The sound of dripping water reached Hajime. A chilly wind brushed his cheek, causing his whole body to shiver. Hajime groaned softly as he opened his eyes. While his cheek was rested on something hard, the lower part of his body was freezing cold. Still groggy, he willed himself to get up, his entire body aching in protest.
"Owww, where…I thought I…" Looking around, he saw that he was in a dark cavern. He looked up and saw that there was no visible light source above him. His surrounding would've been pitch-black it wasn't for the green crystals scattered around the cavern, though it was still relatively dark. He saw behind him was a river sixteen feet wide, and his body was still half submerged in it while his upper part was resting on a boulder that protruded out of the riverbank.
He supported his head with his hand as he tries to remember how he ended up here.
"Oh, yeah…the bridge collapsed, and I fell. And then…" His clouded mind started to clear up, his brain functioning properly again. A stroke of luck saved him from becoming one with the ground.
Hallway down the cliff he saw an opening in the wall pouring out water. In Essence, a waterfall. There were actually numerous little waterfalls as he fell, and when he fell int the water, he was swept away by one and was guided into one of the openings in the cliff. Comparable to a waterslide from hell. Nothing short of a miracle that he survived the fall. Especially when halfway through his ride, something smacked him in the head, and he lost consciousness. Hajime found his survival both truly miraculous and incomprehensible.
"Can't really remember how this happen, but at least I'm alive…Achoo! S-So c-c-cold." His body has already dropped dangerously low due to being submerged in freezing water for too long. He was going to catch hypothermia if he stayed in, so he pulled himself out the water quickly. Still shivering, he stripped off his wet clothes until he was in nothing but his underwear and wrung them out.
Then, using his transmutation skill, he carved a magic circle into the earth.
"Gah, it's hard to concentrate while being this cold…" He was trying to inscribe the circle for the spell, Flare. It was a rudimentary spell that even kids could perform with a three-inch magic circle.
But for the magical affinity-less Hajime, and with no magic circles to enhance the circle, he had to inscribe a complex and three feet in diameter circle for such a simplistic fire spell. Ten grueling minutes later, he finished his magic circle and chanted its incantation.
"Mine desire is fire. Fire, imbued with the essence of light—Flare... No clue why such a simple spell has such an overdramatic incantation, but its unbelievably embarrassing to chant this… Haah…" Once again signing, something that's become a habit for him, Hajime brought himself close to the fist-sized flame, along with his clothes.
"Where am I…? I fell pretty far down. So can I even make it back up? Worry gripped his chest as he tried to calm down and asset his situation.
"I wonder if Saito is—" Hajime then dreadfully remembered that his friend was impaled by the Behemoth's horn and was most likely already dead. Since he didn't see his body in the river when he woke up, he must've been swept away by another waterfall. Meaning that even if Hajime could find a way out of here, he couldn't even bring back his body.
Hajime felt like bawling his eyes out, and tears were forming out of the corner of his eyes, but he knew he would end up completely break down if he cried now, so he held them in. He stubbornly wiped his tears away and slapped his cheeks hard enough to turn red.
"I can do this. I can get back to the surface somehow. Saito would make fun of me if I just broke down here. I'll be fine. I'll figure something out." His pep talk wiped away the sullen look on his face and renewed his determination. He still anguished over Saito's death, but Hajime had to keep moving forward. It's what he would've done in his place. After that he simply gazed into the flames, mulling over his options.
After about twenty minutes, Hajime has warmed himself up to a sufficient degree and his clothes were mostly dry, so he decided to head out. He wasn't sure which floor he was on, but he was obviously deeper into the labyrinth. And monsters could still ambush him at any time, so Hajime move precariously though the long passageway.
This passage he was going through was nothing like the orderly rectangular passage from the upper floors. This resembled more like a cave. Large boulders and other obstructions showed up randomly at different intervals, and the passage was twisting and winding the farther Hajime went in. It was similar to the path he and his class found on the twentieth floor. Only this path made it look like a mouse hole. Even with all the boulders and stuff obstructing the path, it was still twenty yards wide. Even the "narrower" passages were still at least ten yards wide. But Hajime didn't let his guard down. Even if it slowed down his progression through the cave, he went cover to cover, sticking to the shadows as he went.
Hajime didn't know how long and how far he walked, but he was starting to get tired. At that point, he found himself at a fork in the road. Thought it was more like a street intersection. While Hajime debated on which one to take, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. So he quickly went to safely hide behind the boulder.
He sheepishly peeked out of the side of the boulder and saw a large white ball of fur hopping down the passage across from him. It was a rabbit. The long ears and puffy tail were a dead giveaway, but this wasn't just an ordinary rabbit. The thing was as big as a dog, had the thick hind legs of a pro fighter, and had veins of dark red mana pulsating down its body. It was heinous sight.
Hajime knew that thing looked dangerous, so he decided to go down a different path to avoid running into it. Judging by the ways its ears were positioned, it won't be easy for it to detect him of he went right. So Hajime waited for the opportune moment to leap out from the boulder and make a break for it. Eventually, the rabbit turned around and lowered its head, sniffing the ground busily. Hajime decided that the best chance he was going to get and was about to leap out from behind the boulder. But then, the rabbit twitched, rose back up, and looked around guardedly.
C-crap! Did it saw me? O-or am I safe? Hajime thought as he hid once again and tried to calm his pounding heart, clinging to the rock like his life depended on it (which it does). Hajime prayed that the rabbit's likely exceptional hearing wouldn't pick up on his heart hammering against his chest. Luckily, it wasn't Hajime that spooked the rabbit.
"Graaaah!" With a clearly inhuman roar, another monster leaped from behind a different boulder. The new monster looked just like a wolf. This one was way bigger than the rabbit and had two tails that sprouted from its behind. The only thing that made it similar to the rabbit was that it also had white fur and dark red, vein-like mana pulsating and running through its body. The wolf monster then charged straight for the rabbit. Then out of nowhere, two more of these Twin-Tailed Wolves leaped out into the open.
Hajime decided to peek out to see what was going on. The wolves were all heading towards the bunny (though in retrospect, calling such a monstrous creature like that a "bunny" was an insult to all the cute creatures that share the name), clearly about to attack it. Hajime decided to use the distraction to get out of there. But then…
"Kyuuu!" Making an uncharacteristically cute squeal, the rabbit them leaped up, did a midair turn, and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to the nearest wolf.
Boom! That didn't sound anything like a normal kick. And a second after connecting with the wolf's face, came a sharp and ominous cracking sound, in tandem with the wolf's head turning a very unnatural angle. Hajime stood as still as a statue as the battle continued.
By using the centrifugal force of its spin, the rabbit then turn itself upside down and hurtled towards the ground like a meteor. Then, a split instant before it impacted, it righted itself once more. Then the rabbit gave the wolf under its point of impact an axe kick.
Smash! The wolf's head was pulverized so fast that it didn't even had the chance to cry out in pain. After that, two more wolves came out hiding and once again made a move on the rabbit. Hajime thought that was it for the rabbit. But then, as the wolves got close, the rabbit flipped upside down and stood on its ears. And like a break dander, it spread its leg wide and spun around. Its tornado kicks hit the wolves and they each slammed into the walls with a loud spat, blood spraying everywhere and they slid to the ground, motionless.
The last wolf growled menacingly at the rabbit, its tails standing straight up. Suddenly, electricity started running down its tail, appearing to be the wolf's specialized magic.
"Graaaah!" As the wolf roared, the generated bolts of lightning flew at the rabbit. But then, the rabbit nimbly dodged the lightning and hopped forward the wolf and hit it with a somersault kick. The wolf's head bend back with a sickening crack and they fell to the ground, utterly stagnant. Another wolf dead via broken neck.
"Kyu! With the last wolf dead, the newly named Kickmaster Rabbit gave a triumphant sounding squeal, probably a sort of victory cry. After that, it scratched its ears with its toned legs.
Oh god. You've gotta be freaking kidding me. Hajime smiled in utter disbelief, his body still frozen in place. "Dangerous" is now officially the most understated word to describe that monster. Forget the Traum soldiers Hajime and the others fought. That thing was probably even more dangerous than the Behemoth, cause at least the attack patterns from it were predictable. Hajime trembled in fear like a lead, knowing that he was a dead man if he got caught by that thing. Unfortunately, his fear made him do something that he would most definitely regret. Due to his fear, he unconsciously took a step back and…
Clatter. He accidentally kicked back a pebble when he moved, the sound reverberating across the entire cavern. Hajime cursed himself for making such an idiotic mistake. His forehead poured streams of cold sweat as he lamented that. Hearing the sound, the rabbit turned its head slowly, its neck creaking like a poorly oiled machine, as it turned to face the direction of the sound.
Hajime's body stiffened like a deer in headlights as the Kickmaster Rabbit glared at him with its glowing red eyes. His brain screamed at him to run, but his body wasn't listening, like the nerves in his body were cut off from his brain. The rabbit wasn't going to give him the chance to run though. After fully turning around, he primed himself for a leap.
Here it come! Hajime thought as he instinctively predicted the trajectory of the rabbit's leap. With a ridiculous amount of speed so fast that it left afterimages, the rabbit leaped towards Hajime, who managed to throw himself to the side with sheer instinct as the rabbit kicked the ground Hajime was previously standing with enough strength to leave a gouge in the earth, like a furry cannonball. Hajime rolled over and over on the hard ground until he managed to come to a stop in a sitting position. Seeing how easily the Kickmaster rabbit pulverized the ground paled Hajime's face like white paint, but it also finally spurred him into action, as he ran as fast as he could away.
The rabbit casually got back up and made another earth-shattering leaped towards him. Seeing he wasn't to outrun it, he stopped and squatted down to transmute an earth wall for protection, but the rabbit blew it apart with a kick like it was glass. Hajime then impulsively blocked his face with his arm to shield him. He felt the shockwave of the kick hit him and it caused him to fly backwards and land on the ground. While it did keep his head from being blown apart, Hajime suddenly felt waves of agonizing pain go through his left arm.
