Chapter 78

The Peerless Incompetent

“Eh? Hajime-kun? Wait, Nagumo-kun? Eh? What? What do you mean?”

Kaori’s ecstatic shout made Shizuku, who was by her side, confused and looked alternately between Kaori and Hajime. Apparently, Kaori was able to see through the white haired, eye-patched, black-coated person before her as Hajime with just a single glance, but Shizuku was still unable to recognize him.

However, when she saw the boy’s face who was looking back over his shoulder with a wry smile, it immediately overlapped with Nagumo Hajime in her memory, and Shizuku, with widened eyes, raised a surprised voice.

“Eh? Eh? Really? Is he really Nagumo-kun? Eh? What? What’s really happening here?”

“Well, just calm down, Yaegashi. Aren’t calm, cool, and collected your main selling point?”

The chain of events happened after she, Shizuku, just like Kaori, was prepared to die which made her perplexed and she forgot her pain. Admonishing her as he said Shizuku’s name, Hajime suddenly looked overhead, feeling their presences. Thus, the falling blond-haired girl, Yue, was caught by him in princess carry style and he carefully let her down, next he received the rabbit-eared girl, Shia, who jumped down the same way.

The last to jump down was a boy dressed in black, Endou Kousuke.

“Na-Nagumoo! You-! I was blown away by that! Wait, what was that just now!? It suddenly pierced the dungeon’s floors…”

Endou looked at the surrounding, started complaining. Then, he saw his best friends and the others together with a group of demonic beasts. After noticing that he was being watched by his stiffened classmates, “Nuoh!,” and released a strange shout. To Endou, they voices were half-filled with joy because of their reunion, and anger because he came back.

“”Kousuke!””

“Jyuugo! Kentarou! I’ve come with help!”

Reacting to “I’ve come with help,” Kouki’s party and the demon race woman finally returned to their sense. Then, they once again stared at Hajime and the two girls. However, not minding the gazes of those in his surroundings, Hajime quickly ordered Yue and Shia with a slightly irritated expression.

“Yue, sorry but please protect those people gathered there. Shia, please look at the condition of the fallen man in Knight’s armor there.”

“Nn… leave it to me.”

“Roger~!”

Yue calmly walked without caring about the surrounding demonic beasts, while Shia used her marvelous jumping power to jump overhead the group of demonic beasts and landed beside the collapsed Meld.

“Ha-Hajime-kun…”

Kaori once again called Hajime’s name with a shaking voice. Her tone was probably filled with joy due to the reunion, yet there was also sorrow. It was because she thought Hajime had came here to die. Although Kaori didn’t know the details, her expression was telling him to immediately get away from the place.

Shrugging his shoulders, he returned Kaori’s gaze. Hajime briefly said, “It’s okay now, so just wait there.” After saying that, he activated “Light Speed” which greatly improved his perception. Then, he took out three Cross Bits from “Treasure Box” which surrounded Kaori and Shizuku like shields.

The floating cross-like objects that suddenly appeared from empty space surprised Kaori and Shizuku. With his back before the two, Hajime made a proposal towards the demon race woman whose appearance could be seen as nothing but arrogance. It was his mercy since the demon race woman was still not his enemy.

“The red-haired woman over there. I won’t do anything if you leave immediately. Just disappeared quickly from here if you don’t want to die.”

“…What did you say?”

It was not a remark that could be said by an ordinary human while being surrounded by demonic beasts. It was the reason why the demon race woman inadvertently asked back. As a response, Hajime repeated himself with an amazed expression.

“Prompt decisions are needed in battlefields. That’s why I said, just disappear from here quickly if you don’t want to die. Understand now?”

Knowing she did not hear it wrong, the demon race woman erased her expression and ordered the demonic beasts while pointing at Hajime, “Kill him.”

This time, the too abrupt situation—— especially the dead of her treasured Ahatd due to an unknown attack made the demon race woman lose her calm and make a fatal mistake.

