Whispers Part 2

Hajime turned over his shoulder and frowned at Kouki as he reached for the jewel and

grabbed it off the pedestal. He didn't seem the least bit perturbed that a Frost Ogre

was bearing down on him. With another flash of his Treasure Trove, he pulled out a

metal sphere about the same size as the jewel and dropped it unceremoniously onto

the pedestal. Then, he closed the portal. Screaming in impotent rage, the Frost Ogre

reached out for Hajime, but it wouldn't make it before the portal fully closed. Hajime

wasn't even looking at the Frost Ogre anymore. He turned around, and the gate closed

safely behind him. A second later, there was a loud rumbling in the distance, and the

entire maze shook.

"Hmmm, I knew it, it's no normal key. I wanted to just duplicate it but… it'll take too

long to analyze the magic circle engraved inside it."

Sighing, Hajime put the jewel to the side. He then picked up his chopsticks and

resumed eating as though nothing had happened.

"Huh, so that's what the keys look like. Oh, these fish dumplings are done. Here you

go, Hajime-san."

"Ah, thanks Shea."

Shea also resumed flirting with him as though nothing had happened. Kouki and the

others had been stunned by what they'd just seen, but seeing the newlywed couple act

snapped them back to their senses.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, this isn't right!"

"Are you even allowed to do that!?"

"I feel sorry for that Frost Ogre!"

"Isn't that way too lazy!?"

"What's the problem, guys?"

Hajime really couldn't understand what Kouki and the others were complaining about.

We've got good food and a cozy tent, so what're you all getting so worked up over?

His puzzled expression just irked Kouki even more. Veins bulged in his forehead, and

he had to take a few deep breaths to forcibly calm himself down.

"Nagumo. What was that?"

"What do you mean? You saw didn't you?"

"I did, but that doesn't tell me anything! What did you do!?"

"Are you okay, man?"

Since he'd seen and still seemed unable to understand, Hajime began to worry Kouki

was so exhausted he was starting to hallucinate. Not only were Kouki's words not

getting through, they were just causing Hajime to question his sanity. Kouki was ready

to blow. In fact, he was this close to doing a table-flip… No, a kotatsu-flip fit better.

However, Ryutarou hurriedly pinned Kouki's arms behind his back. He understood

Kouki's rage, but the food wasn't at fault here. Meanwhile, Hajime turned to Kaori and

asked her to make sure Kouki was mentally okay. Kaori, of course, knew what the

actual reason behind Kouki's reaction was, so all she could do was give Hajime a

troubled smile and explain that it was okay. Watching this all unfold from the sidelines,

Shizuku wearily rubbed her temples to assuage her headache and spoke up.

"Umm, so to sum it up, Nagumo-kun, you didn't send out your Cross Bits to patrol the

area, but instead to find the keys to this door, right? And when your Cross Bit finally

found one of the jewels that unlock the door it awoke the guardian of the jewel?"

Shizuku looked over at Hajime for confirmation, and he nodded. Feeling her headache

growing worse, Shizuku continued.

"So then you opened a portal to grab the jewel, and left a bomb for the Frost Ogre,

killing it without a fight?"

"Yep. That's exactly it. Just as you saw."

"That's exactly what the problem is! Aren't guardians of the labyrinths powerful

monsters you have to face in a direct battle!?"

Freeing himself from Ryutarou's bind, Kouki leaned forward and shouted something

that should have been common sense.

"Nah, it's better if we can collect them without a hassle. Who wants to waste hours

running around finding all three jewels?"

"I mean I don't really want to either but… what if the labyrinth doesn't recognize us as

true conquerors!?"

Hajime popped a fish dumpling into his mouth and chewed it for a few seconds before

answering Kouki's question. Don't eat in the middle of a conversation! Kouki glared at

him, but Hajime ignored him.

"I had my Cross Bits explore the maze to make sure that won't happen."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. How is this any different from an earth mage using golems to scout

out the maze and gathering the jewels for their master, or a dark mage doing the same

thing with monsters under their control?"

"W-Well…"

There certainly wasn't any difference. Stymied, Kouki quickly switched to a different

track.

"But using a portal to grab the jewel's still cheating isn't it?"

"Yeah, that's a valid concern. That's why I was careful. If using a portal to grab the jewel

was against the maze's rules, I would have used the gravity magic abilities of my Cross

Bit to absorb whatever spell it brought out to punish cheaters."

"Ah, just like you did to me when I fell asleep in Verbergen…" Shizuku muttered to

herself. She was still holding a grudge over the crucifixion incident.

"Though I wasn't expecting it to be a problem. After all, the maze didn't do anything

when Yue used spatial magic to save Sakagami. As long as it's not us personally who

are trying to take shortcuts through the maze, it doesn't seem to mind."

