NOVEL WEB Chapter 8
Episode 8: The term “Beautiful Girl” is a nickname for area attacks, so caution is required when using it.
Good morning! It’s me, Kei Na Takikai!
This morning, I’m still fully a guy! Shit.
Every morning, the first thing I do after waking up is check my groin.
There’s only one reason for this.
I’m betting on the possibility that I might wake up as a girl one day.
“Shit, I’m still a guy today.”
The face staring back at me in the mirror is still unmistakably mine with the male marker. It’s enough to make you lose hope.
But then, I realized that even with this face, if I apply makeup and tidy up my appearance, it could look somewhat better, and that was a relief.
Ah, yesterday was quite the thrill.
My skin tone seems to have improved slightly too.
When I broke through the dungeon wall, I didn’t know what to do, but after sleeping on it, I calmed down and remembered.
Oh yeah, beginner dungeons are supposed to regenerate anyway since the academy controls them. They wouldn’t leave it broken. If it were an unmanaged dungeon before being conquered, that would be different, but this one is under strict control.
It repairs itself when damaged… right?
Yeah, let’s just think positively about this kind of situation.
“Even though I was seen, no one noticed, huh? My cross-dressing must be pretty convincing.”
Thinking back to being spotted by students from Kisou Academy.
I don’t know what they were doing, but I don’t care about getting involved with the original story unless it’s related to TS stuff. Do as you please. But, hey, check out my cross-dressing!
“With the beginner dungeon cleared, maybe I should join Mizuki Senpai on a dungeon rescue mission?”
Dungeon rescues pay well.
However, conquering dungeons would actually be more beneficial.
But we lack both the personnel to find dungeons and the funds to buy conquest rights afterward.
So, there’s no choice but to rely on leftover dungeon rescues.
“Alright, let’s go on a rescue mission.”
Normally, Senpai Mizuki, Senpai Miroku, and our classmate Toa are all in the student council room.
They probably don’t have much to do.
Sometimes they study there, or occasionally, Mizuki Senpai goes out on rescue requests.
I changed into the navy uniform of Factom General Academy and headed toward the student council room.
“Good morning everyone— wait, huh?”
There were Miroku Senpai and Toa.
But both looked a little tired.
What happened this morning? Should I hear their story?
“Actually, the phone hasn’t stopped ringing.”
“Phone?”
Miroku Senpai pointed to two fixed-line phones that looked somewhat old-fashioned. They probably haven’t had the budget to replace them.
Right at that moment, one of them started ringing.
Instantly, Miroku Senpai picked it up and spoke without even listening to the caller.
“Factom General Academy had absolutely nothing to do with yesterday’s broadcast. Further details will be announced later by the Apis Council. Also, Solciera isn’t one of our students.”
She recited these words like a spell and hung up.
Next to her, Toa was tearfully handling another incoming call, repeating the same content as Miroku Senpai.
“Uh, what exactly is going on?”
“Apparently, there was a student from another school streaming in our beginner dungeon yesterday, and now it’s become quite a topic…”
“Beginner dungeon?”
“Yes. By the way, Kei-kun, weren’t you there too? Were you okay?”
Miroku Senpai asked anxiously, so I puffed out my chest to reassure her.
“I’m fine. Yesterday, I just defeated a creepy dungeon boss, and that was it… oh, yes, there was a student from Kisou Academy there too.”
“Hmm, that student.”
“Did that student cause any problems?”
Kisou Academy students are trash!
How dare they inconvenience the student council president of the academy that took me in?
“No, it’s not the student but the illegal dive gear the student filmed and an unidentified female student that’s causing issues.”
“Huh, is that so? (Uninterested)”
There are good students at Kisou Academy too!
Sorry for doubting!
Yesterday evening, I just defeated the dungeon boss and showed off my cross-dressing to the Kisou Academy student.
…Wait? Didn’t Miroku Senpai just say something about a broadcast? Now that I think about it, that student yesterday also mentioned something about broadcasting…
“About this female student…”
“AH!”
On the smartphone Miroku Senpai held out, a video clip from the broadcast played. In it, a charming girl wearing Gothic Lolita attire with a gas mask was fighting gracefully.
In other words, that was me.
…So I’m the problem child here!
“It seems the broadcaster was quite strong but couldn’t defeat the monster, and now it’s a hot topic.”
“…By the way, what’s the rank of that broadcaster?”
“B Rank.”
Explorers are ranked from D to S.
The higher the rank, the more priority they get to challenge high-difficulty dungeons.
B rank is considered upper-tier among general student explorers—the highest achievable point through effort, as mentioned in the original story.
So, relatively strong.
Still, as long as they’re not A or S rank, it’s manageable.
B ranks losing is somewhat common in the original story, so why all the fuss?
“Oh, apparently, due to numerous rule violations, the broadcaster isn’t allowed to take the rank limit liberation test, but some say their skill level is A.”
“Wow!”
This is getting intense, isn’t it? (Though it doesn’t concern me.)
“Rumors suggest this mysterious student might even be S rank.”
“Haha, no way.”
“Do you know anything about this?”
“EHH!? Ah, no, there’s no way an S rank explorer would come to a beginner dungeon, right?”
