Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest Volume 11.
Chapter 3: An Instigator Worse than God.
Hajime felt himself sink to the bottom of a deep, dark ocean. As he descended, he heard a group of familiar voices break the deathly silence.
“Da— do— die!”
“Haji—!”
“Open your— Hajime—!”
Desperate voices sent powerful ripples through the ocean. And something in the back of his mind told Hajime he needed to answer them. The compulsion grew stronger by the second, but his body felt like lead. Even moving proved to be a herculean effort, and it seemed easier to just lay back and let himself sink.
Is that… a warm light?
Sunlight filtered into the dark water, bringing with it an all-encompassing warmth. The moment it touched him, Hajime felt reinvigorated, and he was able to beat back the drowsiness that had crept up on him. His consciousness rapidly floated to the surface, and—
“Daddy!”
“Hajime-san!”
“Hajime-kun!”
“Master!”
“Nagumo-kun!”
Hajime opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was four beautiful women and one cute girl staring down at him.
Myu, Shea, Kaori, Tio, and Shizuku. There were tears in their eyes, and relieved smiles on their faces. Hajime knew just how worried they must have been, and so, he smiled apologetically at them.
“Sorry for making you worry. I didn’t realize I was that close to death… Guess that warm light must have been Kaori’s restoration magic. Thanks.”
“Your heart stopped for a few minutes, so I thought… that you were… Thank goodness you’re alive!”
“W-Wait, my heart stopped? Damn, then I really would’ve been a goner without you.”
Kaori broke down in tears, which prompted Shizuku to gently hug her.
“You were actually dead for a few minutes there, you know that? Tio had to use spirit magic to keep your soul bound to your body,” Shizuku explained, her face still pale.
Shea sidled closer and helped Hajime struggle into a sitting position. As he got up, he realized there was a crowd of people standing behind her and the others.
Suzu, Ryutarou, Aiko, Liliana, Yuka, and Remia all stared at him. They, too, looked immensely relieved.
Was I really in that bad shape? Hajime wondered as he shot Tio a questioning glance.
“You had taken so much damage that I could barely attach your soul to your body. For a moment, I was terrified I’d acted too late. It was the scariest moment of my five-hundred-year long life.”
“Seriously?”
Hajime had continued using Limit Break for so long that the recoil had caused damage to his soul as well as his body. He’d been so weakened that even his soul had been on the verge of death.
“You have your teacher to thank for saving your life. She cast spirit magic to repair your soul while I kept it from leaving your body. If Kaori, Sensei, and I weren’t all here, we would have failed to save you.”
Tio shook her head, driving that what-if scenario out of her mind. In response, Hajime took her hand into his own and silently expressed his gratitude. He then turned to Aiko, who was watching him with tears in her eyes.
“I owe you big-time, Sensei.”
“You don’t owe me anything. I’m just glad you’re still alive, Nagumo-kun… That’s more than enough for me.”
“Man, do you have any idea how worried we were, Nagumo!? Ai-chan-sensei didn’t help because she wanted to get any favors out of you or anything!” Yuka shouted as Aiko buried her face in her hands. Tears streamed down her face as well, making it clear that she wasn’t actually mad.
Nana and Taeko glared at Hajime and grumbled, “You need more tact, Nagumocchi!” “Yeah, girls are delicate creatures!”
“I can’t believe you, Hajime-san! What would I say to Yue-san if something happened to you!?”
“Shea…”
Shea punched Hajime on the shoulder. She looked uncharacteristically down. Even her bunny ears were drooping. That was surely a sign of just how close to death Hajime had been.
“Aren’t you supposed to be the guy who can walk out of any situation alive, no matter how desperate? At least, that’s who you are to me, Nagumo-kun, so please don’t betray my trust in you,” Shizuku said with a small smile. Though her smile was genuine, her hands were still shaking.
Hajime was once again reminded of how much Shea and the others cared about him. Disgusted by how pathetic he’d been acting, he shook his head.
He had almost betrayed everyone’s trust in him. Yue, Shea, Tio, Kaori, and everyone else had done so much to help him regain his humanity after he’d dropped into the abyss, but he’d almost thrown it away.
Hajime looked at each of his comrades, meeting their gazes one by one.
“I’m really sorry for making you guys worry. Thanks for saving me, guys.”
When he’d left the abyss with Yue, he’d assumed the two of them would be fighting against the world all alone. But before he knew it, he’d been surrounded by people who cared for him and were willing to fight by his side. And so, he couldn’t afford to lose again. Not just to his enemies, but most importantly to himself.
Looking up at the sky, Hajime swore that he would never give up again. Yue was waiting for him somewhere up there, after all.
Shea and Kaori felt simultaneously relieved and a little sad as they looked at his expression. Unable to bear the silence, they tried to call out to him, but Myu beat them to the punch.
“I’m sorry, Daddy… Are you okay now?” she asked hesitantly while sitting in Remia’s arms. It appeared she thought she was responsible for nearly killing Hajime with her tackle. Her eyes had turned red from crying, and her expression was still full of worry.
“You’ve got nothing to apologize for, Myu. You didn’t do anything wrong. Thanks again for stopping me. You really are stronger than me now.”
Hajime held a hand out to Myu, his expression exceedingly gentle. Ryutarou and the other male students were shocked that Hajime could even make an expression so kind, while Yuka and the girls blushed slightly.
Myu wriggled out of Remia’s arms, ran toward Hajime, and replied, “Hehehe… That’s because I’m your daughter!”
She hopped onto Hajime’s lap and buried her head in his chest, then nestled against him, smiling happily.
Hajime patted her emerald-green hair and looked up at Remia with an apologetic expression. Remia could tell what he was about to say and just as he opened his mouth, she cut him off.
“I told you before, you have nothing to apologize for, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, I guess you did…”
Remia refused to let Hajime apologize for getting her and Myu wrapped up in this mess. Because there was nothing to apologize for. It was only natural for a mother to want to keep her daughter safe. But Remia knew how happy Myu was with Hajime, and she didn’t want to deprive Myu of that happiness. Besides, she knew now that Ehit would eventually have tried to kill her and Myu even if they hadn’t been involved with Hajime. Most importantly, she was proud of Myu for standing up to Hajime. She couldn’t see herself and Myu as just victims anymore.
Hajime picked up on the implied meaning of her words and raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t think there’s any other kid out there as strong and kind as Myu. I bet even god wouldn’t stand a chance against her. Remia, your daughter’s the strongest girl in the world.”
“Fufufu. Oh, I know. She has the world’s coolest father, after all,” Remia said that and smiled, blushing.
An amicable silence followed as everyone began to calm down. After a few seconds, though, Kaori and Shizuku exchanged troubled glances.
“Umm, Remia-san? Could you get away from Hajime-kun now? Pretty please?” Kaori asked with a menacing glare.
“Y-Yes, stop sticking so close to him…” Shizuku muttered awkwardly.
Emboldened by Kaori and Shizuku’s words, Aiko and Yuka decided to voice their complaints as well.
“Why does it look like they’re the perfect family? It’s not fair…”
“Do they have to do this in front of all of us? It’s so awkward to watch…”
Hajime, Remia, and Myu did indeed look like the embodiment of an ideal family.
“Oh my. Does it really look that way to everyone, Darling?”
“Don’t you get started too.”
Tio and Shea shivered as they glanced at Remia.
“R-Remia truly is unbelievable. Even my dragon eyes cannot tell if she is in love with Master or simply teasing him. That smile is unfathomable.”