Even if Hajime had his own objection, the woman was too enraged by Hajime who by the course of events treaded on Ahatd, a demonic beast she didn’t want to lose since it was given to her by her revered superior. In addition, there was the confusion due to the unbelievable situation where the dungeon’s ceiling had been destroyed just because he wanted to go downstairs. In any case, she would have been able to make a more careful judgement if it was the usual her. However, the glove had been thrown out.

“I see… So, I take it that you’re an “enemy”, right?”

Hajime muttered at the same time the Chimera attacked him. Behind Hajime, “Hajime-kun!” and “Nagumo-kun!” warning voices filled with urgency could be heard. However, Hajime casually clawed the Chimera attacking from his left with his artificial arm and lifted it without any difficulty.

The Chimera was surprised and struggled to escape which made the space blurred intensely. Looking at it, Hajime looked at it with scorn.

“Oi, oi, what is this? This half-assed peculiar magic. Are you a street performer?”

Because there’s no meaning if one’s presence and figure disappears when spaces blurs when it moves. Hajime inadvertently retorted. Even in the abyss, there were demonic beasts that could conceal their presences and figuring out what each of them has was extremely troublesome. Comparing it to them, Hajime thought it was too childish that the concealment exposed when it moved.

Standing still while he raised a Chimera with huge body weighing several hundreds kilograms as it struggling mid air, Hajime made the demon race woman, Kaori, and the others dumbfounded.

Hajime leered at them and used “Great Arm” to throw the Chimera on the ground as though he had lost his interest in it.

BoOoOoOmM!!

BaAaAaANNNG

With a raw sound ringing out, the Chimera had its head crushed and made a crater on the ground. Next, having drawn out Donner, Hajime turned the railgun towards the space that seemed to be empty at a glance and fired it in succession.

BAAANG BAAAAANNNG!!

Dry, explosive sounds rang out and two flashes cut through the air, mercilessly piercing respective targets. The space blurred for a moment, then a Chimera with a blasted head and a Brutal-look-alike whose heart had been shot through appeared. They stood still for a second, swayed, and crumbled to ground.

Not moving but could not conceal the wind flow, the shaking of the air and ground, their gazes, killing intent, flow of magic, and temperature made them nothing but unmoving targets for Hajime.

Without even looking at the demonic beasts he instantly killed, Hajime took a step forward into the battlefield, no, the execution ground. What started could not even be called deathmatch. It was a one-sided execution by the monster who shouldn’t be made into an enemy.

The demon race woman was shocked seeing the demonic beasts were killed casually and easily while the classmates stood still feeling the chill from the weapon that shouldn’t exist in this world. Leaving aside those stiffened people, the demonic beasts were attacking Hajime one after another, faithfully executing the demon race woman’s order.

A black cat creeped behind him and fired its tentacles, but Hajime didn’t turn around and only turned the wrist of his lowered arm where Donner was and fired behind. The bullet exceeding the speed of sound easily gouged through the black cat’s forehead.

Without stopping to look at their companion, four-eyed wolves rushed towards him from left and right at the same time. However, Schlag, unknown as to when it was drawn, blew the enemy on his left while Donner blown off the one on the right.

At that moment, the black cats hidden behind the annihilated four-eyed wolves shot their tentacles in cooperation with the Chimeras that were approaching Hajime’s back. However, Hajime had jumped several meters above, flipped mid-air, and while hanging upside down, the floating black cats and the two Chimera, who lost sight of their target, became preys for the railgun.

Within the scattered flesh and blood that looked like flower storm, two Brutal-look-alikes came and swung their maces, aiming for the moment Hajime landed. However, such an easily predicted future wouldn’t work on a monster such as Hajime, and he jumped further using “Aerodynamic” mid-air. He then fired Donner-Schlag to his left and right in succession while spinning like a top.

The released wind of killing intent not only moved towards the two Brutal-look-alikes that were waiting for him, but it also pierced and burst to pieces the heads of the Chimeras and four-eyed wolves that were approaching from behind. While each of the demonic beasts sprayed and scattered blood, Hajime descend as though to follow the law of inertia and dulled the momentum right before he landed.

Landing soundlessly in the center of the corpses and a ground dyed with blood, Hajime took out ammo from an empty space and use gunspin to reload them.

