The Player Who Stands Above All

Chapter 116

In the dim light of dusk, as the moon rose and the streetlights began to turn on.

Thump, thump- Thump, thump-

"…If the neighbors heard this, they'd think there was an earthquake."

Irie said, looking at Joker with a pathetic expression as he paced back and forth in front of the entrance.

At that, Joker flared up and shouted.

"Aren't you worried about those two, three people at all, Sensei!"

"You, were you just trying to slyly say 'two people' by only including Alpha and Beta?"

Lee Shin, Alpha, and Beta.

While these three were out of the house, Joker and Irie had diligently tapped away at their keyboards, finishing their data analysis.

Thanks to that, the two had now finished grasping the overall situation unfolding in Japan, and they had even figured out what moves the Japanese upper echelons would make in response.

After finishing all the preliminary preparations, Joker had gone out to buy food for the three who would be returning, and Irie had accompanied him under the pretext of buying beer for the evening.

One hour after they returned from shopping.

The bento boxes Joker had bought were all cold and hard, and Irie had already emptied two beer bottles.

But the three who had left in the morning still hadn't returned.

Joker, who had at first been waiting for the three with composure, became anxious upon realizing they weren't answering their calls, and he couldn't leave the vicinity of the entrance, staring only at the doorknob.

"Sigh…"

And Irie shook his head as he watched Joker.

"You're so devoted, my student. This master's heart is quite complicated seeing you've become such a fine man while I wasn't looking."

"You'd do well to be quiet, Sensei. I may be an alchemist, but I'm more than capable of smashing your head with that beer bottle over there."

At Joker's thorny words, Irie raised the corners of his mouth to their fullest and sneered at him.

'How could you put your socks in the washing machine inside out?'

'Drinking at night is bad for your health.'

'It smells if you smoke in the house, so smoke on the veranda and come in after 30 minutes. If you have a problem with that, then quit smoking.'

'Today is my chance.'

The time for the master's revenge on the student who had been nagging him so much had come.

Chiiik-

Just as Irie was happily opening his third beer to raise a toast.

Pajik-

A cross-shaped vein popped on the forehead of Joker, who was prowling around the entrance like a dog needing to poop.

"No, Sensei, aren't you worried at all that the people who said they were going to a dungeon, not the nearby convenience store, are unreachable? Especially when it's gotten so late?!"

At Joker's words, Irie looked at him with an expression of disbelief.

"Are they kids? We confirmed they went into the dungeon with the location tracker installed on their phones. So they're probably in the dungeon. They're probably a little late because they have something to do."

"Th-that's true."

At Irie's logical words, Joker took a step back.

Looking at Joker, Irie hammered in the final nail with the dignity of a master.

"Besides, the dungeon they're in now is LV.2. I have a rough idea of what you think of them, but those two are strong. They're not so unskilled that they'd get stuck in a mediocre dungeon."

Watching Joker obediently nod his head and back down at his words, Irie smiled lightly.

'Well, considering their upbringing, it's not an incomprehensible reaction.'

They received harsh training in the organization that could be described as abuse, and all the comrades they had shared their hearts with died during their escape.

After escaping with such difficulty, they are individuals who have lived in a foreign land, continuously honing the blade of revenge.

It would not be an exaggeration to say they rely on each other more than family.

"If you understand, then just wait quietly while drinking some orange juice."

"Yes, that sounds good."

Hearing Irie's words, Joker, with a slightly calmer face, took out some orange juice from the refrigerator and drank it.

Irie, who had been watching Joker for a moment, said with a playful smile.

"And you know, a father, when his daughter comes back from her first sleepover, is supposed to suppress the fire raging inside him and smile with gentle eyes as if he knows nothing."

Puuuuut--!!!

At Irie's sudden words, Joker spectacularly spewed out the juice he was drinking.

It seemed he had even choked on it, as he coughed loudly.

And seeing that, Irie burst out laughing.

"Puhuhuhup!!! My student, aren't you overreacting a bit? Kuhahahaha!!!!!"

"…Alright, you and I are taking off the ranks and having a go today."

The moment Joker, provoked by Irie, walked towards him with furiously burning eyes.

Clack-

The sound of the door opening came from the entrance.

At that, Joker's face changed as if it were a lie, and he ran to the entrance.

"Ah, you're finally…"

And the moment he saw the entrance, he froze like a stone.

"Hm? What, is something wrong?"

Noticing something strange in Joker's reaction, Irie walked to the entrance.

And he too froze like a stone.

"Hoo, finally back. Ow, my shoulders hurt."

Where the two's gazes were directed, there stood Lee Shin, carrying two women in strange outfits on both his shoulders.

"I didn't expect them to run out of stamina and even collapse from exhaustion… Did I enjoy myself too much?"

'And you know, a father, when his daughter comes back from her first sleepover, is supposed to suppress the fire raging inside him and smile with gentle eyes as if he knows nothing.'

