Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou (WN)

Arifureta Blu-ray SS Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Eternal Artifact

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A little bit before Hajime and others arrived at his fake home.

「Uu, nnu……Hajime-kuun」

Kaori’s hands were wandering around. It was unclear whether she was having a nightmare or having a dream that was making her writhing, but right after that, her eyes snapped open.

「Hajime-kun! Wait, he isn’t here!」

Her hands didn’t grab anything, and there was also n.o.body at the driver seat. What happened just before she fainted flashed at the back of her mind. When she turned her gaze at the opposite side, Yue was also gone. Bad premonition made her heart leaped inside her chest.

When she looked at the back seat in panic, as expected Shia and Tio’s figures were also gone. However,

「Myuu-chan!!」

There was Myuu sleeping soundly there. The relieve that she wasn’t alone and the strong sense of duty 「I have to protect her!」 were welling up inside her.

Kaori climbed over the back of the chair toward Myuu’s seat. The seatbelt of was firmly attached on Myuu even though Shia wasn’t here, but Kaori didn’t have any composure to feel suspicious about that. She unlocked the seatbelt and gently shook Myuu.

「Myuu-chan, wake up!」

「Myu? ……Kaori-oneechan?」

「Yep, it’s Kaori-oneechan. Myuu-chan, are you alright? Do you feel anything hurt in your body?」

「Uu~, Myuu’s fine nano!」

She was energetic. She raised her hands banzai to show that there was no problem with her body. Kaori patted her chest in relieve seeing that. Next it was Myuu’s expression that darkened in anxiety instead after she looked around inside the car restlessly.

「……Kaori-oneechan. Where is papa and others?」

「Err……they are outside, I think?」

That was the only possibility that she could think of. The two of them turned their gaze outside the window.

「Sparkly nano……」

「As I thought, they are inside the mirage. But, Hajime-kun and others……doesn’t look like they are nearby.」

They checked left and right and front through the window, but they could only see shiny particles in the air and the bronze colored cloud dust. There was also no trace of footsteps on the sandy ground. In the first place it was hard to believe that Hajime and others would just leave Myuu and Kaori alone.

Myuu was curling into herself anxiously in this mysterious situation. She was snuggling closely on Kaori.

「It’s fine. Everything is fine. Kaori-oneechan is with you here.」

「Myu……」

「Fufu, even though Kaori-oneechan look like this but I’m the number one healer in the kingdom you know? Besides, I can use barrier really well that even my friend with the vocation “Barrier Master” has given me her seal of approval. The knight order captain even praised me 「Do you perhaps have the wrong vocation?」 in regard to my suppression skill. That’s why Myuu-chan, you don’t need to worry about anything!」

Kaori hugged Myuu tightly and put on a brave front with everything she had.

But, she wasn’t lying by any means. Believing in Hajime’s survival, Kaori trained so hard so that she could protect him next time without fail that it made her friends said 「Her aura is bloodcurling」「Her atmosphere has changed completely」. Her ability had already surpa.s.sed the territory of a mere healer.

Her confidence toward everything that she had acc.u.mulated must be showing in her eyes. Myuu who was staring up fixedly at Kaori relaxed and showed her a smile that was free from any worry.

「First we have to find Hajime-kun and others.」

「Myuu will also help nano!」

「Yooosh! Let’s do our best together~!」

Even so, they didn’t know what they specifically should do. Because Hajime and others weren’t here, the choice of leaving this place wasn’t available to them. If that was the case then as expected……

「Let’s try going outside.」

Perhaps Hajime and others were searching the surrounding. There was no footprint because the wind erased it. Though it was extremely puzzling why they didn’t wake up the two of them or even left behind any message.

Kaori took her white staff that was placed under the seat and she and Myuu looked at each other. Myuu returned her gaze with strong eyes that were unthinkable coming from a little kid. They both nodded firmly at each other.

「Myuu-chan. You must not separate from me okay?」

「Yes nano!」

Kaori opened the door vigilantly. Instantly a fierce heat wave cloud of dust blew inside in hara.s.sment. The two of them flinched back together 「Hih!?」.

「K-Kaori-oneechan! Barrier!」

「Ah, that’s right! I’m sorry!」

Kaori hurriedly started chanting. Although she wasn’t as good as Suzu, she formed the spell quiet swiftly and activated it. The light of Kaori’s magic power enveloped the two of them as light purple spherical barrier.

Kaori felt a bit dejected that Myuu needed to remind her like that after she said that she could rely on her. Even so Kaori stepped outside while holding up her staff. Myuu also followed behind.

And then, for the time being they decided to go to the sand hill that was a slight distance away from them. Just as they were about to step forward, suddenly there were multiple heavy thudding sounds entering their ear as though to stop them from moving.

「Myu!?」

「W-what’s that sound!?」

The two jumped in surprise and hugged each other. The sounds came from behind Brieze so they fearfully approached and slowly peeked behind.

「Eh!? Hajime-kun!? Yue and Shia, and Tio too!?」

「T-this is bad nano!」

They easily accomplished their objective. Hajime and others were lying there.

Doubt was welling up heavily inside their mind, but first thing first, the priority was to wake up the four of them. Kaori and Myuu rushed toward Hajime and others.

「Papaa! Wake up! Wake up nano!」

「Yue! Shia! Tio! Are you alright!?」

They yelled at the four, but they showed no sign of waking up. Even when Kaori tried using a magic for doing medical examination to detect abnormality in the body, the result that came back was that there was no problem with them. It really looked like they were just sleeping.

Even so Kaori invoked healing magic just in case. She used three kinds of healing magic at the same time that not only healed wound, but also abnormal status and magic power exhaustion. Her white staff shined brilliantly and gentle light purple llight showered Hajime and others.

However,

「Kaori-oneechan……」

「Why……」

As expected they didn’t wake up. Then she would use the highest cla.s.s of healing magic that she chanted with full chant, Kaori decided. She lifted up her staff with a determined expression.

The next moment, *GO-* there was a sound of explosion from behind her.

The two of them turned around at the same time and witnessed it. A giant shark opening its jaw widely to bite at the barrier.

Its size must be six meter long. Its red torso looked like it was soaked in blood. Its teeth were shudderingly sharp and big. In addition there was an eye inside its mouth. The eye was rolling around to lock on Kaori and Myuu. Capillary vessels were bulging noticeably on the eye.

*Creak-creak-* Ominous sound was coming from the barrier.

Myuu and Kaori immediately came back to their senses.

「Wa, WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?」

「No, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!?」

The two of them screamed and hugged each other tightly.

「Ka, K-k-ka, Kaori-oneechan!」

「Wha, w-w-wha, what is it!? Is it!?」

Myuu pointed with her finger. When Kaori looked at what she pointed, there were countless fins moving through the sand……like hunters targeting their prey, before they realized it there were countless desert sharks swimming around them.

「──Shi-, “Shining Chain of Restrain”nnn!!」

*Clank clink clank* Chains of light flew out from the staff and entangled Hajime and others. At the same time she also activated the body strengthening magic.

「Myuu-chan! Get on!」

「Y-yes nano!」

Kaori dragged the four at the same time toward the car the way someone would show immense strength when trapped in a desperate situation.

Myuu opened the door and got inside. Then Kaori threw in Tio, Shia, and Yue with a desperate look. For the last she held up Hajime in her arms by hugging him from the front and,

「──”Light Blade of Restrain”!!」

She fired a cross of light. The blade of sealing pierced inside the mouth of the desert shark that was about to tear apart the barrier, blowing it away.

「Kaori-oneechan!」

「Funnuh!!」

She pushed Hajime whose weight was especially heavy into the car. Myuu who was crouching on the floor leaped to grab the door before she threw herself behind to close the door.

Right after that, Brieze was slightly shaken along with the sound of an impact. The desert shark was blocked by the closed door just in the nick of time.

As expected from the armored car that was a quality product of Hajime. Brieze was only shaken slightly without even giving any inch against the attack of the giant shark that tore apart even Kaori’s barrier.

Myuu who was falling on her b.u.t.t on the floor and Kaori who was straddling Hajime’s body while looking behind across her shoulder were letting out a huge sigh of relieve seeing that.

「Haa~. Myuu-chan, are you alright?」

「Myu! More importantly Kaori-oneechan, Yue-oneechan and others……」

「Eh? A, aa~, yep, you’re right.」

Myuu was indicating the disastrous spectacle inside the car with a slightly convulsing expression.

If it was said that it couldn’t be helped because of the emergency situation then it was true that it couldn’t be helped, but Yue and others were completely thrown in to put them inside the car quickly, so they ended up in a horrible position.

First was Tio, her face was sticking on the window while her large b.u.t.ts were sticking out in the air. Most likely her face had collided hard on the window. As for Shia, her face was buried onto Tio’s large b.u.t.ts. Her b.u.t.ts were also sticking out in the air.

And then Yue. Her head fell to the floor of the back seat facing up, however her abdomen was caught on the seat so her legs were spread wide open. It was a total legs spreading toward the sky! She ended up in such an extremely indecent posture. Her lacy black string panty promoted that even further.

Myuu and Kaori worked hard together to make Yue and others sat down on the seat with proper posture.

They made Tio, Yue, and Shia sat properly in order from the left. Hajime was the only one who they moved with much difficulty to the front seat in case he woke up so he could immediately drive the car.

「Uu~hn, Hajime-kun, you are really heavyyy!」

「Kaori-oneechan! Just a bit more nano! Fiiightt! Nano!」

The weight of Hajime’s mucles and equipment were tormenting Kaori. She put all her effort to pull Hajime to the front.

Then, Hajime’s body suddenly slipped and fell forward. Kaori got pinned down under him on the seat. The scream 「Ah!?」 rose from Kaori.

