The one who entered was s.h.i.+a. Looking at Hajime and Yue who were entangled on top of the bed with their fiercely disarrayed clothes, her rabbit ears bristled *bosaa!*
“s.h.i.+a? What’s the… Hajime-kun? Yue? Just what are you two doing I wonder? I wonder?”
“――”
Behind s.h.i.+a, Kaori who peeked her head in materialized a hannya mask behind her. s.h.i.+zuku covered her red face with both her hands. However, following a cliché, she didn’t forget to peek between her fingers’ gap. Since she became aware of her love to Hajime, she was also excessively conscious to that kind of act, but she couldn’t help but hold interest.
On the other hand, about Hajime and Yue who were interrupted before they went further, they directed their sight to those three while embracing each other. Then they immediately looked at each other, moved their gaze once more to the three, and said out words with splendid synchronization.
“Come back two hours later.” X2
In response, the reaction of s.h.i.+a and others were naturally…
“Are you stupidddd――!!”
“It’s obviously not allowedddddd!!”
“…”
Angry roars reverberated in the ice mansion. Only one person was stealing glances at the exposed chest of Hajime with her face still red.
The bed was overturned with Hajime and Yue still on it and then they were dragged out, s.h.i.+a and Kaori forcibly moved them to the living room at a corner of the mansion. It seemed that s.h.i.+zuku was still unable to come out of her daze with her eyes still swimming around busily.
At the center, there was a table of ice that didn’t feel cold, its surroundings included a leather sofa. Ryuutaro and Suzu were already sitting on the sofa, their eyes were opened wide at Hajime and Yue who were dragged out by their scruff of their necks.
“Oi, oi, just what in the h.e.l.l…”
“Aa, Suzu somehow understand what’s going on here.”
It seemed that Suzu could imagine what was going on. Her gaze was directed at the clothes of Hajime and Yue that were mostly still disarrayed. Chasing after Suzu’s gaze, it seemed that Ryuutaro also guessed the generality of the event. But right after that, something traversed the room with high speed, *zubis.h.i.+!* and a loud sound was raised from Ryuutaro’s strongly flicked temple.
“Abeh!?”
Raising a strange scream, Ryuutaro rolled behind the sofa. He was pressing on his temple thinking “That’s unreasonable-!!” while writhing around.
“… Hmph. That’s the punishment for seeing Yue’s immodest figure.”
“… Nn, jealousy? Hajime, cute.”
Yes, what flicked Ryuutaro’s temple was Hajime’s bullet. A punishment for Ryuutaro who saw ‘Yue in disarrayed clothes’… Indeed, it was unreasonable.
“Geez-! Both of you, you are not reflecting! … Just how much do you think we are worrying hereee.”
Looking at such a Hajime and Yue who were acting carefree, s.h.i.+a was trembling in rage. However, in the middle, she lost her momentum and sat down beside the two with teary eyes. Her appearance faithfully displayed just how much she was worried for the two who pa.s.sed out for an unknown reason right after they cleared the great labyrinth.
“It’s just as s.h.i.+a said. … We were really worried.”
“That’s right. We wanted you two to quickly show your energetic faces.”
It appeared that Kaori and s.h.i.+zuku felt the same. Similar with s.h.i.+a, they were directing slightly wet eyes at Hajime and Yue.
Looking at those three as expected even the two couldn’t help but feel guilt. The two looked at each other awkwardly and then lowered their heads at the same time.
“Aa, no, really that was my bad. When I woke up a super beautiful girl was kissing me so, my reasoning was blown away… yep, it’s the fault of Yue being too cute.”
“… Nn, sorry. I should notify you all immediately. … But when I noticed a defenseless Hajime beside me I couldn’t hold back. It’s the fault of Hajime being too cool.”
They were… lowering their head? It felt somehow like that.
“… Both of you, are not reflecting, are you?”
“Haa, it’s enough already. More than this is just going to make us tired mentally.”
“After looking with awareness of my own feeling, various things are coming to me…”
Seeing Hajime and Yue apologized while naturally whispering love fondly at each other, s.h.i.+a directed a glare at them and Kaori made a tired expression. s.h.i.+zuku made an expression that was a loss of words from realizing once more how strong an existence Yue was.
But, at that time, the door of the room made an opening sound. The one who entered was Tio.
“Oo, master and also Yue art safe then. I’m glad, I’m glad. It’s the best that what I was doing was just a wasted effort.”
