Grab Hold of Hope Part 2

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to, worthless rabbit!"

"I'll tear your ears off…."

Hajime felt a hatred for Shea nearly as great as his hatred for Yue. It appeared Yue felt

the same way, as she was reaching threateningly for Shea's ears.

However, they were all aware of the fact that they were in the middle of a battlefield.

Inside a labyrinth no less. Hajime mentally berated himself for letting his feelings get

the better of him and examined his surroundings.

A truly bizarre spectacle was playing out before him. Tio and Kaori were glaring

daggers at Yue and Shea. And to his surprise, Hajime found he abhorred the two of

them too. So much so that he contemplating assassinating them in the middle of the

fight.

There was something incredibly odd going on here. Hajime couldn't remember ever

hating anyone in his party before. In fact, he distinctly remembered coming to trust

each of them implicitly after all the trials they'd overcome together. And yet, just

recalling those memories filled him with hate. Just as Hajime's anger was about to boil

over, he heard a passionate voice behind him.

"H-Hey, what do you guys think you're doing!? I won't let you lay a finger on Nagumo!"

Kouki, of all people, had rushed to Hajime's defense. Yue and the others glared at him.

For whatever reason, Kouki was looking at Hajime with something akin to worship in

his eyes.

Hajime looked away, disgusted. However, he didn't feel any inexplicable hate or love

for Kouki. That knowledge helped him calm down a little, and examine his irrational

feelings more carefully.

Fortunately, Yue and Suzu's barriers were still active. Otherwise, they would have been

swallowed up by the swarm of cockroaches while they were still bickering. But while

the group was arguing, the human-shaped cockroach continued to organize the others

into spheres and magic circles, creating more miniature versions of itself. While the

human-shaped one was horrific because of its exaggerated features, the miniature

ones were disgusting to look at because their appearance was a cross between the

human-shaped one and normal cockroaches.

They were best categorized as half-human-shaped. And the human-shaped boss was

mass-producing them with unbelievable speed. If the human-shaped one was their

king, then these half-human-shaped ones were its knights and the tiny regular ones

foot soldiers.

Regardless, the primary reason Hajime and the others were able to argue like this at

all was that Suzu and Yue's barriers were keeping them safe. However, that might not

remain the case once the human-shaped cockroach began attacking in earnest. Hajime

forced his hate-filled brain to think, and finally, he realized what the source of

everyone's inexplicable feelings was. Going by how everyone was acting, he was

certain his guess was correct.

"Looks like that last spell reversed our feelings on everything. And these reversed

feelings are as strong as their original counterparts."

"Yeah…. It pisses me off that I agree with you…. but that seems likely."

Yue nodded with a frown. The other girls all agreed as well, displeasure oozing from

every pore.

"I understand now. This trial is a test to see if we can overcome our reversed emotions

through the strength of the bonds we've forged, or failing that, continue to place our

trust in each other despite our mutual dislike…. This is quite the nasty ordeal.

Especially since the stronger your bonds are, the greater the hatred you'll feel when

those feelings are reversed. Worst of all though…."

Tio trailed off and turned toward the half-human-shaped cockroaches swarming

outside the barrier, her face slightly flushed. Hajime and the others followed her gaze

and found themselves at a loss for words. Kaori was the first to break the silence.

"They're beautiful…." she whispered, her eyes glistening.

And therein lay the problem. These black devils that they normally detested more than

anything was their enemy. But right now, all Hajime and the others could think about

was how lovely they appeared to be. Naturally, they still distinctly remembered trying

to eradicate the swarm. But their feelings regarding these monsters had been reversed

too. The fact that Hajime felt as if he actually liked these cockroaches was proof enough

that his theory was correct.

Not only would their coordination be hampered by their mutual hatred for each other,

but they would also unconsciously hold back against enemies they'd suddenly come

to love. At the very least, that was likely Haltina's aim. That would explain why they'd

picked cockroaches to serve as the challengers' enemy too; there was no other

creature so universally hated. While the party bickered amongst themselves, they

would slowly be drowned under a sea of cockroaches or ripped apart by the humanshaped and half-human-shaped elites. For any normal party, this trial would be a

death sentence. However, Hajime and his comrades were anything but normal.

"Yeah, they're beautiful alright. I can't believe we were trying to so hard to kill these

cute things a second ago."

"I love how they scuttle around on their little wriggly legs. And their shells are so

impressive."

Hajime and Yue smiled as they stared at the massive cockroach boss and the swarm

surrounding it. The human-shaped cockroach looked, if anything, even more lovely to

their eyes than its underlings. Right now, everyone present felt these creatures were

cuter than any puppy or kitten. They could feel a desire to protect the adorable critters

welling up within them. Who could possibly harm them when their eyes seemed to be

pleading for mercy? And so—

"I could stare at them forever…. Alright, time to kill them."

"Yeah…. They really are wonderful…. Okay, let's kill them."

Hajime took Schlagen, his anti-material rifle, and fired. Yue cast the spatial magic Void

Fissure. Two powerful attacks ripped through the swarm of cockroaches. Hajime's

piercing bullet shredded its way through everything in its path, whether that was Yue

and Suzu's barriers, or the thousands of cockroaches and hundreds of half-humanoid

cockroaches protecting his target, the human-shaped boss.

"Gah!?" The human-shaped cockroach screamed and retreated. It fled at full-speed,

sparing no thoughts for defense. Unfortunately, Hajime's railgun-accelerated shots

traveled too fast to dodge. He unleashed a barrage that devastated the human-shaped

cockroach's left half.

Schlagen's bullets had so much force behind them that they went through even

branches and trees in their path and embedded themselves in the cavern's walls. A

second later, the air blurred and warped. This was no vibration caused by a speeding

bullet. No, space itself was shaking.

As Yue's and Suzu's barriers disappeared, the cockroaches flooded toward the party.

However, no matter what direction they came from, they were instantly murdered and

their corpses flung away. Shockwaves of spatial magic battered cockroaches in waves,

obliterating the tiny ones, and crushing the half-human-shaped ones beyond

recognition.

"Huh? What? What's happening?"

Suzu looked around, confused. She couldn't understand why her own comrades had

destroyed her barrier, but then she noticed the enemies around her had all been

destroyed. There was nothing black in sight, save for Tio's clothes. Unfortunately,

Hajime and Yue had only destroyed the cockroaches around them. There were still

countless more climbing up the walls or scuttling around on the floor below. But that

didn't bother Hajime or Yue one bit.

"This is so sad. If only they weren't our enemies, we wouldn't have to kill them."

"Truly, a shame…."

No matter how cute they looked. No matter how lovable they were. No matter how

much they didn't want to kill them. No matter how much they wanted to be their

friends. It didn't change the fact that these cockroaches were Hajime and Yue's

enemies. And the only thing that awaited their enemies was death. There was no room

for sympathy or mercy.

Hajime's eyes glinted with a murderous light and his lips curled up in a fearless smile.

On the other hand, Yue's gaze turned as cold as ice. She looked like a true vampire

queen.

"Hey, pipsqueak. That big one's mine. Don't get in my way."

"Who do you think you are? That prey is mine. Get in my way and I kill you."

The two glared at each other, then simultaneously turned away with a "Hmph!" Hajime

bent his legs in preparation for a jump while Yue floated into the sky. Another tidal

wave of black bugs had risen up and was bearing down on the two of them. The

human-shaped cockroach was at its center, trying to repair the damage Hajime had

caused.

Shea, Kaori, and Tio called out to Hajime. But he wasn't in any mood to listen. The only

reply they got was a loud thud as Hajime leaped off the platform of branches. The

wooden supports creaked and groaned, and a tiny crater remained at his leaping

point.

Hajime had already turned into a speeding bullet by the time Shizuku and Suzu

squealed in surprise. The wave of cockroaches rose up to swallow Hajime like one

giant, wriggling maw. Hajime responded by wreathing himself in Diamond Skin and

Lightning Field, causing him to glow crimson and emit sparks. At the same time, he

deployed all seven of his Cross Bits. They whirled around him at high speed, firing

their explosive slugs incessantly.

The roar of cannon fire filled Hajime's ears and the slugs punched a series of holes

into the great black mass. However, they weren't enough to stop the wave's advance.

They didn't need to, though. Any cockroaches that managed to latch on to Hajime were

incinerated by his Lightning Field or repelled by his Diamond Skin and the speed of

his flight. The wall of cockroaches didn't even slow him down. The ripples of his

Aerodynamic platforms resembled the passage of a skipping stone as he shot through

the air. The human-shaped cockroach recoiled in surprise and attempted to escape

from Hajime's path.

"Man, everything it does is so cute…. Oh well. Die."

Hajime sped through the air faster than the eye could follow and planted a flying kick

squarely in the cockroach's chest. There was a thunderous roar of metal slamming

against metal. Then Hajime landed lightly where the human-shaped cockroach had

been standing, while the cockroach flew through the air so fast it looked like a blur.

Without any means to slow itself down, it slammed painfully into the Grand Tree's

trunk. A second thunderous roar reverberated through the room. Judging from the

noise, the Grand Tree's trunk was far sturdier than any normal plant's.

Despite that, the human-shaped cockroach was buried deep inside the trunk's wood.

There was a huge crater in its chest where Hajime had hit it, and white fluid leaked

from its every orifice. But he wasn't done yet. He pulled Orkan out of his Treasure

Trove and took aim. He may have called it cute and adorable, but Hajime had no mercy

for it despite that.

However, this cockroach was still the labyrinth's final guardian. While it may have

relied on underhanded trials to confuse Hajime's party, it was no slouch when it came

to combat. Before Hajime could pull the trigger, It unleashed a discordant shriek.

"Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

A huge shadow loomed over Hajime. Looking up, he saw a group of tiny cockroaches

forming a magic circle above him. Before he could react, black mist spewed from the

circle. It didn't stop there. Every tiny cockroach, whether it was part of the circle or

not, began emitting the same black mist.

Hajime's honed senses warned him that coming into contact with that mist would be

a death sentence.

