The End of a Journey Part 2

A pale blue light emanated from the cracks underneath the closed door. It

was coming from a fifteen-centimeter-wide crystal resting atop a cylindrical

pedestal that went up to waist height. Hajime's eyes were closed in deep

concentration and had both of his hands on the pedestal. Crimson sparks went

into the pale blue crystal and were absorbed.

Though Hajime had spent a good deal of the past month helping with the

capital's restoration, disseminating an almost-true history to the masses, and

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restoring the Liberators' honor, that wasn't all he'd been up to. In fact, the bulk

of his time had been spent here in this hut. His primary goal remained

unchanged—getting back home to his parents—and he'd been working on

making that happen. It had just taken a lot of time to prepare the raw materials

for the artifact he was going to make.

The door to the hut creaked open a few centimeters and a timid voice asked,

"Daddy, can I come in?"

Myu knew Hajime was in the middle of something very important, so she

didn't want to disturb him if he needed to concentrate.

Hajime opened his eyes and a smile creased his face.

"Of course you can."

Myu swung the door open wide and rushed over to Hajime. Remia was also

there, standing in the doorway with a gentle smile on her face.

"Huh, where's Yue-onee-chan?" Myu asked.

"She went to the empire. Apparently, there was a commotion or something."

"Oh my, is everything okay?" Remia asked in a concerned voice.

"Shizuku, Kaori, and Endou are all there, so I doubt they're in any real

danger."

"It's not them I'm worried about. The Haulia are over there too, aren't they?

I'm worried for Ulfric-san's sanity."

"..."

Remia's fears were right on the money, and it was indeed at this very

moment that Ulfric had fallen unconscious.

Hajime decided not to think about that question, and instead looked down at

Myu, who was hugging his leg.

"Daddy, are you almost done making the Divinity Stone?"

"Yeah, I've put enough mana into it that it's usable now, I think," Hajime

said as he looked back down at the crystal on the pedestal. He'd spent the past

month or so diligently working on making a man-made Divinity Stone.

In order to travel back to his original world, he needed the Crystal Key as

well as the Compass of Eternal Paths, but he couldn't imbue concept magic that

strong into regular ore, since it would just break after one or two uses. That

might have been enough if he was planning on going home and never coming

back, but he wasn't.

"Once you're done, we'll be able to go back and forth between your world

and mine, right, daddy?"

"Yep, that's right," Hajime said as he took one hand off the pedestal and

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ruffled Myu's hair.

Myu let out a small mew of happiness and Remia watched the two of them

with a gentle smile.

"I mean, it wouldn't be fair if I got to go home, but you and Remia never got

to see your home again."

"Fu fu, thank you for doing so much for our sake, Hajime-san."

Remia rested a hand on Hajime's shoulder, letting him know that she had

absolute faith in him.

"Yay! That means Tio-onee-chan and Shea-onee-chan can see their family

too!"

"That's right. Plus, it means we'll be able to show Cam and Adul-dono Japan

too."

If the best-case scenario was being able to freely go between Earth and

Tortus, then naturally, Hajime would do everything in his power to make that a

reality.

Hajime had desired to return home so badly that he'd been able to create

concept magic that let him, so it stood to reason that the precious comrades he'd

made during his journey also cared enough about their own homeland to create

concept magic that would let them return to it.

His job had been to create the raw material capable of holding all that

concept magic. Something with enough magical affinity that it wouldn't break

no matter how often it was used. And that something had been Divinity Stone.

Ideally, he would have just found some more, but there wasn't any left in the

abyss, and when he'd been out gathering resources in the days leading up to

Ragnarok, he'd confirmed with the compass that there wasn't any in easy reach.

There might have been another chunk of Divinity Stone somewhere in Tortus,

but now that he'd lost the compass, it wasn't practical to go looking for it.

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And so, he'd decided to make some instead.

"If only I had mana, I could have helped too," Myu said in a sad voice.

"It's fine. I mean, yeah, I'm getting my classmates' help with this, but most

people can't really store that much mana in their bodies."

"It normally takes a thousand years for enough mana to concentrate in one

spot to create a Divinity Stone, doesn't it?" Remia asked.

"Yeah. It needs to coincidentally happen somewhere where mana naturally

gathers too."

The chances of that happening were astronomically low. Mana was a planet's

energy given concrete form, and normally, it circulated evenly throughout the

world. That flow seldom backed up in such a way that mana naturally pooled

and concentrated in a single spot.

Hajime doubted it was a coincidence that such a legendary ore had just so

happened to be in the labyrinth made by history's greatest synergist. If he'd been

able to come up with the idea of making Divinity Stone, there was no way Oscar

hadn't gone down the same thought process. And of course, if it was something

Oscar had been capable of, Hajime was confident he could do it as well.

After a good amount of research, Hajime had come up with a way to

artificially create Divinity Stone, and the fruits of his research were now right

before his eyes.

"It's so cool that there's a little bit of a star in this room!" Myu said with a

look of wonder.

"I still can't believe that the stars in the sky are all planets or suns just like

our own. It's fascinating," Remia added, echoing Myu's sentiment. Indeed, the

room itself was enchanted with gravity magic, whose true nature was to control

the power of the planet itself.

The room was gathering the planet's power, or in other words, mana from all

over the land and concentrating it here. That mana was then channeled through

the pedestal and into a special space made with spatial magic to slowly but

surely form into a Divinity Stone. Hajime's classmates, all of whom possessed

more mana than the average resident of Tortus, were also pouring whatever

excess mana they could spare into this room every single day.

