by Chuuni Suki
Hajime was continuously moving around with his "Air Walk". On his face was a grim expression he never had before. Using his "Perception" and "Magic Perception", he noticed the scorpion wasn't moving.
To prove to him, the needle on one of the tail aimed towards Hajime. The tail enlarged for just an instant and the needle was shot with a tremendous speed. When Hajime was about to dodge, the needle exploded in mid air and turned into a buckshot.
"Ku!"
Hajime groaned out while he emptied Donner, swept with his "Grand Kick" and chopped with his "Air Claws". Even with the pressure he was able to get a shot off from Donner. He threw Donner into the air after firing it and hurled a grenade from his pouch.
Once again, the scorpion endured the shot from Donner. It was preparing to unleash its acid and buckshot again. Before it was ready, a grenade approximately 8 cm in diameter rolled near it and popped. The grenade scattered burning tar onto the scorpion.
Hajime called it an "incendiary grenade". The reagent used to cause the scorching was the Fulham ore Hajime had found on the tar level. With its ability to burn at 3000 degree celsius and its easy ignition, it was the perfect choice.
The "incendiary grenade" was almost extinguished as it had burned through the tar. Smokes were coming off the scorpion and it appeared to be damaged, but it had also made it angry.
"Kishaaaa!!"
Using its 8 legs, it rushed forwards fiercely while it screamed. The four arms it possessed elongated like a cannon shot and sped towards Hajime.One of the arms he shook off with "Flicker" and another he leapt away from using "Air Walk". The third arm was smacked away with "Grand Kick, his posture was thrown off balance and the fourth arm was about to hit him. Donner was suddenly shot, and using the force from the shot he was able to twist his body to dodge the attack. All those move put a lot of pressure on Yue, but she was able to tolerate it and held on.
While in the air, he leapt onto the scorpion's back. Hajime was able to balance himself on the raging scorpions back and fired his Donner at point-blank.
Zugan!
A terrible explosive sound ripped through the area, and the monster that had taken that explosive attack slammed into the ground. However, only the crust was scratched and no real damage was done to it. Grinding his teeth, he prepared his "Air Claws" with Donner. When his ability clashed with the scorpion's armor it only made a clink; no damage was seen on it.
Fed up, the scorpion aimed its tail and shot its needle.
Hajime immediately jumped aside with a twist. He fired at the point where the needle was launched. The bullet hit its target at the tail and caused the tail to flick, but still there was no damage because of the outer shell. He was lacking offensive power.
The beast's four arms started to attack the aerial Hajime like a storm. In desperation, Hajime quickly leap backwards as he threw an "incendiary grenade" at the scorpion's back. Once again the tar scattered over the scorpion, but this was only going to work as a delay.
When he was thinking about what to do at this point, an unprecedented scream came from the scorpion.
"Kyiiii!!"
Chills ran through his body and immediately he tried to retreat with "Flicker"; it was too late. The surrounding terrain started to waver and countless splinters ejected from the ground.
"Damnit!"
This was a complete surprise. Hajime was going to desperately escape into the air, but he twisted his body to protect Yue from an approaching splinter. This action caused his balance to be broken. He was able to dodge using Donner and "Grand Kick". When he was dodging at the edge of his vision he saw the scorpion preparing its acid and buck shot.
Hajime's face drew stiff. With its preparation done, the scorpion fired its attacks. He steeled himself. In this situation, dodging both of them was impossible. Hajime clenched his teeth. Using "Air Walk", he was able to dodge the acid. Quickly after he started to protect his body. His left arm went to his heart and his right arm to his face. Hajime used his magic to strengthen his body to the limit. Then dozens of needles pierced into this body.
"Gaaa!!"
Any fatals injury were avoided while he screamed. Since Yue was on his back, he decided to take the needles and stop them with his body. Hajime was blown away from the impact, and rolled onto the ground; while intense pain wrecked his body. Yue was flung away from his back by the shock.
