Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou (LN) - Volume 8 - Chapter 2

Chapter II: Haltina’s Labyrinth 

Hajime’s party walked swiftly through the thick fog, never once losing their way. Their destination was the entrance to the true labyrinth, the base of Sacred Tree Uralt. Normally, the fog around the tree was so dense that even beastmen couldn’t find their way around it. However, the fog thinned enough for the path to be navigable every ten days. 
Three days had passed since Hajime had first arrived in Verbergen, and the path had finally opened. Thanks to Ulfric’s hospitality, the three days Hajime and the others had spent in the city had been rather pleasant. 
Shea and Altina had constantly been competing for Hajime’s affection, while Hajime had been busy further training the Haulia. Meanwhile, Ryutarou had found himself fitting in quite nicely with Verbergen’s warriors. Kouki, on the other hand, had been hounded by all the former beastmen slave girls he’d helped free. Similarly, Kaori had been hounded by her cult members, and Tio had tried to hang around Hajime but had been constantly kicked away. Suzu, however, had found herself extremely popular with the beastmen children. And amidst it all, Yue had somehow found time to spirit Hajime away and have her way with him every night. At any rate, they’d been a fun three days. For everyone other than Shizuku, at least. 
“Amanogawa, on your right.” 
“Ah—” 
A pack of monsters burst through the mist. However, Hajime, Yue, Shea, Tio, and the Haulia didn’t bother fighting back. They left it all to Kouki and the others. Hajime wanted to get them warmed up for the kinds of dangers they’d face once they were in the real depths of the labyrinth. Because the fog clouded their senses, Kouki and the others couldn’t use the same tactics they had in the Great Orcus Labyrinth either. Though this was meant to be a mere warm-up, Kouki and the others found themselves pressed surprisingly hard. In fact, it was only thanks to Hajime’s timely warnings that they were able to fend off their enemies at all. 
Kouki frowned in irritation, Ryutarou clicked his tongue in annoyance, and even Suzu and Shizuku seemed angry at themselves. Kaori, however, seemed as spirited as ever. 
“Take that! And... this!” 
She’d returned to fighting with Kouki’s party temporarily so that she could gain more experience fighting in Noint’s body. It appeared Noint’s senses were unaffected by the fog, so the area around the Grand Tree made for perfect practice. Kaori flapped her silver wings and unleashed a barrage of feathers. She had gotten much better at controlling her feathers, and they homed in on the monsters in front of her with pinpoint precision. Each one hit its mark and the monsters disintegrated under the merciless onslaught. 
“Yaaah!” Kaori then bisected the one monster that had managed to close in with a single sweep of her glowing broadsword. She wasn’t able to use both at once just yet, but her skill with a single sword had improved considerably. Enough to the point where her job might be mistaken for Swordmaster, even. 
“Looks like you’ve gotten pretty used to swinging that sword around. I guess you got a lot of practice in fighting with Yue every day.” 
“Her stats are ridiculously high. If I don’t work harder, I’ll be left behind.” 
Hajime and Yue watched as Kaori took a step back and sucked in a deep breath. Originally, Noint had managed to go toe to toe against Hajime at full strength, so Kaori still had a ways to go. But considering it had only been two weeks since she’d had her spirit transplanted into this body, her growth was astounding. Her diligence in training was coming in handy here. It wouldn’t be long until Kaori could move Noint’s body like her own. 
“I’m not nearly good enough yet. I still can’t use offensive magic in battle, and I can’t activate my weapons’ disintegration powers unless I concentrate... I still haven’t been able to beat you even once, Yue.” 
Kaori walked over to Yue and Hajime, pouting. She’d clearly overheard their conversation. And though they’d been praising her, she still couldn’t move this body the way she wanted to, and her frustration was making her snappy. 
“Kaori. You can’t be serious. Not only do you have better physical stats than us, you can use disintegration abilities, and your affinity for every type of magic is perfect. Plus, you can cast spells without magic circles or incantations. Your swordsmanship’s already reaching crazy levels, and you’re still in the middle of improving it so it’s going to get even better from now on. Also, you’re a walking fortress who also can heal yourself instantly at any time... You’re so overpowered it’s ridiculous. What’s there to be unhappy about?” 
Kaori couldn’t meet Shizuku’s gaze. Now that she’d had her abilities pointed out objectively like that, it did feel a little like she was whining. 
“But I still can’t beat Yue or Shea... so if I’m overpowered, what does that make Hajime-kun and the others?” 
“I don’t even know how to begin describing them...” Shizuku racked her brains, but in the end was unable to find a good descriptor for Hajime and the rest. And sensing her frustration, Kouki walked up next to her and provided words of comfort. 
“It’s okay, Shizuku. Once we get through this labyrinth, we’ll be just as strong as Nagumo. Actually, since his job isn’t combat-related, we’ll probably be even stronger than him.” 
“You got that right. I can’t wait to see what magic we’ll learn.” 
“Yeah, we just have to keep trying and we’ll get there too!” 
The primary source of Hajime’s strength had nothing to do with the ancient magic he’d obtained, but Kouki was oblivious to that fact. He, Ryutarou, and Suzu all looked raring to go. 
“We’re here, everyone.” Shea looked over her shoulder as she said that. 
The group hurried after her and found themselves in a clearing free of the thick mist that pervaded the rest of the forest. In the center of the clearing towered the same withered tree that Hajime had seen last time. 
“So this is... the Grand Tree...” 
“It’s freaking huge...” 
“It... really is massive...” 
Kouki and the others looked up in amazement. The tree was so tall they couldn’t see the top of it, and so wide that its trunk seemed like a solid wall of wood. Hajime and Yue exchanged glances and smiled at each other. They’d had the exact same reaction the first time they’d come here. Hajime pulled the proofs of all the labyrinths he’d conquered out of his Treasure Trove and walked up to the lithograph in front of the tree. It hadn’t changed at all since his last visit here. Each of the heptagon’s verticies had one of the Liberators’ crests drawn on it, and a depression on the back to insert whatever proof each labyrinth provided. 
Hajime got down to one knee and started sorting through the five proofs he had. Curious, Kouki and the others finally tore their eyes away from the tree to see what he was doing. From this point on, not even Hajime knew what to expect. They were finally entering the lion’s den. Hajime glanced sharply back at Cam. 
“Cam, there’s no telling what might happen next, so have the Haulia retreat to a safe distance.” 
“You got it, Boss. Good luck in there.” 
Since Cam had secured the area around the Grand Tree for the Haulia in his previous negotiations with the elders, he and his men had tagged along on the trip to the tree. Though it was a little vexing that he couldn’t go any further with his beloved boss, Cam still gave Hajime a crisp salute and retreated back into the fog. Once they’d left, Hajime put Orcus’ ring, the proof that he’d conquered the Great Orcus Labyrinth, into the first depression. A second later, glowing letters appeared above the lithograph. 
—Four markers of strength. —The power of restoration —A beacon woven from bonds. —Only with those three ingredients in hand will the path to a new trial be opened. 
“Looks like that’s still the same as last time. I guess... I’ll just use the first four we got.” 
Hajime inserted the proofs into their respective depressions. Reisen’s ring, Gruen’s pendant, and Melusine’s coin. With each item inserted, the lithograph’s glow grew greater. After Melusine’s coin was in, the glow coalesced on the ground around the stone tablet and shot in a straight line toward the tree. Once it hit the tree’s roots, the Grand Tree began radiating its own light. 
“Hm? Look, there’s a crest on the tree now.” 
“Yeah. Do we have to use the power of restoration now?” 
Just as Tio had said, a shimmering crest had appeared on the tree’s bark. Yue walked up to it, placed her hand on the crest’s center, and cast restoration magic. A light far more dazzling than the ones before rippled outward from the crest, and with a loud whoosh, climbed up the tree’s trunk. Once the light had enveloped every inch of the tree, it started regaining its vitality. 
“Ah, new leaves are growing in...” 
Shea pointed and watched in awe as new leaves sprouted on the bare branches. It was like watching a video at ten times the speed. Even Hajime was moved by the wondrous spectacle. Within seconds, the tree’s branches were coated in lush, vibrant leaves, and the tree itself had regained its former vitality. 
A strong gust blew past, and the fresh leaves rustled audibly. At the same time, the tree’s outer bark parted to each side, revealing a hollow grotto. The opening was wide enough that ten people could walk abreast. Everyone nodded to each other, then together they stepped into the cave that marked the entrance to Haltina’s true labyrinth. 
Hajime had been worried he would only be able to take people who had also conquered at least four labyrinths with him inside, but it appeared that had been a needless concern. No one was barred entry into the tree. 
I guess it’s just like the other labyrinths. As long as you can find a way in, it doesn’t matter how you did it. After all, if you don’t have what it takes to survive, you’ll just die inside. 
Hajime examined his surroundings. But so far, there didn’t seem to be anything special inside the tree. Just a large, dome-shaped room. 
“Is this a dead end?” Kouki muttered dubiously. 
Before Hajime could reply, new bark started growing in around the entrance. The shaft of light illuminating the room grew narrower and narrower. Kouki tried to rush back, but was stopped by a shout from Hajime. The bark closed around the entrance completely, and the party was trapped in darkness. Yue raised a hand to summon a light sphere, but her actions proved unnecessary. For a massive magic circle lit up beneath the group, illuminating their surroundings. 
“Whoa, what’s going on!?” 
“What is this!? What’s happening!?” 
Calm down! This is just a teleportation circle! Get ready, there’s no telling what’s waiting for us on the other side!” 
Hajime shouted out a warning to Ryutarou and Suzu just as the light enveloped them all. 
“Where...” 
As the light faded, a dense sea of trees sprang into Hajime’s view. For a moment Hajime thought they’d been teleported outside the Grand Tree, but then he realized they were still inside the labyrinth. 
A sea of trees inside a tree... That’s about as weird as it gets. 
“Everyone alright?” 
Kouki shook his head to clear his vision and checked to see if his comrades were all safe. 
“No problems here,” Shizuku responded. Yue, Shea, Tio, and Kaori all seemed fine as well, so the group started scanning their surroundings. Flustered, Kouki spoke up. 
“Nagumo, we’re in the labyrinth for real now, right? Which direction do we take?” 
There was nothing but trees in every direction, so it was hard for Kouki to tell which way led to their goal. In fact, aside from the clearing they were in, they could only see trees in every direction. To make matters worse, the sky above them was covered by a thick fog, so they couldn’t pinpoint their destination from the air either. 
“I guess I’ve gotta look for them.” Hajime’s mutterings didn’t seem like they were a reply to Kouki’s question. And indeed, Hajime wasn’t even looking at Kouki. 
“If you say so. Anyway, I’ll take the lead. If you see anything, let me know.” 
Kouki found Hajime’s actions odd, but he put him out of his mind and marched forward. He still remembered Hajime’s warning about how they wouldn’t be granted the ancient magic unless they proved they’d helped overcome the labyrinth’s trials. For that purpose, he wanted to contribute as much as possible. 
As no one raised any objections, everyone in the group followed after Kouki— except for Hajime. For whatever reason, he hadn’t moved from the spot he’d been teleported to. He glared coldly at the backs of his comrades. Noticing he wasn’t following along, Shea turned back and looked questioningly at Hajime. 
“Hajime-san, what’s—” 
Shea was interrupted by the sound of something cutting through the wind. Hajime had pulled three of his bolas out of his Treasure Trove and thrown them with inhuman speed. His targets were Yue, Tio, and Ryutarou. All three of them were too shocked to react, and his spatial magic-enhanced bolas pinned them in place. 
“Hm!?” 
“Master!?” 
“What the hell are you doing, man!?” 
The three of them struggled against the wires holding them down. Kouki looked at the three of them, dumbfounded. He then rounded on Hajime and shouted. 
“Nagumo, what’s the meaning of this!?” He glared angrily at Hajime. Shizuku and Suzu both gave him questioning stares as well. 
“Hey, Nagumo—” 
Hajime held out a hand to silence Kouki, then walked over to Yue. She looked up at him, puzzled. He unholstered Donner and pressed its muzzle against her forehead. There wasn’t the slightest bit of warmth in his eyes. 
“Hajime? Why—” Yue couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Neither could the others. Hajime pointing a gun at the girl he loved most? Impossible. 
He must have gone insane... Kouki thought to himself. He rushed forward to stop Hajime, but before he could— 
“Ah!?” 
The sound of a gunshot echoed through the forest. Hajime had pulled the trigger without hesitation. He’d moved the gun from her forehead to her shoulder at the last second, but it didn’t change the fact that he’d really shot her. 