The Divinity Stone had been constantly growing in size, and it was finally

large enough to craft both another Compass of Eternal Paths and another Crystal

Key. It hadn't quite become so saturated with mana that it started excreting

Ambrosia, but since that wasn't the reason Hajime was making this, it wasn't a

problem.

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"Once we get to my world, it might be nice for you to go to school for a bit,

Myu. You'll be able to learn a bunch of stuff, even more than what I've been

able to teach you."

"Wow! Really?"

"Yeah. Plus, you'll be studying with kids your age, so you might even be

able to make some friends."

"Friends... You went to school too, right, daddy?"

"Yeah, along with all of my other classmates. Aiko's actually our teacher,

you know?"

"Mrrr..."

"What's wrong?"

"Were you able to make any friends there?"

"..."

The question sank into Hajime's heart like a knife. He looked away

awkwardly, unable to admit to his beloved daughter that despite going to school

for years, he'd made no friends.

"E-Everyone's been talking to Hajime-san a lot more the past few weeks!

He's become good friends with Endou-san in particular!" Remia said, trying to

cover for Hajime.

"That's right. Only over the past few weeks," Hajime replied in a dead voice.

Remia's attempts had apparently only made things worse.

Hajime realized he'd done this to himself, so he gave up on trying to make

himself look good and just decided to tell Myu the truth. For her part, Myu

realized she'd asked something she probably shouldn't have, so she seemed to

be desperately searching for a way to improve Hajime's mood.

"I can't believe you're making Myu-chan cry," Shea said, striding into the

room.

"What's going on?" Tio asked, walking in after her.

Myu broke off from Hajime and ran over to Tio and Shea.

"Umm, you see, I asked daddy if he made any friends at—"

"Let's not tell the others about that, Myu. Okay?" Remia said gently.

"It's fine, Remia. It'll only make things more awkward if I try to hide it. I'm

sorry your dad's such a loner, Myu."

That exchange was enough for Shea and Tio to figure out what was going on.

They nodded to each other and looked down at Myu, smiling.

"Until I met Yue-san, the only friends I ever had was my family," Shea said.

"And that's nothing compared to me. I lived for five hundred years in the

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dragonmen village and had not a single person I could call a friend!"

Myu looked up at them in shock. She had tons of friends, both back at home

in Erisen and now here in Verbergen, since she'd spent the past month here. On

top of that, some of her friends weren't even, like, people. She was a master of

getting along with others, so she found it hard to believe that other people didn't

have that many friends.

"Let's talk about something else!"

Wise beyond her years, Myu had realized that this was simply not a good

topic to bring up around Hajime or his comrades.

Glad to talk about literally anything else, Hajime took Myu up on her

suggestion.

"So, how'd things go with the demons?"

"Fine."

"Indeed. There seem to be no problems for now."

As they gave their report, Shea and Tio sidled up to either side of Hajime and

pressed their boobs up against his arms. The fact that he didn't push them away

was proof that he'd accepted them all as his lovers.

"Incidentally, I think I like you better with black hair, Master. It matches

mine," Tio stated as she reached out and stroked Hajime's decidedly black hair.

Hajime wasn't wearing his customary eye patch either. Instead, he had a

prosthetic right eye that looked far more human than his old Demon Eye. His

prosthetic left arm had also been covered in artificial skin and looked much more

like a human arm. He wasn't half-vampire anymore either.

"It still feels kind of weird to me," Shea said.

"Yeah," Myu echoed. The two of them were so used to him with white hair

that his old appearance felt weird to them.

"What, you think this look doesn't suit me?"

"Nah, it's not that."

"Yeah, you still look cool, daddy!"

"What Myu said. Besides, you originally had black hair, right?"

"Yep... And I want to look as close to my old self as possible when I return

home," Hajime scratched his cheek awkwardly as he said that.

"Well, I can always change my hair color with that metamorphosis magic

artifact, and I can swap out my arm and eye at any time. I doubt I'll need them

again, but...if we ever have to fight something, I'll go back to looking like I used

to."

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haired boy with an eye patch and metal arm was the one who'd fought gods and

monsters in another world. But Japan was a peaceful country, and since he was

planning on spending the rest of his days in peace, he wanted to look like he

used to. It was a way of expressing his desire to change.

"In that case, I hope you get to keep your hair black forever," Shea said,

closing her eyes and rubbing her ears against his face. Myu, Remia, and Tio all

voiced their agreement.

"That would be nice..." Hajime muttered, smiling. Shea and Tio pressed

themselves even more tightly against Hajime, but before they could go any

further, Yue appeared.

"Stop acting horny in front of Myu."

"What?! Yue-san?!" Shea exclaimed.

"Nuwoooh?! Yue, don't teleport in so suddenly like that! You nearly gave

me a heart attack!" Tio roared. Both of them turned back just as Yue bonked

them on the head.

Unlike everyone else who needed portals to teleport, Yue was able to use

Heavenstep. She was wearing a black gothic lolita dress today, and it fluttered

prettily as she alighted to the ground after teleporting in.

In the past, she'd tried to pick clothes that didn't seem too childish, yet also

didn't seem like she was trying too hard to look grown up, but now that she

could change between her regular and adult form at will, she'd embraced all

sorts of fashions to fit whichever form she felt like being in on any given day.

"Oh good, you're back. Is everything okay in the empire?" Hajime asked.

"Mmm, everything's under control. The Haulia almost went on a rampage

and sent the empire into a panic, but I beat them up."

"I see."

That didn't sound okay at all, but Hajime decided not to pry. She walked over

and hugged him, and the two of them shared a brief kiss.

