Chapter 86 - The Final Labyrinth Part 2

A huge blade of light hurtled toward the bigfoots, a tornado of shockwaves

surrounding it. Kouki was done with this farce. None of the bigfoots tried to dodge.

Just as Kouki was convinced this fight was over, they once again defied all expectations.

"Wha!? Did they just do a triple axel!?"

The bigfoots instantly transitioned from speed skaters to figure skaters. Fur bristling

in the wind, the bigfoots jumped right over the Celestial Flash and spun thrice in the

air. Kouki's attack passed harmlessly underneath them and slammed into the wall.

Shards of ice danced through the air as the bigfoots changed from a horizontal

formation to a vertical one with far more grace than their size suggested. Kouki's jaw

dropped open. Even Hajime exclaimed, "No way!?" Everyone was awestruck. Once

again, Hajime snapped a few pictures. The three bigfoots landed right in front of Kouki

and the others and launched a synchronized series of roundhouse kicks, using their

earlier triple axels to give them more force.

"Kyaa!?"

"Whoa!?"

Shizuku and Ryutarou hurriedly backstepped out of the way, just barely avoiding the

bigfoots' kicks.

"You little— Radiant Slash!"

Kouki launched a counterattack as he dodged his kick. The bigfoot bent backward,

balancing perfectly on one foot, and avoided Kouki's horizontal slash. These bigfoots'

skating abilities were on par with Ina Bauer's.

"A-Are you fucking kidding me!?"

"Hey, calm down, Kouki!"

Determined to prove his worth and earn the right to inherit this labyrinth's magic,

Kouki grit his teeth and charged. At a glance, it certainly did seem like the bigfoots

were toying with the party, what with their ludicrous movements. However, they were

really just fighting in the way they knew best. Kouki was unable to think calmly enough

to realize that though, and his frustration only grew as the bigfoots continued to avoid

him with their elegant maneuvers.

The three bigfoots scattered, circled around Kouki, and launched a pincer attack. They

once again dexterously leaped into the air. This time they supplemented their jump

with an unbelievable eightfold spin toe loop jump. They spread their arms wide,

creating a deadly whirlwind with their talons as they spun. It was the most deadly

work of art Hajime had seen. In response, Shizuku stepped forward and drew her

sword.

"Haaah— Flash Blitz!"

She frowned as her enhanced dynamic vision caught sight of bigfoots' grinning faces.

She slashed at the one in front of her then jumped out of the way, along with Kouki

and Ryutarou. A second later, the three bigfoots landed where the trio had been

standing. Like the rest of their moves, their landing was perfect. Unfortunately, one of

the three bigfoots had been cut cleanly in half.

"Ook eek!?"

The remaining two screeched in surprise. Flash Blitz was one of the new moves

Hajime had added to Shizuku's black katana. It cut through space itself, so unless the

opponent also had the ability to manipulate space, it was impossible to defend against.

"Pay attention, Kouki, Ryutarou. As long as you don't get swept up in their erratic

movements you should be able to handle them. Let's finish this up. Suzu's already

killed her targets."

"Y-Yeah. Damnit, why'd these guys have to be the first enemies we run into?"

Cursing, Kouki jumped into action. Ryutarou leaped in after him with a grimace.

Realizing their gambit had failed, the remaining bigfoots dropped their exaggerated

movements. They tried to fight Kouki and the others head-on, but failed spectacularly.

In the time it took Kouki and the others to mop up the remnants, Suzu finished

crushing her target with her gravity barrier.

The four of them came out of the fight more or less unscathed. It was a total victory.

But for some reason, Kouki wasn't satisfied. Ryutarou and the others were still

recovering from the shock of fighting a group of ice-skating bigfoots. Hajime grinned

and said, "Nice work you guys."

"Don't laugh at me! How come this labyrinth has stupid monsters like that!?"

Hajime waved off Kouki's complaints with a wave of his hand. He then turned to Yue

and Shea and asked, "Is it just me or did those monsters remind you of Miledi?"

Both girls nodded in unison. Hajime could just imagine Miledi saying "How'd you like

my present, huh guys? How'd you enjoy fighting a bunch of ice-skating gorilla

monsters in sub-zero temperatures? Had fun? Of course you did! No need to thank

me!"

"Mmm… Miledi had a hand in making these."

"Definitely. She's the only one who can make things that annoying."

Vandre Schnee, the creator of this labyrinth, must have been just as annoyed to follow

Miledi's bidding and place those monsters here. While Hajime, Yue, and Shea were

reminiscing about the past, Tio turned to Suzu and said, "That was a splendid display

of barrier magic, Suzu. You've grown much in these past few days."

"Hweh!? You really think so? Hehehe."

Yue stopped waxing nostalgic and turned to Suzu as well. "Mmm… not bad," she said

with a faint smile. Suzu blushed bright red and scratched her cheek.

Kaori also smiled at Suzu and said, "Yeah, you did great. You all did! You're way stronger

than you were when we conquered the Haltina Woods. I'm impressed!"

"Hehe, I know right? Though I guess we've got Nagumo's new weapons to thank for

that."

"Y-Yeah, I guess. But we've gotten stronger ourselves too."

Ryutarou blushed as well. He could tell everyone's praise wasn't just flattery. On the

other hand, Kouki still had a bitter expression on his face.

Shea suddenly turned to Shizuku and said, "Oh yeah, Shizuku-san! You used evolution

magic during that fight, didn't you? I'm still practicing with it, so it was nice to see how

it works in action."

"Ah, I saw that too, Shizushizu! Actually, I couldn't see it at all, but you cut everything,

right? It was so fast!"

No one noticed Kouki's eyebrows twitch slightly at that. All eyes were on Shizuku, who

blushed and nodded.

"Yes, I did. Just for an instant, when I drew my blade. It drains a lot of mana, but I

wanted to practice it in actual combat before we start fighting tougher enemies… I

think I have the hang of it now."

Overjoyed, Kaori hugged Shizuku, who patted her head like she would a small animal.

"Even I could barely follow that… You can't pull off moves like that with just evolution

magic. You must have trained your techniques a ton. That was pretty damn good."

Even Hajime praised Shizuku's skills.

"Huh? Oh, u-uhh well umm… thank you?"

Shizuku awkwardly averted her gaze and started fiddling with her katana.

"Why're you phrasing it like a question?" Hajime said with a chuckle, then turned to

Shea.

"Shea. You have a habit of relying on brute force, so try learning from Yaegashi's

moves."

"Yeaaaaah. I'm learning a lot though! I'll try punching so fast you can't see it next time!"

"On second thought, just how overpowered are you going to get if you manage to learn

proper techniques?"

"Mmm… The gentle rabbits of the forest are no more."

Joking among themselves, Hajime and the others walked toward the entrance of the

Frost Caverns proper. Kouki and the rest followed behind, still discussing the earlier

fight. The party stopped right before the entrance. Hajime looked over his shoulder

and gave everyone his trademark fearless smile.

"You guys ready?"

Everyone, even Kouki, nodded silently. Hajime nodded back and said, "Then let's get

this last labyrinth squared away."

His words echoed down the dark caverns.

The inside of the Frost Caverns was an ominous and mysterious place. The walls on

either side were made of ice so clear one could see straight through them, but they

also reflected light, causing barely perceptible shadows to be cast across them. Every

time the party moved, the shadows moved with them, giving the impression that

something was following them just out of sight. Despite their enthusiasm, Kouki and

Suzu remained wary, with weapons in hand. When they finally realized it was their

own shadows they were afraid of, they both blushed in embarrassment. This place

looks like some hack's failed attempt at making a mirror house. Hajime thought to

himself as he scrutinized the frozen walls.

"There isn't anything dangerous about these walls but… it's annoying how they keep

reflecting our shadows."

"There was a ghost story that went like this, wasn't there? A group of people got

stranded in a snowed-in hut and after a while, their shadows started becoming

people."

"D-Don't say that, Shizuku-chan! You know I'm not good with scary stories!"

"Ah, sorry. I forgot how jittery you were. Remember when Endou-kun spooked you by

standing behind you and you smacked him with your staff?"

"Why'd you have to bring that up!? Ah, it's not what you think, Hajime-kun! I'm not a

violent woman! I just get scared easy! Please don't hate me! Please don't back away

from me like that!"

Kaori desperately tried to make excuses. However, Hajime wasn't buying them.

"No kidding? You killed Endou just cause he was standing behind you? Poor dude…"

"Mmm… So in scary places, Kaori turns into a devil. Good to know."

"Yue!?"

"Everyone, please keep clear of Kaori-san! She's a savage beast!"

"You too, Shea!? Meanie!"

"You know, Endou flew pretty far, considering he was hit by someone whose job is

Priest. Watching that sent shivers down my spine."

"Yeah, he really flew… Kaorin's scary!"

"I can't believe you two would betray me too, Suzu-chan, Ryutarou-kun… Tiooooooo,

everyone's bullying me! Please become creepy reliable Tio again so you can scold all

of them!"

"K-Kaori, to think you would berate me while begging for assistance… you've reached

a higher level than I thought possible. Haah haah."

Tio started panting heavily as she patted Kaori's head.

