Arifureta After III Tortus Travel Journal ⑨
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Hajime collapsed before their eyes.
「「Hajime!」」
Shuu and Sumire spontaneously rushed toward him seeing that scene.
They kneeled beside him and reached out their hand, but those hands passed through their son’s body and wandered in empty air.
「Tou-san, Kaa-san. I’m over here.」
Hajime approached Shuu and Sumire while smiling wryly. Yes, the real Hajime was.
The two gasped and turned their gaze. They saw the figure of their son holding up Myuu there and let out a long sigh in relieve. And then, they made a similar wry smile.
At the same time, before their eyes the past Hajime who was wounded all over melted into thin air and vanished.
This place was the true Orcus Great Dungeon――floor 100. The final destination of the abyss, the place where the hideout of Oscar Orcus was located, and then, the location where the strongest guardian the Hydra was lying in wait.
Until now Hajime and co were watching the grand last boss fight that Hajime and Yue got into.
Even though they understood that it was nothing more than projection, it was a fight for survival with impact that couldn’t be compared with a mere 3D movie.
The hydra’s roar, the fatal breath attack, the counterattack using magic and gunshot……
And then, Hajime who covered Yue and got swallowed by the fatal light.
His right eye was evaporated, a part of his body was carbonized, and he pitched forward falling as though he had no strength left.
In order to protect Hajime, Yue dashed forward holding Donner with one hand in her condition that only had meager magic power.
The scene was a storm of light bullets trampling through space like a meteor shower couldn’t help made the parents but stiffen up even though they knew that it was just a projection. In fact, if Kaoruko and Akiko didn’t receive magic that increased their mental resistance from Tio, they would have fainted more than dozens of times about now.
The sight of those light bullets hitting Yue hard until her body became tattered was something hard to believe looking at her current invincible queen like self.
At the same time, her figure that was gritting her teeth without taking even a single step back no matter what, risking her life in order to protect Hajime looked so noble it shook them. Sumire and Shuu too, they couldn’t help but hugging Yue tightly while watching the projection.
Before long the fatal light of judgment was fired. Before that attack that was unleashed in order to annihilate the insolent intruder, Yue was staring straight ahead, however……
Hajime revived in a hair’s breadth.
Everyone spontaneously cheered 「Oo!」. But, they immediately understood from looking. That Hajime didn’t revive or anything. It was only his guts supporting him. Hajime’s figure that was visibly in appalling state vividly displayed that he almost wasn’t even healed at all.
However, from there it was a dramatic development. It was overwhelming, astounding, and miraculous. It was like a tale of a legend.
The two nestling close to each other within the meteor shower was slipping through as though they were dancing. The light of annihilation was already like it was nothing more than a splendorous lighting illuminating the two.
Running through the air, smashing the ceiling and dropping it, transmuting an improvised smelting furnace. The blue flame of demise was unleashed with harmonized beat of the two.
The scream of death agony of the last guardian echoed.
When everything was over, Shuu and other parents, no, even Shia and the others who were watching that sublime scene that could be mistaken as a part of a myth forgot to even breath due to the intense deep emotion they couldn’t describe with words inside them.
Like that, when Hajime said 「I’m spent」 and fell flat, all of them finally returned to their senses.
「Amazing right?」
Hajime’s words that sounded somewhat elated echoed.
Shuu and Sumire’s eyes turned wide hearing that.
If pushed to say, all this time Hajime had no motivation in showing his past projection all this time, but now he wasn’t even really alluding anything like 「It’s just something of the past」 about this scene, instead he looked proud……no, just from looking it could be seen that he was being smug.
In the middle, Myuu who was being hugged clung to Hajime tightly, so half of his face was covered by the little girl, but the other half of his face was clearly showing his smugness.
