"Kaori! I'm going to jump! Don't bite your tongue!"
“Eh? Aaaaaaaa!!”
Being surrounded on all sides on the narrow deck would be very troublesome, so he started by picking up Kaori and using his "air power" to jump up in one breath. The force was so strong that Kaori couldn't help but scream.
Hajime kicked the soldier off the lookout tower, landing on the lookout tower of one of the four masts.
The frantic soldiers below were looking up at Hajime and Kaori with bloodshot eyes.
Previously, the two sides were clearly still engaged in a fierce battle between enemy soldiers, but for some reason, some of them had turned their attention to Hajime and Kaori. And only when they were targeted did the soldiers attack without distinguishing between friend and foe. Furthermore, the crowd, like a pathogen infected with a malignant virus, continued to grow in number.
The people who had been fighting the enemy in front of them a moment ago suddenly stopped, turned their heads to stare at Hajime and Kaori, and then screamed and rushed over. This scene was like a horror movie. Seeing their crazy appearance, Kaori's face turned pale.
"Okay, how can we escape from this disgusting space?"
"...Is there...an exit somewhere?"
"This is the very center of the ocean, right?"
"Could there be a ship that's the exit? Like a portal?"
Hajime thought of the blue Doraemon's handy gadgets Kaori had mentioned as an example, and while observing his surroundings, he frowned and retorted with a disgusted expression when he saw the number of ships.
"I did a quick count and there are about six hundred ships here... We can't possibly search them one by one. I think the war will be over before we finish searching."
"Hmm~ That's true, and some ships have already sunk... So, could this mean the war is about to end?"
"End the war... I see. You mean to kill them all? I didn't know Kaori could say such radical things."
"Eh? Uh, that's not what I meant..."
"Yes, that must be the case. I can't think of any other way. More importantly, this method is exactly what I like."
At that moment, several soldiers swung over from the mast's ropes. Without even turning back, Hajime fired a magical bullet, sending them dispersing. Hajime couldn't help but think, "I should have built a magic cannon earlier, and use the 'remote control' derived from 'magic control' to guide the red bullets and counter the incoming flaming bullets."
"Kaori, you're not good at offensive magic, but even recovery magic is a powerful attack here. I don't know how to escape, but we're under attack, so let's destroy them all first."
"I-I understand."
Hearing Hajime's words, Kaori whipped her trembling body into shape, a resolute expression on her face, and chanted her magic. This frenzied battlefield was like a backhoe, constantly chipping away at Kaori's spirit. She didn't want her beloved to see her humiliated, so she put on a brave front.
Hajime glared around, protecting Kaori.
Looking down, I saw soldiers everywhere climbing onto enemy ships (a mix of enemies and ours) and engaging in combat. Unlike Hajime and his men's attacks, the fighting between the phantoms seemed to actually cause bloodshed.
The deck was littered with entrails, severed limbs, and the contents of heads, a scene of sheer bloodshed. Everyone's eyes were filled with mad murderous intent, and they kept shouting words like "God's will," "heretics," and "divine punishment."
The soldiers' blood was blown by the sea breeze, scattering in the wind like cherry blossoms blowing in the snow. Hajime and Kaori were on the mast lookout, constantly under the stubborn attack of soldiers from both sides.
Whenever they are attacked, red bullets will fly out, crisscrossing and piercing through all enemies. Magic bullets will also fly around Hajime and Kaori, exerting an offensive and defensive effect like satellites.
Even so, the crazy soldiers showed no sign of retreating and continued to launch attacks.
Dozens of soldiers were seen descending from above using flying magic. Others were climbing over from rope nets hung between nearby masts. Upon closer inspection, the attack was almost entirely focused on the ship Hajime and his companions were on. Hajime's Magic Eye Stone also saw the magicians raising their hands towards him, concentrating their highest level of magic power.
Just as Hajime was considering sniping the magician before the magic could be activated, Kaori's chant ended and her highest-level magic was activated.
"—The Virgin Mary embraces everything in her arms, and smiles here—the 'Holy Scripture'!"
Then, with Kaori as the center, ripples of light swept across the battlefield in one go.
The ripples spread out again and again like pulsations, reaching a radius of one kilometer. Every enemy touched by the ripples was enveloped in light.
——This is the highest level of light attribute recovery magic, the "Holy Scripture".
This recovery magic belongs to the ultra-wide range magic, and its effect is to restore all people within the range at once.
While the range depends on the caster's magical power and skill, it has a minimum radius of 500 meters. Furthermore, by prioritizing "marking," targets within this range can be selected for healing. Of course, this magic typically requires the combined efforts of dozens of people, a lengthy chant, and a massive magic circle. Kaori, able to perform this magic single-handedly in just a minute or two, is essentially a cheat.
As the light of the "Holy Scripture" emitted by Kaori covered the battlefield, the soldiers within the area, regardless of friend or foe, all turned into smoke and dissipated. When the magic's effect ended, Kaori collapsed due to the exhaustion of her magic power. Hajime immediately supported her body.
