Ch.37Unexpected Misfits (1)

I ran straight to the park where Sasith was waiting.

“SASIIIIITH!!!!!!”

Sasith was leisurely waiting in the park. Seeing his noble figure, tears suddenly welled up in my eyes.

“SASIIIIITH!!!!!!”

I couldn’t hold back. I roared once more toward Sasith.

“Shut up. You’re being especially idiotic today.”

Sasith looked at me with exasperation.

“Heh. I don’t mind being called an idiot by you at all.”

Ah… that’s right. Sasith had every right to say such things.

“You’re both the object of my faith and my guardian angel.”

The hero who saved me from the crisis of my chastity—that was Sasith.

“…Are you sick or something?”

Sasith looked at me with disgust.

“It was really dangerous. You sent that text at just the right time.”

I said to Sasith.

“What are you talking about, Shota?”

Sasith asked.

“You’re curious because your friend was in danger, right?”

I looked at Sasith with warm eyes.

“N-not really!!! That’s not it!! I was just checking on a comrade’s status!!”

Sasith shouted, his face turning red. Still working hard to maintain that tsundere act today, I see.

Well, what’s there to hide between friends? I explained what had happened today.

“…So it’s come to this.”

Sasith sighed as he spoke.

“Shota. It seems… your violation is only a matter of time.”

Sasith coldly analyzed the situation.

“I know…”

Eri was already practically living with me, and I had the feeling that after today’s incident, Umi would also be closing the distance rapidly. Honestly, if I got caught up in the mood, I might do something I’d regret. I had that ominous premonition.

When my clothes were being stripped off earlier, I caught the look in Umi and Eri’s eyes. For the first time, I faced the gaze of predators eyeing their prey.

I even thought about closing the door when I sleep… or maybe locking it.

“It’s not my problem… but I hope it doesn’t affect your work.”

Sasith said.

Not his problem… that’s factually correct, but still harsh.

“Many clubs fall apart because of romantic relationships…”

Sasith muttered. His tone was strangely dark. What’s that about? Speaking from experience?

“Anyway, the situation has reached its worst. Even if you choose one of them now, the problem won’t be solved.”

Sasith said.

“Yeah…”

I couldn’t predict what the rejected ones might do. And I didn’t want to know.

“But you can’t reject all of them either.”

Right. Even if I chose to accept all of them, I had a strong feeling that a future involving knives would unfold.

“Sasith… what should I do…”

I desperately turned to my only male friend.

“Flee overseas.”

Sasith said in a dead serious tone.

“What do you mean flee overseas?!!!”

Are you seriously talking nonsense?! For a moment, I almost went with the flow and replied, “Hmm… that sounds plausible. Clever move.”

“In the end, there’s only one option left. Just tell them you want to date all three. They’ll probably come to despise you, right? Their feelings for you should fade away. Women hate players.”

Sasith finally spat out the last remaining option.

“Ohhh… that’s not bad?”

The idea of lowering their affection was innovative.

Well… I felt a bit reluctant. Being a man, I didn’t dislike the situation where beautiful women liked me. If they came to despise or hate me, it would hurt a little.

“But… three? Isn’t it just Eri and Umi?”

I asked Sasith.

“You…”

Sasith looked at me as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Tai… never mind. Just go get stabbed.”

Then, Sasith said something that could be considered too harsh depending on how you heard it.

“What are you saying!! Sasith!!!”

I immediately clung to Sasith.

“Get off!! This is disgusting between men!!!”

Sasith desperately tried to shake me off.

Anyway, I felt somewhat healed.

‘Men really are more comfortable with each other…’

Having been thoroughly exhausted by the catfight, my mind was quite worn out. Because of that, I found deep satisfaction in the dry relationship between men.

——–

Anyway, today I went monster hunting with Sasith again.

“KIEEEEEEEK!!!!”

I threw myself right into the middle of the enemy territory swarming with monsters, along with Pinocchio.

“URYAAAAH!!!!”

Immediately after, I swung my sword widely.

SWOOSH-!!

The body of one monster in front of me was cut clean in half.

“GRRRAAAH!!!”

Another monster swung its arm, aiming for the back of my head.

“MASTER!!!!”

Pinocchio immediately threw himself to block the blow. Now that’s a friend shield!!!

“DIE!!!”

SWOOSH-!!!!