"Tch."

Hajime brought his Cross Bits close and activated his spatial barrier, but there was no

telling if it would finish deploying in time. Just then, Hajime heard a loud howl. A jadegreen dragon made of wind swallowed up both Hajime and the cockroaches

surrounding him.

Yue's Storm Serpent. The dragon comprised of thousands of blades of wind held

together by a gravity core near its jaw shredded all it came into contact with. At the

same time, another dragon comprised of deep blue flames and one wreathed in a

storm of electricity bore down from above, obliterating the cockroaches' magic circle.

Her Sapphire Serpent and Draconic Thunder, twin dragons made of fire and gravity

and lightning and gravity magic respectfully, had also entered the fray. They were like

whales, swallowing up thousands of cockroaches in a single gulp.

However, that wasn't all, as another dragon, this one made of crystal clear ice, headed

toward the weakened human-shaped cockroach.

"Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

It let out another screech and jumped out of the way right before the ice dragon

slammed into the Grand Tree. Ice spread across the tree's trunk, and waves of frost

assailed the cockroach.

This was a new composite spell of Yue's, Frost Wyrm. Right as the cockroach cleared

Yue's Frost Wyrm, another one comprised of pure white smoke bore down on it from

above.

"Kiiiiiiiiiiii!"

A horde of small cockroaches surrounded the human-shaped one, creating a sphereshaped shield. The dragon unleashed a stream of white breath. Any cockroach the

breath touched was petrified, turned to white marble. Bereft of the ability to fly, the

petrified cockroaches dropped like hailstones.

This was another new composite spell of Yue's, Stone Wyvern. Together, the five spells

were known as Yue's five heavenly dragons. Yue observed the carnage with an

impassive eye and spoke in a flat voice.

"Did you die?"

Her wind dragon coiled itself around her as she tilted her head. And an angry voice

replied from below.

"Just who were you trying to kill back there, huh? It better not have been me."

Hajime used Aerodynamic to jump up to where Yue was floating. His clothes were in

tatters. His barrier had deployed a split-second too late, and the Storm Serpent had

chewed them up.

"Heh," Yue smirked.

"Y-You little bitch. You were totally trying to kill me back there, weren't you?"

"….It was just a joke. If it was that easy to kill you, someone would have done it ages

ago."

"Hmph, you make it sound like there's a ton of people who want me dead. Don't make

me shoot you."

"There's definitely a ton of people who want you dead. Would you have preferred the

lightning dragon?"

Hajime and Yue glared at each other. Regardless of her intentions, Hajime came out of

the cockroaches' mysterious attack safely because Yue had acted under the conviction

that Hajime wouldn't die to an attack of that level.

"It's your fault for getting in my way. If you're going to charge in so recklessly, you're

better off retreating."

"Hah. You're so full of it. That puny dragon of yours didn't even scratch that cockroach.

You're the one who should get back."

The two of them pushed their faces together so closely that their noses touched. The

whole time, Yue's fire and lightning dragons continued to incinerate the cockroaches

above them. Her wind dragon's umbrella of protective wind kept the rain of burnt bugs

from falling onto the two of them.

From a distance, they looked like lovers huddling up next to each other to take shelter

from a sudden downpour. They must have seemed that way to the human-shaped

cockroach as well, since it let out an angry roar, furious that they were ignoring it. At

the same time, it beat its six pairs of wings rapidly and shot out of its mostly-petrified

shield of small cockroaches.

Its wings let out a strange, high-pitched whirr as it sped through the petrifying beam.

Because of its ridiculous speed, it managed to push through with only its extremities

petrified. The ice dragon and stone dragon chased after it, determined not to let their

prey escape.

"Mmm…. It's fast."

The dragons were unable to keep up with the cockroach's inhuman velocity. It flew up

toward the ceiling, where it had gathered another group of tiny cockroaches, and

vanished into their midst.

A scant few seconds later, the thick mass of tiny cockroaches dispersed, revealing a

completely unharmed human-shaped cockroach. There were no traces of the damage

Hajime had dealt with Schlagen and his kick, or of the petrification and freezing Yue's

ice and stone dragons had caused.

"Is it absorbing the tiny ones to heal itself?"

"It was made from a group of small ones to begin with, so it makes sense."

If the human-shaped cockroach could heal itself using its minions, then their situation

suddenly grew desperate. Considering how many cockroaches covered the walls and

floor, they'd be fighting forever. And thanks to their reversed emotions, their sense of

desperation was transformed into admiration.

The human-shaped cockroach roared, signaling the start of the second round, and the

beginning of its counterattack.

"Kiiiiiiiiiiii!"

Black smoke spilled from its mouth. It was joined by its surrounding servants, who

also started spewing black smoke.

Unconcerned, Hajime shouldered Orkan while Yue unleashed her five dragons at the

cockroaches. In response, the black surrounding the cockroaches began to swirl

around them in a spiral. The tornado of smoke then raced forward, toward Hajime and

Yue.

"Tch."

"Hmph…."

Trusting their instincts, Hajime and Yue chose to dodge the tornado rather than block

it. They leaped in opposite directions, and the black tornado flew past them, right into

one of the Grand Tree's branches.

"You've gotta be kidding me…." Hajime muttered.

His eyes narrowed as he watched the branch wither before his eyes. It shriveled up,

turned black, and started to crumble away.

"Did it rot?" Yue mumbled to herself, a short distance away.

Her guess was right on the mark. The cockroaches' black smoke eroded anything it

touched. It was one hell of a dangerous weapon.

The human-shaped cockroach screeched again and flew toward Yue. Its tiny servants

encircled the pair, preventing them from escaping.

The human-shaped cockroach was probably aiming for Yue first because it felt her

dragons were more dangerous than Hajime's weapons. Yue prepared to intercept the

cockroach with her Storm Serpent, but then something unexpected occurred.

"Ah!?"

As if it had teleported, the human-shaped cockroach appeared right in front of her. In

response, she used gravity magic to fall sideways, dodging the cockroach's bladed

fingers by a hair's breadth. But despite the successful dodge, blood still spurted from

Yue's shoulder and side. Furthermore, she doubled over and started coughing up

blood.

"Wind blades and a shockwave?"

Once again, Yue's assessment was accurate. Upon closer inspection, she realized that

the human-shaped boss was surrounded by a faint white aura. It was whizzing around

so fast that it had broken the sound barrier. Its oscillating wings weren't just to give it

speed, but also to allow it to shoot out blades of wind as it passed, and to leave

shockwaves in its wake. In the time it took Yue to process all that, the cockroach boss

had already closed in for a second assault. Before it could slice at her again though, a

missile slammed into it.

"Mmm!?"

"Kiiiiii!?"

There was a loud boom, followed by a massive explosion. Shockwaves of heat rolled

over Yue. The human-shaped cockroach spun to the ground below, smoke trailing

behind it. Its recently-healed body was covered in cracks and fissures.

Hajime clicked his tongue.

"Tch, couldn't finish you off."

"Who were you trying to kill back there? It wasn't me, was it?"

Yue floated up behind Hajime and glared angrily at him. Her clothes were singed and

covered in soot.

Thanks to her innate regenerative powers, so long as Yue had mana left she could

recover from even getting her head chopped off. However, doing so required time and

concentration. Meaning she was wide-open while she was regenerating fatal wounds.

And since the human-shaped cockroach's attack would have decapitated her, in a way

Hajime's missile had saved her. Broken bones and burns healed much faster than a

missing head.

Of course, Yue was still pretty pissed at Hajime's attempt to blow her up. Hence why

she'd teleported behind Hajime and was now pointing a glowing blue finger at his

back. Hajime turned toward her, Orkan still on his shoulder. Then, after a quick glance

at her, he turned away.

A vein pulsed in Yue's forehead, and she growled.

"You bastard. You really were trying to kill me."

"It was just a joke. If it was that easy to kill you, someone would have done it ages ago."

"Don't make it sound like everyone wants to kill me." Yue's glare grew sharper, and she

debated loosing her lightning dragon on Hajime. Their exchange was a perfect mirror

of the time when Yue had tried to off Hajime. Though they were supposed to despise

each other, it almost seemed as if they were good friends who happened to fight a lot.

Not that anyone was brave enough to point that out.

Their glaring contest was interrupted by another high-pitched whirring. The two

responded instantly. Hajime drew Donner and fired a full salvo while Yue unleashed a

torrent of azure flames.

Crimson streaks and azure flames crossed each other in mid-air, then whizzed past

Yue and Hajime's faces. The half-humanoid cockroaches sneaking up behind Hajime

and Yue were shot down without mercy.

Another wave of black bore down on the pair as they finished off the half-humanoids.

This time, the tiny cockroaches were wreathed in the corrosive black smoke. And

there were billions of them.

With a flick of Yue's finger, her five dragons coiled themselves around her. Then, true

to their name, they flew up toward the heavens.

"Mmm…. Roar." Yue snapped her fingers, and the five dragons unleashed their most

powerful attacks.

With a thunderous howl, the lightning dragon burst apart, blooming into a radiant

electric flower.

With an explosive howl, the fire dragon burst apart, scattering flames of destruction

everywhere.

With a stormy howl, the wind dragon burst apart, throwing thousands of razor-sharp

wind blades in all directions.

With a rumbling howl, the earth dragon burst apart, coating the cockroaches in white.

With an icy howl, the ice dragon burst apart, sending shockwaves of sub-zero

temperatures through the army of cockroaches.

The five dragons' howls scattered the putrid miasma and destroyed most of the

cockroaches surrounding the human-shaped one.

"Kiiiiiiiii!" It charged Yue, who was still staring at the ceiling. Seemed it had already

used its underlings to heal itself again.

However, Yue predicted the attack and canceled her gravity magic, falling safely out of

reach. As she fell, Hajime locked on to the boss from the other side.

There was a single loud bang, and five streaks of crimson light shot out of his revolver.

He'd aimed for the cockroach's head, heart, stomach, and both shoulders with

pinpoint accuracy.

