Chapter 345

Arifureta Chapter 345

Arifureta After III   The Two At That Time Were   Second Part

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「That forest witch really have done it now――wait, Shia! Stop breathing!」

The light that dyed their field of vision settled down and Hajime spontaneously cursed, but the wasteland where red wind that was like blood was blowing and the pain he felt in his throat and lung right after that made Hajime raised a warning.

「Hajime-san, this air……」

「Yeah, it’s harmful. It must be some kind of poison gas but……I’ve never seen anything like this blood colored wind. Or rather, this isn’t earth no matter how you cut it.」

Hajime drank recovery medicine while deploying Cross Velt’s barrier and exchanged conversation.

Even when he looked around, there was only a wasteland, a mountain that as making rain of magma from its eruption right at that moment, lightning cloud that continued forever, and flames dancing between that cloud’s gap like magma. It was a hellish scenery. They weren’t on earth no matter how they looked at it.

Hajime stared at the sight while asking Shia.

「Come to think of it, Shia. Did you see just now?」

「Just now? Err, it was really bright and I couldn’t see anything but……was there something?」

「Yeah, a little bit. If you couldn’t see it then it might be my imagination though……」

「Hajime-san has that special eye, isn’t it because of that? What did you see?」

「Aah, I see. That might be the case. No, it was only for an instant……it felt like I could see a large tree.」

「Large tree……was it Haltina sea of tree’s Uralt?」

Hajime nodded.

To be more accurate, it was an illusion of a gigantic tree that looked really similar. The sight was similar like a hologram floating in the middle of light. Hajime felt like he saw the vision of a huge tree that was similar with the grand tree Uralt when it was growing luxuriously after regeneration magic was applied to it.

「Now that you mentioned it, that witch-san, at the end she yelled “world tree” wasn’t she?」

「She did didn’t she~」

Hajime groaned ‘Hm~’ and fell into thought. He fell into his sea of thought as though the dangerous looking atmosphere of the surrounding world wasn’t a big matter at all. He began to mutter to himself.

「The diameter of that open space, it’s almost the same with the diameter of the great tree……don’t tell me, there is a stump under the ground? No plants can grow because of some kind of effect from it? World tree……the one from Norse mythology? Yggdrasil? It’s a standard of a tale but……did it exist for real? No, that’s impossible……no no, even though that was what I thought, earth is quite full of fantasy……there is also a witch……is it possible? Wait……come to think of it the star tree Lutria also looked exactly the same……if I remember right in the myth, the world tree contained nine worlds wasn’t it? The worlds are connected? Don’t tell me, even that world I went with Tio too? ……Perhaps what summoned us could be――」

「Hajime-sa~~n! Please don’t enter your own worl~d! Look, a guest is coming heree!」

Hajime’s shoulders were grabbed by Shia and he was shaken back and forth before he finally returned to his senses. He put aside the various questions rising within him for the time being and turned his gaze toward the direction Shia pointed at.

Certainly, something was rapidly approaching.

――Humans?

Seeing the other party flying on the sky,

「……」

「……」

Hajime and Shia were speechless. Or rather they were dumbfounded. The reason was because, the humanoid male? Female? They had fire bursting out from their whole body. Didn’t they feel hot?

Furthermore, their appearance was like gargoyle wearing armor. They looked really fiendish. And then, their voice was also rubbing the nerves the wrong way, it also sounded like a sweet whisper instead. The voice was indescribably strange and resounded directly inside the brain.

In any case, this was the first villager that the two encountered in this foreign world. No, it was unknown whether the other party was villager or not though.

Hajime coughed once. Then he patted his face. What appeared there was a magnificent smile like a veteran salesman.

「Nice to meet you. The two of us are just humble travelers. Haha, this place is really lovely isn’t it!?」

Harmful bloody wind blew violently, the ground was dry and cracked, at far away there was a mountain that endlessly erupted, the sky was decorated with lightning cloud and flame. Shia leaked out an admiring voice 「A, amazing. Even though Hajime-san shouldn’t be thinking of such thing at the slightest, but that sentence just now sounded like he was saying his honest feeling desuu!!」.

‘Shut up for a bit’, Hajime said and covered Shia-chan’s mouth *mugyu*.

「By the way, are you someone from a nearby town? Embarrassingly, this is our first time coming here without even any prior investigation, so if you can be so kind――」

――I don’t know how can humans be here but, this might be good!

Amicable words came back with eagerness. At the same time a flame spear was gifted. The way the other party presented the spear was really sharp. It even looked like they unleashed a thrusting technique that was filled with killing intent. Drool was dripping from their mouth, making it looked like their appetite was gushing out but, yep, surely it was just his imagination without a doubt.

*Gakin* Hajime’s four point barrier deflected the fervent gift.

――What!? Mere human is deflecting my spear!?

The first villager-san mentioned a spear attack. It seemed that it wasn’t just a bit intense gift like saying 「Please take this as the proof of us being acquainteddd!!」.

「……Hahah. The skinship of the people here is a bit intense perhaps? Let me say it first just in case, but we don’t have any hostility. I wish to hold interaction between different race by all means――」

Shia whose mouth got covered appealed to Hajime 「Hajime-san……I think it’s pointless you know?」 with a side glance, but the self-alleged model Japanese person Hajime-san wasn’t negligent with his endeavor of holding a dialogue till the very end!

