No one's POV
Shea: Woohoo! Hell yeah!
Steiff and Brise thundered westward, the Reisen Gorge falling off steeply to their left, while the vast green plains rolled by to their right. Though Brise was driving steadily down the highway, Steiff's driver was clearly enjoying herself as she veered wildly from the rocky cliffside to the grassy plains.
Hajime: Shea's sure in a good mood. She sounds like one of those bikers you see in movies.
Yue: Hmm... I kind of want to try driving it too.
Sora and Hajime watched Shea drive with an amused expression on his face. Hajime was driving Brise with one hand, his other arm hanging out the window. Shea was the only person not sitting inside Brise with him. At her insistence, Sora had let her drive Steiff instead.
Shea: Butt up! Rabbit time!
She'd been more taken with the motorcycle, as it allowed her to feel the wind on her face as she drove, but with how much their party had grown, Hajime had ended up using Brise for transport more often than not.
She could have stuck her head out of Brise's window as they'd drove, but it wouldn't really have been the same. And because Aishia always took the seat next to Sora, she couldn't stick to him like before either. After much insistence, Sora had finally caved and agreed to teach Shea how to drive Steiff.
Since it was operated via mana manipulation, it wasn't actually that hard to master. Shea didn't even have to move the handlebars manually if she didn't want to, as it could all be done magically. Since Shea could control her mana directly too, learning how to drive had been a piece of cake. And once she'd mastered driving, she'd fallen in love with the motorbike.
Even now she was driving all over the place, drifting, popping wheelies, jackknifing, and generally doing crazy stunts that would have put a pro stuntman to shame.
Since both acceleration and braking were controlled magically, it was a lot easier to pull stunts with Steiff than a normal motorcycle. That being said, Shea's driving skill had far surpassed Sora's at this point. He didn't particularly mind that she'd become a better driver than him. What he did mind was that now that her skills had improved she took every opportunity to show off and rub it in his face. Seeing her wiggling her butt up and down annoyed both Sora and Hajime.
Sora: Ram her!
Hajime: With pleasure!
As Hajime attempted to ram her, Shea just drove around them, annoying them even more. Heedless of the inner turmoil within Sora's heart, Myu clambered up onto Yue's knees and stared at him, eyes glittering with excitement. She pointed at Shea, who was currently doing a handstand on the handlebars.
Myu: Papa! Myu wants to do that, too!
Sora: There's no way we're letting you do that.
Myu: Aww! But I wanna! I wanna ride it!
Myu started thrashing about in Yue's lap. Yue got a firm grip on Myu so she wouldn't fall down and both her and Aishia scolded her gently.
Yue: Stop throwing a fit!
Aishia: Don't talk back. It's for your own good.
Myu: Boo...
Myu started pouting, and Sora finally relented.
Sora: Myu. I'll let you ride it with me later, so be good okay?
Myu: You will?
Sora: Yeah. There's no way in hell I'm letting you get on with Shea, but if it's with me, then I guess it's alright.
Myu: I can't go with Big Sister Shea?
Sora: Absolutely not. Just look at her. She's posing on top of the handlebars. It's kind of scary how good she is... But there's no way I'm letting you ride with someone who drives like that.
Shea was standing atop Steiff's handlebars, covering her face with her right hand while raising up her left shoulder.
Aishia: He's just worried about you...
Tio: Fufu, My King's a surprisingly doting father. I must say, the discrepancy between how he normally is and how he's acting now is quite... Haaah... Haaah...
Myu: Big Sister Aishia, Big Sister Yue. Big Sister Tio making weird noises again.
Yue: She's sick, and there's no cure.
Aishia: That's just how she is, don't worry about it.
Yue absentmindedly patted Myu's head as she talked with her. It had only been a short time since Myu'd started traveling with them, but Sora had already given up on being called anything other than Papa. At first, he'd tried everything he could think of to get Myu to change her mind, but he'd be defeated at every turn by her teary-eyed face. He'd grown strong enough to kill the monsters that inhabited the abyss, but he didn't think he'd ever match up to this little girl. And so, Papa had stuck.
Hajime on the other hand had begun doting on Myu more and more. At this point he was just like those idiotic big brother he'd seen on TV. Sora had discipline Myu from time to time if she ever did something bad, so in everyone eyes, Sora is the perfect role of a father. To which Sora replied that he had to take care of himself and Nanao for the past 5 years ever since his Mother went into a coma.
(Timeskip)
The party continued driving down the highway like that. After a few hours, they arrived at Horaud. Originally, Hajime had planned on passing the town by, but Ilwa had asked him to deliver something, so he'd taken a small detour. It was more or less on their way to the Grand Gruen Volcano, so he wasn't going that far out of his way anyway.
Hajime and Sora looked around nostalgically as he walked down the main street of Horaud. Myu noticed the slight shift in Sora's attitude and lightly patted his forehead from her perch atop his shoulders.
Myu: What's wrong, Papa?
Sora: Hm? Oh, it's just me and Hajime have been to this place before...
Hajime: It was only four months ago that I was here, but it feels like years have passed...
Yue: Are you really okay, Hajime, Big Brother?
Yue laid her hand on Hajime's arm while Aishia laid her hand on Sora's arm and they looked up at their face worriedly. Hajime simply shrugged his shoulders. A second later, he was back to his normal self.
Hajime: Yeah, we're fine. Just got lost in thought for a little bit.
Sora: It's not like us to get sentimental, but this is where it all began, isn't it...? We spent a night here, then the next day we went into the labyrinth... And then we fell.
Everyone:......
