Chapter 104 - Preparing for the Decisive Battle Part 2

Reluctantly, Kaori had activated Soul Contact, not expecting it to really work. But to

her surprise, not only did this rabbit have a will of its own, it was highly intelligent as

well. Most monsters acted primarily on instinct, but not this one. In fact, it had been

audibly excited when Suzu explained she'd be able to make it stronger.

Lured in by the promise of power, the rabbit entered into a contract with Suzu and

became her familiar. And once the contract was sealed, Suzu was able to understand

it better and asked it what it was up to. Apparently, this rabbit was indeed one of the

Kickmaster Rabbits that inhabited the first floor of the abyss, but it had desired

strength and set off on a journey to train itself. When Suzu had met it, it was already

strong enough to take on the monsters on the 80th floor of the abyss. And it was all

thanks to Hajime that it had become this strong. More specifically, it was thanks to the

Ambrosia Hajime had left behind.

This Kickmaster Rabbit had drunk the small puddle of Ambrosia remaining in the

small cave Hajime had used as his base of operations on the first floor.

The Ambrosia had granted the rabbit a massively increased mana pool and the ability

to think for itself.

Now that it had gotten a taste of heaven, it was hooked. After it drank all the Ambrosia

in Hajime's former base, it began wandering the corridors, searching for more. It beat

down any monsters that got in its way until finally, it ran into the Claw Bear.

This rabbit had, in fact, witnessed Hajime's fight with the Claw Bear, so it had assumed

it had nothing to fear. Little did it know that monsters in this labyrinth regenerated

after a set period of time.

It fought valiantly against the Claw Bear, determined to continue its quest. Normally,

a Kickmaster Rabbit would have instinctively tried to flee from something as powerful

as a Claw Bear, resulting in it getting chased down and killed. But the Ambrosia had

given this rabbit the power of thought, and it realized the only way for it to survive

was to fight and win. And as a result, it made it out of the encounter alive.

During the fight, it spent every second thinking, analyzing, and planning. Even when

the Claw Bear had it on the ropes, it didn't give up, and eventually, its fierce

determination had allowed it to unlock a derivative skill for its special magic, which

helped it clinch victory. And as it looked down at the corpse of this floor's ruler, the

rabbit realized something. Creatures grew stronger by surpassing trials like these.

The next day, the rabbit embarked on its journey to become strong. Its ultimate goal

was to find Hajime, its king, and the one who'd granted it power. It wanted both to

thank him and to show him how strong it had become.

After that, it would travel across the world and fight against the strongest creatures it

could find to sharpen its own skills.

Back then, Hajime hadn't possessed convenient tools like his Treasure Trove, so he'd

been forced to leave behind whatever excess Ambrosia spilled from the Divinity Stone

that he couldn't store and carry with him. The Kickmaster Rabbit continued finding

the places where he'd stayed, and by drinking what little Hajime left behind, it grew

stronger and smarter. Eventually, it grew powerful enough to go toe to toe with the

monsters on the 80th floor and had the intelligence of an average person.

"What the hell is this, the plot of a light novel?"

"Kyuu!"

Hajime honestly felt like he'd just read a light novel series starring this rabbit as the

protagonist.

"Hahaha, he really is amazing. I let him fight a little to test his skills earlier, and thanks

to my metamorphosis magic, he's strong enough to fight the monsters on the 90th

floor one on one."

"He's so fast I can't keep up with him. Also, the way he moves is kinda like Shizuku. I

bet he can use No Tempo and shit too. He can even send out shockwaves with his

kicks."

"I see…"

Hajime was too exhausted to point out the absurdity of all this.

Smiling shyly, Suzu asked in a timid voice, "Umm, so that's why he wants you to give

him a name, Nagumo-kun. It has to be you not me, so please?"

"Well, if nothing else, it's a good thing you've got a strong familiar to help you out. But

man, this is even more tiring than when I was fighting Ehit… and he wants me to pick

a name too…"

Hajime looked down at the rabbit, which had hopped up onto the table. It looked

expectantly back up at him.

"How about Miffy?"

"Rejected," Kaori replied immediately. She wouldn't allow Hajime to steal names from

mascot characters from back on earth. Especially not cute ones like Miffy. No way Miffy

would kick bears to death.

Sighing, Hajime offered a few more suggestions.

"Fine, Peter Rabbi—"

"No way."

"Udonge."

"I don't know where that's from, but I just know you're ripping something off again.

Take this seriously!"

I am taking this seriously, though…

Exasperated, Hajime threw his hands into the air and said, "Oh, whatever. Let's just

call him Inaba, then. He looks mostly like a rabbit."

"Isn't that too cliched? That's like calling a dog Spot. Can't you think of a cuter name?"

"All my other familiars are disgusting insects, so I'd prefer a cuter name for the

bunny…"

"Wait, what does Inaba have to do with rabbits?"

Kaori and Suzu weren't happy with the name while Ryutarou, who was ignorant of

most old Japanese myths, didn't get the connection at all.

However the rabbit in question…"Kyuu, kyuu!" seemed rather taken with the name

Inaba. It hopped around the table, its crimson eyes sparkling with excitement.

"He seems happy with it at least."

"Well… if he likes the name, then I guess it's fine…"

"Aww. Inaba-chan, huh…? I guess it's a cuter name than I first thought?"

"Hey, guys, can someone explain what Inaba has to do with rabbits? Please?"

Reluctantly, Kaori and Suzu accepted the name Hajime had chosen. Meanwhile,

Ryutarou tugged on Suzu's sleeve and begged for an explanation, but Suzu ignored

him. She didn't have the patience to teach a musclehead like Ryutarou.

Shea turned to Inaba and smiled at him. She probably felt an affinity to the bunny as a

fellow lagomorph-adjacent race. Since Hajime had already confirmed he didn't have a

problem with the rabbit, she reached out to pet him.

"Good for you, Inaba-chan. Since we're both bunnies, let's be—"

"Kyu!"

There was a sharp crack as Inaba kicked Shea's hand away. Everyone stared at the

rabbit in shock.

As Shea stiffened in surprise, Inaba looked up at her ears, then smirked dismissively.

Her surprise quickly turned to anger, and she turned to Suzu with a menacing smile.

"Eeek, c-calm down, Sheashea!"

"I am calm. Now, tell me what that cheeky little brat said."

"U-Umm, well…"

"Suzu-san?"

"Eeek! H-He said, 'Ya think yer droopy little bunny ears are enough to satisfy my king?

Psh, yer getting a little too big for yer britches!' Wait, don't get mad at me, he's the one

who said it!"

I'm the only bunny my king needs! was the sentiment conveyed by Inaba's haughty

expression. Shea's chair clattered to the ground as she rose to her feet, folded her

arms, and glared intimidatingly down at Inaba.

"You've got balls, challenging me. Looks like I'm going to have to teach you a lesson.

The only bunny worthy of Hajime-san is me!"

"Kyu!"

Shea's magically strengthened fist whizzed past Hajime's nose. She struck so fast that

her fist's friction with the air created a burning smell that lingered for a few seconds.

Inaba deftly jumped out of the way, then used his Aerodynamic skill to change trajectory

in mid-air and launch an axe kick at Shea. She crossed her arms in front of her to block

the blow. The shockwave created by the impact was powerful enough to knock Suzu

out of her chair and spill Ryutarou's tea all over him.

Inaba landed on Hajime's head with a backflip, and Shea launched a kick at him. Hajime

got a good view of Shea's panties while Inaba countered with a kick of his own. Another

powerful shockwave surged out from just above Hajime's head, ruffling his hair.

Shea and Inaba took their fight outside the workshop to avoid breaking anything and

started clashing even more fiercely.

"Calm down, you two! No one—"

"I need to teach this rabbit its place! Hajime-san's personal bunny is me… and no one

else!"

"Kyu, kyu!"

"This isn't a contest, you know!? Stop acting like dogs fighting over who's the alpha!"

Kaori chased after them, trying to break the fight up.

Meanwhile, Remia just smiled and said, "Oh my, they sure seem to be getting along."

Myu exclaimed, "Bunnies are so cool! Huh? You want to fight them too, Sa-chan? But

you need my permission? Sure, you can do it!"

One of Hajime's golems joined the fight, and the sounds of explosions were added to

the din.

Hajime ignored the commotion and turned to Suzu.

"Hey, Taniguchi, take these. They're artifacts for your familiars. You'll be able to summon

them instantly with these, without having to open a portal for them to come through.

By the way, Sakagami, you said you discovered a new use for your metamorphosis

magic, but what exactly did you learn?"

He spread several artifacts out on the table. One was a specialized Treasure Trove

designed for holding and transporting monsters, which he'd called the Monster Orb.

(Though, in his head, he just referred to it as a Poke ball.) He also brought out a belt to

hold the Monster Orb and a regular Treasure Trove, as well as upgraded versions of

Suzu's fans and Ryutarou's gauntlets.

The two of them poked their heads out from the table they'd been hiding under.

"H-How can he be so nonchalant about this…?"

"He'd probably lose his mind if he didn't learn to just ignore this stuff. I know your

pain, man."