Its figure blurred as the bullets passed harmlessly through it. Hajime had ended up

hitting the cockroach's afterimage. It accelerated even further and flew behind Hajime.

Four arms bore down on him, each covered in blades of wind and the black mist of

death.

"Hmph…. I knew you'd try that."

Hajime spun Donner around with a flick of his wrist and fired at the enemy behind

him. His last remaining bullet punched through the cockroach's shoulder, fouling its

aim and causing half of its slashes to miss. Hajime blocked the remaining two arms by

twisting to the side and using Orkan as a shield.

The cockroach pushed against Hajime, trying to force its way through. But in seconds,

Orkan's surface started to corrode due to the black mist's influence. Before it could

wither away entirely, Hajime threw it back into his Treasure Trove.

"Kiiiiiiiiiiii!"

Thrown off-balance by the sudden move, the human-shaped cockroach pitched

forward. Hajime pressed Schlagen's muzzle against its flank and fired multiple rounds.

He did it all so fast it was hard to tell when he'd even taken Schlagen out of his Treasure

Trove.

The monster's shape blurred again, and it retreated at top speed. Despite its inhuman

reaction times, it hadn't been able to dodge all the shots, and there was a single hole

in its stomach. Hajime spun his revolver's barrel as he reloaded and muttered to

himself.

"I guess this is supposed to simulate a battle with one of God's Apostles."

The human-shaped cockroach seemed to be the Liberators' approximation of what a

fight with an apostle would be like. Since anyone challenging these labyrinths would

eventually find themselves facing real apostles, the Liberators had created a trial

where one faced something similar.

The corrosive smoke was similar to an apostle's disintegration. Its near limitless

regenerative abilities were similar to their bottomless reserves of mana. Its wind

blades were similar to their twin greatswords. And its army of tiny cockroaches was

similar to their barrage of feathers. Even its speed rivaled that of an apostle.

No wonder this labyrinth required you to have cleared four others first.

As far as Hajime could tell, the human-shaped cockroach was a bit weaker than Noint

had been, but it still posed quite a threat. Had they fought this monster right after

escaping the abyss, Hajime and Yue might have found themselves overwhelmed.

"Bring it on," Hajime spat as the cockroach sped toward him faster than the speed of

sound.

With Yue's dragons gone, it had determined that Hajime was the greater threat.

Recalling his fight with Noint, Hajime chose to backstep out of the cockroach's way,

rather than face it head-on. However, retreating a few meters wasn't going to be

enough to get out of the monster's way.

From an observer's point of view, Hajime's flight might have appeared panicked, but

there was a good reason for his actions.

"Kiii!?"

The moment after Hajime pulled back, lances of lightning shot up underneath the spot

he'd been standing on. The human-shaped cockroach, who'd just reached that same

spot, was struck by the barrage. Two of its arms and four of its wings were ripped to

shreds.

The loss of its wings caused its speed to drop, and Hajime took advantage of that

opening to bombard it with Donner and Schlag. The cockroach jerked back and forth

like a ragdoll as bullets blasted through it.

A second later, it burst apart, like a popped balloon. All that remained now were the

tiny regular cockroaches.

"Did we get it?"

"I'm not sure. I definitely destroyed all the mana crystals inside it, but…."

Mana crystals were like the heart of a monster. The human-shaped cockroach had

possessed multiple, likely because it was comprised of hundreds of tiny ones. It was

because Hajime had shot through all of them that it had dispersed into its component

mini-cockroaches again.

However, Hajime didn't let his guard down. He looked up at the ceiling with his Demon

Eye, and as he'd feared, he spotted numerous pinpricks of crimson light.

Yue followed his gaze and watched as dozens of new human-shaped cockroaches

emerged from the roiling mass. It appeared just beating one cockroach wouldn't be

enough to clear this trial.

"Looks like I guessed right."

"Yeah…. An army of Kaoris. It's like a nightmare."

While they were meant to be facsimiles of apostles, calling them Kaoris was a bit rude

to her. Either way, this proved Hajime's theory. This trial was meant to be a simulation

for when labyrinth challengers would eventually need to face Ehit's army.

Once they'd marshaled their forces, all 50 human-shaped cockroaches rushed at Yue

and Hajime. and as that happened, two of them looked at each other and snapped at

each other.

"Don't get in my way."

"That's my line."

They wrapped themselves in crimson and golden mana respectively, a dangerous glint

in their eyes. Then, they greeted the monsters' charge with fearless smiles and lined

up side by side. It was hard to believe their feelings really had been reversed.

Let us turn back time to a few minutes ago. Right after Hajime and Yue left to fight the

human-shaped cockroach, another wave of black monsters assaulted Shea and the

others still on the platform. Suzu hurriedly attempted to put up another barrier, but

then hesitated.

"...…"

Right now, the cockroaches swarming toward her seemed unbearably cute. They were

as irresistible as a litter of kittens coming to play. To shut them out with a barrier

would be too cruel. After all, all Suzu wanted was to frolic with them.

"Hey, Suzu!?" Shizuku screamed.

Shizuku couldn't stand this girl at the best of times, and now she was trying to shirk

her duties? Unacceptable. For a moment, Shizuku debated chopping Suzu's braids off

in punishment, but she knew now wasn't the time for that.

"Rise up, O furious gale— Purgatory Blaze!"

An instant before the black wave swallowed the group, a blazing tornado rose up to

protect them.

The spiral of flames was so large it covered the entire platform they were standing on.

Though they were massive in number, the small cockroaches were still just

cockroaches. Unable to withstand the whirlwind of fire, they died one after another as

the wave tried to crash through and failed.

"Pull yourselves together, girls. Did you forget why you came here? It certainly wasn't

to give yourselves up to the enemy, was it?"

Tio's words were a huge wake-up call not just for Suzu, but also for Kouki. He started

and turned to Tio. She had her hands out in front of her and was glaring sharply at

Suzu and the others.

"S-Sorry," Suzu mumbled.

"Save your apologies. Right now, you need to focus on doing your duty. A Barrier

Master's job is to protect their comrades, is it not?"

"Y-Yes!"

Though Suzu held no particular love for Tio right now, Tio's words still resonated

within her, and she found herself nodding. For some reason, even though she was a

hopeless pervert everyone currently hated, no one could ignore the weight behind

Tio's words.

"She's actually acting like the legendary dragonwoman she's supposed to be!" Shea

exclaimed.

She stared in wonder at Tio.

"Who are you!?" Kaori whispered as she brandished her greatsword at Tio. She looked

as if she'd just encountered some incomprehensible creature. At that, Tio's lips

twitched as she spoke.

"I-Is there no limit…. to your disrespect? Well, I suppose I deserve it considering how

I normally act. However, that's not important right now! My spell's nearing it's limit,

so the rest of you need to get your act together!"

Though they still couldn't believe how reliable Tio was being, Shea and Kaori both

turned their attention to the problem at hand.

A second later, Tio's spiral of flames vanished. Shea and Kaori prepared to intercept

another wave of cockroaches, but they found the area around the platform empty.

"Hm? Oh, they went to deal with those two."

Shea looked up, where Hajime and Yue were in the middle of dueling the humanshaped cockroach. Despite the sheer numbers the cockroaches possessed, they

couldn't afford to split their forces when it came to fighting those two. Either that or

they were unable to take action independent of the human-shaped cockroach's orders

now.

Either way, Shea was glad that the cockroaches' attention wasn't focused on them.

Neither she nor Kaori were good at handling large numbers at once. Though it irked

her to no end that it was thanks to Hajime and Yue that she could take it easy.

But while her burden was lessened, it didn't mean she had no enemies to face. In fact,

the stronger enemies had been left to Shea's group. They had to deal with the swarm

of half-human-shaped cockroaches, each of which was half the size of the humanshaped one.

There were already 200 of them, and more were spawning every second. Before long,

they blotted out Shea's view and she could only catch glimpses of Hajime and Yue's

fight. It wouldn't take much more time before even those few gaps were closed up.

"Hey, wait, I don't care how awesome those things look. If we don't fight them here,

we're screwed."

Cold sweat poured down Ryutarou's back. However, it seemed he'd managed to shake

off his misgivings about fighting creatures he found cute. He raised his fists and fell

into a combat stance.

"What, you're really gonna fight them!?" Kouki looked at Ryutarou as though his friend

were insane.

Irritated by Kouki's half-assed attitude, Shizuku snarled.

"Kouki, stop spacing out. You heard Nagumo-kun, didn't you? Our feelings have been

reversed. What you're feeling right now isn't real. And if we don't fight here, we'll die."

"I-I know, but…. Oh yeah, Nagumo's here! All we have to do is focus on defense, and

he'll handle everything for us!"

Wasn't the whole reason you came here because you couldn't stand to rely on him for

everything!? Shizuku thought as she glared at Kouki. He winced, but held his ground.

After all, he trusted Hajime far more than he did Shizuku. As he was about to argue

back, the half-humanoid cockroaches charged the group. Their time limit was up.

There was no more time to think about what to do. The one to kick off their battle was

naturally Shea.

"Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" She loosed a deafening war cry, channeling

all of her negative feelings into this one strike. A large red sphere appeared in the air

in front of her, and she smacked it with all of her might. The air itself shook as Drucken

sent her kendama flying like a massive cannonball.

Any cockroaches in its path were crushed to a pulp, leaving a huge hole in the

cockroaches' encirclement.

"Stop ignoring me, you little devil!"

It appeared Shea was still mad at Yue and Hajime. She couldn't stand how they'd just

ignored her and went off to battle by themselves. She leaped into the sky, leaving a

crater as big as Hajime's on the platform below. Shooting through the opening she'd

made with her kendama, she headed for where Hajime and Yue were fighting.

However, the half-human-shaped cockroaches swarmed in from all sides to stop her.

"I don't have time to play with you guys! Get lost!"

Shea blushed a little as she watched the mass of half-humanoids surround her. But

while she was glad for the attention they were giving her, she didn't hesitate to send

their speeding frames flying with a thwack from Drucken. The cockroaches flew

around the cavern like pinballs.