“Ah, Tio-san. I’m sorry, I forgot to tell you about this.”
s.h.i.+a’s expression turned apologetic looking at Tio whose expression burst into a smile seeing Hajime and Yue’s appearance.
Tio investigated the magic circle of the age of G.o.d magic and the mansion’s library in the worst case that Hajime and Yue wouldn’t wake up to determine the cause of their fainting. s.h.i.+a whose attention was completely taken by her happiness of Hajime and Yue waking up and then by her anger at the two who were flirting without considering other people’s feeling had forgotten to contact Tio.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. In any case, right after master and Yue opened their eyes, they must be doing that kind of thing, weren’t they?”
“You really get it…”
“Hmm. That’s natural. If I am in Yue’s position, I will do the same thing! And then, master who scorns my disarrayed appearance will do that kind of thing and this kind of thing… nh, nh, haa haa.”
“And, just what happened to Hajime-kun and Yue?”
“Both of you raised a really pained voice and fainted, that was a really shocking matter.”
Kaori and s.h.i.+zuku beautifully ignored Tio who was beginning to pant with an expression of ecstasy from her imagination and asked Hajime and Yue.
Naturally, Hajime and Yue acted like Tio was not there, they sat on the sofa while showing their intention to explain. s.h.i.+a and the others also sat on the sofa. The fallen Ryuutaro also sat back on the sofa while rubbing his red forehead. There was no place for Tio to sit. She was kneeling seiza on the floor.
“Now then, the reason why I and Yue fainted… that’s right, to say it simply, our head or mind got overheated, something like that.”
“Overheated, is it?”
Hajime’s beginning explanation made s.h.i.+a tilted her head.
“Yeah. At that time, the last age of G.o.d magic――’Metamorphosis Magic’ was engraved in our brain, after that, I and Yue were forcefully made to understand something further. The burden of that was too big, and it made us unable to maintain our consciousness.”
“Hmm… a burden so big that master and Yue couldn’t endure… was it about knowing the particulars regarding concept magic?”
“… Nn. As expected, Tio. Your comprehension is fast although you are a pervert. Although you are a pervert…”
It was said twice although it wasn’t important. Although she was a pervert but as always her guessing was outstanding. Tio had been thinking what was the difference between Hajime and Yue with the other members, and she noticed the point that it was only those two who had obtained all the age of G.o.d magic. She did that while sitting seiza on the floor and grinning from the numbness in her feet.
Luluo Haltina said that their hand would reach concept magic when they obtained all the age of G.o.d magic. And then among these members, it was only Hajime and Yue who had obtained all the age of G.o.d magic. Tio who fully remembered even that point conjectured that perhaps the burden of having the knowledge of magic that surpa.s.sed the age of G.o.d magic engraved in their mind was large.
She investigated inside the mansion thinking of the possibility outside of that for her peace of mind, she did that surely because even with her conjecture she couldn’t just stay still with the condition of the two like that. Her speech and conduct were disgusting, but it appeared that she was worrying from the bottom of her heart, similar to s.h.i.+a and others.
And then, the guess of such a Tio was right on the mark. Hajime and Yue, after they obtained metamorphosis magic the same as the other, they had the knowledge regarding concept magic engraved further into their mind.
Knowing the reason why Hajime and Yue fainted, s.h.i.+a and others nodded in understanding. For the time being, they leaked a sigh of relief after hearing that there was no after effect or anything to the two. Kaori pulled herself together and asked something she was the most concerned about.
“Concept magic… with that, we can go back home to j.a.pan, right? By any chance, you two can use it already now?”
“No, not yet. Just like Luluo said, just because you have the knowledge doesn’t mean you can use it. Besides, the knowledge we obtained is also not something like the concrete way of learning or the way to use it, if I have to say what is it then it’s something like hypothesis knowledge.”
“Hypothesis knowledge?”
s.h.i.+zuku asked by repeating the words. This talk was about the possibility of them returning home. Beginning from s.h.i.+zuku, even Ryuutaro, Suzu, and Kaori too made a serious expression.
“Yeah. For example, the metamorphosis magic that you guys too are able to obtain this time, how do you guys understand that magic?”
“Eh? Err, let’s see. From the knowledge engraved in our mind, it’s a magic that remakes a normal organism into a monster, isn’t it? Using the magic power of the caster and the magic power of the target organism, it forms magic stone inside the body, with that as the core it’s possible to remake the flesh of the body.”