Suzu looked at him in awe while Ryutarou smiled sympathetically. The two of them

took their seats again and began equipping the artifacts Hajime gave them.

Ryutarou explained what his new way of using metamorphosis magic was, which left

Hajime utterly flabbergasted. While he couldn't believe such a barbaric application of

metamorphosis magic was effective, he nevertheless sighed and started making new

artifacts to match Ryutarou's new style.

It was one hour before the clock would strike midnight, signaling the start of the day

of Ehit's invasion.

Shea, Kaori, Suzu, and Ryutarou had spent the entire time in the workshop with the

Hour Crystal, training with their new artifacts.

Kaori, Suzu, and Ryutarou had just left for the surface, while Hajime and Shea were

going over their final preparations.

"Tomorrow's the day…"

"Yeah. Though, Ehit never specified the exact time he'd start."

If Ehit had meant exactly three days from the moment of his declaration, then there

were still about twelve hours left.

Of course, it was possible that he'd attack as soon as the day started or just before it

ended too.

"Hajime-san."

"Yeah?"

"'Even if something does happen to me, I'm sure you and Hajime will save me, so

there's nothing to worry about.'"

"Is that something Yue said?"

"Yep, back when we were in the Frost Caverns. I told her that we obviously would."

Shea slipped a ring, her new Treasure Trove, onto her finger and added, "These three

days… I know we needed them to prepare, but they were also the only three days Yue

had to fight back."

"Yeah, you're right…"

Ehit had claimed he needed three days to gain full control of his vessel. Meaning in

three days, he would be able to force Yue into a position where she couldn't resist.

No one had mentioned it aloud, but they'd all been wondering what state Yue's soul

would be in when they found her. They knew they had to be prepared for the worst,

just in case.

"But you know, I still believe. I believe that Yue-san's safe. I'm sure she believes we'll

come for her too."

"Definitely. This is Yue we're talking about. Besides, you just beat her back into shape

the other day. There's no way her soul would lose to some self-proclaimed god. Even

if he makes it impossible for her to fight back, I guarantee you she'll be watching like

a hawk, waiting for an opening."

"Hehehe, you're right. But the enemy we're up against this time is really strong. We'll

need to be prepared for death if we want to have any hope of beating him."

"What're you trying to say?"

Shea turned around and met Hajime's gaze. Her eyes were burning with anger at having

her best friend stolen from her, determination to bring her back, and an unwavering

fighting spirit.

In a resolute voice, Shea declared, "I'm going to get Yue-san back, no matter what. It

doesn't matter how hard I have to push myself or how reckless I have to be. If I can't

save Yue-san, then I'm better off dying and taking down as many people as I can with

me. That's how much she means to me."

"I see… And?"

"Please don't stop me from doing anything crazy. I want you fighting by my side

Hajime-san, not worrying for my safety."

Depending on how you looked at it, it could be said that Shea was asking Hajime to die

with her. She couldn't stand a future where she was alive, but Yue wasn't. And she was

asking Hajime to die with her in the case that they couldn't get Yue back.

It was the kind of thing a story's main heroine should never say, but Hajime wasn't the

least bit put off by her request.

"Isn't it a bit late to be asking me that? We already decided we'd share the same fate

ages ago. Either we all make it out together, or we all die together. Don't worry Shea, I

have no intention of sacrificing myself just to let you escape, so you better not chicken

out and take those words back later."

Hajime grinned provocatively at her. Despite how harsh his words might have sounded

to an objective bystander, they were exactly what Shea wanted to hear. Her bunny ears

flopped back and forth, and a huge grin spread across her face.

"Of course! I just wanted to let you know. If you suddenly shouted something stupid

like, 'Survive Shea, even if it's just you!' at the last second, that would really ruin the

moment."

"Well, according to the guys in my class, I'm more of a Demon Lord than the actual

Demon Lord. And you know what they say, no one runs from the Demon Lord."

While Hajime had been holed up in his workshop, the story of how he was more evil

than the Demon Lord had spread across Tortus.

Originally, the term Demon Lord referred to the ruler of the demon race, but in

Hajime's case, people were calling him that because he was a demon (a horrifying

avatar of death and destruction) and a lord (someone who used his might to force

people to do his bidding.)

Hajime's classmates had already popularized the nickname, and now people all over

Tortus referred to Hajime as a Demon Lord.

"Anyway, none of us are going out in a blaze of glory. We're gonna get everything we

want and beat the shit out of anything that stands in our way."

"Hahaha, I knew you'd say that, Hajime-san. But you know, those are exactly the kinds

of lines a Demon Lord says. I think it's a fitting nickname."

Smiling, Shea swung Villedrucken in a wide arc, then hefted the hammer onto her

shoulder.

"Let's hurry up and get Yue back so we can finally have our threesome!"

"That just killed the mood, you horny rabbit."

Shea strolled out of the workshop, humming happily to herself. Sighing, Hajime

shrugged his shoulders and followed after her. But despite his exasperated expression,

it was clear from the look in his eyes that he truly loved and trusted Shea.

Remia and Myu were waiting for Hajime by the foyer.

Hajime had instructed the two of them to remain here until the fate of the world was

decided.

However, Myu's golems would be coming with him.

A while back, Remia and Myu had asked Hajime to at least let them go to the fortress

so they could support the soldiers on the frontlines. Neither of them had wanted to sit

back and do nothing during the fight to get Yue back.

Hajime hadn't allowed it, though. He knew he was being selfish, asking them to remain

safe while everyone else fought, but he didn't care. However, Myu had thrown a huge

tantrum and even Remia had looked uncharacteristically depressed, so he'd

compromised a little.

Since the golems he'd created could share what they saw and heard with their master,

as well as be controlled remotely, he'd told them to help the war effort by operating

his golems from here.

Of course, that meant this would be the last time he saw them in person until the battle

was over.

"Daddy…" Myu mumbled as she ran over to Hajime and looked worriedly up at him.

He squatted down until he was eye-level with her and looked quietly at her. The two

stared into each others' eyes for a few minutes, after which Hajime said, "Well, I'm off."

"Okay!"

Nothing else needed to be said between the two of them.

"Hajime-san, Shea-san, please be careful. I'll be waiting here for your safe return."

"Aye aye. You know, Remia-san, you're really good at pulling off the whole 'housewife

seeing her husband off to war' act. You even got my heart beating a little faster."

"Shea, do you just get horny for everyone now?"

"My, thank you for the compliment. Do come back so I can welcome you home as well."

"You got it," Hajime replied casually.

"Of course!" Shea said confidently.

The four of them came together for a hug.

With that final farewell, Hajime and Shea left the Great Orcus Labyrinth behind.

The moment Hajime and Shea stepped out of the portal, Shizuku ran over to them.

"You're finally here. The leaders of all the countries are waiting for you. Follow me."

That was the only greeting she gave before turning on her heel and stalking off. She

appeared to be in a bad mood. Hajime and Shea exchanged confused looks as they

followed after her.

It was nearly midnight, but it looked like it was mid-afternoon. Lights too bright and

too big to be stars twinkled in the night sky, illuminating the surroundings. They were

artifacts Hajime had sent up to allow construction to progress through the night, and

to give the defenders an edge if the battle dragged on into the night. The plains outside

Heiligh's capital looked like a football stadium with all the bright illumination.

The capital and the Divine Mountain were giving off no light of their own and were

cast in deep shadow. It was strange to see the city that was normally so bright like

that.

"Where's Kaori?"

"She's with our classmates. Suzu and Ryutarou are with her, too. You sent a second

Hour Crystal with her, right? Everyone's been using it to get as much training time

with their artifacts as possible."

The plain was bustling with activity. Soldiers and knights ran from place to place, while

smiths, merchants, engineers, and all sorts of support staff worked furiously behind

the scenes.

Layers of trenches, bulwarks, and small pillboxes equipped with massive anti-aircraft

guns protected the main fortress, which towered above everything else at the center

of the plains. It was made of a material that looked like red brick, but was actually

extremely dense and hard ore from the abyss. Though it appeared crude, its sheer size

gave it an intimidating presence. Frankly, it was hard to believe it had been built in just

a few days.

"Oh? Nagumo! You're finally here!" Kentarou called out as he came out of the fortress'

main gates. He ran over to Hajime, with Ayako following closely behind him.

"Nuwoooooooooooooooh, if it isn't Master Nagumo!" another voice called out to

Hajime. It was also familiar. There was an explosive roar, and the surrounding soldiers

drew their swords in alarm. The sound was loud enough that it made Ayako faint, and

Kentarou hurriedly grabbed her before she fell to the ground.

"Your name was Volpen or something, right? If I recall correctly, you're the kingdom's

finest Synergist…"

"Ooooooh, you remember me!? You really are a good master."

"I don't remember ever becoming your—"

His words were drowned out by the sea of Synergists yelling, "Master! Master!"

The world was on the brink of ending, but they hadn't changed a bit. Back when

Hajime had visited the capital, they'd chased him so doggedly that he hadn't managed

to escape no matter what he tried. Moreover, the new artifacts Hajime had sent over

had made them worship him more than ever before. You could tell from the ecstatic

look in their eyes that they saw him as their god.

Hajime zapped them all with Lightning Field and extricated himself from their

encirclement, then turned to Kentarou and Ayako.

