CHAPTER 104: LOUNGE OR LOCKER ROOM?
"SEI!" "YAH!"
SHING!
Under the command of Atsushi Suedo, dozens of Shinshinkai members unleashed a synchronized barrage of straight punches. The sheer intensity of their combined battle-spirit created a literal wave of heat that slapped against the faces of Nozomi and the others.
Nozomi Tenma and Ichika Iori stood frozen, blinking in synchronized disbelief.
It was indeed a "VIP Exclusive Spa." But the vibe wasn't "Rest and Relaxation." It was as if a girl looking for a light yoga class had accidentally walked into a Spartan training pit.
"Ah... man..."
Nozomi and Ichika's eyelids drooped. They suddenly felt a powerful, overwhelming urge to turn around, find a quiet locker room, and sleep for the next forty-eight hours.
In contrast, the other three girls didn't mind at all.
Arisa was naturally optimistic and just enjoyed the spectacle. Fusui Kure had lived in a village of assassins; this was practically a church service to her.
Yuzuha Li, ever the professional, had already wandered to the back of the formation. She was shadow-boxing in rhythm with the students, shouting "YAH!" with more spirit than most of the black belts.
Ren Shiroki and Marco strolled over to the pool edge. Ren wore simple swim trunks, while Marco was wearing a garish Hawaiian shirt over his trunks. Marco was also proudly wearing a neon-orange inflatable donut around his waist—he could swim perfectly well, but he'd seen people in movies use them and wanted to feel "Authentic."
Ren waved at Suedo. "Yo, Suedo-kun!"
"Oh!" Suedo nodded in greeting, but he was immediately cut off by another man standing next to him.
The newcomer had slicked-back black hair and a leaner, meaner build than Suedo. He smirked, his hands on his hips. "Oi, Suedo! Is this the guy who 'one-shotted' you? Did you forget to practice your blocks, or are you just getting soft in your old age?"
"Katou, you son of a...!"
Suedo's forehead veins throbbed. He turned to his rival, Kiyomasa Katou, but realized he couldn't win a verbal sparring match with the school's resident provocateur. "Why don't you go say that to Katsumi-san's face?! He took a hit too!"
The two rivals traded insults for a minute, their frustration mounting. Finally, unable to take it out on each other without starting a riot, they turned back to the students.
"OI! WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?! FIVE HUNDRED MORE REPS! LEGS IN THE WATER! BEGIN!"
Ren watched the water spray into the air. "Maybe we should head to the other side..."
Fortunately, the resort was massive. While the Shinshinkai had annexed the VIP hot springs, the outdoor "Water Park" was open to the public and far more "Recreational."
The group transitioned to the main park. There were winding waterslides, a massive wave pool, and a lazy river shaded by tropical plants. The air was filled with the sound of children laughing and the smell of sunblock.
"WOO-HOO!"
Before Ren could give a headcount, Arisa grabbed Marco's hand and sprinted toward the wave pool. It was clear Fusui had already bribed her with the promise of extra ice cream to keep Marco occupied.
"Haha!"
Fusui, wearing a minimalist sporty bikini, jumped onto Ren's back. She locked her arms around his neck and began to shake him back and forth. "Ren-chin! There are so many fun things to do! Want to go to the slides? Or maybe... the lounge?"
Ren felt the elastic, toned muscles of the Kure girl against his back. He didn't mind the proximity, but her "Lounge" suggestion sounded suspiciously like another attempt to trap him in a joint-lock.
"Nice! Simply perfect!" Ren said, grinning.
Fusui whispered in his ear, "Great! So... the lounge? Or the locker room? Or maybe a private rest area?"
Ren: "..."
Ren: I'm not falling for that again.
Ultimately, Ren managed to decouple himself and waded into a shallow pool with her. They spent the next hour "playing" in the water—which, for two high-level fighters, meant an impromptu session of water-wrestling and aquatic grappling.
Nearby, Yuzuha Li was floating on her back, eyes closed as she practiced her "Six Harmonies" breath control in the water.
Nozomi Tenma sat on the edge of the pool, looking at the bandage on Yuzuha's forehead. "Yuzuha-chan, is your head okay? Hina really got you good during the finals."
"It's fine. Just a flesh wound," Yuzuha muttered, not opening her eyes. "I just need a few more days of rest. I'm out of the rotation for now."
She thought back to the Valkyrie Tournament. The finals between her and Hina Hongo had been a bloodbath.
