Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest: Short Stories (Premium) Page 13

  “Stupid Hajime-kun! How come you’re always surrounded by women!? Don’t you know how much I love you!? Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

  Red-faced, Shea started lecturing the tree they were sitting under. Tio, on the other hand, had lost her usual perverted nature by getting drunk and was acting surprisingly seductive. Yue was throwing a tantrum because Hajime wasn’t looking only at her, while Kaori was bawling incessantly and poking Hajime with her staff.

  “How did this happen...?” Hajime muttered, shaking his head. He looked at the empty bottles scattered around their picnic area. He’d had a couple of bottles of high-proof alcohol that he’d mostly meant to use as a disinfectant, but the girls had found the taste quite to their liking, and before long they’d all gotten drunk. Incidentally, Myu had already evacuated to the safety of the upper tree branches. She watched the other girls with barely concealed disgust.

  “H-Hey, Tio. Get off of me. You’re making Yue cry.”

  “So you can’t make Yue cry, but you don’t care if you make me cry?”

  “You’re a pervert who likes being ignored, anyway.”

  Hajime insulted Tio like usual, but this time the results were not what he was expecting.

  “Sob. Sniffle. How could you be so cruel? But if that is what you wish, Master, I shall oblige.”

  Tio backed away, looking like she was about to break down. This isn’t what your personality’s supposed to be like! Hajime shouted in his mind. He couldn’t help but feel guilty when he saw how devastated Tio looked.

  “Also, Kaori, shut up! And stop stabbing me with your staff! That actually hurts, you know! How’d get so good at hurting people when you’re supposed to be a healer anyway!?”

  “Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, Hajime-kun told me to shut uuuuuup! I hate you Hajime-kuuuuuuuuuun! How come you don’t understand me!?”

  Kaori unleashed a powerful three-pronged thrust, with each thrust aiming for one of Hajime’s vitals. The first went for his forehead, the second for his throat, and the third for his heart. What the hell!? Since when did you become a Rurouni Kenshin character? Hajime desperately blocked all three thrusts with his prosthetic arm. At the same time, he fired an anchor from a slot in his arm and wrapped it around Kaori’s body. Though he succeeded in binding her with it, she retaliated by casting Binding Chains of Light against him. Hajime quickly scooped up Yue, who was clinging to him, and leaped out of the way. Misunderstanding the situation entirely, Yue buried her face in Hajime’s chest and squealed, “Oh Hajime, you’re so rough.”

  “Now that Master has abandoned me... my only hope is to force myself onto him,” Tio muttered quietly to herself. Coming to a decision, she got to her feet and loosened her kimono sash. Then, she started stripping in broad daylight. Meanwhile, Kaori continued spamming binding spells at Hajime. Her magic was surprisingly precise despite her bawling her eyes out. On the other hand, Yue wrapped her arms and legs around Hajime, losing herself in her delusions. Unfazed by all the commotion, Shea continued lecturing the tree.

  “Daddy, everyone’s going crazy!”

  “Listen up, Myu. Make sure that if you ever drink alcohol, you never become drunk. Or you’ll end up like the girls here! Promise me you won’t let alcohol control you!”

  “I promise! But you’re the one who gave them the bottles, Daddy!”

  “I know, I’m sorry!”

  It was rare to see the monster of the abyss apologize. That was just how much of a disaster things had become. For the next few hours, Hajime desperately tried to sober the girls up, while Myu cheered him on from her perch in the tree.

  Unforgettable Warmth

  A lone, small figure stood on one of Erisen’s piers at dusk, enjoying the sea breeze. As Erisen was surrounded by ocean, there were piers at every edge of the city. However, the pier this figure always came to was the one that faced the continent. And it would always stand there for hours, looking forlornly out to sea. As if thinking of someone. As if waiting for someone. Quietly, all alone, the figure would watch. That figure was, of course, none other than the little girl Myu. And she was surprisingly famous within Erisen. People had already known her before, since she was the daughter of the beautiful Remia, but after a certain recent incident, her fame had grown.

