A pale blue light emanated from the cracks underneath the closed door. It
was coming from a fifteen-centimeter-wide crystal resting atop a cylindrical
pedestal that went up to waist height. Hajime's eyes were closed in deep
concentration and had both of his hands on the pedestal. Crimson sparks went
into the pale blue crystal and were absorbed.
Though Hajime had spent a good deal of the past month helping with the
capital's restoration, disseminating an almost-true history to the masses, and
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restoring the Liberators' honor, that wasn't all he'd been up to. In fact, the bulk
of his time had been spent here in this hut. His primary goal remained
unchanged—getting back home to his parents—and he'd been working on
making that happen. It had just taken a lot of time to prepare the raw materials
for the artifact he was going to make.
The door to the hut creaked open a few centimeters and a timid voice asked,
"Daddy, can I come in?"
Myu knew Hajime was in the middle of something very important, so she
didn't want to disturb him if he needed to concentrate.
Hajime opened his eyes and a smile creased his face.
"Of course you can."
Myu swung the door open wide and rushed over to Hajime. Remia was also
there, standing in the doorway with a gentle smile on her face.
"Huh, where's Yue-onee-chan?" Myu asked.
"She went to the empire. Apparently, there was a commotion or something."
"Oh my, is everything okay?" Remia asked in a concerned voice.
"Shizuku, Kaori, and Endou are all there, so I doubt they're in any real
danger."
"It's not them I'm worried about. The Haulia are over there too, aren't they?
I'm worried for Ulfric-san's sanity."
"..."
Remia's fears were right on the money, and it was indeed at this very
moment that Ulfric had fallen unconscious.
Hajime decided not to think about that question, and instead looked down at
Myu, who was hugging his leg.
"Daddy, are you almost done making the Divinity Stone?"
"Yeah, I've put enough mana into it that it's usable now, I think," Hajime
said as he looked back down at the crystal on the pedestal. He'd spent the past
month or so diligently working on making a man-made Divinity Stone.
In order to travel back to his original world, he needed the Crystal Key as
well as the Compass of Eternal Paths, but he couldn't imbue concept magic that
strong into regular ore, since it would just break after one or two uses. That
might have been enough if he was planning on going home and never coming
back, but he wasn't.
"Once you're done, we'll be able to go back and forth between your world
and mine, right, daddy?"
"Yep, that's right," Hajime said as he took one hand off the pedestal and
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ruffled Myu's hair.
Myu let out a small mew of happiness and Remia watched the two of them
with a gentle smile.
"I mean, it wouldn't be fair if I got to go home, but you and Remia never got
to see your home again."
"Fu fu, thank you for doing so much for our sake, Hajime-san."
Remia rested a hand on Hajime's shoulder, letting him know that she had
absolute faith in him.
"Yay! That means Tio-onee-chan and Shea-onee-chan can see their family
too!"
"That's right. Plus, it means we'll be able to show Cam and Adul-dono Japan
too."
If the best-case scenario was being able to freely go between Earth and
Tortus, then naturally, Hajime would do everything in his power to make that a
reality.
Hajime had desired to return home so badly that he'd been able to create
concept magic that let him, so it stood to reason that the precious comrades he'd
made during his journey also cared enough about their own homeland to create
concept magic that would let them return to it.
His job had been to create the raw material capable of holding all that
concept magic. Something with enough magical affinity that it wouldn't break
no matter how often it was used. And that something had been Divinity Stone.
Ideally, he would have just found some more, but there wasn't any left in the
abyss, and when he'd been out gathering resources in the days leading up to
Ragnarok, he'd confirmed with the compass that there wasn't any in easy reach.
There might have been another chunk of Divinity Stone somewhere in Tortus,
but now that he'd lost the compass, it wasn't practical to go looking for it.
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And so, he'd decided to make some instead.
"If only I had mana, I could have helped too," Myu said in a sad voice.
"It's fine. I mean, yeah, I'm getting my classmates' help with this, but most
people can't really store that much mana in their bodies."
"It normally takes a thousand years for enough mana to concentrate in one
spot to create a Divinity Stone, doesn't it?" Remia asked.
"Yeah. It needs to coincidentally happen somewhere where mana naturally
gathers too."
The chances of that happening were astronomically low. Mana was a planet's
energy given concrete form, and normally, it circulated evenly throughout the
world. That flow seldom backed up in such a way that mana naturally pooled
and concentrated in a single spot.
Hajime doubted it was a coincidence that such a legendary ore had just so
happened to be in the labyrinth made by history's greatest synergist. If he'd been
able to come up with the idea of making Divinity Stone, there was no way Oscar
hadn't gone down the same thought process. And of course, if it was something
Oscar had been capable of, Hajime was confident he could do it as well.
After a good amount of research, Hajime had come up with a way to
artificially create Divinity Stone, and the fruits of his research were now right
before his eyes.
"It's so cool that there's a little bit of a star in this room!" Myu said with a
look of wonder.
"I still can't believe that the stars in the sky are all planets or suns just like
our own. It's fascinating," Remia added, echoing Myu's sentiment. Indeed, the
room itself was enchanted with gravity magic, whose true nature was to control
the power of the planet itself.
The room was gathering the planet's power, or in other words, mana from all
over the land and concentrating it here. That mana was then channeled through
the pedestal and into a special space made with spatial magic to slowly but
surely form into a Divinity Stone. Hajime's classmates, all of whom possessed
more mana than the average resident of Tortus, were also pouring whatever
excess mana they could spare into this room every single day.
