"On your left!"
"G-Got it!"
"Look out behind you dammit!"
"O-Ok!"
Hinata was currently shouting at Kouki's party, giving out warnings about incoming monster. Here they are walking through the fog covered forest along with the Haulia. They had to wait three days for the fog to get less thick. It was Meld's idea to let Kouki's party fight them off as a warmup.
However, due to the fog clouding their senses, they can't utilize the same tactics they used in Orcus. And that is why Hinata was currently yelling at them.
"On your right dumbass!"
"Can you sto-WOAH." Although he managed to fend off the monster, Hinata wasn't the only one getting frustrated with them.
The party themselves can't help but feel a bit disappointed in themselves for having such a hard time before they even reached the labyrinth. It doesn't really help that Hinata continues to glare at them.
They were starting to miss her looking at her with dead empty eyes.
But there was one member who was still cheerful.
"Take this!" Seiji yelled while firing feathers from his wings.
"Nice Seiji." Kaori was still able to smile like she used to. "You've really doing great with that new body."
"Thanks..but I still have a long way to go." Meld's training has been really helpful, considering the captain had fought the apostle himself. He also had his usual battles with Akira, but he still hasn't managed to secure a win.
"Uhh Seiji, you do know that's a bit inconsiderate for us right?" Kaori teased.
"Huh?! Oh, I'm so sorry!" Kaori giggles at her brother's panicking. "Hehe. Even if you're totally overpowered now, your still my silly little brother."
"Kaoriiiii we're twins!" Seiji whined.
Shizuku watches and smiles at the interaction of the siblings. "Glad to see they haven't changed one bit, even after Seiji got so ridiculously stronger."
"Hey, don't be discouraged Shizuku. When we get ancient magic, I'll bet we'll even be stronger than Nagumo." Kouki assured.
"I wonder what magic we're gonna get." Ryutaro mused.
"We just need to keep trying." Suzu said.
"Y-Yeah." As Shizuku agreed with her party, she happens to see Meld, who was frowning at them. Noticing her gaze, Meld turns away. Shizuku then looks at Akira, Shu, and Tio all giving the same look as Meld before turning away.
She started to get more nervous than before, the looks she got from them, she felt as if they were pitying them.
Once Shizuku focused forward, Meld sighs. He can appreciate their optimism but feel quite annoyed at how they underestimate Hinata and the labyrinth. He commends them for making it so far in Orcus. But from first hand experience, he can tell they won't stand a chance in the bottom half.
Ancient magic can make someone powerful, but you need to already have immense strength to obtain one. The strength that Hinata had even before coming to Tortus, was more powerful than anything he can imagine.
They eventually reach the tree. Everyone who is seeing the tree for the first time marvels at the sight while Hinata goes to the stone in front of the three.
She starts placing the proofs of conquest in the slots and the same message from before appears. After placing Melusine's coin, light travels from the stone to the tree and a glowing crest appears on the tree.
"Ok, now for the power of restoration, Akira." The vampire steps up and cast restoration magic while placing his hand on the stone. Then the tree's branches started to grow vibrant and lush leaves in an instant, returning to it's former tree's outer bark then opened up like a pair of sliding doors. The door opened wide meaning it welcomed anyone to enter, even if the hadn't cleared four labyrinth.
Hinata decided to leave the proof's in the stone and asked the Haulia, who are preparing to make a settlement near the tree to watch over it.
However, once the party enters, all they found was a dark empty room. Before they knew it the entrance was blocked by braches growing from the walls. Then they were soon blinded by a very bright light coming from the floor.
"What is this?!"
"Aaaaaaahhhhhh."
"Everyone calm down! It's just a teleportation circle."
After the light dies down, they were welcomed by the sight of a thick and lush forest.
"What the- A forest inside a tree that's inside a forest? Yeah, that makes sense."
"Uhh where are we suppose to go?" Kouki asked.
Hinata looks around, but find no indication of which direction to take. She looks up to find a fog filled sky, so they can't look from the air either. "Dunno, we'll just have to navigate through the forest on foot. Meld, you lead the way."
"Huh? O...k." Meld found that a bit odd. Usually Hinata would be the one marching forward. Nonetheless he moves forward with everyone following him...except for Hinata.
Before they could even ask her why she's not moving. Hinata instantly pulled out three chains and used them to bind three individuals, Akira, Tio, and Ryutaro.
"Huh?!"
"Master?!"
"What the hell?!"
Everyone was dumbfounded by her actions. "Hinata, what are y-."
Before Meld can ask his question, Hinata had pulled out her gun and aimed it at Akira.
"Hinata wh-"
"Wait!"
