Chapter 78 - Haltina’s Labyrinth Part 2

Shea and the others looked at her worriedly. Hajime folded his arms and tapped his

forehead thoughtfully. There had to be a logical explanation for what was going on.

Yue tugged on Hajime's sleeve and looked up at him with a worried expression. Since

she was still a goblin, it looked more like she was glaring though. Upon seeing that,

Hajime broke out of his musing and smiled reassuringly at her.

"It'll be alright, Yue. Like I said before, this probably isn't a trap, and since this is a trial

they wouldn't want to eliminate us right at the start. There has to be some way to get

you back to normal." Hajime's voice was filled with such confidence that Yue and the

others smiled.

"My guess is restoration magic didn't work because whatever turned you into a goblin

was another form of ancient magic. That magic circle probably had something special

built into it."

Since we needed restoration magic to get in here, the labyrinth designer obviously

factored in that we'd be able to use it. So they wouldn't have made a trial that could be

easily beat with it. Hajime explained his reasoning to everyone, who nodded in

agreement.

"In other words, if we keep going forward, we'll find a way to bring you back

eventually."

"Gugyaaa…."

"Exactly, there's nothing to worry about. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Try using this, Yue."

"Gigi?"

Hajime handed her a jeweled earring. Being transformed into a goblin had robbed her

of the ability to use magic, but it appeared she could still manipulate her mana just

fine. Meaning she could use artifacts. Yue poured mana into the earring he'd given her,

which was a telepathy stone, and finally voiced her thoughts.

"Hajime? Can you hear me, Hajime?" Her voice seemed to come from everywhere and

nowhere at the same time, much like Tio's when she was in her dragon form. They

hadn't been apart for very long, but it still felt like it had been ages since Hajime had

heard Yue's voice, so the sound made his expression soften, and he smiled. Kouki and

the others had still been a little suspicious, but now that they were hearing Yue's voice,

they had no choice but to admit that the goblin in front of them really was Yue.

"Loud and clear, Yue. It sucks that you got transformed…. but I'm glad you're safe."

"Mmm…. I knew you'd be able to tell."

"Of course. How long do you think I've spent looking at you?"

"Mmm…. But I'm still happy. I love you, Hajime."

Hajime's smile grew wider. He'd been tense ever since learning about Yue's

disappearance, but now he finally relaxed.

A human and a goblin stared into each other's eyes with more passion than any

human-goblin pair likely had before. It appeared even when Yue was a goblin, Hajime

was more than ready to flirt with her.

Meanwhile, the rest of the party's eyes glazed over. Eventually, Kaori grew impatient

and coughed loudly to get Hajime's attention.

"Ahem! Can we get going now? Also, Yue, I'm glad you're safe."

"Mmm…. I'm sorry Hajime loves me more than you even when I look like this, Kaori."

"Are you trying to pick a fight!? Because it sounds like it!"

No matter what she looked like, Yue was still Yue. If her voice hadn't been enough to

convince Kaori, that abrasive personality of hers definitely was.

"I promise I'll get you back to normal, Yue-san! No matter what! So until then, just

leave everything to me!"

"Mmm…. Thanks, Shea. I can't fight right now, so I'll be counting on you."

Yue's goblin features twisted into a smile. It should have looked grotesque, but

knowing Yue was inside made it seem charming.

Kouki walked over and spoke in an apologetic tone.

"Yue-san, I'm sorry I attacked you. I didn't know it was you…. and I almost killed you."

"Mmm…. It's fine. Besides, I believed you wouldn't hurt me."

"Wait, does that mean…."

"Because I knew Hajime would stop you."

"I see…." Kouki's hopes were dashed instantly. He let out a hollow laugh and trudged

away. Shizuku gave him an exasperated look, wondering why he'd even thought for a

second Yue might have been into him.

"Now we just need to find Tio and Sakagami…. If they're in the same state as Yue, then

maybe we should hurry."

If they'd been turned into monsters too, it was doubtful other monsters would attack

them. However, they were still powerless in the middle of a labyrinth, which was never

good.

At Hajime's words, the others steeled themselves once more. They left the scorched

section of forest behind and resumed their search.

Ten minutes later, they spotted something.

"Hajime-san…. Even I can tell that must be Tio-san."

"Yeah, it's gotta be her."

"Mmm…. No one else acts like that."

"Looks like we're all in agreement."

Hajime stared coldly at the spectacle in front of him. Like he was looking at filth.

Shizuku and Suzu, on the other hand, were disgusted, while Kouki found the sight too

repulsive to even look at.

"Gugyaaah! Gigyaaah!"

"Higiii!?"

"Gobuuu! Gobbb!"

"Buhiii!?"

Hajime and the others found themselves in front of a group of goblins. The swarm had

ganged up on one of their own and were beating it mercilessly. However, they seemed

more intent on tormenting the lone goblin than actually killing it. In fact, the goblin

being ganged up on had no major injuries to speak of. Had that been all, Hajime would

have just assumed it was a case of infighting, or bullying or something.

"She's…. really enjoying it, isn't she?"

"A goblin making that kind of face is just wrong…. That'd have to be censored if it was

in an anime."

"Nagumo…. I admit my defeat. You're a far more accepting man than me."

"Please don't put it like that, Amanogawa. You're making it sound like I actually

approve of her perverseness. The truth is, I've just given up on curing her…."

As Shizuku had so aptly pointed out, the goblin being tormented had an expression of

ecstasy on its face. The only person who'd look that happy being beaten up was the

party's resident perverted dragon.

"Tio, you really…. Sorry guys, it's too late to save her. It's a shame, but we'll have to let

her go." Hajime shook his head sadly and turned on his heel. Yue and the others

followed suit without hesitation. Even Kouki, who'd normally yell out "You're going to

abandon your own comrade!?" or something to that effect, remained silent. He still

couldn't bring himself to look at Tio.

"Gug? Gyagyaaa!" The perverted goblin finally noticed her comrades were here. She

crawled out of the throng of goblins and rushed toward Hajime and the others on all

fours, an expression of pure rapture still on her face. She looked more like a cockroach

than a goblin, and even her fellow goblins backed away in disgust.

"Guygayagyagya!" Goblin Tio closed in on the party and leaped joyously at Hajime.

She'd gone from looking like a cockroach to resembling Lupin when he did his Lupin

Dive. Though her goblin speech was unintelligible, Hajime guessed she was saying

something like "Master, I missed you dearly!" So, naturally, Hajime's response was

blunt and to the point.

"Get away from me, you pervert." He gave her a merciless uppercut with his prosthetic

arm. There was an ominous crack, and Tio spun through the air four times before

crashing into a thicket behind her. Unsurprisingly, she'd been smiling even as Hajime

had hit her.

