Chapter 546
Intermission Third Unforeseen Reunion
ăIt all started from the Christmas incident.ă
Hajime raised a finger and started talking. That finger was pointed toward Richard who was peacefully unconscious.
ăAnd, just as everyone already know the culprit was Richard and his friends in âUsâ butâŠâŠapparently these guys have image send to them from this so-called âgod of gateâ into their heads.ă
The sending was one-sided that they couldnât block or refuse. The image was also destructive and despairing. Such image was apparently intruding into their heads until now intermittently. No wonder they went insane.
Furthermore, the image sending happened only about once a year when Richard was a child, but the frequency kept increasing as time passed, and recently the frequency was at the level of several times per day.
It was like the interval of alert bell notifying them of the time limit for a time bomb was getting shorter moment by moment.
Because of that Richard and others who learned that the end was near prepared the ritual to offer strengthââthat was to say human souls for the âgod of gateâ to use to escape to a new world by sacrificing a cityâs worth of humans, while they also made another plan because of a single worry that they had.
That was the acquisition of the âbookâ that was one of the âtools of powerâ. In the fictive mythology it was mentioned as âPnakotic Manuscriptâ, so it was simply called as the âManuscriptâ among the Explorers.
That âManuscriptâ was written as related to the âtool of powerâ called âthe âSilver Keyâ. A legendary key that was said it would guide to the side of the âgod of gateâ.
Because they were the type of Worshipper who wanted to partake in their godâs grace, they were unable to fully wipe away the doubt that perhaps the god was only making use of them and would abandon them in this world that was heading to destruction.
And then, when they reached the stage where they only had to obtain the âManuscriptâ and then the âSilver Keyâ,
ăSathla stole the âManuscriptâ.ă
ăUmu. I donât mind if they want to go to their godâs side on their own butâŠâŠthereâs also the possibility that theyâll summon their god here instead. Itâs a recklessness that canât possibly be allowed. Just how many people had seen hell because of that in the pastâŠâŠă
That was the background story of the Christmas incident. In order to take back the book, Richard made an ordinary person brain dead and controlled him to steal the book from afar. It was a careful plan due to knowing that the place was near the territory of Returnees.
ăEven after that, Richardâs group focused their efforts on searching the location of the âManuscriptâ and the âSilver Keyâ. But, another intervention came from this so-called âgod of gateâ again there.ă
Most likely, it was bait given to Richardâs group seeing that they became unable to focus on the sacrificial ritual to exacerbate their impatience.
ăApparently the image of our city and a different âbookâ formed in their heads.ă
ăMyu!?ă
ăD-dearâŠâŠthat~ă
It was unknown what kind of âbookâ it was, nor who or where it was located. But, Richardâs group knew that it was definitely the city where Hajime and co were living.
In that case naturally the suspect was the Returnees. A dangerous group that turned all the investigators from âUsâ to pursue volunteer life without exception. Certainly it wouldnât be strange even if they possessed such book.
But, that was exactly why they were troubled. They couldnât lay their hand on the Returnees.
ăThat was why, they attacked Amai-san. The âbookâ is odd even for them. Normally itâs not something that you want to be even near you. As long as youâre not a Worshipper that is.ă
ăI see. And so they judged that they couldst at least consult with her.ă
ăAnd Amai-san is also treated as the greatest in running away at their circle.ă
ăIn fact she got entrusted with the âbookâ during Christmas too.ă
Tio, Shia, and Kaori sent sympathetic gazes toward Amai. Amai lifted the corner of her eyes tearfully.
ăThatâs simply a nuisance for me! Even though I just want to live!ă
ăAmai-kun. TrulyâŠâŠIâm sorry-ă
ăYes, please be sorry! Please reflect deeply on what youâve done, deeper than the Mariana Trench!!ă
ăCalm down Amai-san. Iâm continuing the storyokay?ă
Aiko and, Myuu& Remia whose eyes were looking anywhere but at her like they wanted to say something were consoling Amai-san. Hajime smiled wryly seeing that while saying ăSoă and continuing. SÌ
ăOur ferocious Kouhai easily repelled them, so they were at a loss. But there, they received good news from Richard who was carrying out a different plan.ă
Vanessa and Claudia were whispering to each other for some reason. They were whispering things like,
Japanâs high school girl is scaryyy, daamn.
Takehiko and Kiyotake too were also exchanging words like ăAs I thought that city is a demon-infested placeăăItâs Japanâs singularityâŠâŠă with serious expressions. J and K too were muttering ăEh, the opponents who gave us a lot of hardshipsâŠâŠ? Eh?ăăEven if Richard is a special caseâŠâŠa high school girl with just a wooden sword? Thatâs impossibleâŠâŠă with shocked expressions.
ăForget about that crazy Kouhai already! Listen to the story!ă
Ah, yesâŠâŠ
everyone nodded. Yuuka and others including Shizuku were making expressions that seemed to say ăI know how you all are feelingă.
ăCough. âŠâŠAbout that good news, aaïœăwhat is it again? Some kind of mirror, one of the âtools of powerâ. Apparently it can summon âThose Who Followâ and enslave them.ă
ăAa, so thatâs their other planâŠâŠand so they went home the next morning in the first flight.ă
Aiko hit her palm *pon* with an expression of understanding.
ăThatâs right. They planned to summon âThose Who Followâ in here, their Detroit base. And Banwitch who caught the attention of the authorities was used as bait just as you guys guessed.ă
ăBut, an unforeseen circumstance happenedâŠâŠisnât that right? Judging from the situation right nowă
Kousuke looked toward Richard. He was sleeping with a truly peaceful face. He didnât even make a single twitch. âŠâŠHe really was just sleeping wasnât he? Wasnât he looking too peaceful? That? He wasnât dead right?
Kousuke sent glances at Hajime, but Hajime continued without even looking bothered at the slightest.
ăTo activate the âmirrorâ multiple people including the sorcerer are needed in the ritual. Because of that the team that attacked Amai-san also got called back. And then, they did the ritual right after they arrived butâŠâŠI donât know whether it was intentional or not but there is an error in the legend of the âmirrorâ. It can do the summoning but itâs not something that can also forcefully enslave them.ă
Of course, Richardâs group had also prepared insurance. Other than the âmirrorâ they had also prepared sorcery for control and also engraved the magic circle for that. The countless magic circles in the underground room were for that.
But, perhaps it was just as to be expected from mythological creature. That thing was powerful by halves in a sense. Richardâs group was unable to enslave it, instead their insurance only caused it to become hostile and rampaging.
