Surviving in a World Teeming with Monsters with the Useless Skill 【Everyday Items Master】! I Was Just Hunting Wild Animals with a Crowbar, So Why Is Everyone Screaming It's an S-Rank Monster? - 81

Chapter 81: In the Midst of Malice

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The day after we were (somewhat) warmly welcomed by the Ferocious Shark Gang. Due to various circumstances, I ended up staying in the same room as Luna. 

Originally, I had been living cramped in a one-room apartment with three adolescent girls (debatably including Luna), so having some actual space felt like a luxury. So I’d been spending my time pretty comfortably—until I woke up the next morning to find Luna clinging to me.

“Munya… Onii-sama… you’re strong… so cool…”

Hearing Luna’s sleep-talking, I slowly opened my eyes.

“Nn, nnn… Is it morning already…? Ah…? Oh right, this is… the Ferocious Shark Gang’s base…”

I turned over in bed. Luna shifted in her sleep and, still holding on, snuggled closer to me. I was still groggy and about to close my eyes again when—

“Good morning good mooorning! Ui-chan has come to deliver a bright and shiny morning to you both~~~!”

“UWAAAAAH!?”

“Kyann!”

A bunny girl launched herself onto the bed, and I shot upright.

“W-What the hell!? Are we being attacked!?”

“What’s happening!? What’s going on!?”

“Mornin’~☆”

Luna and I clung to each other in alarm, only to see Ui—grinning with her trademark sharky teeth and sporting her blonde bob—right there in front of us.

“…Ui?”

“Yes, yes! Ui-chan is here to bring the morning to you two! Boing boing boing-boing~! Get it!?”

“This is serious, Onii-sama… Ui can’t tell the difference between a rabbit and a chicken…”

Luna’s jabs are getting sharper by the day.

I thought to myself. After being dragged out of bed by Ui, Luna and I were taken to the mess hall.

“Wait, how’d you even get into our room, Ui—no, never mind. Even with the door locked, it wouldn’t matter to you, huh.”

“Teleportation magic is amazing~!”

“Onii-sama… Do the Ferocious Shark Gang not believe in privacy policies…?”

“If they did, that’d actually be kind of hilarious.”

What is this, a corporation?

With that kind of exchange, we followed Ui into the mess hall. Nearly every member of the Ferocious Shark Gang was watching us. Half of the looks were wary. After the beatdown we handed out yesterday, most of the strong ones were being cautious around us.

A quarter were fearful. Even though we held back a bit, some of the weaker ones were clearly scared of us. And the remaining quarter…

“…Just a bit more, huh.”

I ignored it and got in line. When I lined up for breakfast, the young guy in front of me looked a bit surprised. But he didn’t say anything and the line moved smoothly. Then I got to the food counter—and as always—

“…So little…”

Still stingy with the portions. When I gave the server a half-lidded stare, their shoulders jerked in fear and they looked away.

This isn’t resentment. More like they just can’t back down now.

I looked up, about to say something, when the guy next to me spoke up.

“Hey, you. You’re T, right?”

“…Uh, me?”

“Yeah. So, I’m kinda not a fan of this dishware.”

He said that while pressing a fully loaded tray into my hands.

“So trade with me, yeah?”

“Ah, uh… Sure, I don’t mind.”

“I appreciate it. Thanks.”

I took the tray and stepped out of line, blinking in confusion. Then I saw the guy rejoin the line and tell the server.

“My portion is too small—add more.”

And they actually did it.

That guy’s got good close-combat instincts. Like that high-five move yesterday. He seems like a decent dude.

I thought. Feeling a little better, I started looking for a seat. I found an open spot and was about to sit when the guy next to the chair put his foot up to block it.

But then the guy beside him punched him.

 “Cut it out.” 

The blocker looked confused but lowered his foot.

“Uh…?”

“Sorry about that, Aniki. Don’t mind him.”

“…If you say so.”

I sat down. A moment later, Luna and Ui took seats on either side of me, flanking me like guards.

“Look, Onii-sama! I got a big portion today!”

“Yay, good for you, Luna-chan!”

Ui clapped lightly, smiling at Luna, who was beaming. There was still some hostility in the air… but yesterday’s rampage seemed to have worked.