The Divinity Stone had been constantly growing in size, and it was finally
large enough to craft both another Compass of Eternal Paths and another Crystal
Key. It hadn't quite become so saturated with mana that it started excreting
Ambrosia, but since that wasn't the reason Hajime was making this, it wasn't a
problem.
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"Once we get to my world, it might be nice for you to go to school for a bit,
Myu. You'll be able to learn a bunch of stuff, even more than what I've been
able to teach you."
"Wow! Really?"
"Yeah. Plus, you'll be studying with kids your age, so you might even be
able to make some friends."
"Friends... You went to school too, right, daddy?"
"Yeah, along with all of my other classmates. Aiko's actually our teacher,
you know?"
"Mrrr..."
"What's wrong?"
"Were you able to make any friends there?"
"..."
The question sank into Hajime's heart like a knife. He looked away
awkwardly, unable to admit to his beloved daughter that despite going to school
for years, he'd made no friends.
"E-Everyone's been talking to Hajime-san a lot more the past few weeks!
He's become good friends with Endou-san in particular!" Remia said, trying to
cover for Hajime.
"That's right. Only over the past few weeks," Hajime replied in a dead voice.
Remia's attempts had apparently only made things worse.
Hajime realized he'd done this to himself, so he gave up on trying to make
himself look good and just decided to tell Myu the truth. For her part, Myu
realized she'd asked something she probably shouldn't have, so she seemed to
be desperately searching for a way to improve Hajime's mood.
"I can't believe you're making Myu-chan cry," Shea said, striding into the
room.
"What's going on?" Tio asked, walking in after her.
Myu broke off from Hajime and ran over to Tio and Shea.
"Umm, you see, I asked daddy if he made any friends at—"
"Let's not tell the others about that, Myu. Okay?" Remia said gently.
"It's fine, Remia. It'll only make things more awkward if I try to hide it. I'm
sorry your dad's such a loner, Myu."
That exchange was enough for Shea and Tio to figure out what was going on.
They nodded to each other and looked down at Myu, smiling.
"Until I met Yue-san, the only friends I ever had was my family," Shea said.
"And that's nothing compared to me. I lived for five hundred years in the
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dragonmen village and had not a single person I could call a friend!"
Myu looked up at them in shock. She had tons of friends, both back at home
in Erisen and now here in Verbergen, since she'd spent the past month here. On
top of that, some of her friends weren't even, like, people. She was a master of
getting along with others, so she found it hard to believe that other people didn't
have that many friends.
"Let's talk about something else!"
Wise beyond her years, Myu had realized that this was simply not a good
topic to bring up around Hajime or his comrades.
Glad to talk about literally anything else, Hajime took Myu up on her
suggestion.
"So, how'd things go with the demons?"
"Fine."
"Indeed. There seem to be no problems for now."
As they gave their report, Shea and Tio sidled up to either side of Hajime and
pressed their boobs up against his arms. The fact that he didn't push them away
was proof that he'd accepted them all as his lovers.
"Incidentally, I think I like you better with black hair, Master. It matches
mine," Tio stated as she reached out and stroked Hajime's decidedly black hair.
Hajime wasn't wearing his customary eye patch either. Instead, he had a
prosthetic right eye that looked far more human than his old Demon Eye. His
prosthetic left arm had also been covered in artificial skin and looked much more
like a human arm. He wasn't half-vampire anymore either.
"It still feels kind of weird to me," Shea said.
"Yeah," Myu echoed. The two of them were so used to him with white hair
that his old appearance felt weird to them.
"What, you think this look doesn't suit me?"
"Nah, it's not that."
"Yeah, you still look cool, daddy!"
"What Myu said. Besides, you originally had black hair, right?"
"Yep... And I want to look as close to my old self as possible when I return
home," Hajime scratched his cheek awkwardly as he said that.
"Well, I can always change my hair color with that metamorphosis magic
artifact, and I can swap out my arm and eye at any time. I doubt I'll need them
again, but...if we ever have to fight something, I'll go back to looking like I used
to."
This was Hajime's way of separating the two parts of himself. The whitePage 214 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
haired boy with an eye patch and metal arm was the one who'd fought gods and
monsters in another world. But Japan was a peaceful country, and since he was
planning on spending the rest of his days in peace, he wanted to look like he
used to. It was a way of expressing his desire to change.
"In that case, I hope you get to keep your hair black forever," Shea said,
closing her eyes and rubbing her ears against his face. Myu, Remia, and Tio all
voiced their agreement.
"That would be nice..." Hajime muttered, smiling. Shea and Tio pressed
themselves even more tightly against Hajime, but before they could go any
further, Yue appeared.
"Stop acting horny in front of Myu."
"What?! Yue-san?!" Shea exclaimed.
"Nuwoooh?! Yue, don't teleport in so suddenly like that! You nearly gave
me a heart attack!" Tio roared. Both of them turned back just as Yue bonked
them on the head.
Unlike everyone else who needed portals to teleport, Yue was able to use
Heavenstep. She was wearing a black gothic lolita dress today, and it fluttered
prettily as she alighted to the ground after teleporting in.
In the past, she'd tried to pick clothes that didn't seem too childish, yet also
didn't seem like she was trying too hard to look grown up, but now that she
could change between her regular and adult form at will, she'd embraced all
sorts of fashions to fit whichever form she felt like being in on any given day.
"Oh good, you're back. Is everything okay in the empire?" Hajime asked.
"Mmm, everything's under control. The Haulia almost went on a rampage
and sent the empire into a panic, but I beat them up."
"I see."