As their bodies were sturdier than the mini-cockroaches, they were surprisingly

bouncy. The noise they made when Drucken smacked into them was almost comical.

Soon enough, the air was filled with whizzing, crushed corpses. And not a single one

of them touched Shea.

Even when they tried to surround themselves in corrupting miasma, one strike from

Drucken was all it took to obliterate them. The cockroaches then attempted a

simultaneous assault from all directions, but found themselves swept aside by Shea's

kendama.

She was tearing through them like a howling gale. No enemy could hope to withstand

the combination of her warhammer and kendama.

"Nnnnnngh! I wish I had as much mass destructive power as the others!"

In the end, though, Shea was still a close-combat fighter. While numbers could never

truly overwhelm her, neither could she mow them down efficiently. She glanced over

and saw Hajime and Yue fighting together even as they fought each other, and puffed

her cheeks out in jealousy.

A few cockroaches tried to jump on her while she was distracted, but she just blew

them away with a casual roundhouse kick. The two half-humanoid monsters were

blown away and joined the hundreds of others bouncing around the room. Kaori

watched with unbridled jealousy as Shea blasted her way through the monsters.

"Amazing…." Kaori knew how strong Shea was, but this was the first time she'd seen

the bunny girl fight so many enemies up close. She was so engrossed in watching Shea

that Kaori forgot to fly off and try to join Hajime and the others herself. Of course, she

continued to cut down the cockroaches that attacked her on the platform and mow

down others with her silver feathers, so it wasn't like she'd forgotten to fight.

But this is just…. borrowed strength. Kaori's old doubts rose to the surface.

"Did you not make your peace with those feelings in Melusine's ruins?"

"Huh?"

Tio turned back to Kaori as she fired scattered shots of her breath to back up Kouki

and the others. Kaori bristled at having been seen through so easily, but before she

could protest, Tio continued.

"It matters not how you obtained it, the power in your hands is now yours to wield.

Besides, you sacrificed your own body to obtain this strength, don't belittle your own

efforts."

Shocked by Tio's words, Kaori showed the merest hint of an opening. A single

cockroach took advantage of that opening and flew in from above, but Tio casually

shot it down with a wind blade. Her precision and focus were unparalleled.

"Be proud of yourself, Kaori. It is because of your own efforts that you are standing

here with us."

"Shut up…. I don't need you to tell me that, Tio."

Even though she was supposed to hate Tio, Kaori couldn't help but feel a little grateful.

She only lashed out at Tio in a childish attempt to cover her own embarrassment. In

order to distract herself from the warmth spreading through her chest, she redoubled

her efforts to tear through the wave of cockroaches. A barrage of disintegration

feathers tore through the monsters, breaking them apart.

Naturally, Tio saw through those feelings as well and continued with a small smile.

"Shea, too, is special in her own way. You would be better off not trying to compare

yourself to her."

Shea certainly was special. She was the only beastman who possessed mana, and even

without that, her strength was abnormal. Kaori assumed that was what Tio was

referring to, but Tio shook her head.

"No, I'm not referring to her abilities. I mean her fortitude."

"Her fortitude?"

"Yes, her fortitude. Remember, Shea is a rabbit girl. Originally, she had no love for

fighting."

But she knew her wish would never have been granted if she didn't fight.

"Through all the tears, through all the terror, she continued to press forward. All so

that she could stand together with those she loved. While this world seems to have

granted Kouki the title of hero…." Tio glanced up at Shea as she said that.

"I believe that neither he nor even Master are worthy of holding that title. If the word

hero defines someone who possesses limitless courage, then no one is more deserving

of that moniker than Shea Haulia."

It surprised Kaori that Tio held that much respect for Shea. What surprised her even

more though, was that Tio was able to voice such feelings in this situation.

"Hey, Tio. Shouldn't your feelings be reversed too?"

Even as Tio conversed with Kaori, she continued to back up Kouki, who was still

lacking the will to fight, and Ryutarou, who was slowly being overwhelmed. It was

amazing how calm she was able to remain. It didn't seem at all like her emotions had

been reversed. Either that or Tio had secretly hated everyone all along.

"Hmph, I care not for you lot. In fact, I can feel displeasure welling up simply from

talking to you. But what of it?"

"Huh?"

Tio turned her gaze back to Kaori. Kaori gulped, overwhelmed by the intensity in her

eyes. Tio grinned, then turned around and unleashed another storm of breath at an

oncoming army of cockroaches.

"Feelings alone…. cannot hope to match the 500 years of experiences I've lived

through."

Her memories served as her guide, keeping Tio from being swayed by the reversal

magic. She had long since grown out of the age where she let herself get swept along

by temporary feelings. No matter what her current feelings were, so long as she

retained her memories, Tio Clarence would never let herself be swayed by hate. Inside

her, both love and hate, right and wrong, were eclipsed by the weight of her own

experiences.

After wiping out another group of cockroaches Tio turned and stated her thoughts

clearly.

"Compared to my duty, my feelings are of little importance. While I may despise you

at the moment, my memories are telling me that you're someone I wish to protect."

Duty, obligation, and honor. Those were what drove Tio onward, and she would never

betray that part of herself. And that was also why she wasn't shaken.

"Kaori, I will protect you. I swear it on my pride as a black dragon, and on my job as a

guardian."

Tio spoke with the authority and dignity of a king. Kaori found herself captivated by

the unwavering resolve in her eyes, and her lustrous black hair, fluttering in the

breeze. She felt a deep sense of relief wash over her.

"I-I-I don't need your protection! I can handle myself just fine!"

And so Kaori once again lashed out to hide her embarrassment. Unfortunately, she

couldn't hide the blush spreading up her face. In a way, the scariest part of this feelingreversal magic was how cool it was making Tio seem.

Chances were, Tio had to suppress her own perversions in order to keep her feelings

in check, which was why she seemed even more perceptive than usual. And when Tio

wasn't acting like a masochistic dog, she really was a reliable, cool, older sister.

Having once more found her resolve, Kaori made to leap off the platform and join Shea

in her fight. The faster they were able to sweep away these half-human cockroaches

and join Hajime and Yue's battle, the better. Not because she wanted to help them, but

because like Shea, she was pissed at them.

However, just before she could leap off, the unspeakable happened….

"Kyaaa!?"

"Ahhh!"

A familiar scream pierced her ears. She turned around, half on instinct, and saw

Shizuku sprawled on the ground. It seemed she'd slipped on the fluids of the

cockroaches she'd killed. A mistake like that was fatal. Another cockroach raised an

arm wreathed in corrosive smoke.

However, Kouki was right next to her. He saw what had happened. Furthermore, Suzu

was right behind her. Plus, Tio's breath could easily handle a monster of that caliber.

None of those possibilities even entered Kaori's mind though, and she acted faster

than she could think. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of Shizuku, her

greatsword held aloft.

"Ah…. Kaori…."

"Shizuku-chan…." Even though she hadn't needed to save Shizuku, even though other

people were better positioned to do it, Kaori had rushed to her side anyway. She forgot

all about her grudge against Hajime and Yue for leaving her behind. Her body moved

on instinct, despite the fact that right now, Shizuku was someone she hated as much

as Hajime. Before she could even think about what she was doing, she'd acted.

And as she did so, she felt her body grow lighter. The dark feelings that had been

weighing her down ever since arriving here vanished. The corners of her lips naturally

turned upward into a smile. It wasn't the kind of smile you could show to someone

you hate.

"On your feet, Shizuku-chan! This is no time to be resting!"

"Huh? Uh, okay."

Kaori grabbed Shizuku's hand and pulled her to her feet. Shizuku looked at her in

shock, but Kaori had already turned back to engage another group of cockroaches.

"Don't worry Shizuku-chan, I'll protect you."

"Ah…."

Shizuku thought back to the moment back in the royal palace, when she'd resigned

herself to death. But the sword that had been meant to kill her never reached her. Her

best friend, Kaori, sacrificed herself in order to save Shizuku. Even though Shizuku had

sworn to protect Kaori, when it counted most she was the one who'd been protected.

And because of that, her best friend had died. A sharp pain pierced her chest. At the

same time, it felt as though some oppressive aura that had been shackling her until

now vanished.

Shizuku turned her back to Kaori. Not because she hated her best friend, but because

she trusted her. The two girls fought back-to-back, and Shizuku uttered words of

gratitude.

"Thank you, Kaori. But don't forget, I've got your back too." She drew her katana in a

flash of light, and her blade sliced through a cockroach with pinpoint precision.

"I know!"

A flurry of silver feathers shot forth. At the same time, Kaori's healing magic enveloped

the party, healing their wounds, their exhaustion, and restoring their mana.

"Tio, Shizuku-chan and I'll take care of this side! You take care of that one!"

"As you wish!"

Tio reacted instantly, shifting her focus. Her gaze held a newfound respect for Kaori.

The group spread themselves out in a triangle, with Tio handling one side, Kaori and

Shizuku handling another, and Kouki, Ryutarou, and Suzu handling the last one. Even

now, Kouki still hadn't overcome his aversion to fighting the cockroaches. Ryutarou

was trying, but his irritation with his comrades kept getting in his way, dulling his

blows. Suzu, on the other hand, was having trouble matching her barrier's positioning

to her comrades' sloppy movements.

Fortunately, Kaori, Tio, and Shizuku were able to cover for the three of them. That still

left the area above them, but Shea had that covered.

"Uryaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

With a yell, she unleashed another pale blue shockwave of energy, blowing away the

cockroaches descending on Kouki from above. Kaori looked up, smiling, and yelled.

"Shea!"

"Leave the skies to me!"

She'd given up on joining Hajime and Yue and had decided to assist her comrades

down below. As for why, well, the blush on her face and her twitching ears made it

obvious. She'd overheard Tio praising her. With her arrival, their offensive power

skyrocketed. While there were more of them, the half-humanoid cockroaches were

inferior versions of the human-shaped ones. Tio, Shea, and Kaori were more than a

match for even an army of them. Such a weak foe couldn't even be considered a trial.

