No one's POV

Dawn. The glimmer of the moon was fading rapidly, its light being siphoned by the sun rising to the east. Sora, Aishia, Hajime, Yue, and Shea were already ready to depart. The three of them were standing outside the Water Sprite Inn, their packs filled with riceballs for the road. Despite the extremely early hour, Foss had prepared breakfast for them without complaint.

Sora(mind): Truly a first-rate inn.

Always one to give credit where credit was due, Sora thanked Foss profusely for the riceballs and the service. They quickly left for the north gate, the morning mist still clinging to the ground. The path beyond the gate stretched on toward the mountains. The foot of the mountains was a hard day's ride on horseback, so on their Motor Cycle it would take them only a few hours.

Shea: Sora, Hajime... Is it really necessary for us to be up this early to be searching for someone.

Today would mark the fifth day since Will Cudeta's party disappeared in the mountains. Chances were they were long dead. Hajime doubted he'd find anyone alive, but there was always the possibility they'd survived against all odds. If he did bring them back alive, that make Ilwa like Sora and Hajime all the more, so he wanted to start looking as fast as possible. Fortunately, the weather was fair. The perfect day for a search.

Hajime: The sooner we get done, the better.

Sora: It also increases his survival rate.

The sounds of a town waking up could be heard as they headed down the main street. After a few minutes, they reached the north gate. As they approached, Sora sensed a few people standing by the exit and narrowed his eye. They weren't moving. As the morning mist cleared... he saw Aiko, Yuka, and the other six students.

Sora: I think I can guess what you're here for, but I'll ask just in case.

A few feet away the students were stroking their horses and talking about something. They noticed Sora and the others and walked over to Aiko.

Aiko: We're coming with you. You're looking for a missing person, right? It's better to have more people looking, then.

Hajime: No thanks. If you want to come, you're welcome to, but we're not going together.

Aiko: Wh-Why not?

Hajime: Because of the difference in our speed. I'm not going to match your slow place, Sensei.

Hajime stared pointedly at the horses standing behind Yuka. From the looks of them he doubted they could even handle having people ride them, but he didn't say anything. Even if they'd been the fastest horses in the realm, they couldn't hope to match a motorcycle's speed. At Hajime's words, Yuka looked around, then tilted her head in confusion. As far as she could see, there wasn't any other means of transportation in sight.

Yuka: You're saying we're too slow, but... hey, Nagumo. You're not going to say something crazy like you can run faster than these horses or anything, right? Just because you don't care about us anymore doesn't give you the right to lie to us, you know? And if you really can run faster that's even worse... Honestly, that crazy pressure you released yesterday was like that too, it's like you've stopped being human.

Hajime was taken aback by Yuka's bluntness. Though he couldn't deny that he probably could outrun a horse just by running. In a sense, he really had stopped being human. Yuka hadn't actually intended to say that, but her annoyance had just boiled over and she'd let it slip. However, her observations had been rather astute.

Hajime met Yuka's gaze. She was glaring at him, whether warily, antagonistically, or something else altogether he couldn't tell, but he let out a very deliberate sigh. Realizing explaining would be too much of a pain, Hajime and Sora wordlessly pulled their motorcycle out of their Treasure Trove. Everyone's jaw dropped open as they saw a motorcycle appear in thin air.

Hajime: Get it yet?

Sora: Even if they sound like lies to you, they're not. And yes, we can run faster than those horses. There literally is that much of a difference in our travel speed.

Everyone was still too shocked by their motorcycle sudden appearance and its otherworldly, at least as far as this world was concerned, nature to say anything. Finally, the motorcycle enthusiast of the class, Noboru, spoke up, a quiver of excitement in his voice.

Noboru: D-Did you two make this yourself too Yatagami, Nagumo?

Sora: Yeah. Anyway, we're going so get out of the way.

Sora made to mount motor, but Aiko, as always, stopped him. She was determined to join them by any means possible. There were two reasons for her stubbornness.

First, she wanted to be sure what Sora had told her last night was the truth. That a classmate had tried to kill him and Nagumo was a serious allegation, and she had to be 100% sure Sora hadn't just been mistaken. And if he hadn't, she had to know who he thought this would-be murderer was. She needed more information. If there was even the slightest chance of preventing further misfortune, Aiko wanted to do everything in her power to help. And since there was no guarantee she would ever see Sora again after their search was over, this was her only chance to catch him.

The second reason she wanted to tag along was to search for their own missing student, Yukitoshi Shimizu. They'd been looking high and low for him, but no one in the outlying villages had seen anyone matching his description.

The only place they hadn't been able to gather much information from was the mountain region, where people normally didn't live anyway. Regardless of whether he'd been caught up in some kind of incident or left of his own volition, it was unlikely that he'd ended up in the mountains, so they'd avoided it until now. However, as the opportunity had presented itself, Aiko was hoping to join up with Hajime in order to search for clues about Shimizu's whereabouts. Though it was half-coincidence that Yuka and the others were here too.

In order to ambush Sora on his way out, Aiko had gotten up even before the crack of dawn. Yuka, who'd slept very little because of the previous day's events had just happened to spot Aiko leaving her room.

Dressed in traveling gear as she was, there was no way she could have fooled Yuka. After learning that Aiko was going to try and join Sora on his quest, Yuka had said "Then I'll come too! Just give me 40 seconds to get ready!"

She insisted that if Aiko was going, the Ai-chan defense force would too, and she woke up all the other students and got them to tag along. They didn't wake the knights, though, as they figured they'd just get into another fight with Sora, so they just left a letter telling them to wait at the inn. Whether or not they actually would was a different matter... Aiko sidled up to Sora and whispered to him quietly.

It was obvious she didn't want others hearing what she had to say. This close up, Sora could tell that she was hiding the dark circles under her eyes with makeup.

Sora(mind): Did she not sleep at all last night?

Aiko: Yatagami. As a teacher, I have to know more about what you told me last night, so until you agree to sit down and have a proper talk I'll never let you out of my sight. And if you do manage to escape, I'll chase you to the ends of the earth. I'm sure you'd like to avoid that, right? It can be while we're traveling or searching even, but I need you to make time to talk. If you do that, then I'll be willing to say our farewells once your job here is done... for now.

Seeing the determination in her eyes, Sora regretted telling her that last bit of information the previous night. Despite how much she ended up running around aimlessly, Aiko was stubborn to a fault. Even if he slipped away here, he could easily see her organizing the entire knight corps of the kingdom to search for him.

He looked up at the sky, and saw it was quickly growing brighter. If he wanted to find Will alive, he didn't have time to waste on a long question and answer session.

Sora(mind): I guess you reap what you sow.

Sora sighed deeply, then met Aiko's gaze.

Sora: Fine. You can come with us. Though I doubt we'll have any time to really talk.

Aiko: That's fine. There's just some things I want to confirm with you directly.

Sora: Haah, you just don't give up, do you, Sensei? No matter what you do or where you are, you're still our teacher.

Aiko: That's right!