“H-Hajime-kun!?” 
“Wh-What are you doing, Nagumo-kun!?” 
Kaori and Shizuku screamed at him to stop. They tried to pull him away, but Shea, who’d noticed that something was wrong, kept them away from Hajime. Kouki looked ready to jump at Hajime as well, but Hajime’s next words stopped him in his tracks. 
“Answer me, fake.” 
His voice was ice-cold. Kaori and the others shivered. Of course the temperature hadn’t dropped at all, but the murderous look in Hajime’s eyes had leeched all the heat from their bodies. It even felt like their surroundings had gotten darker. Cold sweat poured down Kouki’s back, and his breath came in short gasps. 
“Who are you? Where’s the real Yue?” 
“......” The creature pretending to be Yue looked flatly at Hajime, no longer even trying to copy Yue’s expressions. Whatever the creature was, it wasn’t human. No blood dripped from the shoulder that Hajime had shot off. 
There was another gunshot, and the creature’s remaining shoulder was gouged through. However, the fake Yue’s expression didn’t budge. Apparently, it didn’t feel pain. Its mannerisms were even more doll-like than Noint’s, so it was possible it had no will of its own. 
“Don’t want to answer, huh? Or rather, looks like you don’t have the ability to. Fine. Die.” 
Hajime brought Donner back to the fake Yue’s forehead and fired a third bullet. Strange, squishy goop flew out of the back of her head. Shizuku involuntarily covered her eyes, but after a few seconds she opened them back up and realized what was splattering the ground wasn’t brain matter, but some kind of rust-colored slime. 
Bereft of its head, the rest of Yue’s body dissolved into the same rust-colored slime. The slime was then absorbed into the ground until only a faint stain remained. Hajime then walked over to Tio and Ryutarou, and shot them through the head as well. Like Yue, the two of them turned into rust-colored slime and were swallowed up by the earth. 
“Tch... I guess I should expect this kind of stuff from labyrinths at this point...” Hajime clicked his tongue as he holstered Donner. 
“Hajime-san... does this mean Yue-san and Tio-san are...” 
“They probably got teleported somewhere else, yeah. When we were getting transported, I felt the same kind of brain probe we get whenever we clear a labyrinth. Those red slime things probably got copies of our memories so they could act just like our real selves and stab us in the back when our guard was down,” Hajime spat. He was still upset that someone had dared to impersonate Yue. Shizuku and Suzu shivered as they heard Hajime’s explanation. 
“I see... I’m surprised you were able to tell so quickly, though.” 
“Yeah. I totally couldn’t see any difference. How were you able to tell?” Suzu asked, still a little pale. 
Kouki waited eagerly for Hajime’s answer. He was worried about how the real Ryutarou was faring. Unfortunately, Hajime’s response wasn’t too helpful. 
“That’s a tough one. All I can say is, the moment I saw her, I knew she wasn’t the real Yue.” 
“.......” Everyone slumped in disappointment. Suzu, however, gave Hajime a curious look and asked another question. 
“So then, how were you able to tell Ryutarou-kun and Tio-san were also fakes?” 
“Once I knew there was one fake, I used my Demon Eye to check if anyone else had been swapped. Unless you’ve got something similar, the only real way to know who’s fake and who’s not is to see if you can tell they’re acting different from usual, I guess.” 
“I-I see... But then how am I going to tell Ryutarou-kun apart? All he has to do is talk like any old musclehead and it’ll sound like him.” 
“Maybe that’s why he was one of the ones chosen to be replaced. Curses... Ryutarou...” 
Suzu’s comments were rather harsh, but the fact that Ryutarou’s best friend agreed with them meant even he knew Ryutarou was a bit too simple. 
Poor Ryutarou. Shizuku looked off into the distance sympathetically. For a moment, she imagined she saw Ryutarou’s figure in the sky, giving her a thumbs-up.   

Shea’s ears shot up as if she’d just thought of something, and she turned to Hajime. Eyes full of anticipation, she asked him a simple question. 
“Umm, Hajime-san. Would you be able to tell if I was a fake with just a glance too?” 
“Ah!” Kaori twitched a little when she heard that. She gave Hajime an intense stare and chimed in as well. 
“What about me? Could you tell me apart too!?” 
Everyone’s gazes focused on him. Hajime didn’t seem affected by the expectant atmosphere and responded bluntly. 
“Dunno. I probably wouldn’t be able to tell with just a glance.” 
“......” “.......” 
If there were any crickets present, they would have all been chirping at that moment. Going by the flow of the conversation, Hajime should have said something like “Of course I could.” But in standard Hajime fashion, he’d just given them a brutally honest answer. Shea and Kaori both glared at him, but he ignored them and briskly walked into the overgrown forest. The two of them sulkily followed after him. 
“There’s such a thing as having too much nerve, you know...?” 
“K-Kaorin, Sheashea, cheer up!” 
“Seriously, what does Kaori see in that guy?” 
Hajime smiled wryly to himself as he heard Shizuku and Kouki’s grumbling. In truth, he probably would have been able to tell Shea apart with just a glance, but if he’d said that Kaori would have gotten angry for sure. The best way to keep Kaori’s demon stand from appearing was to stay quiet. 
The party wandered through the sea of trees for a good two hours before they heard something. Mechanical whirring, similar to the sound an electric fan made when put on max speed surrounded them from all sides. There appeared to be multiple sources. 
“Monsters!? Nagumo, we’ll handle this, you just sit there and watch!” 
“I guess this is your first labyrinth battle and all.” 
Kouki, Suzu, and Shizuku all unsheathed their weapons. Honestly, Hajime thought they were letting their desire to prove themselves get the better of them, but if he babied them through the whole labyrinth there would be no point in bringing them here. So he just shrugged his shoulders and settled in to watch. This would be Kouki and the others’ first time fighting monsters from the true part of a labyrinth. Shizuku and Suzu both nervously readied themselves behind Kouki. 
“This is the sound of wings! Everyone, please be careful! Flying monsters in the sea of trees are especially agile!” 
“Good luck, Shizuku-chan, Suzu-chan!” 
Shea gave them some helpful advice, while Kaori cheered them on. The swarm of monsters flitted between the gaps in the trees and charged the party. 
“Eeek, these things are disgusting!” Suzu screamed. 
Normally, she would have erected a barrier right away to protect her comrades, but the monsters attacking them were so disgusting on a biological level that Suzu couldn’t help but shrink back. The closest earth insect they resembled was bees, but they were the size of a human baby, and possessed hundreds of wriggling legs, much like a centipede. Their mouths resembled those of spiders, and they had seven composite eyes each. They had the same alternating yellow and black stripes over their bodies that honeybees did, and their stingers were coated in a toxic green liquid. 
Hajime could see why one would be disgusted by such a gruesome creature. 
“Suzu, keep it together!” Kouki yelled. Then, he used Supersonic Step to close the distance between him and Suzu, slashing down the bee-thing heading for her. However, the bee-thing easily dodged Kouki’s swing. As Shea had warned them, the insects were unbelievably quick. As it dodged out of the way, some of its green liquid flew off its stinger and splattered over Suzu’s face. She almost fainted then and there. Seeing an opportunity, the bee pointed its stinger at Suzu and rushed forward. 
“I won’t lose in speed!” 
Shizuku leaped forward and sliced through the bee-thing with her black katana. 
“Suzu!” 
“S-Sacred Shields!” Suzu finally sprang into action. She used her barriers to split the swarm of monsters in two, then created an opening to lead them down the path she wanted. Despite the tears in her eyes, she cast faster than she ever had before. She didn’t forget to cast healing magic on herself either. The green liquid clinging to her face vanished in a puff of light. Shizuku and Kouki then began cutting down their enemies, making sure to cover each other’s blind spots. 
“Celestial Flash!” 
The bee-things parted to either side, easily dodging Kouki’s favorite attack. 
“Damn bugs, stop flitting around!” Kouki cursed. Their unbelievable agility made it seem like they were ignoring the laws of physics. The bugs then darted to either side of Kouki and launched a machine-gun barrage of poisoned stingers. They grew new ones after each one was shot out, so they could continue firing without pause. 
“Sacred Shields, Sacred Shields, Sacred Shields!” 
Thanks to Suzu’s timely reaction, Kouki was spared being skewered. Meanwhile, Shizuku used her speed to her advantage and cut right through the bee-things’ coordinated attack. After she’d thrown them off-balance, Kouki launched another powerful assault. However, he was only able to cut down a few of them. As they were currently beset by hundreds of monsters, they were a long way away from achieving victory. Compared to the monsters they’d faced so far, these bee-things were both stronger and more cunning. 
“Shit, these guys are strong as those monsters the demons brought with them!” Kouki cursed again. 
“Isn’t it the other way around? The demons’ monsters are probably based off of these,” Hajime replied casually. 
Kouki frantically swung his sword as he thought back to the nightmare they’d faced in the Great Orcus Labyrinth. They were already being pushed hard right from the outset. Seeing one of the bee-things about to skewer Kouki from behind, Hajime nonchalantly drew Donner and shot it down. 
Kouki and the others had been all gung-ho about winning this on their own, but honestly, these monsters were beyond their capability to handle. In fact, they were being pressured so hard that a detachment of bee-things had broken off and started heading toward Hajime, Shea, and Kaori. The three of them easily struck down anything that got close. 
“Dodge all you want, it won’t help!” With each swing of her hammer, Shea unleashed shockwaves that pulverized all the monsters in the vicinity. 
“I think I’m getting the hang of this now!” Kaori had gotten much more accurate with her homing feathers as well. No matter how the bee-things tried to dodge, the feathers continued chasing them until they hit their mark. Kaori’s growth was so fast that each barrage ended up more accurate than the last. Kouki grit his teeth in frustration as he watched the trio out of the corner of his eye. 
“Kouki-kun, this isn’t looking good! We’re getting overrun!” Tears streamed down Suzu’s face. She replaced her barriers each time one was destroyed, but keeping it up was draining her mana at a prodigious rate. 
The intermediate-level light spell Sacred Shields was fundamentally a spell that focused on using multiple weak barriers instead of a single strong one, so it wasn’t too surprising that they were being destroyed so fast. 
Still, Suzu was a Barrier Master. The Sacred Shields she deployed were on a different level than most normal ones. Regular monsters would need a few solid attacks to break one. Yet these bee-things were tearing through them like they were made of paper. Suzu was forced to recast her spells faster than ever before. 
As time passed, Suzu’s exhaustion caused her concentration to slip, and the bee-things began to close in. Their gradual defeat was affecting Suzu on a psychological level as well. 
Even Shizuku’s expression grew grim. As a fighter who relied on speed over strength, she was the best-suited to fight these bees. Indeed, her No Tempo was helping her shred the bees with ease. However, the true terror of these monsters lay in their number. While Shizuku could easily take them one-on-one, she lacked the ability to destroy large crowds at once. Which meant that they were getting pushed back. Seeing Shizuku and Suzu driven into a corner made Kouki hasty, and he charged into the group of bees alone. 
“My will is a blade! Light, heed my call and sunder my foes! Radiant Slash!” 
White light swirled around Kouki’s sword. It then melded into his weapon and extended a full two meters from the tip of his blade. With his sword transformed into a greatsword, Kouki spun in a circle. Light trailed behind his blade as he spun, and he bisected the group of bee-things surrounding him. However, the cost for his temporary victory was high. He’d rushed into the thick of the monsters and used an attack that left him wide-open. The remaining monsters tackled him one after another. 
“Ngh, you little!” 
Kouki tried to back off, but the bee-things swarmed him. Their mandibles clacked loudly as they tried to stab him with their stingers. Fortunately, Kouki’s armor protected him, and the needles slid off harmlessly. 
After a difficult struggle, Kouki was able to skewer the monsters dog-piling him and broke free. However, the remaining bee-things weren’t going to give him time to get back on his feet. Another group swarmed him, determined to keep him pinned to the floor. 
“Kouki!” 
“Uwooooooooooooh!” He had no time to reassure Shizuku. Instead, he dropped to one knee and, with a mighty roar, swung his sword. Unfortunately, that was as far as he’d get to go. One of the bee-things ducked underneath his slash and latched onto his back. It brought its face close and tried to bite through Kouki’s neck. 
“Wha—!?” Kouki words were cut short. Before it could kill him though, a red streak shot past, blowing its head clean off. 
Kouki had no time to process what had happened. Neck still stinging, he hurriedly ripped off the remaining bee-things clinging to him. He might barely have escaped death this time, but their situation was dire. Another couple hundred bee-things joined the group already fighting. 
Kouki’s expression stiffened. They were being utterly overwhelmed. Just then, he heard a calm voice next to his ear. 
