He dragged her with him to the shore. Then, he laid her on her back and took a closer look at her. She was pale-faced, her eyes had rolled back into her head, and her heart wasn’t beating. She must have seen something quite terrifying as her expression was still frozen in one of disgust.
“Yue, you’ve got to give her CPR!”
“CPwhat?”
“Gah, I mean you need to clear her airway of water and...”
“Huh?” He tried to get Yue to give Shea CPR, but she just looked at Hajime blankly. Does the concept of CPR not exist in this world? She wasn’t exactly injured, and feeding her more liquid when she was already drowning seemed like a bad idea, so the Ambrosia probably wouldn’t be of any help. Yue wasn’t very well versed in healing magic, so he doubted she could cast something specific enough to make Shea spit out all the water and get her heart pumping again.
He didn’t know when it was she’d lost consciousness, but at this point time was of the essence. Hajime steeled his resolve and started performing CPR.
Naturally, that meant he would have to do mouth-to-mouth as well... Yue watched on unhappily. But she realized Hajime was doing this because it would somehow save Shea, so she kept quiet. Instead she just stared.
Hajime tried to ignore that cold stare as best he could while he worked to get Shea’s heart pumping again. Unbelievable. I’d just started to think you might not be that worthless after all, but then you go and nearly kill yourself after we’ve already won... You really are just a worthless rabbit. Hajime grimaced, and after a few rounds of CPR, Shea finally started coughing up water. He turned her head to the side so she wouldn’t choke on it again. From an outside perspective it looked like he was kissing her passionately.
“Hic, ack... Hajime-san?”
“Yep, that’s me. Unbelievable, I can’t believe you almost got yourself killed— Mmf!?”
Despite his harsh words, Hajime looked thoroughly relieved. Suddenly, Shea interrupted him by throwing her arms around him and giving him a deep kiss. It was so unexpected that Hajime didn’t have any time to move out of the way.
“Mmmf!? Mmmmm!!!”
”Mmmpch... Mmm...” Shea wrapped her arms and legs around Hajime, locking him in place while she mercilessly ravaged his mouth with her tongue. Her inhuman strength and the leverage her position gave her made it impossible for Hajime to break away.
Somehow, Shea had been aware of all the “kisses” Hajime had given her while he was performing CPR. Perhaps it was a special condition brought on by the fact that Shea had activated her body strengthening right before she’d lost consciousness.
Regardless, Hajime’s repeated kisses had flung her into full overdrive mode. She kept Hajime firmly pinned in place while she returned his kisses a hundredfold.
Off to the side Yue looked... very unhappy, to say the least. Still, she did nothing to stop them. In a small voice, she muttered “As a reward, just this once...” It appeared she was willing to forgive this transgression.
Though it was obvious from her expression and the dangerous look in her eyes that she was quite conflicted. Tonight, she was going to make sure Hajime spent the whole night with her... She wouldn’t let him rest for even a second.
“Wawawah! What’s going on!? A-Amazing... they’re completely soaked, but they’re wrapping around each other so passionately... A-And... they’re doing it all outside! These people aren’t normal!” That exclamation came from none other than the easily excitable girl, Sona. Next to her, Crystabel muttered “Oh? Aren’t you two...” It seemed he remembered them. Off to the side, the three male adventurers were burning up with jealousy, and it was with great effort that they managed to keep their swords in their sheaths. The single female adventurer gave them a withering glare.
Shea was still half-delirious from passion and near-death euphoria. She panted heavily as she kissed Hajime, until finally he got so fed up that he lifted himself to his feet, taking Shea with him. He then grabbed Shea’s plump butt, giving it a firm squeeze.
“Aahn!” She let out a garbled moan. In that second, her ironclad grip loosened. Hajime peeled her off and flung her into the spring.
“Ugyaaaaah!” He watched as she fell into the spring with a tremendous splash. Then, he took a few seconds to catch his breath and comb his hair back.
