Capítulo 49: vol 14 PT 1
ARIFURETA SHOKUGYOU DE SEKAI SAIKYOU (WN)
C131
Disgust, no, the best word was hatred. Such a deep, dark feeling, Hajime felt for… Yue.
It was apparent that Yue felt the same way. Her eyes were distorted with a murderous look as she glanced at Hajime as well.
"Yue."
"…. Hajime."
They called each other's names with familiarity, but with a sort of discomfort as well.
"… I completely despise you."
"…. I feel nothing but hate."
With strong emotion, the pair pull out weapons and raise them at each other. Hajime aims Donna straight at Yue's forehead, while Yue lifts up a flame in her right hand. The words "Oh?" and "Who first?" hung in the air like a classic scene in a Yakuza shop.
"Hey, what are you two doing?"
A voice came forth between the two. It was Shia. Her left shoulder holding Doryukken, her posture like she was about to attack, with a very restrained voice.
"Shouldn't the one you want to kill be me? Don't be selfish."
Like Hajime and Yue, Shia stared at them with hate and malice in her eyes.
Hajime also had negative feelings towards Shia that rivaled the murderous feeling he had for Yue. When Hajime gritted his teeth and looked around, he felt death glares from Tio and Kaori as well. They looked at Yue, Shia, and Hajime all with hate-filled eyes.
"Oh, hey guys. What are you guys doing? Nagumo is just Nagumo."
It's Kouki. Kouki seems to be protecting Hajime while giving Yue and the others a stern glare. His eyes seem to hold a great deal of affection for Hajime as he accuses the others of acting strange.
Ryuutaro and Suzu did not seem to share any particular strong feelings against Hajime. Rather, Ryuutaro seemed to be giving Kouki a look of disgust. Shizuku also seems to have hate in her eyes when she looks at Hajime, and a condemning look for Kouki, and a downright murderous look for Kaori.
Fortunately, the "holy shield" barrier was still being maintained by Yue. The swarm of roaches had surged again, trying to catch Hajime and rest off-guard during this abnormality, as the group just glared at each other.
More cockroaches gather into magic circles, attempting to create more special cockroaches outside their protective barrier. Another tsunami of cockroaches flies by, buying them a bit of time.
Hajime analyzed the effect of the light magic using "detect magic" and judged it against his changing emotions to take a guess at the situation now.
"Apparently, the light magic we felt a moment ago seems to have reversed our emotions. The intensity is proportional to the strength of the original emotion."
"… Nn, reasonable conclusion, I unwillingly agree."
Hajime explains without turning away; Yue agrees with a disgusted look. Even though the feeling is reversed, they didn't lose their memories. By inferring from memory how they original thought about each other, it was likely the correct guess.
While holding angry looks, no one else raised an objection.
"The extent of this trial… You can still remember, but the emotion has been reversed. It's difficult to shake off what you remember versus how you feel. It's a disgusting ordeal. The deeper the bond, the more it'll try to tear it apart."
As Tio explained the extent of this trial, she started blushing as she watched the cockroaches crawling on the outer wall, clogging her words. The allure of the cockroaches seem to jam up every one's words; it was Kaori who managed to put it into words.
"…. look so pretty."
So that was also a problem. For the black devils that they would hold as enemies, the hate was flipped. Instead of being repulsed, Hajime and the others only felt endeared by the cockroaches. It was only their memories of disliking them that kept their guard up.
Their emotions were inverted. They needed no more evidence to support that conjecture. The allies with the deepest bonds would be cut, their capacity to defend themselves weakened by their hatred. That might be the goal. Especially against these demonic cockroaches, they certainly had to hold on to their disgust.
With the group unable to cooperate, they'd be swallowed by the tsunami of cockroaches, or fall prey to the medium-sized ones about 1 meter in length. These boss cockroaches were being produced one after another.
It wouldn't go amiss to call this a desperate situation. … However, the current people here were far from ordinary.
"… It's the mountains of cockroaches I want to kill."
"… I'd like to kill them, as well as you."
Hajime and Yue stared out at the cockroaches. Their eyes seemed to penetrate through the cockroaches pressed up against the outer wall, contemplating on the boss cockroach that had created this situation.
"… More than that."
"… Than that."
Hajime and Yue's eyes flashed with brutal glare. Yue, who usually doesn't show much expression, wore an aggressive look like that of a wild wolf, her eyes narrowed. Dwelling in those eyes was a fierce anger like never before.
"I like to love… man, I want to kill!"
"…. I want to love him and be cherished."
Two heads reached a boil.
Their anger gushed out, hot like magma. They remembered how they had previously felt for each other. The cockroaches had messed with their feelings. No one should trifle with those important feelings between two people in love.
Even against roaches, dislike and anger weren't enough to describe the ferocity that they felt for the cockroaches, something that changed to something sadistic. The feelings grew to a bitterness over the nature of the entire labyrinth up to this moment as well.
And Hajime and Yue weren't the only ones.
Kouki and the others flinched from the pressure of the overwhelming anger emitted from Hajime and Yue, causing them to retreat. But behind them, Shia, Tio, and even Kaori wore eyes red with anger that could only be described as demonic.
Yue opened up the "Holy Barrier", causing Kouki and the others to caste looks of skepticism and panic. Red magic began to spread out from Hajime's feet. His lip is lifted, his canine exposed, and a look of absolute murder on his face.
Shortly after,
Zudooon!!
Hajime leaped from the passage like a single bullet, the roar leaving behind a crater in the middle of branch where his feet previously were. Using an ability like "ground shrink", mixed with "enhanced legs" and "impact change", his body moved like a bomb with body reinforcement of pure magic. The "body reinforcement" was applied to the whole body, making him harder than steel, and his body was covered in "Lightning Clad" and red magic, appearing like the embodiment of thunder.
Unable to stop Hajime, Suzu's "Holy Barrier" was easily destroyed from the inside like waste paper. Hajime rushes the boss cockroach with the intent to destroy it.
"I'll love you until death."
The boss cockroach couldn't even react, its visual recognition unable to match the speed of Hajime moving like a madman with a screw loose.
Suddenly, the cockroach didn't seem so dangerous. Maybe it was because they reverse their feelings, or didn't expect someone to sneak out during the siege of cockroaches, but this demon boss seemed rather… simple?
Hajime, as the weapon he was, took out his anger on the cockroach, delivering a fatal blow, using the momentum of his rush combined with a knee kick.
GAAAAAAN
With the resounding roar of steel on steel, the boss cockroach disappeared a second later, Hajime appearing in its spot. The boss cockroach had blown away at an unperceivable speed.
Hajime remained in place using the "aerodynamic" to stand still, receiving the glares and murderous intent as he looked at the direction the boss cockroach was blown away.
On the other side, once Hajime had taken off….
Suzu was panicking, desperately trying to bring back the barrier that he had taken out. However, the cockroaches that drew near no longer disgusted her. Was there a good reason to stay away from the cockroaches? In fact, aren't they desirable? While thinking this, she lost to the spell.
The cockroaches in this labyrinth are just insects… after all.
Yue stood up to fill the fatal gap in Suzu's actions to rectify the situation.
"Shaking heaven."
Around Yue and the others, space itself seemed to wave for a moment. She had started to show the full extent of her god-level magic.
Just as the wave of cockroaches was about to reach them, Space began to explode. The tremendous power generated shock waves that crushed into the cockroaches, crushing them in small pieces, and a moment later only sand remained.
Yue was not finished yet. "Five Heaven Dragons."
The moment that magic name sounded from her lovely voice, thunder, the blue flame, the storm, the snow and ice, the five bodies of dragons appeared. As tens of thousands of cockroaches rushed towards them, Yue's dragons circled around them with a distinctive roar and were decimated in an instant.
Yue began to float up with the use of her gravity magic without a glance back to the others. Her body began to rush towards the boss cockroach along with the whole body of the dragon in free fall.
As a formation of 200 medium-sized cockroaches made an attack formation against Hajime, Shia blew it away.
