My name is Tinasha, daughter of magician Zen and Liltiena. Though we were commoners, my father's talent as a mage ensured that we lived comfortably. I was raised with love and care by my parents and grandparents, never once doubting that I was cherished.
When I was five, my father discovered my exceptional aptitude for magic. From that day on, he taught me everything he knew. I read through his vast collection of magical books, studied rituals, potion-making, and countless other disciplines. He trained me not only in magic but also in martial arts. By the age of ten, I was already skilled with a cane, a sword, a knife, and even hand-to-hand combat.
But just before my eleventh birthday… tragedy struck our family.
Marquis Muno took a liking to my mother. Though she was already married and had borne my father's child, that did not stop him from reaching for what was not his.
My father was imprisoned and executed for a crime he did not commit. My mother was taken by the Marquis. My grandparents, like my father, were executed. And I was sold as a slave.
It might sound boastful, but I am aware that I am considered beautiful. Because of that, I was sought after by disgusting, perverted men. Thankfully, my magical aptitude prevented me from being sold to the worst of them. Instead, I was treated as a "premium commodity" — something too valuable to be handled carelessly.
Just months later, I was brought by the Royal Mages from the now-destroyed Magic Empire of Tuldarr because of my magical talent. There, they taught me everything they could. I was educated by the finest minds in the world—magic theory, combat, statecraft, and countless other disciplines. Most importantly, I was betrothed to the empire's only prince, Lanak.
In less than a year, I had absorbed all they were willing—or able—to teach me. Just as quickly, they withdrew, leaving me isolated within the palace annex. From that point on, Lanak became the only real presence in my life.
During that time, I grew deeply attached to him. With no one else to speak to, I cherished his visits, however irregular they were. They were my only true social interaction. I treasured the gifts he brought and the warmth of his embrace, especially when I confided in him about my past—about the tragedy that destroyed my family.
I saw him as my 'Hero.'
But in the end, it was all meaningless. At the time, I did not know he was one of them.
One night, Lanak came to me and asked me to follow him. Though his request felt strange, I did not question it. I trusted him completely. He took me to an old cathedral, telling me only that "things were going to change."
Inside the cathedral, many hooded mages were standing and waiting around an altar. Before I could understand what was happening, Lanak laid me down upon the stone table. He drew a knife.
And plunged it into my stomach.
As the mages began chanting, I screamed in agony, not only from the pain of being stabbed but also for being betrayed by the one I trusted… and loved. Lanak and his followers sought to hatch a Demon Lord using the magic drawn from my body. To extract as much power as possible, they used healing and life-prolonging spells to keep me conscious, forcing me to endure pain again and again.
I don't know how much time had passed, but when I finally regained consciousness, I saw him—my father, whom I had believed to be dead—carrying me away from the Tuldarr Magic Empire.
When I recovered enough to understand what had happened, I learned the truth. In order to save me… my father had become a Demon Lord. In his rage, he destroyed the Empire and slaughtered those responsible. Blessed—or perhaps cursed—by the gods, he had risen as an undead and crushed everyone who had ruined our family.
It is a little embarrassing to admit, but I still remember how I cried in his arms like a child. He did not mind. Just like when we were still living peacefully in our home, he stroked my hair and patted my head as he always had.
But that fragile happiness did not last.
Because my father willingly ascended to become a Demon Lord, his humanity began to fade. The corruption of the miasma spread faster than we expected. All the knowledge I had gained in Tuldarr proved useless. There was no magic I could use to restore him to who he once was.
So I changed my approach.
Using my own soul as the core, I created a ritual to suppress the Demon Lord's essence within him. As long as I remained alive, it would protect the little humanity he still possessed. Afterward, I placed myself into a deep sleep, preserving my body so that I could endure for as long as necessary and keep my father's sanity intact.
And now… after who knows how many years, I have awakened.
In the arms of a man with eyes like a dead fish.
It would be a lie to say my heart did not skip when I felt his strong arms holding me. It felt safe and warm, just like those times when my father used to carry me.
It was a feeling that not even Lanak had ever given me.
As the fierce wind rushed against my face, I dared to sneak a glance at the man holding me. Despite falling from hundreds of meters in the air, his expression remained calm and serious. It made him look… incredibly cool.
He was undeniably handsome, though those dull, half-lidded eyes did ruin it a little. And yet… somehow, I could see a strange charm in them? I can't help but feel captivated by them.
Huh? Am I that fickle? So easily swayed? First Lanak… and now this man…
"Tinasha-san, we're about to land. Please brace yourself."
His voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I realized I had been staring at him for far too long. Heat rushed to my cheeks.
"O-okay!"
