Chapter 3 - Summoned to Another World with a Commonplace Class Part 2

For his part, Hajime was utterly bewildered. She seemed a bit too desperate to be

someone who just wanted him out of the way because he would be a burden.

"Umm… I do realize I'd just get in your way, but… I don't think they'll let me skip out

after I've come this far already."

"That's not it! It's not because I think you're a burden or anything!" Kaori hurriedly

tried to correct Hajime's misunderstanding. Realizing she'd gotten a bit too heated,

she placed a hand on her chest and took a deep breath. After calming herself down,

she softly muttered, "I'm sorry," and began talking once more.

"Umm, you see, I just have this really bad feeling. I was sleeping just a moment ago,

and… I was having this dream… You were in it, Nagumo-kun… but you wouldn't

answer even when I called your name… and no matter how much I ran, I could never

reach you… Then at the end…" Kaori faltered, afraid to say what happened next, but

Hajime calmly pushed her to continue.

"And then at the end?"

Kaori bit her lip and looked up at Hajime with tears in her eyes.

"…You vanished…"

"I see…"

Silence filled the room. Hajime stared at Kaori, who was hanging her head again. That

certainly sounded like a sinister dream. But in the end, it was still just a nightmare.

Hajime doubted he could get permission to stay behind for a flimsy reason like that,

and even if he could, his classmates would have all condemned him for it. Regardless

of how it turned out, he would've had nowhere left to go if he asked. Which was why,

sadly, Hajime had no choice but to go.

He spoke as gently as he could, trying his best to reassure Kaori.

"It was just a dream, Shirasaki-san. We'll have Captain Meld's veteran knights with us,

along with some ridiculously strong people like Amanogawa-kun. Or rather, a ton,

since all of our classmates have pretty broken skills. So much so that I actually pity our

enemies a little. You probably just had that kind of dream because you've been seeing

just how weak I am up close recently." Hajime's words only seemed to make Kaori even

more worried

"And… And if you're still worried…"

"Then what?" Hajime felt a little embarrassed, but he still looked Kaori in the eyes,

then muttered—

"Why don't you protect me?"

"Eh?"

Hajime realized that it was embarrassing for a man to ask such a thing of a girl. In fact,

he was blushing bright red from how embarrassed he felt. The moon was shining

bright, so the inside of the room was lit well enough that Kaori must've easily been

able to see how red he was as well.

"Your job was Priest, right, Shirasaki-san? That's a job that excels in healing magic,

isn't it? So no matter what happens to me… even if I get mortally wounded, you should

be able to heal me, Shirasaki-san. So will you protect me, please? That way I'll be fine

no matter what happens." Kaori stared at Hajime for a long time after hearing his

words. Hajime knew he couldn't turn his eyes away in a situation like that, so he held

Kaori's gaze despite nearly dying from the embarrassment of what he'd just said.

Hajime had once heard that people's worst fear was the unknown. At the moment,

Kaori was scared because she didn't know what it was that was going to attack Hajime.

So even if it was just for her own peace of mind, Hajime wanted to give her the

confidence that she could handle anything that came at him, regardless of what it was.

Kaori and Hajime stared at each other for a few moments, but she finally broke the

silence with a smile.

"You never change, do you, Nagumo-kun?"

"Huh?" Hajime tilted his head quizzically at Kaori's words, and Kaori chuckled at his

confusion.

"Nagumo-kun, you met me for the first time in high school, right? But you know, I've

known you since the second year of middle school."

Hajime's eyes went as wide as dinner plates when he heard that. He racked his brain,

trying to remember where he had met her before, but turned up blank. Kaori chuckled

again when she saw him groaning to himself.

"I knew you, but you didn't know me… I first saw you when you were kneeling on the

ground, so it's natural you didn't see me."

"Kn-Kneeling!?"

She saw him in such a pathetic state!? Hajime squirmed in embarrassment for a totally

different reason when he heard that. Frantically, he tried to remember where he

could've possibly kneeled like that in public. Kaori continued her tale while Hajime

went through a pantomime of weird expressions.

"Yep. You were prostrating yourself in front of a bunch of delinquents. You didn't stop

even when they spat on you, or poured juice on you… or even stepped on you.

Eventually they just gave up and left."

"S-Sorry you had to see something so unsightly…"

Hajime wished he could just melt into the floor. That was almost as bad as having

someone's angsty teenage middle school past brought up again. He could only smile

weakly. It was the same awkward smile he'd had when his mom had found his porn

collection and neatly organized it on his shelf.

However, Kaori looked at him kindly, with not an ounce of scorn in her gaze.

"That's not true. It wasn't unsightly at all. In fact, when I saw it, I thought you were a

really strong and kind person, Nagumo-kun."

"…Huh?" Hajime couldn't believe what he had just heard. Certainly didn't seem like the

proper impression to get from watching a scene like that. Don't tell me Shirasaki-san

has some kind of weird fetish for that!? Hajime thought, rather rudely.

"I mean, you did all that for the sake of a little boy and his grandmother, didn't you,

Nagumo-kun?"

At those words, Hajime finally remembered. Something like that had indeed happened

during his middle school days.

A little kid had bumped into some delinquents and the takoyaki he'd been eating had

spilled over their clothes. The guys he had bumped into all snapped, and the boy

started crying while his grandmother cowered in a corner. It had been quite the scene.

Hajime was just passing by at the time, and he'd planned on ignoring the commotion.

However, even after the boy's grandmother gave the delinquents some money, most

likely as an apology for ruining the shirt, they continued harassing them. In fact, they

got even worse and by the end of it just snatched the poor lady's wallet right out of

her hands. It was at that point that Hajime's body had moved instinctively.

But of course, he was someone who hated violence. The only killer moves he knew

were the cringey ones he practiced at home after watching action shows. So he did the

only thing he could, prostrate himself before them and beg for mercy. It was, of course,

unbelievably embarrassing for him, but also surprisingly embarrassing to the ones he

was kneeling to. In fact, it was so embarrassing that they couldn't stand it. And as

planned, the delinquents did eventually just leave.

"It's easy for strong people to solve things with violence. People like Kouki-kun can

easily fling themselves into trouble and just fight their way out of it… but few people

who're weak have the courage to stand up for others, and even fewer could bow down

like that for someone else… You know, I was always scared back then… I always made

excuses for not helping other people by telling myself things like 'I'm not strong like

Shizuku-chan,' so when I got in trouble, I always waited for other people to come save

me instead."

"Shirasaki-san…"

"That's why I think you're really the strongest out of everyone here, Nagumo-kun. I

was really happy when I saw you again in high school, you know… I wanted to become

more like you. I wanted to talk to you more, to learn more about you. Though you

always just fell asleep whenever you were at school…"

"Ahaha, sorry about that." Since he'd finally realized why Kaori always hung around

him, and why she held him in such high regard, Hajime blushed and smiled awkwardly.

"That might be why I'm so worried. You might do something reckless again for

someone else's sake, Nagumo-kun. Just like you did when you took on those

delinquents… but fine." She gazed at Hajime resolutely.

"I'll protect you, Nagumo-kun."

Hajime looked Kaori in the eyes, then nodded, accepting her resolve.

"Thank you."

Hajime smiled bitterly at the exchange. Their roles as boy and girl had been completely

reversed. Though Hajime had to admit, Kaori made for a great hero. That would've

made Hajime the heroine, though. As a guy, he wasn't quite sure how to feel about that,

so all he could do was smile.

They chatted for a while longer, and then Kaori went back to her room. When Hajime

finally sank down into his bed, his mind was working furiously. He had to find

something he could do at all costs, and rid himself of the "worthless" stigma. He

couldn't stay the protected princess forever. Hajime renewed his resolve as he drifted

off to sleep.

Kaori had returned to her own room after leaving Hajime's. A figure hidden in the

shadows watched as she left his room and headed to her own. No one was there to

see… when his face twisted into a horrifying expression.

The next morning, everyone reported to the plaza that served as the entrance to the

Great Orcus Labyrinth early enough that the sun had still yet to rise.

The students were all filled with equal parts trepidation and curiosity. Hajime,

however, had a more complicated expression on his face. He was also somewhat

excited and nervous about his first excursion into a dungeon, but when he saw what

the entrance to the Great Orcus Labyrinth looked like, some of his excitement faded.

What Hajime had expected was the standard cavern entrance leading into unknown

dark depths. However, the sight that greeted him was something that looked more

akin to the entrance to a museum, complete with its own receptionist counter. A girl

in uniform was checking over the people going in and out of the labyrinth with a smile.

