AN: Here is the new chapter! Enjoy!
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PS: thank you for the Power Stones Novel_Pirate, After_Wing, DragonConquer1, SparkleEyeMole and Joldered!
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Demon's Labyrinth, Seiryuu City, DesuMachi Planet…
A quick flash of electro element cut through the room, and the two level‑10 caterpillar monsters dropped in an instant. Mei let out a short breath and slid her katana back into its sheath. At the entrance of the passageway were Auna, the Garleon Priest, Viscount Velton, their guards, and the civilians they'd met along the way, staring at her in collective stunned silence.
"Finally…" Mei murmured as she checked the room again, scanning each corner just in case more monsters were hiding. Her mini‑map already showed that the room was clear, but confirming it with her own eyes helped ease her nerves. "More and more monsters show up the deeper we go… that demon‑san really doesn't take a break."
Behind her, the others stared with round eyes and dropped jaws.
"F‑fa‑fast?!"
"She cut them down like nothing…"
"Such a refined swordsmanship…!"
"It's like watching the heroes from the old tales…"
Auna, Viscount Velton, and the Priest listened to the murmurs around them. They were just as amazed. Mei's clean sword work, her calm and elegant posture, and the polite and graceful way she carried herself all pointed to someone with proper training and good upbringing.
"I can't blame them for thinking that," Viscount Velton said.
The Garleon Priest nodded. "Honestly… even I'd believe Mei-dono is a hero."
"There's also the way she uses lightning magic to enchance her attacks and speed. She does it without chanting. A skill something only heroes are capable of," Auna added. "And her weapon… it's definitely not just some ordinary magic tool."
Both the viscount and the priest quickly turned toward her, shock written all over their faces.
"...For someone of your standing to say that," Viscount Velton muttered, his expression tightening as he tried to piece together what this could mean.
"Auna-sama, you are certain?" the priest asked carefully.
"Yes. Absolutely." Auna slowly nodded. "I may have never seen a real holy sword in person… but Mei-san's weapon and the jewel ornament at her waist, give off a feeling similar to the omens whenever I am about to receive an oracle from Parion-sama."
"!!" Her words sent a jolt through both men.
"I… haven't heard of any new heroes being summoned since the Saga Empire's Hero Hayato, but… Mei-san's strength, her unusual equipment, her dark colored hair, the way she moves like someone well‑educated yet still down to earth… everything fits what people call a hero." Auna tried to sound calm, but the tremble in her voice didn't escape the viscount or the priest.
"...Auna-sama, are you perhaps saying that…" Viscount Velton began, but he hesitated, unable to finish his words.
"I… I don't even know what to say…" The Garleon Priest held his head, overwhelmed. "But… just like you said, Auna-sama… it all adds up."
Auna took a deep breath to calm herself. "Either way… whoever Mei-sama truly is, she and her companions can definitely help us escape this labyrinth."
She lifted her gaze toward Mei. "And as citizens of this city—no, as citizens of the kingdom and this world we have a duty to support them."
Viscount Velton let out a slow exhale, bracing himself. "Please leave it to me. I'll offer whatever strength I have to support our 'heroes.'"
"Fuu… yes, you're right. I—we still have the duty to help them in their endeavor," the Garleon Priest said, taking a deep breath to steel his resolve.
Auna gave a small, reassuring smile. "At the very least, we shouldn't hold them back."
As their small discussion ended, Mei called out to everyone, "It's safe now, everyone. We can continue toward the exit." She offered a light smile to ease the group.
Auna, the viscount, and the priest exchanged one last look, nodding firmly before following after her. Together, they stepped onto the path Mei had cleared—each of them quietly deciding that until they escaped this labyrinth, they wouldn't be passive burdens anymore. They would support Mei however they could.
Their travel continued smoothly. They still ran into a few monsters—bugs, snakes, frogs, even the occasional bat—but nothing Mei couldn't handle, and they managed to rescue more civilians along the way.
The only real hiccup came when they came across a group of giant C******roaches. The sight alone sent a shiver down Mei's spine. Before she could react properly, her other self took over, blasting them with lightning and turning them into unrecognizable ash.
