Campione Scumbag in Mash-up Anime

The night brought a piercing cold. Ironically, camping was part of their Archery Club's training plan. Unfortunately, an unexpected encounter with a bear on the first day had canceled the entire camping agenda.

Now, the tents meant for their summer training were being used in an unforeseen situation, far from the safety of the planned campsite.

With Umi's help, Ren began setting up tents in a flatter, more sheltered area. They assembled poles and stretched tarps in the darkness, illuminated only by the campfire's glow.

Once four tents stood sturdy, they carefully moved the accident victims inside.

Two tents were allocated for the women. Nanao, Rika, and Yuuna shared one, while Umi and Mafuyu paired up in another.

For the men, Ren assigned one tent to Seiya, Minato, and Ryohei, and another to Coach Takigawa, Kaito, and Nanao. Each tent held three men—cramped, but at least it shielded them from the night's chill.

And Ren?

As he'd once said, he didn't want to sleep with other men. So, he stayed up, claiming he'd keep watch for wild animals.

Of course, he faced objections at first. Mafuyu insisted it was too dangerous, and Kaito offered to take turns keeping watch. But Ren refused with logical reasons.

Thus, Ren spent the night alone by the campfire.

With his extraordinary Campione physiology, going without sleep for days was no issue. His body didn't need rest like a normal human's. The only "problem" he felt was boredom.

"Tonight's moon looks beautiful. You can't see this in Tokyo."

Looking up, Ren admired the splendor above.

The night sky over the ravine was a pitch-black canvas adorned with millions of twinkling stars, like diamonds scattered carelessly by a giant's hand.

The full moon shone brightly, casting a soft silver glow that illuminated the steep cliffs and surrounding trees with a magical sheen.

The Milky Way stretched faintly in the distance, like a hazy painting of cosmic light. No city light pollution interfered—just pure darkness amplifying the universe's grandeur.

The crisp, clean air made every star feel closer, as if he could reach out and touch Orion or Lyra with his fingertips.

"Humanity isn't the protagonist of this universe. Earth is just a speck of dust in the vast, expanding cosmos."

A faint, almost imperceptible smile curved his lips. A glint of anticipation flickered in his eyes.

"Speaking of which, when's the next Prime War? I can't wait to fight aliens from beyond the Milky Way."

Ren recalled a conversation with Alice in London.

"From what Alice said, they've launched invasions on Earth dozens of times, but Campione of every generation always stopped them."

The thought of epic battles against far stronger alien entities from the depths of the cosmos ignited his spirit.

"Sob… Sob… Sob… mom…"

Ren's musings on the Prime War were interrupted by soft, stifled sobs, faint but clear, piercing the night's silence. They came from one of the women's tents.

"Hm? My decision to keep watch was the right call."

"No, my very presence at this summer training camp changed their fate. Without me, even if they were lucky enough to escape the bear, this bus crash would've been the end for them all."

After voicing thoughts no one but he could understand, Ren stood and walked into the forest.

The night's darkness didn't hinder him. As a Campione, he had the vision of a nocturnal animal, allowing him to see clearly in minimal light.

*BUZZ!*

The space around him fluctuated faintly, a subtle rumble of invisible energy accompanying the phenomenon. A jet-black katana materialized in his hand, as if pulled from another dimension.

This was the effect of Storage Magic.

Since gaining the Divine Authority Book of Knowledge, which let him use any magic at will, Ren's interest in learning magic had vanished.

Storage Magic was the only spell he mastered "independently," without activating the Book of Knowledge.

"Come out. How long are you going to hide?"

Ren unsheathed his katana with a swift, fluid motion, his eyes fixed on a large tree shrouded in darkness.

From behind the trees emerged a woman. Her long black hair cascaded beautifully, framing a perfectly proportioned oval face with snow-white skin. Her full lips, naturally red, contrasted with her delicate, upturned nose and dark eyes that exuded a mysterious charm. Her slender yet curvaceous body was draped in a simple kimono that somehow accentuated her figure.

Any other man would've been instantly captivated by her stunning beauty.

But Ren didn't flinch. In a wilderness far from civilization, how could a woman this beautiful appear silently out of nowhere?

Clearly, she wasn't normal.

"Tch. Jorōgumo. Don't think your appearance can fool me." Ren clicked his tongue, his expression filled with evident disgust.

Jorōgumo, a spider monster known in Japan since ancient times, always took the form of a beautiful woman to lure and devour men.

The woman smiled faintly, as if amused by Ren's recognition.

"Are you an onmyoji? What a pity—you're my type. But now, you'll just be my meal."

Her appearance then transformed drastically.

The Jorōgumo's monstrous form mirrored her human one, except two large compound eyes appeared beside her normal ones, and eight black, spider-like legs protruded from her now-segmented abdomen.

Fully transformed, her mouth became a horrific, multi-jointed maw, and her face sharpened to match it. Her alluring aura vanished, replaced by a dangerous one.

"Die!"

*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*

She instantly shot sticky, grayish-white webbing from her mouth, speeding straight toward Ren.

"Hmph!"

*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*

Ren didn't dodge. His black katana flashed through the air. Each swing produced a sharp whoosh, slicing through the incoming webs as easily as cutting empty air.

The thick, sticky, deadly webs fell helplessly to the ground in small pieces, unable to touch Ren.

"You!"

No opponent had ever cut her webs so effortlessly. Her compound eyes narrowed, readying another attack. But before she could move, Ren took the initiative.

"Huff… Haa…"

"Sun Breathing — Third Form: Raging Sun."

Ren inhaled deeply, his chest expanding. A faint aura of heat enveloped his katana's blade.

*SWISH!* *SWISH!*

In the next instant, Ren unleashed two consecutive horizontal crescent slashes at the Jorōgumo.

*PU-CHI!* *PU-CHI!*

Before she could react or dodge, both slashes pierced her body.

"ARGHHHHH!!!"

Her piercing scream didn't last long. Her body suddenly ignited, burning to ash in an instant, vanishing without a trace, leaving only a faint sulfurous smell in the air.

Ren exhaled, his katana still faintly smoking.

"Huff… Unless it's a Great Yokai like Shuten Doji or Nurarihyon, Sun Breathing is more than enough. No need for Divine Authorities."

Storing his katana back in his storage space, he turned toward where he sensed another presence.

"What did you think, Umi?"

From behind a tree, Umi stepped out, her face deathly pale with an expression of utter disbelief.

"Ren-senpai… What just happened?"

Initially, Umi had only needed to relieve herself. By chance, she saw Ren walking alone into the forest, and out of worry—her protective instinct for the senior she admired—she followed him quietly.

And what did she witness?

A scene completely beyond her comprehension, shattering the boundaries of the reality she knew.

A beautiful woman transforming into a giant, terrifying spider?

Her beloved senior summoning a katana from thin air and unleashing fiery slashes that burned the monster to ash?

Umi felt her worldview collapse.