“Yes. I understand it like that too. Also, it looks like we can interfere with the already existing magic stone of a monster and mix our magic power into it to strengthen them and also make them submit.”
s.h.i.+zuku and Kaori’s understanding was matching in general.
If it was explained further, metamorphosis magic had enhancement levels. In the case of transforming the normal living thing into a monster, the target would lose most of their reason and thought, and they would move following just their instinct. It was said that wild monsters came from the normal living things. In a particular place and through months and years absorbing the magic element in the surrounding and also with various other factors to naturally produce a magic stone, and the first level of metamorphosis, using metamorphosis magic was exceedingly close to this wild monster.
This wild monster would recover their reason and thought if they were strengthened even more using metamorphosis magic, furthermore, with the magic power of the caster mixing into the magic stone as the cause, it would be like imprinting and the monster would submit to the caster as though toward their parent. It needed not to be said what would happen if from the beginning the magic stone was created only from the magic power of the caster.
With skill, it was possible to pile up the performing of the metamorphosis many times and create a powerful monster to that extent――or rather than saying creating it was possible to grow a strong monster. However, the flesh of the target would break down if the metamorphosis was carried out with immature skill so caution was necessary.
“In other words, this is a magic to create obedient monsters, huh. As expected. Thinking about the steps, that white dragon seems like it has been considerably strengthened, though…”
“Uun, Suzu has only seen it once so she cannot say it clearly but… if Orcus’s monsters are divided in level by each floor, that white dragon is about level three hundred Suzu thinks? Suzu guesses that it’s about three to four times stronger than the monster in the eightieth floor.”
“Ain’t that more of it? It was weakened, but the great barrier of the capital was broken by just one dragon, that one yeah? Even Nagumo, you evaded its breath. Ain’t it about level 400?”
The talk was a little derailed. But Ryuutaro’s guess wasn’t mistaken. The white dragon strengthened by that Freed, if the monster at the floor 80 of the outer layer labyrinth of Orcus was about level 80, then the strength of that white dragon was about five times of that if it was now, then it was about six, seven times stronger.
Hajime’s face frowned for a moment as though he was recalling an irritating guy, but he pulled himself together and returned the talk back to its track.
“Well, in general, you are not wrong. Metamorphosis magic is certainly a magic that creates a monster to follow you. But, that’s a little inaccurate. What is called metamorphosis magic, to define it more accurately… that’s right, I guess it’s a ‘magic that interferes at organic material’?”
“Err…”
s.h.i.+a’s eyes were swimming in perplexity. Putting aside Kaori and others, for s.h.i.+a, those were words she was unfamiliar with. It seemed that Tio was also in the same state. Noticing that, Hajime cleared his throat and corrected himself.
“Let’s see… it’s a little lacking in accuracy, but to say it in easier to understand manner, you can also think of it as magic that interferes at material that originated from living thing. In other words, if you feel like it, not just an animal but something like a plant, and also things that are made from that――for example food or paper, this magic can also interfere with that kind of thing. Of course, it can also interfere at the human. The magic stone is nothing more than a byproduct.”
According to Hajime’s further summary, metamorphosis magic wasn’t ‘magic that created magic stone and produced monster’, magic stone was nothing more than energy body created as the result of interfering at the target using one’s own magic power and metamorphosis magic, in reality, it was magic that directly operated at flesh or the likes. And so if one felt like it, it seemed that it was theoretically possible to cause metamorphosis without producing magic stones.
“… Nn, this is only a guess, but the ‘dragification’ of Tio and others of the dragon clan, if the origin is traced, I think it has the root from this magic.”
“Hoho, so the metamorphosis magic is the origin of my race… hmm, I see.”
Sending a glance at Tio who was thinking deeply, Hajime continued his explanation.
“The hypothesis knowledge I said before, that is, in other words, that kind of thing. Age of G.o.d magic are magic that interferes at ‘principle’, but we didn’t really understand the exact foundation of that power. With obtaining concept magic as the absolute prerequisite, it was necessary to completely understand all the age of G.o.d magic.”
“… Nn. Besides, to understand this is too deep of an abyss, if someone is not in the level that can conquer all the trials, their body and heart won’t be able to endure the burden and they will break.”
That was the reason that in order to arrive at concept magic there was a need to earn all the age of G.o.d magic.
The current Hajime and Yue understood that even their understanding until now toward the age of G.o.d magic was still shallow.
