"...It would be better to just leave him alone."
"No, no, Miss Yue, you should give him a fatal blow."
Shia also said, "Druken STAND BY~!"
"You... I understand how you feel, but please restrain yourself. You're focusing your murderous intent on Kouki, and he's starting to have nightmares. Now, put that dangerous hammer away! Yue, don't fire lightning with one hand!"
Tio displayed a rare older sister's demeanor.
It looked like Yue and Shia's fury hadn't subsided yet. After all, Kouki had called them names and cursed them viciously. Furthermore, he'd also desired the death of someone important to them, so naturally, their anger wouldn't subside easily.
A groan escaped Guanghui's lips. His brow furrowed, and cold sweat poured down like a waterfall. Perhaps he was having a nightmare about being attacked by vampires and violent rabbits.
While feeling helpless towards Yue and Shia, Hajime also smiled happily.
That being said, if this continues and Kouki suffers a mental breakdown from nightmares, then there would be no point in using such a complicated fighting method in the first place.
"Like Tio said, please restrain yourself. Otherwise, it would be meaningless to let him live."
“…Hmm~ If Hajime says so…”
"I've saved my life, you damned hero!"
Seeing Shia looking like she was about to spit, Hajime couldn't help but look at her with a look of "Are you that kind of person?" Shia had been a bit evil just now.
Hajime, who was hugging Yue tightly, began to stroke Hei Shiya's soft rabbit ears in order to comfort her.
Instantly, Shia's demeanor softened. Yue made room for him, as if to say, "Welcome, come next to me!" Shia immediately shouted "Hurray!" with joy and embraced Hajime.
Yue rubbed his face against Hajime's abdomen.
Shia rested her head on Hajime's chest, taking in the peaceful and comfortable atmosphere, her eyes gently lowered. A pair of rabbit ears wrapped tightly around Hajime's neck, and her tail swayed comfortably like a gently rocking cradle.
The two people who experienced a big quarrel for the first time not only deepened their bond, but also improved their way of acting coquettishly.
It seemed like something had happened...Hajime, noticing this, hugged the two of them again with a gentle expression.
Double the pink space naturally appeared, filling the trial hall with heart-shaped bubbles.
Stimulated by this blazing space, Tio slowly moved closer.
She thought for a moment before speaking.
"Master, I want to confess to you."
"?What's the meaning?"
"Actually... I initially used you to seek revenge against God!"
Ling and Ryuutarou were dumbfounded, thinking, "Huh!? He actually said that!?"
"? I know?"
Ling and Ryuutarou were once again speechless, thinking, "Huh!? You knew that!?"
Hajime and Tio's eyes met in the silent space.
Ten seconds later, Tio asked with a serious expression.
"What about the punishment?"
"No."
Tio fell to her knees, lost in despair.
Ling and Ryutaro also knelt on their knees, and couldn't help but say, "This isn't the thing to ask..."
So Ling asked the question on her behalf:
"Um, um, Nagumo-san, did you really know Tio's thoughts a long time ago?"
"Huh? Isn't that only natural?"
Hajime had already heard some things about Tio's past—the events surrounding the Great Persecution. Furthermore, she had come to investigate the Hero's summons and ultimately decided to follow Hajime, who was even more powerful than the Hero. Summarizing the information he had gathered during his journey, he could naturally draw this conclusion.
More importantly,
"Don't look at me like this. I thought I knew Tio very well."
Hajime had been looking at his companion, Tio Kuralus.
So he understood.
He understood the dark fire within Tio, and the blazing fire that would make her stand up as a shield for her companions without hesitation.
"Although it's not entirely for this reason, it's also why I chose you, Tio, as a rescue member during the battle with Noin."
We were at an altitude of 8,000 meters, and our opponent was an "Apostle of God." If we truly wanted to rescue our beloved son immediately, it would have been faster to ask Yue to come to the "Gate."
Even so, Hajime chose Tio because she was more available to monitor the situation, and the palace where Princess Liliana and the others were was dangerous, so it would be better to have Yue, who was more capable of dealing with it, stay there. However, Hajime also believed that Tio would be the more suitable choice in the battle against the Church.
"Owner……"
Tio was unusually gentle. She tried to express her inexpressible feelings in words, but she couldn't find the words. Her inner feelings were almost overflowing...
Tio's adorable look made Ling blush. Ryutaro slapped his cheeks, thinking, "I must never fall for that pervert again!"