"Is she dead?" Goblin Yue peeked into the thicket and found goblin Tio lying

motionless on the ground. Yue picked up a branch and poked Tio a few times. She

twitched a little. Then, after a few seconds, she jolted upright and nonchalantly got to

her feet. It appeared not even a labyrinth's spells could cure Tio's perversion.

"Gyagyagya! Gogogo Gugu! Gugya!"

Though Hajime couldn't understand Tio's goblin-speak the way he could Yue's, it was

easy to figure out what Tio was trying to say. After all, the way she shouting and the

fact that she was blushing and cupping her cheeks said more than words ever could.

Plus, she kept sneaking glances at Hajime.

Now this is just blasphemous. Hajime reached for Donner. With some reluctance, Shea

stopped him. Before Hajime could do anything more, Kaori hurriedly handed Tio a

telepathy stone.

"Oh, a telepathy stone. Can you hear me now, Master? Thank you so much for greeting

me with that exquisite uppercut."

"Tch, so you're just as sturdy in this body, huh? If only you'd died…."

"Mmm!? How merciless! Please, insult me more. Haaah…. Haaah…. As I suspected, I

can't reach the true heights of ecstasy unless it's you, Master. Your faithful servant has

returned. Feel free to berate and scorn this ugly creature to your heart's content!"

For her, being transformed into a goblin was just another fetish to indulge in. In a way,

Hajime was right. It was too late to save Tio.

Tio threw herself at Hajime's feet and shouted, "Boil me or bake me as you please!"

Hajime, however, ignored her and slaughtered the group of goblins that had been

beating on her. Once he was done, he silently walked off. The rest of the party had no

desire to talk to Tio either, so they followed after him.

"A-Abandonment play? Oh, Master, you tease. Wait, are you truly planning on leaving

me behind!? Stop, I cannot walk that fast! I'm still dizzy from your previous attack!"

Tio's pleas rang out through the sea of trees. However, no one stopped for her.

Large, whip-like branches assailed the party. Razor-sharp leaves filled the air. Nuts

and seeds bombarded everyone. Roots lunged up from the ground, their tips pointed

spears. Each attack was powerful enough to be fatal.

The monster the party was currently facing was practically the same as the treemonsters they'd faced in the Great Orcus Labyrinth. Apparently, it was called a Treant.

However, the Treant they were facing here was much larger than the one they'd fought

in Orcus. It was easily ten meters wide and thirty meters tall. Currently, the only people

in combat were Kouki, Shizuku, Suzu, and some ogre-like creature.

"Graaaaaah!" The ogre let out a primitive howl and swung a boulder-sized fist at the

Treant. Said ogre was, of course, Ryutarou.

During the course of their search, Hajime and the others had found a pair of ogres

locked in a duel to the death. After observing them for a while, they'd come to realize

one of the ogres was Ryutarou. The karate-inspired martial arts he'd been using had

made it easy to tell him apart from the actual ogre. That, combined with the fact that

he'd chosen to accept the other ogre's challenge instead of run away, had convinced

everyone that was Ryutarou. Only he could be that straightforward.

Furthermore, he'd been in such bad shape that had they found him any later, he might

really have died. It was only thanks to Kouki jumping in and intervening that Ryutarou

hadn't had his skull bashed in. Once the other ogre had been defeated, Shizuku had

given Ryutarou a long lecture about being reckless. It had been quite the sight, seeing

a beat-up ogre sitting formally and hanging his head in front of a little girl. The whole

incident had been so surreal that Suzu had burst out laughing.

After they'd successfully met up with Ogre Ryutarou, Hajime and the others had

resumed their search. Eventually, they'd found a large tree growing next to an altar.

Upon their approach, the tree had sprung to life and started attacking everyone,

leading to the present situation.

Judging from the Treant's strength, and the location they'd found it, it was likely this

floor's boss. If the party wanted to advance to the next floor, they'd have to defeat it.

The reason Kouki and the others had taken on the challenge alone was because he

wanted to prove he could be useful. However, because of how strong their foe was,

Kaori was providing healing support from the rear.

"Nnnnnngh! It hits like a truck!" A branch as thick as a tree trunk sliced through the

air and headed straight for Kouki. He blocked it with his sword, but the force of the

blow made him groan in pain.

Shizuku was unable to assist, as she had her hands full striking down the flying

shuriken leaves. Suzu had to use her full arsenal of barriers to keep the party safe,

while Kouki frantically searched for an opening from which to strike.

"Gah! It's no use. As long as Kaori's here we won't get worn down, but…." Shizuku

unleashed shockwaves one after another, slicing down any leaf or branch that drew

close. But she grit her teeth as she realized that she wouldn't be able to push any

further.

Now that they'd experienced firsthand just how ferocious a labyrinth could be, they

realized Hajime had been right when he'd said they would die if they challenged one

on their own. Shizuku knew that without Hajime's help they would have died long ago.

The confidence they'd built up during their time in the Great Orcus Labyrinth had been

torn to shreds. Shizuku weighed her options, then yelled out her plan.

"Kouki! Use Divine Wrath!"

"I can't! It takes too long to chant!"

"Don't worry, we'll protect you! Trust in us!"

Kouki hesitated over whether or not to agree to Shizuku's plan. The Treant they were

facing was stronger even than the monsters the demons had brought with them. It was

only thanks to Kaori's support that they hadn't been wiped out. But even with her help,

a moment's lapse in concentration would see them killed. No sane person would leave

themselves defenseless in front of such an opponent.

However, it was also true that their current strategy lacked the firepower to defeat the

Treant. At this rate, they would eventually lose.

Besides…. Kouki thought back to Hajime and Yue's reunion. About how absolute their

trust was in each other. Despite Yue's goblin form, Hajime had instantly realized who

she was. Yue, too, had possessed absolute faith that Hajime would stop Kouki from

killing her. Honestly, he'd been a little jealous of their unwavering devotion to each

other.

It was that jealousy that drove Kouki to his final decision. After all, he had comrades

he trusted too. This was his chance to prove his bonds were just as strong as Hajime's.

"Alright, I'm counting on you guys!"

"Yep, just leave it to us. Ryutarou, Suzu, tighten your defenses!"

"Roger!"

"You got it!"

Kouki raised his sword high and stopped moving. As he was concentrating solely on

casting Divine Wrath, he was defenseless. The Treant wasn't going to let such an

opportunity pass. It shot branches at Kouki from both sides, while raining a torrent of

leaves from above and firing a barrage of nuts from the front.

"Reject all malice and let this be a holy ground that denies thine enemies passage!

Hallowed Ground!" Suzu had been ready for the attack, and she pulled out her

strongest barrier to defend against it. Cracks appeared in the dome as it weathered

the Treant's initial barrage.

"Mrrrrrrrrrgh!"

