Fried spoke excitedly, but Hajime remained indifferent. He said:

"Do you think you can completely control me by taking Myuu and Remia hostage? You should understand that this move you've made is a double-edged sword."

"What? A double-edged blade...?"

Hajime's tone was calm, and his murderous intent vanished without him even noticing. He didn't even release a single ray of magical power, nor did he exert any "pressure."

However, these words clung to Freed and the others like cold chains. A strange feeling of fear spread across their bodies, sending goosebumps flying.

“You’re still alive because of Myuu and Remia. If you dare to hurt even a hair on their head, you’ll get what you deserve—”

Beneath the gaps in his white bangs, he revealed an extremely fierce look.

"Not just soldiers, but also women, the elderly, and children... Regardless of values, regardless of status, I will make the race called demons—"

He slowly raised his hand and waved it like a ghost, as if pointing to the other end of the space gate.

"—Complete extermination."

It is a determination, but also a vow and a declaration.

Those words were extremely heavy and fierce, easily covering up Freed's hatred and anger. He didn't know if it was an illusion, but it seemed that only Hajime's surroundings seemed to be somewhat dim.

Maybe he really does what he says. It's hard to say it's impossible...

The thought of this sent a chill down Fried's spine. An overwhelming sense of dread prompted him to unconsciously pull back on the reins, causing Uranus to naturally retreat.

"If you want to force us to disarm, do it here. Use violence to force us into submission."

In a typical story, when a hostage falls into enemy hands, the protagonist will always obediently lay down their weapons. However, for Hajime, that was impossible. The rescuer must not fall into a state of complete weakness for the sake of temporary safety.

Even if it means the hostages will lose hands and feet, we must destroy the enemy.

Rather than taking the risk of total destruction, it is better to choose the possibility of surviving even if injured.

What's more, we currently have soul magic and regeneration magic. Although the conditions are limited, they are still viable means of resurrection.

Of course, Hajime didn't want Myu and her daughter to be harmed. If possible, he wanted to rescue them unharmed. However, if the situation didn't allow it, Hajime would make a choice without hesitation.

From a common sense perspective, his choice can be considered an evil act.

Even though being unshackled and armed might be necessary to save someone, and Freed fully understood Hajime's aggressive nature and might eventually yield, generally speaking, rescuing a hostage requires ensuring their safety and exercising the utmost caution. The idea that "as long as they survive, anything is fine" wouldn't occur to most people.

What's more, if the hostage is extremely important to you, you should generally put reason and principles aside and be deeply entangled and hesitant.

Therefore, regarding Hajime's choice, this is all I can say—

"You... you're really a lunatic."

If the opponent takes the offensive, you should respond with an offensive move as well, and never retreat to the defensive. Fight until one of you can no longer hold on.

This is definitely not something a sane person would do.

"Uh, wait, Freed! Don't act on your own! We haven't been ordered to disarm them. I'm telling you, that guy is really dangerous!"

"But how can we allow this monster to come before the throne with weapons!?"

It seems that the request for disarmament is the result of Fried's loyalty getting out of control.

Freed glared at Hajime fiercely. At that moment, an apostle came and intervened between the two.

"Fried, don't cause trouble. That lord won't take such a trivial matter to heart. Besides, with us watching over the situation, there won't be any accidents. Our presence is enough to contain the anomaly."

Now that the "True God's First Disciple" had spoken, it seemed as if Freed had no choice but to keep quiet. Although he couldn't accept it from the bottom of his heart, he reluctantly nodded. The First Disciple turned his gaze away from Freed and looked at Hajime.

"An anomaly. My name is 'Ester'."

Her eyes, like those of the other apostles, were cold and lifeless. But—

"We've analyzed the battle data between you and Noin. Don't think you can defeat us again."

Esther warned. Perhaps it was an illusion, but her eyes seemed different from the others, as if they were slightly shaken...

Hajime thought it was an expression of "hostility" or something close to "hatred".

"Stop talking nonsense and lead the way."

Hajime's eyes remained cold as he spoke in a commanding manner.

That unruly attitude seemed to make Fried even more angry, but Huili couldn't wait to rush into the space gate.

The apostles lined up in two rows, forming a path leading to the door of space like pillars in a corridor.

