No one's POV
Kaori continues to hug Sora and Hajime. She was happy that they were still alive.
Sora: Uh...
Unsure of how to respond, Hajime just stood there, his arms raised up in the air. Had any of his other classmates done something like this he would have flung them off without hesitation, possibly even give them a good kick for their trouble, but he couldn't bring himself to do that to Kaori. She was the only one who'd cared so much for him this whole time, and the time they'd spent together before he'd been cast into the abyss was slowly coming back to him.
At the same time, though, he didn't want to hug another girl in front of Yue. And so, he just stood there, his hands in the air, not exactly embracing Kaori, but not pushing her away either. Such an indecisive attitude was completely unlike him. Sora on the other hand just sigh, he didn't held his arm up like Hajime but just stay there, unsure what to do, until he looked at Shizuku who glared at him, her gaze seemingly told him to hug her.
Shizuku: That's my best friend crying in your arms right now! The least you two could do is hug her, you wimp!
Sora looked at Aishia and she could tell that it's fine so he eventually compromised and gently patted Kaori's head a little. One person who was watching the scene gritted his teeth in annoyance and it was Kouki who called out to them.
Kouki: Kaori. That's enough. Yatagami just killed a defenseless person. We need to talk about this. You should get away from them.
Nagayama and his friends glared at Kouki.
Everyone(mind): Read the mood, you moron!
It was baffling to them that he still hadn't noticed Kaori's feelings for Hajime. Kouki glared angrily at Sora and Hajime as he attempted to pull Kaori off him. Sora wasn't sure if Kouki didn't like Kaori touching another man, or if he was worried about leaving her in close proximity of a killer. It might have been a bit of both, honestly.
Shizuku: Kouki, what are you talking about? Yatagami and Nagumo just saved us.
Kouki: But that woman had given up already. There was no need to kill her. What Yatagami did was unforgivable.
Daisuke: I agree with Amanogawa.
Kouki: Hiyama.
Daisuke: We could've taken her prisoner to get information.
Shizuku: Are you serious?!
Shizuku narrowed her eyes and glared at Kouki. Nagayama and the others glanced around uncomfortably, unsure of which side to take. However, Hiyama and his cronies had always disliked Sora, so they instantly took Kouki's side. They riled the others up, and soon most of the students were against him. Kaori had since left Hajime's side and dried her tears. She was deep in thought, contemplating how different Hajime was from what she remembered. Yue silenced all of them with a few harsh words. Her voice was as cold as ice.
Yue: These people are hopeless. Hajime, Big Brother, should we go?
Hajime: Yeah.
Yue dismissed the lot of them as just a "worthless bunch." Her voice was barely louder than a whisper, but it somehow carried clearly through the room. Its frigidity silenced the students, and they all turned to look at her.
Hajime had initially only agreed to help because he owed Kaori. Now that he'd repaid that debt, his work was done. He had no reason to stay, so he let Yue herd him out of the room. Shea ignored the students and hurried after Sora as well. But of course, Kouki wasn't going to let them leave just like that.
Kouki: Wait! Until we talk this out, I won't accept you as our allies! What do you mean we're hopeless? Who even are you? I'm grateful for your help, but that's no way to talk to someone you just met.
Sora:...
Hajime: This guy... Is a Major pain in the ass.
As always, Kouki was utterly misguided. Taken out of context, everything he said was perfectly rational. But considering the circumstances, it was obvious he was in the wrong. It was as if he was obsessed with that demon's death. Yue had already decided Kouki wasn't even worth wasting her breath on, so she didn't bother meeting his gaze. Kouki frowned, but a minute later his irritation vanished and he gave Yue the same killer smile he flashed all of the girls in school. However, all he succeeded in doing was making Yue more annoyed. Realizing that at this rate they'd get nowhere, Sora sighed and decided to answer Kouki.
Sora: Amanogawa. You're basically a walking joke, and I have no obligation to answer any of your mundane questions. Still, because I know you won't quit no matter what, I'll at least give you a bit of advice.
Kouki: Advice? Are you saying I'm the one who's wrong? I'd like to think what I'm saying is common sense.
Sora(mind): And this is why you're such a pain to deal with!
Sora: Quit deluding yourself.
Kouki: What do you...
