An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

At that moment, the electromagnetically accelerated Taurus ore bullet, accompanied by a loud gunshot, hit the only eye of Cyclos on the right side, destroying its brain and exploding the back of its head. The bullet penetrated and shattered the wall behind it.

The Cyclos on the left looked stunned, looking at the Cyclos next to him. After being struck, Cyclos convulsed and fell forward. The impact of the huge body falling shook the entire room, and a mist of dust rose up.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not a good enemy. I can't read your expressions and wait for you to appear."

Regardless, this was a brutal attack. Considering the hell Hajime had been through, such behavior was par for the course, but Cyclos (right) was truly... truly pitiful.

They were probably the sealed guardians guarding this door. No one should visit a place deeper than the bottom of the abyss.

Finally getting the chance to fulfill his duties, perhaps he (?) was filled with joy. He was ready to enter the battle, but before he even saw his opponent, his important one-eyed being blown off along with his head, if that's not pitiful, then what is pitiful?

Cyclos (left) looked at Hajime with a trembling expression, its eyes seemed to say, "How dare this guy do such a thing!"

Hajime remained motionless, his gaze fixed on Cyclos (left). Hajime's weapon—a gun—was unfamiliar to Cyclos. He crouched low, as if on guard, ready to strike at any moment. He stared at Hajime for ten seconds, twenty seconds... Seeing Hajime's continued lack of movement, perhaps unable to contain himself any longer, Cyclos (left) roared and took a step forward.

Then he fell face down to the ground.

The moment it stepped forward, its entire body gave out, and it collapsed. Cyclos (left) looked completely bewildered, struggling to stand, but could only move slightly, unable to muster any strength.

Cyclos (left) growled and struggled. Hajime slowly approached it, the tapping of his footsteps like a countdown. Hajime walked right in front of Cyclos (left), placed the muzzle of his gun against the prone Cyclos's head, and without hesitation, pulled the trigger.

boom!

The sound of gunfire echoed throughout the room.

However, something unexpected happened at this moment. The body of Cyclos (left) glowed for a moment, and the bullet that hit him directly was deflected by his skin.

"Huh?"

Hajime speculated that this might be a special magic. It seemed that the effect of Cyclos's special magic was to greatly increase defense.

Cyclos (left) lies on the ground with a mocking smile on his face.

Hajime didn't react to this. He moved the gun away and then aimed a kick at the head of Cyclos (left). Using the power of his "Go-Kick," Hajime's kick traced a beautiful trajectory, like the Kicking Rabbit of the past. He kicked Cyclos (left) over, flipping it onto its back, and then pressed the gun against its exposed eye again.

It felt like Cyclos (left) was saying, "Wait, wait a minute?", but Hajime ignored it and pulled the trigger. "After all, it can't even strengthen its eyes." The bullet penetrated easily, shattering Cyclos (left)'s head.

"Hmm, about twenty seconds, that's a bit slow... Is it because your body is so huge?"

Hajime looked at Cyclos as if he were analyzing the results of an experiment.

Why did Cyclos (left) suddenly fall down and become unable to move?

That was because of the "paralysis grenade." It was a weapon that contained scale powder from the Mora-like creature, spread through a small blast, paralyzing the opponent. The moment Cyclos (left) looked at the fallen Cyclos (right), Hajime threw the grenade in advance, spreading the scale powder.

"Forget it, I'll get the meat later..."

Hajime glanced towards the door and thought for a moment.

Then, he used his Wind Claws to cut open Cyclos and extract the magic stone from his body. Hajime, not caring about the blood staining them, brought two fist-sized magic stones to the door and tried to match them to the grooves.

The magic stone slotted into place perfectly, then emanated a dark red magical light, gradually infusing the magic circle. With a snap, as if something were breaking, the light ceased. Perhaps the magic power had spread throughout the room, as the surrounding walls glowed, a long-lost light filling the room.

Hajime blinked slightly, then opened the door gently while keeping a vigilant look.

Behind the door lay a dark, gloomy space that seemed vast. Using Hajime's night vision and the light from the previous room, the entire interior gradually emerged.

The interior was constructed of lustrous stone, similar to the marble seen in the cathedrals of the Holy Church. Several massive pillars were neatly arranged in two rows, extending straight up the center of the room. Near the center, a massive cube of stone was placed, reflecting the light entering the room with a smooth sheen.

Hajime looked at the cube and noticed something glowing near the center of the front of the cube.

Hajime wanted to get closer to check and was about to lock the door open. He was afraid that if the door closed as soon as he entered the room, like in a horror movie, it would be a headache.

However, before Hajime could secure the door, the thing moved.

"……who?"

It was a weak, hoarse girl's voice. Hajime was startled and stared at the center of the room. He saw that "something" that had been growing there before began to move unsteadily, and the light shining in revealed its shape.

"Is it... a human?"

The "something that grows" is a person.