“Don’t move, Amanogawa.” 
“Wha?” 
A barrage of red streaks filled the air. It was as if a meteor shower had suddenly passed them by. Seconds later, a series of dull explosions sounded in the distance. After each explosion, another six streaks of light shot past. It was as if the bee-things were beset by a horde of crimson spears. Each streak of light shot through a monster without fail. This was one of Hajime’s gun-kata skills, Ultra-Fast Quick Draw. He fired so fast that each round of six bullets had only one gunshot noise accompanying it. Furthermore, he’d perfectly calculated all the angles of his shots, so that occasionally his bullets ran into each other and ricocheted off to hit other monsters with perfect accuracy as well. 
Incidentally, that happened to be another one of Hajime’s gun-kata skills, Polygon Rebound. To an observer, it looked almost like the enemies were themselves willingly jumping into the bullets’ paths. Normally, there would be a slight delay every time he reloaded, but because he teleported the bullets right above the cylinder and reloaded by spinning it rapidly, it took less than a second. Plus, Donner and Schlag would always be aiming in different directions and shooting down separate foes. 
His skill with guns was practically godlike. In less than ten seconds, the hundreds of monsters lay dead. Kouki and the others watched, dumbfounded, as Hajime casually holstered Donner and Schlag, and walked over to the remnants of the bee-things. After examining them for a bit, he dropped a bombshell of a statement. 
“Tch. Doesn’t look like I’ll get much for eating these...” 
“E-Eating!? Nagumo-kun, you plan on eating these creatures? Are you serious?” Shizuku was shocked out of her reverie. She pulled a face and backed a few steps away from him. 
“Did I not tell you guys? If I eat a monster stronger than me, I can learn whatever unique magic it had. Oh, but don’t try it yourselves. You’ll die for sure.” 
The only way to survive eating monster flesh was to have the legendary Ambrosia on hand, and the willpower to stay sane after experiencing having your body destroyed and remade hundreds of times. Hajime’s supply of Ambrosia had dwindled to almost nothing now, and restoration magic didn’t heal someone from their injuries, it returned them to a previous state, meaning it was useless in this case. 
Kaori’s strongest healing spells might be enough for someone to eat it and survive, but it was still possible she wouldn’t be able to regenerate their body before it was destroyed completely. Hence why Hajime didn’t recommend it. For someone like Hajime, who’d already had his body transformed, regular healing spells were enough to keep him going after eating monster meat. 
“Don’t worry, we don’t want to. But the more I hear about you, the crazier it all sounds...” Shizuku muttered, a troubled expression on her face. 
While Hajime was reliable, the way he’d gained his strength sounded so painful that Shizuku couldn’t find it in herself to be happy about it. If anything, she felt more pity than awe. 
Hajime just shrugged his shoulders. This time, it was Suzu who asked him a question. Like Shizuku, she looked somewhat disgusted. 
“B-But then, why won’t you eat this one? I mean, I’m glad I don’t have to see you cooking this disgusting thing, but...” 
“Like I said, it has to be a monster stronger than me. These guys are too weak to get anything out of.” 
“I see. So these monsters are just small fry to you, Nagumo-kun. I get it now, ahahaha.” 
“Suzu, I get what you’re feeling, but please come back to us. Don’t break over just this.” 
Shizuku sighed and brought Suzu back to her senses. 
“.....” Kouki looked down at the corpses scattered across the ground and curled his hands into fists. These monsters had nearly killed the three of them, and Hajime had single-handedly wiped them all out like they were nothing. Whether he liked it or not, he was forced to accept the difference in strength between them. 
Though he kept a straight face, the inside of his heart was filled with negative emotions. Hajime noticed Kouki was just standing there and turned back to him. 
“Amanogawa.” 
“Wh- What?” 
“For now, just focus on finding your friend. You can worry about everything else after you’ve done everything you can.” 
“You don’t need to tell me. I know already.” 
Though his tone was snappy, Kouki still took Hajime’s words to heart. With a weary sigh, he braced himself and considered where Ryutarou might have gone. After observing him for a few more seconds, Hajime shook his head and turned back to the monsters. 
He’d already guessed what was going through Kouki’s mind right now. Jealousy toward Hajime’s strength, and mixed feelings of inferiority and impatience. All feelings that Hajime had once felt himself. 
It was rather ironic that Kouki, the boy who had everything, would feel that way toward Hajime of all people. Thanks to his personality, Hajime had been able to overcome those emotions himself in the past. But he wondered if Kouki, who’d never experienced being inferior to others before, would be able to master himself as easily. 
Well, I guess it’s not my problem. Hajime decided to just ignore Kouki’s issues. Besides, the fact that he’d told Kouki to focus on Ryutarou showed that he was being more considerate than he used to. For the monster of the abyss, even that slight concern was an improvement. 
“Hajime-san, I got rid of the monsters up ahead.” 
“All done here, too.” 
Shea and Kaori, who’d gone off to eliminate the remaining monsters in the area, returned triumphantly. 
“Perfect. Let’s get going, then. Yue and Tio can handle themselves, but I’d still like to meet up with them as soon as possible. As for Sakagami... Well, let’s hope his luck holds out.” 
“Hey, don’t you think you should care a little more about Ryutarou? I mean, I can get why you’d be more worried about your girlfriend, but...” 
Shizuku gave Hajime a complicated look, while Kouki just glared at him. But they said nothing more, and the group set off in search of their missing comrades.

After another two hours or so of walking, the entire forest was suddenly dyed red. The air trembled, the earth shook, and great gouts of hellfire started consuming the forest. Earthquakes followed one after another, and it truly seemed like the end of the world. 
The screams that Hajime and the others heard in the distance were likely the other monsters in this forest burning to death. Their cries were a mixture of fear and panic. And at the same time— 
“Take that, you bastards! Burn with the whole goddamn forest!” 
The owner of the crude voice that rang out was naturally none other than Hajime. 
Yes, because he was the one carpet bombing the forest. He mercilessly fired rockets from the Orkans he held in both hands. Something had clearly gotten him riled up. 
“U-Umm, Hajime-san, don’t you think that’s enough?” 
“Y-Yeah, Hajime-kun. I’m sure all the monsters are dead by now...” 
Shea and Kaori timidly tried to stop him as they watched him fire hundreds of missiles and use his Cross Bits to unleash a truckload of cluster bombs on the ground below. Hajime turned to them. 
“Hm?” 
“Oh, it’s nothing.” 
“We’re sorry for bothering you.” 
The moment they saw his bloodshot eyes, the two of them hurriedly backed off. 
“Aww... I’m scared. Shizushizu, stop hiiim.” 
“You’re asking for too much, Suzu. I don’t want to die just yet. Besides, I don’t blame him for being angry...” 
Suzu hid behind Shizuku, tears in her eyes. In response, Shizuku just sighed and patted Suzu’s head to calm her down. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that Kouki was still squatting on the ground and covering his eyes with his hands. 
“My eyeeeeees! Damn you, Nagumo! What the hell was that for!?” 
His current appearance resembled that of a certain colonel who loses his sight near the end of a certain series. Incidentally, the one who’d poked him in the eyes was Hajime. 
As for why Hajime had nearly left Kouki blind and started burning down the forest in a crazed frenzy— The answer had to do with the monkey-like monsters he’d encountered a few minutes prior. They’d been armed with stone knives and clubs, and had used their superior dexterity to leap between the trees and run circles around Kouki, Suzu, and Shizuku. Like the bee-things, they hadn’t been any match for Hajime and the others, and they’d easily dispatched any monsters foolish enough to attack them. 
The remaining monkeys had been scared off by that and had changed tactics. Unfortunately, that crude intelligence of theirs became their downfall. In an attempt to outsmart Hajime’s trio, they made a most unwise choice. Their unique magic was the same as the rust slimes Hajime had killed before, mimicry. And they’d possessed same memories of Hajime and his comrades that the slimes had. With their limited knowledge, they’d decided to transform into the person they thought would most rattle Hajime’s psyche... Yue. 
One of them had transformed into a beaten, disheveled Yue, and the other monkey monsters had dragged her fake out for Hajime to see. As with the slimes, the fake Yue’s appearance looked every bit like the real thing. But of course, Hajime was still able to tell with just a glance that the Yue they’d brought out was not the real Yue. 
That having been said, the things they’d done to even a fake Yue were not something Hajime was willing to forgive. Not one bit. First, he’d used Supersonic Step to run over to Kouki and blind him. Since the fake Yue had looked like the real thing, he hadn’t wanted to let any other guys see her in such tattered, revealing clothes. 
At that point, Hajime was already on the verge of snapping, but the monkeys hadn’t stopped there. Instead, they sneered and started pummeling the fake Yue with their clubs. It was then that she looked up at Hajime and begged, “Save me, Hajime...” Everyone present heard the sound of his reason crumbling when those words were uttered. 
What followed was the carnage everyone was witnessing now. A devastation so thorough, it looked like the end of the world. Everything a good 500 meters in front of Hajime had been burnt to a crisp and charred monkey corpses littered the ground. The conflagration was so large, the other monsters living in the forest got caught up in it too. 
Despite having completely lost it, Hajime was still careful to make sure the real Yue or Tio or Ryutarou weren’t in the radius of his bombs. He kept a number of crow-shaped Ornises by his side to observe the surrounding area. However, the combination of being wreathed in hellfire and surrounded by crows made him look a true demon lord. 
Tears were still pouring down the hero’s eyes, so the only people available to stop him were two of the demon lord’s sworn vassals, Shea and Kaori. 
“Don’t give up, you two! You’re the only ones who can stop Nagumo-kun now!” 
“B-But Shizuku-san...” 
“Sh-Shizuku-chan... it’s not that easy...” 
“Don’t give me your whining! Listen up! If you throw in the towel here, this entire forest’ll burn to the ground! Come on, chin up! You can do it, girls! Remember, there’s nothing stronger than a maiden in love!” Shizuku tried to give the two girls a pep talk. In truth, she just didn’t want to stop Hajime herself, so she was trying to get them to do it instead. 
Seeing how desperate Shizuku looked, Kaori and Shea exchanged glances. They nodded determinedly to each other and leaped at Hajime the moment they saw him reloading his Orkans. They both grabbed one of his arms and appealed to his sensibilities. 
“Hajime-san, this is enough! No more!” 
“Shea-san’s right, Hajime-kun! You need to calm down!” 
Hajime turned to them, a displeased frown on his face. His expression resembled that of a disgruntled yakuza member. Still, the two of them had been traveling with Hajime for a long time. They continued gently persuading him to stop his assault, and eventually, he did start to calm down. 
“Alright, I get it already. I’ll stop.” 
Hajime shrugged his shoulders and called his Cross Bits back. He put them, along with his Ornises and Orkans, back into his Treasure Trove. Shea, Kaori, and Shizuku all heaved sighs of relief. 
“Sorry for getting all worked up like that.” 
“It’s okay, I got pretty mad too so I can understand.” 
“Yeah, those monkeys really are the worst. But I guess I should have expected as much from a labyrinth.” Hajime smiled bitterly to himself while the two girls shook their heads. The two of them hadn’t been unaffected by fake Yue either. 
The three of them chatted casually for a bit longer, the scorched forest still smoldering in the background. Shizuku gingerly walked up to the group and said, 
“Nagumo-kun, if you’ve finally calmed down, could you please heal Kouki’s eyes?” 
“Oh yeah, I almost forgot.” Hajime turned to Kouki, who was still in tears. Tortus’ greatest hero looked rather pitiful right now. Hajime gestured to Kaori, who nodded and cast healing magic on Kouki. 
“I recognize this feeling. Am I being healed? Ah, I can see the light again...” 
Kouki’s expression relaxed as he was enveloped in light. Since he was on his knees and gazing up at the sky, he looked almost like a priest being granted a divine revelation. 
After his sight was fully restored, he glared at the source of his pain. His furious expression ruined his natural good looks. 
“Nagumo, what do you have to say for yourself?” Kouki did his best to keep his voice even, but his body was still trembling with rage. He was this close to snapping himself. 
“Yue’s fake appeared, barely clothed. I had no choice but to kill all other guys present. But since I didn’t want to kill you, Amanogawa, I stopped at just blinding you. There’s your explanation.” 
“Explanation my ass!” 
Hajime’s “explanation” did nothing to quell Kouki’s wrath. And so, Kouki swung his sword through the air and screamed at him. 
“Look, Amanogawa. I’ll admit I probably should have held back more, but there was no way I could let another guy see my girlfriend like that. You have to admit... blinding you was the only option.” 