"Everyone's waiting at the plaza. Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yeah, I just finished checking over everything one last time. We're good to

go."

Hajime looked at Yue, Shea, Tio, Myu, and Remia in turn, then picked up the

small Divinity Stone and strode toward the door.

"Let's go."

The group left the hut and headed to the same open plaza where Shea's

feelings for Hajime had finally been requited.

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Aiko and the students had all been chatting amicably in the plaza, but they

fell silent as Hajime approached. They tensed up, feeling nervous.

Kaori and Shizuku, however, were unfazed and they ran up to Hajime.

Surprisingly, so did Liliana.

"Oh, wow! You came too, Lily?"

"Yes. I was hoping to see this firsthand."

Hajime wasn't planning on returning right away after creating the compass

and Crystal Key. For one thing, creating the two artifacts would drain him of

practically all of his mana, and though this wasn't going to be a final farewell or

anything, he had also been planning on going around and saying his goodbyes to

the people of this world. Still, as one of the people who'd be left behind on

Tortus, Liliana wanted to be able to spend as much time with Hajime as possible.

Hajime nodded to her, then he and Yue made their way to the center of the

plaza. The ensuing silence was almost oppressive, and more than one student

gulped. Everyone was acting like if they talked, it would cause Hajime to mess

up.

"Kaori, we should be fine, but if it looks like we're about to run out of mana,

I'll need you to cast restoration magic on us."

"Yep, just leave it to me!"

"Just in case, I don't want anyone else's mana to get mixed up in the actual

spell, so—"

"I know, I know. Only restore your mana and nothing else, right?" Kaori

replied, nodding, and Hajime nodded back to her. He then turned to Tio and

Aiko.

"I'll be counting on you two as well. Though hopefully, your assistance

won't be necessary."

"You want us to extend your Limit Break with spirit magic if it looks like it's

taking too long to make the artifacts, right? We'll be ready," Aiko said.

"Indeed, all the fail-safes are in place, so there's nothing to worry about."

They were really nothing more than fail-safes; Hajime expected that he and

Yue would be able to manage on their own.

Shea grabbed Myu's and Remia's hands and dragged them back a little. Yuka

and the others also surrounded Hajime and Yue from a distance, forming a circle

around the pair. Feeling everyone's expectant gazes on them, Hajime and Yue

turned to each other.

"All right, let's do this, Yue."

"Mmmm..."

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Hajime held out his hands. Resting in his right palm was the Divinity Stone,

while all the other materials he would need for this artifact were in his left. Yue

gently placed her own hands on top of his, covering the materials. Then, the two

of them began the process of birthing creation magic into the world.

"Limit Break—Overload."

"Supreme Ascendance."

Crimson and gold light spread out through the forest around Verbergen as

Hajime and Yue buffed themselves to their strongest state. A gust of wind blew

past everyone, rattling branches and shaking leaves. The two pillars of light grew

brighter, then merged into one. And as they merged there was an explosive burst

of mana, and a crimson-gold spiral shot up toward the sky. It was as vibrant as

the one that had broken through the Sanctuary during Ragnarok. The sheer

power rolling off of the two of them was dense enough to be palpable.

Yuka and the others ducked down, covering their faces, while Shea stood

protectively in front of Myu and Remia. As waves of mana washed over

everyone, they could feel the heavy, indestructible will contained within it. It

was eye-opening to see just how fervent Hajime's desire was.

Everyone other than Shea, Tio, Kaori, and Shizuku—who'd been present the

first time Hajime had made the Crystal Key back in the Frost Caverns—gasped

in surprise and felt chills run down their spine.

"I want to return home."

"Where lies my homeland?"

"I want to return home."

"Back to my family."

"I want to return home."

"Together with everyone."

The intensity of Hajime's wish made Yuka and the others tear up. Not just

because they could feel Hajime's longing, but because they realized they all felt

the same way. They missed their homes, their families, and their friends.

Of course, it wasn't as though everyone had a stable, loving, and supportive

family. There were students who were rebelling against their parents or found

them overbearing. Students who hadn't spoken to their siblings in weeks because

of a silly fight or something more serious. Still, everyone felt the overwhelming

desire to at least see their family again.

The vague homesickness they'd felt until now solidified into a concrete

desire, and the students all began to pray for Hajime's success. It was all they

could do for him.

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A second later, bright light began spilling from the space between Hajime's

and Yue's palms. The Divinity Stone started to glow as it absorbed Hajime's and

Yue's mana, which was swirling around it and sparkling like a galaxy.

Hajime, who'd been concentrating intently until now, slowly opened his

eyes. In a quiet voice that still carried surprisingly well across the plaza, he said,

"Transmute."

The Divinity Stone rose into the air and split into two. The remaining

materials in his left hand split up into two piles and went into the respective

artifact they'd be making.

The two chunks of Divinity Stone glowed with equal intensity, looking like

two miniature suns. It was a breathtaking sight, one the students were sure

they'd never forget.

The surging torrent of mana quieted down, and a lull fell over the open

square. People let out sighs of amazement, forgetting their earlier nervousness. It

was hard to say whether they were more captivated by the two legendary

artifacts being created, or how beautiful Hajime and Yue looked holding hands

and leaning into each other. Either way, eventually, the light began to fade,

crimson and gold mana dispersing into nothingness among the trees.

Yue took her hands off Hajime's and grabbed the two artifacts floating in the

air, the Compass of Eternal Paths and the Crystal Key. After looking them over,

she handed them to Hajime.

"Try them out."