“I-I should say something, right!? As Hajime-san’s girlfriend, I need to protect him! What if she tries to sneak in a kiss while no one’s paying attention like Liliana did!?”
“What!? I didn’t try to ‘sneak’ in anything! I just wanted to help save his life! I didn’t think it’d be nice to experience being a storybook princess or anything!”
“You’re digging your own grave, Princess. Anyway, what the hell did you try to do to me while I was unconscious?”
“Sheesh, you really love romance novels, don’t you, Lily? Don’t worry, Hajime-kun. If you want a kiss, I’m always here!”
“That’s not making me any less worried…”
Kaori tried to go in for a kiss, which prompted Shea to do the same.
Hajime could tell everyone was forcing themselves to try and act cheerful, though. There was a hollowness in their words and actions that was hard to miss.
The reason for that was obvious. A key member of their party was still missing. Kaori’s rival, Shea’s best friend and mentor, Tio’s irreplaceable comrade and fellow magic aficionado, and Hajime’s beloved, Yue wasn’t among them. Hajime wasn’t the only one who missed her.
Now that the immediate threat had passed, the loneliness brought about by her absence was beginning to set in. Everyone avoided saying her name. They joked around to keep themselves from thinking about the fact that she was gone. Those who weren’t particularly close to Yue didn’t say anything out of consideration for those who were.
Indeed, Jugo, Kentarou, Nana, and the other students watched Hajime and the others joke around with pained expressions on their faces.
Just then, Myu perked up and said, “Are we all kissing Daddy? Then I’ll kiss him too!”
“Uwoooh!?”
Kaori had held onto both of Hajime’s hands, so he had no way to push Myu away. He fell backward in an attempt to avoid Myu’s kiss, but she fell down with him. By turning his face away, he just barely managed to get her lips to touch his cheek instead of his lips.
After a moment of stunned silence, the students started whispering heatedly to each other.
“That was close, but I made it,” Hajime said, cutting through the chatter. He absolutely did not want his daughter’s first kiss, or any kiss really, to be with him.
He repeated himself as he pulled Myu off him, determined to get everyone to believe him. He knew family members kissed each other on the lips in Europe, but he was Japanese, as were all the other students.
“You didn’t make it at all!”
“He’s guilty, your honor!”
From a distance, it probably still looked like Myu had pushed him down and kissed him on the lips.
Blushing, Aiko and Liliana covered their faces with their hands. Though, they made sure to spread their fingers out enough to let them peek, like usual. Liliana was a 14-year-old girl who had yet to experience any romance, so it was understandable for her, but Aiko was a fully-grown adult in her mid-twenties. Yuka, Nana, and Taeko all gave Aiko exasperated looks, but they refrained from commenting.
“Oh my. Our daughter’s so bold, Darling. Ufufu.”
“Calm yourselves, Kaori, Shizuku. This is simply the naive innocence of a child, nothing more,” Tio said with an exasperated sigh as Remia took Myu back into her arms.
In truth, most of the students also understood that Myu was just an eager child who adored her dad.
Though there were only a few of them, namely the male members of the Aiko bodyguard squad, who muttered things like, “Damn lolicon…” and “Holy shit, Nagumo-san, you’ll go for anyone, won’t you?” Naturally, the girls gave them sharp glares.
Realizing they’d overreacted, Kaori and Shizuku blushed and shrunk back.
However, there was actually a deeper reason behind why Myu suddenly went to kiss Hajime.
“Mrrr, why did you run away!? I just wanted to make you happy in Yue-onee-chan’s place, Daddy!”
“Myu…”
Everyone had been tiptoeing around mentioning Yue, but Myu just blurted out the main issue at hand.
Shea and the others looked taken aback as they realized why Myu had tried to kiss Hajime.
“You, Shea-onee-chan, and everyone else look sad, so I’ll kiss all of you to make you happy again. That’s what kisses do, right?” Myu said with a smile. She’d heard that from Yue, and her current demeanor was strikingly reminiscent of Yue as well.
Was she trying to emulate Yue to cheer us up? Hajime thought to himself as Myu cast her gaze to Shea and the others. They were all surprised by how much she resembled Yue, but considering how she’d emulated Hajime earlier when she’d stood in his way, it made sense.
“Children learn by watching their elders, I guess…” Hajime muttered to himself. That was just a sign of how much Myu had valued her short time with Yue. She’d been watching Hajime, Yue, Shea, Tio, and Kaori far more closely than any of them realized. And she’d learned how to be strong from all of them.
“Daddy, do you know what Yue-onee-chan told me?”
“What?”
“She said that together, you and her were the strongest in the world. But now that Shea-onee-chan and everyone else are here…” Myu paused as she looked over at Shea and the others. “…you’re invincible!”
Myu puffed her chest out proudly, as if she was the invincible one. Back in Erisen, Yue had indeed taught Myu that.
Overcome by emotion, Shea, Kaori, and Tio all looked up at the sky.
“Hurry up and bring Yue-onee-chan back, okay, Daddy?”
“Heh, you got it. When I bring her back, she might think she messed up and feel sad, so be sure to kiss her for me too.”
“Okay!”
Myu raised her hands into the air and waved them excitedly. In her mind, it was a given that Hajime would be able to bring her back. She didn’t have an iota of doubt that he’d succeed.
After a few seconds, Shea and the others nodded as well, their resolve rekindled. This was no time to be wallowing in despair or fooling around to make themselves feel better. They’d gone and lectured Hajime about giving up, but they’d been acting just as foolish.
Shea, Kaori, Tio, and Shizuku all smiled at Myu.
“I really can’t hold a candle to you, Myu-chan.”
“Hehehe, Myu-chan might actually be the strongest out of all of us.”
“Indeed. I suppose I should have expected no less from such a brave hero.”
“I’m kind of scared to see what kind of person she’ll become as she grows up.”
Everyone shivered a little at Shizuku’s rather apt comment. If she continued learning from everyone around Hajime, she’d grow up into a free-spirited yet kind girl who was fearless in battle, extremely seductive when she wanted to be, and likely as beautiful as Remia. It was a terrifying combination. The real problem, though, would be if she was influenced by a certain deviant member of Hajime’s harem.
Everyone turned simultaneously to Tio.
“Wh-What? Why are you looking at me as though I’m some pitiful creature? If you keep this up, I’ll get aroused!”
You can learn anything else from us, but please don’t inherit Tio’s pervertedness, Myu… Hajime and the others thought.
Chasing thoughts of that cursed future out of his mind, Hajime narrowed his eyes, his expression growing serious. He then got to his feet and looked to an empty spot in the throne room.
“Looks like I can do it after all…” he muttered, then cast Transmute.
Bright crimson sparks concentrated on the floor in front of him. A few seconds later, a sword made of stone rose out of the ground. Though it was made from the same dull stone as the floor, it appeared unbelievably sharp and had a polished sheen to it.
Hajime was almost completely drained of mana. He couldn’t infuse his creations with regular magic, let alone ancient magic. In other words, the sword was just a sword, nothing more. However, that plain stone sword looked as intimidating as an ancient, legendary artifact.
Hajime looked the sword over for a few seconds, then nodded in satisfaction and turned to the group of demons who huddled together in a corner of the room. Their faces stiffened nervously the moment they noticed his gaze.
“Hajime-kun…” Kaori muttered, shooting Hajime a stern glare.