"Alright, that's enough teasing Kaori. Let's get going."

"Hajime-kun that's not helping!"

Hajime ignored Kaori's glare and resumed walking. After a few steps, he glanced back

and saw Shizuku give him a nod of gratitude. Thanks for playing along, she thought

silently. She'd noticed that Kouki and Suzu were a little too wound up, so she'd

lightened the mood by teasing Kaori. Though she hadn't expected Hajime to join in,

the fact that he had helped both Suzu and Kouki relax a little. Silently offering a prayer

for her friend's sacrifice, Shizuku smiled at Hajime.

"Shizuku."

"Hm!? Oh, what is it, Kouki?"

"Ah… it's nothing important. Just, it's rare to see you teasing Kaori."

"Fufu, I was just a little nervous. I'll apologize to her later."

"I see… That makes sense. Yeah, you probably should."

Kouki smiled faintly and nodded to Shizuku. The party continued in silence, the snowcovered floor absorbing the sound of their footsteps. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew

through the corridor. Hajime squinted and looked for the source of the wind. Up ahead

he saw snowflakes whirling in the breeze, heading toward the party. He raised his

artificial arm to block the tiny flecks. The snow melted almost instantly, but Hajime

didn't think this was normal snow. He carefully touched a melting flake with his right

fingertip.

"Tio—No, Taniguchi. Put up the same barrier you did last time. As fast as you can."

"O-Okay!"

Hajime's voice was calm, but firm. Suzu jumped, but then instantly cast her Hallowed

Ground - Dispersal. Just as her orange barriers snapped into place, the wind grew

stronger. It was accompanied by a flurry of snow, turning the passage into a miniblizzard.

"Be careful. This snow isn't normal. Touching it will give you frostbite."

"Oww!?"

Ryutarou screamed in pain. His large frame had worked against him. Part of his face

stuck out above the barrier and was now covered in mottled red dots that resembled

freckles. Kaori smiled kindly and cast a healing spell on Ryutarou. Silver light suffused

his face and a second later, he was healed. Stifling a laugh at his best friend's comical

new look, Kouki turned forward.

"Is this… dry ice?"

"Even if it's not, it shares similar properties to it. But even then, it freezes you way too

fast."

Hajime looked down at his finger as Shizuku answered him. She took her Airzone out

of her pocket and added, "We're in caverns made of ice, surrounded by a blizzard of

snowflakes that will give you frostbite just from touching them… I don't even want to

think about how cold it actually is. If it wasn't for our artifacts, this'd be hell."

"It'd be impossible to even drink water without them."

After healing Ryutarou, Kaori created a ball of water with magic and sent it forward.

The moment it left the range of Suzu's barrier and the Airzones of the party, it froze

into a solid sphere. The process happened in less than a second. The frozen ball of

water fell to the ground with a clunk. Under normal circumstances, the water in

everyone's canteens should have frozen solid the moment they stepped foot into the

caverns.

"Indeed. Furthermore, it appears fire magic is severely weakened here. It would have

been quite the ordeal to have to use advanced-level fire magic every time we wished

for a drink."

"Mmm… But that's not a problem for us…" Yue pointed to the pendant she was wearing

and held up the ring on her finger. Since everyone had an Airzone and their own

personal Treasure Trove, the harsh conditions of the labyrinth weren't a problem at

all.

"Glad to know they're coming in handy… I wouldn't want to end up like that."

As they were talking, Hajime spotted something up ahead. Yue and the others followed

his gaze and saw a man encased inside the wall. His eyes were closed, as though he

were just asleep. It looked as though he'd just leaned against the wall for a short break,

and before he knew it he'd froze to death. Seeing as there were no wounds on his body,

chances were that was what had actually happened. However, there was one strange

thing about him that Shea noticed.

"Hajime-san… It's one thing if he was just leaning against the wall, but don't you think

it's weird he's inside it?"

"Good point. It's like the wall reached out to encase him."

Hearing that, Kaori shivered. It was as if the entire labyrinth was feeding on hapless

challengers. She clung to Shizuku, just like she always had whenever the two went to

a haunted house or anything similar. The look in her eyes made it clear she wouldn't

let go no matter what. Even though Kaori was a strong girl who'd managed to even

make the body of a God's Apostle her own, she still couldn't handle horror. In some

ways, she hadn't changed at all from the person she'd been during their adventure in

the Sunken Ruins of Melusine. Hajime gave Kaori a rueful grin, then slid off his

eyepatch and examined the frozen man more closely.

"I don't sense any mana… From the wall or the corpse, I mean. But just in case I guess

we should kill… or I guess break him."

Since his Demon Eye hadn't sensed anything out of the ordinary there was no real

reason to mess with the corpse. But conversely, there was no reason to leave it alone

either. Hajime unholstered Donner and pointed its muzzle at the corpse. He'd

redesigned it a little, and the revolver was now black and sleek, like Tio's scales, with

streaks of red running down the barrel. After acquiring evolution magic he'd gotten

even better at Transmuting, so he'd strengthened Donner while also remaking it with

alloys that conducted the power of his Lightning Field more efficiently. Schlag had

received the same treatment.

Sparks ran down Donner's length as he reached for the trigger, appearing far more

vivid than they used to. A second later there was a loud bang and two crimson streaks

pierced through the frozen wall. There was a good three meters of ice separating the

surface of the wall and the corpse, but Hajime's bullets pierced through the ice like a

needle through a sponge. One bullet passed through the corpse's head while the other

crushed its chest. Both traveled straight through the corpse and bored so far into the

wall that they were no longer visible. For the newly improved Donner and its

upgraded special bullets, a wall of ice might as well have been a piece of paper.

"...…"

Kouki raised an eyebrow in disapproval, but he held his tongue. He knew now wasn't

the time for an argument.

"Looks like we're good. I'm still curious about how that happened, but I guess we don't

have to worry at least."

Hajime kept an eye on the wall for a few seconds but neither it nor the corpse moved.

The party breathed a collective sigh of relief and began walking again. Though Kaori

shot multiple glances back at the wall as they left.

Sometime after Hajime and the others had left, the sound of ice cracking pierced

through the incessant wind that scoured that section of the caverns.

"Gaaah goooh gugyaaah…"

Pained groans accompanied the cracking ice.

Oblivious to what was happening behind them, Hajime and the others pressed

forward. Ryutarou forgot multiple times that he needed to stoop to fit inside Suzu's

barrier and Kaori gave him a scolding each time as she healed him. Normally the party

would have to explore to find the right path, but thanks to the compass Hajime always

knew which way to go.

"This is too easy. We've come pretty far in, but nothing's happened still."

Hajime kept his guard up, concerned at how smooth their progress had been.

"Mmm… This isn't normal for a labyrinth. If there was really nothing here, then why

are there so many corpses?"

Yue was, of course, referring to the corpses stuck in the walls. Finding dead

adventurers within a labyrinth was hardly a cause for concern, but the sheer number

the party had seen over the past few minutes was abnormal. Especially since this was

a quiet path that didn't even have any monsters in it. Hajime doubted so many people

could have been done in by the harsh weather alone.

"Ah. There's more…" Suzu muttered. She walked directly behind Hajime with her fans

held high, maintaining the barrier. Her expression was grim; seeing so many corpses

had dampened her mood.

"Demons again, huh?" Kouki murmured. The corpses were indeed those of demons,

with dark skin and pointed ears. There were three of them lined up next to each other.

Like the rest, these men also looked like they were just sleeping.

"We must have passed 50 or so by now. And most of them were demons."

Shizuku breathed a heavy sigh. Though they were ostensibly at war with the demon

kingdom, she couldn't help but feel sorry for these demons. On the other hand, Hajime

didn't seem affected at all. He stroked his jaw and said, "This is just a guess, but if Freid

conquered this labyrinth, these are probably his soldiers. I bet he sent his army in after

he cleared it to see if any of them could make it too."

"That makes sense. If the demons' advantage was that they can control monsters, then

they probably wanted to make sure as many of them got that power as possible."

Supporting that theory was the fact that the majority of demons they'd passed so far

had all been wearing the same military uniform as the demons that had attacked

Heiligh's capital. Those who were wearing adventurers' outfits or older uniforms were

likely people who'd tried to challenge the labyrinth on their own, or from joint

expeditions centuries ago.

"Hmm. I suppose they believed themselves capable since they were aware of what to

expect. Yet it clearly did not end well for them. Considering how many other routes

there are, a great deal of demons must have died here."

"But if the whole demon army challenged this labyrinth, doesn't that mean people

other than that Freid guy might have conquered it as well? In that case, it's only a

matter of time before they rebuild their forces," Kaori said worriedly. She was thinking

of the classmates and friends she'd left behind in Heiligh. Even without Eri's betrayal,

the demon army would likely have been able to overrun the capital. Were it not for

Hajime, the human race would be in dire straights.

"Don't worry, Kaori. I don't think they'll attack again this soon. Besides, the barrier's

been repaired and Yuka's keeping an eye out for any other spies. But most importantly,

the demons don't know Hajime's laser weapon has been damaged. Even if they

manage to rebuild their army, they'll be wary."

