“—『Absolute Disaster』.”
As the spell's name rang out, a spinning black sphere appeared between the four of them, gradually drawing the lava masses dancing in the air. With its super gravity, the small black sphere compressed and crushed everything it engulfed.
Yue's magic created a gap in the barrage of flames, and Hajime instantly used his "Aerodynamics" to leap into the air, quickly approaching the central island with the lava dome.
The most troublesome thing about the barrage of attacks was that there was no way to stop them. Judging by the location, this was clearly the final trial of the Grun Volcano. However, unlike the previous large maze, there were no enemies in sight. Unsure of how to pass the test, Hajime decided to venture onto the suspicious central island to investigate.
He used telepathy while running towards the central island in the air.
"I'm going to investigate the central island. Cover me."
"Yes, I understand."
Although the lava blocks attacked Hajime from outside the range of "Absolute Disaster", in order to prevent them from succeeding, Yue not only maintained the range of "Absolute Disaster" but also created fire bombs from the magma sea to attack those lava blocks.
Tio also fired countless fireballs from the magma sea to counterattack, and Shia fought back with Druken in shotgun mode.
With Yue and the others as his cover, Hajime rushed straight towards the central island. Just as he was about to use his "air power" to leap onto the central island—
“Hooa ...
「!?」
There was a loud roar, and a giant snake jumped out from below, opened its mouth wide, and attacked Shi who was leaping in the air.
Perhaps it was because the snake was covered in lava, and in this scorching space, neither the heat source perception nor the breath perception could sense its existence; and the entire magma sea seemed to be full of magic power, so the magic perception was ineffective. The snake's attack was completely beyond Shi's expectations.
Hajime twisted his body with extraordinary reaction speed and barely avoided the snake's mouth.
The lava snake bit into nothingness and passed through the place where it was a moment ago.
Hajime flipped his body in the air like a cat, aimed his gun at the head of the passing snake and shot. The flash of light with fatal destructive power hit the snake's head squarely, causing it to explode.
"What!?"
However, it wasn't the lava snake that screamed before dying, but the stunned Hajime.
The reason, of course, lies with the lava snake.
While the lava snake's head had indeed exploded, it was only lava spray that scattered; nothing inside. To this day, the monsters of the Grun Volcano are generally covered in lava, but this is purely superficial, with flesh still present underneath. They are definitely not monsters composed solely of lava.
Hajime immediately regrouped and attempted to fire at anything other than the head. He saw a large amount of flashes of light mercilessly piercing the lava snake's body, but still failing to hit its flesh. It seemed that the lava snake was composed entirely of lava.
"What a hassle! I don't have time to play with you."
Although Hajime was surprised, the lava snake was unable to move due to its body being scattered all over the place, so he passed by the snake and prepared to jump towards the central island again with his "air power".
However, the snake's attack didn't seem to end. When Hajime was about to pass by the snake, even though its head was lost and its body was torn into pieces, the snake suddenly twisted its body and rushed towards Hajime.
Hajime fired the shotgun from his prosthetic arm, using the recoil to swing his body away. He barely dodged it when a chill ran down his spine. Following his instinct, Hajime fired the shotgun from his prosthetic arm repeatedly at the critical moment, using his aerodynamics to quickly move away.
Then, as if following Hajime's trajectory, lava snakes emerged from the magma sea one after another, opening their mouths wide and biting down one after another.
Hajime flipped in the air and leaped backwards, landing on a nearby rock. Yue and the others joined him. It seemed that while Hajime was under attack, the flames' barrage had temporarily ceased.
“…Hajime, are you okay?”
"Yeah, I'm fine. Looks like the big devil has finally appeared."
Yue gently touched Hajime's arm, concerned for his well-being. Hajime, staring straight ahead, gently touched her hand in response. Lava snakes emerged from the magma one after another.
"The central island is the destination after all. They seem to be saying, 'If you want to get through, you'll have to defeat us.'"
"But the one Hajime-san just shot has regenerated again? Is there any way to defeat them?"
Eventually, more than twenty lava snakes emerged from the magma and surrounded Hajime and the others. The lava snakes that had been initially shot by Hajime had also completely regenerated and were back to their original state, as if nothing had happened.
Shia pointed this out with a frown. Back in the Great Labyrinth of Rasen, Shia had panicked at the sight of the regenerated Knight, but now, her rabbit ears were twitching busily, as if she were calmly contemplating a strategy. Hajime couldn't help but smile slightly, thinking that she had truly become quite strong, while also expressing his own speculation.