ăWait a second, Mister Nagumo. Why did Richardâs group summon âThose Who Followâ in the first place?ă
ăTo act as substitute for a guide. They thought that if itâs a mythological creature then perhaps it can lead them to where the âgod of gateâ is. Those things are servant race. Perhaps thereâs a specimen that is working for the âgod of gateâ. In that caseâŠâŠthat was what went in their mind. Other than that, even if they failed with their sacrificial ritual, if they can control âOne Who Followâ, theyâll be able to dos something like massacring the residents of a city. With that theyâll be able to collect souls. Thatâs what went through their heads.ă
ăI, I seeâŠâŠă
Sorry to interrupt,
Agent J apologized while the color of his face worsened when he imagined the disastrous scene if that scheme succeeded. No, all the others also looked like they were in worsened mood.
ăWell, perhaps thatâs why they got divine punishment falling on them. They failed in enslaving it. Everyone other than Richard got swallowed, and Richard himself was in danger. But, miraculously help came at that timing. That wasâŠâŠă
ăUmu, it was me. I didnât have the slightest intention to help him but, the âOne Who Followâ had to be prevented from coming out of the underground no matter the cost. For the sake of the people living in the city.ă
After learning about the attack on Amai, Sathla took absent from the company without permission to chase after the magicians. And then, she ran into the emergency situation where âOne Who Followâ overflowed.
Therefore, she voluntarily leaped into the sea of slime. It was to pacify and hold it back using her telepathy empathy in full force.
She was wearing loose suits because at that time she was in the form of the driver Yamada. Because she was using all her strength, and also in order to resist the slime that was trying to swallow her, she couldnât afford to spare her focus on transforming her clothes too to suit her current appearance.
ăBy the way, another beings also got mixed up by accident at that time.ă
ăAh, do you mean the demons who were pursuing them!?ă
Yes, the multiple demons who got requested by Aiko and enthusiastically started following the attackers also arrived here. And then, they tried to resist similarly like the bodyguard demon and got swallowed completely.
They couldnât make the swift decision of beating a hasty retreat in order to prioritize bringing back information, or depending on the situation assisting their comrade to escape by sacrificing themselves. Instead they all went ăWhatâs the deal with you bastard, you want a piece of me huuh!?ă and rushed the slime like a thug. Truly an act befitting intermediate level demon.
The demons who werenât recognized as elite by Hajime still needed more education.
Everyone must be able to imagine it somehow. Aikoâs expression became really conflicted even as she guessed the correct answer. Yue and others too also looked conflicted as they listened. Everything connected inside their minds and they nodded ăI seeă.
ăâŠâŠIn short the demons got absorbed there, and specimens who have their knowledge and intelligence got born.ă
ăTheyâre still demons even if only intermediate rank after all~. Thereâs no way normal human can compare to them from how long theyâve lived or the amount of their knowledge desuu. Itâs easy to imagine how specimens can be born from them.ă
ăAnd then they made their escape with their own judgment. Is that it?ă
ăPlease wait, Shizuku. Saying that they escaped isâŠâŠbecause they came to Japan right? Intentionally at that. To say that itâs an accident that they escaped there isâŠâŠă
Liliana tilted her head with question in her expression. Hajime nodded. She pointed at a good point.
ăThe reason is simple. They too sought the âbookâ.ă
Even though they were âThose Who Followâ didnât mean they could go to where the âgod of gateâ was unconditionally. Or perhaps the guess of Richardâs group was off the mark and there was no brethren of them at the side of the âgod of gateâ.
In any case, they also had the same feeling like Richardâs group in wanting to run away from the destruction. It was fine to also call that their survival instinct.
ăThey got that idea exactly because they obtained the demonsâ memoriesââthe knowledge about us. âItâs possible if itâs the princessââShe definitely has itââBecause itâs the princess after allâ They thought.ă
ăEh? Me, eh? What?ă
ăWrong. Itâs not Lily. Thereâs one person that the demons called princess.ă
Everyoneâs gaze turned toward Myuu. Myuuâs gaze was looking everywhere but at them. This was the most flustered she had ever looked.
ăM-Myuu might have itâŠâŠnano. Perhaps, surelyâŠâŠm-meibii~?ă(TN: The maybe is said in English)
Myuu poked her fingers together while smiling vaguely.
Everyone other than Hajime and Remia went ăUwaaă half in admiration and half feeling creeped out. Hajime and Remia seemed to have already reached the stage of acceptance. They were looking up to the ceiling with clear smiles
ăMyuu got it not from wanting it nano! In the first place Myuu first found it inside papaâs underground workshop! Myuu thought it was papaâs book!ă
ăâŠâŠPaa~rdoun?ă(TN: Pardon)
For some reason father & daughter spoke in English. Papaâs eyes shrunk into dots.
ăRemember, when Yue-oneechan and Kaori-oneechan entered the game world! At that time, the book fell inside papaâs workshopâŠ..eh? Come to think of it, why did Myuu bring it to Myuuâs room after that?ă
Fumyu?
Myuu folded her arms and tilted her head. Apparently she herself didnât understand.
Hajime suddenly thought. At that time, the VR game artifact had many layers of safeties put in it even though it was still just a prototype. And yet it ran wild despite all those safety measures. From the traces he thought that the cause must be from Kaoriâs disintegration magic butâŠâŠ
Could it beâŠâŠ?
He shook his head because it was no use to think about it right nw. Hajime connected the space here to Myuuâs room with âgateâ using the Crystal Key. He then held Myuu and instantly returned home & returned back.
ăTo think itâs normally placed in the bookshelvesâŠâŠthe fact that even we didnât notice it, in other words itâs because itâs a âbookâ isnât it.ă
Hajime was using the liquid metal formed into a tentacle to grab one book like it was holding something unclean. Disgusted voices likeăHiihă or ăUheeă slipped out from Atsushi and Nana and others.
It was only natural. After all no matter how they looked that âbookâ was bound in human skin.
It had no foreign presence like the âbookâ at the Christmas incident but, that was exactly why it felt eerie instead.
ăMyuu, youâŠâŠdonât feel unwell or anything right?ă
ăMyu! None at all nano!ă
ăYou are really alright are you? Do you remember anything strange or the like? Because Myuu, you normally accept even things that mama and others think is strangeâŠâŠă
Remia placed her hand on the cheek of her daughter who was being held by Hajime with a worried look. Then,
Nn~?
Myuu who was searching her memory of anything that might apply suddenly raised her voice ăAhă.
ăIt might be like mamaâs hand?ă
ăYes?ă
ăErr, how should Myuu say it, like it somehow feels warmâŠâŠwhen this book is inside Myuuâs room, it feels like being protected and the room is like softly pleasantâŠâŠmyuu~, itâs hard to describe nano. But, it never felt unpleasant nano! There was also nothing strange happening nano!ă
ăT-that so? Then itâs fine thoughă
To feel the sense of peacefulness like the warmth from a motherâs hand from this kind of unpleasant bookâŠâŠ
Remia wordlessly looked down on her hand. Next, she unthinkingly tried pressing her hand on Hajimeâs cheek.