"Gaah!" He yelled as he looked at his arm, seeing that it was bending in a way that wasn't healthy for arms. The impact shattered his bones to pieces. As he crouched down in pain, he looked and saw the rabbit leisurely hooping towards him. Hajime wasn't a hundred percent sure, but the rabbit looked like it was looking at him with condescension. It was toying with him. Even so, all Hajime could do was hurriedly back away as it got closer. Finally, the Kickmaster Rabbit stopped right in front of him. Glaring down at Hajime with his piercing red eyes, as if looking at a worm. It raised one its leg up high, as if showing off its legwork before slaughtering its prey.
So this is where I die… Hajime thought as he sunk into the depths of despair. With defeated eyes, he looked up at the rabbit, and then it swung it's leg down with a woosh of wind accompanying it. Hajime closed his eyes, terrified of what's coming.
"…"
After a second, the finishing blow he expected never came.
Hajime opened his eyes reluctantly, the first thing he sees is the rabbit's foot inches from his face. the rabbit stopped it's foot just as it was about to hit Hajime.
Don't tell me…is it not through toying with me? Hajime despaired as the thought crossed his mind, that more torment was awaiting him. But then, he realized that the rabbit looked a bit off. In fact, as he looked closer, the rabbit was actually trembling.
Wh-what? It's shaking? It almost looks like it's scared… Hajime's thought was correct. It was scared. That's because of what appeared in the same right-hand corridor that Hajime tried to escape into.
The monster resembled a bear. A massive bear. Standing over six feet tall, the bear had the exact same white fur and pulsating dark red mana running down its body as the other creatures down here, but that's where the similarity ends. Aside from its height, the bear had long forearms that reached down to its feet. At the end of its hands were extremely sharp claws over eleven inches long.
While the rabbit was busy tormenting Hajime, the Claw Bear came up from behind them. It was currently glaring at the two, a moment of silence enveloping the corridor. The rabbit stiffened in fear and went motionless; it was in the exact same situation as Hajime was mere moments ago. The Claw Bear was now the terrifying foe, and the rabbit was now the helpless, unmoving victim.
"…Grrrr." The bear let out a low menacing growl, as if growing tired of looking at the two statues.
"Wha—?!" The rabbit looked away from the monster bear and began to hop away as fast as it possibly could. Instead of using its powerful leaps to obliterate its foes, they were now being used to run away to safety.
Though it didn't get far.
Moving faster than one would think due to its size, the Claw Bear rushed forward and swiped its paw at the Kickmaster Rabbit. The latter twisted its body to the side, dodging the bears sharp claws by an inch. To Hajime, it looked like it managed to avoid even a partial hit, dodging perfectly.
However… the moment the rabbit landed, its yellow blood spurted like a fountain between its top and bottom half, and then both sides fell in opposite directions.
Hajime watched in shocked as that happened. That strong monster that nearly killed him mere moments ago was easily killed by that bear. It didn't even have time to put up a decent struggle. Now Hajime understood why the rabbit was so afraid and tried to run. This monster was in a completely different league. It's strength easily overpowered the rabbit's Capoeira-esque fighting style.
The bear then gradually walked towards the remains of the rabbit, speared one of its halves with its claws, and began to eat it whole, making sickening crunching and squelching sounds as it chewed, and its eyes never left Hajime.
Hajime was frozen in place. The combination of his fear and the bear's gaze kept him from moving an inch. It managed to finish off its meal in just three bites, and now, after turning to face Hajime, it roared. The way it's eyes looked at him said more to Hajime than words ever could: He was next on the menu.
Panic spread throughout his mind as he looked into the eyes of a predator.
"Eyaaaaah!" Letting out a garbled scream, completely forgetting the pain in his shattered left arm, desperately tried to escape.
However, if the rabbit were unable to run away from that beast, there was no chance that Hajime could. As evidence, Hajime heard the sound of rushing wind, and then something hit his left side, flinging him to the wall opposite.
"Gahaah!" Hajime coughed violently as the air was knocked out of his lungs, sliding back down to the ground in a heap. His vison was hazy from the pain, but when he looked at where the bear was, he could see that it was chewing on something. He couldn't clearly see what it was, though it couldn't be the rabbit. It already ate it all. Then he realized that it was an arm…a very familiar looking arm.
Wait… is that…no…it couldn't be…no way..." Still confused and disoriented, he looked to his left side, which for some reason has become unexplainably lighter than before, and then he realized why that arm looked so familiar. Became where his left arm should've been…
"H-huh?!" His head tiled in bewilderment as his expression stiffened. Why don't I have an arm? Why is there so much blood? His mind—nay, his entire being—was rejecting the reality of what he's seeing. But feigning ignorance can only last so long, evident of that was when the excruciating pain of having his entire arm ripped from his body snapped him back to his senses.
"Agaaaaaaaaaaahh!" The realization that his entire arm from the elbow down has been torn cleanly off made Hajime scream in complete anguish, echoing across the entire labyrinth.
That was the bear's specialized magic. By wrapping it's claws in blades of wind, it could cut eleven inches past it's length. Through an objective point of view, it was a miracle that only Hajime's arm was cut off and not half his entire body. It was either pure luck or the bear was toying with him as well.
As it finished eating Hajime's arm, it started to slowly walk towards him. It then began to slowly extend one of its claws towards Hajime. It was clear that unlike the rabbit, it wasn't looking down at Hajime, it only saw him as food, nothing more. The fact that he wasn't torn to shreds by that bear meant that it wanted to eat Hajime alive.
"Aaaaaah! Gaaaaah! T-transmute!" Hajime put his remaining hand on the wall behind him and screamed his transmutation spell. Due to the panic induced hysteria, he was barely aware of his own actions anymore. His faced was already covered in tears, sweat, and drool. But nevertheless, his sky-blue mana shined briefly, and a depression opened behind him. He just barely managed to avoid the bears outstretched arms and fell back into the hole he created. The bear roared, irate that his prey managed to avoid him.
"Graaaaaaah!" The bear used it's specialized magic again to wrap wind blades around its claws and plunged it's paws into the hole Hajime made. The walls screeched in protest as the bear's claws gashed furrows into it.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Transmute! Transmute! Transmute!" Despite his panicked mind, he heard the bear's roar and the sound of the rocks being clawed at, so he furiously used his spell continuously, desperately trying to put as much distance from him and the bear as possible.
He has been labeled weak and incompetent due to his prior lack of physical talent and his now lack of magical affinity. He wasn't like Kouki, or Shizuku, or even Saito. He was weakest of them all. So Hajime relied on the one skill he did possess, a skill commonly used to craft armors and weapons.
Because he was giving such a commonplace job for blacksmiths, because he was ridiculed for his weakness, he used all of the knowledge he possessed to think of a unique way to put his power to use. He wasn't like Saito, who had natural talent for anything he did. Hajime had to work harder than anyone else to make his ability useful. He was always a little jealous of him, but it never motivated him to do better back in Japan. He was content with being average. But when they came to this world, and everyone else was overpowered and had amazing gifts, he started to become a little jealous of his best friend, who was also giving great abilities to an extent. But Hajime knew that Saito worked hard to make up for what Skills he did lack, so he worked just as hard to develop the ability he's using now. As unorthodox as it was, it astounded even the knights, and his passionate dedication to his lone skill made him slightly more useful to his other classmates. Which is why, even in the pits of hell, he relied on this skill, and it was why this skill was saving his life.
He didn't have the audacity to look back for even one second. He just kept transmuting over and over again, crawling into each new opening made. He forgot about the pain in his lost left arm. His only thought right now was survival. His life literally depending on it, he kept transmuting.
Hajime had no way to tell how far he managed to drag himself. He truly had no idea; he just knew that he could no longer hear the bear's thundering roars behind him. In reality, he didn't travel very far. Even though it was comparatively better than what he started out with, his Transmutation ability was still only effective within six feet of his target. With the added handicap of blood loss from his lost arm, he wasn't going to keep moving for much longer. Still, despite being on the verge of unconsciousness, he squeezed every drop of strength he had left in him to keep crawling forward. But it wasn't enough…
"Transmute… Transmute… Transmute… Transm…" Even though he was still chanting the incantation, the wall ahead of him didn't move apart. He was already out of mana. It was amazing that he was still conscious. His strength followed suit. His hand fell away from the wall and he collapsed. Using the last of his strength, he rolled himself onto his back. Since there were no green crystals to light up his surroundings, he started vacantly at the dark ceiling.
As he laid their dying of blood loss, he began to recall events from his past. So this what they meant when they say that your life flashes before your eyes. He went over his life, from preschool, to elementary, to middle school, and finally to high school. He remembered the day a certain black haired and blue-eyed boy came into his room when he was about seven years old. How much they bonded over their mutual like of video games, manga, and anime. He remembered how even after they were apart until middle school, and a near fatal accident that left him comatose for nearly a month, he still remembered him from their childhood. He remembered how much they hung out, talking about otaku stuff, hearing his laugher as he pokes fun at Hajime, with that silly grin on his face. Memories kept coming until they stopped on the night that he and Saito talked to Kaori. He recalled the moonlight spilling onto the window and the promise she had made to him. He remembered how he entrusted Saito with his one and only skill, hoping that would help him whenever he needed it. Those fond memories were the last he saw before his consciousness finally faded…
Drip… Drip…
Before he could completely fall unconscious, he suddenly felt water dripping onto his cheek. Like they were the tears of someone crying. The water trailed down his cheek and went into his mouth. After that, Hajime's consciousness began to brighten. Confused, He sluggishly opened his eyes.
I'm alive…? Did someone save me...? He lifted himself up, but he ended up hitting his head on the low ceiling
"Agah?!" He realized too late that he made the ceiling only nineteen inches tall. He raised his arms to transmute a bigger hole, but he saw that he only had one arm.
He started at the stump in dumbfoundedly and remembered that he just lost his arm recently. Then, a sharp sense of pain went down his nonexistent left arm. His face twisted in agony, and he reflexively grabbed his left arm. He was experiencing phantom pain for the first time. But when he felt his arm, he felt something unexpected. There was slight swelling in where his arm was cut off, and the wound was already closed.
"H-how…? There was so much bleeding…" Hajime felt around and felt the sticky sensation of his own blood surrounding him. If there had been any light, one could see that Hajime was lying in a pool of it, meaning that in all rights he should've been dead from losing that much blood. It was also still wet, meaning that it could've been no more than a few minutes since he passed out, ergo it was no dream, and his wound was really completely closed.