Shia, Tio, and Kaori had all realized, much like Yue in the beginning, that their affection for Hajime had been played with. The cockroaches looming above who had chosen to reverse their emotions were met with a fierce anger raging beyond the intentions of the labyrinth. (Translation Note: In other words, don't mess with the dere or you get the yan.)
Shia lept into the air with magically reinforced legs, scampering across the sky on light blue disks that rippled with beautiful blue light. Also, Tio and Kaori respectively expanded their dragon wings and sliver wings from their backs, leaping up at once as they met glares with the mid-sized cockroaches.
"Oh, hey, I no longer find you repugnant. However, I've still decided that you die."
"That, That's right. Bug-chan is cute but… I can't die, and I have to fight as expected, don't I?"
"Yes, but decapitate them? Such dear creatures?"
"If we don't kill, then we'll be killed. We must be strong, and fight strong, so that we aren't left behind."
Though, it's shameful to say that to them, the Cockroaches might as well have been a Chihuahua staring at them with round eyes as they tried to aim for its neck. It was like trying to kill a small dog that you'd loved from birth. It was these messed up and crazy inconsistencies that they had to deal with, but couldn't help but think that way.
The remaining people from Kouki's party couldn't fly freely through the sky, stranding them at the center of the branch passage. They began to fight passively. They battled side by side and shoulder to shoulder with people they didn't like. It was a troublesome feeling.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The boss cockroach that had received Hajime's flying knee kick had flown off into the trunk of the big tree, sinking magnificently and being blown to bits by the furious momentum. An abdomen that would have taken pride as having the strength of steel was pounded radially centering on the part that received the direct hit, whitish body fluid spilling out from the newly formed hole.
"Gichichichichichichichi!"
The boss cockroach made an unpleasant cry sound while swinging its antennae. A group of cockroaches immediately swarm around the boss cockroach, dissolving into its form in an instant, assimilating and curing the injury the boss had sustained. As long as the small cockroaches remained, they'd be able to keep fighting indefinitely.
The boss cockroach picks out a splinter that had embedded itself into the cockroach from the big tree. The cockroach seems bigger now as it lets out an unpleasant sound.
The cockroach eyes glanced around for the one who injured him…
"Still, let me enjoy this a bit more."
It seemed like hitting the abdomen just cured the impact further. The roaring sound once again came as steel struck steel. Hajime had quietly approached from the side and send in a Yakuza style kick.
The boss cockroach sinks into the trunk again. Hajime began to attack it mercilessly like a wild beast. Do not use weapons. Hajime had no intention on ending the moment. Applying a "magic shockwave" to his fist and reinforcing his body with magic, he quickly undercuts the bosom of the boss cockroach with another and then another.
Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong! Dugong!
Every time a fist in Hajime's left or right struck, the form of the boss cockroach twists like a toy, but seems unable to escape, its body being embedded into the cracking trunk of the big tree radially. The cockroach is replaced with a glossy black piece of meat and white blood mixed in shattered wood chip.
The boss cockroach was a foe where even if a physiological hate could be held, its form was too dreadful, although it only looked pathetic in its current form.
A moment later red and black light began to emit from the boss cockroach. A great deal of cockroaches appeared in the route behind Hajime's back, and with a dreadful speed they formed into a magic circle.
Black smoke emerged from the magic circle, overflowing and assaulting Hajime with furious speed.
"…. Tsh."
Hajime judged that being touched by the black smoke was bad and evacuated with "aerodynamic" and "ground shrink" before it reach him. Where Hajime was an instant before, smoke wrapped around the boss cockroach and the great tree.
With a moment free of Hajime, the boss calls for a group of cockroaches. A large amount of cockroaches rush into their own black smoke.
After a few seconds, the boss cockroach regained its form, removing the wounds and shaking off the black smoke. The tree behind the cockroach that had been exposed to black smoke had collapsed, seeping down the trunk as a gray mush. Apparently, the black smoke had some kind of corrosive effect.
The boss cockroach's six wings began to shake at a high speed, BIIIIII! The boss cockroach took off at high speed. Hajime entered high speed flight to give the cockroach his regards once again, quickly overshadowing it simultaneously as the cockroach assumed a posture of struggle.
The accelerating Hajime circles around the cockroach again and rushes, blocking off its retreat. At the same time, a tsunami of cockroaches begin to slope up behind Hajme. While giving the cockroaches a smile as if he was saying "What is it, cutie?" he jerks out his left arm, he drew out some weapons. He had a mind to attack from the front while letting the cross bit attack from behind.
A wall of air appeared around the boss cockroach. It had made it to the speed of sound. They didn't know if the branch passages would give way to the shockwave and vacuum and become destroyed. He also would be destroyed if he tried to avoid the tree at the last moment.
Still, Hajime showed no intention of leaving, even as the vibration smashed against his artificial arm. He attacked directly from the front.
Just then, a huge dragon of thunder and another clad in blue flames broke through the wall of cockroaches behind him and appeared.
Hajime feels it coming, and without looking back gives a face as if to say "Yuck." However, the cockroach is already in sonic speed. The 'blinking light' perceptive abilities were already being stretched many times, and it was already hopeless.
"Why, I was!"
He delivered a single blow. An outburst of the elbow and "magic shockwave" mixed with fire at the same time, struck the boss cockroach straight on. The cockroach was also stretching its leg with a clawlike sharp blade, but was eluded completely with the intense cross counter. The face of the boss cockroach was pounded in detail with the effect of vibrations smashing and spreading across the creature in waves.
The impact on the front of the head caused the cockroach to round vertically and fly off in the direction of the day after tomorrow.
Immediately after, the roaches aiming for Hajime were consumed by Yue's dragons in the spot Hajime just was.
"…. Thank you, removed."
"Was that for me? Or those dear cockroach-kun."
"… Of course, the yellow cockroaches."
"Hey, what's that? I'm getting things going. It looks like a new cockroach species?"
Hajime moved next to Yue, wearing an unhappy face. Yue floats a very hateful smile towards Hajime disdainfully. Hajime, who held up through the offensive of the thunder dragon and the blue flame dragon while narrowly escaping floated a blue vein on his forehead, but where does the wind blow?
"Your intention was to kill me."
"… Of course not, at your level there was no reason to believe you'd be killed."
"Oh, certainly, but could you have attacked worse than that?"
The two wore an atmosphere of disgust towards each other, being in a state where they dislike each other more than anyone, that's the effects of the emotion reversal, yet still they were able to trust each other in combat.
The boss cockroach had approached the sonic speed while still wearing the black smoke of imperceptible corrosion. It turned out Yue could take it on easier from the front and engaged without thinking.
Furthermore, the large tsunami of cockroaches were approaching. If you looked closely, a small cockroach was wrapped in a black haze. The boss cockroach draws near from Yue's side as the pair acknowledge the sea of corrosion.
"Hey you, that smoke decays everything. Don't let it touch your clothing or things might become erotic."
"… Perhaps for a rotten character like you. I'm sure I'm resistant."
They spit venom at each other without hesitation, cutting words at close range.
Meanwhile, the black smoke coalesced into a black tidal wave of corrosion around the boss cockroach moving at sonic speeds, targeting Yue and Hajime in a manner that was anything but disordered.
However, it seemed like the two couldn't be bruised.
The black smoke rushed in making a sonic boom, reaching out for the two people in front, and they instantly moved away, dancing around the streams of smoke as they glared at each other.
Their movements seemed impossible to follow, Hajime had drawn Donna and began firing while Yue used her finger as a baton, creating a dragon with the body of a tornado.
Six of Hajime's bullets shot out in a flash, landing in the forehead of the boss cockroach at the same place and time. The boss cockroaches head explodes, and which is blown off, sending it into a tailspin once again.
Meanwhile the black tidal wave was engulfed with the colors of five dragons. The thunder dragon left only remnants of roaches while the blue dragon annihilated them completely. The ice dragon froze them while the stone dragon petrified them, 100,000 at a time.
"You're playing through them quickly, will you run out?"
"… Even without material, I'll play."
While the cockroaches rain down like a torrential downpour, the boss continues to take in small cockroaches with each movement in a move that only feels desperate. Yue and Hajime's voices could be heard, looking up with crescent shaped mouths and laughter like devils.
