An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

In the underground space, huge pillars carved with magnificent reliefs are arranged in an orderly manner, and two figures are running parallel to each other across two rows of colonnades.

At the moment when the two hid behind the pillars, one of them flew out a flame gun accompanied by fierce heat energy, dyeing the dim underground space a bright crimson. The gun corrected its trajectory in the air like a missile and approached the figure of the other party.

Then——

boom!

A dry crackling sound echoed, and a flash of crimson light pierced the darkness. Like a spear, the light extended, colliding head-on with the flame spear, piercing through the invisible heart of the «Magic Core» and vanishing toward the ceiling. At the same time, the flame spear's previous majesty vanished like a delusion.

The person firing the flame spear didn't seem to mind this, and this time, he fired an ice spear, which spun wildly. The flying ice spear drew a beautiful curve, blocking the target on the other side of the two columns, closing in from the front.

At the same time as the gunshot rang out, the flash of light really made the ice spear disappear into thin air.

"...Well, a single shot isn't enough, so..."

The one who made the tender voice, leaning against the pillar, was Yue, a beautiful girl with blonde hair and red eyes, who looked like a porcelain doll. She compressed the fire blocks one, two, four, eight, and increased them in multiples, eventually creating sixty-four fire blocks.

It took only two seconds. A modern magician would be stunned and dumbfounded if they saw it. The magic that could be activated in an instant without chanting or magic circles was not only beyond common sense in modern times, it was simply abnormal.

Yue had a relaxed expression on her face as she effortlessly cast that magical spell. The next moment, her slender fingers waved gracefully like an orchestra conductor, and countless fire blocks flew out, trailing beautiful lines of fire like a meteor shower, attacking the target behind the pillar - Hajime.

"Wow, that's a lot of increase all at once, right?"

Yue heard a faint curse in her ears, followed by a series of gunshots. She felt the magic she had generated gradually dissipate. Although she had carefully staggered her attacks to prevent them from hitting at the same time, even so, the difference between each shot was only milliseconds.

Being able to withstand such an attack, Hajime's skills were quite impressive. No, it should be said that he had trained them to a very impressive level.

Over a month had passed since that day, when Hajime decided to stay in the Great Labyrinth of Orcus to improve his equipment and train, determined not to lose to anyone. During that time, Hajime had crafted a magic eye stone capable of seeing through the core of magic, honed his skills in wielding two pistols, mid-air reloading, and shooting with precision, like threading a thread through the tiny eye of a flying needle.

He asked his partner, Moon, to fire a shot, and then countered it himself. This was the result of diligent and relentless training. Initially, even blocking static spells failed, but now, in simulated battles, his hit rate against single-shot spells was nearly 100%, and even large-volume spells had a 50% chance of success.

The significant increase in physical strength from eating monsters, and the explosively heightened perception skill of "Blink," were certainly two special factors. Even so, the biggest reason for gradually mastering these truly exceptional skills in just a month must be Hajime's unwavering determination.

The source of that determination, needless to say, was the desire to return home. And within that desire, there was the reason to be "with Yue." Because Yue had always been there, watching Hajime's efforts, she knew that part of that reason was for her, and she felt incredibly happy, almost as if she were flying high in the sky.

“…Yeah, Hajime.”

Yue exhaled a fiery breath and called out Hajime's name lovingly, her expression incredibly sexy and captivating. Even though it was a mock battle, it was still the middle of a battle, and she shouldn't let such uncontrollable emotions overflow.

That didn't mean she would have gaps because of it, but as her emotions ran high, her magic would unconsciously become too intense.

"Wait a minute! This is too much anyway!"

"……Um?"

Hearing that roar, Yue returned to reality from her brief mental journey. She soon realized that, without realizing it, she had already sent nearly a hundred fire bombs whirling around Hajime. The swarm of fire bombs circled Hajime, and with perfect timing, they sporadically attacked him from all directions.

It seems that because she loves Hajime so much, her passionate emotions burst out, and she unconsciously produces fire bombs. Her happy mood makes the fire bombs fly everywhere, and she realizes her mission of helping Hajime train with a wonderful attack.