He gave her a sidelong glance, then turned back to Myu, who was still in Remia’s arms, gave her a small smile, and shrugged his shoulders as if to say, “I won’t do anything bad, don’t worry.” His eyes lacked the emptiness they had earlier, so Kaori and the others breathed a collective sigh of relief. Myu smiled as well, so he turned on his heel and sauntered over to the demons.
“Well, I don’t expect you to know much, but tell me everything.”
“Wh-What do you mean? We don’t know—” the man who’d protected his son earlier stammered.
“If you don’t know anything, that’s fine. But I don’t recommend lying to me… or staying quiet. Of course, you can defy me if you want, but… I’ll make anyone who does pay dearly. If you value the lives of those next to you, you better do as I say.”
Hajime rested his sword menacingly on his shoulder and spread his legs wide.
“He looks like a gangster…” Kousuke muttered quietly a short distance behind him.
“Shut up, moron! What if he hears you!? Do you wanna be another one of his victims!” Kentarou whispered furiously.
“W-Will you let us go if we answer honestly?”
“Excuse me? Do you think you’re in any position to negotiate? Whether I let you go or not depends on my mood, so you better not piss me off. Freid and his soldiers have already tried to kill us a bunch of times. You should be grateful I’m not cutting you down where you stand.”
“Isn’t he acting the same way as before!?” Mao asked in a terrified whisper.
Ayako whispered back, “Look, just do your best not to piss him off, okay!?”
Hajime ignored his muttering classmates and stared calmly down at the demons. The demons didn’t feel the bone-chilling fear he’d inspired when his eyes had been devoid of all emotion. But this violent, tyrannical side of him was terrifying in its own way.
“Tell me everything you know about the Sanctuary. Also, you asked Kaori… uh, that apostle over there to open the gate for you, didn’t you? Does that mean apostles can open the portal to it by themselves?”
The demon father chose his words very carefully.
“All I know about the Sanctuary is that it’s the promised land our god has prepared for us demons. Supposedly, once we enter, we’ll ascend and become a greater race. Divine angels in service to our lord.”
“What else?”
“I-I don’t know anything about the portal leading to it. I just assumed an apostle could help us…”
“Oh, really? You’re not lying to me, are you? You can only protect one thing here, your kid or your faith, so you better choose wisely,” Hajime crouched down and poked the man’s cheek with the flat of his sword as he said that. His son let out a tiny scream and looked up at Hajime in terror.
“He’s worse than the yakuza…” Yoshiki muttered.
“If anything, he deserves to be called the Demon Lord,” Shinji added.
Hajime made a mental note to beat the two of them up later.
“You look so cool, Daddy!” Myu shouted. And suddenly, Hajime decided he could forgive his classmates after all. Yuka and the others looked shocked at Myu’s outburst, but Hajime couldn’t care less about what they thought.
Naturally, the demons were too scared to pay attention to the muttering going on behind Hajime, and the man he was threatening broke out in a cold sweat as he desperately tried to placate Hajime.
“R-Really, I swear! Telling you doesn’t go against my faith, so I have no reason to lie! This really is all I know! Please, spare my son’s life!”
Hajime glanced back at Tio. Among his comrades, she was the one most suited to reading people. Tio nodded to Hajime, confident that the man was speaking the truth.
“Tch, you’re useless. What about the rest of you guys?”
“Th-That’s all I know, too…”
“S-Same…”
“Please, at least let our children live.”
Hajime rose to his feet and thrust his sword into the ground. He then circled the group, eyeing each demon as he passed.
The sword cut through the floor like a hot knife through butter, and the demons either stammered that they didn’t know anything or pleaded for their lives.
“Nagumo’s totally the bad guy here, isn’t he…?” Nana muttered.
Taeko breathlessly replied, “The way he acts is so dreamy.”
“Wait, what!? Taeko!?” Nana exclaimed in shock.
You guys are really making it hard to look intimidating here… Hajime thought to himself, annoyed. And after another minute or so of questioning, he let out a disappointed sigh.
“Haaah, guess I should’ve expected this. You guys are all civilians, after all.”
He shook his head, and for a moment, the demons were worried he’d kill them for not being helpful enough.
A second later, crimson sparks shot across the floor underneath the demons. Some of the demons tried to run, but they soon realized their legs wouldn’t move. Looking down, they saw that the floor had risen up to lock everyone’s feet in place.
“Stay there, and stay quiet. If any of you try any funny business… well, I’m sure I don’t need to spell it out for you.”
“U-Understood.”
The shackles were brittle enough that the demons could break them with magic if they tried. But it was obvious from their expressions that none of them dared to attempt it. If anything, they were relieved that he wasn’t going to kill them. And his classmates were also relieved that they wouldn’t have to see any children die.
Hajime left the demons where they were and moved to the center of the throne room.
Shea, Kaori, Tio, Shizuku, Liliana, and his classmates followed after him. He tapped his foot on the ground and three circular tables rose from the ground. They were arrayed in a triangle, and each one could seat eleven people.
“Sit down, guys. It’s time to discuss our next course of action,” Hajime said as he half-collapsed into a chair himself.
He’d only just been brought back from a state where his soul was so drained it had nearly disintegrated. He was almost completely out of mana too, so even something as simple as transmuting a few tables left him exhausted.
Honestly, he wouldn’t even have bothered, but he felt as though this discussion was too important to have sitting on the ground.
Shea, Tio, Kaori, Shizuku, Suzu, Aiko, Ryutarou, Liliana, and Remia, who was still carrying Myu, joined Hajime at the first table.
Yuka looked longingly at the remaining seat at table one, but she joined her friends at table two. Nagayama and his party also sat down at the second table.
Yoshiki, Shinji, and the students who’d remained in the castle the whole time hesitantly sat down at table three.
Hajime took a moment to look everyone in the eye before beginning the meeting.
“First of all, let’s organize the intel we have. We know the god the church worships, Ehit, has taken control of Yue’s body. But Yue’s still in there, fighting to regain control. According to Ehit, it’ll take him at least three days to fully wrest control away from her.”
Hajime’s classmates looked away awkwardly as he talked candidly about Yue’s abduction. Most of them knew how deeply he cared for her. They’d only seen the two of them interact for a day or so, when Hajime had saved them from the demon invasion of the capital, but that had been enough to impress upon them just how close the two were. Besides, all of them had heard Hajime’s forlorn scream when Ehit had taken Yue’s body up to the Sanctuary.
“We’ll have to break into the Sanctuary if we wanna get Yue back. The problem is, no one knows how to open that gate,” Shea said, picking up where Hajime had left off. Her tone was even… and her expression resolute.
Myu had rekindled everyone’s determination.
“It’s probably safe to assume that only the people Ehit designates are allowed through, right? That means we’ll need to find some way to force our way past his protections,” Kaori mused.
“Yeah. He also said he’d return in three days to destroy the world, and that his army would appear on the Divine Mountain. Chances are he’ll be sending an army of apostles at us.”
“I suppose it would be apt to consider that the final battle, then. Ehit’s goal is to suck Tortus dry and use the mana he steals from this world to transport the Sanctuary to Earth, Master’s world.”
Honestly, Ehit’s plan sounded unbelievable. In fact, a bunch of the students still couldn’t believe it, even though they’d heard his declaration for themselves. Even Yuka, Nagayama, and the other students who’d been fighting on the frontlines just silently listened to Hajime and his comrades talk.
Aiko, however, hesitantly raised her hand into the air, asking for permission to talk. In response, Hajime and the others fell silent and turned to her.
