"I took the initiative. Hajime-san got angry because of me, and I was so happy that I couldn't help but kiss him."
"Wow, it's just like me back then! I couldn't help but kiss you too. We're companions, after all! Kaori-san!"
"Hehe, yes, Shia. Next time, shall we kiss him together?"
"Let's just make it a done deal."
The two girls were right beside Hajime, discussing their plan to attack him. A cold sweat streamed down his cheeks. They looked playful, but Kaori and Shia's eyes were actually quite serious. One was innocent, the other a little white rabbit, yet her eyes held the look of a hunter.
Especially since Kaori actually had the eyes of a carnivore, which was totally unimaginable in the past.
"...I thought you'd run away with your tail between your legs."
Yue looked at Kaori probingly.
She had already sensed Kaori's inner struggles and insecurities. Yue had initially thought that since this was Kaori's first time challenging the Great Labyrinth, she might be frustrated and flee. Of course, since the other party was a rival who had declared war on her, Yue had no intention of comforting Kaori. If Kaori withdrew at this point, her feelings for Hajime would be nothing more than that, and Yue would simply declare victory.
However, Kaori seemed to have regained her spirits, or rather, she came across as even more resolute than before, making Yue curious about what happened.
“…Yeah, Hajime-kun also told me that it would be best to just go back. But there’s always a huge gap between Yue and me… I already knew that.”
"...You admit you're no match for me?"
"That's not wrong. Or rather, I followed because I didn't want to admit defeat. But after seeing the gap between you and me, I forgot I was behind to begin with. I'm sorry for making you see me look so embarrassed."
“…It would be better if you just gave up.”
"Hehe, are you scared? Afraid that I'll take Hajime away from you?"
"...Don't get carried away, Troublemaker."
“… Hajime-kun said the same thing… Am I really that good at causing trouble?”
Kaori's cheeks twitched at Yue's harsh comment. Having both her lover and her rival call her a troublemaker, Kaori felt a little disheartened, but she quickly pulled herself together. Incidentally, Yue and Hajime all possessed the same troublemaker traits, so the term applied to them as well, though Yue didn't realize it.
"Maybe it's just as Yue said... But at least I'm Hajime-san's 'important person', so no matter what others say, I've decided to make it my goal to become Hajime-san's 'special person'."
"...Is that so? I'll accept your challenge just like before."
"Hmm! Ah, and I don't dislike Yue, you know? I've always wanted to have a friend I could argue with."
"...Friends? Me and Kaori?"
"Yes, friend. Some people in Japan pronounce the word 'strong enemy' as 'friend', so writing 'love rival' and pronouncing it as 'friend' should be fine, right?"
"...Japan, Hajime's hometown, the more I hear about it, the more I think it's an incredible country. But... I think that kind of taste is not bad either."
"Right? Fufufu, I'd appreciate your guidance from now on."
"……Um."
Yue and Kaori seemed to be in a good mood. However, Hajime, listening to their conversation, felt very uneasy, like a boy who accidentally walked into a girls' party.
And Kaori actually knew what a certain tough guy from the end of the century said, and Yue's response was the same as that of a snake who likes cardboard boxes. Although Hajime wanted to complain, he knew the situation and held it back. (Editor's note: From "Fist of the North Star" and "Metal Gear Solid")
Mr. Hajime is a child who knows how to be patient!
After arriving at the altar, the group entered the magic circle. As usual, the circle examined their minds and read their memories. However, this time, not only were their memories read, but the experiences of others were also played back. In other words, what Yue and the others had seen and heard was also shared with Hajime and Kaori.
Yue and the others, traveling through a vast underground space, arrived at an abandoned city, perhaps a submarine city. Like Hajime and Kaori, they experienced a spatial distortion, leading to a battle between the armies of two nations within the city. However, the city seemed to belong to humans and was being invaded by demons, and they, like Hajime and Kaori, were attacked by both sides.
Inside the city, there is a huge building that looks like a royal city. Yue and her friends disperse the army while moving towards the royal city. They then invade the royal city and eavesdrop on the conversations of important figures of the country.