As Hajime pondered how such a thing was possible, more water dripped from the ceiling to his cheek and into his mouth. As it went down his throat, he felt himself rejuvenated.
"Don't tell me…this is what saved me?" Still weak and lightheaded from the blood loss and the phantom pain, he reached to the ceiling and transmuted it to find the source of the water.
Interesting enough, the water managed to restore some of his mana, so he continued transmuting deeper and deeper into the wall while licking up the droplets of water that fell through the cracks in the rock, restoring his energy. He might just be a little delirious, but he continued to transmute the earth, instinctively looking for the source of this liquid.
Eventually, the slow trinkle turned into a faster stream, and Hajime arrived at the source of the liquid: A crystal the size of a basketball emitting a pale-blue light.
The crystal was buried into the wall around it, and the liquid it secreted poured from under it. The light it was emitting was only a shade darker than aquamarine, giving it a splendorous aura of beauty.
"This…is…" Hajime wondrous stared at it, the pain in his arm forgotten. Then, like a moth to a flame, he got closer and put it to his mouth. As he did, the fatigue, the fog around his mind, and the pain faded away from his body. It was as he thought. The crystal is the source of the rejuvenating waters. The waters themselves have a kind of healing agent. Though it couldn't cure his phantom pain, and the blood he lost wasn't returning, the rest of his wounds and all of his mana was restored in an instant.
Hajime didn't know it yet, but the crystal was actually a "Divinity Stone," rare crystals that ranged from eleven to fifteen inches in diameter, created when large clumps of mana pool together and crystalize over the course of a thousand years, and then the saturated mana liquified and poured back into the earth. The liquid is known as Ambrosia, and it was capable of healing all wounds. Though it couldn't regenerate lost limbs, it could theoretically prolong one's life as long as they continued to drink it, giving it the title, "the elixir of life." There's a legend about how the god Ehit used this Ambrosia to heal the masses, making it one of the world's greatest historical treasures and a modern-day legend.
Even though he managed to avoid a very painful demise, the still fresh near-death experience coupled with the constant stress and fear finally broke him. He slumped against the wall, hugged his trembling body, and buried his face into his knees.
If it was just enemies he was facing, he could've managed somehow rejoicing at the fact that he was still alive and got right back up. But that bear's gaze, the gaze of a predator that saw Hajime as nothing more than food, broke him. Humans were supposed to be on the top of the food chain, so most never had to imagine those eyes looking at them, let alone see what Hajime saw. Those eyes, along with the sight of his arm being chewed, finally crushed Hajime's spirit. There was a minuscule part of Hajime that still held onto the hope that Saito miraculously survived like he did, but now he prayed that he truly was dead, so that he doesn't have to suffer the same thing Hajime just went through.
Someone…anyone…please save me… Hajime pleaded that in his mind as hard as he possibly could, but he was deep in the labyrinth, or rather, the pits of hell. There was absolutely no way his thoughts could reach anyone down here. So he just continued to sit there in the fetal position. He didn't know for how long, but for what felt like an eternity, he huddled there, pleading for deliverance that will never come.
It's been four days since Hajime's fall into the abyss. In that time he remained completely stationary, his only source of substance was the Divinity Stone. But while its healing properties were able to keep any person alive even through the severest conditions, it was not able to sate hunger. So while Hajime was able to keep himself from dying, he still felt both the continuous hunger pangs and the phantom pains of his amputated left arm. Not only that, he was suffering from lack of sleep due to the hunger and pain, and as he drank more Ambrosia, the pain became more vivid as his mind became clear. The constant cycle of fatigue bringing him to unconsciousness, hunger and pain bringing him back to consciousness, drinking more Ambrosia to cease the pain, only for it to bring him more pain continued for so long that Hajime lost count.
Why is this happening to me? That question ran through Hajime's head periodically. At some point, he stopped drinking the Ambrosia altogether.
"If all that awaits me in unending pain…then I may as well just…" He muttered to himself, completely defeated. He's chosen the quickest way for his pain to end. He then let his consciousness fade away.
Three days later, the pain receded for a while after reaching a certain threshold, but that was only the calm before the storm. Coming back in full force, his starvation, accompanied by agonizing hunger pangs wracked his stomach. His phantom pains were also tormenting him as well. The pain was equivalent to having his fingernails peeled off one by one and having salt poured into the open wounds.
Please…I want to die…let me live…just die already…I don't want to die. He simultaneously craved for death while begging to live. Hajime was losing any sense of rationality. His thoughts were contradiction themselves, his nonsensical mumblings being only delusions of his psyche being torn apart.
Another three days later, his body was starting to weaken. Without the Ambrosia's aid, he would die. But then, around the eighth day, his mindset started to shift. Between his constant pleads to stay alive and his desire for a swift death, his darkened subconscious thoughts began to twist his mind, oozing into his fractured heart caused by unceasing suffering and ate away at his soul.
Why am I suffering like this…? What could I have done to deserve this…? How did I end up this way…? …Oh. That's right. A God just abducted me and dumped me here... And then my classmates betrayed me… My best friend died right in front of me… And I was harassed by a rabbit… And then that bastard ate my arm… Like black ink spreading on white paper, his thoughts grew bleaker, sullying his pure heart. Someone was to blame. Someone caused him this suffering. Someone made him like this… As his mind searched for an antagonist to hate, as his hunger, his pain, and the darkness eroded his sanity, Hajime's thoughts grew even more dark.
By the ninth day, he was trying to find a way out.
Why isn't no one coming to save me? What should I do if no help will come for me? How do I make this pain end? All he could think about was how to escape his hell. His hatred and anger ceasing all the while. He couldn't dwell on such petty emotions because no matter how much he raged against his foes, his pain never went away. So in order to free himself from this unfair and senseless situation he's stuck in, he had to throw away these useless feelings.
Then came the tenth day…
All his rage, grief, and malice that was in his heart vanished. Everything that caused them ceased to matter; from the unfair god that put him into this world, the classmate that betrayed him, the only true friend he lost, the monsters that wanted to kill him. Even the one true happy memory…the smile of the girl that swore to protect him…became irrelevant.
Such minuscule feelings were no match against the desperate need to survive. Like the tip of a sword forged from hellfire, Hajime sharpened his will to a hardened point, until it was strong and sharp enough to cut through anything.
What is it that I want? I want to live. What's stopping me from living? The enemy. Who is the enemy? Everyone and everything that's in my way, anything that pushes thing this unreasonable fate onto me. So what should I do? I should… I should…
"Kill them." He voiced the desire of his will. There was no hatred. There was no hostility. There was no anger. It was just a simple fact. In order to live, he had to kill.
Anything that threated his life was an enemy. And all enemies were to be…
Killed. I have to kill them. Kill them. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. If I want to escape this unending hunger, I have to kill them…and eat them. That was the moment the old Hajime died. The quiet Hajime who waved off everything with an apology and a smile, the Hajime Kaori admire...was gone
The new Hajime, who was willing to mercilessly slaughter everything in stood in his way, was born.
His shattered soul was reformed, but it was not a mere makeshift soul that was hastily mended. This was a soul forged from the darkness and despair that came from hell. A soul tempered in pain and instinct. A soul that was harder than steel.
Dragging his weakened body to an Ambrosia filled cavity in the ground, Hajime lapped it up like a dog. While it did nothing to cure his pain and hunger, his body's vitality was restored.
As he crudely wiped his mouth, Hajime's eyes sparkled ferociously as a wicked grin spread on his face. He looked like a savage dog, a complete one-eighty from the Hajime that he was before.
As he got up and began transmuting the ground, he repeatedly only muttered three words:
"I'll kill them."
A pack of four Twin-Tailed Wolves skirted around from boulder to boulder, being wary of their surroundings, looking for a perfect hunting ground to ambush their prey. Since alone they were relatively the weakest monster in the part of the labyrinth that they dwelled in, they tend to hunt in groups of four to six. This pack was no exception.
They wandered the corridors for a short period until they found a good hunting spot, then each wolf hid behind a different boulder and waited for prey. One particular wolf his behind a small crack between its boulder and the wall, licking its salivated mouth as it imagined the flesh it will soon sink its teeth into. Then suddenly, that wolf felt a perplexing sense of unease.
A key component in the wolves' survival is a unique link each wolf has to one another. It's not as simple as telepathy, but they all had a keen sense into where each world was and what they were doing. That sense of unease that one wolf had originated from one of its three companions disappearing. That one was supposed to be lying in wait on the other end of the corridor, but now there was no trace of its presence.
Suspicious, the wolf rose on its upper legs slowly. Then out of nowhere, another one of its comrades, who was stationed on the same side of the wall as the one that disappeared suddenly howled. It was feeling impatience. It was caught in something and couldn't get out.
The two wolves on the other side of the corridor rose to aid its comrade, but as soon as they did, the struggling wolf's presence was gone as well.
The two wolves were confused, but they went over to the far side to check, but they found no sign of their comrade. Puzzled, they started sniffing the ground where their partner was before. All of a sudden, the ground started to cave in, and the walls jutted out to encase then into it. The wolves tried to avoid it, but the rocks underneath them solidified around their feet, keeping them bound. They could've easily broken out of these frail restraints, not letting themselves be confused by such a simplistic snare. But their opponent predicted both their confusion and hesitation, buying more than enough time for their captor to encase them into the wall, and them swallowing them whole.
"Graaaah?!" Those were the last words the wolves angrily howled, their screams echoing being the last trace of their defiance.
The culprit of their demised was none other than Hajime. Ever since he's resolved himself to fight back, completely ignoring his pain and hunger, he spent time ceaselessly training. He used the Ambrosia to keep himself alive and to restore his mana, enabling him to train twenty-four seven. He knew that going out in his current Level was suicide, so he made base where he found the Divinity Stone and began honing the speed, precision, and range of his only weapon: transmutation.