"It's probably similar to a monster like Bachuram. It has a magic stone at its core, forming the lava. Because of the lava, even my mystic eye can't see the magic stone's location... but there's no other way except to destroy it."
After hearing Hajime's reasoning, everyone nodded in agreement, and a total of twenty lava snakes launched an attack at the same time.
The lava snakes erupted like the flames of the sun, spitting flames from their mouths as they approached. This was a coordinated all-around attack by twenty lava snakes. An ordinary person would have no way to escape, being swallowed to death by the huge mass of lava.
"This is a blow I haven't felt in ages! Enjoy it!"
As Tio finished speaking, she stretched out her hands together, and a large amount of black magic power appeared in her palms. It condensed and compressed in the blink of an eye, and was released in one breath in the next moment. This was the breath that the dragon people were proud of.
The black flash possessed terrifying power, forcing even Hajime to defend herself with all her might. The black flash completely annihilated the lava snakes that were closing in on Tio. Then, with a sweeping motion, like a giant sword of black flash, she annihilated the swarm of lava snakes.
Eight lava snakes were destroyed in an instant, creating a gap in the encirclement, and Shi and others rushed out through the gap.
I originally thought that as long as the magic stone was reduced to ashes, no matter where it was, it would be destroyed along with the lava snake, but the big maze is not so easy to pass after all.
Twelve lava snakes crashed into the place where they had been a moment ago, shattering the rocks they could stand on before disappearing into the sea of magma. When they reappeared, their number had returned to twenty.
"Hey, hey, I did see the magic stones being destroyed. Isn't defeating them a condition for passing the level?"
Hajime showed a surprised expression. The moment Tio's breath hit the lava snake, Hajime activated "Instant Light" and, with his greatly enhanced dynamic vision, he accurately witnessed the magic stone in the lava snake being destroyed by the breath.
Just as Hajime was confused about how to conquer the maze, Shia pointed at the central island and shouted.
"Look, Hajime-san! The rock wall is glowing!"
"What?"
Hajime followed his instructions and looked towards the central island. Indeed, there were fist-sized spots of light on some of the rock walls. They hadn't noticed that orange light before—it seemed to be emanating from some kind of mineral buried in the rock wall.
While the camouflage made it difficult to identify, Hajime used his farsightedness to confirm the presence of a significant amount of ore, neatly arranged in the rock wall of the central island. The central island was cylindrical, and based on the distance between the ore and the island's circumference, there were approximately a hundred ore deposited in the rock wall. Currently, eight of the ore were glowing... the same number as the lava snakes Tio had just slain.
"I see... The requirement to pass this stage is to defeat one hundred lava snakes."
"...In such scorching heat, dealing with a hundred of those opponents is quite fitting for the theme of this maze."
The challengers were already exhausted by the heat and the surprise attack, and were finally forced to face a situation that required the longest possible concentration. The level's danger level was in line with that of a large maze.
Although they were indeed very tired, their faces showed no sign of fatigue. Instead, they had smug smiles on their faces. As long as they could find a way to conquer the enemy, there was nothing to be afraid of.
Just as everyone understood what they had to do and regained their spirits, the lava snakes attacked again. Lava chunks rained down like a torrential downpour, and the massive lava snakes used erratic movements to try to catch their prey and burn it to ashes.
Hajime and the others dispersed again, each launching a counterattack.
Dragon wings grew on Tio's back, and the wind generated by the dragon wings made her body float in the air. She fired a whirlwind accompanied by a vacuum blade like a cannonball. This was the intermediate wind-attribute attack magic "Cannon King".
"That makes it nine! I'm currently in the lead. Master! If I defeat the most, please reward me! All I ask for is a night alone with you two!"
Tio crushed the ninth lava snake and made this request. Hajime showed an impatient expression and was about to refuse when Shia interrupted him.
"What! It's not fair that only Miss Tio gets the reward! I want to join the battle too! Mr. Hajime, if I win, I want you to spend the night with me too!"
Shia shouted, raising the Drukken high, leaping towards the lava snake and swinging it down at its head. The moment the Drukken struck, a pale blue wave of magic spread out, followed by a powerful impact that instantly shattered the lava snake from its head to the lava sea below. In the wake of the lava snake's explosion, shimmering minerals flew out, shattered by the impact of the "Magic Surge Wave."
After destroying a lava snake, a lava block approached Shia from behind, still in mid-air. Shia fired a shotgun shell with her Druken, using the recoil to evade. As if anticipating her movements, the lava snake opened its maw and lunged at Shia's landing spot.