And at that time, “KuWAaAA!,” a strange sound rang out all of a sudden. Hajime turned toward the source and there was the six-legged turtle-like demonic beasts, Absod, whose wide opened mouth was turned towards Hajime. Inside its mouth was a compression of tremendous power shining a pure white light.

It was the previously stored huge magic power from Commander Meld’s “Last Loyalty.” The “Last Loyalty”‘s range was only few meters but its power was more than enough to decimate a person.

The magic power was compressed to the limit and in the next moment it was launched like a laser towards its target, Hajime. The death light approached as it gouged out the ground on its track. However, Hajime calmly took out a large, coffin-like shield from an empty space, equipped it on his left arm, and activated “Vajra” the same time he held up the shield. Just like a huge tree whose roots were firmly rooted on the ground, there was no impatience in Hajime’s eyes which showed his firm will.

A tremendous roar resounded the moment the laser-like magic power hit, and the trembling air expressed how strong it was. However, Hajime, who received the direct hit, didn’t even move a step away, but rather, he sported a mischievous smile, and began to slant the shield to parry the attack. The destination of where the attack was averted to was…

“Kh!? Damn it!”

It was the demon race woman. Since the time Hajime began to easily kill the demonic beasts, she sensed the crisis and began to chant powerful magic with an exaggerated chant, but Hajime noticed it and redirect Absod’s attack towards the demon race woman to obstruct her.

The unexpected situation made the demon race woman take an evasive action in a panic, but Hajime only adjusted the angle of his shield for the attack to reach her. The torrent of light approached her and destroyed the wall, made the demon race woman frantically ran on the side of the wall. Her expression was one where there was not the slightest hint of composure remained.

However, the attack gradually drew near her back, and when she thought she would be mowed down by the attack she had ordered to be released, the magic power stored by Absod had reached the bottom and the attack ended.

“Tch…”

Without any room to react to Hajime who clicked his tongue, the demon race woman breathed a sigh of relief only to be frozen in the next moment.

BaAaAaANNNG!!

An explosive sound roared along with the feeling of heat passing right beside her right cheek, and something white splattered.

That something was the remains of the white crow which was previously stood on the demon race woman’s shoulder. Although things had not been going the way he expected, Hajime countered by firing Donner aiming at Absod while Schlag was aimed at the white crow.

Even if Absod tried to evade only to endure the bullet so even with its tremendous velocity, it would only leave a small sound, but it could not even sense the bullet which ended up piercing through its opened mouth and its consciousness fell into darkness for eternity.

Even the white crow had its body burst open and had died in an instant, scattering white feathers along with its flesh and blood. Receiving the after effect of the railgun, the demon race woman lost her balance, fell on her butt, and absentmindedly patted her own cheek. What stuck there were the white crow’s flesh and blood, and at the same time she felt the heat from the severe burn.

If it shifted just by a few centimeters… The demon race woman was trembling when she thought of what might have happened. In other words, Hajime whose matchless strength allowed him to playfully kill the army of demonic beasts as though he was killing bugs before her eyes, and could have also killed her at any time. Even now, her life was in the palm of his hands.

The demon race woman had a strong pride as a warrior, but she could not stop her trembling body before the monster-like existence. What was that? Why did such a thing exist? How can I survive from that monster!? Such thoughts filled the demon race woman’s mind, and it continued to circle round and round inside her.

Kouki and the others felt the same as her. They could not immediately see through the white haired, eyepatched boy as Hajime. They could not understand who was the unknown person who easily annihilated the demonic beasts that had put them into such predicament.

“What was that…? Just who in this world is he!?”

Kouki muttered while his unmoving body was laid on the ground. Everyone around him also had the same questions forming in their minds. The one who answered was the person they asked to retreat only to return here by his own will, Endou.

“Haha, I know it is unbelievable… but he is Nagumo.”

“”””””Hah?””””””

Endou’s words made Kouki and the others leaked those words at the same time. Seeing Endou, they though, “Is this guy’s head okay?,” and made some gesture with their hands. Thinking, it can’t be helped, huh~, Endou could only shrugged his shoulders because he was only stating the truth.