"Shizuku-chan… Yeah, you're right. They'll be fine."

Kaori breathed a sigh of relief. However, she still looked a little worried, which was

something Shizuku didn't fail to notice. She's happy she can finally get back home, but

she's probably worried about what will happen to Lily and the others when she does.

Returning to Earth with Hajime would mean abandoning Liliana. Of course, the

neverending war between humans and demons along with the gods manipulating

events from the background were both things that had been going long before Hajime

and the others were summoned to Tortus. However, just because that was true it didn't

mean Shizuku could justify abandoning the friends she'd made here.

At the same time, Shizuku understood. She knew that it would take power on par with

a god to obtain everything she wanted. Humans were limited in what they could do,

and they always had to make choices on what to protect and what to abandon. And

Shizuku had no right to make that choice, not when she was relying on Hajime's power

like this. If she asked for anything more it would no longer be making a choice, but

plain and simple begging. Just then, Kouki butt into the conversation.

"Don't worry, Kaori. Once I get my hands on this ancient magic, I'll defeat god. I'll

protect Lily… No, not just Lily. I'll protect everyone in this world, humans, and demons.

That means I'll have to stay behind a while longer, but I'll be able to return on my own

once I clear all the other labyrinths. I won't abandon anyone!"

"Kouki-kun…"

Those were exactly the kind of words a hero would say. Yet for some reason, they

lacked the pure-hearted optimism that had been present in Kouki's older declarations.

It was clear from where he was looking that Kouki wasn't saying this for Kaori's sake.

Though he spoke of protection, his words were like a spear, hurtled at the target of his

animosity. That target was naturally Hajime.

Rather than reassuring Kaori, Kouki only managed to give her something else to worry

about. She turned to Shizuku, hoping she had a solution for this. However, Shizuku

seemed as much at a loss for what to do as Kaori. This was the first time she'd seen

such darkness in his gaze. Back on Earth, he'd never been like this. Jealousy, doubt,

impatience, irritation, frustration—every manner of negative emotion swirled around

inside Kouki's head. It took all his willpower to keep them under control, and his

willpower was slipping. Noticing Kouki's gaze, Hajime looked back over his shoulder.

After looking into his eyes for a few seconds, Hajime turned his gaze to Kaori. Honestly,

he was used to dealing with Kouki. But he didn't want to see Kaori looking like that.

So he scratched his cheek awkwardly and muttered, "Alright, alright." He returned his

gaze to Kouki and said, "Amanogawa, what is it? If you've got something to say, spit it

out."

"Ah… No, it's nothing."

Kouki thought he'd just be ignored, so he was surprised when Hajime actually

confronted him. Kouki stiffened up for a moment, but then raised his eyebrows and

once again pushed down his emotions. His face ran through a series of expressions as

he struggled to master himself.

"That so? Alright then."

Ignoring Kouki's inner turmoil, Hajime turned back to Suzu and clapped her on the

shoulder, letting her know it was time to continue. He then turned to Kaori and added,

"If you're worried about the princess, don't be. It's not like I don't care about her at all.

I'll at least leave her a few presents before we go. I'm sure she'll be fine with a

Hyperion, some ICBMs, a few armored tanks, and a couple of gravity-ignoring fighter

planes."

"Hajime-kun… Fufu, don't you think those are some rather unfitting presents to be

giving a princess?"

Hajime's compromise succeeded where Kouki's words had not, and after a moment's

surprise, Kaori smiled happily. Of course, she was still worried about leaving her

friend behind during such dangerous times. But it lightened her heart knowing that

Liliana and the others wouldn't be completely defenseless without the students.

Shizuku smiled as well, relieved. She turned to Hajime and said jokingly, "You know,

Nagumo-kun. At this rate, you're going to destroy this world's power balance. I think

you should stick to defensive artifacts, or you'll give Lily a heart attack before the

demons can get to her. She'll probably worry herself to death wondering whether or

not to use weapons like that."

"That's not my problem. Besides, offense is the best defense. If you kill your enemies,

they can't hurt you. That princess is tougher than she looks, so she'll be fine. Just

imagine a princess shooting down God's Apostles with a sniper rifle… You know, I only

just thought of that but she'd look pretty cool carrying a sniper rifle. Maybe I should

make her a custom one."

Had Liliana been present she would surely have screamed, "I'm a princess, not a

warrior! Stop treating me like one!" Yue, Shea, and Tio watched the exchange with

smiles on their faces. Before, Hajime would have just abandoned Liliana and the others

to their fate, but now he'd grown kind enough to at least leave them something to

defend themselves with.

Of course, that didn't mean Hajime had turned into a nice guy who was willing to help

anyone and everyone who asked for it. He drew a clear line between those he'd help

and those he wouldn't. He had to. If he didn't, everyone would come seeking his

strength and he'd be stuck fighting for other people's causes for the rest of his life.

Hence why he'd decided he wouldn't fight to save this world. He wasn't going to waste

his time and energy on people he didn't know. Especially if that fight would endanger

the people he cared about.

He didn't feel the least bit guilty about it, and he wouldn't hesitate to abandon those

who didn't matter to him. Hajime may have grown kinder, but he still had his priorities.

Some people were worth more than others. Providing Liliana with an army's worth of

munitions was the most he was willing to do for her. Yue and the others understood

that, and they were already satisfied with the fact that Liliana was at least someone

Hajime was willing to help at all. They had no intention of asking him for more. For

the same reason Shea hadn't wanted to ask Hajime to help save her family, and Kaori

had parted from her childhood friends to travel with Hajime.

"All that aside, you three need to decide what you're going to do too. Are you going to

stay in this world or come back with us? Like I said before, I'm not gonna wait."

"Yes, I know."

"Yep. I'll decide after I've talked with Eri."

"I'm gonna stick with Kouki."

Shizuku, Suzu, and Ryutarou all nodded. Their discussion came to a halt as the party

reached an intersection. Every path was identical, ten meters across and ten meters

high. In the center of the intersection was a fierce whirlwind that blew the snow falling

from the roof into all four of the corridors.

"Taniguchi. Be ready to shift the barrier. The right path is the one directly across so

we're going to be hit with a tailwind once we pass that whirlwind."

"Rooooger—I'll slide it around to the back."

Hajime looked down at the compass and Suzu started adjusting the barrier's position.

But a second later Shea's ears perked up and she said, "Hajime-san… something's

coming. A lot of somethings, actually."

"Monsters? About time they showed up. Where are they coming from?"

"All four directions."

"What? You mean behind us too?"

Hajime cocked his head dubiously as he readied his guns. His confusion was

understandable. On their way here, the group hadn't encountered even a single

monster. So if there were enemies approaching from the rear, it would mean both Shea

and Hajime had walked right past them without sensing them. Realizing what that

meant, Kouki and the others stiffened up nervously. Their expressions grew grim and

they gripped their weapons tight.

"Nagumo! We know what direction we gotta go in, don't we? Let's just go!"

"Wait, don't leave the hallway. I don't want to get surrounded while we still don't know

how strong our enemies are. Kaori, protect Taniguchi's rear. If you need to, start using

your disintegration attacks. Inside a straight corridor, your abilities are the most

powerful."

"Okay! Leave it to me!"

"Tio, you put up a barrier too. Taniguchi'll need support. You only have to make it

strong enough to divert the snow."

"Understood."

As Hajime barked out a series of rapid-fire commands, Yue and Shea naturally took

the positions they knew he'd want them in. Kouki, who'd wanted to break through

before they got pincered inside the corridor frowned unhappily. However, Shizuku

managed to calm him down and he took his position at the rear. He didn't have much

time to dwell on his anger since the approaching waves of enemies required his full

attention. After a few seconds, the party heard a strange noise. It sounded like

moaning. More specifically, like the moaning of the damned, full of despair and hatred.

A chill ran down everyone's spine. The moaning echoed down the dark corridor, its

intensity amplified by the smooth walls. Possibly due to nerves, the far end of the

corridor seemed even darker than it had moments ago. Someone gulped, the sound

seeming louder than it should.

"Here they come!" Hajime said in a loud voice, trying to dispel the fear settling in

everyone's hearts. A second later, they started crawling out of the darkness. The first

thing everyone saw was a person. He was wearing a black military uniform and had

long ears. A demon. However, there was something off about him. For one thing, his

skin was pale rather than dark. For another, his eyes were clouded over, and he was

moving stiffly, like a wooden doll. But most striking of all was the fact that his entire

body was coated in frost. He was obviously dead.

"Wait… don't tell me these are the corpses in the walls?"

As if answering Hajime's question, a wave of undead people came shambling behind

the first.

"Mmm… Looks like it. They're not all demons, either."

There were also humans dressed in adventurers' clothes and even beastmen. One

thing was certain, this wasn't another one of the demon army's attempts to conquer

the labyrinth.

"They're… not alive, are they? I don't hear any heartbeats."

Shea tilted her ears forward, confirming that they really were dead.

"Wh-What on Earth… They're like zombies!"

The scene in front of them resembled the ones Shizuku had seen in horror films. And

indeed, the corpses certainly were moving like the zombies in movies. The only

difference was they were completely frozen. I guess that makes them frost zombies.

