“Th-Thanks, Yue.”
“Thank you very much, Yue-san.”
“Mmm... Anyway...” Yue manipulated her Spatial Severance to drop Hajime off into the cockpit. Hajime began pouring mana into the submarine’s control system, but he made little headway trying to steer it. The thickness of the magma and the speed of its flow made stabilizing the sub very difficult.
“Tch... If only this meant the volcano’s erupting. We would have had our express ticket out.”
“It’s not?” Yue tilted her head quizzically.
“Yeah, it’s not. I added lodestones to the Cross Bits when I sent them out. That way, I’d always know what direction we’re going in. I dropped them on the summit before I made them blow up, so I know where the shortcut comes out... But we’re getting further from there, not closer.”
“Wait, does that mean the magma’s taking us further underground?”
“Yeah. It’s going at a slant, but we’re still descending. I wonder where we’re heading... Yue, Shea. It looks like we won’t be making it back anytime soon. All we can do is see where this takes us.”
Yue and Shea smiled gently and sidled up to Hajime.
“All I want is to be with you. If I can have that, I don’t care what else happens.”
“Hehe... So this is what ‘through hell and high water’ really means... As long as I can be with you two, I don’t care where we go!”
“I see. Fair enough.” Hajime smiled back.
The three of them huddled together in the submarine as the ocean of magma pushed them along.
While Hajime and the others were being pushed along by the magma, Tio was flying through the sandstorm. Her silhouette was the only thing that wasn’t brown in the sky.
“Mmm. This does not bode well. Unbelievable, to think that charlatan’s breath would... I suppose I have no choice. Master, please forgive me.” Even with Hajime’s protection, some of the white dragon’s aurora had hit her when she’d pushed through. And now, its insidious poison was eating away at her wounds. At the rate things were going, she would collapse long before she reached Ankaji. She reached into the Treasure Trove and pulled out one of Hajime’s few remaining Ambrosia vials. Then, she popped the whole thing, vial and all, into her mouth with a muttered apology for taking it without permission.
The vast amount of mana she’d spent casting multiple breath attacks and speeding through the volcano regenerated at an alarming rate. Her wounds didn’t start healing right away due to the poison, but the aurora’s effects were diminished.
After flying for a few hours, she finally spotted Ankaji in the distance. If she got any closer, Ankaji’s lookouts would spot her. Tio considered changing back to her human form.
“Well, now that the white dragon tamer’s seen me, I guess there’s no point in hiding it.” Besides, if I’m going to continue traveling with Master, a time when my dragon form will be needed again will surely come. In the end, Tio decided not to stop.
Her hidden village wouldn’t be found that easily. Even if it was, her clan was notoriously hard to kill. More than anything though, she had Hajime. If by some chance the whole world turned against them again, then she could count on him to have her back. He tried to act tough, but Tio knew he’d do anything for those he cared about.
Only a few kilometers remained between her and Ankaji. When she looked down, she spotted the lookout panicking and pointing in her direction. Tio didn’t want to have to deal with them accidentally attacking her, so she angled down toward the main gate and landed there.
She kicked up a massive cloud of dust as she landed. A contingent of Ankaji’s soldiers were waiting for her. She glanced up and saw another squad of soldiers aiming their bows and staves down at her from the walls.
The wind began to sweep away the dust cloud and soon Tio’s silhouette was visible. The soldiers gulped nervously. However, when the sand finally cleared all they saw was an exhausted woman.
A girl pushed past the bewildered soldiers and ran up to Tio. It was Kaori.
Bize and the soldiers tried to stop her, but she ignored them. She only stopped when she was next to Tio, who was doubled over and panting.
Kaori had known Tio was a dragon, so the moment the lookout had reported that one had been spotted she’d run to the main gate.
“Tio, are you alright!?”
“Oh, Kaori. Despite how I look, I shall be fine. I’m just a little tired.”
