The Foldable Cultivator [High School DxD]

[Boroda Orka]

"Trash! You lucky bastard! You dumb son of a bitch! Spawn of a syphilitic donkey and an opium-addled monkey!" I had the night off, and I was "living it up."

All the girls were out fulfilling contracts, except for the president, who was sorting through paperwork at her desk. Even Genshiro had gone off to see a regular client. As for me… "There's nothing for you today. You can relax," Sitri-sama had told me with that gentle, lovely smile of hers.

And so the ancient cultivator decided to obey his charming Lady. In other words, I thought, Why not take a few hours to relax with some light meditation and a bit of manga?

No sooner said than done. I ran over to the nearest little shop selling all sorts of reading material… and stopped dead in front of a shelf stocked with Chinese xianxia.

My fingers practically itched to grab those books. At the beginning of this life, I'd had absolutely no desire to read xianxia (I'd only just returned from the cultivation worlds, after all), and afterward, I'd been too busy to get around to it. But now a sudden, irresistible wave of nostalgia came crashing over me!

"Good evening, customer-san." A girl about my age appeared out of nowhere.

And may the Nine Heavens come crashing down on my head if I'd seen her coming. One moment, I was standing there alone, looking over the stacks of books, and the next—bam—she was right beside me. I actually jumped and stared at her in surprise.

"Kiryu-san?" I recognized her from the class I shared with Ise. A sharp-tongued girl who took great pleasure in trolling the Perverted Trio.

"Oh!" Her eyes widened in recognition. "Chiba-san! Gloomy Taro! The Brooding Untouchable! The Silent Prince! The Eternal Virgin!"

"Say what?" My voice actually shot up into a falsetto at that last nickname. Kiryu Aika's snark rating instantly went up a few points in my book.

We stood in silence for about five seconds. I was a little… surprised, yes. She broke the awkward silence, adjusting her pink-framed glasses.

"You didn't hear a thing." Her lenses flashed as she put on a deadly serious face. "That's girl talk."

"Hmm… all right," I quickly agreed. I really didn't want to know anything about those nicknames. Better for my peace of mind. "Do you work here part-time?"

"Yep, yep, raking in all the money in the world!" She flashed me a broad grin. "Need any help?"

"I guess." I glanced back at the shelves of Chinese fiction. "Thought I'd give this genre a try. Anything you'd recommend?"

"Of course, of course! It's not every day the quietest guy in school talks to you!" She tossed her head, her chestnut braids swinging and her eyes sparkling with amusement. "You've come to the right place, customer-san!"

In the end, I did buy one of the titles Kiryu Aika recommended. And now I was quietly spewing a torrent of bile at it—the book, that is—trying not to disturb my Lady and barely keeping myself from coughing up blood. The protagonist stirred up such a storm of hatred in me that I desperately wanted to dive into that xianxia world and kill him in the cruelest, most twisted way imaginable. Maybe even more than once! And not just him, either!

"Taro-kun."

I met the student council president's eyes as she sorted through papers on one of the shelves in the filing cabinet.

"Sorry, Sona-san. I got carried away…"

"It's all right." Her soft, serene smile once again sent a small wave of affection through me. "What made you so angry?"

My Lady took a folder from the section for academy clubs and walked over to my armchair to peer over my shoulder at the Chinese comic.

"The protagonist." I exhaled slowly to keep myself from launching into another stream of abuse. "A vile creature if ever there was one. He's so revolting that I'm honestly rooting for the local villain. That man is just a powerful cultivator who earned everything through his own hard work. Yes, he's a despotic ruler! Yes, he rules through his own strength and that of his minions! But he's within his rights! Meanwhile, this lucky piece of trash… steals from his own people, strings along the girls who love him, and breaks his word! And he keeps getting lucky, lucky, lucky! Power just falls into his lap! Everywhere he goes, he meets a wise mentor, finds some ancient treasure, or rescues a girl who turns out to be a princess!!! Ugh!!! And that princess is a complete idiot! Her daddy is a bad man, apparently! She's spent her whole life wrapped in silk and velvet! Eats off golden plates! Gets anything she wants without the slightest trouble! But no! 'The people are suffering!' 'She can't bear to witness the plight of the common folk!' Bah!!!"

I flipped back about ten pages and showed her an illustration of the "impoverished village" where the protagonist had rescued that idiot, while Sona-san poured tea into our cups with a thoughtful smile.

"In the end, the very people that stupid hen had decided to help tried to rob, rape, and murder her." Irritated, I jabbed a finger at a little house with a broken window. "'Desperation drove them to a life of crime!' 'They can't even afford to replace the glass!' she cries, lamenting the hardships of that trash! Glass! In a village!!! Not everyone there even has ox bladder to cover their windows!!! The streets are clean, and they have lanterns! In a village!!! This Evil Villain must be a saint if the peasants in his villages live in such luxury! Spoiled scum!!! And what do thieves get—a flogging? Why aren't they sent to the mines? To a logging camp? They flog them in the town square and let them go! They even walk away on their own two feet, merely staggering! They don't even have to be carried off with their backs flayed to bloody ribbons!"

I huffed angrily for a couple of seconds, then let the anger go and calmed down. So much for relaxing. Still, sometimes you had to let your emotions out.

"It's only manga." My Lady chuckled softly and set a cup of freshly brewed tea in front of me. "You shouldn't take these things so seriously. A different world has different customs, after all, and this is a fictional story about people who don't exist. A reader needs to be able to make allowances, if only for the sake of their own nerves. I doubt the author has ever visited another world. Not everyone has the kind of experience you do, Taro-kun."

"Thank you, Sona-san." I bowed my head politely, accepted the cup of fragrant, steaming tea, and smiled as she sat down across from me. The folder lay on the small table, and a matching cup of tea stood before the president. "How long ago did you figure it out?"

"I've been almost certain for some time now. You're far too knowledgeable and accomplished to be an ordinary schoolboy. Even a genius couldn't be so skilled in combat and command so many… techniques. I've never heard of martial artists who use qigong showing such strength and skill, either. There are similar practitioners in China, but even the strongest nonhuman practitioners come nowhere near your level. House Sitri knows how to find information and ask the right questions."

The girl took a sip of tea, watching me through her glasses.