It probably wasn't a conscious action. It was a more instinctual thing. It's instinctually realized that it touched a presence that should never ever be touched and became an enemy.
"Gigi iiii!!"
The boss cockroach clad in the black smoke of corrosion began to panic and gave a scream. More small cockroaches were called, and as they approached the boss they became clad in the black corrosion as well before compressing.
The smoke seems to compress into a black shell, creating hundreds of shots. And of course, the shells maintain the corrosive properties. So the boss was creating corrosive ammunition out of the small cockroaches. Effects of the instantaneous corrosion and compression left an uneven smoke.
The boss released a shockwave, sending out the corrosive shells which struck and corroded a branch aisle the moment it was pierced. It headed for Hajime and the rest rapidly.
"…. Wasteful."
Yue uttered a word. Shortly after, a gate forms right in front of Hajime and Yue and spreads. The spatial magic does a spatial field that becomes an invincible shield at the same time. The shell that would corrode anything the instant it lands, couldn't avoid passing through the developed gate and disappearing into somewhere. It's a perfectly wasteful ball as Yue had said.
But the boss cockroach, now in a complete state of panic can only half acknowledge that. Averting the orbit while screaming, it bypasses the gate to rush at Yue. However, the gate wasn't simply a place to banish the cannonballs away.
"Kyiii!?"
Just after increasing its speed and detouring, it struck something in the air, and as it was caught it became a whole body crucifixion.
"Its movements are simple. Is its mind still only that of a cockroach?" Hajime murmurs so next to Yue as he makes his stone ring react.
The ring had been connected to the bola beforehand. The boss cockroach expected a route, its eyes on the gate while Hajime established the bola in the air simultaneously.
And the wire used for this bola is extra fine, so-called steel thread. Steel thread could be stretched as the effect given by generation magic "sign insulation" concealed an ore part of the bola, and a cobweb might be spread in the air.
The boss cockroach had rammed into the net, ready to catch it if the cockroach touched. And carefully, the bola matched the impact of the rush and entangled, securing the boss cockroach in the air as it is.
While spitting curses and strangely trusting each other, the pair continued to fight back to back without hesitation, sharing in the defense and attack without requiring a wink of conversation…
Were these guys really hating each other under the emotion reversal? If the boss cockroach could say words, it surely would have grandly Tsukkomi'd asking as such.
"I wonder, Yue…"
"… Hmm?"
Hajime inclines his neck while spearing the eye of the boss cockroach, continuing to harass it while it remained crucified in his web.
"I think my feelings of hate are starting to fade… it's about halfway gone now. I'm able to stand it."
"… coincidence. I also feel that Hajime is bearable. And with the cockroaches, I don't feel the need to love them."
"Oh, indeed."
Tio guessed that the emotion reversal was another trial of the great labyrinth. Like the pleasure hell that chooses viscous liquid of milky slime, Hajime also inferred that it could be conquered. After all, it'd be a troublesome place if you're feeling reverse could never be conquered and you ended up hating your partners forever.
However, Hajime and Yue fought together to overcome it by nature, or so it seems.
Potential? After having your spirit upset by feeling the reversal, and the cruel treatment center filled with making the boss cockroach, the feeling of turning back may be tempting.
Alternatively, it may be that the two of them exerted a simple and mysterious ability of creating pink space anytime, anywhere.
In any case, it reminded Hajime of a quote about "every time not being a possibility" that certain working authorities once murmured.
"Well, Yue, since you're acting playfully, how about one last game with Mr. Cockroach?"
"… Nn. Winning is possible if you like your opponent."
Again, two people show a smile that could only come from a devil. Absolutely, are we sure they had a feeling's reversal? Is that really likely? An observer might have tsukkumi'd.
The boss cockroach has finished restoring its body and managed to sneak out of the bola's restriction with the use of the black smoke of corrosion. It wore black smoke and again produces three to six shock waves and a vacuum blade with a flap of its wings.
However, the boss cockroach shouldn't be negligent. Up to this moment, Hajime had been pulling his hand. He refused to use heinous weapons, no direct attacks by powerful magic. Not even attack while playing. He was playing to the full level.
Things that were not perceived were the complete lack of aggressive intention. Demon or not, the creatures body showed the miserable result.
Hajime appeared at the back of the boss cockroach, inserting centrifugal force with body strengthening, hammering down with an aerial turning kick into the back of the boss cockroach with an instant move.
"Giiiii!?"
The boss cockroach which made a noise curved like a shrimp with its shell in the air and blew away. The black smoke of corrosion should have been worn, but with Hajime covered in bright red magic, it did not seem to affect him at all.
Blown away at intense Gs, the boss cockroach desperately tried to regain its balance. Yue appears from a spatial change right in front of the boss cockroach, waving her had slightly in front of it.
Immediately after, space become Gyobo! A shock wave with some directionality makes a noise, and shrinks, and generates the power by which space turns back at the next moment.
"GIIII!?"
The boss cockroach which is assaulted by a dreadful impact from the front like a pinball this time blows off in the direction of the day after tomorrow. The surface of the body is ragged already, but that's just the start.
Hajime had already moved position. Once again, an intense kick blows the cockroach away. Blown away, and still, to Yue, blown again. Back to Hajime.
Hajime and Yue hit each other, such as the air tennis with a boss cockroach ball. Echoing are the heartbreaking cries of the boss cockroach in the vast underground space. The boss is moving so fast and irregularly that the swarms of cockroaches are unable to have time to help.
The corrosive smoke doesn't affect Hajime and doesn't touch Yue to begin with. Yue's body is able to repair any damage before she's even aware, so there is no risk of dying.
Their play seems to be the doing of devils and fiends. Using up and playing with their love by this trial in the labyrinth might have turned them into such.
Further, a rule of the game is loss of the person who failed in the rally first.
"…. Hajime."
And, in the middle of their rally, suddenly received sense talk from Yue. Because they are moving at high speed with changing distances, this was necessary. Hajime replies while flicking the boss cockroach with an overhead kick.
"What happened?"
"Oh,… Hajime."
"Mm. What is it?"
"Hajime… Hajime… Hajime… Nn…."
Yue just kept calling Hajime's name repeatedly by sense talk for a while. The tone seemed to be changing into something more spoiled like. Hajime begins to notice it in the tone. In the feeling.
"Yue, back?"
"… Nn… perfection. For Hajime?"
"Yes, me too… there is only pure malice for this cockroach any more, and for Yue…"
"…. Me?"
Hajime packs in a word without leaving a torrent of the feelings taken away. Such as having the opposite feeling for Yue even for just a moment. He didn't want to think about it. The violent malice as well as the anger for the boss cockroach rose up once again, but he had to say the words to his sweetheart where there were once cruel words.
When he took a deep breath, Hajime used sense talk while looking at Yue, who had changed ahead of the boss cockroach and blew it straight for Hajime.
"There is only love."
"Nn… me too."
The voice that seems wonderful and sounds dear to Hajime. Feelings of thousands of emotions were included and the word floods through his chest. Hajime and Yue stay in the air just as it is, saying only those words with patience even if it has to be seen. The boss cockroach with discharged body fluid flied overhead, but the two people's eyes don't look away. It was just Yue and Hajime.
They say nothing, when the distance between them disappear, and two people embrace in midair. Their lips meet naturally. Light kiss without words, only just touch, as if the thought was more than enough.
Hajime holds Yue's slender waist and Yue wraps her arm around Hajime. Their lips release as the two of them confirm that the feelings inside them are normal once again, staring close distance, with smiles on their faces.
The boss cockroach which had finished playing around at that point gave them some distraction. With a scream, it dispatched cockroaches which rised up simultaneously.
That won't be the light one such as tidal waves any more. They were forcibly trying to close the space with cockroaches. A huge dome began to form heading up towards Yue and Hajime. Hajime had long since lost track of what happened to Kouki and the others.
The dome was filled with black smoke of corrosion. When seen from the outside, the surface seemed to rustle, the mountain rising where it could be seen. The underground space where the big tree was made at the center was buried with a mountain of cockroaches, mostly.