Sora: You're not mad because I killed that demon. You just didn't want to see anyone die in front of you. Even you know you can't say it's wrong to kill someone who tried to kill all of you, and nearly killed the knight commander. That's why you're focusing on the fact that she was defenseless when I killed her. You saw something you couldn't stomach, and you're mad that I did what you couldn't. And now, you're trying to take it out on me. All while pretending you're in the right. Of course, you're not doing it maliciously. You probably don't even realize it. You never change. You always interpret things however you want without ever considering the opinions of others.
Kouki: Th-That's not true! Don't talk like you know me! Besides, that doesn't change the fact that you killed a defenseless opponent!
Hajime: Defenseless or not, she still an enemy.
Sora and Hajime then glared at Kouki.
Sora and Hajime: People kill their enemies. What's wrong with that?
Kouki just looked at them dumbfounded, unable to accept or understand their logic.
Kouki: But that's murder... Of course it's wrong...
Hajime: Talking to you is a waste of breath. You have your values, and we have ours.
Sora: Unless we have a good reason not to, we'll make sure to kill them. It doesn't matter whether they're good or evil, or whether they can resist or not. The moment you show mercy is the moment you die. We learned that the hard way at the bottom of the abyss. Those are just our values though, and we have no intention of pushing them on anyone else. Still, if you plan on standing against us just because you don't like that, then...
Hajime and Sora closed the gap between them and Kouki in an instant and Hajime pressed Donner against Kouki's forehead, while Sora with Murasame on Kouki's neck. Then, they activated their Intimidation and hit their classmates with the full brunt of it.
They all gulped uneasily. Kouki could at least follow Shizuku, who was the fastest of their group, with his eyes still, but he hadn't even sensed Sora nor Hajime moving.
Hajime: We won't give two shits that we used to be classmates.
Sora: We will kill you like any other person who stands in our way.
Kouki: Wha—
Hajime: Don't get the wrong idea. We're not allies. We came here because we owed Shirasaki a debt.
Sora: Once we get out of here, we'll be parting ways. We have our own goals in mind.
Sora and Hajime stared at Kouki for a few seconds longer before holstering Donner and lowering Murasame and turning away. They canceled their Intimidation as well, and everyone breathed a massive sigh of relief. However, Kouki still wasn't willing to accept this. He opened his mouth to argue further, but this time Aishia shut him down. She was tired of his prattling.
Kouki: Ngh... But...
Aishia: Sora and Hajime's the one who fought. All you did was cower in fear and run away. The loser has no right to say anything.
Kouki: Wha— I didn't run...
It wasn't a coincidence that Sora and Hajime and the others had fallen into the exact room Kouki and the others had been fighting in. When they were on the floor above, Sora and Hajime had sensed a massive explosion of mana. Guessing that was where they must be fighting, Sora had used his perception skills to track down their location. Hajime then used a combination of transmutation and his pile bunker to dig through the floor.
What they had sensed was Kouki's activation of Overload. Sora had figured with Kouki's current strength, he would easily be able to overpower the demon. From the situation that followed, he'd correctly surmised that Kouki hadn't been able to kill her, which was why they'd fallen into such dire straits. Just as Kouki was about to argue, Meld joined the discussion.
Meld: Leave it, Kouki.
Kouki: Meld!
Meld had regained consciousness a while back, and had been listening in on their conversation. He still felt a little dizzy, but his consciousness was clear. He eased himself to his feet. He put his hand over where his wounds should have been, but found his stomach surprisingly whole. Kaori had told Meld a summary of what had happened while he'd been unconscious. When he'd learned Sora and Hajime were still alive, and that it was Sora's medicine that had saved Meld's life, Meld had been overjoyed.
Meld: They're the one who saved us. We have no right to call then out. Hajime Nagumo, Sora Yatagami. I've heard the details. Please put your weapons away. I'll take full responsibility for this matter.
Meld prostrated himself before Sora and Hajime, thanking them for saving his life, and apologizing for being unable to save them both. Sora and Hajime accepted Meld's thanks, stunned by his sincerity.
Sora: Shea, we're leaving.
Meld: Thank you.
Frankly, they'd completely forgotten Meld's promise to save them when they'd offered to hold the Behemoth off, but it seemed it had weighed on Meld heavily. Once he finished apologizing to them, Meld turned to Kouki and apologized to him as well.
