Chapter 11: A surprising reunion.
Hajime, Cloud, Yue and Shea were now in the office with Dott over watching the meeting. The boys looked annoyed as the guild master was expecting them. He was a man in his late 30s. He has slick back blond hair and a discerning look in his eyes. He was wearing formal clothes with combat boots.
"Ah, good to see you all here. I've heard from the request of my friend, Guil, from Brooke. I already know of the request you took so I don't need to explain much except the information." The man spoke.
"That brings us up to speed then." Hajime noted.
"Well said, Hajime. I'm Ilwa Chang, the leader of the Adventurer's Guild here in Fuhren." The man named Ilwa introduced.
The boys nodded in response. Yue and Shea remained close to their respective boys.
"I'll be frank, I'm quite surprised to hear of a group of travelers whom have not only captured a shady person posing as a noble, but also ventured through the nearby Reisen Gorge." Ilwa spoke.
"Oh? Rumors of exploits have been running rampant? Perhaps you have the wrong group." Hajime retorted.
"Rumors or not, you all have strong skills to defend that merchant on your way here. The request you picked up entails to a group of adventurers whom were lost and have since disappeared." Ilwa continued.
"Where were they heading to?" Cloud asked.
"The group was heading to the northern mountains on a survey. A count having his third son traveling with the group requested to find his missing son if possible. You have to rescue him.
"What's the name of the son we're looking for?" Hajime asked.
"His name is Will Cudeta." Ilwa answered
"A friend, huh? Guess that changes our response in any way." Hajime said.
"So, are you all willing to accept the request?" Ilwa asked.
"We intend to. It comes with a condition though. We need new status plates for our female companions since they don't have one for themselves. Plus, we can register ourselves as adventurers." Hajime spoke.
"A deal, it is." Ilwa agreed.
"Good. We may need the help of the Adventurer's Guild so we will keep in touch." Hajime said.
It took a grueling hour to sign the paperwork, but the group managed to do so, becoming adventurers associated with the guild. Yue and Shea had their status plates provided. This now allowed the group to leave Fuhren. Hajime, Cloud, Shea and Yue were riding in a larger vehicle that looked like a military model humvee. Cloud was seen reclining with his sword near him. Shea was also resting on Cloud's lap, sleeping quietly. They were on their way to their destination.
"Quite a way for that guild master to make us take this request." Cloud noted.
"I know. He knew of our exploits and we were the most likely help he could get from anyone around the area. Seeing that we have no other choice, we might as well accept the job." Hajime noted.
Yue noticed Shea napping on Cloud's shoulder. She gave a warm smile, seeing the unexpected couple slowly bonding.
"She was certainly alert when we were in the meeting with Ilwa. Now she's sleeping like a baby." Yue noticed.
"We won't be stopping on the way. I'd say she deserved it considering what we had to endure." Cloud spoke.
"You were also forceful, Hajime." Yue spoke to the Synergist.
"I had to be. The guild master had his back against the wall. Best way to comply is arranging a deal. The more something means to someone, the more you can make them agree to do so." Hajime revealed.
"Very intuitive. I can tell there's something more to it." Yue agreed.
"I'll say." Cloud followed.
"You figured it out, you two. We'll be arriving at the village town of Ur. We'll be able to grab a quick meal and rest at the place for the night. From what I heard, the town has the largest rice farming area in Tortus. We will search for the missing party in the mountains tomorrow." Hajime explained.
"Sounds like a good rest… Might as well count me in." Cloud spoke.
The swordsman felt Shea suddenly landing on his lap while sleeping. A ghost of a smile came to him as he gently rubbed Shea's ears, making her smile in her sleep.
"Aren't you all comfy with her?" Yue commented playfully.
Cloud soon had his face morphed back to his serious expression. Despite this, a faint pink dusted his cheeks.
"Seems like you enjoy making Cloud flustered, Yue." Hajime noted.
"It's kind of cute that he shows his softer side right now. But why are we heading to Ur since there are different places to nap for the night?" Yue asked.
"I'm excited to have rice. It's been a long time since I last had rice. Cloud and I used to eat it everyday, and now it feels like a lost time we didn't had." Hajime spoke with excitement.
"In that case, I can't wait to have some." Yue spoke with a smile.
