An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

“Ugh… B-but…”

"I'll be relying on you for a lot of things, including communication during battle, moral support, and discussions with other units... Please."

"..."

Yuka stood there, bewildered. "Yuka-chan, it's okay! It's just an increase in the number of guards." "We'll do our best to help," Nana and Taeko cheered her on. But because she understood the weight of the responsibility, Yuka couldn't agree immediately...

"No problem."

He started talking. His tone was like he was reminiscing about the past, but also a little like he was teasing Yuka. Such a voice made Yuka look up.

"You are a man of character."

"what……"

That was what Hajime had said to her in Ur Town. She hadn't expected him to still remember it. Yuka's eyes widened...

"Just do it! Okay, let me do it! That's all right, right? Just wait and see, Nagumo! I'll show you how good I am!"

"You don't need to show it to me, you should show it to the apostles."

For some reason, Yuka's face flushed crimson, and she plopped down on the chair with a thud. Nana and Taeko giggled beside her, nudging her with their elbows.

Right now, the classmates were united, so there was no need to say anything more. However, Kaori, Shizuku, Aiko, and Liliana were looking at Yuka sharply.

Although Hajime noticed it, he ignored it and continued to give instructions to other students.

Give students something to do so that they won’t have any random thoughts.

In fact, even the students of the Third Round Table who had been hiding in the palace possessed powerful abilities that far surpassed those of ordinary people in this world.

Therefore, as long as we can apply talents to people and allocate responsibilities correctly, we will definitely achieve good results.

Finally, Hajime said to Ling and Ryutaro:

"Taniguchi, Sakagami. Go to the Sea of ​​Trees and explain the situation to the people of Hauria and Feyabergen. Have them send their forces to the capital. Once you're done, let me know and I'll take you to Orcus. Use the remaining time to subdue the monsters of the Abyss and strengthen them. I'll prepare divine artifacts for the monsters to equip, so they won't be easily defeated next time."

"Understood!"

"oh!"

Afterwards, after discussing some details, everyone ended the meeting and prepared to leave the Demon King's Castle.

The next three days would definitely be the most intense time of his life. Before welcoming this period, Hajime observed everyone.

We had to make every possible preparation, because it was essential—every student felt the same way. Compared to the beginning, this was quite good.

Yet, Hajime still felt as if something was missing. It wasn't the will to win, but the determination to win. He lacked the courage to roar to the heavens and forcefully challenge his fate.

So he paused for a moment, and then began to speak earnestly.

"The enemy calls themselves gods, and their strength is well-deserved. Their troops are capable of defeating a thousand enemies alone, and they even have monsters that defy common sense and enhanced puppets that fear no death."

Hajime's tone was calm, but it contained such strong determination and emotion that no one could ignore his words.

"But, that's all. They are not invincible. What I have done has proven this—Gods and apostles are both mortal beings. Human power is enough to defeat extraordinary beings."

Hajime continued. He had only one hand and one eye, his hair completely white, and he looked as if his life force had been drained out.

It was a symbol of the path this man, known as incompetent, had taken. It was proof of his ability to rise above adversity by slaughtering countless monsters, using them as nourishment.

Therefore, his words are naturally convincing.

Even though he had lost once and been deprived of something important, the wounded man in front of him was able to turn even the fact of failure into nourishment and make any impossible thing possible.

Listening to his words, everyone became more and more excited, and could feel the blood boiling in their hearts.

"We're not fighting for people we've never met, nor for this world. We don't need to think that way. Just like I'm fighting only to get back the one I love most, everyone here needs only to fight for their own reasons, and that's enough."

Reason. What kind of reason? What is it for me?

After thinking about it, the only insignificant reason I could come up with was not wanting to die...

"There's no big or small reason. There's no serious or insignificant reason. Wanting to go home, wanting to see family, for friends, for a loved one, even just to survive, just out of dissatisfaction... any reason is fine."

After hearing this, everyone felt that the gap deep in their hearts was firmly filled by something.

