An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

"This is just for insurance purposes."

"Just to be safe?"

Shizuku tilted her head to ask, while Hajime looked up at the sky and nodded in affirmation.

His eyes were as sharp as a wolf's, as if he wanted to shoot down anything he looked at.

"I'm sure you're aware that if we successfully conquer the final dungeon, the ice caves of the Schnee Snowfield, we'll have a way to return to Japan. If we can return safely, that's certainly no problem, but that's overly optimistic."

"Does that mean someone will come to interfere? Maybe it's the demon tribe, or a false god..."

"Yes, I don't think that God will easily let go of the Hero, a playful chess piece, and me, an anomaly. So, in order to have meat when a large number of 'Apostles of God' like Noin appear - ahem! I planned to let you also learn the magic of the Age of Gods to strengthen our combat power."

"Hey, did you mean to say tank? Hey, did you mean to say that? Answer me."

Hajime accidentally let out his true feelings, and Shizuku couldn't pretend she didn't hear it. Her veins popped out, and she kept asking questions. However, Hajime completely ignored her and continued:

"Thanks to sublimation magic, my divine artifact crafting abilities have evolved, and even without learning Age of Gods magic directly, I can still achieve a considerable level of enhancement. To prevent attacks from those guys, I will be performing devilish transformations on everyone else's weapons, not just Yaegashi's. While we're heading to the ice cave, if any 'Apostles of God' attack, please be sure to repel them. Of course, you can also use your enhanced weapons to challenge other large labyrinths."

"I understand what you said, but..."

Hajime seemed to have finished what he wanted to say, so he stood up. Shizuku, on the other hand, had an expression that seemed both confused and hesitant.

"...Nagumo-san, are you still planning on going alone?"

"Hmm? Yeah... Do you want to come with me?"

"..."

Shizuku didn't answer. They had come with Hajime reluctantly, and they'd agreed to only accompany them to conquer a large maze.

Shizuku had already experienced the intricacies of the Great Labyrinth firsthand in the Hartrina Great Labyrinth. Regardless, it was undeniable that Shizuku and the others were still insufficient to tackle it. In other words, even if they went along, they would only hinder Hajime and his group.

Moreover, as long as he conquers the next [Ice and Snow Cave], Hajime will get the means to return.

Hajime said he would take his classmates back with him, so Shizuku and the others had no reason to go with him.

Therefore, it was not so much that Shizuku did not answer, but rather that she was unable to answer. She could only shake her head silently.

Seeing Shizuku's reaction, Hajime shrugged and said:

"If it's just Yaegashi, I can actually take you with me..."

"what?"

Shizuku opened her eyes wide in surprise at Hajime's sudden and unexpected words.

Then, a beat later, her cheeks flushed slightly, as if she were thinking of something. To hide her blush, she quickly turned around and faced the back. Shizuku calmed her pounding heart and decided to ask Hajime's true intentions.

"What does that mean..."

"The Age of Gods magic in the Ice Cave is probably the same magic Freed uses to mass-produce powerful monsters. With that magic and the Sublimation magic, you alone can support the Tianzhihe team. Even without us, you can conquer other large labyrinths and strengthen yourselves."

"Yeah, yeah, I knew it would be like this. Seriously?"

Shizuku's expectations were easily betrayed. However, in her heart, she was shouting, "I didn't expect anything!"

Shizuku realized that the heat in her cheeks had subsided and her heartbeat had calmed down. She turned back and glared at Hajime with a look that could almost be seen to contain hatred.

However, Hajime's next words made her blush again.

"Don't glare at me like that. It can't be helped, right? Besides our members, the person I can trust most in this world, both in terms of character and ability, is Yaegashi. When I need a favor, I can only count on you."

"!"

Hajime said this with a wry smile. He seemed to think Shizuku's eyes were accusing him of "Are you trying to cause me trouble again?", so he tried to defend himself.

However, his defense seemed a bit too stimulating to Shizuku now, because the person who had gained her trust returned the trust from the positive side, which really made Shizuku very happy.

Shizuku's cheeks flushed red again.

Hajime ignored Shizuku, smiling wryly as he prepared for the purpose of his self-training in the first place.

"That being said, I can't actually take Yaegashi with me alone."

“Eh… uh~ why…”

"No, and you're asking why... Because Amano River and the others absolutely need you, right? Do you think Amano River and the others will behave themselves while we're in the ice cave? Do you think they'll let you leave, even if it's just temporarily? No, absolutely not. They'll most likely storm out, and that storm will probably be directed at me. If 'Yaekashi-san, your essential companion in times of trouble' doesn't stay with this troublesome guy, I'll be the one to suffer."

