— — — — — —
Kazuma stood still in the middle of the training ground. The surrounding girls automatically stepped back, forming a loose circle around him.
"You can go first. Attack however you like."
He didn't bother taking a stance—no guard, no tension—just stood there casually, his posture relaxed and unguarded.
"Okay…"
Rita's expression slowly hardened. For the first time since arriving here, she felt that familiar sensation she once had in the lab.
Finally, something she was good at.
She began circling Kazuma, watching him closely. To her, his whole body was full of openings—too many, in fact.
While Rita looked for her moment to strike, the other girls started chatting on the sidelines.
"How many hits do you think Rita-chan can last?"
"I'm betting five bags of snacks she'll make it past five moves," Enju said confidently.
"Idiot, gambling is bad!" Kayano gave Enju a sharp flick to the forehead. "And weren't all your snacks confiscated by me? Where'd you even get five bags?"
"Uh… maybe I remembered wrong."
Enju clasped her hands behind her back and looked away, humming innocently.
"Spit it out. How much have you actually hidden?"
"I swear, that's all! Those were my last five bags! I'm broke—snackless—ruined!" Enju cried dramatically as Kayano grabbed her cheeks and squished them.
While those two bickered, the others kept their focus on the upcoming fight.
"Rita's ranked twenty-first among Initiators," Tina said. "Unlike me, who specializes in long-range sniping, she's an all-rounder. Strong, fast, and skilled at close combat. Honestly, she's pretty amazing."
"I think she can totally hold out for five moves."
"No way," Kayo said calmly, flipping open her little notebook already filled with neat, analytical notes. "If what Tina said is true, then Guildmaster will just get slightly serious, and it'll end in one move."
"But if Rita's a bit weaker than that, he might humor her for a bit longer," Tina said again.
"I agree," Kayo added thoughtfully, tapping her pen. "The fight will be decided in a single blow. Rita's going all-in on offense right now, leaving no room for defense. If she gets hit even once, she'll lose instantly."
"No, no," Sanae said, raising her hand. "I think he'll beat her while she's attacking. There's a saying for that… something about your strongest moment being your weakest… um…"
"When a person believes they're at their strongest, that's often when they're most powerless," Kayo supplied smoothly.
"Right, that! That's what I meant! I think he'll win the second Rita attacks."
Sanae was born with what everyone jokingly called the Ultimate Shield—she had a deep understanding of defense, and more importantly, how to break it. She could always spot an enemy's weakest point in an instant.
Louise and the others listened to the chatter with growing confusion.
Why did everyone just assume Kazuma would win?
Rita was strong. Rank 21, undefeated in missions, so strong that even the sisters working together couldn't beat her.
She was Pluto!
So why did everyone think Kazuma would win, without question?
They got their answer a few seconds later.
After circling for a while, Rita finally moved.
She'd seen dozens of "openings" on Kazuma's body. Too many. He was practically begging to be hit.
She hesitated for a moment—then launched her attack.
In a flash, her small frame exploded with terrifying power, the air around her distorting from sheer force.
She struck with everything she had—speed and strength combined into one perfect killing blow.
The shockwave ripped through the air, sending dust and wind swirling around the arena.
Kazuma didn't even flinch.
"Not bad," he said lightly. "Very scientific approach to fighting… but unfortunately, we don't do science here."
"We do magic. And a bit of swagger."
He smiled faintly. "Kid, keep practicing your Six Powers and build your own fighting style someday. Oh, and remember—this is sparring, not killing. The guild isn't your old research lab. Try to relax and get used to life here."
He lifted one hand—just one—and casually caught her full-power punch.
No special technique, no counter. Just… caught it.
The massive impact vanished the instant his palm touched her fist, like her strength had dissolved into thin air.
To anyone watching, it looked like a little girl had thrown a tantrum and hit his chest with a soft punch.
"You're not going to hit me back?" Rita asked blankly, staring up at him with cold, puzzled eyes.
If he attacked now, she'd lose instantly.
"That's the difference between sparring and fighting," Kazuma said, flicking her forehead gently. "You're still just a loli."