“Quit trying to make it sound like that’s just common sense! I thought you’d crushed my eyes for a second there! Besides, we all knew it was a fake! It’s one thing if it was the real person, but I can’t believe you’d do that over just a fake.” 
“Moron. Your eyesight’s worthless compared to saving even a fake Yue from disgrace... It’s like comparing a pebble and a diamond.” 
“My eyesight’s worth more than a pebble!” Kouki lunged at Hajime, but Shizuku grabbed him and held him back. 
“Anyway, it should be easier to search the place now that it’s not covered in trees.” 
Hajime ignored Kouki and set off once more. His nonchalant attitude irked Kouki to no end, but Shizuku and Suzu managed to calm him down. Both Kouki and Hajime often had to be restrained by the girls around them. It wasn’t something Hajime was particularly happy to have in common with Kouki, though. 
“Hm?” Before they got very far, Hajime sensed something coming straight toward them. Whatever it was, it was alone and running no faster than a trot. And judging from the mana Hajime sensed from it, it wasn’t very strong either. 
Puzzled, he turned back to the forest. Shea had sensed it as well, and her bunny ears tilted in the direction of the trees. Kouki and the others could tell something was closing in from Hajime and Shea’s reactions, and they quickly readied themselves. 
“What is it this time?” Kouki muttered. With a faint rustling of leaves, a goblin trotted out from between the trees. It had dark-green skin, a twisted, ugly face, and a small, childlike body. Also, it was only wearing dirty rags. Upon spotting Hajime and the others, the goblin let out a startled “Gyaah!” Then, it stopped in its tracks and stared at Hajime. Because of how its face naturally looked, it seemed like it was glaring. Or at the very least, Kouki seemed to think so. 
“I won’t let you!” Kouki still hadn’t been able to contribute much to their fights, and that knowledge made him impatient. His desire to be even a little useful spurred him into action without considering the situation. He rushed toward the goblin, his sword held aloft. Yet despite the threat to its life, the goblin remained stationary. In fact, it seemed neither shaken nor aggressive. It simply stood there, blankly watching Hajime. 
Kouki did note its strange behavior, but he had no intention of showing mercy to a labyrinth monster. Unwilling to let his guard down for even a second, he swung his sword with all his might. Seconds before his glowing sword sliced the goblin in two— 
“What the hell are you doing, moron!?” 
“Huh— Bwah!?” 
Hajime leaped forward and knocked Kouki away with a rolling kick. Kouki screamed and went flying with such force it was like a dump truck had hit him. He crashed through a number of bushes and vanished from sight. 
First a poke in the eyes, now this. Shizuku and Suzu were understandably shocked. They rounded on Hajime and chewed him out. 
“Hey, Nagumo-kun, what do you think you’re doing!? This is completely uncalled for! Kouki was just killing a monster this time!” 
“Yeah! Is Kouki-kun even alright!? It looks like you sent him flying really far.” 
Even Shea and Kaori looked confused as to why Hajime had done that this time. However, Hajime ignored Shizuku and the others and focused his entire attention on the goblin. The girls, who had totally forgotten about the goblin in the commotion, drew their weapons and glared at it as well. 
Just then, Kouki came barreling back into the clearing they were in. From the looks of it, he was unhurt. Though Hajime’s kick had looked flashy, he’d made sure to hold back. That didn’t change the fact that Hajime had attacked his own ally a second time, however. And honestly, Kouki looked ready to eviscerate Hajime. 
“Nagumo, what the hell are you doing? This isn’t like last time, so you better have a damn good explanation for getting in my way. Or have you totally lost it and are protecting monsters—” 
“That’s no monster.” 
Kouki was so taken aback he stopped talking, and looked suspiciously at the goblin again. That was all the explanation Hajime gave as he knelt in front of the tiny creature. 
Kouki and the others opened their eyes wide in surprise. Shea was the only one who’d guessed what was going through Hajime’s mind. “It can’t be...” she muttered. 
Hajime looked the goblin in the eyes, and smiled happily, choosing to speak to it in an overly kind tone... 
“It’s you, isn’t it, Yue?” 
“Gyaaah!” 
“What?” 
Hajime’s unbelievable statement left Kouki and the others dumbfounded. However, Hajime took the goblin’s hand without hesitation and muttered something. “I knew it, it’s you...” 
“I knew it... It is you...” 
The goblin smiled and replied in a high-pitched tone. 
“Gyaaah!” 
“Umm, Hajime-san. Are you sure that’s Yue-san? All I see is a monster...” 
“Y-Yeah, it looks just like a monster to me too. Is that really Yue?” 
Shea and Kaori stared dubiously at the goblin. 
“Gogya... Gugooo... Gyaaah!” The goblin cried, clearly trying to convey something. Its shoulders drooped as it realized it could only make unintelligible noises with its mouth. 
However, Hajime understood Yue on such a deep level that even her goblin grunts made sense to him. 
“Hm? Mm, so basically right after you’d been teleported you already looked like this?” 
“Gyaaah! Gugooo.” 
“So your physical body was transformed into something else...” 
“Gugyaaah... Gyaaah... Gug.” 
“I see... So you lost all your equipment too.” 
“Gug... Gogooo.” 
“And when you heard the explosion you thought it might be me? Well, you weren’t wrong, but...” 
“Gyuuu... Gogooo.” 
“You can’t use any of your magic? Well, as far as I can tell you won’t transform any further at least.” 
“Gigigigagi.” 
“It’ll be fine. This is probably part of the trial as well. If they made it impossible to clear from the start, it wouldn’t be a trial, right?” 
“Gyuuu?” 
“Yeah, we’re missing Tio and Sakagami too. They’ve probably been transformed like you. Into what, I don’t know... but no need to worry, Yue. We always figure something out in the end.” 
“Gyaaah!” 
Unbelievable as it seemed, Hajime was conversing fluently with goblin-Yue. 
“.....” Kouki and the others watched silently. And eventually, still smiling, Hajime turned back and spoke to them. 
“There you have it, guys. Also Kaori, could you try using restoration magic on her?” 
“Waitwaitwaitwaitwait, what.” 
“There’s something off here, Nagumo-kun. This doesn’t make any sense.” 
“Hold up a second, Nagumo-kun. I can’t even follow what’s going on here!” 
Kouki, Shizuku, and Suzu all interjected at the same time. Hajime gave them a puzzled look as if he couldn’t understand what there was to be surprised about. Shea on the other hand just mumbled “Yeah, yeah, I should have guessed this is what would happen,” with a resigned smile on her face. Kaori, meanwhile just whispered “This is too weird...” with a distant look. 
“Don’t you think it’s weird? Like really weird? How are you able to understand her so easily!?” 
“What are you talking about...? She’s speaking normally.” 
“All I’m hearing is Gyaaah and Gogooo! Does that even count as a language!? How the heck do you get what she’s saying!? Nagumo-kun, did your Language Comprehension skill get upgraded too or something!?” 
Shizuku and Suzu continued pressing Hajime. Him being able to understand the goblin was so incomprehensible to them that they were getting mentally overloaded. Hajime scratched his cheek awkwardly, unable to really give them an explanation. 
“I guess I’m just, feeling what she’s saying, or something? Like I can tell what she’s saying by the look in her eyes.” 
“Well, the two of you do always get lost in each other’s eyes. Maybe you just spent so long doing it that you can talk through eye contact now. But you know, that’s still weird.” 
“Isn’t it pretty normal to be able to do that with people you love?” 
“No it’s not, Hajime-kun. You might think it is, but I can tell you for sure it’s not... What am I going to do? Becoming someone special to Hajime-kun keeps getting harder and harder...” Kaori’s voice grew uncharacteristically bitter. She couldn’t ever see herself reaching Yue’s level. The road ahead was beginning to grow uncertain. 
Now that he understood the situation, Kouki’s anger faded away. 
“Wait, Nagumo. How could you even tell it was her? The fact that you stopped me means you knew from the start, right?” 
“Come on, shouldn’t it be obvious?” 
At that, everyone simultaneously heaved a weary sigh. At this point, it wasn’t too hard to guess. Hajime then turned back to the Yue goblin and kept going. 
“I’d never mistake Yue just because her appearance changed a little. That’s all there is to it.” 
“I see...” came the monotone reply. 
“Gyaaah!” 
The others were already tired of this conversation. This was probably the one and only time Kouki and Shea were in sync. Also the only time anyone would see a goblin grin like that. 
“Anyway, Kaori. Try using restoration magic on her.” 
“Ah, umm, okay... Here I go, Yue. Tetragrammaton!” 
White light rained down on Yue. As restoration magic was ancient magic, there was theoretically nothing that couldn’t be restored by its power. 
“Gyaaah?” 
“Huh? How come it’s not working!? L-Let me try again... Tetragrammaton!” 
However, Yue remained a goblin. Kaori’s spell had properly gone off; the light surrounding Yue and the steady drop in Kaori’s mana was proof enough of that. Yet Yue remained unchanged. 
“Why won’t it...” Kaori muttered, dumbfounded. 
“Gugyaaa...” Yue’s shoulders drooped. 
Shea and the others looked at her worriedly. Hajime folded his arms and tapped his forehead thoughtfully. There had to be a logical explanation for what was going on. Yue tugged on Hajime’s sleeve and looked up at him with a worried expression. Since she was still a goblin, it looked more like she was glaring though. Upon seeing that, Hajime broke out of his musing and smiled reassuringly at her. 
“It’ll be alright, Yue. Like I said before, this probably isn’t a trap, and since this is a trial they wouldn’t want to eliminate us right at the start. There has to be some way to get you back to normal.” Hajime’s voice was filled with such confidence that Yue and the others smiled. 
“My guess is restoration magic didn’t work because whatever turned you into a goblin was another form of ancient magic. That magic circle probably had something special built into it.” 
Since we needed restoration magic to get in here, the labyrinth designer obviously factored in that we’d be able to use it. So they wouldn’t have made a trial that could be easily beat with it. Hajime explained his reasoning to everyone, who nodded in agreement. 
“In other words, if we keep going forward, we’ll find a way to bring you back eventually.” 
“Gugyaaa...” 
“Exactly, there’s nothing to worry about. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Try using this, Yue.” 
“Gigi?” 
Hajime handed her a jeweled earring. Being transformed into a goblin had robbed her of the ability to use magic, but it appeared she could still manipulate her mana just fine. Meaning she could use artifacts. Yue poured mana into the earring he’d given her, which was a telepathy stone, and finally voiced her thoughts. 
“Hajime? Can you hear me, Hajime?” Her voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, much like Tio’s when she was in her dragon form. They hadn’t been apart for very long, but it still felt like it had been ages since Hajime had heard Yue’s voice, so the sound made his expression soften, and he smiled. Kouki and the others had still been a little suspicious, but now that they were hearing Yue’s voice, they had no choice but to admit that the goblin in front of them really was Yue. 
“Loud and clear, Yue. It sucks that you got transformed... but I’m glad you’re safe.” 
“Mmm... I knew you’d be able to tell.” 
“Of course. How long do you think I’ve spent looking at you?” 
“Mmm... But I’m still happy. I love you, Hajime.” 
Hajime’s smile grew wider. He’d been tense ever since learning about Yue’s disappearance, but now he finally relaxed. 
A human and a goblin stared into each other’s eyes with more passion than any human-goblin pair likely had before. It appeared even when Yue was a goblin, Hajime was more than ready to flirt with her. 
Meanwhile, the rest of the party’s eyes glazed over. Eventually, Kaori grew impatient and coughed loudly to get Hajime’s attention. 
“Ahem! Can we get going now? Also, Yue, I’m glad you’re safe.” 
“Mmm... I’m sorry Hajime loves me more than you even when I look like this, Kaori.” 
“Are you trying to pick a fight!? Because it sounds like it!” 
No matter what she looked like, Yue was still Yue. If her voice hadn’t been enough to convince Kaori, that abrasive personality of hers definitely was. 
“I promise I’ll get you back to normal, Yue-san! No matter what! So until then, just leave everything to me!” 
“Mmm... Thanks, Shea. I can’t fight right now, so I’ll be counting on you.” 
Yue’s goblin features twisted into a smile. It should have looked grotesque, but knowing Yue was inside made it seem charming. 
Kouki walked over and spoke in an apologetic tone. 
“Yue-san, I’m sorry I attacked you. I didn’t know it was you... and I almost killed you.” 
“Mmm... It’s fine. Besides, I believed you wouldn’t hurt me.” 
“Wait, does that mean...” 
“Because I knew Hajime would stop you.” 
