A cold feeling like ice in his chest. The image of his once-trusted uncle and the retainers who were like family members emerged in Yue's mind.

I should have let go of the past, should have cast it aside. Yet, why did I feel so heavy? What did "repeat the same mistakes" mean? Of course, Yue could hear it too.

──You are the reason, right?

The feeling of regret seems to always exist in my heart.

The tragedy that claimed her family's lives gnawed at Shia's heart, becoming a recurring nightmare. The screams of her loved ones flashed through her mind without explanation.

──No one will accept you.

Tio felt emotions darker than the black scales stirring in her heart.

In the past, when Tio was still a young man who could not fully grasp her power, her clan was persecuted.

Flames shot up into the sky, explosions shook the atmosphere, and screams and roars echoed through the air. Those who kicked the bodies of their companions, their eyes filled with fear and contempt for them.

——so jealous that he wanted to kill her.

I felt like there was a creepy knife in my heart.

Even though she had changed her appearance and gained strength, she still stood there leisurely, somewhere she couldn't reach. Kaori herself didn't realize that her eyes would unconsciously look towards her.

This feeling was like a sharp knife in her abdomen. She felt the blade of regret cutting her, causing her to bleed profusely. And that blood turned into a bloody storm, threatening to devour her.

"Ah, I see. This is my own voice."

As everyone was distracted by the murmurs, they heard Hajime suddenly say this, and they immediately came back to their senses.

"……beginning?"

Yue's eyes raised a question, but Hajime, who seemed unresponsive to the whisper, replied:

"You said the whispers sounded familiar, didn't you? I think so too, but it's my voice. When I was helping my father with the game, I had the opportunity to hear my own voice several times during voice tests. Hearing my own voice was unexpectedly strange, so it was hard to notice. However, this is indeed my own voice that I heard many times back then."

Hearing what Hajime said, everyone suddenly understood and gave a look of “Ah, so that’s indeed the case.”

The sound I usually hear is unexpectedly different from the sound I hear objectively after recording, so I didn't notice it before.

Kaori frowned and said with a bitter expression:

"But then, what this voice said is..."

"Judging from the content, everyone should have realized that the whispers were the voices of their own hearts, right? I'm not the only one who feels this way. Whether you're aware of it or not, when the voices say those words, painful memories or emotions that you're trying to escape from must have surfaced in your minds."

"Yeah, it feels like someone has stepped into my heart without my permission. It's really disgusting."

"...Hmm, the Great Labyrinth is indeed despicable."

Tio's guess was probably correct, and no one objected.

There was no need for them to express their agreement out loud like Xia and Yue did; the bitter expressions on everyone's faces clearly showed that they all understood.

"The next thing we must pay attention to is whether the content of the inner voice is truly our own? Or is it hypnosis or brainwashing by the Great Labyrinth?"

In other words, even if it is not from your true heart, but the voice keeps whispering in your ear, constantly shaking your emotions, you may have the illusion that it is from your true heart.

After listening to Tio's analysis, it was clear that all kinds of emotions flashed between Kouki and the others in an instant.

Especially Guanghui, who had a heavy expression as if he had drunk lead, but suddenly seemed to see a glimmer of salvation in hell, and then his face was expressionless, and no one knew what he was thinking.

Then, surprisingly, the next person to react was Shizuku.

As if she didn't want to talk about her inner thoughts anymore, she showed an unnatural positive attitude and began to speak to Hajime and the others:

"Nagumo-san, you guys don't seem to be affected at all. Do you have any plans?"

Hajime, Yue, Shia, Tio, and Kaori all looked at each other.

"Shizuku-chan, I'm really affected, aren't you?"

"what?"

Shizuku's eyes widened in surprise at Kaori's unexpected answer. Kaori smiled and said:

"My heart is filled with jealousy. I don't care which vampire princess it is. Just once, I really want to slap her down. I didn't mention which vampire princess it was."

"...Very good, Kaori, go outside. I accept your challenge."

Kaori smiled and summoned Hannya from behind, veins popping up on Yue's forehead as she assumed a fighting stance.

"Ka-Kaori... You're so direct..."

