Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou (LN) - Volume 13 - Chapter 6

Final Chapter: The End of a Journey

Ragnarok. That was the name people had given to the battle against Ehit, the battle which had decided the fate of the world.

A month had passed since then, and lively voices could be heard in the place that had once been Heiligh’s capital. It was mostly the voices of craftsmen and laborers that were barking out orders, calling for materials, and occasionally taking short breaks and chatting with each other.

The varied colors of dozens of different people’s mana lit up the construction site as stone and lumber flew everywhere. It was the sight of a city being rebuilt with the magical powers that were commonplace in a fantasy world. Heiligh’s capital had been mostly destroyed when Hajime had blown up the Divine Mountain. And yet, after just one month, the rubble had been completely cleaned away and reconstruction had begun.

Many of the people who hadn’t been able to participate in Ragnarok, namely civilians and craftsmen, had come to help aid the reconstruction effort. These people belonged to all races and came from many different countries.

In truth, when Hajime’s classmates had gone to the various nations to plead for aid, they’d installed the same monitor artifact that Liliana had used to survey the battlefield in the capitals of all of those countries, as well as their major cities. That way, all mortal races had been able to watch the battle for Tortus’s survival at their local city plazas. The vast majority of people had indeed watched the battle unfold in real time.

And after witnessing such a legendary clash, they’d felt a strong desire to do something meaningful as well.

After the battle, Hajime had reopened the portals that connected most of the continent’s major cities, and tons of people had come over to reunite with loved ones who’d been fighting and to celebrate humanity’s victory. At the same time, they’d felt a pang of sorrow upon seeing the sorry state the capital was in, and had decided to dedicate their time to help rebuild it. Thanks to the massive influx of man power, the capital would be mostly rebuilt in just half a year.

The plains that had served as the army’s base camp during Ragnarok had now become the site of the reconstruction effort’s headquarters. The area around the fortress had been ravaged by the battle, but now they’d been flattened once more and were filled with rows upon rows of temporary housing and other facilities for all the workers and craftsmen.

Many merchants had also come to Heiligh to sell necessities and trinkets and whatever else the laborers might need. Restaurants and general goods stores were popping up all over the place, and at the rate things were going, this temporary camp could very well end up a permanent part of the capital city. That would require some expansion, of course, but with some effort, the rebuilt capital would be far more splendid than the original.

The fort itself had also been repurposed to become a temporary Heiligh Palace. More windows and rooms had been added to make it a more comfortable living space.

In the command room of the fort-turned-palace, a young girl let out a worried sigh.

It was none other than Liliana S. B. Heiligh, the girl who’d led Tortus’s armies and had become a legendary figure in her own right.

“Lily, if you keep worrying too much, you’ll go bald,” Yuka said to her in an exasperated voice.

“How can you say that?!”

She looked up from the document she’d been poring over at Yuka, who was sitting at her own desk, sorting a sheaf of documents. She’d elected to help Liliana with her duties, as had Aiko, who was sitting at the desk across from her.

“What’s the big deal?” Aiko asked curiously. “If there are people who want to come, we should let them, right?”

“We’re already over capacity!”

It was great that so many people wanted to come help restore the capital, but there was such a thing as too many. Because so many people were coming, Liliana was stuck in hell organizing all of them, finding places for them to live, expanding the temporary residential districts to house them all, and so on. At this rate, this temporary camp would turn into a proper city well before the capital itself was rebuilt.

Naturally, all of the nobles and ministers who had been assisting Liliana until now were also working hard on this matter, but ultimately, a lot of the responsibility fell on her young shoulders. She’d become a living legend, so everyone wanted to go to her for advice.

Normally, when such a large group of diverse people gathered like this, there would have been a lot more discord. The only reason things had been proceeding as smoothly as they had was thanks to Liliana. Because everyone trusted her, she was able to take command of the entire reconstruction operation. No one wanted to go against her wishes, so people rarely argued with her decisions. Indeed, part of the reason Aiko and Yuka had decided to help Liliana was because they wanted to make use of their fame as the Fertility Goddess and the leader of her students respectively to bolster Liliana’s clout. Though, of course. they genuinely wished to help her too.

“Now, now, calm down, Lily-san. Nomura-kun and the others are working hard at expanding our housing facilities, so there should be enough room.”

“Aiko-san, that’s a problem in its own right. At this pace, we’ll end up building a capital city five times the original one’s size. You do realize that once you’re gone, we’ll still have to govern that massive supercity, right?”

“O-Oh, yeah, when are Simon-san and his priests coming back?”

“Ai-chan-sensei, if you want to change the topic, you’ll have to be more subtle about it...” Yuka said with a wan smile.

There were dark circles under Liliana’s eyes, but she glared at Aiko with more force than one would suspect from such a young girl. Her experiences during Ragnarok had tempered her into quite the strong ruler. Aiko trembled, then looked away bashfully. She’d been talked down to by a girl ten years her junior, but she could tell from the look in Liliana’s eyes that arguing would be a bad idea. Besides, people found it cute when she cowered like a small animal, and even Liliana couldn’t stay mad. She shrugged her shoulders and leaned back into her chair, causing it to creak a little.

“He won’t be returning for a while. He said it was his duty to spread the truth about god and what the Liberators accomplished. Though, I agree that it’s not something the pope should be attending to personally...”

“He’s surprisingly spry for his age. He can manage it.”

“I think he just wants to travel.”

Simon had, of course, survived Ragnarok, but he wasn’t doing much to help Liliana. He was a free-spirited old man who wandered the city streets for fun, much to the chagrin of his bishops and priests. On the other hand, the common people loved him for how approachable he was.

“But you know, if the church needs to change, I think he’s the perfect symbol for what it should become,” Aiko replied, prompting the others to nod.

There was no need for a church that claimed its tenets and faith were absolute anymore.

Religion exists to serve the people, not the other way around.

The church should be a place people can go to for refuge and solace, not a stern overseer, for the people have the right to live freely.

The best god is one who does nothing. One that simply watches over the lives of mortals and blesses them from up high.

If people need salvation, they should turn to each other.

If people need support, they should turn to each other.

Those who do good are holy men, regardless of what robes they wear.

These are the precepts of our new church.

The new tenets that Pope Simon had stated were a stark departure from how the church had been up until now. He’d waited until things had calmed down a little to unveil them, since he’d known they would cause a lot of confusion among believers. And as expected, they had, but since he’d been going around talking to commoners despite being seen as a living incarnation of god among the faithful, they’d slowly started coming around to his new doctrine. It was hard for the people to think there was anything so sacred and inviolate that it deserved absolute obedience when their pope was buying kabob skewers from city stalls and eating them in the streets, especially considering how he fled like a bat out of hell any time his bishops came to drag him back to his actual duties. Granted, some people had been so shocked they’d gone to hospitals claiming they were seeing hallucinations, but overall, Simon’s efforts had been a net positive.

“You’re right that there are some things that can only be accomplished with a pope like him, Aiko-san. Fixing the twisted values of the old church and spreading the truth about the Liberators are both important.”

“The truth, huh?” Yuka said with an odd expression.

Hajime had made an addendum to the fake story he’d come up with Liliana regarding the good and evil gods. Now that the church’s policies had changed, he’d been able to include a bit about the Liberators.