“…That’s quite blunt.”

Shizuku looked disappointed.

But Hajime didn't seem to care at all. He took out countless crescent moon wheels from the "treasure house" and began to manipulate them to float around.

No matter what, Shizuku couldn't choose to leave Kouki and the others behind and go alone, so she cheered herself up and changed the topic to what Tsuyoshi was talking about.

"That thing is a ring blade with a function to transfer items inside, right? What are you going to do with so many of them?"

"Exercise, that's what I said I was here for, right? Yaegashi, go back quickly. Since you're so tired, you should be able to sleep well."

Just as Hajime said, Shizuku was quite tired and could probably fall asleep right now.

But... she really didn't want to leave this place.

As if forming a cylinder around himself, Hajime began to manipulate more than thirty round moon discs to swirl around them. Shizuku stared at him, and when she came to her senses, she had already spoken.

"...Can I stay here and take a look?"

"? It's fine if you want to watch, but I won't care if you fall asleep while watching, okay?"

"No problem, I'll go back when I get tired of it."

Hearing Shizuku's words, Hajime shrugged, agreeing to her request. He then closed his eyes and pulled out his Donar and Hulak. Shizuku, upon seeing this, sat down as well, resting her elbows on the table, her hands resting on her cheeks, and began to watch Hajime's training.

After a beat, Hajime's training began.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! A series of gunshots rang out.

The muzzle of his gun seemed to be pointed at the crescent moon flying around.

Amazingly, the fired bullet seemed to be attracted and flew into the center of the full moon, which was circling at a speed undetectable to ordinary people.

Then, a bullet was ejected from another crescent moon through a [portal], and from a completely different direction and angle, it struck Hajime again.

"--call."

Hajime exhaled lightly, dodging the bullet that was flying from behind him by turning sideways, while operating the other crescent wheel at the same time.

The bullet flew past him, but Hajime prevented it from escaping the cylindrical barrier formed by the crescent moon. He let the bullet pass through the "portal" and recalled it back to the inner side of the barrier.

Just before losing its flying speed, the bullet continues to attack its owner within a fixed space.

In between the series of actions, Hajime kept pulling the trigger, increasing the number of bullets to snipe himself.

Like scattered leaves, Hajime dodged bullets from all directions with minimal movement.

His movements must have lacked the fluidity and splendor of Shizuku's earlier dance-like martial arts, because he had not inherited the graceful forms unique to martial arts that had been passed down for hundreds of years.

However, his movements were as if striving for ultimate rationality, refined to the point where he could move with minimal effort, a beauty quite different from Shizuku's martial arts.

Hajime was in the eye of the typhoon called Danmaku, dodging obstacles while creating his own whirlwind. This training method was so unique that Shizuku couldn't help but stare in amazement, but then she saw Hajime suddenly leap up.

He directly created a foothold in the air that spread red ripples. After staying in the air, he took out the crescent moon wheel from the "treasure house". This time, he made the crescent moon wheel surround himself and form a sphere.

The next moment, a storm of red flashes crisscrossed the sphere created by a large number of crescent moon wheels.

The deadly bullet accelerated by electromagnetic force is like a laser beam, with a red line dividing the sphere.

The crescent-shaped barrier, initially ten meters in diameter, gradually narrowed in size, eventually shrinking to about three meters in diameter, and continuously emitted red flashes from a very close distance.

Sometimes he dodged, sometimes he parried with his gun, sometimes he blocked the attack by shooting it down. The Donar and Hulak in his left and right hands danced like different creatures, showing the ultimate in attack and defense.

Countless crescent moons wrapped in red light, with red flashes running inside.

The two merge together to create a picture of ever-increasing light, like a red moon hanging high in the night sky.

"……What a nice view."

Shizuku had an intoxicated expression on her face, and uttered the same words she always murmured whenever she saw Hajime's red glow.

That was the truth that leaked out almost unconsciously.

The loud sound of gunfire destroyed the morning's tranquility, but Shizuku felt that she was finally at peace. She was so engrossed in gazing at the crimson moon that her eyelids gradually grew heavy...

Then she lost consciousness.

"Uh-huh?"

Shizuku made a soft sound and opened her eyes slightly.