It appeared that everyone's status plate was checked at the entrance. That way, the

number of casualties could be accurately tallied. With the threat of war looming

overhead, the government wanted to avoid losing too many men, so they implemented

that policy as one of their countermeasures.

Numerous stalls were lined up on the plaza surrounding the entrance, the merchants

all competing with each other to show off their wares. It felt almost like a festival.

Shallower labyrinths that didn't have as many floors were popular with merchants,

since people naturally gathered there. The people present ranged from boisterous

adventurers who talked big but quickly lost their lives in the labyrinth, to criminals

who operated out of back alleys and other unsavory locations. As the government was

preparing for war, they didn't want to waste too many resources handling those

problems, so they cooperated with the local adventurer's guild to keep the area safe.

People were selling their wares all the way up to the receptionist's desk at the

entrance, which in a sense made life easier for the adventurers who were setting out

into the labyrinth's depths.

Hajime pulled himself together and scratched his head as he looked around, seeing all

of the other students gawking like country bumpkins as they followed Captain Meld

in single file, like a row of little ducklings.

Once inside, the lively atmosphere that had surrounded them mere moments ago

vanished. In front of them was a passage that was a little over five meters wide.

Though there was no obvious light source, the entire labyrinth was dimly lit, enough

that one could vaguely make out their surroundings without the help of a torch or

magical item. In truth, the passages were all lit by a special mineral called green

glowstone that was buried in the walls. The entire Great Orcus Labyrinth was actually

an excavated vein of green glowstone ore.

The party all filed into ranks and slowly advanced through the labyrinth. After a few

uneventful minutes, the passage they were walking down opened up into a wide plaza.

Towering seven or eight meters above them was a dome-shaped ceiling. The students

were all looking around curiously, when suddenly a number of gray creatures

resembling furballs burst out from cracks in the wall.

"Alright, Kouki, your team's up front! Everyone else fall back! I'll have you switch in

after some time, so stay sharp! These monsters are called Ratmen! They're quick on

their feet, but not all that strong. Keep your cool as you fight!"

As Captain Meld had said, the Ratmen were quite fast, and rushed at them with

alarming agility. Pairs of dark red eyes gleamed with a ghastly light from within the

balls of fur. Their name was rather fitting, as they looked like giant, muscular rats…

that stood on two feet. Only the area around their corded chests and impressive eightpacks was bereft of fur, almost as if they were trying to show them off.

Kouki's group, who were facing them head on, all grimaced when they got a better

look—especially Shizuku, who was standing up front. They certainly did look

disgusting.

Once the Ratmen entered into range, Kouki, Shizuku, and Ryutarou all attacked at

once. In the meantime, Kaori and two of her close female friends, the glasses-wearing

Eri Nakamura and the childish and energetic Suzu Taniguchi, started chanting their

spells. They were preparing their magic already. That was the basic formation they'd

practiced during training.

Kouki swung his bastard sword faster than the eye could follow, and slaughtered a

score of them with his first swing. His sword was one of the artifacts that had been

resting in the Heiligh treasury, and had the rather cliched name of "The Holy Sword."

It was blessed with the light element, which had the sickeningly efficient properties of

simultaneously weakening enemies that were hit by the light it emitted, while also

increasing one's own physical strength. It sure played dirty for a "holy" sword.

Ryutarou, on the other hand, had the job of Monk, which was a martial arts class that

fought with its fists. He was equipped with a pair of gauntlets and greaves. Those were

also artifacts, and were capable of unleashing enchanted shockwaves. They were also

unbreakable. Ryutarou took up a stance and splendidly beat down any enemy that

came close with punches and kicks, not letting a single one pass. Despite being

practically bare-handed, his massive frame made him seem like an armored heavy

knight.

Shizuku, meanwhile, possessed the job of Swordsman, which was fitting for a samuraiesque girl like her. She wielded a blade that was midway between a katana and a

shamshir, and made short work of any enemies that got within reach of her sword

with her quick-draw skills. She had refined her swordplay even further since arriving

in Tortus, and had even earned the admiration of many of the knights. While everyone

was busy watching Kouki and the others fight, the girls in the back line finished their

chants.

"Flames blacker than pitch, swirl about thine enemies! Burn until naught but their

ashes remain, Spiral Blaze!"

They cast the spell in unison, and a huge whirlwind of flames enveloped the Ratmen,

burning them to a crisp. The Ratmen screeched in pain, flailing wildly until the flames

pouring down on them reduced them to ash. In the blink of an eye, all of the Ratmen

had been annihilated. The other students didn't even get a chance to fight. It looked

like monsters on the first floor were far too weak to even put up a fight against Kouki's

party.

"Wow, well done! Alright, the rest of you will be up next, so don't relax just yet!"

Captain Meld reminded the class not to let their guard down, though he was smiling,

impressed at their prowess. Still, he couldn't prevent the students from getting

pumped up about their first dungeon monster elimination expedition. He shrugged

his shoulders helplessly as he saw the students breaking out into smiles.

"Oh, and… while you don't have to worry about it this time since it's training, in the

future try and kill your enemies in a way that preserves their mana crystals. What you

did back there was overkill."

Kaori and the others blushed at Captain Meld's words, realizing they may have gone

too far. From then on, the class smoothly advanced through the floors of the labyrinth,

rotating the vanguard between battles.

Eventually, they arrived at the twentieth floor, the floor that separated skilled

adventurers from rank amateurs. Currently, the deepest floor people had managed to

reach was floor sixty-five. However, that was a legendary feat that hadn't been

replicated since, so in recent times anyone who made it past the first twenty floors

was considered a highly skilled fighter. Anyone who made it past the first forty was

superhuman.

With Kouki at their head, the students were able to easily advance through the floors.

Though they had little combat experience, their overpowered abilities more than

compensated. The most dangerous enemy the students faced was actually the traps

scattered about. Some of them were even lethal.

The most common countermeasure for traps was something known as a Fair Scope. A

Fair Scope was a handy tool that detected traps by reading the flow of mana. Most of

the traps in the labyrinth were magical in nature, so a Fair Scope detected around 80%

of them. However, the Scope possessed a very limited range, so it was only effective in

the hands of an experienced user.

Therefore, the real reason Hajime and the others were able to descend so smoothly

was because of how well their knight mentors were guiding them. Captain Meld also

often reminded the students to never enter a room that hadn't been scoured for traps

first.

"Alright everyone, from this point on, monsters won't come at you just one species at

a time. They'll coordinate with each other and attack in large groups. Don't let your

guard down just because we've had nothing but easy victories so far! Today's training

will conclude once we clear the twentieth floor, so let's end things with a bang!"

Captain Meld's voice echoed throughout the room.

Up until that point, Hajime hadn't done much of anything. He'd once taken on a

monster the knights had weakened for him, trapping it in a pitfall and stabbing it to

death with his sword, but that was all.

Essentially, he had just spent his time standing by in the rear protected by the knights,

without being able to join anyone's party. It was honestly rather pathetic. However,

using his skills in combat helped increase his magic stat, so it wasn't completely

useless. Hajime's magic stat grew enough to raise him two levels, so the combat

practice had helped some.

But man, I totally feel like a leecher for doing this. Haaah… The knights sent another

weakened monster Hajime's way, and he approached it with a sigh, placing his hands

on the ground to transmute the earth around it. He immobilized it in a pitfall on the

off chance that it might still pose a threat, then skewered it with his sword.

Well, at least my transmutation skills are growing a little… I'll just have to keep at it.

Hajime swallowed a mana pill and wiped the sweat off his brow. He didn't notice that

the knights were all staring at him in admiration.

In truth, the knights hadn't been expecting much of anything from Hajime. They were

just having such an easy time of it that they decided to send a few monsters over to

him, since he'd seemed so bored. Weakened, of course.

They'd all thought he would just flail his sword around helplessly for a bit. However,

he had effectively used his transmutation skill to immobilize the enemy before

dispatching it, a tactic the knights had never seen before. They had assumed

Synergists were only good for blacksmithing, hence their belief that their skills would

be useless in combat.

Hajime only had his single transmutation skill, so he had trained it diligently, assuming

that his ability to transmute ore could extend to the earth as well. It had worked, but

with how difficult it was for him to take down a single weakened monster, and how

strong everyone around him was, he still thought himself weak.

That was the first time he'd shown this ability to people. He'd made an utter fool of

himself during their previous excursion to slay monsters outside of the capital, and

this was the solution he had come up with.

While he was taking a short break, Hajime glanced over to the front lines, and his eyes

met Kaori's. She was smiling at him. She had taken her promise to "protect" him quite

seriously, and Hajime looked away, embarrassed, as he realized she had been watching

over him the whole time. Kaori pouted a little when she saw him look away. Shizuku

chuckled softly as she watched their little exchange out of the corner of her eye, then

softly spoke.

