"Please distinguish between time and place!"

Shia complained bitterly. During that time, Shia remained impervious to Hajime's wrist-crushing cross-arm hold, her technique flawless. This was a testament to Shia's remarkable growth, and something to be celebrated.

However, using joint techniques to dissuade Hajime, who wanted to push Yue down at the first opportunity, was not a cause for celebration for Shia at all.

"Calm down, Shia. I can't really push Yue down, right?"

"Then why are you approaching Miss Yue with such a beast-like look in your eyes?"

"You're being suspicious with those beastly eyes of yours. I just want Yue to help me heal the mental strength that was depleted by the whispering—"

"You're lying! Hajime-san's eyes are the look you get when you're lying!"

Detective Shia pointed at Hajime, as if to say, "The truth is in my hands."

Since Hajime had originally declared that he didn't care about the whispers, he clearly didn't need to recover his spirits at all. Instead, the more the whispers became, the more Yue became more enchanting, while Hajime mysteriously transformed into a wild beast. The two of them, in turn, became more spirited.

After thinking for a moment, Hajime replied seriously:

"Because I need to replenish the consumed lunar components."

"I'm really going to punch you with all my strength, okay?"

Shiya pinched Shiji's cheek, angrily giving him a cold look like Yue. To others, it looked like Shiji and Shiya were flirting.

"You are truly merciless."

“Because we’re lovers. If Hajime-san is wrong, I’ll point it out!”

Shia's cheeks flushed slightly as she said that as a lover, she should give advice where it's necessary. Hajime couldn't help but smile at her.

"...Yeah, Shia is a good kid."

Hearing Xia say that, Yue nodded in satisfaction.

Then the two of them sat quietly in front of Xia and reflected.

"Eh, no, no need to be so reserved..." Shia said a little flustered.

Hajime and Yue looked at Shia as if they were looking at something cute.

"Yeah, they do look like lovers."

"Ahahaha, yeah~"

Tio said with a smile, and Kaori beside her agreed with a wry smile.

Until now, Shia had only been a follower of Hajime and Yue, but since being recognized as a lover by Hajime, she began to feel that she was an equal to the two of them.

When facing Hajime and Yue, Shia no longer hugged the two walking in front from behind. Instead, she sometimes walked side by side with them, and sometimes walked in front of them, pulling them forward. She repeatedly displayed this "closer way of treating them."

The same is true now.

The three of them are very natural together, and just watching them makes people feel soft.

However, it seems not everyone thinks so...

"..."

"Shizuku-chan, what's wrong?"

"Eh? No, nothing's wrong. How's Suzu? Are you okay?"

Shizuku came back to her senses when Ling called her. Her expression froze for a moment, but she quickly concealed it.

"Shizuku-chan, don't be so pushy, okay? If you don't mind, Ling can listen to you, okay?"

Ling's eyes revealed anxiety, and she continued with concern.

Ling was also distressed by the whispering. She felt as if needles were pricking her body every second, and felt a sense of depression like a rock pressing down on her chest.

Ling didn't have much time to spare, but she was more worried about Shizuku now.

Shizuku seemed to be suppressing some emotion as she watched Yue, Shia, Kaori, and Tio laughing together with Hajime at the center. Her expression made Suzu very worried.

"Really, Suzu, you're such a worrywart. I think it's Suzu who's having the most trouble. Are you really okay?"

That's it, that's what Ling is worried about.

Shizuku usually hides her troubles skillfully, always caring about others and putting her own concerns aside.

The fact that Suzu could easily detect something was wrong with Shizuku clearly proved that Shizuku was mentally unstable. However, she refused to admit it and didn't want others to worry about her.

Suzu looked at Kaori, wanting to ask her for help, and then their eyes met. Kaori seemed to have noticed Shizuku's abnormality and had been observing from the side.

Kaori noticed Ling's gaze but just shook her head.

(Why? Xiangxiang, why don’t you talk to Shizuku-shizuku?)

Because she herself was also lacking in energy, Ling felt a surge of anger towards Kaori. However, seeing Kaori's serious eyes, she quickly calmed down her passionate emotions.

(…Kaoru-chan couldn’t possibly ignore Shizuku-chan. I don’t know why, but maybe she thinks that talking now isn’t the right time to resolve the issue…)

Ling sighed inwardly, nodded slightly to Kaori, and replaced it with a troubled smile. She replied to Shizuku in an unusually lively tone, "I'm fine, Shizuku-chan."

In addition, the one who looks the most dangerous is Glory.

"Hey, Kouki."

"...What's up, Ryuutarou?"

"Ah, no, it's nothing. I just want to get out of this damn place as soon as possible."

"……yes."

As he advanced through the maze, Kouki's words became fewer and fewer. He now offered only minimal responses to Shizuku, Ryuutarou, and Suzu, who expressed their concern and comfort. Meanwhile, the negativity in his eyes grew stronger with each passing moment.

His target was Hajime.

He himself seemed to think he had hidden it well, but Hajime was very sensitive to hostility, and of course he had noticed the shining blade-like gaze.

But Hajime deliberately avoided talking to him, and didn't even protest his gaze, because anyone could see that doing so would only have the opposite effect.

Hajime deliberately acted playful with Yue and received a rare scolding from Shia, perhaps to dispel the ominous atmosphere that had quietly descended, or perhaps he was simply tired of silently enduring it.

"Okay, how do you all feel? Is this a bit better?"

About an hour had passed since they began to rest. Tio used soul magic to heal and stabilize everyone, and she looked around at everyone and asked.

"Yes, thank you. I feel much clearer now."

"Yeah, my body feels a little better now..."

