However, thanks to the assistance of a certain individual, along with the stroke of
fortune that had let him control Tio, he'd been able to command monsters from as far
away as the fourth mountain range. He forged a contract with said individual, who
then started sending him more reinforcements every day. All that power finally
corrupted him.
Convinced that he actually was special, he waited for an opportunity to unleash his
might on Ur. However… he was handily defeated by Hajime, and brought to Aiko in
chains… or well, ropes.
His all-powerful army had been mercilessly slaughtered. Hajime dumped the
unconscious Shimizu in front of the students. His head bounced a few times on the
ground before coming to a rest. Aiko and the others all gasped.
When she'd seen Hajime dragging Shimizu back, she'd waited for him outside the town
walls. The only people present at the moment were Hajime, Tio, Shea, Yue, Will, the
students, Aiko, David and his guards, and a few of the town's most important people.
If they'd brought the culprit into town, Hajime had no doubt it would have caused an
uproar, so he'd met them all here. The mayor and many of the other town's prominent
figures were busy dealing with the battle's aftermath.
Aiko hesitantly walked up to Shimizu, who was still unconscious. The fact that he was
wearing a black robe, and that Hajime had taken him directly from the battlefield,
proved his guilt. She hadn't wanted to believe it, but now she had no choice. Aiko
looked down sadly at Shimizu and shook him to wake him up.
"Aiko, he could still be dangerous." David tried to stop her, but Aiko simply shook her
head. She asked he be untied as well. She said she wouldn't be able to have a proper
conversation with him otherwise. Aiko still intended to have a teacher to student talk
with him.
"Shimizu-kun, Shimizu-kun! Please wake up, Shimizu-kun!"
"Ngh…" Finally, Shimizu regained consciousness. He gazed around with unfocused
eyes. A second later, he realized where he was, and came to himself with a start.
He tried to stand up, but the concussion still hadn't worn off, so he fell back to the
ground. Terrified, he tried to crawl backward. His eyes darted from one person to
another, his expression a mixture of wariness and fear.
"Please calm down, Shimizu-kun. No one's going to hurt you. I just want to talk to you.
Why did you do something like this…? That's all I want to know. I just want to
understand your feelings." Aiko kneeled down until she was at eye level, then gazed
patiently at Shimizu. His eyes stopped darting about. He guiltily averted his gaze and
that started explaining… or rather insulting everyone.
"Why? You can't even tell why? That's why you're all a bunch of incompetent losers.
You all always look down on me… and go on about hero this, hero that. Even though
I'm way better than that prick Kouki… none of you ever noticed. You always just
pretended like I wasn't even there… You're all a bunch of retards! That's why I wanted
to prove my worth to all of you…"
"You little… Do you realize what you did!? You nearly killed everyone in the town!"
"And you called us losers!?"
"Do you even know how worried Ai-chan-sensei was about you?"
Shimizu didn't show the least bit of remorse. Atsushi, Nana, and Noboru couldn't take
it anymore and started yelling at him. Intimidated, Shimizu hung his head and went
silent. Aiko couldn't bear to see Shimizu like that, so she stopped Atsushi and the
others from going any further. Then, in as gentle a voice as she could muster, she
responded to his words.
"I see. So that's what you were dissatisfied about, then… But you know, Shimizu-kun.
I don't understand, why would you try and get back at your classmates because of
that? Why'd you try and attack the city? If you'd succeeded… and killed all the people
of this town… even if you had an army of monsters at your command, that wouldn't
have proven your worth." He looked up at Aiko, dark eyes peering through dirty bangs.
He smiled thinly and gave a most shocking answer.
"It would have… to the demons."
"Wha—!?" Everyone except Hajime and his party let out a gasp of surprise. His smile
turned into a triumphant grin, which only made his voice grow stronger.
"I went alone to the northern mountain range to brainwash monsters. But while I was
over there, I met a demon. I was wary at first, but… the demon just wanted to talk to
me. And they were the first one who understood. Who understood my true worth.
That was why… I made a contract with them."
"A contract… you say? What kind of contract?" Aiko was shaken at the fact that one of
her own students had made a deal with the enemy. But more than that, she was
furious. She was convinced it was the demon that had led her student astray.
However, Shimizu simply grinned maniacally and gave the most disheartening answer
she could've possible heard.
"A contract… to kill you, Hatayama-sensei."
"…Eh?" For a second, Aiko couldn't even comprehend what Shimizu had just said. The
others were the same, but they recovered from their shock faster than Aiko. They
glared at Shimizu with eyes full of rage. He shrunk back in the face of their unbridled
hate, then desperately continued talking in an attempt to shake off their glares.
"What's with that dumb look? Did you really think the demons were just ignoring you
guys? There's no way they could have ignored you, you're even more of a threat than
the hero. The demon told me that if I killed you… if I killed the fertility goddess along
with the rest of the town, that I'd be recognized as a hero. That was the deal." The
corner of Shimizu's mouth twitched, and he continued in an increasingly louder voice.
"They told me. They told me my power was the strongest. That it was a waste for me
to languish beneath the hero. They actually understood. They gave me all these super
strong monsters, and the strength to make a huge army… so I thought that… that I'd
be able to kill you for sure! So why!? How!? How did you beat my army!? Where did
you get those kinds of weapons in a fantasy world!? Just… Just what the hell are you!?"
At first he'd been sneering, looking down on the students and Aiko, but as he
continued his tirade Shimizu's expression grew more and more angry, and by the end
of it he was yelling at Hajime and not Aiko.
A hint of irritation, hatred, and jealousy slipped into his expression, along with the
weariness, the fear, and the odd sense of superiority. However, what eclipsed it all was
the insanity in his voice.
It would seem that Shimizu hadn't even realized the white-haired boy was his
classmate, Hajime Nagumo. Though seeing as he'd never said a single word to him,
perhaps it wasn't all that surprising. He glared at Hajime with hatred so fierce that it
wouldn't have surprised Hajime if he'd leaped at him then and there. Despite his
tirade, Hajime didn't react at all until Shimizu said "You damn chuuni!" Those words
had touched a sensitive spot. He gazed off in the distance, his heart shattered by
Shimizu's callous words. Thinking he was being ignored, Shimizu got even more
worked up.
Realizing what must have hurt Hajime so, Yue gently patted him on the back. Her
kindness nearly moved him to tears. Hajime and Yue ignored the serious atmosphere
and started flirting in their own little world. Possibly thanks to their blatant
unwillingness to read the mood, the silence stretched on long enough for Aiko to
finally absorb everything Shimizu had said and recover from her shock. She took a
deep breath and grabbed Shimizu's hand. Though he talked big, it seemed he lacked
the courage to do anything more, so he didn't move.
"Shimizu-kun. Just calm down."
"Wh-What the fuck!? Get away from me!" He tried to shake Aiko off, but she
strengthened her grip, making it clear that she wasn't going to let go.
"Shimizu-kun… I understand how you feel. You want to be special. There's nothing
wrong with that. Everyone wants to feel like they're special. And I'm sure you can even
become someone special. Even if your methods were mistaken, you were able to do so
much… Still, you mustn't side with the demons. They only wish to use you. As a teacher,
I cannot allow you to entrust yourself to such selfish people!" Unable to bear the
weight of Aiko's serious gaze, Shimizu gradually calmed down. He hung his head once
more, his bangs hiding his face. Aiko continued appealing to his rationality.
"Shimizu-kun. It's not too late to start over. If you say you're willing to try again, I
promise I'll help you. Someone as strong as you can surely fight together with
Amanogawa-kun. Don't you want to help everyone find a way home and go back to
Japan with us?" Shimizu quietly listened to Aiko, but his shoulders were trembling.
Everyone thought he'd been so moved by Aiko's speech that he was crying. In fact,
Yuka, who was the most stoic person among their classmates, was already weeping.
That was how heart-wrenching Aiko's speech was.
Sadly, reality was cruel to them on that day. Aiko moved closer to pat his head, when
suddenly Shimizu tightened his grip on Aiko and pulled her forward. He then wrapped
his arm around her neck and started squeezing.
He pinned her arms behind her back, and pulled out a short, ten centimeter needle
from somewhere and pointed it at her neck.
"Nobody move! Move and I stab her!" He tried to sound threatening, but he came
across as hysteric. His mouth was twitching, and he glared at Hajime with eyes full of
madness. The reason his shoulders had been trembling before was because he'd been
trying to hold in his laughter.