Kaori paled when she saw how hurt Tio was. Every inch of her was covered in wounds. Kaori kneeled down next to Tio and began examining her injuries. When she realized the damage had been caused by an unknown poison, she quickly cast a cleansing spell, followed by a healing spell.
“How come... Why can’t I purify you?” The aurora’s poison was so potent that even Ambrosia took some time to flush it out. Kaori’s skills weren’t nearly good enough to get rid of something like that.
Though, she was still far better than any other healer. The combination of her magic and the Ambrosia healed most of Tio’s more serious injuries. Tio smiled and patted Kaori’s head.
“Don’t worry child, the rest will heal soon enough,” she said.
Kaori smiled in relief as she saw Tio’s wounds begin to close up. It seemed there really hadn’t been any need to worry. Still, her expression grew worried again as she noticed no one else was with Tio.
“Tio... Umm, where’s Hajime-kun? Did you come back alone? And what was that eruption...”
“Calm yourself, Kaori. I will explain everything. But first, can you please calm those soldiers, and find somewhere we can talk privately?”
“Oh, uh, of course.” Kaori turned back, as if she’d only just noticed the army of soldiers behind her. Still a little worried, she nodded and began reassuring them. The only reason she wasn’t panicking was because Tio didn’t seem sad.
Kaori explained the situation to Bize and Lanzwi before taking Tio somewhere they could talk in peace.
“So then, Hajime-kun and the others are...”
“Indeed. They should be joining us soon. Master didn’t seem worried at all. I didn’t have time to ask for details, but I am certain he has a plan.”
Kaori clenched her fists, looking pale as a ghost. The worry she’d felt when she’d first seen the eruption returned with a vengeance.
Tio gently placed her hands over Kaori’s and gazed sternly into her eyes.
“Kaori, I have a message from Master.”
“From Hajime-kun?”
“Yes. Well, technically, he said it was for both you and Myu... Regardless, the message is ‘we’ll see you soon.’”
Kaori had expected him to say something reassuring like “Don’t worry” or “I promise I’ll come back.” Not something casual like “We’ll see you soon.” He made it sound like he was just going out for a bit to get groceries.
An image of him smiling fearlessly flashed in the back of her mind. She could just imagine him saying “Come on, this isn’t even worth getting worried over.” He was the kind of person who’d overcome any hardship thrown at him with a big grin on his face. Kaori smiled wryly to herself. He must have said something lighthearted like that because he knew it’d reassure me more than a serious promise.
“I see. Well, I guess he’s fine, then.”
“Precisely. Master is the kind of man who can overturn any kind of hopeless situation and make it look easy. You can’t help but trust in him...”
“Yeah... As long as Hajime-kun’s there, they’ll be fine. I should focus on my job here while I wait.”
“That you should. Allow me to assist you.”
Though Kaori felt the same despair she had when Hajime had fallen into the depths of the Orcus Labyrinth, she told herself Hajime would be fine and decided to focus on what she could do. She wiped her eyes and stood up. Lanzwi and his attendants had likely finished crushing the stillstone Tio had brought them and would be distributing it to the patients. In the meantime, she needed to heal all the people in critical condition so t
hat they could recover quickly.
On her way to the hospitals, Kaori stopped by the palace and explained what was going on to Myu. Lanzwi’s daughter, the fourteen-year-old Ailee, was taking care of her.
Myu started crying when she learned Hajime hadn’t returned, but Tio shushed her by saying Hajime’s daughter had to be a strong girl and strong girls didn’t cry. And so, Myu held in her tears and tried to be strong.
Though Myu was a Dagon, everyone had treated her kindly. There was, of course, the fact that she was part of Kaori’s party, but that wasn’t all. Once they got to know her, everyone couldn’t help but be moved by how adorable Myu was. Ailee especially had taken to Myu immediately.
Lanzwi and the others had been surprised to learn Tio was a dragonman, but they didn’t seem to hate her for it. In the end, she’d risked her life to save theirs, and they owed her for that regardless of who she was.