As Sora and Hajime reminisced about that fateful day, Aishia, Yue, Shea, and Tio looked up at them, their expressions unreadable. Aishia and Yue seemed content to stay silent, but Tio couldn't restrain her curiosity.
Tio: Master, My King. Have you both ever thought about what could've been? Surely not everyone in your previous comrades there hurt you. Weren't there people that you two were friendly with?
Since Tio hadn't known Sora and Hajime for as long as the others, she wasn't as familiar with their past. And because she was straightforward by nature, she had no compunctions about asking whatever came to her mind.
Perhaps the way she went about it was a bit insensitive, it was just her way of showing she cared about her comrades. Her constant perverted antics always gave Hajime headaches, but he actually liked this blunt side of her.
Neither Sora nor Hajime were offended by her question at all, and organized his thoughts as he considered the best way to answer her question. As he sifted through his memories, he suddenly remembered the conversation he'd had the night before his fall. He and Shizuku talked under the moonlight. They'd sworn they would protect each other no matter what. And Kaori too. Even when they'd fallen, Sora remembered her tortured expression as she tried to jump down after them. It was only her comrades holding her back that had stopped her.
Aishia squeezed his arm, snapping him out of his reverie. When he looked down, he saw her staring intently at him. He returned her gaze, and his expression softened.
Sora: You're right, we were pretty close with some of our old classmates.
Hajime: Still, even if I could turn back time and return to that day, I'd do everything the same way.
Tio: Oh, and why is that?
The reason why was obvious from Hajime's expression, but Tio still asked anyway. He covered Yue's hand with his own, and replied without ever taking his eyes off her. A faint smile formed on the edge of her lips. Her cheeks were slightly flushed too.
Hajime: Obviously... so I could meet Yue again.
Yue: Hajime...
Sora: And I get to meet Aishia.
Aishia: Sora...
Sora said cheeks flushing, while holding Aishia's hand tightly. A smile appeared on her lips.
Shea: Did you hear that, Tio? He didn't say 'us.' Just Aishia. And what about us, are we just supposed to sit there and watch? When are we going to have those kinds of special moments with Sora and Hajime? I've been ready for him to come on to me for ages now, but I keep getting treated nothing but friends... I mean, I'm glad that he thought highly of me and I get it. I know Aishia's special to him. One of the reasons I joined them was because I wanted that kind of relationship the two of them have. So it's fine if Aishiagets special treatment. In fact, if Sora started ignoring Aishia, I don't think I'd even like him anymore. If he ever did anything to make her sad, I'd be the first one lining up to kill him. But... But you know? I thought I was making progress with him too. I thought I was finally getting somewhere, but nothing's happened. Even if Aishia's special to him, he could at least look at me every once in a while, right? I'm offering myself up on a silver platter here, but he still won't take me. What kind of guy ignores a girl when she's trying so hard to seduce him!? Someone needs to teach him a lesson. I wanna flirt with Sora too! What's so wrong about that!? You're the pervert here, Tio, so tell me what the problem is!
Tio: Sh-Shea. I understand your resentment very well, but you need to calm down. You cannot go around shouting things like that in public. Look, you're attracting more attention than they are now. And wait, did you just insult me there at the end? I cannot believe you would call me a pervert in the middle of the street... Haaah... Haaah... I can feel people staring coldly at me... Haaah... Haaah... Mmm...
Everyone who had been so focused on Hajime and Yue who is flirting on the opened. While Sora, Myu, and Aishia who looked like the perfect family started looking at Shea and Tio now.
Myu: Papa, Big Brother, Big Sister Shea and Big Sister Tio are...
Sora: Myu, don't look at them.
Hajime: Pretend you don't know them.
They quickly began pretending Shea and Tio had nothing to do with them. The party had caused such a scene in the middle of the street that the guards had come out to see what all the commotion was about. Sighing, Sora and Hajime grabbed Shea and Tio by the collar and dragged them somewhere less crowded.
After extricating themselves from the crowd, Hajime and the others finally arrived at Horaud's adventurer's guild. Sora pushed open the guild's doors with Myu still sitting on his shoulders. Unlike the other guild branches that he'd visited, this one's front doors were made of metal. There was a massive groaning noise as the double doors creaked open.
Last time Sora had been in Horaud he'd had no need to visit the guild, so this would be his first time inside. The inside of Horaud's guild was exactly how he'd imagined a guild hall should look like.
Some of the adventurers sitting on the second floor walked over to the railing to see who the newcomers were. As far as Sora could tell, all of the adventurers on the second floor were pretty strong, relatively speaking. It seemed there might have been some kind of unspoken rule that only the higher-ranked adventurers used the upper floor.
The adventurers all had a different air around them compared to the ones Sora had seen in other cities as well. There was an edge to them that had been missing from the laid-back adventurers Sora had met in Brooke.
Sora(mind): I guess they're all so tough-looking because they're used to fighting monsters in the labyrinth. You'd have to be decently strong to want to come here.
Though, even if one took all that into account, the atmosphere in the guild room was strangely strained. Something serious enough to put these hardened adventurers on edge must have happened.
Everyone's eyes focused on Sora and his group.
Myu let out a terrified squeal and tried to hide behind Sora's head. Jealous glares settled on Sora and Hajime, as was usual whenever they walked into a crowded area accompanied by Aishia, Yue, Shea, and Tio. Sora took Myu off his shoulders and cradled her in his arms. She buried her face into his chest and shut out everyone's stares.
A few of the adventurers got up from their seat and headed over to the group. It was obvious from their expressions that they wanted to teach this cheeky little kid who'd just barged in here a lesson. They had no real reason to be so hostile toward him, they were just jealous. That, and the strained atmosphere in the guild had gotten them itching for a fight.