Aiko desperately tried to peel Shimizu's arm off her neck, but to no avail. Everyone
froze, unwilling to risk Aiko's life on a rescue attempt. Shimizu was crazy enough at
this point that they believed he'd do it. Everyone started talking at once, screaming at
Shimizu, or worriedly calling out Aiko's name.
It was then that Hajime and Yue finally came back to reality. He'd been fretting about
his over the top appearance this whole time, and was surprised to come back to see
Aiko being threatened.
"Huh? When did all this happen…"
"This is a poisoned needle I took off one of the monsters in the mountains! One prick
and she's dead! So, if you don't want your precious teacher writhing on the ground,
drop your weapons now! All of you!" Everyone's faces went pale. Shimizu grinned,
then turned to look at Hajime.
"Hey, you damn chuuni bastard! You, no not the person behind you, you! Are you
making fun of me, you fucker!? Keep this up and I'll stab her! Hurry up and give me
your gun! Your other weapons too!"
Still trying to escape from reality, Hajime turned around, as if Shimizu was talking
about someone other than himself. However it didn't work, so Hajime turned back
around with a frown. Despite the tense atmosphere, Hajime seemed unruffled. His
nonchalant attitude irked Shimizu to no end. Thinking he was being looked down
upon, Shimizu completely lost it. Still hysterical, he demanded Hajime hand over his gun.
Hajime looked at Shimizu with eyes cold as ice.
"Um, you say that, but… if you don't kill Sensei the demons won't accept you, so you'll
have to kill her eventually anyway, right? In that case, what point is there in me
handing my weapons over?"
"Shut up! Shut the fuck up! Shut up and give me everything you have! Retards like you
should just listen to what I say! O-Oh yeah, hehe, why don't you hand me that slave
while you're at it. Bring her to me!" Shimizu's screams were nearly incoherent. He'd
been driven so far into a corner that he could no longer make rational decisions. Shea
shivered when he looked at her, looking back at him with eyes full of disgust.
"You can tell me to shut up all you want, but you're still a loser… Hey Shea, don't hide
behind me just because he creeps you out. You're just gonna make him more mad."
"But he's so disgusting… Just looking at him makes me sick… See, look at all these
goosebumps! I didn't even know people could be this gross."
"Well, I suppose I can't blame you. He said he wanted to be a hero, but he acts more
like a two-bit villain that dies in the first chapter." Whether because they didn't care,
or because they couldn't keep their voices down in the face of such creepiness, their
discussion was loud enough for all to hear. Shimizu's face went from beet red, to sickly
green, to pale white. It would seem he'd literally become so angry that he'd gone
insane.
With empty eyes, Shimizu mumbled "I'm a hero. I'm special. Everyone else is just a
moron. It's all their fault. But that's okay, because everything'll work out. Because I'm
a hero. Because I'm special." Then suddenly, he started laughing deliriously.
"Sh-Shimizu-kun… please… we can… talk… this out…" Despite the situation she was in,
Aiko still tried to reason with her student. Aiko's words cut his maniacal laughter, and
he started squeezing down on her neck even harder.
"Shut up! You keep pretending to be a good person, but you're just a hypocrite! I don't
care about what you have to say. Just shut up and be a good hostage." Shimizu's gaze
returned to Hajime. His earlier hysteria was gone. Now, his eyes were filled with
nothing but hatred. He shot a quick glance at the revolvers strapped to Hajime's thighs.
Even without words, his intentions were clear. If Hajime hesitated for even a moment,
he'd kill Aiko without a second thought. He no longer cared anything for his own
safety.
Hajime sighed. Thinking he could just shoot a wire and shock them both with
Lightning Field when he went to hand over his guns, he slowly reached for Donner and
Schlag.
With how small Aiko was, and how fast he could draw and fire, Hajime could easily
shoot Shimizu before he had a chance to do anything, but he decided Aiko needed to
be taught a lesson too.
However, before he could hand his guns over, something happened.
"Huh!? Oh no! Get out of the way!" Shea yelled out as she leaped toward Aiko faster
than anyone could blink.
Panicking, Shimizu tried to stab Aiko with the needle. Shea pulled Aiko free and dived
out of the way. A second later, a torrent of water slammed into Shimizu's chest, directly
where Aiko's head had been not even a second ago.
Hajime, who'd also been in the line of fire, diverted the stream with a shot from
Donner. Someone must have cast Rupture.
Shea hit the ground shoulder-first, and sliding a few meters before coming to a stop.
A cloud of dust rose up behind her, and she groaned painfully.
"Shea!" Yue frantically called out Shea's name and rushed over to her. She took a
protective stance in front of the two of them.
Inwardly thanking Yue for knowing what to do without him having to say anything,
Hajime steadied Donner with both hands and used Farsight to find the source of the
spell. He spotted a dark-skinned man in dark clothing with pointed ears and swept
back hair riding atop a giant bird-like monster.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! After a second's hesitation, he fired a volley of
shots at the monster and the figure riding it. The man had predicted Hajime's attack,
so he made his mount do a barrel roll, barely avoiding the volley of shots. However,
one had still grazed past its mount's foot, blowing it clean off. Another had hit his arm,
doing the same. Still, he didn't falter for even a second, and fled as fast as he could. He
was clearly well practiced at making his getaways after assassination attempts.
Hajime guessed that was the demon Shimizu had made a deal with. He fled into the
town and flew low, using the city's buildings as a shield.
Hajime grimaced as he realized this demon had a pretty good grasp of Hajime's
offensive capabilities and was most likely planning on reporting that to his people. If
he managed to escape into the woods that surrounded Urdea Lake, Hajime would have
had a hard time tracking him down even with his Ornises, but there was something
that took priority over all of that.
"Hajime!" For the first time in Hajime's memory, Yue's voice was tinged with panic.
Hajime holstered Donner and ran toward Shea, ignoring Shimizu entirely. She was
resting in Yue's lap, her face scrunched up in pain. Next to her was Aiko, still cradled
in Yue's arms. She too looked to be in considerable pain.
"H-Hajime-san… Ngh… I'm… fine… Please… l-look after your teacher… the needle
grazed her skin…" There was a gaping hole in Shea's stomach. She'd managed to use
her body strengthening to halt the bleeding, but it was obvious from her expression
that she was in a lot of pain. Despite that, she still smiled faintly and put Aiko's safety
above her own.
Hajime looked over and saw that Aiko was even paler than Shea, and her limbs were
convulsing. Aiko's eyes locked with Hajime's. She weakly shook her head and pointed
to Shea. It seemed she'd heard their conversation, but the poison had already left her
unable to talk. If Shimizu had really been telling the truth she would only last for a
couple more minutes, but judging from her condition, she didn't have more than a
minute left in her. And the longer it took to heal her, the greater the chance that the
poison would cause permanent damage.
Hajime looked over at Shea, nodded, and pulled out a vial from his Treasure Trove. It
was around that time that the other students and guards finally caught up, and the
area around Hajime turned into a cacophony of screams.
"Aiko, Aiko!"
"No… Sensei! What do we do? What do we do, Nagumo? Sensei's going to die!"
"S-Shea-san looks like she's in bad shape too! Goddammit! It's going to happen again…"
Yuka and David were particularly shaken. The person they loved was on the brink of
death, so it was only natural. It was even worse for Yuka since seeing Aiko on the verge
of death triggered flashbacks to when she'd seen Hajime fall. She didn't want to see
someone she knew die again. The students and guards all crowded around Hajime,
some of them were worried about Aiko's safety, others tried to shove past him, and yet
others tried to cast ineffective healing magic. With a single scream Hajime silenced the
entire crowd, and they took a hesitant step back.
Hajime was honestly a little surprised. He was angrier about Shea getting hurt than he
thought he'd be. Without him even noticing it, she'd become someone dear to him.
And that was why he was so furious with himself for failing to consider the possibility
that the demon Shimizu had made a deal with was waiting somewhere nearby.
He'd assumed that if anyone wanted to harm Aiko or the students, they would have
done it while he was away fighting on the front line. So when no one had come for
them during the battle, he'd mistakenly felt that they were safe from further threats,
despite having no basis for that conclusion.
In reality, the demon had been hoping to assassinate Aiko in the confusion of the
battle, but Hajime and his party's strength had been so overwhelming that all he could
do was watch. And so, he had waited for another opportunity while Shimizu and Aiko
had been talking. He had actually planned on letting Shimizu finish Aiko off and just
watch from the shadows, but midway through their conversation he realized with how
powerful Hajime was, it was likely he could rescue Aiko before Shimizu had a chance,
so instead, he'd tried to kill them both with his magic.
