute! Wait, I said! What the hell are you doing to another human being!?” Ikemoto screamed.

“You’re right. But I don’t feel worse than when I cut down goblins. It seems you’re lower than goblins to me,” I said coldly.

“I-I was wrong! I’m sorry!” he pleaded.

“Huh? Didn’t you say you were going to ‘kill’ me? I don’t understand this apologizing thing. I want to eliminate any future worries, so you’ll die here,” I stated.

“Killing was just a joke! You understand that, right!? I’ll die at this rate! P-Please spare me!” Ikemoto begged.

“You know, no matter how many times I said ‘Please stop bullying me’ at school, you never stopped even once, right?” I reminded him.

“No, there were times I stopped!” he protested.

“Only when a teacher was about to come into the classroom. And even if you stopped for a moment, you’d start hitting me again as soon as the teacher left. Do you call that stopping? It was like slip damage, day after day. Your skill is just like you,” I said.

I had said a bit too much. It might reveal that Sakaki-san had told me about Ikemoto’s status. But I really thought it fit perfectly.

【Brute Force】 that relies on physical strength.

【Poison Slash】 that inflicts damage gradually, like poison.

“How do you know my skills?” Ikemoto asked suspiciously.

“I-I asked someone with Appraisal to check you out,” I lied.

I kept quiet about Sakaki-san, but when I glanced at her, she had a face that seemed to say I could have mentioned her. Really, she has a good personality.

“Ugh, that’s dirty!” Ikemoto growled. “I accepted a one-on-one duel with you, didn’t I? Yet you use strange items and have strong people protecting you! Don’t mess with me! Of course you’d win like that!”

“That’s right. Of course I’d win. What’s wrong with that?” I replied coldly. “You said it yourself, didn’t you? That it’s most fun to beat someone one-sidedly. You’re absolutely right. Right now, I’m having the time of my life.”

“Hey… I’m going to die. Isn’t this enough? I’ve suffered more than what I did to you!” Ikemoto pleaded. “Kyouka! Give me that 10 million yen potion! The one you gave me before! My arms should reattach now, right?”

“…”

“Hey! Kyouka! Are you listening!?”

“…”

“This is okay now, right?” I asked.

“Ah, what a relief. Him losing would have been the worst outcome. Kazuya, you can die now if you like,” Kyouka said dismissively.

But the women showed no signs of moving.

“Hey! Kyouka! Yukari! Hinata! Mio! Nagisa!” Ikemoto called out desperately.

So those were their names. The women looked annoyed at being called.

“Where did we go wrong in raising him to become such an idiot?” one muttered. “We should have disciplined him, not just pampered him,” another added.

“Are you listening!? If you don’t hurry, I won’t be able to entertain you anymore!” Ikemoto shouted.

“This is truly disappointing,” Kyouka sighed. “It cost about 300 million yen for the four of us to raise him this far. What a huge loss. We really drew the short straw. Is Rokujou-kun okay?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“Kazuya, you’re free to kill him if you want. But could you let the other two go? Of course, we’ll make sure Onoda and Gotou never show their faces to you again. We’ll even make them transfer schools. That’s okay with you two, right?” Kyouka asked.

“Ono-chan, Gocchin. Don’t worry. We’ll protect you,” one of the women reassured.

“We won’t let you face anything scary again, okay?” another added.

The women weren’t even looking at Ikemoto anymore. His face was growing paler by the second as he lost blood. Even with the increased vitality from reaching level 15, it seemed unlikely he could survive long without both arms.

“O-Of course!” Onoda stammered. “W-We’re sorry, Rokujou! I swear we’ll never bully anyone again! Gotou’s an idiot, but I’ll make sure he understands later!”

“H-Hey, Onoda. Ikemoto’s arms aren’t reattaching, are they? Am I seeing things?” Gotou asked, confused.

Onoda, seeming to finally grasp the situation, apologized desperately. He even tried to cover for Gotou, showing some sense of camaraderie. But it seemed they had abandoned Ikemoto. I glanced at Sakaki-san, who as far as I knew had been close to Ikemoto.

For some reason, she was looking at me with a dreamy expression. I decided to ignore it.

“Hah,” I sighed.

After going this far, I started to feel a bit sorry for him. Due to the nature of my sword, I had cut off both his arms, but I wasn’t cruel enough to make him live the rest of his life without arms. However, if I let him live, he might come back for revenge later.

I walked over and placed my sword blade against Ikemoto’s neck. He was sitting on the ground, seemingly too weak from blood loss to move.

“H-Hey, you’re joking, right?” Ikemoto asked weakly.

Killing Ikemoto would prevent future trouble. He was incredibly persistent and prideful. That time, when his clumsy wrestling move accidentally worked, it apparently hurt quite a bit when I applied force.

That day, Ikemoto cried in front of me. It happened in an empty hallway, so I was the only one who saw it. But he cried in front of me, whom he had looked down upon. It must have badly hurt his pride. Since then, the bullying had continued until today.

I pressed the sword into Ikemoto’s neck. If I had lost, I’m sure he would have killed me without hesitation. He would have killed me just so he and Onoda wouldn’t have to fear revenge for their bullying.

I remembered the face of Ikemoto’s mother crying on TV when he had gone missing, pleading, “Please, any explorer, please save Kazuya.”

“H-Hey, it’s a joke. Me killing you was just a joke. I really didn’t mean it at all! Yet you’re going to kill me!? S-Stop it!” Ikemoto begged.

I pressed the sword deeper. Ikemoto, truly believing he was about to die, was crying and had snot running down his face. He had even wet himself, but unlike Misuzu, it was just disgusting.

“If I die, my mom will definitely cry!” Ikemoto sobbed. “She was wailing just when I went missing for a day! Please, I’m begging you! My family is just me and my mom, if I die, she’ll be all alo-!”

I swung the sword. Ikemoto’s head rolled on the ground. It bounced a few times before coming to a stop facing upwards, seeming to glare at me.