50 human-shaped cockroaches bore down on Hajime and Yue. This meant they had to

fight 50 approximations of an apostle. The monsters all left afterimages in their wake

as they charged forward. Once they'd closed the distance a little, they fired out

compressed pellets of corrosive smoke. Rather than dodge the fist-size spheres,

Hajime pulled a massive black shield out of his Treasure Trove and blocked them

head-on. The shield was large enough to cover both him and Yue and they huddled

behind it as the hail of black smoke slammed into them.

"You won't get past me that easily."

As these smoke balls had been compressed, they possessed more force than the usual

smoke clouds released by the human-shaped cockroaches. In seconds, Hajime's shield

had started to erode from the constant barrage. Seeing as he wasn't moving, the

cockroaches rushed forward to swarm him. But just as they reached the pair—

"Asura."

A wall of immense pressure slammed down on the cockroaches. A sheet of pure

gravity was crushing them from above. Looking up, the cockroaches only now realized

that Yue was floating high above them. The shimmering portal behind and below

Hajime explained how she'd gotten up there when she'd been standing next to Hajime

just a second ago. The wave of pressure bore down on Hajime as well, and he let the

force carry him downward, toward the still-open portal. He returned his shield to his

Treasure Trove and warped out to safety while the cockroaches continued being

pushed toward the ground.

The reason Hajime had chosen not to dodge and had used his shield instead had been

to hide the portal from the cockroaches. It had been a strategic move to give them the

high ground advantage. Now it was the cockroaches who were below Hajime and Yue.

And this time it was Hajime's turn to bombard the cockroaches with attacks.

He brought out 50 Cross Bits and fired a torrent of explosive slugs. The only way he

could control so many at once was to activate Riftwalk and focus only on attacking and

not maneuvering.

Crimson flowers bloomed in the dark pit below. However, the superpowered

cockroaches had more than enough mobility to escape the barrage of hellfire with

most of their group intact. That wasn't to say they'd come out completely unscathed

though. Seven of the monsters had been knocked out of the air by Hajime's previous

barrage. Of the 43 still in fighting condition, quite a few had taken serious injuries.

In retaliation, the remaining cockroaches flew upward in a line, a wall of corrosive

smoke deployed in front of them.

"Heavensfall."

Ominous black spheres swirled around Yue like satellites. Their superdense gravity

fields absorbed the wall of black smoke, preventing it from reaching its intended

targets. Three cockroaches rushed toward Yue, intent on taking out her spheres. At

the same time, three streaks of red light shot at Yue. She waved her finger like a

conductor's baton, and her spheres bent the trajectory of Hajime's bullets so that they

slammed into the three cockroaches instead.

"Fireball."

50 fireballs winked into existence. They glowed pale blue and were all compressed to

the size of Hajime's bullets. Yue had taken the strongest fire spell, Azure Blaze,

partitioned it, and created her own spell with far more wide-area destructive might.

Any normal wizard would have been shocked speechless by such a godlike display of

skill. Naturally, Yue had given this new spell the same name as one of the most basic

fire spells on purpose.

She snapped her fingers, and all 50 fireballs rushed toward Hajime. He put away his

Cross Bits and charged Yue. Then, he used Aerodynamic to bring himself right in front

of the barrage of fireballs and unleashed a barrage of chakrams to counter it. Half of

them headed for the fireballs while the other half went in a completely different

direction.

As planned, the fireballs sped through the chakrams' portals and slammed into the

cockroaches flying at Yue from three sides. Two of the cockroaches managed to barely

dodge out of the way, but the last one was too close to Yue's gravity field to maneuver

properly and ended up taking a direct hit.

Hajime then weaved through the remaining fireballs his chakrams didn't catch, and

they barreled into the cockroaches who had been sneaking up on him from behind. He

paid no heed to the enemies he shot down and continued charging forward, flying

right past Yue and planted a fist into one of the cockroaches still closing in on her. And

after that, he activated his artificial arm's oscillation and sent out magical shockwaves

from his fist. His punch blew straight through the cockroach's defenses and pulverized

it before its smoke could start to rot his arm.

Another cockroach tried to attack him from the left while his arm was still

outstretched. Its four arms moved so fast that for a moment it looked like a 100-armed

Buddha. Hajime drew Donner with his free right arm and shot at the cockroach from

underneath his left. It used its superhuman speed to narrowly roll out of the way. The

moment its attack was halted, Hajime turned his attention to the cockroach coming

from the right.

Meanwhile, Yue looked down at the cockroach Hajime had left behind, and shot a

flurry of golden sparks at it. It was in the middle of attempting a counterattack when

the sparks landed on its forehead. A second later there was a deafening boom, and

electricity enveloped every inch of the cockroach. The high-voltage blast sent the

monster's head flying before it even had a chance to scream. The other monster on

Hajime's right was too surprised by the fact that he was ignoring the pincer attack and

going straight for it that it failed to dodge Hajime's point-blank barrage in time and

was ripped to shreds.

"What happened to your dragons?"

"These enemies are too fast for large attacks. Surely even a moron like you can figure

that out."

Another swarm of cockroaches charged the pair from above. Hajime and Yue dashed

off in opposite directions, and the swarm passed harmlessly between them. Yue then

held them in place with a gravity sphere, and Hajime shot them all down.

"You've already split up your other spells, why not just summon a thousand small

dragons instead?"

"Because it's not efficient. Just how stupid can you get? Do you want me to kill you?"

The two of them glared daggers at each other while they effortlessly dispatched the

monsters behind them.

"If that's not efficient, then there's gotta be some other spell that is, right?"

"So what if there is?"

"Hurry up and use it, then!"

Four sickle-shaped arms bore down on Hajime as he yelled at Yue. He blocked them

with Donner, Schlag, and two of his Cross Bits, using Diamond Skin on his weapons to

keep them from rotting. Yue then flipped around in midair and shot a fireball through

the gap between his legs. The cockroach tried to flee to safety, but Hajime instantly put

Schlag in his Treasure Trove and grabbed one of its arms with his prosthetic, holding

it in place. It screamed in pain as fireballs incinerated it from head to toe.

Hajime didn't even bother to watch it die and turned his attention behind him. A few

well-placed shots from Donner shot down the cockroach attempting to tackle Yue.

"I'm working on it. It's not as easy as it sounds."

Yue scoffed as she flipped back around and entrusted her rear to Hajime. The reason

Yue hadn't used any large-scale spells since defeating the first cockroach was because

she'd been focusing her attention on constructing a new one. As she surveyed the

battlefield Yue spotted another cockroach constructing another magic circle a safe

distance away. Her mage's instincts were telling her whatever that spell was, it was a

bad idea to let the cockroach finish it.

Meanwhile, Hajime had to deal with a flood of cockroaches who were all attacking out

of formation. They shot out smoke balls at random, making their attacks difficult to

predict.

Yue needed more precision, while Hajime needed more destructive power. The

moment they realized that, Yue and Hajime ignored the threat in front of them and

swapped places. No signal passed between them, but their movements were so casual,

it was like they weren't at all concerned about the enemies at their back.

They both trusted each other to handle the mess they'd left behind. Once they'd

completed their turn, they once again pressed their backs against each other and

spoke simultaneously.

"Like I'll let you."

"Not happening."

The two of them were in their element now. Every spell possessed a core, and if that

core was destroyed, the spell unraveled. Normally that core was invisible, but Hajime's

Demon Eye could see it clearly. And so, his bullet flew true, striking down the

cockroach's spell's core with pinpoint accuracy.

On the other hand, Yue created another swirling sphere of dark energy. It swirled

around her like the others, but this one sucked in all of the nearby cockroaches. This

wasn't a Heavensfall, but a Spatial Severance. The cockroaches' attempt to scatter was

thwarted, and they were all sucked into Yue's sphere of death.

"Looks like we've only got 30 or so left."

Realizing they were at a disadvantage, the cockroaches put some distance between

Yue and Hajime and themselves. They started circling around the pair, seeking an

opening. Hajime tapped Donner impatiently against his shoulder and turned to Yue.

"So, Yue, how long's that spell of yours going to take?"

"Mmm…. If you can protect me the whole time, Hajime, 20 seconds."

Hajime grinned as he noted the change in her tone.

"Looks like the spell's worn off."

"Yeah…. Is it gone for you too?"

"You bet. I don't hate you now, just think you're an annoying little brat."

"How mean…. Hic…."

"Hey, what's with that reaction!?" Hajime had expected her to throw a quip back, so he

grew flustered when she started crying. So flustered that he committed one of the

cardinal sins of battle and took his eyes off the enemy. But when he turned to her, he

found Yue grinning.

"Hehe, you're getting so worked up."

"...…"

He hadn't actually hurt her feelings, she'd just been messing with him. Hajime knew

he should be angry, but he couldn't find it in himself to get mad. The playful, joyous

look Yue gave him was too precious. He felt his heart start to pound, but he focused

his attention back on the fight at hand.

"Alright I'll cover you, so get that spell ready."

"Okay…."

Hajime sighed, irritated at himself for letting Yue lead him around by the nose so

easily.

At his signal, Yue closed her eyes, the other action that should normally never be done

in a battle. Hajime could tell she was concentrating intensely. Which meant that she'd

entrusted her life entirely to him. The last traces of negative emotions still lingering in

his mind were washed away. The darkness that had shrouded his heart was swept

away, and light took its place.

At the same time, the cockroaches decided on their next plan of attack. A few of them

remained at a distance, while the rest rushed Hajime and Yue. Tornadoes and spheres

of black smoke shot out of their mandibles, threatening to engulf the pair.

"I won't let you bastards anywhere near Yue. Limit Break, final derivative skill,

Overload."

A pillar of crimson mana shot out of Hajime, reaching all the way up to the ceiling. For

as long as Overload was active, his stats were multiplied by five. Mana surged from his

body in waves, sending ripples of power across the room. He'd enhanced the mana

unleashed when he activated Overload with shockwave properties, so those ripples

held actual might behind them. As they spread out, they blew away the barrage of

black smoke.

