Several people had already been captivated by the moon...especially Qian. The uncle in her heart was cheering loudly in ecstasy.
Meanwhile, the female demon, upon witnessing the might of the Azure Dragon from afar, internally grumbled, "Why are they all just a bunch of monsters?" Seeing the monsters being driven away one after another, she revealed her anxiety and decided to turn her attention to the rabbit-man girl beside Captain Meld, who was fatally wounded, and the two girls who were huddled together at a distance.
However, the female demon will face an even more unreasonable situation next.
The pseudo-Bruttar was about to attack Shia when she spun around and hit the Drukken, sending his head flying like a marble. Using the momentum from her previous attack, Shia spun her body like a top and, with a powerful centrifugal force, shattered the skull of the four-eyed wolf coming from the opposite direction, easily destroying it.
Meanwhile, Kaori and Shizuku are attacked by Chimera and Black Cat.
Faced with the approaching monster, emitting murderous intent, Shizuku gritted her teeth, raised her broken sword, and prepared for battle. However, as if to stop her, the cross-shaped floater that had been floating nearby intervened, blocking Shizuku and the Chimera.
Seeing the mysterious cross move to protect itself, Shizuku felt somewhat shaken. The long end of the cross suddenly pointed at the Chimera, creating a resounding crash. Shizuku internally exclaimed, "What the hell is this!?" Then, she felt something brush past her cheek, spun away, and fall to the ground with a metallic clang. A similar metallic clang echoed next to Kaori, followed by a loud crash.
Despite Kaori and Shizuku's confusion, they turned their attention back to the attacking monster, but all they could see was the remains of the monster with its head shattered...
The two were speechless and looked in the direction of the metallic sound, trying to confirm what it was.
"Is this... a bullet shell?"
"Bucket... from a pistol?"
Kaori and Shizuku looked at each other, trying to dig up unfamiliar knowledge to explain the situation. When they saw Hajime displaying his prowess with a gun in both hands, they were convinced that the cross floating in the air, as if protecting them, must be some kind of large-scale attack weapon.
"Wow, that's amazing... Hajime-kun is a ※Sensory○Cannon user."
"When did he become a ※New○ type…" (Editor's note: All references are from Mobile Suit Gundam.)
With the surrounding monsters instantly driven away, Kaori and Shizuku, having regained some composure, uttered a rare, unrelated rant. In fact, their conversation was also relayed to Hajime via the crossbow, and he wanted to rant about how they knew about this joke. However, perhaps thanks to Yue and the others, Hajime's ability to ignore things had been greatly improved, so he decided to ignore it.
"what is going on……"
The demon woman muttered weakly. No matter how she attacked, Hajime's power would reverse and crush them all. The irrationality of the situation slowly made her want to give up. With only a few demons left, the outcome was clear to anyone who looked.
The witch, gambling on her "last ray of hope!", cast the magic she had always reserved as a means of escape towards Hajime, and ran towards one of the four exits with all her might. The witch cast "Prison" at Hajime's position.
Hajime glanced at the approaching gray sphere, then ignored it, deeming it non-threatening, to focus on his final act of devastation. Then, the "Prison" exploded beside Hajime, enveloping him in a cloud of petrifying smoke. Kouki and the others held their breath, while Kaori and Shizuku called out Hajime's name, their voices half-miserable.
The female demon didn't even look at Guanghui and the others, and finally reached one of the exits.
however……
"Haha... Looks like it's over."
"That's right."
Deep in the passageway before the demon, a cross floated, its dark muzzle locked onto its target. Though it was too late, the demon finally realized that she had been doomed from the moment she launched her attack, and she couldn't help but laugh dryly. Then, a voice, so calm it was chilling, came from behind her.
The female demon turned around, her eyes filled with the helplessness of having to give up. She saw Hajime walking out of the petrified smoke as if nothing had happened. She also saw the petrified smoke being pushed to another path by the red wave - [Magic Emission]. She couldn't help but look up and speak:
"...Damn monster. Your advanced magic is completely ineffective. Are you really human?"
"I'm skeptical myself, actually. But even if it's a monster, it's still pretty good."
Hajime said this half-jokingly, then confronted the demon from a short distance. The demon glanced around the room briefly, and before she knew it, the demons had been completely annihilated. A bitter expression crossed her face, and she muttered a curse, "Damn monster!"
Hajime ignored him and pointed Donal's gun at the demon woman. Facing the sudden death before her eyes, the demon woman looked back calmly with clear eyes, as if she had already understood her own death.
"Well, normally, at this point, you'd ask if the person has any last words... but unfortunately, I'm not interested in hearing yours. Instead of that nonsense, could you please tell me the truth... why are the demons here? And where did you get those demons?"
"Do you think I'll answer you? Telling it would probably give humans an advantage. Don't look down on us."
