Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Vol. 4

by Ryo Shirakome

  For the first time, Kaori tried to think about what he must have gone through. His hair had turned white. He’d lost his right eye and left arm. There was no doubt that he must have suffered more than she could ever imagine. His body and soul must have been pushed close to the breaking point many times. In fact, they may have been pushed past that. This new him was likely a result of that. Still, despite everything that had happened to him, Hajime was able to make others smile.

  The fog that had settled around Kaori’s heart lifted. Everything began to click. She couldn’t believe she’d been so blind. The man standing in front of her was Hajime. He was the very same Hajime she’d fallen in love with. The boy who’d been berated as worthless and cast into the abyss, only to crawl out with his own strength to come back and save her.

  Sure, some of him had changed, but just as much of him hadn’t. And that was only natural. All people changed with the passage of time, with new experiences and new meetings. What reason did she have to be afraid of him? What reason did she have to lose faith in him? Most of all, what reason did she have to lose faith in her own judgment?

  If there was a new side that she didn’t know, she just had to spend time with him and get to know it. Hadn’t she spent all her time in high school doing the same?

  There was no way she was going to lose to Yue in the depth of her feelings for him. She’d be part of that smiling group too. She wouldn’t let Yue laugh at her any longer. Determination welled up within Kaori. Shizuku smiled as she saw the resolve in her best friend’s eyes. Kaori straightened her back, then nodded gratefully to Shizuku. It was time for her to step forward into a new battlefield. A battlefield of love. Hajime looked back and spotted Kaori coming toward him. He thought she was simply coming to see him off, but Yue stared at her warily. Shea watched on with great interest, while Tio mused her thoughts.

  “Hoho, this will be quite the spectacle.”

  His companions’ reactions alerted Hajime to the fact that this was no mere send-off. He suddenly had a bad feeling about the whole situation.

  “Hajime-kun, can I also join your party...? Rather, I’m coming no matter what you say. Thanks for having me.”

  “...What?” Hajime was surprised by the fire in her voice. She hadn’t started with a request, but a demand. For a moment, he wasn’t sure how to respond. Yue stepped forward, answering in his place.

  “You don’t have the right.”

  “Why not? Do you have to love Hajime-kun to join? If so, my feelings won’t lose to anyone.”

  Kaori didn’t falter. Yue frowned. The two of them stared each other down. It felt as if a raging inferno blazed between them. Yue realized Kaori would probably be the strongest rival she would ever face.

  She could see the determination in Kaori’s eyes. After a few seconds, Kaori turned away and looked at Hajime. The determination was still there, but now it was accompanied by something more.

  She clasped her hands together and took a deep breath. Her cheeks were red. She took another deep breath. This was the moment of truth. It was finally time to say the words she’d wanted to the first time she’d seen him kneeling in front of those thugs way back in Japan.

  Her voice trembled a little, but it carried clearly.

  “I love you, Hajime-kun.”

  “Shirasaki...” Seeing her determination, Hajime felt he had to respond truthfully.

  “Sorry, but there’s already someone I’m in love with, so I can’t respond to your feelings. That’s why you can’t come with us.”

  Kaori bit her lip and hung her head. However, after a few seconds, she found her determination again. Holding back tears, she looked up at Hajime and nodded.

  Behind her, the other students groaned in despair, but she paid them no mind. She’d already decided on her course of action.

  “I know. It’s Yue-san, right?”

  “Yeah, so...”

  “But that’s not a reason to refuse to let me come with you.”

  “What?”

  “After all, Shea-san and Tio-san are in love with you too. Shea-san especially, it seems. Am I wrong?”

  “That’s...”

  “They know you’re in love with someone else, but you still let them join you. So tell me, why is it any different here? After all... my feelings for you are stronger than anyone else’s.” Kaori looked back at Yue as she said that, the fire burning bright in her eyes. She wouldn’t let Yue laugh at her any longer. This was her declaration of war. She would steal the spot of Hajime’s most beloved person for herself.

  Yue’s lips curled up into a rare smile. It seemed Kaori would be a worthy rival after all.

  “Fine, you can come. I’ll show you just how huge the gap is between us.”