“I mean, it’s mostly true? ‘There’s a real god out there called Ehichlibre, but then an evil god called Ehitruje covered up the truth of his existence and pretended to be the creator of Tortus. The Liberators were a group of brave heroes who gathered together to take him down and free the world from his tyranny.’”

“‘But they weren’t able to beat him and were branded Mavericks after he destroyed their organization. Even then, though, they didn’t give up and created the Labyrinths to pass down their powers to people they deemed worthy. Their leader was the one who saved us from annihilation during Ragnarok, Miledi Reisen.’ That’s the story, right?” Aiko said, finishing the tale for Liliana, and frowning just like Yuka.

Only Liliana didn’t seem to mind that they were fudging the truth a little.

“We have no need for a truth that will only bring the people suffering. Sure, part of that story is a lie, but if that small lie will help people keep their faith without despairing and stop needless conflict, then what’s the problem?”

Yuka and Aiko exchanged glances, impressed by Liliana’s reasoning. They then smiled a little at each other, glad to see her grow. Liliana ignored their patronizing looks and took a sip of her now-cold black tea.

“Besides, the important part of that story is all true. Miledi-san really did save us all.”

Hajime had told her about Miledi’s sacrifice, as well as what had happened during the Sanctuary’s final moments.

“It was none other than Miledi Reisen who gave her life to stop the destruction of the Sanctuary from destroying the world. She undoubtedly prevented Ehit’s final spiteful act.”

Despite giving up her human body and moving her soul to a golem, despite spending millennia alone, Miledi had never once given up on mankind’s future. Her devotion to the people of this world had been greater than anyone’s. And during Ragnarok, hundreds upon thousands of soldiers had seen that with their own eyes. They hadn’t needed Aiko’s or Simon’s speeches to know that Miledi had been thinking only of them, or that the seven-colored aurora that now covered the sky was what had protected their world from destruction. It was obvious to anyone who had eyes.

The title Hajime had originally given Miledi, Protector of the World, had already spread among the people, and they no longer considered her or her companions Mavericks. Historians were busy compiling the events of Ragnarok into their books, as well as going over older history books and making sure they were revised to tell the “true” tale of the Liberators. The story of Miledi and her comrades’ struggle would finally see the light of day.

Incidentally, Ehichlibre was a made-up word Hajime had come up with that meant “the seven liberators.”

In the original story Hajime had come up with, Ehitruje was an evil god who’d taken up the name of the real Ehitruje, who was supposedly good. But after learning that Ehitruje had amplified his powers by having people praise his name and pray to him, Hajime had decided to scrub the name Ehitruje from people’s consciousness as much as possible just in case. Chances were that there was no way Ehitruje was coming back, but Hajime didn’t want to take any chances. Plus, it also would have pissed him off if future generations thought he’d fought to rescue anyone named Ehitruje.

Ultimately, the story Hajime had settled on wasn’t quite the truth, but aside from a few minor details, it was close enough. It was his way of thanking Miledi.

“Most of the newly appointed bishops and priests, as well as the members of the choir who survived, have all taken up their new posts all across Tortus. It helps that most of the old top brass of the church were massacred by Aiko when they tried to stop Hajime-san, so we were able to fill a lot of important posts.”

“Gulp...” Aiko paled when Liliana mentioned that.

“Sorry. But don’t worry, you and Tio-san simply brought them the glory of martyrdom, so I doubt too many people will be mad at you over that.”

“Besides, the members of the choir were mostly clergymen like Simon, who were pseudo-exiled from the church, right?” Yuka asked.

“That’s right. Which is why I’m sure this new ‘truth’ we’ve unveiled will be accepted without complaint by most people and become recorded history.”

Liliana smiled wickedly, thinking about how to effectively mix truth and lies to get the results she was hoping for. Yuka looked sadly at her and muttered, “Lily...you’ve changed.”

“What do you mean?!”

“You’ve become a lot more like Nagumo.”

“Oh my...I can’t believe you’re saying he’s branded me with his mark! Oh, how embarrassing!”

“That wasn’t what I said, and it wasn’t a compliment.”

Yuka glared at Liliana the same way she’d glared at Aiko a few minutes ago. However, Liliana was too busy blushing and fantasizing to hear.

Instead, Aiko jumped out of her chair and shouted, “Y-You shouldn’t say such things like...branded! You’re still so young, Liliana-san, so such things are too early for you! Besides, as a princess, you should act with decorum!”

“Don’t think you can take the moral high ground! I know what sort of things you’ve been doing with Hajime-san!”

“I-I-I-I-I have not!”

“Liar! You can’t escape my perceptive eyes! I can’t believe a teacher like you is spouting lies! And you have the gall to tell me I’m not telling people the truth?!”

“Th-Th-They’re not the same thing!”

“Yes they are!”

Liliana and Aiko argued back and forth, but there was no viciousness in their voices. The two of them were speech buddies, after all. In fact, they’d gotten a lot closer recently and showed sides of themselves to each other that they wouldn’t to most people, just like right now.

“Hmmmmmm. I see. So even you’ve become his woman, Ai-chan-sensei,” Yuka said with a piercing look.

“S-Sonobe-san?!”

Aiko turned back to Yuka, but she just harrumphed and turned away. It was obvious from the way that she was twirling her hair and tapping her foot that she was jealous.

“U-Umm, it’s not what you—”

“No need to explain. It’s got nothing to do with me, anyway. Besides, I already know that Yue-san’s the one who manages Nagumo’s harem. Anyone she’s okay with gets to join, right? That’s how it is for Tio-san and Kaori, right? Actually, I know she was pushing for Nagumo to start fucking those two. I guess now you’ve been accepted by her too, huh? Congrats.”

“I have...” Aiko said in a tiny voice, looking extremely repentant.

In fact, there had been quite a few girls who had officially joined Hajime’s harem over the past month. Glad to finally be reunited with him, Yue had been all over Hajime for the first few days. For his part, Hajime had been away from Yue for what felt like a whole month thanks to the Hour crystal, so he hadn’t minded her affections in the slightest. This, of course, included nightly sex.

Naturally, this got Shea, who had technically been officially accepted as part of Hajime’s harem, as well as Kaori and Tio, jealous, so they started challenging Yue to daily duels and begging her to let them spend time with Hajime too.

They’d been getting more and more emotional with their pleas, and that had gotten Yue thinking. When they returned to Japan, she, of course, planned on staying at Hajime’s house as his lover and future wife. And she was planning on asking Hajime’s parents to let Shea live with them too. But what about Tio? Kaori had a home to return to, so there was no worry there, but Tio didn’t. She couldn’t just leave Tio behind in Tortus, but if they were living together and she was the only one not officially part of Hajime’s harem, it would just be too sad. Even a raging masochist like her wouldn’t enjoy that kind of treatment. It would break her, Yue was sure of it.

And so, after some discussion with Hajime, Yue had decided to cement her position as the first wife and the most special of Hajime’s lovers, but allow Tio into the harem as well. There wasn’t really much resistance either from her or from Hajime, since they both cared for Tio as much as they did Shea at this point. Besides, it was a nice thing that their family was growing. And as much as it pained her to admit it, Yue knew that she felt just as much affection for Kaori as well, so she begrudgingly allowed her in too. At which point, Yue had realized she’d let so many people in that she may as well let the rest of the girls in love with Hajime join too, so Aiko and Liliana had been given the stamp of approval too.