ăâŠâŠRemia, donât worry. The texture of your hand is normally comfortable. By no means it feels the same like this book of human skin.ă
ăI-is that soâŠâŠthatâs goodâŠâŠă
Remia-san looked relieved from the bottom of her heart and took Myuu into her arms, then she lightheartedly withdrew. Agent J unconsciously muttered ăCuteâŠâŠă and his eyes followed her. J slapped his head.
ăAstonishingâŠâŠto think that you possess a âtextââŠâŠă
Sathla murmured in a daze. Her voice was radiating astonishment wholeheartedly. Hajime turned a questioning gaze toward her and she coughed.
ăItâs a book related to the god of sea. In the fictive mythos itâs mentioned as the âRâlyeh Textâ. I heard that the method to summon the âgod of gateâ is also recorded in it.ă
Itâs also my first time seeing the actual thing,
Sathla said with her gaze fixed on it. Though right away she groaned ăUuă and averted her gaze from it.
It seemed to have some kind of effect to her. Hajime and others didnât seem to be particularly bothered by it, but the agentsâ complexions were starting to worsen, so for the time being he enveloped it in liquid metal as a simple seal.
At the same time, from near the wall ăAmai-san! As expected thatâs too much!ăăYouâre already drinking around a liter of it!ă Aiko and Kaoriâs voices could be heard.
Apparently she relied on cafĂ© au lait again once the âtextâ entered her sight. ăUâŠâŠumm, can I go relieve myself to take a break or somethingâŠâŠă Amai-san asked with a pleading gaze at Hajime but, ăNo. Just let it oută Hajime replied coldheartedly.
Usually someone would tsukkomi-ed ăDelicacy!ă here but, certainly right now wasnât the time for that so they could only have Amai-san obediently accepted the situation.
Or rather, even Sathla who was half a mythos creature was influenced when she stared at the text, and yet she could endure it completely as long as she had sugary taste, an ordinary person who hadnât gone through any particular special trainingâŠâŠwas she really?
ăFufu, this is exactly why I thought you could become my lord butâŠâŠIâm sorry, Amai-kun. I have found another lord to serve.ă
ăWhy is it like Iâm being dumped here? Iâll kick you, Yamada.ă
ăItâs Sathla. Please refrain from kicking me. I heard that your kick broke the wing of a Shantak-bird. I donât believe I wish to be on the receiving end of it.ă
ăT-that was an accident! It was just a coincidence that happened-ă
Apparently it was a coincidence. The bus guide-san calling herself an ordinary person apparently had the experience of breaking the bone of a mythological creature with her kickâŠâŠ
Everyoneâs gaze looked at her with astonishment like ăThatâs a creature of the fiction mythos like that slime, right?ăăDoing that with a kick? No way rightâŠâŠă or ăSheâs not just the elusive bus guide-san?ă filling their eyes.
ăHey, that ordinary person title is just self-styled isnâtâŠâŠă
ăIâm an ordinary person-ă
Amai-san yelled tearfully at Yuuka. Unshakeable will of not wanting to be thought as a comrade of the Explorers even if it killed her could be seen. Perhaps this was the source of her survival ability.
ăLetâs get back on topic.ă
In any case, the âbookâ had been safely recovered. There was a need to once again investigate this âtextâ thing in detail later but, for now it was put aside.
Hajime turned a part of the liquid metal into artifact that sealed the thing heavily while continuing the talk.
ăRichard failed in making the âOne Who Followâ submit but, perhaps it should be called as a silver lining. Due to Sathla, it was successfully sealed in some manner in this underground even though unintentionally.ă
And that was also a great chance to once more trying to enslave it.
Even Richard didnât know what Sathla did to it, but he understood that Sathlaâs power was restraining the âOne Who Followâ. And so,
ăIf he can control Sathla, heâll also be able to control the âOne Who Followâ indirectly. Thereâs still a chance. Because of that idea, Richard returned to the village that he should have abandoned.ă
ăâŠâŠ! I see-, the ghoulification! Magical control is easier to be applied to those with weak will, and ghoulified people donât have clear willâŠâŠhe tried to controlSathla by turning her into a ghoul!ă
Kousuke spoke with a gasp. The color of understanding also spread in the expressions of others after hearing that. At the same time Sathla also nodded.
ăPerhaps it should be called half-ghoul transformation instead to be more accurate. âMind controlâ has little effect unless the target is being terribly shaken up or insane, or unless their will is extremely weakened. Also, thereâs the possibility that he will lose the ability to restrain the âOne Who Followâ by completely turning me into a ghoul. That guy must be thinking like that. There is no doubt that he planned to adjust the ghoulification process skillfully to be able to enslave me.ă
Either way, there was no doubt that it was a gamble of all or nothing, Sathla said with a shrug.
ăSo itâs like thatâŠâŠI completely thought that his main objective was taking back that âbeast monsterâ. That perhaps he planned to throw an uncontrollable monster to another uncontrollable monster as a way to deal with them. Ah, come to think of it, Nagumo.ă
ăWhat?ă
ăHow did Richard summon the âbeast monsterâ? Itâll be a threat if he can summon it again, so we should at least crush that method beforehand.ă
Well, he didnât bring it out in the fight before this, so perhaps he canât do it.
Kousuke muttered while looking down at Richard. He then looked startled.
Because Richard-san, was now wearing something like a silver helmet before anyone realized.
It was like, that. Like those people in internet wearing aluminum hat to block signal from alien. Though there was a liquid metal slithering right near him, so he was like a person who got something done to him by an alien instead though.
Just in case, it was an artifact to observe the interference from the âgod of gateâ. At the same time, the instant he showed any intent to attack, it was also a restriction tool that would shoot tentacle needle to go wild in his brain.
It was also Hajimeâs way to be considerate for MCB who would investigate Richard after this, so they wouldnât be at the receiving end of a painful counterattack butâŠâŠ
Kousuke and co thought,
Thatâs nastyâŠâŠ
ăSo, the âbeast monsterââŠâŠapparently these guys named it the âHoundâ but, no need to worry. Thatâs their precioussaving.ă
ăAs, as I thought huh.ă
ăIt was summoned with a âtool of powerâ similar to the âbookâ but, it canât be used anymore. Richard didnât get attacked by it because a âmark that weaken the influence of timeâ was engraved on his body.ă
The âbeast monsterâ in the fictive mythology lurked in âthe end of time of the far away pastâ, then by doing something like going upstream to the past using secret medicine like âtime return drugâ and the like it emerged from acute angle. But, about the emergence condition, it was a manipulation from the Explorers.
In reality the right interpretation was âdisseminating secret drug that
disturb
time in the airâ.
The âtool of powerâ in Richardâs possession, with its ability it disseminated secret drug to a fixed range like a sprayerââin other words, it was a tool that could disturb the âtimeâ within a certain range even if only subtly.
In the first place the secret drugâs remaining amount was only enough for one time use, and even that remaining amount was little so the effective range was limited inside the church.
ăI see? Well, for now Iâll take it to mean that thereâs no worry of him doing a surprise summon.ă
Kousuke wasnât that knowledgeable about the fictive mythos so â?â floated above his head, even so he at least understood the conclusion and let out a sigh of relieve.
