Chapter 2 (Part 2)

Since we needed restoration magic to get in here, the labyrinth designer obviously factored in that we'd be able to use it. So they wouldn't have made

a trial that could be easily beat with it. Hajime explained his reasoning to

everyone, who nodded in agreement.

"In other words, if we keep going forward, we'll find a way to bring you

back eventually."

"Gugyaaa..."

"Exactly, there's nothing to worry about. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Try

using this, Yue."

"Gigi?"

Hajime handed her a jeweled earring. Being transformed into a goblin had robbed her of the ability to use magic, but it appeared she could still

manipulate her mana just fine. Meaning she could use artifacts. Yue poured

mana into the earring he'd given her, which was a telepathy stone, and finally

voiced her thoughts.

"Hajime? Can you hear me, Hajime?" Her voice seemed to come from

everywhere and nowhere at the same time, much like Tio's when she was in

her dragon form. They hadn't been apart for very long, but it still felt like it

had been ages since Hajime had heard Yue's voice, so the sound made his

expression soften, and he smiled. Kouki and the others had still been a little

suspicious, but now that they were hearing Yue's voice, they had no choice

but to admit that the goblin in front of them really was Yue.

"Loud and clear, Yue. It sucks that you got transformed... but I'm glad

you're safe."

"Mmm... I knew you'd be able to tell."

"Of course. How long do you think I've spent looking at you?"

"Mmm... But I'm still happy. I love you, Hajime."

Hajime's smile grew wider. He'd been tense ever since learning about

Yue's disappearance, but now he finally relaxed.

A human and a goblin stared into each other's eyes with more passion

than any human-goblin pair likely had before. It appeared even when Yue

was a goblin, Hajime was more than ready to flirt with her.

Meanwhile, the rest of the party's eyes glazed over. Eventually, Kaori

grew impatient and coughed loudly to get Hajime's attention.

"Ahem! Can we get going now? Also, Yue, I'm glad you're safe."

"Mmm... I'm sorry Hajime loves me more than you even when I look

like this, Kaori."

"Are you trying to pick a fight!? Because it sounds like it!"

No matter what she looked like, Yue was still Yue. If her voice hadn't

been enough to convince Kaori, that abrasive personality of hers definitely

was.

"I promise I'll get you back to normal, Yue-san! No matter what! So

until then, just leave everything to me!"

"Mmm... Thanks, Shea. I can't fight right now, so I'll be counting on

you."

Yue's goblin features twisted into a smile. It should have looked

grotesque, but knowing Yue was inside made it seem charming.

Kouki walked over and spoke in an apologetic tone.

"Yue-san, I'm sorry I attacked you. I didn't know it was you... and I

almost killed you."

"Mmm... It's fine. Besides, I believed you wouldn't hurt me."

"Wait, does that mean..."

"Because I knew Hajime would stop you."

"I see..." Kouki's hopes were dashed instantly. He let out a hollow laugh

and trudged away. Shizuku gave him an exasperated look, wondering why

he'd even thought for a second Yue might have been into him.

"Now we just need to find Tio and Sakagami... If they're in the same

state as Yue, then maybe we should hurry."

If they'd been turned into monsters too, it was doubtful other monsters

would attack them. However, they were still powerless in the middle of a

labyrinth, which was never good.

At Hajime's words, the others steeled themselves once more. They left

the scorched section of forest behind and resumed their search.

Ten minutes later, they spotted something.

"Hajime-san... Even I can tell that must be Tio-san."

"Yeah, it's gotta be her."

"Mmm... No one else acts like that."

"Looks like we're all in agreement."

Hajime stared coldly at the spectacle in front of him. Like he was looking

at filth. Shizuku and Suzu, on the other hand, were disgusted, while Kouki

found the sight too repulsive to even look at.

"Gugyaaah! Gigyaaah!"

"Higiii!?"

"Gobuuu! Gobbb!"

"Buhiii!?"

Hajime and the others found themselves in front of a group of goblins.

The swarm had ganged up on one of their own and were beating it

mercilessly. However, they seemed more intent on tormenting the lone goblin

than actually killing it. In fact, the goblin being ganged up on had no major

injuries to speak of. Had that been all, Hajime would have just assumed it

was a case of infighting, or bullying or something.

"She's... really enjoying it, isn't she?"

"A goblin making that kind of face is just wrong... That'd have to be

censored if it was in an anime."

"Nagumo... I admit my defeat. You're a far more accepting man than me."

"Please don't put it like that, Amanogawa. You're making it sound like I

actually approve of her perverseness. The truth is, I've just given up on

curing her..."

As Shizuku had so aptly pointed out, the goblin being tormented had an

expression of ecstasy on its face. The only person who'd look that happy

being beaten up was the party's resident perverted dragon.

"Tio, you really... Sorry guys, it's too late to save her. It's a shame, but

we'll have to let her go." Hajime shook his head sadly and turned on his heel.

Yue and the others followed suit without hesitation. Even Kouki, who'd

normally yell out "You're going to abandon your own comrade!?" or

something to that effect, remained silent. He still couldn't bring himself to

look at Tio.

"Gug? Gyagyaaa!" The perverted goblin finally noticed her comrades

were here. She crawled out of the throng of goblins and rushed toward

Hajime and the others on all fours, an expression of pure rapture still on her

face. She looked more like a cockroach than a goblin, and even her fellow

goblins backed away in disgust.

"Guygayagyagya!" Goblin Tio closed in on the party and leaped joyously

at Hajime. She'd gone from looking like a cockroach to resembling Lupin

when he did his Lupin Dive. Though her goblin speech was unintelligible,

Hajime guessed she was saying something like "Master, I missed you

dearly!" So, naturally, Hajime's response was blunt and to the point.

"Get away from me, you pervert." He gave her a merciless uppercut with

his prosthetic arm. There was an ominous crack, and Tio spun through the air

four times before crashing into a thicket behind her. Unsurprisingly, she'd

been smiling even as Hajime had hit her.

"Is she dead?" Goblin Yue peeked into the thicket and found goblin Tio

lying motionless on the ground. Yue picked up a branch and poked Tio a few

times. She twitched a little. Then, after a few seconds, she jolted upright and

nonchalantly got to her feet. It appeared not even a labyrinth's spells could

cure Tio's perversion.

"Gyagyagya! Gogogo Gugu! Gugya!"

Though Hajime couldn't understand Tio's goblin-speak the way he could

Yue's, it was easy to figure out what Tio was trying to say. After all, the way

she shouting and the fact that she was blushing and cupping her cheeks said

more than words ever could. Plus, she kept sneaking glances at Hajime.

Now this is just blasphemous. Hajime reached for Donner. With some

reluctance, Shea stopped him. Before Hajime could do anything more, Kaori

hurriedly handed Tio a telepathy stone.