"Nomura, good work. The fortress looks perfect."

"Th-Thanks. All I did was cast my magic where the architects told me to. Though, I've

gotten way better at using earth magic now."

"I'm amazed, too. All I did was focus on healing Nomura as much as possible, but now

my healing magic is as good as Kaori-chan's was in the beginning."

Smiling bashfully, the two of them held up the wand-shaped artifacts Hajime had given

them as if to say their growth was all thanks to him.

"I take it… you had no problems on your end?" Kentarou asked hesitantly, looking at

the golems by Hajime's side. They struck a fancy pose, which almost made Ayako faint

again.

Looking around, Hajime realized they'd become the center of attention. Volpen's

outburst and the existence of his golems had caught the eyes of all the nearby soldiers.

Everyone was looking at Hajime with awe and respect.

Just then, Shizuku chimed in, saying, "Nomura-kun, Ayako, you guys can talk later. Lily

and the others are waiting for Nagumo-kun to start their war council."

"O-Oh yeah, sorry for holding you up."

"Y-Yes, sorry… You've gotten bold, Shizuku…"

Shizuku grabbed Hajime's arm and smiled faintly at Kentarou and Ayako. She made

sure to press up against him, so that his arm was squished between her boobs.

Kentarou awkwardly averted his gaze and Ayako blushed visibly. Still smiling, Shizuku

dragged Hajime away.

Many of the empire's soldiers groaned in dismay, but Shizuku paid them no mind. She

was blushing too at the boldness of her own actions, but she looked particularly

pleased with herself.

"Yaegashi, did something happen?"

"Is this Shizuku-san's sexual awakening!?" Shea exclaimed.

It was extremely unusual for the usually demure Shizuku to act so assertive, at least

when it came to romance.

"Call me Shizuku. I don't want you using my last name anymore. I'll call you Hajime,

too."

"Huh?"

Shizuku sighed tiredly and added, "Look, the emperor was being really pushy. He kept

trying to find excuses to spend more time with me, and those excuses were all really

good, so I couldn't just brush him off."

From the looks of it, Shizuku was in a foul mood because of how persistent Gahard

had been.

"I told you if he was being a pest, you could just use my name."

"I did. I told him the m-man I l-love is you, Hajime."

"Damn, you just said it straight, huh? So, what, did he keep trying? I told you to call me

if that happened."

Shizuku's expression went from annoyed to troubled as she replied, "I didn't want to

bother you over something so trivial, H-Hajime. You're the key to winning this war, so

I figured it was better not to distract you from your work."

"You don't have to worry about me. Besides, it'd only take a few seconds to open up a

portal and give him a taste of my rubber bullets."

"Hehehe, I didn't call you because I knew that was what you'd do. Even if you did use

non-lethal bullets, it would be a diplomatic issue if you attacked one of the most

powerful nation's leaders. But in return, you better let me flirt with you now that

you're here. I plan to show off how close we are to the emperor."

"I see. That's why you hugged my arm like that in front of all the imperial soldiers,

huh?"

"Yes. Anyway, those are my reasons, so please let me monopolize Hajime for a bit,

Shea."

"I guess I can't really refuse. Hehehe, I'll just have to settle for Hajime-san's prosthetic

arm, then!" Shea exclaimed as she hugged Hajime's prosthetic arm and squished her

boobs against it as well. To the soldiers, he looked like some impertinent brat showing

off his harem to everyone else, but even the ones who didn't know who he was were

too intimidated by his golems to say anything.

Kentarou and Ayako exchanged glances as they watched the three of them saunter

away, unconcerned by the soldiers' jealousy.

"He's a Demon Lord alright."

"Definitely."

The two of them nodded in agreement.

The moment Hajime entered the council room, everyone started talking.

He stopped by the entrance and surveyed the room. The first thing he noticed was the

large circular table in the center. A three-dimensional map sat atop it, showing the

relative positions of the Divine Mountain and humanity's fortress. There were several

markers placed around the fort, depicting the locations of supply lines and key

strongholds.

Sitting around the table were the leaders of the world's various nations, along with

their closest aides.

The person sitting closest to the entrance was Aiko Hatayama, the Fertility Goddess.

Next to her was Yuka Sonobe. Then came Heiligh's princess, Liliana S. B. Heiligh, her

new Knight Commander, Kuzeli Reil, the newly appointed pope, Simon L. G. Levellair,

his deacon, Sibyl L. G. Levellair, and the commander of the Templar Knights, David

Zahler. Moving clockwise from the princess' retinue, there was Ankaji's duke, Lanzwi

F. Zengen, Hoelscher's emperor, Gahard D. Hoelscher, Verbergen's chief elder, Ulfric

Heipyst, the Haulia clan's leader, Cam Haulia, Cam's aide, Altina Heipyst, the

Adventurer Guild's leader, Barus Laputa, his secretary Catherine Walker, the goldranked adventurer representative, Crystabel, Fuhren's representative, Greil Cudeta,

his aide Will Cudeta, and the head of the Fuhren branch of the Adventurer's Guild, Ilwa

Chang. There were also a few other leaders of major nations as well as their generals

and advisors.

They all turned expectantly toward Hajime, but their expressions stiffened when they

saw Shizuku dangling from one arm and Shea from the other. Though he hadn't arrived

late, it still irked them that he'd showed up after the world's most important people…

and with a girl on each arm to boot.

Aiko, Liliana, and Yuka were used to his behavior, but they were irked for a totally

different reason.

"Nagumo-kun, it's not… proper to walk around with a girl in each arm like that! As

your teacher, I cannot condone such lewd behavior!"

"Wh-What she said! Are you trying to show off your girlfriends to us!? Even though

every time I try to approach you, you just ignore me!?"

"You suck, Nagumo!"

"Oh, is this the boy you told us so much about, Aiko-dono, Yuka? I must say, I'm rather

jealous. To think he has sole dominion over so many lovely ladies' boob— Gwah!?"

"Grandpa, please act more like a pope! You're embarrassing me!"

Before Simon finished his sentence, his granddaughter smacked him upside the head,

and he collapsed onto the table. Blushing, Yuka circled over and smacked Simon as

well.

"You really piss me off, Hajime Nagumo! You're showing off how close you are to

Shizuku just to anger me, aren't you!? Well!?"

"That's our boss for you! Even after his beloved's been kidnapped, he's got plenty of

women to spare! Is this your way of getting us pumped up for the big climax, Bo—

Bwah!?"

Hajime silenced Cam with a rubber bullet before he said anything stupid.

Why the hell is Cam even here? Did rumors of his deeds spread so far that all the world

powers respect him and the Haulia now? I know they beat down the empire and got rid

of the beastmen slavery system, but still… Maybe they invited him because they're scared

of letting him out of their sight?

While Hajime pondered over Cam's presence, Shizuku blushed and gracefully

disentangled herself from him. However, she continued clutching his sleeve with the

tips of her fingers. Her actions only served to anger Gahard more, and he looked ready

to leap at Hajime's throat.

On the other hand, Shea had already let go of Hajime and buried her face in her hands.

She was embarrassed by her father's unceremonious antics. Also, it hadn't escaped

her notice that Altina had come as Cam's aide, not Ulfric's.

The moment Altina spotted Shea, she started panting heavily, staggered over, and said,

"W-We're finally reunited, best friend!"

That terrified Shea enough to flee the room.

"Aaah, where are you going, Shea!? Wait for meeeeee!" Altina roared as she suddenly

sped up and chased after Shea.

As he watched Cam and Altina, Ulfric took a few pills out of his pocket and swallowed

them. Hajime had no doubt it was stomach medicine for his ulcers.

Hajime and Shizuku headed for their seats, which were situated next to Aiko. Once

they were seated, Hajime pointed to Gahard and said, "The reason Shizuku's acting

like this is all your fault. You're to blame here, Gahard."

"Y-You little… Brazen as always, I see."

"I heard you kept trying to flirt with Shizuku while I was gone. Either give up now, or

I'll rip your balls off."

"Oh my, are you planning on giving me new friends to play with, Hajime? What a nice

present! You really do love me!" Crystabel exclaimed, their muscles rippling underneath

their frilly dress. Hajime ignored Crystabel entirely, while Shizuku tenderly stroked

Hajime's back.

Cowed by the threat of castration, Gahard slinked back to his seat and silently looked

down at the table. He did his best not to look at Crystabel. Gahard was known for being

an open-minded emperor, but he sure didn't look like one now.

Crystabel's existence awoke some primal fear within him, the same way it did to

Hajime.

"Actually, wait. Why's this crazy clothing store owner here, anyway?"

Hajime had a feeling this meeting would be more exhausting than the fight for the fate

of the world.

Most of the world leaders just shook their heads in defeat, so Barus smiled wanly and

said, "Crystabel is retired now, but they were originally a gold-ranked adventurer.

Despite being retired, they're still the strongest adventurer the guild has ever seen."

Upon hearing that, Hajime turned to Catherine. She looked like an unassuming, plump

old lady, but Hajime knew the truth. In the past, she'd been one of the guild's greatest

teachers, and had taught Ilwa and many other guild officials everything they knew. She

was undoubtedly present because they needed her sharp insight.