That didn't sound okay at all, but Hajime decided not to pry. She walked over
and hugged him, and the two of them shared a brief kiss.
"Everyone's waiting at the plaza. Are you ready?" she asked.
"Yeah, I just finished checking over everything one last time. We're good to
go."
Hajime looked at Yue, Shea, Tio, Myu, and Remia in turn, then picked up the
small Divinity Stone and strode toward the door.
"Let's go."
The group left the hut and headed to the same open plaza where Shea's
feelings for Hajime had finally been requited.
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Aiko and the students had all been chatting amicably in the plaza, but they
fell silent as Hajime approached. They tensed up, feeling nervous.
Kaori and Shizuku, however, were unfazed and they ran up to Hajime.
Surprisingly, so did Liliana.
"Oh, wow! You came too, Lily?"
"Yes. I was hoping to see this firsthand."
Hajime wasn't planning on returning right away after creating the compass
and Crystal Key. For one thing, creating the two artifacts would drain him of
practically all of his mana, and though this wasn't going to be a final farewell or
anything, he had also been planning on going around and saying his goodbyes to
the people of this world. Still, as one of the people who'd be left behind on
Tortus, Liliana wanted to be able to spend as much time with Hajime as possible.
Hajime nodded to her, then he and Yue made their way to the center of the
plaza. The ensuing silence was almost oppressive, and more than one student
gulped. Everyone was acting like if they talked, it would cause Hajime to mess
up.
"Kaori, we should be fine, but if it looks like we're about to run out of mana,
I'll need you to cast restoration magic on us."
"Yep, just leave it to me!"
"Just in case, I don't want anyone else's mana to get mixed up in the actual
spell, so—"
"I know, I know. Only restore your mana and nothing else, right?" Kaori
replied, nodding, and Hajime nodded back to her. He then turned to Tio and
Aiko.
"I'll be counting on you two as well. Though hopefully, your assistance
won't be necessary."
"You want us to extend your Limit Break with spirit magic if it looks like it's
taking too long to make the artifacts, right? We'll be ready," Aiko said.
"Indeed, all the fail-safes are in place, so there's nothing to worry about."
They were really nothing more than fail-safes; Hajime expected that he and
Yue would be able to manage on their own.
Shea grabbed Myu's and Remia's hands and dragged them back a little. Yuka
and the others also surrounded Hajime and Yue from a distance, forming a circle
around the pair. Feeling everyone's expectant gazes on them, Hajime and Yue
turned to each other.
"All right, let's do this, Yue."
"Mmmm..."
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Hajime held out his hands. Resting in his right palm was the Divinity Stone,
while all the other materials he would need for this artifact were in his left. Yue
gently placed her own hands on top of his, covering the materials. Then, the two
of them began the process of birthing creation magic into the world.
"Limit Break—Overload."
"Supreme Ascendance."
Crimson and gold light spread out through the forest around Verbergen as
Hajime and Yue buffed themselves to their strongest state. A gust of wind blew
past everyone, rattling branches and shaking leaves. The two pillars of light grew
brighter, then merged into one. And as they merged there was an explosive burst
of mana, and a crimson-gold spiral shot up toward the sky. It was as vibrant as
the one that had broken through the Sanctuary during Ragnarok. The sheer
power rolling off of the two of them was dense enough to be palpable.
Yuka and the others ducked down, covering their faces, while Shea stood
protectively in front of Myu and Remia. As waves of mana washed over
everyone, they could feel the heavy, indestructible will contained within it. It
was eye-opening to see just how fervent Hajime's desire was.
Everyone other than Shea, Tio, Kaori, and Shizuku—who'd been present the
first time Hajime had made the Crystal Key back in the Frost Caverns—gasped
in surprise and felt chills run down their spine.
"I want to return home."
"Where lies my homeland?"
"I want to return home."
"Back to my family."
"I want to return home."
"Together with everyone."
The intensity of Hajime's wish made Yuka and the others tear up. Not just
because they could feel Hajime's longing, but because they realized they all felt
the same way. They missed their homes, their families, and their friends.
Of course, it wasn't as though everyone had a stable, loving, and supportive
family. There were students who were rebelling against their parents or found
them overbearing. Students who hadn't spoken to their siblings in weeks because
of a silly fight or something more serious. Still, everyone felt the overwhelming
desire to at least see their family again.
The vague homesickness they'd felt until now solidified into a concrete
desire, and the students all began to pray for Hajime's success. It was all they
could do for him.
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A second later, bright light began spilling from the space between Hajime's
and Yue's palms. The Divinity Stone started to glow as it absorbed Hajime's and
Yue's mana, which was swirling around it and sparkling like a galaxy.
Hajime, who'd been concentrating intently until now, slowly opened his
eyes. In a quiet voice that still carried surprisingly well across the plaza, he said,
"Transmute."
The Divinity Stone rose into the air and split into two. The remaining
materials in his left hand split up into two piles and went into the respective
artifact they'd be making.
The two chunks of Divinity Stone glowed with equal intensity, looking like
two miniature suns. It was a breathtaking sight, one the students were sure
they'd never forget.
The surging torrent of mana quieted down, and a lull fell over the open
square. People let out sighs of amazement, forgetting their earlier nervousness. It
was hard to say whether they were more captivated by the two legendary
artifacts being created, or how beautiful Hajime and Yue looked holding hands
and leaning into each other. Either way, eventually, the light began to fade,
crimson and gold mana dispersing into nothingness among the trees.
Yue took her hands off Hajime's and grabbed the two artifacts floating in the
air, the Compass of Eternal Paths and the Crystal Key. After looking them over,
she handed them to Hajime.
