Chapter 96 - What Makes a Hero

Kouki Amanogawa. He had been born to average, unassuming parents, but there was

one person in his family that he respected greatly, even to this day. His grandfather.

Kouki's grandfather's name was Kanji Amanogawa, and he'd been a famous lawyer

back in the day. It had been customary in the Amanogawa family to spend extended

holidays at Kanji's house. Since Kanji's wife had passed away at an early age, he lived

alone and doted on Kouki whenever he came to visit. Kouki, in turn, grew rather fond

of his grandfather.

The thing he liked most as a kid was hearing Kanji's stories about his workdays.

During his years as a lawyer, Kanji had accumulated a lot of experience and wisdom,

which he passed down to his eager grandson. Of course, he'd summarized his stories

for Kouki, both so that his grandson had an easier time understanding the lessons

contained within, and also to protect confidential client information. Still, he was a

good storyteller, and Kouki had hung on to his every word.

Kanji's stories were always about saving the weak, humbling the strong, and lending

a helping hand to those who needed it. The protagonists in his stories always did the

right thing and were always fair and impartial. In other words, they were stereotypical

heroes. But of course, Kanji's stories were just that. Stories. While they were based on

reality, they were embellished to the point of being fairy tales.

However, as far as Kouki was concerned, the true hero was his grandfather. While

other kids his age idolized popular fictional heroes like Kamen Rider, Kouki idolized

his grandfather. And because Kanji was someone Kouki could actually talk to rather

than a fictional character, his admiration for him was that much stronger. Kouki's

dream was to one day be like his grandfather.

Naturally, however, the world wasn't like Kanji's stories. Things weren't perfectly split

into black and white, and justice didn't always win the day. Lawyers weren't paragons

of justice whose ultimate calling was to unveil the truth, but rather legal advocates

whose job was to protect their client's interests, regardless of who the client was.

Indeed, the very reason Kanji had been such a famous lawyer was because he'd been

able to accept both the good and evil that came with his job description and make

rational decisions based on the evidence presented. He'd understood best of all that

justice and idealism weren't enough to fight against the dark side of society. Of course,

he'd kept the more nuanced details of his job from Kouki, believing that a young child

shouldn't be exposed to such truths so early. He'd intended to eventually tell Kouki

about his more grim stories once the boy was a bit older.

But unfortunately, he never got the chance. Not long before Kouki was due to start

elementary school, Kanji passed away. And his death had a huge impact on Kouki.

It made sense. After all, Kouki's greatest hero had just died. The passing of his beloved

grandfather made Kouki immortalize the ideals Kanji had told him about in his heart

as a way of honoring his memory. But those ideals were all tinged with childish

simplicity, and they allowed no wiggle room for situations that weren't black and

white. Worse, the way which Kouki interpreted those ideals meant he would always

side with what the majority believed was just, even if that majority was wrong.

Of course, that was hardly a unique mindset. Most children Kouki's age believed in the

same simple ideas of right and wrong that he did. However, most other children were

eventually given cold, hard doses of reality that contradicted those simple morals they

believed in. And after many setbacks and failures, they learned to compromise in their

beliefs in order to survive the stormy sea known as life. They realized their ideals were

nothing more than ideals, and the heroes they once aspired to be didn't exist.

Most children locked their childish ideals away in a box and learned to face reality. It

was part of growing up.

The same should have happened to Kouki. Had he experienced a normal childhood, he

would have ended up perfectly fine.

Unfortunately for Kouki Amanogawa, he was too extraordinary. His superhuman

talents allowed him to overcome the wall known as reality. He experienced no failures

or setbacks and was always able to get his way through force. He was able to live by

the ideals he believed in no matter the situation, and always come out successful.

As a result, Kouki never once doubted the righteousness of his actions. His parents,

Shizuku, and his other close friends pointed out the dangers of believing he was

always right, but Kouki always brushed their words off. Because of his natural

charisma, and the fact that his actions were rooted in moral principles, everyone but

those close to him believed Kouki truly was a hero and supported him. However, that

sadly served to strengthen Kouki's belief that his friends' warnings weren't worth

listening to.

Naturally, not everything he did resulted in positive outcomes. Though he wasn't

aware of it, he caused almost as many problems as he solved. For example, the way

he'd caused Shizuku's classmates to get jealous of her.

However, Kouki always interpreted things in a way that favored his worldview, thus

allowing him to continue pretending he was always right. These delusions were only

possible because the vast majority of people supported and adored him. His

popularity made him blind to his shortcomings. No matter how many times his

parents or Shizuku warned him, he didn't listen.

Though fundamentally he always tried to do the right thing, Kouki's ideals became

warped by their very purity. It was only after being summoned to Tortus that his

worldview was finally challenged. Unlike peaceful Japan, Tortus was filled with

violence and hatred. More importantly, in this world filled with the supernatural and

superhuman, even Kouki's godlike stats weren't enough to make everything go his

way. The biggest example of this was when a completely transformed Hajime had

saved him and his comrades from the demon and her monsters in the Great Orcus

Labyrinth. For the first time in his life, things hadn't gone Kouki's way. In the aftermath

of his first-ever failure, the childish nature of his personality was finally revealed to

all. Not only that—

"She was stolen from you, wasn't she?"

"No! That's not what…"

Kouki's copy narrowed its crimson eyes and sneered at Kouki. Its hair was gray, and

its armor black. Thirty minutes had passed since the start of their battle. Kouki was

panting heavily, and sweat cascaded down his brow. But it wasn't his exhaustion that

caused him to stumble over his words.

"It's like Shizuku said, Kaori's loved Nagumo from the start… so she wasn't…"

"Who do you think you're fooling? I'm you, remember? I know you better than anyone.

Even if you pretended to accept Shizuku's explanation, the truth is you believe she was

stolen from you. Hell, you still think you're the one Kaori should marry. You've thought

that ever since elementary school. Who cares what kind of run-in she had with

Nagumo in middle school, you're the one who's known her longer. Besides, she's

meant to be your, the hero's, heroine."

"Shut up. I-I never thought anything like that! Stop spouting bullshit! You're just

another one of the labyrinth's monsters. I won't be deceived by you!"

Eyes bloodshot, Kouki glared at his copy and unleashed a barrage of light slashes at it.

It lazily let loose an equivalent barrage of dark slashes to cancel out Kouki's attack. A

few of them even overwhelmed Kouki's spell and punched through toward him.

"So you say, but you look pretty shaken up. Man, that legendary sword is wasted on

you. Nagumo even went through all the trouble of honing it, too. Or is that why you

don't want to use it? Because the guy you're jealous of made it stronger?"

"That has nothing to do with anything! Besides, I'm not jealous of—"

"Hahaha. You just keep averting your gaze from the truth, huh? Keep this up and I'll

only get stronger!"

Sneering, the copy unleashed a Celestial Flash - Shatter. It was clearly more powerful

than the last one had been. Shuddering, Kouki dived to the side just in time. His

instincts told him he couldn't neutralize that attack head-on. But his copy launched

another barrage of shockwaves at the location he landed, giving him no time to catch

his breath. The attacks were getting faster as well, and it took Kouki everything he had

to keep dodging.

Meanwhile, the copy continued leisurely poking fun at Kouki.

"You hate how Yue and the others all fawn over Nagumo too, don't you? You think all

those cute, strong girls belong with a true hero like you. And you just can't understand

why they prefer a guy like Nagumo, who's willing to abandon people he doesn't like."

"Shut up already! Those girls all love Nagumo… and that's their decision… so…"

"Oh, and you hate how strong Nagumo is too. You think all that strength should belong

to you, don't you? Hell, you just plain don't like Nagumo."

"You're wrong! Sure I think he's a little selfish, but he's saved my life multiple times…

How could I hate him?"

"Are you serious? All those times he saved you, you were jealous. You didn't feel

grateful at all. You were just mad because you thought it was your job to swoop in and

save everyone."

"That's not true! You're lying!"

"Am I? Then how come my power's still growing?"

His desire to be a hero, his jealousy bordering on hatred for Hajime, and his desire to

monopolize Kaori while still wanting other girls to be enamored with him were all

things he'd thought somewhere in his heart, but Kouki had truly managed to convince

himself he hadn't. He was subconsciously ignoring his own true nature, which was

why his copy kept growing in power. And because this was happening subconsciously,

he couldn't even stop it. The copy raised its black sword high, gathering pitch-black

mana around it. Since it was a direct counterpart to Kouki's Holy Sword, Demon Sword

was a fitting name for it.

Grinning, the copy thrust its Demon Sword up toward the heavens. A pillar of black

light rose up to the ceiling and burst, transforming into countless dark meteors. They

hurtled toward Kouki, a dark meteor shower of death. Kouki used Flash Step to evade

the barrage and desperately searched for an opportunity to launch a counterattack.

But his copy showed no openings, and cold sweat started pouring down his back.

To make matters worse, the meteor shower had slight homing capabilities and each

meteor unleashed a mana shockwave upon exploding which made avoiding every

meteor even more difficult. If he dodged too early, the meteors would follow him and

if he dodged too late, the shockwave would catch him.

Thanks to all the improvements Nagumo made, my fake's even— N-No, that's not what

I should be thinking. This guy's just strong. Kouki shook his head, banishing those

negative thoughts. After all, they weren't the "right" thing to think about someone

who'd helped him before.

Unfortunately, though, his conflicting emotions caused him to make a fatal error. He

mistimed dodging one of the meteors. Realizing he was about to get hit, Kouki

tightened his muscles. He relied on his divine armor to protect him and instead

focused on launching a counterattack.

"Ngh! Fly Forth— Celestial Flash - Storm!"

Celestial Flash - Storm was a Celestial Flash with invisible blades of wind added to it.