Taking advantage of the opportunity Pinocchio created, I slashed the waist of the monster that had tried to attack me from behind.

Though I was only level 7, there was something called practical experience that couldn’t be measured by XP. My skills had definitely improved from daily kendo practice.

“MIRAKIN!!!!”

Sasith immediately summoned his Psychorobo.

“THUNDER!!!!!”

Then, spears of lightning fell from the sky.

CRACKLE-!!!!

As the lightning scorched the ground, the monsters’ bodies turned pitch black.

“………”

While I was swinging my sword and cutting down enemies one by one with effort, Sasith just scratched his belly, summoned his Psychorobo, and cast magic.

I felt an incredible sense of emptiness. Along with that came overwhelming ‘jealousy.’

“Sasith. If I kill you and eat your corpse, do you think I could ‘inherit’ your power?”

I found myself having dangerous thoughts.

“Are we titans or something?!!”

Sasith immediately objected.

This guy gets the reference, as expected. I thought he had otaku tastes, and I was right. Strictly speaking, he probably got into subculture because of his chuunibyou. That type of otaku watches anime secretly. If you actually call them an otaku, they get angry. They are otaku, but since otaku aren’t cool by chuunibyou standards, they grit their teeth and deny it.

How do I know this so well? Because I was the same.

———-

Anyway, after finishing today’s monster hunt, Sasith and I said goodbye and parted ways.

“Um… if you feel your chastity is too threatened, you can take refuge at my place. I live alone.”

Sasith’s parting concern was a bonus.

“No. This is my battle. I’ll handle it myself.”

However, I couldn’t just keep relying on Sasith’s help. I said with a gallant smile.

“I think you’re just going to get thoroughly devoured…”

Sasith looked at me worriedly.

Anyway, I was about to head home.

The time was 1:30 AM.

Originally, I had planned to hunt until 2 AM, but Umi and Eri had texted me to come home early.

So, I was on my way home.

“Arigiri Shota. Nice to meet you.”

As I heard a husky voice, I turned my head.

A trio in bizarre outfits blocked my way.

I immediately knew who they were.

‘No way… why are they…’

They were executives of the cult-like organization known as ‘Apocalypse.’

They were also Psychorobo awakeners, but with twisted ideologies. These guys knew that if the encroachment from the other world disappeared, their Psychorobo abilities would vanish. So, to maintain their powers, they sided with the monsters and accelerated the erosion of the other world.

The mastermind from the other world used these guys as pawns to try to destroy the world.

In short, they were rotten villains.

‘Originally, hints about them would gradually appear during the second dungeon conquest… and they would start becoming hostile around the third dungeon conquest.’

That was the flow in the original work. There was no reason to meet them here.

Their levels were also the same as when they would appear as bosses.

‘Level: 30’

‘Level: 45’

‘Level: 60’

These were overwhelmingly high levels that I couldn’t even dream of challenging now. If I just rushed in, I’d be sent to the afterlife in three seconds.

“Apocalypse… why are you here?”

I muttered, gripping my weapon tightly. I couldn’t afford to be underestimated. I needed to bluff to extend my life.

“How do you know our organization’s name?”

One of the executives, Jack, muttered. Wearing a tiger mask and dressed in wrestling attire, he was clearly insane. As is often the case with this type of muscle man, he was the weakest of the three kings. Only level 30.

“Hmm… so you have some intelligence network. Interesting.”

Another executive, Emoto, looked at me. Spinning a jack knife, he was clearly dangerous. And he really was dangerous—a murderer who killed people for fun. He was number two, level 45.

“Fuhuhu. What an interesting man. How amusing.”

And… the man who could be called the strongest executive, Shoji, smiled as he spoke. As expected of the strongest, he had narrow eyes. His narrowly slit eyes gave an ominously strange feeling. Though small in stature, it was clear he was well-trained. His level was a whopping 60.

“Why have you graced me with your presence? Want to be friends?”

I said that while trying to find an escape route.

However, the trio had completely blocked me in the alley. There was no angle for escape.

Moreover, the current time was 1:30 AM. Everyone could still bring out their Psychorobos. It would be troublesome if these guys started summoning theirs.

‘Huh…? I think I’m screwed?’

Honestly, I couldn’t help thinking that.

“Let me be direct. Join our Apocalypse.”

The narrow-eyed one, no, Shoji, smiled as he spoke to me.

What kind of development is this?

I tried hard to hide my confusion.