The village town of Ur was situated near a large kettle lake of fresh water. Aiko was seen surveying the land to maintain and build the giant rice farm. The villagers used farming tools to till the land and created large patty fields to grow the rice. Several students from her class accompanied her. Yuka, Nana, Taeko, Akito, Norboru, and Atsushi were helping with the farming tools, tilling the land. The villagers, under Aiko's guidance, built special waterwheels to channel water into special canals to create the patty fields. The land was now sowed with rice seeds in the fields. Using her power granted by her job class, Aiko managed to help the crops grow quickly, creating a bountiful harvest. To savor the efforts, she managed to harvest some seeds to reuse the rice fields. This brought steady income for the villagers and a large source of food. Currently, Aiko and her students were at a restaurant called the Water Sprite Inn, celebrating their hard work.
"Good job with your efforts, everyone! Fill yourselves up so we can all work hard tomorrow." Aiko cheered.
The classmates cheered in response. They were at a private booth with a special curtain. There were four knights surrounding the booth. Aiko knew their names.
'Joshua Augus, Chase Domino, Jade Hatto and David Zahler came with us to protect my path here. Still, I'm worried that Shimizu has disappeared during our journey. I hope he's doing alright…' Aiko thought, sighing with concern.
The classmates heard her sigh and felt worried for her.
"Are you alright?" Yuka asked.
"You must have been thinking about Shimizu again." Nana pointed out.
"I don't know where he could have disappeared to. It's been a week since he left us. It doesn't seem right that this happened so suddenly. Plus, nothing like this happened with him…" Aiko spoke out.
The other classmates felt bad for her. Aiko held a worried expression in response.
"I should have been keeping an eye out for him…" Aiko spoke in defeat.
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure he is fine." Yuka reassured.
"Without a doubt. I'm sure he will come back before we even know it." Atsushi followed.
This managed to cheer Aiko up. It managed to alleviate her concerns.
"You're right everyone. Worrying about the issue won't solve anything." Aiko spoke.
Soon, the innkeeper came by. He was an elderly man in his 60s with gray hair turning white with blue eyes.
"I hope you're enjoying the food for the day. How was the meal for you all?" The man asked.
"Everything was delicious as always, Foss Seluo." Aiko replied.
The man named Foss Seluo soon held a downhearted expression.
"That's good, I'm glad to hear that tonight." He said, though his voice sounded disdainful.
"What's wrong, Foss?" Aiko inquired.
"Unfortunately, and I hate to disappoint everyone here, but the last of our spices were used during today's dinner preparation." Foss revealed.
"But how did the restaurant used up all their spices so suddenly?" Yuka asked.
"There's been some serious trouble up at the northern mountains. It has been cutting off the spice traders due to the large presence out there. The traders are forced to reroute their way here because of this." Foss revealed.
"That is troublesome…" Aiko noted.
"Rumors told that a gang of monsters suddenly appeared and the other day, a group of adventurers made their way there. They never returned from the mountains." Foss continued.
"That is concerning…" Yuka said.
"Thankfully, we have a group coming in from the adventurer's guild in Fuhren. They checked in with this place and have agreed to deal with the problem at the northern mountains. They intend to find the lost party.
"Oh? And who is the group in question? They sound strong." The person named David asked.
David was a knight from the Heligh Kingdom. He didn't had his helmet on, revealing his wavy blonde hair and blue eyes.
"They should be here soon." Foss said.
Soon, the door was opened and everyone heard a conversation happening.
"Ah, that must be them." Foss said.
Shea was seen pouting with Cloud as Hajime and Yue watched.
"You don't have to be so bashful with me, Cloud. Please stop looking serious all the time." Shea spoke.
Aiko and the classmates heard the rabbit girl's voice as they heard the group walking in. They were surprised to hear of Cloud's name, much to their surprise.
"I'll be less serious when I give my dues back to Hajime and Yue for teasing me." Cloud comically replied.
"Hajime is a bad boy for embarrassing Cloud." Yue spoke.
"I don't think it's just Hajime as well." Cloud reminded.
Aiko and the others were now silent as Hajime, Cloud, Yue and Shea found themselves a different table to sit at. Aiko decided to break the silence by asking everyone.
"Did we just hear the names Hajime and Cloud just now?" She asked reluctantly.
