An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

Seeing Sou's depressed expression, Sumire, who was sleeping beside him, also stood up, snuggled up to Sou and said:

"He will definitely come back. Whether it's in another world or somewhere in this world, that child will definitely come back."

“Sumi…”

"You know, even though that kid usually takes a conciliatory approach, when he feels he absolutely cannot back down, he'll take action, so there's definitely nothing wrong.

"...Yeah, he'll be fine."

Thinking of their son who had disappeared with his classmates at school, the sight of the couple cuddling together was truly sympathetic. Their home, once so bright and warm, was now silent and shrouded in a desolate atmosphere.

At the same time, at the bottom of the abyss in another world, Hajime suddenly woke up.

Under the artificial moon, Hajime's eyes were filled with nostalgia. Yue beside him leaned against him, asking him what was wrong with her eyes:

"I had a dream about my parents. I never thought that the nonsense I talked about would come true..."

“…Hajime, it’s okay. As long as we’re together, there’s nothing we can’t do. We can definitely go back.”

Yue said with an almost certain tone, smiling at Hajime.

Hajime caressed Yue's head lovingly and nodded firmly in response.

"Yes, I will definitely bring Yue back with me."

For some reason, the image of his parents cuddling each other flashed through Hajime's mind.

The two of them, as if enduring pain, lowered their heads and supported each other. They looked even weaker than he remembered, but the moment Hajime expressed his determination, they suddenly raised their heads as if they heard his voice.

The phantoms of his parents that Hajime saw seemed to give him a slight nod of encouragement at the end, with a smile that was just like the one he remembered.

◆Halloween?

"Um, um... what do you think, Nagumo-san?"

In a corner of the noisy and bustling classroom after school, Hajime froze. It was as if he had been cast under a spell by the adorable monster before him.

"Hmm, hmm. I think it suits you very well. Is that a cat monster costume, Shirosaki-san?"

Hajime, finally regaining his composure, responded. At that moment, Shirosaki Kaori, dressed as a "cat monster" in a short yukata, complete with cat ears and a cat tail, blushed. This beautiful girl, already considered one of the school's two goddesses, blushed with joy and acted coyly. As if synergistically with her strongest equipment, her cuteness was practically a deadly weapon. In reality, half the boys were already drowning in a sea of ​​blood, gasping for breath in excitement, and enduring the girls' chilling gazes.

So why is Kaori in costume at school? It's certainly not because she has a particular kink, but because today is Halloween. After a lot of twists and turns (the efforts of the young male students who want to see the female students—especially Kaori and Yaegashi Shizuku—dress up as beautiful girls), the school decides to hold a Halloween party planned by the student council.

A little further away, Shizuku was dressed as a vampire. Her lips trembled as she was met with the warm affection of a group of students who called themselves her sisters (or soul sisters). With a look that captivated everyone, she teased each other about their costumes. However, upon her appearance, Kaori immediately approached Hajime to ask for his thoughts. At that moment, most of the boys dressed as monsters glared at him with terrifying, monstrous expressions. Hajime broke out in a cold sweat, fearing he might actually be caught up in "Halloween Night."

"Um, Nagumo-san. After the party, we'll go to Shizuku-chan's house to continue celebrating... If it's okay, Nagumo-san could come too?"

The pressure from the monsters' gazes grew stronger, and she was narrating this forcefully—besides Shizuku, only Kouki and Ryuutarou were invited to that celebration, a celebration for the four childhood friends. "We're not allowed to attend, but you're planning to go alone?"

The monsters tonight might be a little dangerous, and this is all Neko-Ear Kaori's fault. "Oops, sorry. I have something to do later, so I have to go home right away."

"...Is that so? That's a shame, but there's nothing we can do about it. Ah, then, how about we go together at the party? It's a rare opportunity, okay?"

How could she be called "a rare opportunity"? She clasped her hands together and tilted her head coquettishly as she said "Okay?" That perfectly cunning movement seemed almost deliberate. If the monsters hadn't been closing in on her, Hajime would have been mesmerized.