  “My name’s not ‘you.’ Call me Kaori.”

  “Then you can just call me Yue. I’ll accept your challenge, Kaori.”

  “Fufu. Very well, Yue. Don’t come crying to me when you lose, though.”

  “Fufufufufufu.”

  “Ahahahahahaha.”

  The two of them were lost in their own world. Even though he was the one who’d been confessed to, Hajime felt as if he was suddenly left out. The decision to let her join had been made without even consulting him. Myu and Shea hugged each other and fearfully watched the two girls verbally duke it out.

  “H-Hajime-san, is there something wrong with my eyes? I can see dark thunderclouds forming behind Yue-san. There’s a dragon there, too!”

  “No, you’re seeing right. I’m pretty sure there’s a sword-wielding demon standing behind Shirasaki too.”

  “Daddy! Onee-chan’s scaring me!”

  “Haaah... Haaah, my body’s tingling just imagining what it would feel like... to have that scorn directed at me.”

  Kaori and Yue had both brought out their stands and were staring each other down. Were those two always like this? Hajime wanted to break them up, but he was worried about what they’d do to him if he tried. And so, he just stood there, Myu and Shea clinging to him. Wise men knew when to hold their tongues.

  Sadly, the resident hero was no wise man. As always, Kouki felt he needed to interject.

  “W-Wait! I don’t understand. You love Nagumo? You’re going to go with him? What? What’s happening? Where did this all come from? Nagumo, what did you do to Kaori!?”

  “The hell, dude?”

  Kouki couldn’t seem to accept that Kaori actually liked Hajime. Dense as he was, this seemed to come out of nowhere. That was why he assumed Hajime must have done something to her. Hajime was amazed at just how clueless Kouki could be. He’d known it was bad, but this was on an entirely different level.

  He was about to pull his sword out when Shizuku stopped him. She rubbed her temples in exasperation and tried to explain things in a way Kouki could understand.

  “Kouki. Do you honestly believe Hajime would do something like that? Think about it calmly. You may have been too dumb to notice it, but Kaori’s been in love with Hajime for a long time. Since we were in Japan, in fact. Why do you think she always talked to him?”

  “Shizuku... What are you saying? That’s just because Kaori’s kind. She just felt bad because Nagumo was always alone, right? How could she possibly have been in love with that lazy, uncooperative otaku?”

  While Hajime couldn’t deny any of those allegations, they were still annoying to hear.

  Noticing the commotion, Kaori finally broke eye contact with Yue. She turned to face her fellow classmates. It was best if they heard it from her own mouth.

  “Kouki-kun, everyone, I’m sorry. I know it’s selfish of me to leave like this, but... I want to go with Hajime-kun, so I’ll be leaving the party. I’m truly sorry.” She bowed. Suzu, Eri, Tsuji, and Yoshino all cheered her on. They’d realized for a while now, and they had no problem with it. Nagayama, Endou, and Nomura had all known for a while too. While it was regretful she’d be leaving them, it wasn’t unexpected, so they sent her off with smiles.

  However, Kouki still refused to accept it.
>
  “You’re joking, right? This doesn’t make any sense. You’ve always been with me, Kaori... Why would you want to leave now? You’re my childhood friend... so... you have to stay with me. Isn’t that right?”

  “Umm... Kouki-kun. We might be childhood friends, but... that’s no reason for me to stay with you all the time. I’m not sure why you think that’s even a factor, really...”

  “Give it up, Kouki. Kaori isn’t your possession, and it isn’t for you to decide what she does with her life.”

  After being ganged up on by the two girls, Kouki finally fell silent. He turned to face Hajime.

  He wasn’t even paying attention to them. He was busy dealing with the rest of the girls in his harem. Kouki’s eyes narrowed in anger. The thought of Kaori joining that harem filled him with jealousy. It was a feeling he’d never experienced before. He tried one last-ditch attempt to convince Kaori to give up.