'Good. Burn you disgusting creatures!' the Herrscher of Thunder muttered with clear disgust.
Mei exhaled in relief. 'I really didn't need to see that…'
And another thing that caused confusion to her was how suddenly respectful everyone had become—Auna, the Viscount, the Priest, especially the civilians.
'Huh? Why is everyone acting so formal all of a sudden?' Mei wondered.
'Don't know. Don't care,' her Herrscher self replied. 'As long as they're not annoying, they can do whatever they want.'
Mei mentally sighed. 'You… haaa, fine. Let's just set aside this for now.'
—--
"The road is branching~ nyan."
Tama called out just as the junction came into view. Hachiman reached over and gave her a light pat on the head, earning a pleased, if slightly ticklish purr. Pochi stared at them enviously until Sora let out a small snort and leaned over to pat Pochi's head too, making the dog-girl brighten immediately.
"Let's take the right passage," Hachiman said.
They continued forward. Hachiman kept one eye on the mini-map, never letting his attention away from it. Something new blinked into view. 'Hmm? What's that?'
"There are bugs up ahead~ nano desu," Tama warned, mimicking Pochi's tone.
Hachiman's lips twitched before he focused forward again. Using his mini‑map as the reference, he locked onto the monster's rough location. A moment later, a small display popped up in that direction, showing the monster's name and level.
Once he had the exact position, he lifted his pistol and fired several Geo elemental shots. He kept shooting until a shrill screech rang through the passage. A moment later, a large, fat caterpillar dropped to the ground with a heavy thud.
"Tama, Pochi, grab some stones and throw them at that monster," Hachiman ordered.
Tama and Pochi hurriedly scooped up stones and tossed them. The first two hits landed cleanly, but the third bounced off as if it was being repelled by something.
'Huh? It bounced back? Some kind of resistance? Barrier?' Hachiman narrowed his eyes.
The caterpillar let out an angry screech and dragged its massive body toward them. Tama and Pochi yelped and hid behind Sora.
"Good job, Pochi, Tama. You two fall back. Liza, with me. Hit it once when I move," Hachiman said before dashing forward.
Liza quickly positioned herself for a clean shot. The moment the monster jumped at them, Hachiman waved his finger, summoning a geo shield that blocked the caterpillar from ramming into her.
"Now! Attack!" Hachiman shouted.
Liza didn't waste any time and stabbed the caterpillar in one clean motion. The moment Hachiman saw its HP drop, he stepped in and kicked the monster with just a tiny bit of his STR to send it flying into the cavern wall. He raised his pistol to finish it—only for the HP bar to suddenly hit zero before he even pulled the trigger.
He froze.
"…It died? Already?" His mouth hung open in disbelief. "I only kicked it though…"
"As expected from Hachi-nii," Sora said with her arms crossed, nodding like some wise sage. "A single kick is enough to finish a monster."
Hachiman let out a long sigh. He wanted to deny it, but… she wasn't wrong. "...Liza, Tama, I'll leave the magic core recovery to you. Sora, stay with them. Pochi, follow me. There's another monster up ahead."
"Okay~!"
"Aye~!"
"Understood."
"Y-yes! Nano desu!"
Tama handed the stones she gathered to Pochi, then quickly followed Hachiman toward the next room. Inside, they found the same type of caterpillar from the corridor, along with the bodies of a young woman and a boy who looked like a slave. Unlike the victims of the earlier cricket, these two hadn't been eaten yet.
"Pochi, when we enter, throw the stones from my side. When you run out, fall back to Sora's position," Hachiman instructed with a small voice.
Pochi nervously nodded and stepped beside him. Hachiman walked in first, casually firing his pistol to draw the monster's attention. The caterpillar turned toward them and spat venom, but a golden geo shield snapped into place, blocking the attack.
"Don't worry. Nothing is getting past us," Hachiman said with a small smile. "Have confidence and throw the stones."
Snapping out of her fear, Pochi nodded and tensely threw two stones at close range.