"Hahaha, it's no lie. Crystabel is indeed the guild's strongest adventurer. They retired

when I did, and we moved to Brooke together. Their dream was always to open a

clothing store, so they'd been looking for a chance to leave the guild for a while."

"No matter how strong I am, though, my heart is still that of a fragile maiden's, Hajimekyun!" Crystabel proclaimed as they winked at Hajime, which caused him a great deal

of mental damage.

Hajime fixed his gaze firmly forward and refused to respond to Crystabel.

"Ai-chan-sensei! Hajime's started hyperventilating! You have to save him with your

spirit magic!"

"O-Oh no! Bring light to the souls who have lost their spark! End this nightmare with

your radiance— Soul's Repose!"

Aiko's chant was even longer than the time she'd dispelled Ehit's curse, which

fortunately made her spell strong enough to bring Hajime back.

"Uhhh, can we get this meeting started now?" Lanzwi asked with a stiff expression.

That finally brought an end to the fooling around. The main purpose of this meeting

was to get all the world leaders acquainted. Hajime wouldn't even be part of the fight

on Tortus, so there was no need to discuss strategy or the like.

Fortunately, since demons had been the humans' common enemy for centuries, most

countries had treaties in place to work together in times of emergencies. Of course,

nations still squabbled amongst themselves occasionally, but they all banded together

when things got serious.

The same was true for the Adventurer's Guild and the church, and there was already

an existing protocol for how to coordinate everyone's armies.

Of course, now the beastmen were joining in as well, but Liliana and the others had

already hashed out how the beastmen and human armies would work together. It

would be impossible to get the two armies coordinated, since beastmen had been

discriminated against for centuries, and Verbergen had no contact with other nations.

For that reason, consolidating the beastmen's chain of command into the greater

structure of the human army wouldn't work.

Instead, it had been decided that the beastmen would function as an independent

strike force under the command of Verbergen's elders.

Yuka and the other students would also be an independent strike force. Aiko would

work with them, using her spirit magic to assist the troops at the fronts. Though she

was a symbolic leader, she had absolutely no experience commanding soldiers, so it

didn't make sense to make her a general.

The soldiers had plenty of practice with the guns and cannons Hajime had sent over

as well, so they were more than ready for combat. If anything, they were having more

trouble using the swords and armor he'd sent over than his cannons.

It was hardly surprising. Guns and the like were designed to be easy to use, and they

functioned uniformly regardless of who used them. Practice was necessary to get

things like efficient reloading and good aim down, but as long as you taught someone

the basics, they'd at least be able to use such weapons. Plus, Hajime had even sent over

artifacts containing video recordings of how to use all of his weapons, making it

possible to teach large groups of soldiers how to use them all at once. He could hear

people practicing shooting cannons in the distance, and it sounded like most people

had the basics down.

In other words, there was nothing really for Hajime to do. This meeting had mainly

been called so that the leaders of the world could talk to the man who held the world's

fate in his hands before the decisive battle.

Unperturbed by the attention he was receiving, Hajime turned to Liliana and looked

her over.

"Still… I'm surprised everyone decided you should be the supreme commander,

Princess."

When Lanzwi had first told him that, Hajime's jaw had dropped open. It made no sense

to appoint a novice like Liliana the supreme commander when there were so many

skilled generals like Gahard present.

"Err, well… honestly, I thought Gahard would get the job too. Also, call me Lily, not

princess."

"I mean, I'd do it if I was the only man qualified for the job. But you've got what it takes

to lead too, Princess. This is a once in a lifetime fight, so I wanna be out there fighting

for it. I'm the emperor of a military nation, remember?"

"Military nation or not, no emperor should be out in the trenches. Though, I guess the

princess is probably the best choice if you wanna raise everyone's morale…"

"See, you get it."

"I told you to call me Lily, not princess…" Liliana muttered in a small voice, but Hajime

ignored her.

He could see where Gahard was coming from. In a battle like this, tactics and maneuvers

would only have an impact at the very beginning. It wouldn't be long before things

devolved into a melee. The apostles were all individually quite powerful, and they

didn't seem to adhere to formations or the like. In which case, it made sense to prop

up the most popular person as the supreme commander.

Liliana knew better than anyone that she lacked the experience for the role. However,

she had at least learned military theory as part of her studies. She'd have a retinue of

skilled officers to support her on the tactical front, and she had the unbreakable will

needed to rouse a massive army. In that respect, she was the best suited for the task.

No one else was as charismatic or as determined as her.

When the kingdom had been in danger of collapsing once before, she'd fled the capital

alone and traveled a long distance to seek Hajime's help. Not only that, but she'd then

unveiled the conspiracy of the fake god to the people. Of course, that had been part of

Hajime's script, but the people still believed her. She'd also traveled the world with the

Fertility Goddess to warn the people of the impending danger. And all that at the

tender age of 14, no less.

She'd told her people to run, while she herself had declared that she would remain

behind to fight. She'd asked her knights and soldiers to join her, but had made it clear

that she would fight even if she was alone.

On top of that, she'd prioritized Lundel's life over her own and told him to seek safety.

She'd entrusted the future of the kingdom to her beloved younger brother, as well as

her mother, who she'd also asked to evacuate.

Liliana had been a popular princess even before all that, but when the people had seen

her sacrificing herself for them, they'd been moved to tears. The kingdom's soldiers'

morale had jumped through the roof. They were all willing to lay down their lives for

their dear princess.

"Mass psychology is a scary thing, but I think what was even scarier was watching

Liliana-san chuckle to herself about how she had the people dancing in the palm of

her hand when she thought no one was looking," Aiko mumbled with a distant

expression. She'd been traumatized by how easily people were manipulated by those

with ulterior motives. Kuzeli was aware of Liliana's true personality as well, which

made them nod sadly in agreement.

"Excuse me? You were manipulating people just as much as I was, Aiko-san! My words

only hold sway over the kingdom's subjects. You're the one who whipped all of

Verbergen's and the empire's soldiers into a frenzy, so you don't have any right to talk!"

"I-I'm not like you! I just followed the handbook Hajime sent me!"

Cam gave Hajime a thumbs-up at that. At the same time, Ulfric and Gahard glared at

him in annoyance.

"Of course he was behind it…" Ulfric muttered.

Incidentally, Aiko had gone above and beyond with her speeches. Even though he hadn't

instructed her to, she'd used spirit magic to increase the persuasiveness of her words.

And as a result, people's faith in her had grown exponentially. They'd developed a

burning hatred for the "fake" Ehit.

Hajime had a sneaking suspicion that once Ehit was gone, the people would worship

Aiko as their new god.

Aiko and Liliana were both terrifying. Aiko because she was willing to use spirit magic

to manipulate people, and Liliana because she could manipulate people even without

spirit magic.

While Aiko and Liliana argued over who was a worse person, Gahard and Ulfric looked

wearily at each other.

"Both that princess and that goddess are terrifying. In all my time as emperor, I haven't

met anyone as scary as them."

"Tell me about it. I guess we were right to fear humans…"

Despite the years of oppression that separated the two leaders, Gahard and Ulfric

seemed to be bonding.

What was truly impressive about what Liliana and Aiko had accomplished, was that it

wasn't brainwashing. And that meant the soldiers wouldn't suddenly come to their

senses and flee if things started looking grim.

The princess, the Fertility Goddess, and the Pope had all confirmed that this was a holy

war, which gave everyone a sense of camaraderie and purpose despite being from

separate nations. These soldiers weren't fighting because they'd simply been ordered

to, but because they truly believed it was the right thing to do. Future historians would

probably be in awe at how such a cohesive alliance had come to be.

Knowing that everyone was united gave Hajime hope that the war on Tortus wouldn't

be a one-sided rout, and he nodded in satisfaction. He then turned to Liliana and Aiko,

who were still fighting. Despite how childish their motivations were, he nevertheless

owed them his thanks.

"Hey, Sensei, Princess. Give it a rest al—"

"Don't call me 'sensei,' call me Aiko."

"It's not princess, it's Lily."

"I see you two are in perfect sync."

The knowledge that they might die tomorrow was making Aiko and Liliana more

assertive than usual.

"I guess the people who usually bottle their feelings up really go to extremes once they

cut loose," Shizuku mused with a rueful smile.

Like you're one to talk… Hajime thought with a sidelong glare, and Shizuku suddenly

blushed as she realized what she'd said. She wrapped her ponytail around her face to

hide her expression, and Simon the pope suddenly butted in on the conversation.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we should end the appraisal of our savior here. What

say you?"

"We didn't ask for this meeting because we wanted to 'appraise' him, Your Eminence,"

Lanzwi said with a shake of his head.

"All I wanted was to see what kind of person the man who'd saved my dukedom had

become. That's all. I had no doubt our hero would become the world's hero eventually."

Lanzwi planned to personally lead his troops into battle. He'd left his son Bize behind

in Ankaji so that he could take over in case he died.

Wearing the armor Hajime had fashioned for him, he said in a gentle voice, "Nagumodono, the warriors of the dukedom aren't here because we wish to save the world."

"What do you mean?"