Granted, Aiko and Liliana had only gotten Yue’s approval and had still needed to win Hajime’s, so unsurprisingly, they’d started coming on to him stronger than ever. That being said, Liliana was royalty, and too young for the kinds of activities all the other girls were engaging in, so her relationship with Hajime was more wholesome. For now, anyway.

While Aiko was thinking back on all that had happened over the past month, a group of four girls came in through the open door.

“Jealousy doesn’t suit you, Yukacchi,” Nana said with a smile.

“Yeah, don’t take your anger out on Ai-chan-sensei. It’s your own fault that you were too much of a coward to make your move when everyone else did,” Taeko added.

“You reap what you sow, after all,” Mao said.

“C-Come on, don’t bully her so much, you three!” Ayako said in a worried voice.

The four of them had also been helping out with the capital’s restoration, and judging by the trays of food they were holding, they’d come to eat lunch with everyone in Liliana’s office.

“How many times do I have to tell you, I don’t have a crush on Nagumo!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say,” Nana, Taeko, and Mao said in unison. Only Ayako showed Yuka any sympathy, but that was because she was in the same boat. Like Yuka, she was unable to be honest with her feelings, but in her case, it was because she was shy rather than tsundere.

“Well, anyway, you can rest easy Ai-chan-sensei,” Nana said with a grin as she started distributing food to everyone.

“What do you mean?”

“Even when we get back to Japan, all of the students have promised to keep the fact that you’re dating one of your students a secret.”

“You can trust us!” Taeko added.

“You had a pretty steamy night with Nagumo-kun last night too, didn’t you?” Mao asked, eyes brimming with curiosity.

Aiko looked as though she’d been hit over the head with a hammer. After a few seconds of stunned shock, she blushed bright red and ran out of the room, unable to bear the teasing any longer.

“Ah!”

“Hwuh?”

But as she ran out, she ran into Atsushi, Noboru, Akito, Jugo, Kentarou, and Kouki, who’d also all been helping out with the capital’s restoration. Her eye’s met Atsushi’s, and there was a long, awkward pause.

“D-Don’t worry, we’ll keep your relationship a secret too,” Atsushi said after a moment.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Covering her face with her hands, Aiko slunk back into the room, utterly defeated. She sat down in the corner and cradled her knees, rocking back and forth, tormented by a mixture of shame and self-disgust.

“Did I say something wrong?” Atsushi asked.

“I mean, what else was there to say?” Akito replied as he rested a comforting hand on Atsushi’s shoulder.

“Man, I still can’t believe it. I mean, I suspected it when she asked Nagumo to call her by her first name back at the Demon Lord’s castle, but like, man, that guy really gets around,” Noboru said with begrudging admiration.

“Hey, stop teasing Ai-chan, you guys!” Nana said.

“I don’t want to hear that from you, Miyazaki!” Atsushi retorted.

The guys also walked into the room with their packed lunches and joined the others. The rest of their classmates would be coming pretty soon too. Ever since Ragnarok, they’d been eating most of their meals together. Fortunately, the office was large enough to accommodate all of them. However, there was one particular student who hesitated to join the group.

“What’s wrong, Amanogawa?” Jugo asked, turning to Kouki, who was still standing in the doorway.

“Oh, umm...I think I’ll eat somewhere else after all...” Kouki replied with an awkward smile. But as soon as he took a step backward Kentarou, who was at the back of the group, kicked him lightly in the back.

“Don’t be stupid. We’re not gonna ostracize you just because you made a few mistakes in the past. Hurry up and get in there.”

“Whoa!”

Kouki stumbled forward, entering the room. The girls turned to him, and he sucked in a pained breath.

“Stop standing there like a deer in headlights and pick a seat already,” Yuka said, pulling an extra set of chairs out of her Treasure Trove. Realizing it was too late to leave gracefully now, Kouki hesitantly picked a chair. He no longer exuded charisma with his every move like he had when he’d first been summoned here. It seemed he’d lost it along with his self-confidence.

Even though he was the hero, he’d defected to the enemy’s side right before humanity’s pitched battle for their survival. All of the other nations knew he was the chosen hero too, so he couldn’t pretend to have just been one of the unimportant students.

Hajime had offered to cover up his misdeeds by spreading another fake story about what had happened to him, but Shizuku, and more importantly Kouki himself, had sternly refused the offer. Over the past month, Kouki had come to terms with the truth he’d tried so hard to deny, and gone around apologizing to everyone he’d wronged and doing everything he could to help the restoration effort.

Unsurprisingly, it hadn’t been easy to get the people of Tortus to forgive him. The leaders of the various nations, as well as the common people, still regarded him with wariness and suspicion. Kouki had spent the last month purposely exposing himself to their unfriendly glares.

Indeed, even some of his classmates were still angry at him. But Kouki’s sincere apologies, the regret he constantly showed for his past actions, and the herculean effort he was putting in to change hadn’t gone completely unnoticed. Moreover, he’d taken it upon himself to put some distance between him and Shizuku, Ryutarou, and Suzu, even though they’d forgiven him. They were the ones he’d hurt the most, and he still felt extremely guilty about that. That fact hadn’t gone unnoticed by his classmates, and when they all filed in to join for lunch, no one glared at him at least.

“You know, Amanogawa,” Yuka suddenly said, turning to Kouki. He’d been eating in a corner of the room away from the rest of the group, and he jumped a little with surprise when he was addressed. He then looked down at his hands, a sinner waiting to hear his sentence.

“I’ve told you this before too. It’s not like I’ve swept everything you’ve done under the rug. I’m still not sure if you’ve really reformed or not either. Everyone else is probably thinking something similar.”

“I know...”

“But at the same time, I’m genuinely glad you came back to us alive.”

Kouki hesitantly looked up. All other conversations had halted, and his classmates were all looking at him.

“It’s still hard to fully trust you. But you know, Shizuku risked her life to bring you back, and we all trust her, so we’re not going to just cut you off. When all’s said and done, you’re still one of us.”

“Besides, it’s partly on us for relying on you during all of the hard fights and then not even trying to stop you when you started leaning toward the dark side,” Jugo added solemnly.

“Sonobe’s right,” Kentarou said with a shrug of his shoulders. “If nothing else, we’re all glad you came back alive. We’re tired of seeing our classmates die. Truly.”

Everyone else must have felt the same way, since no one said anything to argue. No longer looking like a cowering animal, Aiko rose to her feet and spoke to Kouki in a reassuring tone.

“Amanogawa-kun. I’ve been watching you this past month, and I know for a fact that your remorse is heartfelt. I’m sure everyone else does too. Of course, it will take time for you to regain the trust you lost,” Aiko stated as she walked over to Kouki and looked him directly in the eyes. “I won’t tell you to stop worrying and think only of the future. It’s important not to forget the mistakes of the past, after all. But that being said, there’s no need for you to isolate yourself from others.”

“I-I...”

Kouki once again looked over at his classmates. They weren’t looking kindly at him, nor were they looking at him with trust like they once had, but their gazes weren’t cold either. They were looking at him like an equal, willing to see Kouki Amanogawa for who he was.

He had been so focused on atoning that he hadn’t even noticed that the suspicion and anger had vanished from their gazes. Though their eyes weren’t kind, they brought the kind of solace kindness alone never could.

“I’m sorry... I really...hic...am so sorry... Thank you, guys...” Kouki let the tears spill freely from his eyes.