Furthermore, Kouki had used enough mana to fire off a double-digit number of light

slashes. It truly was a storm of flashes. However—

"You're wasting your mana. Gather— Heavenstrum - Shatter!"

The remaining meteors gathered around the copy's sword. The Demon Sword glowed

with a malignant black light, and the meteors merged into a single stream. It thrust its

sword toward Kouki, sending the beam at his Celestial Flash slashes. It was as if the

copy was trying to prove it didn't even need to dodge. Indeed, the difference in

strength between it and Kouki was already that great. The copy's black beam

obliterated Kouki's Celestial Flash - Storm in an instant.

"Ah!? Provide a bulwark— Divine Armor!"

A veil of white light covered Kouki's armor, and Kouki held his sword in front of him

like a shield. A second later, the dark light swallowed him whole.

"Nnnnnngh!"

An immense wall of pressure assaulted Kouki. Though he tried to stand firm, his

protective veil of light began to flicker. Heavensturm was originally a relatively weak

spell that covered a large area. But thanks to Hajime's maintenance, Kouki's sword had

been restored to its original power. On top of that, the copy's Demon Sword had been

powered up even more by Kouki's denial of his negative emotions. Even so, it was quite

a surprise that its power was enough to overcome Kouki's nigh-impregnable armor.

"Gaaaaaah!?"

With a low-pitched whine, the light surrounding Kouki's armor vanished, and Kouki

was blown backward by the dark beam.

"Bwah!"

He felt as though he'd just been pummeled by a heavyweight boxer. He rolled across

the ground, coughing up blood as he came to a stop.

"You wanna beat Nagumo, don't you? You wanna make him kneel in front of you and

beg for forgiveness. That way you'll be able to get Kaori back and make Yue and the

others yours. Then you'll save the world, take your classmates home, and be praised

by everyone."

"Shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup!"

Ignoring the pain lancing through every inch of his body, Kouki screamed and got to

his feet. Entrusting himself to the dark emotions welling up within him, he charged. A

spiral of pure white mana rose up from his battered body. Its dazzling radiance filled

the room; Kouki had just activated Limit Break. He was being pushed hard enough that

he no longer could afford to use it strategically.

Furthermore, he couldn't bear to hear any more of his copy's barbed taunts. He was

supposed to be in the right at all times, which was why he absolutely didn't want to

accept that he was feeling the things his copy said he was.

Bolstered by his tripled stats, Kouki shot forward in a streak of light. He closed the

distance between him and his copy in an instant and swung down his glowing white

blade.

"No thanks, I think I'll keep talking."

Scoffing, the copy blocked Kouki's Holy Sword with its Demon Sword. The two swords

clashed with a thunderous boom, and shockwaves rippled across the ground.

However, the copy remained unhurt. Judging by the black aura surrounding it, it too

had activated Limit Break.

Kouki's Holy Sword, wreathed in divine light, warred with his copy's Demon Sword,

clad in an ominous black aura. He locked eyes with his opponent, and when he saw

the disappointment in his copy's eyes, he flicked his wrist in anger. His downward

slash transformed into a horizontal cut, aiming directly for his copy's neck. But Kouki's

copy blocked even that lightning-fast attack with ease.

"Going straight for the neck, huh? I thought you were against murder?"

"You're not human!"

Determined to cut down the fake in front of him, Kouki unleashed a flurry of even

faster slashes. His sword traveled so fast it left glowing afterimages in its wake. It was

easy to see why he was the hero. His fast and accurate swordsmanship was so

overwhelming it was like a storm had descended upon the copy. Everyone would agree

he was among the top fighters in this world. But the enemy in front of him was even

more powerful. Smiling leisurely, the copy blocked all of Kouki's slashes with ease. It

was like it was weaving a barrier with its sword, creating a zone that Kouki couldn't

penetrate no matter how hard he tried. Moreover, whenever Kouki showed the

slightest opening, it would hit him with a counter. Before long, Kouki's body was

covered in numerous small cuts.

"Uwoooooooooooooooooooooh!"

"What's wrong? Shouldn't you tone down the bloodlust a bit, hero?"

The copy's teasing infuriated Kouki. And naturally, that made the copy even stronger.

Forgetting all about Limit Break's time limit, Kouki lost himself in anger and started

slashing at random. His swordwork became sloppy, leaving him more open than

before. Sparks flew as his sword collided with his copy's again and again. It regarded

him with cold eyes, like a hunter ready to finish off its prey. This time it hit Kouki with

the words he most feared, and the ones he wanted to hear the least.

"If this is all you're capable of, you're just gonna get more things stolen from you."

"What!?"

"Stop pretending like you haven't noticed. If I've noticed, that means you have too,

right?"

"I don't wanna hear anymore!"

Kouki was determined to stop his copy from speaking another word, no matter the

cost. Turning his rage into power, Kouki thrust his sword forward.

"Who do you think Shizuku's been sizing up these past few days?"

"Ah…" Kouki's rage boiled over the tipping point. His mind went blank, and his ears

stopped registering sound.

Moving on instinct, Kouki attempted to cast Light Burst, heedless of the fact that he'd

get caught up in the blast as well. His copy deftly dodged out of the way with Flash

Step and smirked at him again.

"You don't wanna think about it? First Kaori was taken from you, and now Shizuku…"

"Dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

"Come now, is that something a hero should be saying? Besides, yelling won't change

the fact that Shizuku likes Nagumo more than you. I don't blame her, either. He's saved

her a bunch of times, and she's always wanted to be the damsel in distress."

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Kouki swung his sword down, his eyes full of hate.

This wasn't possible. It couldn't be possible. Kouki denied his copy's words, trying to

cut through reality itself. Its power rose exponentially as a result. The aura

surrounding the copy's sword flared up, making the light covering Kouki's blade look

like a flickering lantern in comparison. It blocked Kouki's haphazard attack with ease,

then hit him with a roundhouse kick to the stomach.

"Gaaah!?"

Grunting in pain, Kouki slammed against the wall behind him. Thanks to the manaabsorption ability Hajime had added to Kouki's armor he could remain in Limit Break

for longer, but he was burning mana so recklessly that even then his time limit was

approaching.

"Don't wanna listen to the truth? Are you going to try and deny Shizuku's feelings too?"

Shaking its head in disappointment, the copy glared coldly down at Kouki. Panting,

Kouki used his sword as a crutch to struggle to his knees. His venomous glare ruined

his otherwise handsome face.

"That's impossible… Shizuku would never…"

His voice came out as a low, bestial growl. Meanwhile, his copy sounded nonchalant.

Though its words were barbed, its tone was almost pleasant.

"Haven't you noticed how much she's been smiling at him, and how often she lets

herself pout around him?"

"She does that around everyone."

"How do you explain the looks she shoots Hajime when he's flirting with Yue and Shea

then?"

"She's just annoyed… that Nagumo does such indecent things in public…"

"Then why does she give Kaori those guilty looks sometimes?"

"She's just worried about Kaori…"

"Man, you are one stubborn guy. Do you really not want to believe the truth that badly?"

The copy thrust its sword in front of Kouki. Kouki glared daggers at it, but sadly for

him, looks couldn't kill. In fact, his anger only served to amuse his copy. But just as the

copy was about to finish Kouki off, it muttered "So he's already here," and turned to a

section of the wall. Its lips curled up into a wicked grin.

"What perfect timing."

"You think you can look away!?"

Sensing an opening, Kouki thrust at his copy. However, it blocked without even turning

back. As Kouki struggled to overpower it, it glanced back and said, "Now then, will you

be able to deny reality when it's staring you in the face?"

"What're you saying!?"

A second later, a section of the ice wall crumbled away, revealing a new passage. Since

Kouki had yet to complete his trial, this could mean only one thing. Of course, Kouki

was unaware of how the trial rooms were linked, so he gazed curiously at the new

passage.

"Looks like he's not done yet…"

The voice echoing through the room was a familiar one, but also the one Kouki wanted

to hear least right now. To make matters worse the scene reflected in his eyes lent

credence to his copy's words. Hajime had just walked out of the passage, carrying

Shizuku on his back. His gaze naturally turned to Shizuku, and her expression burned

itself into his memory. She was sleeping peacefully with a relaxed smile on her face,

her cheek resting against Hajime's back. Something inside Kouki snapped.

A torrent of pure white light rained down on Hajime. Standing before him was a

familiar face. But he'd never seen that familiar face make such an unfamiliar

expression. Kouki looked like a demon as he leaped at Hajime, swinging his sword

down at him. Is he so engrossed in his battle that he mistook me for a monster or

something? I guess I could just throw Yaegashi in front of me and he'll come to his senses

and stop… No, those eyes don't look sane. There was a madness in Kouki's eyes that

made it obvious to Hajime that the hero wasn't in his right mind.

Sensing that Kouki wouldn't stop, Hajime leaped back to avoid the blow. A pillar of

white light slammed into the ground he'd been standing on a second later. Cracks

spread out across the floor. Though they repaired themselves instantly, it was obvious

that Kouki had struck Hajime with the intent to kill. Hajime glanced over at Kouki's

copy, who was grinning a short distance away. He then turned back to Shizuku, who

mumbled slightly, but remained firmly asleep. He was amazed at her ability to sleep

through such a racket. Though her being awake would go a long way to resolving this

situation, interrogating Kouki came first. Hajime turned to him and asked, "What the

hell do you think you're doing, Amanogawa?"

Kouki looked down at his sword, which was stuck firmly in the ground. His bangs

covered his face, making his expression unreadable.

"You… It…"

"What? I can't hear you, man. Look, we're not the enemy here, that guy over there is

who—"

"We?"

Kouki jerked his head up, his eyes gleaming ominously from behind his bangs.

"What the fuck is with this us and you bullshit? Shizuku doesn't belong to you."