"We heard that your goal is to crush this evil god and put an end to his ambitions. In

which case, our reason for fighting is the same. You can count on us, Nagumo-dono.

We won't let that accursed god trample over us. We'll fight, survive, and lord our

victory over him… It's the least we can do to repay your kindness."

"Hahaha, that's one hell of a reason to fight."

Hajime was taken aback by Lanzwi's declaration, but he couldn't deny it made him a

little happy.

Catherine rested her cheeks in her hands and added, "From the moment you walked

into my office, I always thought you'd do something big… but I never imagined you'd

end up deciding the fate of the world. I consider it an honor that I was the one to

handle your guild registration."

"You really helped me out a lot back then. Thanks to that letter you wrote, we managed

to pass through Fuhren easily."

Ilwa sighed and muttered, "When you showed up in Fuhren, I had a feeling you were

hiding some big, world-changing secret. Did you know some people thought you guys

were my personal assassins…? It's embarrassing to think about now, considering how

much stronger you guys are than me."

"However, it was thanks to your sharp insight that my son survived, Ilwa. Had you not

offered that quest to Nagumo-dono, he would almost certainly have died," Greil Cudeta

said, then bowed to Hajime.

"Nagumo-dono. When you accepted the quest, you asked for access to all my connections

as a reward, did you not? Well, I used them to bring all of Fuhren here to fight for you.

I promise to provide you my full support. Though, I suspect at this stage, it won't

amount to much."

"Nah, I'm counting on you guys too. It really means a lot to me that you and your

warriors are willing to help support the war effort on the ground."

Normally, a noble from the kingdom like Greil wouldn't have been Fuhren's

representative. But his family had served as diplomats for generations, and he'd

offered financial and logistical support to it during times of war. That, combined with

the fact that he knew Hajime, had been enough to convince Fuhren's rulers to send

him as their representative.

He'd brought as many funds and resources as he could to help Hajime in his invasion

of the Sanctuary, but he'd learned during the meeting that Hajime didn't need any

material help.

Will stepped forward from behind Greil and said, "It's been a long time, Hajime-dono."

"Long time no see, Will. You sure you should be here? Shouldn't you stay somewhere

safe in case the worst happens, and you need to inherit the family name?"

"Don't worry, I'm the youngest son of the Cudeta family. Besides, I wanted to come. I

want to do what I can for the people who are fighting for our future."

"I see you're still kind to a fault."

Hajime shrugged his shoulders dismissively, but Will shook his head and replied,

"That's not quite true. Remember how you told me back then that I would eventually

realize there was meaning in me surviving? I think the reason I survived was so that I

could be here for this day."

Oh yeah, I did say that… Hajime thought back to the time he'd first found Will huddled

in the back of a small cave. Will had cried about how he hated himself for being happy

that he'd survived when all of his comrades had died.

"If you feel bad for your dead comrades… then live on. Even if you have to crawl on the

ground dredging for scraps, survive. As long as you keep struggling… eventually, the

day will come when you realize there was meaning in you surviving this day."

Surprised, everyone turned to Hajime.

"That was what you told me, wasn't it, Hajime-dono?"

"Yeah… You better survive this fight so you can keep searching for that answer in the

future, Will."

"Of course! I can't die and leave my mom behind!"

"I didn't know you were such a momma's boy."

"As his father, I'm ashamed to say I couldn't help him grow out of it. Though, I suppose

it is partially Zaria's fault for being such a doting mother."

"Like father like son, I guess," Hajime said, and everyone laughed. As the laughter died

down, Gahard, Ulfric, Lanzwi, Barus, Simon, and Cam offered a few words of support.

"You better not fuck this up, Hajime Nagumo. We'll take care of the enemies on the

ground, so you better slaughter that shitty god for us."

"We entrust our fate to you, Hajime Nagumo."

"Leave the evil god's army to us. We won't let things go his way."

"Don't forget, you too are a gold-ranked adventurer. Do the guild proud, Hajime

Nagumo."

"I shall be praying for your success, child of liberation. May your victory pave the way

to reform the teachings of our church."

"Hey, Boss, this battle's gonna go down in history, right? It'll be an honor to fight with

you, even if we'll be on different battlefields. I hope you're ready to see us go all-out!"

Moved by their leaders' confidence, the knights and soldiers present at the meeting all

cheered.

Hajime got to his feet and silenced them all with a solemn wave of his hand. He didn't

look intimidating exactly, but he was emanating a heavy pressure that couldn't be

ignored.

"That bastard pissed me off, and now I'm gonna kill him. That's all there is to this fight.

But because of that, Tortus will live to see another day."

Though his voice was quiet, it carried weight. A dangerous gleam entered his eyes as

he added, "An evil god with a divine army? Don't be ridiculous. That fucker's just some

loser who thinks he's all-powerful. There's no reason to be scared of him."

Hajime's words stirred everyone's hearts, fanning the flames of their fighting spirit.

"Humans and beastmen are way stronger than he thinks."

Every mortal race remaining on Tortus had combined their strength for this crusade.

It would be the greatest battle in history. And it would also undoubtedly be the most

grueling one.

"That bastard won't be able to crush us."

Hajime was certain that humanity would emerge victorious. And his unwavering

confidence helped instill that belief into everyone else.

"Show that arrogant asshole just how tough we mortals can be! We're gonna crush his

ambitions and make him regret ever underestimating us! Isn't that right?"

A playful smile spread across his face as Hajime ended his speech with that question.

Everyone silently exchanged glances, and a few seconds later, similar smiles appeared

on their faces as well.

The leaders of the world's greatest nations felt as though a great weight had been lifted

from their shoulders, and their spirits soared. Just then—

"U-Urgent report!" a young messenger exclaimed, bursting into the room as they did

so. Everyone drew their weapons, thinking Ehit had begun his assault, but it seemed

that wasn't the case.

"A bunch of dragons have appeared from the central teleportation circle! The

dragonmen have come to our aid!"

The messenger's expression was a mixture of hope and awe.

"Hajime," Shizuku whispered.

"Yeah, looks like she made it."

Smiling, Hajime headed out to greet his favorite masochistic dragon.

As he exited the fortress, Hajime looked up at the sky. The dragons were backlit by his

artificial lights, so he could only make out their silhouettes.

He and the other members of the war council headed out to the open plains and found

Shea, Kaori, and his classmates were already there. It appeared they'd completed their

training and had headed out to greet Tio as well.

A large crowd of soldiers had formed around the dragons, and Hajime and the others

were having a hard time making their way to them.

Normally, people got out of the way when they saw Kaori, but they were so excited by

the spectacle in front of them that they didn't even notice she was here. No one was

afraid of the dragons either, since Simon had told everyone ahead of time that the

dragonmen hadn't died, and that they'd been fighting against the evil Ehit in secret for

centuries.

Gahard stepped forward and bellowed for the soldiers to make way. As expected, that

was enough to get people to open up a path for them.

Hajime strode forward and spotted several grizzled dragonman warriors resting in

the center of the clearing. A familiar black dragon stood in their midst.

"Master! Your devoted servant has finally returned to you! Praise me for my

accomplishments!"

The moment she spotted Hajime, Tio returned to her human form and leaped at him

with a look of longing in her eyes.

Naturally, he drew Donner and shot her in the forehead with a rubber bullet. She sailed

through the air, somersaulting thrice before crashing into the ground.

"Thank you very much," she moaned softly as her head slammed against the dirt.

The ensuing silence was so absolute that even the crickets stopped chirping. Everyone

watched, at a loss for words, as Tio writhed in pleasure, an ecstatic expression on her

face. It was an unbelievable sight.

"Haaah… Haaah, it's been three long days since I last experienced such wonderful pain.

I have been longing for this… Fwaaah…"

"Welcome back, Tio. It's nice to see you managed to bring everyone in time. I didn't

think you'd all teleport in your dragon forms, though… That was quite an entrance."

The dragonmen had been scrubbed from history by Ehit. For five hundred years,

they'd hid in the shadows, waiting for the day someone would appear to challenge god

so they could fight together with them.

Now Hajime was here, and they'd left their hidden northern island to return to the

continent.

Panting, Tio sprung back to her feet and elegantly brushed her bangs out of her face.

It was amazing how she could go from being creepy one second to refined the next.

"Ufufu, indeed. It seemed fitting to make a grand entrance to help raise morale."

Tio snapped her fingers, and the dragons in the air roared one after another. The earth

shook from the force of their howls.

Meanwhile, the six dragons that had been surrounding Tio began to glow, and they

transformed back into humans. They were all large, muscular men, and they wore

similar kimonos to Tio's.

What set each of them apart was their hair color. One had flame-red hair, another

indigo blue, yet another deep amber, the fourth purple, the fifth white, and the last one

jade green.

Each man looked quite handsome, and it was obvious from their demeanor that they

were all hardened warriors. The surrounding human soldiers burst out into cheers,

relieved to know that the ancient dragonman race had arrived to fight with them.

"Splendid. If only my late mother and father could be here to see this grand spectacle."

"What're you talking about? If you wanna show them something, you should show

them the sight of our victory."

"Oho, I suppose so."

Hajime gently patted Tio's shoulder as tears welled up in her eyes. It was honestly

hard to believe she'd been panting like a pervert a few seconds ago.