"Try them out."
"Sure."
Yuka and the others watched on with bated breath. It seemed their
nervousness was back. Hajime activated the compass, and a few seconds that felt
like an eternity passed. Silently, he then held up the key and checked to see if it
could make a portal.
"H-Hey, Nagumo. How's it look? Does it work?" Kousuke asked, unable to
bear the suspense any longer.
Hajime looked up and cast his gaze over the gathered students. He then
grinned triumphantly and gave them a thumbs-up.
Overjoyed, the students burst out in cheers.
"Hell yeaaaaaah!" Atsushi, Noboru, and Akito shouted, pumping their fists
into the air.
"Th-They did it! We can go home!"
"Come on, Taeko, don't cry."
"You're crying too, Yukacchi!"
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Yuka and Taeko hugged each other, tears in their eyes.
"Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! We can finally go home!"
"Nagumo! No, Nagumo-sama! Thank you so much!"
Shinji and Yoshiki clasped each other's arms and started dancing wildly.
"Waaaaaaaaah, thank goodness. Nagumo-kun, Yue-san, thank yooouuu!"
"I owe you my life!"
Ayako and Mao were also crying openly and hugging each other.
Jugo, Kentarou, and Kousuke silently high-fived each other, too overcome by
emotion to speak.
Aiko breathed a sigh of relief and slumped to the ground, while Liliana
gently rubbed her back.
The other students also hugged each other and shed tears of joy. A few of
them were so enamored with Hajime and Yue that they started saying things like
"I wish I could be Nagumo-sama's pet!" or "I'd love to be Yue-san's dog,"
which was more than a little worrying, but hopefully that phase would pass.
Hajime let out a long breath and sat down, exhausted from the effort of
making the two artifacts. Yue settled down on his lap, looking similarly spent.
Hajime wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.
"Thank you, Yue."
"Mmm..."
For a while, Hajime and Yue simply enjoyed each other's presence, but then
a young dagon girl tottered over to them.
"Daddy!"
"Hey, Myu."
Hajime scooped up Myu in one arm and Yue scooted over a little so he could
plop her into his lap as well. She snuggled up against Hajime the same way Yue
had.
"Hajime-san, Yue-san, that was amazing! I don't know how else to describe
it; it was just amazing!" Shea said, her ears flopping up and down as she ran
over.
"I know you've got a bigger vocabulary than that, Shea," Hajime replied with
a wry smile.
Shea settled down on Hajime's right and wrapped him, Yue, and Myu in one
big hug. Hajime took one hand off Myu and patted her bunny ears, while she
rested her head on his shoulder.
"You did it, Hajime-kun, Yue!" Kaori exclaimed as she took the spot on
Hajime's left and hugged them all the same way Shea had. Hajime patted her on
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the head as well, and she also snuggled up against him.
"I look forward to seeing what kind of place your world is, Master," Tio
added, heading toward Hajime.
"You'll be pretty surprised, I think," Shizuku replied, also coming up to hug
Hajime.
The two of them were officially members of his harem, so they didn't need to
show any restraint. Unfortunately, the only open spot left was at his back, and
for a second, Tio and Shizuku glared at each other, trying to silently claim the
spot for themselves. But before their silent battle could conclude, Remia stole
the remaining spot.
"My, my, if you two don't want this spot, I'll be glad to take it. Ufu fu..."
"Mommy!" Myu shouted, reaching out over Hajime's shoulder to pat her
mother's head.
"Remia-san?!" Shizuku exclaimed in shock.
"Well played," Tio said through gritted teeth. The moment Remia had
decided she would worm her way into Hajime's harem, she'd gathered the
courage to face off against even the world's strongest swordswoman and the
world's strongest dragonman.
Just then, an intruder to the harem suddenly appeared.
"Shea, I've been looking all over for you! Haaah... Haaah, won't you spend
some time with me too?"
"Geh, Altena?!"
Indeed, Altena had managed to sneak up on Shea while she was distracted,
and was now panting with excitement as she tried to smother Shea from behind.
In order to fend her off, Shea temporarily moved away from Hajime, and in
that moment there were another two girls who tried to squeeze their way in.
"Aiko-san, what do you think you're doing?"
"That's what I'd like to know, Lily-san. Do you have some business with my
student?"
Aiko and Lily glared at each other. It seemed Aiko had no intention of being
the grown-up here and letting Lily have some time with Hajime.
Yuka and the others watched on as everyone tried to get a piece of the
Hajime pie. Unsurprisingly, Yuka herself didn't look all too happy that there
were so many girls swarming around him. Nana and Taeko kicked her from
behind, hoping to force her into the fray, but she tensed her muscles and stood
her ground.
The other girls started gossiping about Hajime's love life while the guys
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watched on with a mixture of curiosity and jealousy.
"Sheesh..." Yue said with a sigh.
"H-Hey, Yue?"
Hajime felt a chill run down his spine and timidly looked over at Yue. The
vampire princess had been content to stay quiet thus far, but it seemed that had
changed.
The cheers stopped as everyone felt the intimidating pressure Yue was
exuding. A second later, her body started to glow golden. It was a gentle light
that enveloped her entire body, and after a few seconds, she transformed into her
adult mode.
"Can't you at least let us enjoy a few moments of peace?"
Because she'd grown both in height and in bust size, the gothic lolita dress
she was wearing no longer fit her properly, revealing quite a bit of her legs, as
well as an ample amount of cleavage. The ill-fitting clothes still looked quite
captivating though, just in a different way. They'd gone from being cute to sexy,
and everyone was transfixed by the sudden change in her appearance.