Her consciousness was still half asleep, and her unfocused eyes stared blankly into the void.

Shizuku's eyes were fixed on the wood-patterned ceiling, and her semi-conscious mind felt a soft touch on her back and the back of her head.

Shizuku had the defenseless expression of someone who had just woken up, staring blankly in a daze, and then she heard a familiar voice.

"Ah, Shizuku-chan, you're awake? You were sleeping so soundly. It's already noon."

"Hmm? ...Kaori?"

Shizuku shook her head and looked in the direction of the voice. There was indeed her best friend. Kaori had already dressed and sat in a chair by the window, giving Shizuku a gentle smile.

As if gradually rising from the depths of water, Shizuku's consciousness became clear. She sat up gracefully and rubbed her eyes with her fists. With her groggy mind, she began to recall the memories before she lost consciousness.

"Hmm~? Why am I in a room... I remember I was deep in the forest... Anyway, is this Kaori's room?"

In [Feyaberugen], Hajime and the others each have their own rooms, so if they are in an unfamiliar room and Kaori is inside, it can be inferred that this is Kaori's room.

Seeing Shizuku's cute face tilting her head in question, Kaori replied despite blushing slightly:

"Yes, this is my room. Hajime brought Shizuku here early this morning. He said you were exercising all night. Seriously, that's not okay, Shizuku. We just came back from the Great Labyrinth. You need to get some rest."

"Uh~ Yeah, sorry. So he was the one who brought me back? I don't remember anything at all."

"Since Shizuku-chan was sleeping so soundly, you must be very tired."

Ignoring Kaori's raised finger and scolding her, Shizuku fidgeted and shifted a little.

Perhaps because her hair, which was usually tied in a ponytail, was now down, she gave people a feeling of being quiet rather than awe-inspiring. Combined with her sitting posture, it formed a considerable contrast with her usual posture.

Looking closely, she had taken off her clothes and was only wearing a top.

If the boys in the class, or the girls who revered Shizuku as their "sister," saw her like this, they would surely burst into nosebleeds and lie down in a pool of blood with satisfied smiles on their faces.

Shizuku's cheeks flushed slightly, and she looked up at Kaori timidly and asked.

"Uh~ How did you bring me back?"

Hajime had said before that he wouldn't care even if Shizuku fell asleep, but he actually sent her back to her room. Shizuku felt her heartbeat quicken, thinking, "Is this a princess carry?", and she was deeply troubled.

However, the reality was cruel, so cruel that it made Kaori's cheeks twitch.

"How, how did he bring you back? He brought you back the normal way."

"...Kaori, what do you mean by the normal way?"

"It's just ordinary, by the way. In a sense, it's just a little bit of art."

"Wait a minute, Kaori. How does transporting a sleeping person have anything to do with art?"

Seeing Kaori's hesitation, Shizuku had a bad feeling and asked her about it. Kaori's eyes wandered for a while, and finally she told Shizuku the reality with a wry smile.

"Well, to put it bluntly... you were nailed to a cross and then floated back in the air, huh?"

"10. A cross?"

After asking for details, I learned that Hajime seemed to be training in manipulating the gravity stone, so he didn't just place her on an object as he had done before. He used gravity to hold Shizuku in place, and imposed a rule on himself not to touch the ground until he was back in his room, and he carried her all the way back to Kaori's room.

In order not to wake up the sleeping person, the suction must be gentle and not cause any burden, so it is quite difficult to adjust the strength, which seems to be a good training.

Also, the reason why Hajime didn't send Shizuku back to her own room was simply because he didn't know which room Shizuku lived in.

"W-Why a cross?"

"Because if it's a sphere, if the adjustment goes wrong, Shizuku-chan's body might get bent into an inverted "ㄑ" shape... But if it's a cross, it's fine, right?"

"No, you're asking me, right? I don't know how to answer..."

Shizuku's cheeks twitched constantly, veins began to appear on her forehead, the passion in her heart had long been extinguished, and Kaori gave an even deeper bitter smile.

Incidentally, the soldiers who were on patrol in the morning also clearly witnessed Shizuku in the cross state.

Shizuku looks like the statue of Jesus Christ hanging in the church on Earth, giving people a mysterious feeling, so Shizuku's fans have increased again... But it's better not to tell her this.

Just as Shizuku was quietly fuming over her own mistreatment, a sudden, loud banging noise came from downstairs. Then she heard a familiar cry of "Haa ...

"Okay, it seems quite noisy. What happened?"