It's said that the war between the demons and the human nation, whose capital is this city, was sparked by the annihilation of a human village by demons. However, this was actually a conspiracy by some humans who, unwilling to accept peace, sought to exterminate the demons. However, by the time humans realized the situation was amiss, the war had already escalated beyond control, leading to a counterattack and even the capital being invaded by the enemy... That's roughly what happened.
Moreover, the person who secretly planned the conspiracy was a high-ranking priest of the Guangjiao Church, which has deep roots with the country. The Guangjiao Church seems to be the predecessor of the Holy Church.
In desperation, humans resorted to a cruel act: they prayed to the gods when faced with difficulties, hoping to gain divine help through offering sacrifices. As a result, a tragic event occurred: hundreds of women and children were gathered in the city and murdered in the church's cathedral.
When Yue and the others saw that scene, they were also mentally shocked. At this time, the magic circle was used to confirm their memories, forcing them to recall what happened at that time. Their faces turned pale, especially Xia, who looked like she was about to vomit.
The memory was finally confirmed, and everyone successfully gained approval to conquer the maze. The new magic of the Age of Gods was engraved into the minds of Hajime and others.
"So this magic is here... Damn Liberator, it's basically at opposite ends of the continent."
"...I found the 'power of regeneration'."
Hajime couldn't help but complain, because the Age of Gods magic of the [Melkinen Undersea Ruins] was 『Regeneration Magic』.
He recalled the inscription on the stone tablet beneath the great tree in Hartrina Forest. It stated that one must possess the "power of regeneration" to advance. This meant that to conquer the Great Labyrinth at the eastern end, one must first reach the western end. This was extremely troublesome for those who had visited Hartrina Forest first. Hajime and his team had an easier time than others because they had the magic-powered vehicle, a tool capable of high-speed travel.
Thinking of the liberator's scheming, Hajime couldn't help but let out a look of disgust. Just as the magic circle's glow faded, a cube rose from the floor, seemingly a smaller altar. A faint glow emanated from the altar, and the next moment, the light coalesced into a humanoid form. It seemed that Mel Melkiné, like Oscar Orcus, had left a message.
A light-condensed form gradually took shape, finally transforming into a woman. She sat at the altar, wearing a loose-fitting dress, with long emerald green hair and fan-shaped ears. Surprisingly, it seemed one of the liberators, Mel Melkinne, was a woman with ties to the Sea People.
Mel, like Oscar, introduced herself and then told the truth about the Liberator. She seemed to be a quiet woman, exuding a gentle and slightly sad aura. Finally, after telling the same story as Oscar, Mel said this at the end:
“…Please do not rely on or depend on God, nor do you become accustomed to accepting God’s charity. Strive hard to obtain what you desire. Make decisions based on your own will and move forward with your own feet. No matter what difficulties you encounter, the answers are always within you, and only within you. Do not be deceived by God’s sweet answers. Happiness can only be found with free will. May the sweet rain of happiness descend upon you.”
Mel Melkinne concluded her words, transforming once more into a faint glow before vanishing. Then, a small, glowing magic circle appeared where she had been sitting. When the light faded, a coin engraved with Melkinne's crest rested on the circle.
"That's exactly the same number of proofs, Hajime-san. With that, we can definitely conquer the Great Labyrinth in the Sea of Trees. I wonder how Father and the others are doing?"
Shia thought of her hometown and family with nostalgia, but the image of her father and other tribesmen making "Eeh-ha" sounds came to her mind. She quickly shook her head to dispel that image.
Hajime put the proof coin into the 'treasury' and, like Shia, thought of the Hauriya tribe making the 'Ehhaha' sound. He shook his head, trying to clear the image from his mind.
Just as he put away the certificate, the temple began to shake and the surrounding sea water suddenly rose.
"Huh!? Huh, are you forcibly expelling us? Hurry and grab each other."
"……Um!"
"Wow, that's rough."
"I don't want to be like I was in the Rasen Labyrinth again."
"You're actually good at water attacks...?"
The sea level was rising rapidly, and they didn't have time to move the submarine out, as it was submerged in the blink of an eye. To avoid being swept away, everyone immediately took out oxygen bottles from the "treasure vault", put them on their mouths, and held on to each other's clothes tightly.