"Kaori, why do you keep staring at Nagumo-kun? Don't you know it's wrong to pick up

guys in a dungeon?" Shizuku said that in a teasing manner, but Kaori blushed, and

angrily rounded on Shizuku.

"Oh, come on, Shizuku-chan! Could you please not say strange things like that! I was

just wondering if Nagumo-kun was okay!"

That's basically you trying to pick him up then, isn't it? Shizuku thought, but not wanting

to make Kaori sulk, she decided to keep quiet. Still, she was unable to hide the mirth

in her eyes, and Kaori just pouted and said "Jeez" when she saw Shizuku's expression.

Hajime had been watching their little exchange when he felt someone's gaze on him

and reflexively straightened up. It was a glare dripping with hatred. He was used to

getting such gazes from his classmates, but the intensity packed in that one was on a

completely different level.

That wasn't the first time he had felt this gaze either. He'd felt it multiple times since

that morning, but whenever he tried to look for the one who was doing it, they

seemingly calmed down. Hajime was growing tired of it.

What's going on…? Did I do something to someone? Though all I've been doing is trying

my best despite my incompetence… Wait, could that be the reason? Maybe they're

thinking "the hell do you think you're playing at, acting like you can be helpful!?" or

something…

"Haaah…" Hajime sighed deeply. He had started to think there might've been some

wisdom in heeding Kaori's warning.

The class continued exploring the twentieth floor.

Each of the labyrinth's floors spanned a few kilometers in every direction, and new

floors usually took a team of dozens anywhere from half a month to a month to fully

search and map out.

However, at present, all the floors until the forty-seventh had been mapped out, so

they were in no danger of getting lost. Nor should they have been in any danger of

falling into a trap.

The deepest room in the twentieth floor was like a limestone cave, but made of ice.

Icicles protruded from the walls, some of them melted, creating a complex topography.

The stairs leading to the twenty-first floor was just past it.

Once they made it that far, their training for the day would be over. Sadly, while

teleportation magic had existed during the Age of the Gods, it no longer did, so they

had to walk back to the entrance. The students had already begun to relax when a

protrusion in the wall had prevented them from advancing in formation, forcing them

to continue in single file.

Eventually, the two people at the head of their procession, Kouki and Captain Meld,

came to a halt. Puzzled, the students prepared for battle as they looked around. It

seemed they had encountered a monster.

"It's camouflaging itself! Keep a close eye on your surroundings!" Captain Meld yelled

out a warning to everyone.

An instant later, the thing everyone had mistaken for a protrusion suddenly changed

color and began to move. The creature that had assumed the shape of a wall was

actually a dark brown color, and it stood there on two legs. It began beating its chest.

Seemed the monster was a gorilla that could camouflage itself like a chameleon.

"A Rockmount! Watch out for its arms, they pack quite a punch!" Captain Meld's voice

resounded throughout the cavern as Kouki's party prepared to engage the enemy.

Ryutarou repelled the Rockmount's enormous arms with his fists. Meanwhile, Kouki

and Shizuku shuffled to either side to flank it, but were unable to properly surround

it because of the rough terrain.

Realizing it couldn't get past the human wall that was Ryutarou, the Rockmount fell

back and sucked in a deep breath.

"Graaaaaaaaaaah!!!" Seconds later, it looked back and roared so ferociously that the

entire room shook.

"Guh!?" "Uwaaah!?" "Kyaaah!?" Though the shockwave of sound that hit the students

did no harm, it made everyone stiffen in fear. That was the magic Rockmounts were

capable of using, "Intimidating Roar." It was a mana-infused roar that could

temporarily paralyze all who heard it.

Kouki and the others, who took it head on, found themselves unable to move an inch.

They expected to be attacked while stunned, but the Rockmount sidestepped past

them, picked up a nearby boulder, and hurled it at Kaori's group. And what a

spectacular throw it was! It flew cleanly over the heads of the immobile front line and

headed straight toward its intended target.

They all pointed their magic circle-amplified staves at the boulder and prepared to

intercept. There was no space to dodge.

However, they stopped their chant midway, the sight of what was coming toward them

shocking them into inaction.

The boulder the Rockmount had thrown was a second Rockmount! It somersaulted in

the air and spread its arms wide, heading straight for Kaori. The way it spread its arms

out resembled the Lupin Dive. The resemblance was so uncanny that one almost

expected it to scream "Kaori-chaaaan!" as it hit her. It even had the bloodshot eyes and

heavy breathing down pat. Kaori, Eri, and Suzu all screamed in terror and forgot to

keep chanting.

"Oy, what do you think you're doing in the middle of a fight!?" Captain Meld swiftly cut

down the Rockmount that was diving toward the girls.

They all quickly apologized, but that must've been quite the disgusting sight to see, as

their faces were still pale. A certain someone completely snapped when he saw how

rattled the girls were. Amanogawa Kouki, the class's resident self-styled hero of

justice.

"Bastard… How dare you hurt Kaori and the others… I won't forgive you!" He must

have mistakenly thought their paleness came from their close brush with death, and

not how disgustingly creepy the Rockmount had looked.

How dare you frighten a girl like that! Kouki flew into a rage over that rather cliched

reason. Pure white mana began leaking from his body, and almost as if in response, his

holy sword began to glow.

"Soar unto heaven, O divine wings— Celestial Flash!"

"No, stop, you idiot!" Kouki ignored Captain Meld, raised his sword up high, and swung

down with all his might.

He finished chanting his spell the same instant, and his holy sword unleashed a

dazzling blade of light. There was no escaping it. The curved light passed through the

Rockmount with only the slightest hint of resistance, cutting it cleanly in two, and

stopped only after crashing into the wall.

There was a loud rumbling, and pieces of the wall began to rain down. Kouki breathed

a deep sigh, then turned to the girls, a lady killer smile on his face. He had defeated the

big bad monster for them. Just as he was about to say "It's okay now!" Captain Meld,

who was smiling angrily with veins popping out of his forehead, walked up to him and

delivered a punch.

"Hobwah!?"

"You damn fool! I understand why you got angry, but you can't use skills like that in a

narrow passage! You could've brought the whole cave down on us!" Kouki's

complaints died in his throat at Captain Meld's chastising words, and he apologized

awkwardly. The girls all smiled wryly and tried to comfort him.

Then suddenly, Kaori turned to look at the crumbled section of the wall.

"…What is that? It's all sparkly…" At her words, everyone turned to look in the direction

she was pointing.

There was a strange mineral emitting a pale blue glow, protruding from the wall like

a flower in bloom. It looked like a crystal with Indigolite buried in its center. All of the

girls, including Kaori, were entranced by the beauty of the gem.

"Oh, that's a glanz crystal. And a pretty big one to boot. How rare," Captain Meld said.

Glanz crystals were basically a type of raw gemstone. Though they held no special

properties, their luster and radiance made them popular among the noble ladies and

their daughters. They were often processed into rings, earrings, pendants, and such

other jewelry to be given as gifts. Apparently most girls were overjoyed to receive

glanz jewelry as gifts. It was among the top three jewels used in proposal rings.

"That sounds so lovely…" Kaori blushed when she heard Captain Meld's explanation,

and was further entranced by the stone. She then stole a glance at Hajime. It was so

quick that it almost went unnoticed. However, Shizuku and one other person most

definitely did take note.

"In that case, I'll go grab it for us!" Hiyama suddenly ran forward after saying that. He

swiftly climbed up the debris of the crumbled wall, heading toward the glanz crystal

as fast as possible. Captain Meld hurriedly tried to stop him.

"Hey! Don't just run off on your own! We're not even sure it's safe yet!" However,

Hiyama pretended not to hear, and he was standing in front of the crystal before long.

Captain Meld chased after Hiyama in an attempt to stop him. At the same time, one of

the knights pulled out his Fair Scope and scanned the area around the crystal. A

moment later, his face went pale.

"Captain! It's a trap!"

"What!? Stop!" However, both Captain Meld and the knight's warning arrived a

moment too late.

The second Hiyama touched it, a magic circle appeared in the center of the crystal. The

trap had been set for anyone foolish enough to touch the glanz crystal. "If it seems too

good to be true, then it probably is." That was one of the world's golden rules.

The magic circle glowed bright, then grew large enough to encompass the entire room.

It was just like the day they had been summoned.

"Crap, retreat! Everyone get out, now!" Captain Meld's words spurred everyone into

action, and they all scrambled for the exit… but they didn't make it in time.