「K-Kaori-oneechan!> Are you alright nano!?」

There was no reply. Myuu panicked and leaned forward over the seat’s back. And then,

「Ehe, ehehe, you are heavyyy, Hajime-kun~」

Kaori-san’s expression really loosened there with the heavy Hajime pinning her down. Her arms were hugging Hajime tightly.

Seeing that Myuu made an expression that anyone had never seen her made until now──yes, it was the expressionless * blank stare that greatly resembled Yue.

「Kaori-oneechan?」

「Hah!? D-don’t misunderstand! This is just a misunderstanding, Myuu-chan!」

Next Myuu spoke 「Do you understand the situation right now nano?」 with a low voice that she had also never made before. Kaori returned to her senses from the implicit scolding of a little girl.

She desperately tried to justify herself, but Myuu’s eyes were somewhat cold. A great damage that was Kaori’s own just dessert hit her heart. She quickly fixed Hajime’s posture and tried continuing to make excuse to Myuu.

「……Well, Myuu know that Kaori-oneechan loves papa so it’s fine nano.」

「I, I’m sorry.」

Myuu had become a bit more mature. Kaori lost her “Onee-chan’s dignity” a bit more.

Like that, they could finally take a breather. They got time to think about their situation right now……just as they thought that.

Just like with the sandstorm before this, it seemed that Brieze was in its greatly popular period among the monsters.

Through the front crytsal window, they saw the ground erupted. They mistook the sight like that due to how big the giant body that flew out from there.

「「……」」

It blocked the sunlight and darkened even the glimmer of the mirage. The two could only look up to that speechlessly.

The world felt like it was moving in slow motion. There *gapari-* the jaw opened and showed series of knife-like teeth that were lined up in three rows. And then the two saw the repulsive eye at the depth of that mouth that was staring at its prey.

It was a shark. A desert shark.

However, it had the total length of fifteen meters.

Its huge body that rivaled a whale shark leaped to the air with a lively motion that looked beautiful even. Then that body obeyed the law of gravity and inertia and came down.

What made Myuu and Kaori returned to their senses was right after the nightmarish jaw swallowed Brieze whole, the teeth snapped at the body frame, the glint of the eye inside the mouth was pressing on the front window and pierced them from very close, and Brieze was making creaking sound that sounded sinister.

Because of the pressure, *crack* a crack entered the side window. Brieze’s absolute defense was about to break……

「Nooooo——–!?」

「Fuwaaa——–!?」

Shrieks burst out once more. Kaori immediately fired “Light Blade of Restrain” over the front window continuously toward the eye, but the giant desert shark didn’t even twitch.

「Papaaaa, wake upppp!!」

「T-that’s right-. We got to run away!」

Myuu’s voice made Kaori moved even with her brain still thrown in disorder. She quickly sat on the driver seat.

「K-Kaori-oneechan, you can drive nano!?」

「I can! You can do anything if you try! Unexpectedly!」

「Unexpectedly!?」

Myuu felt a vague apprehension hearing that word. However the crack on the window kept spreading further. And finally she saw a part of the ceiling dented inward, so she shut her mouth.

During that time Kaori was lifting up both her hands like a doctor before a surgery for some reason.

「Errr, the hand to hold the chopstick on the accelerator, and the hand to hold the bowl on the brake……」

Suddenly there was an uneasy feeling that forced Myuu to open her mouth!

「Is it really alright nano!/」

「It’s fine! There’s no problem at all! Nothing is impossible as long as you have fighting spirit!」

「Myuu think that’s only the case for Shia-oneechan nano!」

「Woman is all about guts! First just charge forward when you are troubled!」

「Isn’t that even more haphazard then Shia-oneechan nano!?」

「Otou-san, Okaa-san, and Shizuku-chan! Please forgive me for driving without license in another world! Shirasaki Kaori! Heree-, I goooo-」

Kaori floored the gas pedal. Of course it was a vehicle that moved using magic power, so it was completely unresponsive.

「Kaori-oneechan! The modification that papa made nano! Remember!」

「Ah……that’s right! Err~, “engine start”!!」

Brieze that was moving by direct manipulation of magic power didn’t have anything like an engine. But, by chanting that keyword, magic power was drawn out from Kaori and Brieze activated.

But, just before it was time for departure, the bloodshot pupil of the desert shark widened. Light was radiating from there. Shockingly the crystal window was heating up as each second pa.s.sed.

It seemed this monster had characteristic magic of shooting out something like laser beam.

Even now at this moment the front window looked like it was going to melt. Seeing that, the last composure that was remaining inside Kaori was blown away.

「WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!」

「Fumyuaaa!?」

She stepped on the gas pedal once more. *DONN* Brieze moved with a momentum that even made them felt the impact.

A severe G force pushed Myuu on the back of her seat. It made her screamed.

However, it seemed there was worth in doing that. Brieze successfully shook itself free from the desert shark.

「I-I did it, Myuu-chan!」

「Appu apuh」

Kaori heard something from behind. She looked at the back mirror even while her hands were clinging tightly on the wheel. And then, she saw the sight of hundreds of desert sharks led by the giant desert shark chasing them.

「R-run away, need to run away!!」

「Nnmyaaa!?」

She saw the laser beam of the desert shark. Kaori instantly pressed on the pedal! *Guwan* The G-force pressed from the side and the car frame tilted, but the evasion was successful and the laser beam pa.s.sed through beside the window. They got away from the attack safely.

「Myuu-chan! Are you alright!?」

「M-Myuu isn’t……fine here nanoo. The b.r.e.a.s.t.s-, the b.r.e.a.s.t.s are trying to kill Myuu nanoo」

「So you are alright then!」

「Mya!?」

Kaori turned the handle to the max once more and dodged the heat beam. In addition, Brieze climbed up a sand hill to the top and then flew in the air before landing on the ground again with a hard impact.

At the rear seat, Yue crashed on the ceiling, while Tio and Shia got entangled with each other. Myuu got completely entrapped between their brutally huge b.r.e.a.s.t.s and suffocated, but the desperate Kaori-san didn’t notice.

「Faster! Even faster!」

Perhaps because of the unstable driving, the car wheels got caught on the sandy surface and became even more unstable. Seen from the side, the car was driving with drastic snaking movement, however the sped kept increasing even then, It was a terrifying driving.

Kaori-san was holding the steering wheel as though she was hugging it to put even more strength into stepping on the gas pedal despite her foot already stepping it to the limit already. Right now her eyes were turning slightly bloodshot.

「Myuu-chan and everyone, I’ll protect them no matter whattt-」

「B-before that save Myuu from the b.r.e.a.s.t.s──」

「That’s right-, isn’t there any weapon!」

「Listen to Myuu──hebuu!?」

Their distance with the monsters didn’t widen thanks to the car’s snaking movement. The desert sharks that caught up to the car tackled the car frame from the side.

Yue rolled down and her legs were opened fully to the sky once more. Then Shia’s face dived to there. Myuu who was liberated from the breast h.e.l.l opened her eyes while facing up. There, a large b.u.t.t fell on her face. The b.u.t.t of the hopeless dragon that got a pile bunker shoved into it in the past. She fell into the danger of suffocation once more.

And then Hajime also tumbled to the side toward Kaori’s thigh. His face was buried onto a risqué place.

「Yaah, Hajime-kun, that place-……b-but it can’t be helped isn’t it! The danger is dangerous after all! So it can’t be helped!」

Even while blushing crimson, she extended the seatbelt to fix Hajime in place. And then she touched one of the multiple magic circles that were engraved on the front panel.

Those were magic circles to activate the weapons. Kaori didn’t have the leisure choose the weapon so it was activated randomly.

As the result, what was activated was……

The four missiles that was stored at one side of the bonnet. The cover slid open and all four missiles were fired straight without any aiming. They pierced the sandy hill that was in front of the car.

Flame blast and shockwave and awful sand cloud burst. The field of vision was instantly reduced into zero.

「FUWAAAAAAAAA!?」

「Aa!? Yue-oneechan’s neck is bending to the wrong direction!?」

Kaori kept turning the steering wheel round and round to change the car’s direction. It made the tires got caught in the sand and the car toppled sideway. However the car frame was still following the momentum sp it rotated fully back to its original position. It immediately started running again because Kaori’s foot kept pressing the pedal fully, but the inside of the car was filled with what could only be described as tragedy.

The only silver lining here was Myuu was unharmed due to the breast cushions.

「Kaori-oneechan, Myuu want you to stop already nano!」

「I can’t do that Myuu-chan! Never give up! Continue to press forward! If we do that then surely a path to the future will be opened up for us!」

「Myuu isn’t saying anything about giving up so please stop nano! Myuu’s path to the future is going to be closed by Kaori-oneechan at this rateeee~~~~~!?」

There was already nothing but b.r.e.a.s.t.s. They were doubled-edged swords but, nothing existed in this h.e.l.lish dangerous driving going wild that could protect Myuu other than Tio and Shia’s b.r.e.a.s.t.s!

Then at that timing, even more threat entered from the corner of Kaori’s sight.

The glittering that they should have already left behind. Yes, the mirage was approaching until right near them.

「No way-, why is the mirage! B-but, I won’t lose-!」

「Papaaa~, Myuu’s begging you please wake up nanoo! Stop Kaori-oneechannn~~」

Kaori who was recognized by herself and other people as a charging forward type maiden. She already saw nothing else except forward before the pursuing mirage and giant desert shark and its swarm.

「I swear that I will protect everyone without fail, with all my whole being on the lineee-」

「Ah!? Kaori-oneechan!? Stop that──」

Kaori’s hand was reaching toward the red b.u.t.ton that had the warning “Don’t push it okay!? Absolutely don’t push it okay!?”attached to it.

She pushed it *click* without any hesitation. Right after that.