"You're a blacksmith who forged his own bo staff, and you sewed your pao so well that I couldn't even tell at first that it was handmade… You can embroider too, which is truly remarkable." Sona-san's quiet laugh was wonderfully melodic and held no trace of mockery. "Your qi-infused tea, pharmacology and alchemy, how quickly you adapted to your new power, your techniques and mastery in combat… You gave me far too many clues. No one your age could possibly be so accomplished in so many different fields—there simply hasn't been enough time. Then there's your peculiar knowledge of things long forgotten even in China, and some of your turns of phrase are positively archaic. What is your real name?"

"Chiba Taro." I smiled at the clever girl. "I am Chiba Taro, Japanese by birth and a student of this academy. A reincarnator who recovered his former memories at a young age."

"Memories of a life in another world?" Sitri-sama nodded, thoughtfully tapping the tabletop with the pad of her index finger.

"Lives in other worlds," I corrected her, watching her eyebrows rise in charming surprise.

"Oh, really…" She took another sip of tea, her beautiful eyes regarding me with renewed interest. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For trusting me." Her warm smile drew an answering smile from me.

"I wasn't exactly trying very hard to hide it. Questions were bound to arise sooner or later. Still, I'm surprised you waited so long to ask me about my peculiarities. And that you guessed my memories came from other worlds rather than this world's past…"

"I was enjoying the challenge of solving your mystery." The satisfied gleam in her violet eyes made it clear she was enjoying herself. "As I gathered more information about you, I discarded one theory after another until only a few remained… the ones that seemed closest to the truth. And strange as it may sound, another world seemed more plausible to me than this world's past. Demons live for a very long time, yet even my elder relatives had never heard of qigong masters as powerful as you."

"A flexible mind gives even the most fantastical possibilities serious consideration." I inclined my head to her respectfully.

"I was born a demon, after all. By mortal standards, I'm something of a mystical character from an old fairy tale myself. Besides, we know for a fact that other worlds exist, and you do bear a striking resemblance to certain fictional heroes from…" Her gaze dropped pointedly to the volume of xianxia, and I actually bristled.

"Oh, absolutely not!" I snorted, making my opinion of the story's protagonist abundantly clear. "I may not be what anyone would call a good man, but I'm certainly nothing like that lucky son of a—bad person! Even when fighting Evil, one ought to have some moral boundaries."

"What about the Evil Villain?" the girl asked with a gentle smile, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Well…" I considered it for a few seconds. "Yes, that's closer. There are certain similarities, but… I was harsher. And to screw up that badly, that often… Still, you're right. This isn't a serious account based on real events; it's entertainment."

"So you've been a ruler as well?"

"I have," I admitted with a slight grimace. "It wasn't the most pleasant experience. There was never enough time for anything; finding competent people was sheer agony; everyone around me was consumed by envy; people tried to poison me with impressive regularity; problems came from every direction; and attention from women was almost always driven by self-interest and a hunger for power. In short, I didn't enjoy being the ruler myself—far too much hassle. Another time, though, my wife ruled, and that wasn't bad at all. At first, I had to go out and beat the conspirators' faces in and tear the heads off anyone trying to worm his way into my wife's bed, but after a decade or so, everything settled down and I hardly ever had to take time away from my cultivation."

"You were married? And you handed control of an entire country… to your wife?" The student council president's surprise was unusually plain on her face.

"Of course I was." I rubbed my chin thoughtfully, sinking into old memories. "I'm human, after all. And she was beautiful, intelligent, superbly educated, and possessed impeccable manners. Her competence in governing a country was beyond question as well. She had a natural gift for ruling and a sincere desire to improve her nation. I must admit, she far surpassed me in that regard. I served her father, who warmly welcomed the region's strongest martial artist to his court. That was where I met his daughter. She was only five at the time—a delightful child, bright, inquisitive, and remarkably sensible, who grew into an admirable woman."

"Five? How old was she when you married?" I thought I detected judgment and mild disapproval in the president's question.

"Seventeen." I snorted, giving Sona-san a mildly reproachful look. "The customs in those worlds were certainly very different from those of this one, but little girls have never held any appeal for me. Though her father started trying to marry us off when she was twelve. He was a very intelligent and cunning man. He saw that ruling the country held no interest for me, and since he had only one child—a daughter…"

"He decided to marry the two of you so she would be the one to rule."

"Exactly. As for everyone who objected to the daughter of the Sun Emperor, Shaker of the Universe, Lord of Heaven and Earth marrying some cultivator born in a little village on the frontier… I persuaded them otherwise."

"Did they survive?" That mischievous glint returned to her eyes, accompanied by a faint smile.

"Not all of them."

"The aristocracy must have been displeased."

"No one cares about the displeasure of worthless trash." I snorted contemptuously, remembering how they had tried to throw obstacles in our path. "A few dozen public duels to the death, a couple of punitive raids, one suppressed uprising by the rabble, one ancestral castle burned to the ground—and the rest shut their mouths. Power lies in Power. Whoever has Power is stronger."

The girl gave an almost inaudible snort, took another sip of tea, and fell silent in thought for a few seconds.

"And you were stronger because you remembered your previous lives." The president nodded, as if confirming her own conclusion.

"You are remarkably perceptive, my Lady. Your intellect is every bit as extraordinary as your beauty." I smiled warmly at her. She blushed rather sweetly and looked away.

"It was obvious, Taro-kun. There's no need to flatter me."

"Forgive me, Sona-san. I couldn't resist. But you truly are very beautiful and possess a formidable intellect."

"If you mention impeccable manners and an excellent education, I'll begin to suspect that your compliments have ulterior motives."

"Everyone has those." I shrugged with a carefree smile. "In every world, people try to get something from one another. You wanted my strength—a Piece for your clan who would be useful to you and your House. I wanted help growing stronger. You gave me endless life, a place to train, the promise of an alchemy laboratory, and permission to hunt in your lands. Not to mention housing, money, food, and tuition. For such magnificent compensation, one must serve conscientiously, lest one incur the wrath of the Universe. You are a generous Lady, an extraordinarily generous one. And I know what I'm talking about: in my previous lives, most cultivators would have gladly sold their souls to a demon for all that."

"Well, technically…" The girl coughed into her fist, giving me an amused look. "Isn't that exactly what happened?"

I stared at her in confusion for a couple of seconds, then couldn't hold it in and… burst out laughing. Sona-san's eyebrows shot up in surprise. The fit didn't last long, and she didn't seem offended, but her expression made it clear that she wanted to know what I found so funny.