Sighing, Shea stepped forward before the two of them could start flirting and confuse

the onlookers even more.

"Welcome back, Tio-san. Listen, please try to restrain yourself for now. We're used to

the relationship you two have, but everyone else is looking at you guys like you're

weirdos! First you start getting horny when he shoots you, and now you two are

flirting!"

"Now that I think about it, Hajime-kun's really bold, isn't he?"

"He's settled into the role of Tio's master. I'm kind of scared by how natural their

interactions have gotten, and how used to them I am now."

Kaori and Shizuku chipped in with their two cents as well, but they realized trying to

explain common sense to Hajime and Tio was pointless when they gave Shea and the

others puzzled looks.

Before they could ask Shea what she meant, the handsome middle-aged dragonman

warrior with red hair stepped forward. He looked so majestic that even Gahard and

Ulfric felt the urge to kneel to him. They straightened their backs and fixed their

collars, suddenly feeling nervous.

Everyone could tell at a glance that this man had the bearing of a king. Hajime alone

appeared unaffected, however. He nonchalantly met the man's gaze, and the redhaired dragonman narrowed his eyes. He didn't seem displeased, though. If anything,

he was impressed with Hajime's mettle.

The two briefly looked into each other's eyes, then the man turned to the leaders of

the various nations and said, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, rulers of

Tortus. I am the chief of the dragonman tribe, Adul Klarus. We have come here to aid

you in your struggle against god. I look forward to fighting alongside all of you."

His voice wasn't exceptionally loud. In fact, it was quite soft, but even the soldiers at

the very back of the crowd were able to hear him. His cordial tone brought everyone

an overwhelming sense of relief, as if they were safe now that he was here.

A simple greeting from Adul had been enough to boost everyone's morale.

Holy shit… Gahard thought, looking up at the dragonman chief in awe.

"I see. So this is what a real dragonman is like…"

"Excuse me, Master. What are you implying here?"

Even though Adul was strong enough that he'd once ruled over all of Tortus, he shook

hands with Liliana and the others as equals. He was humble, wise, and kind. He was

exactly what Yue had envisioned the dragonmen to be like.

Meanwhile, the one Hajime and the others knew was an utter disgrace. They all looked

pitifully over at Tio, then shook their heads sadly.

"Tio-san, he's implying exactly what you think."

"But why!? What could possibly be wrong with me!?"

"I'm sorry, Tio."

"Why are you apologizing!?"

"I… can't really defend you either. Sorry."

"Please, Shizuku! Say something, anything! When you look away like that, it hurts

more than any insults ever could!"

"There you have it, Tio-san."

"The saddest part is that you're really cool when you go into Super Tio mode, too."

"Suzu, Ryutarou… I see you've grown cheeky in my absence…"

Unable to watch everyone tease Tio, the blue-haired dragonman stormed up to Hajime

and the others. He glared at everyone in turn, stopping when he reached Hajime.

"You bastard. What the hell did you do to the princess?" he asked in a low growl.

Confused, Hajime glanced back towards Liliana. Everyone, himself included, associated

the title of "princess" with her. He couldn't even begin to imagine why the isolationist

dragonmen would care about anything he may or may not have done to Liliana.

Gahard and the others looked to her as well. However, Liliana couldn't think of

anything Hajime might have done either, and she shook her head.

"What are you looking at!? I'm obviously referring to our princess, Tio-sama!"

At that, Hajime and the others stiffened. And after a few seconds, they all turned to

Tio.

Tio blushed and looked away. She was acting like a kid who'd just been embarrassed

by her parents in front of her friends.

Still in shock, Hajime muttered, "Y-You're a princess?"

Shea added, "N-No way…"

Kaori whispered, "I see… Tio's a princess, huh…?"

Shizuku muttered, "Wait, so she's just like Lily?"

After an extended silence, the four of them gave Tio a pitying smile and said, "It's okay,

Tio."

"Don't worry, Tio-san."

"Everything'll be fine, Tio!"

"Yeah, don't worry, Tio!"

The pity in their eyes was unbearably painful.

"What do you mean everything will be fine!? Besides, I told you before that I was

royalty!"

"Oh yeah… Sorry, Princess Tio, I totally forgot."

"Yeah, sorry, Princess Tio. Don't worry, I'll call you Princess Tio from now on so I don't

forget again."

"Yeah, it must have just slipped my mind because of how perverted you are. But it's

okay, Princess Tio, I'll remember for sure this time!"

"Y-You're a really cute princess, Princess Tio! The world's a big place, so of course it

makes sense that there'd be princesses like you out there!"

Tio's face was beet-red, and tears were streaking down her cheeks.

"Stooop! Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is!? Please, I beg of you, continue

addressing me the way you used to! This shame isn't even arousing!"

First you get mad that we don't respect you as a dragonman… and now you're begging

us to stop calling you princess? Make up your mind! Hajime thought with a grin.

"What's the big deal, Princess Tio? It's a cute nickname. I think Princess Tio sounds

wonderful. If anything, I should've started calling you Princess Tio earlier. I'll make up

for it by saying Princess Tio a bunch now."

"Please stoooooop!" Tio yelled as she squatted down and covered her face with her

hands. She was blushing to the tips of her ears.

Hajime crouched down next to her and continued whispering "Princess Tio" incessantly

into her ear. Hanging around her had fully transformed him into a total sadist. This

was yet more proof that he was the only one fit to be Tio's master.

The blue-haired dragonman glared daggers at Hajime and the others.

"You bastards, how dare you humiliate the princess like this! I knew it, you've been

torturing her to force her into being your obedient slave. That's why she ended up like

this!"

The dragonman's accusations reminded Hajime of how a certain hero always jumped

to conclusions and misunderstood things as a result.

Tio smiled wanly and said, "Cease, Ristas. These are my precious comrades. We may

be close, but that does not mean you can disparage them like this."

"P-Princess!? Have you lost your mind!? Please, come to your senses!"

"Hmph, what gives you the impression that I have lost my sanity?"

She gave Ristas a patronizing look, which made the young man snap. The anger he'd

been doing his best to hold in check spilled out in a torrent.

"Our princess wasn't such a pervert before!"

"Good point," everyone said simultaneously, as if they hadn't considered that. Indeed,

Ristas had a point.

"Before she left the village, she was a wise, kind, and noble princess. Everyone loved

and respected her! She wasn't the kind of person who'd get aroused from being

slapped, or derive joy from being insulted! It's obvious that all of you… no, that boy

over there she refers to as Master did something horrible to her!"

"Good point," everyone repeated, nodding in agreement. There was no argument to be

made here.

Judging by what Ristas had said, Tio had been a model princess back when she'd been

living in the dragonman village. But when she'd returned, the graceful, regal princess

everyone had known had turned into a pervert. It was hardly surprising that Ristas

was so upset. In fact, everyone except Hajime sympathized with him.

The other dragonmen were doing a better job of controlling their emotions than

Ristas, but it was obvious from the way they were glaring at Hajime that they all shared

his line of thought.

Before Ristas could yell at Hajime any further, Adul spoke in a commanding voice,

saying "That's enough."

"B-But Chief!"

Ristas couldn't just back down here. The other dragonmen looked like they sympathized

with him over Adul, too.

"Tio's transformation indeed came as quite a shock to all of us, but…"

"If you think so too, then why are you stopping me!?"

"I may be old, but I'm not so senile that I can't understand my granddaughter's

feelings. Tio values her bonds with these people, and it's clear that she truly loves this

young man here. Do you doubt my judgment?"

Ristas hung his head, unable to argue with that. Adul then turned back to Tio and said,

"I always knew that you were tired of the boring life in our village, Tio. I also knew

that it was only your sense of responsibility to us that prevented you from following

your desires and exacting your vengeance on the god who had wronged us so."

"Grandfather…"

"The real reason you left for the continent was not because it was your duty to

investigate. You were hoping to find something out there that would change this

stalemate we were forced into. And it seems you did indeed find what you were

looking for."

Adul smiled kindly at his granddaughter and Tio nodded bashfully.

"In which case, we have no right to be angry at your new comrades. If anything, we

should be grateful. It's clear from how proudly you spoke of them that you treasure

them dearly. I have never seen you look so happy as you did when you told us all about

them."

Hajime and the others turned to Tio. Embarrassed, she hid her face with her sleeves.

The gesture was so cute that even Shea's heart skipped a beat.

Ristas still appeared to want to argue, so Adul turned back to him and said in a stern

voice, "Besides, Ristas, it's not very mature of you to yell at others because you're

jealous."

"I-I'm not—"

"Why do you look so surprised? Everyone in the village knows you trained so hard

because Tio said she would only marry someone stronger than her. Even a fool could

see you were smitten with her. Especially since you only challenged her fiance

candidates to duels."

Hajime turned to Tio, who was smiling awkwardly. It appeared she had been aware of

his true feelings as well.

Noticing Hajime's gaze, Tio turned to him and shrugged. She quietly let him know that

the other men standing around Adul were the others who wanted to be her fiance.

Seeing how closely Tio was sticking to Hajime, Ristas and the other fiance candidates

narrowed their eyes dangerously.