She sucked in a deep breath to calm her nerves, then said, “Nagumo-kun. When you first shot Alva, you told us to get ready to return to Earth, right?”
“Yeah. You’ve got a good memory, Sensei,” Hajime replied with a rueful smile.
Oh yeah, he did say that, didn’t he!? his classmates thought, their hopes rekindled.
“H-Hey, Nagumo! Does that mean you found a way home!?”
“That means we can just run away to Earth, right!? Can we go back right away!?”
The students from the third table all looked expectantly at Hajime. Yoshiki and Shinji were so excited that they’d bolted to their feet. They’d been holed up in the castle this whole time, so it wasn’t surprising that they’d jump at the chance to run.
Yuka, Kousuke, and the students from the second table who’d been fighting looked surprised as well, though.
Hajime waved his hand dismissively and said, “I did manage to create a way back home, but Ehit destroyed it with all my other artifacts when he smashed my Treasure Trove. I can’t send anyone back right now.”
“N-No way!”
“Can’t you just make it again!?”
Yoshiki and Shinji bore down on Hajime, desperation etched on their faces. The other students from the third table started shouting about how they wanted to go home as well. Their will to fight had been broken from the start, so all they could cling to was the hope of escape.
Unfortunately, Hajime couldn’t have cared less about their feelings. Annoyed that his discussion was being interrupted, he grabbed his stone sword and got to his feet. He was probably planning on silencing them all with a quick whack with the back of the sword, since even that would have been enough to put them out of commission for a while.
“Everyone, calm down! Panicking won’t get you anywhere!” Aiko shouted, pacifying the students. She could tell that Hajime was getting angry, and she didn’t want them suffering his wrath. Her desperate entreaties, combined with Hajime’s menacing glare, was enough to quiet the students. Though, they still looked a little pale.
Once they were quiet, Aiko said, “Listen, everyone. I understand how you feel. Really, I do. I want to go home too, and I want to reunite you all with your families. But for now, please just stay quiet and listen to what Nagumo-kun has to say. Complaining won’t get us any closer to escaping this mess.”
Though they looked unconvinced, Yoshiki and Shinji reluctantly returned to their seats.
After making sure that everyone had calmed down, Aiko asked, “What I wanted to ask was if that artifact was powerful enough to take us to Earth, wouldn’t it be able to take us to the Sanctuary as well? Do you think you could remake it?”
“You bring up a good point, Sensei. It’s true, the Crystal Key could probably have opened a portal to the Sanctuary. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to make. I needed Yue’s help to make it the first time, and I don’t think I can remake it without her.”
“I see… I’m sorry…” Aiko whispered softly, worried that she’d asked something insensitive. Hajime gave her a reassuring smile, making it clear that he wasn’t bothered.
A second later, Shinji asked in a loud voice, “R-Really!? Are you sure you’re not just saying that because you’re prioritizing her over everyone else!?”
“N-Nakano-kun!” Aiko yelled indignantly, but the other students from the third table were all giving Hajime suspicious looks too.
Sighing, Hajime decided it was about time to remind the narrow-minded kids where they stood.
“Of course I’m prioritizing her over everyone else,” he growled in a cold voice.
“Wha—?”
Before the students could respond, Hajime continued, “What the hell gave you guys the idea that I’d care more about getting you to safety than getting Yue back? Besides, even if I did, it wouldn’t change anything. Stop lying to yourselves and take a cold, hard look at reality.”
“Wh-What do you mean?”
“You all heard that shitty god. He said he’s targeting Earth next. Unless we get Yue back and rip him to shreds, there’s no future for any of us!”
Everyone, even the students from the second table, turned toward Hajime, looking as though they’d just been slapped in the face.
As the reality of their situation set in, a few of the students started crying. Others slumped onto the table, giving up entirely. Tio clapped her hands to grab everyone’s attention and brought the discussion back on topic.
“Now now, we don’t have much time. Master, let us continue the meeting. When all is said and done, what is it you propose we should do?”
After thinking about it for a few seconds, Hajime replied, “When I used my existence-erasing chains, I managed to destroy a part of the gate leading to the Sanctuary. In other words, that gate isn’t invulnerable. As I am now, I might be able to make an inferior version of the Crystal Key that can forcibly unlock the portal for us.”
“Oho, so you plan to force your way into the Sanctuary when Ehit opens the gate again in three days’ time.”
“If he opens the gate sooner to see what’s taking Alva so long, we won’t even have to wait,” Kaori said in a joking tone.
It was then that Suzu spoke up for the first time since the meeting started.
“Do you really think you can win?” she asked in a weak voice.
Come to think of it, this is the first time she’s said anything since I woke up… Hajime thought absently. Normally, she was a bundle of energy and the most talkative member of the group, but this whole time she’d been looking down with a dark expression.
Ryutarou looked similarly despondent. It was rare to see the loudmouthed musclehead looking so meek.
Hajime turned to the two of them and said, “Yeah.”
The casual confidence he displayed irked Suzu to no end. She gave Hajime a sardonic grin, an expression no one had seen her make before, and spoke in a provocative tone, saying, “Even though you got your ass handed to you this time?”
“Yeah. Even though I got my ass handed to me, I’ll beat him next time.”
“Tch… How? How can you be so sure!? He just has to say a word and we can’t even lift a finger! He’s way stronger than all of us combined, and he’s got a huge army of apostles to boot! That guy’s a bona fide monster!”
Suzu shook her head, her pigtails swinging wildly. It was obvious her spirit had been broken. Not only had Eri completely ignored her attempts to engage her in conversation, but the familiars she’d been so proud of had been ripped to shreds by Eri’s undead creations.
Suzu had done everything she could. After resolving to speak with Eri once more, she’d begged Hajime over and over to take her with him to the next Labyrinth. She’d overcome all of its grueling trials and become so much stronger for it, but everything she’d built up had been destroyed with maddening ease by Eri and her necromancy.
Moreover, the illusions she’d seen when Ehit had ordered her to see herself die still burned vividly in her mind. She clearly remembered her limbs being torn apart, her insides being gouged out, her head being separated from her body, and the all too real pain that had accompanied those visions.
She would never be able to forget the visceral sense of watching her life bleed out of her for as long as she lived. Few people were strong enough to bounce back after experiencing such a traumatic event. And the mere thought of going through that experience again made her breath come in shallow gasps and caused her entire body to tremble in fear.
Hajime knew all of that, but he casually replied, “So what?”
“Wh-What do you mean, ‘so what’!?” Suzu roared as she finally looked up, glaring at Hajime with tears streaming down her face. But to her surprise, his expression appeared dead serious, a stark contrast to the nonchalant tone he’d been using.
“We’re up against an insanely strong monster. Not only that, but we’re outnumbered a hundred to one. You’re right, it’s not gonna be easy. But you’re forgetting something important. Remember, I was powerless like you once. Everyone branded me a worthless loser, but I managed to crawl my way back out of the abyss.”
“Ah…” Suzu gasped.
The others who’d been despairing, certain that they were doomed, all looked up as well.
“I had no one to help me, no food, and there were monsters everywhere. Plus, on top of all that, I had no aptitude for most magic… and I lost my left arm right after I woke up. But even so, I still made it out alive.”
Hajime’s voice was deathly quiet, but it echoed clearly through the throne room.
Before they knew it, all the students were hanging on to Hajime’s every word.
“This fight is no different. It doesn’t matter if I’m up against god and his army of apostles. I’m going to survive and come out on top. That bastard failed to kill me, and he even revealed a bunch of his trump cards.”