――Then how about this!

A gigantic lump of flame swallowed Hajime and Shia along with the barrier.

No question asked.

「’How sad that my good will doesn’t go through as expected’ Punch」

At the same time with such words,

――Buberah!?

The steel punch of sadness from Hajime who teleported behind the villager (?) using a gate assaulted the opponent’s back of the head. The villager (?) spun while crashing on the ground.

Hajime shook off the something that got stuck on his fist like a filth. He observed the something got carried by the wind and became dust in the blink of eye while landing beside Shia.

「Why is it that human cannot understand each other?」

「Because the other party isn’t human?」

‘Then it can’t be helped!’ Haijme nodded deeply.

Then, at that time, a great amount of presence from the direction of volcano was……

「……Shia, could it be that this is a situation that create various misunderstanding?」

「No, it’s not misunderstanding or anything, it’s the fact that Hajime-san punched the local villager-san.」

「I’m not bad! I’m not bad! The bad one is that villager-san!」

The villager-san was still twitching and convulsing. Shia said「Well, it’s that side that attacked without listening to here after all. Hajime-san has done his best」 and he expression turned gentle.

And then, her expression immediately turned bright and,

「Hajime-san, Hajime-san. There is a lot of unknown and danger here!」

Shia-chan’s eyes sparkled bright. Even in this situation, no, exactly because it was this kind of situation that she went “We have to go in adventure now it’s like this!’.

「You’re right. ……We still have some leeway with the schedule of our travel date. From investigating using the compass, it looks like we can also return to earth using crystal key anytime.」

Then there was only one answer.

「Let’s have an adventure date!」

「Let’s do an adventure date!」

They high-fived.

The countless presences were rapidly approaching, pushing their way through the volcano’s eruption. And so, for the time being Hajime-san dug a hole on the ground using transmutation and quietly buried the first villager-san (?) into it. There was a hole for air so it was fine!

Like that, it was obvious even without using anything like future sight. The two hurriedly ran away from that place in order to escape from the situation that would surely accelerate the misunderstanding. Run run♪ Thrill thrill♪.

They leaped into a crack on the ground and ran randomly to hide from the countless presences.

The bloody wind was gnawing on their body, so Hajime drank recovery medicine while on the way he improved the cold protection artifact “Air Zone” that he used in ice and snow cavern to create air purification artifact “Air Zone Revised”.

「……Yosh, I managed it somehow. Here, Shia, this one is for you.」

「Ah, I’m fine you know?」

It was a harmful material that would erode from the skin even when they didn’t breath. Hajime wondered just what she meant by alright and turned a dubious expression toward her. There,

「I’m already used to it!」

「Ah, is that so.」

Shia said that with a radiant smile. To be more accurate, she used metamorphosis magic and obtained resistance by adjusting it many times. Even so the harmful substance still eroded her body, but the recovery of regeneration magic counterbalanced it.

The bugged rabbit could heal mere little wounds and moderate abnormal status with guts. It seemed that she finally even obtained a method to acquire resistance rapidly even against toxic substance.

Hajime didn’t think too deeply about it.

Through this and that, there was no sign of the countless presences seething in killing intent were chasing them, so the two immediately started their foreign world sightseeing.

The worn-out ground with many craters smashed on it. Or rather, it was a dead land where it felt like breath of life was nonexistent.

River of magma. Boiling lake. A great number of crows with rotten body. A swamp that looked like slime. A tornado of lightning flame. The trees of a burning forest and yet they didn’t turn into ash. Creature with blasphemous appearance that couldn’t be comprehended fully……

Hajime and Shia took selfie of the two of them with those backgrounds and a wide smile on their face.

Just how much they were having fun with the adventure date in this place that was like hell?

「Oh? That’s……a village?」

「Is that an abandoned village?」

They discovered a place that was like a village with weathered and half destroyed stone houses crowded in disorderly fashion. At the same time, Shia’s stomach pleaded *kyuu~~* of its hunger. Shia’s rabbit ears flopped down and her hands pressed on her stomach while she looked down in embarrassment.

Haijme launched a yakuza kick to pulverize a monster that was hard to be described looking like a praying mantis that attacked them while his expression smiled.

「Come to think of it, it will be dinner time soon. I forgot because I got absorbed into this world that is like hell but, I’m also hungry.」

「Ehehe……then, it’s nice timing, let’s borrow a house in this deserted village.」

The two of them searched for the house that was in the best state. They casually beat or shot to death the slime thingy that launched tentacles or a spider thingy that they had never even seen before that rushed at them from inside the deserted houses while looking around the deserted village. Then they finally found a house that looked better.

Hajime reinforced it with transmutation, took out things like sofa inside, and also put air purification filter through the whole house using Air Zone Revised.

He left the unknown thingy sticking on the window outside like a gecko and the pack of Bio Hazar○ dog look-alike roaming outside the house’s wall to sentry gunChidori-sensei and arachne squad before taking warm meal.

The two relaxed while staring at the bloody wind outside the window with the BGM of Chidori-sensei’s beautiful sound and the war cry of the arachne swarm 「IiIIIIIH」 that sounded motivated for some reason.