Two days later, Hajime still hadn’t returned. Kaori had been busy healing patients, but she knew she couldn’t distract herself with work for much longer.
Tio had flown back and forth from the volcano multiple times, but she hadn’t found any trace of Hajime or the others.
The evening of the third day since Tio’s return, Kaori made a suggestion.
“I finished healing all of the patients that were in critical condition. The ones left will heal naturally given time or can be looked after by Ankaji’s doctors. So... I think it’s time we start looking for Hajime-kun.”
“We’re going to find Daddy?”
“Hmm, I suppose we should. I was thinking of going to look for him myself.”
Myu leaned forward eagerly, while Tio lapsed into thought.
“But we can’t really take Myu with us to the Grand Gruen Volcano, can we?”
“Indeed. Master left her here because it was too dangerous to bring her along. Besides, searching the area will be difficult now, since it just erupted.”
“Yeah. I agree. I think we should get Myu to her mom in Erisen first, then turn back to look for Hajime-kun.”
“Hmm, that does sound sensible... Very well. It will be faster if you ride on my back. Through the air, Erisen is only a day’s journey from here. We should arrive tomorrow evening if we leave early enough in the morning.”
Myu watched the two of them with a puzzled expression on her face. The conversation was moving too fast for her to follow. Kaori kneeled down and explained what they were talking about to Myu. She frowned when Kaori said they couldn’t go look for Hajime right away. However, she really wanted to see her mother again too. Reluctantly, she agreed to go home first and wait for Hajime there.
Tio and Kaori smiled ruefully at how calculating Myu had been in her decision. She’d picked between Hajime and her mother, just like Hajime would have done in her position.
They set off the next day. Lanzwi seemed reluctant to let them go, while Bize saw them off with tears in his eyes. Kaori and Myu got on Tio’s back and the three of them headed off to the west. The townspeople cheered them as they went, their voices resounding through the desert.
Kaori was determined to find Hajime. She’d done it before and she could do it again.
Little did she know they’d be reunited very soon.
Around the same time back in Heiligh, Kouki had thrown himself wholeheartedly into training.
It wasn’t because he wanted to improve his skills, though. He still didn’t know if he could really kill someone when time came for it, so he’d tried to find the answers in his training.
However, there was no way just training would hold any answers. Though his skills improved, Kouki was no closer to knowing.
In a way, even he knew he was just trying to distract himself from facing the problem head-on. His irritation at himself grew with each passing day. Though he knew he had to make a decision soon, he couldn’t bring himself to take that step forward.
And since their leader was feeling this way, the other students, even the ones who hadn’t participated in combat since the Orcus Labyrinth incident, began to feel more stressed as well. A gloom hung over the castle.
Training had ended for the day, but there was still someone present at one of the less-used training grounds.
“Hmph, faster.” A series of sword strokes cut through the air. The jet-black sword moved so quickly that it was back in its owner’s sheath before the afterimages had disappeared. A second later, it shot back out with such speed one couldn’t even see the drawing motion.
Each stroke was sharp enough to cut steel. Every time Shizuku Yaegashi swung her blade, her ponytail swayed from side to side.
She was training alone in the deserted practice grounds, swinging the sword Hajime had given to her.
After she finished her flurry of strokes, Shizuku took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
A woman’s face appeared in the back of her mind. Red hair and dark skin. The demon who had nearly killed them all. She’d controlled a horde of monsters and could use powerful earth magic.
She had been a member of the army that had driven the humans into a corner. Shizuku could still remember every detail of that fight vividly. When she looked down, she noticed her right hand was trembling slightly.
I’ll cut them down. The next time one shows up, I’ll do it. If I don’t kill them, it’ll be my friends who end up dead instead. Shizuku tried to steel her resolve. Back then, a miracle had saved them. Hajime had swooped in, like a fairytale hero. However, miracles didn’t happen that often. Shizuku couldn’t count on one to save them again. She knew she’d lose someone precious to her if she didn’t take this seriously. That was why she was training.