The continuous assault eventually proved too much for Suzu's Hallowed Ground, and

it shattered. Suzu was thrown backward from the impact, and Shizuku and Ryutarou

rushed in to fill the gap.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

"Uoooooooooh!"

With spirited cries, the two of them unleashed every technique at their disposal. But

even their best wasn't enough to let them survive unscathed, and the two of them were

quickly covered in deep cuts. Blood spurted from their bodies and dyed the ground

red.

"Holy Blessing." Kaori cast a single spell, and Shizuku's and Ryutarou's wounds

vanished instantly.

Holy Blessing was an intermediate-class spell, but with Kaori's ungodly mana

reserves, she could easily power it up to an advanced-class spell. Her healing spells

worked so fast that it was like they were rewinding time. Even factoring in the increase

in power being in Noint's body gave her, Kaori was an unbelievably skilled healer.

Suzu once again cast Hallowed Ground, buying the party another few seconds. Shizuku

and Ryutarou regrouped, ready to fend off the next assault. The cycle of Suzu erecting

a barrier, it shattering, Shizuku and Ryutarou guarding for a few seconds, Kaori

healing them, then Suzu recasting her barrier repeated three times.

By now, Kouki had nearly finished casting. A massive amount of mana was

concentrated within his sword, which was glowing brighter than the sun. He tightened

his grip on the hilt and sucked in a deep breath.

"Alright everyone, let's do this! Divine Wrath!" After saying that, he swung his sword

down, unleashing his most powerful attack. A dazzling shockwave of mana ripped

across the ground, obliterating any leaves, branches, and nuts in its wake. It then

slammed into the Treant's main body in an explosion of light.

"We did it!" Kouki yelled jubilantly.

Hajime, who was waiting safely in the rear, muttered, "Ah, that's a death flag…." and

Kouki had stepped right on it. The light faded and the dust cleared, revealing a

wounded but still very much alive Treant.

"You're…. kidding me…." Kouki gasped, dumbfounded. He wasn't the only one

surprised. Shizuku, Suzu, and Ryutarou were just as shocked. Until now, there was

nothing Kouki's ultimate attack hadn't been able to kill.

Divine Wrath was the most powerful offensive spell in existence, the hero's trump

card. When he'd just arrived in Tortus and been low-leveled, it might have been

possible for something to withstand Kouki's Divine Wrath, but not after he'd gotten so

much training in.

And yet, the Treant remained undaunted. Sure, it had been damaged a fair amount,

but those wounds only made it more ferocious. This whole time, Kouki had believed

himself capable of clearing a labyrinth. He'd been certain he'd be fine. After all, Hajime

had done it. To Kouki, it seemed impossible for there to be something Hajime could do

that he couldn't. However now, he was forced to face reality. Even his most powerful

ability had failed to bring down a labyrinth monster.

No, this can't be real. There has to be some kind of mistake! Kouki shook his head in

denial. Just then, Shizuku shouted to gain his attention.

"Kouki, look! You didn't land a direct hit!"

"Huh?" Kouki followed Shizuku's gaze and saw a mountain of wooden splinters and

tree trunks. It appeared the Treant had used a bunch of trees as a shield to guard

against Kouki's Divine Wrath.

Where on earth did it get all those trees from? There wasn't anything right before I

attacked…. Kouki's question was answered seconds later by the Treant. The monster

glowed with a faint light, and seconds later trees started sprouting from its roots.

"Th-This is its special magic!?" Suzu gasped. Her guess was spot-on. The Treant's

special magic was "Regrowth." It allowed it to sprout as many trees as it pleased, and

control them freely.

"O-Oh no! Let this be a— Hallowed Ground!" Suzu quickly realized her full chant

wouldn't make it in time, and shortened it. A shimmering dome of light surrounded

the party just as a flood of attacks came in.

Sharpened branches and roots slammed into the barrier one after another. This time

the attacks weren't coming just from the Treant, but also from the trees it had created.

Branches filled the air, blotting out the sky. The barrage was so thick Suzu and the

others couldn't even see the Treant anymore. A makeshift Hallowed Ground had no

chance of withstanding such an attack. Cracks had already started to appear all over

the barrier, and it would shatter in another few seconds. And this time, it seemed

unlikely that Kouki and the others would be able to hold out long enough for her to

cast it again. Kouki himself knew it was far too optimistic to think they could.

"I can't…. hold on any longer…." Suzu grit her teeth as her mana drained away at an

alarming rate. Watching her struggle to hold on snapped Kouki back to his senses. In

a way, he was relieved. It wasn't that his trump card was ineffective, it had just been

blocked. But regardless, the fact that it had meant that Suzu was now suffering.

Kouki banished the worries and hesitation he'd felt until now. And prepared to use his

second trump card, Limit Break. Using up two of his trump cards this early in the

labyrinth wasn't a wise move, but Kouki realized he'd been naive in thinking he could

survive without them. Before he could activate the skill though, Kaori intervened.

"Transient Infinity!"

Transient Infinity was a restoration spell that maintained a person or object in its

original state for as long as the caster supplied mana. Silver light enveloped Suzu's

cracked Hallowed Ground, returning it to the pristine condition it had been in upon

being cast. No matter how much the Treant hammered on the barrier, it was unable to

put even a dent on it. Any damage dealt was instantly reverted thanks to Kaori's spell.

"Whoa, thanks Kaorin!" Suzu glanced over her shoulder, and Kaori saw the tears in her

eyes.

She must have been really scared. Or maybe she's just really relieved now. Kaori smiled

at her and nodded reassuringly. Kouki and the others relaxed a little as well and turned

back to see how Hajime was doing.

Like the three of them, Hajime and his party were also surrounded by an army of trees,

but they were having no trouble whatsoever dealing with the onslaught of wood and

leaves. Hajime had deployed four of his Cross Bits, and they'd formed a pyramidshaped barrier around everyone. Since the barrier was made of spatial magic, it was

nigh impossible to penetrate. Not even the Treant's strongest attacks could crack it.

He'd created an impenetrable fortress for himself.

"Looks like they're at their limit. I thought they'd be able to do a bit better, but…."

Hajime muttered to himself as he gauged the expressions on Kouki and the others'

faces.

"Hmm, if that hero guy used Limit Break, won't they be able to manage somehow?"

"Maybe. If he uses that powered-up version of it, definitely. But the recoil that comes

afterward will be a problem…. Even healing magic can't do much for the exhaustion

that comes with using Limit Break."

"Mmm…. Restoration magic should be able to, though."

At Yue's words, Kaori bit her lip.

"I'd like to preserve my mana as much as possible. Restoration magic takes up a lot,

and I'm the only one capable of using it right now, so…. This is still just the beginning

of the labyrinth, so there's no telling what's waiting for us further down, and I already

used up one of my spells…."

"Indeed. In that case, I suppose you should take care of things before that boy attempts

to use Limit Break."