“Don’t cry, idiot. You’re ruining your good looks,” Atsushi said in a joking voice.

“Today might finally be that special day. So perk up, Amanogawa,” Noboru added.

“Yeah, you’ll ruin the mood if you’re crying,” Jugo said.

The three boys patted Kouki on the shoulder. That, too, brought Kouki some much-needed solace.

Conversation started up again among the students, and they started talking about the “special day” that Noboru had mentioned. Swallowing his sobs, Kouki gave everyone a weak smile and returned to his food. Around the time everyone had finished eating, Helina came into the office.

“Princess, my apologies for disturbing your meal.”

“Helina.”

Helina looked over at Aiko and Yuka, then smiled and said, “I bring word from Nagumo-sama. He says ‘the preparations are complete.’”

The students exchanged glances, their eyes sparkling with hope.

Today was a momentous day for the Hoelscher Empire.

“I have nothing but respect for the brave warriors who fought and died—”

There was a speech being given in the main square, which was filled to the brim with people. There were even people crowding the windows of the nearby buildings to try to get a look at the podium.

The leaders of the continent’s various nations, as well as the church’s top brass, were in attendance, sitting in front-row seats that had been set aside for them.

Though it sounded like a memorial speech, that wasn’t actually what this was. That speech had already been delivered the day after Ragnarok, at the plains where the battle had taken place. Everyone who’d survived the battle had attended that speech, as well as hundreds of thousands of civilians who’d teleported in thanks to the portals Hajime had set up at all the major cities in the world.

No, today’s ceremony was for a completely different occasion.

“I hope this ceremony actually manages to start changing people’s minds...”

“Yeah, when the Haulia went on a rampage and forced the empire to free all its slaves, the people were more confused than anything else. I don’t think it did anything to change their prejudiced mindset.”

“Well, I think it’ll work out. At least from what I can tell.”

Shizuku, Suzu, and Ryutarou were watching the speech from one of the castle’s balconies. Indeed, this ceremony was celebrating the signing of a peace treaty between Verbergen and the Hoelscher Empire, which would hopefully also change the way its people treated beastmen.

Standing on the left side of the podium were Gahard and his retainers, while on the right stood Ulfric, the other elders of Verbergen, and Cam. The peace treaty was held by a dignitary between the two leaders and would be signed once the speeches were done.

Ryutarou smiled as he examined the crowd and gauged their mood.

“Humans and beastmen risked their lives together during Ragnarok, and even the people who weren’t there saw how well they fought together through Nagumo’s artifacts. At this point, I think you’re more likely to be ostracized if you start spouting that prejudiced crap about how beastmen didn’t receive god’s grace.”

“True. Everyone realized it doesn’t matter whether you possess mana or not. It’ll probably be hard for humans and beastmen to get along right away, but at least people’s views are changing,” Shizuku replied.

“Simon-san’s actually been doing his job for once too,” Suzu added, thinking back to the church’s proclamation.

Pope Simon had released an official statement saying that the church would henceforth consider beastmen fully people, rather than subhuman. It also made it a sacrilegious offense to do otherwise. The people hadn’t really needed too much urging, though, since they’d seen how much aid the dragonmen had rendered during Ragnarok, and moreover, the party that had invaded the Sanctuary to slay Ehitruje had included a rabbitman and a dragonman. Both of them were now legendary heroes who’d go down in history. Anyone who tried to disparage their species wouldn’t find many friends among the people of Tortus.

Indeed, it wasn’t just in the Hoelscher Empire where attitudes toward beastmen were changing, but in every human country. Even those unwilling to change found they could no longer openly espouse racist views.

Ragnarok had already brought the two races together better than any speech could have. It was a delicious bit of irony that it was Ehitruje, the man who’d promoted those racist views in the first place, that everyone had come together to rally against.

“Hey, that’s rude, Suzu! I know he’s not the most serious of popes, but he does his work properly.”

“I mean...” Suzu mumbled as she glanced down at the podium, looking at the person giving the speech. She then pointed her out with a finger and continued, “Kaorin nearly fainted when he pushed the responsibility of giving today’s speech and being the witness for the peace treaty signing onto her.”

Shizuku averted her gaze, unable to argue with it. Indeed, when he’d been told of his duties, Simon had immediately turned to Kaori and said, “You’re a more fitting representative than I am, so I’ll let you take care of it!”

“Kaorin was a huge bundle of nerves back in the waiting room, but now that she’s onstage, she’s doing a pretty good job... She even looks like a saint.”

“What is it the people are calling her now, the Black-Silver Saint? The Haulia seem to really love that name.”

“Don’t tell that to Kaori. Remember how embarrassed she was when they all started cheering it?”

Ragnarok had been a fierce battle, and frankly, it wouldn’t have been surprising if casualties had been much, much higher. But in the end, of the people who’d died, only thirty percent had been disintegrated so thoroughly that they couldn’t be revived, or had been dead for too long. That was all thanks to Kaori’s efforts, as she’d continued keeping her healing magic going even in the midst of a pitched battle with the apostles. To the soldiers, she was more like a healing saint than a battle valkyrie.

Both the Hoelscher Empire and Verbergen had wanted her present for the ceremony, and though it was irresponsible of him, Simon had been right when he’d said she was better suited to give this speech than him. Shizuku and the others had tagged along to give her moral support.

Finally, Kaori brought the speech to a close, and Gahard and Ulfric strode forward to sign the peace treaty. The two of them looked at each other, with Kaori standing in between them. This was undoubtedly a historic moment.

As they were watching, Shizuku heard a dismissive voice from the corner of the balcony.

“Hmph, it’s simply not right that our leader, a man dedicated to a life in the shadows, has to be present for such a public ceremony.”

It was obvious from her tone who she was, and in a way, that showed that Haulia stood out more than anyone else despite their skill with assassination.

Shizuku rolled her eyes and said, “Lana-san.”

“Shizuku-sama, please address me by my proper name, Lanain—”

“Lana-san.”

“Hmph!”

She was a very pretty woman, but the way she covered her face with one hand and tried to look extremely cool while walking away ruined any effect her beauty might have had.

“Umm, shouldn’t you be down there too?” Suzu asked timidly.

Lana stopped, and her bunny ears started twitching nervously. She stopped trying to make a cool pose and blushed a little as she said, “K-Kou-kun said he’d rather watch from up here, so...”

“Kou-kun...”

Shizuku, Suzu, and Ryutarou said in harmony.

“Umm, I’d prefer it if you guys didn’t call me that, Yaegashi-san. It’s...embarrassing.”

Shizuku turned in surprise and saw a shadow moving in the corner of the room.

“Endou-kun, you were here?!” Shizuku and Suzu exclaimed.

“Don’t scare me like that, Endou!” Ryutarou shouted.

“I wasn’t trying to. I’ve been here with Lana this whole time.”

Indeed, Kousuke Endou, the man with less presence than even air, had been watching along with everyone else.

Shizuku and the others tried to calm their pounding hearts. They’d managed to survive a life-and-death struggle in the Sanctuary, but even that hadn’t given them the ability to sense Kousuke when he was right in front of them. Granted, Kousuke’s powers had evolved considerably after he’d awoken to his true calling during Ragnarok. Now, he was harder to notice than ever before.

“I got a message from Nagumo, by the way. He’s almost ready. We should probably head back once the ceremony is done. I actually came here so we could all return together.”