“I see...” Kouki’s hopes were dashed instantly. He let out a hollow laugh and trudged away. Shizuku gave him an exasperated look, wondering why he’d even thought for a second Yue might have been into him. 
“Now we just need to find Tio and Sakagami... If they’re in the same state as Yue, then maybe we should hurry.” 
If they’d been turned into monsters too, it was doubtful other monsters would attack them. However, they were still powerless in the middle of a labyrinth, which was never good. 
At Hajime’s words, the others steeled themselves once more. They left the scorched section of forest behind and resumed their search. 
Ten minutes later, they spotted something. 
“Hajime-san... Even I can tell that must be Tio-san.” 
“Yeah, it’s gotta be her.” 
“Mmm... No one else acts like that.” 
“Looks like we’re all in agreement.” 
Hajime stared coldly at the spectacle in front of him. Like he was looking at filth. Shizuku and Suzu, on the other hand, were disgusted, while Kouki found the sight too repulsive to even look at. 
“Gugyaaah! Gigyaaah!” 
“Higiii!?” 
“Gobuuu! Gobbb!” 
“Buhiii!?” 
Hajime and the others found themselves in front of a group of goblins. The swarm had ganged up on one of their own and were beating it mercilessly. However, they seemed more intent on tormenting the lone goblin than actually killing it. In fact, the goblin being ganged up on had no major injuries to speak of. Had that been all, Hajime would have just assumed it was a case of infighting, or bullying or something. 
“She’s... really enjoying it, isn’t she?” 
“A goblin making that kind of face is just wrong... That’d have to be censored if it was in an anime.” 
“Nagumo... I admit my defeat. You’re a far more accepting man than me.” 
“Please don’t put it like that, Amanogawa. You’re making it sound like I actually approve of her perverseness. The truth is, I’ve just given up on curing her...” 
As Shizuku had so aptly pointed out, the goblin being tormented had an expression of ecstasy on its face. The only person who’d look that happy being beaten up was the party’s resident perverted dragon. 
“Tio, you really... Sorry guys, it’s too late to save her. It’s a shame, but we’ll have to let her go.” Hajime shook his head sadly and turned on his heel. Yue and the others followed suit without hesitation. Even Kouki, who’d normally yell out “You’re going to abandon your own comrade!?” or something to that effect, remained silent. He still couldn’t bring himself to look at Tio. 
“Gug? Gyagyaaa!” The perverted goblin finally noticed her comrades were here. She crawled out of the throng of goblins and rushed toward Hajime and the others on all fours, an expression of pure rapture still on her face. She looked more like a cockroach than a goblin, and even her fellow goblins backed away in disgust. 
“Guygayagyagya!” Goblin Tio closed in on the party and leaped joyously at Hajime. She’d gone from looking like a cockroach to resembling Lupin when he did his Lupin Dive. Though her goblin speech was unintelligible, Hajime guessed she was saying something like “Master, I missed you dearly!” So, naturally, Hajime’s response was blunt and to the point. 
“Get away from me, you pervert.” He gave her a merciless uppercut with his prosthetic arm. There was an ominous crack, and Tio spun through the air four times before crashing into a thicket behind her. Unsurprisingly, she’d been smiling even as Hajime had hit her. 
“Is she dead?” Goblin Yue peeked into the thicket and found goblin Tio lying motionless on the ground. Yue picked up a branch and poked Tio a few times. She twitched a little. Then, after a few seconds, she jolted upright and nonchalantly got to her feet. It appeared not even a labyrinth’s spells could cure Tio’s perversion. 
“Gyagyagya! Gogogo Gugu! Gugya!” 
Though Hajime couldn’t understand Tio’s goblin-speak the way he could Yue’s, it was easy to figure out what Tio was trying to say. After all, the way she shouting and the fact that she was blushing and cupping her cheeks said more than words ever could. Plus, she kept sneaking glances at Hajime. 
Now this is just blasphemous. Hajime reached for Donner. With some reluctance, Shea stopped him. Before Hajime could do anything more, Kaori hurriedly handed Tio a telepathy stone. 
“Oh, a telepathy stone. Can you hear me now, Master? Thank you so much for greeting me with that exquisite uppercut.” 
“Tch, so you’re just as sturdy in this body, huh? If only you’d died...” 
“Mmm!? How merciless! Please, insult me more. Haaah... Haaah... As I suspected, I can’t reach the true heights of ecstasy unless it’s you, Master. Your faithful servant has returned. Feel free to berate and scorn this ugly creature to your heart’s content!” 
For her, being transformed into a goblin was just another fetish to indulge in. In a way, Hajime was right. It was too late to save Tio. 
Tio threw herself at Hajime’s feet and shouted, “Boil me or bake me as you please!” Hajime, however, ignored her and slaughtered the group of goblins that had been beating on her. Once he was done, he silently walked off. The rest of the party had no desire to talk to Tio either, so they followed after him. 
“A-Abandonment play? Oh, Master, you tease. Wait, are you truly planning on leaving me behind!? Stop, I cannot walk that fast! I’m still dizzy from your previous attack!” 
Tio’s pleas rang out through the sea of trees. However, no one stopped for her.

Large, whip-like branches assailed the party. Razor-sharp leaves filled the air. Nuts and seeds bombarded everyone. Roots lunged up from the ground, their tips pointed spears. Each attack was powerful enough to be fatal. 
The monster the party was currently facing was practically the same as the tree-monsters they’d faced in the Great Orcus Labyrinth. Apparently, it was called a Treant. However, the Treant they were facing here was much larger than the one they’d fought in Orcus. It was easily ten meters wide and thirty meters tall. Currently, the only people in combat were Kouki, Shizuku, Suzu, and some ogre-like creature. 
“Graaaaaah!” The ogre let out a primitive howl and swung a boulder-sized fist at the Treant. Said ogre was, of course, Ryutarou. 
During the course of their search, Hajime and the others had found a pair of ogres locked in a duel to the death. After observing them for a while, they’d come to realize one of the ogres was Ryutarou. The karate-inspired martial arts he’d been using had made it easy to tell him apart from the actual ogre. That, combined with the fact that he’d chosen to accept the other ogre’s challenge instead of run away, had convinced everyone that was Ryutarou. Only he could be that straightforward. 
Furthermore, he’d been in such bad shape that had they found him any later, he might really have died. It was only thanks to Kouki jumping in and intervening that Ryutarou hadn’t had his skull bashed in. Once the other ogre had been defeated, Shizuku had given Ryutarou a long lecture about being reckless. It had been quite the sight, seeing a beat-up ogre sitting formally and hanging his head in front of a little girl. The whole incident had been so surreal that Suzu had burst out laughing. 
After they’d successfully met up with Ogre Ryutarou, Hajime and the others had resumed their search. Eventually, they’d found a large tree growing next to an altar. Upon their approach, the tree had sprung to life and started attacking everyone, leading to the present situation. 
Judging from the Treant’s strength, and the location they’d found it, it was likely this floor’s boss. If the party wanted to advance to the next floor, they’d have to defeat it. The reason Kouki and the others had taken on the challenge alone was because he wanted to prove he could be useful. However, because of how strong their foe was, Kaori was providing healing support from the rear. 
“Nnnnnngh! It hits like a truck!” A branch as thick as a tree trunk sliced through the air and headed straight for Kouki. He blocked it with his sword, but the force of the blow made him groan in pain. 
Shizuku was unable to assist, as she had her hands full striking down the flying shuriken leaves. Suzu had to use her full arsenal of barriers to keep the party safe, while Kouki frantically searched for an opening from which to strike. 
“Gah! It’s no use. As long as Kaori’s here we won’t get worn down, but...” Shizuku unleashed shockwaves one after another, slicing down any leaf or branch that drew close. But she grit her teeth as she realized that she wouldn’t be able to push any further. 
Now that they’d experienced firsthand just how ferocious a labyrinth could be, they realized Hajime had been right when he’d said they would die if they challenged one on their own. Shizuku knew that without Hajime’s help they would have died long ago. The confidence they’d built up during their time in the Great Orcus Labyrinth had been torn to shreds. Shizuku weighed her options, then yelled out her plan. 
“Kouki! Use Divine Wrath!” 
“I can’t! It takes too long to chant!” 
“Don’t worry, we’ll protect you! Trust in us!” 
Kouki hesitated over whether or not to agree to Shizuku’s plan. The Treant they were facing was stronger even than the monsters the demons had brought with them. It was only thanks to Kaori’s support that they hadn’t been wiped out. But even with her help, a moment’s lapse in concentration would see them killed. No sane person would leave themselves defenseless in front of such an opponent. 
However, it was also true that their current strategy lacked the firepower to defeat the Treant. At this rate, they would eventually lose. 
Besides... Kouki thought back to Hajime and Yue’s reunion. About how absolute their trust was in each other. Despite Yue’s goblin form, Hajime had instantly realized who she was. Yue, too, had possessed absolute faith that Hajime would stop Kouki from killing her. Honestly, he’d been a little jealous of their unwavering devotion to each other. 
It was that jealousy that drove Kouki to his final decision. After all, he had comrades he trusted too. This was his chance to prove his bonds were just as strong as Hajime’s. 
“Alright, I’m counting on you guys!” 
“Yep, just leave it to us. Ryutarou, Suzu, tighten your defenses!” 
“Roger!” 
“You got it!” 
Kouki raised his sword high and stopped moving. As he was concentrating solely on casting Divine Wrath, he was defenseless. The Treant wasn’t going to let such an opportunity pass. It shot branches at Kouki from both sides, while raining a torrent of leaves from above and firing a barrage of nuts from the front. 
“Reject all malice and let this be a holy ground that denies thine enemies passage! Hallowed Ground!” Suzu had been ready for the attack, and she pulled out her strongest barrier to defend against it. Cracks appeared in the dome as it weathered the Treant’s initial barrage. 
“Mrrrrrrrrrgh!” 
The continuous assault eventually proved too much for Suzu’s Hallowed Ground, and it shattered. Suzu was thrown backward from the impact, and Shizuku and Ryutarou rushed in to fill the gap. 
“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” 
“Uoooooooooh!” 
With spirited cries, the two of them unleashed every technique at their disposal. But even their best wasn’t enough to let them survive unscathed, and the two of them were quickly covered in deep cuts. Blood spurted from their bodies and dyed the ground red. 
“Holy Blessing.” Kaori cast a single spell, and Shizuku’s and Ryutarou’s wounds vanished instantly. 
Holy Blessing was an intermediate-class spell, but with Kaori’s ungodly mana reserves, she could easily power it up to an advanced-class spell. Her healing spells worked so fast that it was like they were rewinding time. Even factoring in the increase in power being in Noint’s body gave her, Kaori was an unbelievably skilled healer. 
Suzu once again cast Hallowed Ground, buying the party another few seconds. Shizuku and Ryutarou regrouped, ready to fend off the next assault. The cycle of Suzu erecting a barrier, it shattering, Shizuku and Ryutarou guarding for a few seconds, Kaori healing them, then Suzu recasting her barrier repeated three times. 
By now, Kouki had nearly finished casting. A massive amount of mana was concentrated within his sword, which was glowing brighter than the sun. He tightened his grip on the hilt and sucked in a deep breath. 
“Alright everyone, let’s do this! Divine Wrath!” After saying that, he swung his sword down, unleashing his most powerful attack. A dazzling shockwave of mana ripped across the ground, obliterating any leaves, branches, and nuts in its wake. It then slammed into the Treant’s main body in an explosion of light. 
“We did it!” Kouki yelled jubilantly. 
Hajime, who was waiting safely in the rear, muttered, “Ah, that’s a death flag...” and Kouki had stepped right on it. The light faded and the dust cleared, revealing a wounded but still very much alive Treant. 
“You’re... kidding me...” Kouki gasped, dumbfounded. He wasn’t the only one surprised. Shizuku, Suzu, and Ryutarou were just as shocked. Until now, there was nothing Kouki’s ultimate attack hadn’t been able to kill. 
Divine Wrath was the most powerful offensive spell in existence, the hero’s trump card. When he’d just arrived in Tortus and been low-leveled, it might have been possible for something to withstand Kouki’s Divine Wrath, but not after he’d gotten so much training in. 
And yet, the Treant remained undaunted. Sure, it had been damaged a fair amount, but those wounds only made it more ferocious. This whole time, Kouki had believed himself capable of clearing a labyrinth. He’d been certain he’d be fine. After all, Hajime had done it. To Kouki, it seemed impossible for there to be something Hajime could do that he couldn’t. However now, he was forced to face reality. Even his most powerful ability had failed to bring down a labyrinth monster. 