Even if casting magic unconsciously wasn't a control error, it was pretty close. It shouldn't have happened to Yue, known as a genius in magic, and it was all because she loved Hajime so much.

“…Because I love Hajime so much, it hurts.”

"Hey, you're so sudden! I'm in so much pain from all the fire bombs!"

Hajime desperately continued to parry the erratically flying flaming bullets. Fighting alone was no longer enough, so Hajime dodged or used Donal and Hulak's spears to pierce the flaming bullets. While this training primarily focused on the precision of his marksmanship magic, it also combined other skills, so in a sense, it was also a good training...

"!Oops--"

After all, they had been training for nearly ten hours, with hundreds of fire bombs flying around in the air without any pattern. For Hajime now, it was inevitable that he would make mistakes.

There was a clang, and six bullets flew into the air. The Donard in Hajime's hand was empty, and it spun around and returned to its original position. Hajime's mid-air reload had failed.

The counterattack was forced to stop, and the group of fire bombs attacked Hajime as if they had found the right time. Hajime, who originally wanted to fight back, twisted his body in a hurry, but he judged that he could not completely avoid it, so he tried to defend with "Vajra".

Just at this time--

"Yeah, take a break."

As these words rang out, Yue snapped his fingers, and the group of fire bombs disappeared quickly.

"Huh~Huh, damn it, I still can't achieve zero mistakes."

Hajime holstered Donal and Hulak, resting his hands on his knees and breathing heavily. Then, he gritted his teeth in unwillingness, his single eye, peeking through his white hair, bloodshot, and the blood vessels in his temple throbbing as if about to burst.

He worked hard to become like that, Yue wanted to praise him, but she knew that such words would not move Shi's heart, so Yue slowly approached Shi, sat down next to him, put her thighs together, and patted her knees.

Yue was currently wearing a frilly shirt, paired with a similarly frilly miniskirt and stockings. In other words, the area she was emphasizing was her so-called "absolute territory." The stockings cinched her thighs, and the tight texture made her look particularly sexy and alluring.

Ever since Yue took his virginity away from him in the bathhouse, Hajime had gained a lot of knowledge about women's bodies—or should I say Yue's body. So now, he wouldn't act embarrassed just because of a mere lap pillow.

But, but...

"You won't attack me, will you?"

That's right, that's all Hajime was worried about. He was exhausted from his long training. If attacked, even Hajime wouldn't be able to withstand a single blow! If the Big Bad Wolf was nearby, it was only natural for him to be on guard! ...though that usually happened when the genders were reversed.

"...That's too much. You're calling me a thug."

"I think my first time felt exactly like that... No, forget it, it felt like I was strangling myself."

Hajime shook his head as if to shake something off, and just like that, he accepted Yue's lap as a pillow. A feeling of happiness spread across the back of his head. Yue's soft hands gently caressed Hajime's hair, and happiness spread to his brain.

Yue saw that Hajime had relaxed, and her eyes softened. However, she was concerned about what Hajime had said, and asked anxiously:

“…Is it annoying?”

"How could that be? If I really hated it, I would have resisted. Well, this is all about a man's face, that kind of stupid question, don't worry about it."

The anxiety in Yue's eyes instantly vanished, and she happily replied, "...Yeah!" Then, very naturally, she kissed Hajime's forehead. A moist, kissing sound echoed from her nose, cheek, and lips. The sweet atmosphere between the two of them was so sweet that any single man would probably want to pick up a rifle and snipe at them.

Hajime looked away embarrassedly in another direction. Seeing his reaction, Yue smiled mischievously and said:

"...So, are you feeling comfortable?"

"Um, Yue, let's not talk about this anymore, okay?"

“…Are you feeling unwell?”

Hajime tried to change the subject, but Yue instantly revealed an expression that was both sad and regretful of his immaturity. Hajime let out a meaningless moan, "Uh..."

"Well, how should I put it... I feel very comfortable."