"Oh, a telepathy stone. Can you hear me now, Master? Thank you so

much for greeting me with that exquisite uppercut."

"Tch, so you're just as sturdy in this body, huh? If only you'd died..."

"Mmm!? How merciless! Please, insult me more. Haaah... Haaah... As I

suspected, I can't reach the true heights of ecstasy unless it's you, Master.

Your faithful servant has returned. Feel free to berate and scorn this ugly

creature to your heart's content!"

For her, being transformed into a goblin was just another fetish to indulge

in. In a way, Hajime was right. It was too late to save Tio.

Tio threw herself at Hajime's feet and shouted, "Boil me or bake me as

you please!" Hajime, however, ignored her and slaughtered the group of

goblins that had been beating on her. Once he was done, he silently walked

off. The rest of the party had no desire to talk to Tio either, so they followed

after him.

"A-Abandonment play? Oh, Master, you tease. Wait, are you truly

planning on leaving me behind!? Stop, I cannot walk that fast! I'm still dizzy

from your previous attack!"

Tio's pleas rang out through the sea of trees. However, no one stopped

for her.

Large, whip-like branches assailed the party. Razor-sharp leaves filled

the air. Nuts and seeds bombarded everyone. Roots lunged up from the

ground, their tips pointed spears. Each attack was powerful enough to be

fatal.

The monster the party was currently facing was practically the same as

the tree-monsters they'd faced in the Great Orcus Labyrinth. Apparently, it

was called a Treant. However, the Treant they were facing here was much

larger than the one they'd fought in Orcus. It was easily ten meters wide and

thirty meters tall. Currently, the only people in combat were Kouki, Shizuku,

Suzu, and some ogre-like creature.

"Graaaaaah!" The ogre let out a primitive howl and swung a boulder-

sized fist at the Treant. Said ogre was, of course, Ryutarou.

During the course of their search, Hajime and the others had found a pair

of ogres locked in a duel to the death. After observing them for a while, they'd come to realize one of the ogres was Ryutarou. The karate-inspired

martial arts he'd been using had made it easy to tell him apart from the actual

ogre. That, combined with the fact that he'd chosen to accept the other ogre's

challenge instead of run away, had convinced everyone that was Ryutarou.

Only he could be that straightforward.

Furthermore, he'd been in such bad shape that had they found him any

later, he might really have died. It was only thanks to Kouki jumping in and

intervening that Ryutarou hadn't had his skull bashed in. Once the other ogre

had been defeated, Shizuku had given Ryutarou a long lecture about being

reckless. It had been quite the sight, seeing a beat-up ogre sitting formally

and hanging his head in front of a little girl. The whole incident had been so

surreal that Suzu had burst out laughing.

After they'd successfully met up with Ogre Ryutarou, Hajime and the

others had resumed their search. Eventually, they'd found a large tree

growing next to an altar. Upon their approach, the tree had sprung to life and

started attacking everyone, leading to the present situation.

Judging from the Treant's strength, and the location they'd found it, it

was likely this floor's boss. If the party wanted to advance to the next floor,

they'd have to defeat it. The reason Kouki and the others had taken on the

challenge alone was because he wanted to prove he could be useful.

However, because of how strong their foe was, Kaori was providing healing

support from the rear.

"Nnnnnngh! It hits like a truck!" A branch as thick as a tree trunk sliced

through the air and headed straight for Kouki. He blocked it with his sword,

but the force of the blow made him groan in pain.

Shizuku was unable to assist, as she had her hands full striking down the

flying shuriken leaves. Suzu had to use her full arsenal of barriers to keep the

party safe, while Kouki frantically searched for an opening from which to

strike.

"Gah! It's no use. As long as Kaori's here we won't get worn down,

but..." Shizuku unleashed shockwaves one after another, slicing down any

leaf or branch that drew close. But she grit her teeth as she realized that she

wouldn't be able to push any further.

Now that they'd experienced firsthand just how ferocious a labyrinth

could be, they realized Hajime had been right when he'd said they would die

if they challenged one on their own. Shizuku knew that without Hajime's

help they would have died long ago. The confidence they'd built up during their time in the Great Orcus Labyrinth had been torn to shreds. Shizuku

weighed her options, then yelled out her plan.

"Kouki! Use Divine Wrath!"

"I can't! It takes too long to chant!"

"Don't worry, we'll protect you! Trust in us!"

Kouki hesitated over whether or not to agree to Shizuku's plan. The

Treant they were facing was stronger even than the monsters the demons had

brought with them. It was only thanks to Kaori's support that they hadn't

been wiped out. But even with her help, a moment's lapse in concentration

would see them killed. No sane person would leave themselves defenseless in

front of such an opponent.

However, it was also true that their current strategy lacked the firepower

to defeat the Treant. At this rate, they would eventually lose.

Besides... Kouki thought back to Hajime and Yue's reunion. About how

absolute their trust was in each other. Despite Yue's goblin form, Hajime had

instantly realized who she was. Yue, too, had possessed absolute faith that

Hajime would stop Kouki from killing her. Honestly, he'd been a little

jealous of their unwavering devotion to each other.

It was that jealousy that drove Kouki to his final decision. After all, he

had comrades he trusted too. This was his chance to prove his bonds were

just as strong as Hajime's.

"Alright, I'm counting on you guys!"

"Yep, just leave it to us. Ryutarou, Suzu, tighten your defenses!"

"Roger!"

"You got it!"

Kouki raised his sword high and stopped moving. As he was

concentrating solely on casting Divine Wrath, he was defenseless. The Treant

wasn't going to let such an opportunity pass. It shot branches at Kouki from

both sides, while raining a torrent of leaves from above and firing a barrage

of nuts from the front.

"Reject all malice and let this be a holy ground that denies thine enemies

passage! Hallowed Ground!" Suzu had been ready for the attack, and she

pulled out her strongest barrier to defend against it. Cracks appeared in the

dome as it weathered the Treant's initial barrage.

"Mrrrrrrrrrgh!"

The continuous assault eventually proved too much for Suzu's Hallowed

Ground, and it shattered. Suzu was thrown backward from the impact, and Shizuku and Ryutarou rushed in to fill the gap.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

"Uoooooooooh!"

With spirited cries, the two of them unleashed every technique at their

disposal. But even their best wasn't enough to let them survive unscathed,

and the two of them were quickly covered in deep cuts. Blood spurted from

their bodies and dyed the ground red.

"Holy Blessing." Kaori cast a single spell, and Shizuku's and Ryutarou's

wounds vanished instantly.