“Really? Why did Hajime contact you instead of me?” Shizuku asked with a small pout.

“You’ve gotten pretty close with Nagumo-kun recently, I noticed,” Suzu said.

“Yeah. You’re the only guy in our class who actually spends time with him, now that I think about it,” Ryutarou mused.

In truth, Kousuke and Hajime got along surprisingly well, and the two of them had become good friends over the past month.

Puffing her chest out proudly, Lana said, “Of course! Kou-kun’s abilities have been recognized by Boss! He’s going to become his right-hand man, the Demon Lord’s dagger in the dark!”

“That’s the first I’ve heard of that!” everyone, including Kousuke, exclaimed. Shizuku and the others all turned to Lana, who seemed puzzled by their surprise.

“What’s so strange about that? I told you guys too, didn’t I? Even though I’m dating Kou-kun now, I’m still Boss’s loyal subordinate.”

“Yeah, you mentioned something like that, I think,” Kousuke said.

“Which means you’re his subordinate too, Kou-kun.”

“Is that how it works?”

“Obviously. And since you’re way stronger than any of us Haulia, that makes you Boss’s right-hand man.”

“Y-Yeah. Wait, what?”

“Let’s serve Boss faithfully together, Kou-kun!”

“...Okay!” Kousuke looked completely taken aback for a while, but after seeing Lana’s dazzling smile, he decided whatever she wanted was good enough for him.

Are you really okay with that, Endou-kun? Shizuku thought with a worried smile.

“Well, I guess he did literally go through hell to win Lana-san’s heart,” Shizuku mused.

“She told him he had to conquer at least one labyrinth and manage to land a scratch on Nagumo-kun in a duel if he wanted to date her, right? That was basically a polite way of saying no, wasn’t it?” Suzu added.

“But then, he actually went and did it... The guy’s amazing,” Ryutarou concluded, impressed.

After Ragnarok, Kousuke had tried his best to win Lana’s affection, and after persevering through multiple rejections, she’d finally tasked him with those insane conditions if he wanted to date her. To everyone’s surprise, he’d actually pulled it off.

He went missing for a week, then showed up covered in wounds and with the ability to use gravity magic. He’d then challenged Hajime to a duel and managed to land a hit on him.

As a man, Hajime had, of course, had no intention of going easy on Kousuke and negating the point of the challenge. He’d been able to tell just how serious Kousuke was and understood how determined Kousuke was to win Lana’s legitimate approval. Thus, he’d gone all out against Kousuke. And yet, Kousuke had still managed to injure him.

It was true that Hajime hadn’t fully healed from his battle with Ehitruje, and that Kousuke’s rather chuuni antics had brought back his own dark past and shaken him mentally, but that didn’t change the fact that Kousuke’s reckless kamikaze attack had still put a scratch on Hajime’s cheek.

After that, he’d given Lana a truly heartfelt confession and she’d been moved enough to reciprocate his feelings. Even Hajime had been impressed by Kousuke’s manly display. Moreover, the Haulia had given Kousuke a super edgy nickname the same way they had Hajime, and if Kousuke and Lana really did get married, that would make Kousuke a member of the Haulia, so to Hajime, Kousuke was practically family.

Unsurprisingly, the two had started getting along pretty well after that.

“I still have business I need to take care of here, so I’ll be staying in the Hoelscher Empire...which is why I want to spend as much time with Kou-kun as I can before you all go,” Lana explained, blushing a little again.

“L-Lana... Hehehe...”

As the days passed, her feelings for Kousuke grew stronger and stronger. Whatever her thoughts might have been when she first agreed to date him, she seemed to genuinely like him now. Though in a way, it was a little sad that her chuuni mannerisms didn’t change at all, nor did her loyalty toward Hajime despite the fact that she was falling in love with Kousuke.

“Well, I guess if Endou’s fine with it, it’s not our place to say anything...” Shizuku muttered.

“Endou-kun’s really amazing. I think he’s the only one of us who actually got stronger after Ragnarok.”

“Yeah, for all of our efforts, we haven’t really gotten much stronger since... I can see why Hajime thinks so highly of him.”

Without Miledi, the trials and traps of the Reisen Gorge had all become automated, and the final fight was with a regular golem instead of her, so it had become a little easier to clear. As a result, Hajime was getting worried people who weren’t worthy might be able to clear it and had added a few living golems of his own to the labyrinth. Since those golems had Gatling guns and missiles and pile bunkers, it was possible he’d actually made the labyrinth harder than it had been when he’d cleared it. However, he hadn’t done anything to any of the other labyrinths. He figured that now that everyone knew the truth, if someone wanted to challenge the Labyrinths and gain the Liberators’ powers for themselves, that was on them.

Strictly speaking, if they wanted to avoid someone with wicked intentions going in and clearing the Labyrinths, it would have been best to destroy them, but neither Hajime nor his comrades could bring themselves to defile the dungeons that also served as the graves of the Liberators.

At any rate, the point was that Kousuke had cleared what was probably now the hardest Labyrinth, and he’d earned Hajime’s respect for it.

“Oh, they’re finally signing the treaty,” Suzu said, and everyone looked down at the podium again.

Gahard and Ulfric signed the treaty, exchanged a firm handshake, and Kaori announced that it was now in effect.

Cheers rang out from the crowd. Though this was just a peace treaty, and not a true alliance, everyone knew this was the moment that humans and beastmen had joined hands to build a brighter future together.

Shizuku and the others smiled as well. But then—“Oh, it’s the chief!”

Cam started striking extremely strange poses as the two leaders shook hands, and for a moment, Shizuku wondered if he’d left his sense of shame back in the forest. Gahard and the others covered their faces with their hands, and Kaori’s expression stiffened. The silence that followed was painful.

“Nice going, chief. You nailed it,” Lana said with a grin.

Kaori was the first to recover and she quickly announced the construction of a beastmen embassy in the Hoelscher Empire to promote goodwill between the two nations. She also went on to explain that the Haulia would be its ambassadors, and for a moment, everyone wondered if they heard right.

Unfortunately, they hadn’t, and indeed a few Haulia would be permanently stationed in the Hoelscher Empire at all times. Lana was, in fact, one of the ones who’d volunteered to serve as ambassador.

Both the imperial ministers who’d been informed of this beforehand and the rank-and-file soldiers who were hearing this for the first time despaired at the announcement. The regular citizens, who didn’t know how terrifying the Haulia could be, just looked happy to have this seemingly cheerful rabbitman as an ambassador and clapped wholeheartedly.

“The common people are probably better off not knowing what the Haulia are really like,” Suzu muttered, and Shizuku nodded emphatically.

A short while later, Kaori returned to the group.

“Fwaaaaaah! Shizuku-chan, I’m so tiiiiiired.”

She walked into the room, staggering a little, then went over to Shizuku, who was lounging on a sofa, and collapsed on top of her, resting her head atop Shizuku’s lap.

“Ha ha ha, you did good out there. You looked really cool, Kaori,” Shizuku said as she gently stroked Kaori’s hair, and Kaori closed her eyes contentedly. “Now that you’ve finished your last job, it’s time to say goodbye to this hair and this body, isn’t it?”

“Hmm, yeah, probably. I’m not going to be showing up in public as an apostle anymore...so it’s about time I went back to my original body.”

