*Note: This chapter is from Katsuragi Saizou's point of view.
I'm the most surprised out of anyone, but I've been putting on muscle day by day.
According to Tokuda, fat guys build muscle easier than skinny guys.
Also, the meals Tokuda's been carefully picking out seem to be boosting the training results too.
My magic power was on a whole different level, but seeing me - a guy whose body was completely flabby and soft - getting more muscular by the day, the soldiers on this side started asking Tokuda for advice too.
The Soldier job is one where raw strength matters, unless you're one of the elite few.
In modern Japan, Tokuda built up his body and movements through training backed by science, and apparently that's worth paying attention to for those guys too.
And my magic seemed way outside the norm to them as well.
When it comes to fire magic, all they ever thought about was how big and how hot they could make it burn. So they were shocked when I used it in totally different ways - piercing, exploding, rapid fire, continuous fire.
Of course, if I showed them everything I've got, we'd lose our advantage. So I talked it over with Tokuda and we decided to teach the soldiers too.
If they treat us like crap, we'll be enemies. But if they acknowledge us and ask to learn, it's better to give them information and get something back. That's what I figured.
Thanks to that, the soldiers' attitude toward us has clearly changed.
At first they looked down on us, and we got mad when they looked down on us. But once they realized we're useful, that we can help, and that we can communicate if they treat us right - well, it's only natural their attitude would shift.
What we get in return for giving them info is info from them.
The first thing I asked about was, of course, the Evil Dragon.
According to the soldiers, its shape is like a typical Western dragon - it has four legs plus wings, and it flies through the air.
It apparently uses wind magic, and the power is enough to change the landscape.
Its body length from head to tail tip is about seven or eight adult men stacked up, so it's probably fourteen or fifteen meters long.
Despite its huge size, it's fast. On top of attacks with fangs, claws, and tail, it also throws in attacks loaded with wind magic.
The claw attacks that look like swipes - you think you dodged, but it's already cut about a meter past where you were. And the tail attack hits you with impact from about a meter before it even touches you.
In other words, there's a wind claw about a meter longer than the visible claw, and a wind tail about a meter thicker than the visible tail.
However, these wind claws and tail apparently aren't as strong as the real thing. The actual claws can cut through even metal shields, but the wind claws can be blocked with a metal shield.
Even so, if you take a hit from the wind tail, a human body gets sent flying easily. And the wind claws can still cut through flesh, even if they can't break bone.
And the scales covering the Evil Dragon's body are extremely hard - that's apparently the biggest reason it's so hard to kill.
The scales apparently shed and regrow once every few years. They showed me one, and it was like reinforced resin, three or four centimeters thick.
According to Tokuda, it's about as strong as the polycarbonate shields riot police use.
In fact, when a soldier put one on the ground and stabbed it with a spear with all his might, the tip only barely poked through.
It's not a figure of speech - it's basically wearing armor over its whole body.
"Saizo, what you thinkin'?"
"Nah, runnin' in head-on is proper foolishness."
"Straight up. No matter how much magic you throwin', you run up on a fully armed riot squad by yourself, you just gonna get pushed right back."
"We gotta figure out how to rebuild a whole tank-busting setup with magic."
"I feel you... ain't no complaints from me."
If he'd been the kind of idiot who insists on fighting head-on, I'd have had to rethink our whole relationship going forward. But Tokuda seems to understand how dangerous the Evil Dragon is, so that's a relief.
Our policy is: don't die, don't get badly hurt, and always have an escape route ready for when things go bad.
Even if we can't kill it in one go, actually fighting it will show us its weak points, and we can stack up damage.
As long as we don't wear ourselves out, we'll get chances again and again, and each time we'll be in a better spot.
While I was building up my basic stamina and raising my magic power to get ready for real combat, one day I saw the Fulfilled-Life Group and the soldiers arguing.
Tokuda saw it too and gave a quick frown.
"Somethin' went down..."
"Them meatheads better not be dragging us into their mess."
"Nah, Saizo, ain't happened here. It's at the castle..."
"The castle? Them useless scraps left behind?"
"Who knows... but somethin' heavy must've popped off."
When it comes to trouble, Tokuda's nose is way sharper than mine.
If Tokuda says it, it's probably not wrong.
At the same time, one guy's face popped into my head.
My fellow otaku buddy, the most invisible guy in class - Yoshihito Kuroi.
Kuroi, a high-level otaku just like me, hasn't been seen since we came to this world.
I've been doing the best possible moves at the best possible timing, so it's even more weird that Kuroi isn't hyping around or showing his face anywhere.
If something big went down at the castle, it's probably Kuroi's doing.
Probably, he was laying low and getting ready all this time, and now he's finally starting his counterattack.
"Hideki, it's never calm, is it."
"Haha, you ain't lyin'."
Tokuda gave me a sharp grin at my words.
I don't know what kind of magic Kuroi got or what he's pulling off, but I'm gonna enjoy this Other World Summoning thing to the fullest on my end.
Trivia:
- Saizo notes that Tokuda's nose for trouble is several times sharper than his own, hinting that Tokuda has a past or instincts shaped by dangerous situations that haven't been fully explained.
- Saizo's fire magic uses piercing, exploding, rapid fire, and continuous fire, techniques that mirror modern military weapon concepts, suggesting he is translating real-world knowledge into magical combat.
- Saizo finds it strange that Kuroi isn't excited or visible, implying Saizo expects Kuroi to behave like a fellow otaku who would normally be thrilled by an isekai scenario, which makes Kuroi's silence even more suspicious.
Notes:
• Saizou - A classmate with an enormous magic value over 2300 Mete, more than ten times that of an average adult man. He is calm, sharp, and quick to see through the kingdom's scheme to collar the summoned students. He negotiates directly with the Queen and demands an apology and fair treatment as guests. He openly plans to enjoy the other world and agrees to cooperate in defeating the evil dragon. The narrator describes him as a dramatic fat otaku with a smug face.
• Saizo - Classmate who was given fire magic. Normally a quiet otaku in class but seizes the spotlight during the summoning. Uses dramatic chunibyo poses and shows off his power to gain leverage in negotiations. Takes charge of questioning the queen.
• Tokuda - Central figure of the yankee group. Close to 180 centimeters tall with heavily trained muscles. Reportedly practiced full-contact martial arts. Demonstrates physical strength through his grip when shaking hands. Listens seriously to Souza's advice after witnessing his power. Pragmatic and eager to enjoy the new world without restraint.
• Yoshihito - Narrator and protagonist. Given the Item Box magic during the otherworld summoning. Hides inside it to observe the situation and decide whether the summoning is easy mode or hard mode. Wants to mess around, eat well, and return to Tokyo quickly. Never planned to stand out.
• Kuroi - First-person narrator and Item Box user. Male protagonist summoned to another world. Has killed three people. Pragmatic and self-preserving, prioritizing his own safety and return to Japan over helping strangers. Plans to loot the castle and escape. Possesses an Item Box skill that lets him hide and store things, and keeps it constantly active, which may be why his leveling is faster. Cynical and rational, with a forgettable presence that he uses to his advantage. He knows the people of this world are trash and plans to return to Japan. He is a virgin and gets flustered easily by Shirakawa's teasing, often struggling to stay calm when she presses against him.