"Now then, I'm thinking I need to teach you guys how to fight." After leaving Verbergen, Hajime and the others had set up a temporary base near the outskirts of the Grand Tree. Though perhaps "base" was giving them too much credit. All Hajime had done was steal... No, take some verdren crystals from the path and scatter them around their base. Most of the rabbitmen stared blankly at Hajime. They were sitting down on stumps and boulders, taking a short break.
"U-Umm, Hajime-san. By teaching us how to fight, do you mean..." Shea asked hesitantly, voicing the question her entire tribe had.
"I mean exactly that. We're stuck here for the next ten days anyway, right? Might as well do something useful in that time, don't you think? It's high time you spineless, gutless, cowardly rabbits learned how to hold your own in a fight."
"Wh-Why do we have to..." Shea's question had been a natural reaction to the sudden nature of Hajime's declaration. Everyone's rabbit ears trembled as Hajime glared at them menacingly.
"Why? Why'd you think to even ask such a stupid question, you worthless rabbit?"
"Aww you're still not calling me by my name..."
Hajime ignored Shea's dejected mutterings and continued talking.
"Listen up, I promised to protect you until you finished guiding me to the Grand Tree. But have you guys given any thought to what'll happen once that's done?"
The Haulia all exchanged glances and shook their heads hesitantly. Cam even had a worried expression on his face. Though they had this nagging worry at the back of their minds, the sequence of insane events they'd been thrown into one after another had forced that worry away. Or maybe they just hadn't considered it at all, who really knew.
"Just as I thought, you haven't thought about it at all. Though even if you had, it's not like you'd have an answer for me. You guys are weak. First sign of danger and your only thought is to run. And now you don't even have the sanctuary of Verbergen to protect you. So basically, you guys are screwed as soon as I'm gone."
"..."
Glum expressions settled on the Haulia's faces when they realized Hajime's words hit the mark. They'd been rocked by his stunning statement.
"You have nowhere to run to, nowhere to hide, and soon you'll have no one to protect you. But monsters and humans won't stop attacking you out of pity, you know? At this rate you're all doomed to die eventually. Are you all really okay with that? Being killed off just because you're weak, I mean. You guys were lucky to survive this long and now you're going to throw those lives away? Well?"
No one said a word as a grim atmosphere fell over the clearing. Finally, someone muttered quietly.
"Of course we're not okay with it." Those words broke the rest of them out of their stupor and everyone looked up at Hajime. Even Shea's gaze was filled with determination. Hajime nodded approvingly, and memories of his old powerless self flashed through his mind as he spoke.
"That's right. You're not okay with it. But what can you do? The answer's simple. Get stronger. Tear down anything that gets in your way, and fight for your right to survive."
"...But we're rabbitmen. We're not like tigermen or bearmen who have strong bodies, or like the winged races or dwarves that have special traits they can use to escape trouble. We're just..."
The fact that rabbitmen were weak only made them despair even more at Hajime's words. They were weak, so how could they possibly ever hope to fight? No matter how much they struggled, they'd never become strong like Hajime. But Hajime just scoffed at them.
"You know, in the past my comrades called me worthless too."
"Huh?"
"Worthless. Weak. Useless. Both my stats and my skills were painfully mediocre. I was the weakest person in my group. Nothing more than dead weight. That's why my comrades all looked down on me. And it was all true, too."
Everyone's jaw dropped open in shock at Hajime's confession. They couldn't believe that Hajime, the boy who'd beaten a bearman elder like it was nothing and taken down scores of ferocious monsters in the Reisen Gorge, had ever been called worthless or weak.
"But when I fell into the depths of hell, I did everything in my power to get stronger. It wasn't about whether I could or couldn't do it. If I didn't, I'd die. I fought like my life depended on it, because it did. And then, before I knew it, I was like this." He spoke casually, but the unbelievable contents of his tale sent a shiver down the Haulia's spines.
If he'd had average stats for a human, then he had to have been even weaker than the rabbitmen. But despite that, he'd fought against monsters far stronger than the enemies they'd been overwhelmed by in Reisen Gorge. Still, it wasn't his strength or the fact that he'd survived that awed them the most. It was his strength of mind that had let him face such monstrous foes without flinching. When they'd been driven to a corner, the Haulia had meekly accepted their demise. Just as they'd meekly accepted the elders' decision.
"You guys are like how I was in the past. But don't worry. So long as I'm bound by this promise, I'll do what I can to save you from despair. If you tell me there's no way you can do it, then that's fine too. You'll just die when your time's up. I won't come save you once our contract is finished. You can spend the rest of your short lives bemoaning your weakness for all I care."
So what'll it be? Hajime's eyes seemed to say that. The Haulia didn't answer immediately. Or rather, they weren't able to.
They'd realized their only path to survival was to get stronger. And that Hajime wasn't protecting them out of some noble sense of justice. He'd leave them without a second thought once their end of the bargain was complete. However, the very idea of fighting was foreign to the peace-loving, gentle rabbitmen. Accepting Hajime's suggestion would mean stepping into uncharted territory. It would probably take an event as radical as what happened to Hajime to fundamentally change their nature.
And so, they simply all looked at each other silently. However, Shea alone stood up resolutely. It seemed she'd made her decision long ago.
"I'll do it. Please, teach me how to fight! I'm tired of being weak!" She shouted so loudly that her voice echoed throughout the entire forest. Everyone present could see that she was filled with determination. Of course, even Shea hated fighting. It was scary, it hurt, but more than anything she hated hurting others.
Still, it was undeniably her fault that her family was in this mess, and she hated the thought of causing her family's deaths even more. On top of that, there was one other reason Shea wanted so desperately to fight against her nature and grow stronger.
Shea gazed unwaveringly at Hajime. Cam and the others watched her in amazement, but after a while, their awe gave way to determination, and they too began standing up. Not just the men either. The women and children too. When Cam saw that everyone was standing up, he stepped forward as his tribe's representative and addressed Hajime.
"Hajime-dono... please teach us all you can." A concise request. But each word was backed by an ironclad will. The will to resist the unfairness of this world.
"Alright. You guys better prepare yourselves. How strong you'll become is all up to you. I'm just here to enable you guys. If you want to give up halfway, then I won't try and coddle you to keep you here. We've only got ten days, so I'm going to be working you to the bone. Whether you live or die will depend on how strong you get." Everyone nodded grimly. No one was going to back down now.
Before their training began, Hajime first pulled out equipment he'd made to practice his transmutation from his Treasure Trove and passed it out to them. In addition to the knives he'd passed out earlier, everyone got their own curved shortsword, similar to a Japanese kodachi. Those swords were all spares Hajime had made to practice his precision transmuting, which meant their edges were all wickedly sharp. And because they were made of taur stone, they were also quite sturdy. Despite how slender the blade was, it wouldn't break easily.
Once everyone had been armed, Hajime began teaching them the fundamentals of combat. Of course, Hajime was no martial artist. What little he knew of swordfighting came from games and manga, and it certainly wasn't nearly enough to teach anyone else. So what he taught them were not techniques, but the movements he'd learned in the depths of hell that helped him counter monsters. He passed down all the knowledge he'd picked up, and found suitable monsters for them to use as live practice. The Haulia excelled in stealth and scouting. In order to capitalize on that, Hajime taught them how to use surprise attacks and pack tactics.
Yue had taken a special liking to Shea, and was teaching her more about how to use magic. Though she was a beastman, Shea had mana and could control it directly, so with the right knowledge she'd be able to use magic. She wouldn't need to chant thanks to her ability, but she'd still need a magic circle, since she didn't innately possess the skills for it. Occasional screams could be heard from beyond the fog, meaning Shea's training was going well.
However, around two days after they'd began their training, Hajime was angrily watching the Haulia's training. As they'd promised, they were trying to fight their pacifistic nature and learn how to fight properly. They'd even managed to beat some monsters, though they'd sustained injuries. But... Snnnrk. There was a wet noise as one of Hajime's special short swords sunk into a monster's flank.
"Aaah, please forgive such a sinful act." The rabbitman who'd killed it gently embraced the dead monster. In fact, he looked like a father who'd been forced to kill his son.