ăEven so, half-ghoulification huhâŠâŠah, could it be, this paper scrap is for that? âŠâŠIs this also a âbookâ?ă
The room deep inside the underground where they found the âOne Who Followâ. The âold paper scrapâ collected from there by a clone and was currently being sealed by the techniques of Hinata, Zhu, and Claudia. He showed it.
ăYeah, thatâs right. To be more accurate itâs a part of it. The main part isâŠâŠSathla, it was your doing right?ă
ăYeah, itâs me. I burned it when I stole the âmanuscriptââŠâŠor it should be.ă
Sathla muttered with a tone that oozed a strong feeling of embarrassment. She was looking down with both of her trembling fists clenched tightly.
ăâCultes des GoulesââŠâŠitâs simply called the âscripturesâ among the Explorers. Itâs a âbookâ but not a product of the gods. An existence like me created it magically far away in the pastâŠâŠyes, so to say itâs a âgrimoireâ.ă
The âbooksâ were said to be invulnerable unless it was by the hand of specialist, and even if someone managed to damage it the repulsive mystique concealed within would go wild and cause immense damage. But unlike those, the âgrimoireâ could be burned with high ranked sorcery.
ăI never thought, that they would cut off only the necessary parts for the ghoulificationâŠâŠ. Although the âscripturesâ are a âbookâ with more than ten parts, even so a âbookâ should be something thatâs worth more than their life for a magicianâŠâŠno, Iâm just making excuse. It was completely my blunder.ă
Sathla looked dejected.
The one who placed her hand on the shoulder of such Sathla to console her was Rana. Her hand was trembling a bit, but she was definitely holding Sathlaâs shoulder strongly.
Sathla turned her face in surprise and saw Ranaâs wide grin.
It was clear to see even from the side how happy that made Sathla. Because, her hair shined in iridescent color and started wriggling.
ăEven if the result wasnât perfect, it didnât change the fact that you took action for the sake of others. Thatâs an amazing thing that deserves praise.ă
Even though Rana almost jumped back in fright, she didnât even twitch using her first wife spirit. Not only that, Rana-san even caressed Sathlaâs hair. Seriously what a first wife.
Ooo~
, voices of admiration rose from out of nowhere.
Sathla-sanâs iridescent hair swished like dogâs tail. It didnât stop there and spread out *fwoosh* next. Then the hair enveloped Rana in a hug.
From the side it was a sight that looked completely like a monster devouring a human, even so Rana-sanâs smile didnât break down. Though a trickle of cold sweat slid down slo~wly.
ăâŠ..Fuh, not bad.ă
Seeing that even the senior first wife Yue-sama also smiled widely. No, it must be also be filled with genuine praise toward Sathla. As proof sympathy could also be glimpsed from Hajimeâs gaze toward her.
ăWell, she isnât wrong. This so called âgod of gateâ isnât just a delusion of a cult. Itâs definitely an existence that possess foreign and vast power. Even just a case of âThose Who Followâ flooding the streets is enough to be called the worst case butâŠâŠif by some chance this âgod of gateâ get summoned in the city, just imagining it makes me shudder. âŠâŠYour deed is quiet heroic.ă
ăYeah, itâs just as Nagumo said. Everyone is safe thanks to Sathla.ă
Kousuke also placed his hand on her other shoulder. It didnât stop with just him. Even Agent J and K also sent her thankful looks. That broke the dam and the others also gave her thankful looks and comments.
Myuu and Hinata even ran toward her and held her hands.
Although they couldnât wipe away their instinctual feeling of repulsion, they suppressed it with their emotion and will. No, they surpassed it. The atmosphere that balked at Sathlaâs existence had been wiped away from everyone here.
Sathla let out a heated sigh. She was deeply moved by the warmth from the hands of the children holding her hands.
And then,
ăIn my long livesâŠâŠsometimes people like you all appeared even though rarely.ă
Her lips slowly loosened.
ăâŠâŠThatâs why, I canât come to hate human.ă
She muttered so. Her tone was filled with a flood of emotions. It was like that sentence was stuffed with Sathlaâs whole life until now.
Without the skills that she had spent hundreds of years desperately learning, she would simply be a foreign existence who was causing feeling of revulsion in others instinctually just by existing.
She was neither a monster nor a human. But, she was also both a monster and a human.
They didnât know just how long she had been living until now, but they didnât even need to think to know that the path she had walked until now must be far from smooth.
Even so she was an âExplorerâ. She became an existence at the side that protected human. By her own will.
The meaning of that was surely so deep and heavy that others couldnât possibly measure.
ăNow thenă
While everyone was soaking in harmonious feeling, Hajime clapped his hands loudly to change the atmosphere.
ăAnd thatâs the chain of events until now. Anyone has a question?ă
Of course, there were a lot of things that they wanted to ask.
Especially Agent J and K. According to Richard there were also other organizations that worshipped other gods, and authentic magician organizations actually existing for real wasnât something that they couldnât turn a blind eye to.
But, it was also a fact that there were too many things they wanted to ask that it made them bewildered.
In any case, this was the thing that they ought to ask first. They asked Hajime with such thought.
ăâŠâŠHajime. The âgod of gateâ, and also the gods from outer spaceâŠâŠwhat do you think they are?ă
They didnât know. Even âThose Who Followâ who became Hajimeâs servants, and even Sathla who was a daughter of a being that was a lord to them answered like that. They only knew that those gods were visitors who came from outside this universe, from outside this world.
Even though she already heard that, Yueâs eyes were looking at Hajime as though seeing through him.
ăâŠâŠ.You at least have a guess even if no definite evidence. Isnât thatright?ă
Eh? Is that so!?
Such surprised gazes all turned toward Hajime. Sathlaâs shock was especially conspicuous.
Hajimeâs expression turned troubled and he scratched his head. Because Yue hit the bullâs eye.
ăWell, certainly I got the thought âcould it beâ in my head. But, in the end itâs just a conjecture. Itâs not something that I should go out of my way to say.ă
ăâŠâŠBut, I want to hear it. Thinking âI donât know at allâ is worrying. But, even if itâs a wrong guess in the end, just being told that âHajime has an ideaâ is heartening to us.ă
Shia and others nodded really enthusiastically at Yueâs words. Kousuke and others also sighed *fuh* and nodded. Even those with shallow relationship to him like Agent J, Hidzuki, Zhu, Sathla, and others didnât deny it. They were looking at Hajime with eyes shining in admiration and deep interest.
Hajime raised his hands in surrender. And then,
ăThis is really just a conjecture in the end okay? Donât get strangely fixated on it even after you hear it.ă
After prefacing with that, he turned his gaze to outside the window and glared at beyond the sky. He opened his mouth.
