Beelzebub adventures chapter 17
After setting up the camp and setting the sleeping arrangements, the gang helped Tojo to arrange everything for lunch, which consisted in grilled burgers.
"All right! Time to start cooking." Tojo said, putting his apron on and his chef hat.
Tojo gathered enough hamburger meat and buns and begin cooking them.
"Even though he doesn't look like it, Tojo is a really good chef." Nene surprisingly said.
"That what happens when he worked in too many part time jobs." Natsume said.
"Heh, he's not the only one who can cook in the group." Kanzaki said, looking cool.
Yuka's eyes widen. "You can cook, Kanzaki senpai?"
"Of course! Just watch me." Kanzaki said, going to the grill.
"Oh Kanzaki, want to help me cook? There's an extra spatula on the other side of the grill." Tojo said.
Kanzaki grabs the second spatula and burns his hand from the burning spatula.
"Kanzaki!" Shiroyama cried.
Shiroyama grabs a water bottle and runs to Kanzaki. Suddenly, he tripped and burned his hand on the grill.
The gang laughs while Himekawa and Natsume are recording everything.
"You better not upload anything to the internet." Kanzaki angrily said, giving them the evil eye.
"Can't promise anything." Himekawa said.
While everyone's eating, Tojo tells them the first planned activity of their trip. "That hill up there is the Ashikawa mount, the tallest in the region. Three thousand feet tall with a paved path to the top. Some of us might have to carry the kids on their shoulders to make it to the top, at least those who want to try it. Believe me, you'll never forget the sight you'll get there."
After short deliberations, the entire group decided to go unanimously. Securing their stuff in the camping site, they started the hiking along with families and other groups of youngsters.
Ten minutes later, they had crossed the forest that surrounded the hill and arrived to a place with signs signaling the path and warnings.
"I warn you guys, the road will get increasingly narrower, with lots of thorny bushes surrounding it. Watch any loose piece of clothing and don't get distracted with your cellphones." Tojo warned.
"You heard him well, Yuka, no stupid videos." Nene warned to her orange haired friend.
While walking, Furuichi spotted a group of girls that are about to climb up the hill. "I'm so glad that I'm here."
After 20 minutes, the road got so narrow that not even two people could walk side by side.
"This is a pain in the ass." Kanzaki whined.
"Stop whining and keep going." Kunieda said.
"Hey dad, are there any cool wild beasts up here?" Beel asked.
"We're in Japan, Beel, not in Canada. Bears are damn rare here. The biggest predators you will find here might just be Sables." Oga replied.
"My mom has a coat made of Sable Fur, did you know that Beel? One day it will look great on me." Futaba said.
"I'm sure it will." Kouta said, slowly blushing.
"As far as I know, Sables only live in Hokkaido, and we didn't go that far North." Himekawa added, adjusting his glasses.
"You're lucky we didn't end that far North. Your duck butt hairdo would have frozen and fallen down. But hey, at least it wouldn't be acting like a spring for the stupid branches that almost hit my face all the damn time." Kanzaki said.
"You're so slow you can't dodge a bush branch hitting you? Are you getting old, Kanzaki–kun?" Himekawa asked.
"Shut up." Kanzaki angrily said.
"Don't tell me your married with a daughter brother is way more energetic than you. Seems you need a girlfriend, brah." Himekawa said.
"And why didn't your fiancée come with you, huh? Oga brought his at least." Kanzaki pointed out.
"Heyyyy!" Kunieda squealed while Natsume, Yuka and Chiaki chuckled.
"While the King goes out on Campaign, his Queen got to stay in the Castle to run the affairs, dude. I got an actual administrative job. I had to ask my dad's boss permission to come here and sacrifice days of my allocated vacation hours to come here. He wouldn't let her come, as part of the deal." Himekawa admitted.
"In other words, she's fucking around with half of the male staff in the office." Kanzaki said.
"There are children hearing all of this, morons." Nene complained.