"Sure."

Yuka and the others watched on with bated breath. It seemed their

nervousness was back. Hajime activated the compass, and a few seconds that felt

like an eternity passed. Silently, he then held up the key and checked to see if it

could make a portal.

"H-Hey, Nagumo. How's it look? Does it work?" Kousuke asked, unable to

bear the suspense any longer.

Hajime looked up and cast his gaze over the gathered students. He then

grinned triumphantly and gave them a thumbs-up.

Overjoyed, the students burst out in cheers.

"Hell yeaaaaaah!" Atsushi, Noboru, and Akito shouted, pumping their fists

into the air.

"Th-They did it! We can go home!"

"Come on, Taeko, don't cry."

"You're crying too, Yukacchi!"

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Yuka and Taeko hugged each other, tears in their eyes.

"Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! We can finally go home!"

"Nagumo! No, Nagumo-sama! Thank you so much!"

Shinji and Yoshiki clasped each other's arms and started dancing wildly.

"Waaaaaaaaah, thank goodness. Nagumo-kun, Yue-san, thank yooouuu!"

"I owe you my life!"

Ayako and Mao were also crying openly and hugging each other.

Jugo, Kentarou, and Kousuke silently high-fived each other, too overcome by

emotion to speak.

Aiko breathed a sigh of relief and slumped to the ground, while Liliana

gently rubbed her back.

The other students also hugged each other and shed tears of joy. A few of

them were so enamored with Hajime and Yue that they started saying things like

"I wish I could be Nagumo-sama's pet!" or "I'd love to be Yue-san's dog,"

which was more than a little worrying, but hopefully that phase would pass.

Hajime let out a long breath and sat down, exhausted from the effort of

making the two artifacts. Yue settled down on his lap, looking similarly spent.

Hajime wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

"Thank you, Yue."

"Mmm..."

For a while, Hajime and Yue simply enjoyed each other's presence, but then

a young dagon girl tottered over to them.

"Daddy!"

"Hey, Myu."

Hajime scooped up Myu in one arm and Yue scooted over a little so he could

plop her into his lap as well. She snuggled up against Hajime the same way Yue

had.

"Hajime-san, Yue-san, that was amazing! I don't know how else to describe

it; it was just amazing!" Shea said, her ears flopping up and down as she ran

over.

"I know you've got a bigger vocabulary than that, Shea," Hajime replied with

a wry smile.

Shea settled down on Hajime's right and wrapped him, Yue, and Myu in one

big hug. Hajime took one hand off Myu and patted her bunny ears, while she

rested her head on his shoulder.

"You did it, Hajime-kun, Yue!" Kaori exclaimed as she took the spot on

Hajime's left and hugged them all the same way Shea had. Hajime patted her on

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the head as well, and she also snuggled up against him.

"I look forward to seeing what kind of place your world is, Master," Tio

added, heading toward Hajime.

"You'll be pretty surprised, I think," Shizuku replied, also coming up to hug

Hajime.

The two of them were officially members of his harem, so they didn't need to

show any restraint. Unfortunately, the only open spot left was at his back, and

for a second, Tio and Shizuku glared at each other, trying to silently claim the

spot for themselves. But before their silent battle could conclude, Remia stole

the remaining spot.

"My, my, if you two don't want this spot, I'll be glad to take it. Ufu fu..."

"Mommy!" Myu shouted, reaching out over Hajime's shoulder to pat her

mother's head.

"Remia-san?!" Shizuku exclaimed in shock.

"Well played," Tio said through gritted teeth. The moment Remia had

decided she would worm her way into Hajime's harem, she'd gathered the

courage to face off against even the world's strongest swordswoman and the

world's strongest dragonman.

Just then, an intruder to the harem suddenly appeared.

"Shea, I've been looking all over for you! Haaah... Haaah, won't you spend

some time with me too?"

"Geh, Altena?!"

Indeed, Altena had managed to sneak up on Shea while she was distracted,

and was now panting with excitement as she tried to smother Shea from behind.

In order to fend her off, Shea temporarily moved away from Hajime, and in

that moment there were another two girls who tried to squeeze their way in.

"Aiko-san, what do you think you're doing?"

"That's what I'd like to know, Lily-san. Do you have some business with my

student?"

Aiko and Lily glared at each other. It seemed Aiko had no intention of being

the grown-up here and letting Lily have some time with Hajime.

Yuka and the others watched on as everyone tried to get a piece of the

Hajime pie. Unsurprisingly, Yuka herself didn't look all too happy that there

were so many girls swarming around him. Nana and Taeko kicked her from

behind, hoping to force her into the fray, but she tensed her muscles and stood

her ground.

The other girls started gossiping about Hajime's love life while the guys

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watched on with a mixture of curiosity and jealousy.

"Sheesh..." Yue said with a sigh.

"H-Hey, Yue?"

Hajime felt a chill run down his spine and timidly looked over at Yue. The

vampire princess had been content to stay quiet thus far, but it seemed that had

changed.

The cheers stopped as everyone felt the intimidating pressure Yue was

exuding. A second later, her body started to glow golden. It was a gentle light

that enveloped her entire body, and after a few seconds, she transformed into her

adult mode.

"Can't you at least let us enjoy a few moments of peace?"

Because she'd grown both in height and in bust size, the gothic lolita dress

she was wearing no longer fit her properly, revealing quite a bit of her legs, as

well as an ample amount of cleavage. The ill-fitting clothes still looked quite

captivating though, just in a different way. They'd gone from being cute to sexy,

and everyone was transfixed by the sudden change in her appearance.