「NNNNNNNNNNNN~~~~~!?」

「Unii~~~~~~-!?」

Brieze blew away a sandy hill while rocketing straight toward the horizon.

The groan of Kaori who was gritting her teeth and the scream of Myuu who was buried into Tio’s b.r.e.a.s.t.s were trailing behind like an afterimage.

.

「I am in pursuit right now.」

The car was moving with a terrific speed so it looked like it would take a bit of time though……that was what Eto Shin said. Hajime and others all held their head in their hands hearing its words.

Even so, depending on how he thought about it, Kaori and Myuu being outside of Eto Shin’s reach could also be called as fortuitous.

After all Hajime’s conclusion had been decided from the start with no way to overturn it.

「I want you to please understand it, Nagumo Hajime. Please stay in this safe place peacefully.」

Eto Shin read Hajime’s thought and vehemently persuaded him.

Hajime stared at the black cat in front of his eyes and closed his eyes. But, at the next moment.

「Keep out of our business.」

His eyes opened. There was only coldness inside them.

Crimson sparks flowed out. What appeared from empty air was the missile & rocket launcher Orkan. Multiple warheads were fired toward the sky without any hesitation. Eto Shin turned its gaze toward the sky with a taken aback look. There the warheads made a U-turn and exploded right in the middle of Nagumo house.

Yue deployed her barrier in the same beat. Right after that thunderous sound and flame blast burst out. The pulverized rubbles scattered to the surrounding and destroyed even the neighboring houses.

Nagumo house was reduced into little pieces in an instant as though it had exploded from inside out.

While rubbles and flame were writhing like snake, Hajime looked down at Eto Shin who didn’t moved at the slightest even though it was outside the barrier.

「I’ll say this one more time. You can’t grant my wish. I also don’t have any intention to grant your wish. My homeland is only one, whether now or in the future.」

「Nagumo Hajime……」

「I understand very well that you have no ill will. When we get right down to it, it was also my own will to choose to come here. That was why I wanted to solve this peacefully if it was possible.」

But, Hajime continued. He stored back Orkan inside his treasure warehouse and in exchange he pulled out Donner that he pointed at Eto Shin’s forehead.

「If your feeling is obstructing my path, I’ll pull the trigger.」

Hajime and Eto Shin looked straight at each other. There was strong will residing in the eyes of both sides.

But, the one who averted their eyes first was Eto Shin.

Eto Shin hung its head down after reading Hajime’s heart of his unwavering determination. It looked back across its shoulder toward the sight of the house that could be said as Hajime’s foundation that had been reduced into nothing.

He destroyed his most important place with his own hand. That was the greatest proof of his determination.

That this thing wasn’t it.

That even if the creation here was exactly the same like the real thing, it would be meaningless.

Normally anyone would hesitate when faced with this world, but Hajime didn’t hesitate at the slightest. No matter what he would continue his journey to head home to his true homeland.

Eto Shin found a will of steel that couldn’t be bent at the slightest there.

But, even so……

「Pa.s.s your time here.」

「You……」

「The pa.s.sage of time will heal your heart. Before long the fiction will be able to arrive to the truth.」

「You are planning to continue keeping me here even if you have to turn hostile to us?」

「There is no way I will act hostile. However, it’s also the duty of the motherland to admonish its descendant. I decide that exerting strength to some degree is unavoidable. ……It will be far better than allowing the G.o.d to harm you at the outside world.」

When Eto Shin raised its face once more, it was difficult to describe what was there at the depth of its eyes.

However, there wasn’t only a feeling of affection that was worrying for Hajime there.

There was something more obstinate there. Despite saying something about “a parent’s duty” just now, it was getting stubborn like a kid. There was dangerousness in its eyes, as though it was trying to cover up the confusion in its heart with force.

「After the descendants at the center of the continent arrive here, the completion degree of this world will surely increase with the addition of their memory. Please look forward to it. I swear that I will create your homeland that is no different at all from the real thing.」

The reply was a single gunshot.

Hajime looked at Eto Shin’s eyes and pulled the trigger with determination. The bullet pierced the black cat’s forehead with unerring accuracy.

As expected, there was no brain matter that was splattered. In exchange there were only particles dancing in the wind and scattered like ash. The cat’s posture didn’t even twitch.

「It’s pointless.」

Hajime stared at Eto Shin vigilantly while talking to Tio.

「What do you think?」

「Fumu……a body of colony artifact, and a contained world made of mineral particle. That sound like a pseudo immortality, however, it caught mine attention when he mentioned in the story just now that it only hath one consciousness.」

Tio continued saying that the key of defeating this opponent lied there. Hajime lifted the corner of his lips because he took it as a substantiation that his own conjecture wasn’t mistaken.

「In other words, the pseudo soul thingy of this Eto Shin is only one, then there should be one object that it’s attached to as the “core”. Perhaps this talk can progress more smoothly if I point this gun muzzle at that real body of yours eh?」

「Now then, it’s a true foolishness to fight inside the opponent’s territory but……certainly, for the time being there art no other way than that. Allow us to make use of thy words about a parent remonstrating a child. Either way, if thy couldst read our mind then there art no other way except to continue conveying our resolve to thee earnestly. This wouldst be a contest of endurance.」

Tio made a wry smile, however, her dragon eyes with slit pupil that saw through the truth were continuing to stare fixedly at Eto Shin.

Eto Shin seemed to feel something in front of Hajime’s challenging gaze and Tio’s measuring gaze. The black cat’s gaze lowered down. There was no word.

「Goshujin-sama. There doth not seem to be any effect even if the core of the memory that art thy house art destroyed, but art there any other place that thy think is applicable to be the core?」

「None. But, if it’s using magic power as it’s energy source, then my magic eye should be able to detect the trace.」

Hajime and Tio’s gazes crossed each other just for an instant. Tio smiled meaningfully.

「Very well. Then it means we shall do it indiscriminately correct?」

「That’s how it is. We’ll just waste time if we keep talking to a mere terminal like this. The location where we were first teleported to, we’ll use that place as the starting point. ──Tio.」

「Leave it to me.」

「Mu? Wait──」

Just as Hajime said, it would only be a waste of time to continue to talk with this black cat. Hajime and Tio decided their plan in the blink of eye.

After such swift back and forth, Tio lightly jumped above the rubble and her body became enveloped in jet black magic power. She transformed into the gallant figure of the king of the sky.

──OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONN

The dragon roared.

The tough black scales that weren’t stained by anything else reflected the moonlight. Her golden eyes that resembled the full moon that was shining in the sky glared down at Eto Shin.

There was no doubt that a great panic would occur if this place was earth. However, surely there would also be people who got entranced by this beautiful flying monster that appeared smack dab in the middle of the residential area.

「Yue! Shia, let’s go!」

Hajime who jumped on Tio’s back was followed by Yue and Shia.

The dragon wings flapped. Wind magic whirled rumblingly. The black dragon’s giant body floated in the air like a joke.

「Nagumo Hajime……」

「I have told you my will. The phase of dialogue has pa.s.sed. Eto Shin. Which one of us is going to give up first……」

Hajime grinned fearlessly and caressed the black scale.

──How about we test it out eh

His eyes expressed his insatiable rebellious spirit. For the sake of his wish, no matter what stood on his path, no matter what kind of existence it was, he wouldn’t give a d.a.m.n and fought to the end till this life ran out. Such resolve pierced Eto Shin’s body.

Not just mentally, but also physically.

The black dragon’s jaw opened in respond to her master. It flashily declared the opening of the battle toward the black cat that was looking up at them.

A black flash. The scorching hot breath swallowed the black cat instantly. It didn’t stop there, the surrounding area was also mowed down and it created a disastrous spectacle as though a meteor had just fallen there.

「Go Tio! We’re rampaging!」

「Understood!」

The wind spiraled and granted the black dragon a terrific speed. The scenery below instantly turned into a pa.s.sing blur.

「……Somehow it feels like Hajime is strangely relying on Tio since we came here?」

「Ah, that, I’m also thinking that Yue-san! How should I say it……yes! It’s like a bond as partner has been formed between them! Vaguely!」

Yue and Shia who were watching the series of events were pouring a questioning stare toward Hajime.

「Fufufu-, The ‘dere’ period of Goshujin-sama hath arrived it seems. Goshujin-sama, thou must wish to make me as thy lifelong partner right now. Very well! Mine heart hath already prepared──」

「Keep your joke to simply your existence.」

*DOGO-* The artificial arm violently punched. A joyful voice 「Thank you very much」 resounded right after that.

It was a sky without any obstruction. The dragon who was awakened to the extremely disappointing power to convert pain into ability strengthening accepted the reward from her master without wasting anything and accelerated. With such speed, the distance of several stations could be traversed instantly.

They pa.s.sed the residential area in the blink of eye and the sight of skysc.r.a.pers blinking in artificial lights entered their sight.

「For now, let’s try blowing up the Sky Tower that is this city’s symbol.」

「……Nn-. Leave it to Yue-san!」

It seemed Yue-san was burning with a sense of rivalry toward Tio who was actually a capable woman. She huffed in motivation while making a fighting pose.

Right after that, *bararara-* a sound that seemed familiar entered their ears……

「How should I say this……that guy is really fixated with earth standard till the end huh.」

Hajime couldn’t help but smiling wryly seeing countless “that” flying to their direction.

「Hajime-san, what is that? I think that’s Eto Shin-san’s effort to obstruct us though……」

Shia asked her question while her droopy rabbit ears inside her hood were flapping due to the wind. Hajime answered her with a sigh.

「Those are attack helicopters.」

Yes, what came flying toward them in formation was fully loaded helicopters. When Hajime gave a simple explanation that they were loaded with machine guns and missiles, Yue’s expression turned dubious.