Hajime thought to himself. Kaori, the party's stalwart rearguard, went white as a

sheet. A horror movie development like this was the one thing she couldn't handle.

Suzu trembled next to her, almost as terrified. The frost zombies turned uniformly

toward the two girls, their eyes glowing dark crimson.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah."

With a series of loud moans, the zombies charged. They ran like Olympic sprinters,

their earlier shambling motions nowhere to be seen. Since their corpses had been

frozen their flesh hadn't rotted, but they were otherwise just as terrifying as regular

zombies. Their mouths gaped open, revealing rows of frosted teeth. And so—

"G-Get away from meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

Kaori transformed into a berserker. Streams of silver mana rose up around her and

she thrust both hands forward. Mana converged around her palms and a second later

a disintegration beam large enough to fill the entire corridor shot out. With a

thunderous roar, the beam obliterated anything in its path, leaving not even dust

behind. The wave of Frost Zombies never stood a chance. By the time Kaori's beam

faded, there was nothing left. In just one attack, the Frost Zombies' pincer attack had

been defeated. The party's escape route was clear, should they need it. Ryutarou's lips

twitched and he muttered, "When I get back to the capital I better warn Endou not to

stand behind Kaori if he values his life."

"Yeah. I'm making a mental note to never take Kaori to a haunted house again."

She might blow up the whole building if something scares her too much… That was just

how terrified Kaori was of haunted houses and ghosts.

"Waaaaaaaaah, Shizuku-chaaaaaan! I was so scaaared!"

You're the scary one here! Everyone thought simultaneously.

"Well, anyway. Good work, Kaori. Now we won't have to worry about enemies to our—

"

But Hajime cut off midway.

"Wh-What's wrong, Hajime-kun?"

His gaze was fixed on the ground at Kaori's feet. Confused, Kaori looked down as well.

There was a Frost Zombie right below her. It stared into Kaori's eyes, and her smile

froze in place. A second later, the zombie slid smoothly through the ice in the floor and

thrust its hand into the air. What for? Obviously to grab onto Kaori's leg.

"Awaah…"

Kaori's eyes rolled back. Though she'd been raining silver death just moments ago,

now the fear overwhelmed her and she nearly lost consciousness.

"Kaoriii! Don't fall asleep! You'll die if you do!" Shizuku screamed, unsheathing her

katana. That was the standard line for someone in a group stranded in the cold, but

the reason for the danger was very different. In one clean stroke, Shizuku severed the

Frost Zombie's arm. She then turned around and slapped Kaori on the face.

"Huh!? What was I—"

Wait, what's that on my leg…? A severed arm? Oh no… Kaori fainted again, and this time

Yue had to slap her awake. Smack!

"Y-Yue…"

"Haaah… Get it together, Kaoridiot."

Yue sighed as she looked down at Kaori. Hundreds of zombies now filled the

intersection Hajime and the others had moved back from. And though Kaori had

obliterated the army behind them, more had started crawling out of the walls and

floor.

"Yaegashi, stick with Kaori. You two take care of all the enemies behind us. Taniguchi,

put barriers next to the walls and floor around us. Everyone else, focus on the front!"

Hajime turned to the advancing army of Frost Zombies and pulled Donner's trigger.

Yue and Tio unleashed blasts of wind while Shea transformed Drucken into

bombardment mode and started unloading shells. Kouki's blade of light traced a

solitary arc through the chaos and Ryutarou launched shockwave blasts one after

another. There were so many Frost Zombies there was no need to aim. Swathes of

destruction cut a path through the crowd, destroying clumps of hapless zombies.

"They look like they've been doused in liquid nitrogen. How the hell are they moving?"

Hajime watched in awe as the Frost Zombies burst apart, cracks forming in their

frozen bodies. From the looks of things, they'd been frozen through completely, and

even when they blew up, it was solid crystals of blood that came out, not a gory splash

of it.

"However, their frigidity makes them frail. I do not sense any special magic from them

so… I imagine they must be hoping to overwhelm us with numbers."

Tio's assessment was spot-on.

"Oi, they're regenerating! How're we supposed to stop that!?" Ryutarou shouted,

shaken. Chunks of zombie flesh started sliding across the ground, gathering together,

and reforming the Frost Zombies they'd originally been parts of.

"Ugh, what is that, it's so creepy! Nagumo-kuuun, there's something wriggling over

here!"

This time it was Suzu's turn to scream. Hajime turned around to see motes of red dust

gathering near Suzu, forming some flesh-colored abomination.

"I guess they can regenerate from being disintegrated too. Damn."

"This isn't the time to be impressed! Kaorin's eyes have glazed over again! I'm

scareeed!"

"Kaoriiii! Keep it together! Look, it's me! Shizuku, the girl who always protects you

from ghosts!"

Kaori had half-overcome her fear and was now blasting waves of disintegrating

feathers at the zombies while trembling. Suzu and Shizuku were more scared of her

than they were of the zombies.

"Fufufu, disintegrate! Disintegrate! I'll disintegrate everything!" Kaori muttered

hysterically. Sighing, Yue turned to Hajime and asked, "Hajime, does your Demon Eye

see anything?"

"Nope. They're covered in a tiny layer of mana, but that's all I can see."

"Wait, does that mean these are the same as that thing we fought in Melusine's

labyrinth!?"

Shea thought back to the massive jellyfish monster they'd had to fight in the ocean—

the Hell Eater. It had been a monster without a mana crystal, meaning it could

regenerate perpetually no matter how badly it was damaged. Only by filling it full of

liquified taur and setting the entire thing on fire along with half of the ocean had

Hajime been able to destroy the immortal jellyfish. Just the thought of fighting

something on a similar level sent shivers down Shea's spine.

"No way. There can't be that many of those kinds of monsters in the world. I'm pretty

sure this is some kind of trick."

Hajime gunned down zombies with one hand while he pulled out the compass with

the other. What he was looking for was these zombies' mana crystal. His guess was

that there was some kind of camouflage hiding it from his Demon Eye.

"Damn that's far. Are these things like Miledi's golem knights?"

The compass pointed to the mana crystal as Hajime desired. However it wasn't in any

of the Frost Zombies' bodies, but rather in a separate location over five hundred

meters away. Hajime thought back to the golems Miledi had controlled remotely. He

clicked his tongue, and Yue gave him a questioning look.

"Hajime?"

"Looks like the mana crystal powering these guys is somewhere else. That might be

what their special magic is. I dunno if the crystal's controlling them remotely, or if

they're just following preset orders though."

"Interesting. Regardless of the process, the fact remains that we must destroy that

crystal if we want to end this fight."

"Then let's go!"

Shea let out a spirited yell and knocked aside an entire wave of zombies with one

swing of Drucken. Hajime nodded and said, "I'll cut open a path. Don't fall behind,

guys!"

He jumped into the gap Shea had created and opened his Treasure Trove. A second

later a long, rectangular weapon fell into his artificial hand—the missile and rocket

launcher Orkan. He tucked it under his armpit to allow him to fire with just one arm.

Seconds later, the zombies were assailed by a wall of missiles. The missiles left trails

of orange smoke as they barreled toward the zombies. They landed in waves, creating

a ripple of thunderous explosions that blasted through the shambling crowd of

zombies. Unable to withstand the impact, they were blown backward in chunks of

frozen flesh. The exploded zombies were blown away with such force that their

fragments served as shrapnel that tore through the zombies further behind. When the

smoke cleared, a single unobstructed path was visible.

"Go!"

At Hajime's command, the party dashed through the intersection. Yue went last in

order to fire one final potshot at the zombies regenerating behind them. The

environment of the Frost Caverns made fire and water magic difficult to use, but Yue

had plenty of other options at her disposal. She launched a combined barrage of wind

and lightning magic at the regenerating zombies, blasting them apart a second time

and hurling them against the icy walls. Still, that wasn't enough to stop them for long.

Within seconds, an army of zombies was chasing the party once again. Though they

weren't very powerful individually, it was still quite terrifying being chased by an army

of immortal zombies. Kaori and Suzu especially were shaking in their boots.

"Eeeeek! They're coming from the ceiling too! Kaorin, disintegrate them already!"

"Disintegrate, disintegrate! Aaaaaaaaaaah! It threw its arm at me! And it's moving! It's

crawling closeeeeeer!"

"Shut up, Kaoridiot…"

"You wouldn't understand, Yue! Vampires are part of the scaring side, not the scared

side! You're secretly working with the zombies, aren't you!?"

"I dare you to say that again, Kaori. But fine, if you think vampires are so scary, maybe

I'll show you just how scary they can be."

"Jeez! This isn't the time to be fighting you two! Keep attacking, or we'll be overrun!

Hey, Suzu, your barrier's dropping! You have to keep the blizzard at bay! No

complaining!"

"Yue-san, stop playing with Kaori-san and help me out! There are tons of them coming

out of the ground! I can't keep up with just Drucken! Ah, not again… Give it a rest

already, you persistent bastards! Take that!" There was a saying that said three women

made as much noise as a crowd, and that proved doubly true when there were five and

they were being chased by zombies. Though the reason everyone was clowning

around was despite how terrifying they looked, the zombies really weren't much of a

threat. In fact, Kaori and the others were reacting with the same level of seriousness

they would were they in a regular haunted house.