"S-Sorry. I-I have an appointment..."

Hajime slowly retreated, checking for an escape route, and was forced to refuse her. Kaori's brow twitched, but Hajime, who was paying attention to the monster's movements, didn't notice.

"A date? Nagumo-kun, it's not a girl, is it? Is it?"

“! Eh? No, how could that be possible? How could that be possible? Ahahaha…”

For some reason, Hajime felt a chill run down his spine, and he instinctively defended himself. Kaori felt relieved for a moment, but the rejection didn't change her, so she slumped her shoulders again in frustration. The wolf boy beside her had already begun to growl and growl, a low, unhuman sound. His heart might have already transformed into a monster.

Kaori was lost for a moment, but her ability to not get downhearted was her strength. Her expression brightened, as if she had thought of something, and she slowly pulled out her phone and said:

"Then let's at least take a picture together. It's a rare opportunity, so let's keep it as a souvenir. Okay?"

"Ah, that's no problem."

It was actually a serious problem, but he couldn't refuse anymore. Kaori smiled happily, and then...

"Well, then, my apologies..."

As she spoke, she hooked Hajime's arm. Hajime knew it was better to get closer when taking photos... but at a time like this, it was as dangerous as stepping boldly onto thin ice!

"! Shirosaki-san, I'm sorry! We can take the pictures later!"

“Eh? Eh? Nagumo-san──! Where are you going──!!”

Hajime bolted out. He dashed out of the classroom like a rabbit, running with single-minded determination. A swarm of monsters, clattering their feet, chased him! "I can't stand it! Why is it just that guy?" "Roar, ah!" "Nanyun! You must have just touched him, damn it!" "Aww!" The boys shouted words of jealousy at once, some of them even seeming to lose their humanity.

“Wait, that’s scary! Your expressions are so strange!? Anyway, why are you running on all fours?!”

It was common for Hajime's screams to echo throughout the school after school.

"Anyway, this is what happened back then. Those guys were definitely possessed by something other than human."

Returning to the present from his reminiscence, Hajime, facing a dish made with pumpkin-like ingredients, recounted this to Yue and Shia in the inn's cafeteria. Hajime's painful Halloween memories stemmed from the otherworldly pumpkin he saw, now processed to resemble a Jack-o'-lantern. Today wasn't a Todas festival; it was simply that the food at this inn was different, a product the inn's owner had created out of sheer fun.

"Oh~ The festival in Hajime-san's hometown is quite interesting. They even dress up as monsters. That's unthinkable here. They'll be considered heretics by the Holy Church."

"...Yeah. In a sense, it's a free place. But more important than that... is the fact that Hajime is obsessed with other women."

“Huh!? That’s right! Losing to cat ears? You’re so useless, Hajime-san! There’s no animal ears in the world that can beat rabbit ears!”

Memories of the past inexplicably stirred up trouble, Yue and Shia looked at Hajime with displeasure, but Hajime looked away and changed the subject.

"By the way, on Halloween, children dress up as monsters and go around the neighborhood saying 'Trick or treat!' It's a fun holiday for kids, where they can get lots of candy."

Hearing this, Yue murmured, "Oh~," and whispered something to Shia beside him. Although Hajime was deeply concerned, Yue and Shia concluded their private conversation and, before Hajime could even ask, she charged him with a furious tirade about Earth's monsters and youkai. The moment she finished her questioning, Yue, Shia, and the other girl were gone in a flash, leaving only one thing for Hajime to do: book a hotel reservation.

Afterwards, Hajime reluctantly booked a hotel room and repaired his weapons in his room. He finally sensed Yue and Shia's return, and then... on the other side of the opened door was—

“…Yeah. Hajime, if you don’t give me candy, I’ll go trick-or-treating~”

"Ahhh~ This outfit is so embarrassing. Forget about that for now, if you don't give me candy, I'll play tricks!"

“…What the hell?”

