That’s a lot of flags he just raised. While appreciating the cliched nature of Will’s speech, Hajime suddenly remembered the locket he’d picked up.
“Will, did this belong to that Gale guy?” He pulled it out and threw it over to Will. Will caught it and opened it up. As he stared at the picture inside, his mouth turned up into a smile.
“This is my locket! I thought I’d lost it forever. I can’t believe you found it. Thank you so much!”
“Oh that’s yours?”
“Yes! There’s no mistaking it, the portrait inside is of my mother!”
“Y-Your mother?” Hajime stuttered, surprised at how far off the mark his guess had been.
When he asked Will why she looked like she was in her early twenties, he got a completely unexpected response.
“If I was going to carry around a portrait of my mother, it makes sense to have one of her in her younger days, right?” Everyone present realized he must have had a huge Oedipus complex. The girls all backed a few steps away from him. As an aside, Gale’s lover had been a guy. His full name was Gale Gaye. It was often said that a person’s name described who they were.
Will had calmed down a great deal after discovering his locket wasn’t lost forever. Though it was hard to ascertain whether or not that had actually helped. Even if he had calmed down, that didn’t mean his resentment had faded. And even after regaining his composure, he still insisted that the black dragon be killed. His reasoning was that there was no telling when she might get brainwashed again, but everyone knew it was just an excuse. What he really wanted was revenge.
It was then that the dragon, in a voice full of remorse, proposed a solution.
“Whether it was by my will or not, the truth is that I stole the lives of many innocent people. If you say I must die for my crimes, then I shall accept that punishment. However, could you not give me some time? Before I die, I must at least destroy that dangerous man. That man is trying to create an army of monsters. The dragonmen have always kept their distance from the affairs of the continent, however after what he did, it is my responsibility to stop him. I cannot allow him to run free... I understand what I am asking of you is selfish. But will you please grant me the opportunity to stop this tragedy before it gets any worse?” Everyone’s expressions changed when they heard the words “army of monsters.” They all looked to Hajime. At some point, he had become the effective leader of their group. The one who’d fought the dragon off had been him, so it seemed natural to entrust the decision to him as well.
His response was as casual and swift as always.
“I really don’t give a damn about your responsibilities. You caused us quite a bit of trouble. So for that you’ll have to die.”
He raised his artificial arm and made a fist.
“Please wait! Y-You cannot seriously mean to kill me now, not after all I just said! I’m begging you, please let me go. Once I settle my affairs I’ll let you do whatever you want with me! So please! Think of the future generations that might yet be saved!”
Hajime ignored her and brought his fist down. But it never reached its intended target. Before he could pound the spike further in, Yue hugged him from behind. She lifted her face to his ear and muttered some words in a hushed tone.
“...Are you really going to kill her?”
“Hm? I mean yeah, we were pretty much fighting to the death a second ago...”
“...But she’s not an enemy. She never once directed animosity toward you. She was being controlled.”
Yue didn’t want to let the dragon die. As she had growing up respecting the dragonmen race, letting Hajime kill her would leave a bad taste in Yue’s mouth.
And while the battle had eventually devolved into the death match, technically speaking she had initially been after Will. And now they even knew the reason why. She had been robbed of her will, and forced to carry out her controller’s orders like a machine. In the first place, the only reason it had devolved into a death match despite how focused she’d been on Will was because of Hajime.
True, keeping Will alive was Hajime’s current mission, so by making Will her enemy she had made Hajime her enemy, but the truth was that Hajime’s real enemy was the man behind the dragon. If anyone should become the target of his ire, it would be him.
There was one other reason Yue had stopped Hajime.
Yue understood very well Hajime’s worldview. But she couldn’t see the dragon before her in the same light as the enemies they’d killed before. After everything she’d experienced as the vampires’ monarch, Yue had a good eye for people. And Yue could tell that the dragon truly had no intention of becoming Hajime’s enemy. Yue didn’t want Hajime to kill anyone that wasn’t truly his enemy. As for why, that was because...
“...If you compromise your own rules, you’ll start losing your humanity. Is killing her something you really have to do?” She was worried Hajime would start to break down if he actually killed someone who wasn’t truly his enemy.
Sensing Yue’s worries, Hajime cocked his head and thought about whether that black dragon really was his enemy. Hajime wasn’t so naive as to worry about whether his opponent was being controlled or not in the middle of a fight. He would kill anything standing in his way.
But was there any reason to execute a former foe who had since been freed from her mind control? Was that still killing an “enemy”? Hajime stared into Yue’s eyes, inches away from his own. As he considered his own principles, a strained voice interrupted them.
“Sorry to interrupt your flirting, but if you’re still debating, could you please remove this spike from my behind? At this rate I’ll die soon regardless of what you do.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Any foreign objects inserted inside me in my dragon form remain the same way when I revert to human form. Just imagine a woman with a spike this hard and large inside her... Do you think she could survive?”
Everyone grimaced as they imagined the sight. Yuka and the other girls unconsciously covered their butts sympathetically.