「……Eto Shin doesn’t want to get out from the theme of Hajime’s homeland?」

That was certainly a powerful and troublesome battle force. However, with Eto Shin’s capability to construct a fiction world using mineral particle and reproduced the memories that it had acc.u.mulated for many months and years, it should be able to produce even more powerful battle force than this.

It should even be able to do something like turning the whole field into the worst environment for human.

For it to not do something like that……as expected, it must be just like Yue guessed.

「Eto Shin must wish for Goshujin-sama to consider this place as thy homeland no matter what. Producing something that doth not exist at earth wouldst only alienate Goshujin-sama further. Even so……that fellow art truly difficult.」

「B-but, isn’t that bad in its own way? They are flying weapons that are equipped with Hajime-san’s artifact aren’t they?」

Shia’s expression was twitching. Hajime’s expression turned conflicted.

「My knowledge about military is half-baked.」

Hajime was a game otaky, but military was a genre that he also liked. He often played that kind of game. He had thoroughly read some military data during the course of making game, and he also had experience of watching JSDF’s exhibition and firepower training with his father, so he was quite knowledgeable about military as a civilian eve if not as much as a genuine military otaku.

Even so, he naturally wasn’t thoroughly knowledgeable about the structure of helicopter or detailed inner structure of the modern weaponry. His knowledge was only at the level “it’s something like this I think”.

His many artifact weapons were simply compensating for those lacking parts with cheating technique that was magic and other world’s special material.

In other words.

「They are surely not exactly the same like the real thing. We don’t know how much Eto Shin is compromising by mixing magical technology into them. Though as expected, I don’t think things like railgun or magic power shockwave that are completely deviating from earth’s reality will show up.」

「……No problem. Either way we also don’t know anything about the capability of Hajime’s world. Then we just need to fight them thinking that they are monster with such capability.」

Yue said that with a glance toward Shia who got a bit of cold feet thinking that they would fight against Hajime’s artifact. Even if Eto Shin also did the same thing like Hajime, compensating the lacking part with magical technology, what they had to do hadn’t changed.

「R-right desu! Besides Eto Shin-san is also not trying to kill us!」

「There art no doubt about that. Even so, there art possibility of him neutralizing us so that we couldst only spend time idly here though.」

「Enough talk, they’re coming!」

The full moon that was floating in the night sky was illuminating the world with abnormal brightness. Under that light, the five attack helicopters──according to Hajime’s knowledge, they were most likely JSDF’s Apache. They seemed to be the Longbow type. Five missiles were fired from them.

「Leave it to me!」

The dragon’s roar met them. Black flash mowed down the missiles in a straight horizontal line as though to paint out the clear moonlight.

*DO DO DO DO-* The intercepted missiles exploded and decorated the night sky red with flame explosion. In addition, two helicopters that failed to dodge were also taken down and exploded.

In front of the approaching huge dragon, the remaining three attack helicopters moved to up, left, and right to avoid collision and pa.s.sed through, but,

「They are just fiction. No need to hold back.」

「……Nn! Got it!」

「Acknowledged desu!」

Hajime’s Donner aimed to the right, while Shia’s Drucken aimed to the left, and then Yue’s lightning spear aimed to above. Each one pierced through their respective target, destroying them.

The latest attack helicopters that were also few in number were made to taste defeat instantly. If this was really earth, that fact would surely cause screams of pandemonium to break out.

「Well, I guess there is no point thinking about that when there is already a dragon flying through the city. This is completely like a giant monster movie.」

There were flashes on the ground. Tio rapidly turned right at that instant. Then sounds of something slicing through air were rising from the ground to the sky.

When they looked over there, on the ground were countless tanks, combat cars, and JSDF soldiers being deployed with full equipment.

In addition, there was an explosive sound from behind that ripped apart the air.

「……Nn!? “Severance Disaster”!!」

Yue created a black whirling gravitational sphere to drag and swallow the four missiles flying at them.

Right after that, two fighter jets instantly pa.s.sed them by. A loud sonic boom a.s.saulted Hajime and others immediately after. Tio raised a shocked voice 「Nuo!?」 and spun midair.

Naturally Hajime and others were all thrown to the air.

Hajime used his “Air Force” ability, Shia used her boots that had been enchanted with “Air Force”, and Yue used her gravity magic in order for the three of them to float.

Anti-air missiles flew in pack from the ground toward them at that timing. Hajime shot them with precision shooting using Donner & Schlag. It caused flower of flames to bloom profusely in the night sky once more.

「Wait, as expected Eto Shin-san is really trying to kill us isn’t it!?」

*Barararara* The rotor sound resounded in Shia’s rabbit ears. Attack helicopters were showing up in drove from behind the skysc.r.a.pers. The tanks on the ground were aiming their cannon turret to the sky. The JSDF soldiers were also taking position on the rooftops. The afterburner sound of the fighter jets rushing through night sky was also getting louder as each second ticked by.

It couldn’t be helped that Shia spontaneously doubted Eto Shin’s intention with how overwhelming the encirclement toward them was.

「I, I hath heard a little from the story but……Goshujin-sama’s world art truly scary.」

Each individual’s talent, skill, and even the degree of fatigue weren’t taken into consideration and all of the fighting force could use firepower that was beyond standard. Because of that it was possible for the force to fight with high firepower constantly.

It was a battle theory that was different from its foundation compared to the world of sword and magic. This force didn’t need anything like a hero who possessed special power. It was a rationality that reached a merciless degree.

Seeing this made Tio obtained an understanding. She could now comprehend Hajime’s way of thinking that didn’t choose to create “legendary sword and armor”, but “weapon that was combined with magic” instead. Her voice sounded slightly shrill when she was saying that.

「Normally being hit by these weapons will equal to an instant death, but most likely we will only get knocked out by these. After that I think that Eto Shin will do something like draining us of all magic power or confiscating our equipments.」

「It looks like it doesn’t want us to rampage in the middle of city isn’t it?」

「There art also a possibility of it trying to mislead us, but there won’t be no end to it if we keep questioning everything.」

「……Nn. I’ll do my best wrecking Hajime’s homeland (fake)!」

「Hajime-san’s magic eye might also be able to catch it if this place show its defect from that! I’ll also vigorously smash Hajime-san’s homeland to bits!」

「……R-right.」

These guys, will it really be okay for me to bring them to earth……Hajime felt slightly uneasy, even so gunfires attacked them once more to stop them.

「Tio! You go to that Sky Tower! Yue, you go to Tou-san’s company! Shia, you are Tio’s support! Shatter the force below!」

「……Nn!」

「Understood!」

「Roger desuu!」

Magic powers with the color of gold, jet black, and light blue spread like ripples. Yue and others each flew toward their target.

With a flap of her wings, Tio flew toward the Sky Tower that was piercing the sky. Four fighter jets were chasing her. The speed difference was overwhelming. The closed the distance in the blink of eye and the bullets that were fired from their machine gun attacked Tio like shooting stars.

「To think that I wouldst be overtaken this easily-. It hath been a long time since I felt this feeling of frustration! But, their firepower itself art too lukewarm!」

Tio’s black scales boasted the greatest hardness among the dragon race that could endure even Hajime’s railgun.

The like of fighter jet’s 20 mm autocannon didn’t even make her feel itchy. That was what she thought but……

「Nu!? It’s shaving off mine magic power?」

As expected, it seemed that it wasn’t completely the same attack like the real thing. The sensation of her magic power being blown away each time the bullets. .h.i.t her attacked Tio.

「As expected it’s trying to neutralize us by making us run out of magic.」

Tio calmly considered this development before she spread open her dragon wings to the limit. In addition her wind whirled like a tornado while she was also spinning in high speed. It was the air combat maneuver called Aileron Roll.

Accompanied with a rapid deceleration, the whirlwind and the dragon wings rotation were more than enough to swallow up the approaching fighter jets.

Two fighter jets were pulverized by the wings and fell while spinning toward the ground.

「Its endurance art the lowest of the lowest eh.」

She said something that would make technicians of earth heart angrily yelled 「Don’t put them together with a nightmare of a flying heavy tank like you!」 to her if they heard those words. She had also recovered her self-esteem slightly.

Right after that, more than fifty missiles a.s.saulted her from every direction, including from above.

「This art bad!」

She flapped her wings and turned the air flow toward below. She entrusted her body to the gravity that was pulling her down to fall on her back while firing her breath toward the missiles that that were changing direction to rain on her like a waterfall.

The flash that pierced the sky created a pillar of flame blast. While that was going on, Tio’s instinct told her of the danger from below.

The tank corps had taken position there before she knew it and aimed their turrets toward Tio in order to blast her to the ground now that she had no place to escpae.

I wouldst divert them with wind barrier! Tio made that decision instantly and moved to execute it, but──

「SHAORAAAAAAAAAAAH!! DESUU!」

There was a war cry that shook the air, at the same time a tremendous booming sound reverberated. Tio spontaneously let out a laugh 「Kuhahah」 that sounded like an evil dragon.

She flipped like a cat just before she crashed on the ground. She made her body floated using the highest cla.s.s of updraft and glared down on the battlefield from above the street.

The sight there was the tanks that were the strongest steel weapon above ground being sent flying as though they were tree leaves that got blown away by wind. They were overturned or crushed.

「The stress of beging chased around everywhere by the police officers! I’ll vent it here desuuu!」

The huge warhammer were sending everything flying. It didn’t matter whether it was a tank that weighed more thn 40 tons, or a speedy combat vehicle, or a fully armed soldier, they all flew the same.

The opponents were just virtual image in the end. They were nothing more than puppets reproduced from vast amount of records and Hajime’s memory.

That was why Shia had zero hesitation in going town on them.

Tearing them to shreds and threw, tearing them to shreds and threw, ma.s.s producing stains on the ground, punching through a the frame of a nearby car and then grabbing it to throw it with her physical strength like a cannonball. It was truly the side of a man-eating fiendish rabbit.