“I-I was careless. I didn’t think she’d come at me like that... just after regaining consciousness.” Hajime watched as she lumbered out of the spring like a banshee, her bangs covering her face, and shivered.
“Uuuu... How cruel. Hajime-san, you’re the one that started it.”
“Excuse me? I’ll have you know that that is just a lifesaving technique, nothing more... and wait, you were conscious that whole time?”
“Well, I’m not exactly sure... but I could kind of tell what was going on. Just that you were kissing me over and over, Hajime-san! Uhehehe.”
“Please stop laughing creepily like that. Look, I only did that to save your life, nothing more. Don’t get any weird ideas, okay?”
“Really? But a kiss is still a kiss. At this rate you might really fall for me!”
“Like hell I will. And Yue, you could have stopped her, you know?”
“Just this once... I mean, Shea worked so hard... but still...”
“Yue? Earth to Yue?”
Yue stared back with blank eyes, muttering incoherently. Hajime sighed as he realized she was done for too. Finally, he turned to Crystabel and the others. They’d been staring at them this whole time.
His gaze passed over the four adventurers, stopped for a second at Sona, and returned to her after he took one look at Crystabel. He’d like to pretend he never saw Crystabel at all.
Sona jumped with a start when she realized Hajime was looking at her, then blushed bright red.
“S-Sorry for interrupting you two! D-Don’t mind us. By all means, please continue!” She turned around to run, but Crystabel grabbed her by the scruff of the neck before she could. She then walked up to Hajime and the others. Hajime nervously stepped backwards, but Shea greeted him with a cheerful “Oh, hey, you’re the shop owner.” It appeared she knew her.
After they sorted everything out, Hajime discovered they’d been spat out a day’s ride from Brooke, so they decided to head back there with Crystabel and the others. Crystabel offered to let them ride in their carriage, which they happily accepted. They changed out of their soaked clothes and chatted amicably with the others as they rode back. The sound of hoofbeats became the soundtrack of their travels as the warm rays of the sun smiled down upon them.
Together with their newfound comrade, Hajime and his party had cleared their second labyrinth. Hajime let the feeling of victory settle in as he laid down in the back of the carriage. Warmed by the sun, he smiled faintly as he thought of all the travels that still yet awaited them.
Epilogue
“You are truly fit to be a hero.” A clear voice rang out through a mountain valley illuminated by the half moon and bedecked in everlasting autumn leaves. The man who had spoken narrowed his eyes and extended a hand in front of him.
“B-But I...” The person he was addressing gulped audibly as he stammered. They realized they were standing on the edge of a decision that would change their life irrevocably, and the temptation and dangers of each choice led them to hesitate.
As they looked around, they saw the legion of monsters that had bent to their will. The Mountain Range that sprawled north of the lake town of Ur rested near the top of Heiligh’s territory. They had left the safety of their comrades behind and come here alone to do something about their tenuous position. Despite the fact that they had been summoned as one of the chosen heroes, despite the fact that they had a talent that surpassed most humans of this world, they had been relegated to a side role. And that, they couldn’t stand.
But what they couldn’t stand most of all was the man that had pushed them aside and assumed the role of hero that they aspired to. That was why they’d come here to put these powerful monsters
under their control, so they could win the respect of the others.
However, they were nearing their limit. Given enough time, their dream might have been realized, but that was true of everyone else around them as well. Especially the party that fought on the front lines. That party must have long since surpassed their skills. Even though they wanted to be admired and loved by all, they’d been too scared to go back to the labyrinth. At this point there was little chance they could catch up to the best. They’d told themselves over and over that with the right methods it could be done. Despite that they’d never been sure, and oftentimes they’d been on the verge of giving up, believing that they just weren’t born with the kind of talent real heroes had been. And yet, they persevered.
That was why the sudden appearance of the man that had told them “You are indeed special” had been so moving, and why their invitation sounded so appealing. Even if in exchange for accepting his offer, they would have to give up something irreplaceable.
