Chapter 218: A Three Day, Two Night Beach Trip

Asagiri heard that and smiled, asking in return,

"Like what? What kind of style?"

"Something like a slim fit black long coat, with a cool mask and all that..."

"Isn’t that just how I dress when I’m playing the game? Haven’t you seen enough of that already?"

"Not even close."

Seeing Iwanaga Kotoko cling to Asagiri again, Yuuki Asuna could only smile helplessly and urge them on.

"Alright, you two, stop acting so lovey dovey. Let’s get on the train first. It takes four hours to get from Tokyo to Hakodate, so by the time we arrive, it’ll already be close to nine."

After saying that, Yuuki Asuna turned to Kato Megumi beside her and spoke gently.

"Megumi, did you pack everything? And did you tell your parents? We’ll be back Sunday night."

"Mm, don’t worry, Asuna."

Kato Megumi showed a soft, faint smile and nodded.

"This is my first time traveling far away with friends."

Hearing that, Asagiri, who had just walked over, spoke softly.

"But it won’t be the last. The four of us will travel together many more times in the future."

"Ah..."

Yuuki Asuna let out a quiet sigh, glanced at Asagiri standing there, and muttered under her breath,

"I just hope it really stays ’the four of us’..."

...

After boarding the train bound for Hakodate, Hokkaido, Asagiri told Yuuki Asuna, Kato Megumi, and Iwanaga Kotoko about what had just been discussed in Ashikaga Miwa’s office.

"Killing Oko Shinomiya, huh... I can help with that, but I can’t ask the yokai to do it."

Iwanaga Kotoko held the rice ball bento Yuuki Asuna had made and took small bites as she spoke indifferently.

"After all, yokai are not allowed to casually harm humans, and as the God of Wisdom who maintains order, I obviously can’t be the one to break that order."

"It’s fine."

Asagiri raised his hand and wiped away the rice grains at the corner of Iwanaga Kotoko’s mouth. The intimate gesture instantly made her fair cheeks flush.

"I was only telling you three about it. I’ll handle this matter myself."

"What about the fighting competition?"

Yuuki Asuna took a rice ball out of her bag, carefully unwrapped it, and handed it to Asagiri. Concern was visible in her eyes.

"If you’re restricted by the rules and can’t use special abilities or weapons, and can only rely on hand to hand combat, then even you... might not be able to beat those top fighters, right? If it really comes down to it, then let me go instead..."

"You’d lose even faster if you went."

Asagiri shook his head and cut her off gently.

"Weapons aren’t allowed in combat competitions. Of course, some people find loopholes and implant weapons into their own bodies, but we definitely aren’t going that far. Your stats are strong, yes, but your true talent lies in swordsmanship. Hand to hand combat isn’t your specialty, and..."

At that point, he smiled and reached out to pinch Yuuki Asuna’s cheek.

"I can’t bear to send such a cute girlfriend into a blood soaked arena for me."

Kato Megumi, who was sitting beside them, said thoughtfully,

"What if the fighter Oko Shinomiya sends is also a Player...? That would be very dangerous, wouldn’t it?"

"It would. But changes in the fighting world are unavoidable."

Asagiri turned his head and looked out the train window at the scenery rapidly flashing past, resting his chin on one hand.

"Even if most ordinary people still know nothing about Players or the game, the big entrepreneurs and high level figures in the fighting world definitely already know. Future Kengan style tournaments won’t just be competitions between hand to hand fighters anymore. They’ll become arena battles between Players. By showing off the strength of the Players under them, sponsors will be displaying the power of their own organizations. That’s the future of the Kengan Tournament."

Yuuki Asuna could not help wondering out loud,

"Would Players with special powers really be willing to work for ordinary people?"

"It’s less about working for them and more about mutual cooperation. Even top fighters already have that kind of relationship with their sponsors. Although Players have special powers, they still have to live in the real world. If someone else is willing to handle all the troublesome things for them and provide them with a comfortable, prosperous life, then in exchange for occasionally stepping into the ring or helping out with small matters, most people wouldn’t refuse. Unless they’re the type who wants to live cut off from society."

"That’s true."

Yuuki Asuna nodded.

"Ashikaga sensei has helped us a lot too. We’re not lacking money, but without her, we wouldn’t have easy access to private training grounds and things like that. It really is mutually beneficial."

Asagiri waved a hand and smiled.

"Enough about all that. This trip is for relaxing. The fighting competition is Monday night. Don’t waste the whole ride thinking about troublesome things."

"Woohoo, the beach! The sand!"

Seeing Iwanaga Kotoko’s cheerful expression, Yuuki Asuna could not help smiling.

"The beach, huh... Soft sand, warm sunshine... it really is something to look forward to."

