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

by Ryo Shirakome

  “......” Hajime had no reply. Seeing as he had no intention of returning her feelings, he honestly didn’t even want to bring her along. Yue had made the decision regardless, of course. He couldn’t fathom why his girlfriend, of all people, was okay with all these other girls openly vying for his affection. Still, he put those thoughts to the side and looked off into the distance.

  Realizing he was trying to ignore her, Shizuku pulled out her trump card. She wasn’t going to hand her best friend over to Hajime without some guarantees.

  “You better promise me, or else... I’ll make life miserable for you.”

  “Miserable? How would you—”

  “What do you think of Alabaster Executioner?”

  “Huh?”

  “Or wait, how about something more overt? Devastator: Lord of all Destruction, maybe?”

  “Wait a second, what are you...”

  “I’ve got more. How about Obsidian Tyrant? Or the Crimson Thunder Synergist?”

  “D-Don’t tell me you...”

  At first, Hajime had been confused by the barrage of strange titles, but Shizuku’s planning became evident soon enough. He paled in response.

  “Fufufu, you know, I’m one of Ehit’s chosen warriors, and a member of the hero party. If I wanted to make certain nicknames popular around the world, I could. With my influence, they’d spread like wildfire. So, Nagumo-kun, which do you prefer? The way you look’s made it real easy to think up of quite a few. I get the feeling they’d stick, too.”

  “Wait! Please, wait! How do you even know about every otaku’s greatest weakness!?”

  “Kaori dragged me around everywhere when she was trying to learn more about you. She spent a lot of time watching anime and reading manga so she had things to talk about you with. And I got roped into doing it with her, so I’d say I’m pretty knowledgeable about these things. I believe in Japan they call people like you chuuni—”

  “Stop! Please stop!”

  “Oh my, it looks like it’s even more effective than I thought... You’re surprisingly self-conscious.”

  “Y-You damn demon...” Hajime fell to his knees, shivering in fear. His dark middle school past was coming back to haunt him. All the memories he’d sealed away flooded through his mind.

  “Fufu. So, do you promise to take care of Kaori?”

  “......”

  “Hmm. Eulogy of Demise: Shotgun Chaos. Disaster of Disasters: Reverse Calamity...”

  “O-Okay, okay, I get it! Just stop with the names already!”

  “Do you promise to take care of Kaori?”

  “...I promise I won’t treat her badly, at least.”

  “That’s good enough for me. I’d feel bad about tormenting you any more than this, but... If you ever go back on your word, I swear I’ll write a novel about you and spread it everywhere. Both here, and back home in Japan.”

  “You’re the actual last boss, aren’t you? You’re scarier than everyone else.” Hajime cradled his head in his hands and kneeled at Shizuku’s feet. Everyone else, Yue and the others included, trembled in awe. Shizuku had brought the almighty Hajime low with words alone.

  While Hajime was struggling with the traumas of his past, Kaori jogged back into view. Her eyes went wide in surprise when she saw Hajime on his knees before Shizuku.

  Interested in this terrifying girl, Yue asked Kaori about her. After getting a basic description of Shizuku, and explaining to Kaori what had happened, Yue lapsed into thought. Kaori looked from Shizuku to Hajime and muttered her thoughts.

  “Come to think of it, the two of them often talked about something in secret back in Japan...”

  Both of them came to the same conclusion. It was possible Shizuku was the last boss they’d have to face in the battle for Hajime’s affections, too.

  With new questions to ponder, Yue and Kaori got ready to depart. Shizuku, Suzu, the rest of the girls, Nagayama, his companions, and Meld all came to see Hajime off at the town gate.

  Still not completely over the shock of Hajime’s survival, and his subsequent transformation, everyone awkwardly wished Hajime safe travels and thanked him again for saving them.

  Still, today’s surprises weren’t over. Their jaws dropped open again when Hajime pulled Brise seemingly out of thin air.

  Shizuku and Kaori held each other’s hands. Out of all of them, Shizuku was the one Kaori would miss most. Thinking this was a good opportunity, Hajime pulled a sword out of his Treasure Trove and presented it to Shizuku.