Rita blinked, rubbing her forehead. It didn't hurt—but something deep inside her shifted.
"Sparring… fighting…? What's the difference? And what exactly is a guild? How's it different from the lab?"
Questions she'd never asked before began to form in her mind. For the first time, she wanted to learn—not because she was ordered to, but because she wanted to understand.
"Onii-Chan is amazing!" someone cheered from the sidelines.
"That move he used—it was like the Paper Art technique. He completely relaxed his body to absorb all the impact."
"He could've used Iron Body to block it too, but that would've hurt Rita from the rebound. So he didn't. So gentle…"
Kayo nodded, sketching a little drawing of the scene in her notebook: Kazuma smiling softly, flicking Rita's forehead.
That notebook wasn't just for notes—it was her diary. She kept it close, never letting anyone else see it.
"So cool…"
Louise and the others finally understood why everyone was so confident. Kazuma hadn't just won; he'd done it effortlessly.
"Guildmaster onii-chan is amazing."
"…But, uh, what's a 'loli,' anyway?"
"According to the dictionary, it means a little girl who is weak and cute. They need protection."
"And apparently they tend to attract a strange creature called a 'lolicon.'"
"So… we're lolis? Does that mean we're weak?"
The girls exchanged uneasy glances, realizing that, by definition, they were supposed to be weak and cute.
How were people like that supposed to survive in this world?
They were still pondering that when, later in the afternoon, Kazuma sent a message in the guild chat.
『Kazuma』: "Remember I promised to take you all on a trip to another world? I got a bit busy the last few days, but now we're going!"
『Kazuma』: "Get ready and pack your stuff. If you forget something, it's fine—Miko can prep extras."
『Miko Yotsuya』: "Please, please bring your own toiletries! I can't supply that many at once!"
Miko was chatting with her best friend when the guild notification popped up. She froze, read the message, and immediately typed a panicked reply.
『Kazuma』: "You replied pretty fast. Don't tell me you spend all day lurking in the chat instead of working. No wonder your productivity's in the gutter."
『Kazuma』: "I'm docking your pay."
『Miko』: "You've never paid me in the first place!"
『Kazuma』: "..."
Kazuma tilted his head, genuinely confused. Come to think of it, he couldn't remember ever giving Miko a paycheck.
『Kazuma』: "You've been slacking, you still owe me money, and you dare ask for a salary? Go get to work before I charge you rent."
『Miko』: "Heartless boss!"
『Tina』: "Who is this person? I don't remember seeing her in the guild."
Tina frowned at the unfamiliar name and icon. No one in their guild was called Miko Yotsuya, right? She turned to Enju for answers—if anyone could explain, it'd be the social queen, know-it-all Enju.
『Enju』: "That's Miko. She's completely useless. Can't even finish three missions a month."
『Miko Yotsuya』: "Stop calling me useless! I am trying, you know!"
『Tina』: "Nice to meet you, Useless-Chan. I'm Tina Sprout."
『Miko』: "Tina-chan, hi! I'm Miko. Miko Yotsuya —just call me Miko-oneechan, okay? And, um, please forget about the 'useless' part…"
『Kayo』: "No need to call her oneechan. Everyone just says Miko."
『Tina』: "Okay, Miko."
『Miko』: "I'm happy we're getting along, but why won't anyone acknowledge that I'm older? I am an adult!"
Miko nearly cried.
『Kayano』: "Don't bully Miko like that. Her world is peaceful. Completing three missions a month there is actually impressive."
『Kayano』: "High difficulty or low difficulty doesn't matter. What matters is that she tries."
『Kayano』: "And hard work deserves praise. Miko really does her best."
『Miko』: "Sniff… Kayano-oneesama, can I call you that? Please?"
Tears welled up in Miko's eyes. She'd never felt so small—how had she lost her big sister energy to a ten-year-old girl?
Maybe her name should really be Useless-Chan.
『Kazuma』: "Alright, enough chatter. Time for our otherworld trip!"