"I have to agree with her, Kanzaki-kun. Those themes are not appropriate to discuss around them." Natusme said.
"Oh, come on. Futaba is the daughter of a Yakuza prince, Beel lives with friggin Oga "lovey dovey" Tatsumi, and Kouta hangs out with both of them. They know more about this shit than most of the virgin rascals who only watch Doramas hiking up here." Kanzaki said.
"And none of that disproves my point, blondie. You'll be forever alone who never made up with anyone other than hookers." Himekawa said, adjusting his glasses.
"Ok, what about a bet? I'll get a girlfriend by next summer and you'll have to pay me a new Ferrari, a trip to Paris, and post all over the Internet that you're a COCK." Kanzaki said.
"Would you two shut up?" Kunieda angrily said.
"Seems interesting. I'll think about it and tell you my decision when we hit the top of the hill." Himekawa said.
Oga looks around and realize that Beel is not around him. "Where did he go?"
"Kouta's missing too." Kunieda said, looking around.
"We're up here!"
Oga and Kunieda look up and see Beel and Kouta swinging on branches.
"Beel! Stop that, you idiot!" Oga demanded.
"Kouta! Get down!" Kunieda demanded.
"Don't worry, the branches won't break since we're not heavy like you guys." Kouta said.
Suddenly, the branches broke and Beel and Kouta are falling. Oga runs and caught both of them in his arms.
"Who's really heavy now?" Oga asked, while Beel and Kouta feel embarrassed.
After an increasingly sloped stretch, the group finally arrived to a big rest where they could get a sight of almost half of the camping complex. On the other side of the rest, the trail continued, half with stairs, half completely flat.
"Whoa!" Futaba exclaimed.
"Wish Hilda got me one of those gliders they sell in the Demon World! Dad, tell her to get me one!" Beel demanded.
"Forget about that, kid." Oga angrily replied.
"Who needs to glide when we already got two legs to enjoy running. Look at the flat side of the trail. Who wants an uphill race? It's great cardio for combat." Tojo suggested.
"I'm in." Himekawa and Kanzaki said at the same time.
"I need a strong workout after doing nothing last week as a guinea pig." Shiroyama said.
"I'm in too." Natsume said.
"Hope you fat asses are in shape, cuz I feel stronger than ever!" Yuka said while walking to the front.
-I'll join to!" Furuichi said, while thinking of the footage he can record of the girls behind.
"How about you, Oga?" Tojo asked
"I'd do it if this toddler wasn't crazy enough to follow me running. If he gets hurt, I'll have to run away from home for a week. Next time I'll beat your asses." Oga said.
The gang looked at him astonished.
"I mean, for real?" Tojo wonders.
"Seems having two women and a new daughter in your life is killing your sense of adventure, huh?" Natsume said.
"Not that it's a bad thing." Chiaki mumbled to Nene, who frowned.
"Ok, I understand. What about you, Kunieda?" Tojo asked.
"I want to take some photographs, since that part of the trail has a better view. Maybe next time." Kunieda replied.
"Well, next time then. Now…let's do it!" Tojo exclaimed.
"I can be the referee, however." Oga offered.
The racers all align with each other.
"On your mark…get set… gggggo—wai-wwwwait!"
Kanzaki, Shiroyama and Himekawa sliped and fell face down to the ground. Oga burst in laughter, along with the kids and the rest of the gang. After repeated threats of payback by the fallen men, they got back on their marks again.
"GO!"
After a short hesitation, the racers charged forward while Furuichi recorded them on his cellphone.
"My gosh, look at the power of those thighs and glutes. She's way faster than I imagined…and thick too." Furuichi mumbled while being very close to Oga and far away from the girls.
"Whoa, Yuka's way faster than before. Could it be that those experiments…" Nene wondered.
"Maybe… let's continue." Chiaki said.