Plus, Hajime had even killed the jewel's guardian, so it wasn't as though he'd bypassed

that either.

"Is this really okay? Is conquering a labyrinth really supposed to be this easy?"

Kouki couldn't accept Hajime's cavalier attitude toward exploiting the gray areas in

the rules regarding how challengers were meant to progress through the labyrinth.

Ryutarou lightly patted Kouki on the back, his expression similar to that of an

enlightened Buddha.

"Kouki… if you keep worrying about this stuff, you'll just go bald."

Suzu backed away, creeped out by Ryutarou's strange expression.

"Shizushizu, is it just me, or has Ryutarou gone weird?"

"He's been liberated from common sense, I guess? Can't say I'm surprised, since

Nagumo-kun is a living symbol of uncommon sense."

"I have to be careful, or I'll be poisoned by Nagumo-kun's uncommon sense too. Ah, I

just realized. This must be why Kaorin's beyond saving now…"

"Huh!?" Kaori turned to Suzu, surprised. Suzu gave Kaori a look that was half-sadness,

half-pity. The normal Kaori who understood common sense is gone forever… Alas.

Hajime glared at Shizuku and muttered, "That's a pretty harsh way of putting it. Well,

whatever…"

"I've found the other two jewels too. They have the same traps and guardians

protecting them. I'm just worried if I'm the only one to collect all the jewels the

labyrinth won't recognize anyone but me as having cleared it. So just in case, you guys

should split up into two teams to get the rest. Amanogawa, your party gets one while

Yue and the others get the other."

"Mmm… Okay."

"Haaah, fine."

Yue and Kouki nodded. For some reason though, Kouki still looked dissatisfied about

something.

Sometime later, Kaori stood in front of the double doors and looked worriedly at it.

"I hope Shizuku-chan and the others are alright…"

Two jewels already sat inside the grooves carved out for them. The yellow jewel

Hajime had obtained without any effort at all, and the red jewel Yue and the others

had been able to easily acquire after obliterating the room's guardian. Only one

remained. The one Kouki and the others had gone to retrieve. This was the first time

the party had split up since entering the labyrinth, so Kaori was worried about the

safety of her childhood friends. For a few minutes now she'd been fidgeting restlessly,

debating whether or not she should go help them. Every time she suggested it though,

Yue would say, "You're being overprotective, Mom" and Kaori would fall silent.

"Hajime-kun…"

"Don't make that face. Those guys should be strong enough to handle enemies on that

level at least… Yeah, see, they're already done."

Hajime had been watching the battle through the sightstone embedded in his Cross

Bits and linked to his Demon Eye. Smiling, he told Kaori the good news.

"R-Really!? They're okay!? No one's hurt!?"

"Yeah, they're fine. They struggled a bit, but no one's seriously injured. Sakagami got

frostbite, but Taniguchi's already healing him."

"Thank goodness!"

Kaori patted her chest, relieved. Hajime led Kouki and the others back to the door

using his Cross Bit. All four of them seemed oddly refreshed. Shea tilted her bunny

ears, wondering what had reinvigorated them so.

"Why do you guys look so happy? That thing was weaker than the Frost Turtle so of

course you could beat it."

"They are likely glad that they were able to clear a portion of the labyrinth the 'correct'

way. You see, Master's approach was so rational that it stripped any sense of adventure

from the quest, which was what they were lamenting earlier."

As usual, Tio was able to read their feelings easily.

"I see," Shea and Hajime said simultaneously, and nodded. When all was said and done,

Hajime was still a guy. He loved the romantic ideal of a good adventure as much as

anyone else. Until now he'd never thought of approaching the labyrinths as challenges

to be enjoyed, but finally, he grasped a sliver of what Shizuku had meant when she'd

said common sense. Kaori ran over and glomped Shizuku while Kouki walked up to

the door and took a green jewel out of his pocket.

"Nagumo, I just stick it in here, right?"

"Yeah, that's all you gotta do."

Kouki gulped nervously and placed the final jewel into the groove carved out for it. A

second later, the jewels began emitting light. Each jewel emitted light corresponding

to its color. Ribbons of light flowed down doors' engravings, like water filling a canal.

The light from the yellow jewel lit up the door's outline like a sun while the green filled

out the complex patterns of thorns, and the red breathed life into the roses. It was a

marvelous spectacle.

Once the door was completely illuminated, the jewels flashed. The massive double

doors slowly creaked open. A gust of wind passed through, briefly blowing back the

mist of snow. Suzu timidly peered into the corridor that lay beyond, and her eyes

widened in surprise.

"Whoa, what is this… It's like a mirror house."

"Except this is made of ice… Though, this is just as reflective as any mirror."