I felt his arms adjust slightly to secure me. Even that focused look on his face was oddly endearing. As we neared the ground, I instinctively tightened my grip around him.
"I'm counting on you, partner!"
"Hee! So now you finally realize how important I am to your life?"
One of the beings he had summoned earlier—the one in a sharp suit with large claws and a top-hat-shaped head—swooped in, spreading its wings wide. It caught us effortlessly in one arm while holding an unconscious blonde woman in the other.
At the very last second, we touched safely to the ground.
And just like that, our heart-pounding, utterly insane stunt came to an end.
—---
Maze of Trazayuya, DesuMachi Planet…
The moment they touched the ground, Arsène released Hachiman and landed lightly beside him. Hachiman immediately looked at Tinasha, checking if she was hurt. But the bewildered girl, who had only just awakened just moments ago and still hadn't the time to process everything happening around her, could only stare back at him, her eyes wide with surprise, awe, and admiration.
When their eyes met, both of them blushed and quickly looked away.
Arsène rolled his eyes at the sight, though the grin on his face never faded.
A second later, Jack-o'-Lantern, Zorro, and Robin Hood landed beside them, each carrying the rest of the unconscious homunculi women.
"Monarch, forgive the interruption… but shouldn't we be running?" Zorro's deep voice asked with a small tinge of exasperation.
Before Hachiman could respond, a heavy pulse of energy from the Great Tree washed over them, snapping him out of the sweet atmosphere that had started to build between him and Tinasha.
He turned toward the Maze.
And what he saw drained the color from his face.
What he saw frightened him more than when he faced the rampaging Kagura… more than diving from the giant tree without a lifeline.
The entire body of the Great Tree was crumbling. Massive chunks broke apart and crashed onto the ground, shaking the earth with every impact. But worse than that—
"Seriously… even the roots collapsed?!"
Another violent pulse of energy washed over them, a clear warning that the explosion would erupt in mere seconds.
In the face of that overwhelming danger, Hachiman did not panic.
Instead, his thoughts sharpened.
His eyes scanned across the surroundings—the mountains encircling them, the forest below, the lake at their side, and finally the Great Tree that formed the Maze of Trazayuya.
He gently released Tinasha, allowing her to stand on her own, then turned toward the crumbling tree.
Another pulse struck. Strong winds tore through the mountain pass, flapping his Crew Cape behind him and revealing the Geo Astral Emblem fastened at his belt.
"Gather."
A ridiculous amount of Imaginary energy poured into the emblem.
"—!"
Tinasha's eyes widened as she felt the overwhelming 'Mana' pouring from him. But what she saw next left her speechless.
Six colossal Geo pillars, each has a size as large as the distant mountains, materialized around the Great Tree.
"Stabilize."
The earth shook as the pillars slammed into the ground with a heavy thud. Once the pillars are in place, Hachiman spreads his arms wide. Geo elemental energy erupted outward from his body.
"Solidify."
Using the pillars as anchors, he created a massive wall of Geo elemental shield that enclosed the entire Maze.
"...J-just w-what is going on…?"
Tinasha, standing beside him, could not fully grasp what she was witnessing. She stared at Hachiman in stunned disbelief as he controlled the Geo pillars with determination and seriousness.
'Such a tremendous amount of Mana…! It's more than Father's and mine combined…!'
Sweat beaded at her temples as she realized just how much power he was pouring into this miracle. And he was still feeding more into it.
'...It's like his mana has no end.'
Her eyes never left him.
"Just who are you… Really?" she whispered.
Off to the side, Arsène, Jack-o'-Lantern, Zorro, and Robin Hood noticed the way she was staring at their Monarch.
'Ah… another one, huh?'
Arsène's grin widened mischievously. "Hehehe… you really are a sinful man, partner~."
But Hachiman had no time to answer.
A violent wave of pulsed erupted from the Great Tree before them. The pressure in the air spiked sharply.
He reacted on instinct.
Bracing for the explosion, he wrapped his arm around Tinasha once more, shielding her with his own body while extending one arm toward the Geo barrier, continuously pouring Imaginary energy into it to ensure it would not break midway.
Then, in the very next second, a massive explosion erupted like a volcano and swallowed the entire area. Even with Hachiman's sturdy shields in place, the sheer force of the blast pushed them backward several meters. Far away, even the distant city of Seiryuu felt the tremor, and a blinding pillar of light rose from the mountains.
After several long seconds, the violent shaking finally subsided. Dust and smoke flowed upward through the deliberate opening Hachiman had left at the top of the wall.
Though Hachiman and the others staggered from the impact, they managed to keep their footing. What he was most grateful for, however, was that the shield had held.
"Fuu… the strength of Geo is always reliable," he muttered with a faint, tired grin.