「That’s unusual, for you to make such self-satisfied look when it’s not about your invention.」
「Because it was that kind of deadly battle. ……The cheat recovery item that was the god water, a weapon that can fire excessive fire power regardless of the state of the user, and then a partner with cheat-like magic ability. I wouldn’t be able to survive if even a single one of those was missing. It was a battle that was literally putting up everything I and Yue had.」
In a sense, perhaps it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that everything began from this victory.
「Above all else, my partner did her best here. The victory of this battle, well, there isn’t any need to be humble about it. It’s my and Yue’s――pride.」
Saying that, Hajime gently patted the head of Yue who had come to his side unnoticed. Yue’s expression became loose and soft, as though a voice 「funi~」 would leak out from her mouth somehow.
Shuu muttered 「Is that so……」 while narrowing his eyes from the dazzling sight, while Sumire too was saying 「I see」 with a gentle smile.
「Even so, that was truly intense Goshujin-sama.」
「Yes……it far surpassed my imagination.」
Tio and Shizuku’s words served as the beginning. After them the other people also started saying their impression.
The parents couldn’t hide their excitement, while Shia and others were oozing out some envy and admiration. Shia alone was knocking her fist together while saying 「I want a one-on-one fight. How far I can go in a handicap battle using only my fist, I wish to test myself desuu! Won’t the monster pop up again?」 with her rabbit ears shaking wildly.
The wild rabbit couldn’t stop herself from swinging her fist after knowing there was such a formidable enemy.
The hopeless rabbit of the past who wasn’t good with strife……had died!
「Now that she said it, Hajime. The monsters of the labyrinth can pop up again right? It looks like the hydra doesn’t come out though……」
「Aah, perhaps because it’s the last boss. It won’t pop up when I or Yue are here.」
‘I see, so if I’m alone I’ll be able to have at it with that guy then!’ the fighting god rabbit said with her rabbit ears swinging wildly. Leaving the rabbit aside, Tomoichi was turning his gaze to deeper inside with shining eyes.
「So Hajime-kun, the hideout is behind that splendid door?」
「Yes, that’s right. How about we go there right away?」
For Tomoichi, it seemed that this last boss room was actually really interesting and attracted his attention.
The pillars in the pillared corridor had splendid engraving applied to every single of them, displaying a solemn atmosphere. The double-leafed door standing at the inner part itself was also a work of art. In that case, the hideout was surely a place that would charm the heart of an architect without a doubt, Tomoichi thought.
By the way, it seemed regeneration magic was applied to this place, so the trace of the fierce battle had been automatically fixed. In a sense, this large space itself could be called an artifact that possessed automatic recovery function. It could be perceived clearly that Oscar’s skill was godly.
「……Nn, before that, please watch the training scene of Hajime without fail.」
This room after the battle versus the Hydra became a good training place for Hajime and Yue during the two months after the dungeon conquering.
It seemed that Yue wished to show everyone that the current Hajime’s fighting ability and precise shooting that made everyone shudder weren’t something that were easily obtained. She wished to show Hajime’s effort here.
Tomoichi said 「Hmph……very well, let me take a look of it」 while he sent the gaze of “evaluation of worthiness to become son-in-law of who knows how many times it is” toward Hajime. He received an elbow on his side from Kaori.
「Actually I’m really interested. That shooting skill isn’t normal. I’m curious what kind of training he did to learn it.」
「His martial art too. It’s not systematic but, it has a really rational movement……I understand that it’s something cultivated in real battle but, as expected, I’m also extremely curious at his training too.」
It seemed that this was an extremely fascinating event for Shuuzou and Koichi. The eyes of the two were shining blazingly. Next they moved forward in order to secure the front seat with rough breathing. They received a strike from the back of Shizuku’s katana.
「……Nn. Then……around here I think?」
Yue muttered while at the same time she adjusted the time axis and snapped her finger.
What was projected was the firefight between Yue and Hajime.
From what they could see, Hajime was exhausted from excessive training while Yue was looking worried. Even so, Hajime said that there was no meaning in training that wasn’t surpassing the limit and he asked Yue to be his opponent.