The moment he heard Lee Shin's monologue, the words Irie had used to tease Joker earlier flashed through his mind.

'…It can't be, right?'

Though weaker than Joker, Irie also held a certain affection for Alpha and Beta.

Perhaps because of that, he found himself thinking he wanted to punch Lee Shin.

But Irie desperately denied it.

'Right, I don't know who they are, but he must have had no choice but to pick up two people who were drunk on the street. Or maybe he rescued them from a dungeon.'

But it wasn't so.

"Oof, heavy."

Lee Shin slowly laid the two people he was carrying on his shoulders onto the floor.

Their faces were clearly Alpha's and Beta's.

But looking closely, their attire was even more suspicious.

Alpha was wearing a one-piece Gothic Lolita outfit with lots of frills, and Beta was wearing an old Japanese-style outer garment and a short skirt she had never worn in her life.

And both of their clothes were dirty with dust and slightly torn in places.

'Seeing as there are no injuries, it seems they collapsed from exhaustion… What on earth could be the situation to explain all this?'

Irie pushed away the first assumption that came to his mind and looked at Lee Shin.

"Ugh, my shoulders hurt. I'm a bit tired too, so I'm going to go take a shower. You guys can put these two in bed…"

"Uwaaaah!!!"

And the moment he heard Lee Shin's words, Joker roared like a beast and rushed at him.

"What the hell!!! Outside!!! Whaaaat!!!!! Uwaaaah!!!"

But it seemed his reason hadn't returned, as he was spewing words closer to a howl than a language.

It seemed he had gotten worked up from his worries so far and from recalling Irie's words just now.

The thoroughly agitated Joker grabbed Lee Shin by the collar and shook him with all his might, shouting.

"Why are those two in those clothes!!! What did they have to do in those clothes!!! And why are the clothes torn!!! Why are they unconscious!!! And the bloodstains??? Uwaaah! Uwaaaaaang!!!"

"Puhahahaha! Hey, your face looks hilarious right now."

However, even while being shaken by the collar by Joker, Lee Shin, far from getting angry or displeased, sneered at Joker's contorted, agitated face.

If you think about it, it was natural.

Joker is a mage, and Lee Shin is a martial artist.

In other words, to be precise, the current scene was not Joker grabbing Lee Shin's collar and shaking him relentlessly, but Lee Shin allowing himself to be grabbed by the collar and shaken by Joker.

'It's a good thing we got a house with good soundproofing.'

Irie watched the sitcom-like scene for a moment, then shook his head slightly and supported the two collapsed figures, moving them to where the beds were.

***

"…And that's what happened."

Lee Shin, having roughly figured out what Joker and Irie were thinking, briefly explained what had happened today.

"…And you expect me to believe that now?"

"Hmm… I have pictures I took at the department store to tease them, should I show you?"

Joker and Irie, who at first didn't believe him, had no choice but to nod after Lee Shin showed them the evidence.

"Hoo, I understand the situation. But from next time, please at least contact us in advance…"

"Ah, if you want to speak informally like before, you can."

At Lee Shin's words, Joker flinched for a moment and then let out a small, dry cough.

"Ahem, no, we're allies, so we should be polite to each other…"

"Hmm~ is that so? But you know, while carrying those two, I noticed that they're both more voluminous than I thought…"

"You piece of trash!!!"

"Puhahahaha!!!"

At Joker's reaction, Lee Shin laughed loudly and calmed him down.

"Puhahaha! Ah, there were a lot of fun things today. Anyway, don't worry about those two. I treated their wounds with potions, so there won't be a single scar left. They're just sleeping from exhaustion right now."

At Lee Shin's words, Irie nodded.

Then Joker let out a deep sigh and asked.

"So, were there any results from the spar?"

"Yes."

At Joker's question, Lee Shin recalled the final blow of those two and answered confidently.

The final blow the two had shown was more magnificent than any attack they had made on Lee Shin.

"Ah, and I found out something while I was out."

"Tsk, what is it?"

Joker asked coldly, but Lee Shin just smiled as if he found it amusing.

"The influence of otaku in Japan is stronger than I thought. It's not an empty phrase, their influence is strong enough to call it a true otaku nation."

"…"

"…"

At Lee Shin's sudden words, the two stared at him blankly, dumbfounded.

But Lee Shin was serious.

"Honestly, when I heard the words 'otaku protest,' I thought it was a bit ridiculous, but it seems the scale is larger than I expected."

Hearing those words, Joker nodded.

It was a fact that had surprised him too while looking at the data today.

Looking closely at the profiles of the people who participated in the protest, there were more influential figures than he had thought.

"In other words, it seems we can use these guys too."

"…How?"

Heejuk-

Lee Shin smiled wickedly and explained the plan he had thought of on the way.

And as they listened to Lee Shin's words, the expressions on Joker's and Irie's faces gradually became bizarre.