"My, youngsters sure are full of energy. Getting so worked up over a few monsters…"

Tio muttered quietly as she watched Kaori and the others yell at each other. Yue turned

to her reproachfully and said, "Tio, you sound like an old lady."

"Fwoh!? Such harsh criticism! Well, I suppose I am that much older so I cannot deny

that… but are you not in the same boat, Yue?"

"No… I'm forever seventeen."

"Wait, didn't you say you were imprisoned in Oscar's labyrinth after you turned

twenty, Yue?"

Even if you cut out the three hundred years you were trapped, that's still too low. Just as

Hajime thought that, Yue turned her stern gaze on him. A horde of Frost Zombies

baring their fangs at him hadn't been enough to make Hajime so much as wince, but

the moment he felt that gaze on him he withered.

"Yep, Yue's eternally seventeen. No doubt about it."

"Mmm… I'm the same age as Hajime."

"What a henpecked husband you are, Master."

Tio sighed and shook her head. Everyone but Kouki and Ryutarou seemed as though

they weren't even taking this fight seriously.

"Hey, Kouki. Is it just me or…"

"Don't say it, Ryutarou."

Kouki and Ryutarou exchanged glances, then sighed. They were losing the motivation

to take this seriously themselves. With the sound of gunshots, explosions, screams,

and the occasional "Bastard!" from Shea serving as the group's background music,

they advanced through the corridor, fleeing from the zombies. After a few minutes,

Hajime and the others arrived in a vast open space. It was shaped like an arena and

was easily as large as the Tokyo Dome. For some strange reason, the blizzard that had

been pounding at their backs as they'd run through the corridor seemed to turn back

on itself the moment it reached the corridor's exit. None of the wind made it into the

dome. Hajime instinctively realized they'd reached a new section of the labyrinth. He

walked to the center of the room and said, "Found it. Here I can see it with my eye

even."

Hajime pocketed the compass and grinned. His gaze was fixated on the room's far wall.

Or rather, the dark crimson fist-sized lump embedded within it—a massive mana

crystal. It had been buried so deep that not even his evolved Donner would be able to

pierce that far in.

In that case… Hajime's Treasure Trove glimmered. This time he brought out his

railgun-enhanced anti-material rifle, Schalgen. Naturally, it too had been upgraded

with evolution magic. This was one of his strongest weapons, capable of blasting right

through even Miledi's azantium golems that had given the party so much trouble

months before. So while the ice protecting the mana crystal may not have been normal

ice, Hajime was confident his rifle would penetrate it.

"Let's blow it to pieces."

Crimson sparks started running down the long barrel's length. Hajime aimed the gun

with one hand, smirked viciously, and put his finger on the trigger. Just as he was about

to pull it—

"Hajime!"

Yue shouted out a warning. Sensing a presence, Hajime looked up and saw a massive

eagle swooping down on the party.

"Tch, more enemies."

The eagle wasn't any normal eagle. Its entire body was made of transparent ice. Just

as the zombies were Frost Zombies, this was a Frost Eagle. And there wasn't just one.

More dislodged themselves from the ceiling and dove toward the party. Before anyone

could react, Hajime drew Schlag with his free left hand and fired. A single crimson

streak bore through the chest of the closest Frost Eagle and unleashed a massive

shockwave, destroying the creature's body. Unsatisfied, the bullet kept going and

shattered another two Frost Eagles before running out of momentum. By using

evolution magic, Hajime had empowered his bullets to unleash multiple shockwaves

before running out of steam. He'd dubbed these improved bullets Burst Bullets.

Donner and Schlag were equipped with bullets that could shoot out shockwaves three

times. Having eliminated the distraction, Hajime returned his attention to Schlagen.

This time, there was nothing to interrupt him from firing. With an earth-shattering

boom, a streak of light shot out of the rifle's barrel. It traveled with unerring aim,

headed straight for the mana crystal.

"Tch, the thing can dodge, huh?"

Hajime clicked his tongue in frustration. He'd planned to end it with one shot. But the

instant he'd fired, the mana crystal had moved out of the way. It was clear the crystal

was actively dodging attacks.

"Master, it seems this monster is similar to the Bachulum we fought in the oasis. That

isn't a wall, but rather the body of a monster camouflaged as one."

"Looks like it. Meaning… Everyone, watch out. Assume every part of the walls, ceiling,

and floor is your enemy!"

Hajime's warning came not a moment too soon.

"Graaaaaaaaaaaah!"

A pack of bipedal wolves was spat out from a section of the ice wall. Like the Frost

Eagles, they were made of pure ice, aside from their glowing red eyes. Each one was

around two meters tall. Going off their appearance, Hajime decided to dub them Frost

Werewolves. At the same time, more Frost Eagles swooped down from the ceiling, and

the Frost Zombies the group had outrun finally caught up to the group. In seconds, the

massive room was filled with three different kinds of ice monsters. There were

hundreds—no, thousands of each.

And like the zombies, the Frost Eagles Hajime had shot down began regenerating. The

large dome had been turned into a merciless arena where the gauntlet of enemies was

neverending. Worst of all though, it seemed the monster controlling everything wasn't

done yet. With a loud cracking noise, the part of the wall where the mana crystal sat

started bulging outward. It was gathering all of the nearby ice to fortify its defenses.

Then, as if signaling the start of the fight, part of the wall transformed into a massive

jaw and roared.

"Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

The roar was so powerful it felt palpable.

"Omnibarrier."

Yue instantly deployed a spatial magic barrier. A second later a huge shock ran through

the invisible barrier that put even Hallowed Ground to shame. Space itself warped

around the edges of the barrier, showing just how powerful an impact it had

withstood. Outside the barrier stood a monster with the mana crystal embedded

inside it. Crystal white breath spilled from its massive jaws. Each of its fangs was an

arm-length icicle. The monster's body was so large that each step it took shook the

ground. Its body was so clear and hard it seemed as though it was made of diamond,

not ice. It was over twenty meters tall and had a huge shell on its back. Spines of ice

protruded from the shell, protecting its rear. To Hajime, the monster vaguely

resembled a turtle, but with six legs. In fact, it looked like a giant version of the Absod

monsters the demons used. Chances were Freid had based them off of this monster,

the Frost Turtle. He must have fought it to clear the labyrinth after all.

"Guess this trial's testing whether we can crack open that turtle's shell and smash its

mana crystal before we get swallowed by a swarm of monsters."

Despite how imposing the Frost Turtle looked, Hajime just casually shouldered

Schlagen and glared at the beast. There was a feral gleam in his eyes. Kouki and the

others paled when they saw what they were up against, but then calmed down

somewhat when Hajime countered the Frost Turtle's imposing aura with his own

Intimidation. As if to pay the turtle back for its earlier attack, Hajime unleashed a

shockwave of pure mana that obliterated all of the nearby monsters. His attack caused

even the Frost Turtle to take a step backward. In response, Hajime took a step forward.

In an attempt to prove it wasn't scared of some mere human, the Frost Turtle roared

again. At the same time, the surrounding monsters began releasing waves of chilling

frost.

"We'll handle the small fry. You guys take the turtle out."

Using his patented gun-kata style, Hajime started shooting through waves of

monsters. Kouki and the others watched blankly, not realizing for a moment that

Hajime was talking to them. But a moment later they realized his gaze was still fixed

on them, even as he killed dozens of monsters with each shot of his revolvers. It

appeared he really was planning on leaving the Frost Turtle to Kouki's group.

The realization took them by surprise. Considering how much Hajime and the Frost

Turtle had been glaring at each other, they'd figured the two were about to duke it out.

"Don't give me that blank look. You finally have a chance to beat a boss monster. Didn't

you want a chance to prove you're strong enough to conquer a labyrinth?"

"Oh. Yeah, that's right. We did!"

"Amanogawa's got the most firepower out of you four so the rest of you support him

while he smashes its mana crystal. Meanwhile, we'll keep the other monsters out of

your way. Though if you think it's too much and chicken out, I can take care of that guy

for you too."

Hajime's lips curled up into a provocative sneer. Determination burning in his eyes,

Kouki replied, "I don't need your pity! Just watch, I'll beat that thing down! Ryutarou,

Shizuku, Suzu, let's do this!"

"Yeah, let's beat that turtle to a pulp!"

"I've got your backs. Speaking of which, watch out for the spikes on that thing's back.

There's likely more to them than meets the eye."

"Leave defending to me, guys! I'll protect you all!"

Realizing this was no time to be getting overwhelmed, Kouki and the others let out

spirited yells. Just then, a beam of silver light shot out. It obliterated the monsters

surrounding the Frost Turtle, clearing a path for Kouki and the others.

"You've got this, guys! But don't push yourselves too hard!"

"Thanks, Kaori!"