A feral gleam appeared in Hajime’s eyes. His lips curled up into a fearless smile and he bared his teeth.
Everyone gulped quietly as his bloodlust washed over them.
“I’m gonna get Yue back and kill that fucker. He had the upper hand last time, but now the tables have turned. I’m the hunter, and he’s the prey. I won’t rest until I’ve obliterated every trace of him with my own hands. I’ll chase him to the ends of the world, if I have to. That self-proclaimed god thinks he’s special, but I’m gonna teach him who the real monster here is.”
Hajime’s eyes burned with determination.
It was only now that the other students realized that Hajime had never truly been weak. True, he hadn’t had ancient magic or an array of artifacts back then, but the strength of his heart had been the same. He had been physically weak, but his heart had been stronger than anyone else’s. He’d made the impossible possible solely through the force of his unwavering resolve once already, so there was no reason he couldn’t do it again.
“Taniguchi, if you think this battle’s hopeless, then close your eyes, plug your ears, and find somewhere to hide. I’ll take care of everything for you.”
Hajime wasn’t saying that out of consideration for Suzu. No, he was testing her. He wanted to know if she was really okay with letting her journey end in such a pitiful fashion. Even though she’d come to save Eri, she hadn’t been able to get through to her at all. If she was going to give up, then Hajime planned to finish Eri off with the rest of his enemies while Suzu cowered back on Tortus.
On the other hand, if Suzu was still determined to get Eri back, then he’d continue to keep his promise.
While Suzu deliberated on the matter, Hajime turned to Ryutarou and Shizuku. He didn’t say anything, but they knew what he was asking them. Now that Kouki had betrayed them, Hajime would be forced to kill him if they didn’t come along.
For a while after that, everyone remained silent. Shea, Tio, Kaori, Aiko, Yuka, and Liliana all waited solemnly for Suzu, Shizuku, and Ryutarou to make their decision…
After a few minutes, Suzu finally opened her mouth. The hesitation in her voice disappeared, and her eyes glimmered with determination.
“There’s no need for that, Nagumo-kun. I’ll take care of both Eri and Kouki-kun. It doesn’t matter if they’re in the Sanctuary or another dimension entirely, I’ll bring them both back!”
A confident smile spread across Suzu’s face.
Moved by her stunning display of determination, Ryutarou shouted, “Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Okay, that’s enough moping around! I won’t let myself be outdone by you two! I’m the one who’ll beat Kouki back to his senses!”
He then smacked his fist into his open palm and made a ferocious grin.
Shizuku smiled as well and added, “You’re right. I won’t be satisfied until I give Kouki a good punch or two. Plus, I need to wipe that smirk off of Eri’s face.”
Hajime smiled slightly at the three of them and replied, “Good. Then you’ll be coming with us when we invade the Sanctuary. I’ll leave Nakamura and Amanogawa in your hands. However, don’t forget—”
“We know. We won’t give up halfway this time. Thanks for bringing us back to our senses, Nagumo-kun.”
“Yeah, thanks, Nagumo.”
Suzu and Ryutarou voiced their gratitude to Hajime. Blushing, Shizuku followed suit and said, “I’m grateful as well, Nagumo-kun. But you know, I planned to go with you even if Kouki hadn’t been abducted. Wherever you go, I’ll follow… no matter what.”
“I see…” Hajime trailed off, unsure how else to reply.
This really isn’t the time to be flirting, you know?
But while Hajime felt exasperated, Kaori looked proud of Shizuku. Probably because Shizuku was finally doing things for her own sake, rather than to help others.
Shizuku’s words had caused a stir among her classmates as well. Most of the boys were too dense to figure out what was going on, but Jugo, Atsushi, Yoshiki, and Shinji’s jaws hung open.
Naturally, all of the girls picked up on Shizuku’s true feelings. Yuka kept looking from Shizuku to Hajime and back again, while Aiko seemed shocked. Nana and Taeko were muttering things like, “So he’s gotten Shizukucchi too now, huh?” and “Nagumo-kun’s a modern-day Don Juan!”
Everyone seemed to be forgetting that this was meant to be a serious discussion. Fortunately, Liliana raised her hand and attempted to bring things back on track.
“Excuse me, Nagumo-san!”
“You don’t have to yell, Princess. What’s up?”
Of course, the real reason Liliana had spoken up was because she didn’t want to be left out of Hajime’s harem, but naturally, she didn’t say that. After all, she was trying to look competent at the moment.
“Ahem… It sounds like you’ll be taking all of the strongest fighters with you to the Sanctuary, but if you recall, Alva said that Ehit’s armies would invade Heiligh first.”
“Yeah.”
“The capital’s barrier won’t last long against an army of apostles. I know you don’t care about the kingdom’s people, but couldn’t you at least provide us enough assistance to hold out while you to defeat Ehit?”
Liliana was understandably concerned about the safety of her subjects. The only way she could see them surviving was if they abandoned the capital and fled as far as possible in the three days they had. But she also knew it would be impossible to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people in time. Especially considering how fast the apostles were. She didn’t know how long it would take Hajime and the others to kill Ehit, but she had no doubt thousands would be massacred while he was fighting.
Grateful that Liliana had restarted their actual discussion, Hajime nodded and replied, “I’m glad you brought that up, since it’s something I wanted to discuss.”
“It is? Does that mean…”
“I hate Ehit. That bastard pisses me off. And so, I’m not gonna let a single thing go his way. Honestly, I don’t give a damn about the people living in Tortus. But if that fucker gets his kicks from slaughtering innocent people, then I’ll do everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen. I’ll make sure I ruin every last one of his plans.”
Hajime chuckled darkly, and most of the students scooted a few inches away from him. His smile appeared far too evil for most people who weren’t Shea, Kaori, or Tio to enjoy. In fact, even Liliana felt a little creeped out.
“U-Umm, does that mean you’ll help defend us against the invading apostle army?”
“I have a plan, yeah. If we bring the armies of every nation together and give them a bunch of my artifacts, they’ll be strong enough to hold off the apostles. It’s gonna be tough getting all the countries to work together in three days, which is why I need your help,” Hajime turned to the second table as he said that, and Yuka and the others all nodded resolutely.
Surprisingly, some of the students from the third table seemed raring to help as well. Hajime’s fighting spirit seemed to have rubbed off on everyone.
“Heiligh’s in a state of chaos after the apostle raid, but thankfully, they only kidnapped us, so the knights and soldiers are mostly unharmed,” Liliana mused, resting her chin in her hands.
“However, there’s a limit to how many troops we can mobilize in three days. Even if we do manage to unite the nations and raise a large army, can you really craft enough artifacts to arm everyone?”
“Yeah, I can,” Hajime declared confidently, and Liliana gave him a surprised look.
“I’ve already set up portals in the kingdom, the empire, and Verbergen. Remember the one I threw… uh, sent you back to Heiligh in? I’ll create some artifacts that’ll help you travel quickly and send them through each of those portals. That way, you’ll be able to visit the other countries and set up portals for me there as well.”
Once they were all set up, Hajime would effectively be connected to every major location in Tortus. Liliana looked simultaneously relieved by the fact that Hajime had a concrete plan, and angry that he’d brought up that time he’d tossed her headfirst into the castle’s cafeteria.
“But Master, weren’t all of your artifacts destroyed? Even if the Gate Keyholes are unharmed, all of your Gate Keys are gone now, aren’t they?”
“Actually, I hid a few key artifacts underground at the border of the Schnee Snow Fields right before we traveled to the Demon Lord’s Castle.”