Thugs: Hey, kiddo. This isn't a place for pansies. Piss off before I make you.
Myu: Papa...
Sora: It won't take long. Just close your eyes for a bit.
Thugs: Do you know who I am?! The Great Ateu Mades, the one who cleared the 20th floor of the Labyrinth!
They hadn't even considered the possibility that he might be in trouble and had come to the guild to request help... not that something like that would ever happen. The only thing on their mind right now was beating Sora and Hajime up to vent their own frustrations.
Normally they wouldn't have paid them any mind, but since Sora had become a father, he was going to make them pay for scaring his daughter. He gently patted Myu's head and shot the adventurers advancing upon him a withering glare.
Then, without warning... he unleashed a wave of Intimidation so powerful that it blew the adventurers back. The pressure was so strong that they could physically feel it.
They cowered before Sora, their earlier confidence nowhere to be seen. The less experienced adventurers fainted on the spot, while most of the others returned meekly to their seats.
They shivered in fear, cold sweat pouring down their backs. It took everything they had to keep from fainting like the other adventurers had.
Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the oppressive presence vanished. The adventurers gasped for air, only just realizing they'd been holding their breath the entire time. More than a few of them had wet themselves, and some looked like they were about to hurl. Sora flashed them all a feral grin.
Sora: Hey, all of you bastards that glared at us.
Thugs: Ah!
They all jumped when they heard his voice. Everyone was staring at Sora like he was some kind of monster. He ignored their fear and laid down a request... No, a command.
Sora: Smile.
Thugs: Huh?
He was met with confused stares.
Sora: Didn't you hear me? I said smile. Like this. You've gotta show that you're not scary. Wave your hands and stuff too. It's because you all look so intimidating that you scared her. What're you gonna do if you traumatize her for life, huh?
Thugs(mind): Then don't bring a little girl with you to an adventurer's guild in the first place!
The adventurers all thought unanimously, but none of them had the courage to actually say it. Cowed by his Intimidation, the adventurers all forced themselves to smile. A few feebly waved their hands at him too.
It was a truly surreal sight, all these hard-faced adventurers smiling stiffly, trying to pretend they were friendly. Sora nodded in satisfaction, then whispered something into Myu's ear.
Sora: Okay, you can open your eyes.
She timidly looked up at him with tears in her eyes. Then, at Sora's urging, she slowly turned around. She was greeted by the sight of hardened adventurers trying their best to look friendly.
Myu: Hiii!
As expected, their forced smiles did little to assuage her fears, and she buried her face into Sora's chest once more. And so, Sora narrowed his eyebrows angrily.
Sora: You call that a smile!?
Sora roared, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Thugs(mind): Don't be ridiculous!
The poor adventurers turned to Aishia and Yue for salvation, tears forming in the corners of their eyes. Aishia breathed a deep sigh, walked up to Myu, and whispered something into her ear as well. Once again, Myu hesitantly turned to face the crowd of adventurers. They once again tried their best to look friendly.
She stared at them for quite a bit longer this time. Finally, her face broke out in a smile and she waved back at them. The adventurers forced smiles suddenly turned into natural ones when they saw how cute she was. Sora nodded in satisfaction and put Myu back on his shoulders. His business with the adventurers concluded, he walked up to the counter.
Silverware clattered to the floor as he walked past, but he paid no heed to the people around him.
For once, the person manning the reception counter was a cute girl. She was about the same age as Sora. This was the first time the adventurer's guild stereotype actually fit. But for some reason, she was looking at Sora longingly. Having Sora that close to her made her unbelievably nervous.
Sora(mind): Why are you looking at me like that?
Girls(mind): He is such a chic magnet.
Sora: Is the branch chief here? I'm here to deliver a letter from the Fuhren branch's chief... I was requested to give it to him in person.
He handed over his status plate to the receptionist. She accepted it with trembling fingers. Though she was nervous, she still did her job admirably.
Receptionist: A direct request from the branch chief?
Hajime: Yeah.
The reason she was so surprised was because it was rare for a mere adventurer to undertake requests from someone as high-ranking as a branch chief.
Receptionist: May I see both your status plates?
Sora and Hajime gave the receptionist their status plate, and she looked surprised.
Receptionist: Gold?!
At most, maybe 10% of all adventurers were gold. And the names of all gold-ranked adventurers were kept on a roster that every guild worker had memorized, including this receptionist, and yet she'd never heard of Sora nor Hajime before.
When they heard her exclamation, all of the other adventurers stared at Sora and Hajime in shock as well. After a few seconds of silence, the entire room burst into conversation.
The receptionist paled as she realized she'd accidentally blurted out their personal information for everyone to hear. She bowed as low as she could.
Receptionist: M-My deepest apologies, sir! I didn't mean to say it so loudly!
Sora: Ah, I don't really mind. Could you just call the branch chief over for me?
Receptionist: O-Of course! Right away!
Yue: Someone's getting famous.
Hajime: We don't even care anymore.
Finally, after a few minutes, Sora and Hajime heard someone thundering down the corridor. A black-clad figure burst out from the hallway situated on the side of the counter. He looked around wildly, his eyes passing through the crowd. He was obviously in a great hurry.
???: Where's the Gold Rank guys?!
Sora and Hajime's eyes went wide in shock. This was someone they recognized, and the last person they'd expected to see here.
Sora and Hajime: Endou?
The black-clad figure was none other than Hajime's classmate, Kousuke Endou. Endou wheeled around in surprise. He cast another panicked glance around the room, but didn't spot the person he was searching for. Growing impatient, he loudly shouted.