"Master, can I come to you?"
Yue and Shia answered. They stretched out a hand to the left and right, as if shouting "WELCOME!"
After all, this was part of the trial, so Hajime, in a rare move, kept his sharp words to himself and simply shrugged. Tio smiled and moved between Yue and Shia, leaning against Hajime's chest. The sweet atmosphere that filled the room increased by another third.
Ryutaro is about to transform into a Merlion that spits out sugar.
Seeing Shi and the others huddled together, another girl couldn't contain herself anymore.
“Ugh~ A step too late~ Healing… Never mind, that’s enough for now! Hajime-kun~!”
"Huh? Wait, Kaori! That last part seemed really casual..."
After providing a certain degree of treatment to Guanghui and ensuring his life was safe, Kaori finally shouted "Hey!" and threw out a healing light, then rushed directly into the pink space where Hajime and others were.
After Kaori casually cast a healing spell to end the treatment, Guanghui shuddered. Kaori had just said that the soul was a delicate part, and that healing would take time...
Shizuku looked back and forth anxiously at Kaori and Kouki.
Kaori rushed towards Hajime, intending to embrace him, but Yue, acting as if nothing had happened, intervened. She quickly fired a gust of wind at Kaori's forehead.
However, Miss Kaori shook her head slightly and successfully dodged it, then hugged Hajime's arm from the side where Yue was hugging Hajime.
Of course, with that, the feeling of Hajime’s arms tightly hugging Yue disappeared.
Yue smiled a smile that didn't quite capture her smile, and Kaori returned the smile, as if to say, "What?" As usual, a phantom thunder dragon appeared behind Yue, and behind Kaori, a phantom of Hannya. The two glared fiercely at each other, braving the thunderclouds and blizzard.
The fiery pink space instantly transformed into a freezing cold zone. Ryutaro and Ling couldn't help but look away.
Among them, only Shizuku tentatively confirmed that Kouki's complexion and breathing had returned to normal. After taking his pulse and finding that his heartbeat had stabilized, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ryuutarou, can you help carry Kouki?"
"No problem! ...Only Kouki failed. He'll definitely be frustrated."
Ryuutarou carried Kouki on his back and said this, his face clouded over. Suzu looked at Kouki with a complicated expression.
"I think so... But we're not sure if Suzu can be considered a success... Besides, as long as you're still alive, you can try again any number of times!"
The character who had been leading the atmosphere was still alive. Her cheerful words lifted Ryuutarou's spirits. He raised his lips and echoed:
"That's true. After being treated like a fool, I can't live without giving them a good beating. If this guy suggests 'one more time', we just have to fight to the end. Just like before."
"Uh-huh!"
Seeing the two of them dispel the sad atmosphere, Shizuku also looked at them with a gentle smile.
Noticing that gaze, Suzu and Ryuutarou thought at the same time, "That's not the expression a classmate should have. That's why she's called mom"—it's murderous!
The decision of the two to stop thinking for a moment was the right one.
Shizuku sighed at her two friends, then glanced at Hajime and the others and changed her mood.
The Shizuku who had suppressed her inner feelings solely for the sake of others was gone. She had decided to abandon her way of life, which hadn't even occurred to her.
Therefore, she cast a passionate gaze on the person in her heart.
Tio was the first to notice that gaze. "Huh?" She tilted her head and looked at Shizuku with an observing look. Yue and Kaori, who were restraining each other, and Shia, who was mediating between them, hadn't noticed yet.
Shizuku placed her hand on her chest, as if acknowledging the feelings and new realizations that had been awakened by this trial. Then, she clenched her palm tightly as if grasping something important.
Tio seemed to sense Shizuku's mood from her actions.
"Oh my... Hehe, let me just say 'Keep going'."
"Huh? What does that mean?"
"Nothing, just a word of support for the hardworking girl."
Tio's whispered voice in his ear made Hajime ask back in surprise, but he got this answer.
Hajime, not understanding the meaning behind her words, narrowed his eyes and followed Tio's gaze. She was looking behind him at something. Seeing Shizuku encouraging him, he understood. After all, Hajime had already heard Shizuku's overly casual confession, so he naturally understood what she was thinking.
"Hey, hey, no way."
The moment Hajime and Shizuku's eyes met, Shizuku's cheeks flushed a brighter red than the crimson autumn leaves. Immediately afterwards, she approached Hajime with a resolute expression.