“W-Will you really turn me into a hero? You won’t turn around and betray me?”
“Of course. As long as you’re truly willing to throw everything away and come to our master’s side, that is. You’ll have to prove yourself by fighting that agricultural goddess of yours and her bodyguards, but if you do, we’ll treat you as our hero. I promise we won’t betray you. There’s no one else we can rely on. It’s precisely because you’re special that we want to invite you to our camp.”
“Me... a hero. I’ll finally become the protagonist of my own story...” They gulped again at the man’s seductive words. The black flames of ambition burned fiercely within their eyes. Their desire and desperation spilled forth like a burst dam, staining their silhouette black. Without even bothering to hide their excitement, they nodded vigorously and licked their lips.
“I’ll do it. I’ll become your hero.” Their expression couldn’t be called heroic by any stretch of the imagination.
“A wise choice. I look forward to working with you... hero.” The man smiled gently, while internally cackling to himself. Not only was a wonderful slaughter about to occur, it would be brought about by one of their own. The irony was simply delicious.
In a quiet corner of the Northern Mountain Range, two sets of laughter overlapped each other. The only ones present to bear witness were the forlorn half moon and a legion of unthinking monsters.
Extra Chapter: Yeah I’m a Monster, Got a Problem with That?
Deep within the misty forest, a single figure was running with all its might. Her pale blue hair blended in with the mist, but the speed at which she moved sent ripples through the fog. Despite how lightly her hair was fluttering through the wind, her expression was anything but light. In fact, she was crying as she ran.
It was quite easy for a young girl of five to six to get lost and eaten within the Haltina Woods, a place considered to be a den of monsters by most men. Still, there was no worry of this particular girl getting eaten. It was hard to tell because she was crouching, but the girl running through the fog had a splendid pair of rabbit ears growing out of her head. She was a member of the beastman race that inhabited these woods— a rabbit girl.
The rabbitmen were considered the weakest of the beastmen races, but in return they had the best sense of hearing, and were skilled at hiding themselves. Even a girl like her had very sharp ears. Few creatures could escape the notice of a rabbitman’s sense of hearing.
And this bunny girl in particular had a special ability other rabbitmen didn’t possess. Hence why there was little chance this particular girl was in any danger of dying, especially as she was so close to her village.
As expected, the young bunny girl safely reached her village, despite her loud wailing. The fog began to thin out as she approached. The boundaries of her hometown were defined by a well-kept wooden fence. It was far better maintained than most other beastmen settlements, even those that belonged to other rabbitmen tribes. The fence posts were close enough together that one wouldn’t easily be able to peek inside, and each of them were three meters high.
Normally most rabbitmen’s only options when it came to a confrontation were to run or to hide. Both in regards to themselves, and in regards to their villages, they rarely focused on heavy defense. As long as it could buy them enough time to run away, and was spaced out enough to give them a good view of the situation outside, it was a good enough fence for them.
And yet, the fence surrounding this village was surprisingly sturdy. At first glance it appeared quite sturdy, but a closer inspection showed that the planks used to hold the fence posts together were surprisingly fragile. It seemed almost as if this village was focused more on making sure their fence couldn’t be seen through than creating an adequate defensive barrier.
The young bunny girl circled around the unusual fence and went inside. The rabbitman guarding the gate said something to her as she passed by, but she ignored him.
Many other rabbitmen called out to her as she ran past, but she ignored them all and headed straight for her house.
“Oh my... What’s wrong, Shea? Your bunny ears are drooping.” The five year old bunny girl, Shea, looked up to see an older rabbit woman come out from inside a room. She had the dark blue hair that was characteristic of her race, and gentle eyes that belied a powerful will. The latter was a rarity among rabbitmen.
“Mom!” Still crying, Shea leaped into her mom, Mona Haulia’s, arms with a speed that seemed unthinkable for a five year old girl.