ăGods from outer universe, mythological creaturesâŠâŠIâm thinking whether these things are related to the âcalamity worldâ.ă
Confusion, doubt, surpriseâŠâŠvarious emotions surfaced. The confusion came from those who didnât know about the âcalamity worldâ.
Hajime continued with a simple explanation of the basic knowledge, especially for the agents.
ăIâve mentioned before but, the âcalamity worldâ itself exists. But, itâs the fact that the natural way of things there is crumbling. Even the compass get horrible noises and canât see or feel anything there. We donât know anything about it other than âit is existingâ.ă
You all follow so far?
Hajime asked with his gaze looking around. Agent J and others looked like they wanted to say that they didnât follow at all but, for now they read the atmosphere and stayed quiet.
ăConcept magic is the ultimate way to interfere with the underlying principles of cosmos. For the compass that is one of them being unable to detect is the greatest proof that âthe natural way of things in the calamity world is breaking downâ. Thatâs my thinking.ă
Hajime once tried using the compass to search if there were visitors from the âcalamity worldâ, in other word survivors other than Ehito in the other worlds. But the result went without saying. There was no existence like that.
ăBut, but if. In a world where the concepts of time and space, the gravity and soul, the inorganic and organic and information crumbled, creating an environment that we canât possibly even imagine, and thereâs existence who changed and survived there? That can be said as âexistence removed from the underlying principles of cosmosâ isnât it?ă
ăâŠâŠDonât tell meâŠâŠthatâs why the compass doesnât react?ă
ăSuch thingâŠâŠno, itâs consistent with what we know? Rather, why didnât I think of that kind of possibility?ă
Yue fell into thought with a serious expression. Kousuke looked exasperated toward himself saying ăWhy did I erase the existence of the calamity world from my mindâŠâŠă.
ăIn the first place, even the information of the natural way of things breaking down itself is not something Iâve actually confirmed. Itâs a world where that Ehito originated. It wonât be strange even if they have a way to prevent detection using concept magic.ă
ăEe!? Youâre saying that the calamity world might not have perished desuu!?ă
ăAs expected thatâŠâŠjust not possible isnât it? I canât imagine that Ehito went out of his way to lie about that when he fought Hajime-kunâŠâŠă
ăThatâs true. Thereâs no meaning for him to speak of a fake story at that timeâŠâŠă
Shia, Kaori, and Shizuku looked half convinced and half doubting. Hajime smiled wryly and said ăIn the end itâs just a possibilityă.
ăThe problem is, thereâs no way to ascertainâŠâŠto be more accurate, the risk to ascertain it is too high.ă
ăThere art that. After all itâs a place where the underlying principles of cosmos are brokenâŠâŠă
ăThereâs also no way we can go to the actual place. After all if we go there, thereâs the risk that the principle of our technique will become completely unusable.ă
ăEven just connecting the space here to there will be dangerous wonât itâŠâŠwe donât know what kind of influence will spread from there to here.ă
It was just as Tio, Aiko, and Liliana said. That was the reason why they were ignoring the âcalamity worldâ until now. It was the reason why that world wasnât included in the âWorld Treeâs Branches Resurrection Planâ. And it was the reason why it didnât come up in their talk until now because that place was âthe same as not existingâ to them.
If there was serious negative influence to the whole ânine universesâ just from the absent of the calamity worldâs great tree then there would be a need to do something, but they thought it was unneeded after looking at how the fairy world recovered.
Then, there was no need to poke at the bush and risking a snake jumping out.
And if it was Kousuke who wasnât even fully involved with the âWorld Treeâs Branches Resurrection Planâ then it was no wonder that the matter slipped out of his mind. And it applied even more to Claudia and others who had only a smattering knowledge about it.
Everyone fell into thought, or looking at each other in bewilderment wondering how they should think about this. Creases between their eyebrows deepened while,
ăâForeign presenceâ âEnd of the worldâ âGathering strength to escapeââŠâŠeach one feels like a term that can be applied to the âcalamity worldâ. Thatâs my
first
conjecture.ă
Hajime said that.
Hm?
Everyone lifted up their heads. ăThe first?ă They also tilted their heads.
ăA-as expected from boss. You have other guesses than that?ă
Just how many thoughts were running inside his head in this short time? Rana asked in confirmation with feeling of awe filling her voice.
ăThe next conjecture is even more absurd thoughâŠâŠă
Hajime must be feeling uncomfortable to keep saying things that he had no definite proof of. He folded his arms and showed an expression that could even be seen as displeased.
Agent J and others who already couldnât keep up with the talk from a long time ago were thinking ăWe can only ask them to tell us about this more in detail laterâŠâŠă while their gazes were turning distant. Meanwhile,
ăPerhaps, the outer space here meansââă
Just as Hajime was about to finish his sentence, it was then.
ăăăăăăăââ!?ăăăăăăă
Hajime and others all lifted up their heads in a snap.
Hinata, Takehiko, Claudia, and Zhu opened their eyes wide in shock. The expressions of Ryuutarou and others were convulsing. Hajime and Kousuke and others quickly raised their guard while radiating a grim atmosphere.
ăW-what? Whatâs going on?ă
ăEveryone, whatâs the matter?ă
Agent J and K were confused by the sudden change in Hajime and others. No, perhaps their bewilderment because they themselves were getting goosebumps and feeling intense chill.
Just one person, Hidzuki who wasnât showing any considerable interest even at Hajime and others sorting out their thought answered the question while putting on a wide smile.
ăSomethingâŠâŠart comingă
Yes, a great power suddenly appeared in the sky, a power so great that even Agent J and K who were still nothing more than ordinary people in the perspective of the supernatural side could detect based on the feeling on their skin.
Right after that, hurried footsteps could be heard. Followed immediately by a loud sound *bam* as the door opened. It was one of MCBâs soldier who was standing guard outside.
ăR-reporting! Thereâs something like a vortex of light at the sky!ă
ăWhat? Whatâre you saying! Be more detailed with your report!ă
ăNo, but! I can only describe it like that!! Right above us, around 300 meters in the sky a vortex of light appeared!!ă
ăW-whatâs going onâŠâŠ?ă
J looked toward Hajime asking for help.
Hajime kept his eyes fixed at the ceiling as though he was seeing through it and only said one word.
ăYueă
He called.
ăNn-ă
She answered in harmony like usual. Right after that, everyoneâs field of vision changed. Everyone was instantly teleported to outdoorââto the buildingâs rooftop using Yueâs spatial movement that didnât need a âgateâ.
ăUoh!? W-weâre outside!?ă
ăI-is that teleportationâŠâŠbut, donât you need a membrane of light for itâŠâŠă
J and K who were completely confused were left behind as Hajime and others all glared to above.
There was certainly a vortex of light ahead of their gazes. Pure white light with a radius around 100 meters was whirling.
It was like a small galaxy. It was a sight so sublime and beautiful that could make one held their breath.
At the same time, donât mention Ryuutarouâs group, even Kousukeâs group was sweating rivers from sensing the vast amount of energy there.