Yue waved one finger through the air, eliciting a panicked response from
Kaori and Remia.
"Awawawa, hold on a sec, Yue!"
"Y-Yue-san what are you doing?!"
The two of them were forced away from Hajime and put down next to
Shizuku and Tio.
"Umm, Yue? I think—Mmmpf?!" Hajime tried to calm her down, but she
hugged him tight, forcing his face into her boobs and also shutting him up.
Kaori and the others also protested, while Myu blushed and covered her face
with her hands.
In an almost playful tone Yue said, "As the first wife, I'm banning anyone
who causes a ruckus from seeing Hajime at night."
She looked so utterly beautiful as she spoke that everyone, both guys and
girls alike, found themselves unable to peel their eyes away from her. Even Tio
and Kaori could only blush and look away when Yue stared at them.
"At this point, I don't think there's anyone who can match up to Yue-san,"
Shea said lightly as she pulled Altena off of her. Unlike the others, she seemed
capable of resisting Yue's charms.
Incidentally, it was obvious from Kaori's and the others' reactions what Yue
really meant by banning the others from "night visits."
"As punishment, I'm keeping Hajime all to myself today."
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"Does my opinion count for nothing here?" Hajime asked, though his tone
was joking. After all, no matter what happened, he'd always take Yue's side.
Unsurprisingly, as soon as he pulled himself out of Yue's boobs, she leaned
in for a kiss, which he granted enthusiastically. The girls started gossiping once
again while the boys stared up at the sky to keep their emotions in check. It was
a nice, clear, sunny day at least.
"Okay, I'm not letting this stand! You can't abuse your authority like this!"
Kaori, who'd recovered from the prison of Yue's charm, said as she talked over
to the two of them.
Tio, who'd also recovered, got up and said, "Hmph, a punishment like that is
exactly what I was hoping for, Yue. In fact, I wouldn't mind if you stepped on
me while in that form either."
It seemed Tio's masochism had evolved to the point where she was happy
with Yue abusing her as well as Hajime.
"Hey, I was trying to enjoy the moment; it's Altena's fault that it was ruined!
In other words, I don't deserve any punishment, and you should kiss me right
now, Hajime-san!"
Shea strode forward and puckered her lips in preparation for a kiss.
"..." Shizuku just stared at Hajime with puppy dog eyes, hoping to win his
pity.
"Is everyone going to kiss daddy now? I want to too!" Myu exclaimed
happily.
"I'm sorry, Myu, but it's a bit too early for you to be kissing people. Why
don't I kiss him for you?" Remia said, taking Myu out of Hajime's lap and
smiling wolfishly.
"I'm sure... I'm sure it would be okay for me to kiss him, even if I am a
princess!"
"It's not a problem because you're a princess, it's a problem because you're
too young, Lily-san! In that respect, I'm a much better choice..." Aiko replied.
"You might be old enough to do lewd things with him, but it's wrong for a
teacher to get romantically involved with their student!" Liliana retorted.
Ignoring all of them, Yue turned to Hajime and asked, "So, Hajime? Who
will you pick?"
Naturally, there was only one answer for Hajime.
"You, of course."
"He he...then I guess it's time I kidnapped you."
Yue grinned innocently like a child, and before anyone could react, she and
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Hajime vanished without a sound. Yue had well and truly mastered the use of
Heavenstep now.
Kaori's wail of frustration echoed throughout the forest, and she immediately
got to work on tracking Yue down. Though no one else joined in on the hunt, she
seemed to be enjoying herself at least.
Still looking up at the sky, Atsushi muttered, "Goddamn, I'm so jealous."
"I know how you feel. I wish I could experience what it's like to have a
harem," Noboru muttered.
"But you know, I kind of get why Nagumo got one," Akito added. Kentarou
and Jugo nodded in agreement.
"I totally get you."
"When it comes to Nagumo, nothing's impossible."
"All the historians and bards have started calling Nagumo the Godslayer
Demon Lord, so now everyone in Tortus thinks he's actually the new Demon
Lord and is going to take over his castle," Kousuke explained, and the other boys
just shook their heads.
"Haaah... Haaah, I want Yue-san to treat me like I'm trash. Just one disgusted
look would be enough to make me happy," one of the other students muttered.
"Oh god, he's totally done for."
"Tell me about it. Doesn't he realize how rude he's being? Besides, if I were
going to be stepped on, I'd rather be stepped on by Nagumo-sama."
"Oh no. Ai-chan-sensei, come back, our students are going off the deep end!"
Meanwhile, Nana confessed something rather surprising to the other girls.
"You know...I'm kind of jealous."
Yuka, who'd been glaring sourly at Hajime the whole time, turned back to
Nana in shock.
"Wait, what?! Nana, don't tell me you're also..."
"That's not what she meant. I don't think Nana has a crush on Nagumo-san,
she just wants a relationship like the one he has," Taeko explained, and Nana
nodded in agreement.
Yuka breathed a sigh of relief, and after a moment's thought, she nodded.
"I see what you mean. It really is something special, Nagumo and Yue-san's
relationship, I mean."
"Right? Though if Nagumocchi came on to me, I wouldn't say no."
"Yeah... Wait, what?! What are you saying, Nana?!"
"Yeah, but there's no way we could wedge ourselves into that harem."
"Not you too, Taeko?!"
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Nana and Taeko just shrugged their shoulders, then turned back to where
Hajime and Yue had been with a longing look in their eyes.
Meanwhile, Shea and the others seemed to have found some clues as to
where Yue had gone, so they set off deeper into the forest.