“Yue-onee-sama mentioned she could reforge your original body into one as strong as an apostle, didn’t she?” Suzu asked, watching with a smile as Shizuku and Kaori cuddled up together. Kaori sat up and nodded to Suzu.

“Yep. Yue and Tio both have unnaturally long life spans, and at this point, Hajime-kun probably does too. I told them if they were all going to outlive me in my original body, I’d rather just stay in this apostle one, but then...”

Yue had strongly pushed for Kaori to return to her original body. She’d wanted Kaori to greet her parents as her original self, to put them at ease when they returned. She’d even offered to use one of the techniques she’d learned from Ehitruje when he’d been possessing her body—the ability to create apostles—to strengthen Kaori’s original body if that was what it took. She’d apostleify Kaori’s body, increasing its life span and making it as strong as Hajime’s and the others’.

Kaori had known Yue was willing to do all this because she cared about Kaori, and her family, and Kaori had graciously taken her up on her offer.

“She really just won’t let anyone else win. Not only is she the adult of the group now...she’s even declared herself first wife,” Kaori stated as she made a pouting face, but her tone was happy. She still saw Yue as her ultimate rival, but at the same time, she really did care for her, and she trusted her more than anyone other than Hajime.

“Oh, uhhh, does that mean Shizuku’s gonna get that power up too?” Ryutarou asked somewhat awkwardly. Shizuku blushed and fidgeted a little.

“Hmm, eventually, I guess?” she said hesitantly.

“You’ve become Boss’s woman too, Shizuku-sama, so you need to be more confident! Oh, Kou-kun, since she’s also part of Boss’s family, we need to show her proper respect.”

“Lana-san, how many times do I have to tell you to phrase that more elegantly?! You make it sound like we’re some kind of mafia!” Shizuku said.

“Considering the way Nagumo normally acts, we may as well be,” Kousuke muttered with a weary smile on his face.

“Not you too, Endou-kun! Besides, that would make you the don’s hit man! Are you really okay with that?!”

“W-Well, I mean...yeah.”

Kousuke averted his gaze, and Kaori grinned at him. As he and Lana had grown closer, they’d naturally gone to the next step in their relationship, and it seemed that Kousuke was fine with being a hit man or an assassin or whatever if it meant he got to keep making out with her. Suzu seemed to have picked up on the nuance of his response as well, and she grinned too.

In an attempt to change the subject, Kousuke got to his feet and clapped his hands. As he took the Gate Key out of his pocket, Lana turned to him.

“See you later, Kou-kun. I’ll head back tomorrow too.”

“See you then, Lana,” Kousuke replied with a tiny hint of sadness in his voice. He didn’t want to be separated from Lana for even a day. Though they’d only been dating for a short while, to the onlookers, it was clear they were already as close as husband and wife at this point.

Kousuke cleared his throat and began to activate the key.

“Hey, hey, hey! Don’t just leave without even saying anything, you guys!” Gahard said, bursting into the room right as the portal opened.

“Oh, do you need something, Your Majesty?” Shizuku asked with a slight frown, and Gahard glared at her.

“Don’t tell me you forgot! You promised to remove these collars once the peace treaty was signed!”

“Oh...”

“Wait, you actually forgot?!”

It was clear from Shizuku’s expression that she had indeed forgotten. Seeing as no one else had reminded her, everyone other than Lana had forgotten too.

“Hehehe, this is a life-and-death matter for the imperial family, but I see that’s not of much importance to you guys,” Lana said with a chuckle, and Gahard turned his furious gaze onto her.

“If you want us to be friends, you can’t keep holding our lives in your hands. It was Verbergen that said we were going to be equals, remember?”

Gahard and his family were indeed still wearing Necklaces of Vows, which the Haulia had forced onto them when they’d made Gahard release all the beastmen slaves and also stop persecuting them. If they ever broke their word, the necklace would immediately kill all of them.

Shizuku and the others had naturally forgotten about that fateful day Cam’s Haulia had raided the imperial castle, but Gahard sure hadn’t. And today, he’d been promised that if he signed a peace treaty with Verbergen, he’d be able to have those necklaces removed. Ulfric had suggested that concession and the elders had unanimously agreed to it, as had Cam. Thus, the rest of the imperial family was in another room waiting to get their necklaces removed.

Incidentally, it was Shizuku who was holding on to the artifact that would remove them.

“I-I swear I didn’t forget,” Shizuku said, but her words weren’t very convincing.

“......” Gahard simply glared daggers at her.

Shizuku coughed awkwardly and took the artifact out of her Treasure Trove.

“For now, let’s make sure it works by testing it on you, Your Majesty.”

Gahard wordlessly held up the necklace. Shizuku tapped the red jewel at its center with what looked like a conductor’s baton. Both the jewel and the baton glowed for a few seconds, then went dark.

“That should have done it.”

“Are you sure?”

Considering he would die if it was still working and he removed it, Gahard’s caution was understandable.

“Oh, stop being such a coward. Take it off and find out,” Lana said, striding over to him.

“Hey, stop!”

She grabbed the necklace and lifted it over his head.

“This is why no one likes the Haulia...” Gahard grumbled, very much alive.

“Seems like it worked,” Ryutarou said, breathing a sigh of relief. Even he’d been a little scared at Lana’s recklessness.

It didn’t look like Gahard was foaming at the mouth or in extreme pain or anything either, so he was probably fine. He let out the breath he’d been holding, and in an attempt to get back at Lana a little, he grinned intimidatingly at her and said, “Looks like I can finally get my revenge on you now.”

It was Shizuku, not Lana, who responded to the joking threat.

“Oh, I have a message for you from Hajime. ‘Don’t cause any trouble. If you do, I’ll give the Haulia a few Hyperion lasers and some meteors to throw at your empire.’”

“I’ll protect the peace, don’t worry,” Gahard said, his expression suddenly turning serious. As the leader of an empire where people only followed the strong, he knew the consequences of opposing Hajime.

“Wait, Boss is going to give us a present if you attack? Well, bring it on, then!” Lana said, taunting him. She was a Haulia through and through.

“Oh, shut up! You guys already have more than enough artifacts from that guy! All the ones he gave us are ashes now! It’s not fair!” Gahard roared and stamped his feet in genuine frustration.

Indeed, after Ragnarok, Hajime had collected all of the artifacts he’d given the soldiers and disposed of them. He hadn’t wanted to mess with the military balance between the nations of the world.

A few might have survived the purge, but not enough to make a tactical difference at least. After that exhausting final battle, there hadn’t been too many soldiers willing to try to sneak away with Hajime’s artifacts. Plus, they’d all had to travel through his portals to get home, so he’d had everyone who stepped through one inspected.

Once he recreated the Compass of Eternal Paths, he’d be able to use it to track down any artifacts that had managed to slip away too. Everyone knew they couldn’t hide from Hajime, so they weren’t even trying. Unless someone wanted to commit a very roundabout suicide by purposely incurring Hajime’s ire, there was no reason for them to try to sneak his artifacts home with them.

Apparently, Gahard had gotten on his hands and knees and begged Hajime to let him at least keep his set of artifacts, but that had just annoyed Hajime, so he’d destroyed them all in front of his eyes. Only the Haulia had been spared the artifact purge. For one thing, they were Hajime’s family now, and for another, he’d figured they’d need some firepower just in case the empire tried anything funny.

Naturally, Gahard hadn’t liked that one bit.