  Today, to the spectators’ surprise, Myu sat down at the edge of the pier. Normally she’d just stand there, so naturally, the other residents were a little worried.

  “You think Myu-chan’s okay?”

  “She’s been like this every day since those guys left.”

  “Damn that white-haired brat. How dare he make Myu-chan sad!”

  “You said it! I’m so jealous Myu calls him— I mean, I can’t believe he left her even though she calls him Daddy!”

  “Yeah, that guy’s a disgrace to fathers everywhere. If I were Myu’s dad, I’d never leave her alone like this. In fact, maybe I should become—”

  “Yeah right, no way Remia’s gonna marry a guy like you! You barely even make any money, you layabout! Know your goddamn place!”

  “I know that’s true, but can’t you be nicer about it, man? You’re hurting me here!”

  The young dagon man who wished to be Myu’s new father sighed forlornly and vanished into the sea. He wanted to go somewhere to cry in peace. The other dagons ignored him and turned their thoughts to Hajime. The man who’d suddenly appeared in Erisen and the man who Myu called Daddy. Worse, Remia didn’t seem all that opposed to marrying him. The men who’d all been fighting each other behind the scenes to earn the right to propose to Remia had all been shocked to learn she was considering remarrying an outsider. God, they hated that white-haired eye-patch wearing brat.

  Not only had he destroyed one of their piers with a single stomp of his foot, he’d had brought an entire harem with him. One of whom was a legendary black dragon. Plus, he used his overwhelming power to intimidate anyone who annoyed him even slightly and didn’t hesitate to shoot people with rubber bullets.

  “Man, that guy was scary...”

  “Yeah, talking with him shaved a few years off my life.”

  “Yeah, you complain even a little around him and he snaps. What an asshole.”

  “Tell me about it. All we did was try to make pitfalls for him to fall into, or rip holes in his swimsuit. They were just harmless pranks, but he went ballistic on us.”

  “I just tried to feed him some rotten fish and he blasted me with electricity so strong it sent me flying across town. I can’t believe he has such a short temper!”

  Hajime had taught them how terrifying he could be, but the guys were trying to overcome their fear of him by insulting him. None of them realized the women of Erisen were all giving them disgusted looks. Nor did they realize a certain young girl had overheard them either.

  “Are you guys talking about Daddy?”

  “Whoaaa!?”

  “Myu-chan!? How long have you been listening!?”

  The guys all jumped in surprise. Myu looked up at the men with an innocent smile, the same smile that had charmed all of Erisen. But despite how cute she looked, there was something terrifying about her expression.

  “What were you saying about Daddy?” Myu asked again, and the men hesitated. Of course, none of them would dare insult Hajime in front of Myu. But they didn’t want to praise the man who’d stolen their beloved Remia, either.

  They tried to come up with a way to change the subject, but before they could, Myu said, “Oh, I know! You were talking about that time you tried to fight Daddy, but he sent you flying without even looking at you! That was super funny!”

  “Gah!”

  The man who’d been sent flying clutched his chest, his pride in tatters.

  “Huh? You weren’t talking about that? Oh, I know then! You were talking about the time you tried to play a mean prank on Daddy and got sent flying, right? That was funny too! Even Mommy laughed at you guys! She said you were ‘pitiful’!”

  “Bwagh!?”

  “Eeeeeeek!”

  The
guys who’d tried to prank Hajime clutched their chests as well. Still smiling, Myu continued gunning down the dagon youths. The men whose pride hadn’t been shredded yet slowly backed away, cold sweat pouring down their back. But Myu had no intention of letting her prey escape. She took a few steps forward, and the men started trembling. Her beloved Daddy had taught her to show no mercy to her enemies.

  “Hmmm, but what does ‘pitiful’ mean?”

  Myu cocked her head quizzically, then looked around at the men she’d either downed or chased to a corner of the pier. After seeing them all tremble in fear she nodded to herself with a smile.

  “I got it! It means you’re pathetic, like Uncle!”

  The word “pathetic” echoed in the men’s minds over and over. Anyone left standing slumped to the ground, defeated. All of the men looked crushed. A four-year-old girl had just called them pathetic. Little wonder their spirits had been shattered.