No, this can’t be real. There has to be some kind of mistake! Kouki shook his head in denial. Just then, Shizuku shouted to gain his attention. 
“Kouki, look! You didn’t land a direct hit!” 
“Huh?” Kouki followed Shizuku’s gaze and saw a mountain of wooden splinters and tree trunks. It appeared the Treant had used a bunch of trees as a shield to guard against Kouki’s Divine Wrath. 
Where on earth did it get all those trees from? There wasn’t anything right before I attacked... Kouki’s question was answered seconds later by the Treant. The monster glowed with a faint light, and seconds later trees started sprouting from its roots. 
“Th-This is its special magic!?” Suzu gasped. Her guess was spot-on. The Treant’s special magic was “Regrowth.” It allowed it to sprout as many trees as it pleased, and control them freely. 
“O-Oh no! Let this be a— Hallowed Ground!” Suzu quickly realized her full chant wouldn’t make it in time, and shortened it. A shimmering dome of light surrounded the party just as a flood of attacks came in. 
Sharpened branches and roots slammed into the barrier one after another. This time the attacks weren’t coming just from the Treant, but also from the trees it had created. Branches filled the air, blotting out the sky. The barrage was so thick Suzu and the others couldn’t even see the Treant anymore. A makeshift Hallowed Ground had no chance of withstanding such an attack. Cracks had already started to appear all over the barrier, and it would shatter in another few seconds. And this time, it seemed unlikely that Kouki and the others would be able to hold out long enough for her to cast it again. Kouki himself knew it was far too optimistic to think they could. 
“I can’t... hold on any longer...” Suzu grit her teeth as her mana drained away at an alarming rate. Watching her struggle to hold on snapped Kouki back to his senses. In a way, he was relieved. It wasn’t that his trump card was ineffective, it had just been blocked. But regardless, the fact that it had meant that Suzu was now suffering. 
Kouki banished the worries and hesitation he’d felt until now. And prepared to use his second trump card, Limit Break. Using up two of his trump cards this early in the labyrinth wasn’t a wise move, but Kouki realized he’d been naive in thinking he could survive without them. Before he could activate the skill though, Kaori intervened. 
“Transient Infinity!” 
Transient Infinity was a restoration spell that maintained a person or object in its original state for as long as the caster supplied mana. Silver light enveloped Suzu’s cracked Hallowed Ground, returning it to the pristine condition it had been in upon being cast. No matter how much the Treant hammered on the barrier, it was unable to put even a dent on it. Any damage dealt was instantly reverted thanks to Kaori’s spell. 
“Whoa, thanks Kaorin!” Suzu glanced over her shoulder, and Kaori saw the tears in her eyes. 
She must have been really scared. Or maybe she’s just really relieved now. Kaori smiled at her and nodded reassuringly. Kouki and the others relaxed a little as well and turned back to see how Hajime was doing. 
Like the three of them, Hajime and his party were also surrounded by an army of trees, but they were having no trouble whatsoever dealing with the onslaught of wood and leaves. Hajime had deployed four of his Cross Bits, and they’d formed a pyramid-shaped barrier around everyone. Since the barrier was made of spatial magic, it was nigh impossible to penetrate. Not even the Treant’s strongest attacks could crack it. He’d created an impenetrable fortress for himself. 
“Looks like they’re at their limit. I thought they’d be able to do a bit better, but...” Hajime muttered to himself as he gauged the expressions on Kouki and the others’ faces. 
“Hmm, if that hero guy used Limit Break, won’t they be able to manage somehow?” 
“Maybe. If he uses that powered-up version of it, definitely. But the recoil that comes afterward will be a problem... Even healing magic can’t do much for the exhaustion that comes with using Limit Break.” 
“Mmm... Restoration magic should be able to, though.” 
At Yue’s words, Kaori bit her lip. 
“I’d like to preserve my mana as much as possible. Restoration magic takes up a lot, and I’m the only one capable of using it right now, so... This is still just the beginning of the labyrinth, so there’s no telling what’s waiting for us further down, and I already used up one of my spells...” 
“Indeed. In that case, I suppose you should take care of things before that boy attempts to use Limit Break.” 
Hajime was a little worried that Kouki and the others wouldn’t be recognized as people who’d contributed to conquering the dungeon if he kept helping them like this. And if they weren’t able to obtain ancient magic, then he wouldn’t be able to use them as pawns for the upcoming battle against the Noint army. 
That was why he’d wanted Kouki and the others to handle this monster, so they’d have proof of their contribution. However, Kaori definitely had a point. There was no telling what was waiting for them further down, so wasting more mana than necessary was not a wise decision. Sure, he did have a stock of jewelry charged with mana still, but Yue and Tio weren’t in fighting condition, and Hajime had no idea when they ’d be back to normal. 
To make matters worse, their equipment had been taken from them as well. If they got too cocky, Hajime didn’t doubt they’d find the tables turned on them. 
“Master, I can more or less guess what your worries are, but I think you needn’t concern yourself so much with whether or not they achieve any results in battle.” 
“Hm? Why not? Does it have something to do with the theme of this labyrinth?” Hajime tilted his had, and Tio nodded. She might have been an incorrigible pervert, but her vast wisdom and intellect meant her words were worth heeding. Though it didn’t change the fact that she was a pervert. 
“Correct. This is merely conjecture, but I believe Haltina’s labyrinth is meant to test our bonds.” 
“Our bonds, huh...? Come to think of it, the stone epitaph at the entrance said something like that too.” 
“Precisely. Those words referred not only to forging a bond with beastmen and having them guide us here but also to the fact that our bonds would be tested within this labyrinth. Discerning which of our comrades were fake, finding and accepting those who were transformed, all of this is testing our bonds. Testing whether we will protect our powerless partners, or leave them to die.” 
“I see... If that really is the goal of this labyrinth, then all of these trials would make sense. And... Amanogawa’s already accepted Sakagami and fought together with him. Hell, he even entrusted his life to him back there. Since they’ve already proven all that, it shouldn’t be a problem if I finish everything else off from here on, huh. As long as Amanogawa and the others keep overcoming the trials that test their bonds, anyway.” 
“That is what I suspect. But remember, this is still conjecture.” 
Conjecture it may have been, but it was backed up by a good deal of evidence. If Tio was right, then this labyrinth, which wasn’t interested in testing its challengers’ martial prowess, was probably the most fitting one to have brought Kouki and the others along for. 
Hajime mulled over Tio’s words one more time and glanced over at the giant Treant. Its attacks had grown even more ferocious, so it was getting irritated that it couldn’t break through Suzu’s Hallowed Ground or Hajime’s spatial barrier. There were so many leaves and branches flying around that Hajime could barely see in front of him. At that, Hajime made his decision. 
“Taniguchi, I’m gonna blow everything away. If you don’t want to die, keep your barrier up no matter what.” 
“Say what?” Cold sweat poured down Suzu’s back as she digested Hajime’s warning. Kouki and the others looked curiously over at Suzu. And a second later, their jaws fell open in shock. 
Hajime had taken out his specially crafted chakram and was controlling them with the spirit stone ring on his finger. His chakrams tore through the storm of trees and branches, shredding everything in their path. There were more than twenty of them whirling through the air. A few of them flew above the trees and started spraying a black liquid down on them. 
The black liquid was, of course, the same flamrock tar that burned at 3000 degrees Celsius. He was transporting it from his Treasure Trove via the spatial gates he’d attached to his chakrams. 
Shea, who’d realized what Hajime was planning, balked. 
“Whoa...” she muttered as she looked over at Hajime. After all, while Hajime’s method was the most effective way of wiping out the forest of trees that had sprouted in front of them, it was also quite extreme. 
Hajime, however, ignored her chastising gaze and threw a tiny ember through one of the chakrams next to him. 
The forest was bathed in flames for a second time. The Treant ignored the flames and continued its assault, but it wasn’t able to last very long in the hellfire Hajime had drowned it in. Though it had no mouth, the party could have sworn they heard a scream as the flames burnt it to a crisp. The updraft caused by the heat made the flames condense into a whirling tornado which burned so hot it liquified everything it touched. 
Hajime really had created a hell on earth. If Suzu or the others stepped even one foot outside her Hallowed Ground, they’d be scorched so thoroughly not even ashes would remain. 
But while the tar burned hot, it didn’t burn for long. Within fifteen minutes, Hajime’s flames had exhausted themselves. Because the Treant and its trees had thrashed about in their final moments, the fire had spread to the regular trees in the forest too, but Kaori’s timely water spells had prevented the entire forest from burning down. As Kaori was the only mage in Hajime’s party still capable of combat, she was being run pretty ragged. 
“We’ve already met up with Yue and the others, you could have just let the whole forest burn, you know...?” 
“Hajime-kun. It’s not right to destroy everything around you just because you can.” 
“Wherever Hajime-san goes, destruction is sure to follow... If my dad had seen this, he’d probably start thinking up another new nickname for you right about now.” 
Unable to meet Kaori and Shea’s gazes, Hajime looked away awkwardly. Honestly, he didn’t care even if he burned the labyrinth to the ground, but when even Shea gave him that look, he felt a little guilty. 
However, Yue, who was with Hajime on everything, and Tio, who preferred her master to be a merciless monster, seemed to agree with his declaration that destroying the labyrinth was no big deal. For the moment, opinions within Hajime’s party were split evenly. 
“That just now was... No, forget it. I’ve already seen rocket launchers and cluster bombs, so I shouldn’t be surprised at this point. This is normal for Nagumo-kun. I need to get it together...” 
“Don’t worry, Shizushizu. I totally get what you’re feeling, but you’ll get used to how crazy everything is eventually... I hope. Anyway, it’ll be alright.” 
Suzu and Shizuku stared at each other with dead eyes. They’d just witnessed a crimson inferno up close and personal, and it had done a number on their mental state. Ogre Ryutarou looked worriedly over at the two of them, but he couldn’t find any words to say. After all, even he’d broken out in a cold sweat seeing flames inches from his face. 
A short distance away, Kouki glared at Hajime and bit his lip. Even his strongest attack hadn’t been able to defeat the Treant, yet Hajime had taken care of it like it was nothing. He’d come here to shorten the gap between him and Hajime, but he was beginning to worry if he’d even be able to obtain the ancient magic if Hajime ended up saving them from everything. After a while, Kouki shook his head in an attempt to dispel such negative thoughts, then whirled around in a panic when he heard a creaking noise behind him. 
“Is it regenerating?” Just as Kouki said that the scorched ground began to shake, and a tree sprouted from the earth. It grew at a prodigious rate, and in seconds it was the size of the Treant Hajime had just burned. It really had regenerated. 
Kouki and the others instantly drew their weapons, but the restored Treant didn’t attack. Instead, its bark started to split open, similar to how the Grand Tree had when it had first let them inside. 
“I figured this was the mid-boss, but I didn’t think it’d also be the door to the next stage.” Hajime nodded to himself and strode confidently into the opening made by Treant. Yue and the others followed suit. Then, Kouki and his group sheathed their weapons and hurried after them. 
The inside of this tree looked as unassuming as the last. However, the moment they all entered, the bark closed in around them and the area around their feet began to glow. 
“Guess we’re getting teleported again...” 
Hajime hugged Yue and Tio close, noting that this magic circle looked almost identical to the previous one. Chances were, if the magic circle wanted to separate the party, hugging the two goblins wouldn’t do much. But still, he figured it was better than doing nothing. 
Since neither of them was capable of fighting in their current state, even a weak monster could kill them easily. Even if there was a slim chance of this doing anything, Hajime still felt compelled to do something at the very least. He couldn’t afford to let either of them die. 
“Hajime...” 
“M-Master... if you’re this kind to me, I won’t know how to respond.” 
The two of them had picked up on Hajime’s worry, and they smiled happily. Though they were still goblins, anyone would have been able to tell those smiles were ones of joy. And for once, Tio seemed embarrassed. Shea and Kaori tried to throw themselves at Hajime too, but they were a moment too late. Just before their arms reached him, the light swallowed the party.

Chirp, chirp, chirp. The soft chirping of birds, along with the sunlight filtering through the curtains, heralded the arrival of dawn. Annoyed, the resident of the room grabbed his pillow and covered his head with it. However, there was a demon in this room that wouldn’t let him sleep. 
Beep... Beep... Beep... Beep... Beep!. A loud ringing noise assailed the ears of the boy attempting to sleep. 