“Like I said, he is Nagumo, Nagumo Hajime. The Nagumo who fell from the bridge at that day. He survived in the depth of the dungeon and climbed up with his own power. When coming here, he treated the demonic beasts as if they are just small fries. It’s seriously unbelievable!, I thought so, too… but it is the truth.”

“Nagumo, eh? You mean Nagumo is alive!?”

Kouki said with a surprised voice. Thus, the others also simultaneously tried to look at the boy with monstrous strength who was advancing the annihilation progress… but as expected they tried to deny it while thinking, “Just how is he Nagumo?” Endou understood their feelings and with a gesture he said, “Well, it’s true. Although he has completely changed, I’ve seen his status plate,” Endou told them again that the boy was Nagumo Hajime while sporting a dry smile.

Everyone felt it was unbelievable as they vacantly looked at Hajime’s peerlessness, and a person who was awfully flustered said,

“L-Lies. Nagumo is dead. Wasn’t that the case? Everyone also saw it. There’s no way he is alive! We have already agreed on that!”

“Uwah, what’s with you! I have seen his status plate so there’s no mistake it is him.”

“Lies! There’s must be some trick! He must be in disguise and trying to trick us!”

“No, just what are you saying? There’s no reason for him to do that.”

The one who was saying unreasonable things and grabbed Endou’s collar was Hiyama. He was denying Hajime’s survival with an abnormally paled complexion. Kondou and the others around him were somewhat taken aback by Hiyama’s appearance.

The agitated Hiyama was doused by cold water, literally. A large amount of water suddenly appeared above Hiyama and poured down on him like a small waterfall. Hiyama somewhat drowned because it matched the timing when he inhaled. After being doused with water, he had a coughing fit. What on earth!? Hiyama was confused only to be told by a cold voice far colder than the cold water.

“… Be quiet. It’s irritating.”

Although Hiyama seemed to getting more agitated and tried to object, he instinctively swallowed his words when he turned his gaze towards the source of the voice. After all, the source of the voice, Yue, was looking at Hiyama with a very cold gaze as though she was looking at an insect. At the same time, not only a few would forget their situation after they were captivated by the ideal girl whose beauty was just like the highest grade bisque doll.

Same could be said for Kouki’s party. Their gazes were naturally attracted to the beautiful looking girl whether they were female or male. Even Suzu was obviously captivated and said, “Whooaa~,” with a strange voice. It wasn’t simply because of her beauty, she was also cladded in a bewitching atmosphere contrary to her young appearance which made Kouki’s party captivated.

And at that time, maybe because of the demon race woman’s instruction, several demonic beasts came to attack Kouki’s party. She probably thought of turning them into hostages just like how she had used Meld. It was a normal measure since she couldn’t even imagine of capturing Hajime with a fair challenge.

Suzu immediately thought of creating shields. Having activated magic one after another, her exhausted body was screaming. She bit her lips to prevent herself from blacking out… but Yue gently stopped Suzu with her hand. Having Yue quietly patting her head, “Ehh?,” Suzu inadvertently said with a relaxed voice and stopped her chant.

“… Don’t worry.”

Yue muttered, and Suzu said, “Ah, it’s already safe now,” without any basis for it nor any power left her body. Even she herself didn’t know why she could simply accepted Yue’s words, but she felt she was being defended by a reliable big sister.

Yue looked away from Suzu and glared at the demonic beasts that readied their fangs, claws, tentacles, and maces. Then, with one sentence she pulled her magic’s trigger.

“”Blue Dragon.””

In the next moment, a bluish-white sphere with one meter in diameter appeared above Yue and the others. Those who used flame attribute magic knew it was one of the highest level magic, a blue flame magic capable of decimating anything it approached, “Blue Imperial.” It was abnormal to be able to activate it without any chant and in no time. Especially the rear group; they knew what happened and could only looked up at the blue blaze in blank surprise.

