Chapter 63

It’s already been 5 days since I arrived in Japan.

I’ve eaten so much sushi that I could burst, and I’ve been hopping around using [Gates] to eat ramen, rice bowls, and stuff… Basically, I’ve done nothing but eat.

Oh, of course, I’ve been taking care of Baron-Class and Viscount-Class demons whenever they show up.

There’s no way I’d neglect the most important thing.

“Eel rice bowl… It was really delicious…”

This time, I had an eel rice bowl.

Since I started eating sushi, this was my first time trying eel, and based on what I’ve eaten so far… It feels like 60% meat, 40% fish.

I get why people say it’s no different from meat, but it’s not exactly the same.

Still, that’s part of the charm of eel.

I want to eat it again.

…The downside is that everything is generally salty, and depending on the place, some dishes are so salty that they’re hard to eat.

Since Korea is small, whether it’s a hot or cold region, the difference in taste isn’t that big, but in a place that’s long vertically, the difference seems significant.

But even considering that, they seem to eat really salty food.

Why do they eat so salty?

Is it related to history rather than the weather?

“In two more days, it’s over… Ah, maybe I’ll go to Europe next…”

When I think of Europe, German food comes to mind first.

Beer, sausages, pork knuckle.

Honestly, I’m more excited about that than France or other places.

If I go to Europe, I’ll start with Germany.

And then it’s a beer and sausage party.

The draft wheat beer they serve on the spot… I’ll definitely try it!

But since I have to take care of Diamond Dust, it’ll be hard to go often.

At least once a month would be good.

It’s a shame… but what can I do?

“The sun hasn’t set yet… It’s a bit early for dinner.”

Ah~… Lately, all I think about is food.

I’m not really interested in sightseeing or anything, so when I go abroad, is this all I end up doing?

…Oh, a demon signal popped up.

This is… what, Duke-Class? Why are Duke-Class demons showing up?

Wait, how many are there?

“……”

First… I’ll think later, let’s just head out.

If 7 of them suddenly pop up, it’s obvious that someone intentionally brought them here, so there’s no need to think too much.

So, I transformed right away and used a [Gate] to move to the skies above Tokyo.

As soon as I arrived, I saw a significant number of Duke-Class demons.

And… standing among them, a being that looks similar to a magical girl but has a reaction that’s neither a monster nor a monsterized magical girl.

If I had to compare, it’s similar to Magical Pandora, whom I briefly met, and Magical Vampire, who suppressed the monster’s personality and powered up.

Plus, judging by the look, it’s probably one of Pandora’s subordinates.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense for them to bring the demons here.

“Third Ability, 「Rampage」.”

And… 「Chaotic Frenzy」, 「Ether Blast」×「Collapse」…!!

“Huh~… So you’re that Rampage… Wait, wait!!”

“Die.”

I annihilated the Duke-Class demons with 「Ether Blast」 infused with 「Collapse」, then immediately flew towards the mysterious girl and swung my light sword.

I’m not sure if it’s smoke or not, but seeing her barely dodge and panic… She’s not my match.

“Just like I heard… you!”

Is this girl also using a Third Ability?

If so, she’s much stronger than what I’ve faced so far.

But she doesn’t feel overwhelmingly strong.

“You…! Seriously~… How can you not even let your opponent pose?! And where is this? It was definitely Tokyo, so why are we in space?!”

“Shut up.”

“Tch… You’re a total slaughter machine. Hmph, anyway, introduce yourself first! I’m the witch, Frost! The one who freezes everything…”

“「Ether Blast」.”

“Hey! Don’t interrupt me?!”

Don’t interrupt? What nonsense is that?

If you brought demons here, it means you’re planning to attack the human world.

I should kill you right away, no posing, right?

That aside… the fact that she blocked my attack means she’s at a decent level.

But seeing her struggle, if I keep hitting her, she’ll die.

“This is…!! 「Absolute Zero」!”

“Do you even have time for that?”

“Ugh…?!”

While Frost was activating her technique, I kept closing in and swinging my sword.

At the same time, 「Ether Blast」 infused with 「Collapse」 kept flying at her.

She had no choice but to dodge big, and that created more openings.

And now… a stab to the chest…!

“Kuh… ugh…”

“Goodbye.”

I stabbed Magical Frost in the chest with my light sword, then immediately slashed it sideways and cut her throat before she could react.

Then, I used 「Domain Collapse」 on the remaining corpse, slowly erasing it until it completely disappeared.

“……”

Earlier, she called herself a witch, right?

I should consult the Fairy Queen about this.

No matter how I think about it, she seems like one of Pandora’s subordinates.

By the way, this girl didn’t just randomly appear in the skies above Tokyo; she was clearly targeting me.

The way she said, “So you’re that,” makes it clear.

I don’t know why she’s already targeting me like this.

And to let her subordinate die so easily, she’s a weird one.

Maybe someone like her isn’t much of a loss…

Anyway, I should head back and show my face, or it’ll get annoying.