As I was thinking that, someone sat down across from me.

“Man, Aniki, you’re really turning heads out here.”

“Morning, Shachimaru.”

Shachimaru. The leader of the Ferocious Shark Gang. He didn’t have a breakfast tray—just a cup of coffee as he settled across from us. He sipped his coffee and said.

“Good morning, Aniki.”

“Good morning!” 

“Mornin’, Shacchi~!”

“Mm-hmm. Luna-chan, you’re such a polite girl. Inaba, you literally saw me five minutes ago.”

Shachimaru’s hair was slicked back and on point, even this early in the morning. Curious, I asked him.

“Shachimaru, did you decide to call me ‘Aniki’ now?”

“No real choice, was there? The old nickname wouldn’t fly anymore, right?”

“Huh? But I got a signal from Angel yesterday—it’s fine to reveal it now.”

Same as always—her stream had given the green light. I watched it on a borrowed device.

She’s got guts, that one.

When I explained, Shachimaru’s jaw dropped.

“Seriously!? …Well, even so, I’m not saying it. After all that, suddenly going ‘Anonymous T is actually Crowbar Bro!’—I’d get chewed out for sure.”

“Haha, sorry about that.”

Last night, Angel had streamed and dropped the hint. I knew instantly it was the cue. If I’d revealed my identity before that stream, the flood of DMs would’ve swamped the place, and we’d have had a full-on race between Botan and Koufukuji.

But now, even if people knew where my location was, it’d take time before they knew my actual location. In that case, Botan, with her sharp reaction speed, would have the edge.

“I’m not gonna be the one to spill it, so handle that however you want. From now on, I’m calling you Aniki.”

“It feels kinda weird.”

I smiled wryly. Shachimaru was right. If I acted normally, people would figure it out and message Angel themselves. That would be the ideal. Like those young guys next to me with wide eyes.

“…Wait… Aniki, you’re Crowbar Bro…?”

“Yup. I’m not hiding it anymore, so feel free to tell whoever.”

“Whoa… seriously!? No wonder you’re so strong…!”

“Um, how do I say this… I’m really sorry for looking down on you…”

“Don’t be a jerk to people from now on, okay?”

I said lightly, then turned back to Shachimaru.

“Shachimaru, I need to ask you something. Got a moment?”

“Anything for you, Aniki.”

I leaned forward and got to the point.

“Doesn’t have to be now. But once I’ve earned your trust, I want you to lend me someone with wide-area detection skills, and someone with high mobility.”

As I said it, Shachimaru’s body tensed slightly.

“…You mean, for that enemy.”

“Yeah. If Botan and I can get the drop on them, I think we can win. But we don’t have a way to launch a surprise attack. I want you to help set that up.”

“Phew…”

Shachimaru exhaled, took a sip of his coffee, and said—

“I don’t mind. But before that, there are three things I want your help with.”

“Sure, if it’s something I can do.”

“Yesterday, I told you about those shitty raiders I want to crush, right? Three organizations.”

“You did mention that…”

Wasn’t it the grasshopper, the squid, and the antlion?

Shachimaru said.

“Grasshopper, Kraken, and Kagerou. We’re going to take down all three of them. Aniki, I want your help with that.”

“Ah… yeah. I see…”

I remembered how tough the total annihilation operation against the Werewolf had been. Then Shachimaru added.

“Just helping out is fine. It’s not gonna be like last time with the Werewolf, where you basically slaughtered them all by yourself.”

“Oh, then I think I can manage just fine.”

Raiders are usually small fry anyway. If it’s just about causing a little chaos and contributing, that’s no problem.

When I said that, Shachimaru beamed with a huge smile.

“Thank ya kindly! With that promise, I think we can make all your requests come true, Aniki.”

“That helps. So, who’s going to be supporting me?”

“You wanted detection ability and mobility, right? In that case…”

As he spoke, Shachimaru pointed to himself first. Then he pointed to Ui, who was eating breakfast with food smudged around her mouth.

“Detection is on me. Mobility is on Inaba.”

Seeing Shachimaru with a bit of a smug look, I said.

“Small world, huh.”

“Ufufu! Onii-sama, your face looks so funny! Just like the Cheshire Cat!”

Luna giggled at the strange expression I made.

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