"Wow, mass-producing so many at once. *Mary Celeste*, you're quite impressive, Kaori. No, as expected, right?" (Editor's note: In 1872, the Mary Celeste was spotted in the Atlantic Ocean, steaming towards the Strait of Gibraltar at full speed, though no one was found aboard. It is often considered the prototype of a ghost ship.)
“Ah, uh, no, it’s nothing. Hajime-kun, you guys are the best…”
Hearing Hajime's sincere praise, Kaori's cheeks blushed, but she also thought that if it was Yue, she might be able to use faster and stronger magic, and a self-deprecating smile appeared on her face.
Kaori lowered her head as if to change the subject, muttering, "—'Replenish.'" Hajime gave her the magic crystal pendant to replenish her lost magic power. Since Kaori couldn't manipulate magic power directly, Hajime had engraved a magic circle on the pendant, modifying it so that magic power could be drawn out through chanting.
Seeing Kaori's expression, Hajime frowned slightly. He wanted to say something, but because a new enemy was approaching, he had to keep his mouth shut.
Physical attacks are completely useless, and you have to fight a large group of berserkers on a ship who will not retreat no matter what they attack. Normally, this would be a very harsh situation. However, here, there are cheat characters and monsters.
After that, just two humans annihilated the two countries' fleets in just one hour.
“… Ugh, ugh, ugh, sorry—”
"It's okay, don't be patient."
After the last of the soldiers were eliminated, the surrounding scenery distorted again, and before they knew it, they had returned to the original place.
Annihilation was indeed the correct answer. After the two breathed a sigh of relief, Kaori immediately ran to a nearby rocky area and vomited the contents of her stomach. Since her dinner had already been digested, she couldn't vomit anything, and could only vomit more painfully.
Kaori had tears in her eyes and stopped Hajime with one hand, telling him not to come over.
However, Hajime approached without hesitation, caressing Kaori's back. Although Kaori didn't want her beloved to see her in such an awkward state, the warm, gentle touch on her back still made her feel very comfortable. When she came to her senses, she had already allowed Hajime to caress her back. At some point, her unstable spirit and the strong urge to vomit subsided.
Hajime pulled out a drink that looked like apple juice from the "treasure vault." Kaori took it and gulped it down, seeming to regain her energy. The sweet, refreshing taste washed away the bitter taste of her stomach juices.
"sorry……"
Kaori felt bad for causing trouble to Hajime and frowned to apologize, but Hajime narrowed his eyes at her.
"I can't blame you. I feel disgusted too. I can't help but wonder how humans could become so blind and crazy... Anyway, let's take a break. I've used up a lot of mana, and I need to recover."
“…Okay. Um, Hajime-kun, what was that just now? Is it related to the wreck here?”
Kaori stood up and sat on a nearby rock. Hajime thought for a moment before stating his hypothesis.
"Those were probably illusions recreating past wars, but they seem to have been modified to become challengers attacking the Great Labyrinth... Perhaps that's the theme of this Great Labyrinth."
"theme?"
"Yes, Tio said at [Grun Volcano] that each large labyrinth might have a theme prepared by the 'Liberators'. If she's right, this is it..."
"...Will you let us know the tragedy brought about by the Mad God?"
"Yes, I feel that way."
Kaori continued Hajime's words and gave the answer. Recalling the scene just now, Kaori felt a chill run down her spine, shivering uncontrollably, and her face turned pale.
The reason that tormented Kaori's mind and caused her to vomit was the soldiers' madness. They were simply "religious fanatics," and their words, actions, thoughts, and endless killing of each other were all disgusting.
Some people had crazy looks in their eyes, and they kept laughing even though blood was gushing out of their bodies; some people knew that their death was approaching, so they dug out their hearts and held them high to the sky, wanting to dedicate them to God; there was an elder brother who planned to pierce his younger brother's body in order to kill Hajime and Kaori, but the younger brother still smiled and was proud of it.
Although battlefields are inherently maddening places, the situation here is truly horrific. And the fact that all of this is for "God's will" is even more...
Seeing Kaori lowering her head and pounding her mouth with her hands, Hajime couldn't bear it any longer and sat down beside her, holding her hand tightly. Hajime couldn't just sit back and watch Kaori being devoured by her madness.
Kaori looked at Hajime, seemed a little surprised, then immediately smiled happily and held Hajime's hand tightly.
“Thank you, Hajime-kun…”
"Don't worry. I know the pain of being consumed by madness... because I almost fell into madness at the bottom of the abyss."
"...Then why didn't you become like that? I know without asking... it's because of Yue, right?"
"Yes, if I hadn't met her in the depths of the abyss... I don't know what I would be like now."
Hajime gazed into the distance with a look of nostalgia and pity. He must have been thinking of his encounter with Yue.
Seeing Hajime's expression, Kaori's chest felt like it was being clamped in a vise.
"I'm so unwilling. Whether it's to keep Hajime-kun or to protect him... I wish that person was me. Having said that, I don't know what I can do with my power. I can't even keep a promise. Sigh~ Yue is such a strong enemy."
Kaori said this with a playful smile, and Hajime narrowed his eyes again. Because her smile now was not the warm sunshine she used to have, but a smile mixed with self-torture and self-mockery.