However, the nimble demon had made a single mistake. He'd included Hajime and the
others as a target, in an attempt to eliminate all dangerous threats at once.
Unfortunately for him, that had caused Shea's special magic to activate.
Namely, Future Sight. Because Hajime, and Shea who had been standing behind him,
had been in the path of the demon's rupture, Shea had been able to see it seconds
before it actually happened. Thanks to that, she'd been able to save Aiko's life. At the
risk of her own, she'd changed the future. Hajime wasn't sure why she'd risked herself
for Aiko when she hadn't even known her all that well, but he wasn't about to let her
sacrifice go to waste. And so, he didn't hesitate to use one of his Ambrosia vials on
Aiko. There wasn't enough time to try anything else.
Hajime took Aiko from Yue's arms and gently poured drops of Ambrosia into her
mouth. Aiko glared at Hajime, angry that he'd helped her before helping Shea, but he
ignored her. Right now, Aiko's, and even Hajime's desires weren't important. Shea's
feelings took precedence over all of that.
That was why Hajime kept treating Aiko despite her protests. However, Aiko's entire
body had started spasming, and she was having trouble swallowing the liquid that
could save her life. Worse, she ended up getting it down her airway and coughed a lot
of it back out.
"Tch, this doesn't look good… Looks like I don't have a choice." Seeing that Aiko no
longer had the strength left to swallow on her own, Hajime poured the remnants of
the vial down his own mouth and covered Aiko's lips with his own, forcing the liquid
down her throat.
"Wha—!?" Aiko's eyes opened wide. The people around Hajime all yelled in surprise.
He ignored them and plunged his tongue deeper into Aiko's mouth to ensure all of the
Ambrosia went down her throat. There was no embarrassment or guilt in his
expression. He was simply doing what he needed to save her life.
Finally, the last drops of Ambrosia slid down Aiko's throat. The pain began to recede
from her body, the exhaustion and chills fading as the liquid worked its magic. Aiko
felt as if someone had lit a fire inside her. In fact, it was almost as if someone had taken
her frozen body and dipped it into a hot springs. Her entire body started trembling.
The Ambrosia had been effective, as always. Compared to repairing a body destroyed
from the inside by monster meat, poison was nothing. The effects were instantaneous.
After a second that felt like an eternity, Hajime pulled his lips away. There was a single
silver strand connecting their mouths. Hajime continued watching Aiko for a few
seconds more, just to make sure the Ambrosia had healed her through the worst of
the poison.
Meanwhile, Aiko was staring at Hajime with a blank look on her face.
"Sensei."
"...…"
"Sensei?"
"...…"
"Snap out of it, Sensei!" "Fweh!?" Hajime called out to his teacher multiple times, but she
didn't respond. Annoyed, Hajime slapped her cheek, making Aiko let out a startled cry.
"How are you feeling? Does it still hurt anywhere?"
"Eh? Ah, umm, no, I-I-I'm fine. In fact, I feel better than fine… Wait, that's not the
problem here! I-I didn't mean to imply that what just happened was what felt good, I
mean the medicine!"
"Alright, good." Hajime dismissed the flustered Aiko with a curt nod and released her.
Then, he looked back at Shea in concern. Though she was surprised by the sudden
kiss, Aiko quickly composed herself, realizing now was neither the time nor place to
worry about such things.
Hajime splashed half of another vial of Ambrosia onto Shea's wound, and then brought
the remainder up to her lips. There was a faint hissing noise as the hole in her stomach
started closing up. However, Shea refused to drink the rest of the Ambrosia and shook
her head.
"H-Hajime-san…"
"Shea, why—"
"I want you… to feed it to me… ngh… mouth to mouth too~"
"A-Are you kidding me…" Even though she was drenched in sweat from the agonizing
pain, the maddening rabbit still prioritized seducing Hajime over everything. Even
Hajime couldn't help but admire such staunch opportunism. Still, he had no reason to
kiss her in public, so he ignored Yue's silent entreaty and forcibly shoved the vial into
her mouth.
"Mmph…!? Mmmgh… Pwah… Hajime-san, you meanie. I'm jealous of your teacher
now."
"Hajime… Hmph."
"Huh!? S-Shea-san, that was different. He only did that to save my life! It's completely
different from what you're thinking! I'm his teacher, I could never do that with a
student!" Flustered, Aiko started explaining what everyone present already
understood. Hajime sighed, a mixture of exhaustion and relief on his face as he turned
away from Shea's pouting stare and Yue's disapproving gaze.
Then, before the peanut gallery could start up again, Hajime brought everyone's
attention back to the person they'd forgotten. Well, everyone except Aiko, anyway.
After all, he was one of her important students. However, while she hadn't forgotten,
she also hadn't processed everything that had happened. Hajime called out to the
guard standing next to Shimizu.
"…Hey you, is Shimizu still alive?" There was a collective sense of realization as
everyone's attention returned to Shimizu, who was still collapsed on the floor. Only
Aiko looked around with a confused expression for a second before remembering
what it was that Shea had protected her from. Her face paled, and she quickly ran over
to where Shimizu was laying and grabbed his hand.
"Shimizu-kun! Aaah how… awful." He had a hole in his chest as large as the one Shea
had had in her stomach. It was still spurting blood, despite the massive pool of it that
he was already lying in. If he wasn't dead already, he wouldn't last more than a few
minutes more.
"I-I don't want to die… S-Someone please save me… It wasn't supposed to… This… can't
be happening…" Whether he was talking to Aiko or just to himself, no one was sure.
Aiko desperately cast her glance around her, but the people around her awkwardly
averted their gaze. He was already beyond help. And it was clear from their
expressions that even if he wasn't, they didn't want to save him anyway. Only the
students were different. True, they couldn't forgive Shimizu's atrocities, but they still
didn't want him to die. They haltingly looked over at Hajime. Aiko, too, turned to
Hajime and shouted desperately.
"Nagumo-kun! If we use that medicine of yours we can still save him! Please!"
"Figures…" Hajime sighed and walked over to Shimizu. He'd expected this, but even
knowing what her answer would be, he still asked to make sure.
"Do you really want to save him, Sensei? He tried to kill you. Even if you're his teacher,
you don't have to go this far for him."
I wonder how many teachers out there would be this desperate to save their student even
after they tried to kill them. Especially for a reason as flimsy as "because he's my student."
That was far above and beyond what was required of any teacher.
Aiko realized what Hajime was really trying to ask with his question. For a second her
gaze wavered, but then she set her jaw and answered resolutely,
"You may have a point. In fact, you're probably right. However, this is the kind of
teacher I want to be. When I became a teacher, I swore an oath that I would always be
there for my students. Nagumo-kun… please… save him…"
Hajime scratched his head and sighed unhappily.
"I guess that's just how you are," he said, defeated. He looked up at the sky and lapsed
into thought for a few seconds. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Finally, he
came to a decision. He opened his eyes and knelt next to Shimizu.
"Shimizu. Can you hear me? I can save your life."
"Huh!?"
"But before I do, I need to ask you something."
"...…" At Hajime's words, Shimizu stopped his mumblings and looked at Hajime, eyes
bulging in surprise. Whether those mutterings had been begging for salvation or
cursing the world around him, it seemed Hajime had his attention now. After a brief
pause, Hajime continued.
"Are you… my enemy?" Shimizu shook his head without hesitation. He smiled weakly
and started talking.
"I-I'm not… I-I don't know what came over me. I promise… I won't do it again. If you
save me, I-I'll do anything you ask. I'll make you… an army… I'll even brainwash any
girl you want… I-I swear… I'll be loyal to you forever. Please… I'm begging you… save
me…" Hajime's face went blank. He stared hard into Shimizu's eyes, as if trying to
discern the veracity of his words.
Feeling as if his every secret was being laid bare, Shimizu hurriedly averted his gaze.
However, Hajime had seen all that he needed to. Shimizu had sunk even further into
insanity. Hatred, anger, jealousy, desire, and a hodgepodge of other negative emotions
were all that he had left to him. He had sunk so deep into the darkness that the light
could no longer reach him.
Hajime was certain. No matter what Aiko said, she could no longer sway Shimizu's
heart. And if he saved him now, Shimizu would definitely come back as an enemy
someday. Of course, there was only one fate that awaited enemies…
Hajime looked over briefly at Aiko. Their eyes met. In that instant, Aiko realized what
Hajime was about to do. The blood drained from her face, and she tried to stop him.