Holy Blessing was an intermediate-class spell, but with Kaori's ungodly

mana reserves, she could easily power it up to an advanced-class spell. Her

healing spells worked so fast that it was like they were rewinding time. Even

factoring in the increase in power being in Noint's body gave her, Kaori was

an unbelievably skilled healer.

Suzu once again cast Hallowed Ground, buying the party another few

seconds. Shizuku and Ryutarou regrouped, ready to fend off the next assault.

The cycle of Suzu erecting a barrier, it shattering, Shizuku and Ryutarou

guarding for a few seconds, Kaori healing them, then Suzu recasting her

barrier repeated three times.

By now, Kouki had nearly finished casting. A massive amount of mana

was concentrated within his sword, which was glowing brighter than the sun.

He tightened his grip on the hilt and sucked in a deep breath.

"Alright everyone, let's do this! Divine Wrath!" After saying that, he

swung his sword down, unleashing his most powerful attack. A dazzling

shockwave of mana ripped across the ground, obliterating any leaves,

branches, and nuts in its wake. It then slammed into the Treant's main body

in an explosion of light.

"We did it!" Kouki yelled jubilantly.

Hajime, who was waiting safely in the rear, muttered, "Ah, that's a death

flag..." and Kouki had stepped right on it. The light faded and the dust

cleared, revealing a wounded but still very much alive Treant.

"You're... kidding me..." Kouki gasped, dumbfounded. He wasn't the

only one surprised. Shizuku, Suzu, and Ryutarou were just as shocked. Until

now, there was nothing Kouki's ultimate attack hadn't been able to kill.

Divine Wrath was the most powerful offensive spell in existence, the

hero's trump card. When he'd just arrived in Tortus and been low-leveled, it

might have been possible for something to withstand Kouki's Divine Wrath, but not after he'd gotten so much training in.

And yet, the Treant remained undaunted. Sure, it had been damaged a

fair amount, but those wounds only made it more ferocious. This whole time,

Kouki had believed himself capable of clearing a labyrinth. He'd been certain

he'd be fine. After all, Hajime had done it. To Kouki, it seemed impossible

for there to be something Hajime could do that he couldn't. However now, he

was forced to face reality. Even his most powerful ability had failed to bring

down a labyrinth monster.

No, this can't be real. There has to be some kind of mistake! Kouki shook

his head in denial. Just then, Shizuku shouted to gain his attention.

"Kouki, look! You didn't land a direct hit!"

"Huh?" Kouki followed Shizuku's gaze and saw a mountain of wooden

splinters and tree trunks. It appeared the Treant had used a bunch of trees as a

shield to guard against Kouki's Divine Wrath.

Where on earth did it get all those trees from? There wasn't anything

right before I attacked... Kouki's question was answered seconds later by the

Treant. The monster glowed with a faint light, and seconds later trees started

sprouting from its roots.

"Th-This is its special magic!?" Suzu gasped. Her guess was spot-on.

The Treant's special magic was "Regrowth." It allowed it to sprout as many

trees as it pleased, and control them freely.

"O-Oh no! Let this be a— Hallowed Ground!" Suzu quickly realized her

full chant wouldn't make it in time, and shortened it. A shimmering dome of

light surrounded the party just as a flood of attacks came in.

Sharpened branches and roots slammed into the barrier one after another.

This time the attacks weren't coming just from the Treant, but also from the

trees it had created. Branches filled the air, blotting out the sky. The barrage

was so thick Suzu and the others couldn't even see the Treant anymore. A

makeshift Hallowed Ground had no chance of withstanding such an attack.

Cracks had already started to appear all over the barrier, and it would shatter

in another few seconds. And this time, it seemed unlikely that Kouki and the

others would be able to hold out long enough for her to cast it again. Kouki

himself knew it was far too optimistic to think they could.

"I can't... hold on any longer..." Suzu grit her teeth as her mana drained

away at an alarming rate. Watching her struggle to hold on snapped Kouki

back to his senses. In a way, he was relieved. It wasn't that his trump card

was ineffective, it had just been blocked. But regardless, the fact that it had meant that Suzu was now suffering.

Kouki banished the worries and hesitation he'd felt until now. And

prepared to use his second trump card, Limit Break. Using up two of his

trump cards this early in the labyrinth wasn't a wise move, but Kouki realized

he'd been naive in thinking he could survive without them. Before he could

activate the skill though, Kaori intervened.

"Transient Infinity!"

Transient Infinity was a restoration spell that maintained a person or

object in its original state for as long as the caster supplied mana. Silver light

enveloped Suzu's cracked Hallowed Ground, returning it to the pristine

condition it had been in upon being cast. No matter how much the Treant

hammered on the barrier, it was unable to put even a dent on it. Any damage

dealt was instantly reverted thanks to Kaori's spell.

"Whoa, thanks Kaorin!" Suzu glanced over her shoulder, and Kaori saw

the tears in her eyes.

She must have been really scared. Or maybe she's just really relieved

now. Kaori smiled at her and nodded reassuringly. Kouki and the others

relaxed a little as well and turned back to see how Hajime was doing.

Like the three of them, Hajime and his party were also surrounded by an

army of trees, but they were having no trouble whatsoever dealing with the

onslaught of wood and leaves. Hajime had deployed four of his Cross Bits,

and they'd formed a pyramid-shaped barrier around everyone. Since the

barrier was made of spatial magic, it was nigh impossible to penetrate. Not

even the Treant's strongest attacks could crack it. He'd created an

impenetrable fortress for himself.

"Looks like they're at their limit. I thought they'd be able to do a bit

better, but..." Hajime muttered to himself as he gauged the expressions on

Kouki and the others' faces.

"Hmm, if that hero guy used Limit Break, won't they be able to manage

somehow?"

"Maybe. If he uses that powered-up version of it, definitely. But the

recoil that comes afterward will be a problem... Even healing magic can't do

much for the exhaustion that comes with using Limit Break."

"Mmm... Restoration magic should be able to, though."

At Yue's words, Kaori bit her lip.

"I'd like to preserve my mana as much as possible. Restoration magic

takes up a lot, and I'm the only one capable of using it right now, so... This is still just the beginning of the labyrinth, so there's no telling what's waiting

for us further down, and I already used up one of my spells..."

"Indeed. In that case, I suppose you should take care of things before that

boy attempts to use Limit Break."

Hajime was a little worried that Kouki and the others wouldn't be

recognized as people who'd contributed to conquering the dungeon if he kept

helping them like this. And if they weren't able to obtain ancient magic, then

he wouldn't be able to use them as pawns for the upcoming battle against the

Noint army.

That was why he'd wanted Kouki and the others to handle this monster,

so they'd have proof of their contribution. However, Kaori definitely had a

point. There was no telling what was waiting for them further down, so

wasting more mana than necessary was not a wise decision. Sure, he did have

a stock of jewelry charged with mana still, but Yue and Tio weren't in

fighting condition, and Hajime had no idea when they 'd be back to normal.