Her neck and hands were buried in the cube, leaving only her face visible. Her long blond hair hung down like a ghost from a horror movie. Through the gaps in her hair, red eyes glimpsed, reminiscent of a moon not yet fully risen. She was about twelve or thirteen years old, and though her appearance was rather haggard and obscured by her drooping hair, it was clear she possessed a beautiful face.

This was unexpected, and Hajime froze in his tracks. The red-eyed girl stared at him blankly. After a while, Hajime took a deep breath and spoke with a resolute expression.

"Sorry, I went to the wrong room."

After saying this, Hajime was about to close the door. The girl with blond hair and red eyes saw this and hurriedly called out to him. But she seemed to have not spoken in years. Her voice was hoarse, like a whisper...

But her urgency came through clearly.

“Wait a minute… please… save me…”

"don't want."

After saying this, Hajime was about to close the door. What a devil.

"W-Why...I'm willing to do anything...so..."

The girl was desperate. Only her neck and above could move, but she still raised her head and begged desperately.

However, Hajime replied in annoyance:

"Well, how could I possibly free someone who's clearly been sealed deeper than the bottom of the abyss? Such a person would definitely be dangerous. And from what I can see, there's nothing here except seals... It doesn't seem like there's any use in escaping from here, so that's it..."

What he said was very reasonable.

However, it's rare for someone to refuse a captive girl's request for help so bluntly. Hajime, who was always kind and friendly, certainly wouldn't have the heart to refuse.

Being rejected by him coldly, the girl screamed as if she was about to cry:

"No! Ahem... I'm not a bad person... Wait a minute! I..."

Hajime slowly closed the door as if it had nothing to do with him. Just as the door was about to be completely closed, Hajime gritted his teeth in regret, thinking that if he had closed it earlier, he would not have heard those words.

"I was just betrayed!"

There was only a tiny gap left in the door.

However, the door, which was closing, stopped at the girl's cries. A thin sliver of light filtered into the dim room. Ten, twenty seconds passed before the door opened again. Hajime, looking as if he had eaten bitter herbs, stood in the doorway with the door open.

As for Hajime, no matter what she said, he had no intention of saving her. If she was sealed in such a place, there must be a valid reason, and no one could guarantee that it wasn't dangerous. She could very well be an evil being, and this was just a deception to deceive Hajime. That was more likely, so he should have just let her die.

(What am I doing?)

Hajime sighed inwardly.

『Betrayed』—his heart was shaken by these words. He should have been indifferent to the fact that a certain classmate had fired that magic bullet. In this realm, Hajime only wanted to fulfill the extremely difficult wish of 『survival』. Hatred was just an unnecessary distraction for him.

Even so, his heart was still shaken, and there might still be some part of him that he couldn't let go. And what conscience he had left might be enough for him to sympathize with the girl in the same situation.

Hajime scratched his head and walked towards the girl, of course not taking it lightly at all.

"You said you were betrayed? But that doesn't explain why you were sealed. Even if you're telling the truth, why would your betrayer seal you here?"

Seeing Hajime coming back, the girl froze in confusion.

Red eyes stared at Hajime through lush, dirty blond hair. Seeing the girl not respond, Hajime grew furious. "Hey, did you hear that? If you don't tell me, I'm leaving," he said, turning to leave. Seeing him leave, the girl suddenly came to her senses and hurriedly began to explain why she had been sealed.

"I'm a vampire who's experienced atavism... I possess immense power... so I've been doing my best for my country, but... one day... my retainers told me... I'm no longer needed... My uncle said... he'd be the king from now on... Even so... I wouldn't object... but he said my power is too great and dangerous... because I can't be killed... so he sealed me... that's why I'm here..."

The girl spoke in a hoarse voice, desperately trying to explain herself. As Hajime listened, he marveled at the turbulent circumstances of her life. However, there were many concerning words in her words, and an indescribable complex emotion welled up within him. Hajime suppressed that feeling and asked her:

"Are you from a royal family of some country?"

"……(nod)"

"What do you mean by unkillable?"

"...The body heals itself. Even if you're injured, it heals immediately. Even if your head is cut off, it will heal after a while."

“…That’s truly astonishing… Is that the powerful force you were talking about?”

"That's one of them... but I can manipulate magic power directly... I don't need a magic circle."

"I see," Hajime finally understood.

After consuming a monster, Hajime can also use "Magic Manipulation." For physical enhancement, no chanting or magic circles are required. Other skills, such as Transmutation, also don't require chanting.

However, in Hajime's case, since his magic aptitude is zero, even if he can directly manipulate magic power, he still needs a magic circle, otherwise he still can't use magic.

However, if someone possessed a magical aptitude like this girl, they could unleash a formidable power. After all, while those around them were slowly preparing their chants and magic circles, they could unleash a barrage of magic, making it a near-impossible outcome. Furthermore, she was immortal. While perhaps not completely indestructible, even so, this was still a powerful external force that surpassed the hero's strength.

“…Save me…”

The girl watched as Hajime pondered and came to a conclusion alone, and she pleaded with him pitifully.

"..."