Kousuke: Yatagami?! Nagumo!? Is that really you two!? It is, right!? Where are you guys!? Yatagami! Nagumo! You're both alive, aren't you!? Get out here, Sora Yatagami, Hajime Nagumo!
Many of the adventurers clapped their hands over their ears. His voice was really loud. Endou's extreme impatience implied that he wasn't just in a hurry to see an old classmate he'd thought dead. There was something urgent he needed from Sora and Hajime.
Yue and the others stared expectantly at Sora and Hajime. Sora awkwardly scratched his cheek. If he was being perfectly honest, he'd rather not have talked to Endou right now. Nevertheless, he dutifully stepped forward and called out to him.
Sora: Uh, Endou? We can hear you, so can you stop yelling so loudly?
Endou: Yatagami!? Where are you!?
Endou turned toward Sora, reacting to his voice. The depth of the desperation in his voice shocked Sora. His eyes met Sora's for an instant, but then he looked away again and started looking around the room once more.
Kousuke: Dammit! I can hear you, but I can't see you! Are you a ghost!? Did you really die after all!? Is that why I can't see you!?
Sora: I'm right in front of you. Just calm down, man. Weren't you supposed to be the world's most unnoticeable person?
Kousuke: There it is again! That's your voice! And just who are you calling the king of invisibility!? I'll have you know that the automatic doors at stores open for me one-third of the time!
Hajime: Wait, so even they don't notice you two-thirds of the time...? You're really something.
After that exchange Endou finally realized the gray-haired and white- haired boy with the eyepatch was indeed Sora and Hajime. He scrutinized their face. Hajime turned away awkwardly. He wasn't used to guys staring so intently at him.
Endou: A-Are you... Are you really Yatagami and Nagumo?
Sora: Yep. In the flesh. I know we look pretty different now, but it's me, Sora Yatagami. And the guy with the eyepatch is indeed Hajime Nagumo.
They looked so different from the boys Endou remembered that he still couldn't completely believe it. He looked Sora and Hajime up and down again. Eventually, he was forced to accept it really was Sora and Hajime. He had the same general facial structure, and only Sora and Hajime would know about how invisible Endou was.
Endou: You guys are... really alive.
Hajime: Obviously. We're standing in front of you, aren't we?
Endou: Wow. You've two changed so much. Your looks. The way you guys talk... It's like a totally different person.
Sora: We had to crawl our way out of hell. There's no way we'd stay the same after that.
Endou: R-Really? Well, I guess that makes sense... Still, I can't believe you're really alive... Thank god.
He may have turned into a drastically different person, but Endou was still relieved that his classmate yet lived.
Though he'd been jealous of the attention Kaori gave Sora and Hajime, much like the other guys, and had turned a blind eye to Hiyama's bullying, he'd never once seriously wanted them dead. Endou had been as shaken as the rest when he'd witnessed their fall. It was only natural that he'd be happy to know his classmate hadn't actually died.
Sora: Well that's enough about us. What was this about Gold ranks?
Endou: Oh right!
Endou's expression did a complete 180. From one of relief, to one of panic. It was then that Sora noticed Endou was surprisingly ragged.
Sora(mind): What on earth happened to him?
Endou: So that means you two are tough enough to survive down there, right?
Hajime: Yeah, that's about right.
Upon hearing that, Endou broke down and clung desperately to Sora's shoulders. His face was a mixture of desperation and regret.
Endou: Then I'm begging you, come back to the labyrinth with me! If we don't hurry, everyone'll die! We need all the help we can get! Kentarou and Jugo could die any minute now! I'm begging you Yatagami, Nagumo, you've gotta help us!
Sora: W-Wait a second. What the heck are you talking about!? What's going on? What do you mean they could die any minute now? You guys have that Hero Amanogawa, don't you? Shouldn't you be fine no matter what happens? Captain Meld and the others are there too, right? Even if you face a Behemoth now, you guys should be fine...
Sora and Hajime had never seen the normally composed Endou so distraught. Endou's face fell and he sunk to his knees at the mention of Captain Meld. He managed to squeeze out a few words through his despair.
Endou:...died.
Hajime: Huh? We can't hear you. What'd you say?
Endou: I said he died! Captain Meld, and all the other knights! They're all dead! They died so I could escape! It's my fault! It's all my fault! And now they're all gone!
Hajime: I see.
Hajime replied solemnly.
Sora: So what exactly happened?
Endou: Well...
Endou numbly began recounting the events that had led to his escape. However, before he could start in earnest, a voice stopped him.
???: Shall we continue this conversation inside one of our private rooms? It seems that boy over there has something for me as well. I'm the branch cheif of the Horaud Guild, Loa Bawavis. Looks like it'll be a rough story.
A grizzled old man well into his sixties stepped out of the hallway. There was a large scar running down his left eye. The branch chief took Endou by the arm, pulled him to his feet, and marched him back inside the hallway. All the strength had drained out of Endou after that outburst, and he meekly let himself be dragged along.
Sora and Hajime reluctantly followed along. Whatever story he was about to be told, he had the feeling he really didn't want to hear it.
Hajime: Demons, huh...?
Hajime's voice echoed through the quiet room. Across from him sat Horaud's branch chief, Loa Bawavis and Endou. Sora, Aishia, Yue, Shea, and Tio all sat next to him. Myu was resting on Sora's lap.
Endou: They had a few monsters alongside them as well. All much stronger than any we had encountered before. Amanogaway and the others managed to escaped, and are recuperating.
Sora: How did you managed to come back here?