The caterpillar screeched in pain, enraged, and began crawling toward them. Not wanting to wait, Hachiman dashed forward and kicked its head. Just like the earlier one, the monster died instantly from that single kick. However the force sent it flying upward, smashing into the ceiling with a loud crack before dropping back to the ground. The impact crushed its body, scattering its innards across the ground.
"...Okay. Note to self: don't kick these things too hard. The aftermath is way too gory," Hachiman muttered with a wince.
Seeing the monster dead, he turned to look for Pochi—only to spot her sprinting back through the passage… but toward the wrong one, away from Sora and the others.
'Huh? Did she mistake the way back?' he thought.
"Hey, Pochi, stop!" he called out, immediately chasing after her.
"Uwa~~ don't come, don't come here~~!"
'Huh? Who's that? That's not Pochi's voice.'
A quick glance at his minimap showed a small gray dot sprinting away from Pochi. 'There's a survivor hiding in that passage!'
"Pochi!" he called again.
Pochi flinched, turned, and seeing Hachiman rushing toward her ran straight back to him in a panic. Seizing the opportunity, the survivor bolted even faster and vanished from the minimap.
"Arf! Arf!" Wan‑chan barked.
"Hachi-nii!!!" Sora shouted as she came running. "What happened?! You both suddenly ran off?!"
"Master, are both of you alright?!" Liza asked, breathless.
"You okay?" Tama added worriedly.
Sora, Liza, and Tama arrived with Wan‑chan at the front followed by Champ, crowding around them in concern.
"Ah, sorry, we're okay. Let's go back to the room and collect the magic core," he said.
"I'm sorry, nano desu…" Pochi apologizes, her ears drooping and tail curling between her legs.
Hachiman sighed and crouched down to her level. "Pochi, it's fine to run when you're scared. Everyone does the same but panicking isn't good. Do you understand?"
"...Yes," she answered, voice trembling.
"Good. As long as you understand." He gently patted her head before standing. "Let's go."
Sora nodded, took Pochi's hand, and guided her back toward the room. Liza, Tama, Wan‑chan, and Champ followed close behind. Hachiman glanced toward the passage where the survivor had fled. 'Still… Why did that young man run? Did he mistake Pochi for a monster? Or… did he feel guilty for leaving those two behind as sacrifices?'
He shook his head, pushing the thought aside, and returned to the room with the others. When he arrived, Liza and Tama were already dismantling the caterpillar, while Sora and Pochi silently covered the bodies with some sheets and offered a small prayer.
'It seems that this labyrinth… is more dangerous than I thought. Not because of the monsters… but because of the humans.' Hachiman's expression darkened. 'I just hope Mei's group will be alright.'
'Then would you like us to check on your queen, Lord Monarch?' a childish yet playful voice called inside Hachiman's mind.
'…I appreciate the offer, but I'd be extremely worried if I let you all loose in this world, Pixies,' he replied flatly.
'Oh! Oh! How about I go instead?!' Arsene immediately cut in, never missing a chance.
'No.' Hachiman shot back without hesitation, tone dry as always.
'What?! How could you reject your old pal, partner?!' Arsene cried dramatically.
Hachiman ignored him, thinking carefully about who he could send to Mei's side. A certain adorable—Mei's words, not his—musketeer flashed through his mind. 'Alright. I choose you, Cait Sith.'
'!!' Cait Sith nearly yowled in shock. 'Y‑yo‑you actually p‑pick nya, Monarch?!'
'How could you do this partner?! You picked this cat?! Over me?!' Arsene cried out as if personally betrayed.
'Huhuhuhu… why, Lord Monarch? Why?' the Pixies whimpered.
'Yes,' Hachiman said plainly, unbothered by their complaints. 'I'm counting on you to support Mei.'
'Leave it to nyaa, nyaa Monarch! Cait Sith shall stake nyaa's life to support nyaa Queen!' Cait Sith declared with fiery enthusiasm.
