48. Magic, Mischief, Forest Area Skirmish, and a Spicy Surprise.

Kouske's POV

Today has been quite busy. Momo just left, and Lavinia won't be home tonight; they're having a girls' night or something. Only Sakuya and I are here. I'm thinking of heading to the gangsters to check on their progress.

When I went there, they were having a party with alcohol, cigarettes, and all. As I approached, someone in their drunken state tried to stop me.

"Hey! Stop right there. Who are you, motherfucker!?" shouted a young teenage boy with a Sokuhatsu (Yakuza cut) haircut, and bloodshot eyes, probably from excessive drugs, as he caught and pulled on my shirt collar after spitting on the ground.

He seemed like a young enthusiast, eager to emulate the yakuza lifestyle, fueled by youth and hot blood. Not that I care.

I delivered a backhanded slap, snapping him out of his drunken stupor. A few teeth went flying. In the midst of his attempt to strike me again, the boss swiftly took notice, hurrying over and administering another slap to the young boy's opposite cheek. Horrified and dumbfounded, he was ushered away by the others.

"Sorry, boss! Forgive him. He's just a newcomer!" Yama pleaded, bowing his head nervously. Acknowledging Yama's usefulness, I decided to overlook the incident.

"How is your search progressing?" I inquired.

"We've been looking, but it's not easy. We may need more time. We're searching for that Asia Argento girl in every Vatican orphanage that would react to the device you gave us. But we still haven't found her; the same is true for the others. However, we are getting reactions to the device from many other different people," Yama explained.

"Oh. Who are they?" I asked.

"Umm... We haven't really kept their information," Yama admitted, looking down.

I raised my eyebrows at him, realizing it was my fault for not instructing them to inform me about others reacting to it.

"Find those people and let me know. And inform me promptly if you discover more," I instructed before leaving the place.

When I got home, Sakuya had already started making dinner, so I joined her in the kitchen. After enjoying our meal, we both headed to bed.

The next day, however, held a bit of a surprise.

*

*

*

After having breakfast, I headed to school alone, knowing that Lavinia and the others would join me later.

After school, on my way home, Momo approached me.

"Kouske-kun! W-would you like to visit my house?" Momo asked, her face slightly red.

I was momentarily surprised, but then I realized it could be related to Sona. How could I not detect Sona's amateurish attempt to tail us yesterday?

"Sure," I said with a bright smile.

"Nn."

'I will be home late today,' I conveyed to Sakuya through our telepathic link.

'OK, Kouske-sama,' replied Sakuya in the same manner.

Her house was as big as I remember. The house was nicely furnished with fancy furniture, pictures, and some plants. It had a cozy feeling to it. But it was my first time coming inside.

When we arrived, some maids served us tea and snacks. It seems her parents are still at work and are not at home. After some time, she took me to her room.

"Kouske-kun, I want you to meet a friend of mine who wants to know you...But she's a..... devil. Would you be willing to meet her?" asks Momo a bit meekly.

"Sure. I don't see a problem... as long as she doesn't try to take my soul!" I say, giving her a serious look, trying to calm her down a bit.

"N-no! She's not like that. She won't try anything like that..... I think," says Momo hurriedly.

"Hmm... But why does she want to meet me?" I inquire.

"She's intrigued because she heard I was learning magic from you," Momo explains.

I give her an inquisitive gaze.

"I only mentioned our learning sessions. Nothing else!" she says, a bit flustered.

"It's okay, Momo-chan. Go ahead and call her," I reply with a kind smile.

"Then I will summon her," says Momo.

Then she brings out a pamphlet and directs magic through it as it lights up in bluish light with the Sitri Clan magic circle.

After a while, a cute young girl comes into view who is the younger version of Sona, which even I can tell at first glance, even though I'm seeing her for the first time.

"Hello. I'm Sona Sitri. Nice to meet you," says Sona as she maintains an elegant tone and posture.

While I, on the other hand, just stare at her. She looks cute. A chibi So-tan in Serafall's language. Her cheeks look so fluffy and bubbly. I just want to pinch them right now. Now, I understand why Sera was so obsessed with her. She's just so adorable trying to keep up the adult act.

