When Asuna Yuuki and Asagiri Utsunomiya walked into the gym together, they found that there were already some students and a few relatively young-looking male and female teachers exercising on equipment like treadmills.
As soon as the two pushed open the door, several curious gazes were cast over. Unlike the teachers and students who came to the gym to exercise, both Asagiri Utsunomiya and Asuna Yuuki were still wearing school uniforms that were not suitable for sports.
There was nothing they could do about it. Today was only the first day of school, and the school hadn't distributed the sportswear purchased based on the sizes students submitted. Because of this, there were no signs of first-year students in this gym at all.
What normal students, on their first day of high school, wouldn't go check out clubs they're interested in, but instead come here to work out?
Seeing that those people just glanced at him and then continued exercising, not keeping their eyes on him, Asagiri Utsunomiya frowned slightly, looking a bit displeased. He said, "Hmm? No one is giving me hostile looks... I see, after all, it's only the first day of school, only one morning has passed. Although my story has started spreading in the high school department, it hasn't reached the point where everyone knows me yet... This means I still need to keep working harder."
Asuna Yuuki had gradually gotten used to Asagiri Utsunomiya's personality of occasionally saying random, astonishing things, but she still couldn't resist the urge to retort.
"No... This is really the first time I've seen someone like you, actively seeking to be ostracized and bullied..."
"Ostracize me? Don't be ridiculous." Asagiri Utsunomiya said as looked like he had heard a bad joke, then shook his head and explained, "Originally, I had no need to interact with them, nor am I the kind of person who absolutely needs to fit into some group and gain self-identity through the illusion of surface harmony. In my opinion, most of the students in Shuchi'in Academy are not worthy of having any interaction with me in the first place. As for bullying... that's even more nonsensical."
Asagiri Utsunomiya revealed a carefree smile and said something that surprised Asuna Yuuki: "These students at Shuchi'in Academy, they want to bully me? I made a deal with Ashikaga-sensei, so I will fulfill my promise to her and change this disgusting, corrupt atmosphere at Shuchi'in Academy.
"I don't have much time to root out those stubborn-minded guys one by one. Since that's the case, let them come to me, and then I will subject them to real bullying, letting them personally experience the despair of feeling humiliated yet powerless.
"This can also be considered teaching them the concept of 'do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.' They want to attack me, but I repay their hostility with kindness. Yes, I'm really too kind."
Hearing his words, Asuna Yuuki didn't know how to retort for a moment, she just felt worried in her heart.
The object of her worry was not Asagiri Utsunomiya, but the students of Shuchi'in Academy, especially the first-year students who would have to spend three years with this Great Demon Lord.
Don't forget, this Asagiri Utsunomiya... was someone who dared to chat and laugh with a three-meter-tall monster with a hideous, bloody face, beat five delinquent outsiders into the hospital, and even killed someone directly the first time he entered a dungeon.
Thinking about it carefully, the bullying attempts made by these pampered students of Shuchi'in Academy must be like child's play in his eyes, right?
Asuna Yuuki also didn't know who the next unlucky person to provoke him would be.
◆—⊰✧⊱—◆
A few minutes later, Asuna Yuuki followed Asagiri Utsunomiya to the squat exercise facility, watching him install weight plates onto both sides of the barbell.
Just as Asagiri Utsunomiya 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 light weight 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 physical education teacher's goodwill, Asagiri Utsunomiya 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 weight is just a warm-up."
The physical education teacher was stunned, saying with a blank expression, "Ninety kilograms... is just a warm-up?"
A 90-kilograms 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 a 90 kilograms weight without wearing any protective gear, without any warm-up, and just doing it straight away.
At this moment, Asagiri Utsunomiya made another move that left the physical education teacher dumbfounded.
"It's still too light."
As he said so, Asagiri Utsunomiya picked up two more 25-kilograms 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 physical education teacher but everyone in the gym had stopped, watching Asagiri Utsunomiya effortlessly squat with a barbell weighing 140 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 guy come from? How have I never seen him before?"
The people in the gym, as well as the physical education teacher, were all stunned.
Although this physical education teacher had seen many people who could squat 140 kilograms, someone doing it as easily as Asagiri Utsunomiya would definitely be a sought-after muscle beast in a gym.
The key point was that Asagiri Utsunomiya'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 physical education teacher didn't know was that this wasn't actually Asagiri Utsunomiya's limit.
Asagiri Utsunomiya could already complete a single squat of 140 kilograms in middle school. At this time, he was just testing the boost to his overall physical ability brought by Hitoshura's passive effect. According to his own feeling, with Hitoshura's passive boost, his maximum squat weight could easily exceed 200 kilograms.
However, doing that in public would be too shocking and unconventional.
Watching Asagiri Utsunomiya put the barbell back, looking effortless and even very relaxed, the physical education teacher seemed to have thought of something and asked tentatively, "Could it be... you are the legendary new student, Asagiri Utsunomiya?"