Unnoticed by Sora, Liza, Tama, and Pochi, a small shadow slipped out from under Hachiman and dashed quickly toward the passages. Only when it vanished from sight did Hachiman release a slow breath, the tightness in his chest easing at last.
—----
After that, Hachiman and his group cleared six more rooms, but unfortunately found no living humans…. only more corpses.
"Master, the magic core recovery is complete," Liza reported.
"Alright, let's take a break," Hachiman said.
Using his Geo Emblem, he casually formed five stone seats for everyone to rest on.
"Uwaa… finally I can sit~ My feet are killing me," Sora groaned dramatically as she slumped across her seat.
"Mei will scold you if you sit like that, Sora," Hachiman warned as he handed water bottles to Liza, Pochi, and Tama.
"It's fine, Mei-nee isn't here right now~" Sora replied, waving him off. "Besides, we deserve a little comfort after all the past few rooms."
Hachiman raised a brow and glanced at the doorway. "Ah, Mei. You finally came."
Sora let out a startled shriek, springing upright and fixing her posture in a panic. The sudden movement startled the three beastkin girls—Liza even fumbled her bottle, spilling water everywhere.
"Hi Mei-nee! I'm sitting properly and definitely not slouching or acting un…..lady….like…?.... huh?"
She blurted it out in a rush, desperate to defend herself—only to realize, after a quick look around, that there was no Mei anywhere in the room. Sora froze, her dumbfounded face absolutely priceless as she slowly, almost robotically, turned toward Hachiman, who watched her with half‑lidded eyes and his chin resting on his palm.
"Hachi-nii, you meanie!!!!" Sora puffed her cheeks and glared at him, earning only an amused snort in response.
Before she could continue her complaints, Liza suddenly dropped to her knees and performed a full dogeza.
"I-I-I'm very sorry, master!!!" Liza stammered as she scrambled to pick up the water bottle, her hands trembling.
"I'm so sorry! I wasted the important water…! Please punish me however you see fit!" she cried, bowing so deeply her forehead hit the floor.
"Woah—woah—woah! Easy there!" Hachiman panicked. "Please don't bow that deeply! If Mei saw you doing that, she'd definitely get the wrong idea. And you're exaggerating way too much!"
Liza slowly sat up, but her expression remained stricken, tears gathering in her eyes.
"Are you alright, Liza? Are you that tired? Was Hachi-nii making you work too much? Should I complain to Mei-nee?" Sora asked, half‑worried and half‑teasing.
"Oi," Hachiman deadpanned at her before turning back to Liza. "Seriously now—how are you feeling?"
"I'm sorry, Sora-sama… Hachiman-sama… but I've been feeling heavy since earlier. I tried moving my arms, but they won't budge."
Sora and Hachiman's expressions tightened with concern. He glanced at the other two girls as well—Pochi and Tama were lying on the ground instead of sitting, drinking their water with almost no strength.
"The break is canceled. We're taking a full rest instead," he said firmly.
Sora and Hachiman helped Pochi and Tama sit up properly and made sure they drank their water. Then Hachiman pulled out some chicken skewers and handed them out. The three girls looked exhausted and sleepy, but hunger gave them just enough energy to eat.
"After you finish your meal, sleep for three hours," Hachiman instructed.
Once the three finished eating, Hachiman reshaped the stone seats into a simple bed using his geo powers. Sora quickly set down some sheets and pillows while Hachiman gently lifted the girls and laid them down. They were asleep within seconds.
"Are they okay, Hachi-nii?" Sora whispered.
"Of course," Hachiman assured her with a soft pat on the head. "They're just tired. I checked their status earlier—nothing seemed abnormal."
Sora nodded, her eyes lingering on the sleeping trio. The worry on her face softened.
"How about you, Sora? How are you feeling?" he asked.
"I'm surprisingly okay. Not tired at all," Sora replied in a small voice. "I'm just… a little sad we couldn't save anyone."
Hachiman wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into a gentle hug. At first he wanted to open his mouth to speak, but decided against it. Since knowing himself anything he said might only make her feel worse. So instead, he let his actions speak for him.
