Chapter-09 · EP-131

Episode 131: Uninvited Guests and the Unyielding Man

With the after-school bustle echoing through the hallways, I, Shirou Ichinose, was walking in the opposite direction of the dungeon entrance, where I would normally be heading in a hurry.

"…Sigh. I never thought my home ground would become so hard to approach."

A mutter escaped me.

The reason was clear. Tatsunori Susa from the Self-Defense Forces' Special Exploration Unit had officially entered the academy to conduct an investigation. He was now in the dungeon, trying to trace the source of the "high-rank potions."

If I carelessly entered the dungeon, I'd be secretly tailed again, and it was obvious I'd have to endure the terror of being watched by that beast.

I didn't want to experience that fear again. I'd have to stop collecting Rank 3 potions by defeating slimes for the time being.

Telling myself that this was a time to lie low, I stepped into the schoolyard, where the clacking of wooden swords echoed.

"Ah, Ichinose-kun! How rare, showing up after school."

Murasakimura spotted me, his expression brightening as he called out.

Please stop. Don't react like we're friends.

This was the Second Swordsmanship Club's practice area in a corner of the schoolyard.

Behind Murasakimura, other club members were swinging their wooden swords with serious expressions.

I answered Murasakimura.

"Ah, that Susa-san is investigating the dungeon. I'm too scared to go near it, so I thought I'd drop by here."

"He certainly seems strong, but it's not like he's going to eat you."

That's exactly what it feels like…

Murasakimura, unaware that Susa was investigating my potion rank-up method, remained calm.

"By the way, is Kojirou-san not here today?"

"Kojirou-san isn't here today. He said he'd come about once a month, but we never know when he'll show up."

"I see…"

Kojirou-san's swordsmanship was, for lack of a better word, captivating. I wasn't interested in the boring training he talked about, but I'd like to spar with him again if he offered. Now that I was level 6, I wondered if I could give him a better fight than before.

As I was imagining that, I heard an unpleasant voice.

"Oh, look. The same old boring crowd, in the same old boring place, doing their same old boring dance."

A grating, unpleasant voice echoed across the schoolyard.

Two male students, wearing their uniforms sloppily, walked toward us with mocking smiles.

"Who are those guys?"

Murasakimura answered my question.

"Numabe-kun and Dokujima-kun from Class B."

Numabe and Dokujima… I'd never heard the names, but their faces seemed familiar somehow.

"Hey, hey, if it isn't Murasakimura, still at 'level 1'!"

The short, narrow-eyed man emphasized Murasakimura's level 1 to mock him. Smirking, he stood in front of Murasakimura.

The normally mild-mannered Murasakimura's eyes turned sharp.

"We reached level 2 ages ago, but the top student is still at level 1, eh, Numabe?"

"Pfft…"

Dokujima explained loudly, intentionally making sure everyone around could hear. The larger one who laughed seemed to be Numabe, so the short one doing the talking was Dokujima.

Murasakimura answered their harassment.

"…We're practicing right now. Don't bother us."

"Bother? No. We've come to give you 'advice.' It's an eyesore, a level 1 incompetent occupying the schoolyard. Your existence lowers the academy's standards. Get out of the way, 'Top Student (lol).'"

Dokujima laughed, rubbing it in.

Iori frowned, annoyed, and started to step forward. But before she could, a man stepped between them.

"―That's enough. It's unsightly."

A low, weighty voice.

Standing there was a second-year male student with disheveled hair and stubble, giving off an oddly old-fashioned air.

"Huh? Who are you… Oh, Hachinohe-senpai."

Dokujima made a bitter face.

Hachinohe… that name sounded familiar.

Ah! I remembered. Heiji Hachinohe. A second-year in the First Swordsmanship Club. The one who lost to Iori and got yelled at by Iwakura, the club president.

Numabe, chided by Hachinohe, apologized honestly.

"S-sorry."

"Idiot, Numabe, we don't need to apologize to someone like him! Hachinohe-senpai, what business do you have here, having quit the First Swordsmanship Club?"

I was surprised at Dokujima's words. Hachinohe had quit the First Club?

But Hachinohe didn't even flinch at Dokujima's words. He simply, yet with overwhelming pressure, declared.

"I said it's unsightly. Your attitude is what lowers the First Swordsmanship Club's dignity."

"None of your business, is it?"

Despite being short, Dokujima didn't back down even when warned by Hachinohe, while the larger Numabe cowered at being called out by a senior. An oddly mismatched pair.

"It is my business. It's only natural to correct a junior from my former club when they're doing something wrong."

Saying that, Hachinohe placed his hand on the hilt of the wooden sword at his waist.

The momentary killing intent visibly cowed Numabe and Dokujima.

"Hmph… let's go, Numabe. The dropouts can stay here and lick each other's wounds."

Leaving those parting words, Dokujima and Numabe hurried away.

The practice ground fell silent. Hachinohe sighed deeply and turned to leave.

I called out impulsively.

"You're Hachinohe-senpai, right? Is it true you quit the First Swordsmanship Club?"

Hachinohe stopped and turned around. In his eyes coexisted the deep shadow of a man who had known defeat and a passion that still hadn't faded.

"Yeah. I lost to Takigawa there, and Iwakura-san ordered me to leave the club. I am ashamed of my own immaturity."

"For a reason like that? Then almost everyone should be kicked out. Is there anyone there besides Iwakura who could beat Iori? Maybe they should just disband."

At my words, Hachinohe looked perplexed.

"You…"

"Anyway, it's because the club president's instruction is bad that Hacchi is weak, right? That's the club president's responsibility. The one who should take responsibility and quit is Iwakura, don't you think?"

"Hacchi… you mean me?"

"You think so too, right, Hacchi?"

"No, I…"

Iori called out to Hachinohe, who was confused by my words.

"Sorry I caused you trouble."

"Takigawa… no, it's not your fault. It's my fault for not understanding my own limitations. From now on, I'll just train on my own, not in a club."

"Then how about here?"

Murasakimura then invited Hachinohe with a refreshing smile.

"This might be a gathering of the 'boring' and the 'dropouts.' But it's a place where students who just want to get stronger, without caring what anyone thinks, come together. Hachinohe-senpai… I don't think our captain would leave an 'unyielding man' like you alone. Right, Takayama-san?"

Suddenly addressed, the Second Swordsmanship Club captain, Takayama, answered in a fluster.

"Huh? It's not like we particularly want to get stronger… but if Hachinohe-kun wants to join, I don't mind…"

Only Murasakimura was hot-blooded. The captain, forced into intense training, was just confused. But there seemed to be no problem with Hachinohe joining.

Looking at Iori, she was also watching Hachinohe with interest.

Hachinohe was silent for a while, then finally laughed self-deprecatingly.

"Heh… I need a place to swing a sword. If it's not a bother, I'd like to join the Second Swordsmanship Club."