The demon woman scoffed mockingly, and Hajime gave her a cold look in response. Without hesitation, he fired the Donar, piercing through the demon woman's legs.
“Aaaaaaa!!”
She wailed and fell to the ground, her screams echoing through the room, which had returned to silence after the monster's destruction. Hajime could sense that the people behind him, including Kouki, had witnessed his ruthless actions and couldn't help but swallow their saliva. But he didn't care at all. He raised the Donar and pointed it at the female demon, speaking again:
"I don't care about humans or demons, and I have no interest in knowing the entanglements of your world. I'm not asking this from a human perspective, I just want to know for myself. Please answer quickly."
"..."
The female demon gritted her teeth, suppressing the pain, and glared at Hajime. Seeing her eyes, Hajime realized that it was pointless to say more, so he elaborated on his own speculation:
"But I can roughly predict it. You came here to conquer the 'True Great Labyrinth', right?"
The demon woman raised her eyebrows slightly when she heard what Hajime said. Hajime carefully observed her every reaction and continued:
"Those monsters are products of the magic of the Age of Gods... It seems I was right. So, the changes in the demons are due to the acquisition of the magic of the Age of Gods that controls monsters through conquering the Great Labyrinth... If that's the case, no wonder the demons are investigating and recruiting heroes while also conquering the Great Labyrinth..."
"Why would you... could it be..."
Hajime's speculations seemed to ring true, and the demoness, her expression twisted with frustration, wondered how Hajime could know so much about this, but finally came up with a possibility. Seeing her expression, Hajime realized she was probably speculating that he was also a Great Labyrinth Clearer, so he glanced at her and said, "Correct."
"I see. If you're the same as that person... then I can understand your monstrous strength... Are you satisfied now? Hurry up and kill me! I don't intend to be held captive..."
"That person... is that so? Monsters are gifts from conquerors..."
Rather than be captured, she'd rather commit suicide, by any means necessary—the demon's expression spoke volumes. Furthermore, her expression also revealed that, precisely because of this, she intended to fight to the bitter end. From Hajime's perspective, the information that there was another Great Labyrinth Clearer was sufficient. The demon was no longer of any value to him, and his eyes held murderous intent.
To vent her frustration at not having her ambitions fulfilled, the female demon, knowing full well that she was just being stubborn, still threatened Shi:
"One day, my lover will definitely kill you!"
Hearing this, Hajime stretched his lips into a fearless smile.
"I will kill any enemy, even a god. If they are just minions manipulated by that god, they are not worthy of being my opponent."
At this point, both sides realized that there was nothing more to say between them, so they closed their mouths and Hajime aimed Donal's gun at the demon girl's head.
However, just as Hajime was about to pull the trigger, a loud voice suddenly sounded:
"Wait! Wait, Nagumo! She can't fight anymore! There's no need to kill her!"
"..."
Hajime's finger was still on the trigger, a look of surprise on his face, "What the hell is that guy talking about?" He looked over his shoulder. Kouki seemed to have regained some strength, and though his movements were still shaky, he still managed to stand up and shouted again:
"Let her be a prisoner. Yes, let her be a prisoner! Never kill someone who is unable to resist. I am a hero, and Nagumo is my comrade, right? Can you please stop for my sake?"
There were so many things to complain about in these words that Hajime decided it wasn't worth listening to and immediately decided to ignore it. Without saying a word...he pulled the trigger.
A crisp explosion echoed throughout the room. The murderous aura Hajime unleashed pierced the demon woman's forehead, killing her instantly.
Afterward, silence fell. Even though Kouki and his group could understand, seeing their classmate murdering without hesitation before their eyes, they held their breath and stood there in fear. Among the group, the one who was most devastated was Kaori.
She wasn't so shocked because Hajime had killed someone. Kaori had already been prepared for this. After all, in this world, this was what it meant to be on the battlefield. Fighting monsters in the maze was, after all, practical combat training.
Therefore, Kaori had long been mentally prepared for the day when she would be forced to kill her enemies. As a healer with a defensive job, she knew that Shizuku or Kouki would inevitably be the ones to take direct action. When faced with a friend whose hands were stained with blood, even the slightest touch, or even a fleeting moment, she would never show any reluctance—she had already made up her mind.
She was deeply shocked because Hajime had no taboo, aversion, or even hesitation when it came to killing. Killing was as natural to him as breathing.
The Hajime that Kaori knew, even though he was weak and unable to resist, was still willing to jump into the whirlpool for others. He was such a gentle and strong person.
Hajime's "strength" wasn't just about violence. It was about his ability to consider others, anytime, anywhere, and in any situation. So, seeing the young man before her without hesitation slaughter an opponent who had lost all resistance and will to fight was so different from the Hajime she knew, and that was all the more shocking.
