Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, single.
Girlfriend: Suella, Henderberg.
Memoria Tris.
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time Employee).
Magic Aptitude: 8 (General Class).
Position: Warrior.
Well, yesterday, trouble came calling again.
Unfortunately, the sun rose mercilessly, urging me to get to work.
My motivation was waning, but this is how I earn a living. Sadly, with the spirit of a corporate slave, I dragged myself out of bed, put on my gear, and got ready.
I still have other things to do, so I need to get to the training room before the others.
Behold, a model working adult, indeed.
“So, who are you?”
“I am Wadō!! You are Jiro Tanaka, aren’t you!!”
Ugh, I’m getting such a bad feeling.
If there were a Yes or No option, I’d choose No without hesitation, but this kind of thing probably won’t give me that choice.
Trouble, first thing in the morning.
What is it?
Am I cursed?
I’m employed by a fantasy company, so honestly, I can’t laugh.
My stats are such that only luck doesn’t increase. Could it be that dating Suella and Memoria has negatively affected my luck?
This is no joke.
Noticing a stalker and strategizing, I headed to the training room. There, I saw a figure that shouldn’t have been there. A fearsome-looking red oni.
Matching its single horn, it was a giant even compared to Instructor Kio. Clad in something like a martial arts uniform with armor over it, it wielded a spiked kanabō in its right hand.
I thought it was related to Instructor Kio, but its obvious battle-ready stance and the words that followed told me otherwise.
“I dislike my Master!! I don’t know if you’re favored by the Demon Lord or even my Lord, but for a human to rise so high! I will defeat you here and expose your true nature!!”
I thought it was a bit much to be disliked upon meeting, but it seemed this oni was part of the assassins the president and supervisor had mentioned.
I say “part” because this oni bears no resemblance to yesterday’s stalker, and unlike them, its hostility is remarkably straightforward.
“Haa, so? What is it about me that you dislike?”
And easily dealt with.
Rather than being sneaky, it’s easier to address problems and improve when someone simply airs their grievances. Honestly, I don’t dislike these kinds of people. It’s bothersome, though.
“Hmph! Humans are weak enough as it is, and you are given a position even if you are at the lowest level! So that those beneath you do not stray from the path, I will assess you!!”
In short, you don’t like me because I’m weak.
Thank you for the direct statement, you typical oni.
This makes it easier for me to respond.
I smoothly grip the hilt of the Ore Tree.
“Oh, you’re quick to talk for a human. Hm?”
Wadō, who briefly showed a happy expression, seems to have misunderstood something, but I’ll proceed without minding him. Drawing the Ore Tree from my back, I thrust it into the ground.
Then, I remove my armor and become bare-chested.
The muscles I’ve honed since joining this company are exposed to the slightly cold air.
“Here, I’ll enter your ring. Using weapons could lead to a battle to the death, and I don’t have much time. It’s a battle of fists; whoever falls first loses.”
“Ka!! You seem to know our ways!! I commend your spirit!!”
Then, as I agitated my fighting spirit with magic, the opposing oni smiled with a face that looked like a child about to cry. It tossed aside the kanabō in its right hand, shed its armor as if peeling it off, and bared its martial arts uniform.
The rock-like red skin revealed bulging muscles, looking incredibly tough.
According to Instructor Kio, oni apparently dislike convoluted strategies and schemes.
They often find it troublesome to investigate or ask others, even if they have doubts.
Rather than doing that, they tend to confront people directly, which is typical of their race.
So, I learned from the instructors’ advice a way to resolve the oni’s doubts, or rather, its dissatisfaction:
“I’ll let you have the first move?”
“Don’t underestimate me, human!!”
It’s like an upgraded version of youthful days spent on a riverbank, punching each other alternately.
As a provocation, I casually beckoned with my index finger, and a blow that held no restraint whatsoever landed squarely on my face.
It was a solid punch that went straight to the core.
But…
“Don’t underestimate humans too much, I won’t stand for it!!”
I’m not so poorly trained that I’d fall for something like that.
This time, I punch the fearsome face before me with all my might, as if to crush rock.
Punch and get punched back, receive everything with my body if they go all out, without dodging.
Predator and prey; no matter how unfavorable the conditions, oni apparently agree if you compete fairly in physical combat and win.
Even better if you win by conceding the first move.
Fortunately, or perhaps due to my training, the highest stat I have is…
“Nnn… For a human, what a body. It’s like punching iron. Your fists are also quite something.”
“If you can survive being punched by your superiors, you’ll end up like this!!”
My durability stat is so high that the oni’s full-power punches barely deal damage.
Since I was punched, it’s my turn next. Apparently, they liked the taste of my returned punch.
They pushed back the distance as they bravely attacked.
For my part, I felt like I’d finally found a decent punching bag for all the stress I’d been accumulating lately, and punched back.
Combining my lunge, hip rotation, shoulder twist, and grip strength to increase destructive power, I drove my fist into the face of the oni bracing itself with its hips lowered.
I felt a definite impact from the blow, loaded with my entire body weight.
And like a starting signal, the exchange of fists began.