『Shia! Be careful to the bullets! Thy magic power would be dispersed if they hit──』

「The bullets aren’t even electromagnetically charged! The soldiers aren’t predicting my action to fire at where I’m going to move! It will be harder for me to try to get hit by such bullet desuu!」

It seemed to be difficult for her. In fact, with her steps that pulverized the ground with each step and her rapid braking, her “Air Force” boots, and furthermore her three dimensional movement that made use of building’s wall and every surface around her, she was dodging everything. She hadn’t even been grazed. Even though the enemy was laying out a really fierce barrage, it looked like the bullets were avoiding her instead.

Even now she was producing something like afterimages behind due to her free movement and fiercely varying tempo. Then right at the next instant, a soldier got punched on the gut and he was sent flying toward the building at the side.

In order to stop Shia who was moving like a storm like that, the attack helicopter that appeared from between the buildings fired countless rockets on her.

「Too easyyy! Desuu!」

Together with 「desuu」 that sounded like it was only added as an afterthought, Shia grabbed the turret of a toppled tank with all her strength.

「FUNNUAAAAAAAAAAAAH!」

She performed a giant swing with that tank. The tank that became a giant warhammer for Shia deflected all the rockets. And then using the centrifugal force she immediately threw the tank.

「Fly away until the moon! Desu!」

It impacted the attack helicopter. The tank pulverized a wall together with the helicopter and flew inside the building. A second later there was a thunderous sound from the opposite side of the building and the two vehicles flew out.

Tio who was watching that series of overwhelming and merciless pure violence was,

「S-Shia……what a terrifying child!」

I wonder just what is the rabbit race……Tio thought with a shiver. Then, at that timing,

「Why do you fight? What are you dissatisfied with this world? This place should be convenient for all of you.」

A young JSDF soldier crawled out from an overturned tank. His eye was looking straight at Shia and Tio.

They immediately realized. That too was also a vessel of Eto Shin. No, they realized that everything constructed in this world could become Eto Shin’s vessel.

「Convenient for us, desu?」

「Affirmative. I should have told you all. You should have understood from looking at this reproduced world. There is no place for demi human on earth. If you wish to be together with that man, then it would be better to stay in this world.」

I see, Shia nodded in understanding.

She swung her Drucken. *Bun* The wind howled and the warhammer became rested on her shoulder. It was like the fainthearted disappointing rabbit of the past was just a lie the way she puffed out her chest right now. Then Shia grinned.

「Hajime-san doesn’t wish for this. That’s more than enough reason for me to take action desu!」

「Shia Hauria. Your wish is──」

「Hajime-san’s wish!」

She didn’t let Eto Shin finished speaking. There was no need for that.

It was only natural for anyone to ponder about the difference of ideal and reality. However, she would keep that in her chest while saying “even so” and did her best with all her might. In order to reach a future that was as good as possible.

At the very least,

「The future that I want to arrive at isn’t here!」

She launched a full swing with Drucken. The ground under her feet was exploded. Even so her swing didn’t lose momentum and continued till the end. The ground fragments turned into bullets, no, cannon sh.e.l.ls.

Eto Shin’s vessel was blown away along with the tank.

「Tio-san! What are you doing! I’ll take care of the ground, so please destroy everything you can quicjkly desu!」

After all I’m not good with wide range destruction unlike close range battle!, she said while her rabbit ears were bobbing *myon myon*. Tio looked up to the sky in respond. She didn’t know what to say anymore.

「Good grief. If there art someone who couldst become a hero in Tortus, surely it wouldst be thee.」

「Yes? What did you say?」

Another attack helicopter was approaching. Shia used a building as a jumping step to punch the helicopter down while asking back to Tio. In respond Tio smiled wryly 「It’s nothing」 and flew away.

If there was no need for her to worry about the ground, then she could fully focus to the multiple jets that were turning around toward her. There was two more kilometers in a straight line until she reached her target the Sky Tower.

「Now then, the unprecedented rabbitman hero art doing her best right now. Then there art no way I couldst display an unsightly battle as a dragon race who hath lived for five hundred years.」

*Bo bo bo bo-* Scorching hot flame bullets appeared with such sound.

Their number was 120. Like a bud blooming into a flower, the flame bullets rotated around Tio before shooting toward the fighter jets.

During that time, she enveloped herself with tornado and flew in high speed. She was increasing her alt.i.tude as much as possible while creating flame bullets one after another. With that she was continuously laying out a suppression barrage like how destroyer ship would do with its autocannons.

Even so, the opponent’s battle strength was inexhaustible. Fighter jets were coming without end as though they appeared from thin air. A great number of missiles and innumerable machine gun fire were raining down on Tio.

Naturally there would be bullets that hit her as she pa.s.sed through the barrage. Tio’s magic power was also getting shaved down rapidly.

Originally Tio could also use her transcendent flying ability to dodge and counter without getting hit at all, but right now Tio was discarding such choice.

She would consume magic power by counterattacking anyway. Then it was clear that her situation would only gradually grow worse like that.

Therefore right now she only focused on advancing.

She would only advance majestically as befitting the supreme ruler of the sky.

With that, naturally there was nothing here that could stop the black dragon in her seriousness. The Sky Tower was getting closer in no time at all.

「O princess of the dragon race. Can’t you please try to persuade them? You should know better than anyone how terrifying the G.o.d is.」

Suddenly she mysteriously felt a gaze through the flame blasts that were interweaved by her flame and the missiles. Her eyes met the eyes of a pilot through the c.o.c.kpit of one of the fighter jets.

「You are wise unlike the other two. You won’t be blinded by romance. Please──」

「Good grief. Thou art an existence that couldst be called as a pseudo G.o.d created by in the ancient era. And yet thou art very human.」

Tio spoke with a conflicted tone. It was a tone of exasperation, but one that couldn’t go as far as to sound cruel to push away the other side.

Eto Shin immediately fell silent. Tio trampled her surrounding with her flaming tornado while speaking with an atmosphere of a parent scolding a child.

「Don’t delude thyself Eto Shin. Even if thy didst something like this, it wouldst be thee who wouldst not feel fulfilled, whose wish wouldst not be granted.」

「What are you──」

Was that agitation in its tone? The encirclement by the fighter jets and their barrage showed an opening.

Tio accelerated in one go. She put strength into her stomach and roared without firing any breath attack.

The grand shout was even accompanied by physical shockwave. The windows of the high rise buildings below her were pulverized, the fighter jets were spinning down, and a certain bugged rabbit was also screaming 「My rabbit earsss, my rabbit earssss-!」

「Taketh this! First is one!」

The sky tower entered her firing range. Black magic power converged inside her opened jaw.

Right after that, a flash that would even make the s.p.a.ce battleship in SF to shudder burst out. The breath attack that was fired from diagonally above in a height that was even higher than the Sky Tower magnificently smashed, melted, and annihilated the tower’s base.

It was an overwhelming and absurd destruction that was characteristic of giant monster movie. Such sight could be seen there.

The giant tower was tilting down with a thunderous sound. Tio glanced at that while speaking with a tone that was gentler than before.

「We wouldst not stop. Because that art what human is. Thou understand correct? There art no way thou doth not understand. After all thy art an artifact with “human” heart.」

「I……」

Eto Shin’s voice sounded painful and shaky.

「But, even so I……」

「I doth not mind. Things not going as we want it. That too art a part of being “human”. Now then, I wouldst go to the next one! If thou think that thou couldst stop our feeling, our conviction, then just try it!」

The dragon’s roar shook the night sky for the third time.

The gallant and sublime war cry, along with the powerful flap of the dragon wings, was it just her imagination?

Somehow, it looked like the fighter jets and the force on the ground were flinching away at those sounds.

.

Meanwhile, at the business district where Shuu’s company was located, an urban warfare like in a Hollywood movie was unfolding.

Yue was flying with pseudo flight using gravity manipulation among the high rise buildings.

Behind her, countless attack helicopters were pursuing her. Machine gun fires were following after Yue’s track. The window gla.s.ses of the buildings were turned into a disastrous state.

However Yue flew up and down, left and right, like a leaf that was dancing in the wind. The barrage of bullets couldn’t graze her at all.

「……Persistent.」

She flipped midair. She was falling horizontally upside down while also facing back with her hand thrust out.

A roar of thunder burst out. The jaw that was containing a gravity field inside pulled the attack helicopters toward it and then it devoured them.

Without pause Yue’s white and slender finger waved like a composer baton and controlled the “Lightning Dragon” to make a U-turn. It tore apart the building on its way. Yue charged into the large hole that was opened in the building without any reduction in speed and blew away the unfamiliar office equipments while smashing through the window to come out at the opposite side.

Yes, Yue was literally advancing in a straight line toward her destination that was Shuu’s company.

「──Burst」

She was flying backward once more while snapping her finger. The “Lightning Dragon” that was left behind inside the building exploded the power that was contained in it. Lightning attack and gravity field went out of control and pulverized the high-rise building from its middle floor.

The upper part of the building crumbled and buried the squad that was chasing her from the ground.

Yue didn’t even glance at them and headed toward her destination with the speed of freefalling.

Shuu’s company entered her sight. Then, right at that moment,

「Uh!」

There was an impact of osmething piercing her shoulder. Yue let out a small groan. There was also the sensation of her magic power getting shaved away.

「……Sniping?」

Yue knew about Hajime’s Schlagen that was used for long range sniping, so she had an idea about the true ident.i.ty of this unseen attack. It seemed there was a sniper lurking around here. In addition, attack helicopters and ground force were also showing up in drove.

Faced by the warning of her instinct and the visible threat, Yue fell above. Firepower that was too excessive for a cross fire rushed at the spot where Yue was floating just a moment ago.

She dodged to above, then she came to a stop with her white coat and glistening golden hair fluttering elegantly.