Thud! Another monster fell to the ground.
"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I had no choice!" A Haulia girl trembled uncontrollably as she cut the head off her quarry. It looked like she'd just accidentally killed her lover.
Snap! On the verge of death, one of the remaining monsters used the last of its strength to fire a projectile at Cam. It flung him backward, but instead of cursing he just lay on the ground and muttered his last will.
"Heh, so this is my punishment for baring my fangs at someone. It's no more than I deserve..." Tears welled up in the other Haulia's eyes, and they all looked at him pitifully.
"Chief, please don't say that! We all share the same sin!"
"Exactly! Even if we have to be judged for our crimes one day, that day isn't now! Get back up, Chief!"
"We can no longer turn back, so let's at least see how far this road can take us, Chief."
"Y-You guys... You're right. We can't stop here. We must overcome the death of this tiny rat monster and continue onward!"
"Chief!" They were having a rather heartwarming moment. Unable to take it any longer, Hajime finally butt in.
"Gaaah! You guys are so annoying! Quit getting so emotional after every monster you kill! Seriously, what the hell!? Are you guys just pulling my leg!? This looks like it came out of a crappy soap opera! You don't have to make a scene every goddamn time, just kill it silently! And quickly, too! Also, stop humanizing the things you kill, it's fucking creepy!"
Hajime knew they were trying their best, but he hated how they had to make such a big deal out of every monster they killed. This had happened multiple times over the past two days, and Hajime had calmly tried to point it out every time. However, they showed no sign of fixing their habits, so Hajime finally snapped.
They all flinched in the face of Hajime's wrath, but they still mumbled excuses like "Easy for you to say..." or "But even if it is a monster, I still feel bad for it..." over and over again.
Veins bulged on Hajime's forehead. One of the Haulia boys stepped forward to try and calm Hajime down. He was the one Hajime had saved from being eaten back in Reisen Gorge, and he'd taken quite a liking to Hajime. However, just as he was about to take another step forward, he suddenly jumped back. Confused, Hajime asked him a question.
"Huh? What happened?"
The boy gently patted down the soles of his feet before replying.
"Oh, you see... I was about to step on that flower there... Phew, good thing I noticed in time. Might've crushed it if I didn't. It's so pretty. Man, it'd have been such a waste to kill it." Hajime's expression stiffened.
"A-A flower?"
"Yep! You know, I love flowers. And there's so many around here that it was pretty hard to not step on any while we were training." He grinned happily at Hajime. The other Haulia all gazed proudly at him, too. Slowly, Hajime lowered his head. His white hair covered his face.
"...Are you telling me the reason you all jumped around randomly sometimes... was just because you were worried about the flowers?" He asked softly, his voice barely a whisper. As Hajime had mentioned, the Haulia had oftentimes jumped in strange directions at odd intervals during their training. It had been bothering him for a while, but he'd thought it was just something they did to make their next action smoother, to better finish off their enemies.
"Oh no, of course not. We would never."
"Haha, yeah, who would do that?" Hajime said, clearly relieved. Cam smiled awkwardly, and Hajime's expression finally began to relax a little. However...
"Naturally we wouldn't only be wary of flowers. We have to be careful not to crush the bugs either. They're the ones that come out of nowhere, so they're much harder to watch out for. Though we've managed to avoid stepping on them so far."
Hajime's jaw dropped at that. He began swaying back and forth, like a ghost. Worried that they might have said something wrong, the Haulia all glanced uneasily at each other. Still swaying slightly, Hajime walked up to the boy, then burst out into a beaming smile. The boy smiled back.
Then, still smiling... he crushed the flower underfoot. He didn't just step on it, he ground his heels deep into it.
The boy watched on blankly. Finally, he took his foot off. All that remained of what had once been a pretty flower was a few scattered petals, and a stem that'd been stamped into the ground.
"Th-The flower!" The boy's despairing wail echoed throughout the sea of trees. Shocked, the Haulia all gazed at Hajime. He turned to face them, both the beaming smile and popping vein still present on his face.
"Alright, I get it. I finally get just how soft you all are. This is my fault. I misjudged your race. Haha, I can't believe you'd actually worry about flowers and bugs when you're in a life and death struggle... Your problem is far more fundamental than a lack of combat ability or practice fighting actualenemies. I should have realized this sooner. I can't believe I was so naive... Hahaha."
"Hajime-dono?"
Hajime's smile had taken on a ghastly appearance, and Cam and the others slowly began backing away. Instead of a reply... Bang! He fired Donner. Cam was flung a short distance through the air before he crashed to the ground with a resounding thud. The rubber bullet that had slammed into his forehead fell off him seconds later with a soft plop. Only the wind stirred in the silence that followed. Hajime slowly walked up to Cam, who had been knocked unconscious, and fired another bullet at his stomach.
"Hauugh!" He let out something that was a cross between a cough and a scream as he woke up, and blinked back tears as he looked at Hajime. There was something absurdly surreal about an old man with rabbit ears sitting up in a pose Hajime had often seen girls do in anime, but he put that aside for the moment.
"Alright you worthless little shits. If you don't want your heads blown off, you better start fighting these monsters like your life depends on it! Don't you dare worry about the flowers or the bugs or any of that crap! I'll make you regret it if you do! Now hurry up and get to killing, you fucking maggots!" The Haulia all stiffened in fear at his exceptionally abusive language. But as exasperated as he was, he didn't even wait for their reply before firing Donner again.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! They scattered like the four winds, tripping over themselves to escape Hajime's wrath. All except for the little boy, who clung desperately to Hajime's leg.
"Hajime nii-chan! Why are you doing this!? What happened to you!?" A dangerous light glinted in his eyes as he glared down at the boy. Hajime looked around, trying to spot all of the nearby flowers. Silently, he began shooting at all of them. One after another they died. The boy screamed.
"Why!? Why are you doing this!? Stop it, Hajime nii-chan!"
"Shut it, brat. Get it yet? The longer you sit here crying, the more flowers die. Your tender love and care won't save them. They'll all be killed, and you'll just be sitting here with tears in your eyes. If you don't like it, then get out there and kill some monsters!"
To emphasize his point, Hajime shot a few more flowers. Still crying, the boy ran off into the fog.
For a while after, screams intermingled with the howls of monsters as the Haulia endeavored to avoid Hajime's wrath. He had to be this hard on them, or else he'd never change the rabbitmen's overly pacifistic nature. Right now it was more important for them to learn the right mindset than actual combat techniques. Though his spartan techniques were starting to resemble Sgt. Hartman from Full Metal Jacket... And thus, ten days passed under Hajime's near-brainwashing as he rewired their brains for combat. As their training continued into the final day, somewhere beyond the fog, there was one other member of the Haulia who was finishing up as well.
Boom! Bang! Snap! Crackle! Pop! Bam! Thunderous sounds echoed throughout the trees. The area looked like a war zone. Massive trees with thick trunks lay strewn about like reed stalks, some charred, others frozen, others just twisted horrifically, and huge craters dotted the ground as if a meteor shower had struck the earth.
Two girls had been responsible for all of this destruction. And said destruction was still continuing.
"Teyaaaaaah!" There was a spirited yell, and suddenly a tree at least one meter in diameter flew through the air. It soared toward its target at tremendous speed, fast enough that a casual observer might miss that it was bent at the middle. Velocity and mass granted a deadly amount of force to the tree, and it obliterated any obstacles in its path forward.
"Crimson Javelin." This nigh unstoppable force was met with a flaming spear that burned all it touched to ash. Despite the significant mass it possessed, the tree was burned to ash almost instantly. For a moment it was converted into a blazing fireball, before the last of the wood finally burned away and the flames vanished.
"It's not over yet!" The impact of the Crimson Javelin and the huge tree created shockwaves large enough to blow away the fog for a few seconds. In that brief window of time, a faint silhouette could be seen dashing through the woods. An instant later, another log hurtled down from the heavens like a meteor. However, its intended target backstepped in time to avoid the thunderous impact while preparing another flaming spear.
But before she could unleash it, the silhouette ran up to the tree trunk impaled into the ground and gave it an earth-shattering kick. The force of it blew the tree apart, and splinters of wood shot toward the girl with unimaginable speed.