Shia, however, was not at all panicked. She injected magic power into her boots, and the metal plates installed on the soles instantly activated their given abilities. Light blue ripples immediately spread out from under Shia's feet. She stepped lightly on the ripples and leaped into the air again.
These boots were made for Shia, who was unable to fight in mid-air. They allow her to unleash the same "aerodynamics" as Shia. Using these boots, combined with her weight-controlling abilities, Shia is able to achieve a fighting style that "appears to be dancing in the air."
The lava snake missed and passed underneath. Shia transformed Druken and aimed her gun at the lava snake, firing not ordinary shotgun shells but shotgun slugs.
However, these weren't ordinary shotgun grenades, but rather specially crafted by Hajime using a special ore imbued with "Magic Shockwave." Upon impact, the magic energy in the bullets was converted into shockwaves. In terms of sheer power, they far surpassed those of grenades.
The shotgun fragment flew out with a roar from Druken, hitting the lava snake squarely from behind, causing a massive explosion from its head to its body. Under the impact of the explosion, the shattered magic stone flew into the air again.
"Hey, you two, don't—"
"...Then I want a day of private date for the two of us too."
Hajime was about to object to their unauthorized competition, but Yue interrupted, saying he wanted to join in. Putting aside their nighttime sexual encounters, their time alone had drastically decreased due to the recent increase in their company, so Yue demanded a full day of time alone.
Yue had a cheerful look on her face, but the magic she used was extremely ferocious. That magic was the "Thunder Dragon" which had recently become her specialty.
Perhaps due to their increasing proficiency, seven Thunder Dragons appeared, unleashing their power almost simultaneously on seven different targets. The roar of the Thunder Dragons echoed throughout the surroundings. The lava snakes, attempting to devour Yue, were instead devoured one after another by the Thunder Dragons, unfazed by the lava blocks, their magic stones shattered as they were devoured.
Seeing that scene, Shia said, "As expected, Miss Yue is the strongest opponent!" Tio said, "This is simply cheating! She is definitely not normal!" Both of them showed anxious expressions. Although they complained, their attacks became more intense, and the number of subjugations continued to increase.
"...I don't mind, and it seems interesting."
Seeing the three girls treating him like a prize and competing with high morale, Hajime shrugged his shoulders, looking helpless, and without turning back, he used the Hulaq to fire continuously at the back to deal with the lava snakes attacking from behind.
The bullets hit the lava snake evenly, the impact of the impact blasting its flesh apart and sending the magic stone flying. Hajime dodged the lava chunks flying from the front, and simultaneously shot Donal with his right hand, accurately hitting the magic stone before it fell into the magma sea.
The bullets Hajime fired with the Shurak were the same ones he'd given Shia—explosive rounds, but they were of a different size, and therefore less powerful than the explosive shrapnel. Using the Shurajian would certainly increase the destructive power, but since this was his first time using it, Hajime was using two pistols for experimental purposes.
Pistol-sized bullets weren't powerful enough to destroy the lava snakes and the magic stone in one strike, so Hajime's strategy was to fire two bullets first, using the impact to break up the lava armor, and then use the Donner to snipe the exposed magic stone. The electromagnetic cannon could certainly ignore the lava armor and penetrate the magic stone directly, but its penetration was too strong to be used against magic stones that were difficult to locate.
Then, two more lava snakes attacked from both sides. Hajime used "Aerodynamics" and "Shrinking the Earth" to break away from his original position at high speed, turned his body upside down in the air, and shot at Shulak.
There was only one explosion.
Four killing bullets were fired. The lava snakes attacked fiercely from both sides, but their prey suddenly disappeared. Before they could react, the impact from above shattered their lava bodies, revealing the magic stone at their core.
At the same time, Donal shot out two flashes of light, shattering the two magic stones with perfect accuracy.
Before they knew it, less than ten minutes had passed since the battle officially began, and almost all the minerals neatly embedded in the rock wall of the central island had begun to emit light, with only eight remaining.
If the theme of [Gulun Great Volcano] is really as Hajime and the others speculated, that is, to test the ability to fight for a long time even when concentration is reduced due to harsh environments, then the creator's original calculations are completely inapplicable to Hajime and the others.
Tio's breath destroyed both lava snakes.
——There are six left.
Shia swung with Druken, firing Explosive Shot Blocks almost simultaneously, shattering two lava snakes at once.
——Four left.