They finished their meal. The two snuggled close to each other on the sofa while drinking tea and checking their selfie pictures.

――GISHAAAAAAAAH

――IiIIIIIH

――GISHA!?

――IiIIIREGULAR REMOVAL IIIIII

「What are we going to do Hajime-san? Will we camp here? Or, will we return to earth for the moment?」

Shia suddenly asked. Perhaps because of the relaxing atmosphere, her eyes were blinking repeatedly with sleepy look.

‘Now then, what to do……’, Hajime showed a pondering gesture. It was then,

「Hm? It became silent?」

「Ah, arachne-san returned. ……Somehow, they have this atmosphere as though they has accomplished something amazing.」

Without anyone noticing the arachne-san group entered inside using the created small door with rustling sound. Erst and Neunte came forward as representative and stared fixedly at their master Hajime.

Could it be they wanted to be praised……no, such program wasn’t written into them……’What’s with that round and cute eyes pleading at me!?’ Hajime thought. He also stared back at Erst and Neunte for a few seconds.

At the next moment.

「Tsu!! Hajime-san!」

「! Ou-」

Three layers of four point barrier were instantly laid out. Hajime did that because his instinct raised a sense of danger, but Shia’s voice also told him to do that.

From the result it was the correct action.

An invisible attack instantly blasted the house, furthermore it pulverized the first layer of the barrier and the Cross Velt. The second layer was similarly pulverized after a slight resistance. And then the third layer was cracked before the attack dissipated.

――As to be expected from someone who defeated my subordinate

A voice resounded directly inside their brain. It had a similar reverberation with that first villager-san (?). Even so, this voice was far heavier, far more terrifying, and indescribably shook the soul.

Right after that,

「O, oo?」

「Wawah!?」

The space distorted, and immediately after it their field of vision suddenly switched.

In front of the gaze of the surprised duo was someone clad in extravagant outfit. He looked like an old man in a glance. However, it needed to be added that he floated in the air and rode a monster that looked like a giant crocodile.

There was a thunderous sound behind them. When the two spontaneously looked behind, surprisingly the volcano that was in the middle of eruption was right there.

(We were teleported? If we are forcefully sent back to the former place……ah, crap. The matter of villager-san got exposed and we were searched huh……)

Hajime grumbled inside his heart and returned his gaze to the front. His eyes met the old man who was calmly emitting terrifying presence. Behind the old man, there was also a giant castle made of stone.

Hajime swallowed the fact that he was the one who got attacked first with effort and formed a wide smile that was evaluated by both his classmates and government people as shady.

「Nice to meet you. Are you someone from that castle? This is quite a novel way to invite someone! Furthermore, that’s one splendid castle! By the way, perhaps there is some kind of misunderstanding, so I’ll say this first but, we are just a virtuous tourist――」

――Mixed person who isn’t human or demon, I’ll receive your soul as the compensation of your sin invading my territory

「Hajime-san!」

A vision of death attacked once more!

Hajime immediately opened a gate behind him and the two of them teleported by falling back. The two who went out behind the old man saw the sight of a part of the volcano ahead got severely shaken.

It was an attack in the level that instantly changed the landscape.

「O, oi oi. It has been a long time since I feel death so near. Ain’t you really energetic for a gramps?」

「Wha, what to do? It feels like no dialogue can be held just like usual though.」

Even while they were talking, killing intent became intense quake that attacked them. They teleported again to evade. But,

「Uoh!?」

「No wayyy! Desuu!」

It seemed their teleportation’s destination was predicted. A shadow hung over them, and right after the teleportation a jaw was opened wide behind them. It was that giant crocodile.

Just before the jaw was closed, Shia’s magic power burst out. The closed jaw was held open with both her legs and both her arms supporting it. Hajime drew out Donner and Schlag at that opening and fired. A thunderous roar resounded, at the same time crimson flash trampled the inside of the crocodile’s mouth.

――GIAAAAAAH

――Nuh

The crocodile rampaged. Hajime and Shia were thrown out.

But, they couldn’t feel relieved at all. Because they could see it at the corner of their gaze right after they were thrown out. The sight of monsters with strange shape were approaching them in preposterous number.

「Hm~. He said that this is his territory, and if we’re the intruder, massacring this many local is……I’m a Japanese after all.」

「Hajime-san won’t give that up huh!」

Compressed shockwaves flew at them like a barrage. While Shia hit them back with Vire Drucken, Hajime took out his compass. And then, with an 「Oh?」 his face became surprised.

「Shia, it seems this place we are at is an underground world. There is bedrock above that lightning cloud. There is a stair to the floor below at the foot of that mountain’s other side. Want to try going there for a bit seeing that we’re free?」

「What! That sounds really exciting! Roger desu!」

What a peaceful decision. Hajime carried Shia in his arm while opening a gate. They instantly teleported to the foot of the mountain far away.

In front of them, a pitch black space that connected to underground was spreading. Hajime fixed the space in place using Cross Velt to obstruct forceful teleportation like before and said 「Haha, it has been so long since I’m in a situation this bad」. He then moved to go down the stair……

――You won’t get away

The next instant, the old man was in front of them.

「Se, seriously?」

「A, amazing.」

The old man’s “summon” seemed to be effective even with the teleportation obstruction using space fixation.