Light filled the room, and before long white was the only thing anyone could see.

Everyone was assailed by a momentary sensation of weightlessness.

Hajime and the others could feel the atmosphere shift. A moment later, they all fell to

the ground with a thud.

Hajime groaned in pain as he felt his aching butt, then looked around. Most of his other

classmates were still on the ground, but Captain Meld and his knights, along with

Kouki and the other vanguard fighters, were already on their feet, examining their

surroundings.

The magic circle from earlier must have contained a teleportation spell. Magic from

The Age of the Gods was remarkable because it could easily do things that no modernday mage could.

Hajime and the others had been teleported onto a massive stone bridge. It was around

one hundred meters in length. The ceiling also towered a full twenty meters above

them. Below the bridge was not a river, but instead a dark abyss with no visible end.

The gaping chasm resembled the very pits of hell.

Though the bridge was ten meters wide, it had no railing at all, so if someone slipped,

there would be nothing to catch their fall. Hajime and the others had been sent to the

middle of the bridge. One side of the bridge was a passage heading further in, while

stairs leading upward were at the other end.

After confirming the situation, Captain Meld curtly barked out orders.

"Everyone, get up and head for the stairs! Now!" His voice boomed louder than

thunder, and the students hurried to follow his orders.

However, labyrinth's traps were not so easy to escape. They would not be allowed to

retreat so easily.

New magic circles suddenly appeared on either side of the bridge, accompanied by a

swirling torrent of dark red mana. The magic circle on the passage-side of the bridge

was ten meters wide. The ones on the stairs-side were only one meter each, but there

were many.

The dark red magic circles resembled pools of blood, and gave off an ominous feel.

They pulsed once, and waves of monsters began pouring forth.

From the countless magic circles near the stairs came a horde of skeletons wielding

swords, Traum Soldiers. Their empty eye sockets gleamed with the same blood-red

light as the circles they came from, and they rolled around like real eyes too. Within

seconds, the stairs were teeming with nearly a hundred of the creatures, and more

were still pouring out.

Despite their numbers, Hajime thought what was coming out on the passage-side of

the bridge was far more of a threat.

From within the ten meter wide magic circle emerged a monster as big as the circle

that summoned it. It stood on four legs and had some kind of helmet on its head. To

Hajime, the closest thing it resembled was a triceratops. However, unlike a triceratops,

its eyes glowed bright red, and as it clacked its wicked sharp claws and fangs together,

flames sprouted from the horn on its helmeted forehead.

Everyone stared at it in slack-jawed horror, and Captain Meld's terrified whisper

resounded surprisingly clearly throughout the room.

"Oh my god… It's… a Behemoth…"

A wave of unease washed over the students when they saw Captain Meld, the reliable

captain who'd always been their reassuring pillar of support, break out in a cold sweat.

Kouki realized he was up against a truly fearsome opponent, and turned to ask Captain

Meld about its properties.

However, the Behemoth, a monster that had even the kingdom's strongest knight

quaking in his boots, refused to grant Kouki the luxury of time. It sucked in a huge

breath, then let out a guttural roar, signaling the start of the battle.

"Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"

"Huh!?" The roar brought Captain Meld back to his senses, and he quickly began

barking orders.

"Alan, take the kids and break through the line of Traum Soldiers! Kyle, Ivan, Bael,

create a barrier! We have to stop that thing, no matter what! Kouki, head to the stairs

with the rest of the students!"

"Please wait, Meld-san! We'll help too! That dinosaur thing is really bad news! We'll

also—"

"Idiot! If that thing really is a Behemoth, you kids don't stand a chance! It's a monster

that shows up on the sixty-fifth floor! Even the legendary adventurer, who everyone

called the strongest in the world, couldn't stand against it! Now get out of here! I

definitely won't let you kids die!"

Kouki faltered momentarily at the intensity in Captain Meld's gaze, but he refused to

leave. Captain Meld opened his mouth to yell at Kouki, but before he could say

anything, the Behemoth roared again and charged… straight toward the retreating

students.

In order to protect their summoned heroes, Heiligh's strongest warriors chanted

together in an attempt to form a barrier.

"Grant thine protection to your beloved children, O God! Reject all malice and let this

be a holy ground that denies thine enemies passage! Hallowed Ground!" The spell was

four verses long, inscribed on a magic circle two meters long, and drawn on the highest

class magical paper. On top of that, it had been invoked by three people in tandem.

Though it had only one use, and lasted for only one minute, it created an impenetrable

barrier that could not be broken.

A glowing dome of light materialized, stopping the Behemoth in its tracks. A huge

shockwave spread out as it crashed into the barrier, pulverizing the ground near the

impact. Despite being made of stone, the entire bridge shook precariously. The

retreating students screamed, and some of them fell down.

Traum Soldiers were powerful monsters that appeared on the thirty-eighth floor and

deeper. They were far stronger than anything the students had faced so far. With their

path forward blocked by a horde of ghastly skeletons, and a lumbering beast at their

backs, the students fell into a panic.

All semblance of formation crumbled as everyone scrambled for the stairs, trying their

best to escape. The lone knight that stayed with the group, Alan, tried to calm everyone

down, but they were all far too terrified to listen.

Amidst the panic, someone shoved one of the female students from behind, and she

fell forward. She groaned in pain and looked up, only to see a Traum Soldier

brandishing its sword right in front of her.

"Ah!" At the same time she let out that gasp, the soldier swung its sword down at her

head.

I'm going to die, she thought, when the ground at the Traum Soldier's feet suddenly

bulged upward.

It lost its balance, so the swing went wide, hitting the ground with a clang. The

protrusion in the ground then swelled forward, taking a few Traum Soldier's with it,

and drove them to the edge of the bridge, where it then tipped them into the abyss.

About two meters from the edge of the bridge squatted Hajime, panting heavily. He'd

transmuted various parts of the ground in quick succession, dragging the soldiers to

their deaths on an earthen slide. His transmutation ability had grown rapidly, and

before he knew it, he'd been able to transmute in quick succession. The total area he

could transmute had increased as well.

However, he could still only transmute a short distance from where he was touching,

so Hajime trembled in fear as he squatted within range of the Traum Soldier's swords.

He popped a mana pill into his mouth and ran over to the collapsed student, grabbing

her with his gloved hands and pulling her up to her feet. She silently let herself be

pulled up, still in shock, and Hajime smiled reassuringly at her.

"Come on, we've gotta hurry. Don't worry, as long as we stay calm, these pile of bones

are nothing. After all, everyone but me is OP as hell!" Hajime confidently slapped her

on the back, and she stared at him for a minute before saying "Yeah! Thanks!"

cheerfully, and running off.

Hajime continued creating pitfalls and protrusions to immobilize and unbalance the

Traum Soldiers, while keeping an eye on his surroundings. Everyone was still

panicking, swinging their weapons wildly and firing their spells off at random. If that

kept up, it was possible someone might die. Alan was trying his best to reorganize the

students, but it wasn't going well. And all the while, soldiers continued pouring out of

the magic circles.

"I've gotta do something… What everyone needs right now is a leader… someone with

enough strength to blow open a path for us… Amanogawa-kun!" Hajime started

sprinting toward Kouki and the Behemoth.

The Behemoth was still ramming the barrier over and over. A huge shockwave

accompanied each charge, and the stone bridge began creaking ominously after his

repeated assaults. Cracks were forming along the barrier, and it was only a matter of

time before it shattered. Meld was adding his incantations to the barrier as well, but

it didn't appear that it would last long.

"Agh, blast! It won't hold much longer! Kouki, you need to retreat! The rest of you as

well!"

"I refuse! I can't leave you guys behind! We're all going to make it back together!"

"Kuh, now's not the time to go on an ego trip…" Captain Meld grimaced as those words

left his mouth.

In such a cramped space, it would be difficult to dodge the Behemoth's charge. Which

was why the best course of action was to run while the barrier was still up. However,

the knights only realized that fact because they were veterans of numerous battles.

For the students, it was still a difficult order to swallow.

Unfortunately, though, Meld had tried to explain the situation to Kouki, who absolutely

could not accept the idea of "abandoning" anyone. Plus, to make matters worse, he still

thought he could take the Behemoth head on. The glint in his eyes clearly showed that

he wanted to fight.

Captain Meld realized it was the overconfidence of someone who was still wet behind

the ears. It appeared that praising Kouki and the others for their skills to make them

feel more confident had backfired.

"Kouki! You have to listen to the captain and retreat!" Shizuku had grasped the

situation, so she grabbed Kouki's arm, urging him to retreat.

"Eh, this isn't the first time we've had to put up with your dumb antics, Kouki. I'm with

you all the way!"