“Truly!? Then the Gate Keys are safe?”
“Yeah. Unfortunately, I brought the Crystal Key with me, since I thought we might need to use it, but I left the Compass of Eternal Paths, all the crests we got for conquering the labyrinths, the Gate Keys, and a few vials of Ambrosia back there. Oh, and Kaori’s body, too. It’s preserved in an ice coffin.”
“Hang on, Hajime-kun! Does that mean you were planning on leaving my original body behind if we had to make an emergency escape!? You even left the compass behind, so we couldn’t have gone back for it!”
Hajime had already pinpointed the location of Earth back in the Frost Caverns, but he hadn’t used it to plot the location of Tortus. Kaori started tearing up, and Hajime awkwardly averted his gaze.
“I didn’t have a choice, okay? For what it’s worth, I left a beacon there to help me find the place again. Plus, as long as we had the Crystal Key, we’d technically be able to make it back.”
“What if finding the way back took so long that the ice melted and my body got buried in dirt!?”
“You could just use restoration magic to fix it. Besides, if I’d actually brought your body with me, it would’ve been destroyed like everything else.”
“Ugh, you’re right. Thanks for keeping my body safe, I guess, Hajime-kun.”
It appeared Kaori’s original body was fated to suffer no matter what happened.
Shea gently comforted Kaori, who looked eager to recover her body as soon as possible, while Liliana moved on to her next question.
“I understand the plan now… but there’s still one big hurdle left. Will we really be able to convince people that the world is ending in three days and that we need to work together to prevent it? I mean, people might brand us heretics, since our enemies this time around are Ehit’s apostles.”
“I’m thinking restoration magic will help us with that.”
“It will? How?” Liliana asked as she cocked her head to one side.
Kaori immediately picked up on Hajime’s plan, clapped her hands together, and said, “You want to show them scenes from the past, don’t you? Just like the visions we saw in the Sunken Ruins of Melusine.”
“Yeah. I want you to recreate what happened here with restoration magic. And then, I can record it all in my artifacts. After that, we can show those recordings to the leaders of all the countries. I bet the people we’ve talked to before will believe us. Catherine in Brooke, Ilwa in Fuhren, Roa in Horaud, Lanzwi in Ankaji, Ulfric in Verbergen, and Gahard in the Empire. They’re all pretty influential, so they should be able to gather a bunch of troops.”
Including Liliana and the Adventurer Guild’s guild master, Hajime basically had connections to every major power in Tortus.
Honestly, Liliana was amazed he’d met with so many people. This would make convincing everyone a lot easier, and she quickly started calculating how to approach each nation.
“Everyone in the kingdom believes the story we created to cover up the destruction of the main cathedral, so convincing them that this is the work of that same evil god shouldn’t be hard… Most of the empire’s subjects aren’t very pious to begin with, so they’ll probably believe Ehit’s evil easily enough… Ankaji’s lord was willing to let himself be branded a heretic to defend you, Hajime-san, so he won’t take much convincing either… Verbergen trusts us, since we helped free the beastmen slaves in the empire… And it seems like you have influential friends within the Adventurer Guild… This might just be possible.”
Things weren’t looking as hopeless as they’d originally seemed. Liliana found it rather ironic that Hajime had built up such powerful connections despite claiming that he didn’t care about the people of this world.
“All that’s left is… Oh yeah! Just in case, we can have Sensei start giving speeches to rouse the people.”
“Huh!? Wh-Why me!?” Aiko asked, trembling like a leaf. The last thing she wanted was even more people worshiping her.
“Because you’re the Fertility Goddess. ‘Rise up, my brethren! The evil fake Ehit has sealed the true Ehit and is bringing his army of counterfeit apostles to subjugate the people of Tortus! We must band together if we wish to stop his evil ambitions! Fear not, for the Fertility Goddess fights with you!’ See, I even figured out your speech for you. Good luck, Sensei.”
“Don’t just send me off like that! Where did you even come up with such a bold lie!? If we were in Japan, I’d be contacting your parents about this!”
“Don’t be so uptight, Sensei. You’re the one who sowed these seeds, so it’s time you gave them water and reaped the harvest. Your Job’s Farmer, remember?”
“When did you learn to be such a smooth talker?”
Your Job should be Rabble-Rouser, not Synergist! Aiko thought to herself. From the looks on their faces, it seemed her students agreed with her. In fact, the way Hajime planned to manipulate the people of the world wasn’t too different from what Ehit had done for centuries.
A few of the girls from table three seemed enamored by his crafty ways, but fortunately, their fellow classmates were hard at work bringing them back to their senses.
Aiko sighed to herself. She realized it was an effective strategy, and it would likely be necessary to save the people of Tortus, but she still didn’t really like it.
Hajime gave her a troubled smile and said, “Even if we gather all of Tortus’ nations together, they won’t be any help if they’re just a disorganized mob. They’ll need a symbolic leader everyone can unite under. None of the kings or emperors are popular enough to fill the role. Only the Fertility Goddess can do it. I need you, Aiko-sensei.”
“……”
At this point, Aiko was trembling so much that she looked like a chihuahua. However, Hajime’s words seemed to have gotten through to her, and she kept stealing covert glances at him. Judging by how red her cheeks were, she clearly didn’t see him as just one of her students any longer.
“N-Nagumo-kun. You called me Aiko-sensei just now, didn’t you?”
“Is that bad?”
“N-No. It’s just, you always call me just Sensei, so I…”
“I do?”
Aiko seemed to be wrestling with some inner conflict. But after shaking her head a few times, she looked over at Shizuku, then sucked in a deep breath.
Unaware that the students were all staring at her and her rapidly changing expressions, she turned back to Hajime and said, “Could you… say that last part one more time?”
Her face was flushed, and there was a longing look in her eyes.
“The last part?”
“Yes. But drop the Sensei this time.”
Weren’t you the one who said you’d never cross the line between teacher and student? Hajime thought with a stiff expression.
There was a loud clattering noise as Yuka got up from her chair. She wasn’t the only surprised one, either. The rest of Hajime’s classmates started muttering amongst themselves, saying things like, “Wait, seriously!? When did Sensei fall for Nagumo!?” and “N-Not you too, Sensei! Please tell me I’m dreaming…” and “I expected no less from Hajime-sama…”
Atsushi, Noboru, and Akito all grit their teeth, holding back a burning desire to beat Hajime to a pulp.
Unfortunately, Aiko was too nervous to pay attention to any of her students’ voices. Knowing that she was days before a decisive battle had given her the push she needed to be honest with herself. As a teacher, she was willing to sacrifice herself for her students if that was what it took. However, she didn’t want to die without confessing her feelings to Hajime. That was the one thing she couldn’t stand. Naturally, her resolve had hardened considerably, which was precisely why Hajime couldn’t dismiss her out of hand. If she got depressed right before the final clash, she was likely to make a bunch of fatal mistakes. She was a master of messing things up, after all.
The students all shot Hajime stern glares, imploring him not to do anything rash. Sighing, he realized he didn’t really have a choice.
“I need you, Aiko.”
“Okay, you can count on me! I’ll get everyone so riled up that they’ll be cursing Ehit’s name! I’ll show you what a teacher can do once she gets serious!”
Teachers are supposed to mitigate conflict, not get people all riled up… Are you sure you understand your job? Hajime thought to himself, averting his gaze from Aiko.