The cockroaches had managed to accumulate not just at the bottom, but also the ceiling and walls as well. If someone said all the cockroaches in the world were gathered here, it'd not be surprising.
And the space was closing quickly with cockroaches in the next moment GoGYUUU! It was reduced quickly with the sounds that suggested so.
Will they be crushed to death or captured inside of the ocean of cockroaches? The center is of course Yue and Hajime. At the end of the underground space, there was Shia striking down a medium-sized cockroach and leaving it for Kouki's group to defeat. They also seem to have exceeded the pile of cockroaches a short while ago. It also seems to come off from an area by a compressed thing.
The boss cockroach is entering a reduced sphere directly while flapping. Closed space of a hug cockroach was in the compressed state so that there were no gaps to the interior already.
"Gichichichichichichichi!"
The boss cockroach makes an unpleasant sound. That seemed to be an attempt to clear it's former humiliation as a ball, and it seemed to be the roar convinced of a victory.
But that will be overturned immediately after. A cockroach was repelled from a spherical center, trying to find the dead body from the center of the sphere of cockroaches.
"Oh, you want a fervent embrace?"
Yue, putting both hands together, was seen there with her eyes closed to concentrate. Next to her is Hajime, who laughs dauntlessly within the 4 point barrier.
The boss cockroach stops, instinctively taking a step back.
The fear of being teased by these two people ran deep, but that's because the power they exuded was feared above all else.
A gap formed that Yue could put out both hands together. They flash blue, and in the meantime a small group of flames begin to swirl around.
When seeing that, they seem to have just done the flame systems finest aggressive spell "blue sky". When ordinarily thinking, making "blue sky" can excel in some small extermination. It'd seem like an insignificant act.
But genius magician Yue wouldn't do such a nonsense thing.
The blue flame between the two hands, the splendor is increased from moment to moment. On the contrary, it kept burning. It's as if looking to crate small stars.
"… Selection." Yue muttered quietly.
Then, the finished fist-sized orb oozes blue aura.
The bead of blue flame which contains a power and identity that was unknown.
That one was for the boss cockroach. The cockroach realized it'd be completely destroyed. If not, they'd make it understand. The cockroach let out a scream, pushing cockroaches and black smoke against the four point boundary to break it and kill the pair and break the orb before it was too late.
However, the action was too late too. Well no, whatever action the cockroach would take would be the same thing. There's no way to stop it now.
Yue hung the blue flame orb towards the sky. Yue illuminated Blue Star gave its own appearance that was far too mysterious and beautiful. Hajime gently hugged Yue's body from behind. Yue had entrusted her back to Hajime to fawn after all.
And,
"… Divine flame."
Like the judgement of god himself, the pulsating blue overran the entire place.
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ARIFURETA SHOKUGYOU DE SEKAI SAIKYOU (WN)
C132
Translation Note: FYI, When Tio talks, the MTL translate it that she refers the Hajime as "Husband" and herself as his "concubine" or "whore". I've been changing it to "Master" and "Mistress" because I think it fits the S&M theme a little better as well as the other translations.
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"Divine Flame," she commanded in a pretty voice edged with cruelty.
Shortly after, the function of the annihilation magic became apparent.
The blue flame began to pulsate with a Dukan sound. Blue light spread around the underground space and began to swell from inside. As the ripples spread like ripple of water triggered by a drop of water, there seemed to be an ominous quite that was devoid of mercy.
The cockroaches that were touched by the blue light did not offer even the slightest resistance, merely disappearing without even ash remaining.
At the sight of this divine flame, the boss cockroach ran like a scared rabbit, a scream was caught in the light of the spreading blue that ballooned away from Yue before the boss cockroach unceremoniously disappeared without another sound.
Without the boss cockroach, the small and medium cockroaches that were being fought by Shia and Kouki's group became confused at the loss of leadership, and became trivial nuisances. The blue light continued to spread, it swallowed the cockroaches around Shia as well.
As the flame spread out, Kouki and the others watched it approach with anxious looks.
It wasn't unreasonable for them to feel rushed. They were able to see the destruction in front of them.
The reason was clear. Kouki, Shia, and the others weren't sure whether the flame that destroyed the cockroaches so completely would hurt them as well. However, it was not simply Shia and the rest that remained unharmed. The large tree trunk and branches remained intact as well.
They gave Hajime and Yue surprised looks when they realized that the flame that spread across the underground space and completely devastated the cockroaches only affected those cockroaches.
–Divine Flame
A flame type superlative magic which shot "blue flames" rapidly 10 times into the space around and compressed it with gravity magic. Yue further specified the magic with "selection" using spirit magic, so that it avoided those whom contained souls. (Translation Note: Cockroaches don't go to heaven)
Anyone Yue permits survives while it seeks out those she sets as an enemy.
That is, indeed, suitable to be called art. It wouldn't be unreasonable to say that a god named Yue passed judgement from heaven.
"Unexpected magic… Indeed expected from Yue."
"Nn… Praise me more, please?"
As the light of the flames started to go out, the voices of the two of them echoed in the underground space.
Indeed Yue showed some signs of exhaustion, so Hajime gave Yue a big hug in reward for her hard work. Yue wrapped her arms around Hajime's neck and allowed her entire body to relax against him. And just like that, she kissed his neck, followed by the sound of sucking as she bit and lapped up his blood.
"When saying it like that, I wonder who won this match."
While Yue stuck to the scruff of Hajime's neck and drank his blood, he held her with one arm, while gently stroking her hair with the other. And so he was reminded of and questioned the outcome of the game the pair of them had started.
"…. Nn, haa… Nn. My win. Hajime will not disagree."
Yue separates from Hajime with an ecstatic expression, her eyes were as bewitching as always as she licked her lips.
"Yue, I must ask, does it really matter how won or lost, does it mean so much?"
"… Hehe. Well, then, I guess we can put that aside for now."
As the pair of them spoke casually, discussing things 'just in case', there came another loud voice.
"Are you guys going to flirt forever, or can you rejoin the rest of us!"
"Yes! Yue is cheating! Hajime-kun and I are… anyway, please return!"
It was Shia and Kaori. They were beckoning us to return right alongside Kouki and the rest. Tio merely shrugged her shoulders. They were trying to take their feelings into account and had been waiting. Kouki and the others looked a bit uncomfortable, Suzu and Shizuku had their eyes lowered and blushes on their cheeks. It looked like they had been watching Yue and Hajime from a distance.
From their reactions, it looked like their feelings had returned to normal as well. Hajime didn't know if they had returned under their own power or if it was the result of the boss cockroach dying.
The pair stared at each other and gave another light kiss before returned to a place beside Shia.
"You kissed so casually at the end…"
"I'm envious… but… but… It's good to see you're safe. Although I felt like… "not only you!" or "me too!" but I don't want to sound selfish…"
"Indeed, as expected of Yue and Hajime. Battling in a world alone, tossing him around like a toy, it wasn't as pitiful as expected." (Translation Note: I think this is Tio claiming she wishes she was the boss cockroach getting kicked around by Hajime, lol).
There were three people which came away with three different responses, but it was Shia's words that had the biggest impact. Hajime gives her a hug with one hand without releasing Yue. She doesn't seem to mind at all. However, Kouki and company wore mixed expressions over his nerve.
"… Did you recover your feelings on your own?"
"You could say I return on the way, yes…"
"Would, um. May I ask that you had returned to normal without help?"
Kaori looks doubtful about Yue's question to Shia. Tio adds the explanation while forcing a smile.
"You may say that I also returned without help. I assume that the trigger was jealousy over the war declaration between master and Yue? This mistress was envious of their fervent love. However, soon they did not even bother with the cockroaches, just each other…. Was that the same for Shia and Kaori as well?"
"Yes, it was…"
"Yup…"
So it was that sort of thing. Hajime glanced over to Kouki's group to see how they were doing.
"..." X3
"Well, -how is it? The last cockroach to die was back to being unpleasant."
Shizuku appeared to be the only one to recover on her own. It was expected of Shizuku given her mental strength. Kouki and the others must have received even more damage as they had to watch their lovable cockroaches die all the way to the very end.