Seeing Kaori confess her dark feelings, not only Shizuku, but also Kouki and the others were confused and at a loss.

However, although there should be dark and negative emotions, there is not a single gloomy and twisted emotion from Kaori. Why is that?

"Because it only makes sense if we defeat her fairly."

In his heart, he could see a blade sharpened by jealousy. Because he had not protected Hajime well, that blade turned into a blade of regret and cut his body.

But so what? There was no need to whisper in her ear; Kaori already knew what was happening. She had accepted everything, and that was why she was standing here.

Even if she was heartbroken, she would not kneel down because of the pain, let alone go crazy because of it.

Kouki and the others were speechless, and Shizuku was also stunned. But after a moment, Shizuku narrowed her eyes, as if she had seen something dazzling.

"I've also been affected, and I'm in a very bad mood. But now isn't the time to worry about that."

Shia also said this nonchalantly.

The reason was simple. No matter how much she regretted it, the past had already happened and could never be undone. Therefore, Shia always worked hard for the future.

Although she had lost many "important people", Shia now had a new "important person" by her side that she absolutely did not want to lose, so she could not turn back.

"My life isn't easy enough to be shaken by whispers like this."

Tio shrugged.

She could see the black flames burning in her heart, but she would not let them burn her. This miracle, finally encountered after hundreds of years, was now everything to Tio.

Seeing that the three people were able to remain themselves even after being affected, Guanghui and others were still surprised and speechless.

On the other hand, Hajime looked at them with a very gentle look. It was clear that Hajime was proud of them, even very proud of them.

Shizuku's gaze shifted towards Hajime, silently asking what he thought. But he didn't know if it was an illusion, but Hajime felt that her gaze was looking for an answer he could rely on.

"I... just don't particularly care."

"You don't care? But Nagumo-kun..."

Shizuku's meaning is obvious.

Through information sharing, everyone already knew the content of the whispers that Hajime heard.

—There's no place for monsters, right?

──Do you think a murderer can live a normal life?

That was the majority of the content. For Hajime, who wanted to return to his hometown more than anyone else, if he were told that he was homeless and his original life would no longer exist, and that was his underlying worry, there would probably be nothing more frightening than this.

It was impossible for him not to care, impossible for him not to feel uneasy.

Seeing Shizuku's concerned look, Hajime smiled wryly.

"Those words were harsh, to be sure. I could hardly be considered human anymore, and my values ​​were far different from those of the Japanese. So... maybe deep down I really did think I wouldn't be able to adapt to life in Japan."

Contrary to what he said, Hajime's tone was very relaxed and carefree, without any sympathetic sadness, and it seemed that he was objectively analyzing himself from beginning to end.

Shizuku couldn't help but think that he might be telling the truth when he said he didn't particularly care.

Seeing Hajime like that, he felt deeply annoyed while listening to Kaori and the others' conversation, and his expression became even darker. At this moment, he finally couldn't hold it in any longer and forced out the words:

"Then why are you still acting so calm?! Nagumo, you're so willing to abandon the people of this world just to go home. Knowing there's no place for you to go back to, why are you still acting so calm?!"

Guanghui questioned Hajime angrily, seemingly unable to suppress his emotions. His eyes were gloomy, his expression was tense, his shoulders were shaking slightly, and he even seemed to be having trouble breathing.

It seemed that the inner voice that Guanghui heard shook his spirit quite violently.

Kouki looked like he was about to pounce, but Hajime held out his hand to stop him, saying:

"Rather than saying it's peaceful, it's more like there's no point in worrying about it now. If we don't go back and take a look, who knows what will actually happen? Well, for now, let's just put it aside."

"I'm asking you, why can you let it go so easily? There are some things that you absolutely can't ignore, that linger in your mind and can't be shaken off, and you can't control them no matter what you do, right?!"

What kind of whispers did he hear?

Even while questioning Hajime, a dark emotion still lingered in Kouki's eyes. Was it hatred or anger? Regardless, it was a dangerous look filled with intense emotion.

Shizuku, Ryuutarou, and Suzu were all in the spotlight, but Kaori, too, looked at Kouki with a look of worry and unease. Kouki felt like a gear shifting, a profound instability that made even her childhood friends uneasy.