(This ain’t in the level of space interference. This is already in the level of “boundary interference”)

It was a power that interfered with boundary which was the essence of space magic. Hajime’s expression twitched slightly seeing the opponent not only in possession of age of god magic, his strength even reached the origin of that magic.

Intense space quake attacked them once more without even any time to shudder.

Hajime just barely laid out a barrier but the attack couldn’t be defended fully. The two of them were blown away.

――Don’t think that you will be able to escape from an archduke like me

「Chih, Shia! This isn’t really the time to be considerate!」

「Right! It can’t be helped in this situation!」

While the army of monsters was approaching, Hajime pulled out Metzelei Disaster while Shia took out Vire Drucken and activated body strengthening Level VI.

The two’s fury was unleashed. A crimson falling star mowed down the army of monsters in an instant. At the same time, Shia stepped forward toward the old man in a manner that was like instant teleportation. She launched a full swing of Vire Drucken.

But, as expected, it seemed the existential status of the army and the old man was completely different. The old man dodged Shia’s attack with an instant teleportation. On the contrary he launched a counterattack with large scale space shockwave that was impossible to escape from.

「Ukyaaa――!?」

Shia was blown toward the castle. Hajime tried to follow after her, but the giant crocodile that separated from its master unnoticed had circled toward Hajime’s back and its jaw snapped at Hajime with a terrific speed.

「Don’t think you can get carried away forever you bastard.」

The binding artifact “Bola” materialized from empty air. It entangled the upper jaw and got fixed in space. At the same time, Hajime turned around and fired the rail cannon Schlagen AA.

The bullet pierced through the giant crocodile’s throat, mercilessly trampled the inside of the body, came out from its ass while pulverizing the giant body. Hajime hit the giant crocodile that stopped moving with a spinning kick. The giant body was blown away like a joke and sent flying a part of the approaching army.

――You bastard

「Now is your only chance to pull back you know?」

A huge lion of steel――Grim Reaper Nemea was behind the old man when anyone noticed. The function that was installed in its jaw was “biting off the target along with the space”.

――Nuu!?

The old man slipped out a shocked and uneasy voice for the first time. He barely dodged using teleportation, but his shoulder was grazed. That wounded part was rapidly crumbling.

But, he wasn’t given any time to pay attention to that.

――Rocket & missile launcher Agni – Orcan

The unleashed tyranny mercilessly attacked the army and the old man. Even so, charging through the gap, a part of the army attacked Hajime in waves and the old man also launched an immense shockwave.

Violence and violence fought in a direct confrontation, like two boxers hitting each other from close range.

If the classmates and the people of Tortus were here, surely they would escape from reality by thinking that they were seeing a nightmare, or their jaw would drop down from shock without a doubt.

Because the old man was unbelievably meeting Hajime’s tyranny right from the front with his own tyranny even if Hajime still wasn’t using his full power.

But, the head on fight stopped there.

Hajime’s mouth split open into a grin. Because through telepathy, his bunny wife energetically replied to him 「Hajime-san! I’ll let him have it!」.

「SCREW OFFFFFFFF-! DESUU!」

A war cry rose from the castle. The old man who was blocking the random pounding of missiles using space isolation type barrier opened his eyes wide.

The cause was obvious. An extremely huge war hammer that was out of common sense was lifted up right above the castle.

「Get away from Hajime-san-, desuuu!」 (TN: Here Shia used yagare in her talk, which was derogatory suffix that indicated hatred and contempt according from dictionary. Will it be too rude if I add ‘fuck’ so that it becomes ‘get the fuck away’?)

The 100 Ton Hammer was swung down mercilessly.

――Stop-

No, no stopping. The 100 Ton Hammer crashed onto an invisible barrier right above the castle, however, the space impact blow that Shia unleashed right after that smashed down the barrier and directly hit the castle.

Earthquake and shockwave rushed through, blowing away the bloody wind in radiating shape. Dust cloud rose up like a volcano eruption. The large and solemn castle was crumbling. It vanished as though it was driven into underground.

――LITTLE GIRLLLLLL-, YOU DARE TO DO SUCH OUTRAGE KNOWING THAT IT’S THE CASTLE OF THIS ARCHDUKE AGARES-

A severe quake erupted. The space screamed, cracked, and the ground split with the old man at the center.

Hajime teleported toward Shia just an instant before that storm of destruction reached. He sent a lot of grim reaper toward the old man that lost its senses from his rage to hold him back while the two of them teleported toward the stair and jumped down this time for sure.

.

.

.

「Haha, that was dangerous. Just what in the world that guy was? His name felt familiar somehow……」

「Hajime-san, you made that serious face after so long.」

Even though they should have just gotten through a battle that was quite grand, a conversation with really light atmosphere was echoing. The two’s footsteps were lively even while they were going down the stair toward the dark underground.

There was one reason.

「An adventure have to be like this as expected!」

「An adventure without risk is just silly isn’t it!」

It seemed that their capability to return any time and the presence of an important person at their side made this situation no different from an adventure date, no matter what kind of astounding opponent that would appear in front of them.

From the view point of the local, they were an outrageously bothersome visitors, but seeing how the other side attacked them without any intention to listen, no side here could blame the other.

