An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

Then, facing the highest-level magic that lasted for more than ten seconds, the three heads were powerless to resist, uttered dying howls, and eventually turned into charcoal.

Yue sat down on the ground as usual, panting from the exhaustion of his magic power. Although his face was expressionless, his eyes shone with satisfaction, and he gave Hajime a thumbs-up. Hajime also smiled and gave a thumbs-up, then picked up Shurajan again, turned his back to the remains of Hydra, and walked towards Yue.

Then——

"beginning!"

Yue shouted urgently, and Hajime was confused. He followed Yue's gaze and saw a seventh head silently rising from the body, staring at Hajime. Hajime's body stiffened unconsciously.

Then, the seventh head, etched with shimmering silver patterns, turned its gaze away from Hajime and, with a sharp gaze, directed its gaze towards Yue. Without any preparatory action, it released an aurora. The aurora, comparable to Hajime's Shurajan, instantly approached Yue. Yue, drained of her magic power, was unable to move.

The moment the silver-patterned head turned its gaze towards Yue, Hajime felt a chill run down his body and immediately ran out.

Just like when the blueprint's head reappeared, at the moment when Aurora was about to destroy Yue, Shi once again successfully blocked her way.

However, the result was completely different. The aurora engulfed Hajime, and although Yue behind him wasn't directly hit, his body was still sent flying by the aftermath.

The aurora faded, Yue's body aching, and she groaned as she climbed to her feet. She recalled the time before the aurora engulfed her, when Hajime had rushed in and stood in her way. Yue anxiously searched for him.

Hajime remained where he had initially blocked the attack, not moving an inch. He stood erect, his entire body billowing with smoke, and the ground was littered with the melted remains of the Shurajan.

"H-Hai?"

"..."

Hajime didn't answer. He just swayed and fell forward.

"beginning!"

Yue was restless, ignoring the pain in her body. She tried to run over, but her magic power was exhausted and she fell. She suppressed her anxiety, took out the sacred water and drank it all in one gulp. After regaining some strength, Yue stood up and finally ran to Hajime's side.

Hajime lay on the ground, blood flowing from his lower body. Perhaps the aurora had penetrated Hajime's "Vajra," damaging him. The scorpion-like shell could somewhat block Yue's "Sky." If Hajime hadn't used the scorpion-like shell, a shield, in an emergency, he might have died on the spot.

After turning Shi onto his back, Yue realized the severity of his injuries. His fingers, shoulder, and flank were burned, leaving some bones exposed. The right side of his face was also burned, and blood was flowing continuously from his right eye. Due to the angle, the impact on his feet was minimal, which was a blessing in disguise.

Yue hurriedly tried to give Hajime the holy water, but the enemy wouldn't give her that much time. This time, the silver-patterned head fired countless light bullets, each about ten centimeters in diameter, like a machine gun.

Yue Bao began to move, exerting all his strength to leave his position and hide behind the pillar. Light bullets shot at the pillar one after another, as if grinding it, each light bullet gathering a terrifying amount of energy. The pillar probably wouldn't last more than a minute.

Yue quickly sprinkled the sacred water on Shi's wound, hoping to get him to drink another one. However, perhaps because he no longer had the strength to drink, Shi choked on the sacred water and spat it out. Yue held the sacred water in his own mouth and fed it directly to Shi, suppressing him from spitting it out and forcing him to drink it.

However, despite the holy water's ability to stop the bleeding, the wound hadn't healed. Normally, it would have healed quickly, but now it seemed to be hindered by something, and the recovery was still lingering.

"Why!?"

Yue fell into a semi-panic state and took out all the sacred water that was available.

In fact, Xudela's aurora contains a toxin that can melt flesh. Generally, anything attacked will be melted without any resistance.

However, the divine water's healing power was astonishing, repairing faster than it could dissolve. Though slow, combined with Hajime's body, which had been strengthened by absorbing the flesh and blood of monsters, it would heal with a little time. However, because his right eye had been vaporized by the aurora's light, the divine water could only repair the wound; the missing part could not be regenerated.

The pillar was almost shattered, and it was impossible to hold on until Hajime could move. Yue showed a resolute expression, staring at Hajime, kissing him gently, then took Hajime's Donal and stood up.