Meld: Kouki. I'm sorry.
Kouki: Why are you apologizing?!
Meld: Why wouldn't I? I failed to teach you something important.
Kouki: But you taught us so much!
Meld: I'm not talking about weapons or magic. I didn't prepare you to kill...
Kouki's eyes widened completely and utterly shocked when Meld said that.
Kouki: Even you... Why...?
Meld: My plan was to use some bandits to let you experience what killing was like. But... As we spent time together, I wavered...I'm sorry... It's my fault that you were on the brink of death.
Kouki: Meld...
Meld once again bowed his head to Kouki and the others. They all crowded around him and tried to reassure him. It seemed Meld had been dealing with his fair share of worries as well. He was torn between his duty as a knight, and his personal feelings for the children.
Meld was a central figure to the kingdom, but he was also a devout follower of Ehit. His religion told him that teaching these "Warriors of Ehit" to fight in the war was the noblest thing he could do. However, he still felt reservations. His kind-hearted nature had played a part in his misgivings, but more than anything he was as Sora had said, a man of impeccable virtue.
Kouki suddenly fell silent. It was finally dawning on him that in the near future he'd have to kill people too. He recalled the fear he'd felt at the prospect of taking someone's life. It had been quite a shock that Meld would have even contemplated setting humans on them for the students to kill. Bandits or not, people were people. The students would have no trouble dealing with bandits, but to kill them was a completely different story.
Kaori had fallen silent as well. Not because of what Meld had said, but because of Sora and Hajime's earlier words.
About how the abyss had taught them to kill their enemies without hesitation, no matter who they were. That was something the old Sora and Hajime would never have said. Still, the murderous malice they'd exhibited earlier proved that it was no bluff. The Sora and Hajime that had once been willing to sacrifice themselves to save them was now saying they wouldn't hesitate to kill them if they crossed them. Kaori felt lost. The Sora and Hajime she knew and the Sora and Hajime standing before her were just too different. She was beginning to think she might just have imagined the remnants of their old self that she'd seen earlier.
Kaori: They're both so menacing... Ready to kill... Hajime... Sora.... They were so kind... Are they different people?
At some point, Kaori realized someone was staring at her. She looked up to see a golden-haired, red-eyed beauty standing in front of her. It felt to Kaori as if her gaze was devoid of all emotion. Kaori stared back, curious about this girl who seemed to be so close to the new Hajime. The two gazed at each other for a few minutes.
Yue: If that's all you feel, you better forget them.
Kaori: !!
The first one to look away was Yue. She sneered at Kaori and turned away. Kaori involuntarily gulped. Even without words, she understood what Yue meant. Yue had easily been able to tell that Kaori had feelings for Hajime. She'd expected to have another rival on her hands, and had been prepared to fight for Hajime's affection. However, when Kaori had seen how much Hajime had changed, she'd faltered. It was perhaps a natural reaction, but from Yue's point of view, all it meant was that Kaori wasn't even worth considering as a rival.
Yue(mind): If this is all it takes to scare you off, you don't stand a chance. You won't be able to take Hajime away from me.
Kaori flushed. Whether from embarrassment or anger, she didn't know. Yue had all but declared that she was the most important person to Hajime, but Kaori couldn't say anything back. She'd lost that right the moment she'd thought of Hajime as something other than human. The first clash between Kaori and Yue ended with Yue's victory.
Yue: Hajime, Big Brother, let's go.
Hajime: Yeah.
Endou: Wait Yatagami! Nagumo! We're all exhausted. Can we go with you to the surface?
Sora: Just hurry up!
Hajime collected all of his spent pile bunkers, Sora rounded up Aishia, Yue and Shea, and went to leave through one of the passages.
Kouki and the others hurriedly followed behind. As the party was exhausted, Endou suggested they all follow Sora to the surface so they wouldn't have to fight monsters on the way back. When Meld asked if they could, Sora said he didn't mind.
On the way back, they watched Sora and Hajime easily dispatch monsters that had given the entire party trouble. Once again, they were reminded of how overwhelming their strength was. They could hardly believe he was the same guy they'd all laughed at for being "worthless."
Hiyama and Kondou glared jealously at them the whole way up. Nagayama and the others were impressed by their newfound strength, but they weren't sure what to make of the fact that Sora and Hajime didn't see them as comrades.