“Ugh...” The boy tried to dive further into his fortress of bedsheets and pillows, but ignoring the demon’s wail proved to be impossible. He reluctantly stretched an arm out and started indiscriminately slapping the desk next to his bed. He’d had a little over a decade’s worth of experience quelling this demon, so on the third try he was able to bash it on the head, silencing it. But while he was well-versed in demon busting, it didn’t change the fact it took a lot out of him. The boy’s arm flopped, drained of all strength. He then sluggishly returned to his fortress, and stopped moving. A second later, he was woken once more. 
“Hajime! Wake uuuuuup! No sleeping in, get up!” 
He heard a familiar voice, his mother’s, calling him from downstairs. Half-awake, Hajime processed his mother’s words and decided to resist to the last. He pulled his covers over him and tightened the defenses of his fortress. 
“Guess he’s not listening. Can you go get him for me? Sorry I have to ask you every day.” 
“Ah...” 
Hajime’s mom spoke loudly, to make sure he could hear her. Considering who she was probably talking to, regardless of how badly she wanted Hajime up, he had no intention of leaving his bed. After all, being woken by the person Hajime’s mom had enlisted was one of the few joys of his daily life. There was a sharp rap on his door. Hajime didn’t respond, but the person on the other side seemed to have been expecting that and opened the door. They tiptoed over to where Hajime was sleeping and poked his curled-up body. 
“Wake up, Hajime...” 
“......” 
Still no response. Though he was only partially conscious, Hajime wanted to hear this beautiful girl’s voice for a while longer. 
“If you don’t wake up...” 
“......” 
The girl caressed his back. The soft sensation caused Hajime to involuntarily smile. 
“I’ll have to rape you.” 
“Okay I’m getting up, so please don’t say such dangerous things this early in the morning.” 
Chills ran down Hajime’s spine, and he quickly jumped out of bed. A tuft of his black hair stood on end, and his brown-black eyes struggled to focus. Standing in front of him was a blonde-haired crimson-eyed beauty. She smiled seductively and licked her lips. At the sight, Hajime grimaced and spoke up. 
“Morning, Yue.” 
“Mmm... Morning, Hajime.” 
Hajime stretched, glad that he was able to see his girlfriend first thing in the morning. His parents both teased him as he went down for breakfast, after which he left for school together with Yue. 
Hajime stifled a yawn as he walked down the familiar path to school, and Yue looked up at him curiously. 
Every one of her gestures is just so cute! Yue’s looks captivated everyone they passed by as well, and plenty of people accidentally walked into poles or fell into ditches because they were staring at her. Yue remained oblivious to the carnage she was causing, though. She dashed ahead of Hajime and whirled around to face him. Since she was wearing a standard school uniform, her skirt flew up a little as she did so. Her golden-blonde hair shone in the sunlight and gave off a faint smell of shampoo. She continued walking backward in step with Hajime and scrutinized his expression. 
“Did you stay up late again?” 
“Yeah, I got a little too engrossed in the work dad gave me. By the time I realized it, the sun was starting to rise.” 
“It’s good that you’re passionate about your hobbies, but don’t overdo it. You need to take care of your body.” 
“Yeah, I will.” 
The two were just having a normal conversation, but it looked like they were flirting. Hajime and Yue had been dating for a while, but the flames of their passion hadn’t dimmed in the slightest. At the beginning, Yue had been so enamored with Hajime that she’d forcefully convinced his parents to let her homestay with them. 
That had caused quite the uproar among the people who knew him. Especially since Hajime was a hardcore otaku who spent most of his time playing games or helping his dad make games. He was the last person anyone had expected to land a beautiful girlfriend. Hajime’s mother had worried he had somehow mastered the art of hypnosis and tricked Yue into being his girlfriend, while his father assumed he’d somehow manifested the power to make his waifu real. And when Yue had transferred into Hajime’s school and announced that she was Hajime’s girlfriend, the whole school had started talking about it. 
Afterward, Hajime had been forced to deal with the hordes of jealous guys who’d hounded him day and night. Yue’d had her own share of problems, and was called out by the school’s girls day after day. Finally, after a few months, things had reached the point where they were calming down. The reason Hajime could walk to school so leisurely now was because he’d braved such a storm of trials. Hajime stared at Yue’s glistening golden hair and thought back to how he’d first met her. 
He’d chanced upon her getting assaulted by a mugger, and after a vicious struggle had successfully managed to fight him off and save Yue. As thanks, she’d kissed him on the neck. Even now, he could clearly remember the sensation of that kiss. After that, they’d started dating. 
Honestly, I’m kind of surprised an otaku like me managed to beat up a mugger in the first place. I guess humans really do display amazing feats of strength when they’re desperate. He smiled to himself. That really had been reckless. But as he sifted through his memories, he realized something was off. 
Wait, come to think of it, where was that place I first met Yue anyway? And why was I there? Yue was obviously a foreigner, and the fact that she was homestaying at Hajime’s house meant she must have come from a different country. Hajime also vaguely remembered first meeting Yue in a foreign country. But he couldn’t for the life of him remember which country that was. Once he realized that, a bunch of other contradictory elements started popping up in his memories. The more he questioned his present situation, the more he felt as though something wasn’t right. 
“Hajime!” 
“Whoa. What’s up? Why’d you suddenly yell like that?” 
He was shocked out of his musings by Yue’s uncharacteristically loud voice. Upon returning to reality, Hajime noticed Yue was staring intently at him. 
“I kept calling your name, but you ignored me... 
“Wait, really!? I’m so sorry! I was just lost in thought...” 
Yue huffed and looked away. It seemed his indifference had really hurt her. He tried to comfort her as best he could, his earlier doubts completely forgotten. 
—Fall into bliss. Look only at me— 
Yue’s whisper was so quiet it didn’t reach Hajime’s ears. He smiled gently at her, glad she was at his side. 
They reached school without incident and as Hajime was putting on his school slippers, he felt something soft touch his back. Someone was hugging him from behind. No, not just someone. Hajime knew instantly who it was just from the sensation. It could only be her. 
“Hajime-saaan! Yue-saaan! Good morning!” 
“Mmm... Morning, Shea.” 
“Sh-Shea-san! How many times do I have to tell you not to hug him!? Get off already!” 
“Don’t be like that! How cruel do you have to be to steal my only happiness away from me!? You better make up for it by marrying me!” 
“How on earth are those two related!? Anyway, get off him! Look, Yue’s eyes have already glazed over! She’s glaring at me too now!” 
Hajime didn’t let the joy he felt at being smothered by Shea’s breasts show on his face, and he silently pushed her away. Shea was an exchange student who’d transferred into Hajime’s class some time back. The reason she was so attached to him was because a while back he’d also saved her and her family from a gang of muggers. Though she looked like a mature beauty, her trademark hairband and innocent smile made her appear childlike. Still, she had enough admirers to have her own dedicated fan club. If Hajime was honest with himself, he didn’t hate all the attention Shea gave him. He was a guy, after all. If he’d met Shea first, she might have been his girlfriend right now instead of Yue. However, there was no point in thinking about such what-if scenarios. As it was, Shea’s assertiveness was a problem for Hajime, since he already had Yue. Hajime racked his brains, trying to figure out why his memories weren’t matching up with Shea’s current appearance. But before he could arrive at an answer, Shea and Yue wrapped themselves around his arms. Seriously though, what kind of cliched set-up is this? I just coincidentally happen to save two different girls from muggers, and they just happen to both fall in love with me? Wait a second. Did Shea always wear a headband like that? I thought she was supposed to have... Hajime racked his brains, trying to figure out why his memories weren’t matching up with Shea’s current appearance. But before he could arrive at an answer, Shea and Yue wrapped themselves around his arms. 
“Why do you look so confused? We need to hurry, or we’ll be late for class.” 
“Mmm... I don’t want to be lectured by the teacher again.” 
They pressed their breasts against him, and Hajime’s thoughts were overwritten. Unable to resist, Hajime was dragged off to class by the two of them. 
Class? Teacher? Why does this all sound so strange? Everything they’re saying makes sense... right? I guess the weird thing is they’re the ones saying it? Their conversation was a perfectly standard one, but Hajime couldn’t help but feel uneasy. 
The moment Hajime entered the classroom he was met by the jealous glares of all the guys in the class. Thanks to Yue’s intervention, they were no longer bullying him directly, but those gazes still hurt. 
Is it just me or does this all feel a little... nostalgic? But why on earth should it feel nostalgic? Hajime couldn’t fathom why his normal, everyday life felt so off. Confused, he took his seat. The moment he sat down, another girl, one of his classmates, came bounding over to him. 
“Good morning, Hajime-kun! You barely made it on time today too. I think you should at least make an effort to come earlier.” 
“......” 
Kaori Shirasaki, a girl who’s looks rivaled Yue and Shea’s, looked down at Hajime. Before Yue and Shea’s arrival, she’d been the undisputed most popular girl in school. And for some reason, she too had a crush on Hajime. She’d actually been infatuated with him for quite some time, but Hajime hadn’t realized it until just recently. Back then he’d always brushed her off with a troubled smile, but now things were different. Why does it feel like... I’ve heard that line before... Dammit, what’s going on? Why does all this feel so freaking nostalgic? I’ve been doing this every day for a while now, there shouldn’t be anything nostalgic about it. 
“Hajime-kun... why are you ignoring me? Did I do something to make you mad?” Her voice trembled a little, and Hajime looked up to see her almost in tears. 
Realizing he’d been ignoring her for almost a minute, he hurriedly replied. 
“Oh no, that’s not it. I’m really sorry, I just got lost in thought. Morning, Shirasaki-san.” 
“Oh, thank goodness that was all. Anyway, Hajime-kun, how many times do I have to tell you to just call me Kaori?” 
She puffed out her cheeks in mock anger. The gesture was so cute that quite a few of the spectating boys got nosebleeds. Naturally, the fact that Kaori’s gestures were directed toward Hajime also fanned the flames of their jealousy. 
“But Shirasaki-san, I...” 
“Kaori. Call me Kaori.” 
“But...” 
“Ka-o-ri.” 
“U-Umm, K-Kao...” Overwhelmed, Hajime finally started to give in. But before he could finish saying Kaori’s name, Yue came to his rescue. 
“...Stop bothering Hajime.” She stepped protectively in front of Hajime and put her hands on her hips. In return, Kaori got into a fighting stance. Yue did the same and crouched low. 
“Of course you’d get in the way, Yue. Good morning, I guess.” 
“Mmm... Good morning, Kaori. I guess.” 
They spat out their morning greetings as though it physically pained them to do so. The surrounding temperature dropped to absolute zero as the two officially recognized love rivals stared each other down. Despite how it seemed, the two didn’t hate each other. If anything, they were more like best friends who fought a lot. Hajime found it strange how they seemed enjoy each other’s company despite how often they quarreled. 
Before they could start fighting in earnest though, the bell rang and the teacher walked into the classroom. Yue and Kaori gave each other one final glare before reluctantly returning to their seats. First period was English, taught by Tio. She was a beautiful teacher, who, like seemingly every other pretty woman, was enamored with Hajime. She’d often tease him or sexually harass him during class. Today too, she shot Hajime a flirtatious glance as she walked into the room. 
“Tch... Someone fire her already.” 
“Huh!? Haaah... Haaah...” 
At this point, the whole class knew about her deviant sexual tendencies. Even Hajime, who was normally a mild-mannered individual, couldn’t help but be compelled to insult Tio. 
Huh? How come everything else feels weird, but this feels normal? The strange disconnect Hajime had been feeling until now vanished. This particular scene just seemed to fit so perfectly. Throughout the rest of the day, Hajime was struck by a few other things that seemed out of place, but also experienced moments where everything seemed to fit together. It felt like someone inside his mind was yelling something at him, but the words were a little too faint to make out. 
After school, Hajime, Yue, and Shea went to visit a nearby kindergarten. They were there to pick up Myu, their neighbor Remia’s daughter. Remia was a single mom, and work often kept her busy, so Hajime occasionally went to pick up Myu in her stead. Because Remia had known Hajime for a while, she trusted him to not only pick up Myu, but also to look after her until she got home from work. Myu saw them the moment they arrived and tottered over. 
“Ah, it’s Da— Onii-chan! And Shea-oneechan and Yue-oneechan!” 
A beaming smile split her face. Hajime smiled back and caught Myu in his arms. 
“Myu, how many times do I have to tell you jumping like that is dangerous? Also, you were about to call me Daddy again weren’t you? I told you not to call me that.” 
Cold sweat poured down Hajime’s back as he scolded Myu. Since Myu’s father had died before she was born, she’d taken to calling Hajime--the only older boy to spend this much time with her--Daddy. However, that nickname was likely to cause misunderstandings. Remia was still a young widow and considered quite the beauty by most of their neighbors. If her daughter started calling another man Daddy, well it wasn’t hard to see how that would be interpreted. Unsavory rumors would start to spread. 
