When Asuna and Asagiri walked into the gym together, they noticed a handful of students and a few younger-looking teachers already exercising on treadmills and other equipment.
The moment they pushed open the door, several curious eyes turned toward them. Unlike the others, who were dressed in sportswear, both Asagiri and Asuna were still in their school uniforms—not exactly suited for working out.
There was no way around it. It was only the first day of school, and the sports uniforms hadn't been handed out yet, since the school was still waiting on the sizes students had submitted. Because of this, no first-year students were visible in the gym at all.
After all, what normal high school student would skip checking out the clubs they were interested in on their very first day and come straight here to work out instead?
Seeing that the people around merely glanced at him and quickly went back to their workouts without lingering hostile stares, Asagiri frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure flickering across his face.
"Huh? No one's giving me hostile looks... I see. Well, it's only the first day of school, just one morning in. Word about me has started spreading in the high school section, but it hasn't reached 'everyone knows me' status yet. Looks like I still have some work to do."
Asuna had gradually grown used to Asagiri's habit of occasionally saying things that left her stunned, but she couldn't help herself this time and retorted.
"No... this is honestly the first time I've seen someone actively trying to get ostracized and bullied."
"Ostracized? Come on, don't be ridiculous."
Asagiri shook his head like he'd just heard a terrible joke.
"I never needed to interact with those people, nor am I the type who gains self-worth by blending into some group and chasing the illusion of surface-level harmony. Honestly, most students at Shuchiin Academy aren't even worth my time. And bullying? That's just nonsense."
A faint smile played at Asagiri's lips as he said something that caught Asuna off guard.
"Those students want to bully me? I made a deal with Ashikaga-sensei, and I intend to keep it—by changing this disgusting, corrupt atmosphere at Shuchiin Academy."
"I don't have time to go after every stubborn fool one by one. So, I'll just let them come to me. Then, I'll show them what real bullying looks like—the kind where they experience the despair of humiliation without any power to fight back."
"Call it teaching the golden rule: don't do to others what you wouldn't want done to yourself. They want to attack me? I'll repay their hostility with kindness. Yes, I'm really too gentle."
Hearing this, Asuna was momentarily at a loss for words. Deep down, though, a knot of worry tightened in her chest.
Her concern wasn't really for Asagiri himself, but for the students of Shuchiin Academy—especially the first-years like herself who would have to spend the next three years alongside this self-proclaimed "great demon king."
After all, this was the same Asagiri who had casually chatted and laughed with a three-meter-tall, blood-covered attendant; who had beaten five delinquent outsiders into the hospital; and who had even killed someone outright during his very first dungeon run.
When she thought about it, those pampered Shuchiin students trying to bully him must be like children poking a grizzly bear.
She couldn't help but wonder, with a shiver, who the next unlucky person to cross him would be.
.......
A few minutes later, Asuna followed Asagiri to the squat exercise facility, watching him install weight plates onto both sides of the barbell.
Just as Asagiri finished loading the plates and was about to start squatting, a middle-aged man in sportswear, with a sturdy and broad build, who looked like a physical education teacher, noticed them from not far away. He couldn't help but frown and quickly walked over to dissuade him.
"Hey, student, that weight is too heavy, and you're not even wearing a weightlifting belt. This must be your first time in the gym, right? Start with a lightweight to warm up, and then add little by little. Squatting is very dangerous. If you really want to exercise, I'll spot you, that way it'll be safer."
Facing the PE teacher's goodwill, Asagiri just smiled and shook his head. He walked directly over, held the heavy barbell on his shoulders with a very standard posture, and then, under the other party's disbelieving gaze, completed a squat while speaking.
"For me, this is just a warm-up weight."
The PE teacher was stunned, saying with a blank expression.
"Ninety kilograms... is just a warm-up?"
A 90-kilogram squat weight wasn't actually an exaggerated weight for this male teacher who graduated from a sports university. In fact, in some more professional gyms, this weight isn't considered high.
The problem was, he had truly never seen a high school student who could squat 90 kilograms without wearing any protective gear, without any warm-up, and just doing it straight away.
At this moment, Asagiri made another move that left the PE teacher dumbfounded.
"It's still too light."
As he said this, he picked up two more 25KG weight plates from the ground and attached them to the barbell. Adding the previous 90 kilograms, that was now 140 kilograms.
By this time, not only the PE teacher but everyone in the gym had stopped, watching Asagiri effortlessly squat with a barbell weighing 150 kilograms. When he straightened his legs, he even bounced lightly with ease.
"Holy crap..."
"This guy... is he human?"
"The barbell is bending... How strong..."
"Where did this expert come from? How have I never seen him before?"
The people in the gym, as well as the PE teacher, were all stunned.
Although this PE teacher had seen many people who could squat 140 kilograms, someone doing it as easily as Asagiri would definitely be a sought-after muscle beast in a gym.
The key point was that Asagiri's physique wasn't the kind that looked bulky and bloated; instead, it was slender. Being able to lift such an exaggerated weight was truly a natural gift.
What this PE teacher didn't know was that this wasn't actually Asagiri's limit.
He could already complete a single squat of 140 kilograms in middle school. At this time, he was just testing the boost to physical fitness brought by the Human Asura's passive effect. According to his own feeling, with the Human Asura's passive effect boost, his maximum squat weight could easily exceed 200 kilograms.
However, doing that in public would be too shocking and unconventional.
Watching Asagiri put the barbell back, looking effortless and even very relaxed, the PE teacher seemed to have thought of something and asked tentatively.
"Could it be...You are the legendary new student, Asagiri Utsunomiya?"
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