Everyone was initially timid in the face of this overwhelmingly large situation, but now the tension was gradually easing.

"You must survive. Fight for your cause, and come back alive!"

Hajime's words spread throughout the room.

It is as hot as fire, yet as penetrating deep into the heart as water. It is as strong as the earth, yet as encompassing as the wind.

His words were full of the power of will.

"If there's ever a time in life when you absolutely must rise up, it's now. Right now, ignite your souls! Take a step forward! And then, everyone must survive! If you do, I'll reward you and send you back home!"

I could hear my own encouragement, like a wake-up call.

Naturally, clench your fists, plant your feet firmly, and tighten your abdomen.

Facing the crowd, whose blood was boiling like a fever and in a trance, Hajime smiled fiercely and unrulyly and spoke—

"Want to win."

The response was, of course, countless roars.

Volume 11 Chapter 4 Before the Decisive Battle

The faint light from the green stone illuminated the space, and a figure stood in it.

Behind him stood a majestic double-door, with columns lining each side. The vast space was filled with a solemn atmosphere, like that of a temple.

However, the hall itself was in ruins, as if it had been through a war.

The figure stared silently at the wall at the end of the hall, as if seeing something that no longer existed there.

Suddenly, someone came over and called out to the figure. The voice was hesitant and retreating.

“…Hashi-kun.”

The standing figure—Hajime turned and looked over his shoulder.

"Kaori. How's it going?"

"No problem. Not only that, the amount I collected was even more than you requested. Thanks to the compass, I can immediately find the location of all the materials. Monsters are no problem either."

"Thanks to the apostle's body."

After the Demon King's Castle rose up, a whole day passed.

Afterward, Hajime and the others imprisoned the remaining demons in the Demon King's Castle's specially constructed cages, which prevented the use of magic. They also placed all the food and drink they could find within the castle into the cages. They then journeyed to the realm of the Shuuni Snow Plains and successfully retrieved the buried artifact and Kaori's original body. They then immediately moved to the Kingdom of Heilige.

Then, while Liliana explained the whole story to the kingdom, she took the highest-grade magic recovery potion and received magic power transfer from the medical staff at the hospital, thus restoring her magic power.

Then, using the materials provided by the palace, the various artifacts needed for the initial operation were made, allowing members who needed to travel far away to set off as early as possible to their respective destinations.

Hajime and the others also used the "Ring of Orcus" to move from the "Raisen Grand Canyon" to the deepest secret residence in one breath, leaving Myuu and Remia there while he focused on collecting materials until just now.

In addition, Hajime has also remade the prosthetic limbs and treasure chest using the materials left at Oscar's workshop.

Therefore, Hajime, who was familiar with the abyss, could make good use of "Refinement", and Kaori, using the compass and decomposition ability, could easily extract all the materials from the cache. Thus, even after only a short day, they had already collected dozens of tons of materials.

"However, we still haven't found enough Divine Crystals to create Divine Water. In the suburbs of Orcus, we can only find a few about the size of marbles."

"After all, it's a legendary treasure, so there's nothing we can do about it. Rather, the fact that such a large divine crystal appeared on the first layer of the abyss was an anomaly. We should be thankful to have found the fragments. Thank you for your hard work."

"Glad to be of help."

Kaori said with a smile. Hajime took the treasure chest from her. Kaori stood beside him, gazing at the strange remains of an object at the back of the hall.

"This... is where you met Yue, right?"

The two were staring at the mineral that had half-disintegrated, as if dissolving—the remains of the cube that had once sealed the moon.

He began to nod. His eyes were as clear as a spring in the forest.

Those eyes, completely different from the empty pupils filled with negative emotions such as anger and hatred, seemed to be simply enjoying the memories wholeheartedly and quietly.

"When I first saw this place, it was terrifying. From the pitch-black darkness, a cluster of golden willow branches suddenly emerged, and fiery red eyes peered at me from within... That's how I felt then. When I first heard Yue's cry for help, I was still trying to close the door. I thought to myself, this must be something dangerous."