A bit later, Shia was asking Yue about the magic from a short while ago. Suddenly, a portion of the large tree near the ceiling started shining. While helping Kouki's party recover from their damages, Hajime observed a Mekimeki sound, followed by a giant branch which began to grow anew.
The branch created a new aisle as its length increase little by little. Hajime and the others remained in the four point aisle from the start of the cockroach attack until the fifth branch joined up to their intersection. The branch aisle had come from the ceiling, so it took the form of a stairway which led them up the branch to the heavens.
After a brief look at each other, Hajime and the rest hurried to follow the newly formed path.
However, Yue was holding Hajime tightly. Yue wouldn't let go and Hajime didn't try to separate. That was fine, afterall. However, Kaori also pulled from the left while a sullen Shia pulled from the right. Meanwhile, Tio clung from the back. It goes without saying that Kouki and company watched this with indescribable expressions.
When they finished climbing the fifth branch aisle, they entered another cave-like room. Hajime remained on his guard and before long a magic circle glowed and they found themselves teleported once again.
After the light settled, they could see that they were in a garden that spread out right in front of them.
The sky felt alarmingly close.
The air seemed clean. The ground spread out to roughly the size of high school gymnasium. There were trees which were relatively small and a small chalky building which had various waterways spreading out from it.
Twines surrounded the largest tree, which sat in a small island circled by canals, a central stone lithograph sitting at its base.
Tio walked into the garden, peeping over the edge.
"What do you think, master? It looks to be the top of the tree here."
Others glance towards the bottom from the end of the garden after Tio's word too. It's a vast sea of clouds and an unmistakable thick fog spread out under their eyes.
"Hey, this is strange. When we flew over the sea of trees, we had crossed the dense woodland and saw no tree this big. No tree could crest the thick fog, this height must be up over 200 meters at least. It's impossible to be seeing from a tree this high." (Translation Note: To put that in perspective, the largest skyscrapers are around 450 meters, so they're high, but not that high. On the other hand, the world's tallest tree is only ~116 meters)
Hajime noticed the humor of his remark after saying it. After all, the upper part sticking out from the thick fog would only be natural, especially considering the size of the tree as seen from the ground expanding across the dense woodland.
Nevertheless, you would think that the large trees size would have been verifiable before now.
"… I see. It is concealing magic which is doing this?"
"… It is, like some kind of shadow system form of spirit magic… or is it just shifting space?"
Yue considered the magic based on Hajime's inference. If it's shadow magic, there should be some form of recognition obstruction, but the scaling is strange. If this were like spirit magic, they would be conscious of the alterations being made with the magic of the soul. However, they weren't aware of any discomfort, which would be impossible considering Yue's skill.
Hajime and his group wore impressed looks. Although they had experienced a number of trials and had managed to keep the nastiness to a minimum, there was still the liberator. Although ordinarily, the liberators did not seem ill-natured.
"Is this the goal here?" Hajime muttered.
This caused Kouki and the others to where startled expressions. "Here…. Finally…"
Hajime ignored them and walked directly to the lithograph.
The group crossed a pretty arch and entered a yen-like small island circled by a channel. The lithograph began to glow as they approached, the bright green magic flowing into the channel. So it functioned like a magic circle? Phosphorescence like fireflies raised flickeringly.
The sense to probe a memory and then inscribe knowledge by force. Hajime and the others were familiar with this. A raised voice groaned as some one else behind him was "struck" with shock and a sense of discomfort.
As the knowledge flowed into Hajime, the tree began to entangle around the lithograph and swell.
Hajime and the others assume a posture of struggle. The shape of the tree began to change, tearing away branches as it formed. Phosphorescence rose away from Hajime, forming into the image of a person's face in the middle of the trunk. It takes on a female appearance from the shoulders up.
The person's form is complete; the woman's eyes open. Then, the mouth opens gently.
"First of all, I'd like to say congratulations. You've defeated several of the great labyrinths. I am Luluo Haltina, and I prepared the Haltina (Sea of Trees) Great Labyrinth. I apologize for the very difficult trials I prepared with the maximum regard."
She seemed to have used the tree as a medium for her recording. This was the form instead of Oscar's "pictures". Luluo felt dignified like she might be connected to some form of royalty. Although some of that feeling may come from the tree stem itself, which split around her like hair, and contained a certain kind of beauty.
"However, it is also necessary. If you came through the dungeons of the other liberators, then you know about our relationship with the gods, the past tragedy, and what's happening right now. Therefore, I wanted you the learn something about the unwavering bond that can't be swayed, a heart that can't be shaken. I think you who arrived here surely understand something about the strength of the heart as well as its weaknesses. I'm wishing sincerely that that is of assistance to you in the future."
Shia listened to Luluo Haltina's talk with a meek face. But Hajime was already impatient. He didn't need pretentious excuses. For once, however, he quietly read the air.
"I do not know for what purpose you sought my magic, -"sublimation" magic, you are free to use it as you see fit. However, stick to your bonds, and do not drown in power."
Hajime was already looking around restlessly. How is it? Even if he watched it, it wouldn't change anything. He was already considering removing the lithograph to shut her off and move on already.
"My god level magic "sublimation" is the power to make everything evolve. That is the knowledge that is given. But, true value of this magic is found elsewhere."
Hajime's eyes widened for a moment. The hand that was hovering over Donner was returned to his side, and his eyes rested on Luluo. The real value of sublimation magic wasn't given in the knowledge. Tell me that first! Hajime pointed a blaming look.
"Sublimation magic makes the "power" of everything be sublimated, literally. The other god-level magics are no exception for that…. Gravity magic, spirit magic, alteration, space magic… these mighty forces are the foundation of the management. All of which lead to further evolution… even when combined with each other. This magic would be better called "Magic concepts".
Someone made a gulping sound, resonating the desire for such a magic.
Hajime also had his eyes opened wide in surprise. At one time, in Miledi's Raisen's labyrinth, she suggested that if he obtained all the god's level magic, he might be able to find something that would grant his desires. He needed to obtain god generation magic. It probably meant this.
"Concept magic – is the meaning which is just as it sounds. The magical manifestation of how magic acts in this world. Even if you obtain the god-level magic, it cannot be used so easily, because concept magic is invented by utmost will, not theory."
So that was the reason it couldn't be copied by magical circle.
After hearing the explanation, Hajime frowned. "Utmost will"… if it's an explanation done so lightly.
"We seven liberators worked over the course of decades and only managed three magical concepts. However, that was enough for us… but which one will you need?"
Just as Luluo said so, the lithographic center slides and something like a pocket watch comes out from the inside. Hajime takes it into his hand. One needle of the same length was fixed on a plate in the center of the semitransparent lid. On the backside was a pattern painted in the form Luluo Haltina used. Apparently, it also serves as a proof of capture. Luluo resumed her explanation.
"For the name, it's called the "compass of desire". The concept that, when activated, shows the place I desired." (Translation Note: Pirate's of the Caribbean anyone? Drink up, my me hearties you ho!)
Hajime heard the explanation and his heart skipped a beat.
"The place I desired is shown." That means…
"It will lead you to the location to want to go. Anything, anywhere, be it hidden or – even in another world."
"..."
The "different world" Luluo is talking about will be the world by which the Mad Gods reside. The liberators must have used concept magic out of utmost will. To beat the gods, of course.
Therefore, this compass was produced to find the place where god was. Hajime was certain Oscar helped make this compass using the concept magic as well as his generation magic.
But – it should also be possible to use this compass to show them how to return to Japan.
A means to return home was found… delight welled in Hajime's chest like he might burst. Yue clenched his hand and gave him a firm squeeze, looking up at him gently.
"To get all the god's magic, if that is your goal, you'll be able to travel anywhere. I wish you to move forward with free will and find happiness in your life. Good luck for your future."
Luluo had come to the end of her words after giving her speech, all that was left was the tree with the entangled lithograph.
They remained immersed in the afterglow in silence as if chewing on the events that just happened to their satisfaction. Only the sound of the rustling of leaves as the wind blew gently affected their vicinity.