  “What’s this?”

  “You lost your old sword, right? I’m giving you a new one. You have it hard enough as it is, and I’m taking your support away from you. Plus, you helped me out a lot back when we were in Japan.”

  Shizuku accepted the sword and carefully pulled it out of its jet-black sheath. The blade, too, was jet-black. In fact, it was so dark that it seemed to suck the light out of its surroundings. There was no markings on the hilt, and the blade had a slight curve to it. The whole thing was double-edged. It had a striking resemblance to one of Japan’s most famous swords, the Kogarasu Maru. Hajime wasn’t very well versed in Japanese blades, but he’d had a lot of practice making the Haulia clan’s weapons. He’d used his extensive transmutation experience to cover for any deficiencies and used the manga he’d read as a reference for the basic framework.

  “It’s made from a compressed sheet of the hardest ore in existence, so I can guarantee it’ll never break. Even an amateur could cut through steel with this. As for maintenance... Well, you know swords better than me, Yaegashi.”

  “This is amazing... I guess you’re still a Synergist at heart. Thank you. I’ll gladly accept it.”

  Shizuku gave the sword an experimental swing. It effortlessly sliced through the air. She smiled and thanked Hajime. Shizuku had learned all of her sword techniques with a Japanese sword, so she’d had a hard time adapting to the swords of this world. That was why she was so happy to obtain a proper katana.

  “So she’s the last boss?”

  “Shizuku-chan...”

  “Huh? What is it? Why are you two looking at me like that?”

  Yue watched Shizuku with a guarded expression, while Kaori seemed at a loss for what to say. They left the town of Horaud, Shizuku’s question left unanswered.

  The weather was perfect. Their destination was the Gruen Desert. Within it was one of the Seven Great Labyrinths they needed to conquer, the Grand Gruen Volcano. This miraculous reunion had ended with Hajime adding a new comrade to his ranks.

  Epilogue: The Creeping Silver Malice and Madness

  “Fuck! Shit! Dammit! You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me!” Late at night, Daisuke Hiyama drove his fist into one of the many trees surrounding him. He was standing in one of Horaud’s public parks, and cursing in a low, but vehement voice.

  Hatred, fear, and impatience warred within him. He was on the verge of descending into insanity.

  “As I thought, you’re pretty shaken up about this... Well, I suppose it’s understandable. Your poor, precious Princess Kaori got snatched away from you by some other man.” Someone called out to Hiyama, their voice full of scorn. Hiyama froze, then let out a sigh of relief as he realized it was the person he was supposed to meet. He clenched his fist and replied through gritted teeth.

  “Shut up! Fuck! It... It wasn’t supposed to be like this! Why’s that fucker still alive!? What do you think I tried to kill you for in the first place...”

  “Could you at least hang on to your sanity long enough to listen? I’d rather not be found by anyone here. It’d be hard to explain.”

  “I don’t have any reason to listen to you anymore... My Kaori’s already...”

  The second figure was hidden by the shade of the trees. Hiyama turned to face them and slammed his fist into the tree behind him. He’d only agreed to cooperate with them because he’d been promised Kaori in return. Now that she was forever beyond his reach, Hiyama saw no reason to continue following this person’s orders. Even if they threatened t
o tell everyone about his attempted murder, it hardly mattered. Hajime himself knew Hiyama was guilty. If he wanted to, Hajime could divulge that whenever he so chose.

  However, the figure before him smiled darkly and offered an option he hadn’t considered.

  “If she was stolen from you, all you need to do is take her back. Am I wrong? And fortunately for us, I have the perfect bait to lure them in.”

  “Bait?” Puzzled, Hiyama repeated the word. The figure grinned and nodded.

  “Yes, bait. Even if she chose to follow her heart over following her comrades... do you really think she could abandon her best friends in their time of need? If she knew they were in trouble, what do you think she’d do?”

  “You...”

  “It would be a simple thing to lure her back here. There’s no reason to get so upset. Though I must say, it was a close call this time... Fortunately for us, things still ended up working out. In fact, you could even say this turned out in our favor. Shall we put the finishing touches on our plan once we return to the capital? When we succeed... your wish will be granted too.”