Even without looking around to confirm, it was to easy to sense that MCB troops, the cops blockading the surrounding, and the people outdoor outside the blockaded area and the people inside the surrounding buildings were all dumbfounded in blank amazement. They were looking shocked and entranced. Or perhaps they were losing the strength in their waists and fell on their bottoms from feeling overwhelmed by the presence of the vortex.
ăO-oi oi, donât tell meâŠâŠitâs not the âgod of gateâ whatever descending right?ă
They didnât feel any unpleasant presence from the vortex itself. Rather they even felt holiness from it.
Buit, the timing was just too suspicious. It was understandable that Kousukeâs expression was twitching uncontrollably, and that Rana and Ryuutarou and others were gulping and thinking ăNo wayă when they heard that.
Hajime ignored that and narrowed his eyes.
ăâŠâŠItâs similar. To the âgateâ connecting to the âHoly Precinctâ.ă
ăăăăăAhăăăăă
Shia and others all let their voices slipped out. Because it was certainly similar. With the whirling âgateâ of light that Ehito created during the final battle at Tortus.
ăâŠâŠNn. The principle is similar. But, itâs not magic power.ă
ăYeah. If I have to say which it isâŠâŠă
Hajime was using his magic stone eye and Yue her sublimation magic âInformation Penetrationâ to analyze the phenomenon, but it was just as they expected. Apparently they didnât have much time for leeway.
The vortex of light shined even brighter. It was followed by fierce flickering and sparks that were like lightning that the âdivine gateâ didnât have started running all over it.
The vortex of light was rotating in systematic circular motion and constant speed, but then it collapsed as though it was under some kind of interference and the space started to visibly distort.
And then, a small hole opened. At the center, there was a hole that looked like a small black dot.
Instantly, black something that looked like miasma burst out. And then a repulsive presence poured down. That was undoubtedly a foreign feeling that felt similar to the âbeast monsterâ and âThose Who Followâ.
ăKaori, Lily, Claudia, Hinata, focus on barrier, purification, and healing. Aiko, Tio, protect everyoneâs mind. Rana, Sakamoto, and everyone else evacuate and protect MCB troops and civilians.ă
Hajime gave instructions rapidly. Nobody objected or asked question. Even those whose name werenât called naturally understood their role more than was said. It was because Hajimeâs intention was conveyed by something similar to telepathy.
Remia and Myuu caught Amai-san who was about to bolt off like startled rabbit even now and told her ăTeleportation is faster!ă. Agent J and K also had Takehiko and Kiyotake at their side. Yue and others were already combat ready too.
ăEndou, erase your presence. Iâll signal you depending on the situation.ă
ăThatâs the domain of my vocation âAssassinâ. Leave it to me.ă
Kousukeâs presence was receding like a bad joke. No, it was like he stopped existing.
ăSathla. I might ask your support in case conversation is possible.ă
ăI-Iâm not confident but, if thatâs what you wish then Iâll give it a try.ă
Perhaps, having conversation or anything will be impossible thoughâŠâŠ
thought Sathla and nodded even while her face was turning pale from instinctual fear.
As though it was the signal, the black hole widened drastically. No, perhaps it should be described as eroding the vortex of light.
Sound vanished. Or that was how it felt because of the mysterious silence that appeared.
And then, from the black hole that was fringed by ring of sunlight like a solar eclipse, that appeared.
A giant body wrapped in black ominous mist. Perhaps it even reached ten meters?
It could perhaps be seen as humanoid, with gelatin-like texture of deep green color, but the thingâs shape was so profane it caused the urge to vomit to rise inside.
Countless tentacles entangled with each other in complicated ways to form the head part. Multiple eyes were fixed there in disorderly positioning. Leftover tentacles were placed in position to make them looked like beard. Seen from afar its shape looked similar to octopus.
The lower body was diminished like it had atrophied, and yet its two arms alone were swelling wide and long with sharp claws.
It also had body parts that looked like bat wings, but they werenât moving. And yet, it slowly moved out from the black hole with unmoving straight posture. Its body didnât move at the slightest like it was a puppet being lowered down from a crane.
It was just too bizarre. Just about everything of it felt bizarre and foreign and distorted.
Not only that, just from it existing there made the air felt like it had dozens of times more mass. Just from looking at it made a violent urge for yelling out rushed through them even now.
ăThatâsâŠâŠcould it be the âStar-SpawnââŠâŠ?ă
Sathla muttered almost unconsciouslyââright after that.
Its focus turned here. Even though it wasnât budging an inch, it could be felt clearly.
The focus of a new monster turned toward Hajime!
Power, presence of bloodcurdling power swelled up explosively. It was radiating something that contained malicious intent.
Everyone reflexively started moving to accomplish their respective role.
Yue left the protection of the surrounding to Kaori and others as she deployed space isolation barrier to protect Hajime alone.
Even at such time Hajime didnât lose his composure. Far from that his atmosphere became even colder as he watched with the eyes of observer. His hands moved in order to do somethingââ
However, he didnât finish.
Why?
Because something completely unforeseen that shaken even Hajime as expected happened in an instant.
ââYou dare taking off your eyes from me
ăAa?ă
ăăăăăEh?ăăăăă
Because a voice suddenly resounded. Furthermore, the voice that felt familiar somehow was speaking in Kansai dialect!
ââOi, wait! Cool off a little-
ââYour opponent is~~~~-
Next there was also a somber voice of an uncle! The voice sounded like it was trying to calming down the other, but the Kansai dialect voiceâs voltage only went up!
Like that.
ăThis me dammiiââââââtt!!ă
A part of the black hole dispersed and the vortex of light appeared once more. A white silhouette flew out from there like a comet.
It seemed the silhouette instantly broke the sound barrier. It created white film and the sound of sonic boom from the air exploding reverberated.
Instantly, the Rider *ick style kick attack from the white silhouette magnificently slammed on the back of the monsterâs head.
Ripples of dark red magic power radiated like shock waves. It was accompanied by a thunderous sound and the monster was blown away.
Because the attack also came from diagonally above angle-wise, the monster passed over above the head of Hajime and co like a cannonball. It pulverized a part of the rooftop while charging toward the road.
The attackâs might must be really great. The crash caused vibration like there was earthquake, sound like an explosion going off thundered, asphalt was smashed apart and a crater was formed.
ăHah, you loser. Can you believe thereâs an idiot who dare turning his back toward an enemy!ă
At the location where the monster was located a moment ago, now there was a rabbit with magnificent rabbit ears being swept back casually.
Red eyes, fluffy fur, and then abnormally developed back legs that were even wearing magnificent leg armor.
Seeing that figure, Hajime, and also Suzu whose relationship with that figure was quite deep yelled together despite their shaken up minds.
ăInaba!?ă
ăInaba-san!?ă
Yes, it was the unique specimen of âKick Rabbitâ who continuously drank the âGod Waterâ that Hajime spilled in the bottom of hell, obtained intelligence and sense of self, and further became strong from accumulating training due to his admiration toward Hajime.
