"Yue! You said such mean things again!"
"...Kaori, don't worry, I'm not biased. I support love between girls. I wish you a happy marriage."
"So, don't say such weird things!"
Kaori still didn't seem to realize it, and it was because she took Yue's words seriously that it touched the "S" part of Yue's heart even more.
Seeing that although Kaori complained, she had no intention of leaving Shizuku, they could see the illusion of lilies blooming behind them, but Kaori herself was completely unaware of it.
Then Yue and Kaori started bickering as usual. Shizuku, caught between them, tried to soothe them with a confused look, but to no avail.
"Hey, Nagumo-san, stop laughing and stop them."
"There's no need to stop them, right? Anyway, we're just sitting around doing nothing until Tianzhihe and the others return. So, how about you just try saying, 'Stop arguing! Don't argue over me!'"
"...You take me for some indecisive woman."
Shizukuita scowled and glared at Hajime, but Hajime seemed to find it even more amusing and laughed heartily.
Shizuku frowned even more unhappily at Hajime's reaction. Hajime put away his smile and coughed.
"How should I put it? Yaegashi should be more casual."
"What?"
"You're being too serious. The murmurs must have tormented your mental state to begin with, right? If that's the case, you should just join in the fun and have some fun. There's no one here who needs your care."
"..."
Hearing Hajime say this, Shizuku opened her eyes wide in surprise. She herself didn't know what had touched her heart. What Hajime said felt exactly the opposite of what she had whispered...
Hajime didn't care about Shizuku's silence, and a malicious smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
"How about I lend you Shia's bunny ears so you can relax for a while, Shizuku-chan, who loves cute things?"
"! Stop making so much noise! No need for that! And please stop grinning like that!"
Shizuku's cheeks were as red as apples. Was it out of anger at being teased? Or was it because Hajime suddenly called her by her name?
Seeing Shizuku's reaction, Hajime laughed heartily.
"...What are you laughing at, seriously?"
Perhaps realizing that nothing she said would be of any use, Shizuku turned her head away as if in a tantrum.
Seeing Shizuku's reaction was, in a sense, quite adorable. Two eyes were fixed on her: Yue and Kaori, who had unknowingly stopped arguing. Their eyes were fixed on Shizuku.
“What, what happened?”
Shizuku, wavering, asked the two of them. Kaori poked Shizuku's cheek, looking delighted.
"Haha, Shizuku-chan looks very happy."
Kaori said this, while Yue stared at Shizuku, as if trying to see through Shizuku's heart.
"...Well, she was quite happy being bullied by Hajime."
Hearing Yue's criticism, Shizuku's cheeks became even hotter.
"Wait, I'm neither happy nor joyful! Stop making fun of me together."
"even?"
"...I even?"
Shizuku's flustered tongue caused the two of them to laugh at her, and she covered her face with her hands in embarrassment, looking as if she wanted to crawl into a hole in the ground.
Yue folded her hands across her chest and murmured, "Hmm~".
"...Another increase?"
She deliberately didn't say what she was adding. Kaori didn't ask specifically, but said cheerfully, as if she knew everything, "It's hard to say~♪"
Shizuku shrank back shyly, even curling her ponytail over her face, and began to activate the "Ponytail Shield." Kaori looked at Shizuku's expression, which was like a kind mother's.
At this moment, a sudden flash of light blew away the harmonious atmosphere.
Pure white magic power burst forth, rising into the sky with a force that seemed to blow away the snow and smoke.
Shizuku was familiar with that surge of magical power, and her surprise was only for a moment. Then, the barrage of light came straight towards Hajime, as if to swallow up Xueyan as well.
"Nagumo-kun! It's Kamui!"
"Calm down, it's okay."
Shizuku warned anxiously, but Hajime responded calmly. He pulled the key from his bosom and thrust it into the space before him. Then, he turned the key. It matched the opening on the side and opened the door to the space.
The torrent of light that scraped the ground came crashing down like a wave, but just as Hajime had expected, thanks to the portal, which was considered the strongest defense, the flash of "God's Power" disappeared before Hajime's eyes, flew out of the doorway, and headed in another direction.
Knowing that Kouki and Ryuutarou's attacks would be directed towards Hajime by his consciousness, Hajime prepared the more reliable "exile attack with the space gate" instead of defending, and it turned out to be the right approach.
The reason why no attacks have been launched during the conversation so far is probably because Guanghui and his men are afraid of accidentally injuring their allies, so they can only use close combat techniques.
“Glory…”
The pure white light that shot up into the sky was proof that Kouki had used Limit Break.
Thinking that Kouki was being forced to use one of her trump cards, Shizuku stood up anxiously. She followed the Kamuy's trajectory, but the snow smoke quickly thickened, obscuring her vision.
"That guy Tian Zhihe seems quite anxious."
Perhaps it was just as Hajime had said. In a battle where even his signature move, 'Sky-Soaring Flash', was sealed, Kouki seemed to be cornered.
The result of his haste to break through the situation was the "Limit Break" and "Godly Power" just now. Seeing his strongest attack fly in different directions, his face must be pale now.
"But anyway, since he used Limit Break, he should be able to clear it in a few minutes. The problem is the remaining two."
"Eh? Hikari, shouldn't we just worry about him?"
Seeing Hajime abruptly look away, Shizuku asked timidly.
Her eyes kept glancing towards where the light might be, as if she wanted to rush to rescue it right now.
In a sense, Shizuku could be said to be overprotective. Hajime showed a helpless expression and added to her:
"He has a derivative of Limit Break, right? That means he still has some strength left before using it. And the requirement to pass this maze is to defeat a golem by yourself, right? For him, helping out right now isn't something he'd be happy about."
"Well... maybe that's right."