Mona let out a very unseemly grunt as Shea barreled into her. But Shea didn’t notice, as she was too busy wiping her eyes and nose on her mother’s chest.
The rabbitmen’s traditional clothing was surprisingly revealing. Women wore what was basically nothing more than a bikini and mini-skirt. For rabbitmen, wearing heavy clothing would only get in their way when they were trying to run. The sound of rustling clothes would alert them to their more perceptive enemies. Because of the perpetual fog, the temperature didn’t vary much year round, and there was little point in keeping clothes that would have to be discarded if they ever had to run.
And so, Mona’s cleavage was soon smeared in tears, snot, and drool. But she didn’t seem bothered by that at all. In fact, she was currently busy coping with the pain in her stomach and making sure she didn’t throw up all over her daughter.
With tears still in her eyes, Mona gently patted Shea’s back and once she’d calmed down a little asked her what was wrong.
Shea sniffled and looked up at her mother. Instead of an answer, she replied with a question of her own.
“Mom... Am I... a monster? Am I evil?”
“...Shea.”
It was rare for a girl so young to think about such terrible things, but Mona knew about her daughter’s peculiar abilities so she could guess what must have happened.
Shea’s light blue hair wasn’t the only thing special about her. She also had the ability to store and manipulate mana, something no beastman should have been able to do. Furthermore, she was even able to use special magic of her own.
Not even humans or demons could do the last two things, which were abilities unique to monsters. And monsters were hated by all, regardless of race or nationality.
This was why the Haulia village’s fence had been made to prevent anyone from seeing inside. Her family had done their best to try and raise her inside the village, so that no one could find out about her existence. If anyone discovered who she was, even just among the beastmen of Verbergen, she would surely be executed.
Had Shea not been born to a tribe of rabbitmen, who were known for valuing familial love over all else, she would surely have been executed the moment she was born. Only the Haulia would be willing to take such risks to protect her like they had.
But no matter how much the adults tried to protect her, there was no way a curious young child would be satisfied living in the confines of her small village. It was only natural for her to want to explore the outside world.
“Shea... you we
nt out again, didn’t you?”
“Uuu... I’m sorry mom. But... But...”
Shea hung her head apologetically, and Mona smiled gently. Someone must have spotted Shea on one of her excursions.
While beastmen didn’t lose their sense of direction in the fog, their vision was hampered just like with every other race. And while Shea was curious about the outside world, she knew how much trouble it would cause her family if anyone spotted her. Which was why she had used her innate stealth abilities, which far surpassed many adult rabbitmen’s, to stay out of sight when she left the village.
So even if anyone had spotted her, Mona doubted they’d gotten a good look at her. Meaning there could be only one reason Shea was crying.
“A white silhouette running through the trees. No matter how quickly you chase after it, it vanishes like an illusion before you can catch up. It must be some kind of new monster, or perhaps an evil spirit that has haunted the forest for centuries... Is that what you’ve been hearing people say about you, with those sharp little ears of yours?”
“Mom... You knew?”
Mona nodded as she softly ruffled Shea’s bunny ears. She had heard the rumors her fellow rabbitmen had been whispering about. For now it was still nothing more than an urban legend of sorts, the kind of thing people talked about just to have something to talk about. There were more legends about this forest than there were trees though, so it wasn’t anything to be concerned about yet.
Though of course, Shea must have been quite shocked upon hearing them for the first time. She’d already known that she was different from the rest of her family. And she knew she could do the same thing monsters could. She’d avoided thinking about it as much as possible, but it was hard not to when she heard people talking about it.
Maybe I really am something different. Maybe I really am some kind of freak that isn’t monster or beastman.
Fresh tears welled up in the corners of Shea’s eyes, and she sniffled. Mona gave her daughter a look that was equal parts kind and equal parts stern, but all of it filled with love.
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Vol. 2 Page 29