For example, the creation magic that Hajime obtained the very first, and he used to keep his life until now. It wasn’t ‘magic to a.s.sign magic into mineral’ if it was expressed more accurately then it was a ‘magic that interferes at inorganic material’, a magic that was the opposite of metamorphosis magic. And so theoretically this magic should be able to interfere with things like water or salt too, not just mineral.
Furthermore, gravity magic was something that should be expressed as ‘magic that interfere with the energy of star’, not only gravity, theoretically, it could also interfere with things like earth vein or terrestrial heat, bedrock or magma, it wasn’t impossible to use this magic to purposefully generate earthquake or volcano eruption.
s.p.a.ce magic was a ‘magic that interferes at boundary’. Elimination of race-creature gap, formulating new boundary to create spirit world, it could be thought that those kinds of things were also possible.
Regeneration magic was ‘magic that interfere at time’. The use of regeneration magic was more of restoration rather than healing, it was just a portion of it. Originally it was possible to interfere with time itself using this magic, it could catch a glimpse of the past or take a peek at several branches of the procession of time. s.h.i.+a’s characteristic magic of ‘Future Viewing’ was likely originated from this magic.
To define Soul magic the expression of ‘magic that interfere with negative material possessed by living thing’ showed its true nature the most. To say it specifically, this magic could also interfere with things like energy inside the body that was magic power, heat, electricity, then thought, consciousness, memory. Although this magic was designated as ‘soul’, what Yue and others could exercise with this magic was interference at thought body more accurately. And then if someone could handle this magic perfectly, the caster could personally create consciousness and the like, they could configure it too. To put another way, it was possible to create artificial intelligence using magic.
Expressing sublimation magic as ‘magic that interfere with the information of existing thing’ was more accurate definition. Its function that evolved an ability by a level was, for example, interfering a body information that said level 1 and raised it up to level 2. If the user reached the root, it was possible to browse and interfere with the information of all existing object.
The names of the age of G.o.d magic that Hajime and others recognized until now were only given by taking into consideration the interference that was possible to be done using the human body.
By the way, the ‘compa.s.s of guidance’ used soul magic to surmise what the user was wis.h.i.+ng for, then using s.p.a.ce magic it ignored the spatial gap and distance and searched the target, it seemed that the compa.s.s used sublimation magic to supplement the information of the target. All of those functions couldn’t be accomplished using the age of magic as they did until now.
After Hajime explained about those things too, in addition, s.h.i.+zuku’s expression turned complicated.
“I see now. This is real, big, and yet these magics can interfere with fundamental matter. It seems that these surpa.s.sed the territory that humans can touch. … But, after hearing all those, I guess that you two still cannot create the concept magic for the sake of returning home then? Based on what I heard, it feels like it has considerable difficulty…”
“Well, certainly it will be difficult. Luluo explained it lightly as the purpose of the utmost limits or something, but in reality, it’s exactly as she said. We need to raise up our ‘wish’ using soul magic and sublimation magic until concept level, then we need to grant it magic power and forcefully materialize it… saying it simply it’s like that, but normally it won’t succeed even using sublimation magic.”
On the contrary, in concept magic the user needed the purpose of that time as the base, so just because it succeeded to be used once didn’t mean in the next times from then on it would be stable to use. Normally it became a magic that was just onetime use.
“… Nn. We have to use Hajime’s creation magic to endow the concept magic to something like the compa.s.s.”
“That’s right. Yue’s control ability for magic and my trans.m.u.tation… we need to match our breath and create an artifact endowed with the concept to cross the worlds. But, we also need a concept for preventing summoning here again, like that… it will take some time for those.”
“It’s not impossible, right?”
“Isn’t that obvious? I’ll make it a success no matter what. I crawled until here for that sake. I can start right away for the returning home artifact, I’ll work out the concept for defending against interference from those guys too without fail.”
Hajime’s eyes looked like it was blazing up fiercely. He had survived through a severe environment and continued to wish earnestly to return home. It was unforgivable to stumble in this kind of place, such fierce will was gleaming inside his eyes.
Kaori and others who saw that had their chest constricted by homesickness thinking “Aa, we really can go home”, tears were gathering in their eyes.
Hajime and Yue looked at each other and nodded once, then they suddenly stood up.
“We are going to try it right away?”
“Yeah. I managed to sort the knowledge while we are talking. It’s like I’m a horse that got a carrot dangled in front of my eyes. I’ve got to try it now.”