「But you know, Shia. As expected, isn’t flattening the castle going too far?」

「Oh my-, really Hajime-san, why are you speaking like a person with common sense!? If you say that, Hajime-san also shot that grandpa’s pet to death first!」

「……Because, our heart couldn’t connect even though our words could connect so……」

While they were making talk that was unclear whether they were serious or joking, they came out into an underground space.

「O, oo? A, city?」

「Is this an underground city?」

Ahead of the stair was a cliff. From that cliff they could see an unobstructed view of a city below. The scale of the city was really big. Even though they were underground, they couldn’t see the edge of the city. Even so, the city was quiet like a ghost town. It was in a really ruined state.

「For now, let’s camp here today.」

「My sleepiness has been blown away completely though.」

The two of them turned their gaze around restlessly in curiosity while jumping from building to building. They were heading toward the center of the city. They were also taking selfie everywhere on the way.

「Hajime-san, that! Isn’t that really amazing?」

「Certainly that’s amazing……is that, a palace? This place is like a ghost town, could that be a royal palace in the past?」

At the deepest part of the city was a huge palace with splendid appearance. No, with the solemnity that it also possessed, perhaps it should be called as a sanctuary. It possessed a dignity of different kind from the huge castle before this that spontaneously stole their gaze.

In front of this they had no other choice but to take selfie.

「Excuse me~, is anyone home~? We’re normal tourist you can find anywhere! Can we take photo here~?」

Shia called out loudly. Manner should be kept. They should restrain themselves in a place where selfie wasn’t allowed! She thought, showing a pretense as someone with common sense at this late.

「There is no way anyone is here. It’s a ghost town no matter how you look――」

――Hou, human? A brat called out for invasion to the surface world, is this an adverse effect from that?

Unexpectedly there seemed to be a local person here.

――Kukuh, for the archduke to be outwitted……this is interesting

A different voice resounded. There was sneer within the voice.

――Don’t you all dare to interfere. They’re mine

There was another different voice. It was tremendously overbearing. Ordinary people would have their consciousness blown away instantly if they heard it.

The space flickered. Something like black mist gathered and an old man with spider lower body appeared. A humanoid with lion head seeped out. Flame suddenly burst up from empty air, and from inside it a huge wolf that breathed fire was created.

Other than them, from the inner part of the sanctuary, from the buildings inside it, strangely shaped existences flooded out with various method. Every single one of them looked terribly destructive, blasphemous, repulsive, and mysterious. And yet, they were vaguely clad in sweet air.

. They were existences with absurd “status” that rivaled or surpassed the old man from before.

「Nice to meet you all, we are travelers who came from far away land.」

「Ah, so Hajime-san is still doing that.」

He was a Japanese.

Of course, Hajime-san’s friendly attitude as Japanese person never went through. It was really mysterious.

――Human soul after so long-, I’ll greatly enjoy it!

It was a total disregard. The huge wolf charged ahead. That act wasn’t because of any thinking like victory went to the swift or the like, but more like it couldn’t think of anything other than winning the scramble for the treat that suddenly appeared before them.

「Wa-, wait! Let’s talk! We only want to sightsee here!」

――Hah, that’s really an amazing sarcasm for a human-

「Why!?」

The witch had mentioned where she was throwing them to. If only Hajime accepted her words literally, then he would certainly be aware that his word was sarcasm. After all for human this place was a place that they wouldn’t approach the most and should be avoided.

The huge wolf’s jaw approached.

For now, Hajime opened a gate using the variable chakram Orestes and passed through to the paired chakram behind.

「Haa, it can’t be helped if we are rejected so much like this. We wil lonely kill the locals again in vain like this, let’s explore a different place.」

「Right desu, whoops!」

Shia also agreed while launching a full swing at the monster that suddenly appeared behind them.

Like that, Hajime immediately tried to teleport to escape but……

「Ah? Chih, we’re obstructed?」

――You bastard-, how dare you do that to my castle! I won’t forgive you!

「The gramps from before!?」

The one who obstructed the teleportation and appeared with a demonic look was the old man from before.

Space quake & space isolation suddenly attacked them. The killing intent was high. Tremendously. The attack also dragged the residences of the same world, but the old man didn’t look concerned at all.

He somehow endured using barrier, but the opponent’s attack was also using space interference. It couldn’t be defended fully and the shockwave attacked Hajime and Shia.

There, another invisible attack that shook the soul came. Hell fire, thunder, ice hell, scream that invited madness came attacking like tsunami. Furthermore, half of the attacks penetrated the barrier, and not only that, they also ignored physical resistance and directly dealt damage to the soul.

「Ouch ouch. This is bad, this world-, it’s seriously bad news!」

「The one just now, it’s like from Yue-san’s divine punishment series isn’t it!? Or rather, just from their basic spec, they are equal or surpassing apostle you know!? What is it with this world!」

Right after they said that, a horse approached using “Godspeed” that was Kaori’s favorite trick. The knight riding the horse bisected the Cross Velt that was clad in “Vajra” while rushing toward Hajime.

「Chih」

Hajime clicked his tongue. Using super precise sniping through quick draw, he diverted the trajectory of the knight’s sword while twisting his body to dodge.

But, because Hajime used the minimum movement to dodge, when they passed each other the knight’s foot slightly touched Hajime’s shoulder.

