Classmate wa Isekai de Yuusha ni Natta kedo, Ore dake Gendai Nihon ni Okizari ni Narimashita - Chapter 96

Chapter 96 : A Difficulty Overcome 6

Episode 96 – After the Storm, 6

“Man, right after the long weekend and we’re stuck with cleaning duty. We’re seriously unlucky.”

“Seriously. Like you said before, Rintarou, our school should really hire a cleaning service.”

It was the first day back from the long weekend, and we were killing time after school with some idle chatter while cleaning the classroom.

We hadn’t used any skills today, so we shouldn’t have been that tired—but after everything that happened over the break, I was totally drained.

(Ugh… I just want to dive into bed the second I get home.)

I was dragging myself through the cleaning when—

“Iori-kun, Asama-kun, good work today. See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow, Kuon-san!”

“Yeah, see ya.”

Kyouri Kuon, who had returned to school today after a while, greeted us just as she was leaving the classroom. Rintarou, full of energy as always, responded cheerfully, while I, still exhausted, gave a more curt reply.

Kyouri was quickly called over by Ueshima-san, who had left the classroom earlier, and hurried to catch up with her.

She must’ve been just as wiped out from yesterday’s events, but she didn’t show a hint of tiredness. She even caught up with the lessons without missing a beat—how perfect can one person be?

“Hey… do you think she went out of her way to say goodbye because she’s interested in me?”

“...What would you think if I said the same thing to you?”

“Hmm… I’d probably tell you to stop dreaming and get real.”

“Exactly. Now shut your mouth and move your hands. I want to get out of here.”

“Yessir…”

As we continued our pointless banter, the most eye-catching girl in the school—thanks to her brightly colored hair—Alicia, walked up to us.

“Oh! Alicia-san, see you tomorrow!”

“Yes, see you tomorrow. And Iori-kun…”

Alicia cheerfully replied to Rintarou, then turned to me—

“Don’t forget about our appointment at 5 o’clock.”

—She said, flashing a mischievous, devilish smile.

“Oi… you heard that, right?”

“An appointment at 5? Don’t tell me…”

“Are those two… dating?!”

In the next moment, the remaining students in the classroom and hallway began to buzz in curiosity.

That damn girl… She knew exactly what she was doing with a bombshell like that…!

“Hey, Shuu…”

“Ha ha ha…”

Surrounded by sharp, inquisitive stares, I let out a dry laugh and rushed to finish cleaning as fast as humanly possible.

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“Dammit… what a hassle…”

Using Perception-Obscuring Magic, I shook off the group of (mostly male) students who had started tailing me. Then, slipping into an alley near the school, I activated Spatial Transfer Magic and warped to Alicia’s current hideout—Safehouse No. 6.

“Welcome. You look exhausted—were you playing tag or something?”

“...Thanks to a certain someone, I’ve had a hell of a time.”

“Funny. I could say the same—thanks to a certain someone making a scene, I haven’t gotten a wink of sleep cleaning up the aftermath.”

She smiled as she said it, but her eyes weren’t smiling at all.

Yeah… I don’t even need Appraisal to tell she’s furious.

“...I admit I was wrong to go charging in uninvited.”

“Glad to hear it. Come on in—you want to know what happened with the Kuon family, right?”

With that, she led me into the living room.

The reason I met with Alicia had nothing to do with the juicy rumors floating around school.

I came to hear what happened to the Kuon family after Kyouri and I walked out.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I brought barley tea like last time. That okay?”

“Anything cold is a lifesaver right now. Thanks.”

Alicia brought me a glass of cold barley tea while I sat on the couch. I gave her a nod of thanks and chugged it down in one go.

“So—cutting straight to the point. What happened to the Kuon family after that?”

Alicia’s organization has its own exorcists, and thanks to the Water Eye Appraisal, I already knew some of them had been hidden on-site that day.

So before I caused the commotion, I messaged Alicia to say “I’m about to stir things up,” and afterward told her “I want to know how the Kuons ended up.” That led to us meeting after school today.

“Almost total collapse. But we managed to restructure the organization. The head of the Kuon family is still the nominal figurehead, but has no power. Actual control has shifted to a joint council called the Executive Committee—which includes us and other public agencies dealing with supernatural affairs. We’ve moved to a rotating leadership model with Kuon’s senior retainers and various organizations taking turns.”