Aiko proudly puffed out her chest. Seeing that negotiations had ended favorably, Yuka and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

Yue: Big Brother, we're taking her with us?

Sora: Yep. Because no matter what happens, she'll never stop being our teacher. She never compromises when it comes to her students.

Hajime: And If we leave her here now, she'll just get more annoying later. Especially after what they talked last night.

Shea: Hmm, she sounds like a really nice teacher.

Aishia: Well, Sora and Aiko use to hang out and have tea together even after school. So I doubt Sora could win against her when she's like this.

Yue and Shea were surprised at how easily Sora gave in. And Aishia told Yue and Shea on how Sora and Aiko's relationship back on earth. And when they heard his grudging praise of her, their respect for Aiko rose considerably. For his part, Sora admired her dedication to her students, too. Even if he no longer considered himself a regular human, or his former peers his classmates, he still believed Aiko was one of the few adults who deserved his respect.

Yuka: But those motorcycle can't fit more than three people. What are you going to do?

Sora: Hajime.

Hajime: Yeah, yeah, I know.

Yuka pointed out a fatal issue. The horses would be too slow and Hajime would never dream of making Yue or Shea stay behind so Aiko could ride in their place. Hajime casually put Steiff back into his Treasure Trove and instead pulled out the other vehicle he'd made, Brise.

It resembled the Hummers the American military once used. Not only did it have a thick armor plating, but there were numerous deadly weapons installed onto its frame. The entire thing was painted matte black, too. Minus the rear turret, it was modeled after those pick-up trucks, and looked like it could easily run over anything in its path.

The students had already figured out Sora and Hajime must be using some type of artifact to materialize and dematerialize these massive objects at will, but they were still impressed. Seeing them now it was hard to imagine anyone had once called them incompetent.

Sora: Get in.

Hajime: Those of you who can't fit inside go sit in the trunk or something.

Hajime said as he got into the driver's seat. Sora, Aishia, Yue and Aiko all sat at the front while, Shea, Yuka, Taeko, Nana at the back and Atsushi, Noboru and Akito at the trunk.

(Timeskip)

Brise tore its way down the straight path, the mountains growing closer every minute. It was nowhere nearly as well maintained as an actual highway, but Brise had built-in suspensions. On top of that, its wheels were enchanted with the same ground leveling skill that Steiff had, so even the guys sitting in the metallic trunk attached to the back didn't feel any real discomfort.

The seats inside the car were all bench seats. Hajime was in the driver seat, with Yue next to him. Sora was at the window, with Aiko next to him, and Aishia next to her. The reason she was next to him was so they could talk. She hadn't wanted any of the other students to hear just yet, so she'd insisted that she sit next to him.

Normally, the seat next to Sora was reserved for Aishia, but he'd explained the situation to her and she'd agreed to let Aiko sit there for now.

Meanwhile, the back where Shea was sitting was a bit cramped. Shea, Yuka, and Taeko all possessed relatively... stacked assets, so they took up a decent amount of room. Among them it was only Nana who was flat. She glared enviously at the other three girls before looking down at her own modest chest. She gave them a forlorn pat, but they were nowhere near as bouncy as the others.

However, it was Shea who felt the most uncomfortable. She was sandwiched between Nana, who kept shooting jealous glances at her breasts, and Taeko, who kept pestering her with questions about her relationship with Sora. A forbidden love between different races got every young high school girl's heart racing, after all.

Shea did her best to answer all the questions, despite being overwhelmed by Taeko's enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Yuka was resting her chin in her arms and looking out the window. She tried to look uninterested, but it was obvious she was curious too. She kept stealing glances at Shea, as she was the one most curious about how they had met.

Meanwhile, Sora's and Aiko's conversation was heading in an interesting direction.

Hajime: Shimizu's missing, huh?

Aiko: We don't know where he's gone. I hope he's alright...

Sora: I'm sure he's fine.

Aiko: You're right. You two came back to us okay, after all.

Sora: Yeah, but we're not sticking around.

Aiko had gleaned as much information as she could from Sora. The more she learned, the more she was convinced someone had tried to kill him, but she still didn't want to believe it. When she'd asked him if anyone seemed particularly suspicious, Sora had just snorted and said that everyone did. Sora had floated the possibility that it might have been Hiyama. He was, of course, right on the mark, but at present he only saw Hiyama as one of the possible suspects.

With the limited information she had, Aiko couldn't come to a definitive conclusion either. Even if she could, Aiko wasn't sure how to bring a potential murderer back on the right path, nor did she know how to make them atone for their crime. She continued agonizing over it for a while longer, but the gentle rolling of the truck and the soft sheet she'd wrapped herself in beckoned her to the land of dreams. Finally, her head drooped forward, and she fell fast asleep onto Sora's lap.

Sora: Sensei?

Had it been anyone else, Sora would have flung them off him. However, he couldn't bring himself to do that to Aiko, so after debating with himself for a few seconds, he decided to just leave her be. Besides, it was his fault she hadn't slept last night. After all, it was the overload of information he'd dumped on her that had kept her up.

Sora: I guess it's fine.

Yue: Big Brother, you're nice to Aiko.

Sora: Well, she has done a lot for me.

Aishia: Well, they always gone on a date together.

Yue: Hmmm.

Sora: Aishia?!

Aishia: What its true. Since you were always bullied even though they don't know your true talent, so you always hang out at her office to do your manga and have tea together.

Hajime: Oh, not even I know about that.

Sora: Because you're always asleep at class. And are you perhaps jealous, Aishia?

Aishia: It's fine. She is your favorite teacher after all. But please let me sleep on your lap next time.

Sora: Sure...

The two were soon flirting openly with each other, despite the fact that Aiko was still in his lap. In the back were two girls Taeko and Nana watching the spectacle up front with great interest, Yuka staring out the window pretending not to care, but still stealing glances every now and again, and one sulking bunny girl. Behind them, three jealous pairs of eyes were burning a hole through the back window.

It was hard to believe this group was headed into dangerous territory where one highly skilled adventurer party had already gone missing.

(Timeskip)

After 30 minutes of driving, they finally arrived at the mountains. Hajime stopped Brise at the foot of the mountain, and the students spent a moment enjoying the breathtaking view. A few of the girls let out murmurs of appreciation. Meanwhile, Aiko had finally woken up, and was as red as the leaves behind her as she apologized profusely to Sora. Fortunately, everyone else was too focused on the scenery to notice.

Noboru: Glad we are finally here then, what kind of work do you two have

Hajime: Searching for a missing person.

Akito: What?! How are you going to do that in such a big place.

Suppressing his desire to enjoy the view for a little while longer, Hajime put Brise back in his Treasure Trove and pulled something else out. A thirty centimeter long model bird and a ring with a tiny stone embedded inside it. The body of the bird was gray, but it had a crystal affixed to its head.

Hajime put the ring on, pulled another four model birds from his Treasure Trove, and threw them into the air. Contrary to expectations, the model birds did not fall to the ground. Instead, they floated freely in the sky. Aiko and the others gasped in surprise. The four birds circled in place for a few seconds before gliding toward the mountain.

