The new chapter begins.
Golden Week is just around the corner, and with such events approaching, it’s easy to talk about travel or what to do on days off.
Us?
Well, our company allows us to take significant holidays voluntarily, regardless of these days off.
I don’t particularly want to travel when everyone else is rushing around.
I decided not to push things for Suella, who is pregnant.
We’ve agreed with Suella and the others to enjoy ourselves leisurely after Golden Week ends.
So, during Golden Week, I’ll probably be relaxing at home, or perhaps tackling dungeons to get ahead on my work for a long holiday.
Now, why am I talking about Golden Week?
I apologize for the sudden digression, but what do you think about makeovers?
And don’t you think some people change dramatically after a long holiday?
To give a clear example, they might dye their hair, switch from glasses to contact lenses, get a new perm, wear their school uniforms casually, or get a tan. Their appearance changes quite a bit from before.
This is what’s sometimes called a “high school debut” or a “holiday debut.”
“…Kaido, isn’t it?”
“Hehehe, that’s right, Senpai!”
This is happening right in front of me, which is why I brought it up.
However, this is slightly more than just a makeover; it’s on a different level.
Several weeks have passed since the battle with the President.
My injuries and fatigue have healed, and I’ve been repeating dungeon tests as usual, albeit at a slightly slower pace.
I’ve been juggling my Party Members’ physical condition and schedules and planned for a short, consolidated holiday. Today is the day the Party Members gather for the first time in three days.
I arrived at work as usual and was about to check the dungeon test details when I entered the Party Room, and there he was.
“When did you become a Henshin Hero?”
Should I call it a cerulean silver color?
Like some Super Sentai hero or a hero who rides a motorcycle, he was clad in a full-body suit with mechanical parts attached, striking a pose and waiting. For a moment, I thought he was a suspicious person, but the magical waveform indicated it was Kaido. When I asked hesitantly, I heard Kaido’s voice, albeit muffled.
“How is it, Senpai! Looks cool, right?”
I’m curious about how things led to this outcome.
He kept striking poses as if he’d regained his boyhood spirit.
“Ah, it looks cool… on your head.”
That’s all I could say.
“Huh!? That makes it sound like I’ve been dabbling in some dangerous drugs! I haven’t done anything like that!”
“Then what’s with the outfit? Did you discover cosplay?”
Unlike cheap, amateur cosplay, the craftsmanship of his attire was evident.
It was as if the armor itself was created to be that way, as the only correct form.
When I questioned Kaido about wearing such attire boldly at work, he replied,
“I’d be offended if you called this mere cosplay! Watch this! Detach!”
Taking my question as an insult, Kaido let out a huff and struck a pose again.
He shouted with his hands on his hips, and for a moment, a dazzling light appeared. When the light faded, Kaido stood there in his usual white shirt.
“How’s this! This armor with transformation capabilities! It’s an original creation by Amili-chan, Shiik-chan, and Miik-chan!”
“Amili-san, the Machine King’s creation? And with the power of two Seraphim? What kind of specs does it have?”
“Well, in a nutshell, it’s incredible. It was originally developed as external armor for Golems, but they realized it could be used by anyone with a human-like form and some intelligence, like Dark Elves, Giants, and Beastkin. So, they changed the direction to strengthen the Demon Lord’s Army. Unlike the mass-produced ones, mine is custom-made, and its performance is far superior!”
It was packed with enhancements like improved physical abilities, resistance to physical and magical attacks, and various hidden weapons.
Its specs simply nearly double Kaido’s combat power.
Neither I nor Kaido knew that these capabilities would later cause trouble. I was simply impressed by this item that embodied the romance of a man.
“That’s amazing. If this could be distributed to Dungeon Testers, it would significantly boost our military strength.”
“Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. The performance is this high because Amili-chan designed it, and Shiik-chan and Miik-chan meticulously adjusted the fine details, matching my soul and magical wavelength perfectly. It’s apparently a performance that can only be achieved through adjustments made specifically for me.”
“So, it’s completely one-of-a-kind, with no mass production potential?”
“Hmph! You’re not the only one getting stronger, Senpai!”
“That’s very reassuring.”
“However, I can’t utilize all its specs yet, so my full combat capability is limited to about five minutes!”
“So, you’ve barely broken the three-minute barrier? I don’t know if I should call that amazing or not?”
The fact that he always manages to deliver a punchline feels so like Kaido.
And I’m genuinely touched by Kaido’s effort to catch up to me.
When I asked if he’d like to spar with me wearing that suit, he confidently declared victory.
Then, when I muttered that I might have to use my dragon blood to its fullest, he flinched, and the whole exchange felt very much like Kaido.
“But honestly, at first, I was genuinely worried. This was beyond a mere makeover.”
“Of course, I wouldn’t transform into a hero just for a makeover! This is just what happened after consulting with Amili-chan and the others. We also considered a transforming robot, but we gave up after seeing the maintenance costs.”
“It seems like a combination of choices that reflects your unique tastes.”
There’s still time before we start work.
I headed to the kitchen to get some coffee and was about to ask Kaido if he wanted some when I heard the front door open.
“Good morning.”
“GOOD MORNING!”
From the voices, I could tell it was Kitamiya and Amelia.
One a calm greeting, the other energetic.
As I listened, I thought I might as well make drinks for both of them.
“Ah, good morning! What’s with the outfits, you two!? Is it a makeover!?”
But then, Kaido’s startled shout was heard. Confused, I came out of the kitchen, and upon seeing Kitamiya and Amelia, I understood why he’d shouted.
“…Did you dye your hair?”