"Hello. I'm Kouske Miyamura. It's nice meeting you." I say it with a smile.

"Nn."

"So, Sitri-san, what was it that you wanted to know about me?" I inquire.

"Miyamura-san, I heard that you were teaching Momo magic. But why is it that I can't sense any magic from you?" Sona asked skeptically.

I released a bit of my mana, reaching only the peak of Low-Class rank, still considerably high for our age. Sona seemed convinced that I wasn't deceiving her friend.

"May I ask where you learned magic? What's your affiliation?" Sona continued.

"You really ask a lot of questions for a first meeting," I bluntly remark with a raised look, making Sona a bit embarrassed.

"Umm... Sorry if it was inappropriate," says Sona, looking down.

"No, it's alright. About my affiliation, I'm from Akatsuki, if that satisfies your curiosity," I reply.

She looks satisfied and smiles, probably assuming it's a small-time ragtag group since she hasn't heard much of it... yet.

"Thank you for indulging me. Shall we make ourselves comfortable? How about playing a game? Chess, perhaps?" Sona suggests innocently.

Both Momo and I sigh simultaneously, earning us a furious look from Sona.

"But I do not know how to play chess," I admit, genuinely clueless about the game. I never once played chess in either this life or the previous one.

"It's alright. I will teach you. It's a great game," Sona says excitedly.

We spent the next few hours chatting and playing chess. The three of us engaged in casual conversation.

After enduring Sona's intense chess matches, I head back, having lost every single one. I must admit, that's one smug loli.

Losing to a little girl doesn't feel great, but unlike her, I don't take the game too seriously. After all, no one can be perfect at everything. I think to myself, attempting to most likely convince myself.

*

*

*

I am having dinner at my house. Sakuya prepared curry—a bit spicy but undeniably tasty. I relish the bold flavor of the spices. Lavinia, on the other hand, while enjoying it, is huffing and puffing with tears forming in her eyes, yet persistently continues to eat. Sakuya is taking care of her. It's a slightly comedic scene.

It turns out Lavinia herself wanted to try ULTRA spicy curry and asked Sakuya specifically to make it. Upon my return, the food was already prepared, setting the stage for this amusing dining experience.

Observing Lavinia's reaction, it's clear she won't be attempting spicy foods for a while. She heads to bed early today, with Sakuya accompanying her. Meanwhile, I plan to go dungeon diving.

Before leaving, Sakuya handed me a warm cup of milk. Though I didn't react much, she must have known my insides were burning right now. As a dragon, I shouldn't be so pathetic. Silently, I thanked Sakuya.

Upon entering the dungeon, I begin hunting various monsters, deploying most of my familiars to hunt in groups across different locations, including the newly contracted ones from before.

The Forest Area is vast, and I'm still exploring its expanse. It contains humongous-sized trees and diverse fauna.

I utilize the opportunity to practice some of my new abilities, including Search, Touki, Marionette Mastery, and Gravity Manipulation. Marionette Mastery proves to be quite versatile; when I infuse mana into it, it becomes tougher and sharper, capable of cutting through most things. Touki is also impressive; even though I haven't achieved full control or leveled it up, it already enhances my physical power by up to 80%. Everything is going well.

*snap*

Suddenly, my vision turns behind me, accompanied by a solid snapping sound. It takes a moment to realize that it's my neck cracking. Someone has twisted it behind my back, and though the pain comes in late, it's a constant ache after the instant snap.

What I saw was utterly disgusting. In front of me was a hideous-looking monkey, grinning widely at my imminent demise, perched on something resembling poop. However, what made me most disgusted were his glowing... testicles.

They were freaking glowing, and he proudly displayed them to the world. Almost instantly, my neck began healing, and my head started turning in the opposite direction. So, I quickly used Observe on him.

Ballboons (C): Unique monkeys, sport lanky bodies with dark, ruffled fur and web-like coats covering specific areas. Notably, they feature large, bright-toned hands and feet with dark nails, accompanied by a long, powerful tail. Their distinctiveness lies in the large, shining pair of testicles resembling high-quality jewelry.