『Enju』: "Wait, wait! We can't go unless we've saved enough guild points, right? Rita and Louise don't have enough yet!"
『Enju』: "If that's the case, then I'm not going either. I'll stay with them and go next time."
For all her loud and reckless behavior, Enju truly cared about her friends. She was probably the one who'd been most excited for this trip—yet she was also the first to give it up so no one would be left behind.
Rita and the others stared at the chat, a strange warmth creeping into their chests.
That silly, impulsive Enju—the one who always dragged them off to watch random anime shows—was saying something like that?
"Is this… caring?" Rita whispered.
"Caring. An emotion without logic," she murmured, frowning slightly. "But… it makes my chest feel tight. And my eyes sting a little."
"Is that what partners are supposed to have?"
Rita glanced at Enju's bright, goofy grin and remembered her fight with Kazuma.
If she had to fight Enju now… could she kill her?
No. She couldn't.
"So that's the difference between a duel and a real battle," she thought softly. "...family.... fairy tail."
For the first time, Rita understood why Kazuma hadn't attacked her that day. Because she wasn't his enemy—she was family.
She turned to Louise and the others and suddenly pulled them all into a hug.
"Rita? Why are you hugging us?"
"Are we under attack?"
"Did you receive an order?"
"Or… something else?"
"I don't know. I just felt like it."
The five expressionless, robotic-faced girls stared at one another, then awkwardly returned the embrace.
"It feels weird… but not bad," they all thought at once.
『Rita』: "Don't worry about us. We're used to waiting alone. You can all go on ahead."
『Kayano』: "Rita-chan, what are you saying? A trip only counts as a trip when everyone's there!"
『Kayano』: "If you're not with us, it wouldn't be fun anyway."
『Kayo』: "Agreed. Better to wait a few more days so we can all go together."
One by one, the girls chimed in, insisting they'd stay behind until Rita and the others could come too.
Rita felt something tighten again inside her chest, that strange warmth spreading deeper.
『Kazuma』: "Of course I already planned for that. I'll cover their missing points. Everyone's coming!"
『Enju』: "Onii-Chan, you're the best!"
『Kayo』: "You always think of everything!"
『Kayano』: "So kind and considerate!"
『Sanae』: "So cool!"
『Tina』: "I love you the most!"
『Rita』: "Do I… have to say something too? What should I say?"
『Kayo』: "If you don't show emotional value, people won't like you. They might even throw you away."
『Sanae』: "Kayo, you're so mean! Onii-Chan would never throw us away!"
Rita didn't really understand what "emotional value" meant. But she looked over at Kazuma, hesitated, then quietly walked up and hugged him.
"Mm.."
Her voice was flat, emotionless as ever—but her actions said enough.
The moment she did, the rest of the girls joined in, and within seconds Kazuma disappeared under a mountain of lolis.
"Alright, alright, that's enough! Let's get moving!" he laughed, prying them off.
A shimmer of light enveloped the group, and the world shifted.
When it cleared, they were standing on a quiet residential street—right outside Miko Yotsuya's house.
"Whoa! So many of them!"
"And they're adorable! Even cuter than their profile pictures!"
Miko peeked out the window and nearly squealed. Her heart melted instantly. She threw on her slippers and dashed downstairs.
"Guild Master! Kayano! Enju! Tina! Rita! Sanae! Kayo! Everyone—welcome to my home!" she cried, so excited she bit her tongue mid-sentence.
Kazuma smiled. "Yo, Miko. I've got a mission for you."
"A… mission?"
"You're in charge of babysitting. Take the girls sightseeing, feed them, find them a place to stay—basically make sure they have fun."
He waved a hand. "Don't worry about money. Spend whatever you need. I'll cover it all."
Miko blinked. "Wait, I'm watching the kids? Then what about you?"
"I'll be off recruiting new guild members. Maybe do some PR while I'm at it." He stretched lazily. "Also, I deserve a break. Babysitting's exhausting."
He waved at the group, grinning. "Alright, they're all yours."
And just like that, he vanished—off to enjoy his own little vacation.
.
.
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