Hajime punched on his palm with a snap. Looking at such Hajime, Yue’s hand softly touched him to calm him down. The sensation of the small willowy hand immediately calmed down Hajime’s heart. It felt like a sweet s.p.a.ce was going to form once more, so Suzu opened her mouth with somewhat fl.u.s.tered feeling.
“Err, Nagumo-kun. About the magic for going home to j.a.pan, how much time it’s going to take you think? If possible, Suzu also wants to look when it’s completed but… if it’s going to take long, Suzu and others also have to make various preparations.”
“I, see. I don’t think it will take that long if it’s just the magic for going home. After all, no one can say that my desire for going home is not at the extreme. But, for the defense against magical interference from others…. honestly, I don’t know. I also feel like I can make it quickly but…”
“Is that so? Suzu got it. Then, Suzu and others will concentrate on resting until the magic for going home is finished. It doesn’t seem like there is another thing we need to do until we understand whether we can really go home… there is also the metamorphosis magic that we finally obtained, so the journey to the devil territory will be after that. Err, what are s.h.i.+zus.h.i.+zu and others going to do?”
Suzu decided about her plan from now on and then checked at s.h.i.+zuku and others. For Suzu, s.h.i.+zuku had also finally noticed her feeling, she was thinking whether s.h.i.+zuku would be wis.h.i.+ng to be at Hajime’s side from here on or not. While she was at it, she was also confirming whether Ryuutaro was really intending to embark right in the middle of enemy territory together with her.
“Of course, I will go together with Suzu.”
“Me too.”
In respond, s.h.i.+zuku and Ryuutaro answered instantly.
“Putting aside Ryuutaro-kun, is it fine for you s.h.i.+zus.h.i.+zu? You finally…”
“What are you saying? This and that are different matters. I cannot just leave Suzu in the care of the two idiots. Besides, we won’t be staying there for long anyway, right? We are going to escape right away after accomplis.h.i.+ng our objective and link up with Nagumo-kun. I won’t feel lonely. Besides, I too won’t be able to settle down without saying something to Eri.”
Toward s.h.i.+zuku who shrugged indifferently, Suzu understood that it was s.h.i.+zuku’s real feelings, Suzu hugged her while praising “As expected from a woman that makes other woman fall in love, that’s so manly!”, but s.h.i.+zuku showed a vein on her forehead from getting told she was manly and grounded her fist on Suzu’s head, making her scream.
Suzu changed the topic with teary eyes.
“N, next about Kouki-kun…”
Those words made Hajime went “Hm?” and he tilted his head. And then his gaze swept through the room.
“Now that you mentioned it, where is that guy?”
“So, you only noticed just now that he is not here. … If it’s Kouki, then he is still sleeping in a different room. He has deep damage, so it seems it will still take a bit more until he wakes up.”
It seemed that until now Hajime forgot about Kouki’s existence, to such a person s.h.i.+zuku explained while making an expression showing a loss for words.
Kouki’s wound should have been completely healed by Kaori, so the deep damage she meant must be the mental damage. It should be possible to heal that too using soul magic that manifests its essential power, but even for Kaori who had grasped on how to use Nointo’s body, as expected it was next to impossible to exercise the deepest mysteries of an age of G.o.d magic. Combined with the factor that the more difficult it was to interfere, the deeper the mental damage was, it was appropriate for now to leave it to Kouki’s natural healing.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. After this, I and Yue will seclude ourselves inside the room where the magic circle of the age of G.o.d magic is located to create an artifact endowed with concept magic. In the worst case that Amanogawa wakes up during that time, don’t let him be a hindrance.”
“Hindrance you say… no way he gonna do that while you are making the tool for going home, right?”
Ryuutaro objected while making a bewildered expression.
“If that’s the case then that’s fine. But his mental burden was great, and I don’t think it’s going to happen but the possibility that he will get deranged when he wakes up is not zero. Well, this is just for in case. As expected, I don’t think I’ll have any leeway in the middle of working.”
“Leave it to me Hajime-san. I cannot help out, but in exchange, I won’t let anyone be a hindrance,” s.h.i.+a declared full of confidence with her chest puffed out brazenly.
“Yeah. I’m counting on you, s.h.i.+a.”
“… I’m relieved with s.h.i.+a here.”
That strong and reliable appearance and words caused Hajime and Yue to also smile at her with unparalleled trust.
Like that the two went to the room with the magic circle of the age of G.o.d magic once more, they vanished behind the thick door while s.h.i.+a and others were seeing them off.