However, this was just the start of what would make them truly surprised. The blue flame burning radiantly suddenly changed its shape to one of a snake, attacked the incoming maces swinging Brutal-look-alikes and the others by swallowing them. They were instantly killed, and not even an ash remained.

Before long, the shape of the blue flame changed and swam in the air. It was a blazing blue dragon, with length of around 30 meters. With Yue in the center, the blue dragon protected Kouki and the others by coiling around them. Then, it raised its head, and opened its jaws towards the demonic beasts which were standing still because they could not approach the the blue hellfire that would perish everything.

RoOoOAAAAR!!!

It roared. And immediately, the bodies of the demonic beasts flew. As though they were attracted by gravity, they jumped into the blue dragon’s mouth one after another. Although the others understood it was not suicide since the demonic beasts desperately tried to escape in mid-air in panic due to the abrupt situation. Seeing the demonic beast throwing their bodies in queue towards the annihilation that didn’t even leave an ash, made them think it as nothing but a bad joke.

“What is this magic…”

Someone muttered. The unknown magic had one-sidedly burnt the demonic beasts to annihilation by pulling them, which made Kouki’s party unable to close their wide opened mouths. But it couldn’t be helped. After all, this magic was the same as “Thunder Dragon,” an original magic of Yue’s, formed by combining the highest fire magic element, “Blue Imperial,” and one of the Age of Gods’ magic, gravity magic.

Incidentally, the reason she used “Blue Dragon” and not “Thunder Dragon” was simply because Yue was training herself. Thunder Dragon was a combination between gravity magic and high-ranked wind attribute, thunder, so “Blue Dragon” had higher difficulty and power. Because she was just recently capable of combining highest level magic, she wanted to make its debut.

Naturally, Kouki’s party who didn’t know of the circumstances shifted their gazes from the “Blue Dragon” to Yue, about to ask for an explanation. However, calmly straightening its back, the Blue Dragon stopped and its flame shone brighter. Together with Yue’s sublime figure, it made Kouki’s party hold their breath, and they were unable to say the words to ask for an explanation. Several people quickly had their hearts stolen by Yue… especially Suzu; she was letting out an exclamation of joy like a small old man.

On the other side, when the demon race woman saw the bizarre “Blue Dragon” from the distance, she cursed in her mind, “There’s only monsters here, huh!” Frustrated due to the demonic beasts being exterminated one after another, she changed her aim to the RabbitMan girl beside the mortally wounded Meld, and the two girls close to each other who were separated from the others.

However, the demon race woman was further exposed to the arbitrary.

The Brutal-look-alike which came to attack Shia had its head blown away like a pinball with a swing from Doryukken. She then rotated her body using the momentum from her first attack towards the four-eyed wolf coming advancing from behind her and it died easily with its head crushed by an attack carrying enough centrifugal force.

Once again, Chimeras and black cats were about to attack Kaori and Shizuku. Shizuku gritted her teeth, and readied her broken sword towards the incoming; the scattered demonic beasts filled with killing intent. However, as if to stop them, the cross bits floating in her surrounding came in between Shizuku and the Chimeras.

Shizuku was somewhat shaken by the mysterious crosses were moving as though to protect her. Suddenly, the longer point of the crosses turned towards the Chimera and a roaring sounds rang out. “Seriously, what are those!?” Shizuku was shouting inside her mind, when something spinningly flew almost grazing her cheek and fell to the ground with a metallic sound. The same roaring sound rang out beside Kaori, and the same sound of metal resounded, too, as expected.

Although confused, Kaori and Shizuku returned their attentions towards the incoming demonic beasts, and there were only the figures of demonic beasts with heads blown to pieces… They were speechless and turned their gazes towards the source of the metallic sounds and confirmed its identity.

“Isn’t that… cartridge?”

“Cartridge… a gun’s?”

Kaori and Shizuku faced each other as they said the unfamiliar term out loud. They were convinced once they saw Hajime’s figure rampaging with guns in both hand. The crosses floating to defend them were similar to an all-range weapon from somewhere.

“A-Amazing… Hajime-kun can use Funnel.”