"Forgive me, Sona-san." Once I had calmed down, I inclined my head, but the president merely waved away my apology and silently asked for an explanation. "In the cultivation worlds, the word 'demon' carries a very different meaning. To draw an analogy, you… or rather, we are inhabitants of one of the higher worlds. We are stronger than mortals, but not very different from them. The demons of the cultivation worlds, however… are Evil. Pure, concentrated Evil. There is nothing human about them. Nothing inside them but endless, all-consuming hunger and malice."

I swallowed. Memories I always tried to drive away flooded my mind's eye. Clenching my jaw, I sank a little deeper into meditation and calmed my thoughts.

"I know. I was their slave. I was the scourge of mankind. A demonic cultivator possessed by an artifact of the Abyss—the Staff of Four Demons. A calamity, a raging inferno of malice that devoured villages, cities, and entire nations. My hunger became so powerful that nothing else remained within me… And no amount of bloodshed could ever satisfy it."

"But you… broke free?" The girl's gaze was intent. A touch of youthful curiosity, compassion, and a hint of apprehension. Her eyes were so beautiful… as deep as a bottomless violet ocean.

"No." A crooked smile crept across my face of its own accord. "I was killed. Thousands of heroes—the mightiest cultivators—came to slay the Avatar of the Four Demons, knowing that many of them would never return alive… Worse, that they would lose their souls and remain forever in the stomachs of those who owned me at the time. For several reincarnations afterward, I was… not myself. Cruelty, fury, rage, violence—the lives that followed overflowed with them. So as far as I'm concerned, my Lady, your kind aren't demons at all. These contracts, where we grant human wishes in exchange for their life force, are child's play. People readily trade away their lives for alcohol and drugs. What are ten years of life to them in exchange for a dream come true? You don't even buy souls, as described in biblical writings."

"Well…" Sona-san hesitated slightly. The story had clearly left an impression on her.

"And as for selling my soul… becoming a demon…" I smiled. "That doesn't frighten me in any case. You see, when they enslaved me back then, my soul should have been destroyed—devoured. And yet… here I am, sitting before you. Later, demons or demonic cultivators killed me on other occasions, and it made no difference. I was simply born again."

"Taro-kun." My Lady leaned across the table and covered my hand with hers. For a split second, I thought she meant to comfort me, but then I met her intensely serious gaze. "Never tell anyone about this. Ever. I heard nothing. This is True Immortality. Some would take an interest in that, at the very least. To reincarnate, even in another world, with your memories intact, when your soul should have been destroyed…"

"Very well, my Lady." I met her eyes with a warm smile and gently squeezed her slender fingers for a moment. "Thank you. Once again, I'm reminded what a wonderful girl you are."

The heiress of House Sitri, now slightly flustered, sat upright again. A faint blush colored her cheeks, and reproach entered her gaze.

"You're taking this far too lightly for…" The girl faltered.

"For someone as ancient as I am?" I chuckled, noticing her grow even more flustered. Adorable. Truly, she was beautiful. "Don't worry, Sitri-san…"

"Sona," she corrected me, knitting her brows in displeasure.

"Sona-san." I inclined my head in apology. "Don't worry too much. The necessary arrays were built into my body long ago. An old design of mine. I started working on it after I grew tired of all that fun on torture tables. Unfortunately, you are far from the first person to view my reincarnations in that light. One pulse of qi, and this cultivator will pass on to his next life, while my enemies will be left with nothing but a corpse. One in less than ideal condition. But I'm deeply grateful to you—for your concern and your candor."

"So you told me all of that deliberately. Now I feel… rather foolish." All traces of embarrassment had left her face, replaced by her usual composure and a faint, pleasant smile tinged with reproach. She was clearly holding back the question: Why?

"There's… a great deal of warmth and trust in this clan. I like that, and I hope my candor will lay the foundation for mutual understanding between my Lady and me. According to Tsubaki-san, you know all your servants' secrets, and I haven't seen you exploit that knowledge for your own benefit at anyone else's expense."

"Tsubasa-chan is returning." My Lady glanced toward the teleportation circle on the floor as it began to glow. "I hope you won't mind if we talk more about… the cultivation worlds? I would be interested to hear about them."

"Of course, Sona-san. I will gladly assume the role of Scheherazade-kun." I smiled at her, drawing a brief, melodic laugh from the girl. "Besides, I have more tales than a thousand and one nights could ever hold…"

---

Original Russian story

You can find more chapters on my Patreon.

The translation of new chapters will also be published here—but with a bit of a delay.

 

[FTR2017]

Beautiful bonding session between them, it was incredibly humorous how Taro ranted against the 'xianxia protagonist's' incredible luck despite him being peak Evil.

Makes me wonder how he'll take The Old Satan faction's actions against the Sitri ... .

 

[Vanta Mk.XII]

Shame... Oh well.

 

[Boroda Orka]

"Good morning, Master." My "senpai" bowed respectfully, grinning as she passed through the academy gates. I tried to give her a polite smile in return, adjusting my disciplinary committee armband. It was my turn to stand watch at the gates today, checking students' appearance and noting who arrived late.

"Good morning, Tsubasa-san." I thought I'd managed a smile. Inwardly, I reflected with philosophical calm that this would be another log on the bonfire of my troubles.

The little cluster of girls by the academy entrance had already seen and heard everything. Kiryu Aika's thoughtful expression and bright blush were especially troubling. I'd bet anything the gears in her head were spinning like mad.

I never imagined that volume of manhua would become the starting point of our… ahem… friendship. This sweet girl… er… this sweet little menace, that's right! Ahem. Anyway, her friendship—though, honestly, we were really just acquaintances on slightly friendly terms—had brought me a whole pile of troubles. Nothing too serious, but still annoying, at least from my point of view. Though… oh, it's complicated. It'll take a bit more explaining.

---

The chain of events began the day after I bought that belch from the Chinese entertainment industry. I'd filed its author's name under Never read again, even if they threaten to shoot me for five hours straight.

Kiryu pulled the same trick again, appearing beside me without warning in the hallway. It wasn't as if I was obsessively watching everything around me, but I usually noticed people. I sensed when someone was watching me, heard their footsteps, felt their presence. Yet this bespectacled girl had now appeared beside me out of nowhere twice. It might even have been intriguing, if not for where it all led.

"Hi, Chiba-san! So, what did you think of the manhua?" That was the first thing she asked. And it was like pulling the trigger on a gun with the safety already off.