Mao let out a small sigh as she watched them go.
"If anything, I'm amazed Kaori and the others managed to squeeze their way
between Nagumo and Yue-san. Ai-chan-sensei and Lily have really gotten
braver too."
"There are so many people in Nagumo-kun's harem now. It's like he's really
become a Demon Lord," Ayako said with a nod, looking at some of the other
girls.
"What do I have to do to become Nagumo-sama's pet?" one of them said.
"Maybe if I offered to be his live-in maid, I might have a chance."
"Yeah, that's not happening," Ayako said. "You two better get Ai-chansensei to cast spirit magic on you before you're lost for good."
In the same way that some of the boys had fallen for Yue—and Hajime—
some of the girls had too. Their harsh life after coming to Tortus had made
people pine for the kind of loving relationship Hajime and Yue had, but it had
also messed with their ideas of a regular relationship.
Unsurprisingly, these students' friends were fervently praying that they
would return to their senses before it was too late.
Ryutarou rubbed his temples tiredly as he watched his classmates discuss
what the best way to become either Hajime's or Yue's pet would be. He then
turned to Suzu, who was laughing dryly as she watched as well, and asked,
"You're not gonna go looking for Nagumo?"
Suzu hadn't been expecting that question at all, so she looked quite taken
aback.
"Nah, no way. What makes you think I would?"
"I mean, if not, that's fine. It's just...I dunno, you act more mature when
you're around Nagumo, like you're a normal girl, so I just thought...maybe
you'd wanna join Kaori and Shizuku now that there's a chance or something."
"Excuse me, does that mean you think I normally act like an immature brat?
Nagumo-kun listened to my selfishness and gave me the chance to see Eri one
last time, so I'm grateful to him, but that's all."
Suzu glared at Ryutarou, annoyed that he'd misread her.
"You know, Ryutarou-kun, I think we need to have a chat about your mental
image of me."
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"Okay, that was my bad. But I mean, half the time you act like a perverted
old man, so it's not my fault. Hell, maybe you'd go after them just to peep."
"Okay, now you're just asking to get your teeth kicked in. Don't
underestimate my barrier burst, you bastard!"
Ryutarou scratched his cheek awkwardly while Suzu pulled out her fans,
which she'd had Hajime remake for her. Kouki hurriedly stepped in before the
two of them started fighting.
"C-Calm down, Suzu. Ryutarou wasn't trying to insult you, he just—"
"You shut up, Kouki-kun. This muscle head seems to have forgotten the
meaning of tact, so I'm going to have a nice long chat with him about how a
proper gentleman is supposed to act!" Suzu growled menacingly, and Ryutarou
finally decided he wasn't going to take this anymore.
"Now look here! You, of all people, have no right to lecture me about tact.
Who tried to sneak into Nagumo's bedroom last night to peep on him? If there's
anyone who needs to be taught some manners it's you, you wild child!"
"L-Look, I was curious! Can you blame me?! I just want to know what kind
of crazy sex stuff onee-sama and the others get up to! It'd be a waste not to find
out!"
"What do you mean a waste?! If anything, you should be thanking me for
stopping you. If you'd actually gone, you wouldn't have lived to see the
morning!"
"Hmph, if you're gonna be like that, I won't invite you next time!"
"Thank fucking god! The last thing I want is a girl inviting me to peep on
other people having sex!"
Suzu and Ryutarou had been arguing—after a fashion—more and more
recently, so their classmates had gotten used to their antics. Everyone but Kouki
could tell they had a thing for each other, but it was funny to see Kouki try to
defuse the situation every single time due to his ignorance.
Though Kouki didn't smile as freely as he used to, he'd still gone to hang out
with Ryutarou and Suzu like usual when he'd returned to Verbergen. When he
was with his best friends, he could forget his crushing guilt, even if only
temporarily. And thanks to the conversation he'd had with his other classmates
back at the fortress, he was more at ease than ever today.
Honestly, the other students were a bit relieved that he was starting to return
to normal. The students had lost much, and much more in their lives had
changed. The burdens they carried and the scars in their hearts would never
disappear completely. But now they had a way home and they could laugh and
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joke with each other in peace. Their hearts were lighter than they'd ever been
since coming to Tortus.
Moreover, it was precisely because they'd had to risk their lives to win this
peaceful future that they understood not to take it for granted. As a result, their
heartfelt smiles were brighter than ever before, brighter even than the sun.
Meanwhile, Yue had teleported the two of them to the Sacred Tree Uralt at
Hajime's request. He'd wanted a quiet spot away from the city, so this had been
the perfect place.
Yue had returned to her younger form, and she let Hajime take her hand and
lead her to the base of the tree as she wondered what he had planned.
It was a clear day, and since the forest's mist didn't reach this particular area,
the sunlight was quite strong in the clearing. Now that the group had cleared the
labyrinth, the tree had returned to its withered state, which meant there were no
leaves to filter the sun's harsh rays.
"Yue, can you cast restoration magic for me?"
"Hm? Sure."
If Hajime wanted to enter the labyrinth, then all he needed to do was pull out
the emblem that proved he'd cleared it.
Why bother asking me to use restoration magic on the tree? Maybe he just
wants leaves for some shade? Or maybe he wants to enjoy the view together?
A little puzzled, Yue nevertheless cast restoration magic on the tree. In
seconds, it turned lush and verdant.
No matter how many times Hajime saw it, it was still a marvelous sight.
Broken up by the leaves, the rays of sunlight now looked like pillars reaching up
to heaven. Hajime would likely never grow tired of staring at this breathtaking
view.