Sora and Hajime's newfound strength intimidated Hiyama and Kondou. They hadn't forgotten how they used to bully them, and they were sure they hadn't either. Nagayama and the others felt guilty for turning a blind eye to the bullying too. The more they thought about it, the more they realized it made sense for Sora and Hajime not to think of them as comrades, but Sora and Hajime just ignored all the various glances the other students shot his way.
Suzu was the only one brave enough to try and talk to them. She attempted to engage Yue in conversation, and asked Hajime all sorts of questions about what he'd been doing. Shizuku and Kaori did a conversation with Aishia from time to time, and they were surprised, that she and Sora are going out with each other, to which, Shizuku eyes widened confused.
Shizuku(mind): Why do I feel so irritated all of a sudden?
Suzu continued to ask Hajime and Yue questioned, but when she realized they weren't paying her much attention, she decided to approached Shea. Shizuku had to stop her from trying to grope Shea's boobs on multiple occasions. Emboldened by her straightforward attitude, Kondou and Hiyama attempted to get closer to Aishia, Yue and Shea as well, but the three girls ignored them completely, and when Hiyama got annoyed and tried to grab Shea's ears, he was hit by a rubber bullet from Sora. Finally, the group made it back to the surface.
Kaori was still lost deep in thought. Shizuku was hovering around her like a worried mother hen. When they stepped out of the labyrinth entrance though, Kaori was forcibly brought back to reality. After all, an event occurred that she absolutely couldn't ignore. For someone who loved Hajime, it was perhaps the most shocking event possible.
Myu: Papa! You're back!
Sora: Oh, Myu!
A little girl calling Sora her Papa appeared. Myu's voice carried over the din of the bustling market street. A few onlookers smiled as they watched the little girl totter up to Sora. She made a beeline for Sora and leaped up into his arms. He caught her in midair and lifted her high into the air.
Sora: Did you come here to see me? Were you a good girl while I was gone?
Myu: Yep!
Hajime then looked at Tio annoyed.
Hajime: You didn't cause any weird accidents, did you?
Tio: Nothing worth mentioning, Master. Well, there were these ruffians who tried to kidnap Myu. But I made sure to discipline them.
It seemed some foolish kidnappers had tried to abduct Myu. Sora had told her to wear a hood whenever she went out in public, so she wouldn't attract attention. He assumed that was why her would-be kidnappers hadn't noticed she was a Seaman, a member of a species under the Holy Church's protection. Myu was an incredibly cute girl, so she made for an appealing kidnapping target. Though Sora had no way of knowing whether they'd just been after money, or if they were just pedophiles.
Sora: So, where are those thugs?
Tio: Fear not, My King. I have already dealt with them.
Sora: Tch, they got off easy.
Tio: Are you sure you'll be able to part with her when the time comes?
Sora had clearly intended to kill the unfortunate kidnappers, so Tio quickly cut him off before he turned the thing into a huge incident. Though he'd hated being called Papa at first, he'd gradually taken to the role of a father more and more. It had gotten to the point where his companions were worried he wouldn't be able to part with her once they got to Erisen.
Sora's classmates had thought nothing could surprise them anymore after witnessing his sudden transformation, but they were wrong. Never in their wildest dreams did any of them imagine he'd become a father. The guys all looked from Aishia, to Yue, to Shea, to the newly arrived Tio, wondering whose kid it was, as well as just how much more experienced Sora had become in these past few months. It was possible this was an even bigger shock than Sora's unbelievable strength.
Logically, it was impossible for Sora to have a four-year daughter, since they'd only been apart for a little over four months, but the students were all too shocked and exhausted to be thinking straight. Kaori stepped forward, swaying slightly. There was a smile on her face, but her expression was anything but happy. She stumbled up to Sora and grabbed him by the collar.
Kaori: Sora, explain yourself! Is she really your daughter!? Who did you get pregnant!? Aishia?! Yue!? Shea!? Or that beautiful lady over there!? How could you cheat on Shizuku like that?! Wait, are there even more girls I don't know about!? How many of them have you gotten pregnant!? Answer me, Sora!
Sora: Wait! What?! Me and Yaegashi are not even in a relationship!