"Don't!" However, Hajime was faster. Two gunshots resounded throughout the town.
"Huh!?" Someone let out a gasp of surprise.
One shot to the head, another to the heart. Shimizu was granted a certain and swift
death at Hajime's hands.
No one said a word in the seconds that followed, and the only thing that moved was a
thin plume of white smoke rising from Hajime's revolver. Finally, a tiny voice broke
through the oppressive silence.
"Why?" Aiko. She stared dumbfounded at the empty shell that was Shimizu's corpse.
His soul had already begun the journey to the afterlife.
Hajime turned to look at Aiko. She quietly met his gaze. In her eyes was a mixture of
anger and sadness, doubt and fear. Each of her emotions vied for supremacy,
appearing and disappearing at regular intervals.
"Because he was my enemy." His answer was short and to the point.
"No! Shimizu-kun was…"
"Did you honestly believe you could reform him? Sorry, but I'm not trusting enough to
believe that. And more importantly, I have faith in my ability to judge people." At the
end, Shimizu's eyes had betrayed just how far he had fallen.
Hajime had hoped that Aiko's compassion would have shown him the error of his
ways, as he was on the brink of death. He had hoped she could save Shimizu the way
Yue had once saved him…
That was why he'd asked what he did. If there was any hope for him at all, Hajime
would have been willing to hand Shimizu over to Aiko and give him a second chance,
though he would have kept an eye on him. However, even as he lay dying, there was
not an iota of remorse in him.
Aiko must have also realized it, but because she believed in her principles as a teacher,
she couldn't abandon him. Not without abandoning who she was.
"That doesn't mean you had to kill him! If we'd just locked him up in the palace, maybe
when we'd finally made it back to Japan he'd… There was still a chance!"
"I know no matter what I say, you won't be able to accept what I did, Sensei. I killed
one of your precious students. I'll let you decide what you want to do with me."
"But that's…"
"You said that my way of life was 'lonely.' Those words really made me rethink a lot of
things. Even so, I don't think I can change my mindset so easily… not in this world
where life is cheaper than dirt. And honestly, I don't want to. Rather, I don't have the
luxury to."
"Nagumo-kun…"
"I may do the same thing again. If I think it's necessary… I'll pull the trigger as many
times as it takes. If you think I'm wrong… then do what you think you must, Sensei.
Just remember, whether it's you, or any of my other classmates, I'll kill anyone that
becomes my enemy without hesitation." Aiko bit her lip and hung her head. She was
the one who had told Hajime that she wouldn't hold it against him if he chose not to
help after listening to what she said. Now she didn't know what else to say.
Hajime silently turned on his heel and headed back to Yue and Shea. There was
nothing more for him to do here. Seeing his piercing gaze, Will reluctantly followed
behind Hajime, though he frequently glanced back to see how Aiko and the town was
faring.
The mayor and Aiko's guards reached out to stop Hajime, but gave up when he
unleashed his Intimidation. Though they were interested in his artifacts, and in
himself as a person, the memory of what he'd done to the monster army was still fresh
in their minds, so their outstretched hands limply fell to their sides.
"Nagumo…" Yuka muttered. She didn't want to stop him. She wasn't even sure why
she'd called out to him. The whirlwind of events that had just occurred had left her too
confused to know what she was feeling anymore. Atsushi and the others looked like
they wanted to say something too, but their emotions were too jumbled up for them
to get the words out.
"Nagumo-kun! I… I…" Though she still didn't know what to say, Aiko's pride as a
teacher refused to let Hajime go just like that. Hajime stopped and said something
without looking back.
"Sensei, your ideals are already dead, but despite all that, I'm glad that even in this
world, you continue to be our teacher no matter what. I hope you can continue to stay
strong." He started walking again and didn't stop until he was outside the ring of
villagers. Then, he pulled out Brise and rode off into the distance, leaving behind a
solemn group of students and a town full of people still happy to be alive.
Hajime drove south down the highway, with Brise kicking up clouds of dust that
obscured the mountains to the north. It was more a trail that had been pounded down
by thousands of feet over hundreds of years than a proper road, but it was still
infinitely better than the rough path they'd taken to the mountain. Brise was equipped
proper suspension, so the drive was far smoother than their last trip.
Shea seemed to prefer Steiff over Brise however, as she'd opened her window and
stuck her head outside to enjoy the outside air. Her rabbit ears flapped wildly in the
breeze. She much preferred a style of travel where she could feel the wind whistling
past her ears and could wrap her arms around Hajime.
As always, Hajime was in the driver's seat. Next to him was, of course, Yue. Next to her
was Shea, while Will sat in the back. Will leaned forward and asked Hajime something
in a hesitant voice.
"Umm, was it really okay to just leave like that? Shouldn't you have talked things
through a bit more… especially with Aiko-dono?" Hajime responded casually without
turning around.
"Hm? Nah, not really. If I'd stayed any longer, then things would have just became more
of a pain… Plus, I think it's better for Sensei if I'm not near her for a while."
"I suppose you have a point…"
"You're… really soft, you know that? Like… you're always worrying more about others
than yourself."
Will smiled awkwardly at that. Not only had he mourned over the deaths of
adventurers he couldn't have known for more than a few days, he stayed behind to
help townspeople that had nothing to do with him, and even forgave Tio. And now,
despite the fact that Hajime had practically kidnapped him, Will was still worried
about Hajime's relationship with Aiko. Hajime had figured any noble willing to throw
their life away to become an adventurer would have to be an oddball, but this was even
more than that. Will was kind to a fault, to the point where even Hajime worried about
him a little.
"…You're a nice person."
"Yeah, you really are~"
"Indeed, you are a kind man."
Will was momentarily flummoxed. He knew they were praising him, but it felt weird
as a guy to be called nice by girls.
"Wh-Who cares about me… I just wanted to say you should have explained your
reasons properly."
"My reasons?" Hajime raised his eyebrows in confusion. Will scratched his cheek
awkwardly before continuing.
"Yes. Your reasons for killing that boy… even though you knew it would cause Aikodono pain."
"I did, didn't I? He was an enemy, so…"
"Even if that was a good enough reason not to save him, that wasn't a good enough
reason to kill him, right? After all, he'd already been fatally wounded. You could have
just left him there to die, but you killed him instead. We both know there was a reason
for that."
"…You're a pretty sharp kid." Will was absolutely right. Hajime had assumed the impact
of killing Shimizu while Aiko was begging him to save him had been enough to hide
his true intentions, but while his other classmates had been shocked, it seemed Will
had seen right through him.
Are all nobles this good at observing people, or just him? Hajime was honestly
impressed.
"Come to think of it, that was bugging me too," Shea said, as she pulled her head back
in to better hear their conversation. Hajime hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to
answer. But before he could say anything, Yue answered for him.
"Hajime's a tsundere."
"..."
"Tsundere?" Hajime kept a perfect poker face, hiding his true thoughts from plain
sight. The others all repeated the unfamiliar word, confused.
"Were you trying to repay her kindness? Or was that just your way of looking out for
her?"
"I just did it because the opportunity was there." Hajime sulkily turned away. Realizing
Yue must have figured it out, Shea and Will huddled in closer for an explanation.
Since it didn't look like Hajime would elaborate, it fell to Yue to explain. The gist of it
was that Hajime hadn't wanted Aiko to feel responsible for Shimizu's death.
Shimizu had said it himself. The demon he'd made a contract with had wanted to kill
Aiko. It was obvious he'd used Shimizu for that very purpose. That last attack of his
had clearly been aimed at Aiko. Shimizu had just been collateral damage.
Naturally, his death was in no way Aiko's fault. He'd sold his soul to a demon of his
own free will because of his greed. He'd reaped what he'd sown. And even if you
decided he wasn't to blame for his own actions, it was clearly the demon who had dealt
the fatal blow, and thus his fault.
However, would Aiko have been able to accept that? It was obvious to everyone
present that the last attack had been aimed at her. Furthermore, Aiko had a strong
sense of justice, especially when it came to her students. It was highly likely that she
would have thought it was her fault for getting Shimizu involved in that attack. She
would have believed it was her fault that he had died. Would she have been able to
bear that guilt? Hajime at least hadn't thought so.