While dozens of needles were pieced into his body, Hajime took out a "flash grenade' and lobbed it towards the scorpion. The grenade drew a parabola, and flashed right in front of the scorpion's eyes.
"Kyishaaa!!"
Blinded by the sudden flash of light, the scorpion instinctively stepped back. It had been tracking Hajime's movement from the beginning. The beast had judged which step to take and it didn't make a mistake.
Hajime pulled out the needles stabbing his body and consumed the "potion" pill near his molar.
"Guu!"
A groan leaks between his gritted teeth. Hajime looked for Yue while pulling his needles, but Yue found him first and came towards him.
"Hajime!"
Yue ran up to Hajime anxiously. Her expressionless was gone; she was ready to burst into tears.
"I'm fine. His armor is too hard. I can't think of a strategy….his four arms also cover his mouth and eyes...kamikaze?"
Despite Yue's worries, Hajime continued to mull over the scorpion. Looking at Hajime, she started to cry.
"...Why?"
"Ah?"
"Why don't you just run?"
If he left her, he might escape. Yue brung up the topic because she knew it was possible. However, Hajime had an amazing gaze.
"What are you saying now? Just because a slightly strong enemy showed up, don't give up."
In order to survive, Hajime was willing to do anything: bluffing, lying, surprise attacks, foul play, and whatever is needed to win. His fight with the bear was the only exception, he basically thought you could take "fair play" and shove it up your ass. This was not the place for such a naive thought. There is not guilt here. You have to live this way.
But he wasn't going to allow himself to become heartless. He still knew right from wrong, humanity and justice. The reason he remember these and regained them was because of Yue. That was why, he had no choice but to save her. She had entrusted herself to him. The moment he accepted that he could not become heartless.
Yue nodded at him as she understood more than what he said, and she embraced him.
"H-Hey, what's wrong?"
This situation is not time for such a thing, what is she doing? The scorpion was going to recover soon. His wounds had healed. Preparations were needed to get him combat ready. Yue didn't care about that and placed her hand on his neck.
"Hajime, please believe."
Yue kissed Hajime's nape after she said that.
"Tsu!?"
No, not a kiss. He was bit. Hajime felt pain at his neck. There was a discomforting feeling as he felt power being extracted from him. At that feeling, he tried to shake free, but he remember that Yue introduced herself as a vampire. She was sucking his blood. Saying "please believe" while said vampire sucked your blood was scary, even if he did not like it he couldn't just run away and complain about it.
Hajime just gave a wry smile and supported Yue by embracing her. For a moment, Yue trembled but soon she buried her face into his nape and hugged back more tightly. Maybe it was just his imagination but he thought she was delighted.
"Kyishaa!!"
The roar of the scorpion echoed. It had recovered from the "flash grenade". Ground waves formed again; it seemed to know where they were. Probably this was its Special Magic, the ability to manipulate surrounding terrain.
"But that's my forte."
Hajime put his right hand on the ground and transmuted. A stone wall 3 m tall formed around Yue and Hajime.
The conical splinters struck at Hajime from all around but his defensive wall stopped them. Each time the splinters hit the wall was broken, but soon Hajime would make
a new wall to replace it. As far as scale and strength, the scorpion was better than Hajime. However, Hajime was faster than the scorpion. It seemed that 3m was the limit of his range, the thorns were not able to fly, so it acted as Hajime's defense.
Hajime was concentrating on defending with his transmutation, and Yue finally released her mouth from his neck. She licked her lips with a delirious expression. He felt fascinated though she had a childish figure. Her skin that was previously haggard completely disappeared and now her skin was glossy like white porcelain. Colored returned to her cheeks, and it looked dreamy rose red. Crimson eyes emitted a warm light. Her thin-small hands caressed Hajime's cheeks.
"...Gochisousama."
She slowly rose her hand towards the scorpion.
One word was muttered.