Ignoring the pain only made it worse as time passed, but that only spurred Hajime's determination and he continued to train his transmutation. The results were not only his rapidly evolving Skills, but now he's able to transmute from nine feet away. With that, he scooped up some Ambrosia and went out to find his first target. That's when he found the wolf pack. He tailed them all the way to their ambush point. Thought he was nearly spotted many times, he transmuted the wall around him to hide. Then when the four had split up to take positions, Hajime used his transmutation on the wall and trap one of the wolves into it.
"Oh? Still alive, are we? Can't be help since it's not possible to kill directly with transmutation. Maybe I can make some spikes come out of the earth, but they wouldn't have enough to force to impale monsters this deep in the labyrinth." Hajime's wolf-like grin was directed at the trapped wolves within the walls he was seeing through a small hole he made into the wall. They couldn't move an inch, and they were whimpering softly, panic in their eyes.
As for the reason why he couldn't impale them with spike made from the ground, he has tried that before with a different monster. But there wasn't enough power in it to pierce through even its hide. Of course, that was earth magic domain, not transmutation. Transmutation was of course only a skill capable of processing and producing minerals, so it's impossible for it to have any real power. And since Hajime's talent for earth magic was—in lack of a better word—undeveloped, trapping them was the best he could do with transmutation.
"I could just suffocate you in there…but that'd take too long. I'm not patient enough to wait. Time for a little digging!" Hajime's eyes were glinting like a predator, clearly a case of role reversal between him and the wolves. Hajime then put his hand on the boulder and transmuted it, cutting parts of it away little by little, focusing on the image in his head to make it as precise as possible. Eventually, he finished his weapon: a stone spiral tipped spear, with a handle in place of a grip. Pointing his spear down at the wolves, he thrust it down on the wolves, but the beast's tough fur and hard skin deflected the spear.
Why a spear and not a sword or knife? Because usually the stronger a monster is, the stronger their outer hide was. There are often species who are exempted from this rule, but Hajime knew that there are higher Level monsters that would be impervious to regular knives or swords.
Knowing that, he twisted the handle he made on the spear with his right hand and applied a continuous downward pressure, the spear rotating in tandem. He pushed his entire body weight into it as he turned. He had made a drill to pierce the monsters' thick hides. And sure enough, it was beginning to slowly penetrate into one of the wolf's skin.
"Graaaaa?!" The wolf howled in pain, struggling to break out of its stone tomb with no avail.
"Hurts doesn't it? Well too bad. After all, I want to eat and live as well. You'd do the same if it were the other way around, so consider us even." Hajime spoke to the wolf as he continued to slowly drill. At last, the drill pierce through its flesh and Hajime began scrambling its insides, without a shred of mercy in his eyes. After many seconds of howling in agony, the wolf spasmed and them grew still, finally dying.
"Great. With this, now I have foot." Hajime said, happily smiling as he repeated the process with the other three wolves. With all of them dead, Hajime then transmuted their corpses out of the wall. After clumsily peeling the wolves' fur off with his sole hand, he gave way to his hunger and began eating them.
It was a gruesome scene as he ravenously (pun intended) wolfed down every bit of the corpse he just killed, dimly illuminated by the green stones that made up his hell.
"Agh… Gah, this tastes like shit!" Hajime spat curses as he continued to eat. The wolf's flesh was tough and sinewy, and he choked on the fresh blood. The meat smelled raw and tasted horrible, bringing tears to Hajime's eyes. His stomach protested at the sudden combination and tried to resist indigestion, but Hajime didn't give a damn what his stomach thought. He spent two weeks without tasing food, continuously suffering from the pain of hunger. So he happily continued to chew and swallow every bit of the meat, entirely focused on his meal. He was like a feral monster. Any human that witnessed this would be understandably repulsed.
Hours passed as he continuously ate, Hajime felt the food relieved his hunger, the agonizing pain he went through all but forgotten. To Hajime, eating this meat was filling him with such euphoria, something he never thought possible before. He used the Ambrosia to wash down his barbaric meal, most likely causing any priest to faint if they found out the most sacrosanct of drinks was being used in such a manner.
But then, around the time his hunger was starting to become sated, Hajime started to feel that something was wrong with his body.
"Ah? Gah?! Agaaaaah!" All of a sudden, Hajime screamed in agony as he writhed on the ground. Scorching pain shot through him, as if something were eating him from the inside out. This unbearable pain was a whole different Level to the hunger pangs he had. And it was getting worse by the second.
"Guaaaaaaah!" Wh-what's—gaaaah!" Hajime's trembling hand reached for his pocket and pulled out a stone vial containing Ambrosia he accumulated into it. He hastily yanked the cap off and drank it down. While the Ambrosia did its job and receded the pain, it was only temporary, as the pain came back just as excruciating as it was before.
"Gyaaaaaaaugh!" Why…won't it heal… Gaaaaah!" As if the pain wasn't bad enough, he started to feel his body throb. Pulsating like some kind of large single celled organism. Hajime swore he could also hear his body creaking too. An instant later however, the Ambrosia once again repaired his body, and then the pain came back. Then, he was healed again. It was an endless cycle of his body reconstructing itself and deconstructing itself. And thanks to the former, he couldn't even faint for the pain. It's healing properties backfired on him.
Hajime's incoherent screams echoed around his man-made sanctuary He slammed his head against the wall, but there was no sign of the pain receding. And with no one there to put him out of his misery, he was left there begging for it to end.
Eventually, his body underwent a change.
His distinctive Japanese black hair started to slowly turn bleach white, unsure of whether it was from the sheer pain or something else entirely. His bones and muscles started to slightly grow, making them more defined and toned. And while he didn't see it at the time, red vein ran down the inside of Hajime's body.
What was happening to him was a phenomenon called overcompensation, which happens due the muscles in the body tearing from intense exercise. The body then regrows the muscle fibers, making them stronger to offset the strength gained. That's what was happening to Hajime, and the cause was from him eating the monster meat.
The mana crystals distilled into a monster's blood affect every part of their body; their bones, organs, and muscles become infused with mana. Because of their specialized organs, they're able to directly interface with magic. Not only does it give them enhanced physical strength, but it also allows them to use magic without a magic circle or an incantation like regular people need. No one knew how this was possible, but what they do know is that the mana infused into their skin made their meat poisonous to any species other than monsters. Hajime has read in a book that in the past, people tried to eat monster meat. Every one of them, without fail, had their insides eaten out and their very cells destroyed. Despite learning this, his extreme hunger made him forget.
Hajime's death would've been excruciating, yet quick, if he had just eaten the wolf's flesh. But the Ambrosia kept healing his body each time it was torn apart. Hajime's body was overcompensating in a rapid and abnormal rate, forcibly evolving his body with each cycle.
Broken-down, then repaired. Broken-down, then repaired. Over and over again Hajime's body changed, turning his frail body into something stronger. It was like Hajime was being reincarnated, a ritual of rebirth as his screams were akin to a newborn's cries.
Finally, the pain went away, and Hajime slumped to the ground. A few minutes later, his hand started to twitch. His eyes slowly opened, and he groggily looked down at his hand. He then clenched it into a fist, clawing into the ground, and unclenched it several times, confirming that he was still alive, and his body was still functioning. He then managed to lift himself up to a sitting position, completely exhausted.
"Now that I think about it, monster meat is supposed to be poisonous to regular people… Can't believe I did something so supremely idiotic… Well, I would've died if I eat something sooner, so…" Hajime smiled disapprovingly at himself.
It might've almost killed him, and he went through ceaseless pain to achieve it, but he finally rid himself of his hunger and his phantom pain of his left arm was gone too. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, he wasn't shacked by pain. Matter of fact, despite how mentally drained he was from the near-endless cycle of pain, he's never felt better. His body felt lighter and there was an overabundance of power flowing inside him. He looked at his arms and stomach, and he saw that he has grown very prominent muscles. Not only that, he also grew taller. He was previously a mere five feet and four inches tall, but now he grew a full three inches.
"What happened to my body? I feel different somehow…"
And it wasn't just the outside. Inside his body was an indescribable mixture of warmth and cold. But the strangest thing was when Hajime focused on his arm, he could make out veins of dark red mana flowing through it.
"Whoaaa, th-that's so gross! Did I turn into some kind of monster? If I did… that would make for a terrible joke. If only where were some way to see what happened to me… Oh right, I forgot. My Status Plate." Hajime fished around in his pockets for the status plate he completely forgot. Eventually, he found it and pulled it out of his pocket.
"Can't believe I didn't lose this yet. Let's see if this will shed some light of what on earth happened to me." After activating it, he looked at his Stats—
HAJIME NAGUMO
Age: 17
Male
Job: Synergist
Level: 8
Strength: 100
Vitality: 300
Defense: 100
Agility: 200
Magic: 300
M. Defense: 300
Skills: Transmute • Mana Manipulation • Iron Stomach • Lightning Field • Language Comprehension
"What in tarnation?" Hajime exclaimed, a little of his old self slipping through his odd accent at the shock. And with good reason, as not only Hajime's Stats have increased astronomically, but he now has three new Skills. Though he only managed to rise up to Level eight, it was still astounding. Since Levels represent a person's total potential they have reached, that would mean that Hajime's growth rates are increasing as well. There was one skill in particular that caught Hajime's eye:
"Mana Manipulation? If that means what I think it means…" Hajime guessed that it meant that he now has the power to directly control mana.
So that weird sensation I've been feeling is mana? Hajime thought back to the hot and cold sensation he's been feeling. Testing his guess, He began to activate his Mana Manipulation skill. He focused on his arm and brought back the dark red veins on his skin. He then imagined the sensation, or rather his mana, running to his hand at once. As he did, the mana began flowing slowly to his hand.
"Oh? Oooooooh!" He unconsciously cried out at the inexplicable sensation of mana moving throughout his body. Suddenly, the mana he transferred to his hand poured into the magic circle inscribed in his glove. Surprised, Hajime then attempted to Transmute something. Once he did, the ground rose up. All of this happened without him saying a word.
"No way. I didn't even say an incantation. I thought only monsters could directly control mana. Does this mean…I absorbed a monster's abilities after eating it?" To test another theory, he looked at the other ability he gained from the Twin-Tailed Wolves: Lightning Field.