From the start, Aiko had been the most uneasy and afraid of the world they'd been
summoned to. Despite that, she'd never once stopped, complained, or given in to her
fear. No matter the situation, she had always done everything in her power to help her
students. After all, that was what it meant to be a teacher in her mind.
It was easy to imagine what would happen if she started to believe she was
responsible for killing one of the students she had sworn to protect. The pain would
be far greater than when she'd heard Hajime had died, far greater even than when he'd
told her one of her precious students had been the one that had betrayed him. Enough
to break her, basically.
Hajime obviously hadn't wanted Aiko to break so that he could keep her as a future
ally, but he had also been genuinely worried about her. He had always felt Aiko had
been a bit too idealistic. That had been the reason she was so full of contradictions.
But even so, he'd believed the words she'd given him would lead Yue and Shea to a
better, happier life. That was why, even though they were in a different world, even
though Hajime was a completely different person, he'd still been grateful for the
lecture she'd given him as his teacher.
That was why Hajime had killed Shimizu himself. He had wanted to impress as
strongly as possible that Shimizu had been his enemy. And that it was Hajime who bore
the responsibility of his death. He had felt that had been the least he could do to keep
Aiko from breaking, to make sure she could always be the teacher she dreamed of
being.
"Fufu, you really are a tsundere, Hajime-san."
"So that's what it was…"
"I see. So Master has a cute side to him as well, then."
Everyone looked playfully at Hajime after Yue finished explaining his motives. Hajime
pointedly continued not looking at anyone.
"But I think Aiko will find out."
"...…" Hajime looked silently over to Yue. She gazed back at him, eyes full of kindness.
"Aiko is your teacher. Someone whose words are powerful enough to move you. She'll
discover the truth eventually."
"Yue…"
"Don't worry. She's strong. Things won't end up the way you fear."
"...…"
Yue held a lot of respect for Aiko. She was the only one who'd managed to get Hajime
to think back on the humanity he'd thrown away, something even Yue hadn't been able
to do.
Hajime saw an unwavering strength and kindness in Yue's eyes, which softened his
own gaze. Yue's words had cleared away the dark thoughts he'd been brooding over.
He no longer felt as worried about Aiko and what would happen to her in the future.
"Haah, there they go, off in their own little world again. When will I get to be like that
with him?"
"Th-This is… really sweet, isn't it?"
"Hmm, while I personally prefer being insulted and debased… that looks somewhat
enticing as well."
The other three watched Hajime and Yue with a mixture of awkwardness and jealousy.
Shea had puffed her cheeks out and was pouting loudly.
Sensing her displeasure, Yue looked over at Shea, and then back to Hajime. The silent
entreaty in her gaze was clear. "Shea deserves a reward too." Shea had risked her life
to save Aiko. If it hadn't been for her Future Sight and timely intervention, Aiko would
have died. Hajime definitely owed Shea for saving his teacher's life. He understood
that full well, so though he grumbled a little he dutifully turned to Shea.
"Shea. Umm, you were a real lifesaver. It's a bit late, I know, but… thank you."
"…Who are you?"
He'd worked up his courage to finally convey his gratitude, and all he got in return was
a surprised stare and those words. A vein throbbed in Hajime's forehead, but he knew
he deserved it, so he held his anger in.
"Well, I guess it's my fault your reaction's like that… but honestly, I really am grateful,
you know?" This time Hajime properly met Shea's gaze and showed his gratitude once
more. Shea felt a jolt of electricity run through her body, then she started fidgeting
abashedly. Her cheeks were bright red, and she was looking anywhere but at Hajime.
Her rabbit ears danced from side to side as well.
"U-Umm… It wasn't anything special, so you really don't need to thank me or
anything… J-Jeez… What's with you all of a sudden! That's really embarrassing, you
know… Ehehe."
Hajime smiled faintly and asked something that had been bugging him for a while.
"Shea. I was wondering… why'd you jump in to save Sensei? It's not like you knew her
that well or anything. Not enough to risk your life for her, at least…"
"Because she's someone important to you, Hajime-san."
"That's it?"
"Huh? Well, yeah, that's the only reason."
"I see…" Hajime's expression was hard to read. Aiko certainly was an important
existence to him. Unlike most of his classmates, he would've actually cared if she died,
so he was glad she'd survived.
Though he couldn't remember ever saying or doing anything that had shown he cared
about Aiko more than other people… it looked like both Yue and Shea could read him
like an open book regardless. I guess it shows that's how much they're always thinking
of me. I know it's a bit late to be realizing it now, but I really have some great
companions.
Even without Yue urging him on, Hajime knew Shea deserved some kind of reward.
"Shea. Is there anything you want me to do for you?"
"Eh? Anything I want you… to do for me?"
"Yeah. Think of it as like… a reward for your hard work. Just keep it reasonable, okay?"
Shea was taken aback. She'd just done what anyone would have for their comrades, so
she felt like Hajime was exaggerating her achievements a little. She groaned to herself
and looked to Yue for help, but Yue just looked back kindly and nodded. "This is
Hajime's way of saying thanks, you should just take it," her gaze seemed to say. Shea
thought about it for a few seconds more, then broke out into a wide grin. She nodded
back to Yue and turned to Hajime.
"Okay, then I want you to take my first—"
"Denied." Hajime instantly shot her down. Shea glared sulkily at him.
"But why? That was clearly supposed to be your dere moment! Right? Right? Come on,
can't you read the mood a little!?"
"I told you to keep it reasonable."
"That's totally reasonable! You do it with Yue-san all the time! Don't think I don't see
you two sneak off every now and then! How do you think I feel, watching you two go
off to have sex all the time!? I bet you two are going to send me off on some errand
when we get to Fuhren so you can fuck like rabbits all day again! Hic… I'm… I'm going
to be sent off alone again. And then I'll have to pretend I don't notice Yue-san's
disheveled hair when I get back… Poor me…"
"Come on, don't cry… Yue's the one I'm in love with, I can't change that now. And you,
well, I do care about you, but that's not really the same thing as love… so you know…"
"Waaa… Hajime, you limp-dick bastard!"
"Hey…"
"Dickless wimp! Homo! Good-for-nothing loser! Pervert!" In the span of a few seconds,
Shea's excitement had transformed into indignation. She let out all of her pent-up
frustration at once, pelting Hajime with insults. Behind her, Will and Tio let out a
chuckle.
"Hahaha… She really called the guy who wiped out an army of sixty thousand
monsters… a limp-dick bastard… Hahaha."
"Master is surprisingly pure at heart. To think he hasn't even lain with her yet… I
suppose that means even I'm ahead of her, as he violated my anus…"
They made no effort to hide their voices. Hajime seriously considered throwing them
out of the car for a second, but Yue's reproachful glare kept him in check.
Hajime awkwardly turned back to Shea. He promised to himself he'd strangle Will
later. As for Tio… she'd only enjoy it, so he decided to ignore her.
"Shea. Can't you lower the bar a bit? Anything else, I'll…"
"…Hajime, is it really impossible?" For some reason, Yue was taking Shea's side. Shea
hugged Yue and started sobbing in her arms.
It was obvious Yue had no problem with Hajime sleeping with Shea. Yue had really
started taking a liking to Shea. At first their relationship had been more like friends,
but it had grown into something more akin to an older sister looking after her
excitable younger sibling. And said older sister seemed to have a huge sister complex.
It wasn't everyday someone's lover asked them to have sex with another girl. Hajime
buried his face in his hands, despairing. But no matter what anyone said, he had his
own principles.
"The only person my heart desires is you, Yue. I don't have anything against Shea, and
I do care about her, but… I can't treat her the same as you." Yue let out a strange sound
in response. Shea's rabbit ears perked up and she looked suspiciously at Hajime,
suddenly wary.
"I want to be faithful to you Yue. And no matter what the reason is, I don't think I could
accept you having another man, either. Call me selfish or petty all you want, but… I
was hoping you'd feel the same way about me, Yue. So whether it's Shea, or any other
girl, could you please stop telling me to have sex with them?"
"…Hajime." With Shea still in her arms, Yue stared into Hajime's eyes, a faint blush
spreading across her cheeks. Hajime gently stroked her cheek. The two were lost in
their own world again. It almost seemed as if the air around them turned visibly more
pink. Shea slowly nudged her way closer and closer to their faces.
"They've totally forgotten about me again, haven't they? Even though this was
supposed to be about my reward…" Shea glared daggers at the two of them. However,
they were too busy flirting to notice. Finally, they came back to reality and slowly
broke away from each other. Yue shyly twirled a stray strand of hair with her fingers.