To make matters worse, their equipment had been taken from them as

well. If they got too cocky, Hajime didn't doubt they'd find the tables turned

on them.

"Master, I can more or less guess what your worries are, but I think you

needn't concern yourself so much with whether or not they achieve any

results in battle."

"Hm? Why not? Does it have something to do with the theme of this

labyrinth?" Hajime tilted his had, and Tio nodded. She might have been an

incorrigible pervert, but her vast wisdom and intellect meant her words were

worth heeding. Though it didn't change the fact that she was a pervert.

"Correct. This is merely conjecture, but I believe Haltina's labyrinth is

meant to test our bonds."

"Our bonds, huh...? Come to think of it, the stone epitaph at the entrance

said something like that too."

"Precisely. Those words referred not only to forging a bond with

beastmen and having them guide us here but also to the fact that our bonds

would be tested within this labyrinth. Discerning which of our comrades were

fake, finding and accepting those who were transformed, all of this is testing

our bonds. Testing whether we will protect our powerless partners, or leave

them to die."

"I see... If that really is the goal of this labyrinth, then all of these trials

would make sense. And... Amanogawa's already accepted Sakagami and fought together with him. Hell, he even entrusted his life to him back there.

Since they've already proven all that, it shouldn't be a problem if I finish

everything else off from here on, huh. As long as Amanogawa and the others

keep overcoming the trials that test their bonds, anyway."

"That is what I suspect. But remember, this is still conjecture."

Conjecture it may have been, but it was backed up by a good deal of

evidence. If Tio was right, then this labyrinth, which wasn't interested in

testing its challengers' martial prowess, was probably the most fitting one to

have brought Kouki and the others along for.

Hajime mulled over Tio's words one more time and glanced over at the

giant Treant. Its attacks had grown even more ferocious, so it was getting

irritated that it couldn't break through Suzu's Hallowed Ground or Hajime's

spatial barrier. There were so many leaves and branches flying around that

Hajime could barely see in front of him. At that, Hajime made his decision.

"Taniguchi, I'm gonna blow everything away. If you don't want to die,

keep your barrier up no matter what."

"Say what?" Cold sweat poured down Suzu's back as she digested

Hajime's warning. Kouki and the others looked curiously over at Suzu. And a

second later, their jaws fell open in shock.

Hajime had taken out his specially crafted chakram and was controlling

them with the spirit stone ring on his finger. His chakrams tore through the

storm of trees and branches, shredding everything in their path. There were

more than twenty of them whirling through the air. A few of them flew above

the trees and started spraying a black liquid down on them.

The black liquid was, of course, the same flamrock tar that burned at

3000 degrees Celsius. He was transporting it from his Treasure Trove via the

spatial gates he'd attached to his chakrams.

Shea, who'd realized what Hajime was planning, balked.

"Whoa..." she muttered as she looked over at Hajime. After all, while

Hajime's method was the most effective way of wiping out the forest of trees

that had sprouted in front of them, it was also quite extreme.

Hajime, however, ignored her chastising gaze and threw a tiny ember

through one of the chakrams next to him.

The forest was bathed in flames for a second time. The Treant ignored

the flames and continued its assault, but it wasn't able to last very long in the

hellfire Hajime had drowned it in. Though it had no mouth, the party could

have sworn they heard a scream as the flames burnt it to a crisp. The updraft caused by the heat made the flames condense into a whirling tornado which

burned so hot it liquified everything it touched.

Hajime really had created a hell on earth. If Suzu or the others stepped

even one foot outside her Hallowed Ground, they'd be scorched so

thoroughly not even ashes would remain.

But while the tar burned hot, it didn't burn for long. Within fifteen

minutes, Hajime's flames had exhausted themselves. Because the Treant and

its trees had thrashed about in their final moments, the fire had spread to the

regular trees in the forest too, but Kaori's timely water spells had prevented

the entire forest from burning down. As Kaori was the only mage in Hajime's

party still capable of combat, she was being run pretty ragged.

"We've already met up with Yue and the others, you could have just let

the whole forest burn, you know...?"

"Hajime-kun. It's not right to destroy everything around you just because

you can."

"Wherever Hajime-san goes, destruction is sure to follow... If my dad

had seen this, he'd probably start thinking up another new nickname for you

right about now."

Unable to meet Kaori and Shea's gazes, Hajime looked away awkwardly.

Honestly, he didn't care even if he burned the labyrinth to the ground, but

when even Shea gave him that look, he felt a little guilty.

However, Yue, who was with Hajime on everything, and Tio, who

preferred her master to be a merciless monster, seemed to agree with his

declaration that destroying the labyrinth was no big deal. For the moment,

opinions within Hajime's party were split evenly.

"That just now was... No, forget it. I've already seen rocket launchers and

cluster bombs, so I shouldn't be surprised at this point. This is normal for

Nagumo-kun. I need to get it together..."

"Don't worry, Shizushizu. I totally get what you're feeling, but you'll get

used to how crazy everything is eventually... I hope. Anyway, it'll be

alright."

Suzu and Shizuku stared at each other with dead eyes. They'd just

witnessed a crimson inferno up close and personal, and it had done a number

on their mental state. Ogre Ryutarou looked worriedly over at the two of

them, but he couldn't find any words to say. After all, even he'd broken out

in a cold sweat seeing flames inches from his face.

A short distance away, Kouki glared at Hajime and bit his lip. Even his strongest attack hadn't been able to defeat the Treant, yet Hajime had taken

care of it like it was nothing. He'd come here to shorten the gap between him

and Hajime, but he was beginning to worry if he'd even be able to obtain the

ancient magic if Hajime ended up saving them from everything. After a

while, Kouki shook his head in an attempt to dispel such negative thoughts,

then whirled around in a panic when he heard a creaking noise behind him.

"Is it regenerating?" Just as Kouki said that the scorched ground began to

shake, and a tree sprouted from the earth. It grew at a prodigious rate, and in

seconds it was the size of the Treant Hajime had just burned. It really had

regenerated.

Kouki and the others instantly drew their weapons, but the restored

Treant didn't attack. Instead, its bark started to split open, similar to how the

Grand Tree had when it had first let them inside.

"I figured this was the mid-boss, but I didn't think it'd also be the door to

the next stage." Hajime nodded to himself and strode confidently into the

opening made by Treant. Yue and the others followed suit. Then, Kouki and

his group sheathed their weapons and hurried after them.

The inside of this tree looked as unassuming as the last. However, the

moment they all entered, the bark closed in around them and the area around

their feet began to glow.