Aiko: Uh, what are those?

Hajime: Oh. They're human-locating automatons. I call them Ornis. It's something me and Sora build with our Synergist.

Sora: They use a gravity stone to fly and an induction stone to think. They've got a peering stone inside of them that's connect to Hajime's right eye, so he can see through the.

Noboru: -_- First a Humvee and now a drone...

Atsushi: -_- What a terrifying training expert.

Akito: I wonder if I can do that...

As they watched Hajime's Ornises fly off into the distance, Aiko and the students swore to stop getting surprised at every little thing either Sora and Hajime did. Unfortunately, they wouldn't be able to make good on that oath for a while.

Meanwhile, the party continued down the path Will had supposedly gone up.

Hajime: Whoa, what's this?

Sora: Find something already?

Hajime: Near the summit up there, it looks like the remain of massive scale destruction. I estimate it's 8/10 to 9/10 from here to the top.

Sora: Then let's go.

According to the reports, the more dangerous monsters only started showing up a little over halfway up the mountain. In which case, it stood to reason that Will's party had been investigating that area. Hajime sent his Ornises out ahead to scout the area while he set a grueling pace. After a little over an hour of walking, they finally reached their destination. They stopped there in order to investigate more thoroughly, and because...

Atsushi: Hey Yatagami, Nagumo. You two are too fast...

Yuka: And we're supposed to be significantly stronger than the average person in the world.

Nana: Let's take a quick break...

Sora: There's a river around a mile from here. Can you guys keep up just a bit more.

Aiko's group: Impossible! We're too tired.

Sora sighed as he looked over at the other students. He then started emitting his Magic Essence and blue aura started appearing through his body. Aiko's group was in awe when they saw his blue mana radiating. And suddenly, Sora and the others started floating in the air. He and Aishia were using [Flight] to carry everyone with [Wind Manipulation] Spirit Art.

Aiko: Eh?! Eeeeeeeeeh!!

Yuka: We're floating...

Sora: With this you won't be tired right? Well let's go.

And so, Sora and the others started flying to the top of the mountains with and landed on the river. The river was just a little too large to be classified as a stream. Shea, who had the best senses of the three, started scouting the area. Just to be safe, Hajime also swept their surroundings with his Ornis, but there didn't seem to be any monsters nearby. Sure that there wouldn't be any unpleasant surprises, the three of them sat down on a nearby boulder to discuss their strategy.

Halfway through, Yue and Aishia their her shoes off so they could dip their toes in the river and relax for a bit. Shea was barefoot as well, but she'd chosen to just dip her feet in. It seemed she was just enjoying the ticklish sensation of water rushing past. Sora and Hajime just smile and let the girls enjoy their time. The guys' expressions changed instantly when they saw Aishia, Yue and Shea playing in the river, barefoot.

Atsushi, Noboru, Akito: This is heaven.

They exclaimed, and the girls' cold stares turned toward them. The guys trembled under the weight of their collective glares. Aiko and the others collapsed near the riverbank, and busied themselves with the task of replenishing lost fluids. Atsushi and the guys' leering gazes had bothered Aishia, Yue and Shea a little, so they also glared at the boys on their way out, causing them to avert their gazes in fear. Aiko and the girls all turned to look at Sora and Hajime. They'd all heard a lot from Shea about Sora's relationship with the her and Aishia, so they were glaring at him in mild annoyance.

Aiko: Fufu, you seem to treasure Aishia and Shea a lot, Yatagami.

Aiko spoke with a smile. No matter what he said, he doubted they'd like the answer, so Sora just shrugged his shoulders. Still, Aishia's next action provided enough of an answer. She walked up to Sora and plopped into his lap. Then, she wriggled her butt until she found a comfortable position.

Aishia: Good.

After that, with a satisfied expression on her face, she leaned back. All but stating that she trusted Sora completely. Feeling left out, Shea hopped up behind Sora and hugged him. Sora's back was enveloped in twin mounds of pleasure. Aiko and Yuka blushed, while Nana and Taeko started squealing. The guys, meanwhile, were gritting their teeth in frustration. Sora didn't bother trying to peel them off. Instead, he turned away, clearly embarrassed.

Hajime: Hey let's get moving! My scouts picked up some footprints of a monsters. From my observation its 2-3 meters tall and walks in two legs.

Sora: Can it cause this much destruction? It looks like lasers gouged out the land.

After a few more walking, Sora and Hajime [Sense Presence] activated.

Hajime: Wha...! No way...

Sora: Your kidding me...

Yue: Hajime?

Aishia: Sora?

Sora closed his eyes and concentrated. A few seconds later he opened them again, the surprise evident in his voice.

Sora: Man, you've gotta be kidding me. My Sense Presence detected something, but it feels human. And it's... coming from behind the waterfall.

Shea: There's a living person down there!?

Sora nodded in response to Shea's question.

Yue: Just one?

Yue asked, to which Hajime's response was a simple confirmation. Aiko and the others looked shocked as well. It was only natural, as while it was still theoretically possible someone had survived, Hajime hadn't actually expected to find anyone alive. Five days had passed since Will's party had gone missing. If the survivor was one of them, it'd be a miracle.

Hajime: Yue, I'm counting on you.

Yue: Okay.

Hajime didn't take his eyes off the pool of water surrounding the waterfall. Guessing what Hajime wanted, Yue raised her right hand and activated her magic.

Yue: Liquid Rampart. Wind Wall.

The water around the waterfall was pushed to either side, the wind wall keeping the resulting spray from soaking them. Yue looked like Moses parting the Red Sea with her hand outstretched like that. The spell Liquid Rampart made barriers of water, and Yue had used the existing river water to create hers.

Aiko and the students' jaws dropped open in shock yet again as they watched Yue cast two different elemental spells without an incantation or even a magic circle. The ancient Jews had probably been just as surprised when Moses had performed his miracle.

Aiko's group: Wha?!

Aishia: He's there.

Yue's mana supply wasn't infinite, so Hajime ushered everyone along. They walked past the waterfall into the cavern behind it. The cavern angled upward, and it opened up into a rather spacious room after they got through a narrow passage. Water and light poured into the room from above, the water creating a large puddle in the center. Seeing as the puddle didn't overflow, it stood to reason that it connected to the river somehow.

Hajime: Bingo.

They found a man in the furthest corner of the room. As they approached, they could make out his features better. He was young, probably no more than twenty, with graceful features. At the moment, though, that graceful face was pale as a sheet, ruining the effect. However, he didn't seem to be injured, and his bag still had a little food left in it. From the looks of it, he was just asleep. His pale features were probably due to the terror of hiding out alone. Aiko looked at him, clearly worried, but Sora was in a hurry to find out who he was. He flicked the sleeping man on the forehead.

Sora: Are you Will?

Will: Y-Yes, that's me! I'm Will Cudeta!

Sora(mind): So he really is Will Cudeta.