“Just, since when did he become a NewType…”

Kaori and Shizuku regained a lot of their composure after the surrounding demonic beasts were instantly exterminated. They let out unbecoming retorts which were actually transmitted to Hajime through the Cross Bits. And on the contrary, Hajime wanted to retort back in regards to how the two knew such references. However, Hajime did not worry about it thanks to the skill he honed by being in the company of Yue and the girls, “Let it be”.

“Seriously… what’s with this.”

The demon race woman muttered powerlessly. No matter what she tried, everything was held down and crushed by sheer power. Such irrational things allowed her mind to be invaded by feeling of throwing in the towel. There were hardly any demonic beasts remaining, and it was obvious to anyone who was the victor and loser.

My last hope! The demon race woman fired magic towards Hajime for the sake of escaping and ran towards one of the four exits with all of her might. The magic fired towards Hajime was “Final Prison.” It exploded right beside Hajime, and the petrifying smoke wrapped around him. Kouki’s party held their breaths while Kaori and Shizuku screamed Hajime’s name.

Leering at the shaken Kouki’s party, the demon race woman finally reached one of the exits.

However…

“Haha… I’ve been checkmated, huh.”

“It is certainly as you say.”

Before the demon race woman was the floating cross with its dark muzzle pointed at her from inside the passage. With a dry laughter, only now did she realize she had been checkmated long since before she attacked Hajime, and the demon race woman inadvertently leaked a dry laughter. The hateful calm voice came from behind.

This time, the demon race woman looked back in resignation and she saw Hajime walking closer from inside the petrifying smoke as if nothing happened. Next, he scattered the petrifying smoke to the other passage by sweeping it away using the red wave of “Magic Emission.”

“… You monster. To take a high-ranked magic as something insignificant… You, are you really human?”

“Actually, even I’ve doubting that. But, it isn’t so bad to become a monster, you know?”

Hajime and the demon race woman said in a joking manner with only a slight distance between them. When the demon race woman took a look at the room, the demonic beasts had truly been annihilated before she was aware of it. Once again she cursed in a small voice, “You monster.”

Ignoring her, Hajime aimed Donner’s muzzle towards the woman. The weapon of death pointed right before her eyes made the demon race woman realize it was time for her to die, and she looked back.

“Well then, “Do you have anything left to say?” Is what is usually said in these kinds of situation… Unfortunately, I don’t have any interest in hearing your last will. More importantly, about why a person of the demon race had come here… and where you obtained those demonic beasts… Shall I have you spit it out?”

“Do you think I will speak? It might become an advantage for human race, right? As if I am that stupid.”

The demon race woman snorted scornfully, which made Hajime look at her with cold gaze. Thus, without hesitation, he fired Donner to both of the demon race woman’s legs.

“AgaaAH!!”

The demon race woman screamed and collapsed. The scream resounded inside the silent room where the demonic beasts had ceased to breathe. Hajime knew the classmates behind him were gulping because of his merciless action. However, not worrying about such things, Hajime asked again with Donner aimed at the woman.

“Whether it’s human race or demon race, I don’t care about your world’s circumstance. I am asking you not as someone from human race. I am only asking because I want to know it. So, answer it now.”

“…”

The demon race woman was glaring at Hajime while gritting her teeth from the pain. Seeing her eyes, Hajime realized she was not likely to speak, so he began to speak instead.

“Well, I have roughly guessed it. You came here to conquer the “True Great Dungeon,” right?”

The demon race woman’s brows twitched from Hajime’s words. Hajime continued speaking while carefully observing the woman’s reaction.

“Those demonic beasts were the product of an Age of Gods magic… looks like I hit the bull’s eye. I see, so the change in demon race side was because they conquered a Great Dungeon and obtained the Age of Gods magic which could enslave demonic beasts, huh… Resultantly, the human race side moved to conquer the Great Dungeon by investigating and then inviting the heroes…”

“How… it can’t be…”

Hajime had stated his theories which was right on the mark, and it rattled the demon race woman. With the mortified expression, she questioned how he knew when a possibility came to mind. Seeing her expression, Hajime noticed the demon race woman had guessed Hajime was also another dungeon conqueror. With his glance, he responded, “Correct.”