Indeed, the passage beyond was a world of mirrors. Walls opposite each other

reflected the opposite wall, creating an optical illusion making it seem as though the

walls stretched on infinitely. These ice walls were nothing like the previous ones,

which only faintly reflected silhouettes. Were it not for the chill coming from the walls,

Hajime would have doubted they were even made of ice. These walls truly were

mirrors of ice, and not in a figurative sense.

"Let's go. Don't get lost, guys."

The party walked into the mystical corridor of mirrors. Inside, it was just like the

mirror houses one found in carnivals. Light bounced off the walls endlessly, and there

were countless reflected copies of each party member stretching out for eternity. The

sky above was covered in a mist of snow, and it was much dimmer and gloomier here

than it had been in the earlier part of the maze. The party's footsteps echoed loudly

across the hard stone floor, the only noise in the otherwise silent corridor. It seemed

these ice mirrors reflected sound as well as they did light.

"It feels like it's sucking us in…" Yue muttered as she examined her reflection in the

ice. It certainly did feel as though the endlessly reflecting wall was an entrance to some

bottomless abyss, just waiting to drag those who peered into it into its lightless depths.

Captivated, Yue reached out for her reflection. Before she could touch it, Hajime, who

was standing next to her, reached out and hugged her. His warm embrace snapped Yue

out of her reverie and she returned to reality.

"Don't worry. I won't let it take you."

"Mmm…"

Hajime's gaze was filled with love, but there was also a fiery determination burning in

his pupils. Elated, Yue smiled gently. The two of them stopped walking and gazed into

each other's eyes.

"Do you two have to flirt every five minutes or something?"

Shizuku glared at Hajime, giving voice to everyone's feelings. They were just at it in the

tent, and now they're doing it again. They're just looking for excuses to flirt now…

Shizuku thought angrily. However, Hajime and Yue were unperturbed by Shizuku's

caustic remarks. Their love for each other was so great that if it could be measured as

a stat, it would have long since passed the maximum value and caused a bug in the

system.

"Sorry. Yue's just too cute."

"Mmm… Sorry. Hajime's just too wonderful."

Shizuku heaved a very long and very weary sigh. Kaori puffed her cheeks out angrily,

while Tio and Shea just smiled ruefully. The two of them were used to this now.

However, Hajime and Yue's romcom skit did help ease the nerves of Kouki and the

others, who'd been on edge ever since walking into this hall of mirrors.

The party continued unimpeded by monsters or traps, following the guidance of

Hajime's compass. After walking for about thirty minutes or so, there was finally a

change in their surroundings. Kouki suddenly came to a halt and started glancing

about. Noticing his odd behavior, Hajime called a halt and turned to him. Shizuku

turned back as well and asked, "Kouki? What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's just… Did you guys hear a voice just now? It sounded like a person

whispering."

"H-Hey, Kouki-kun, don't scare me like that!"

Hearing human whispering was one of the hallmarks of horror movies and Kaori

timidly examined her countless reflections, goosebumps rising up her arms. She was

scared that Shizuku's earlier prediction that they'd suddenly get more party members

without noticing it had come true.

"Anyone else hear anything? Shea?"

Hajime looked to the other party members in turn.

"Nope, I didn't hear anything. I don't sense anyone other than the people here, either."

Shea closed her eyes and focused on her hearing, her bunny ears twitching. The other

party members shook their heads; they hadn't heard anything either.

"I could have sworn I heard something…"

"Maybe you're just hearing things cause you're a little tense?"

"Ryutarou… Yeah, maybe."

Yeah, maybe I'm just hearing things. No one else heard anything after all. Though Kouki

still wasn't completely convinced, he decided to chalk it up to his imagination.

"Shea, mind checking for me?"

"Roger!"

Though the others seemed to think it had just been Kouki's imagination, Hajime asked

the most skilled scout in the party to search the area for them. Honestly, Shea thought

it had probably just been Kouki's imagination too, but Hajime's serious expression

convinced her to check anyway. Her bunny ears twitched, and she focused all her

attention on her hearing. Finding nothing, the party resumed navigating the maze

with perfect precision. But after a few minutes, Kouki stopped again. This time he

shouted, "There it is again! I knew it, it's not just my imagination! I definitely heard it!"

"K-Kouki?"

Shizuku shot Kouki a confused glance as he searched wildly for the source of the

sound. Seeing their confused looks caused him to panic a little. Desperate, he began to

shout.

"That was clear as day! It said 'Are you really okay with this?'"

"B-But Kouki, I didn't hear anything."

"Y-Yeah. I didn't hear anything either…"

"Likewise… Not even the faintest hint of something."

Worry gnawed at him as he realized he was the only one hearing this voice. It felt as

though he was the only one trapped in the darkness, suffocating. That worry and

despair turned into frustration, and he unfairly grew annoyed at his comrades. Venting

his anger, Kouki looked up at the sky and screamed.

