Cheater rather than a Hero

"I'm sorry. I was wrong."

As he said it, Hajime tried to quietly close the door. The blonde-haired, red-eyed girl panicked and tried to stop him. Her voice, unused for years, blurred into a whisper, but her desperation was unmistakable.

"W-Wait! Please! Save me..."

"Nope."

Hajime said that and continued closing the door. A devil.

"W-Why? I will do anything."

The girl was desperate. Only her head was visible, but her expression conveyed everything. Hajime responded in a gloomy tone.

"Hey, this is the bottom of the abyss. I can't just release someone sealed down here. It's way too dangerous. There's nothing here besides the seal. No tools. No hope of escape. So..."

His argument was solid. He wasn't some bleeding-heart fool who would free a girl just because she begged. The old Hajime, before the abyss, might have helped her.

Being coldly rejected, the girl's voice trembled on the edge of tears.

"No! Cough... I'm not bad!... Wait! I was just betrayed."

The door, almost fully shut, stopped with only a small crack remaining. A sliver of light reached into the dark room. Ten seconds. Twenty. Finally, the door opened again. Hajime stood at the threshold with a face twisted like he'd bitten into a lemon full of nails.

He hadn't meant to help her. There had to be a reason she was sealed. No proof she wasn't dangerous. He could easily be deceived. Abandoning her would have been smart.

"What the hell am I doing..."

He sighed inwardly. Her word "betrayed" had shaken something in him. A part of him still hadn't let go of the past. Despite everything, he could still sympathize with someone in the same situation.

He scratched his head and approached the girl, keeping his guard up.

"You said 'betrayed'? I don't buy that's why you were sealed. If that's true, why would they imprison you here?"

The girl was stunned as he returned. Her red eyes, peeking through her matted blonde hair, stared at him. Hajime grew irritated at her silence.

"Hey. Are you listening? If you won't talk, I'm out."

Panicking, she hurried to explain.

"I'm... an atavistic vampire... I was born with great power. I worked hard for my country. But one day, my retainers... told me I wasn't needed. My uncle became king. I didn't mind. But my powers were too dangerous... they couldn't kill me... so they sealed me. Here."

Her voice faded with each word. Hajime groaned. Her tale reeked of drama. But certain parts stood out.

"What royal family?"

"... (Hypnotized)"

"What do you mean by 'can't be killed'?"

"...Automatic regeneration. Injuries heal instantly. Even if I'm decapitated."

"T-That's... impressive. That's your great power?"

"Not just that. Magic. Direct manipulation. No formation needed."

Hajime understood. After devouring demons, he could manipulate magic directly too, but due to his lack of aptitude, he couldn't use regular magic effectively. Still, being able to use magic without formations or chants was absurdly powerful. Combined with immortality? Definitely a cheat. Better than a hero.

"...Help me..."

While Hajime pondered, the girl pleaded.

He stared at her. She stared back. After a long pause, he sighed, scratched his head, and placed his hand on the cube sealing her.

"Ah."

Her eyes widened as she realized what he was doing. Hajime ignored her and focused.

Crimson magic surged from him. The cube resisted, like the unbreakable bedrock he'd encountered before. But not invincible. Bit by bit, his magic eroded the seal.

"Ku, tough bastard... but I'm not who I used to be!"

He poured more magic in. Equivalent to a six-phrase incantation... then seven... eight. The stone trembled.

"Still more!"

Nine phrases worth. Enough for a grand spell—no, more than that. Crimson light bathed the room.

Sweat drenched him. This was his first large-scale magic. A single misstep and he'd lose control. Even so, the cube refused to yield. Desperate, he pushed further, emptying every drop of mana.

He didn't know why he was doing this. But he couldn't walk away. He wanted clarity, yet chose compassion. That contradiction made him serious.

His body glowed red. All his power surged into the cube.

And finally, the seal broke. The cube melted away. Bit by bit, the girl was freed. Her body, pale and emaciated, emerged. She wore nothing beneath the seal, yet a quiet dignity clung to her.

She collapsed weakly. Hajime also dropped, panting heavily. He reached for his potion, but a trembling hand caught his. Weak, powerless, but sincere.

She looked at him. Her voice trembled.

"...Thank you."

How was he supposed to respond? In his blackened heart, a small light remained.

They held hands tightly. Time passed.

From what he knew, vampires had vanished centuries ago. Her ability to speak was rusty, and her face barely changed. She'd been alone for so long, betrayed by her own. Yet she endured. Maybe her regeneration kept her from going insane. Maybe it made the pain worse.

Finally drinking his potion, he smiled wryly and squeezed her hand again. She returned the gesture.

"...What's your name?"

Only now did they realize names hadn't been shared.

"Hajime. Nagumo Hajime. Yours?"

She whispered his name, like memorizing something sacred. Then, softly:

"...Name. Grant me."

"Huh? You forgot it?"

She shook her head.

"Don't need old name. The one Hajime gives... that's fine."

She wanted a new beginning, just as he had. Hajime scratched his head, giving in.

"How about... Yue?"

"Yue?... Yue... Yue."

"It means 'moon' where I'm from. When I saw your eyes through your hair, it reminded me of the moon on a quiet night."

She blinked, surprised. Her face stayed still, but joy danced in her eyes.

"Yeah. Yue. Thank you."

"Also..."

"!?"

Yue blinked as Hajime took off his overcoat and handed it to her.

"Wear this. You can't stay naked."

"..."

Yue took the coat, looked down, and turned red. She quickly covered herself.

"Hajime's a pervert."

"..."

He wisely said nothing.

The oversized coat draped over her small frame. She stood only 140cm tall, clutching the hems with contentment.

Just then, Hajime drank another potion. His senses sharpened. And froze.

A monstrous presence. Directly above!

Something dropped from the ceiling. Hajime snatched Yue and used "Flicker" to move instantly. A massive thud followed.

Five meters long. Four giant shears for arms. Eight rustling legs. Two needle-tipped tails.

A scorpion-like monster.

Poisonous, no doubt. Far stronger than any demon he'd faced so far. His full-powered perception had sensed nothing earlier. Meaning, it was only released when Yue was freed.

A fail-safe. The dungeon's final guardian.

He looked at Yue in his arms. She stared only at him, unshaken. Eyes like calm waters. She entrusted her fate to him.

Their eyes met. He smiled.

He who no longer cared had found a reason to care again. For this betrayed girl, he would fight.

"Bring it on! Kill me if you can!"

He quickly fed a potion to Yue.

"Umu!"

She gagged at first, but felt her strength return.

Hajime shifted her to his back.

"Hold on tight, Yue!"

Still weak, she wrapped her limbs around him.

The scorpion hissed and charged.

Hajime grinned.

"If you're in my way... I'll kill you, and devour you!"