BANG
Hinata fired a shot that hit Akira's shoulder. While everyone was horrified, Kouki readies his sword. "Nagumo, what is wrong with-"
"Hold on Kouki." Meld stops him by grabbing his shoulder. "Look carefully." Meld points at Akira's blasted shoulder and everybody's eyes widened.
Whatever they were looking at was red, but it wasn't flesh or blood. They didn't see any bone. Heck, it wasn't even bleeding. It just looked like bright red goop.
They now realize that the person they see is not the real Akira.
"Hm...you didn't even scream when I shot your shoulder." Hinata moves her gun to the fake's head. "Where are the real ones?"
The fake didn't answer and his face also remain unchanged. "Don't wanna talk huh? Or maybe you can't talk. Oh well, die." She pulls the trigger. The fake's body than looses it's color and and melts a puddle of red goo. She then proceeded to do the same the fake Tio and Ryutaro.
"So they weren't...real. Wait, then where are they?" Kaori asked concern.
"They most likely got teleported somewhere else. But I don't know why those three specifically got replaced." Hinata concluded.
"I see, so that circle not only teleported us but also scanned our memories to create those duplicates." Meld summarized.
"Nagumo, how did you know they were fake?" Shizuku asked.
"Didn't Meld already tell you? I can tell when someone's a lying bitch."
"I didn't say it like that..." Meld commented.
"Yeah, but...they didn't even say anything. That means you were able to detect any form of deceit just from a look?" Kaori concluded.
"I guess." Despite being bothered by her nonchalant respond, they pressed on. "We need to find Akira."
"Wait, what about Tio and Ryutaro?"
Hinata just stares at them for a while. "...….…..No."
Everybody was concerned.
They had been trekking through the forest two hours and still found no signs of they're missing allies. What they did find was...
"Does anyone else hear buzzing?"
The party became tense when they start to hear noises around them.
"Monsters! Nagumo, we'll take care of them ok?" Kouki quickly declared, his party was also eager to fight.
Hinata rolls her eyes and leans on a tree. "Fine, we'll step in if Kaori gets hurt."
"Don't you mean if they get hurt?"
"Meld, I know what I said."
The source of the noises soon came to view. It was a bunch of monster bees that was the size of a baby and had the legs of a centipede.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Suzu screamed in absolute terror.
"Suzu, calm down!"
"They're coming!"
The group went into action. The bees came in flying at high speed. They were so fast that they easily dodged Kouki's attack. Suzu kept creating barriers, mostly out of fear. Kaori had kanged to restraint sone bees for Kouki to finish off and Shizuku can actually match the speed of the bees and take some of the out.
They were looking good...for a while.
More bees kept coming, and the situation got worse when they started shooting their stringers at the party. Suzu's barriers were constantly being shattered. Shizuku and Kouki were starting to get tired. Kaori tried to transfer mana to them usingSanctorum but soon she started running out.
Hinata's party simply watched while easily killing any of the bees that flew to them.
Then in a moment of weakness, one of the bees was about to sting Kouki until...
BANG
it's head was shot off.
"Ok, that's it. You're done." She walks past the party to the incoming swarm of bees. She throws a grenade at it and shoots it, causing it to explode and engulfing most of the bees in flames. The one's that remained charged at her and were swiftly cut by Hinata's knife.
She turns around, the sight of her staring at them while standing in front of burned bee corpses made her look all the more terrifying. She looks at them with contemp, she then raises her hands...and started clapping...slowly.
"Uhm Nagu-"
CLAP
"Nagu-"
CLAP
"Please st-"
CLAP
Meld grabs Hinata's hands before she can continue her sarcastic applause. "Ok, I think they get it."
Once again, Hinata rolls her eyes and walks away. Meld sighs and then looks at Kouki's party, who seemed down. Probably because they just got their asses saved by Hinata again after they were so gung ho on proving themselves.
Meld gives them a reassuring smile. "Don't be so hard on yourselves. You fought well." He said trying to cheer them up. "Even the best warriors can't fight forever. They overwhelmed you with numbers, that's all there is to it."
"T-Thanks Meld." Shizuku said. She appreciates the captain's compliment. But she and the others, especially Kouki can't help but feel frustrated.
They almost died to those same bees and yet Hinata managed to kill them all under minute. They keep moving on to try and forget that fight. How they wish they possessed Hinata's strength, her intelligence, her ability to remain calm in any situation...
"GAAAAAHHHH! LET ME GO! I'M GONNA BURN THIS DAMN FOREST TO THE GROUND!" Hinata shouted as she flailed around in Meld's hold, the paladin was making sure Hinata didn't burn their allies alive.