"Haha, that's true. No one would think that an ordinary girl would hide in such an abyss."

"Right? And at that time, my mind was solely focused on survival, leaving me with no energy for anything else. Looking back now, I'm truly impressed that I actually saved her."

Listening to Hajime's reminiscence, Kaori smiled softly.

"I never thought she would become the most special girl to you, and even make you lose yourself. Life is so unpredictable."

"That's absolutely right."

When they ran out of things to talk about, they both closed their eyes at the same time.

Hajime thinks of his beloved lover, while Kaori thinks of her rival (and best friend).

They both opened their eyes simultaneously. Even the light of determination gleaming deep within their pupils was the same.

"We must get her back."

"Yes. I must get it back."

The two men clenched their fists tightly, with a force as strong as their own determination, and punched each other.

"Ah, but! I've always had an idea."

"Hmm? What's up?"

Hajime seemed to be at a loss for words. Kaori tilted her head in confusion.

"Actually...I want you to stay on the ground, Kaori."

"Huh...? Why... ah, yeah, you're worried that I'll be forced to shut down, right?"

Kaori was shocked for a moment and almost cried, but she quickly realized why Hajime said that.

"Yes. I will still prepare a divine weapon to counter this, but my opponent is Esid, after all. I'm not sure how effective such a divine weapon will be against him. After all, your body was basically created by him."

“That’s true, but…”

Kaori understood what Hajime meant, and his idea made perfect sense. However, if she returned to her original body, her strength would be no match for the decisive battle in the Divine Realm.

But, it was just a matter of reason. She couldn't emotionally accept not being able to go to the same battlefield with Hajime and the others. After all, Kaori was just as eager to rescue Yue.

Thinking of this, Kaori naturally puffed up her cheeks and showed an awkward expression.

"Don't look like that. Even if we can finally recapture the moon, if everyone else is dead, regardless of what I do, you'll definitely be upset, won't you? Same with Myuu and Remia. I'll have them hiding in Orcus's secret quarters, but they'll remain on Earth. In the eyes of the enemy, they've proven to be effective hostages for me. Just in case, we need someone strong enough to protect them."

“Wuwu~~”

Kaori murmured. This was all she could do.

Apart from Hajime and the others, the only one who can confront the Angels head-on is Kaori, who possesses the same power.

Right now, the humans about to go to the battlefield all think the invading army is a fake apostle. If Kaori could go to the front lines as a "true apostle", it would surely greatly boost morale.

More importantly, Kaori's skill was healing. Now that she could wield powerful strength, it was no exaggeration to say that her high-powered healing ability was the human side's trump card against the apostle army.

The more Kaori thought about it, the more she agreed with Hajime's idea. Staying on the ground and fighting with Aiko and the others was the best option.

"Alas... it can't be helped. It's unfortunate, but I don't want to hold you back. Besides, there are so many people I don't want to see die... Okay, I get it. I'll protect your fate. Of course, the same goes for Miss Myuu and Miss Remia. I won't let anyone touch them."

"I'm counting on you. With you here, I have nothing to worry about."

"Well, leave it to me."

Kaori accepted Hajime's request with a troubled look on her face. However, at this moment, she seemed to remember something...

He had a very proud expression on his face.

"Just leave everyone to my protection! Including Ai-sensei and Lily, right?"

"Why do you emphasize those two in particular...?"

"Of course, Yuuka-chan too!"

"What happens to Sonobe has nothing to do with me."

"Do you really think so?"

"..."

Kaori narrowed her eyes at Hajime, her eyes narrowed to the moon's size. "The other girls are looking at Hajime-san suspiciously too..." she muttered, deliberately letting Hajime hear.

“Hajime-kun, you’re such a philanderer. To you, even I’ve always been just an ‘ordinary important person,’ but you keep on doing it… Ugh, wait and see! I’m going to complain to Yue, and you’ll get a stern glare from her!”

Kaori exaggerated her frustration. Hajime's eyebrows drooped into a splayed shape, and he scratched his cheek with his fingers.