Then, a section of the ceiling opened, revealing a shortcut like the Great Gulun Volcano, and seawater poured in violently. They were also rushed into the vertical cave, as if squeezed by the water from below, and pushed upward with great force.
This was probably the shortcut to the [Melkinne Undersea Ruins]. The method was brutal, completely at odds with Melkinne's gentle and quiet image. It was a shortcut to forced expulsion. Perhaps Melkinne was unexpectedly a radical.
They were forced to push upwards, and soon found themselves blocked by a wall.
Hajime instantly prepared to use Kongou to block Yue and the others, but before he could do so, the ceiling opened again, violently sending the group out of the ruins and into the vast ocean. Hajime was convinced that Mel Melkines' personality was definitely the opposite of her appearance; she was probably a radical and careless person.
After being thrown into the sea, Hajime hurriedly took out the submarine from the "treasure house" and signaled Yue and the others to get on it with his eyes.
However, this intention was thwarted by the person he least wanted to meet.
"!? Dodge quickly!"
Hajime conveyed this message to everyone through telepathy.
At this moment, translucent tentacles passed quickly in front of their eyes and violently bounced the submarine away.
Hajime's gaze shifted to the side, and before him was a terrifying monster that looked like a fairy at first glance, yet could melt everything and regenerate infinitely—a giant naked sea butterfly. It once again shot out countless tentacles at an incredibly fast speed, seemingly unaffected by the resistance of the seawater.
The giant naked sea butterfly had waited until the end of the strategy to appear. Hajime gritted his teeth and activated "Telepathy" to call Yue.
"moon!"
『——Frozen Coffin!』
Yue and Hajime's mind were connected, and she responded to Hajime's call by freezing the surrounding seawater into a ball and opening an ice barrier.
The ice barrier was hit by the tentacles, and Hajime and the others inside were violently thrown apart in the sea. The fierce impact caused them to collide violently inside the barrier.
"Master! What should I do?!"
Tio used the telepathic stone to connect with Hajime, and Hajime replied:
"Yue, move to the sea. You'll just be a target in the water. I'll buy you some time!"
"Um!"
As Hajime spoke, he manipulated the ring-shaped sensor stone, controlling the submarine remotely. The submarine, which had been slammed into the water, seemed to come alive, righting its hull and charging at the giant sea butterfly at a furious speed. The submarine performed a barrel roll underwater, dodging countless attacking tentacles, and then, in response, launched countless torpedoes from its bottom.
Twelve torpedoes are fired at a time, which is normally enough to cause damage.
However, Hajime judged that if he didn't create a gap at this time, he would still be unable to resist in the end, so he did not stop the attack and continuously fired all the torpedoes loaded on the submarine.
Then, Hajime steered the submarine in a horizontal glide, tracing a circle around the giant sea butterfly. He made the submarine navigate a pattern impossible for ordinary ships, while simultaneously firing a series of torpedoes, forty-eight in total.
The torpedoes pulled out bubble tails and attacked the giant naked sea butterfly from all directions, hitting the target squarely and causing terrible damage.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! A dull crash echoed around, and the sea swelled up like an expansion. If someone were to look directly above the giant naked sea butterfly from the surface of the ocean, they would probably see the sea surface swell up instantly, followed by a huge column of water.
After all the torpedoes exploded, Yue manipulated the water currents and tried to float upwards. They figured that even with a monster-like regenerative ability, this should buy them some time.
However, the giant naked sea butterfly's extraordinary strength exceeded expectations.
"Moon, up there!"
『! ...No, it's too late!』
When they were about to float to the surface, they found that they were covered by translucent jelly. The jelly that was originally drifting in disorder suddenly condensed into a five-meter-long naked sea butterfly.
Then, a huge hole opened up on its head and swallowed the entire ice barrier. Of course, Hajime and the others also entered the naked sea butterfly's belly along with the barrier.
"Damn it, it regenerates too quickly!"
"Oh no, Hajime-san, there's jelly all around!"
It seems that not only the broken tentacles, but also the translucent jelly has been following the ocean current and distributed around the barrier since the beginning.
"...Hajime, I can't hold on for much longer! The monster doesn't have seawater in its belly, so it can't reinforce its barrier."