The thing was, I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, I was pleased with my conversation with my Lady. It had once again confirmed that joining her House had been the right decision. Relatively speaking, of course. Life isn't some simple arithmetic problem for first graders with only one correct answer. There are many roads to choose from, or even just directions in which to move. The only real limit is the question: Is this acceptable to me? And personally, I was satisfied with everything—from our friendly group, so easy on the eyes, to Sitri-sama herself, my Lady.

A princess of a powerful House, the younger sister of one of the rulers of the Underworld—generous, intelligent, interesting, and beautiful. Even alluring, yes. For now, I considered her the most attractive girl I knew in every sense of the word, and I took real pleasure in her company and our conversations.

The bitterness came from the volume I'd forced myself to finish. It left a truly vile aftertaste. Especially after the Evil Villain was defeated. His own daughter killed him by driving a poisoned dagger into his back. I read that part with an icy mask on my face, imagining myself warming up beside a bonfire fueled by the protagonists of this epic.

The problem was that the horrific atrocities committed by the antagonist were described and drawn so poorly that he honestly came across as a perfectly decent man. One of those strict but fair types. The well-fed faces of his subjects, stone-paved roads, sewers, the clean streets of bright, beautiful cities where performers put on shows in the public squares about… Pay attention now… Just think about this… HOW TERRIBLE their ruler was!!! And all the guards did was chase them away, without even trying to throw them in jail. If that had been me… Ugh.

He even welcomed his daughter back to the palace, showering her with affection and sympathy, despite the fact that the harpy had carried out a couple of outright acts of sabotage that got people killed! And that had all been part of the protagonist's cunning plan. He had disguised himself and posed as that idiot's rescuer from his own terrible Self.

In short, the Hero valiantly attacked the Villain when the man least expected it and was actually preparing to shower the savior of his precious little girl with rewards… The Hero couldn't handle him, and when Daddy's precious little darling saw that her degenerate-kun was losing… she once again acted most valiantly and stabbed her father in the back. Bellissimo, perfetto, fucktastico!

In my head, I called the story The Treacherous Son of a Bitch and the Degenerate Daughter. I even wondered whether it was secretly a deconstruction of the whole "knight and his princess" trope. But no—the author's online interview informed me that I was an idiot. The Hero was noble, the princess was a mother to her people, and the ruler was a bad man.

And while all those thoughts were still swirling through my head, up popped this braided ninja, whose taste I had already decided was either terrible or downright twisted, and asked a question that hit a particularly sore spot just then.

"Utter shi—" I barely stopped myself, cutting the word short. I was a member of the disciplinary committee and was supposed to set an example. If you take on a job, you do it properly. "Forgive me, Kiryu-san. And good morning. I didn't like the manhua."

Honestly, I had expected surprise, perhaps even mild offense. A question like "Why?" and all the usual things. What I had not expected was the girl's delighted giggle and the joyful sparkle in her eyes.

"You're right, Chiba-san. That stack of wastepaper is exactly what you were about to call it—and a particularly nasty example, too." Aika pushed her glasses up with one finger, sending a positively villainous gleam across the lenses.

"So you deliberately sold me a bad story?" To be honest, I was a little hurt. It wasn't about the money—I had plenty, and buying one shitty Chinese comic wasn't going to make me poor. It was the time I'd wasted… Besides, Aika and I weren't on bad enough terms for her to pull something like that on me.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" She waggled a finger right under my nose. "Don't think ill of Kiryu-chan, the Academy's Number One Silent Type. I sold you the absolute worst manhua in the store, but not to hurt your feelings…"

A meaningful pause, another flash of light across her glasses… Who the hell was she? How did she do that? And why was I intrigued? Hypnosis? Magic? Some kind of technique? I couldn't sense a thing from her!!!

"The thing is, I'm convinced the first xianxia story you read should be the worst one you can get your hands on! You're just starting out! You decided to try this wonderful genre for the first time, right?" Nine Heavens, she really knew how to use her voice to make it all sound intriguing. Her eyes blazed with genuine enthusiasm.

"That's right. It was my first time," I said with a nod. Then I shook my head reproachfully. "But that was pretty cruel of you, Kiryu-san. I was hoping for something to cheer me up, and instead…"

"Ho-ho-ho!" My classmate chuckled in triumph, though not very loudly, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. I felt an urge to do something nasty to her in return. "Like I said, you have to read a terrible manhua first, and then…"

Aika reached into her schoolbag with her right hand and pulled out a paper-wrapped bundle. The shape of a book was unmistakable. She held it out to me.

"Then you read the best one! Take it, and don't thank me! After the ordeal you've just been through, this one will seem so beautiful, you'd think the kami themselves drew it! It's my gift to a beginner just dipping his toes into this wonderful new world! After this masterpiece, you'll love xianxia as much as Issei-kun loves perverted stuff."

"Uh… Sorry, Kiryu-san, but I can't accept this gift. You paid for it…"

"Come on, Chiba-san. I get an employee discount, so it's fine." Aika lightly tapped the bundle against my chest, urging me to take it. "Besides, you already paid for that one, and I ruined your mood, so this is compensation."

"I can't." I smiled apologetically, inwardly snickering like a bastard. My little revenge was taking shape.

What could be worse than a guilty conscience? The girl had turned out not to be malicious after all, just someone with some pretty strange ideas. If she hadn't gone and ruined those rare free hours, I could've accepted her gift and forgiven her without much effort.

"How about this? I'll borrow it, read it, and return it to you, all right? I don't have much room in my dorm for extra books. I just don't know when I'll be able to bring it back—I have kendo practice, student council work, advanced classes, and electives. Yesterday was the first time I'd had a few free hours in weeks, so I stopped by your shop to find something to read."

Bull's-eye! As I spoke, my classmate's face grew longer, and realization began to dawn in her eyes. That's right, girl. You ruined a rare stretch of free time for me.

"Chiba-san…"

"It's fine, Kiryu-san." I smiled warmly, cackling wickedly to myself. "You said it's best to start with something bad so the good stuff seems even better afterward, so no harm done. Thanks for the manhua."

I carefully took the bundle from her hands as she stood there frozen, then went on my way. She'd feel a little guilty, sure, but maybe she'd think twice next time. Misleading customers was a bad habit. Next time, someone might make a scene. Besides, a stunt like that could do a customer a real disservice—or even put a newcomer off the whole genre.

At the time, it seemed like the right thing to do. A small lesson for a young girl, a little revenge for the time she'd wasted… But I should've either just accepted the gift or pretended to be properly offended. I barely spoke to my classmates, after all, and didn't know them well enough to judge their personalities. And this girl turned out to be surprisingly quick to take matters into her own hands!