The bullets from autocannon, rifle bullet from sniper, missiles from attack helicopters, all of those were rushing at Yue.

「 ─”Black Calamity”」

It was the basic of the basic of gravity magic. It could also be used for pseudo flight. A magic with the highest degree of convenience. Yue invoked it with a quiet voice.

The result was……something that could only be described as absurd.

All the bullets and missiles stopped moving as though the flow of time had forgotten them.

Within the night sky, with the radiantly shining full moon on her back, the vampire princess was lording over the ground with her gaze.

Her shining ruby red eyes and the light of her golden magic power that was swaying like aurora.

Despite her expressionless face, her looks were enchanting and bewitching. Regardless of her childish appearance, no, exactly because of her childish appearance, she possessed an overwhelming beauty that was unthinkable from a person of this world. Even the beautiful full moon behind her looked dim compared to her.

If the people here weren’t puppets, surely everyone’s heart would be stolen and made them forgot that they were standing on the battlefield. There was no doubt that this beauty would take them captive.

The bullets and missiles kept coming and stopping before they could reach Yue. The sky was gradually getting buried by them and hiding the vampire princess’s beautiful face.

Right after that.

「──”Maximum – Frozen Prison”」

Beautiful and freezing voice was cool and clear as expected. Even so that voice was making a despairingly chilling scene.

The temperature that was reduced to absolute zero in an instant had frozen everything.

The range was far wider compared to the time when she was thrown into the abyss. The radius of 300 meters to all directions had been driven into extreme winter. Every kind of existence was forced to demise inside that white merciless world.

The gunfire stopped. All the missiles in the air fell to the ground. Everything on the ground was dyed pure white. And then,

「──Turn to pieces.」

As the queen of the white world commanded, they were all burst into glittering ice fragments under the moonlight.

Shuu’s company also wasn’t an exception. There was already no trace of it.

For the first time Yue’s expression turned conflicted. She looked like she had a mixed feeling about something.

But there, another sound of attack helicopter entered her ears. As expected, Eto Shin could create anything it liked anywhere in this world. The helicopter speedily appeared from between the buildings outside the range of the freezing magic.

Yue was going to shot it down quickly before heading to the next destination, but a voice rang out before that.

「Can’t I ask you to take a look to this world for some more time?」

The pilot of the attack helicopter that had climbed until the same height with Yue was talking to her. Yue tilted her head.

「O queen of vampire race. Nagumo Hajime should be more precious to you than anything else. In the past, you were even thinking that you won’t mind to keep living in the bottom of the abyss together with just him.」

Then, this place was an ideal world that was beyond compare, Eto Shin said.

In respond to Eto Shin’s words, Yue spoke with a somewhat troubled expression.

Her words were very simple. Words that surely thrust at the core of Eto Shin’s being.

.

「……Are you, lonely alone?」

.

There was no respond because it was speechless. It tried to deny it, but no words came out. It seemed that it was the one who was the most surprised by that. Yue could sense astonishment from it.

「……I can, understand your feeling a little. Being alone without being able to see the future……turn the heart cold.」

Yue added more words before Eto Shin could say something.

「……Want to come together?」

「Wh, at?」

「……A world of just the two of us. I was fine with that before going out of the abyss. However, now is different.」

She went to a journey. Each time they encountered someone, Hajime’s expression would be enriched. His blank heart that was once broken and rebuilt in the past was getting colored bit by bit.

Seeing that happening from right beside Hajime was the irreplaceable enjoyment for the current Yue.

Hajime who was gaining more and more “important” things, Hajime who was showing a new expression each time that happened, she couldn’t help but hopelessly love it.

「……Even if Hajime’s heart broke and he want to stop walking, I won’t let him. Because I know that Hajime’s true happiness lie in where he is walking toward, so I will make him advance even if I have to scold him.」

「……」

「……We won’t stop. We can’t stay here. That’s why, Eto Shin. You can come together with us.」

Yue said that. But, she wouldn’t hold out her hand to it no matter what.

It was as though she knew that there was no need for that. And sure enough,

「……That’s……impossible. I can’t, possibly do that.」

「……Nn. The same like us.」

Silence flowed. It seemed the puppets would automatically move following their direction if not for Eto Shin actively controlling them. The attack helicopter that stopped during the conversation started moving because Eto Shin’s agitation released it from the control. The machine gun aimed toward YUe.

But, before bullets were fired,

「Eto Shin, you understand right?」

A man fell down. The rotating rotor was punched away with artificial hand and the defense skill “Vajra”. A pile bunker was shoved into the c.o.c.kpit.

Hajime leaped away from the falling helicopter like an acrobat. Then he landed beside Yue by employing a crimson ripple using “Air Force”.

「……Hajime, how is it?」

「There is no change to the flow of magic power. It’s still like before, the magic power is spreading thinly to a vast area. Tou-san’s company also isn’t it. I also checked the Sky Tower through Ornis, but it’s the same.」

「……Where next?」

「Let’s go to the station. Tio and Shia are also going around destroying all buildings that look conspicuous.」

「Nn!」 Yue replied with a smile. Hajime narrowed her eyes at her. Actually he was listening to the conversation just now. In his heart he was being driven by an impulse to hug her tightly right at this moment.

While new forces were closing in, the two of them rushed through the sky or fell to the ground to break through the encirclement toward the station.

Seven flying crosses──the all range weapon “Cross Bits” appeared from thin air with crimson spark.

A swarm of missiles was fired at them. Hajime used Light Speed to expand his senses to perceive them all and shot them down with precise shooting from Cross Bits.

And then, with Schlagen’s immense firing range and destructive power, he shot down the enemy’s air force before they could put the two of them in their attack range.

「Understanding, what?」

Eto Shin asked. It didn’t borrow the mouth of any vessel anymore. Its voice resounded directly from the surrounding air.

Anti air missiles from the ground. Countless rifle bullets that were fired from the rooftops and windows of the buildings.

All of those were diverted with Yue’s “Calamity Sky” so they orbited around her like satellites or swallowing them with “Severance Disaster”. In between, Hajime’s Cross Bits and the missiles of Orkan that he took out once more in his right hand were destroying the enemies with counterattack.

「That I’m not a descendant or anything of the people here.」

「……Certainly , there is no definite proof. But, there is no trace of them at all in this world. And with the existence of another world coming to light, the conjecture that earth is none other than the new land that “they” were heading to cannot be completely denied. In your world there is also the concept of magic even if it’s only as a mere fairy tale. It’s possible enough that was because they were pa.s.sing down such story from a long time ago.」

「Well, if we are talking about possibility than you aren’t really wrong. But, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m talking about how you are the one who doesn’t believe in that possibility more than anyone else.」

「Absurd. I──」

「You never said it to us. You never said “Welcome back”.」

The return of the people that it should have been waiting for all this time.

If it really believed from the bottom of its heart, there was no way it wouldn’t say that word of greeting.

Perhaps it was aware of that itself. There was no objection back from Eto Shin.

Hajime’s perception ability caught a faintly blinking light at the window of a building four hundred meters ahead. He sent a Cross Bit to act as a shield without even any time to realize that it was a sniping toward Yue.

The bullet was deflected with loud metallic sound. At the same time, Schlagen spouted fire and the building itself was pierced and blasted.

At the same time, the machine gun fire of the attack helicopter aimed at Hajime from the opposite side. Yue barrel rolled to exchange position with him and blocked it with her barrier.

「Why didn’t you teleport us to my house right from the start? Why did you toss us to that kind of random place? You called me a descendant, and yet why did you create earth instead of Klystron? Why were you just peeking at us without explaining anything as though you wanted us to see this world? And your decision to send Kaori to the center without consulting us first, can’t that decision be called rash as well as imprudent?」

Hajime continuously listed the numerous contradictory actions of Eto Shin.

No reply came back, but as though to escape from reality, the intensity of the attack was increasing.

However, in front of Hajime and Yue’s teamwork, none of the attack could reach them even with the overwhelming quant.i.ty and firepower.

「You didn’t believe it right? And yet, you couldn’t help but jump at the chance right? While making justification and desperately lying to yourself……」

Yue would blew away when hajime blocked, and Hajime would destroy when Yue defended.

There wasn’t any sign of them exchanging words. They didn’t even exchange gaze between themselves. And yet they were displaying a teamwork that should be described as breathtaking with a naturalness that was like breathing.

Hajime protected Yue, Yue protected Hajime. With that the two of them were the strongest in the world.

The feeling that they exchanged when departing from the abyss in the past was embodied here without any ground of denial at the slightest.

Perhaps that was why. The words of the monster of abyss who was being protected by the vampire princess was still possessing composure. And then that fact was shaking Eto Shin’s heart greatly.

「Even so, you wanted to believe right? ──That “they came home”.」

They landed on the rooftop of a building where they could look down at the station from there.

As expected, the square below was packed full with tanks. The turrets were aimed toward Hajime and Yue.

Hajime took out the convertible large shield from his treasure warehouse and took position in front of Yue. He also deployed the Cross Bits around Yue to completely defend her.

「Yue.」

「……Nn! Leave it to me! ──”Maximum – Sky Scorcher”!!」

Yue thrust her finger straight toward the sky while looking like she was extremely pleased. It seemed that she was really happy to be relied on.

Contrary to the beautiful golden light and lovely smile, the invoked magic was extremely brutal.

The sky above the station was surrounded by twelve huge lightning spheres. The square in front of the station was also included within the encirclement. Right after that, the spheres sparked and connected together , creating a lightning sphere with diameter that reached 30 meters at the center.

The all out attack from the tanks attacked them.

「──”Limit Break”-」

Crimson light spiraled and pierced the sky. The threat that was already at inhuman level even in the normal state was strengthened even more in an explosive state.