By some miracle, he had actually survived.

Sora: I'm Sora Yatagami. The head of the Fuhren Adventurer's Guild sent me to rescue you. I've come looking for you at Chief Ilwa Chang's request. I'm glad you're alive.

Sora(mind): That'll make life much easier.

Will: Ilwa-san sent you!? I see. I guess... I owe him another debt for this. Umm, thank you for coming here. If Ilwa-san sent you, you must be pretty strong.

There was a mixture of gratitude and respect in his gaze. It seemed he wasn't too bothered by that earlier flick to his forehead. He seemed like a surprisingly nice fellow. Completely unlike that other pig-faced noble Sora had encountered. Glad he didn't have to beat an answer out of Will, Sora motioned for Hajime, Yue, Aishia and Shea to introduce themselves before asking what had happened. While Aiko and her group went to heal his wounds.

Will: The monsters just didn't stop coming, and they drove us into a corner... Then there was...

Hajime: There was what?

Will: A Black Dragon and a Black Wyvern.

Sora: A Dragon and Wyvern?

Will's emotions got the better of him halfway through his story, and by the time he finished he was in tears. He'd basically forced his way into their party, and yet the adventurers he'd traveled with hadn't so much as looked annoyed when he asked them to teach him their skills or share stories about their adventures.

And yet he hadn't even tried to save them. He'd just hidden down here in this cave like a coward, praying for someone to come save him. He hated himself even more for feeling relieved when help had finally arrived, even though his comrades had all died. Those feelings had all come to a head when he recounted his tale, which was why he was a sobbing mess.

Will: I-I'm the worsht. Everyone died, but even though I wash usheless, I survived... and then... I even felt happy when I learned I wash shaved!

Will's sobs echoed through the cavern. No one said anything. No one knew what to say to the sobbing young man who blamed himself for his comrades' deaths. Yuka and the others especially so, because they understood exactly what he was feeling. Aiko gently patted Will on the back, her expression pained. Yue and Aishia were as expressionless as always, while Shea was at a loss for words. But when Will finally paused to take breath, the person everyone had least expected to say anything comforted him. Sora and Hajime.

They walked over, Sora grabbed Will by the collar, and hoisted him up into the air. When they spoke, their tone was surprisingly gentle.

Hajime: What's so wrong about wanting to live? What's so bad about being happy that you survived? Those feelings are the most natural thing in the world. For a human, wanting to survive is a praiseworthy trait.

Will: B-But... I...

Sora: If you feel bad for your dead comrades... then live on. Even if you have to crawl on the ground dredging for scraps, survive. As long as you keep struggling... eventually, the day will come when you realize there was meaning in you surviving this day.

Will: Live... on.

Tears still in his eyes, Will blankly repeated Sora's words. Sora thrust Will back to the ground and mumbled some words.

Sora: What the hell's wrong with us?

Their speech had been half-directed at himself. When they'd heard Will lamenting his own survival, it had somehow felt like he was saying it was a mistake for Sora and Hajime to have survived. That was what had gotten the two of them so worked up.

Aishia: It's okay. You said the right thing, Sora.

Sora: Aishia.

Aishia: Live, with everything you've got. We're going to survive together, right?

Sora: Yeah, you're right.

Sora and Hajime's words had really hit home to Aiko and the others. They were the words of someone who'd had to change their appearance and even the very core of their being to crawl out of the abyss alive. Ever since their reunion they'd always been cold and aloof, but for the first time they'd seen Sora and Hajime get heated up.

Sora's passion resonated just a little in the hearts of Yuka and the others, who were still trapped by the fear of death. His words felt like the first rays of spring after a long and cold winter.

For a while, the students all stared at each other, lost in their thoughts. Will was still in a daze after being unfairly yelled at and then unceremoniously thrown away. Finally, Will managed to get everyone's attention, and the party began preparing to descend. There was still an hour until darkness fell, so if they hurried they could reach the foot of the mountain before the day was up.

True, the sudden appearance of black wyvern and a black dragon were worrying developments, but they weren't part of Sora's mission. Besides, it was unreasonable of anyone to expect Sora and Hajime to investigate those incidents while protecting such a weak group.

Will realized he'd just be a burden too, so he agreed that they should withdraw. Atsushi's sense of justice compelled him to argue that they should investigate further and save the townspeople from their plight, but with such dangerous monsters roaming about, Aiko was having none of it. So, in the end, it was decided they would leave the mountain.

But of course, it was too much to hope everything would go according to plan. The moment the group exited the waterfall cavern using Yue's magic, they were greeted by a fearsome sight.

Dragon and Wyvern: Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

It let out another low roar. Aiko and the others froze in place, deer caught in headlights. Will was trembling so fiercely that he looked ready to collapse on the spot. He was probably having flashbacks to the last time he'd been attacked. Upon spotting Will, the dragon's gaze focused on him. Then, it suddenly reared its head back and opened its jaw, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. It began focusing a tremendous amount of mana into its mouth.

Dragons: Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaa!

A strange keening sound echoed throughout the sunset orange mountains. Sora suddenly remembered Will describing the breath that had gouged out part of the river and incinerated an adventurer on the spot.

Sora: Everyone, run!

Sora and Hajime leaped to the side as he screamed. Aishia, Yue and Shea followed suit. However, most people... No, everyone else didn't react to Sora's warning.

They couldn't. Aiko, Yuka, the other students, and even Will were still frozen in place. Aiko and the others were too surprised to react properly, but Will was frozen in fear. He couldn't even summon the presence of mind to look away.

Sora: Tch!

Aishia: Sora!

Yue: Big Brother!

Shea: Sora!

Sora used Telepathy to relay orders to Hajime, Aishia, Yue and Shea, then used [Wind Manipulation] Spirit Art to return to the spot he'd been in seconds ago, putting him directly between the dragon and the students.

Hajime: Sora heads up!

Hajime pulled a two-meter tall coffin-shaped shield out of his Treasure Trove and throw it towards Sora. He started pouring mana into it, and a giant spike popped out of the bottom half with a pneumatic hiss. He thrust it into the ground as hard as he could.

Aishia: Sora!

A second later, the dragon's black breath cut through the air with the precision of a laser. It traveled faster than sound, smashing into Sora's shield with a thunderous roar not even a second after it had been fired. The waves of heat radiating off the black laser were so great that they melted the ground around him.

Sora: This two are no ordinary monster!

Yuka: Yatagami! don't worry, we;ll help from behind!

Aiko: Yatagami!

He glanced back in surprise. To his utter amazement, Yuka and Aiko were trying to support him by pushing his back with all their might. It looked like they'd finally returned to their senses, saw Sora being pushed back, and had come to help. Aiko simply looked desperate, but Yuka's face, illuminated by the blue and black fireworks display that was Sora's mana colliding with the breath weapon, was deathly pale. She was trembling, not because of the force crashing into them, but because the trauma of what had happened in the labyrinth was still haunting her. The fact that she was still trying despite that was proof of her courage.