""Azure Sky""
A pillar of bluish-white flame 6-7 m in diameter formed overhead of the scorpion.
Just from being around it the scorpion screamed as it was being burned and retreated. However, this Vampire Princess of the Abyss wouldn't allow it. A beautiful finger extended gracefully like a baton. The pillar of flame carried out its conductor's instruction without fail. It pursued the escaping scorpion then….a direct hit.
"Gu-ugyiyiaaaa!"
A never heard before scream escaped from the scorpion. Agony filled the scream. The pillar exploded into a flash of light and everything was blinded by it. Hajime just looked at the sublime magic in utter amazement while he protected his eyes with his arms.
Soon, the flames disappeared and the magic was finished. There in the center was the figure of the scorpion in an anguish pose with its outer shell melted from the flames. The outer shell that didn't even melt at 3000 degree celsius, the same shell that didn't crack when fired upon by a rail gun. Should he praised Yue, who had defeated such a monster so easily? Or should he praise the durability of the scorpion who took such an attack and was still intact? He was in a dilemma.
Hajime heard a sound that pulled him away from the astounding sight. Yue was sitting down while breathing heavily. She seemed to have depleted her magic reserve.
"Yue, are you alright?"
"...Superlative...Tiring."
"Haha, you could do it! You saved us. I'll take care of the rest. Take a break."
"Go for it."
Hajime shook his hand and used "Flicker" to shorten the distance. The scorpion was still alive. While the outer shell was melted, it roared with anger, and aimed a buckshot at the approaching Hajime.
A "flash grenade" was quickly thrown by Hajime. He fired a shot from Donner before the needle could be fired. The "flash grenade" is shot through by the bullet, which wasn't accelerated by electromagnetism, and exploded. Familiar with the experience, the scorpion gloomily searched for Hajime in the area painted with light.
No matter how much it look, it couldn't find Hajime. The scorpion was perplexed at losing Hajime's sign. Then Hajime landed on its back.
"Kishua?"
An astonished voice raised out of the scorpion. It was wondering how a sign that disappear suddenly appear on its back. When the "flash grenade" went off, Hajime had used his "Hide Presence" to cut off his sign and arrive at the scorpion's back.
Hajime was burnt a little as the outer shell of the scorpion was still red hot. He didn't care about that. Donner was pressed against any thin area on the shell and emptied its chambers. The armor's original durability had already been lost. In response to the zero distance shooting from a railgun, that absolute shield crumbled.
The scorpion lashed out its two tails without any care if it hit itself, but Hajime moved faster than it.
"I'll still eat you."
Hajime took out grenades from his pouch and forced them down the holes he had created with Donner. Sticking his arm into these holes he left the beast a party gift. Doing this caused his arm to be burnt but he didn't care.
Before he could be attacked by the scorpion, he evacuated with "Flicker". The scorpion turned towards Hajime to attack again.
However, its time was up.
Goba!
A muffled sound of an explosion coursed through the area and at the same time the scorpion trembled. Hajime and scorpion was facing each without each moving, and the silence between them continued.
Slowly, the scorpion started to slope. It flopped onto the ground with a thud.
Hajime approached the unmoving scorpion. He placed Donner into the beast mouth and fire it 3 times to make sure;when he was satisfied he nodded to himself. For sure its dead. This is the policy he came up with these days.
Looking back, there was Yue sitting there staring at Hajime with an expressionless face but her eyes was somehow joyful. He did not know when his journey through the dungeon will end, but he seemed to have acquired a reliable partner.
Pandora's box was said to have contained disaster and a handful of hope. Apparently, this metaphor he made before he entered the room, had hit the mark. Hajime walked to Yue while he thought of this.
Chapter 17: Chat at Ease
Hajime had brought back materials and meat from the scorpion and cyclops back to his base. He was struggling with the bulk. When the exhausted Yue got to taste blood again, she revived in a flash and her body displayed a splendid strengthening as she got back her superhuman strength. The two were able to bring the items back.