“I am maintaining this form with my mana, but that will soon run dry. I can last maybe another minute like this... I am interested in seeing what lies beyond death, but dying like this would be too unsightly to bear. Think of the future generations that might be saved!” While that last bit seemed rather out of place, her voice was very clearly strained. Hajime didn’t have much time to make his choice.
“...Fine.” With one hand wrapped around Yue, he decided that if he was hesitating this much already, it couldn’t hurt to listen to his partner’s advice. People often didn’t understand themselves very well. In which case, it made sense to do what would put the person he trusted most at ease.
With his free hand, Hajime grabbed the massive spike stuck in the dragon’s butt. Then he pulled with all his strength.
“Haaaahn! S-Slower please. I am still unaccustomed to such— Afwuu. Yaah, so rough! This— Aaaahn! Something— something strange is coming!” The spike had been driven pretty far up her asshole. So Hajime had to wiggle it around a bit and pull pretty hard to get it out. For some strange reason, the rougher he got, the happier the dragon’s moans sounded. Hajime ignored her completely and continued pulling until finally it came free.
“Ahiiiiiiiiiiiii...! A-Amazing. I asked you to be gentle, and yet you showed not even an iota of mercy... This is the first time I’ve ever...” A few seconds after her incoherent rambling, the dragon’s body was wrapped in a cocoon of mana and gradually started to shrink. When she’d shrunk to about human size, the cocoon of mana dissipated.
What emerged from the cocoon of black mana was a beautiful woman. She had black hair and piercing golden eyes. She was sitting on her knees, supporting her body with one hand and rubbing her butt with the other. Her luxurious, thick hair fell straight down to her waist, and her disheveled bangs were stuck her blushing face. She was panting heavily, and her expression was ecstatic. Anyone would find her current appearance seductive.
S
he had the figure of a woman in her early twenties. Though her height was easily over 170 centimeters. She was very well endowed, and every time her shoulders heaved, her twin mounds threatened to spill out of her clothes. If Shea’s were melon sized, then this girl’s were watermelon sized.
“I can’t believe it... This is amazing.”
“S-So this is what a fantasy world is like.”
“Dammit! I know you’ve got some juice left in you! Come on, phone!”
The dragon’s beautiful appearance had a huge impact on Atsushi and the guys. The three of them were in the height of their puberty, so it was only natural. They all stooped over and spouted ridiculous lines. If this continued for any longer, they would be forced on all fours to hide their boners. Yuka and the others were staring at the guys like they were cockroaches.
“Haah... Haah... Thank you for sparing my life... My butt still feels weird... but it’s nothing compared to how much the rest of my body aches... Haah... Haah... to think pain could feel so sweet...” Both her expression and her words were rather ominous, or so Hajime thought. After a few minutes, she composed herself enough to sit up straight, and introduce herself calmly. Though her intermittent panting ruined the stately effect her sharp posture and crisp tone created.
“I have caused you all much grief. Please understand that I truly, truly am sorry for what I have done. My name is Tio Klarus. I’m a dragonman of the Klarus clan.”
Tio then went on to explain how the robed figure who was gathering a monster army was planning on attacking the nearby villages. And that he had already gathered a mob of three to four thousand monsters. Most of the monsters that inhabited the second mountain range lived in packs, so all he’d needed to do was subjugate their respective leaders, and the packs had followed.
The whole reason Hajime and the other students had been summoned to this world was because the Holy Church had feared the demons had somehow discovered a way to control monsters, so because of that, Aiko and the others surmised he must have been a member of the demon race.
However, when they said as much Tio shook her head, Tio explained that the black-robed man had been a black-haired, black-eyed human, and that while she’d called him a man, he was young enough to be considered a kid. She also distinctly remembered what he had said after taking control of her mind. Elated by his success, he had yelled, “This proves I’m better than him. I’m the real hero here!” He had seemingly harbored a massive grudge against this hero person.
A black-haired, black-eyed boy who knew the hero well and was a genius at using dark magic.
There was one person who perfectly fit all of those conditions. Aiko muttered “But that can’t be...” and she and the other students all exchanged troubled glances. As obvious as it was, they didn’t want to believe it.
As they were worrying about what to do, Hajime, who had been using his Far Sight skill, suddenly realized something.
“Oh, so that’s...” When he’d heard Tio’s story he’d sent his Ornises out to search for the monster army and the black-robed man. One of them had spotted a large gathering of monsters, but... the numbers were off.
“You said three to four thousand right? Are you sure you weren’t a digit short?” Everyone’s eyes flew open in surprise. It appeared he’d begun his advance. The robed man was almost certainly aiming for the town of Ur. If they continued at their current pace they would be down the mountain in half a day, and reach the town in another half.
“W-We need to hurry back and warn everyone! Then we need to evacuate and ask for reinforcements from the capital... And then, and then...”
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Aiko tried to think through her panic and figure out the best course of action. Against an army in the tens of thousands, even the ridiculously overpowered students didn’t stand a chance. Besides, they still hadn’t fully recovered from their trauma.
Aiko had basically no combat ability, Will was barely even an adventurer, and Tio was completely drained of mana. Forget stopping them, they wouldn’t even be able to slow the army down. Thus, Aiko’s plan of warning and everyone and running until reinforcements from the capital came was the best considering the circumstances.