"Ah! Blazing Barrier." The barrage of splinters was cut short by a flaming wall that suddenly appeared in midair. Not a single sliver of wood made it through to her. However...
"Now I've got you!"
"Ah!"
The time it had taken her to cast that spell had been enough for the shadow to get behind her. The girl who'd kicked the tree had hidden her presence right after, and then she had used the fog to slip behind her quarry. She held in her hands a massive hammer that must have weighed more than the girl herself, but she swung it down with the ease one would swing a flyswatter.
"Wind Wall." The hammer hit the ground with tremendous force. Stone pellets flew in every direction as the rock below was pulverized. However, this barrage of stone was deflected by the barrier of wind the other girl had erected. Additionally, she used the swirling eddies to whisk herself to safe distance as well. The girl with the hammer stiffened momentarily, the consequence of using such a huge skill, and her opponent took advantage of that opening.
"Crystal Coffin."
"Fweh!? W-Wait—" Realizing her folly, she quickly tried to call for a ceasefire, but naturally her opponent wasn't going to listen. Thinking quickly, she dropped her hammer and tried to jump back, but the ice magic had already frozen her feet and was crawling up her legs... Before long, everything but her head was encased in a tomb of ice.
"I-It's so cold! Please let me out... Yue-saaan."
"...I win."
Of course, the two girls that had been fighting so ferociously were Yue and Shea. After their ten harsh days of training, Shea's final challenge had been to fight a mock battle against Yue. Her conditions for passing had been to land even a single scratch on Yue. The end result being...
"Waaah... I didn't— Wait, right there! There on your cheek! There's a scratch, Yue-san! My attack hit you! Ahaha, I really did it! I won!"
There was indeed a small scratch on Yue's cheek. One of the pieces of gravel must have gotten past Yue's defenses and grazed her. It was barely even noticeable, but a win was a win. Shea had cleared her trial.
She smiled triumphantly as she pointed at Yue's cheek. Snot was dribbling out of her nose from how cold she felt, but her smug smile stayed plastered to her face. Her rabbit ears were twitching happily too. It was only natural. Not only did this signify her graduation from training, but a very important promise she'd made with Yue had been riding on her victory.
Though Yue was not very keen on seeing it fulfilled. Thus—
"...I don't know what you're talking about." Thanks to the fact that her automatic regeneration healed it almost instantly, Yue was able to play dumb. Pouting, Yue turned away as she said that.
"Wha—!? You cheater! I saw it... I mean, it's gone now, but still! I know it was there! Quit playing dumb, you meanie! And hurry up and get me out of this! It keeps getting colder and colder... Huh, I'm starting to feel a little sleepy too..." Shea's head started drooping and more snot dribbled out of her nose. She might've died from the cold if that kept up. Reluctantly, with a big sigh, Yue dispelled the magic she had cast.
"Achoo! Achoo! Waah, that was cold. Think I nearly crossed over to the other side there." Shea sneezed cutely a few times before blowing her nose on some nearby leaves. Once she was done, she looked back at Yue with a serious expression. Noticing her gaze, Yue's own expression turned steadily more sour. Enough that her poker face actually crumbled, in fact.
"Yue-san, I won."
"...Yeah."
"You promised, remember?"
"...Yeah."
"That if I hit you even once in these ten days... you'd let me join you guys on your journey. That was the promise, right?"
"...Yeah."
"Or at the very least that you'd try and help me convince Hajime-san."
"...I wonder what's for dinner today."
"Hey! Don't try and change the subject! And if you're going to do it, you could at least be a little less obvious about it! Besides, you only ever drink Hajime-san's blood for food, don't you!? Why do you suddenly care about dinner!? You better help me, okay!? Because if you say we should do something, Hajime-san almost always says yes!"
Yue was starting to get annoyed by Shea's incessant badgering. But as Shea had said, Yue made a promise. If Shea managed to land a single blow on her, no matter how glancing it was, it would count. And Yue would allow Shea to accompany them on their travels. On top of that, she'd help try and convince Hajime together with Shea to get him to consent.
Currently, Shea's greatest wish was to travel together with those two. Half of it was because she didn't want to burden her family any longer, but the other half was just because she wanted to spend more time with Hajime and Yue.
However, she knew no matter how she asked she'd just be coldly turned down. That much was clear from their attitude. That was why she'd come up with the idea of having Yue make that promise.
Shea had realized how soft Hajime was on Yue, and had decided to weasel past his defenses using her as a weapon. More than anything, Shea was also a girl. She knew exactly how Yue felt about Hajime. After all, she felt the exact same way. Naturally, that meant the reverse had to be true too. Yue must have realized how Shea felt about Hajime, and chances were she probably wasn't happy about it. Hence why Shea needed Yue to accept her first, before anything else.
She had no intention of stealing Hajime away from Yue. The thought hadn't even crossed her mind, honestly. Even leaving Hajime's feelings aside, Shea really did respect Yue, and wanted to get closer to her. Her feelings were most likely influenced by the fact that Yue and Hajime were the only "comrades" she had ever found. Put simply, Shea just wanted to be friends with them. That way she could be close to the man she loved, and the girl who also loved the man she loved. That was the future she dreamed of.
The real question was why Yue consented to making such a promise. There was nothing in it for her. Something like 20% of it was just because she felt some sympathy for Shea. When she had first heard Shea's story at the bottom of Reisen Gorge, she had initially thought that Shea had been far more blessed than she had been. But even then, she couldn't help but feel like Shea really was a "comrade." And that faint feeling of camaraderie had led Yue to spoil Shea just a bit.
The remaining 80% was... simply because she was stubborn. Shea had taken advantage of that to lure Yue into making the promise. She had framed it like this: "If you really think I'm just in the way, then force me out. If you can't, then that just proves I deserve to be with Hajime-san." Shea had hoped to goad Yue into agreeing by using her feelings for Hajime. Had it been any girl other than Shea, Yue wouldn't have cared. But, however slightly, Yue had still accepted Shea as a comrade. And when she'd seen how zealous Shea had been in her training, showing just how strong her feelings were, Yue couldn't back down. As a result, the promise had been made, and Shea won.
"...Haaah. Fine. I'll keep my promise."
"Really!? No taking it back now! You're going to have to help me!"
"...Okay."
"You still don't sound all that convincing, but... you'll really help me, right?"
"...So annoying." Grudgingly, ever so grudgingly, Yue conceded the win to Shea. Shea was still a little worried about Yue's reply, but from the looks of it, Yue was just like Hajime in that she would never go back on her word.
It was nearly time for Hajime to finish training the other Haulia as well. Shea, who was smiling happily, and Yue, who was frowning unhappily, both made their way over to where Hajime was.
They found Hajime leaning against a nearby tree, his arms folded and his eyes closed. When he sensed their presence, he opened his eyes and turned to look at them. He found it curious that they were wearing completely opposite expressions, and he raised a hand to them in greeting.
"Yo. How'd it go? Did you two finish your duel or whatever?" Hajime knew they had some kind of bet riding on a match of some sort. It would be odd if he didn't, as he was the one who had crafted Shea's hammer. He still remembered the night Shea had come up to him, begging him to make her a weapon that could help her defeat Yue. Yue herself had no objections to it, and all they would tell Hajime when he asked was that there was a bet of some kind they'd made. He'd figured even with a strong weapon Yue would have no problem winning, so he'd made the hammer for Shea.
After all, 9 times out of 10 Yue would've won. Hajime had seen just how strong Yue was back down in the abyss. Even if she had the same ability to manipulate her mana freely, Shea had lived a peaceful life thus far.
However, judging from their expressions, it seemed to Hajime that his guess had been off the mark. He internally marveled at the fact that Shea had been able to win. Still beaming, Shea started talking to Hajime.
"Hajime-san, Hajime-san! Listen to this! I finally beat Yue-san! It was amazing! Man, I wish I could have shown you how cool I was! When Yue-san found out she'd lost, she— Guooh!?" With sweeping gestures, she started excitedly recounting the details of her fight. Annoyed by how Shea was getting carried away, Yue jumped up and delivered a slap so powerful that it sent Shea flying through the air. She fell to the ground with a thud and lay there twitching awkwardly. Yue harrumphed unhappily and turned her back to Shea, while Hajime grinned knowingly before turning back to Yue.