  “......” Hiyama glared at his co-conspirator, though he knew they wouldn’t be fazed by it in the least. As expected, their smile didn’t falter.

  While Hiyama wasn’t aware of the details of his accomplice’s plan, he was certain it would end up harming many of his classmates. They would be betraying the people they’d fought alongside for so long. And frankly, what scared Hiyama the most was that his partner didn’t seem to feel any guilt at all.

  This is nuts... But I can’t turn back anymore. To get my Kaori back, I’ve gotta do this... I can’t hesitate now. This is all for Kaori. I’m doing the right thing.

  Hiyama was too far gone to notice how illogical that train of thought was. The reason he’d been able to do so many terrible things so far was because he’d justified it to himself. He’d done it all for the sake of Kaori.

  His accomplice understood Hiyama quite well, which was why they’d picked him to be their pawn. Smiling, Hiyama agreed to the figure’s terms.

  “Fine, I’ll do it. I’ll keep cooperating with you. But...”

  “Yeah yeah, I know. You’ll get what you want, and I’ll get what I want. Give and take, right? Anyway, we’re almost at the moment of truth. I’ll be counting on your help when we reach the capital.” The figure turned on its heel and faded away into the darkness without waiting for Hiyama’s reply.

  A dark flame began to burn in the young boy’s clouded pupils.

  Around the same time that Hiyama and his accomplice were having their little talk, a young pair was staring each other down in the moonlight. Unlike Hiyama’s meeting place, they were out in the open, atop an arch-shaped bridge. It spanned a small canal that had been dug between the town’s main street and its back alleys.

  There were a few such canals that served the water needs of the many restaurants and inns that dotted the streets. The waning moon was reflected off the gently flowing stream, which illuminated Kouki’s handsome features.

  He was hanging his head over the bridge, looking down at the canal below. His pensive expression marred his perfect features, and he seemed a far cry from his normal, bright self.

  Tortus’ great hero looked like a small business owner who’d gone bankrupt and was saddled with massive debt.

  “You’re not going to say anything?” Kouki said, not taking his eyes off the moon’s reflection. The other figure on the bridge was his childhood friend of 10 years. Shizuku Yaegashi, the other female member of his group.

  She had her back to the railing and was looking up at the actual moon. Her trademark ponytail fluttered in the breeze.

  Like Kouki, she didn’t take her eyes off the moon as she responded.

  “Do you want me to say something?”

  “......”

  Kouki said nothing. No, perhaps he couldn’t say anything. He was looking down at the canal, but all he could see was that scene of Kaori confessing her feelings to Hajime. She’d looked so nervous, but at the same time, seemed so happy to finally be able to let him know how she’d felt. Even someone as dense as Kouki had to accept that her feelings had been the real deal.

  He’d known Kaori for 10 years, but he’d never seen her make an expression like that before. It had been so powerful, so beautiful, that even he couldn’t help but be moved. Now that he’d calmed down enough to think about it rationally, anyway. Her confession had been a bolt out of the blue to him. Even now, when he thought back to it, he felt this indescribable feeling well up in his chest. It was dark and heavy, and threatened to crush him with its weight.

  Until that point, he’d always assumed that Kaori would be with him forever. He’d had no basis for it, but he’d never questioned that belief. Loathe though he was to admit it, he’d thought of Kaori as his. In short, Kouki was jealous.

  Whether that jealousy stemmed from love, or simply a desire to monopolize Kaori, Kouki didn’t know. All he knew was it felt as if Kaori had been stolen from him.

  However, the person who’d stolen her, not that Hajime himself would ever claim to have done such a thing, hadn’t really taken her. Kaori had chosen to travel with him of her own volition. The reality he still didn’t want to accept, his anger toward Hajime, and his own feelings of helplessness that came from challenging Hajime to a duel and losing all whirled around in his head, turning it into a jumbled mess.

  And so, he’d tried to distract himself by talking to his other female childhood friend, but he’d been met with a curt dismissal. Unable to think of a reply, Kouki fell silent.