Just the fact that I haven’t been seen since then has the media making all sorts of fuss and spreading rumors.

It’s really annoying.

So, I showed my face to the people once, then used a [Gate] to return.

I can’t stand the rumors spreading that I lost to some random guy.

If it’s just criticism or insults, I can ignore it, but I can’t let them spread false information.

“Ugh~…”

Hmm… Should I go to the Fairy Queen after finishing this, or should I go now?

…Well, things will be quiet for a while, so I can go later.

But just in case, I’ll let Chubby know.

“Hey, Chubby.”

“Huh?!”

I opened a [Gate], stuck my hand in, and pulled Chubby over.

Chubby, thinking he’s been kidnapped, is freaking out and looking around.

Looking at him like this, he’s kinda cute… but that’s not important right now.

“Hey. You know about the demons and that weird girl that appeared in the skies above Tokyo, right?”

“Huh? Ah, yes! I just got the report!”

“I took care of them all, but… that weird girl, she was similar to a magical girl.”

“What?!”

“She called herself a witch. Judging by her appearance, she’s probably one of Pandora’s subordinates. The Fairy Queen probably knows, but just in case, let her know.”

“Okay, got it!”

That’s settled then. It’s almost dinner time, so I should go eat some pork cutlet rice bowl.

Let’s see… was it here? Yeah, here it is.

Now that I think about it, I’ve had pork cutlet rice bowls a few times at PC cafes.

Whether it was because the part-timers were trash or the owner’s recipe was trash, it was disgustingly bad.

The rice was mushy, the seaweed flakes were sprinkled like bombs, and they tasted fishy and gross, and the pork cutlet was tiny…

But this time, I’m eating at a proper restaurant, so it should be good, right?

…If it’s salty, as long as it’s within tolerance, I’ll endure it.

“Welcome~.”

There are quite a few customers, so it must be a decent place.

Even though it’s abroad, there shouldn’t be anyone spreading bad rumors.

“One katsudon, please.”

Ooh… Egg on rice? Half-cooked? And… onions and pork cutlet.

I’m not sure what this is, but it’s probably broth.

It seems easy to make, so I’ll have Chubby try making it next time.

As for the taste… Oh, this is really good.

Simple but delicious, and filling.

This is totally like a rice soup position.

And unlike other dishes, it’s less salty.

Or is this place just unusually light on salt?

Ugh… By the way, why do Japanese people eat so little rice…

Even with this body, the portion feels a bit lacking.

If I were still a guy, I’d definitely order two bowls.

When I cook at home, I eat a big bowl until I’m stuffed.

By the way, eating this with just chopsticks is a bit inconvenient.

The leftover rice grains… damn… Do I really have to scoop it up like in manga or anime?

Looking around, everyone else is eating like that too…

“……”

…So, why did Pandora send someone like that?

Or was it Witch Frost… acting on her own?

Without knowing, I shouldn’t jump to conclusions, but… it’s easier to think it was her own decision.

“Sigh~…”

Why is this magical girl business never peaceful, what’s going on.

…Ah, a Baron-Class demon signal.

It’s annoying, so maybe I’ll just open a [Gate] and throw my wand at it?

Oh… this is surprisingly convenient.

I’ve got a new technique.

This way, I don’t have to go out every time.

This is really handy.

Anyway, I’ve had dinner and returned, so I should crack open a beer.

For snacks… today, it’s this.

“Rampage~!”

“…What?”

“The Fairy Queen said to come as soon as her business trip is over!”

“Got it.”

They’re really fast, the Fairy Realm.

But it’s good that she didn’t say to come immediately.

I’ve already prepared my drink, so if she had said to come right away, I’d have smashed Chubby’s head into the ground.

“Are you feeding Diamond Dust well?”

“Yes! She’s been eating well today!”

“Good.”

Chubby is really reliable as a housekeeper.

It’s hard to believe he’s the same guy who used to be so lazy about everything.

Maybe he’s gotten into cooking?

“By the way, how’s her school life? Have you checked?”

“I’m not sure, but judging by her bright expression, she seems to be doing well!”

“Is that so? Well, if her expression is good, then there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Right!”

“But just in case, if there’s any problem, tell her to let me know. I’ll take care of it.”

“Okay!”

“Ah, and if there’s anything she wants from Japan, let her know. I’ll be back in two days.”

Snacks are much better at the Magical Girl Store, so she probably doesn’t need anything.

So, what should I bring back?

If anything, it’s just the manga my friends jokingly mentioned.

“I’ve heard!”

“What?”

“She said she wants shota manga! She even wrote down the author…”

“Sigh~…”

This kid… Asking me to buy shota manga, are you crazy?

I didn’t mean for you to get comfortable like this.

“Shota manga is rejected. Stop messing around and tell her to pick something else.”

“Huh? Okay!”

By the way, Diamond Dust… has a shota preference.

But she knows that’s a crime in real life, right?

I hope she keeps that preference limited to manga…