Because they were close friends, Shizuku easily sensed the deep shock Kaori had received. Furthermore, when Shizuku was in Japan, Kaori would frequently bring up the incident, and based on those words, it wasn't hard to guess what kind of shock Kaori had received.
Shizuku looked at Hajime, who looked nonchalant. On the one hand, she felt that his change was indeed too drastic, but on the other hand, she felt that she didn't understand Hajime at all, and it was too ungrateful to accuse him like this. Therefore, she could do nothing but quietly stay close to Kaori.
However, the hero, the embodiment of justice, would not remain silent. Kouki's suppressed voice filled the silent space:
"Why...why did you kill her? Is it really necessary..."
Hajime walked towards Shia, only to catch a glimpse of Kouki glaring at him sharply from the corner of his eye. He was momentarily at a loss for words. But then, he decided there was no need to answer him, so he simply ignored him without saying anything.
Kouki's suppressed voice echoed around, but Hajime, as if deaf to it, strode towards the collapsed Captain Meld and Shia beside him.
Yue decided that there was no need to protect Kouki and the others anymore, so she also walked towards Hajime and the others. At this moment, from behind Yue, Ling, who had a deep affection for her uncle, called out, "Ah, onee-san!" But she completely ignored it.
"Shia, how is Meld doing?"
"It's very dangerous. If I'd been a step later, it might have been too late... I've used the 'holy water' as you instructed... Is this really okay?"
"Ah, after all, he took great care of me before. Besides, the gap left by Meld's absence would have a huge impact in many ways. Especially—if someone strange were to take charge of educating the Brave Team, it would be a real headache. However, judging by their behavior, Meld doesn't seem to have done a perfect job either... Even so, I can still confirm that he was a man of noble character. It would be a shame if he died like this."
Kouki, who had come all the way here with his classmates thanks to Ryutaro's support, still glared at Hajime. Hajime merely glanced at him from the corner of his eye while explaining to Shia why he agreed to use the holy water on Meld. Incidentally, the "strange guy" Hajime was referring to was someone like Ishtar, the Pope of the Holy Church.
"……beginning."
"Yue, thank you for agreeing to my request."
"Um."
As Hajime and Shia were talking, Yue approached them. Hajime gently caressed Yue's cheek as she called out his name, expressing his gratitude. Yue simply glanced back, "Don't worry about it," her eyes curling with joy as they drifted into their own world.
"...You two should at least take a look at the situation... Alright, come back to your senses! They're gathering around us."
Hajime and Yue, who were practically incurably ill, continued to create their own world as usual. Shia clapped her hands vigorously, bringing them back to consciousness.
It seemed as if there were several more glares with different meanings from Kouki's... Especially those that came from directions other than Kouki's, Hajime inexplicably felt a shiver run down his spine.
"Hey, Nagumo. Why are you killing—"
“Hajime-kun… I have many questions, but first, let me check Captain Meld’s condition. His wounds appear to have healed, and his breathing is stable. He was clearly fatally wounded just now…”
Kaori interrupted Kouki who was about to question Hajime and knelt beside Captain Meld with a serious expression, carefully checking his condition while asking questions.
For a moment, Hajime felt a chill run down his spine as Kaori's gaze darted towards him. But he dismissed it as his own suspicion and decided to answer Kaori's question first. Even though he heard Kaori casually call him "Hashi-kun," he decided to pretend he hadn't heard it for now.
"Ah, that's because... I used some special medicine. Once taken, even a dying person can be completely healed instantly."
"I've never heard of that medicine."
"Of course, it's so rare it's even considered legendary...it's generally impossible to obtain. So, Yaegashi, just accept the recovery magic, and I'll give you the mana recovery potion."
"Uh, okay...thank you."
Shizuku was suddenly called upon by Hajime. Still struggling to adjust to the contrast between the present Hajime and her memories, she was unsure how to respond, but she nonetheless reached out to take the medicine and thank him. Hajime, unconcerned with Shizuku's reaction, also tossed a bottle of mana-restoring potion to Kaori. Kaori hurriedly reached out and smoothly caught the bottle, thanked Hajime, and downed the contents. Immediately, a taste similar to that of Ribo-da spread through her mouth, her mana gradually returning. Once Kaori's mana was replenished, she'd be able to heal the other members immediately.
In short, after knowing that Captain Meld was fine, Kaori and the others finally let go of the heavy stone in their hearts and breathed a sigh of relief. At this time, Guanghui spoke again:
"Hey, Nagumo, I'm here to thank you for Captain Meld's matter. But why did you take her away—"
"Hajime-kun, thank you for saving Captain Meld. Thank you too... for saving us."
Kaori interrupted Guanghui again, and Guanghui showed a very subtle expression.