Endou: My job is [Assassin]. If I'm alone, I can use, my skills to slip slip through the Labyrinth without being noticed by monsters. I managed to reach the teleportation circle but monsters caught up to me. The Knight guarding the teleportation circle risked their lives to buy me some time. And all of them died because of me... If I don't return with a strong enough force, Amanogawa and the others will...
Loa: Monsters controlled by demons shouldn't have been such a threat. This could affect the war against the demons.
Endou: I want to help the Hero, but reaching the 89th floor is impossible task itself...
Endou had just finished recounting the story of what had happened in the labyrinth. Both Loa and Endou had dark expressions on their faces, and the air was heavy. No one had imagined the hero party would get done in so easily.
Myu was seemingly unaffected by the gloomy atmosphere, as she was happily stuffing her face with the snacks Loa had laid out for them. She'd actually looked a little worried at first, which was why Hajime had started feeding her snacks to pacify her. Though their conversation was too difficult for Myu to follow, she had at least been able to tell that it was nothing good.
Endou: And what the hell is with this girl?! Why's she just sitting there eating snacks!? Don't you guys get how serious this is!? Everyone might die!
Myu: Hiii!? Papa!
Unable to stand it any longer, Endou angrily pointed a finger at Myu. She let out a terrified squeal and clung to Sora. Naturally, Sora wasn't going to let that slide. He wouldn't forgive anyone that hurt his daughter.
Sora: Don't take it out on a kid, especially my daughter!! Do you want to die?!
Endou: Hiii!?
Endou shrank back and shrieked in a high-pitched voice not unlike Myu's. Next to him, the girls all sighed.
Yue: He's totally become a Papa now.
Aishia: Such wonderful parenting.
Shea: He called Myu 'his daughter' earlier too~
Tio: I wonder if My King will be able to give her up when we reach Erisen.
Sora ignored their comments. The only thing in his mind right now was how to calm Myu down. Loa sighed as he watched Sora soothe Myu down and decided to move the conversation forward.
Loa: At any rate, Yatagami, Nagumo. Thanks to Ilwa's letter, I understand the gist of your situation. I see you've been busy.
Hajime: Yeah, though most of it just sort of happened.
Hajime spoke of his unbelievable feats as if they were no different than going on a walk for him. He shrugged his shoulders, and Loa smiled in amusement.
Loa: According to this letter, Ilwa wants me to endorse your promotion to gold rank, and to assist you in any way I can. I more or less understand what's going on, so that shouldn't be a problem. I've heard that you two not only single-handedly annihilated an army of sixty thousand monsters, but that you guys completely destroyed Fuhren's underground crime ring in half a day. Frankly, I find it hard to believe you're actually capable of all of these things, but I can't imagine someone like Ilwa lying. If he told me you two were the demon lord, I'd still believe him.
Endou's eyes flew open in surprise. He'd assumed Sora and Hajime must have gotten a little stronger since they'd managed to escape the Great Orcus Labyrinth on their own, but he'd thought Sora nor Hajime was still nowhere near his level.
After all, their job was Synergist, and they'd been labeled incompetent by the rest of their class. Sure, they might have become a gold adventurer, but the people of this world were all fundamentally weaker than the summoned heroes. He'd expected the most they could do was repair the broken teleportation circle and maybe support them from the rear.
The reason Endou had come to the adventurer's guild in the first place was to recruit high-ranked adventurers to go rescue Kouki with him. Obviously they wouldn't have lasted a second on the lower floors, but they could at least have guarded the circle on the 70th floor.
There were a few of Meld's knights that had been stationed outside the labyrinth, but he'd tasked them with relaying everything to the capital. At best, they'd maybe been able to protect the circle on the 30th floor. Only adventurers silver rank or above would be strong enough to survive on the 70th floor.
He'd gone up to the second floor to try and convince adventurers to join in his cause, but all of them had turned him down. Not only did he want them to guard the 70th floor, a place no one had ever been to, he wanted them to fight against creatures that had decimated the hero party, the hope of all humanity. On top of that, all of the kingdom's elite knights had been slaughtered. As it was, the adventurers were all fearing for the future of the human race.
When he'd heard the commotion, Loa had grabbed Endou and dragged him to the back to get the full story. It was then that the receptionist had shown up with Sora's and Hajime's status plate.
It finally dawned on Endou that he might have been severely underestimating their strength. It was possible they were actually way stronger than him, and maybe even Kouki.
While Endou was still frozen in shock, Loa and Hajime continued their conversation.
Hajime: Don't be ridiculous. The demon lord wouldn't even be a threat to us.
Loa: Not even a threat, is it? You certainly have some confidence in yourself. In that case, I'd like you to prove your claims by taking on a certain request on behalf of the Horaud adventurer's guild.
Sora: You want us to go rescue the hero party?
Endou suddenly snapped back to reality when he heard the word "rescue." He leaned forward and started begging Sora and Hajime once more.
Endou: Th-That's right! Yatagami, Nagumo, we need to go save them! If you're really that strong, then you can do it, right!?
Sora and Hajime:......
Endou's eyes lit up with hope, but their reaction was not what he was expecting. Hajime stared off into the distance, weighing his options. Endou had thought Sora and Hajime would jump at the chance to rescue his comrades, so he was confused when they didn't reply instantly.
Endou: What's wrong!? They could be dying while we waste time here! What's there to think about!? They're your comrades!
Hajime: Our comrades?
Hajime turned his gaze back to Endou, his eyes cold as ice. Endou faltered in the face of his intense glare. Fear warred with his stubborn desire to save his friends. Eventually, stubbornness won out, and he held his ground against Hajime.