Oga and the rest of the group continued their hike before another group of people entered the rest. Kunieda stood near the outer border of the road, recording the view and taking as many pictures as she could. Furuichi deliberately walked slower than them, arguing he was trying to get a more panoramic view and record all of them at once. Kunieda wondered if he was not just trying to record her ass and her friend's.
"You better not zoom into my butt or my girl's, creep. I'll ask you to show me that video after you finish recording it." Kunieda warned.
"Ok, ok, I got it." Furuichi said, with a small sweat drop on his forehead.
The group kept walking while Kunieda kept taking photos intermittently. When they stop for a break, she decided it was a great place for a group photo. The rest of the gang, who had already made it to the top, were waving their hands at them. She adjusted her skirt, which was a bit too low on her hips while turning around.
"Ok guys, what about a group pic?" Kunieda suggested.
"Yeah! Let's do it!" Futaba agreed.
Kunieda place her camera near the edge of the trail. Suddenly, she lost balance and falls off.
"Kunieda!" Oga exclaims.
Oga runs to Kunieda as fast as he can and caught her in his arms.
"Nice catch, Oga!" Beel cheered.
Oga brought Kunieda closer to his body and her face turns really red and her tsundere self came back on. Kunieda grabs Oga's arm and judo throw him straight to the grown, causing him to roll all the way down the hill.
"Kunieda why?!" Oga screamed.
Furuichi, the girls and the children looked in awe, speechless.
"What just happened?" Furuichi wondered.
At first, the rest of the gang, looking down at them, didn't really get what was going on. Once they heard his animalistic screaming, however, rapidly turned their attention to his spinning body, which rolled and jolted, bouncing against rocks and tearing down trees.
Kanzaki's loud laugh ignited the chain reaction. Tojou's laugh was next, followed by the rest of the gang members who ran uphill. Kunieda could see more than one of them falling to their knees in incontrollable abdominal pain, accompanied by screams and general guffaw by everyone else except Kunieda and Beel.
"Oh my God!"
"That man fell!"
"Someone call the staff!"
"I'm calling 911."
"How did he go down?!"
The normal people behind them, too slow to follow the superhuman moves of the Ishiyama graduates, had no clue on what had caused the apparent tragedy, and most started walking back on their tracks.
"Aunt Kunieda! Why did you do that!?" Beel exclaimed.
"Aunt…"
"Are you crazy? What did Dad do to you? Are you his friend or what?" Beel angrily asked.
"I-i-I-I…"
"Nee San, why did you attack him?" Nene approached the handrail at her side. "Are you listening to me?"
Before she could answer, an explosion on the base of the hill got their attention. The ground under their feet started to tremble slightly while a cloud of dust and debris became increasingly elongated as it started to climb uphill in their direction. In a blitz, Oga Tatsumi was right in front of her again, just one inch separating both bodies. Nene flinched, jumping backwards in surprise.
A hammer fist hit the top of Kunieda's head. It was strong enough to be audible, but not hard enough to actually cause much pain or knock her down. She closed her eyes in shock, feeling the impact resonating in her skull. He then grabbed her firmly by the shoulder.
"That was not necessary." Oga's voice sounded completely emotionless, yet not devoid of continence. Firm, but not intimidating. He let his hold on her shoulder down and made eye contact with her. A subtle smirk appeared in his face. Then he grabbed Beel by the hand and signaled the rest of the group. "Let's go."
Furuichi and the others needed several seconds to react.
"Did he actually…"
"…return the strike?"
"…Kind of…well, she didn't really hit him but…"
"Nee San, maybe you deserved it." Nene said.
-…"
"Nee San?" Nene called again.
"Yeah…I'm fine. Let's go." Kunieda said.
She laughed to herself. Her inner presence laughed with her. What did that smirk mean in that context? Was it what she believed or wanted to believe? Was it just out of cliché anime character annoyance? Did she go too far by throwing him downhill? She only knew one thing.
"We'll find it out tonight." Her inner presence was very pleased, and made no effort to hide the impatience in her tone.