"Umm… How do I use this? Judging by its name, it must have something to do with electricity. So I have the same skill as that wolf? I can gather electricity like it did with its tail?" Assuming this, he tried various things to activate the wolf's skill. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to do anything. It wasn't like Mana Manipulation, where he could physically feel the skill inside of him. So he had trouble figuring out how to activate it. Then he remembered that every time he used transmutation, he needed a mental image of the result he was trying to produce. The less one relied on the defining characteristics inscribed in a magic circle for a spell, the clearer the mental image is needed to be to guide its creation. Knowing that, Hajime formed an image of what he imagined a Lightning Field to be: crackling branches of static electricity. Suddenly, red lightning started trailing down from his fingertips.
"Woah! I did it! So in order for me to use magic from monsters, I need a clear mental image of its properties. And now that I got a good look… my mana's the same color as these monsters. Freaky."
Hajime practiced making electrical discharges repeatedly. Through that, he learned that he couldn't hurl the electricity like the wolves, speculating that he could coat his body in electricity and transfer it via direct contact, hench the term "Lightning Field." So he focused on adjusting both the current flow and the voltage production of the electricity.
He then tested his other skill, Iron Stomach. Assuming that it does what the name implies, he took another strip of the wolf meat and seared it with his Lightning Field.
"Since I'm no longer mad with hunger, there's no need to eat this raw." Hajime ignored the overpowering odor of the burning wolf flesh as he cooked it. then, bracing himself, he took a bite.
A few seconds passed…a minute…ten minutes…so far, nothing has happened. Hajime then cooked more meat and ate it. Once again, there was no pain. Hajime's guess was right. As much as he didn't want to suffer that hellish pain from eating monster meat ever again, there wasn't any other source of food in the labyrinth. So either Hajime had to suffer starvation again or endure agonizing pain. Luckily, his skill Iron Stomach saved him from having to make that choice. Though Hajime didn't know whether it was his skill or because his body has become acclimated to eating monster flesh, he also didn't care much. He was just glad that he could eat again without suffering each time.
After he's had his fill, Hajime got his stone spear and went back to where he left the other wolf corpses. He then skinned the wolves, noting how easier it was to do it than before, and then cut their meat into strips. He piled as much meat as he could into a larger stone container than his other ones and carefully took the meat back to his base.
Once safe and secure with a supply of foodstuff, Hajime then spent the next few days training his Skills. As he is, he might be able to take on the Claw Bear, but he decided to play it safe and hone his new Skills.
A few days later, Hajime's skill grew at a rapid pace. Especially his transmutation skill, which has evolved to the point that derivative Skills started to show up. One of them was called "Ore Appraisal." It was a high-level derivative skill that was impossible for even noble blacksmiths to innately possess, requiring arduous transmutation training for one to gain it.
"…Saito had Circle Appraisal …Goes to show how amazing he was…" As Hajime thought joylessly about how talented his late friend was, he made sure to appraise every ore and mineral he could get his hands on. When he appraised the Green Glowstones, the following appeared on his status plate:
v GREEN GLOWSTONE
This ore can absorb mana. When it is saturated with mana, it emits a faint green light. When a saturated glowstone is broken, the light stored within it will explode all at once in a luminous flash.
Despite how straightforward it was, it was still very useful information for Hajime. He grinned wickedly as he got an idea to utilize this stone. As he wandered around the labyrinth, he found this mineral:
v BLASTROCK
A combustible ore. Exposed to fire, it will burn like oil and slowly decrease in volume until it finally burns to cinders. Burning large quantities of Blastrock in an enclosed space will cause a violent explosion. Depending on the quantity and pressure, it's possible to create flames equal in power to those created by fire magic.
So this is just like gunpowder back on Earth. And with my Transmutation, I can make a weapon out of this! It's going to take a lot of trial and error to make this, but I know just the weapon to make with this! The gears in Hajime's head started turning as he read the description and excitedly stared at the stone. He started to think of the weapon that will soon become his ace in the hole. But he needed to find more material to make it. Luckily, he also found this:
v TAUR STONE
A black, durable rock. On the Mohs scale, which ranks up to ten, it ranks 8 for hardness. It can withstand heat and direct impacts but is weak against cold. Cooling this stone makes it brittle and fragile, however reheating it will restore its hardness.
Now he has everything thing he needs to finally make a weapon out of his life saving transmutation ability. He then began fervently working on his project, so focused on it that he didn't eat or sleep for days. Thousands of failed attempted later, Hajime finally completed it: A revolver.
Hajime used the knowledge he remembered from his home world and crafted a modern day gun. Modern for Hajime and his fellow summoned classmates but can be considered an advanced weapon for the people of the fantasy world Tortus. It's appearance and function were similar to any other regular gun. It was a foot and an inch long, made of the hard and dense Taur Stone Hajime found. It had six chambers and a rectangular barrel. Its bullets were also made of Taur Stone and were each packed with powered Blastrock, capable of shooting faster than the speed of sound. But what made this weapon different from regular revolvers was that it wasn't just Blastrock combustion that propelled the bullets. It also functions like a railgun, using special conductors he built into the gun to absorb and direct electrical energy generated by his Lightning Field to accelerate his shots, making them more powerful than an anti-tank rifle. Hajime decided to name it Donner. Since it was going to be his partner from this day forward, he might as well give it a name.
"With this, both these monster…and the exit…are in my sights!" Hajime stared proudly at the newly christened Donner, the weapon he made using the sole skill his Synergist class, the most commonplace class that's only good for making swords and armor, has in its arsenal: Transmute.
"Munch… Munch… Man, even rabbit meat tastes like crap. It's no different from the wolves. Well, I guess everything down here will taste like crap." The rabbit meat Hajime was referring to was of course a Kickmaster Rabbit. The same species of rabbit that one once looked down on Hajime. But now, the Kickmaster Rabbit was Hajime's prey. He managed to kill this monster by luring it into a trap. By drawing water from the river he first woke up in and goading the rabbit to it, he used his Lightning field in combination with the wet surface to hit the rabbit with a powerful electric shock. The attack was so powerful that it caused smoke to rise from its body, and as Hajime planned, it slowed its movements. With that, he finished it off with Donner.
That gun was more powerful that Hajime imagined. The moment he pulled the trigger, the electrically charged bullet sped one mile per second and punched through the rabbit's head, obliterating it completely. He then proceeded to delightfully eat it's remains, despite how disgusting it tasted. It was thanks to his Iron Stomach skill that he able to eat this meat without his body being torn to shreds whenever he felt hungry. And that happened both frequently and quickly each time he used the magic he acquired from monsters. Thus, he ate all the rabbit to replenish his energy.
He had to be careful and learn to manage how much magic he used. If he overuses it, his hunger pangs flare back up. He won't die from them, thanks to the Ambrosia, but he'd rather not go through that again.
"Now then, let's see how my Stats changed from eating monster rabbit meat…" He them activated his plate to see what he's gained from eating that gross meat. These were the results:
HAJIME NAGUMO
Age: 17
Male
Job: Synergist
Level: 12
Strength: 200
Vitality: 300
Defense: 200
Agility: 400
Magic: 350
M. Defense: 350
Skills: Transmute [+Ore Appraisal] [+Precision Transmutation] [+Ore Perception] • Mana Manipulation • Iron Stomach • Lightning Field • Air Dance [+Aerodynamic] [+Supersonic Step] • Language Comprehension
Once again, Hajime's Stats increased, and he's gained new skills. Though he hasn't gained anymore strength from eating more Twin-Tailed Wolves, his Stats increased anytime he ate a new monster.
Guess I'll test out this "Air Dance" skill. Hajime recalled the way that rabbit moved, specifically how it was able to move so fast he could only make out a blur. He hypothesized that it was the Supersonic Step skill.
Now that I think about it, it was sort of like those fast movement stuff you see in anime. As Hajime visualized his legs moving with explosive power, mana began gathering in his legs. He then dashed forward, the ground beneath his feet exploding with a shower of rubble. He moved so fast that…he couldn't stop himself in time as he ran face first into a wall.
"Owww! C-controlling my acceleration is harder than I thought! But with a little more training, I'll move just like the rabbits." Despite that slight hiccup, his experiment worked. He imagined if he utilized it with his revolver, those skills would be game changers.
Next, he tested out Aerodynamics. That one he struggled with at first, as he was unable to activate it and he couldn't figure out how it worked from the name alone. After testing out various different things, Hajime remembered how the rabbit sometimes looked as if it was standing in midair when it was attacking. Using that as a reference, he quickly imagined a sort of invisible shield made of air supporting his foot. Then he jumped forward…only to find end up face-planting brilliantly onto the ground.
"Gwahh?!" He yelled in pain as he cradled his face in his hands as he rolled around on the ground. When the throbbing subsided, he sullenly drank a bit of Ambrosia to heal his bruised face. The reason for his blunder was because he didn't form a proper footing when he jumped forward, causing him to comically fall in midair. Aerodynamics was apparently a skill that allowed him to create footholds in midair.
"Well…at least I know how it works…" Hajime decided to move pass his embarrassing slip-up and marveled at how he got multiple skills from the rabbit, even though two are simply derivatives branching from Air Dance.
He wanted to get started on training these skills as soon as possible, until they made him strong enough to take on not just that Claw Bear that stole his arm, but any other of its kind. He figured he could just take it out with Donner at long-range, seeing that it would be easiest, but he didn't want to risk it. He didn't know what that bear was fully capable of, and there was also the chance of stronger monsters popping up. Having optimism in the labyrinth is a death sentence.
"Once I kill it, then I'll finding a way out of here." Hajime amplified his resolve and began training even harder than before.
Faster than the eyes could register, appearing as nothing more than a blur, a figure sped down the labyrinth's corridors. It rebounded off the walls and leapt in midair, bouncing on air like it was a trampoline. That figure was none other than Hajime, who managed to completely master Air Dance. Using Supersonic Step to dash off the walls and Aerodynamics to create mid-air footholds, he traveled through the corridors seeking out his arch enemy: The Claw Bear.
Frankly, finding an exit should have taken priority over vengeance, but Hajime was consumed with the desire to kill the bear. He felt that it was the only way that he could achieve catharsis, proving himself stronger than the monster that crushed his spirit. As he dashed along the cave, monsters appeared. Specifically, a pack of Twin-Tailed Wolves.