At the final battle he formed a familiar contract with Suzu and by surviving the battle in the âHoly Precinctâ he became a famous rabbit overnight that he even got mentioned in history bookââInaba.
For some reason there was a scar over his eye, and it somewhat felt like his appearance was becoming increasingly overpoweringâŠâŠ
ăOu! My king and Suzu-han! Everyone else is also present! Long time no see!ă
Inaba spread out ripples of magic power midair even while expressing his joy like he was doing tap dance. It looked like his expression hadnât changed. Apparently it was without a doubt the actual personââthe actual rabbit.
In respond even Yue and others became unable to close their gaping wide mouths.
Even those who had never seen Inaba before had their eyes shrinking into dots seeing a talking rabbit jumping on the air.
And there a follow-up mental attack hit their minds again.
ăDaa~~h, someone like you, how can you be so reckless like thată
From the small vortex of light where Inaba leaped out from, one more thing came out. It was a manta shaped flying vehicle (?) about the size of an armful while exasperated voice came out from it.
Inside the cockpit that was filled with water was a fish with the somber face of an uncle.
It looked like a floating pyramid object was following behind it but, nobody had the leeway to pay attention to it. Because, it was the second bomb of getting reunited with an acquaintance that should never happen in this way in this place.
Of course, Hajime and, this time it was Myuu& Shia yelled while still feeling shaken up.
ăăăLee-san!!?ăăă
ăOu, Hajime boy and little missy Myuu. Little miss Shia and others are here too, long time no see huh.ă
They couldnât keep up anymore. Lee-sanâs exclusive aerial and underwater submarine Triana too felt like its shape had changed a little.
ăâŠâŠI heard that you went out with Inaba two or three months ago and went dark completely but, as expected this is just unforeseen.ă
Before the trip during the holiday day at Tortus with just the two of them, they heard from Lee-sanâs wife Margarita-neesan, that Lee-sanâs wanderlust came out again butâŠâŠ
To think, they would appear from inside a âgateâ where a monster came from and got reunited on earth. Who could possibly imagined such possibility?
Even Yue was holding her head at her witsâ end seeing this.
Margarita, your husbandâs wanderlust is so extreme he wandered until other worldâŠâŠ
If she reported this to her, she could picture her snapping completely.
ăO-oi, Inaba. And Lee-san too. Just what in the world is going on here?ă
ăAa~, about thisââă
ăTalk later! Itâs coming!! That guy too ainâtgonna die just from that!ă
The worst presence swelled up once more as though to wash away the mountains of questions and confusion.
The monster changed its flesh body with bubbling sounds, no, it was regenerating while crawling out, then it immediately floated up to the air.
Furthermore, another monster appeared from the black hole. And then one more.
Apparently it wasnât a unique specimen despite having such warped and foreign presence.
ăâŠâŠYou called it a âspawnâă
Hajime who didnât miss Sathlaâs muttering instantly switched expression. The face that was filled with bewilderment and agitation turned serious with all emotions falling off from it.
Yue and others also pulled themselves together and entered combat readiness. Lee-san raised his voice to give them information about the enemy.
ăBe careful Hajime boy! These guys are tough! In addition it has age of god magic classââă
But, those words immediately stopped.
Because the âspawnsâ kept appearing until there were eight of them? Because distortion like noise appeared over the black hole and immediately only the vortex of light remained?
No.
ăLetâs test them a little.ă
It was because Hajime radiated that powerful presence again in contrast to his calm tone.
The âspawnsâ also reacted and radiated dreadful power in opposition, but there was no change to Hajimeâs expression. Donner & Schlag had been in his handsâ grasp before anyone realized.
ăIf thereâs friendly source of informationââyou guys are unnecessary right?ă
The triggers were pulled.
Nobody knew when they were pulled. But, when they realized Hajimeâs arms were crossed, and when they realized bullets were fired, and when they realized the bullets were hitting.
And then, the result of that was,
ââ!!?!!?!??
Screams that were oozing with horrible bewilderment rose from the monsters.
The cause was clear from what everyone could see. The eight monsters each was being surrounded by a sphere of light.
They could somehow see particles of light were rotating chaotically in high speed inside the spheres.
The âspawnsâ writhed. They swung around their tentacles and arms, spouted out ominous miasma, changing their form and even shape continuously while emitting some kind of ability.
But, the spheres of light didnât break. It didnât even allow escape. Far from that the screams of the âspawnsâ were deepening as time passed and even from outside it could be seen that their frustration was growing.
ăN-NagumoâŠâŠwhatâs, that? What did you do?ă
Kousuke forgot to even turn invisible and asked in a daze.
Yue and others also wanted to know that. After all it was a technique that they saw for the first time.
Hajime didnât let his guard down and kept his gaze fixed, no, he observed the phenomenon that he caused and the reaction of the âspawnsâ because of it in detail while answering.
ăItâs a reproduction of âDragonâs Veinâ in super limited range using the bullets as the starting point.ă
Warhead artifact that was a composite of âTreasure Warehouseâ and âGod Crystalâ. Contained within it was enormous amount of âwillpowerâ. A barrier was produced the moment the special bullet hit and the inside was released, locking the target together with it.
ăInside there is an environment that is practically the same with âDragonâs Veinâ. Their flesh, their mind, and also the energy inside their body, everything is swallowed and processed to be returned into willpower.ă
ăâŠâŠI, Iâm guessingâŠâŠthat you canât, use magic?ă
Yueâs thought reached a point where she unusually turned a slightly twitching expression toward Hajime.
ăYeah. The energy you released inside there, no matter what kind will be swallowed immediately by the storm of willpowerââI called it âTurbulenceâ. Your internal energy is also constantly getting stirred up by it, making you unable to use magic properly.ă
I experienced it myself so thereâs no doubt about that,
Hajime said like it was nothing.
The bodies of the âspawnsâ started to vanish like they were melting from the outside. Their screams that were ringing into everyoneâs ears had gone past sounding frustrated into sounding scared.
The corner of Hajimeâs lips rose slightly. That smile was like a MAD scientist rejoicing the success of his experiment.
Everyone other than Yue and co was creeped out by that.
ăThe most effective thing about it is how the absorbed energy get directed straight to maintain and strengthen the âTurbulenceâ and the barrier.ă
In other words, even if the target didnât do anything they would get gradually melted and their everything swallowed, even if they tried using magic or anything to respond their effort would be hindered, and even if by chance they managed to use their ability, it would only get absorbed the more they used it, which connected to strengthening and maintaining the âquasi-Dragonâs VeinââŠâŠthat was how it went.
Yue tugged on Hajimeâs sleeve several times.