Yue waved one finger through the air, eliciting a panicked response from

Kaori and Remia.

"Awawawa, hold on a sec, Yue!"

"Y-Yue-san what are you doing?!"

The two of them were forced away from Hajime and put down next to

Shizuku and Tio.

"Umm, Yue? I think—Mmmpf?!" Hajime tried to calm her down, but she

hugged him tight, forcing his face into her boobs and also shutting him up.

Kaori and the others also protested, while Myu blushed and covered her face

with her hands.

In an almost playful tone Yue said, "As the first wife, I'm banning anyone

who causes a ruckus from seeing Hajime at night."

She looked so utterly beautiful as she spoke that everyone, both guys and

girls alike, found themselves unable to peel their eyes away from her. Even Tio

and Kaori could only blush and look away when Yue stared at them.

"At this point, I don't think there's anyone who can match up to Yue-san,"

Shea said lightly as she pulled Altena off of her. Unlike the others, she seemed

capable of resisting Yue's charms.

Incidentally, it was obvious from Kaori's and the others' reactions what Yue

really meant by banning the others from "night visits."

"As punishment, I'm keeping Hajime all to myself today."

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"Does my opinion count for nothing here?" Hajime asked, though his tone

was joking. After all, no matter what happened, he'd always take Yue's side.

Unsurprisingly, as soon as he pulled himself out of Yue's boobs, she leaned

in for a kiss, which he granted enthusiastically. The girls started gossiping once

again while the boys stared up at the sky to keep their emotions in check. It was

a nice, clear, sunny day at least.

"Okay, I'm not letting this stand! You can't abuse your authority like this!"

Kaori, who'd recovered from the prison of Yue's charm, said as she talked over

to the two of them.

Tio, who'd also recovered, got up and said, "Hmph, a punishment like that is

exactly what I was hoping for, Yue. In fact, I wouldn't mind if you stepped on

me while in that form either."

It seemed Tio's masochism had evolved to the point where she was happy

with Yue abusing her as well as Hajime.

"Hey, I was trying to enjoy the moment; it's Altena's fault that it was ruined!

In other words, I don't deserve any punishment, and you should kiss me right

now, Hajime-san!"

Shea strode forward and puckered her lips in preparation for a kiss.

"..." Shizuku just stared at Hajime with puppy dog eyes, hoping to win his

pity.

"Is everyone going to kiss daddy now? I want to too!" Myu exclaimed

happily.

"I'm sorry, Myu, but it's a bit too early for you to be kissing people. Why

don't I kiss him for you?" Remia said, taking Myu out of Hajime's lap and

smiling wolfishly.

"I'm sure... I'm sure it would be okay for me to kiss him, even if I am a

princess!"

"It's not a problem because you're a princess, it's a problem because you're

too young, Lily-san! In that respect, I'm a much better choice..." Aiko replied.

"You might be old enough to do lewd things with him, but it's wrong for a

teacher to get romantically involved with their student!" Liliana retorted.

Ignoring all of them, Yue turned to Hajime and asked, "So, Hajime? Who

will you pick?"

Naturally, there was only one answer for Hajime.

"You, of course."

"He he...then I guess it's time I kidnapped you."

Yue grinned innocently like a child, and before anyone could react, she and

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Hajime vanished without a sound. Yue had well and truly mastered the use of

Heavenstep now.

Kaori's wail of frustration echoed throughout the forest, and she immediately

got to work on tracking Yue down. Though no one else joined in on the hunt, she

seemed to be enjoying herself at least.

Still looking up at the sky, Atsushi muttered, "Goddamn, I'm so jealous."

"I know how you feel. I wish I could experience what it's like to have a

harem," Noboru muttered.

"But you know, I kind of get why Nagumo got one," Akito added. Kentarou

and Jugo nodded in agreement.

"I totally get you."

"When it comes to Nagumo, nothing's impossible."

"All the historians and bards have started calling Nagumo the Godslayer

Demon Lord, so now everyone in Tortus thinks he's actually the new Demon

Lord and is going to take over his castle," Kousuke explained, and the other boys

just shook their heads.

"Haaah... Haaah, I want Yue-san to treat me like I'm trash. Just one disgusted

look would be enough to make me happy," one of the other students muttered.

"Oh god, he's totally done for."

"Tell me about it. Doesn't he realize how rude he's being? Besides, if I were

going to be stepped on, I'd rather be stepped on by Nagumo-sama."

"Oh no. Ai-chan-sensei, come back, our students are going off the deep end!"

Meanwhile, Nana confessed something rather surprising to the other girls.

"You know...I'm kind of jealous."

Yuka, who'd been glaring sourly at Hajime the whole time, turned back to

Nana in shock.

"Wait, what?! Nana, don't tell me you're also..."

"That's not what she meant. I don't think Nana has a crush on Nagumo-san,

she just wants a relationship like the one he has," Taeko explained, and Nana

nodded in agreement.

Yuka breathed a sigh of relief, and after a moment's thought, she nodded.

"I see what you mean. It really is something special, Nagumo and Yue-san's

relationship, I mean."

"Right? Though if Nagumocchi came on to me, I wouldn't say no."

"Yeah... Wait, what?! What are you saying, Nana?!"

"Yeah, but there's no way we could wedge ourselves into that harem."

"Not you too, Taeko?!"

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Nana and Taeko just shrugged their shoulders, then turned back to where

Hajime and Yue had been with a longing look in their eyes.

Meanwhile, Shea and the others seemed to have found some clues as to

where Yue had gone, so they set off deeper into the forest.