"Graaaah!" One of them roared and leaped towards Hajime, bur the latter wasn't at all shaken. He calmy sprang into the air seconds before it chomped into him, did a mid-air somersault, unholstered Donner from the transmuted threads attached to his right leg, and then…
Bang! Hajime fired at the wolf, his head blown to bits by his Lightning Field accelerated bullet as the sound of combusting Blastrock ringed through the cavern. Then, he used Aerodynamics to double-jump into the air, before taking aim and firing a volley of bullets into the rest of the pack. They didn't all made contact, but the ones that did were enough to decimate the remaining Twin-Tailed Wolves. Holding Donner in the crook of his left armpit, Hajime promptly reloaded his gun. He then dashed off once more, not even glancing back at the wolves' remains.
Killing numerous Twin-Tailed Wolves and Kickmaster Rabbits that came his way, Hajime spent a vast amount of time zipping through the corridors until finally he found the Claw Bear, munching on the remains of what appeared to be a Kickmaster Rabbit. Hajime grinned victoriously as he found his prey.
While he was coming through this labyrinth's floor, he discovered that while there were throngs of other Twin-Tailed Wolves and Kickmaster Rabbits, he didn't see any other Claw Bears around. Plus, Hajime didn't see anything else that looked as strong or is stronger than the Claw Bear that he faced. Meaning not only was the beast the strongest monster on this floor, but it was the only one of its kind.
The other monsters took great strides to keep out of its way, running for their lives at the mere sight of it. No creature dared opposed the Claw Bear, it being completely unfathomable for anyone to approach it of their own free will. However, there was one individual who was ludicrous enough to do that very thing, and the Claw Bear had just noticed him walking up to it.
"Sup, bear? It's been a while. Was my arm tasty?"
The Claw Bear curiously narrowed its angry eyes, as if it were asking, "What is this creature? Why doesn't it run? Why is it not trembling? Why does its eyes not fill with despair?" The bear's mystification was justified, as it has never seen anything look at it with such ferocity.
"I'm here for my revenge match, but first let's make you see me. Not as your prey…but your enemy." Saying that, Hajime pulled out Donner and pointed it at the Claw Bear. As he took aim, he asked himself one question:
Am I scared? Hajime wasn't shaking in fear. Despair wasn't gripping his heart. There were only two emotions dwelling within him: The intense will to survive, and the burning desire to kill his enemies. So, with his lips curling upward into a savage grin, Hajime gave his definitive answer:
"No. Get ready you bastard. I'm going to kill you and devour every last bit of you." He then pulled Donner's trigger, and with a reverberating bang, the bullet of hardened Taur Stone sped towards the Claw Bear at one mile per second.
"Gaaaooo?!" It instantly dropped to the ground with a startled roar, missing Hajime's shot by a hair's breadth. Even though it was impossible for the Claw Bear to see the bullet Hajime fired, the bloodlust emanating from him caused the bear to instinctively dodge, moving even before Hajime pulled the trigger with a speed unfitting of its six-foot long frame. It's status as the floor's strongest monster wasn't just for show. However, even though it avoided a fatal shot, the bullet grazed the Claw Bear's shoulder, gouging out a big piece of it and staining the white fur around it with blood. Seeing the wound he gave it, the Claw Bear glared furiously at Hajime. If it didn't see him as an enemy before, it did now.
"Graaaoooooo!" With a rageful roar, the Claw Bear charged at Hajime. For normal people, the sight of its trunk-sized legs making a thunderous sound as it hammered down the corridor would've filled them with pure terror. But Hajime was no longer normal. His smiled never waved once.
"Hahaha! That's right! I'm your enemy now! Can't see me as some meal anymore, can you?!" Hajime continued to taunt at it even as it closed in on him. Because for him, this was the moment of truth. A crucial rite of passage he needed to overcome. If he could conquer the monster that robbed him of his arm, that crushed his soul, and driven him to his transformation, he could finally start to move forward. He knew deep down, failure was not an option. Somehow, he knew if he failed here, he'll never recover. He couldn't explain how or why, but he just knew. So that only meant one thing:
"I won't lose to you again!" Declaring that with all the fearlessness in him, he took aim at the Claw Bear's forehead and fired Donner. Seemly impossible for its size, the Claw Bear rolled to the side as it was charging. It got in range of Hajime and swiped at him with one of its enormous claws. Hajime noticed that the edge of each claw looked slightly warped. Hajime recalled how despite the first rabbit he met down here managed to dodge the bear's claws, it still ended up cut in half.
Is that related to its special magic? Figuring that, he leaped back with everything he had. A second later, the bear's claw swiped at where Hajime previously stood, shadowed by a fierce gust.
"Hah!" He gasped in pain, then looked down and saw shallow cuts that ran down his chest. Hajime's reaction time couldn't keep up with the rabid increase in his physical abilities, making him unable to completely dodge the attack.
Seeing that its prey/enemy is still alive, the bear angrily roared and slashed down again at Hajime, the attack as fast as the blink of an eyes. Seeing a second set of wind blades coming towards him, Hajime instinctively used Aerodynamics to escape into the air.
"Damn, your fast!" Hajime cursed without realizing it as he fired a third shot. However, the moment the bear saw the red flash from Donner, it instantaneously changed directions, flipping the laws of inertia on its head. It must've used its own claws to pivot off to the side like a fulcrum, as Hajime noticed when he saw there were deep furrows in the ground the same shape as the bear's claws. This beast was far more agile and intelligent than any regular one.
"Gaaaaaaoo!" The Claw Bear roared again, then swung its foreclaws in a cross at the still mid-air Hajime. Hearing warning bells goes off in his head, Hajime spared no time to think why as he used both Supersonic Step and Aerodynamics in tandem to dash away from that spot. He felt a gust of wind brush past his thigh. A second after that, the wall behind him suddenly had a crosshatched lattice of furrows gouged into it. It seems that the Claw Bear was able to throw its wind claws too. Hajime fell off-balanced and collapsed to the ground. He corrected himself immediately but staggered as he felt the pain from his thigh.
"Guh. Damn bastard. Your full of surprises, aren't you?" Hajime groaned as he got back up. He didn't know whether it was from the Claw Bear's attack that nicked him or from his impromptu landing, but he didn't have time to dwell on it, let alone nurse the wound, cause the bear already started to close in on him and was about to set off a barrage of wind blades. With his face twisted into a pained scowl, he pulled the trigger on Donner once more, firing twice on quick succession. This time, the Claw Bear wasn't able to dodge two bullets despite its inhuman agility, so the bullets managed to hit its temple and its flank. It still managed to avoid fatal hits, but it's charge was blown so off track that it stopped it's attack.
However, even though it deviated from its path a little and was no longer in Hajime's trajectory, it still charged at Hajime like a launched cannonball. And Hajime couldn't dodge due to his wounded leg, so he had no choice but to brace himself for the impact. The Claw Bear hurtled into him like a speeding truck, the force blasting him backwards as the air in his lungs was forced out of his lungs.
"Gahah?!" Hajime gasped in pain for a short second before snarling viciously. To someone else, his odds of winning this fight were slim. There was only one bullet left in Donner's chamber. His other five shots missed their mark and there wasn't enough time for him to reload during a fight. Even though his Stats were supremely higher than they were before, it wasn't enough to fight the Claw Bear head on without the tremendous firepower of his revolver. But even though every shot he missed brought him an inch closer to the grave, even though he was fighting a monster feared by every other monster on this floor. Hajime still grinned. Why? Because the moment he slammed into the ground, his victory was assured, evidenced by his next move.
He flung Donner into the air and then pulled something out of his pocket. He then threw it at the injured Claw Bear.
"You'd better watch yourself if you don't want to end up a corpse. I'm pretty proud of how this turned out." There was no way that the bear could understand what Hajime was saying, even if he didn't mumble his word, but it impulsively looked down at the object he threw as it rolled on the ground. It was a small emerald sphere nearly two inches in diameter. Three seconds after the bear turned its gazed to the enigma, it suddenly exploded with a blast of pure light. The Claw Bear was blinded, roaring in pain as it swung it's paws in a panic in every direction.
What Hajime threw at the bear was his makeshift flash grenade, made out of Green Glowstone. To construct it, he first took a piece of the stone and filled it to the brim with mana. Next, he applied a thin coating of liquified Taur Stone he transmuted to keep the light from leaking. Then, he packed the center of the stone with a small quantity of powdered Blastrock, along with a fuse that led all the way from the coated surface to the center of the rock. Finally, he used Lightning Field to light the fuse, causing the Blastrock to slowly burn all the way to the center, igniting the packed center and causing it to explode violently, thus shattering the Green Glowstone inside and unleashing the light stored within in a brilliant emerald colored flash. It took a vast amount of effort to make this modern day Earth weaponry, but Hajime was greatly pleased with the end result.
Hajime took full advantage of the bear's blinded and panic-induced state and scooped up Donner, took aim, and fired. The electrically accelerated bullet hit the Claw Bear directly at its shoulders, the sheer force ribbing the bear's left arm clean off, causing it to spin in the air a few seconds before losing its inertia, then it flopped back down to the ground with a wet thud.
"Graaaaaaoooooo!" The Claw Bear roared loud enough to split eardrums, clearly unfamiliar with the agonizing pain of having its arm torn off its body. Gouts of blood poured from the empty stump.
"Huh. What an ironic twist of fate." Frankly, Hajime hadn't tried to aim for the bear's arm. He was still only a novice shot. After practice shooting Twin-Tailed Wolves and the like, he was able to hit a target that's charging straight at him. An enemy that was flailing around is quite difficult to hit with pinpoint accuracy. It was a pure coincidence that Hajime took out the bear's left arm, the same way it took his.
Hajime pushed Donner up against his body with his stump and reloaded, not once taking his eyes off the flailing bear. Once he was finished, he fired at it once more. Despite being blinded and in pain, the Claw Bear managed to leap to the side, avoiding the incoming bullets. Its seemed that its beastlike sixth sense detected Hajime's bloodlust, giving it enough forewarning enabling it to avoid the railgun-accelerated gunfire. Realizing that, Hajime narrowed his eyes and used Supersonic Step to dash past the bear and to where it's severed arm laid.