Yuka gasped in response, realizing what she heard.
"We all heard it. Their voices sound familiar to all of us." Akito revealed.
Soon, Aiko stood up from her seat and went to Hajime's table.
"Nagumo and Strife…" She spoke with determination.
She raced her way to the table, where the people she was looking for sat at. This got Hajime, Cloud, Yue and Shea to look at Aiko with surprise.
"Nagumo? Strife?" Aiko asked the boys.
"Huh? Miss Aiko?" Hajime said.
"Do I know you?" Cloud reluctantly asked.
"It's really you two… Nagumo, Strife… You two have been alive this whole time… I'm glad to see you're here." Aiko spoke with tears in her eyes.
Cloud merely tilted his head in confusion. This got Aiko's attention as to why he was acting all confused.
"Nagumo, what happened with Strife? Why is he looking at me like he doesn't remember me?" Aiko asked to Hajime.
"I won't answer, but you also got the wrong people. Later." Hajime spoke.
Cloud remained silent, but a memory was slowly starting to come together in his mind. He could faintly recall something, but his mind was unable to filter it properly. It left him with more questions with his head being in a jumbled mess.
'Who is this woman…? How does she know me? Is she someone from my past when I lost my memories? I can't even focus with my head acting up like this…' Cloud thought, clutching his head.
Hajime noticed this as Shea soon got to him with concern. He was able to help his friend back to his feet and proceeded to leave the table till Aiko held him in a grip to stop his reach for the exit.
"Wait, please. You may look completely different, but I know it's you, Nagumo. Strife is also here, but he also changed a little. Plus, you said my name." Aiko persisted.
"Your ears must be playing tricks. I didn't call your name." Hajime lied.
"Don't try to lie your way out of this, Nagumo." Aiko persisted.
"I think the continent has a meaning of that name. It has a meaning for tiny spirit." Hajime lied.
"Stop being so rude, Nagumo! No one can be that rude to a stranger, especially that suddenly!" Aiko reasoned.
Hajime knew the jig was up. He relented and began talking with Aiko.
"This brings me up to question about you and Strife? Why are you like this the way you two are? You're completely different and Strife looks like he doesn't remember anything about us." Aiko demanded.
The classmates were shocked to hear of Hajime and Cloud being alive. They couldn't properly process the surprise.
"Start answering, Nagumo! What happened to you both?" Aiko questioned.
"Stop annoying Hajime. Plus, Cloud is trying to recover from a headache." Yue pointed out to Aiko, looking to Cloud.
The swordsman was having a nasty headache as he felt memories unknown to him beginning to resurface. However, he didn't know what they were.
"Who are you, though? I'm having a heartfelt reunion with two of my students." Aiko protested.
"Not very nice to have a fit." Yue commented.
Aiko soon calmed herself before speaking back to Hajime. She sighed to calm herself emotions.
"I lost my composure there… You are Nagumo, aren't you? And that is Strife whom is with you?" Aiko asked.
Hajime had no reason to continue lying.
"Fine… I am Nagumo Hajime and yes that is my friend, Cloud. It has been a while since we last saw each other." Hajime replied with a forced smile.
After some insistence from Aiko, Hajime and the others joined with Aiko's group at their private booth. The Synergist was reading the menu carefully. Shea decided to lecture Hajime's actions.
"Hajime, you shouldn't ignore her. Plus, Cloud has been having these headaches. Has his memory been coming back?" Shea said in question.
"Sweet, they have curry here too!" Hajime immediately responded with a jovial tone.
Shea stopped her speech as Hajime began talking about the food.
"That's right, you guys don't know of it yet. It's a spicy dish, but it really has a nice taste. I'm sure you all will like it." Hajime said with reassurance.
"If that is what you say, I trust your word on it. I'll have the curry dish as well." Yue spoke.
"Me too. I would like to have some as well. Nice speech there, Yue." Shea agreed.
"How about you, Cloud?" Hajime asked.
"Sure… I would like to have some." Cloud agreed, shaking a headache off.
Aiko looked visibly angry as she watched Hajime interacting with his friend and the two girls. She noticed Shea was being near Cloud, while Yue enjoyed being near the Synergist. The girls' delight was clearly shown.
"Excuse me, we are ready to order our meal." Shea called out.