In that instant,

「–!?」

「Hajime-san!?」

Blood burst out from Hajime’s body.

Shia swung around a huge metal ball to mow down the surrounding while leaping toward Hajime.

「Are you alright!?」

「No problem! But, it’s troublesome.」

Hajime’s mouth caught the recovery medicine he took out from empty air, bit off the ampoule and drank. His wounds vanished right away, but the places of the wound were problematic. A lot of the wounds were in familiar places.

「Wound’s……playback?」

「Yeah, it was only for an instant so the playback didn’t really go far, but it would be dangerous if all the wounds got rewound.」

It was superpower of age of god magic on parade. Hajime smiled bitterly.

The two’s equipment was fairly worn out just from a short battle. If the classmates were here, they might fainted from shock.

Local people who couldn’t be talked to, boasting spec that rivaled or even surpassed god’s apostle, and the superpower they used was age of god magic level. In front of that, Hajime was about to open his mouth toward Shia that they should escape first from here――

――Nice struggle. That’s a wonderful radiance of soul. Especially the woman’s soul is wonderful

「……Hm?」

Hajime’s eyes narrowed hearing the voice.

――What a really good woman. Her quality surpassed that of the saint. She will make a good womb

――Indeed. It’s a bit wasteful to merely eat her

――What a tough body. Such body can be impregnated no matter how many times.

Shia fixed her grip on her war hammer with disgusted expression. But, right after that, 「Fuwa!?」 she screamed.

「It can’t be helped isn’t it? Our talk won’t get through after all.」

Crimson magic power burst out. It spiraled and pierced the sky. The pressure that was like a water pressure of a great waterfall accompanied with a shockwave caused the local people to change their expression for the first time.

It seemed they finally noticed. That the human they faced, was outside the category of human. That the existence they threatened was being considerate for them until now.

Of course, it was already too late to notice that now.

What appeared from empty air, was seven Burst Hyperion.

Hajime himself wasn’t doing it intentionally but, that was their archenemy. Yes, the light of sun was.

*GOU-* The atmosphere groaned and seven sunlight convergence lasers swallowed everything on their path. There were also those who barely dodged using teleportation or godspeed, but nearly thirty percent of them was undoubtedly swallowed.

And then, the aim of that tyranny wasn’t really them. It was an important existence of Hajime that got aimed at, so of course, his aim was also an important existence for the opponent――in other words, the sanctuary that was the symbol of this underground city.

Earthquake and white flash filled the underground space.

There wasn’t even any explosive sound. There was only annihilation from the light of the sun swallowing everything.

Furthermore,

「All units, release the second compression furnace」

The tyranny didn’t end! It wasn’t satisfying with just annihilating the sanctuary, he would turn the surrounding area into an empty lot with moving attack. The local people who were late to run away got reduced by further twenty percent.

Even the people who possessed vast battle ability were focusing on evasion or defense right now. It seemed that was just how weak they were against flash of sunlight.

Hajime trounced the underground city while saying to Shia.

「Shia. Teleportation is still obstructed even while I’m doing this much. I don’t know if it’s that old man or someone else.」

「Eerr, what should we do?」

「For now how about we try climbing until the surface? It looks like these guys are weak against sunlight, if it’s at the surface then we might be able to open a gate to earth. It will be troubling if we fight at full power and this place cave in, and I also want to prepare escape route just in case of the worst.」

「I see. Let’s find stair again……that’s troublesome! Let’s smash through desu!」

「Right. And then at the end, I’ll incinerate the whole underground space.」

Hajime would toss an extra large sunlight bomb into the opened hole. By doing that the heat wave would incinerate everything wholesale without causing any cave-in. That method was kind to this world, what a truly clean way that he thought of.

「And also, Shia. No need for anymore consideration just because they’re the locals. Thinking of what they want to do to you, even the slightest possibility should be crushed. Just prioritize yourself.」

「Roger desu. They’re really strong that we can’t let our guard down. I’d rather die then ending up like the girl in the doujinshi in Hajime-san’s room! I’ll also go full power!」

「Shia, let’s have a bit of talk later. That’s not what you think. It’s related to Tou-san’s company see? It’s for the newest game’s data gathering――」

「Now, let’s go!」

As though to show that this wasn’t the time for Hajime’s rage to be dampened, the instant Burst Hyperion’s light settled down, faint bluish white magic power burst up from Shia. She went until body strengthening Level VIII in one go.

At the same time,

「It’s inadvertently the chance to show this in real battle for the first time! Vire Drucken――divine clad mode!!」

The head part of Vire Drucken revolved in a full circle, then the seven small orbs that were embedded into it systematically got covered in radiance. Right after that, seven patterns were drawn on Vire Drucken’s surrounding, and a formula shining with seven colors appeared with round shape.

Shia jumped toward the ceiling and readied Vire Drucken in lower stance while yelling its name. The new power that was installed in Vire Drucken was unleashed!

「Mode Oros!! Blast!!」

The formula turned like a roulette. The formula that was rotated to the front of the hitting part was the ashen colored formula.

When Shia swung up with all her strength, the hitting part of Vire Drucken broke through the formula and the formula clung on like a stamp.

「URYAAAAAAAAH! DESUU!」

A violent sound of impact roared. The hitting part that had the ashen colored formula pasted on it hit the ceiling.