  Myu walked over to the collapsed men and poked them with her finger. Hajime had taught her not to let her guard down until she was certain her foes had been destroyed.

  “No reaction. Just like a corpse!”

  Still smiling, Myu turned on her heel and trotted off. All that was left on the pier was a heap of corpses and the pleasant sea breeze. Though the onlooking women didn’t sympathize with the men in the slightest, they couldn’t help but shiver slightly. Before she’d been kidnapped, Myu had been a rather spoiled girl, one who cried easily and got lonely often. But now she’d emotionally destroyed a group of grown men. She sure had grown.

  As Myu ran back home, people on the street called out to her.

  “Yo, Myu-chan! You sure are energetic today!” “Hey Myu-chan, want some candy?” “Ah, Myu! Don’t run, it’s dangerous!”

  All of them were kind to her in their own way. While Myu didn’t slow down, she did make sure to respond to everyone who greeted her. Manners were important, after all.

  Like with all other beastmen, the dagon community was tight-knit. Everyone loved all of Erisen’s children like they were their own. However, Myu was showered with even more affection than the other kids. Part of the reason was that she’d suffered quite a traumatic experience after she’d been kidnapped, but the main reason was that Myu was just a friendly child. She was always smiling at other people, and despite her tendency to cry easily, she was surprisingly strong. She had a natural knack for attracting people. The sun had nearly set by the time Myu returned home, and she could smell dinner.

  “I’m back!”

  “My, welcome home, Myu. Did you go to the pier again today?” Remia asked Myu with a smile.

  Myu nodded, then tottered over to the counter and craned her head to see what was on the plates. It appeared today’s dinner was salad, soup, and meat skewers. Her eyes sparkled as she took in the feast that awaited.

  “I still have to grill the meat, but do you want to eat now?”

  “We can’t do that Mommy. I need to take a bath first.”

  “My, is that so?”

  Myu nodded with a serious face, and Remia chuckled.

  “You really like baths, don’t you, Myu?”

  “Baths are the greatest invention of mankind!”

  “Ufufufu. I see.”

  Considering how many big words Myu had just used, Remia had no doubt that was one of “Daddy’s” pet sayings. Incidentally, dagons rarely ever took baths. They were more accustomed to showers. Since their bodies were adapted to swimming in the ocean, they didn’t mind cold temperatures. While warmer water might feel a little better, the marginal benefits weren’t worth the time and effort. However, Remia’s house contained a bath. The genius Synergist Hajime had built one for his beloved daughter. The bath was a high-tech one that filled with warm water in less than a minute.

  Mother and daughter took off their clothes and entered the bathtub. The warm water healed the pair, washing away the exhaustion of the day. Remia sighed in contentment as she let her body soak. Had any of Remia’s admirers seen her then, they would no doubt have gotten a nosebleed. On the other hand, Myu excitedly jumped into the bathtub and splashed around.

  “Whew, that hits the spot!”

  “Oh my...”

  Remia did not doubt that rather old-fashioned turn of phrase was something Myu had picked up from Hajime as well. The way Myu lounged in the bath was reminiscent of how old men relaxed as well, and though Remia tried to teach her daughter better bath manners, she didn’t have much success. Once the duo was finished with their bath, Myu ran over to the fridge Hajime had transmuted for them and grabbed a bottle of milk. Naturally, she spread her legs apart and downed the bottle in one go, as was customary. By the time she was done, she had a tiny milk mustache on her face.

  “Pwah! This is what I live for!”

  “Oh my, this might be quite a problem.”

  It appeared Myu had picked up a ton of bad habits from Hajime. Remia’s smile grew stern, but she decided to save lecturing her daughter for after dinner. She finished grilling the meat as her daughter waited impatiently for dinner. Since today’s dinner was meat skewers, the meat had to be put on the skewer before Myu was willing to eat it. Once Remia had skewered the meat to Myu’s satisfaction, the little girl started eating like a starved wolf.

  “Skewers after a bath are one of life’s greatest joys!”