Even someone with as much mana as Hajime could only keep Overload activated for a

limited amount of time. And once that time limit ended, he'd be left so exhausted he

could hardly move. However, he wasn't the least bit worried. After all, his partner had

told him twenty seconds was all she needed to finish her spell. Hajime trusted her to

end the battle, so he had no reason to think any more than twenty seconds ahead.

All he needed to focus on was protecting Yue until she was ready, which was why he

holstered Donner and Schlag, then pulled out two Metzeleis. He held one in each hand,

and let the gatling guns rip. Their barrels spun into action, each gun spitting out 12000

bullets a minute. The bullets traveled so fast they looked like spears of crimson light.

The remaining cockroaches scattered. Considering their speed, a gatling gun's

imprecise barrage shouldn't have been too difficult to dodge.

"Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!?"

However, the stream of bullets ricocheted off each other, changing trajectories in midair, and accurately striking down the fleeing cockroaches. Hajime had activated

Riftwalk in combination with Overload, heightening his senses to unparalleled levels.

As he was now, he could snipe even with a gatling gun.

A few of the remaining cockroaches circled behind Hajime, hoping to attack from his

blind spot. But even there they were met by 14 of Hajime's Cross Bits, each firing with

perfect accuracy. In front of them lay a storm of bullets, while behind them lay an army

of autonomous weapons. Hajime had created a veritable fortress around Yue. None of

the cockroaches could hope to get close. However, that didn't pose too much of a

problem to them. After all, the group attacking Hajime and Yue was just a diversion.

Just then, the group that had been hidden safely behind the Grand Tree let out a

piercing wail. Countless wings beat along the walls, creating a cacophony so loud not

even the roar of Hajime's Metzeleis could drown it out. From the sound of it, the

human-shaped cockroaches had summoned forth every cockroach within the

labyrinth.

"Of course you'd pull something like this out at the end."

Now that the emotion reversing magic was wearing off, Hajime felt nothing but disgust

at the sound of billions of cockroaches rushing forward. His lips twitched, and he

muttered, "Is this supposed to be some kind of warning? Like there's as many apostles

as there are bugs?"

Before he could think any further, the walls of their subterranean cavern erupted. Or

at least, it seemed like they did. The cockroaches clinging to every inch of the walls

shot outward, making it seem as though the room itself was shrinking. The mass of

cockroaches blotted out the walls, the ceiling, and even the Grand Tree. Hajime

couldn't even see Shea and the others, so he had no way of knowing what had

happened to them.

From the outside, it appeared as though a massive, writhing, black sphere had trapped

Hajime and Yue. They were inside a living cage. Instinctively, Hajime could tell this was

a message from the Liberator who'd created this labyrinth.

"Don't fight apostles head-on. Take out their source, or you'll find yourself

overwhelmed." That was what the message seemed to be.

"So you're telling me there's some kinda 'source' where all these things are coming

from? And that's what I gotta destroy?"

At the very least, that seemed to be the logical conclusion. Haltina appeared to be

saying that the only way to win against such numbers and complete this trial was to

discover the location of the cockroaches' source and destroy it. However—

"I don't see why I have to play by your rules."

Hajime dashed to Yue's side and hugged her from behind. He then gathered his Cross

Bits around him and created a triple-layered barrier to protect the two of them.

"Just five seconds left."

An instant later, the cockroach prison contracted around them with a sickening

crunch. There were so many cockroaches that combined they were able to exert more

pressure than an entire ocean. Even the hardest metal couldn't survive in such harsh

conditions. The remaining twenty-odd human-shaped cockroaches watched

impassively from outside the cage.

After a few minutes, one of them flew forward. The mini-cockroaches parted to either

side, creating a tunnel for the human-shaped one to travel through. It advanced

through the tunnel slowly, until finally, it arrived at the center where it had expected

to find two crushed people…. so what it saw came as a surprise.

"Kiii?" With a confused cry, it drew closer to the pale blue light shining at the end of

the tunnel. The light was faint and flickering, like that of a will o' the wisp, yet at the

same time as clear as a pure blue sky.

A second later, it instinctively backpedaled away from the light. It ignored its duty as

a labyrinth guardian and its murderous impulses as a monster, choosing to flee as fast

as it could. Something primal and instinctive inside of it was telling it that blue light

was dangerous. Fear swept across the monster in waves. The final bit of the tunnel slid

away to reveal Hajime and Yue.

Two of the three barriers Hajime put up had been destroyed. The last remaining one

had been compacted by the pressure, and Hajime had been forced to support it with

his body to keep it from crushing the two of them. The blood vessels in his eyes had

burst, giving them a bloodshot look, and blood dripped from the corners of his mouth.

Faint wisps of crimson mana flickered around him, the last traces of his Diamond Skin

activation. White smoke jettisoned from his artificial arm, proof that it had taken on a

massive burden. Hajime had squeezed out every last ounce of his strength to protect

Yue from the cockroaches' assault. The monster of the abyss had succeeded once

again.

"….Time's up."

Nestled safely inside Hajime's arms, with not a scratch on her, Yue opened her eyes.

"Cull."

That was the lone word she said as her eyes opened. She held her hands close to her

chest, as though she were praying. The vivid blue light spilling from the cracks in her

fingers pulsed. Invisible waves of power spread outward, striking fear into the hearts

of the human-shaped cockroaches. Yue slowly spread out her hands, as if unveiling

something fragile. A tiny flame sat in her palms. It twinkled with a deep blue light, a

drop of burning sapphire.

It's like she's holding a tiny earth in her hands, Hajime thought to himself. The growing

pulses of light certainly did make it seem as though a planet was being born in her

hands.

Yue held her hands up, offering her blue jewel to the heavens. Illuminated by the light

of her own creation, Yue looked almost divine. Hajime hugged her from behind, and

she leaned into his arms.

Finally, the cockroaches returned to their senses. Screaming in panic, they once again

ordered their servants to crush Hajime and Yue. Unfortunately, they were too late.

"Divine Purgatory."

A beautiful yet cruel voice rang out across the room. The next moment, her spell of

annihilation took shape. Her blue sphere emitted its strongest pulse yet. It then grew

so bright that every inch of the room, from the ceiling to the floor, was bathed in pale

blue light. Quiet, calm, merciless ripples spread through the ocean of light, turning the

cockroaches surrounding them to ash. In less than a second, all of the small

cockroaches had been incinerated.

The human-shaped cockroaches turned to flee, but before they could run even a few

paces, the light caught up to them and obliterated them instantly. With the

cockroaches gone, Hajime could once again see Shea and the others. As far as he could

tell, they were all fine. The light reached their location, cremating all of the halfhuman-shaped cockroaches as well.

Shea and the others looked around in confusion as their opponents crumbled before

their eyes. A second later, they realized how strange it was that they had survived long

enough to be confused in the first place. But it wasn't just Shea and the others that the

light didn't touch. Neither the Grand Tree nor any of its branches were affected by the

obliterating magic either. Only the cockroaches were incinerated. But that only

confused Shea and the others more.

The strange and terrifying phenomenon had been caused by another one of Yue's

composite spells. Divine Purgatory was a spell that combined fire, gravity, and spirit

magic. First, she'd used gravity magic to compress ten instances of the fire spell Azure

Blaze into a single point, then she'd used the spirit magic Cull to choose either the only

creatures to be affected by her spell, or the only creatures not to be affected by her

spell. It was an annihilation spell that worked on a massive scale and spared those Yue

saw fit. The rest were incinerated in a wave of merciless, inescapable flames. Yue's

strength was beginning to approach that of an actual god's. The name she'd given to

her spell, Divine Purgatory, was quite fitting. Judging by the fact that the humanshaped cockroaches weren't regenerating, Hajime assumed her flames had destroyed

whatever source had been powering them as well.

"That's one hell of a spell. I knew I could count on you, Yue."

"Hajime…."

Their voices echoed loudly in the now empty room. Yue staggered, utterly exhausted

after using such a large-scale spell. Hajime caught her before she fell, and lifted her

gently up in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gazed into his eyes.

As if trying to make completely sure her feelings and his had both returned to normal.

After a short pause, Yue smiled. She'd seen exactly what she'd hoped to reflected in his

eyes. At that moment, had Hajime claimed her smile was the cutest in the world, no

one would have dared refute him.

"Hajime…." she murmured again, her voice dripping with affection.

"Thanks for the meal."

"Bwah!?"

She started sucking his blood, both to restore her mana and as an expression of love.

She was a vampire, after all.

A haggard but unhurt Hajime returned to the platform where the others were waiting,

with Yue cheerfully in tow. Shea and Kaori ran up to him the moment he landed.

"Yue-saaaaaan Hajime-saaaaaaaaan. Are you alright? Because we're not! Tio-san was

so cool a few seconds ago that I think I've been scarred for life!"

"Hajime-kun, Yue! Listen to this! Tio actually seemed like a big sister for once! It was

terrifying!"

The first things out of their mouths weren't complaints about how Hajime and Yue

were flirting too much, or praise for Yue's new spell, but terror regarding Tio's

transformation.

"Y-You two, there's a limit to how rude you can be…. Haaah…. Haaah…. But alas, your

insults feel so good!" Tio twitched in pleasure, like the pervert that she was. From the

looks of it, she was back to normal.

"She looks like her usual perverted self to me."

"Yeah…. She's as pathetic as always."

Tio crumbled to the ground, her entire body shivering in ecstasy. It appeared her

legendary dragon mode had been a product of the emotion reversing magic. It was

only under its effects that she'd acted normal. Shea and Kaori would likely never see

the creepily cool and scarily reliable Tio ever again. Whether that was a good thing or

not, no one knew.

Afterward, Kaori used restoration magic to heal everyone, and they took a short break

to eat some rations and catch their breath. None of them broached the topic of how

they'd acted under their reversed emotions. A lot of the events were awkward to talk

about, and none of them really wanted to remember what had happened anyway.