Nodding in satisfaction, he took Yue's hand and sat down at the base of the
tree's trunk. Yue sat down on his lap, and Hajime hugged her from behind. In
her younger form, she fit there perfectly.
For a while, they basked in each other's warmth and admired the forest. The
only sound present was the rustling of leaves any time a gust of wind passed by.
Finally, Hajime leaned forward and whispered in Yue's ear, "Yue."
"Hm?"
"There's something I wanna show you."
"What is it?"
"Honestly, I should have shown it to you as soon as we got back, but it's
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something pretty important and I wanted to find the right timing. Sorry it took so
long."
"Hm? I don't know what it is, but if you think it was best to wait, then I don't
mind."
Yue tilted her neck to look up at Hajime, and he smiled. He leaned down to
kiss her golden-blonde hair, then pulled an artifact out of his Treasure Trove. It
was a small clear crystal the size of a pinball. The very same artifact he'd found
in that room in the abyss where Yue had once been sealed.
He held one hand out in front of both of them, the artifact resting on his palm.
It started to glow, and a second later, a hologram appeared before them.
As soon as that image resolved into a recognizable figure, Yue gasped. Her
eyes widening, she muttered, "Uncle?"
Hajime said nothing, squeezing Yue tight with his one free arm. Reflexively,
Yue gripped Hajime's free hand with both of her own.
Indeed, the person standing in front of both of them was Yue's uncle,
Dienleed Galdea Vesperitio Avatarl.
"Aletia. It's been a long time, I imagine. You must hate me with every fiber
of your being. No, I suspect hate isn't a strong enough word to express the depth
of your feelings. What I did to you was—no, I'm sorry this isn't what I wanted
to say. I gave it a lot of thought, but now that I'm finally recording my will, I'm
not sure how best to express my feelings."
Smiling sadly to himself, Dienleed took a deep breath and closed his eyes to
clear his thoughts. When he opened them again, he seemed much calmer.
"Yes, I suppose first off, I should express my thanks. Aletia, I imagine the
person by your side now is someone you can trust wholeheartedly. At the very
least, they must have acquired metamorphosis magic, be strong enough to
challenge the depths of the true Great Orcus Labyrinth, and have the integrity to
protect you from my guardian instead of fleeing alone."
Yue's hands were trembling, and Hajime could feel her confusion acutely.
But he said nothing, and instead closed his eyes as if paying his respects to
Dienleed.
"I ask you, the person who is by Aletia's side. Who are you? A man? A
woman? What do you mean to Aletia? Are you her best friend? Her lover? Her
new family? Or are you simply comrades on an adventure?"
There was a smile on Dienleed's face, and it was hard to believe he was a
foolish, ambitious man who'd betrayed his queen for power. No, he looked like
an uncle who wished the very best for his niece.
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"I'm sorry I cannot express my gratitude in person, but nevertheless, I thank
you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you so much for saving my beloved
niece, and being a source of support for her."
Hajime couldn't tell what kind of expression Yue was making right now, but
he didn't bother to open his eyes and check. This was a moment for the two of
them, so he didn't want to butt in.
"Aletia. You must have so many questions. Or perhaps you've already
discovered the truth. Do you know why I betrayed you and consigned you to a
prison of unending darkness? Do you understand who you are, and who your
true foe is?"
Dienleed went on to explain just in case, and his explanation more or less
lined up with what Yue had already figured out. Namely, that Yue had been born
with exceptional power, and so Ehitruje had decided to make her body the vessel
for his soul. Dienleed had realized that and come up with a desperate plan to
save his niece. He'd made it look like he'd become drunk with power and staged
a coup against his niece and killed her, while actually sealing her away deep in
the Great Orcus Labyrinth. Such a powerful seal had been the only way to
ensure Ehit didn't discover she was still alive, after all.
"When I discovered the truth, I spent a long time wavering over whether or
not I should tell you. In the end, I decided the only way I would be able to
execute a convincing deception was if you were ignorant. I also believed you'd
cling to life much more strongly if you had hate to fuel you."
Even if Dienleed had told Yue the truth, he wouldn't have been able to stay
in that sealed room for long, or Ehit might have started to suspect something.
After making it seem like he'd killed her in the palace, he would have had to
return to assume control of the vampire nation before people began to wonder
where he'd gone.
It was obvious from how tightly Dienleed was clenching his fists that the
decision had hurt him deeply.
"I won't ask for your forgiveness. I just...I just want you to believe me.
Maybe this truth is worthless to you now, but I still want you to know it."
Dienleed smiled, tears welling up in his eyes. It was an expression filled with
equal parts sadness and love.
"I love you, Aletia. From the bottom of my heart. Never once did I wish for
your death. You're like a daughter to me."
"Uncle... Uncle Dien. I-I love you too!"
Yue was overcome with emotion. Now that she knew for sure that the
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suspicion she'd had upon defeating herself in the Frost Cavern was true, she
couldn't hold back her tears.
You were like a father to me too... Yue thought, sobbing freely.
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry I had to entrust your future and
your safety to someone who may or may not even come. I'm a failure."
"That's not true!"
The hologram standing in front of them was nothing more than a vision from
the past. Dienleed's last will and testament. There was no way Yue's words
could reach him, but that didn't stop her.
Though the tears continued to pool in Dienleed's eyes, he refused to let them
spill. He tightened his gaze and continued speaking to his beloved daughter.
"I wanted to be by your side, to watch over you as you found happiness. It
was my dream to give the man who might become your husband one good
punch, then go out drinking with him and tell him he better make you happy or
else. Though I'm sure any man you picked would do no less."