It seemed Kaori had finally snapped. Sora blush slightly when Kaori mentioned that he and Shizuku were on a relationship. Sora tried to explain that it was all a misunderstanding, but Kaori wouldn't let him go. He couldn't understand where she was getting such strength from.
Shizuku: Calm down, Kaori! There's no way that girl could actually be his kid! And his right, me and Yatagami are not in that kind of relation!
Shizuku's cheeks also turned pink when Kaori shouted like that. She tried to pull Kaori off Sora, but to no avail. Still being rattled back and forth by Kaori, Sora looked up to the sky and sighed. Myu looked up at him in confusion, and he gently patted her head.
(Timeskip)
Face bright red, Kaori buried herself in Shizuku's arms. Kaori apologize silently to Shizuku that she lost her chance with Sora, to which Shizuku denied with a furious blush that they are not in a relation. Once she'd finally calmed down enough to think things through rationally, Kaori had realized just how embarrassing the things she'd said were. Shizuku looked more like Kaori's mom than anything as she comforted her.
Hajime and the others had moved from the labyrinth entrance to a square near the town's edge.
The reason Kouki and the other students had followed Hajime to the edge of town was because Kaori had chased after him. She was still embarrassed at her earlier outburst, but she also knew she had to make a decision soon. Whether to travel with Hajime, or let him go for good. Traveling with him was what she wanted. After all, she'd finally managed to reunite with him, so she definitely didn't want to let him go again.
Still, she hesitated. She'd feel guilty for leaving Kouki's party. And more than anything, she was still shaken by how different Hajime was. Worse, Yue had seen through just how shaken she was.
Kaori could tell Yue cared a great deal for Hajime as well.
What stung the most, though, was that Hajime loved Yue as well. They seemed so perfectly in sync. And when Yue had sneered at her, Kaori had begun doubting the depths of her own affection.
Maybe she really did care less for Hajime than Yue did. Maybe if she confessed to him now he'd only see it as a bother. Was she even willing to accept Hajime as he was now? Was she actually just pining for the old Hajime?
In short, Kaori had been overwhelmed by Yue's overbearing presence. The fact that Yue possessed strength that rivaled Hajime's own only added to her intimidation.
Kaori had lost her confidence that she could beat Yue, both as a mage, and even in the depth of her feelings for Hajime. That was why she'd been unable to make a decision. And now, Sora was about to leave. However, before he could step out of the gates, he was stopped. Kaori looked up to see around ten men blocking their path.
Goon 1: I heard you got our boys good. Now it's pay back time.
The scruffy-looking men were all glaring at Tio. They were friends of the kidnapper Tio had dealt with, coming to avenge their comrade. Though judging from their ogling stares, they were motivated more by lust.
Sora was getting tired of all these petty thugs picking a fight with him. The thugs interpreted his silence as fear, and they grew even bolder.
Their gazes slid over to Aishia, Yue and Shea. Disgusted by the men's gazes, Aishia, Yue and Shea slunk back behind Sora and Hajime. Once again, the men misinterpreted their actions and thought they must've be scared, so they began threatening Sora and Hajime.
Goon 2: Brats, you two better not be thinking of doing anything stupid. If you don't wanna die, leave the women and scram. Don't worry, we'll give them back after they've apologized properly.
Goon 3: Though they'll probably be broken by then.
The men all laughed. Unfortunately for them, the moment they'd turned their fangs on Sora, their fate had been decided. As always, his Intimidation exerted a pressure so strong it could be felt physically. Enraged, Kouki had stepped forward to punish the men, but he found himself assailed by the same pressure as the thugs. His vision went blurry, and he fell to his knees.
Sora and Hajime stepped forward, and the thugs realized too late that they'd picked a fight with the wrong guys. They hurriedly tried to apologize, but the pressure on them was so strong that they couldn't even open their mouths. They fell to the ground, struggling futilely to move. Sora didn't feel like listening to their bleating any longer. Anyone who scared Myu deserved a fate worse than death.
Tio: They're unusually furious...
Shea: He's such an overprotective parent.
Aishia: You looked even madder than usual this time.
Yue: Yes, but they were also angry out of concern for us.
Shea: Wait, I'm included too?!
Shea then ran up and hugged Sora tightly.
Shea: Aww! Are you finally in your dere phase?
Sora: Knock it off.