Sora let out a small, wry smile at his awkward attempt at comfort, but her heart lightened. She rested her head on his shoulder, closed her eyes, and let herself relax. With Hachiman's hand softly patting her head, Sora slowly drifted to sleep.
—-
After a while, the three‑hour break clearly paid off. Liza, Pochi, and Tama were full of energy again, clearing several more rooms with surprising ease. When Hachiman checked their status screens, he noticed all three had leveled up from the earlier battles.
'Hmm, just like a game… power leveling in a dungeon really does work,' Hachiman thought.
While they slept, he'd kept an eye on their status windows and saw their attributes slowly rising—previously greyed‑out skills lighting up as they activated for the first time.
"Stop!" Tama suddenly shouted, voice sharp.
Her warning snapped Hachiman out of his thoughts. He glanced forward, then at his mini‑map. 'Huh? There's no enemy ahead…?'
"What's wrong, Tama‑chan?" Sora asked, confused.
"The ground is… strange?" Tama said carefully, brows furrowing.
She couldn't explain it well, but she definitely sensed something. Hachiman observed on the ground ahead—right as a new display appeared into his view.
[Trap: Life Drain]
'Of course something like traps will appear in a labyrinth,' Hachiman thought. 'Since none showed up until now, I forgot these classic obstacles.'
"Wow! You're right, Tama-chan—there really is a trap here!" Sora exclaimed in surprise. "Well done!"
"A‑Aye…" Tama replied shyly as Sora stroked her head.
"Now then… how do we deal with this?" Hachiman muttered, crossing his arms.
"Fufufufu! Finally, it's my time to shine!" Sora declared proudly, stepping forward with her arms crossed.
"Oi, what are you planning?" Hachiman asked, suddenly uneasy.
Sora didn't answer him. Instead, she pointed confidently at Wan‑chan. "Wan‑chan! Scan the passage for anything suspicious! And when you find a trap… blow it up!"
"Arf!!" Wan‑chan barked, tail wagging as it deployed its funnels toward the passage.
"What...?" Hachiman stared at her in disbelief.
"…Fue?" Pochi blinked.
"Nyaa?" Tama tilted her head.
"??" Liza blinked in confusion.
"Arf!" Wan‑chan barked again, signaling that its funnels had located the traps.
"Good job! Now do your thing!" Sora said proudly.
"Wait—Sora!! Don't—!" Hachiman's eyes widened in panic as he stepped forward to stop her, but he was a step too late.
"Arf!!" Wan-chan barked energetically as its funnels fired beams straight at the traps, blowing each one to pieces.
The explosions ripped through the passageway, shaking the ground under them. Hachiman quickly summoned geo shields to block the dust and smoke. Tama and Pochi covered their ears as they crouched down, and Liza used her spear to support herself so she wouldn't fall.
When the shaking finally stopped, everyone slowly lifted their heads. The passageway was a complete wreck. The walls scorched, ground cracked. Pochi, Tama, and Liza stared with their mouths hanging open, while Hachiman held his head in both hands, already imagining how he was going to explain this to Mei.
"Fuu… I blew up something insignificant," Sora declared dramatically, flicking her bangs like some misunderstood genius.
"Arf!" Wan-chan barked proudly beside her.
"Just what the heck are you doing, oi!" Hachiman chopped Sora lightly on the head.
"Oweei!" Sora grabbed the spot, wincing. "What was that for, Hachi-nii?! That actually hurt!"
"That should be my line!" Hachiman shot back. "That shaking was definitely felt by Mei and the rest!"
Sora's smug grin immediately vanished as her face paled. "O-Oh no…"
"She's definitely going to be worried," Hachiman sighed, turning to her. "And once she finds out what caused that shaking… you know exactly what'll happen, right?"
"H-Hachi-nii… my wonderful, kind, amazing big brother… you're not gonna tell Mei-nee… right?" Sora asked, trembling with fear.
Hachiman gave her a flat look. "…You do know I can't lie to her, right?"
Sora slumped to her knees. "I'm gonna get grounded, aren't I…?"
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