ăUmmâŠâŠHajme? ThatâsâŠâŠtotally a magician killer, isnât it?ă
ăI guess. I think the most effective way to escape it is destroying the barrier with overwhelming physical strength. What keep the âquasi-Dragonâs Veinâ within limited area is the barrier of willpower originating from the fragment of the warhead made from a God Crystal that is formed from willpower instead of magic power. If you can blow that away than the âTurbulenceâ will also disperse.ă
âGod Crystalâ was the crystallization of super dense magic power. Then even âwillpowerâ could do the same. After that he applied the barrier principle from Onmyoujiâs techniqueâŠâŠHajime gave such explanation in a rush but, Kousuke and others only had a look that said ăI see. I donât get it.ă on their faces.
Also, Yue was hitting Hajimeâs back *pokapoka* with teary eyes.
It was truly a sure-kill technique unless the target was an expert who had mastered the control of âwillpowerâ to the extreme like an immortal sage or a physical cheat like Shia. Though it was also questionable if even that Shia could use her body strengthening properly in thereâŠâŠ
What a terrifying thing youâve created out of nowhere desuâŠâŠ
looking at Shia in question shaking in her boots, the difficulty level even for her must be at Level Unknown.
ăDonât worry. Before the trip I had applied countermeasure against willpower in everyoneâs âTreasure Warehouseâ and âweaponsâ, and even if you go inside âDragonâs Veinâ and get hit with âTurbulenceâ, you should be able to use magic at least for a moment even in there.ă
Yueâs hitting hand stopped. The expressions of Shia and others also stiffened ăHmm?ă.
Could it be this person, heâs thinking to push us into âDragonâs Veinâ too one dayâŠâŠ
they thought.
They were scared and didnât ask though.
ăUmm, Nagumo? Have you done that to our artifacts too?ă
Yuuka asked hesitantly. After all she didnât remember Hajime ever collecting or improving her artifacts.
Kousuke and others must also wondered the same. They looked at Hajime questioningly.
ăI havenât yet.ă
ăăăăPlease quickly do so!!ăăăă
Yuuka and Kousuke followed by Ryuutarou and others all spoke together.
Itâs not like Iâm going to use this on ally, so whatâs with the hurryâŠâŠ.
Hajime looked like he wanted to say that, even so he still didnât avert his gaze from the âspawnsâ as expected.
ăW-what, kingâŠâŠso youâve gotten stupidly stronger again just after not seeing you a littleâŠâŠheh, as expected from ya. I thought that Iâm now at least is qualified to step on your shadow but, you king gotta be like this!ă
ăI should be exasperated here and ask you boy whatâs the point in getting any stronger than this butâŠâŠright now this ambition to improve yourself is something to be real thankful for.ă
Inaba returned from being in a daze to burning up in fighting spirit, while Lee-san stopped looking exasperated and smiled with a look that radiated trust. But even that,
ăâŠâŠWhat. The main dish is unneeded huh.ă
That terrifying murmur was uttered absent-mindedly. Even the expressions of Yue and co were twitching.
The âspawnsâ were gradually vanishing. No, they were being swallowed by âDragonâs Veinâ.
Even those presences that felt so immense were thinning down second by second like fading into thin air.
They were truly helpless to do anything.
This thing might be an existence that was even more superior than the âbeast monsterâ and âThose Who Followâ if they were unlucky. But eight of such monster couldnât do anything.
And yet, for that to happen without even using the main dishâŠâŠ
Everyone knew how obsessive Hajime had become since the âDragon Incidentâ and how he busied himself to the extreme but, they wondered just how much he had accumulated during the time before this trip.
They couldnât see the bottom of it.
That was the impression held by everyone other than Yue and co who had gone past amazement to start looking spellbound and MyuuăPapaâs the strongest!ă whose tension kept rising without stopping.
Awe, tremendous trust, respect that was even bordering faithâŠâŠ
No matter what their emotion was, everyone couldnât help but feeling relieve from the bottom of their heart and reassurance that made them shivers from knowing that an existence like Hajime was their ally.
Such appearance could be seen from them.
ăNow thenă
The âspawnsâ completely vanished inside the âquasi-Dragonâs Veinâ. At that point, the âTurbulenceâ also calmed down because its supply source was gone. The radiance of the âbarrier of willpower god crystalâ was also slowly fading into the air.
ăThe hindrances are gone. Inaba, Lee-san. Tell me once again.ă
Hajime finally returned his gaze back to the ground.
He turned toward Inaba and Lee-san. Behind him, the barriers finally vanished and light of âwillpowerâ dispersed like scattered sparks.
They all turned into particles of light and returned back to the world. It was a beautiful sight that couldnât be described with words.
Hajime asked with such sight as background. The question that stabbed straight to the heart of the matter. While giving a glance to the pyramid thing floating close beside the two.
ăWhere did you two come from?ă
Inaba and Lee-san looked at each other.
And then, both smiled bitterly, but they quickly fixed their expressions to a serious one,
ăThe world where that shitty bastard Ehito was born.ă
ăEhitoâs former world.ă
And answered like that.
Hajime looked up to the sky. He glared at where the black hole vanished and returned back into a vortex of light. Yue and co narrowed their eyes. Kousuke and co held their breath.
Hajimeâs guess was accurate.
The calamity world.
Something was going on in that world where everything shouldâve crumbled down.
ăGotta check it out.ă
Something began. Whatâs more it was something unprecedentedly bad. Hajime muttered while feeling such premonition inside his chest. Yue gently wrapped her hands over his hand.
Like that,
ăAh, by the way Hajime boy. That hero lad is already there.ă
ăHe cried and babbled at us, go call the kingg~ă
ăNnnnuu, that shitty hero is always, always-ă
In a sense, it was as expected from hero. A man who smashed the resolute atmosphere to pieces, and made even the demon god spoke like he was wringing out his voice from his throat.
Shizuku and Ryuutaro too covered their faces with their hands because of their childhood friendâs frequently happening rare kidnapping incidents that now happened newly again, and surely without his say so in it.
.
AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.
Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.
Next chapter, a bit of Kouki side. Iâm already writing the spring vacation arc, so even at the longest it will be several chapters.
Putting that aside the weather is rapidly getting too coldâŠâŠwhere did the autumn goâŠâŠ
â»Meme introduction
â Iâm truly sorry-
From Jack Bauer of the drama [24]. Is this guy really feeling sorryâŠâŠShirakome doubt it.
â Cthulhu Mythosâs terminology
The model for the mirror that summon Those Who Follow is [The Mirror of Nitocris], the manuscript is [Pnakotic Manuscript], the mark that weaken timeâs influence is [Pnakotic pentagon], the text is [Râlyeh Text], the scriptures is [Cultes des Goules]. Also, what Amai-san kicked was [Shantak-bird]. According to the person, when she jumped down a cliff in her attempt to escape, something attacked her midair. She used it as a stool which resulted in the birdâs bone accidentally breaking.
â The elusive bus guide
From [The Elusive Samurai].
â No, let it out
From Kaitou of the game [Judge Eyes].
LikeLoading...