Aiko stomped her foot on the floor, surprising Shea. Her rabbit ears were perked up, alert of the sound.
"You can order your food after answering my questions! First off, who are these young ladies that you two have been chatting with while ignoring me?" Aiko questioned.
"At least let us eat so we can answer your questions. We haven't had a decent meal since our trip to come here. They can speak for themselves." Hajime reasoned.
"I'm Yue." Yue introduced.
"I'm Shea." Shea followed.
"I'm Hajime's woman." Yue followed.
"I'm Cloud's woman." Shea repeated in her way.
Aiko's group was visibly shocked of the news. While the two girls held the respective boys close to them, Cloud looked bashful as pink dusted his cheeks, causing him to shake off Shea's grip with an embarrassed expression.
"Say no more, Shea…" Cloud said.
The rabbit girl noticed the swordsman's embarrassed face as he hid it well. She remained quiet to be respectful for him.
"The two girls… Both have been your women?" Aiko asked in surprise.
"Let's get one thing straight… Yue is with me, while Shea chose to be with Cloud. Try not to misunderstand." Hajime reasoned with a serious tone.
"Besides, Cloud got my first kiss." Shea spoke out loud.
Cloud comically slammed his head on the table, feeling bashful. This got Hajime to the rabbit girl.
"Shea, learn about privacy for crying out loud…" Hajime spoke in disapproval.
"How dare you two… Not only have you both been missing, you two even got your respective girlfriends but without proper guidance. I won't let this slide. It's time for me to educate you both on your misbehaving!" Aiko spoke with authority.
Hajime comically sulked with a shiver, but Cloud leveled Aiko's gaze with a sharp cold one. This got her to briefly shiver as she saw how different he was in personality. The gaze he made froze her anger, causing her to calm down. The classmates also felt the shiver, knowing that Aiko might have said a tone that caused Cloud to respond coldly.
'That was scary…' Yuka thought.
'Was that from Cloud…? He has changed so much…' Nana thought.
Hajime, Cloud, Yue and Shea were now eating a dish of curry rice. They ate their meals in silence, but Hajime was savoring the taste. Cloud felt a sense of nostalgia, though his memory loss prevented him on what he was trying to recall. Yue was able to tolerate the spicy dish, eating it calmly. Shea couldn't handle the spicy taste and was often given some water to cool her mouth. Cloud was providing the cups to her in order for her to alleviate the spicy taste. He made sure there was no ice, since he had some experience from the spice, due to doing the same with icy water. It left him briefly stunned till he used his lukewarm water to help with the spicy taste. Aiko decided to speak to the boys, much to their annoyance.
"Aside from your recent relations, I'm glad you two are still alright. What happened to you two when you fell in the labyrinth?" She asked.
"We ended up working hard." Hajime replied nonchalantly.
"Why is your hair all white instead of brown?" Aiko continued.
"I ended up working real hard." Hajime replied, keeping his nonchalant tone.
"What about your eye and arm? What happened to them?" Aiko inquired.
"I worked very hard, but they ended up being lost." Hajime answered.
"Why couldn't you two get in touch with us or even try to contact us?" Aiko continued.
"Why could we when we couldn't find our way out?" Cloud responded this time.
This got Aiko to be quiet at the reply. She knew there were buttons pressed that weren't meant to be pushed. She noted Cloud's tone was colder, making her shiver. Soon, David decided to walk up to the table and pound his fist on it. Shea was alerted, as were the others.
"Not the time for a conflict." Cloud remarked.
"We're eating here. Mind your manners." Hajime spoke.
"Mind my manners? Is that how you talk to your superiors? You should learn how to conduct yourself properly." Davis spoke with authority.
'This guy is annoying… Better hope he doesn't cause any trouble like the last person we fought against…' Cloid thought.
"Also, I will not be lectured on table etiquette by someone whom shares a meal with a beastman. You would look more accepting in appearance if I cut off those repulsive ears. Maybe not, but it wouldn't be difficult to find out for sure." David spoke with a sadistic smile.
Unknown to everyone, Cloud was now seething with silent rage. He was ready to beat the snot out of the knight from his lecturing.
'This idiot just signed his death warrant…' Hajime thought.