“Kaaah!! It hurts, it hurts!!”
“Then fall already.”
“Not yet!! The fun is just beginning!!”
They stumbled slightly, but these oni are tough.
I expected it wouldn’t end with just one or two blows, but I’ve already landed over ten hits to the face.
It’s no wonder they don’t fall with that.
Even so, I can crush rock with my bare hands, but this oni, which has already forgotten its initial anger and is now enjoying the fight, probably sees even that as mere spice to its enjoyment.
“Kuhahaha!! Fun!! This is fun!! My Lord is so mischievous!! To hide someone like this, I can’t believe I’m getting this fired up against a human!!”
“Yeah, whatever, hurry up and punch. I have work to do.”
My face feels hot.
It doesn’t hurt, but it’s annoying.
Why on earth do I have to trade blows with an oni, the embodiment of strength?
Ah, I just want to finish this and smoke a cigarette.
“Then I won’t hold back!!”
Fists that seemed capable of grinding wind lunged towards my face. I simply mobilized my legs, bones, muscles, and magic, and took the impact with my face with a resonating thud.
Dodging is easy with my current stats.
But there’s no need to do so right now.
If I dodged, all my previous efforts would be in vain.
“Die already!!”
“Gufho! You fractured my abdomen, you’re good!!”
“Ngu! I’m human, you know. Don’t compare me to you guys!!”
“You fight me and then call yourself human!! This is delightful!!”
I folded the oni’s massive body into a U-shape, but the rock-like skin at my fist’s tip still felt intact.
Ah, it’s obvious I’ll be pushed into a corner like this.
Now, what should I do? Letting it drag on into a stalemate relying solely on durability is dangerous.
Therefore…
“Ugh, you’ve been going for my stomach this whole time.”
“I’m showing you my face! Don’t complain!!”
Change of tactics.
Body, body, body, body. I’ve taken so many hits that my head is starting to swim, but the damage I’m receiving is gradually decreasing.
My senses are a little dulled, but I can still push forward.
“Here!! You’re going soft!! Come on!!”
“Nnn!? N-nooo!!”
A barrage of blows without a moment’s pause. However, the opponent’s strength is now less than half of what it was initially. Still, it has enough power to easily snap the neck of an ordinary human.
Well, I’m used to that level of power.
Both sides, fighting without pause, like a breathless exchange of blows, aiming for a decisive blow.
“Puh!!”
“Do itttttt!!”
My nerves moved my body before I could even think.
Like a revolver chambering the next bullet, I woven a series of movements from my toes to my fists into Wadō’s breathing.
This is the culmination of my efforts.
The moment the opponent’s strength waned, the sensation of impact, the movement to take a step forward upon realizing it was a critical hit – everything was the perfect blow I could deliver with my bare hands.
As if to prove it, a sound like a cannonball, impossible to produce with just a fist, echoed from my knuckles.
“Phew, oh, that was it, that was it. Are you alive?”
“Nnn, I lost.”
“You’re alive. Alright, now I don’t have to write an incident report.”
“You’re worried about that?”
“Idiot, in any world, who worries about the person they picked a fight with?”
I thought I might have gone too far with that perfect hit, but these oni are tougher than I expected.
He’s lying on his back, but his chest is moving, and he can talk.
The turbulent flow of magic I felt earlier is gone now.
“So? Are you convinced?”
“Mmm, if it’s my Master, I have no complaints. This should be a good report.”
“Even though you lost?”
“A strong warrior appeared. That alone is good news for the oni.”
“That’s a worrying thing to say.”
The morning’s trouble is over, and I light a cigarette, but I can’t shake the feeling that more trouble is brewing.
Perhaps I should worry more about that than the incident report.
I hope I don’t have to fight oni, who love to fight more than their meals, every day.
“Besides, that young lady was also concerned about you.”
“…Well, back to work.”
I didn’t hear it. A clearly dangerous phrase was uttered, but I didn’t hear it.
I quickly put my gear back on. It was a short but incredibly intense battle, so I’ll take a potion just in case.
I mentally draft a plan to send them a bill for damages.
Then, I start thinking about my next job.
“…”
I’m thinking.
Let me think, dammit!!
“Fufufufu, you noticed me. My name is—”
“Hands? Sorry to bother you in the morning. Huh? A hangover and a headache? I don’t have time for that!! I’m about to get an ulcer from stress!! Why on earth do I have to go through this!! Huh? Don’t shout? It echoes in my head, so get to the point already? Yeah, actually, a giant humanoid cockroach appeared, do you have any bug spray at your place?”
I might really need an exorcism.
It’s also frustrating that my luck stat is fixed at 5.
Why have I been encountering such intense individuals lately?
Give me some more cheerful people!
Suella, or Memoria, or Suella!!
If I turn around, there’s a man in a black bodysuit, the kind you’d see in a kitchen or a corner of a room, and if you see one, you’re pretty much guaranteed a whole family of them.
“Don’t ignore me!! Ah, speaking of bugs… you’re boring too.”
“Hmph!!”
“OK, I didn’t come here to pick a fight. So, if possible, I’d like you not to move this blade to the right, see?”