"I'm not lying! I mean it! Dammit, who are you!? Where are you!? Stop sneaking around

and show yourself!"

"Kouki, calm down!"

While Shizuku was trying to pacify Kouki, Hajime turned to Shea.

"Shea?"

"I didn't hear a thing…"

Hajime had expected as much since Shea hadn't caught anything last time either. It

stood to reason regular hearing wouldn't have picked up on the voice this time either.

"Hajime… did you sense any mana?"

"Nope. It was like that with the zombies and ogres too. Looks like this labyrinth's walls

are capable of concealing the flow of mana. We can't trust my Demon Eye to pick up

on everything."

"Hrmm. It is possible Kouki has buckled under the strain of traversing this labyrinth,

but… this is far too sudden. It seems more likely to me that he is receiving some sort

of signal directly."

"But Shea's ears couldn't pick up on it, and Hajime's eye couldn't sense it, so how are

we supposed to defend against that?"

While Kaori and Tio were discussing what the nature of Kouki's voice could be, Kouki

himself was still trying to desperately prove he wasn't crazy. Hajime turned to him and

said, "Amanogawa, calm down."

"Nagumo. I'm not lying, I swear. I definitely…"

"I know. I don't think it's just in your head either."

"Huh?"

Kouki knew from experience just how brusquely Hajime treated him. So he was

surprised when Hajime believed him despite having no evidence to back up his claim.

A mixture of shock and relief spread through him, and Kouki finally calmed down.

Hajime turned to everyone else and spoke.

"It's best to assume something's sending Kouki signals directly. If that whispering

voice is part of this maze's trial, then it's likely we'll all start hearing voices very soon.

I dunno what the labyrinth is going for here, but… I can't think of any way to defend

against the voices right now. So just be prepared, guys."

Hajime believed it was safer to assume this was another one of the labyrinth's

unexplained phenomena than to write the voice off as Kouki's delusions. It was less

that he believed Kouki and more that he was experienced enough to know that

labyrinths always threw the unexpected at challengers. Ryutarou and the others

shook off their confusion and nodded. Suddenly wary of their countless reflections,

the party once again resumed their trek. After another few minutes of walking— They

didn't believe you.

"Ngh, not again…"

Another whisper reached Kouki's ears. Those words struck Kouki to the core. The

voice itself was grating too. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Little wonder that it

got on Kouki's nerves so. But this time Kouki didn't start shouting back at it. While he

wasn't able to keep it from getting to him, he was still able to maintain a semblance of

composure. Unknown phenomena rattled people's psyche more than anything, but

now that the party knew it was some sort of interference coming from the labyrinth

itself, there was less reason to be afraid. Kouki stamped down on his misgivings, and

focused on the voice, trying to glean any information from it that he could. As he played

the voice back in his mind, he realized something.

"I recognize it?"

Indeed, the voice Kouki had heard sounded vaguely familiar. Who's voice is it, though?

And where have I heard it before? As he cocked his head quizzically, Shizuku and the

others looked at him worriedly.

"Kouki, are you okay?"

"Shizuku… Yeah, I'm fine. I just heard the voice again, but…"

"But?"

"I could be wrong, but the voice sounds familiar."

Shizuku put a hand on her chin and said thoughtfully, "Back in the Haltina Woods there

was a monster who could imitate our forms. This feels similar to that, where the

labyrinth is interfering with us directly. It's possible the voice is imitating one of ours.

Kouki, don't be fooled by it. Let us know if it says anything."

"I will. You be careful too, Shizuku. If Nagumo's right, you guys'll start hearing the voice

soon too."

"I know. I'll be careful."

Shizuku smiled at Kouki, and he managed to calm down a little. His taut expression

loosened into a smile. It was moments like these that reminded him he was truly

blessed to have a childhood friend willing to support him all the time like this. But a

second later— You've realized it already, haven't you?

"Ah."

The voice coiled around Kouki's heart, constricting it like a vice. It felt as though it

were laying all of Kouki's vulnerabilities bare, the parts of him that he'd tried to hide

from everyone. His vision blurred, and he reflexively turned to Shizuku for help. But

the help he expected never came. Next to him, his childhood friend looked just as stiff

as he did. Something had clearly happened to her as well.

"Shizuku, don't tell me…"

"Yes… I heard it too. It was a girl's voice. And it sounded familiar too. It said 'Turning

your eyes from the truth again, are you?'"

Finally, someone other than Kouki had started hearing voices. This proved the theory

that they were coming from the labyrinth. Hajime stopped and turned to Kouki and

Shizuku.

"Amanogawa, what about you? What did you hear?"

"Mine said, 'You've realized it already, haven't you?'"