During lessons, Aika kept fidgeting and occasionally shot me guilty looks. Some people noticed, especially the sharp-eyed girls. It wasn't a big deal, of course, but as soon as classes ended, she took off like a shot in some unknown direction. The next time I saw her was near the student council rooms.

I'd been held up a little. A limping girl from another class had asked me to help her to the infirmary, yet for some reason I couldn't sense even an echo of pain from her. It wasn't exactly suspicious—students faked being ill now and then, and it was perfectly ordinary—but considering I sometimes saw this girl with Kiryu Aika…

"Something's up. I can smell it," I muttered as the pleased girl nodded to me and headed toward the central staircase.

I was partly right. It wasn't exactly a setup, but the quick-witted girl had come up with a clever plan to ease her conscience. I had to admire it: Kiryu Aika had used the same tactics I had. Honesty and an appeal to sympathy.

My fellow student council members told me that my classmate had arrived out of breath, practically barged past Genshiro, and told Sitri-sama the whole story. My Lady had seen me struggling through that pile of wastepaper. She listened to Kiryu, made her decision, and declared that my task for the day was to read the book from "that sweet girl with the big heart." And since all our girls had such huge hearts, they divided up all my work among themselves. Not one of them even flinched.

In the end, I sat there drinking tea and reading a pretty good manhua while everyone else worked. Honestly, I felt like a complete freeloader. And the worst part was that I couldn't get one question out of my head: So who ended up teaching whom a lesson, huh, genius? In short, karma had walloped me. I'd say it hit me with the big guns, but the trouble didn't end there.

The next day brought new reasons to be upset. It all started with Kiryu Aika again. She accepted the volume I'd finished—and my perfectly sincere thanks—with a pleased but guilty expression. I tried to do it without an audience, but unfortunately, a gaggle of girls from our class came down the hallway where I'd caught up with her and gave us a long, pointed stare—right as I handed the book back with a grateful smile and Kiryu, blushing, apologized and explained that she hadn't realized how busy I was.

---

Is it hard to go unnoticed at a school full of girls? Not really, I'd say—under the right circumstances. I'd kept a low profile from the start. I was quiet and unsociable. A top student, not bad-looking, in good shape, but that was about it. Sure, some people liked that, but hardly anyone knew much of anything about me. I didn't advertise my personal life, my training, or anything like that. My homeroom teacher knew, of course, but she didn't go around telling the other students what a great guy I was. In short, I was more forgettable than interesting. And even more so after I turned down two girls who liked quiet guys…

But now several factors had come into play. First, I was still a top student and in good shape. Second, I'd been invited to join the student council, which was a real honor at the academy. Third, there were witnesses who'd seen me being friendly—even smiling warmly at a classmate—as we talked somewhere relatively secluded.

All those wonderful ingredients fell into a cauldron bubbling with girlish curiosity. The mixture simmered all day as the girls whispered among themselves. Then, after classes, a whole herd of goosebumps ran down my back when I saw most of the girls in my class gathering around Kiryu Aika's desk. As I headed toward the student council rooms, my gut told me something was about to happen.

Was I glad things had turned out that way and my intuition hadn't failed me? Not really. Or, as a certain mustachioed man who most definitely wasn't Kazakh might put it: NOT! My intuition should've kicked in sooner!!! Back when I went to the bookstore!!!

In the end, I gained my share of popularity. Kiryu had undoubtedly caved under pressure from our classmates and told them the story about the manhua, mentioned how busy I was, and probably brought up my kendo practice too… After that, everyone drew their own conclusions.

Before long, they'd come up with a neat little theory to explain my gloomy demeanor. It wasn't gloominess anymore, but "the focus of a serious man pursuing his goals." (Yes, yes—I heard two girls whispering it with my own ears.) They explained away my reserved nature, too: "He just doesn't have time for silly stuff." And as for clubs: "He joined the student council, didn't he? That's where you get real experience of adult life!"

Ironically, almost all of it was true—the reasons behind it just weren't quite what people thought. And now the girls trying to get my attention were chatting near my desk about anime and manga. Or which university to choose. Or what relationships in an ideal family ought to look like.

I was certain there were no crushes or anything like that. They were just curious, trying to "poke me with a stick" and see what I'd do. But their curiosity was gathering momentum!

Kiryu would sometimes come over for a quick chat, too. Then my buddy Ise made things awkward by deciding to keep her company for some reason. Gremory Rias-san was my Lady's childhood friend and ally, so I didn't think it wise to give her servant the usual Chiba Taro treatment. I showed Ise a little warmth, which encouraged Aika to talk to me now and then.

My classmate even gave me a list she'd put together herself of "great works," both domestic and foreign, sorted by genre and subgenre, "so you won't waste your time on bad ones, Chiba-san." It touched me a little, and I no longer felt like talking to her as though I couldn't be bothered. Kiryu definitely wasn't a bad person. She had a peculiar sense of humor and some amusing little quirks, but despite everything, I didn't feel any animosity toward her.

There was still a chance things would die down. I did my best to be as uninteresting as possible. But then our homeroom teacher fired the final shot. A ridiculous coincidence.

The entire kendo club was once again chasing Matsuda and Motohama out with piss-soaked rags—er, shinai. I happened to be on duty, and they came running straight into me. Well, I "apprehended" them and asked the indignant girls what the problem was. (Though it was obvious those two idiots had been drooling over the kendo girls as they changed.) I gave the pair a dressing-down and ordered them to show up the next day for disciplinary action, leaving the severity of the punishment for Shitori-sama to decide.

I thought that was that, but the girls decided to show me the now-legendary hole in the wall the Perverted Trio used for their grand, if horrifying, exploits. They weren't showing me where to peek. They were asking, "Chiba-san, please, can the student council finally do something about this?"

I didn't know why they kept mindlessly plastering over the hole, only for the perverts to just as mindlessly bore it open again, but I fixed the problem. I grabbed a big, long bolt from the storeroom, pushed it through the wall, tightened a nut on the other side, and bent the end of the bolt all to hell.

"If you see those two sneaking up to the wall with a pair of giant bolt cutters, then… beat the hell out of them. I'll pretend I didn't see a thing." With that parting advice, I turned to leave amid the girls' giggles—only to come face-to-face with my homeroom teacher.

"Chiba-kun, hello again! So you did decide to join the kendo club after all?"