"...Since you came here, you've been apologizing all the time, or you've been smiling like that."
“Eh? Uh…”
Hearing Hajime say this suddenly, Kaori couldn't help but feel confused, but Hajime's next words immediately made Kaori lose her smile and her expression stiffened.
"Kaori, why did you come with me?"
"...Are you saying I'm too much of a bother?"
Hajime saw Kaori lower her head and sigh. She didn't answer her question and said:
"I still remember what I said to you that day under the moonlight, while drinking that awful black tea. So, to be honest, I find it incredible that you like me now."
“Hajime-kun, I…”
Kaori opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by Hajime.
"But I don't intend to deny Kaori's feelings for me. There are some factors that only Kaori can see, and it's those factors that moved you. You made the decision based on this, and it's meaningless for others to object. I've already told you my answer. If you still insist on following me, I can only let you do what you want. Shia, for example, has absolutely refused to give up. Lately, I've been worried that she might attack me while I'm asleep."
Thinking of the rabbit-eared girl whose physical abilities have become increasingly extraordinary recently, Hajime couldn't help but reveal a look of fear; seeing Hajime's expression, Kaori agreed with a wry smile.
"...Yes, I think her drive and positive attitude are remarkable."
"In the beginning, I was actually quite rude to her because Yue was the only 'special one' to me, so I thought it would be best if she could just give up sooner rather than later."
"..."
"But no matter how badly I treated her, no matter how much I favored Yue, she always cried, laughed, or got angry, but she still lived happily. Even though she had no aptitude at all, couldn't use magic like Yue, and was easily defeated by Yue in a mock battle, she remained optimistic and positive, and didn't develop any inferiority complex or feel inferior to others."
"I, I don't have any inferiority complex..."
Kaori had been listening to Hajime silently, but now she couldn't help but retort, but her retort quickly faded away.
"Have you noticed? Since coming here, you've been apologizing all the time, and your smile is completely different from before."
"what?"
"Kaori, don't look down, look up into my eyes."
After hearing what Hajime said, Kaori realized that she had been looking down the whole time. She used to look the other person in the eye when she spoke...
Kaori was startled and her eyes met Hajime's.
"Listen carefully, I'll say it again. I like Yue. Even if there are other 'important people', Yue is the only 'special person' for me. If this makes you sad, or if you feel inferior compared to Yue... then you should leave me."
"...!"
Hearing what Hajime said so clearly, Kaori lowered her head again. Seeing Kaori's reaction, Hajime continued:
"Back then, I agreed to let Kaori come with us because you, like Shia, believed that staying with me was the best option for you. You understood my feelings, yet you refused to give up and kept moving forward. That's why I thought, 'Just stay with me as long as you can...' But now, I really don't think this is a good thing for you."
Hajime paused here and let go of Kaori's hand, who lowered her head.
"Think about it again. Why did you come here? Should you stay with me from now on? Kaori is different from Shia, because Shia also likes Yue... Depending on the situation, I may also send you back to your friend (Yaekashi)."
“I, I…”
Kaori stared at the hand that Hajime had released, and seemed to want to say something, but no words came out.
Despite the awkward atmosphere, they still had to move forward. Hajime urged Kaori to head towards the largest sailboat at the farthest point.
It was a luxurious passenger ship, more than 300 meters in length. The part visible on the ground alone had ten floors, and it was covered with solemn decorations. Even in its decay, it was still enough to move the viewer.
Hajime and Kaori arrived at the huge sailing ship that was sleeping in the deepest part of the ship graveyard. Seeing the magnificent ship that was rare even on Earth, the two of them looked up silently for a long time.
Kaori seemed lost in thought. Hajime, from the perspective of a skilled craftsman, thought, "How could a wooden ship be built so magnificently?" He couldn't help but feel a surge of respect for the craftsmen of the time.
Hajime picked up Kaori, used his aerodynamics to jump up, and landed on the balcony on the top floor of the luxury cruise ship.
Then, as expected, the surrounding space began to distort.
"Here we go again... Kaori, be prepared, it's definitely not a good sight."
“…Yeah, I’m fine.”
Hearing Kaori's hesitant answer, Hajime couldn't help but feel a little regretful. He shouldn't have mentioned those words while they were in the middle of conquering the maze.
Kaori's morale was noticeably low, and while Hajime was certain he had to say those words, he thought he should consider the timing.
But the smile on Kaori's face was so different from the smile Hajime knew, he couldn't bear to watch it anymore, so...
Perhaps I should at least be patient until I finish conquering the [Melkinen Undersea Ruins]—Hajime thought, scratching his cheek.
The surrounding scenery changed completely, and this time the two were on a luxury cruise ship sailing on the sea.
It was night, and a full moon hung high in the sky. The luxurious cruise ship was ablaze with light, and the deck was filled with a variety of decorations and a buffet spread. People enjoyed the sumptuous meal and chatted happily.
"This is... a dinner party, right?"
"Yeah, it looks quite magnificent... Did we mistake the theme of Melkiene?"
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