It was Hajime that broke the stillness, asking Yue with a monotonous tone of controlled emotion. "Yue, just to hear it, using the magic of sublimation, combined with spatial magic. Can we cross to another world?"
Startled movements spread across Kouki's group behind him.
Yue understood the weight of those words and the exploration of that potential. And with the strongest magic user with the knowledge of the god's inscribed in her mind, she searched for a solution.
As result, she obtained the answer…
"…. I'm sorry."
"Really…"
Just that. If the world can be exceeded simply by mixing spatial magic with sublimation, then certainly the liberators wouldn't have had so much trouble, too.
Luluo has said that there were three concept magics that had been produced. The first concept was given to the "compass of desire". It would stand to reason that the other concepts would be the concept to go to another world and the concept to overthrow the gods.
In other words, when not attaining to concept magic, the idea of leaving the world is difficult.
Yue was hanging her head dejectedly at being unable to meet Hajime's expectations. Hajime gave her a kind smile and combed his fingers quietly through her beautiful gold hair. Yue seemed ticklish, looking upward at Hajime and shrugging her shoulders as he ran his fingers over her skin.
"It's no problem. I was being greedy. It was just a thought. We just need more god-level magic. We just need to get the right one, and you'll definitely be able to figure it out, so don't have such a face."
The heart that was impatient at the thought they might be able to return had already recovered its poise, and Hajime shrugs his shoulders with the expressions he had to spare. In answer to whether Yue was relieved at his recovery, like usual she snuggled close to him.
"Cough, Cough. Well… is Yue and Hajime back to normal? I think a shortcut formed for us to return to entrance. So less lovey dovey for now!"
Shia, while looking at Yue and Hajime, interrupted their pink space while saying "Yes, as always", certainly in one corner of the garden the magic circle appeared. As Shia suggested that would be the shortcut to descend back to the ground level.
After checking the magic circle, Hajime strokes Shia's bunny ears to correct some of her sulkiness. Then Kouki starts to speak up.
"Oh… hey, Nagumo. A short while ago when… you received the concept magic…"
"Yeah… we should be able to return now. At least, this compass will tell me where to head next."
"Really…"
Kouki wore an expression as if hope was lost. Ryuutaro, Shizuku, and Suzu also wore feelings that looked ready to explode, like they might start crying at any second. They were hesitating over the lack of getting the god-level magic, but only because Hajime was there for the moment. It seemed like they would have to depend on Hajime.
"The, a, as for that, Nagumo. When returning…"
Suzu tries to ask Hajime about something.
Even if she didn't say it, it was possible to guess. They remembered Hajime's indifference to his classmates. That they might only be able to return if Hajime does it for them… Reserve goes out when perfect salvation depends on the benevolence of another being straight through.
Suzu, as the typical mood manufacturer, was either in a good place or a bad place as she tried to talk and stir around the subject of returning home. The thought was they could return naturally too, but… that was groundless, and… Well, Hajime didn't hate this kind of thing.
"Be relieved. There won't be any capacity restrictions or demerits. I'll return everyone if I can."
"It is, taken along or… eehehe. Thank you, Nagumo-san."
"For the fact that you had so little confidence. You didn't really do anything, did you?"
"Ugh!"
Kouki, Ryuutaro, and Suzu hang their heads to their chests.
With just sublimation magic, the ability of every magic can be raised a bit. Of course, when you already had god-level magic, the necessity to sublimate it would look more like a limit breakthrough without the side effects, so there would also be some restrictions. Like Rebirth without the side effects or something like that.
Still, they seemed unconfident. It should be said that they couldn't get sublimation magic. But also that it could be expected. It was that the tests were flawed and exploitable that they made it to the end in the first place.
But as such, Kouki and the others hanged their heads. Still, one person tried to follow awkwardly with the circumstances.
"Yaegashi… you seem to be able to use the new magic?" Hajime asked.
"!… Oh, I think that, I can use it, yes."
"Ho! Is that true?"
"That was really it? You've learned it?"
"Indeed, Shizu, Shizu! Suzu's Bride!"
This also could be expected. Shizuku had been through the pleasure hell, a dream of the ideal world, and having her feelings reversed all without help. Even if her battle ability wasn't enough, the god-level magic was worth getting just from the mental power she had to fight through.
It was heartwarming, but it seemed like Suzu was the only one who appreciated that fact purely. Ryuutaro wore a mortified expression while Kouki wore ominous shadows in his expressions while he praised with a smiling face.
Shizuku watched Kouki with an anxious look at that.
"Anyway, back to Fair Bergen again. Slowly. Hordes of cockroaches was light trauma. Serious mental damage. Yue needs to heal with spirit."
"Kufufufu. I'll fix you right up."
"I, I too! I'll put my head on your lap, too! Yue's already done enough! I'm on top of this!"
"It's because everything is done! Because everything is done! I say it twice because it's important!"
"The tired master should step on mistress! It'll be good. I make the mistress chair replacement so you can relax. Do you have a firm foothold separately? You may stamp as much as you like?"
As Hajime walked to the magic circle while cuddling with Yue, Shia and the rest crowd around him from left, right, and behind.
Hajime wrapped a hand around Shia's arm while giving a little laugh. Shia gives a start, but seems happy and grasps back. Kaori and Tio think Shia is given priority somehow and turn to look at her with envious eyes.
Shizuku follows behind watching the view with a bright expression while considering the possibility of going home.
One boy wore a smile and chose to understand it that way at least, and thus the capture of one of the seven great labyrinths, the Sea of Trees, was complete.
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ARIFURETA SHOKUGYOU DE SEKAI SAIKYOU (WN)
C133
The depths of the forest of Fair Bergen felt particularly peaceful and calming that morning.
The twitter of a nearby bird stirred in the air like a ripple across the water's surface. It seemed to be a gentle music, floating along with the tone of rustling leaves.
However, in a particularly unremarkable part of Fair Bergen out of public eye, there sounded a different kind of noise.
Hugh! Hugh! Hugh!
"Up! Hah! Oh! "
It was sharp sound of air splitting combined with short breaths. With each sound, a black line cut through the air, splitting the morning fog. The black sword moved naturally through the air like flowing water.
The sword wielder's movements were extremely refined, and when combined with her flowing black hair, resembled a dance dedicated to the gods.
The black sword and black hair moved near the path of a falling leaf, arcing in a circular pattern. The leaf fell within the sword's path and was immediately dispersed, beads of sweat scattering into the mist.
For how many hours did she dance with the earth? The ground was carved with her footprints, and there were an immeasurable number of destroyed leaves at her feet.
However, her blurred form moved tirelessly, fighting against her own exhaustion. Her form was innocent, yet beautiful to behold, each strike with the sword performed in earnest.
"—hah."
Shizuku's eternal blade dance suddenly met disorder. Her sword missed the leaf by a quarter of an inch. The centrifugal force of her spin caused her to lose her balance.
Shizuku barely managed to avoid tumbling. With a bitter face, she put the black sword to her side.
"Hah, hah, well…"
Shizuku shook her head in irritation. Her trademark raven-black ponytail whipped left to right, echoing her sentiment.
"Clear your mind, clear as water."
Taking a deep breath, she remembered to put her mind at peace and to calm her heart. It was an exercise she had learned in Japan while she practiced fencing. Shizuku's troubled heart regained its tranquility quickly.
However, the figure of a boy emerged from that calmness…
"Nuaaa!!!"
While gallantly shouting in an unlady-like manner, she swung her black sword as if to beat away at the image in her mind.
"Different, different! That is why! It's different!"
The waters of her mind were turbulent, not a single sense of calm anywhere. Like a typhoon ravaging the sea, Shizuku's mind rampaged.
"This is all different, and I don't know the meaning. I'm calm, I'm cool."
By all odds, she was far from calm. Her heart seemed to scream at her incoherently.
In fact, she had spent the entire day trying to calm herself, but her sword wouldn't listen, the state of her mind shown in its choppy movements and her negligent footwork.
She was trying to shake off the disturbance in her heart with discipline and training.
Why, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say Shizuku spent all night focusing on that.