"Guess we're getting teleported again..."

Hajime hugged Yue and Tio close, noting that this magic circle looked

almost identical to the previous one. Chances were, if the magic circle wanted

to separate the party, hugging the two goblins wouldn't do much. But still, he

figured it was better than doing nothing.

Since neither of them was capable of fighting in their current state, even a

weak monster could kill them easily. Even if there was a slim chance of this

doing anything, Hajime still felt compelled to do something at the very least.

He couldn't afford to let either of them die.

"Hajime..."

"M-Master... if you're this kind to me, I won't know how to respond."

The two of them had picked up on Hajime's worry, and they smiled

happily. Though they were still goblins, anyone would have been able to tell

those smiles were ones of joy. And for once, Tio seemed embarrassed. Shea

and Kaori tried to throw themselves at Hajime too, but they were a moment

too late. Just before their arms reached him, the light swallowed the party.

Chirp, chirp, chirp. The soft chirping of birds, along with the sunlight

filtering through the curtains, heralded the arrival of dawn. Annoyed, the

resident of the room grabbed his pillow and covered his head with it.

However, there was a demon in this room that wouldn't let him sleep.

Beep... Beep... Beep... Beep... Beep!. A loud ringing noise assailed the

ears of the boy attempting to sleep.

"Ugh..." The boy tried to dive further into his fortress of bedsheets and

pillows, but ignoring the demon's wail proved to be impossible. He

reluctantly stretched an arm out and started indiscriminately slapping the desk

next to his bed. He'd had a little over a decade's worth of experience quelling

this demon, so on the third try he was able to bash it on the head, silencing it.

But while he was well-versed in demon busting, it didn't change the fact it

took a lot out of him. The boy's arm flopped, drained of all strength. He then

sluggishly returned to his fortress, and stopped moving. A second later, he

was woken once more.

"Hajime! Wake uuuuuup! No sleeping in, get up!"

He heard a familiar voice, his mother's, calling him from downstairs.

Half-awake, Hajime processed his mother's words and decided to resist to the

last. He pulled his covers over him and tightened the defenses of his fortress.

"Guess he's not listening. Can you go get him for me? Sorry I have to

ask you every day."

"Ah..."

Hajime's mom spoke loudly, to make sure he could hear her. Considering

who she was probably talking to, regardless of how badly she wanted Hajime

up, he had no intention of leaving his bed. After all, being woken by the

person Hajime's mom had enlisted was one of the few joys of his daily life.

There was a sharp rap on his door. Hajime didn't respond, but the person on

the other side seemed to have been expecting that and opened the door. They

tiptoed over to where Hajime was sleeping and poked his curled-up body.

"Wake up, Hajime..."

"..."

Still no response. Though he was only partially conscious, Hajime

wanted to hear this beautiful girl's voice for a while longer.

"If you don't wake up..."

"..."

The girl caressed his back. The soft sensation caused Hajime to

involuntarily smile.

"I'll have to rape you."

"Okay I'm getting up, so please don't say such dangerous things this

early in the morning."

Chills ran down Hajime's spine, and he quickly jumped out of bed. A tuft

of his black hair stood on end, and his brown-black eyes struggled to focus.

Standing in front of him was a blonde-haired crimson-eyed beauty. She

smiled seductively and licked her lips. At the sight, Hajime grimaced and

spoke up.

"Morning, Yue."

"Mmm... Morning, Hajime."

Hajime stretched, glad that he was able to see his girlfriend first thing in

the morning. His parents both teased him as he went down for breakfast, after

which he left for school together with Yue.

Hajime stifled a yawn as he walked down the familiar path to school, and

Yue looked up at him curiously.

Every one of her gestures is just so cute! Yue's looks captivated

everyone they passed by as well, and plenty of people accidentally walked

into poles or fell into ditches because they were staring at her. Yue remained

oblivious to the carnage she was causing, though. She dashed ahead of

Hajime and whirled around to face him. Since she was wearing a standard

school uniform, her skirt flew up a little as she did so. Her golden-blonde hair

shone in the sunlight and gave off a faint smell of shampoo. She continued

walking backward in step with Hajime and scrutinized his expression.

"Did you stay up late again?"

"Yeah, I got a little too engrossed in the work dad gave me. By the time I

realized it, the sun was starting to rise."

"It's good that you're passionate about your hobbies, but don't overdo it.

You need to take care of your body."

"Yeah, I will."

The two were just having a normal conversation, but it looked like they

were flirting. Hajime and Yue had been dating for a while, but the flames of

their passion hadn't dimmed in the slightest. At the beginning, Yue had been

so enamored with Hajime that she'd forcefully convinced his parents to let

her homestay with them.

That had caused quite the uproar among the people who knew him.

Especially since Hajime was a hardcore otaku who spent most of his time

playing games or helping his dad make games. He was the last person anyone had expected to land a beautiful girlfriend. Hajime's mother had worried he

had somehow mastered the art of hypnosis and tricked Yue into being his

girlfriend, while his father assumed he'd somehow manifested the power to

make his waifu real. And when Yue had transferred into Hajime's school and

announced that she was Hajime's girlfriend, the whole school had started

talking about it.

Afterward, Hajime had been forced to deal with the hordes of jealous

guys who'd hounded him day and night. Yue'd had her own share of

problems, and was called out by the school's girls day after day. Finally, after

a few months, things had reached the point where they were calming down.

The reason Hajime could walk to school so leisurely now was because he'd

braved such a storm of trials. Hajime stared at Yue's glistening golden hair

and thought back to how he'd first met her.

He'd chanced upon her getting assaulted by a mugger, and after a vicious

struggle had successfully managed to fight him off and save Yue. As thanks,

she'd kissed him on the neck. Even now, he could clearly remember the

sensation of that kiss. After that, they'd started dating.

Honestly, I'm kind of surprised an otaku like me managed to beat up a

mugger in the first place. I guess humans really do display amazing feats of

strength when they're desperate. He smiled to himself. That really had been

reckless. But as he sifted through his memories, he realized something was

off.

Wait, come to think of it, where was that place I first met Yue anyway?

And why was I there? Yue was obviously a foreigner, and the fact that she

was homestaying at Hajime's house meant she must have come from a

different country. Hajime also vaguely remembered first meeting Yue in a

foreign country. But he couldn't for the life of him remember which country

that was. Once he realized that, a bunch of other contradictory elements

started popping up in his memories. The more he questioned his present

situation, the more he felt as though something wasn't right.

"Hajime!"

"Whoa. What's up? Why'd you suddenly yell like that?"

He was shocked out of his musings by Yue's uncharacteristically loud

voice. Upon returning to reality, Hajime noticed Yue was staring intently at

him.

"I kept calling your name, but you ignored me...