Hajime and the others took a step forward and walked towards the space gate without hesitation.

At this moment, Hajime's hand flashed for a brief moment, and only Yue beside him noticed it.

The destination arrived at after passing through the space gate was unexpectedly not the throne room that we had just seen.

Instead, it was on a large balcony. This balcony seemed to be a corner of a huge castle, so wide that it could even hold a dance party with hundreds of people.

Turning around, I could take in the entire Demon Kingdom's capital. The Demon Kingdom's streets were surprisingly similar to the Royal Capital's, with the only noticeable difference being the rust-red rooftops of most of the houses.

Following behind Shi and the others, more than half of the gray dragons and apostles that emerged from the space-time gate flew towards the town.

"Go this way. You'd better not have any bad ideas."

Fifty apostles surrounded Hajime and his group. Freed flew Uranus into the sky, closed the space-time gate, and walked in front, leading the group from the balcony into the royal city.

As expected of a castle where the ruler of the Southern Continent resides, even the corridors are incredibly spacious. In the corridor, Hajime, Shia, Kaori, and Tio walked in front, while Kouki, Shizuku, Suzu, and Ryuutarou followed in a group.

The group didn't dare to be careless at all, observing their surroundings as they walked. At this time—

"Mitsuki-kun~ That monster just now was so scary. I was scared to death. Please comfort me~~"

“Eri, Eri. You…”

Huili suddenly took Guanghui's hand and hugged him, holding him tightly. Then, she put her lips to Guanghui's ear and whispered softly to him.

"Eri, Eri! Listen to Ling, Ling—"

Ling desperately tried to express her feelings to Huili, but Huili's eyes were fixed on Guanghui, and she didn't even notice Ling was speaking to her.

A bewitching smile hung on her face, her eyes filled with confusion and obsessive passion. Honestly, it was unbearable to watch such a scene.

From the time they reunited until now, Huili still cannot tolerate anyone other than Guanghui in her eyes.

She betrayed others time and time again, even taking her classmates hostage. She did so many bad things, but she didn't feel any remorse or guilt at all.

Looking at that extremely selfish gesture and Ling's expression distorted by sadness, Ryutaro finally couldn't help it.

"Hey, Eri! Ling is talking to you, can't you hear her?!"

Ryutaro reached out to her angrily. But...

"Behave yourself."

A large sword was silently stretched out to block it, and the apostle stared at Ryutaro with dull eyes.

Ryuutarou, feeling overwhelmed, looked anxiously at Kouki. However, Kouki was too busy dealing with Eri to take care of himself and couldn't bring himself to look at Ryuutarou and Ling.

"Rin. Just bear with it for now."

"Shizuku-chan...I understand. Thank you very much, Ryuutarou-kun."

"Tsk... Yeah. We'll definitely try to find a chance for you to talk to her later."

Because of Shizuku's disapproval, Ling and Ryuutarou decided to give up for now. They could only sigh.

Then, after turning several corners and passing through several corridors connecting different rooms, the group finally arrived at their destination.

Before him stood a pair of grand doors, each opening to the left and right. Their imposing form truly worthy of being the entrance to the Demon King's castle's throne room. Carved upon the door were images of the sun and beams of light, perhaps as a display of authority.

Fried winked at the demon soldier guarding the door.

The soldier reached out and touched the door. Then, the light column began to glow, and the door opened to the left and right with a heavy sound.

When the door opened, the view that had previously been seen through the dimensional portal emerged. A corridor lined with two rows of pillars and a hundred-meter-long red carpet. At the other end of the red carpet was a stepped altar, upon which stood a majestic throne.

Hajime suppressed his impulsiveness and walked towards the empty throne. The closer he got, the clearer he could see the parts of the throne to the left and right that were blocked by the columns. Of course, he could also see the captured hostages.

In this case, the hostages can naturally see who is coming.

Aiko was the first to notice. Her eyes widened, and she reached out to grasp Liliana's hand, who stood with her back to her. Liliana, startled, turned around, her eyes widening in surprise, and she gasped.

Then, other students also noticed it.

"No, no way, it actually came."

"Yuuka! Look, it's Nagumo-san!"