Two hours after the bees, the group were attacked by...primitive monkeys with stone weapons. Along with more of the impostor slimes from before that trued putting on another facade as their missing allies.
Those would usually just be minimal annoyance for Hinata...until a fake naked Akira appeared. Meld restrained her for half an hour straight before Hinata finally cooled down.
Meld lets go and she decides to walk away for a while to clear her head. She then hears some rustling and sees a short green creature jumping out.
"Giyaaak!"
"A goblin?" It definitely looked how they were portrayed in their world. "A classic, nice. But..." She was about to ready her gun when the goblin started making a bunch of sounds, jumping around, and waving it's arms in the air.
Hinata tilts her head. "Huh?"
"A monster!" Kouki shouted as he charged, ready to slay the beast. But he was stopped when Hinata elbowed his stomach.
"Ow! What was that for? I was just trying to kill the monster!" Kouki angrily asked while reeling in pain.
"Shut up." Hinata ordered as she slowly approached the goblin.
"Hinata?" They all saw that Hinata was simply staring the goblin, who in return was staring back.
After a brief moment, she finally decided to say something. "Akira...is that you?"
The goblin was now jumping joy before leaping at Hinata, who instantly swatted him away.
"WHATTTTTTTTT?!" Everyone else screamed.
"That's Akira?!"
" I think it tried to kiss Hinata earlier. So maybe..."
"It's definitely him." Hinata affirmed.
"How can you be sure?"
"Well at first, it didn't show any hostility. Then as it kept staring at me, I just felt so...annoyed."
"THAT'S HOW YOU RECOGNIZED HIM?!" Everyone asked in disbelief.
"Well it's better than nothing." Akira finally walked back after being swatted by Hinata. "Anyway Seiji, go on and use regeneration magic and turn him back."
"Uh..right, Tetragrammaton." The light envelop Akira. The currently a goblin was excited to regain body but...
"Giya?"
"Huh? It didn't work." To everyone's surprise Akira still remained short, green, and ugly. Akira looks down, totally depressed.
"But how come?"
"If regeneration magic doesn't work then it means Akira must've been transformed by another ancient magic."
"We can't even understand him. Wait, when we first got summoned here, we all got the skill Language Comprehension, Shouldn't that mean we can understand Akira?" Kaori pointed out.
"Perhaps it doesn't work for monster tongue. Maybe they just physically can't pronounce any form of dialect...Hold on, maybe..." Hinata starts fiddling with a few materials. Soon, she reveals an earring that sticks on Akira. "Ok, you should still be able to use an artifact. So try to use this to talk to us."
'Testing...Testing...Can you all hear me?' They jumped when they heard Akira's in their heads.
"Good, it works. Since only your body changed, you can use Telepathy to convey what's in your head."
'And so, you've came up with another great idea. As expected of my beloved."
"Don't make me take it back." Hinata threatened.
"Akira." Meld interjected. "Can you tell us what happened after we got teleported?"
'I don't really know. After the bright light, I found myself in this form. I couldn't use any of my spells nor did I have any of my belongings.'
"What about Tio and Ryutaro? They were also gone after coming here." Shizuku questioned.
Akira shakes his head.'Sorry, but I was all alone. I don't know where those two are.'
"I see." Although he should be happy they found Akira, he cannot help but feel even more worried about Tio and Ryutaro. Especially since they might be completely defenseless at the moment.
"Stop being so nervous." Hinata spoke to him. "We found Akira and that's all that's matters."
"..." Meld stares at her with her with a deadpan expression before sighing. "I know you're half joking, but you know that we must find them at any cost."
"Well, you got your wish."
"...Shut up."
After more exploration, the party finds a very disturbing sight. A pair of goblin bullying another goblin. Now that alone would never be considered disturbing...If it were not for the fact that the bullied goblin was smiling and drooling.
"So...we all know that's him right?" Hinata checked.
"Yeah." Everyone grunted.
"Still wishing we found him?" Hinata snidely asked Meld.
After remaing quiet for a while. "Let's move on."
"Meld?!"
"I knew it!" Hinata exclaimed.
"Guess even Meld can't tolerate Tio."
Meld starts to walk away. everyone was hesitant, but after looking at Tio, hey started following Meld. Unfortunately...he saw them.
"Giyaaaah!" Tio leaps forward and starts chasing.
"Oh crap, he saw us, RUN!"
"Graaah!"
"Raaaaaagh!"
Two giant ogres, both covered in bruises and blood were exchanging blows. From afar the party observes.
"So monsters fight each other from time to time."