Kaori watched the spectacle from the sidelines. That scene earlier had firmly impressed onto her that Sora and Hajime didn't hesitate to resort to violence. At a glance, it seemed as if their old kindness had all but vanished. But when Kaori thought about the reason behind his actions, she saw things from a different perspective. They'd done it to protect the smiling girls around them.
Kaori(mind): Why...? They would've never done these things before...
Kaori then saw Aishia, Yue, Shea, Tio and Myu all smiling happily, finally realizing it.
Kaori(mind): No... There's no way the two of them could be surrounded by smiles if they've forgotten about kindness...They came to the Labyrinth to save us, they even saved Captain Meld... I get it now...
And so, after watching them for a while, Kaori finally realized the truth. The reason Sora and Hajime didn't hesitate to use violence was because they knew they needed it to protect the things important to them. Naturally, their own life was included in that, but it wasn't the only thing that mattered. The girls smiling next to him were proof of that.
For the first time, Kaori tried to think about what he must have gone through. Hajime's hair had turned white. He'd lost his right eye and left arm. Sora's bodies were severely scarred. There was no doubt that they must have suffered more than she could ever imagine. Their body and soul must have been pushed close to the breaking point many times. In fact, they may have been pushed past that. This new them was likely a result of that. Still, despite everything that had happened to him, Sora and Hajime was able to make others smile.
The fog that had settled around Kaori's heart lifted. Everything began to click. She couldn't believe she'd been so blind. The man standing in front of her was Hajime. He was the very same Hajime she'd fallen in love with. The boy who'd been berated as worthless and cast into the abyss, only to crawl out with his own strength to come back and save her.
Sure, some of him had changed, but just as much of him hadn't. And that was only natural. All people changed with the passage of time, with new experiences and new meetings. What reason did she have to be afraid of him? What reason did she have to lose faith in him? Most of all, what reason did she have to lose faith in her own judgment?
If there was a new side that she didn't know, she just had to spend time with them and get to know it. Hadn't she spent all her time in high school doing the same?
There was no way she was going to lose to Yue in the depth of her feelings for him. She'd be part of that smiling group too. She wouldn't let Yue laugh at her any longer. Determination welled up within Kaori. Shizuku smiled as she saw the resolve in her best friend's eyes. Kaori straightened her back, then nodded gratefully to Shizuku. It was time for her to step forward into a new battlefield. A battlefield of love. Hajime looked back and spotted Kaori coming toward him. He thought she was simply coming to see him off, but Yue stared at her warily. Shea watched on with great interest, while Tio mused her thoughts.
Tio: Hoho, this will be quite the spectacle.
Tio's reactions alerted Sora and Hajime to the fact that this was no mere send-off. Hajime suddenly had a bad feeling about the whole situation.
Kaori: Hajime, Sora.
Hajime: Shirasaki?
Kaori: I get it... The reason why you both changed...I'm sure I can't even imagine what you both had to go through in the abyss. Neither of you show mercy, you don't hesitate to use force... Because that was the only way to survive. To protect those important to you both. But some part of you both hasn't changed. You've both always had kindness to protect someone.
Sora: ...
Hajime: ...
Shizuku: Go on.
Kaori then looked back at Shizuku, who smiled at her nodding, as Kaori nodded and looked at Hajime.
Kaori: Can I go with you? Actually, I will go with you!
Hajime: Huh?
Hajime was surprised by the fire in her voice. She hadn't started with a request, but a demand. For a moment, he wasn't sure how to respond. Yue stepped forward, answering in his place.
Yue: You have no right.
Kaori: And what right is that? Is it about how I feel about Hajime? Well, my feelings won't lose to anyone. Not even you.
Kaori didn't falter. Yue frowned. The two of them stared each other down. It felt as if a raging inferno blazed between them. Yue realized Kaori would probably be the strongest rival she would ever face. She could see the determination in Kaori's eyes. After a few seconds, Kaori turned away and looked at Hajime. The determination was still there, but now it was accompanied by something more.
She clasped her hands together and took a deep breath. Her cheeks were red. She took another deep breath. This was the moment of truth. It was finally time to say the words she'd wanted to the first time she'd seen him kneeling in front of those thugs way back in Japan. Her voice trembled a little, but it carried clearly.
Kaori: I love you, Hajime.