She hadn't been ready for such a passionate confession, so there was still a faint smile
on her usually expressionless face. Other people might have found Hajime's words a
bit too possessive, but Yue couldn't have been happier to hear them. That was why
she'd forgotten about everything but him for a few minutes.
"I see. So that's how your relationship is, then… It must be hard for you, Shea-dono."
"Hmm… Master's bond with Yue certainly is strong. Squeezing your way inside it won't
be easy… but well, I'm satisfied just being insulted, so it's of no matter to me."
Will quietly watched their sickeningly sweet displays of affection. Next to him, Tio was
panting heavily, but he pretended not to hear her.
"…I'm sorry, Hajime. But I really think… Shea deserves to be rewarded too… Can't you
at least spend one day… with just her?"
"Yue-saaaaaaan." Despite everything, Yue still insisted on including Shea. She gently
patted Shea's head, who dug her face even deeper into Yue's chest. Hajime smiled,
clearly defeated, and replied to her.
"If that's all, you don't even need to ask. But Shea, are you really okay with me just
saying yes because Yue asked me? If there's anything else you want to ask, I won't say
no."
"Hajime-san… it's fine, really. I don't care how I get you to like me, as long as it happens
somehow!"
"You really don't give up, huh…?"
"Well, I guess that's too much to ask for right now, so I'll settle with a date for now. I'll
just have to work my way up. When we get back to Fuhren, you're taking me around
the tourists' district, alright?"
"Yeah, sounds good." Hajime had tried to emphasize once more that it was only Yue
that he gave special treatment to, but despite picking up on his hint, Shea refused to
give up. In a way, he had to respect her tenacity. Well, I guess it's okay to do what she
wants every now and then, Hajime thought to himself as he agreed to the date.
Hajime still held Shea dear, and she had saved Aiko's life, so this time he was willing
to take Shea on a date for her own sake, not because Yue had asked him. Shea let out
a whoop of joy, and Yue gently stroked her twitching rabbit ears.
"I feel rather out of place here. It's like I'm intruding on a happy family gathering."
"I-Indeed. This is completely different from being deliberately ignored… Rather than
stimulating, it just feels lonely… Honestly, I do wish someone would say something to
me. I am here, you know? You can let me into your conversations, you know?"
Will watched the trio's flirting with an awkward expression. Though no one had
invited her to join, Tio had stowed away in Brise's truck bed. At some point she'd stuck
her head in through the window and joined in the conversation of her own accord.
She'd asked Hajime to be allowed to travel together with him before the battle, but
once it had ended he'd more or less forgotten she'd even existed and left without her.
Tio had hurriedly chased after him and managed to leap into Brise's trunk before
Hajime took off. Her excessive panting had creeped everyone out, however, so they'd
ignored her even when she stuck her head through the window.
At first Hajime had driven like a madman to try and throw her off, but Tio had used
her considerable mana reserves to hang on through even the roughest turns. As his
rough driving had only served to excite Tio more, Hajime had eventually given up and
resorted to just ignoring her. After all, giving a pervert attention of any kind was just
playing into their hands.
At first Tio had enjoyed deliberately being ignored, but before long she grew lonely as
she saw the trio up front having fun, and started begging for attention.
However, even then they ignored her, so she slowly started trying to slide into the
backseat through the window. The way her black hair covered her face as she creeped
forward bore a striking resemblance to the girl from The Ring.
Though he'd been trying to ignore her, when he caught sight of how she looked, Will
let out a high-pitched shriek and backed away. Hajime and the others turned around
to see what the problem was.
"Hm? I-I seem to be stuck. My bosom is… getting in the way. Excuse me, young Will,
could you lend me a hand?" Tio stretched out a hand to Will, her massive breasts
contorting painfully due to the window's small size. She really looked like a banshee
trying to curse someone. Hajime casually pulled Schlag out of its holster and fired at
Tio over his shoulder.
"Nuooh!?" The bullet hit her square in the forehead, sending her flying back into the
truck bed. She slammed into the back wall and started rolling around in pain.
"H-How could you do that. If you don't give me any warning… I won't be able to contain
myself." She rubbed her forehead happily, blushing as she complained to Hajime… or
rather asked for more. Hoping to avoid a repeat of last time, Tio tried entering through
the window feet first.
This time, it was her plump butt that got stuck in the window. She started squirming
back and forth, trying to squeeze her voluptuous behind through.
Hajime fired another set of bullets with Schlag, but he was unable to excise Tio from
the window. Not only was her butt more firmly stuck than her boobs had been, the
soft layers of fat cushioned the bullets' impact, weakening their force.
And so, instead of dislodging Tio, all Hajime succeeded in doing was giving her more
pleasure.
"More, Master," she moaned, and Hajime disgustedly holstered his gun, giving up on
shooting her out. The moment he engaged with that pervert was the moment he lost.
Yue had long since lost any respect she might have originally held for the dragonmen,
but this was a new low. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
Realizing the barrage had stopped, Tio continued worming her way into the back.
Eventually, she managed to squeeze her way in, and she let out a sigh of relief as she
sat down.
"Haah… Haah… Unbelievable… No matter the situation, you don't hesitate. What a
hopeless master you are. But fear not. For I can take any kind of love you wish to dish
out. So… don't hold back. You can be even more violent with me if you desire. In fact,
please be more violent with me."
"Shut up, pervert. And get away from me. In fact, open that door and jump out right
now."
"Wha—!? Haah… Haah… I am truly blessed to have such an understanding master.
However, I must refuse. I have decided to follow you wherever you may go. Not only is
it the most efficient way to complete my mission, I must have you take responsibility
for teaching me such pleasure. Thus, I have no reason to leave. No matter what you
say, I shall chase after you. You will not escape me." Hajime's blunt refusal set Tio
panting again, but she stubbornly refused his request. Her tone was in stark contrast
to her ecstatic expression.
"You've gotta be kidding me. I don't have to take responsibility for anything. I was just
trying to kill you back there. You should be glad I didn't actually end up finishing you
off. And as for your mission, why not just go straight to the hero? He's the one at the
center of this whole summoned warriors business, so go bug him."
"I wholeheartedly refuse. I know not what kind of man this hero is, but I am certain no
one is more merciless and unforgiving than you, Master! Don't underestimate my
tenacity. I have already decided you are the only one fit to command me! I am not so
fickle that I would change masters on a whim!" Tio's eyes were open wide and her
hands clenched into fists. She was trying to sound cool, but in the end she was just a
hopeless pervert who wanted Hajime to walk all over her.
"No matter where you run, I'll find you. I'll go to every town I can find and tell people
I'm searching for the man that cruelly took my first, did this and that to me, made me
unable to live without him, and then abandoned me."
"Now look here…" Hajime narrowed his eyes dangerously. He toyed with the idea of
just killing her, but she wasn't an enemy and Yue definitely wouldn't let him. Another
option was to beat her until she forgot ever meeting him, but with how tough she was
she'd probably keep her memories and end up enjoying it.
All he could do was glare at her, but even that glare served to excite her. Maybe it's
already too late to get rid of her…
"Don't look so disgusted, Master. I promise I'll be of use to you. I may not be as strong
as you, but surely you saw what I was capable of in our previous battle. I'm not quite
sure what your goals are, but I will help you achieve them. I'm begging you, Master."
"You're too repulsive to take along."
"Wha—!? Haah… Gaah… Mmmm!" Tio wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed
her thighs together. Everyone just stared at her in revulsion. Finally, Hajime breathed
a long sigh, then rescinded his statement.
"…Or so I'd like to say, but it won't really matter if I refuse, will it? As long as you don't
get in our way, you can do whatever you want. I can't muster the willpower to deal
with you anymore…"
"Oh? Oooh, very good! In that case, I will be in your care from now on, Master, Yue,
Shea. You may call me Tio! Fufufu, this is going to be an enjoyable journey."
"Hmph."
"G-Glad to have you aboard…"
Hajime sighed again, Yue just harrumphed unhappily, while Shea was the only one that
tried to be polite. With that, the perverted reptile, Tio, joined Hajime's party as they
sped toward the city of Fuhren.
Little did they know that another meeting awaited them there. And that even further
down the road, there would be one even more important reunion.
Three days after Hajime left the town of Ur.
The land around the city had been ravaged, and there were still mountains of monster
corpses that needed to be disposed of. However, by some miracle, the townspeople
had all come out of the ordeal alive.