It happened instantly. The ceiling’s wall of rock was pulverized as though it was blasted. It didn’t stop there, the collapse headed deeper and deeper, higher and higher in a chain reaction. In addition, the rubbles themselves were stuck to the surrounding wall.

When they looked into the hole, the innermost depth was burst open and a small light could be seen there. With just one attack, a path until the upper floor was created instantly.

「As expected from Oros-san!」

The ashen colored orb flashed bright. For some reason the red colored orb also flashed as though in protest. It looked as though when the ashen colored orb coolly replied 『Hmph, it’s just a trivial task』, the red orb said 『Kiii-, frustrating! Even though it’s enough for me to be the only one useful for Shia!』.

「Let’s go right away while we can.」

Hajime used the auxiliary weapon of Burst Hyperion, the Mirror Bit――the option to attack from multiple directions in super wide range by reflecting the laser and dividing it into many branches――to hold back the local people.

「Oops, before that! Mode Soare!」

The red orb shined as though it was feeling really proud *nuffuu~*. The formula circle that was materialized once more rotated and the red formula arrived in front of the hitting part.

The war hammer was fully swung through that formula toward an empty space that had nothing.

The next moment,

――Nuu!?

The old man who specialized in teleportation had just materialized there. He ate the attack of shining red war hammer and was blown away. Furthermore, that wasn’t all,

――!? This is-, let go-

Like the prominence serving the sun, the light of the sun coiled around the old man and wouldn’t let go. He tried to teleport, he tried to launch shockwave, but the flame clung on the old man tenaciously like a certain someone’s disposition to burn him continuously.

「It’s amazing you noticed him. Was it “Hypothetical Future” just now?」

「No? It’s instinct desu!」

「……I see」

Setting aside Shia’s bugged state for now, the two of them dashed to the upper floor without stopping.

In respond to the pursuer, they dropped explosive or fired flame bomb filled with compressed sunlight using Vire Drucken’s bombardment mode to hold them back. Hajime asked midway.

「It looks like Vire Drucken is working well. Do you feel any malfunction?」

「For now it’s alright. The god clad mode……as expected should I call it Soare-san and others? They too are absurdly effective.」

Isn’t that right, isn’t that right! You can rely more on me you know? You can rely on me more and more you know? Don’t be reserved! Because, that’s how our relationship is like isn’t it!

The red orb was irritatingly shining as though to say that. Electric shock flew from the yellow orb. The red orb fell silent.

Now then, the seven colored orbs that were newly equipped into Vire Drucken and gave back really humane reaction like this……their true identity was the seven colored slimes――not, but the seven soul fragments of the divine spirits who ruled over nature.

Or to be more accurate, the orbs were treasure warehouse that was their new dwelling. Inside each orb there was a world that was modeled after nature to their preference, in addition, the orb of star tree that was set up at the deepest part of Vire Drucken was connected to all the orbs. Like that, through the orbs, the power of spirit element and the power of soul fragment could be manifested.

With god clad mode the war hammer entered activation state. By calling the name of the divine spirit, the hammer would change into a mode that ruled over each nature. Rather than saying that it was Shia herself who invoked the phenomenon, it was the divine spirits who were made to activate the phenomenon that Shia wished for.

By the way, the formula and the crest were optional from Hajime. If asked whether it was necessary or not, it was completely unnecessary. But, it was cool so it was necessary! It was so necessary that even the soul fragments needed seven days and seven nights to invent their own crest with Hajime’s suggestion!

Also, the nature inside the orb, it became like that on its own. At first Hajime’s idea was for the soul fragments to enter into the orb only when it was time to fight. So to speak, it would be like a pilot entering the cockpit.

But……as expected from the soul fragments of divine spirits and the star tree’s foliage that governed over nature. When they noticed, nature was born inside the orb and the inside became more comfortable to live in instead of outside, so they settled down inside there.

They were free to come out but……at present, everyone had become a splendid shut-in NEET soul fragment.

After various things, Hajime and Shia jumped out to the upper floor.

Their main objective was to escape to the surface, but even after their encounter with a group of powerful enemy, they were feeling excited from the adventure in this world. They smashed through the ceiling rapidly with such feeling.

――You bastards-, YOU BASTARDDDDD-

――It’s already not enough just eating you two-

――The myriad devil palace of the seven kings-, our symbol, how dare you do such thing to it!!!

The local people who had gone past being infuriated were pursuing Hajime and Shia. They already didn’t care just how astounding their strength was or just how many of their brethren had been done in.

They were completely in the state of being unable to draw back. They were in a state of 「We aren’t gonna pull back even if you pay us, assholeee!!」.

「――Mode Udar!! Thousand Lightning!!」

Perhaps the locals had contacted the upper floor by some kind of method. The instant they smashed through the next floor and rushed out, a great swarm of monster that could be mistaken as black cloud rapidly approached.

The formula switched to the yellow one. When the hammer was swung onto midair using space magic like pushing a stamp, tens of thousands of lightning strikes were unleashed to the sky.

The monsters were turned to ash. Their shape crumbled while their remains became a black rain.

The two broke through that black rain and Shia smashed the ceiling with mode Oros once more. Right after she jumped out to the upper floor she rotated.