"Wait, really!? I'm so sorry! I was just lost in thought..."

Yue huffed and looked away. It seemed his indifference had really hurt

her. He tried to comfort her as best he could, his earlier doubts completely

forgotten.

—Fall into bliss. Look only at me—

Yue's whisper was so quiet it didn't reach Hajime's ears. He smiled

gently at her, glad she was at his side.

They reached school without incident and as Hajime was putting on his

school slippers, he felt something soft touch his back. Someone was hugging

him from behind. No, not just someone. Hajime knew instantly who it was

just from the sensation. It could only be her.

"Hajime-saaan! Yue-saaan! Good morning!"

"Mmm... Morning, Shea."

"Sh-Shea-san! How many times do I have to tell you not to hug him!?

Get off already!"

"Don't be like that! How cruel do you have to be to steal my only

happiness away from me!? You better make up for it by marrying me!"

"How on earth are those two related!? Anyway, get off him! Look, Yue's

eyes have already glazed over! She's glaring at me too now!"

Hajime didn't let the joy he felt at being smothered by Shea's breasts

show on his face, and he silently pushed her away. Shea was an exchange

student who'd transferred into Hajime's class some time back. The reason

she was so attached to him was because a while back he'd also saved her and

her family from a gang of muggers. Though she looked like a mature beauty,

her trademark hairband and innocent smile made her appear childlike. Still,

she had enough admirers to have her own dedicated fan club. If Hajime was

honest with himself, he didn't hate all the attention Shea gave him. He was a

guy, after all. If he'd met Shea first, she might have been his girlfriend right

now instead of Yue. However, there was no point in thinking about such

what-if scenarios. As it was, Shea's assertiveness was a problem for Hajime,

since he already had Yue. Hajime racked his brains, trying to figure out why

his memories weren't matching up with Shea's current appearance. But

before he could arrive at an answer, Shea and Yue wrapped themselves

around his arms. Seriously though, what kind of cliched set-up is this? I just

coincidentally happen to save two different girls from muggers, and they just

happen to both fall in love with me? Wait a second. Did Shea always wear a

headband like that? I thought she was supposed to have... Hajime racked his

brains, trying to figure out why his memories weren't matching up with Shea's current appearance. But before he could arrive at an answer, Shea and

Yue wrapped themselves around his arms.

"Why do you look so confused? We need to hurry, or we'll be late for

class."

"Mmm... I don't want to be lectured by the teacher again."

They pressed their breasts against him, and Hajime's thoughts were

overwritten. Unable to resist, Hajime was dragged off to class by the two of

them.

Class? Teacher? Why does this all sound so strange? Everything they're

saying makes sense... right? I guess the weird thing is they're the ones saying

it? Their conversation was a perfectly standard one, but Hajime couldn't help

but feel uneasy.

The moment Hajime entered the classroom he was met by the jealous

glares of all the guys in the class. Thanks to Yue's intervention, they were no

longer bullying him directly, but those gazes still hurt.

Is it just me or does this all feel a little... nostalgic? But why on earth

should it feel nostalgic? Hajime couldn't fathom why his normal, everyday

life felt so off. Confused, he took his seat. The moment he sat down, another

girl, one of his classmates, came bounding over to him.

"Good morning, Hajime-kun! You barely made it on time today too. I

think you should at least make an effort to come earlier."

"..."

Kaori Shirasaki, a girl who's looks rivaled Yue and Shea's, looked down

at Hajime. Before Yue and Shea's arrival, she'd been the undisputed most

popular girl in school. And for some reason, she too had a crush on Hajime.

She'd actually been infatuated with him for quite some time, but Hajime

hadn't realized it until just recently. Back then he'd always brushed her off

with a troubled smile, but now things were different. Why does it feel like...

I've heard that line before... Dammit, what's going on? Why does all this feel

so freaking nostalgic? I've been doing this every day for a while now, there

shouldn't be anything nostalgic about it.

"Hajime-kun... why are you ignoring me? Did I do something to make

you mad?" Her voice trembled a little, and Hajime looked up to see her

almost in tears.

Realizing he'd been ignoring her for almost a minute, he hurriedly

replied.

"Oh no, that's not it. I'm really sorry, I just got lost in thought. Morning, Shirasaki-san."

"Oh, thank goodness that was all. Anyway, Hajime-kun, how many times

do I have to tell you to just call me Kaori?"

She puffed out her cheeks in mock anger. The gesture was so cute that

quite a few of the spectating boys got nosebleeds. Naturally, the fact that

Kaori's gestures were directed toward Hajime also fanned the flames of their

jealousy.

"But Shirasaki-san, I..."

"Kaori. Call me Kaori."

"But..."

"Ka-o-ri."

"U-Umm, K-Kao..." Overwhelmed, Hajime finally started to give in. But

before he could finish saying Kaori's name, Yue came to his rescue.

"...Stop bothering Hajime." She stepped protectively in front of Hajime

and put her hands on her hips. In return, Kaori got into a fighting stance. Yue

did the same and crouched low.

"Of course you'd get in the way, Yue. Good morning, I guess."

"Mmm... Good morning, Kaori. I guess."

They spat out their morning greetings as though it physically pained them

to do so. The surrounding temperature dropped to absolute zero as the two

officially recognized love rivals stared each other down. Despite how it

seemed, the two didn't hate each other. If anything, they were more like best

friends who fought a lot. Hajime found it strange how they seemed enjoy

each other's company despite how often they quarreled.

Before they could start fighting in earnest though, the bell rang and the

teacher walked into the classroom. Yue and Kaori gave each other one final

glare before reluctantly returning to their seats. First period was English,

taught by Tio. She was a beautiful teacher, who, like seemingly every other

pretty woman, was enamored with Hajime. She'd often tease him or sexually

harass him during class. Today too, she shot Hajime a flirtatious glance as

she walked into the room.

"Tch... Someone fire her already."

"Huh!? Haaah... Haaah..."

At this point, the whole class knew about her deviant sexual tendencies.

Even Hajime, who was normally a mild-mannered individual, couldn't help

but be compelled to insult Tio.

Huh? How come everything else feels weird, but this feels normal? The strange disconnect Hajime had been feeling until now vanished. This

particular scene just seemed to fit so perfectly. Throughout the rest of the

day, Hajime was struck by a few other things that seemed out of place, but

also experienced moments where everything seemed to fit together. It felt like

someone inside his mind was yelling something at him, but the words were a

little too faint to make out.

After school, Hajime, Yue, and Shea went to visit a nearby kindergarten.

They were there to pick up Myu, their neighbor Remia's daughter. Remia

was a single mom, and work often kept her busy, so Hajime occasionally

went to pick up Myu in her stead. Because Remia had known Hajime for a

while, she trusted him to not only pick up Myu, but also to look after her until

she got home from work. Myu saw them the moment they arrived and

tottered over.

