Bonus Short Stories
The Rabbit Who Heralds the End of a Journey
“Heeeeeey! Milediiiiiiiii! Get the hell out heeeeeere!” Shea’s voice echoed through the Reisen Gorge, followed by a thunderous crash as her right hook smashed through the revolving door that served as the entrance to the labyrinth.
“Hell yeah!” she said as the door shattered.
“Don’t you ‘hell yeah’ meeeeee!”
Those words floated up on the epitaph at the entrance of the labyrinth, but of course, Shea didn’t care. She was just happy she’d finally gotten her revenge on the revolving door that had once made her wet herself.
“Long time no see, Milefuck Reisen.”
“Don’t just waltz in here like you own the place! And who are you calling Milefuck?!”
“Come on, what’s the big deal? Anyway, let me enter your room. I’ve got something important to discuss.”
“What’s the big deal?! You looked a whole lot cuter the last time you came here, you know?! Now you’re as insolent as that guy!”
“Wait, so you’re saying Hajime-san’s rubbed off on me? Aww, it’s kinda embarrassing when you point it out like that.”
“First you break down my front gate and now you’re bragging about how much you love your boyfriend? Get outta here! I hate normies like you!”
Shea was certain Miledi was fuming behind her smiley face mask right now. However, she’d come here on much more important business than teasing Miledi, so she put on her serious face and said, “We’re going to beat the shit out of Ehit! Come help us!”
Miledi would have gasped...if she had a mouth capable of doing so. She could feel her pulse rising, even though she hadn’t had a real heart in millennia. An enormous wave of emotion washed over her.
Manipulating her labyrinth, she opened the door on Shea’s side. That door led into the moving chamber Miledi had used to send Hajime and the others back to the start of the labyrinth when they’d first conquered it. Not seeing any other reply from Miledi, Shea cautiously stepped into the room. This time it didn’t spin around wildly, and instead smoothly took Shea to her destination.
The door opened, revealing the giant room where Shea and the others had fought the giant golem, the final trial of the labyrinth. One of the floating blocks moved over to her, so she jumped onto it...and as it ferried her across the room, Shea’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Wait...is that an apostle?”
There was a human-sized corpse at the feet of the giant golem. It had been pummeled so thoroughly it was barely recognizable, but the bits of claymore and ripped wings made it clear that it had once been an apostle. Looking around, Shea spotted a few more of them. However, the giant golem and the trial room were completely unharmed. Shea gulped, realizing that the trial really had just been a trial and that when Miledi Reisen the Liberator got serious, she was a whole lot more terrifying.
The block continued ferrying Shea without pause until it stopped before the door leading to Miledi’s room. The same smiley-face golem was waiting for her inside, but there was no mirth behind that mask this time. Miledi was deadly serious, and the sheer pressure coming from that tiny body was enough to give Shea pause.
“Those apostles came to eliminate me, so I figured you guys might return soon. Or rather, I was hoping you would.”
“Miledi...”
“Ahhh...to think the time has finally come... Damn, I spent so long waiting for this moment, but now that it’s here, I don’t have anything clever to say.”
Miledi looked up at the ceiling, lost in thought. Shea watched her quietly, waiting for her to break the silence. It was a little touching knowing that her actions had brought about the moment Miledi had waited so long for.
After a long time, Miledi finally looked back down at Shea and asked in a solemn, almost divine voice, “Would you mind telling me what happened? And what exactly you wish of me?”
Despite feeling a little overwhelmed, Shea told Miledi the whole story. She told her about how they had managed to acquire all seven ancient magics, and about how Ehit had possessed Yue and declared that he would end the world in three days. Miledi listened quietly, sitting perfectly still and not making any comments or asking any questions.
Finally, after Shea finished telling the whole story, Miledi simply replied, “I see.”
It was just a filler statement that people said all the time, but for some reason this “I see” caused Shea to shiver. She would have never imagined that anyone could pack so much emotion into just those two words. They expressed so much more than any lengthy speech could have.
“So yeah, Miledi-san, I came here to—“
Shea had, of course, come to ask Miledi for help. Even if the current Miledi was a little intimidating, she wouldn’t give up on her request easily.
“It’s all good. There’s no need to spell it out for me!” But to Shea’s surprise, Miledi’s intimidating aura vanished in an instant. In fact, Miledi’s voice had regained the same annoying, cheery tone it usually had. “You need the help of this genius mage, don’t you? Man, you guys can’t do anything without me. Well, I guess if you say you looove me, I might be willing to lend you a hand!”
She poked Shea in the chest and grinning smugly (though her mask made it look like she was always smiling). In the end, Miledi was still Miledi. So naturally, Shea responded with a full-power axe kick to Miledi’s head.
“Gaaah!” Miledi screamed, writing around the ground in pain.
After that, she handed over the artifacts she’d saved for precisely this moment, all while being so annoying that Shea beat her up a few more times. She also promised to provide assistance during the final battle, but of course, she was so annoying as she did so that Shea destroyed the room with the gravity-magic-granting magic circle in a fit of rage.
Eventually, as Shea turned to leave, she said in an exasperated voice, “Anyway, I’m going back. Look after all the people on Tortus for me while we’re fighting Ehit, okay?”
“You can count on me! You be careful too, Shea-chan. Don’t underestimate how cruel Ehit can be.”
“Hmph! No matter what he tries, we’ll just crush him head-on!”
“Y-You’re just gonna beat him with brute force? Well, I guess you’ll be fine, since you’re a bunny girl.”
Shea cocked her head in confusion. Rabbitmen were universally considered the weakest race. Shea just happened to be an exception among exceptions. She would have understood if Miledi had said, ‘You’ll be fine, since you’re Shea,’ but she couldn’t get why Miledi had alluded to her race instead. It almost seemed as if Miledi considered rabbitmen a strong race.
Noticing her confusion, Miledi gave Shea a nostalgic look and said, “Rabbitmen are strong.”
“Huh?”
“That was something the beastmen’s strongest general said once long ago, back when the forest was ruled by a republic.”
“Was that general a...?” Shea trailed off and Miledi nodded.
In a gentle voice, she added, “Rabbitmen are by no means weak. The reason they’re cowards is because they have more empathy than any other race, and the reason they’re so good at running and hiding is because they’re kinder than anyone else. But if you get that gentle race riled up for real, then you’re in for a world of hurt. When they make up their minds, no one can stop them.”
Miledi had lived for an incredibly long time, so her words carried a lot of weight. Shea stared at her in surprise, and Miledi said in a proud voice, “Long ago, there was a certain bunny girl who had the complete opposite personality of yours. If anything, you’re a lot more like the person that girl sacrificed her life to save. In a way, it’s like you’ve inherited the best traits of both of them. That’s why I’m not worried about you. Rabbitmen are already strong, and you’re the strongest among them. You have the strength to protect everyone and the cheerful disposition to make everyone smile. Since you’ve got both of those things, you’re invincible. Who knows, maybe you’re one of those girls’ distant descendants.”
She winked playfully as she added that last bit. Shea felt a warmth spreading in her chest.
“Thank you, Miledi-san,” she said in a genuine tone.
“Hm?”
“For living as long as you have, and for leaving your power behind for us. You’re right, I am invincible. After all, I’ve inherited your power and the powers of everyone who fought with you!”
Grinning, Shea flashed Miledi a peace sign.
Miledi turned away, embarrassed, and said in a grateful voice, “No, thank you. I’m glad...you guys were the ones who conquered our labyrinths.”
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