"Stop spouting bullshit and go finish your trial. Your opponent's over there, not over

here."

Though Hajime's voice was calm, he had a bad feeling about Kouki's current mental

state. The hero drew his sword out of the ground and staggered toward Hajime. As

expected, Hajime's words weren't getting through to him. Mana rose around Kouki as

he prepared to strike again.

"Oh, I'll finish it alright. I'll put an end to everything!"

Kouki's eyes bulged, his pupils burning with insanity. Brimming with hatred and

bloodlust, Kouki charged at Hajime. He swung his light-infused sword horizontally,

aiming for Hajime's neck.

"Tch. So you've already been corrupted? Moron."

"Shut up! If you just disappear, everything'll go back to normal! Dieeeeeeeeeee!"

Hajime's premonition had been right on the money. Kouki had lost to his copy, and had

thereby lost to himself. Hajime swayed to the side, avoiding Kouki's blade. He watched

calmly as the sword flew inches past his face. Judging by Kouki's earlier words, and

the way that he'd looked at Shizuku, Hajime surmised that his appearance had been

the final nail in the coffin to cement Kouki's defeat. Tch, I came at the worst possible

time.

"Celestial Flash - Eightfold Wings!"

"Whoa."

Using the least amount of movement possible, Hajime dodged the barrage of light

slashes.

"Calm down, Amanogawa. If you're not careful you'll kill Yaegashi."

The way Hajime phrased that made it sound like he was holding Shizuku hostage, but

what he was saying was just the truth. However, Kouki was incapable of rational

thought right now.

"You coward! Release Shizuku at once!"

As expected, Kouki interpreted Hajime's words the wrong way, even though he was

the one attacking Shizuku. Enraged, he unleashed another flurry of blows. It was then

that the sleeping princess finally awoke. Though she had been exhausted after her

trial, it was still impressive how she'd managed to sleep through all of this.

"Mmmmmm… What's going onnn? Let me sleep for a bit longer…"

"I can't believe you can sleep in a situation like this. You better get up or I'll throw you

like a human cannonball."

At this point, even Hajime was a little annoyed by how Shizuku was still half-asleep.

He reached back and pinched Shizuku's thigh. If that wasn't enough to wake her up,

he'd really throw her. Hopefully, that'd be shocking enough to bring Kouki back to his

senses too. However, Hajime was unable to have his fun, as his pinch, fortunately, woke

Shizuku up. He brought out his Cross Bits and deployed a cube-shaped barrier. Kouki's

sword flashed as his attack dispersed around the invisible spatial barrier. The

thunderous roar that accompanied it alerted Shizuku to the fact that they were in

battle, and she hurriedly dropped off of Hajime's back.

"Man, you're one hell of a heavy sleeper."

"I-I am not! It's just that your back was so comfortable that I…"

"Well, whatever. We can debate your sleeping habits later. More importantly, do

something about that guy."

Hajime fired two explosive slugs from his Cross Bits to counter Kouki's next spell. The

slugs crossed trajectories right in front of Kouki, exploding and sending shockwaves

hurtling toward him.

"Wh-What do you mean, 'more importantly'? Wait, what on earth's going on!?"

Tearing up at Hajime's callous treatment of her, Shizuku's expression went from hurt

to shocked as she saw what was going on. She couldn't believe it. The person attacking

them was Kouki of all people. Her surprise was understandable. After all, she hadn't

expected one of her best friends to be trying to kill her.

"It looks like the trial managed to corrupt him. He thinks I'm the root of all evil or

something."

"No…"

Shizuku followed Hajime's gaze and saw he was staring at Kouki's copy. The copy was

grinning as it watched Hajime defend Kouki's attacks. That was all it took for Shizuku

to piece together the situation. Her expression turned grim, and she turned to Kouki.

"Kouki! Don't lose to your copy! You're doing exactly what it wants! Come back to your

senses and overcome yourself!"

She watched Kouki with concern in her eyes. Though he was far from perfect he was

still a good guy and Shizuku's longtime friend. Furthermore, he was a disciple of the

Yaegashi style, and thus part of the Yaegashi family.

This was the first time Shizuku had seen such hatred in Kouki's eyes. She couldn't bear

to see him like this. Raising her voice, she did her best to get through to Kouki.

However Kouki just smiled, his eyes still full of hate and bloodlust.

"Don't worry. I'll save you, Shizuku."

"Kouki? What are you saying?"

"You've been brainwashed by Nagumo, right? It's fine, you'll go back to normal once I

kill him."

Kouki turned from the stunned Shizuku back to Hajime.

"Nagumo, even if you're a former classmate, don't think you can get away with hurting

my friends. I'm gonna kill you and free Kaori and the other girls from your

brainwashing! Then I'll save the world together with them!"

Shizuku was at a complete loss for words. It was quite possible Kouki would have

ended up like this much sooner had Shizuku not talked to him the night Kaori left to

join Hajime's party. The weight of her words had kept him from going berserk.

However, she hadn't been able to truly change Kouki's mind, and he'd still harbored

some resentment toward Hajime. That was the reason why he'd always argued with

Hajime when they were traveling together. Still, Shizuku had kept him from completely

cutting ties with Hajime, or trying to take Kaori back by force. At the same time though,

that meant it was only because Shizuku had been by his side that he'd remained sane.

Kouki's thought processes and worldview were very childlike. It was understandable,

since he'd run into no obstacles he couldn't overcome with his juvenile ideals until

now. So it was also natural that he'd be furious that his last female childhood friend

had been "NTR'd" from him. He'd barely been able to retain his sanity by continually

denying the truths his copy had battered him with, but in the end, he'd been forced to

accept reality when he'd seen Shizuku sleeping happily on Hajime's back. Even Kouki

wasn't so delusional that he could deny what he was seeing. And once he'd accepted

reality, his downward spiral had begun.

Kouki, already overflowing with emotion, had decided to substitute reality with a

convenient fantasy. That was the only way he could protect his fragile heart. He'd

convinced himself that Hajime Nagumo was a monster who'd brainwashed Kaori and

the others, and was a devil who was trying to stop him from saving the world. Shocked

by Kouki's wild assertions, Shizuku ground her teeth and tried her best to make him

see reason.

"Kouki! Get a hold of yourself! Don't let your copy deceive you!"

"Shizuku…"

Shizuku carefully chose her next words. She spoke softly and kindly, as if she were

trying to calm a child throwing a tantrum. She knew that if she messed up, Kouki

would end up going past the point of no return.

"Listen, Kouki. I know it's hard to face the ugliest parts of yourself. I almost died

myself, so I understand. But if you don't accept your negative emotions and overcome

them, you won't be able to advance. If you truly want to save this world, you can't allow

yourself to cling to your delusions. Your real enemy is yourself. That grinning, black

version of you! Open your eyes, Kouki!"

Shizuku's words echoed through the chamber. The copy didn't move. It seemed

interference from comrades was considered a valid part of the trial. But its sneer

didn't fade as it looked down at the original it was created from. Hajime silently

watched the scene play out from behind Shizuku. The reason he hadn't instantly

fought back when attacked was out of consideration for her. Under the watchful gaze

of Shizuku, Hajime, and his copy, Kouki smiled. Though it resembled the charming

smile he'd often give girls back in Japan, there was something warped about it.

"Thank you, Shizuku. Thank you for always worrying about me."

"Kouki…"

Hope and sorrow warred within Shizuku.

"I'm truly happy. Even though you've been brainwashed, you're still thinking of me."

"Kouki?"

"It's fine. I'll beat my fake, and save you from Nagumo. You won't have to spend any

more time with a guy you don't even like. I'll bring you back where you belong,

Shizuku."

"...…"

Shizuku balled her hands into fists.

Her expression turned flat, and she asked quietly, "Where I belong? What do you mean

by that?"

"I see, so you've forgotten even that. Poor thing. Nagumo truly is a monster."

"Answer me, Kouki."

"By my side, of course. That's how it's always been, and that's how it always should

be."

Shizuku looked up in exasperation. Dark clouds gathered in her heart, and she

breathed out a pained sigh.

"Kouki, do you remember what we talked about on the bridge, that night Kaori left?"

"Yeah, of course I do. You said something about how I can't always assume I'm right,

didn't you? Don't worry, I always thought Nagumo was a scoundrel, but thanks to your

words I stuck around with him to make sure. And now I know for a fact that he's a

filthy traitor."

"No! Kouki, what I was trying to say was—"

"Don't waste your breath, Shizuku. You're brainwashed so you don't realize it, but I'm

doing the right thing."

Kouki interrupted Shizuku, disregarding her words. By telling himself everyone was

being brainwashed, he had an excuse to fight for his ideal future. Kouki turned to

Hajime, his eyes gleaming with dark insanity. His Limit Break, which he'd purposely

toned down while talking, came back in full force, and white light erupted all around

him.

"Kouki, stop!"

But Shizuku's desperate cry didn't reach her childhood friend. Kouki rushed forward,

leaving a trail of light in his wake. He didn't even spare Shizuku a second glance. His

gaze was fixated solely on Hajime, his sworn enemy. Shizuku's attempts at persuasion

had failed. The copy's grin grew wider, and Hajime clicked his tongue in annoyance.

The emotion drained from his eyes, replaced by a cold, calm stare.

Shizuku paled as she watched the change in Hajime's expression. A deathmatch

between the two of them was the worst possible outcome.

"Wait, I can stop him!"

Under the effects of his Limit Break, Kouki's stats beat out Shizuku's by a fair margin.

It was unlikely she could stop him, and attempting to do so would only end with her

getting hurt. Still, she couldn't bear to see two people she cared about try to kill each

other. She pushed her exhausted body into action and jumped in between Hajime and

Kouki.

"Yaegashi, to your right."

"Huh? Ah!?"