Mao let out a small sigh as she watched them go.

"If anything, I'm amazed Kaori and the others managed to squeeze their way

between Nagumo and Yue-san. Ai-chan-sensei and Lily have really gotten

braver too."

"There are so many people in Nagumo-kun's harem now. It's like he's really

become a Demon Lord," Ayako said with a nod, looking at some of the other

girls.

"What do I have to do to become Nagumo-sama's pet?" one of them said.

"Maybe if I offered to be his live-in maid, I might have a chance."

"Yeah, that's not happening," Ayako said. "You two better get Ai-chansensei to cast spirit magic on you before you're lost for good."

In the same way that some of the boys had fallen for Yue—and Hajime—

some of the girls had too. Their harsh life after coming to Tortus had made

people pine for the kind of loving relationship Hajime and Yue had, but it had

also messed with their ideas of a regular relationship.

Unsurprisingly, these students' friends were fervently praying that they

would return to their senses before it was too late.

Ryutarou rubbed his temples tiredly as he watched his classmates discuss

what the best way to become either Hajime's or Yue's pet would be. He then

turned to Suzu, who was laughing dryly as she watched as well, and asked,

"You're not gonna go looking for Nagumo?"

Suzu hadn't been expecting that question at all, so she looked quite taken

aback.

"Nah, no way. What makes you think I would?"

"I mean, if not, that's fine. It's just...I dunno, you act more mature when

you're around Nagumo, like you're a normal girl, so I just thought...maybe

you'd wanna join Kaori and Shizuku now that there's a chance or something."

"Excuse me, does that mean you think I normally act like an immature brat?

Nagumo-kun listened to my selfishness and gave me the chance to see Eri one

last time, so I'm grateful to him, but that's all."

Suzu glared at Ryutarou, annoyed that he'd misread her.

"You know, Ryutarou-kun, I think we need to have a chat about your mental

image of me."

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"Okay, that was my bad. But I mean, half the time you act like a perverted

old man, so it's not my fault. Hell, maybe you'd go after them just to peep."

"Okay, now you're just asking to get your teeth kicked in. Don't

underestimate my barrier burst, you bastard!"

Ryutarou scratched his cheek awkwardly while Suzu pulled out her fans,

which she'd had Hajime remake for her. Kouki hurriedly stepped in before the

two of them started fighting.

"C-Calm down, Suzu. Ryutarou wasn't trying to insult you, he just—"

"You shut up, Kouki-kun. This muscle head seems to have forgotten the

meaning of tact, so I'm going to have a nice long chat with him about how a

proper gentleman is supposed to act!" Suzu growled menacingly, and Ryutarou

finally decided he wasn't going to take this anymore.

"Now look here! You, of all people, have no right to lecture me about tact.

Who tried to sneak into Nagumo's bedroom last night to peep on him? If there's

anyone who needs to be taught some manners it's you, you wild child!"

"L-Look, I was curious! Can you blame me?! I just want to know what kind

of crazy sex stuff onee-sama and the others get up to! It'd be a waste not to find

out!"

"What do you mean a waste?! If anything, you should be thanking me for

stopping you. If you'd actually gone, you wouldn't have lived to see the

morning!"

"Hmph, if you're gonna be like that, I won't invite you next time!"

"Thank fucking god! The last thing I want is a girl inviting me to peep on

other people having sex!"

Suzu and Ryutarou had been arguing—after a fashion—more and more

recently, so their classmates had gotten used to their antics. Everyone but Kouki

could tell they had a thing for each other, but it was funny to see Kouki try to

defuse the situation every single time due to his ignorance.

Though Kouki didn't smile as freely as he used to, he'd still gone to hang out

with Ryutarou and Suzu like usual when he'd returned to Verbergen. When he

was with his best friends, he could forget his crushing guilt, even if only

temporarily. And thanks to the conversation he'd had with his other classmates

back at the fortress, he was more at ease than ever today.

Honestly, the other students were a bit relieved that he was starting to return

to normal. The students had lost much, and much more in their lives had

changed. The burdens they carried and the scars in their hearts would never

disappear completely. But now they had a way home and they could laugh and

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joke with each other in peace. Their hearts were lighter than they'd ever been

since coming to Tortus.

Moreover, it was precisely because they'd had to risk their lives to win this

peaceful future that they understood not to take it for granted. As a result, their

heartfelt smiles were brighter than ever before, brighter even than the sun.

Meanwhile, Yue had teleported the two of them to the Sacred Tree Uralt at

Hajime's request. He'd wanted a quiet spot away from the city, so this had been

the perfect place.

Yue had returned to her younger form, and she let Hajime take her hand and

lead her to the base of the tree as she wondered what he had planned.

It was a clear day, and since the forest's mist didn't reach this particular area,

the sunlight was quite strong in the clearing. Now that the group had cleared the

labyrinth, the tree had returned to its withered state, which meant there were no

leaves to filter the sun's harsh rays.

"Yue, can you cast restoration magic for me?"

"Hm? Sure."

If Hajime wanted to enter the labyrinth, then all he needed to do was pull out

the emblem that proved he'd cleared it.

Why bother asking me to use restoration magic on the tree? Maybe he just

wants leaves for some shade? Or maybe he wants to enjoy the view together?

A little puzzled, Yue nevertheless cast restoration magic on the tree. In

seconds, it turned lush and verdant.

No matter how many times Hajime saw it, it was still a marvelous sight.

Broken up by the leaves, the rays of sunlight now looked like pillars reaching up

to heaven. Hajime would likely never grow tired of staring at this breathtaking

view.