Right as everyone was starting to feel rested, almost as if the labyrinth had been

waiting for them to recover, the part of the Grand Tree near the ceiling began to glow.

With a loud creaking noise, a branch started to grow from the glowing section. It

extended at a downward slant, heading toward the party's platform. Once it arrived,

it twined itself around the wooden platform and became another path. Then, the wood

on its surface undulated and stretched until it turned into a set of stairs.

"I really hope that last trial was the final one," Hajime said with a rueful smile. The

aftereffects of Overload hadn't disappeared completely yet.

Yue and the others nodded in agreement. Kouki especially was nearing his limits

mentally, and he fervently prayed there wouldn't be any other battles. The party

climbed up the flight of stairs and found a familiar hollow greeting them at the top.

The magic circle inside was visible this time. Once everyone was inside, it began to

glow, and they were teleported once more.

This time, Hajime and the others found themselves inside a garden. The air was fresh,

and the sky dazzlingly clear. The garden was about the size of Hajime's school gym.

Canals crisscrossed the neat lawn, crystal clear water flowing through them. Trees

were spaced at regular intervals, each bearing delicious-looking fruit. Inside the ring

of trees was a chalk-white building. Hajime and the others had been teleported to one

corner of the garden, a short distance from the building. Bridges stretched out in all

four directions, and there was a magic circle at their feet.

"Hey, Nagumo, is that it!?" Excited, Kouki pointed toward a tree that was larger than

the rest. It towered over the others from the far end of the park. Like the platform they

were standing on, it was growing on an island ringed by canals. Near its roots stood a

conspicuous stone tablet.

Hajime held out a hand to stop Kouki, and warily examined his surroundings. A quick

glance told him that they were at a high elevation. Past the garden, there was only blue

sky in all directions. Tio carefully walked over to the edge of their platform and looked

down.

"Unbelievable…. Master, it appears this is the Grand Tree's summit."

At Tio's words, Hajime and the others crowded around the edge as well. Looking

down, they confirmed what Tio had said. Below them stretched out a dense sea of fog.

They were obviously high above the Haltina Forest. And the only thing that rose above

the forest's mists was Uralt, the Sacred Tree. However, Hajime pointed out a

contradiction in Tio's reasoning.

"Hold on, this doesn't make any sense. When we came here in Fernir, we didn't see

anything like this. If the fog's that far below us, this garden has to be at least 400

meters up. Meaning…."

Hajime trailed off as he noticed another inconsistency. When they'd first seen the

Grand Tree from down below, they'd estimated its size meant that the tops of its

branches towered over the sea of fog. Yet they'd never once been able to spot it while

traversing the sea of trees in Fernir.

"I see. Someone must have used concealment magic on it."

"Yeah…. They could have used spatial magic to bend the light around it, or simply

moved the top of the tree to a different plane entirely. Or used high-level spirit magic

to interfere with the perception of anyone who looks at it, even…." Yue gave an expert's

opinion on how Haltina had managed to hide the tree.

Dark magic could interfere with people's perceptions as well. But not on this scale.

Meaning it was likely Haltina had used some kind of magic from the Age of the Gods

to hide the tree. Yue had a few theories, but she couldn't be sure which was correct.

Both Yue and Tio shuddered. As expert mages themselves, they knew just how

impossible a feat it was to hide something this big so well that no one, not even a

master magician, could spot it. The two of them gulped, but no one belittled them for

it. The others were just as overwhelmed. The trials they'd faced thus far had been the

nastiest, most trying yet, but they'd expected as much from a Liberator. What they

hadn't expected, was this Liberator to also have an aesthetic sense.

"I guess this really is the final goal, then."

Hajime and the girls nodded to each other, then walked over to the lithograph. They

passed underneath an intricate arch as they crossed the bridge over the canals. As

they neared the stone tablet, it began to glow. Bright green mana filled the canals. It

appeared the canals themselves were this labyrinth's final magic circle. Motes of green

light rose up from the waterways, like thousands of fireflies.

The usual sensation that accompanied having their memories read assailed the party,

then Hajime and the girls felt knowledge of this labyrinth's ancient magic forcibly

imprinted onto their minds. Though Hajime's group was used to it, the rest weren't. A

cute squeal came from someone in Kouki's group as they had their mind probed. Just

as Hajime was about to say something about the magic they'd just acquired, the tree

behind the lithograph began to squirm. Instantly alert, the party drew their weapons.

The tree's bark twisted and warped until it had formed an approximation of a person's

face. The face protruded from the trunk until it had formed a full head and shoulders.

Once the person, no, woman's face was complete, she opened her eyes and spoke up.

"First, allow me to congratulate you on making it this far. I am Lyutillis Haltina. You

have done well to complete my trial, along with the trials of the other labyrinths. You

have my respect for completing such a difficult gauntlet, and my apologies for forcing

you through it."

It appeared the tree was the medium in which Haltina's memories had been stored. It

wasn't too different from the hologram that Oscar Orcus had left behind.

"She looks like a princess…." Kaori muttered. Hajime nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, she sure does."

Lyutillis Haltina had the same refined air and carried herself in the same dignified

manner as Liliana. As it was only her head, shoulders, and long straight hair that were

protruding from the tree trunk Hajime couldn't be completely sure, but she looked like

a beauty. Her long ears tapered to sharp points, denoting that she was an elf.

"However, a trial of this nature was necessary. Since you have completed various other

labyrinths, you have likely learned about the tragedies of the past, of our relationship

with the gods, and of the tyranny our world currently lives under. It is for that reason

that I wanted you to know both the strength that can be derived from unbreakable

bonds and the ways in which they can be tested. Moreover, having come this far, I felt

it necessary to teach you both the strength of a person's heart, and its fragility. I pray

this knowledge will aid you in the trials to come."

Shea and the others listened to Lyutillis' speech with rapt attention. However, Hajime

was beginning to grow impatient. It was clear he was tired of the lecture. The only

reason he kept silent was because he knew the others were interested.

"I know not for what purpose you sought my magic, evolution magic, for. And now that

it is yours, you are free to use it as you please. All I ask is that please, don't allow this

power to rule your thoughts. If ever there comes a time you feel yourself drowning in

the power you've obtained, cling to the bonds that saw you through these trials."

Hajime started glancing about. He was looking for the proof that they'd conquered this

labyrinth. It was obvious he wasn't paying much attention to Lyutillis. Judging by the

constant glances he kept giving the lithograph, he was likely planning on pulling the

whole thing out soon. As a precaution, Shea grabbed onto his left arm, while Yue took

his right and Kaori wrapped her arms around his waist. They silently pleaded with

him to wait, calming Hajime down enough to listen to the rest of the speech.

"The power of my ancient magic, evolution magic, allows you to enhance all other

forms of power, no matter how weak. You should already have been granted the

knowledge of how to use it. But that's not where the true worth of this magic lies."

Hajime's eyes suddenly shot open. He looked over at Lyutillis, his curiosity piqued.

The knowledge they'd been given hadn't contained anything about evolution magic's

true worth. Realizing that Hajime was interested in Lyutillis' words, Yue and the others

let go of him. Meanwhile, Shizuku glared at him in exasperation.

"As its name suggests, evolution magic causes other power to evolve. Naturally, that

includes other ancient magic. Creation magic, gravity magic, spirit magic,

transformation magic, spatial magic, and restoration magic…. These are all powerful

branches of magic that manipulate the fundamental forces that govern this world. If

you were to evolve them all and combine them, you would give birth to a magic that

surpasses all others. Magic that could truly be considered godlike…. Concept magic."

Someone gulped, the noise echoing loudly in the following silence. Surprise was

etched in every inch of Hajime's face. He thought back to what Miledi Reisen had told

him in the Reisen Gorge.

"You'll need to acquire all the ancient magic the Liberators left behind in order to

achieve your goal." That was what she'd said. And now, Hajime finally understood

what she meant.

"Concept magic is exactly what it sounds like. It can bring forth any concept its user

can imagine, granting them the powers of a god. However, even if you manage to

collect all the ancient magic, mastering concept magic won't be easy. For concept

magic operates not on theory, but on force of will. You will need an unbelievably

powerful will to bend this magic to your desires."

So that's why we didn't get any knowledge of that from the magic circle. Hajime raised

an eyebrow. After all, "unbelievably powerful will" wasn't very specific.

"Even with our powers combined, us Liberators were only able to create three concept

magic spells. They served our needs well enough, but…. Regardless, as a gift, I shall

pass on one of those to you."

The stone tablet below Lyutillis slid to the side, revealing an object resembling a

pocket watch. Hajime bent down and picked it up. The front of the object was covered

with translucent glass-like substance and inside sat a single needle. Engraved on the

back was Lyutillis Haltina's crest, indicating that the object also served as their proof

that they conquered the labyrinth. As Hajime scrutinized the object, Lyutillis

continued her speech.

"That object is called the Compass of Eternal Paths. The concept magic spell its imbued

with—" —Points its owner toward whatever they desire.

"Huh!?"

Upon hearing those words, Hajime's heart started to pound. It felt as though his body

was on fire. All sound vanished, and those words repeated themselves over and over

inside his head.

"Points its owner toward whatever they desire." Does that mean….

"If you wish for something, the compass will show you where that something may be

found. Whether that something is a missing person, a hidden object…. or even a

different world."

"Ah—"

The other world Lyutillis was likely referring to was the world of the gods. If it took an

unbelievably strong will to create concept magic, there was no doubt what the

Liberators had created these spells for. To defeat the gods. Meaning originally, this

compass had been made to discover their location. Hajime guessed that Oscar had

used his creation magic in conjunction with concept magic to make this compass.

However, if this compass was capable of showing the way to the world of the gods,

then that meant it was also capable of showing the way back home to Japan.

In his hands…. was a guide to the way home. Finally, at long last, he'd found his first

real clue. Immeasurable joy filled his heart. He was so happy he couldn't express it in

words. In fact, he didn't even know what kind of expression to make. His hand

trembled. The day he'd been reborn in the abyss, he'd sworn that he'd return home,

no matter what it took.