"Ah, it's Da— Onii-chan! And Shea-oneechan and Yue-oneechan!"

A beaming smile split her face. Hajime smiled back and caught Myu in

his arms.

"Myu, how many times do I have to tell you jumping like that is

dangerous? Also, you were about to call me Daddy again weren't you? I told

you not to call me that."

Cold sweat poured down Hajime's back as he scolded Myu. Since Myu's

father had died before she was born, she'd taken to calling Hajime--the only

older boy to spend this much time with her--Daddy. However, that nickname

was likely to cause misunderstandings. Remia was still a young widow and

considered quite the beauty by most of their neighbors. If her daughter started

calling another man Daddy, well it wasn't hard to see how that would be

interpreted. Unsavory rumors would start to spread.

In fact, Myu had already slipped up once in front of the kindergarten

teachers. That alone had caused a huge uproar. Fortunately, it appeared

Remia had resolved the misunderstanding before things got out of hand. But

if Myu called Hajime Daddy in the middle of the street, well, his social life

was finished. So his concern was understandable.

Though for some reason, the looks Myu's teachers had been giving

Hajime recently made him worry Remia might actually be up to something.

He tried not to think too much about it, grabbed Myu's hand, and started

walking home. He watched with an awkward smile as Yue and Shea tried to

convince Myu to call them Mommy. As he gazed at the setting sun, he felt a

sense of contentment wash over him. The disconnect he'd felt earlier this morning had all but vanished.

"Hey D... Onii-chan! Are you listening to me?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I spaced out there for a second."

By way of apology, Hajime scooped Myu up into his arms. That was

enough to assuage her anger, but Myu pretended to still be mad in order to

make Hajime hold her for longer. Her cute antics stamped out the last of the

discomfort Hajime had been feeling. Yue and Shea smiled at him, but then

Shea suddenly closed her eyes and questioned him.

"Hmm? Hajime-san, did you hear that?"

"Wha? Did something happen?" Shea's hearing was better than most

people, so Hajime didn't doubt that she might have picked up on something.

Hajime strained his ears, and he was able to faintly make out the sound of

one girl and a group of guys arguing with each other. The group exchanged

glances, then ran off toward the alley the sound was coming from.

"Wow, this is cliched..."

"...No enemy of women shall go unpunished."

As expected, a group of guys were heckling a lone girl. Hajime looked

down at Myu and considered his options. The enemy wasn't terribly strong.

Judging by their posture, they were garden-variety thugs. Even if they'd been

armed, they wouldn't be much of a match for Hajime, Yue, or Shea.

While Hajime was still analyzing the situation, Shea walked up to the

group of guys. Noticing that someone was approaching, the guys turned

around. Upon spotting Shea's gorgeous figure, their surprised expressions

transformed into vulgar grins. They obviously thought Shea would be an easy

mark.

Huh? Driven on by a dark impulse to kill, Hajime reached towards his

right thigh. Before he could do anything though, Shea wedged herself in

between the group of guys. From there, it was a slaughter. She struck down

the thugs with a superb display of martial skill.

Oh yeah, how could I forget. Shea can handle guys like these no problem.

Now that he thought about it, it made sense for Shea to be that strong. There

was nothing strange about it. That was just how she was. It was exactly as

Hajime remembered.

Shea exchanged a few words with the terrified girl she'd just saved, then

returned to Hajime's side. As she passed by Yue, she gave her a high-five.

"You're so cool, Shea-oneechan!"

"Fufufu. Praise me more. Don't worry Myu, when you get bigger I'll teach you how to fight just like me."

"Mmm... I have a lot to teach you too, Myu."

Just don't teach her anything weird. Hajime thought to himself as he

watched Myu jump up and down. With that incident settled, the group once

again headed towards home. The disconnect that had vanished before

returned as Hajime realized there was something strange about his earlier

actions.

What was I trying to do with my right hand back there? It felt like I was

searching for something... Just then, he realized something else. He'd

analyzed the situation like a hardened warrior. Shaken, he looked down at his

hands.

"...ake... up..."

In the distance, he heard a faint voice that sounded similar to yet different

from his own.

That night. Hajime had already finished eating dinner and taking his bath

and was now lying in his bed. He'd been so lost in thought the whole time

that he hadn't even remembered to dry his hair properly. The sense that

something was wrong kept growing stronger. Though it was extremely faint,

he was almost certain he could hear a voice calling out to him. It struck

something deep down inside him, something primal. The voice was one of

denial. It was screaming at him to reject this seemingly happy life.

"Just what am I unsatisfied with, anyway?"

As he scratched his head in annoyance, he heard a knock on his door.

"...Hajime?"

"Is that you, Yue? Come in."

After a brief pause, Yue opened the door and walked inside. All she had

on was a negligee. Her silky, pale skin was on full display. As she crawled

onto Hajime's bed, she noticed his hair was still wet and she poked him in

mild rebuke. He reluctantly got into a sitting position, and she started drying

his hair.

"Mmm... All dry. If you sleep with your hair wet, you'll catch a cold."

"Yeah, you've got a point. Thanks, Yue."

"Mmm..."

Yue hugged Hajime from behind and started rubbing her face against the

back of his neck, like a spoiled cat. She then pushed her hands inside

Hajime's shirt and started caressing his chest. Hajime let himself sink into bliss. Or at least, he tried to. For some reason, Yue's actions only made his

sense of unease grow. He couldn't understand why he was feeling like this,

and it made him frustrated.

I have a fulfilling life and a girlfriend who's completely devoted to me.

There's nothing more I could hope to ask for. So who is it inside of me... that

keeps yelling at me to reject reality!?

He tried to focus on Yue and banish the unease welling up within him.

As if sensing his discomfort, Yue leaned close and whispered into his ear.

"...It's alright. You don't have to worry about anything. I'll make sure

you're happy, Hajime."

"Yue..."

"So focus only on me. It's okay, I'll always be here by your side. I'll

always be everything you want."

"..." Hajime slowly started to nod off. If only I could fall asleep just like

this. Then I wouldn't have to think about anything. I mean, I have Yue right

here with me. There can't be anything more important than that... can there?

As long as I have her, I don't need anything else. Even if I lost everything

else... I'd still have my ideal girlfriend with me. That's all I need to...

Hajime let his thoughts trail off, and relaxed his body. He entrusted

himself to the warmth of Yue's body and let the sweet fog of sleep blanket

his mind. But just before he fell fully asleep—

"As long as we watch each other's backs, we'll be stronger than anyone.

We'll beat down anyone who stands against us and bust our way out of this

shitty world."

