The moon refers to the "bodies trapped in the ice wall." While nothing had gone wrong along the way, the number of bodies was unusual.
This stretch of the journey was remarkably peaceful, with no monsters attacking. Could the harsh conditions alone have caused so many people to die of exhaustion along the way?
"Ah... Another dead body."
Hajime walked ahead, while Suzu followed behind him, constantly trying to protect herself from the frostbite caused by the wind and snow. Suzu then discovered more bodies, and her expression seemed to be depressed by the sight of so many bodies.
"Another demon."
Just as Kouki had said, the bodies were of dark-skinned male demons with pointed ears. Furthermore, there were three of them gathered together, their eyes still closed as if they were deep in sleep.
"There are fifty of them now, right? Almost all of them are demons."
Shizuku sighed heavily. Even though the other party was an enemy, sadness welled up in her heart.
Hajime, on the other hand, seemed completely unconcerned, stroking his chin with his hand as he spoke his speculation.
"Perhaps because of Freed's successful conquest, the demons are mobilizing the entire nation to challenge him? Perhaps they want a safety net?"
"I see. The Demons' advantage is their ability to command a large number of monsters. They can't just sit back and rely on Freed's power."
As if to prove Hajime's conjecture, whether it was the trio before him or the demons he encountered on the road, more than half of them were wearing the same military uniforms they had worn when the demons invaded the royal capital.
Someone dressed as an adventurer, or wearing what looks like an old military uniform, could be an individual out for a challenge, or a soldier from long ago.
"Well, they thought that with that man's information on the strategy, they would be able to succeed. However, things are not that simple. Considering that there may be other paths, I wonder how many people will come to challenge it."
"But if it's a nationwide challenge, then the chances of someone other than that Freed succeeding are higher, right? If that's the case, then the monster army's reorganization might just be a matter of time..."
Kaori showed a worried expression. She must be thinking about her classmates and Liliana who stayed in the capital.
Even though Eri was secretly plotting, the demon army was truly formidable. If it weren't for Hajime, I couldn't imagine what the consequences would have been.
"It's okay, Kaori. I don't think we'll be attacked right away. The Great Barrier has been fully repaired, and Yuka and the others are keeping an eye on any traitors. And the demons don't know the laser weapon is broken, so even with all their might, they probably won't act rashly."
"Shizuku-chan... Yeah, that's true. You're right."
After hearing Zero's objective and accurate prediction, Kaori smiled, seeming slightly relieved. However, her expression remained somewhat gloomy. Shizuku understood Kaori's feelings perfectly.
(Although I'm happy to have found the possibility of returning home, Kaori is probably worried about what will happen to Liliana and the others after we return...)
Returning to Earth with Hajime also meant that he would not help Liliana and the others.
The struggle between humans and demons, and even the existence of gods that cause conflict, are long-standing issues in this world. However, when it comes to personal feelings, it is not so easy to let go.
Shizuku knew, of course, that you couldn't have your cake and eat it too. They were human, not gods, and there were limits to what they could do. Humans always had to make choices.
Furthermore, they weren't relying on their own strength now, but on the strength of others, namely, Hajime's strength. If they were to ask for more, it wouldn't be a "choice," it could even be considered "willfulness."
At this time, Guanghui joined the conversation.
"...Don't worry, Kaori. When I gain power, I'll defeat the gods. And then, I'll protect Lily and the others... No, I'll protect them all, human and demon alike. I'll have to stay here, but if I obtain all the Age of Gods magic, I can return on my own, so I won't abandon anyone."
"Mitsuki-san..."
It really sounds like something a hero would say.
However, for some reason, I couldn't sense the pure power of optimism and cheerfulness from his words.
From where Kouki's gaze was fixed, it was clear that he wasn't thinking of Kaori when he said this. He said he would protect her, but his words were sharp and aggressive like a spear, almost like a mockery. That's right, he was mocking Hajime, who was standing in front of him.
Instead of dispersing the dark clouds in Kaori's heart, she felt a new sense of unease. She couldn't help but look to Shizuku, asking for help.
Shizuku looked at Kouki with an uneasy look.
In the radiant eyes, one could see negative emotions that had never been seen before on Earth.
Jealousy, suspicion, anxiety, anger, powerlessness...
In Guanghui's dull eyes, it seemed as if all kinds of emotions were mixed together, appearing in a saturated state, and he was trying hard to suppress them, feeling very uneasy.