Though she was confused, Shizuku's body moved on reflex. She lifted her katana to

her right and turned around. Kouki's copy was running straight at her. A shiver ran

down her spine and she prepared for impact, but before the copy's sword reached her,

a familiar object wedged its way in between them. One of Hajime's Cross Bits. It

glowed crimson, indicating that it had Diamond Skin active. It was there to cushion

the force of the copy's blow, making it easier for Shizuku to block. Unfortunately, the

copy had been strengthened beyond belief thanks to Kouki's weakness.

"Ngh!"

Groaning in pain, Shizuku was blown away by Kouki's copy. Wisps of black mana

trailed behind the copy, filling the space between Kouki and Hajime. Kouki swung his

sword down at Hajime with enough force to split a boulder. But Hajime blocked it with

an azantium-coated Donner. As a sharp metallic clang rang out, Hajime heard Kouki's

copy say, "I'll keep Shizuku company. You focus on your hated foe."

Shizuku narrowed her eyes and shouted, "Ngh, you little— Get away from me! I don't

have time to waste on you!"

"Give it up. That guy can't see anything but Hajime Nagumo. This trial's between him

and Hajime now. Don't interfere."

"Don't just go deciding that on your own!"

It seemed the copy had decided to use Hajime for Kouki's trial. This was now a test to

see whether or not Kouki would be able to calm his rage and accept reality for what it

was. The copy was content to see how the fight between the two of them played out.

Annoyed at being used as a trial examiner, Hajime glanced over at where Shizuku and

Kouki's copy were dueling.

"You sure you wanna fight me? Your precious childhood friend's under attack."

"That fake's a part of me. It won't kill her. And roughing her up a bit will teach her not

to get brainwashed by scum like you again."

"Didn't you call it a monster earlier?"

"It's a monster with my personality copied into it, isn't it? In that case, even if it is a

monster it won't kill Shizuku."

"That doesn't make any sense at all."

Kouki truly was the master of interpreting reality in the most convenient way possible.

Though he'd just disavowed his copy by claiming it was a monster, he also believed it

wouldn't hurt Shizuku because it was his copy. That logical inconsistency didn't seem

to bother him one bit, though. In fact, regardless of rhyme or reason, Kouki seemed to

have convinced himself that really was the truth. He put even more force into his blade,

trying to cut right through Donner. But even with his Limit Break-enhanced stats, he

was unable to make Hajime budge. It was like he was facing a fortress of steel. Furious,

he shouted, "Prepare yourself. I won't let you have your way with Kaori, or Yue, or

anyone else anymore! I'll free them all from your tyranny!"

Kouki flicked his wrist and turned his overhead slash into a horizontal one. He aimed

for Hajime's neck without hesitation. But of course, Hajime blocked the blow with

ease. This time with Donner's muzzle.

"Wha!?"

Kouki yelped in surprise, and Hajime brought his face closer to the hero's. He glared

coldly into Kouki's eyes and said, "When you're this stupid, there's no point in even

pointing out your stupidity. But let me say just one thing. Who do you think you are,

saying Yue's name without honorifics? You bastard."

"Ah!?"

Hajime unleashed his bloodlust, letting it cascade over Kouki in waves. The pressure

Hajime emitted was so immense, he could hardly be considered human. In the face of

such overwhelming, monstrous might, Kouki stiffened.

There was a loud boom as Hajime pulled the trigger, and his railgun-accelerated bullet

knocked Kouki's sword away as if it were no more than a plastic toy. Kouki's wrist was

unable to withstand the impact, and he was forced to let go. His Holy Sword spun

through the air. Before he even had time to register what had happened, Hajime hit

him with a powerful front kick.

"Gaah!?"

His bones let out an ominous crack and Kouki shot backward at unbelievable speed.

Hajime chased after him and followed up with a roundhouse kick. Kouki felt as though

he'd been run over by a truck as he changed directions from backward to sideways.

He was traveling so fast he didn't fall downwards at all, like a human bullet. With no

way to stop himself, all he could do was cover the back of his head as a protective

measure. That small measure was what saved him from falling unconscious as he

crashed into the ice wall with enough force to pulverize it.

Still, he'd taken a significant amount of damage. Kouki coughed up blood as he

struggled to all fours. Even though he was wearing the strongest armor in Heiligh and

using Limit Break, he'd been nearly taken out of commission by a kick from Hajime.

On top of that, Hajime hadn't even activated his Limit Break. Kouki ground his teeth,

frustrated by the difference in strength between them. But of course, Hajime wasn't

going to give him any time to wallow in regret.

Before Kouki could get to his feet, another loud boom echoed throughout the room.

Two streaks of red light shot toward him. But Kouki managed to sense the attacks

coming and rolled to the side. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough. Hajime had fired a

third shot in the direction he'd predicted Kouki would roll, and it clipped his shoulder

as he struggled to his feet. Pain lanced through him, but Kouki had no time to register

it.

That last bullet was way faster! Indeed, Hajime's third bullet had been magnitudes

faster than his first two. The reason for that was simple. Hajime had wrapped his first

two shots in mana to make it look as though he'd accelerated them with Lightning

Field, but in truth, he'd only accelerated the third shot. And the reason he'd fired two

normal shots was so— "Gaaaah!?" they'd ricochet off the ice wall instead of destroying

it. By utilizing the uneven terrain, Hajime had accurately bounced his bullets so they'd

pierce through the gaps in Kouki's armor and shatter one of his kneecaps.

"Ngh! Come, Holy Sword!"

Lying on the ground, bleeding from his leg and shoulder, Kouki nevertheless called out

to his Holy Sword. It answered his summons and flew to his outstretched hand. But of

course, it flew in a straight line. Meaning before it could reach Kouki's hand, Hajime

intercepted it and pinned it under his boot. Whether out of loyalty or just because it

was designed to, the sword struggled underneath Hajime's foot, straining to reach its

master. However, Hajime's foot didn't budge in the slightest.

"Pathetic. Why don't you use the extra features I added to your equipment? You'd put

up more of a fight that way at least."

There was no disdain in Hajime's voice. He was just calmly stating the truth. But that

calm analysis of reality pissed Kouki off even more, and his hatred burned fiercer than

ever. There was nothing resembling the old, charismatic Kouki that had once existed

in his expression. The man who'd condemned murder more than anyone now

resembled nothing more than a crazed murderer. Hajime leaned down and pressed

Donner against Kouki's forehead. Like Kouki, he was emanating enough bloodlust to

cause normal people to faint. It was obvious Kouki'd been checkmated. All Hajime had

to do was pull the trigger. But a desperate voice called out to him before he could.

"Nagumo-kun, please don't do it! I promise I can bring him back to his senses!"

Even as she fought Kouki's copy, Shizuku pleaded with Hajime to spare Kouki's life.

That didn't please the copy one bit.

"Looks like we need to get you off this stage, Shizuku."

"Agh!?"

Because of her desperation, Shizuku had revealed an opening. The copy took full

advantage of that and hit her while she was unguarded with a full-power Light Burst.

Shizuku stumbled backward, and the copy followed up with a Celestial Flash - Shatter.

It seemed the copy had no qualms about using the extra features Hajime had added to

its equipment. Before Shizuku could even think about defending herself, Hajime's

Cross Bit appeared in front of her. Thanks to Hajime's prompt protection, Shizuku

managed to avoid taking serious damage. The copy had, of course, held back to avoid

killing Shizuku as well, so the shockwaves from the shatter effect of the Celestial Flash

were only strong enough to give her a concussion and knock her out. They also blew

her backward, but Hajime's Cross Bit caught her before she hit the wall. It then gently

placed her on the ground, leaving her leaning against the wall. It then created a spatial

barrier, protecting Shizuku from anything the copy might try to do to her. Smiling, the

copy shrugged and turned to Hajime. It pointed its Demon Sword at him and

unleashed a barrage of black light. The spiral of black energy was large enough that

it'd hit Kouki as well as Hajime. It seemed the copy was planning on burying them both

in one go. Hajime spared Shizuku a glance, muttered "God, what a pain," and jumped

away. Naturally, he left Kouki where was he was.

"Uwaaaaaaaaaaah!"

With one kneecap smashed Kouki couldn't even stand. Realizing he wouldn't be able

to dodge, he screamed and assumed a defensive posture. But just before hitting him,

the blast changed trajectory and bent toward Hajime. It seemed the beam was a

homing beam. Hajime focused on the input coming from his Demon Eye. In doing so,

he was able to see the nucleus of the spell. He fired Donner, shooting the nucleus down

with pinpoint accuracy.

The copy didn't seem to mind, though. It appeared its goal had just been to get Hajime

away from Kouki. Unconcerned, it turned toward Kouki. Kouki weakly thrust his

sword at it, but the copy easily batted it aside and leaned in to whisper in Kouki's ear.

It looked like a devil trying to lead him into temptation. Hajime had no idea what it

whispered to Kouki, but once it finished Kouki started glancing back and forth

between Hajime and the copy, his eyes bloodshot. Then, as if resigned, he nodded. A

second later, the copy's outline began to blur, and it started fading away. Motes of black

light rose up from it and started circling Kouki.

"Now then, it's time we truly became a hero. Let's strike down evil and save our

beloved heroines!"

"Shut up! I don't take orders from you! I'm just using your powers to defeat Nagumo.

Once he's gone, you're next!"

The copy grinned. It then turned entirely into black particles and went inside Kouki.

A second later, Kouki's body began to throb. It throbbed so loudly the noise echoed

through the room, and streaks of black started appearing in the white light

surrounding him. It was like drops of ink had been spilled in a pool of milk. Kouki

staggered to his feet. His shoulder and knee had been completely healed.

"How long are you gonna make me wait?"