Endou: Y-Yeah. They're your comrades, so we've gotta go save—
Hajime: Don't just go make them our comrades for your own convenience. I'll say this now, but all we've ever thought of you guys as is classmates. That's all. Not really all that different from strangers, really.
Endou: What!? But... how can you...
Sora: Why do you think we were comrades from the beginning when you people never gave shits about us?
Endou: Um... Well...
Sora: You all always shunned us back home. But now, we've become someone that you people need for saving. Isn't that too selfish. So give us one good reason why we should helped the people who always looked down on us?
Hajime:...
Endou:...
Endou couldn't find the reason to. It was just like Sora had said. Both Sora and Hajime were the incompetents in their class. They were always jealous that Kaori and Shizuku always talks to them. And there was that time that misfire that lead them to their downfall, even when they risked their lives for their classmate.
Endou: Well... I... Uh...
Sora and Hajime ignored Endou's stuttering and went back to considering the merits and demerits of going to save Kouki's party. As they'd said before, they considered the rest of their classmates mere acquaintances at best. They weren't terribly interested in getting revenge on the person who'd dropped them into the abyss, but neither did they think too fondly of their former classmates.
However, he also wasn't going to just abandon them outright. Even now, Aiko's words had a profound effect on his way of thinking. If he let them die for no good reason, it would be betraying everything he'd promised his teacher back in Ur.
Plus, there was at least two person who was more than just an acquaintance. There were two girl who'd promised she'd protect them, despite the fact that everyone else had called them incompetent.
Sora: Although...
Ever since he'd returned to this town, he'd been thinking about her more and more. Her tortured expression as she'd watched him fall into the darkness was still fresh in his memory.
Sora: Are Shirasaki and Yaegashi still alive...?
Endou looked up in surprise. He quickly realized he needed say something or Sora and Hajime would likely refuse to help him.
Endou: Y-Yeah. Shirasaki and Yaegashi's alive. In fact, if it wasn't for Shirasaki, the rest of us would probably be dead right now. I honestly thought Jugo and Yaegashi were done for during that first attack... Shirasaki's amazing. Her healing magic is something else... Ever since that day you fell, it felt like she changed, you know? Like, she started training so hard we were worried about her... And she kind of became more mature? Or well, that's what it feels like, anyway. It's like she's always got something on her mind now. She's not as scatterbrained as she used to be...
Hajime: I see.
Endou talked about everything that came to mind, even though all Sora had asked was if they were alive. There was a brief moment of silence. Sora and Hajime sighed loudly, and looked towards Aishia and Yue.
Yue: I'll be with the both of you wherever you go.
Aishia: Your path is my path, Sora.
Shea: M-Me too! I'll follow you two to the ends of the earth, Sora, Hajime!
Tio: Heh. Naturally, I too will always be by your side, My King, Master.
Myu: Umm, umm, Myu will too!
Endou: What's with this harem development...
Endou muttered in disbelief.
Sora: Thanks, guys. To be honest, we really don't want to deal with god's chosen hero... but there's someone we owe a debt to, so we're gonna go save her. Though knowing them, they might have fought their way out already.
In all honesty, Neither Sora nor Hajime couldn't have cared less about Kouki and most of the other students. In fact, he would've preferred not to get close to them, since they were effectively being manipulated by this world's corrupt gods.
Still, Hajime had always felt bad about not letting Kaori know that he was still alive. He had no doubt the reason she'd pushed herself so far was because of him. She was one person he'd rush to save if she was ever in trouble. She'd been the only one who'd tried to protect him. And though he didn't know it, even now she was soldiering on because she believed he was alive.
Besides, the danger to him would likely be negligible. From Endou's description, he guessed the four-eyed wolves they'd encountered were the same ones Sora had fought in Ur. And the chimeras and cats seemed no stronger than the monsters he'd fought in the first couple of floors of the labyrinth. He wouldn't even break a sweat.
Endou: U-Umm, does that mean you're going to help?
Sora: Yeah. Chief Loa. If possible, I'd like you to still make this a formal request from the guild.
Loa: You don't want the guild's managers thinking they can ask you to do things for free?
Sora: Pretty much. Oh yeah, one more thing. Do you have a room I can leave Myu in?
Loa: Of course, that won't be any problem at all.
Endou breathed a huge sigh of relief when he heard Sora and Hajime were coming, but Sora ignored him and continued talking to Loa. He was hoping to leave Myu in the guild's care while he went to rescue everyone. Strong as he was, he didn't want to risk taking her somewhere that dangerous. Like before, Myu was not at all happy about being left behind.
Sora: Myu, your staying here.
Myu: Ehhhh!
Sora: Tio, you'll be babysitting her.
Tio: Wha-?!
Sora: Hey, hurry up and lead us there, Endou.
Endou: How come your personality's so different from what it was before!
Sora: Quit asking dumb questions. Hurry up, we want to reach them in a day... No, half a day. I'm not happy about having to leave Myu behind, so we're gonna get this done as fast as possible. I'm worried about leaving her alone in the hands of that pervert.
Endou: Man, you've like, really become a dad, haven't you? And you've got a harem of beautiful girls with you.... What the heck happened for that loyal Yatagami to end up like this...
Sora: Since when that I'm loyal to you?
Endou grumbled to himself as they ran through the labyrinth floors. He'd regained some of his former composure now that he'd recruited Sora and Hajime's help.
Endou had been pretty confident in his agility, but that pride had been ripped to shreds as Hajime and his friends easily outstripped his speed. He pushed on as fast as he could, praying that his friends were still safe...