Hajime was a little worried that Kouki and the others wouldn't be recognized as

people who'd contributed to conquering the dungeon if he kept helping them like this.

And if they weren't able to obtain ancient magic, then he wouldn't be able to use them

as pawns for the upcoming battle against the Noint army.

That was why he'd wanted Kouki and the others to handle this monster, so they'd have

proof of their contribution. However, Kaori definitely had a point. There was no telling

what was waiting for them further down, so wasting more mana than necessary was

not a wise decision. Sure, he did have a stock of jewelry charged with mana still, but

Yue and Tio weren't in fighting condition, and Hajime had no idea when they 'd be

back to normal.

To make matters worse, their equipment had been taken from them as well. If they got

too cocky, Hajime didn't doubt they'd find the tables turned on them.

"Master, I can more or less guess what your worries are, but I think you needn't

concern yourself so much with whether or not they achieve any results in battle."

"Hm? Why not? Does it have something to do with the theme of this labyrinth?" Hajime

tilted his had, and Tio nodded. She might have been an incorrigible pervert, but her

vast wisdom and intellect meant her words were worth heeding. Though it didn't

change the fact that she was a pervert.

"Correct. This is merely conjecture, but I believe Haltina's labyrinth is meant to test

our bonds."

"Our bonds, huh….? Come to think of it, the stone epitaph at the entrance said

something like that too."

"Precisely. Those words referred not only to forging a bond with beastmen and having

them guide us here but also to the fact that our bonds would be tested within this

labyrinth. Discerning which of our comrades were fake, finding and accepting those

who were transformed, all of this is testing our bonds. Testing whether we will protect

our powerless partners, or leave them to die."

"I see…. If that really is the goal of this labyrinth, then all of these trials would make

sense. And…. Amanogawa's already accepted Sakagami and fought together with him.

Hell, he even entrusted his life to him back there. Since they've already proven all that,

it shouldn't be a problem if I finish everything else off from here on, huh. As long as

Amanogawa and the others keep overcoming the trials that test their bonds, anyway."

"That is what I suspect. But remember, this is still conjecture."

Conjecture it may have been, but it was backed up by a good deal of evidence. If Tio

was right, then this labyrinth, which wasn't interested in testing its challengers'

martial prowess, was probably the most fitting one to have brought Kouki and the

others along for.

Hajime mulled over Tio's words one more time and glanced over at the giant Treant.

Its attacks had grown even more ferocious, so it was getting irritated that it couldn't

break through Suzu's Hallowed Ground or Hajime's spatial barrier. There were so

many leaves and branches flying around that Hajime could barely see in front of him.

At that, Hajime made his decision.

"Taniguchi, I'm gonna blow everything away. If you don't want to die, keep your barrier

up no matter what."

"Say what?" Cold sweat poured down Suzu's back as she digested Hajime's warning.

Kouki and the others looked curiously over at Suzu. And a second later, their jaws fell

open in shock.

Hajime had taken out his specially crafted chakram and was controlling them with the

spirit stone ring on his finger. His chakrams tore through the storm of trees and

branches, shredding everything in their path. There were more than twenty of them

whirling through the air. A few of them flew above the trees and started spraying a

black liquid down on them.

The black liquid was, of course, the same flamrock tar that burned at 3000 degrees

Celsius. He was transporting it from his Treasure Trove via the spatial gates he'd

attached to his chakrams.

Shea, who'd realized what Hajime was planning, balked.

"Whoa…." she muttered as she looked over at Hajime. After all, while Hajime's method

was the most effective way of wiping out the forest of trees that had sprouted in front

of them, it was also quite extreme.

Hajime, however, ignored her chastising gaze and threw a tiny ember through one of

the chakrams next to him.

The forest was bathed in flames for a second time. The Treant ignored the flames and

continued its assault, but it wasn't able to last very long in the hellfire Hajime had

drowned it in. Though it had no mouth, the party could have sworn they heard a

scream as the flames burnt it to a crisp. The updraft caused by the heat made the

flames condense into a whirling tornado which burned so hot it liquified everything it

touched.

Hajime really had created a hell on earth. If Suzu or the others stepped even one foot

outside her Hallowed Ground, they'd be scorched so thoroughly not even ashes would

remain.

But while the tar burned hot, it didn't burn for long. Within fifteen minutes, Hajime's

flames had exhausted themselves. Because the Treant and its trees had thrashed about

in their final moments, the fire had spread to the regular trees in the forest too, but

Kaori's timely water spells had prevented the entire forest from burning down. As

Kaori was the only mage in Hajime's party still capable of combat, she was being run

pretty ragged.

"We've already met up with Yue and the others, you could have just let the whole forest

burn, you know….?"

"Hajime-kun. It's not right to destroy everything around you just because you can."

"Wherever Hajime-san goes, destruction is sure to follow…. If my dad had seen this,

he'd probably start thinking up another new nickname for you right about now."

Unable to meet Kaori and Shea's gazes, Hajime looked away awkwardly. Honestly, he

didn't care even if he burned the labyrinth to the ground, but when even Shea gave

him that look, he felt a little guilty.

However, Yue, who was with Hajime on everything, and Tio, who preferred her master

to be a merciless monster, seemed to agree with his declaration that destroying the

labyrinth was no big deal. For the moment, opinions within Hajime's party were split

evenly.

"That just now was…. No, forget it. I've already seen rocket launchers and cluster

bombs, so I shouldn't be surprised at this point. This is normal for Nagumo-kun. I need

to get it together…."

"Don't worry, Shizushizu. I totally get what you're feeling, but you'll get used to how

crazy everything is eventually…. I hope. Anyway, it'll be alright."

Suzu and Shizuku stared at each other with dead eyes. They'd just witnessed a

crimson inferno up close and personal, and it had done a number on their mental

state. Ogre Ryutarou looked worriedly over at the two of them, but he couldn't find

any words to say. After all, even he'd broken out in a cold sweat seeing flames inches

from his face.

A short distance away, Kouki glared at Hajime and bit his lip. Even his strongest attack

hadn't been able to defeat the Treant, yet Hajime had taken care of it like it was

nothing. He'd come here to shorten the gap between him and Hajime, but he was

beginning to worry if he'd even be able to obtain the ancient magic if Hajime ended up

saving them from everything. After a while, Kouki shook his head in an attempt to

dispel such negative thoughts, then whirled around in a panic when he heard a

creaking noise behind him.

"Is it regenerating?" Just as Kouki said that the scorched ground began to shake, and a

tree sprouted from the earth. It grew at a prodigious rate, and in seconds it was the

size of the Treant Hajime had just burned. It really had regenerated.

Kouki and the others instantly drew their weapons, but the restored Treant didn't

attack. Instead, its bark started to split open, similar to how the Grand Tree had when

it had first let them inside.