Surprisingly, Hajime had waited like a good villain for Kouki to complete his hero

transformation. But now he'd gotten tired of standing around and he fired Donner and

Schlag at Kouki. That wasn't all, either. At the same time he pulled the trigger, he also

lobbed a grenade at him. Kouki didn't bother to dodge at all, and streaks of red light

punched through his shoulder and leg. The grenade exploded on him as well, dousing

him in fire.

"That won't work anymore."

Kouki walked out of the flames, completely unhurt. His voice was trembling in barely

suppressed joy. White and black mana flared up from within him, blowing the flames

away. One of Kouki's eyes had turned dark crimson, giving him a mismatched look.

The damage he'd taken from Hajime's earlier bullets was mostly healed too. It seemed

some of Kouki's hero skills, such as Physical Resistance, Advanced Healing, and Shock

Absorption had become far stronger with his sudden increase in mana. His hair was

also streaked with white now, and a spiderweb of dark crimson veins covered his pure

white armor. Most importantly though, he now wielded two swords. His original Holy

Sword, and his copy's Demon Sword.

"You two fused?"

"I don't like it, but yeah. It's the only way I can beat you. But I'm taking this guy down

next."

"Moron. You've already lost to temptation."

"Bark all you want. You can't beat me anymore. With this new power, I'll take back

everything that belongs to me!"

"How the hell haven't you figured it out yet? It's because you're like this that you ended

up in this sorry state to begin with."

"Enough talk. Have at you! Overload!"

Kouki's mana ballooned to massive proportions. He'd used Limit Break's only

derivative skill, Overload, which multiplied his stats fivefold. That, combined with the

fact that he'd fused with his copy meant his stats had passed 10,000. He was just as

much of a monster as Hajime now. Kouki raised his twin swords, then vanished.

"Haaaah!"

A second later he reappeared behind Hajime and swung his twin swords down

diagonally with a battle cry. He was so fast that Hajime didn't even get to turn around.

I've got him! A sick sense of satisfaction welled up within Kouki, but then a second

later he heard three familiar booms. His swords were blown out of his hands, and

something hard hit him in the stomach. The air was driven out of his lungs and he flew

backward. Gasping for breath, he somehow managed to right his stance in midair and

land safely.

I thought he didn't have enough time to react!? Cradling his stomach, Kouki looked up

in confusion. The answer to his question was right in front of him. Donner's muzzle

was pointed right at him, though Hajime was still looking forward. It appeared that

Hajime had reversed his gun's grip without even looking and accurately sniped Kouki

down. In truth, Hajime'd had more than enough time to react. He just hadn't needed

to turn around to stop Kouki.

"Don't fuck with me!"

Seething with rage and humiliation, Kouki once again charged Hajime and swung his

swords down.

"Celestial Flash - Storm!"

Finally, he started using the abilities Hajime had endowed his sword with. Kouki no

longer had any pride left. He'd been reduced to a beast acting purely on rage. Countless

blades of wind assailed Hajime from all sides. They were all invisible, attached to the

shockwaves of light he'd released. With his upgraded stats, Kouki's Celestial Flash was

powerful enough to annihilate an army.

But Hajime just swayed like a leaf in the breeze, dodging the majority of the barrage.

The few attacks he couldn't dodge he shot down or deflected with Donner and Schlag.

Even if something was invisible, so long as it was magic, Hajime's Demon Eye could

see it. Plus thanks to Riftwalk enhancing his senses, he could easily see a way to dodge

the storm of wind. Add to that his wealth of experience, training, and rational

approach to combat, dodging invisible wind blades was a piece of cake. And since he

wasn't focusing his full attention on dodging, that meant he could counterattack. As

he dodged, Hajime naturally aligned his guns' sights on Kouki. He fired, and his bullet

weaved between hundreds of wind blades to slam into the ground at Kouki's feet. Of

course, this was no miss. He'd aimed there on purpose.

"Whoa!?"

Crimson shockwaves rippled across the ground. The ground bulged underneath

Kouki, sending him flying. He managed to stick his sword in the ground to regain his

balance, but that left him open. Before he knew it, Hajime was in front of him. He once

again ate one of Hajime's front kicks, and was sent hurtling toward a corner of the

room like a pinball.

"Godda—!?"

Kouki didn't even get a chance to finish cursing. Hajime was already pointing Donner

and Schlag at him even as he flew backward. He quickly activated Aerodynamic to get

out of the way, but Hajime adjusted his aim and targeted the spot Kouki would end up

in. Expression stiffening, Kouki watched in slow-motion as Hajime moved to pull the

trigger, but then momentarily hesitated.

Hajime was debating whether to fire, or adjust his aim slightly to go for the head. His

instincts told him to put an end to things here and hit Kouki with a lethal shot. But at

the same time, he recalled how Shizuku had been pleading with him to spare Kouki's

life. How desperately she'd tried to save her childhood friend. He also thought about

how devastated Kaori would be if Shizuku became depressed over Kouki's death.

Sheesh… Hajime smiled ruefully to himself and pulled the trigger. He fired thrice in

quick succession with both revolvers. Unable to change his trajectory, Kouki was

showered in bullets. He jerked like a ragdoll as streaks of red light shot through him.

Hajime had even taken into account how each bullet would cause Kouki's body to

contort, ensuring each of his shots hit no vitals.

A second later, blood sprayed from Kouki's numerous wounds and he fell to the ground

with a wet thud. From a distance, Kouki looked like a corpse. But it was obvious he

wasn't when he started moving. Using his twin swords as crutches, he staggered to his

feet. His shoulders, arms, and legs were bleeding profusely, but in seconds those

wounds closed.

"What are you holding back for? Are you looking down on me!?"

Each of Hajime's shots had been calculated to immobilize Kouki, not kill him.

Humiliated, Kouki's face twisted in rage. Even though he wanted to kill Hajime so

badly, Hajime wasn't even interested in a deathmatch with him. Casually tapping his

shoulder with Donner, Hajime replied, "If I kill you, Yaegashi and Kaori'll be depressed.

It'd be way more of a pain to kill you than to just leave you alive. I'll just beat you to a

pulp and let your childhood friends sort you out."

"Fuck you! I'll show you what you get for underestimating me!"

Furious, Kouki charged at Hajime again. He hated how Hajime was more concerned

with Shizuku and the others than the opponent right in front of him. He unleashed a

flurry of slashes, trying to force Hajime into paying attention to him. Unfortunately,

none of them even got close. No matter how powerful Kouki's blows were, no matter

how fast he moved, Hajime calmly blocked them all. Rage burned so fiercely in his

heart that his body temperature started to rise. His emotions started spiraling so far

out of control that his swordwork started getting sloppy as well.

"You—Guys like you always talk like they know everything! But I'm the one who truly

understands Kaori and Shizuku! I'm the one who cares about them the most! I'm the

one they should be together with! Not you! Not a shitty scumbag like you!"

"You sound like a spoiled brat."

Hajime ducked in between Kouki's slashes and fired Donner at him at point-blank

range. Though he still avoided Kouki's vitals, this time he hit him in the torso. However,

even that wasn't enough to stop Kouki as he was right now. No matter how badly

Hajime damaged Kouki, his overcharged stats allowed him to heal instantly. Kouki

really was like a spoiled brat who was just throwing a tantrum because things weren't

going his way.

Though he'd long since surpassed his physical limits, Kouki's negative emotions

allowed him to squeeze even more power out of his Overload. Now that he'd fused

with his copy, whenever his copy grew in power, he did too. Going off of stats alone,

Kouki had reached the point where he'd soon eclipse Hajime unless Hajime himself

used Limit Break. He was swinging his swords with the same speed and power that

Noint had. But even that wasn't enough for him, and his strength continued to grow.

"Uoooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!"

"...…"

Kouki unleashed a bestial howl. On the other hand, Hajime remained silent. Though

Kouki ostensibly had the same level of power Noint had, Hajime didn't feel the least

bit threatened by him. He didn't unleash a battle cry like he had with Noint, nor did he

even bother activating Limit Break. And despite all the power Kouki had at his

disposal, he still couldn't hit Hajime. No matter how fast or strong his blows, they

couldn't scratch his opponent.

The reason for that was simple. His mental state was in tatters. He was in a berserk

rage, consumed by a desire to pound his enemy into a bloody pulp. He'd be hardpressed to beat anyone in the party as he was right now, let alone Hajime.

While Kouki was whaling away, another section of the wall crumbled away, revealing

another passage. Hajime ignored Kouki's enraged slashes and turned to see Yue and

the others dash into the room with grim expressions. It was obvious from their

stunned expressions that they couldn't fathom how things had ended up like this.

Normally Kouki would have noticed their entrance, but he was so engrossed in

fighting Hajime that he didn't.

"It's all because of you! If you weren't here, everything would be perfect! Kaori and

Shizuku would have been mine! I would have saved the world! But you ruined

everything!"

"...…"

"Even though you're a murderer, even though you abandon people without a second

thought, how come everyone likes YOU!? It doesn't make sense!"

"So that's why you think I brainwashed everyone?"

"How else do you explain it!? Kaori, Shizuku, Yue, Shea, Tio, they've all been

brainwashed by you! I bet you're trying to brainwash Ryutarou and Suzu too, huh!?

Well, I won't let you! I'm the hero! I'll save everyone from you and reclaim my rightful

place! No one needs you anymore!"

Kouki's screams reverberated through the room. Naturally, Yue, Shea, and Tio's eyes

narrowed dangerously when they heard that. Kaori covered her mouth in shock, while

Ryutarou and Suzu were speechless. Hajime sighed, and spoke to Yue and the others

through telepathy.

"Yue, looks like you guys got through your trials just fine."

"Mmm… They were a piece of cake. Anyway, what's wrong with that moron?"

"He's really mouthing off at you."