Yue nodded to respond to Hajime’s determination. Hajime yelled to her.
――’Now, no need to hold back. Come! Magic cheat!’
――’Nn-. Eat this, the violence of quantity!’
It was the violence of quantity. It was flame bullets in number that covered the sky. And then, for some reason the bullets were heart shaped. Yue-sama, seeing the heart shaped fire bullets got their magic core fired through and dispersed, her chest tightened *kyu-!* and she prattled something like 「I was shot through」.
Her feeling toward Hajime, was 3000 Celsius♡
Something like that. In addition, it was a tyrannical number that showed no end in sight.
「Yue-chan……Okaa-san, doesn’t hate you okay?」
「Tsk-……」
「Yue-san……」
「As to be expected from thee, Yue.」
Gazes that were filled with exasperation stabbed Yue. There was just a single person clicking her tongue.
「……Nn-. I made a slight mistake.」
It seemed she mistook the time axis. She tried to show the training in a different time axis while feeling slightly flustered but……
Putting aside Yue’s behavior, the unfolding scene was intense. The storm of magic bullet that even resembled the meteor shower of light bullet before this was shot through by the two handguns Hajime wielded. He continued to stave off the attack just barely.
Concentration power to the degree that made his speech became halting.
Super high speed midair reload using super fast gun spin. Precise sniping that was like aiming at the approaching grains of rice which made the heart of the spectators skipped――firing through the magic’s core.
Like that……
――’Then, itadakimasu’
――’Wai-, sto-, aaa—–!!’
Hajime-san who was unable to resist was overcame, or rather he was pushed down and devoured deliciously――
「Disintegration-」
The past projection was disintegrated along with the magic power and it dispersed.
「Yue you pervert! Saying it’s a training while doing such envio――impure act! Unbelievable, completely unbelievable! What’s more, to think that you would assault Hajime-kun who was completely exhausted and couldn’t move, how envi――terrible!」
「Kaori, your real thought」
Just as Shizuku pointed out, Kaori-san, her real thought was completely leaking out. She was slightly drooling. Tomoichi san was looking at faraway. It seemed that he decided that he didn’t see anything.
「……Nn, I’m sorry. Assaulting Hajime became a daily occurrence so」
‘That ain’t any excuse at all……’ Everyone thought. And then, the male faction thought 「So he was assaulted routinely…….」 and looked at Hajime with a complicated expression. Hajime threw his sight to really faraway.
Like this and that, for a while they watched Hajime who trained until he collapsed every time, Yue who would nurse Hajime who became unable to move in various senses, and Kaori who would go ‘Disintegrate-‘ every time the nursing looked like it would become R-rated.
By the time Shuu and others started to show comprehending expression of Hajime’s current strength seeing how he continued to train absurdly, the training show ended and the group finally stepped inside the hideout.
「This place……is it underground here?」
The one who unconsciously muttered that was Tomoichi who was looking forward to it the most. It seemed that the whole group had the same feeling like that leaked out sentiment.
Spacious area, artificial sun shining at the ceiling, one side of the walls inside became a waterfall, there was also a river and also fruit trees and vegetable field.
And then, a three storey mansion that looked like it was created by directly scraping off the rock wall was being illuminated by the artificial sun, showing its white wall gorgeously.
「The sun will become like a moon when night comes. By putting this artificial sun into practical use, I created the sun convergence laser weapon――Hyperion.」
「……Hajime-kun. As an adult, I think there is something that I should say to you who thought of a mass destruction weapon when seeing a sun of blessing but……sorry. I cannot find any word.」
「No, Tomoichi-san, even if you apologize to me with that kind of creeped out face……」
「Papaa–! Myuu also want a sun as present for Myuu’s next birthday nano!」
「No, Myuu. Even if you begged me with such smile that is like a sun……」
Although, Myuu was also a girl at that age. Perhaps she would need a weapon soon……
Putting aside the hopeless Hajime papa who was pondering such thing, Yue took the initiative to act as guide.