Kouki dashed down the newly cleared path. But before he'd gone more than a few

steps, the Frost Turtle's eyes glowed menacingly. Seconds later, the destroyed

monsters began regenerating much faster than usual. However, the Frost Turtle's

purpose wasn't to bar Kouki and the others' way. Its gaze was fixed squarely on

Hajime. Clearly, it still believed that Hajime, not Kouki, was the real threat here.

"Hey, your opponent is me! Celestial Flash - Shatter!"

Frowning, Kouki unleashed his favorite attack to get the Frost Turtle's attention. A

huge blade of light shot out of Kouki's sword, firing a tornado of shockwaves as it

passed. The Frost Turtle didn't move, and Kouki's attack hit it in the eye. The main part

of the attack crushed its eye, while the shockwaves expanded the wound.

"Braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Having lost its eye and a good part of its head, the Frost Turtle screamed and turned

its attention from Hajime to Kouki. It glared at Kouki with its one good eye, opened its

maw, and shot out a breath attack. A tornado of wind hurtled toward Kouki, sharp

fragments of ice swirling around inside it. Anyone hit by it would be frozen instantly.

If they managed to avoid that, the shards of ice would still cut them to ribbons.

However, Suzu wasn't about to let either of those things happen to Kouki.

"Like a flowing stream, like a gentle breeze— Hallowed Ground - Dispersal!"

By tacking on an incantation, Suzu made her already powerful composite spell even

stronger. A barrier of light enveloped Kouki, protecting him from the turtle's breath. A

second after Suzu's barrier formed, the turtle's breath slammed into Kouki. He was

thrust into a hell of howling gale and frigid ice. But Suzu's impenetrable barrier

protected him from the elements. She'd grown strong enough to contend against even

a labyrinth's boss-level monster. When she realized that, her lips naturally curled

upward. Confidence welled up within her, and that confidence made her even more

powerful. Safe within Suzu's barrier, Shizuku calmly assessed the situation.

"Its head and eye are already regenerating. I guess as long as that mana crystal's intact

it can keep regenerating forever like everything else. We'll have to take it out in one

go."

Can you do it? Shizuku asked silently with her gaze. Kouki nodded in response.

"Yeah, I'll finish it with Divine Wrath. But I need to fire it at full power, so you'll need

to buy me thirty seconds."

"Roger. I won't let that oversized turtle lay a finger on you, Kouki."

Before, it had taken Kouki a full minute to chant the incantation for his trump card.

Hearing it would only take half as much time now was reassuring. Ryutarou grinned

and punched his gauntlets together.

"Everyone, the breath attack is fading!"

It was time to counterattack. Kouki held his sword aloft, and it began to glow with a

dazzling light.

"Ryutarou, Shizuku, keep it busy for me. Suzu, stay close to me. I'm going to focus on

my incantation."

"Roger! Hit it with a big one for us!"

Finally, the breath dispersed completely. A curtain of snow hung in the air, acting as a

veil to temporarily obscure Kouki and the others from sight. Using the cover to their

advantage, Shizuku and Ryutarou dashed forward toward the Frost Turtle. Shizuku

was the faster of the two, and she burst out of the snow first, keeping her body low to

the ground. Thanks to the poor visibility and Shizuku's natural speed, she was able to

get close to the turtle without taking a single attack. Ponytail fluttering in the breeze,

Shizuku drew her katana in one fluid motion.

"Take this! Slice through—Flash Blitz!"

A short incantation accompanied Shizuku's slice. In the blink of an eye, her sword was

resheathed again with a satisfying clink. The only proof that she'd attacked at all was

a black streak flashing through the air a moment later. The streak passed through one

of the Frost Turtle's right legs, warping space as it passed. The turtle's thick, diamondhard leg twisted unnaturally. Then, without any resistance at all, it fell off. Shizuku's

Flash Blitz sliced through space, so theoretically no material should be able to

withstand it.

"Flash Blitz! Flash Blitz!"

Not content with a single leg, Shizuku darted forward, barely a blur in the snow. In less

than a second, she'd circled around to the Frost Turtle's rear. The only indication that

she'd drawn her sword at all was the faint clink signifying its return to its sheath. And

the turtle's pained screams.

"Graaaaaaaaah!?"

All three of its right legs had been sliced off. Its remaining legs couldn't support its

massive bulk. Groaning helplessly, the giant turtle leaned to one side, then crumpled

onto the ground. Incensed, the Frost Turtle's eyes gleamed with a vicious crimson

light. It turned around to glare at Shizuku, determined to destroy the puny creature

who'd brought it to its knees. The bloodlust coming off it was palpable, and Shizuku

felt goosebumps rise on her arms.

"Ah!?"

Trusting in her instincts, she dived to one side. A moment later, countless spears of ice

shot up from the ground she'd been standing on. The flat ice had turned into a deadly

bloom of thorns.

"This's as far as you go!"

Ryutarou burst out of the snow a second later and charged toward the Frost Turtle's

jaw. With a deafening war cry, he leaped off the ground with enough force to leave a

crater and delivered a full-power uppercut. The force traveled all the way from the

Frost Turtle's jaw to the top of its head. Its jaw shattered completely, sending shards

of ice flying everywhere. However—

"Ngh, damn this thing's tough!"

Despite Ryutarou's attack, the turtle didn't stop summoning ice spears from the

ground. They continued chasing Shizuku wherever she ran. Eventually, she was forced

to escape into the air using her Aerodynamic-enchanted boots. Another array of

spears popped up right below her, nearly scraping her soles. But she still couldn't

relax—the Frost Turtle's assault was far from over.

"Shizuku!"

She didn't even have the leeway to register Ryutarou's warning. Her attention was

focused solely on the enemy trying to kill her. Unfortunately, the real threat was the

three Frost Eagles swooping in on her from above. The turtle had orchestrated a

pincer attack. Since it had created all these monsters, naturally it could control them

remotely. It had in fact lured Shizuku into taking to the skies.

"Force—"

Realizing her mistake, Shizuku turned around and attempted to repel the eagles with

Force Pulse. Her shockwave slices certainly did have the necessary power to bring

down the Frost Eagles. But she'd reacted too late. No, I won't make it in time! She would

be able to avoid a fatal blow. Of that she was certain. But she'd still get hit by at least

two of the three attacks. Even if she survived, she'd be gravely injured. Fear and grim

determination warred within her mind.

Time slowed to a crawl. Her sword moved as though in slow-motion, and she could

clearly see each of the talons about to rake her body from above and behind. But a

moment before they reached her, three streaks of red light shot through the Frost

Eagles. The impact destroyed them utterly, blowing them to pieces. The remaining

shards of ice reflected the crimson light from the bullets' shockwaves, making it look

as though it were raining blood.

"Cough, cough. What the heck was—"

Coughing up ice particles, Shizuku watched on in awe. A second later, she realized

what that attack must have been. Fixing her stance, she looked down at where the

streaks had come from, and as expected, saw Hajime. He was smack in the middle of a

sea of enemies, but between his Cross Bits and Metzelei, not a single one was able to

get close. Upon closer inspection, Shizuku noticed he had Donner in his right hand,

and though his back was turned to her, its muzzle was pointing in her direction.

Though it was obvious what he'd done, the impossibility of the feat caused Shizuku to

gasp.

"How did he shoot so accurately from so far away, without even looking?"

There were countless monsters between him and Shizuku. At a glance, she counted

twenty Frost Eagles alone. No matter how upgraded Hajime's weapons were, his

bullets wouldn't have reached Shizuku if they'd had to penetrate through that many

enemies. Even if they had, they would likely have their trajectories deflected

somewhat, and therefore miss.

So how had Hajime managed to shoot the eagles around Shizuku? The answer was

simple. He hadn't hit any other monsters. Meaning he had somehow fired all three

bullets along a path that avoided every one of the twenty Frost Eagles in the way. He'd

taken advantage of the spaces below their wings, between their legs, and above their

necks. Not only had he pulled off such a feat, but he'd also done so without even

looking behind him, while still fighting other monsters.

The word "amazing" didn't do his skills justice. They were well and truly godlike.

"You really are a reliable guy…"

Forgetting for a moment that she was on the battlefield, Shizuku just watched Hajime

fight. But a second later, a loud yell brought her back to her senses.

"Don't get so full of yourself, fucker! Hammerfist!"

Ryutarou leaped into the sky, then used his Aerodynamic-enchanted boots to jump

back downward in mid-air, falling toward the Frost Turtle like a meteor. He wasn't

going to let it get any more attacks off. He activated one of his gauntlets' new abilities,

and used gravity magic to amplify his punch's weight tenfold. That, plus the

momentum gained from his fall gave his fist earth-shattering force. He really was like

a comet hurtling toward the ground. The moment his steel gauntlet hit the turtle's

head, the ground shook. A massive shockwave blew away the nearby snow. The Frost

Turtle's head was blown clean off from the impact, leaving just its neck behind.

Confident that he'd stalled the turtle's attack, Ryutarou grinned and used the attack's

recoil to do a backflip in the air. However, he'd miscalculated. He hadn't realized that

the turtle had grown a new head from the stump of one of the legs Shizuku had cut off.

Though it looked like a turtle, the monster was really the ice itself. It wasn't something

that followed the laws of common sense.