There was a tinge of anger in Yue and Shea's telepathic voices. They naturally didn't

take kindly to Kouki insulting Hajime and their friends. Especially since Kouki was

saying their names without honorifics. Hajime smiled at the two of them and said,

"The short version is he lost to his fake and deluded himself into thinking he's right.

Now he's taking his misplaced anger out on me. He powered himself up by accepting

his fake's offer and fusing with it. If he could just control himself he'd still be able to

clear the trial, but… doesn't look like that's happening. Yaegashi tried to persuade him

and that's how she ended up."

Hajime kneed Kouki in the stomach and glanced over where Shizuku was resting. Yue

and the others followed his gaze.

"Shizuku-chan!"

"She didn't take any direct hits so she should be fine, but can you check up on her for

me still, Kaori?"

"O-Of course! Leave it to me!"

Seeing her best friend lying unconscious brought Kaori back to her senses, and she

rushed over to Shizuku. It was only then that Kouki finally realized Yue and the others

had entered the room. His eyes widened in surprise, and he put some distance

between himself and Hajime. He turned to the newcomers and gave them an insane

smile.

"Oh, you're here guys. Just wait a little longer. I'll beat the shit out of this guy and free

you all."

His statement was so outrageous that Yue, Shea, and Tio went from being angry to

giving him pitying looks.

Ryutarou and Suzu on the other hand, snapped out of their reverie and shouted, "What

are you saying, Kouki!? What's happened to you!? Snap out of it!"

"Get it together, Kouki-kun! Nagumo-kun isn't your enemy, it's yourself!"

Instead of being happy that his friends were concerned for him, Kouki's smile

contorted into an angry snarl. As expected, he turned back to Hajime.

"Nagumo. Don't tell me you already brainwashed Ryutarou and Suzu? Just how low

will you stoop? How much do you have to take from me before you're satisfied!? Oh, I

get it now. Eri's betrayal was your doing too, wasn't it? I always thought it was strange

how suddenly she changed. But if she was brainwashed by you, it all makes sense."

"No it doesn't, you idiot."

"Save your pathetic excuses. I'll make you pay for your sins."

"The biggest sin here is that you're missing your brain."

Howling, Kouki raised his twin swords. A spiral of black and white mana erupted from

them. The shockwaves from the mana alone destroyed the ground near Kouki and the

ceiling directly above him. Kouki was gathering his mana to unleash the biggest Divine

Wrath of his life.

"You know I'm not gonna wait for you to finish every time, right?"

Exasperated, Hajime took his spatial magic-enchanted bolas out of his Treasure Trove

and flung them at Kouki. Because he was in the middle of his incantation Kouki failed

to dodge in time. The bolas wrapped around him, trapping him in place. Swords still

raised, Kouki shouted, "Fuck! You coward!"

It seemed villains who didn't wait for the hero's transformation to finish were

cowards. Cursing, Kouki drew out even more mana, attempting to shake off the bolas

by force. But even Noint had taken a few seconds to escape from them, so naturally,

Hajime had more than enough time to strike. Deciding it was high time he ended this,

Hajime brought out his big guns. Literally. He brought a new weapon out of his

Treasure Trove. It was painted black with red accents and resembled Schlagen in

appearance. However, its barrel was much larger than Schlagen's. A basketball could

easily fit inside it. Crimson mana started gathering near this new gun's muzzle. Once

the clump of mana reached critical mass, it started emitting sparks. It was like Hajime

had fit a miniature star inside it. The amount of force condensed in that one shot was

so great that even Yue and the others shivered.

"Even if you're too stupid to listen to yourself, you should have at least listened to

Yaegashi."

The way Hajime spoke, it was as if he was going to kill Kouki here and now.

"Wait, Nagumo-kun!"

"Nagumo, please don't!"

"Nagumo-kun!"

Shizuku—who'd been brought back to consciousness by Kaori—Ryutarou, and Suzu

all yelled at Hajime. But unfortunately, he still pulled the trigger. The air trembled, and

crimson light filled the room. This new gun of Hajime's had as much firepower as a

sci-fi spaceship's main cannon. Even as the wall of destructive light bore down on

Kouki, the hatred didn't leave his expression.

"If only you weren't here, I'd—"

The light swallowed him before he could finish that thought. Shizuku, Kaori, Ryutarou,

and Suzu watched on in horror. The blast from Hajime's gun was so quiet you could

have heard a pin drop in the room. And just as there was no sound, there was no

destruction either. The light dyed the clear ice walls crimson without harming them,

creating a room of scintillating garnets. The sight was so beautiful that it was hard to

believe it had eradicated Kouki from existence. Probably because it hadn't.

"Agh…"

Kouki groaned softly, a huge change from the childish insults he'd been spewing

seconds ago. Shizuku and the others looked up in confusion. The light dissipated,

revealing a perfectly unhurt Kouki. He slumped in exhaustion, and had Hajime's bolas

not kept him fixed in place, he would likely have collapsed to the ground. There was

no mana surrounding him anymore.

"What just happened?" Ryutarou muttered, voicing everyone's thoughts. The answer

was simple. Hajime's new weapon, the magic cannon Grentzen, was an Artifact that

fired shots of pure mana, with no physical component. Back in the Sunken Ruins of

Melusine, he'd run into illusions of the past that could only be hurt by magic, so he'd

created this weapon just in case a similar situation popped up again. He just hadn't

had any need to use it until now. Grentzen's magic bullets were made of a combination

of spirit and evolution magic, and they forcibly stripped the mana out of anything they

came into contact with. Meaning that Hajime had just blown Kouki's fake right out of

him, as well as all of his mana.

Though Suzu didn't understand the mechanics of what had just happened, she sighed

in relief as she realized Hajime had rendered Kouki powerless without hurting him.

Ryutarou gave Hajime a grateful nod of the head while Kaori smiled happily, and tears

of joy welled up in Shizuku's eyes. In a hoarse voice, Kouki muttered, "M-My power's

gone… No! I still haven't gotten anything back yet! I can't stop here."

Kouki let go of his swords, and they fell to the ground with a clang. It was obvious from

how his hands were shaking that he didn't even have the strength left to hold them.

After a few seconds, the Demon Sword Kouki had inherited from his copy faded away,

proving the copy itself had been destroyed. Kouki's eye and hair returned to their

normal color as well.

Seeing that the copy was truly gone, Hajime released Kouki from his bolas. The hero

slumped to the ground and muttered deliriously, "I need to turn everything back to

normal." He groped blindly with his hands, searching for his Holy Sword. His eyes were

unfocused, and it was clear he was barely hanging on to consciousness. However, the

hatred burning within them hadn't diminished in the slightest. Humiliated and

brimming with jealousy, Kouki had become fixated on the time in his life where

everything had gone as he wanted. Hajime put Grentzen back in his Treasure Trove

and walked over to Kouki. Seeing Hajime's boots in front of him, Kouki stopped

moving. He looked up and said with a ghastly expression, "Please, Nagumo. Give it all

back to me. I'm begging you, please just die."

He didn't realize his childhood friends were all staring at him. Their expressions were

hard to read, but they didn't seem sad, or angry.

"You've got it all wrong, man. This isn't who you're meant to be. How'd you end up like

this, Kouki?"

Ryutarou balled his hands into fists, clenching so hard that his nails drew blood. He'd

expressed what all of his friends were thinking. Hajime silently grabbed Kouki by the

collar and lifted him up. Kouki struggled weakly, but of course, he was unable to break

free. Hajime turned to Kaori and Shizuku. Shizuku silently closed her eyes, indicating

that she'd trust in whatever decision he made. Her eyebrows drooped apologetically,

which was very much like her. She realized she'd caused Hajime a lot of hassle by

asking him to spare Kouki. Kaori, on the other hand, looked directly at Hajime, her

faith in him absolute. Sighing, Hajime smiled ruefully. "Fine, fine," he muttered quietly.

He turned back to Kouki and balled his right hand—the one that wasn't prosthetic,

into a fist.

"Go do your life over, you fucking imbecile."

He punched Kouki in the face, not using any body strengthening or magic to power

himself up. But to Kouki, that punch was even heavier than all the bullets Hajime had

fired at him. He flew backward, losing consciousness a few seconds before hitting the

ground. Hajime gave Kouki a sidelong glance, then scratched his head and sighed. I

guess I kinda deserved that for thinking I'd use these guys as meat shields against the

Noint army.

Once the fight was over, Yue and the others ran over to Hajime. Or in Yue's case, flew

into his arms using gravity magic. Hajime turned to her in surprise, then gave her a

gentle smile that was the complete opposite of the grim expression he'd had on until

now.

"Mmm… Hajime."

"Yep, it's me. How'd your trial go, Yue? I guess it was pretty hard, huh?"

Yue smiled, glad that Hajime had picked up on her feelings right away. Though it had

been more worrying than hard, since now Yue was unsure what the future held. She

was embarrassed she'd let such a slight problem rattle her resolve, but Hajime didn't

seem bothered at all and hugged her tight. Shea and Kaori knew about Yue's

circumstances—Yue had told Kaori while the two had been having their own fight—

so they weren't surprised at how spoiled she was acting. Ryutarou, Suzu, Tio, and

Shizuku, however, were. Hajime looked over the rest of his party members and

nodded.

"Looks like everyone made it out alright. Let's get going, then."

"Wait, hang on! We still need to heal Kouki-kun!"

Kaori looked down at Kouki, who was lying spread-eagled on the floor. Ryutarou and

Suzu nodded in agreement.

"Do we really have to?"

"Yes, we really have to!"

Kaori held her ground, and Ryutarou and Suzu nodded once more. Hajime grimaced,

but he didn't stop Kaori from going over to Kouki.

"You said he absorbed his copy, right? I think doing that damaged his soul. It'll take a

while to properly cure him."