  Shizuku shot Kouki a brief glance and sighed. What a hopeless guy. Reluctantly, Shizuku opened her mouth.

  “You know, those feelings of yours are completely irrational.”

  “Irrational?” That was certainly not what Kouki had been expecting. Shizuku looked at Kouki properly for the first time and elaborated.

  “Yes. You know Kaori was never yours, right?”

  “Well... Does that mean she was Nagumo’s?”

  Kouki was just being contrarian for the sake of it at that point. He knew that wasn’t right, but he couldn’t stop. Shizuku flicked his forehead.

  “Ow!” He covered his forehead as Shizuku calmly continued.

  “Moron. Kaori’s her own person. She doesn’t belong to anyone. What she chooses, where she goes, all of those are for her to decide. Including who she wants to pledge herself to... It’s always been up to her.”

  “Since when? You always knew, right Shizuku?” Even without clarification, his question was clear. Shizuku nodded.

  “Since middle school. That was when Kaori first met Nagumo-kun. Though he’d completely forgotten... or rather, he hadn’t even realized they’d met back then.”

  “What the heck’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Ask Kaori yourself if you really want to know. It’s not for me to say.”

  “Then is the reason Kaori was always talking to Nagumo in class because she... well... liked... him?”

  “Yep, that’s right.”

  “......” Kouki scowled bitterly. Even though it was the truth, he hadn’t wanted to hear it. For her part, Shizuku didn’t really care if Kouki liked it or not.

  Shizuku’s lack of sympathy annoyed Kouki, and he started whining to her.

  “Why him? Back when we were in Japan, he was a nobody. Just a lazy, unmotivated otaku who wasn’t even good at studying or sports. Always smiling like an idiot. He just did whatever it took to escape the situation he found himself in... He wasn’t even that nice to Kaori... Plus, he was an otaku... I’d never treat Kaori like that. I was always nice to her. I did everything I could for her... so how come Nagumo’s the one with the harem? He doesn’t even respect those girls! Besides, he’s a murderer! He killed that demon, even though she was helpless to resist. There’s something wrong with him! I knew it, it’s just too weird that Kaori likes him. He must have done something to— Guaah!?”

  Before he could get so heated up that he s
tarted misinterpreting reality again, Shizuku hit him with another forehead flick. This time it had the added power of her No Tempo behind it. Kouki glared at her, but she just ignored him. She was getting tired of his bullshit.

  “This is a bad habit of yours, you know that? How many times have I told you not to make baseless assumptions?”

  “I don’t make baseless assumptions...”

  “Yes you do. Kouki, you don’t even know the first thing about Nagumo-kun. Not about what he was like in Japan, or what he’s like now. All of those girls looked happy to be with him, you know that? You’re the one ignoring reality and interpreting things however you want... Even though all you really want is to convince yourself that Nagumo-kun’s some kind of demon who doesn’t deserve Kaori. If that’s not making baseless assumptions, I don’t know what is.”

  “B-But... he still killed someone!”

  It was a poor argument, but Shizuku still hesitated for a second. After some deliberation though, she came to a conclusion and spoke with conviction.

  “Back then, I was planning on killing her too. I just didn’t have the strength to do it. From now on... if we run into enemies like that again, I’ll strike to kill. In order to survive, in order to protect those important to me, I’ll need to do it. I’m not sure if I’ll have the confidence to really go through with killing someone when the time comes, but... Well, at the very least, I tried to kill her too... Do you think I’m a murderer as well?”

  Kouki was stunned by Shizuku’s confession. He couldn’t believe his strong, caring, responsible, and above all, righteous childhood friend would even consider killing someone. It was like he suddenly didn’t know her anymore. However, he could sense a shadow of the fear and regret she’d felt from behind her wry smile. In the end, Kouki just silently shook his head.

  Shizuku continued talking, her words meant more for herself than for Kouki.

  “Of course his transformation was pretty surprising. Considering how he was back in Japan, it’s almost like he’s a different person now. Still, Kaori seemed to think he was the same Hajime Nagumo at the core. And it’s not like he’s completely changed... We can’t forget that he came here to save us. He just killed that demon for us in our stead.”