Nodding in satisfaction, he took Yue's hand and sat down at the base of the

tree's trunk. Yue sat down on his lap, and Hajime hugged her from behind. In

her younger form, she fit there perfectly.

For a while, they basked in each other's warmth and admired the forest. The

only sound present was the rustling of leaves any time a gust of wind passed by.

Finally, Hajime leaned forward and whispered in Yue's ear, "Yue."

"Hm?"

"There's something I wanna show you."

"What is it?"

"Honestly, I should have shown it to you as soon as we got back, but it's

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something pretty important and I wanted to find the right timing. Sorry it took so

long."

"Hm? I don't know what it is, but if you think it was best to wait, then I don't

mind."

Yue tilted her neck to look up at Hajime, and he smiled. He leaned down to

kiss her golden-blonde hair, then pulled an artifact out of his Treasure Trove. It

was a small clear crystal the size of a pinball. The very same artifact he'd found

in that room in the abyss where Yue had once been sealed.

He held one hand out in front of both of them, the artifact resting on his palm.

It started to glow, and a second later, a hologram appeared before them.

As soon as that image resolved into a recognizable figure, Yue gasped. Her

eyes widening, she muttered, "Uncle?"

Hajime said nothing, squeezing Yue tight with his one free arm. Reflexively,

Yue gripped Hajime's free hand with both of her own.

Indeed, the person standing in front of both of them was Yue's uncle,

Dienleed Galdea Vesperitio Avatarl.

"Aletia. It's been a long time, I imagine. You must hate me with every fiber

of your being. No, I suspect hate isn't a strong enough word to express the depth

of your feelings. What I did to you was—no, I'm sorry this isn't what I wanted

to say. I gave it a lot of thought, but now that I'm finally recording my will, I'm

not sure how best to express my feelings."

Smiling sadly to himself, Dienleed took a deep breath and closed his eyes to

clear his thoughts. When he opened them again, he seemed much calmer.

"Yes, I suppose first off, I should express my thanks. Aletia, I imagine the

person by your side now is someone you can trust wholeheartedly. At the very

least, they must have acquired metamorphosis magic, be strong enough to

challenge the depths of the true Great Orcus Labyrinth, and have the integrity to

protect you from my guardian instead of fleeing alone."

Yue's hands were trembling, and Hajime could feel her confusion acutely.

But he said nothing, and instead closed his eyes as if paying his respects to

Dienleed.

"I ask you, the person who is by Aletia's side. Who are you? A man? A

woman? What do you mean to Aletia? Are you her best friend? Her lover? Her

new family? Or are you simply comrades on an adventure?"

There was a smile on Dienleed's face, and it was hard to believe he was a

foolish, ambitious man who'd betrayed his queen for power. No, he looked like

an uncle who wished the very best for his niece.

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"I'm sorry I cannot express my gratitude in person, but nevertheless, I thank

you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you so much for saving my beloved

niece, and being a source of support for her."

Hajime couldn't tell what kind of expression Yue was making right now, but

he didn't bother to open his eyes and check. This was a moment for the two of

them, so he didn't want to butt in.

"Aletia. You must have so many questions. Or perhaps you've already

discovered the truth. Do you know why I betrayed you and consigned you to a

prison of unending darkness? Do you understand who you are, and who your

true foe is?"

Dienleed went on to explain just in case, and his explanation more or less

lined up with what Yue had already figured out. Namely, that Yue had been born

with exceptional power, and so Ehitruje had decided to make her body the vessel

for his soul. Dienleed had realized that and come up with a desperate plan to

save his niece. He'd made it look like he'd become drunk with power and staged

a coup against his niece and killed her, while actually sealing her away deep in

the Great Orcus Labyrinth. Such a powerful seal had been the only way to

ensure Ehit didn't discover she was still alive, after all.

"When I discovered the truth, I spent a long time wavering over whether or

not I should tell you. In the end, I decided the only way I would be able to

execute a convincing deception was if you were ignorant. I also believed you'd

cling to life much more strongly if you had hate to fuel you."

Even if Dienleed had told Yue the truth, he wouldn't have been able to stay

in that sealed room for long, or Ehit might have started to suspect something.

After making it seem like he'd killed her in the palace, he would have had to

return to assume control of the vampire nation before people began to wonder

where he'd gone.

It was obvious from how tightly Dienleed was clenching his fists that the

decision had hurt him deeply.

"I won't ask for your forgiveness. I just...I just want you to believe me.

Maybe this truth is worthless to you now, but I still want you to know it."

Dienleed smiled, tears welling up in his eyes. It was an expression filled with

equal parts sadness and love.

"I love you, Aletia. From the bottom of my heart. Never once did I wish for

your death. You're like a daughter to me."

"Uncle... Uncle Dien. I-I love you too!"

Yue was overcome with emotion. Now that she knew for sure that the

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suspicion she'd had upon defeating herself in the Frost Cavern was true, she

couldn't hold back her tears.

You were like a father to me too... Yue thought, sobbing freely.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry I had to entrust your future and

your safety to someone who may or may not even come. I'm a failure."

"That's not true!"

The hologram standing in front of them was nothing more than a vision from

the past. Dienleed's last will and testament. There was no way Yue's words

could reach him, but that didn't stop her.

Though the tears continued to pool in Dienleed's eyes, he refused to let them

spill. He tightened his gaze and continued speaking to his beloved daughter.

"I wanted to be by your side, to watch over you as you found happiness. It

was my dream to give the man who might become your husband one good

punch, then go out drinking with him and tell him he better make you happy or

else. Though I'm sure any man you picked would do no less."