Yesterday, Hajime and the rest had returned from the Haltina Great Labyrinth and chose to rest immediately. Shizuku got a meal and a bath before immediately going to bed, of course. However, she couldn't sleep for some reason, her mind turbid. Though it was midnight, she left her bed, the black sword in hand.
And it was that boy who kept rising to the surface of her mind, causing her to suffer the mental anguish when idle.
"Sie! Sie! See!!!"
Her shout got rougher after each strike.
It was the unpleasant events of the large labyrinth that she couldn't avoid thinking about.
It had started after they were brought into that world of dreams. When Shizuku remembered the sweet world, it caused her to blush, but it was also painful… Her ideal world… was something she could never tell anyone.
She tried to reject the inner maiden within her heart.
"Uryaaa!!!"
This caused her to think about the final trial of the great labyrinth. The unexpected content of her reversed feelings. It wasn't the fact that she had felt love for the black creatures. No, it was her extreme dislike for a certain boy… she didn't have the urge to kill him, but her thoughts were certainly hateful.
That is…
"It's different. Friendship. It's friendship Bonzai!"
She lost her composure with the sword. It seemed to stem from the collapse of her character. The black sword swung in vain, the wind switching around crudely. Shizuku grimaced in displeasure as the shadow of that boy floated in her vision like a phantom, a hateful smile on his face. If one of her classmates saw this, they'd be shocked.
Shizuku continued to swing the sword recklessly, trying to bring back the peace and remove her confusion. To shake off and deny it. She wanted to convince herself that it was all a misunderstanding.
With fatigue setting in, Shizuku's feelings started to regain their original stillness. As to the cause of her turmoil, that was of course the nature of the Great Labyrinth, an eccentric environment that created a temporary loss of propriety. Her heart finally settled down, even if she thought about him. Back to normal.
"Fuaaa!"
She slowly expels a breath. She closed her eyes and remained in the darkness, sweat dripping down her pail skin, an eloquent sight to the morning. With her body wet, hair sticking to her cheeks, hot breath coming from her lips, it can only be described as slightly sexy.
As Shizuku indulged in the lingering calmness, a voice spoke up.
"As I'd expect from Shizuku."
"Ahh!?"
Shizuku's heart jumped through her throat at the sound of a familiar voice. The tone disturbed her peace. The thought "How is this expected?" came without anyone to tsukkomi. Shizuku glanced back at the voice with these turbulent thoughts in her mind.
The expected person, Hajime, stood there. She had not felt any sign of his approach through her training.
"Naguma-kun. Don't scare me like that, it is poor tastes to stand behind me."
Shizuku gave a smile while her heart pounded and throbbed uncomfortably.
Confronting Hajime while he took her chastising…
"… Have… Pufu!"
"!!"
Her chastising was repeated but only received laughter. He could only react to her colorful criticism with humor. However, because her cheeks were dyed slightly, her statement had very little weight.
That awareness is like a splinter hurled at her consciousness.
"And you… you…"
Hajime, still slightly laughing at her remark, gives an apology and tosses her a towel from his treasure warehouse. Realizing that she was covered in sweat, she began to wipe herself with a surge of panic and a strange sense of embarrassment.
"I wasn't looking to disturb you. I just woke up early. I was looking for a suitable place to train and came across Yaegashi. I wanted to see how you're doing. Are you doing well?"
"I am… I just couldn't get any sleep."
"Well, you did conquer your first large labyrinth. I suppose you're still excited?"
"Oh, well…"
It was certainly exciting in a different way, and there was an increase in strength. However, Shizuku couldn't say it and averted her eyes.
The suspicious act caused Hajime to narrow his eyes and tilt his head with a puzzled look.
Shizuku ended up losing more of her composure.
She looked restless, uncomfortable, fidgety…
"… Yaegashi, have you been feeling any strangeness, any aftereffects?"
"Oh? You could say I'm fine. Yes, completely healthy! Rather, in the best condition."
"If you say so… but you like very tired, and you're acting suspicious."
"Suspicious behavior? Coming from you? I am ordinary! You're the one who is standing behind people thoughtlessly!"
"You're usually cool as ice (tl: he refers to her as a hitman)… always calm…"
Though Shizuku was obviously not normal, she insisted she was, so Hajime decided to stop worrying about it. He put on that kind of look before approaching Shizuku.
Shizuku suddenly panicked at Hajime's sudden approach. She pushed both hands out in front to put up a barrier between the two of them.
"What? Why are you coming towards me? Please wait a moment. Sweaty! Territory Violation! Calm down! You want the towel? But it's all… Not good. I'll return it once it's washed! So please stop!"
"… Something is definitely wrong… I only want to see your black sword."
As Hajime approached her, the attitude Shizuku presented while stepping backwards was that as if she was being approached by a pervert.
"Oh? My Black sword? Something like that…"
"I can reinforce it. It's something I figured out thanks to the sublimation magic. If you'd rather I didn't, that's fine…"
"You can… If you do, I'm thankful."
Shizuku timidly showed him the edge of her black sword. It seemed he didn't intend to get any closer.
Shizuku was acting more and more suspicious to Hajime, but he supposed she didn't want to get close to someone after sweating so much, so he gave a shrug.
Hajime grabbed the black sword and stamped his foot. Instantly, the ground rose into the form of a chair and table. He sat down in the chair and pulled various ores out of the treasure warehouse while displaying the black sword in front of him. (Translation Note: The summary says he pulled them from his storage, but the MTL made it seem like he transmogrified it from the ground, that was his thing for quite a while, after all.)
While watching this, Shizuku took the chair opposite of Hajime's while wearing a gloomy and restless expression.
"….."
"….."
There was no conversation. As Hajime fiddled with the ore, only the sounds of small birds chirping and the whispers of leaves could be heard, and the morning peace and calm returned.
However, Shizuku did not feel particularly uncomfortable. Although there was some tension between her and Hajime initially, the silence did well to help her regain her peace of mind.
Hajime doesn't spare Shizuku a single glance, deep in concentration. Hajime's pupils take on a serious expression, brightened by red magic. As Hajime's hands moved, crimson magical light altered the composition of the minerals themselves.
Shizuku's thoughts were like "as expected, it's beautiful" as she watched Hajime's face while he worked. She started to doze off, her head falling to her shoulder and elbows. After staying up all night, drowsiness was the consequence.
In the middle of the work, Hajime took her hand and extracted a drop of blood. The act startled Shizuku and almost caused her to fall from her chair.
As the moments passed on, Shizuku began to fall into a sense of strange comfort, her eyes once again growing heavy. Then Hajime's voice spoke up.
"Look, it's done, Yaegashi."
"…."
"Yaegashi?"
"…."
"You're asleep?"
Her arm functioned as a pillow for her head. Hajime squinted at her face, observing that her eyes were closed. He looked in amazement at the defenseless expression she wore as she slept.
Normally, one would wake them up gently, or perhaps put a jacket over them. Hajime instead shoved magic power into the sword and presses it against Shizuku, activating one of its functions.
"Baribaribaribaribaribari." (electric shock)
"Ababababababa." (sound of someone being electrocuted)
Sparks gushed out the blade. Shizuku made a scream, stiffening up and springing to her feet in an instant. Hajime had activated the fireman's standard thunder, which was certainly one way to wake you up.
As soon as the black sword was pushed away, her head thumped face first into the table, white smoke rising from her body as she rubbed her jaw with one hand.
The black sword seemed to have worked satisfactory.
"Why'd you do that so suddenly?"
Naturally, the recovering Shizuku roared in anger. She hit the table with her hand and gave Hajime a scowl.
"I figured I could wake you up and test the weapon's efficiency at the same time."
"You say that without a single reservation, this guy…"
As Shizuku tried to throw our words of protest, she realized that she had tossed the sword away while being shocked. She raced over to recover it.
"Before obtaining the sublimation magic, the best I could do was add one or two abilities to ore. However, by tying the magic with the generation magic, I was able to create two or more effects."
"And you're ignoring my anger to explain… Alright… It's fine now."
Since Hajime began explaining the reinforcement of the black sword as if nothing happened, Shizuku decided to let it go with a grand sigh. She watched him with scornful eyes, trying to convince herself to do so.