"Geh!? Shit—"

The moment he landed, Ryutarou was met with another pair of glimmering crimson

eyes. The newly-formed head opened its jaws and prepared to attack. Sensing the vast

amount of mana and cold gathering within its mouth, Ryutarou hurriedly crossed his

arms to guard his vitals. Dark green light enveloped his body. He was using Diamond

Skin.

Is this gonna be enough? No, I'm gonna make it be enough! Scolding himself for his

hesitation, Ryutarou steeled his resolve. The turtle unleashed its breath, intent on

blowing Ryutarou away along with his resolve. But just before the breath hit, an

orange, hexagonal shield slid into place in front of him. The force of the breath caused

the barrier to crack almost instantly, but a moment later more barriers slid into place

behind it.

"O-Oh? Is that your Heaven Crusher, Suzu?"

Surprised, Ryutarou turned around to see the tiny barrier master grinning at him.

Behind her, Kouki was in the middle of his incantation. This was another one of her

advanced composite light spells, Heaven Crusher - Barrier. Normally Heaven Crusher

was used as a makeshift shield, or to push back enemies, but by combining it with

Hallowed Ground, it had turned into a formidable barrier. This was one spell Suzu had

specifically asked Hajime to put into her fans. Its versatility made it her favorite spell,

so she'd wanted to have a stronger version available to use whenever she needed it.

Adding that versatility to stronger spells was certainly an efficient way of using mana.

After a few seconds though, Suzu's grin transformed into a look of panic. Worried,

Ryutarou turned back around. What he saw gave him a shock.

"Wha— there's two of them now!?"

Indeed there were. A second head had sprouted from the turtle's neck. Ryutarou had

realized common sense didn't apply to this monster when a head had grown from its

leg, but this still came as a surprise.

To make matters worse, Ryutarou still couldn't move because the first head's breath

attack hadn't stopped. Suzu put a few more barriers down in front of Ryutarou in an

attempt to prepare for the next attack. Since she'd devoted the bulk of her mana to

protecting Kouki, she'd initially used Heaven Crusher - Barrier to cut down on mana

expenditure, but that decision had backfired on her. If I'd known this was going to

happen I would have used a more powerful barrier to begin with! She was worried even

multi-layered Heaven Crushers wouldn't be enough for this. Fortunately, she didn't

need to find out. Hajime wasn't the only overpowered monster on the battlefield. The

moment the Frost Turtle opened its second mouth, a massive dragon made of

lightning flew in from the side and bit it clean off. The dragon's roar sounded just like

the Frost Turtle's.

"Whoa, wh-what was that for…"

The lightning dragon circled around, grazing Ryutarou as it passed, then returned to

its owner. Ryutarou twitched from the static discharge as the dragon's tail swept past

him. Embarrassed, he grumbled to himself to hide his earlier reaction. As he watched

the lightning dragon go, he noticed Yue was looking over at him. Even though there

was no way she should have been able to hear his grumbling, he was still worried she

somehow had. She gave him a curt nod, then moved her fingers like a conductor's

baton, controlling seven lightning dragons at once. Dense as he was, even Ryutarou

could tell what Yue was trying to say.

"Don't let your guard down." Scratching his head awkwardly, Ryutarou grinned

ruefully.

"Hah, I just can't compare to those guys."

The turtle's breath was finally starting to weaken. This time Ryutarou stayed alert for

follow-up attacks as he readied his next move. Just as the breath petered out, the

barriers protecting Ryutarou vanished. He charged forward, kicking off the ground

with all his might.

"God, I'm jealous of them!" he shouted as he launched a Death Fist at the turtle's leghead. But despite his words, Ryutarou didn't look the least bit annoyed. In fact, he was

positively cheerful. He would never admit it to anyone, but he was feeling more

energized than usual, knowing he had reliable allies like Yue to back him up. Nor

would he ever admit that he'd fallen for Yue the moment he'd seen her imposing and

beautiful figure controlling a fire dragon back in the Great Orcus Labyrinth. After all,

he'd seen her flirting with Hajime the minute after, so his love had withered the

moment it arrived. But that was something he wouldn't tell anyone, not even Kouki.

"Guess I'm a moron too for sticking with them though!"

Upon seeing how attached Hajime and Yue were to each other, Ryutarou had just given

up. He hadn't even felt jealous. Though that didn't stop him from being happy

whenever Yue acknowledged his existence. However, the last thing he wanted was to

disappoint her, so he kicked it up a notch and made sure to remain vigilant. He

unleashed a flurry of blows that resembled a karate form, keeping his attention

focused solely on the enemy in front of him. Meanwhile, Shizuku once again ran

around chopping off the turtle's legs, ruining its balance.

Though the Frost Turtle could regenerate indefinitely, the two were succeeding in

keeping it busy, which was all they were after. Finally, after a half-minute that seemed

like ages, Kouki was ready.

"Shizuku, Ryutarou, get back!"

"Roger!"

"I've been waiting for this!"

A spiral of white light rose up from Kouki's body. His sword was glowing bright as a

star, a staggering amount of mana gathered at its tip. This was Kouki's trump card. His

strongest attack.

"Take this you damned monster— Divine Wrath!"

Divine Wrath was the strongest light spell in existence, an attack that exemplified

god's wrath. Kouki swung his sword down, unleashing the cluster of condensed mana.

"Graaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

The Frost Turtle screamed as its shell was obliterated. Though it managed to avoid

being cut entirely in two, Kouki's attack wasn't over yet. Divine Wrath wasn't a

slashing attack, but rather a bombardment. Kouki pointed the tip of his sword at the

Frost Turtle and the mana pouring off it turned from a blade of light into a cannon of

light. White annihilating light ripped through the turtle.

"Uwoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!"

Kouki unleashed a powerful yell. The air around him trembled. Any part of the ground

caught in his attack was gouged out, and the room was filled with blinding white light.

It looked as though a mini-sun had just formed, with Kouki at the center.

"Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

The Frost Turtle roared in desperation. A second later it retracted its head into its

body and formed a conical ice shield around itself. It was clear the turtle was getting

desperate. The conical shield did manage to mitigate Divine Wrath's power somewhat,

but it was hardly enough to change the inevitable outcome. Not only was this the

legendary hero's strongest attack, but it had also been enhanced by the world's

greatest Synergist. The turtle's shield cracked, then shattered under the pressure. No

matter how densely packed its ice, it just melted like Icarus' wings in the face of

Kouki's holy sun. White smoke rose from the turtle's body as its ice evaporated. But

the Frost Turtle's greatest asset was its ability to use surrounding ice to regenerate its

body. This was now a contest to see whether its regeneration could outheal the

damage Kouki was delivering.

"Just disappear already! I need more power goddammiiiiiiiiit!" Kouki screamed

desperately as he watched the Frost Turtle start weathering his attack. This was the

utmost power Kouki could bring out at once. If this wasn't enough to kill the turtle, it

would just prove he still wasn't strong enough to handle a labyrinth.

That alone was the one thing he was absolutely, utterly, unwilling to accept. He had to

defeat this enemy using his own strength, no matter what. Otherwise, the negative

feelings that had been building up within him ever since his reunion with Hajime

would overflow. As if trying to prove that he really was in the right, that the situation

he feared wasn't reality, Kouki pressed forward.

"Kouki-kun…"

Suzu was a little frightened by the way Kouki looked. However, Kouki was too focused

to notice Suzu's voice or her gaze.

"Uwoooooooooooooooooooooh!"

"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Kouki and the Frost Turtle's final screams collided. A second later, there was an

earsplitting crack. More followed, and the Frost Turtle was soon covered in a series of

spiderweb cracks. Pieces of its body fell to the ground, its life all but shaved away. Then

finally—

"Gaaaaaah!?"

With one last roar, the Frost Turtle was swallowed up by the light. Kouki's Divine

Wrath pierced right through it and bore into the wall behind it. Unable to support its

own weight, the Frost Turtle split in half, down the same crack the slash portion of

Kouki's Divine Wrath had created and collapsed in on itself. At the same time, the

white light faded away, signaling the end of the battle.

The Frost Turtle's remains lay scattered on the ground, unmoving. It didn't look like it

was going to be regenerating again.

"I-I did it… Haaah… Haaah… I beat it… I really…"

Panting, Kouki stared at the Frost Turtle's remains in awe. His legs slumped underneath

him, and Suzu hurriedly caught him before he fell.

"Kouki-kun, are you al—"

Ignoring the dangerous aura she'd sensed from him earlier, Suzu worriedly called out

to him. But before she could finish her sentence, the Frost Turtle's broken body

exploded. Or rather, a single Frost Eagle emerged from within it, making it seem as

though its body had blown apart.

"Wha… Why're there still moving enemies!?"

Kouki's exhausted eyelids flew open, and Suzu shouted, "Kouki-kun, look over there!"

in a panicked voice. She pointed to the Frost Eagle's talons, which held the monster's

mana crystal.

"Dammit! I didn't destroy it!" Kouki shouted angrily. It seemed the Frost Turtle had

realized it couldn't withstand Kouki's Divine Wrath, and so had transferred its mana

crystal into a Frost Eagle that it had hidden inside the ground. It truly was a tough,

crafty monster. While it was normal for monsters of the labyrinth to be this resilient,

Kouki wasn't in the mood to praise its abilities. This can't be happening.