"So? How'd it go?" He was more interested in the contents of the match than their outcome. Frankly speaking, he found it hard to believe Shea could ever have beaten Yue. That was why he wanted to hear Yue's appraisal of her. Yue's expression clearly implied that she didn't want to talk about it, but she answered reluctantly nonetheless.
"...Her aptitude for magic is the same as yours."
"Now that's a surprise. What a waste, considering her abilities... So? That can't be all, can it? After all, she's able to use that massive hammer."
"Yeah. She's really good at body strengthening. Insanely good, even. She's a monster in her own right."
"...Wow. How strong compared to us?"
Hajime narrowed his eyes in curiosity. Yue's assessment of Shea was a lot higher than he'd expected. And her sour expression answered Hajime's question far better than any words could have. After a moment of thinking about it, Yue met Hajime's gaze and gave him a more concrete answer.
"Maybe close to 60% of your strength, Hajime... When you're not using Limit Break, anyway."
"Seriously? Is that the strongest she can make herself?"
"Yeah... For now, anyway. She could get stronger with more training."
"Wow. That is pretty crazy."
Though he didn't show it, Hajime was shocked at how monstrous Shea's strength was. He looked down at the monster in question.
60% of his strength without Limit Break still meant that all of Shea's stats could easily clear 6000. That was more than 1.5 times the stats of an average hero using Limit Break. Calling her strength monstrous was no understatement. No wonder she'd been able to land a hit on Yue. You'd never be able to guess it with how she looks now, though. Hajime thought, as he watched tears well up in Shea's eyes as she cradled her cheek.
Half-dumbfounded, half-amazed, he watched as she finally noticed his gaze, stood up, and walked over while struggling to keep her emotions in check.
A few feet away from him, she straightened her back and squared her shoulders. Her blue-white hair was fluttering in the wind and her rabbit ears were standing straight up. This was going to be the most important request of her life. Or perhaps... confession would be the better word for it. Trembling, her expression stiff, she nevertheless took a few more determined steps forward. Finally, she looked him straight in the eyes, and Hajime saw the resolve burning within them.
"Hajime-san. Please let me accompany you on your journey. Please!"
"No."
"Just like that!?"
Considering the atmosphere, Shea had expected him to at least ponder her request a bit before replying. She opened her eyes wide in surprise at his sudden response. Hajime just looked down at her with an expression that all but screamed "where the hell did that come from?"
Shock gave way to anger. You could at least take my request a little more seriously!
"Y-You're so cruel, Hajime-san. I was being so serious, and you said no just like that..."
"Didn't look all that serious to me. Besides, what are you going to do about Cam and the others? You can't expect me to take them all with me."
"N-No, that's not it! I meant just me! I asked you before too, remember? Back then you said me not wanting to burden my family wasn't a good enough reason to take me, but now..."
"But now what?"
Shea fidgeted awkwardly. Her fingers trembled and a faint blush crept up her cheeks. How sly. She truly was a master of her craft. Unfortunately for her, Hajime just looked at her suspiciously. Next to him, Yue was glaring angrily at her.
"But now... I'm asking to go with you because I want to, so..."
"Huh? Why do you want to come with us? You won't even be a burden to your family anymore with how strong you've gotten. Hell, you could probably take on any kind of enemy that shows up on the surface."
"I-I know, but..."
"..." She fidgeted silently for a few minutes before Hajime finally grew impatient and drew Donner. Realizing she had to say something soon, Shea quickly gathered her courage and opened her mouth, deciding to let her feelings do the talking for her.
"I want to stay with you, Hajime-san! Becaushe I like you!"
"You what?"
Crap, I bit my tongue! Flustered, Shea tried to compose herself, while Hajime just looked on in complete shock. It was almost as if he couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Eventually, the gears in his brain started turning again and he parsed her words.
"Wait, wait... Wait. This doesn't make any sense. Where'd I even trigger any of your flags? I mean, even I know I've been pretty mean to you this whole time... Hold on, don't tell me you're into that?" Though he thought his conjecture couldn't possibly be true, he still took a step back just in case. Naturally, Shea denied his accusations.
"How dare you call me a pervert! I'm nothing like that! And if even you've realized you're being mean, don't you think you could stand to be a little nicer to me?"
"I don't see why I have to be nice to you in the first place... Do you even really like me? Are you sure it's not just some heat of the moment thing?"
Hajime still couldn't believe she really liked him, hence his assumption that the suspension bridge effect had come into play. And considering how he'd treated her until now, it was hardly surprising. However, it looked like Shea was pretty unhappy that he was doubting her feelings.
"I can't say I was completely unaffected by the situation. After all, you saved us from so many terrible predicaments, and you're an outcast just like me... and I was definitely happy when you told the elders you'd protect your promise no matter what... But whether it was because of all that or not, the fact that I like you now hasn't changed. Even I think it's kind of strange. Why you, of all people? You don't even call me by my name, any time you get mad you instantly start shooting people, you're mean, you don't care about other people's feelings, you just throw people into hordes of monsters, you have no mercy, you're mean, you never do anything nice, you're only kind to Yue-san, you're mean... Huh? Really, why do I like you? Huh?"
Partway through her tirade, Shea began questioning her own feelings. She tilted her head in confusion, and while Hajime desperately wanted to whip out Donner, he held himself back. Nothing she'd said had been wrong, after all.
"Either way, no matter what your feelings are, I don't plan on taking you with us."
"No way! Look, all that was just a joke, okay? I really like you, so please take me with you!"
"Look here, even if... Even if your feelings are real, I already have Yue. Actually, I'm surprised you confessed all that when she's standing here in front of you... Come to think of it, the really scary thing about you isn't that body strengthening ability, but how shamelessly bold you are. Is your heart made of azantium or something?"
"Excuse me, my heart isn't that hard! Aww, I knew this would happen... but that's okay. I already knew I couldn't deal with you through normal means, Hajime-san." Shea snickered triumphantly, which made Hajime look at her suspiciously.
"I already planned for all this! That's why I put my life on the line! Now, Yue-sensei, if you would be so kind!"
"Huh? Yue?" Hajime blinked at this sudden turn in the conversation. Annoyed, Yue nevertheless faithfully turned to look at Hajime. Her expression made it look like she'd just swallowed a hundred cockroaches, and she very reluctantly she opened her mouth.
"...Hajime, let's take her with us."
"Wait, uh... What? What's going on here? You obviously don't like the idea, but... Wait, is this what the bet was about?"
"...I was careless."
Yue shrugged her shoulders despondently, and Hajime, who'd finally guessed what happened between them, couldn't help but be amazed.
Shea must have known asking him directly would only get her a prompt refusal, so she'd done everything in her power to get her request across to him. She'd even understood Hajime well enough to realize that he would listen to Yue, even if he didn't listen to her.
That was why she'd tried to enlist Yue to help her cause. In a very real sense, she had risked her life to obtain such a powerful ally. Half-baked feelings would never have gotten through to Yue, after all. Hajime had barely seen her these past ten days, but he was certain she must have trained like her life depended on it in order to beat Yue. And that meant her feelings were undeniably real.
Hajime scratched his head awkwardly. Even if Yue had approved of her, albeit unwillingly, there still wasn't any good reason to take Shea along with them. So, in the end, it still boiled down to Hajime's feelings.
Though Yue had agreed to help only reluctantly, it looked like she'd already given up. She'd seen her up close these past ten days, and knew just how hard Shea had trained to get past the obstacles Yue had thrown her way. That was why she was willing to take her along. Besides, leaving aside Shea's feelings for Hajime, Yue had very little reason to hate her.
Shea had smiled triumphantly when she'd asked Yue for help, but now worry lined her face once more, and she gazed uneasily at Hajime. She'd done everything she could, and now all that was left was to wait for his decision.
Finally, Hajime took a deep breath and locked eyes with Shea. Each of his words were picked very carefully. At each turn, Shea replied with conviction.