Hajime's expression seemed to say "What the hell am I talking about...", but even so, he still gave her the answer she wanted. This must be proof that Yue had already captured his heart.

Hearing what Hajime said, Yue exuded a warm atmosphere, and said with a nostalgic look in his eyes:

"Well...I have to thank the teacher for this."

"My emotions are very complicated."

The teacher Yue was referring to was a female teacher who had taught Yue various knowledge and etiquette as a woman long ago, when she was still a princess. Although her condition was unknown after being imprisoned in the abyss by her uncle, she was a caring teacher until her last day.

As for why she was thanking that teacher, it was because she was also Yue's teacher regarding sexual intercourse. Because Yue was a member of the royal family, she was required to maintain complete chastity until marriage. Furthermore, it was her duty to leave offspring, and as part of her education, to ensure a smooth and fulfilling relationship between Yue and her husband, she also taught Yue about that aspect of sex.

In terms of night battles, Hajime is still being manipulated by Yue. This must be because of that "teacher".

Incidentally, Hajime had once suspected, "Could it be that she has experience..." Yue's unique magic, 'Auto-Regeneration', had given him this suspicion, but...

Hajime would surely never forget Yue's expression at that moment. Even when facing the monster at the bottom of the abyss—Hydra—Hajime had never felt fear, but at that moment, Hajime fell into the state of "a frog being stared at by a snake."

The outcome is obvious. Hajime, having seen the evidence from the first time, still made such utterly disrespectful remarks to Yue. From the unexpected words forced upon Hajime, "I'm truly sorry, please forgive me," one can imagine the punishment he received.

"Alright, let's have one last fight, then we can eat after we're done exercising."

“…Hmm, is Hajime okay?”

"It's not a problem, but if you don't push your limits, there's no point in training. Excuse me, I need you to accompany me, Yue."

"……Um."

Although Yue had consumed a considerable amount of mana from the previous mock battle, she was still able to use the stored mana within her magic crystal without any problems. Compared to her, Hajime's situation was more serious. Putting aside the issue of mana, Hajime's condition was even worse than Yue's due to his continuous use of skills like "Blink" and "Limit Break," which put a heavy strain on the body. However, seeing Hajime's resolute eyes, it was clear that stopping him was impossible.

Hajime stood up from Yue's lap, and directly distanced himself from her to confront her. He then drew out Donal and Shulak, took a stance, and shouted loudly with momentum.

"Alright, you're welcome. Come on! Magic cheat!"

"Hmm, watch this, 'violence in numbers'!"

Hajime thought to himself, "How could there be a magic name like that!" However, the magic he activated lived up to its name, a fireball with a violent number of bullets. Incidentally, the reason he didn't use the safer water ball was because Hajime wanted to be more powerful.

Facing the volley of flames that approached like a wall, Hajime instantly entered a state of 'blinking light,' heightening his perception to the point where the world faded. His mystical eyes within his eyepatch clearly grasped the core of the magic in a world where time flowed slowly.

Just like that, the bullets fired in an instant pierced the flame bullets squarely. The bullets that were ejected into the air one after another were swallowed by the spinning gun, and the next moment they were instantly shot out in red light, and then the shells were ejected into the air, and the next wave of bullets was loaded.

Just like holding a round shield, Donal and Hulak kept turning, dispersing the incoming fire bombs.

The number and speed of the fireballs gradually increased, as if affected. Hajime was in awe of the power of Moon Magic Technique. He ignored the pain in his eyes and head and prepared to speed up...

"...Yue, can I ask you a question?"

"……Um?"

Without slowing down their hands, Hajime asked Yue, who looked confused, with an expression as if he was suffering from a headache caused by something else.

"Why, why is the fireball in the shape of a heart?"

"..."

Indeed, before they knew it, all the incoming fireballs had transformed into heart shapes. While their speed and power had increased, their shapes remained remarkably distinct. It was a technique that had been incredibly refined, yet also extremely wasteful.

As for this question, Yue is...

"...Yeah, my heart was shot."