"Phew, everyone, prepare for impact!"
The ice barrier melted at an extremely fast rate, Yue desperately resisting. Hajime cast a "Vajra" on the barrier, strengthening its defenses. At the same time, he took out a large number of rockets and torpedoes from his "treasure trove" and placed them outside the barrier, in the belly of the naked sea butterfly.
A loud roar echoed again, and Nakakai's body exploded and scattered. For a brief moment, even Kongo nearly melted. Hajime and the others, caught in the immediate vicinity of the explosion, were thrown back, and the ice barrier shattered and scattered.
They were thrown into the sea, and Hajime used remote control to call a submarine, hoping that Kaori and Shia, who were unable to fight underwater, would seize the submarine and transport them to the sea.
However, this time, it was the submarine that was caught. A portion of a giant sea butterfly had somehow clung to the bottom of the boat, creating a hole. As seawater flowed into the boat, slowing its speed, the translucent jelly that had been scattered around it suddenly gathered and enveloped the submarine.
It seemed to sense their attempt to ascend, so it spread a large amount of translucent jelly above them. Given the giant sea butterfly's extraordinary regeneration speed, ordinary methods would be unable to break through the jelly.
Seeing his proud submarine gradually disintegrating, Hajime cursed inwardly while communicating with Yue via telepathy.
"Tsuki, please use 'that'."
"...It will take forty seconds."
"I won't let it get in your way. If you want to escape from the sea, that's the only way."
"Hmm... leave it to me."
Yue closed her eyes and remained motionless to concentrate. Kaori and Shia held Yue back to prevent her from being swept away by the current.
Tio used a smaller version of her breath, barely able to drive away the attacking tentacles. However, the breath consumed a significant amount of magic power, and its power and range were greatly reduced in water. Furthermore, the breath was a straight-line attack, making it difficult to hit the tentacles, and its destructive power was weak, likely to be broken through in a few seconds.
Hajime continued to take out ores from the "Treasure House" and used "Refine" continuously, creating a spherical physical barrier just like Yue's ice barrier just now.
"Master! It's about to be broken through!"
"Thanks for holding on! I'm done, everyone come in!"
The metal barrier, capable of holding five people, was completed. As Tio entered, the final person, the hole closed, forming a complete metal sphere. It was coated in red magic—reinforced by diamond. Because the metal sphere also contained gravity stone, it wouldn't continue to sink.
Then, the tentacles attacked and enveloped the metal ball in one breath.
The translucent jelly could even dissolve magic power, so it immediately broke through the Diamond, and the surface of the metal ball also began to melt. However, when the red current passed through, the metal at the melted part bulged again, barely maintaining the barrier.
All this was due to Hajime's continuous "refining" within the metal sphere. Luckily, the "treasure vault" was full of ore, and Hajime, exerting all his might to continuously "refine," fought against the speed of melting, and finally the long-awaited moment arrived.
“—‘World Piercing’!”
Yue's space transfer magic was activated, and an oval film of light immediately appeared beside Hajime and the others in the metal sphere.
——Space magic "World Transmigration".
This was a form of spatial magic, a power of the Age of Gods, learned at the Grun Volcano. It could create a connection between two locations, effectively creating a portal. Due to her recent learning, even Yue needed to concentrate for tens of seconds before it could be used, making it an extremely difficult spell.
"Everyone jump in!"
Hajime pressed his hand against the metal ball, continuing to "refine." Heeding his command, everyone jumped into the portal, Hajime jumping in last. As Hajime passed through the portal, it instantly vanished. Seconds later, countless tentacles pierced the metal ball, melting it.
As soon as they passed through the portal, they felt a strong sense of floating, because their destination was in the air. In order to get as far away from the sea as possible, Yue placed the exit 100 meters in the air.
Tio immediately transformed into a dragon, letting Hajime and the others sit on her back as they floated in the air. Yue nearly collapsed on Tio's back, but Kaori and Shia, beside her, immediately supported her. Her magic power was completely depleted. Yue hurriedly drew magic power from the magic crystal to replenish herself.
"Thank you, Yue. As expected of you. Spatial transfer is quite difficult."
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