In every sense, it really was "What the hell?" The two figures were simply too overwhelming.

Yue wore a remarkably recreated white miniskirt yukata, generously revealing her slender, white legs. Red leggings with a matching red belt added a touch of glamour to her fair feet. In contrast to her voluptuous legs, only the tips of her small fingers could be seen beneath her long furisode. Yue's fingers dangled in front of her like a youkai, her appearance adorable. Judging by the chill air and floating ice crystals surrounding her, she was likely dressed as a snow-onna.

Beside her, Shia raised her hands, yelling "Aww!" She was wrapped in nothing but bandages, her bunny tail sloppily curled, a glimpse of her butt crack. Her breasts, tightly bound with hatred, seemed poised to burst forth at any moment. The pure white bandages only accentuated Shia's slender, voluptuous figure, creating a strangely sensual and endearing image.

Hajime suppressed the turbulent waves in his heart caused by the two of them and laughed in confusion.

"Another vicious monster has appeared? I give up. But unfortunately, I don't have any candy. If I had known beforehand, I would have prepared..."

Hajime's words, "I lost," made Yue and Shia exchange glances, their cheeks flushed with joy. But the next moment, they suddenly revealed a wicked smile. That strange smile, for some reason, sent a chill down Hajime's spine. Yue licked her lips, and with her alluring charm on full display, she declared to Hajime:

"...We'll do trick-or-treating regardless of candy or not~ - sexually."

Hajime's face twisted as he tried to escape, but Shia, now fully strengthened, grabbed him and instantly stopped him. He then used Thunderbolt to throw her off... but it was too late.

"...Yeah. Hold on to the candy!"

“Idiot, that’s not candy! Idiot, stop it! Respect yourself, ah, ah────!?”

The next morning, when Shia woke up from a sleepless night due to the electric shock, Hajime was staring blankly into the distance, while Yue's face was radiant...

"Halloween... so scary." Hajime's murmurs were particularly clear.

◆Sorry, the rabbit is unstoppable!

"Come, dinner is ready~ Mr. Hajime, Ms. Yue."

The aroma of hot pot wafting through the air truly whetted one's appetite. Shia, wearing handmade gloves, held the pot and called out to Hajime and Yue to eat. They camped outdoors during their journey, and Shia prepared dinner.

"Today's dish seems to be hot pot."

"...Mmm, it looks delicious."

Hajime and Yue emerged from the tent and began to enjoy their dinner.

It is really delicious. Although the taste is not as refined as that of first-class restaurants, it has a warmth and tenderness that can penetrate the body. It can be said to be the best home-cooked meal, or should I say the taste of my mother.

Incidentally, yesterday's dinner was what we would call "grilled hamburger steaks" on Earth, the day before yesterday it was "sweet and sour fried chicken", and before that it was "Dongpo pork buns", and each one was a truly amazing dish that was sure to amaze me.

"It's delicious...thank you for the treat."

"...Mm, it's delicious. Thank you for the treat."

"You're welcome~♪"

Seeing Hajime and Yue both look extremely satisfied, Shia's mood brightened, her rabbit ears and tail wagging vigorously. Then, leaving the two of them resting leisurely, she hummed a song and quickly cleared the dishes.

Then, she saw her using the leftover dishwater to wash the dirty clothes. Using a brush made from the soft bark of a tree in the sea of ​​trees and a powdered plant-based detergent, Shia cleaned the clothes with swift movements, wrung out the water, and then stretched them flat by the fire to warm them.

Then he took out the fabric of the clothes that could no longer be worn, and after carefully cutting it, he immediately turned it into a rag, and then he began to clean the tent spontaneously. Once he finished cleaning, he picked up his sewing kit and repaired the torn or untied clothes bit by bit.

And while she was mending, she hummed a lovely song, her rabbit ears and tail swaying to the melody. From the look of her, she didn't seem to find this series of tasks tiring at all, or even bothersome.

Seeing this, Hajime, who was maintaining his weapon, couldn't help but say:

"...Shia is actually quite wise."