"I was a champion of the Carnage Brawl," Yuzuha whispered, her voice tinged with a rare note of dread. "In peak condition, I'm a monster."
"But that Hina Hongo? She's a different species. She looks like a killer, smells like a killer, and hits like a goddamn freight train. What kind of life makes a girl turn into that?"
"Who knows..."
Nozomi sighed, leaning back on her elbows. "We're already on the boat. We might as well see where the current takes us."
"I'm still salty about the prize money, though," Yuzuha grumbled. "If I'd won that five million, I could have turned it into a billion on the Espoir..."
"I told you, that ship was a death trap!" Nozomi rubbed her temples. "In some ways, you're scarier than the terrorists, Yuzuha."
"Here!"
Ichika Iori walked over and tossed a cold, beaded can of beer to Nozomi. She sat down beside her, opening her own with a satisfying hiss.
The two childhood friends shared a silent toast. It felt like they were back in high school, playing hooky from a training camp. They both took a long, deep pull of the alcohol.
"Puh—! That's the stuff!"
Ichika's expression finally relaxed. She leaned over, resting her head on Nozomi's lap.
"The station is a nightmare, Nozomi. Between the Secret Funeral Division and those fossilized politicians, everyone is losing their minds. And who has to do the legwork? Me. The 'Juvenile Division' grunt."
Ichika nuzzled Nozomi's thigh, her voice a drunken whine. "I'm so tired... Nozomi... I want to quit... Support me... Let me be a stay-at-home cop..."
Nozomi didn't move. She was used to Ichika's dramatic meltdowns. She toyed with the wild ahoge on Ichika's head, her fingers tracing the hair. "This client requires a surcharge for 'Lap-Pillow' services, Detective."
"Ehh?! You cheapskate!"
Ichika looked toward the pool, gesturing with her beer can. "Look at the 'Fan Service' over there. We should be charging admission for this."
Nozomi followed her gaze.
On one side, Arisa and Marco were playing with a group of Arisa's classmates—three girls who had come to the park on their day off. One of them, a rich-looking girl with long black hair, was a verified "Muscle Freak." She was currently "inspecting" Marco's biceps with both hands, her face flushed with excitement. Marco looked like he was about to burst into tears of social anxiety.
On the other side, Ren and Fusui were creating a localized storm in the shallow end. It was less a "water fight" and more a high-stakes demonstration of Jiu-Jitsu. Fusui had triggered a micro-burst of [Removal] and was currently perched on Ren's shoulders, trying to sink a triangle choke, while Ren used the water's resistance to pivot and throw her.
"Is that a brawl? Or a date?" Nozomi asked, her eye twitching. "Management should probably kick them out for public indecency."
Ichika stretched. "Meh. Not my department."
Nozomi looked at Ichika's dark circles. "What's really happening at the station?"
"Super. Tier. Trouble," Ichika muttered. "The mobilization of the Secret Funeral Division... street violence spiking... prison riots in the Chiba sector..."
"And that weapons shipment on the Espoir? It's caused a civil war between the Metropolitan Police and the US Forces. The Commissioner is losing his hair."
"Plus, I heard a 'Big Shot' just landed in Tokyo. Rumor says he's so powerful the satellite monitoring systems have to be manually recalibrated just to track his thermal signature..."
"Wait, really?" Nozomi asked, genuinely curious.
The two friends continued their idle chatter as the sun moved overhead.
After a while, Ren "carried" a soaked and pouting Fusui out of the pool, dumping her onto a lounge chair next to the women.
"I'm getting drinks," Ren panted, his skin steaming. "What do you all want?"
The group expanded as Ren joined them. As a Kure assassin, Fusui's intel was even more explosive than Ichika's. She started sharing secrets that made Nozomi's head spin. She began to suspect that one day she'd be "silenced" just for being in the same room as these people.
Suddenly, a figure walked past the back of their lounge area.
Nozomi's elite vision, Ichika's professional instinct, and Fusui's killer awareness all fired at once. They all turned to look at the man's receding back.
He looked like a common drifter—scruffy beard, worn clothes, a defeated posture. But he radiated a specific, poisonous aura of "Hatred." It was the stench of a man with low-level desires and high-level resentment.
"Hmm..."
Nozomi tugged on Ichika's ahoge, her eyes narrowed. "Socially resentful spree-killer? Or low-rent terrorist?"
"Six of one, half a dozen of the other," Ichika said, sitting up and baring her shark teeth in a wicked grin.
"Either way... he looks like a lovely little promotion opportunity."
☆☆☆
-> 30 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you