"Therefore, I added some new magic to the black sword. One is gravity magic. The weight of the sword can be changed. You can pull and repel against the blade and even cut gravity itself for an instant."
"That… is amazing."
The scorn in Shizuku's eyes dissipated during Hajime's explanation, instead opening wide as she glanced over the black sword. However, it might have been too early to be surprised. As Hajime's explanation continues, her face starts to tighten over the full abilities of the sword.
First, it is possible to rupture space itself using spatial magic.
The black sword can repair itself automatically with reproduction magic. Moreover, it may aid in the recovery of the user to boot.
It can also damage the spirit by penetrating the body with spirit magic.
As well, fireman's standard thunder and wind nail's performances were improved, plus the new ability shock conversion.
"….."
Furthermore, the authentication method and status of the plate was reworked so that a long intonation is no longer necessary for a high effect. The sword itself has a "movement state" allowing the spells to be used chantlessly. Because Yaegashi is a speed fighter, she wouldn't able to spend long periods intoning a skill.
Hajime finished his explanation. Shizuku watches the black sword in her hand, cold sweat running down her face. The original cheat sword she possessed has now become flat out bugged, no matter how you look at it. If its performance was known, wars would be fought to acquire this weapon. It is currently the strongest sword in this world.
"Is it alright… having such a thing…"
"Oh, it's just in case."
"Just in case?"
Shizuku tilted her neck to the side with a puzzled look as Hajime looked up at the sky and gave a small nod.
Hajime had a sharp look, like from the eyes of a keen wolf. Shizuku's heart started to beat rapidly. However, she waited for Hajime's explanation while ignoring the heat rising in her cheeks.
"It's pretty understandable. Once we capture the last labyrinth that means we should be able to return to Japan. However, there will be obstacles. The idea that it'll go that smoothly is just optimism."
"Obstacles? You mean like the mad gods?"
"Yes. It doesn't seem like the god's will let an irregularity like me go. I'll need some meat for the time when the God's Apostles like Nointo start to appear in large quantities… though you've also considered the age of gods magic as a war potential."
"Didn't you say something early about needing a meatwall? Hey? You said that didn't you?"
Hajime carelessly leaked a bit of his real intention, and Shizuku tried to address it with a floating vein throbbing. However, Hajime kept on talking, disregarding it.
"My artifact making ability as transcended into a new evolution thanks to the sublimation magic. Even if it doesn't improve any of the other age of god's magic, a considerable improvement in combat potential is possible. I can improve all of your equipment. Not only Yaegashi, but the rest of the party too. While we go to the ice and snow labyrinth, it's possible another apostle of god may attack. It must be repulsed by any means. Of course, you'll also be able to challenge the other labyrinths with those strengthened arms."
"I understand what you mean…"
Having said what he wanted to say, Hajime stood up. Shizuku wore a troubled expression and hesitated.
"… After all, Nagumo-kun's group will go without us?"
"Hmm? Do you want to come with?"
"….."
Shizuku didn't answer. Originally, this was a big favor they asked and Hajime kept to his side of the bargain. He was to help them capture one large labyrinth.
The struggle through the large labyrinth, it seemed to permeate through their flesh and bones. She couldn't deny the ability shortage that she possessed. In a word, even if she followed, she'd be a burden for Hajime and the others.
Furthermore, once capturing the ice and snow labyrinth, returning might become available. So Hajime had no reason to bring the other classmates along.
That's why Shizuku didn't answer, instead shaking her head. Hajime opened his mouth at Shizuku's response, then shrugged.
"Well… if it's only Yaegashi, I wouldn't mind bringing you…" (TL: Of course, wouldn't want to leave some of your harem behind.)
"Eh?" Shizuki's eyes widen in surprise at the unexpected words that leaked from Hajime.
A beat later, Shizuku turned her head, her cheeks blushed red like a furnace as she hurried to conceal it. While desperately trying to calm down her wild heart, she attempted to ask Hajime's real intention.
"As for that, what…"
"Well, its strategy. Your spiritual strength won't be a problem at all. The gaps in skill can be filled with an artifact."
"Oh, yes. Is that true?"
Her expectations were easily betrayed. Shizuku still thought "I did not expect it!"
Shizuku looked back, pulling the heat from her cheeks and quieting her mind while giving Hajime a reproachful look.
However, the words immediately after caused the blush to return once again.
"Yes, that's true. Apart from the other members of my party, Yaegashi is the person I trust in most."
"!!!"
It seemed like Shizuku's reproachful look was a result of her thinking Hajime was trying to flatter her, but Hajime misunderstood. It was a recantation because of that. But the correction tugged at Shizuku, and she began to blush again.
Hajime wore a wry smile, ignoring Shizuku's reaction while concentrating on his original purpose.
"Although, well, even if only Yaegashi follows, that could be trouble."
"Eh… why is that?"
"Well, what will others in the class say? Amanogawa will definitely be out of control without you. He'd run around recklessly or just go missing going "Yaegashi is in trouble!" Embarrassing people are troublesome."
"But there is no body and no cover." (Translation note: No clue what this means, I think I mistranslated the previous line)
Shizuku was getting tired of being thrown around by Hajime's behavior. Hajime reached into the treasure storage and pulled out a several chakram.
"Do this chakram metastasize internally? What are you doing, taking them out?"
"It's training. Just like you were doing before I came. If you're tired, you should head back. You should be able to get some sleep now."
As Hajime said it, Shizuku remembered how tired she really was now.
However, it didn't seem easy to leave this place either. Looking at the surroundings… and Hajime, who had created a column of thirty or more Chakram around his body. Noticing it caused Shizuku's mouth to drop.
"… May I watch… a little?"
"I don't mind, but are you sure you don't need sleep?"
"It's alright, I'll return when I get tired enough."
Hajime shrugged his shoulder, acknowledging Shizuku's words. Shutting his eyes, he pulled out Donner. Shizuku rested her elbows on the table, her cheeks in her hands, watching Hajime while supporting her head.
The next moment:
Tantantantantantantantan.
Hajime pulled the trigger on Donner, aiming at the chakram flying around at high speeds fast enough to be difficult to see. The bullets were non-fatal rubber-coated metal, causing the gun to produce a sound different than the usually explosive sound effects.
The fired bullets enter straight, right, and left in their respective chakrum circles, dashing from another chakram before returning to Hakime. The bullet exchanged so as not to put out from the column made from the chakrams metastasizing into more chakrams. His finger continued to pull the triggers as he peeled off and dashed around the circle of charkram aiming at yet another chakram.
It was repeated, minimum movement and eagle eyed shots emerging across the dancing leaves in every direction.
The movements might have lacked the elegance of Shizuku a little while before, but there was no military art in the last few hundred years that succeeded by being beautiful. However, it was reasonable. Movement was refined for minimum requirements combined with rational decisions. It was a different sort of elegance compared to Shizuku.
It was creating a storm in which Hajime flew within its center, causing Shizuku to stare instinctively.
A bright red ripple expanded in the air from where Hajime worked, in addition, more chakram were taken from the warehouse, creating a spheroid surrounding from every direction.
And,
Dopan. Dopan. Dopan. Dopan. Dopan. Dopan.
The sphere flashed with bright red as the chakram moved in.
The fatal bullets accelerated by electromagnets, delimiting from the laser like red line in the glow. Ten meters in diameter, the chakram circle gradually narrowed the range. When it reaches 3 meters, red flashing light discharged continuously from point blank range.
Hajime shot down each light one at a time. Donner in his right and left hand embodied the moving about offense and defense like a separate living entity. The innumerable chakram basked in bright red light, filling the inside of the sphere. The shots and shining increase, like a bright red moon that floated in the sky.
"… Beautiful."
With an entranced expression, Shizuku muttered the words every time she saw the bright red around Hajime. It seemed like her unconscious real feelings were overflowing.
The shots echoed across the forest, spoiling the peace and calm of the morning. However, Shizuku's eyelids continued to become heavy while watching the red star in the sky, and consciousness quietly slipped away from her.
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