"Wow… I didn't know you were so popular back home."

"Oh? Feeling jealous?"

"Nah, I'm just amazed these guys didn't give up on you after learning you're a huge

pervert."

"Ngh! Ristas and the others can't casually insult me the way you do, Master!"

Shea and the others gave Tio exasperated looks, while Adul excused himself from

Liliana and the other leaders so he could walk over to Hajime.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Hajime Nagumo-kun. I have heard much about you from

Tio. She also showed me your battle at the Demon Lord's castle. I never imagined there

would be those out there strong enough to slay gods. Even the might of every

dragonman combined would not be enough to achieve such a feat."

"Nice to meet you, Adul-dono. I'm sorry I awoke such a strange fetish in your

granddaughter. I realize this is the night before the final battle and probably not the

time for this, but you may punch me once if you wish."

Hajime's classmates started muttering to each other, saying, "Someone use healing

magic on Nagumo!" "The Demon Lord's confused!" "Oh no, if he's lost it, then humanity's

done for!"

It was a surprise that Hajime would willingly let anyone hit him, but it was even more

surprising that he was speaking to Adul with respect. Little wonder his classmates

were so shocked.

Violet light rained down on Hajime. Kaori had just cast healing magic on him. Shea had

also drawn Villedrucken and it looked like she was about to try to literally knock some

sense back into Hajime. Meanwhile, Shizuku covered her face with her hands, unable

to bear watching any longer.

Even Tio was stunned. Hajime's face twitched and he suppressed the urge to hit his

friends.

"Hm… You're quite different from what I was led to believe… but judging by your

comrades' reactions, this is unusual for you."

"You're the last family member Tio has left. If you were just the chief of the dragonman

tribe, I wouldn't bother using honorifics with you, but you're her grandfather."

"Oho, so you respect me because I am Tio's grandfather, not because of my position.

Hahaha, how interesting."

A broad smile spread across Adul's face. His dignified majesty vanished and he suddenly

looked like a jolly old man. He seemed rather pleased with Hajime's statement.

Tio smiled as well, now that she understood the reason for Hajime's strange behavior.

"In that case, I think I shall call you Hajime-kun. Hajime-kun, I have no intention of

punching you. As I said before, all I want is for Tio to be happy. As long as she's smiling

from the bottom of her heart, I have no reason to hurt you. In fact, I'm glad that you

were able to win over my stubborn granddaughter's heart. It's a feat no one else has

managed these last five hundred years."

"I… see?"

Hajime hadn't been expecting such a broad-minded response. He thought Adul would

have wanted to hit him for sure.

"Mmm. If she's happy, it matters not what her fetishes are. More importantly, there's

something I need to ask you about the vampire princess."

"About Yue?"

"Yes. It came as quite a surprise to learn that she was still alive. I must say, it's a rather

strange twist of fate that my granddaughter ended up falling in love with the same

man as the vampire princess. She is the one you love more than anyone, correct?"

"Yes, she is."

Adul nodded, unperturbed by Hajime's immediate response. The other dragonmen

were pretty pissed, though. Ristas especially looked ready to launch into another

tirade. He clearly thought Hajime was a monster for claiming to love another woman

when he had Tio.

"Well, I'm rather fond of my granddaughter. When her parents fell during the great

battle five hundred years ago, I swore to myself that I would protect her no matter,

which is why there's one thing I need to ask you before you leave for such a deadly

battlefield."

Adul stared at Hajime, his dragon eyes poised to see through any potential falsehoods.

Hajime adjusted his collar and straightened his back, determined to answer as

sincerely as possible.

"How do you feel about Tio? Even if she loves you, if you do not reciprocate those

feelings, then I'm afraid I cannot allow her to go with you. As her grandfather, I am

only willing to entrust her to someone who cares for her as much as I do or more."

"I understand."

Hajime could feel the weight in Adul's words. This could have been the last time he

ever saw his granddaughter. It was entirely possible he would die during the battle, so

he wanted to make sure he was doing the right thing by leaving Tio in Hajime's care.

Hajime's gaze swept over the other dragonmen, Shea and his comrades, and Adul

before finally coming to rest on Tio.

Overwhelmed by the force of his stare, Tio involuntarily tried to take a step backward.

But before she could, Hajime wrapped his arm around her waist and drew her close…

as if to make it clear to everyone that she was his woman.

Tio's face grew even redder, and she looked so dainty that it was hard to believe she

was a raging masochist.

Hajime looked back up at Adul, and said in a firm, unyielding voice, "Recently, people

have been saying that I'm more evil than the Demon Lord."

"Oho?"

"I don't know if they're right, but it's true that I always get what I want, no matter what

it takes, and that I kill anyone who gets in my way."

The surrounding soldiers and Hajime's classmates started muttering furiously to each

other again, but Adul listened quietly.

"I want Tio."

Tio twitched in Hajime's arms. She looked up expectantly at him with her beautiful

golden eyes.

"I want to show her my home, and I want to keep her by my side. It doesn't matter how

she feels. I won't let her run away from me now. I won't deny that Yue is the person I

love most, but I love Tio too. I know it's selfish of me to say this, but still…"

"Go on," Adul said in a rumbling voice. He looked so intimidating that the people

nearby began backing up.

Hajime glanced at Ristas and the other dragonmen before turning back to Adul and

showing him his trademark fearless smile.

"Tio belongs to me now. If you don't like that, then you'll have to steal her back from

me. I'll accept your challenge anywhere, anytime."

The other dragonmen stared at Hajime in shock. Even the human soldiers were stunned.

Shea, Kaori, and Shizuku had expected a response like this, so they just looked

exasperated. But of course, they couldn't imagine not having Tio by their side, either,

so they were glad Hajime was fighting to keep her.

Adul looked from Hajime to Shea and the others, then said, "You certainly are like the

Demon Lords spoken of in fairy tales… unbelievably strong and unbelievably

inconsiderate. Heh, so my granddaughter was seduced by a Demon Lord, eh? The same

Demon Lord who is now going to save the world. Gahahaha!"

Adul stopped pressuring Hajime with his gaze and burst out laughing. And once his

laughter died down, he looked over at Tio and nodded to himself.

"What a wonderful expression. You never made a face like that back in our village. I

see you are not only loved by many, but love many in turn."

"Indeed, Grandfather. I love not just Master, but Yue and the others as well. And I can

say with certainty that they all love me. They have blessed me with so much that I feel

as though I could slay Ehit on my own if need be."

Adul's smile widened, and he straightened his collar the same way Hajime had earlier

before bowing to him.

"Very well. Demon Lord, I entrust my granddaughter to you. Take as good care of her

as you would your beloved."

"I'll stay with her until I die. I swear it."

Adul nodded, a relieved look on his face. He then turned on his heel and went back to

where Gahard and the others were waiting. It looked like they couldn't believe what

had just happened.

"If I called my mother over and asked her to grill Nagumo-san, would I have a chance

with him as well?"

"Liliana-san, I think that would only earn you the wrath of your mother… Though, I

understand how you feel."

Liliana and Aiko gazed at Hajime, longing in their eyes, hoping he would say something

about how he loved them as well. Kuzeli and Catherine dragged the two lovestruck

girls back into the fortress with everyone else, but they kept shooting surreptitious

glances at him until they were out of sight. Naturally, Hajime ignored them completely

and did his best not to meet their gazes.

"Holy shit. Nagumo really is a Demon Lord."

"I can't believe one of my classmates ended up with a harem."

"I suddenly feel like I can't die until I sock Nagumo in the face. No way I'll let those

apostles get the better of me."

Atsushi, Yoshiki, and the other guys started burning with jealousy.

"It looks like he's going to be adding a few more girls to his harem, too!"

"He can't keep getting away with it!"

The girls were excitedly discussing Hajime's latest stunt, but their leader, Yuuka,

appeared rather sullen.

Many of the soldiers who'd watched the exchange were chattering about it as well.

Sighing, Hajime grabbed Tio's hand and tried to escape the circle of onlookers. As they

pushed through the crowd, Tio's dopey grin suddenly vanished, and she whispered

into Hajime's ear, saying, "Master, I'm very, very happy to hear that you love me, but

there is something I must know. You didn't choose to tell me now because you're afraid

we may not survive this battle, did you?"

Had that been the reason, Tio planned to lecture him thoroughly. It was cute how she

could be such a masochist while also playing the part of the mother who took care of

the party.

Hajime looked resolutely into Tio's eyes and replied, "The only people who'll be dying

tomorrow are Ehit and his lackeys. There's no way in hell this is where our story ends.

I just didn't want to give your grandpa a half-assed response, that's all."

"Ufufufu, I see. Then all is well. I suppose this means we need to hold an orgy once we

get Yue back."

"Why do you and Shea always have to kill the mood like that?"

Kaori, Shizuku, and several of Hajime's classmates shot Shea scathing looks. She

simply averted her gaze and whistled innocently in response.

After they escaped the crowd, Hajime and his comrades headed to the fortress'

rooftop.

Once he got there, he transmuted a pool chair for himself and kicked back while he

waited for Ehit's armies to arrive.

Meanwhile, Tio, Kaori, Suzu, Aiko, Yuka, and all of Hajime's classmates continued

training with their new artifacts. They used the Hour Crystal to squeeze out as much

time as they could.