He finally stopped channeling Imaginary energy into the barrier and lowered his arm. The power itself had not drained him, but sustaining that overwhelming output left his mind and spirit heavy.
'This is probably the most exhausting moment of this expedition so far,' he thought, taking in a deep breath.
"Well… I guess that's just how Trailblaze is."
With a small, bittersweet smile, Hachiman closed his eyes as the wind brushed through his hair and coat, this time, far more gently.
—-----
On the cliff overlooking the entire Maze… or rather, what used to be the Maze, Hachiman stood there, watching the place where the World Tree once place as the sun slowly set toward the horizon. He had just finished telling Tinasha everything about Zen, their battle, his death, and his final wish.
Letting out a slow sigh, Hachiman turned his eyes to the massive crater where the Great Tree—the Maze of Trazayuya—once stood. At the same time, a small screen from his system is displayed at the corner of his view, listing the loot he had obtained from the forced event.
Most of his attention was on one thing.
Zen's personal belongings.
If there was anything of his that remained… he wanted to split it between Tinasha as a memento or give it to the Homulculi women who would bring it to Zen's wife's grave.
Hachiman's expression became sober as he recalled her reaction. Disbelief, shock, denial… and then helpless acceptance. Despite her emotions changing so many times, all she had said in the end was a simple, flat—
"Oh… I see."
That hurt more than anger ever could.
She hadn't blamed him.
She hadn't hated him.
And that only deepened his guilt.
So he searched through the loot more carefully, almost desperately. Maybe… just maybe there was something he could give her. Something that had belonged to Zen.
And then he did. Hachiman had discovered a letter and a magic tool that recorded Zen's final words.
From what he could piece together, while Hachiman had been fighting his way toward the top floor, Zen had used that time to write the letter and prepare the recording, knowing full well who it was meant for.
His daughter.
So the very same time he found the letter and the recording tool, he handed them to Tinasha without hesitation.
The instant she read the letter and heard Zen's final message, she broke.
Tears spilled freely from her eyes, and soon she was crying with everything she had left. It was a complete, unrestrained cry.
It was the cry of a daughter who had lost her father twice.
Hachiman froze.
He didn't know what to do. A part of him thought she wouldn't want to be touched by the one who had ended her father's life. So he stood there awkwardly, hands half-raised, unsure whether to hug her or simply pat her head.
But he didn't have to decide.
Tinasha suddenly stepped forward and buried herself against him, clutching his clothes as she cried.
He stiffened for a second—then slowly wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm sorry…" he muttered.
He didn't know if he was apologizing for killing Zen… or for not being able to save him.
He simply held her and gently patted her back until her sobs gradually softened.
When she finally calmed down, they separated. He let her finish reading the letter and replay the recording once more in silence.
And that… brings us to the present.
Scratching the back of his head, Hachiman glanced over his shoulder at Tinasha, who was sitting under a tree. Her eyes were still red and swollen from crying. The letter and recording tool rested in her hands, and she held them with utmost care.
'At least she finally calmed down…' he thought, releasing a breath of relief.
"Master Hachiman, after a fierce battle among ourselves, we have concluded that Number 7 shall accompany you and Mistress Tinasha. The rest of us will deliver Master Zen's belongings to be buried beside his wife's tomb," one of the homunculi women reported formally.
Hachiman blinked, pulled from his thoughts.
"Master, I look forward to serving you from this day forward," Number 7 said with a slight bow.
"Sure, thanks."
The other seven women behind her clicked their tongues in frustration.
'So it's Number 7 who won the right to serve as attendant in the rock-paper-scissors match…'
To explain how things turned out this way, when the eight women regained consciousness and heard the full story from Hachiman, they quickly realized Zen had passed, and his plan had succeeded.
To fulfill their duty to him, they formally declared Hachiman as their new master. However, they requested one final task: to bury Zen's belongings beside his wife's tomb. After that, the rest would remain by Hachiman and Tinasha's side as attendants.
At first, Hachiman wanted to refuse to have them as their attendant. But after thinking it through, he felt it would be disrespectful to deny the last wish of the deceased. He also understood their desire to serve Tinasha, so he accepted in the end.
'And the Maid Team could definitely use more hands,' he added inwardly.
With only seven members in the Maid team taking care of the entire Express and its growing crew, they were clearly understaffed. So he sent a message to Noah, Lumine, Belfast, and Patricia, asking for their opinion.
Noah and Lumine agreed immediately; similar to Hachiman, they were well aware of the Maid Team's workload. And with the decision-makers agreeing, Belfast and Patricia saw no reason to oppose the arrangement.