Shea looked away, but she felt Cloud's hand on her right shoulder. She could tell he was silently reassuring her. However, the rabbit girl also noticed Cloud's fist clenching so hard, his knuckles were turning white and bulging. David decided to look at Yue, whom was eating quietly. She had a discontent expression in her eyes as she looked at the knight.
"What is that look for!? Disrespectful wretch! How dare you show such insolence to a Templar Knight!" David shouted to Yue.
"Such a small man with a big mouth." Yue spoke with discontent.
"You heretic!" David shouted.
This riled David to attempt on drawing his sword. Aiko and the classmates were alerted on what was about to happen. Before David could do so, Hajime shot a rubber bullet on David's head, stunning him. However, Cloud soon dragged the knight outside the inn. Aiko and the classmates watched with shock as the two boys showed their brutal tactic. Soon, they heard David's screams as a loud sound of the ground being pounded by something heavy was heard. The sound echoed a few times till silence was left. Everyone in the inn, save for Hajime's group, was now scared on what Cloud did.
"So… Are we going to remind the rest about your manners? If so, I wouldn't mind giving you the same treatment to that fool outside." Cloud spoke, cracking his knuckles loudly.
Cloud soon brought David back in the inn. The knight remained silent and was afraid of provoking the swordsman any further. Cloud continued eating his meal, alongside Hajime's group.
"You won't get a second chance." Hajime warned.
Aiko was bandaging David of his injuries. She remained silent, now noticing how cold the boys were. It made her reluctant to question them any further.
'Cloud really was pissed earlier, but I don't blame him for scarring that man.' Hajime thought.
Yuka and her classmates stayed quiet, feeling scared after the boys' actions. They dared not to speak to them. Yuka was looking at the boys, recalling prior to their fall from within the Orcus Labyrinth. She remembered when they saved her.
"Are you okay, Yuka?" Nana asked.
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. Just having some trouble understanding." Yuka answered with reassurance.
"I don't blame you. It's hard to believe it, but Nagumo and Strife have changed so much." Nana spoke.
"I think I know what the term is on what they become. It looks like they've become wild." Taeko commented.
"They also got popular with their girls as well…" Atsushi noted.
Yuka giggled in response. The commentary lightened the mood, though for everyone.
After some time, Hajime's group finished their meal. They all had content expressions from tasting the curry rice. He soon saw David all bandaged up. Cloud held his gaze to the knight with a cold stare.
"Do yourselves a favor and don't bother trying to trouble us any further. You can all forget about meeting us in this place. My friend and I have practically forgotten about you all a long time ago." Hajime spoke.
"We don't have any need to be bothered from anyone else. I'm trying to recover my memories since I have amnesia, but that is something you need to learn by earning our trust, and you have wasted it." Cloud warned.
"But wait, why won't you say what happened to you two?" Aiko asked.
"We won't share anything about what happened to us, where we have been or what are current mission is. Go or do what you want, we don't care. Better stay out of our way though. But the moment you make us an enemy, we won't hesitate to kill. That knight that got tortured by Cloud was given a 'warning shot.' If he or any of you overstepped our boundaries once more, I can't guarantee if any of you would survive it." Hajime warned.
However, Shea's face soon had a depressed expression, something Cloud noticed.
"Still feeling depressed about what that guy said to you, Shea?" Cloud asked.
"Well… I'm not…" Shea paused, reluctant to answer.
"It's how this world runs, it seems. Though in opinion, I find it sickening enough to beat the hell out of the people. Idiots like that knight are everywhere…" Cloud reasoned.
"I know about that, Cloud… It never gets any easier… This was a new one… I never knew the humans would see my ears in such an awful way." Shea spoke with shame, touching her rabbit ears.
This resulted in Cloud casting an intense icy glare to David. Aiko, being near the knight while bandaging the rest of his wounds, felt the stare, noticing Cloud glaring at the knight. It was so cold to her, she had to step back with fear. David on the other hand knew he made a big mistake. He averted his gaze away with fright, knowing the swordsman was more than willing to torture him while letting him live with an inch of his life.
"Don't let his words hurt you, Shea. Your ears are fluffy and cute." Yue reassured.
This got Shea very jovial in response.
"You really like my ears? What about you, Cloud? Do you like them too?" She asked.