They could have used the sealed room, but when it was proposed Yue adamantly refused. No wonder. It was natural to hate the place you were sealed up into for so long. When he replenished his supplies they would not be able to move, so the sooner they left the better for her mental health. At the moment, they were talking each other while they resupplied.
"So...in conclusion Yue is at least 300 years old?"
"...Breach of etiquette."
Yue watched Hajime with reproachful eyes full of criticism. A talk of age seems to be a taboo for any woman in any world.
From his memories, Hajime remembered that the vampire tribe perished after a massive war 300 year ago. Yue probably did not know her real age because there was no sense of time in the dark room. It wouldn't be surprising if she didn't know how much time has passed because of the sealing. She was sealed when she was 20 years old, this would make her a little over 300 years old.
"Do all vampires live long?"
"I'm special. "Regeneration" prevent my aging."
At the age of 12, her direct magic manipulation and "Auto Regeneration" woke up and stopped her aging. Because common vampire tribes consumed blood, they lived longer than other races. Still 200 years was the limit. Humans lived on average for about 70 years. Devils around 120 years. For demi-humans it depended on the tribe. Elves could live for several hundred years.
Yue was considered one of the strongest in only a few years after she awoke her atavistic powers. At age 17 she suited to the throne. The magic that had melted the scorpion's shell was shot in no time. She also had an almost immortal body. To the point she would be called "God" or "Monster". Yue said that it was the latter. Her uncle who was blinded with greed, spread rumors around to view her as a monster. They tried to kill her for a "just" cause, but her "Auto Regen" didn't allow her to die. That was when they choose to seal her instead. She was shocked with the sudden betrayal. Too confused, she did not resist and they placed the seals on her. She regained herself when she was in the sealed room. That is why she did not know about the sealing method, scorpion, or location of her sealing. Hajime thought he found someway home. He was disappointed.
They talked how Yue's powers. She seemed to have an aptitude to all the attributes. Hajime was amazed with her cheat, but she mentioned she was weak in close combat. All she could by herself is run around with her strengthened body while she rapidly fired off spells. Because she had such power magic, it wasn't that big of a handicap.
She was able to use magic without any incantation, but she mentioned the names from habit. There were a lot of people that used speech and behavior to clarify the image needed to supplement their magic. Yue was not a
n exception.
Her "Auto Regen" can be classified as a Special Magic. If her magic remained, she would not die unless they could disintegrate her into dust in an instant. Conversely, any injuries she suffered while her magic was depleted could not be healed. Her magic had been drained after all those years of being sealed. Yue would have died if the scorpion had hit her.
"So...it is a crucial discussion, do you know anything about this place? Any escape routes to the ground."
"...I don't know. But…"
She also seemed to not know anything about this labyrinth. While apologetic, she continued her story with what she knew.
"...It is said that one of the traitors made this labyrinth."
"Traitors?"
Hajime stopped his transmutation work at the unaccustomed word, and glanced at Yue. She was watching him work and when he stopped she looked up at him. He nodded to her to continue with her story.
"Traitors...they were the followers of God that challenged him in ancient times….they created it to destroy the world."
Since Yue was an expressionless girl who didn't talk much, her explanations took time. Hajime still needed more time to resupply. He realized he needed to develop new weapons to combat his weak offensive ability that was evident in the fight against the scorpion. While working carefully, he was poised to listen to her.
Yue continued with her story. 8 of them existed. 8 of them rebelled against God to destroy the world. However, when they failed they fled to the ends of the world. The places they fled to were the current 8 Great Dungeons. One of them was "Orcus Dungeon", the current Dungeon they were in. It is said that in the deepest part of the abyss was where one of the traitor lived.
"...If it is there, there will be a road out…"
"I see. I did not think that this abyss was created with such great effort. If it is a magician from the age of gods, it wouldn't be surprising that they had some transportation magic to lead them out."