  Remia’s smile grew stern again. She would need to have a word with Hajime when he returned. While she may have approved of Hajime, she did not approve of the habits he was teaching her daughter.

  But for Myu, this nightly ritual was her way of remembering. Remembering the day Hajime had saved her from those cruel slavers, and the day she’d experienced this warmth for the first time. She’d never forget that for the rest of her life. Nor would she forget the strength and kindness of her beloved Daddy and her beloved onee-chans.

  Chapter II: Arifureta Magic Academy Compilation

  Arifureta Magic Academy I: Special After School Lessons

  A blazing sunset shone its orange rays into a hallway. The dying light of the sun cast long shadows everywhere it touched. In this dim twilight that brought about feelings of sorrow, security, and just a hint of mystery, the inside of the school was quiet, devoid of people. Only the faint sounds of sports club members practicing outside could still be heard.

  All of the classroom doors lining the hallway were closed. This peaceful school was actually a magic academy, located in a certain country of a certain parallel world. Unlike most, it wasn’t restricted to only nobles, and opened its doors to commoners and even beastmen. So long as one could pass the entrance exam, they would be accepted. Thus, this school had become this world’s largest magic academy.

  Inside what should have been an empty classroom in this massive school were two figures. One was a young boy with white hair and an eyepatch. He was gripping his pen tightly as he looked down at his desk, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. He appeared terribly nervous, like he was facing down a ferocious beast and trying to find an opening with which to escape in.

  “H-Hey, Sensei. I’ve finished the assignment you gave me, so can I go home now?” The white haired student, Hajime Nagumo, explained to the source of his stress that he’d finished his supplementary lessons.

  “Hmm, nope. You’re not done yet.” Though she spoke little, the teacher’s voice had a surprising amount of force behind it. And though she was his instructor, she looked young enough to be a student. Everything about her, from her appearance to her actions, had a subtle layer of seductiveness to it.

  In truth, she was a three-hundred-year old vampire who was older than most adults. Her blouse had a very low cut, and her eyes seemed to be inviting you behind the wire-thin glasses she was wearing. To make matters worse, the way she kept crossing and uncrossing her stocking-clad legs was just too alluring. The effect was further multiplied by her perfect figure, golden-blonde hair, and ruby-red eyes.

  “Wait, why not? I finished my assignment, even though it made no sense, so hurry up and let me
go home.” Hajime thrust his finished assignment paper in front of Yue. Every single question was filled out. However, it was the questions themselves that were rather questionable. For example:

  1.) What kind of girl is your type?

  2.) What do you think of older women?

  3.) Do you believe forbidden love can ever work out?

  The questions went on along those lines. None of them seemed in any way related to a magic curriculum. It was obvious this teacher was only interested in seducing the poor male student sitting before her.

  “No. I need to check your answers first.”

  “Aren’t I the only one that’d be able to tell if they’re right or not? I mean, it’s not like I lied about my answers.”

  “I’m just going to make sure... by examining your body.”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait just a minute. Control yourself, you sex-starved teacher.”

  Yue straddled Hajime and began licking him all over. Her lust was truly insatiable. She lifted her skirt up just a little, so Hajime could catch a glimpse of what lay beneath. That, combined with the soft sensation of her body resting on his knees, her slender arms caressing the back of his neck, and her sweet scent... all started to overwhelm his rationality.

  Seconds before Hajime resigned himself to entering an illicit relationship with his teacher, they were interrupted.

  “The hero arrives! Stop right there, Yue-sensei! I won’t allow you to break the Hajime Nagumo anti-monopoly law!” With a thunderous bang, Shea Haulia, another student, flung open the poor classroom door with enough force to break it. Hajime was about to protest this law he’d never even heard of, but Yue pushed his head into her breasts and responded to Shea’s words instead.

  “Laws were made to be broken.” And so, Hajime’s protest died in his throat. Instead, he just enjoyed the sensation of being smothered between Yue’s breasts.

  “Nnngh, stubborn as always, I see! Then I suppose I’ll have to do things the hard way! Body strengthening, full power! I’ll take Hajime back by force if I have to!”