“Umm, Your Majesty. Hajime handed me something to give you as well.”

“What is that? A bomb or something? You want me to carry it now that our necklaces are gone?”

“Not at all.”

Shizuku understood Gahard’s apprehension when it came to Hajime, but fortunately, he’d been nice this time around.

The moment he saw the ring Shizuku took out and handed to him, his expression brightened considerably.

“Wh-Whoa. Is this...?”

“It doesn’t come equipped with any weapons, and it’s only big enough for one person, but inside that Treasure Trove is your very own personal airship. The Treasure Trove was made to fit just it, so you won’t be able to store anything else there. You mentioned the last time you rode Fernir that you wanted an airship of your own, so he made one for you as a token of friendship. But don’t get any weird ideas, or—”

“I would never betray my best friend’s wishes!” Gahard exclaimed, suddenly very happy with Hajime. He kept his expression stern though, which must have taken considerable effort.

Suzu and Ryutarou looked at him and said, “You know, when he’s like this, he just seems like a kind old man.”

“Yeah, I feel like he’s been bullied more than he’s actually bullied other people.”

The imperial family would have died of shame if they’d heard that, but Gahard didn’t seem to care at all.

“Well played, Boss. You understand how to play good cop, bad cop better than anyone!” Lana said appreciatively.

“It’s kind of scary how well he manages to read people,” Kousuke murmured.

Gahard hadn’t expected to receive such a lavish gift, so he was truly overjoyed.

“Holy shit, an airship just for me. That’s insane. Man, screw being emperor, I’m going to become an adventurer and fly all over the world.”

It was quite possible a new emperor might soon be born for an extremely dumb reason.

Unable to watch any longer, Shizuku turned her back to him. It wasn’t that she couldn’t bear to see an old man get all excited like a kid. No, the reason was much more sinister.

I-I can’t tell him. I can’t let him know that Lily and Cam have remote self-destruct switches for the airship...

Hajime had put a self-destruct system in place just in case Gahard tried to use his mini-Fernir to invade another country.

When she thought back to the smiles Liliana and Cam had given Hajime when he explained the self-destruct switch to them, Shizuku felt even more certain she couldn’t ever tell Gahard about its existence. She looked over at Kaori, who also knew the truth, and the two of them silently made a pact not to mention a word of this to Gahard. Lana, who also knew, grinned slyly to herself.

A few seconds later, Gahard’s aides came in to check on him. He hadn’t returned for some time, so they were getting worried. That reminded Shizuku of the fact that they were wasting time, so she got back to business.

“Ahem! All right, Your Majesty, let’s go get those necklaces off the rest of your family.”

“Of course! Thank you very much!”

Gahard nodded, still in a very good mood. Unfortunately, his good mood loosened his tongue, and he said something he really shouldn’t have.

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention. Shizuku, it’s a shame that you were taken from me, but if it’s my best friend Hajime Nagumo, then I suppose I can allow it. Congratulations.”

“Huh? What are you congratulating me for?”

“Why, losing your virginity, of—”

Shizuku silently drew her blade and slashed right at Gahard’s neck.

“Shizuku-chan stoooooop!”

Kaori had to use Godspeed to move fast enough to stop Shizuku’s slice.

“Get out of my way, Kaori! I’m going to kill him!”

“You can’t! Think about how it would look if after a ceremony to celebrate the signing of a peace treaty, the speech giver’s best friend kills one of the signatories!”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to physically kill him, just cut up his soul a bit!”

“Sh-Shizushizu?! His neck’s bleeding...” Suzu said hesitantly, staring at Gahard’s neck. It was a thin cut for sure, but he was undeniably bleeding.

Ryutarou walked over to Gahard to defend him in case Shizuku tried anything else.

“Umm, are you okay, Your Majesty?”

“I’m a hair’s breadth from death, do I look okay?” Gahard asked, his tone serious once more.

“Get him, Shizuku-sama!” Lana shouted, and Kousuke had to calm her down.

Hearing the commotion, Cam and the other Haulia filed in.

“Oh, are we at war already? All right, let’s get those necklaces back on them!”

Cam seemed to have misunderstood the situation, and he drew his blade without hesitation. The moment he did, Gahard and his ministers paled. They still remembered the slaughter the Haulia had carried out in the imperial palace.

“The Haulia...they’re going on a rampage again!”

“Run! They’re going to kill us alllllllll!”

“Someone save ussssss!”

Almost immediately, the palace fell into a panic. A few minutes later, Ulfric, the other elders, and their guards burst into the palace.

“What the heck is going on here...?” Ulfric muttered, his eyes rolling back into his head. They’d literally just signed a peace treaty and now this had happened.

“U-Ulfric-sama’s fallen unconscious while standing up...”

“Medic! We need a medic!”

The chaos spread, and Kaori and the others were stuck in the palace for so long that Yue got worried and teleported in to check on them. Once she realized what was going on, she immediately overpowered everyone and forcibly calmed everyone down.

In the southern continent, the demon kingdom Garland’s capital was almost completely abandoned. It was situated at the confluence of a large forest and a mountain range, and the streets were filled with rows and rows of empty rust-red buildings. It had been a lively city just a few months ago, but now it was a ghost town. Beautiful though the place was, with no one in it that beauty became rather eerie.

Tio and Shea looked out over the city from a balcony on the highest floor of the Demon Lord’s castle.

“I’m sorry for dragging you here with me, Shea.”

“I don’t mind. I would have just kept being attacked by Altena if I’d stayed in Verbergen.”

“I-I suppose so. She has been getting bolder recently.”

“Yeah, I was actually thinking of bringing her with us, then dumping her here in the southern forest,” Shea said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes on her face, making Tio shiver a little.

The young elf princess was absolutely obsessed with Shea, and the problem was that the harsher Shea was to her, the more Altena enjoyed it. She’d even started messing with Cam solely so that she could enjoy his whipping. Unsurprisingly, her grandfather Ulfric was quite distraught at what she’d become. Though still, Altena’s masochism was nothing compared to Tio’s.

Noticing Shea’s judging look, Tio averted her gaze. She then cleared her throat loudly and changed the topic.

“At any rate, let us get on with today’s business.”

Her expression turned serious, and Shea stepped back to watch over Tio, a strange expression on her face.

Tio’s Treasure Trove glowed...and a bouquet of flowers appeared in her hand.

“May the skies and the winds reunite you,” Tio said solemnly, summoning a gust of wind as she threw the bouquet into the sky. The flowers’ sky-blue petals scattered across the capital.

She was holding a small funeral for Freid Bagwa and Uranos. Though they’d been their enemy, Tio had respected the bond the two—man and dragon—had forged. If reincarnation was real, she hoped that they would be reunited in their next life, and be able to soar freely without the malicious influence of a cruel god.

She offered a silent prayer in their name as she watched the petals flutter to the ground.

“You really are a dragonman through and through, Tio-san.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“That you’re really noble.”

Shea hadn’t witnessed Freid’s and Uranos’s final moments. She’d been safely ensconced in Tio’s arms at that moment, so she didn’t know what Tio had seen in their eyes before they’d died, or what she’d felt the moment she slew them. As far as Shea was concerned, Freid had just been an annoying thorn in their side ever since they’d first met.