She skillfully manipulated hundreds of heart-shaped fire bullets with one hand, and with the other hand pressed against her cheek, she spoke these words shyly. During that time, Hajime's bullet had indeed hit Yue's heart, and before the clouds and mist dissipated, the fire bullet seemed to burn fiercely for a moment.

"I'm training seriously, huh?"

“…I was serious too. I was serious about pushing Hajime—ahem, pushing him over and knocking him down.”

"Hey, you meant to say push down, right?"

“…Hajime’s body is almost at its limit after days of training. He needs a break, but he won’t stop until he passes out.”

"...You completely pretended not to hear anything, and then what?"

"...Yeah, so I'm going to win and take you by force...to the bed."

"It's not okay to lick your lips right now, is it? I can only see a future where I can't rest!"

Apparently, Yue knew that Hajime wouldn't stop training even if she told him, so she planned to use force to force him to rest. However, not only did she not answer the question of why the fire bomb was shaped like a heart, but the way she was emitting a seductive aura and licking her lips didn't seem to match her intentions.

Yue smiled, and the magic became even more intense. Without any preparation, he added wind bullets, which were extremely fast. The lightning balls approached in irregular trajectories, each one shaped like a heart.

"Wow, are you holding a grudge against me for not being with you the past week because I passed out after exercising?"

"...I don't bear any grudges...I'm just a little lonely."

Although Hajime felt moved by Yue's pouting face, if he continued like this, it would be easy to imagine that he would be knocked down by her and be taken advantage of while he was unable to move.

Hajime is also a man, so of course he wouldn't hate that kind of thing, but...

Because of a man's ambition and pride, he couldn't tolerate being easily defeated and eaten, so Hajime focused even more on the attack. When Yue's magic power ran out, everything would be over for now, so as long as he could keep fighting until then, Hajime's pride would be preserved.

but……

"Yue, you used all your strength, didn't you!?"

"Um!!"

Light seemed to have forgotten that the purpose of the mock battle was to train in counterattacks and precision shooting, so she wouldn't use any magic higher than intermediate. However, in terms of frequency and speed, she was undoubtedly giving it her all. After all, the scene before her was like a bullet-hell shooting game from a certain fantasy land. Though his breathing began to become irregular, seeing Light's enchanting smile, Hajime couldn't help but cry out in a cold sweat. (Editor's note: This is Gensokyo, the fictional world of Touhou Project, a bullet-hell shooting game created by the Shanghai Alice Fantasy Band.)

"How can I let you overpower me every time? I have my dignity as a man too!"

By "overwhelmed", does it mean being criticized by the bullet screen, or does it mean something erotic?

Powerful magic energy emanated from Hajime's body, erupting in a red spiral. That was the brilliance of the unique magic "Limit Break" that he had seized from Hydra, and Hajime's ability value increased by three times.

"Wow, as expected of Hajime, this is the first time someone has caught my full-strength barrage head-on."

"It's truly...my honor."

“…Well, Hajime is always my first time.”

"You... have to... bring up things like that all the time!?"

Because he was concentrating on fighting back the comments, Hajime's speech was halting, but even so, he still tried to make fun of Yue's remarks.

Those words were meant to shake Hajime's resolve, so Yue wasn't kidding. Or rather, using "Limit Break" at this point would compound the already fatigued body with extreme exhaustion, undoubtedly leading to a coma requiring sacred water. Therefore, Yue wanted to penetrate Hajime's counterattack and achieve victory before reaching his true limit.

However, Yue was gradually showing signs of fatigue. Since she was only using elementary magic, as long as she maximized her magic power efficiency, she could maintain the barrage for a considerable period of time. Even so, Yue accompanied Hajime in training and continued to use magic. Before discussing magic power, it was natural for her to accumulate fatigue. Yue's special magic, "Auto-Regeneration," could completely heal physical damage, but it had no effect on magic power or physical strength.

Even so, Yue still didn't want Shita, who was abusing his body too much, to show off his strength. With this in mind, Yue tried his best!

"At this point... can it still be improved?!"

"Yeah! Breaking through limits is easy as long as you have love!"