The Claw Bear regained its sight and turned around to face Hajime, its red eyes brimming with hate. It watched as Hajime picked up its arm. And with the strengthen jaw he has from eating monster meat for so long, he bit down into the arm. His teeth torn through the tough skin and sinew like it was a chicken leg. It was perfect reenactment of when the bear ate Hajime's arm in front of him, but now the tables have turned.
"Hamf…mmf… I've eaten monster meat so many times and it still taste like crap… Though now for some reason, this is slightly better than the others." As Hajime taunted the Claw Bear, the bear cautiously watched him. For the first time in the bear's life, it was afraid. Fear shined in its eyes like searchlight. The combination of shock from watching its own flesh being eaten by Hajime, and the lingering aftereffects of being blinding by the flash grenade made it unable to move.
Hajime was grateful for the breathing room and continued to chew on the arm of his enemy. But then, he suddenly felt sharp pains pulsating through his body. Hajime realized that it was just like when he first ate monster meat and absorbed its powers, only this pain wasn't as bad as before.
"Wha—?!" He quickly pulled out a vial of Ambrosia and gulped it down. Even though the pain started to diminish, the pain was strong enough to cause Hajime to nearly collapse. He managed to only full on one knee, but he was unable to keep himself upright. The Claw Bear was clearly in a different league compared to the Kickmaster Rabbits and Twin-Tailed Wolves if it brought back that old pain.
The Claw Bear wasn't going to let this chance slip by. Roaring in defiance, it charged straight towards the still motionless Hajime. Even though this was about to end up like his first encounter with the bear, Hajime simply smirked. Cause he had an epiphany that's going to win him this battle.
Putting his hand on the ground, he activated Lightning Field. The electricity emitted from the Skill trained down from Hajime's hand to a strange yellow liquid that coated a large part of the floor. The electricity spread out along where the blood reached until it arrived right at where the bear stood. The moment the bear's feet touched the liquid, it was violently electrocuted, its skin burning and its nerves frying at the same time. It roared in agony as its body fried to a near crisp.
"Graooooo!" A few seconds after Hajime ceased his Lighting Field, the bear let out a low growl as it collapsed to its knees. All of this went almost exactly according to Hajime's plan. The yellow liquid on the ground was actually the bear's blood from his dismembered arm. When Hajime picked it up, he waved it around, spreading the blood as far as he could reach, and also created a small puddle where he stood. Even eating the arm was a part of his plan. He wasn't so arrogant that he'd recklessly eat while in the middle of a battle. He was goading the bear into charging at him. Once the bear stepped on the blood, Hajime used the full power of his Lightning Field to electrically charge the highly conductive substance. Though Hajime's Lightning Field wasn't nearly as strong as the Twin-Tailed Wolves, evident by his inability to throw lightning bolts like they could and even at its full power it was only a fraction of what the wolves could use, it was still enough to paralyze the bear for a moment. The only thing Hajime didn't plan for was the sudden pain from eating the arm. It nearly compromised the plan, but it ended up working out in the end.
Even as it was down on all fours—or in this case, all threes—and was shivering after being electrocuted, the Claw Bear still murderously glared at Hajime. Glaring right back at it, Hajime painfully got back on his feet and slowly walked towards the bear. He pulled out Donner and when he was face to face with the bear, he placed the muzzled directly on the bear's forehead.
"You're my prey now." Hajime coldly said to the bear, neither one breaking their menacing gaze the entire time. Finally, Hajime pulled the trigger for the last time. The gunshot echoed throughout the empty corridor as the bear's head was pulverized by the Taur Stone bullet.
Hajime expected an intense feeling of joy as he finished off the bear partially responsible for his suffering, but it never came. Though there wasn't a sense of emptiness either. The best way he could describe it was a sense of fulfillment. He simply did what he had to do to earn the right to survive. It was simply necessary. Hajime closed his eyes and organized his mindset. After a few minutes of deliberation, he decided to continue down this path. He didn't enjoy fighting. He just wanted to avoid pain. He wanted to be able to eat. All he wants…is to live. Overthrowing this unjust fate he was giving, killing everything that threatened his survival, they were all necessary steps he needed to survive. He vowed to himself that no matter what, he was going to survive. That he was…going to go back home.
"That's right… All I want…is to go home. That's all that matters to me. No matter what happens, no matter what I have to do, I will achieve my wish. And whoever stands in the way of my, regardless of who they are…" Hajime then opened his eyes brimming with resolve and smiled viciously.
"Will die by my hand."
HAJIME NAGUMO
Age: 17
Male
Job: Synergist
Level: 12
Strength: 200
Vitality: 300
Defense: 200
Agility: 400
Magic: 350
M. Defense: 350
Skills: Transmute [+Ore Appraisal] [+Precision Transmutation] [+Ore Perception] [+Ore Desynthesis] [+Ore Synthesis] • Mana Manipulation • Iron Stomach • Lightning Field • Air Dance [+Aerodynamic] [+Supersonic Step] • Gale Claw • Language Comprehension
Let's turn the clock back a few weeks. Shizuku Yaegashi was currently resting in one of the Heiligh Palace's private room the summoned heroes were given, watching over mournfully at her still-asleep friend. It had been five days since their life and death experience in the labyrinth. They had rested in Horaud's inn for one night before riding back in an express carriage back to the palace. None of the students were in no condition to continue on with their practical training course. Furthermore, even though they were treated like a useless sycophant and a meritless crook, two members of the hero's party died, and that fact had to be to the king and the Holy Church.
And though they knew they were being cruel, the knights had to restore the mental stability of the students as to preserve their fighting spirits before their psyches shattered completely. As Shizuku recalled the events that happened after Hajime and Saito's deaths, there was one part of her that hoped her friend would wake up quickly, and another that hoped that would just sleep forever.
Every single person who heard the report of Hajime and Saito's death were at first shocked that two members of the hero's party had died. Then when they heard that it was the "worthless" Hajime and the "criminal" Saito, they were relieved. Even the king and Ishtar reacted similarly. Their justification being that one of the nation's most powerful heroes couldn't be allowed to die in a dungeon. Two people who couldn't survive a dungeon excursion wouldn't stand a chance against the demon and would only serve to spread further unease among the people. Ehit's messengers, the heroes brough forth from another world, had to be invincible.
At least the King and Ishtar were somewhat respectful. As for some of the palace nobles, they belittled and insulted Hajime and Saito behind their backs. Of course, they never said anything publicly to avoid incrimination, but when talking privately among fellow nobles, many of then whispered their disdain for them. They all abased them with statement like, "Thank god it was the worthless one that died," and "I'm glad it was that disgusting criminal that got weeded out from God's messengers." Shizuku trembled with rage when she heard those nobles say those horrible things, and she nearly come to blows with those nobles multiple times. Yukiko herself nearly picked a fight with those nobles multiple times. Shizuku managed to hold her back, even though she herself wanted so bad to clobber them. Of course, Kouki beaten them both to the punch. And because of Kouki's heated outburst, the king and the Holy Church seemingly decided that it would be hazardous to let anymore negative opinions of Hajime and Saito spread. Therefore, they quietly dealt with anyone who disparaged him. However, all that did was increase Kouki's popularity, saying how Kouki's anger was proof that he cared deeply for even the weaking and deplorable of his party, and the opinion that Hajime and Saito were nothing but burdens to such a noble hero remained cemented in the people's mind. Even though the only reason any of them were alive was because Hajime and Saito held off the Behemoth when even the great and powerful hero Kouki couldn't scratch it. Even though the only reason they were both dead was thanks to the rouge fireball that hit them fired by one of their idiotic classmates.
However, it became an unspoken rule not to talk about the rouge fireball. Everyone was positive that they had perfect control over their magic, but it was a huge torrent of spells, so anyone's spell could have hit them. So no one wanted to consider the idea that their own misaimed fireball was responsible for Hajime and Saito's demise. Cause that would mean that they became a murderer.
As a result, they closed their eyes to reality and chose to pretend that it was some mistake on Hajime and Saito's part that led to their deaths. It was far easier to pretend that they both died due to their own mistakes. That way, no one had to worry about who killed Hajime. After all, dead men tell no tales. Without any collusion on their part, the students all came to that conclusion and the topic was no longer discussed.
But Captain Meld wasn't convinced. He didn't believe that the truth was as innocent as a stray fireball. And even if it were, all the more reason to discover who fired it so that the student could get proper counseling for their accidental role in killing Hajime and Saito. So he thought it'd be necessary to interrogate the students to find out the truth behind their death.
Captain Meld reasoned to himself that longer the matter went unsettled, the more problems it would cause down the line. But truthfully, he just wanted to know. He had promised the two he'd save then after they had all fled to safety, but now his words were as hollow as he felt. However, Ishtar forbad him from questioning the students. Captain Meld protested the ban strongly, but when even the king prohibited him from meeting with them, he had no choice but to comply and abandon his plan.
"You'd be furious if you knew…wouldn't you?" Shizuku whispered quietly, then she took Kaori's hand. Shizuku felt someone watching them and tuned to the front door. In front of it was her friend, Yukiko.
"Oh. Hi Yukiko." Shizuku greeted Yukiko with a sullen tone. Seeing that as permission to come in, Yukiko walked towards the bed and took a look at Kaori. Yukiko laid her own hand on Kaori's free one and held it.
"How is she?" Yukiko simply asked.
"According to the doctor, there's another wrong with her physically. Apparently, she just fell into a self-imposed slumber to protect herself from the shock. He said that she'll wake up by herself eventually."
"That's good."
"Sakura's the same way too, right?"
"…Yeah."
"I see." A few minutes of silence stretched between the two. There were a few questions that Shizuku wanted to ask, but she thought better of it. After what felt like an eternity, Yukiko broke the silence.
"If you want to ask, go ahead." Shizuku was taken aback at what Yukiko said for a brief moment. It was like she read her mind. But seeing that she was given the go ahead, Shizuku asked her question.
"It's frustrating, isn't it? Not knowing when our best friends are going to wake up. How helpless we were against that Behemoth. Seeing two of our classmates die, who happen to be the people our friends care so much about, not knowing how they're going to take the news."
"…Yeah. It is." Shizuku looked at Yukiko and saw that her face looked troubled.