Hajime stared at the girl, and the girl stared back at Hajime. They didn't know how long they stared at each other...

Finally, Hajime scratched his head, sighed, and placed his hand on the cube that trapped the girl.

"what!"

The girl probably understood what that meant, as she opened her eyes wide in surprise. Hajime ignored her and began to refine.

After eating the monster, it turned dark red, no, thick red magic power surged out like an electric discharge.

However, the cube, which should have been deforming according to his imagination, seemed to resist Hajime's magic power and bounced away. Like the bedrock above and below the maze, it seemed not to be completely ineffective. Hajime's magic power seemed to erode the cube bit by bit, gradually forcing it to retreat.

“Wow, your resistance is strong…! But if it’s me now!”

Hajime poured more magic power into the cube, the amount needed to chant the six verses. With so much magic power poured in, it finally began to permeate the cube. The surrounding area, affected by Hajime's magic light, glowed a deep crimson, as if the entire room were being dyed.

Hajime continued to pour in magic power, seven times… eight times… and the stones surrounding the girl began to vibrate slowly.

"It's not over yet!"

Hajime concentrated his attention, pouring in nine sections of mana. If it were elemental magic, this amount would have been a high-level spell, perhaps even higher. The red light shone brighter and brighter, and the girl stared at Hajime with wide eyes, as if unwilling to miss even a moment of this sight.

It was Hajime's first time using such a large amount of magic power, and he began to sweat all over. A slight error in control could easily lead to a loss of control. But even with so much magic power, the cube remained intact. A bit desperate, Hajime released all his magic power.

Hajime himself didn't understand why he would go to such lengths for this girl he just met for the first time.

However, he simply couldn't ignore it, so there was nothing he could do about it. Although he should have decided to eliminate all obstacles and live completely for his own purpose, but... Hajime once again said to himself helplessly, "What the hell am I doing?" At the same time, he also realized that there are exceptions to everything, so he gave up resistance and decided to "follow his heart."

Now, Hajime himself also glowed red, a true all-out release of magic power. After pouring all his magic power into it, the refining that he had staked his will on finally succeeded!

Then, the cube around the girl seemed to melt and flow down, and the shackles that bound her were gradually loosened.

Her slightly raised breasts were exposed, followed by her waist, arms, and thighs. The cube that covered her began to flow down. Although her naked body was thin and frail, it still exuded a mysterious beauty. With her whole body liberated, the girl slumped to the ground, seemingly unable to stand up.

And Hajime also sat down on the ground, his shoulders rising and falling with his breathing. Because his magic power was completely exhausted, he felt extremely tired.

Hajime gasped, reaching out a trembling hand to take the holy water, but the girl gripped it tightly. It was a weak, thin hand, trembling violently. Hajime glanced sideways to observe the situation, while the girl stared directly at him. Although her face was expressionless, her overflowing emotions were fully revealed in her red eyes.

Then, the girl said to Hajime in a trembling but clear voice:

"……Thank you."

Hajime didn't know how to describe the feeling he had when he heard these words, but in his heart, which should have let go of everything, a light, albeit faint, seemed to ignite, which would never fade away.

The hand they held was still tightly held. How long had she been here? At least in Hajime's knowledge, vampires should have died out hundreds of years ago. That's what the books said when he studied the history of this world.

Her expression remained unchanged throughout the conversation, meaning that she had spent that long period, long enough to make one forget how to speak or express one's emotions, alone in the darkness.

And from what she said, she was betrayed by someone she trusted. It's amazing she didn't go crazy. Perhaps it's all thanks to that automatic regeneration power I mentioned earlier. If that's the case, not going crazy would be a form of torture, since even going crazy isn't allowed.

"It's better to drink the holy water later," Hajime said with a wry smile, his tired hand firmly shaking the hand. The girl shuddered and shook the hand again firmly.

"……May I have your name?"

The girl asked Hajime softly. "So, neither of us has ever told each other our names," Hajime replied with a wry smile, and asked the girl's name as well.

"Hajime, my name is Nagumo Hajime, what's yours?"

"Hajime, Hajime," the girl repeated, as if to engrave a very important name in her heart. When asked about her name, she was about to answer, but seemed to change her mind and asked Hajime for help.

"...Please help me get one."

"What? You want me to name you? Have you forgotten your own name?"

If they were imprisoned for a long time, then it was indeed possible to forget, so Hajime asked, but the girl shook her head.

"I don't want the previous name anymore... I want the name Hajime gave me."

“…Ah, even if you say that…”

That was probably the same reason as Hajime's personality change, abandoning his past self and living as a new self with new values. Hajime's transformation was semi-forced amidst pain, fear, and hunger, but this girl wanted to change of her own accord, and the first step was probably a new name.

The girl looked at Hajime with anticipation, while Hajime scratched his head, as if thinking for a moment, and then said her new name helplessly.

"How about the name 'Moon'? I don't have much taste in naming, so if you don't like it, I'll think of something else..."

"Moon?...Yue...Yue..."