"Shijimu-san." I gave the woman a slight bow, praying she wouldn't say anything she shouldn't. Behind me, the girls bowed to her too. I sensed a hint of confusion from them at Shijimu-san's question. "I was just helping them patch up a hole in the wall."

"That one?" The teacher pursed her lips disapprovingly, though her displeasure wasn't directed at me. "Good work."

I'd already sighed with relief and thanked the Nine Heavens for their mercy… but apparently prayers like that don't work for demons. Or rather, they do—but the results aren't quite what you'd hoped for.

"Still, it's a shame. Goro-san is a master renowned throughout Japan, and his senior student could really help our girls," the… kind woman sighed sadly, blissfully unaware of what she was doing. Everyone at school knew how hard the captain of the academy's kendo team pushed for us to win competitions. Hmm… Could this be our homeroom teacher's cunning plan?

"Unfortunately, Sensei, I really don't have any time," I said, putting as much regret into my voice as I could. Now to make a quick getaway. I could feel the kendo girls' bewilderment mounting behind me, especially that of their club president, who was also the team captain. Who knew how long before she got "fired up"?

"I'm sorry, but I have to go. Student council paperwork, dojo practice, classes…"

I headed briskly toward the classroom building, careful not to make it look like I was running away. That was it. Now I was truly finished. Was I ever going to try acting like some kind of mentor to the younger generation again? Never!!!

---

To the kendo club's credit—and to my relief—they didn't come chasing after me. They didn't pressure me, lure me in, or try to seduce me. At least, not yet. But more girls had joined the ranks of those taking an interest in me, and the rumors had spread beyond our class, gaining momentum and a curious audience.

There was still a slim chance the whole thing would fizzle out and I wouldn't become another poor Kiba Yuuto, but… My senpai seemed to have dealt me the finishing blow.

The thing was, ever since that training match, Tsubasa had sometimes called me "Master"—half joking, half serious. Sona-san had given me permission to use her family's training grounds, and Tsubasa had politely asked if she could watch me train and whether I'd "teach her a couple of cool techniques." Of course, she hadn't put it quite like that, but she'd hinted that she was interested in improving herself.

And Aika—the "Girl Who Brings Misfortune"—had heard Tsubasa call me "Master" and seen her cheerful smile and serious eyes. Once this whole saga of fascinating, exciting theories about me began, Aika had thrown herself into it with enthusiasm and delight. What would happen now? What would spring from the mind of someone who thought the best way to get into a new genre was to start with the worst?

Nine Heav—No, screw the heavens! Leviathan-sama, help your little sister's servant!!! I want absolutely nothing to do with this particular kind of popularity!

---

Original Russian story

You can find more chapters on my Patreon.

The translation of new chapters will also be published here—but with a bit of a delay.

 

[FTR2017]

Roflmao, Kiryu got a crush on Moody-san, peak comedy here!

 

[Boroda Orka]

"Yuka, wait!" An older boy in another school's uniform caught a girl from our academy by the hand.

"Get away from me, Takeshi! I can't stand the sight of you!!!" The first-year student pulled her hand free from his loose grip and strode toward the gates.

I sighed quietly. It was my turn to stand guard at the school entrance again. Those shifts were usually uneventful: a neutral smile, polite nods to passing students, and a few words of greeting for the chattier ones. But today came with a bonus event: a tragedy worthy of Romeo and Juliet.

"You've got it all wrong! Just let me explain!"

The boy called Takeshi tried to catch up with the angry girl, but she'd already made it through the gates, and I stepped in his way.

"Get out of my way," he hissed at me. I met his furious gaze and let a little killing intent slip out. Only a trace. I wasn't trying to frighten him, just make him hesitate.

"Sorry, pal," I said, meeting Romeo's eyes with sympathy and understanding, but no pity—offering a little male solidarity. "You can't come onto Kuoh Academy grounds. Come back after classes."

He glared at me, displeased and frustrated, but showed no desire to start a fight—and no fear, either. I looked a little dangerous to him now, and that faint, oppressive pressure had taken the edge off his anger.

"Right." He half-closed his eyes, exhaled, and dipped his head. "Sorry. I'll be going, then…"

He glanced past me at the girl walking away. She hadn't looked back, but she'd slowed when she heard a conflict brewing. Now Juliet had resumed cruising speed, her back radiating indignation. Ah, love… the springtime of youth and all that shit…

"Yellow roses," I said quietly after a moment's hesitation. The boy had already turned to leave.

"What?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder in surprise.

"Nakamura Yuka-san likes yellow roses. I heard her telling her friends." It wasn't my business, of course, but for some reason I wanted to meddle.

He'd clearly wanted to explain himself, and his sincerity was obvious. Although he'd grabbed Yuka by the hand, he hadn't done it roughly—he'd been careful, almost tender, I'd say. So Yuka, small and delicate and already in a foul mood, had little trouble pulling free. Besides, she herself had slowed down when it looked like things might turn into a scene.

For a few moments, Takeshi-kun tried to process that. I could almost see loading icons replacing his pupils, and had to hold back a smile.

"Right." His gaze cleared, and a spark of gratitude flickered in it. "Thanks, man!"

I just gave a little wave, wondering why I'd suddenly felt like playing Cupid. Usually, I wouldn't pay this sort of thing any attention. But, whatever. I felt like it, so I did it.

"Good morning, Taro-kun. Turns out you're a romantic." Tomoe-san's teasing voice came from a few meters away, where she and Reya-chan had been watching. It brought a faint smile to my face.

"Good morning, girls," I said politely to my fellow clan members. The shy Reya mumbled a greeting I couldn't make out. "I'm not a romantic at all. Just good old-fashioned male solidarity."

"Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm." Her broad grin seemed to say, "Oh, don't give me that," and I just rolled my eyes. "All right, we won't keep you. See you after class."

"Have a good day." I smiled at the still-bashful Reya, who mumbled another wish for a good day in reply, and turned my attention back to the students coming through the gates.

---

"You see, Taro-san, I figured I'd get a girlfriend as soon as I enrolled." I listened to Hyoudou's complaints with an impassive face. For some inexplicable reason, he'd decided to pour his heart out to me. May Leviathan-sama punish him—there'd been no hint this confession was coming.

The servant of House Gremory had come over to my desk as usual to say hello before class, then suddenly let out a heavy sigh and started unloading on me. Maybe it was because his two buddies hadn't been spending much time with him lately, preferring to show their true, rather nasty and envious colors instead? In their eyes, Ise had committed the unforgivable: he'd joined a club with girls in it and actually got along with them.