(Elsewhere)
At the labyrinth, the Demon Cattleya with her army of monsters continues to overwhelmed Kouki and the others. Everyone attempted to escape, but were overwhelmed by the sheer number of monsters,
and Kouki using his [Limit Break] again, enraged after he saw Meld on the brink of dying, Kouki started tearing through multiple ants, rushing Cattleya, slashing her across the chest, making her fall to her knees.
Cattleya: You got me good... Didn't expect to you to turn the tables like this...Feels like I'm watching a shabby theater act...
Cattleya then pulled an pendant out, as Kouki raised his sword.
Kouki: Die!
Kouki went to bring his sword down on Cattleya, as she started speaking up, with a sad smile, holding her pendant.
Cattleya: Sorry, I'll be going ahead, my dear Mihail...
Surprised by her words, Kouki hesitated for a second. He hadn't expected the demon to have a lover. Confused, the demon looked back up. She should have been dead by now, but Kouki's sword had stopped a few millimeters in front of her face.
Kouki stared at her dumbly. The two locked gazes for a few seconds. There was something in her eyes that made shivers run down Kouki's spine. Seeing his hesitation, and guessing what had caused it, the demon sneered at him again. Her scorn shook Kouki even further.
Cattleya: Oh, what a fool. Did you just realize that you were going to kill a person?
Kouki: Ah!?
Up until that point, Kouki had been taught by Ishtar that demons were heartless and cruel, no better than monsters, really. In fact, he'd thought they were basically like an advanced form of monsters. The fact that they were using monsters to fight had only further cemented that idea in his mind.
He had never considered that they might be just like people, that they had friends, lovers, parents, things they were willing to fight and die for. Rather, he hadn't wanted to consider that possibility, but when he'd seen the demon staring at her locket, Kouki had been forced to confront reality. The reality that who he was about to kill wasn't some heartless "demon," but a person with feelings just like him. Killing her, whether it was justified or not, would make him a murderer.
Cattleya: To think you didn't even consider us people until now... Rather arrogant of you, don't you think?
Kouki: N-No, I... I just didn't know...
Cattleya: Hmph... More like you didn't care to find out.
Kouki: I-I...
Cattleya: Well, what are you waiting for? I'm just another monster to be hunted down, right? Another soulless creature to be eliminated. Get it over with already. You've done this hundreds of times already.
Kouki: I-If we just talked things out... I-I'm sure we could...
Kouki lowered his sword. The demon looked at him with eyes full of contempt. By way of a reply, she gave out orders to her monsters.
Cattleya: Ahatod, get the swordswoman! The rest of you, attack the others!
Ahatod had finally recovered enough to move. It dutifully got up and lumbered toward Shizuku. While Shizuku didn't possess the overwhelming charisma Kouki did, she was the one who always calmly analyzed every situation and came up with the optimal solution. In a way, she was the most dangerous member of the party.
That was why the demon had sent Ahatod after her, while the rest of the monsters kept the others at bay. She'd made up her mind. It would be better to kill them all here than try to bring them over to their side. Kouki's sudden power spike had proven too dangerous. He couldn't be allowed to live.
Kouki: What!? Why!?
Cattleya: You still don't get it, do you? This is what we call war! An immature brat like you having so much power is a threat! That's why I have to kill you all. You better go save your friends or they'll all die!
The demon had no interest in negotiating anymore. Kouki turned around just in time to see Shizuku get sent flying by Ahatod. Ahatod was far stronger than even the other monsters the demon had brought with her. Surprise attack or no, it had managed to overpower Kouki even while he was using Limit Break.
There was no way Shizuku stood a chance. Pale-faced, Kouki rushed over to Shizuku. With his body strengthened with Overload, he was able to block Ahatod's fists. Then, in one fluid motion, he cut off one of Ahatod's arms.
But before he could deal the finishing blow, he felt himself go weak at the knees once more. He pitched forward, unable to maintain his balance. Overload's time limit was up. Taxed far beyond its limits, Kouki's body froze up. After using Limit Break twice in one day and then Overload right after, he didn't even have the strength to move.
Kouki: D-Dammit, why now of all times!?
Shizuku: Kouki!
Shizuku rushed forward, covering for Kouki. She aimed her slash at the wound Kouki had just created. Even a powerful monster like Ahatod couldn't endure having its wounds gouged out, so it backed away screaming. Shizuku took that opportunity to grab Kouki and retreat to the safety of their comrades. Kouki was out of commission, and everyone had their hands full keeping the other monsters at bay.
Shizuku: I'm the only one who can do it! Kaori! Take care of him! Leave the rest to me!
She glared coldly at the demon. Unlike Kouki, she was prepared to kill.
Cattleya: Looks like you understand this is a fight to the death. Maybe you'll be a better fit then the hero, don't you think?
Shizuku: It doesn't matter who the hero is. It's our fault that we didn't realize he wasn't prepared to kill, but I'll rectify that mistake here and now! Enough words. I'll pay you back for Kouki.
Shizuku had known just how straightforward and naive Kouki was, and she'd known he'd never fought another person before. She blamed herself for leaving that problem alone until it was too late.
It wasn't as if Shizuku had any experience killing others either. Honestly, she didn't particularly want to experience it, either. However, she'd known that if they were fighting in a war, the day where she had to would come eventually. Ever since she'd first picked up a sword, she'd been taught about the weight of a life, and what it meant to hurt another person.
It finally seemed like the moment had come, but she could feel her resolve wavering. The reality of what she was about to do weighed heavily on her, and she felt like just curling up into a ball and crying. Still, she stamped down her feelings and resolutely stared down the demon.
She settled into her stance, then prepared to launch her fastest attack. However, a second before she could, she felt shivers run down her spine. Trusting her instincts, she leaped to the side. Not even a second later, one of the cats' tentacles shot through the spot she'd been standing.