"Ryutarou… Thank you." However, Ryutarou's words solidified Kouki's resolve.

Shizuku clicked her tongue impatiently at the exchange.

"You're letting the situation get to your head, stupid!"

"Shizuku-chan…" Kaori worriedly looked over at the irritated Shizuku. It was then that

a certain boy ran up in front of Kouki.

"Amanogawa-kun!" Hajime screamed.

"N-Nagumo!?"

"Nagumo-kun!?"

"You need to retreat! You have to go back to where everyone is! They need you! Now!"

Hajime yelled angrily at the surprised party.

"What do you mean? And more importantly, why are you here!? You shouldn't be here!

Leave this place is to us, Nagumo, and—"

"This isn't the time to be saying that!" Hajime cut off Kouki, who was implying that

Hajime would be of no use and should retreat, and yelled with a vehemence he had

never expressed before. Kouki unconsciously stiffened up. He didn't expect the guy

who was usually so quiet and mature, the one who generally blew everything off with

a smile, to yell so angrily.

"Don't you see what's happening behind you!? They're all panicking because their

leader isn't with them!" Hajime grabbed Kouki by the collar and pointed behind him.

Kouki saw his panicking classmates slowly being surrounded by the Traum Soldiers.

All of their training had flown out the window and the students were all fighting

wildly. Because of their inefficient fighting style, the steady rush of reinforcements had

kept them from breaking through. Their exceptional stats had protected them so far,

but it was only a matter of time until someone died.

"They need someone who has the strength to blow all that away in a single attack!

They need someone who can blow their fear away! And the only one who can do that

is you, Amanogawa-kun! You're their leader, so quit being so focused on what's in front

of you! Look at what's behind you for once!" Dazed, Kouki looked from his panicking

and screaming classmates back to Hajime, who was furiously shaking his head, and

nodded.

"Yeah, I get it now. We're retreating! Meld-san, sorry—"

"Get down!" Kouki turned to Captain Meld, planning to say "Sorry for retreating

without you," but at that moment Captain Meld screamed out a warning as the barrier

finally shattered.

A massive shockwave headed toward Hajime and the others. Hajime instantly

transmuted the ground to make a stone wall, but the shockwave shattered it with ease,

sending everyone flying. His wall had managed to lessen the force a little… but then

the Behemoth let out a huge roar and the dust cleared, only to reveal Captain Meld and

the other three knights lying on the ground, moaning in pain. The shockwave had

robbed them of their ability to move.

Kouki and the others had collapsed too, but they were able to quickly get back up.

Since they'd been behind both Hajime's wall and the knights, they hadn't taken as

much damage.

"Gah… Ryutarou, Shizuku, can you buy us some time?" Kouki asked. It looked like they

were in pain, but they still stepped forward. Since the knights had been defeated, they

had to do something about the Behemoth themselves.

"Not like we've got a damn choice!"

"…We'll manage somehow." The two of them charged the Behemoth after uttering

those responses.

"Kaori, you need to heal Meld-san and the others!"

"Got it!" At Kouki's command, Kaori ran over to the knights.

Hajime was already kneeling beside them. He created another stone barrier to keep

the effects of the fight from reaching them. He doubted it would be of much use in the

grand scheme of things, but reasoned that it was better than nothing.

Meanwhile, Kouki began chanting the strongest spell he knew.

"O Holy spirit! Bring ruin to all that is evil with thine divine light! By the breath of God,

may these clouds of darkness be swept clear, and the world bathed in sanctity! By the

mercy of God, may this strike redeem the sins of man! Divine Wrath!"

Auroras of light poured out from the holy sword. The skill Kouki had used was of the

same category as the Celestial Flash he'd unleashed earlier, but this one was far more

powerful. The bridge creaked ominously as the rays of light gouged furrows through

the stone while racing toward the Behemoth.

Ryutarou and Shizuku retreated the moment Kouki finished chanting. They were in

bad shape and wouldn't have lasted much longer. Though it had been a scant few

seconds, they'd suffered quite a bit of damage in fending off the Behemoth.

The bombardment of light crashed into the Behemoth with a thunderous roar. It was

covered in a coat of white as the light enveloped it. Cracks began appearing in the

bridge.

"That should have been enough… Haah… Haaah…"

"Haah… Haaah… Yeah, that had to have killed it, right?"

"I'd like to think so, but…" Ryutarou and Shizuku fell back to where Kouki was

standing. He was panting hard after casting such a powerful spell. That last attack had

been Kouki's ace in the hole. It had used up almost all of his remaining mana. Captain

Meld stood up behind him, his wounds healed.

Gradually the light began to fade and the dust surrounding the Behemoth cleared. And

the Behemoth… didn't even have a scratch on it.

It let out a low growl, and the dark red mana that was unique to monsters began

pouring out of its body. The murderous glare it aimed at Kouki was so intense that

Kouki felt he might die just looking at it. Then it raised its head high, and its horn began

letting out a high pitched buzz as it glowed red hot. The red spread to the rest of its

helmet until it seemed like its entire head was a glowing ball of magma.

"Don't just stand there! Run!" Captain Meld's shout brought Kouki and the others back

to their senses. Finally over the shock that Kouki hadn't managed to even scratch it,

they prepared to run. But it was at that moment the Behemoth chose to charge. Before

it reached Kouki, it leaped into the air and hurtled toward them, head down, like a

burning meteor.

They were able to leap to the side to avoid a direct hit, but the shockwaves from the

impact bowled Kouki and the others over. They rolled across the ground like toppled

pins, and were covered in wounds from head to toe when they finally stopped.

Captain Meld was still somehow able to move and he ran over to the others. The rest

of the knights were still being healed by Kaori. The Behemoth braced its legs and tried

to pull its head out of the hole it had smashed into the bridge.

"Can you guys still move!?" The only responses Captain Meld got were groans. Their

bodies had been paralyzed by the shockwaves, just like Captain Meld's team had been

a while ago. Their internal organs had taken quite a pounding too.

Captain Meld turned around to call Kaori over. But the words died in his throat when

he saw Hajime running toward him.

"Kid! Get Kaori to help you carry Kouki out of here!" Meld decided to ask Hajime

instead.

He asked Hajime to take Kouki and Kouki alone. In other words, his orders implied

that it was impossible to save more than one person in this situation. Captain Meld bit

his lip so hard it drew blood and grimly raised his shield, lamenting that he could not

save everyone. Still, he resolved to give his life to stop the beast for as long as possible.

However, instead of obeying, Hajime desperately yelled out an alternative plan. It was

possibly the only way everyone would be able to escape with their lives. However, it

was an insane, reckless plan with chances of success that were beyond slim. And to

top it off, Hajime himself would have to play the most dangerous role.

Captain Meld hesitated for a few precious seconds, which was enough time for the

Behemoth to get its head unstuck. Its helmet began glowing bright red once more.

Meld was out of time.

"…Are you sure you can do it, kid?"

"I am." Meld laughed and broke out into a grin when he saw the resolve in Hajime's

gaze.

"Never thought I'd trust my life to you of all people… I promise I won't leave you

behind. So… don't let me down, kid!"

"Yes sir!" Captain Meld finished talking and walked up to the Behemoth. He unleashed

a weak spell at it, provoking its ire. It appeared that the Behemoth had a tendency to

focus on whatever was attacking it, which was why it had aimed for Kouki earlier. The

spell did the trick, and the Behemoth's gaze locked onto Captain Meld.

It finished charging up its helmet, rushed forward, and jumped. Meld was planning on

drawing its attention for as long as possible and got into an evasive stance as the

Behemoth hurtled toward him. He then whispered a short chant.

"Be swept away, Wind wall!" Meld quickly jumped back after he chanted that spell.

The Behemoth smashed into the ground, pulverizing the spot Captain Meld had been

standing on not even a second before. The shockwave and rubble were blown away by

the wind wall, keeping Meld unharmed. With how imprecise the Behemoth's attacks

were, even a weak spell was enough to help avoid indirect damage. But if Meld had

been forced to defend Kouki and the others he would have been utterly crushed.

While the Behemoth was still stuck in the ground, Hajime jumped up onto it. The

residual heat burned his skin as he landed. However, he ignored the pain as he

gathered his sky blue mana, and chanted. He said no more than the name of the spell.

It was, after all, the simplest, most basic magic.

"Transmute!" The Behemoth, which had been struggling to unstick its head from the

ground, suddenly stopped moving. Because every time it tried to dislodge itself even

a little, Hajime reformed the stone around it, keeping its head buried.