  “Kaori. You can’t go with Nagumo. I’m saying this for your own good. Look at him. He has girls all around him, and he’s even got a daughter now... Worst of all, he’s put a slave collar on that rabbit girl. And that black-haired girl called Nagumo her master earlier. He’s probably forcing them to come with him. Nagumo probably thinks girls are nothing more than objects to add to his collection. He’s scum. Look at how easily he kills people. And even though he’s so strong, he’s refusing to help us, his comrades. Going with him will only bring you misfortune. It’s better if you stay with us. No, I’ll make sure you stay with us. Even if you hate me for it, it’s for your own good. I won’t let you go, no matter what!”

  The other students stared at Kouki in shock. They’d never seen him act like this. Still, now that he’d gotten himself fired up, it was too late to stop him. He turned to the other girls around Hajime, then started lecturing them as well.

  “You girls as well. You shouldn’t stay with him. Come with me! Our party would love to have people as strong as you. We can save the human race together. You said your name was Shea, right? Don’t worry. If you come with me, I’ll free you right away. We don’t keep slaves here. You too, Tio. You won’t have to call Nagumo your master any longer.”

  He flashed them his most handsome smile and held out his hand. Shizuku just slapped her forehead and stared at the sky, while Kaori was so dumbfounded she couldn’t speak. Yue, Shea, and Tio just stared at Kouki.

  “......”

  There were no words that could express their feelings. They awkwardly turned away from Kouki and rubbed their arms. Upon close inspection, one could see there were goosebumps all over them. Kouki’s statement had been so sickeningly off the mark that it had mentally scarred them. “This is not the kind of pain I like...” Tio muttered softly to herself.

  Seeing them clearly ignoring his invitation, Kouki’s smile stiffened. Not only were they unwilling to meet his gaze, they’d even retreated behind Hajime for safety.

  Kouki’s shock slowly transformed into anger. He recklessly drew his sword and glared at Hajime... before thrusting it into the ground. He pointed at Hajime and declared his intent for all to hear.

  “Hajime Nagumo! Duel me! No weapons! If I win, you have to promise to never get near Kaori again! And to release those girls you’re holding captive!”

  “Oh god. This is so cringe. I can’t watch this anymore.”

  “Stop mumbling! Are you a man or not!?”

  The reason he’d challenged Hajime to a bare-handed duel was because he knew his sword could never match up to Hajime’s guns. Yue, Shea, Tio, and even Kaori stepped away from Kouki. His actions had done nothing to impress them.

  Still, Kouki had convinced himself of the righteousness of his cause. He fully believed he was saving his childhood friend, as well as those poor girls, from Hajime’s clutches. His jealousy, combined with his straightforward attitude, had mixed together to form a disastrous combination. There was no going back for him now. And so, without even waiting for Hajime’s reply, he charged.

  Sighing, Hajime took a few steps back. Thinking he was scared to fight bare-handed, Kouki doubled down and charged faster. He was just a few steps away now. Hajime’s arms were still at his side, and he hadn’t taken any kind of stance. Certain of his victory, Kouki threw a punch with all the momentum of his run-up behind it. Just then—

  “Ah!?”

  Kouki vanished. Or rather, he fell. But he fell so fast it looked as if he’d disappeared. He’d fallen into a pitfall. When Hajime had taken his first steps back, he’d transmuted a pitfall where he’d been standing. He’d infused his shoes with the same transmutation magic circles on his gloves, which was why he hadn’t needed to bend down.

  Once Kouki fell through, Hajime transmuted the floor back to its original shape. A muffled explosion shook the earth. As an afterthought, Hajime had chucked a flashbang grenade, a tear gas grenade, a noise grenade, and a paralysis grenade down the hole as well. Nothing fatal, obviously.

  Chances were, Kouki had been hit with them all as he was trying to claw his way out of the hole. Each of his senses had been momentarily destroyed, and the paralysis grenade prevented him from even writhing around in pain.

  Hajime then transmuted a small breathing hole near his head, so he didn’t suffocate to death.

  All of this he’d done so fast it looked like he hadn’t moved at all. To the onlookers, it seemed as if Kouki had fallen of his own accord. In a way, it seemed almost pitiable.

  “Hey, Yaegashi. He’s still alive, so you can dig him up later if you want.”

  “There’s a lot I want to say about what just happened but... okay.”