"Huh, so they say different things to different people… Any idea what they mean?"

Both of them opened their mouths to say no, but the words caught in their throat. It

felt as though someone had just pulled them by the shoulder and asked, "Really now?"

Anxious, Shizuku and Kouki swallowed their words. They exchanged glances and

realized they'd both had the same sensation.

"Shizuku-chan? Are you okay? Did—"

Kaori started walking over to Shizuku, but then Suzu suddenly let out a yelp.

"S-Suzu-chan, you too?"

"Y-Yeah."

Kaori started and turned to Suzu, who confirmed her suspicions. While Suzu was still

recovering from the shock, Ryutarou suddenly yelled out, "Whoa!?" Hajime turned to

him and Suzu and asked, "Looks like the labyrinth's finally showing its cards…

Sakagami, what did the voice tell you?"

Hajime was hoping to glean some idea of what this trial was based off what the voice

was saying to everyone. He turned to Tio, who always had reliable insight in these

situations. Guessing what he wanted, Tio nodded and turned her attention to Suzu and

Ryutarou. Grimacing, Suzu answered before Ryutarou.

"Umm… my voice said something like Kouki-kun's. 'Surely you've realized it by now?'"

"Yeah, mine said the same thing as Shizuku. 'How long do you plan on deceiving

yourself?'"

Surprisingly, even ever-cheerful Ryutarou looked put off by the voice. Like Kouki and

Shizuku, they seemed not to understand the meaning behind the voice's words.

Though the words themselves were unfathomable, they somehow left all four of them

feeling deeply unsettled, as though a dark fog had descended on their hearts.

"That's pretty abstract. I feel like if it wanted to lead us astray it'd do something more

direct…"

Like ask us to do something specific, or go somewhere, or something. But if it's not that,

then what?

"Suzu, Ryutarou. Did the voices sound familiar to you as well?"

"Hmm, now that you mention it… they did."

"Ah, yeah. I felt like I recognized mine too."

Tio lapsed into thought. Silence fell as the party came to a halt. An oppressive

atmosphere settled around them. In order to dispel the somber mood that had taken

root Yue clapped her hands together loudly and said, "Mmm… Either way, we need to

keep going."

"True that."

There was little meaning in standing around. Nothing would happen unless they

moved forward. Kouki nodded in agreement, and Hajime flashed Yue a smile before

resuming the journey.

Where do you plan on returning to?

"Oho…"

The moment he started walking, Hajime heard a voice whisper that to him. He raised

his eyebrows slightly, but didn't stop. Moments later, voices reached Yue and the

others as well. While everyone told each other what they'd heard, no one stopped this

time. The party traversed through the maze for another three hours. According to the

compass, they were growing close to their goal. From what Hajime could tell, another

few hours of walking would see them out of this maze.

But the closer they got to the exit, the more incessant the whispering became. That

wasn't all. Its effect on the minds of the party was growing stronger too. Slowly but

surely, the incomprehensible words started dredging up old fears and past traumas,

giving glimpses as to what those words were referring to. Like ink spilled on white

paper, the whispering's influence spread, dyeing the hearts and minds of the party

pitch black. Before long, everyone kept repeating the words in their head even when

they weren't being whispered to them. It felt as though rocks had settled in everyone's

stomachs.

It'll happen again. Yue's heart felt like a lump of ice. In the back of her mind, she

thought back to her uncle and her retainers, all people she'd trusted completely. She

thought she'd put all that behind her now, but the labyrinth's whispers kept bringing

the memories back. Yue had no difficulty in guessing what the voice was referring to

when it said it would happen again.

It was your fault. A lump of regret settled in the pit of Shea's stomach. Over and over,

she saw visions of her desperate flight from Verbergen, where she'd been forced to

watch so many of her family members die. The screams of her loved ones tormented

her thoughts ceaselessly.

No one will accept you. Feelings blacker than her scales swirled around inside Tio. She

saw nightmares of the time when she was a child and her clan was persecuted by the

other races. She'd been too young to even be able to control her powers and could do

nothing but watch helplessly as her brethren were swept away by rising tides of fire.

Even now she could vividly remember the fear and contempt in their eyes as they

kicked aside the corpses of her family. Those eyes would never leave her.

You're so jealous you wish you could kill her. Barbs of pain lodged themselves into

Kaori's heart. Even though she'd gone so far as to abandon her body to gain power, it

felt as though Yue was still miles ahead of her. Before she knew it, Kaori found herself

shooting Yue envious looks without even realizing it. It felt as though she'd been

pierced through with thorns. Blades of regret cut deeply into her, and for a moment

she felt as though she were actually bleeding. That illusory blood whirled around her,

swallowing her whole.

"Ah, now I get it. That's my voice."