With that, the concentrated fire of the tank cannons was completely endured.

The result of protecting the vampire princess completely was obvious.

The maximum lightning attack struck like a divine punishment. The radius of dozens of meters around the station was splendidly pulverized and annihilated.

Yue sighed fuii~h and made a gesture of wiping her sweat despite not sweating at all. She was also sending glances at Hajime with the appeal of「I worked hard. Praise me?」. Hajime put his hand on her head and kindly patted her while turning his eyes to the empty air.

「Yue invited you to come together with us, but you said「Impossible」. That’s already clearly the answer ain’t it?」

n.o.body had gone home yet. That was why, it couldn’t possibly abandon this land.

In other words, that was how it is.

「Let us out, Eto Shin. We are going to the end of this path. Toward my homeland.」

There was no reply from Eto Shin.

Surely it wasn’t ignoring him. Hajime somehow felt that.

This was surely Eto Shin’s hesitation.

The manifestation of its feeling toward things that didn’t go the way it wanted it to, just like human.

Although, the monster of abyss wasn’t so kind that he would admirably waited with patience.

「Well, even if you refuse, we’ll still go out forcefully though.」

「……That’s impossible. Even if you use your magic eye, you won’t be able to follow the magic power. You can’t specify my location.」

Eto Shin spoke the only fact that it was sure of right now in order to run from reality. Hajime ignored it and activated “Telepathy”.

「Tio. How is it?」

It was a vague question. However, the dragon person who was actually extremely wise and capable gave the perfect reply.

「Umu. I hath narrowed down the candidates. The vicinity three kilometers southeast from the “sky tower” art really suspect. I’m already heading there.」

「!?」

A sign of agitation was slightly transmitted. Yue ignored that and invoked her pseudo flight while including Hajime within its effective range. She created a super gravitational field that had directional vector in order to accelerate faster than mere falling speed.

「Tio, roar.」

「Acknowledged!」

A terrific roar propagated from far away.

「Shia, sharpen your ears. Is there any place that seems strange?」

「Ue!? Hajime-san is telling me to open my ears fully in the middle of this loud h.e.l.l!?」

「If it’s impossible then use “Future Hypothesis”. You can also use all the stocked magic power in the magic crystal.」

「Uu~, I’ll do my bestt~」

The figure of a black dragon and Shia riding on the back came into view while they were talking like that.

「What are, what are you doing?」

「We are just pinpointing your location.」

Specifically, they were observing the way the enemy force was moving while they were rampaging everywhere.

Eto Shin was acting really like human. If they rampaged at a place that was near its core’s location, there was a possibility it would show an unusual action to lead them away to a different direction.

In fact that proved true and Tio’s dragon eyes that could see through the truth had narrowed down the list of prospects using calm judgment and not overlooking even the slightest out of place feeling.

After that using the echo of her roar, Shia’s superhuman hearing would narrow down the list even further. Even if that was impossible, she would use her “Future Hypothesis” to look at the future where that place was destroyed.

「Impossible. There wasn’t that kind of thought……there also shouldn’t be any telepathy communication between all of you about that.」

「That was because I intentionally focused on only detecting magic power. Tio too was intentionally keeping out that thought from her mind and only focused on destroying the city.」

Even them if it was Tio then she would be able to a.n.a.lyze at least that much. Furthermore such a.n.a.lysis would be done naturally in her subconscious level. It was something that she was doing naturally as a matter of course in battle.

After all, Hajime himself was doing the same thing. Then there was no way Tio couldn’t do something like that after experiencing living for 500 years.

「……Muu. You’re relying on Tio again.」

「No, don’t sulk because of something like this.」

Yue skillfully clung on Hajime;s back even while maintaining the pseudo flight. The moody Yue-san mercilessly carried out a daring sucking acting *kapuchuu~*.

Hajime’s hand that was patting her head *pon pon* recovered her mood along with her magic power.

They arrived at Tio and Shia’s location while Eto Shin was staying speechless. At the same time,

「Muu~h, I saw it! Over there! Slightly to the right side of that intersection desuu!」

「Hah? That place seriously doesn’t has anything……no, I see. That place」

A wry smile formed on Hajime’s face. In a glance it was a place without anything conspicuous, but Hajime was familiar with it. If he didn’t hear from Kaori in his room in the inn the night before he fell to the abyss, surely he wouldn’t even remember about that place.

Yes, that was a really important place for Kaori──the place where she met with Hajime.

「So it’s the place where I dogeza of all places.」

If it was a pseudo j.a.pan that was created from Hajime and Kaori’s memory, then certainly the place where the two of them met for the first time was quite fitting to be the starting point of this world.

Why didn’t this place come to mind? Hajime couldn’t hold back his wry smile. He shook his head and pulled himself together.

「Yue, drill that place. Just like when you opened a large hole in the desert.」

「……Leave it to me. Leave it to Yue-san!」

A textbook smug face burst into being toward Tio. Both Tio and also Shia on her back were making a troubled expression. They didn’t know whether to feel that she was cute or feel exasperated.

That highly spirited vampire princess then made an about face. She closed her eyes and dispelled the gravity magic that she used for floating. Hajime stayed in place using “Air Force” while supporting Yue by making her sat on his arm.

「……Nuguguh」

The hand that she was lifting up toward the sky was shaking slightly. Her extreme concentration made her grimaced. She let out an adorable groan and her undulating golden aura was increasing in thickness as each second pa.s.sed.

「Unbelievable」

Eto Shin must have realized what Yue was going to do by reading her mind. No, that wasn’t all. It must also felt shocked by the absolutely unbending will of Hajime and others and also how they impossibly pinpointed its position. Eto Shin let out a dumbfounded mutter.

The attack helicopters and tanks were throwing themselves into the last battle. Even at this point, it was still sending nothing but fighting force by earth standard toward them. Perhaps it was alright to consider that as a sign of Eto Shin’s stubborn heart in the verge of coming apart.

Either way, Hajime intercepted them with Cross Bits so they wouldn’t get in the way of his beloved lover.

「I won’t let you get in the way! Shaorah」

「It wouldst not be cool if we failed after coming this far.」

Tio shot down the attack helicopters with her breath attack. Shia’s rabbit ears were flapping around fiercely due to the violent wind while she displayed a full on inhuman technique of diverting a tank cannon sh.e.l.l by hitting it at its side using Drucken as though she was. .h.i.tting a homerun.

Right after that, 「Seriously? That bugged rabbit」 Hajime let out such mutter with a shudder.

「……Eat this. The magic to annihilate the place of Kaori’s memory! ──”Black Sky Devastation”-!!」

「Oy stop that」

Yue too had heard from Kaori about the beginning of her love to Hajime to some degree, so it seemed she managed to guess what this place was from Hajime’s reaction.

Hajime spontaneously said a tsukkomi in respond to the horrible naming of the magic that had horribly limited use, but the magic that was invoked was actually a despairingly brutal magic that wasn’t playing around at the slightest.

A whirling black calamitous star was appearing while radiating golden sparks in the sky.

It stirred the atmosphere with rumbling sound and produced tremendous gravitational force around it. The seriously damaged tanks floated up, the attack helicopters were spinning, and they were swallowed up as though a tornado was dragging them into it. Even the road signs and traffic lights got pulled toward it and the surrounding buildings were also crumbling into pieces.

──Ultimate gravity magic “Black Sky Devastation”

It was a magic that brought about absolute crushing pressure and annihilation. Even a cheat level magician like Yue was still unable to grasp it completely.

Unlike “Severance Disaster”, that magic wouldn’t spit out anything that it absorbed anymore. It completely annihilated the target. And right now it was falling.

The street was smashed up. The mineral particles left Eto Shin’s control and they were swallowed helplessly.

A big hole was opened without any resistance. It was as like a heated spoon was scooping up b.u.t.ter. The diameter of “Black Sky Devastation” was around three meters. That was the limit of the current Yue.

However, its deathly range was far more than that. A large hole with diameter more than ten meters was instantly created below them.

The deep pit was dark like abyss. It reminded Hajime of floor 65 of Great Labyrinth Orkus but……the difference was clear.

「I see it. Let’s go-」

The calamitous star magnificently went through the ground and exposed the light at its opposite side.

The “Black Sky Devastation” vanished at the same time when Hajime gave the order. Yue seemed tired, but she took advantage of Hajime’s carrying her and went *kapuchuu~* for the second time today. After that Shia and Tio who had dispelled her dragon transformation also followed behind Hajime and the four of them fell through the shaft together.

They could see the light below them rapidly shrinking. It was trying to close the hole.

「Thou really didst not know when to give up, Eto Shin. Art thou that scared to talk face to face with us?」

The hole was closed tightly when there was just a bit more distance before they could reach it.

Even so, that was a very thin and brittle defense, just like Eto Shin’s current heart.

*Tan* Hajime landed with thud and he placed his hand on the ground as though he was punching it.

And then,

「──”Trans.m.u.te”!!」

Hajime’s full powered trans.m.u.tation magic dismantled the mineral particles that were trying to reform the area. If the ground was thick, surely Hajime’s magic power would run out faster, but a protective wall that didn’t even reach one meter couldn’t possibly oppose the extraordinary trans.m.u.tation master here.

「You will never stop, huh.」

Eto Shin’s whisper suddenly echoed. It was a mysterious tone. It sounded somewhat convinced, somewhat exasperated toward itself, and contained no negative emotion at all.

Right after that, Hajime and others descended toward the light that became visible once more.

There was a sense of weightlessness for a moment.

There was the sensation of stepping on gra.s.s under their shoes. Their field of vision that was blinded by light immediately cleared and a completely changed scenery greeted them.

Colorful flowers and vibrantly green plants, small waterway and stone arch. Then a chalk white shrine on top of a small hill.