Seeing those two brought Atsushi back to his senses as well. With a spirited yell, he ran up to Sora, and a second later Taeko, Nana, and even Will followed suit. The barrage showed no signs of stopping. The heat had long since evaporated the river water, so the force of the impact kept sending half- melted stones flying out of the riverbed.

Sora could no longer tell how much time had passed. It felt like an eternity to him, but in reality scarcely 10 seconds had gone by. He grit his teeth in determination, and at the same time, he heard the long awaited voice of his salvation.

Yue: Heavenly Calamity!

A whirling black sphere that was about four meters in diameter appeared above the black dragon's head. Its darkness was so absolute that it felt as if one would be sucked into it if they just stole a glance at it. That ominous black sphere fell to the earth, crushing the dragon beneath it.

Dragons: Graaaaaaaaaah!?

The stream was interrupted as the dragon roared in pain, grounded by Yue's sphere, but her spell was far from done. It pressed down on the dragon with even greater force, enough to create a dragon-sized depression in the ground.

Sora: Aishia!

Aishia came rushing in with her spear in hand hitting the black Wyvern with her superhuman strength sending it flying. Hajime with his Donner started fighting against the black dragon. While the black wyvern got up and aimed another breath at Will. But Aishia quickly speed blitzed and cut the breath in half.

Yuka: W-We have to help!

Taeko: R-Right!

Yuka thrown some knife while Taeko with her whip. Yuka's job was Acrobat, while Taeko's was Whip Master. The former was a job that specialized in throwing weapons such as knives or darts, while the latter, as the name suggested, was proficient in whips, though they were also skilled in using all rope-like objects.

Nana: We can help too!

Sora: Look out!

Yuka, Taeko and Nana: Eh?!

Just as Sora gave her instructions, the Black Wyvern changed its attack pattern. It had only used its tail to attack up until now, but this time, it suddenly leapt forward. The irregular action made Yuka and the girls freeze up for only a moment, but that moment was all it needed. They would be crushed under its weight.

Sora: Tch!

Sora then fire a seven to eight meter-wide ball of ice, colliding head-on with the Black Wyvern's body, heavily knocking back the jet black demi-dragon. He immediately went straight towards the girls.

Yuka: Huh...?

Yuka let out a slightly dumbfounded noise. She thought her body had gotten lighter for a second... But before she realized it, she along with Taeko and Nana were being snugly held in Sora's arms.

Sora: Please don't do anything reckless! And grabbed on to me!

Yuka: R-Right!

The girls blinked blankly for a moment, before they cling onto Sora with their life. Sora once again dodge another Dragon Breath from the black Wyvern before landing on the ground.

Sora: Step back! And head towards Aishia!

The girls just step down and head towards Aishia just as Sora ordered. He then glared at the Black Wyvern. Soon after that, he was off. Jumping high into the air at a tremendous speed, he kicked the chin of the Black Wyvern from directly below it.

Black Wyvern: Grah?!

The Black Wyvern's large frame bent backwards, and a sound of pain uttered from its mouth. Without pausing for a breath, Sora gracefully twisted his body and aimed a slashing kick with the outer edge of his foot at the opponent's neck. The jet black demi-dragon staggered, taking a stumbling step to one side.

Sora: Its skin is so rigid... Guess it wouldn't be that easy.

Sora said, frowning slightly in midair. He had kicked it with the intention of incapacitating it, but the attack hadn't done much damage to the Black Wyvern.

Nana: He's battling a black wyvern with his bare hands?

Black Wyvern: Graaaah!

The Black Wyvern raged, aiming a breath of fire at its opponent.

However, Sora stuck his right hand out and fired a blast of wind, deflecting the incoming fire breath. The flames that just left the Black Wyvern's mouth went rushing back in.

Black Wyvern: Gyreeh?!

The jet black demi-dragon screeched in pain — it seemed as though fire directed inside its mouth was its weakness. Sora smirked and launched an enormous ball of fire into the Black Wyvern's mouth.

At the same time, he used wind spirit arts to float smoothly in the air and move above the opponent's head. He put both hands together, and swung them down with all his might. With a loud thunk, the Black Wyvern's mouth was slammed shut, and a large explosion took place inside immediately after.

An incredible amount of heat and shockwave energy was produced inside its mouth, and the Black Wyvern shook its head furiously as it bent backwards. A dark blood was beginning to brim in its enraged eyes; it staggered for a while, before collapsing heavily to the ground.

Taeko: A-Amazing. You defeated it so easily...

Taeko muttered in amazement, having watched Sora easily take care of the beast all by himself, without any need for assistance.

Sora: It seemed like the inside of its mouth was its weakness. Thank goodness that was easy to figure out,

Sora said with a bitter smile, and landed softly on the ground beside Yuka and the girls.

Yuka: No, even if that were the case...

Yuka replied in astonishment. The opponent was over 20 meters in size; it was no small feat to get close enough to the face to fire inside it. One could have easily been crushed by its jaws and eaten. But a second later.

???: Aaaaaaaaah! How dare youuu!

They heard an anguished scream.

Sora: Huh?

Sora, Aishia and the girls all looked back towards Hajime, Yue, Shea, only to see a rod on it's ass.

Sora: -_- The hell...

Sora, Aishia, and the girls all walked towards Aiko and Will, and Hajime finally noticed them.

Hajime: Oh how nice of you to join us. I was about to kill this creepy dragon that has a voice.

???: My backside~ My poor backside~

Its pained, agonized, and oddly impassioned scream was so unexpected that it shocked everyone stiff. It would seem that this dragon... was no ordinary monster.

???: Take it out~ Please take it out~

The voice that echoed through the riverbed sounded pitiful. And decidedly feminine. The dragon's jaws weren't moving, so she was clearly using some kind of wide-area telepathy to broadcast her voice. That made sense, as it was unlikely a dragon's mouth and vocal cords would be able to produce anything resembling human speech.

However, it was impossible for monsters to understand or use human speech. The only exception being a strange fish with a human-shaped face. Leaving that aside, no other monsters had been seen using language of any sort.

Though the presence of a black dragon here itself was out of the ordinary. It made absolutely no sense for a monster on par with the creatures Hajime had faced off in the labyrinth to be wandering the surface like this. And if by some chance there was a dragon's nest nearby, there's no way it would have remained hidden.

That left only two possibilities. First, that it was an undocumented kind of monster that had come from beyond the fifth layer of mountains, where no one had ever explored. Or second...

Hajime: So, you're a Dragonmen?

The dragon stiffened up upon hearing Hajime's question. However a second later it let out a defeated sigh. It appeared that it hadn't wanted the fact that it was a dragonman to be found out. Still, at this point, she could no longer hide it. It would be pointless to try and deny it now.

???: How could I make such a blunder...

She muttered regretfully. She wasn't sure if the boy before her had found out because of how odd her movements had been while she was controlled, or because she'd accidentally spoke after being nailed in the ass... Chances were it was both.