Perhaps sensing Kouki's gaze, Hajime, who was walking ahead, turned around. He faced Kouki's gaze head-on, then looked at Kaori, who had an uneasy expression on her face.
Hajime was actually used to this situation. Even so, he couldn't bear seeing Kaori's expression.
Hajime scratched his cheek, his expression saying, "I really can't do anything about you."
Then, Hajime's gaze returned from Kaori to Kouki.
"Amano River, what's wrong? Just say whatever you want to say."
“!…No, nothing.”
Seeing that Hajime surprisingly didn't ignore him, but instead responded directly, Kouki's entire body stiffened for a moment, as if feeling guilty. But then his brows furrowed again, and then he showed an expression of forced endurance. His expression was truly changeable.
"Really? That's good."
Hajime didn't pay much attention to Kouki and immediately looked away. Seeing Ling stop, Hajime pushed her shoulder, urging her to keep going and continuing the conversation.
But this time he was talking to Kaori.
"As for the princess and the others, I'm not unfamiliar with her. If she asks me, I'll give her some gifts before I go back. Things like Hyperion, intercontinental ballistic missiles, high-speed rail-type tanks, fighter jets that defy inertia and gravity, and so on."
"Hajime-kun... hehe, isn't it a bit dangerous to give those things as gifts to a princess?"
Hajime's compromise was to give Liliana and the others a divine weapon so they could defend themselves. Kaori's eyes widened in surprise, then she smiled happily.
The worry of leaving the friends you have made in this world in danger will never completely disappear.
But even so, being able to help Liliana and the others as much as possible did make Kaori feel a lot more relaxed.
A faint smile appeared on Shizuku's face. As if expressing her inner feelings, Shizuku chose a joke that was unique to her and that only a trustworthy person would make.
"Hey, Nagumo-kun, that would upset the balance of power in this world. We need to send a protective artifact like the Great Barrier, otherwise Lily will collapse from mental fatigue."
"I don't care. Attack is the best defense, right? I believe in killing the enemy before I'm killed. That princess is braver than she looks, so it's only fitting she's armed. A princess who even shot down the 'Apostle of God' with her mortar... well, a princess carrying a bunch of rifles is also good. That's a character design I just came up with, and it's really cool. My creativity is starting to flow."
If Liliana heard this, she'd probably scream, "I'm a princess! I'm a princess! I protest against being treated like a warrior!"
Hajime responded jokingly, while Yue, Shia, and Tio looked at him with delighted expressions.
If it were in the past, Hajime would have ruthlessly abandoned Liliana and the others, but now he didn't do that. Hajime's current state of mind made people feel a tingling sensation in their hearts.
Of course, Hajime wouldn't lend a helping hand to everyone right now.
His boundaries were very clear, and they had to be clear. Otherwise, Hajime, who possessed the power to help a wide range of people, would be thrown into an endless battle.
Therefore, Hajime would not fight for the world, nor would he serve the majority of people whose appearances he did not even know. If he knew that meddling in other people's affairs might lead to the loss of someone important to him, he would definitely not do it.
He feels no guilt or remorse about this, nor does he hesitate to enforce his principles.
There are only a limited number of things that can be placed on the scale of Shi's heart, and the weight of each thing in his heart is also different.
Giving gifts to Liliana and the others was the greatest care Hajime could offer.
Yue and the others also understood this, so they felt sympathy for Hajime who kept his efforts within the boundaries, but at the same time they would not ask for his help in everything.
Just like when Shia's family was captured by the Empire, she resisted asking Hajime for help; the same thing happened when Kaori left her childhood friends alone.
"Forget about the gifts for the princess and the others. Yaegashi, you have to make a decision. After we get back from the demon, you'll decide whether to stay in this world or return with us. I won't wait for you then."
“…Okay, I understand.”
"Well, I'll decide after I talk to Eri."
"I will accompany Kouki."
Hearing what Hajime said, Shizuku and the other three nodded in response.
Before they knew it, Hajime and the others had arrived at a large intersection. Each passageway was the same size, approximately ten meters high and wide. A whirlwind of snowflakes blew from the center of the intersection, blowing the snow from the ceiling into the four passageways.
"Taniguchi, the wind direction is changing. The passage ahead is the correct path, so the wind will be in your favor."
"Got it. I'll adjust while turning back."