"It could be a fight for territory or maybe they just really hate each other, considering they're trying to kill each other. Either way, they're not minding us let's go." Hinata said while tugging at some rope. The rope is actually tied to a small cage and in that small cage was none other than goblinfied Tio.
This was something everyone agreed on. Even Tio, or maybe not, they really couldn't tell. The group had unanimously agreed not to give Tio a telepathy ring.
Hinata only needed to convince them by saying. "Do you really wanna hear what's in his head?" And they instantly agreed.
Hinata started walking until stopped her by grabbing her shoulder. "Wait a moment, Hinata."
"Hm?"
"That ogre...something about it feels odd, let's observe it for a while." Lucky for Meld, Hinata trusted his instincts, so she decided to stay. And it's a good thing she did.
As the two ogres breathe heavily and glaring each other down. One of them made a final charge. But the other one countered by grabbing it's waist and throwing it to tree. It then charged and kicked the other ogre wight through tree, finishing it off.
Everyone's eyes widened, for it was when they realized that the ogre was Ryutaro. The moves the ogre used was definitely martial arts. There's no way a wild monster could've done that.
"That's...Sakagami?"
"I knew it. His punches were more precise than of his opponents."
"So, not all of them were turned into goblins. A big mindless ogre would fit him better than a short and crafty goblin. "
The ogre from before comes back, still looking strong. Hinata simply fire a single bullet to finish it off. The ogre presumed to be Ryutaro then spots the party and starts waving and running towards them.
"Ryutaro, that is you, right?"
"Ragh." He nods.
"Those injuries look horrible, here I'll fix you up." Kaori starts using healing magic.
Hinata then asked him to kneel down so that she can place the earring that she made beforehand. "Now try talking through you mind."
'Hey guys, what's up?'
"Of course that would be the first thing you said." Shizuku sighed. "We've been looking for you actually. Why were you fighting that other ogre anyway?"
'Oh. Well that guy there challenged me to a fight to the death. So of course I agreed.' After he said that, everyone stared at him in disbelief. Kaori was so shocked that she stopped the healing process.
'Huh, why'd you stop?'
"Ryutaro..." Shizuku growled and the ogre suddenly felt chills run down his spine.
Hinata rolls her eyes. "Oh great, a Yaegashi lecture."
"So let me get this straight. After getting turned to an ogre and getting separated, instead of looking for us, you agreed to a death match. Did you even think you can win with a body you're not used to? You should've.."
Despite her long rant, it was quite a sight. An ogre sitting formally and looking down in front of a highschool girl that's scolding him.
After Shizuku's very thorough lecture, the party continues scouring the forest. They still didn't really know where to go. Fortunately, they stumbled on something that might give them a clue.
"Is that an altar?"
"That tree next to it is really big, the only reason we didn't spot it was because of the fog."
"Then maybe this is where we're suppose to go, come on."
Just as they approached the altar, they notice the tree started emitting a purple aura. A face forms on the the tree, and it roars.
"Get back!"
The tree swings it's massive branch. Everyone jumps back to dodge it. They finally got a good look at the monster.
"A treant, didn't think I'd see one outside of Orcus."
"It's way stronger than anything we've fought in the forest. That probably means we're supposed to fight it." Hinata readies her gun. "It can growl all it wants, its just gonna fall like any othe-"
"Wait a minute." Shizuku cut in.
"What?"
"Hinata, can you...leave this to us?"
"Why?"
"Well...we just wanna..do our part you know."
"Yeah!" Kouki chimed in. "Aren't you the one that said we needed to pull our weight."
"Yes I did, but you all have proven that you are incapable of doing so." Hinata harshly replied.
"What was that?!" Kouki yelled at the statement.
Hinata glared. "You expect me to leave this to you, when you couldn't even deal with a bunch of bees? I'm pretty sure Taniguchi wet herself."
"What?! I di- No I didn't!"
"Tch. W-We were just outnumbered." Kouki defended. "There's only monster this time and we have Ryutaro with us. It'll be different this time. Meld said it himself."
Hinata glares at Meld, who tried looking away to avert her gaze. "You know what? Fine. Seiji, get ready to give support, make sure they don't die when they fail." Hinata simply goes to lean a tree while crossing her arms.
"Grr...Come on guys, let's prove her wrong!"
Although Hinata's words discouraged them, they still go into battle with full confidence in themselves, and that confidence was starting to diminish. Kouki couldn't find an opening, Shizuku was busy deflecting leafs that the treant was firing from it's head, Ryutaro's raw strength wasn't doing much to the treant, Suzu kept having to remake her barrier like with the bees, and they are getting too much injuries for Kaori to keep up with.