???: Indeed. I am a proud member of the dragonman race. There are a number of reasons why I ended up here. I will explain all, so may I please ask that you remove that object from my anus? I am nearly out of mana. And if I was to return to my original form as is... suffice to say my backside would end up in a most... unsightly state.

Hajime'd still been unsure when he asked, but it looked like his guess had been on the money.

Hajime: Hell no.

Sora: -_- Wow, just wow.

Sora was quite frankly amazed by this strange "luck" of his. Ever since he'd arrived in this world, he'd had a penchant of running into rare or unique existences. Yue was a vampire, a race thought to have gone extinct three hundred years ago. On top of that, she was royalty. Aishia, a spirit whose being was supposed to be extinct 1000 years ago. Meanwhile Shea also exhibited traits of atavism, or at least that was the prevailing theory, and now he was face to face with a dragonman, a race thought to have gone extinct five hundred years ago. Fate seemed to enjoy matching him up with extraordinary people.

Yue: Why are you here?

Yue took over the questioning. Even for a vampire the dragonmen were a legendary race. And just like Yue, this dragon was quite possibly the last survivor of her race. Naturally, Yue was interested. Curiosity sparkled in her eyes.

???: Like I said, I will explain so please take that thing out of me... My mana is nearly depleted... Hey, stop that! Don't keep pounding it in! The stimulation— The stimulation will—

Hajime: Yue's the one asking questions here, you punk!

Hajime said, acting like a common thug, and started pounding on the spike with his fist. The black dragon writhed and screamed. The solemn dignity she'd radiated upon their first meeting was nowhere to be found.

???: S-Stop! Do not force it like that! It is far too much for my rear, far, far too much!

Sora: What's a member of a lost race doing here of all places, and why are you so determined to kill a single adventurer... I'm pretty interested in the answer myself.

The dragonman's actions had been so unnatural that Hajime was willing to delay killing his enemy until he figured out the details of what had happened. Of course he didn't stop pounding the spike in, just slowed down a little.

???: Aah n-not sho hard~ I-I'll talk, so stop!

Aiko and the others were appalled by Hajime's callous attitude, but he ignored them. But if he kept going the dragon probably wouldn't be able to talk so he stopped. He kept his hand on the spike so he could resume at any time though. Relieved, the black dragon let out a sigh. She hurriedly began explaining what had happened. Hajime wasn't sure if the sensuality he sensed in her voice was just his imagination or not.

???: I was being controlled. I had no intention of attacking you people. However, the man who took control of me ordered me to find and kill that young man and his comrades.

She beckoned to Will with her gaze. Will started trembling again, but he bravely met the dragon's gaze. Something inside him had changed after watching Hajime's fight.

Sora: But why? And how?

Tio: Allow me to start from the beginning. I am... Tio Klarus. I flew from my hidden village to investigate the travelers from another world. But on my journey to the nearby town,  I paused for a rest and enjoyed a nap in the mountains. Of course, I did so in my beastly form, as there were monsters in the vicinity. During my slumber, that man, dressed in dark robes, appeared before me. He likely used some kind of mind-control magic to usurp my freedom from me. He seemed to be an expert at his craft. His proficiency with dark magic was so great that I daresay he must have been some kind of genius. And he had had nearly a whole day to work his magic on me. I may be fearsome, but even I cannot withstand such an attack...

She trailed off sadly, as if that had been the greatest blunder of her life. Unfortunately for her, Hajime was merciless with his words.

Hajime: So you were in such a deep sleep that this guy was able to spend all day casting this spell, and you didn't even notice?

Everyone looked at her like she was an idiot. However the dragon only stared off in the distance and continued as if she'd said nothing. She did, it seemed, have some semblance of an excuse. Flying across the sea had been an exhausting ordeal, but her mission required speed. So when she had stopped for a rest, she'd placed herself in a deeper slumber than normal. Either way, it was obviously her mistake that led to this situation, though she didn't admit it.

The reason she knew this mysterious sorcerer had spent an entire day taking her over was because even under his mind control, her original personality and memories had remained. They had just been locked inside her. And it seemed her ears had picked up someone muttering "I can't believe this took a whole day..." after she'd awoken.

Will: I can't believe you...

Once the dragon finished her explanation, a low, trembling voice echoed through the silence. Everyone turned around in surprise. There was a murderous rage in Will's gaze as he glared at the dragon, his hands balled up into fists.

Will: Are you saying it's not your fault because you were controlled... that it's not your fault you killed Gale-san, Navare-san, Lent-san, Wisry-san and Kurt-san!?

The anger he'd felt at the death of his comrades had continually been building up underneath the mountain of panic that had occupied his thoughts until now. Finally, it had boiled over in a violent outburst of shouting.

Tio:......

The black dragon didn't reply. She stared quietly into Will's eyes, absorbing his pain and anger. That calm attitude only served to enrage Will further.

Will: Besides, who's to say you're even telling the truth! For all we know this is all bullshit you made up so we spare your life!

Tio: Everything I told you just now is the truth. I swear it on my pride as a dragonman.

Will opened his mouth to protest again. But he was cut off by Yue.

Yue: She's not lying.

Will: What proof do you have that...

One look from Yue silenced Will. After he trailed off Yue returned her gaze to the black dragon and continued.

Yue: Dragonmen are known for their integrity and loyalty. I've lived far longer than any of you. And when I was around, stories of dragonmen were far more common. She staked her pride as a dragonman on her story. It's no lie. Besides... I know what a liar's eyes look like, and she's no liar.

Yue gazed off into the distance as she said that last part.

Sora (mind): She must be thinking about what happened to her three hundred years ago.

There was no doubt her life before meeting Sora had been full of lies and deceit. Even the people she thought closest to her had turned out to be liars. And it was because she'd averted her eyes from that truth that she'd been betrayed. Her somewhat unique life experiences had made her very sensitive to lies and liars. And her conclusion was that the dragon before them was no liar.

Tio: Oh, I did not expect to see those who still knew of us in this day and age... Wait, how long did you say you've lived?

Thinking that there were still people alive that told stories of her people's race, the dragon spoke in a pleasantly surprised voice.

Yue: Long. I am a survivor of the vampire race. Three hundred years ago, our monarchs looked to the dragonmen as models of how to live, as well as how to rule.

In other words, to Yue the dragonmen were symbols of righteousness. At the very least, she spoke of them with respect. That had played no small part in her decision to stop Will's tirade. When she heard about Yue's heritage, the dragon was even more surprised.

Tio: Unbelievable! A vampire... and three hundred years old at that... I see. Our sources from the outside world had told us the vampires had been wiped out, but I see their princess still yet lives. I believe your name was... Ale—

It seemed this dragon had lived at least as long as Yue, if not more. But the way she spoke about events, it seemed that while she kept a distance from the affairs of the world, she wasn't ignorant of them. The dragonmen must send people out to mingle with other humans and gather news relatively often. Which is why she was surprised when she'd heard the vampires' princess had survived. Needless to say, Aiko and Yuka and the others were even more shocked. Their jaws were hanging open. Yue headed the dragon off before she could speak Yue's original name.

