Asuna froze for a second after hearing that, surprise flickering in her eyes.
"You're Tokyo's strongest Devil Hunter?"
"Hard to say in terms of raw strength," Yoru replied casually, continuing to eat his bento, "but in terms of record, yeah."
"Counting the bat from yesterday, I've eliminated four Devils. I'm not the one with the highest kill count, but because I've done every mission solo, my overall ranking is temporarily No. 1 in Tokyo."
In the warm April sunlight, Yoru's already striking looks and posture were lit up even more sharply—almost unfairly vivid. Asuna's cheeks warmed with a faint blush.
This guy's appearance is way too lethal…
When Yoru talked, she tended to get distracted by his nonsense.
But when he went quiet…
she took full, direct damage from his "top-tier character model."
To hide her embarrassment, Asuna quickly changed the subject.
"Um… earlier you said Devil Hunters get paid for each Devil they kill. So how much did you get for the Bat Devil?"
"Five million yen."
"Five million?!"
Seeing Asuna's mouth fall open in shock, Yoru chuckled.
"Too much, or too little? If it's too little, the division's budget isn't infinite. If it's too much—remember this is a job where you gamble your life. Every fight has a high chance of death. Five million isn't excessive."
"That's true."
Asuna nodded. For a high schooler whose allowance was tightly controlled, five million yen was enormous—but compared to the risk Devil Hunters carried, it still wasn't "a lot."
Then Yoru suddenly spoke again.
"Even if you can't use your power smoothly yet, we can start your training."
Halfway through, his tone shifted into impassioned hero-speech mode.
"Our goal is to challenge eight gym leaders, collect eight badges, then face the Elite Four! I'll become the strongest trainer, and you—my first captured beautiful-girl Pokémon—we'll become League Champions together!"
By now, Asuna was somewhat used to Yoru's nonsense, so she grabbed the only thing that mattered.
"What training?"
"This."
Yoru set his empty bento box aside and stood up, facing her head-on.
"Try to dodge my attacks."
As he said it, he threw a punch at a speed that would even be "slow" by normal standards. Asuna didn't understand why, but she obediently tilted her head and avoided it.
...
For the rest of lunch break, Yoru kept "training" Asuna.
He started with deliberately slow punches, raised it to normal speed, and eventually pushed it to a rate close to a professional boxer's.
And once Asuna adapted—
she dodged everything.
Not a single mistake.
The result was exactly what Yoru expected.
In the original Sword Art Online, SAO was famous for being the most realistic full-dive VRMMO.
So why could Yuuki Asuna—someone who'd never touched video games—become a top-tier front-line "clearer," earning the title Flash?
It couldn't just be "firm will" and "charging forward."
This wasn't some hot-blooded manga where you win by shouting about friendship and bonds.
After this training, Yoru confirmed his hypothesis:
Asuna's reflexes were far beyond normal. Her reaction speed was simply faster than an average person's.
And like some naturally gifted professional fighters, she started out instinctively closing her eyes when dodging—but by the end she had already overcome that disadvantageous reflex.
"So?" Yoru asked.
Fine beads of sweat covered Asuna's forehead. The long stretch of high tension made her breathing slightly hurried—but she refused to waste this rare chance to prove herself in front of him.
She lifted her pale chin a little, half like she was showing off, half like she was waiting to be praised.
"My talent's pretty impressive, right?"
Yoru reached out and ruffled her hair, giving his "Pokémon" a trainer's praise without holding back.
"Yeah. You're strong."
"Of course I am—because I'm—"
Asuna had even risen onto her toes, letting him pat her head like it was natural… then she realized what was happening, slapped his hand away, and stomped in embarrassment.
"Hey! I'm not a kid!"
Yoru just laughed.
"Hakina's huffing again."
...
After school, at the main gate of Sōbu High—
"Hōjō, look over there…"
Asuna frowned at the group of more than ten upperclassmen gathered near the entrance—including the three who had been beaten that morning. She tugged Yoru's sleeve, concern on her face.
"They're here to cause trouble for you. Let's go find Hiratsuka-sensei—"
"Sure, sure."
Before Asuna could finish, Yoru walked straight toward them—he even sped up, as if he couldn't wait.
"I've been waiting for this!"
"…This guy, seriously."
Asuna sighed helplessly, but hurried after him anyway.
When they reached the gate, a bulky, broad-shouldered upperclassman stepped forward, sizing Yoru up with open hostility.
"Hey. You're that first-year with the Hōjō name? We've got something to talk to you about—"
"Alright, alright—save the speech."
Yoru cut him off, impatience in his voice.
"Lead the way. I'm already itching."
The upperclassman paused, then snorted.
"A mere freshman. Arrogant to the bone."
Then he turned his gaze toward Asuna beside him and sneered with a nasty, mocking tone.
"What, you need Yuuki-san—a girl—to back you up?"
"Heh."
Before Yoru could answer, Asuna spoke—her tone completely different from how she sounded with him. All the tsun was gone, and so was the dere.
Only cold pride and hostility remained.
"I'm not backing him up."
"I'm just worried he won't control himself and will beat you badly enough to put you in the hospital—"
She smiled faintly, icy.
"—or kill you on the spot."
"And I'd rather he not get dragged into trouble because of that."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 90)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 95)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 80)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter70)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter70)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter50)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter60)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 30
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 30
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