Hajime's words brought everyone back to reality, and they stopped drowning in the

whispers surrounding them.

"Hajime?"

Yue shot Hajime a questioning look. He looked completely unfazed by the whispers.

"You guys all said you recognized your voices right? I thought so too. After listening to

it for a while I realized that's cause it's my voice. When I was helping dad out with his

game design projects I often played back my own voice to test sound levels and stuff.

Your voice sounds pretty different to you when you're not hearing it inside your head,

which is why it took me so long to realize. But this is definitely the same voice I heard

played back to me back then."

At Hajime's words, everyone else nodded in realization. Because of how different one's

voice sounded when heard from an outside source, they hadn't noticed until just now.

Kaori furrowed her brows and muttered with a frown, "But then wouldn't that mean

that the things the voice is saying are…"

"Have you not all realized from the contents of the whispers? Those are our own

feelings. Whether we're aware of them or not, these are all things we've thought or felt

at some point. They're the memories and feelings we've most repressed because we

do not wish to confront them."

"Yep. That's why it feels so disgusting like the voice is trampling all over our hearts."

"Mmm… This is why I hate labyrinths."

Tio's conjecture was right on the mark. No one saw any reason to refute it. Even if they

didn't agree verbally like Shea and Yue, everyone's bitter expressions made it clear

that they understood all too well.

"What remains to be seen is whether these truly are our thoughts and feelings, or if

the labyrinth has somehow hypnotized or brainwashed us to believe they are."

It was possible that these weren't really the party's thoughts, but just close enough

that they could get under everyone's skin and cause them to plausibly believe that

they might be. At Tio's words, Kouki and the others shivered, a kaleidoscope of

emotions whirling through them. Kouki was especially affected.

He grimaced, as though he'd swallowed a lump of lead, then his expression clouded

over as he lapsed into thought. He looked up, as though searching for a ray of salvation

from above. Surprisingly, the next person to react was Shizuku. She spoke to Hajime

with forced cheerfulness, as if desperate to avoid talking about her own feelings.

"But it doesn't seem like the whispers are getting to you guys at all. Are you doing

something to drown them out?"

Hajime, Yue, Shea, Tio, and Kaori all exchanged glances.

"Shizuku-chan, those voices are really getting under my skin too."

"Huh?"

Kaori's response stunned Shizuku. After all, her smile didn't look troubled at all. Kaori

then added, "This whole time, I've been feeling reaaaaaaaaally jealous. I won't say who,

but there's a certain vampire I wish I could beat to a pulp right now. I won't say who,

though."

"Fine, Kaori… Bring it. I'll beat you down."

Though she was grinning, Kaori's demonic stand was posing menacingly behind her.

Yue turned to her and took a karate stance.

"D-Don't you think you're being a little too blunt, Kaori?"

Shizuku and the others were taken aback at how readily Kaori laid bare her dark

emotions. But despite the fact that jealousy was a negative emotion, Kaori herself

didn't appear the least bit spiteful or gloomy. The reason for that was simple.

"If I don't face her head-on, then what's the point?"

Blades forged by regret and honed by jealousy were stabbing into Kaori's heart. She'd

failed to protect Hajime when she swore she would, and since reuniting with him she'd

constantly felt inferior to Yue.

But so what? Kaori had been aware of those feelings long before the labyrinth had

started whispering them into her ear. The reason she was standing here now was

because she'd already come to terms with them. Having her regrets and failures

thrown in her face still hurt, of course, but she wouldn't break over something like

this.

Kouki and the others were dumbfounded. Even Shizuku's jaw was hanging open. To

them, Kaori appeared dazzlingly radiant and pure.

"Those whispers make me feel disgusted too. But now's not the time to be worrying

about them," Shea said candidly. She, too, had a very simple reason as to why she could

stay so calm. No matter how much she might regret the past, she couldn't fix it. She

couldn't go back and undo what had happened. So rather than dwelling on what

couldn't be changed, she decided to focus on the future, which could. She may have

lost many people dear to her, but there were others she still had left. And she didn't

want to lose any more. This wasn't the time to be lamenting her past actions.

"I have not lived so sheltered a life that mere whispers will sway my heart."

Tio shrugged her shoulders casually. In her mind's eye, she saw the flames that had

destroyed her home. But no matter how vivid the memories, those flames couldn't

burn her. After all these centuries, she'd finally found the miracle she'd been looking

for.

Kouki and the others couldn't believe how calm the three girls were. Hajime, however,

just smiled gently. He was proud of how far all of them had come. Shizuku then turned

to Hajime, a silent question in her gaze. It seemed to Hajime as though she desperately

needed an answer for her own peace of mind.

"As for me… Well, the whispering doesn't bother me much."