He'd pushed himself far past his physical limits by combining Overload and the copy's

strengthening, so his body was in just as bad shape as his mind. Of course, his physical

injuries could easily be cured with restoration magic, but his spirit was a different

matter. A human's spirit was quite fragile, and Kouki had harmed it quite severely by

fusing with his copy. If Kaori wasn't careful in repairing it, he could wake up with a

completely different personality. In fact, if she failed it was entirely possible he'd turn

into a cheery guy who'd say things like, "Sup, everyone! It's a great morning today, isn't

it!? Hahahahahaha!"

As Kaori explained all this to Hajime, his expression grew more and more reluctant.

He unconsciously hugged Yue tighter, which she was of course perfectly fine with.

"Whatever you do, just don't heal him fully. As long as his life's not in danger that's

good enough, right? The last thing I want is him waking up."

"Huh? Why…? Oh yeah, I guess that might be best."

Kaori cocked her head in confusion, but then instantly realized what Hajime was

getting at. Knitting her brows in worry, Kaori began healing Kouki just enough to avoid

permanent damage.

"Hey Nagumo, I realize Kouki tried to kill you and all, but… you know…"

"Nagumo-kun…"

Ryutarou and Suzu, who hadn't guessed what Hajime's intentions were, looked

unhappy with his decision. They thought Hajime was doing this to spite Kouki because

he didn't like the hero. But at the same time, Kouki had tried to kill Hajime so they

couldn't really argue.

Shizuku on the other hand just watched Kouki with a sad look on her face the entire

time. She'd known him the longest out of anyone, and he was practically family to her.

In response to Ryutarou and Suzu, Hajime pointed at Kouki. There was no animosity

in his expression, just annoyance.

"Look here, think about what a hassle it'll be to heal him fully."

"Hassle…? Oh."

"Looks like you figured it out, Taniguchi. Listen up. Amanogawa failed his trial. He

couldn't bear to face his true self, so he took it out on me. That's not going to magically

change when he wakes up. He's still gonna be pissed at me."

"You mean it'll just be a repeat of what happened here…"

"Exactly. Well, he was being egged on by his copy this time, so it's possible he won't go

on a rampage the moment he wakes up this time, but still…"

Hajime fished his compass out of his pocket and looked down at it.

"We're almost there. I'm guessing this was the labyrinth's last trial, but there's no

guarantee there isn't something waiting for us at the end. The last thing I want is to be

attacked from behind while dealing with the labyrinth's trials."

"Haaah… I guess he's lucky to even be alive."

Sighing, Ryutarou reluctantly nodded. Hajime's argument made sense. But like

Shizuku, he couldn't help but be a little sad at how things had turned out. Only Yue

was unaffected by the gloomy atmosphere and smiled blissfully as she rested in

Hajime's arms.

"We should just leave him here…"

"That's not good enough, Yue-san. We should finish him off while we have the chance."

Shea hefted Drucken ominously.

"You two… I understand how you feel, but control your rage. Your hatred for Kouki is

causing him nightmares."

Tio shooed Shea and Yue away, acting like a reliable older sister for once. Reluctantly,

Shea stowed her hammer and Yue dispelled the mini lightning dragon she'd

summoned. The two of them were still mad that Kouki had dared to attack Hajime.

They also hated how he'd used their names without honorifics, but the biggest thing

was that he'd been serious about killing Hajime. Kouki groaned painfully in his sleep

as the two girls directed their hatred at him. His brow furrowed, and he broke out in

a cold sweat. Chances were he was dreaming of being attacked by the vampire and

bunny girl duo. Shaking his head, Hajime smiled at the two of them. While he was glad

they were angry on his behalf, if Kouki's nightmares destroyed his psyche any further

it would defeat the purpose of keeping him alive.

"Tio's right. I went through all the trouble of not killing him, so don't ruin it."

"Mrr… Fine, if you say so, Hajime."

"You lucked out, you damn hero."

Shea spat at Kouki's feet. Were you always this aggressive?Hajime thought as he turned

to her in surprise. In an attempt to placate Shea, Hajime used his free hand to pat her

bunny ears. In seconds, Shea went from gangster Shea back to her normal, mellow self.

Yue scooted over a little to make room for Shea, and the bunny girl gladly settled into

Hajime's arms. Yue rubbed her head in Hajime's stomach while Shea leaned against

his chest. Shea closed her eyes and wrapped her bunny ears around Hajime's neck.

Her tail bobbed happily back and forth.

Yue and Shea's fight had ended with the two of them growing closer, but it had also

made them more clingy when it came to Hajime. I guess something pretty big happened

during their trials. Hajime smiled gently and wrapped his arms around both of them.

Things had been bad enough when it was just Yue and Hajime flirting, but now that

Shea had been added to the mix their flirting was even more diabetes-inducing.

Feeling a little left out, Tio sidled over to Hajime as well. After a few seconds of silence,

Tio said, "Master, I have a confession to make."

"Hm? What?"

"The truth is, I was using you all this time to get my revenge against the gods!"

Suzu and Ryutarou turned to her in shock. You're actually gonna tell him that!?

"Huh? I knew that already though?"

Suzu and Ryutarou turned to Hajime in shock. You already knew that!? Hajime and Tio

silently looked into each other's eyes. After about ten seconds Tio asked, "What's my

punishment?"

"Nothing."

Tio fell to her knees in despair. Suzu and Ryutarou also fell to their knees, but for a

different reason. This really isn't the time for that… they thought. Suzu decided it was

up to her to ask the right questions and turned to Hajime.

"H-Hey, Nagumo-kun. Did you really know that was what Tio-san was thinking?"

"Huh? Course I did."

Hajime went on to explain that Tio had already told him a good amount of her past.

There was also the fact that she'd left her village to investigate the heroes who'd been

summoned. And when she'd discovered Hajime was stronger than the hero, she'd

decided to stick with him instead. Putting the puzzle pieces together had hardly been

difficult for Hajime. More than anything though— "Besides, I'd like to think I have an

idea of what kind of person Tio is."

After all, Tio Klarus was one of Hajime's precious companions. It was only natural that

he'd pay attention to her. He knew just how badly she thirsted for revenge, as well as

the fact that she was a trustworthy ally who wouldn't hesitate to give her life for her

friends.

"That's part of the reason why I asked you to come during my fight with Noint, you

know?"

Hajime's fight with Noint had happened eight thousand meters in the air. If his only

goal had been to get Aiko to safety, he could have asked Yue to come up using a

teleportation portal. Of course Tio had been free at the time since she was on lookout

duty, and Yue's strength was necessary to protect Liliana and the others at the palace,

but part of the reason Hajime had chosen Tio was also because he wanted to give her

a chance to get back at the church that had ruined her life.

"Master…"

For once, Tio seemed at a loss for words. Her heart welled up with emotion, but she

couldn't figure out how to express it. Tio looked so cute that even Suzu blushed, while

Ryutarou slapped himself to keep his head clear. He wouldn't be tricked into falling for

this pervert a second time.

"Master, may I rest in your arms as well?"

Before Hajime could say anything, Yue and Shea scooted to either side, making space

for Tio. Realizing that Tio must have had quite a difficult trial as well, Hajime just

shrugged his shoulders and allowed it. Beaming, Tio nestled into Hajime's arms, in

between Yue and Shea. Now there were four people flirting instead of three. The scene

was so sickeningly sweet that Ryutarou couldn't bear to look at it. A short distance

away, Kaori watched Tio and the others enviously.

"Awww, I missed my chance. Well… I guess this is good enough for Kouki-kun. Hajimekuuuuuun!"

"Huh? Hey, Kaori! Weren't you the one who said we should heal…"

Kaori fired one last half-assed burst of healing magic at Kouki and then left him to go

run into Hajime's arms. She had at least made sure his life wasn't in danger, but that

was about it. Kouki twitched a little as Kaori's final bits of healing magic washed over

him. Even though Kaori was the one who said healing damaged souls was a delicate

business, she hadn't been all too delicate at the end. Shizuku looked worriedly from

Kouki to Kaori.

Kaori tried to wedge herself into the group hug as well, but was stymied by Yue. As

she ran forward, Yue fired a small pebble at her forehead. This time, however, Kaori

would not be deterred. She dodged the missile and squeezed her way in next to Yue.

Naturally, this meant that Kaori was in between Yue and Hajime's arm. Yue smiled

threateningly at Kaori, who smiled back. As usual, the two girls summoned their

illusory stands and glared daggers at each other. Ryutarou and Suzu watched in

amazement as the two girls silently warred with each other while also flirting with

Hajime. Realizing everyone had forgotten Kouki, Shizuku walked over to make sure

his pulse and breathing were normal. Once she confirmed that he was fine, she

breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ryutarou. Could you carry Kouki?"

"Sure… I guess Kouki was the only one who didn't succeed. He's gonna be depressed

when he wakes up."

Ryutarou's expression clouded over as he hoisted Kouki onto his back. Suzu looked at

him, her expression also troubled.

"Yeah… Though we don't know for sure if we succeeded either… Besides, as long as

he's alive, he can try again!"

Suzu smiled cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood. Ryutarou shook his head to clear it

of negative thoughts and smiled back at her.

"Good point. He fucked up big time, but at least he's alive for us to beat some sense

into him. And if he wants to try again, we can just help him out. Like we always have."

"Yep!"

Shizuku smiled as she watched over her two friends. Noticing she was looking at them,

Ryutarou and Suzu both thought, It's because you act like that that everyone calls you

the class mom! Shizuku's smile quickly turned into a glare, as if she'd read their

thoughts, and they quickly started thinking about something else. Sighing, Shizuku

glanced over at Hajime and the others and shifted gears. Her trial had already taught

her to stop prioritizing others and suppressing her own desires. She'd decided to live

for herself now.