"Even if I let you come, that doesn't mean I'll respond to your feelings, you know?"
"Don't you know? The future's not set in stone."
Since she was someone who could see the future, she knew that for sure. Depending on one's actions, the future could be changed.
"It'll be nothing but danger."
"Good thing I'm a monster, then. I won't get in your way during fights."
The elders had scorned her with that name once before, but now she wore it with pride. And it was all because she'd learned there were some things that couldn't be done unless you were a monster.
"My goal is to return to my own world. You might never see your family again if you come with me."
"I've already talked to them about that, but I still want to go. Dad understands too." Shea felt nothing but gratitude for the family that had protected her for so long. She'd probably never be able to describe what she'd felt when the family she'd lived with all her life had sent her off with a smile after she'd told them her intentions.
"You might not have it easy living in my world."
"I'll say it as many times as I have to... I still want to go."
Shea's mind was made up. Mere words wouldn't deter her anymore... No, they couldn't deter her. That was just how strong her feelings were.
"..."
"Fufu, is that all you have to say? Does that mean I win?"
"What is there to even 'win' here...?"
"There is something. It means my feelings won you over... Hajime-san."
"...The hell does that mean?"
She decided to reiterate her, Shea Haulia's, intentions.
"Please take me with you."
Hajime and Shea stared at each other for a while. Reflected in Shea's sapphire eyes were Hajime's own pupils. Finally...
"...Fine, do whatever you want. Damned weirdo."
Whatever he'd seen in her eyes must have been enough to convince him, as Hajime finally gave in with a sigh.
A single shout of joy, followed by the unceremonious noise of someone blowing their nose echoed throughout the forest. Hajime could only smile wryly as he lamented the future that awaited him.
Shea cupped her cheeks and let out a strange series of laughs that sounded like "Ehehe! Uheheheh! Kufufu!" as she happily jumped with joy. Her serious expression from earlier had vanished without a trace.
"...Disgusting." Yue muttered, unable to watch on any longer. Shea's sensitive rabbit ears didn't miss the whispered insult, though.
"Hey, just what's disgusting here, huh? I can't believe you... I'm just so happy that I can't help it, okay? This is like the first time Hajime's been nice to me. Did you see him? How he looked at the end there? I felt my heart skip a beat when I saw that. At this rate, I'll be head over heels for him pretty soon."
Shea was over the moon. In fact, she was probably over the stars even. Tired of her excited gaggling, both Yue and Hajime simultaneously opened their mouths.
"...Stupid rabbit."
"Wha!? What was that!? Why can't you just say my name already! Pleaaase, we're even traveling companions now. Don't tell me you're going to keep using those terrible nicknames forever. You won't, right?"
"..."
"Wh-Why are you suddenly going quiet... Wait, please don't avert your eyes like that. Come on, it's not a hard name to say. Shea. She-ah. Repeat after me. She-ah."
They ignored Shea, who kept trying to get them to say her name, and began discussing their future plans. At which point Shea started clinging to them crying, "Please don't ignore meeee... I'm one of you guys now toooo!" Just because they'd become companions didn't meant they'd treat her any better.
And so, the noisy trio, mostly due to Shea, made their way through the fog to where the rest of the Haulia were waiting. They had cleared Hajime's harsh trials, the proof of which was resting in their hands. Upon closer inspection, it was apparent that Cam was with them.
Shea smiled happily as she saw her family for the first time in a while. The last time she'd spoken with them was before the training had begun, when she'd told them her intentions. It had only been ten days, but with how harsh their training had been, that time felt like an eternity. To Shea, it felt like it had been months since she'd last seen them.
She made a beeline for her father the moment she spotted him. There was a mountain of things she wanted to tell him. But as she drew closer, her mouth reflexively snapped shut. Cam and the others had a strange aura surrounding them.
He gave Shea only a quick smile before turning back to look at Hajime. Then....
"Boss. We slaughtered the monsters you requested."
"B-Boss? D-Dad? What's with that way of talking... and why do you look so..."
Cam ignored his daughter's confusion, then presented the fangs and claws of some of the forest's more powerful monsters to Hajime.
"I thought I told you one was enough..."
Hajime's final task for his students had been to take down one of the stronger inhabitants of the sea of trees as a team. But judging from the quantity of monster parts the rabbits had harvested, they'd easily killed more than ten. Cam grinned wolfishly as he replied.
"That you did, Boss. But as we were hunting our target, the damned thing's friends showed up... Those bastards dared to bare their fangs at us, so we simply did what was natural. Isn't that right guys?"
"That's right, Boss. Those damned monsters need to learn their place."
"We made sure none of them escaped. They all got what they deserved."
"They were a bit of a pain to deal with, but... hearing their screams was all worth it. Fufu..."
"Maybe we should have hung them from the trees as an example to the others..."
"Well, we chopped them up into pieces, so that's probably good enough."
Each of their words were very unsettling. Their usual gentle expressions were nowhere to be seen. With a dangerous glint in their eyes, they reported the results of their mission to Hajime. Shea watched them all in.amazement.
"...Who are you guys?" Suddenly, she returned to her senses and rounded on Hajime, as he was most likely responsible for the radical change in her family.
"Wh-What on earth is this!? Hajime-san, what did you do to them!?"
"C-Calm down... I didn't do anything... This is just a result of their training..."
"No way! What kind of training would turn them into this!? They're all totally different people! Hey, don't you avert your gaze! Look at me!"
"...They haven't changed that much."
"Is that eye of yours just for show!? Look at them! They're all staring at their knives with murder in their eyes! Look, one of them even named theirs Julia! They're totally in love with their weapons! This is not normal!" Shea's hysterical screams rang out through the sea of trees. Cam watched their exchange with a puzzled expression on his face. While Shea was yelling at Hajime, even more of the Haulia returned to the clearing. Each and every one of them had a somewhat... wild look to them. Even the women and children and elderly.
Hajime awkwardly averted his eyes from Shea's glowering glare and tried to make excuses to explain away the situation. Realizing she wouldn't get anywhere questioning Hajime, Shea turned to Cam instead.
"Dad! Guys! What happened to you all!? It's like you've become completely different people! Even the way you guys talk has gotten scary... Come back to your senses, everyone!" Shea desperately pleaded with her father, and the dangerous glint in his eyes slowly faded away as his normal gentle expression returned. She let out a sigh of relief. However...
"What are you talking about, Shea? We're perfectly sane. We've just come to learn something about the truth of this world. Thanks to our boss here."
"Th-The truth of this world? What does that even mean?" Shea suddenly had a bad premonition, and Cam proudly puffed out his chest.
"90% of the world's problems can be solved through violence."
"You really are insane after all! My kind, gentle dad is gone for good! Waaaaaaah!" Unable to bear the shock of what she'd come back to, Shea ran crying into the sea of trees. But before she could vanish into the fog, she ran into a small silhouette. She let out a cry of surprise and fell on her butt. The figure she'd bumped into managed to retain their balance, and they held out a hand to Shea.
"S-Sorry. Thanks."
"Don't worry about it, Lady Shea. It's only natural for a guy to help a girl."
"L-Lady Shea?"
From the depths of the fog emerged the Haulia boy who had once loved flowers. Slung across his shoulders was a massive crossbow, and two knives and a slingshot dangled from a belt strapped to his waist. His smile was surprisingly nihilistic. Never in her life had Shea ever been addressed so formally. It was doubly shocking because she distinctly remembered the boy calling her "Shea onee-chan" in the past. He walked past Shea and gave Hajime a crisp, respectful salute.
"Boss! I apologize for returning empty-handed! However, I have a report to make! Permission to speak?"
"G-Go ahead. What is it?" When he saw the boy acting like a seasoned veteran, Hajime did have to admit that he might have taken his spartan training techniques a little too far. The boy nonchalantly continued his report.
"Sir! As I was pursuing the target, I discovered a battalion of armed bearmen. I located them on the route to the Grand Tree. I suspect they foolishly believe they can ambush us!"
"Ah, so they really came. I figured they'd try and track us down right away, but... I see. So, they actually have the gall to try and stop us right before our destination, huh? They've got guts... And?"