Messengers had been sent out to inform those who had already evacuated of the good
news. The town had also sent out runners to notify the surrounding towns and the
capital. There was much rejoicing as the evacuees returned and people were reunited
with their family, lovers, and friends. Despite the work that still needed to be done, Ur
was filled with a festive atmosphere.
The townspeople decided to leave the walls Hajime had erected as is. Those that had
remained behind gesticulated wildly as they recounted the unbelievable fight that had
taken place just outside those walls.
The children's eyes lit up with wonder as they heard about Hajime and his party's
heroic deeds. Meanwhile, the merchants were discussing how they could turn
Hajime's wall into a new tourist attraction to make money.
The townspeople hadn't seen what had happened between Hajime and Aiko after the
battle. They still believed he'd been a warrior sent by their fertility goddess. They had
even dubbed his wall "The goddess' shield."
Similarly, they referred to Hajime as "The goddess' sword" or "The goddess' knight."
David and the other knights were furious when they found out what the people were
calling him. They were her actual knights, and yet Hajime had been the one to kiss
Aiko. Sometime in the future, Hajime would cringe inwardly when he discovered
people were really calling him that.
With the minor hiccup that was his own cringe-worthy nicknames, Hajime's plan to
raise Aiko's popularity worked perfectly.
Anytime she walked through town, the people would stop and stare. Some of them
even clasped their hands together in prayer. She was after all, the goddess who had
saved their town from certain ruin. Her fame had started spreading to nearby towns
as well. In Ur, her words were already held in greater reverence than the teachings of
the church.
For her part, Aiko had busied herself by assisting the town's leaders with the
restoration effort. However, those close to her knew her heart wasn't really in it.
She was still in pain over Shimizu's death. There was also the disturbing truths Hajime
had dumped on her head before the battle, but those weren't the main cause. She
couldn't get the image of Hajime shooting Shimizu out of her head.
Once the day's work ended, Yuka and the others retired to the Water Sprite Inn to eat
dinner. Today too, Aiko mechanically spooned food into her mouth and gave
absentminded replies to any question directed at her.
"Ai-chan-sensei… your magic is amazing! I can't believe you can even restore land that
was so badly damaged… At this rate, it'll look normal again in another week!"
"I see… Well, that's good."
Yuka knew Aiko was still in shock, but she deliberately spoke cheerfully. She wanted
to cheer Aiko up however she could. However, Aiko responded in the same generic
monotone as always.
But Yuka herself was still shaken by the fact that her savior had shot her classmate.
Though she tried to hide it, her classmates could tell she was forcing herself to act
happy. Hence why her attempts to lighten the atmosphere failed, and she was unable
to cheer Aiko up. The other students were too depressed to be of much use either.
"Aiko… did the mayor or the bishop give you trouble again? If they're bothering you,
just let us know. I won't forgive anyone that tries to harm you, even if they are a holy
man. I swore that I would serve you and you alone Aiko. No matter what happens, I'm
on your side."
"I see… that's good."
At this point it was hard to tell if David was trying to cheer her up or proposing.
It was borderline heretical for a holy paladin to state they'd fight against the church,
but he didn't care.
His men realized he was trying to steal a march on them by emphasizing "I" over "we."
They glared angrily at David. No way they were going to let him use them to make him
look good.
However Aiko casually brushed them off with the same absentminded response. She
probably wasn't even listening. Atsushi and the other shrugged their shoulders. There
was a smug "serves you right" expression on their faces. Some of David's knights were
looking at him like that too.
Aiko ignored their little squabble and continued robotically eating her dinner.
If only I'd talked to Shimizu-kun more… if only I'd realized his pain earlier… this wouldn't
have happened… If only I hadn't asked Nagumo-kun for help… If only I hadn't let myself
get taken hostage… If I'd… If I'd died… he wouldn't have had to kill Shimizu-kun… For
the thousandth time, the scene of Hajime shooting Shimizu flashed through her mind.
She gripped her spoon tighter.
Why did Nagumo-kun kill him? They were classmates, weren't they…? Was it because he
was an enemy? Is that all it takes…? Is killing someone really that easy? Is life really that
cheap? That's not right… Humans aren't monsters… you can't just kill them like that… Is
he just someone who can kill easily…? If I leave him alone will he kill other students too…?
Is he that dangerous? If he hadn't been here, would Shimizu-kun still be alive? If he died,
would all the other kids be safe? As long as he's here… Wait, what am I thinking! No,
that's not the answer! She was trapped in an endless spiral of regret and remorse. Her
dark thoughts continued until she started fear and resent Hajime. Then, suddenly
realizing what she was doing, she quickly put a stop to such thoughts and returned to
hating herself.
There was so much to think about, and so much she didn't want to think about. Aiko's
mind was like a collapsed bookshelf. Filled with information but completely
unorganized.
A gentle voice interrupted her brooding.
"Aiko-sama. Was the food not to your liking?"
"Hweh?"
Foss Seluo, the owner of the Water Sprite Inn, was standing beside her. His voice was
quiet enough to be lost in the din. But everyone in this inn knew when he was talking
to them. His words possessed some strange quality that made them impossible for
their recipient to miss. Even Aiko, who had been lost in a sea of her own thoughts,
reacted to his voice.
Realizing she'd just blurted out a weird squeal, Aiko blushed as she turned to Foss.
"U-Umm what did you say? Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
"My apologies for disturbing you. You seemed unhappy, so I was simply worried
whether my food was not to your taste. I can bring out another dish if you'd prefer…"
"N-Not at all! Your food is delicious. I was just thinking about something…"
Though she couldn't actually remember what said food had tasted like. She looked
around and saw everyone was staring at her worriedly.
She took another bite of food to convince everyone she was doing fine, but she
swallowed too quickly and started coughing.
Everyone crowded around her in concern. Foss casually provided her with a napkin
and a glass of water.
"S-Sorry. I keep causing you trouble…"
"Oh it's no trouble at all."
Foss' gentle smile never left his face. He narrowed his eyes slightly, and said in a
compassionate voice,
"By the way, Aiko-sama. This may be presumptuous of me, but may I offer you a word
of advice?"
"Huh? Oh, yes. It's not presumptuous at all."
"Why not just believe in what you feel is right?"
"Huh?"
Aiko tilted her head in confusion. Foss smiled wryly. I suppose I should explain that
better.
"It appears to me that you are struggling with something important. And there are so
many things you have to think about and so many things you don't want to think about,
that you're unsure of what to do. You can't tell what's right and what's wrong. But
you're convinced that you still have to do something, and so you're rushing to make a
decision. But all that does is serve to make you even more unsure. Am I correct?"
"H-How did you…" Foss had read her like a book.
"I've had all sorts of guests stay over the years," he replied with a serene smile.
"When you're not sure what to do, it's okay to trust in your instincts. People often warn
others that blind faith blinds you to the truth. And that certainly is the case,
sometimes. But I believe people need faith in something before they can act on it. So
if you find yourself stuck, I think it's okay to just believe in what you feel is right."
"…Believe in what I feel is right."
Aiko turned those words over in her head.
All of the regret, guilt, and growing resentment toward Hajime was still whirling
around inside her. Hajime was one of her precious students, but he'd also killed
another one of her precious students. And depending on the situation, he might kill
more of her students as well. She had been forced to accept that he was a potential
threat.
But Hajime was still one of her students. She couldn't just abandon him. Just as she
hadn't been able to abandon Shimizu, even though he'd plotted a massacre. That was
why she was so confused. She knew she was being contradictory, but she couldn't help
it. That was just the kind of person Aiko Hatayama was.
Foss didn't know the details of what had happened to Aiko. So he had no way of
knowing that she was in this predicament right now precisely because she'd believed
too hard in what she felt was right. And she couldn't move on because her beliefs were
dead. But Foss' advice was still sound. Changing her perspective might shed new light
onto her struggle.
Aiko put her fork down and started thinking.
Believe in what I feel is right. What even is that now? I wanted to return back to Japan
with all of my students. But that's not possible anymore. Now I just want to go back
without losing anyone else. And then there's what Nagumo-kun told me. That one of his
classmates tried to kill him. I don't want to believe that… I don't want to believe that he's
a ruthless killer either… Or that he'd really kill us if we get in his way. But the truth is…
he killed Shimizu-kun without hesitation. So then… no, I have to believe in what I feel is
right. She closed her eyes, banishing unwelcome thoughts. The others all watched her
worriedly.
