The training in the Royal training grounds continued.
Takeshi, Kazuya's best friend, jogged up, wiping sweat. "Yo, Sir Nickelson. Quick question—can an A-rank ever beat an S-rank if he just grinds harder?"
'YO?', 'GRINDS?'' Nickelson widened his eyes, taking a deep breath.
'That ridiculous Otherworlder language aside...'
"Grind harder?" He huffed.
"Boy, an S-rank unlock skills at half the level you do. Same spell, theirs hits like a siege cannon while yours penetrates like a... What did you call it? A bullet?"
Takeshi swallowed. "So... no chance?"
"...."
'If this will motivate him to keep training and leave me alone...'
"Rank," Nickelson said, finally meeting his eyes. "is destiny handed out by the Goddess Varolia herself. The only thing that can close the gap is raw level."
"S-... So If I can just pass his level..!!"
'... Well, yes. But you have to pass it, which is unlikely. But he doesn't need to hear that.'
"...."
"Interpret it as you may,"
He turned away.
'Hate talking to this guy...' Takeshi thought to himself, 'For fucks sake... Am I really... That far behind that bastard Kazuya?!' He bit his lips.
'NO.' Takeshi shook his head, 'He said it himself. Level. If I can just level up faster, then I can fuck him up. Both him and that snob Captain Nickelson or whatever.'
'I'll do it.'
Nickelson watched him go, muttering under his breath:
"...and don't get me started on what an F-rank would need to do to catch up. They'd take decades just to get to half your level, ungrateful brat. You're an A-rank level 12 Otherworlder, for crying out loud. Natives here would kill for that."
---- LATER ----
"120, apparently," Takeshi sighed. "That's the highest level anyone currently has in the entire kingdom. And it belongs to that Nickelson guy who trains us. The other guards who train us are somewhere between 25 and 70. The Demon Lord is somewhere around 200. The reason she didn't fuck everything up is because the kingdom's strategies are more efficient… 'S what they said, at least."
"Holy shit!" Kiriko blurted. "They didn't look that impressive, so I didn't think they were that strong..."
"And get this. The strongest Hero that ever lived was apparently over level 300 before he died!"
"So fucking what?" Kazuya muttered with a mouthful of poultry, tearing off another chunk.
"I'mma catch up to that in no time. Didn't you hear? 'Otherworlders' like they call us are crazy strong. Who knows, I might even hit level 350 in my lifetime!"
A fork clattered against a plate.
Mika stared at him, chopsticks frozen halfway to her mouth.
"Lifetime...?" Her voice was small. "Guys, we're doing this to go back home, right...? Not to... spend the rest of our lives here?"
The table went quiet.
Kiriko's usual bubbly laugh died in her throat. Takeshi suddenly found his rice very interesting. Even Kazuya paused mid-chew.
"Kazu," Takeshi let out quietly, "The hero reached level 300 because he chose to stay in this world, accordin' to what they say. Took him, like, over 100 years. Since, according to these guys, leveling gets exponentially harder the closer you get to the high levels—"
"According to what they say," Kazuya chuckled, "You also started talking about strategies and the history here. Nerd shit is rubbing off on you, isn't it? Gonna explain the mechanics of this world next?"
"What?" He narrowed his eyes, "I-it's not that, that's just what they said, man."
"Whatever, stop being a fucking dictionary," Kazuya sighed.
Sato, sitting at the edge with his spellbook closed for once, looking at Mika's concerned expression as she looked down, biting her lip.
"...The king said we'd be sent home once the Demon Lord is defeated."
Sato finally spoke. Mika then raised her head, looking at Sato. Her expression slightly loosening.
"Current estimate is five or so years minimum. Best case, Mika."
Silence stretched like a held breath.
"5... 5 years...? B-but... My mom... She..."
Kazuya shrugged, forcing a grin that didn't reach his eyes. "Then we just kill the bastard faster. Easy."
Mika's voice cracked. "Five years is... our entire school and college lives, Kazuya. M-my mom... She will—"
Kazuya waved a drumstick like a baton.
"Speak for yourself. I'm getting us home by graduation. Watch."
"But then what, Kazuya?" Sato let out, causing all the student's attention to spring up towards him.
"What the fuck do you mean?" Kazuya narrowed his eyes.
"I mean," Sato leaned forward, "you probably won't get to keep your precious power—"
Crack.
A shard of bone smacked against his cheek.
Sato froze.
Everyone froze.
Not even Takeshi laughed.
Kazuya wiped his fingers on a napkin, chewing slow, eyes locked on Sato like he was something crawling.
"Killjoy."
He tore off another bite. "Look at you. Acting like you're some hot shit the moment you scrape some of your fantasy isekai porn powers. Edgelord who reads books alone in the corner like he's some anime protagonist."
He gestured lazily around the table.
"Be honest. Who here is really gonna suffer when we go back? Me? Them?"
His smile thinned.
"Or you?"
Sato's grip tightened on his spellbook.
Kazuya leaned back, voice dropping to a dagger's whisper.
"You. Who doesn't have a meat shield anymore."
Sato flinched. Makoto's face resurfacing in his mind.
Kazuya clicked his tongue as he leaned back, using a sharp chicken bone as a toothpick.
"Ever since that cabbage-head bit it... You're the bottom of the barrel again, aren't you?"
All the other students looked away.
"Just shut up and stay useful. And I just might let this moment slide when we get back to our world." Kazuya concluded.
'Sheeesh... That guy doesn't even pretend anymore does he?' Takeshi thought, glancing at Kazuya.
'One spell.' Sato thought, 'I could send one spell at him. I could fight back RIGHT NOW...' He gulped, lifting his eyes toward Kazuya.
'But... he's ten levels above me. He could block it. He could kill me. And they'd...' Sato's eyes flicked around the table.
'They're all on his side. I... I should just... keep it quiet...' His grip slackened.
"Y-yeah, seriously, talk about a fucking killjoy, you damn bookworm!" Mika barked, shaking her head.
"T-totally!" Kiriko chimed, forcing a laugh; that the rest of the class followed.
'Rina's on a bathroom break,' Sato thought. 'If she were here... she would've seen it. But odds are, this fucking snake...' His gaze drifted to Kazuya, who calmly returned to his food.
'...would talk his way out of it again.'
Under the spring sun, they all suddenly tasted what forever really meant.
And for the first time since arrival, no one felt like a hero.
Except Kazuya.
'Fucking nerd...'
'First that stunt earlier with the snake, thinking I'm an idiot... Now this?' Kazuya thought, taking a deep breath for himself.
'I'll remember this, you fuck.'