It braced its legs, attempting to use the weight of its whole body to rip its head free,

only to find that the ground around its legs had been transmuted as well. The

Behemoth's legs had sunk a full meter into the ground. And to make completely sure

it wouldn't be able to break free, Hajime hardened the stone around them as well.

Even then, the Behemoth's strength was fearsome, and Hajime knew even a moment's

lapse in concentration would allow the Behemoth break free. It kept struggling, cracks

continually forming in its stone prison, but Hajime continued to relentlessly

transmute the ground to repair them. The end result being that the Behemoth was

unable to free its head. Were this not a matter of life and death, it would have looked

rather comedic.

In the meantime, Captain Meld gathered the recovered knights and Kaori together, and

they began carrying Kouki and the others to safety. It seemed that some of the students

had finally regained their composure, as they were working in tandem to push the

Traum Soldiers back. The one that had rallied them was actually the female student

Hajime had saved earlier. Despite his weakness, he had still contributed greatly.

"Wait! Nagumo-kun's still over there!" Kaori started arguing with Meld, who was

trying to get everyone to retreat.

"This is all a part of the kid's plan! We're going to break through the soldiers and set

up a defensive line so the mages can bombard it with spells! Of course, that comes

after he's out of our line of fire! Then he's going to run back to us while we keep the

Behemoth busy with a barrage of spells and we're all retreating together!"

"Then I'll stay behind with him!"

"No, you can't! Once we've made it to safety, you have to heal Kouki, Kaori!"

"But—" Kaori's angry protests were cut short by Meld's next words.

"What you're doing is nothing more than spitting on his resolve!"

"Ah—"

After Captain Meld, the strongest member of their party was without a doubt Kouki.

They would need every bit of firepower they could get to hold the Behemoth at bay

with just magic. Kouki's condition meant the difference between life and death for

Hajime, which was why Kaori needed to be healing him the whole time while they

retreated. The Behemoth would be free the moment Hajime's mana ran out and he

could no longer transmute.

"O breath of life, grant succor to this injured soul, Heaven's Blessing!" Kaori began

chanting, tears in her eyes. Her artifact, a white staff, glowed faintly, and wrapped

Kouki in a gentle light. Heaven's Blessing was a high level healing spell that restored

mana on top of healing wounds.

Captain Meld gripped Kaori's shoulders and nodded encouragingly to her. Kaori

nodded back, then turned around to look at Hajime, who was still desperately

transmuting the ground. Then, she began retreating from the bridge, together with

Captain Meld and the knights, who were carrying Ryutarou, Shizuku, and Kouki.

The Traum Soldiers were still increasing in number. There were more than two

hundred of them crowding the landing by that point. There were so many that a chunk

of them had spilled over onto the bridge itself.

However, that was actually a blessing in disguise. Had they spread themselves out

properly, they would have easily been able to surround and then subsequently

slaughter the students who charged through the ranks. After all, a good number of the

students had done just that when the initial hundred had appeared.

The only reason no one had died yet was because of the knights. It was only because

of their excellent skills that were able to cover for the students' inexperience. However,

because of how much it had taxed them to keep all the students safe, they were all

covered in wounds.

And so, with the knights' support flagging and the army of monsters only increasing,

the students were slowly falling into a panic once more. They forgot all about using

magic and swung their weapons blindly. In a few more minutes they would've surely

been annihilated.

The students had realized the gravity of their own situation as well, and despair

painted their faces. The girl Hajime had saved continued trying to coordinate her small

knot of students, but they too were reaching their limits, and there were tears in her

eyes.

Everyone was on the verge of giving up, when suddenly—

"Celestial Flash!" A blade of pure light tore through the center of the Traum Soldiers,

obliterating the enemies in its path.

The ones that weren't instantly destroyed were blown away by the force of the spell,

and tumbled to their deaths in the depths below. A new wave of Traum Soldiers rose

to take their place, but for an instant the students caught a glimpse of the stairs that

led to their salvation. The hope that they had been unable to see even for a second no

matter how hard they had fought.

"Everyone! Don't give up! I'll carve open a path for us!" Kouki accompanied his shouts

with a second Celestial Flash, mowing down yet another group of Traum Soldiers. His

overwhelming charisma bolstered the students' flagging morale.

"You morons! Did all your training just fly out the window!? What the hell has gotten

into you! Get back in formation this instant!"

The ever reliable Captain Meld unleashed an attack that was arguably even more

powerful than Kouki's Celestial Flash, annihilating another line of Traum Soldiers. The

students' depression was blown away as their pillar of support returned to assist

them.

The haze of panic was lifted from their eyes, and strength returned to their limbs.

Though, part of that was due to Kaori's magic. She had cast a mental focus spell.

Normally it would do no more than help someone relax a little, but its effect multiplied

exponentially when combined with Kouki's morale-boosting speech.

The healers began healing the injured, while the mages fell back and started chanting

their most powerful spells. The vanguard got into a proper line, and focused on

defending the backline.

Once healed, the knights returned to the fray as well, and the counterattack began in

earnest. Everyone's overpowered skills and weapons hit the soldiers in waves,

drowning them in a sea of attacks. They began destroying the soldiers faster than the

magic circles could pour new ones out.

Finally, a path to the stairs was secured.

"Forward, men! We need to secure the landing!" Kouki ran forward, leading the way.

Ryutarou and Shizuku, who had both recovered somewhat, followed close behind him.

Together, they cut through their enemies like a hot knife through butter.

In moments, everyone had escaped the encirclement. The soldiers attempted to make

a meat wall, or rather bone wall, and close off the path to the bridge again, but Kouki

unleashed another spell to blow a hole open in their lines.

His classmates all stared at him in confusion. That was only natural. After all, the stairs

were in front of them, not behind. All of them were only thinking of escape at this

point.

"Everyone, wait! We still have to save Nagumo-kun! Nagumo-kun's still out there

stopping that monster all by himself!" Her classmates all then stared at Kaori in

confusion. That too, was only natural. After all, Hajime was the class's supposed

"incompetent."

However, when they looked past the thinned crowd of Traum Soldiers toward the

bridge, they saw none other than Hajime.

"What on earth? What is he doing?"

"Is that monster buried in the bridge?" As more and more classmates began crying out

in surprise, Captain Meld gave his orders.

"That's right! That kid's stopping that monster all by himself. He's the only reason your

sorry asses aren't skeleton fodder right now! Vanguard, advance! Don't let a single

soldier past you! Rearguard, start preparing long-range spells! His magic won't last

much longer! Once the kid's clear, start blasting away to keep it busy!" His deep voice

resonated through the room, and the students all refocused their attention.

A few of their gazes lingered longingly on the stairs still. And who could blame them?

They had been on the verge of death but moments ago. It was only natural they would

wish for the safety of the floor above. However, Meld's "Hurry up!" got even the most

reluctant students to finally turn around and return to the battlefield.

Daisuke Hiyama was one of the last to follow. Despite the entire mess being his fault,

he was still overcome by terror and wanted to escape as swiftly as possible.

However, in the back of his mind he remembered the events of the previous night.

The night before they had entered the labyrinth, and what he had seen at Horaud's

inn. He had been too nervous to sleep, so Hiyama had stepped out for a bit to go to the

bathroom and feel the night breeze. He had been enjoying the cool night air and was

about to return to his room when he spotted Kaori in a negligee. He had been so

surprised by her sudden appearance that he had reflexively hidden himself in the

shadows and held his breath. Kaori hadn't even noticed he was there as she passed by.

His curiosity piqued, he'd followed Kaori and watched as she'd knocked on the door

of a certain room. More specifically… Hajime's room.

Hiyama's mind had gone blank when he saw Hajime answer the door. Hiyama, like

most other guys, was completely infatuated with Kaori. However, he did not think

himself worthy enough to stand beside her, and had decided that if his competition for

her affections was someone like Kouki, who lived in a totally different world, he might

as well give up.

But Hajime was different. Hiyama couldn't understand why Kaori would want to be

with someone that, at least in his mind, was even lower than him. If he's good enough,

then why not me!? His twisted mind actually believed that was a logical train of

thought.

His dissatisfaction with Hajime quickly gave way to hatred. The reason he had jumped

at the opportunity to get the glanz crystal was also because he wanted to impress

Kaori.

Hiyama remembered the events of that night as he watched Kaori gaze worriedly at

Hajime, and a wicked grin formed on his lips as the beginnings of a plan took shape in

his mind.

Hajime's mana finally began to run out around the same time the students all turned

back to the bridge. And he was all out of mana pills. He stole a quick glance back at the

bridge and saw that everyone had safely managed to retreat. They had turned back

around and were lining up to start firing their spells.