Dienleed looked off into the distance, imagining a future he knew he'd never

get to see.

"I'm almost out of time. There's more I want to say, but...this is the best I can

do with my shoddy creation magic skills," Dienleed said with a self-deprecating

smile.

"No, don't go. Unc—no, father!"

Yue reached out toward Dienleed, tears streaming down her face. Her love

for the man who'd been her uncle by blood, but her father in truth, was clear.

Hajime hugged her even tighter.

"I can't be by your side anymore. I no longer have that right. But for as long

as I live, and even after I die, I shall keep praying for your happiness, Aletia, my

beloved daughter. May your life be filled with warmth and kindness, and may

the path you walk be blessed."

"Father..."

Dienleed looked a little to the side, presumably trying to look at whoever

might be standing next to Yue.

"To you, who stands beside my beloved daughter. Please make her the

happiest girl in the world. That's all I ask."

"I will. You have my word," Hajime replied quietly. There was no way his

words could have reached Dienleed, but Dienleed looked satisfied nevertheless.

He must have known how the person next to Yue would have answered,

regardless of who they were. Dienleed had been one hell of a man, in multiple

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ways. It was no surprise Yue had turned out the way she had, considering who

her role model had been.

The hologram started to fade, and it almost felt like Dienleed's soul was

slowly ascending to heaven. Yue and Hajime huddled close together and listened

to Dienleed's final words before he vanished completely.

"Goodbye, Aletia. May you find eternal happiness."

Yue's sobs echoed through the forest as he vanished. She was sad, of course,

but it wasn't just sadness she was feeling in this moment. She turned around and

buried her face in Hajime's chest. Hajime squeezed the hologram artifact in his

fist and gently embraced Yue with both arms.

After what seemed like forever, Yue finally looked up at Hajime. He gently

wiped the tears off her face and cupped her cheeks.

"Yue."

"Mmm..."

Yue could see the determination and the warmth in Hajime's eyes.

"I'm the happiest man in the world because you're here in my arms."

"Mmmm... And I'm the happiest girl in the world because I'm here in your

arms."

The two of them brought their faces closer to each other. They smiled, but

before Yue could move in for a kiss, Hajime suddenly pulled a ring out of his

pocket. It was a simple ring made of silver that had no special powers, save one.

It was nigh indestructible.

Yue looked down at the sparkling silver ring, her eyes also sparkling.

"Are you proposing to me?" she asked in the same joking tone she had when

Hajime had first gifted her the mana-storing accessory set in the Great Orcus

Labyrinth. Back then, Hajime had played it off, but this time—

"Yes."

"Ah..."

His gaze made it clear that he was dead serious. Yue blushed bright red, and

for a moment, she found herself at a loss for words.

"In Japan, it's customary to ask the bride's father first before asking for her

hand in marriage, which is why I wanted to wait until after you heard your

father's final words before proposing."

"Mmm..."

Hajime couldn't actually give his proposal to Dienleed though, so he gave it

to Yue instead.

"Yue, I want you. Will you give everything, even your future, to me?"

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"Ah..."

Yue pressed her forehead against Hajime's chest. She was too overcome by

emotion to speak. Her fingers trembled in happiness. There was, of course, only

one answer she could give.

Once she'd calmed down a little, she looked up at Hajime and beamed,

looking like a blooming rose. Then, in a firm voice that resonated through the

forest, she said, "Yes!"

She held out her left hand, and Hajime slipped the finger onto her ring finger.

He then brought out a second ring, which Yue took and put on Hajime's ring

finger.

The two of them showed their rings off to each other and beamed. This was

quite possibly the happiest moment of both of their lives.

The leaves rustled again, a brief gust of wind blowing past. A few of the

leaves floated down, ripped from their branches by the breeze. It was almost as if

the sacred tree itself was blessing their engagement.

Suddenly, the two of them heard lively voices in the distance. From the

sounds of it, their comrades had finally found them.

Yue's smile suddenly turned devilish, and she poked Hajime's cheek.

"So, how many more rings did you make, Hajime?"

"Is this really the time to be bringing that up, Yue?"

"Mmm, you should pick Shea next."

"Can't we just enjoy this moment?" Hajime asked, saying basically the same

thing Yue had a while ago at the plaza.

Yue grinned and replied in a confident voice, "Knowing you, I'm sure you'll

be able to make everyone happy."

"You know, in the eyes of society, what I'm doing would just make me a nogood womanizer, right?"

"Who cares what society thinks? As long as we're happy, it's all good, isn't

that right? If society has a problem with that, we can just destroy it."

"That's a pretty terrifying proclamation. Well, I decided to make all of you

happy when I made these rings, so it's not like I have any second thoughts.

You're all mine."

"Mmm... That's the Hajime I know and love. But—"

Yue's crimson eyes sparkled, and she locked her gaze with Hajime's.

"I'm the only one who's special, and I won't let anyone else take that away."

As she said that, she pressed her lips against Hajime's just as Shea and the

others burst into the clearing. As always, they let out cries of dismay as they saw

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Hajime and Yue kissing, and the silent forest clearing soon became as noisy as

the city center.

Yue's lips lingered on Hajime's for a few seconds longer, but then she pulled

away and the two of them smiled at each other. They then stood shoulder to

shoulder and spread their arms wide to welcome all of their comrades. This

journey had started with just the two of them, but now they both had so many

more people they loved and cared about. And they too were an essential part of

the happy future Dienleed had wanted for Yue.