Yue: Yue... that's my name. The person I treasure most in this world gave it to me. Please use that.

She was blushing slightly, and holding her hands close to her chest, like she was cupping something dear. Sparkling waves of happiness were radiating off her. When they saw her expression, the girls all looked like they'd spotted a buffet of sweets, while the guys blushed, captivated by her words. Even Will's anger dimmed slightly.

But then he thought back to the kind adventurers who'd taught him so much, and he found his rage again.

Will: Even so, it doesn't change the fact that you killed them... Even if it was against your will... you still did it! Gale said he was going to propose once this mission was over! Just what did they die for...

He understood logically that the dragon wasn't to blame. But he couldn't help himself. Even if he understood it in his head, he couldn't accept it in his heart. He ground his teeth together as a dark fog of anger enveloped his thoughts. That's a lot of flags he just raised. While appreciating the cliched nature of Will's speech, Sora suddenly remembered the locket he'd picked up along the way.

Sora: Will, did this belong to that Gale guy?

He pulled it out and threw it over to Will. Will caught it and opened it up. As he stared at the picture inside, his mouth turned up into a smile.

Will: This is my locket! I thought I'd lost it forever. I can't believe you found it. Thank you so much!

Sora: Oh that's yours?

Will: Yes! There's no mistaking it, the portrait inside is of my mother!

Sora: Y-Your mother?

Nana: W-Wait, about that dude who used dark magic!

Atsushi: Do you remember his face?

Tio: He was a human with black hair and eyes. Saying things like "I'm the True Hero" and such.

Aiko and her group was in shocked.

Yuka: Ai-sensei...

Aiko: We don't know if that's Shimizu for sure...!

Tio: Whether it was by my will or not, the truth is that I stole the lives of many innocent people. If you say I must die for my crimes, then I shall accept that punishment. However, could you not give me some time? Before I die, I must at least destroy that dangerous man. That man is trying to create an army of monsters. The dragonmen have always kept their distance from the affairs of the continent, however after what he did, it is my responsibility to stop him. I cannot allow him to run free... I understand what I am asking of you is selfish. But will you please grant me the opportunity to stop this tragedy before it gets any worse?

Everyone's expressions changed when they heard the words "army of monsters." They all looked to Sora. At some point, he had become the effective leader of their group. The one who'd fought the wyvern off had been him, so it seemed natural to entrust the decision to him as well. Just as Sora was about to respond, Hajime chimed in.

Hajime: I really don't give a damn about your responsibilities. You caused us quite a bit of trouble. So for that you'll have to die.

He raised his artificial arm and made a fist.

Tio: Please wait! Y-You cannot seriously mean to kill me now, not after all I just said! I'm begging you, please let me go. Once I settle my affairs I'll let you do whatever you want with me! So please! Think of the future generations that might yet be saved!

Hajime ignored her and brought his fist down. But it never reached its intended target. Before he could pound the spike further in, Sora came rushing in grabbing his hand from hitting the rod.

Hajime: The hell are you doing?

Sora: Stopping you. We're not murderers. We will kill those who stands in our way. But that's not her.

Hajime: Even though we were just trying to kill each other a few second ago.

Sora: But she's not an enemy. She never once directed animosity toward you. She was being controlled. And killing her will make Yue sad.

Hajime:...

Yue didn't want to let the dragon die. As she had growing up respecting the dragonmen race, letting Hajime kill her would leave a bad taste in Yue's mouth.
And while the battle had eventually devolved into the death match, technically speaking she had initially been after Will. And now they even knew the reason why. She had been robbed of her will, and forced to carry out her controller's orders like a machine. In the first place, the only reason it had devolved into a death match despite how focused she'd been on Will was because of Hajime.

True, keeping Will alive was their current mission, so by making Will her enemy she had made Hajime her enemy, but the truth was that Hajime's real enemy was the man behind the dragon. If anyone should become the target of his ire, it would be him.

There was one other reason Sora had stopped Hajime.

Sora understood very well Hajime's worldview. Since he felt the same experienced Hajime did at the abyss. Sora could tell that the dragon truly had no intention of becoming their enemy. Sora didn't want Hajime to kill anyone that wasn't truly his enemy. As for why, that was because...

Sora: If we compromise our own rules, we will truly start losing our humanity. Is killing her something you really have to do?

He was worried Hajime would start to break down if he actually killed someone who wasn't truly his enemy. It wasn't just him, Yue too. Sensing their worries, Hajime cocked his head and thought about whether that black dragon really was his enemy. Hajime wasn't so naive as to worry about whether his opponent was being controlled or not in the middle of a fight. He would kill anything standing in his way.

But was there any reason to execute a former foe who had since been freed from her mind control? Was that still killing an "enemy"? Hajime stared into his best friends eyes, inches away from his own. As he considered his own principles, a strained voice interrupted them.

Tio: I am terribly sorry to bother you. For now, could you please remove that hindrance from my rear?

Hajime: What?

Tio: Any foreign objects inserted inside me in my dragon form remain the same way when I revert to human form. Just imagine a woman with a spike this hard and large inside her... Do you think she could survive?

Everyone grimaced as they imagined the sight. Yuka and the other girls unconsciously covered their butts sympathetically.

Tio: I am maintaining this form with my mana, but that will soon run dry. I can last maybe another minute like this... I am interested in seeing what lies beyond death, but dying like this would be too unsightly to bear. Think of the future generations that might be saved!

While that last bit seemed rather out of place, her voice was very clearly strained. Hajime didn't have much time to make his choice.

Hajime: Fine.

With his free hand, Hajime grabbed the massive spike stuck in the dragon's butt. Then he pulled with all his strength.

Tio: Haaaahn! S-Slower please. I am still unaccustomed to such— Afwuu. Yaah, so rough! This— Aaaahn! Something— something strange is coming!

The spike had been driven pretty far up her ass hole. So Hajime had to wiggle it around a bit and pull pretty hard to get it out. For some strange reason, the rougher he got, the happier the dragon's moans sounded. Hajime ignored her completely and continued pulling until finally it came free.

Tio: Ahiiiiiiiiiiiii...! A-Amazing. I asked you to be gentle, and yet you showed not even an iota of mercy... This is the first time I've ever...

A few seconds after her incoherent rambling, the dragon's body was wrapped in a cocoon of mana and gradually started to shrink. When she'd shrunk to about human size, the cocoon of mana dissipated.

What emerged from the cocoon of black mana was a beautiful woman. She had black hair and piercing golden eyes. She was sitting on her knees, supporting her body with one hand and rubbing her butt with the other. Her luxurious, thick hair fell straight down to her waist, and her disheveled bangs were stuck her blushing face. She was panting heavily, and her expression was ecstatic. Anyone would find her current appearance seductive.

She had the figure of a woman in her early twenties. Though her height was easily over 170 centimeters. She was very well endowed, and every time her shoulders heaved, her twin mounds threatened to spill out of her clothes. If Shea's were melon sized, then this girl's were watermelon sized.