Those two restroom heroes were spending their free time badmouthing their "best friend" behind his back. Classic cultivator hypocrisy, I have to say. I'd seen it hundreds of times: fellow sect members trash-talking a "friend" who was further along in his cultivation. It usually ended with the loudmouthed pieces of trash getting the shit beaten out of them by their former friend, but I had a feeling our Issei-kun would go too easy on them. And right now, he was showing a pretty unpleasant side of himself, too.

"Maybe more than one!" the dipshit went on, completely unfazed by the increasingly contemptuous looks from the girls who could hear him. "I'd start dating one, dump her, then get myself another… I was planning to build a harem! By the time I graduated, swarms of girls should've been fighting over me in a 'Battle Royale.' But around here, only that clique of handsome guys is popular, and everyone ignores me like trash…"

"Trash doesn't get ignored, Ise-kun," I cut in, unable to hold back, interrupting the torrent of frankly vile, unfulfilled dreams he was pouring out to me. "People avoid trash because it stinks. Just like you do right now." Hyoudou's expression began to shift from sadness to hurt. I twitched my cheek in irritation as I noticed the girls in our class looking on approvingly. "And don't look at me like I've hurt your feelings. Answer honestly: would you be happy if a girl started dating you just to use you, then dump you?"

"Of course!" Issei lit up. This… this…

"I don't know what you got into your head, Ise-kun, but I wasn't talking about her wanting to use your body. I meant something a lot less pleasant: messing with your head, taking your money, giving you nothing in return. Think about Yuma. Did you enjoy that?"

"I… well…"

"Of course you didn't," I answered my own question. Yes, I'd just struck a cruel blow at a wound the kid had only recently shown me himself, but I didn't want to put up with that attitude or damage my own reputation. There's a difference between being ignored and being despised. "People don't look at you like you're trash because you're ugly. They do it because you treat girls like trash. Like a can of soda: pop it open, drink it, then toss it away. No self-respecting person, regardless of gender, would approve of that. So what did you expect, shouting for everyone to hear that you planned to build a harem or change girlfriends as casually as you change clothes?"

I exhaled through my teeth and leaned back in my chair. What an idiot, completely obsessed with getting laid. If he kept thoughts like that to himself, fine, but did he have to shout them for almost the whole class to hear? Looks like he'd already decided he had no chance with any of the girls in our class, so he'd stopped filtering himself. Honestly, I wanted to send him on a long, thoroughly non-erotic trip somewhere far away. But Sona-san had told us he possessed some kind of power-boosting Sacred Gear, and Hyoudou was a servant of an allied House. That made me rein in my tongue and feign sympathy, though I made my disapproval abundantly clear.

"Biologically speaking, 'man' and 'human male' mean the same thing. But in real life, what sets a man apart is a set of qualities that make him more than just an animal with a penis." I shook my head with exaggerated disapproval, letting reproach and condemnation show in my eyes while keeping disgust off my face. "Those qualities include loyalty, honor, and dignity. Stop treating other people like things to consume. Show them you're more than bio-trash—that you can offer more than the full force of puberty: respect, affection, and the certainty that they can rely on you. Do that, and you'll see how their attitude toward you starts to change."

It felt like approval was radiating from most of the class. Yes, almost everyone—even the boys. Only the dynamic duo, Matsuda and Motohama, twisted their lips into mocking grins. They openly disliked me by now, since I didn't even pretend to be polite to them. But Issei's pensive expression pleased me. Was he finally thinking with the head on his shoulders?

"In any case, let's drop the subject." I pointedly began getting my pens and notebook ready. "Class is about to start."

Watching him walk away, I couldn't help wondering. He really wasn't stupid, and on the whole he wasn't an asshole either, so where had this all-consuming fixation on girls come from? Every conversation with him inevitably turned to tits and bits. It wasn't just that he admired women's charms; the guy loved spelling out the intimate details of his fantasies and never hesitated to say which girls he was fantasizing about. And that whole "get one, then dump her" thing… Just disgusting. If all you want is sex, hire a prostitute. You give her money; she gives you her body, pleasure, and herpes and syphilis.

I snorted to myself. Maybe I should take this idiot whoring? Might calm him down… Nah. That'd be too much. After the way I'd made my disapproval clear today, I doubt he'll bring it up again. And I can put up with a simple "I wanna suck tits" well enough.

"Right, time for class," I thought, watching the teacher come in. No point worrying about stupid shit, especially since I still had a mountain of student council work today, then contracts to hop between, and another training session with Tsubasa after that. Toward dawn, I'd have to swing by home to tend the tea bushes and cook something healthy for my parents. Especially Mom. After their "shenanigans," a little star of new life had begun to shine in her belly, so now she needed to eat only the very best. In the name of the Moon, naturally!

---

"Master." The girl bowed with visible effort. She looked utterly spent—sweaty, disheveled, exhausted. I couldn't help admiring her. "Thank you for the lesson."

"You're welcome, Tsubasa-san." I nodded with a smile. "Your medicines are on the table behind the training ground, as always. Remember to eat a hearty meal after your shower. No sweets or soda."

"Okay." She nodded mechanically. My… well, I supposed she really was my student after all. She didn't even protest at me calling her Tsubasa-san, though she'd spent the past week insisting I drop the honorific.

Persistent, I thought with satisfaction as I began the opening forms of active meditation. Once Tsubasa had left the training ground, a barrier dome began to form above it. My Lady's parents lived in a nearby mansion, and I didn't want to disturb them with surges of energy. Tsubasa was only at the beginning of her path, so her training here was "quiet." But when I started training in earnest…

My breathing was as calm as the current of a broad, unhurried, mighty river. Qi flowed slowly and smoothly through my meridians, completed a full circuit, and returned to my dantian. The medicines began to take effect, warming my muscles. The kata were unhurried, precise, and graceful, settling me into a state of calm and serenity.

After completing a full cycle of the Great River's Calm, I moved on to the Heavens Aflame. My movements grew sharper, and qi surged into my muscles more aggressively, making the medicines distributed evenly through them feel like fire burning me from within. My breathing grew fast and deep—my body needed more oxygen.

Eternal Ridges of Grandeur. I performed each kata extremely slowly, my breathing almost inaudible, qi at the highest concentration my body could hold, and the flow of life energy nearly still.

Freedom of the Winds atop the Icy Peak. My whole body felt light. Swift kata flowed into wild acrobatic pirouettes. The wind whistled past my ears as I moved at speeds ordinary people couldn't reach. Qi raced through my meridians, straining them until I could hear a phantom ringing in my energy channels.