"With your permission, sir, we Haulia shall take care of them!"
"Hmm... What do you think, Cam? You heard the kid."
Cam grinned that same wolfish grin, then nodded his head in agreement.
"With your permission, we'll gladly destroy them. This is a good opportunity... to see how well we fare against opponents of their caliber. Don't worry, we won't bring shame to your name." At Cam's words, the other Haulia all began sporting bloodthirsty grins. Suddenly, it felt like even more of the rabbitmen were giving names to their weapons. Shea watched on in utter despair.
"...Are you sure you can do it?"
"We are, sir!"
The one who'd replied was the boy who delivered the initial report. Hajime closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again.
"Listen up, men of the Haulia! Proud and courageous warriors! Today is the day you finally graduate from being worthless maggots! You used to be pieces of trash that were worth less than the spit on my boot! But that's true no longer! With force you crush the irrationality of this world, and with cunning you run circles around any who would dare oppose you! You have been reborn as great warriors of the Haulia tribe! Now go, and teach those bear bastards that can't think of anything but their misguided revenge who's boss! They're nothing but stepping stones in your path! Worthless bastards that don't even deserve consideration! Build a mountain with their corpses, and plant your flag atop its summit! That flag is proof that you're alive! That the Haulia are meek little rabbits no longer! Let all of Haltina Woods know of your existence!"
"Sir, yes sir!"
"Tell me, men! You are the most powerful warriors in all of Haltina! What is your wish!?"
"Slaughter! Slaughter! Slaughter!"
"What is your specialty!?"
"Slaughter! Slaughter! Slaughter!"
"And what do you do to your enemies!?"
"Slaughter! Slaughter! Slaughter!"
"That's right, slaughter them! That is what you achieved strength for!
Fight for your right to live!"
"Aye aye, sir!"
"That's the spirit! Proud members of the Haulia tribe, here are my orders! Search and destroy! Now go!"
"Yahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
"Waaaaaah, my family's all goooone. They're all deaaaad."
At Hajime's command, the Haulia all turned as one and ventured forth into the fog.
There was no trace of the old peace-loving race they used to be. Shea crumpled to her knees and wailed wordlessly. Her cries echoed throughout the forest. Even Yue couldn't help but be moved by such a display of emotion, and she comfortingly patted Shea's head.
Aiming to join his companions, the little boy ran out from behind Shea, but she called out to him to hold him back.
"Par-kun! Please wait! L-Look, there's a pretty little flower right here! You don't have to go with them...You can just wait here with me. What do you say? Don't you want to stay?" If nothing else, she wanted to at least save this one little boy from going down the wrong path. She was desperately trying to entice him back with the promise of flowers. Why flowers? That was because he was none other than the same boy who had been so enamored with them before.
At Shea's words, the young boy, Par, stopped. He breathed out an exasperated sigh and shrugged his shoulders. It was a bit of an exaggerated reaction considering the question.
"Lady Shea, please don't dig up bad memories. I've already thrown away my past. That weak, flower-loving boy's no more."
For reference, Par was still ten years old.
"B-Bad memories? Thrown away your past? Umm, I don't really get it, but does that mean you don't like flowers anymore?"
"That's right, I threw that love away along with my past."
"But you used to love them so much..."
"Hmph, that was nothing more than the folly of youth."
To reiterate, Par was only ten years old.
"Anyway, Lady Shea."
"Wh-What?" Seeing how drastically the boy that had used to run around going "Shea onee-chan, Shea onee-chan" had changed left Shea nearly speechless. It had taken every ounce of her remaining consciousness to just reply to him. But those words she'd worked so hard to squeeze out only made things worse.
"Along with my past, I've thrown away that old, weak name of mine. I'm called Baltfeld now. Baltfeld the Executioner. Please use my new name from now on."
"What!? Where'd a name like Baltfeld come from!? And what the heck is 'the Executioner' even supposed to mean!?"
"Whoops, sorry. My comrades are waiting, so I gotta go. See ya!"
"Hey, wait! Get back here! I'm not done— Holy crap, you're fast! Wait! I said waiiiiiit!" Shea helplessly stretched her hand out to the fog, looking like she'd just been abandoned by her lover. But there was no reply; her machoified family had all marched off to war. And so, she simply hung her head and resumed her sobbing. The family she had known was gone. One couldn't help but pity her plight.
Unsure of what to say to cheer her up, Yue could only smile awkwardly. Even Hajime uncomfortably averted his gaze. His wandering eyes caught sight of Yue, and she quietly muttered.
"...You're amazing, Hajime. You keep doing things normal humans could never even dream of like it's nothing."
"Not really, it's not like..."
"You brainwashed all of them without using dark magic... Unbelievable."
"To be honest, even I think I went a bit too far. But I don't regret it."
For some time after that the only thing that could be heard in that part of the forest were the sounds of Shea's sobbing. Meanwhile...
Regin Vanton was next in line to be the chief of the Vanton clan, the strongest among the bearmen. Rumor had it that he was one of the strongest bearmen in Haltina. He was the right hand man of the chief, Jin Vanton, who he practically idolized.
It wasn't just Regin either. All the members of the Vanton clan, especially the younger ones, adored him. Jin's broadmindedness and zealous patriotism, combined with his considerable strength, were the main reasons for his overwhelming popularity.
When they'd first learned of Jin's fate, most of his clan had laughed it off as a bad joke. There was no way a mere human could have defeated Jin so easily, or hurt him so badly that he'd never be able to fight again. But when the proof was thrust before their eyes, they could no longer ignore reality. Jin's weakened body lying in a hospital bed was irrefutable evidence of those claims.
Regin's stunned disbelief upon first seeing Jin's emaciated frame had quickly given way to seething rage. Swept away by his anger, he had stormed off to the Elders' Hall and pressed them for details on the incident. Once he'd learned the truth, Regin ignored the elder's warnings and told the rest of his tribe what he'd heard, urging them to follow him in getting revenge.
Thanks to the elder's words, some of the bearmen chose to stay behind, but all of the hot blooded youths of the Vanton clan, along with a few others who'd been especially close to Jin, swore to join Regin's revenge party. All told, about fifty people chose to follow Regin. As they knew the hateful human's destination was the Sacred Tree, Uralt, they decided to lay in wait along the path leading there. Their reasoning being that getting cut down right in front of his goal would be that much more painful.
Their foes were nothing more than a ragtag group of rabbitmen led by a human. And even if that human had beat Jin, it must have been by way of some kind of underhanded sneak attack. In this deep fog he'd be even more handicapped with his senses in disarray, and those weak rabbitmen weren't even worth counting as a fighting force.
Regin was a very skilled bearman. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have underestimated his enemies so. But his rage had blinded him from such prudence.
However, even if he was willing to admit his anger had made him act in haste...
"This is still too much!" Regin screamed, his voice filled with despair. The reason for his anguish stemmed from the fact that the rabbitmen, one of the weakest beastmen tribes in existence, had completely destroyed his army of bearmen, one of the strongest beastmen tribes in existence.
"Come on! That all you got!? Pathetic!"
"Ahahahaha! That's right, scream like the worthless pigs you are!"
"You guys are fucking trash! Hyahahaha!"
The Haulia's raucous laughter echoed through the clearing, and countless knives glinted in the dim sunlight. Their original gentle, peaceful expressions were nowhere to be found. The bearmen were clearly shaken at the unexpected ferocity the rabbitmen displayed.
"Dammit! The hell's going on!? What kind of monsters are these guys!?"
"There's no way these guys are rabbitmen!"
"Uwaaaaah! Get away from me! Get away from meeeee!"
The ambushers had suddenly found themselves on the receiving end of an ambush. Worse, the supposedly weak rabbitmen had displayed a strength beyond what anyone had thought possible of them. Arrows and rocks rained down on the bearmen, who had no way to retaliate. Not only did the rabbitmen skillfully hide their presence in the fog, their coordination was perfect. But worst of all were those bloodthirsty howls of laughter. All of those factors combined were what led the bearmen, who possessed superior stats, to be pushed back.
Had the bearmen actually fought the rabbitmen one by one, they would have won easily. However, thanks to the beyond hellish training they had received, the Haulia had the advantage when it came to combat experience and group tactics.