Cloud averted his icy glare and looked to Shea with some surprise. He looked away bashfully without saying anything. However, his blushing face gave Shea the answer she wanted.
"It's okay, Shea. Cloud does like them. In fact, while you were sleeping near him, he was giving gentle rubs to them." Yue revealed, though she had a teasing smile.
This got Shea to perk her ears up in response with joy. Cloud felt embarrassed and quickly got Yue to face him.
"Yue, geez…! Don't suddenly reveal personal moments like that. I'm still paying you guys back for embarrassing me." The swordsman bashfully responded.
Yuka and her friends looked at the two boys with a comical tone.
"Geez, one minute we were all afraid of them. Now, they're acting like an embarrassed couple. They're making me jealous…" Atsushi spoke with jealousy.
Hajime, Cloud, Yue and Shea were now leaving the restaurant. Shea was notably holding Cloud close to her, to her delight and the swordsman's embarrassment. Aiko noticed they were leaving and tried to stop them.
"Nagumo, don't you dare walk out on us. I'm not done speaking with you and your friend!" Aiko spoke out.
The boys didn't bother listening as they left the place. Before the door could close, they heard their teacher voicing out.
"I won't give up on you two! I refuse to stay out of your way. I promise to bring you all home!" Aiko said.
Yuka watched with a worried expression as she saw Hajime and Cloud leave.
"They left… I never got a chance to thank them…" She spoke with a sad tone.
It was now night time in Ur. Aiko was in her room, wearing a white nightgown.
'To think that Nagumo and Strife were still alive all this time… But they both have a terrible personality change.' She thought.
The teacher tried to find reasons as to what to say to the boys, though it was easier said than done.
'They must have endured a lot. Especially Strife… He doesn't have any memories of us now. I know it doesn't excuse their behavior, but seeing that cold stare he made… It looked like he suffered too much…' She thought, arguing with her id.
She began shaking her head to reaffirm her thoughts.
"I don't care! I'm bringing them both home!" She declared to herself.
"That should be my saying." Hajime said.
"Comes with the shared thought." Cloud followed.
Aiko looked to the source of the voices. She saw Cloud and Hajime, crossing their arms.
"Nagumo!? Strife!? How did you two got in here?" She asked in surprise.
"We used the door to make our way in." Hajime answered.
"How? The door was locked." Aiko reasoned.
"It may be locked off from outside, but my Synergist abilities can unlock almost any lock." Hajime spoke with a playful tone.
"Are you trying to be all prideful…? Coming to a woman's bedroom like this? What are you doing here to begin with?" Aiko asked.
"Hold your questions because we have a reason to come here. We don't want prying eyes and ears to overhear what we are about to share to you." Cloud spoke.
This got Aiko's attention as she soon sat down with cups of tea prepared to hear the boys.
"Okay then… What is it that you two want to discuss with me?" She asked.
"The history of this world." Cloud answered.
"And what we know of its current events…" Hajime followed.
"The history of this world and its current events?" Aiko questioned.
"Once we explain the history, we will reveal our future plan in action." Hajime continued.
"Alright then. I'm listening." Aiko spoke.
The aura from the boys turned serious from the brief comical moment. Hajime and Cloud began explaining.
"Ages ago, this world has suffered countless conflicts of war. During the seemingly endless sea of conflict, the Age of the Gods came about and finally brought peace to the lands, or so the belief was told. However, once the Age of the Gods passed, the war torn land has returned and claimed countless victims in history. Humans, demons, beastfolk… Every being in this world has suffered heavy losses, endlessly fighting in a conflict that had no origin, but was bathed in the blood of the fallen." Hajime began.
"Then, what happened to the wars that finally caused them to stop?" Aiko questioned.
"They didn't… Instead, a group of people realized the wars and endless strife and conflict in this land's history were all but a giant chessboard. Basically, the very god the people worshipped was enjoying all the torment caused by the people. Soon after, a group of exceptionally skilled beings attempted to rise up and put an end to the endless wars. They banded together to cease the bloodshed that flooded the lands. The leader of this group learned of the god's sadistic plan, using his creations for his own amusement in a game of war." Cloud continued.
Aiko was visibly surprised to hear the revelation. Hajime soon continued on his explanation.