"Are you okay? You know that you can be honest with your feelings with me, right?" It may be a simple request, but for as long as Shizuku's known Yukiko, she was never open with her feelings. Any questions that involved being honest wit her feeling she tended to avoid or reflect. Sometimes she understood when went on through her head, but other times she closed herself off so well that even Shizuku's near-perfect perceptive vision was no match for Yukiko's closed-off heart. Shizuku assumed that it was one of those times where she shouldn't pry and Yukiko would tell how she's feeling on her own, but apparently Yukiko was inviting the question. Shizuku wasn't expecting much though. Her answers were always vague or short. This time was no different.
"I already dealt with my feelings."
"Really? The frustration, shame, impatience…the grief. You did have feelings for him before…" Shizuku managed to stop herself before she said something she'd regret. But Yukiko knew what she was going to say.
"Shizuku, you don't have to worry about me. I've learned to handle my emotions. Watching over everyone shouldn't be a priority for you."
"Heh. You're the last person I expected to hear that from, considering that you're basically a mother hen to Sakura."
"…Fair point." Shizuku giggled at how defeated Yukiko looked.
"Do you miss being…the old you?" Shizuku was referring to Yukiko's former personality when they were in elementary school. She and Kaori are the only ones in their class who know what she was really like.
"…A little. But who I am now is for the best. It's how I can protect the people I care about."
"…Okay. If your content with this, I won't say anymore." Shizuku could understand why Yukiko changed herself. After all, there were parts of herself she didn't like to show people.
"How are you going to tell her about Nagumo-kun?" Yukiko asked.
"I don't know…I'm trying not to think about that right now. But I know that sooner or later…" Shizuku dreaded the thought of telling her what happened. So she tried not to dwell on it much. But she knew that she was going to have to happen. To think Shizuku had to make her friend suffer such heartbreak.
"Please, please don't let any further harm come to my kind and gentle friend." It was at those words that Kaori's hand twitched slightly.
"Huh?!" Kaori?! Can you hear me?! Kaori?!" Shizuku called out for her friend over and over. Yukiko silently watched in awe. Eventually, her eyes began to flutter. Shizuku continued calling her name. As of resonating with her words, Kaori's fingers curled around Shizuku's hand. And slowly, she opened her eyes.
"Kaori!" Shizuku leaned over the bed and looked down at Kaori, tears in her eyes. Kaori looked around dazedly, before her mind finally started to function properly again. Her eyes soon fell on Shizuku and Yukiko.
"Shizuku-chan? Yukiko-chan?"
"Yes, it us. Shizuku and Yukiko." Shizuku confirmed
"Glad to see your finally awake Kaori-chan." Yukiko greeted.
"Thank you, Yukiko-chan." Kaori gave a warm smile to Yukiko, who in turn gave a faint smile.
"So how do you feel? Does it hurt anywhere?" Shizuku asked.
"N-no, I'm fine. My body does feel a bit heavy…but that's probably because I slept for so long…"
"That's right, you slept for five whole days…so it's normal to feel a little numb." Shizuku hurried to help Kaori, who was trying to sit up, and smiled sadly as she told her how long she slept for. It was then that Kaori started to act oddly.
"Five days? How did I sleep…for that long…? I thought I was in the labyrinth…and then I…" Kaori's eyes then began to grow more and more distant. Shizuku panicked and tried to change the subject, but Kaori's memories managed to come back before she could get a word out.
"And then… Ah… What happened to Nagumo-kun?"
"…Well…"
Shizuku grimaced, unsure how to explain. She looked to Yukiko for any advice.
"Don't…hold anything back. The best thing we can do is be honest with her." Yukiko suggested that with a forlorn expression. Shizuku knew that she was going to say that, but she still dreaded it. Kaori was able to surmise from Shizuku's pained expression and Yukiko's statement that the nightmares she saw in her memories were indeed true. However, Kaori was still unable to accept that cruel reality.
"…It can't be true. Please tell me it's a lie, Shizuku-chan. You guys saved Nagumo-kun after I fainted, right? Right? Tell me you did. I'm in the castle right now, right? We all made it back safely to the castle, right? Nagumo-kun's just…out training, right? He's down at the parade grounds with Saito-kun, right? That has to be it… I'm going to go check right now. I have to go thank him, both of them… So can you please let me go, Shizuku-chan?" Incoherent words spilled from Kaori's mouth as she tried to get up and look for Hajime, but Shizuku had a firm grip on Kaori's arm and she wasn't going to let go, no matter how anguished her expression was. Yukiko silently watched the whole thing, finding it best to let the two of them settle this by themselves.
"Kaori… You understand, don't you…? He's not here anymore. …Neither of them is."
"Stop it…"
"It's just as you remember, Kaori."
"Stop it."
"Nagumo-kun…Saito-kun…"
"Stop, I said stop it!"
"Kaori! They're dead!"
"No! Not Nagumo-kun! He's not dead! I know it! Stop say such cruel things! I won't forgive anyone for saying that! Not even you Shizuku-chan!" Kaori kept shaking her head and trying to break free from Shizuku's grip, but she didn't dare loosen it for even a smidge. Instead, she embraced Kaori, trying everything she could to warm her frozen heart.
"Let me go! Let me go right now! I have to go look for Nagumo-kun! Please, I'm begging you… I know he's still alive somewhere…so please!" Despite her yelling at Shizuku to let her go, she still sobbed into her chest. Kaori clung to Shizuku like a featherless sparrow to its mother, wailing so loudly her voice went hoarse. All Shizuku could do for her best friend was hug her as tightly as possible, praying that she could ease the pain in Kaori's heart. The two of them stayed like that for hours, until the clear blue sky had been stained blood red by the setting sun. Yukiko at one point left the room to go check on Sakura, and also to give them some privacy. Eventually, Kaori sniffled in Shizuku's arms and stirred slightly.
"Kaori…"
"Shizuku-chan…Nagumo-kun…he fell, didn't he…? And Saito-kun…he was impaled…wasn't he? Neither of them is here anymore, are they?" Kaori whispered in a trembling voice.
Shizuku didn't want to give her any false hope. There wasn't any way to convince her Saito was still alive, but if she told Kaori that Hajime was still alive, that might alleviate her pain for a while. But once she found out the truth, it would traumatize her forever. She couldn't bear to see her friend anymore hurt than she already was.
"That's right."
"Back then…it looked like they both were hit by one of our fireballs… Who cast it?"
"I don't know. Everyone's been trying to forget it ever happened. It's too scary to think about for them. Because if they were the ones who did it…"
"I see."
"Do you hate them for it?"
"…I'm not sure. If I knew for sure who it was…I'd definitely hate them. But…if no one knows…then maybe it's better this way. Because if I did find out, I wouldn't be able to hold back…"
"I see…" Kaori faltered when she spoke, her face still buried in Shizuku's arms. Suddenly, she lifted her face, wiped the tears from her puffy, red eyes, and looked at Shizuku with a look of renewed determination.
"Shizuku-chan, I don't believe it. I can't say I'm sure about Saito, considering what we saw happen to him, but Nagumo-kun has to be alive down there. I won't believe that he's dead."
"Kaori, you…" Shizuku looked down sadly at her friend, but Kaori cupped Shizuku's cheeks with her hands, and continued speaking.
"I know. I know it's foolish to think he survived that fall… But there's no proof that he didn't survive. The chances are maybe less than one percent, but its not zero… I want to believe in that miniscule chance."
"Kaori…"
"I'm going to get stronger. Strong enough to protect him even from whatever is down there. Then, I'm going to look for him. I won't rest until I've confirmed with my own two eyes…what happened to Nagumo-kun… Shizuku-chan?"
"What is it?"
"Will you help me?" Shizuku met Kaori's steadfast gaze. There was no signs of madness or desperation in her gaze. Just an unbreakable will. A will that won't rest until she finds out the truth for herself. There was no changing her mind when she was like this. Kaori's stubbornness was too much for ever her own family to deal with, let alone Shizuku. In all honesty, that possibility that Kaori was referring to might as well be zero. It wouldn't be fair to assume that what was happening here was an extreme case of escapism.
If hero other childhood friends, Kouki and Ryutarou, were here, they would try and tell Kaori that she wasn't acting sane. But it was that reason is why a single answer came to Shizuku's mind.
"Of course I will. At least until you've found an answer you can accept."
"Shizuku-chan!" Kaori hugged Shizuku and thanked her over and over.
"I don't need any thanks. We're best friends, remember?" Shizuku replied, with the appearance of a gallant samurai. The title the magazines gave her were right on the money. Just then, the door to the room suddenly burst open. It was Kouki and Ryutarou who came hurtling into the room to check up on Kaori. Their uniforms, which were caked with dirt, suggest that they came straight from intense training. Ever since the labyrinth excursion, they've been training harder than ever before. They were too affected deeply by Hajime and Saito's death, since it was partly due to them refusing to retreat and the two of them having to be saved from the near death experience by their late rescuers. They wanted to make sure nothing unsightly like that happened again.
"Shizuku! Has Kaori woken…up…?"
"Yeah, how's Kaori…doing…? They faltered at the sight of how Kaori and Shizuku looked. Kaori was currently sitting on Shizuku's lab and holding her face in her hands…like a lover. The way it looked it seemed that they were about to kiss each other. The only person unaffected by this scene was Yukiko, who was actually listening in on their conversation the whole time after coming back a while ago from checking on the still asleep Sakura.
"Don't you idiots know better than to barge into a girl's room like that?" She chastised them harshly as they recovered from the scene. However, there was a fourth figure among the three arrivals who was hanging back in the doorway. Shizuku directed a question towards that figure, her voice full of suspicion.
"Why are you—"
"S-sorry! I-I'll leave now!" The figure hurriedly apologized cutting off Shizuku's question, and left the room, as if they've witness something forbidden. Kaori looked at them with confusion However, the cunning Shizuku realized what the issue was. To the outsider, it looked like some kind of romance scene from a manga. The only thing missing was flower petals falling from out of nowhere in the background. Shizuku sighed deeply and moved away from Kaori, who was still staring blankly in confusion. She then began to chase that figure, yelling, "Hurry up and get back here, you moron!" as she did.