Normally, the rabbitmen were far weaker than the other beastmen races. But because of that innate weakness, they had perfected their ability to sense danger and hide themselves. Those were the tools they had polished to survive.
Used as a weapon, those same skills were perfect for ambushing foes. One could even say that they were the race most suited for assassination. But because of their pacifist nature, those skills had never been used as such.
Until Hajime had stripped away their aversion to fighting during their training that is. He'd driven them into a corner, pushing them so hard that they had needed to overcome their distaste for fighting just to survive. As a result of his spartan training, their hearts had been reforged into something hard and unforgiving in just ten days. Hajime might have overdone it just a little bit, however... After all, not only did they not have any hesitation to fight, they eagerly sought out conflict. And their bonds had already been strong to begin with, so they had no problem coordinating their attacks perfectly, which multiplied their strength. Combine that with their ability to swiftly analyze a foe's strengths and weaknesses and they became a force to be reckoned with.
Of course, one of the big reasons they'd grown so powerful so fast was also because of the specialized weapons Hajime had crafted for them.
Each of them had two shortswords, crafted by Hajime to be ultra-thin, ultra-light, and ultra-sharp. And because they were made of taur, they were ultra-durable as well. They also had a brace of throwing knives made in the same fashion.
Long ranged weapons were part of their arsenal too. Using thread he'd harvested from a spider-like monster down in the abyss, Hajime had crafted them slingshots and crossbows stronger than anything one could find on the surface. Many of the Haulia children weren't suited to close combat at all, but thanks to their excellent senses they made great snipers even in the thick fog.
Par... or rather, Baltfeld the Executioner, along with the other children, had taken to the crossbows instantly.
"One shot one kill! I'll blow all these bastards' heads off! I swear it on my title of Executioner!"
Par... or rather, Baltfeld the Executioner, had gotten pretty foulmouthed over the past few days. By the way, his "title" was something self-proclaimed. Originally he'd been fond of saying "Bang!" every time he shot down an enemy, but Hajime had put a stop to that. Mostly because it creeped him out. Regardless, it was thanks to the hellish training that the bearmen were being pushed back by the Haulia. Unable to mount any resistance, they'd already lost half of their forces.
"Regin-dono! We won't last much longer!"
"Please order a retreat!"
"Allow me to take up the rear gua— Guaah!?"
"Tonto!?"
Though his men all urged him to retreat, Regin hesitated. Logic warred with rage, as not only had Jin been crippled, but now Regin had lost his precious subordinates as well. But that hesitation only led him to lose more men. The bearman who had volunteered to take up the rearguard now had an arrow sprouting through his forehead.
Shaken by the rabbitmen's unerring accuracy, the bearmen's formation was thrown into disarray. Sensing their opportunity, Cam and the others decided to finish it in one final push.
Arrows and rocks struck with pinpoint accuracy at the ankles, wrists, and other vital areas of the bearmen. While their attention was occupied by the rain of projectiles, the other Haulia snuck up on the beastmen, slicing and thrusting with their wickedly sharp swords.
Finally, when the bearmen had their hands full fending off attacks from various directions, a Haulia would sneak behind each one and deal the finishing blow. Using the advantage of numbers, the Haulia ran circles around the bearmen. Soon enough, Regin and the others were trembling in fear. Are those guys seriously the same stupid, gutless rabbitmen we saw before!?
Though they held out for an impressive amount of time, before long even Regin was covered from head to toe in wounds, and he had to use his axe as a crutch just to keep himself standing. The Haulia had switched off attacking in waves, leaving the bearmen no time to rest. Currently, Regin and the others were all panting heavily, with their backs to a large tree as the rabbitmen surrounded them.
"Come on, you worthless bastards! This can't be all you've got! Or are you all just a bunch of spineless losers!?"
"You're bringing shame to your name as the strongest race, you know that, you fuckups!? Where'd your balls go, you cowards!?"
"Come on, pick up your weapons! You bunch of pussies!"
Their insults were so crude that no one expected any race, least of all the rabbitmen, to be hurling them. Something crazy must have happened to these guys to make them like this! The bearmen had all lost the will to fight. Burly, macho bearmen were all crying as they begged for mercy... It was an odd sight, to be sure.
"Kukuku, any last words? Mr. 'I'm part of the strongest race'?" Sarcasm dripped from Cam's voice. Now that he'd awoken to his battle instincts, it seemed he wanted to get back at being looked down on all his life. The old Cam would never have been so cruel.
"Ngh..." Regin only grunted in frustration. After they'd regrouped from their initial confusion, Regin had finally returned to his senses. Witnessing the overwhelming might of the Haulia had been like having a bucket of cold water splashed onto his face. The flames of resentment at what had happened to Jin still smoldered within Regin's breast, but he knew that his current responsibility was to save as many of his men's lives as he could. He was well aware that it was his fault so many of his comrades were caught in this predicament.
"I don't care what you do with me. Torture me, kill me, do whatever you want. But everyone else is only here because I forced them to come. So please, let them go."
"Wha— Regin-dono!?"
"Regin-dono! You can't..."
His subordinates all started talking at once. They couldn't stand the fact that he was trying to sacrifice himself for their sake. But he simply silenced them all with a booming voice.
"Shut up! I'm the one who got blinded by anger and led you guys into a death trap! The rabbitmen's... I mean the Haulia's chief. I understand I'm asking a lot of you. But please, spare their lives! I'm begging you!"
Regin tossed aside his weapon and knelt before Cam. His men all knew just how much pride he took in his abilities, so they also knew just how much it took out of him to prostrate himself before the enemy. When they saw how deep his resolve ran they couldn't bring themselves to fight back.
Cam, too, saw the determination in Regin's eyes. Thus, his reply was...
"I refuse." He threw one of his knives as he said that.
"Uwooh!?" Regin just barely managed to twist out of the way. But Cam's knife was nothing more than a signal. Seconds later, a storm of rocks and arrows rained down on the helpless bearmen. The Haulia roared with laughter as they watched Regin and the others desperately defend themselves with their broadaxes.
"Why!?" Regin barely managed to groan that one word out.
"Why? Isn't it obvious? You guys are our enemies. What other reason do we need?"
The logic in Cam's answer was simple.
"Guh, but—!"
"And besides... it's fun seeing you arrogant bastards brought low, and crawling along the dirt like the scum you are! Hahaha!"
"What!? You monsters! How could you!?"
The glee in Cam's voice was unmistakable. His tribe were all firing their slingshots and crossbows from a safe distance as they tormented the bearmen.
They were all exhibiting the telltale signs of people who've gone mad due to their first taste of power. The rush of victory against one of the strongest subspecies of their race had caused them to take leave of their senses. They were completely out of control.
The ferocity of their attacks increased until Regin and the others were all huddled together in a pitiful heap, barely holding on. But even that wouldn't last for much longer. Though none of them had been fatally injured yet, they were all covered in wounds both minor and major. The next barrage would finish them.
Cam grinned cruelly and raised an arm into the air. Gleefully, the rest of the Haulia nocked their crossbows and loaded their slingshots. Realizing nothing he could do would prevent this from being his grave, Regin dropped his weapon in surrender. Inwardly, he apologized to his men for foolishly leading them to their deaths.
Cam's arm swung down like the scythe of the grim reaper itself as he gave the signal to fire. Everyone loosed at once. Regin stared defiantly at the barrage that was to be his death, determined to at least not give them the satisfaction of looking away. But then...
"Cut it ouuuuuuuut!" A white silhouette darted in front of the bearmen and blew away the projectiles with a massive metal hammer.
"Huh?" Regin's jaw dropped open in surprise. It was only natural. Right as he was about to die, a pale-haired bunny girl had dropped from the sky along with a massive hammer. And the shockwave as it had hit the ground had blown away all the arrows and rocks heading toward him and his comrades. His shocked face was almost comical to look at. The other bearmen all had similar expressions.
The enraged bunny girl was, of course, none other than Shea. Thanks to Hajime's compression transmutation, the hammer was unimaginably dense. Still, Shea swung the ridiculously heavy hammer up like it was nothing, then pointed it at Cam. Even a simple motion like that caused a powerful gale.