Hajime let Yue down from his arm, then he confirmed that Tio and Shia were also at his sides. Then Hajime looked around while muttering.

「This place, looks like a garden.」

No denial was said. In exchange,

「! Papaaa!」

「Hajime-kun! Everyone!」

The voices that they wanted to hear immediately hit their ears. Their gazes snapped toward the direction of the voices. There Myuu and Kaori came running from between the trees toward them with wide smile.

Hajime caught Myuu who leaped onto his chest and hugged her tightly. Then Myuu pressed and rubbed her face on his chest fawningly.

Kaori also tried to give a deeply emotional hug, but she got intercepted by Yue. They glared at each other with sparks between them like cats in a turf war.

「Myuu-chan! Were you alright?」

Shia ignored the quarreling duo and called out to Myuu worriedly. In respond Myuu was,

「Myuu wasn’t okay nano. Myuu thought Myuu was going to die nano.」

She said that with eyes that looked like the eyes of a dead rotten fish. 「Did something happen!?」 Hajime and others yelled together.

「Papa, you see, Myuu won’t ask to drive anymore nano.」

They all guessed what happened just from that. Kaori’s dangerous driving had left a trauma in Myuu.

Everyone’s gaze snapped toward Kaori. Kaori’s gaze snapped away from them. It seemed she had a slight awareness of it.

「Haa. Anyway, Kaori, I’m glad that you are also safe.」

「I’m glad Hajime-kun and everyone are also alright. You four didn’t show any sign of waking up at all, and Yue’s neck got twisted to the wrong way without regenerating at all, I was worried what is going to happen……」

「……Kaori, what did you say happen to my neck?」

「Eh!? Come to think of it Tio and Shia, what’s with those outfit!? Even though you two were half naked until just now, you two look really stylish now!」

Kaori ignored Yue’s question and blank stare. It seemed she was completely ignorant of the situation and circ.u.mstance here. They headed toward the shrine while Hajime gave her a simple explanation.

The group arrived at the shrine even while Kaori and Myuu were feeling shocked.

The structure of the shrine was square shaped with pillars engraved with vines twining around them surrounding it. There was a white pyramid around five meters tall at the middle court.

The moment they stepped their foot inside, the top of the pyramid made the sound *zaa-* and mineral particles gathered there. The particles didn’t solidify and whirled in the air, forming the image of human face like when face was pushed on pin art board.

「Eto Shin.」

「Nagumo Hajime.」

They called each other’s name. Hajime and Eto Shin fell silent for a while.

From Hajime’s perspective, although he was the one who leaped into this place by his own initiative, the other side was still a troublesome being who was imprisoning and obstructing him.

From Eto Shin’s perspective, Hajime was an opponent who had clearly rejected him.

Originally, even though they weren’t enemy with each other, it wouldn’t be strange if there was an uneasy air drifting between them. However in reality there was only mysterious silence with vaguely gentle and painful atmosphere filling the area.

Yue and others reached a mutual understanding with each other while falling silent. They entrusted everything to Hajime and closed their mouth.

It was unknown how long they stayed like that. The one who broke the silence first was Eto Shin.

「……I had continued to think within a slowed flow of time.」

「About what?」

「Why didn’t the people wish to continue to live. Why, wasn’t I unable to make the people wish to continue to live.」

The wind blew silently. It naturally attracted their attention. At the left side of the shrine, there ewre thousands of white small pillars lined up.

Those were grave markers. The graves of all the people of Klystron who wished for demise on their own. Eto Shin had continuously watched over them until now.

「Perhaps, it’s a punishment. Not a single one of them come back.」

Its voice trembled in regret. As expected, this being was unmistakably “human”.

Not a single person here thought that the being in front of them was an artificial fake soul.

Hajime looked up straight toward Eto Shin while his voice quietly resounded.

「Did you think, that if we are here it will become the minimum atonement that you can do? Did you think that if you can create “a new land” here using the knowledge of earth, then when the true descendant one day return here, you will be able to make them “want to continue to live” for sure that time?」

「You can see through me completely even without being able to read mind.」

The particle face looked slightly upset, or perhaps it was a bitter smile.

「I apologize. I have troubled all of you because of my own selfishness.」

「You were pretending to be a mirage in order to hide your true ident.i.ty, at the same time, it’s because having a contact with human……is painful for you right?」

Eto Shin had become alone and spent its time as grave keeper for many years and months. However, the people it was waiting for didn’t return home.

If it carelessly interacted with human, surely its self-restrain would become undone. Just like what happened with Hajime and others. Even if they didn’t have the unknown knowledge of earth, Eto Shin would definitely sought contact with many people and took them in. There was no doubt that its heart would be seized by the act of atonement.

Its silent was the loudest affirmative it could make.

「It was us who chased after you when you ran away. We reap what we sow. You don’t need to apologize. Besides……it wasn’t bad. I feel like my determination is strengthened even further now.」

「……I see.」

A quiet time arrived once more. Eto Shin stared at Hajime before it looked up to the sky.

What could he be looking at the other side?

Before long, Eto Shin asked a question as though it was shaking itself free from something.

「Are you going, no matter what?」

「I’m going, no matter what.」

There was no hesitation and wavering in that heart. He would continue to struggle for the sake of his wish until the moment his life ran out.

Eto Shin must had seen it.

A sigh came out. But it wasn’t a heavy sigh by any means. Eto Shin spoke with a voice that was really freed from burden this time.

「Then, I shall thank you instead of apologizing.」

「Thanks?」

「Yes, thanks.」

There was someone who was thinking of his homeland and trying to go home until such degree. That fact became an unexpected hope for “someone who was waiting for the return of others”.

Hajime who fully comprehended the true meaning of Eto Shin’s thanks slightly dropped his gaze.

「……Are you going to wait, forever from here on?」

What crossed his mind, was about “them” whose trace vanished in the middle of ocean. Nine out of ten, the true descendants had already……

As expected Eto Shin was also reading that thought. However, Eto Shin’s voice after that was gentle.

「I’ll wait. Even if an eternity pa.s.sed.」

「I see……」

「Indeed. I’ll wait. Forever, for their return.」

Were those words simply Eto Shin’s determination?

Looking at the figure of Hajime who was slightly casting his gaze down while looking like he was digesting some kind of a large emotion, surely those words were also said for Hajime. Yue and others who were watching from behind him thought so.

Hajime took a deep breath. A second later, Hajime too spoke with a voice so gentle that surprised Yue and others.

「Sayonara, Eto Shin. I’m praying that one day, your “eternal journey” will end.」

「Farewell, Nagumo Hajime. I’m praying that one day, your “journey home” will end.」

A mysterious feeling of solidarity and sympathy were forming between the two.

The wind blew. Light gathered.

The consciousness of Hajime and others were leaving them while being enveloped by that soft and warm light.

They were leaving from that contained world of a very human and kind artifact.

.

When they noticed, Hajime and others were inside Brieze.

Myuu was on his lap. Yue was beside him. At the rear seat was Shia, Kaori, and Tio. It seemed that everyone was fully conscious. They were blinking as though they had seen a daydream.

「Papa……just now, was it a dream?」

「No, it wasn’t a dream.」

Hajime kept hugging Myuu while opening the door and went outside. Yue and others also followed.

And then when they turned their gaze to far away,

「Ah, a mirage nano!」

They could see at far away, a flickering mirage.

Hajime walked to in front of Brieze and sat down on the bonnet to stare at it.

「……Hajime?」

Yue snuggled close beside him and called out to him. Hajime didn’t reply to her right away. He turned his gaze toward her, then at the opposite side toward Kaori, Shia, and Tio who were also standing close to him.

And then, he turned his gaze toward Eto Shin’s mirage once more.

「I won’t let this journey become something like an “eternal journey”.」

Hajime’s eyes when saying that were filled with even stronger light of determination than before.

But right after that, Yue puffed out her chest energetically to change the atmosphere.

「……Nn! The greeting to father-in-law and mother-in-law. I managed to do rehearsal for that. I’m looking forward to do it for real!」

「Eh!? Greeting to the parents!? Rehearsal. What’s that, it’s unfair!」

「Now that you mention it, Kaori-san. We heard. The story of how Kaori-san pinpointed father-in-law’s workplace even though Hajime-san never told you. That’s……you didn’t directly go there right?」

「Eh? I went though?」

「……Kaori, I didst not want to believe this but……couldst it be that thee……hath also pinpointed even the house and the shops that Goshujin-sama frequently visited?」

「Something like that……naturally, I know them you know?」

「Kaori-oneechan……scary.」

「Myuu-chan’s positivity level for me is lowered again!?」

「……Hajime. As expected let’s just leave Kaori here. This woman is dangerous.」

「That’s horrible Yue! It’s normal to want to know everything about the person you like isn’t it!?」

Right? Hajime-kun! What I did isn’t scary at all isn’t it! Isn’t it!? Kaori asked while clinging on Hajime. Yue was trying to tear her away from him. Kaori’s approach was making Myuu clinging even harder on Hajime. Shia was consoling her, while Tio was cackling while watching the course of events.

Seeing his really noisy companions made Hajime also smiled wryly.

「Come on, we should go already.」

He said that and got into Brieze once more. Yue and others were also getting in while still being noisy.

Then, right after that.

「Papa! That!」

Myuu pointed with her finger. Everyone held their breath seeing the sight that she pointed at.

The townscape of j.a.pan was projected to the sky as though it was a sky city. It was a flickering image of a mirage, but it was a very mystical and fantastic sight.

「That’s a tasteful drawing.」

That sight that immediately flickered and vanished was surely a farewell gift from Eto Shin.

A smile formed at the corner of Hajime’s lips, and he muttered 「Thanks」 with a small voice before stepping on the gas pedal.

He turned his back on the artifact that was continuing its eternal journey.

In order to bring an end to his own journey.