There were still a few hours before dawn, but everyone was too nervous to sleep.

Fortunately, Hajime's lax attitude helped prevent people from getting so stressed that

they tired themselves out. Simply watching him lean back in his chair and close his

eyes was enough to calm everyone's nerves. Thanks to the atmosphere he created,

there were a lot more people who felt comfortable approaching Hajime.

The first person to talk to him was an old merchant dressed in expensive clothes. His

dark brown hair was tied up in a ponytail, and he'd brought a beautiful girl around

Hajime's age with him.

"More, what are you doing here?" Hajime asked when he spotted him.

"Business, what else? Though, at the moment, I'm offering all of my wares to the

soldiers for free."

"So you're trying to win favors with all the nation's bigwigs, huh? Guess you're more

interested in profiting after the war than during it."

Some of Hajime's classmates turned to eavesdrop on his conversation. Shea and Kaori

had both met More, so they explained Hajime's relationship with him to the others.

More raised an eyebrow, impressed by Hajime's insight.

"I suspected so when I first met you, but it seems you really were one of the heroes

summoned by the kingdom. I believe it was fate that first brought us together, so I

hope you're willing to work with me in the future."

"Is that all you came here to say?"

"Every action you take drastically affects the future. Once this war ends, what do you

say to using your otherworldly knowledge to open up a business here? Naturally, my

trading company will offer you its full support."

"You never give up, do you?" Hajime asked with an exasperated look on his face. Still,

the fact that More was thinking about the future meant he was certain Hajime would

succeed, so his visit had pleasant undertones.

"Oh yes, I brought my granddaughter with me this time. Allow me to introduce you."

The beautiful young girl gracefully stepped forward and curtsied to Hajime.

"It's an honor to meet you, Hajime-sama. I am Samia Nos, the official secretary of the

Nos trading company. If you ever wish to open up a business, I am willing to assist

you."

"Okay, time's up, get out of here!"

"Thanks for coming, but Hajime-kun's a busy guy! The exit's that way, so please use it

and leave!"

Realizing what More and Samia were after, Shea and Kaori hurriedly stepped in to stop

another girl from entering Hajime's harem.

"Dammit, that girl's so cute!" Yoshiki grumbled.

In response, Shinji said, "It's all about fame. If we can rack up some achievements

during this battle, we'll get chances like that!"

While the two of them talked about such trivial matters, new visitors appeared.

"Are you in the middle of something?"

"I can't believe you guys are so relaxed right before the final battle."

A familiar tigerman walked up to the rooftop, followed by a young harpy woman and

a middle-aged bearman.

Shea's bunny ears perked up as she saw them and said, "Oh? It's elder Mao, the captain

of Verbergen's guards and… the bearman my family—"

"Eeek, a Haulia!"

The burly bearman warrior, Regin, crouched down and covered his head.

Everyone silently turned to Shea.

"I-It's not my fault! Dad's the one who traumatized him!" she stammered.

Hajime looked up at the sky and muttered, "Your name was… Gil, right?"

"I'm amazed you remember me. I'm nothing more than the captain of Verbergen's

guards," Gil responded as he smiled bashfully. He was the first beastman Hajime had

seen both times he'd visited Verbergen.

"Actually, Gil is now one of our generals, Nagumo. His rank is second only to the

supreme commander of the army, and there are only five generals including him."

"Huh, you've sure come far."

"It's all thanks to you. The truth is, I begged Mao to allow me to accompany him

because I wanted to speak to you."

"What did I do?"

Mao explained that after the demon army had attacked Verbergen, they had needed to

select a new general to replace the one who'd died. The reason Gil had been chosen

for the position was because he'd been able to calmly handle the situation with Hajime

the first time they'd met.

The only reason Verbergen still existed was thanks to Hajime's training of the Haulia.

Because of that, the elders decided that Gil, the man who'd done a good job of handling

Verbergen's first encounter with Hajime, was best-suited to be the new general. He

was already strong enough, and his calm decision-making proved he had what it took

to lead.

"Once this battle is over, the relationship between beastmen and humans is going to

change drastically. I don't know how things will end up, but I hope you'll be willing to

help us again if the need arises. I'll be praying for your success."

After saying his piece, Gil stepped back and allowed Mao to talk. As always, he was

forthright with his words. Mao smiled awkwardly and said, "This battle will go down

in history. I realize this is a tall order, but please allow me to interview you once it's

over, Mister Nagumo."

Mao was the head of Verbergen's newspaper, as well as one of the council's elders.

Smiling, Hajime replied, "Not happening."

"Why not!?"

Because you always fudge the truth in your articles, duh!

Hajime had witnessed firsthand how Mao fabricated and embellished stories to make

his paper sell.

"I've already started advertising that the next issue will have an interview with you!

It's going to be titled, 'Victory Special! A Bright Future Awaits Nagumo's Mistresses!

Follow These Easy Steps, and You Can Join His Harem as Well!' What do you think?

Doesn't that pique your curiosity!?"

"It piques my desire to kill you."

To Hajime's surprise, most of his female classmates perked up when they heard Mao's

words. It seemed her newest article would be in high demand. Just then, another

visitor appeared.

"Shizuku-oneesamaaaaaa!"

"Ahhh, how did you find me!?"

"I got here by following your scent."

The female knight who jumped into Shizuku's arms was one of Liliana's former

bodyguards. Because of all the scandals she'd caused, she'd been continually demoted

and now her rank was the same as a common foot soldier's.

She adored Shizuku to the point where she'd been willing to cast dark magic on

Gahard to keep him away from her precious older sister. Naturally, she was a member

of the secret society of crazy Shizuku stalkers, Soul Sisters.

"Sniff, sniff… Aaaah, it's been so long since I last smelled your fresh scent! Haaah…

Haaah!"

"Hajime! Save me, Hajime!"

"Hm? You're calling him Hajime now? Not Nagumo-kun, but Hajime? Nagumo, you

bastard!"

The knight removed her face from Shizuku's bosom and glared at Hajime. Yuka and

the others screamed and backed away. The knight's expression was so terrifying that

they felt goosebumps rising on their arms.

Sighing, Hajime snapped his fingers. A second later, a few Haulias emerged from the

shadows. Cam reverently bowed to Hajime and asked, "Your orders, Boss?"

"No one will miss a single knight. Dispose of that eyesore. Oh, and get rid of the phony

journalist while you're at it, too."

"Yes, sir!"

"What did I do!? Wait, Cam-dono, please don't! Nooo!"

"So this is the violent rabbitmen clan that everyone's been talking about. Fine by me.

I'll show you that our Soul Sisters are more than a match for your squad of personal

assassins, Nagumo!"

Mao immediately fled, while the young knight tried to cast a dark magic spell on Cam.

More Haulias gathered on the rooftop, surrounding their prey. They started chanting,

"Cut off their heads!" while Shizuku desperately tried to stop them from doing

anything too extreme.

However, even after Mao and the knight were dealt with, the visitors kept on coming.

David and the other knights came to ask Hajime about his relationship with Aiko,

Crystabel and their disciples tried to flirt with Hajime, and so on. In truth, most of the

people who had become Crystabel's disciples were former men whose balls Hajime

and Yue had crushed. When Hajime learned he'd contributed to the creation of more

Crystabels, his soul almost left his body.

After the mass of crossdressers left, several dragonmen came to challenge Hajime.

Tio's wet nurse, Venri, also appeared to have a private talk with her. Judging by her

expression, Tio's sudden change had caused her quite a shock.

At some point, Hajime's classmates had stopped training and started watching him

deal with the plethora of visitors.

"Despite the cold front he puts up, he's still surrounded by people…" Yuka muttered, a

faint smile gracing her face.

Come to think of it, he was like that back in Japan.

Before they'd been summoned, Hajime had still been popular, in both a good and a bad

way. Kaori and Shizuku had always talked to him, while Hiyama's group had always

bullied him.

"He's always been that kind of guy. We just never noticed," Ryutarou replied casually.

"You think Nagumocchi can win?" Nana asked hesitantly while turning her gaze

toward Yuka. Everyone else shortly followed suit.

She looked each of her comrades in the eye and said, "Of course."

A confident smile spread across her face, and the other students simply smiled back

at her.

Eventually, dawn arrived. The sun's rays crested the horizon, causing everyone to cast

long shadows. Warm light suffused the air, and right when the sun became fully visible,

Hajime opened his eyes.

"They're here."

A second later, dark crimson mana filled the air, blotting out the orange sunrise.

Something inherently repulsive mingled with the light, and it magnified the fear and

unease everyone felt. Monsters' eyes had the exact same light, which probably

explained why it felt so creepy.

The sun was nothing more than a small dot in the sky now, its light completely eradicated

by the torrent of dark crimson. The air creaked and the earth shook.

Everyone's gazes were drawn to the top of the Divine Mountain.

"The sky… is cracking…" someone muttered. There was a deafening boom, and the sky

above the divine temple fractured like a pane of glass.

The time had come at last. Ehit was here to end the world, while the mortal races were

determined to put an end to his tyranny. No matter how it ended, this would be the

final battle.