Someone screamed those words inside his head. Hajime drove off the fog

of sleep, and his eyes snapped open.

"Well, how about coming with me then?"

He heard his own voice again. It sounded different from his current

voice, but it was undoubtedly his. Memories rose one after another to the

surface of his mind.

I remember now. That was what I told Yue way back when in the bottom

of the abyss. When I asked her if she wanted to come back to my world with

me. Scenes of a world that wasn't earth flashed through his head.

It was then that Hajime remembered Yue's smile. The smile she'd shown

him when he'd offered to take her with him. That was the first time he'd seen

Yue, who was normally expressionless, smile so genuinely. It had been like

watching a sunflower bloom. Thinking back on it now, Hajime realized it was then that he'd fallen for her. After that, they'd fought through numerous

life-and-death situations and stepped foot on Tortus' surface once more.

There they'd sworn to protect each other, find a way home, and beat down

anything that stood in their path.

It had been almost instinctual. Just as Hajime had been about to surrender

himself to this dream, he'd remembered the oath he'd made. Hajime shook

off the illusion that looked like Yue and rose to his feet.

A perfect girlfriend? A perfect world? Just how stupid can I get!? Hajime

rubbed his eyes and ground his teeth together. He couldn't forgive himself for

being so weak, for nearly succumbing to this false happiness.

Pathetic. I feel like throwing up. How could I forget the promise I made?

He slapped his cheeks as hard as he could, both to punish himself and to clear

his head.

The sound reverberated throughout the room, startling Yue. She hurriedly

got to her feet and grabbed Hajime's hand. However, he coldly shook her off.

Yue brought her hand back to her chest, looking forlorn.

"Don't fuck with me..." Hajime muttered angrily as he glared at the

illusory Yue Haltina's labyrinth had no doubt created.

"Hajime, what's wrong?"

Hajime looked nothing like the docile boy he had a few moments ago. He

ignored Yue's question and let out some rather heartfelt words.

"Hey, Yue. You're the most important thing in the world to me. As long

as I have you, I don't need anything else."

"...Hearing that makes me so happy, Hajime." Yue was initially taken

aback, but then she smiled happily. But despite his words, Hajime's gaze was

as cold as ice.

"So if I told you to throw away everything else for me, would you?"

After a moment's hesitation, Yue nodded.

"...If that's what you wanted."

"Even if that everything else included Shea, Kaori, Tio, and Myu?"

"...If that's what you wanted."

Yue agreed to anything Hajime asked as if she were trying to become his

ideal partner. However, her responses only served to anger Hajime.

"I can't believe something like this managed to trick me..." he muttered

to himself. He then looked up at Yue and spat out words dripping with

venom.

"Fine. I get it already, goddammit." The moment Hajime was convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Yue in front of him was a fake, his

appearance changed. His black hair turned white, an eye patch covered one

eye, and his left arm was replaced by a mechanical one.

"Tch... I totally fell for that one. This is why you can't ever let your

guard down in a labyrinth. Looks like Haltina was just as much of an asshole

as the rest of the Liberators."

The fake Yue once again stretched out a hand to Hajime as he cursed to

himself.

"...Please stay here. You'll be happy if you do."

"Shut up, you damn fake. Don't you dare say my name again."

"Why? I'm Yue, your girlfriend. Your ideal girlfriend, Hajime. What's

there to be unhappy about?"

"Everything, you moron. If I wanted an obedient girlfriend who did

everything I asked, I'd get a doll. But unfortunately for you, I'm not really

into those," Hajime spat. He then tuned Yue out as he searched for a way out

of this illusory space.

"You're wrong. I'm not just a doll. I have the same personality as the real

Yue. I'm just also the ideal Yue that you desire. So stay here. Anything and

everything you could wish for is here. And I'll always be by your side."

So this world's not just your normal fake, huh? Both the people and the

world were based on Hajime's memories, which had been read by the first

magic circle that had teleported them. On top of that, everything here was

simulated to be the ideal what-if scenario that the labyrinth believed the

challenger desired. Considering all the suffering Hajime had been through in

the abyss, and the challenges that he still needed to overcome to make it back

home, it wasn't wrong to say a world like this where he could spend his days

with Yue and the others in peace was in many ways ideal. However, it wasn't

the world Hajime wanted.

"You're hopeless. It's kind of pathetic how off the mark you are."

Red sparks flew off of Hajime's body as he said that. His mana spread to

every corner of this fake world, painting everything crimson. Since this was a

trial, he reasoned that once he cleared it he'd be thrown out of the illusion

automatically. And while he'd more or less guessed what the clear conditions

were, this particular trial had pissed him off enough that he'd rather smash

through it by force.

"Why don't you want to stay?" Yue asked, confused. Seconds later

though, the emotion vanished from her expression. Now she truly did resemble a doll. Hajime continued pouring mana into his surroundings as he

glared angrily at Yue.

"That's simple. Compared to the real Yue, you're worthless. There's

nothing in the world I want more than the real Yue!" Hajime growled through

gritted teeth. The vast amount of mana he was expending was taking its toll

on his body. However, it was taking an even greater toll on the world around

him. Cracks had already started to form inside the illusion. Hajime then

activated Limit Break and squeezed out all of his remaining mana at once.

"That goes for everyone else, too. They're all a bunch of troublemakers

who never listen to what I say. Sure, maybe they're not 'ideal' comrades, but

I am who I am because of them. I only made it this far because they were by

my side. Your 'ideal' fakes could never hold a candle to them!"

The illusion groaned under the weight of Hajime's mana, which had

covered it so thoroughly the entire world seemed red. And finally... it

shattered. Shards of the illusion rained down all around Hajime, pieces of

broken glass falling from the heavens. They glinted in the light like

diamonds.

As the constructed world began to fade, the fake Yue smiled quietly at

Hajime. It was the illusion's final flare of light before the darkness swallowed

it forever. That smile wasn't the kind of smile Yue would ever make. It

belonged to someone else entirely. Hajime had a guess as to whose smile that

was, but his consciousness was fading rapidly and he lacked the energy to

think any further.

"You pass. There's no value in a world that's always as you want it. And

there's no meaning in happiness you didn't earn. Even if it's painful, even if

you feel like you can't bear it at times, it's only through overcoming harsh

realities one after another that you will achieve true happiness. Never forget

that."

The voice that spoke to him sounded nothing like Yue's. Hajime couldn't

even tell if it belonged to a guy or a girl. However, he could feel an

unbelievable amount of warmth from it. Just before he lost consciousness,

Hajime retorted.

"Hah, I don't need you to tell me that. ...But I'll keep it in mind, I guess."

Though Hajime's sight had already clouded over, it seemed to him that

the person he was talking to smiled at that.