Kitamiya’s short hair was dyed a beautiful sky blue. Amelia’s hair was the same golden color it always was, but it seemed to have grown longer and was shimmering with a faint green glow.
It was clearly not normal. “What, is it a makeover festival today?” I wondered, and asked what happened to their hair colors.
“It’s not that. Please wait a moment; I can calm down now.”
She touched her hair and took a few deep breaths, and it returned to its natural black color.
“I was exposed to the company’s magic, so it reacted and turned that color. Don’t worry; I didn’t dye it.”
“Me too.”
Amelia, standing next to her, also quickly returned her shimmering hair to normal, and the luminescence stopped.
Kaido and I exchanged glances, wondering what had happened to them.
“I’ll explain. It’s because something we were testing has started to take shape, so it’s actually a good time.”
“Something you were testing?”
“Yes, Amelia and I were working on it together.”
Kitamiya then began to explain what had caused their hair colors to change.
“Spirit furnace?”
During the explanation, she mentioned the “Spirit furnace.”
“Yes, it’s a technique that a female mage from their world often uses, according to Amelia’s knowledge. Didn’t Evia-san mention that gathering magic in one’s hair is a common method?”
“Ah, I think she did say something like that.”
“This is the spirit version of it. I use my hair as a medium to imbue spirits and store magic there. I then give some of the stored magic to the imbued spirits and have them manage the magic in return.”
Then, as proof, a white cat, Kitamiya’s contracted spirit, Snow, appeared from near her collar.
“Right now, this little one is slowly writing spirit characters on my hair, strand by strand. We’re currently increasing our affinity.”
Looking at Amelia, a wind spirit, Win, which looked like a squirrel-cat hybrid, was perched on her shoulder.
“The effect of this spell isn’t just that! If I give my magic to Win, Win will also grow! It’s like Jiro-san’s Ore Tree!”
“There are other things we can do, but that’s generally it. We’re also growing.”
“You were doing that? Kaido, did you know?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“It was quite fun practicing in secret. Right, Amī?”
“Yeah, I was looking forward to telling you guys the day!”
Like Kaido, Kitamiya and Amelia seem to be working hard on various things.
I think it’s a good trend that all three of us are starting something new.
The Party Room became noisy with Kitamiya and the others’ cheerful stories and Kaido transforming, much to Kitamiya’s exasperation and Amelia’s excitement, saying he couldn’t be left behind.
“Kaido can transform into a hero wannabe, and Kitamiya and Amelia are working on new magic-related things. That means Minami and Katsu are likely doing something new too. Do you know anything?”
The conversation turned that way.
I brought up the topic, assuming the other two would also be up to something.
I expected them to be secretive, like Kitamiya and Amelia, who seemed to be looking forward to something.
“I don’t know. Minami and Katsu, either. Amī might know something?”
“No, Min-chan mentioned she found something interesting in Mike’s knowledge, but I don’t know what it is yet.”
“Whoa, whoa, Mike’s knowledge? Doesn’t that mean the Sage’s knowledge? She hasn’t gotten her hands on any forbidden books, has she?”
“It’s alright in that regard. I’ve sealed anything of that nature in a particularly secure place, so there’s no problem. Minami and Katsu found something from the publicly available section, so I don’t think there’s anything strange.”
Kitamiya shook her head and shrugged, and Amelia, who lent the knowledge, didn’t seem to grasp what she’d lent out.
Is that really okay? I felt uneasy.
Minami is good at risk management, so I wasn’t too worried, but the fact remains that it’s scary to think they might do something outlandish.
“Do you even know what genre it is?”
“Her speed-reading ability is incredible. She kept reading one book after another, and I couldn’t even tell what book it was.”
“I do know which books she read, but I don’t remember the detailed content either.”
And uneasiness, the more you think about it, the more it expands. As the aroma of coffee wafted from the coffee maker, filling the room, I had no idea what Minami was thinking. Just as I was considering interrogating her when she arrived at the room, the door opened again.
“Good morning, Gozaru!!”
“Good morning.”
And speaking of the devil, they appeared on the scene.
“Good morning, but there are huge bags under your eyes, Minami. Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, Gozaru!! I just stayed up for two days working!! I have to increase my tension like this, or I’ll fall asleep, so don’t mind me!!”
Minami, who was shouting that her magic was at its peak, thinking magic was an energy drink or something. Looking at Katsu, who seemed to have accompanied Minami, I could see him struggling to stay awake, which was unusual for him.
“Katsu-kun, are you alright?”
“Yes, I just accompanied Minami for a bit, so I’m fine.”
When Kaido asked Katsu with concern, I could see his sleep deprivation, though not as severe as Minami’s.
There were no particular makeover elements in their appearance.
The only thing that could be considered a makeover was the dark circles under Minami’s eyes, but I’d never heard of such a makeover.
So, I just said one thing.
“Go get some sleep.”
Kaido, Kitamiya, and Amelia nodded in agreement.
Our dungeon test would commence in the afternoon.
Today’s Word
When one accomplishes something, everyone changes.
Every time, thank you for your feedback and typo corrections.
If you find this interesting, please leave comments, ratings, bookmarks, etc.
*The first volume of the novel is published by Hayakawa Bunko JA.
It was released on October 18, 2018.
The e-book version was released on October 31 of the same year.
The second volume was released on December 19.
The third volume was released on February 20, 2019.
The content has been revised and expanded from the original serialization on Shōsetsuka ni Narō, with the addition of unpublished intermissions.
Please also check out the new releases!
The comic adaptation is being serialized in Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third.”
We hope you enjoy that as well.
We ask for your continued support of this work.