Cattleya: I never said Ahatod was the only monster after you. Your resolve is admirable, but do you really believe you can kill me while evading your other foes?
Shizuku: Ngh!
Cattleya: And it's not like I'm going to just stand here doing nothing, either.
As she said that, the demon began chanting a spell.
Thanks to her No Tempo, Shizuku's attacks couldn't be predicted. She continued fending off the waves of monsters that came after her, but she was unable to find an opening to close in on the demon.
The worst part was that Ahatod could match Shizuku's inhuman speed. Despite its massive frame, it was able to keep up with her. Every time Shizuku thought she was getting close, Ahatod would show up and blow her away with its fists.
Shizuku mainly relied on her agility in a fight, so her defense was paper- thin. Instead, she used only her speed to dodge and parry blows, but because Ahatod's Magical Shockwaves still hit her even if she dodged its fists, she kept on taking more damage. At this rate, it was a matter of time before she was beaten down.
Worse, every bit of damage she took dulled her movements ever so slightly. And in a battle as close as this one, that would be fatal.
Shizuku: Gaaah!
Finally, one of Ahatod's blows connected. Shizuku tried to parry with her sword and sheath, but its powerful fist smashed right through her weapons and into her shoulder.
She skid across the ground, coming to a stop a few meters away. Drained of all her strength, she lay there, unmoving. Her right arm was bent at an unnatural angle. It was clearly broken. The blow had done a number on her internal organs as well, and she was coughing up blood.
Kaori: Shizuku!
Kaori cried out, but her friend simply lay there, her hands still tightly gripping her broken blade and sheath. At that moment, thoughts about their current plight and the fact that she was completely out of mana vanished from her mind. Kaori knew she couldn't do anything even if she went to Shizuku's side, but all she could think about was how her best friend was in danger.
She ran toward Shizuku. Because she was completely drained of mana, her footsteps were unsteady, and she nearly tripped. Her comrades tried to stop her, but she didn't listen. Nothing was more important than Shizuku right now. Naturally, monsters swarmed toward the now defenseless Kaori.
However, walls of shining light rose up to block their path. The glowing barriers created an unbroken road toward Shizuku.
Suzu: Ehehe. No one wants to be alone at the end.
Suzu had done the impossible. Though she was on the verge of fainting, she'd managed to create a wall of barriers stretching from her to Shizuku. There was a faint smile on her lips.
Suzu knew they were all going to die here.
And so, the least she could do was use the last of her magic to make sure her best friends didn't die alone. This, of course, meant her barriers protecting the rest of the party weakened. Suzu mentally apologized to the rest of her friends, but even if she'd done her best to fight, they were doomed.
A few attacks managed to get through and graze Kaori, but she was able to reach Shizuku more or less intact. She lifted Shizuku's limp body and held her close.
Shizuku: K-Kaori... what are you doing... Hurry up and go back to the others. It's too dangerous for you to be out here.
Kaori: No. It's dangerous no matter where I go. If this is where it ends, I at least want to be by your side, Shizuku.
Shizuku: Sorry. I couldn't beat her.
Kaori: I'm sorry I can't do more either. I don't have any mana left.
Kaori smiled at Shizuku and cast a small spell to dull Shizuku's pain. It was such a basic spell that it cost practically no mana. Shizuku gripped Kaori's hand with her remaining good hand and smiled back.
A huge shadow covered the two of them. Ahatod had arrived. It stared down at the two girls with bloodshot eyes. With a ferocious roar, it raised all four of its fists.
Suzu's barrier was still protecting the two of them, but it may as well have been tissue paper in the face of Ahatod's immense strength. One blow would have been all that it would take to smash Suzu's walls to pieces, and the shockwaves would be enough to kill Kaori and Shizuku.
As Kaori stayed with Shizuku, multiple monsters started making their way over to them, towering over them, as Kaori's life flashed before her eyes.
Kaori(mind): Oh... so this is when your life flashes before your eyes...
Kaori then thought about Hajime and Sora.
Kaori: I was hoping I could call you both by your names when we meet again... Hajime... Sora...
And so, she resigned herself to her fate, but... There was a thunderous crash, and the ceiling above Ahatod's head crumbled. A giant jet-black spike punched through the hole, red sparks running down its length. The spike smashed into Ahatod's head with considerable force. Ahatod never stood a chance. The spike tore through Ahatod like he was butter, destroying the monster that had caused Kouki and the others so much trouble with ease.
The spike drilled into the floor, Ahatod's ravaged body pinned to the ground by its 120 centimeter long length. The fearsome monster was barely recognizable.
Everyone present was stunned into silence. Kaori, Shizuku, Kouki, and even the demon stared blankly at the spike.
A silence unbefitting of a battlefield fell across the room. Two figure dropped from the hole in the ceiling, breaking the fragile silence. They landed softly, their back facing Kaori and Shizuku. Carefully, they examined their surroundings as one of them kicked away bits of Ahatod's flesh. Then, they turned to face the two girls huddling behind them.
The moment Kaori locked eyes with them, she felt a shiver of electricity run down her spine. Ever since that fateful day, it had felt like her heart had been encased in a block of ice, but in an instant it had thawed, and now she could hear it pounding loudly in her ears.
Sora: I see you two are as inseparable as always.
Hajime: What do you expect? They're best friends after all.
Kaori could feel her heart bursting with joy. Their hair color was different. They looked like a different person. The way they talked was different. Even the look in their eyes was different. But Kaori knew. She could tell instantly. It was them. The two person she'd been searching all this time for. It was Hajime and Sora.
Kaori: Hajime! Sora!