“Freid managed to conquer the Frost Caverns. In which case, he must have faced his contradictions and overcome his weaknesses. I find it hard to believe he managed to do so while under Ehitruje’s thrall, so he must have had his own strong convictions that drove him to clear that labyrinth.”

Of course, when they’d first faced Freid, he’d sounded like a religious fanatic, so he’d likely already fallen under Ehit’s control. But even if he’d been a pure soul before that, Shea couldn’t bring herself to care enough to pray that he found peace in the afterlife. She realized it was callous of her, and she smiled bitterly.

Tio had said she’d dragged Shea along, but in truth, it was Shea who’d wanted to come. She respected Tio for sticking to her noble principles and wanted to watch over her during this funeral.

“Do you wish you could have saved them?” Shea asked curiously.

“Not at all,” Tio said with a surprising amount of conviction.

“I don’t pity them, nor do I regret my actions. They were enemies that needed to be defeated, and in that battle, we both gave it our all, taking things to their natural conclusion.”

Tio’s conviction hadn’t wavered back then, and it certainly wouldn’t in the future.

She looked up at the sky and added, “But you know, at the very end, even though it had lost half of its body, that dragon tried to protect its master, and he in turn chose to perish along with his beloved partner. The two of them understood each other, and I think the bond they had was beautiful.”

That was why Tio would remember them, even if she didn’t regret killing them.

“This offering is something I chose to do out of selfishness. You say I’m noble, Shea, but in truth, I’m simply doing this to satisfy my own ego.”

Tio looked over her shoulder at Shea, and she looked so dazzling that for a moment that Shea closed her eyes.

There was a few seconds of silence, then Shea shrugged and said, “If you say so.”

“I do indeed say so,” Tio replied with a slight smile.

Just then, there was a knock on the balcony door. Tio called for the visitor to enter, and a Templar Knight in full armor nervously walked in and gave a stiff salute.

“M-My apologies for bothering you, Haulia-dono, Klarus-dono! We were about to eat lunch and were wondering if we should prepare meals for you ladies as well...”

“Thanks for the offer, but we were actually about to head out, David-san,” Shea replied, looking somewhat taken aback. When she’d first met David, he’d spat at her and called her bunny ears disgusting, so it was strange to hear him address her with so much respect now.

“As you wish, my lady.”

“By the way, David-dono,” Tio said, turning back to him.

“Klarus-dono, there’s no need to address me with such respect! Please just call me the Goddess’s loyal servant!”

“That’s way too long.”

David bowed as low as he possibly could, which made Tio give him a disapproving look.

Poor Aiko. She must have a hard time dealing with this man.

All of Aiko’s guards who’d survived Ragnarok were now worshipping her as their new goddess, and their overzealous faith was turning them into fanatics in the same way the old worshippers of Ehit had been.

In their defense, they’d been indoctrinated by the church from their youth, and the destruction of the Sacred Mountain and the shocking truth that their religion had all been a sham had been a bigger shock to them than to the regular people. Moreover, even if the rest of the world didn’t exactly worship her, the people of Tortus all did see Aiko as a goddess. It was hardly surprising that the people most in need of an object of worship to turn to would choose her. Simon had even said it was okay. Though naturally, Aiko found their devotion rather terrifying.

Incidentally, there was a reason why David and the other Templar Knights were here in the Demon Lord’s castle.

“Setting the matter of address aside, how are the demons faring? Have you run into any problems?” Tio asked.

“No, my lady. They’ve been perfectly docile.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Not all of the demons had entered the Sanctuary with Freid. Aside from the ones that had been left behind in the Demon Lord’s castle and terrorized by Hajime, there had been a surprising number of demons who’d opposed the empire’s policies and had chosen to live out in hidden hamlets scattered throughout the southern continent. They’d heard about what had happened to the empire’s capital and had started coming out of hiding little by little.

“They seem to have high hopes for the project and have been cooperating fully with us. No one has done anything suspicious in the Sealed Room either.”

“I thought we might have trouble when I learned all the demons who had gone to the Sanctuary got spat back out here when it was destroyed, but I guess everything’s okay?” Shea said, breathing a sigh of relief.

Indeed, the demons who’d gone to the Sanctuary hadn’t died with it. They’d instead been dropped back into their capital, all of them in a coma.

A combination of restoration and spirit magic was enough to wake them up, but right now Heiligh was busy rebuilding their capital and wouldn’t be able to withstand an attack from a demon army.

Of course, no one expected the demons to invade again anytime soon with their empire in tatters, but they were still a potential threat. Thus, Hajime had created a massive underground space beneath the demon capital and sealed all of the comatose demons in there for now. The room had its time stopped thanks to another one of Hajime’s artifacts, and the plan was to slowly release the demons from their slumber after Heiligh was fully restored and the human kingdoms had the resources to handle any potential conflict. Liliana and the others did, of course, want to work with the demons, but that would be easier to accomplish if they took things slowly.

The demons who’d been living in their hidden villages until now had all agreed to this plan as well. They were the ones keeping the capital maintained, and they’d offered to mediate between the humans and the other demons when they were finally woken up. In truth, they’d already managed to convince the demons who’d been left behind at the Demon Lord’s castle to give up their hatred for humans, which was why that group hadn’t been sealed away along with the comatose crowd.

David and the others had been stationed here to keep an eye on the demons in case they tried anything drastic. There was a portal connecting this city to Heiligh, so it wasn’t a permanent post and they rotated in and out. Eventually, the hope was diplomats would be traveling back and forth between the continents constantly as the two races joined forces and worked together.

“It would be nice if humans and demons learned to cooperate,” Tio said, mostly to herself.

“For sure. I bet that’s exactly the kind of future Miledi-san and the other Liberators were hoping to create,” Shea replied.

It was precisely because that had been Miledi’s dream that Hajime had come up with this plan. He’d claimed that he just didn’t want to deal with the logistics of massacring hundreds of thousands of people, but Shea and Tio both knew he’d been moved by Miledi’s idealism.

“All right, we should probably head back,” Shea said.

“Indeed,” Tio replied. “Goodbye, David.”

“Please give my regards to Aiko-sama, Tio-dono.”

Shea smiled a little to herself, amazed by how much David had transformed since she’d last met him, and stepped through the portal leading to where Hajime was.

Tio cast one last glance over the capital and thought, Freid. It was you who saved the demon race, wasn’t it?

She remembered Freid’s and Uranos’s final moments. When Uranos had sacrificed himself to buy a few more seconds for Freid, he’d activated the obelisk one last time.

At the time, Tio had thought he’d tried to activate one final attack, but now she knew he’d actually teleported the demons out to safety.

“I pray the day comes when these streets are once more filled with the smiles and laughter of your people.”

With that, Tio turned around and stepped through the portal as well.

In one corner of Verbergen, there sat a rather oddly shaped hut. Most buildings in the city were built atop the branches of the larger trees and made of wood, but this particular hut was made of white metal and sat on the ground.

Hajime, his classmates, and Aiko had spent the past month in Verbergen, since it was the most comfortable city to them, and this particular hut was attached to the large lodge they’d been staying in. The hut itself was too small to house anyone, but Hajime was inside it right now.

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 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 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.

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.

“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 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.”

This was Hajime’s way of separating the two parts of himself. The white-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.

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...”

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.

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!”

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 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 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.”

“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 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?!”

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-chan-sensei 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.”

“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 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 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.

“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 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 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?”

“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 no-good 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 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.