Ling, who was unaware of Shizuku's feelings, and Ryuutarou, who was carrying Kouki on his back, also followed behind.
And so, Shizuku stopped at the side where Shia was holding Hajime—face to face with Kaori.
The distance between her and Hajime was exceptionally close, almost inseparable from Hajime's left arm that was wrapped around Shia's waist.
As Shizuku approached, everyone except Tio seemed to notice her. Yue said, "Hmm?" and gave her a suspicious look. Shia blinked.
Shizuku and Kaori looked at each other.
In a short moment, Kaori also understood everything, her eyes widened in surprise. But it was not because she noticed Shizuku's feelings, but because she was surprised by Shizuku's way of living without hiding her feelings.
Then, in the next moment, Kaori smiled at Shizuku—joy, tenderness, blessings for Shizuku, and all the feelings she had for Shizuku until now, all overflowed in that dazzling smile.
Kaori opened her lips slightly. Even though no sound came out, Shizuku understood that her best friend was saying "Keep fighting" to her.
She nodded softly and smiled back, fighting back the near tears.
Shizuku, as if pushed from behind, said to Hajime quietly with a trembling voice:
"Nagumo, thank you for saving Kouki."
"I just beat him up, that's all."
Hajime's voice was quite calm. He realized the situation and showed an embarrassed expression.
However, this didn't stop Shizuku. Even though she was shaking with nervousness, she laughed and continued.
"But you didn't kill him. It was probably for Kaori, but you also took me into consideration a little bit, right? About 20%?"
“…Yeah, sort of.”
After all, it was what he had said, so Hajime couldn't deny it and could only answer honestly with awkwardness.
His expression made Shizuku feel a little relieved, and she chuckled again.
The two of them seemed to be in sync with each other, and Yue began to moan "Mmm!", while Xia murmured "Ah~ Finally~" as if she suddenly understood.
"Once you say you'll protect me, I'll protect your heart as well."
"I have a boundary in my heart, and I won't help with everything."
"I understand. However, we haven't lost our childhood friend. Kouki is truly a troublesome guy in every way, and a complete fool for revealing such an ugly side... But even so, he's still our friend."
Shizuku's eyes revealed a mixture of worry and gratitude, while Hajime shrugged nonchalantly.
To be honest, to eliminate any worries (although whether Kouki could be a worry was still questionable), Hajime had originally wanted to kill him without hesitation. However, after seeing the expressions of Shizuku and Kaori, he couldn't help but think that letting Kouki live was the right decision.
At least, compared to letting them witness their childhood sweetheart being killed by the person they loved in a different world far away from their hometown, and then having this nightmare scene deeply embedded in their hearts, the trouble brought by the glory on their shoulders is nothing at all.
Even after seeing her childhood sweetheart in such an ugly state, Shizuku still cared about him, which made people sigh at her perseverance. At the same time, it also made Hajime sigh with regret and helplessness, "She is really born to be a hard-working woman (old housewife)."
Ryutaro and the others were not completely disillusioned with Guanghui, but instead felt even more deeply saddened, which also proves that they had accumulated a deep affection for each other.
If it were someone less deeply connected to Kouki—for example, her classmates currently in the [Heilig Kingdom] and the young ladies obsessed with Kouki—they would surely become completely disillusioned and turn away immediately.
The deep connection between these childhood friends undoubtedly goes far beyond words, and can even be said to be "like a family."
(Since Yaegashi is the mother, then Amanohe is the son she raised, right?)
Hajime felt extremely rude, but Shizuku couldn't care less about that.
She took two deep breaths.
You'll Also Like
-
An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest
Chapter 860 2 hours ago -
Equipment Printing School Mage
Chapter 478 2 hours ago -
1932: Playing with the Japanese Communist Party with a doll
Chapter 711 2 hours ago -
Ikari Shinji's Harem Comedy Daily Life
Chapter 122 2 hours ago -
Connect to Yuan Tiejue's chat group
Chapter 69 2 hours ago -
As a commander, I will never meet a heavy female ship girl
Chapter 290 2 hours ago -
Why wasn't I the one who got the male lead's script?
Chapter 189 2 hours ago -
This second dimension is too immortal
Chapter 580 2 hours ago -
Terra Succubus Development System, but calm office workers
Chapter 101 2 hours ago -
I'm collecting in the Pokémon world
Chapter 377 2 hours ago