He could hear the students muttering things like, “A-A student-teacher relationship!? What is this, a light novel!?” and “Forget Alva, he’s the real Demon Lord!” and “Don’t look at him. If your eyes meet, you’ll get pregnant!”
Incidentally, Suzu made that last remark. Hajime made a mental note to punish her for it later.
“A-Ahem! I’ll be doing my best as well, Nagumo-san!” Liliana said, interrupting the students’ chattering. Her face was red as well, and there was an expectant look in her pretty blue eyes.
Why is everyone choosing now to do this? We’re deciding the fate of the world here. Maybe I should throw her through a portal and send her back to Heiligh?
“Yeah, I’m counting on you too, Princess.”
“I’ll do my best!”
“I heard.”
“I’ll do my best!”
“……”
“I-I’ll do my best… Hic…”
“…I’m counting on you, Liliana.”
“Call me Lily.”
“Ugh… Fine, I’m counting on you, Lily.”
“I’ve got you covered! Leave everything to me! I’ll use my popularity and authority to get all the citizens dancing on the palm of my hand!”
That’s not something a princess should be saying. Imagine what the people would think if they found out the princess they loved thought they were all brainless dupes.
It was at this point that all the students realized Liliana had indeed offered to provide CPR to Hajime because she wanted to kiss him.
Just then, Yuka groaned and clutched her sides. From the looks of it, Nana and Taeko had just elbowed her.
“Come on, Yukacchi, it’s your turn!” Nana whispered.
“L-Like I said, it’s not like that!” Yuka protested hotly.
“Oh please, enough with the tsundere act. Just go for it, Yuka,” Taeko said.
Hajime was having a hard time believing all these students had been in the depths of despair mere moments ago. Everyone was joking around, and they looked genuinely relaxed.
“Okay, listen up. I’m gonna go over the plan one more time,” Hajime said with a sigh. He didn’t do anything to ruin the relaxed atmosphere, though. It was better that everyone was in high spirits, rather than brooding over the potential destruction of both Tortus and Earth. It was normal to have the response the students from table three had when Hajime had first told them about the impending destruction of Earth. But he knew now that ignoring their concerns would only cause problems down the line. Letting them stew in their hopelessness and despair would only lead to more traitors like Shimizu and Hiyama.
Judging by how quickly Aiko and Liliana’s expressions had turned serious, Hajime guessed that they’d been acting the way they had to contribute to lightening the mood. Though, he suspected their feelings for him were real.
Regardless, once Aiko and Liliana got serious, the other students calmed down as well.
Hajime made sure everyone was paying attention, then said, “My top priority is getting Yue back. In order to do that, I’m going to invade the Sanctuary when Ehit sends down his armies three days from now. I’m leaving how to deal with Nakamura and Amanogawa in Taniguchi’s hands. The rest of you guys will be fighting the apostle army.”
Hajime paused to make sure everyone was following along so far. Like he’d thought, most of his classmates looked terrified at the prospect of fighting apostles, but they were at least willing to hear him out now.
“So, now we go over what to do over the next three days. Personally, I’m going back to the bottom of the Great Orcus Labyrinth. It’s got all the raw materials I’ll need to mass-produce a bunch of artifacts. Kaori, I want you, Myu, and Remia to come with me to help out.”
“Sure, Hajime-kun.”
“Okay! I’ll help lots!”
“If there’s anything I can do, don’t hesitate to ask.”
Kaori, Myu, and Remia all nodded.
Hajime mostly wanted to keep Myu and Remia with him to prevent Ehit from taking them hostage again, but he did also need someone to take care of his natural needs while he focused solely on crafting.
“Shea, can you go to the Reisen Gorge in the meantime?”
“Oh, I see. You want me to ask Miledi-san for help, right?”
“Yeah. She flushed us out last time, so I don’t know where the shortcut to take you straight back to her is. If the fountain in Brooke doesn’t react to her insignia, you’ll have to conquer the labyrinth again…”
“No problem. I can clear it in half a day now. That labyrinth’s child’s play after everything else we’ve been through.”
“I figured you’d say that. Well, I’m counting on you.”
“You’ve got nothing to worry about!”
Hajime smiled to himself, thinking about how the once-worthless rabbit had grown into such a reliable comrade. But this was no time for reminiscing, and his gaze lingered for only a moment before he turned to Tio.
“Tio.”
“I can imagine what it is you would ask of me. You want me to return to my village, no?”
“Yep. Let your brethren know the time has come.”
“I see. I suppose it has. We dragonmen can no longer afford to hide in the shadows,” Tio said that, then placed a hand on her chest and closed her eyes to sort out her feelings.
In an unbelievably gentle voice, Hajime replied, “I told you before that we’d make a new promise, but I guess that’s not really necessary anymore, huh?”
“Ufufu, don’t be ridiculous. Do you think I would relinquish such a valuable boon? Since you brought it up, why not make that new promise with me here and now, Master? Promise me that we’ll grab hold of an ideal future together.”
“That’s a pretty vague promise… but sure. I promise we’ll grab hold of the best possible future for all of us. So Tio, will you…?”
“Of course! My path is your path, Master. I, Tio Klarus, shall follow you to the ends of the earth!”
Hajime and Tio smiled at each other as they exchanged vows. Though their dynamic was a little different from Hajime and Yue’s, it was hard for anyone else to get between the two of them.
Next, Hajime turned to Shizuku and said, “Yaegashi, please travel to the empire for me. I’ll give you a few Gate Keys leading to Heiligh, so convince Gahard to send his forces over.”
“I don’t mind, but… why me?”
“Because you’re a good negotiator. Plus, Gahard’s got a crush on you. He’ll be more likely to listen to you than anyone else.”
Hajime was indirectly responsible for forcing Gahard to wear the Necklace of Vows and free all the empire’s slaves, so he highly doubted the emperor would be too happy if he paid a visit. Shizuku was the only person who was both good at negotiating and strong enough to take care of herself in a fight in case Gahard tried anything. However, she wasn’t happy with that explanation.
“I get what you’re saying, but… I can’t believe you’re asking me to take advantage of another man’s crush when you know how I feel about you. I know the situation is dire, but still.”
“My bad. If it makes you feel any better, you have permission to use my name to scare him off. Feel free to tell him that if he lays a hand on you, Hajime Nagumo won’t be happy.”
“Th-That’s not fair. I can’t even be mad at you when you put it like that.”
Blushing, Shizuku accepted the job Hajime gave her.
“Sensei, you and Liliana head back to the capital. Gather as many troops as you can and start giving speeches to raise morale. Make sure everyone is brainwashed enough that they’ll fight apostles without hesitation. Also, the main battlefield will probably end up being the plains outside the city. Ehit’s armies are going to be flooding out of the Divine Mountain, so you won’t be able to fight within the city’s walls.”
“We’ll have to evacuate the residents, then. Even with the help of your portals, it’ll be tough to move everyone out in just three days.”
“Well, I’m gonna have to open up a portal connecting the kingdom and the empire anyway, so we can make use of that. You can move the citizens to the empire while they send their soldiers over. I’ll create more portals as time passes, so you should be able to accelerate the evacuation.”
“But Nagumo-kun, isn’t it a bad idea to fight on the plains, considering the apostles can fly?”
“Don’t worry, Sensei. Remember how I said I’d strengthen your armies? I wasn’t just talking about giving everyone stronger equipment. I’m planning on sending over large-scale weapons as well, like anti-air guns and mobile fortresses and stuff. Also, Nomura…”
Kentarou let out a squeak of surprise at being addressed directly. He’d thought he was completely under Hajime’s radar.