“Hold on. After everything, who’d want to become the next head of that mess?”

I mean, I’m the one who exposed their corruption in such a dramatic way. Volunteering to be the next Kuon head sounds like a punishment.

“The Executive Committee will approach someone they deem suitable. In other words, it hasn’t been decided yet.”

“Then… who’s serving as head for now? Kuon Sougen’s been poisoned—he can’t even move properly.”

“We left Sougen as the nominal head. Like I said, he has no real power. He’ll live out his days under medical care provided by my organization.”

“I see…”

“Honestly, the higher-ups are thrilled. They got to purge a bunch of shady exorcists and bring the Kuons under control. The grunts like me, on the other hand, were run ragged cleaning up your mess!”

“I-I really do feel bad about that…”

Politics isn’t my thing, but I got the gist—Alicia’s organization got what they wanted.

So now it was my turn to ask—

“What about Kyouri Kuon? Will she be safe? Will she be able to stay in school?”

“Her safety and living arrangements are guaranteed until she graduates from university, at the very least. You can relax. I mean, let’s be honest—if we tried to just abandon her, you’d go on another rampage, wouldn’t you?”

“Oh yeah, I’d absolutely go nuclear.”

“...You could at least pretend to deny it, you know. But yes, her safety is assured.”

“I trust you on that. That’s all I needed to know.”

“Then, can I ask you something?”

“Be my guest.”

Alicia pulled out a notepad and pen, her expression turning serious.

“About the being that was manipulating Genji Kuon from behind the scenes—according to the report, it was a puppet created by someone else. What impression did you get of its creator?”

A puppet—referring to Ibara’s creator.

I hadn’t really reflected on it deeply in the moment… but now that I think back—

“...It felt like some kind of elaborate game. Like they were playing for fun, but being dead serious about it.”

“So you're saying they did all that just for amusement?”

“I know it sounds ridiculous, but… yeah, that’s the vibe I got.”

If Ibara really wanted the Oni’s Arm, it could’ve just left the barrier before we arrived. Instead, it waited in the deepest chamber like an RPG boss.

Thinking about that, the whole ordeal felt like a twisted form of entertainment.

“I see… Thanks. That helps a lot. I’ve got no more questions.”

She set her pen down.

“That’s it?”

“Yes. I don’t have anything else to ask for now. And it looks like you have an important appointment.”

She must’ve peeked at my messages again, like during the summer’s hero suit incident…

…I really need to start setting up some privacy safeguards.

“Thanks for understanding. Oh—and help clear up the misunderstanding, would you?”

“Of course. See you tomorrow.”

“Yup, see you.”

I left Alicia’s safehouse, found another quiet alley, and used Spatial Transfer Magic again.

In a blink, my surroundings shifted.

A desolate park with most of the playground equipment removed. From here, I could see the apartment where Kyouri lived.

“Sorry to call you out when you're tired…”

As I thought about resting on the one remaining bench, a soft, apologetic voice came from behind.

I turned around—and there she was.

“No, it’s totally fine. Mi—Kuon-san.”

“Just ‘Kyouri’ is fine, Iori-kun.”

Standing before me in her familiar school uniform was Kyouri Kuon.

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Translator’s Note

• 「先の先」(Saki no saki): This is a Japanese martial arts concept referring to anticipating an opponent's move before they even initiate it—essentially, a form of preemptive action based on intuition and prediction. It's often associated with high-level swordsmanship, where reading intent becomes more important than reacting to physical movement.

• 「先生」(Sensei): While often translated as “teacher,” in this context it's used as a respectful term for a martial arts master or mentor figure. Even outside a school setting, “sensei” retains a weight of authority and respect in disciplines like swordsmanship, medicine, and calligraphy.

• Silhouettes as manifestation metaphors: The chapter uses the image of silhouettes and shadowed figures to depict the memory or spiritual imprint of past warriors. This is a literary technique common in Japanese supernatural fiction, where ancestors or former wielders of a blade leave behind a “presence” or intent (気 ki) that can still be sensed.

• “Kensei” (剣聖): The term can be translated as “Sword Saint” and refers to a legendary level of mastery in swordsmanship. It implies both technical perfection and a deeply philosophical connection to the sword. It often carries connotations of historical figures like Miyamoto Musashi, who transcend mere martial ability.