However, while everyone else was panicking, Will quietly asked a rather odd question.
“Umm, Hajime-dono, couldn’t you do something about...” At his words, everyone looked expectantly to Hajime. Their eyes were filled with hope. Annoyed by their expectant gazes, Hajime casually waved his hand as if to dismiss the thought.
“Don’t look at me like that. My job is to bring Will safely back to Fuhren. I can’t fight a war if I’ve got to protect him. Hurry up and go warn the villagers.” Atsushi and Will were angry at how casually Hajime dismissed them. However, Aiko’s concern was elsewhere.
“Nagumo-kun, did you happen to see the black-robed man too?”
“Hm? Nope. I’ve been checking regularly, but all I’m seeing is a horde of monsters.”
Aiko hung her head sadly. After a moment of deliberation, she stated that she wanted to confirm whether or not the black-robed man was really Yukitoshi Shimizu, the missing boy they’d been searching for. As always, she put her students first. If the cause of all this trouble really was one of her students, then it was her responsibility.
However, there was no way they could leave Aiko alone among an army of monsters, and so Yuka and the others desperately tried to talk her out of it. Aiko hesitated for a bit, but then came up with another idea... namely that Hajime could accompany her. Tired of their constant arguing over whether to stay or leave, Hajime gave Aiko a cold stare.
“If you want to stay behind you can. We’re going to take Will back to the village.” With that, Hajime forcefully grabbed Will by the shoulders and started dragging him down the mountain. Will and Aiko tried to protest, saying they couldn’t leave this huge army alone, that they needed to confirm who the black-robed man was, that Hajime was strong enough to take on the whole army, and so on. Annoyed, Hajime let out a sigh and rounded on Aiko.
“Like I said before, my only job is to see Will to safety. I can’t fight an army if I’ve got someone I need to protect. Hell, let’s say for argument’s sake that I could kill them all. In a forested place like this full of boulders and rivers, there’s no way I could be sure I’d gotten every single one. Just give it a rest, okay. Even if we find out whether or not the kid really is a student, who’ll be left to warn the town? On the off chance that they’re actually stronger than us, we’ll be wiped out and the town will be caught totally by surprise. Just so you know, only I can drive Steiff and Brise, so if I go fight, you guys have no chance of making it back before the town’s attacked.” Aiko and Will fell silent. Hajime’s argument had made it clear how pointless and reckless their insistence that he go fight was.
“Well, my mast... Ahem, he has point. My mana is completely drained right now too. I understand your desire to act, but right now there’s nothing we can do. Our first priority should be warning the villagers. After a day my mana will be mostly recovered as well.” Tio followed up after Hajime, supporting his reasoning.
Was she about to call me what I think she was about to call me...? It can’t be, can it?
Realizing that was the best option in their current situation, Aiko reined in her worry and prioritized warning the town and the safety of the students still under her charge.
Tio was so drained of mana that she couldn’t move, so Hajime grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and dragged her down the mountain.
Atsushi and the other boys had been ready to fight each other for the right to carry Tio, but Yuka had quickly shut them down, and it seemed Tio herself wished to be carried by Hajime, which was why he’d ended up with the job.
But of course, Hajime wasn’t the kind of person to carry her nicely. Frowning in annoyance, he had grabbed by the legs and dragged her at first.
However, Aiko’s fierce protests had talked him into at least dragging her by the scruff of her neck. No matter
what anyone said after that he refused to compromise any further. Tio herself had a look of ecstasy on her face too, which made everyone back away, thus resulting in this being the style she was dragged down the mountain in.
The party hurried to Ur as fast as they could, an army of monsters not far behind them.
Chapter III: The Sack of Ur
“Hii!” A high pitched shriek echoed throughout a corner of a tunnel dimly lit by green glowstone, somewhere in the depths of the Great Orcus Labyrinth.
“What’s wrong, Shizuku-chan?”
Kaori Shirasaki, a member of the hero’s party, turned to her longtime friend, a puzzled expression on her face. It was uncharacteristic of Shizuku Yaegashi of all people to scream like that.
“U-Umm... it’s nothing. I was just surprised when a drop of water fell on my neck, that’s all.”
“I see. Fufu.”
Shizuku awkwardly averted her gaze. Kaori giggled when she realized her stoic friend had been scared by a mere drop of water.
Though considering monsters could attack them at any time, it didn’t seem so far-fetched to be frightened by a sudden chill running down one’s neck. Especially as the party was now traversing uncharted floors. But Kaori still couldn’t help but find her friend’s embarrassment at her mistake cute.
Thinking there might be some foul play at work, Shizuku snuck a glance back at Kaori. She was walking with a relaxed air, but despite that she still kept a close watch on her surroundings.
Was it just my imagination then? But it’s been happening more and more frequently... Maybe Kaori’s not the one doing things and I’m just tired? But then... Shizuku fell deep into thought.
The cause of her scream had nothing to do with water dropping on her. If that had been enough to startle her, she wouldn’t have made it as the vanguard commander of the hero’s party.
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Vol. 3 Page 15