"You're not getting away! Celestial— Gah!"

"Kouki-kun!"

Kouki tried to finish the eagle off with his favorite spell, but he was too exhausted to

even swing his sword. Hajime had enhanced Kouki's Sacred Armor to absorb mana

from the nearby surroundings to replenish his reserves when he got low, but that

would still take another ten seconds or so. And right now, they didn't have that kind

of time. The Frost Eagle was already gathering nearby ice to transform into a Frost

Turtle. If it managed to reach one of the walls, everything Kouki and the others had

worked for would be undone. They'd have to do the fight all over again.

"Kouki-kun, it's alright! Don't push yourself!"

Suzu desperately tried to hold Kouki back, but like a man possessed, he kept struggling.

"I can do it too… I'm just as capable… No more capable than Nagumo… I'm the one

who's right… It's me…"

But no matter how strong his determination was, Kouki could only muster a meager

amount of strength. Seeing as he couldn't gather any mana, Kouki decided to try

something else. If this is my limit, then I've just gotta surpass it! That's why I've got this

skill, isn't it!?

"Limit—"

"Kouki-kun, listen to me!"

Suzu clung to Kouki, screaming in his ears. Lack of mana was something he could

recover from within a few seconds, but if he used Limit Break he'd be out of

commission for much longer. Not even healing magic could fix the exhaustion that

came from using Limit Break. Of course, restoration magic could, but that would

require Hajime or one of the others to use up a lot of mana. Granted, at this point that

would hardly be a dent in their total mana pool. That being said, it still wasn't a trump

card to use when not actually necessary. And right now, there was no need for Kouki

to push himself that far. Since he wasn't in this fight alone.

"Carve out a path— Force Pulse!"

Shizuku suddenly appeared at the Frost Eagle's side and swung her katana down.

Though she swung only once, multiple streaks of light shot toward the eagle, which

was trying to escape into the ice wall. They made mincemeat out of the eagle before it

could gather any ice to defend itself. The mana crystal dropped from its shredded

talons.

"Shatter - Shock Slugger!"

Shizuku spun around using the force of her swing and smashed her sheath into the

falling mana crystal. Dark blue mana spread out from the point of impact, rattling the

sturdy crystal. Shock Slugger was a special move that Hajime had imbued into

Shizuku's sheath. It converted all the mana poured into the sheath into powerful

shockwaves. Those shockwaves tore through the mana crystal, cracking it in multiple

places.

"Gale!"

Shizuku then dealt the final blow with a roundhouse kicking, shattering the crystal

entirely. Crimson fragments rained from the sky. At the same time, all of the other

monsters in the room crumbled to the ground. They were nothing more than lifeless

chunks of ice now and shattered at even the slightest touch.

"...…" Kouki watched on, dumbfounded. Suzu gave him a worried look, but he didn't

notice. A boisterous laugh broke the silence.

"Hahahahahaha! We did it, Kouki! We won!"

"Huh? Oh, Ryutarou…"

"Why the long face, man? We won! You should be happy! But man, your Divine Wrath

is fucking insane! It was already insane before, but now it's even more insane."

Though his vocabulary was somewhat lacking, Ryutarou was honestly impressed. He

slapped Kouki on the back good-naturedly. Seeing his best friend in such high spirits

helped clear away some of the dark thoughts intruding onto Kouki's consciousness,

and his expression softened a little.

"Yeah, you're right. I, no we won. We beat a labyrinth monster!"

"Hell yeah! It feels so good to finally pound something down. We kept getting our asses

handed to us before!"

"Haha… I certainly do feel a little refreshed now."

"See? We're gonna catch up to Nagumo in no time!"

"I sure hope so…"

Kouki thanked Suzu for lending him her shoulder, then stepped away and stood on his

own two feet. He smiled faintly, his spirits bolstered somewhat by Ryutarou's

cheerfulness. But he was still frustrated that even his trump card hadn't been enough

to completely destroy the Frost Turtle.

"Shizuku…"

Shizuku landed gracefully beside the party. Kouki nearly shot her an accusatory glare,

but then realized what he was doing and quickly smoothed his expression over.

"Hm? Good job, Kouki."

Shizuku didn't fail to notice Kouki's strange behavior, but she didn't want to ruin the

celebratory mood so she didn't mention it. Instead, she thanked him with a smile.

Using all of his willpower, Kouki forced his own lips into a smile and replied, "Yeah,

you too, Shizuku. That follow-up at the end was amazing."

"Really? I think your Divine Wrath was more amazing… It was way stronger than I

expected."

"Yeah, totally! It was awesome!"

"W-Well, I just…"

Shizuku downplayed her own achievement and did her best to praise Kouki. Sounding

almost desperate, Suzu quickly added her own accolades in the hopes of improving

Kouki's mood. Hearing all this praise from two pretty girls made him blush, and he

scratched his cheek awkwardly. Looking at the objective destruction his Divine Wrath

had wrought helped convince him that maybe they were right. Behind him, Hajime

called out, "Oiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! Celebrate all you want later. It's time to go!"

Turning around, Kouki saw Hajime seated atop a mountain of ice, Metzelei resting on

his shoulder. Judging by the size of the ice mountain, he'd likely slaughtered thousands

of monsters all on his own. Despite that, he wasn't even breathing hard. In fact, he

looked like he'd just been out for a stroll in the park. Next to him, Yue and the others

looked just as nonchalant.

Hajime put Metzelei back in his Treasure Trove and pointed off to the side. Kouki

turned around again and saw an arch-shaped hole in one section of the wall that

definitely hadn't been there before. It seemed defeating the Frost Turtle had opened

the path forward. Kouki and the others nodded and dashed over to where Hajime was

waiting.

"Congrats. That was a pretty tough fight… but it looks like you guys can handle bosslevel monsters inside labyrinths now."

Kouki and the others' jaws dropped open. They weren't used to hearing praise coming

out of his mouth. They stared at Hajime like he was some kind of rare animal. Annoyed,

Hajime narrowed his eyes dangerously, so Shizuku hurriedly said, "Yeah, I guess we

managed. Also… thanks, Nagumo-kun."

"Huh? What for?"

"You helped us out, didn't you? When you sniped those eagles earlier… Well, those

shots were so accurate they sent shivers down my spine."

"Really?"

"Really. I've been thinking this for a while, Nagumo-kun, but are you sure you don't

secretly have two jobs? There's no way your only job is a non-combat one. Are you

sure you don't also have the Gunner job?"

"Don't be stupid, a job like that doesn't even exist… When humans have their backs

against the wall, they're capable of pulling off miracles, that's all."

Hajime's eyes glazed over as he thought back to his traumatic experiences. Shizuku

gave him a look that was half sympathy, half admiration, then turned to Yue. She was

grinning proudly as Ryutarou thanked her for saving his life.

"By the way Nagumo, you sure you should have let us beat that thing?" Kouki

interjected, his tone brusque. Hajime didn't particularly mind the change in topic and

he replied, "Hm? Are you worried we won't get recognized as worthy conquerors of

the labyrinth?"

"Yeah."

"I think we're fine, considering what the theme of this labyrinth is."

"What do you mean by that?"

Kouki cocked his head to the side, and Hajime turned to Tio to make sure his guess

was right. She nodded, then explained, "During that previous fight, we faced sub-zero

temperatures, an army of infinitely regenerating monsters, and a powerful guardian

controlling them all. But powerful monsters exist within Orcus' labyrinth as well. I

highly doubt the Liberators would have created labyrinths with overlapping purposes,

so I suspect the Frost Caverns' true test lies up ahead."

"I agree with Tio. Everything up till now was just to see if we were even worth the

labyrinth's time. Whether we have the minimum ability necessary to even clear it.

After all, beating these monsters wasn't hard. I figured it wasn't a very important part

of the trial."

"Besides, all of us killed at least a few hundred monsters each."

"Since we were able to overwhelm an army like that, I'm sure we won't be disqualified

on the power front."

"Mmm… So don't worry."

All the evidence pointed to Tio's conjecture being correct. Furthermore, Hajime and

the others had suppressed the massive army of monsters with consummate ease.

Besides, Hajime and the others had far more experience conquering labyrinths, so

Kouki couldn't really refute them. Shizuku, Suzu, and Ryutarou all nodded, impressed

by Tio's deduction, but Kouki once again felt a wave of negative emotions well up.

Despite having defeated the powerful Frost Turtle, he felt like the gap between him

and Hajime was growing, not shrinking. Knowing he couldn't let these emotions out,

Kouki bottled them up deep inside and nodded as well.

"Amanogawa, how're your mana reserves doing?"

"Fine. I drank a mana potion so I should be good."

Kouki smiled, pretending as if everything was fine. Shizuku could tell his smile was

faked and opened her mouth to say something. But she couldn't find the right words,

and in the end, she just stood there until it was time to depart. The group left the

devastated battlefield behind and walked into the dark corridor. Ignoring the inner

turmoil of one of their party members, they struck out into the unknown future.