"I figured this was the mid-boss, but I didn't think it'd also be the door to the next

stage." Hajime nodded to himself and strode confidently into the opening made by

Treant. Yue and the others followed suit. Then, Kouki and his group sheathed their

weapons and hurried after them.

The inside of this tree looked as unassuming as the last. However, the moment they all

entered, the bark closed in around them and the area around their feet began to glow.

"Guess we're getting teleported again…."

Hajime hugged Yue and Tio close, noting that this magic circle looked almost identical

to the previous one. Chances were, if the magic circle wanted to separate the party,

hugging the two goblins wouldn't do much. But still, he figured it was better than doing

nothing.

Since neither of them was capable of fighting in their current state, even a weak

monster could kill them easily. Even if there was a slim chance of this doing anything,

Hajime still felt compelled to do something at the very least. He couldn't afford to let

either of them die.

"Hajime…."

"M-Master…. if you're this kind to me, I won't know how to respond."

The two of them had picked up on Hajime's worry, and they smiled happily. Though

they were still goblins, anyone would have been able to tell those smiles were ones of

joy. And for once, Tio seemed embarrassed. Shea and Kaori tried to throw themselves

at Hajime too, but they were a moment too late. Just before their arms reached him,

the light swallowed the party.

Chirp, chirp, chirp. The soft chirping of birds, along with the sunlight filtering through

the curtains, heralded the arrival of dawn. Annoyed, the resident of the room grabbed

his pillow and covered his head with it. However, there was a demon in this room that

wouldn't let him sleep.

Beep…. Beep…. Beep…. Beep…. Beep!. A loud ringing noise assailed the ears of the boy

attempting to sleep.

"Ugh…." The boy tried to dive further into his fortress of bedsheets and pillows, but

ignoring the demon's wail proved to be impossible. He reluctantly stretched an arm

out and started indiscriminately slapping the desk next to his bed. He'd had a little

over a decade's worth of experience quelling this demon, so on the third try he was

able to bash it on the head, silencing it. But while he was well-versed in demon busting,

it didn't change the fact it took a lot out of him. The boy's arm flopped, drained of all

strength. He then sluggishly returned to his fortress, and stopped moving. A second

later, he was woken once more.

"Hajime! Wake uuuuuup! No sleeping in, get up!"

He heard a familiar voice, his mother's, calling him from downstairs. Half-awake,

Hajime processed his mother's words and decided to resist to the last. He pulled his

covers over him and tightened the defenses of his fortress.

"Guess he's not listening. Can you go get him for me? Sorry I have to ask you every

day."

"Ah…."

Hajime's mom spoke loudly, to make sure he could hear her. Considering who she was

probably talking to, regardless of how badly she wanted Hajime up, he had no

intention of leaving his bed. After all, being woken by the person Hajime's mom had

enlisted was one of the few joys of his daily life. There was a sharp rap on his door.

Hajime didn't respond, but the person on the other side seemed to have been

expecting that and opened the door. They tiptoed over to where Hajime was sleeping

and poked his curled-up body.

"Wake up, Hajime…."

"...…"

Still no response. Though he was only partially conscious, Hajime wanted to hear this

beautiful girl's voice for a while longer.

"If you don't wake up…."

"...…"

The girl caressed his back. The soft sensation caused Hajime to involuntarily smile.

"I'll have to rape you."

"Okay I'm getting up, so please don't say such dangerous things this early in the

morning."

Chills ran down Hajime's spine, and he quickly jumped out of bed. A tuft of his black

hair stood on end, and his brown-black eyes struggled to focus. Standing in front of

him was a blonde-haired crimson-eyed beauty. She smiled seductively and licked her

lips. At the sight, Hajime grimaced and spoke up.

"Morning, Yue."

"Mmm…. Morning, Hajime."

Hajime stretched, glad that he was able to see his girlfriend first thing in the morning.

His parents both teased him as he went down for breakfast, after which he left for

school together with Yue.

Hajime stifled a yawn as he walked down the familiar path to school, and Yue looked

up at him curiously.

Every one of her gestures is just so cute! Yue's looks captivated everyone they passed

by as well, and plenty of people accidentally walked into poles or fell into ditches

because they were staring at her. Yue remained oblivious to the carnage she was

causing, though. She dashed ahead of Hajime and whirled around to face him. Since

she was wearing a standard school uniform, her skirt flew up a little as she did so. Her

golden-blonde hair shone in the sunlight and gave off a faint smell of shampoo. She

continued walking backward in step with Hajime and scrutinized his expression.

"Did you stay up late again?"

"Yeah, I got a little too engrossed in the work dad gave me. By the time I realized it, the

sun was starting to rise."

"It's good that you're passionate about your hobbies, but don't overdo it. You need to

take care of your body."

"Yeah, I will."

The two were just having a normal conversation, but it looked like they were flirting.

Hajime and Yue had been dating for a while, but the flames of their passion hadn't

dimmed in the slightest. At the beginning, Yue had been so enamored with Hajime that

she'd forcefully convinced his parents to let her homestay with them.

That had caused quite the uproar among the people who knew him. Especially since

Hajime was a hardcore otaku who spent most of his time playing games or helping his

dad make games. He was the last person anyone had expected to land a beautiful

girlfriend. Hajime's mother had worried he had somehow mastered the art of

hypnosis and tricked Yue into being his girlfriend, while his father assumed he'd

somehow manifested the power to make his waifu real. And when Yue had transferred

into Hajime's school and announced that she was Hajime's girlfriend, the whole school

had started talking about it.

Afterward, Hajime had been forced to deal with the hordes of jealous guys who'd

hounded him day and night. Yue'd had her own share of problems, and was called out

by the school's girls day after day. Finally, after a few months, things had reached the

point where they were calming down. The reason Hajime could walk to school so

leisurely now was because he'd braved such a storm of trials. Hajime stared at Yue's

glistening golden hair and thought back to how he'd first met her.

He'd chanced upon her getting assaulted by a mugger, and after a vicious struggle had

successfully managed to fight him off and save Yue. As thanks, she'd kissed him on the

neck. Even now, he could clearly remember the sensation of that kiss. After that, they'd

started dating.

Honestly, I'm kind of surprised an otaku like me managed to beat up a mugger in the

first place. I guess humans really do display amazing feats of strength when they're

desperate. He smiled to himself. That really had been reckless. But as he sifted through

his memories, he realized something was off.

Wait, come to think of it, where was that place I first met Yue anyway? And why was I

there? Yue was obviously a foreigner, and the fact that she was homestaying at

Hajime's house meant she must have come from a different country. Hajime also

vaguely remembered first meeting Yue in a foreign country. But he couldn't for the life

of him remember which country that was. Once he realized that, a bunch of other

contradictory elements started popping up in his memories. The more he questioned

his present situation, the more he felt as though something wasn't right.