「Mode Barahu and Entii! Ice Storm!!」

The white and green formulas were each set to both sides of the hitting surface. When Shia swung her war hammer like a spinning top, a snow tornado of absolute zero was instantly produced.

「Mode Meeres! Tidal Wave!」

If she poured water current like a great waterfall into there……the big hole got instantly blocked with ice.

Even so, several locals who could teleport or strong against freezing form the beginning broke through with demonic look but……

「Mode Laila! Derangement & Black Spear!」

The black formula was set, then when Shia walloped the local who looked like a snake man who rapidly approached in godspeed, the snake man was blown away and screamed in frenzy while starting to attack his fellow locals.

On the other hand, black spears rained down like a torrential rain toward a knight riding black horse that generated a large amount of repulsive evil spirits. The black spears moved to all directions before homing to the target with acute angle, creating an attack with unparalleled accuracy.

The black spear unleashed by that the divine spirit of everlasting darkness Laila, was a physical attack but also improvised divine spirit arms created from spirit element. Because of that it could easily pierce opponent that lacked corporeal body and dealt damage to them.

The evil spirit thingies and the local who looked like a knight riding on black horse dispersed like mist.

Shia swung the god clad Vire Drucken once, then put it on her shoulder while lightly tapping it. She then said,

「Now now, Hajime-san. Let’s go at once!」

「O, ou……」

She urged Hajime and leaped into the wall on the ceiling.

The bugged rabbit finally obtained wide ranged power of annihilation by borrowing the power of the soul fragments.

Hajime who completely lost any need to interfere midway said 「It’s even more than expected……well, it’s a good thing that Shia become strong, right………………let’s train when we get home……」 with slightly convulsing expression……

In any case, against the pursuit of the absurdly strong local people, the two of them were,

『Wait Laila! Isn’t it unfair that you’re the only one who got a turn!? Shia! Please use me more!』

『Oh my, Soare, really. I’m sorry, it looks like that I’m more in demand.』

『You two. Let me say this, I’m the one who got used the most in training or mock battle okay? Shia’s favorite is none other than this divine spirit of lightning cloud Udar――』

『Who cares about that! More importantly, you demon over there! You properly watched my active role right!? I properly protected Shia just like you said! That’s why prepare a reward for me! Also, act kinder to me!』

『……You guys, don’t get noisy for every single thing.』

『Recently even Laila become like Soare……haa』

『……What a situation』

With such boisterous conversation of the soul fragments and the deep sigh of Barahu and Meeres who couldn’t get along with the others as BGM, Hajime and Shia enjoyably shook off the locals while climbing up to the surface.

After that, they learned where they were and what the local people were through an unexpected reunion but……

That was another story.

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Omake

「……Don’t tell me, you two are sulking?」

Right after the commotion in Vatican settled down, Hajime turned an indescribable gaze toward two arachnes.

――IiIIIH

――IiIIIH

The arachne that was hitting her master’s foot with her front leg was Neunte, and then the arachne that was folding its legs like folding one’s arms while sullenly looking away was Erst.

Actually, because of the old man’s forced teleportation, the two of them got left behind at that hell’s ruined village. They desperately followed the holes that Shia opened to chase after their master and they were barely, really only barely leaped into the gate that was just a moment from closing.

For Hajime, Grim Reaper and Cross Velt were machine without soul. They were disposable weapon for him.

And so, he didn’t even pay any mind to them but……

「I put automatic return mode in them but……」

When the two arachnes took attitude of ‘Why did you leave us behind! This cold-hearted personnn!’ like this, as expected the 「It feels like there are people inside them」 theory that Shia mentioned became plausible.

「Aah, that’s, my bad. Next time I won’t leave you guys behind okay. So just enter the treasure warehouse already.」

When Hajime tried to put them back inside treasure warehouse, the two would escape in high speed. He tried telling them to enter like this.

Good grief, what a hopeless master. I’ll forgive you this time, good grief.

Was it just imagination that it felt like the two were saying that to him?

In any case, the two obediently allowed themselves to be stored inside the treasure warehouse this time. At this time it was also after Hajime learned about the existences inside the Deadly Sins Ranger.

「……Is that seriously the case? No, but, hm~……good grief, even though I also want to investigate various things about the great tree, things keep on coming one after another.」

He muttered while holding his head.

AN: Everyone of Narou! Happy New Year!

Please take care of me again this year too!

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※Additional explanation

Air Zone

Artifact that came out in the modification of volume 9

God clad mode

I think that the Innoce○ce of a certain eyepatched exorcist hammer user-san is lovely.

Great tree’s story

Please pardon me this time with just groundwork. Before long I’m planning to write about a story revolved around the great tree.

IiII

Reimportation from Nichijou. Mori-sensei, I’ll be in your care too this year-

A bit of revisionJust in case, the last explanation of Abyss Lord’s second episode

=>Right after coming out to the surface, Hajime made the lord to wait, dropped a sunlight bomb into the underground where the pursuers were approaching, making the great demons went *pichun* along with the underground city. Then he opened a gate and returned to earth. There he learned the true identity of the people inside the Deadly Sins Ranger.

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※There is update at Gardo.

For you who haven’t read it, please read no matter what as your accompaniment in New Year!