"While this god lurked in the shadows, he was pulling the strings to stir up the wars. Basically, everything around him is nothing but a source of entertainment. During this god's relentless warmongering, a group of heroes rose forward, desiring to stop him. This group was called the Liberators." Hajime followed.
"What happened to the Liberators?" Aiko questioned.
"They tried to fight against the god, but their plans failed. Before they could do any actions to liberate the people, the god declared them to be blasphemers, enemies of the church. They were declared heretics, hellbent on destroying the very world and turning all of humanity against them. Unable to fight off the brainwashed people, the Liberators were slaughtered. Few of them escaped, but the ones that did were called Mavericks. The survivors had a new plan. The group, knowing of their limited strength, abandoned their plot to overthrow the god directly. They constructed the great labyrinths across the world to hide from the world that didn't understand their purpose." Cloud followed.
"Their purpose?" Aiko inquired.
"Each labyrinth contains a trial to overcome. Whoever overcomes them is granted the power of the Liberator whom made the labyrinth in question. They hoped an individual whom is strong enough to pass their trials will acquire their powers and end this sick game orchestrated by the god." Hajime finished.
"How did you two learn of this detail?" Aiko asked with reluctance.
Cloud and Hajime sighed as they soon took a sip of their tea cups. The Synergist explained in response.
"We ended up learning this truth when Cloud and I were in the bottom of the abyss in the Great Orcus Labyrinth. This pretty much sums up our explanation." Hajime concluded.
"Whether you want to believe us or not, we don't care. It's all up to you on how you handle this info." Cloud followed in conclusion.
"I do have a question though… Strife, how did you lose your memory?" Aiko asked with reluctance.
"When I was falling in the abyss, Cloud jumped in to protect me, but he ended up hitting his head on an outstretched rock. The blow was enough to make him loose most of his memories. Hence why he can't recall anything before the fall into the abyss." Hajime answered.
"So, to ensure I'm making sense of the details you two shared, are you two going to thwart this evil god?" Aiko questioned.
"No, we're not interested." Cloud responded.
"Hell no, we don't have much care for this world to begin with. I'm finding the labyrinths to acquire the power that can supposedly make our way back home to Japan. When we do get back, I'll have to help Cloud regain his memories. The labyrinths are our only goals now." Hajime said.
"Isn't the journey dangerous?" Aiko inquired with concern.
"You can come with us if you wish. However, I can guarantee that the trials we faced won't make you last long." Hajime answered.
The boys began to leave the room. Aiko began speaking to the boys before they left.
"Shirasaki and Lockhart never forgot about you two, nor gave up on you both. She didn't believe you two were dead and wanted to see it with their own eyes…" The teacher spoke.
The boys paused, recalling the respective girls mentioned. However, Cloud soon suffered a staggering headache, causing him to collapse to his knees from the strain of his memories coming to.
'What the hell…!? Why is it that I feel so guilty from that name alone…? And who…is this Lockhart person…?' Cloud thought as he fought off the pain.
"Cloud…!" Hajime said with surprise.
"Is he alright?" Aiko asked in surprise.
Soon, Cloud's breathing was starting to lessen, but he held his head in pain.
"I'm alright… It's just a headache…" Cloud grunted.
Hajime soon turned to Aiko with a curious gaze.
"Have the two people you mentioned been doing okay?" He asked.
"They have. The girls were training themselves, growing stronger by going into the labyrinth." Aiko answered.
"You should inform them this… There's more to worry down there than just monsters. She should watch her teammates." Hajime warned.
Aiko was visibly surprised from the warning, not expecting it. Cloud soon recovered from his headache, though he grunted a few times to suppress the pain.
"Judging by your reaction, I can guess the others haven't figured out how we ended up falling into the abyss in the first place. Just to be clear, the fall was no accident." Hajime said.
"I was told a magic spell lost control and went straight to you." Aiko said.
Cloud, having overheard the conversation, was able to speak in response.
"Lost control? Someone was deliberately aiming to kill him. Magic doesn't go out of control on its own just like that…" Cloud spoke, hinting his anger.
"What do you mean?" Aiko asked.
"One of your students planned to kill me and Cloud. Tell them to watch their backs from now on." Hajime replied.
The boys left, but Aiko was shaking. Her hands were still shaking, even after setting her tea cup down. An ominous feeling encompassed her mind.llo