"It doesn't? But… Nagumo-kun…"

It was obvious to Hajime what Shizuku was trying to say. The group had been sharing

what they'd been hearing, so she knew what was being whispered into Hajime's ear.

"There's no place that will accept a monster like you."

"Do you really think a murderer will be able to live a normal life again?"

Those were the things he was hearing. For Hajime, who desired to return home more

than anyone, those subconscious fears should have been paralyzing. The thought that

he might never be able to return to his old life should have left him plagued with

doubts. There's no way it doesn't bother him. He has to be worried.

Sensing Shizuku's thoughts, Hajime smiled sadly and said, "I mean yeah, it's painful to

hear. I'm not really human anymore. And my morals and stuff are pretty far removed

from the average Japanese person. So, yeah… Maybe somewhere deep inside I'm

worried I won't be able to fit in anymore when I get back to Japan."

Hajime's tone was completely casual. There was no sentimentality in his voice, and he

clearly wasn't looking for sympathy. He simply analyzed his own feelings in a

completely clinical way. It really did seem as though he wasn't bothered at all.

Hearing how easily Hajime, Kaori, and the other girls were able to overcome the

darkness in their hearts only caused the darkness within Kouki's to grow stronger.

Finally, unable to hold it in any longer, he blurted out, "Then how!? How can you stay

so calm!? You want to go home so bad you're willing to abandon the people of this

world! Shouldn't the possibility that you might not be welcome terrify you!?"

Kouki's tone was frantic. He was clearly struggling to control himself. His eyes

darkened, his muscles tensed, his shoulders trembled, and his breath came in short

gasps. The whispers he'd been hearing had shaved away at his mental fortitude a great

deal.

Hajime held out a hand to calm him and replied, "It's not that I'm calm, it's just that I

know there's no point in worrying about it. I won't know for sure what'll happen when

I get back until I do. So for now, I'm just not thinking about it."

"What I'm asking is how you can just cast those thoughts aside so easily! Isn't the

labyrinth supposed to be whispering the things that are the hardest for us to ignore!?"

What the heck is eating at him so much? As he yelled, Kouki's eyes seemed to grow

darker and darker, hatred, or perhaps anger, swelling within them. Regardless of

which emotion was tormenting him, Kouki was clearly beginning to lose it. Shizuku,

Ryutarou, Suzu, and Kaori all shot him worried looks. Slowly but surely, their

childhood friend was starting to crack, and they were afraid he was going to break.

Hajime glanced over at Kaori and smiled wryly to himself. Then his expression grew

serious and he turned back to Kouki.

"First, I decide what it is I want. Then, I decide what it is I need to do in order to make

that happen."

"What're you…"

Confused by the sudden change in subject, Kouki gave Hajime a blank look. But Hajime

gaze was as firm as iron.

"After that, all that's left is to do it. There's no point in worrying about whether I can

do it or not. If I have time to worry, I have time to think about what my next move

should be. I've decided. I'm going to back home to Japan with Yue and everyone. I'm

going to show them all the cool things Earth has, and introduce them to my parents.

That's what I'm putting my life on the line for. I don't have time to care about 'what ifs'

that even my own subconscious doesn't have the answers to."

"That's crazy. You can't just…"

"I'm not asking you to agree with me. I know better than anyone I'm just putting the

problem off instead of solving it, and that this isn't a very human line of thought to

begin with," Hajime paused at that, then added, "But that's still no reason to stop here."

If Hajime was the kind of person to let his feelings distract him, he would have died

long ago in the abyss. He knew separating himself from his emotions like this wasn't

normal. But it was only by learning how to do this that Hajime had been able to crawl

out of hell and find things important to him again. And right now, those skills were

helping him move forward without hesitation.

"...…"

Unable to argue back, Kouki averted his gaze. No matter what anyone said to him, no

matter what anyone did to him, Hajime would not be swayed. Kouki couldn't bear to

see that undying resolve of his. Though Kouki knew he would never be able to

understand it, that resolve was nevertheless unbelievably bright. Shizuku, who'd

originally posed the question to Hajime, had nothing more to say either. Like Kouki,

she found Hajime's resolve dazzling, but unlike Kouki, she kept her gaze fixed firmly

on him. Her usual calm and composed demeanor was gone, and she looked almost

lost. She was so absorbed by Hajime that she didn't even notice her best friend gently

watching her from the side.

In the midst of that awkward atmosphere, Shea suddenly blurted out, "Oh yeah!"

Whether she'd been trying to lighten the mood on purpose, or had just naturally ended

up doing so, the party's whimsical bunny girl easily cleared away the fog of dark

thoughts that had settled around them.

"So we know the reason Hajime-san's not affected is because he's an unfeeling

machine, but—"

"Sorry I'm an 'unfeeling machine.'"