Even after Cattleya and Eri nearly killed them all, they still had high confidence in their skills. But that all nearly crumbled after this labyrinth. Hinata's words started pouring in their heads.
Meanwhile, Hinata's party was sitting in the sidelines. Seiji standing by and ready to intervene when needed.
As for Hinata herself...it was actually hard to tell wether she was upset or not, due to her usual face.
"Th-They're doing well aren't they?" Meld nervously asked.
The girl simply shifts her pupils to him and said. "Old habits really do die hard."
"Ah..." His already shaking smile dropped. He knew exactly what she was referring to. His concern, his guilt, his reluctance, his fear...
"Kouki, this isn't working!" He snaps back to reality upon hearing Shizuku. "You need to useDivine Wrath." Meld knew that Shizuku was talking about Kouki's strongest attack.
"I can't, the chant is too long."
"Then we'll cover you, until you're done."
'Come on Man! We can handle that much at least.'
"Shizuku, Ryutaro...All right! I'll trust you guys." And so he begins his chant, his party did everything they to protect until he finished, and...they did it.
"Now, Divine Wrath!"
He unleashed the massive amount of mana, obliterating the branches amd leaves that were attacking him. The attack lands at the treant. The light faded, leaving a big dust cloud.
Even if he was exhausted, Kouki can't help but smile. He felt as if he had just accomplished something big, proving Hinata wro-
"IT'S NOT DEAD YET!" The party jumped at Meld's shouting. They couldn't believe what he was saying though. They all believed the treant was dead after getting hit with Divine Wrath.
"Kouki, look!"
Once the dust is gone, they feel horror as they saw that the treant was still standing. It considerably damaged, but far from being beaten.
"It wasn't a direct hit?" They look infront of the treant and finds the answer as to why Kouki's attack didn't work.
"Are those trees?" In front of the treant were multiple destroyed smaller trees. The treant roars and more trees sprout from the ground even near Hinata's group. "It can do that!? It must've used these trees to block the attack."
The treant resumed it's attack, Suzu put up a barrier in a panic to protect, but a makeshift barrier would not last long under such a powerful barrage. Unless they didn't have Seiji.
With Seiji's support, the barrier had no chance of being destroyed. Meld already swiftly cut down the trees that surrounded them. And after seeing the current situation, Hinata stands up. "Guess that's where I come in. Any objections?"
No one spoke, not even Meld.
"Alright then." With that, Hinata jumps into the action. Kouki's party was freaking out trying to think of a plan. They immediately redirected their to attention when the attacking trees were blown apart by missiles.
BZZZZZZZZTTTTT
The next thing they saw was Hinata holding her chainsaw and the other hand was holding a flamethrower.
Hinata jumps launching herself off of Suzu's barrier. From inside the barrier, all they can see was a bunch of sawed off wood pieces flying around and then fire...just so many fire.
Suzu dispels the barrier and her party steps into a land of ash and a glaring Hinata. The longer she stared, the more the party shrunk under the gaze.
She didn't bother saying anything, because she knows her words are already in their heads. The party was filled with disappointment in themselves, talking so big, only to fail and getting their butt saved twice.
Then suddenly, from the torched ground, another massive tree rises up. But instead of assaulting them, it was a normal tree that opened it's bark like back the labyrinth's entrance.
"Looks like we'll be teleported again." She threw one more look at Kouki's party before entering, soon her party followed and Meld seemed down when he glanced at the Kouki's group. As frustrated and upset they are, Kouki's group follows them.
Once inside, the entrance is once again covered by branches and the magic circle on the ground lights up. They all the braced themselves.
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP
THUNK
A hand slams down on the alarm clock. It was the hand of the girl on the bed, who had just woken up. The purple haired girl takes off the blanket and looks down on her body, including...her normal legs made of flesh and bones.
Suzu: A new labyrinth...it makes me so nervous and anxious.
Ryutaro: I know what you mean, kinda feels like when we were about to fight the behemoth.
Hinata: Hey, I've been meaning to ask about that.
Kaori: Ask about what?
Hinata: When you guys beat the behemoth, did any of you morons say something about me resting in peace or some shit?
Shizuku: Uhh...
Suzu: I don't...think I want to answe-
Seiji: Kouki did, why?
Hinata: (Proceeds to kick Kouki in the stomach.)
Kouki: Gah!
Hinata: Telling me how to fucking rest...
Akira: You deserved that.
Hinata: Did anyone else say it?
Seiji: Well...
Shizuku & Suzu & Ryutaro: (Rushing to cover Seiji's mouth.) NONONONONO!