The whispers haven't been found to have any powerful magical properties; they're simply sounds. The mental burden on Shizuku and the others is the accumulated worries from their own associations.

So even if it's soul magic, as long as the person doesn't stop worrying and caring, the magic won't have much effect. It can only help them change their mood.

Even so, this kind of psychological comfort seems to be very valuable, and the smiles on Shizuku, Ling and Ryutaro's faces are finally not forced.

However, even with soul magic or regeneration magic, some people still can't regain their normal smiles...

"Yes, thank you, Miss Tio. I feel much more relaxed now."

Although Kouki thanked Tio with a smile, his tone was heavy and melancholy, as if it came from deep within the foggy forest. His smile seemed like a mask, giving people a feeling of artificiality.

Of course, Tio had noticed something was wrong with Guanghui's attitude a long time ago, but she just patted Guanghui's shoulder to encourage him and changed the subject.

"It's nothing, no need to thank me. The important thing now is to get out of this maze as quickly as possible. Master, you said we'd be there in less than an hour, right?"

"Yes, we'll be there in an hour at most. According to the compass, we'll reach the deepest point in about thirty minutes if we're fast."

Hajime stood up, compass in one hand, and that was the signal to set off, so Yue and the others also stood up.

They had completely lost their playful attitude from earlier. Perhaps it was really just a joke to change the mood. That must be the case... probably...

Of course, Kouki was exhausted, but Shizuku, Ling, and Ryuutarou also looked a little tired. It had been almost a full day since they entered the maze.

During that time, they had not slept a wink, had been fighting constantly, and had been constantly disturbed by the whispers in their ears.

Although recovery measures are taken at any time, the fatigue they have accumulated is not so easy to recover, so there is nothing that can be done about it.

Like old, blackened oil lamps that couldn't be lit, Guanghui and the others walked forward with a gloomy mood. In the mirror maze of the ice mirror, their figures were reflected in every mirror row, a scene that mocked them as mere objects for viewing.

During that time, the whispering in the Great Labyrinth's ears never ceased, and it didn't seem to tire of it at all. That annoying voice kept whispering words into Hajime and the others' ears that were both abstract and yet definitely reminded them of something.

Due to the reduced concentration, the danger level when encountering scattered Frost Ogres and annoying traps has also increased a lot.

It was fine for them, but for Guanghui and others, it seemed to be a difficult journey.

"hateful!"

They were now also facing a surprise attack from the Frost Ogre. Under Hajime's cover, Guanghui defeated the Frost Ogre, but he punched the wall and cursed.

──It's like this again, right?

──That’s why it was taken away.

——As long as there is strength.

The whispering didn't stop. Even if it hadn't stopped, it would have continued to echo in my head. It kept echoing, and it kept echoing, like a hammer hammering against my brain.

To vent his accumulating frustration, Huihui launched a furious attack on the Frost Ogre. However, his attacks lacked subtlety and were gradually countered by the enemy, which only made his frustration build even more...

Even Ryutaro, who had been protecting Kouki, began to get angry about this vicious cycle.

"Hey, Kouki! Stop it! Calm down!"

"I'm calm."

Guanghui didn't listen at all. He seemed to be replying, but in reality, it was just a reflexive response.

Even so, the fact that he was corrected by his companions still remained in Guanghui's mind, and he turned his head away even more angrily, not looking at Ryutaro.

At this moment, he looked away and saw his own face reflected in the ice mirror. That face just looked at him expressionlessly, but it made him feel particularly wrong.

“…What’s going on?”

Guanghui couldn't help but say this. He stared carefully at himself in the phantom world...

“──!?”

The hairs on his back stood up and his expression twitched.

That's right, what he saw was his expressionless self reflected on the ice mirror wall.

There was no anxious furrowing of brows, no gnashing of teeth. At this moment, Guanghui's expression should have been twitching, but the Guanghui in the opposite ice wall remained motionless. It simply stared at Guanghui with its dark eyes, as if observing him closely.

Because it was so shocking, Guanghui opened his eyes wide and his whole body stiffened. Then, in the next moment, he witnessed another moment of himself grinning.

“Wa ...

“Hi-Hi!? What’s wrong!?”

"Are you okay? Glory!"

Guanghui suddenly shouted and jumped away from the ice wall, while Shizuku and Ryuutarou hurriedly called out to him.

Hajime and the others turned around to see what was happening and prepared to fight.

"Y-It's the enemy!"

Feeling cold sweat trickling down his back, Guanghui shouted. Though his breathing was ragged with nervousness, he expertly raised his holy sword, its tip pointing directly at his own reflection in the icy mirrored wall.

The light in the wall also raised the holy sword, and its expression and breathing were the same as the light.

The strong strange feeling just now is no longer felt.

"Glory?"

Despite her confusion, Shizuku walked over to Kouki's side. Seeing Kouki gasping for breath but still holding the sword, Shizuku placed a worried hand on his shoulder.

Guanghui's body trembled violently, but he immediately realized that it was the warm hand of the girl he was familiar with, so he relaxed his tense body slightly.

Guanghui adjusted his breathing and used a forced voice to describe what he saw.

“—I, reflected on the wall, am smiling, even though I’m not smiling… It’s like there’s someone else there…”

"You're not seeing things, are you?"

Shizuku gasped in surprise at what Kouki said. She looked at Kouki and herself reflected in the ice mirror with a wary look. But Kouki suddenly turned back to face Shizuku.

Anxiety and dark emotions were evident in his expression.

"Don't you believe me?"

"Eh? No, I didn't doubt you, did I?"

It seems that Guanghui thought that Shizuku's words were a sign of doubting herself.

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