Nagumo-kun said he did it because Shimizu-kun was an enemy. And that he didn't have
the luxury of changing his mindset. Nagumo-kun killed him because he was worried
Shimizu-kun would attack the people he cared about if he let him live. He did it out of
concern. If he truly was as heartless as he claimed, Yue-san and Shea-san wouldn't trust
him so much. For their sake, he wanted to eliminate a potential threat. That's why he
couldn't let Shimizu-kun live. Which means he didn't believe I could convince Shimizukun anymore. Nagumo-kun would have let Shimizu-kun live if I could have proven to him
I could reform him… So in the end it's all my fault… because I was powerless… but still,
Nagumo-kun didn't have to kill him so mercilessly… Shimizu-kun was on the verge of
death as it was… The more she thought about it, the closer she grew to understanding
the reason behind Hajime's actions. Hajime was neither a broken murderer, or an
unfathomable monster, nor even Aiko's enemy. He was still her student, one who her
words could still reach.
As she went over the chain of events again with a clear mind, Aiko suddenly
remembered something. Something the shock of Shimizu's death had made her forget.
Wait. How could I have forgotten? Nagumo-kun had only come over when I called for
help. But even if he hadn't done anything, Shimizu-kun would have died. He didn't have
to shoot him! So why? Why did he do it? To make sure Shimizu-kun was dead? No, he
knew as well as we did that he was beyond saving. Shimizu-kun would have died in a few
minutes anyway. That's why I asked Nagumo-kun for help in the first place. Because I
couldn't do anything… even though it was my fault he was— Aiko's eyes shot open. She
couldn't believe it had taken her this long to figure it out.
That's right… Shimizu-kun was only shot because he was holding me. I was the target.
He was just collateral damage. It was my fault he died! But we all thought Nagumo-kun
was the one who killed him! We convinced ourselves it was his fault!
The blood drained from Aiko's face. Just as Hajime had feared, she blamed herself for
killing Shimizu.
It was her love for her students that kept Aiko going. The realization that she'd caused
the death of one of those students crushed Aiko. Her brain shut down, trying to protect
her from her own realization. Her vision swam, and she nearly fainted.
Just before she fell into unconsciousness, Hajime's final words to her flitted across the
back of her mind.
"I hope you can continue to stay strong." Back then she'd been too shocked to fully
process the meaning behind those words. She'd just assumed he was giving her a few
words of encouragement.
What if he said that because he knew this would happen… because he was worried about
me? Worried that I would break if I learned the truth of why Shimizu-kun died. That's
why… that's why he killed Shimizu-kun so brutally. He wanted me to think it was his
fault… He wanted me to continue staying strong… to be the teacher everyone needed…
Of course, Aiko understood Hajime by this point. She knew it wasn't just a selfless act
on his part.
But she was forced to admit that he'd partly done it because he was worried about her.
The door to her heart, which had been about to slam shut forever, stopped. And slowly
began opening again. Her blurry vision cleared. That realization didn't solve
everything, but it did light a small fire in her heart. Where before there had only been
the dark depths of despair, there was now a faint, warm glow.
He protected me… And not just him. So many other people protected me too. Even now,
my precious students are looking over me. I was so focused on protecting them, that I
didn't realize they had been protecting me in turn… I still have a lot to learn. This is no
time to be breaking down. Aiko steeled her resolve.
She'd probably regret being the cause of Shimizu's death for the rest of her life. But as
long as there were still students who were relying on her, she couldn't wallow in
despair. No, she didn't want to wallow in despair.
She swore once more that no matter what happened, she'd be there for the students.
And this time, she wouldn't let herself be manipulated by her own ideals.
The fear and suspicion she'd felt toward Hajime vanished in an instant.
Nagumo-kun sure is bad at expressing himself. Even though he knew I might hate him
forever for doing this, that I might even try to fight him… Come to think of it, he said he'd
given my words a lot of thought. Was this his way of thanking me for my advice? He's
saved me so many times since we were reunited. Not only did he warn me about the
church, he even saved the town. And despite being such a fierce battle, he still brought
Shimizu-kun to me like he promised. I can't believe I was such a mess. I kept chasing after
an ideal that didn't mean anything… and even went so far as to force him to go along
with it… I'm still immature when it comes to being a teacher. And despite all of that he
still helped me… It's true he's become a harder person than he was before… but he still
has some of his old kindness left. Or maybe he's getting it back little by little. Could it be
that those two girls are helping him remember his former self? Aiko smiled bitterly to
herself. She owed Hajime a great debt for what he'd done. She'd been nothing but a
bumbling, inexperienced embarrassment of a teacher. And yet Hajime, the boy who'd
had the weakest stats out of all of them, had returned against all odds and saved her
more times than she could count.
More than anything, it made her happy that despite how much it looked as if he'd
changed, his old self was still alive somewhere underneath.
But she felt a sharp twinge in her chest when she thought of how it was Yue and Shea
that had kept the old him alive. Aiko tilted her head in confusion. It vanished as quickly
as it came though, and she decided it must just have been her imagination.
Come to think of it, I never thanked Shea-san for protecting me. I owe her my life… I need
to make sure I thank her properly when I see her again… I suppose I owe Nagumo-kun
my life as well. Their faces popped into Aiko's head. Then she blushed crimson as she
remembered just how exactly Hajime had saved her life.
Th-That was just CPR! He just did it to save my life, there was no deeper meaning behind
it! Th-There was nothing enjoyable about being kissed so roughly! I definitely did NOT
enjoy that! She started slapping the table wildly, mentally denying accusations no one
had said.
In case anyone had forgotten, Aiko was 25 years old. An adult. She had gone on dates
before too. That being said, her actual experience when it came to love was very little.
The reason being, the only people who would willingly date a woman who looked like
a little girl were "gentlemen." Also known as lolicons. There were a great deal of people
who found Aiko's particular body type attractive. Some doubly so when they
discovered she was legal. However they were all afraid of being labeled the l-word, so
their relationship with Aiko usually stopped at friends.
In Tortus it wasn't strange for a girl in her early teens to be married already, so most
people weren't bothered by her child-like appearance. Which was why David's
infatuation with her was considered normal in this world. However Aiko had
convinced herself at this point that no one could possibly be attracted to a short
woman like her. So she failed to notice his roundabout professions of love.
Hence why the CPR Hajime had performed had been so stimulating. And now that
she'd remembered, the image just wouldn't leave her mind.
Besides, he already has two lovers… though I guess if he already has two, what's a third—
Wait, what am I thinking!? I'm a teacher, he's my student! Wait, that's not even the
problem here! I'm not even in love with him! In fact, he's already two-timing as it is! That
kind of immoral relationship isn't something a teacher should condone! It's dishonest!
Love is supposed to be sincere! Sleeping with two girls at once is… immodest! I cannot
let such an impure relationship be! I won't allow it! Her hands curled up into fists.
Instead of slapping the table, she was banging on it now.
But it seems like he treats Yue-san as someone particularly special. And her height and
figure aren't too different from mine… D-Don't tell me he's into smaller girls!? Girls like
m-me? Wait, wait, wait, what am I saying!? What does it matter what his type is? He's
eight years younger than me…! Though Yue-san's a vampire, so there's probably an even
bigger age gap between them. So does that mean he likes small girls who are older than
him? Wait, why do I even care!? Get a grip, Aiko Hatayama! You're a teacher, he's your
student! You can't get all worked up over just one little kiss! She stopped banging the
table and buried her head in her hands. A few seconds later, she started banging the
table again, only to repeat the cycle. Finally, she screamed "I'm his teacheeeer!" and
banged her forehead against the table.
The others were all taken aback by her strange behavior. Foss, on the other hand,
simply said "I see you've found your energy again," with the same calm smile on his
face. What a formidable old man.
Eventually Aiko came to the conclusion that her heightened emotions at the time were
to blame and that she had no feelings for Hajime whatsoever. However, that didn't
change the fact that he was still her student. And in order to protect him, she needed
to return to the capital. Reports of what he'd done would have reached the capital by
now. She needed to be there to make sure the king and the church didn't brand him a
heretic.
Little did she realize,
That her feelings for Hajime were more than just that of a teacher for her student.
Even though she mentally referred to all of her students as children, in her mind she'd
started thinking of Hajime as a man. Feelings of love had slowly but surely begun to
bloom.
She wouldn't realize that until much later, of course.
During a pitched aerial battle 8000 meters in the sky.