The Behemoth was still struggling against its restraints, but at that point they would

only last a few seconds without constant transmuting. He would have to get as far

away as possible in that time. Sweat beaded down his forehead. His heart was

pounding louder than it had in his entire life, and he was so nervous he was trembling.

He was going to need impeccable timing to make it out alive. After cracks started

appearing for the dozenth time, he transmuted the ground once more, and

strengthened the Behemoth's restraints for good measure. Then he jumped.

A scant five seconds after Hajime had started running for his life, the ground behind

him shattered, and the Behemoth roared menacingly as it freed itself from its

restraints. Hajime risked a glance back and saw pure rage in its eyes.

It looked around wildly, searching for the one who had forced it into such an unsightly

struggle, and quickly found Hajime. It roared again, angrily, bringing its head down

and prepared to charge Hajime. However, before it could move, a barrage of spells

slammed into it.

It was like a bizarre meteor shower, where each meteor was a different color. The

various spells didn't do any damage to the Behemoth, but they definitely slowed it

down.

I can do this! Hajime thought, and sprinted forward, his head bowed low. Despite the

procession of spells flying inches above him, Hajime wasn't afraid. He was certain his

cheat-level classmates wouldn't miss. Within a few seconds he was already more than

thirty meters away from the Behemoth.

He unconsciously broke out into a smile.

An instant later, however, that smile froze in place.

Among the multitude of spells flying at the Behemoth, one of them had a slightly lower

trajectory… And it was heading straight for Hajime. Someone had clearly aimed their

attack right at him.

But why!? A moment of surprised confusion passed through his mind.

He quickly braced his legs in an attempt to stop, so the fireball merely exploded inches

in front of his face. The shockwaves blasted him back toward the Behemoth. He had

avoided a direct hit, and suffered no lasting damage, but his semicircular canals had

been thrown into disarray and he completely lost his balance.

Hajime staggered to his feet, trying to put as much space between him and the

Behemoth as possible, but the Behemoth was tired of being bombarded. Right after

Hajime managed to find his bearings, it let out another roar. He glanced back and saw

it gathering its dark red mana for the third time as it finished heating its helmet. It was

glaring squarely at him.

It then used its heated helmet as a shield against the spell barrage and charged at

Hajime. He was still somewhat disoriented, his vision still blurry, so he could only hear

the Behemoth closing in behind him, and his classmates screaming and yelling ahead

of him.

Hajime gathered the last remaining dregs of his strength and jumped to the side. A

second later, the Behemoth smashed into the ground, using all of its hate and rage to

fuel its attack. The entire bridge shook as it fell. Massive cracks spread out from the

point of impact. The bridge groaned in protest one last time, before… collapsing

entirely.

The repeated attacks had finally driven it past the point of endurance.

"Graaaaaaaaah!?" The Behemoth roared angrily as it desperately tried to find

purchase on the crumbling bridge with its nails. However, everywhere it latched onto

crumbled as well, and after a final, fruitless struggle, it fell to the depths of hell. Its

final screams echoed throughout the chamber.

Hajime too, crawled desperately across the collapsing bridge, trying to find

somewhere to grab, but all of his handholds crumbled away just as quickly.

Ah, I'm not gonna make it… He muttered those words inside his head as he gave up.

Looking over to his classmates one last time, he saw Kaori desperately trying to run

over to him, while Shizuku and Kouki had both of her arms and were holding her back.

His other classmates were all pale as well, covering their eyes or mouth with their

hands as they watched. Captain Meld and the other knights all watched with painful

expressions on their faces as they saw Hajime fall.

Finally, the entire bridge fell away, and Hajime plummeted down to the depths of hell,

face staring blankly up at the sky. His outstretched hand grasping uselessly at the

fading light.

Listening to the screams of the Behemoth that grew fainter and fainter. Listening to

the bridge crumble away into nothingness. And then, all too soon, Hajime was

swallowed up into the darkness along with the last of the rubble.

Time itself seemed to slow down as Kaori watched Hajime fall to the depths of the

earth, despair evident in her eyes. The conversation she had last night with Hajime

played back in her mind over and over.

They had talked under the moonlight, drinking Hajime's subpar excuse for black tea.

That was the first time she had ever had such a leisurely conversation.

She remembered the nightmare that had prompted her visit, and how surprised

Hajime had looked when she'd suddenly showed up in front of his room. He had even

taken her silly dream so seriously. And before she'd realized it, her fears had vanished

and they had been talking happily about anything and everything.

She had returned to her room on cloud nine, until she remembered she had visited

him in a rather daring outfit, and squirmed with embarrassment. Then seconds later

she felt a little depressed, thinking she must not have much charm since Hajime hadn't

reacted to her appearance in the least. And then, she also remembered how she'd tried

to forget the whole thing had ever happened when she saw Shizuku's exasperated

expression.

But most importantly, she remembered the promise she made with Hajime that night.

The promise to protect him. The promise Hajime had suggested to ease Kaori's fears.

She repeated that promise in her head over and over and over again as she watched

Hajime get swallowed up by the murky abyss.

She heard a faint, distant scream, and then realized it was her own, before returning

to her senses. Her face twisted in anguish as the reality of what happened hit her again.

"Let me go! I have to go to Nagumo-kun! I promised him! I promised I'd protect him!

Let me goooo!" Shizuku and Kouki struggled to restrain Kaori, who looked about ready

to jump into the chasm herself. She struggled more fiercely than anyone would have

thought possible given that slender frame of hers.

If that kept up Kaori would end up hurting herself. However, they definitely couldn't

afford to let go either. If they did, she would most certainly jump off the cliff without

hesitation. She was already beyond any sense of rationality. Grief had completely

overtaken her mind.

"Kaori, stop! Kaori!" It was precisely because she understood how Kaori felt that

Shizuku was unable to find any words to comfort her friend. All she could do was keep

calling her name.

"Kaori! There's no point in throwing your life away too! Nagumo is already beyond

help! Calm down! You'll hurt yourself at this rate!" Those were the best words that

came to Kouki's mind. However, they were also the worst words he could've said to

Kaori at that moment.

"What do you mean beyond help!? Nagumo-kun's not dead! I have to go save him! He

needs me!" It was clear to everyone else present that there was no saving Hajime. He

had fallen off a cliff so deep that no one could even see the bottom.

However, Kaori wasn't in a state of mind where she could accept that fact. Anything

anyone said would simply backfire and double her resolve to jump down there herself.

Ryutarou and the other students were all looking at her worriedly, at a complete loss

for what to do.

It was then that Captain Meld walked up to Kaori and gave her a hard chop to the back

of her neck. She spasmed once, then fell unconscious. Kouki caught Kaori before she

fell, glaring angrily at Captain Meld all the while. Before he could say anything, Shizuku

cut him off and bowed to Captain Meld.

"Sorry. And thank you."

"I… don't deserve your thanks. But I cannot allow anyone else to die. Everyone, we're

heading back to the surface as fast as possible… I'll leave her in your care."

"I would have taken her myself even if you tried to stop me." Kouki unhappily watched

Captain Meld walk off, but he remained quiet. As Shizuku was taking Kaori from him,

she softly told him the following.

"We couldn't stop her, so Captain Meld did it for us. You realize we don't have much

time, right?"

"Kaori's grief might have affected the entire class's morale, and more importantly,

someone had to stop her before she hurt herself… Now get your butt up front and

open a path for us. You have to take the lead until we all make it out of this… Nagumokun said the exact same thing, remember?" Kouki nodded reluctantly at Shizuku's

words.

"You're right, let's get out of here."

One of their classmates had died right in front of their eyes. That had shaken the whole

class a great deal. Everyone was staring at the chasm where the bridge had been in a

daze. A few of the students even sat down where they were, proclaiming things like

"I'm done with this crap!" Just as Hajime had told Kouki earlier, they needed a leader

to guide them.

Kouki turned to his classmates and raised his voice.

"Everyone! Right now we need to focus on surviving! We have to retreat!" His words

slowly spurred the class into action.

The magic circles were still spitting out more Traum Soldiers. Their numbers were

gradually being replenished. A head-on battle would've been dangerous, and besides,

there was no need for them to fight anymore. Kouki yelled as loudly as he could, urging

his classmates onward. Captain Meld and the other knights all tried to inspire some

vigor into the students as well. Finally, everyone had made it onto the staircase.

It was a very long staircase. They kept climbing through the darkness, unable to see

where the stairs truly led. Judging by their pace, they must have climbed over thirty

floors already. Even with body-strengthening magic, the students soon began to grow

tired. They were already partially exhausted from their earlier fight, too, so the neverending darkness of the staircase sapped at their willpower.