"Hajime!"

"Whoa. What's up? Why'd you suddenly yell like that?"

He was shocked out of his musings by Yue's uncharacteristically loud voice. Upon

returning to reality, Hajime noticed Yue was staring intently at him.

"I kept calling your name, but you ignored me….

"Wait, really!? I'm so sorry! I was just lost in thought…."

Yue huffed and looked away. It seemed his indifference had really hurt her. He tried to

comfort her as best he could, his earlier doubts completely forgotten.

—Fall into bliss. Look only at me—

Yue's whisper was so quiet it didn't reach Hajime's ears. He smiled gently at her, glad

she was at his side.

They reached school without incident and as Hajime was putting on his school

slippers, he felt something soft touch his back. Someone was hugging him from

behind. No, not just someone. Hajime knew instantly who it was just from the

sensation. It could only be her.

"Hajime-saaan! Yue-saaan! Good morning!"

"Mmm…. Morning, Shea."

"Sh-Shea-san! How many times do I have to tell you not to hug him!? Get off already!"

"Don't be like that! How cruel do you have to be to steal my only happiness away from

me!? You better make up for it by marrying me!"

"How on earth are those two related!? Anyway, get off him! Look, Yue's eyes have

already glazed over! She's glaring at me too now!"

Hajime didn't let the joy he felt at being smothered by Shea's breasts show on his face,

and he silently pushed her away. Shea was an exchange student who'd transferred into

Hajime's class some time back. The reason she was so attached to him was because a

while back he'd also saved her and her family from a gang of muggers. Though she

looked like a mature beauty, her trademark hairband and innocent smile made her

appear childlike. Still, she had enough admirers to have her own dedicated fan club. If

Hajime was honest with himself, he didn't hate all the attention Shea gave him. He was

a guy, after all. If he'd met Shea first, she might have been his girlfriend right now

instead of Yue. However, there was no point in thinking about such what-if scenarios.

As it was, Shea's assertiveness was a problem for Hajime, since he already had Yue.

Hajime racked his brains, trying to figure out why his memories weren't matching up

with Shea's current appearance. But before he could arrive at an answer, Shea and Yue

wrapped themselves around his arms. Seriously though, what kind of cliched set-up is

this? I just coincidentally happen to save two different girls from muggers, and they just

happen to both fall in love with me? Wait a second. Did Shea always wear a headband

like that? I thought she was supposed to have…. Hajime racked his brains, trying to

figure out why his memories weren't matching up with Shea's current appearance. But

before he could arrive at an answer, Shea and Yue wrapped themselves around his

arms.

"Why do you look so confused? We need to hurry, or we'll be late for class."

"Mmm…. I don't want to be lectured by the teacher again."

They pressed their breasts against him, and Hajime's thoughts were overwritten.

Unable to resist, Hajime was dragged off to class by the two of them.

Class? Teacher? Why does this all sound so strange? Everything they're saying makes

sense…. right? I guess the weird thing is they're the ones saying it? Their conversation

was a perfectly standard one, but Hajime couldn't help but feel uneasy.

The moment Hajime entered the classroom he was met by the jealous glares of all the

guys in the class. Thanks to Yue's intervention, they were no longer bullying him

directly, but those gazes still hurt.

Is it just me or does this all feel a little…. nostalgic? But why on earth should it feel

nostalgic? Hajime couldn't fathom why his normal, everyday life felt so off. Confused,

he took his seat. The moment he sat down, another girl, one of his classmates, came

bounding over to him.

"Good morning, Hajime-kun! You barely made it on time today too. I think you should

at least make an effort to come earlier."

"...…"

Kaori Shirasaki, a girl who's looks rivaled Yue and Shea's, looked down at Hajime.

Before Yue and Shea's arrival, she'd been the undisputed most popular girl in school.

And for some reason, she too had a crush on Hajime. She'd actually been infatuated

with him for quite some time, but Hajime hadn't realized it until just recently. Back

then he'd always brushed her off with a troubled smile, but now things were different.

Why does it feel like…. I've heard that line before…. Dammit, what's going on? Why does

all this feel so freaking nostalgic? I've been doing this every day for a while now, there

shouldn't be anything nostalgic about it.

"Hajime-kun…. why are you ignoring me? Did I do something to make you mad?" Her

voice trembled a little, and Hajime looked up to see her almost in tears.

Realizing he'd been ignoring her for almost a minute, he hurriedly replied.

"Oh no, that's not it. I'm really sorry, I just got lost in thought. Morning, Shirasaki-san."

"Oh, thank goodness that was all. Anyway, Hajime-kun, how many times do I have to

tell you to just call me Kaori?"

She puffed out her cheeks in mock anger. The gesture was so cute that quite a few of

the spectating boys got nosebleeds. Naturally, the fact that Kaori's gestures were

directed toward Hajime also fanned the flames of their jealousy.

"But Shirasaki-san, I…."

"Kaori. Call me Kaori."

"But…."

"Ka-o-ri."

"U-Umm, K-Kao…." Overwhelmed, Hajime finally started to give in. But before he could

finish saying Kaori's name, Yue came to his rescue.

"….Stop bothering Hajime." She stepped protectively in front of Hajime and put her

hands on her hips. In return, Kaori got into a fighting stance. Yue did the same and

crouched low.

"Of course you'd get in the way, Yue. Good morning, I guess."

"Mmm…. Good morning, Kaori. I guess."

They spat out their morning greetings as though it physically pained them to do so.

The surrounding temperature dropped to absolute zero as the two officially

recognized love rivals stared each other down. Despite how it seemed, the two didn't

hate each other. If anything, they were more like best friends who fought a lot. Hajime

found it strange how they seemed enjoy each other's company despite how often they

quarreled.

Before they could start fighting in earnest though, the bell rang and the teacher walked

into the classroom. Yue and Kaori gave each other one final glare before reluctantly

returning to their seats. First period was English, taught by Tio. She was a beautiful

teacher, who, like seemingly every other pretty woman, was enamored with Hajime.

She'd often tease him or sexually harass him during class. Today too, she shot Hajime

a flirtatious glance as she walked into the room.

"Tch…. Someone fire her already."

"Huh!? Haaah…. Haaah…."

At this point, the whole class knew about her deviant sexual tendencies. Even Hajime,

who was normally a mild-mannered individual, couldn't help but be compelled to

insult Tio.

Huh? How come everything else feels weird, but this feels normal? The strange

disconnect Hajime had been feeling until now vanished. This particular scene just

seemed to fit so perfectly. Throughout the rest of the day, Hajime was struck by a few

other things that seemed out of place, but also experienced moments where

everything seemed to fit together. It felt like someone inside his mind was yelling

something at him, but the words were a little too faint to make out.