"I can't believe you guys! Dad, and the rest of you too, come back to your senses already!" They were taken aback by Shea's sudden entrance, but they quickly composed themselves and glared angrily at her.
"Shea, I don't know what you're playing at, but get out of our way. We can't kill them if you don't."
"Oh no, I'm not moving. You're the ones who need to stop!"
Cam's eyes narrowed angrily.
"Stop? Don't tell me you plan on siding with the enemy, Shea. Depending on your answer, I may have to..."
"No, I don't really care if these guys die or not."
"You don't!?" The bearmen had all been convinced that she'd come here to stop her tribe's murderous rampage, so they were positively stunned by her reply.
"Of course not. I wouldn't have survived Yue-san's training if I was still soft enough to go easy on people trying to kill me. Even I know that's just going to get you killed."
"Hmph, then why exactly are you stopping us?" Even though he was talking to his daughter, Cam's tone was rough. The rest of his tribe all glared suspiciously at her as well.
"Isn't it obvious!? Because if I don't stop you guys, you'll break! You'll sink into depravity!"
"Break? Sink into depravity?" It was obvious he hadn't understood a single word Shea had said.
"That's right! Don't you see!? Hajime-san might not show any mercy to his enemies, or listen to their pleas, or ever have pity, but he never enjoys killing! He taught you how to kill your enemies, not how to torment them!"
"W-We weren't..."
"Do you even know what kind of expression you were making just now, Dad?"
"Expression? I mean, I can't look at my own face..." At Shea's words, the Haulia all turned to look at each other. Shea paused to take a deep breath and then quietly, but firmly, continued.
"...You guys looked just like the imperial soldiers that attacked us."
"Wha—!?"
That was a shock. A big enough one to blow away the veil of bloodlust that had clouded their thoughts thus far. They were no better than the monsters who had laughed mockingly at them while enslaving most of their tribe... It was precisely because the Haulia had seen such ugliness up close that they knew how disgusting it was. Worse than the scum who had taken their families... That was a bitter truth to swallow.
"Sh-Shea... I..."
"Hmph, looks like you've finally calmed down a little. Good. I was worried I'd have to kick all your asses first before you came to your senses."
Shea casually swung her hammer around a few times. Her stern expression relaxed a little as she saw the bloodthirsty smiles fade from her family's faces.
"Well, this was your first battle, so it's all good as long as you realized your mistake in time. Besides, this is all really Hajime-san's fault. I know he needed to toughen you up mentally too, but he went too far! He turned you into berserkers, not warriors!" This time her anger was directed at Hajime. She quietly added, "How on earth did I fall for a guy like that anyway?" to her monologue.
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out throughout the clearing. One of the bearmen behind Shea let out a strangled groan and crumpled to the ground. Realizing they'd completely ignored their opponents for the past few minutes, Shea and Cam scrambled to see what they were up to. When they looked back, theysaw Regin cradling his forehead and moaning in pain.
"Don't you even think about trying to escape while they're not looking. You better sit quietly until their conversation's over." Hajime and Yue materialized from within the fog. Apparently, Regin and the others had tried to sneak off while Shea and Cam had been arguing. For some reason, Hajime had decided to use one of his non-lethal rubber bullets.
Despite Hajime's words the bearmen were still carefully observing their surroundings, looking for any chance to escape. Hajime activated his Intimidation in order to keep them docile. With the pressure of his magic keeping them shivering in place, Hajime was free to walk leisurely over to Shea and the others. Hajime looked around awkwardly for a few seconds before steeling his resolve and staring apologetically at Cam.
"Uh, well, you know, my bad. I was fine with it, but I forgot about what the shock of killing a person can do to someone. Really, I'm sorry."
Cam and Shea's were stunned. No one had ever expected Hajime, of all people, to ever apologize.
"B-Boss!? Are you alright!? Did you hit your head somewhere!?"
"Medic! Medic! We need urgent assistance!"
"Boss, keep it together!"
Hence the overblown reaction. There was a familiar vein bulging on Hajime's forehead.
Hajime had honestly thought he was at fault, and he was sincerely apologizing. Because he'd been fine with killing people, he'd failed to take into account what the shock of it might have done to someone else. Strong as he was, Hajime had no experience teaching others. And that inexperience had nearly caused him to break the Haulia's minds. That was why he'd given a heartfelt apology. But rather than accepting it, those stupid bunnies had questioned his sanity. Though, in a way, he wasn't sure if he should get angry, or reflect on the way he'd been acting. He decided to shelve the issue for later, and instead walked up to Regin. Then, he slowly pressed Donner against the bearman's head.
"Now then, would you prefer to die a manly death or live on in disgrace?" It was the Haulia who were even more surprised by his ultimatum than the bearmen. It was unthinkable that Hajime would actually offer to spare an enemy's life. This was the same person who had mercilessly slaughtered anyone that had bared their fangs at him for as long as they'd known him.
"He really did hit his head somewhere, didn't he..." Cam muttered softly. Another vein joined the first, but if he let everything the rabbitmen said get to him, they'd have gotten nowhere.
Regin looked up at Hajime in confusion. As he was undoubtedly the one who'd turned the Haulia into bloodthirsty monsters, Regin had not expected him to show any mercy.
"What do you mean? You're willing to let us live?"
"Yeah, if that's what you want. But I have a condition."
"A condition?" The other bearmen all began clamoring noisily at the prospect of salvation.
"If I hit him again, maybe it'll fix it..." Shea muttered surprisingly seriously as she looked from the back of Hajime's head down to her hammer and back again. Cam and the others all nodded vigorously.
I think they'll need some very strict discipline when we get back. But for now, he ignored them.
"Yep, a condition. When you get back to Verbergen, I want you to deliver a message to the elders."
"A message?" Regin had been worried he'd ask something outrageous of them, so he was a little relieved to hear they'd just be messengers. However, the contents of that message made his blood run cold.
"You owe me."
"...Ah!? You don't mean—"
"Well? What'll it be? Yes or no?"
Regin couldn't suppress his voice when he realized what Hajime intended. Hajime waited patiently for Regin's answer.
By delivering that message, it would mean that Verbergen would one day have to repay their debt to him. The elders had lost one of their own, and even overturned a decision of their council to keep Hajime away from their city, but if Regin delivered that message, then they'd be forced to unconditionally accept any request of his. Looking at it objectively, both Regin and Jin had been the ones to attack first, so letting Regin live would mean they'd be honor bound to agree. Ignoring that debt would make them look disgraceful. Besides, if they didn't accept, Hajime might really attack them. In other words, if Regin chose to live he would be exposing his country to danger. Not only had they ignored the elders' warning, they'd lost, with half of their men dead. After all that boasting they'd done about being the strongest, too... As Hajime had said, it really would mean living on in disgrace. While Regin despaired at his choices, Hajime delivered the final blow.
"Oh, and you'd better tell everyone the death of your subordinates was entirely your fault. And that you were defeated at the Haulia's hands, no less."
"Ugh." There was a reason Hajime was willing to let this opponent go. Mercy didn't factor into his decision at all. Verbergen had cut him off completely, but it was possible he'd have to return there at some point if his search for the other labyrinths ever pointed in that direction. After all, one of the Liberators had personally left an edict behind for the people of the country. He'd felt like the situation with the elders could have been handled a little more diplomatically, and had regretted being chased out just a little. So now that an unexpected windfall of good luck had dropped in his lap he intended to make the most of it. Regin seemed unsure of what to do, but Hajime didn't have the patience for him to think it through.
"You have five seconds. If you don't answer by then, I'll start killing your men one by one. Your kind values prompt decisions, right?" Hajime slowly started counting down, and Regin gave his answer in a panic.
"F-Fine. We choose to live!"
"I see. Then get out of my sight. And you better relay my message, you hear? If I ever come back and find out you haven't, well..." Bloodlust so thick it was palpable pressed down onto Regin. He gulped fearfully.
"Let's just say Verbergen might not exist anymore." The way Hajime phrased his threats made him look like a yakuza loan shark, or rather a terrorist. Relieved sighs could be heard behind him.