After Hajime glanced at Kaori, he smiled bitterly inwardly and his expression turned serious.

"First, develop a desire for 'what you want to happen,' then set a 'goal' in your mind to fulfill that desire."

"what are you saying……"

Hajime's sudden words confused Kouki. In contrast, Hajime's eyes remained as firm as steel, and he spoke:

"From now on, all that's left is action. The worry isn't 'whether I can do it', but 'how should I do it to achieve my goal'... I've already decided. I'm going to return home and live peacefully with Yue and the others, show them new things, and introduce them to my family. I'll risk my life for this. The unanswered anxiety in my heart is a minor matter, and I don't have time to worry about it."

“…That’s complete nonsense…”

"I didn't ask you to agree with me. That would just postpone the issue, and perhaps thinking that way is unhuman..."

Then pause for a beat.

"No matter what, that's not a reason to stop."

If Hajime had been trapped by psychological problems and stopped, he would have died in the abyss long ago.

It may not be normal to ignore your inner way of dealing with things.

But it was precisely because of this that Hajime was able to survive, climb out of the abyss, and find the one he loved and cared about the most. And at this moment, he was able to continue moving forward.

"..."

Guanghui had no words to refute and could not help but look away.

No matter what others said or did to him, Hajime would never waver. Kouki felt like he was witnessing the backbone of Hajime's strong spirit, and it was too much for Kouki to bear.

I couldn't fully understand it, but for some reason, it felt like I was seeing something extremely dazzling.

Shizuku, who had originally asked the question, seemed to be at a loss for words. Her eyes mirrored the light, as if she were seeing something dazzling, but she didn't look away, instead staring at Hajime.

She didn't look as dignified as usual, but rather a bit absent-minded. She didn't even notice that her best friend was looking at her with calm and gentle eyes.

In the indescribable subtle atmosphere, Xia seemed to have thought of something and clapped her hands.

It was unknown whether she was intentionally trying to change the mood or was simply curious, but her usual innocent personality swept away the gray and gloomy atmosphere.

“I understand that Hajime-san is unaffected because he’s a bit thick-skinned, but—”

"Sorry, I'm a bit nervous."

Shia ignored Hajime’s twitching cheeks with a dignified manner.

"Why does Miss Yue seem alright? Judging from the content, the whispers are referring to the person who betrayed Miss Yue and sealed her away for three hundred years, right? Aren't you angry?"

Being ignored, Hajime gave Shia a cold look, but since it was inconvenient to interrupt her, he decided to let her go. However, the night after conquering the Great Labyrinth, Shia would probably be brought to tears in various ways.

When the topic came up to him, Yue didn't hesitate and answered directly:

“…Well, it’s not about the past, but rather, that voice told me that I would be betrayed again. And the ones who betrayed me were Hajime and Shia.”

Seeing Yue talking leisurely, Hajime and Shia beside him looked at each other in confusion.

If this murmur was digging out the deeper psychology of Hajime and the others, then Yue was probably afraid from the bottom of his heart of being betrayed by Hajime and Shia.

Indeed, Yue was betrayed by her family and retainers, whom she trusted with all her heart, and imprisoned in darkness for three hundred years. This reason was enough to cause her psychological trauma, so it's not surprising that she no longer trusts anyone.

Fortunately, meeting Hajime allowed Yue to "trust" again, but the number of people he could trust was very limited.

In fact, Yue is generally cold and distant to others besides Hajime and Shia, and has difficulty gaining their trust.

Because of this, if you want to get close to her, you must be brave. You must be brave enough to express your affection like Shia; be brave enough to step into the world of the moon without fear of being disliked like Tio; or challenge it head-on like Kaori.

Because Yue has such a personality, the anxiety of "being betrayed again" may be smoldering deep in her heart.

"...I thought I had let go of the past, but maybe I haven't."

Regarding this, as long as the memory of the severe betrayal had not faded, there was nothing that could be done. She didn't really doubt that Hajime and the others would betray her, but the fear that was etched deep in her mind.

"...But when I think about it, I'm actually quite self-aware."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

Shia asked with her rabbit ears tilted, while Yue remained expressionless and calmly told the shocking truth.

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