“You’re a Geomancer, right?”
“Huh? Y-Yeah, why?”
“I want you to round up all the craftsmen and mages with earth magic aptitude in the capital and work with them to make a castle. You might not be able to make it in one night like Hideyoshi, but you’ve got three days, so just do it.”
“W-Wait, this is a huge responsibility! I don’t know the first thing about architecture… How can I make a castle!?”
“That’s why I told you to round up all the capital’s craftsmen. Let them make the blueprints. You just have to use your magic to build according to their specifications. I’ll make some unique artifacts for you later, so use those to mold the plains into a suitable defensive battlefield.”
“I guess I’m the only one qualified for this job, huh? Fine, I’ll do it,” Kentarou replied with a pale face. His party members were giving him words of support, though, so Hajime figured that he’d be fine. He then turned his attention to Yuka.
“Sonobe.”
“Hwaaah!?”
Like Kentarou, Yuka hadn’t expected to be singled out. She jumped out of her seat for the umpteenth time that day and shouted, “Wh-What do you want!?”
“Why do you sound so angry?”
“She’s just trying to hide her embarrassment,” Nana replied helpfully.
“Anyway, I want you to be the leader of all the other students.”
“Huh? What? No way! Why me!?”
Hajime gave her an expectant look and said, “You’re the most suited to leading out of everyone I know… What, am I wrong?”
Yuka felt conflicted. On one hand, she was happy that Hajime thought so highly of her, but on the other, she wasn’t sure she could handle such a heavy responsibility.
“I agree! I think Yukacchi’s the best choice! She’s the one who rallied everyone earlier, too!”
“Hey, Nana!”
“Hm? What do you mean?” Hajime asked as he cocked his head. In response, Aiko explained how Yuka’s quick thinking was what led to their counterattack against Alva.
“I see…” Hajime said with a thoughtful nod.
“I guess I should thank you as well. I owe you one, Sonobe.”
“I-I didn’t really do much,” Yuka stammered, averting her gaze. Hajime’s kind smile was too much to bear. Shea, Tio, and Kaori started thanking her as well, and she blushed bright red as a result.
“Anyway, this just proves you’re the best choice to lead everyone. I can’t imagine anyone else would be able to formulate a sound plan in a situation like that, much less get everyone to follow it.”
All the other students nodded in agreement. They trusted her with their lives now, and even Shea and the others respected her. Moreover, Yuka was the one who’d taken care of all the other kids who’d stayed behind at the castle. The students on the third table were especially fond of her. They knew she’d always done her best, even when she’d been beaten down by despair. In fact, they already treated Yuka as their leader. She was far more reliable than a faraway Hero who fought on the front lines.
“Looks like everyone else wants you to be their leader.”
“Urgh… B-But…”
“It’s gonna be hard coordinating everyone and looking after their mental state in the middle of a war, but I know you can do it.”
“……”
Yuka looked down, unsure of herself. Nana and Taeko tried to encourage her, saying things like, “Don’t worry, Yukacchi! Just think of it as having more people in your squad!” and “We’ll do our best to help out!” but the weight of the responsibility felt too much to bear.
“You’ll be fine,” Hajime said suddenly, and she raised her face to meet his gaze. There was a nostalgic smile on his face and he added, “You’ve got guts.”
“Ah…”
Those were the exact words Hajime had told her back in Ur. Yuka was surprised he remembered such a minor event.
“Fine, whatever! I just have to do it, right!? Just watch, Nagumo! I’ll show you!”
“What’s the point in showing me? You’re facing the apostles, remember?”
Blushing, Yuka sat back down. Nana and Taeko elbowed her relentlessly with smug grins on their faces.
With that, all of Hajime’s classmates were united in heart and soul. There was nothing left to say to her, but Kaori, Shizuku, Aiko, and Liliana were all glaring at Yuka all of a sudden.
Hajime ignored the four of them and started doling out assignments to the other students. He figured they’d be less likely to brood if they had something to do. Besides, even the students who’d been holed up in the castle the entire time had far higher stats and far stronger abilities than most people in this world. So long as they were given proper direction, they’d be a huge help.
Eventually, Hajime turned to Suzu and Ryutarou.
“Taniguchi, Sakagami, I want you two to go back to the Haltina Woods. Tell the Haulia and the top brass at Verbergen what’s going on, then bring back anyone who can fight to the capital. Once that’s done, contact me. I’ll take you guys to the depths of the Orcus Labyrinth, where I want you to tame as many monsters as you can. Be sure to spend time strengthening the familiars you make as well. I’ll craft a few artifacts for them, so they won’t get done in as easily this time.”
“Sure thing!”
“Hell yeah!”
Hajime answered any questions people had and hashed out the finer details of his plan before finally calling the meeting to a close. This would likely be the busiest three days of his life. He cast his gaze over all the other students, judging their resolve.
Based on their expressions, they were all determined to do everything in their power. It was a far cry from the sniveling cowards they’d been an hour before. However, Hajime felt as though this still wasn’t enough. What they needed wasn’t the drive to survive, but rather the desire to win. They needed the mettle to raise their faces to the heavens and spit on god. And so, he decided to give a small speech.
“We’re up against a guy who calls himself a god, someone who has more than enough power to back up that claim. Not only that, but his army’s scary as hell. He’s got insanely strong monsters, powered up undead warriors who fear nothing, and hundreds of apostles.”
Hajime didn’t raise his voice, but everyone could feel the force behind each and every word.
“But that’s all. He’s not invincible. He’s not immortal. You guys can all kill gods and apostles, the same way I did. He’s looking down on us, but mortals have the potential to surpass heavenly beings.”
Hajime was missing an arm, an eye, and his hair was bleached of all color. His scars were proof of the painful path he’d walked to make it this far. Though he’d been labeled powerless by his peers, he’d crushed countless monsters, made their strength his own, and crawled back up to the surface. And that was precisely why he was able to take even this defeat, where the most important person in his life had been stolen from him, and turn it into a new source of strength. The students all understood instinctively that this man was someone who could do the impossible.
As Hajime continued his speech, their hearts began to tremble with a burning passion.
“Don’t bother fighting for the sake of the world or for peace or other abstract ideas like that. I’m fighting because I want to get my beloved Yue back, so all of you should find your own reasons.”
Why are we fighting? the students asked themselves. For most of them, the answer was simply that they didn’t want to die.
“Those reasons don’t have to be grand. It doesn’t matter how small they seem to you, what matters is that they’re yours. Maybe you just wanna go home. Maybe you just wanna see your family and friends again. Maybe you really fucking hate Ehit. Maybe you just don’t wanna die. It doesn’t matter what the reason is.”
For a lot of the students, it felt as though something just clicked into place. They’d been afraid because of how huge the scale of this battle seemed, but that fear had suddenly begun to fade.
“Survive. Fight for what you believe in… and survive!” Hajime’s words echoed through the throne room. And they were filled with a fiery passion, a steadfast resolve, a chilling calm, and a breezy casualness all at once.
“If there comes a time in everyone’s life where they need to stand up and fight for what they believe in, then for us… that time is now. Set your souls ablaze, everyone! Fight, and survive! If you can manage that, I’ll reward you all with a ticket back home!”
Everyone’s hearts pounded rapidly. They raised their fists into the air and stamped the ground with their feet.
Hajime smiled fearlessly, and said resolutely, “We’re gonna win this.”
Cheers filled the room, flooding out every other sound.
Diamond. diamond. diamond.