“…This time, it’s my turn to save Hajime…”

After leaving these firm words, Yue rushed out from behind the pillar.

With only a little magic power left and the sacred water exhausted, the only thing he could rely on was his vampire body after being strengthened, the unsettling special magic of "Auto-Regeneration", and Hajime's Donal.

Hydra's silver-patterned head glared at Yue, who rushed out from behind the pillar, and fired a barrage of light bullets. Yue, with her remaining mana low, couldn't counteract the attacks with magic, nor could she use Donner to shoot down the bullets like Hajime had, so she could only run and dodge desperately. However, close combat, which primarily relied on physical skills, was not Yue's forte, and she was quickly forced into danger.

Finally, a light bullet hit Yue's shoulder.

“Ah!?”

Yue groaned in pain, but she followed the momentum of the explosion and stood up and ran again. She knew that if she stopped because of the pain, she would be attacked in an instant.

Yue's "auto-regeneration" had begun, but it was slower than usual. The Aurora's additional effect seemed to be affecting "auto-regeneration" as well. His mana consumption was even more severe, and at this rate, even the mana he could use to strengthen his body would soon be gone.

Yue tried to get closer, but the barrage was too dense, making it difficult to reach. If she didn't get close, Yue didn't think she could hit it with the Donar. So she had to find an opening to get closer, but the light bullets kept hitting Yue relentlessly, and she was almost at her wit's end.

To try to break the situation, Yue reluctantly pulled the trigger on Donal. While she couldn't use 'Thunderbolt Entanglement,' she knew lightning magic, so she could manage electromagnetic acceleration. And perhaps it was beginner's luck, the bullet passed through the gap in the barrage and struck Silver Pattern's head near the temple.

however--

"Eh?"

Yue couldn't help but let out a surprised sound.

Although it was not complete, it was indeed a powerful blow that had been accelerated by electromagnetic force. However, only a shallow scar was left on Silver Pattern's head, and it seemed that he had not suffered much damage.

Light's face showed despair, but his defeat would mean Hajime's death, so Light gritted his teeth and focused on avoiding the attacks once again.

However, such a simple battle pattern couldn't continue forever. The silver-patterned figure's gaze gleamed, and a second aurora blast ripped through space. Yue's evasive path was limited by the light bullet, so she rushed toward it, only to be knocked back by it, ultimately avoiding the aurora's devastation.

However, the price of doing so was that the abdomen was hit by the light bullet and the whole person crashed to the ground.

“Wuwu…wuwu…”

His body was immobilized, but if he didn't act immediately, he would be crushed by the light bullets. Yue knew this and struggled desperately, but his body wouldn't obey him. This was because his 'auto-regeneration' was proceeding very slowly.

Yue shed tears unconsciously. She was very unwilling to accept the fact. Was it impossible for her to protect Shi?

The silver-patterned head saw Yue lying on the ground, and as if certain of victory, it roared "Garooah!" and fired a light bullet.

The light bullet approached Yue. Yue did not close her eyes. At least her heart would not give up. She stared fiercely at the head of the silver pattern.

The light bullet approached, and the flash filled the horizon. Yue would be hit and die. Yue was about to apologize to Hajime in his heart for not being able to protect him and for having to die first.

In an instant... a gust of wind blew.

"what?"

When Yue came to her senses, she saw herself being picked up and light bullets whizzing past her. She looked up at the person holding her up with disbelief.

That person was undoubtedly Hajime. He was covered in wounds, panting, with one eye tightly closed, hugging Yue.

"There's nothing to cry about, Yue. You won."

"beginning!"

Yue was deeply moved and hugged Shi. Shi's injuries were barely healed, and he was actually only relying on his mental strength to support himself.

Hajime looked at the silver-patterned head. Light bullets appeared around it, and it stared at Hajime with a relaxed expression, as if saying, "What else can a dying man do at this point?" Then it fired light bullets without hesitation.

“…Too slow.”

Hajime used only minimal movement, leaning his body back to avoid the light bullet just before it hit him.

The head with the silver pattern narrowed its eyes, and countless light bullets attacked at once.

“Hajime, run!”

Yue said this to Hajime with an anxious look on his face, but Hajime didn't care. He held Yue in his arms, spinning around like he was dancing, or swaying his body, dodging the light bullets with movements that made him look like he was about to fall over. It was almost impossible not to think that the light bullets were dodging Hajime themselves.