A lava snake launched a surprise attack from the lava sea below, attempting to bite Yue. Another lava snake attacked from above. However, the two snakes were blocked by the "thunder dragons" that curled around Yue, unable to harm her at all. The next moment, the two lava snakes were attacked and devoured by four "thunder dragons."
——There are two left.
At that moment, a lava snake rushed towards him, spraying lava chunks like a shotgun. However, Hajime dodged the incoming lava chunks like a fluttering leaf. As the lava snake bit him, Hajime unleashed a slug of shurak in the intervening moment. The lava snake exploded, sending the magic stone flying due to inertia. Hajime shattered the magic stone with a Donar sniper shot.
Finally, the last lava snake remained, launching a surprise attack from the lava sea directly below. Hajime used his aerodynamics to leap directly upwards, then used his slug gun to fire into the mouth of the lava snake that was lunging from below.
The bullets hit, sending a red shockwave through the air. Lava exploded and scattered, leaving the shadow of the magic stone faintly visible through the cracks. Yue and the others looked at Hajime, who, with satisfied eyes, raised Donal's right hand, preparing to deliver the final blow.
"That's it."
Hajime aimed at the magic stone at the edge of his vision and launched the final attack to capture the [Gulun Great Volcano].
At this moment——
An aurora descended from above.
(!!? I try to dodge—No, too late—!)
The horizon was gradually filled with the aurora, and Hajime's extended consciousness froze.
Aurora descended like a divine retribution, the same light that had once severely wounded Shi. No, perhaps even more powerful than the previous aurora. The force of this attack was so immense that even the atmosphere wailed. Seizing the most vulnerable point in the battle, Aurora launched an attack, devouring Shi and the last of the lava snakes.
As if playing a joke, Hajime's figure disappeared in the overwhelming storm of destruction.
“H-Hit!!!”
Yue's screams echoed all around. Shia and Tio had originally only been able to stand a little distance away, watching in bewilderment as Hajime was engulfed by the aurora, but upon hearing Yue's wailing, a cry they had never heard since they met, they were instantly brought back to their senses.
The aurora descended from right above the beginning with a loud noise, directly swallowing the last lava snake and hitting the hot magma sea, stirring up the surrounding magma and temporarily exposing the seabed.
The aurora continued to radiate towards the lava sea for a while, then gradually became thinner and finally disappeared as if dissolving into the void.
Yue desperately flew towards Hajime's location. When the light faded, Hajime, despite being covered in wounds, remained suspended in the air. He crossed his arms to protect his chest and face, but soon lost his balance and plummeted towards the lava sea, stirred by the aurora.
“! —『Come on』!”
Perhaps because he lost consciousness, Shi's whole body went limp and he fell on his back; Yue used flying magic to support Shi's body, flew over and hugged Shi, and landed directly on a nearby rock.
"! Hajime! Hajime!"
Yue was extremely anxious and quickly took out the holy water and gave it to Shi to drink.
Hajime's condition was horrible. His right hand was burned to the bone, and the prosthetic left hand had mostly melted away. His eyepatch was broken and missing, and a deep wound from cheek to neck was bleeding profusely. His entire abdomen was charred and blackened. Even so, his internal organs were intact, perhaps a testament to his growth.
At that moment, just as the aurora descended upon Hajime, he twisted his body in the nick of time, facing the aurora head-on, and unleashed the Diamond's derivative skills, Concentrated Strengthen and Empowered Strengthen. Thanks to this, he was able to protect his head with his empowered prosthetic arm, and his heart and lungs with his right hand and Donal. His abdomen was protected by the special monster leather clothing he was wearing, which also benefited from the Empowered Strengthening, and Hajime's own exceptional magic resistance, which saved his life. However...
"…Recovery is very slow."
Yue's expression was filled with anxiety. Even after using divine water to heal her wounds, they showed no sign of improvement.
In the past, when fighting against Hydra in the final trial in the Great Labyrinth of Orcus, Hajime stepped forward to block Yue's attack, but was burned by the aurora and fell down.
Yue had sworn then and there that she never wanted to see such a scene again, that she would never let Hajime suffer this again. Yet, whether Hajime was swallowed by the aurora or collapsed injured, it was as if the scene had been replayed. Yue was filled with remorse, her usually expressionless face now unable to remain calm. However, the enemy would not give her time to grieve.
"Idiot! Up there!!"
"!Oops--"
As Tio issued a warning, countless flashes of light rained down like a torrential rain. They were miniature versions of the aurora borealis, about one-tenth the power and scale of the previous attack, but they were both truly lethal death rays.
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