Miyazaki Nana and Sugawara Taeko were the first to speak. They stood by Yuuka, lying on the ground, their eyes welling with tears as they cried out in joy. The expressions of Nomura Kentaro, Nimura Akito, Aikawa Noboru, and the others also brightened, calling out to Jūgo, Kousuke, and Atsushi. However, they soon realized that Hajime and his group were surrounded by the apostles, and their expressions suddenly turned solemn.

“Nagumo-san…”

I could hear Aiko's voice trembling.

Aiko was the only person to have witnessed the Noin War up close, and therefore knew all too well how powerful the Apostles were. Seeing as many as fifty Apostles, it's easy to imagine the despair she felt.

However, her despair was only fleeting. When she saw Hajime looking at her and shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly, she felt incredibly relieved, even moved to tears.

The next moment──

“Dad? Dad—!”

"Mr. Hajime!"

At that moment, a joyful cry echoed from the left side of the throne. Myuu flashed a smile as dazzling as the sun. Remia's expression was as if she had found an exit from a nightmare.

Seeing that the mother and daughter were both healthy and safe, Hajime's expression softened a bit. He gave them a gentle smile to reassure them.

"Myuu, Remia, I'm sorry for getting you into trouble. Wait, I will definitely rescue you."

"Dad, don't worry, Myuu. Myuu believes that Dad will come and has been waiting obediently. So, Dad, don't lose to the bad guys!"

"Hajime-san. We're fine, don't worry. Please be careful."

Myuu didn't seem to mind the presence of the large group of apostles and Freed at all. She seemed to think that since her father had arrived, she had nothing to fear. It was clear that her trust in Hajime was as firm as a rock.

As for Remia, although her expression was still a little stiff, after seeing Myuu's transformation, she gradually returned to her usual gentle and elegant demeanor.

Yue, Shia, Kaori, and Tio were about to speak to Myuu and Remia.

Freed was about to stop them from talking without permission, but before he could open his mouth, a voice shook the air.

"The bond between parents and children remains beautiful in every era."

This echoing voice came from behind the throne. At this moment, the wall began to glow, illuminating a figure.

"I can relate, because I've experienced it myself. But what I experienced was the bond between uncle and nephew."

Upon hearing the low but clear sound, Yue seemed to react for some reason and her body twitched.

Her expression looked like surprise, as if she was searching for something in her memory.

What on earth was wrong with her? Just as Hajime was about to ask her, the owner of the voice walked out through the glowing wall.

He was an old man with beautiful blond hair and red eyes.

He wore a fine garment and cape, both crafted from jet-black fabric and embroidered with gold. His hair was combed back, with a few strands falling forward, and the chest exposed beneath his open collar exuded an indescribable sensuality. His combination of youthful energy and sophistication captivated all who beheld him—his appearance alone revealed such a powerful leadership charisma.

He was most likely the Demon King, the self-proclaimed Yarbu, a subordinate god of Esid.

His temperament is steady and amiable, and his smiling face makes people feel less nervous. At first glance, he doesn't look like a demon king or evil god at all.

Even so, it is an indisputable fact that he took hostages and invited a group of people here.

Hajime narrowed his eyes slightly and was about to speak when he was interrupted.

The one who spoke before him was neither Freed nor the Demon King himself.

The one who made a surprised sound was──

"No... Impossible, w-why..."

"moon?"

It was Yue who spoke.

She looked utterly shocked, as if she had seen something impossible. Her hands trembled as she covered her mouth. Her eyes, which usually appeared only half-open, were now wide open.

Seeing Yue's unusual state, Hajime was about to call her out again when he suddenly felt a strange sensation. Like sunlight leaving an afterimage on his eyelids, in Hajime's eyes, Yue's golden hair, red eyes, and the Demon King overlapped.

This shouldn't be possible. A completely unthinkable possibility flashed through Hajime's mind. However, before he could deny this inexplicable speculation...

"Oh, Eletia. You're still the same, small and cute."

This was confirmed. The Demon King looked at Yue with eyes full of affection and care, and it didn't look like a stranger meeting for the first time. In addition, the Demon King called her by her old name. Apart from Hajime and others, almost no one in the modern world knew this name. And──

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