Dienleed looked off into the distance, imagining a future he knew he'd never
get to see.
"I'm almost out of time. There's more I want to say, but...this is the best I can
do with my shoddy creation magic skills," Dienleed said with a self-deprecating
smile.
"No, don't go. Unc—no, father!"
Yue reached out toward Dienleed, tears streaming down her face. Her love
for the man who'd been her uncle by blood, but her father in truth, was clear.
Hajime hugged her even tighter.
"I can't be by your side anymore. I no longer have that right. But for as long
as I live, and even after I die, I shall keep praying for your happiness, Aletia, my
beloved daughter. May your life be filled with warmth and kindness, and may
the path you walk be blessed."
"Father..."
Dienleed looked a little to the side, presumably trying to look at whoever
might be standing next to Yue.
"To you, who stands beside my beloved daughter. Please make her the
happiest girl in the world. That's all I ask."
"I will. You have my word," Hajime replied quietly. There was no way his
words could have reached Dienleed, but Dienleed looked satisfied nevertheless.
He must have known how the person next to Yue would have answered,
regardless of who they were. Dienleed had been one hell of a man, in multiple
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ways. It was no surprise Yue had turned out the way she had, considering who
her role model had been.
The hologram started to fade, and it almost felt like Dienleed's soul was
slowly ascending to heaven. Yue and Hajime huddled close together and listened
to Dienleed's final words before he vanished completely.
"Goodbye, Aletia. May you find eternal happiness."
Yue's sobs echoed through the forest as he vanished. She was sad, of course,
but it wasn't just sadness she was feeling in this moment. She turned around and
buried her face in Hajime's chest. Hajime squeezed the hologram artifact in his
fist and gently embraced Yue with both arms.
After what seemed like forever, Yue finally looked up at Hajime. He gently
wiped the tears off her face and cupped her cheeks.
"Yue."
"Mmm..."
Yue could see the determination and the warmth in Hajime's eyes.
"I'm the happiest man in the world because you're here in my arms."
"Mmmm... And I'm the happiest girl in the world because I'm here in your
arms."
The two of them brought their faces closer to each other. They smiled, but
before Yue could move in for a kiss, Hajime suddenly pulled a ring out of his
pocket. It was a simple ring made of silver that had no special powers, save one.
It was nigh indestructible.
Yue looked down at the sparkling silver ring, her eyes also sparkling.
"Are you proposing to me?" she asked in the same joking tone she had when
Hajime had first gifted her the mana-storing accessory set in the Great Orcus
Labyrinth. Back then, Hajime had played it off, but this time—
"Yes."
"Ah..."
His gaze made it clear that he was dead serious. Yue blushed bright red, and
for a moment, she found herself at a loss for words.
"In Japan, it's customary to ask the bride's father first before asking for her
hand in marriage, which is why I wanted to wait until after you heard your
father's final words before proposing."
"Mmm..."
Hajime couldn't actually give his proposal to Dienleed though, so he gave it
to Yue instead.
"Yue, I want you. Will you give everything, even your future, to me?"
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"Ah..."
Yue pressed her forehead against Hajime's chest. She was too overcome by
emotion to speak. Her fingers trembled in happiness. There was, of course, only
one answer she could give.
Once she'd calmed down a little, she looked up at Hajime and beamed,
looking like a blooming rose. Then, in a firm voice that resonated through the
forest, she said, "Yes!"
She held out her left hand, and Hajime slipped the finger onto her ring finger.
He then brought out a second ring, which Yue took and put on Hajime's ring
finger.
The two of them showed their rings off to each other and beamed. This was
quite possibly the happiest moment of both of their lives.
The leaves rustled again, a brief gust of wind blowing past. A few of the
leaves floated down, ripped from their branches by the breeze. It was almost as if
the sacred tree itself was blessing their engagement.
Suddenly, the two of them heard lively voices in the distance. From the
sounds of it, their comrades had finally found them.
Yue's smile suddenly turned devilish, and she poked Hajime's cheek.
"So, how many more rings did you make, Hajime?"
"Is this really the time to be bringing that up, Yue?"
"Mmm, you should pick Shea next."
"Can't we just enjoy this moment?" Hajime asked, saying basically the same
thing Yue had a while ago at the plaza.
Yue grinned and replied in a confident voice, "Knowing you, I'm sure you'll
be able to make everyone happy."
"You know, in the eyes of society, what I'm doing would just make me a nogood womanizer, right?"
"Who cares what society thinks? As long as we're happy, it's all good, isn't
that right? If society has a problem with that, we can just destroy it."
"That's a pretty terrifying proclamation. Well, I decided to make all of you
happy when I made these rings, so it's not like I have any second thoughts.
You're all mine."
"Mmm... That's the Hajime I know and love. But—"
Yue's crimson eyes sparkled, and she locked her gaze with Hajime's.
"I'm the only one who's special, and I won't let anyone else take that away."
As she said that, she pressed her lips against Hajime's just as Shea and the
others burst into the clearing. As always, they let out cries of dismay as they saw
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Hajime and Yue kissing, and the silent forest clearing soon became as noisy as
the city center.
Yue's lips lingered on Hajime's for a few seconds longer, but then she pulled
away and the two of them smiled at each other. They then stood shoulder to
shoulder and spread their arms wide to welcome all of their comrades. This
journey had started with just the two of them, but now they both had so many
more people they loved and cared about. And they too were an essential part of
the happy future Dienleed had wanted for Yue.