Atushi: I can't believe it... This is amazing.

Noboru: S-So this is what a fantasy world is like.

Akito: Dammit! I know you've got some juice left in you! Come on, phone!

The dragon's beautiful appearance had a huge impact on Atsushi and the guys. The three of them were in the height of their puberty, so it was only natural. They all stooped over and spouted ridiculous lines. If this continued for any longer, they would be forced on all fours to hide their boners. Yuka and the others were staring at the guys like they were cockroaches.

Tio: Haah... Haah... Thank you for sparing my life... My butt still feels weird... but it's nothing compared to how much the rest of my body aches... Haah... Haah... to think pain could feel so sweet...

Hajime: Hey!

Both her expression and her words were rather ominous, or so Hajime thought. After a few minutes, she composed herself enough to sit up straight, and introduce herself calmly. Though her intermittent panting ruined the stately effect her sharp posture and crisp tone created.

Tio: I have caused you all much grief. Please understand that I truly, truly am sorry for what I have done. Once again, my name is Tio Klarus. I'm a dragonman of the Klarus clan.

Tio then went on to explain how the robed figure who was gathering a monster army was planning on attacking the nearby villages. And that he had already gathered a mob of three to four thousand monsters. Most of the monsters that inhabited the second mountain range lived in packs, so all he'd needed to do was subjugate their respective leaders, and the packs had followed.

Aiko: This army of monsters is marching on Ur?!

Tio: Indeed. The dark robed man intends to use them to attack the town. And that army numbers well into the thousands.

Atsushi: N-No way!

As they were worrying about what to do, Hajime, who had been using his Far Sight skill, suddenly realized something.

Hajime: Oh, so that's...

When he'd heard Tio's story he'd sent his Ornises out to search for the monster army and the black-robed man. One of them had spotted a large gathering of monsters, but... the numbers were off.

Hajime: You said five to six thousand right? Are you sure you weren't a digit short?

Sora: And from the looks of it, they're already on the move. This far out, it'll take them two days to reach the town.

Everyone's eyes flew open in surprise. It appeared he'd begun his advance. The robed man was almost certainly aiming for the town of Ur. If they continued at their current pace they would be down the mountain in half a day, and reach the town in another half.

Aiko: W-We need to hurry back and warn everyone! Then we need to evacuate and ask for reinforcements from the capital... And then, and then...

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Aiko tried to think through her panic and figure out the best course of action. Against an army in the tens of thousands, even the ridiculously overpowered students didn't stand a chance. Besides, they still hadn't fully recovered from their trauma.

Aiko had basically no combat ability, Will was barely even an adventurer, and Tio was completely drained of mana. Forget stopping them, they wouldn't even be able to slow the army down. Thus, Aiko's plan of warning and everyone and running until reinforcements from the capital came was the best considering the circumstances.

However, while everyone else was panicking, Will quietly asked a rather odd question.

Will: Umm, Sora-dono and Hajime-dono, couldn't you do something about...

At his words, everyone looked expectantly to Sora and Hajime. Their eyes were filled with hope. Annoyed by their expectant gazes, Hajime casually waved his hand as if to dismiss the thought.

Hajime: Don't look at me like that. Our job is to bring Will safely back to Fuhren. I can't fight a war if I've got to protect him. Hurry up and go warn the villagers.

Atsushi and Will were angry at how casually Hajime dismissed them. However, Aiko's concern was elsewhere.

Aiko: Nagumo, did you happen to see the black-robed man too?

Hajime: Hm? Nope. I've been checking regularly, but all I'm seeing is a horde of monsters.

Aiko hung her head sadly. After a moment of deliberation, she stated that she wanted to confirm whether or not the black-robed man was really Yukitoshi Shimizu, the missing boy they'd been searching for. As always, she put her students first. If the cause of all this trouble really was one of her students, then it was her responsibility.

However, there was no way they could leave Aiko alone among an army of monsters, and so Yuka and the others desperately tried to talk her out of it. Aiko hesitated for a bit, but then came up with another idea... namely that Sora could accompany her. Tired of their constant arguing over whether to stay or leave, Sora gave Aiko a stare.

Sora: If you want to stay behind you can. We're going to take Will back to the village.

With that, Sora forcefully grabbed Will by the shoulders and started dragging him down the mountain. Will and Aiko tried to protest, saying they couldn't leave this huge army alone, that they needed to confirm who the black-robed man was, that Sora and Hajime were strong enough to take on the whole army, and so on.

Sora: Look, I can't fight an army if I've got someone I need to protect. Hell, let's say for argument's sake that I could kill them all. In a forested place like this full of boulders and rivers, there's no way I could be sure I'd gotten every single one. Just give it a rest, okay. Even if we find out whether or not the kid really is a student, who'll be left to warn the town? On the off chance that they're actually stronger than us, we'll be wiped out and the town will be caught totally by surprise. Just so you know, only Hajime can drive Brise, so if we go fight, you guys have no chance of making it back before the town's attacked.

Aiko and Will fell silent. Sora's argument had made it clear how pointless and reckless their insistence that he go fight was.

Tio: Well, my Kin... Ahem, he has point. My mana is completely drained right now too. I understand your desire to act, but right now there's nothing we can do. Our first priority should be warning the villagers. After a day my mana will be mostly recovered as well.

Tio followed up after Sora, supporting his reasoning.

Sora(mind): Was she about to call me King...? Does the Dragonman know something about the Dragon King?

Realizing that was the best option in their current situation, Aiko reined in her worry and prioritized warning the town and the safety of the students still under her charge.

Tio: Unfortunately, my mana reserves are so dry, I can barely move.

Sora and Hajime: Huh?

Tio started moaning in pleasure from their glares.

Tio: Ohhhhhhhh!!! You look at me like I'm the embodiment of filth!

Hajime: Maybe I should've killed you after all.

Tio: Your words pierce my heart, your fist strikes at my very core, and your attacks violate only my most lewd areas! My heart, body, and soul fill with such pleasure! OOOOOOOHHHHHH!!!!!

Tio was so drained of mana that she couldn't move, so Hajime grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and dragged her down the mountain. Atsushi and the other boys had been ready to fight each other for the right to carry Tio, but Yuka had quickly shut them down, and it seemed Tio herself wished to be carried by Hajime, which was why he'd ended up with the job.

But of course, Hajime wasn't the kind of person to carry her nicely. Frowning in annoyance, he had grabbed by the legs and dragged her at first. However, Aiko's fierce protests had talked him into at least dragging her by the scruff of her neck. No matter what anyone said after that he refused to compromise any further. Tio herself had a look of ecstasy on her face too, which made everyone back away, thus resulting in this being the style she was dragged down the mountain in.

Tio: What horrid treatment! Such new sensations! AAAAAAAA!!!!

Aiko: W-Wait for us!

Sora: Then hurry up. If not, we'll leave you.

The party hurried to Ur as fast as they could, an army of monsters not far behind them.