In fact, Myu had already slipped up once in front of the kindergarten teachers. That alone had caused a huge uproar. Fortunately, it appeared Remia had resolved the misunderstanding before things got out of hand. But if Myu called Hajime Daddy in the middle of the street, well, his social life was finished. So his concern was understandable. 
Though for some reason, the looks Myu’s teachers had been giving Hajime recently made him worry Remia might actually be up to something. He tried not to think too much about it, grabbed Myu’s hand, and started walking home. He watched with an awkward smile as Yue and Shea tried to convince Myu to call them Mommy. As he gazed at the setting sun, he felt a sense of contentment wash over him. The disconnect he’d felt earlier this morning had all but vanished. 
“Hey D... Onii-chan! Are you listening to me?” 
“Huh? Oh, sorry. I spaced out there for a second.” 
By way of apology, Hajime scooped Myu up into his arms. That was enough to assuage her anger, but Myu pretended to still be mad in order to make Hajime hold her for longer. Her cute antics stamped out the last of the discomfort Hajime had been feeling. Yue and Shea smiled at him, but then Shea suddenly closed her eyes and questioned him. 
“Hmm? Hajime-san, did you hear that?” 
“Wha? Did something happen?” Shea’s hearing was better than most people, so Hajime didn’t doubt that she might have picked up on something. Hajime strained his ears, and he was able to faintly make out the sound of one girl and a group of guys arguing with each other. The group exchanged glances, then ran off toward the alley the sound was coming from. 
“Wow, this is cliched...” 
“...No enemy of women shall go unpunished.” 
As expected, a group of guys were heckling a lone girl. Hajime looked down at Myu and considered his options. The enemy wasn’t terribly strong. Judging by their posture, they were garden-variety thugs. Even if they’d been armed, they wouldn’t be much of a match for Hajime, Yue, or Shea. 
While Hajime was still analyzing the situation, Shea walked up to the group of guys. Noticing that someone was approaching, the guys turned around. Upon spotting Shea’s gorgeous figure, their surprised expressions transformed into vulgar grins. They obviously thought Shea would be an easy mark. 
Huh? Driven on by a dark impulse to kill, Hajime reached towards his right thigh. Before he could do anything though, Shea wedged herself in between the group of guys. From there, it was a slaughter. She struck down the thugs with a superb display of martial skill. 
Oh yeah, how could I forget. Shea can handle guys like these no problem. Now that he thought about it, it made sense for Shea to be that strong. There was nothing strange about it. That was just how she was. It was exactly as Hajime remembered. 
Shea exchanged a few words with the terrified girl she’d just saved, then returned to Hajime’s side. As she passed by Yue, she gave her a high-five. 
“You’re so cool, Shea-oneechan!” 
“Fufufu. Praise me more. Don’t worry Myu, when you get bigger I’ll teach you how to fight just like me.” 
“Mmm... I have a lot to teach you too, Myu.” 
Just don’t teach her anything weird. Hajime thought to himself as he watched Myu jump up and down. With that incident settled, the group once again headed towards home. The disconnect that had vanished before returned as Hajime realized there was something strange about his earlier actions. 
What was I trying to do with my right hand back there? It felt like I was searching for something... Just then, he realized something else. He’d analyzed the situation like a hardened warrior. Shaken, he looked down at his hands. 
“...ake... up...” 
In the distance, he heard a faint voice that sounded similar to yet different from his own.

That night. Hajime had already finished eating dinner and taking his bath and was now lying in his bed. He’d been so lost in thought the whole time that he hadn’t even remembered to dry his hair properly. The sense that something was wrong kept growing stronger. Though it was extremely faint, he was almost certain he could hear a voice calling out to him. It struck something deep down inside him, something primal. The voice was one of denial. It was screaming at him to reject this seemingly happy life. 
“Just what am I unsatisfied with, anyway?” 
As he scratched his head in annoyance, he heard a knock on his door. 
“...Hajime?” 
“Is that you, Yue? Come in.” 
After a brief pause, Yue opened the door and walked inside. All she had on was a negligee. Her silky, pale skin was on full display. As she crawled onto Hajime’s bed, she noticed his hair was still wet and she poked him in mild rebuke. He reluctantly got into a sitting position, and she started drying his hair. 
“Mmm... All dry. If you sleep with your hair wet, you’ll catch a cold.” 
“Yeah, you’ve got a point. Thanks, Yue.” 
“Mmm...” 
Yue hugged Hajime from behind and started rubbing her face against the back of his neck, like a spoiled cat. She then pushed her hands inside Hajime’s shirt and started caressing his chest. Hajime let himself sink into bliss. Or at least, he tried to. For some reason, Yue’s actions only made his sense of unease grow. He couldn’t understand why he was feeling like this, and it made him frustrated. 
I have a fulfilling life and a girlfriend who’s completely devoted to me. There’s nothing more I could hope to ask for. So who is it inside of me... that keeps yelling at me to reject reality!? 
He tried to focus on Yue and banish the unease welling up within him. As if sensing his discomfort, Yue leaned close and whispered into his ear. 
“...It’s alright. You don’t have to worry about anything. I’ll make sure you’re happy, Hajime.” 
“Yue...” 
“So focus only on me. It’s okay, I’ll always be here by your side. I’ll always be everything you want.” 
“......” Hajime slowly started to nod off. If only I could fall asleep just like this. Then I wouldn’t have to think about anything. I mean, I have Yue right here with me. There can’t be anything more important than that... can there? As long as I have her, I don’t need anything else. Even if I lost everything else... I’d still have my ideal girlfriend with me. That’s all I need to... 
Hajime let his thoughts trail off, and relaxed his body. He entrusted himself to the warmth of Yue’s body and let the sweet fog of sleep blanket his mind. But just before he fell fully asleep— 
“As long as we watch each other’s backs, we’ll be stronger than anyone. We’ll beat down anyone who stands against us and bust our way out of this shitty world.” 
Someone screamed those words inside his head. Hajime drove off the fog of sleep, and his eyes snapped open. 
“Well, how about coming with me then?” 
He heard his own voice again. It sounded different from his current voice, but it was undoubtedly his. Memories rose one after another to the surface of his mind. 
I remember now. That was what I told Yue way back when in the bottom of the abyss. When I asked her if she wanted to come back to my world with me. Scenes of a world that wasn’t earth flashed through his head. 
It was then that Hajime remembered Yue’s smile. The smile she’d shown him when he’d offered to take her with him. That was the first time he’d seen Yue, who was normally expressionless, smile so genuinely. It had been like watching a sunflower bloom. Thinking back on it now, Hajime realized it was then that he’d fallen for her. After that, they’d fought through numerous life-and-death situations and stepped foot on Tortus’ surface once more. There they’d sworn to protect each other, find a way home, and beat down anything that stood in their path. 
It had been almost instinctual. Just as Hajime had been about to surrender himself to this dream, he’d remembered the oath he’d made. Hajime shook off the illusion that looked like Yue and rose to his feet. 
A perfect girlfriend? A perfect world? Just how stupid can I get!? Hajime rubbed his eyes and ground his teeth together. He couldn’t forgive himself for being so weak, for nearly succumbing to this false happiness. 
Pathetic. I feel like throwing up. How could I forget the promise I made? He slapped his cheeks as hard as he could, both to punish himself and to clear his head. 
The sound reverberated throughout the room, startling Yue. She hurriedly got to her feet and grabbed Hajime’s hand. However, he coldly shook her off. Yue brought her hand back to her chest, looking forlorn. 
“Don’t fuck with me...” Hajime muttered angrily as he glared at the illusory Yue Haltina’s labyrinth had no doubt created. 
“Hajime, what’s wrong?” 
Hajime looked nothing like the docile boy he had a few moments ago. He ignored Yue’s question and let out some rather heartfelt words. 
“Hey, Yue. You’re the most important thing in the world to me. As long as I have you, I don’t need anything else.” 
“...Hearing that makes me so happy, Hajime.” Yue was initially taken aback, but then she smiled happily. But despite his words, Hajime’s gaze was as cold as ice. 
“So if I told you to throw away everything else for me, would you?” 
After a moment’s hesitation, Yue nodded. 
“...If that’s what you wanted.” 
“Even if that everything else included Shea, Kaori, Tio, and Myu?” 
“...If that’s what you wanted.” 
Yue agreed to anything Hajime asked as if she were trying to become his ideal partner. However, her responses only served to anger Hajime. 
“I can’t believe something like this managed to trick me...” he muttered to himself. He then looked up at Yue and spat out words dripping with venom. 
“Fine. I get it already, goddammit.” The moment Hajime was convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Yue in front of him was a fake, his appearance changed. His black hair turned white, an eye patch covered one eye, and his left arm was replaced by a mechanical one. 
“Tch... I totally fell for that one. This is why you can’t ever let your guard down in a labyrinth. Looks like Haltina was just as much of an asshole as the rest of the Liberators.” 
The fake Yue once again stretched out a hand to Hajime as he cursed to himself. 
“...Please stay here. You’ll be happy if you do.” 
“Shut up, you damn fake. Don’t you dare say my name again.” 
“Why? I’m Yue, your girlfriend. Your ideal girlfriend, Hajime. What’s there to be unhappy about?” 
“Everything, you moron. If I wanted an obedient girlfriend who did everything I asked, I’d get a doll. But unfortunately for you, I’m not really into those,” Hajime spat. He then tuned Yue out as he searched for a way out of this illusory space. 
“You’re wrong. I’m not just a doll. I have the same personality as the real Yue. I’m just also the ideal Yue that you desire. So stay here. Anything and everything you could wish for is here. And I’ll always be by your side.” 
So this world’s not just your normal fake, huh? Both the people and the world were based on Hajime’s memories, which had been read by the first magic circle that had teleported them. On top of that, everything here was simulated to be the ideal what-if scenario that the labyrinth believed the challenger desired. Considering all the suffering Hajime had been through in the abyss, and the challenges that he still needed to overcome to make it back home, it wasn’t wrong to say a world like this where he could spend his days with Yue and the others in peace was in many ways ideal. However, it wasn’t the world Hajime wanted. 
“You’re hopeless. It’s kind of pathetic how off the mark you are.” 
Red sparks flew off of Hajime’s body as he said that. His mana spread to every corner of this fake world, painting everything crimson. Since this was a trial, he reasoned that once he cleared it he’d be thrown out of the illusion automatically. And while he’d more or less guessed what the clear conditions were, this particular trial had pissed him off enough that he’d rather smash through it by force. 
“Why don’t you want to stay?” Yue asked, confused. Seconds later though, the emotion vanished from her expression. Now she truly did resemble a doll. Hajime continued pouring mana into his surroundings as he glared angrily at Yue. 
“That’s simple. Compared to the real Yue, you’re worthless. There’s nothing in the world I want more than the real Yue!” Hajime growled through gritted teeth. The vast amount of mana he was expending was taking its toll on his body. However, it was taking an even greater toll on the world around him. Cracks had already started to form inside the illusion. Hajime then activated Limit Break and squeezed out all of his remaining mana at once. 
“That goes for everyone else, too. They’re all a bunch of troublemakers who never listen to what I say. Sure, maybe they’re not ‘ideal’ comrades, but I am who I am because of them. I only made it this far because they were by my side. Your ‘ideal’ fakes could never hold a candle to them!” 
The illusion groaned under the weight of Hajime’s mana, which had covered it so thoroughly the entire world seemed red. And finally... it shattered. Shards of the illusion rained down all around Hajime, pieces of broken glass falling from the heavens. They glinted in the light like diamonds. 
As the constructed world began to fade, the fake Yue smiled quietly at Hajime. It was the illusion’s final flare of light before the darkness swallowed it forever. That smile wasn’t the kind of smile Yue would ever make. It belonged to someone else entirely. Hajime had a guess as to whose smile that was, but his consciousness was fading rapidly and he lacked the energy to think any further. 
“You pass. There’s no value in a world that’s always as you want it. And there’s no meaning in happiness you didn’t earn. Even if it’s painful, even if you feel like you can’t bear it at times, it’s only through overcoming harsh realities one after another that you will achieve true happiness. Never forget that.” 
The voice that spoke to him sounded nothing like Yue’s. Hajime couldn’t even tell if it belonged to a guy or a girl. However, he could feel an unbelievable amount of warmth from it. Just before he lost consciousness, Hajime retorted. 
“Hah, I don’t need you to tell me that. ...But I’ll keep it in mind, I guess.” 
Though Hajime’s sight had already clouded over, it seemed to him that the person he was talking to smiled at that.