Yue was dumbfounded.

"Yue, suck my blood."

Hajime urged Yue with a calm gaze and a calm voice. Yue hesitated, as Hajime had already lost a lot of blood. Hajime staggered, dodging the light bullets, and hugged Yue tightly, lifting her to neck height.

"In the end, we can only rely on your magic... Come on, Yue, we must win!"

"……Um!"

Hearing Hajime's words filled with strong will, Yue nodded vigorously.

Trusting Hajime, she buried her head in his neck and bit down. As if Hajime's power flowed directly into her, Yue's body rapidly healed. The two embraced each other in a storm of light bullets like a meteor shower, moving in circles like a dance.

Now, in Hajime's eyes, the world seemed to have faded. In this black and white world, everything moved slowly, and only Hajime could move normally.

Hajime had seen it all. He struggled to maintain his shaky consciousness as he watched Yue fight alone; he saw Yue holding Hajime's gun with one hand, fighting desperately, as if she were being tortured and cornered; and he saw her lying on the ground, about to be killed by the aurora.

Hajime's chest was suddenly filled with intense anger. What was he doing now? How long was he going to lie there? Was he going to allow his friends to be taken away in such a place? Was he going to give in to that monster?

No! Absolutely not! Anyone who threatens themselves, threatens their survival is the enemy! The enemy is only——

"Kill without mercy!"

At that moment, a jolt of electricity raced through his brain as one of Hajime's skills awakened. It was the final derivative of "Heavenly Step" (+Blink). It amplified his perception and significantly enhanced all of "Heavenly Step"'s abilities. Hajime once again "crossed the barrier."

It was with this skill that Hajime was able to reach Yue's side in an instant, and with minimal movement, dodge the light bullet that seemed to be flying slowly towards him.

Soon, Yue finished sucking blood and fully recovered his strength.

"Yue, at my signal, you will cast 'Sky'. Until then, focus on dodging."

“Hmm… what about Hajime?”

"I need to make some preparations."

After saying this, Hajime placed Yue behind the pillar and ran towards the head of the silver pattern.

Hajime narrowly dodged the incoming barrage of light bullets, using Shukuchi to shift position while firing Donal. The silver-patterned head seemed to sense that it wouldn't escape unscathed this time, as it had with Yue's earlier attack, and so it swung its head to avoid the attack. The bullet missed, ultimately only creating a hole in the ceiling.

Hajime didn't care and continued to shoot from different positions, but the bullets still missed and only made empty holes in the ceiling.

A sneer flashed in the eyes of the silver-patterned head. Normally, Hajime's shooting wouldn't have been like this. Yue felt uneasy for a moment, but she still trusted Hajime and continued to wait.

After Hajime finished firing at Donal, he used his "Aerodynamics" to leap into the air. His footwork was now more precise than before, and Hajime leaped through the air near the ceiling, dodging the light bullets as if swimming.

Perhaps it was angry at him, the Silver Pattern Head shot out Aurora blindly, but of course, Hajime easily dodged it. Hajime smiled smugly, because he saw that the Silver Pattern Head could not move while shooting Aurora.

"This is a thank you gift for torturing Yue. Please accept it."

As he finished speaking, Hajime used the reloaded Donard to snipe at six locations again.

Then, there was a sudden strong explosion and impact on the ceiling. After a moment of silence, the ceiling collapsed all at once. The area was ten meters in diameter and weighed dozens of tons. The huge mass collapsed and fell on the head of the silver pattern directly below.

“Gurrua ...

The silver-patterned head let out a cry of surprise and anxiety, but the timing was perfect. Hajime seized the moment of stiffness after its attack, and the silver-patterned head was unable to avoid it and was thus crushed under the earth and rocks.

Hajime had previously used Donar to punch holes in the ceiling, dodging laser bullets in mid-air while placing grenades in the holes, and used Alchemy to weaken various parts of the ceiling, finally shooting through six places and detonating them almost simultaneously.

But Hajime's attacks continued. If she could defeat it with sheer mass, they wouldn't have to endure such a struggle. The Silver Pattern's head was pinned down by the rubble from the ceiling, its body unable to move. Hajime, using Shukuchi, quickly approached it, dashing across the collapsed bedrock while using Refine, transforming it into a yoke. Simultaneously, a makeshift ore furnace was created around the Silver Pattern's head.