Hajime used the compass to confirm the direction. When Ling was adjusting the barrier, Shia's rabbit ears suddenly responded.
"Hajime-san...something's coming, and there's a lot of it."
"Is it a monster? It finally appeared. Where did it come from?"
"...In all four directions."
"What? Even in the back?"
Even though Hajime was ready for battle, he still had a surprised expression on his face.
This was only natural. Before arriving here, they hadn't seen a single monster, yet now they were being attacked from behind. This meant that even Hajime and Shia had missed something, or perhaps hadn't grasped the monsters' presence.
Upon realizing this, a tense atmosphere spread among Guanghui and the others. Their expressions tightened, and they gripped their weapons even tighter.
"Nagumo! You know the way, right? Hurry up!"
"No, we can't leave the passage yet. We need to avoid being surrounded without understanding the enemy's strength. Kaori, you and Taniguchi retreat to the rear and use Disintegration Bombardment depending on the situation. If the route is a straight line, your Disintegration Bombardment is your most powerful move."
"Alright! Leave it to me!"
"Tio, please also set up a barrier to assist Taniguchi. Just disperse the snow."
"Leave it to me."
Hajime's instructions came out like bullets, and Yue and Shia also formed the most appropriate formation in perfect harmony.
Guanghui had originally wanted to avoid being surrounded in the passage, even if it meant forcing his way through. He wore a bitter expression, but at Shizuku's urging, he gave up his decision and kept a vigilant eye on the back.
In the freezing snow, a large number of enemies approached from all directions, and the tension naturally gradually increased.
After a beat, everyone heard a slight sound.
It was a groaning sound, a mixture of pain, despair, and hatred, a horrible, indescribable sound.
The sound came from the darkness of the passage, a gloomy and terrifying aura that made the darkness seem even darker. Someone swallowed, and the sound was particularly loud in the silence.
"It's coming."
Hajime's powerful voice resounded, as if to sweep away the darkness. The next moment, that thing appeared.
The figure that slowly emerged from the darkness was a human.
He was wearing a black military uniform with long ears, and he was a demon soldier.
However, that demon soldier wasn't normal. First, his skin wasn't its usual brown, but pale. His eyes were a cloudy white, and his movements were as stiff as a wire-controlled puppet. Most unusually, his entire body was covered in a layer of frost.
No matter how you look at it, there's clearly no sense of vitality.
"These guys...are they the bodies of Bingbi?"
As if confirming this answer, demons poured out from the depths of the passage one after another.
"...Yes, there are races other than demons."
Besides humans dressed as adventurers, there were even demihumans. It was certain that the Demon Army wasn't sending new troops to challenge the Great Labyrinth, and besides—
"They're not alive... and there's no heartbeat to be heard."
The wiggling of their excellent rabbit ears made Shi and the others believe that they were dead.
"How should I put it...they look like zombies?"
Shizuku's expression twitched as she muttered, "I've seen a scene like this in a movie before."
Indeed, the sight of the dead groaning and pouring forth was exactly like something out of a zombie movie, the only difference being that they were frozen zombies—frost zombies.
Seeing that terrifying scene, Kaori, the "Apostle of God whose weakness is horror movies," who was in charge of the rearguard, suddenly lost all color in her face.
Perhaps he sensed the fear in Kaori and the trembling Suzu beside him.
The dark red eyes of the frost zombies all looked at the two of them, and then...
—Ahhhhhhhhhh!
The zombies charged forward, screaming in unison. Their previous slow movements seemed illusory, their furious charge surpassing even a sprinter's.
Although the decaying flesh was invisible due to the freezing weather, the sight of them baring their teeth and charging forward was straight out of a horror movie. Their horrifically ugly features instinctively evoked fear in people.
So──
“No, nooo ...
Kaori, her eyes filled with tears, turned violent. Silver magic power erupted, gathering before her outstretched hands. The next moment, the passageway was filled with silver light—the decomposition bombardment was launched.
The decomposition bombardment made a loud bang and moved forward in a straight line, naturally decomposing everything, and the large number of frost zombies could not stop it at all.
After the flash became thinner and disappeared, nothing was left behind, and the siege of the frost zombies collapsed in an instant... although it only lifted the siege of the retreat route.
Ryutaro's expression was stiff, and he murmured:
"After returning to the capital, I will give Endo a warning. From now on, no matter what happens, never stand behind Kaori."
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