With everything settled, Hachiman looked toward the horizon. The sun was only minutes away from setting. Just as he was about to check on Tinasha, she was already walking toward them. Though the gloom in her expression remains, she looked more refreshed after venting out her emotions.
"Hachiman, are we leaving now?"
"Yes. The others have finished their preparations. Number 7… hmm. Let's give you a proper name. Calling you 'Number 7' feels awkward."
Hachiman said, turning to Number 7. Though her face remained expressionless, he could see a faint excitement in her eyes.
"...How about Nana?"
"Yes. Please call me Nana from now on, Master Hachiman, Mistress Tinasha. I will serve you well."
The other women clearly wanted names as well, but thinking of that many on the spot would be difficult. Hachiman rubbed his temple and postponed it for now, promising he would give each of them a proper name once they returned.
Seeing them accept the arrangement, he let out a breath and looked back at Tinasha, who had been watching him the whole time.
"Are you really fine coming with me? After all… I'm the one who—"
"It's okay."
Tinasha lifted her hand gently, stopping him before he could finish.
"Father entrusted me to you. If he trusted you that much, then I'm willing to believe in you too… and trust you as well."
While her voice sounded strong, the faint tremble in it didn't escape his keen hearing.
"And if you still feel guilty about it, then just make sure I live happily from now on. Think of it as your atonement."
"Of course. I promised Zen, in his final moments, that I would."
"H-hmm… then that's fine."
Tinasha crossed her arms and turned her face away, clearly trying to hide the faint blush creeping across her cheeks.
Hachiman scratched his own cheek awkwardly at the sudden change in atmosphere and cleared his throat with a small cough.
"Ahem… then shall we?"
He took out his Anywhere Door and connected it to a forest near Seiryuu City. When he opened it, they stepped out beside the grave of Mize—the Ratman who had once saved Mia. After paying their respects, Hachiman, Tinasha, and Nana parted ways with the rest of the homunculi women and continued on foot toward the city.
"The story of your old life has ended, Tinasha-san. From here on, you'll begin a new one—one that belongs to you alone. But this time… you won't be by yourself. I'll stay by your side for as long as you want me there."
As the gates of Seiryuu City came into view, Hachiman spoke gently, sensing hesitation and nervousness in her steps.
He took out his hand toward her and offered a small, reassuring smile.
Tinasha hesitated for only a second before placing her hand in his, holding it as if it were her anchor.
"Hmm! I'm counting on you, Hachiman!"
Hand in hand, he led her toward the gates.
At their side, Nana silently followed. Reading the ambiguous atmosphere between them, she made her presence small and unobtrusive, allowing the two to walk ahead without interruption.
—---
"Heee… you had quite the profitable adventure, didn't you, Hachiman?"
"Not only did you bring back a beautiful new woman to join us, but you even acquired a new attendant. Isn't that wonderful, Hachiman?"
"P-please, l-let me explain, Mei… Ruan Mei. There's a very good reason for this."
On his knees, Hachiman, shakenly bowing his head, as he tries to appease the two women seated gracefully on the sofa, both wearing far too gentle smiles.
He, Tinasha, and Nana had returned to the Villa. At first, his family welcomed them warmly.
Then Mei and Ruan Mei noticed the two standing behind him.
And this… happened.
"Hehehe… Oh, we're sure there's a veeery good reason."
"And we would absolutely love to hear it."
""So you'd better start now and don't you dare leave anything out.""
They spoke sweetly.
Which somehow made it worse.
Cold sweat slid down Hachiman's back.
"D-did I… do something wrong?"
Tinasha asked softly from the side, glancing between Hachiman and the two women currently interrogating him.
"Aahh!"
Kagura, who was in Tinasha's arms, laughed happily at her father's predicament while playing with Tinasha's hair.
"Don't worry about it, Tina-nee. Hachi-nii is strong; he can handle a scolding or two," Sora said with a casual shrug. "More importantly, welcome to the family, Tina-nee! Since Kagura-chan likes you, you've already passed!"
She gave Tinasha a thumbs-up and a playful wink. Tinasha, not quite understanding what she meant, tilted her head—but when she felt Kagura's tiny hands patting her cheeks, she turned toward the baby.
And instantly melted at the sweet, innocent smile looking back at her.
"S-so cute!!"
Tinasha hugged Kagura tightly, making the baby giggle even louder.
'How nice…'
Hachiman thought, watching the two of them get along so easily and feeling just a little jealous.
"Hachiman, where are you looking?"
"Why are you getting distracted? We aren't done yet."
Mei and Ruan Mei called out to him in their soft, dangerously sweet voices, sending a shiver down his spine.
'Kuh!!! Romcom Gods… you win this time!'
Hachiman sighed in defeat as he accepted his fate.
And thus, his long day finally came to an end.
======