Beside Yue, a '!?' symbol appeared above her head. She wanted to say, "I can do that too!", but she kept her mouth shut.

In fact, Yue had previously considered being lazy and throwing the laundry into the magical water ball or using wind magic to clean it, but Shia sighed and corrected him. That was Shia!

Yue’s cooking skills are naturally not as good as Xia’s. Although she can sew, she is not good enough to surpass Xia.

Light now felt a sudden shudder.

"...Could it be... that I'm being overwhelmed by her in housework?"

"Eh? Miss Yue, what's wrong?"

Shia seemed to understand nothing. She noticed Yue's trembling gaze and tilted her head in confusion. Her hands never stopped moving, and the traces of battle on her clothes disappeared completely.

"...It's just a sorry rabbit!"

"Eh, eh!? Yue-san is crying!? Why!? What happened!?"

“… Ugh, that’s too noisy.”

Afterward, Shia was doing housework, but she looked incredibly embarrassed. Yue, feeling an inexplicable sense of defeat, huddled in the corner of the tent, hugging her knees and crying. But it was precisely because of this that we were able to see such a precious moment of Yue...

◆Scary cat ears

In the afternoon of a certain town──

Hajime, Yue, and Shia were strolling the streets, shopping for their travel necessities. Even during the grueling journey of conquering the Great Labyrinth, there were occasional moments of rest. The aroma of street food wafted through the air, echoing the energy of the people, and the bustling streets were drowned out by the clamor of the crowds. Just walking along the streets brought joy.

The proof was this: Shia, accustomed only to life in the forest, was unabashedly happy and ecstatic, bounding around like a rabbit. She swayed here, then there. When she came to her senses, she realized Hajime and the others were nearby, and with a sigh of relief, she let out a silly smile and began to hop around again.

"...Shia really acts like a child."

Yue narrowed his eyes and chuckled softly, looking towards Hajime, who was walking beside him, for approval, as if he had seen something cute. Normally, whenever Yue turned his attention to him, Hajime would react with animal instincts, but at this moment, he was in a rare state of daze, ignoring Yue.

"……beginning?"

"Oh, oh, what's wrong, Yue?"

Hajime suddenly realized and replied. It looked like he had truly missed his voice—Yue, noticing this, frowned slightly in surprise. She then replied, "Nothing," and observed Hajime with a sidelong glance, as if nothing had happened.

Yue noticed that Hajime's eyes were occasionally glancing at someone. The moment she realized this, a wave of caution and jealousy welled up in her heart... But after observing carefully, she realized that Hajime's gaze was not so much at the person himself, but rather at a part of that person.

"I see." Yue nodded inwardly. It seemed that Hajime had been seduced by 'that'. Even though Yue's wariness and jealousy had faded, 'that' was still something she didn't have. Even if it was only a part of her, the thought of Hajime's heart being taken away from her still made her uneasy.

Therefore, Yue deleted the words "give up" and "unacceptable" from her mind's dictionary. She secretly made up her mind, pulled on Hajime's sleeve and said:

“…Hajime, I’m going to go it alone for a while. Shia’s in your care.”

"Traveling alone? If there's somewhere you want to go, I can go with you, right?"

“…No, I don’t want Hajime to know about this yet.”

The impact hit Hajime's body. Yue puffed up her cheeks and turned away, rejecting him. She had never shown such an attitude before. Yue glanced at the stunned Hajime.

“…You absolutely cannot follow me. Even if it’s Hajime, I’ll be angry.”

"Okay, okay. I understand..."

Hajime tried desperately to hide his inner turmoil (though it was clearly evident) as he replied. Yue didn't even glance at him as she disappeared into the crowd.

“What the hell is going on…?”

From the beginning to the end, he never realized that he was the reason, and just stood there staring at the moon.

At dusk, Hajime and Shia returned to the inn and looked at each other in confusion.

"Ms. Yue is so slow."

"...That's true. Well, there are always times when you want to be alone."