"As for you, I've already said that, Yaegashi, you're too worried about other people. That's why you're called 'mothering woman'."
“Who’s the old lady?! Only Nagumo-san is calling me that! Seriously, that’s so rude!”
In short, although Shizuku agreed with Hajime's opinion, she was extremely angry about his subsequent comments.
Hajime simply ignored her and this time took out a compass from his pocket. What he wanted to know was 'the location of Taniguchi Suzu'.
“…Over there.”
"Hajime-kun, Ryuutarou-kun, and Suzu-kun..."
"Wait a minute, let me check. Compared to the offensive Sakagami, I think the defensive Taniguchi will be at a loss..."
Hajime said, following the compass's guidance, and took off with the cross-shaped floater. He then pulled out a crystal screen, allowing Kaori and the others to see what was happening.
For a while, the image transmitted from the cross-shaped floater's 'Far-Seeing Stone' was just a silver-gray mist, but then, on the other side of the thin veil of snow smoke, two faint points of light began to appear.
The cross-shaped floating cannon, moving from a bird's-eye view position, conveyed the true appearance of the light spot.
That is the brilliance of "Holy Absolute".
One is for Ling herself, making her immune to the surrounding heat rays.
The other was used on the Frost Golem, sealing it in a barrier.
However, from the fact that the Frost Golem inside was dripping with water and its huge body had shrunk a lot, it could be seen that Ling was not just sealing it.
——Double Iron Fans "Holy Absolute Flame".
This is a barrier technique that combines Holy Absolute with fire magic to create an extremely hot space within the barrier.
The Frost Golem also understood its danger and, seemingly anxious, repeatedly struck the barrier with its axe and spear. Although Holy Flame nearly cracked and shattered several times due to the Frost Golem's attacks, Ling repeatedly cast the barrier to resist each time.
Perhaps the firepower of "Holy Destruction Explosion" is not enough to defeat Frost Golem.
So Ling thought of another way, and then she came up with the idea -
If you are in the limited space inside the barrier, you can ignore the characteristics of the [Ice Cave] and make full use of the Frost Golem's fire attribute weakness.
Since I can't destroy it all at once, I'll just take my time and kill it. This idea, only a barrier master with a deep understanding of his own techniques could come up with, is truly brilliant. That being said, it's not completely without cost.
“Wow… Whew, just a little more… just a little bit more…”
Ling's breathing was heavy, sweat was pouring down her forehead like a waterfall, and her eyes gradually became empty.
Simultaneously deploying and maintaining the highest level of barrier required an extremely advanced technique, one that seemed to significantly drain Ling's mental and spiritual energy. The twin iron fans trembled, seemingly ready to fall from her hands at any moment, a testament to Ling's nearing her limit.
Next, it will depend on whether Ling's magic power and concentration can overcome Frost Gorem's defense.
This is a protracted battle to see who falls first.
"I won't lose, huhu, I absolutely won't lose! No matter what happens, no matter what anyone says, Suzu will definitely talk to Eri again!"
Even at this moment, she could still hear the whispers in her ears.
Ling shouted, spurring her heart, which was about to give in, and her empty eyes once again shone with the brilliance of her strong will. She roughly wiped away the sweat with her sleeve, encouraging herself and regaining her spirits.
"Rin-chan..."
"She works very hard."
Kaori gasped in surprise at Ling's boldness, while Tio praised her.
"She seems to be fine."
"……yes."
Ling was very strong. Shizuku was a little stunned by what she saw, and she almost couldn't even say the words to agree with Hajime.
Shizuku realized that she had underestimated Ling's strong determination, and this made her feel ashamed of herself. She was still worried about Ling now, perhaps too arrogant.
At least Ling is no longer a weak woman who would get into trouble without her care. Ling is like the barrier she created, strong and unbreakable.
It's normal to be called overprotective, Shizuku thought, a self-deprecating smile on her face.
However, this state of mind quickly changed. The area where the cross-shaped floater was heading next was a scene where even excessive protection would be of no use.
“Uoooooohhhhhhhhh!!”
“Gahhhhhhhhh!!”
That's right, it was Ryuutarou. For some reason, this big, stupid guy was actually fighting with Frost Golem at very close range.
"Oh, a hand-to-hand fight, really exciting!"
Shia was the only one who was moved and impressed, while everyone else's minds were filled with calm questions.
Why don’t you move a step from where you are?
Why did even the Frost Golem disarm and fight with his bare hands?
Why didn't either side defend themselves?
Why do they seem to have an agreement that if someone is hit on the left cheek, they will hit the other cheek with the left cheek, and if someone is hit on the right cheek, they will hit the other cheek with the right cheek?
"Ahh, because I'm an idiot."
"I, I can't deny it."
"Ryutaro-kun..."
The two of them looked like delinquents brawling by the river. They half-closed their eyes, wondering if he and Frost Golem would develop a friendship after this.
Seeing her childhood friend like that, Shizuku's facial muscles twitched, and Kaori got a headache.
"It's a good thing he wasn't knocked out by the heat ray."
As Tio tilted her head in confusion, even though she hadn't moved a single step, the heat ray miraculously didn't cause any fatal damage to Ryutaro.
Although his body was covered in shallow cuts and holes, and was also covered in wounds, his vital parts such as the head and heart were not hit.
Judging from the faint magical energy lingering around him, Ryuutarou might have been saved by the defense of "King Kong." Ryuutarou must have thought, "It's impossible for me to dodge the heat ray and fight the Frost Golem at the same time," and gave up on avoiding it early on.
He probably thought that no matter how many attacks he received, he just had to defeat the enemy before he fell.
"Frost Golem seems to be nearing his limit. With Sakagami's momentum, he should be fine... Kaori, he's your childhood friend, so just do your best to heal him."
"Is there any healing magic that heals injuries but leaves pain?"
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