He held his phone up and stopped his blade just short of my neck.
I felt annoyed, but I don’t regret it or feel remorse. If I were in the same situation again, I’m confident I’d react the same way.
I’m impressed with my own smooth drawing motion with one hand.
This is an “Iinuki” (drawing and cutting in one motion), considered one of the most difficult sword techniques.
I’m so irritated that I can do it unconsciously.
Why in the world are these people interrupting my work?
Am I going to die? Am I going to die? No, I’ll kill them!!
These people are barging in and interrupting my work as if it’s their right, but as a working adult, that’s the worst thing you can do.
“Ah, sorry, Hands. The ‘bug’ was being a nuisance. I’ll call you back later.”
After ending the call on my smartphone, my gaze could now rival that of the instructor.
“Hic!”
The man, who looked like some kind of low-ranking soldier, let out a brief scream but managed to compose his expression.
Well, I, on my part, subtly placed my free hand on my sword hilt to avoid showing any openings.
“Now, I have work to do. I don’t have time to deal with you. So, I’ll let you choose.”
I give him a smile.
“Neck or heart. Do you prefer to be cut or stabbed?”
“Dead only!?”
“I’m not a Buddha. I don’t have the heart to forgive three times.”
“Wait, wait, wait!! I’m different from them!! I don’t intend to interrupt your work!! In fact, I came to help you!!”
“Huh?”
The cockroach man shakes his head vigorously. He’s fast, and his vitality is his strong suit.
I’m on edge, not knowing when oil might spray.
“That fellow is, ‘Chattering Gee.’ He’s a bit of a weathercock, always siding with the strong, so it’s best not to trust him too much.”
“Alright, let’s take him down here.”
What, for a moment I thought about trusting him, but it seems like a useful-but-not-really pattern.
The information Wadō gave me as he got up, I don’t know if I can trust it or not, but for now, the oni I was just fighting is more trustworthy than this suspicious cockroach.
From that standard, he’s the kind of person who would betray you the moment the situation turned bad if you thought he was on your side.
The type of person you absolutely shouldn’t keep around.
Ah, thinking about it, for some reason, the Ore Tree suddenly feels lighter.
“Master!? Why are you selling me out?! No, no, brother, I’m useful~! I know a lot of information, you see?”
“Hmph! From the moment the talk of evaluating you came up, I cut ties with you. What I say is my business.”
“No, no, no, no, even I can’t play the weathercock this time!? If things continue like this, the Testers might all be ‘annihilated,’ you know!?”
“What?”
He just said something I couldn’t ignore.
Annihilated?
Is he kidding?
After all, the supervisor is managing this place.
Given the existence of those people, it seems likely that he could annihilate and suppress them without anyone noticing, no matter what they tried to do.
It’s foolish even to consider that possibility.
“Brother, brother, while those people are indeed powerful, they aren’t omnipotent, you know? Oversights do happen.”
“Then why come to me? If you went to the supervisor with that story, your position would likely improve.”
“Well, that’s because, uh… when I stand in front of a woman, or a female existence, they scream and then I get annihilated. That’s my usual pattern.”
Ah, I can’t help but agree.
He’s already a suspicious-looking entity.
And with a suspicious aura, it’s even more so.
“There are many ways to convey information, but for now, wouldn’t it be good for you if the Testers were annihilated?”
“Idiot, if the Testers are annihilated and it’s known we were involved, we’ll be brutally killed. This time, the risk outweighs the reward for that guy’s plan. Plus, he went for zero risk. What a joke!”
“Then stop it.”
“If I could do that, I wouldn’t be in this mess. This time, the opponent is not only formidable but also has a bad reputation. It’s someone like me who can see through that guy’s devious nature.”
“…Wait, what’s this incredibly dangerous-sounding story?”
“Ah, well, this time, it involves a high-ranking noble from the Demon Lord’s Army, and his son is involved. And his reputation is good too.”
“That has nothing to do with me, you know!?”
“But surprisingly, he doesn’t know the work of the common folk, so he’s putting on a good-natured act and aiming for your position. Plus, he’s handsome and knows how to treat women.”
Ah, damn it, I know I’m being provoked.
And I also know he’s a smooth talker.
I now understand the situation.
In summary, there’s a handsome guy with status, a glib tongue, a good outward appearance but a dark heart, who’s coming to steal my position.
If I do nothing, I’ll lose my position, and eventually, I’ll lose Suella too.
And on top of that…
“So? What is he planning to make us do that will result in annihilation?”
“…A battle to the death.”
Before I knew it, a battle royale seemed to be brewing within this company.
Ah, my everyday life…
Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, single.
Girlfriend: Suella, Henderberg.
Memoria Tris.
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time Employee).
Magic Aptitude: 8 (General Class).
Position: Warrior.
Quote of the day:
I talked to a cockroach for the first time… Is this the first time I’m making a friend as well?
This concludes this chapter.
If there are any typos, please point them out.
I would also appreciate any feedback.
Please continue to support “Corporate Expansion into Another World!? Rise to Power Record from Job Change.”