Then, as he left, he threw his waist bag containing weapons such as "incendiary grenades" into the furnace and continued shouting.

"moon!"

“Hmm! —‘Heaven’!”

A fiercely blazing blue sun appeared from the makeshift smelting furnace, plunging the immobilized Silver Pattern's head into a purgatory. The explosives and other materials within the mortal furnace also triggered a chain reaction, detonating. This wave of attack overcame the Silver Pattern's head's defenses, causing considerable damage.

“Gurglea ...

The Silver Pattern's head screamed in agony, struggling desperately, firing volleys of light bullets in an attempt to escape. Though the walls were damaged by the bullets, Shi used his Alchemy to repair them one by one, preventing the Silver Pattern's escape. The Aurora had just been fired and could not be used immediately. The Silver Pattern's head was helpless, like a sinner thrown into the furnace of hell, melting and annihilating under the intense heat.

From the perception skill, he learned that Xudela's reaction had disappeared. This time, he was finally sure that Xudela was dead, and he fell backwards.

"beginning!"

Yue hurriedly tried to get to Shi's side, dragging her powerless body and crawling on the ground.

“As expected… it’s no longer possible…”

Yue finally reached Hajime's side, and Hajime gradually lost consciousness as he felt Yue's embrace on his body.

Push back the time a little.

When Hajime won the life-and-death battle with Hydra and collapsed, the brave and his companions temporarily stopped conquering the maze and returned to the Kingdom of Heilig.

Part of the reason was that the members were severely fatigued from cautious exploration of unmapped areas and the increasing strength of the monsters, so they had to take a break to recuperate. However, the main reason was that the palace had sent someone to greet them. It was said that it was from the Horusha Empire, which had been missing until now, and they requested a meeting with the heroes.

It's only natural that the question "Why now?" arises in the minds of Kouki and the others.

The reason no one from the Empire, an ally, showed up when the heroes were summoned was because there was little time between the oracle of Esid and the summons, so there was no time to inform the Empire... But even if they had been informed of the summons, the Empire might not have acted. The Empire was founded three hundred years ago by a renowned mercenary, a holy land for adventurers and mercenaries, a nation that advocated the supremacy of strength.

Even if they were told that a hero capable of leading humanity suddenly appeared, they wouldn't accept it. While the Empire also has a Holy Church, and its citizens are all believers, they are less devout than those of the Kingdom. Since most of the people have risen through the mercenary trade, they often prioritize practical benefits over faith. However, that simply means that they are equally devout believers compared to the Kingdom's citizens; there's no difference.

Therefore, even if they were allowed to meet Guanghui and others when they were first summoned, they might still look down on them. Fortunately, the Kingdom delayed the meeting between the two sides, and the Empire, especially His Majesty the Emperor, was not interested in them, so there has been no intersection so far.

However, the fact that they had broken the record for the 65th floor of the Orcus Great Labyrinth had piqued the Empire's interest in Guanghui and his companions. The Empire sent a message, expressing its strong desire to arrange a meeting. The Kingdom and the Holy Church, believing the time was right, agreed.

After hearing all this in detail in the carriage on the return journey, Guanghui and others also arrived at the palace.

The carriage entered the palace, and as soon as everyone disembarked, they saw a young man running towards them. He was a handsome, blond, blue-eyed boy, about ten years old. While he possessed a similar temperament to Kouki, he seemed far more mischievous. He was the prince of the Heilig Kingdom, Randir S.B. Heilig.

His Highness Randhir ran over shouting loudly, giving the illusion of seeing dog ears and a wagging tail.

"Kaori! Welcome back! I've been waiting for you for a long time!"

Of course, besides Kaori, there were many other returning students present. Among such a crowd, he could only see Kaori. Seeing Randhir's attitude, it should be easy to imagine what kind of feelings he had for Kaori.

In fact, since the day after being summoned here, Lord Randhir has been aggressively pursuing Kaori. That being said, he's only ten years old. Kaori sees him as just another child, a relationship that shows no sign of blossoming. Because Kaori naturally loves to care for others, she seems to view him as a lovable younger brother.

"Your Highness Randhir, long time no see."