After school, Hajime, Yue, and Shea went to visit a nearby kindergarten. They were

there to pick up Myu, their neighbor Remia's daughter. Remia was a single mom, and

work often kept her busy, so Hajime occasionally went to pick up Myu in her stead.

Because Remia had known Hajime for a while, she trusted him to not only pick up

Myu, but also to look after her until she got home from work. Myu saw them the

moment they arrived and tottered over.

"Ah, it's Da— Onii-chan! And Shea-oneechan and Yue-oneechan!"

A beaming smile split her face. Hajime smiled back and caught Myu in his arms.

"Myu, how many times do I have to tell you jumping like that is dangerous? Also, you

were about to call me Daddy again weren't you? I told you not to call me that."

Cold sweat poured down Hajime's back as he scolded Myu. Since Myu's father had died

before she was born, she'd taken to calling Hajime--the only older boy to spend this

much time with her--Daddy. However, that nickname was likely to cause

misunderstandings. Remia was still a young widow and considered quite the beauty

by most of their neighbors. If her daughter started calling another man Daddy, well it

wasn't hard to see how that would be interpreted. Unsavory rumors would start to

spread.

In fact, Myu had already slipped up once in front of the kindergarten teachers. That

alone had caused a huge uproar. Fortunately, it appeared Remia had resolved the

misunderstanding before things got out of hand. But if Myu called Hajime Daddy in

the middle of the street, well, his social life was finished. So his concern was

understandable.

Though for some reason, the looks Myu's teachers had been giving Hajime recently

made him worry Remia might actually be up to something. He tried not to think too

much about it, grabbed Myu's hand, and started walking home. He watched with an

awkward smile as Yue and Shea tried to convince Myu to call them Mommy. As he

gazed at the setting sun, he felt a sense of contentment wash over him. The disconnect

he'd felt earlier this morning had all but vanished.

"Hey D…. Onii-chan! Are you listening to me?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I spaced out there for a second."

By way of apology, Hajime scooped Myu up into his arms. That was enough to assuage

her anger, but Myu pretended to still be mad in order to make Hajime hold her for

longer. Her cute antics stamped out the last of the discomfort Hajime had been feeling.

Yue and Shea smiled at him, but then Shea suddenly closed her eyes and questioned

him.

"Hmm? Hajime-san, did you hear that?"

"Wha? Did something happen?" Shea's hearing was better than most people, so Hajime

didn't doubt that she might have picked up on something. Hajime strained his ears,

and he was able to faintly make out the sound of one girl and a group of guys arguing

with each other. The group exchanged glances, then ran off toward the alley the sound

was coming from.

"Wow, this is cliched…."

"….No enemy of women shall go unpunished."

As expected, a group of guys were heckling a lone girl. Hajime looked down at Myu

and considered his options. The enemy wasn't terribly strong. Judging by their

posture, they were garden-variety thugs. Even if they'd been armed, they wouldn't be

much of a match for Hajime, Yue, or Shea.

While Hajime was still analyzing the situation, Shea walked up to the group of guys.

Noticing that someone was approaching, the guys turned around. Upon spotting

Shea's gorgeous figure, their surprised expressions transformed into vulgar grins.

They obviously thought Shea would be an easy mark.

Huh? Driven on by a dark impulse to kill, Hajime reached towards his right thigh.

Before he could do anything though, Shea wedged herself in between the group of

guys. From there, it was a slaughter. She struck down the thugs with a superb display

of martial skill.

Oh yeah, how could I forget. Shea can handle guys like these no problem. Now that he

thought about it, it made sense for Shea to be that strong. There was nothing strange

about it. That was just how she was. It was exactly as Hajime remembered.

Shea exchanged a few words with the terrified girl she'd just saved, then returned to

Hajime's side. As she passed by Yue, she gave her a high-five.

"You're so cool, Shea-oneechan!"

"Fufufu. Praise me more. Don't worry Myu, when you get bigger I'll teach you how to

fight just like me."

"Mmm…. I have a lot to teach you too, Myu."

Just don't teach her anything weird. Hajime thought to himself as he watched Myu jump

up and down. With that incident settled, the group once again headed towards home.

The disconnect that had vanished before returned as Hajime realized there was

something strange about his earlier actions.

What was I trying to do with my right hand back there? It felt like I was searching for

something…. Just then, he realized something else. He'd analyzed the situation like a

hardened warrior. Shaken, he looked down at his hands.

"….ake…. up…."

In the distance, he heard a faint voice that sounded similar to yet different from his

own.

That night. Hajime had already finished eating dinner and taking his bath and was

now lying in his bed. He'd been so lost in thought the whole time that he hadn't even

remembered to dry his hair properly. The sense that something was wrong kept

growing stronger. Though it was extremely faint, he was almost certain he could hear

a voice calling out to him. It struck something deep down inside him, something

primal. The voice was one of denial. It was screaming at him to reject this seemingly

happy life.

"Just what am I unsatisfied with, anyway?"

As he scratched his head in annoyance, he heard a knock on his door.

"….Hajime?"

"Is that you, Yue? Come in."

After a brief pause, Yue opened the door and walked inside. All she had on was a

negligee. Her silky, pale skin was on full display. As she crawled onto Hajime's bed, she

noticed his hair was still wet and she poked him in mild rebuke. He reluctantly got into

a sitting position, and she started drying his hair.

"Mmm…. All dry. If you sleep with your hair wet, you'll catch a cold."

"Yeah, you've got a point. Thanks, Yue."

"Mmm…."

Yue hugged Hajime from behind and started rubbing her face against the back of his

neck, like a spoiled cat. She then pushed her hands inside Hajime's shirt and started

caressing his chest. Hajime let himself sink into bliss. Or at least, he tried to. For some

reason, Yue's actions only made his sense of unease grow. He couldn't understand why

he was feeling like this, and it made him frustrated.

I have a fulfilling life and a girlfriend who's completely devoted to me. There's nothing

more I could hope to ask for. So who is it inside of me…. that keeps yelling at me to reject

reality!?

He tried to focus on Yue and banish the unease welling up within him. As if sensing his

discomfort, Yue leaned close and whispered into his ear.

"….It's alright. You don't have to worry about anything. I'll make sure you're happy,

Hajime."

"Yue…."

"So focus only on me. It's okay, I'll always be here by your side. I'll always be everything

you want."

"...…" Hajime slowly started to nod off. If only I could fall asleep just like this. Then I

wouldn't have to think about anything. I mean, I have Yue right here with me. There can't

be anything more important than that…. can there? As long as I have her, I don't need

anything else. Even if I lost everything else…. I'd still have my ideal girlfriend with me.

That's all I need to….

Hajime let his thoughts trail off, and relaxed his body. He entrusted himself to the

warmth of Yue's body and let the sweet fog of sleep blanket his mind. But just before

he fell fully asleep—

"As long as we watch each other's backs, we'll be stronger than anyone. We'll beat

down anyone who stands against us and bust our way out of this shitty world."