- Powers: Possess "Vision"—advanced sensory perception and foresight. Additionally, they can transform into a smaller, lankier form by covering themselves in organic webbing. Noteworthy is their ability to produce Flying Nimbutts, large gaseous feces solid enough for transportation, making them unique in their capabilities.

Meeting an Ultimate Class being so suddenly left me shocked. Once fully healed, he appeared in front of me, looking at me with dubious confusion, witnessing my unexpected survival.

*whoosh*

His speed was astonishing, almost like instant teleportation, leaving me unable to react. He then emitted an angry sound, his eyes turning red.

*howl*

Suddenly, he smacked me with his... testicles? Boosted into one of the humongous tree branches, I broke it in half upon impact, blood and air escaping from my mouth and stomach, confusion clouding my mind.

The monkey reappeared instantly in his Flying Nimbutt, emitting a nauseating odor, and began assaulting me with his giant limbs, attempting to smash me to paste while laughing and making unsettling sounds.

I couldn't think clearly, and he smirked while proudly displaying his testicles. Intense rage boiled inside me—did he really just smack me with his testicles?

I charged at him, enveloped in Touki, Night Sky Blade in hand. My attempt to strike was met with agile evasion, accompanied by mocking laughter as he skillfully dodged.

His evasive maneuvers continued, each dodge followed by a retaliatory smack that only fueled my frustration. It seemed as if he could anticipate all my moves before I even executed them. Dealing with someone who has foresight always proves to be quite troublesome in a fight.

Resorting to Marionette Mastery, I deployed its strings infused with a surge of mana, while simultaneously applying Petrification and the Absorption Lines, which constantly drain and hold him. The combination partially worked, slowing him down amidst the unfolding clash.

Then, I infused Blaze Black Flames into the entwined strings. The flames ignited, and his soul began to burn. However, the hold proved fleeting as he quickly escaped my grasp.

He retaliated fiercely, striking with immense anger. My attempt to block with Touki-covered hands proved futile, as they simply shattered, leaving me engulfed in intense pain and escalating anger.

The relentless battle persisted, and in a pivotal moment, I used Time Magic. A round, sizable ash colored orb enveloped him, freezing him in time, adorned with intricate runes encircling the suspended orb.

With him frozen and offering no resistance, I swiftly conjured multiple weapons, each designed to amplify pain manifold, all cloaked in the searing embrace of Blaze Black Flare.

Having inflicted sufficient injury and weakness, I released him. A hellish outcry echoed as pain consumed him. With a mocking smile, I tormented him using each weapon, slowly causing more harm. After enduring this for what felt like an eternity, I sealed his fate by burning him to death.

Nothing but his ashes remained, and I decided to rid myself of the nauseatingly smelly Flying Nimbutt by burning it as well. Finally, I addressed the two in my head who had been trying to get my attention all this time, particularly Clarice.

"Have you finally calmed down?" inquired Vritra with a composed tone.

"Nn."

[Are you okay?] asked Clarice, concern evident in her voice.

"I am fine. It's just that monkey was extremely annoying," I said with anger lacing my speech.

"That was a disgusting thing. It was my first time seeing something like that," remarked Vritra.

"Aren't Ballboons from the Toriko world? Does that mean one of those eight kings might also be here?" I asked Clarice, my extreme concern evident in my tone.

I'm definitely still not prepared to face those world-ending beings, potentially on par with or even stronger than Great Red. Just contending with that mob caused me immense pain and trouble.

[No. You won't find them here. They might be in future dungeons, but not in this one. However, this one may contain their descendants, or monsters of the same species as them,] Clarice replied, alleviating my tension.

"That's a relief. I don't know what I would have done if I met one of them. Let's go back for today then," I replied.

Recalling all my familiars, I noticed a significant increase in their power since our initial contracts. Many now hold a Mid-Class (intermediate) power level. Sensing my own power on the rise, it seemed I might officially enter the High-Class power level within a few days. With that, I left the place and headed back home.

Lavinia was already asleep, but Sakuya seemed to be waiting for me. We chatted for a while, and then I also went to bed.

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That haircut is called Sokuhatsu or Mahawk or something, right?]