However, she paid no attention to Kouki, her gaze fixed solely on Hajime. Although the blow Kaori endured was as drastic as Hajime's change, there were things she wanted to tell him no matter what. She thanked Hajime for saving Captain Meld and the others, and walked over to him.
In order to suppress the emotions that were pouring out like a tsunami, Kaori clutched the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands, but she couldn't hold back her tears and they flowed down.
Sobs continued to escape Kaori's throat. To confirm that the person standing before her wasn't an illusion, she never looked away. Her eyes were filled with crystal drops of emotion, as if they contained tens of thousands of stars.
Kaori's eyes sparkled, her pink lips trembled slightly as she whispered softly:
“Hashi-kun…thank you…wu…thank you for being alive. I couldn’t protect you back then…wu…I’m sorry…wu…”
Having long been aware of Kaori's feelings, not only Shizuku but also the other female members cast warm glances at her. Among the male members, Nagayama and Nomura, who had vaguely sensed Kaori's feelings, shared the same look. Kondo and the others looked as if they had just eaten bitter herbs. As for Kouki and Ryuutarou, they were unaware of Kaori's feelings and looked bewildered. Kouki, the perfect example of a slow-witted male protagonist, and Ryuutarou, the muscle-brained Ryuutarou, made Shizuku's hard work obvious.
Shia had a serious expression that said, "Hmm, is this a new rival?" Yue, on the other hand, stared at Kaori with an even more expressionless face than usual.
The protagonist, Hajime, initially just stared at Kaori, who was crying her eyes out. However, as Endo had told him—since that day, Kaori had been thinking about him all the time. Hajime, realizing this, then took on an indescribable expression.
Although he had mentioned Kaori in passing when recounting his experiences to Yue, that was back in the Abyss. Honestly, he had completely forgotten about Kaori until he reunited with Aiko and the others in [Ur Town]. Therefore, knowing that Kaori missed him intensely, Hajime couldn't help but feel a surge of guilt.
At first, he looked troubled and hesitant, but finally he gave a wry smile and replied:
"...How should I put it? I made you worry. I'm sorry I didn't contact you right away. But as you can see, I'm doing fine. You don't have to apologize... Um... just... don't cry."
The look in Hajime's eyes when he looked at Kaori was filled with tenderness for Kaori, just like the time when he asked her "Can you protect me?"
Looking at Hajime's eyes, Kaori couldn't help but recall the night they made their promise, and a mixture of emotions suddenly welled up in her chest. This emotion made her cry uncontrollably, and she threw herself into Hajime's arms.
Faced with Kaori wailing against his chest, Hajime was bewildered and could only raise his hands in a gesture of disbelief, completely helpless. If any other student had clung to him, he would have immediately thrown them away, or even kneed them unconscious. However, sensing Kaori's pure and unwavering feelings, coupled with the events leading up to his fall, Hajime couldn't bring himself to push her away.
However, Hajime didn't dare reach out and hug the other woman in front of Yue. He simply raised his hands like a victim at gunpoint, letting Kaori continue to cry. This half-hearted response was completely uncharacteristic of Hajime.
Shizuku, who was standing nearby, looked at Hajime as if to say, "My good friend is crying! Hurry up and hug her!" However, Hajime also received Yue's silent gaze at him, and was unable to move at all.
With no other options, Hajime could only step back a little and try to pat Kaori's head to comfort her. It was rare for Hajime to act so clumsily.
"...Kaori is really kind... But Nagumo killed someone defenseless. We need to have a good talk with him. Kaori, please stop and get away from Nagumo."
The Nagayama team immediately shot Kouki a look of accusation, "You better be smart!" Even at this point, the man seemed unaware of Kaori's feelings. He glared at Hajime with a slightly accusing gaze, trying to pull Kaori away from her clinging chest.
Was he just annoyed by the physical contact between Kaori and Hajime? Or was he thinking it was too dangerous for Kaori to be around a murderer... probably a bit of both.
"Hey, Kouki. Did Nagumo-san just save us? Isn't that a bit too much?"
"But, Shizuku, that female demon has already lost her will to fight. There's no need to kill her. What Nagumo did is absolutely unforgivable!"
"Hey, Kouki, can you please stop? After all..."
Shizuku's eyes lit up at Koki's tone, and she retorted. Nagayama and the others were completely bewildered, staring back and forth in bewilderment. Hiyama and the others, already disliking Hajime, began to support Koki.
The debate over Hajime's actions intensified. Kaori had already withdrawn from Hajime's chest and wiped away her tears, but the shock of Hajime's attitude hadn't yet subsided. She seemed to be lost in thought, her expression solemn and silent.
At this moment, there was a voice that was like pouring a bucket of cold water on Guanghui and the others. Fortunately, this time it was just a metaphor.
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