「……Right, everyone. This is the residence of me and Hajime in Tortus. This is our love nest.」
「This is Oscar Orcus-san’s hideout isn’t it!」
‘Aa?’ ‘Oo?’ Yue-sama and Kaori-chan glared at each other. This was a scene where anyone would definitely want Self Restraint-kun to put censor on the face of the two. That was just how terrible the two were making the expression that beautiful girl shouldn’t show.
‘Okay okay, break it out you two~’, Shia & Shizuku separated the two. While that was going on, Hajime invited the parents inside the mansion. At the end of the line Yue and Kaori were being dragged by their respective best friend.
Tomoichi let out a long sigh.
「How beautiful…….What’s more, to think that the building doesn’t have any joining point.」
「Oscar was a transmutation master like me. This residence was also created using transmutation, so it’s style is very different from a normal building.」
Tomoichi was earnestly letting out sigh of admiration seeing the strange architecture style that he had never seen before. His eyes were sparkling bright, like a child that was visiting an amusement park for the first time. Kaoruko was watching her husband who was like that with a warm gaze.
After that, Hajime showed around the living space and workshop, the treasure warehouse where many of Oscar’s creation were still left behind, and the site of the storage place of the “Oscar’s prototype – succeeded by Hajime” maid golem that was burned and destroyed by Yue in the past.
There were only novel things inside. The parents were excited from start to finish.
Especially when it was times like when they found “Prototype – Dragon Killing Sword” (Named by Oscar) in the treasure warehouse, all the men went into festive atmosphere where they all tried swinging it.
By the way, for some reason the one who handled and looked the best with it was Kirino-okaasan.
「And then this place here…….it’s where we obtained the first age of god magic and learned the truth of this world.」
After opening the thick door at the third floor and entering inside, it was the room where the magic circle for inheriting age of god magic was inscribed.
Hajime showed a thinking gesture for a bit. Shuu asked him while his eyes were shining seeing the magic circle.
「Hm? What’s the matter Hajime?」
「……Aah, I’m thinking that I might as well introduce everyone.」
「Introduce? Who do you mean?」
「Of course, I mean the liberator who was the creator of this great labyrinth. The extraordinary transmutation master――Oscar Orcus.」
Saying that, Hajime sent an eye signal to Yue.
Right after that, a silhouette emerged in front of the chair placed at the back of the room. A black clothed youth――Oscar.
『You did well overcoming the trial and arriving here. My name is Oscar Orcus. The person who created this great labyrinth. Perhaps you will understand if I say that I’m a rebel?』
The entrance of the intellectual looking young man wearing glasses with his black hair tied behind his neck gathered the attention of all the parents who were curiously looking around inside the room.
「It’s the recording medium Oscar left behind. It’s something like his last will. When entering the magic circle after clearing the trial, he will show his figure to the dungeon conqueror. Right now it’s just a past projection though.」
Even while Hajime was giving explanation, Oscar was continuing his talk with deep intellect and firm will behind his eyes.
The truth of the world, the path they had taken, and then their wish.
「……They were, unable to win against the god. But, they didn’t lose the battle.」
Yue talked with narrowed eyes. Unusually a deep respect could be seen in her eyes. The parents felt a bit surprised at that. Someone who Yue genuinely and deeply respected from the heart was extremely few.
Kaori formed her words after her.
「They themselves were no good. But, they didn’t give up the future. Believing that someday people who will inherit their power will appear, they vanished to the corner of the world. They even parted from their comrades.」
「That became our strength. Kaori was able to survive was also thanks to what they had left behind.」
With deep emotion Shizuku let out her words tremblingly filled with deep thought of gratitude. Aiko also spoke with a voice that was filled with similar deep gratitude.