At my words, Miroku Senpai shook her head.
And because I know the original story, her next words shocked me.
“Apparently, they came to destroy an experimental facility for something called Demons Gear. It seems they had a purpose.”
DEMONS GEAR!!!?
I’d like to commend myself for not shouting in surprise.
While outwardly calm as I listened to Miroku Senpai, my heart was pounding.
Demons Gear—this is the source of trouble that Touak gets tangled up in within the original story.
These appear as girls who underwent experiments and transform into weapons during battles.
You see, the character I possess used to be the sidekick who introduced Touak to a dungeon where he contracts with Demons Gear!
Thus, getting involved with Demons Gear risks significantly altering the original storyline. Oh crap.
It’s too early for its existence to be known.
The public won’t learn about Demons Gear until a bit later, during the event when the protagonist fights an incredibly powerful explorer with the title of Enforcer from Kisou Academy.
If it happens this early, how will things unfold? Scary to think about.
“Kei-kun?”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Didn’t you just say ‘too early’?”
“Eh?”
Damn, my thoughts leaked out?
Dangerous☆ …I’ll be more careful next time.
“Was it just my imagination? …By the way, I came looking for Mizuki Senpai.”
“Mizuki?”
“Yes. Since I’ve cleared the beginner dungeon, I thought I might join her on a rescue mission.”
Though abrupt, Miroku Senpai readily accepted the topic change without suspicion. She’s kind.
When asked about Mizuki Senpai’s whereabouts, Miroku Senpai chuckled wryly.
“Mizuki went to the beginner dungeon in question. Something about wanting to recover the Demons Gear.”
“Eh?”
Isn’t she completely disrupting the original story?
Demons Gear is a weapon usable only by chosen individuals.
The sole condition for being chosen is compatibility with the girl inside the Demons Gear.
So, even if Mizuki Senpai is incredibly strong, it doesn’t matter.
Moreover, the girl floating in the tank shown in the video—I don’t recognize her.
Only six Demons Gear exist in the original story.
Four have revealed their appearances and names, but none match her.
This means the Demons Gear in question shouldn’t awaken anytime soon, and Mizuki Senpai has no chance of being compatible.
As a side note, forcing usage results in brainwashing poison that turns users into vegetables. Scary stuff.
…So Mizuki Senpai might be in danger!?
“Excuse me, I’m going ahead!!”
“Kei-kun? What’s wrong—”
“I’ve suddenly developed an interest in Demons Gear!”
With that flimsy excuse, I hurried toward the beginner dungeon.
Mizuki Senpai is a crucial earner for this academy.
Her absence would be problematic, and most importantly, I dislike seeing beautiful women in distress!
“Took off, huh…”
Toa said with a troubled expression to Miroku. Whether it was due to the earlier phone calls or the peculiar panic of the boy who was just there remained unclear.
Miroku exhaled lightly while gazing at the door he had just exited and leaned back in her chair.
“He clearly knew something.”
During the conversation with Kei Na Takikai, a muttered phrase escaped him.
“—It’s too early for its existence to be known.”
Miroku quickly understood its meaning.
“Kei-kun likely knew about the existence of Demons Gear, right?”
“Eh!? H-how? Even we, who have been here at the academy, didn’t know!”
Toa’s question was met with a concise response.
“—Rikka Sakura.”
“Wh-what about Rikka-chan?”
“That person likely knew Demons Gear existed in this academy. And until the end, she guarded that secret… and died.”
The image of pink hair fluttering in the wind remained etched in Miroku’s mind.
She knew that the two-year-older girl was battling something alone to protect them.
All she did was know.
(Back then, I was ignorant and powerless. I wasn’t someone Ms. Sakura could rely on. But)
Miroku glanced at the armband wrapped around her arm.
The azure Dive Gear, worn and scratched from extensive use, reflected the morning sun on its armor as if responding to its master’s will.
“…Shall we go too, Toa-chan?”
“Eh? Where to?”
“To the beginner dungeon too.”
“But, what about the phone calls… wait, you unplugged the cord!?”
“It doesn’t matter anyway; the answers wouldn’t change.”
With that, Miroku tossed the cord aside and left the student council room promptly.
Seeing her retreating figure and the abandoned phone, Toa hesitated momentarily before crying out and chasing after her.
“Wait for me!”
“Don’t worry, I won’t leave you behind. Let’s all go together. …This time for sure.”
Miroku made a firm decision.
To continue the legacy of Rikka Sakura.
To ensure that the tragedy of that day doesn’t happen to him.
■
About ten minutes later, upon reaching Mizuki Senpai’s location, I faced off against a certain presence.
“Ho ho… didn’t expect such interesting guys to be at a nobody school like Factom.”
A man with fiery red hair and predatory eyes resembling a bird of prey grinned.
Clad in the Kisou Academy uniform with the red mantle on his left shoulder signifying his status as an Enforcer, he idly twirled dual swords in his hands.
Facing him, Mizuki and Kei stood ready with their weapons drawn.
“Don’t let your guard down, Kei. He’s a monster.”
“…Yes, Mizuki-senpai.”
Gripping my dagger tighter, I silently screamed within.
Why is one of the strongest characters from the original story here!?
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