The sense of elation made events of his long, arduous journey flash through his mind

in an instant. Hold it together. It's not time to celebrate just yet. Hajime willed the tears

welling up in his eyes to dry as he mentally cautioned himself. His mechanical left hand

creaked as he balled it into a fist. It wasn't the same hand he'd come to this world with,

but he was proud of it. As he looked down at his fake arm, he renewed his resolve. And

then, he turned around to find Yue looking gently up at him. She took hold of Hajime's

fake hand and entwined her tiny fingers around his own.

"So long as you obtain all the ancient magic and possess an unbreakable will, you will

be able to go wherever your heart desires."

Though she couldn't possibly have known Hajime's current feelings, Lyutillis' memory

appeared to be smiling as she said that. Finally, she said the customary last words of

all the Liberators. But those words, delivered centuries ago from the depths of her

heart, reached Hajime.

"I pray that you can live freely, in a world where you may choose your own future. May

the path you walk be filled with blessings." Still smiling, Lyutillis disappeared back into

the tree.

Here, at the very top of the Grand Tree, Lyutillis had spoken to them through yet

another tree that was growing at its summit. Thinking about it, it seemed to Hajime

that the entirety of the Grand Tree housed Lyutillis' spirit.

The party fell silent, either too awed by what had just happened to speak, or too busy

digesting Lyutillis' words. The only sound was the wind rustling through the leaves.

Finally, Hajime broke the silence. In an even, controlled voice, he turned to Yue and

spoke up.

"Just in case…. Yue, do you think…. you could use spatial magic and evolution magic….

to teleport to another world?"

Kouki, Shizuku, Suzu, and Kaori stiffened up as he asked that. Yue didn't answer right

away. She knew just how important this question was to Hajime, so she made sure to

consider all the possibilities. Using her vast knowledge as the world's best mage, along

with the information she'd just received, she went through thousands of simulations

in her head, trying to think of a spell that would do the job. After exhausting all the

possibilities, she muttered something dejectedly.

"….I'm sorry."

"I see…."

So it's impossible after all. Then again, if all you needed to get to a different world was

evolution magic and spatial magic, the Liberators wouldn't have had such a hard time

doing it. Lyutillis had said the Liberators had created three concept magic spells. The

first had been the spell the Compass of Eternal Paths was imbued with. Magic that

pointed its wielder toward whatever they desired. The remaining two were likely a

spell to allow someone to travel between worlds, and a spell to defeat the gods. In

other words, unless Hajime reached a level where he could use concept magic,

teleporting between worlds would be impossible.

Yue looked down, depressed at failing to meet Hajime's expectations. However, Hajime

looked kindly down at her and ran his fingers through her golden-blonde hair. Startled

by the sensation of his fingers on the back of her neck, Yue looked back up at him.

"Don't look so down. I didn't really think it was gonna be possible anyway. All that

means is we've gotta get the last remaining ancient magic, so don't make that face,"

Hajime said with a smile.

Yue had seen Hajime's smile so many times she could recreate it from memory, but it

still managed to make her heart skip a beat. There was something different about this

smile. It was gentler, warmer, and deeper than any smile Hajime had ever made before.

In fact, it wasn't too different from Lyutillis' smile earlier.

"Yue?"

"…. Mmm."

Yue took a few deep breaths to calm her pounding heart. Then, she returned his smile

with one as radiant as his. The two of them gazed into each other's eyes. A second later,

Shea, who'd been as captivated by Hajime's smile as Yue, returned to her senses and

tried once again to grab Hajime's attention.

"Ahem! Hajime-saaan, Yue-saaan, are you two done flirting? The shortcut leading back

down to the forest has shown up, so I think it's about time we get going."

Hajime and Yue turned around at Shea's cheery voice and saw that a new magic circle

had appeared in another corner of the garden. Shea was likely right in assuming it was

a shortcut back to the ground. Hajime then turned back to Shea and tilted his head in

confusion. For whatever reason, Shea, along with Kaori and Tio, was blushing as they

looked at him. Before he could ask what was going on though, Kouki interrupted him.

"H-Hey, Nagumo. If what that woman said is true…. once you can use that concept

magic or whatever…."

"Yeah, we'll be able to go home. Well at the very least, this compass will be able to

show us how to get there."

"I see…." Kouki bit his lip, his expression a mixture of hope and frustration. Ryutarou,

Suzu, and Shizuku all looked torn between happiness and trepidation as well. It looked

they wanted to ask something, but were holding themselves back from doing so. Their

worries stemmed from the fact that they still hadn't finished finding a way home, and

the only one among them likely to successfully get all seven ancient magic was Hajime

and his party.

"U-Umm, Nagumo-kun? Once you find a way back, will you…. you know…." Suzu

faltered, unable to finish her question. However, Hajime knew what she was trying to

ask. The reason she was so hesitant to ask it was because she knew how cold Hajime

had been to them when they'd first reunited. It was entirely possible that Hajime

would just take his own comrades along when he found a way back and leave everyone

else behind.

Normally, Suzu was the bluntest out of all of them, but when it came to important

things like this she had a hard time getting the right words out. Regardless of whether

that was a character flaw or not, it was still preferable to blindly believing that Hajime

would bring them all back with him. At the very least, Hajime found Suzu's question

commendable.

"Don't worry. So long as there are no restrictions like a maximum number of people I

can teleport, I'll take everyone back with me."

"I-I see. Ehehe…. Thanks, Nagumo-kun."

"Anyway, considering how worried you guys sound…. I'm assuming you weren't

granted the ancient magic?"

"Ugh!?" Kouki, Ryutarou, and Suzu hung their heads in shame. With evolution magic,

they would have been able to upgrade all of their stats. Of course, since evolution

magic was still ancient magic, it would take an enormous amount of mana to use, and

at most, they'd be able to do something like use Limit Break without the exhaustive

side effects. Still, it would be enough to let them conquer the first part of the Great

Orcus Labyrinth without any trouble at all. In fact, they'd probably be able to make a

good amount of headway through the true Orcus Labyrinth as well.

The fact that they didn't sound at all confident in their ability to handle another

labyrinth meant that they hadn't earned the right to receive Haltina's magic. Among

Kouki's party though, there was just one person who didn't seem as worried and was

looking away awkwardly while trying to think of something to say.

"Yaegashi…. Well, looks like you got the magic at least."

"Ah….! Umm…. yes, it looks like I can use it."

"C-Can you really, Shizuku!?"

"Seriously!? Nice going, girl!"

"I knew you could do it, Shizushizu! That's why you're my waifu!"

She had managed to conquer the trial of pleasure, the illusory ideal world, and even

the test of reversed emotions. It was little surprise that she'd been accepted as one

who'd cleared the labyrinth. Though her combat contributions had been few, she'd

shown that she had the mental fortitude to handle ancient magic.

Suzu was overjoyed for her friend, while Ryutarou seemed equal parts impressed and

jealous. Kouki, on the other hand, had a smile on his face as he praised Shizuku, but he

seemed troubled by something, and there was a shadow behind his eyes. Worried,

Shizuku kept stealing glances at him.

"At any rate, let's head back to Verbergen and rest up. I think that cockroach fight

traumatized me. I don't think I've ever been in such a mentally draining fight. Plus, I'm

still exhausted after using Limit Break…. I need Yue to heal me."

"Fufu…. Just leave it to me."

"Hajime-san, if you want healing, why not use my fluffy bunny ears?"

"Healing's literally my job, Hajime-kun! Let me take care of you! I'll do anything and

everything you need! And by anything, I mean absolutely anything!"

"Oho, are you really that tired, Master? Very well, I shall be your chair. Feel free to sit

on me as much as you please. No matter how my bones ache, I shall endure for your

sake."

Hajime's expression grew serious, and he glanced at each of his party members in

turn. Shea, Kaori, Tio, and Yue. He seemed to be confirming something. And once he

was finished, he looked up at the sky, confirming something within himself.

At that, Shea and the others tilted their heads, confused. But after a few seconds,

Hajime looked back down and gave them a troubled smile.

"Ah…." Kaori gasped. The smile he was wearing now was one she thought she'd never

see again, one she'd almost forgotten. Tears welled up in Kaori's eyes as old memories

resurfaced.

Yue, Shea, and Tio were also surprised, though less so. They were used to seeing

Hajime's fearless, arrogant, and heartless smiles, but they'd never seen a smile like

this. Though it was slight, Hajime had changed over the course of his journey. It was

hard to describe in words, but it was almost as if he'd grown kinder, while remaining

just as sharp and aggressive as before. At least, that was what it seemed like to Yue

and the others.

The person he'd been before being summoned to Tortus and the person he'd become

after suffering in the abyss had started to fuse together. As he was now, he was equal

parts merciless and kind, and oddly enough, Yue and the others found the combination

unbelievably attractive.

"What's wrong, guys? Don't we need to hurry back so you can all heal me?" Hajime

said, and with that, he turned around and headed for the magic circle.

Kaori rubbed the tears out of her eyes, and Shizuku smiled and laid a hand on her

friend's shoulder. Nostalgia rimmed their pupils. Both of them were glad to see the

old, nice Hajime returning.

"Mmm…. I understand now."

"Yue…."

Yue took hold of Kaori's hand and smiled gently at her. As for what exactly Yue had

understood, the others knew without having to ask. It was the reason why Kaori had

fallen for Hajime in the first place, back in Japan. Yue and the others only knew Hajime

after his transformation, but Kaori had known him before it too. And now that the two

Hajime's had begun to merge, everyone felt as though they were on the same page

when it came to understanding him.

"Hey, what are you guys waiting around for?" Hajime asked quizzically as he turned

around. He'd already activated the magic circle.

Yue and the others shared a knowing smile, then ran after him. Suzu, Ryutarou, and

Shizuku were in high spirits as well, having finally found a way back home.

There was just one among them who had to force himself to look happy. Thus, the

group's adventure within Haltina came to a close. With renewed hope in their hearts,

the party returned to Verbergen.