Around the time he was thinking he should stop the group for a short break, Captain

Meld saw a wall up ahead with a magic circle engraved on it.

The students all began to look a little more hopeful as Captain Meld cautiously

approached the door set into the wall and began investigating. He passed a Fair Scope

over it as well.

The results showed that it was unlikely to be a trap. The magic circle's purpose was to

move aside the wall, or so it seemed. Captain Meld chanted the inscription on the

magic circle, pouring his mana into it. Like a ninja's hidden passage, the wall began to

turn, until it revealed a short corridor leading to the room ahead. As they passed

through, the students found themselves on the twentieth floor once more.

"Did we make it?"

"We made it!"

"We did it… We really did it…"

They all let out relieved sighs as they finally caught sight of the familiar scenery of the

twentieth floor. Some of them burst into tears, while others just sat down where they

stood. Even Kouki was leaning against the wall, and it looked like he very much wanted

to sit down as well.

However, they were still in the labyrinth. Even if this was a floor higher up, monsters

could still appear any time. As such, they had to escape the labyrinth proper before

they could fully relax.

Captain Meld buried his sympathy somewhere deep inside and yelled at the students

to get back up, his face now a commander's mask.

"Hey, you louts! Quit laying around! If you relax here, then you'll be dead before you

make it out! Now get into formation, avoid combat as much as possible, and take the

quickest route back up! Come on, we've only got a little ways to go!"

Some of the students tried to complain about how he could let them take a short break

at least, but his pointed stare cut them short. The group reluctantly staggered back to

their feet. Kouki hid his own exhaustion and took up the lead again. The knights did

most of the fighting in the few battles they couldn't avoid, and the party took the

shortest route they could back to the surface.

Until finally, the nostalgic sight of the main gate and receptionist's desk became

visible. Though it hadn't even been a full day since they had entered, many of the

students felt as if it had been ages since they last laid eyes on it.

The students all felt relief wash over them as they stepped outside. Some of them just

sprawled out on the ground, spread-eagle right outside the gate. Most of them were

just glad they made it back in one piece.

However, some of the students like Shizuku, who was still carrying an unconscious

Kaori; Kouki; Ryutarou, who was staring worriedly at them both; Eri; Suzu; and the

girl Hajime had saved all had glum expressions.

The receptionist's gaze lingered on those students for a while, until Captain Meld went

up to her to give his report.

The trap they had discovered on the twentieth floor was exceedingly dangerous.

Though the bridge had been destroyed, it was possible the trap was still functioning,

so it needed to be reported. Along with the fact that Hajime had died. Captain Meld

struggled to keep the pain off his face, but he was unable to repress the sigh that

slipped through.

None of the students felt like exploring Horaud, so they all returned to the inn. Some

of them chatted with each other, but most of them just went straight to sleep, burned

out by the events of the day.

Only Daisuke Hiyama left the inn, found an inconspicuous corner of town, and

squatted down, hugging his knees. He buried his face into his legs and sat there,

unmoving. Had any of his classmates picked that time to pass by, they would have

thought he was simply depressed.

However, the truth was…

"Heheheheh… Hee hee hee. I-It was all his fault. Because that damn loser… g-got

cocky… I-It was divine punishment. I didn't do anything wrong… It was all for

Shirasaki's sake… Now she… doesn't have to waste time with that loser… I didn't do

anything wrong… Hehehe." He cackled evilly as he justified his actions to himself.

Indeed, it was Hiyama who had unleashed that errant fireball at Hajime.

Back when Hajime had been running to the staircase, Hiyama had still been undecided

on what to do. But then he had caught sight of Kaori gazing at Hajime, and it felt as if

a devil had whispered in his ears; No one would notice if you killed him right now.

And so, Hiyama had sold his soul to that devil. He had timed it perfectly, making sure

no one would notice, and hurled his fireball at Hajime. It would have been impossible

to realize that it was his fireball specifically amidst that storm of spells. And Hiyama's

particular affinity was with wind magic. There would be no proof he altered his

trajectory, and no one would even notice.

Hiyama kept trying to convince himself he was safe while grinning gleefully to himself.

However, it was at that moment that he heard a voice behind him.

"Huh, I should've known it was you. To think the first murderer I'd meet in another

world would be my classmate… You're pretty rotten, you know that?"

"Huh!? Wh-Who are you!?" Hiyama turned around in a panic. The person standing

behind him was a classmate of his. More importantly, it was someone he recognized.

"Wh-What are you doing here…"

"That's hardly what's important right now. So… how does it feel? To be a murderer?

To remove your love rival permanently by killing him in the confusion of our escape?"

The figure snickered, as if watching a particularly funny comedy. Hiyama knew he

wasn't really one to talk as he'd committed the murder, but it was amazing how

unfazed his classmate was at the death of another person. Until just moments ago, the

person had seemed just as exhausted and shocked as his other classmates, but there

was not even a trace of that any longer.

"…So this is what you're really like?" Hiyama muttered, utterly dumbfounded.

The shade sneered haughtily at Hiyama.

"What I'm really like? Please, there's no need to make such a big deal out of it.

Everyone masks their true selves somehow. But we're getting off topic here… What do

you think would happen if everyone found out? What would she think of you?"

"Wha—!? N-No one… would believe you… You don't have any proof…"

"You're right, I don't. But everyone trusts me, so they'd still believe me. Especially if

I'm accusing you, who caused this whole disaster in the first place."

Hiyama suddenly found himself cornered. His adversary was just teasing him at that

point, playing with an already trapped rat. No one would've imagined this hidden side

of their classmate, so they would never have sided with Hiyama. It would've been far

more believable if someone had just told Hiyama that the person standing in front of

him had multiple personalities. The sadistic expression he saw looking down at him

sent shivers down Hiyama's spine.

"Wh-What do you want with me!?"

"Hm? Now now, don't be like that. You're making it sound like I'm blackmailing you. I

actually don't want anything from you right this minute. I guess if I had to say, I'd like

for you to become like my hands and feet."

"Y-You can't mean…"

Hiyama was practically being asked to become a slave, so he naturally hesitated to

agree. He wanted to refuse, of course, but he knew if he did that the figure in front of

him would tell everyone Hiyama had killed Hajime in cold blood.

Trapped between two unacceptable choices, Hiyama slowly began thinking, Someday

I'll kill you too. However, it appeared his adversary had anticipated even that and

tempted him with the one thing Hiyama couldn't resist

"Don't you want to make Kaori Shirasaki yours?"

"Huh!? Wh-Whatever do you…"

His dark thoughts vanished in an instant, and Hiyama stared in slack-jawed shock. The

figure grinned wickedly, then continued pouring out honeyed words.

"If you swear your loyalty to me… I'll give her to you. I had originally planned to give

Nagumo-kun this offer, but… well, you killed him, didn't you? Though I guess you're

more suited for these tasks than he is, so all's well that ends well."

"…What are you after? What's your endgame!?" Hiyama's words were frantic as he still

couldn't grasp the situation.

"Fufu, my goals have nothing to do with you. Let me just say there's something I want…

So? What will it be?"

He'd been made a fool of the whole time, and Hiyama couldn't stand that, but his fear

at his classmate's sudden transformation greatly eclipsed his vexation. And either way,

he realized he didn't really have a choice, so he nodded, resigned to his fate.

"…I'll listen to you."

"Ahahahaha, perfect! Truth be told, I really didn't want to incriminate my fellow

classmate. Well, let's get along now, Mr. Murderer. Ahahaha."

The blackmailer spun around and headed back to the inn, laughing heartily. Hiyama

watched as his living nightmare walked away, then softly muttered, "Damn it…"

No matter how much Hiyama wanted to forget it, to pretend it didn't happen, the

memory of what he'd done refused to leave him. And the same could be said for the

sight of Kaori's face when she had seen Hajime fall. Her expression had shown her

feelings more clearly than any words ever could.

Once his tired classmates had rested up, they too would calm down a little and the

reality of Hajime's death would hit them. And then, they too would realize Kaori's

feelings. That she had hung around Hajime out of more than just goodwill.

Once they realized how hard it had hit Kaori, they would focus their anger on the cause

of it. On the person who'd carelessly ensnared them in that trap.

Hiyama would have to tread very lightly. Or else he would lose his place among them.

He knew he had already crossed a line, so there was no stopping now. So long as he

followed his classmate's orders, a future he had thought no longer possible, a future

where he made Kaori his own, might still exist.

"Hehehe… I-It'll be alright. Everything will work out. I didn't do anything wrong…" He

buried his face in his knees once more, then went back to muttering.

This time, no one interrupted him.