Hajime started pinching Shea's cheeks, but she ignored him.

"But how come you look like you're totally fine too, Yue-san? The labyrinth's

whispering to you about the people who betrayed you and trapped you underground

for 300 years, isn't it? Doesn't that piss you off?"

Hajime was pretty irked at being ignored, but he didn't really want to derail this

particular conversation. He figured he'd just get back at Shea in bed once they cleared

this labyrinth. Yue didn't seem particularly bothered with the fact that the subject had

changed to her and answered casually, "Mmm… I'm not as worried about the past as I

am about being betrayed again in the future. By you, or Hajime."

Hajime and Shea exchanged glances. If the whisperings really were manifestations of

the party's inner psyche, it meant somewhere deep down, Yue was actually afraid

she'd be betrayed by them. In the past, she'd been betrayed by the family and friends

she'd trusted most, and trapped for 300 years in the darkness. An event like that was

more than traumatic enough that it wouldn't have been surprising had Yue been

unable to trust people ever again. Fortunately, her meeting with Hajime had taught

her to trust again, but that trust was given out very sparingly.

In truth, outside of Hajime, Shea, and a few other people like Kaori, Yue mistrusted

everyone by default. It took a lot for her to open up to someone. Only people like Shea,

who wore their hearts on their sleeves, Tio, who pushed their way inside people's

hearts without fear of rejection, or Kaori, who were straightforward and unwavering

about their feelings, could hope to earn Yue's trust. But because Yue was so mistrustful

by nature, it made sense that deep down she'd be afraid even those people might

betray her one day.

"I… thought I'd put the past behind me, but I guess it's not that easy."

Considering how massive her betrayal had been, it stood to reason that her memories

of it would be difficult to move past. It wasn't that she doubted Hajime and the others,

but rather that betrayal had been engraved so deeply into her heart that she couldn't

escape such thoughts.

"But now that I think about it, I never really got over it."

"Huh, what do you mean?"

Shea tilted her ears to the side, and Yue casually confessed, her expression perfectly

flat, "Actually… when I first crawled out of the abyss, I wished everyone but Hajime

would die."

"What!?"

Yue's statement was so shocking that for a moment Kouki and the others forgot about

their own troubles. As they were shivering in fear, Hajime dealt the finishing blow.

"Oh yeah, I felt the same way. As long as I had Yue, I didn't really mind killing everyone

else if it meant I could go home."

"H-H-H-Hold on a second, does that mean you were thinking those things when you

first met me too!?"

Hajime and Yue exchanged glances.

"You were so annoying when we first met you."

"Mmm… I'm surprised we didn't kill you."

Both of them gave Shea looks of extreme pity.

"Shea, you were lucky."

"Yeah, you were lucky."

"Why are you two always in sync like this!?"

Shea's ears flopped back and forth wildly. Only now did she realize she'd literally

risked her life to ask Hajime for help. Smiling gently at the three of them, Kaori took a

stab at expressing Yue's feelings.

"So what you're trying to say is that you know for a fact that Shea and Hajime would

never betray you, Yue?"

"I certainly could not imagine Master ever betraying her. Indeed, I would be more

likely to believe you if you told me the world was ending tomorrow than if you said

Master would betray Yue."

Looking at the duo's diabetes-inducing saccharine-sweet flirting, it was hard to

imagine Hajime ever betraying Yue, no matter the circumstances.

"Mmm… Exactly. But even if he did betray me, that would be fine."

Yue nodded to Kaori and Tio. She then turned to Hajime with a playful smile and added

that last hypothetical.

"What do you mean?" Hajime asked, cocking his head. Shea and the others looked

confused as well.

Yue casually replied, "Because regardless of how Hajime feels, I won't ever let him out

of my grasp."

Shivers ran down everyone's spine. In the silence that followed, Yue licked her crimson

lips seductively, staring straight at Hajime. The gesture was so captivating that

everyone couldn't help but stare. And everyone, both boys and girls, felt something

carnal stir within them. With a passionate sigh, Yue chuckled and said, "Fufu, you can

never escape from a vampire."

A declaration like that was more than enough to blow away Hajime's sense of reason.

That being said, they were still in a labyrinth.

"Not on my watch!"

Using her superhuman reflexes, Shea pinned Yue's arms behind her back.

"Well done, Shea!"

"Hajime-kun, come back to your senses! If you do something like that in a mirror

house… everyone'll see everything!"

Tio and Kaori also jumped in to hold Yue and Hajime back.

"That's not the problem here, Kaori," Shizuku muttered, reluctantly jumping into the

fray herself. Don't these people realize we're in the middle of a labyrinth?

"Fufu…"

"Ah, jeez! Yue-san, stop provoking Hajime-san!"

Shea's screams echoed through the winding maze of mirrors.