Naturally, this meant she no longer felt any shame about staring longingly at Hajime.

Tio was the first to notice Shizuku's gaze. Cocking her head quizzically, the dragonman

turned toward her. Yue and Kaori were too busy fighting to notice, while Shea was

busy trying to calm them down.

Shizuku brought a hand up to her chest, reminding herself of what she'd learned from

her trial. She curled her fingers into a fist, and Tio easily guessed what she'd resolved

to do.

"Now this is quite interesting… Fufu. Good luck, young lady."

"Huh? Did you say something?"

"Oh, I was simply wishing a troubled young maiden luck in her endeavors."

Hajime was momentarily confused by Tio's response, but then he followed Tio's gaze

and saw Shizuku psyching herself up. He realized what was going on right away. It was

hard not to, since he'd already heard Shizuku's confession earlier.

"Man, you've gotta be kidding me."

Hajime's gaze met Shizuku's. The moment it did, Shizuku blushed. A second later, her

expression became determined, and she walked over. Unaware of her true intentions,

Ryutarou and Suzu followed after her. Shizuku stopped beside Hajime, on the opposite

side of where Kaori and Yue were still glaring at each other. She was awfully close to

him. In fact, she was practically glued to Hajime's left arm, which was currently

holding Shea.

It was then that Yue and the others noticed her presence as well. Yue turned around

with a questioning look while Shea blinked in surprise. Shizuku locked eyes with

Kaori. They shared a look, and Kaori figured everything out. Her eyes widened in

surprise. She wasn't surprised by Shizuku's feelings, but rather by the fact that she

wasn't hiding them anymore.

Once she'd gotten over her shock, she beamed. Her smile was gentle and kind, filled

with understanding and acceptance. It encapsulated everything she felt about Shizuku

in one expression. She quietly mouthed, "Good luck" at Shizuku, showing her support.

Shizuku nodded and smiled back. She held in the tears of joy that threatened to spill

forth and looked hesitantly up at Hajime.

"Nagumo-kun, thank you for saving Kouki."

"All I did was beat him up."

Hajime's tone was curt. It was precisely because he knew Shizuku's feelings that he

didn't really want to deal with her. Unfortunately for him, she wouldn't be deterred.

Smiling nervously, she added, "But you didn't kill him. You kept him alive for Kaori's

sake, and a little bit for my sake, right? What was it you said before, twenty percent

for my sake?"

"Yeah, I guess I did."

Hajime wasn't going to take back his words. But he still seemed unhappy admitting

that. His grumpiness helped alleviate Shizuku's nervousness, and she giggled. Yue

grumbled to herself as she watched the two of them talk while Shea muttered, "Ah, so

it's finally happening."

"I guess you really did protect me like you promised."

"I've got my limits though. I'm not protecting you from everything."

"I know. But thanks to you, we didn't lose our friend. I know he's a huge troublemaker,

and a moron, but… he's still like family to me."

Shizuku looked up at Hajime with a mixture of gratitude and sadness, and he shrugged

noncommittally. In truth, Hajime had wanted to kill Kouki and be done with it, to

prevent him from being a potential threat in the future. But after seeing Kaori and

Shizuku's expressions, he'd come to realize sparing Kouki had been the right choice.

At the very least, it would be a lot less hassle dealing with whatever trouble Kouki

caused than dealing with two traumatized girls who'd just seen the man they love kill

one of their friends.

At the same time, Hajime was both impressed and nonplussed that Shizuku had

continued trying to help Kouki even after seeing the radical transformation he'd gone

through. She really is like everyone's mom. While Ryutarou and the others were

disillusioned with Kouki, Shizuku was just sad that things had come to this. Which

showed just how much she cared about him. Had any of the people who idolized Kouki,

such as his other classmates or the noble ladies in the castle, seen his actions here,

they would likely have wanted nothing to do with him ever again. But Suzu, Kaori,

Shizuku, and Ryutarou shared a bond with Kouki that went deeper than that. Like

Shizuku had said, he was like family. Not just to her, but to all of them.

So if Yaegashi's the mom, does that make Amanogawa the rebellious son? Normally

Shizuku would have glared at Hajime for thinking such rude things, but she was too

focused on her own concerns at the moment. She took two deep breaths, then looked

passionately up at Hajime.

"Thank you for carrying me after my trial as well. It was the first time anyone's ever

done that for me, but it felt surprisingly comfortable."

"Says the girl who threatened me into doing it."

"Uh, well… I suppose I did, but that was the only way you were going to hold me, wasn't

it?"

Shizuku blushed to the tips of her ears. Her heart pounded in her chest. It was amazing

how different she looked from her usual, aloof self. She gently laid a hand on Hajime's

left arm. In truth, she wanted to grab it, but she was too embarrassed to do more than

rest her hand on it. She could feel everyone's gazes on her, but she nevertheless

gathered her resolve and said in a shaky voice, "A-Anyway, I'm really grateful to you.

So here's your reward. A-Also, it's proof that I w-wasn't joking about what I said

before!"

Shizuku went on tiptoes and grabbed Hajime's arm to hold him in place. Then, using

No Tempo to keep Hajime from reading her movements, she quickly leaned over and

kissed Hajime on the cheek. He felt the soft sensation of her lips press against him.

They were hot, and just a little wet, and they warmed him to the soul. The kiss lasted

only a second, but it was long enough to convey her feelings to Hajime.

A second later, there was a loud thud behind Shizuku. Ryutarou had been so shocked

by her actions that he'd dropped Kouki. In fact, he was so shocked he hadn't even

realized that he'd dropped his friend.

Shizuku quickly stepped back, her face burning red. She looked down, too embarrassed

to meet anyone's gaze. But then she slapped her cheeks and rallied herself.

Hajime was at a loss for what to do. He knew what he needed to say. Hell, he hadn't

even accepted Kaori yet. There was no way he could accept Shizuku's feelings. That

being said, he needed to choose his words carefully. Had Kaori looked worried he

would have rejected Shizuku outright, but to his surprise, she was smiling. If he

dismissed Shizuku's feelings outright, it'd just cause more trouble down the line.

Though Shizuku had no way of guessing Hajime's feelings, she saw him wavering and

decided this was her chance. She steeled herself and said, "Yue, Shea, Tio… Kaori. I

learned a lot from this trial. It taught me what bad habits I need to fix, and what my

true feelings are. I know Nagumo-kun already has Yue and Shea, and I know you love

him too, Kaori. I realize this makes me a horrible person. But even so…"

Shizuku trailed off, hesitating, but Kaori smiled and gave her the push she needed.

"It's fine, Shizuku-chan. No one thinks you're a horrible person. Besides, it's not like

you can control who you fall in love with. If anything, I'm happy you're finally putting

your own desires before other people's, Shizuku-chan."

"Kaori…"

Shizuku had been worried that confessing her feelings would make Kaori upset, so

seeing Kaori support her wholeheartedly took a large weight off her shoulders. Yue

shrugged her shoulders, then smiled fearlessly. No matter how many new rivals

popped up, Yue would fight them all fair and square, like she'd told Kaori. Shea on the

other hand just shook her head in resignation, while Tio winked at Shizuku. Shizuku

smiled, relieved that she could proceed without stepping on any toes. Holding her

head high, she said, "I'm in love with you, Nagumo-kun. And I'll do whatever it takes

to make you mine."

Shizuku's smile was like the clear blue sky that came after a storm. Free of worry and

utterly captivating. It had the same dazzling radiance as the morning dew on a bright,

clear dawn.

"Shizuku-chan, you look super cute right now! Alright, it's finally time to take down

the Yue-Shea pair combo by creating our own childhood friend combo!"

"What? Kaori, I've barely even… Heh. Well, I suppose that might not be a bad idea. We'll

make Nagumo-kun ours and ours alone."

"I knew this would happen eventually, Shizuku… I'll bury you and Kaori both."

"You can't do that, Yue-san! Oh, but we can't let them have Hajime-san all to themselves!

We'll take you head-on, Shizuku-san!"

Yue, Shea, Kaori, and Shizuku all started jostling over Hajime, who was looking

forlornly off into the distance. Shizuku hadn't even bothered waiting for his reply.

When he'd tried to say something Kaori had interrupted him and said, "Prepare

yourself, Hajime-kun!" Worse, even Shea had added, "You're going to say no, right? We

already know so just stay quiet for once, Hajime-san."

So now he was sulking by himself. In the end, he knew he wasn't going to shut down

Shizuku so hard she actually gave up, so he decided to just leave it be.

"Hey, Master. I feel as though I've been left out of everyone's conversation. What should

I do now that the others have all paired up?"

"Why not start panting over being ignored like you always do?"

Tio started panting. Hajime looked down at the girls in his arms and thought to

himself, I really wish they'd stop arguing over who likes me more. Ryutarou sighed, half

in exasperation half in amazement, as he watched the fight for the Hajimebowl begin.

"I can't believe even Shizuku fell for him. What's so good about Nagumo, anyway?"

"Wow, he even won Shizushizu's heart. Nagumo-kun's a real Casanova! What if I end

up falling for him too? W-Will I spend my nights doing all sorts of naughty things with

Onee-sama…? That actually sounds pretty hot."

"Oi, come back to your senses, Suzu. Don't leave me alone in this den of insanity."

Suzu brought a hand to her chin and considered the prospect while Ryutarou sighed

yet again. It was then that he finally realized he'd dropped Kouki, and hurriedly picked

him back up. He looked from his best friend to Hajime, and muttered quietly, "Hey,

Kouki. I kinda get how you feel. I can't really blame you for getting jealous."

Of course, Ryutarou knew Kouki wouldn't be able to hear him. The question was, how

would he act once he woke up? If he ended up going on a rampage again, Ryutarou

decided he'd be the one to knock some sense into his best friend.