“I see, if you are the same as that person… then I can understand your monster-like power… Ah, isn’t that enough? Just kill me. After all, I have no intention of being a captive…”

“As that person… right. You must be referring to the conqueror whom you received the demonic beasts from, huh…”

The expression of the demon race woman’s face told him she would rather commit suicide rather than to be taken as a captive. Thus, she wanted to at least die in battle. The information about another dungeon conqueror was enough for Hajime, so with thoughts of ending it, killing intent appeared in his eyes.

As revenge for dying in the middle of her path, and unwillingness to admit defeat, the demon race woman muttered towards Hajime.

“Someday, my lover will kill you.”

Her words made Hajime’s lips curved and floated a fearless smile.

“I will kill my enemy, even if it is God. And if that person is someone who dances inside the palm of God’s, then he wouldn’t be able to reach me.”

There’s nothing left to talk about, so the two closed their mouths. Hajime turned Donner’s muzzle towards the demon race woman’s head.

However, the moment he was about to pull the trigger, a loud voice stopped him.

“Wait! Just wait, Nagumo! She can no longer fight! So, it’s not necessary to kill her!”

“…”

With his finger still on Donner’s trigger, “What is this guy saying?,” Hajime looked over his shoulder with a dubious expression. Kouki managed to unsteadily stand up after he had slightly recovered and further raised his voice.

“Capture, right, just make her a captive. It’s absolutely unforgivable to kill someone who cannot resist. I am the hero. And Nagumo is my comrade, so please back away in consideration of me.”

Excuses that rendered too much retort was something Hajime thought there was no value in hearing it and swiftly discarded them. Silently,… he pulled the trigger.

BaAaAaANNNG!

The dry explosive sound echoed inside the room. Killing intent was aimed and a shot was fired through the demon race woman’s forehead where she instantly died.

Silence engulfed their surrounding. The classmates finally understood and could only hold their bated breaths, puzzled to the spectacle where one of their classmate killed a person without hesitation. Amongst all of them, Kaori was most shocked by it.

It was not about him killing a person. After all, Kaori herself had been prepared for it. It was a natural thing since they had entered the fight in this world. After all, fighting the demonic beast inside the dungeon was only combat exercise.

That’s why, a day where killing one another would surely come, for she must kill hostile people, and she was prepared to do it. She was a healer who stand by the rear, but thinking of Shizuku, Kouki, and the others who were in the front lines — the time when her the hands of her friends will be dirtied by blood, even if it was just a little, made her heart resolved to not averting from such situations even just for a moment.

What shocked Kaori was because she could not sense any aversion, disgust, and hesitation towards murder from Hajime. He killed a person as though it was natural as breathing. The Hajime Kaori knew was someone who even though he couldn’t go against the others, he was a gentle and strong person capable of being able to jump into a whirlpool for the sake of others.

That form of being 'strong” was not a power that came from violence. It was a strength due to “thinking about others” no matter what time or situation he was in. That’s why, Hajime who could kill an enemy who had lost her spirit and would not resist with neither hesitation nor had any deep emotion, had become someone completely different from Hajime she knew, and it shocked her.

Shizuku was her best friend, so she understood Kaori had received a powerful shock. However, she was able to guess what shocked Kaori from the scattered talk they usually had about Hajime when they were in Japan.

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Shizuku looked at Hajime with a cool expression and she thought he had certainly changed, but she knew it was wrong for her, who knew nothing, to complain about it. That’s why, as the result, she could do nothing but to stop being nestled close to Kaori.

However, naturally, the lump of justice called hero wouldn’t be able to stay silent about it. Kouki’s voice rang out as if to subdue the space filled with silence.

“Why, why did you kill her. Was there any necessary to kill her…”

Hajime was walking towards Shia’s side and caught Kouki staring at him with a penetrating glare at the edge of his view. He hesitated for a moment thinking how he should answer, but in the next moment, to begin with, there’s no need to answer!, he thought and decided to ignore Kouki.

However, whether the other party would allow Hajime’s attitude was another problem…