  Even when they’d been in Japan, it had been an implicit rule that Shizuku had to clean up after Kouki and Ryutarou’s messes. Shizuku sighed, lamenting the job she’d been saddled with.

  Finally, Hajime was ready to depart for real. Only to be interrupted again. This time, by Hiyama. According to him, their party wouldn’t last without Kaori’s support. He was apparently worried there might be casualties if she left, so he also tried to convince her to stay. He argued his case passionately. Everything he’d been working for was about to slip through his fingers... And his expression made it clear that was what he was really thinking.

  Hiyama and his gang knew Kaori was too stubborn to change her mind, so they instead focused on Hajime. They pleaded with him to rejoin the group. Spouting bullshit like, “We’re sorry for what we did in the past so please come back.”

  Everyone, including the other students, knew Hiyama wasn’t one bit sorry for what he did. Even they found it disgusting how shamelessly he tried to butter up Hajime. Hajime looked at Hiyama properly for the first time since he’d seen him again. There was a madness in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. The prospect of Kaori leaving had really rattled him.

  Hajime decided now was as good a time as any to learn the truth of what had happened the day he fell. He figured he may as well get his questions out of the way before Shizuku started tearing into him. And so, he smiled sardonically and asked Hiyama the top question on his mind.

  “Hey, Hiyama. Have you gotten better at using fire magic?”

  “Huh?” Hiyama was caught off-guard by the sudden question. His face paled as what Hajime was trying to ask slowly dawned on him.

  “Wh-What are you talking about? I’m part of the vanguard... And the element I have the highest affinity with is wind.”

  “Huh. And here I thought it was fire.”

  “I-It’s not. Why does it matter, anyway...”

  “Well, you must like fire a lot still. Fireballs specifically. Remember throwing any recently?”

  “......” Hiyama was as white as a sheet. His reaction all but confirmed Hajime’s suspicions. And judging by how distraught he seemed at Kaori’s departure, Hajime could guess his motives, too. Hajime was amazed Hiyama hadn’t assaulted her already.

  At this point, he really didn’t care about getting revenge anymore. If Hiyama insisted on making himself Hajime’s enemy, he’d kill Hiyama without hesitation. Otherwi
se, though, Hajime would just leave him alone. To Hajime, Hiyama wasn’t even worth the trouble killing him would bring. Hiyama’s very existence itself was worth less than nothing in his mind.

  Hajime distanced himself from Hiyama and addressed him, along with the rest of his group.

  “I don’t want your apologies, and I don’t care about what happened in the past. As far as I’m concerned, you guys are worthless. The same goes for anything you have to say. If you understand, then get out of my sight! You’re all eyesores!”

  Kondou and the others bristled at Hajime’s attitude, but Hiyama understood what was behind that knowing grin of his. He nodded silently, then told his cronies to back down. Hiyama knew that Hajime knew. If he wanted to stay alive, his only option was to obey Hajime’s commands.

  Kondou and the others were surprised by Hiyama’s uncharacteristic obedience, but his serious tone brooked no argument, so they reluctantly gave up on persuading Hajime.

  At last, there was nothing else to take care of. Kaori had gone back to grab her things from the inn, which was the last thing Hajime was waiting on before he left. Hiyama and the others had offered to go with her, but Hajime had put a stop to that. While Ryutarou was digging Kouki out, Shizuku walked up to Hajime.

  “Umm... Sorry. For everything, I mean. Also, thanks again. Both for saving us, and for coming to see Kaori.” Hajime chuckled to himself. She tilted her head in confusion.

  “What’s so funny?” Shizuku asked.

  “Ah, sorry. It’s just, it feels like you haven’t changed at all. Even when we were in Japan, you’d always be coming up to me to apologize and say thanks. And now you’re doing the same thing here... You should really look after yourself more too, or those wrinkles on your forehead will become permanent.”

  “I can take care of myself, thank you very much. Anyway, you seem to have changed quite a bit yourself. I can’t imagine the old you having so many girls hanging around him... and a daughter to boot...”

  “I’m only in love with one of them, though...”

  “I know it’s not my place to say this, and I know it’s selfish of me to ask, but... try to look after Kaori too, okay? Please.”