“Haaah!” She let out a yell and slashed at the air with all her might. Her sword cut through where the imaginary demon was standing. Still, that wasn’t good enough. She knew that her own weakness had made her hesitate. Had that been a real fight, her slash would have been too slow to be fatal. She couldn’t afford to be weak, so she struck again.
“Go forth... Gale Claw!” A faint breeze began to blow along the blade’s length. This was the skill imbued into the sword Hajime had given her. Originally, it would have been impossible to invoke without being able to manipulate mana directly. However, the kingdom’s best alchemists had worked tirelessly to modify it into a usable state.
The masterfully crafted black sword transformed Shizuku’s image into a spell, and this time she cut through the image of the demon without hesitation. A second later—
“Ugh...” She groaned. Shizuku dashed over to a corner of the practice grounds and threw up.
“Bleh... Haaah... Haaah... Sheesh, I can’t believe this happens every time I train. What a waste of good food. Though I guess eating only healthy foods that look and taste like crap isn’t really a good thing, either.” Shizuku sighed and smiled bitterly at herself.
She tottered over to the sandwich and water bottle she’d left underneath the shade of a tree. Honestly, she’d been expecting to throw up. Still, even if she wasn’t hungry, she needed to replenish her body’s energy or risk collapsing. She’d force the food down her throat if she had to.
She sat down on a protruding root and took a big gulp of water. The refreshingly cool water washed away the bitter taste in her mouth.
“Haaah...” She breathed another sigh and looked up at the sun setting in the west.
Just then, she heard something unexpected.
“Meow...”
“Huh?” Looking down, she spotted a chestnut-colored cat purring next to her. It seemed cats in Tortus looked just like cats back home. They were just as prevalent too.
“Where’d you come from, little fella?” The practice grounds was inside the palace complex. In other words, it was surrounded by tall walls on three sides and the mountain behind it. There was no way a cat should have been able to find its way in. Shizuku tentatively reached a hand out to it, and the cat didn’t shy away. It seemed content to let Shizuku pet it. Its fur was clean and well kept.
“Must be some noble�
��s pet... Did you run away from your master?”
“Meow~”
Shizuku scratched it lightly on the neck. The cat purred happily and nuzzled against her. It seemed to be enjoying Shizuku’s petting. Surprised, Shizuku muttered something lightly.
“S-So cute...” Then, she smiled. Both her irritation at herself and her burning bloodlust vanished. She was totally absorbed by the cat.
The constant training had exhausted her, so it was understandable. Shizuku, who prided herself on her reputation as an aloof and mysterious beauty, had allowed herself to cut loose.
“You’re so cuuute... But you can’t be running away from your owner. Bad kids like you need to be punished.” Right, she started a conversation with a cat. If any of the noble ladies who’d taken to calling Shizuku “Nee-san” had spotted her they would have likely doubted their sanity. Or possibly break out in a nosebleed.
Shizuku continued petting the cat as she talked to it.
Remember, Shizuku was exhausted from the constant training.
After a few more minutes of petting, the cat padded over to the basket holding Shizuku’s sandwich and poked its nose inside.
“Oh? Do you want meow sandwich?” The cat gazed longingly at Shizuku.
Its cuteness melted Shizuku’s heart. She started cooing. Naturally, she wouldn’t refuse the request. However, her sandwich was too big, so she would need to cut it into smaller chunks.
“Wait just a little bit. I’ll cut it up meowcely for you.” There was no one around to ask why she was cutting it with her sword and not just ripping it with her hands. Or even why she was getting in a battle stance to cut it. She got into the same stance she had when she was practicing cutting imaginary demons. She threw the sandwich into the air and prepared to draw.
It was rather clear by this point, but to repeat once more... Shizukat was extremely tired. “Go forth... Gale Claw!” Hajime could never have guessed his sword would end up being used to cut a sandwich. But cut one it did, and splendidly too.
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Vol. 5 Page 11