Someone screamed those words inside his head. Hajime drove off the fog of sleep, and

his eyes snapped open.

"Well, how about coming with me then?"

He heard his own voice again. It sounded different from his current voice, but it was

undoubtedly his. Memories rose one after another to the surface of his mind.

I remember now. That was what I told Yue way back when in the bottom of the abyss.

When I asked her if she wanted to come back to my world with me. Scenes of a world

that wasn't earth flashed through his head.

It was then that Hajime remembered Yue's smile. The smile she'd shown him when

he'd offered to take her with him. That was the first time he'd seen Yue, who was

normally expressionless, smile so genuinely. It had been like watching a sunflower

bloom. Thinking back on it now, Hajime realized it was then that he'd fallen for her.

After that, they'd fought through numerous life-and-death situations and stepped foot

on Tortus' surface once more. There they'd sworn to protect each other, find a way

home, and beat down anything that stood in their path.

It had been almost instinctual. Just as Hajime had been about to surrender himself to

this dream, he'd remembered the oath he'd made. Hajime shook off the illusion that

looked like Yue and rose to his feet.

A perfect girlfriend? A perfect world? Just how stupid can I get!? Hajime rubbed his eyes

and ground his teeth together. He couldn't forgive himself for being so weak, for nearly

succumbing to this false happiness.

Pathetic. I feel like throwing up. How could I forget the promise I made? He slapped his

cheeks as hard as he could, both to punish himself and to clear his head.

The sound reverberated throughout the room, startling Yue. She hurriedly got to her

feet and grabbed Hajime's hand. However, he coldly shook her off. Yue brought her

hand back to her chest, looking forlorn.

"Don't fuck with me…." Hajime muttered angrily as he glared at the illusory Yue

Haltina's labyrinth had no doubt created.

"Hajime, what's wrong?"

Hajime looked nothing like the docile boy he had a few moments ago. He ignored Yue's

question and let out some rather heartfelt words.

"Hey, Yue. You're the most important thing in the world to me. As long as I have you, I

don't need anything else."

"….Hearing that makes me so happy, Hajime." Yue was initially taken aback, but then

she smiled happily. But despite his words, Hajime's gaze was as cold as ice.

"So if I told you to throw away everything else for me, would you?"

After a moment's hesitation, Yue nodded.

"….If that's what you wanted."

"Even if that everything else included Shea, Kaori, Tio, and Myu?"

"….If that's what you wanted."

Yue agreed to anything Hajime asked as if she were trying to become his ideal partner.

However, her responses only served to anger Hajime.

"I can't believe something like this managed to trick me…." he muttered to himself. He

then looked up at Yue and spat out words dripping with venom.

"Fine. I get it already, goddammit." The moment Hajime was convinced beyond a

shadow of a doubt that the Yue in front of him was a fake, his appearance changed. His

black hair turned white, an eye patch covered one eye, and his left arm was replaced

by a mechanical one.

"Tch…. I totally fell for that one. This is why you can't ever let your guard down in a

labyrinth. Looks like Haltina was just as much of an asshole as the rest of the

Liberators."

The fake Yue once again stretched out a hand to Hajime as he cursed to himself.

"….Please stay here. You'll be happy if you do."

"Shut up, you damn fake. Don't you dare say my name again."

"Why? I'm Yue, your girlfriend. Your ideal girlfriend, Hajime. What's there to be

unhappy about?"

"Everything, you moron. If I wanted an obedient girlfriend who did everything I asked,

I'd get a doll. But unfortunately for you, I'm not really into those," Hajime spat. He then

tuned Yue out as he searched for a way out of this illusory space.

"You're wrong. I'm not just a doll. I have the same personality as the real Yue. I'm just

also the ideal Yue that you desire. So stay here. Anything and everything you could

wish for is here. And I'll always be by your side."

So this world's not just your normal fake, huh? Both the people and the world were

based on Hajime's memories, which had been read by the first magic circle that had

teleported them. On top of that, everything here was simulated to be the ideal what-if

scenario that the labyrinth believed the challenger desired. Considering all the

suffering Hajime had been through in the abyss, and the challenges that he still needed

to overcome to make it back home, it wasn't wrong to say a world like this where he

could spend his days with Yue and the others in peace was in many ways ideal.

However, it wasn't the world Hajime wanted.

"You're hopeless. It's kind of pathetic how off the mark you are."

Red sparks flew off of Hajime's body as he said that. His mana spread to every corner

of this fake world, painting everything crimson. Since this was a trial, he reasoned that

once he cleared it he'd be thrown out of the illusion automatically. And while he'd

more or less guessed what the clear conditions were, this particular trial had pissed

him off enough that he'd rather smash through it by force.

"Why don't you want to stay?" Yue asked, confused. Seconds later though, the emotion

vanished from her expression. Now she truly did resemble a doll. Hajime continued

pouring mana into his surroundings as he glared angrily at Yue.

"That's simple. Compared to the real Yue, you're worthless. There's nothing in the

world I want more than the real Yue!" Hajime growled through gritted teeth. The vast

amount of mana he was expending was taking its toll on his body. However, it was

taking an even greater toll on the world around him. Cracks had already started to

form inside the illusion. Hajime then activated Limit Break and squeezed out all of his

remaining mana at once.

"That goes for everyone else, too. They're all a bunch of troublemakers who never

listen to what I say. Sure, maybe they're not 'ideal' comrades, but I am who I am

because of them. I only made it this far because they were by my side. Your 'ideal' fakes

could never hold a candle to them!"

The illusion groaned under the weight of Hajime's mana, which had covered it so

thoroughly the entire world seemed red. And finally…. it shattered. Shards of the

illusion rained down all around Hajime, pieces of broken glass falling from the

heavens. They glinted in the light like diamonds.

As the constructed world began to fade, the fake Yue smiled quietly at Hajime. It was

the illusion's final flare of light before the darkness swallowed it forever. That smile

wasn't the kind of smile Yue would ever make. It belonged to someone else entirely.

Hajime had a guess as to whose smile that was, but his consciousness was fading

rapidly and he lacked the energy to think any further.

"You pass. There's no value in a world that's always as you want it. And there's no

meaning in happiness you didn't earn. Even if it's painful, even if you feel like you can't

bear it at times, it's only through overcoming harsh realities one after another that you

will achieve true happiness. Never forget that."

The voice that spoke to him sounded nothing like Yue's. Hajime couldn't even tell if it

belonged to a guy or a girl. However, he could feel an unbelievable amount of warmth

from it. Just before he lost consciousness, Hajime retorted.

"Hah, I don't need you to tell me that….But I'll keep it in mind, I guess."

Though Hajime's sight had already clouded over, it seemed to him that the person he

was talking to smiled at that.