"Woohoo, Asagiri’s abs! Asagiri in swimwear! I’m looking forward to it so much!"

Hearing Iwanaga Kotoko blurt that out so openly, Yuuki Asuna’s expression froze. After a while, she could only sigh and rub her forehead.

"So that’s what you’re looking forward to most..."

"Aren’t you too?"

Yuuki Asuna glanced at Asagiri beside her, her face turning slightly red.

"Even though I’ve already seen them, I am looking forward to it."

At that moment, Kato Megumi spoke in an unusually calm tone.

"I haven’t seen them yet, but I’m also very much looking forward to it."

Yuuki Asuna stared at her blankly.

"Megumi... isn’t your reaction a little too calm?"

"Is it?"

Kato Megumi tilted her head slightly, still sounding strangely composed.

"Should I pull you away from Asagiri right now, sit next to him myself, glare at you with a jealous face, and then tell you to stay away from him, you shameless homewrecker?"

"Stop."

Before Yuuki Asuna or Iwanaga Kotoko could say anything, Asagiri raised a hand.

"No shura."

Seeing his serious expression, Yuuki Asuna could not help teasing him with a smile.

"I never thought someone as bold as you would actually have something he’s afraid of."

"That’s shura. Who wouldn’t be afraid of shura?"

Asagiri answered with solemn seriousness, then looked at Yuuki Asuna handing another rice ball to Kato Megumi and smiled.

"Of course, judging from how things are between us now, a shura battlefield definitely won’t happen. But if we add more people later..."

"Hm?"

Yuuki Asuna frowned slightly and reached out to gently pinch Asagiri’s cheek.

"You still want to add more people? Who? Kaguya Shinomiya? Fujiwara Chika? Or maybe Miss Sakurakawa Rikka?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa."

Before Asagiri could answer, Iwanaga Kotoko, who was sitting across from him, immediately leaned over and rescued his cheek from Yuuki Asuna’s fingers. Looking aggrieved, she rubbed the spot lightly.

"Don’t pinch my boyfriend’s handsome face."

Yuuki Asuna: "..."

Kato Megumi spoke in her usual calm, pinpoint accurate tone.

"You just wanted to use that as an excuse to touch him, didn’t you?"

"Was it really that obvious?"

After being exposed, Iwanaga Kotoko looked utterly unconvinced. Asagiri lowered his head and glanced down, then pointed at her other hand, which was already resting on his abdomen.

"She pinched my face, not my stomach. Then what exactly is this hand doing? I’m asking?"

Iwanaga Kotoko looked completely self righteous.

"Feeling your abs."

Asagiri chuckled.

"Asuna has abs too. Why don’t you go feel hers?"

"Huh..."

Yuuki Asuna looked genuinely disgusted as she quickly refused.

"Please no. I don’t have some weird fetish for being groped by a lewd loli."

"Hmph. Even if you begged me, I wouldn’t."

Iwanaga Kotoko made the same disgusted face and shot back immediately.

"Only my boyfriend’s body makes me feel warm!"

Kato Megumi said flatly,

"From a biological standpoint, the part that makes you feel warm should be a different one."

For a moment, Yuuki Asuna just stared blankly. Then her whole face turned red.

"Megumi, how did you get infected by Kotoko too? Please be normal. Don’t leave me as the only normal person in the team."

...

More than four hours later, in the parking lot beside the Hakodate City tram station in Hokkaido.

"Boyfriend sama, I’ll leave the driving to you~"

Seeing the black Bentley sedan parked there, as well as the man in a black suit and sunglasses waiting beside it with the car keys held respectfully in both hands, Yuuki Asuna did not even know where to begin complaining.

"Wait a second... How can he even drive without a license?"

Iwanaga Kotoko shrugged carelessly.

"It’s fine as long as he can drive, right? The villa isn’t far from here anyway."

"But..."

Yuuki Asuna looked at the black Bentley with a complicated expression.

"Driving something this expensive... isn’t that a little too flashy?"

"Hm? Is this car expensive?"

Iwanaga Kotoko tilted her head, looking genuinely confused.

"I only mentioned to my family that I wanted a car waiting in Hakodate for local transportation. I didn’t make any special requests, so maybe they just prepared one at random."

"Just how rich is your family..."

By now, Asagiri had already walked over and taken the keys from the suited man. After handing them over, the man bowed respectfully to Iwanaga Kotoko.

"Then I won’t disturb you any further, Young Lady."

With that, he turned and left without another word.

"Alright, alright, let’s go~"

Iwanaga Kotoko waved her small hand, looking eager and excited.

"The three day, two night beach trip officially begins!"

.....

[If you don’t want to wait for the next update, read 10–50 Chapters ahead on P@treon.]

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