The first Elemental Cycle of active meditation ended. Another cycle…

The repetitions followed one after another. I had to draw every bit of benefit from the medicines I'd taken, maximizing their effect on my body and internal energy before I began working with qi outside my body.

Once I was sure the process no longer needed close supervision, I gave it only a sliver of my attention and turned my thoughts back to Sona-san's first Rook.

Who would've thought I'd meet one of those people they call "prodigies" in the cultivation worlds? Someone who had awakened her Core of Life all on her own. The kind of "once-in-a-thousand-year genius." Of course, nobody actually keeps statistics like that—especially abroad, where some poor statistician might get his abacus smashed for asking too many questions. But cultivators love grand words and numbers.

All my disapproval of Tsubasa's performance in that practice match vanished at her very first training session. More precisely, during the examination I decided to give her while Sona-san and her Queen, who'd come to see us off, looked on.

It was funny watching Tsubaki look outraged by my behavior, Sona-sama appear a little flustered, and the Rook turn beet red, while I stood calmly to Tsubasa's right, my palms pressed to her stomach and lower back as I examined her dantian and meridian system.

The tension peaked when I let out a relieved breath and, having pushed through the resistance of her demonic power, said, "There. I'm inside." The Rook looked ready to spontaneously combust, while the Queen seemed about to try and whack me after all.

"If my esteemed ladies would stop thinking lewd thoughts, it'd be easier for me to work." I twitched my cheek in mock annoyance and closed my eyes. "Tsubasa-san, demonic power is largely subject to your will—you told me so yourself. So when you think of me as the fourth member of the Perverted Trio, you prevent my qi from getting a clear reading of your energy system. And Tsubaki-san's bloodlust is just distracting me from my work."

"Sorry…" Yura Tsubasa squeaked, her eyes darting around our surroundings.

"Sorry, Taro-kun," Sona-san said. The hint of genuine regret in her voice warmed my heart, and the trace of embarrassment on Tsubaki's face amused me.

"Don't apologize, my Lady." I smiled gently. "You're perfect, as always."

For a couple of seconds, no one spoke. My qi kept spreading through the body of the girl I was examining, revealing her condition, her energy system…

"Flatterer." The Queen's teasing voice made me smile wider.

"My Lady is perfect," I insisted, sinking deeper into the meditation of perception. "So perfect that every evening the Sun hides beyond the horizon because, in its envy, it cannot bear the flawless beauty of her face. So perfect that not a single ocean in the entire Universe is deeper than her lovely violet eyes. So perfect that her smile shines brighter than a thousand Suns, and her features are the very apotheosis of perfection. So perfect that the bottomless dark of space is but a pale shadow of the blackness of her hair. So perfect that the Goddesses of Beauty in the Higher Worlds weep with envy at her grace. My Lady is so perfect that I serve her—Chiba Taro himself."

This time the silence lasted longer, and I finished my examination. Her body was in nearly ideal condition, though it still needed purging of impurities and more intensive physical training. Her meridian system hadn't been developed at all, yet life energy filled not only the main pathways but around thirty percent of the "minor loops" as well. And then there was her dantian: awakened and softly pulsing, rather than dimly, barely perceptibly "glowing" like an ordinary person's. Amazing.

Crude, imperfect, pathetic… That's what I would've called it if any master had shown me something like this inside one of his students. But for an untaught prodigy, it was… astonishing.

"Excellent, Tsubasa-san." I smiled and stepped back. "Just as I expected…"

The Rook was a funny sight: red ears, flushed cheeks, and a bewildered gaze darting between me and Sona-san. For some reason, the latter was pretending to study a little stone on the training ground, utterly uninterested in anything around her.

"Taro-kun," the Queen sighed, rubbing her closed eyes beneath her glasses. "That last bit about you being the greatest was completely unnecessary. You ruined the whole effect."

"I disagree," I said, thoughtfully stroking my chin. "I said it all perfectly. Anyway, back to training, Tsubasa-san. How would you feel about taking martial arts seriously? You've got all the makings of a great fighter."

These days, my Lady's other Rook and I trained together every other day. For now, Tsubasa's training was purely physical. Her dantian might be awake, but her body still hadn't developed enough to match her energy, which made her somewhat… clumsy in combat. A crude analogy: she was living in clothes that were too tight. She could feel she was capable of doing better, doing more, being stronger—but her body couldn't keep up. And she still had plenty of impurities to purge.

Becoming a demon neutralizes most of the harm caused by junk food, unhealthy drinks, and the like, but not all of it. A practitioner must be pure, must strive for perfection of both body and spirit. So during the first part of our training, I mostly watched Tsubasa work through exercises that put her muscles under maximum strain and built her endurance. Meanwhile, I stayed in passive meditation, working on my Eyes of the Sage array.

Thanks to the medicines, her awakened dantian, and the diet I'd prescribed, she'd get through this stage of physical conditioning far faster than an ordinary person tempering their body. Once she'd completed the first stage of physical development, we'd move on to the basics of meditation, conscious control of qi, and the first, simplest cycles of circulating energy through her meridians. I expected a huge leap in her combat power even at that stage. She'd become far faster and stronger just from the effect proper cultivation would have on her body.

"Haaah." I exhaled noisily. A pleasant burn in my muscles, a phantom ringing from my strained meridians. Now I could practice some external techniques and arrays.

I touched a stone set into one of the training ground's pillars and fed it a little demonic power. The spell anchored here was already charged; all I did was activate it. Stone golems stirred to life—combat models. The grounds had originally been equipped with training golems, but after my very first test of strength, Sona-san had ordered them replaced with something tougher.

"Good training dummies." I squinted with satisfaction at the three-meter-tall figures emerging from alcoves around the arena. Fast, strong, durable. Best of all, they repair themselves in a day. "My Lady is generous."

"ORA!" my activated Reflection of Might chimed in eagerly. Its distorted emotions and deranged mind were thrilled by the fight to come.

"ORA, of course." I chuckled, sensing its hunger for battle and sharing some of it.

The only thing that disappointed me was how dumb the golems were. Their behavior patterns were easy enough to learn; after that, they stopped being opponents and became targets. I'd have to find a strong opponent. Someone I could really cut loose against, without holding back like I did when sparring with my clanmates.

---

Original Russian story

You can find more chapters on my Patreon.

The translation of new chapters will also be published here—but with a bit of a delay.